I'm back bitches!

I had four exams last week! Four! FOUR! I got the whole train run on me last week! It was the Bell Gargoyles all over again! No lube either!

But I did beat Dark Souls 1! I parried that bastard, Gwyn, to death! And now I can move onto Dark Souls 2 when they make it backwards compatible for the Xbox One.

Anyways... I can do two chapters this week. I'm going to try updating To Those Who Survived The Fall, and maybe Beacon's Number One if I can find the motivation to do so. (I have to make it relatable and it's a really difficult fic to write.) Or I will try getting The Lengths We Must Go To done this week.

So, in this chapter, I move up the pacing a little bit. It's just getting the quest and talking to the contract giver (I cut out all of the explaining the world mechanics in this one. We're just doing business with this chapter.) Next chapter will be all about the hunt. That is going to be a two chapter piece because I've got lots to cover on their journey. Then we'll have a time skip and our next dungeon run.

And for the monsters in this world. I take them all from European Mythology so there is going to be overlap with the Witcher series who uses Slavic Mythology and Skyrim who uses Nordic and some other Pagan mythological creatures.

The reason why it takes so long to get my chapters out is that I need to do research. I want to use monsters from other video games without making this thing a crossover. So I must make it so that I only use monsters from our world!

Also, has anybody read KtyouVsWriting's, One-Night Brand? I've been reading that masterpiece for nearly two years and he finally started updating again! I really recommend you guys sit down and read it. There's fluff, smut, and drama! It is by far one of the best fanfics for RWBY that I've ever read. It's up there with my favourites like Chivalry, Jupiter, One Good Turn Deserves Another, Last Resort, and The Song of Her Heart. (I totally recommend you guys read these too! And review. And follow and favourite!)

Last Thing! In two chapters, Jaune's passive shall be revealed! I need help coming up with a name for it! I know what I want it to be, but I have no words to describe it in a short label.

Edit Note (2/2/20): Made some minor adjustments to chapter. Inserted a conversation for continuity, but didn't need to change very many things. This chapter is in line with what I wanted.

Jaune strapped his breastplate to his chest, tightening its leather straps to his body and securing them with buckles. The flattened crystalline-shaped piece of metal perfectly fit and covered all of his torso, excluding the sides of his waist.

It was no longer the generic rounded breastplate of your average soldier. It was a bulwark that was meant for tanking. Too thick to be bent by normal means at just over a centimetre at its thickest. The design purely meant for thrusts or arrows to slide off the steel as well as not being able to be caved in by any large monsters.

Jaune's Breastplate

Level Seventeen

Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 32

Agility: 16

Defence: 22

Constitution: 30

The bang-up job earned him a quarter of a level upon finishing the chest piece. Every other piece of armour he wore was also serviced at the same time, tipping him even further to his next level. And he was tantalisingly close to level eighteen.

Jaune salivated at the thought of being able to earn that last ten per cent he needed.

Control yourself Jaune!

He shook his head, side-to-side. The repeated shaking of his brain caused some dizziness but cleared his mind.

For the last several days, since Jaune had fought the hobgoblin, he had been getting these cravings for Exp. It wasn't anything too debilitating, starting out as a feeling of being drawn to any Exp sources. Now, for example, his entire body physically reacted to the need over a psychological response.

Maybe Pyrrha was right about me gaining levels so fast? Everyone else had to farm for smaller prey when they were training to become heroes, but I'm almost caught up to Ruby. Nobody told me about the cravings, though. Probably some sort of Pavlovian response to the reward.

Hopefully, Weiss has something that can distract me...

Those goblins last week were soon to join the drowners as being totally worthless. While goblins were okay at best as a means to farm. They were the base monster or pest every village had to deal with at one time or another. Meaning weak and barely providing enough Exp for someone who was near level twenty.

But they were good to experiment on. Goblins were not exactly dangerous unless you were cornered or injured. So they made excellent targets for any new techniques you wished to try out. Such as the grain alcohol bomb, which had been the first time he tested the idea.

Yang nor Ruby had not needed to know that, of course. Had the older of the two known that Jaune had never attempted to use alcohol as a firebomb, she may have killed him before the hobgoblin nearly did. Ruby may have followed along with it just to see what would have happened. Or she may not have grasped the danger of the situation they were in.

That being said if Weiss had wished to go on another goblin quest. Jaune had a few more ideas he wanted to try out. Something involving the Dust Crystals possibly...

Jaune looked up at the clock. It was seven fifty in the morning, and Weiss had demanded he and Ruby meet her outside the Questing House at precisely eight. The Princess is a stickler for punctuality after all. And Jaune really needed to hurry up and get out of the locker room.

