The Fifth Guild - III
1292 Words
"...She never existed."
Those words lingered in Blairre's mind even after the conversation had ended.
No records.
No portraits.
No name.
For a royal family to erase someone so completely...
It was impossible.
Or rather—
It should have been.
Blairre had spent years organizing House Orthox's archives. Noble families documented everything—births, marriages, alliances, even petty feuds spanning generations. History was currency. Every record strengthened a family's legitimacy.
To erase an entire person...
Someone had to keep erasing every trace they left behind.
"...History can disappear," she murmured.
Zeilda looked over.
"Hm?"
Blairre shook her head.
"Nothing."
Father...
"History is the easiest thing to rewrite."
The words surfaced again.
For the first time, she wondered if he had meant them literally.
---
Leaving the bustling central district behind, the two walked along a quieter stone path.
The grand buildings gradually disappeared, replaced by towering trees whose branches intertwined overhead like a natural tunnel.
The cheerful voices of students became distant.
Birdsong replaced laughter.
A cool breeze carried the scent of pine and damp earth.
Blairre glanced around.
"...Is the Fifth Guild this far away from everyone else?"
Zeilda smiled awkwardly.
"Well..."
"You'll see."
The deeper they ventured into the forest, the stranger the atmosphere became.
Unlike the elegant districts near the Academy entrance, this place felt...
Untamed.
Wildflowers grew freely across the path.
Ancient trees leaned over forgotten stone walls.
Somewhere in the distance—
Something exploded.
BOOM!
A flock of birds scattered into the sky.
Blairre instinctively reached for the dagger hidden beneath her cloak.
"...Enemy?"
Zeilda didn't even flinch.
"No."
"...Then?"
"...Probably Cyprian."
"..."
"...Experimenting."
Another explosion echoed through the forest.
"...Again."
Blairre slowly lowered her hand.
"...Is he alive?"
"I think so."
"You think?"
"He usually is."
"..."
Before Blairre could ask another question, the forest suddenly opened into a wide clearing.
There—
Nestled beneath enormous ancient trees—
Stood the Obsidian Crow Guild Mansion.
Or at least...
It used to be a mansion.
Its dark stone walls were covered with climbing vines.
Several windows had clearly been repaired using completely different kinds of wood.
One side of the roof sagged noticeably lower than the other.
The front fountain no longer held water.
Instead...
Someone had filled it with colorful fish.
"..."
Blairre blinked.
"This is..."
She searched for the right word.
"...historic?"
Zeilda coughed into her fist.
"We prefer..."
"...'vintage.'"
Another loud crash interrupted them.
A window on the second floor burst open.
A smoking pot flew through the air before landing harmlessly in a nearby bush.
A sleepy young man leaned halfway out the broken window.
Messy dark hair.
Half-lidded eyes.
"...Wrong ingredient."
He disappeared back inside.
A second later—
BOOM!
Smoke billowed from the room.
Zeilda sighed.
"Definitely Cyprian."
Before Blairre could react—
A loud shout echoed from the backyard.
"I'M NOT LOSING AGAIN!"
Another voice answered.
"YOU SAID THAT AN HOUR AGO!"
Metal clashed repeatedly.
The unmistakable sound of wooden practice swords striking one another rang through the clearing.
Curious, Blairre followed the noise.
Behind the mansion—
Two students were engaged in what could only be described as absolute chaos.
One was a muscular young man with long dark hair tied into a ponytail.
Every strike he delivered was calm, disciplined, and efficient.
Facing him...
A silver-haired girl grinned from ear to ear despite the bruises covering both arms.
She swung her sword with reckless enthusiasm.
"Again!"
The young man sighed.
"...Vrixa."
"You've lost sixty-three times."
"I'll win on the sixty-fourth!"
"No."
"Sixty-fifth?"
"No."
"...Eventually?"
"...Probably."
Blairre couldn't tell whether they were arguing or encouraging one another.
A few meters away—
Another young man sat peacefully beneath a tree.
A picnic blanket had been spread across the grass.
Tea steamed gently from a porcelain cup.
Across from him...
Sat a rather plump orange cat.
The young man nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
The cat meowed.
"You're absolutely right."
Another meow.
"I, too, believe tuna is superior to chicken."
