First Mission

Han was still absolutely shocked and heartbroken as the group left the Starvanguard branch. He clearly hadn’t taken it well. Being branded a nepotist had crushed his valiant, kindhearted, and naive spirit. His poor heart couldn’t take it. Erika only snorted when she saw how listless and dead he looked.

Alwyn glanced at the sullen Han and asked, “Are you hungry? We can get some food before heading back.”

“Food?” Han perked up instantly. The thought of being labeled one of the bad guys was momentarily pushed aside.

“I’m not paying to feed this guy,” Erika said flatly. The payment she got from the Starvanguard wasn’t bad, but it certainly didn’t meet her standards. She’d much rather spend her hard-earned money shopping for herself than feeding this black hole of a stomach.

“Master gave me some extra money to spend today,” Alwyn said. Auren had handed it to him before they left, saying they could use it to buy a few things.

“Think of it as a celebration gift for Han joining us,” Auren had said.

“Now that’s what I like to hear!” Erika cheered, pumping her fist to the air. “Come on, I know the best spot!”

And according to her, the “best spot” was a very expensive-looking restaurant. Han had never been there before, but he could tell just from the atmosphere and decor that everything on the menu would cost a small fortune.

“Are you sure it’s okay for us to eat here?” Han asked nervously as they followed the waitress inside. Looking around, he noticed all the other guests were dressed in fine clothes, while the three of them looked completely out of place. The only reason they’d even been let in was probably because Erika had flashed the waitress the wad of money Auren had given them.

“Why are you worried? It’s not even our money,” Erika said casually, sliding into the seat at the corner table the waitress had led them to.

“I know, but… isn’t this kind of wrong? Are you sure Master won’t be angry?” Han asked.

“Master’s not the type to care about money,” Alwyn replied as he opened the menu and began reading. In truth, Alwyn knew that Auren was never short on funds. Aside from his regular salary as a Master, he also received generous ‘pocket money’ from the Grandmaster. Honestly, even if they splurged and ordered everything on the menu, Auren wouldn’t be the least bit upset.

Seeing how relaxed the two of them were, Han could only follow their lead. In the end, he really was hungry. He let the two of them handle the ordering, and soon, the food arrived.

The dishes were beautifully presented, and the meat melted in his mouth. Though his memory was a bit hazy, Han was sure he’d never eaten anything like this before. He tried to savor the moment, all the while silently apologizing to Auren for using his money on such a luxurious meal.

Seeing how happy Han looked while eating, Erika grinned. “See? Not so bad being a disciple of that no-good master now, is it? Now if only he’d actually get off his ass and do his job.”

“Come to think of it,” Han said between bites, “I’m really surprised you didn’t join the Starvanguard the proper way, Alwyn.” He glanced over at Alwyn, who was calmly eating with practiced movements that suggested he was used to fine dining, which was very unlike Han or Erika.

“Hey! Why am I not included in that?” Erika hissed.

“Hm… my situation was a bit special,” Alwyn said, ignoring her. “I couldn’t possibly enter the usual way, but I was lucky enough to meet Auren, who helped me get in.”

“Well, I’m the same, got it?” Erika snapped. “I totally could’ve passed those stupid tests if I didn’t think they were a complete waste of time.”

“Sure…” Han said, though he wasn’t fully convinced. Unlike Alwyn, who seemed to follow his own set of principles, Erika struck him as someone who preferred the easy path as long as it benefited her.

Erika seemed to notice, and her glare grew sharper. Before she could speak, Alwyn asked, “What about you? Erika and I each had our own reasons, but I still don’t understand why you chose to become a Starvanguard. According to you, you’re not even from this world. You don’t know its history, and you have no real connection or stake in it.”

“I mean… you’re not wrong. But fighting the Starfiend still feels like the right thing to do,” Han said. “That said, I wouldn’t mind if you two told me more about this world. All I really know is that Starfiends are everywhere, and they often show up in the Wastes.”

“Good grief… you didn’t even bother to ask our stupid Master for details?” Erika sighed.

“Well, I suppose it’s best to start with the basics,” Alwyn said, frowning. They couldn’t let Han wander around without a proper understanding of where he was. While Auren didn’t care much that Han came from another world, Alwyn knew plenty of people who wouldn’t hesitate to capture and interrogate him for information. Some might even go as far as experimenting on him to see if he was different from the rest of them.

“The world you’re in now is called Arboren. Two major races live here: humans and fae. But it’s been a long time since humans last saw any fae,” Alwyn explained.

“Are they extinct?” Han asked.

