Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aslye moved slowly, trying not to make any sounds. The light from her torch only allowed her to see a few feet in front of her before the surroundings got swallowed by darkness. She had been walking for twenty minutes now, her teammates following behind her. None of them spoke a word. They had been sent by the adventurers guild to investigate the opening of a new dungeon in the Trair Fields. So here they were, cautiously exploring the underground cave system that seemed to know no end.

Her group was part of the Gerbal Guild, a guild specialised in dungeon exploration and mapping. When a new dungeon was discovered, the Gerbal Guild was usually the first one to enter it with the intention of mapping it out for future explorations. Any spoils found would be distributed between the exploration team, the guild, and the kingdom.

Today, Aslye was counting her lucky stars. She had just been promoted to team leader and when this new dungeon had appeared, her team had been the closest to its location and had thus gotten the orders to explore it first.

So far the only thing they had encountered were damp cave walls. Nothing to write home about. Still, she couldn’t let her guard down. That’s how adventurers died in dungeons, after all. The group of five kept going like that for another ten minutes until a sudden breeze rushed through the tunnel. Aslye immediately stopped and signalled for the others to halt.

They stayed still for a minute, but nothing else happened. Just as Aslye was about to signal to keep moving, the sound of a door opening echoed against the walls. At the end of the tunnel, behind a right turn, light appeared, illuminating part of the walls. They all held their breaths, silently readying their weapons. When no other movement was detected, they moved up to the light. Aslye cautiously looked around the corner and observed a half opened old wooden door. Behind the door a room could be observed. Signalling for her teammates to follow, she crept closer and slowly looked inside.

The room was massive. From what Aslye could see from her position, the walls were at least fifteen meters high, covered in shelves with books from top to bottom. Lights were hung from the shelves, illuminating the space. The rest of the room was filled with more shelves and books.

A library?

Aslye slowly opened the door further, not making a sound. Seeing no movement except for the flickering shadows cast by the lamps, they entered the room. Once fully inside, they couldn’t help but be stunned by the sheer size of the place. It seemed to go on forever, no end in sight. She signalled for her teammates to split up and inspect the place. They gave her determined nods and split up into two groups. Aslye moved forward with Vert, a young promising adventurer who had recently passed the entrance exam for the Gerbal Guild. A great fighter and quick on his feet, but lacking experience. A teammate like that wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it was slightly annoying. She had to basically babysit this greenhorn until he was able to properly work in a team.

Together they started inspecting the shelves on the right side of the library. Most of the books were seemingly leatherbound, their titles displayed on the spines. The only problem was that Aslye didn’t recognise any of them. Not because she didn’t read any books. She had read her fair share of books in her youth, but because they were weird symbols she had never seen before. They weren’t from the Common alphabet nor did they resemble any magic characters. Cautiously, she touched one of them. When nothing happened she took it off the shelf and started inspecting it.

The text inside were the same weird symbols as on the spine. They looked like they were written from top to bottom instead of from side to side. She would have to take it with her and see if anyone on the inspection team could translate it. Aslye put the book in her bag. Vert also picked out a book and put it away.

They kept moving forwards. None of the books were readable, so it was no use hanging around and wasting time. At some point they crossed paths with the other group, joining together again. They also had some books tucked away in their bags for later inspection. Seeing as there was probably nothing else of note in the library they moved as one group again, now in search of another door.

The group walked for another thirty minutes before an open space appeared between the shelves. Wooden tables stood in a line, each with benches and table lamps. Celto tapped her shoulder and gestured to their left. She followed the burly man's gaze and saw a door. Next to the door some sort of reception desk was placed.

Aslye patted Celto on his shoulder, praising him for his find. They moved up to the desk. On the desk, a little sign was placed. On it were the same weird symbols as in the books. While inspecting the sign, Celto and Trese moved to the door and tried the handle. The door didn’t budge. Trese crouched down and started picking at the lock.

Letting the expert do her job, Aslye started moving to get around the desk to see if she could find anything else of worth. While she turned, however, she immediately froze. She quietly hissed, causing the others to also freeze and turn to follow her gaze. A small shadowy figure had appeared at the other side. None of them moved. Then the figure started walking towards them. Quickly everyone grabbed their weapons.

Celto readied his mace and moved to the front. Trese grabbed her daggers and Velt put his longsword in front of him. Raz pulled his bow from his back and readied an arrow. Aslye took a deep breath and grabbed her own shortswords.

When the figure got closer, the tension started rising. Muscles tensing in anticipation. Dungeon monsters weren’t easy to deal with, especially if you had no data on them. That was also a task of the exploration team. When the figure stepped in the light, however, a confused sound escaped Raz’s mouth.

“A kid?”

“Don’t be fooled.”

There was no way a child could be here. The entrance had been put on surveillance so no civilians could enter. Besides, there was something off about this child. For one, they had green hair. And second, they were smiling. No kid who got stuck in a dungeon would be smiling like that. The ‘kid’ opened its mouth.

“&é@skz§çe”

“What?”

“de!^é&é. Sorry, can you understand me now?”

The ‘kid’ looked at them with an apologetic smile. Unbelievable, a sentient monster that could speak Common. This was dangerous. They had to get out, now! They slowly started moving backwards, towards the locked door. They didn’t have any time to picklock it, so Celto stepped back and was getting ready to break through it with brute force.

“Ah, it’s been a while since I saw anyone. Are you here to borrow some books?”

“Borrow?”

Damnit, Velt! This is why Aslye didn’t like rookies.

“Yes!”

The ‘kid’ smiled brightly and gestured around the room.

“This is a library, after all.”

The ‘kid’ moved closer, not minding their weapons that were ready to strike should it try to do anything. It now stood behind the desk and opened a book that lay on its surface. He then gestured towards the little sign.

“Five books per person and they have to be returned in three weeks' time or you will have to pay a fine.”

So that was what it said. Aslye tried to commit the symbols to memory. It would greatly help the inspection team with the translation.

“Please sign your name and the amount of books you will be borrowing.”

He turned the book towards them and held out a pen. Seeing that escaping was near impossible now that it was so close to them, Aslye decided to gather information.

Let’s see if it will let us go without us signing the book.

“What if we don’t borrow anything?”

“Oh, then you can just read it here or just leave.”

“So, we can just leave without borrowing anything?”

“Yes! As long as you don’t try to leave with a book without signing, you can leave at any time!”

Ah. It dawned on her. Each of them had a book on them, so none of them was able to leave. That’s why the door was locked. She studied the monster more closely. Wild green hair, chubby baby face, green eyes resembling emeralds, and freckles on its cheeks. If not for the green hair, it would have passed as an ordinary child.

