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Which apparently includes,
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https/ /4bg8TRm2Gk
Twitter that I have for some reason:
https/mobile. / pandorajail
Shout out to 13araba, Sakuya, Zeranion, pyro stick figure 76, and a special thanks to the people on the discord who helped with the chapter.
Speaking of which, I am now open for commissions. If anyone is interested then you can dm me. First come first serve.
Random aah brain rot that I randomly conjured out of the ether, which at this point I might move to its own story.
(Fantasy world with Jobs x Symphogear)
The Bard Class is Made Out of Bard's
5th Song
Into the Light
The arrival of the adventuring party was celebrated with fanfare, villagers coming to give the group of five brave adventurers the warmest of welcome that they were able to muster.
Now why the village would do a celebration that's usually held after the the party succeeded the quest? It's so that the adventurers actually feel indebted to them, and they'll do their best for the quest. Certainly helped that they won't serve alcohol to then, don't want the adventurers to be hungover when they actually go on their adventure the following day.
As the village chief introduced the adventurers to Hallow and the others, where the black haired Hero flaunted his Job immediately much to their surprise.
She watched from the sidelines, leaning on a building as she sipped her drink at how the boy most likely boasted his achievements and bloated their short trip to the forest. Not that she could hear him from this far and with all of them villagers also being loud themselves.
From the looks of it the adventuring party that arrived was a pretty balanced one. A Swordsman guessing by their sword and armor. A Rogue of the sort by their light armor and no discernable weapons other than the short sword on their belt, probably hidden somewhere, with a hood that has a pair of holes that let their cat-like ears to pop out. a Ranger or Archer she didn't know which one not what their difference was, she just knew but the bow in their back that they were a long ranged fighter. The Magician was clear from the staff, though the witch's hat was also a giveaway for the shortest member of their group. And last but not least was what looked to be a dwarf with a shield almost twice their size, a tank of some sort, a Paladin perhaps?
She was quite surprised to find out that it wasn't the adventures that's taken repeat quests from the village though. She would have loved to meet big sis Magi again, though she hadn't met them ever since her Job got revealed.
It was essentially a balanced party of five really, they got damage dealers, a tank, a scout, and someone that can act as support, though not a dedicated one.
Lark and the others could probably learn a lot from them, hopefully. Since they don't have her acting as a Scout and Ranger, a duty that she took mostly because she was quite used to going to the edges of the forest for herbs and plants, they'd probably have to have someone take on scouting duty.
Something that Hallow would most definitely not do as he was their leader and the 'Hero'. He'd probably think that the job was too lowly for his grand self something.
"Then is the Magician acting both as dps and healer support? I guess that's what happens when you don't have a dedicated healer like a Priest huh." She mumbled under her breath as she theorized on the party's composition. "The tank is definitely a vanguard, is the Swordsman also acting as one or as a backline protector for the rearguard? No, the Rogue's probably has that covered, vanguard then. Frontline dps definitely."
She saw the Archer's head tilt upwards, and the woman turned towards her, most likely noticing that she was staring at them. She gave a small smile and waved, to which the woman raised an eyebrow before turning back to the Swordsman, their apparent party leader, continued to talk with the village chief.
"Man hopefully this means that the goblin problem would be solved." She heard a villager, oh that's auntie Gos, say as she held her head on her hand.
"I sure hope so, the chief most certainly paid quite a hefty sum I've heard!" And chatting with her was auntie Sip, glancing left and right before not so subtly whispering to her conversation partner. "I've heard that the chief really only had the adventurer party come here so that they will escort the Hero on his adventure."
Oh? Now that's news to her. "Right! I mean, we haven't even seen the goblins that he's so worried about!" Uh, lady, they definitely brought a trio that they killed though?
"Then what about the three goblins that the Hero and his friends brought?" Alright she'll shelve the annoyance that they just being called the Hero and his friends, but good point auntie Sip!
"Well they could definitely just stumbled to them by accident right?" The common village woman said with a huff. "I mean, this village has been safe for years now! And we have guards protecting this village, so there's no way that they could even put up a fight!"
"Yeah. They're just goblins after all, what's the worst that could happen. Like, even if they attack, everyone is going to just beat up all of them and continue on their daily lives!" Both ladies laughed to themselves, their cheeks tinted slightly red nothing their drunkenness in the middle of the day.
Both soon left the village center while others continued on the festivities, and leaving her with her mouth agape.
She slapped her hand over her face as she groaned. "How do you trigger this many flags in a single conversation."
She didn't spend the following few days training, no, she spent it watching the village's gate to see the adventuring party.
On the first day of their visit, after the whole celebration for their arrival, both the Ranger and their Scout, still didn't actually know their actual Jobs, went out to scout for the location of the goblins nest.
