His first impression of the giant walls of Victory was a deep, stomach-twisting dread.

The scale of it was beyond anything he had ever seen, which was especially impactful as Robert Quintana liked to think he had seen more than most. As the son of a simple guard, he had seen life from the perspective of a commoner and developed a strong desire for more. As the apprentice and heir of a renowned, if only in the right circles, knight, he had seen the perspective of a soldier, knowing the value of hard work and honor.

His time as an initiate had given him another perspective. He learned that there was more to the world than swords, spells, and nobles. More he could do with his gifts than fight, as he dreamed. He’d also learned that his great gifts did not immediately equate to greatness. That not everyone gifted with great power would naturally use such with the discretion and care he would assume.

Perhaps his most valuable experiences came during his short time as a hunter. The Grand Hall was a place of learning but it could not be called a warm place. It was a place where the best casters in the world gathered to further humanity’s understanding of magic and all its related fields. They took in the young talents of the kingdom and raised them to be great casters. The Hall prided itself on being the ideal nurturing ground. They did not pride themselves on being saints.

The training received at the Grand Hall was purely transactional. The masters gave out their knowledge in return for support from the Hall to further their own objectives. Not even one’s presence in the hallowed halls was free, a place among the students requiring more gold than some families would see in their lifetimes. True apprenticeships and friendships could be formed between the staff and their students but it was a rare event.

The guilds took a wholly different approach to educating new hunters. They took the willing under their wings and treated them well. They shared their techniques and came to their aid. What did they ask for in return? Loyalty and goodwill. They asked their hunters to do good. That was all.

Robert didn’t understand it at first. He aspired to be a hero but he understood that his was a rare goal. Many aspired to be strong. Many more to be admired. They hungered for the benefits that came with such positions. Few wanted the responsibilities and the chains of honor that came with being a true hero. To be the first one to stand between the kingdom and all that would threaten it. To put the safety and prosperity of others before themselves. His teacher had told him many times that heroes were rare.

The hunters were not heroes but the guilds seemed to have been built by them. People who brought people together. Gave them the means to protect themselves and others then sent them out to protect the world and give the same chances to others. Perhaps villains could be found in the guilds, as they could be found in all places, but the spirit behind Quest was a good one, he was sure of it.

They had taken him under their wings too. While his teacher had much more theoretical knowledge when it came to spells and more power, the hunters did not lack for experience and expressed themselves with a frankness that had been grating but good for him in the end.

They were no royal knights but they knew their trade. Nothing short of an army dedicated to his safety would make him feel safe during the campaign but he felt a lot better about the ordeal than he had when his teacher first suggested it knowing they’d be accompanying him.

Yet, as they rode closer to the enormous walls, his confidence waned. The many rumors surrounding the campaigns, especially their high death rates, circled in his mind until he found himself dragging his feet.

A sudden slap to his back sent him stumbling forward. “Look sharp, kid!” a deep voice shouted as four hunters passed him. He frowned at the man’s rebuke but it was enough to bring him out of his thoughts. He swept his surroundings to distract himself further.

Thirteen days into their journey, a group from One For All had caught up to them. Naturally, the two groups combined. With more numbers, they were less concerned about their safety and their pace increased. They covered more distance during the day and their nights were lively as the hunters invited the acolytes to their fires. A far cry from the surly tension they had traveled under before. Something many of them attributed to the callous disregard of Lourianne Tome.

Owing to his new, wider perspective, Robert knew their group’s animosity toward the noblewoman was undeserved, born of envy. Many of the rumors they whispered were highly exaggerated, if not blatant lies.

It didn’t escape anyone’s notice that she hadn’t ever caught up and the group from One For All didn’t mention seeing another group on the road. Lourianne had left them behind, spitting on Will’s good intentions. Again, not a crime, but the noblewoman wasn’t doing herself any favors. When the time came, he couldn’t imagine any of the acolytes taking a blow for her and he couldn’t blame them.

With the hunters, it was a foregone conclusion. She’d be lucky if none of them slipped a knife in her back. Better for everyone if she stayed clear and the harmonious atmosphere of the group remained intact. Too bad none of them had any say in where they ended up. That lay solely in the hands of the commanders of Victory.

As the sun set, orders were shouted from the front, bringing them all to a halt. Robert stepped on top of a nearby wagon, waving off a few shouted warnings to be careful, to get a better look. Before the tall wall of the fort was a town. At first glance, it looked very large but looking closer, there weren’t that many buildings. They were simply spaced far enough apart that it gave the impression of being more than they were. They were also grouped together, differentiated by their styles and colors. It was certainly the strangest settlement he’d ever seen.

He didn’t have long to admire it before another order was shouted down the line and they continued into the fort itself.

-

He had heard all kinds of rumors about the knights of Victory. The hunters hadn’t been shy with their stories. Mainly the stories focused on their strength and the extreme lengths they’d traverse to preserve their honor. Those of the north did not suffer insults lightly and never turned away from a challenge. They idolized strength. Their children underwent training that could make grown men weep. Robert expected eccentricity. He expected unusual.

