“Ciel, you have to understand that while Valar is a kid, he’s also entering his teenage years,” Carla explained. After they had eaten and everyone had gotten their part of the rewards, everyone had retreated to their rooms. Now, she was trying to drill Ciel on teenage boys and their mood swings. It was not going well.

  “Why should I bend when that brat gets uppity?” the rogue groaned. “This wasn’t an issue in-.... nevermind.”

  That was a slip of the tongue if I’ve ever heard one. Ciel hadn’t mentioned her homeland even once during their months together, and Carla hadn’t asked. She wouldn’t ask now either. Maybe she’s from the north? Wait, I’m getting derailed.

  “Precisely because you’re an adult and he’s not,” Carla sighed. “He’s going to experience mood swings during the following years, and the best thing to do is just be supportive.”

  “YEARS? I’m going to slit his throat if this continues for even a week!”

  “No, you won’t…” the ice mage rubbed the bridge of her nose in annoyance. “He wasn’t even that bad. You provoked a soft spot and he just got angry. Seriously, you must have experienced mood swings yourself, right?”

  “No! I’ve been calm and colle-.”

  “That’s a lie and you know it.”

  “Yeah…”

  Carla sighed for the umpteenth time that evening. “Look, I just want to make this as easy for all of us as possible. No matter how much of a teenager he is, he’s a pretty amazing healer. The only unfortunate thing is that he’s too young for this work, but I’m sure we can make it work if we’re supportive.”

  “Alright… I’ll try.”

  If Valar wasn’t lying to himself, he was kind of ashamed about his outburst. Now that he had slept on it—his dreams once again morphing into nightmares—and woke up with a slight burning pain in his very core. He was feeling bad for his actions, and his soul seemed to agree too.

  But what should he do? It wasn’t like Ciel would-.

  “I’m sorry for yesterday, Valar.”

  Wait, what? Sure, Ciel’s tone of apology had been hesitant at best, but she had actually come to him and said that she was sorry? This wasn’t right.

  “No, I’m sorry,” Valar mumbled. “I reacted badly.”

  The dark haired rogue hadn’t clearly expected that response, turning her head to Carla in seeming question. The ice mage sighed in disappointment and walked up to the pair.

  “Both of you have said sorry. Shake hands, hug or do whatever you do. Then we can continue like this never happened, okay?”

  Shaking hands seemed like the much better alternative. Ciel evidently agreed, as she extended her hand. The handshake of forgiveness was a definitely awkward one, but the message was clear. The argument had been a childish one on both sides, and there was no bad blood between Valar and the woman.

  “Are we alright, kid?” Ciel grinned down at Valar.

  “Yeah, we’re alright… demon,” Valar smiled back.

  Just to the side of the pair, Valar could hear the gasps of shock from his teammates. He did not care. The boy’s eyes were fixed on Ciel’s.

  The pale woman lifted one sculpted eyebrow, but surprisingly, her grin didn’t falter. “You’ve got balls of mithril, kid.”

  “How come you didn’t punch him? Valar’s getting special treatment!” Arthur’s complaints fell on deaf ears.

  “You know what,” Ciel mumbled as she stared Valar down. “Your aura doesn’t feel like one of a healer, but a warrior. I like that,” she turned to Carla. “He's a good addition to the team.”

  The team left the inn to the sound of Arthur’s numerous complaints. First, about not being allowed to call Ciel a demon, then about the sudden ache in his abdomen—albeit the latter grievance was highly related to the former one.

  When they finally neared the adventurer’s guild, Rodrick spoke. “A little bird told me last evening that the expedition signups to thwart the bandit threat are starting today. Is there anyone who is against joining the expedition?”

  “I’m fine with it as long as we’re paid accordingly,” Arthur said. “When is it supposed to take place?”

  “Start of next week. The idea is that both Lyndale and Rhondell adventurers attack at the same time, crushing the bandits from both sides at the same time.”

  “That sounds reasonable,” Carla nodded. “I’m the same as Arthur. If it pays well, I’ll gladly go.”

  Ciel was the only one who looked like she was actually thinking about saying no. “If it starts next week, what are we supposed to do on the weekend?”

  Rodrick sighed. “I was thinking of a break, but you can take solo missions during the two days if you want.”

  “Then I’m in.”

  Rodrick turned to the last member of the team. “Valar?”

  The boy looked up at the warrior and then pointed at himself. “I have a say in this?”

  “Of course,” Rodrick scoffed. “You have a voice just as we do. The fact that you’re technically an intern doesn’t matter as long as you’re committed to the team.”

  Hearing that his voice was valued made Valar feel surprisingly warm inside. This was not the burning pain of his wound, but a warmth that made the twinging pain lessen just a little bit. It felt nice knowing that someone actually appreciated what he had to say. In that way, this team felt similar to Elaine and Zeke. They felt more and more like friends.

  “It’s fine by me,” Valar finally managed to answer. “I don’t really know what an expedition even entails, so I’ll leave the decision to you.”

