It is about time that the Everlight party was about to enter the royal city. It has took them weeks to months to get there from the west of Ferria to current location. After a week, they had finally enter the royal city and decided to take a break for at least a week.
"That sure is a long journey,"
Amethia sighed as she sat on the white and cozy bed.
"Do you guys travel to every kingdom like this all the time?"
Amethia look toward Raye and asked.
"Pretty much,"
Raye set his things outside before taking a shower. Auoun look outside the window in awe. Well, he had never been to a city as big as the royal city before, let alone the royal capital! Suddenly, there was a huge commotion outside. Loud cheers and shouts can be heard just from the below of the inn. People saying 'Hooray for the Azure Vanguard!' , 'Lord Theun is handsome as always', 'The beauty Rene Velvet'. Wait, those names sound familiar...Al quickly reaches to the window and realized that it was the Azure Vanguard, the A rank party that defeated a warlock of calamity with the help of the dwarves.
Amethia also was leaning in towards the window. She seems to be focused on the white mage Sunday Lavone. Will who was sitting on the bed reading did not care about those. After a while, Raye came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his head as his hair was dripping wet.
"What's the commotion about?"
Raye went and lean closer to the window where Amethia stood. She look at Raye which she saw the right side of his face. His hair was still dripping wet even wrapping it around with a towel. She quickly turned her head back at the window with her face beet red.
"Is that the Azure Vanguard?"
Raye said as he leans in closer to the window. Just then, the hero of the Azure Vanguard, Theun Boyd noticed the presence of people watching him from up above and he looked up. He saw the Everlight party and waves at them. At that time, he didn't realised those were the Everlight party, the party that took down the warlock Enceladus Lauren and the party that aided the vampire hunters during the incident.
Raye quickly got dressed and wore his armor.
"Where are you going?"
Al asked Raye as he turned his head towards him.
"Down, you don't get the chance to meet a A rank party face to face daily do you?"
"...wait up!"
Amethia then also followed Raye which accompanied by Al and Auoun. Lastly, Will realised that all of them were going which he also went too. The Everlight party cane out from the inn which the crowd that were fanning over the Azure Vanguard looked over and whispered among themselves.
"Who are they?"
"Are they trying to take advantage of this situation and promote their party?"
Raye didn't care about the critics from the crowd. He walked straight to the leader of the Azure Vanguard, Theun Boyd and shook his hand.
"Sir, pardon my disturbance but it is a pleasure to meet you,"
Theun look at Raye's gaze which is full of awe and respect.
"It's good to meet you too,"
The crowd were talking about how rude Raye was, just speaking to the glorious Theun Boyd like he is someone close to you. While the crowd are criticising Raye, Will came down with the aura of someone who is above you, silencing the crowd. Even so, people still whispered among themselves, though they did not criticise anyone, or the gloomy mage might kill them.
"Who is that guy?"
"I can feel bit of his bloodlust,"
Theun look at Will and then the whole Everlight party before returning his gaze to Raye. His eyes widen and gripped his hand tighter, which shocked Raye.
"Ouch, that hurt-"
Before Raye could finish, Theun interrupted him with excitement and glee.
"Wait, are you guys the Everlight party?"
"Yes,"
Suddenly, the crowd erupted with more whispers. Whispers were then turn into chatters.
"Wait, the Everlight party that also defeated a warlock of calamity and the incident in the 'Dead City'?"
"That's them?"
The crowd then gathered around the Everlight party. Al scoffed at the crowd. Bunch of hypocrites he thought.
"Are you...Raye Winston? The one who took down Enceladus Lauren?"
"Yes,"
Theun shook Raye's hand rapidly, making his right arm sore.
"Guys, it's the Everlight party! The party that show us that even the warlocks of calamity could be defeated!"
Theun turned his head and looks toward the rest of the Azure Vanguard.
"The C rank party that took down a warlock?"
A woman voice sounded from the back. She walked forward and stood beside Theun. Theun is red haired. He is wearing a red cape and an armour vest unlike Raye who is fully covered in armour. Theun also wears knee pads and shoulder pads. As for the woman, she wore a brown leather that wrap around her waist and a blue short skirt. Her clothes were for mobility instead of nobility. She has a long brown hair that reaches to her hip.
"Well, I wouldn't say we did it alone, we had the help of the Perfect Mage...."
Raye rubbed his head and chuckled by being praised like that. The rest of the Everlight party members caught up to Raye and Amethia stood beside him.
