Hermes's Trial

As I walked through the streets of Orario, I was still weighing my choice of Familia.

"The Hermes Familia... it looks like the best fit for me."

As I pondered, a commotion suddenly reached my ears. Several adventurers in matching equipment were gathered around a stall, arguing about something.

"This won't do. That price is outrageous!"

"If you think it's too expensive, go look somewhere else! Low-grade potions can save your lives, and you know it!"

I stepped closer and discovered they were arguing over a batch of healing potions for use in the Dungeon. As a newcomer, I had no idea what the prices should be, but their heated argument piqued my curiosity. I couldn't help missing the wealth I'd had in my previous world, when I could have casually settled a minor matter like this.

"What a lively place," I remarked softly, then turned toward an alley nearby.

The alley was full of shadows, a stark contrast to the bustling main street outside. I slowed my pace and took in the atmosphere around me. Whether it was the clamor of the adventurers or the rules of the Dungeon, this city was certainly growing more and more interesting to me.

But my exploration wasn't over yet.

"Next, I'll find somewhere to learn about the Hermes Familia."

After passing through several alleys, I eventually arrived at the entrance of an inconspicuous tavern. I pushed the door open and found the atmosphere inside more casual than at the Labyrinth Home. Adventurers sat in groups of two or three, their conversations mingling with the clinking of glasses.

"This place seems better suited to finding some unofficial information."

I casually picked a seat by the wall, ordered a drink, and began observing the people around me. Before long, a man wearing loose clothing and a hood sat down across from me.

"You're the new face who was looking at the notice board outside the Guild, aren't you?" He raised his head, revealing a face that was somewhat comical yet shrewd.

"What if I am?" I picked up my glass and asked calmly.

"Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble." He smiled and lowered his voice. "Lord Hermes sent me to see if there were any interesting prospects around, and, well... you look pretty special."

It seemed he was a member of the Hermes Familia. They were quite efficient.

"And what can you tell is special about me?" I deliberately kept my tone casual.

"Hey, I couldn't say, but Lord Hermes's eye for people has never been wrong. Maybe you'd be interested in our Familia." He handed me a small card with the Hermes Familia's address written on it.

"Come here tomorrow morning. Our lord will receive you in person."

With that, he got up and left in one brisk, efficient motion.

I looked down at the card in my hand, the corners of my mouth lifting slightly.

"Interesting... looks like I've taken my first step."

"I'm Hermes. The fact that you came here means you're interested in me." There was a teasing note in his voice, but his eyes scrutinized me sharply.

"Just curious, that's all," I replied coolly, standing where I was without moving.

Hermes chuckled, as though he had already seen through my disguise. He turned and waved to the attendant behind him, who immediately withdrew, leaving the two of us standing in the courtyard before the entrance.

"You know, people who can conceal their presence are rare in Orario." Hermes stepped closer and lowered his voice. "But the more they do that, the more they tend to interest me."

"Do you specialize in uncovering adventurers' hidden 'potential'?" I raised my eyes slightly, my tone still flat.

A flash of excitement crossed Hermes's eyes. "Exactly. Though what interests me more are their 'secrets'." He drew out the words and gave me a meaningful look.

Good. He seemed adept at probing people. I couldn't reveal myself too easily, but I couldn't refuse him outright either. Hermes's Familia really would make excellent cover, but joining might also land me in more unknown trouble.

"So how do I prove myself?" I asked, deliberately steering the conversation in the direction he wanted.

Hermes nodded in satisfaction and waved a hand. Several Familia members immediately emerged from the building, carrying a map and several pieces of equipment.

"There's a small task on the tenth floor of the Dungeon. My members were originally going to handle it, but I thought—" He paused, a smile curling his lips. "I'd let you give it a try. How about it, as a little test for our first meeting?"

"What does the task involve?" I asked.

"Just clearing out some monsters that have gotten out of control." Hermes spread his hands, his tone relaxed. "But apparently, these monsters have been behaving strangely. They may be under some kind of influence. I need someone to investigate and deal with them while they're at it."

"Sounds simple," I said coolly.

"Of course, if you don't mind, I'll send someone along with you to record your performance." Hermes clapped his hands, and a slender woman emerged from the residence.

"This is Asfi, my trusted assistant," Hermes said with a smile.

Asfi gave me a calm once-over, then nodded. "Nice to meet you."

"Mm." I nodded and said nothing more.

Hermes smiled in satisfaction, then turned and left, leaving Asfi and me standing in the courtyard.

