AN: I'm alive? Oh hey, I'm alive! So I got a Switch and Breath of the Wild; got fully distracted by that. There was also this lovely little thing that we kind of call writer's block that made me question everything I did this chapter, and even now I'm not all that happy with it. But regardless, the show must go on.
"There's a term for when rain falls in an area but due to local conditions never touches the ground, did you know that? I have a few cousins that fought forest fires who'd always talk about how it was such an odd sensation, being able to smell the moisture whenever the wind blew right but having the sweat blasted off your face. It must have been terrible, knowing salvation is so close but you can't even glimpse it."| + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + |
"Have to admit, I kind of expected there to be a marker on this place to prevent us from entering." The near half an hour of tentative boating through stone outcroppings had finally allowed us to see the Forest Elf Castle of the fourth floor, the rather impressive structure situated in the center of an cove surrounded by sheer walls reminding me of the photos I had seen of Mont Saint Michel.
"You forget that we were only able to pass through the natural defenses here thanks to the map my local brethren provided us," Iseyer immediately responded. "Your minutiae may be exactly that, but your pride is a stark contrast to your normal behavior. Don't think I didn't notice those twitches on your face that just so happened to coincide with the jerking of the boat."
"Che." I glanced to the side, his words striking a dissonant chord. "Are you seriously telling me you were paying attention to me that much despite having a full out story time with everybody?"
"Being able to spot changes in one's surroundings is among the most important skills of a Forest Elf soldier. You yourself are self trained in that, no? I believe the exact phrase you used at the time went along the lines of 'Oh look, a rock. And another rock. And another!'"
Somehow, the sheer monotony of his delivery makes it better.
Shut up you. I already have a minor case of embarrassment whenever I recall that memory, I don't need my conscious riffing my life. "When you say Forest Elf, do you mean your species in general or is it related to your station being in forested areas where the Dark Elves are rumored to work primarily in dense growth and caves?"
Noticing the rest of our party engaged in their conversation about the castle, the sergeant fully turned to face me. "The Elven species as a whole and our location. Once upon a time Elves were skilled in weapons known as bows, but ever since we were stolen away to this Aincrad ranged weaponry beyond simple slings and anything we could throw with our own hands magically acquire a lack of accuracy that could best be described as aiming for the broadside of a cliff and missing."
"That actually happened to our people too," Asuka chimed. "According to the texts of my ancestors, the Black Iron Kingdom used to have entire regiments utilizing special bows that could reach across a whole field and extremely large, mounted crossbows that could launch bolts as thick as tree trunks. Once our region became separated from our neighbors though, we stopped using them because of the exact same thing; aiming became impossible except at close range and at that point it was more useful to use a polearm."
Klein shuffled closer towards us, Yamaguchi leaning back slightly to let the curved blade user join in. "That must have been quite the sight. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun working with swords and spears, but I'm just imagining the kind of tactics we could pull off if we actually had ranged weapons available to us." The red head (though it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps it would be more accurate to call him a brunet compared to Asuka's more vibrant colors) hunched over and cupped his chin, fully embracing the daydream that ensnared him.
"Some of our books that date back several centuries ago specifically state that in more than a few battles enough projectiles were fired to 'blot out the sun'. I like to think that the scenes must have looked like a swarm of locusts descending upon a field, though infinitely more elegant in both execution and results."
I cleared my throat softly, following up with a cough. "War's always pretty in thought Asahi, but in person it's a lot different. That's kind of the issue with politicians being the ones in charge of- ah, sorry. It's a bit of a touchy subject for me." I shook my head. "My point is, just remember to temper what you think about combat until you've experienced it for yourself."
"That's exactly what I've been trying to tell this little silver worm for ages!" Asuka lurched across Hibiki's lap, an accusing finger pointed at the scholar. "He's always watching us train from the sidelines while doing his own work, but he's never actually on the field with us! Takeshi, next time we get a chance take him to task, would you?"
"My apologies, Lady Mitsui. Asahi is not capable of even a fraction of the standards of the Explorers. Did they not contain knowledge, I doubt he would be able to carry as many scrolls and materials as he does."
"I can hear you two perfectly clear, I hope you know."
"Land ho, Guild Master," I interrupted, an amused smirk sprawled across my face. "We've got business to take care of."
Shaken from his thoughts, Klein rose and confidently strode to the front of the gondola, the pacing he had done on the way here when not busy dealing with the river monsters adding a suitable panache to his movement. The moment the dock got into jumping distance he traversed the gap and pulled out the scroll of passage we had acquired from Iseyer's contacts. "A message from the scouts in the eastern mountains, and a request to speak with your leaders."
I activated the 'break' function of our vessel, leaning against the oar while Klein spoke with the two guards that had stepped out from the foliage planted against the wall. Forest Elves wearing forest themed armor hiding amongst greenery at a point of entry. Not sure if smart, or stupidity disguised as bravado. "Tactics aside, this is a pretty shnazzy place," I uttered. "Material is a great shade of black, dare I say purple. Thought it'd be made from wood and not stone though." I turned my attention to my female companion, her shuffling portraying an unusual sense of anxiety. "You doing alright, Mitsui?"
The merchant took a moment to change her nervous smile to her usual beam. "I've got butterflies fluttering about my stomach, but aside from the fear of dealing with a basically unknown species I'm confident I'll be able to make a good deal."
"I doubt it needs to be said, but just remember your training. You've basically been groomed for this sort of thing, but right now is the first real test of it. Other humans is one thing, but Elves are a different bunch. Just ask Sir Archaic over there." I nodded towards Iseyer. "I'm sure he could have told you quite a lot if we had the time." Okay, seriously. Why the hell does it smell like a fish market? The waters are way too calm for any sort of activity here, and it's not like my vision's flooded with indicators.
"Asasaki, rope!" On instinct I tossed the length of material over to Klein, our gondola pulled closer by Klein and eventually Yamaguchi before being moored to the dock. "Mitsui, I think it would be best if you and Sergeant Iseyer took point from here. Asasaki and I will stay on the side, but from here on out we're looking to you for guidance. This is your battlefield afterall."
"Wow, way to destress me, Klein." Asuka slapped her cheeks twice before giving one of her trademark grins, stepping onto the platform with cheer. "Okay then, everyone. Here's hoping for a good time!"
"Mitsui, you do know it's only going to be a handful of us actually going in with you, right?" I gave her a sidelong glance, a single taunting eyebrow raised. Hope those guards don't say anything detrimental about that outburst.
"Fine, if you want to play like that, then okay me, let's hope for a pleasant experience."