“Who are you?”

“Me? I’m Midoriya Izuku, pleased to meet you!”

I need to play nice. No use angering the monster.

“Ah, likewise. Are you the librarian?”

“Mm, I suppose so?”

The ‘kid’ cocked his head as if it itself wasn’t sure about its own statement.

“So all we have to do is sign the book?”

“Yes!”

Trese stepped forward and grabbed the pen.

“Trese!”

“What? We just have to sign and bring the books back before three weeks, right?”

She looked towards the ‘kid’ who nodded in confirmation.

“What happens if we don’t bring it back in time?”

“Then you have to pay a fine.”

The ‘kid’ looked apologetic as if it couldn’t be helped. It didn’t elaborate further on what that fine would be and before Aslye could ask, Trese shrugged and signed her name and wrote down the amount of books she would be taking in the book. She placed down the pen and stepped back. They all watched her like hawks, but nothing happened.

“See, it’s fine.”

They all looked at Aslye. She sighed and gave them the go ahead. No use stopping them now.

If one of us is going to get cursed, then all of us will get cursed together.

They weren’t going to let a teammate suffer on their own. One for one, they all signed the book. Not wanting to stay in the library any longer, they moved back to the door, still keeping the ‘kid’ in their sights. The monster hadn’t moved from behind the desk and was now closing and putting away the book. Trese reached out and once again tried the door. This time it opened.

The monsters' cheery goodbye followed them into the next section of the dungeon.

“Bye! Don’t forget to return them in three weeks!”

The last thing Aslye saw as she closed the door was the ‘kid’ happily waving at them from behind the desk.

Chapter Text

Volter slumped in his chair after the last person had left his study, leaving him alone with a mountain of work to do and more headaches than any other person on the continent. That new dungeon was going to be the death of him. After the first exploration team had returned from their exploration they had presented their findings to the inspection team. He looked at the pile of books sitting innocently on his desk next to the exploration and inspection reports.

A sentient monster, huh?

Something that had never been encountered before. Every dungeon had its monsters, ranging from slimes to minotaurs, but none of them had ever engaged adventurers in a rational conversation. Heck, they had never thought it possible for a monster to speak Common!

“Sigh.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Volter recalled the meeting he had been in the day before.

“We need to go back to that library!”

“That monster is the key!”

“Why didn’t they ask it for a translation?!”

“Do something about this, guildmaster!”

The inspection team had stormed his study the moment they had acquired the books and read the report given to them by the Buvel team. When they learned that the sentient librarian monster could speak Common and was capable of normal conversation, they had chastised the exploration team for not engaging with it further. In Volter’s humble opinion, the team had done exactly what they should have done. Besides, they had already taken the risk of getting cursed by signing their name and taking those books. The inspection team should be grateful, instead they were nagging him to go talk with the monster to get a proper translation for the books.

Volter had sent them away with the task of copying the books and then returning them to him. He would then go to the dungeon to see if talking with that monster was truly possible. The inspection team had just left his study after giving him the books and their reports.

The books themselves appeared to be just normal leatherbound paper books, but who knew what would happen if any of the text was spoken aloud. That was usually how you got cursed. Another thing to ask the monster about. Well, that was assuming it was speaking the truth.

Normally, he would send in another team to deal with things like this, but considering the appearance of a sentient monster, he couldn’t just brush it aside as another exploration. He felt the need to take action himself. Who knew how strong that monster was? They needed the best of the best to make sure no unnecessary sacrifices were made. He would take his most elite team, the Calt team, and accompany them into the dungeon.

…

Volter followed the path described by the Buvel team to get to the library, the members of the Calt team following close behind. They walked up to the point where the tables and desk were located. He stared at the little sign placed on the desk. Or rather at the other sign that had been placed next to it. There, in Common alphabet, were written the rules for borrowing books.

Had the monster put it there after the encounter with the Buvel team?

Seeing as this was the place where you go to leave with the books Volter started looking for the return zone. According to library logic, there should be a designated area for returning books. He started with going to the right, to the side where the monster had come from according to the rapports. The library was unsettling in how big it was. While walking through it the fact they had not seen even a hint of an end was concerning. Just how many books were there and what could be in them?

Walking along the tables, Volter noted that some books were placed on them as if someone had been reading them and forgot to put them back.

Had more people come here? No, that wasn’t possible.

After the Buvel team had returned, no other team had entered the dungeon because of the unknown danger of a sentient monster. Another option was the monster itself. A weird image, but considering how it was able to disguise itself as a human child, it wasn’t that far fetched for it to read a book.

They kept walking until they got to the other side of the table area. They could see no desk to put the books on, but they did see a door. Now they had two choices. Either they return to the desk and wait for the monster itself to show up or they go through this door and see where it leads.

Never one to back down, Volter, the strongest man in the Gerbal guild of the eastern district, approached the door and opened it. No resistance was felt, the door opened smoothly. Gripping his longsword, Volter and the Calt team entered the room. It was a study. Ceiling high shelves occupied both sides of the room and were filled with more books and trinkets of unknown origin. On the left, a resting area with a coffee table, sofa, and plush chairs were placed and on the far end, in the middle, a fancy wooden desk stood. While quickly taking in the room, their attention was soon turned to the figure sitting behind the desk on a high-back chair. A child with unruly green hair, chubby cheeks and striking green eyes was scribbling on some paper with a fountain pen, seemingly unaware of their presence.

They stood in silence for a moment, before Volter decided to make their presence known to the creature.

“Uhem.”

“…”

“Uhem!”

“è§(àd!”

The monster startled and quickly lifted its head, eyes widening in surprise. It said something in an unknown language. Probably the same language as in the books. The group stepped forward to stand in front of the desk. The monster looked at them nervously.

“dt(àçé d§é@?”

None of them answered, not understanding a single thing that had just come out of the monster's mouth. The silence dragged on until the monster made a small noise resembling realisation.

“Ah, I did it again. Can you understand me now?”

“Yes.”

Relief crossed the monster's face and it started smiling.

“What can I do for you?”

Its gaze shifted to the bags being held by the Calt team.

“Are you here to return the books?”

“Yes.”

“That’s fast! It has only been three days.”

“Well, it is difficult to read something in an unknown language.”

“Hmm? What do you- aah! Oh my god! I’m so sorry! I didn’t realise- of course they couldn’t read it! They hadn’t understood anything I said. And the sign. They had been unable to read the sign! How did I ehé§ç! deàç é&&d#@ eçdhé§çà!”

