Sending Out an S.O.S.
...And I'm standing right there, in this dirty sewer, holding this huge bag filled with gems. I ask not as the Ritsu you know and love that's sitting right here before you, but as this guy's partner in crime, I look him right in his eyes and I say:
"Okay kid, tell me, right now, from the very pits of your empty, deserted heart; as if the very gods were listening to you right now, because they are. Where did we steal this from?".
And I know I should've asked before I even accepted to be a part of the operation, but the whole thing was planned by Jordan, and I had no reason to doubt him at all, until then. I asked him again, since it seemed like he conveniently didn't hear me.
"What's above us isn't a bank or a warehouse, but I still only made it out by the skin of my teeth. Where did we just steal this from?"
He was shaking in his boots, looking back on it I kinda feel bad for him; but then again, he was completely ignoring me. So I grabbed him by the neck of his stupid linen shirt, and looking like he was gonna cry, he spilled the beans:
"It- it's the gems that the royal family donated for the charity event that happened a couple of days ago." Kid got on his knees "I'm so sorry Lady Ritsu! They told me not to tell you what it was but you're so cool and intimidating and extremely beautiful! Please let's return with the gems!"
I was in awe! I couldn't believe we were stealing what basically was the lives of a bunch of orphans, I was offended, disgusted even!
"I'm not taking this" I said. "I refuse to take any of this and so should you, I'm going back in there and putting the rocks back in their place."
"No you can't do that!" I'm pretty sure he was crying by now. "We need to take them back to the hideout! That's what we were told to do! Maybe you won't be punished because you're so cool and everyone loves you, but they're gonna take it out on me!"
Now I'm not completely cold hearted, I felt bad for the kid and if he were to return empty handed, they would definitely kick his ass, or worse. After considering things for a minute, I told him:
"Here, then" I threw him the bag with the gems "Do whatever you want, I'm not taking part in this."
I jumped into the sewer water and started taking my leave. He asked where I was going, I told him I was gonna give Jordan a piece of my mind.
And then I just walked away, I knew Jordan wasn't at the hideout at the moment, but I knew where to meet him. I guess it was lucky I went that way because that poor kid got ambushed by the city guard as he was making his way back.
"You made the right call, Ritsu." a slender man with silver hair and pointed ears reassured the rogue. "I think most people sitting on this table would've done the same thing."
"Well, depends on who you ask." A bald man with a strong accent and an even stronger build clad in plate armor pointed at a halfling who was sitting at the end of the table, sharpening a knife. Everyone turned to look at her.
"What? Why are all of you looking at me? Even I have principles!" She turned her nose in indignation.
Everyone on the table raised their eyebrows at her, after a short silence she gave in.
"How much cash are we talkin'?"
The table erupted in laughter.
Ritsu was sitting amongst a group of tough adventurer's at Old Fiergrol's tavern and inn, she was telling the story of what really happened at that robbery that took place two years past.
"Serves those pricks right for trying to drag you into something like that" A dwarf spoke with a thick accent from behind the bar.
"Thanks, Fier." Ritsu smiled at the dwarf and returned to the conversation.
"Didn't the kid rat you out?" The elf inquired.
"Apparently when he got pinned by the guard gnoll he got his throat destroyed, but I guess that's rock sniffing gnolls for you."
The rest of the tabled cringed.
Fiergrol continued cleaning some glasses, the afternoon was going relatively slow. As he was wiping one of the tankards, he saw the door to the tavern fly open.
At the door of the tavern stood a slender, tall elf with long, flowing black hair. The cold air that signalled the beginning of winter was counteracted by her aura.
Fiergrol gestured in a small motion with his head, over to the table where Ritsu was sitting and continued wiping the tankard in his hands.
The elf nodded in thanks and walked over to the table.
"...In the end, Jordan couldn't really justify what he did, and couldn't stop me from leaving. Though, what I'll never understand is-"
Her sentence was stopped in its tracks by Mio, who yanked the collar of her shirt and started dragging her out of the tavern.
"Wha- Mio! What's going on!"
"We need to talk about something."
Mio's tone was different, it wasn't the usual stern front she put up, there was an underlying concern in her words. Ritsu wondered what on earth she needed to talk about so badly.
"Can't we talk about it at the tavern?" Ritsu bargained as she was still being dragged on her feet by the elf.
"There's something for you at the guild."
Ritsu tossed Fiergrol a couple of silver coins before turning on her heel and following Mio out of the tavern, the dwarf caught them and nodded to her wishing her good luck.
