Adventurers Guild Adventurer's Guild - Receptionist's Desk

A gourd entered the guild, two live drake hatchling tied up and hung on his back. Seeing that, he probably succeeded his mission.

"Yoohoo! Is there anyone I can hire to dismantle a bunch of dead drakes? The scales should worth something at least."

Spoiler: Reports

"Southeast of Nagrand, at the foot of the mountain halfway between the city and Flaminis. Well, I could go there early morning and be back by sunset..."

A gourd stared at the map, trying his best to chart a route. He's never been east before, so he'll need to allocate some time exploring. At least he's guaranteed to return in the same day. The garden's doing well, but it could flip anytime and he's not risking preventable damage to it.

"What should I use, I wonder? Maybe poison. The cave should allow Shadowflip to thrive."

*****

Noon that day, a gourd arrived at the mine. The half-finished buildings outside it were new but also ruined, as if there's something big wrecking through it recently. It should be the place.

"Venomous Blade. Undersight."

Magically infusing the tarvine sap into his blade, he entered into the mine confidently while wondering how was the entrance so small. The drake he met in the dungeon wouldn't be able to enter even if its size was halved. Perhaps that's just dungeon fuckery at work? But the demons and elementals were about the right size...

The gourd lazily stepped aside, his blade rising to meet a tiny drake leaping from the ceiling. The thing's about the size of a large dog, he felt some resistance before his blade cut through the scales and left a nasty gash on the overgrown lizard. It thrashed and screeched from the pain, before rapidly expiring from the poison.

From the depth of the mine, angry roars echoed.

"Now we're talking! Shadowflip."

The first group to arrive was slightly larger drakes, horse-sized. These were the juveniles, if anyone experienced were to see them, but the gourd wasn't. All he had in mind was why were they so small compared to what he assumed was an adult. Besides, the creatures was just as smart as any other lizards - which meant not at all -, thus they had no way to effectively pin him down when Shadowflip allowed him to simply run up the wall while concealing his presence from the five senses. It took a full-powered swing or two to leave a deep enough gash for the poison to seep in, but afterward it's a matter of slashing the same location a few more times.

"Aww, they ran away."

Of course the group fled whimpering like the animals they were, once half of them were slaughtered. The gourd counted four corpses, so there's really not that many. Well, a direct hit from one of those would leave some nasty wound but if nothing else he's good at not getting hit when it'll outright pulp his bones.

"Ah, here we are."

The gourd followed the drakes' trail, ending up in a large room from the lengthy corridor. There was the parents drake, he assumed, about twice as tall as himself. Still fall far short of the dungeon drake though. They're growling threatheningly, perceiving barely a flickering shadow coming out of the pathway. Said shadow broke out a grin.

"Hmm, I'll go all out. Arcane Armament. Arcane Armament."

The broken blade glowed violet, Shadowflip dispelling from the light as the magical enchantment extended to the full length of the original sword. He dashed in, sidestepping the lunging bite of the first drake. He pivoted and grabbed his blade with both hands before slamming it down at the extended neck, leaving a decent cut that spurted blood. The drake roared in pain, claws slamming down on nothing as the gourd retreated the moment he got a hit in.

"Not deep enough, hmm? But it can bleed. Dart."

The moment the slaws slammed, the gourd tapped into another Brand and was immediately shot toward the wounded neck, scoring another gash on the same area. Some scales flaked off from the crisscross, then he Darted back to plunge the blade in while at the same time avoiding firebreath from the second drake. He kept his position so that the first drake was between himself and the second, preventing them from flanking him.

"And third time's the charm."

Pulling out the blade, a fountain of blood gushed out of the wound as the drake choked and rapidly expire from the fatal puncture. The second big drake cried mournfully, before resuming the fight with rage fuelling its action. It repeatedly slammed and swiped, not putting its neck at risk, the mine quaking from the constant abuse. He had to tap into the Dart brand to avoid some of the attacks, coming in way too quickly to dodge with just his physical prowess.

"Huh? Ah, got me cornered. Cunning snake."

The gourd felt a corner of the wall behind his back. The drake kept some distance so that he wouldn't get to escape to the side and rose up for a blanket of firebreath. It's quite a well-thought move for an oversized pest, but the gourd had faced worse opponents. He made a casual cut on his Brands to tap into a big one.

"Redshift."

The crimson obstruction materialized, using the walls as cornerstone to massively increase its stability. A scalding wave of flame blasted right on it, but the barrier barely warp from the heat. Behind it, the gourd's blood burned slowly to sustain the Redshift - definitely way slower than materializing it on empty air.

"Dart."

Just as the firebreath expired, the gourd Darted through the barrier. The residual heat was scalding but it needed time to seep into someone, and he's through in a flash. His blade went forward and into the drake's mouth, piercing straight through as its tip emerged atop the drake's head.

He didn't wait before disengaging, the drake's deathly thrashing was even deadlier than its normal attack with its brain going haywire. Didn't took a minute before it fell down unmoving, in which the gourd waited longer as its blood slowly pooled beneath it. Then he finally pried off the blade.

"Now, for the annoying part."

He panted with exhaustion, glancing around the several mining tunnels around. He'll need to exterminate everything, wouldn't he? The Undersight still worked, so he had some idea on where the smaller ones escaped to. Best start working...

*****

"That should be all."

The gourd stretched his sore muscle, with two whimpering little drakes completely tied up and hanging by a rope on his back. There's also a sack carrying four eggs an entire foot long each, seemingly recently laid. Someone would want those. If nothing else, it's a rather unique delicacy to have.

"Back to the guild. On the road again..."

Spoiler: Notes

-Mine have been cleansed of drakes.
-There's a pair of parent and its nest worth of juveniles.
-Taken two little drakes and four eggs as souvenirs. Looking for someone interested in exotic pets and/or food.

@AliceShiki

 

"Things didn't go as planned. Would anyone like a cake? I guess I've got one spare now..."

Spoiler: Report

As I slowly trudged down the road toward his next quest, I became somewhat worried about the request at hand, especially considering I'd never even HAD a cake, let alone baked one.

Ah, whatever. Baking couldn't be THAT hard, right?

~ ~ ~

I arrived at my destination somewhat late in the afternoon. The sun was just beginning to creep down toward the horizon from its perch high up in the sky, and my eyes fell on a sizeable manor bearing the same address that was listed on the quest. I pushed the wrought iron gate open, and it swung inward with a heavy squeak. Closing it behind me, I marched up to the door and prepared to knock, though I stopped when I saw a note wrapped around the steel knocker. I peeled it off and unfurled it.

"Come inside, Guildmember, fourth door on the left." It said.

I shrugged and pushed the heavy oak door open, traipsing down the dim and somewhat dusty hallway towards the designated door. My eyes scanned every nook and cranny for threats, and my brow furrowed more and more as I examined the house until I finally reached the fourth door on the left.

Spoiler: The House

The entire house buzzed with soul energy, and not of a type that was typical of a home that had held many occupants. These souls were angry, terrified, fragmented.

I knocked, and a somewhat soft voice gently called out.

"Come in, guildmember." It said, and I gently pulled the door open and stepped inside to a heavily adorned study. The man who (Presumably) had invited me in sat in a large wine-red armchair in front of a roaring fire. The room held many material goods such as silver candlesticks, bookshelves stacked high with tomes of various bindings and ages, and even a large parchment map of the continent that hung framed over the fireplace. Saying nothing, I examined the room, particularly the bookshelves as well as the map over the fireplace, which was covered with bizarre markings and paths that I did not recognize. Trade Routes? or were they just some old superstition's depiction of ley lines across the land?

Spoiler: The Map

As my eyes swept across the map, they stopped on a small red star marking along one of the lines, and I paled slightly upon recognizing the location

I didn't have more than a moment to think on it before I was interrupted by my employer clearing his throat.

"Ahem, You know, it's rude to enter someone's home without introducing yourself. I presume you're the one who took my quest?"

"Oh, um, my apologies, sir," I stammered, "My name is Yane. I'm with the Adventurer's Guild. You requested that someone... bake you a cake?"

The man chuckled slightly and wrung his hands together. He wore a silver ring with a small red and black crest on it on his left hand.

Spoiler: The Ring

My eyes locked on the ring and I felt the slight chill go up my spine. I recognized that crest.

"Yes, I am Connor, and I do indeed desire a birthday cake. Unfortunately for myself, I live alone and am without family members to celebrate with, so I am forced to go to other sources for my... revelry." He wryly spoke, with a somewhat kindly smile playing across his features.

