A few hours later, back at the Vanguard Guild's central hub, Jack, Alette, and Riven arrived at the receptionist's desk. They placed the severed heads of the N'ghftnah and the Ahephai beside Abigail's desk as proof that the quest had been completed.
"Oh my... We had no information that this quest involved two eldritch elite soldiers."
Alette leaned over the desk, resting her right hand on it while placing her left fist on her hip.
"So... does that mean we get a bonus?" Alette asked with a sly smirk.
"C-Certainly! Please give us a moment while we discuss your payment." Receptionist Abigail turned around and went into the office behind the reception desk.
Alette fluttered back to Jack, clasping her hands beneath her chin while her legs bounced up and down in excitement, already imagining their hefty reward.
"Fufufu... I can already hear the coins clinking into a bag!"
"But she just went in there to discuss how much bonus we'll-"
Alette interrupted Jack by pressing a finger against his lips. "Ssshhh... Let me enjoy this moment!"
"Ok."
A few minutes later, Abigail returned carrying two small sacks of crowns. She gently placed them on the counter before the group. Abigail smiled as she slid the sacks across the counter.
"Here are your rewards: four hundred and twenty-five crowns each, plus a bonus of fifty crowns for each of you. Well earned."
Both of them took one of the small sacks. Jack loosened the drawstring and looked inside. Beside him, Alette hovered eagerly, unable to resist peeking into the bag. The pile of gleaming crowns caught the light, bathing her face in a warm golden glow. Her eyes sparkled like polished gold, and a huge smile stretched across her face as she stared at the treasure.
"Haaahahaha! Look at those shiny coins, Jack!"
"Yep, I see it."
"Let's buy something expensive!"
"Whoa, slow down there, Alette." Jack looked at her with a small smile. "Let's not get too picky. We already have plenty of coins"
Alette let out an exaggerated groan and rolled her eyes. "Ugh... fine."
Afterward, Jack, Alette, and Riven left the central hub and headed for the nearby paddock. Bryce, Kani, and Tatsu were already waiting. Unable to comfortably dismount because of her amputated foot, Kani remained seated atop her horse. Nearby, Bryce and Tatsu stood on the ground, passing the time in quiet conversation.
Tatsu scratched the back of his head. "So... you guys are really leaving me with Mr. Jack and Miss Alette?"
Kani shook her head. "We don't want to be a burden to either of you." She said quietly.
"It'll be a while before we can find someone to make us new limbs." Bryce said, placing a reassuring hand on Tatsu's right shoulder. "We don't want to delay your search for your friends. Besides, you'll be traveling with Jack, a mithril ranker. You're in good hands."
"And don't forget about me!" Shouted Alette.
As Jack, Alette, and Riven approached, Kani, Bryce, and Tatsu turned their attention toward them. Riven walked past the trio to rejoin his companions, leaving Tatsu standing with Jack and Alette. Tatsu looked between them before letting out a small sigh.
"So... this is goodbye?"
"No, Tatsu." Jack said. "Once they've recovered, they'll fight alongside us again. But right now." Jack said with a reassuring smile. "We're going to help you find your friends."
Hovering beside Jack's hand, Alette puffed out her chest, planted her fists on her hips, and flashed Tatsu a bright, confident smile.
Tatsu's gaze lingered on Jack and Alette for a moment before shifting back to his former group, and his eyes began to glisten with tears. Without saying a word, he lowered himself into a respectful yumi bow, silently expressing his gratitude and farewell.
"Thank you... for taking care of me and helping me look for my friends." His voice trembled. "I couldn't have made it this far without you."
Tatsu's heartfelt gratitude and respectful bow brought smiles to the faces of Riven and his companions. Jack and Alette couldn't help but smile as well.
"Oh, Riven." Jack walked over to him and opened his sack of crowns. He counted out two hundred and fifty crowns into his palm before extending his hand toward Riven. "Here you go."
The instant Alette saw Jack counting out two hundred and fifty crowns to hand over to Riven, her entire face froze. Her jaw dropped, her eyes stretched wide in absolute horror.
"GAAAH!!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." Jack replied with a small smile. "You need it more than I do. A new limb is probably going to cost a fortune. I just hope this is enough to help."
"Wow, thanks-"
"Noooo!! Jack!!" Alette zipped over and unleashed a barrage of tiny, rapid punches against Jack's left cheek, whining the entire time. "Don't give away all our hard-earned coins! Do you know how shiny those were?!"
Jack chuckled awkwardly as Alette continued pummeling his cheek. "Haha... uh... could you just take the coins already?"
"Noooo!!"
Alette grabbed her hair with both hands and screamed in horror as Riven calmly accepted the coins from Jack. It was as if she'd just witnessed a priceless treasure vanish before her eyes.
As Alette continued mourning the lost coins, Tatsu quietly stepped up behind her, raising his right hand as though presenting a mathematical solution; his eyes remained calmly shut.
"Don't worry, Miss Alette. Mr. Jack still has two hundred and twenty-five crowns. Since I'll be staying with you two, we'll have a combined total of three hundred and forty-three crowns."
He smiled faintly.
"We're still quite wealthy."
A few minutes later, Jack, Alette, and Tatsu waved farewell to Riven and his companions before setting off on their own. They made their way through the busy streets, searching for a place to rest after the exhausting quest. At last, they stopped before a clean, welcoming inn.
Warm lantern light glowed through the windows, illuminating the street below. Inside, patrons laughed over hearty meals, mugs clinked together, and lively conversations filled the room. After everything they had endured, it looked like the perfect place to spend the night.
Alette threw her tiny arms into the air. "Yes! Finally! A place with food, beds, and hopefully lots of delicious meals!"
Watching Alette's excitement instantly return, Tatsu looked at Jack and smiled.
"Well... I'd say she's recovered rather quickly."
Jack cocked his head to one side, shrugged his shoulders, and raised both eyebrows with a helpless smile.
Later that evening, inside the warm, bustling inn, a barmaid arrived at their table with a wooden tray. She placed two steaming bowls of beef stew before Jack and Tatsu, followed by a fragrant bowl of potage. Two cups of barley water were set beside them, along with a tiny cup of water perfectly sized for Alette.
Hovering just above the table, Alette stared at the potage with unblinking eyes, a string of drool slowly escaping the corner of her mouth.
"Aaaahahahaha! Bottoms up!"
Alette excitedly raised her giant wooden spoon, scooped up a hearty spoonful of potage, and shoveled it into her mouth with a delighted grin. With Alette happily enjoying her potage, Jack and Tatsu turned their attention to their own meals and began eating the steaming beef stew.
"Aaaah… now that's what I needed after dealing with those two ugly beasts and healing Jack's forehead."
Tatsu took another bite of his stew and nodded. "Yeah, couldn't agree more."
Jack studied Tatsu in silence for a moment before taking another spoonful of beef stew. He swallowed, set his spoon back into the bowl, and looked across the table. "Tatsu... is it true you're from another world?"
The moment Jack mentioned it, Tatsu froze. He slowly lowered the spoon back into his bowl, his appetite momentarily forgotten, and released a long, quiet sigh.
"It's true...."
"If you don't mind me asking... how did you end up in our world?"
Alette pulled her face away from her oversized spoon after finishing a bite of mashed potatoes. Her curiosity quickly replaced her appetite as she turned to Tatsu, waiting to hear his side of the story.
"It's alright, Jack. I've already shared my story with Riven and his companions, so it's only fair that I share it with you as well." Tatsu drew in a quiet breath before beginning. "So... it all started at my school."