The walk back to the inn was quiet and she was alone— her mind preoccupied with thoughts of her newly formed group and the next course of actions she planned to take. Seraphina kept her pace steady, her cloak drawn tight to avoid drawing attention.
By the time she reached the inn, Samuel and Edwin were already seated in their usual corner of the common room— they looked up as she approached, and Samuel's grin widened when he saw her.
"Well, if it isn't our elusive little star. What mischief have you been up to now?"
Seraphina didn't rise to the bait having already gotten used to the man's behavior, instead, she slipped into the chair across from him and poured herself a glass of water. Edwin studied her carefully, his silver eyes sharp as ever.
"You're late."
He said, his tone neutral.
"Busy day?"
She nodded, taking a slow sip before speaking.
"Just errands. Nothing worth mentioning."
Samuel raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical but unwilling to press further. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and gestured to Edwin.
"We've been keeping busy too, you know. Edwin here got all serious and dug up some interesting leads at the guild."
Edwin shot him a glare before turning his attention back to Seraphina.
"There's been more chatter about the forest. Increased monster activity, and even sightings of hooded figures— it's becoming a real concern for the adventurers. The guilds even started organizing patrols."
Seraphina frowned slightly. It aligned with her suspicions— the hooded figures couldn't remain hidden forever. If she and her companions had already caught wind of them, it was only a matter of time before other adventurers did too. The only difference was the time— it was sooner than she expected.
The forest was a problem she couldn't ignore forever, as it may come back to bite them, but her focus had to remain on her immediate goals for now.
"And you?"
She asked, glancing at Samuel.
He grinned, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Oh, you know me. Just making friends, sharing drinks, and gathering gossip. Turns out our little arena star is becoming quite the topic of conversation. Some people are even placing bets on how long your winning streak will last."
Seraphina gave him a withering look, but Samuel only laughed.
"Relax, it's good for morale. Let the people talk— it's all part of the game."
She sighed, finished her drink, and stood.
"I don't know what game you're talking about, nor do I think I would like to. I'm going to the room— I need to think."
Neither of them stopped her as she made her way upstairs. Once inside her room, she locked the door and sat by the table, the moonlight shining in from outside as she lit a candle.
Her thoughts turned back to the five people she had met earlier. Their desperation was clear, but beneath it, she saw a glimmer of potential— raw and unpolished, but there nonetheless.
They were raw, untrained, and untested— but that also made them pliable for her to mold the way she wanted, if she could shape them right, she could even make them into useful helpers.
The first step was to gain their loyalty. Food and basic necessities were a good start to gaining their immediate trust, but that wouldn't last long once their stomachs were filled. She needed to offer them more than survival— she needed to give them a purpose to work towards.
Her gaze shifted to the window and the stars that lingered in the night sky, their faint glow a stark contrast to the darkness that surrounded them.
"Purpose. I will give them the power to pursue."
What better purpose, than strength. Almost everyone craved power, whether they knew it or not— no living being could say without a shadow of a doubt that power hadn't crossed their minds.
If she gave them all a knight method, even a basic one, they would all strive to master it and grow as a knight; this would also benefit her. She would get stronger helpers, and they would get a purpose in life.
If she gave them a method limited to Stage One, it would motivate them to work harder for advancement— a process that would ensure her continued control over their progress.
Albeit it, a control limited to mere benefit wasn't one she wanted— but it was a good starting point.
The only issue was, she didn't have a proper knight method that was limited to the stage she wanted. She couldn't possibly give them the Shinster Method that she practiced, nor did she intend to give anyone the incomplete method she made— that left no other options.
She would need to find a method for them or make a new one. She would have to leave that for another day, as finding methods was anything but easy, for now, she would teach them basic physical training and even aura sensing if she could.
'No need to overthink it.'
She shook her head and decided to sleep the night off, she was tired from the day, and there wasn't much she could do right now.
The following morning, Seraphina rose early and made her way to the market. She purchased supplies— bread, dried meat, clean water, and simple clothes, she didn't spend a lot of money but it was cutting into their limited funds.
By midday, she was back in the slums, the bag of supplies slung over her shoulder as she approached the dilapidated building— making sure she was never followed along the way. The man from the slums was waiting outside, his expression brightening when he saw her.
"You came back."
He said, relief evident in his voice.
Seraphina didn't reply, stepping past him and pushing the door open. Inside, the five figures from the previous day looked up as she entered, their expressions ranging from wary to curious.
"I brought supplies."
She said, setting the bag down on the table.
"Enough for a few days. Use them wisely— don't waste them."
The group moved quickly, their hunger and gratitude evident as they began dividing the food among themselves, some of them even went so far as to begin filling their mouths right away.
Seraphina watched in silence, her violet eyes scanning each of them.
When they had settled, she spoke again.
"This is only the beginning."
She said, her tone firm.
"If you want more— food, clothes, safety— you'll need to earn it. I'll give you tasks, small ones at first, to see what you're capable of. Prove yourselves, and I'll provide more."
The young woman with the sharp eyes— the one who had questioned her before— nodded slowly.
"What kind of tasks?"
"For now, information."
Seraphina replied.
"I need to know what's happening in the undercity. Who's in charge, who's moving against who, and what they're planning. Gather whatever you can without drawing attention to yourselves."
The older man with the weathered face spoke next.
"And if we get caught?"
Seraphina's gaze hardened.
"Don't."
The room fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in. Finally, the sharp-eyed woman spoke again.
"We'll do it. But we'll need more than just food if we're going to survive out there."
Seraphina nodded.
"You'll get what you need. Just make sure you deliver. If you do well enough, I might even make you a knight."
With that, she turned and left— her final words more like a temptation and hook for them to hold onto, craving the possibility. The man from the slums followed her out— he was also curious about her statement but held it in.
"Will they be okay?"
He asked, his voice tinged with concern, not for them, but for himself. He knew if they failed, he would need to either find more people or go do it himself.
"They'll adapt."
Seraphina said simply.
"Or they won't and we will need to find more people to replace them."
Her words were cold, but she knew they were true.
The undercity was unforgiving, and only those who could endure would survive— even if she didn't like that aspect of it, who was she to change it? She was weak.
But if they succeeded, they could become a useful asset in her growing plans.
As she made her way back she decided to not return to the inn right away. Instead, she made her way to the library. There was someone she needed to speak with— someone who might hold the key to her next step.