Chuckling, I continued trailing slightly behind on the left of her and Iseyer, Asahi and Yamaguchi flanking on her right with Hibiki following after his superior. "You guys mind if I ask some questions while we walk?" The two guards that met us at the entrance to the castle proper said nothing, their sleekly armored forms of lushly painted greens and browns barely clinking with each step. Guess they're not meant to talk much.
"Speaking about asking questions, we're going to get out of your hairs for a little bit." Klein jogged up to me, crouching over a little to properly whisper. "We passed by an empty courtyard and we're thinking about getting some training in."
"You sure that's a good idea?" I questioned. "We're still not sure whether these guys will be friendly or not."
"Take my men with you," Iseyer interjected. "The soldiers here may not take kindly to your wanderings, but if they see some of our kind with you it is possible they will be more accomodating."
"Will they'll be okay?" Klein asked after a moment.
"They'll be fine." Harry moved up, his helmet off since we were in an arguably safe area. "We were able to hold a few conversations with them on the trip here. They get a little rigid from time to time, but we can say that least Issin, Choryu, and I am on good terms with them."
"Do you mind if I have Hibiki and Takeshi go with you? If our group is larger than four it might feel more like a show of force rather than a discussion."
"Of course, Mitsui. We always enjoy training with them, even if it's only Dale and Harry that get experience for it." Giving a quick explanation of their plan to our solemn guides (who had stopped and turned around at all our movement), Klein led the majority of our group (goblins included) back the way we came.
Several staircases and three walkways later, the pike bearing guards brought us through one final hall deep in the heart of the castle, knocking on the door at the end of the corridor before standing on either side of it. "Mind your weapon, human. Our brother may trust you, but it is only he and he alone that keeps you safe."
Oh, don't you worry a gosh darn about me, kind sir. I swear on my mother's family recipes that I wouldn't dare think about harming any of y'all. I gave a simple nod, my snappy thoughts kept internal.
"You'll be fine, Lady Mitsui. You're more than prepared for this." Asahi gave the somewhat panicking woman a reassuring nod. "It doesn't matter that he's of a different species, we've already done this twice so just treat it as before."
Except, you know, he's an elf and several centuries older than the previous people you talked with. Probably knows what the lore of this place is supposed to be.
"Hurry up you three. Our lord doesn't have all day."
The inheritor of the trading guild took another deep breath before rapping her knuckles against the door twice and pushed. After an embarrassed cough, she instead successfully pulled it open and led our group of four inside.
As far as first impression go, I have extremely mixed feelings on him. The large window in the back of the room overlooked the majority of the path we had taken on the way in, the opening in the cliff almost perfectly centered behind the elf sitting at the desk. On the sides, wooden bookshelves that went from floor to ceiling lined the walls, countless scroll cases neatly organised in a literary version of a wine rack with a handful of spots reserved for immaculately placed books.
And as for the elf himself, "Merchant Mitsui, Scholar Asahi, Swordsman Asasaki, Sergeant Iseyer. Thank you for meeting with me today. Please, take a seat." Like all of his kind before, the head of the castle held the appearance of a human in their mid twenties, shimmering blonde hair that dared approach silver spilling gently over his shoulders. I was struck by how much of a ye olden age noble his clothing made him look, making the connection that Iseyer would appear the same if he wore a similar style.
"Thank you for inviting us." Asuka gave a short bow of her head. "I am afraid you have us at a disadvantage however. You know our names, but we do not know yours."
The elf gave an apologetic laugh. "My name is Hadvaar, though it would be in your best interest to attach either Lord or Captain to the front when you address me. My men are rather zealous in their service to me, despite my attempts to curb their enthusiasm."
"Lord? Captain?" Iseyer raised a brow, attention grabbed by the unknown information. "Would it trouble you much to share the story of how both those titles came about?"
"At another time, Sergeant, perhaps come dinner. The missive you delivered to me brings rather troubling news that my counsel are still deliberating upon, and as my guards outside informed me the young miss here would like to engage in some form of trade with us."
Asuka cleared her throat and moved to the edge of her seat. "Yes, concerning that, I am
the leader of a trading guild in my home town of Tolbana, neighbor to the capital of the long since separated Black Iron Kingdom. Swordsman Asasaki here has been assisting me in delivering various goods and plans back to our craftsmen and artisans. While she and her allies have been training in the lands we've been travelling through, I have been visiting with the local rulers to see what sort of exchanges could be made. As the lands are still divided, we've found it beneficial to exchange blueprints and items that could be used to create stronger versions of local creations or even new ones in favor of traditional long term deals."
Hadvaar gave a quick nod, hand flashing through several gestures. A moment later, the door clicked opened and shut, my mind belatedly realising that I had missed somebody in the room.
The silence stretching into a full minute, the five of us waiting for someone to take initiative. Another half dozen seconds passed before Asuka spoke again. "My homelands excluded, we've been through two other regions so far. The first was a desert region, and the creations from there are geared towards maintaining a cool temperature and protection from the sun. The second was a densely forested regions; there the locals emphasised durability and protection from the flora they travelled through."
"What of the monster population?" The elf asked. "Here in Tidal Canyon, the dangers one comes across while on foot vary from large animals with high levels of aggression to the Sahuagin that constantly send scouting units around to pilfer resources from whatever foolhardy traveler they come across."
I inserted myself back into the conversation. "In Bovine Valley, the surrounding troubles were mainly that of cows, some easily four or six times the height of the average human with some of them becoming bipedal as you got further south. On occasion you'd find large mosquitoes and flies searching for their next meal and if you got into the caves you'd have to deal with carnivorous insects with hardened carapaces that required a special head like a mace or serrated edges to deal the most damage." I scrunched up my face, recalling several nests in the northern part of the 3rd floor we had stumbled across. "As for the Lostlorn Forest, the monsters there were mostly sentient trees with a slew of airborne effects and if you found yourself near the cave networks you'd have to deal with spiders, some poisonous, others just extremely protective of their homes or eager for new prey."
Asahi pulled out a few scrolls from the large rucksack he carried around. Unrolling them revealed several sketches of the various weapon and armor designs we had gathered, the drawings made with what seemed to be charcoal blocks.
"These designs are rather unique, and I have no doubt that several of my men would thoroughly enjoy having new equipment to train themselves," Hadvaar said after a moment. "However, the fact remains that these weapons are unsuited for our current situation, and until the lands are restored to the way they once were I cannot make any deals regarding weapons that may not have use to us."
I reflexively glanced down to my quest button, anticipating a notification. "I'm sorry, that's perhaps the second time I've heard that. What exactly do you mean by 'restore the lands'?"
