In the past ten years, Tara Faelar, Julia Ekheart, and Lady Zee had established a firm foothold in Eren's city.
The trio found the war-related missions assigned to them by the White Raven Guild to be highly profitable.
Tara felt like she was doing only half the work yet reaping double the rewards. These missions were low-risk and perfectly suited to their team of three, almost as if they had been custom-tailored to their strengths.
Thanks to the resources and specialized facilities provided by the guild, Tara's Ranking Progress had excelled. Her teammates had experienced similar advancements in their respective Ranking Journeys. As such, Tara felt content with her role in the White Raven Guild as one of its go-to mercenaries.
Thus, when the guild abruptly removed all war-related missions from its Status Panel, Tara couldn't help but feel disheartened. Her hardworking nature had been cultivated by the rich rewards she'd received over the past decade.
Julia, casually sipping her drink, shared her thoughts.
"I think we should take no action and do what we are told– stand down," she began, having received a prior warning from Eren a few days ago before he left the city.
"Eren believes this war will be different from what we anticipate. He mentioned spoilers in the conflict that will change the entire outcome. Sadly, it's the lower-ranked individuals on both sides who will bear the brunt of the casualties," Jules finished as she emptied her wine glass halfway.
Lady Zee, with a light chuckle, posed a curious question. "How can Eren be so sure there will be spoilers in the war? Doesn't that make him one of them, given his confidence in their involvement?" she inquired, her gaze fixed ahead while her finger traced the rim of her wine glass.
Jules nodded in agreement before adding thoughtfully.
"Indeed, but that wouldn't surprise me given his nature. What's puzzling is why he would keep Lady Zee, an Expert Ranker just a step away from becoming a Master Ranker, from participating. You are more than qualified for such a role. Perhaps…. is it due to us?" Jules pondered aloud, her uncertainty regarding Eren's reasoning evident.
***
During their recent meeting, Eren had a candid conversation with Jules about her affiliations with the Illuminati and proposed that she settle permanently in the City of White Raven. He extended an invitation for her to formally join his guild.
Jules had inquired about the possibility of Tara Faelar also becoming a member, to which Eren was open. However, when it came to Lady Zee, Eren had been evasive about her joining the White Raven Guild.
Eren had previously shared with Jules that he had an intimate history with Lady Zee, a fact Jules accepted. However, she grew uneasy when Eren explained that he couldn't accommodate Lady Zee in his guild.
Jules suspected that Eren's hesitance wasn't solely due to Lady Zee's use of the alias "Catherine" to evade a bounty on her head. She also believed that a prior intimate involvement between Eren and Lady Zee wouldn't be a sufficient reason for him to reject her from his guild.
Eren hadn't been forthright about the true rationale behind his choices. Consequently, Jules had decided to keep Eren's invitation to join the White Raven Guild confidential for the time being. She didn't want to risk alienating herself and Tara from Lady Zee by immediately accepting Eren's offer if it meant Lady Zee couldn't be part of the guild.
***
"I don't believe it's because of you guys," Lady Zee reflected, her thoughts swirling.
"It feels more like I'm grounded for some reason. Um… don't get me wrong. I am glad for the opportunities that were provided to us. But looking back, don't you think the missions we undertook and the rewards we received were rather disproportionate?
Even if either Jules or I were favored by Eren, how could we... hmm?"
Lady Zee was on the verge of sharing her thoughts when she noticed a tall and handsome mature-looking man approaching. Her words trailed off as she observed him coming closer. He positioned himself beside her and introduced himself, his smile warm.
"Hello ladies, my name is Lopen Har. I'm an Expert Ranker." He directed his attention towards Lady Zee with an intent gaze, continuing, "Do you mind if I share your table? Hahaha, I'll treat you lovely ladies to some drinks as a token of my gratitude for your company," Lopen expressed confidently.
The three women swiftly picked up on Lopen's advances towards Lady Zee. With the City of White Raven and its core Rankers preparing for an extended siege, ordinary Rankers found themselves with little to do. Staying idle during the war's preparations felt lonely, so many sought the companionship of others to alleviate their solitary existence.
Some Rankers preferred to date those of equal status, and as an Expert Ranker himself, Lopen found it comfortable to approach Lady Zee. After all, within the City of White Raven, all Expert Rankers were highly regarded, and he saw no reason why Lady Zee would decline his offer.
Tara and Jules turned their gaze to Lady Zee, waiting for her response to Lopen's invitation. Rather than uttering a word, Lady Zee smiled and made a subtle gesture, indicating for Lopen to occupy the vacant seat beside her. She didn't wish to decline the offer of complimentary drinks for herself and her teammates.
With a friendly smile, Lopen settled into his seat, ready to engage in casual conversation with Lady Zee and see where it might lead.
"I know a bit of your group. It's Catherine, right? About this war, Catherine. Do you think…"
However, just as he began to speak, something peculiar occurred. Lady Zee, seated right next to Lopen, inexplicably vanished into thin air, leaving only her half-drunk wine glass behind, marked with the traces of her lips.
Lopen was taken aback, rendered momentarily speechless. He glanced at Tara and Jules, voicing his bewilderment mixed with a hint of irritation. "Ladies, that's rather impolite, don't you think? She could have simply declined."
With a resigned sigh, he rose from his seat and walked away from the table, leaving Tara and Jules alone. Unbeknownst to him, Lady Zee's teammates also wore confused expressions, indicating their lack of understanding regarding her sudden disappearance.
Lopen believed that Lady Zee had employed some unusual means to evade his company. Yet, the truth was far from his assumption—she hadn't left the tavern by her own volition. Instead, she had been summoned away.
AN: Sorry for the delay. I am currently dealing with severe cold (and a mild headache), which might affect VEH's posting frequency for the next 2-3 days.