-Old Acquaintances-
The walk to the guild hall was silent, Ritsu used the time to think about what could have put Mio in a mood like this.
"I'm pretty sure I haven't done anything awful as of late, well, at least not something that would catch the guild's attention"
They followed the main street that lead to the guild hall, the traffic was the same as any other afternoon at Toyosato, merchants, adventurers, the occasional wagon, nothing seemed to indicate towards an emergency situation, Ritsu was relieved.
"So, If it isn't something I did, and there's no big panic around the guild, then is it something Mio did? No, she said there was something waiting for me. If it was something she could carry then she would've probably brought it to Fier's, so it's either something big or something that a guild official has to tell me personally."
The banner of the Toyosato Adventurer's Guild hung proudly on the big stone walls of the hall. The girls made their way inside.
The guild hall looked like a mess hall would, a big open space with tables for eating with a bar on the far right where adventurers could order food and drink, the walls and floors were constructed out of stone bricks, and chandeliers hung down from the vaulted ceilings. On the far wall there was a small hallway that lead to the administrative area and a giant notice board hung from it, on it were dozens upon dozens of notes posted by city officials, people who needed help, or other adventurers who were seeking assistance.
Mio and Ritsu walked over to the reception desks on the left side of the hall, opposite to the tables. A thin, redheaded girl was waiting behind one of them.
"Hey Megumi."
"Hey Ritsu, Miss Akiyama." The girl behind the desk greeted them both with a smile. "You brought her here quickly."
"I'm so sorry about that, Megumi. Now, If you would."
"Of course!" She fished a paper from the files she had on her desk and handed it to Ritsu. It was a help notice like several others on the board, it had the city's official crest stamped on top. The notice read the following:
The city administration of Toyosato offers a reward to those who are brave enough to help us retake the village of Toriko from a group of goblins that have invaded the hamlet and driven the residents away. Ask guild representatives for more information. Reward: 2000 Gold pieces
"2000 gold pieces, sure. But what's up with the urgency and the silent treatment?"
Mio prompted Megumi to continue.
"The hamlet has been taken over by a group of around 30 or 40 goblins, lead by three hobgoblins."
"That still doesn't tell me anything, Mio." Ritsu responded, visibly frustrated.
"One of the hobgoblins had a message." The elf revealed. "Megumi, If you could…"
The redhead nodded.
"When they drove the villagers away, one of the hobgoblins grabbed one of the peace keepers and told him this: Give whoever killed Grawen my thanks, because now we can stop all the pussyfooting and just take over this shithole like we wanted to from the start."
Grawen.
The name hit Ritsu like a splash of cold water, followed by a sinking feeling in her chest when she started realizing what this message meant.
This happened because Grawen is dead.
This happened because I killed Grawen.
Because I had to go and be a hero.
People are suffering because I had to stick my head where I didn't have to.
This is my fault.
"So that's what they said, huh?" She sighed.
She turned around and leaned back on the desk, guilt clouded her racing thoughts, making it so she couldn't see past her self-imposed blame. Vacantly staring at the vaulted ceilings, Ritsu let out a sigh.
Mio kept her eyes on the tawny eyed girl, thinking about what to say next. But before she had the chance to, Ritsu faced forwards and with a slight slap on her cheeks, brought some of her determination back.
"Alright then, Megumi! Sign us up right now!" she exclaimed in a powerful stance and pointing at the redhead girl behind the desk.
Mio was relieved when she saw the rogue come back to her usual self. But now she had to play her part.
Ritsu's determination was cut short by a swift smack on the back of her head.
"Hold it right there." Mio said in a stern voice. "Can you tell her what the official guild requirements are, Megumi?"
"Certainly, Miss Akiyama!" She fished a piece of paper out of a cabinet in her desk, and after clearing her throat she began reading it out loud.
As a preventative measure, and to ensure the success of this task, the Toyosato adventurer's guild will only give support to those who:
Arrive in a group of four or larger.
Have a dedicated healer.
Are in good standing with the Toyosato adventurer's guild.
Due to the scale of this operation, the Toyosato adventurer's guild will provide those who decide to help with backup from the ranks of the castle guard, and up to 500 gp worth of materials and equipment. Though members can decide to circumvent this and report the task as noreg (No Registration) it is highly discouraged as the guild will not take responsibility for any loss attributed to this situation.
Ritsu stood there in frustration. She always thought that the guild was too strict with their requirements
"Well, can't you just, Y'know-"
"Absolutely not." Mio interrupted her abruptly "Megumi already does you too many favors as it is, and I wouldn't forgive you if she got in trouble for being this lenient with you."