The monster started rambling and slipped back into its native tongue. It seemed that he had to say something or it would continue talking like that.

“It’s fine.”

The monster stopped talking, giving them a sheepish and somewhat apologetic look.

“Don’t worry. Something like that won’t happen again!”

While saying that the monster stood up and bent its waist. It bowed to them. The monster bowed to them, apologising.

Well, I have never seen such a polite monster before.

The monster straightened out and sat back down on its chair. It quickly grabbed an old-looking leather book from a drawer.

“If you give me a minute I can give you the translated versions of the books your friends borrowed. Is that okay?”

“Sure, can I ask you a few questions about them?”

“Of course.”

The monster smiled brightly at them and started writing something into the book.

“What language is it written in?”

“Oh, Japanese.”

“Japanese?”

“Yes.”

It briefly glanced at him and at seeing his puzzled expression, stopped writing.

“It's my birth language. Is it not used here?”

“No, we have never heard of it.”

“Oh, I see.”

The monster suddenly looked sad and somewhat… resigned? It quickly started smiling again, however, as if nothing had been wrong.

Weird.

“Most of my books are in Japanese, but I can make some translations.”

“Or maybe you could give us this Japanese alphabet?”

“Huh? Ooh! That’s a great idea!”

The monster hastily put aside the book and grabbed some loose papers and started scribbling on them. None of them spoke while the monster was working on the papers.

“Ta-da!”

It waved the papers around when he was done writing and held them out with enthusiasm.

Why is it able to smile so sweetly? A monster should not be able to look so innocent.

Dismissing his wandering thoughts, Volter took the offered papers and saw that the monster had indeed written down the Japanese alphabet next to Common alphabet.

Good, this should pacify the inspection team, at least.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it!”

“So are you the librarian here?”

“Hmm? Ah, yes! I do look after the books. Though I don’t have to actually maintain them manually.”

“You mean someone else does that?”

“No, not really. The dungeon takes care of it for me!”

The dungeon?

“Do you have some authority over the dungeon?”

“Sure, it’s mine, after all.”

“Yours?”

“Yes! Mine!”

Shit! This isn’t just some monster playing librarian. This is the dungeon master!

“I see. Then would it be alright for us to leave?”

“Sure, if you want to! You can leave whenever you want! As long as you don’t steal anything of course.”

“Of course.”

The Calt team standing behind him had probably also figured out the truth behind this monster as they started gripping their weapons with more force than necessary. He quietly gestured for them to calm down. This was not the time to start a fight if it could be avoided.

Dungeon masters were the beings that governed and ruled over a dungeon. They had absolute authority over the space recognised as the dungeon and the dungeon master was the strongest being inside of it. The only way for a dungeon to be conquered was to destroy the dungeon core. Once it was destroyed, the dungeon master would die along with it and the dungeon would collapse and disappear.

That was the main purpose of the Gerbal guild. Investigating dungeons, determining their danger levels and deciding if they were beneficial to the kingdom or not. If they were beneficial, they would be managed and cleared every few weeks. Reasons for keeping a dungeon could be raw materials, training or unique items.

Reasons for destroying a dungeon were self-evident. If the risks outweighed the rewards, the dungeon was destroyed in a dungeon raid. Now, they had to determine: does this dungeon need to be destroyed?

“What would be regarded as stealing?”

“Well, like taking a book without officially checking it out or if you never return it after the three weeks are over. Or, I guess, if you take anything without my permission. That would be stealing, no?”

“What happens to people who steal something?”

“They will be punished, of course!”

The monster spoke in a cheery voice, as if it was a matter of course. With this, however, Volter understood what kind of dungeon this was. A dungeon ruled by laws. Follow the rules and you will be blessed, break the rules and you will be punished.

They had now managed to uncover one of the rules:

Don’t steal.

Chapter Text

Alabest looked with awe at the greenhouse he and his fellow wizards were currently standing in. They had followed the dungeon map provided by the Gerbal guild, walking through dark cave tunnels and impossible environments to get to an open grassfield. On that grassfield, fields with unknown plants were seen. There were also plenty of fruit trees surrounding the fields, but the real treasure was the greenhouse that stood in the center of it all.

The guildmaster of the eastern branch of the Gerbal guild had gotten permission for them from the dungeon master to collect plants from the greenhouse. Each of them was allowed to collect up to ten plants. It wasn’t a lot, but more than nothing. Especially considering most of these plants had never been seen before.

When the wizard association had heard about the unknown plants and herbs, they had been knocking on the Gerbal guild's doors as if their lives depended on it. It had taken two weeks before they had gotten the go ahead. During that time the wizards had been restless and frankly unbearable to be around.

Alabest liked to think of himself as a gentleman, but even he had been restless. This had incredible potential after all! How was he supposed to sit still and quiet like a good child when these unknown treasures were just sitting here, ready for the taking? If he had to wait one more day, he would have jinxed the very next person crossing his path. Luckily they were allowed entry before his patience ran out.

The wizards that had entered the greenhouse had gotten to an agreement that each of them would gather different plants. This way, they could come together and experiment with as many different species as possible. They all went their own way and started picking out plants. Alabest followed suit and started digging up plants. He started with a plant that looked like a potato but had a purple color. Making sure not to damage any of the roots or any of the surrounding plants, he carefully extracted it.

One collected, nine more to go.

…

Last one.

Alabest bent down and started digging up the last plant when an exclamation sounded from his right.

“Oh, that’s a good choice!”

He looked up as he didn’t recognise the voice as one of his fellow wizards and saw a child with green hair looking at him with a wide and cheerful smile.

Dungeon master!

Trying not to let it see it had startled him, Alabest feint nonchalance.

“Is that so?”

“Yes! When you cook it in boiling water, it’s really delicious!”

“Does it have any special properties?”

“Hmm, I guess it makes you sleep better?”

I see. So this is used to make a sleeping potion.

Alabest stared at the green leafed plant in his hands with satisfaction and carefully put it away.

“Thank you for the information.”

“No problem!”

The monster nodded at him and skipped away to another wizard, who startled so badly at the appearance of the dungeon master that he fell backwards on his ass in the dirt, much to the amusement of the other wizards. The monster seemed to panic a little, helping the wizard off the ground and seemingly apologizing for the scare.

Weird little fellow, that one.

The dungeon master intrigued him. A sentient monster, something unheard of, until now. It seemed friendly, polite and innocent, as if it wouldn’t be able to hurt a fly, but those were usually the scariest of them all. Better not to piss it off. Having gathered all of the ten plants, Alabest was planning to go to the library and borrow a few books. Since they had gotten the alphabet from the dungeon master, the inspection team had been making good progress. Still, according to reports he had been able to glean, the monster had said it would provide them with translated books if they so wished. That would probably be more beneficial than having to rely on translations made by people who wouldn’t be able to understand the language's nuances.

