The thud of a knock on the door drew Sam's attention, prompting him to set aside the book. Despite the early hour, with the sun yet to rise, he approached the door and opened it. Before him stood the old man, clutching a spear. Sam found himself momentarily speechless, his gaze fixated on the weapon in the old man's hands.
"Good, you're awake. Follow me; the others must be waiting. We have to leave soon," the old man declared, heading toward the stairs. Uncertain, Sam retreated into his room briefly, grabbing the book before obediently trailing the old man down the stairs.
"You can use a spear... still?" Sam inquired with uncertainty. He had never witnessed the old man engage in any activities that hinted at his ability to wield a spear. In fact, he had the impression that the old man couldn't even endure sunlight for more than an hour.
"Still, yes, and better than you can," the old man retorted with a snort. Downstairs, the store was occupied by two individuals. One was tall girl with pointy ears, unmistakably an elf with bow on her back, and the other was man of average height, bearing a sword on his hip. Both appeared to be foreigners, their pale skin distinguishing them from the locals.
The elf inquired, "Why the little kid, Kinoya?"
"He delivered the message about the phoenix. He is one of the selected," the old man responded in a defeated tone. "I thought we were still close, but alas, he chose somebody else."
"Seriously, this early?" the other person remarked sarcastically. "He must be blind if he thinks you're still young."
"Shut up, Ren," the elf scolded the man and turned to Sam. "What's your name, boy?"
"Sam, Sam Gilliard," he replied nervously.
"Interesting name," the elf remarked. "I am Elyndor, and the grumpy one is Ren."
"Ah, he is one of Hadrian's pupils," Mr. Kinoya mentioned while seated on a chair by the counter. "He claims he's skilled enough to join us."
"Ah, Hadrian. That name brings back memories, doesn't it, El?" Ren remarked. "Does he still carry that gigantic sword on his back?"
"No," Sam replied hesitantly.
"Ren, don't frighten the young one. Kinoya, when are we setting off? You know we still serve the king, right?" Elyndor inquired.
"Let's move. The wagons are ready, correct?" Kinoya inquired. "Hadrian will meet us at the gate."
"Yes, I reserved five wagons and enlisted three mercenary groups on the way. They can serve as a distraction," Elyndor explained as he opened the front door.
As the four of them walked out of the room, the door closed quietly. The curtains moved, showing a bit of the outside where the morning sun was shining.
The bell above the door made a light sound, telling everyone that they had left. The room, with its well-arranged shelves of potion bottles, waited quietly for their return.
============================= Act – I ==============================