As the sun hid behind the dune, night descended on the desert. The air cooled, and an occasional cool breeze swept through, bringing a brief respite from the day's heat.
Leon remained in the guildhall, waiting for the meeting to commence. Magical lamps were lit, casting a warm, nightly glow throughout the hall.
Suddenly, the door to the guildhall swung open with a loud knock. A group clad in white armor entered, covered from head to toe, with only their sharp eyes visible. Following behind them, another group entered, led by a tall, muscular man. They wore red armor plates and marched with a disciplined uniformity.
Those still present in the guildhall began to whisper amongst themselves.
"Hey, why is the city lord here with the soldiers?" a man whispered, staring at the muscular man in red armor.
"Yeah, what are they doing here?" another wondered aloud.
"And who are those people in white armor?"
While the whispers continued, the two groups disappeared behind a door, leaving the guildhall empty once again.
A few moments later, the receptionist's voice resounded in the hall. "Those with tokens for the joint task, please enter the meeting hall."
Hearing her announcement, a few of the seated people stood up. They appeared aged, experienced, people. Leon, too, stood up and made his way toward the door the groups had disappeared behind.
As Leon entered the meeting hall, he noticed, despite this building being in the desert, it had a grand design—high ceilings adorned with intricate carvings, and walls lined with antique ornaments.
The room was illuminated by an elaborate chandelier hanging in the center, its crystals refracting the light into a myriad of colors.
A large round table stood in the middle, with the city lord and the armored soldiers standing at the edges, their gazes fixed on the center of the round table.
Leon, also, shifted his gaze toward the center of the table and noticed the round table wasn't just any ordinary furniture. There was a faint projection on the table, with small hills and other details. Seeing the city marked on the projection, he realized this was a map of the desert.
A bald old man raised his hand. "What's the duration of this mission?"
"We estimate the mission will take two to three days, depending on the challenges we face," the city lord replied. "We will provide provisions and supplies for the journey."
"I also want to ask something," Leon suddenly raised his hand.
"What is it?" asked the city lord.
"How did the city lord know there would be a ruin emerging in this desert?" asked Leon, curious. From what he knew, It was impossible to track the ruin's emergence; one could only wait for them to emerge naturally.
"It's true, there aren't any tools or magic to foresee the emergence of ruins," replied the golden-haired man. "However, it's not entirely impossible to intercept their emergence by observing natural phenomena such as desert storms, earthquakes, and shifts in land formation."
Leon thought for a moment and nodded, finding the response reasonable. "I see."
This explanation was plausible; otherwise, they would have to wait for the miasma to spread over a large area before locating the ruins. By then, the surroundings would be contaminated, and beasts would be corrupted, making it harder for people to conquer the ruins.
"What a curious fellow," the white-armored captain remarked, staring at Leon. "Are you a traveler?"
"Yes," nodded Leon.
"What's your name?" asked the white-armored captain.
"Leon," he replied.
"Hmm." The man nodded, holding his chin as if in contemplation. "That's a good name, synonymous with bravery."
"I am Dwight Reynold," the man introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."