Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Distant Shadows

Wading through the partially flooded streets, Dahlia and her party finally make it to the Adventurers Guild. Taking the lead, the vulpid woman bangs on the large wooden doors for a few seconds before a Guild employee quickly opens the way and ushers them inside. Moving over to dry off with a magical tool built into the Guild’s lobby, the party can’t help but look at eachother wryly as they mentally compare it to the one built into a cave they just came from. Vorpalia built that whole place in a week… I kind of want to mention that to whoever built the Guild just to see their reaction. Dahlia does her best to distract herself as she makes her way to the counter to report on the job.

“I called the Guildmaster for your report. The family insisted on her being found quickly and paid quite a bit, so I hope you understand.” The fact that the kid was not with them had the receptionist immediately calling for the Guildmaster before they could say anything. “It’s fine, we were going to ask for him anyway.” Dahlia’s grim tone ultimately does nothing to assuage the receptionist's assumptions as they are led back.

Stepping into a large plush room with heavily reinforced furniture, Dahlia and her group sit across from the imposing dwarf who has taken a seat on one of the couches in the center of the room. “I see ya’ don’ have the kid.” Eyeing the group’s frustrated looks, Guildmaster Dante begins to assume the worst.

Squaring her shoulders, the vulpid woman takes the lead, looking the Guildmaster directly in the eyes. “That is what we wanted to talk with you about sir. We found the girl alive and safe but… she reported to us that she ran away from home after overhearing her parents discussing their plans to sell her to a noble from Lustali.” Her voice wavers a bit as she tries to maintain her composure. Speaking these words is pressing the limits of Dahlia’s restraint as her anger boils.

“What?!” Slamming his fist on the table the dwarven Guildmaster shouts for the job’s assigned clerk. “Jones! Get in here!” The shout reverberates throughout the entire guild, a bit of Ether twinged in the air no doubt indicating a skill being used to project the Guildmaster’s words. Within seconds a young dark skinned man rushes into the room. “Sir!” The new entrant’s composed face cracks as he sees the party without the lost child he had created a posting for.

“You took the request for the kid, right’h? Well, it seems her parents were lookin’ to sell the poor thing to some Lushtali noble.” At the Guildmaster’s words the formerly sad dark elven man’s face twists with a snarl. “Bastards. They did seem rather panicked, I had assumed it was for their missing daughter… Not themselves.” Turning to the party he quickly bows his head. “I apologize for my oversight! I should have looked into the request more carefully.”

“There was no way you could have known, her family never seemed the type…” Nadia’s words tail off as she tries to excuse the receptionist’s obvious guilt. Clearing his throat, the Guildmaster takes back the attention as he turns to the trio. “You said the girl is safe? Where is she now? We will still need to have her confirm her statement for the record.”

“Well, you see sir…” The three adventurer’s begin awkwardly shifting in their seats, something that does not get past the Guildmaster in the slightest. “Spit it out already’h!” His voice runs a jolt through everyone in the room as they all begin to rapidly explain the situation. “Sir! You remember how Lupis decided to challenge a monster recklessly and nearly got us all killed for it?” “Well, it is a kind of awkward situation.” “We are certain she is safe, but I am not sure about her willingness to come visit the town… The place had a shower and everything.” Greg’s last mumble gets him an elbow in the side from Dahlia.

Unamused, the Guildmaster glares at the group as he plays along. “I do remember you throwin’ a fit when ya got back about that boy’s stupidity and bootin’ him.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“The monster in question is currently looking after Jane.” Desperately avoiding eye contact, Dahlia finally spits out the truth.

“The monster? The one who talked with fancy’ blood writin’ and roasted Lupis with his own element in an instant? You are telling me it is taking care of a human child?”

Dahlia crumbles as she explains everything she knows in detail, even things they left out last time thanks to the blood contract. They had been given permission by Vorpalia to do so this time because of the girl’s situation. She told the Guildmaster everything from how Jane ran away without any supplies and how she came across the monster in the woods, as well as the creature’s identity as an Otherworlder. Finally, Greg chimes in with a bit too much information about the state of the upgraded cave that his normally durable sides begin to bruise from being elbowed so many times.

“And you think that ain’t an issue?” The Guildmaster had been preparing to have a stronger force from the capital investigate the monster after it killed the scout and roasted a C Rank mage instantly—a mage who should have had a strong resistance to [Lightning Magic]—and now he is being told that the creature is a friendly Otherworlder that is keeping the runaway safe. The Guildmaster desperately fights the urge to bury his face in his hands as he hears the story.

The fact that the cave was better equipped than most houses, that Jane seemed to be heavily enjoying herself, and that the monster is able to expertly use [Telepathy]. “What kind of fresh nonsense are you spoutin’?” Everything out of the trio’s mouths sounds like the dumbest fairytale to ever be written.

“We’re serious, I honestly want the thing to renovate our house when it has a chance.”

“Greg, shut up about the house already!”

Sighing heavily as the display of the young elven woman shouting at the far too unserious dwarf across from her, the Guildmaster looks to the primary voice of reason in the party. “So the monster cooks ya friend, but is doting on some kid?”

“Well, to be fair, Lupis was entirely at fault for getting fried. The monster had given us several chances to leave peacefully.”

“Young lady, we are going to have to have a talk about that later. For now, we will have the child’s parents looked into and report this to the capital. Both the Guild there, as well as the knights.”

“...Yes sir.”

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Sitting alone in a dark inn room, a young ulfr slams his fist into the wall so hard that his knuckles quickly start to bleed. He had been kicked out of the party’s home and not a single other group in the town was willing to even look at him after being dumped by the top party in the area. “Bastards! It’s my fault huh?! That thing was a monster, why shouldn’t I attack it? They were the cowards. Not me!”

Growling fills the room as Lupis’ Ether begins to cycle.

Knock, Knock!

“Fuck off! I am not looking for visitors!” He thought he had told the desk to not let anyone near his room but evidently even a simple inn was against him. Nothing was going his way.

“Dearie me, sir Lupis. I was here to offer you a wonderful deal, one to get you back on your feet after those fools tossed you out. Are you sure you want to throw away such an opportunity?” An arrogant voice rings out from the other side of the door. The words echo in Lupis’ ears. An opportunity? He does not know why, but the words sound so enticing.

The door slams open as a dark suited man stands in the hallway, his face so clearly out in the open and yet nothing about him is identifiable. “Get in. What opportunity?” Lupis slams the door behind the man as he saunters into the room as if he owns the whole building. The clicking of his shoes sounds wet, and distant. A trained mage like Lupis would normally notice something was off, but his mind was focused on his emotions, his hate. Everything else was secondary.

Behind him, the man’s shadow slither and writhed, and then it grinned. “I can promise, you won’t be able to say no.”