"I suppose it would make sense that you do not know, being a Swordsmen. Tell me, did you participate in the attempt to reclaim the key from the Lostlorn Forest?"
Iseyer shook his head in the negative. "Swordsmen Asasaki did not, Captain. It was claimed well before our meeting."
Hadvaar gave a disappointed hum. "Regardless, there are seven still connected regions of which we elves inhabit. The most important region contains the Royal Elf Castle, currently occupied by the Dark Elves." Hadvaar crossed his arms, face furled in consternation. "Long ago, when the castle's construction had only just finished, it was the Forest Elves who held control over it. At the time, it was an offering from the humans we were in contact with. According to the legends, there was a very prominent peace treaty enforced by various races of the world; the castle served as a show of goodwill. It was situated in a place that intersected numerous trade routes and during its construction a special place was made that for as long as we can recall was referred to as the 'Sanctuary'. What exactly it was has been lost through the ages, but what we do know was that what was held inside had the potential to fix calamities. And as fate would have it, there is a very significant calamity that has occured."
"The Great Separation," Asahi posed.
"The Great Separation," Hadvaar confirmed. "Countless regions sequestered away into this floating castle that appeared from nowhere. Communications from our brethren cut off, our magic reduced to mere parlor tricks, and our bows cursed to never hit a mark. Whatever delusions the Dark Elves have convinced themselves of, it is enough that they have never once accepted our way of thinking concerning your ancestor's secret, humans. Somehow, they have got it in their heads that opening the doors to the Sanctuary will result in ruination; fools, our way of life is already ruined. We do not belong here, we belong back in our own world, surrounded by our own people."
I swallowed, staring down at the desk. Even if the context was completely different, the captain's words striked deep within me.
"To be able to return to our homeland is the hope of all Forest Elves trapped on this construct," Iseyer spoke. "Captain, do you perchance have a way to reclaim the keys?"
"Unfortunately, the key from this floor was already claimed. The plan we do have though involves dealing a heavy blow to the Fallen Elves hiding in this region, though whether it will impact them in the long run can't be said for certain."
I glanced once more at the button for my quest log, wondering if an exclamation point would appear over someone's head. "What happened?"
"The Fallen Elves managed to sway some of my leaders into working as agents for them. I know not what promises were given, but a significant amount of my men were convinced into waging an assault against the Dark Elves north east of here. The attack went unsuccessful, but from it we learned that the Lord of their castle was not as crippled as we previously thought. Their combat prowess on the other hand is still exactly where we believed, barring a few individuals and two Swordsmen that were aiding them during the fight."
"A boy garbed in black and a female clothed in red?" I asked.
"That would be an accurate description, yes."
I crossed my arms and retreated into my seat, thoughts whirling at the additional evidence of my suspicions. Why is this happening? This world is supposed to be a single player storyline with the monsters and events being multiplayer. One player's actions in a quest shouldn't be effecting how another's plays out.
"Indeed, Trader Mitsui." I jerked my head up, irritated that I had missed something. "Once we recovered our men from the false attack, I sent a few scouts into the surrounding lands to search for traces of the Fallen Elf encampment. That message you delivered brought back favorable news. As we speak what officers I have left are pouring over the information to devise a strategy."
Attempting to weave myself back into the conversation, "So how do we fall into this?" Beside me Asuka, Asahi, and Iseyer were equal parts excited and pensieve; Iseyer significantly more composed than my fellow humans.
"Truthfully, once I heard word that fabled Swordsmen were at our doorstep it was my wish, nay, my desire, to ask for your assistance. We would of course be willing to compensate you for your efforts, perhaps even with some of our weapons and armors which we now have a surplus of."
A quartet of windows flashed into existence before me, each detailing the interests of those around me. "I'll have to check with the rest of my companions," I said with a sigh, dismissing the windows. "While I myself would have no issue with knocking down some Fallen Elves, my companions aren't as battle hardened as me. It's entirely possible they'd wish for a few more days of relaxation."
"As much time as you need, Swordsmen Asasaki. However, we would very much prefer to have an answer by the morrow. Information can change quickly, and if we dally too long then our chance to attack would slip past."
"Of course." I glanced over at the merchant, a hint of disappointment frolicking through her hopeful expression. "But that still leaves the matter of Mitsui's goals."
"As yes," Hadvaar coughed into a fist. "Pardon my digression. Excuse me for questioning, but what exactly do you intend to do with all the information you acquire?"
"For a good hundred years or so we've been stuck in our own lands. It's only recently that the winds have started blowing in a different direction." Asuka looked up from her clasped hands, a fierce determination in her eyes. "The same as you, we were pulled away from our neighbors and forced into isolation. With the appearance of the Swordsmen, we might still be in isolation but at least now we have a way to contact each other. As a merchant and the inheritor of the most influential trading guild, it is my duty to distribute as much information as possible. Societies grow when new ideas are passed around, I'm tired of seeing stagnation in my own lands, and I'm sure you've seen it here as well. I know as an elf you are less bothered by the passage of time, but humans are not."
Hadvaar broke out in laughter, standing up with a broad smile. "Humans can be so unpredictable." He reached over with a hand. "Miss Mitsui, let us talk more after dinner. The three of you have given me much to think about, and I must see how my lieutenants are dealing with the missive."
"Until this evening then, Lord Hadvaar."
"Oh, and do wait for my aide to return before you take any turns. I have asked her to acquire several badges for you and your companions to have passage in our halls."
In the silence after the aide gave us our passes at the first diverging hall, I could no longer hold back my tongue. "You know for the inheritor of a merchant guild said to have been spread across an entire kingdom I can't but feel like you failed that exchange."
"I know, you don't need to tell me that. I should have pressed harder to do the deal there instead of later in the evening, and now he knows exactly what it is I'm interested in." Red tresses shook from side to side. "Ugh, I've completely shamed my entire heritage."
"To be fair, Miss Mitsui, you've grown up in a world that was already complacent and willing to work with you. Previous regions aside, Lord Hadvaar is of a different race; that alone made your situation a significant challenge."
I placed a hand on the red head's back as she wallowed in self-depreciation, doing my best to follow up on Asahi's perhaps needless moral support. "What will you be doing in the meantime, Iseyer? I'm sure the rest of my guild would like me to join them in training."
"I believe I will be exploring the castle," he responded, stroking his chin fondly. "It's been some time since I've last been able to enjoy our architecture. Mayhaps I might even stop by the fishing docks, enjoy an hour or so there."
"If you catch a big enough haul, let us know so we can thank you." I smirked, pressing a finger into the cheek of the still comatose Asuka. "I think the Inheritor and I will be down in the training field." With only a single nod, the elven sergeant split from us at the next stairwell, his assigned guard following after.