He grabbed a few more supplies that might be useful in any situation as he had no idea what to expect. Healing potions were a given since the last time he tried casting Heal on himself, it didn't go too well. A stamina potion for... well anything having to do with exhaustion of course. It didn't help that the bottle was labelled "The Potion of the Stallion."

Yang had made fun of him for purchasing the elixir from a red-faced Velvet. And the meaning behind the quip was not lost on him. Jaune had been around horses and cattle all his life and was very well aware of what they were capable of.

Finally, the last of his silver dust. The sack was still about half full, but he needlessly wasted some when fighting the mare on his first day. Any silver a monster hunter has on their person should be regarded as the holiest object they could come across. And Jaune threw half a sack into a low-level monster and tossed the leather pouch aside.

Regardless of whether or not it was wasted, it should still come in handy.

...

The Questing House was not far from the main hall and the locker rooms. Only a short walk separated the two structures. Not many people would be frequenting the building at this hour due to how early it was, either. Luckily for Jaune, the Questing Booth opened right at eight in the morning.

Jaune spotted Weiss standing outside the building. Her arms crossed and tapping her right foot. She was clearly having a hard time concealing her lack of patience. Something he was well aware of by now.

"Hey," Jaune uttered, still taking slow strides as he closed the gap between them. "Seen Ruby yet?"

No sign of a short girl wearing a bright red hood. Hopefully, she didn't sleep in or got held up by Yang.

He had convinced a suspiciously willing Yang to switch groups with Pyrrha, leaving her sister to team up with Jaune and Weiss. Ruby seemed reluctant to go along with it but acquiesced when Jaune brought a possible monster hunt into the picture. Learning that Weiss was going to be joining them seemed to help his case as well for the Reaper.

"No," Weiss answered, her tone holding some attitude behind it. "And why did you choose to bring her along?! We could have used someone stronger! Or not as childish..."

I should come to expect this level of criticism for all of my choices.

"Did you want me to bring Yang along," Jaune riposted, knowing that was going to get a reaction out of her.

"NO," she shouted bashfully, cheeks turning bright red. "I-I mean no..."

Clearly, there were worse choices for group members. Weiss may have expected Pyrrha or somebody else... Actually, Pyrrha was probably the only other person that would have met her standards and was without a partner already.

"I brought Ruby along because I promised to teach her how to track monsters," Jaune explained, deciding to take pity on the Mage. "She's also pretty strong. I saw her literally make goblins explode when she cut them with her scythe!" That was an enjoyable memory to relive.

Weiss' expression seemed to relax. "How is that possible," she wondered, her right hand cupping her chin. "She wasn't using an ability?" Jaune shook his head. "Then it must have been due to her agility."

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed. Compared to the rest of us, Ruby seems almost overpowered when she's swinging a scythe around.

"Besides," Jaune continued. "You told Ruby about it! So, we're all stuck in the same boat. "

The Heiress almost seemed to deflate, realising she didn't have an argument. "I guess..." she mumbled dejectedly. "I think it was a mistake to tell her now."

Luckily, the three had already hashed out the grounds of their partnership. With Ruby knowing about Weiss' secret, the other two made sure she promised to keep it to herself.

A sudden rush of wind nearly blew the two students off their feet. A whirl of rose petals followed the cloaked figure.

"Hi guys," Ruby chirped in her usual childish manner. Her cloak fluttering in the wind. "Sorry I'm late... I kind of slept in."

Knew it!

Jaune turned to Weiss who was making disgusted noises. She was picking rose petals out of her hair and off her clothes. Somehow the Princess maintained a perfect poise despite her disgruntled attitude.

"These damned rose petals," Weiss grumbled, flicking the last one off her shoulder. "Why must your abilities be so messy?!" She turned to the Reaper, with a stern look.

"I-I don't know," Ruby stammered, threatening to go back into her shell. "I can't control it. It just happens..."

She seemed to be having the same trouble with keeping up with Weiss as did the Heiress with her sister. Or it was due to her nerves when it came to Weiss' secret.

Even Professor Goodwitch complained about my abilities...

Weiss groaned. "Fine, just try not to use it indoors or anywhere next to me," she relented quickly. It was unusual to see her let up on chiding someone so quickly. Maybe they were finally making progress with her?

Jaune went for the door. Not much had changed from the last time he had visited with Yang and Ruby. Only this time, more adventurers were going about their day, either retrieving drinks from the bar or grabbing a bite to eat.

The Knight spied Velvet standing behind the desk, writing something down. She seemed to be unaware of his presence. Luckily no other adventurers stood in the way of them. So Jaune pushed forward with Weiss and Ruby in tow.

Velvet looked up, and her expression immediately brightened up. "Ah, Jaune," she chirped in the same manner as Ruby. Although her accent made her sound more sophisticated. "It's good to see you today! Have your injuries healed?"