He stood from the chair, setting the small book that previously lay in his lap on a table beside him.

Spoiler: The Book

I glanced at the cover and saw the same red star symbol as was on the map. I could barely make out the title of the book, as it was in a different language, but I recognized one word; "Messorem," Reaper.

He turned to me and beckoned towards the door I had entered from.

"Well, Shall I show you to the kitchen?" He asked.

~ ~ ~

I Followed Connor to the kitchen, and he showed me where all the ingredients were before leaving me to my work. To put a long story short, I stumbled through what I THOUGHT was the right way to make a cake, before I managed to scrounge up a worn cookbook and find a recipe to go off of rather than my intuition. A tedious bit of baking later, I had myself a passable (And somewhat appetizing, my stomach growled) birthday cake finished. I rang the server's bell to notify Connor, and soon enough he had arrived to inspect my handiwork.

He jumped up and down and clapped his hands, showing much more excitement than I had expected for an older man like himself.
"Oh, this is perfect! Come, follow me to the dining room, I'll cut it and we can enjoy it!" he cried, with such a childlike glee that even I caught myself almost cracking a grin.

I followed him further down the hallway, stopping before a large double door, which he swung open to reveal an opulent dining room. I entered and set the cake down on the large table, admiring the impressive handcarved patterns in the tabletop

Spoiler: The Dining Room

As soon as I entered the dining room, I could tell something was wrong. The soul hum that filled the house before was now a deafening roar of pain and anguish and anger, focused on this room, and as soon as I stood next to the table in the center of the room, I could feel my skin prickle and my hair stand on edge as my reaper aspects seemed to buzz and spark within me.

I heard Connor approach behind me, and as I tried to turn to face him, I found that the palms of my hand would not leave the surface of the table, they had been fused to the wood.
"Now, just to cut it into pieces and serve it up nice and fresh..." Connor murmured to himself behind me.
I Let out a shrill gasp as his wickedly sharp knife plunged into my back.

And then I laughed.
Confused, Connor yanked the knife from my back, but rather than a spurt of blood following it, there was merely a wisp of smoke from my "stab wound."
I willed my hands gaseous and pulled them from the tabletop before turning to Connor and drawing the polearm from it's strap on my back. With a flick of my wrist, the black steel blade unfurled from the rod, revealing a glimmering scythe blade about four feet long.
"Wrong move, Friend. I suppose I should've let you know sooner that you're not the first of your group to try offering me up."
With that, I gripped the scythe tightly before swinging with all my might, slamming the butt of the blade into his temple hard enough to knock him out cold.

I tied Connor to one of the dining-chairs with a length of curtain cut from the window, then turned back to the table. Pushing it aside, I flipped up the rug beneath it to reveal a familiar-looking offering circle burned into the wooden floor. A visceral rage built inside of me, and I scarred and chopped at the floor with my scythe until the circle was broken and the buzz of souls had settled. I drew one of the bottles from my pack and uncorked it. It filled with a turbulent green energy before I corked it and returned it to my bag. I heard a rustling behind me, as Connor slowly stirred from his slumber to find himself gagged and restrained.

"Mornin'" I said, calmly, "How'd you sleep?"

He mumbled loudly into his gag, his eyes wild and unfocused.

"You know, You're really lucky that the guild sent me," I said, slowly walking towards him, "Because I guarantee that if you had tried your tricks on someone else, you'd have had the entire guild bearing down on you with the fury of a thousand feral beasts."

I leaned in close and yanked the gag out of his mouth.

"W-what are you...?!" He coughed slightly as he spoke,

I smiled grimly.

"I'm Yane Crezia, and I'm the one thing none of you filthy harvester cultists have managed to become."

I stood and let some of my reaper aspect loose, shrouding myself in wispy fog of grave-mist and shade.

"I'm an Aspect of your Reaper friend himself."

~ ~ ~

I notified the guards of what happened at the manor, and departed back for the guild once they had finished asking me all the questions they so desperately needed answered. I was about halfway there when I realized; I had gotten so mixed up in not being murdered that I'd forgotten to get my pay.

Spoiler: Notes

Made a cake, Questgiver tried to murder me, revealed himself as member of cult that killed family, forgot to retrieve pay. Still have cake.

 

Forgot to mention @AliceShiki my bad

 

Good job in keeping the bodies intact, though Solas is a man, not a girl~

Either way, be more careful with your wounds Kathicia-san... In particular, be more careful with not dirtying the guild's floor with blood, someone needs to clean those up.

The rewards are 11 Large Copper Coins and 4 Guild Points~

Take care now~

 

"Good to see that no permanent damages have been caused. Here is your reward, 7 Large Copper Coins, and 4 guild points."

 

Nero returned to the guild and submitted his report.
@AliceShiki

Spoiler: report

Nero disembarked from the boat once it stopped at Kuro's Mountain Crossing Service. He had found a few Snapjaws lazing on the river banks a good 10 minutes before his ferry stopped at the Mountain Crossing Service. After getting down on the shore, he summoned his devil familiar and started walking along the river, towards the targets that he had identified.

"So, what are we doing today?", Parcae, the tiny devil, inquired as he sat on Nero's bald head like a hat.

"We are hunting some Snapjaw Gators. I need your help for this", Nero answered, "You'll have to possess these beasts one by one and bring them to me. I'll take care of them."

"Sounds really tedious. The souls of non-intelligent beings don't give me as much nourishment. They don't even taste that good."

"Well, there's no use in complaining. I just spotted our first target", Nero pointed out a gator which was basking under the morning sun. He felt the mental connection with his familiar become duller as the body of the devil became limp and fell off from his head into his arms. Nero carefully placed his companion into his bag and prepared his spear. Pretty soon, an enormous gator approached him and came to a stop before laying down and offering its head to Nero. As Nero swung his spear, the Gator regained its consciousness and tried to look around in its confusion. Alas, its fate was sealed as it died from a spear piercing its skull.

Within the next half an hour, the duo killed five more gators and cleared their immediate area of the predators. Parcae had consumed a couple of gator souls during this massacre and left a couple of completely intact corpses that would end up being valuable. Nero looked at the pile of corpses, and he realized that carrying these massive corpses to the boat would be a real pain. In the end, he decided to abandon four of the corpses and declaw them. With three claws on each limb, he had gathered 48 claws and two completely intact gator corpses.

While it took him a few minutes to reach the river bank to find the gators, the return journey took him an hour as he struggled with dragging the 5m long corpses through the dirt. But in the end he did make it and bought a ticket back to Nagrand.

Spoiler: notes

Brought back-
48 snapjaw claws. (sold 36 to the alchemist? or will you be the ones taking the claws and paying me?)
2 completely intact snapjaw corpses.
The mountain crossing area should have become a little safer for the boats.

 

Lethe scrambled towards the receptionist's desk panting, hoping it wasn't too late.

Spoiler: Negotiate (?) With a Bear (?)

Lethe clambered out from underneath the receptionist’s desk after a long nap, finally ready to go figure out this business with the bear. Unfortunately for him, there weren’t any caravans headed towards New Spice at the moment so he had to come up with a new game plan… Horses were too big, not to mention too expensive; hiring wagon was also kinda expensive, so that was also a no. It seems like the only option Lethe had left was walking… It was going to be a looong walk.


Coated in a very unflattering layer of dust and looking a bit worse for wear, Lethe arrived at New Spice Village a few days later. Long walk aside, he had also run into a few friendly stray dogs. Said dogs were quite overly friendly, actually. They particularly enjoyed pouncing on Lethe at random intervals and tackling him to the ground. Lethe, to say the least, did not particularly enjoy this experience and tried many a time to ditch the dogs. Unfortunately for him, no matter what he did, the dogs wound up right back by his side. Eventually, he just gave up and settled on trying to avoid their relentless attempts to “play.” As evidenced by his fine coating of dust, he was rather unsuccessful.


“Lethe! Hey little fellow! You here to deal with the bear issue?”


Turning to see who was calling him, Lethe quickly spotted one of Natoll’s crew.


“Ah! Looks like you got a few more companions this time too!” the man continued, reaching down to pat the strays who were frolicking along behind Lethe.


“Mhmm. Not companions though.”


“Sure, sure.” The man placated. “If you’re here about the bear though better head up and see Montauk. He’s gathered all the information he could on the recent happenings. Not that he would have to do much. He’s practically a walking, talking gossip machine.”