He did not expect to see several dozen men standing in front of the building they were meant to be staying in viciously beating one another. They weren’t even residents of the north.

He had seen the famed knights in their distinctive dark blue armor as they marched through the fort. These men were dressed in the mismatched gear he attributed to hunters, men and women who started with nothing and spent years saving enough to buy the high-quality full plate armor standard for most knight orders.

Robert winced as one man knocked another to the ground with a vicious blow from a mace. He was shocked to see the man prepare to brain his victim again but a ball of snow hit him in the face, snapping him out of his aggression. The apparent winner of the bout staggered off toward the building.

There, tables were set up, stacked with barrels with attached spouts. Someone standing nearby grabbed a mug from a crate behind a table and filled it with the contents of one of the barrels before handing it to the winner, who dropped to the snow to enjoy his drink.

“Alright, everyone!”

Robert turned to face the shouting Will, standing atop a wagon so that all the acolytes could see him. The hunters smiled at the young leader but went about their business. “This is the bunkhouse, where we will be staying before the campaign. Take a minute and rest while I figure out our rooms. If you want, you can go explore but remember what your seniors have said. Alright, that’s all.”

He jumped down from the wagons. Robert hurried over to him. “Commander,” he called, inwardly chuckling as the other man reflexively smiled. He had the feeling that the acolyte enjoyed being in a position of power. Not for the usual reasons but because he enjoyed being depended on. “Are you going to ask what…” He waved toward the bouts that hadn’t lost any steam. “That is all about?

“I am. Victory can be a…wild place sometimes but this is a bit much. Not to the point I’m concerned but I would like to understand what’s happening before walking into it.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“Not in the slightest. Come on.”

The two young men skirted the violence, making their way to one of the tables. The hunters around it gave them sideways glares but didn’t stop them from advancing. The man behind the table, standing protectively beside a half-empty crate of mugs, eyed them a little harder. Will took his attention as an invitation, pasting a smile to his face as he walked up to him. “Hello there. Could you tell me what’s happening? Seems a bit late for such intense training.”

“Never too late for anything in Victory,” the hunter grumbled. “But yeah, these are special circumstances. They’re fighting to see who gets to join the monsters.”

“Monsters?”

“Guessing this was your first stop since arriving or you wouldn’t be asking that. Monsters are the monsters that killed fifty hunters like it was nothing. Some of them named.”

“What?!”

“Yeah. Poor bastards walked into the wrong monster’s den and got mauled to death. It happens. Thing is, those same monsters are heading a force of one hundred. Being led by a group of immortals is obviously good for someone’s continued existence so we’re fighting for the honor. Sides, we get to drink some decent fire juice. Warms you right through.”

“Wait. I’m sorry, you’ve lost me. Immortals? Who are you talking about?”

“The noblewoman and the elf that caused that mess in the city. They’re working for the youngest James girl.”

Robert stiffened. A noblewoman and an elf. That could only mean one person, right? “A woman with purple eyes?”

The hunter’s gaze became more suspicious. “You know her then?”

“There aren’t many that don’t know of Lourianne Tome at the Grand Hall.”

“Ah, I see. You aren’t guildies.”

“No, but can you please explain what Lady Tome and her household have to do with all this?” Will said, his tone thick with disbelief.

The hunter shrugged. “Like I said, they work for the youngest James—"

“Alana?”

“Yeah, that’s the name. They work for her and we want to work for them so we’re beating each other half to death for the privilege. The pretty thing running this madness keeps everyone alive though so I guess it’s pretty harmless in the end.”

“Yes, I got that part, but why?”

The hunter turned his head. “Like I said, they’re immortal. If anyone’s going to survive this place, it’ll be them.”

“You’re avoiding the question,” Robert said, ignoring the look Will shot him. “What happened? Why are all these men so desperate to win that, no, Alana’s approval? What makes you think you have a better chance with them than experienced commanders?”

“Look, I’m not ruining my chances by running my mouth,” the hunter snapped. “You want to know? Go ask the creature.”

“Yes~”

A cute voice drew their attention. The hunters around them shuffled away. The man they’d been speaking to bowed his head and hunched his shoulders. Will glanced between them, not understanding their reaction. Robert was unaware, his attention wholly occupied by the creature walking towards them.

Despite the cold and snow, she was dressed in only a thin white dress and didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable. The reason most likely lay in her inhumanness. Despite her gray skin, small dainty horns, whip-like tail, and hooves, she was still one of the most beautiful women Robert had ever seen. If he knew nothing of the creature, he might have been taken by the fresh-faced innocence of her doll-like features. But when he looked at her, all he saw was the creature holding down his former teammate, cackling as she had her way with the girl.

Lourianne Tome’s pet stopped in front of them, smiling broadly while her tail whipped back and forth. “Why don’t you ask me, little hero~”