Jaune gave her a two-finger salute. "Yeah," he answered. "And thanks for asking." He stepped up to the counter. "So any new quests today?"

There had to be something good. Maybe not dragons just yet, but something with a little more oomph than goblins. Jaune had to stop himself from drooling at the thought of more Exp.

Velvet turned to face the notice board. "Yes, since last week, we had a few more goblin infestations crop up. Some first-years took on those quests, so they are unavailable right now. But there was a recent missive sent from Sir Samson of Westberg asking for assistance."

Jaune found the specific parchment she mentioned.

By order of, His Majesty, The King of Vale and all of its holdings.

Sir Samson of Westberg, has petitioned the adventurers of Vale for assistance. Unexplained phenomena have been taking place in his lands. The cause for the disturbance is unknown, but it has led to the deaths of several labourers in the Lord's service. Sir Samson has offered a generous bounty of one-thousand five-hundred Lien for any information leading to the solution of the matter. More Lien will be offered to those who solve the issue.

"Hmm..." Jaune stroked his beardless chin. Seems like an easy enough quest. But the phenomena could be anything. Hopefully, the Lord has some more information he can give us. Stumbling into a necromancer's ritual site would be annoying.

"What do you think," Weiss asked, standing just off to his side. "The reward is satisfactory, especially since they only wish for consultation. It would merely be an afternoon's trip to Westberg from here."

"Yeah, we could be back before dinner, tomorrow," Ruby spoke up from behind them.

Jaune turned to the women. "I'd rather not half-ass the job," he contradicted, gesturing his hands towards Ruby and Weiss. The Princess grumbled at his language. "Even if we provided the information on what to do. The Lord would send one of his peasants or a guard to act on it." He pulled the parchment off the wall. "That peasant would probably run away at the first sign of trouble. Or he would get himself killed."

"You have a point," Weiss concurred, seemingly deep in thought. "Peasants tend to be cowards in most cases due to them valuing their own lives more than their lord's wishes."

That and many of them are poorly trained in any sort of combat. Most peasants in Vale tend to never have any reason to fight unless it's their last resort. There hasn't been a serious war on Sanus for the last ten or so years either. So, many have never needed the experience.

"So are we leaving right now," Ruby asked, adjusting her over-sized backpack to fit more comfortably. "I need to say bye to Yang before we leave."

Unbeknownst to Ruby, Yang had actually appeared right behind the Reaper.

"You don't need to look very far for me, Rubes," she whispered into Ruby's ear, wrapping one arm around her sister's neck and dragging her knuckles through the redhead's hair.

The Brawler tormented the Reaper for a solid two minutes before relenting.

"You guys are heading out," Yang asked with her trademark grin. Her younger sister stood next to the girl, wearing a pout.

"Yes," Weiss answered, maintaining her perfect poise. "We're heading to Westberg."

Yang's grin shrunk to a smirk. "Okay, don't have too much fun without me!"

She hugged her sister, who quickly ran for the door shortly after. Weiss followed leaving the two blondes standing in the middle of the Questing House. Before Jaune could follow, Yang grabbed him by the underside of his bicep and pulled him close.

"Ummm, Yang?"

What's going on...

"This is the first time I've let Ruby go out by herself," Yang explained, her tone becoming deathly serious. "I want her to be more independent and not rely on me. The only reason why I'm letting her go out with you is that she trusts you. So take care of her!" Yang squeezed his arm even tighter. "Am I clear?!" Her eyes narrowed and flashed red.

"Crystal..." Because saying anything else would have caused an angry older sibling to give me a nice dirt nap.

I can relate.

She let go of his arm. "Good, Yang's tone did a one-eighty. "And sorry about that! I just needed to put on my big sister face!" She flashed him a cheerful smile.

It was a big sister face indeed...

...

Jaune swiftly made his exit with Yang still inside. His back turned to the rest of the courtyard and stared at the door.

The implication behind what would have - no - what would happen to him if anything befell Ruby was nothing less than a severe beating. That's if Jaune understood the Brawler well enough. But, given they were older siblings, instinctual protectiveness ran strong through both of them. Yang just happened to be willing to go the full distance for her little sister.

"Jaune," Ruby called out from behind him. "What did Yang want to talk to you about?"

How did she know?! Okay, Jaune, just work your magic...

"She just wanted to tease me," he shamelessly lied. "Going out with two beautiful women such as yourselves makes it look like I'm trying to get with either one of you." Both Weiss and Ruby's cheeks immediately performed a great impression of the latter's cloak.

Sorry guys...

"T-THAT BETTER NOT BE TRUE," Weiss shouted at him in embarrassment. She crossed her arms and put on a pout, turning away from the two of them.

