When the weekend arrived, the trio made their way to the commoner district.

  The difference from the central district was very noticeable—no polished stone walkways, no wide avenues for decorative carriages. The houses here were packed tight, roofs nearly touching in places, their walls made mostly of timber and patched stone. The streets were narrow—just enough for a single cart to pass, and only if the coachman was careful.

  Since it was the weekend, the streets were quieter than usual. Most people stayed inside, resting, or saving energy for the work week ahead.

  Suri led them down one of the tighter alleys. She stopped in front of a modest, single-story house. The wood was worn, the windows fogged slightly with age.

  “This should be it,” she said, trying to feel her illusion inside.

  She knocked twice.

  A muffled voice answered from behind the door. “Who’s there?”

  “It’s Suri,” she replied.

  There was a pause. Then, the door creaked open to reveal Opel, blinking groggily and rubbing his eyes as if he’d just woken from a nap.

  “Suri?” he said, squinting.

  She smiled. “Hi.”

  “What are you doing here? How do you even know we live here?”

  “We’ll answer all that,” Suri said casually, “But maybe let us in first? We brought nothing dangerous.”

  Opel stepped aside quickly. “Of course, of course. Please, come in. Just watch your heads—especially you, Boris.”

  Boris ducked through the doorframe, grinning.

  Kana followed silently, her gaze sliding to Opel. “You knew his name before he introduced himself.”

  Opel stiffened for a beat—just a breath, but it was there. Then he forced a smile. “Did he not?”

  Kana narrowed her red eyes ever so slightly but said nothing.

  The trio entered the humble home, the smell of warm herbs and old wood thick in the air. Suri glanced at the modest furniture. Reminded them of the home back in the village though it wasn’t as cramped compared to their house.

  …

  The trio sat cramped together in the small living room, knees brushing the modest table, the room dimly lit by the morning sun leaking through patched curtains.

  A door creaked open from the back.

  Asha emerged with her hair tousled, eyes half-shut, scratching at her temple. “Why is it so loud in here?”

  Then her eyes landed on Kana, Boris, and Suri.

  Her voice sharpened immediately. “What are you kids doing here?”

  Opel raised his hand like a child caught mid-mischief. “Ah—I let them in. They knocked—”

  Smack!

  Asha’s palm collided with the back of his head, though a faint shimmer around Opel’s skull suggested he’d cast [Divine Protection] just in time. The blow still echoed through the wooden beams of the house.

  “Why?” she hissed, clearly furious.

  “They came knocking at our door.” Opel muttered defensively, rubbing the impact zone.

  Asha turned her glare back to the trio. “How did you even find us? Why are you here?”

  Suri stood. Her voice was calm, but her shadow flickered unnaturally behind them—colors shifting, patterns changing before settling into stillness again.

  “You broke your promise.”

  Both Asha and Opel answered in unison. “No, we didn’t.”

  Suri’s gaze sharpened. “You’re not supposed to know anything beyond what your client gives you. But you had your daughter watch us.”

  Asha’s expression stiffened. “We were just curious,” she said carefully. “Yuri knows nothing of the truth. We haven’t told her anything, and we won’t.”

  “If we reported this to Rum,” Suri said, voice trying to deepen, “You’re going to get blacklisted.”

  Asha winced. They were in demand these past few days, and able to reduce their debt significantly. “We can’t afford to lose it.”

  Suri let out a long breath, then turned to Kana with a nod. “Kana has a proposal.”

  Kana blinked, caught off-guard by the handoff, but quickly composed herself. She straightened her posture, “We need coin. You two are the same. Let us join your team as Dungeon Scrappers. You’ll vouch for us, and we’ll wear masks. Our identities stay hidden. It’s a win-win situation for both of us.”

  Suri leaned forward, her voice softer but edged with confidence. “Add us, and your coin haul will triple. You know it. You’ve seen it. The two of you can’t match the three of us.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Asha didn’t answer at first.

  She studied each of them. Boris, quiet and focused. Kana, unreadable and composed. Suri, patient but piercing—watchful, even now.

  Asha’s eyes narrowed.

  She hadn’t even noticed the illusion that had latched onto her days ago. Suri knew everything. That explained too much.

  After a long silence, Asha finally sighed.

  “Fine,” she said. “But first—”

  She turned toward the small kitchen.

  “Let’s drink some tea.”

  …..

  Asha sat across from them, steam rising from the chipped cups on the table. The tea smelled faintly of lemon and wild herbs—cheap, but comforting in its own way. She stirred her cup absentmindedly, gaze flicking between the trio.

  They waited in silence.

  She finally spoke.

