Silarias took a slow, deliberate step forward. His heavy forearms rested on the edge of the obsidian table, where the sharp contours of his face reflected in the pitch-black stone. The surface mirrored the dancing, spiral lights of the spiritual fire, making it seem as though his own reflection were bursting into flames.
He took a deep breath. It was a quiet moment in which the entire hall seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the weight of his voice.
“We didn’t just slide some stone around down here or stomp a few chairs into the ground,” Silarias began. His voice was low and carried by a calm resonance that softly echoed against the massive rock walls of the pit. “The idea behind this is much bigger. We are continuously gathering information from our surroundings, through every channel we can tap into and every shadow we can unravel. And instead of a closed little club that passively waits until danger knocks on our door, we are turning this into an Adventurers Guild. That way we stay constantly in motion. Constantly in combat. We get faster. We get stronger. We learn the absolute limits of our power, and we can take on quests for whoever needs help. A permanent state of readiness.”
Apollo leaned back casually on the heavy obsidian bench. His posture radiated absolute calm, but a sharp, intelligent amusement gleamed in his eyes. Raising his hand casually, he added with a light grin: “With a bit of luck, we might even receive missions directly from the Ciphers, or work closely alongside them if they are willing to ally with us, at least.”
Fukarou, who was still standing straight at attention, shook his small owl head remarkably fast. The round, glossy lenses of his glasses caught the bright blue light, casting a sharp reflection that betrayed his enthusiasm. “Oh, no worries about Athena at all! She is simply waiting until the guild is officially established. Once that stamp is on paper, the line opens up directly.”
Nyx stepped forward, coming to stand right beside Silarias. Her shadow glided smoothly across the mirrored table, as if darkness itself formed a physical blanket moving alongside her. Her gaze was sharp, deep, and utterly inscrutable.
“Yeah… and about that,” Nyx said. The temperature around the table seemed to plunge several degrees instantly. The playful atmosphere gave way to an icy, almost sacred gravity. “Something happened last night. A few of us were awakened in the dead of night by a spiritual goat. That creature refused to leave us alone and dragged us into a wild, supernatural journey toward a mirror. That mirror was different for everyone… but Silarias and I stepped through it together.”
Davinci and Solomon watched intently. Neither dared to interrupt her. The absolute silence in the hall was filled only by the calm breathing of the Goats.
“We emerged before the canvas of a giant painting,” Nyx continued. Her voice sank even lower, razor-sharp and cold as winter ice. “A voice echoed there. A distorted, crushing voice that seemed built from thousands of souls speaking all at once, carried by the dark, echoing laughter of spirits. And that voice said:”
Nyx paused, looking at Silarias. Together, they spoke the ancient words, their voices weaving in perfect synchronicity like a double echo slicing through the souls of everyone present:
“From nothing we rose, to the Unnamed we return…”
Doppo snapped his head toward Solomon. His eyes widened so far that the fine lines on his forehead pulled taut. He gripped the hem of his coat so hard his knuckles turned white. He whispered in a raspy, barely audible voice filled with disbelief:
“Could it be…”
Nyx let the heavy weight of the moment linger in the hall for a few seconds. Nobody moved. Then she continued, unfazed. “The painting let us in. And there, we were invited by the King without a name or face. A figure completely shrouded in an unfathomable, living darkness. He wanted to see us. He wanted to see us grow and allowed us to establish this guild. So basically… we already have everything squared away.”
A dead silence fell over the amphitheater. The air hung thick with shock and awe. The only remaining sound was the soft, magical crackle of the blue spiral fire down in the deep ravine bed.
Solomon stared in utter dumbfounded silence from Nyx to Silarias, then stiffly turned his head toward Davinci. Davinci stood there as if struck by lightning. His mouth hung half-open, his fingers tightly clutching the gold ornaments of his staff, his mind completely stalled by the impossible. The two seasoned masters stood there with clenched teeth, thoroughly overwhelmed by the colossal achievement this group of youngsters had pulled off in a single night.
“Ahem…” Solomon cleared his throat with great effort. He coughed briefly into his fist, making a desperate attempt to reclaim his authoritative, composed posture. “Right… exactly as we hoped, of course. You… you passed. So, what is this Guild actually called?”
Nicola leaned forward curiously over the obsidian bench, craning his neck toward Silarias and calling out with a sharp sparkle in his eyes: “Yeah, Sil, what are we actually calling it?”
Silarias closed his eyes. The entire hall seemed to exhale with him. He took a deep, slow breath that visibly expanded his chest, as though absorbing all the energy of the subterranean space into himself.
When his eyes snapped open, the raw magical pressure flared through his muscles. He clenched his fists so hard the tendons in his forearms strained taut, and he roared with a voice that made the very rocks vibrate:
“THE ORDER OF THE UNNAMED KING!”