"The first part of that is true, but the second part is not," Jaune confidently clarified his position. He didn't do anything worth getting angry at him over, so he was safe from most chiding.

"G-Good," Weiss mumbled, her blush growing slightly darker. "A-And don't get any ideas..."

"The only ideas I get are when there are monsters around," Jaune replied, not breaking the act he put up. The embarrassment for the two girls would save him from having to explain that Yang was merely overprotective.

"C-Can we just find a carriage..."

[Several Hours Later]

Arriving in Westberg several hours later brought along a new change in scenery. The town was about half the size of Bar, but twice the size of Saexhollow. Just large enough to be considered a small town that crowded itself around a large fort in the centre.

The style of construction was the same as Saexhollow as well, but also resembled Bar's style of architecture. Wattle and Daub homes with thatch rooves. Only this town had more buildings made from stone like Bar did. It was more a fledgeling township on the verge of being an actual town.

Jaune hopped off the back of their carriage along with Ruby and Weiss when it stopped. The atmosphere of the town was a lot like that of Bar. It was familiar with all of the sights and smells of your typical Valish village.

"Finally," Weiss groaned, stretching her arms and legs out after the long carriage ride. "I thought that was never going to end."

The trip to Westberg wasn't too terrible. Jaune, Weiss, and Ruby were crammed into the back of a covered wagon with some other goods. While there wasn't too much space to stretch out and sleep through the ride. There was enough to be comfortable.

"It was kind of nice," Ruby added her opinion in.

"That's because you slept through the entire trip," Jaune reminded her.

The girl had been using him as a pillow for the duration of the voyage. Not that Jaune minded since Ruby was one of his best friends by this point. But it had been pretty boring because Weiss was reading the entire time and he didn't bother to bring a book himself.

"Oh, yeah..."

As the trio walked further into town, more of the sights became visible.

An armourer was finishing a new breastplate at his smithy. Merchants were selling goods at stalls. The local baker was pulling fresh loaves from the oven. People were just going about their business like any other day.

A few of the younger residents of the village threw a few stares their way. Some girl's laid eyes on Jaune and shamelessly began chatting away with their friends. A few of the guys boldly stared at Weiss and Ruby but gave Jaune jealous looks.

"This place kind of reminds me of my hometown, Bar," Jaune mentioned off-hand, ignoring the generous amount of eyes on the trio.

Ruby skipped closer to him. Most of her face was shrouded by her cloak. "Do you live near here," she asked out of curiosity.

"Yeah," Jaune answered. "Bar's to the west of here, right on the edge of the frontier. I've never here before, but the towns have pretty much the same layout. The terrain's the same too."

"How can you possibly know the land if you've never been here," Weiss pointed out.

"It's Sanus, Weiss," Jaune gave part of an answer. "If it's not jungles and swamplands in the south. It's forests and rough terrain everywhere else."

"Patch is kind of like that too," Ruby added on. "It's mostly forested, and not many people live there because of the Leshens."

"Most of the planet is like that, Ruby," Weiss asserted, holding her right hand out while she spoke. "Ever since the Calamity Wars ended, most of the planet remained deserted. Monsters such as those Leshens may have had the opportunity to flourish without the threat of the heroes and adventurers coming to slay them."

The Calamity Wars... I've never heard of that before. Maybe it's another name for The Great War? Other countries would have had different names for it due to retellings of the story or whatever their historians decided to call it from their perspective.

"Anyways, we need to meet the local lord and discuss the terms of the contract," Weiss diverted the conversation. "Do either of you know any proper etiquette for speaking to a person of noble status." Jaune nodded, and Ruby shook her head.

"I was friends with the Count of Bar," Jaune informed the Heiress, rubbing the back of his head. "But we really didn't practice any fancy etiquette."

"Patch didn't have a noble," Ruby spoke up. "We're a free territory."

Weiss looked at the two adventurers with a stunned expression. "You're kidding me," she muttered, pinching the bright of her nose. "Then do please try to be quiet. I'd prefer if neither of you says something off-handed and offends the Lord."

Coming up to the gate of the castle, Jaune spied a few guards on the walls and by the entrance. Two men guarded the space just behind the portcullis. Another half dozen men were hiding in the machicolations of the gatehouse.

It was an enormous concentric castle. The walls were just over thirty feet high with the watchtowers adding an additional twenty feet to the height. A massive stone and wood composite keep stood in the centre.

Whoever Sir Samson was, he was a very wealthy man to be able to afford all of this. Keeps did not come cheap, nor did they grow in the forest. Someone had to haul all of those stones from the quarry to here.

"Oi," one of the gate guards called out, sporting a thick accent. "What do ye tykes want?! Do ye have business with the Lord?"

At least they were friendlier than the idiot with the bow.