Megumi blushed, bowing her head apologetically. She began speaking
"We've been instructed to be very strict with this task due to the delicacy of the situation. If any adventurer's lives were to be unnecessarily lost, the towns neighboring Toriko, and eventually Toyosato itself could fall into a panic."
Ritsu stood there, frustrated, wondering if this whole thing was really out of their reach.
"I'm really sorry I can't be of more help to you in this situation!" Megumi apologised profusely.
"D-don't worry Megu! I should be the one apologizing for being such a pain up to now!"
Ritsu bowed deeply and continued.
"I am sorry for any trouble that I've caused!"
She bowed again.
"And I'm sorry in advance for the trouble I'll cause in the future!"
Mio hit her on the back of the head again.
"You're supposed to say you won't cause any more trouble!"
Ritsu rubbed the back of her head in pain.
"Well I don't wanna lie to her!"
"It's not a lie if you actually stop!"
"Mio, We both know I'm never going to stop."
"I'm going to make you stop."
"CAN'T STOP."
"Ritsu!"
"WON'T STOP." The rogue threw her hands up in the air.
"STOP IT."
Mio grabbed Ritsu by the collar of her shirt and pulled her closer, Ritsu, however, was not stopping
"I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP."
This only stopped when they heard a soft laugh coming from behind the desk. Ritsu smiled, while Mio blushed upon realizing how close her face was to her friend's.
Mio let go of the rogue, backing away slightly.
"Take that smile off your face you dummy, we have things to do."
"I thought you were going to make me stop." Responded Ritsu with a smug look.
"Shut up." The elf muttered.
"What? I couldn't hear you." Ritsu asked again.
"Shut up!" Mio repeated herself.
Megumi interrupted the pair with an offer.
"I'm afraid I can't help you by ignoring the requirements, although there is one way I can help."
-A Simple Favor-
"At the entrance of the hall?" Mio asked.
"Yes, usually it's reserved for high priority official statements or posters who pay an extra fee, but I can arrange it so you can have a notice there this week."
"This week, huh… Hey Ritsu! pay attention!"
"I am! I am!"
Ritsu wasn't paying attention. She was busy scanning the room for potential party members.
"If you could do us this favor, please!" Mio bowed as she made her plea, Ritsu started sneaking towards the tables.
"Just hand me two copies of the notice before the end of the day, I'll make sure you have a spot secured at the priority board."
Mio smiled "Thank you so much, Megumi!" She took the girl's hands and shook them vigorously
"Ritsu! Thank Meg- Ritsu?"
Ritsu was gone, Mio turned around and spotted her sneaking through the hall towards a pair of adventurers who were sharing a meal.
"The food here isn't that great, is it?" A young cleric asked cheerfully to her party mate.
"It's really not." The paladin smiled. "But at least it's free."
"The food you pay for is really good." Ritsu added, nonchalantly.
Neither of them noticed when she arrived, her head was sticking from under the table they were sitting on. They both jumped upon seeing her.
"The mead is still good though." She took a swig from the paladin's drink.
"Say, wouldn't the two of you be interested in a very lucrative proposal?"
The paladin slowly took his drink back and asked cheerfully.
"And who might you be, young lass?"
"Me? Well…" She slid from under the table and jumped on top, striking a pose and proclaiming vigorously:
"I am the one and only Ritsu Tainaka! The fastest, coolest, and most beautiful rogue this side of the Kazegawa river."
She back flipped off the table and in a small puff of smoke, she vanished. She reappeared on the other side of the table. The cleric was in awe, the paladin laughed heartily.
"You might not have heard of me because you never hear about the greatest rogues until it's too-"
She felt as she was swept from her feet and face planted onto the table with a loud thud before sliding to the ground.
"She's also the one with the loudest mouth this side of the Kazegawa." Mio spoke to herself.
Mio had swept her off by one of her feet, she turned to the two who were sitting at the table.
"Oh my, is she ok?" The cleric asked concernedly.
Mio's back suddenly straightened upon hearing these words, she looked nervously towards the table and smiled awkwardly.
"I uh, yes! Yes, don't worry about her" she laughed nervously and fumbled her way through an apology.
"Don't worry about it." spoke the cleric "No harm done."
"But I apologize in return, we are not able to join you currently as we have matters to attend to ourselves" The paladin said, gesturing to the table.
"We are meeting with the rest of our party at the southern exit, and we will be gone for a couple of weeks."
The cleric chimed in.
"If you're still looking for help then, we'll help you gladly!"
"Thank you very much!" Mio bowed, and picked Ritsu up by her collar.
