《Latla [Not a LitRPG]》 Chapter 1 - The Burning Girl Rage. Rage that burned so strong, hot enough to melt even steel. It was during a snowy day, on a desolate and shabby forest road that Artour Altaveli, a traveling merchant by trade, encountered the girl. The kid was starving thin: had sunken cheeks, bony arms, and pale malnourished skin. Not to mention, she was poorly equipped against the cold, for her clothes were thin and tattered. She was, by Artour¡¯s definition, already dead. Yet, against all odds, her stare was alive, burning¡ªwith rage. Despite the cold weather, a trail of sweat coursed down his jaw. As if he could feel the heat from steps away. Someone had wronged her badly, he surmised. Curious, he began, ¡®What¡¯s your name, girl?¡¯ The girl parted her dry lips. *** Latla Chapter 1 The Burning Girl *** Eight years later¡­ ¡®Latla,¡¯ she answered. ¡®Latla Altaveli.¡¯ No longer was she a starving thin girl, but a healthy slim young lady. Her hair was tied into a braided crown, and her clothes: brown shoulder cape, white shirt under, gray skirt, and black stocking, were all made of fine fabrics, the same as that of the wealthy. An appearance that earned her stares. ¡®She a noble?¡¯ whispered someone. ¡®Probably,¡¯ whispered another. Here, inside the mage¡¯s guild, where others wore simple and disposable casual outfits, her noble-like appearance stuck out like a sore thumb. Which was in her favor because she wanted to stand out for this. The flashier the better, she thought to herself. ¡®¡­ Alright, Miss Altaveli,¡¯ the receptionist lady said, ¡®to become a mage associated with the Shadow Wolf guild, you¡¯ll first need to have your mana quantity assessed. Please, place your hand on the crystal ball and let the tool assess you.¡¯ Atop the desk was a transparent crystal ball resting on a small custom pillow. It was the standard magic tool to measure the amount of mana¡ªmagic stamina¡ªthat a person could possess. Words couldn¡¯t do justice to describe how much Latla hated the tool. Looking at it, a thought crossed through her mind reflexively: I want to shatter it to pieces. With great control, however, she contained her destructive impulse, and complied with the receptionist¡¯s instruction. She placed her hand on the crystal ball and¡ªnothing happened. ¡®Huh?¡¯ the receptionist remarked. She fixed her glasses and inspected the crystal ball. Touched the crystal ball herself, and the tool shone an almost unnoticeable dim white glow. ¡®My mana is too little to tell for sure whether this is broken¡­ Please hold on for a minute, Miss Altaveli.¡¯ She then ran off. ¡®Did you see that?¡¯ said a whisper. ¡®The thing didn¡¯t shine at all!¡¯ ¡®Ha! I must¡¯ve broken it yesterday,¡¯ said another whisper. ¡®In your dreams¡­¡¯ ¡®What else are you implying mate? That she doesn¡¯t have even the tiniest bit of mana? That¡¯s impossible!¡¯ Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The mages¡¯ reactions inside the guild were so far according to Latla¡¯s expectations. After all, by the norm, everyone should possess themselves some amount of mana, even as little as might be. Thus, when the crystal ball didn¡¯t shine at all, it being broken was the likeliest explanation. ¡­ I¡¯ll try finding a way to actually break it later. The receptionist soon returned, leading a robed man along. He carried with him a wooden staff that was taller than him, a traditional mage. His reluctant gait and grumpy groan suggested annoyance. ¡®Please?¡¯ The receptionist presented the crystal ball to him. ¡®¡­ Only because I made this,¡¯ he grunted. He placed his hand on the crystal ball. The measuring tool shone a bright light, like that of a lantern¡¯s light. ¡®Huh?¡¯ the receptionist was baffled. It¡¯s not broken. Not yet. ¡®¡­ Miss Altaveli, would you please try again?¡¯ Latla complied. She placed her hand on the crystal ball and¡ªnothing happened. ¡®I don¡¯t get it...¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s not to get?¡¯ interjected the robed man, voice raised. He pointed at Latla. ¡®This girl here doesn¡¯t have any mana to her name! That¡¯s all there is to it! You want to be a mage despite not having mana? What a disgrace!¡¯ Latla twitched. Nowadays, the term ¡°mage¡± had become more varied. The word used to be exclusive to describe traditional mages but was now used to describe anyone who could use magic. Latla might not possess any amount of mana, but she could still use magic. She reached for her leather waist bag and took out a ring. A magic tool: mana storage. Using the mana contained in that tool, someone without innate mana like her could use magic. She showed it to him. ¡®I¡¯m really good at using this.¡¯ ¡®Bah! That¡¯s just a worthless scrap of junk!¡¯ His words touched a nerve. ¡®Miss Altaveli¡­¡¯ the receptionist mediated. ¡®I am sorry to say, but the Shadow Wolf guild has set a minimum mana amount requirement to join. Therefore, you could not become a mage¡ª¡¯ That was the last straw. Disgrace? Worthless? Can¡¯t become a mage? ¡®And who decided that?¡¯ Latla retorted with a glare. A glare so fierce it unnerved those who stared. *** Eight years before¡­ That fierce glare¡­ Astounding. Artour and Latla sat around a heated campfire. The traveling merchant had set up the blazing fire and cooked a steaming porridge, all to warm up the freezing girl. Despite the starving appearance, she had enough control over herself to not gobble the bowl of porridge he had given her. Slowly, with a spoon and behaved manner, she took a mouthful. Then, after some chews, she swallowed. ¡­ With that etiquette, she¡¯s certainly not of low birth, Artour thought. Which begged the question: ¡®How did you end up like this?¡¯ ¡®¡­ I was disowned,¡¯ Latla answered. She took another mouthful of porridge, chewed, and swallowed. He wanted to know more, and she noticed. Thus, continued, ¡®They called me a disgrace. Said that I¡¯m worthless. All because I couldn¡¯t become a mage. It¡¯s not my fault I was born without any mana.¡¯ ¡®Is that so¡­¡¯ Artour remarked. He stared toward the dancing flame of the campfire. Its blaze, he observed, couldn¡¯t compare to the one that was burning inside the little girl. ¡®So, what will you do? With all that rage?¡¯ ¡®I¡­¡¯ *** Present. ¡®I won¡¯t let such insignificant standard define me. I¡¯ll prove them wrong by becoming the greatest mage in all of existence. First,¡¯ Latla pointed at the robed man, the traditional mage who wielded a staff, ¡®I¡¯ll need to give you a beating with this ¡°worthless scrap of junk¡±.¡¯ ¡®Looks like someone needs to teach this girl a lesson about reality.¡¯ ¡®Wai¡ª¡¯ The man shoved the receptionist aside. He stepped forward and began chanting magical incantations whilst weaving his staff. Finally, he stilled the staff. ¡®Fireball.¡¯ A large blazing sphere of fire surged at the end of his staff, floating in midair. All he had to do now was to fling it. ¡®Take cover!!¡¯ shouted someone. The others inside the guild flipped tables sideways and hid behind it. ¡®You can¡¯t unleash that here!¡¯ shouted the receptionist. Latla, in response, wore her ring, the mana storage tool. To which, the moment she tapped the mana within, the ring shattered into pieces. ¡®!¡¯ The robed man¡¯s eyes widened. He knew what that implied. Overtap, that was a technique that Latla was using. By breaking the vessel of the mana storage, she could utilize all the mana that was stored within to its fullest. Latla made a finger gun and pointed the gesture forward. Without any chanting, she casted, ¡®Fireball.¡¯ Both fireballs that had been conjured by each side were of the same size. While the traditional mage¡¯s was more violent; swirling with erratic movements, Latla¡¯s was more orderly; spinning in a spiral motion. The mage flung his, and Latla shot hers. Two fireballs clashed and roared, enveloping the interior of the guild with bright flames. Once the blinding brightness had dimmed and the flames had calmed, the mages who hid behind tables peeked out to see the result of the clash. One person remained standing, unharmed. None other than the young lady who had no mana to her name. ¡®She just beat Kalak,¡¯ uttered one of them. ¡®Isn¡¯t he an A-rank mage?¡¯ ¡®She makes it look effortless.¡¯ Latla stared at the result of her fireball: a traditional mage laying unconscious on the ground, and a crystal ball that had been shattered to pieces from the impact. Right on target, she thought. She then noticed that many stares were on her. ¡®If no guild is willing to accept me,¡¯ she declared, ¡®then I¡¯ll create my own.¡¯ The more difficult my path is, the more indisputable my achievement will be when I reach it. ¡®I¡¯ll rise to the top from nothing and become the greatest mage in all of existence!¡¯ Thus, her journey began!! Chapter 2 – Nothing is Ever Free Past. Khiva, the capital city of the country, was contained inside a massive circular wall. Its thickness, giants would find difficult to ram through; and its height, wyverns would find a challenge to fly over. Outside a gate, beside a merchant¡¯s caravan, Artour Altaveli handed his ¡°daughter¡± a silver key. ¡®What¡¯s this for?¡¯ Latla asked whilst inspecting the key. ¡®I once tried running a caf¨¦ in Khiva,¡¯ he explained with a dismissive shrug. ¡®It ran, but it never took off. It¡¯s just an abandoned building now. That¡¯s what the key is for.¡¯ Artour, having spent enough time with Latla by now, noticed from her expression that she was dissatisfied. To which, he laughed. A key alone doesn¡¯t mean ownership, every good merchant knows that. ¡®There¡¯s a safe inside that caf¨¦, which that key will also unlock. You¡¯ll find all the legal documents there. That place is now yours.¡¯ Only then did Latla¡¯s expression soften. She looked at the key in her hand and grasped it with gentle affection. The place was hers and she could do whatever she wanted with it. ¡®That¡¯s my parting gift for you, Latla,¡¯ he said. Latla opened her lips, but before she could voice her words, Artour continued, ¡®But don¡¯t get me wrong. Having lived a merchant¡¯s life, you should have this lesson instilled by now:¡¯ He pointed at the key and gave her a smile that expressed his intent: ¡®Nothing is ever free in this world.¡¯ *** Present. Latla stepped on a crack. Step on a crack, Latla recalled, break your mother¡¯s back. Thus, she made sure her next step landed on another crack. The street that Latla was walking through was full of cracks and potholes; to make matters worse, pieces of wood¡ªcollapsed roof shingles of surrounding rundown houses¡ªlittered the street. The condition was bad enough that Latla had to watch her steps. This is difficult. It¡¯s difficult to not see why your caf¨¦ never took off, Artour. Searching for the caf¨¦ that Artour gave her, Latla couldn¡¯t quite ignore the condition of this slum area. While this wasn¡¯t the worst slum area she had ever seen, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the condition was bad. I guess he was betting on this slum area being fixed when he opened the caf¨¦. Well, his past decision is not my concern. Instead, Latla¡¯s concern was to locate the caf¨¦ and to check whether she could use the place for her purposes. ¡­ Take a turn here. Passing through a bread store, Latla turned right and entered an alleyway. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The walls pressing from the sides were green with moss and the pathway was wet from rainwater that had nowhere to drain into. Latla made sure to walk right in the middle while sidestepping the puddles. After a short narrow journey¡ªwhich felt long enough¡ªLatla stepped outside the alleyway. She turned left. Follow the street, keep straight until¡ª ¡®You ungrateful child!¡¯ A man¡¯s shout disrupted her thoughts. Latla glanced toward the shout and saw a large man standing high and mighty over a small boy laying on the street. The former had a reddened fist, the latter had a reddened cheek. He had hit him. The man held a bottle of alcohol. His face was flushed drunk. The scene that unraveled before her was by no means a form of tough love. ¡®When are you going to return the favor, huh??¡¯ he continued his lecture despite the boy¡¯s sobbing. ¡®I raised you up, I gave you food, and I let you stay in my house! So why is it that you haven¡¯t earned me any money to repay all that?!¡¯ Hearing that, Latla clawed her palm. Her hand on the side clenched into a fist. The boy couldn¡¯t be older than ten. Demanding him to return the favor was nothing short of unjust expectations. It was an unfair standard that was forced upon the boy. Looking at the boy¡¯s situation, Latla could see a reflection of herself: just a child who was too young to make a change. ¡®You take my kindness for granted, don¡¯t you? Let me tell you this: Nothing is ever free in this world!¡¯ He raised his glass bottle, then swung it down at the boy. Grab! Latla stepped in between and caught his wrist, stopping the swing. Nothing is ever free¡­ Latla gave him a scornful stare. ¡®That¡¯s wrong,¡¯ she said. ¡®Huh?! Who are you to tell me what¡¯s wrong!?¡¯ He struggled to free his wrist, but her grasp was firm and unbudging. ¡­ ¡®Here. I¡¯ll give you this.¡¯ She showed him her fist. ¡®Huh? Wha¡ª'' Wham! Latla smashed her fist on his face, giving him a hit that sent him tumbling backward. The man then laid on the street on his back, his nose broken. ¡®That¡¯s for free,¡¯ Latla declared whilst easing her reddened knuckles. She then turned toward the boy. ¡®Are you alright?¡¯ The boy¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. He was scared of her. ¡®¡­¡¯ Looking into his fearful stare forced Latla to reflect on her actions. In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t right to let her anger get the best of her and to resolve this situation with violence, a bad part about her that she still couldn¡¯t grow free from. However, in her own defense, she believed the man deserved that one punch. I¡¯d be more disappointed in myself if I didn¡¯t do that. In the end, Latla couldn¡¯t care less if the boy feared her. ¡®When he¡¯s awake, tell him that I¡¯ll be around and that I¡¯ll give him another good punch if he deserves it. Can you do that?¡¯ The boy nodded. ¡®Good.¡¯ I don¡¯t mind being feared. What¡¯s important is that this boy doesn¡¯t suffer like I did. The threat would make the man think twice before using violence on the boy again. Latla would continue her search for the caf¨¦, but before she left, she felt the need to soften the blow. ¡®Don¡¯t take what he said to heart. After all,¡¯ she knew this to be true, ¡®parents are supposed to support their child.¡¯ *** Past. Nothing is ever free in this world? Really, Artour? Latla rolled her eyes. ¡®And what do you expect in return for this ¡°gift¡± of yours?¡¯ she asked him. ¡®What I expect in return is something that only you can give me,¡¯ he said with a matter-of-fact tone and was beating around the bush. ¡®I want to see you fulfil your dream and you better give me that scene.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Can¡¯t you wish me luck like a normal person would?¡¯ Latla smiled. She gave him a warm hug. ¡®What can I say? I¡¯m a merchant.¡¯ He gave her a gentle hug. ¡®Artour, I¡­¡¯ I¡¯m really glad that I met you. Thank you for being the best Father I could ever ask for, were the words she didn¡¯t voice. She wanted to express her feelings, but that would be too soon. There was always the right time for everything; this one, she determined, should be for after she fulfil her dream. Latla released herself from the hug, looked at the key he gave her, then at Artour. ¡®I¡¯ll give you what you expect in return for this. You can count on it: I¡¯ll become the greatest mage in all of existence!¡¯ Chapter 3 – The Four Requirements for Guild Creation Past ¨C Shadow Wolf Guild, after Latla defeated Kalak. ¡®If no guild is willing to accept me,¡¯ Latla had declared, ¡®then I¡¯ll create my own!¡¯ Whilst hearing that declaration, voiced by someone who possessed no mana to her name, the mages of the Shadow Wolf guild had their eyes fixated on a sight: Kalak, an A-rank mage, laying unconscious on the ruins that was the receptionist counter. On that day, Latla gained two things: the admiration of some¡ªand the ire of many. *** Present. ¡®It¡¯s just an abandoned building now,¡¯ he said, Latla thought as she stared at the caf¨¦ that was now hers. That description by no means fit. This massive two-story building that loomed before her was far from being an abandoned building. Since having heard Artour¡¯s description at the time, the image that had been framed in Latla¡¯s mind was a building worn down from age and in dire need of repairs. However, this building¡ªthis caf¨¦ before her¡­ calling it an abandoned building would be an insult to actual abandoned buildings. Though the building had been left behind, it appeared fresh, mighty, and new: the blue paint had a consistent color without weathered gradation, the walls were smooth without cracks or holes, and the wooden sign was pristine without any signs of having aged. While other buildings in the slum area seemed abandoned although resided, this caf¨¦ was the very opposite of that. The door to the caf¨¦ had its wooden panels decorated with artistic carvings of a mythical bird: the kind that was covered in flames. The lock was a standard padlock but engraved with magic encryption. This somewhat irritated Latla, for that strict security was excessive for a caf¨¦; but all things considered¡ªLatla shrugged¡ªshe would rather have it than not. Latla inserted the key into the lock, gave it a clean twist, and¡ªclick¡ªunlocked the door. Opening the door, the first sight that greeted her was a spacious room with an array of furniture: cushy sofas, fine wooden tables, a classy grand piano, and other luxuries. They had been arranged neatly to best utilize the space as a caf¨¦ and had been left behind appropriately to retain its mint state. For a caf¨¦ located in a slum area, this sight of extravagance felt out of place. ¡­ Latla put down her bag full of belongings on the dusty paneled floor beside a coat hanger and further explored what the place had to offer. Below the caf¨¦ was a cellar where supplies and equipment were kept. The supplies were varieties of coffee beans preserved inside an airtight glass jar; the equipment were coffee-making tools that could last, such as an alcohol lamp containing a type of oil that could burn for a century. Above the caf¨¦ was an upper story with many rooms: some empty, most filled with simple bedroom accommodation. Rooms for live-in employees, supposedly? Returning to the first story, sitting on one of the sofas, elbow on the table and chin on palm, Latla couldn¡¯t help but think: Aren¡¯t these too much for a caf¨¦ in the slums?! I¡¯m positive the reason this caf¨¦ business never took off is because the expenses were too heavy and breaking even was impossible! Sometimes, she questioned whether Artour was a good merchant; some business decisions he made were just downright questionable. One time, he thought it was a good idea to sell fish to a tribe who had a religious belief that fish was evil incarnate. Of course, they raised their spears at him, and consequently at Latla. ¡­ At least, Latla thought, the only problem from this questionable caf¨¦ business is just his burnt money and not literal burning spears. All in all, this caf¨¦ he had given her was an extraordinary parting gift. Latla could do whatever she wanted with this place. She could sell it for quick cash, she could run the caf¨¦ business or rent the building for steady income, or she could use this place to advance a step further in fulfilling her dream of becoming the greatest mage in all of existence. *** Past, four years before. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡®What¡¯s needed to become the greatest mage in all of existence¡­ is a guild!!¡¯ a man declared. Though his hair and beard had aged white, his childlike enthusiasm and refined body had remained youthful. This man, Barren, was one of Latla¡¯s temporary mentors. As travelling merchants, going from places to places was commonplace for Artour and Latla. Sometimes, kind strangers heading toward the same destination would join Artour¡¯s caravan. The travel would be free of charge, given that the stranger mentored Latla until arrival. Barren, the man who possessed loud and vigorous voice, was one of those kind have-to-be-a-mentor strangers. Supposedly, he used to be the leader of a guild that he had himself created. ¡®You see, young Latla,¡¯ he explained while inside the moving caravan, ¡®it¡¯s not possible to fulfil your dream without a guild.¡¯ ¡®Why¡¯s that?¡¯ Latla, seated opposite to Barren, asked. ¡®Far from becoming the greatest mage in all of existence, you¡¯ll instead become the luckiest mage in all of existence! Because¡ªwhen you don¡¯t have a guild, you need an insane amount of luck to establish yourself as a mage. Acquiring sponsors without any achievements is near impossible, opportunities must miraculously appear out of thin air to have an attempt at building reputation, there¡¯s a stigma that a mage without any guild affiliation is below worthless, and lots of other reasons. The idea is: if you¡¯re in a guild, you¡¯re saved from those ridiculous hassles. ¡®Sadly, for a manaless like you, no guild will accept you! Ba-ha-ha-ha!¡¯ That remark struck a nerve. Latla would remember this. ¡®No matter!¡¯ Barren continued. ¡®If no guild will accept you, you just have to create your own to be in one! Simple!¡¯ ¡®How do I create my own guild?¡¯ ¡®Good question! You¡¯ll need four requirements!!¡¯ Barren lifted four fingers and shoved them right in front of Latla¡¯s face. As he named and explained each of the requirements, he would bend a finger down accordingly. ¡®Place, a location for the guild to stand; Members, mages who could partake in quests; Quests, jobs offered to members; and Approval, formal licensing from association of guilds. They are the basics of the basics, and you need all four! Now, quick question! Which of these four do you think is the most important, young Latla?¡¯ ¡®Approval,¡¯ she answered. ¡®Good answer, young Latla. I can see that you¡¯ve been raised as a merchant well and know the importance of legal matters! You¡¯re a bright kid¡­ but your answer is dead wrong!! Ba-ha-ha-ha-ha!¡¯ Barren¡¯s response irritated Latla. Irritated, not angered, so she remained seated. ¡®Think of it this way, young Latla! Imagine running a farm. Sure, permits are important for you to legally grow crops on that land, but they¡¯re not the most important! What¡¯s most important for a farm¡­ is whether the soil is great for harvest! After all, what¡¯s the use of permits if the farm can¡¯t produce anything in the first place! In that essence, like a soil is to a farm, the most important requirement for guild creation is¡­¡¯ *** Present. Members, Latla thought. That¡¯s the most important of the four requirements. Latla was seated in front of the caf¨¦, at a table which she had herself unfolded and set, brewing coffee. The water inside the flask¡ªheated by an alcohol lamp below¡ªhad begun boiling and she inserted a funnel filled with pre-ground coffee beans. As long as Members requirement is fulfilled, Quests will come by itself. And when the two interacts, Approval will be easier to attain. Latla stirred the funnel with a spatula. Members, due to its importance, should be the first requirement to be checked from the list. However, Latla had decided to address Place firsthand. Partly because Artour had given her this caf¨¦ which she could repurpose as a guild, partly because she believed that having Place would help her to attain Members, and partly because¡­ a certain issue had inconvenienced her¡­ Regardless, now she had to attain Members. I¡¯ll need a receptionist, Latla thought. Someone who could repurpose this caf¨¦ as a guild and accept new members while I work on Quests and Approval. Preferably someone who is familiar with guilds and mages. The coffee had seeped into the flask, dyeing the water dark brown. ¡®¡­ Should I get you a chair?¡¯ Latla asked. A robed man with a staff was standing at the other end of the table. The stare that he gave her was akin to a contemptuous stare that one might give to a puny insect. ¡®You gave Kalak a beating,¡¯ he said with a crisp voice and a matter-of-fact tone, blatantly ignoring her question. Kalak? Latla asked, ¡®Who?¡¯ ¡®Heh,¡¯ he snickered, found her response engaging. ¡®He¡¯s a fellow traditional mage. The one that you gave a shameful defeat the other day in Shadow Wolf guild.¡¯ Latla could remember having defeated someone¡ªbut couldn¡¯t remember whom she defeated. Must be someone unremarkable who struck a nerve. ¡®Being defeated itself is one thing and that¡¯s tolerable,¡¯ he continued. ¡®Being defeated by someone who possessed not even a speck of mana on the other hand tarnishes the good name of traditional mages.¡¯ ¡®Delightful.¡¯ Latla smiled. For a while now, Latla had been rolling a ring with her fingertips and making a show of it. ¡®So, to fix your good name, you¡¯re going to exact vengeance on me?¡¯ They exchanged hostile stares. If a fight was what he wanted here and now, Latla was ready to overtap and shatter her ring. ¡®¡­ If a fly,¡¯ he began, a response that baffled her, ¡®were to be a bother, then the appropriate response would be to crush it there and then. Having failed that, there¡¯s no use in chasing a fly that had buzzed away; it¡¯s a petty act that is unbecoming for the good name of traditional mages.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ It annoyed Latla, being compared to a fly. ¡®Why are you here then?¡¯ ¡®To give you a warning, Latla Altaveli. As it stands, you¡¯re a mere insect who¡¯s not worth chasing and crushing. However, if it turns out that you¡¯re no mere insect¡­ I trust you know what that means¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­ The traditional mages will exact vengeance once I¡¯ve made a guild.