Weiss spoke up first," Yes, we are heroes from Beacon Academy." She produced the contract parchment from her satchel. "We are here to discuss a contract with Sir Samson."

"That's it aye," the other guard spoke up, rubbing his chin. "Well, if ye want to meet Sir Samson. We'll need ye to pay a toll. Everyone's got to pay their dues, and you heroes are no exception." He pointed at the students, bobbing the limb. "Say twenty Lien per, and we'll let ye pass."

"Ummm..." Weiss pulled her hand back. Clearly, she didn't know what to do in this situation.

This is bullshit...

Jaune's right hand started moving for his sword. Guards were known for being corrupt sometimes, and these two were no exception. Typically, those who were being extorted either killed the guards and were done with it or just beat them badly enough, so they learned their lesson.

Before Jaune could do anything, a large, portly man came out from behind the guards. He was wearing a blue and yellow doublet covered by a breastplate, not unlike Professor Port. His face was unshaven with black hair turning white in some places in his long beard.

He threw one of the guards against the wall, and the other received a fist to the jaw. Both men fell without giving up any sort of fight. The clanking of their armour against the stone was the only noise that came out of the two men.

"IF I CATCH EITHER OF YE EXTORTING ADVENTURERS AGAIN, YE'LL MEET THE SOFT END OF MY SHEILA," he shouted down at the brand new floor mats. The students winced as the man berated the two guards hoping they didn't go after them.

"Sheila..." Ruby and Jaune whispered to each other.

Turning to Jaune and the group, the man composed himself and stood straight up. "I apologise for making ye watch that," he declared, his voice taking on a more pleasant tone. "Someone has to keep these tossers in line." He ran a hand through his hair. "You have business with Sir Samson?"

"Y-Yes," Weiss answered, still stunned by the recent show of violence.

"Come with me then," he urged, turning towards the castle.

[Inside the Keep]

The interior of the keep was beautifully decorated. High ceilings adorned with elaborate murals and paintings that covered every square inch of the walls. Some surfaces held old swords or a family crest. Others had the occasional monster head or the antlers of some other animal.

Servants and various workers shuffled in and out of the halls. Guards were posted at the occasional door leading to another room. A few children darted by and quickly weaved through the legs of the taller teenagers.

Coming to a sizeable iron-plated door. The man pushed the hatch open and allowed the students to enter. He shuffled past a large hound laying on a bearskin rug.

The office was dimly lit by the flames in the fireplace. Jaune looked around and took in the setting. It was a nice office if one could consider it that. Not having the same gravitas as Professor Ozpin's, but it showed the man who owned it had some status.

The man sat down in a large chair just on the other side of a desk. "All right, ye got me here," he began. "What did ye want to discuss?"

Weiss seemed flabbergasted for a moment. "Y-You're Sir Samson," she asked nervously. The look on the Princess' face indicated she made a grave error.

She didn't seem to expect any of this. Weiss may have had a different image in her mind when she thought of what a knight was supposed to look like. Somebody who was raised in a city the entire time was not used to how people acted on the frontier.

"Of course I am," he brazenly answered making Weiss jump. "Who else in this town would be?!" He leaned forward, placing one hand on his knee and sported a broad grin. He looked like a bear both in size and appearance.

Weiss curtsied and bowed her head. "It is an honour to meet you, Sir Samson." Her greeting seemed rehearsed as if she repeated it dozens of times to herself beforehand. It had all of the perfection somebody of the royal class would have needed in Court.

"BWAHAHAHAA," Samson started cackling, slapping his leg as he leaned back. "Lass! We do not do that shite out here! This is the frontier!" He leaned forward. "As long as ye know who's in charge is all that matters!"

"Y-Yes Sir," Weiss nervously replied, turning to Jaune and Ruby. "These are my companions Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc." She turned back to Samson. "I-I am Weiss Schnee..."

"A Schnee... We don't get too many of ye out here." Samson turned to Jaune. "And boy, ye wouldn't happen to be Nicholas' son," he asked in a commanding tone.

"Yes, Sir," Jaune nervously answered.

How does he know Dad?

"HAHA," he burst out laughing. Standing up, he took Jaune's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Arc's are always welcome in Westberg, my boy! Your father did some work for me back in his mercenary days. I see yer following in his footsteps?"

"My father never went to the Academy," Jaune corrected. "I'm the first one in my family to try."

Dad was a mercenary, but he never had any schooling either. I wonder where he learned all of those spells then?

"Well, you may not know this, but your father was a force of nature back in his day," Samson explained, taking a drink from a tankard on his desk. "Bandits - goblins - a wyvern! Hell, he even fought in a small war we had going on - back twenty years ago!" He took a breath. "But I digress. Yer here for a contract. I sent a missive to Beacon asking for help, and ye picked it up?" Samson stood up and went over to another table with a map on it. Everyone else followed behind him.

