The towering obsidian-armored boss emerged, eyes glowing faintly beneath its helmet. It didn't roar or rush—it *watched*, and the silence in the room grew so intense that even Luna hesitated.
Kaze took a step back instinctively, already calculating how to *not* die.
*"Okay, okay… maybe I can lie and say they've all received a divine buff—something flashy, inspiring. They'll believe it. They always do."*
He raised a hand halfway, preparing to speak—
But his conscience tugged. *No. That's too cruel. What if they think they're stronger and charge in recklessly? They'll die… I'll die…*
So instead, he stood frozen, hand still awkwardly raised, not saying a word.
Luna glanced back, saw him still and composed. "He's waiting. He's reading the boss," she whispered.
The twins nodded, reassured by his apparent calm.
Then, just as the boss began to charge—
**A rumble shook the chamber.**
A loose segment of ceiling—cracked during the ogre fight—finally gave in, sending a slab of ancient rock crashing directly onto the Sentinel's shoulder. The blow staggered it long enough for Luna to drive a piercing strike through its exposed joint.
One of the twins followed with a focused flame spell, and the other sniped the weakened core behind the Sentinel's back.
The boss collapsed, defeated. Everyone stared, stunned.
"Kaze-sama… predicted everything again," one of the twins muttered, stars in her eyes.
He nodded slowly, poker-faced.
*"I should be a statue. I should not move. This is peak performance."*
The boss collapsed in a thunderous heap, its massive body slowly crumbling into ash. For a few seconds, no one moved. The silence felt heavier than the battle itself.
Then a soft hum echoed through the chamber.
"Kaze-sama," Ana called gently, pointing toward a now-glowing wall at the far end of the boss room. A previously invisible door shimmered into view, revealing an arched entryway lined with gold filigree.
They approached cautiously.
Inside was something that could only be described as a **treasure hall**. Piles of gleaming gold, enchanted weapons, ornate armor sets sealed in glass, and scrolls stacked in stone recesses—all untouched by time.
Kaze's eyes sparkled. *Jackpot.*
Among the trove, **Luna** was drawn to an elegant staff perched atop a floating stand, swirling with violet energy and intricate obsidian etchings.
[You have acquired: "Voidbranch" – Epic Staff]
*Increases dark magic potency by 40%. Adds passive mana regen.*
"This… this is perfect," she whispered, awe in her voice.
The twins picked up matching accessories that seemed almost tailored for their synergy.
At the far end of the room, resting on a lone obsidian pedestal, was **a sleek black armor**, its design both modern and ominous—lightweight, carbon-forged plating over a dark fiber weave, pulsing faintly at the seams with energy.
Kaze reached for it, unsure why he felt drawn to it.
The moment his hand touched the armor, system text flickered before his eyes.
[Mythic-Class Armor Acquired: *Phantom Frame*]
*Bound to the bearer of the Lies of Legend.*
No other description. Just that.
*"Creepy… but cool,"* he thought, quickly storing it away before anyone could ask. "Definitely fits my vibe."
---
Back at the Guild Manor
The group returned triumphant. Anisa greeted them warmly, relieved that Kaze had returned in one piece. She immediately pulled him aside.
"While you were gone, news of your dungeon clear spread," she said. "Guild applications spiked… and the front desk needs help. I've interviewed two promising candidates."
Kaze blinked. "That fast?"
She gestured toward the main hall.
Standing beside the guild crest were **two young women**, both poised, both clearly nervous.
"This is Kira and Myne," Anisa introduced. "Kira's a former scribe with excellent organization skills. Myne is a retired D-rank adventurer who prefers desk work now."
Kaze nodded slowly, radiating quiet authority.
The girls bowed deeply. "It's an honor, Guildmaster Kaze!"
He smiled. "We'll be counting on you both."
*"Good. That's two more things I don't have to handle directly."*
---
Later that night, Kaze stood on the manor balcony, watching the moonlight brush over the quiet garden. The armor he found lay on a nearby chair, untouched.
*"Bound to the Lies of Legend, huh?"* he muttered. *"Is this armor… connected to my skill?"*
The thought made him shiver.
Then he looked toward the training grounds, where the twins and Luna sparred intensely, unaware of his gaze.
*"They think I'm powerful. I have to keep it that way. For all of us."*
As he turned to head back inside, a courier hawk swooped down and dropped a sealed letter into his hand. He glanced at it briefly but didn't bother opening it right away, tucking it into his coat. It wasn't until the guild meeting later, surrounded by expectant faces, that he finally broke the seal.
The next day, the guild hall buzzed like a disturbed beehive.
