"Here's your license."
Aaron stood at the desk as the man handed him a small rectangle of wood that was engraved with his name, sea of origin, and date of birth.
The old man began to speak again to Aaron with the voice of a teacher.
"Make sure you come back here in three days for the examination, since that permit will incinerate itself after a week."
Patting Aaron on the back, he bent down under the desk to grab something else.
"This is a counter, and whenever a sea terror core is brought near, it will add a mark to your permit. Once you have enough, you will be able to advance from a Probational Hunter to a full-time Hunter."
Nodding as the man spoke, Aaron looked at the tag before speaking.
"Thank you, sir. Do I owe you any money for this?"
The old man chuckled and spoke in a barely audible tone.
"Well… Since it's a permit, you technically have to pay, but how about you just come back alive from your hunt, and we'll call it even. Sounds fair?"
Aaron was stunned when the old man waived the fee and quickly thanked him for his kindness, before the old man reached under his desk again and pulled out a small piece of paper.
"This is a request from one of the patrons at the northern shore. Recently, a small sea terror has been spewing water at the fishing boats, and since it's only a juvenile creature, Sir Quinn won't interfere with such a trivial matter, leaving us to request a Hunter who can handle such a mission."
The old man smiled at Aaron before pushing the paper in his hand and speaking again.
"I have a feeling that this should be fine for you?"
Aaron nodded quickly and looked at the reward offered for the hunt.
I get to keep the core? That's perfect! I wonder if I could spit water after absorbing this core…
"This is an acceptable mission for me, and I'll head there as soon as possible. Is there anything else to keep in mind about it?"
The elder scratched the back of his head before he suddenly spoke.
"Ah, yes, I forgot to mention that the fishermen wish for you to leave the corpse intact so they can sell it in the markets."
Aaron smiled before responding to the old man.
"That should be alright. Thank you for your help, but I must be leaving now."
He turned back and slowly walked towards the door, as the old man behind him began to chuckle, mumbling under his breath.
"He didn't notice it, huh? Perhaps he's not the one that 'he' mentioned…"
As Aaron closed the door behind him, the elderly man's face began to melt, revealing another face behind it.
In the chair, a tall woman with silver hair and eyes the color of blood interlaced her fingers, watching the door.
She wore a black dress inlaid with patterns shaped like skulls, paired with intricate lace heels that showcased her pale, white skin, which shone in the darkness.
Finally! That mask was truly unbearable. Strangely, he couldn't detect me… Did he purposely ignore me, or is he that weak? No, someone of his status could never be so foolish to miss that; he must've been playing along with my act so as not to disturb my mission.
Concluding that he must've ignored her, she stared into the darkness of the Guild Hall, the woman merely observed the door that Aaron had left through before vanishing in a bluish blur.
…
Eleanor walked through the rocky streets of Sea Fallen towards the Cathedral of Waves, which stood above the surrounding buildings with its grandeur.
"I'm finally back."
She muttered under her breath as she approached the doors, carefully peeking inside before entering.
Standing at the altar was a single man who wore a priest's robe and graying hair that pained Eleanor's heart to look at.
Pushing open the door, she entered the hall and stared at the man who had taught her everything about holy magic but also betrayed her, ruining her life.
Godrick's head turned towards Eleanor as he smiled ear to ear.
"So you've finally returned! I hope you weren't hurt."
She looked at the man with disgust in her eyes as she spoke.
"Enough with the act. I know it was you who sold me to them."
The smile on Godrick's face fell as fast as it had formed, with his eyes radiating deep pain.
"I… Didn't you hear my warning?"
Eleanor scoffed at his disgraceful response before yelling at him.
"Warn me? You did nothing but sell me for a few coins! You are undeserving of the title of priest, and be sure, this will be reported to the police and regional Saint."
His expression melted further with his pupils dilating in fear.
"B-But I was forced! They had my wife hostage and were going to kill her if I didn't send them girls to sell!"