"Hey, Mitsui." I walked in front of her, leaning over to peek into her face. "You realize it wasn't a total loss, right?" When she looked up, "I mean yeah, it's probably not the best that he already knows what you want, knows what you're offering, and was able to establish the next time you're meeting, but it's not like he didn't give you the offer or wasn't interested once you started talking about your reasons for doing everything, right?"
"Asasaki, I'm perfectly aware of all that. I'm just disappointed in myself for letting my emotions get the better of me when I shouldn't have let them."
"Ah." I cleared my throat, completely empathizing with her. On more than a handful of occasions I had failed something without severe consequences, but the sheer fact that I had failed when I knew I should have succeeded left a severe sense of distaste. I looked to Asahi for assistance, the scholar complacently adjusting of a lock of hair behind his ear. Well you're completely worthless. The conversation seemingly over, we continued our trek through the inhabited labyrinth, eventually resorting to asking a group of patrolling guards for directions to the courtyard the others had set up in.
Upon arrival I was immediately struck by how Yamaguchi effortlessly held his own against Klein and Haru, the head of the Explorer's utilizing his unique one handed claymore and shield to dazzling effect for a hybrid of defense and offense. Despite his tools being meant for one aspect of combat, he was able to use them for the other; a downward sweep of his sword would block a strike with his shield jabbing out and nailing the other aggressor with the edge. A traditional shield parry created an opening for his weapon to lash out and trail red along Klein's face. Compared to my own staccato style movements, his was infinitely more flowing, like the aspects of wind and water held by a mountain of a man, his skill never faltering in the flames of his aggressors.
"He's going easy on them."
"That's what training is supposed to be, Asahi. When you're instructing somebody in history, you don't give them all information up front, right?"
"Er…"
"Oh fine," Asuka waved a hand to the side, the movement distracting me from the fight. "I suppose at the start it's alright to overload their mind, but as time goes on you need to break things down so they can understand them better; be able to see each concept and figure out on their own as well as with what you teach them how to recombine them into newer and better things. Like that shield bash into a stab he's about to do."
Her prediction came true; Klein's attempt at a system assisted Parting Clouds was disrupted by Yamaguchi's shield cutting through the curved blade user's path of attack, unbalancing him on top of forcing the Post Motion. Barely a fraction of a second passed before the giant of a man stepped forward into a full body thrust, his blade spearing Klein completely through his diaphragm. He's going to feel that one in the morning.
A push kick removed the offending hunk of digital meat. Yamaguchi whirled around and chopped through the air behind him, Haru barely able to drop to the floor in time. Momentum retained by an upward curve, the massive blade dropped like an axe, stopping mere breadths from Haru's head. Were this a scripted scene in a video game, I have no doubt that the strike would have created a downburst of air. "That's enough."
With a precision Klein and the others could only dream of, Yamaguchi marched back to the edge of the sparring arena marked by a series of pebbles, his weapons resting before him with sword tucked behind shield. "Reflect on the lessons you learned today. Tomorrow we shall train again."
"Is this a common occurrence?" I questioned, watching my guild leader hobble off with a grimace, clutching at his 'wound'.
"Became a daily occurrence, at least when they were with us. You were off elsewhere when they got started. For the most part they would be running through drills, but one day Dale asked the Captain for a fight immediately after. Once that happened, the rest starting asking to join in." Asuka gave a short hum. "We've watched your fights enough that Yamaguchi and Hibiki know most of your starting positions for your current pool of unique attacks, but it's when you throw in normal strikes that it becomes a bit more challenging for them; more so than usual at any swordsmen grow so differently from us. One day they'd have a complete read on you guys, the next everything is thrown off balance because of your 'level ups'."
"That's magic for you," I said simply, unable to come up with a more tactful response aside from 'We're players'. With the short break completed, Yamaguchi stepped back into the ring, this time Harry and Issin his opponents. Compared to the hyperactive movement of Klein and Haru, the shield and spear users were much more controlled. Their assault was less intensive, but watching them felt more like seeing a well practiced team than two people sharing the same goal.
Where Harry would stick to the Tolbanian leader with unerring fanaticism, Issin would slip in and out, taking advantage of any openings he saw while creating new ones for his partner to utilize. Eventually the situation turned completely around. No longer standing still and merely responding to his aggressors, Yamaguchi wrested control of the battle with speedy steps, forcing my guildmates to react to his motions in kind. Despite their numerical superiority, the duo weren't able to maintain an advantage for any significant length of time, only able to sneak in a pair of hits every so often before their instructor reset the fight.
"How long have you guys been going at this?" I asked Klein when we moved down to the courtyard.
"About forty minutes or so. At first we were doing group practice, but after twenty minutes of that Captain Yamaguchi started calling us to spar against him. I swear the system must be bugged or something. He's actually a level or two lower than us, but I'm pretty sure that we'd need a five level advantage just to be able to do something worthwhile against him."
"He has the Battle Healing skill," I noted. Every few seconds his health would jump several notches, coincidentally spaced between attacks and defense. Whether it was a purposed accident from the developers or had something to do with a breathing pattern I couldn't tell. "It's got to be a pretty high level, that or his numerical health isn't that high."
"Yeah, you're right." Klein leaned forward and squinted. "I can't believe I never noticed that before."
"Looks like that's something everybody will need to work on then; paying attention to the minute details of a fight." I pulled out my blade, flipping it into a proper grip. "This area is a safe zone, right?"
"Yup. Those of us with Battle Healing have been rotating for spars. The others are sticking to practicing their basics and working on muscle memory while they recover. There's no need to waste potions."
"Mm, that's a pretty smart idea." I took a few steps away, Ryoutarou understanding the message once I stopped.
"50%?" He asked, initiating the duel.
"50%," I confirmed, checking all the settings. 60 seconds. That was how long we had before PvP became enabled, a trait carried over from the beta. But just because we couldn't actually fight, it wasn't as if we couldn't move around. Circling, advancing, retreating; anything to gain a brief edge in combat. For my companions it worked well in theory, but in practice it was still a rather lengthy discussion. As the timer ticked towards zero I rushed forward, Klein entering a defensive stance in response.
I feinted a lunging stab, moving into a rising knee that sent him stumbling back. Unsure of his recovery time, I unleashed a Comet Cannon, diving into a roll to my left once the post motion ended. Footsteps precluded a fist slamming into my cheek. In the moment I wasn't looking, Klein unleashed a three hit sword skill from the recently unlocked tier I had yet to explore. As he reared back for the final hit, the system imposed stagger sent me back a half step. Disoriented as I was, my instincts pulled my body into Hunting Prey followed by a Crescent Moon, taking a few short steps back while he recovered from the knock up.
