CHAPTER 06_A HUMAN WORK (SPRINKLED WITH EVIL-DOING MAGIC)

Freedom meant a lot of things to a lot of people. According to Shinji's world history classes in school, at least those classes where the teacher's thoughts didn't meander along multiple tangents, freedom meant entire national populations could be content to arm themselves against vague phantom menaces whilst simultaneously being deprived of basic services. That didn't make any sense to a Japanese person, any sane person, really. Post Second Impact, freedom could also include being able to eat good quality and quantities of food or travel freely after the devastating wars that killed a few more dozen million people on top of those who perished during and in the immediate aftermath of the event itself.

Today, for Shinji, freedom meant doing things his own way, whether it was right or wrong. For the reward of 15,000 silver coins minus the fees and charges not mentioned in the terms and conditions of the Adventurers' Guild (which convinced Shinji there should absolutely be truth in advertising laws), Shinji had hopped into Unit One and left Summerise through the gap in the wall. The moving giant elicited much pointing, screaming and cowering of the townsfolk, most of whom had not seen the Evangelion moving before.

Unit One travelled through the countryside surrounding Summerise and eventually found what looked to be suitable outcrops of rock on top of a hill. Marcus had discussed living expenses with him after Shinji broke the news that he had taken on a commission through the Adventurers' Guild.

Marcus was visibly relieved at the news. He'd been worried about how to brooch the subject of him paying for his living expenses despite being more than appreciative of Shinji's efforts in defending the kingdom. The crown, Marcus explained, had to rebuild Summerise as quickly as possible and it could not afford to pay any bounty for killing the slime, or trolls. Indeed, the damage caused exceeded the bounty value anyway, and Shinji was technically in substantial debt. 15,000 silvers would hardly put a dent in what he owed. Apparently.

Notwithstanding the problem of his debt to the crown, Shinji was considering the new problem of exactly how to move the rocks back to Summerise safely and doing it without hiring an entire crew of labourers.

"Mother, what do you think? What's the easiest way to move these rocks to Summerise?" he asked in the entry plug.

[Hmm…let me run some calculations.]

Shinji had to get used to his mother's genius scientist consciousness now being connected directly to the Evangelion's sensor network and computer systems. While he waited, he absentmindedly fiddled with the Authentic Replica Cube of Adventuring Luck he'd received from the Adventurer's Guild, which was now attached to the left control yoke. Shinji hoped the LCL wouldn't spoil the wood and tassel. He'd grown attached to it in the meantime.

Shinji got his mother's response in a few seconds.

[Shinji, I've run a few scenarios through the Evangelion's computers. You're not going to believe this. The best and most efficient way is to…throw the rocks.]

"The best way…" Shinji repeated. "Is to throw the rocks? But how do I know it will be accurate?"

[I've already calculated the trajectories. You just need to give the mental order to throw and the Evangelion will do the rest.]

"Just like sniping the Fifth Angel?"

[Yes Shinji, just like against the floating D8 ray gun.]

"Th-the…what?"

[Never mind that, son. We just need to get these rocks landed near Summerise and then you can just carry them one by one to the site.]

"Alright, here goes."

/

"Marcus, I'm really sorry. I honestly didn't think it would be a problem," explained Shinji whilst sitting at their usual dining table while eyeing a hefty bag of 13,500 silver coins. It was the first money he'd ever earned off his own back. Honestly, he was pretty proud of it. It felt liberating to know that he could earn money and not just do things because of orders. But Marcus had his own view on things.

"Everyone thought we were under attack!" admonished Marcus. He'd had to calm everyone down considering rocks had rained down outside town for close to an hour. "You threw massive rocks near town! Imagine what everyone else was thinking?"

Shinji hadn't considered it. He trusted his mother's intuition and computations. He'd wanted to get things done so quickly that it never occurred to him there might be extraneous considerations like other people's feelings on the matter. Or that raining rocks down near a town that had just been attacked by orcs and trolls might constitute a possible emergency and cause undue panic.