He dusted off his robes and turned to the doors of the greenhouse when a commotion distracted him. Alabest turned back around and saw two wizards bickering with each other.

Well, this should be fun.

Alabest put getting the books on hold and went to spectate the fight, joining the group of wizards already starting to surround the two arguing wizards.

“This one is mine!”

“No! I got here first, this one is mine to inspect!”

A fight no different from a spat between children unfolded in the middle of the greenhouse. One should know that nobody liked wizards. Sure, they were incredibly important as they made potions and equipment that adventurers used. They also were called upon to cure deadly illnesses. But for all the good they could do, people didn’t like them. And the reason why was:

“Oh no, you don’t!”

“I cast: wardrobe change color pink!”

“Ah! You didn’t! I had just gotten the right color of purple this morning! I cast: stuffed nose!”

“You- sniff- bastard!”

Wizards were incredibly petty.

Now, Alabest wouldn’t say that he was the most mild tempered, he had done his fair share of petty revenges, but he always kept it between wizards, unlike some who took their anger out on normal civilians or adventurers. Alabest at least knew the proper time and place to exact those revenges and this wasn’t the place nor the time. It was, however, pretty entertaining regardless.

This was when Alabest noticed something from the corner of his eye. The monster was also watching the spectacle and it was not looking happy. Its face turned dark as one of the wizards had stumbled backwards and crushed some of the plants behind him.

Not good.

Just as he was about to intervene and stop the fight, a crushing pressure descended on them. All wizards groaned as they were forced to kneel on the ground from the force. It took some effort, but they all managed to turn their heads to look at the monster that had now stepped closer to the group. It didn’t look particularly angry, no, Alabest saw another more pronounced emotion on its face.

Is it sad?

The monster stopped walking and now stood next to the two wizards who had been fighting just a few moments ago.

“Why are you fighting?”

“Eh?”

“Huh?”

Both wizards wore confused expressions, not yet comprehending the danger they were in.

“Fighting will be punished.”

“Wha-!”

“Wait-!”

Before anyone could react, giant vines rose up from the ground and wrapped around the two wizards and dragged them back with them into the ground. The wizards struggled to get out of the vines' hold, but were unable to use their arms as they were pinned against their bodies. It happened so quickly they didn’t even get the chance to cast a spell. The giant holes that were left behind closed after the last bit of vine had retreated. A deafening silence rang through the greenhouse. None of the other wizards dared speak in fear of angering the monster even more. Alabest lamented his fellow colleagues' fate.

Why did they have to go and anger it?

The monster stared sadly at the ground.

“I don’t like bullies.”

It said it in a quiet voice, almost a whisper. It was a childlike statement, innocent in its intent, but what had happened had been anything but.

“Can you all leave, please?”

The pressure keeping them in place lifted and Alabest felt like he could breathe again. Slowly, they all stood back up and started shuffling towards the exit. The monster’s voice sounded from behind them.

“Don’t worry. Their punishment will only take two days.”

Nobody responded.

…

True to its word, the two wizards that had been taken by the vines underground stumbled out of the dungeon entrance after two days. Their robes had been dirty, their faces smeared with dirt and hair unkempt. When asked what had happened, they said they had been forced to work on the fields and tend to the crops. They had also been forced to clean up the mess they had made in the greenhouse.

The punishment wasn’t torture as many had speculated, but rather normal manual labour. This knowledge eased a bit of dread everyone had been feeling. Still, this was only for having a little argument and causing a bit of a mess. Who knew what would happen if anyone actually had a full fight in there. It was better not to risk it, especially after the display of power the monster had shown.

Another rule had been added:

Don’t fight.

Chapter Text

“Shit, shit, shit!”

“You idiot!”

“Why did you have to go get those damned apples!”

“Those apples are Hellebar apples! The most expensive apples of the western front!”

“To hell with your apples!”

“Here, a cave opening! Quick!”

The three men sprinted into the cave, hoping against all hope that the soldiers chasing after them hadn’t seen them enter. They kept running through the damp cave tunnel until they saw light pouring in on the other side.

“There!”

“Finally, the exit!”

They picked up the pace, running towards the light until they finally exited the tunnel into a forest.

“Come on, Hart, Vir. This way!”

They started running towards the right, zigzagging between the trees. After a few minutes the tallest of the three, Clif, who had been leading the escape, stopped running.

“Huff, huff. This should be far enough.”

“Are you sure, Clif?”

“Of course! I’m not an idiot!”

“Sure.”

“Why you-!”

Clif started chasing after Hart who quickly evaded the punches coming his way.

“Guys, don’t fight!”

“Oh, don’t you dare start!”

“Yeah! If it wasn’t for you and your stupid apples, we wouldn’t have had to run in the first place!”

“I told you, they were Hell-”

“Huh?”

Clif and Hart watched in stunned silence as Vir fell backwards, an arrow sticking out of his head. Stiffly, they looked behind them. Five soldiers, dressed in armor with weapons drawn, were slowly encircling them. Two of them had arrows trained on Hart and Clif, daring them to run.

“Surrender or face the same fate as your friend.”

Clif gritted his teeth. He knew that even if they surrendered here, death was what would soon follow. They were part of a very infamous bandit group, after all. The Yulta bandits. A fearsome group of bandits living in the Yulta hills.

Their main business was robbing passing merchants who were taking the route through the hills to get to the trading hub laying behind them. Why would merchants still take that route even though they knew a bandit group lay in wait? The short answer: time. To get to the trading hub on the other side of the hills, the shortest route was straight through them. Sure, they could take the detour and go around, but that would cost them at least two extra months. Not to mention all the other dangers they could come across during that time. It was better to go through the hills than to face the unknown. The bandit group was a known danger, after all. People were less scared of what they could anticipate.

Besides, they never killed anyone. Not unless absolutely necessary. Most of the time, they just ambushed the travellers and demanded a toll for passing through their territory. It wouldn’t do to scare off their main source of income by killing them all or robbing them of everything they had.

Till now, they had a tacit understanding with the law enforcement of the area. If they stayed out of sight and didn’t cross the line, it wasn’t worth it for them to take the Yulta bandits on. The losses would outweigh the gains. They were a force to be reckoned with, believe it or not. Unlike other bandit groups, they were properly trained. The reason? Their leader was a former soldier who had served in the southern lands. A place filled with berserk monsters and spontaneously spawning dungeons. She had made sure that her subordinates knew how to fight in an organised manner. She always told them: ‘I have no use for barbarians.’