With a nod and a quick thank you, Lethe bid the man farewell and headed towards the Chief’s house.


A short nock on the door later, the Chief threw open the door.


“Lethe! Good to see you again! Come have some spice cake; Anmut has just made a fresh one! I take it you’re here for the bear problem, so I can catch you up while you eat! Oh, but you’ll have to leave your little friends outside: we have a no dog in the house policy.”


Not one to say no to free food and certainly not bothered by having to leave the strays outside, Lethe entered the house and followed the Chief to the sitting room.


The Chief Villeroy quickly caught Lethe up on the situation as he munched. Apparently, a few villagers had followed the bear from a distance to his den the other evening and it was quite close.


Having acquired all the necessary information and finished his cake, Lethe thank Montauk and his wife before heading out the door to pay the bear a visit.


As soon as Lethe stepped out the door, though, the dogs mercilessly pounced on Lethe without warning. Unprepared for the sudden onslaught of dog, Lethe once again became good friends with the ground.


“Hahaha! Looks like these fellows really like you, Lethe! Here, let me give you a hand!” Chief Villeroy chuckled as he helped Lethe up of the ground.


After hoisting himself up with Montauk’s help, Lethe patted himself off and gave the man his thanks. Then he turned and gave the dogs his most vicious glare, which (as can be imagined) they promptly ignored.


“Well, be safe out there and good luck! As long as you solve the issue no need to report back to me – though you are free to– you can just head straight back to the guild to let them know the situation.”


“M’kay. Thanks.” Responded Lethe before giving a wave and heading towards the bear’s den, dogs in tow.


It took Lethe only half an hour to reach the den. It seemed to be a relatively sizeable cave and he could hear the scuffling of animals within.


Finally putting Lesovy’s teachings to use, Lethe knocked on the outer perimeter of the cave hoping that, that was close enough to a door for the bear to respond.


Not a few minutes later, a bear lumbered out of the cave to assess the situation and figure out who was knocking on their cave. Seeing the small rabbitkin and the two dogs, he was at ease and instantly lowered his guard.


Suddenly seeing the bear, Lethe realized he had no way to communicate with it… Well, that certainly put a wrench in his plans; what was he supposed to do.


Just as Lethe was contemplating the quandary he found himself in, the bear approached him.


“And what can I do for you this fine evening, friend?”


Caught completely off guard, Lethe stared at the bear, mouth agape.


“Little friend, are you well? What’s wrong?”


A slight blush crept over Lethe’s face and he gave a small cough as he gathered himself.


“Nothin’. Never met a talkin’ bear…”


“Ah, I see, friend. I suppose we are no longer that common, are we. We once roamed all the great land of Ternus, but many of my brethren have been slain. Now we are but few in numbers.”


“Oh, s’rry.” Lethe mumbled feeling rather bad for bringing up such a sad subject right from the get-go.


“Now what can I do for you?”


“Umm, animals, why take th’ animals?”


“Oh, the animals. I suppose I should have seen that coming. I am a very lonely bear you see. I cannot stay with the humans as they fear me and the animals of the forest have no manners; so, every once in a while, I hold a gathering and invite the village animals. They are much more refined.”


As soon as he finished speaking, the strays that had, for some reason or another, wandered off came bounding back. When they saw the bear, they did not even seem surprised and frolicked up to him.


“Gustav, Arman! How are the two of you? I have not seen you in ages! You better not have been giving this small one a hard time!”


“No worries, no worries, it’s just the usual. Besides, we’re friends, right?” replied one of the dogs while turning to look at Lethe.


Now Lethe had absolutely no idea what was going on. The dogs could talk? What the heck? Since when?


The bear and two dogs stared a Lethe, waiting for him to get over his shock so they could continue the conversation.


After a good minute, Lethe finally came to his senses and responded: “Na friends.”


“What? Hey! Why not?” asked the other dog.


Lethe just gave them a glare and pointed at the generous coating of dirt that had accumulated on his body.


“We were just playing with ya. No need to be so touchy. Besides, you folks always seem to be washing up and changing clothes.”


“That’s not the point, Gustav.” sighed the bear “I should have known better than to ask… Anyways, little friend, I will take these two off your hands and return the livestock shortly, as we have a lot of catching up to do. Please let the humans know I mean them no harm and they are free to visit as they please.”


The bear then lumbered back into the caves with the two dogs close behind.


Still not entirely sure about what exactly had gone down, Lethe figured he’d think it over on his way back. He would certainly have plenty of time…

Spoiler: Notes

-It was just your friendly neighborhood talking bear that means no harm
-Bear is lonely bear
-There are also two talking dogs
-The livestock were invited for a social gathering due to their superior manners
-Livestock will be returned promptly

@AliceShiki

 

Welcome back Arawn-san~

Glad you're being more careful now at least, keep up the good work~

The rewards are 12 Large Copper Coins and 4 Guild Points.

Take care now, gods blessings upon you~ *bows*

 

At least you didn't get into trouble Lykke-san... I have a feeling the person that escorted you was the one that put the request up in the first place though...

Either way, you did a good job, the rewards are 9 Large Copper Coins and 4 Guild Points~

Take care now~

 

Welcome back Deanna-san, you're still on time, no worries~

Good thing your time with the Poetree went smoothly, it's nice when things go well for sure~

The rewards are 9 Large Copper Coins and 4 Guild points~

Take care now~

 

So those 2 are not your pets, but actually deadly beasts tied up together forcibly...? Well, make sure to not let go of them I guess... I have no clue who'd want to get the drakes or eggs though? I mean, maybe Zinc-san would, though I doubt he can afford them... You can try making a deal with him I suppose.

The scales should definitely find a buyer somewhere though, we'll look into it and get back to you later~

Either way, the rewards are 54 Large Copper Coins and 16 Guild Points~

Take care now~

 

Well, that doesn't seem like a good experience... Thank you for taking care of it, Yane-san.

I can at least give you some good news though, you didn't really forget to get your pay, the requesters usually pay the guild the reward money in advance, which means you can just collect it with me~

And well, you certainly did deliver the cake, even if... Many many troubling circumstances surrounded it, so totally deserve your reward. Please have those 8 Large Copper Coins and 4 Guild Points~

Take care now~

 

Welcome back Nero-san, that was quite the efficient method of dealing with them. Nicely done~

Regar-san only deposited enough money in the guild for 32 claws, so we'll only pay you that much, you can see what you'll do with the last 16 you gathered though, as well as the corpses~

The reward will be of 32 Large Copper Coins and 8 Guild Points~

Take care now~

 

*blinks a few times over this report*

Well... This ought to take the cake of weirdest report I read so far. To think I wouldn't be surprised anymore after seeing a talking dinosaur, I was certainly wrong in that assumption.

Good job in taking care of it though Lethe-san, I wonder how the mayor will feel when the animals come back in tow with a talking bear...

The reward is of 10 Large Copper Coins and 4 Guild Points~

Take care now~

 

Task: The Mask of Mayhem
Requester: Gandarufu, the Slightly Bleached Black Sorcerer
Quest Rank: E-rank
Rewards: 10 Large Copper Coins
Description: In the old days, 3 mask were given to the elves, 7 to the dwarves, and 9 to the humans, those were the masks of power, meant to grant power above all else. And then, the evil Arcane Warrior Saurumo made the One Mask to Rule Them All.
Unfortunately for him, the other 19 masks were super ugly, so people just burned them at a pyre, making his mask's power pretty useless... Then someone took the mask off his face while he slept and he suddenly became dust, poor guy.
But well, his mask still remained, and it kinda makes people that wear them go nuts or something, so... Do me a favor and travel to the Demonic Volcano and throw it there? For one reason or another the mask can only be destroyed there.

Spoiler: “The Mask of Mayhem Quest Report”

Once Zinc received the approval for the quest, the doctor checked the maps to search for where the Demonic Volcano was located. After scouring the world map, Zinc discovered that the volcano was somewhere on the borders north of Nyllia. According to the guild’s intel, the north of Nyllia was a hot and dry region mainly due to the intensity of the Demonic Volcano. The Demonic Volcano was filled with Fire Elemental Energy and it housed many monsters including Lizardkin, Fire Elementals, and Demons. In addition, it was known to many that the volcano had frequent eruptions, making it near impossible to hike up the rocky paths.

