Finn wakes up the next morning, body still heavy from last night’s drinks. He rarely goes all out, but it was his first real night out since… well, since crawling out from the mud. He figured he might as well enjoy it while he could. Once the hunting starts, who knows when the next break will come?

  Yawning, he heads downstairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Mira greets him with her usual bright smile. “Morning, Finn! Looks like you had quite a night yesterday.”

  He finishes his yawn and stretches. “Morning, Mira. Just a lads’ night at the bar.”

  “I thought so. You missed the hooded girl again. She was waiting for you all day yesterday.” Mira glances towards the door and smiles. “Speak of the devil. She’s early today.” She nods at the girl stepping into the inn, and waves at her to come closer. “That’s the one I was talking about.”

  Finn straightens up, running a hand through his hair. “Got it. Let me go say hello.” He walks up to the hooded girl, trying to appear as approachable as possible.

  The girl tenses up and stutters. “I—I’m Caroline. I’m a disciple magician. I want to join your hunting group.”

  Finn studies her for a beat. She’s fidgeting. Nervous.

  “Hi, Caroline. No need to be tense. Let’s sit first, have a proper chat.”

  He pulls a chair for her, and though she hesitates, she eventually takes it. A little more at ease now, Finn sits across from her and leans back.

  “So—what spells do you know?”

  She perks up, seemingly more confident when talking about magic. “I’m good with water spells. Cleansing, water shield, conjuring... and a few more.”

  Finn raises an eyebrow, impressed. “That’s quite a range for someone your age.”

  Her cheeks flush. “I—I’m not that young!”

  Finn chuckles. “Really? How old are you then?”

  “Does it matter? “I’m a registered disciple magician!” she says, a bit defensive.

  “That might be true, but that doesn’t mean you are old enough for hunting squads.” Finn keeps his tone firm. “Be honest with me, or I’ll have to turn you down.”

  Caroline’s shoulders sink. She bites her lip, then pulls back her hood, revealing a much younger face than expected.

  Finn estimates she’s no older than sixteen. Just as he thought.

  “Caroline, do your parents know about this?”

  She crosses her arms defiantly. “I’m old enough to make my own decisions!”

  “According to Clause 301, Section 41 of the Hunters’ Guidebook, you can register as a hunter under the Hunters’ Guild at fifteen, but only if your guardian accompanies you until you’re sixteen.” He recites the rule effortlessly.

  Her defiance crumbles, and she looks down at her hands. “My father... he’d never allow me to go hunting.”

  Finn sighs, glancing towards the corner. “Well, it seems like he’s already here.” He tilts his chin at the direction of the stranger sitting there.

  Caroline’s head snaps up, eyes wide. “Wh—what?” She frantically looks around.

  From a shadowed corner seat, a middle-aged man with a ponytail rises.

  He walks over, weariness etched into his face. “Caroline… why must you always be so stubborn?”

  His voice carries the fatigue of countless repetitions. Up close, the edge of Sanctuary robes peeks out from beneath his sweeping cloak.

  Caroline glares up at him, fists clenched. “You can stop me now, but you can’t stop me forever!”

  Her father sighs heavily. “Caroline...”

  Finn watches the exchange, sensing the tension. He clears his throat. “Alright, listen. Caroline... and...?”

  “Rathen,” the man replies.

  “Rathen. I don’t mean to meddle in your family affairs, but as a hunter and... well, never mind. There’s no point arguing about this today.” Before either can respond, he adds, “How about we have a chat first, Rathen? Just us.” He winks at Caroline when Rathen isn’t looking. “A man-to-man talk before making a decision about her joining the group.”

  Caroline blinks, momentarily thrown by the wink. But then, her shoulders relax, and she nods. “Fine. I’ll go home for now. I’ll be back tomorrow morning for your answer.”

  Rathen looks equally confused but doesn’t protest. He watches his daughter leave, her posture rigid with frustration.

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  Once she’s out of sight, Finn gestures to the seat beside him. “Have a seat, Rathen.”

  Rathen hesitates before sinking into the chair. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Honestly, I just need some breakfast first,” Finn admits with a grin. “Join me?”

  “I... I don’t—”

  “John’s cooking is amazing. You’ll regret missing it,” Finn insists.

  Caught off guard by Finn’s friendliness, Rathen gives in with a sigh. “Alright… I’ll have what you’re having.”

  While waiting for their food, Finn chats with Rathen casually to ease the tension. Then, with a subtle shift, he asks, “Did you teach Caroline those spells?”

  Rathen nods. He answers briefly. “Yes.”

  “She mentioned she can conjure water, which isn’t easy. That’s Scribe-level magic, isn’t it? Quite the talent for her age.”

  A flicker of pride crosses Rathen’s face. “Her mother and I... we’re both magicians. I’m a Scribe, and her mother’s a Wizard.”

  “I see. So, she takes after her mum then?”

  Rathen’s face clouds with emotion, and he falls silent.

