MTLNOVEL Chapter 61: Quest
Hades noticed the man's ears first—long and sharp. He was an elf.
Mana clung to him so naturally, it was like he was breathing it out.
And that last strike… it wasn't meant to injure. It was a warning. A clear one.
It worked.
Hades couldn't always judge someone's power just by looking, but the man's confidence and the way raw mana lingered in the air around him… it was enough.
He was dangerous.
They were led up to the first floor of the building. The elf walked ahead, then opened a door and gestured them inside.
"Sit," he said, pointing toward the couch opposite his chair.
Hades exchanged a look with Luna before the two sat down.
The room looked personal. Likely his own quarters.
Taking a guess, Hades spoke, "You're the guild master."
The elf didn't answer. His narrowed eyes remained fixed on them.
"You barged into my place," he said, "and started throwing punches left and right."
"They started it," Hades replied flatly. "They should've been ready to defend themselves if they picked a fight."
The elf let out a mocking laugh. "Look at the child. Learns a few tricks and suddenly thinks he owns the world."
Hades didn't flinch at the jab. He answered calmly, "Whether I rule the world or not doesn't matter. But when it comes to people I care about, I won't take a single insult. Not from anyone."
The elf's smile faded. He leaned back, his expression unreadable.
Luna saw the chance and asked, "Can you help us cross the border?"
The elf looked at her for a moment before replying, "Why do you want to enter the Elven territory?"
"We want to visit Samaran City."
His brows lifted. "That old place? Really? Smuggling something over there, sure, I'd believe that… but this?"
Hades quickly stepped in with a believable excuse. "Our parents told us to receive the blessing of the temple."
The elf looked between them again, as if trying to see through the lie, but eventually said, "A cart leaves for the other side in six hours. Pay two thousand gold coins and you're on it."
"…Two thousand?" Hades echoed, eyes wide.
He had spent too much lately—on supplies, on lodging. And without steady income, he was nearly broke.
"Too much?" the elf asked, almost amused. "Then apply for proper documents. It won't cost much, just time."
He stood up, adding, "The cart leaves in six hours—with or without you. Bring the money, or wait ten days."
Once outside, Hades looked at Luna.
"Let's check the Hunter's Guild," he suggested.
Luna hesitated. "Hades… if I sell my tears, it might be enough—"
"No," he cut her off. "It's too risky. We don't know anyone here. I don't trust them, and I won't let anyone get your tears—not directly, not indirectly."
Her shoulders dropped, disappointed that she couldn't help.
Hades gently held her hand. "As a warrior, I still need you."
Her eyes lit up. "So… we're going hunting?"
"Most likely. Let's look first," he said, leading the way into the guild.
This place was livelier than the mercenary guild.
Instead of going to the receptionist, they headed straight for the bulletin board, checking out the posted quests.
"The harder ones are probably hidden behind the simple ones," Hades muttered, lifting papers to see what was underneath.
"Hey, how about this?" Luna asked, holding out a quest sheet.
It was a hunt—a beast named Ghirodah roaming in the forest just outside town.
The reward: four thousand gold coins.
Hades was considering whether the two of them could take it on alone when a voice interrupted.
"We've been eyeing that quest too, but we're short on members."
Three people approached—two women and one man. All of them wore friendly smiles.
"We're not licensed," Hades said.
The brown-haired guy shrugged. "You look strong. That's enough."
Luna asked, "How do we split the reward?"
The blue-haired girl behind the boy, twirling a pair of knives, answered bluntly, "Even split?"
Hades frowned. "We split it. You get one half, we take the other."
The girl's smile faded, but the boy stepped in quickly, "Fair enough. One condition—we leave right now."
Hades let out a breath. "We'd ask the same. We don't have time to waste."
"Great. Meet us at the guild's door in ten minutes. We'll grab our armor."
Hades nodded and watched them walk off.
Luna leaned in, whispering, "They give off a weird vibe…"
Hades sighed. "Well, everyone lives for their own greed. The only thing we need to decide—once we understand whether their greed is tolerable or dangerous—is where to dispose of them."
He wasn't being dramatic. Hades had seen all kinds of people in his life, enough to know Luna's instincts weren't wrong.
Three strangers, conveniently lacking members, yet sharing the same urgency as him and Luna to take on a high-reward quest?
Too perfect. Too clean.
Still, until they showed their true colors, Hades would play along. He didn't know this land or its terrain well enough to go in alone. Tolerating them—for now—was the smart move.
"We don't have armor," Luna mumbled, eyes on the ground. "You don't even have a weapon. Feels like we're back to the old days."
There was a small smile on her face as she said it. A little nostalgia.
Hades chuckled. "We've got each other. And unlike before, I can actually protect you now."
Luna reached out and squeezed his hand. Her grip was firm, steady.
"If things go bad," she said softly, "I'm still putting myself between you and danger. That part hasn't changed."
His smile faded slightly. There was a sharp sting behind her words.
He hated hearing that… hated the way she said it like a promise.
But those determined eyes—burning with unshakable loyalty—told him it was pointless to argue. So he didn't.
They stood outside the guild, chatting quietly as time passed. Finally, the trio returned—armored up and armed to the teeth.
The brown-haired boy stepped forward and, without a word, tossed something toward Hades.
A spear.
"Figured you'd need this," the boy said casually.
Hades caught it. It was solid, well-balanced, the kind of craftsmanship that didn't lie.
He smiled, then extended a hand. "Thanks. Name's Hades."
The boy took his hand firmly. "Larry. And these two are Maria and Olivia."
Hades gave them a nod, then said, "Let's hope we make a good team out there… and get what we came for."
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A/N:- I hope you all are liking the development. This is a new kind of story I am trying here.
Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.