The inn had become Akatsuki's unofficial base. With its corner sealed off by heavy cloth banners marked with the now infamous red cloud symbol, whispers already spread across the city about the new S-Class Associate.
Ivan sat in his usual spot, legs crossed over a worn wooden table, eyes flicking over a new parchment scroll bearing the royal seal of the Human Empire. His fingers tapped thoughtfully until he stood without warning, drawing the attention of his gathered companions.
"We got our first mission," Ivan announced, his voice slicing cleanly through the chatter.
The room fell quiet.
Ivan tossed the parchment onto the table, the seal cracking as it landed. "A special commission from the Empire," he said. "A beast princess has gone missing. Her trail ends near the capital's noble district."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air like a noose.
"The reward: two magic stones... and three hundred thousand gold coins."
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the gathered members. Magic stones were artifacts of legend—capable of powering war machines, teleportation gates, and even forbidden rituals. And 300,000 gold? Enough to start a kingdom.
But Ivan wasn't smiling because of the reward. His grin was that of a man holding matches in a house soaked in oil.
Across the room, Kahl and Reeva froze. The two beastmen exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting from surprise to horror.
"Wait," Reeva said, her voice tight. "A princess?"
Ivan shrugged casually. "That's what the report says. They didn't give a name."
Kahl stood slowly, his voice rough. "Ysil. It has to be Princess Ysil. She's only twelve... she was supposed to visit the Western Temples a month ago."
Reeva's hands clenched into fists. "She's just a child. If humans touched her—"
"We'll make them pay," Kahl growled, his fangs slightly showing.
Ivan watched the two silently, letting their rage swell without interruption. Good. The fire is starting to rise on its own.
"We're taking this mission," Kahl said firmly. "And if it leads to the humans—"
Ivan raised a hand calmly, smiling with mock gentleness. "Relax. We're all family here, remember?" He tilted his head. "We'll help you find her. That's what Akatsuki is for."
A few heads nodded.
Ivan's smile sharpened. "Now, assignments."
He turned to a short, broad-shouldered dwarf with soot on his cheeks and two long daggers at his belt.
"Brumir," Ivan said. "You're going into the noble district tonight. Use your melding to hide in the stonework. I want names, whispers, anything about missing beastfolk or auctions."
Brumir gave a short nod, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Gonna be hard not to stab 'em if I hear the wrong thing."
Ivan chuckled. "Save the stabbing for when we're paid."
He pointed toward Reeva and Kahl. "You two are coming with me. We're heading to the black market in the merchant quarter. Let's see if anyone's dumb enough to sell collars, or talk about noble hunts."
Reeva cracked her knuckles. "If I see even one collar... I'll tear their face off."
Ivan gave a faint smirk. "Perfect."
He turned next to Lio, the elf lounging near the back with two short blades and a permanent smirk.
"Set up traps around our tavern base. You know the drill—tripwires, hex bombs, silence runes. Anyone gets curious... they don't get back out."
Lio gave a lazy thumbs-up. "Already started. They'll be crawling out with one arm—if they crawl at all."
Ivan smirked thinking how can he proceed with the locket he had.