Chapter 9: Deal with the devil

The man eyes snapped open, his senses groggy but alert.

The room was dim, the only light was coming from the afternoon sun creeping through the window.

He blinked a few times before brushing his black hair aside.

As he sat up, rolling his stiff shoulders, he took in his surroundings of this inn room and quiet asked, "Where am I?"

"You're finally up," Viktor remarked.

The man ran a hand down his face, exhaling. "Who are you?"

Viktor shrugged. "Your friendly neighborhood elf."

The man scowled, rubbing his temples. "You were worried I'd go straight to the guild, huh?"

"Not really." Viktor leaned back in his chair. "You were pretty angry early."

"Of course I was." the man's voice hardened. "You and that girl are walking around, using magic like it's nothing. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble that brings?"

Viktor tilted his head. "Trouble for who? You?"

"For everyone," he snapped. "For people like me, hunters who follow the law and work under the guild's regulations. You think magic like that just gets ignored? If the wrong person finds out, it'll come back on all of us."

Viktor sighed. "You were going to report us." It wasn't a question.

The man met his gaze without hesitation. "Yeah. I was."

Viktor nodded as if he had expected that answer. "You're a hunter, then?"

"Yes. Name's Wren," he said.

"And it's my job to uphold the rules. Magic use outside of sanctioned guild work is illegal. If you want to use it then join the mage guild."

Viktor raised an eyebrow. "Illegal? Or just against guild policy?"

"It's the same thing."

"No, it's really not." Viktor leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I'm not part of the guild. Me and my teammate aren't breaking any rules you see. She apart of the guild and was fighting the Wyld Elk. I simply ensure that she was going to fight it by herself."

Wren frowned. "That still counts, you used magic to assist her."

"Kyoryn fought in a legal match and won fair and square. No rules were broken. You want to act like this is some big crime, but tell me...where exactly does the law say that outside assistant isn't allowed?"

Wren opened his mouth to argue, then hesitated.

"You're twisting things," Wren said after a moment.

"And you're clinging to a rulebook that only benefits the guild," Viktor countered. "Let's be real, what do you actually gain from reporting us?"

Wren frowned but didn't immediately answer.

---

Downstairs, Kyoryn stood before the receptionist's desk, fingers curled around a small leather pouch.

"That was quite the first performance," the receptionist remarked, smiling. "The skin wasn't completely damage so that's a bonus."

Kyoryn returned with a polite smile, "I appreciate that, but why the bonus."

The receptionist replied, "We give a little extra if the beast is still usable. We look at flesh, skin and bones. If any aren't tempted or destroyed then you get a small bonus."

She weighed the pouch in her hand. The coins inside weren't a fortune, but it was enough to last them a few days, at least until they found another source of income.

The receptionist leaned on the desk slightly. "If you're looking for more fights, try going for bigger game. This was white pass but if aim for red passes. You will not only jump up the ranks but you will earn more money."

Kyoryn look intrigued by offer, "Thanks, I will think about it." she said pocketing the pouch.

As she turned away, a strange feeling prickled at the back of her neck.

Years of experience had taught her to trust that instinct. She shifted her gaze to the side.

A few tables away, a small group of hunters sat, their eyes locked onto her. They weren't talking. Just watching.

Kyoryn forced herself not to react. She didn't recognize them, but their expressions were unreadable, their attention unsettling.

Not wanting to attract more interest, she casually made her way to the stairs, keeping her pace natural. As soon as she reached the upper floor, she exhaled quietly.

She needed to be careful.

---

The moment Kyoryn stepped into the room, the argument came to an abrupt halt.

Wren and Viktor were in the middle of a heated exchange, but as soon as she appeared, Viktor sighed and leaned back, while Wren crossed his arms and scowled.

Kyoryn glanced between them. "What's going on?"

Viktor gave a quick summary, explaining Wren's position as a hunter and his initial plan to report them. Wren didn't object, though his expression made it clear he wasn't happy about it.

Kyoryn frowned, considering the situation. "Rather than argue, why not help each other?"

Wren scoffed. "Help? You expect me to just ignore the fact that you're breaking guild rules?"

Kyoryn folded her arms. "I expect you to look at the bigger picture."

Wren snorted. "And what exactly would that be?"

Viktor smirked. "Money."

Wren narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"You work as a hunter, right?" Viktor continued. "You take jobs, make a living. We need income too. Instead of wasting time fighting over rules, why not work together?"

Wren raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly would that work?"

Viktor leaned forward. "Simple. You get twenty percent of our earning and we will help you out with whatever quest to make things easy."

Wren frowned, clearly skeptical. "Twenty percent, huh?"

Kyoryn studied him. "You're trying to rise in rank, aren't you?"

Wren didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes.

Kyoryn continued. "Having red passes on your card would help with that."

Wren's jaw tightened slightly.

A red pass was a mark of a high-risk mission completed successfully.

If he had a few of those on his record, it could accelerate his rank advancement in the guild.

If teaming up with them could make that happen…

A long silence stretched between them as he weighed his options.

After what felt like an eternity, Wren exhaled sharply. "Fine."

Viktor grinned. "Fine?"

Wren rolled his eyes. "I'll work with you. But this is temporary."

Kyoryn smirked. "Of course."

Viktor clapped his hands together. "Glad we could settle that like reasonable adults."

Wren muttered something under his breath but didn't argue further.

Their arrangement was far from perfect, but for now, it would do.