Seven years had passed since he first arrived at the dukedom. 
The world no longer knew him as Valis, heir to the noble House of Eldermere. That man had died long ago. He now wears the name Veragon. As General of Avene's army, he had risen from ruin to power, but although he had changed his name, he had never forgotten who he truly was, nor why it all began.

Today, he felt a rare excitement. He and the Grand Duke, Ron had finally agreed: the time for revenge had come.

In the high tower of Avene's castle, Valis and Ron stood over a war map. Candles burned and light was casting shadows across the table, where pins and lines marked troop positions and trade routes.

They had spent long hours debating in tense voices. Ron was pragmatic and cautious. Valis on the other hand, paced restlessly around the table, trying to convince the Duke to adopt his strategy. His patience seemed worn thin by the years. Again and again, he rose from his seat, speaking with a raised voice, tracing lines across the map with a gloved finger.

Yet on one point, they agreed: they were ready.

Eventually, they settled on the plan. Their very next step: disrupt the trade routes with Ladven. It wouldn't be easy, of course; they had to act with subtlety. Raising suspicion in was not part of the plan. Open war would come later. First, they would weaken them from within.

Ladven was a fertile land and didn't lack much. But one thing it did need: steel. And that, they bought from Avene.

"We need to start delaying shipments," the Duke said, "Maybe we could send a letter, say the forges are failing and we're struggling with production, that we have to reduce the quantities and offer lower quality,"

Valis nodded, folding his arms. Then a new idea struck him.
"What if... we did more than delay? What if we founded our own guild? One that could sell the goods instead and grow in strength unnoticed, right under their noses? Nobody would know Avene is behind all this."

Ron pondered for a few minutes as if he was weighing all the risks in his head, but eventually gave a small, approving smile.

"An excellent idea. Go to Ladven and expand our influence there."

He drafted a letter apologizing for the upcoming delivery delays. Meanwhile, Valis began his preparations for departure and gathered his unit.

...

Twenty soldiers gathered in the castle hall. It was already late at night. Nobody knew what to expect, but being in Veragon's brigade taught them one thing: always expect the unexpected.

"Our next task is an infiltration mission," he announced. His soldiers raised their eyebrows, exchanging puzzled glances.

"We must expand our influence. Quietly. I will take only one of you to establish the guild. We can't afford to draw attention. Any volunteers?"

Silence followed. Some soldiers looked at each other, while others stared down at the floor beneath them, as if afraid their commander might select them for the mission.
After a tense pause, Adam raised his hand. "I'll go," he said.

Valis smiled, clearly satisfied with the answer.
"Good. Get ready; we leave at dawn."

When morning came, they saddled their horses and set out.

"Where are we going?" Asked Adam.

Valis responded calmly: "To Ladven".

It was November, and the morning was chilly. The cold air soothed Valis's mind. They rode toward Ladven in silence with the wind brushing against their cloaks. 

Val was completely lost in thought. Had Raven changed over the years? He was probably no longer the handsome boy Val once knew. Surely, he'd become a man. Was he single? Or had he fallen for someone new, perhaps a woman? After all, Valis could never give him children, so he should expect that to happen.

A faint sting tightened his chest; maybe it was jealousy, or just a painful memory. He would never allow himself to be played like that again. Long ago, he had decided never to give his heart away.

Valis also wondered what would happen if someone recognized him and sent assassins after him again. But he wouldn't back down; he was too powerful now. Nothing could stop him.

With that thought, he relaxed slightly in the saddle. He and Adam continued their journey.

The road to the heart of Ladven took several days. It was not a hard journey. Unlike Avene, this land had no towering peaks or jagged passes. Instead, endless green plains and valleys rolled out before them.

Veragon's reputation preceded him. Wherever they passed, they heard tales of his heroics. Some were so wildly exaggerated, but nonetheless they brought a smile to Valis's lips.

"A face as ugly as a November night,"
"The bald avenger of Avene,"
"A scarred slayer of beasts"

In one version, he even had horns.

Val liked the anonymity. One day, he believed, it might serve him well. Still, he couldn't help but be a little offended; the farther they traveled, the uglier he became in all those heroic stories.

...

At last, they reached a hill looking down at the capital. Valis pulled on the reins.

"We'll camp here for the night. Tomorrow, let's ride into the city."

Unlike Adam, who slept like the dead, Valis couldn't shut his eyes. All night long, he argued with himself in silence, mentally preparing for the encounter with House Ladven.

He looked around. Dawn was breaking. He gazed down at the city where he had lived through the best and worst moments of his life.