Jaune took over the conversation. This part was his speciality.

"What can you tell us about the problem," Jaune demanded, placing both hands down on the table. "You need to be as specific as possible and give us everything you know. When was the first sighting of the 'phenomenon?' Where did it happen? At what time? Anything you can tell us would be helpful."

Samson chuckled. "Maximilian said ye knew what ye was doing," he commented. "Especially after helping him clear out that vampire brood. I'm impressed." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Recently I appropriated an old fort twenty miles north of here. The knight who used to live there was executed by the Crown for crimes against his Majesty. Ever since then, we've seen strange lights and figures all over the damn place."

"Any people coming and going," Jaune cut in.

"Aye," Samson replied. "I sent a few men to take stock of what remained in the building." He paused. "Only one of them came back."

"Did your man say what happened," Weiss asked, from the side. She came up to the edge of the table as did Ruby.

"All he mentioned was that a grotesque maiden appeared from out of nowhere and tore my men to pieces," Samson explained, his tone still remaining light-hearted. "It happened in the middle of the afternoon a few weeks back. Recently I sent two men to see if we could retrieve the bodies for burial and they ran back screaming - crying - and praying for forgiveness from the gods. One of those knobs ran out of the town and left his family to fend for themselves."

"Hmm... It could be anything, really," Jaune concluded. "Banshees, wraiths, a demon..."

Flashing lights and figures is a sure sign of a haunting. But the kicker was the appearance of a female spirit in the afternoon. That's a noonwraith or poludnitsa as some people call them. A dangerous but otherwise manageable problem if you were careful.

"Please don't tell me it is a demon," Samson pleaded. "That is the last thing this town needs."

What else is going on in this town?

"It's most likely a noonwraith," Jaune explained. "A woman must have died there not too long ago and came back to haunt the place. She might not have been appropriately buried so we'll have to find her corpse and burn it."

"That's it..."

"No," Jaune continued. "We'll have to banish her spirit and any others that have appeared since her first sighting. Those men you sent have not been buried, and the fort does not seem to be on hallowed ground. They'll have to be burnt as well." Jaune took note of where the fort was located on the map. "Do you care if the fort remains standing at all?"

Samson rubbed his beard. "No," he answered. "The Master Engineer we hired said the whole thing's got to come down. It'll be cheaper that way."

"Good," Jaune scribbled down the last details he needed. "Fights with wraiths can be messy. So, the fort may come down sooner than you wish. But, we'll try to leave the place standing."

"Yer planning on going there," Samson asked as if he were judging their sanity. "If you take care of the wraiths for us. A sack of five-hundred Lien is awaiting ye."

"Deal." Jaune held his hand out.

"Glad to be doing business with ye." Samson took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

[Westberg]

"That's over," Ruby mumbled.

"Yeah," Jaune agreed. "I'm surprised he knew my father. And he knew who I was."

"Whatever," Weiss spoke up, ignoring Jaune and Ruby. "Why didn't you mention that nobles out here behaved in such a way?!"

"You didn't ask," Jaune plainly stated. Weiss shot him an angry look.

Does it feel colder now, or is it just me?

"I embarrassed myself in there because of you," Weiss chided the Knight. "In Atlas, all members of the nobility abide by strict guidelines! Any failure to adhere to those standards is to be ashamed of! I was a bumbling mess!" Weiss paced back and forth as she ranted.

"Weiss, it really wasn't that bad," Ruby tried to placate the Heiress. "He thought it was funny..."

"At my expense!"

Jaune decided to step in before this could go any farther.

"Okay-okay," he spoke up, getting in between the two. "I probably should have introduced us. You would have embarrassed yourself anyways if you tried to curtsy like that again. Most nobles outside of the capital don't care for etiquette." He rubbed the back of his head. "Valaens don't usually behave by strict guidelines."

"I noticed," Weiss grumbled. "We need to find a place to stay tonight anyways. I saw an inn when we stopped in town earlier."

...

Weiss led the group back to the town. The inn she chose was of modest size and not too busy. It consisted of a log cabin style building with a roof made from wooden shingles. Several tables and benches sat on the outside where other guests sat.

Pushing the door to the inn open revealed a setting much like that of the Questing House. It was a bustling Valish inn with men and women sitting at the various tables. A few barmaids were walking around with their trays serving drinks to the customers. The bartender stood on the other side of the counter pouring drinks.

"You guys find a table," Jaune suggested. "I'll talk to the bar-keep and see if I can get us a room." Ruby and Weiss nodded and preceded to head deeper into the building.

It was getting pretty late now. The trip to Westberg was almost eight hours and discussing the terms of the contract took nearly a full hour. Had travelling to the town taken any longer, they would have had to stop for the night and then resume travelling in the morning.