Zinc rubbed his beard a bit as he mused over what he should do. After a few minutes of nothing, the doctor grimaced and walked out of the guild. He strode around the town, hoping to gain some inspiration on what he must do…or find something useful in the town. While he wandered about, he found himself in the lower end of the town. The houses were deteriorating while more and more people could be found on the streets begging for food or robbing others. The security in this area was nil and villains roam the streets freely. Zinc narrowed his eyes as he vigilantly marched deeper in. His right hand clasped on his Amputation Knife, ready to unsheathe if any trouble came his way.

Suddenly, a group of men surrounded him as he turned down an alley. There were about five people – three in the front and two in the back. Zinc looked back and noticed that one of the men twirled an iron dagger. The three in front each carried a pair of brass knuckles. Zinc stopped in his tracks and glared at the men in front of him.

“What do you want? I don’t want any trouble.” Zinc declared as he drew his knife partway.

“Hehe,” The man in the middle, seemingly the leader, cackled as he stroked the large scar across his face, “we don’t want any trouble too. Just hand over your valuables and we’ll be on our merry way.”

“Hmph! Do you think I would do that?”

“Oh? In that case, we’ll have to use a bit of force. Men…attack!”

Both brawlers to the leader’s sides rushed at Zinc with arms raised. Zinc skipped back but realized that the two behind him had also charged forward. With the space between him and his enemies decreasing with every second, Zinc decided on his move. With a wave of his left hand, Cerium peeked out. The little worm wiggled about for a second or two before sliding down Zinc’s sleeve. Suddenly, the four men stumbled. Though they caught themselves, their eyes became dull.

The two in the front charged past Zinc and started fighting with the ones behind the doctor. Disbelieving what he was seeing, the leader tried to talk some sense to his followers, but to no avail. Soon, all four men collapsed from injuries they inflicted upon each other. Zinc ignored the defenseless men and strode towards the leader, who stumbled back and fell on his butt.

“Don’t come any closer!” The man shouted as he tried to scoot away from the approaching dwelf.

Zinc sneered and kicked out, sending the man tumbling backwards. “Who are you? Who sent you after me?”

“M-My name is Scarface Joe. I’m part of the Tiger Gang. N-No one sent us…we just th-thought you were an easy target.”

“Oh? So, how are you going to take responsibility for my injuries?”

“W-What injuries? We didn’t even touch you!”

“My heart injuries! Your ugly mug scared the shit out of me! My heart is still pounding from the sight. It definitely suffered some internal injuries. I’m a doctor, so I should know.”

“B-But….”

“50 Large Copper, pay up!”

“I…We don’t have that much money.”

“No money? Then, your life….”

“W-Wait! Is there anything else I can exchange it for? Maybe information? I’m well-versed about the happenings in these parts.”

“Oh? Do you know any place that sells items with heat resistance or heat immunity?”

“N-No….”

“Then die.”

“Wait! Mafa’s Shop! Try Mafa’s Shop!”

“Mafa’s Shop?”

“Although I don’t know where to find what you need, however at Mafa’s Shop, you can find many antique artifacts and items. Most of the items were stolen and some were bought from the black market. Maybe there’s something in Mafa’s Shop that would interest you? You can find that shop a few blocks from here.”

Zinc glared at Scarface Joe without showing any reaction, causing the man to fidget about nervously. Finally, the doctor released the man and remarked.

“Fine, you’re good to go. Don’t forget to take your lackeys.”

“Thank you, sir. Thank you so much! Thank you!”

As the five men scampered away, Zinc glanced in the direction of the so-called Mafa’s Shop. With a silent prayer to whatever god or goddess was out there, the doctor rushed towards the store. Some time later, Zinc arrived before a small shack where a sign hung on top of the doorway reading ‘Mafa’s Shop – Home to Almost Everything…. You name it, we got it.’

Zinc pushed open the door, causing a bell to ring. As he walked in, he was struck by a dusty smell. The doctor rubbed his nose as he stifled a sneeze. “Anyone here?”

Suddenly, a gnome popped out from behind the counter and approached Zinc with a devious smile. “Greetings customer, welcome to Mafa’s Shop…I am Mafa. What can I help you with?”

“You got anything I can use that will make me resistant or immune to heat?” The doctor replied as he glanced about at the antiques that covered the shelves and walls.

“Heat? And what is the nature of this request?”

“Is that important?”

“It could be. What’s the harm in asking?”

“Hmm…I need to make a trip to the Demonic Volcano. As for the details…that’s for me to know and you to not. Well? Do you have anything for me or not?”

“Demonic Volcano? Hmm…I don’t have anything that could help protect you from the heat....”

“What a waste of time!”

“However! However, I do have something that might be of use.”

“Oh? What is it? Show me!”

The gnome reached behind a counter and pulled out a small chest. Mafa patted away some of the dust that had collected on top of the box and unlocked the chest with a click. The shop owner opened the chest and pulled out a mask. Upon closer look, Zinc saw that it was a mask of a lizardman.

“A lizardman mask? How will that help me?”

“This lizardman mask was created by a legend from an alternate universe…Khaos the Mask Maker. He was a powerful adventurer, and this was one of his earlier works.”

“What does it do?” Zinc leaned forward as his interest piqued.

“The mask has a special power that allows the user to transform into a powerful lizardman. Doesn’t the Demonic Volcano house a number of Lizardkin? By wearing this mask, you will become a lizardman who can withstand the heat from the volcano. How about it?”

“Hmm, sounds good! How much is it?”

“No money…I want a favor.”

“A favor? What?”

“I haven’t thought of it yet…but I’ll tell you once I know what I want. Do we have a deal?”

“Alright, it’s a deal!” Zinc reached out and shook the gnome’s hand after some thought. Once the contract was signed and both parties agreed to the terms, Zinc grabbed the mask and identified it.

Mask of the Lizardman Scout: E-Rank
No Cooldown
No Limit
Indestructible
Stamina Drain 5% per Hour

Special Attributes:
Strength Increase
Defense Increase
Fire Resistance

Special Skills:
Eagle Eye – things seen far away are seen as if close up​

“Fire resistance eh? Doesn’t tell me by how much, but it’s enough.” Zinc grinned as he left the store.

With the mask in hand, Zinc headed towards his favorite store to stock up on some necessities. Along the way, he could feel someone watching him. Thinking it was the robbers earlier, the doctor shrugged and ignored it. After buying all the necessary stuff including a fit horse, Zinc picked up the mask in question and rushed out of town.

Meanwhile….

A man slipped out of the shadows. He was wearing all black and his face was covered with a cloth mask. The man walked with quiet footsteps and those he walked past did not even notice him. Only one man saw him…a bearded, middle-aged man with a scowling face and black tattoos. He wore leather armor and had a tiger skin draped across his back.

“You’re here.” The man replied.

The man of shadows dropped on one knee and saluted. “Boss, he has left the town.”

The ‘Boss’ nodded and sneered. “To mess with my gang, I – Tiger – will not let you live! What are the news of Leo and Alpha?”

“They have received your messages. They said that with this, their debts are repaid.” The shadow man responded.

“Hmph! Only if they complete the task. Go, follow behind him and report back to me once the task is done.”

“Yessir!”

Back on Zinc’s end….

The trip was close to 500 kilometers long. A fit horse could run on average 80-100 kilometers a day. If Zinc spurred the horse at this rate, he would most likely arrive at the destination in 5-6 days. Now, the doctor did not do so as he had to take into account for the return home. If he had initially forced the horse to run near its limit each day, the horse could die from exhaustion. Thus, Zinc slowed the horse down to about 70-80 kilometers a day. With this rate, the doctor would need about 7-8 days before he arrived.

Today was the fourth day. The past three days, he had not met with any problems and the days gone by with ease. However, on the fourth day, Zinc noticed that there were fewer plant life surrounding him. And the only plants there were dry and scratchy. Zinc knew in his mind that he was nearing the volcano. Zinc decided to stop his horse and look for a place to refill his water sack. As he found a small pond, he suddenly heard a faint noise coming from behind him. The doctor dove forward and spun around just in time to see a dagger fly through where his head was before. Zinc looked up and saw nearly 30 people with varying armor and clothing. About half wore wolfskin and the other half wore lion leather. The group looked at Zinc menacingly.

“Who are you?” Zinc asked as he moved his hand towards the Amputation Knife on his side.

He eyed grimacingly at his Horse-Slaying Blade leaning next to a tree a few feet away from him. When dealing with large numbers of enemies, using the Horse-Slaying Blade was a better choice. He’ll have to make do until he reached the tree.

Responding to Zinc’s question, one man walked out and pointed with his one-handed axe. “We’re here to claim your life. You’ve offended someone you shouldn’t have and he wants you dead.”

