Chapter 29: So, My Fault?
I followed her out of the guild hall.
Not close enough to get noticed, but close enough to keep her in sight.
90 hours.
That's what the mission said. But this wasn't Earth. Thirty-hour days meant this would last exactly three days. Three very long days.
Then came the notification. Again.
**---**
[Mission Detected: Freya Mikaelson Nearby]
Start Mission 2 now, or delay for 15 hours.
Note: Delaying will forfeit any secondary objective rewards.
**---**
I stood frozen in place, mouth slightly open. That was new.
So I can skip the timer for 15 hours? That'd buy me time, sure but was it worth the risk? I needed my gear. My sword, armor, potions. All of it was still at the inn. But Freya was heading off fast, and once she was out of sight, I might not find her again in this damn sea of people.
Of course. That's how this bastard system worked. Always one foot on the pedal, the other one on my neck.
"Shit."
I moved quickly, calling after her.
"Freya! Hey… wait!"
She slowed, turning her head with a familiar scowl.
"What now?"
I caught up and gave her my best I'm-just-the-messenger face. "Your father asked me to let you know. Said to come see him. Urgently."
She narrowed her eyes. "Did he now?"
"Yeah. Said it was important."
She huffed, clearly irritated. "Fine."
She turned, adjusting the massive sword strapped to her back, and headed down the street toward the inn. The armor clinked lightly as she walked.
I let out a breath. Thank fuck.
I didn't waste a second. I sprinted back, catching up to her only briefly before darting into the inn ahead of her. Two steps at a time, I flew up the stairs, shoved open my door, and threw on the leather armor, still damp with yesterday's sweat. Grabbed my sword, my pouch with potions, and strapped everything up.
Five minutes flat.
When I burst back down the stairs, I caught Erik behind the counter.
"Where'd she go?" I asked, panting.
"She just left," he replied, raising a curious brow. "Didn't even come talk to me. Something going on between you two?"
"God, I hope not," I muttered, already heading out the door.
Fortunately, I spotted her again just ahead, her black hair catching the midday sun, armor glinting like it had something to prove. She was moving with purpose now, clearly off to do something stupid.
I didn't hesitate this time.
**---**
[Mission 2 – Active]
Time Remaining: 89:59:59… 58… 57…
Objective 1: Keep Freya Mikaelson alive.
Secondary Objective: Kill 10 magic beasts within one hour.
Failure Condition: Death of Freya.
**---**
"Let's do this," I said, watching the numbers tick down in the corner of my vision.
It had begun.
I kept to the edge of the crowd, tailing her from a healthy distance. Thankfully, the streets were still packed with mid-morning foot traffic, carts rolling by, merchants yelling about fresh spice deliveries, some old bard butchering a flute near the fountain. No one noticed me, and Freya sure as hell wasn't looking for me. She walked like a woman on a mission, fists clenched, boots hammering the stone like the pavement owed her money.
I figured out pretty quickly where she was headed, the City Guard's building. I remembered the layout from my orientation hell on day two. It stood just past the administrative quarter, this squat fortress of a place made from old blackstone. The Torak flag hung over the iron-gated entrance. Very dignified. Very "we'll beat your ass for the greater good" vibes.
Freya was already at the steps when I got close. She wasn't alone.
Standing in front of her, arms crossed, was a massive older guy. Not beastkin, but human, though the kind of human who probably ate nails for breakfast. Balding a bit at the top, thick beard down to the collarbone, and built like a retired war hammer. His plate armor was like hers, silvery white with an etched crest over the heart. Father? Uncle? Boss? No clue yet.
I slipped behind a crate of cabbages some merchant had left near the wall. Classic move. Don't judge me. It gave me the perfect view of their standoff without risking exposure.
"…I told you I should've been in that scouting party!" Freya snapped. "You let those cowards go in my place and now look what happened."
"I don't need your temper tantrums in front of my building, Freya," the man growled, calm but barely. "You're not ready to face what's in there. This is beyond you."
"So what? Because I'm a woman?!" She jabbed a finger into his chest. "You've seen the reports. You know Rorden wouldn't just disappear for nothing. If no one else is going to do anything, I will."
Rorden again. The dead fiancé. I shifted slightly for a better angle. People walked past without glancing twice, as if two armored knights shouting in public was normal. I guess in this city, it probably was.
The big guy, Erik's friend? A captain? - stepped closer to her, and his voice dropped to a growl. "You'll obey your orders. You're still C-rank, Freya. That's below the required threshold for forest operations now. The beasts aren't just active. They're multiplying."
"I'm not asking for permission," she snapped.
"Oh, yes you are. Whether you like it or not."
Her hand twitched near her sword.
Oh, for fuck's sake.
This was getting spicy. Not in the good way either. I clenched my fists, ready to jump in if blades came out, not because I cared, but because if she died here, I died. And I wasn't about to go out because miss sword-for-brains decided to pick a fight with her commanding officer.
The captain, yeah, I was starting to lean toward captain, let out a long breath and glanced away for a moment like he was debating how much to say. Then he looked back at her and said it.
"This situation... it's worse than you know."
Freya paused mid-breath, her glare faltering just enough to let him continue.
"Some damned fool killed the Goblin Chief."
My spine straightened.
"The one that used to guard the Eldemere perimeter," he added, jaw clenching. "I don't know who, or why, but without him, the lesser goblins and forest edge scum have no one keeping them in line. It's chaos out there now. Magic beasts that were usually too scared to go near the edges are spilling out. A few villages have already been hit."
Freya stiffened, lips parted slightly.
"There's a real chance, Freya. A real godsdamned chance we'll see hundreds of wild mana-mutated monsters crawling toward this city in the next few days. That's why the scouts were sent. That's why the quest got bumped to A-rank. And that's why I'm not sending my god-daughter charging in there to get torn to pieces."
She was silent for a beat too long. Her fury was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but she'd heard him. The edges of her shoulders sagged.
"I should've gone with them," she said, quieter this time. "I should've—"
"You should go back to your post," he cut in. "You're one of the best fighters we've got, Freya. But this… this is bigger than one girl with a sword and something to prove."
There was pain in his voice. That made it worse somehow. Freya scowled but didn't argue again. Not directly. She just muttered something under her breath and turned sharply on her heel.
And I?
I stood frozen behind the cabbage cart, pulse thudding in my ears.
Some damned fool killed the Goblin Chief…
Right.
That would be me.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
I mean, I knew the guy was strong, but I didn't realize his existence was holding back a horde of feral mana monsters. Did the bastard have a deal with them or something? Rent control in exchange for staying inside the forest?
Now here I was, tailing a pissed-off silver knight who couldn't stand the sight of me, hoping she didn't die in the next 89 hours, because if she did, I'd be worm food. And to top it off, the city might be under siege all because I didn't want to die in a goblin pit and made the bold, heroic choice of stabbing up the nearest green bastard with a crown.
Real great decision-making, me.
Freya didn't glance back as she stormed away down the road. I slipped into the crowd and followed at a distance. My sword shifted uncomfortably at my side, the reminder of the whole absurd mission humming like a neon sign in my head.
I just had to keep her alive.
Ninety hours. Just under three days in this gods-forsaken world with thirty-hour clocks and monster-filled forests. I could do this.
Probably.
Maybe.
Shit.