If they were taken into custody, they would get two options. Sell out their group or become one with the worms. He shared a quick glance with Hart. They were never going to rat out their group. They were family. You don’t betray family. It was better for them to die now than to face torture and die anyway. At least here they could take a bastard with them to the grave. It wasn’t that they were scared of their leader. No sir, absolutely not.

Clif cursed their luck. It had been a routine robbery. They had waited until it was just before dawn. Everyone else would be asleep and the guard on duty would be exhausted from having to wake up in the middle of the night and keep watch for the rest of it. Vigilance would be at its lowest. They had sneaked into the camp and started searching through the bags stowed away in the carriage. Everything had been going smoothly, that was until Vir saw something in the light of the barely burning campfire.

Those wretched Hellebar apples. He had slowly made his way towards them, planning to snatch one or two. Maybe even the whole bag if he could. That had been a mistake. He got too close to the horses while making his way over, causing them to grow antsy, alerting the dozing soldier standing guard. Running had been their only option from that point on.

Clif and Hart readied themselves, feigning surrender. Before they could move, however, a crushing pressure descended on them. Both the bandits and soldiers got pressed to the ground. Groans resounded through the forest as they fell on their knees. Any other sounds of wildlife that they had been hearing around them stopped. Not even the sound of crickets could be heard. Clif felt cold sweat running down his back. Something dangerous was near.

A rustling sound came from somewhere in the forest. Everyone did their best to turn their heads in that direction, fearing the danger that would emerge from behind the trees.

This is?

Walking towards them from behind the trees was a child. Unruly green hair, chubby face, bright emerald green eyes and wearing strange clothes. Wait, green hair? This wasn’t a child.

A monster?

Then it dawned on him. This wasn’t just any monster. Clif recalled the reports of a nearby dungeon that had appeared a couple of months ago.

The sentient dungeon master. Damn! But why is it here?

While Clif was trying to wrap his head around how a dungeon master had been able to leave its dungeon, the monster, posing as a child, had already crossed the distance between them and was now staring at Vir.

“Why?”

The question was sudden, asked in a calm voice devoid of emotion. None of them answered. It turned towards the soldiers, a hard look on its face and asked again.

“Why?”

When still no answer came, it sighed.

“No matter what, nothing excuses killing someone.”

One of the soldiers, out of emotion or idiocy, maybe both, responded to the quiet statement in a fierce voice.

“They are bandits, death is a mercy for them!”

“Everyone deserves a second chance!”

The roar made the brave soldier shrink back, face pale from fear. The pressure increased, making pain shoot up through their bodies, pressing them further against the ground.

“For this, you will be punished. No more blood shall be spilled on my ground.”

Wait, his ground? Don’t tell me!

It finally dawned on Clif how it was possible for a dungeon monster to be out of its dungeon. The monster hadn’t left the dungeon, they had entered it! And because of those soldiers, killing Vir, all of them were about to be killed by it! He tried to say something, but the pressure was too great. He was unable to even lift a finger, let alone speak. Dread filled him as the trees around them seemed to come to life. First, Vir’s body was engulfed in roots and disappeared into the ground. Then, the trees started moving towards them, their roots reaching for them. As Clif closed his eyes, the last thing he could hear were the screams of terror from Hart and the soldiers as they were wrapped up in roots and dragged underground.

And so the third rule came to be:

Don’t kill.

Chapter Text

Nargissa looked at the reports she had gotten from her subordinates. The day had been fruitful at least. She sighed as she placed the documents down on the table, pouring herself another glass of wine. Her eyes wandered around the room and came to a halt to another bundle of reports. The casualty reports.

While she knew she couldn’t keep everyone safe and alive, especially not living the life of a bandit, Nargissa had done her best to give them as many tools as humanly possible to at least live for as long as possible.

As a former soldier, she had made sure every one of her subordinates knew the basics of combat. Her bandit camp looked more like a garrison than an unruly group of savages. Everything was clean, ordered, and disciplined. They had rules and regulations. Morning and evening training, chores to maintain their stronghold, and nobody had ever anything to complain about.

To the unobservant spectator, they would seem like soldiers sent into the hill for training and guard duty. Nargissa took pride in that assessment. Still, no matter how well trained her people were, there were always risks with being a bandit. That bundle of papers was proof of that. Many wounded from fights with merchant escorts, a few had died, and now three men had simply disappeared. All in all they hadn’t been doing great. Too many of her men got conceited and arrogant, thinking they could take on the most skilled of soldiers just because she had trained them. Ridiculous.

This wasn’t the only problem, however. If it was, she could have dealt with it swiftly. No, the real problem was the increase in monsters crawling around the plains. A few monsters were to be expected, that’s just the way the world was, but it was starting to really affect business.

The more monsters prowling around, the less people would be passing through. Merchants would find other routes or don’t go at all. And the only other people who would go this way were adventurers or soldiers with the intent to kill the monsters. If these people saw them, mercy would not be an option. As bandits they had forfeited their ticket as a human of society. They would be killed on the spot.

All of this caused their current situation. A rivalling bandit group had gotten wind of their temporary weakness and was making plans to swoop in and take a stab. Earlier that day she had gotten the message that the leader of this group wanted to hold a negotiation meeting with her. Normally she wouldn’t have even deemed it worthy of a response, but this wasn’t just any old bandit group that had come knocking on her door.

Hargbar, leader of the Jalte bandit group that ruled over the north-eastern parts of the plains, was a man to be reckoned with. Of all the bandit groups in the area, the Jalte group was the closest to the Yulta hills. They couldn’t ignore them even if they wanted to. Their territories bordered each other, causing many a dispute over the years. Nargissa had no doubt that the reason Hargbar wanted to talk with her was so he could try and claim more of her territory.

He would probably frame it as a cooperation. ‘In order to deal with the monsters’, he would say. Bullshit. More like he would let them go in first and then graciously help when they had been exhausted.

Over my dead body.

Gritting her teeth in annoyance, Nargissa drank the last of her wine and brought the glass down on the table, causing it to break. She let out a snort as she brushed off her hands and leaned back in her chair.

A sudden commotion outside her hut made her sit back up.

What in the world?

She quickly exited her hut to see what was happening.

Are we under attack?

“Boss!”

One of her men who had been on guard duty came running towards her. She prepared herself for the news that they were being attacked by law enforcement or another bandit group when she saw the big grin plastered on the man's face.

“They have returned!”

“Who?”

“Clif and Hart!”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Clif and Hart? What about Vir?”