"God, what is with you and knocking my head around?" The brunet wiped his lips with the back of his glove, sword held ready by his side.
I tilted my head, a sly smile on my face. "Disorientation is another facet of fighting; think of it as a mind game." Also totally not pay back for landing that combo on me.
"Yeah, a mind game that keeps making me think I've bitten my tongue off."
"Then learn to anticipate it." I Sprinted in, sliding past and leaping into spinning hook kick that connected with his head. "Dodge, dammit!" I closed the gap with another set of Sprint aided steps, taking advantage of his still extended free hand and executing an arm lock behind his back, shoving him away with a push kick. "C'mon, Klein! You've been off gallivanting with the rest of the guild in various places, you've been fighting alongside the Shu'kechuun, you can not be telling me you haven't picked up even a bit of skill!"
Klein slowly rose up from the ground, his form still.
"Treat me like an enemy already! If you aren't coming at me with your all then all you're going to learn from this is how to fall!" I charged back in, leaping over his body and striking out with my blade. A knee suddenly met my head, the force increased by the yanking tang that slipped through one of Tormenting Reaver's curves. What felt like a pommel slammed into my stomach upon my shaky landing and another unknown multi-hit strike landed, the slashes whipping me around.
My response was a feinted slash, a spinning crouch taking me around and letting me score an angry red along his armored back, another opening created by a kick to the back of his knee. A stab was aborted into a block, Klein's blade clanging against the flat of mine. "Good block," I commented after his next attack. "Make sure you-" Well that's a game face if I've ever seen one.
The next series of exchanges were with an intensity I hadn't expected from Klein. Every strike he made was meant for a brute forced critical, the man trying to take advantage of his higher strength stat. In the end it was inexperience that caused Klein to lose, the last portions of his designated health knocked away by single limbed Martial Arts skills while I kept our weapons locked against each other.
"Nice work, Klein. I'm pretty sure if you remembered to keep use unarmed strikes you might've been able to get something done." I lowered myself into a squat, crouching over his prone form.
Hand shielding his eyes from the sun, Ryoutarou merely grunted. "Aren't you specialized in unarmed combat?"
"Supported by a knife or baton depending on the situation, but it's close enough." I glanced at my health bar, the gauge slightly past the point of turning yellow. Klein's strength stat wasn't as monstrous as Agil's, but a clean punch from my guild leader would easily have knocked off anywhere from three to five percent of my health. "Lemme ask you something." The two of us moved over to the side, resting on the simplistic stone benches. "In regards to combat, what am I to you?"
"What?"
"Sorry, I might have phrased that poorly." I hummed, unnecessarily stretching out my legs. "When you think of me and combat, especially in regards to you and everybody else, how would you describe me?"
"Well, I guess." Klein leaned forward, focusing on a random point in front of him. "Bruiser? Assassin? Evasion Tank?" He grunted and sat up, arms crossed. "You can deal damage just fine, but you're not able to take it. Because of the way you fight, you can reset a situation and buy the rest of us time."
"So would you say you trust me?" Issin and Harry's fight with the Tolbana Captain had finally ended, the shield user once again bearing a pensive look. As they walked away Issin presumably talked about the fight, going over his own observations while Harry worked on his own mental conclusions.
"Of course I trust you. What brought this on?"
I stood up on the bench and pressed my middle and index finger against his forehead. "So how come when you fought me there was hesitance in every single one of your strikes until I told you to stop?" I sat back down with a huff. "Don't say you trust me and then not give me your all when we're fighting. Being nice during training is how people get killed. It's better to shatter people's perceptions of themselves under controlled circumstances than out in the field."
"You think I don't know that?"
"I don't think you know that," I emphasised. "So c'mon. Spill. How come you were holding back at first?"
"Asasaki…" I pressured him once more, digging into his side a little with my elbow. "It's because you almost died."
"Well, duh." I shook my head, a soft laugh slipping out with my breath. "More than a handful of times. Haven't we had this conversation?"
Klein jerked towards me, eyes wide. "How can you be so blasé about this?"
"It's exactly because I've done it so often, Klein." By this point, the rest of our guild had returned to running laps around the courtyard, holding their weapons over their head in an attempt to increase the amount of 'exhaustion' they could accrue before needing to break. "Why do you fight, Klein?" I asked after a while.
"What?"
"Why do you fight? Why do you head out to fight monsters, collect resources, all of it. Why do you do it?" I rested my hands on the stone beneath me, staring up at the partially clouded ceiling above us.
Klein shuffled. It was hard to tell what was going on through his mind, and eventually he settled on staring skyward as well. "I fight because I-"
"What are you two staring at?"
I glanced down, following Issin's gaze upwards before realizing he was trying to figure out what was holding our attention. "Just focusing on nothing while we hold a conversation. No big deal."
Mr. Paintbrush gave me a skeptical look, a teasing grin on his face. "Well, you're going to have to put your conversation on hold for now. The elves gave us a lunch invitation, and considering all of our meat stores from the past couple days mysteriously vanished we should take them up on their offer."
I rolled my eyes at his smirk, more than aware that my parting gift to the Explorer's had been explained to everyone in the guild.
"Klein, you coming?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah." Another beat passed before Klein stood up, distractedly following after us.
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Their security is pretty good for being isolated for almost a century, even if the guards aren't are focused as they should be. The message had arrived only a few hours after midnight, the priority flag overriding my nightly 'do not disturb' settings. Slipping out of my room had been done with the ease of all my previous escapes. Slipping down to one of the side courtyards was a little more difficult, but patience was something I could flourish in spades.
"Swordsman Asasaki out late."
I took a breath, forcing myself not to flinch. "And so are you, Rhaan." I glanced down at the tiny black bear cub sitting down beside the beat tamer. It had taken us all by surprise when the goblin had hopped onto the gondola with the beast, his spirits almost fully restored after the loss of his war bird back during the fight on the third floor.
"Small One needs more training. Swordsman Dale happy to provide meat." The first time I had seen the goblins give their toothy smile, I was expecting a fight to break out. Now I was aware that expectation would have been more suited for when their lips were pulled all the way back and angular instead of the slight curve it head. "Where Asasaki going?"
"Down to the first floor," I said. "There's a monster that needs taking care of."
"Why are other Swordsmen not with you?"
"I've handled it before, and there's already a team that deals with it. There's no need to bother them this late, anyway." I shrugged, internally waving away the concerns raised by Rhaan's words.
