In a space that felt like the crossroads of two worlds, a young man was busy admiring the flora and mythical creatures of The Vampire Garden. By his side, his servant stood proud and eager to show her master her humble domain.
Inside the mansion, beautiful arches and fine architecture caught Hajime's eye. He marvelled at the fine craftsmanship that was put into making the place.
He was curious and asked who was maintaining the manner in her absence all these years.
Lily stepped forward and called out;
" Silk!!, where are you?!. I'm back and I brought a guest!!".
At first, it was silent. The call seemed to fall on deaf ear. When all of a sudden a swift slash, fast and almost unblockable struck. It was aimed at Hajime.
Lily turned around in shock, having not felt any hostility at all from the assailent. Hajime had intercepted the strike with a mana shield. The wind blew from the open gate, revealing the cloaked figure to be a wood carved female doll. Hajime was shocked used the mana shield to push the figure back. He was about to escape, when Lily suddenly referred to the doll as Silk. The doll's cloak morphed into a maid's uniform and it took a gentle bow.
"Welcome back, lady Lilith".
Hajime exclaimed in sheer shock. He was not understanding why Silk attacked him. Silk explained that she was simply testing the successor her lady chose. She expressed her joy upon the her Lady's return since her disappearance three centuries ago.
Silk turned her attention to Hajime and gave a profound apology. After which, Lily gave him a grand tour of the mansion.
The mansion has fifteen rooms including a Master's suite. At the back of the manner, is an extension that makes up the alchemy laboratory. There is a grand hall for events and fifteen bathrooms, one for each room. Hajime's mind numbed at the word bathroom and ignored every other word Lily uttered, rushing straight to the bath.
After a very soothing three hours in water, he decided to go to bed and head to town in the morning.
While in bed, a profound thought came to his mind, "how was a wooden doll moving and behaving as if it was alive?". This puzzled him now that he was at ease.
He was slowly drifting off into his dreams when he saw Lily hovering around the room in her human form. She wanted to speak to him.
He stood, wearing only his pants and went to the edge of the balcony with Lily.
" Master, I would like to ask for your permission to journey into the spirit realm.". Hajime had no idea what the spirit realm was and made inquiries. She explained;
" The spirit realm is the crossroads between life and death. Divine souls such as myself, can freely move in and out. However, with you as my master I simply could not go without your say."
Hajime looked at Lily hovering beside him, her regal gown sporting a bow that highlighted her cuteness. He agreed to the journey on one condition, that she returns within a day. Lily took his hand and placed her left index finger on the back of his palm. A symbol appeared. It was quite different from the symbol of activating his divine arms. A shined bright red, even in the light of the crimson moon.
" Master, this symbol will ensure that I am alerted when you are in danger". Lily reassured Hajime that no matter what , she was always going to protect him as her Master. With a gentle phantom's kiss to his fore head, Lily flew in the direction of the crimson moon, and vanished as if absorbed by it.
The Next Morning :
"Master Hajime, it is time for you to wake up". Hajime heard the voice miles away and rolled over, facing the open balcony door and the incoming sunlight. The same voice spoke once more, but closer much closer.
" Master, the Revered One has gifted his people a beautiful morning, you should be awake enjoying it."
Silk spoke in a gentle tone leaning closer to Hajime's face in the direction of the balcony door. His eyes finally opened. But instead of the shock Silk anticipated, she was met with a rather lack luster expression and a knowing, " oh silk, it's you. Good morning".
He wore a morning robe, deciding to have breakfast before heading to town. At the large dining table, he felt like king. But it was awfully quiet without his faithful servant. He turned to Silk and asked whether Lily had returned, to which she responded in the negative. Hajime stood up, having finished his meal and went to the bathroom.
Soon after, he put on his new clothes tailored by silk and reinforced with spirit dust. It was a jacket paired with a black trouser and protective plating. After suiting up, he his way to barrier. He turned around and told Silk he'd be back at night fall. Once outside the barrier, he got a system notification.
[ Administrator has gained the favor of the grand designer, each day a list of quests to complete will be given. This will last for 50 days at the end of which, further instructions will be given. Successful completion of these quests will yield great reward as time progresses. However, failure to complete will lead to strict penalization]
[ Quest 1,day 1]: eliminate fifty monsters from five different species
Time limit: midnight, 17 hours more...