The man’s smile dimmed a bit at the mention of Vir.

“It would be better for them to explain it, boss.”

Nodding, Nargissa followed the man towards one of the side buildings. When she entered, her gaze zeroed in on the two men who had miraculously reappeared after vanishing for a whole week. They were getting looked at by their doctor, but at first glance she couldn’t see anything wrong with them.

“Clif, Hart, explain yourselves.”

And explain they did.

…

“Everyone ready?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Nargissa nodded in satisfaction as she looked at her entourage. Two men and women were to go with her to the meeting.

“Then let’s go!”

She started walking and entered the cave entrance that had been hidden on the side of a slope. Initially, the tunnel was dark. The group had to use their hands to help guide them through it, but after a while, they started seeing faint light up ahead. A blue light started appearing along the walls, helping them see the path more clearly. When they finally exited the tunnel, they couldn’t help but be stunned by the view in front of them.

A giant cavern with a beautiful lake in the middle. Hanging from the ceiling, just not reaching the surface of the lake, slim vines with white, almost translucent flowers were growing. Bioluminescent moss illuminated the cavern and made the lake in the middle seem like the night sky. A scene from a fairytale. After appreciating the view for a minute, Nargissa started moving again. She came to a halt in front of a big table that had been placed next to the lake.

At the head of the table, a child was sitting, looking at them with a smile.

“Thank you for allowing us to hold our meeting here on your domain.”

She bowed slightly to the monster. It started waving its hands dismissively.

“Oh, no. It’s my pleasure!”

Nodding, Nargissa took her seat while her entourage took up guard behind her. After getting seated, she trained her gaze on the other side of the cavern where the faint outline of another passage was barely seen.

They didn’t have to wait long. Out of the passage a slender and tall man made his appearance. Several other people followed behind him. When the man laid his eyes on her, a slick smile appeared on his face. Standing up from her seat, Nargissa greeted the slimy bastard of a man.

“Hargbar.”

“Nargissa.”

Once they were both seated, they turned their attention to the monster sitting at the head of the table.

“Hmm? Oh, right! So, no fighting or killing. And I want this to be fair. That means no cheating other people out of what they rightfully own.”

Nargissa saw a slight twitch of Hargbar’s eyebrow at the last condition.

Good, don’t think you can waltz your way all over me as you please, you rat.

“When the meeting is over you just go back the same way you came.”

The monster smiled brightly and clapped its hands, like a child excited to play with a new toy.

“Let the meeting begin!”

Hargbar smiled at her.

“How have you been doing, Nargissa?”

“Let’s cut the bullshit. What do you want?”

“Ah, right to the chase. As expected from a former soldier of the southern lands. Very well, let’s get right to it, shall we?”

Nargissa snorted, leaning back in her chair. She started tapping the table, waiting for Hargbar to finally say what he wanted.

“I have heard that you seem to have a little problem with monsters recently?”

He said it as a question, yet didn’t wait for a reply.

“Your people must be going through a hard time, fighting off the monsters and making sure to still get some sort of income. Not many merchants want to travel through monster invested lands, after all.”

“Your point.”

“How about we work together?”

“Now why would I do that?”

“We both know that you don’t have enough manpower to deal with the monster yourself.”

One of her men lost his temper and started responding to the provocation.

“Why-”

“Quiet.”

They quickly closed their mouth and backed down. She and Hargbar never lost eye contact during the exchange. The problem was, he was right. She didn’t have enough men to deal with the rapidly increasing amount of monsters. A solution had to be reached or the place would be crawling with adventurers and soldiers, which would be bad for business.

In a way she had no choice but to accept his help. It vexed her to have to do this, but at least they would be able to reach fair terms with the monster presiding over the meeting. The monster hadn’t interfered so far. It was quietly sitting there, watching their discussion with a fascinated look on its face.

“What do you propose?”

“Ma’am-”

“I said quiet.”

“Hmm, I could lend you some of my men.”

Hargbar looked at her with a fake sympathetic smile.

“But, well, that would mean putting my own men's lives at risk. Ah, what a difficult decision.”

Not wanting to give him all the initiative, Nargissa decided to push back.

“They would have to fight the monsters regardless.”

“Oh?”

“We aren’t the only ones who would be in trouble if the monsters keep coming to the plains. Let’s not forget where you yourself are located.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Even if you don’t help, you will have to face the same problem yourself at some point. So why not help each other before it gets to that?”

While Hargbar was still smiling, it had taken on a forced edge. He had clearly been underestimating her. He probably thought she would be panicking and jump at the offer.

“How about we join forces and split the spoils, fifty fifty.”

“And what would those spoils entail?”

“The killed monsters, of course.”

“...Of course.”

Nargissa held out her hand and begrudgingly Hargbar shook it.

“Great!”

The monster once again clapped its hands, drawing their attention. It then pushed two pieces of paper towards them.

“This is?”

“The contract of course!”

“Contract?”

Hargbar looked absolutely aghast.

“Yes! Please read it over to make sure everything is as agreed upon.”

Nargissa looked at the paper in front of her and saw the contents of the agreement neatly written down.

The Yulta group and the Jalte group will cooperate during the subjugation of the monsters roaming the plains. Both groups shall not spare manpower or resources during that term. The spoils (monster corpses) are to be split evenly between the Yulta group and the Jalte group (50/50), etc.

“All you have to do is sign it.”

The monster held out a pen to both Nargissa and Hargbar. She didn’t hesitate to grab it and sign the contract. Hargbar hesitated in grabbing the pen, but under the silent pressure of the monster, begrudgingly took it and forcefully signed the contract. When he wrote the last letter of his name, a slight stinging pain appeared on the back of her right hand.

She quickly looked and saw a strange symbol etched on her skin. It glowed a soft green for a second before disappearing all together as if it had never been there in the first place.

“With this the deal is sealed! If you break the contract, you will be punished!”

Nargissa smiled at Hargbar, who was silently gritting his teeth. Without even saying goodbye, he stood up from his seat and left with the rest of his men back the way he came. Nargissa turned towards the monster and gave it her sincere thanks.

“Don’t worry about it! This was fun!”

A fourth rule had thus been added:

Don’t break promises.

Chapter Text

Selent gripped her blade and advanced further into unknown territory. Her squad members followed behind. They moved slowly and carefully as the ground was covered in a layer of mist. One careless move and they could lose a leg.

“It’s too quiet.”

“Where are the monsters?”

“We should have encountered something by now.”