"I-I understand. It won't happen again." Shinji looked down at his feet. "I only wanted to get the material to the builders as quickly as possible…"

"Shinji, I know you're eager to show you can do things to make up for your mistakes. But at the very least tell us your plan before you do it," said Marcus. He'd given up being angry and was now just talking sternly. "You can't take shortcuts. We were lucky that nobody got hurt this time. Remember, communication is key to doing a good job. Next time you have a good idea, tell me and we can make it better."

Shinji nodded in acceptance. "Alright, I'll remember that for next time."

"At least we have ample material to rebuild the wall," conceded Marcus. "And in record time too. And I'm glad that you've earnt some money for yourself. You should take on some more Guild commissions when you have some time."

"Alright, I'll do that. I have some spare time today, I'll go down to the Guild and see what else is posted."

"Oh, actually, there's something we need to do today," said Marcus apologetically. "I'm also very sorry. So about bad communication…"

Shinji did not appreciate the irony of being told he had bad communication skills when Marcus had evidently forgotten something very important.

/

What Marcus had forgotten to tell Shinji earlier was actually super important, as he learned. Marcus and Renee sat down and gave him the barest of briefings about their trip to the neighbouring kingdom of Boldhold where they were to sign a mutual defence treaty with that country. This information would have been good to know a day or so before Marcus, Renee and himself, along with a sizeable contingent of Summerise's soldiers were scheduled to set out on their journey. There hadn't even been much time to pack anything.

Not that Shinji had much in terms of possessions in Summerise owing to his unconventional method of arrival. Since he was likely to be living there for the foreseeable future, he had hoped to go and get some basic things like clothes at the markets with the earnings from the commission. He couldn't keep wearing the casual stuff that he was provided with at the barracks. They had a military feel to them, and though he might have been part of a paramilitary organisation in Tokyo-3, he never had to wear any uniform apart from his plugsuit.

Now, whilst ensconced inside his entry plug marching towards Boldhold, there were some things from which Shinji could not hide. There was his usual companion of existential dread, though it had lessened somewhat since arriving here. Perhaps it had to do with the people here who truly seemed to treat him well. Or maybe it was some of the zanier citizens, who were so innocent in their antics. Or perhaps it was his mother's soul, who seemed to want to make up for missing ten years of watching her son grow up in a matter of hours.

That was fine with him. Shinji wanted to ask lots of questions of her too. Or, he would ask them, if only he could get a word in. The normally circumspect entry plug used to allow him to be alone with his thoughts in comforting silence. Now it was firing questions at him like a NERV gatling gun.

"Mother, you know my life was boring before I got to Tokyo-3. Father abandoned me the day after your accident. He didn't even walk me to my new house, just left me there at the station to cry."

[I'm sorry you had to go through that Shinji. I don't know what happened to your father. He was always so warm and loving…]

"I don't know what happened to him, mother. I…think I have a vague memory of him being like that too. But he's the opposite of that now."

[Don't worry son, we'll deal with it when we get back. In the meantime, I sense you want to ask me lots of questions too.]

"Well...why are you...in here? I missed you so much. And if you weren't trapped here, we could still be a family and..." Shinji started to tear up. When his father walked away from him a long time ago, and every time since, he wondered whether there was something wrong with him. Was he a bad kid? Was he so unlovable that a parent could leave him bawling and alone with a single bag on a foreign train station?

But his mother couldn't hide her love from him in the entry plug. Being able to talk to his mother gave him hope; hope that he wasn't unlovable. That maybe, just maybe he wasn't the sole problem.

[Shinji, I think it's a very long story. There are layers and layers of conspiracy at play here, and a lot of that is sadly, family history. I'm not proud of it. But I wanted to make amends, and this was the only way to do it.]

"You mean…you wanted to be in here?" Shinji asked incredulously.