¡¯ Only then would the act not be seen as petty. Latla placed her ring on the table. She giggled, a warning for a warning, ¡®The outcome will further tarnish your name.¡¯ Chapter 4 – The Seeker and The Sought The woman was seated in front of an office, waiting for her turn. Her back was straight, her knees were kept together, and her hands were neatly placed atop her legs. She carried herself an air of calmness, akin to that of experienced mages who could keep their composure upon facing formidable foes. I¡¯ll make this opportunity count, she thought, determined. Creak¡­ sounded the door. A man in a black suit and tie stepped out of the office. He had a frown on his face and had his head hung low. His gait as he exited was that of an injured fighter who had been bested. This sight caused her unease. She felt it creeping up her spine. ¡­ I should fix my appearance! She combed her scarlet hair with her slender fingers and straightened her gray suit with her palm. Both actions were hardly impactful; her hair remained messy with jutting strands, her gray suit¡ªthough creaseless¡ªremained uncouth with patches. There was no fixing her appearance, and this failure only served to fill her with more unease. I¡¯ll make this opportunity count, she thought, reassuring herself. I¡¯ll make this opportunity count! ¡®Next!¡¯ someone announced from inside the office. ¡®Scarlet Lunara, please enter the room to conduct your interview!¡¯ I will get this job. I have to! *** Latla. ¡®What¡¯s the wage I¡¯m getting?¡¯ asked she, an interviewee. No going around this, Latla thought. ¡®Unfortunately,¡¯ she began, no point in dillydally, ¡®I can only pay the minimum wage.¡¯ She stared; brow raised: seriously? Latla nodded. Seriously. The interviewee pushed her bench back, stood up, and left. All without saying another word. ¡®Curses¡­¡¯ Latla drank her tankard of coffee, then slammed it on the table. That¡¯s the fourth interviewee who walked away. Latla was sitting at a table inside a crowded tavern, having conducted unsuccessful interviews for guild receptionist position there. She wasn¡¯t expecting much: needed only someone to handle things for her such as repurposing the building and registering new members. The person needed only to be literate and familiar with the workings of a guild. Anything else, such as having social skills, would be a nice-to-have extra. However, despite the low requirement, the search for a guild receptionist wasn¡¯t as easy as Latla thought it to be. The labor market seemed to value them with a wage higher than the minimum wage. I wouldn¡¯t have this problem if I had managed myself better. *** Past ¨C Shadow Wolf Guild, after Latla defeated Kalak. ¡®I¡¯ll rise to the top from nothing and become the greatest mage in all of existence!¡¯ Having made her declaration, Latla had no further reason to stay. Thus, she turned and allowed herself exi¡ª ¡®Wait, wait,¡¯ the receptionist stopped Latla from leaving, ¡®someone needs to pay for all this damage.¡¯ She meant the broken receptionist counter, the shattered crystal ball, and parts of the guild that were still burning in flames. ¡®¡­¡¯ Latla made a nervous smile. Cold sweat dripped down the side of her head. She had let her anger get the best of her, like always, and had gone overboard. Sure, she would admit that she was to blame, but paying for the damage would be costly and she would rather not. ¡®Consider it self-defense?¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t miraculously make the damage disappear.¡¯ Touche. ¡®Charge it to that traditional mage?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re both to blame for this incident,¡¯ the receptionist nodded, ¡®but you caused the damage.¡¯ Latla was running out of excuses. ¡®Ask insurance to cover it?¡¯ ¡®Insurance will only cover the fire hazard; only up to a certain point.¡¯ A small victory. Good. However, Latla would rather attain the whole victo¡ª Crash! The candle chandelier above fell, bent broken and wrecked the floor with its weight. The heat from her flames had collapsed the ceiling part where the chandelier¡¯s canopy was attached to. Latla exchanged a momentary stare with the receptionist. ¡®¡­ How much for the repairs?¡¯ *** Present ¨C Tavern. Her short temper annoyed her. If she hadn¡¯t gone overboard, if she had controlled herself better, then she wouldn¡¯t have to pay for the repairs. And if she hadn¡¯t paid for the repairs, she could have offered more than the minimum wage and could have hired a guild receptionist by now. ¡­ No point in dwelling over a past mistake. Latla let out an audible sigh. The damage had been done and couldn¡¯t be reversed. ¡®Where can I find myself a guild receptionist, I wonder¡­¡¯ she muttered. ¡®Say, ¡®scuse me,¡¯ a man joined her table, a tankard of ale in his hand; his face was red, ¡®you were interviewing for a job just now?¡¯ ¡®I was.¡¯ ¡®Can I interest you of some lads I know? They¡¯re lookin¡¯ for jobs. Don¡¯t care what s¡¯long¡¯s they can get it. Perhaps you can give ¡®em a shot?¡¯ This whole situation: stranger conveniently appearing with a possible solution to her problem sounded too good to be true. Not to mention, suppose he was genuine, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that he was drunk during daylight, and that behavior made her question the characters of his so-called ¡°lads¡±; birds of same feather flocked together. However, right now, Latla had no leads whatsoever in her guild receptionist position search. Therefore, although reluctant, she agreed to his proposal, ¡®Sure.¡¯ *** Scarlet. ¡®Scarlet, eh?¡¯ said one of the two interviewers. Both were men of noble appearance: fine black suit and tie. ¡®Is it because your hair is scarlet? Ha-ha.¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Scarlet said. She was seated at the desk, opposite the two. ¡®I was called Scarlet from a young age because of my hair color, and it stuck with me.¡¯ ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ ¡®So,¡¯ the other joined, ¡®it¡¯s not your real name?¡¯ Scarlet was unsure on how to respond. This kind of question didn¡¯t come up in her mock interview. ¡®It¡­ is¡­?¡¯ The interviewers whispered to one another, ¡®Does this mean her identity isn¡¯t legally registered?¡¯ ¡®I think she¡¯s from the slums. Their registrations do get sketchy.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t that bad?¡¯ ¡®Depends. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡®So, Scarlet, how do you feel if your monthly pay is 50 krestling?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ hardly enough¡­ ¡®That sounds good.¡¯ She forced a smile. The interviewers nodded, pleased. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s proceed. I can¡¯t help but notice that your skin is pale and that there are bags under your eyes. Are you ill?¡¯ ¡®No. My body is just weak.¡¯ ¡®Huh. Well, I¡¯m sure have something to make up for that. Tell us your strengths and weaknesses.¡¯ ¡®I can read. I usually read my brother a bedtime story from a book that my neighbor lends. I can also cook. My brother often says it¡¯s delicious. As for my weakness¡­ I was told I was overprotective¡­ and stubborn¡­ and¡­ selfish¡­¡¯ Her eyes welled with tears. This wasn¡¯t the answer which she had practiced and prepared for this interview. There was a time for everything, and this was not the right time to remember her dispute with her brother. However, emotions often behaved unpredictably. *** Past. At the dining table of her small humble home, Scarlet scooped a small portion of porridge into a small bowl. She then gave the remaining larger portion to her little brother, having the smaller portion for herself. Her brother, Cirrus, looked at his bowl, lost in thought. ¡®I know it can get boring,¡¯ Scarlet remarked, ¡®eating the same thing over and over again. I feel you, Syr. Trust me. But bear with it please.¡¯ ¡®Mm.¡¯ He nodded. Even the black cat they kept, Noir, stared at the porridge the same way. And she didn¡¯t even eat porridge to know how stale it could get. Scarlet watched as Cirrus ate with spoonful. The sight filled her stomach somewhat. Once he had gone through half his portion, she figured that it was time to bring up the matter that she wanted to discuss. ¡®Cirrus,¡¯ she confronted, ¡®have you been going into the forest again?¡¯ ¡®Nope. Not at all.¡¯ His answer was quick. Too quick. Scarlet suspected that Cirrus had anticipated and practiced this. He then asked the cat, ¡®We haven¡¯t gone to the forest at all right, Noir?¡¯ ¡®Meow¡­¡¯ ¡®You heard her.¡¯ Heard what? She¡¯s a cat, she meows! That¡¯s what she does! Scarlet rubbed her forehead. Kept her outrage to herself and remained calm. ¡®Her answer, whatever it was, means nothing. Cirrus, I want the truth, have you been going into the forest again?¡¯ ¡®Nope.¡¯ ¡®Then why do I hear that someone saw you selling herbs to a mage in Shadow Wolf guild?¡¯ ¡®What? Trisha was supposed to keep quiet! Oh, um, I mean, I definitely didn¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®Cirrus, how many times do I have to tell you that the forest is dangerous? There are monsters there and bad things can happen to you. Do you know how worried I get?¡¯ ¡®But¡ª¡¯ ¡®No buts. You¡¯re. Not. Allowed. To go to. The forest. Understand?¡¯ ¡®But that¡¯s the only way to get money!¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have to worry about that. That¡¯s my job.¡¯ ¡®¡­ What job? You don¡¯t have a job, Scarlet!¡¯ His words hurt her. It hurt because what he said was true. And she knew that. But her pride as an older sister made her refuse to lose this dispute. Scarlet slammed the dining table. ¡®I didn¡¯t raise my brother to be a rude child.¡¯ Cirrus¡¯s eyes were welling with tears. ¡®You¡¯re always like this. Always. You think you know what¡¯s best, but you don¡¯t! ¡®You¡¯re worried because you¡¯re overprotective, you never really get how I feel because you¡¯re stubborn, and worst of all you¡¯re selfish!¡¯ Cirrus never had this kind of outburst before; Scarlet was at a loss. ¡®If you don¡¯t want me to go to the ¡°dangerous¡± forest, then you should get a job!¡¯ Cirrus ran away from the dining room. ¡®Cirrus!¡¯ Scarlet wanted to chase her brother, but she was stopped by violent coughs. This matter had come as a surprise; she didn¡¯t take it well. At times like this, she cursed this weak body of hers. ¡®Cirrus¡­¡¯ The black cat, Noir, gave chase. But, before she left the dining room, she gave Scarlet a spiteful glare along with a hostile growl. Even the cat believed that Scarlet was to blame for this situation. Alone in the empty dining room, Scarlet shed a tear. Was it true that she worried too much? Cirrus had gone to the forest a few times, but always came back perfectly unharmed. Was it true that she didn¡¯t get how he felt? Scarlet noticed that Cirrus ate only half his portion of porridge. And was it true that she was selfish? I¡­ Scarlet wiped her tears with her sleeve. I will get a job. I have to. *** Latla. She rolled a ring with her fingertips. ¡®A shortcut that leads to the lads,¡¯ he said, Latla thought as she followed the drunk stranger through a foreign alleyway. By now, having learnt from her days as a traveling merchant, she knew full well that caution was better exerted than not. It was a common story for merchants¡ªor at least those with appearances that suggested wealth like her¡ªto be targeted. Common enough that I lost count. ¡®Your lads don¡¯t look like they¡¯re searching for jobs,¡¯ Latla remarked. She was led to a desolate open area, surrounded by several men armed with steel pipes. ¡®Did I say they¡¯re lookin¡¯ for jobs?¡¯ He scratched his head, feigning innocence. ¡®My bad,¡¯ he grinned, ¡®they just wanted the money. Better hand ¡®em over.¡¯ ¡®¡­ I¡¯ve had a frustrating day. Interviewed four people; none succeeded. Then this happens.¡¯ ¡®Bad luck.¡¯ He shrugged. ¡®Bad luck.¡¯ Latla nodded. ¡®For all of you.¡¯ Wham! Latla punched the drunk stranger¡¯s face; the force toppled him away, unconscious. ¡®It¡¯s not every day that I get to unleash my frustration.¡¯ Latla smiled. That punch just now felt good. Even better when she knew that there would be no repairs to pay for and that self-defense would be legitimate as an excuse. ¡®Get her!¡¯ shouted one of them. On cue, they rushed toward her. Swish! Latla dodged a pipe swing by swaying her upper body backward; at the same time, delivered a front kick on the stomach that suffocated her opponent. Made him double over onto the ground. That¡¯s two. Swi¡ªGrab! Latla caught a hand, stopping a pipe swing. Halted, she let go, delivered quick one-two jabs on her opponent¡¯s solar plexus. He staggered to a fall. That¡¯s three. Wham! She threw a roundhouse kick; one of them had gotten into her range, late on the swing. He received the kick in full on the head, knocked out instantly. That¡¯s fou¡ª Bursting from the ground were pillars of water surrounding her from all sides. Latla dashed away, escaping the encirclement, but the water pillars chased like a serpent. Having caught her, it coiled into and imprisoned her in a sphere of water. From inside, Latla saw a man weaving his steel pipe like a staff. He was responsible for this magic that was cast on her. Can¡¯t breathe¡­ Latla struggled in the water, tried to escape by swimming toward air, but the sphere of water had a current from all direction that kept her at the center. Breaking free from this imprisonment was impossible¡ª Curses¡­ ¡ªif she relied only on her physical strength. Latla finally wore her ring, the mana storage tool, on her finger. As soon as it was equipped, the ring shattered to pieces, a result from having overtapped the mana within. The sphere of water burst into a rising cloud of steam. Through sheer strength of magic, despite the elemental incompatibility, she had vaporized the water with her flame. As the steam settled and the vision cleared, the armed men could see Latla having escaped the water imprisonment. The defeated expressions on their faces were enough to give Latla the satisfaction of victory. There was no need to go any further. ¡®Still want to fight?¡¯ Her opponents threw their steel pipes, showed their backs, and ran with tails coiled between their legs. Latla wouldn¡¯t have minded if they wanted to continue though. *** Scarlet & Latla Scarlet walked through the street; head hung low. Not because she was watching for and navigating through cracks and potholes, but because she felt an imaginary weight weighing her down. I couldn¡¯t get the job¡­ She felt horrible. Getting a job was the condition to stop her little brother from going into the dangerous forest; yet, despite that being clear and simple, Scarlet had failed. Can I call myself his older sister? When I¡¯m just a failure for an older sister? For an uneducated someone with a weak body, there weren¡¯t many job options available for her. Getting into an interview alone had been a miracle, and she had wasted that opportunity. I hate this. I hate being so pathetic. If only¡ªif only I didn¡¯t¡­ On her way home, she came across a grand building: two-story tall, walls smooth and painted blue. This caf¨¦, although it didn¡¯t look like one, was an abandoned building; no one was taking care of it. But, this day, after many eventless passings here, Scarlet saw a young woman sitting at a table in front of the caf¨¦; she was brewing coffee, boiling a flask using magic: finger lighter. Is she the owner of the caf¨¦? Scarlet wondered. Are they opening again? Are they hiring? She hoped they were. Wanting to give job-seeking another shot, knowing that the worst that could happen was her being shooed away, she approached the young woman. ¡®Excuse me, is this caf¨¦ opening again?¡¯ Latla looked away from her coffee and saw the scarlet-haired woman. Her expression gave the impression of someone having fallen to rock bottom. What was it that she had experienced? Latla was curious, but she knew not to ask until the opportunity arose. She answered her question, ¡®Sort of. I¡¯m planning to open this place; not as a caf¨¦, but as a guild.¡¯ ¡®A guild¡­¡¯ she remarked. ¡®Do you want coffee?¡¯ Latla offered. ¡®It has been left in the storage for long, but it¡¯s still good. I¡¯ve tested it the other day.¡¯ ¡®Oh, um, perhaps a cup? Thank you.¡¯ She poured and gave her a cup of coffee. After having sipped it, she asked, ¡®Are you hiring?¡¯ This again. Latla rolled her eyes. After the events that had happened today, she wasn¡¯t feeling optimistic. Regardless, since she had no leads, she had to bite. ¡®Yes. I¡¯m searching for a receptionist who can read and know how guilds work.¡¯ Her face brightened. ¡®I can do that!¡¯ ¡®Good to hear.¡¯ ¡®Would you consider hiring me?¡¯ Her eagerness irritated Latla. Thus far, everyone was eager until they heard about the wage. ¡®I can only pay the minimum wage.¡¯ ¡®Sorry, but how much is the minimum wage?¡¯ ¡®500 krestling.¡¯ ¡®500 krestling?!¡¯ ¡®Yes. It¡¯s too low, I¡ª¡¯ ¡®Please, give me a chance.¡¯ She looked at her straight in the eyes with a stare that contained resolve. ¡®I promise that I will give the job my best.¡¯ She¡¯s a first, Latla thought, a bit surprised that her eagerness remained. No, if anything, her eagerness increased after hearing about the wage. I don¡¯t want someone who just wants the wage though. ¡®Why do you want a job?¡¯ she asked. Why? Scarlet thought. There was only one answer: ¡®I want to call myself my brother¡¯s older sister.¡¯ Latla blinked. She wants what? she questioned, baffled. It was far and away an answer that went out of her expectations. An answer with a meaning that she could not comprehend, for she lacked an understanding of her situation. Yet, at the same time, an answer that conveyed her motivation to Latla. She¡¯s not someone who just wants the wage, she determined. Having heard her answer, Latla proposed they move inside and discuss further, giving her the chance that she so wanted. If all goes well, I might have found myself a guild receptionist. Chapter 4.5 – Extra: The Little Brother’s Struggles Past ¨C Shadow Wolf Guild. ¡®Here, for your hard efforts.¡¯ Kalak, the traditional mage, with a mocking laugh, threw three coins to the ground. Cirrus, Scarlet¡¯s little brother, knelt to pick the coins. Those would be a total of 3 krestling: an amount of money that would vanish after a day for food, a payment which was hardly fair. He hated Kalak for paying him so low. ¡®What¡¯s with that stare, boy?¡¯ Kalak noticed. ¡®I don¡¯t like that. Not one bit.¡¯ Being only 10 years old, Cirrus couldn¡¯t register as a mage for a guild without a certificate¡ªsomething that was impossible to get without money. Because of that, along with the laws that prevented child labor by banning trade for children, Cirrus couldn¡¯t sell the herbs he had collected for its rightful price. Buying from him would be a crime and not many would risk that. Kalak didn¡¯t care about the risk, which made him his only buyer. A buyer who severely underpaid him. ¡®Someone needs to teach you a lesson for giving me that look, boy. I suppose I¡¯ll have to step up and take that role myself¡ª¡¯ ¡®Kalak,¡¯ Trisha, the guild receptionist for Shadow Wolf guild, called. Her miraculous timing defused the tension that was about to break. ¡®Would you please check the mana measuring tool?¡¯ ¡®Bah! Why should I?¡¯ ¡®Because it doesn¡¯t seem to be working.¡¯ You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Kalak stared back and forth between Cirrus and Trisha, torn about which obligation he should attend. Then, with a groan, ¡®Fine, I¡¯ll look at the mana measuring tool.¡¯ ¡®Please follow me.¡¯ As Trisha led the way, she glanced over her shoulder toward Cirrus. Pointed two fingers at her eyes, then at Cirrus: I saw you. Cirrus shook his head: Can we pretend I wasn¡¯t here? Please? She looked away: No. Cirrus could only worry about what Trisha had in store for him, for she could be strict with him. Last time, she had scolded him while he had to sit with his legs folded under¡ªfor two hours straight. Her scolding was how he knew about the laws regarding child labor. ¡®Meow.¡¯ Noir, the black cat rested on his head, gave Cirrus a poke with her soft paw. ¡®Yeah, we better run.¡¯ He appreciated her warning. ¡®Who knows how long Trisha will scold us this time. Let¡¯s go home. Oh, when we get back, don¡¯t tell sis that we went to the forest, okay? It¡¯s our secret. Shh.¡¯ ¡®Meow,¡¯ Noir agreed. ¡®Good. Alright, let¡¯s go home.¡¯ His sale today made him feel bitter. Truth be told, even without the threat of Trisha¡¯s scolding, Cirrus wanted to leave regardless. He hated how he was treated, hated how the world was unfair. There¡¯s hardly anything I can do to change that¡­ ¡®And who decided that?¡¯ Cirrus heard a protest, sharp and clear. The protest resonated with him, stopped him on his track. He glanced toward the voice and saw a young lady confronting Kalak. She wasn¡¯t reserved about voicing her thoughts and wasn¡¯t one to back down from where she stood. ¡®I won¡¯t let such insignificant standards define me.¡¯ Seeing her, Cirrus couldn¡¯t help but wish that he could be like her. Someone who could fight for oneself. Soon after, a blinding clash of fireballs occurred. Once his eyes adjusted, he could see her standing tall. ¡®I¡¯ll rise to the top from nothing and become the greatest mage of all existence!¡¯ This was Cirrus¡¯s first encounter with Latla; already, she had gained his admiration. Chapter 5 – A Steady and Bumpy Progress Present ¨C Shadow Wolf Guild. Inside an office, seated at his desk, was a man who carried the title¡ªone so heavy not many would shoulder its weight¡ªof guild leader. The window behind him shone hard light in, engulfing him in solid shadow that hid his expression. Trisha, the guild receptionist, felt uneasy as she stood before him. ¡®Do you know why I summoned you here?¡¯ he asked, voice echoed throughout, pressuring Trisha from all around. She glanced down. ¡®I could only assume that your summoning is because of the incident the other day. One that I believe I have handled correctly.¡¯ ¡®You have. If that was a normal incident.¡¯ ¡®That was a normal incident. Someone came in and picked a fight with one of the members. It¡¯s not the first time that has happened.¡¯ ¡®You fail to see that the person who picked the fight was a manaless.¡¯ ¡®Why is a manaless such a big deal? That¡¯s what I fail to see.¡¯ And then silence followed. A deafening one. She glanced up. Looked at his face, tried to get a read on him, but there was no point. All she could see was a void, a sight that she doubted would change without the shadow. Trisha felt regret. The leader stood up. ¡®Latla Altaveli is the key for expanding my guild.¡¯ His steps made solid knocks on the floor as he approached her. ¡®A manaless with a grand aspiration. She¡¯s a hero material that everyone can root for. ¡®Her presence can bring Shadow Wolf into the spotlight, gaining me valuable recognition that can bring my guild to the top.¡¯ He extended his hand and took her chin. His fingers were gentle, but cold to the touch. ¡®Do you understand?¡¯ Despite being this close, she still couldn¡¯t see his face. Trisha¡¯s eyes welled with tears. She brushed his hand aside. ¡®No, I don¡¯t understand,¡¯ she answered. ¡®Latla Altaveli picked a fight and defeated one of us. Yet, you want to invite her as our member. How would people feel about that? Inviting an enemy to join us for your goal? Are you so heartless that you don¡¯t even care about your own guild members?¡¯ ¡®Members can always be replaced, Trisha.¡¯ No hesitation in his response. ¡®The next time you see Latla Altaveli, I expect you to invite her into Shadow Wolf. Give her an offer that she can¡¯t refuse. Is that clear?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ Trisha gave a rebellious stare. ¡®But I refuse.¡¯ Having said that, she turned and left the office, closing the door with a violent slam. Outside, in the hallway, she rested her back on a wall and slid down to a crouch. There, she sobbed. *** The Leader. Having been left by her, he stood still in the darkness. For a moment he was unmoving, and after another moment he returned to his desk. His belief remained firm: members could be replaced, she could too. However, instead of focusing on a trivial matter, he shifted his attention back to the manaless. According to the written report on his desk, Latla Altaveli, having been rejected by Shadow Wolf, was creating her own guild. From that knowledge, he could tell that she was serious about chasing what she wanted. ¡®A manaless who wants to become the greatest mage in all existence¡­¡¯ Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. *** Latla. ¡®It¡¯s you!¡¯ Latla blinked. She had opened the caf¨¦¡¯s front door with her shoulder¡ªfor her hands were occupied from carrying stack of papers¡ªand saw a boy pointing his finger at her. She found his presence unexpected and his familiarity confusing. Had she met him before? Also, was that a cat on his head? ¡®Syr,¡¯ Scarlet called. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t point at other people and call them ¡°you¡±.¡¯ She put down her cleaning rag on the rim of a bucket and walked toward them. ¡®Sorry about my brother.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s alright. I was just surprised to see someone else here. I didn¡¯t know you were bringing your brother along.¡¯ ¡®Sorry about that too. I didn¡¯t realize that he had followed me here. All because he can¡¯t believe that his sister has gotten a job.¡¯ ¡®I have to check if you¡¯ve gotten a proper job!¡¯ he said. ¡®Even Noir agrees that it¡¯s suspicious that someone would give you a job. Right, Noir?¡¯ ¡®Meow.¡¯ ¡®See?¡¯ The exchange between him and the cat was another surprise for Latla. One that made her chuckle. ¡®He does that. Noir speaks whatever Syr wants her to.