Listening to the inquiries behind her, Selent had to silently agree. They had been wandering through this dungeon for three hours and had yet to see any monsters. According to the reports the dungeon master should have shown itself by now. It had been described as incredibly curious and deceptively helpful. It had taken on the form of an innocent looking child and played the part well, but the punishments it forced on people who ‘broke’ its rules were anything but.

A week ago, soldiers who had been escorting a merchant through the Yulta hills had been taken by the monster because they had killed a bandit in the dungeon. They had been stuck in the dungeon for three months. They were taken to a dark cell where they had only been given the bare minimum to survive. In addition to that, they were forced to perform tasks such as breaking stones with pickaxes or feeding water monsters at the risk of being eaten themselves.

According to analyses the monster was giving out more and more extreme punishments. They were slowly but surely escalating. Who knew what kind of punishment it would deal out next for something as benign as damaging a tree in that forest area?

“Ugh, why is this place so creepy?”

“Whose graves are these anyway?”

She glanced at the headstones littering the ground. They were walking through a graveyard at the moment. Headstones could be seen in every direction. They couldn’t determine how big the graveyard was as the mist obscured their sight. Every headstone had symbols etched onto them, writing that Selent recognised as the Japanese the dungeon master had stated as his birth language. Since she didn’t know the meaning of the symbols, she couldn’t decipher what could have been written. Luckily she had someone on her squad who had the alphabet memorised.

“Gerft, can you tell what the stones say?”

“Um, I can try.”

Gerft bent down to inspect one of the stones, pushing away some stray strands of hair that had escaped his ponytail. He traced the symbols with his fingers while his lips moved in silent mumblings. Selent and the rest of the squad formed a circle around him, making sure that nothing could get the jump on them while they were standing still.

“...No, that can’t be it…Must be…Right…Maybe?”

“Gerft.”

“I don’t know if this is correct, but it says ‘Bob’.”

“Bob?”

“Yes.”

Gerft looked as unsure as she felt.

“That’s all it says?”

“...Yes.”

“What in the world?”

“Don’t you like the name?”

“Who-?”

They quickly looked around and saw the figure of a child standing in front of them.

When did it get so close?

They immediately got in formation, weapons drawn. The monster tilted its head and blinked its eyes in an innocent manner. If she didn’t know it was a monster, she would have squeezed his cheeks like a grandmother. It even started pouting a little.

“I really did my best naming them, though.”

“Them?”

“Yes, everyone here!”

It started smiling brightly while gesturing around him towards the graves.

Don’t tell me?

“Do you want to meet them?”

No sooner had it made the suggestion that the sound of dirt shifting could be heard from all around them.

“Eek!”

Gerft jumped away from the grave he had been crouching next to. All around them things started clawing their way out of the earth.

“Skeletons!”

“Shit!”

In less than a minute Selent and her squad were surrounded by a legion of skeletons with the monster disguised as a child smiling innocently at them. They nervously gripped their weapons as they tried to determine the monster's next move.

“So standing next to you is Bob.”

The skeleton that had risen from the grave right next to them waved at them.

“Over there is Sarah, Bob’s sister.”

Another skeleton waved them hello. The monster started introducing the skeletons surrounding them. They stared in bewilderment as the introduced skeletons waved at them when their names were called. One of the skeletons standing next to the monster stepped towards it and started moving its jawbone.

“Oh, sure!”

The monster started nodding along, as if it was having a conversation with the skeleton.

“Right! So would it be alright for you all to fight with each other?”

“What?”

The monster actually looked bashful.

“They said they want to fight you? If it's too much to ask, I understand. You don’t have to!”

“You mean…a spar?”

That couldn’t possibly be it?

“Yes! They want to test themselves against real warriors!”

“Real?”

“Warriors, us?”

Her squad members murmured in confusion and sounded even a bit flattered. Looking at her squad and seeing the eager expressions on their faces, Selent sighed and smiled wryly.

“It seems my people are also eager to test themselves.”

“Great!”

What in the world did I agree to?

…

“Haaaaaaah!”

“Uhp!”

“Gah!”

The sound of fighting echoed through the graveyard. They had all moved to an empty spot where there would be no risk of destroying any of the graves. The skeletons were all taking turns against her squad members. Since the skeletons far outnumbered them, a lot of them had to patiently wait their turn. For skeleton type monsters, these ones were ridiculously sturdy. Destroying them would be nigh impossible, but the goal wasn’t to destroy them. Her squad just had to fight until the skeleton fell apart or lost its head.

They had been going at it for an hour now and looking at her squad, Selent didn’t have the heart to tell them to stop.

“This is fun, isn’t it?”

Startled, Selent turned towards the voice. The dungeon master had at some point come up to her and was now standing next to her watching the fights. When she didn’t respond, it looked up at her with a slight tilt of the head to the side.

“...Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure!”

“Why do you look like a child?”

“Because…I was born like this?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“...”

“...”

“...Can I ask another question?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

“Why are you friendly towards us?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, usually dungeons are set out to kill intruders. Yet you let us wander around, take resources when asked and now even spar with your own forces. Why?”

The monster looked at her with pure confusion, as if her question was the strangest thing it had ever heard.

“Why not?”

“Huh?”

“Why not? I have all this space, all these things. I suddenly have more than I could ever need.”

It smiled at her brightly and spoke in a soft voice.

“Besides, I like company. Look at how lively it is now! Everyone is enjoying themselves, no?”

“I see.”

Maybe this monster was more human than they had anticipated. A monster that felt lonely and wanted company. Suddenly Selent’s chest felt tight, looking at the softly smiling monster next to her.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Grab a sword.”

“Uh?”

“Let's have a match.”

The smile she got in return to her declaration was worth potentially teaching a dungeon master more fighting techniques.

Chapter Text

Alver nervously gripped the hem of his sleeves as he walked through the damp tunnel. For a place called Utopia, the entrance had a lot to be desired. Why couldn’t they have hung up some lighting? They still had to walk through complete darkness with only a torch as a lightsource and it had been years since the dungeon had appeared in the kingdom.

Even if the entrances were dreadful, the dungeon itself was the land of dreams according to anyone who had entered. It was a pure space where everyone had to adhere to the same rules:

Don’t steal.
Don’t fight.
Don’t kill.
Don’t break promises.

As long as you followed these rules, the dungeon was a paradise. Break one of them and you wouldn’t be able to escape punishment, no matter your status. Though nobody had been punished with death before, some things were worse than death.

Not only was the dungeon itself beautiful, but it was also gigantic. When they had finally mapped it all out, they had discovered that the dungeon was everywhere. Quite literally so. The dungeon was as big as the kingdom itself. It was as if the kingdom suddenly had an underground city. Somehow, the dungeon never overlapped with other dungeons or underground facilities.