Blairre stopped walking.
"..."
"...Is he..."
Zeilda answered before she could finish.
"That's Idris."
"He talks to animals."
"...Can they understand him?"
"No."
"...Does he know that?"
"...No."
As if on cue—
The cat suddenly stood up.
Walked away.
Ignored him completely.
Idris looked heartbroken.
"...I've offended him."
Blairre stared silently.
This...
Was nothing like she had imagined.
She had expected a military guild.
Disciplined.
Organized.
Strict.
Instead—
One member was blowing up the building.
Two were treating sparring like a festival.
Another was holding philosophical discussions with a cat.
"..."
"...Are all of you like this?"
Zeilda smiled.
"...Mostly."
Just then—
The mansion's front door opened.
A woman with shoulder-length crimson hair stepped outside carrying an armful of papers.
The moment she noticed Blairre—
Her sharp emerald eyes widened.
"SHE'S HERE!"
Her voice echoed through the clearing.
Instantly—
Everything stopped.
The sparring.
The experiments.
The picnic.
Even the birds seemed startled.
Doors slammed open throughout the mansion.
Footsteps thundered across the wooden floors.
Within seconds—
Every guild member had gathered before Blairre.
She instinctively stepped back.
"...?"
Then—
All of them bowed at exactly the same time.
"CONGRATULATIONS!"
Their voices shook the trees.
Blairre blinked.
"...Excuse me?"
The crimson-haired woman marched forward enthusiastically and grabbed both of Blairre's hands.
"My name's Grix!"
"Welcome to Obsidian Crow!"
"We've been waiting for you for months!"
Before Blairre could answer—
The muscular young man stepped forward and offered a respectful bow.
"I'm Talion."
"I was supposed to become Vice Leader."
He looked genuinely relieved.
"...Thank you for saving me."
"...Saving you?"
"You have no idea how much paperwork there is."
Behind him—
Cyprian finally wandered outside, still covered in soot.
He yawned.
"So..."
"We're free now?"
Talion nodded once.
Cyprian smiled for the first time all day.
"...Best recruitment ever."
Vrixa practically launched herself toward Blairre.
"SENIOR!"
She stopped just short of tackling her.
"I've never had a Vice Leader before!"
"We're going to train together!"
"We're going to eat together!"
"We're going to fight monsters together!"
She gasped dramatically.
"...Can we break things together?"
"...I'd rather not."
"...Fair."
Idris raised his hand.
"...Vice Leader."
Blairre looked at him.
"...Can you approve larger meal budgets?"
Silence.
Blairre slowly turned toward Zeilda.
"...Is he serious?"
Zeilda nodded.
"Completely."
"..."
"...I'll think about it."
"YES!"
Idris celebrated as though he'd already won.
Meanwhile, Grix folded her arms with a wicked grin.
She looked Blairre up and down.
"So."
"You're prettier than the rumors."
Blairre blinked.
"...Rumors?"
"The Academy's been talking about you."
Grix smirked.
"The abandoned heiress."
"The dangerous mage."
"The girl who supposedly terrified half the nobles in the capital."
She leaned closer.
"...Personally?"
"I think the nobles were just insecure."
Blairre couldn't help letting out the smallest laugh.
Barely audible.
Yet everyone heard it.
The guild members exchanged quick glances.
Zeilda smiled softly.
It was the first genuine expression Blairre had shown since arriving.
Talion clapped his hands.
"Enough."
"Our newest member has traveled all day."
He gestured toward the mansion.
"Let's show the Vice Leader her room."
As everyone began talking over one another again—
Blairre looked around the old mansion.
The roof leaked.
Half the walls needed repairs.
Smoke still drifted lazily from Cyprian's laboratory.
The front garden was overgrown.
Nothing matched.
Nothing was elegant.
Nothing resembled the prestigious noble houses she had known.
And yet...
For reasons she couldn't explain—
It felt warm.
As if this broken little guild had somehow become a home long before she'd even stepped inside.
Perhaps...
Being surrounded by chaos wasn't so terrible after all.
She simply didn't know yet—
That the greatest source of chaos...
Had been away for two months.
And tomorrow...
The Guild Leader of Obsidian Crow would finally return.
- Writer