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s convenient,¡¯ Latla remarked. She closed the door with her heel and finally took a good look at the caf¨¦. The dust which had plagued the place was mostly gone and every spot¡ªsave for a few that were difficult to reach¡ªwere clean. The day before, after a knowledge and background check¡ªfollowed by a long discussion of what the job demanded and possible issues, Latla had hired Scarlet for the job. Formally, her position was as a guild receptionist, but since the caf¨¦ had yet to become a guild, she was more of a helper for now. Hence, why she was cleaning the place. ¡®I see that you¡¯ve made good progress,¡¯ Latla said. ¡®The cleaning equipment from the storage room is really good.¡¯ There was a hint of excitement in her tone. ¡®Not to mention, Syr has been helping me. Syr, you should introduce yourself to her.¡¯ ¡®Cirrus Solis!¡¯ he said. ¡®You can call me Syr! Nice to know you, miss!¡¯ ¡®Latla Altaveli. You can call me Latla. Likewise, Syr.¡¯ Latla stepped further into the caf¨¦. ¡®Syr, did you help with cleaning?¡¯ ¡®A little!¡¯ ¡®A lot,¡¯ Scarlet corrected. ¡®He cleaned the cellar until it was sparkling clean somehow. So quickly too.¡¯ ¡®The cellar was Noir¡¯s work!¡¯ ¡®Yes, yes.¡¯ Scarlet smiled. ¡®The cat cleaned the cellar with her paws. Surely.¡¯ Him helping around shouldn¡¯t count as child labor, I hope, Latla worried as she placed the stack of paper on a table. It¡¯s more of a chore than a job. Latla glanced at Cirrus. Would be unfair if I don¡¯t acknowledge his help. She picked out her wallet and pulled out a single note. ¡®Syr,¡¯ she called, he approached. ¡®Here,¡¯ she handed him 5 krestling, ¡®for your efforts. It¡¯s a one-time thing and more of a reward than transaction, understand?¡¯ She made sure that last part was clear because she wouldn¡¯t want people to misunderstand that she encouraged child labor. The boy, Cirrus, beamed as he saw the note in his hand. He was very happy about it. ¡®Thanks a lot, Latla!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a one-time thing, understand?¡¯ Latla repeated. ¡®Look, Noir, look!¡¯ He was jumping around, so happy that he didn¡¯t hear her. For Latla, 5 krestling was an amount that she could easily let go; but, for Cirrus, 5 krestling seemed to be an amount that overjoyed him. Good for him. ¡®I¡¯ll make sure that he understands,¡¯ Scarlet assured with a smile. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t mention it; it¡¯s only fair. Anyway, I recall there¡¯s a wide standing board here? The one where menus are pinned.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s near the counter. Do you need it?¡¯ ¡®Yes. Can you bring it here? Along with the pins?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be right back.¡¯ Off Scarlet went. Whilst waiting, Latla glanced at the stack of paper she had placed on the table. It was one of the four requirements needed for guild creation: Quests. *** Latla, Scarlet, and Cirrus, having pinned all the paper on the board, stepped back and looked at them in full view. ¡®These are the quests?¡¯ Scarlet asked. ¡®Yes,¡¯ Latla answered. On the board were wanted posters, arranged left to right from lowest to highest bounty. While herb collection and monster extermination quests were difficult to attain due to regulations, bounty hunting quests were as easy to attain as buying a cheap catalogue. Not to mention, aside from the difficulty of the quest: tracking; hunting; and capturing, the reward for bounty hunting was easy to process. As simple as handing the criminals over and getting the money and achievement. ¡®This will suffice for now.¡¯ Place and Quests are already handled, Latla thought. What¡¯s left of the requirements are Members and Approval. But before I can get to that, there¡¯s something I have to address. ¡®Ideally, Scarlet, I¡¯ll work on gaining Approval and you work on gaining Members. But that would be unrealistic.¡¯ ¡®Why is it unrealistic?¡¯ ¡®Because I¡¯m running thin on money. Progressing further would be impossible if that doesn¡¯t change.¡¯ Without money, she wouldn¡¯t be able to pay for guild advertisement nor registration fee. The former important for Members, the latter important for Approval. ¡®Does this mean you¡¯re not getting paid?¡¯ Cirrus asked Scarlet. ¡®No. My wage was paid upfront yesterday. Latla, are you going to bounty hunt for money?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d like to. But bounty hunting relies a great deal on luck when I can¡¯t buy information, so I can¡¯t depend on that.¡¯ ¡®How are you going to get money then?¡¯ asked Cirrus, curious. ¡®Khiva has an annual bazaar that starts tomorrow,¡¯ Latla answered. It was a trade event where lots of things would be sold and bought. ¡®There, I¡¯ll make money with a method I like most: I¡¯ll buy 10 krestling for 1 krestling.¡¯ Chapter 6 – 10 Krestling for 1 Krestling Past. Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar was a trade event where, for a week straight, there were no restrictions on setting up a stall in unclaimed spots. It was a free market where everyone could participate regardless of their status. The streets were lined with stalls: some were simple, their setups being a thin fabric on the ground with price-tagged goods atop; some were complex, their setups being glass showcases with well-lit price-labeled goods inside. Though everyone had their differences, those who gathered here¡ªnot only sellers, but also buyers¡ªhad one thing in common: to become rich(er). Walking through the sea of people were Artour and Latla. He held her hand with a gentle grip. ¡®Safety precautions,¡¯ he said. Latla rolled her eyes. Annoyed, she tried breaking free from his grasp, but¡ªlike her previous attempts¡ªshe failed. ¡®You really hate having your hand held, do you?¡¯ Artour said. Again, Latla tried breaking free by pulling her hand out. Another failure. ¡®Alright, alright. I get it.¡¯ He let go of her hand. That made her happy; though, only momentarily. Soon, he grabbed her under her arms, lifted her up, and seated her on his shoulders. ¡®Better?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the same thing,¡¯ Latla protested. ¡®Back to holding hands then?¡¯ Annoyed, she was about to pull his hair, but she couldn¡¯t help noticing that the breeze felt good up there on his shoulders. Down there, it was damp and suffocating; up here, it was¡ªliberating. Before, she could only see people¡¯s waists, but now she could see the stalls, could see the items being sold, and could see people engaging themselves in transactions. Everything had changed despite still being the same place. ¡®¡­ This is better.¡¯ ¡®Good to know.¡¯ Artour smiled. Like that, they wandered around the bazaar. Artour went here and there, shuffled back and forth, and looked left and right as if searching for a treasure. Finally, after a while, he spotted a stall that was worthy of his attention. He made a brief stop, eyeing the item that caught his interest. Then, with a hint of excitement in his tone, Artour told Latla, ¡®Watch how I buy 10 krestling for the price of 1.¡¯ Buy 10 krestling for the price of 1? ¡®That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡¯ Latla remarked. He rubbed his hands together. ¡®It will make sense later. You¡¯ll see.¡¯ And off they went. *** Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Bazaar. And off Latla went. More crowded than ever, she thought whilst navigating through the sea of people, heading toward her destination. Having done a quick search around the bazaar, she had finally found a glimpse of a treasure and was on her path toward a simple stall. The reason she was here today was to make money. She needed money to pay for guild advertisement and registration fee. The former for Member, the latter for Approval. Two important requirements to create her own guild. Latla took one more step. Out of the sea and onto an island, the stall. I¡¯ve spotted a treasure. She eyed a pair of gloves: its color a plain gray, with black stripes for seams. All that¡¯s left is to claim it. *** Augur. ¡®Welcome, young miss,¡¯ greeted Augur, the stall-keeper, a man with graying moustache. What a catch, he thought to himself upon looking at the young lady before him. Her crown braid hairstyle suggested class, her clothes¡¯ fine fabric suggested wealth, and her refined movement suggested authenticity. Only right to give my best. ¡®These goods,¡¯ he waved his hands, ¡®are all fresh on the display. Got them from a traveler as young and as beautiful as you are.¡¯ ¡®Thank you.¡¯ She returned his business-smile with a business-smile. The praise didn¡¯t have the effect he¡¯d hoped for; customers would normally drop their guard after that, but not this one. She¡¯s not easy. She crouched and pointed at an item. ¡®How much is for those gloves?¡¯ ¡®These?¡¯ He grabbed them, giving her a closer look. ¡®Yes. These caught my eyes from afar. The simple design looks good.¡¯ Augur didn¡¯t miss that: a chance to reel. ¡®Young miss, you shouldn¡¯t say that! Why, if I were an unfair and dishonest trader, I¡¯ll increase the price when I know you like the item. But I am a fair and honest trader, the price for these gloves is as the tag says: 200 krestling.¡¯ Except¡ªhe wasn¡¯t exactly fair and honest. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. In a free market like this bazaar, where regulations and interventions hardly existed, sellers like him had the freedom to mark up the prices of their goods by a huge margin. 200 krestling was the price on the tag, but if he was being truly honest, he had attained the gloves for much lower. And if he was being truly fair, he could¡¯ve sold for lower. But getting as much profit as possible was the name of the game here. ¡®I can see that,¡¯ she said, ¡®but I¡¯m wondering if the price could be cheaper.¡¯ It could be. Would it be? He¡¯d rather not. ¡®I¡¯ve taken the effort to tag the price of my goods fairly, young miss. It¡¯s difficult for me to lower the price.¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s possible.¡¯ Not a question, but a statement. She¡¯s a tough one. Augur nodded. ¡®But it¡¯s possible. For the right price.¡¯ ¡®I was thinking 100 krestling for the gloves.¡¯ ¡®100 krestling?? Young miss, I have kids to feed! How will they look at their father if I sell for that cheap and can¡¯t bring food to the table?¡¯ Answer: they wouldn¡¯t give him any sort of looks; his kids were, after all, imaginary. Conjured whenever convenient. ¡®I was thinking 190 krestling.¡¯ ¡®I understand that you have kids to feed, but how can I make the purchase if the price is too high for me? How about 130?¡¯ Augur sensed that something was wrong. Too high because you¡¯re not willing to pay that much? Or too high because you can¡¯t pay that much? ¡®Why, thank you for understanding the situation with my kids, but I can¡¯t meet you there at that price. How about 180?¡¯ ¡®140.¡¯ Perhaps she doesn¡¯t possess as much wealth as her looks suggest. ¡®170.¡¯ She took out her wallet, a sight that made him happy. However, instead of agreeing on the price, she counted the content of her wallet; took her time in doing so. Then, she bid, ¡®151.¡¯ 151? That¡¯s a specific number. He twirled his moustache, pondering. Is that the full content of your wallet? Noticing his silence, she counted her wallet once more, then pulled out a few coins. ¡®Make that 156 actually.¡¯ That¡¯s the full content of her wallet. Augur was sure. The young lady had made her final bid. Now, Augur had to decide whether he would take 156 krestling for the gloves. After all, if he was lucky, another buyer might appear in near time and buy it for 200 krestling. There are plenty of fish in the sea, he reminded himself. ¡®Young miss, I have lived years of my life as a trader, and I have met a great many customers to know that you¡¯re a tough one. This decision is not easy to make¡­ but we have ourselves a deal, young miss! 156 krestling for the gloves!¡¯ There are plenty of fish in the sea, but there are as plenty of fisher out here. If he let his catch escape, he wasn¡¯t sure if there would ever be another. That was just how competitive this bazaar was. He offered his hand; she shook it. The deal was sealed. They traded the gloves for the 156 krestling. ¡®Thank you for your purchase!¡¯ he said, all smiles. A catch is a catch, Augur thought as he counted the krestling. He didn¡¯t sell the gloves for the tagged price, but that was fine. I¡¯ve gotten those gloves for next to nothing the other day. *** Latla. Not bad, I suppose, Latla reflected whilst looking at the gloves. I was aiming for 150, but 6 extra hardly makes a difference. Her wallet, in fact, still had way more krestling to spare; pulling coins out always made people think that it was running empty. Good enough. Now, onto the next thing. Latla glanced sideways. Beside her stood a boy. He had appeared when she was haggling. ¡®How was that buying 10 krestling for 1 krestling?¡¯ Cirrus asked, his eyes glittered with curiosity. ¡®Why are you here, Syr?¡¯ Latla asked, irritated. ¡®I want to know how to get money!¡¯ ¡®Shouldn¡¯t you be accompanying your sister at the caf¨¦?¡¯ ¡®No worries! I left Noir behind with her!¡¯ Only then Latla noticed that no cat rested on his head. ¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯re getting along!¡¯ ¡®Have you been following me?¡¯ ¡®Mm!¡¯ He nodded. That fueled her anger. ¡®This place isn¡¯t safe for children. It¡¯s rife with thievery and kidnapping. Has Scarlet never told you that?¡¯ ¡®She tells me that every year! But this place is not as dangerous as the forest so I¡¯m fine!¡¯ Latla pressed her fist softly on Cirrus¡¯s cheek. This gesture confused him. Little did he know that this was her exerting a great amount of self-restraint. ¡®Why aren¡¯t you taking care of yourself better?¡¯ ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ ¡®I mean this. Going to unsafe places without caring for yourself. You¡¯re here because you want to know how to make money, you said. Get your priorities straight! Do you think it¡¯s worth it to put your own safety at risk for money?¡¯ ¡®I think so!¡¯ Latla glared at Cirrus. She pressed her fist harder on his cheek. ¡®Explain.¡¯ ¡®Because money can buy you food!¡¯ he answered, cheery, not feeling threatened at all by her. ¡®And you need food to be healthy! ¡®I really like how it is now! When sis and I eat together, she gets a full portion of food for herself! I really hate how it was before! She used to split the food between us and would give herself the smaller portion. I want to know how to get money so that doesn¡¯t ever happen again!¡¯ Latla blinked, surprised by Cirrus¡¯s answer. You¡¯re doing this for your sister. She twisted her fist¡ªlightly. Makes me envious. ¡®It¡¯s good that you take care of your sister, but you still need to take care of yourself.¡¯ ¡®Mm.¡¯ He nodded. She pulled her fist away from his cheek. After some consideration, she made up her mind. Latla grabbed Cirrus under his arms, lifted him up, and seated him on her shoulders. She then stood and brought him up. ¡®Whoa! Everyone else is short now!¡¯ he remarked, excited. ¡®I¡¯ll teach you how to make money without risking your safety. Promise me you¡¯ll be on your best behavior?¡¯ ¡®I promise I¡¯ll be on my best be-have-your!¡¯ ¡®Do you even know what the word means?¡¯ ¡®Nope!¡¯ ¡®Mess with my hair and I¡¯ll drop you. Mess with my trade and I¡¯ll toss you. Got it?¡¯ ¡®Got it!¡¯ Walking with Cirrus on her shoulders, Latla felt nostalgic about her past. When it came to piggyback, she used to be on the receiving end with Artour; now she was on the giving end with Cirrus. Never thought my role would change like this. ¡®Latla, Latla,¡¯ Cirrus called. Now that he knew she would teach him, he repeated his unanswered question. The same question that Latla had once asked Artour years ago. ¡®How was that buying 10 krestling with 1 krestling?¡¯ ¡®What comes to your imagination when I said buying 10 krestling for 1 krestling?¡¯ He had answered my question with another question back then. Latla remembered Artour¡¯s smile. I¡¯m not him though. ¡®The gloves are worth more than the price I bought them for,¡¯ Latla answered. ¡®They¡¯re supposed to be 200 krestling, but you bought them for 156!¡¯ ¡®No. They¡¯re not supposed to be 200.¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re not?¡¯ ¡®They¡¯re more than that. The gloves are worn down, but that doesn¡¯t change the material it¡¯s made of. It¡¯s high quality, most likely made from A-rank monster material. The seller must have gotten the gloves for cheaper and sold to me at a profit, but he didn¡¯t know that these can be sold for way more than 156 krestling.¡¯ ¡®How much can you sell it for?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d say around 3,000 krestling.¡¯ ¡®3,000 krestling?! That¡¯s enough to buy food every day for¡­ for a long time!¡¯ ¡®Sure would. That¡¯s how making money by buying 10 krestling for 1 krestling works.¡¯ Or in Latla¡¯s current case, to be more exact, 20 krestling for 1 krestling. ¡®You buy expensive items which are sold cheap, then sell it for its rightful price. Simple, but you¡¯ll need knowledge to do this.¡¯ ¡®3,000 krestling¡­¡¯ Cirrus was still in disbelief. It¡¯s a lot, Latla thought, understanding his reaction. But I still need more krestling for guild expenses. Thus, she continued her treasure hunt. Chapter 7 – Khiva’s Annual Bazaar Is Not a Safe Place Present, day two of Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar. Every year, people would gather in Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar for valuables, crowding the place. The sellers might be organized due to space restrictions, but the buyers were chaotic; they would move however they liked and wherever they wanted, causing a rush that made walking difficult. To progress forward, the skill to grasp leeway¡ªcreated at random from the shift of the masses¡ªwas crucial. Having possessed no such skill, for her daily activities as Shadow Wolf¡¯s guild receptionist consisted of being stuck behind a counter for ten hours, Trisha was being swept away by the crowd without any control over where she was going. Why did I come here?! she asked herself. Having been distraught and inattentive at work ever since meeting with the guild leader, she had taken a day off and decided to pass the time by going to the bazaar¡ªthinking that she could take her mind off work. But that was a mistake. If that was her goal, then¡­ I could¡¯ve instead chosen to read a book, cook food, go to the theater, or anything else! People moved in unreadable directions, bumping and pushing her. Carried away by this harsh flow, Trisha couldn¡¯t even find a moment to stand in a spot. It wasn¡¯t this bad before! The last time I went here¡­ The last time she went here was years ago. Shadow Wolf guild hadn¡¯t been established then, she had been a young woman who enjoyed her life. Back then, this annual bazaar was as crowded, always had been, but that didn¡¯t matter because¡­ ¡­ I had him around¡­ guiding me through this crowd¡­ Tears welled in her eyes. She had remembered his hand gently holding hers, a pleasant time which she had lost¡ªwhich she could never regain. Coming to this bazaar was a mistake. Worst of all, despite wanting to exit, she couldn¡¯t. Being stuck inside this evermoving crowd was suffocating, dizzying. Everyone was so restless, so agitated, so rushed. It was as if she was moving too slow, while the world was moving too fast. The pace difference threw her balance off. Trisha started to feel sick; her face was becoming whitely pale. Her mind was being chipped away, both from within and without. Tears coursed down her cheek. Darkness as thick as black ink swirled around her vision, claiming her conscious¡ª ¡®Trisha?¡¯ A familiar voice called her name. Is it¡­ him? She glanced up, hopeful. ¡®Trisha!¡¯ uttered the boy. He was sitting on someone¡¯s shoulders. No. Not him. Of course not. He wouldn¡¯t be here. She was disappointed that he wasn¡¯t him, but also glad that he was someone she knew. ¡®Syr,¡¯ she uttered. ¡®Are you okay?¡¯ She wiped her tears. ¡®I¡¯m¡ª¡¯ The crowd remained moving, causing a harsh flow that Trisha didn¡¯t know how to maneuver through. She was being pushed and swept away from Cirrus. No. No! Trisha didn¡¯t want to be separated, didn¡¯t want to be alone. She stretched her hand toward him, an attempt to remain together, and¡ªsomeone grabbed her wrist, the person whose shoulders Cirrus was seated on. The same person who had come and picked a fight inside the Shadow Wolf guild. The noble-looking manaless whose name she remembered. Latla Altaveli¡­ *** ¡®¡­ Thank you.¡¯ Seated at the edge of a sidewalk, Trisha accepted the cup of water that Latla offered. Although this spot was uncrowded, she was still inside the bazaar area. I don¡¯t want to walk through that crowd again, she thought. Maybe I should spend the whole day here, wait until night comes and the crowd disperses. Trisha took a sip, felt the water down her throat, very refreshing. ¡®¡­ How much for the water? I¡¯ll pay you back.¡¯ ¡®No need.¡¯ Latla refused, casual. ¡®I insist.¡¯ I don¡¯t want to owe you anything. Trisha didn¡¯t hate Latla, but she didn¡¯t like her either. She searched her pockets, but¡ªno matter how thorough¡ªshe couldn¡¯t find it. Did she forget to bring it? No, that had never happened before. ¡®I lost¡­ my wallet...¡¯ ¡®Must¡¯ve been stolen,¡¯ Latla remarked. She sipped her own cup of water. ¡®You were an easy target for thieves.¡¯ ¡®This is the worst¡­¡¯ With all the bumping and pushing going on inside that crowd, Trisha had missed a hand slipping into her pocket and taking her wallet. ¡®This is the worst!¡¯ She lost her cash, she lost her keys, she lost her receptionist badge, she lost her bank credentials, and she lost her identification card. I¡¯m stupid for putting everything there and losing it! Renewing all that she had lost would be a painful process. ¡®Cheer up, Trisha,¡¯ Cirrus said, lifting her spirit. ¡®There¡¯s nothing to worry about! If you have problems with food, I will share my food with you! You shared your food a lot of times with me and sis before! We¡¯ll help!¡¯ If only the problem stops there, Trisha wanted to say, but didn¡¯t voice out. She knew that he was trying to comfort her. ¡®¡­ You¡¯re right, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll figure things out.¡¯ She forced a smile, then patted his head. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ ¡®Oh! I know! Why don¡¯t you join me and Latla? We¡¯ll make money together! It¡¯ll be fun!¡¯ ¡®¡­ Thanks for the invite, but I don¡¯t know, Syr. This place has been anything but fun to me. Also, I imagine that¡ªMiss Altaveli already has her hands full, having you around.¡¯ ¡®What does that mean?¡¯ ¡®It means that you¡¯re difficult to take care of.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not difficult to take care of!¡¯ ¡®Right¡­¡¯ Trisha had lost count on how many times she had covered for Cirrus¡¯s illegal sales at the guild. ¡®Miss Altaveli, what do you think?¡¯ If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t say he¡¯s difficult to take care of,¡¯ Latla said. Hearing that, Cirrus pushed his chest, proud. ¡®I don¡¯t believe you,¡¯ Trisha said. ¡®More like he¡¯s annoying to take care of,¡¯ Latla said. ¡®So far, he had caused me two failed purchases because he couldn¡¯t keep quiet while I was haggling. I very much would like to toss him away.¡¯ ¡®I promise I¡¯ll keep quiet next time!¡¯ ¡®You said those exact words the first time around.¡¯ ¡®I will be more serious this time!¡¯ ¡®Trisha, you can join us, but I need you to keep his mouth shut while I¡¯m haggling. Also, you can just call me Latla.¡¯ In all honesty, Trisha was scared to go back into the crowd. However, right now, she didn¡¯t want to be alone. ¡®I will join, thank you for the invitation, Miss Alta¡ªLatla.¡¯ She nodded. ¡®We¡¯ll go whenever you¡¯re ready.¡¯ ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Trisha inhaled, then exhaled a breath, steeling herself. After that, she chugged her cup of water fully. ¡®I¡¯m ready.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll guide you!¡¯ Cirrus took Trisha¡¯s hand. She looked at him, wanted to voice her gratitude, but was distracted by the realization of an odd sight: there was no black cat on his head. ¡®Syr, where¡¯s Noir?¡¯ She had never seen him without her. ¡®I left Noir with sis! I think they¡¯re getting along, because today Noir wants to be at the caf¨¦ with her!¡¯ Caf¨¦? Curious. ¡®What is Scarlet doing currently?¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s working!¡¯ *** Scarlet ¨C Caf¨¦. ¡®Noir,¡¯ Scarlet said, bowl of food in hand, ¡®I know you hate me, but I want to have better relationship with you. What do you say?¡¯ Noir looked at the food with her sharp pupils, then at Scarlet. Not impressed by this, she walked away on fours. ¡®Oh, come on, Noir¡­ I had spent a few krestling to get you food¡­ At least eat it¡­¡¯ The cat¡¯s eating habit had been a mystery to her. When Cirrus brought the cat to their home the first time, Scarlet had refused to take her in because they couldn¡¯t afford to buy her food. To which, he said that the cat didn¡¯t need to eat, then insisted on keeping her until she finally relented. Scarlet believed that Noir had survived to this date by eating sewer rats or ransacking trashes for food. Now that she was earning and could spend money, she decided to feed her, but she rejected the food. Maybe she¡¯ll want the food when Syr offers it to her. Scarlet sighed. I¡¯ll try again tomorrow. I have something else I have to think about today¡­ She went to the caf¨¦¡¯s cashier area, the soon-to-be receptionist counter for this soon-to-be guild. Beside the cashier was a small stack of cash¡ª400 krestling total¡ªwhich Latla had given her the day before. *** Past. ¡®Here,¡¯ Latla had placed the cash beside the cashier. She gave the money to her as soon as she returned. ¡®Use it however you like to secure income and advertise the guild.¡¯ Use it however I want? Scarlet was overwhelmed. Secure income? Advertise the guild? ¡®Latla, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know how to do that.