Chapter 58: Potential First Contract?
They arrived in front of the headquarters, which is a two-storey building that stood at the center of the entire base, slightly elevated compared to the surrounding structures.
From the outside, it didn’t look extravagant, but it felt solid. Clean lines, reinforced walls, large glass windows that reflected the light, and a wide entrance that gave it presence without trying too hard.
The Humvee came to a smooth stop right in front of it.
Elaina looked up.
"...This is the headquarters?" she asked.
Marcus nodded as he opened the door.
"Yeah."
He stepped down first, then turned slightly and offered her a hand.
Elaina took it without thinking, stepping out carefully. Once both of her feet touched the ground, she looked up again, this time taking in the full structure.
"It doesn’t look like a guild," she said.
"It’s not," Marcus replied. "Guilds are built around people coming in and out. This place is built for coordination."
Elaina glanced at him briefly, then back at the building.
"...It feels more serious."
Marcus gave a small nod.
"That’s the idea."
They walked toward the entrance together.
As they got closer, the glass doors slid open automatically.
Elaina stopped mid-step.
"...It opened."
Marcus didn’t even slow down.
"Yeah."
Elaina followed him inside, still glancing back at the door for a second before fully stepping in.
The interior was different from anything she had seen before.
The space was wide and open, with a clean floor and a high ceiling. Lights were evenly placed above, bright but not harsh. On one side, there was a reception counter already set up, and behind it, a few women in uniform were organizing documents and writing on sheets.
They looked up as Marcus entered.
"Sir," one of them greeted.
Marcus gave a small nod in return.
Elaina’s eyes shifted from them to the rest of the room.
Tables arranged neatly.
Chairs aligned.
A large board mounted on the wall with markings she didn’t understand yet.
"This is..." she started, then stopped.
Marcus glanced at her.
"Operations floor," he said. "This is where everything gets tracked. Missions, personnel, resources."
Elaina slowly walked forward, her steps quieter now.
"...And I’m in charge of this?" she asked.
Marcus looked at her.
"Yeah."
She turned to him fully this time.
"...You’re trusting me with all of this?"
Marcus didn’t hesitate.
"I wouldn’t put you here if I didn’t. Let’s get to my office where we can discuss about the thing you mentioned."
Elaina held his gaze for a second, as if measuring whether he meant it the way he said it.
He did.
"...Alright," she said quietly.
Marcus gave a small nod, then turned and gestured toward the far end of the floor.
"Come on."
They moved past the reception area, the clerical staff briefly glancing at Elaina with curious expressions before returning to their work.
They reached a set of stairs along the side of the building. Marcus took the lead, stepping up without pause.
Elaina followed behind him, her hand lightly brushing the railing as they went to the second floor.
Compared to the ground level, the upper floor was quieter.
Fewer people.
More enclosed spaces.
Doors lined the hallway, each one labeled neatly. Storage. Planning. Records.
At the end of the hall, Marcus stopped in front of a larger door.
He pushed it open.
"This is my office."
Elaina stepped in first this time.
The room was spacious but not excessive. A large desk sat near the window, papers already arranged in stacks. Shelves lined one side of the wall, mostly empty for now but clearly meant to hold documents. A wide window overlooked the base, giving a full view of the training ground and part of the airstrip.
Elaina walked further in, taking it all in.
"...You can see everything from here," she said.
"True, it’s a beautiful sight indeed. Now about this someone looking for me. I want to know why they are looking for me."
Elaina turned and faced him and then spoke.
"Well, given the feats that you have accomplished, especially tackling the wyvern’s raid on the city of Berm, a popular adventurer’s party from the capital city is requesting your help."
"Popular adventurer’s party from the capital," Marcus repeated. "Sounds like a big shot doesn’t it?"
"They are. It’s a four-party member with a rank of A to S-rank. They are known as the Silver Vanguard."
Marcus let the name settle for a second.
"...Silver Vanguard," he repeated, as if testing how it sounded.
Elaina nodded.
"They’re well-known even outside the capital. Most of their missions involve high-risk targets. Dungeon suppression, large-scale monster hunts, escorting nobles, things like that."
Marcus leaned back slightly against the desk, arms crossing.
"So they’re the real deal."
"Yes," Elaina replied. "Not the kind of group that asks for help unless they actually need it."
Marcus glanced out the window for a moment, his eyes drifting toward the training ground below.
"...And they’re asking for me."
Elaina stepped a little closer.
"They’ve been asking around the guild for two days now," she said. "They specifically mentioned your name. The one who handled the wyvern incident."
Marcus let out a small breath through his nose.
"That spread faster than I thought."
Elaina gave him a look.
"You took down multiple wyverns in a single incident. That’s not something that stays quiet."
Marcus didn’t argue with that.
Instead, he shifted his focus back to her.
"What do they want exactly?"
Elaina paused for a moment, recalling the details.
"They didn’t disclose everything," she admitted. "But from what I gathered, it’s a joint operation. Something they can’t handle efficiently with just four members."
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"A party with A to S-rank members... can’t handle it?"
"That’s why it’s concerning," Elaina said.
"Well, this could be our first lucrative contract from. I’m sure whatever we are going to deal with is dangerous, which means a higher payout. When can we meet them?"
"As soon as you’d like, they are staying in the city at the moment," Elaina said.
"Good, tell them to come here."