The words came out in a panic as he stuttered through excuses, as Eleanor sighed with disappointment and spoke again.
"I had wondered why you did it since I know you aren't a man easily swayed by money; however, your true reasoning doesn't seem to match what that man had told me."
Godrick shook in surprise as he began to speak again.
"W-what do you mean? I swear to you that my wife was a hostage!"
Eleanor shook her head and looked at the man she once thought of as her mentor.
"Did you know I spoke with your wife before coming here?"
He jumped back in shock at the words before stuttering a response.
"I-Impossible…"
Eleanor continued speaking while staring at Godrick's crumbling persona.
"She told me that she was indeed kept as a hostage, and she was released only when you gave them some of the girls from the area."
Godrick sighed in relief before speaking.
"O-Of course. See! It's what I told you, they kept her hostage, so I had to do it!"
His smile had returned as he regained his posture, looking down at Eleanor carefully.
She shook her head sadly and finished her thought.
"While that might've been true, this happened months ago, didn't it, Godrick? They had released your wife far before you sold me to those pirates. You didn't sell me out due to necessity but rather due to greed. Before I was taken, I had noticed your wealth was growing; however, I didn't know how. Now I see that you have been in partnership with those criminals selling girls for money."
The smile on Godrick's face twitched as he sighed.
"So you figured it out, huh?"
Eleanor's eyebrows furrowed at the confession, not sure why he would admit to it now.
"Turn yourself in, Godrick. You can be spared death if you admit to your crimes at trial."
His eyes seethed with hatred, and he stroked his hands through his thinning hair.
"You know Eleanor. I never taught you magic for combat."
Her eyes widened in realization as she saw him move his hand in front of his face.
「Holy Bullet.」
His hand ejected a small particle of light that traveled at speeds that Eleanor couldn't keep up with.
Eleanor dived to the right behind one of the benches, avoiding his attack; however, he continued his assault.
「Divine Arrow.」
An illusionary arrow formed in his palm before launching directly at the point where Eleanor was located.
She watched as the golden light sped towards her, closing her eyes, knowing what was to come.
T-This is it…
As she awaited the impact, she heard a Godrick scream and fall backwards.
Opening her eyes slightly, she gasped in shock at what was in front of her.
A small blue crab was holding an arrow of liquid light between his claws as he looked at Eleanor with a strange expression, unfit for a mere crustacean.
"M-Mr. Crab?"
Eleanor stuttered out a response, not knowing if she was already dead and in the world after.
The blue crab jumped and turned to face the man who had shot the arrow at Eleanor.
His claws began to close, shattering the arrow of light between them, creating a loud noise that reverberated throughout the hall.
Godrick, who was staring in shock at the odd scene, readied another arrow to fire at the mere crab who dared interrupt his assault.
"Eleanor, I don't know where you met this strange animal, but no matter how strong it is, it is just a mere crab and cannot hope to fight me."
Chanting under his breath, he uttered his most destructive spell that he hadn't used since the war, six years ago, when his cathedral had been invaded.
「Erasure.」
The wind began to stir as bright light began to form a ball above Godrick's head.
Mr. Crab watched his casting with a blank expression as if he were unamused.
"This is the end, Eleanor. It was a pleasure; however, you know too much, so you cannot live any longer. Goodbye, my pathetic student."
As he spoke, the ball of light began to move towards Eleanor at an unimaginable speed, creating a bang that deafened her.
Mr. Crab, who had been watching, raised one of his claws, revealing what seemed to be a small black key that radiated a bluish glow.
He threw the key at the orb of light, causing an intense screeching that caused Eleanor and Godrick's ears to bleed.
"W-What the hell!?"
Godrick screamed as the spell backfired onto him, causing his arms to disappear without a sound, blood spilling out of the two empty stubs.
Eleanor watched Mr. Crab throw the key, as a memory from before her kidnapping surfaced within her mind.
I-Is that the strange key I found at the sewer?