"Swordsman Asasaki is not around teammates much," he commented. "Morning training and meals are not enough to raise companionship. Allies must fight by each others side to grow stronger. Is how Ol'dekhaan take down giant bear in forest without talking like Swordsmen. This Ol'dekhaan knows each other like sharpness of own claws; no need for second guessing because abilities not in doubt."
I stared through an archway that led outside, false moonlight dancing on the surface of the water. "I know, Rhaan. I'm more than aware of that. Even if everybody tells me that I fit in, I'm only a stop gap, something that only works by happenstance and not original intention." I took another breath, holding it in for a few seconds before slowly releasing it. "But I'll be working on it. There's no excuse for me be standoffish anymore. It's already been two months and I've made my decision on who I'm sticking with." I don't care that I'm a foreigner, that I'm still learning customs, that I've been inserted into a unit that already has their own style of operation. If we want to work together, we have to meld properly.
"Swordsman Asasaki strong. Perhaps too strong. Other Swordsmen not like her, are not experienced in battled and desire to kill. Swordsman Asasaki should not be part of Guild Fūrinkazan like Ol'dekhaan are not part of Tribe Shukechuun. Should be smaller group, unique but linked. Perhaps Swordsman Asasaki work better that way." The goblin and pet shambed off without another word, the bear constantly sniffing after the sack of meat Rhaan moved around.
"Don't be apart of Fūrinkazan?" I shook my head. "I mean I can see it," I trailed off, opening my status window and staring at the four white diamonds neatly spaced to form a bigger one. Doing something on your own doesn't mean you don't value the people you're associated with any less. Behind the scenes work just means making it easier for the main show. "No, I can't falter now," I decided. "I need to stick to my convictions."
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"This is different from last time." I fought back a shiver, pulling my cloak tighter around me. Upon arriving at the first floor, I'd found myself wandering a snow covered region, the usual greens and browns blanketed by endless white. It was entirely unlike the snowfall from late december; every single monster carried with it a small flurry of powder that would deal damage and vision had been reduced to almost 20% of its normal amount.
"What's going on is new, but not entirely unexpected." Shen sheathed his blade, the remnants of the wolf he had slain drifting into the night sky. "Tonight marks the night we acquire the last piece of the outfit. Regarding which," The leader of Fūmaningun turned to face me, his expression hidden behind his ever present facemask. "When we first spoke of you assisting us, we agreed that you would merely be holding onto the equipment until we finished it."
I pulled open my inventory, staring at the Frostborn gear. It wasn't often that I was able to use it, both because its upgrade requirements had reached the point where the materials were completely unknown to us and its uniqueness dissuaded me from ever donning it in public, but simply by carrying it I had developed a large amount of attachment. "You're the leader of the guild that discovered this boss. I'll return it whenever you'd like me to, be it now or after the battle."
"You misunderstand me, Lady Asasaki. It is our wish that you keep the armor, provided of course you continue to assist us whenever possible."
"You want me to keep it?" I parroted. "Not that I'm not ungrateful, but any particular reason why?"
"Only that we've appreciated your company these past few weeks," Shen answered.
Taro spoke up, the strategan and projectile user typing away at something. "With the armor no longer being offered, we would of course be willing to pay you for your efforts. Resources, cor, information. We are shinobi after all. Exchanging services for services would simply be incidental considering our line of work."
"I don't think you've ever actually talked about your 'line of work'," I remarked. Moving between Shen and Taro, the two men guided us through the forest towards the rest of their clan. Since our reunion, the three of us had been playing patrol; guiding other players out of the area, making note of spawning patterns for the information brokers to try and make sense out of, and most importantly, figuring out exactly what these modified wolves meant for the upcoming boss fight.
"We're on the last twenty wolves, Master Shen."
Thanks for the info, guys. I'm sure your line of work won't come up in the future as something I'll have issues with.
"Let the plan proceed as normal," the elder told Taro. "Make sure each team remembers to have somebody stay back to observe any new changes." Not much later, a bone shaking howl tore through the air, the temperature dropping to barely above bone chilling. The three of us weaving Sprint with normal running, Shen led the way towards the spawn point, Taro calling out differences as we received them.
A breathless laugh escaped my lips, instantly turning into mist. "We should've brought a tank." Mánagarmr seethed as it stalked towards a prone ninja, the center of its forehead gleaming a shining powder blue. With every step it took snow and ice whirled into the air, the health of those within its field steadily dropping.
"All ranged units, harass it where you can!" Instantly a salvo of system assisted throwing picks flew through the air, Mánagarmr flinching away and turning towards one of the offending players. "Melee, chip away at its health and maintain aggro!" Shen turned to me, mask contorting with his expression. "Asasaki, protect those that suffer status effects and deal damage where you can. This is going to be a battle of attrition. All units, down a freeze and paralysis preventative!"
"C'mon, buddy, time to fall back for a bit." I pulled back the fallen ninja, helping them to their feet once we got out of range.
"The AoE field applies a stacking slow the longer you're in it," he uttered, downing a few items.
Now where have I heard that before?
Before the fights with Mánagarmr had been reduced to merely fifteen minutes. With the localized flurry among other new and enhanced moves the fight had been extended to a full hour, a fourth of our supplies having been burned through in the first ten minutes. The rest of our supplies were maintained by rotating out our melee units to hold aggression while Taro and Shen's nephew Sora tried to learn the timing. Once that had happened, it became a matter of patience and determination to whittle down the Envoy of the Eclipse, the best collapsing with a final flare of skyward snow.
"Lady Asasaki, here. The last piece of the outfit." I accepted the trade, the tired ninja around me sitting up to watch.
"Really know how to make a girl feel nervous, y'know?" I tapped each item in succession, the newly acquired headpiece replacing the cloth and leather cowl Shen had given me. "So how does it look?" I asked, turning around slowly.
"Exactly as I remember it." Shen nodded to himself, a few others doing the same. "Tell me, Asasaki, is your vision impaired in any way?"
"No, everything's fine- wait, hold on." I reached up and pulled the wolf head back, blinking at the sudden reappearance of red and green on their uniforms. "This thing imposes a color blindness on me." I pulled it back over, chalking up the normal field of view I had to system shenanigans. Were it not for that, my sight would have been extremely limited considering that the headgear was a mask that fit over the top half of my head with tinted eyeholes. "Definitely feels different physically, that's for sure. I'm not even moving and I feel so alive." Resonating through my body was undulating waves of energy, the surges feeling very much like the tingle of Acrobatics or Sprint in motion.
