Ashveil wasn't what Kaito expected. Then again, nothing in this world had gone how he expected.
Except for Lyria, it went better than he had imagined it could. And he wasn't complaining at all. Nope.
The town was like a mix between civilization and the wild. Stone walls leaned slightly with age. Watchtowers were patched together with wood and rusted iron. The main road curved through tents, merchant stalls, and loud taverns, all packed with people who looked like they'd already survived few bad decisions before breakfast.
"Smells like blood and wet leather," Kaito said.
"Adventurer towns usually do," Lyria replied. She wore her hood up, but her hand were still near her sword.
Seren strolled beside them, unbothered as ever. "It's charming. In a plague ridden, economically unstable sort of way."
The Ashveil Adventurer's Guild was hard to miss. It stood like an abandoned castle in the center of town, part tavern, part arena, part notice board.
Hideous laughter poured out of it, mixed with the sound of weapons and there was someone shouting about a drinking contest.
Kaito stared up at the huge, swinging sign.
The Drunken Hydra – Guild Hall & General Mayhem
"This is where we get paid to hunt monsters?" he asked.
"No," Lyria said. "This is where we get underpaid to nearly die fighting monsters."
Inside was even louder than it had any right to be. Men and women in armor crowded long tables. A bored looking elf manned the request board. A red haired dwarf was passed out in a barrel. And behind a thick wooden counter stood a tall, one eyed woman covered in scars.
She looked up as they entered. Her good eye landed on Kaito.
"New meat?" she asked.
Kaito raised a hand. "Uh, yeah. Hoping to join. Is there a test, or do I just not die long enough to qualify?"
The woman grinned. "Name's Marra. I run this lovely madhouse. And you....you look like someone who's gonna make my life interesting."
Lyria stepped up beside him. "He's green, but he learns fast. And he's mine."
That last part came out sharper than Kaito expected.
Marra smirked. "Oh, one of those parties. Got it. Let's get you signed in."
Registration took twenty minutes, three different threats of bodily harm (none directed at them), and a signature Kaito didn't recognize his own handwriting on. But eventually, he had a stamped card that read:
Kaito – Novice Tier Status: Approved (Probationary) Group: Team Blackflame..
"That sounds dramatic," he said.
Lyria looked smug. "I named it."
Seren rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."
Back on the street, the trio pushed through the afternoon crowd. Kaito caught whispers as they passed.
"That's the new kid with..."
"Did you see that blonde hair? Sword like a demon hunter."
"Think the mage is single? Or cursed? I'd risk it still."
They reached a quieter part of town where an old wooden inn leaned between two warehouses. A crooked lantern swayed above the door.
The Hollow Lantern
Inside smelled like dust, ale, and old people. Perfect.
They got a second floor room with one bed, one cot and not nearly enough blankets. Seren immediately took the cot. Lyria claimed the bed with a grin.
Kaito looked between them. "Guess I'll sleep on the floor, then?"
"Not if you want to stay warm," Lyria said, patting the space beside her.
Seren tossed him a pillow. "Don't snore. Or talk in your sleep about that system of yours."
"I only did that once."
"You shouted, 'Rubber Chicken of Boom!' in your sleep."
"It was doom," he muttered.
The girls both chuckled.
Kaito flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Ashveil was loud, rough, and full of danger. But he kinda liked it here, he didn't know why.
And for the first time, he felt like maybe he could survive here.
Maybe even do more than survive.
----
The sun was barely up when Lyria kicked Kaito out of bed.
"Ow—what the hell?" he murmured. Confused, rolling onto the floor.
"Training starts now. You want to survive in this place, you're going to learn how to fight properly."
"It's not even light out!"
"Then we're already behind."
She tossed him his boots. Kaito gave Seren a pleading look. She was still curled on the cot, blanket up to her nose, but a smirk was playing on her lips.
"You're on your own, hero," she murmured. "You suggested it."
Outside, the air was fresh. They made their way to a clearing just beyond the town's edge, where trees formed a natural ring and the morning mist was low.
"Draw your weapon," Lyria said.
Kaito summoned his current system assigned blade, which looked like a short sword made by someone who'd once seen one in a dream. The handle glitched faintly.
Lyria rolled her eyes. "We need to get you a real weapon. But for now, show me how you swing."
Kaito swung and missed the dummy entirely.
Lyria blinked. "You were aiming for the stationary straw dummy, right?"
Kaito sighed. "I was trying to be flashy."
"You looked like you were having a seizure."
She stepped behind him, adjusting his stance with firm hands. Her grip on his wrist lingered just a second too long.
"Better. Now again. And don't swing like you're auditioning for a circus."
"I will look good in a circus."
They spent hours drilling. Kaito's shirt stuck to his back with sweat. His arms bruised. Lyria was relentless.
Seren arrived around noon with a tank of water and a knowing smirk.
"Is this training or foreplay?" she asked.
"You're welcome to join," Lyria shot back.
"Not before lunch," Seren said, leaning against a tree.
Kaito managed a few decent strikes. Lyria actually looked impressed. Maybe.
Until he tripped over his own feet and landed flat on his back.
Lyria stood over him, grinning. "At least you're trying."
She offered a hand. When he took it, she yanked him up, straight into her chest.
"You're stronger than you think," she said softly.
Seren groaned. "Get a tent, you two."
They walked back to town together as the sun dipped low.
Ashveil felt different now. Less like a wild place and more like a place that might shape them.
A similar flyer Kaito had spotted back in hallowrest, flapped against a pole.
Daring Die Rich. Or They Just Die.
His fingers brushed it as they passed.
A shadow moved near the edge of the crowd. Hooded again. Watching.
Then gone.
Kaito frowned. Something stirred in the system.
[Warning: Fragment Signal Detected – Trace Unknown]
He looked at Lyria. She was already watching the spot where the figure had vanished.
"We're not done yet," she said.