“No. They’re supposedly still alive, but they dwell in another realm,” Alwyn said. “The path to that place has been lost to time. Long ago, during the War Beneath the Burning Sky, the fae allied with humans to repel a massive Starfiend invasion. As you may already know, the Starfiends are creatures from beyond this world who suddenly descended from the firmament and began attacking all living beings. Conflict was unavoidable. The war claimed countless lives, and though we won, the world paid a steep price. One of the lasting scars is the Wastes, which now stretch across most of the land. Only a handful of regions remain untouched, protected by the Wards the fae left behind at the war’s end.”

“Now the Starvanguard lead what’s left of humanity. If we can’t make things better, we at least try to keep them from getting worse,” he continued. “Hunting Starfiends and maintaining the Wards. Those are the two main responsibilities of any Starvanguard.”

Han nodded. It really did feel like something straight out of a story. A transmigrator thrown into a world in peril, now destined to defeat evil and save everyone. Just because he’d been branded a nepotist by accident wouldn’t stop him from doing what needed to be done. He would definitely save this world!

Once the three of them finished eating, they left the restaurant. Since it was Han's first time in Windale, Erika decided to be a nice senior and let him tag along for some sightseeing. Of course, if that somehow turned into Han and Alwyn becoming her personal bag carriers during a spontaneous shopping spree, then that was just her way of getting some payback for her generosity.

Alwyn, who had expected this outcome from the start, said nothing. Han didn’t really mind carrying a few things either. In fact, Erika even bought them some extra snacks as a reward for their "hard work."

By the time Erika was finally done with her shopping, the sky had turned a deep orange, the sun slowly setting on the horizon.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Come to think of it, where are we going to be staying?” Han asked as he and Alwyn trailed behind Erika, their arms loaded with bags.

“There are dormitories for Starvanguards,” Erika replied, still leading the way, “but Master hates staying there, so he just gave us rooms at his place.”

After winding through a few side streets, they eventually reached a decently sized home in the suburbs. It looked completely new, with its freshly painted walls and clean exterior. With her hands free, Erika was the one to unlock the front door.

Inside was a simple but well-furnished space. The house was tidy, though sparsely decorated, almost like someone had just moved in. There were no photos or personal touches, just the basics.

They found Auren sitting in the living room with a book in hand. He looked up as they entered and said, “Well, look who finally came home. Did you guys have fun?”

“Yup. We spent all your money,” Erika answered with a grin.

To be fair, Erika had spent most of it. The restaurant had already taken a sizable chunk out of the money Auren had given Alwyn, but Erika had used the rest during her shopping spree.

Auren seemed to know this too, but he just nodded and said, “Well, that’s fine. Han, you can take the room on the second floor to the left. It’s next to Alwyn’s.”

Han’s face lit up at the news. He quickly dropped all the bags he’d been carrying, prompting Erika to shout, “Hey!” but it was too late. He had already raced upstairs.

He found the door easily and pushed it open. The room was a good size, with a large single bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and even a shelf stacked with books. One wall had a window that looked out onto the road below. Han checked the wardrobe and found that it was stocked with some clothes in his size.

“Oh, right,” Auren called out from downstairs. “I left you some books on the table. You’d better read them properly, because I’ll be giving you a pop quiz.”

Han turned to the desk and eyed the pile of books. The top one was titled Starfiends 101: A Dummy’s Guide to Not Dying.

“Looks like you’re enjoying your new space, newbie,” Erika said, appearing at the door. She had just finished moving her own things into her room, which was already fully decorated and bursting with personality.

“I like it,” Han said. He hadn’t expected to be given his own room like this. Maybe he really was lucky, despite the rocky start. He thought back to all the stories he’d heard about transmigrators who had to crawl their way up from nothing, surviving life-or-death situations just to earn a place in their new world. Yet here he was, with food, shelter, and even some new friends, all because he happened to run into Erika and Alwyn in the Wastes.

“Don’t get too attached,” Erika warned. “We spend most of our time out on missions.”

“That’s fine!” Han replied. “I don’t like staying stuck in one place for too long anyway.”

“Yeah, I figured,” Erika said with a smirk. “Anyway, you’re in luck. Our stupid master said we might have another mission coming up soon.”

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Two days passed before they received their next mission. In that time, Han had made himself completely at home. The place was perfect. After wandering the Wastes in the dark with no idea where to go, just being able to sleep in a real bed and eat warm meals felt like a dream come true. He couldn’t even remember what life on Earth had been like. If he had to guess, it was probably unbearably boring. He could almost picture himself trapped in his room, staring at a computer screen day in and day out. Compared to that, getting transmigrated felt like a blessing. At least now, he could have a real adventure instead of being stuck in some soul-crushing job.

The tailor Auren hired to fix Han’s jacket had also worked quickly, returning it just before they set off again. Han eagerly pulled on the newly resized jacket, layered beneath the black coat Auren had given him. Once everyone was ready, they left the city by carriage, pulled by a pair of sturdy Baros.

