Erik felt a rising weight in the pit of his stomach when he saw Lyria's mood change. "Ms. Bannon," he asked slowly, moving in his seat, "May I ask what this meeting is about? You mentioned it was important."
Lyria took a deep breath and put her fingers together as she put them on the table. "Yes, that's true. Your prowess, especially your ability to gather information, has caught the attention of many within the guild."
She waited a moment to see what he would do. "In particular, your performance on the practice test for the test to move from novice to pupil was nothing short of remarkable."
Erik raised an eyelid, looking both interested and worried. "Thank you for letting me know. But how does that relate to today's meeting?"
After hesitating momentarily, Lyria said, "The guild wants to give you a mission similar to the one you got during the assessment." Erik moved closer, interested. "What could this quest be about?"
She looked straight into his eyes. "It's a search operation. We need you to find someone for us. Your primary task is to identify and locate this individual." Erik nodded and thought about what had been said. "What if I find the individual? What should I do?"
Lyria's eyes were so intensely focused on him that it made him shiver. "You stop. Do not approach. Do not engage. It's imperative that you understand this. The person we want is not someone to mess with.
The only thing you have to do is find out where he is and then back off. We have a team of experts who are much better prepared than you are to handle the following steps. Your safety and the mission's success rely on your discretion. Also, privacy is paramount, and you can't tell anyone about this job."
Erik scowled as he thought about what she said. "This seems important. Who is this person, and why does the guild want him?"
Lyria slowly breathed and nodded in response to Erik's questions. "His full name is Doran Stedman."
As soon as the name was said, the room's lights got darker, and an image appeared before them. A picture of a guy was shown, and as it was displayed, his blurred visage slowly changed until the whole man could be seen.
He was tall and had a slim but muscular body. The lines of his body made him look agile and robust. His jet-black hair fell to his shoulders like a curtain. The strands were curly but kept in place.
His complexion was olive-toned, juxtaposed by piercing blue eyes that seemed to harbor an unknown depth. A strong face led to a chiseled chin with a small patch of beard, and a jagged scar from his head to the bottom of his cheek stood out.
The text beside the hologram reported that he was about 35 years old. Lyria looked at Erik as he looked at the hologram. "Doran is a person who got off on the wrong foot, that much I can say. Finding him is the most important thing in your quest."
Erik raised an eyebrow, clearly unsatisfied by the meager information he got about his target. How was he supposed to find him without a damn hint?
"I'm glad to have a picture, but how am I supposed to find a guy based only on his appearance? The world is big, and even if you have a unique face, it may not be enough."
"That," Lyria said with a soft sigh, "is exactly why we've called you. You are here because you are good at finding information and making connections between things that don't seem to go together. This may seem like an impossible job, but we have faith in your skills. We will provide you with more information, but given the quest's confidentiality, we can't give you much."
Erik frowned and looked a little less sure of himself. "Still, you're asking me to find a needle in a haystack."
Lyria nodded, showing that she understood. "We are aware; again, I will give you more data. Do not worry about that," she said, pulling out a small device and tapping it. "I'll send you a file. It has all the general facts about Doran that the guild can share. Background, last known address, and friends are the most important things to know. But remember, Erik, that you can't talk about this. It is against the rules to share this information with anyone outside this effort."
Erik's phone buzzed, which meant the file had arrived. He took a quick look down before he looked at Lyria. "I know how important this job is. But I can't promise anything."
Lyria leaned forward and stared intently. "Erik, we don't want you to promise anything. We just want you to try your best. This job is very important, but we know we can't ask you to do the impossible. And if you need help or tools along the way, the guild will be there to help you."
Before making a final decision, Erik stopped and looked at Lyria carefully. "We haven't talked about pay before; I agree. How much do I get for this?"
Lyria didn't hesitate. When he looked at her, she gave him a firm look back. She said, "If you find Doran Stedman, you'll get 100,000 Eurems as a reward." The eerie silence gave Erik the feeling that the sum was even higher than Lyria's statement.
Erik's eyebrows rose; he was surprised by the large amount he would receive. "Only to find him?" he asked again to ensure no hidden tasks.
"That's right," Lyria said to make sure. "Find him and tell us what you did find out, especially where he is. You don't need to do anything else."
Erik gave a slow nod, considering the generous offer momentarily before speaking up his thoughts. The pay was undeniably tempting for such a specific task.
Erik gave a slow nod as he thought about the task's challenge. "Okay. I'll start tomorrow. Thank you, Ms. Bannon," he added after a short pause, "for believing in my skills and giving me this huge opportunity."
"Just find Doran Stedman," Lyria said with a small smile. "All we want is that." Doran's hologram flashed and disappeared, leaving the room partially in the dark.
When Erik and Lyria had finished their lengthy but confidential discussion, he left room 36, and the door quietly shut. The carpet in the hallway was plush and burgundy, but Erik's thoughts were racing.
The encounter had been bizarre, he had to admit. In Testrovsc's Rest, you may quickly come across competent individuals.
The city had many skilled spies, agents, and hunters. Some had worked in the industry for decades, while others had been in it for years. He was just a few weeks into his career as a mercenary; why were they asking so much of him so soon?
Furthermore, the pay was ridiculously exorbitant. One hundred thousand Eurems was a lot of money for an individual at the Seeker rank. Such a sum was usually reserved for higher-risk operations.
But this? This was a simple information-gathering quest, with no confrontation or direct conflict required. It just didn't add up.
Erik strolled through the twisting hallways of the guild hall, making a little noise as he went. He was deep in thought, trying to figure out what was happening. Was it because of his performance during the assessment?
If so, it suggested that the guild monitored the tests more closely than expected. Or there was something else—a detail—that he was aware of but that no one else knew.
After leaving the guild hall, he was welcomed by the chilly evening air. Erik chose to proceed with caution on this mission. Things were still unclear to him, and the price tag of the job may have been a warning that he was about to enter a maze of unknowns.
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