Igneeria. A world filled with countless races. Once a place of patriotism, it has since become a place of individuality.

  Within this world is the continent Nero, the Land of Silver. Here, Werefolk such as Wolves are the dominant species. Races from across the world gather here for the all-year winter, promised comfort within the walls of Silver Mountain City.

  At the north-eastern town of Nero, Green Port, The Black Diamond has dropped anchor. Green Port was once a place where enemies would first land, as the rest of the continent is surrounded by unscalable mountains and frozen oceans. Snow rarely falls in this warmer region, giving life to beautiful vegetation - hence, to surprise invaders, inhabitants created a village out of greenery. Nowadays, the constructed port town is smeared with green from its pavement to its buildings, allowing it to keep its namesake.

  Near the harbour is an expansive marketplace where traders gather from all over the world. Armed with the gold received from Captain Theodore Croaker's reward, Jasper and Glint scour the vendor's stalls for tasty snacks. Esmond trails behind and keeps watch.

  A sweet treat catches Jasper's eye. "That," he says. "That's what I want to try first." He grabs Glint's arm and pulls him. Glint doesn't resist. Approaching the stall, a large figure turns to greet him.

  "Good morning," a feminine voice greets them. It's a Wolf in beast form. Towering over Glint, they easily exceed two metres in height. Their short, grey fur is covered with a brown tunic and black shorts. "Looking for something?"

  Jasper points to the red treat. "One of these please."

  "A candied apple, certainly sir." The Grey Wolf picks it up and gestures for Jasper to take it. "Just five copper."

  Jasper reaches for the stick, but the Wolf doesn't immediately let go of it. "Oh, sorry. Did you want the copper first?"

  "Don't worry about the copper," the Wolf says in a sweet voice. They stare deep into Jasper's eyes of pure snow. "Do you want to get a drink later?"

  The Wolf lets go of the snack and Jasper takes it. "Uhh, yeah, I'll probably be thirsty later. Are you sure you don't want me to pay?"

  The Wolf's ears perk up and their large, fluffy tail wags. "Are you an angel?"

  Jasper raises an eyebrow. "What?"

  Esmond walks by and grabs Jasper and Glint's arms. "We're done here." They pull the other two away from the stall.

  "What was that about?" Glint asks.

  "I don't know," Jasper says. He bites into the candied apple. "But this tastes awesome!"

  Esmond sighs and releases them. "You were getting hit on." Behind the other two, Glint wanders off. He smells something tasty on the wind and follows its scent.

  Jasper talks between bites. "But she didn't hit me?"

  Esmond pinches the bridge of their nose. These two are either too naive or too stupid, and I can't tell which one is more dangerous to have around me. They look at Jasper's satchel. "By the way, are you going to try selling some of your materials here at the market?"

  "I'm not sure," Jasper says. "I was thinking of selling some wherever you sell those monster cor-" Esmond silences Jasper with their hand. They look around, surveying the area for anyone who may have heard. They spot a small figure scramble away, but it may be irrelevant.

  Esmond narrows his vision onto Jasper. "Shut. The fuck. Up." He takes his hand away from Jasper's mouth. "Do you remember what Theodore said?"

  Three days ago, after Jasper had recovered from his mana deficiency, a meeting was finally called in Captain Theodore Croaker's office regarding the monster attack. His office looks like it was modelled by a thespian; an ornament skull sits atop a bookcase filled with worn-out texts and scrolls. Potted plants and candle stands populate the corners, with a phonograph and music sheet stand at the back left of the room. Maps of continents and port towns are displayed upon the blue walls with a map of the known world fixed behind the captain's seat. On his wooden desk sits stacks of paper, a quill soaking in an ink jar, and a few sacks of coins.

  Camergue slams her hand on the desk. "You understand that you could be executed for this? Monsters being used as ship equipment? Where did you even find them?"