  “You’re not wrong,” Asha admitted, her voice calm but tinged with weariness. “We’ve been getting a lot of work lately, yes. But nothing steady. Nothing that lasts. Most clients want raw power—neither of which we offer in abundance. They will realise it sooner.”

  She took a sip of tea.

  “But you three...” she said, eyeing them again. “You’re something else. You have the raw power and very effective.”

  Opel nodded in agreement. “When we ran that dungeon with you, you all moved like veterans.”

  Boris chuckled. “Kana would say we’re just good at not dying.”

  Kana sipped her tea in silence.

  “I still don’t like that you tracked us,” Asha continued, leveling a look at Suri. “But I understand it now. You wanted assurance.”

  She leaned forward, placing her cup gently down on the table. “You’ll have our names as backers. We'll vouch for you as Dungeon Scrappers. But we lay down three conditions.”

  Kana said. “We’re listening.”

  “One,” Asha said, holding up a finger. “No killing of any person unless absolutely necessary. We’re not mercenaries or assassins."

  “Two—your masks stay on during work. If anyone finds out you're all students, that’s up to you. We will not be held accountable.”

  “Three…” she hesitated. “If I ask you to step back, you step back. I don’t care how strong you think you are.”

  Kana met her gaze and gave a slow nod. “Agreed.”

  Opel smiled and stood. “Well then. Welcome to the team.”

  Asha blinked at the colorful rat now sitting on her table, twitching its whiskers as if it understood everything being said.

  Opel leaned back in his seat, clearly still adjusting to how casually Suri used her skills around them.

  “That thing… is that one of your illusions?” he asked, uncertain whether to pet it or not.

  Suri grinned. “Part illusion, part scout. It’s linked to me. Just talk to it—tell our name, time, place, and details. I’ll know.”

  Asha narrowed her eyes at the rat, “Its—”

  “It’s efficient,” Kana cut her off, setting her cup down.

  Boris smirked. “You’ll get used to it.”

  Suri stood, brushing down her skirt. “Oh—and one more thing.”

  “We can only raid dungeons at night,” Suri said, casually as if she’d just reminded them to pack snacks.

  “Why?” Asha asked, suspicious.

  “We’re students,” Suri replied. “Classes, training, schedules… It’s the only time we’re free.”

  “Right..”

  “And less eyes at night,” Kana added, her voice lower. “No curious professors, no classmates asking where we’ve been.”

  Asha considered it for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. Night raids only.”

  She looked at the small rat again. “I still don’t like that thing.”

  ….

  Somewhere deep within the Stark estate, high above the well-kept gardens and flickering lantern paths, Duke Stark stood on his balcony, a red glass of wine in hand. The night air was cool, tinged with the scent of distant lilac trees.

  “Those children...” he murmured, tilting the glass slightly, “They’ve grown stronger. Especially the girl—Kana. She’s not the same as before. She made a breakthrough.”

  A man stood nearby, cloaked in gray, arms crossed behind his back. “I’ve been watching them daily, using [Eagle Eyes]. Nothing unusual—except that night.”

  Duke Stark didn’t turn. “That night?”

  The man hesitated. “I’m not certain. My vision is limited at night, but I was sure they stayed within the Academy. Then morning came… and I saw them walking in through the front gate.”

  “You’re saying they vanished in the middle of the night... and returned by dawn?”

  The man swallowed. “Possibly. I didn’t fall asleep. I think.”

  “You think?” Stark’s voice sharpened, quiet but cutting. “You’re paid to be sure. You’re paid to know.”

  “I—”

  “Enough.” Stark exhaled slowly,“Hire more. Those have the same eyes like yours, better if they have keen night vision. Those who can’t be fooled by illusion magic. Keep your distance—never approach them. Do not get close especially to Kana.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Duke Stark lingered at the railing, staring out into the dark as if hoping the shadows might whisper answers.

  “They’re hiding something,” he said quietly. “That kind of growth doesn’t happen naturally. Not at that speed.”

  He stepped back inside, past a polished table cluttered with reports—maps, dossiers, and a half-finished sketch of Kana’s face, her crimson eyes perfectly captured.

  Duke Stark was burning with curiosity. Obsession, really. He needed to know their secret.

  He was certain now—those children were changing. Rapidly. Every time he saw them, they were sharper, more capable than before. At this rate, they wouldn’t just pass the Adventurer’s Guild exam—they’d shatter expectations.

  But how?

  What had they done? What were they doing?

  No normal training explained it. No special tutor, no unusual items based on the reports.

  There was something else.

  And Duke Stark was running out of patience.

  If answers wouldn’t come to him, then he might need to drag them out himself.