From Rock Bottom to Hero-Chapter 23 - The Report

We finally reach Eldorath. Shiro sits next to me, staring silently at the ground, while Auasis holds the reins and guides us through the city gates.

Once inside the city, we head straight for the Adventurer's Guild. I jump off the wagon and stretch for a moment, while Shiro and Auasis follow me.

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Inside the guild, it's as lively as always. Adventurers sit at tables, exchanging stories or celebrating their successful missions. I head directly to the counter, where the receptionist sits.

"You're back." The receptionist looks up. "Did you complete the mission successfully?"

"Yes, we did. However..." I hesitate for a moment. "There were complications."

The man raises an eyebrow. "Complications?"

I clear my throat. "We were attacked by demons."

A moment of silence. The noise in the guild seems to suddenly fade. The receptionist examines us sharply, his face turning pale. Without another word, he stands up and disappears through a door behind the counter.

Shiro gives me a look. "Couldn't you have said that a bit more subtly?"

I just shake my head. "Do you think it would have made a difference?"

It doesn't take long before the door opens again, and the Guild Master, Gareth, steps out. His gaze is stern, his posture tense. "Come with me. Now."

Without further discussion, we follow him into his office. The room is plain but cozy. Gareth takes a seat behind his desk, leans forward, and folds his hands. "Tell me everything."

I take a deep breath and begin recounting the events. From the moment we set out to the battle with the demons. "There were three demons. They wanted Shiro as payment for us to pass. I took care of two of them, but..."

"But what..." Gareth responds coldly.

I continue. "But one of the demons escaped."

Gareth's expression hardens instantly. His fingers tighten together, and his face darkens.

"A demon escaped?" He asks slowly.

I nod. "That's right."

For a moment, Gareth says nothing. His expression more serious than before.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door.

"Enter." Gareth calls without taking his eyes off us.

The door opens, and a familiar figure steps in. My father.

Father rushes toward us and embraces us. "You made it! You're back!"

When Father sees the serious expression on Gareth's face, his look darkens.

"What happened?" He asks.

Shiro pulls away from the embrace. "Why did you keep this from me?!"

"What?" My father asks, confused.

"You knew. You all knew, and no one told me."

Gareth sighs. "Sota and Shiro fought demons."

My father exhales slowly as he realizes what Shiro means. "We wanted to protect you."

"Protect me?!" Shiro's voice shakes.

My father glances briefly at Gareth, then back to Shiro. "It wasn't the right time to tell you."

Shiro laughs softly, but it's not a happy laugh. "Not the right time... Sure."

Gareth interrupts them. "You can sort this out later. If you really let a demon escape, this could end badly."

My father pales. "A demon escaped?!"

"What does that mean?" I ask.

My father looks at me sharply. "It means it will report."

"Report?" Shiro blinks. "To whom?"

Gareth responds in a serious tone. "Probably to an Archdemon. And if we're unlucky, then..."

"Then this could just be the beginning." My father finishes the sentence.

Gareth looks at us all seriously, his expression hardening as he continues. "We don't know if it has already reported, but we can assume it will. And if it does, we'll learn about it soon enough."

Gareth glances at all of us. "This conversation ends here, and none of you say a word about it. Not to anyone, not in the guild, or else panic will break out immediately. And we cannot allow that."

"Yes." We all respond.

"Good. Go." Gareth ushers us out, and we leave the office, still uncertain about what awaits us.

Meanwhile in a demon's outpost...

The escaped demon kneels before the Archdemon, who sits on his throne. The demon is visibly nervous but tries to remain calm.

"Report." the Archdemon commands.

"Master." the Demon begins. "My patrol encountered two boys and an adult. They were near the forest between Eldorath and Arvendale." The demon hesitates for a moment, then continues. "I suspect they were delivering goods to Arvendale and were on their way back, as there were no goods left on the cart. One of the boys was incredibly strong. He overwhelmed us with the help of magic."

The Archdemon raises an eyebrow. "Magic?"

"Yes, Master." The Demon replies, visibly struggling to control his words. "He attacked us when we blocked their path. I was able to escape, but the other two Demons were killed by him."

The Archdemon leans forward. "Do you know the name of this boy?"

The Demon swallows. "I think someone called him Sota."

The Archdemon nods slowly. "Very interesting. I have a task for you."

"What can I do?" The demon responds.

"You are to travel to Eldorath. Inform them that the boy must come to us within seven days."

The demon bows his head. "And if he doesn't come?"

"Then we will teach him a lesson." Says the Archdemon, with cold anger in his voice. "And the village will pay the price for it. Make sure everyone in the village knows, so panic spreads."

The demon bows deeply. "Understood, Master."

The Archdemon waves him away, and the demon heads toward Eldorath.