Twelve goblins.
Poorly armed.
Disorganized.
Unaware they were being watched.
Eis exhaled slowly.
Methodical. Quick. No alarms.
She slid her twin blades free, their edges catching a faint glint of daylight.
Three goblins guarded the perimeter — one half asleep, one walking the perimeter of the camp, the other picking at its teeth.
The one walking around the camp found a bolt lodged in its head before it realized anything happened. The goblin slumped to the ground without a sound.
Eis came from behind.
A hand over one mouth, blade sliding cleanly across the neck.
The other goblin turned—
Too slow.
One strike.
Gone.
Two goblins sat near the fire, arguing over a burnt piece of meat.
Eis moved.
One fluid motion — a silent step forward, then:
Blade one: across the throat of the first
Blade two: through the heart of the second
Both fell with barely a sound.
Eis dragged them behind the broken fence.
In and out.
Three goblins with crude bows perched on a makeshift platform.
Eis climbed silently up the support beam.
The first archer died before it realized she was there.
The second tried to shout — her blade reached him before the sound left his throat.
The third stumbled backward in panic.
A precise throw —
Her blade embedded right between its eyes.
Eis retrieved her weapon.
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Four goblins remained inside the tents — sleeping, mumbling, unaware.
Eis slipped inside each one:
- A quick stab downward
- A clean cut across the neck
- Or a thrust through the chest
Silent.
Efficient.
Mercifully quick.
One tent, one body at a time.
When she stepped back out into the clearing, the camp was quiet.
Completely quiet.
Eis wiped her blades clean and sheathed them.
She inspected the camp briefly — no prisoners, no unusual carvings, nothing suggesting an expanding threat. Just a small outpost testing new territory.
Something the guild needed to know.
Mission complete.
Eis turned and headed back toward Lumaire.
The sun was beginning to set by the time Eis entered the Adventurer’s Guild again.
She approached the same receptionist, who looked up with her usual bright smile.
“You’re back! Did you run into any troub—”
Her words died when Eis set down the proof:
- The wolf pelt strip
- Twelve goblin ears
- A sketch of the hidden camp’s layout
- A precise written report
The receptionist’s spine straightened.
“…Eis. You cleared wolves and a goblin outpost?”
Eis nodded calmly.
“The goblins were not part of the original mission, but they were close enough to pose a future threat.”
The receptionist took a few moments to collect herself.
“That’s… that’s bronze-tier work.”
She glanced over the report again.
“This is the kind of documentation we expect from Silver-ranked teams.”
Eis stood quietly, letting the woman process.
Finally, the receptionist let out a low whistle.
“I knew you’d handle yourself, but— this is far beyond what we see from a new Copper.”
She stamped the form hard.
MISSION COMPLETE — BRONZE
“You’re cleared to join Team Argent’s escort job next week,” she said, voice warm with new respect.
Then she grinned.
“You’re going to give that team a run for their money.”
Eis blinked. “…I don’t intend to.”
“Oh trust me,” the receptionist laughed, “you will anyway.”
Eis tucked the stamped form away, bowed politely, and turned to leave.
But she heard murmurs already spreading through the hall.
“That new Copper cleared a goblin camp alone?”
“Team Argent picked her up?”
“Where did she even come from…?”
Eis let the noise fade behind her as she stepped outside into the cool evening air.
She’d proven herself.
And next week…
she would stand beside Team Argent officially.
Her first real mission with them awaited.