?I need to figure out why they hate the Viremont name this much.

  ?With that thought, Zaek stepped out of the stifling inn. The town of Illagas greeted him not with fresh air, but with the stench of wet mud, refuse, and stagnant despair.

  ?Finding the way to Oryndel on my own was a fool’s errand, he mused, sidestepping a puddle of questionable origin. A map sounds much better right now. And maybe I can get some information about the local situation at the same time.

  ?He knew the best place for both would be the local Adventurers’ Guild—if a backwater town like this even had one.

  ?After a short search through the winding, gray streets, he found it: a squat, unassuming building wedged between a noisy blacksmith and a tannery that smelled of ammonia.

  ?He pushed the heavy door open.

  ?At this hour, the guild hall was nearly empty. The usual rowdy laughter was absent, replaced by the scratching of a quill at the reception desk and the low murmur of a few weary hunters in the corner.

  ?He approached the young woman bent over her ledger.

  ?"Ehem."

  ?She didn’t look up. Her quill kept scratching against the parchment.

  ?He cleared his throat again, louder this time. Still nothing. Is she deaf? Or just ignoring me?

  ?"YO!"

  ?The girl nearly jumped out of her skin. She dropped her quill with a clatter, clutching her chest as she gasped for breath. She glared at him with wide, accusing eyes behind thick glasses.

  ?"Sir! Don’t you know how to get someone’s attention properly? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

  ?"I tried. You didn’t hear me."

  ?She pushed her glasses up her nose, her expression shifting from fright to professional judgment. She scanned his worn cloak and tired face.

  ?"Sir, with all due respect, you look a bit... retired for adventuring. New registrations are in the morning."

  ?"I’m not here to register. I need a map. One that covers the route to Oryndel."

  ?"A map?" She seemed relieved it wasn't a request for a dragon slaying quest. "Yes, we should have some."

  ?She rose and rummaged through a dusty stack of scrolls behind her, laying a few out on the counter.

  ?"They’re not masterpieces, but they’re functional. The terrain around here changes often due to landslides."

  ?"Many thanks." He examined them briefly before picking the most detailed one. "This looks good enough. How much?"

  ?"Two Dalma."

  ?"Here."

  ?As he held out the coins, the girl froze.

  ?Her eyes didn't look at the silver. They were fixed on his hand. Specifically, on the scar running across his knuckles—and the heavy, black iron ring on his finger that he had forgotten to conceal.

  ?"Sir..." she began, her voice trembling. "That ring... Are you... related to the Hero Zaek?"

  ?Zaek paused. He looked at the ring, then at the girl's terrified awe. Ah. Slip up.

  ?He leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

  ?"Related? No," he said, a weary smirk tugging at his lips. "I’m the flesh and blood himself."

  ?The girl’s professional composure shattered instantly. She fumbled with her glasses, cheeks flushing a deep crimson as she scrambled to give a deep, frantic bow.

  ?"S-Sir! It is an honor! I—I didn't know! I apologize for my rudeness!"

  ?Zaek sighed, scratching the back of his neck. Too loud.

  ?"Keep it down. I'm trying to be low profile here. Just take the money."

  ?"I—I can’t accept it from a Hero!"

  ?He sighed again, this time with more force. "Fine. Then take it as a tip. And in return... tell me everything you know about this city. Why is everyone so on edge?"

  ?The girl swallowed hard, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

  ?"Yes, sir."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  ?He glanced at the map one last time before heading back to the inn.

  ?So, Illagas.

  ?The girl’s information had been useful, though depressing. The hatred for the nobility stemmed from the usual grievances: crippling taxes, abysmal working conditions, and a lord who hadn't visited in a decade.

  ?But there was something else. Something darker.

  ?""If I may add, sir," she had whispered, leaning over the counter, her eyes darting around as if the walls had ears. "There are rumors... about missing people."

  ?"Missing people?"

  ?"Yes. Beggars, drifters, orphans... people no one would look for. They vanish in the dead of night. No screams, no struggle. Just... gone."

  ?She swallowed hard, her voice trembling.

  ?"The official records show nothing. The guards say they ran away. But the common folk... we whisper. They say the Viremont family is involved. Rumor has it they are being taken for... experiments."

  ?He had dismissed it as peasant superstition then. Just fearmongering born of hatred for a cruel lord.

  ?But now, walking through the dark, empty streets where the shadows seemed to stretch too long, the thought gnawed at him.

  ?Experiments? Conspiracy theories?

  ?Sylas was a ruthless man, ambitious and cold. But kidnapping beggars for dark rituals or experiments? That sounded like a fairy tale designed to scare children.

  ?Still...

  ?Zaek frowned.

  ?One can accuse a hated lord of anything. But smoke usually means fire.

  ?When he reached the tavern, the common room was empty. The sly innkeeper was nowhere to be seen.

  ?Zaek frowned. He headed upstairs, his footsteps heavy on the creaking wood.

  ?When he reached their room, the door was slightly ajar.

  ?A cold knot of dread tightened in his stomach.

  ?He pushed it open.

  ?The room was empty. The bed was rumpled, but Aelira was gone.

  ?"DAMN IT!"