"That would likely be the set effects." Taro moved closer, motioning for me to hold my arms up while I continued modeling. "The full details should be on your status window. From what we remember, the outfit should enhance your Sprint ability, Searching ability, and Hide ability while in forested regions with a greater effect when its snowing."
"And if I don't have them? The skills, I mean." I stared at the lingering buffs nestled in the corner of my status ribbon. While the bar didn't have any extra information aside from my earlier consumables, I had no doubt the effects of the outfit were in play.
"Then you'll have the skills at the related level. The bonuses themselves aren't too extreme, but-"
"A flat increase of 50 is still a significant amount," I replied, reading through my more thorough window. "Especially at our levels."
"Precisely." Shen subtly looked around at his men, each of them still staring at me though doing their best not to make their observations come across as lewd. "Miss Asasaki, my men and I will retire for the evening. It was a tiring battle and Taro and I must reflect upon what we shall be doing for our next target. Our informants have been notifying us that a few other groups have been asking for the same information as us, so we have reason to suspect that it won't be too long until we come across other groups with boss specific gear."
"Go on ahead then. I'm going to stick around for another hour or so to get used to this gear." I gave a few short hops, mind twitching at the modified sensory input it was receiving. The powder kicked up by their retreat drifted back to the ground, each set of footprints only going three steps at most before disappearing from their leaps. "The effect only occurs while in snow or a forest," I murmured. "Wonder if the area those Fallen Elves are in an area high enough for snow to occur."
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The next day breakfast had been a quiet affair. During the odd but comfortable silence at the table, Captain Radhaar had extracted a promise from Klein to have an answer by midday. Fully aware we'd be spending the majority of the day at the castle, everyone had agreed to dedicate the day to training.
And thus I find myself partaking in my first combat Contract quest. "Are you sure about this, Mitsui?" I fingered the hilt of my sword, the sibling of the merchant's «Dragonwind Schiavona» still tucked away in my inventory until I had the required level for it.
"Of course I am. Barring Asahi, the little bookworm, everybody else spars with their Contractor on a semi-daily basis. And even if I don't plan on entering these large battles of yours, it's still important for me to improve my combat abilities. One never knows when I'll find myself lost and alone somewhere with only my weapons and my wits to protect me."
"Yeah, weapons." I stared at Asuka's stomach, a parrying dagger that would still work wonders as a stabbing implement gripped behind her back. Dual wielding of course meant that she wouldn't be able to use any weapon skills, but the fact that she had trained directly under the beast Yamaguchi was enough to make me completely paranoid about her actions. "I'll start first then."
"Please do!"
Her stance is pretty decent. That dagger behind her back is kind of odd, but her weight distribution means she can respond with her rapier both offensively and defensively.
Stop overthinking things. Just go in and adapt on the fly. It's not like you've fought against rapiers before, so no prior experience could even be used.
I let out rush of air. Blade swinging through emptiness, a rounded edge slammed into my rib cage. Asuka's weapon sung twice through small chinks in my armor, the tip of the metal forcing its way through into digital flesh. Before I could respond, the springy blade cut across my face, red hair billowing backwards to almost the exact same distance as when we'd started. Not even three seconds and the merchant had already displayed a superiority that took me by surprise. The movements were all the same as when we had fought together in the Lostlorn Forest but having them used against me instead of beside me was something different. "Damn that stung. But still, you're making me pretty excited, Mitsui."
"Good. You've been kind of dull the past few days." The woman held her blade towards me resolutely, not a shake to be found.
My slashing feint into a crouching pommel jab struck true, Mitsui crumpling with the hit. Proving that buns and short hair were always superior during hand to hand, I grabbed onto her ponytail and held her head in place while I introduced my knee to her forehead repeatedly, a follow-up manual four hit combo from my left leg sending her sprawling backwards to the floor. "Groan twice if you can still keep going."
"Foul play," she managed, pushing herself to her feet.
"I'm not like the Tolbanian Explorer's, Mitsui. When I fight I fight for keeps, not for play. Whatever Yamaguchi's taught you, whatever lessons you've learned from your texts, if you're not expecting brutality you're not ready for a proper fight." I moved into a modified boxer's stance, torso more angled than squared to better accommodate my sword. "If you're really determined to maintain grace and composure, get ready to say hi to the ground pretty often until you gain enough practical knowledge."
Without responding, Asuka took initiative and charged in, every stab and flick giving nothing but surety in their commands. Had I not been paying hard attention to her movements, the strikes would likely have been leaving red all along my body, each one of her rapid flicks and thrusts dancing from side to side. Wary of the proverbial scorpion's tail her off hand represented, my responses were made by hooking her weapon or forcing her off balance after one of her more verbose strikes, feet and fists reprimanding her until she finally learned how to respond.
By the time she had called for a break (something I was secretly relieved for), a small contingent of Forest Elves had gathered around us, some stoically watching while others, notably more inexperienced than their comrades, cheered ecstatically. "Ah hah…" Mitsui sheathed her weapons away and took a partial step behind me to hide her embarrassment, only moving forward to return the attention after clearing her throat.
"Your moves lacked the grace of us elves, but there was an admirably efficiency to your moves, human."
I turned to look at the elf that walked closer to us, wondering how expensive such a bulky yet slim set of armor would be in real life. "I've been getting that a lot recently, the whole 'brutal efficiency'. A fight isn't supposed to be nice," I said. "Asasaki, by the way. And please, no need for the formality unless it's tradition or something. I've never been much for titles."
"Perhaps in private then, Swordsman Asasaki. It would be scandalous if one of my station didn't give such an honored one such as yourself the proper respect. My name is Thel'dora, by the way." The newly named elf gave a short bow. "I'm the drill instructor of the men in this castle."
"A pleasure." Mitsui and I joined the armored elf at the side of the enclosure, watching the gathered elves form into formation. In short order, they began going through a set of drills, the sound of short, breathy kiai's (as opposed to traditional explosive yells) bouncing off the walls. "I hope we weren't intruding on your training session?"
"Not at all, Swordsman. In fact, you actually helped us a little." The dark green haired male looked up at the sky, a contemplative sound emanating from his throat. "Provided everything works out as we hope, it will be very likely that we will work together in the future."
Despite just completing a fight, my body still cried for me to go through my own set of exercises, my mind creating the illusory sensations of a longing in my muscles that I hadn't felt in months. "Perhaps we will." After another moment, Thel'dora walked off, taking command of the training.
"Physical training is so nice," Asuka started. "Unlike verbal skills, there's an actual measurement of progress you can see at any time. Snuffing out candles with only a punch, stabbing something more than three times before a tossed ball drops," the woman shifted her weight onto a single leg, the tip of her other foot and both of her hands moving behind her.
