The palace gates opened with a heavy groan.

  The knights marched in first. Their armor was scratched, shields dented, faces exhausted—but the carriage behind them was intact.

  That was all that mattered.

  News of the ambush had reached the palace before the carriage did.

  By the time Sylvia stepped into her chambers, her older sister was already waiting.

  Princess Lily Coldberg.

  Lily looked strikingly similar to Sylvia—same deep blue eyes, same refined features. But where Sylvia carried warmth, Lily carried royal composure. Her attire was elegant, dignified, fitting for the future queen of Estralia.

  “Sylvia!” Lily rushed forward and embraced her. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

  Sylvia sat down slowly.

  And began to speak.

  She told her about the young warrior in the forest.

  His speed.

  His calmness.

  His strange sincerity.

  Then she remembered.

  “Oh… he also asked me to greet… my beautiful sister.”

  Lily raised an eyebrow.

  Sylvia reached into her pocket and pulled out the pendant.

  Lily’s expression changed instantly.

  “…This can’t be.”

  She took it carefully into her hand.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “This is a Dungeon Ruby Pendant. These are found only in the deepest, most dangerous dungeons. Even the kingdom’s elite knights avoid those places. This alone is worth thousands of gold coins.”

  She looked at Sylvia.

  “Who is this boy…?”

  At that moment, the chamber door opened.

  Captain Charlotte stepped inside.

  Her body was covered in armor, but it could not hide her powerful, well-trained build. Long red hair fell over her shoulders. Brown eyes sharp and disciplined. Her beauty could rival the princesses’, if not for the seriousness permanently written on her face.

  “Sylvia!” she said, pulling the princess into a firm embrace. “I heard what happened.”

  Sylvia told the story again.

  Charlotte listened in silence.

  But when she heard about the young warrior defeating thirty bandits alone…

  Her eyes sharpened.

  “I would like to meet him,” she said calmly.

  Meanwhile…

  Cale and Fang walked through the main streets of Faria.

  Everything felt enormous. Busy. Alive.

  And yet, Cale had to admit—Little Tartarus was cleaner, calmer, more beautiful in its own way. But this city… this city was alive.

  Then he stopped.

  A large sign hung above a building.

  Adventurers Guild

  “This is it,” Cale said telepathically.

  Fang gave a quiet nod.

  They stepped inside.

  The interior was even larger than expected. High ceilings. Wooden beams. A massive job board filled with requests. Adventurers of all races—humans, demi-humans, even a few dwarves—moved around, talked, laughed.

  Cale approached the registration desk.

  The receptionist explained the ranking system:

  Rookie → Soldier → Advanced → 2nd Class → 1st Class → Commander → Knight → Captain → Legend → Master.

  “Very few ever reach a rank higher than Commander,” she added.

  Cale received his small metal ID plate.

  Cale — Rookie

  He thanked her and turned toward the board.

  “Top right,” Fang’s voice guided him.

  Cale read.

  Goblin General — Leading 30 goblins, terrorizing villages west of the city. Commander-rank quest.

  Without hesitation, Cale took the request.

  And rushed outside.

  The receptionist looked at the board.

  Then at the ID she had just handed him.

  Her face drained of color.

  “…I forgot to tell him he can’t take quests above his rank…”

  She ran outside.

  Cale was already gone.

  Outside the city, in the forest—

  Fang returned to his true form.

  Fenrir.

  Cale jumped onto his back.

  They were not doing this for money.

  They had a purpose.

  Villages were suffering.

  And Cale needed to grow stronger.

  Fenrir surged forward through the forest like silver lightning.

  The hunt had begun.