The rest of the Azure Vanguard members also catch up to Theun and stood beside him. There is an archer who had light blonde hair, wearing green and a brown leather vest. He has a bow and a back quiver. Next to the archer is a buff man having dark brown hair who is dressed in iron armour. He has a large shield that was red and seems to be a scale of a dragon with an iron frame around it. Another woman came from the behind. She has a light blonde hair like the archer though her hair is short unlike the other woman. She is dressed in all white and a white skirt that reaches before the knees. Lastly, a priest that has silky black hair that was well combed, wearing a glasses dressed in black robes and golden linings at the edges.
"These are my party's members,"
Theun then stepped back to let Raye have a closer look at the Azure Vanguard party.
"This is our mage Rene Velvet, here is our tank Cyrus Ryker, the man dressed in black is our priest Sherman Gerard,"
The priest nodded his head lightly as a sign of greetings.
"The archer is Edwin Jarno and the woman dressed in white is Sunday Lavone,"
Raye then look at Amethia and then back at Theun.
"This is Amethia Tropaz,"
The mage, Rene Velvet took a closer look at Amethia's dress. She wore a dress that is for mobility despite being long. The dress was slit into a few long parts though it still covers and protects her. The priest wearing black with golden lining pursue Al and shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you,"
He adjusted his glasses before shaking hand.
"Nice to meet you too, I'm Al Sevis..."
Auoun came up and reaches out his hand to the tank Cyrus Ryker, despite his grip being strong, Cyrus overpowered the dwarf, shocking him.
"Nice to meet you, a strong grip you have,"
Cyrus smirked at Auoun, making him interested at Cyrus. Will walked forward while expressing a gloomy face.
"So, you are the gloomy mage they talked about,"
Theun laughed as Will was taken aback by his words. Again, Will goes thinking about himself, questioning his sanity.
"It's been almost three months after you defeated a warlock of calamity, why are you still here?"
Raye asked Theun which made him looked around, he then whispered into Raye's ear, requesting to follow him to a place where it is less crowded. The Azure Vanguard then brought the Everlight party out of the crowd and to a house that seems to be owned by a royal member. There is a huge yard around the house and the house was painted white with black tiles at the roof. There is even a stone pathway that leads to the house.
"Did you...bought a house here?"
Raye asked with his jaw dropping.
"No, the king of Ferria let us stay here for five months as a thank you for defeating the warlock, despite the dwarves were attack, it was still in this kingdom, let's go in,"
Theun unlocked the door and enters before the rest of the Azure Vanguard to then the Everlight party. He then locked up the door, preventing people from entering it.
"So, what is the reason that you choose to stay in here?"
Raye asked once again. Theun looked at the rest of the Azure Vanguard and let out a big sigh.
"Well...we were thinking of retiring as adventurers, we been through many adventures, travel the world and helped many in needs,"
It is true. The Azure Vanguard had became an adventurers before the SUN Cult threatened the Hiden King.
"But aren't you still capable of going on adventurers?"
Raye asked again. Theun then makes himself a cup of coffee that the ingredients were prepared on the table. He first poured in the powder that was in a packet before pouring the scalding hot water. After that, he took a teaspoon on the table and stirred it before giving it to Raye.
"Thank you..."
"Well, we are A rank adventurers now, I don't see any reason for us to pursue S rank, and some of us got lives to live too,"
Theun looked at Rene as he said that. The mage turned her head away which made Theun chuckled.
"...So when are you guys thinking of retiring?"
"Around next year,"
Raye looked at Theun who does not have the look of someone who is sad. In fact, he was happy that they are going to retire. It's best to live the life you still have, Raye thought to himself and smiled at Theun.
"Why are you choosing to tell this to us?"
"Because we're both adventurers, nothing much, and we both defeated a warlock of calamity,"
"True..."
After that, the Everlight party and the Azure Vanguard chatted a little longer which they had fun. The Everlight party was about to leave the house before Theun stopped them on their track.
He was standing at the door frame before he shouted.
"If you ever feel weak, you can come visit us!"
What does he mean by that? Is he belittling us? Will thought to himself as Raye waves goodbye to Theun. Well, he is an A rank adventurer, I guess it would be possible for him to notice our strength and abilities.
"We are still C rank adventurers, two rank lower than the Azure Vanguard, he is probably thinking for us, we did killed a warlock of calamity, we might not be able to defeat another warlock if we encounter one again judging from our strength and abilities,"
It was as if Raye has seen through Will's thought. I guess that is true, I might not be able to protect them if we were to meet one again. Will thought to himself which he agrees rationally. Judging off Raye, he probably will train with them, and so as the rest following the leader. This week sure will be a heck of a week for the Everlight party!