[It wasn't that I wanted to be here. I had no other choice. I wanted to change the course of history that was yet to happen and help to save the world, but I couldn't do it in the outside world, with dangerous people looking for an excuse to stop me. They wanted to stop your father too.]

"Is that why he's like this? That he so wants to finish your work that he didn't want me?"

[I don't know Shinji. We can't know what other people are thinking all the time. Sometimes, even the person who you trust and love and care for absolutely will betray you. They might not be truly honest with you. Usually, that isn't a problem. Everybody has little things they don't want others to know about. They might tell you they ate their vegetables even though they didn't. But maybe, they have a side to themselves they never reveal to the world until the moment where they must make a fateful choice. Perhaps that's what happened to your father.]

"I…don't know. I want to hate him. But I can't. I don't know how to feel about him. I'm just glad that you're still…here."

[Me too, Shinji, me too. We'll find a way back home and then we can work on the rest.]

/

"Shinji, how are you enjoying the journey?" asked Templar-Commander Renee Redwood.

Shinji was a little surprised at the question. Usually, she played the cool and disinterested part of the surprising marriage between herself and Marcus. Shinji had been too nervous to speak to her unless spoken to, or out of sheer necessity. Maybe, as Marcus said, Renee was just shy and awkward like Shinji.

It was about halfway through the journey now. The convoy was taking a break from its march. The soldiers took turns to eat, rest and take up duty at the perimeter. Which included protecting the kneeling Unit One. Marcus and some of the diplomats were chatting about something jovial, it seemed, and the atmosphere was one of carefree camaraderie.

"I-I think the country is beautiful," answered Shinji. "Where I'm from, there was a great disaster, and the world was badly damaged. A lot of people died and I think everyone is just trying their best to carry on. But, I don't know how long it will take to recover."

"I see," nodded Renee. "I am saddened to hear that. It makes me appreciate where we live even more."

"Uh, so…have you ever been to Boldhold?" Shinji asked Renee.

"I have. It's where I learned how to be a Templar," she replied while munching on a crisp red apple. "It's a beautiful city, if a bit cold, since it sits halfway up a mountain. The food is fantastic too."

"I see," replied Shinji thoughtfully. "I wonder if we'll have time to explore?"

"I think so," Renee said wistfully. "Marcus has never been, and we've planned for two weeks there, so hopefully I can show him around…"

A pang of jealousy tore its way through Shinji's chest. If only someone was able to show him around a new city like Marcus had done. No matter, there would be time to explore it on his own. Shinji realised something profound in that moment; he actually wanted to be with someone in this new place. He actually enjoyed human contact, at least with the people he'd met here.

It was astounding.

"I hope you two enjoy the city," said Shinji, smiling. Though he might have been a bit jealous earlier, he was glad to see there were normal human relationships here. It was a refreshing change from the madness of how the adults behaved in Tokyo-3. How did I end up thinking like this? Maybe there's hope for me yet?

"Marcus told me just after we first met you that in many ways, you seemed similar to when he was younger," said Renee. "That he was also mopey because he blamed himself for losing his parents during an attack on Summerise. He hid in their cellar because he was scared, and his parents missed the evacuation because they were looking for him. A squad of orcs found them and…well, you can guess the rest."

"I didn't know that had happened to Marcus."

"It's something only those closest to him knows. His whole life, he wanted to make up for it, even though he was only a child and couldn't possibly have understood. That's why he joined the army. Even though he's saved so many lives, he's still trying to atone for it. But it will never bring them back, and he can never earn their forgiveness."

"That's…I can imagine how he feels," said Shinji contemplatively. "I lost my mother when I was very young too. I haven't been able to deal with it until recently."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Shinji," said Renee.

"I-it's alright, it's not easy. But I can see that Marcus is very dedicated to his work."

Renee had a wan smile on her face. "We all are, but I think Marcus sometimes hides his feelings beneath his handsome and beautiful exterior a little too well. You live with us now, so I think he'll start showing more and more of the real him to you eventually."

