At Postknight Headquarters Meanwhile
Commander Cassandra sat at her desk, glaring at the crumpled letter she'd just thrown into the wastebasket. Her fingers drummed on the desk as she tried to calm herself, though the frustration was evident on her face.
"It's been three days since the first incident, and still, neither are they investigating properly nor allowing us to take over the investigation. Why are they doing this?" Cassandra's voice rose, sharp with frustration. "We're all sworn to protect this land and its people from danger—so why are they standing in the way?"
"Calm down, Commander. Don't let your anger get the better of you," came a cool, steady voice from behind her.
Cassandra turned quickly, startled, to see a woman of her age leaning casually against the doorway. Her golden hair gleamed like sunlight, and her bright yellow eyes had a sharpness to them that hinted at her confidence and experience. It was Captain Seraphine, a rank-S Postknight and Cassandra's closest friend.
"Seraphine! You scared the hell out of me," Cassandra exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest. "You and Colins are exactly the same—always sneaking up on me like that by concealing your aura."
Seraphine chuckled, stepping closer with an easy grace that matched her athletic physique. "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to startle you. I just thought you could use some cheering up. Now, tell me—what's got you so riled up? What was in that letter?"
With a heavy sigh, Cassandra gestured toward the wastebasket. "It was from Orsic, that arrogant, egotistical commander of the KPP. I wrote to him, requesting permission to conduct our own investigation since they're clearly struggling. But, of course, he refused—saying it's not our place to interfere. Everyone knows they're understaffed, so my request was entirely reasonable. Don't you think?"
Seraphine raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms thoughtfully. "You're right, but you know Orsic. That old geezer's got a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Postknights. A direct request like that probably bruised his overinflated ego."
"Hmph," Cassandra scoffed. "Why does he hate us so much? We're all working toward the same goal."
"Who knows?" Seraphine shrugged. "But he is the most senior officer in the Grand Prism Army—and the King's military advisor. That gives him plenty of leverage to be as stubborn as he wants."
Cassandra clenched her fists, her frustration simmering just below the surface. "Hating other units just makes us weaker. It's so infuriating..."
---
Meanwhile, on the Outskirts of Mailie
Solis shifted uncomfortably, glancing around the clearing. The silence between him and Vaidya was starting to weigh on him.
"How long is it going to take, Vaidya?" Solis asked, his voice tinged with impatience.
Vaidya adjusted the strap of his satchel and sighed. "No idea. Yug always does this—showing up late whenever we actually need him."
Solis opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, a distant voice interrupted them.
"Sorry I'm late!" The voice was breathless and accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps. Instructor Yug emerged from the trees, panting heavily, with a sword strapped to his back. His disheveled appearance suggested he'd been in a rush. "It was a bit tricky to get my hands on an actual sword, but I managed."
Yug unsheathed the blade and handed it to Solis. The iron gleamed in the sunlight, heavy and cold in Solis's hands.
"Wait—this is a real sword!" Solis exclaimed, staring at it with wide eyes. "But I don't even have a license to carry one!"
Yug waved off his concern with a dismissive hand. "It's fine. This isn't an official mission. Besides, a wooden sword wouldn't last two seconds against dire wolves. Just use it and return it to me when you're done."
Vaidya frowned, stepping closer to inspect the weapon. "But what if Head Instructor Tedric finds out? Solis could get into serious trouble."
"Don't worry about Tedric—I'll handle him." Yug's tone was reassuring, though he seemed in a hurry to move on. "Now, go and gather some Puffworts."
Sharing a glance, Solis and Vaidya nodded in unison. "Understood, sir."
---
In the Woods
The dense forest surrounded them, the sunlight barely piercing through the thick canopy above. Solis trudged forward with his sword resting on his shoulder, while Vaidya consulted his notebook, flipping through pages with practiced ease.
After only thirty minutes—thanks to Vaidya's knowledge of Puffworts and their affinity for moist environments—they found a cluster of the plants near a riverbank. The pale, bulbous fungi glistened faintly with dew.
"See?" *Vaidya said, crouching to inspect the Puffworts. "I told you they'd be near the river. It's the perfect environment for them."
"Yeah, yeah, you're a genius," *Solis replied, plucking one of the plants and examining it. "Honestly, you're wasted as a Postknight. You could've been an amazing scholar instead. I mean, we found these in record time, and we didn't even run into any dire wolves or roblins. All thanks to you."
Vaidya smiled faintly, his expression softening. "I always wanted to be a scholar, actually. But one day..." He trailed off, his voice heavy with an unspoken memory.
Before he could continue, a low, menacing growl echoed through the forest.
GRRAWWW...
Solis and Vaidya froze, their heads snapping toward the sound. From the shadows, a pack of dire wolves emerged, their eyes glowing with hunger and malice. The largest of the wolves snarled, its fangs bared.
"Ah, come on!" *Solis groaned, gripping his sword tightly. "Not this crap again!"
Vaidya let out a nervous laugh, stepping back cautiously. "Looks like your bad luck rubbed off on me. Still, I should've been more alert."
"We're surrounded," *Solis muttered, his eyes darting to count the wolves. "Guess we've got no choice but to fight."
"Yeah, and you've got that shiny new sword, so have fun." Vaidya smirked, pulling out a leather-bound book from his satchel.
The wolves growled louder, inching closer with every second.
"Hey, don't worry about me," Vaidya said, flipping through the pages. His voice was steady despite the tension in the air. "I can handle myself. Just focus on fighting."
With a nod, Solis raised the sword, adopting a stance with the blade angled forward and his body turned sideways to maximize his reach and view. His breath steadied as he locked eyes with the lead wolf.
"Alright," he said, his voice firm. "Let's do this."
The wolves charged, and the clearing erupted into chaos.