"Please don't hesitate to approach us if you ever need help." She said as she put Ritsu's arm around her shoulder and dragged her away to one of the tables on the other side of the hall.
"I swear I don't know what goes through your head sometimes" She whispered to the unconscious rogue.
Mio sat Ritsu down on the bench and went back to the desk to ask for paper and pen, and sat down next to the tawny-haired girl, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
Her stare lingered on the slumbering rogue's face for a moment, she smiled and with a pen in her left hand, she started writing the notice.
The first sunlight flooded the guild hall, the streaks of yellow light slowly made their way to the table on which there were two sleeping figures sharing a blanket, bathing them in their golden glow.
As if revitalized by the morning sun, Mio slowly opened her eyes.
Her sleepy gaze was met with Ritsu's wide eye stare, her face turned a slight shade of red.
"Good morning." Muttered Mio, still half asleep.
"Guh-" Ritsu choked out, her face went from slightly pink to a bright red, she shot up in her seat and turned around.
"Good morning." She responded.
Mio slowly rose from the table, a red imprint from it still on her cheek. She stretched her whole body, arching her back and raising her arms over her head.
"How long have you been awake?" She half yawned, asking Ritsu.
"Oh you know, like thirty or forty minutes"
Mio slowly put two and two together, and started blushing aswell.
"Wh-what time is it?" she stuttered.
The guild hall was empty, one of the desk windows was open but there was nobody there at the moment
"Well if I had to guess, around eight in the morning" responded Ritsu.
"People should start coming in soon"
Silence filled the hall, the mood surrounding it is the type you could cut with a knife.
"Well! uhh-" Ritsu stammered, while getting up from the bench "I'm gonna go return this"
She bent down and picked up a blanket that was on the floor behind them, then headed towards the desks.
Mio straightened up on her seat and waited for Ritsu to come back, watching the hall entrance expectantly. She knew Megumi had posted the notice on the entrance board, so they only had to wait for people to start coming in.
Ritsu returned from the desks after leaving the blanket with Megumi, who was now there. The redhead waved at Mio, she waved back. Ritsu plopped down on the bench.
"Megumi told me about the notice" she said as she sat down.
"Yeah, I turned it in last night."
Ritsu's stomach growled.
"I guess I did miss supper last night, do you want anything?"
"I'm good for now" Mio responded
"Alright" Ritsu got up from the bench and started walking towards the bar, Mio called out to her.
"Actually-" Ritsu stopped and turned on her heel. "Mead sounds good"
"Gotcha!" Ritsu continued on her way, and Mio returned to her vacant stare at the Hall entrance.
Today was going to be a long day.
-First Light-
Looking up to the great pillars of the Toyosato Adventurer's Guild hall, stood a girl clad in armor, in awe from the very sight.
The banners hung down from the sides of the building, proudly wearing the royal crest and the colors of the city: White and gold, tinted orange by the dusk.
No longer being able to deal with the feeling of anticipation, the blonde warrior entered the guild hall.
It was the first time she had ever entered a place like this, the vibrant colors of the banners on the pillars, the loud voices of adventurers having all kinds of conversations: Strategy meetings, epic recountings of past battles, even the small talk gave the young lass a feeling of unparalleled joy.
A place like this only existed in her favorite story books until now, this was like walking straight into a dream. She looked around and saw four desks lined up neatly on the far right side of the hall, she approached the one that had been occupied until now.
"Umm, excuse me." she inquired in a soft tone.
"Hi! How can I help you?" Megumi replied cheerily.
"I just arrived at this city, and wanted to join the adventurer's guild"
"Then I'll guide you through the registration process! It'll only take a bit. What's your name?"
She continued taking the girl's information, while on the other side of the room, Mio and Ritsu were discussing a very important matter.
"Capes serve literally no purpose" Mio stated
"Wrong" Ritsu responded "They look really, really badass"
"Why not just wear a cloak then, it fits the image of a rogue way better"
"It's not the same though!"
"Why?"
"It's-" Ritsu made several gestures with her hands, her point didn't get across at all "It's just like that, y'know"
"No, I don't"
Ritsu groaned, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Besides, I know plenty a cape-wearing rogues"
"Like who?"
"You wouldn't know them"
"Exactly, because I wouldn't guess they were a rogue"
"I don't think we have the same image of a rogue in our heads"
"Definitely not" This statement ended the conversation, none of them looking satisfied with the result.
Mio tried picturing Ritsu wearing a cape, the image she conjured up on her mind was of a bright red and black mantle, similar to a jester's. The thought of the rogue juggling knives while in full clown attire made the elf chuckle.