After we entered the Dungeon, Asfi kept a few steps behind me, following at a distance neither too close nor too far. Her steps were light and silent; she had clearly undergone special training. Although Hermes had sent her to "record" my performance, I knew her real task was to watch me.

"What was your first impression of the Hermes Familia?" Asfi suddenly asked.

"More interesting than I expected," I answered casually, my eyes fixed on the passage ahead.

As we ventured farther in, the tenth floor grew dimmer, and a faint blue-green light shimmered across the surrounding walls. The atmosphere could easily feel oppressive, but to me, this was precisely the kind of place where the power of shadow could be brought to its fullest.

"Careful, there are monsters ahead," Asfi warned quietly.

In the passage not far ahead, several wolf-like monsters were approaching with low growls. Their movements were abnormally violent, and an unnatural red light flickered in their eyes. They were clearly under the influence of some unknown power.

"Let me handle them," I said coolly, pausing for a moment as shadows quietly spread from beneath my feet.

"Wait, don't confront them head—" Before Asfi could finish, the shadows rapidly expanded like a giant net, enclosing the monsters.

They struggled and let out piercing roars, but the power of the shadows bound them like pitch-black chains, completely suppressing their movements. Within seconds, all the monsters collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"How did you do that...?" Surprise flashed in Asfi's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Just a technique." I withdrew the shadows, my tone flat.

"..." Asfi didn't press further. She merely looked down and wrote something on her clipboard.

"What next?" I asked.

"We keep going. We still need to find the source of the monsters' abnormal behavior," Asfi said, a complicated look in her eyes.

As we continued deeper, the passages on the tenth floor grew narrower, and a faint, intermittent stench of decay filled the air.

"Do you feel it?" Asfi stopped and asked in a low voice.

"Yes. The fluctuations of magic nearby are unusually strong."

As we spoke, a deep roar came from up ahead. An enormous monster slowly emerged from the shadows. It was far larger than an ordinary monster, and a black-purple light radiated from its entire body.

"Looks like that's the source," I said calmly, shadows quietly beginning to spread.

"Careful, that monster may have been strengthened by some kind of outside force!" Asfi swiftly drew the short sword at her waist and prepared to fight.

I didn't rush to attack, however. Instead, I carefully observed the monster's movements.

"An outside force... is it coming from inside its body?" I murmured. Then shadows surged out like a tide and instantly wrapped around the monster's lower body.

The monster roared and struggled with all its might, but the power of the shadows held it immobile. Just then, I noticed a strange runic light flickering on its chest. The source of the outside force seemed to lie within it.

"What's that...?" Asfi had spotted the runes too, and her expression grew graver.

"Let's deal with it and see what's inside," I said. The power of the shadows tightened sharply, completely subduing the monster.

As its life faded, the runes on its chest gradually dimmed, and a black-purple crystal fell from its body onto the ground.

"What... is this?" Asfi carefully picked up the crystal and examined it.

"Obviously, something that doesn't belong here," I said, my gaze darkening.

Just as Asfi was about to study the crystal further, a jumble of footsteps came from a distant passage.

"Someone's coming?" I frowned and quickly dispersed the shadows, hiding them.

Before long, several adventurers in unfamiliar clothing appeared in our field of view. Their badges showed that they didn't belong to the Hermes Familia, but to some unknown minor Familias.

"Don't move!" the adventurer leading them shouted, pointing his weapon at us. "Hand over that crystal!"

"Looks like someone doesn't want us taking it away," I said with a cold laugh.

Asfi tightened her grip on her short sword warily and exchanged a glance with me. "Be careful. They're no ordinary opponents."

"Don't worry," I said calmly, shadows quietly beginning to spread. "These people aren't worth mentioning."

Before the group of adventurers could approach, the shadows beneath my feet spread like a tide and instantly wrapped around their ankles.

"Wh-what the hell is this?!"

The leader shouted and tried to break free, but the shadows held firm. The powerful restraints instantly pinned him down, forcing him to his knees as his weapon fell to the side.

"Calm down," I said coolly, my voice unusually clear in the silent passage. "If you don't want to suffer any further losses, I suggest you behave."

"Who the hell are you?!" another adventurer demanded, his voice already tinged with unmistakable fear.

Asfi stood to the side, her expression as calm as ever. Clearly, none of this surprised her. She didn't intervene, silently observing my actions instead.

"You people," I said, raising my head and sweeping a cold gaze over them, "seem to want this crystal badly. So what exactly is it?"

