CHAPTER 46: OUR FOCUS

Wade froze, glancing at Rowan as if to say well, now what?

Rowan only grinned, sliding into his seat across from Ingrid.

"What?" he said casually, lifting his fork. "Can’t a man share a walk with his friend?"

Ingrid’s spoon stopped halfway to her mouth as Wade set his tray down beside Rowan, plopping down on the seat.

She gave him a look that was equal parts suspicion and surprise.

"You two... took a walk?" she asked, her tone flat but her brows raised. "Together?"

Rowan chuckled, already reaching for his bread. "Relax, Ingrid. It wasn’t anything dramatic. Wade’s got himself a new apartment, so we happened to meet, and we walked the rest of the way here together."

Ingrid blinked, clearly not expecting that answer. Her gaze flicked to Wade, who gave a helpless shrug.

"What?" Wade said, smirking. "Am I not allowed to walk with people now?"

"You barely know each other." Ingrid muttered, finally going back to her stew. "That’s all."

Rowan leaned across the table, grinning wide. "Ah, but friendship blooms fastest when you least expect it, doesn’t it?"

"Me and Wade here, practically brothers already." He clapped Wade on the back so hard his spoon rattled in his soup.

"Sure," Wade said dryly, "brothers who haven’t figured out which one’s going to strangle the other first."

Rowan roared with laughter, nearly spilling his drink, while Ingrid just shook her head and muttered something under her breath.

She didn’t add much to the conversation, occasionally throwing in a short comment, but mostly she kept her eyes down on her food, chewing in silence.

The table had settled into a comfortable rhythm of banter and clinking cutlery when Sebastian arrived.

He didn’t have a tray or a plate, just his axe strapped across his back as usual.

He pulled out the chair at the end of the table and sat down heavily.

Rowan blinked at him. "What’s this? No food? Don’t tell me the guild cafeteria managed to run out."

"I already ate," Sebastian said simply, folding his arms on the table.

"Of course you did," Rowan muttered with mock offense. "Here we are, starving and working on our bonds, and you’re too good to join us."

Sebastian ignored the jab, his gaze moving from Wade to Ingrid, then back to Rowan.

"I wanted to clarify something," he said. His voice had that calm and commanding cadence Wade was already used to. "Wade, this is mainly for you."

Wade put his spoon down and straightened.

"The purpose of a party is to create a group of adventurers who take on dungeons together," Sebastian explained. "That’s our focus. Dungeons."

"Quests, on the other hand, are up to the individual adventurer. You can take them or leave them. It doesn’t involve the party as a whole."

Wade nodded slowly. "So we’re only together when we go into dungeons?"

"Exactly," Sebastian confirmed. "But cohesion matters. We can’t afford to be strangers to one another when our lives depend on trust."

"So we train together. Twice a week. On the weeks we have a dungeon run, we train only once."

"That’s reasonable," Wade said, though he felt a tiny flutter of relief. That meant he had plenty of free days for his own ventures.

"Good." Sebastian leaned back in his chair. "That gives you the freedom to plan your personal time as you see fit."

"Use it wisely. Train your body, expand your skills, take quests, or waste it on drinking. It’s your choice. But when it comes time to step into a dungeon, I expect everyone to be prepared."

Rowan raised his hand, like a student in class. "So, when’s the next training session, boss?"

Sebastian gave him a flat look, then answered, "Three days from now. At sunrise. Practice yard."

Rowan groaned dramatically. "Sunrise? Do you ever consider that some of us enjoy sleeping past dawn?"

Sebastian stood, his chair scraping against the floor.

"No." He gave Rowan a look that killed the joke dead, then turned to the rest. "That’s all. I’ll see you in three days."

With that, he strode off without another word, disappearing into the stream of adventurers moving through the cafeteria.

The rest of the party stared at the man, wondering why he’d been so... serious.

Ingrid finished the last of her stew, wiped her mouth with a cloth, and stood.

"I have things to do," she said curtly. "See you both later."

Without waiting for a reply, she slung her bow over her shoulder and left.

Rowan leaned back in his chair, watching her go. "She really knows how to brighten a room, doesn’t she?"

Wade snorted, standing as well. "Sure. Like a thundercloud."

Rowan grinned. "Speaking of brightening things, how about we check the guild hall for a quest? Nothing serious, just something for easy money."

Wade thought about it. He could use more coins, especially if he was going to prepare for his dungeon key.

"Alright. But you remember what you promised me, right?"

Rowan tilted his head. "Promised?"

"You’re introducing me to Viscount Fairchild. Tomorrow." Wade’s tone was light, like he was discussing the weather.

Rowan’s grin flickered for just a moment, but then he nodded. "Yeah. Tomorrow."

Satisfied, Wade picked up his tray. "Good. Let’s get going, then."

Together, they left the cafeteria, making their way towards the guild hall.

The hall was as noisy as ever, alive with the thrum of adventurers talking, bargaining, or arguing over contracts.

Rowan led the way through the bustle with the ease of a man who’d done this a hundred times before.

Wade followed, his eyes darting from the crowded counters to the groups gathered around tables, their voices rising in heated debates about spoils and shares.

They stopped before the notice board. The tall slab of wood was covered edge to edge with pinned parchment, filled with quests of all sorts.

Rowan folded his arms and scanned the board with a critical eye.

Wade tried the same, but most of the postings blended into each other.

Requests for herbs. Missing livestock. Escort missions. Even a bounty or two.

"There." Rowan finally said, plucking one of the parchments free. He smoothed it out and handed it to Wade.

Wade took it and read aloud.

[Quest: Extermination]

[Target: Stoneback Beetles]

[Location: Western farming area, outside the city.]

[Details: Stoneback Beetles have infested a farming area outside Hiving. They prey upon crops and have multiplied to the point where they threaten the entire harvest.]

[Reward: 150 coins.]

He looked up at Rowan. "Beetles?"

Rowan nodded. "Nasty little things. Big as dogs, shells hard as stone."

"Not dangerous if you keep your head, but they’ll tear through a field faster than you can blink. Farmers can’t fight them off, so they come here."

"And we get paid." Wade smirked.

"Exactly." Rowan grinned. "Easy money, decent training, and no risk of nobles breathing down our necks."

Wade gave the parchment one last glance before folding it. "Alright. Let’s do it."

"Good man." Rowan clapped him on the shoulder, steering him towards the reception desk where they’d need to register the quest.