  Theodore wipes his brow with a handkerchief. "I assure you, Lady Camergue, I had no idea that they were real gargoyles." He pulls out another stack of documents from his desk and displays them. "I witnessed this ship being built, personally, from the keel upwards. These are my receipts."

  Rebecca picks them up and inspects them thoroughly.

  "I can attest to his credibility," Esmond declares. Theodore's eyes water with pride. "I have used this vessel for many years, and all those statues ever did was make alarm sounds when a large aquatic creature was nearby." Their eyes narrow. "Although..." they stand and look at the paperwork over Rebecca's shoulder. "It does strike me as odd that you had monster-detecting statues installed."

  Theodore gulps.

  "That's true," Rebecca says as she drops the documents onto the desk. "And I don't see any certifiable dates in these documents." She leans in. "Why?"

  Theodore swallows harder.

  Glint shrugs at Jasper. "Do you know what they're talking about?"

  Jasper shrugs back. "No idea." His attention is fixed on the world map behind Theodore's seat.

  On the northern-most continent of the map, {Issham} is written, a rectangular shape with rounded edges. The left side of the land is dubbed as {The Highlands}. So that's how the world sees our home, Jasper thinks. Directly below in the centre of the map is a continent twice as small named {Rha}. It is blue and green coloured. To the right of Rha is {Grisious}, a golden continent shaped like a stretched eight. Under Grisious is a dark continent shaped like an inverted five-pointed star; {Ancselam}. To the left of Rha is {Nero}, a silver continent with spots of green shaped like an upturned horseshoe. This is the destination of this trip. Finally, below Nero is the largest continent on the map, twice the size of Issham; {Erupton}. It is shaped like the head of a draconic creature with an open maw. The land has a reddish bronze colour. Above the map is written {Igneeria}.

  "I swear, everything I have said is true," Theodore croaks. "I was there when the ship was built. I never contracted real gargoyles!"

  Camergue pulls out their blade and pierces the floorboard with a thud. "Do you swear on it?"

  Theodore gasps loudly. "Good heavens! Of course!"

  Camergue throws Rebecca a look.

  Rebecca claps her hands together and white mana flows to them. [Arvul c trufvu.] Zone of truth. A clear, spherical barrier expands from her hands, encompassing everyone in the room. "You cannot lie while inside this sphere. So tell me, has everything you said so far been the truth, and nothing but the truth?"

  "Of course!" Theodore says. "I only wish to tell the truth, and that I have! So, please, do not tell anyone that there were monsters on my ship. I would be ruined!"

  Rebecca lets out a hefty sigh. "He's telling the truth." The tension in the room disperses.

  "Then what the hell?" Camergue asks.

  "I am unsure," Theodore says. He strokes his chin. "If I had to speculate, the statues must have been swapped at some point. When exactly, I know not."

  Esmond's eyebrows furrow. "They tried to kill everyone." They turn to Jasper. "Except for you." All eyes turn to the Highlander.

  Jasper's attention returns to the group. "What about me?"

  "The gargoyle that grabbed you tried to kidnap you at first," Glint says. "I too was wondering why."

  "It wasn't trying to kidnap anyone else?" Jasper asks.

  "No," Esmond says.

  "What exactly were you doing downstairs?" Rebecca asks.

  "Freaking out," Ferry says. He leans his elbow onto the arm of his couch chair. "He was mumbling to himself about not knowing what to do."

  Jasper's face turns a slight shade of red. "I'm a healer, not a fighter! I would have been useless!"

  Esmond looks at Rebecca, noticing she has not cancelled her Zone of Truth. She does not react to Jasper's words. He must be telling the truth, they think.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "How can you heal from under the deck?" Ferry questions.

  "I haven't exactly been in a fight before!" Jasper refutes. "And why exactly were you downstairs?"

  "Because I hadn't finished eating," Ferry retorts. "And I don't much care for anyone else outside of getting paid."

  Esmond feels a sort of kinship with Ferry.