“We’re almost there.”

Alver looked up at the man walking in front of him. Broad, sturdy shoulders, leather clothes made for swift combat and a green robe draped over the left shoulder. Traton, king of Narost, the greatest man the kingdom had ever seen.

“Yes, father.”

That man was his father, making Alver the crown prince of Narost, as he was the eldest child. The reason the king and the crown prince would be going in a dungeon was for the annual meeting with other leaders of the neighbouring lands. Ever since the appearance of Utopia, the danger of coercion, corruption, assassination and many more threats had been brought to almost zero. Once the kingdom had established that it was a completely neutral place, it had proposed to hold all further meetings in Utopia.

The other leaders had heavily opposed it at first because it would mean that all future negotiations and meetings would be held on their territory, and in a dungeon no less, giving them a home advantage. Traton, however, managed to persuade them.

Many might mistake his father for someone who was only good with a sword. A rugged look, muscles that could break rock, a sword as long as his body was tall, and a gaze that seemed to pierce through your soul. One look at him and the first thought that would enter your mind would be: ‘Wow, that’s what a warrior is supposed to look like.’, but the title of greatest man of the kingdom wasn’t referring to his physique or skill with the sword.

“Remember Alver, for now you must observe. Study their expressions, their body language. Pay attention to what they say and how they say it. One day you will have to navigate through these meetings, so make sure to be prepared.”

“Yes, father!”

He was a strategic mastermind who knew how to sway any situation to his favor.

The way he had managed to persuade the other leader to hold the meetings in Utopia instead of the rotation they had established for hundreds of years, was by proposing a deal. During the time the meeting was held, the leaders and their entourage were permitted to take anything from the dungeon, in accordance with its rules, of course. They could take anything they wished with the permission from the dungeon master.

Since a monster, let alone a dungeon master, would never take any human’s side, the resolve of many had already been shaken. Add to that the reports they had gotten about the dungeon, of all the resources they could get and the fairness and neutrality displayed by the dungeon master in dealing with its traversers, and it was a done deal.

As long as they followed the rules, they could benefit from the dungeon for the entire week they would stay in the kingdom of Narost. They would even stay the whole week inside the dungeon as fighting and killing were prohibited, so it guaranteed their safety. There were also countless entrances, making it ideal for preventing premeditated ambushes for when they had to leave. Frankly, it was the ideal place for kings and queens of different lands to come together.

After walking through a library, a forest, and various other types of biomes, they finally reached their destination.

The garden.

…

A wide open space with cleanly cut grass. Trees were clustered in specific areas with bushes and flowerbeds filling in other spaces. There was even a fountain surrounded by statues.

Alver followed his father down a white cobblestone path towards a giant gazebo. Underneath the gazebo a round, stone table stood. Seated at the table were two women and two men. All of them wore formal clothing specific to their country and were enjoying the tea and pastries already displayed on the table.

The guards were standing a bit away from the gazebo, while personal attendants stood behind their respective master. They all looked up when Alver and Traton approached.

“Ah, the great ruler of Narost has finally graced us with his presence!”

“Took you long enough.”

“Fashionably late, are we?”

His father took the jabs with ease and responded with a hearty laugh.

“Hahahaha! It is good seeing you all again this year!”

One of the women, wearing a purple gown with her long brown hair tied up in an intricate braid intertwined with gold beads, snorted and raised an eyebrow at Traton.

“You are just happy to get a chance to gain more money, otherwise you wouldn’t have shown your face.”

“Still angry about ten years ago, are we Garcell?”

Garcell gripped her teacup and shot Traton a glare.

“Stop antagonising Garcell, Traton, or you will get even less jewels than you are already getting.”

Alver looked at the man who was trying to placate the situation. Perfectly styled short black hair, golden rimmed glasses, bright smile and black formal clothes.

“Right you are, Hecaz. Right you are.”

The man sitting next to Hecaz didn’t pay any attention to the conversation and was instead looking at Alver.

“Is this your successor, Traton?”

“Ah, yes. Everyone, this is Alver, crown prince of Narost, my oldest.”

The man who had asked the question, flipped his long blond hair from his shoulder and greeted him with a calculated look. His white formal suit made him look like a saint. Alver bowed to them all.

“It is an honor to meet the esteemed guests and hope for a fruitful meeting.”

Hecaz clapped his hands together and smiled widely.

“No need to be so stiff! We’re all good friends here!”

Garcell scoffed and the man next to Hecaz rolled his eyes.

“Alver, the lovely lady in purple is Garcell Gol Verbart, queen of Yertus. Next to her is Hecaz Cartip, king of Sartyrn. The polite gentleman next to Hecaz is Trev Intus Partis, king of Urvesin.”

Garcell gave him a nod with a small smile, Hecaz waved exaggeratedly, and Trev gave him a barely noticeable nod. Then Traton introduced the woman who hadn’t said a single thing throughout the entire conversation. She was quietly drinking her tea with her eyes closed. Her long red hair was tied in a high ponytail matching her fiery red dress.

“And this is Kimfi Hall, queen of Hallyor.”

The only reaction the introduction produced was a side glance and small nod before she once again closed her eyes and continued drinking from her cup.

Alver already knew who everyone present was as his father had told him about them ever since he was just a little boy. Apparently, Traton had practically grown up with them. Before Traton had become king, his father had also taken him to various meetings. Those were the times Traton met with the people now before him.

If his father was to be believed, all of them were good friends. Well, the relaxed atmosphere certainly suggested so.

“Well, don’t just stand there. Come take a seat!”

Hecaz gestured to two empty seats. Alver followed his fathers example and sat himself down at the table. Somehow he had gotten placed next to Kimfi. Nervously, he tried to appear relaxed, but internally he was sweating bullets. Suddenly, a cup of tea appeared before him. He looked to his left and saw Kimfi retracting a hand and returning to eating her pastry.

“Thank you.”

She gave him a small hum in acknowledgement. Alver silently drank his tea as his father entered into small talk with the other people at the table, filling his plate until he had made a hill of pastry, after which he made sure Alver’s plate was also filled. He had to stop his father from putting another pastry on his plate as it was ready to topple over and fall all over the ground.

Suddenly, the air changed. Alver didn’t know how to describe it. It just felt like something had changed, that something had arrived. He instinctively turned his head and looked behind him.

There, walking towards them, was a small child with unruly green hair, chubby cheeks and big emerald-green eyes. Wearing strange clothes, the child strolled up to the gazebo and greeted them with a bright smile.

The Green Guardian had arrived.