  ?He slammed a fist against the doorframe, splintering the wood. A surge of self-loathing washed over him.

  ?I left her alone. I knew this town was hostile, and I left her alone.

  ?He tried to picture the innkeeper’s face—the man who had given them the room with that knowing smirk—to fuel his rage. But he needed focus, not anger.

  ?"Now... where did you go?" he growled, his eyes scanning the room like a predator.

  ?There.

  ?Faint, muddy scuff marks on the floorboards. The tracks of at least three men, scattered and messy.

  ?Amateurs. They struggled to carry her.

  ?He followed the trail out a back exit on the second floor and down a rickety set of external stairs. The tracks vanished into the mire of the main street, but Zaek knew how to look.

  ?He swept the alleys with his gaze until he spotted a disturbance in the mud leading away from the town center. There, in the less-trodden path, the footprints reappeared.

  ?Heading out of town. Toward the fields.

  ?He ran.

  ?The trail led him to a dilapidated barn standing alone in a dark, fallow field about a mile from the walls.

  ?This must be it.

  ?He stopped running, slowing his breathing. He drew his katana, the steel whispering a deadly promise as it left the sheath. He approached in silence, merging with the shadows.

  ?As he neared the barn, he heard voices inside. He peeked through a crack in the weathered wood.

  ?Aelira was there. Tied to a chair.

  ?Relief washed over him, momentarily weakening his knees. She looks safe... unharmed.

  ?Then, he heard her voice.

  ?"...And what did you do to change anything?" came her small, defiant voice.

  ?"Ghh... you little bitch!" a man roared.

  ?Zaek watched as the man raised a hand to strike her.

  ?His relief curdled instantly into cold, absolute fury.

  ?Strike my student?

  ?He didn't bother with the latch. He raised his leg and kicked.

  ?Aelira’s cheek stung. The slap had been harder than she expected.

  ?Her head was ringing, but she refused to cry. She glared at the four men standing over her in the lantern light.

  ?"Is that all?" she spat, tasting blood. "You hit a child because you can't fight the world?"

  ?"Shut up!" The leader raised his hand again, his face twisted in rage. "We’re going to sell you for a good price. You’ll live the rest of your life as a slave, learning what real suffering is!"

  ?"Wait!" another man grabbed his arm. "Don't mark up her face. She's worth less if she's bruised."

  ?The leader paused, breathing heavily. "Right. I shouldn't let a brat get to me."

  ?He stepped back, sneering at her.

  ?"You nobles... you think you're untouchable. But out here, you're just meat."

  ?Aelira closed her eyes. Sensei... where are you?

  ?CRASH!

  ?The barn doors didn't just open; they exploded inwards. Wood splinters rained down like shrapnel.

  ?Dust billowed into the room, and through the haze, a figure stepped forward.

  ?"Yo," Zaek said.

  ?His voice wasn't loud. It was dangerously, terrifyingly calm. He stepped into the lantern light, a cold smirk curving his lips, but his eyes... his eyes were dead voids.

  ?"Tell me—whose idea was it to kidnap my student?"

  ?The men froze in shock.

  ?"The... the guy from the inn?" one stammered, fumbling for his sword.

  ?The leader, recovering first, grabbed Aelira from behind, pressing a jagged knife to her throat.

  ?"Don’t move!" he screamed, his voice cracking. "Don't take another step! Or the girl gets it!"

  ?Zaek stopped.

  ?He looked at the knife touching Aelira's skin.

  ?His smirk vanished.

  ?"How about you try that?"

  ?BOOM.

  ?It wasn't a sound. It was a sensation.

  ?A wave of invisible, crushing pressure slammed into the room.

  ?The lantern flickered and died, plunging them into semi-darkness, illuminated only by the moonlight streaming through the shattered door.

  ?Killing Intent.

  ?It wasn't magic. It was the raw, concentrated projection of a predator's will.

  ?The man holding Aelira gasped, his eyes bulging wide with terror.

  ?I can't... breathe...

  ?The air turned into lead. His lungs burned. The instinct to survive screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move. His brain was flooded with a single image: His own death.

  ?Clatter.

  ?The knife slipped from his numb fingers and hit the floor.

  ?"Guh..."

  ?The leader collapsed to his knees, foaming at the mouth, his eyes rolling back into his head. His companions didn't fare any better; they fell face-first into the dirt, unconscious before they hit the ground.

  ?Aelira sat there, breathless. The pressure hadn't been directed at her, but she could feel the edges of it. It was like standing next to a dragon.

  ?He just... knocked them down with his presence?

  ?Zaek walked slowly past the incapacitated bodies. As he reached her, the oppressive weight vanished instantly, replaced by the smell of rain and old iron.

  ?He knelt down and cut her bonds with a gentle flick of his blade.

  ?"Sensei..." she whispered, rubbing her wrists.

  ?Zaek looked at her swollen cheek. His jaw tightened, guilt flashing in his eyes.

  ?"You're overdoing it," she said softly, trying to sound brave. "They were just thugs."

  ?"Sorry, kid," he murmured, his voice rough. He reached out, hesitating, then awkwardly patted her head. "I'm late."

  ?"It's fine," she said, leaning slightly into his touch. "You came."

  Thanks for reading the chapter!