Stepping up to the bar, Jaune waited for the bar-keep to finish with the other customers. Hopefully, there was a room available for them to stay in. Either that or they would have to camp outside of town.

"What do you need, Kid," the bar-keep came right out and asked.

"A room to stay in for tonight," Jaune replied. "I've got three people with me." He just needed to work his charisma and negotiate for a reasonable price. "And whatever's cooking in the pot over there."

If there was one thing Mom taught me, it was how to get a good deal.

"That'll be twenty-five Lien," she offered.

"Throw in drinks too?! And I'll pay in coin."

"Deal."

Jaune dropped a small stack of Lien on the table. The silver and copper coloured coins made a collective clink as they landed. The bar-keep scooped them up and gave Jaune a nod.

The Knight looked around and spotted Weiss and Ruby sitting in a booth a few feet away from the bar. Ruby waved at him, and he began heading over to sit with the two.

"Alright," he began. "I got us a room and food for tonight. We'll be rooming together so you two can share the bed." Jaune sat in the booth across from the girls.

"Fine," Weiss huffed. "Just stay on your side, Ruby."

I doubt that will happen.

Jaune signalled over to the bar-keep that they were ready. The woman manning the bar nodded and called over a barmaid to get their food. Whatever was in that pot smelled of herbs and thick broth. It became even better as the waitress brought it over.

"Here you go," the barmaid said as she set down the bowls. The woman was about their age. Her brown hair came down past her waist, and two ice-blue eyes stared out from under her bangs.

She flashed Jaune a coy grin. Setting down his bowl in front of him, she bent over, giving Jaune a generous view of her cleavage. All in one move that didn't look too out of place. When she stepped away from the table, her hips seemed to shake a bit more than before.

"Down boy..." A voice came from the other side of the table. Jaune turned to see Weiss glaring daggers at him and Ruby finding the floor to be very interesting at the moment.

"What?"

"Nevermind," Weiss muttered, rolling her eyes. "What do we need for this hunt tomorrow?"

Now we're getting to business!

"We need salt for your blades," Jaune began. "Only enough to coat them once. It should be easy enough to find in town."

"Why salt," Ruby asked.

"Salt and silver harm spirits," Weiss explained before Jaune could. "Do you know the saying 'One must throw salt over their shoulder into the face of the devil that lurks there'? It is meant to ward off evil in the event you happen to spill salt, but it has been used to keep spirits away from homes by drawing a line of salt outside your door."

"Okay," Ruby mused. "I get it." She took a bite from her bowl.

Jaune looked down at his own bowl. It was a nice steaming chicken gumbo fresh from the stew pot. A Valish customary dish especially in the southern swamps. But it was valued everywhere in the kingdom as a more flavourful stew.

Taking one bite, the taste of peppers, okra, and parsley hit his tongue all at once. The heat behind the dish was not forgotten by Jaune either. But the spice was not overwhelming; it only served to make the recipe better.

Looking up at Weiss, Jaune noticed her face was bright red, and she was sweating. The peppers and whatever else had been added into the dish seemed to have kicked in harder for her.

"Are you okay, Weiss," Jaune asked.

He didn't get a response as the Heiress downed half a tankard of ale. Which happened to be Jaune's tankard, not her's. She ordered water instead of beer like Jaune and Ruby.

"It's really hot," the Heiress whimpered.

"That was my beer..."

[Later that night]

The sounds of music roared throughout the tavern. A fast-paced melody introducing an energy to the room that provoked several dozen to stand and begin dancing. This jig led by a flautist and his associates, conducting the townsfolks into some chaotic revelry. Any tables in the area were pushed aside to make room for the dancers. Those who were not in the centre stage stood around in a circle, clapping their hands together with the same pace as the music.

Some of the patrons had their arms linked together and were spinning with one another. Using their partners to keep them in motion. Others were doing the same but holding each other with their hands. The rest were performing their own motions that followed the pace set by the band.

Jaune watched everything from the sideline, contemplating whether or not to join in. It reminded him of the many nights where he and some of the other guys would head to the local tavern on a Friday evening after working in the fields or helping build a hut. Usually joined by several young women who found their dance partners or just wanted to hang out. Jaune, of course, never landed anything substantial besides a dance.

He considered asking Weiss to see if she wanted to join the other revellers. However, she didn't seem like the type of girl who would be into that kind of dancing. Maybe she was more of a waltzer? Which was the most logical answer to the question given she was a princess. A member of the nobility would have to learn those skills and perfect them. Many may have brushed past the dancing styles more widely practised by members of the plebeian class in favour of more sophisticated styles of dance such as the waltz.

