NOVPUB
Chapter 52: Beyrin Carriage (I)
Zayn tapped a finger on one of the black-sealed requests. "And this?"
The half-elf’s expression darkened slightly. "Black-sealed quests are... let’s just say they’re the kind that don’t get written about in history books. They pay well, but they’re dangerous, and most who take them don’t come back."
That only made him more curious.
But there was a difference between being just curious and curious enough to pick the mission.
And he had a feeling if he went on a mission from the Black seal, he wasn’t going to come back.
"I’ll take a silver seal, please," Zayn said, pointing at one of the requests as he leaned slightly closer to the counter.
That was when he caught it.
A faint, sweet scent filled his nose — a mix of lavender and something else, something warmer. It wasn’t overpowering, just enough to make him aware of how close he was.
His eyes flicked up to meet hers, and the half-elf receptionist smiled, slow and deliberate, her eyes glinting golden under the dim glow of the guild’s lanterns.
Without breaking eye contact, she reached for one of the silver-sealed requests, but she didn’t just hand it to him.
No, she made a show of it — tilting her body ever so slightly, her loose shirt shifting just enough to reveal the curve of her cleavage.
It wasn’t obscene, but it was intentional.
Zayn noted that while she didn’t have the same level of assets as Elisse, she still had more than enough.
But —
He didn’t ogle.
Instead, he smirked, maintaining eye contact as he reached out and took the request from her hand.
"You know," he mused, fingers brushing against hers for the briefest second, "if you keep looking at me like that, people might think you’re interested."
The half-elf chuckled, tilting her head. "And if I am?"
Zayn paused.
Wait.
Was she flirting with him?
She had spent days acting indifferent, barely even acknowledging his existence, and now she was teasing him?
Something was definitely up.
Rather than question it, he simply grinned and unraveled the silver-sealed request.
The parchment crackled as he smoothed it out, scanning the details.
[Request Type: Escort Mission]
[Client: Lord Veyren of the Eastern Territories]
[Objective: Escort a shipment of rare enchanted materials to Beyrin Town. Bandit activity suspected along the route.]
[Reward: 250 silver coins]
[Difficulty Rating: Moderate to High]
Zayn raised a brow. "An escort mission?"
The half-elf nodded. "Seems easy, right?"
"Too easy," Zayn muttered, rereading the request.
He had played enough RPGs and read enough stories to know that escort missions were never just escort missions.
The half-elf smirked. "That’s why it’s silver-sealed. If it were truly simple, it’d be bronze. Bandit attacks are a lot at this kind of time, but the details are scarce. You interested?"
Zayn grinned. "You’re damn right I am."
She chuckled, stamping the request slip before sliding it back to him. "Then try not to die. It’d be a shame."
Zayn folded the parchment and slipped it into his pocket. "You’re worried about me? How touching."
The half-elf leaned against the counter, golden eyes flickering with amusement. "Not worried. Just curious. I get the feeling you’re not as reckless as you pretend to be."
Zayn’s grin widened. "Then you’re smarter than you look."
She raised an eyebrow. "Careful. You might make me like you."
Zayn laughed. "Now we wouldn’t want that, would we?"
As he turned to leave, he felt her gaze lingering on his back.
...
Zayn walked up to the waiting carriage, its polished wooden frame glistening under the warm glow of the lanterns outside the GUILD.
The insignia of Beyrin was emblazoned on its side — a crest he recognized from the novel.
Beyrin was a town not far from Timberstead, known for its steady trade in magical materials. On most occasions, the two towns exchanged goods without issue.
But this? Leaving in the dead of night for an escort mission with a suspiciously high reward? That wasn’t normal.
Zayn adjusted his gear, tightening the straps of his armor.
It wasn’t his choice that the client insisted on traveling tonight, but hey, silver was silver.
The driver, an older man with a scruffy beard and sharp eyes, watched him approach.
He barely reacted as Zayn held up the parchment. With a grunt, he nodded.
"You’re the adventurer, then?"
"Sure am," Zayn replied.
The driver jerked his head toward the front of the carriage. "There’s space next to me if you— "
"Yeah, no thanks," Zayn cut in, walking past him.
The driver raised a brow as Zayn climbed up onto the roof of the carriage instead, settling himself in with an easy grin.
"What the hell are you doin’ up there?"
"Vantage point," Zayn replied smoothly, stretching out his legs.
The driver sighed, muttering something about "damn adventurers" before snapping the reins.
The horses neighed, muscles tensing as they lurched forward, pulling the carriage into motion.
Zayn shifted slightly, finding a comfortable spot.
The night air rushed past him, cool against his skin.
From up here, he had a clear view of the winding dirt road, the flickering torchlight from nearby buildings growing distant as they left the GUILD behind.
He leaned back slightly, resting an arm over his knee.
Inside the carriage were most likely the representatives from Beyrin — probably some stiff, noble types sitting alongside the precious cargo.
But Zayn?
He didn’t care.
His job wasn’t to chat. It was to watch.
The carriage soon rolled through the countryside, the only sounds being the rhythmic clatter of hooves against the dirt and the occasional hoot of an owl.
Zayn stayed alert.
His fingers idly tapped against his knee as he scanned the treeline on either side of the road.
Shadows stretched and swayed with the wind, but nothing moved unnaturally.
So far.
They were carrying enchanted materials — items valuable enough to warrant a silver-sealed request at the GUILD.
Which meant that someone else knew about it too.
And, sure enough, just as Zayn was beginning to think maybe he was being too paranoid—
The horses suddenly reared up.
The carriage lurched, the wheels skidding against the ground as the driver yanked the reins. "Whoa! WHOA!"
Zayn was already moving.
His boots hit the roof as he turned sharply, eyes locking onto the treeline —
A shadow darted across the road.