Word of Veilborne's raid victory had spread faster than wildfire, and now a flood of adventurers crowded their reception, each one desperate to be part of the rising legend.
Kaze stood on the second-floor balcony, overlooking the chaos below with a hand tucked behind his back—striking the perfect image of a commanding guildmaster.
Inside, however, he was panicking.
*"There's too many! I didn't sign up for this much paperwork!"*
With practiced calm, he turned to Anisa, who stood patiently at his side.
"Screen them," Kaze said simply, waving a hand as if delegating a trivial task.
Anisa raised an eyebrow. "All of them?"
He nodded with fake solemnity. "Look for potential. Maybe... interview a few."
Inside his mind: *"All of them. Please. Save me."*
Anisa sighed, already regretting accepting the role of Vice Guildmaster.
As the crowd thickened, Kaze took a few steps forward and addressed them, his voice carrying a weight of authority despite his casual tone.
"Veilborne will not accept anyone so easily. There will be an examination—one designed to filter the worthy from the average. Only those who prove themselves will be allowed to wear the Veilborne crest."
A hush fell over the guild hall.
Instead of discouragement, the adventurers' eyes gleamed with excitement. Challenges meant opportunity.
Somewhere among them, Kaze hoped, were the individuals he needed—the ones who would eventually become his future four Shadows.
He smiled faintly, projecting confidence.
*Inside: "Please let at least four survive the exam..."*
Later that afternoon, Kaze gathered his guild members for their first official meeting.
Anisa stepped forward to explain, voice clear and professional.
"Although Veilborne boasts an SS-rank adventurer, by the kingdom's regulations, all new guilds must start at D-rank. Regardless of strength, a guild must prove itself through completed missions, contributions, and consistency."
The members, instead of feeling disheartened, burned with renewed determination.
A low murmur of ambition spread through the room—everyone eager to make their mark.
Behind his composed exterior, Kaze grinned. *"Good. They're motivated... now I just need to stay alive long enough to ride their success."*
---
By the time evening came, the guild had two new employees behind the front desk: Kira and Myne—the princess's recommendations.
Kira, the serious one, wore glasses and meticulously filed paperwork.
Myne, her twin, had already drawn a smiley face on one of the sign-in sheets.
"Myne," Anisa said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, Vice-Guildmaster?"
"That's not how you track new applicants."
"But it's more welcoming!" Myne chirped.
Meanwhile, the twins Luna had helped earlier were eagerly organizing the armory, trying to impress Kaze whenever he walked by—though he barely noticed, lost in his inner monologue.
*"Alright, everything's organized... that means something bad is coming soon."*
---
In the guild vault, Luna admired her newly acquired **Voidweaver Staff**, pulsing with dense dark mana. One flick of her wrist, and a nearby broom vanished in a puff of black smoke.
The others stared in silence.
"…It's fine," Luna said flatly, her expression unreadable.
No one questioned her again.
Meanwhile, Kaze inspected his new armor: the **Phantom Frame**. Sleek and obsidian-black with soft silver etchings that shimmered faintly, it looked like something out of a futuristic knight's arsenal.
Lightweight, intimidating, and best of all—he didn't have to earn it.
Kaze gave an approving nod. "Now I *look* like I know what I'm doing."
As they settled down from their loot high, Anisa opened a sealed letter that had arrived while they were in the dungeon. The insignia bore only a single elegant character: **V**.
Kaze's eyes narrowed slightly. "So he finally sent word…"
Anisa scanned the letter quickly, then passed it to him. Kaze read the neat, formal script in silence.
*To the Guildmaster of Vielborne,*
*If the rumors are true, then your rise was not by chance. I am curious about the truth of your strength… or your cunning. Soon, you will receive a proper invitation. Let's see if you're worthy of the stage we walk.*
*—V*
Kaze folded the letter, slipping it into his coat. "Another bored elite trying to stir things up."
"Do we prepare?" Anisa asked calmly.
"No need," Kaze replied, smirking. "Let them come."
But in his head, Kaze screamed: *Why are the scary people already interested?! I just wanted to lie and chill!*
---
A Royal Summons
Just as things seemed to settle, a royal courier arrived, delivering a sealed letter.
Anisa read aloud:
"By order of His Majesty the King, Veilborne is requested to respond to an emerging dungeon near the capital. This test is to verify your consistency and contribution to the realm."
The members straightened with pride.
Kaze, outwardly calm, smiled at his guild.
Inside, however: *"Another death mission?! What happened to warm-up quests first?!"*
Still, he couldn't back down now.
The legend of Veilborne was just beginning—and like it or not, so was his.