¡¯ ¡®Figure it out.¡¯ Figure it out? Could she? ¡®What if I fail? What if I end up wasting it for nothing?¡¯ ¡®If you fail,¡¯ Latla said, ¡®you¡¯ll know what doesn¡¯t work. It won¡¯t be for nothing.¡¯ ¡®This is a lot of responsibility¡­¡¯ ¡®As long as you don¡¯t somehow get into debt, you¡¯re good.¡¯ Cirrus tiptoed over the counter. Noir was already on his head, like usual. He encouraged, ¡®You can do it, sis!¡¯ *** Present. Can I really? Scarlet wondered. Sometimes, Scarlet was envious over how carefree Cirrus was. Perhaps, if she shared his attitude, she wouldn¡¯t be so overwhelmed by this task. But, there and then, being too carefree was also a problem. He had ignored her warnings and had gone into the dangerous forest to collect herbs countless times. Even now she couldn¡¯t help but worry over him, being in Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar¡­ He should be fine. Latla promised that she would keep him safe. I should focus on securing income and advertising for the guild. ¡­ How would she do that though? If she knew how to secure income, she wouldn¡¯t have been trying her hardest to get a job. Not to mention, she didn¡¯t know how to advertise. Scarlet felt overwhelmed. She knew that her job description would include helping Latla in establishing the guild, but she had expected menial tasks such as cleaning and maybe rearranging furniture, or clear tasks with detailed instructions that she could execute. It would¡¯ve been better if she was told to perhaps make a poster to promote the guild, maybe share about the guild to people she knew, or¡­ anything that wasn¡¯t vague. Having to be creative and decide for herself was difficult. I¡¯d rather be confronted with a dragon than this. At least I¡¯ll have a clear idea of what to do in that situation¡­ Scarlet shook her head, bringing herself back to face the situation at hand: she had 400 krestling, could be used however she liked, for securing income and advertising for the guild. Considering that Latla had mentioned how important money was for the guild, securing income had to be prioritized over advertising. How do guilds usually secure income? she asked herself. Scarlet knew that guilds had business aspects to them. From taking quest fees¡ªto selling potions and equipment. Guilds usually even had their own diner, a place where Members could hang out over food. Now that she thought about it, this soon-to-be guild was still a caf¨¦, complete with supplies and equipment¡­ Maybe I can revive the caf¨¦¡­? she thought. That works as a source of income for the guild, won¡¯t it? All I have to do is make and serve coffee. That should be easy. Thus, Scarlet was off to the cellar to see whether it would be as easy as she thought it would be. She would later find out that she was wrong¡ªbecause brewing coffee took skills; operating the equipment and managing the supply were difficult. Additionally, it was troublesome to clean everything up afterward. Now, descending the stairs, all Scarlet was thinking about was what beverage to serve Latla and Cirrus for when they come back from the bazaar. I¡¯ll do my best here; I¡¯m sure they¡¯re doing their best there. *** Trisha ¨C Khiva¡¯s Bazaar. Trisha was at a loss for words. At a complex stall where a variety of accessories were being displayed in well-lit glass showcases, two people were negotiating an item¡¯s price with an intensity that could stop the passing crowd. ¡®Puih!¡¯ the stall-keeper spat. ¡®You think I¡¯m a fool? You think you can trick me to sell for that low? Go away! My stall doesn¡¯t need a customer like you!¡¯ ¡®No. Do you think I¡¯m a fool?¡¯ Latla retorted. ¡®You think you can trick me to buy for that high? I don¡¯t need you to tell me to, I will go away myself! There are other stalls that sells this same item for cheaper!¡¯ ¡®Fine!¡¯ he slammed his hand on the showcase, then¡ªcontrary to Trisha¡¯s expectations, for she thought the negotiation was a failure¡ªhe offered a new price. Thus, the negotiation continued with a raised voice that only got louder and a quick tempo that only got faster. Cirrus tugged Trisha¡¯s hand. They were both watching from the sideline. He said, ¡®Latla is really good at this.¡¯ ¡®I can see that.¡¯ She nodded. Trisha was glad that Latla didn¡¯t haggle her like this when she had asked her to pay for Shadow Wolf¡¯s guild damage repair. Their bout went on for a while¡ªuntil they finally agreed on a price. ¡®Sold! For 97 krestling!¡¯ the stall-keeper declared. ¡®Thank you!¡¯ Latla exchanged the krestling for the item: a ring¡ªa mana storage tool. The passing crowd who had stopped to witness them gave applause after seeing the conclusion of their negotiation. Trisha had never seen something like this before, maybe after a duel between mages in an arena, but certainly never after a trade between seller and buyer in a bazaar. Having finished the purchase, Latla walked away from the stall and toward Trisha and Cirrus. ¡®Here.¡¯ Latla gave Trisha the ring. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ She had asked her to buy this ring for her. ¡®I promise I¡¯ll pay you back.¡¯ ¡®Alright. Let¡¯s look around again.¡¯ Thus, Latla led, while Trisha and Cirrus¡ªhand-in-hand¡ªfollowed. Although the boy had lesser scope of vision due to his height, he was better than her at walking through the crowd. ¡®How are you good at this?¡¯ ¡®Mm? I imagine Noir on my head¡ªtelling me the way!¡¯ That was¡­ an answer that Trisha couldn¡¯t comprehend. She should ask Latla for tips when they were close by. Right now, she was a few steps away. Latla¡¯s movement was smooth: slow but efficient, as if she flowed through the crowd. Didn¡¯t mean that she was invincible in this crowd though, for she just bumped shoulders with someone. *** Latla. Latla stopped walking, glanced over her shoulder, looked past Trisha and Cirrus, and toward the cloaked man who just bumped her. Bad luck, she thought. Latla turned, followed him. As she passed Trisha and Cirrus, she handed her bag of items to her, patted his head. ¡®Go back to the caf¨¦. We¡¯re done for today,¡¯ she said. ¡®But I kept my promise!¡¯ Cirrus said. ¡®I was quiet when you were haggling!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not because of that.¡¯ Her eyes were still tracking the cloaked man. ¡®What is it then?¡¯ Trisha asked. ¡®My wallet just got stolen.¡¯ Chapter 8 – The Gamble for a Requirement Through the bazaar¡¯s packed crowd, Latla followed a cloaked man, the thief who just stole her wallet. Being familiar with this place, she had known best not to carry valuables other than krestling in her wallet. Losing her wallet wouldn¡¯t hurt as much as it normally would, but still would hurt, for there remained a good amount of krestling inside. Considering her financial situation, losing it would mean a considerable setback. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Latla thought. Back then, she had seen him coming and¡ªdecided to let him steal from her. I have to take this risk, even if it might not pay off. *** Past ¨C Caravan, four years before. ¡®Now, another quick question!¡¯ Barren, Latla¡¯s temporary mentor, claimed-to-be former guild leader, an aged man who had struck a nerve, asked, ¡®Of the four requirements needed to create a guild, which one is the most difficult to attain?¡¯ ¡®Member,¡¯ Latla answered. ¡®Good answer, young Latla,¡¯ his voice was loud and vigorous. ¡®I can see that you¡¯ve been raised as a merchant well¡ª¡¯ This again. Latla rolled her eyes¡ª ¡®and know that what¡¯s most important is usually most difficult to attain! You¡¯re a bright kid¡­¡¯ He was doing this on purpose. She was sure of that, ¡®but your answer is dead wrong!! Ba-ha-ha-ha-ha!¡¯ That settled it. Latla promised herself that if she were to meet him again one day (and she wished this to happen), she would attack him. How exactly, she didn¡¯t know yet, but she would. For sure. ¡®I¡¯ll give you a straight answer for this one, because it had given me a lot of troubles. Of the four requirements, the most difficult to attain is¡­¡¯ *** Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Bazaar. Approval. The troubles with Approval begin with the fact that the other three requirements: Place, Member, and Quest¡ªwere needed to attain it. And not just at face value. Place needed to be a location that was legally and rightfully owned, Member needed to show commitment by signing a binding contract of joining the guild, and Quest needed to be accomplished. Latla had Quest, the wanted posters, but that alone meant nothing to gain Approval. She needed at least a successful bounty hunt. Only then would they truly be seen as Quest. This was the reason why she had wanted to bounty hunt: she needed the achievement. Now, there was a possibility that this thief she was following had his face drawn on a wanted poster. Was there certainty of this? No. But when this opportunity fell upon her, Latla felt the need to grab it, even at the risk of considerable financial setback from possibly losing her wallet. This thief was good. His skill at snatching was backed by experience; had his target been someone else, the victim would be clueless about the act. Additionally, he was cautious, evident from his wearing a cloak, hiding his figure and face. Lastly, the way he navigated through this sea of people was smooth, showing knowledge of his hunting environment. Considering his expertise, he was without a doubt wanted. However¡­ The thief looked left and right, checking his surroundings before moving in on a target. Normally, this would be a giveaway for a thief, but in a crowded bazaar where people were looking left and right at stalls, he knew he could get away with it. Seeing this, she knew¡­ He might be good enough that he is not on a wanted poster, Latla thought, concerned. Then, as if those two directions weren¡¯t enough, he also looked back. Glanced over his shoulder and¡ªspotted Latla. They exchanged eye contact through the crowd. A glance was all it took for him to know that she was indeed staring at him. A moment was all it took for him to understand that she had been following him. And a blink was all it took for him to dash into a run. Latla immediately chased after him. *** Trisha. Present ¨C Caf¨¦. ¡®Did he sell herbs at the guild?¡¯ asked she, angry. ¡®I met him at the bazaar, not at the guild,¡¯ Trisha explained, showing the bag of purchased items as proof. Trisha could understand Scarlet¡¯s anger; every time she had shown up with Cirrus, it was usually because he had brought her trouble. ¡®No, he did not sell herbs.¡¯ ¡®Did Latla toss Cirrus away?¡¯ ¡®She said she was very tempted to. But, as far as I know, she didn¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®Did she?¡¯ Scarlet asked Cirrus. ¡®She didn¡¯t!¡¯ Hearing that her brother hadn¡¯t done anything wrong nor been treated badly, her anger subsided. Finally, ready to listen, she asked, ¡®What happened then?¡¯ *** At a table, over a cup of coffee that Scarlet had brewed, as Cirrus was reunited and playing with Noir, Trisha explained what had happened in the bazaar. What had led her there, how crowded it was, when she lost her wallet, and why she had joined the pair and gone into this caf¨¦. ¡®You had a tough day,¡¯ Scarlet remarked. ¡®Yes.¡¯ Trisha sighed. ¡®If you need help, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I¡¯ll be glad to.¡¯ Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡®Nothing to worry about. I¡¯ll figure things out. Hopefully.¡¯ She inspected the caf¨¦, noticed the expensive furniture and the shiny paneled floor. A luxurious place located in a slum area was¡ªodd to her. ¡®I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve finally gotten a job, Scarlet. But tell me what it is that you do here?¡¯ ¡®I work as a guild receptionist.¡¯ Guild receptionist? Trisha questioned. Then, trying to make sense of this, she remembered Latla. Not accepted into a guild, she decided to create her own, I see. Trisha was a guild receptionist herself; she knew that this job wasn¡¯t easy. ¡®Are you being paid properly?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®How much?¡¯ ¡®500 krestling a month.¡¯ ¡®500?! That¡¯s minimum wage!¡¯ ¡®Yes. Isn¡¯t that great?¡¯ ¡®No, it isn¡¯t!¡¯ Trisha said, voice raised. Minimum wage was, after all, the lowest standard. ¡®You should ask for more. It¡¯s only right.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t mind though.¡¯ Trisha hated this. Guilds not taking good care of their members. As if implying that they can always be replaced. ¡®If you¡¯re getting minimum wage for this job position, that means you¡¯re being treated poorly!¡¯ Trisha was getting worked up; she knew that. Because although she was talking to Scarlet, she was seeing the guild leader, remembering her confrontation with him. ¡®Members can always be replaced,¡¯ his words echoed in her mind. She imagined that Latla was the same. I won¡¯t let that happen to Scarlet. I¡¯ll¡ª ¡®Sis isn¡¯t being treated poorly,¡¯ Cirrus joined the conversation, black cat on his head. ¡®I checked!¡¯ ¡®¡­ And what exactly did you check?¡¯ ¡®Sis was treated nicely! She was told that she can rest whenever she needs if she isn¡¯t feeling well.¡¯ What he said showed that Latla was informed about Scarlet¡¯s weak constitution and that she cared. Trisha shook her head, refusing to accept. ¡®That¡¯s not enough.¡¯ ¡®She keeps buying us dinner so far! And today she bought me and sis clothes!¡¯ Cirrus rummaged through the bag of purchased items, pulling out a few clothes. ¡®They look cheap,¡¯ Trisha remarked. ¡®They are! Latla is really good at haggling!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡¯ ¡®There were no clothes for cats, but she got Noir a tiny hat!¡¯ He put the small accessory on Noir¡¯s head. ¡®Meow¡­¡¯ The cat patted his head with her paw, protesting. ¡®What? You hate it? But it looks good!¡¯ ¡®Meow.¡¯ ¡®Mm¡­ we¡¯ll find other use for it I guess¡­¡¯ No matter how Trisha saw it, this was bribery: Latla trying to buy their loyalty, while still in a position of power where she could replace them whenever she wanted to. Trisha wanted to voice this out, but she couldn¡¯t. Not after seeing the smiles on the faces from receiving the clothes. Sure, the clothes were cheap, but to Scarlet and Cirrus who had worn patched clothes for a long time, new whole clothes were a luxury. It was a gift picked with consideration for the receiver. ¡­ This isn¡¯t bribery, Trisha thought, this is her treating her members properly. Trisha closed her eyes. Her hand reached into her pocket, grasping the black ring which she had attained from the bazaar. Can you go back¡ªto being who you used to be? ¡®Trisha, are you alright?¡¯ Scarlet asked, concerned. ¡®I¡¯m alright.¡¯ Trisha wiped the tears that had welled in her eyes. ¡®I¡¯m sorry about what I said. I was being emotional.¡¯ ¡®If it makes you feel better, you can talk about it.¡¯ ¡®Thank you, Scarlet, but no. What will make me feel better¡ªis a distraction.¡¯ She wanted to see where this soon-to-be guild would go. ¡®What are you working on right now? Let me help.¡¯ *** Latla. Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Bazaar. Latla chased after the thief. They maneuvered through this packed crowd without missing a beat. Having the same level of skill to grasp leeway to progress forward, neither could further nor close the distance between them. In a normal chase, Latla, the chaser, would be at an advantage, for she needed not to decide a route and needed only to follow the thief from behind. However, in this moving crowd where the pathways were always shifting, she too had to search for her own route¡ªwhile keeping track of the escaper. If anything, here, being the chaser was a disadvantage. Currently, Latla was able to maintain the distance only because she ran faster than the thief did, overcoming her disadvantage with her physical ability. This will boil down to luck, Latla thought. If the situation remained the same, either of them¡ªgiven time¡ªwould stumble upon a good route, and that would be the decider. Should I take a risk and shoot him through this crowd? She reached into her waist bag, feeling a ring¡ªa mana storage tool. She could tap the mana within it, then utilize it to shoot a small fireball. But for what? At best, she was only going to regain her wallet. At worst, she would repeat what happened at Shadow Wolf guild, but worse. Too much risk. What then? She didn¡¯t want to rely on luck. How could she change this situation? Should she¡ª That¡¯s the fourth time now, Latla noted, and this one is too fast. The thief had been glancing over his shoulder periodically during the chase, keeping track of her. Gaining information was a good move, for he could make better decisions from it. However, this time around, the interval between shoulder glances was too fast. Not to mention, Latla could tell that she was closing the distance, could tell that¡­ He¡¯s running out of stamina, she concluded. Due to this, the situation had changed. It wasn¡¯t her who needed to change the situation¡ªit was him. The thief began bumping and pushing people around, causing them to fall on the ground, obstructing her path. In the face of obstacles, Latla¡ªkept the same speed. She kept her calm, retained her quick wits, and hopped over the people on the ground, then found new leeway without losing any time. His creating obstacles had only served to slow himself down. Panic move won¡¯t help you. She was closing the distance. Noticing this, he shifted course and started running through stalls, toppling down items to create obstacles. This surprised the crowd, causing them to move differently, progressing the difficulty to find leeway. At the cost of taking more attention to himself and possibly gaining more chasers, he was slowing her¡ª Bwoosh! A pillar of fire rose toward the sky. Latla had overtapped her ring, using all the mana to create that flame pillar. This brought attention to her, dispersed the nearby crowd, and when she dashed forward people¡ªscared of getting burnt¡ªmade way for her. This had turned into a normal chase. With Latla having better physical abilities and with the thief being low on stamina. Immediately, she closed the distance by a gap, until he was within her reach. Latla stretched an arm, grabbed his cloak. To which, refusing to give up, the thief surrendered his cloak to her. Like a lizard detaching its tail to escape. Without the clothing, she could get a better view of his figure: a young man in his twenties. How early had he been thieving to be this experienced? One more time. As he was stumbling, losing his balance, he touched the ground. All while glancing over his shoulder toward Latla. Near them was a wooden shelf, two men tall, used by a complex stall to showcase an array of sharp weapons. The ground beneath it had risen, the thief had casted earth magic, toppling the shelf. Latla could continue running; she knew that at her pace, she wouldn¡¯t be crushed under it. However, dodging would mean letting the shelf fall¡ªonto a passing old man, a random merchant who happened to be there at the wrong place at the wrong time, whose bones would be too old to withstand the impact from the falling shelf; not to mention, the sharp weapons inside it. Screams erupted as the showcase was falling. The crowd wasn¡¯t going to help the old man. Curses! Latla stopped her run, then broke the shelf¡¯s fall with all her strength, and deflected the falling weapons by swiping them away with the thief¡¯s cloak. No one else was harmed. However, until the old man stepped away, she had to remained where she was to support the shelf from falling. The thief, realizing what he had done, had stopped his run. Latla had a good look of his face: black hair, black eyes, square face, and ordinary nose and lips. His appearance was the perfect description of the word ¡°average¡±. Not only had he hidden himself under a cloak before, but he had also taken the effort to disguise his look to appear average and to have no distinguishable characteristics. If there was anything about him that struck her, it was that guilt ridden expression of his. That enraged Latla. If he wasn¡¯t ready to face the consequences of his action, then why even do it? Blood trickling down her forehead and into her eye, she glared at him. Scared, he turned, showed his back, and disappeared into the crowd. Latla promised herself that when she will meet him again, she would punch him. Without any restraint. Chapter 8.5 – Extra: The Receptionist and The Guild Leader The leader of the Shadow Wolf guild was working at his desk. He dipped his pen in ink, then crossed a paper with two resolute lines. Another funding request from his guild member which he rejected. There was no point in allocating money to requests that brought no value to the guild. Someone dropped a stack of papers on his desk, adding to his work. The leader glanced up, saw Trisha. He hadn¡¯t seen her yesterday, wasn¡¯t expecting to see her today. ¡®I thought you¡¯ve quit.¡¯ ¡®I took a day off.¡¯ ¡®I see.¡¯ He resumed his work with the papers. He dipped his pen in ink, then cross¡ª Trisha placed a ring atop the paper, interrupting him. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ he asked. ¡®A gift,¡¯ she answered. He picked up and inspected the ring: its color was black, coated with white smoke-pattern. He recognized this design. Similar to the one he had bought years ago from Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar. He chuckled. ¡®An awful gift.¡¯ ¡®I beg your pardon, ¡°Awful¡±?¡¯ You want me to say it, he thought. ¡®I was na?ve back then, scammed by a seller and bought an ordinary ring, believing that it was a mana storage tool. ¡®You give this to ridicule me, and you¡¯ve succeeded. An awful gift, Trisha.¡¯ He tossed the ring. It rolled on the desk, then fell to the floor. Trisha gave him a fierce stare. ¡®You and I remembered it differently.¡¯ She left the office, closed the door with a slam! Having been left, he didn¡¯t resume his paperwork. Instead, he stood, then walked to the front of his desk. He found the ring, stooped down, and picked it up. Again, he inspected the ring. ¡®¡­ Different how?¡¯ Chapter 9 – The Older Sister’s Struggles Present ¨C Caf¨¦, day 3 of Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar. Latla was seated on a sofa, legs crossed on a table, head rested on a soft cushion, damp towel over her eyes to cool her. She was as calm as still water, the sight suggested. Looking at her appearance alone, no one would know¡ªabout the fire burning within her. She was calm, that part was true. However, more like a quiet mountain with lava bubbling and building up inside that¡ªunknown to the world¡ªwould someday burst into flames. I had seen him coming, she thought, and I had let him steal my wallet. That was a mistake. Remembering what had happened the day before angered her. The thief had been more skillful than she thought. The chase had wasted her time¡ªtime which could¡¯ve instead been spent to make money for guild creation. Worst of all, stopping the falling wooden shelf had injured her. One of the many weapons which had fallen off, a blunt one, had hit her head; now, the wound caused a painful sting when she least expected it. Latla had sustained a minor injury, nothing big. If she wanted to, she could go to Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar today and make money. However, Scarlet had stopped her this morning, said that she needed to take care of herself better. Considering that the bazaar would last a week, today being only the third day, she decided to listen to her and rest. The chase was a mess. I was only lucky that the old man I had saved was willing to set the matter straight to return the favor. Or else I would¡¯ve been targeted unfairly by merchants for repairs to damages caused by someone else. ¡­ What could I have done differently yesterday? Could I have just chased after the thief immediately instead of following him? No. Considering his caution, he would¡¯ve spotted me faster then. Should I have caught him on the spot as he was stealing my wallet? No, considering his skill, he would have evaded me; suppose he didn¡¯t, he could have shouted for assault and turned the crowd against me. She played the scenarios in her head, figuring out what she could have done differently. She couldn¡¯t change the past, but she could change the future by reflecting on the incident. This reflection wasn¡¯t as lengthy as she wanted it to be, for having her eyes closed and herself seated on a comfortable sofa¡­ it was no wonder that¡­ slowly but surely¡­ she drifted to sleep¡­ *** Scarlet. ¡®Syr, I¡¯m counting on you to share this with Trisha.¡¯ Scarlet handed Cirrus a basket, sandwiches inside. ¡®Make sure she gets it before her lunch break. Then you can go and play with Noir.¡¯ ¡®Mm!¡¯ He nodded. The cat was rested atop his head. ¡®No going to the bazaar, understand? It¡¯s not safe.¡¯ ¡®Mm!¡¯ Again, he nodded. ¡®Off you go then.¡¯ Scarlet smiled. As Cirrus turned to leave, seeing his back caused a sense of unease that slithered around her heart. ¡®Syr,¡¯ she stopped him, ¡®one last thing¡­ You have been good on your promise and haven¡¯t been going to the forest, right?¡¯ ¡®I have! We haven¡¯t gone to the forest at all, right Noir?¡¯ ¡®Meow,¡¯ said the cat. ¡®You heard her!¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s¡ªnot reassuring at all¡­! You said the same exact thing last time and you had lied! Cirrus¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not lying! I¡¯m serious this time!¡¯ Doubting her brother felt wrong. However, she couldn¡¯t help but worry. He had lied before¡­ and what was stopping him from lying this time? ¡®¡­ I changed my mind. Come back immediately after you give the basket to Trisha, understand?¡¯ ¡®Mm!¡¯ He nodded. ¡®Promise me?¡¯ ¡®I pro-mise!¡¯ ¡®No lies this time?¡¯ ¡®No lies! I¡¯m serious!¡¯ ¡®¡­ Alright, off you go then. Remember, Trisha needs to receive this before her lunch break, and you return immediately after that.