  "Nevertheless," Theodore interrupts. "Everyone onboard was safe due to everyone's actions; I thank thee, heroes." He slides forward the bags of coins. "Now, to honour my words, please have some gold; provided, of course, that this information does not leave this ship."

  Everyone but Esmond agrees.

  "I'm keeping the monster cores as my reward," Esmond says. "Got a problem with that?"

  "Not at all!" Theodore exclaims. "If anything, you are doing me a service."

  Three days later in the market square, Jasper nods his head in understanding. "I didn't say anything about what happened on the ship, though."

  Esmond pulls Jasper behind a building and surveys the area, making sure they are alone. "Yes, you did," they whisper. "Mentioning the cores means you're talking about the existence of monsters."

  Jasper raises an eyebrow. "And?"

  "And?" Esmond mimics. "And monsters don't exist anymore!"

  "...what?" Jasper feels dizzy. "How can this be a monsterless world? We just saw them! They must have come from dungeons!"

  "Dungeons?" Esmond pinches their eyes shut. "You seriously don't know anything about this world, do you? Where did you come from, the past?" They place their hands on Jasper's shoulders. "Listen. Dungeons stopped appearing over a thousand years ago. Monsters were slowly wiped out after that. They're legends."

  "They...what?" Jasper asks in shock. He thinks back to all the books he studied, all the monster manuals he read to expand his knowledge and realizes that it's all useless. They were relics of an ancient world. The Highlanders were so far removed from current society that it had all shifted and changed. "Then, what about you? And Rebecca, and Camergue? You're not adventurers?"

  Esmond sighs and takes their hands off Jasper’s shoulders. "I'm sorry, Jasper. I'm a mercenary. I don't know about the two girls, but adventurers don't exist anymore."

  Jasper drops his face into his hands. That explains why it was suspicious for Theodore to have monster-detecting statues on a ship that was made within his lifetime; either Theodore is over one-thousand years old, or he purchased monster-detectors in a monsterless world. What exactly for? Jasper looks at Esmond. That also explains why someone as perceptive as Esmond did not think to doubt the monster-shaped statues. "Everything that I studied was old knowledge; it was all wrong. And here I was thinking I could become an adventurer to work for money..."

  "Well," Esmond says and looks to a tall building. "You could be a Raider."

  "A Raider?" Jasper looks in the direction Esmond is looking. "What's that?"

  "They're similar to adventurers, but you need at least four people to create a team." Esmond looks around. "Where did Glint go, anyway?"

  Following the scent of warm meat and cheese, Glint moved northward. He stands before a large, gated mansion with green tiles and brickwork that blend into the beautiful garden out front. A water fountain with stone wolf puppies sits central in the garden.

  Glint looks up to the billowing chimney. "It's coming from there." [Hwet.] Arise. His spear floats and Glint sits on it sideways. It carries him over the gate and above the estate. He flies towards the chimney to get a better smell. His skin turns a light pink. "I have never smelt anything so delicious before. I shall request some of this food."

  As he reaches the smoke, a loud alarm blares and his skin darkens to red.

  "Intruder!" Various voices can be heard shouting from the ground below.

  He looks around to see who's yelling. His skin returns to its usual light blue. "An intruder? Where?" Arrows soar through the sky. He floats side to side, narrowly avoiding the shots. "They must be aiming for the intruder, but I can't see them." Unable to understand the situation, he floats back towards the market square. "I'll come back some other time when they're not busy."

  After returning to the market crowd, Jasper sees the easy-to-spot Glint. "There you are!"

  "Hey," Glint says and points towards the mansion. "I smelt something good over there."

  "Ooh, should we go check it out?" Jasper asks Esmond.

  Esmond becomes impatient. "You two have looked around enough. We should head to the Guild to get both of you registered."

  "The what?" Glint asks.

  "It's a place where people can get money for taking requests," Jasper explains. "Esmond just told me all about it. We can be Raiders."