  “Good,” Rodrick nodded proudly. “That’s what we are for.”

  As they walked, Rodrick explained expeditions to Valar. He already knew that they were larger contracts taken on by multiple teams at the same time, but that had been the extent of his knowledge. That wouldn’t do, not at all.

  The actual logistics of an expedition were quite complicated, as the leadership would need to position different teams at different positions based on their strengths and weaknesses. Usually the leaders themselves weren’t even the strongest adventurers, but guild functionaries with strategic training that most adventurers would never get. Leading an expedition was hard work, so a successful one could propel the leader’s career to the stars.

  Valar didn’t really need to know any of that. He just needed to know that he would be working mainly with his team with regular contact between other teams sprinkled in. He would also be healing members of other teams if he had mana to spare, but Rodrick assured him that their team and Valar would get compensated for their time.

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  The expedition itself would take between three and four days depending on the actual attack. The idea was that they would cross the forest through the bandit infested lands and find themselves at the Rhondell branch with the other adventurers. A clean sweep of the bandit forces where no one got split up and casualties were minimal to nonexistent.

  “What about the bandits’ leader?” Valar asked. “He’s a silver ranker and could have silver rank guards too.”

  “We’ll hear more about that once we actually sign up, but rest assured that the bandit king will not be our target. I’d assume the expedition takes a single silver rank team with them and that team will fight the bandit king, but there have been other approaches too. We’ll know more soon.”

  And so they did. When team Cookie Sandwich walked through the front door of the adventurer’s guild, the whole foyer was in total chaos. Adventurers, mostly bronze rankers, were yelling at each other openly. The room was filled with arguments, unrest and confusion.

  Rodrick tapped on the shoulder of a man that didn’t seem to be as confused as everyone else. He was a bronze ranker with swarthy skin and a massive longbow slung across his back. “Jeremiah, what’s happening here?”

  “Oh, Rodrick? Come here for the expedition?” The archer gave Rodrick a bear hug, slapping him on the back before he continued speaking. “There have been a couple developments that have stirred the so-called pot.”

  “How so? I thought the expedition was almost fully planned out?”

  “It was, until it wasn’t. Want to hear the good news or the bad news first?”

  “Bad!” Arthur shouted from the back of the group. “Always bad news first!”

  Jeremiah let out a deep laugh. “Was that you, Arthur? Stay away from my bow or you’ll infect it with your wonky shooting!”

  “I won the last time we competed! You’d be much better if you shot like me!”

  “It was all luck, and you know it!”

  “That’s a skill too!”

  The archer dressed in simple leathers shook his head with another laugh. “That guy… So, bad news it is. There was an additional attack near Rhondell, and it was big.”

  Rodrick’s eyes went wide for a second before he centered himself. “How so? There have been loads of attacks.”

  “This one was bad,” Jeremiah explained. “A four wagon caravan was completely wrecked, every single person taken as captive or left for dead. The guild and guard suspect that the caravan wasn’t attacked by only iron and bronze rankers, but a silver ranker too.”

  “Oh… That’s bad.”

  “Yeah. That means that the bandits of the forest are either stupid enough or confident enough that they don’t fear a small expedition like ours. But it isn’t all bad news… Apparently somebody caught one of them alive some months ago and they have become an excellent source of information on the bandits and their movements.”

  The team looked at each other with smiles plastered on their faces. Rodrick coughed and scratched his neck in seeming embarrassment. “What would be the name of this information source, pray tell?”

  “Alyssa Hopkins, the daughter of a bandit that was killed in the attack. Wait, why are you all grinning?”

  Carla coughed politely as she tried to hide her beaming smile. “We captured her when we went to Rhondell a while back. Our intern Valar here actually convinced our caravan protector to vouch for her to the guards.”

  Jeremiah looked down where Carla was pointing, his eyes going wide as dinnerplates for a brief moment before he seemed to gather himself. “Well, aren’t you a young mage?”

  “He was the one to kill the umbral terror over two months ago,” Carla’s words made the archer’s eyes widen once more. “And he already graduated from the royal academy just under a week ago.”

  “Slow down, woman,” Jeremiah shook his head. “The umbral terror? Are we talking about the umbral terror that had its territory near Lyndale?”

  “Yep,” Valar gave the man a shy smile. He felt his confidence lessen immediately when he was talking to a stranger, but he soldiered on. “I almost died, but well… I didn’t!”

  “I can see that… My question is: How did an iron rank life mage do it? Our team fought that same terror a while back and we needed to retreat.”

  “I had alchemical fire with me,” Valar lied through his teeth. “I got lucky, as the beast tried to eat my arm and burned itself to death.”

  After the numerous times he had had to already lie about that incident, Valar noticed that lying about it was becoming easier with time. Even though he was lying through his teeth to a total stranger, he didn’t stutter or hesitate with his words. That particular falsehood was becoming natural.