"What is it?" Ritsu asked.
"Nothing" Mio responded, stifling her laughter.
She rested her head on the heel of her hand and looked off towards the hall. She focused her attention on the girl Megumi was attending, she unconsciously verbalized while deep in thought.
"Hmm"
"What is it?" Ritsu inquired.
"You see that girl over there?" Mio pointed slightly with a nod.
Ritsu spun around in her seat and leaned back onto the table.
"Which one?"
"The one talking with Megumi"
"Ooh, she's pretty"
"If you were to assign that girl a class, where would you put her?"
Ritsu examined the girl and thought about it for about a second.
"I'd say paladin"
"That's what I thought at first, but take another look"
Ritsu looked a second time, this time trying to see what Mio was talking about.
The girl's long blonde hair was styled in a ponytail, there was a certain foreign charm to her beauty, it reminded Ritsu of those in the northern territories. A kind face with round blue eyes, adorned with big, populated eyebrows.
She donned a plate armor, Ritsu couldn't say for sure but she thought it to be steel, coated with a silver that gave it a shining white look.
A broad kite shield was on her back, an image of a hummingbird etched in bright gold. Combined with the gold detail on her armor, it made quite an impact.
"I still say paladin" Ritsu spoke while turning around again on her seat.
"She'd no doubt get classed as a fighter."
"I'd bet 50 gold pieces she's a paladin"
"Do you really wanna bet?"
"I said I would, not that we'd ever get to find out"
"She's coming over here right now"
"She's what?"
"Excuse me…" A soft voice spoke from behind Ritsu.
Ritsu tensed up slightly on her seat. She turned around swiftly.
"Heeeeyyy!"
"Could it be that you're currently looking for party members?"
"Not right now, th-" She was interrupted by a swift kick to her lower back.
"YES! Yes! We are" Mio tried to stand up and ended hit her legs on the table, she slowly trudged through the pain to where the girl was standing.
"Ah! You see, I was wondering if I could join your group"
"Yes! You can join us!"
"Are you- Are you sure? I just recently joined the guild and don't have much experience-"
"Don't worry about it! Really! We'll be glad to be fighting alongside you."
Mio smiled and extended her hand towards her.
"My name's Mio, this klutz over here is Ritsu" she nodded over to Ritsu, who was doubling over in pain
"Tsumugi Kotobuki" The blonde girl said assertively. "A pleasure to meet both of you"
They both sat down at the table, Mio went to the opposite side while Mugi took the seat next to Ritsu.
"What pointed you this way, Tsumugi?"
She pointed over to the desk Megumi was attending.
"The lady over there said you two were looking for help"
Ritsu regained her composure, still straining from the pain on her left kidney.
I'm gonna have to make it up to Megumi someday
The tawny haired girl looked over to the desk and gave Megumi a thumbs up, she wasn't sure the girl saw it.
"Anyways, I haven't introduced myself properly"
Ritsu extended her hand towards Mugi, a huge grin on her face
"The name's Ritsu, pleasure to meet you, Mugi"
Mugi's eyes widened as she heard this, followed by an even wider smile. She shook Ritsu's hand.
"Oh my! This is the first time I've been given a nickname"
"Wait, really?" Ritsu said in a mix of surprise and nervousness "Should- should I not call you that?"
"No, please! You can call me however you like!"
"I wouldn't give Ritsu that much leeway" Mio interjected.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly what it means"
"Well however you like might be an exaggeration, how about we stick with Mugi?" Ritsu asked their new friend.
"Yes, Mugi is fine" The blonde girl responded with a smile.
"Well then! How long have you been part of the guild?" Mio asked.
"I joined just now!"
"Wha- Really?" Ritsu asked, befuddled. "You were part of a guild somewhere else, though, right?"
"I'm afraid not, I have very little field experience"
"You don't mean that…"
"This would be my first quest, yes"
Ritsu shot Mio a discreet look, as if to say "Are you sure about this?" Mio responded with a similar look "Yes, stop worrying about it"
"Well everyone has to start somewhere, If you have any questions about the guild then let us know"
"I'll do my best not to bother you too much" Mugi spoke shyly.
"Don't worry about it!" Ritsu tried reassuring the blonde warrior. "We're all part of the same team now"
Mugi's smile cleared any doubts left in the other two girls.
"Let's have a great adventure together"
"Alright!" Ritsu shouted from the top of her lungs standing up on the table.
"DRINKS FOR EV-" She was interrupted by Mio pulling her down by the collar of her undershirt.
"Drinks for the three of us" She muttered grumpily, sitting down.