  "Neat," Glint says.

  "But most importantly, we can get you registered to receive an ID card," Esmond says. "Without it, you won't be able to enter most places. You only got in this time because of Theodore."

  The three continue to discuss the specifics while they walk.

  Arriving at the south-western part of Green Port, the three stand before the largest building in the city. It is boldly coloured grey in stark contrast to the rest of the town. It is three stories tall and is just as wide. It resembles a medieval fortress with ramparts and flags and has exceedingly large wooden doors at the entrance.

  "Why are the doors so big?" Jasper asks.

  "There are big races," Esmond responds. "The Guild accommodates for everyone."

  "Like me," Glint says and flexes. The other two look at him with worry. "Forget I ever said that."

  "No," Esmond and Jasper say in unison.

  Entering the Guild, they are hit with a wave of pristine cleanliness. The large area smells like a new book and the tiled floors sparkle. Stairs that lead up to the second and third floors on both sides of the room. On the upper floors, there are doors leading to private rooms. On the first floor, there are mixed groups gathered at different tables. Multiple bulletin boards are filled with notices on the left wall, with only one on the right; it looks bare in comparison to the left side. Straight ahead is a reception desk where three workers stand. They are all wearing professional attire and are chatting to each other casually. It must be the quiet part of the day for them.

  Esmond approaches a Grey Wolf behind the reception desk. "I'd like to register two people as Raiders, please." They place down two silver.

  The Grey Wolf is in a semi-beast form with a beautiful humanoid figure and smooth, brown skin. Her long, grey hair is tied up into a dreadlock ponytail. When the coins hit the desk, her tail wags and her wolven ears perk up. "Oh, welcome back Esmond. Is this for the two behind you?"

  Glint and Jasper stand awkwardly.

  "Thanks, Hilda," Esmond says. "And yeah, please register their details to an ID card and see what class suits them the most."

  Hilda takes the silver and brings out a large clear orb. She affixes it to a device with a wide base and a slot. "Okay, who would like to go first?"

  Jasper steps forward. "Me please!"

  "Of course, please place one of your hands on the orb," Hilda gestures. "And don't worry if you feel a slight tug, it will just analyse your mana."

  Jasper nods and places his palm upon the orb. His mana congregates to his hand as the orb starts to pull at it, as if the sphere is grabbing his fingers and 'reading his palm'. The orb shines a bright white. A few moments pass and the glow subsides. A white piece of paper shoots out of the base onto the reception desk.

  "It's blank?" Jasper asks.

  "It prints upside down for your personal security," Hilda says. She shoots a look at Esmond, and they back away from the desk.

  Damn it, I wanted to sneak a peek, Esmond thinks.

  "All of your details are written on the underside of that paper," Hilda continues. "Please read and confirm the details, and let me know which information you would like to include on your ID card."

  Jasper picks up the document and flips it over. He reads through the details, confirming his name, gender, age, race, and recommended class. Gender, male. Age, nineteen. Race, Highlander. My recommended class is... "What's a Cleric?"

  "Basically, you would focus on healing and buffing your allies with your magic," Esmond says as they approach Jasper. "It also means you are granted spells from the deity you align yourself with."

  Jasper holds the document close to him. "Do you mean Jeramiel, God of Light and Kindness?"

  Esmond stops when Jasper hides the document's details. "The lawful good God? Yeah, that makes sense for you."

  "Please stop trying to sneak a peek, Esmond," Hilda glares. Esmond backs up again. "Mr. Jasper, please let me know what details you would like printed onto your ID. Your Gender?"

  "Yes please," Jasper responds.

  "Age?"

  "Yes."

  "Race?"

  "Um, no thanks."

  "Unidentified, understood," she types something into the machine under the orb. "And what would you like your name to be on the ID?"

  "Jasper."

  "Just Jasper?"