"I…look forward to that." He was reminded that someone said something similar to him about a purple haired older sister who really should know better by now. Shinji found he missed Misato's light teasing and general messiness now.

They settled into a comfortable silence as they ate the rest of their lunches. It was nice sharing the experience. Shinji was reminded of just listening to the teenaged yammerings of Touji and Kensuke on their school's roof.

Soon, the bells rang for the entourage to get under way again. There wasn't much further to Mount Bold, and Shinji would stay behind bring up the rear in Unit One, protecting the small logistics train they had with them. He was sure nobody would be silly enough to attack a logistics train protected by an Evangelion, but he had also never considered fighting a giant slime in real life before either.

Shinji entered Unit One again and got ready to continue performing his duty.

/

The incline was barely noticeable, but as Shinji paused to look behind him as part of taking stock of his surroundings, he realised that they'd ascended quite some way. Ahead, a mountain range like gargantuan craggy snow-tipped arrow heads pierced the ground and disappeared into the foggy distance. Grey clouds swirled around the mountain tops, unloading the sky's frigid fury as sheets of rain or eddies of snow.

Shinji's spine reverberated with a sympathetic shiver, as if preparing for the cold to come. He was glad he managed to pack some warm clothes and blankets from the barracks' stores.

The marching soldiers ahead changed formation into two parallel lines as the road narrowed and the mountains closed up around them, surrounding them with sheer cliff walls. Shinji was blessed with a much higher vantage point, advanced sensors and telescopic lenses, so he could see that the cliffs hid many archers dressed in furs and leather, faces wrapped in scarves, leaving only their eyes exposed. No doubt they were the watchers along the path. It probably helped they could off anyone that appeared remotely aggressive. Just not Evangelion Unit One.

He'd been assured at the outset that the path was wide enough for Unit One to travel all the way up the castle if need be. But from where he was walking, that seemed impossible. He would have to trust Renee that was indeed true.

As the convoy reached the first of the cliffs, Shinji could see the whites of each archer's eyes from inside the entry plug. Despite the size disparity, none of the archers showed a hint of fear, just the fire of bravery and the knowledge that there would be no fight today.

The path meandered up the mountain range. It was well trodden, judging by the foot marks and ruts that wound around each other along it. Though it was not very steep, Shinji figured that it would give anyone trying to attack enough trouble to wonder if a charge up the mountain would be worth the trouble. Especially since they had to run the gauntlet of archers. Shinji wondered if anyone or anything would be foolish enough to press ab attack here whilst himself, Marcus, Renee, and the rest of the delegation were visiting. Knowing his luck, it was guaranteed.

Eventually by the early evening, the path opened up significantly, and in front of them was the seat of power of Boldhold. It was an impressive city that presented itself to the travellers in the valley. A massive, two-tiered stone wall seemed to be hewn from the mountains itself. Stone buildings together behind the walls as if they were sharing the warm torch and candlelight each was putting out for communal warmth.

Even further behind that, Boldhold Fort stood proudly against the elements. It too was hewn from the mountain, its halls and turrets followed the contours of the mountains into which it was set. Shinji had seen many impressive things, Tokyo-3's Geofront, the city's skyscrapers rising from the ground and how powerful three Evangelions working together could be, but that wasn't quite comparable to knowing that people had gone to the trouble of carving the better part of a mountain into a castle with hands and whatever primitive tools were available to them.

Up ahead, Marcus directed a small contingent of his troops to stop. As planned, Shinji knew that this would be as far as he went in the Evangelion. There was no need to scare the pants of the local populace by parking Unit One in the middle of The city. It was alright in Summerise since it was now well known that it had saved the town by blowing up a small part of it. But Boldhold would not be familiar with it.

Shinji found a suitable place to hide Unit One in a gap between cliffs. He climbed out and immediately regretted it as all 21 of his extremities froze. His cold resistance had been neglected while he built his resistance to the heat and humidity of the everlasting summer of Post Second Impact Japan.

