Night Visit

  Northern Frost → Arcanum City. Night.

  Hiro stepped out of his cabin, hands casually in his pockets. His violet coat flapped in the wind, unbuttoned, revealing a tight black shirt that outlined his chiseled muscles. Sweatpants and sturdy boots completed the look — as if he was ready at any moment to either fight or flee.

  The cold didn’t touch him.

  ---

  Arcanum City

  The city slept. Only a few lanterns flickered in the fog, casting dim light over narrow alleys. In the distance loomed the Magic Academy — a towering castle-like structure, cut off from the city by a tall bridge.

  Hiro passed it by.

  His target was the guild.

  ---

  The "Black Crystal" Guild

  Inside was dim. The air reeked of cheap ale, smoke, and sweat.

  Someone was snoring, face down on a sticky table.

  Two card players whispered fiercely near the counter.

  The bartender — a gaunt man with dark circles under his eyes — lazily wiped a mug.

  Hiro approached.

  "Is Katsu here?"

  The bartender didn’t even look up, simply pointed toward a narrow door beneath the stairs.

  "There."

  ---

  Basement

  The door creaked.

  Stairs leading down. Darkness. Dampness.

  Hiro descended slowly, his fingers gliding along the cold stone wall.

  A turn to the right. More steps.

  And then — light.

  Dim and yellow, from a pair of kerosene lamps.

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  A room.

  In the center — a table covered with a map riddled with markings.

  On the walls — weapons: swords, daggers, crossbows.

  In the corner — a man.

  Short. Gray hair. Brown eyes barely visible in the shadow. A face lined with wrinkles — clearly past fifty.

  In his hand — a mug of something strong.

  He looked up.

  "And who might you be?"

  Hiro didn’t move.

  "Adventurer. A-rank. 'God of the Void.'"

  A pause.

  The old man gave a low chuckle, slammed his mug down, and stepped closer.

  "So you're the one Katsu kept rambling about."

  His eyes swept over Hiro’s figure, sizing him up.

  "Thought you’d be some scrawny little mage… but no. Muscles like a damn demon."

  He held out his hand.

  "Garret. Katsu's friend."

  Hiro shook it. The glove creaked under the old man’s grip.

  "Hiro."

  Garret squinted.

  "That name… I’ve heard it somewhere."

  "Don’t recall."

  "Eh, no matter."

  After introductions, Hiro looked around. Surprisingly, the room no longer seemed so grim. In fact, it felt like a friendly place — a hideout for adventurers fighting for good.

  The lamps flared a bit brighter.

  Shadows retreated.

  A second mug and a bottle appeared on the table.

  "Take a seat. I’ll fill you in while Katsu’s not here."

  ---

  Katsu Returns

  The basement’s gloom shifted as heavy footsteps echoed down the stairs.

  "So yeah, we’re kind of the city’s peacekeepers. Katsu’s always dreaming of expanding beyond one city, but that’s not easy... well—" Garret stopped mid-sentence and tilted his head.

  Thump. Grind. Sigh.

  "And here comes our chestnut."

  Katsu hadn’t even reached halfway down the stairs when his voice carried below:

  "Yeah, yeah, I’m back! Gods, I’m tired… but we’ve got things to go over. Hope you didn’t drink all the ale!"

  His figure appeared in the lamp light.

  Chestnut hair — hence the nickname — slightly messy. Light green eyes, tired but still alive. His clothes were worn but sturdy. A sword at his side, stained with a bit of dirt.

  He descended, yawned, stretched — then froze upon seeing Hiro.

  "Hiro?! You already made it? Damn, you’re fast!"

  But Garret was more concerned with something else. He glanced quickly at the bottle on the table and cut in:

  "Ale’s gone."

  Katsu looked at him tiredly but perked up again when his gaze fell back on Hiro.

  "I’m so glad you came!" He unstrapped his sword and hung it in the wall rack. "Looks like Gar’s already filling you in. That’s great."

  Hiro nodded.

  "Yeah."

  Katsu grinned.

  "Well, the job’s not too rough — it’s actually kinda fun. There’s about ten of us, but usually only the two of us do the work. With you, we’ll be three. Hope you stick around — don’t ditch us."

  He laughed, but there was a genuine hope in his eyes.

  Hiro crossed his arms.

  "I didn’t travel this far just to turn back."

  Garret snorted and stood up.

  "Alright, you two keep chatting. I’ll go bother the bartender. What’ll it be?"

  Katsu and Hiro answered in unison:

  "Ale."

  "Wine."

  Garret waved a hand, heading toward the stairs.

  "Got it. Ale and wine. Be right back."

  ---

  Drunken Talk & Arm Wrestling

  The once-dark basement now felt warm and cozy. Three mugs sat on the table — two empty, one still full. The map was stained with new blotches of spilled ale.

  Katsu, flushed and cheerful, kept jabbing his finger at various alleyways on the map.

  "Here! No… here! Or… hell, maybe they’re in the next block over?"

  Garret, seated across from him, rolled his eyes and took a deep gulp from his mug.

  "Come on, Katsu. That’s the third time you pointed to the same spot."

  Hiro sat in the shadows, a faint smile on his lips. He wasn’t drunk — his body, soaked in chaos, didn’t react to normal alcohol.

  He decided to ask Garret why he seemed to dislike mages.

  Garret snorted but immediately perked up, like he remembered something important.

  "Ah! That’s right — you’re a mage!"

  Hiro raised an eyebrow.

  "Well… in a way."

  Garret waved his hand, splashing ale everywhere.

  "They’re all— you know… Untouchables, yeah! Can’t count on ‘em in a fight — might even hit you by mistake!"

  Katsu laughed, but Garret was just getting started.

  "Though… my daughter studies at the Academy. They say she’s a fine mage… well, of course she is! Got talent! And a damn good figure too, hah!"

  He shook his fist angrily.

  "I don’t want some soft-handed mage-boy laying hands on her! I mean those snobs at the Academy!"

  Hiro said nothing.

  He regretted asking once Garret got drunk.

  ---

  Arm Wrestling

  An hour later, Garret was fired up.

  "Come on, kid! Let’s see what those fists are made of!"

  He tossed the empty bottle into a corner and slammed his elbow on the table.

  Hiro shrugged and accepted the challenge.

  Handshake.

  Tension.

  Snap.

  Garret lost in a second.

  "WHAT?!"

  Katsu burst out laughing — then immediately sat down across from Hiro.

  "Alright, your turn now. Show me what you got!"

  Same result.

  Garret leapt up, swaying.

  "Both of us, then!"

  Two against one.

  The table creaked.

  And…

  WHAM!

  Katsu and Garret crashed to the floor. The table flipped.

  Hiro sat still, his hand unmoved.

  ---

  End of the Night

  Another hour passed. The basement was quiet.

  Garret was snoring on the floor, hugging an empty keg.

  Katsu sprawled across the table, face-down on the map.

  Hiro dozed in the corner, a slight smile on his face.