¡¯ ¡®Okay!¡¯ Cirrus turned to leave; this time, Scarlet didn¡¯t stop him. ¡®See you, sis!¡¯ ¡®See you, Syr.¡¯ Scarlet waved back. Watching him leave, she wondered if¡­ if things had changed from before¡­ What I¡¯ve been doing for him, is it enough? She had got herself a job, but it felt as if nothing had changed. She was still the same: overprotective, stubborn, and selfish. Her brother was not a liar; that was not who he was, and she knew that. There must be another reason for his lying before. Perhaps her. What if he had lied because it was her fault? Because she wasn¡¯t someone that he could tell the truth to. Was she someone he could tell the truth to now? Can I truly call myself his older sister? Scarlet felt like crying, but if she did, then that would confirm that nothing had changed. Stolen story; please report. Borrowing Trisha¡¯s wisdom, what she needed to make herself feel better was a distraction. She could do her job as the receptionist of this soon-to-be guild, her task being: to secure income. The other day, she had received a good plan from Trisha, and she could discuss this with Latla. Scarlet glanced toward Latla. She noticed that she was peacefully still. The sight gave her a sense of conflict, one that lasted only a moment, for she knew what to do. Instead of carrying the proposal paper to her, Scarlet carried a blanket¡ªtaken from above level¡ªand wrapped Latla with it. It would be wrong if she woke her up, especially when she needed rest. I hope she has a good dream. *** Latla. Past ¨C Caravan. ¡®Give it up,¡¯ said she, blowing smoke on her face. Latla was dreaming about the past, of her encounter with one of her temporary mentors, about the person responsible for teaching her the basics of magic. This mentor was a lady who wore a broad hat, a traditional mage who carried a refined wooden staff, and a smoker who brought her hookah on travels. Her name was Flamme. She was, as many were, someone who angered Latla. ¡®Someone like you,¡¯ she continued, ¡®can¡¯t become what you strive to be; it¡¯s impossible. ¡®Some things in this world are¡ªnot meant to be. Ice can¡¯t be hot. Fire can¡¯t be cold. And a manaless like you can¡¯t become the greatest mage in all of existence. ¡®You¡¯re chasing a rainbow. An impossibility. The sooner you give up, the better for you. There are other ways to live, little girl.¡¯ Her talk enraged Latla. ¡®Who decided that?¡¯ ¡®Nature, I suppose? You don¡¯t see¡ªbirds swimming in the depths of the sea, do you? Or fishes¡ªswimming in the skies. In the same way¡ª'' ¡®I won¡¯t let such insignificant standard define me.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not insignificant.¡¯ Flamme gave her a cold stare. Her pupils expressed the same light as an extinguished fire; reflected in that darkness was Latla. ¡®It¡¯s the truth. ¡®The sooner you accept it,¡¯ she inhaled¡ªand exhaled smoke, ¡®the better your life will be. You don¡¯t seem¡ªconvinced. Fine. How about this: I¡¯ll teach you magic¡ªthe moment you can look left and right at the same time.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s¡ª¡¯ ¡®Impossible. ¡®The thought¡ªcrossed your mind, didn¡¯t it?¡¯ Latla glared at Flamme, seething with rage. Had Latla known that she would¡¯ve dreamt about this annoying past, she would¡¯ve chosen not to rest. *** Scarlet. Present ¨C Caf¨¦. Some time had passed since her little brother left. Just as Scarlet was about to worry for him, someone opened the door to the caf¨¦, and she saw Cirrus. He kept his promise, she thought, relieved. He didn¡¯t lie. Though, he wasn¡¯t alone. Beside him was an old man. His size was small, his back was hunched, and his walk required the aid of a stick. She knew him. ¡®Elder,¡¯ Scarlet greeted. ¡®Nice to meet you.¡¯ ¡®Scarlet.¡¯ He nodded. ¡®Nice to meet you too.¡¯ Scarlet didn¡¯t expect the elder. The same way she hadn¡¯t expected Trisha yesterday. ¡®What brings you here today?¡¯ ¡®I would like to ask you a favor.¡¯ A favor? ¡®Please, go ahead. I¡¯m grateful for you having taught my brother lessons from time to time. As long as it is something I can help with, I would be happy to.¡¯ ¡®I want to ask you to allow Cirrus to venture into the forest.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry? Elder, I believe I heard you wrong. Would you please repeat what you said?¡¯ *** Feeling a momentary killing intent, Latla awoke. She calmly lifted her damp towel and peeked, observing the situation from the sideline. *** ¡®I want to ask you to allow Cirrus to venture into the forest,¡¯ the elder repeated, cold sweat dripping across his forehead; he knew his requesting wasn¡¯t right. ¡®I need him to get a particular herb.¡¯ ¡®Elder, you know what my answer will be.¡¯ ¡®My granddaughter, Mia, has been struck by a strange illness from the forest. She has extremely high fever and occasionally bleeds from her eyes. If left without cure, her fate is sealed. I understand that the forest is dangerous. I understand that your little brother is an important family member to you, Scarlet. And I understand that it¡¯s wrong for me to ask you this. But, as it stands, Cirrus is the only person who can save Mia.¡¯ ¡®¡­ I¡¯m sorry, elder, but my answer remains the same.¡¯ Hearing this, he let go of his stick, dropped his knees, and touched his forehead on the floor. ¡®Please. Allow Cirrus to venture into the forest.¡¯ ¡®Sis,¡¯ Cirrus joined, ¡®if Mia doesn¡¯t get help, she¡¯ll die.¡¯ ¡®Then let her die!¡¯ Scarlet voiced her outrage. She meant what she said. She would rather someone else die than risk losing her brother. The forest was dangerous. All it took was an encounter with a monster¡ªand he would never return to her. Yes, she would admit that abandoning a lift that could be saved was wrong. But there was no guarantee that he would succeed. What if he failed? What if he suffered a fate that could have been avoided? I can¡¯t lose you¡­ Scarlet looked toward Cirrus, hoping that he would understand. However, the expression she saw broke her heart. His eyes wide, pupils shrank, mouth opened. Betrayed. His stare seemed to say to her: You¡¯re not my older sister. In her effort to avoid losing him, she lost him. I¡­ can¡¯t call myself your older sister. The truth dawned on her. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ overprotective, stubborn, and selfish. You¡¯re right about that, Syr. And I¡­ won¡¯t ever change. Never. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Scarlet shed tears. ¡®Elder, I can¡¯t allow Syr to venture into the forest. Instead, I¡¯ll be the one to.¡¯ This is for the best. This way, I won''t lose Cirrus. This way, if I fail, I¡ª ¡®If you fail, you¡¯ll die,¡¯ A voice said, Latla¡¯s. ¡®What happened to what you said to me before? What happened to being someone who could call herself an older sister for his brother? You can¡¯t accomplish that if you die.¡¯ ¡®What else am I supposed to do? If you have a solution, then let¡¯s hear¡ª¡¯ ¡®Send Cirrus with me. He¡¯ll get the herb; I¡¯ll make sure he returns to you.¡¯ ¡®And if you fail?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll die, but he¡¯ll live. I¡¯ll make sure of that. That is, if I fail.¡¯ Scarlet was against putting Cirrus at risk. Yet, why was it that Latla¡¯s words felt dependable? Why was it that it felt as if she could trust her? Why was it that it felt as if everything would be fine if she let her handle this? Scarlet glanced at Cirrus. His stare had changed. It now seemed as if to say: Please. ¡®Latla, I won¡¯t forgive you if you fail.¡¯ ¡®I won¡¯t. I can¡¯t become the greatest mage in all of existence if I fail here. We¡¯ll return with the herb, so all you have to do is wait and believe in us.¡¯ Thus, it was decided that Latla and Cirrus would venture into the forest. *** Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Forest. The herb which they would after was bathing under sunlight. Nearby, knowing how sought after the herb was, a monster lurked in the shadows, waiting for its prey. Chapter 10 – The Manaless, The Boy, The Cat, and The Forest Present. Khiva¡¯s gate was a checkpoint that must be passed to venture into the forest. There, Latla¡ªreluctantly¡ªplaced her hand on a crystal ball, a mana measuring tool. And, no surprise to her, there was no shine whatsoever to be observed. ¡®Is this thing broken?¡¯ the guard asked himself. Latla rolled her eyes. Same response every single time, she thought. ¡®Ah, wait a moment, are you¡ª¡® he snapped his fingers a few times, believing that the gesture would help, ¡®yeah, sorry, can¡¯t remember your name¡ªbut are you the manaless? The one who beat a traditional mage from Shadow Wolf guild?¡¯ ¡®Yes,¡¯ Latla answered, slightly surprised. ¡®That would be me.¡¯ A gate guard, someone stationed at the edge of the city, had heard of her feat. ¡®How did you hear about that?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s a tavern I regularly go to. Many stories are shared there; yours among them. Short, but interesting and memorable.¡¯ He nodded, then¡ªreminded of his duty¡ªshook his head. ¡®Anyway, there¡¯s no problem, you going to the forest. But are you sure you¡¯re bringing the boy?¡¯ He meant Cirrus. He was standing beside her, cat atop his head. ¡®The forest is no place for a child.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be fine!¡¯ Cirrus said. ¡®We need an herb from the forest. He knows where it is, and I¡¯m here to look after him. If he can read and point at a map for the location of the herb, then I would¡¯ve already tied him up and left him behind.¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t like that!¡¯ ¡®I would. Nevertheless,¡¯ she addressed the guard, ¡®since there¡¯s no problem, can we go now?¡¯ ¡®Please.¡¯ He stepped aside, making way. ¡®Ah, manaless¡ª¡¯ ¡®Latla,¡¯ she corrected. ¡®¡ªLatla, I know you¡¯re capable, but take care out there,¡¯ he said, weight in his words. ¡®Now, I don¡¯t mean to scare you, but it¡¯s best that you know: we don¡¯t normally do mana checks for people going into the forest.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not sure I understand what you¡¯re implying.¡¯ ¡®The forest has been awful lately. The reason we¡¯re conducting mana checks is to make sure that only capable mages venture there. And there are rumors that an unlisted monster roams there.¡¯ That¡¯s bothersome, Latla thought. ¡®I¡¯ll keep that in mind. We¡¯ll be careful. Thank you for the information.¡¯ ¡®All the best.¡¯ The guard saluted. Latla, Cirrus, and Noir went through the gate. ¡®Latla,¡¯ Cirrus asked, ¡®what¡¯s an unlisted monster?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡¯ *** Khiva¡¯s Forest. The forest was¡ªcontrary to its dangers¡ªa place that looked safe. The trees were moderate in quantity, well-spaced. Their canopies were wide but thin, sunlight could pass through fine. The leaf covered ground was solid and mostly leveled. Visibility and mobility were good there. Advantages that go both ways, Latla thought. With good visibility and mobility, she could see and avoid threats better. However, the same was true for the threats; they could spot and hunt her better. ¡®Meow.¡¯ Latla heard Noir, noticed the cat pawing Cirrus¡¯s head. ¡®Mm? Left!¡¯ Cirrus translated. Inside this forest, Latla had been following Cirrus¡¯s lead¡ªor to be more exact¡ªNoir¡¯s. ¡°Noir speaks whatever Syr wants her to,¡± Scarlet had said. Latla wondered if that was true. Because it seemed to her that the cat was truly guiding them. Whenever Noir pawed Cirrus¡¯s head and meowed, he would change directions; thus far, according to Latla¡¯s bearing, the cat¡¯s guidance was accurate¡ªas they were indeed heading deeper into the forest. She knew that certain creatures could find directions when trained: carrier pigeons could send letters, dogs could hunt prey, and will o¡¯ wisps could track their kind. Perhaps Noir was a trained cat who could find herbs. Didn¡¯t sound impossible. ¡®Syr, what kind of cat is she?¡¯ ¡®Mm? What kind of cat are you, Noir?¡¯ ¡®Meow.¡¯ ¡®She doesn¡¯t want to say.¡¯ Maybe it¡¯s both: Noir speaks whatever Syr wants her to and she¡¯s a trained cat, Latla concluded. She asked no further. *** Deeper into the forest, Latla spotted and recognized a mushroom. Its color was plain brown, looked harmless, but was poisonous. While most poisonous mushrooms would take vibrant colors to declare their toxicity to avoid being eaten, this particular mushroom had chosen to conceal its toxicity for the sake of being eaten. If someone ate it, they would die in a matter of minutes, and their corpse would fertilize the soil; allowing more of that mushroom to grow. Awful type, that one. ¡®Mm?¡¯ Cirrus responded to Noir¡¯s paw. The cat didn¡¯t meow this time. He then whispered, ¡®Latla, hide behind this tree!¡¯ Latla hid with Cirrus and Noir behind a tree, whispered back, ¡®What are we hiding from?¡¯ ¡®Something!¡¯ A minute passed, nothing eventful happened. Before hiding, Latla hadn¡¯t spotted any threats; now, she wondered if this was a false alarm. ¡®Are you sure¡ª¡¯ The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Latla felt a slight tremor coming from the earth. Thought, for a second, that she was imagining this due to her head¡¯s stinging pain. Not likely, for she observed nearby pebbles quivering from the tremor. This tremor had a slow thumping rhythm, gradually rising in intensity. That of a creature¡¯s gait, nearing. Acknowledging the threat, their safety being her main priority, Latla reached into her waist bag and pulled out a ring. Eventually, the creature was passing the tree which they hid behind. Its shadow, cast on the ground, was large enough that it enveloped them in a makeshift darkness. Latla wore her ring. The creature seems slow and huge, she analyzed. An easy target for my fireball. She was ready should a fight occur. The creature noticed them¡ªnot. It was never aware of their presence behind the tree and passed by. Just like that. ¡­ I should keep the ring on until we¡¯re out of the forest, Latla thought. ¡®Meow.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯re safe now!¡¯ Cirrus said. I don¡¯t know how, but¡ª Latla eyed the cat¡ª the cat is good at detecting danger. ¡®Syr, does she always guide you through the forest?¡¯ ¡®Mm!¡¯ He nodded. She¡¯s the reason he¡¯s been through this forest unharmed countless times, Latla understood. ¡®Scarlet would¡¯ve been less worried if you told her about Noir.¡¯ ¡®I have told Sis! Countless times! But Sis doesn¡¯t believe me!¡¯ Fair. If a boy tells me that a cat can guide him reliably through the forest, then I wouldn¡¯t believe him either. ¡®Sometimes I¡­¡¯ Cirrus said. He let his words trail off and left it there. ¡®Sometimes you what?¡¯ Latla prodded. ¡®Nothing¡­¡¯ He had a sad look on his face. She didn¡¯t miss that. ¡®It¡¯s not nothing, Syr.¡¯ Latla crouched down, then looked into Cirrus¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t push him, didn¡¯t force him to speak. Instead, she allowed the forest¡¯s silence to reign, as if telling him: You can share your troubles with me if you want to. ¡®Sometimes I¡­ wonder why Sis doesn¡¯t believe in me¡­ She doesn¡¯t believe me when I said I¡¯ll be fine here¡­¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s worried about you.¡¯ ¡®She wouldn¡¯t worry if she believes in me.¡¯ I see. ¡®Syr, come here,¡¯ Latla beckoned. She placed her warm hands on his cheeks and¡ªpinched him hard. ¡®Mm!? Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!¡¯ The pain was bringing Cirrus to tears. ¡®Meow!¡¯ Noir disliked what Latla was doing to Cirrus, clawed her, but she didn¡¯t care. ¡®You¡¯re being selfish, you know that?¡¯ She raised her voice, enraged. ¡®¡°She wouldn¡¯t worry if she believes in me,¡± you said. Don¡¯t give me that nonsense! ¡®When Scarlet started her first day working for me, didn¡¯t you follow her into the caf¨¦? Weren¡¯t you worrying about her? So? You don¡¯t believe in her either!¡¯ She pinched him harder. ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ Cirrus gave his best to talk through the pain. ¡®That¡¯s different! She has a weak body! I was worried!¡¯ ¡®Same thing! You have a child¡¯s body. She¡¯s worried! How is that any different?¡¯ Cirrus couldn¡¯t say a word. ¡®I heard the argument at the caf¨¦. You had called her stubborn, overprotective, and selfish. You¡¯re. The. Same!¡¯ ¡®I¡­ I was¡­¡¯ ¡®You had said those words. And it hurt her!¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to!¡¯ Cirrus cried. He wailed, partly because of the pain, mostly because of the realization that he had hurt his sister. Hearing his cries angered Latla even more. Wouldn¡¯t it be easy if his tears could somehow miraculously fix his problems? Her initial urge, born from rage, was to give him a slap, but then she realized upon looking at his reddened cheeks that¡ªhaving lost herself to her emotions¡ªshe had physically hurt him. She let go of her pinch. Then noticed the back of her palm bloodied from Noir¡¯s scratches. I guess I deserve that... ¡®Syr,¡¯ Latla said, ¡®listen to me: you can¡¯t change the past. What¡¯s done been done; and as much as you wish it can be undone, it can¡¯t. What you can change is the future. You can continue crying and get nothing done, or you can apologize to your sister and make things right. Apologize to her when we return; and make sure it¡¯s settled. Understand?¡¯ ¡®Mm.¡¯ Cirrus nodded. His cries had lessened to sniffles after listening to her. ¡®I will a-pollo-gi-ez when we return.¡¯ ¡®¡­ You don¡¯t even know what the word means, do you?¡¯ ¡®No¡­ But I know it¡¯ll make things right.¡¯ ¡®It means that you¡¯ll have to say sorry to your sister for having hurt her.¡¯ Latla patted Cirrus¡¯s head. Noir no longer hostile. ¡®I should too, to you.¡¯ His cheeks were still red from her pinching. ¡®Syr, I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve hurt you.¡¯ ¡®¡­ It¡¯s alright.¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s not alright. I have issues with my short temper¡ª¡¯ and that short temper angered her further every time¡ª ¡®but that¡¯s no excuse for me to hurt you. I¡¯ll make it up to you after this is over. I promise.¡¯ Cirrus shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s alright. I forgive you. Let¡¯s¡­ go back to getting the herbs?¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s.¡¯ *** Venturing deeper into the forest, following Cirrus and Noir¡¯s lead, Latla wondered if she had stepped out of line when she had intervened and scolded him. After all, it was a family problem between him and his sister, and she supposedly had no place in it as an outsider. It wasn¡¯t my place to scold him, Latla thought, but I would¡¯ve been disappointed in myself if I didn¡¯t intervene. ¡®Meow.¡¯ ¡®There it is!¡¯ Cirrus whispered. He had mostly returned to his usual carefree and nonchalant character. His eyes were still weary from tears and his cheeks were still red from having been pinched. Latla looked at where Cirrus was pointing at: a spot on the ground shaded by a big tree. She could see a small plant with two leaves on its ends, its color being not green but blue. ¡®That¡¯s the herb?¡¯ Latla whispered back. ¡®Mm!¡¯ He nodded. ¡®Meow.¡¯ ¡®What does she say?¡¯ ¡®Noir says that we need to be careful. But it¡¯s safe as long as we¡¯re quiet!¡¯ It¡¯s safe as long as we¡¯re quiet? Does that mean there¡¯s a threat nearby? Latla looked around, analyzed her surroundings. No matter how hard she searched, she couldn¡¯t spot any threat. In any other situation, she wouldn¡¯t believe in a cat, but the cat had¡ªnot long ago¡ªspotted a monster before she could. Additionally, she had the knowledge that creatures liked to lurk around precious herbs. Because they knew that people¡ªpreys¡ªwould gather after it. Saved the creatures the effort from having to move around and hunt. I¡¯ll trust the cat. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ On cue, Cirrus was about to tiptoe. The trouble with tiptoe, to Latla, was that although the steps were quiet, the balance was poor. Not trusting him enough, she carried him¡ªand Noir too, accordingly¡ªon the side. She then walked silently toward the herb, made sure to look at the ground, because in such a quiet forest like this, stepping on a twig could make a lot of noise. She avoided all the twigs though. ¡®Alright,¡¯ Latla whispered, dropped Cirrus near the herb. ¡®You deal with that. I¡¯ll keep watch.¡¯ ¡®Okay!¡¯ Latla analyzed the surrounding once more, alert. Still, she spotted no threat. At this rate, they would successfully get the herb without¡ª Brug! Snap! ¡ªany trouble¡­ Cirrus had used too much force and lost his balance when the herb was pulled out. It just so happened that he then fell onto a spot where there were lots of brittle twigs, making a loud noise. You must be joking me, Latla thought. Remembering the cat¡¯s warning, Latla became more alert. If Noir was right, then a threat would come. Immediately, nothing¡­ happened¡­ ¡­ False alarm? Latla thought¡ª The ground shook. The same intensity as a massive earthquake. The earth tilted, the trees trembled, and the leaves scattered. Woods sprouted from the ground beneath, surrounding Latla, Cirrus, and Noir. Their shapes were sharp like fangs; this sudden entrapment seemed similar to a giant jaw about to snap shut. No. Latla thought. Perhaps it is a giant jaw about to snap shut. Chapter 11 – Unlisted Monster ¡®¡°What¡¯s an unlisted monster,¡± you ask?¡¯ Present ¨C Shadow Wolf Guild¡¯s Pantry. ¡ªTrisha put down her half-eaten sandwich on a plate. She leaned back on her chair, thinking¡­ for a moment¡­ before she began: *** ¡®An unlisted monster¡ª¡¯ Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Forest. Surrounded by sharp wooden fangs: a giant jaw about to snap shut, Latla pressed her boots on the ground, dashing toward Cirrus and Noir. Sensing her movement, the fangs closed in. ¡®¡ªis a monster that hasn¡¯t been cataloged.¡¯ Latla grabbed Cirrus¡ªand Noir too, accordingly¡ªand searched for an escape path. She was standing in dead center of the entrapment. The fangs were closing in fast, the gaps between them too narrow to slip through. ¡®There are countless species of monsters out there. Most have been known, categorized, and recorded. Some haven¡¯t.¡¯ This is¡­ Latla thought. ¡®An unknown.¡¯ ¡­ an unlisted monster. ¡®That¡¯s what it is. And they are awfully dangerous.¡¯ Slam! The giant jaw snapped shut. *** Present ¨C Shadow Wolf Guild¡¯s Pantry. Trisha stood up from her seat. Hung on one of the walls was a blackboard, half-filled with lists. Its main purpose was to keep track of the pantry¡¯s inventory; its secondary purpose was to be scribbled upon. ¡®An unlisted monster is dangerous because there¡¯s no information about it yet.¡¯ Trisha grabbed a chalk and drew two circles¡ªa circle inside a bigger circle¡ªon the board. ¡®Take this monster for example,¡¯ she referred to the drawing, ¡®a slime. ¡®We all know what this monster is: a creature with a gelatinous body. Could drown or decay you to death. It¡¯s a harmless C-rate monster because we know how to deal with it,¡¯ she crossed the inner circle, ¡®slash the core in its center. ¡®Now, imagine if you have no knowledge of what a slime is. The difficulty of dealing with it increases due to the lack of information. You try slashing its gelatinous body,¡¯ Trisha drew a harsh stroke, missing the slime¡¯s core, ¡®but that doesn¡¯t seem to harm it. ¡®Try anything you want: bash it with a mace, stab it with a spear, drown it in water, but as long as you don¡¯t destroy the core, your attacks won¡¯t amount to anything. Not knowing makes fighting it difficult. A slime is a harmless C-rated monster for those who know how to deal with it, a harmful B-rated monster for those who don¡¯t know.¡¯ *** Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The giant jaw had snapped shut, formed a structure akin to a dome. The forest was quiet, no sign of movement. As still as a graveyard. *** ¡®As a receptionist,¡¯ Trisha said, ¡®the best advice you can give to mages about unlisted monster is to run away when they encounter it. Keep that in mind when mages start asking about the unlisted monster in Khiva¡¯s forest.¡¯ Trisha returned to her seat, grabbed her sandwich, opened her mouth and¡ªheard a new question being asked. She answered: ¡®No. The unlisted monster roaming inside Khiva¡¯s forest isn¡¯t a rumor. ¡®There hasn¡¯t been any report claiming that there¡¯s an unlisted monster. However, there have been many reports of capable mages going missing there. As if the forest has swallowed them whole. ¡®If those missing mages had encountered a listed monster, we would¡¯ve heard from them by now. ¡®What we don¡¯t hear¡ªthat silence¡ªsays a lot. Dead men tell no tales.¡¯ *** Inside the dome, reigned pitch-black darkness. Clink¡­ clink¡­ *** ¡®With the unlisted monster roaming around inside the forest, dark times are ahead of us. ¡®Though, I¡­ would still like to believe that¡ª'' *** Flame surged inside the dome. *** ¡®¡ªthere¡¯s always light in the dark.¡¯ *** Latla. Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Forest. A pillar of flame rose toward the sky, obliterating the dome. Latla emerged from the entrapment, carrying Cirrus and Noir beside her. The woods surrounding burned, dying from her flames. I doubt that¡¯s enough, Latla thought. She understood that she was facing an unlisted monster, knew that the creature was strong enough to remain unknown long enough to become a rumor, and she was aware of her lack of information. So many questions raced through her mind: Was that a plant type monster or a plant like monster? Was what she burnt a main part or a disposable extension of its body? Was its nature calm or aggressive? None of which could be answered. For now, the monster wasn¡¯t giving any response from being burnt. Knowing that she had time, she decided to focus on a question that could be answered. ¡®Are you alright?¡¯ Latla asked. ¡®It¡¯s a bit hot, but I¡¯m alright!¡¯ Cirrus answered. The cat also responded, ¡®Meow.¡¯ ¡®Noir feels the same!