Mio's expression went from stern back to cheerful.
"I'll go get them then" She said as she stood up "Is mead or ale fine?"
"We're celebrating woman!" Ritsu exclaimed as she pounded her fist on the table.
"Bring a bottle of the expensive stuff!"
"Yeah!" Mugi joined in.
Mugi and Ritsu shared a high five.
They celebrated the night away, drinking and eating and talking and laughing, evening after evening, until the end of the week.
As if it were the cumulative hangover of those nights, a realization hit Mio and Ritsu hard and heavy.
-Last Call-
"It's the end of the week..." Mio drearily spoke, laying her head on the table.
"And we didn't get any other applicants" Ritsu finished the sentence, she was laying on the table as if it were a bed.
"Ritsu get off the table"
"I don't wanna"
Mio slowly moved her hand towards Ritsu's head in an effort to hit her, but it ended as a very soft head pat.
"Ow" Ritsu responded, unenthused.
"Um…" Mugi interrupted the two.
"What happens at the end of the week? If I may ask" The blonde girl inquired.
Mio lifted her head from the table and responded.
"Oh" She realized they hadn't explained the situation properly to their new partner.
"Right now Megumi is holding the quest notice from the public as a favor, so that we can have first dibs on it"
She continued explaining while softly petting Ritsu's head.
"Ritsu believes that the whole situation happened because of a quest the both of us carried through half a year ago, so she wants to help make things right"
She moved her hand away from Ritsu's head, but the girl laying on the table pulled it back towards her. Mio smiled and continued.
"When the notice is available for the rest of the guild, it'll probably get picked up immediately by another group, and since people don't wanna thin out the reward, it'll be hard for us to join their party"
"We even had our own notice at the entrance board and everything!" Ritsu complained.
"I can't believe we didn't get a single person aside from Mugi" She put her hand on the shoulder of the blonde girl sitting next to her.
"Thanks so much for sticking with us this whole week" She exclaimed with deep gratitude.
"If you want to look for another group then we understand" She held back fake tears.
Mugi smiled.
"Actually, I'd love to stay with you two even if we don't get a fourth party member. If that's okay with you, that is"
Ritsu lifted her head, this time the tears weren't fake.
"REALLY?!"
Ritsu slid down from the table and next to Mugi, and put her arm around her.
"WE NEED TO CELEBRATE! DRINKS FOR-" She stopped when she felt a cold stare coming from across the table.
"Later, drinks for later" Ritsu muttered.
Mio turned to look at Mugi.
"Of course you can stay with us, Mugi" She smiled warmly and then continued to sulk.
"Though I'm sorry that we might not be able to take this quest, Ritsu"
"Mio, I feel like you're worrying about it more than I am. It really doesn't bother me that someone other than me cleans up my mess"
The bitter lie left Ritsu's lips and was begrudgingly accepted by both of her friends, if she was ready to at least pretend to let this go, they would respect her will.
"Excuse me"
The two girls who were standing at the end of the table looked expectant, inquisitive; much like how Mugi looked when she approached them at the start of the week. Seeing this, both Ritsu and Mio stopped moping and put on their best faces.
"hEY!" Ritsu squeaked out, her voice slightly cracking.
The girl that had spoken earlier let out a small chuckle, and continued her inquiry.
"We were sent this way from the desk over there, we just joined the-"
"YES!" Ritsu interrupted the brunette, Mio shot a look at her.
"Ah! That's great! Yui!" She turned to speak to the girl who was behind her, but she was no longer there.
She saw her on the other side of the room, where a ranger and his pet had just entered the hall. Yui was petting the hound who was belly-up on the ground wagging it's tail.
"Excuse me for a second" The brunette smiled, and headed towards the girl who was intent on petting the animal.
"Yui!" she called out as she was running towards her.
"Ui! Come pet this dog! It's sooooo fluffy!" She exclaimed, brimming with excitement.
"We don't have time for this right now, sis!" Ui responded, slightly exasperated.
"Come on! Just a little bit!"
Ui gave into her sister's request and started petting the hound.
"Ah! He's so soft!" Exclaimed the girl in the white robes, no longer able to contain her smile.
"Right?!"
Much to the hound's delight, they both continued rubbing its belly and petting its head, the ranger could only stand there and smile until they were done.
Back at the table the three girls were also doing the same, Mio and Ritsu thought about who they just allowed into the party, Mugi wanted to head over there and pet the dog.
"I'm… Not so sure about this anymore, Mio"
"Beggars can't be choosers" The elf responded.
