Xavier had just tucked the A‑rank goblin quest parchnt into his cloak when he turned toward the guild’s heavy doors. The hall was still buzzing with disbelief, adventurers whispering about the audacity of a newly registered black human taking on such a mission. Aria walked beside him, her expression cool, her presence commanding.
" I need to leave for the place now." He muttered, as he walked through the heavy doors.
He was just about to order a carriage when he heard a voice behind him.
"Excuse , Sir."
Xavier stopped then turned around to et a man and a woman standing behind him.
The man was tall and broad‑shouldered, his armor worn but well‑kept, the steel polished despite the dents of past battles. His hair was dark and tied back, his jaw square, his eyes steady with the calm of soone who had seen bloodshed and survived it. A longsword hung at his hip, its hilt wrapped in leather, the blade nicked from use.
The woman was slender and he could tell she was quick-footed. A quiver of arrows rested across her back and a short bow was slung casually over her shoulder. Her hair was a fiery auburn; she looked restless and sharp. He could tell she was soone who was always scanning and was also calculating.
"My na is Ezra, sir." The man began, then pointed at the woman beside him. "And this is Lyra, my partner."
"And so?" Xavier cautiously asked. "What do you want for ?"
The woman spoke for the first ti. "We were wondering if you would allow us to accompany you on your quest."
Xavier frowned at them. "What’s in it for you?"
The man chuckled, raising both of his hands. "We don’t want the gold. We wish to join you. Not for gold, not for glory. Only for the experience. I’ve fought goblins before, but never an army. I want to learn. To grow stronger."
The mont the words left his mouth, Xavier felt it. A ripple in his chest, a tightening in his gut. His instincts, honed through battles and betrayals, whispered a warning. It was subtle, but undeniable—a bad feeling, like a shadow brushing against the edge of his mind.
He was no fool. He could be a grown man like him, an adventurer, say he was going for an A-rank quest, not for the gold but for experience. Who was he fooling?
He studied Ezra carefully. The man’s armor was worn but well-kept, his sword nicked from use, his eyes steady. Everything about him seed genuine. And yet... Xavier had learned long ago that appearances were masks, and words were weapons.
Aria’s gaze flicked toward him, her silver eyes narrowing. She had felt it too—the faint shift in the air, the tension that wasn’t spoken. But she said nothing, waiting for Xavier’s judgnt.
Lyra stood beside Ezra, her auburn hair catching the lantern light, her bow slung casually over her shoulder. Her expression was sharp, restless, eager. She seed sincere in her desire for challenge, her hunger for danger. But Kaelen’s words lingered in Xavier’s mind like a thorn.
No gold. Only experience.
It was too clean. Too simple. Too rehearsed.
Xavier’s hand brushed against the hilt of his dagger beneath his cloak, his eyes locked on Ezra. The whispers of the guild hall faded into silence as he weighed the choice. He could refuse them outright, walk away, and face the goblin warlord alone with Aria. But sothing told him that rejecting them would only draw more suspicion, more whispers, more eyes watching his every move.
’Dammit!" He thought, grimly. "I hate being put in a corner like this.’
He exhaled slowly, his voice calm but edged with steel.
"Fine. You can co. But understand this—if you falter, if you betray , if you put Aria or at risk... I’ll end you before the goblins do. Literally. "
Ezra’s jaw tightened, but he nodded.
"I understand."
Lyra smirked faintly, her eyes gleaming with excitent.
"Then it’s settled. We’ll fight together."
Xavier turned away, his cloak shifting as he moved toward the guild doors. But inside, his mind remained sharp, his instincts alive. He had chosen to trust them—for now. Yet the warning in his chest did not fade.
He would keep an eye on Ezra and Lyra. Every word. Every step. Every glance.
Because Xavier knew better than anyone: trust was a blade. And it cut both ways.
-----
The four left Mayfair Town at dawn, the sky painted in hues of crimson and gold. Ostig’s wagon carried them part of the way, rattling along the dirt road until the forest thickened and the path narrowed. Xavier thanked the old driver once more, his voice steady, before the group continued on foot.
Ezra walked with a soldier’s stride, his longsword at his hip, his armor clinking softly with each step. He spoke little, his eyes scanning the treeline, his jaw tight with focus. Lyra moved lightly, her bow slung across her back, her auburn hair catching the morning light. She humd under her breath, sharp eyes darting from shadow to shadow, restless and eager.
Aria remained silent, her presence like a blade unsheathed—cold, sharp, and ready. She walked close to Xavier, her gaze occasionally flicking toward Kaelen, as if she too felt the unease.
Xavier’s mind was calm, but his instincts never dulled. He watched Kaelen’s movents, the way his hand lingered near his sword, the way his eyes avoided eting Xavier’s for too long. He noted Lyra’s eagerness, her confidence, her hunger for danger. He trusted her more than Ezra —but trust was a fragile thing.
As the road wound deeper into the forest, Xavier’s thoughts sharpened. He had chosen an A‑rank quest not for glory, not for gold, but because danger was the only forge that tempered strength. The Goblin Warlord’s nest would be a crucible—and he would see who survived it. Plus, he needed to master his current weapon and summon a stronger one.
Ezra’s words echoed again in his mind. No gold. Only experience.
’Who the fuck does he think he is?’ He thought, grimly. ’A saint? No sane person will leave money and go for experience. Only if he’s about to get sothing bigger.’
Xavier’s jaw clenched. He would allow Ezra to prove himself. But if betrayal lurked behind those words, if treachery hid beneath that armor, Xavier would be ready. He had broken stronger people. He just slew a Demaranian two days ago. He would break Ezra too, if necessary.
For now, he walked on, the forest closing around them, the air thick with the scent of moss and damp earth. The path ahead led to Blackthorn Caverns, where two hundred goblins and their warlord waited.
And Xavier knew: before the goblins tested them, he would test Ezra and Lyra himself.
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