¡¯ Somehow, Cirrus¡¯s carefree attitude annoyed Latla. He was facing danger; yet didn¡¯t seem to be concerned at all. There and then, she supposed that this was rather preferable. Things would be more difficult to handle if he was panicking. What¡¯s important is that he¡¯s unharmed. The flames were starting to settle down. Latla reached into her waist bag, pulled out another ring. What¡¯s next? Latla wondered. Without information, there was no right answer for that question. I¡¯ll wait and observe, then¡ª The ground shook. An earthquake; unnatural, artificial. Created by the creature¡¯s movement underground. At a distance away in front of her, woods sprouted from the ground. Its shape this time wasn¡¯t a fang, but of wood tangled together with one another, forming an oval shape similar to that of an egg. Its size slightly smaller than that of a house. In a burst, sprouting unevenly on its sides were six sharp legs. Emerging on the front were a pair of distorted arms and a single head made up of just a giant mouth with fangs. The monster opened its jaws and created a loud, high-pitched screech. ¡ªI¡¯ll crush whatever comes my way. Latla overtapped her ring. Chapter 12 – The Unknown & The Impossible Hearing the loud screech, the forest trembled. Six legs, Latla observed, standing beneath the shadow of the creature, a pair of distorted arms, and a head made up of a mouth full of fangs. The monster and Latla confronted one another. Both remained still and unmoving. The wind lost its voice; the trees lost its presence. Right now, the world¡ªto them¡ªconsisted of two things only: oneself and their opponent. So aware of one another that both unknowingly matched their timings. So aware of one another that both unknowingly matched their movements. Both chose to break the inaction at the same time with similar movement: the monster lifted its leg high to the sky; Latla pressed her foot to the ground. Wham! The monster swung its leg down with a crushing force. Latla had dodged the attack with a gap by stepping to the side. The world had returned. And it was¡ªcrowded. The monster lifted its legs one-by-one, swinging them down, leaving a trail of destruction. Against the barrage, she picked up speed and evaded. The trees were obstacles that could block her path. The broken grounds were uneven footholds that could stop her run. Not finding purchase with the attacks, the monster added a horizontal swing to the mix. Latla vaulted over it. The surrounding trees rough-cut in half served as a grim warning as what could be if she received the attack full-on. Can¡¯t get hit by that, Latla noted, her heart had skipped a beat. No time to dwell over it, for the monster¡¯s barrage remained continuous. Latla was carrying Cirrus and Noir on the side as she was dodging. She wanted to prioritize their safety, for she had promised Scarlet to, but running away seemed difficult. There was no hiding in this forest, not when the monster was aware of their presence. Not to mention, although she could dodge the attacks, she wasn¡¯t confident that she could outrun the monster. There¡¯s also that. Latla could see that one of the monster¡¯s legs never moved. It was, on further inspection, buried underground. Perhaps, if it had a core like slimes, that was where it was hidden. Maybe this monster she was evading right now wasn¡¯t its true form; only parts of it. It was also possible that the buried leg was a trap that the monster was setting, ready to emerge and swallow her, like the wooden jaw from before. The uncertainty that comes from facing an unlisted monster is¡­ annoying¡­ As she dodged the barrage of attacks, knowing that being passive would get her nowhere, Latla formed a finger gun and pointed the gesture at the monster. Flames surged, creating a spherical shape that spiraled at high rotation. ¡®Fireball.¡¯ Latla shot a fireball toward the monster. Bam! The fireball hit the side of the monster¡¯s head, it screeched from the pain. The damage wasn¡¯t lethal nor big, but it was sufficient and felt. In response, it sped up its barrage. You don¡¯t like being annoyed either, do you? Latla kept dodging; as she did, she shot fireballs toward the monster. Some missed, for aiming while moving proved to be difficult, but most hit. Slowly but surely, the monster was accumulating damage. Additionally, her flame was consuming the wood. If this kept up, victory was hers to¡ª The monster let out another screech, louder than before, causing the forest to tremble. The vibration caused the broken ground to clatter. For a second, the air surrounding the monster¡ªseemed to twist and warp. Initially, Latla thought it was because of the screech messing with her sense of balance, but that wasn¡¯t it. No. The warping was caused by something else. By the monster¡¯s presence. A sense of foreboding grabbed her heart. This unlisted monster, the unknown, still had tricks that she couldn¡¯t predict. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Syr, you have the herb with you, right? Latla asked. However, her words fell on deaf ears. The screech had robbed them of their hearing. She relied on her sight, saw the boy holding the herb in his grasp. His safety is my main priority, Latla thought, with bits of spite. After the screech, the monster was stationary. Seeing this, Latla wore a new ring. Although she hated to do this, she decided to take the opportunity. Time to run. Latla turned, showed her back to the monster, then dashed away. If she was alone, she would have continued the fight. However, she wasn¡¯t alone; Cirrus was with him, and she had to keep the promise she made with Scarlet: she had to keep him safe. Woods¡ªshaped sharp like fangs¡ªsprouted from the ground, surrounding Latla. Like giant jaw about to snap shut. The same move from the beginning, except this time it was closing in faster than before. Having seen this, she had expected it and was ready to escape. She overtapped her ring. Flames surged, circling the ground where she stood, consuming dry twigs and leaves to burn even stronger. Her flame pillar was ready to rise toward the sky, but the fangs stopped short. Didn¡¯t fully shut. Only neared. Latla didn¡¯t execute her magic; the fangs were staying outside of her flame pillar¡¯s range. If you¡¯re not closing in, then I¡¯ll¡ª Something caught her attention. This wasn¡¯t the same move from the beginning. The fangs, Latla noticed, had buds on them, directed inward¡ªtoward her. All of them seemed as if they were prying themselves open. Unknown. Not understanding what would happen, not having enough time to consider her options, and not knowing if her flame pillar could protect them, Latla threw Cirrus and Noir away from the encirclement. It was a decision made on instinct in the heat of the moment. The flowers bloomed. Each and every one of them released a spray of pollen toward her. She held her breath, but the act was futile. Her surroundings tilted, everything was tinted with dark red. She felt wetness coursing down her cheek; when she wiped, she saw blood on her palm. Her head felt dizzy, feverish hot; and her eyes were bleeding. Stomp! The ground shook. Stomp! The monster approached Latla. It had flowers all over its body now and its one leg¡ªthe operator of the giant jaw¡ªwas no longer buried underground. It loomed over her, its mouth formed a sinister grin, then broke into a warped laughter. It was openly mocking her. Latla glared at the monster, enraged. How dare it¡ª Wham! The monster thrusted a leg straight at Latla. She was thrown away by the blow. The force could have sent her a distance away, but she crashed her back into a tree. Feeling the impact, Latla coughed blood. ¡®Latla!¡¯ Cirrus shouted. Her vision was blurry, darkness seemed to creep onto her from all sides. If she were to lose consciousness here¡­ no one would protect the boy from the unlisted monster. She had to fight. Endure all the pain and rise. I¡­ ¡®Impossible. *** ¡®The thought crossed your mind, didn¡¯t it?¡¯ Past ¨C Caravan. Latla glared at Flamme, seething with rage. ¡®Some things in this world are not meant to be,¡¯ she said, Latla recalled. ¡®The sooner you accept it, the better your life will be,¡¯ she said. The impulse to leap at this mage¡ªat this hookah addict¡ªwas strong. However, most important of all¡­ ¡®You¡¯ll teach me magic,¡¯ Latla said, swallowing her rage¡ªtemporarily, ¡®the moment I can look left and right at the same time.¡¯ ¡®You¡ªheard me.¡¯ Latla walked away. ¡®See? Impossible.¡¯ Latla searched inside the caravan for an item. Artour had kept it around because he believed that appearance was important for a merchant as first impressions could determine a trade. She found the item, grabbed it, then returned to Flamme. Standing in front of her, she looked to the left. Then, holding a mirror, she was also looking to the right. ¡®See? Now shut your nonsense and teach me magic.¡¯ *** The monster¡¯s leg, the one used for the thrust attack, had been burnt to cinders on contact. *** Flamme gave a look of surprise. She refused to admit her loss. ¡®I¡ª¡¯ ¡®¡°Impossible¡±, you said? Who decided that? You did! Let that word define you all you want, but I won¡¯t let such insignificant standard define me. I¡ª¡¯ *** Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Forest. Latla rose. She was feeling the impact from the blow, but she could move. She could fight. ¡®I¡ªwill become¡­ the greatest mage in all of existence!¡¯ She wore two rings on her fingers¡ªand overtapped them. Chapter 12.5 – Extra: Do You Have a Sibling? Past ¨C Cafe, after bazaar¡¯s day one. Cirrus was sleeping on a sofa, a black cat in his hug and a smile on his face. Seeing this made Scarlet smile. He must¡¯ve had a good day, she thought. When was the last time he¡¯s this peaceful, I wonder? Sometimes¡ªshe felt like a failure of an older sister, for not being able to bring out his smile as often as it should¡­ At another table, Latla was reading a paper: her own financial calculations. Knowing that she was the reason for his smile today, she felt¡­ envious. Isn¡¯t she a better older sister than I am? ¡­ Scarlet stood up, then approached Latla. ¡®Is it alright if I join you?¡¯ Latla looked up. She set the paper aside. ¡®Go ahead.¡¯ Scarlet sat opposite Latla. She put aside her envy. ¡®Thank you for taking care of Syr today, Latla.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re welcome.¡¯ If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡®Before he was asleep, he kept sharing with me about his day with you in the bazaar. It sounded like he had a lot of fun.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s good to know.¡¯ Latla glanced at Cirrus, confirmed that he was peacefully asleep. ¡®You can use one of the empty rooms upstairs and stay the night if you want.¡¯ She was slightly surprised by her offer. Staying the night would mean that she didn¡¯t need to go back home¡ªthat she didn¡¯t need to disturb his sleep and wake him up. ¡®Is it alright?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s alright. You clean the room, then I¡¯ll carry him to bed for you.¡¯ Not only was Latla considerate of Cirrus, she was also considerate of Scarlet. With her weak body, it would be a challenge for her to move him to bed. Maybe¡­ ¡®What is it?¡¯ Latla asked, noticing Scarlet¡¯s staring. ¡®... Seeing how you act, I was wondering if maybe you have experience in being an older sister. Do you have a younger sibling?¡¯ She blinked. ¡®That¡¯s a difficult question to answer.¡¯ Difficult? ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®... You¡¯re making me angry,¡¯ Latla declared. ¡®Do you want to stay the night or not?¡¯ ¡®Yes, please.¡¯ ¡®Then clean the room.¡¯ ¡®I will, right now.¡¯ Scarlet left the table. As she was going for the cleaning equipment, she couldn¡¯t help but think that her response was baffling. Why would she be angry from her question? So much so that she immediately got rid of her? Scarlet wanted to further pursue the matter. However, knowing that Latla disliked it, she decided against it. Let¡¯s leave it at that for now. Chapter 13 – Burning Anger Past. ¡®You won¡¯t let those ¡°insignificant¡± standard define you?¡¯ Flamme said. ¡®And how exactly are you going to overcome the impossible?¡¯ ¡®With this.¡¯ Latla showed a ring. *** Present. Latla overtapped two rings; magic surged within. There¡¯s no extra round, she thought. She understood the limits of her own body, knew that this was her last stand. The damage and poison had imposed an unknown time limit on her, making the fight disadvantageous. Darkness crept around her vision, devoted to claim her consciousness but couldn¡¯t, for in her eyes remained a fire, burning hot, directed toward the monster looming before her. I don¡¯t need an extra round against you. This monster had angered her. To her count, it had committed three faults. She would not hesitate to unleash her rage. Latla and the monster faced against one another. This was their last fight. The monster stood there with its five legs. As though it was waiting, but Latla could see its subtle movements¡ªcould see its tiny adjustments to shift weight. One of its legs was lighter than the rest now. Ready for¡ª The monster raised and swung down its leg. Latla threw herself to the side, dodging the attack. The leg pierced and shattered the hard ground. The monster shifted its weight, using the previous attacking leg as pivot, and raised another leg. It swung diagonally downward this time. Latla stepped forward and ducked. Dodging the attack, closing the distance. Not liking that, the monster lifted another leg. This time, it swung horizontally. Latla ducked to the side and dodged. She could see the monster for what it was now. No longer a monster with no information about, but a monster with predictable patterns. Its main form of offense was its leg: could be used as a cleaving attack or to ambush as an enclosing jaw. Its other form of offense was its poisonous flower. All of which can be reacted upon and countered as long as she was aware of it. Did the monster have more tricks in store? Perhaps. But that would be a reach, for the poisonous flower, to her, seemed to be its trump card. The only thing to worry about right now would be hitting her own limits. She had to end the fight before then; to do that, Latla would steal the monster¡¯s mobility. One of its legs was now within her range. Flames surged, swirling around her body with a destructive force. Her anger fueled the heat of the flames. ¡®Your first fault,¡¯ Latla said, remembering the event that had led her here into this forest, ¡®is that you poisoned a kid and used her as a bait!¡¯ Bwoosh! A pillar of flame pillar rose toward the sky. It burnt the monster¡¯s leg to cinders. *** Flamme. Past. ¡®A mana storage tool,¡¯ Flamme remarked upon looking at the ring. ¡®It¡¯s a difficult tool¡ªto master. So much so that people would even call it¡ªa worthless scrap of junk¡­¡¯ The little girl rolled her eyes, as if saying: So what? Fulfill your promise and teach me magic already! She was looking at a manaless who wanted to become the greatest mage in all of existence. Faced with the absurdity of her ambition, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ Was this stupidity? Or¡­ was this something else entirely? She¡¯ll try her hardest for her ambition and her world will shatter before her eyes upon learning the impossible. Flamme thought. Like I had when I failed mine. Flamme looked at her hookah. She had picked up the item because she needed a distraction from her failure, an addiction that would allow her a sense of bliss. And perhaps¡ªa way to slowly kill herself¡­ The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. She couldn¡¯t let this little girl follow the same path as hers. Yet, her words had resonated with her. Who decided that an ambition was impossible? No one but herself¡­ ¡®Start teaching me magic¡ª¡¯ Latla said¡ª ¡®or I¡¯ll break your hookah.¡¯ ¡®Ha! Ha-ha!¡¯ Flamme laughed at the threat. She wiped her tears. ¡®So¡ªscary.¡¯ I don¡¯t think that she will succeed... However, I¡¯d like her to prove me wrong. ¡®Very well. I¡¯ll teach you magic.¡¯ Flamme gathered flames on her palm, then melted her hookah. ¡®Prove me that it¡¯s possible to overcome the impossible.¡¯ *** Latla. Present. The monster let out a loud screech. Caused the forest to tremble. This again, Latla thought, irritated. It was neither an offensive or defensive move, but the sound was startling. Enough to mess with her balance, but if the monster thought that this would be enough to stun her, then it would be wrong. If anything, she would like it to come at her. I¡¯m ready for a counter. Except, the monster wasn¡¯t going for her. Instead, with a swift movement, it headed for a direction opposite to Latla. Running away? Latla thought. The monster had lost two legs against her. This behavior wouldn¡¯t be strange. However, as she checked the direction that the monster was heading, she could spot Cirrus hiding behind a bush. In that moment, she realized an observation that she had previously missed. It had no eyes. Meant that to gauge its surroundings it must¡¯ve used something other than sight. ¡®It¡¯s safe as long as we¡¯re quiet!¡¯ Cirrus¡¯s word resurfaced in her mind. Someway, somehow, he¡ªor the cat¡ªhad known. This monster uses echolocation. Perhaps the monster was cutting its losses. Knowing that it couldn¡¯t beat Latla, it decided to take away what it could, settling for just a kid for prey. Or, perhaps, it was aware of its advantage. Aware that the poisonous flower had hit because Latla was protecting Cirrus. Made the connection that targeting him would allow a chance for victory. Latla chased after the monster without missing a beat. ¡®Your second fault,¡¯ Latla said, remembering how the monster had mocked her, ¡®is underestimating me!¡¯ Latla formed a finger gun with her hand. Flames surged, spiraling, creating a sphere of flame in front of her index finger. She might not be a good shot, but when her ¡°bullet¡± was this big, she couldn¡¯t miss. She fired the sphere of flame, hitting the monster¡¯s legs, reducing its legs to three. Slowing it down greatly. Catching up to the monster inside this forest was easier than catching up to the thief inside that bazaar. Latla jumped, and she got atop the monster. Even with three legs, the monster was still capable of moving, and it was heading toward Cirrus. I¡¯ll end it right here, right¡ª Darkness enveloped her vision. The timing couldn¡¯t be worse. She hadn¡¯t lost consciousness yet, but she could feel strength leaving her body, could feel the sensation of falling. ¡­ She had hit her limit. *** Past ¨C Open Grass Field. ¡®You¡¯re angry¡ªall the time.¡¯ Flamme pointing that out made Latla angry. ¡®You¡¯re supposed to teach me magic.¡¯ ¡®There are two school of thoughts,¡¯ Flamme carried on. She created two fireballs, one in each hand. ¡®Both believes in emotions, albeit with different interpretation. One believes that emotion is a hindrance to clear thought; therefore, suppresses it, while the other believes that emotion is an assistance; therefore, unleashes it.¡¯ Latla rolled her eyes. She had asked her to teach magic, not philosophy. If there was still a hookah to break, she would have. ¡®Watch.¡¯ The fireball on Flamme¡¯s left hand split apart into ten. To which, she moved them in the air, creating mesmerizing pendulum patterns. ¡®When you suppress your emotion, you could acquire accuracy and precision. Meanwhile¡­¡¯ The fireball on Flamme¡¯s right hand grew bigger. To which, she shot it with force, burning the tall grasses beneath that it didn¡¯t even touch, ¡®when you unleash your emotion, you could acquire more output.¡¯ Latla, finally on the same page as Flamme, asked directly to the point, ¡®Which one is better?¡¯ ¡®Doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re angry¡ªall the time. You¡¯re the latter, the type that unleashes your emotion. The type that uses not cold rationality, but heated emotions to break through limits. Someone who¡ªburns stronger by unleashing your rage. ¡®Here¡¯s an advice that you should remember: Should you ever find yourself in trouble, you best put that anger into good use.¡¯ *** Inside the darkness, Latla could see a boy. Not Cirrus, but someone else. Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Forest. Latla pushed away the darkness, ¡°opening¡± her eyes. Regaining her vision, understanding the situation: being on top of the monster and falling, her left hand reached and grasped the monster¡¯s body. Its texture, that of wood tangled together into one big mass, made for an easy purchase. The monster was a few steps away from reaching Cirrus. Latla lifted her right hand, clenched a fist. Her body felt powerless, weak, but she had to have enough strength for this one last move. Burn. ¡®Your third fault,¡¯ Latla said, remembering the trouble that this monster had caused her. How it had almost tore apart Scarlet and Cirrus¡¯s relationship. How, even now, it was trying to tear them apart, ¡®the gravest of them all¡ª¡¯ Flames gathered, surrounding her fist. They might not be as big in scale as her fireball, or her flame pillar, but it burned stronger than those two. As if all the flames that should¡¯ve been released was concentrated toward her fist. So hot that it warped the air around her. So hot that it was already burning the monster without even touching. ¡®¡ªis that you were destroying the sibling relationship of the people from my guild!!¡¯ Latla swung down her fist, incinerating the monster. Chapter 14 – Who Are You? Surrounded by ashes, Latla stood tall. She glanced at the monster beneath her, what little that remained, and believed it to be dead. If it hadn¡¯t, then it would be, for her flames would continuously consume and burn the remaining wooden body till it became ashes. In front of her, behind a bush, was Cirrus¡ªthe boy with a cat atop his head¡ªlooking at her with an expression of awe. He¡¯s fine, Latla thought, good. Having confirmed that he was safe, tension left her body. The darkness creeping in the edges of her vision closed in and transformed her world black. Losing control of her movement, she could feel the sensation of falling¡­ and crashing onto the hard ground. She could hear Cirrus shouting her name, worrying. His voice diminished with each call, lower and lower until¡­ she could hear him no more¡­ She had hit her limit¡ªher true limit this time. She wished that she could take him out of this dangerous forest herself, but¡­ he should be fine¡­ He had the cat with him, a reliable guide. One last thing she needed to accomplish¡ªwas to make sure that she didn¡¯t become a burden. He would have better chances without her weighing him down. With the last of her strength, she muttered: ¡®¡­ Leave me.¡¯ ¡­ And Latla lost consciousness. *** ¡®¡­ leave me¡­¡¯ Past ¨C Snowy Forest. ¡®Don¡¯t¡­ leave me¡­¡¯ the girl pleaded, sobbing. Two figures loomed over the girl; their faces unreadable despite them being her parents. She shed tears. She didn¡¯t believe this¡ªwished that this was all a horrible joke. Then, they walked away from her, onto their coach, and rode away. They had disowned her that day. Because she was manaless. *** Present. Latla opened her eyes. She rose and assessed her surroundings. She was inside a room, left to rest with a warm blanket covering her. She recognized this room. Having lost money due to paying for Shadow Wolf Guild¡¯s repairs, she had vacated into one of the many rooms at the upper story of her caf¨¦. The room was spacious, had the capacity to keep several sizable pieces of furniture: a comfortable bed, a drawer and wardrobe beside, a desk; bookshelves; and windows in front, and deep inside the room was a private bathroom. Excessive, for a caf¨¦ located in the slums, but rest was comfortable here. On the drawer was a plate of wrapped sandwiches, a glass of water, and a note. Latla picked up the last item and read the writing: ¡°Cirrus and I will be occupying one of the rooms inside the caf¨¦. Please reach out to us when you¡¯re awake. ¨C Scarlet¡± For good measure, she checked the other side of the note: ¡°I want to write notes too! ¨C Cirrus¡± Latla chuckled. She was glad that he was fine. Would be more so if only her body didn¡¯t ache from laughing. Once she had settled down, she went back to analyzing her situation. Someone must have carried me here, she thought. Cirrus must have left the forest and asked for help. I¡¯ll have to express my gratitude for that person. Latla stood up from her bed, stretched her arms upward toward the ceiling. Carefully, for her wounds still hurt. While at it, she noticed that someone had changed her into pajamas and had treated her wounds. Scarlet, she assumed. While stretching, she could see the night sky through the window. How long have I been unconscious? Latla wondered. A few hours, I hope. Having done her stretch, Latla took the glass of water on the drawer and chugged it down. Till the last drop. When she finished, she wished for more. And not just more, but also stronger. Like coffee. She could eat the sandwiches while brewing coffee downstairs. Latla grabbed the plate of sandwiches and left the room. In the hallway, she looked at the room beside her, wondering if she should do what the note had instructed her: to reach out to Scarlet, but¡­ that could wait. There was no hurry. She could and would reach out to her once she was awake in the morning. Thus, Latla descended the stairs. Stepped lightly on the wood. One, to avoid making any noises; two, to descend with the least amount of pain. I¡¯ll need to get painkillers when pharmacies open, Latla thought. Her body was still hurting from receiving the unlisted monster¡¯s blow and still feeling somewhat weak from the poison. Judging from how she was alive, the herb must¡¯ve been delivered successfully. Cirrus had grabbed plenty, enough to make cure for a dozen or so if needed. Latla entered the caf¨¦ area. Walked through it; behind, there was a pantry for dining. Twice more spacious than her room; the siphon had last been placed there. As she walked through the dark hallway below, she smelled smoke. Why was there smoke? Latla opened the door to the pantry. The first sight that greeted her was a dim small light coming from an ember: a cigarette. From that light source, she could make up a figure¡¯s silhouette sitting on the table. In the dark, all by her lonesome. Scarlet? Latla wondered. No. She has a weak body. Unless she has a death wish (not possible), she wouldn¡¯t smoke.