Zareth's POV
The smell of ink wafted throughout the room as I wrote out the last few lines of the letter.
When I finished, I put the quill down and read over it once more, ensuring that I had documented everything correctly.
To the Adventurer's Guild Council,
I write to formally report the misconduct of S-Rank Adventurer Rook Belmont, known as the Monster Hunter, regarding his unjustified attack on a newly registered adventurer, as well as his disgraceful behaviour toward my staff.
The attack was not in self-defence, nor was it sanctioned by the Guild. It was motivated entirely by personal prejudice. Rook accused a Beastman of being a 'monster' concealing its true form with illusion magic. In reality, the so-called 'illusion' merely conceals an old scar the victim tries to hide with illusion magic and has no problem dispelling to avoid misunderstandings.
Thanks to the intervention of another adventurer, casualties were avoided. However, toward the end of the confrontation, Rook prepared to unleash a Mithril Tempest Arrow in the middle of the city. I trust I don't need to explain the consequences such an act would have had on the lives of countless civilians.
Because of this, I was forced to intervene. I assume I need not elaborate further on that matter.
Additionally, throughout the incident, Rook repeatedly referred to the victim and other Beastkin as demi-humans in a derogatory manner. This kind of language and mindset has no place within my Guildhall or anywhere in the Rumia Kingdom.
Following the attack, Rook tried to lie and play it off as a misunderstanding and even attempted to bribe me into ignoring the matter. When that failed, he escalated to veiled threats of bodily harm—a mistake on his part he learned quite easily.
The adventurer who stepped in to defend the victim has shown remarkable potential, likely A-Rank, possibly even S-Rank material. However, Rook's actions have angered them greatly, and if no action is taken, we risk losing a highly valuable member of the Guild. Furthermore, many adventurers have already voiced concerns about Rook's behaviour, and allowing this to continue unchecked will only erode morale and trust in the Guild's leadership.
Given the severity of his actions and the potential long-term consequences of inaction, I strongly urge the Council to issue immediate disciplinary measures. Whether that entails a forced leave of absence, demotion, or outright removal of his S-Rank status, I leave it to your discretion. However, allowing him to remain in a position of influence would set a dangerous precedent—one that may cost the Guild far more than just its reputation.
I await your decision.
Zareth, Guildmaster of Raventhron City
I exhaled.
Even as I read the words, I could already anticipate the resistance from certain factions within the Guild. Some still saw Rook as an untouchable warrior, valuable for his strength despite his personality. But if the Guild truly stood for fairness and order, then actions like his couldn't go unpunished.
I sealed the letter and leaned back in my chair, massaging my forehead. The headache forming at the edges of my skull was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in," I called.
The door opened, and I saw Jack had stepped inside.
He seemed to be a lot calmer now than when I saw him after the whole incident a few hours ago.
I knew he was having some emotional talks with his friend, but strangely, he didn't look fatigued in the slightest.
"How's your friend, Ark?" I asked, already knowing the answer based on the way Jack carried himself.
"He's doing better," Jack replied. "We'll be heading out soon."
I nodded, satisfied. "Good. I just finished the letter to the council and was about to send it off. Is there anything else you need?"
Jack nodded. "I looked over the information you gave me about the quest, and I have a decent idea of where to look, but do I have a time limit for this quest?"
I considered his question carefully and answered. "Preferably before they hatch in a few months, but so long as they're rescued, I don't care how long it takes." I folded my arms. "If you need additional resources, I have some guild services available; all you have to do is ask."
Jack nodded. "Understood. Thanks."
With that, he turned to leave but paused and looked back at me. "By the way, do you know what Rook's original target was? I heard him say something about a large white wolf creature?"
I froze for a second as I realized what Jack meant.
"I-" *Gulp* my throat was dry, "I-I'm not sure if it is him, but I will look into it though."
Jack nodded and closed the door.
As the door shut behind him, I let out a sigh of relief.
'I really need to be more careful. He could easily kill me if he wanted to. I can't risk him being mad at me for something I didn't do,' I thought.
It was then that a thought surfaced in my mind—something I had seen earlier but hadn't paid much attention to at the time. I shifted through the stacks of papers on my desk, searching for the report. It didn't take long before I found it.
A collection of goblin sightings in the area.
I frowned, skimming through the details. Goblins weren't uncommon, and wandering groups searching for a new base was a monthly problem, but the frequency of these sightings was unusual.
It was more likely a camp had been set up nearby than it just being some wanderers, and that was a big problem.
I immediately got up and left my office, going over to another one and knocking on the door.
*Knock* *Knock* "Come in," a man said.
I opened the door and walked over to the desk.