Marcus had generously provided a bunch of warm clothes for the trip. However, it was evident to Shinji it was not enough. He shivered but uttered not a word of complaint. It seemed a bad idea since everyone else had been marching the whole way there carrying their armour and weapons. Shinji marched the final short distance to the gates of Boldhold with Marcus and his men.

The gates were open, and as the Summerisians walked through it, Shinji realised he had not grasped the scale of the place on the approach. The city was so much bigger than it appeared, as he craned his neck to try and see the top of the wall. Many of the buildings inside were built from stone, and so were taller than those in Summerise built from wood and straw. The roads were even paved here, which gave the city a grey, utilitarian look.

They kept marching down the main avenue towards the castle. The locals watched the two columns of soldiers warily as they passed by, hushed conversations conducted in whispers and hand gestures floating between each other.

The Summerisians were met at the gate to Boldhold Fort itself by a small contingent of solders led by a thick-set and serious looking bearded man dressed in leather armour with dark red accents. He opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.

"I, Marshal Mansell Boncourage, welcome you to Boldhold, on behalf of our Monarch, Her Excellence, Queen Rivera Sergevague. I trust your journey was trouble free?"

To Shinji's surprise, Renee stepped forward and hugged him. "My teacher, Mansell Boncourage! It's been too long!"

"Aha! My favourite student, Renee Redwood of Summerise!" Boncourage yelled as he hugged Renee back. "I see you've made great strides in life. Come, come, friends, let's get out of this forsaken cold and get some food into those tired people of yours'!"

/

The interior of Boldhold Fort was warm and inviting ins stark contrast to the weather now settling in over the city. A golden glow emanated from candlelit chandeliers that were hung everywhere, while servants walked along the halls chatting merrily to each other, holding mugs of mead and trays of delicious smelling food destined to rest comfortably in people's bellies.

"Now," continued Boncourage as he led the Summerisian contingent through the giant castle. "We have arranged for quarters within the fort for your party. Hopefully these will give your tired feet and weary arms the rest they need."

"Thank you," Marcus said to Boncourage. "We appreciate your hospitality."

"Oh come on, Marcus, don't be so formal!" Boncourage declared, slapping him heartily on the back. "You're married to my good friend and favourite student. That makes you my friend too!"

Boncourage turned to Renee and asked mischievously. "So, when are my godchildren coming?"

"W-we're too b-busy for th-that!" the married couple stammered in perfect harmony. Shinji chuckled at the two, and then remembered that time when it happened to him. Thankfully, he wasn't in either of Marcus' or Renee's chains of command so he was unlikely to face any serious consequences for insubordination and laughing at a superior officer. He noticed none of the clone soldiers in the Summerisian contingent had emitted a sound.

"Ah, who is this young man? Is he a new retainer? Bit on the scrawny side…"

Since nobody moved to introduce him, Shinji decided he should say something: "Nice to meet you sir. My name is Shinji Ikari."

"Shinji Ikari huh? Are you the hero of Summerise who Renee tells me slew sixteen trolls and a giant slime?"

"Uh, it was only six trolls, Mr Boncourage," replied Shinji respectfully, and by that, he was looking at the man's shoes.

"Ah we would have had trouble with one, let alone sixteen! And how did you do it?"

He totally ignored what I just said!

"Uh, well…I pilot Evangelion Unit One…and there really were six trolls…"

"What he means to say," interrupted Marcus, trying to simplify things and avoid the obvious lack of active listening skills. "He controls a colossal war machine constructed in the image of man that runs using a phenomenon only he understands, called 'elekmibrity' and it has no trouble against slimes or trolls."

"Elecbrickcity?" enquired the Marshal.

"E-lec-tri-city," deadpanned Shinji. Was there no hope?!