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡®Who are you?¡¯ Latla asked. ¡®Sherry,¡¯ the figure answered. Her voice sounded light, weightless. ¡®You?¡¯ Sherry. The name doesn¡¯t ring any bell. In the dark, Latla stretched her arm and reached for the light switch. A normal caf¨¦ would¡¯ve used candles for lighting, but this extravagant caf¨¦ she had received had light crystals installed. Feeling the switch with her fingertip, she flipped it. Lights from above exorcised the darkness. Latla could see Sherry: A young woman with short white hair and awful dark circles under her eyes. Wore a white shirt, black tie, and gray skirt. Had bandages wrapped around her neck and wrists. Her build was slim; overall, she seemed harmless. Never met her before. ¡®Oh, hi Boss.¡¯ Sherry gave Latla a casual salute and a smile. ¡°Boss¡±? Latla pondered. ¡®¡­ I¡¯ll ask this one more time: ¡®Who are you?¡¯ *** Sylvia. Past ¨C Dark Room. She stared at the flame that her lighter produced: serene, stable, and smooth. Everyone has this within them, she thought whilst sitting on her desk. A flame that pushes the void away. The will to live. Sylvia needed it. But had no want for it. ¡®You¡¯ll hurt your eyes if you stare at it too long,¡¯ warned a voice. ¡®¡­ I didn¡¯t ask for your presence,¡¯ Sylvia responded. Didn¡¯t even bother giving him a glance. ¡®I¡¯m aware. But I thought this might interest you.¡¯ He dropped an article on the desk. ¡®And in case your curiosity is piqued, I¡¯ve collected her background.¡¯ He dropped a file on top of the article. ¡®Please check it out.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ Sylvia shooed him. He left her room. Something that might interest me¡­ All by her lonesome, she checked the papers. *** Past ¨C Khiva¡¯s Gate. There Sylvia was, having arrived with barely anything. Her possessions were simply her apparel: white shirt, black tie, and gray skirt. Nothing more, nothing less. Her coming here had been an impulsive decision after all. *** Dark Room. She read the name written on the papers: Latla Altaveli. *** Past ¨C Khiva¡¯s Bazaar. Sylvia walked through the crowded bazaar. With difficulty. She had lost count of how many times she had been carried away by the crowd and ended up in a foreign area, essentially resetting her whole progress. This annual event was, to her, the worst time to be here. Yet, she pushed forward, toward the slum area. *** Dark Room. ¡°A manaless.¡± ¡°Abandoned by her family at a young age due to that.¡± ¡°Aspired to prove her worth by becoming the greatest mage in all of existence.¡± *** Past ¨C Caf¨¦. With persistence, she finally reached her destination. This extravagant building stood out inside the slum area; made her search easier. She¡¯ll turn this caf¨¦ into a guild someday, Sylvia thought. Someone was sweeping the front of the caf¨¦, a woman with scarlet hair. An employee from this place, Sylvia could tell. Now, she wondered, what¡¯s the easiest way to infiltrate this place? ¡®Um¡­ Sorry¡­¡¯ Sylvia approached the scarlet haired employee, wore a troubled face. ¡®Are you hiring?¡¯ The employee was surprised at first, then smiled. ¡®Yes. For a barista. Would you be interested to apply?¡¯ That was easy. ¡®Yes.¡¯ *** Dark Room. She lit up her lighter. Everyone has this within them. She stared at the flame: serene, stable, smooth. Enticing. A flame that pushes the void away. The will to¡ªnot just survive, but¡ªlive. Behaves the same way too. Sylvia burned the papers which she had read. She stared at the flames: ecstatic and erratic. Watched as it spread from paper to paper. ¡®Latla Altaveli¡­ ¡®Can your flame push away my void, I wonder?¡¯ *** Past ¨C Caf¨¦. ¡®What¡¯s your name?¡¯ scarlet-hair asked. My name? Sylvia thought. Not wanting to use her real name, she made one up on the spot. *** Latla & Sherry. Present ¨C Caf¨¦¡¯s Pantry. ¡®I¡¯m Sherry, Boss,¡¯ she answered her question. ¡®That isn¡¯t enough,¡¯ Latla said. She also demanded that she put her cigarette off. To which she complied by pressing the burning end on her tie. ¡®Well, it¡¯s S-H-E-R-R-Y. With an S, not a B, otherwise I¡¯ll be Bherry.¡¯ She giggled. ¡®Double R, not triple, else that¡¯ll be weird to say. With a Y and not a W-H-Y, though Sherrwhy would be a funny name.¡¯ Is she messing with me intentionally? Latla thought. No reaction whatsoever? Sherry observed. Latla changed the question, ¡®Why are you here?¡¯ ¡®Why? Here? Well, I couldn¡¯t sleep. So, I decided to smoke here.¡¯ ¡®How did you get in?¡¯ ¡®How did I get in? Well, through the door. I twisted the knob, it opens with a click, I push the door, and I enter!¡¯ Latla was losing her patience. Oh? Sherry ¡°felt¡± the heat. Her anger might burn me to cinders. I should stop. ¡®You called me ¡°Boss¡±. Why?¡¯ ¡®Because you¡¯re my boss, Boss.¡¯ Again, she gave her a casual salute. ¡®How did I become your boss?¡¯ ¡®When I got employed here.¡¯ ¡®You got employed here?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®By whom?¡¯ ¡®Scarlet.¡¯ Scarlet did? Latla thought. To which, she remembered the instruction that she had given her: to secure income for the guild. Sherry¡¯s employment could be related to that. Latla recalled what Scarlet had written on the note. Latla glanced at Sherry. She wasn¡¯t getting anywhere with her. I hate to wake Scarlet up, but I have to reach out to¡ª ¡®How did you do it, Boss?¡¯ Sherry asked. She wasn¡¯t getting anywhere with her; the feeling was mutual. Might as well be direct about it. ¡®How did I do what?¡¯ ¡®¡­ I was abandoned when I was young. Just like you. Except, I¡¯m not as¡­ ambitious as you.¡¯ She showed her bandaged wrists. ¡®How did you do it?¡¯ Abandoned just like me? Latla thought. ¡®I¡¯ve publicized myself as being a manaless, but never as being an abandoned child. I¡¯ll ask this one last time: Who are you?¡¯ ¡®You haven¡¯t answered my question, Latla Altaveli.¡¯ ¡®You want to have ambitions,¡¯ Latla clarified the problem. ¡®The way I see it, you¡¯re already ambitious enough to have done your research on me and come here. Just do what you did.¡¯ ¡­ I suppose, she thought, your flame is that contagious. ¡®Your turn to answer my question.¡¯ Sylvia smiled. ¡®I¡¯m Sherry, Boss.¡¯ I¡¯m reaching out to Scarlet. Latla¡¯s decision was final this time. Chapter 15 – The Coward, The Unhinged, The Older Sister, and The Fool Razae, leader of Shadow Wolf guild, sat at his desk. A large window behind threw shadow on his face for all who opposed him. There he was, pen in his hand, crossing papers: proposals from guild members which he rejected. This was an aspect of his work, one which he could delegate to others, but had chosen not to because he had deemed their result unsatisfactory. No one, save for himself, understood the importance of proper fund allocation for proposals. No need for emotions, he thought. Only solid rationality. The door to his workspace was opened with a slam. Undisturbed, his hand still moved to cross another proposal. He glanced upward; saw not Trisha, but a man: he wore a brown half-robe atop his shirt, a headband with horn on his head, and carried a wooden staff that was refined through modern means. None other than the head of the traditional mage gathering. Selected by his peers, this man had been chosen to represent the traditional mages. ¡®Why did you reject the proposal?¡¯ he asked, fuming, showing him a crossed paper. One which Razae recognized as his handiwork. ¡®Vigo,¡¯ Razae said, calm, his hand still crossing other proposals, ¡®it¡¯s not in my capacity to remember all the proposals that I reject.¡¯ Vigo approached, slammed the paper on his desk. ¡®The hunt for the unlisted monster.¡¯ ¡®Ah¡­ That proposal.¡¯ ¡®Why did you reject it?¡¯ ¡®The worst-case scenario is too ruinous.¡¯ ¡®What worst-case scenario? The whole traditional mage gets annihilated? That won¡¯t happen.¡¯ ¡®No. The worst-case scenario is that the rumors are true.¡¯ ¡®What rumors?¡¯ ¡®Words have been going around that the manaless had hunted the unlisted monster.¡¯ ¡®That fly? You¡¯re that concerned about her? So much that you trusted rumors?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s not about trusting the rumors. It¡¯s about managing risk and reward. Weigh them on a scale. The reward for hunting the unlisted monster would just be an accomplishment and achievement, a petty reward considering how far Shadow Wolf guild has gotten.¡¯ ¡®Petty reward? The achievement would restore the good name of traditional mages!¡¯ ¡®Yes. But there are other ways to achieve that. Preferably, one that does not involve ruinous risks. Suppose that the rumors are true, that the manaless had indeed hunted the unlisted monster. The damage to your people; consequently, to my Shadow Wolf guild, will be disastrous. ¡®Had I approved your proposal, had the rumors been true, had you been bested in your hunt, that would mean that you¡¯d have been defeated twice. ¡®By a manaless.¡¯ He crossed another proposal. ¡®Can you now imagine how ruinous it¡¯ll be to my guild¡¯s reputation?¡¯ ¡®The chance of that,¡¯ Vigo protested, ¡®is unlikely!¡¯ ¡®Yet, should it happen, it¡¯s disastrous.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a coward.¡¯ ¡®If your definition for bravery is recklessness that leads to ruin, then I do not mind being a coward.¡¯ Vigo, believing that there was nothing more to talk about, left. Shut the door with a slam. Members can always be replaced. His belief remained firm. The traditional mages could all be thrown away if necessary. What¡¯s important, Razae thought, is that Shadow Wolf guild as a whole prospers. On his desk was a stack of papers. Proposals which he needed to accept or reject. Yet, despite the work that remained, he finally put down his pen. Talking with Vigo reminded him of the manaless. He had ordered Trisha to extend an invite, but there had been no report about the progress thus far. ¡­ It¡¯s time I pay the manaless a visit. *** Latla. Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Annual Bazaar. ¡®Auction, auction!¡¯ a man promoted. ¡®You¡¯ll be sorry if you miss this one!¡¯ At times, in Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar, sellers would cooperate and set up an auction ground to get better prices for their goods. They would combine their neighboring spots into one, creating a large space for buyers to gather. Space which they filled with many chairs and a makeshift wooden stage at the front. Latla was seated in one of the chairs, waiting for the auction to start. That monster just has to ruin my plans¡­ Because of the unlisted monster, she had been unconscious for three days. Meaning: she had skipped day four to six of Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar. Today was day seven. The last day. To turn the caf¨¦ into a guild, she needed funds. She had intended to collect funds from this event, but she couldn¡¯t make the most of it. Had she not been unconscious¡­ who knew how much money she would have made from day four to six? ¡®You¡¯ve recovered way faster than the doctor expected,¡¯ Scarlet had said. Latla thought. It¡¯s not as fast as I wanted. ¡®Auction begins in five minutes!¡¯ shouted the promoter. Latla leaned back on the chair. Regret it as much as she would, but she couldn¡¯t change the past. Couldn¡¯t travel back in time to train her body so that she would be unconscious for shorter. Best to use the present for something useful, such as organizing her thoughts. Latla recollected what happened this morning. ¡®Sherry,¡¯ Scarlet said, ¡®you should introduce yourself.¡¯ *** Past. ¡®I¡¯m Sherry.¡¯ She smiled. ¡®You see my problem?¡¯ Latla told Scarlet. Having woken her up, the three of them had gathered at the caf¨¦¡¯s pantry. The hour was past midnight; thereby, morning, but not quite morning enough that people were already up and about. ¡®Properly, Sherry. Please?¡¯ Scarlet requested. ¡®¡­ I was abandoned by my parents when I was young. For a reason that I do not deserve¡ªwhich I won¡¯t say. I was thrown into a shady street with nothing in my possession save for my clothes, left to die. Can¡¯t say for sure whether I¡¯m dead though. ¡®Well, one thing leads to another, and I¡¯ve decided: I¡¯m going to become the greatest barista in all of existence!¡¯ ¡®Can I punch her?¡¯ ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s clearly mocking me.¡¯ ¡®Violence is wrong. On that topic, Latla,¡¯ she gave her a cold murderous stare, ¡®don¡¯t even think that I don¡¯t know you pinched my brother¡¯s cheeks till they were red.¡¯ Latla¡¯s rage toward Sherry was replaced by concerns for her own safety. ¡®¡­ We¡¯ll talk about that later. Sherry, I¡¯m sorry to hear about your situation. If you feel like talking about it, don¡¯t hesitate to reach out, alright?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think I ever will.¡¯ Sherry smiled. Understanding her refusal, she moved on. ¡®Could you please tell Latla what you told me? About your recent situation.¡¯ ¡®About my recent situation? Well, I was on a travel with my beloved older brother, my one and only family. We were kicked out permanently from where we stayed before. For a reason that I do not deserve¡ªwhich I won¡¯t say. It was fun and enjoyable, until a monster attacked and separated us. Now, I¡¯m waiting for him to find me.¡¯ A story about being abandoned for me, Latla thought, and a story about a brother for Scarlet. Latla rolled her eyes. A specific story crafted for the person she was speaking to. A common ploy to gain empathy and trust. ¡®I had done an interview with Sherry,¡¯ Scarlet said. ¡®She¡¯s a good person, Latla.¡¯ I wonder if that¡¯s true, Latla thought. ¡®¡­ I had offered her the money you had given me for her wage,¡¯ Scarlet added. ¡®She then told me how she would have a hard time searching for a place to stay¡ªand said that she would work for free if I could offer her a place to stay. And¡­ there are many empty rooms upstairs¡­ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Latla. I know I should have asked you first, but you were unconscious.¡¯ Latla¡ªsighed. It was concerning. How Scarlet had allowed Sherry, essentially a stranger whom she had just gotten to know, to stay at the caf¨¦. After all, what if she was an enemy? Though, Latla too was to blame. Scarlet had only hired Sherry in response to what she had asked her: to make income for the guild. Her idea, Latla understood, was to sell coffee for income. She needed an employee, and a barista who was willing to be paid with free rent was too valuable to miss. This way, the unused rooms could be utilized, and the money could be used for other things. She was just following what I had asked her, Latla thought. ¡®No need to apologize Scarlet. You were doing what you thought was best. As I¡¯ve told you before: as long as you don¡¯t somehow get into debt, you¡¯re good.¡¯ ¡®About that¡­¡¯ Inhale. Exhale. ¡®Go on.¡¯ ¡®I had¡­ asked Sherry to make coffee as a test. She¡­ accidentally¡­ broke all the siphons¡­¡¯ ¡®All the siphons? Even the backup?¡¯ ¡®She was taking one of them from the shelf, but she toppled one and¡­ it fell onto one another and¡­ everything from the whole shelf broke¡­¡¯ ¡®You expect me to believe that?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s hard to believe, but it happened. I¡¯m sorry. I share part of the blame. I should¡¯ve taken the siphon out for her.¡¯ ¡®No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡¯ Latla stared at Sherry. Her adoptive father, Artour Altaveli, was¡ªquestionable. When Latla had arrived here, she knew that all that backup equipment in the storage was not necessary. Only a waste of space and cash. However, though he was questionable, he wasn¡¯t foolish. She had seen the shelf firsthand during her inspection¡ªand the equipment in the shelf was each separated by partitions to prevent them from being broken all at once like this.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Sherry gave Latla a smile. ¡®I¡¯ll pay for replacements when my brother finds me. I promise.¡¯ You broke the equipment on purpose, Latla knew. Now, I can¡¯t kick you out even if I want to. Not until you pay for the replacements. This woman sitting on the table¡­ Unhinged. ¡­ she was trouble. Neither enemy nor ally. Just chaos. Should Latla¡­ allow Sherry to stay? Knowing that she could potentially cause more harm? And, all things considered, wouldn¡¯t cutting her losses be the right move? Latla had to decide. *** Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Annual Bazaar. ¡®Is this seat empty?¡¯ asked a man. He had waxed black hair, wore a dark grey coat over his white shirt and black trousers. Had a crimson cravat wrapped under his collar; carried a black sheathed katana with a leather strap, slung on his shoulder. ¡­ Latla nodded. ¡®It is.¡¯ The man sat beside her. ¡®Auction, auction!¡¯ shouted a promoter. ¡®Don¡¯t miss this one!¡¯ Latla looked around, saw the chairs getting filled. Perhaps the number of participants meant that the sellers were reputable and had good products. ¡®All alone by yourself?¡¯ the man asked her. Judging by appearance, he was perhaps a few years older than her. ¡®Unfortunately,¡¯ Latla nodded. She would have brought Cirrus along, but the boy had taken his sister¡¯s side. Scarlet, understanding that Latla had only regained consciousness this morning and still wasn¡¯t in good condition, had forbidden her from going to the bazaar. Latla recalled, ¡®You¡¯ll be pushing yourself too much,¡¯ she had said. She was thankful for her concern. However, she couldn¡¯t miss this last day of Khiva¡¯s annual bazaar. Not when she had missed four days already. Thus, Latla had snuck out of the caf¨¦. Shame that she had to leave Cirrus; there was more that she could teach him from this bazaar. His fault for not taking her side. ¡®You seem pale and unfit,¡¯ the man said. ¡®I got poisoned the other day.¡¯ *** Scarlet. Past ¨C Caf¨¦, the other day. Scarlet was walking in circles, worrying for Cirrus and Latla. Hours had passed since they had gone into the forest, and they hadn¡¯t returned. Grabbing herbs from the forest shouldn¡¯t take this long. Unless¡­ something had happened to them¡­ Scarlet shook her head. No, it¡¯ll be fine, she thought. Latla said they¡¯ll return. But¡­ was her words to be trusted? After all, they were just¡­ words¡­ Why in the world had she accepted those words? Because¡­ she believed¡­ that Latla understood what it was like, being an older sister. Slam! Cirrus burst into the caf¨¦ through the door. Cat on his head, herbs in his hands. He was perfectly fine; a surge of relief almost caused Scarlet to fall on her knees. Following behind him was a gatekeeper¡ªwhose name she later found out was Horuk¡ªcarrying in his arms the unconscious Latla. *** Latla. Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Annual Bazaar. ¡®Poisoned?¡¯ the man asked. ¡®I had fought against a plant-type monster that has poisonous pollens,¡¯ Latla answered. She could hear a promoter shouting that the auction was about to begin. ¡®What monster is it?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s an unlisted monster.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Did you defeat that unlisted monster?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®So, the rumors are true.¡¯ The man said. ¡®I hate to be right, but at the same time it feels good to be right. It¡¯s an irrational conflict of emotions that still occurs to me sometimes.¡¯ ¡®It occurs to everyone,¡¯ she reassured. ¡®¡­ You said ¡°rumors¡±? What¡ª¡¯ ¡®Do you have proof of having defeated that monster?¡¯ His cutting her short annoyed Latla. However, he had raised a good question. Without any proof, no matter the truth, she wouldn¡¯t be able to claim that she had defeated the monster. *** Scarlet. Past ¨C Caf¨¦, the other day. Scarlet sat on the cushy sofa; head rested on the fine wooden table. She was feeling tired from today. Tired from having walked in circles and worrying for so long; then from having to get a doctor, help create medicine from the herb, and rest Latla in her room upstairs. ¡®Sis, are you alright?¡¯ Cirrus asked as he joined the table. The black cat was on his head. ¡®I¡¯m alright.¡¯ Her brother was worried about her health, because she had weak body. Scarlet smiled. ¡®Thanks for asking.¡¯ She finally got a good look of his face and¡­ was it just her or was his cheeks red? ¡®Are you alright, Syr?¡¯ ¡®Oh.¡¯ He touched his cheeks. ¡®It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore. I¡¯m alright!¡¯ ¡®¡­ You¡¯re not poisoned by the monster, are you?¡¯ ¡®Nope!¡¯ ¡®Why are your cheeks red then?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s because Latla pinched me.¡¯ ¡®She what?¡¯ How dare Latla hurt him! Sure, sometimes it felt like Cirrus deserved it, but that was never enough reason to ever hurt him! ¡®She pinched me.¡¯ ¡­ What made me believe that she understood about being an older sister? ¡®I¡¯ll confront her when she wakes up. Why did she pinch you?¡¯ ¡®She got mad at me.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m currently mad at her. But you won¡¯t see me stab her with a knife while she¡¯s unconscious. It¡¯s called restraint. Being mad is not a reason to hurt you.¡¯ ¡®She¡­ Sis¡­¡¯ Tears were welling in Cirrus¡¯s eyes. Not only had Latla hurt him, but he had also made him cry! Scarlet would never forgive her. Then, the words that came out of her brother¡¯s mouth surprised her. ¡®Sis, I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re sorry? What for, Syr?¡¯ ¡®For¡­ for calling you stubborn and¡­ and overprotective¡­ and selfish¡­ Latla told me that¡­ that I¡¯ve hurt you¡­¡¯ He cried. ¡®Oh, Syr¡­¡¯ Scarlet went beside Cirrus and gave him a hug. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­ for hurting you¡­¡¯ ¡®Syr, it¡¯s alright.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s alright.¡¯ She patted his head. ¡®¡­ Will you¡­ forgive me¡­?¡¯ ¡®Of course I forgive you.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Really?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t convinced. Today, she could say it. ¡®Syr, I¡¯m your older sister; I¡¯ll always forgive you.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Thank you, Sis.¡¯ Scarlet kept Cirrus in her embrace and patted him. After a while, he¡ªfell asleep. Must have been a tiring day for him. Scarlet was still mad at Latla for having hurt Cirrus. However, at the same time, she felt a sense of¡­ gratitude toward her. Latla¡¯s anger, she had to admit, had restored and improved Scarlet and Cirrus¡¯s relationship. I¡¯ll talk to her about this when she¡¯s awake. ¡®Meow.¡¯ Noir was staring at her. The cat had leapt to the table. ¡®¡­ Are you hungry?¡¯ Scarlet asked. Not that she had ever seen her hungry before, but without Cirrus to translate, that was her best guess. Noir scratched her neck. The cat then began throwing a coughing fit. ¡®Are you sick?¡¯ Scarlet was concerned. Perhaps she should wake Cirrus¡ª Noir spat out an object on the table: small and oval. A seed. ¡®Is this¡­ from the unlisted monster?¡¯ *** Latla. Present ¨C Khiva¡¯s Annual Bazaar. ¡®My receptionist told me that she had obtained a piece of the monster,¡¯ Latla told the man. ¡®She had then given it to the right hands for inspection. Whether that¡¯ll be enough as proof, time will tell.¡¯ ¡®Safe to say that you¡¯ll gain your achievement,¡¯ the man said. ¡®That will aid you in gaining Approval.¡¯ ¡®¡­ How much did you hear from the rumors?¡¯ ¡®Not much.¡¯ Up there on the stage, the auctioneer declared that this auction had begun. Latla was curious about the rumors going around, but her current priority was to collect funds for the guild. Thus, she shifted her attention toward the stage. The auctioneer had already brought out an item for sale: a painting of elves gathering to play the violins. Just from the quality of the art alone, judging objectively from the skill of the craft, Latla figured that it could be sold for 150 krestling elsewhere. ¡®Do I see 30 krestling?¡¯ asked the auctioneer. ¡®Yes, I see 30! Now, do I see 40?¡¯ The participants shied away from competing for the painting. Who could blame them? Art was difficult to appraise. Latla raised her hand. ¡®Yes! 40! Now, do I see¡ªYes, 50 from the gentleman there!¡¯ Latla glanced to the side. Saw the man sitting beside her having raised his hand right after she did. ¡®¡­ Are you interested in the painting perhaps?¡¯ Latla asked. There was no point in raising the bid and competing against him if she could instead negotiate. ¡®No.¡¯ Then why did you bid? Latla thought, irritated. She raised her hand, raising her bid to 60. The man raised his to 70. They kept going back and forth. Latla finally raised her bid to 140. At this point, if she were to then sell the painting at 150 krestling, she would get a mere 10 krestling profit. Hardly worth the effort at that point. However, Latla just hated losing. He raised his bid to 150. ¡®No interest at all? Are you serious?¡¯ Latla complained. ¡®None at all.¡¯ He nodded. Latla raised her bid to 160. If she sold the painting, she would be at a loss of 10 krestling now. Not missing a beat, the man raised it to 170. He wasn¡¯t looking at the painting. ¡®170! Do I see 180? Anyone?¡¯ He was looking at her. ¡®Going once¡­¡¯ ¡®You,¡¯ Latla said, ¡®aren¡¯t interested in the painting at all. You¡¯re only interested in besting me.¡¯ ¡®Going twice¡­¡¯ ¡®Does it not look like it?¡¯ the man said. ¡®Sold! To the man in grey coat!¡¯ ¡®I haven¡¯t introduced myself to you, manaless, Latla Altaveli. ¡®I¡¯m Razae, leader of the Shadow Wolf guild. Here to personally invite you to join my guild.