Chapter 1 (A strange offer)

Evelyn was in her tent, the battle left her tired, her brown hairs cascaded on her shoulders as her light yellow eyes looked at her tent ceiling, after all here in the Fog of Darkness wasn't anything different than constant fighting, using one own essence was the only way to keep rational thought.

She got up from the sleeping bunk of her tent, her body muscular but not too defined and her stature much taller than even some boys at 180cms she got out of the big tent with flags that symbolized being one of the captains recognized by the city.

The black fog outside the camp looked like a dome, some purple flashes happene once or twice every ten seconds making light beside the lanterns of the camp, the soldiers passing the time simply playing cards or chatting some of the more diligent were training.

As she wondered through the camp she counted how much of the newbies were still alive, a third of the 526 newbies were left injured, a tenth of them were with minor injuries, all the others outside the third injured? Dead.

It wasn't anything new but the sight of the survivors being this scared and scarce was always brutal on her... still she had to prepare the ones ready to join the unit under her, all the procedures gave her a headache just thinking of them.

She went to intelligence tent, second largest after the captain's, the lantern holders were talking of the routes to take, the map scribes were still drawing the map with the last expedition information, just little details more for a true breakthrough they would need a full expedition with a noble family.

"Captain!" A lantern holder shouted before giving a light bow for respect.

"What's the news?" Evelyn asked already sighing like she was just given a bad new that would influence the next three weeks.

"Well... we are under on funds for repairs of equiptment like the flying boats and the armors" the lantern holder said as Evelyn sighed it would've been nice relying on a noble family backing but nobles who would invest in a mercenary group with little potential like hers were scarce.

"Call Philip i'm going to organize a retreat to the City but first i need to know if there is mai-" Evelyn got interrupted by the aforementioned Philip barging in shouting his light platinum hair loosely cascading on his forehead as his dark green eyes were wide as he looked at Evelyn, his body lean and slender for better agility "Captain you won't believe this!" He shouted holding a letter with a wax seal.

The seal was formed with a crow wearing a crown surrounded by some flowers, Evelyn eyes widened that crest was of a noble family but not of a simple one... an archducal family the Floro Family, she took it without thinking and opened it reading the content carefully.

"Miss Evelyn Blackthorn,

I'm writing you on behalf of lord Floro to inform you of an offer to come protect the second youngest child and third son Lawrence, if you are asking why we chose you is because we would like him to have someone closer he's age and your qualities outligned you, for further explanation you would have to reply, the payment upfront will be of 120 pounds and the salary itself will be chose with me on the day of the meeting at Luxer City.

Good day and farewell, Lloyd Lelotte"

After reading the letter Evelyn was stunned for a moment, the letter was alluring and the contents were surely what she needed but it was too sudden, too precise the moment of its arrival to not be planned.

"Philip what is the sender address?" Evelyn asked as she contempleted, "it's 13th Selene Avenue of Luxer City upper town" Philip replied still incredoluos, the address checked out that was a part of time in which nobles lived.

"It arrived through green pil flame right?" Evelyn asked just to be sure, "yes of course it was sent by an archducal family with urgency should they've sent it through carrier wolf?" Philip retorted a bit annoyed by her captain doubts.

"Doubts are important Philip isn't it strange for nobles to send a letter at such perfect time?" Evelyn retorted letting Philip realize why she had made such stupid questions, "still Captain we can't just refuse a noble offer" Philip replied insistent.

"Yes but the request itself it's strange you know why nobles don't sponsor us the same should apply for an archducal family" Evelyn replied calmly as she passed the letter to a lantern holder for examination.

"Captain its a chance in a billion couldn't we just reply wait the payment and then check if they are really the Floro family?" Philip replied hesitantly still insistent on it.

Evelyn clicked her tongue, "Philip they are asking me of protecting the fourth child of the family the third son you know who" Evelyn replied annoyed, Philip freezed same for everyone in that tent now if some were considering it a miracle everyone found it suspicious, the Floro family credited many things to this child that had to be protected by the guards of the family this didn't seem sensical or logical at all.

"See how suspicious it is? Their reasons don't hold up" Evelyn said calmly as she got the letter back from the Lantern Holder showing that everything was in check this disturbed her even more.

"Fine i'll write a reply saying we accept but... i want you to follow the reply and see if we can find anything suspicious" Evelyn said to Philip sternly as she went to her tent.

She took out a pen and a piece of paper, started writing, she went on for a few minutes with a bit of nice words and a few lines questioning if she was idoneous for the famous young master of the Floro family, she felt like puking at how kind she had to act even if it was just writing, she soon finished writing and folded the letter to send it.

As she put the letter in the envelope she thought abuot the job one last time, this job was perfect and suspiciously so for sure, but it all seemed so normal if it arrived some time later than right after the battle than she wouldn't have been so suspicious or even consider the same things like the faulty explanation for the reasons they chose her... but it would've been a little less necessary for her to in the end she had few reasons to reject it none of which would be able to shield her from the reputation it would give rejecting an archducal family proposal.

After she gave the letter to Philip she returned to her tent.

Meanwhile at 13th Selene avenue, Luxer city upper town

The servants were taking a break, the young master got sick with a fever another time and he was bed ridden, his Valet Lloyd was taking care of him in his room before exiting, his blonde hair were fluffy and a bit dishelved after taking care of the stubborn and sick young master and his green eyes that resembled the color of fresh grass were a bit tired as he went towards the servants.

"Young master Lawrence is sleeping peacefully now, don't inform him if we get a reply but contact me first so i can tell the lord, and act accordingly" he said calmly but with a practiced polite tone, "yes sir" the butlers replied before he walked away.

He still didn't understand the lord idea, even if he wanted the young master to best his fear he could've asked a female guardian knight trainee not an outsider like Evelyn Blackthorn, her hate for nobles certaintly didn't help.

As Lloyd watched outside the window, the dim light of lanterns hunged on poles along the streets, the parks with grass shade and some small flowers nothing like the garden of the mansion that was on the back.

The dome of the city was trasparent as the the night sky was luttered with bright stars... nothing the lower town could see or see in a good way.

One star was very much brighter than the others... Circe star, the witches star, with a bright purple glow, that seemed enchanting in its full splendor.

The moon, in it's white light that was dim for a few days already looked down on Luxer city, it's presence was both joyful and dreadful, since nights was when the Fog of Darkness was the most dangerous, Lloyd could almost still hear the young master pleads some nights ago when the young lady was sent to gather materials alongside her squad, it's useless reminiscing now, he'd better go rest before he gets miss Blackthorn reply, if she was alive.