"Aah, elec-sip-pretty, I see," said the Marshal, proud to have mastered a new word despite doing no such thing. "Thank you, Master Ikari, for protecting my friends Marcus and Renee from those terrible monsters."

"Uh, it was no trouble at all," said Shinji humbly, quickly trying to avoid the Marshal's power to not pronounce words correctly, or, indeed, listen to what people were telling him.

Marshal Boncourage held out his arms and smiled. "Now, this area will house and feed you while you're here. Please, enjoy yourselves and make yourselves at home. Our staff will be here shortly to see you to your rooms. Also, there are some hot springs baths down the hall and to the left. Feel free to use them at your discretion."

With that, Marshal Mansell Bonvourage bowed and left the Summerisians to their own devices. Soon, a swarm of castle staff appeared and escorted each of them to their rooms. Shinji's was unexpectedly cheerfully decorated. Though the walls were the same grey stone that the mountains were made of, there were colourful paintings hung on the walls, and ovals shields made of an intricately embroidered light blue and red pattern. He figured that this must be the family crest of Boldhold's monarch.

After putting his small set of luggage down inside he room, he realised just how hungry he was. Despite not actually moving very much, piloting an Evangelion still took a lot of mental energy. So, he wandered outside and, with the assistance of the staff, found his way to the large dining hall with trays of food laid out along two of the walls. Many of the Summerisians hadn't made it there yet. Shinji picked up a plate and started inspecting the food that was laid out. The staff looked at him expectantly, and after deciding, starting spooning mountains of it on to his plate.

Settling down at an empty bench, Shinji started sating his ravenous hunger. A servant gingerly placed a mug of something in front of him. He could only nod in appreciation as he ate and drank.

/

Shinji awoke in the morning having no memory of the night before. He looked around the room and was calmed knowing that he was safe. Though he did wonder how it was that people were sneaking him so much alcohol. He had no desire to end up like Misato, spreadeagled on her futon with her unmentionables hanging out amongst a jungle of beer cans and empty chip packets.

What is it with this world and getting minors drunk?

Since there were no lasting effects on his head, Shinji got out of bed and went about his morning routine. He quickly walked to the same dining hall as last night, though this time there was a din coming from behind the doors. Evidently, he was the last of the delegation to wake up, because everyone else was having a great breakfast.

Shinji walked in with as much confidence as he could summon; he had gotten drunk the night before after all, and assembled a breakfast of sausages and thickly buttered bread. He sat down in front of Marcus, who had just been fed a bit of sausage by Renee and was grinning from ear to ear.

"Good morning, Marcus and Renee," said Shinji happily. The couple quickly pulled back from their lovey-dovey display and adopted their professional soldier faces.

"Ahem," said Marcus. "Good morning Shinji. Did you sleep well?"

"I-I did, thanks," replied Shinji, looking around to see if anyone was looking at him differently, since he couldn't remember anything from the previous night. "Did you?"

Shinji was a bit perplexed when Marcus and Renee both stammered something unintelligible. Deciding he was better off not knowing, he started eating. Just in case, he checked that his mug's contents were non-alcoholic. This time, it was just milk. At least, that's what he convinced himself it was.

"So," Shinji said, changing the subject. "What's going to happen today?"

Renee took the lead on answering Shinji. "Today's main objective is to settle the terms of the agreement between Boldhold and Summerise. You can explore the city if you'd like. And Shinji, the people here are very friendly, don't be shy."

Shinji nodded. He was still not sure that he could easily come out of his shell in a new place. But he resolved to try nonetheless. He'd had decent luck so far in Summerise, so he hoped that coming to Boldhold would also net him some new friends and experiences.

Once he finished his breakfast, he excused himself. He stood up, ready to put the dishes and cutlery he'd used into the first sink he could find. Instead he was beaten to the punch by a member of staff, who somehow whipped past him and grabbed said cutlery and plates out of his hand. He wasn't even sure who it was that had done it, and could only mumble his gratitude to himself.

