Guild Master Kaelor Fangmere poured himself another drink.
Then another.
Not because he was drunk.
Because the conversation kept getting more interesting.
The Vixens had relaxed after the negotiations concluded. Bunny was helping herself to snacks. Nyxian had somehow convinced an attendant to refill her glass before anyone else's. Zee was quietly reading one of the books from Kaelor's shelves while pretending she wasn't.
Only Jax seemed completely at ease.
Which was annoying.
Kaelor respected confidence.
But the man sitting across from him wasn't behaving like someone who had just negotiated an A-Rank promotion.
He was behaving like someone discussing the weather.
Kaelor set his glass down.
"There is one more thing."
Jax looked up.
"That sounds dangerous."
"It usually is."
Kaelor opened a drawer and withdrew three sealed letters.
The first carried the insignia of a neighboring guild.
The second bore the mark of a merchant consortium.
The third had no markings at all.
Just black wax.
No crest.
No signature.
Nothing.
The Guild Master tapped the first letter.
"The neighboring guilds are asking questions."
Jax nodded.
Expected.
"Mostly about the Crystal Cave."
Kaelor shrugged.
"Record-breaking clears tend to attract attention."
Bunny grinned.
"As they should."
Kaelor smirked despite himself.
The second letter received a tap.
"The merchants want to know how Crystalshire suddenly acquired enough crystal inventory to influence regional prices."
Nyxian blinked.
"...We broke the economy again?"
"Temporarily."
"Nice."
"We are not trying to break economies," Zee said.
"No," Jax agreed.
"It just keeps happening."
The room laughed.
Then Kaelor's expression became more serious.
His claw rested on the final letter.
The black seal.
"This one concerns me."
The room quieted.
Jax leaned forward slightly.
"Why?"
Kaelor frowned.
"Because I don't know who sent it."
That got everyone's attention.
Guild Masters knew things.
It was practically their profession.
The fact that Kaelor couldn't identify the sender bothered everyone.
Especially Llandra.
She watched the seal carefully.
Something about it felt deliberate.
Professional.
The kind of thing intelligence organizations used.
Kaelor broke the seal.
The paper inside was surprisingly ordinary.
No threats.
No demands.
No accusations.
Just questions.
"Questions?" Jax asked.
Kaelor nodded.
"Only questions."
He unfolded the paper.
Then began reading.
"'Who is the man that leads the Vixens?'"
Silence.
"'What records exist prior to his arrival in Solmere?'"
Jax remained calm.
But Bunny glanced sideways.
Because there weren't any.
"'Has his identity been verified through any known guild registry?'"
Zee slowly lowered her drink.
"'Does he possess family, noble ties, military history, or educational records?'"
Nyxian's smile faded.
"'Did he simply appear?'"
Nobody spoke.
Not even Jax.
Kaelor looked up briefly.
Then continued.
"'What measurable changes have occurred in Solmere since his arrival?'"
The Guild Master paused.
"That list is surprisingly long."
Bunny snorted.
"That's because he's a menace."
"I heard that."
"You were supposed to."
Kaelor hid a smile and returned to the letter.
"'Have any witnesses documented statements suggesting the man originates from outside the known world?'"
The room froze.
Completely.
Jax's expression didn't change.
But every Vixen felt it.
The conversations.
The strange references.
The stories.
The comparisons.
The phrases nobody understood.
The inventions.
The knowledge.
The way he occasionally spoke about things that simply did not exist.
His homeland.
His world.
The silence stretched.
Kaelor lowered the letter.
Slowly.
Thoughtfully.
"The rest of the questions follow the same pattern."
Nobody spoke.
Because suddenly the room felt different.
The mystery wasn't whether Jax was powerful.
The mystery was who he was.
And apparently someone else had noticed.
Kaelor folded the letter.
"I don't know who sent it."
"Do you have any guesses?" Llandra asked.
The Guild Master considered the question.
Then shook his head.
"No."
That answer carried weight.
Because Kaelor was not a man who admitted ignorance lightly.
Jax finally broke the silence.
"What did you tell them?"
Kaelor barked out a laugh.
"The truth."
That earned several confused looks.
"The truth?" Zee repeated.
Kaelor nodded.
"I told them a man named Jax arrived in Solmere."
He lifted his glass.
"I told them he opened businesses."
Another sip.
"I told them he helped improve the town."
Another.
"I told them he cleared the Crystal Cave."
A grin appeared.
"And then I informed them that if they wanted more information, they could come ask him themselves."
Bunny burst out laughing.
Nyxian nearly choked on her drink.
Even Jax smiled.
"Fair."
Kaelor folded the letter and slid it back into its envelope.
"But."
The humor faded.
Instantly.
His golden eyes settled on Jax.
"Someone important is asking questions."
The room quieted again.
Not because they were afraid.
Because they understood.
Questions became investigations.
Investigations became interest.
Interest became involvement.
And involvement rarely arrived alone.
Kaelor stood.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"I don't know who sent that letter."
His gaze shifted toward the window overlooking Solmere.
"But whoever it was..."
His voice lowered.
"...they already know you're significant."
Nobody joked this time.
Nobody laughed.
Because for the first time since entering the office—
It felt like the world outside Solmere had noticed them.
And somewhere far away...
Someone was waiting for answers.