Asiel and Yrion approached the corner table where Silver sat, surrounded by open books stacked in uneven piles. His fingers traced lines of text as his sharp eyes moved swiftly across the pages.
"Asiel cleared his throat. "Excuse me… is your name Silver?"
Silver looked up, startled. He wore simple clothes, his black hair slightly messy from hours of reading. The moment his eyes landed on Yrion, he stood up immediately.
"If it isn't the Flame Swordsman himself," Silver said with clear excitement. "How may I help you?"
His gaze shifted to Asiel. "And who might this be?"
Yrion smiled faintly. "This is Asiel. A talented adventurer who recently came to this city."
Silver nodded in acknowledgment.
"If you're not busy," Yrion continued, "could you come with us?"
Asiel extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Silver. We heard you're extremely knowledgeable about stones."
Silver laughed lightly as he shook Asiel's hand. "Expert is too strong a word. I just happen to like these things."
"That's more than enough," Asiel replied. "Could we talk somewhere quiet?"
A short while later, all three left the library together.
They walked far beyond the busy streets of Lagunica, following the river until the city's noise faded into the distance. Silver followed silently, curiosity written across his face.
Asiel finally asked, "So… how much farther are we going?"
They soon stopped before a small, cozy wooden house near the riverbank. Smoke drifted gently from its chimney.
Asiel blinked. "Yrion… is this your house?"
Yrion opened the door without answering.
Inside, the space was simple but clean. They sat around a small table, and Asiel glanced at Yrion, who gave a quiet nod.
Silver leaned forward. "Alright. What's important enough to bring me all the way out here?"
Asiel reached into his pocket and placed the red gem ring on the table.
Silver's eyes widened instantly.
"This…" he muttered, lifting it carefully. "Where did you find this?"
"So you know something," Yrion said. "What is it?"
Silver inhaled slowly. "This is a Fire Stone artifact. Stones like this can amplify fire-based power — usually by a small margin." He paused, examining it closer. "But this one… this wasn't made for fire."
Asiel frowned. "Then what was it made for?"
"Strength enhancement," Silver replied. "Raw physical reinforcement."
Asiel hesitated. "But… wouldn't using something like this disrespect years of hard work and training?"
Silver shook his head. "That's not how it works."
He looked serious now.
"Artifacts like these don't give power for free. Anyone who uses them must endure intense mental strain. The stronger the effect, the greater the pain." His voice dropped. "Prolonged use can corrupt the mind itself."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
"In some cases," Silver continued, "people lose themselves entirely."
Asiel slowly closed his fingers around the ring.
Power… always demanded a price.
Asiel broke the silence. "Then… how do we differentiate between all these stones?"
Silver leaned back slightly, thoughtful. "These aren't ordinary stones. They're special minerals that have absorbed elemental power over many years. Because that power is natural, it's unstable — difficult to control."
He lifted the ring again and turned it under the light. "Even the color tells you what element it holds. Red means fire. Blue for water. Brown for earth. Green for wind."
Asiel nodded slowly. "Then how does fire become strength?"
"That's done through refining," Silver replied. "Fire can be converted into raw strength. Earth into durability. Wind into stamina. Water into recovery. There are others too — rarer ones."
He placed the ring back on the table. "But this one? It's nothing extraordinary. At best, it holds about a week's worth of power."
Asiel let out a quiet breath. "You really know a lot about stones."
Before Silver could reply, Yrion set several plates of food on the table, the aroma filling the small room.
"Well," Yrion said casually, "you two should eat first."
Silver smiled. "Agreed. Knowledge goes down better on a full stomach."
The tension eased slightly as they reached for the food — but the crimson ring remained on the table, catching the light, silent and watchful.
After finishing the meal, Yrion leaned back slightly, satisfied.
"Asiel, Silver — thanks for eating," he said with a small smile.
Asiel nodded. "Thank you for the food, Yrion." Then he hesitated. "By the way… I saw you at the guild earlier. Did you pick up any quests for us?"
Silver sat quietly, listening.
"Yes," Yrion replied. His voice was calm, but cautious. "I took five extermination requests. Some rookies reported minions spotted near the ruins in the forest."
Silver's expression changed instantly. "Minions? In the forest?" He stiffened. "That's bad news. How many?"
Yrion's jaw tightened. "According to the scouts — around fifty."
"That many?" Asiel asked, then paused. "Wait… what exactly is a minion?"
Both Yrion and Silver turned to him in shock.
"You've never seen one before?" Yrion asked.
Asiel shook his head.
Yrion exhaled slowly. "In short, they're monsters about half a human's height. Classified as E-rank." His eyes darkened. "But don't let the rank fool you. They're merciless creatures. All they know is kill, eat, and breed."
He continued, his tone cold. "If you let them live, they multiply fast. That's why expeditions are always organized to wipe them out completely." His fists clenched. "Not even their young can be left behind."
Asiel's thoughts churned.
(Minions… half human size… rapid breeding…)
(These are basically goblins, aren't they?)
Yrion was still speaking. "The thing I hate most about them is that they—"
"No need to explain further," Asiel interrupted, his voice firm. "I understand."
He stood up.
"Let's go. We'll eliminate them."
Silver hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "I'd like to help too. Minions are weak against ice magic… though I'm only E-rank."
Yrion looked at him, then nodded. "That's more than enough."
"Then let's prepare," Asiel said, eyes steady. "We leave soon."
The decision was made.
Beyond the quiet river and the warm shelter of the house, something foul had taken root — and it was time to burn it away before it spread any further.