In a grand hall, where the walls were adorned with luxurious fine fabrics, a round wooden table stood at the center, surrounded by sixteen chairs. Only thirteen of these chairs were occupied.
At the head of the table sat Elincia, her stern expression commanding attention.
“Alright… I’m going to start this important meeting. We’ve delayed this for too long,” she declared loudly. “Some of you were undisciplined and slow to accept my invitation-Trison, Jovina, and Starfall!” Her voice echoed through the hall as she spoke their names.
The three bowed their heads in unison and answered in shame, “Sorry, Elincia.”
Out of the thirteen members of the Guild, six pairs of partners were assigned as teams to carry out their respective tasks. Only Elincia had the sole responsibility of completing her mission alone, thanks to her exceptional ability, which enabled her to move quickly- an unmatched mobility.
Skywarden was paired with Charmelyn, Optimus with Trison, Jovina with Goldrich, Livelywood with Starfall, Toberry with Maylock, and Kingsley with Melliandra.
“As I’ve told you all before, this is a mission of utmost importance,” Elincia said sternly, her voice reverberating off the walls. “Our success here will determine our fate when we undertake our grand quest in the near future.”
She then paused and glanced around the room, making eye contact with each and every one of them in turn. Her gaze stopped on Melliandra, a 15-year-old girl with straight blonde hair who had been killed by Broken during their previous mission.
“Melliandra?!”
Melliandra felt the frustration and anger inside of her rising to a boiling point. “I will never forgive that stupid asshole, Broken!”
Her hands slammed onto the table with a loud bang, causing it to shudder from the impact. “I lost my precious ring, and now it is in his possession! That bastard!” she yelled out in rage.
Goldrich’s mission partner, Jovina, chuckled and said, “This is a reminder for you to use your brain more at work, hahaha…”
Jovina was an enchanter, more than just a caster; she had the ability to control and summon beasts to fight for her, similar to a beast tamer. Standing at 1.75 meters (5.75 feet), her supple leather armor was painted a deep green. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a tight bun, emphasizing her striking white visage and commanding presence. She possessed a tomboyish grace that immediately caught the eye when one met her up close.
Melliandra leaped to her feet, her chair skidding back and crashing against the floor. Fury shone in her eyes.
“Do you want to fight me right now, Jovina?!”
Kingsley, who was sitting beside her, spoke up. “Calm yourself down, Mel,” he soothed quietly, trying to ease the tension that had filled the room.
Jovina only chuckled in response. “Phew, so fierce, I’m scared… You’re even fiercer than the Orc I just defeated a few days ago,” she taunted.
The standoff between the two was abruptly broken by Elincia’s authoritative voice bellowing. “Enough! If you two want to fight, do it outside. I will gladly be your sparring partner.”
Jovina smirked and raised her eyebrows at Melliandra. “Calm down…” she teased.
Melliandra gritted her teeth and sat back down in her chair with a huff, crossing her arms defiantly.
After a moment of silence, Elincia resumed her address. “Does anyone else have something to add before I continue?”
Skywarden, a knight clad in white armor with blonde hair, eventually raised his hand and spoke in a hasty tone.
“Elincia, can you not see that this Broken fellow is wearing only level 50 equipment? What makes him so special? He even asked us to do all these things without charge – what are we, slaves? I’ll accept your command, but I need a more substantial reason before I’m convinced that this man won’t be any help to us.”
Elincia paused, then turned toward Maylock.
Maylock, the archer with sunglasses, raised his hand and spoke in a strong voice. “Let me help give some reasons.”
He stood up and looked around the room, making eye contact with each person present.
“I know this situation looks dire, but I have faith in Elincia’s judgment and trust her to make the best decision for everyone here. I want to emphasize why we should listen to her. I’ll provide facts to back up my claims so that you all can feel secure with what she has proposed. I’ve heard whispered stories from many blacksmiths in town, claiming that Broken has managed to craft exceptionally powerful Epic-grade arrows. Moreover, they confirmed that he is at least an Advanced Rank Blacksmith.”
Maylock stayed quiet after that sentence, considering the situation with an intense gaze. He then continued, “Though Broken’s potential in battle might be limited, based on Skywarden’s statement, there is no doubt that he possesses an unknown potential as he was able to complete the level 150 Trial Domain alone! Without proper preparation and with only level 50 equipment, that feat makes him extraordinary.
Additionally, his rare talent as a Blacksmith makes him a valuable asset to anyone fortunate enough to recruit him into their Guild.”
Maylock paused before continuing. “If you’re still not convinced, I can speak at length for an hour to highlight his potential beyond my initial assessment. His recognition by Princess Alora alone should tell us he is someone special, and we are fortunate to have found him before others did.”
Seeing no immediate response from the others, Maylock sat down again.
Having a production-class player in a guild was an extreme luxury, especially one with great talent. While the Ass Guild also had an alchemist, Toberry, who was Maylock’s mission partner, every major guild typically had a specialist blacksmith within their ranks. If it was clear that Broken had exceptional blacksmithing skills, then it was evident that he was someone they desperately needed.
After a few moments of silence, Elincia spoke up again, her voice cutting through the tension in the room.
“We have opposing forces planning something major, something that has severed our contact with Princess Alora. They have access to members of the royal family. The situation is dire, and we need someone with easy access to the Princess so we can assist her in an emergency.
Broken is clearly the right person for this task, as he has already established a connection with Princess Alora. He will be our intermediary, delivering messages between us and the Princess on short notice.
We must act quickly, for our opponents-powerful guilds in opposition to us are not idle. They have marshaled their forces and lurk in the shadows, ready to strike at any given
moment.
If we fail to come to the aid of Princess Alora when she needs us most, all hope may be lost, and her ascension to the throne of the Dissidia Kingdom will remain a dream.
We must address everything carefully to ensure great success on this grand quest. This mission will earn us great prestige and honor, allowing us to rise even higher as a guild in
Yunatea.”
Elincia ended her explanation, her words lingering in the air around them.
She then continued, “As I stand before you, I can see the doubts still lurking in your hearts. But let me assure you, they will fade away on their own.
We have made a decision, and we need to commit to it. We want Broken to get what he needs -the item drop from the raid boss of the Vine Horror Treant, Level 180.” She spoke with conviction and confidence, her eyes meeting each of theirs in turn.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense as everyone absorbed the information and words that
Maylock and Elincia had shared.
Suddenly, a knock at the door broke the silence.
“Let them come in,” Elincia gestured towards the door.
Kingsley stood up and opened the door for their guests.
The hinges creaked as the door swung open, revealing three figures: Broken, Freya, and
Booba.
“Hello everyone, long time no see, hahaha, did you miss me?!” Booba exclaimed in a
booming voice.
“Shut up, you asshole, Booba,” Melliandra snapped immediately.
“Hey, stupid Booba, I thought you had killed yourself,” Jovina added with a laugh. “Hahaha.”
Booba used to be the leader of their guild in their previous game. Most of the current members of the Ass Guild had been under his guidance before.
“Wow… I’m pleasantly surprised to see everyone here, this is quite intriguing, hahaha.”
“Welcome, everyone. Please have a seat,” Elincia said, gesturing to the empty chairs.