  "Oh, um," Jasper thinks for a second. "Jasper Bright."

  "Understood." Hilda types a few more things. "And if you don't wish for another, would you like me to register you as a Cleric?"

  "Sure."

  Hilda finishes typing and hits a button. The orb flashes and makes Jasper wince. A small card shoots out from the device with a picture of Jasper's face on it. "There you are, your very own ID."

  Jasper picks it up and looks at it closely. "I wish you told me - I would have smiled."

  "That's why we don't," Hilda says with a smile. "Okay, next please."

  Jasper folds his document and tucks it away into his pocket.

  Glint steps forward and places his palm on the orb. A few seconds pass and the orb does not react. Confused, Hilda hits a switch on the device and removes the orb, replacing it with a different one and turns the machine back on. Glint tries again. Nothing happens.

  Hilda turns the machine off. "That's strange. I'm sorry, there must be something wrong with the machine."

  "That's okay," Glint says. "Can I still get an ID?"

  "Of course, sir, just tell me your details. Your gender?"

  "Male."

  "Age?"

  "Twenty-one?"

  Hilda shoots Glint a look when he questions his own age. "Race?"

  "Not sure."

  "Unidentified, understood. Name?"

  "Glint Pentagust."

  "And your fighting style?"

  "I can punch and throw things really hard," Glint specifies.

  "Barbarian, understood," Hilda says as she finishes typing. The orb flashes and Glint's ID card shoots out of the device. "Thank god that still works."

  Glint picks it up and admires it. "I look good."

  "Shut up," Jasper says.

  "So, you want to register as Raiders?" Hilda asks.

  Esmond moves back to the counter. "Yeah, about that. I know you can't register as one without a party of four, and these two don't want to be mercenaries like me. Do you happen to know two mercenaries who would like to join a Raider party?" They flash a silver coin.

  Hilda's eyebrow raises. "Honestly, your best bet would be to ask the Goliath twins. Their father is the Guild Master of the Merchant Guild, and they consistently take mercenary work around Nero."

  "Thanks, beautiful," Esmond flicks her a silver coin. Hilda rolls her eyes pockets it. They turn to leave the Guild. Jasper and Glint follow.

  "You made it sound like you weren't going to join us," Jasper says.

  "Because I'm not," Esmond replies. "I'm a mercenary, and I work alone. I hate Raiders."

  Glint grabs Esmond by their jacket, stopping them from walking and almost pulling their hood off their head. "You said you would travel with us," Glint says.

  Esmond rips their clothes away from Glint's grasp. "I said that I would help you get out of Issham, not become your friend. Don't think that I've forgotten what you did on the ship."

  Glint averts his eyes.

  "I'll still travel with you both until we get to Silver Mountain City, like we talked about this morning," Esmond says. "I'm heading there anyway to see my master."

  "What's your master like, anyway?" Jasper asks.

  Esmond smiles with confidence. "Well, he's-"

  They stop talking as the doors to the Guild are swung open with incredible force. A group of Wolves in leather gear surround them with spears and swords. Glint reaches for his spear, but Esmond stops him.

  "These are the Alpha's guardsmen," Esmond says. "They must be here for a reason."

  "The Alpha?" Glint asks.

  "It's a title given to the strongest Wolf in a pack," Jasper explains.

  "These days, though, it's the title given to the leader of a community," Esmond adds. "Sort of like a monarch."

  "So why are they here?" Glint asks.

  The surrounding circle splits and a humanoid figure enters in full-plate armour. He takes off his helmet and cradles it under his arm, revealing a rugged face and dark skin. He flicks his dark, green hair out of his face in a dramatic motion. The Alpha's guardsmen kneel before the Alpha of Green Port.

  The Alpha's light grey eyes centre on the group. "I heard that it was one of you who tried to infiltrate my personal home?"

  Esmond glares at Glint. "What did you do?"

  Jasper sighs.

  Glint's eyes widen. "Oh."