The air in the Adventurer's Guild was thick with the smell of roasted ale and old parchment. Taron(TARE-on), the Guild Overseer, leaned over the counter and nodded toward the paper in the human's hands.
"Reading the Silver Quill Press, are we,Edward (ED-werd)?" Taron asked. "What's the word today?"
Edward snapped the paper shut, his expression grim. "The news is getting worse. It's about the Red Light District. The Amazons came here as refugees, but now they are being forced to work as hookers just to survive. The paper calls them a 'bad influence' on the city, but it's clear they just need help. They're being exploited, Taron."
"A tragedy," Taron grunted, polishing a glass. "Heavenport wasn't ready for them."
"We aren't even ready for our own meeting," a sharp voice interrupted. Valeria (vah-LEER-ee-ah), a red-haired woman clad in leather armor, scoffed as she leaned against a heavy crystal pillar. "Where is that elf? Galya (GAHL-yah) is late. Again."
Valeria's history with Galya was a long road of bitterness, and she paced the floor, her temper rising. "Doesn't she realize how important this is? Is she trying to make us look like fools?"
"Calm yourself, Frau Valeria," a gruff voice rumbled,Fergus (FUR-gus) the wiry dwarf, leaned against his axe. He had a rough beard and an impatient look in his eyes. "I am only here because I respect the Guild Leader. If it weren't for him, I'd be halfway to the mountains by now."
"You're still planning to use the Corridor?" Edward asked. "The mountain range above is controlled by the Sultanate of Al-Zanan. Their hives are everywhere. They are a powerful empire, and they don't take kindly to travelers from Heavenport."
"The Al-Zanan control the peaks and the sky," Gunter growled. "But the Corridor is a massive maze under the mountain. It is the only way to reach the Dwarf Kingdom without being spotted by those insect-folk. One side is held by Heavenport, the other by my kin. It is the only way through."
Just then, the heavy oak doors of the guild swung open. Galya drifted in, her movements slow and graceful. She looked as if she had all the time in the world, her expression distant and bored.
"You're late!" Valeria barked, stepping into the elf's path, her face turning red with fury. "We've been standing here like idiots! Do you have any idea—"
Galya didn't even blink. She didn't look at Valeria or acknowledge the screaming woman at all. She simply walked right past her, heading straight for the stairs leading to the Guild Leader's office.
"Are you ignoring me?!" Valeria screamed, stomping her foot, but the elf continued walking without a word.
Gunter let out a short, dry laugh and hoisted his pack. "Come on, then. Let's follow her before she finishes the meeting without us. I have a long walk through the dark ahead of me."
Edward folded his paper and stood up, following the dwarf and the silent elf toward the office, leaving the fuming Valeria to catch up.
The heavy oak doors to the office creaked open as Galya stepped inside, followed closely by the others. The Guild Leader sat behind a massive desk covered in maps and wax seals.
"Ah, Galya. Always the professional," the Guild Leader said, looking up with a nod of approval. "I see you were the first to arrive. The rest of you should strive to be more like her—punctual and ready."
Valeria stepped forward, her face flushing red. "Now wait a minute! She was late to the hall, she just—"
"Let us speak of the job," the Guild Leader interrupted, waving a hand to silence her. Galya didn't say a word, but she glanced at Valeria with a tiny, mocking smirk. It made Valeria's blood boil, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent.
"A new Labyrinth has been detected," the Leader continued, his voice dropping an octave. "It's in the Rosalie Colony. It is a C+ rank, and it must be dealt with."
The air in the room suddenly felt cold. The four adventurers looked at each other in genuine shock.
"Rosalie Colony?" Edward whispered. "That's far too close to the town center. If an overflow happens... thousands will die."
Gunter let out a harsh, barking laugh. "I have worked as an adventurer all my life, and I have never heard a more absurd request. You want four people to clear a C+ Labyrinth in the middle of a civilian colony? Bah!" He turned on his heel to leave. "I'm going to the Corridor. My home is calling."
"Wait, Gunter," Taron called out from the doorway. "Stay and hear the reward. The Guild is offering two hundred gold pieces per person."
Gunter stopped mid-step. His head turned slowly. Two hundred gold was a very solid payout—enough to pay for his entire journey through the maze and live comfortably for a long time. He grunted, his eyes narrowing. "That... is enough to make a man ignore his homesickness. For now."
Valeria, however, was not so easily bought. She slammed her hand onto the desk, leaning in toward the Guild Leader. "You are sending us on a suicide mission! No amount of money is enough. This hall is huge—why only us? Why only four?"
The Guild Leader looked at Taron for a long moment, then turned back to them. "Secrecy. If we call in a small army of adventurers, word will spread to the public, and that is unacceptable. There is a high-level VIP meeting at the Diamante Mansion happening soon. We cannot have a panic."
"I understand the need for quiet," Edward said, his voice steady. "But four of us cannot clear a C+ Labyrinth alone. It's physically impossible to cover the itineraries."
After a long, tense debate, the Guild Leader finally sighed. "Fine. I will assign each of you four rookie adventurers to act as your support. That gives you a small company to work with."
"They are children!" Valeria snapped. "And we are not sharing our gold with them. They won't contribute enough to the fight to earn a share."
The Guild Leader leaned back, thinking. "Then tell them this: tell them it is their final test to officially become adventurers. For kids like that, the lesson and the experience from veterans like you are more valuable than gold. They won't ask for copper."
The four adventurers shared a look. It was a cold plan, but with 200 gold on the line, they nodded and left the office to prepare.
Once the door clicked shut and the group was gone, Taron stepped closer to the Guild Leader's desk. The room was deathly quiet.
"Maybe we should have told them the truth," Taron whispered. "About the Stampede in the main dungeon. Even if we wanted to send more veterans, we can't. Every able-bodied fighter we have is already pinned down at the front lines."
The Guild Leader stared at the map of Rosalie Colony, his eyes tired. "If they knew the whole city was on the verge of a monster Stampede, they wouldn't go into that Labyrinth. They would run. For now, let them believe it's just about secrecy and the gold."