The other members of the party however didn't stay idle. Both the leader and the dwarf were out watching the perimeter along with the village guards, chatting and getting to know one another while they eyes occasionally wandered to the forest where their allies had disappeared into.
Or they would have, if Hallow wasn't hounding the Swordsman for a duel by the looks of it. The black haired boy kept dangerously waving his sword while Lark shot apologetic looks towards the pair, something not matched by the other members of his party who encouraged Hallow, and Brad who wanted to test his strength by doing the same thing. Even from her hiding place, on one of the few wooden guard towers that the village had, don't ask how she managed to sneak in here, she could hear the dwarf's loud laughter.
The only pure magic caster of their group however, was making his rounds alone. Overlooking the village's defences with scrutiny quite a ways away from the group.
Perfect.
A hum of a simple strengthening spell let her jump off of her vantage point, and she made her way to the Magician. Making sure to not attract too much attention from the others as she approached.
"Excuse me," She called out, when she was a few feet away, and the mage quickly spun to face her, their staff pointed towards her.
She immediately held both of her hands up in a sign of peace, the smile that she had turning shaky as she spoke. "You're uh, you're one of the adventures that came for the quest right-?"
On a closer look, she saw the Magician's face that was hidden under their hat. A feminine face scrunched as the witch's purple eyes glared at her sudden appearance, and at closer inspection, she saw the feminine figure that she hid under the robe that she wore.
"Um, miss?" She asked, her voice going a bit lower as she took a step back from the staff that was almost right in front of her face. Please don't shoot her in the face, it's the one good thing that her mom passed down to her!
"Hm. Sorry about that." The adventurer apologized as she lowered her weapon. "You surprised me, do all you villagers like to ambush people or something of the like?" she grumbled as she sent a glance towards her other party members
"Is that what Hallow did? I think that's just a him thing." She chuckled as she lowered her hands to her side. "And I guess that applies to me as well as much as I don't like it."
She huffed. "So it would seem." And turned back to her. "Anyway, what do you want?"
Blunt and straight to the point huh, that's something. "Well I just want to ask a thing or two about adventurers, and maybe magic if you have the time." She said with the most polite smile that she had.
To which the Magician raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What, do you want to be an adventurer?" She said as she tapped then butt of her staff on the ground, a question that she answered with a nod.
"I do, yes. I'm planning to leave the village and register at the capital in a few years time." Probably in around two years, because 15 is the age where people are considered adults in the world. A bit early in her opinion, but fantasy world fantasy rules. Also lines up with the shounen demographic thing.
The fact that it would also help her go on adventures early did matter though. She's already itching to go out after all.
"Hm." The witch nodded, an inquisitive look passing slightly as she glanced back to where Hallow was now sparring against her party's leader with wooden swords. "If that's the case, why are you not at that boy's party? He is a Hero that is planning to go become an adventurer too is he not?"
"We don't get along." She answered in a heartbeat. "That's just it."
The Magician's eyes narrowed at the accusation, the hand holding her staff loosening its grip. "Is that so?" She simply said. "Then in that case, what did you want to ask?"
Oh! Chance! "Then if you don't mind me asking… I've heard that there's some requirements to be an adventurer?" She began asking.
"Well yes. Of course there is." The lady said. "Though there are some unique cases, adventurers need to be 15 to register. And they also must not have any criminal records."
The usual things then. "How would they know about that last part?"
"They use an appraisal orb. A similar one to the one used for Job appraisal."
"But instead of looking into a person's potential, it looks into their history?" Yikes, that sounds kind of scary. Does it show your search history too?
The witch hat wearing Magician's face took on a smile. "You catch on quick, it does exactly that."
"I see. How does it determine a criminal record then?" She asked, to which the lady before her raised an eyebrow, a twinkle seen through her amethyst-like eyes.
"Hm? Why don't you explain further."
The rest of the day was filled with a discussion between both of them regarding the topics of adventurers, the guild, the limitations of crime in the kingdom, and a long back and forth about magic.
Neither ever noticed that they had never traded names between each other.
It took two days of returned trips for both the Rogue and Ranger, so were the Jobs that the lady Magician had told her about their party, to find the goblins nest. Having taken the form of an actual guarded nest with basic sharpened wooden fences around a cave with guards rotating on a regular basis.
She overheard the discussions inside the village chief's home, enhancing her heating with a simple hum to hear the adventurer's leader talking about the possibility of a goblin king.
Hearing that, the village chief proposed to also have Hallow's party to come with them as backup. Regardless of how they were most definitely underleveled and unskilled.