Several minutes and belly rubs later, introductions and apologies were being held at the table.
"I'm sorry about that, my sister can get distracted sometimes"
Yui let out a soft laugh and rubbed the back of her head.
You gave into it too, though
The thought crossed Ritsu's mind but she didn't say it out loud.
"Don't worry about it" is what she said instead. "It's a pretty cute dog, right Mugi?"
Mugi was just returning from petting the dog, with the biggest smile on her face any of the girls had ever seen.
"I caught your younger sister's name, but I don't think I heard yours" Mio continued.
"Oh!" Yui suddenly exclaimed. "My name is Yui, and this is my little sister Ui"
"You're the older sister?!" Mio said out loud, promptly covering her mouth with her hand.
None of the girls could hide their shock.
"I get told that a lot" Yui chuckled.
"So you're adventuring sisters?" Mugi asked, taking a seat at the table.
The rest of the girls followed suit, Yui's eyes lit up.
"Ohh! Like the legendary Lahani sisters"
"The elf twins who often traded places to confuse their foes" Mugi continued.
"I want to write a song about them in the battle of the Mandrasil, where Lina scaled the tree while Saya fended of the imp swarm at the base"
"That's my favorite story about them!" Mugi commented excitedly.
"Mine too!" Yui responded. They continued talking about the feats of the elf sisters while Ui talked to Mio and Ritsu.
"Thank you for allowing us to aid you in this opportunity" the cleric spoke, slightly bowing her head.
"There's no need to be so formal, we're partners now" Ritsu said with a grin.
Ui responded with a warm smile.
"My name's Mio" she introduced herself "This is Ritsu and this is Mugi"
"Nice to meet you all" responded Yui.
"We read the notice out front and then that girl over there sent us this way"
Thanks, Megumi Mio thought, looking over to the desk where she was helping another adventurer.
Ritsu proceeded to explain the situation to both of them, Yui nodded excitedly during the whole thing.
"Just one question, though" Ritsu added.
"Do either of you know healing magic?"
"Yes" answered Ui "I'm a cleric of the church of Milil, I promise to heal your wounds whenever it's needed"
"I know a couple of healing spells!" said Yui "Though I'm nowhere near as good as Ui"
"It's settled then! We depart for Toriko tomorrow at dawn!"
"Ahhh! Ui! I'm so excited!" Yui said nervously. Ui smiled back at her.
"For now, let's celebrate! I'll go get us some drinks" Ritsu exclaimed as she was leaving the table, only to be pulled back by her belt. She turned on her heel and started heading to the desk.
"Right after I fill the paperwork"
As soon as she left, Mugi also got up from the table.
"I'll go get the drinks then" she said enthusiastically.
The girls remaining at the table nodded, and continued talking.
"Mugi looks excited" commented Yui, seeing how the girl in armor strolled happily towards the bar.
"I think it might be the first time she orders at a bar" responded Mio.
"This week has been full of first times for a lot of us" the elf whispered to herself, wistful, almost as if she didn't realize she just said that out loud.
Yui didn't know all the details, but she understood and smiled nonetheless.
"So, you're a bard?"
"Yes! Did the lute give it away?" Yui giggled and took the instrument that hung from her shoulder by a strap.
The tear-shaped wooden face was carved with intricate floral patterns, the center hole shaped as a flower blossom standing out the most, its light color coupled with the clear matte varnish made it look quite slick. The short, fretted neck was darker and lined with more than a dozen strings that varied in thickness, and it abruptly bent back at a right angle where eight small pegs held the strings tight.
"This is Louis"
You named your instrument.
Mio thought, but didn't speak.
"Would you play something right now?" she asked instead.
The brunette looked somewhat nervous, but that nervousness dissipated in an instant after seeing her sister nod in encouragement.
"Yeah!"
Yui crossed her left leg over her right one, and rested the body of the lute on her lap, while clutching the neck with her left hand. She strummed once and turned one of the pegs at the end of the neck, she strummed again, this time looking satisfied with what she heard.
She tapped the face of the lute lightly four times to set her tempo, and began plucking at the strings gently with her right hand.
Slowly.
Like droplets of rain, the notes resounded few and far between, gradually sounding faster and faster, they congregated to form the melody of a ballad.
The fingers on her left hand danced around the neck of the lute, skipping and stepping over the metal frets, simultaneously following and dictating the harmonies of the song.
Her round, brown eyes fawned over the neck of the guitar, her expression turned from sheer focus to joy as the rhythm of the song picked up. The tables neighbouring theirs had grown silent and were listening along to the tune.
