The Huntress's Gambit

Beneath the guild hall, a group was descending a set of small stairs. Stone, mildew, mold, and damp dirt, the smells were old and confined, exactly reflecting the environment. The old wooden stairs creaked with Acros's every step, the weight of his presence looming over the four people in front of him.

The guards, who had practically apprehended their prisoner in shock, now regretted doing their job. Both women looked at each other with a knowing gaze of what the other thought. Being between two of the most powerful people in the town, while holding onto someone who had challenged both of those people, didn't help either.

Nevertheless, this was their burden and obligation. They were paid to handle mamono, criminals, and everything in between.

So all they could do was follow the guildmaster as he finally reached a wooden door. The small candles lighting their path had slowly faded, leaving only a dim glow to shine through Acros's massive frame to reach them. 

The door itself was a massive slab of steel with a grate at the top to see through, giving it the foreboding air of a prison.

*Chak-Clunk*

Placing a key he pulled from one of his jacket pockets in the lock, he unlatched the heavy lock of the door.

The moment the door opened, a wave of stale air washed over the party and overtook the smell of rotting earth.

"Inside."

Ushering the two guards forward, they found themselves in a concrete room with a small table in the middle and a lantern hanging above it.

As the guards forced Ernst to take a seat, the guildmaster reached up and lit the lantern with a match that came from a larger pocked above the right side of his chest.

The jingle and clink of medals was the only thing that could be heard as Acros slowly but silently made his way into the room.

He was quiet in both his movement and breath, barely making a noise as he sat in one of the four chairs on either side of the table.

Finally, with a little crinkling of tinder, the lantern lit.

*Clang*

And the moment they did, Ernst's shackles fell off her wrists.

The once timid guards swept their swords to her neck and into a scissor arrangement, their faces which were once filled meekness were now like stone.

Even the guildmaster had a hand on something with his jacket, proving his preparedness. The only ones who didn't move were Acros and Ernst, who simply stared at each other.

"I am Acros, the Oath knight contracted to Firmina. What do you need from me?"

The guildmaster shot him a glance as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. Even so, Acros simply waved his worriedness away.

The two guards who had shown surprising speed moments earlier, retracted their blades and now held them firmly behind Ernst. They seemed ready to thrust forward and impale her upon the slightest hostility.

For a moment, it seemed as though Ernst wasn't going to answer.

But only for a moment.

"I want your help."

It was at that moment that something seemed to click for the guild master.

"Don't tell me you tried to vet him for the cancelled realm excursion."

"You didn't leave me with many options."

"I DIDN'T LEAVE YOU WITH MANY OPTIONS BECAUSE THE ALTERNATIVE WAS-"

"Do not yell in an enclosed space. I have tolerated your constant squawking for long enough. Lower your volume."

Hearing my warning, the guildmaster sighed, closing his eyes as he took in a deep breath.

"I didn't leave you with many options because the alternative was far worse. That realm is too dangerous."

"I have already been there and back. Scouting the perimeter isn't difficult."

"WAS-"

"Hm?"

"Was that where you went? Was that why no one could find you when we were neck deep in shit? Because we could've really used your help a little while ago."

Her jawline tightened for a second as a subtle expression faded as soon as it appeared.

"I apologise for that."

"That is the least of your problems right now."

"I must agree. Now then, could one or both of you explain what you meant by the realm expedition." 

The guild leader scowled before reaching inside his pocket, pulling out a compass and a small map.

In the faint light, one could make out the symbols and borders of different regions surrounding the area Barow oversaw. There were seven or so villages around the town, with a main road leading off the map and to the west. In the North east corner, was a region shaded red. One could see that it had been expanded several times from the brightness of the ink as one got closer to the inside of the map.

"There is a mamono realm that recently exploded in size as several powerful mamono seemed to arrive from up north."

He then pointed to a spot in the darkest shaded area.

"We believe that over here is the nexus, or the main pair that is fueling the realm. However, Ernst…"

The moment Acros looked up, he was surprised to see the once ice cold woman boring burning holes in the paper and practically baring her teeth.

"Believes her father and the mamono he had an affair with are the nexus breeding pair."

"So you suspended the mission as bringing powerful emotions before the mamono is a poor choice."

"That and the fact that we didn't have enough capable people to successfully enter something like a mamono realm. In fact, we've been told by the capital that reinforcements from the local armed forces could take over a year to arrive."

Acros nodded, now sure of what was going on.

"So you decided to expedite the process by testing me to see if I could help you break into the mamono realm."

His words, directed towards the seething Ernst, seemed to bring her out of her hate filled tunnel visioning. 

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself. Though the two were slightly different, it was easy to see she had some of the mannerisms of the guildmaster in her.

"Its true, that is what I was trying to do, but I don't regre-"

"You seem to misunderstand my assessment. I don't care if you regret what you've done. I don't care if you're apologetic, remorseful, or anything else. You attacked me selfishly, in an almost ridiculous manner with how much planning must have gone into it. Even if I desired to cleanse the realm before you did this, I certainly wouldn't take someone as desperate or irrational with me.

You also seem to misunderstand your position. Currently, you are a criminal. Not an adventurer, or a vengeful daughter, but someone at my mercy."

Leaning back in his chair, Acros clasped his hands together as he raised his helm to be fully illuminated by the lamp above.

"In fact, if I so wish, your vendetta can end here."