¡¯ ¡®To invite me? You picked a fight against me!¡¯ ¡®A simple misunderstanding,¡¯ he said. ¡®I saw your interest in the painting; I figured I could purchase it for you as a gift.¡¯ Latla rolled her eyes. ¡®As if I¡¯m going to accept a gift coming from you.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re collecting funds to turn your caf¨¦ into a guild, are you not? This gift you can receive for free can be sold for that purpose. Should you refuse the gift, does that mean that you¡¯ve no need for that purpose any longer? No need to create a guild, because you¡¯re willing to join Shadow Wolf?¡¯ Latla laughed. ¡®You¡¯re insane.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s your answer?¡¯ He paid her mockery no mind. ¡®In the first place, your guild rejected me.¡¯ ¡®Ah, you have to understand. Suppose that a manaless were to step into and asking to join your guild¡­ Surely, you too will reject that prospect? What¡¯s the point of accepting someone who could do more harm than good, after all?¡¯ ¡®¡­ That¡¯s funny,¡¯ Latla said. She had faced that question this morning. *** Past. In the caf¨¦¡¯s pantry, Latla had to decide whether to let Sherry stay. The woman sitting on the table had done harm; perhaps, she would continue doing so. The wisest and most rational choice to pick was to cut losses. To kick her out and be done with her. But Latla couldn¡¯t. Not because she couldn¡¯t find the heart to do so (if anything, she would be delighted to), but because¡­ she believed that¡­ her journey would end here if she did that. If she refused to accept someone just because of their quirk, wouldn¡¯t that make her the same as those who had rejected her just because she was different? I can give her a chance, Latla thought, and¡ª She saw Sherry¡¯s bandaged wrist. Self-inflicted wound, from the looks of it. ¡ªperhaps I can help her. ¡®Sherry.¡¯ ¡®Yes, Boss?¡¯ she gave her a casual salute. ¡®I accept you as a live in barista. Only,¡¯ she continued, ¡®if you can promise not to cause harm to anyone else.¡¯ ¡®Well, what if I don¡¯t wanna¡ª¡¯ ¡®That includes yourself.¡¯ Sherry was surprised. ¡®¡­ Why do you care?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided.¡¯ Sherry observed Latla, analysing her. ¡®Not to cause harm to anyone else¡­¡¯ Sherry smiled, understood what that implied. ¡®Can you take me on at my worst, Latla Altaveli?¡¯ ¡®Try me.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t disappoint me,¡¯ she said. ¡®Alright, that¡¯s a deal. I promise.¡¯ *** Present. ¡®Hours ago,¡¯ Latla said, ¡®I had just accepted such a person. ¡®The point, Razae, leader of Shadow Wolf guild, is that a guild should accept such a person and lead them.¡¯ ¡®¡­ I had expected from you a rational answer,¡¯ he said. ¡®You expose yourself to great risks from accepting them.¡¯ ¡®No. I expose myself to great rewards. Imagine the heights they might reach if you give them a chance.¡¯ ¡®The chance of that is unlikely.¡¯ ¡®But if it happens, it¡¯s extraordinary.¡¯ ¡®¡­ This is all just ideals. Unrealistic!¡¯ ¡®And who decided that? ¡°Unrealistic¡±, you say? Was it not clear that I was already planning to overcome that from the very beginning?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re a fool.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll have to do better than that. I¡¯ve said that word again and again when I¡¯m angry at myself.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Forget that I¡¯ve ever extended an invite to you.¡¯ Razae rose from his seat. ¡®I now see that you¡¯ll do more harm than good to my guild. Vigo was right, you¡¯re just a fly. Go and gain your Approval, prove your worth, and only then I might extend another invite for you.¡¯ Then, he left. ¡­ Good riddance, Latla thought. She then shifted her focus toward the auction. Chapter 16 – Creating a Guild is Costly There were two types of monster inspector: field and laboratory. If a monster needed to be investigated in its breathtaking habitat, then it was the job of a field monster investigator. If a monster¡ªusually their materials¡ªneeded to be experimented upon in a poorly lit workspace, then it was the job of a laboratory monster investigator. Thus, when a seed (claimed to be an unlisted monster¡¯s) needed to be checked for its validity, it was the job of a certain investigator who hadn¡¯t gone home for the last three days. A certain investigator who hated his job. In his own words: There¡¯s no glory to be had in this job. Validity check was, in his opinion, just mind-numbing work. It required searching through encyclopedias and conducting tests, both of which could take hours. And it was worse for unlisted monsters. Unlisted monsters were, by description, monsters that had never been recorded before. Which meant that for this validity test, instead of searching for a specific encyclopedia entry, he had to check every encyclopedia entry to make sure that this monster was not listed. Yes, every encyclopedia entry. The pain of validity checks for unlisted monsters¡­ He missed his home. His children needed to know that their father was still alive. Page after page after page after page¡­ after page¡­ From the bottom of his heart, he wished that this seed had been recorded before. That way, this wasn¡¯t an unlisted monster. That way, he no longer needed to flip these pages. That way, he would be done with his work. In the end, he went through all the encyclopedias and found nothing. This was an unlisted monster. Now, he needed to run a test to further prove that this was an unlisted monster. If the test gave a result that had never been observed and recorded, then this was for certain an unlisted monster. His colleagues would often say that this was when a laboratory monster investigator¡¯s skill would be tried. As he had liberty on choosing what test to conduct. ¡­ He couldn¡¯t care less about that. Wanting to go home, he grabbed a pot of soil, buried the seed there, watered it, and left it in a place that would receive sunlight. Why overcomplicate things? A seed was meant to be planted. As simple as that. Considering his job done, he called it a day and headed back home. Little did he know, the next morning he would return to find a tiny plant monster wreaking havoc inside the laboratory and ruining everything. *** Latla. Seated on a comfortable sofa at one of the caf¨¦¡¯s tables were Latla and Cirrus (Noir on his head). With pen and papers, Latla was calculating her finances. Her current goal remained the same: she needed to create a guild. However, that was easier said than done, as creating a guild was costly. First and foremost, to convert this caf¨¦ into a guild, she needed money for renovations. Then, to keep the guild running, she needed money for operation cost. And lastly, the most important, to gain Approval, she needed money for the guild examination fee. Thus, calculating her finances was an important task. She had missed most of Khiva¡¯s Annual Bazaar due to circumstances, couldn¡¯t make as many purchases as she had wanted, but she still had managed to make good profits. The reason being: the items she had bought might be little in number, but they could be sold for a lot of krestlings. Quality could beat quantity. Not bad, Latla thought. Cirrus was sitting beside her. He was looking at the papers¡ªat the labels and numbers, trying to learn from her. ¡®Latla, what¡¯s a ¡°loan¡±?¡¯ he asked, pointing at the word. ¡®Money that is borrowed,¡¯ she answered. ¡®Why are you borrowing money?¡¯ ¡®Because I need money.¡¯ ¡®But don¡¯t you have money? From buying 10 krestling for 1 krestling!¡¯ ¡®No. I haven¡¯t sold them yet.¡¯ ¡®You haven¡¯t?¡¯ Latla glanced at Cirrus, could see that he was confused. Understandable. ¡®It¡¯s not that easy. Remember the gloves that I bought? The one that I got for 151 when it could sell for 3000?¡¯ ¡®I remember that!¡¯ ¡®For it to be sold at its rightful price, I need to find the right buyer who is willing to buy at that price. And that¡¯s¡ª¡¯ friction in the market, Latla was about to say but refrained; the term might be too difficult for Cirrus¡ª ¡®painful,¡¯ she continued. ¡®The right buyer could be elsewhere, could be anywhere but Khiva. Until I can find that person, I can¡¯t sell the gloves for its rightful price. ¡®Oh! I think I get it! When I was selling herbs, I couldn¡¯t sell it for its rightful price because no one would buy it!¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t, Latla thought, because buying from you would count as encouraging child labor and they could be arrested by the law for that. ¡®In the end, I had to sell them cheap! Which was unfair!¡¯ Latla twitched, irritated. Buying from a child was one thing. Buying from a child for cheap was another thing entirely. Someone was exploiting you. ¡®Who did you sell it to?¡¯ she asked.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡®I sold herbs to Kalak!¡¯ Kalak¡­ The name didn¡¯t ring a bell to Latla. I¡¯ll punch him if I ever meet him. ¡®¡­ You can¡¯t sell the gloves for its rightful price!¡¯ Cirrus brought the conversation back. ¡®And because you need money you borrowed money?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t borrowing money bad? Sis always says that borrowing money is bad!¡¯ ¡®Not always. There¡¯s bad debt and there¡¯s good debt.¡¯ ¡®Debt?¡¯ That was a new word to him. ¡®Money that needs to be paid. But let¡¯s just say it¡¯s borrowed money,¡¯ Latla explained. ¡®Bad debt is when you borrow money but don¡¯t use it to make money. Good debt is the opposite, it¡¯s when you borrow money and use it to make money.¡¯ ¡®Mm¡­¡¯ Cirrus hummed. He didn¡¯t quite understand that. Perhaps that was too much for him now. ¡®Nothing to worry about,¡¯ Latla assured. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to return the money that I borrowed. ¡®In a one-in-a-million chance that I¡¯m not able to return the money, I¡¯ll be fine because I put the items I¡¯ve bought as a guarantee for the loan.¡¯ ¡®What¡¯s a gwa-run-tea?¡¯ An assurance, Latla was about to say, but didn¡¯t. She instead told him, ¡®I couldn¡¯t sell the gloves for its rightful price. Couldn¡¯t find the right buyer. Because of that, I went to the bank. The bank, having skilled people who can tell an item¡¯s rightful price, knew that the gloves are worth 3000¡ªbut won¡¯t buy it for 3000. Instead, they lent me a 1000 krestling loan on the condition that I let them hold the gloves. ¡®A guarantee is when, if I fail to return the borrowed money, they get to take the gloves. This way, no matter what happens, they don¡¯t lose money.¡¯ ¡®Mm¡­¡¯ Cirrus hummed, thinking. The cat, supposedly, assisted his thinking by pawing his head. ¡®So¡­ you sold the gloves for cheaper to the bank!¡¯ No, Latla thought, annoyed that the explanation didn¡¯t connect. Am I bad at explaining things? Though, at least, Cirrus had gotten a good enough understanding. She decided to leave it at that. ¡®Kind of,¡¯ she said, ¡®yes. I ¡°sold¡± the gloves to the bank for 1000. Until an agreed date, I can ¡°buy¡± it back for 1000.¡¯ ¡®Mm? If you sold the gloves to the bank, why do you say that you borrowed money?¡¯ Latla blinked. She realized her mistake. ¡­ I¡¯m bad at explaining things, Latla admitted. *** Seated on a comfortable sofa at one of the caf¨¦¡¯s tables was Latla. Alone. She had continued calculating her finances with pen and papers, was making good progress. I have enough for renovation cost, Latla thought. That was one of three financial hurdles cleared. Onto the ne¡ª Latla heard footsteps approaching her table. The weight of the sound indicated that it belonged not to a child, but an adult. A woman with scarlet hair. ¡®Latla,¡¯ Scarlet said, she saw her activities, ¡®can we talk?¡¯ ¡®Sure.¡¯ Latla put aside the pen and papers. She sat down opposite her, placed a notebook on the table. Before Scarlet began, she looked left and right, searching. Only when she was sure she couldn¡¯t find him¡ªprioritizing him over what she wanted to talk about¡ªshe asked: ¡®Where¡¯s Syr?¡¯ Sent him on a quest, Latla thought. Couldn¡¯t say that though; Scarlet, hearing the word ¡°quest¡±, would think that she had sent him somewhere dangerous. Had to be careful not to provoke her killing intent. Latla said, ¡®I tried explaining to him about guarantee. ¡®Made a few attempts, but none connected. Since my explanations didn¡¯t work, and I couldn¡¯t think of any other yet, I told him to go search and ask someone else. Because maybe then he¡¯ll get an explanation that he can understand. ¡®He then left. With the cat.¡¯ Hearing this, Scarlet smiled. ¡®Good to hear that he¡¯s eager to learn. Thank you, Latla.¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t me. He has always been eager to learn.¡¯ She wouldn¡¯t have taught him if he wasn¡¯t. ¡®Anyway, what do you want to talk about?¡¯ ¡®I want to talk about opening the caf¨¦,¡¯ Scarlet said. She opened the notebook, flipped through the pages. ¡®About the 400 krestling¡­ I was thinking to use it for what Trisha calls¡­ a soft opening. We open the caf¨¦ to¡­ invite-only customers and offer them coffee. Trisha said that it¡¯s like a trial, to check if the caf¨¦ runs smoothly.¡¯ ¡®Sounds good. Whom are you inviting?¡¯ ¡®I had asked the elder, and he was happy to help. He would tell the people around here that they¡¯re invited to the soft opening. I¡¯d like to sell the cheap coffee and¡­ if it isn¡¯t cheap enough for them to buy, use the 400 krestling to cover the cost. Is that¡­ alright?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s alright. Go for it.¡¯ ¡®Alright, I¡¯ll go for it.¡¯ Scarlet closed her notebook. She was done with her talk, but she lingered, staring at Latla. ¡®Latla?¡¯ ¡®Yes?¡¯ ¡®I... have told you before that I don¡¯t always have a weak body, right?¡¯ She did, when she had interviewed her. ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®I ended up like this¡ªbecause I had pushed myself too much. ¡®I know that you want to get your work done, but I¡¯d like to remind you that you¡¯ve only regained consciousness yesterday. Please don¡¯t push yourself too much. ¡®Don¡¯t end up like me.¡¯ ¡®¡­ I¡¯ll try. Thank you for your concerns, Scarlet.¡¯ Latla could see that Scarlet wasn¡¯t satisfied with her answer. Her expression seemed to say: ¡°Try¡±? That¡¯s not good enough. Thus, she added, ¡®I hope that I can count on you to stop me if I push myself too much.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll do better next time,¡¯ Scarlet said, because she had failed to stop her yesterday. ¡®Alright, I¡¯m going to the back to check the equipment needed for the soft opening.¡¯ Thus, Scarlet left. Latla was glad that Scarlet was dependable. She liked how she had decided on a soft opening for the caf¨¦. Additionally, she was grateful that she was concerned for her health. I didn¡¯t want just someone who could work, Latla thought. I wanted someone who could help me grow. And, in that regard, Scarlet fitted the description. An irreplaceable member. *** Latla had continued calculating her finances. She had decided to ignore operation cost for now, hoping that selling coffee would give enough profit to cover that. I have enough for guild examination fee, Latla thought. Another financial hurdle cleared. To create a guild, she needed four requirements: Place, Quest, Members, and Approval. Gaining Approval was the most difficult as it posed four challenges: gaining achievement (the right to challenge the exam), possessing examination fee (money to process legalities), gathering guild members (people who represented the guild), and passing the examination (given trials). Possessing examination fee is a solved problem, Latla thought. Gathering guild members is an ongoing process. Passing the exam is an afterthought. And¡ª Latla heard footsteps approaching her table. It had a rhythm, was loud and declarative on purpose¡ªlike a march. The sound somewhat irritated Latla. ¡®I. Got. A. Letter. For you, Boss!¡¯ Sherry approached the table, a smile on her face. She clapped her feet together and saluted. Why she did all that, Latla had no idea. Not that Sherry would answer properly if asked. She could imagine her answering with: Because you¡¯re my boss, Boss. So, Latla chose not to bother. Latla accepted the letter from Sherry. ¡®Thank you, Sherry.¡¯ ¡®No problem, Boss.¡¯ With that, she marched away. ¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get a good read on her, Latla thought. She turned her attention toward the envelope and looked at it. The seal had a magnifying glass symbol. This was an official letter from monster inspector. Latla opened the envelope and found¡ªa certificate inside. One stating that the monster she had killed was indeed an unlisted monster and that this was now her achievement. Latla stood up, excited. She had gained the right to challenge the guild examination. Now, to participate in it¡­ I need to gather Members. Chapter 16.5 – Extra: That’s Fuel to The Fire Sherry. Caf¨¦, the next morning. ¡®A. Safe. Just. Arrived. Outside. For you, Boss!¡¯ Sherry reported. Made sure to clap her feet together, gave a smile and a salute. ¡®Can you stop with all that?¡¯ Latla said, finally annoyed enough. ¡®Stop what, Boss?¡¯ she feigned innocence. Sherry liked doing things on a whim; this was one of them. It was fun to act whimsical from time to time; it was also fun to test the limits of Latla¡¯s patience, finding things that made her tick. Latla rolled her eyes. Fed up. Though not so fed up that she would lunge at her. ¡®Why did you order a safe, Boss?¡¯ she asked, shifting the direction of the conversation. ¡®We already have a safe back there. Real secure too; I¡¯ve tried.¡¯ ¡®The one in the back is for keeping items. The one I have ordered is for training.¡¯ ¡®Training? To break the safe, Boss?¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ Latla nodded. How curious! Now, why would Latla want to break a safe? Was there something she wanted to steal? Sherry wanted to know! Thus, she asked, ¡®Why would you¡ª¡¯ ¡®Latla, Latla!¡¯ Cirrus burst into the caf¨¦, running toward Latla, excited, unintentionally cutting Sherry short. ¡®I¡¯ve gathered Members for the guild!¡¯ ¡®You did?¡¯ Latla asked, surprised. ¡®I did! I¡¯ll introduce you to them!¡¯ Cirrus ran outside. Latla followed him. And Sherry trailed her. Outside, Sherry was greeted by the safe that had just arrived. Two meters tall, made with thick steel, very solid. The object¡ªand Latla standing beside it¡ªwas blocking her view. Thus, Sherry stepped to the side and could finally see the Members.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. There were many Members there. Or¡ªto be more exact¡ªmany of Cirrus¡¯s friends. All children his age. Sherry laughed. Poor Latla! She must have had expectations upon hearing that Cirrus had brought Members. Now, she was faced with a group of children, betrayed by Cirrus¡¯s enthusiasm! Well, Sherry thought, smiling, I could feel some heat. That¡¯s enough laughing for now. She made sure to take a step away from Latla. Don¡¯t want her to burn me to cinders. Latla was holding back her irritation as she exchanged stares with the children. ¡®They all want to join!¡¯ Cirrus said. That¡¯s fuel to the fire, Sherry noted. ¡®I¡¯ve shared how you had beat the unlisted monster, and everyone wants to join the guild and learn from you! Now we have enough Members for the guild examination, right?¡¯ Sherry took one more step away from Latla. Latla was gripping her hand into a hard fist. ¡®¡­ Scram,¡¯ Latla said, voice low. ¡®Mm?¡¯ Cirrus didn¡¯t catch that. None of the children did. ¡®Scram.¡¯ Bam! Latla released a quick punch. Toward the poor steel safe. A punch strong enough that it blew the safe away. Strong enough that her fist was indented into the metal. No, worse, parts of the metal were torn apart! Sherry¡¯s eyes widened. She literally broke the safe?! Wait¡­ If there was no safe, if she hadn¡¯t stepped away, would that fist have flown toward her instead?! Also¡ªshe looked at her fist, perfectly unharmed¡ªwhat were her bones made up of?! ¡­ I¡¯d never want to get hit by that. Rest in peace, safe. Rest in peace¡­ One of the kids muttered, ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ Horrifying. Dreadful. Traumatizing. ¡®¡­ That¡¯s cool!¡¯ Well, Sherry thought, didn¡¯t expect that response. Nor did Latla. Far from scaring the children away, she had instead gained admiration. ¡®You really did beat the unlisted monster!¡¯ said another. ¡®With a fist like that, she definitely did!¡¯ ¡®Teach us how to do that! Teach us!¡¯ ¡®Pleaseeeeeeee.¡¯ Latla, understanding that she had failed and couldn¡¯t think of other ways to get rid of them, muttered under her breath, ¡®Curses¡­¡¯ She had to deal with them now. Sherry, not wanting to be dragged into this, retreated stealthily into the caf¨¦. Chapter 16.6 – Extra: Virtual, the Known Unknown vir?tu?al /v?r¡ächoo?-?l/ (adjective): made to appear to exist *** In the dead of night, when the others had left, a solitary receptionist remained. With a pen, by a lantern¡¯s dim light, she corrected and improved proposals made by Members¡ªin order for them to have better chances against the uncaring guild leader. Receptionist Desk. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Trisha perked up, placed down her pen. ¡®You haven¡¯t gone home? What do you mean you fell asleep in the restroom? ¡®... I guess that does happen.¡¯ Sigh. ¡®Our work never ends¡­ ¡®No, I don¡¯t need help. Thank you for the offer, but I¡¯ll be done for today soon enough. Oh, if you¡¯re not in a rush and would like to accompany me, please¡ªfeel free to take a seat.¡¯ The edge of her lips curved a smile. Having company was nice. She looked at the paper. Picked up the pen. Wrote down notes, then crossed it. Scowl. ¡®Sorry, it seems like this¡¯ll take a while. This one¡¯s tricky¡­¡¯ She glanced up. Stare¡­ ¡®... Why don¡¯t I tell you a story while you wait? ¡®It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m good at multitasking. Really. It¡¯s a skill that you¡¯ll also get when you¡¯re in this job long enough.¡¯ Pause¡­ Smile. ¡®You¡¯re in charge of handling Quest, I believe? Which? Oh, the herbs. That¡¯s good for newbies. Though, have you seen the criminal bounty hunting list before? ¡®No? It should be somewhat visible from here. Look there. Notice any that¡¯s¡­ different?¡¯ Inside the guild, enveloped in partial darkness, was the quest board. The details were hardly visible, but it could be seen that each wanted poster had an image and a reward on them. All except one. ¡®That one in the corner is different. It has question marks for image and reward. ¡®What I¡¯m about to share with you is a story that stands right at the border between reality and myth. A story with an authenticity that can not be verified or unverified. A story¡­ that is both true and untrue.¡¯ She worked on the paper as she continued.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡®... I¡¯m sure you¡¯re familiar with the four requirements for guild creation. For a guild to be called a guild, it needs four requirements: Place, Members, Quest, and Approval. Those are the very foundations where a guild is built. Miss any and you¡¯re not a guild. ¡®However, there are always exceptions¡­ ¡®There¡¯s¡­ a peculiar guild. Out there. Somewhere. ¡®It doesn¡¯t have Place; at least not permanently like most. Has no attachment whatsoever to a location. Could settle anywhere, could vanish whenever they¡¯d like. ¡®It doesn¡¯t have Members; at least not the regular sort. Anyone could take their Quest¡ªif it can be called that¡ªand could get the reward. Yes, anyone, even criminals. ¡®It doesn¡¯t have Quest; at least not the kind that you and I are familiar with. You can call theirs Quest, sure. That is if you don¡¯t find anything wrong with child kidnapping, setting fire to a building, assassinating an important figure, and anything similar. That¡¯s the kind of Quest they have. Nothing honorable about them. ¡®Lastly, it doesn¡¯t have Approval. It just doesn¡¯t.¡¯ The sound of pen scratching paper filled the silence. ¡®People call it¡­ the dark guild. ¡®It¡¯s like the darkness itself. There, but not there.¡¯ ¡®Alright, I just finished my work for today. Please wait a while more as I tidy them up.¡¯ She stood up. Stretched her back a little. Then leaned forward to tidy her desk. ¡®Yes. I told you about the dark guild¡ªbecause the person on that mysterious wanted poster¡­ is the creator of the dark guild. ¡®No one knows what he¡ªor she¡ªlooks like. Does he truly exist? Who knows? ¡®... You just asked a good question. Doesn¡¯t make sense, right? If no one knows what he looks like, why is he on the wanted poster? The reason for that is¡­ ¡®Superstition.¡¯ She finished arranging her desk. Grabbed the lantern. Time for them to go. ¡®Let¡¯s talk while walking. ¡®Guilds that don¡¯t hang his wanted poster are¡­ targeted by the dark guild. There¡¯s no evidence for this claim, but guilds hang the poster anyway out of fear, as a charm to ward them off. ¡®And by doing so, they¡¯ve engaged in an unspoken agreement of spreading this whole thing in exchange for ¡°safety¡±.¡¯ She led the way. Walked toward the quest board. ¡®He has no bounty, because the bounty keeps being updated. He¡¯s someone whom many are wary of.¡¯ She weaved the lantern, threw light on the poster. Question mark for image. Question mark for reward. Only a name: Virtual ¡®He¡¯s not someone you can search for¡ªnot someone you can catch. ¡®Let¡¯s say¡­ you capture him. There won¡¯t be any evidence to prove that he¡¯s Virtual. No one will ever admit that he¡¯s Virtual. There¡¯s no glory to be had in taking this quest, in catching this ghost. ¡®This poster is here because of superstition. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡¯ She turned. Gestured to follow and to leave. ¡®Huh?¡¯ She glanced over her shoulder. ¡®What do I think about all this? I just think that he¡¯s¡ª¡¯ She walked away. Finished her story. ¡®¡ª a known unknown.¡¯