[One Step Ahead]
After the Gloomfang incident, the heroes were declared "rogue operatives" by a faction in Melromarc's court. They were accused of unleashing forbidden magic, summoning unsanctioned familiars, and—somehow—vampirism without a license.
Thorfinn: "I didn't know I needed a permit to be undead."
Naofumi: "You filed zero reports. You drank a noble."
Thorfinn: "He was delicious and corrupt."
With no choice but to leave Melromarc behind, the heroes set off toward Ryut, the port city of monsters, guilds, and morally flexible tax codes.
[The Ryut Guild]
The Adventurer's Guild of Ryut was carved into a mountain and run by a dragonfolk guildmaster named Brekka, who had a nose for liars and a tail that could knock a man across town.
She looked over the four parties and grunted.
Brekka: "Four legendary idiots and a vampire. Great."
Thorfinn (grinning): "I'm actually legendary twice."
They registered under a new name:
The Wandering Vanguard
Each party took on different Guild Quests to earn coin, level up, and make peace with their now-public infamy.
[Quests & Contracts]Naofumi's Party
Naofumi's Party
Quest: Escort a fragile crystal convoy through wyvern territory.
Result: Filo ate the wyvern.
Bonus: They unlocked a new shield skill—Crystal Barrier Dome.
Ren's Party
Quest: Slay a rogue chimera.
Result: Ren split it clean in half, and then brooded in the rain.
Bonus: One of his party members started writing sad poems about him.
Motoyasu's Party
Quest: Retrieve a stolen relic from mermaid pirates.
Result: Motoyasu fell in love with three mermaids.
Bonus: Got slapped. A lot.
Itsuki's Party
Quest: Investigate a haunted village.
Result: Turned out to be a magical prank.
Bonus: Itsuki now owns the village. Somehow.
[Monster Contracts]
While out exploring, Takimaru came across a wounded elemental beast—a silver-furred, two-tailed vulpine spirit trapped in chains of null magic.
Thorfinn, upon seeing it: "Ooooh. That's definitely a future boss pet."
Takimaru knelt, muttering a lost incantation. The spirit stirred... and bowed.
He'd unknowingly formed a Contract Bond.
Thorfinn: "You just got a summon. A good one."
Takimaru (genuinely stunned): "I just… wanted to help it."
They named her Yunari. She now guards Takimaru's dreams and teaches him old-world magic.
[Thorfinn's Vampire Taxes]
Meanwhile, Thorfinn ran into the Ryut Taxation Authority, who demanded a license for necromancy, familiar summoning, blood magic, spectral asset possession, and... his fangs.
Clerk: "Your undead property value is illegally inflated."
Thorfinn (baffled): "I have property?"
To solve the issue, he reluctantly attended Vampire Tax School, a weeklong workshop where he:
Filed his first magical W-666 form
Declared Flapworth as a "talking emotional support weapon"
Got arrested twice for "blood fraud"
Somehow ended up teaching the class by the end of the week
[Bonding & Banter]
Around the campfire, something had changed.
The parties weren't just allies now. They were… friends.
Takimaru laughed more. Raphtalia began teasing Thorfinn. Filo raced Yunari through clouds. Even Itsuki let someone else speak for a full five minutes.
Thorfinn shared a toast of magical bloodwine with Naofumi.
Thorfinn: "To the only man who's ever yelled at me for drinking an evil duke."
Naofumi: "You drank two."
Thorfinn: "To progress!"
[The Next Threat]
That night, a scout arrived. Pale. Bleeding. Shaking.
Scout: "A new wave… It's not spawning from this world anymore."
Everyone went silent.
Naofumi: "Then where is it coming from?"
Scout: "The stars."
All eyes turned to the night sky… where strange shapes drifted between the stars, getting closer.
[Next Chapter…]
Chapter 13 – Starfall Protocol: The War of the Realms Begins