“I offended someone? The only one I could think of would have to be the Tiger Gang.” Zinc mused as he sneakily released Cerium who quickly started to spread hallucinogens into the atmosphere as well as Arsenic who spewed out a large amount of colorless, gaseous toxin. “When I return, I will definitely pay them a visit!”

“Return? You won’t be able to. Men, charge!”

Twenty-eight robbers charged at Zinc, however, before they could come close, they began to experience something strange. Their strength began to wane as well.

“Ara? What’s this? Why is everything becoming bigger?” One of the robbers remarked as he stared at his surroundings.

Another robber exclaimed as he held his hands up to his face. “Why are my hands shrinking? Why am I shrinking?”

The robbers collapsed onto the ground motionless as their strength seeped out of them. The two leaders, who stayed behind to overseer the battle, were shocked into disbelief. This wasn’t what they were signed up for! As Zinc walked towards them, they gritted their teeth through the dwelf’s pressure and attacked.

The duo charged at Zinc, each slashing out with their weapons. Zinc quickly dodged the first attack and rolled next to his Horse-Slaying Blade. The doctor reached over and grabbed the blade just in time to block the blow from the second attack.

“Hmph! You’re just so-so!” Zinc declared as he pushed back the attack and swung his blade towards his enemies.

The two leaders jumped back with adrenaline-induced reactions. Just as Zinc stood up and held his blade to his side, the duo did something strange. The man wearing lion leather took a deep breath and roared while the man with the one-handed ax howled.

RRAAAWWWRRGGGHHH!!!

AAAWWOOOOOOO!!!

The roar and howl surprised Zinc. What were they trying to do? As the roar entered the doctor’s ears, he could feel his body become numb and his head a bit dizzy. This seemed to have a small stun effect! However, he could not hear the howl so the doctor thought that it was useless for the one-handed ax user to do so. The stunned doctor held up his blade and went on the defense against the two warriors. As the effect wore off, the doctor became more aggressive as he began attacking as well. However, for some reason, both opponents seemed different from before. Both were faster and stronger. They could take on more of Zinc’s attacks. Was it because of the howl earlier? Or was he still under the effects of the roar?

Zinc had no time to ponder about this. He decided to try something underhanded. As he swung his large blade, he let go of the handle and sent the Horse-Slaying Blade flying towards the two leaders. Upon seeing the blade fly towards them, the duo split and tumbled to the ground. At this time, the doctor reached into his utility belt and drew out two needles. With a twist of his wrist, he flung both needles at the unsuspecting enemies. Each throw was accurate and precise. Each throw hit its mark, temporarily paralyzing the two warriors.

Zinc charged up to the nearest warrior and kicked him in the head, knocking him out instantly. He, then, turned towards the man in the lion leather and held his Amputation Knife to the man’s neck.

“Speak. Who are you?” Zinc inquired with a hint of killing intent.

“D-Don’t kill me! I’m Leo – leader of the Lion Gang, and that is Alpha – leader of the Wolf Gang. If you spare us, our two gangs will be forever in your debt.” Leo pleaded as he panted from exhaustion.

“What were those yelling you did before? Some kind of skill?”

“Yes! They are our gangs’ secret skills – Lion’s Roar and Boost Howl. Lion’s Roar can stun enemies and Boost Howl can buff allies in strength and speed.”

“Does the leader of the Tiger Gang also have a secret skill?”

“Yes. The leader has Tiger’s Aura which can intimidate weaker enemies. Legends say Tiger’s Aura is a minor branch of the King’s Aura.”

“I see. Give me.”

“W-What?”

“Give me the Lion’s Roar skill book or I’ll behead you here and now.”

“B-But, that’s my gang’s secret skill…only those of my ga–okay, okay, okay!”

As soon as Leo hesitated, Zinc raised his weapon and prepared to swing. This gesture scared the crap out of Leo, causing him to give in completely. The leader of the Lion Gang reached into his clothes and pulled out a paperback book. It read ‘Lion’s Roar Technique’. As Zinc reached out to grab the book, a glint of killing intent flashed in Leo’s eyes as the man pulled out a dagger hidden in his right boot. However, Zinc had expected this to happen as he kicked out and knocked the dagger out of Leo’s hand. With a grunt, the doctor cleaved Leo’s head clean off.

“Hmph! Never trust a lion and his pride.”

Zinc stored the skill book into his bag and walked up to the unconscious man lying on the ground. The doctor pressed down on a few points on the man’s body, waking him up from his slumber.

The man gazed at Zinc fearfully as he tried to scoot away. “W-What do you want? Don’t kill me! I’ve an eighty-year-old mother and a five-year-old kid at home…please have mercy!”

“Relax. Give me what I want, and I’ll release you. Of course…if you do anything funny, you’ll end up like him.” Zinc pointed at Leo’s decapitated body.

Alpha glanced over to where the doctor was pointing at and saw Leo’s body. With a gulp, he nodded his head fiercely. “Spare me and the Wolf Gang will follow you for life!”

“Hand over the Boost Howl Technique.”

“H-How did you…?”

“Leo told me. Are you going to or not?”

“This….”

“Guess you want to die, eh?”

“No! I’ll give! I’ll give!”

Alpha reached into his clothes and pulled out a paperback book. It read ‘Boost Howl Technique’. As Zinc reached over and grabbed the book, he eyed Alpha for any suspicious movements. However, the man was too fearful to do anything. The doctor skimmed through the contents to confirm the authenticity before storing it.

With a satisfied smile, Zinc took a step back. “You may go.”

“Thank you! Thank you very much! From now on, you are the Wolf Gang’s leader!” Alpha exclaimed as he bowed deeply.

“Oh? Is that so? Okay, I accept your offer.”

“Thank you, thank you.”

“For your first assignment, keep tabs on the Tiger Gang and make a report of their power and wealth. As for the Lion Gang, kill them.”

“Understood!”

“Okay, dismissed!”

Alpha immediately left, along with his men, and Zinc killed off the rest of the members of the Lion Gang. With this encounter solved, Zinc continued on his way. A day or two later, the doctor arrived near the volcano. His horse couldn’t go anymore further because of the heat so the doctor could only go on foot. Before he set off, he tied the horse nearby where there were plenty of food and a small spring for water. Then, Zinc reached into his bag and pulled out the Mask of the Lizardman Scout. With a deep breath, he put the mask on.

“AAARRGHH!” Zinc screamed in pain as his body shapeshifted and contorted into a lean, black lizardman with golden eyes.

The doctor looked at his new body. He swished his tail expertly as if it was a part of his body. With a toothy grin, he directed his gaze at the Demonic Volcano in the distance. The heat was still there but it was not unbearable. Zinc wanted to experience his change some more, but he remembered that the mask had a stamina drain. He shouldn’t be wasting his precious time and stamina. Zinc checked his bag and his weapons before journeying towards the target destination.

Meanwhile….

“What?! That bastard defeated them both? Leo’s dead and Alpha betrayed us? That sly bastard! Where’s Alpha now?” Tiger roared as he heard the news from his shadowy subordinate.

“Boss, he’s in that building over there tracking our men’s movements.” The shadowy man replied.

“Good! Summon our men! Tonight we feast in blood!”

“Yessir!”

Back on Zinc’s end….

Soon, Zinc arrived at the foot of the volcano. It had just erupted, and a stream of lava flowed down the volcano along certain paths. He wiped some sweat from his forehead. Though it feels like a sauna now, the heat wasn’t fatal, and he could still endure through it. Zinc began climbing up the Demonic Volcano after a short rest. Along the way, he spotted other Lizardkin hiking along well-used paths up and down the volcano. Since Zinc was unfamiliar with the area, he decided to follow a lizardman up the volcano. Suddenly, the lizardman – a red Lizardkin with obsidian-colored eyes – turned around and approached Zinc.

“Who are you? I’ve not seen you around these parts. Where are you from? What tribe are you from?” The red lizardman questioned as he pointed his spear at the doctor.

Not wanting to cause conflict, Zinc held up his unarmed hands and replied. “I am called Shadow Fang. I am tribeless and from the far south.”

“Oh? I’ve heard of Lizardkin from the south…though I also heard that they are mostly green-skinned. You, on the other hand, are not.”

“I suffer from a skin defect.” Zinc lied with a straight face. “Don’t worry, it’s not contagious. Because of it, I was driven out of my tribe. Have mercy on me. I have traveled far and would like to see the mouth of the Demonic Volcano. Can you lead me there?”

