"Besides, Jane, guess what?" Fisher's eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief as he turned to his sister Jane.
Jane raised an eyebrow, sensing something intriguing was about to unfold. "What is it, Fisher?"
"My eldest brother; he tried to become the mentor's student too," Fisher said, a proud smile spreading across his face. "But in the end, the mentor chose only me."
Jane's eyes widened in shock. "What? Big Brother didn't make it?" She paused, her face now clouded with concern. "Is it because... does he not have the potential to become a legend?"
The room seemed to hold its breath for a moment. Logan, sitting nearby, felt his curiosity piqued as well. Gawa, Fisher's older brother and Jane's husband, was a quasi-legendary figure. Surely, someone with such immense talent should have the potential to ascend to full legendary status. Could it be that Gawa had already reached his peak?
Logan shook his head slightly, finding the idea ridiculous. Yet, he knew that human potential could sometimes be unpredictable, or even... cruel.
"Jane!" Fisher laughed, shaking his head as if she had just suggested something absurd. "You're jumping to conclusions. Brother is already a quasi-legend, and he reached that level incredibly fast. There's no way he lacks the potential to become a legend."
Jane's brow furrowed, but she was listening closely now. Fisher leaned in a little, his voice dropping into a more conspiratorial tone. "The mentor didn't reject him because of his talent. There were... other reasons."
Though Fisher chuckled lightly, his words carried an unspoken weight. What he didn't share, and what would remain his secret, was the fact that the mentor had indeed mentioned something in private. Gawa's talent, while remarkable, might have reached its limit. The path to becoming a legend could be over for him. But this, Fisher decided, was not something Gawa or anyone else, needed to know.
No point stirring trouble within the family.
Jane let out a small sigh of relief. Her brother Gawa was the pride of their family, a shining example of what their bloodline could achieve. If even he lacked the potential for legend, what hope would there be for their father, who had longed for that status all his life? It would crush him. For now, the balance in the family's hopes and dreams remained safe.
Logan, meanwhile, was relieved for different reasons. He wasn't particularly worried about Gawa, but the notion that a quasi-legend might not have the potential to ascend further would have been unsettling. If someone as powerful as Gawa couldn't make it, then how difficult was it really to become a legend? The thought was a little too grim for his liking.
"Well, it seems congratulations are in order!" Logan smiled warmly at Fisher. "You've achieved what many only dream of; reaching the quasi-legendary level yourself."
Fisher's grin widened, but Logan could sense that it wasn't just luck or hard work that earned Fisher his place. The legendary mentor must have seen something extraordinary in him, something unique. In this world, becoming a mentor's student was not quite the same as being a disciple, but it was still a bond that would last a lifetime.
It was especially remarkable, Logan thought, considering the nature of Fisher's mentor; an elf legend, known for their aloofness and pride. Elves were notoriously choosy, especially when it came to anyone outside their kind. They didn't even care much for humans, let alone Beastmen like Fisher. For an elf to mentor a Beastman... well, that was no small thing.
Logan glanced at Fisher again, his respect growing. The world was full of surprises, and today, Fisher had proven that the impossible was sometimes within reach.
Fisher beamed at Logan' words, clearly pleased with the praise, but he didn't linger on the sentiment for long. With a serious shift in tone, he asked, "Now that the Windrunner United Mercenary Group is officially up and running, when do you plan on delivering the first batch of goods?"
Logan didn't miss a beat. "Whenever you're ready!" he replied confidently.
"Chief, we just apprehended an old elf... caught him red-handed in the wine cellar. He managed to steal over 200 kilograms of our wine!" Reynolds explained, his face flushed with embarrassment. He clearly felt responsible for the breach.
Reynolds had been on a routine patrol when one of the cellar guards reported strange noises coming from the storage area. He hurried to investigate, only to find an old elf, standing amidst empty barrels, having made off with an alarming amount of their precious wine.
Rage had coursed through him; how had this elf even managed to break into the wine cellar, especially when access to the key required his explicit permission?
But the key had remained untouched. That was the troubling part.
And how, Reynolds wondered, had an elf even made it into the heart of the Silvermane Tribe unnoticed, let alone into the wine cellar? Elves weren't exactly common around here, and they were far too proud to resort to something as petty as thievery.
Logan exchanged a bewildered glance with the others. Jane and Begon looked equally stunned. The idea of an elf sneaking into the tribe's territory, much less stealing wine, was absurd.
"An elf? Here? Stealing wine?" Jane muttered, incredulous.
Logan turned his head slowly, his eyes landing on Fisher, who had suddenly developed a deep interest in the far wall, his back turned to the conversation as if nothing unusual was happening. Suspicion flickered across Logan's face.
Could it be... Fisher's legendary "mentor"?
The pieces clicked together in Logan's mind, though the notion seemed far too ridiculous to believe. A legendary elf? Sneaking in to steal wine? That couldn't be right. But the way Fisher was avoiding eye contact made him think otherwise.
Jane, too, seemed to have caught on. She shot a questioning look at her brother, trying to piece together the same puzzle. Meanwhile, Begon just looked confused, as if he thought Reynolds was playing some kind of bizarre joke.
"Uncle Reynolds," Logan asked hurriedly, "where is this elf now?"
If it really was Fisher's mentor; a legendary elf, there could be serious consequences. One wrong move and they could find themselves in the crosshairs of a being of immense power. The last thing the tribe needed was to provoke a legendary figure. What if they'd already insulted him?
"I've detained him," Reynolds replied, standing a little taller. Then, with a shout to the outside, he called, "Bring in the old elf thief!"
Logan felt his heart skip a beat. What if they were about to humiliate or anger a legendary elf? His mind raced with the possible fallout. Was it even possible to capture someone of such power? No, surely not. And if it was possible, what did that say about this elf?
A legend would never let himself get captured... right?
Just as these thoughts swirled in his mind, two Beastman warriors entered, dragging a disheveled figure between them.
Logan blinked. The elf was... well, sloppy was the first word that came to mind. His once-fine clothes were wrinkled and stained, and his hair was a wild, tangled mess. He didn't look like the picture of elven grace or dignity.
Logan's eyes darted to Fisher again, whose lips were now twitching as if he was trying to suppress laughter.