As soon as she heard that, she immediately left. She'd need to prepare herself for the worst case scenario. She could already tell that Hallow and the others were going to leave with the adventurer's party, the Hero would push it himself, and if he's still rejected, he'll just sneak out to follow them anyway.
Which in turn, would probably leave the village guarded by only the regular village guards. Not throwing shade their way, but they weren't people who did their best. Most of them don't even train regularly, just pick up a weapon and call it a day. They're good, but not great.
With how the village itself was in a lull of combat, they never really found need for them.
"There's a chance that it won't lead that way. But even if it's just a small chance…" Then there's no way that she would let that mere possibility become reality.
So she went home, "I'm back." She called out as she opened the door, letting her family know of her return.
"Oh welcome back Chris." Her mother returned her call, walking out from the kitchen of their small home to meet her. Her own long braided white silver hair flowing as she cleaned her hands with a towel. "Can you call your father here dear? It's just about time for lunch."
"Sure." She gave her mom a nod and walked past her, allowing her to continue setting up lunch as she went through the back door.
"Hey old man! Lunch is ready!" She shouted as loud as she could, and saw the small figure far away toiling away at the fields turn towards her.
"Coming!" She heard her father shout equally as loud, and he closed the long distance in a matter of minutes, leaving dust clouds in his wake. "Yo Chris! What did mom cook this time?" The black haired goateed old man asked her with a grin, letting his hoe rest on his shoulder as he walked in the house.
And she followed him in, making sure to close the door as she went in. "Don't know, I wasn't here when she cooked it. Notes might have helped so he probably knows."
"I jid!" She heard a shrill voice sound out, and a silver haired missile crashed right into her stomach.
"Oof!" She grunted as she caught her little brother.
"Nyotes helped mama cook!" The small silver haired child said aloud as he showed her a blinding smile.
"I see! I see! So Notes helped mom cook did he? What a good boy!" She cooed, picking up the small child and twirling. Her little brother's laughter made her almost forget the danger that might happen.
Almost.
She led the boy that kept babbling about how he helped mom cook to the dining table, where her father was already shoveling as much food as he could into his mouth.
Her brother eventually releases himself from her clutches. Climbing into the special high chair that they had for him, he too began to eat. And she followed suit after her mother came with more plates of food for her and her gluttonous father to enjoy.
It was a simple lunch that was done in the Melody family like every other day, but the danger that hung above the village's head slightly hit her appetite.
"Oh Chris, did you hear that the adventurers returned today?" Her mother spoke as she took a piece of chicken into her plate.
"Oh yeah, I saw them go into the village chief's home." She spoke after she finished chewing her food. "I heard that the others are also going to be dragged into the goblin extermination."
"Others? Oh those friends that you hang out with?" Her father commented. Only for him to break his spoon as his face took on a demonic look. "But that boy! How dare he kick my dear Chris out of his party!" I won't forgive him! Never!"
"Ugh, we went over this already. I don't really care about that old man." She groaned, leaning back on her chair at her father's antics.
"Chris! Why don't you call me daddy like you used to!" The old man cried as he dashed from his chair to her side, and she used her feet to keep him off from suddenly hugging her.
"It's because of this! You're just too clingy, it's embarrassing!" She hissed as her cheeks heated at his antics. The fact that he acted like this even out in the open is embarrassing!
"Waaah! Darling! Chris is in her rebellious phase!" And immediately he cried and dashed to mom's side. The silver haired woman merely chuckled as he patted the crying overgrown child that was hugging her waist.
"There, there dear. I'm sure she'll grow out of it." She reassured him, to which the waterworks immediately stopped as he looked up to mom with hopeful eyes.
"Really?"
"As if!" And she slammed her fist onto the dinner table with a shout.
The usual lunch routine of what most likely amounted to comedic banter went on until all of the food on the table was finished. Geez and everyone in the family wonders why she preferred to bring lunch out on training. She loved her family dearly, but their antics could be too much at times.
Yet she wouldn't have it any other way.
After all, this was the family that she loved. Her annoying yet loveable father that cares about his family so much that the moment she had told him that she was kicked out of Hallow's party, he wanted to rush right into his house with his trusty hoe and an intent to kill. Disregarding that he was a Farmer.
Her mother certainly didn't help since she completely supported him. And Notes was still an impressionable five year old that called the black haired Hero a meanie.
Her father eventually managed to capture her into one of his hugs, as is a tradition at this point, and annoyed her by rapidly rubbing his hand atop of her head and making her hair messy. Completely ignoring her cries for him to stop, and she couldn't even pry his hands off of her head too!
Her mother giggled at their usual antics, and her little brother clapped his hands and laughed in clear amusement.
This was the family that she was born to in this life. And she wouldn't let anything happen to them.
No matter what.