Looking over at the girl, Jaune noticed her cheeks were flushed. Obviously feeling the effects of half of Jaune's beer from earlier. The boy had given up on that specific tankard and ordered a new one. Weiss finished her first and even had another one brought to her as well. But she only seemed halfway finished with the one in her hands.

Maybe I should cut her off?

It would be best that he did do that as to mitigate the hangover Weiss was going to have the next morning. Jaune didn't need his party member to be bending over into a nearby bush every five minutes to puke her guts up. Especially since they had an almost two-day journey before they would arrive at the fort.

"Okay, Weiss, I'm cutting you off for the night," he asserted, getting up from the table. Jaune reached for the tankard and pulled it away from the Heiress. The Heiress tried to grasp the mug, but it slipped out from her dainty hands. A pout crossed her lips as the taller boy set it where she couldn't reach for it. "You'll thank me later..."

"Hey, that was mine," the Mage whined. A slight slur to her words. The beer, although light, was starting to kick in. "Give that back!" Her expression mimicked that of a small puppy denied a treat.

Ruby giggled and slid out from her chair. "Come on, Weiss," she urged the intoxicated girl. "We've got a big day ahead of us. So we need to get to bed." She grabbed the Heiress' hand and gently pulled her closer to the edge of the booth.

The Reaper seemed to have experience dealing with this sort of thing. Maybe with Yang, their father, or the unnamed uncle, the former of the three mentioned? The Brawler, with the way she drinks must have been a handful at times. Jaune couldn't imagine what Ruby would be like if she got drunk.

Weiss tried to stand up, but her legs had another idea, and she nearly fell over. Jaune barely caught her before she was able to hit the floor.

Okay, I'm not sure she can walk on her own...

Ugh, I was hoping I didn't have to do this.

Jaune turned to Ruby. "Go on ahead, I've got her," he said before looking back down at the Heiress.

He put his right hand on the middle of her back and hooked his left arm beneath her legs. In one motion, he swept his crush off her feet and into his arms. Not the way he had imagined this first happening, but it was interesting nonetheless.

"Wheeee," Weiss murmured as Jaune picked her up. She nuzzled her head into his chest with one of her hands pressed against his stomach. The feeling of her palm touching his abs sent a shiver down Jaune's spine.

Just ignore it...

Jaune turned to the stairs leading up to where he and the rest of his party were staying. He shuffled through the crowd, trying to avoid running into others. The package he was carrying didn't try to squirm or move around which made this easier.

"So warm," Weiss mumbled, shifting herself slightly.

Jaune glanced down at the sleeping Heiress. If the definition was apt enough to describe her, she was beautiful. Weiss did not wear any makeup - not that she needed it. Her natural beauty was more than enough. Only marred by a single scar near her left eye. Perfect even with how she owned her imperfections. Her looks added to how she carried herself and her genius-level intellect. Absolutely fantastic in almost every way possible.

Eyes forward...

He snapped himself out of it.

He didn't need to be thinking about that kind of stuff right now. Catching feelings for a girl who said she didn't want to be courted was already a bad idea. Between that and her status, he didn't have a chance with her. There was no way he could ever hope the Princess would feel the same way about him.

It hurt realising that, but it would go away in time. His crush was a fleeting one at best, reminiscent of one held by a young teenager. Maybe another girl would come along one day. But right now, Jaune needed to focus on his work. He needed to get stronger if he wanted a shot at becoming a knight.

Jaune pushed open the door to their room to find Ruby. She had already changed out of her clothes and was laying in bed. Light snoring emanated from beneath the covers. He set Weiss down next to her and pulled the blanket over her.

Ugghh, we've got a long day ahead of us...

So, Jaune has given up on Weiss. It wasn't a big crush anyway. More of his rationale for giving up on her will come to surface in the next act.

Level Seventeen

Strength 33 (+5)

Agility 17 (+3)

Defence 23 (+3)

Perception 27 (+3)

Constitution 33 (+3)

Intelligence 40 (+5)

Charisma 21 (+3)

Willpower 14 (+2)

...

Abilities

Arclight

A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.

Active Debuff:

Turn and Face The Sun!

Longinuslanze Testament

A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.

It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.

In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.

Active Debuff:

Turn and Face The Sun!

...

Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.

Monster Slayer

Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.

Armour and Weapons Smith

Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.

...

Gear:

Jaune's Breastplate

Level Seventeen

Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 32

Agility: 16

Defence: 22

Constitution: 30

Eagle's Armour

Level Twenty Eight

Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 57

Agility: 25

Defence: 30

Constitution: 39

Buffs:

This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.

This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.

Crocea Mors

Level Seventeen

Materials: 0.50% Carbon, 0.60% Manganese, The Remainder of the Materials are Steel, and Leather

Strength: 34

Agility: 15

Perception: 26