“So, what’s the mission again?” Erika asked as the carriage rumbled along.

This time, it was Alwyn who answered. “We’re heading to Hollowrest village. Some of the villagers reported that a Starfiend’s been seen within the ward. People have started going missing.”

“The usual, then?” Erika groaned.

“But I thought you said something felt off,” Han said, trying to recall the earlier conversation. “Weren’t there reports of travelers vanishing near the area? Could a Starfiend have broken through the Ward?”

“Unlikely,” Alwyn replied. “But we’ll need to confirm there aren’t any breaches. It’s rare for a Starfiend to cross into a protected area, but Hollowrest is right on the edge of the ward. It’s not impossible.”

“Great. More work,” Erika muttered, glancing at Auren, who sat across from them looking half-asleep.

“And what does our great master plan to do?” she asked dryly.

“I’ll leave it to you three. I’m sure you’ll manage,” Auren said with a relaxed smile.

“Oh, so you’re just planning to slack off.”

“No, no. This mission’s also meant to be a test for Han, you see,” Auren said, folding his arms behind his head. “It wouldn’t be fair if I got too involved. I’ll just be watching and stay nearby in case something dangerous happens.”

“Even if something dangerous happens, we’ll be the ones who have to deal with it,” Erika muttered under her breath.

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Hollowrest was a village located at the edge of the Ward. Out on the open fields, livestock grazed lazily under the sun. Despite its remote location, the village remained somewhat thriving, thanks to its position along a road that travelers and merchants occasionally used to reach Windale. A few shops and taverns lined the path to welcome those passing through.

The arrival of a group of strangers quickly drew attention. As they stepped down from the carriage, they were met by the village head, an elderly man with a balding head. He wore a clean white button-down shirt and dark trousers, looking far more well-kept and wealthier than the other villagers.

He eagerly shook Auren’s hand. “Thank you so much for coming. Starvanguards! We really need your help. Please, come inside.”

The village head led them to the largest house in the village and invited them to sit at a long table. An older woman, likely his wife, soon appeared to serve hot tea and a small tray of snacks.

“Once again, I’d like to thank you for coming all the way here,” the village head said. “We know our village is quite remote. My name is Gareth, and I serve as Hollowrest’s head. I assume you’ve read our report?”

“Yes,” Auren replied. “You suspect a Starfiend somehow entered the ward and is now terrorizing the village. Several people have already gone missing.”

“Indeed. Everyone has been on edge. The first to vanish was poor Jack, a woodcutter. Then Hilda, who would often go into the woods to gather herbs...” Gareth sighed heavily. “Can you help us? We’re a small village, and every missing person feels like losing family.”

“We’ll do what we can,” Auren said. “I also heard the Starvanguard warden assigned to your village has gone missing?”

To prevent any unexpected breaches, the Starvanguard assigns at least one agent to act as a warden in villages near the border. Their main duty is to monitor the Ward and protect nearby civilians. If anything goes wrong, they're also required to report it to headquarters. Recently, the warden assigned to Hollowrest failed to send in his report. That raised immediate suspicion and prompted headquarters to treat the village’s request with urgency.

“Yes... poor Alric,” Gareth said with a sorrowful nod. “He was well-loved, always patrolling the area to keep us safe. Then one day, during his usual rounds, he just vanished. We searched everywhere, but there was no trace. Not even a body.”

“Do you have any suspicions? Any clues you haven’t mentioned in the report?” Auren asked.

“It has to be Mira,” a young man’s voice interrupted.

Everyone turned toward the stairs, where a man in his late twenties stood. He had clearly just come down, though Auren suspected he’d been listening for some time. His features bore a strong resemblance to Gareth and his wife, though his skin was unusually pale, and dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes.

“Evan,” Gareth sighed. “I told you not to interrupt when I’m speaking with the Starvanguards.”

“I’m just sharing what I think,” Evan said, crossing his arms. “We all know everyone’s suspicious of Mira. That girl’s no good.”

“Mira? What’s wrong with her?” Han asked.

“She’s cursed, that’s what she is,” Evan said with a bitter tone.

Gareth’s expression darkened. “Mira was born and raised in this village, but the others never truly accepted her. Her mother was infected, and though Mira survived the birth, she bore faint traces of the illness on her skin. That alone was enough to make people wary. No one ever completely trusted her.”

“I say she finally dropped the mask she’s been wearing,” Evan added. “She’s gone missing now too. Then suddenly, other people start disappearing? Don’t tell me that’s a coincidence.”

It was clear the two of them shared the same low opinion of the outcast. Perhaps they even secretly hoped Mira was the culprit. Even so, they were here to do their job, and they certainly weren’t going to punish someone without proper evidence.

“That’s certainly useful information,” Auren said calmly. “We’ll take it into account.”