“Hmm…sure. I am called Red Star of the Fiery Sky Tribe.” Red Star agreed as he introduced himself.

The two chatted some more as they made their way up the volcano. Zinc learned that Red Star was the youngest son of the Fiery Sky Tribe’s best warrior. He was making his way up the Demonic Volcano to look for some fresh obsidian which would be used for making certain crafts necessary for his tribe. And naturally, Red Star learned about Zinc’s medical profession. Soon, the duo arrived at the mouth of the volcano. While Red Star carved out some obsidian along the edges of the volcano, Zinc quickly brought out the cursed mask and dropped it down the volcano.

With a sizzle and a gargle, the mask burned to a crisp and sank to the bottom of the volcano. It was at that time when the volcano began to change. It began to rumble. A cloud of blackness spewed out from the mouth causing Zinc to stumble back. Luckily, the doctor was near the mouth so when he fell back, he was still on the volcano. It still shocked him though. However, a scream woke him from his shock. Red Star!

Zinc rushed to the edge of the volcano and peered down. Red Star hung from a small crevice at the side of the volcano. By the looks of it, he couldn’t hold on much longer. Zinc shouted for Red Star to hold on as he laid down and reached towards the red lizardman with his hands. Once the doctor grabbed onto Red Star’s arm, he used all his strength to lift up the red lizardman.

“Whew! I thought I was a goner! You saved me Shadow Fang. From now on, you and I are brothers!” Red Star gasped as he scrambled up the volcano.

“No worries. You helped me out. Naturally, I will help you. We are even.” Zinc smiled and dismissed Red Star’s proclamation.

“No! This is a spoken tradition of our Lizardkin. He who helps you in a significant way shall be treated as a brother. And she who helps you shall be treated as a sister. You have saved my life. Naturally, you are my brother.”

“Okay. Fine. We are brothers.”

“Haha! Great! Brother Shadow Fang, where are you heading? Why don’t you stay at my tribe for a few days?”

“I appreciate you offer, but Brother Red Star, I have some business I need to complete back home. Maybe I’ll visit you and your tribe some other day.”

“Okay! No worries, no worries. I will wait for you.”

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye. May the Dragon Spirit be with you.”

The two bid their farewells and separated. Red Star continued to carve out fresh obsidian while Zinc rushed down the volcano, following the path he took up. Once he steered clear away from the horrendous heat of the Demonic Volcano, Zinc removed his mask and returned to his original shape and size. The doctor hopped on his horse and headed home.

It was night when he got back to the guild. He had just submitted the completion report and was about to pay the Tiger Gang a visit for their insolence earlier in the day when he heard sounds of fighting. Something was happening! Zinc rushed towards the sounds and saw three large gangs duking it out. Judging from the gangs’ attire, the doctor could conclude that they were the Wolf Gang, Tiger Gang, and Lion Gang. It seemed that the Tiger Gang and the Lion Gang were ganging up on the Wolf Gang. Since the Wolf Gang had fallen under his command, Zinc felt that he needed to do something about the situation before him.

“Arsenic…spread some paralyzing gas in their direction.” Zinc muttered as he laid his son on the ground before him.

The centipede crawled forward a couple of feet before spewing out purplish gas. The paralysis won’t take effect quickly, so Zinc needed to distract them. During the journey, he had trained a bit on the Lion’s Roar and Boost Howl techniques. Maybe Lion’s Roar could do something about it. The doctor breathed in and aimed his mouth towards the battlefield. With his hands cupped to amplify and direct the flow of the roar, Zinc let it loose on the three gangs.

RROOAAARRR!!

The three gangs paused their fight and stared at each other a bit dazed. Though, the effect of Zinc’s Lion’s Roar wasn’t that significant, it was enough for the doctor to descend upon Tiger and deal the killing blow…or that was what Zinc had intended if not for the appearance of the shadowy man. The man blocked Zinc’s attack and countered with a blow to the gut. The doctor stumbled back and glared at his assailant.

“Who are you?” Zinc questioned as he gazed at the surrounding people. It seemed the daze was wearing off. He needed to hurry.

“My name is of no importance. What is important is your life. Leave it here for me!” The shadowy man attacked with his rapier.

“Hmph! I don’t think so. Tell me your name so I can write it on your tombstone!”

“Fuck off! Die for me!”

“Die!”

The two clashed swords. The shadowy man stabbed in quick succession while Zinc blocked every one of them with accurate parries. Zinc smirked at the man and sped up his attack rate. “Is that all you got? Then, time to end this!”

Zinc swung up with his Amputation Knife. On the way up, the doctor borrowed the swing’s momentum to launch a couple of thin needles at the shadowy man. Zinc’s opponent dodged the swing, but he did not expect the doctor to throw flying weapons. The needles pierced into the shadowy man, dealing some damage but not enough to disable him. Fortunately, before the man could recover, Zinc swung down and cleaved the man in half with his Horse-Slaying Blade.

Before Leo could recover, Zinc had arrived beside him. Leo tried to utter a word of forgiveness but no sound came out as the doctor slashed across, tearing away at the gang leader’s throat and leaving behind a trail of blood. The dwelf reached into Leo’s pockets and pulled out the skill book – Tiger Aura. After pocketing this technique, he turned towards the men who had just gained feeling in their limbs.

“Men of the Tiger Gang and the Lion Gang! Your leaders have been killed by me! Submit to me or die!” Zinc howled out using Boost Howl which buffed up the Wolf Gang, making them look even more intimidating.

Without hesitation, the two gangs kneeled down and swore fidelity to Zinc. Luckily, the gang members were smart, or the streets would be painted red tonight. Zinc looked at the three gangs and issued his first order.

“Lion Gang, Wolf Gang, and Tiger Gang! From now on, you shall be combined to form the Dragon Gang! The Dragon Gang will be divided into three branches! Those of the Lion Gang who boasts of their killing prowess…you shall be known as the Breathing Dragon Branch. This branch will take care of the assassinations and raids! Those of the Tiger Gang who boasts of their strength…you shall be known as the Roaring Dragon Branch. This branch will take care of the massacres and base defense. And those of the Wolf Gang who boasts of their intellect and speed…you shall be known as the Flying Dragon Branch. This branch will take care of the information gathering. Understood?”

“Yessir!” Everyone roared in response.

“Dismissed!”

@Naraku

 

"Ah, Gaap's in a coma since some time ago. Let me take it from here." The construct briskly picked up the report. "...let's see. It's rather long. Demons aren't monsters alright? They're just different people."

The construct continued flipping the pages, almost like it's not reading the thing.

"Well then, seems that you finished the request just fine. The volcano's active again? I thought they've dealt with it. Maybe some residual activity, I'll file an inquiry. As for you, mr Zinc, your reward is 10 large coppers and 4 guild points. Have a nice day!"

 

"God, that took a lot of time! I'm tired! Please let this kind of thing be the last!"

Elaine complained, putting a report on the desk with her non-bandaged left arm.

Spoiler: Rank Up Quest --- Elegance!

“So you’re the requestor? Very well. We have about five hundred kilometres to travel, so let’s make haste. Please tell me that you have some kind of transportation in mind, because I’m not about to walk the whole way.” - E

“I can’t afford to hire a carriage, though. I don’t know how to drive one.”

“...How’d you even become a merchant at this rate? Did you always walk while carrying your goods with you...Actually, don’t reply that. I don’t want to know the answer...Here, I called in a few favours and borrowed a single horse. There’s no attached wagon, so we’ll have to pack light and share the ride. Try not to fall off.” - E

The merchant stood there for a bit, not moving.

“...Dear me. Have you not ridden a horse before? Here, I’ll help you up.” - E

“Thank you, I can do it myself,” Hazel responded with a sigh. She put her left foot up the stirrup, and lifted herself awkwardly on top the horse. The animal seemed rather docile, also somewhat lazy.

“Alright, let’s start making our way before we lag behind too much. If possible, I’ll like to cross the mountains before the day ends, so we’ll have to push the timing.” - E

Elaine nudged the horse slightly.

Hazel looks a bit uneasy, as she corrects her posture. She decides to hold onto Elaine’s waist. She became comfortable in a few minutes, and spaces off watching the surroundings. They were going uphill for the time being, causing the horse to be rather picky about their footing. It isn’t a good time to strike a conversation, yet Hazel is obviously quite bored. Perhaps she often travelled with companions, or perhaps the loneliness of her usual travels made her aware of a chatty desire held within.

