…
Hiroki stopped right in the middle of the hallway. For a brief second, his mind refused to process it.
He didn't wait before turning around immediately to where Kaito had gone. But he had already disappeared from sight.
Kenji stopped as well, unsure of why they had suddenly halted.
"What's wrong?"
Kenji looked down the hallway where Hiroki had been staring. He felt that this probably had something to do with that guy. A faint frown crossed Kenji's face.
"That boy… his name is supposedly Kaito. Do you know him…?" Kenji asked, his voice filled with curiosity and concern.
"He claims to have known me since the time at the shelter."
"Huh? Really…?" Kenji then shifted his puzzled gaze from Hiroki back towards the corridor. "I don't even remember him being there. What was he even doing hanging around the reception area?"
"I don't know…" Hiroki replied in a low voice.
The boy stayed on Hiroki's mind for a while.
*"Why does he keep glancing at me? Do we know each other…?"*
Then, Hiroki turned back towards the mailboxes, letting out a quiet breath.
"Let's just ignore him."
Kenji turned around too, a hint of confusion still visible on his face, but he ignored it anyway.
"You're right," Kenji replied, following Hiroki's slow steps. "He gives off a weird vibe. Like some obsessive stalker—wait… don't tell me he's a fan?!"
"Cut the ridiculous ideas," Hiroki shot back casually at Kenji's words.
"Now what matters is checking what's left for us," Hiroki continued, looking ahead, finally stopping in front of the mailboxes.
Hiroki reached out and slowly pulled down the small latch on his box.
The moment the wooden flap swung open, a thick envelope slipped from inside and landed softly near his boots.
"Oh?" Kenji leaned in slightly, looking down.
Hiroki crouched to pick it up. But he hesitated for a second when he saw something unusual about it.
It was different from the standard gray or orange envelopes issued by the guild administration. This one was made of smooth, pale pink parchment. The wax seal on the back bore a refined emblem. It appeared to bear the emblem of the Kingdom—or perhaps the Elite Guards. A huge red bird with wide wings and an unusual head.
Hiroki took the envelope without much thought and stood up. He broke the seal with his thumb and unfolded the page.
Kenji glanced sideways, curious.
"Is it a love letter?"
"That's the last thing I expected to see."
Hiroki's expression changed slightly as he glanced at the text inside. His eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement.
"As I expected from Seina-sama."
Kenji stared at the letter, then at Hiroki's expression again.
"I'm curious to see what this is about."
Kenji walked straight to his mailbox a few meters away. "Man, I still can't believe this is really happening," he said, opening his box with some hint of enthusiasm in his tone.
Hiroki looked back at the paper in his hands, a faint smile still playing on his lips.
*"I wonder what they'll actually have us doing from now on."*
The text was brief and simple. No greetings or explanations.
---
Official text from the Royal Elite Guard unit. Royal Order, directed by Seina Karino.
Location: Second Floor, Main Planning Room.
Time: Directly before sunset.
Objective: [Trial] Initial Assessment and Capital Area Reconnaissance.
---
"Trial…?" Hiroki murmured the word under his breath.
*"Are they testing us temporarily or what? Is there still some doubt about what we can do…?"*
Hiroki quickly dismissed the word anyway. He folded the letter neatly along its original creases, tucking it into his inner jacket pocket.
*"I really don't understand how she thinks. But this should be enough for now. She seems to have everything planned out."*
"Oi… Hiroki," Kenji called out abruptly from the other side, sounding a bit confused, "Aren't the Youth Elite Guards supposed to operate outside the PHG? Why do we have to meet on the second floor then? Is this some kind of joke?"
"You still doubt it after all this?" Hiroki replied dismissively to Kenji's slightly naive remark.
Hiroki then glanced toward the window next to the entrance gates, overlooking the central courtyard.
"It's probably going to be our entrance trial. In any case… we're ready for it."
"Right," Kenji replied calmly.
Hiroki stared for a few moments at the remaining people outside, barely visible. A hint of seriousness crossed his face.
…
And so, time passed, two hours of waiting before the appointed time arrived.
…
Two hours later, Hiroki and Kenji reached the second-floor landing after a long climb up the PHG's spiral staircase. Through the high windows, the sky was already bleeding into the dusky orange of the approaching sunset.
Walking down the quiet hall, Kenji rolled his arms in a slow, rhythmic warm-up motion to shake off the lingering tension.
"Man, I really hope there are perfect rewards for this kind of work. Just imagine—the kingdom itself would be funding us. It might even be enough to rent decent rooms."
Hiroki, who seemed a little distracted and unengaged, looked at Kenji with feigned interest while silently going along with everything he said.
"Aren't the PHG rooms good enough?"
"Luxury inspires me to perform at my peak."
"I doubt your demands will be met that easily in the first place." Hiroki sighed, letting go of Kenji's fantasies and whims. He then glanced ahead and straightened, leaving Kenji's mirth to Kenji.
As they continued down the hallway, the sound of cheerful laughter drifted up from the open courtyard below.
"Hm?"
Hiroki slowed his pace slightly, leaning his hand on the wooden railing to look down.
Below, a small group of five younger adventurers had just passed through the grassy fields, heading towards the entrance of the PHG. They looked exhausted, and their clothes seemed stained with mud from an outside excursion, yet they were grinning, slapping each other's shoulders as they headed forward. Although their conversation was barely audible from a distance, they seemed to be enjoying their time.
A flicker of pleasure crossed Hiroki's face for a moment, perhaps as he realized the true weight of his new duty to the kingdom from now on. But it vanished just as quickly, replaced by a worried frown and a hint of unease. It was hard to just think about how heavy that responsibility was.
*"They look exactly like we did in our early days with the guild…"*
His eyes followed them until they disappeared beneath the walkway.
*"The people living here… this kingdom… everything I've gotten used to. It's all beginning to shift. If we fail…"*
He gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw feathering slightly with tension.
*"Then… I'm afraid none of us can count on a safe future anymore."*
"Oi! Hiroki!"
Kenji's voice pierced his thoughts. Hiroki quickly turned toward the source of his sound, coming from almost the end of the corridor.
Kenji was already standing in front of a large, dark wooden door. He had one hand resting on the handle, looking back with mild annoyance.
"We're going in. Don't start daydreaming out there already, man!"
Hiroki let go of the railing, steadying his breathing.
"Y-Yeah… I'm coming."
Kenji kept glancing at Hiroki for a few seconds, until he was almost right there with him. Then, Kenji pushed the door forward, revealing the room beyond.
Inside, the atmosphere was completely still. It was somewhat darker than expected, with only the fading sunset and a few candles providing light. The room was smaller than expected compared to last meeting, but it had enough chairs and equipment for the work.
Kenji entered first, with the visibly nervous Hiroki following behind.
Standing next to the nearby left corner, her back leaning against the stone wall with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, was Yoru. She didn't say a word when the door opened, but her eyes immediately settled on them, her expression giving nothing away.
Across the room, behind a small desk bathed in the dim light of the setting sun, sat Seina Karino.
Her posture was perfectly upright, and her chin rested calmly on her interlaced fingers. Her sharp blue eyes lifted slowly, settling on the two of them.
She didn't speak. She simply sat there in absolute composure, waiting for them to enter.
The tension was palpable. Hiroki swallowed hard before slowly pulling the door shut, letting its quiet sound settle in the room.
---
[TO BE CONTINUED…]