Black Sword

As Scarred Man stopped to take a breath and grab some water, preparing to continue his rant, the door was suddenly flung open by a powerful gust of wind. Everyone turned to look.

A distinguished old gentleman stood in the doorway, leaning on a cane, dressed in a neatly tailored tailcoat, and wearing a black top hat. On his shoulder perched a jet-black bird of prey, its eyes glowing with an eerie red light, sweeping its gaze over the room full of mercenaries.

Scarred Man's brow furrowed deeply upon seeing the newcomer.

"Snoke, what are you doing here? Where's the cargo?!" Scarred Man barked.

The old gentleman squinted his eyes, his voice deep and resonant, sounding like distant thunder. "You're still here, Snoke?"

Snoke, despite the reprimand, wasn't cowed. His throat, rough from years of shouting, rasped as he replied, "The Black Sword? Why aren't you hiding in the shadows protecting your young master? Why are you here?"

The newcomer was one of the magic users assigned by Lord Pank to protect his offspring. They were all dark magic users, individuals who had fled their former lives in hiding to seek refuge under powerful noble families.

"My young master couldn't wait any longer, so he sent me to bring him in. But now it seems you've messed everything up, Snoke," the old gentleman, Snoke's superior, said as he gave the mercenary a pointed look.

The old man's name was Black Sword, a legendary figure among dark sorcerers, known for his unyielding magic and cold demeanor.

Snoke didn't back down, and with a snide grin, he mocked, "You, with your 'great magic,' should've been able to find the thief by now. What happened to your infamous skills?"

Black Sword's face twisted into a sardonic smile, his lips curling as he responded, "Don't compare me to you. With the power of magic, everything is laid bare before me."

To Snoke's surprise, Black Sword's prideful words were enough to provoke him. The old sorcerer's boast seemed to hit a nerve, and Snoke smirked back. "Anyone can talk a big game. Why don't you show us some of that 'great magic,' then?"

The tone clearly irritated Black Sword, and he whipped his cane through the air, conjuring a storm of dark winds that sent a whirlwind of chaos around the room. The bird on his shoulder screeched sharply, its wings beating furiously.

The mercenaries, thrown off balance by the gusts, stumbled and struggled to hold their ground. Only the stronger ones managed to remain upright.

In the midst of this chaos, Black Sword rose into the air, his lips moving quickly as he chanted incantations under his breath. The wind intensified, and soon, a blast of black energy surrounded him, swirling like a storm.

The mercenaries shielded their faces from the onslaught, but Snoke couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Did he really need to make such a big scene to show off his magic?"

Just as he was about to speak, a faint, nearly imperceptible shadow flickered in front of them. Snoke's sharp eyes, honed from years of combat, caught the sight. It disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared, and Black Sword halted his magic.

He floated back down to the ground with eerie calm, his hand gently brushing the feathers of the black bird on his shoulder. A smug grin played on his face.

"You found it, didn't you?" Snoke asked, his voice thick with suspicion.

Black Sword glared at him coldly, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Dare to doubt me? Do you want to test how powerful my wind blades really are?"

Snoke wisely kept quiet, his previous taunt dying on his lips as he waited for an explanation.

"It was someone who knows nothing of magic—just an amateur who failed to hide their tracks properly. I barely had to use any magic to find them," Black Sword explained, a satisfied smirk still on his face.

Snoke's eyes gleamed with murderous intent. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's go meet this bastard now! I've already thought of some fun ways to make them suffer!"

Meanwhile, back in Bayek Town, at Glen's home...

After Lavel finished his chores and returned, Glen decided to cook a large, hearty meal for everyone. He made sure to include several vegetarian dishes, knowing that the forest elf would only eat plant-based foods.

At first, Gotaya looked at the food with visible distaste, mentioning how much better the food from her people was. Lavel and Tia, however, couldn't help but drool at the mention of it.

But after reluctantly dipping some vegetables into the sauces Glen had prepared, Gotaya finally said, "Well, it's not as bad as I thought."

"Wow! So your people's food must be amazing!" Tia exclaimed eagerly, her eyes wide with excitement.

Gotaya hesitated, her face flushing slightly. "Our food... It's not something I can just let humans try. Don't get your hopes up."

Tia's face fell, her excitement deflating like a balloon.

Lavel, who had been watching the interaction, raised an eyebrow and commented, "Tia, you're acting like a peasant. You don't seem to know much about proper etiquette anymore."

Tia froze, looking horrified as she prepared to apologize.

But before she could speak, Glen, his tone cold, interjected. "You dare act like that here? Do you think life's too easy for you, or are you looking for a fight?"

Lavel immediately dropped his head, trembling.

Glen's gaze then shifted to Tia, his voice softening as he added, "Etiquette is only needed in specific situations. Here, we don't need to worry about such things. So, your behavior is just fine."

Tia seemed to relax, her shoulders easing as she realized Glen wasn't upset.

Gotaya, however, watched the interaction with a thoughtful expression, glancing from Glen to Tia. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she seemed to be deep in thought.

After dinner, Glen learned from Gotaya that the Black Crow had apparently visited the house. He made a mental note of this, deciding to pay the Black Crow a visit tomorrow. After all, they had known each other for some time, but he had never visited the Crow's home.

Later that evening, Glen cleared out a room on the second floor of his house, setting it up for Gotaya. It seemed a little cramped, but it would work. In a modest two-story house, there were now three people living, though Lavel still slept in the warehouse.

"By the way, I've also got a basement," Glen mused aloud. "If we need more space, we could fit another two people down there."

As he lay in bed, just about to fall asleep, a sudden howl from Night Howl echoed in his mind.

Startled, Glen sat up, his heart racing. That didn't feel like a simple dream.

Could it be... Night Howl was trying to warn me?

Not wanting to ignore the feeling, Glen quickly threw open his window and jumped out, landing lightly on the street. The creatures that had been lurking in the shadows scattered at the sight of him.

Without hesitation, Glen sprinted toward the outskirts of the town, the sounds of battle growing louder as he got closer. Night Howl's pain-filled howls could be heard in the distance, urging him on faster.