Elaine spent the first ten or so minutes preoccupied with something, but finally realises the queer silence in the air, and decided to make some conversation.

“So...your father was an adventurer?” - E

“Yes, though I didn’t know him well. He didn’t come back home often, and when he did he’d leave early in the evening or morning. To the tavern, or on some quest. My mother was with us for a while, but then moved on. I knew he did it for the money. Well maybe not at first, but by that time it was like that. I also need money. Badly. Always have. Don’t want to be like my mother…” Hazel explains.

“What exactly do you need the money for? It sounds quite bad to ask this, but if you only need to provide for yourself, then the expenses aren’t really that high…” - E

Elaine asked reluctantly.

“Well… You know, a lot of people ask questions like this, but do you really want the answer, or are you just asking if I’m greedy? I’m not, it’s just circumstances piled up,” Hazel answered..

“I see…” - E

Falling silent, Elaine nudged the horse to make it go faster. The mountain range had just appeared in the distance, and the sun was already midway across the sky.

* * *​

“We’re not going to make it by the day’s end. Let’s camp here; I know a good place to rest.” - E

Elaine directed the horse to the Sylvan Grove, where she’d encountered a mix of elves and fae the last time.

“Hey, sorry for earlier. I guess I’m on edge a bit. Haha~” Hazel laughed awkwardly, “So where are we going?”

She had an inquisitive look. A childish one, at that.

“The most beautiful forest in the region. Just keep an eye on your belongings, and don’t litter. You’ll be fine as long as you keep that in mind.” - E

“Lovely,” the merchant said, looking a bit sadly at her small travelling bag. There wasn’t much in inside, anyway. “Are we meeting somebody there?” She asked, with a hint of worry.

“...No, we probably aren’t. Elves are reclusive by nature, and they’ll probably not go out of their way to meet people. The fae, as well, they prefer to whisk about unseen. I doubt we’ll see much of them, beyond getting a safe night’s rest in the grove.” - E

Elaine fiddled with her wooden hairpin, then falls silent again, somewhat sadly.

Hazel looked at her, then looked at the forest, alternating a gaze filled with increasing stress. She bit her lip slightly, but her lips were otherwise tightly shut. She didn’t notice her hand playing around with the strap of her bag. Some scratches appeared on the leather. A nail was about to break, causing her hand to bolt back in reflex, brushing Elaine’s hip sharply.

“Careful. Sudden movements can end badly.” - E

Elaine advised, taking her hand off her rapier.

The merchant girl looked down at the rapier, becoming aware of the weapon. She wasn’t quite comfortable with swords, in fact she was getting more scared. She took a deep breath. Slowly. There was quiet rustling in the background.

“Is it me, or is it getting strangely windy in this forest?” Hazel asked.

“That’ll probably be the fae that you hear. They can shrink to become smaller than your palm, so keep your bag latched tight when you come to places where they live. Although…” - E

Elaine paid a bit more attention to the rustling, before getting quieter.

“...That’s not the sound a fae would make.” - E

“No…” Hazel was strangely calm and monotone. “It sounds more like a giant wolf.”

“Halt!” a melodic masculine voice echoed from an unknown direction.

“Forget what I said. The fae are up to their usual tricks again; ignore them. If they do anything excessive, I’ll have a little ‘talk’ to them again, like last time. I still have the cold iron.” - E

Elaine says the last part out loudly, making sure that anyone in the vicinity could hear her.

Hazel burst into laughter all of a sudden.

“You know, I’m starting to think adventurers might be cool, after all,” she said, grinning.

“Hai, hai. Time for dinner, a good sleep, and we’ll be gone first thing in the morning. I hope you like fruits and rabbits, because we’ll be eating plenty of those.” - E

“Can I try for my bit? Maybe yours too. I haven’t cooked for others in a while, and frankly I feel like too much baggage, even with the request…” Hazel offered.

“Well, go on ahead, then. I have the cooking materials, and it’s only rabbit; it’s hard to get this done wrongly. I’ll set up camp in the meantime.” - E

Elaine jumps off the horse, and started marking out the floor with a stick she picked up.

Hazel followed, landing not quite softly, and followed with an awkward gait, looking around for stones for the fire circle. In a short while, she managed a comfortable, but somewhat small campfire, preparing the charcoal for the upcoming meal. She had laid her bedroll next to it, for some reason.

“Not there.” - E

Elaine smirks.

“Sleeping next to a campfire is the biggest sign of asking for trouble. There’s no monsters here, but the Fair Folk get really tempted to do naughty things when they see that, and the last thing I want is to wake up tomorrow without the horse, my blade, and my employer. We’re going to sleep in the trees.” - E

“How does that even work out? I toss a lot, when I’m asleep, you know?” Hazel asked wide eyed.

Elaine’s only reply was to hold up a coil of rope.

The next morning...

“Well, that was a good night’s rest. Now let’s hurry, the day won’t be waiting for us. We’ll have to travel faster to make up for the lost time. Hopefully we’ll end today at Hero’s Port.” - E

Elaine packs up camp, drinking from a waterskin.

“Can you get me down first, please? I stopped crying, okay? I’m fine now!” Hazel pleaded.

“Ah? Just undo the ropes, you’ll be able to get down by yourself. I didn’t tie it very tightly.” - E

Elaine smiles.

“I can’t, they seem to have tightened somehow! Also I’m scared of heights! Please! Oh no, the tears are coming back…” Hazel sniffed and held them in.

“Fine, fine. Just don’t scream.” - E

Elaine cuts the rope from below, causing it to loosen.

She screamed. Quietly. It sounded breathy.

“Okay, let’s eat on the way. We have to cross that, and I don’t intend on staying inside there any longer than necessary.” - E

Elaine looked to the mountains looming up ahead, and pointed at a spot in between two of the closest ones.

“I see.” Hazel waited patiently for Elaine to get on the horse, followed suit with more confidence than before, and later on even had the comfort to start on a rabbit skewer.

“Shoo guud!” She exclaimed, only to realise her behavior the last half a day was somewhat erratic. Looking at the mountains ahead, her only thought was Calm like a mountain, silent like a lake on its peak.

* * *​

By evening, they had reached Hero’s Port, spent the night, and would repeat that, heading for Asphodelus in the East. That’s when Elaine started focusing on the quest more.

“What is this sword about? Actually, how do you know it’s worth something, in the first place? It could have been a dead end that you’re chasing.” - E

“All I know is he found it in some dungeon somewhere. Said he wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for the sword. Quite often, actually. I never heard the story of how he got it, sadly. I’m sorry.” Hazel explained.

“A sword that dropped in a dungeon? That explains a lot; I won’t be surprised if it was a magic blade. And magic weapons tend to be worth quite a lot, too. Just…” - E

Elaine winced.

“If he died while holding on to such a good sword, won’t it mean that whatever killed him was even stronger…?” - E

“It’s fine. The sword is not with him anymore. We buried the body a long time ago. The sword however, it’s somewhere his will specified. A friend of his placed it there. Died a month or so afterwards himself, apparently. But the weapon isn’t cursed! I think! Maybe somebody else wanted it…” Hazel added.

“A friend of his placed it...in the Haunted Forest? Doesn’t really seem like a good place to keep a sword, what with all the wild nature spirits and the dead…” - E

“Well, it’s not like I was going to become an adventurer back then, so he just… I guess he didn’t want anybody else taking it. At least not without a fight. He was stubborn like that. Didn’t like losing things, people…” Hazel responded in one go. She was quite defensive of her father, indeed.

“Oh, well, let’s hope that magic sword is still worth something after all the years it’s been there, then. Ah, we’re about to reach Asphodelus, let’s find somewhere to bunk in for the night, and we’ll visit the Haunted Forest tomorrow. As always, I prefer that we settle our business in the daytime.” - E

“You are the guide. I just think I’ll need a week in the hot springs for those bags under my eyes that are forming… What place is good around these parts? I’m hungry as a wolf.” The merchant said.

“There’s the stalls, and then there’s hunting. Pick one.” - E

Elaine shrugged.

“I think I’ll go with handmade food.”

* * *​

“There’s no way out...It’s all my fault, I got us in this mess by insisting we take this route, I’m sorry…”

Backtrack to a few hours earlier, Hazel had asked to shorten the journey time by taking a shortcut directly through to the heart of the Haunted Forest. Good thinking and all that, except for one small issue…

The sword wasn’t in the middle of the haunted forest. But to be fair, no one said exactly where it’d be, so assuming that it would be in the very middle was a reasonable idea.

