The Hunter Capital's spring festival was more than just a citywide celebration—it was a recruitment ground for guilds, a battleground for reputation, and a sea of networking opportunity. Every year, young hunters tried to impress sponsors and clients by hosting exhibitions, duels, and showcases.
Kaen, Zian, and the rest of Shadowfront decided to participate—not as students, but as an independent company. They set up their booth in the northern plaza, surrounded by other rising guilds. Banners bearing their symbol—a sword wrapped in black fire—hung high over their tent.
Zian sat at the table, sorting promotional fliers. She wore a black coat with silver embroidery, her white hair glowing in the afternoon sun. Mira handled the paperwork, stern and precise. Leon was doing his best to look intimidating near the training dummies.
Kaen, however, wandered the plaza eating a double-scoop cone of strawberry-chocolate swirl. His presence attracted a small crowd of gossiping students and wary guild scouts.
"Kaen!" Mira hissed. "Do something useful!"
He returned with five interested clients instead.
Later that day, their Shadowfront exhibition began. Zian showcased her radiant-light sword technique. Leon demonstrated emergency gate tactics. Kaen, of course, stepped into the sparring ring without warning.
His opponent? A top-ranked hunter from a large guild, meant to intimidate newcomers. But Kaen dodged every attack like he was swatting flies.
Then, just for show, he snapped his fingers. The man's weapon turned into petals and fell to the ground.
The crowd went silent.
By the end of the festival day, Shadowfront had gathered six new contracts. Two noble sponsors had taken interest. But more curious was the brief moment Kaen saw her.
A woman watching from a rooftop—long white hair, crimson eyes, and an aura sharp as broken glass. She vanished before he could blink.
Kaen licked his melting cone, a slow smile curling his lips. "So we finally meet, third pact-holder."
Zian returned to the booth. "Who was that?"
"No one important. Yet."
But Kaen knew better. The stage was set.
The empires would rise.
The forgotten would awaken.
And he would be at the center of it all.