Hajime looked at the system window and said,
" grand designer?, did he make this system of mine?. Huh, I'd love to meet him in person.
Alright system, challenge accepted".
After hours of navigating the forest, Hajime had coolme to the outskirts of Ambrose once more. He could still use the Floriene pendant's power but not his ultimate blaze. Deactivating the energy, he entered the city a made way to the Gardener adventurers guild. Inside, he met Miss Reina the receptionist once more. She was happy to see him safe and asked how his first assignment went. Hajime stretched out his had and summoned a blood soaked sack from his inventory. It was filled with over fifty pairs of goblin ears, almost three times the amount he was asked to bring in.
Reina was shocked he exclaimed, " you killed fifty goblins by yourself?!!".
Her words left the entire guild silent some distant murmurs were in disbelief that he single handedly destroyed fifty goblins.
Hajime scratched his head, nervous about all of the attention he was getting. In His head, " I knew she'd react this way. it's good I saved the remaining fifty for later". Reina snapped him out of his thoughts and expressed her shock that he was this strong. She offered to discuss with the guild master so he could take his rank up examination early. This was all in Hajime's favor, since it got him closer to aristocrats and his family.
Miss Reina discussed his financial rewards for the quest completion.
[ In the Empire of Limpersia, the standard currencies are the gold, silver and bronze coins. Five small bronze coins known as limpheres, make a single large bronze coin And twenty large bronze coins also known as large limpheres, make a single small silver coin or a pound. Five pounds make a stellar pound or a large silver coin and twenty stellar pounds made one gold coin, or a Noble.]
A pair of goblin ears was worth a large limphere, as such, fifty pairs of ears meant approximately, fifty large limpheres or two pounds and ten large limpheres. Hajime was not too bothered about the money and offered to store it in his guild banking account. Every guild had an account for keeping it's members finances. Each year, they gained a ten percent interest on the money they store. Now came the matter of his rank up request. The guild master, Fabio Eeignsberg was not around at the moment so he was asked to come back in two weeks for that. He was now in the heart of Ambrose, the capital city of Ambrosia. He made his way to Bianca's guard out post, slightly excited to see her. What he did not know was that a cloaked individual was watching him. A system notification appeared and he stopped.
[ Situational skill acquired: Far Scope]
Specifics: the administrator can sense the gazes of unfamiliar or potentially hostile people.]
With this skill, he noticed the figure's intense gaze. Looking up with his dark aura emanating, he saw a man but couldn't make out his face. The figure suddenly vanished. Looking to find cover, he slipped into the alley way. The masked figure followed diligently. But, entering the alley he found no one there. The masked figure chuckled soft and ominously at his luck for finding the target so early.
Two hours earlier, [ The Floriene Manner]:
An unseen figure sits behind a desk, the crimson moonlight reflecting off his white gloves making them appear red, as if mirroring the stains of murder on his hands. A dark cloaked figure drops down from the roof and kneels to greet the man clad in darkness.
The man speaks, voice morphed by magic into a deep, unrecognizable tone. " Arachnid, your next target". With a slight hand gesture, he reveals a playing card. The card is the ace of spades. At the back of the card a name is written. " Hajime".
" I need him found and eliminated within a week. Return the Divine Soul Arms to me once it's done".
The cloaked figure shows his masked face. The mask is a concealment artifact. With a sadistic laugh, he turns to leave, card in hand. At the exit he says, " you Florienes and your habit of cutting out loose ends. Expect his head by next week, Lord Nejima".
Back to the present,
Arachnid stands in the alley way and looks up to Bianca's guard post, saying; " you reunited with your old friend?! Didn't you, Hajime Grimm?!!!". He cackles, fading into the darkness.
At the guard post in Bianca's quarters, Hajime knocks on her door. A sudden realization sends a chill down his spine when his knock is not answered after five minutes. He rushes in and the place is dead silent. Calling out for Bianca, a sudden flash of metal is met with an instinctive dodge. It was a knife, now planted firmly in the limestone brick wall. Bianca sat on her lounge chair with an ominous aura surrounding her. In a slow and sinister voice, she asks,
" where were you last night, Hajime?".
A cold sweat runs down his back as he stutters, short of words to quelle Bianca's rage.