"We... we're just following orders!" the leader blurted out, clearly realizing he had lost the advantage. "This... this was a job from our superiors!"

"Your superiors?"

The shadows beneath my feet loosened slightly, but still held them firmly. "Then who are your superiors? What's so special about this crystal?"

"We don't know!" another adventurer cried in panic. "We were only told to bring back the crystal... we don't know anything else!"

"Looks like they're just pawns being used too." Asfi stepped forward, a hint of mockery in her voice.

I was silent for a moment, then slowly withdrew the shadows. "Go back and tell your 'superiors' that if anything like this happens again, I won't be so polite next time."

The adventurers scrambled to their feet in apparent relief, awkwardly picked up their weapons, and turned and fled down the passage.

"Interesting." Asfi watched them leave, then turned her gaze to me. "You don't seem to be an ordinary adventurer."

"I just know a few techniques," I said calmly, turning my attention to the crystal on the ground.

"What do you think this thing is?" Asfi crouched down and held the crystal out to me.

The crystal gave off a faint black-purple glow, conspicuous even in the dim passage. Some kind of energy seemed to flow within it, as though it might erupt at any moment.

"Something that doesn't belong to this world," I said quietly, reaching out to touch one corner of the crystal.

The instant my fingertip made contact, a strange fluctuation surged from within, as though something were trying to invade my consciousness. But the moment that force touched my power of shadow, it was repelled, turning into a faint tremor.

"What is it?" Asfi keenly noticed that something was wrong with me.

"Nothing." I let go and handed the crystal back to her. "It seems it's more than an ordinary magic item."

Asfi frowned, clearly realizing that things weren't so simple either.

"Once we're back, I'll give it to Lord Hermes and let him decide what to do next," she said. Then she stood and carefully tucked the crystal into a pocket.

"Aren't you worried Hermes might get dragged into this?" I asked casually, a hint of probing in my voice.

Asfi glanced at me, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. "Lord Hermes has always enjoyed taking risks. If this really is interesting, he'll never stand by and do nothing."

"Is that so..." I murmured, looking toward the depths of the distant passage.

We returned to the surface without incident, and Hermes was already waiting for us in the Familia's courtyard.

"It looks like you brought back something interesting." Hermes's gaze immediately fell on the crystal in Asfi's hand, his excitement undisguised.

"We did." Asfi handed him the crystal and briefly explained the unusual situation in the Dungeon. "Those adventurers also seemed to be looking for this crystal, but they didn't know what it was really for."

Hermes took the crystal and examined it carefully, then gave a meaningful smile.

"This thing seems to be connected to certain recent rumors," he said softly, before putting the crystal in his pocket. "You both did well. You handled this task splendidly."

Although he was addressing both of us, his gaze lingered on me more often.

"Mr. Shadow," Hermes said suddenly, a hint of inquiry in his tone. "What do you think of a task like this?"

"Boring," I replied calmly, without a trace of emotion in my voice. "But if there's a more worthwhile target, I might consider it."

Hermes stared for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"You really are an interesting person," he said with a laugh, then clapped his hands. "Just as I thought, you really are an exceptional talent."

I didn't respond, merely standing there in silence.

Hermes narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly waiting for me to speak. But when he found that I remained silent, he shrugged and turned to Asfi beside him. "Asfi, bring over what we prepared."

Asfi nodded and brought out a wooden plaque engraved with the Hermes Familia's emblem, along with an ordinary-looking quill.

"These are our Familia registration materials." Hermes handed me the plaque, then gave me his trademark sly smile. "So, Mr. Shadow, would you like to officially become a member of our Hermes Familia? Just sign your name, and you'll receive a god's Falna and become an official adventurer."

I watched him and thought for a moment before accepting the plaque and quill. "In that case, I accept your invitation."

Hermes's smile deepened.

"Excellent. Then write your name."

I looked down at the plaque and engraved the name "Cid Kagenou" on its surface. A warm light appeared on the plaque, then spread over my entire body. I could feel a strange power flowing into me. This was the so-called "Falna."

"From today onward, you're a member of the Hermes Familia," Hermes said with satisfaction. "I hope we'll work well together in the future."

After Hermes left, I looked at Asfi. She nodded slightly, her tone a little more relaxed. "Congratulations on officially becoming an adventurer, but things aren't so simple in the Hermes Familia."

"I don't like simple things," I said calmly, putting the plaque inside my clothes.

This was only the beginning: a new identity, a new chessboard. And the Hermes Familia was just one important piece on it.

"Next, it's my turn to act."