Chapter 31: You Are Promoted
The moon had long since risen by the time Inigo and Lyra stepped out of La Ferrine's, the lingering warmth of their shared meal still wrapping around them like the final note of a song. The streets of Elandra had quieted, though not completely. Couples strolled under lamplight. The occasional carriage rumbled down cobbled roads. A bard played a gentle tune near the plaza, his lute echoing against the stone.
"That was... different," Lyra said softly as they walked.
"You didn't hate it," Inigo replied with a small grin.
"No," she admitted. "I didn't."
They walked in companionable silence until they reached the outer ring of the district where the inns were located. There, they paused.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Inigo asked.
"At the guild," she confirmed. "Bright and early."
He gave a casual wave, turning for his own inn, though something in the look she gave him lingered behind his eyes for the rest of the night.
The next morning came brisk and clear. Inigo stepped into the Adventurer's Guild with Lyra just behind him. The front hall was already busy—new quests pinned to the board, adventurers bargaining for shares, and guild staff bustling behind the counter.
Elise, her hair neatly tied and expression sharp as ever, waved them over the moment she spotted them.
"The Guildmaster wants to see you both," she said. "He mentioned it last night before closing."