And just as she was approaching what appeared to be the climax of the ballad, she stopped.
"Ah! I forgot to sing the lyrics!"
Mio was so absorbed in the song that she hadn't noticed at all, she snapped out of it and spoke.
"That was amazing!" The elf exclaimed. "Did you compose it yourself?"
The brunette giggled and blushfully responded
"Yes! It's for the song about the Lahani sisters!"
"I see! So the beginning part is setting the start of the night of the battle"
"You know the story too!"
"Lila has always been a personal heroine of sorts since I was a child" Mio responded sheepishly.
"Oh! Really? Is that why you picked up the bow and arrow?" Yui's eyes glimmered with curiosity.
"The other way around, actually. I was raised as a hunter and the stories about Lila's marksmanship made me want to get better"
"Ohhhh!" Yui exclaimed with eyes wide open
Mugi returned with a tray littered with mead tankards, she set it down on the table and passed them around to the rest of the party.
"I'm sorry for the wait!"
"Thank you, Mugi"
"Mugi!" Yui exclaimed as she took the cup into her hands "Tell me what inspired you to become an adventurer!"
"Oh my! Let me think" Mugi responded as she was sitting down.
"I guess just stories of adventure in general"
While their conversation unfolded, Mio turned to talk to Ui.
"They get along great, don't they?"
Ui nodded
"It makes me happy to see her this way, she doesn't get to talk about these things with the people at the temple"
They looked discreetly as the bard listened intently to what Mugi was saying, her enthusiasm was palpable and contagious.
"If you don't mind me asking…"
"How come I'm a cleric but Yui isn't?"
They both smiled.
"I guess you must get that question a lot"
"Kind of.." she trailed of with a gentle expression, she turned her head towards her sister.
"It's just the way she is, she was never spiritual despite being raised in a temple"
"So she's always had more affinity for music?"
"Not really, no. She didn't pick up the lute until a couple of years ago"
"Seriously?!"
"It doesn't sound like it, right?!"
"Not at all…"
She looked at her sister talk excitedly about her favorite heroes, from both history and fiction; she took some of her excitement as her own and turned back towards Mio.
"Let's hope everything goes well"
Mio nodded in response
"Let's hope" she said before a swig from her mead.
She almost choked as Ritsu plopped down onto the seat next to her, looking defeated. The rogue pulled out her wallet and proceeded to count fifty pieces of gold on the table then slid them over to Mio.
Mio smirked.
"Guild record?" she asked with the smuggest look on her face.
"Guild record" Ritsu muttered, almost laying her head on the table.
Mio unfastened her wallet from her belt and poured the gold pieces into it.
"We'll use these to pay the tab"
"Don't you think 50 gold pieces is a bit too much even if we got food and drinks for the whole group?" Ritsu scoffed.
"That's true, but it might be enough to pay for everyone's drinks"
Ritsu's eyes widened and she lifted her head.
"You mean..."
Mio smiled.
"Yes."
"Right now?"
"After we come back from Toriko"
"Promise?"
"Promise"
"ALRIGHT!"
She grabbed the tankard that was in front of her and lifted it towards the rest of the group.
"For tomorrow!"
Mio, Mugi, Yui and Ui did the same, and with a loud cheer they drank to the adventures the next few days would bring.
A/N: Hiyo! Taco here! Hope you enjoyed the second entry of the Light Adventure Series and really, really hope you'll stick around for more!
This time around we get to meet the rest of the party. It was supposed to be the beginning of the next chapter, but it extended so much that I decided to flesh it out a bit further and keep it as a separate entry. Next chapter we go out of the city again!
I'd like to use these notes to showcase some elements from this AU, more specifically those around the girls. So, this entry I'll be talking about:
The Adventurer's Guild! Instituted as a whole organization hundreds of years ago, the different adventurers guilds work as a middle ground between the government and adventurers from all around to carry out tasks of all kind. Since mercenaries were often requested all around, the kingdom decided to formalize the process, making it so instead of having to look for people to carry out their deeds, they would come to the halls designated in each city to look for work.
The Adventurer's Guild offers members food and shelter when needed, as well as replacing equipment and offering healing to their members. Think of it as insurance, though exceptions exist: In this chapter Megumi mentions the term "Noreg", this means bypassing the guild as a whole and completing a quest on their own terms. In these cases the guild cannot offer compensation other than the reward since the guild wasn't notified.
And that's the end of this little segment, hope you enjoyed.
Thank you everyone who left a review, I hope this entry reads better than the first one and I certainly hope you'll read the many stories that are yet to come!
Next chapter will be out at the end of June! Taco out.