“It’s a bit late to regret it now. Also, who said we’re going to die here?” - E

“But the enemies are so numerous, fighting our way out of this is impossible…”

Enemies were converging on their location, slowly but surely. There were twisted treants which were glowing sickly green, and smelled of rot. And then there were skeletons.

“Impossible? That’s how I get my kicks. Here, you ride the horse, it’s faster. If something happens, run. You can do that at the least, right?” - E

Elaine leapt off the horse and hit the ground running, chanting as she did so.

“Heed my call and to my side, royalty clad in scarlet fire!” - E

Much like how she remembered it from the previous time, a ring of fire enveloped the two of them, preventing the attackers from drawing closer, but that wasn’t all. This time, she brought forth one more thing; the cause of those flames.

The lion whose mane was flickering like flames bellowed, stepping in front of the duo.

“Woah...What’s his name?”

Hazel held her shortbow, awed.

“Doesn’t have one. Ah, I should probably give him a name later, but for now, let’s focus on surviving. You think the wood here will burn up when set alight?” - E

“Hard to tell. This place is brimming with weird thing, after all. The creatures could be magical.”

“Well, the fire is magical as well, so we’ll see.” - E

Elaine vaulted onto the lion’s spacious back, drew her rapier, and with a loud warcry, the girl went off to confront the enemies that were blocking the way.

* * *​

“Your father’s sword…is it here?” - E

Elaine looked around the clearing, rapier out. The grass rustled as she made her way through them. The sun was starting to set, but there was still enough light to see with. They’d stumbled across the clearing by sheer coincidence.

“I’ll be candid here, but time would not have done the sword any favours. Our best bet is assuming that the sword’s magic includes preservation against corrosion, else we’ll be left with nothing beyond a piece of scrap metal. Let’s go.” - E

The horse set off at a slow trot, wary about the surroundings. It was a quiet forest, but the silence was a bit too unnerving; there was absolutely no sound, not even the chirping of birds or insects. Elaine kept a sharp lookout for anything that might be hiding in the grass, letting her eyesight wander.

Then she saw it.

“Say, Hazel…” - E

“Yes…?”

“You didn’t say anything about the sword being capable of shapeshifting. Look.” - E

There was this weird…figure…standing there in the distance. It had arms and legs, and a head. No fingers, but parts of a sword could clearly be seen. The blade formed the thing’s limbs, and the hilt formed the head. There was no visible torso except for the chunk that looked like it was once part of the blade’s guard.

“It looks like a really messed up golem. And just based on looks alone, I already don’t want to approach this thing; with my luck, we’ll have to beat it up first. Haaaah, just my luck. Sit around here and watch my back for me.” - E

“Huh? But---”

Elaine interrupted her.

“It’s an unknown enemy, so I don’t know what kind of movement it has. If you got killed, I won’t get my pay.” - E

The merchant reluctantly complied, steering the horse to a stop. Elaine dismounted, and charged.

“Haaaa---Eh?” - E

As soon as her blade made contact with the arm of the golem-sword-thing, it was parried off. If she had placed more force behind that testing strike, her arm might have broken off. The ‘probably’ only good thing was that the thing didn't follow up. It just remained there, unmoving.

“...Wow. This is going to be a lot more trouble than it’s worth.” - E

Acting on a hunch, Elaine kept her blade, and walked over cautiously, wary for sudden movements. The thing however allowed her to approach it up to the point where she was poking the metallic blade arms and legs. It was icy to the touch, and that’s when she noticed an extra detail---The leg blades were jammed into the ground, quite stuck.

“I’ve this feeling that all I have to do is to pull the blade out...And naturally, it’ll be about as easy as it looks.” - E

The sword which formed the thing itself, by the looks of it, was originally a two-handed greatsword. That was still alright; she’d be able to unearth it with some effort, but now? The transformed sword was easily towering over her. She didn’t want to grip the thing by the blade alone; fingers were a commodity hard to come by.

“...Regulus.” - E

The lion manifested itself, and Elaine pointed at the hilt of the massive blade. There was an awkward moment of silence before the large feline shook its head, and then disappeared.

“Thought so...Well, tough times call for tough decisions. I hope my poor back doesn’t snap…” - E

She clambered up the side of the golem, taking care not to cut herself, before grasping the hilt. Then, she discovered that maybe there wasn't a need to lift the sword at all. Tendrils of translucent blue grew out of the hilt, wrapping around her arms.

It was quite a charming sight until the tendrils wrapped themselves around her hands, and tied them to the sword handle. At the same time, she could feel something affecting her thoughts.

“It’s trying to take over my body? Not a chance!” - E

Frowning, Elaine started pushing back against the foreign influence. At first, she was quite tired, but that tiredness quickly turned into indignation, then to full blown anger. It escalated pretty quickly.

I didn’t go all the way here for a pile of scrap! If you dare to not function after all the work you’ve put me through, I’m gonna ask Haruna to fix you and then wreck you all over again! And again and again and again! I’ll personally smash you into pieces, cart you to the Great Volcano, and melt you into nothing!

Small patches of flame winked into existence around her wrists, contending with the tendrils. They steadily worked their way down the individual stripes, burning away the glowing tendrils. Elaine was gradually turning the tables.

I don’t care what you are, but you’re going to come with me right this instant.

*Rumble*

The golem finally lifted its legs out of the ground, and stopped moving. Hmm…

“Ne, can you shrink a bit.” - E

The thing complied, folding itself back into sword form. It also ended up dumping her onto the floor, so there’s that.

“Elaine!”

“Haah, done. It’s now possible to carry, although I doubt the horse would be too pleased. Here you go, your father’s sword, and in good condition no less...Eh?” - E

“Don’t ever do that again! You had me so worried, with all that…*Sniff*...”

It took a bit for the crying girl to calm down, upon which the wryly smiling Elaine presented the rather large blade to her.

“Here you go.” - E

The girl had to let the blade lean against the ground due to the excess weight, but after she poked it a few times...

“...I can’t believe it...I finally get to see the sword that my father spoke so much about...fueeee…”

“Hey hey, don’t starting crying again. It’s unsightly.” - E

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself...I didn’t think I’d ever be able to come all the way here and see for myself what it was…”

The grinning girl patted the sobbing girl on the back a few times.

“So, you’ve thought it over? This thing should be worth a pretty penny, I reckon. I bet people would fork out huge prices for a sword that can turn into a golem.” - E

“No, I won’t sell it anymore.”

“Oh?” - E

“I want to keep it with me, to remind me of this adventure, fueeee…”

“That’s good and all, but what about money? Don’t you need it?” - E

“If...If I cut down a bit more on my living expenditure, I should be able to make it for now...Could you show me how to catch rabbits, though? And how to wield a sword?”

Elaine giggled.

“Sure. But first, let’s go back. I’ll need to confirm that the fire has been put out, and we should really go before the denizens of the forest decide to have another go at us. Summoning Regulus makes me tired, after all.” - E

@AliceShiki

 

Well... As long as she is happy I guess... Makes me wonder if the money she spent in getting this quest done wasn't enough to cover her gambling debts if she could just solve it by holding back in living expenses...

I'm impressed you were able to just handle this many monsters of the woods though... Maybe the stronger monsters were sleeping? Fighting the forest mobs head on is a recipe for suicide after all...

Oh well, it doesn't matter much to me, does it? Congratulations Elaine-san, you're officially a C-ranked member now~

Before I give you your silver badge though, I need you to put a drop of your blood in it in order to trigger the badge's enchantments... You don't need to worry though, none of them are harmful. There are only 2 enchantments there.

The first will make the badge break in case you die. The second will make the badge break in case you stay a whole week 10m away from it. Both enchantments exist just to stop people from trying to pretend being a high rank adventurer by stealing your badge, either from you or your corpse.

*puts a knife in the table right next to the badge* Please go ahead, a single drop is enough.

 

"Okay!"

Elaine bit her thumb, getting a drop of blood on the badge...and more drops all over the counter.

 

*sighs* Was it that hard to poke your thumb with the knife...? It was right next to the badge... And it wouldn't dirty the counter either...

Fine fine, here is your badge anyways, congratulations on becoming C-ranked I suppose, try to not die, alright?

And I think you know the drill by now, but... Your name is carved in its back, and you'll pay a fine in case the badge is lost, so be careful with it, okay?

Take care Elaine-san. Truly. *gets a rag and starts cleaning the counter from the fallen blood drops*