Red Hood woke slowly.
For a moment she remained seated on the edge of her bed, silent, staring at the dim morning light creeping through the narrow window of her room. The guild building was already awake. Faint footsteps echoed somewhere in the hallway outside, accompanied by distant voices and the occasional clang of metal.
Her gaze drifted toward the wooden table beside the bed.
A simple glass of water sat there.
She reached for it.
As her fingers wrapped around the glass, something flickered in the reflection on its surface.
For the briefest moment—
One crimson eyes.
They stared back at her from the reflection.
Cold. Ancient.
Then they disappeared.
Red Hood didn’t react.
She simply lifted the glass and drank the water slowly, as if nothing had happened.
When the glass was empty, she set it back on the table and stood up.
Her body felt light.
The wounds she had suffered during the ritual were gone. Not even a faint ache remained. It was as though her body had been rebuilt from the inside.
But she said nothing.
After putting on her coat and adjusting the familiar red hood over her head, she left the room and headed downstairs.
The guild hall was already lively.
Adventurers crowded the tables, their voices overlapping in a constant buzz of conversation. Some were eating breakfast while others were discussing missions posted on the request board.
The smell of bread, stew, and cheap alcohol filled the air.
But the moment Red Hood stepped inside—
The atmosphere shifted.
Several guild members noticed her immediately.
Conversations didn’t stop entirely, but many voices lowered into whispers.
Eyes followed her as she walked through the hall.
Some curious.
Some wary.
And some openly suspicious.
“Isn’t that the girl who injured Guildmaster Sough?”
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“I heard something went wrong during the ritual…”
“They said there was a roar coming from the ritual chamber.”
“A roar?”
“Yeah. Like something huge.”
Red Hood continued walking as if she hadn’t heard any of it.
Her footsteps were quiet against the wooden floor.
But behind her shadow—
Something stirred.
For a moment, as she passed through the hall, it almost looked like the shadow stretching behind her was moving on its own.
And within that shadow—
Eyes opened.
One.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Then hundreds.
Crimson.
Cold.
Watching.
Watching everyone in the room.
One of the adventurers near the wall suddenly shivered.
“…Did it just get colder?”
No one answered him.
Everyone just freeze,
Red Hood stoppedin front of the reception desk.
Rose, who had been sorting through a stack of papers, looked up and immediately smiled.
“Scarlate! You’re awake.”
“How are your injuries?”
“They’re gone,” Red Hood replied calmly.
“I’m going to pick up Grey.”
“Ah, right,” Rose said. “He’s still at the treatment center. The guildmaster arranged for the best care. He should be fine now”
Red Hood nodded slightly and left the building.
The treatment center was quiet compared to the guild hall. The air smelled faintly of herbs and medicine.
She approached the front desk.
A woman in a white uniform looked up from her ledger.
“Oh? Hello there, little one. How can I help you?”
“I’m here to pick up Grey.”
“The dire wolf?”
“Yes.”
The woman flipped through several pages.
“Grey… admitted four days ago.”
She smiled and stood.
“Follow me. ”
They walked down a narrow hallway lined with treatment rooms.
Inside one of the cages lay a large grey wolf with a bandaged leg.
The moment Grey saw her, his ears perked up and his tail began wagging wildly.
Red Hood’s expression softened slightly.
The cage door opened.
Grey immediately jumped out and tackled her to the ground.
“Grey,” she said calmly, steadying him. “Your bones could break again.”
Grey ignored the warning and happily licked her face.
The woman laughed softly.
“he really missed you.”
Then she added,
“You don’t need to worry about the payment. The guildmaster already covered it.”
Red Hood lowered her gaze slightly.
“…I see.”
“Thank you for taking care of him.”
“You’re welcome.”
Soon they returned to the guild.
This time Grey walked proudly beside her.
Rose noticed them immediately.
“Scarlate! The guildmaster wants to see you.”
Red Hood nodded and headed upstairs.
Inside the office stood Guildmaster Sough and another man.
“Scarlate,” Sough said. “How is your body?”
“Recovered.”
“And Grey?”
“Only a minor fracture.”
“Good. Now we talk about your first mission”
Sough gestured to the man beside him.
“This is Dans. He will be your mentor for the next few months.”
Dans stepped forward.
“Hello, Scarlate. I’m Dans. Nice to meet you.”
“Hello.”
Their eyes met briefly.
Dans remembered the ritual chamber.
The roar.
The pressure.
Something ancient awakening.
His heartbeat quickened.
Sough continued.
“Your first mission together will be an investigation.”
“An investigation?”
“Yes. There is an ancient labyrinth in the southern region. Your task is to explore it and report anything unusual.”
Red Hood nodded.
“Understood.”
“You will depart today.”
She turned and left the office.
Inside, Dans sighed.
“…Guildmaster, why assign this mission to me?”
“Because you were there,” Sough replied calmly.
“You saw what happened during the ritual.”
“…Yes.”
“Rumors are spreading, but only four people know the truth.”
“Rose. You. Me. And you.”
Dans nodded slowly.
Meanwhile, Red Hood returned to her room.
She packed quietly.
Food.
Tools.
Supplies.
Finally, she picked up a length of black chain resting in the corner.
The metal felt cold against her hand.
For a brief moment—
The chain trembled.
Then it became still.
She wrapped it around her arm.
Back in the guild hall, Dans and his party were already waiting.
Grey stood beside Red Hood, watching them carefully.
Rose stepped forward with a cheerful smile.
“Alright! Let’s make this official.”
She handed the mission document to Dans.
Then she looked at Red Hood.
“Scarlate, this is your first mission.”
“Good luck.”
Red Hood nodded.
“Thank you.”
Together, they stepped outside.
The road stretched southward under the rising sun.
Toward the ancient labyrinth.
And whatever waited inside it.