  “Alchemical fire?” Jeremiah asked thoughtfully. “I guess it could work… You would have to get exceedingly lucky though.”

  “Maybe I’m exceedingly lucky then,” Valar shrugged.

  “There are TWO of you?” the archer groaned. “Rodrick, how did you even get this life mage on your team? I’m positive you aren’t the first team the guild would recommend!”

  “Well, Arthur ran back to the guild to check our pay and they crossed paths,” Rodrick started.

  “So luck?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Your team is insufferable.”

  “I know.”

  The adventurers’ discussion was interrupted there by the loud banging footsteps of the branch leader. Selin, the gold rank earth mage and branch leader, stormed down the stairs from her office with a furious expression.

  “We’re doing the expedition choices right now!” she shouted. “All team leaders who want their team to attend the expedition come here!”

  “What about the pay?” a loud voice echoed from the crowd. That loud voice was Arthur.

  “For your rank, a shit ton!”

  “I’m in!”

  Rodrick sighed and started walking to the desk. He stopped immediately at another shout. “Bring the healer boy here too!”

  Valar pointed at himself. “Me?”

  “Yes you! Do you see any other preteens around here?”

  Valar wanted to snap back, he really did, but he knew that that would have been possibly the stupidest thing he could ever do. Even the teenage brain understood that messing with a gold ranker because your feelings got hurt was a profoundly bad idea.

  As Rodrick and Valar arrived at the front desk, surrounded by other team leaders, mostly bronze rankers with a few silver rankers sprinkled in, Selin started speaking once more.

  “You all might be wondering why I’m this mad?”

  “You’re always mad?” a silver rank woman that seemed like a warrior joked.

  “I will punch you in the face if you continue with that thought! No, I’m not mad because I’m always mad. I’m mad because the caravan that the bandits struck contained cargo that’s important to the adventurer’s guild!”

  “What’s that?”

  “Beast parts! More importantly, beast parts from a gold rank cloud serpent”

  “A cloud serpent? Isn’t that like-”

  “Expensive as fuck! And even worse, I’m one of the buyers! Fortunately for the bandits, the king has decreed that I can’t go in there myself and kill every single one of them, so I’ll have to do something else. Every team that joins the expedition will get five gold from me in addition to the two gold that was the original pay, but I’ll be choosing the teams who go!”

  “Seven gold for an expedition? Isn’t that a lot?” Valar whispered to Rodrick.

  “It’s way too much for the contract,” Rodrick grinned. “I want in.”

  “As their team is the one who makes this expedition possible,” Selin continued. “Team Cookie Sandwich is automatically included!”

  Rodrick lifted his eyebrows with seeming shock. “Wait, what?”

  “This expedition wouldn’t be happening without Alyssa Hopkins' information on the bandit camps and stronghold. She mentioned your healer by name as the reason she was telling anything at all, so your team gets to go.”

  “Thanks, I guess,” Rodrick muttered. “It feels kind of like cheating to get in this easily though.”

  “Take the win for once in your life, Steelheart,” Selin groaned. “I don’t want another Alistair running around the city.”

  Sounds of understanding and muffled laughter echoed through the room.

  “What’s wrong with my father?” Rodrick couldn’t help but ask despite the stupidity of challenging a gold ranker.

  “There’s nothing wrong, Rodrick…” the branch leader said. “It’s just that your father is way too much of a stickler for rules.”

  “My father? Not my mother?”

  “Oh, Erin?” Selin’s sudden cackling laughter shocked every adventurer standing in the foyer. “No, not her… She was much more fun when she was active! You should try to get her out of retirement and into gold rank. I don’t want to see her wither away when she could ascend to gold rank at any moment!”

  After that, the discussion turned back to the expedition and who would be going on it. The plans themselves hadn’t changed much, but the branch leader’s direct involvement motivated some teams that wouldn’t have originally even thought about joining. Unfortunately for the numerous silver rank teams hanging around the area, only two were allowed to join from Lyndale. The royals had decreed that four silver ranked teams were allowed to join in on the attack, but that was all. Any more joining would have hindered the gains of the lower ranked adventurers, and that would’ve negated one of the most important upsides of even setting up an expedition in the first place.

  The leader of the expedition from Lyndale’s side ended up being a bronze ranked man in his 40s called Pieter. The bald official wearing a royal blue suit with gold ornaments told each team, including Cookie Sandwich, where they would be meeting in two days, and let them go.

  Individual preparation was mostly left for the teams themselves, and strategic decisions were kept from them in fear of possible information leaks. The bandits probably already knew that they would be getting struck down soon, and giving them any more information could’ve been disastrous.

  Valar did get one morsel of information that he hadn’t had previously. Alyssa Hopkins had told the guards the name of the organization… and their king.

  The name of the organization they were going to crush was the Crimson Talon, and their king was called Edwin.

  But he had another name too… The Undying Horror.

  And he was a life mage, just like Valar…