He smiled widely. 

'At last,' he thought.
'I've waited so long for this.'

"Oi, Adam, wake up", Valis tried to wake his companion up.

"What's happening?", Adam answered back with a question, slowly sitting up. He still seemed tired even after the long night's sleep.

"I need a new name," Valis said dramatically, arms folded like he'd just declared war. "Something fresh. Something mysterious. So no one connects me to Avene."

"Fine, fine, let me think... John?" asked Adam after a long pause.

Val replied, "No, that's a bit too plain... Too "I work at the tavern" name. Maybe something starting with a V..."

"V.. V...How about Vlad?" Adam continued, but Valis recoiled immediately, "Seriously? That sounds like someone who bites necks for fun. Do I look like a Vlad to you?!"

Adam sighed as if the mission itself was hopeless, "You say that like it's a bad thing. Ok, let me think... Maybe... Varnok?"

Valis's lips twisted in a grimace. "No way. That sounds like a disease you'd catch in a sketchy tavern. Doctor, it's spreading... Next." 

Adam kept going. "Vagrax?"

Val rolled his eyes. "Doesn't it sound a little bit like some weird medicine to help with... you know, performance issues? Another one."

In his final attempt, Adam said, "Valen?"

Valis was ready to dismiss it automatically, another silly name to cross off the list, but he hesitated.

"Valen... Val... That's... actually pretty good."

Valis - the Eldermere Clan heir
Veragon - General of Avene and Duke's son
And now...
Valen, who will take over as a guild master. It was just another mask, worn to get him closer to his goal.

"So what's the plan now?", asked Adam.

Valis looked at him, grinning, "Now it's the time to flip the entire Ladven upside down."

They walked through the narrow streets of the city on foot. Adam looked around. Clearly it was his first time in the capital of Ladven, unlike for Val, who carried the weight of memories in every step. 

Haunting scenes played before Valis's eyes, the cold, his desperate flight from assassins through these very same alleys, and the taste of water trickling down the cobblestones. The scent of salty air mingled with his memories of the icy ocean, the merciless place where the Finger Cutters Gang had once thrown him into the depths. His hand clenched into a tight fist, the old pain was rising like a storm inside him.

Suddenly, the weather changed over Ladven. Black clouds spread across the sky. Adam glanced upward, "Storm is coming. We should find shelter."

A fierce wind whipped through the streets, snapping laundry hung out to dry on lines strung between the stone buildings. Down by the docks, boats rocked violently, bumping into each other and creaking as they collided with the wooden pier.

The rain started falling slowly, gently at first, but quickly turned into a downpour. The two travelers quickened their pace, rain splashing and dripping from their cloaks, until finally they reached the welcoming glow of a nearby tavern. The heavy wooden door swung open, and they stepped inside to escape the storm.

Inside, the tavern was quiet, almost empty. It was still early morning, and the city was only just waking from its slumber. A single bartender was standing behind the counter.

The warmth slowly returned to their limbs. The fire crackled in the hearth, and the discomfort of wearing damp clothes wasn't as unbearable anymore.

Their food arrived: two wooden bowls of thick stew. It was filled with root vegetables, onions, and the occasional surprise of a little chunk of meat. The stale slices of bread on the side were so hard that they could be used in battle as shields, but were perfect for soaking up the soup.

They ate in silence for a few moments, letting the warmth settle in. The storm outside pounded against the shutters, but in here, they had a moment of peace.

Valis pushed the empty bowl aside. "Time to get to work. We need a building."

Adam leaned back, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Right. What do we do? A shop? Warehouse?"

Valis smirked. "Let's say it is just... 'A trading company'. Imports. Exports. Logistics... Something like that."

They stood up and approached the bar. The barkeeper was a middle-aged man with a thick beard and tall figure, polishing a glass that clearly didn't need any more polishing.

Valis nodded politely. "Hello, we are new in town, looking to rent a building. Something with some space to run... a business."

The barkeep glanced up from his glass, looking at the two travelers with mild suspicion. Or perhaps it was just Valis's impression.
"What kind of business?"

"Trade," Valis answered smoothly. "We deal in... high-value shipments."

Adam added, "So... do you know of any place that is available?"

The man paused, thinking. "I even have one myself, nobody used it for months, old fishmongery not far from the docks. It smells. But for 10 coins a month, it's yours."

Valis smiled faintly. "We're not afraid of bad smells."

"I can tell," the barkeep raised his eyebrows, and replied dryly, "Just don't bring trouble back here."