"Guildmaster! What can I do for you?" the man, Makenzi, asked with a slight blush.
I smirked. "Don't be so formal with me, honey, everyone already knows. But I do have a job for some of your scouts."
He relaxed slightly.
"I need you to look into something," I said, passing him the report. "Confirm these sightings. Find out if there's a camp. Report back to me the moment you learn anything."
Makenzi looked over the reports with concerned eyes. When finished, he looked up at me and nodded, "On it."
With that handled, I smiled and walked back to my office. I picked up the sealed letter, slipped it into an envelope, put it in the already growing pile of outgoing mail, and turned to the massive stack of forms and reports I still had to go over.
*Huff* 'I may need Mak to come here tonight if I don't finish this soon,' I thought as I resumed work.
~~~~~~~~
Rook's POV
The tavern stank of sweat, stale beer, and regret. A fitting place for a man whose life was circling the drain.
The murmurs of adventurers filled the room, but I wasn't listening. Not really. Now and then, I caught snatches of conversation—talk of quests, bounties, rumours of monsters lurking outside the city walls.
"Monsters. The very thing my family protects people from and the entire reason I became an adventurer in the first place," I mumbled to myself.
And now, that life was about to be ripped away from me.
My life was over.
'This whole mess started the moment I tried to kill that damned demi-human. If only this was some other kingdom, then I could do as I pleased without problem,' I thought as I drank my ale.
Now the local Guildmaster was sending a letter to the Council, and pretty soon, I'd be demoted or even fired from the guild.
If Zareth's report reached the council, I would be stripped of my rank, my authority, my reputation, all of it gone.
The people who once called me an ally and hero would turn their backs, whispering about how I attacked an innocent person and got put in my place by his friend.
I gritted my teeth, fingers tightening around the handle of my mug.
This wasn't fair.
I was doing my job, hunting monsters that hide in human skin. This kingdom is so messed up that I can't even call those animal half-breeds what they are—freaks, lesser beings, nothing, cheap imitations.
But that thing—the one with white hair, that thing—wasn't normal. And that one with the spear, he wasn't human either. The way he moved, the aura he carried… That was not the power of a mere human.
Suddenly I realized.
I inhaled sharply, pressing my fingers into my temple. It wasn't just them. Something bigger was at play here. Someone, or something, had set this up.
A monster, maybe even a whole group of them.
"They want me out of the way," I whispered.
Of course, that was it. That had to be it.
They were monsters. They must have set this up to discredit me, to make sure I couldn't fight against them.
Yes. That had to be it.
They wanted me gone. They wanted me weak.
But they made a mistake.
I wasn't finished.
I took another swig of ale, my mind stirring with newfound resolve. If I was going to lose my standing with the Guild, I needed coin. A lot of it.
The bounty I had been tracking before all this nonsense started—a large wolf-like creature with white fur. If I killed it, I'd have enough gold to sustain myself for years working privately.
Then I could start my real work.
But I needed a plan, I needed proof. Something undeniable. If I could uncover their true nature or find out their plan and provide evidence, I could expose them for what they really were and the Guild would have no choice but to reinstate me.
No.
I narrowed my eyes. The Guildmaster might be in on it, too. What if he was compromised or one of the monsters as well, or even the leader?
'I can't really trust a demon, can I?' I thought.
What if the entire Guild was already infested? It would explain why they were so quick to turn on me. Why did they just let those two roam free without question?
I tapped my fingers against the wooden counter, a slow, deliberate rhythm.
The King.
If I took my findings directly to the King, there would be no way to cover it up. No political maneuvering. He had no reason to protect monsters and allow me to move freely, especially when his daughter is attending the nearby academy.
And once I had my proof, once I revealed the truth to the world, I could end them.
All of them.
"You think you've won," I muttered under my breath, my lips curling into a slow, bitter smile. "But the hunt has only just begun."
I smiled to myself as I paid and left the bar and walked to a hole-in-the-wall inn so I could plan properly for finding this beast.
~~~~~~~~
3rd Person POV
Rook stumbled down the street, clearly thinking he wasn't as drunk as he actually was.
The streets were busy at the time, as it was midday and many people were walking around shopping and getting lunch.
Shadows flowed past buildings and alleyways, but down one alleyway, hidden from the view of most people, was a shadow standing still with no one to cast it.
Its form was tall and looked like someone in a cloak, but no detail could be seen other than the shape of a hand on the pommel of a sword on its hip.
The only signs of it moving were its head shifting slightly as it watched Rook stumble down the road.
Once Rook was out of sight, the shadow shifted slightly as someone walked past, causing their shadow to overlap, and when the man moved away, the shadow had disappeared.