Remembering the cold outside, Shinji rugged up and wandered the streets of Boldhold. The sun was out, but there was a chill wind blowing through the valley in which the city nestled. He pulled the woollen scarf he wore higher to cover his nose, and stepped into the throng of people bustling about.

/

Much like Summerise, the streets of Boldhold seemed to be packed with open air markets and various buildings. People went about their business with smiles and warmth in their faces. Eventually, Shinji's wanderings led him to being hungry.

He walked into a building that emitted a fantastic smell of roast meats, with merry singing coming through the windows. Shinji was surprised when a familiar face greeted him. "Welcome to the Boldhold Adventurers' Guild. Are you a member?" the pretty waitress from Summerise greeted him and fluttered her eyes at him cutely.

"Uh…wait," said Shinji uncertainly. "Weren't you supposed to be in Summerise?"

While the waitress processed her question, she kept up her cute winning smile. It felt like some seconds before she responded. "Ooh, you met Barmaid Joyce in Summerise right? Well I'm Barmaid Joyce of Boldhold. The difference is in the pronunciation."

"I-uh, see. So, Joyce…"

"No, no. Let me show you. Joyce is in Summerise." Shinji nodded, dumbfounded. She smiled and fluttered her eyelashes again. "And I'm Joyce from Boldhold. See? It's really simple!"

"Right. Sure." He wasn't sure at all. He remembered her question. "Uh, I'm a member of the Summerise Adventurers' Guild. Does that make me a member here too?"

"Oh, I'm sorry you can only be a member of one Adventurers' Guild. But that means that you'll be an Affiliate Member at every other Adventurers' Guild. You can also take on commissions at other guilds, but you will just have to pay an additional fee to ensure that your records can be transferred to your primary guild house."

"I see. How much is the additional fee?"

"One tenth of the commission reward."

"That seems like a lot just to transfer some records between guild houses…"

"Oh, please, understand that it's the cost of doing business. Namely, we have to hire several couriers to send documents out. Sometimes they just don't arrive at their destination. It's such a bother when that happens. The insurance company really does charge a lot to pay out their families…"

Now it was Shinji's turn to blink, only very slowly this time. He'd had few complaints about Japan Post, but things would eventually arrive at their destination in a usable or legible state. Here though…

"Would you like to see what commissions are on offer? You'll get a free Authentic Replica Rune of Purity and Energy for completing your first commission here."

Shinji shrugged. It wasn't as if he had anything better to do. "Alright, let me have a look."

Joyce led him to the commission board. He didn't feel comfortable with some of the higher-level ones. But there was one that caught his eye. It read:

On behalf of the Chancellor of the University of Boldhold, Mansell Boncourage, Marshal of the Lands, the Adventurers' Guild is pleased to offer the sum of twenty-thousand silver coins for a volunteer to model for the University's Faculty of Artistic Studies.

The payment terms are as follows:
One tenth on job acceptance,
Three tenths on delivery of half the requisite quantity, and
Five tenths on delivery of the remainder.

The work seemed simple enough. Model for some artists. How hard could it be? Shinji pulled the job card from the board and handed it to Joyce. "I'll take this one then."

Joyce nodded and walked off to do the paperwork, leaving Shinji in place. That was when Marcus burst into the guild hall and was instantly relieved to see Shinji there.

"Shinji! Emergency! Come quick!"

"Marcus? What's happened?"

"Boldhold's under attack!"

Shinji sighed. Of course there was an attack. What else could go wrong today?

A/N

Hi everybody! Author here. I've been absolutely slammed at work, so writing has taken a bit of a backseat lately. Nevertheless, my commitment to completing this is as complete as Gendo is at being a totally useless father. I don't think that's a compliment. Anyway, thanks as always for coming by and reading my humble story. Please don't hesitate to like, subscribe and comment.

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In the next episode of Mopey Blessing: Queen Sergevague pants. Renee Redwood pants. And, a dog pants.