  Finn leans in a little. “Look, Caroline’s stubborn. The more you push, the harder she’ll push back. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  Rathen’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t argue.

  “So why not come with us?” Finn suggests. “That way she gets what she wants—and you’re there to keep her safe. It’s a win-win.”

  Rathen’s eyes widen. “But... it’s dangerous!”

  “We won’t take on any predators above Rank B. Plus, with you there, it’ll be safer. You can protect her while letting her gain experience.”

  Rathen hesitates, clearly torn.

  Finn presses on. “And you’re a healer, right? Cure and purification spells?”

  Most of the healer-type magicians come from the Sanctuary.

  Rathen nods slowly and replies. “I’m a Curate.”

  “That’s exactly what we need! Besides, the other two gladiators are fathers too. They’ll look out for her. We’re not some reckless bunch of youngsters. We watch each other’s backs.”

  Rathen’s resolve begins to crumble.

  “Think about it,” Finn adds with a bright smile. “I even came up with a name for the group: Daddy Hunters. Catchy, right?”

  Struck by Finn’s awful naming taste, Rathen is thrown into a swamp of muddy thoughts. He is flabbergasted and loses the ability to speak, so he can only rely on his body language to convey his message: He shakes his head fervently.

  As Finn advised Rathen, keeping a watchful eye on his daughter is wiser than letting her wander unsupervised. After finishing their breakfast, Rathen decides to join the squad. Also, since her father did not object, Caroline’s application to join the group is approved the next day without any trouble.

  As for the group name, the four of them are united in their refusal of ‘Daddy Hunters’, leaving Finn no choice but to come up with another suggestion.

  “Alright then, how about... Daddy Squad?”

  Caroline rolls her eyes. “Really? Why must you put ‘daddy’ in our group name?”

  “Because it sounds memorable and approachable!” Finn argues, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

  “How about Family Hunters?” Steve suggests.

  “Let’s go with that!” The others chime in, reaching a consensus before Finn can voice his objection.

  Though dissatisfied with the name, Finn decides to move on to the next order of business. “Since we’ve sorted the group name, we need a leader. Who wants to volunteer?”

  A heavy silence falls over the group. They all turn their gazes to Finn, their unspoken agreement echoing louder than words.

  Finn straightens his posture. “Alright then. If no one else wants the role, I, Finn Tess—though just a disciple magician—will do my best to be a dependable leader for this team!”

  —

  On a sunny day, Finn strolls into the Hunters' Guild to register their newly formed group.

  Emily greets him with a warm smile. “Good day, Finn. How can I help you today?”

  “Good day, Emily. I’d like to register my hunter group. Could you guide me through the process?”

  “Certainly! It’s my pleasure to assist.” She pulls out a form from the drawer and hands it to him. “Just fill in your members’ details here.”

  Finn takes the form and retreats to the corner. It doesn’t take him long to complete it. Once done, he returns it to Emily.

  “It’ll take about three days to process your application. In the meantime, you might want to check out these classes.” Emily pulls out a pamphlet, circling three classes with her pen. “Your team’s pretty balanced—two fighters, two magicians, and even a healer. Great synergy.”

  She taps the paper. “These courses cover everything: squad tactics, predator types, even one-on-one training sessions.”

  Finn nods, impressed—until a thought strikes him.

  “Appreciate the breakdown, Emily. But... they’re not free, are they?”

  She keeps her smile polished. “You’re right. However, as a newly registered group, you qualify for an early bird discount. If you sign up by the end of this week, you can take advantage of our ‘buy two, get one free’ offer.”

  Finn’s smile wavers. “Ha...ha... I’ll discuss it with my team first.”

  He takes the pamphlet back to the inn and carefully studies the details.

  “If we sign up for these classes, we’ll be better prepared and likely more successful in our hunts. But if we skip them, we’ll save money now but might struggle later,” Finn thinks.

  He decides to consult his team. After gathering everyone at the inn, he lays the pamphlet on the table. “I’ve registered our group, but Emily mentioned these classes that could help us prepare faster and embark on the hunt expedition earlier, before the hunting season is over. What do you all think?”

  Caroline raises an eyebrow. “Who teaches these classes?”

  Finn points to a profile picture of a stern, capable-looking man. “This guy, Arthur.”

  Rathen squints his eyes. “Arthur? Never heard of him.”

  Frank studies the pamphlet, face unreadable. “He was my student.”

  Steve’s eyebrows shoot up. “Wait, you’re used to being a teacher of the trainer?”

  “Yes,” Frank replies, flat.

  Finn perks up. “So you know this stuff inside out?”

  “Yes,” Frank replies simply.

  That’s all Finn needs to hear. He looks at Frank, eyes shining. “You’re our saviour, Frank. Please teach us! With your help, we’ll be way more prepared—and safer.”

  Frank gives a small nod. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

  Relief washes over Finn. “Perfect. That’s one thing off the list.”