Stephen confidently strode into the Adventurer’s Guild. He was of average height and wore a set of pristine highly polished white armor. Clean shaven face and a dazzling smile, he had no problem wooing the many women that found his looks and status alluring. He was after all Stephen Kingly. White knight of justice and heir to the Kingly name. An influential noble family that called Gildale their home.

  Behind him was his retainer, Rita Scarlet. She was shorter than Stephen and wore a red and white low-cut tunic with the backside resembling that of half a robe. Her bright red hair and green eyes seemingly complemented the entire outfit. Any native of Gildale knew she was a cleric from the Scarlet Clinic. Gildale’s best group of healers that usually catered to the wealthy.

  After greeting Raymi, Stephen scanned the area for an open table. He was planning on taking a quick break before heading home, but his gaze immediately locked on to a beautiful yet unusual sight. Sitting at the center table (which happened to be his favorite table) was a gorgeous Fereece with immaculate silver hair and a beautiful dress adorned with bits of armor. Never had he seen such a fashionable pairing with steel. He could see all the disapproving stares she was getting. “These lowlifes can’t appreciate the beauty of this woman. I must get her to join my harem. I mean my party!” He thought to himself as he moved towards her.

  Walking with the confidence of his looks and status he introduced himself, “My name is Stephen Kingly. Heir to the Kingly name here in Gildale. May I have a seat at your table?”

  Lumina was quite surprised. She was expecting a verbal assault or at least some form of disgust. Instead, the shiny well-mannered man was actually treating her like a normal person. “Of course.” She replied out of habit not really thinking about why the man approached in the first place.

  Stephen was next to be surprised. Normally Fereece were shy, quiet, or downright fearful due to him being a human. This one had a unique feeling about her. She was confident and comfortable despite being in a very inhospitable area. “I almost forgot.” He motioned to the lady who had taken a seat next to him. “This is my retainer, Rita Scarlet. Her family runs the Scarlet Clinic in Gildale.”

  Eldin finally looked up from the mess of paperwork he was filling in when Stephen took a seat. Already his analytical mind was taking in subtle clues that would help him understand the stranger that joined them. “Everyone is watching us. This knight is obviously from the noble class. He is very confident. Is that nepotism or actual talent?” Eldin decided to engage in the conversation, “My name is Eldin. And this is my friend Lumina. We recently arrived in Gildale.”

  “A pleasure to meet you both.” Stephen replied as he took a more relaxed seated position. “Lumina. Such a wonderful name. Why does she look familiar though?” The Fereece’s name had triggered something in his mind, but he was not able to connect the dots. Not to mention, he had just realized that Lumina’s dark-haired friend was an elementalist. “Are the gods smiling on me this day?” Before him sat a gorgeous woman accompanied by an elementalist? It was as if fate was screaming at him to recruit the two. “I see that you are currently filling out the necessary forms to create a party.”

  “That is correct.” Eldin answered as he started to get an idea of why the man approached. “If you’d like, you can join my party. Rita and I are the only ones, which means we have space for two more. The addition of a warrior and an elementalist would be most helpful.”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  With almost all the conversations going quiet, Lumina could tell that everyone was listening in to them. She could hear the bits of whispering filter in from the spectating crowd.

  “That kid’s an elementalist? Damn it. We should’ve recruited him.”

  “Why is Stephen wanting to accept a Fereece?”

  “I wish I could join Stephen’s party.”

  It was obvious to Lumina that the man before them was someone famous. Not to mention the guy had a gold rank badge. She assumed that it was pretty high up. And his retainer was most likely a healer.

  Eldin also noted that everyone had taken an interest in their conversation. Taking a closer look at Rita, he noticed that her clothes had been custom tailored to accentuate the female figure. Considering the fact that she was a retainer with a more conservative demeanor not normally associated with flattering clothing. Eldin guessed that Stephen might be a little too interested in his friend. Which was a first. “You want us to join your group? We haven’t even been accepted as adventurer’s and a gold ranking member such as yourself wants to take us

  on?”

  Stephen nodded, “That is correct. We currently took a request to investigate an issue of a certain monster terrorizing Gildale’s farms. The fact that it is stealing cattle from the ranches means it must be rather large.”

  Following along with the knight’s logic, Eldin concluded, “Having an extra two members for the job in case the problem is a huge creature would make things easier.”

  “Precisely. And while you may not be members of the guild yet, it seems you both have already become quite accomplished. What do you say? Do want to join my party? The Shining Knights?”

  “I’ll have to think about it.” Eldin replied as he went back to finishing the forms. “I know there is another motive to this man’s recruitment. I’m not sure if it involves Lumina or not.”

  Turning to face the object of his desire, Stephen spoke, “It is rare to see such a lovely lady in a place like this. Especially one that is armed. How did you end up here?”

  Lumina could feel the blood rush to her cheeks. When was the last time she ever had someone flirt with her? It had never happened. She had always heard other guys flirt with her friends back in Woodvale, but never once had she been subject to it. “I. Well. My mentor started training me when I was a kid. I joined my town’s militia when I was 14 and became its captain by the time I turned 16.”

  Stephen was quite surprised, “Forgive me for not knowing much about Fereece communities, but is that a common occurrence?”

  “Fereece community? Oh no. I’ve never been a part of one. I grew up in Woodvale. Eldin and I are from there.” Lumina replied. What was she feeling? Lumina didn’t know what to do about the odd sensation she felt in the pit of her stomach. She had been complimented many times by her friends and family. “Why did it feel so strange to hear it come from a handsome stranger?”

  Stephen was even more surprised. He leaned forward resting his elbows on the table, “You were the captain of a militia in a human town?”

  Lumina nodded as she brushed some hair to the side. She didn’t know why she was having such a hard time maintaining eye contact with the knight.

  Now that he had time to inspect Lumina from across the table. Stephen could tell that there was a sexy well-toned body under that armor. He wanted her even more. He decided that he was for sure going to get Lumina to join his harem.

  Eldin wasn’t looking while the conversation between his friend and the knight continued. But now that he was flirting with her, it was obvious that the man was interested in picking up Lumina as well as actually having them join his party. He didn’t know how to feel about it. On one hand, he knew this was Lumina’s first time experiencing sincere interest in her. On the other, this guy probably had a slew of women already at his disposal looking to add another. He wasn’t sure if he should intervene or allow it to continue.

  Once he had finished the necessary documentation, Eldin stood up. Deciding to intervene on behalf of his friend, “Sorry to interrupt, but we shouldn’t keep the guild master waiting.”

  “Oh right. I forgot.” Lumina replied as she apologized to Stephen for suddenly leaving and following Eldin up the nearby stairs.

  Rita Scarlet