The entire underground hall reacted as if a magical explosion had been triggered. The bright blue fire in the deep trench shot upward with furious, hurricane force, its spiraling flames reaching all the way to the stalactites on the ceiling. The beds of golden-green moss blazed with a brilliant golden glow, and the silver runes carved into the pitch-black obsidian began to boil and pulse as though liquid lightning were coursing through the stone. In the midst of the roaring sea of blue flames, jet-black silhouettes of broad, legendary heroes from eras long past, several meters tall, suddenly loomed. They stood motionless and majestic within the magical fire, as if the souls of history itself had arrived to grant their blessing to this war council.
A second later, the fire snapped back into the depths with a soft, warm flash of light.
The silhouettes dissolved into smokeless, floating sparks. The bright blue spiral fire calmly returned to its steady rhythm. Silarias and Nyx stood tall at the head of the table, flanked by all the Goats who looked toward the masters with raised heads and an unbreakable, proud gaze.
Silarias looked at Solomon with a faint, defiant grin. “So… something about three groups?”
Solomon slowly shook his head, running a hand through his hair and letting out a short, liberating laugh to release the built-up tension from his body. “You guys are truly unbelievable… Alright. The groups have been set.”
Solomon held up three fingers and swept his gaze firmly across the council, his voice solidifying the official status of the roster.
“Group 1,” Solomon declared loudly and powerfully. “Silarias and Nyx, Izamaro and Balamore, Renuardo and Faustus. This group combines raw destructive force and tactical darkness with the unpredictability and experience of Faustus and Renuardo. That balances out perfectly.”
He shifted his finger toward the center of the round council.
“Group 2: Jane and Aurelius, Nicola and Lyn, Bonk and Zax, Apollo and Beat. A rock-solid, impenetrable wall. The protection and shields provided by Jane and Aurelius, combined with the speed and raw striking power of the others, ensure that this team can break through and hold any frontline.”
Finally, Solomon looked toward the right side of the obsidian table, where the elemental forces were gathered.
“Group 3: Miki and Ren, Kaelid and Lila, Vulkan and Valeria. Pure elemental mastery and magical support. The elemental and creative magic of Kaelid and Lila integrates seamlessly with the brute strength of Vulkan and the combat control of Miki and Ren.”
Solomon lowered his hand and gave a firm nod of approval. He struck his fist against his chest as a sign of deep respect. Then he looked at Nyx and offered her a quick, subtle wink, just like a proud father looking at his daughter when she has blown past all his expectations.
In front of the obsidian table, a magical portal materialized, glowing bright purple and making the air shimmer with heat. Solomon and Doppo took a step back toward the rift in reality.
Doppo took one last look around, sweeping his gaze across the hall before flashing a sharp grin. “Nice, nice… School starts tomorrow. Get yourselves ready, this is no joke. This is your ward’s university.”
With those words, Solomon and Doppo stepped through the purple gate, which sealed shut right behind them with a soft, vacuum-like hum.
An intense silence fell, followed by a collective, deep sigh of relief that swept through the chamber. Shoulders dropped, tense postures relaxed, and several Goats sank back onto the obsidian benches with laughs and heavy thuds.
“Man, that went absurdly well…” Vulkan muttered, shaking out his broad shoulders and flashing a wide grin.
Yet the peace lasted barely a few seconds. Nicola suddenly looked up, freezing mid-movement.
Right in the middle of the golden-green moss, sitting on his brand-new obsidian throne between Kaelid and Vulkan, Master Davinci was still there. He hadn’t moved a single millimeter, staring blankly ahead.
One by one, the Goats fell silent. All eyes slowly turned toward their mentor.
Silarias knitted his brows, taking a step toward him with a questioning look. “Uh… Master Davinci? What are you still doing here? Was there something else?”
Inside Davinci’s head, emotions were racing at top speed.
They really have come so far already… Davinci thought to himself, his heart beating faster from a mix of shock and pure pride. They are still so young, yet they pulled this off completely on their own. What absolute beasts they are. It is an absolute honor to be their mentor.
Davinci composed himself in a split second. He bolted upright from his seat, swept his heavy fur coat around himself, and put on a wide, intensely mysterious grin.
“Ahem! No, kids!” Davinci bellowed with energy, his voice brimming once more with his signature flair and charisma. “We are nowhere near done today! You are dressed, well-fed, and freshly scrubbed. It is high time we slip away for a bit.”
Without waiting for a response, Davinci spun on his heel and took off toward the spiral staircase with long, rapid strides.
Silarias tilted his head, watching him walk away and calling out after him: “But Master Davinci… how… uh, where are we going?!”
Davinci’s heavy boots were already echoing against the stone steps of the spiral staircase as he sprinted upward. His voice rang out with a cheerful, booming echo through the depths of the headquarters:
“WE ARE GOING SHOPPING!”
In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall flipped from a deadly serious war council to total chaos.
“SHOPPING?!” Lila shouted enthusiastically, vaulting over the obsidian bench in one fluid motion.
“New armor?!” Miki cheered with sparkling eyes, her hand already reaching toward her sword hilt.
Nyx instantly broke into a wide grin, looking over at Silarias. “New gear… come on Sil, I need you for those strong muscles… haha!”
The entire crew scrambled to their feet, rushing up the stairs behind Davinci while laughing, talking, and shoving past one another, leaving the depths of the headquarters behind.