"So, should we talk about serious things now?" Alariv asked.
The moment those words left his mouth, Kevin's expression changed. The broad grin disappeared as his easygoing attitude faded.
In its place appeared the demeanor of a man who carried enormous responsibility on his shoulders. The transition was so smooth that it caught many people off guard.
They both understood it, the friendly reunion could wait. There would be time for laughter later. Right now, important matters demanded their attention.
"Of course," Kevin replied with a nod. "Let's head to my office."
His deep voice echoed through the hall as he turned toward the staircase leading to the second floor. Without another word, he gestured for Alariv to follow.
The two Grandmasters immediately began walking. As he moved, Alariv glanced back over his shoulder.
His eyes landed on Dianna first. A simple gesture was enough to communicate, as Dianna understood it immediately and nodded.
Then Alariv's gaze shifted again. This time toward Raymond. The Guildmaster paused for a brief moment before giving him a small nod.
A clear invitation.
Raymond blinked. For a second, he genuinely thought Alariv was looking at someone behind him.
Then he realized the Guildmaster was looking directly at him.
'Me?'
A flicker of surprise crossed his face. Among the seventy adventurers who had arrived, there were plenty of people with more experience, higher ranks, and greater achievements.
Yet Alariv had specifically called for him. Raymond couldn't help but wonder why. Has the Guildmaster discovered something?
No.
That seemed unlikely, he had been careful. Very careful yet whatever the reason was, refusing wasn't an option. So after a brief pause, Raymond also began moving.
Dianna joined him as well. Together, they followed behind the two Grandmasters.
As they climbed the stairs, Raymond noticed several curious gazes landing on him.
Some adventurers looked confused. Others looked jealous. A few seemed outright annoyed.
After all, being personally summoned by a Guildmaster was not something that happened every day. Especially not to someone who was still relatively unknown.
Kevin obviously, also noticed Raymond. However he said nothing and walked quietly. Soon they arived at his cabin.
It was a modest cabin. At least, modest by the standards of someone like Kevin who was a noble.
The room wasn't filled with luxurious decorations or expensive ornaments one would expect from a Grandmaster of the Grand Duchy and the Adventurers Guild.
Instead, the interior was simple and practical.
A large wooden desk occupied the center of the room, covered with neatly organized documents, maps, and reports. Several sturdy chairs surrounded it, while bookshelves lined the walls, filled with records and manuals accumulated over the years.
A large map of the Grand Duchy hung on one side of the room, marked with various symbols and notes.
The furniture was solid and durable rather than elegant. Everything in the room seemed chosen for usefulness rather than appearance.
It reflected Kevin perfectly.
Direct and Practical.
Kevin walked inside first before casually taking a seat behind the desk. Despite his massive frame, the sturdy chair barely creaked beneath him.
Alariv sat across from him while Dianna took a stand nearby. Raymond also quietly chose to stand beside Alariv.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then Kevin's expression hardened. The relaxed atmosphere from earlier disappeared completely. His black eyes moved across everyone present.
When he finally spoke, his deep voice carried a weight that immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Now then, let's talk about it," Kevin said as he leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Just a second... where's Sam?" Alariv suddenly asked.
Sam was the guild manager of the Grand Duchy, holding a position similar to Dianna's. Kevin waved a hand dismissively.
"He's currently with the Duke. There were some matters that required discussion."
"I see." Alariv nodded. "Please continue."
Kevin let out a slow breath before continuing.
"As you know, the borders of the Grand Duchy are always heavily guarded. Very few things can cross them without being noticed."
Everyone in the room listened attentively.
"However, after a recent incident involving the Duke's family, a portion of our attention was diverted. During that period, several security gaps appeared around the border shared with the Esterwood Duchy."
His expression darkened slightly.
"Small…emporary gaps. But unfortunately, that was enough."
Kevin's fingers tapped lightly against the wooden desk.
"Those damned cultists used the opportunity to infiltrate the border regions and begin causing trouble in the nearby villages on both sides."
Kevin continued.
"The Duke reacted quickly once the situation was discovered. Most of the cultists were hunted down and eliminated before they could accomplish anything significant."
A hint of respect appeared in his voice when mentioning the Duke.
"However...some were able to escape."
His expression hardened.
Silence settled over the room. Then Alariv spoke.
"And those who escaped are responsible for the recent increase in Dark Being activity."
Kevin nodded.
"Exactly."
The giant man's gaze moved toward the large map hanging on the wall. Several locations had been marked with red circles.
"Over the last month, villages near these regions have reported increasing attacks and mass disappearance of the people and livestock."
The atmosphere inside the room grew heavier. Raymond remained silent as he studied the map.
However, there was no pattern. Only random attacks and the spike of Dark beings in the nearby areas which then spread like a virus.
"Then, I guess our mission is very clear."
"Yes," Kevin replied.
"We have already gathered enough adventurers to spread across the border villages. Our mission is simple-find the ones responsible for the emergence of the Dark Beings and eliminate all remaining traces of them."
His hand finally came to rest on the table. For a moment, silence filled the room. Then Kevin looked around at everyone present.
"Any questions?"
"Yes." Alariv spoke immediately.
"When do we start?"
For a second, Kevin simply stared at him.
Then a grin spread across his face.
"Heh, I like that." A low chuckle escaped him as he leaned back in his chair. The giant man folded his arms.
"Tomorrow morning."
The answer came without hesitation.
"We've already prepared supplies, maps, and deployment routes. The remaining adventurers should arrive by tonight. Once they do, we'll divide everyone into teams and begin the operation."
Alariv nodded.
"Good."
He had never been fond of wasting time. If there was a problem, he preferred solving it as quickly as possible.