The announcement concluded only a few minutes later. Dozens of mercenaries gathered into small groups, discussing whether they would accept the assignment.
Some looked eager.
Others made no effort to hide their concern.
A mission involving vampires was enough to make even seasoned veterans think twice.
Saphryn watched the scene in silence.
He knew nothing about those responsible for the attack.
Nor did he have any reason to believe that all vampires were involved.
His mother had taught him from an early age that judging an entire race by the actions of a few was simply another form of ignorance.
As he reflected on those words, Elena approached him once again.
"Thinking about joining?"
"No."
She smiled.
"I was expecting that answer."
Saphryn glanced toward the notice board, where several mercenaries were signing the contract.
"How many will go?"
"Probably around thirty."
"That's too many."
Elena frowned slightly.
"You think so?"
"If someone wanted that caravan to be found, sending a larger force won't change much."
She fell silent for a moment.
It wasn't an unreasonable conclusion.
In fact...
It was exactly the kind of observation very few people had stopped to make.
Before she could respond, a deep voice sounded behind them.
"An interesting observation."
Both turned around.
It was the Guildmaster.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with a neatly trimmed gray beard.
His eyes studied Saphryn carefully.
"So you're the traveler everyone's been talking about."
"So it seems."
The Guildmaster smiled faintly.
"I'm Roland."
"Saphryn."
Roland folded his arms.
"I've heard you don't hold a guild rank."
"That's correct."
"And you have no intention of earning one."
"That's also correct."
Elena let out a quiet laugh.
Roland shook his head.
"You're an unusual man."
"I've been told that before."
The Guildmaster regarded him for several moments.
Over the course of his life, he had met hundreds of mercenaries.
Some overflowed with confidence.
Others tried too hard to appear humble.
Saphryn did neither.
He simply answered.
"May I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Have you ever fought a vampire?"
The question lingered in the air.
Elena waited for the answer as well.
Saphryn took a few moments before speaking.
"Yes."
Roland's interest deepened.
"And?"
For an instant, Saphryn remembered a face from a distant past.
Then he replied.
"They're dangerous."
Roland chuckled softly.
"That's the shortest description I've ever heard."
A faint smile crossed Saphryn's face.
"It's also an accurate one."
The Guildmaster nodded.
He didn't press the matter.
Long ago, he had learned that some people revealed more through silence than through words.
Just then, a mercenary burst into the courtyard, breathing hard.
His armor was covered in dust.
Everyone turned toward him.
"Guildmaster!"
Roland stepped forward.
"What happened?"
The man took a deep breath before answering.
"They found another body."
The murmuring stopped instantly.
"Another noble?"
The messenger shook his head.
"No..."
His expression grew more serious.
"A priest."
Absolute silence fell over the courtyard.
Saphryn slowly lifted his gaze.
A nobleman.
Now a priest.
Two people with no obvious connection.
And yet something told him the killer had not chosen the victims at random.
For the first time since arriving in Valdoren, he began to think the murderer wasn't trying to hide.
He wanted someone to understand the message he was leaving behind.
---
News spread through the guild within minutes.
The mercenaries stopped talking about the caravan and began exchanging rumors about the latest murder. Some claimed the priest had served at Valdoren's main temple; others insisted he had disappeared two days earlier and that his body had only just been discovered.
No one knew the truth.
Roland looked over the gathering before speaking.
"Return to your duties. I'll inform you if the guild's assistance is required."
The mercenaries gradually dispersed.
Elena turned to Saphryn.
"This city was peaceful just a week ago."
"Things can change quickly."
She nodded.
"I hope we meet again."
"I'm certain we will."
Elena walked off to rejoin the other guild members.
Saphryn also left the courtyard.
He had barely gone a block when someone called out.
"Sir Saphryn!"
It was one of the city guards who had escorted him to Magistrate Aldren's office the previous day.
The man approached with purposeful strides.
"The magistrate wishes to see you again."
Saphryn inclined his head slightly.
"Lead the way."
---
Aldren's office looked exactly as it had the day before.
Maps spread across the desk.
Documents stacked with meticulous order.
And the window stood open, letting in the afternoon breeze.
The magistrate looked up as soon as Saphryn entered.
"Thank you for coming."
"You sent for me."
Aldren set aside the scroll he had been reading.
"Another victim."
"I heard."
The magistrate walked to the window.
For several moments, he gazed out over the city.
"Lord Aerwin. Now Father Lucien."
Saphryn remained silent.
"Do you see any connection?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he considered the question.
And how little he truly knew about either victim.
Finally, he spoke.
"There isn't enough information."
Aldren smiled faintly.
"Most people would have invented an answer."
"A fabricated answer is rarely a useful one."
The magistrate nodded slowly.
Then he opened a drawer and removed two small sketches.
He placed them on the desk.
"These were drawn by the city's official artist."
Saphryn stepped closer.
They depicted two symbols.
The first was a circle crossed by three lines.
The second resembled a flower with six petals.
"Both were found near the bodies."
Saphryn examined every detail.
He recognized neither.
"They're different symbols."
"Exactly."
Aldren folded his arms.
"Which makes no sense."
"Unless..."
The magistrate waited.
Saphryn finished the thought.
"...they were never meant to identify the killer."
Aldren stood perfectly still.
It was the first theory that matched his own.
"Then what are they for?"
Saphryn shook his head slightly.
"I don't know."
Silence settled between them.
At last, Aldren spoke in a lighter tone.
"You know... I still can't quite figure you out."
Saphryn looked at him.
"Why?"
The magistrate laughed quietly.
"You speak like a scholar."
Then he pointed toward the sword hidden beneath Saphryn's coat.
"You carry yourself like a knight."
He recalled what had happened at the bridge.
"And according to the witnesses, you fight better than most mercenaries."
Saphryn remained composed.
Aldren smiled.
"And yet you insist you're nothing more than a traveler."
Saphryn answered with his usual calm.
"Because that's what I am."
The magistrate studied him for several seconds.
He found no trace of deception in that answer.
Only a sincerity that was difficult to explain.
---
When Saphryn left the Council Hall, the sun was already beginning its descent.
As he made his way back toward the inn, he failed to notice that someone was watching his every movement from the rooftop of a nearby building.
A lone figure, cloaked in dark robes, stood motionless upon the tiles.
They did not look like an assassin.
No weapons were visible.
They simply watched.
And when Saphryn disappeared into the streets of Valdoren, the figure murmured to themselves, an intrigued expression crossing their face.
"So... you're the one everyone's been talking about."