"Why do you fight?" I blurted.
"Because it's a necessary skill?" Asuka responded in confusion. "Back when the lands were still connected, raiders weren't a too uncommon thing. If people didn't know how to fight, they would be hidden either behind the walls or in the mines. As the head of the Trading Guild, it's expected of me to know my way around a weapon. Invaders aside, there's also monsters and other aggressors that we'd come across while travelling. It would be incredibly negligent of me to not be able to hold my own should that occur.
"I- sorry." I shook my head. "Me having been part of the military, an extended period without combat is incredibly strange. But everybody else," I shrugged, letting the silence speak for itself. "Considering how everybody came back from that dungeon on the other side of the mountain, I can't help but wonder if they'll still be willing to fight, or if their wills have been diminished in some fashion. Speaking of which," I glanced at the clock in my upper right. "It's about time I went and found them. They should be winding down from their run. Normally they'd have done it in the morning a little after I start, but-"
"But once they saw exactly what their bedding was made out of they all agreed to sleep in for the day?" Asuka giggled. "Asahi and myself did the exact same thing. I woke up to Takeshi standing over me glowering. I'm pretty sure if I was a prisoner he would have been holding a sword at my face."
That sounds about right. "I'll see you later then, Asuka."
"Don't jump off any walls!" She called out.
"No promises!" With a not insignificant amount of questioning later, I sauntered down the stairs to the fishing docks, a few dozen elves working a variety of fishing implements at the very ends of the stone structures. In the shallows, the seven men of Fūrinkazan were rotating through a handful of push up variations, each incarnation targeting different groups of muscles were this reality. After figuring out the order, I joined them in the water, boots shunted to my inventory and pant legs rolled up. "You guys been here long?"
"Not too long," Dale grunted, getting a faceful of slightly salty water as he dropped to all fours. "Only about twenty minutes or so. We just finished up our run around the castle." Rise. "Nice place." With a forceful huff, the chef tucked his knees in and swung them forward, splashing onto his back and performing a sit up before rollings backwards onto his feet.
"You think the elves on sentry ever jump off the cliffs once their shifts are over?" I added an extra clap to this set, springing onto my feet alongside everyone else.
In between each motion, "Sentries? What are you talking about?"
"I didn't notice yesterday, but there's some natural walkways along the cliff sides. It's a mix of slopes and rope netting attached to the faces." The paths were a bit hard to spot, but during my search for the rest of the guild I'd noticed some movement alongside the surroundings. A bit of focusing let me trace the routes and I doubted I would have noticed them were it not for my boredom.
"That explains why we saw some boats earlier with soldiers accompanying the fishers."
"Alright, gang! That's enough for now. Take an hour to yourselves for studying. Skills, weapons, papers from Argo or the other information brokers. No extensive physical activity though! Dis-missed!"
The others gave a loud acknowledging yell, breaking off into various groups and resting on the higher walkway. Harry and Klein continued to stay in the water, the hands of the younger tapping on various windows he was sharing.
"Morning." Haru stopped beside me, hand raised in greeting. "How'd your fight with Mitsui go?"
"Harder than I'd like to admit. It's been a while since I've actually had to fight against somebody trained. Even if she has experience it was still aggravating relearning that not everyone here is a cake walk for me."
"Ever the humble one, aren't you, Asasaki?" The man chuckled and shook his head. "The rest of us learned that not too long ago. The Tolbanians might not have any sword skills, but they definitely have skills with the sword."
"Funny, I swear I said that the first day I met all of you." I nodded towards Klein, trying to catch up to what the two leaders were talking about.
"Good to see you again, Little Miss Ninja." The brunet gave me a disapproving look, fists resting on his hips. "We tried talking to you last night, but you up and disappeared on us. Only reason we didn't freak out too hard was because a certain beast taming goblin happened to see you slip off. I know you've got your own stuff to do, things that we've come to call 'ninja training', but it'd be nice to be in the know and not be able to find you where we expect you to be."
"What Klein means to say is, please let us know if you plan on heading somewhere. The Friends List stops the heart attacks, but they still end up happening when we can't contact you."
"Maybe she went off to fight a secret monster that only spawns when a floor boss gets defeated," Haru joked dryly.
"The sad thing is, I can believe it." Klein and Harry stared me down, disappointment and expectancy mixed in equal measures.
"Alright, alright," I folded. "Just stop looking at me like that. Yeesh, five years difference at least but your heights make me feel like I'm getting scolded by my uncles."
Harry held up his pointer and thumb, the space between them approximately two inches. "I'm barely five centimeters taller than you," he said quietly.
"Look, I swear I'll spend the next couple days with the guild, alright? There's a bigger disconnect between us than normal, and I'm not exactly keen on letting it fester."
Klein muttered something I couldn't catch, his body expressing resignation. "Anyway, we wanted to get you up to speed on the whole quest situation. See, most of us aren't exactly keen on life or death combat for the time being, and as far as we can tell if we accept this quest from the elves that's exactly what we're going to go up against."
"Kunimitzz wants to keep fighting because it's what we have to do if it means getting out of here. As for Choryu and myself, we only want to do it because it means being able to learn more." Harry folded his arms, nodding at the source of the splashing behind me.
"To be honest, those of us that don't want to do the quest are fine with fighting in general; so long as it's on normal monsters that spawn in the fields and not in dungeons and caves. It's in those places where the biggest dangers happen." Issin laid a hand on my head, moving it to my shoulder when I wiped his arm off.
"Whichever way you argue for, Asasaki, we'll follow you. You've been watching over us the past few weeks, so you know exactly where we stand in terms of combat, even if you're not exactly up to date on our recent abilities. Those of us that are against accepting this quest," Klein shrugged, "so long as our friends are by our side we'll do a lot of stupid stuff."
"Seriously?" I mumbled. "Putting me on the spot like this?" They're not ready for this quest. It's basically going to be an assault on a fortified base. If they're still shaken from the Sahuagin dungeon, there's no way they can handle a proper assault. I stared into the eyes of the gathered guild. Klein, Issin, Dale, and Dynamm all seemed to plead for me to vote against accepting the quest. Choryu held the same tempered hero worship that evolved past infatuation and into some form of loyalty, while Harry held his usual clinical expectancy from anything interesting. Slowly, my arguments still forming as I spoke, "I think it would be best if we-"
"Ah, swordsmen!" The voice of Hadvaar suddenly rose over the din of the fishers. "Might I have a moment of your time?"
Next chapter ought be up August 17th, but let's not quote me on that.
