Failed mission

Far from the Eswald estate, even beyond their kingdom and continent, within a mountain, lay a cave. At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary cave, with a typical interior – rocky walls, the faint sound of dripping water, and a cool, damp atmosphere.

Yet, slowly but surely, a subtle energy emission grew in intensity until it manifested as a peculiar spatial portal right in the heart of the cave.

Moments later, a man with jet-black hair emerged from the portal. His features remained elusive, hidden beneath the hood of a long, dark robe resembling those often worn by scholarly mages.

Following him, two more individuals stepped out – one with blond hair, the other with green. Just like the first man, their faces defied scrutiny, veiled by shadows.

"Where are we?" inquired the blond-haired man.

"I don't know, but it's definitely not Valornia," replied the man with black hair.

"None of this would've happened if that idiot hadn't used a spatial technique to trap us all in a spatial bubble," the green-haired man interjected, referring to the blond-haired companion.

"But it saved our lives, so maybe you should be thanking me instead of complaining," retorted the blond-haired man.

"Saved? Stuck in a spatial bubble for months!" yelled the green-haired man, his anger unabated. "THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL SAVED?"

Just as the blond-haired man was about to fire back, the man with black hair cried out, "Enough, you two."

His intervention silenced the others. He continued calmly, "It's no one's fault. How could we have known that the guardian of the Artefact of Lust – the weakest artifact – would be so powerful? What's important now is figuring out where we are and retrieving the Artefact of Lust before someone else gets their hands on it."

As he finished speaking, the crystal hanging at his waist began to glow. He took it and infused it with his mana.

Suddenly, a floating screen materialized before them, revealing an abyssal and terrifying darkness on the other side. A voice emerged from the darkness, inquiring in a calm tone, "Where have you been all this time, and how come you failed this simple mission?"

Although the voice sounded composed as it posed its question, the three men felt a shiver run down their spines upon hearing that they'd failed the mission, knowing that they were in dire straits.

"F-Failed the mission?" the man with black hair stammered, his earlier bravado now gone.

"Yes, you failed the mission," replied the voice, before asking for an explanation.

The man with black hair proceeded to explain that they had been forced to employ a spatial technique, which had entrapped them in a spatial bubble for months.

Upon hearing their account, the voice said, "That explains why the Artefact of Lust's last known location is in Imperion."

"I-Imperion? How could it end up there when it was in Valornia?" questioned the blond-haired man.

"I guess we need to thank you for that since it was your spatial attack on the guardian of that triggered its transfer to Imperion."

Hearing this, the blond-haired man shrank back and fell silent, while the green-haired man chuckled, relishing his companion's reaction.

"Wait... what do you mean by the 'last known location'? Have we lost track of the artefact?" asked the man with black hair.

"That's exactly what happened."

"So, that means that..."

"That someone has already found it," the voice confirmed before continuing, "Hurry back to base. We'll decide your punishment then."

"And what about the Artefact of Lust?"

"I've dispatched Mustang to retrieve it from the person who took it."

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think Mustang is ready for such a mission – in fact, I don't think he's ready for any mission. He's too inexperienced and still childish."

"It should be fine; it'll give him some experience," remarked the voice.

"Okay, we'll return as soon as possible," he continued, his tone serious, just before the transmission cut off.

Even after the call ended, the man with black hair remained still, wearing a solemn expression, while the others had already started moving.

"What's got you so serious?" inquired one of his companions.

"I'm thinking about the fact that the boss wants to assign the mission to retrieve the Artefact of Lust to Mustang. That idiot isn't ready for this kind of mission."

"Oh, don't worry about the kid. He can accomplish this simple mission. He just need to fight and kill the one who got their hands on the artifact."

"That's precisely what worries me. Just imagine the consequences if he were to lose and be the one killed. Not only would he have failed the mission, but he'd also make his opponent exponentially more dangerous."

"Oh don't worry so much, besides, we're talking about the Carrier of Lust. What can he- or she- do to him, make him horny?" quipped the green-haired man, bursting into laughter.

"Indeed, he's right. Come on, let's head back. We should be more concerned about our own situation," added the blond-haired man.

"Sigh... Let's hope he succeeds," muttered the man with black hair before the three of them set off on their way back.

What the three men didn't notice during their conversation was that there was someone lurking in the shadows, watching and listening to their conversation.

"Hmm... a variable has just appeared," said the person with a sensually feminine voice.

"They mentioned that this person is located in Imperion, didn't they? Let's pay them a little visit," the voice said before moving in a different direction from the three men.