"How much longer is this gonna take—" I muttered, slouching in a hard wooden chair. The guild's waiting room was brutally utilitarian: four plain walls, a dusty clock, and the faint, lingering scent of sweat and cheap ale. My legs bounced with restless energy.
"Just a little more, darling," the elf said, her voice a calming melody next to me. She sat with perfect, patient posture, her greatsword leaning against the wall looking more like a part of her than a weapon.
"Was the guild always this busy?" I grumbled, eyeing the crowd through the open doorway.
"It's definitely gotten busier," she replied, following my gaze. "With all the labyrinths opening up lately…"
A grizzled old dwarf sitting across from us snorted, not looking up from sharpening his axe. "Labyrinths opening up… It's horrible. Spontaneous dungeons formin' right outside of villages or deep in the forests— all because of the mana fallout from that Great War five centuries ago."
A war, huh? My otaku knowledge tingled. That always meant ancient evils, lost magic, and world-ending threats. Exactly the kind of thing I wanted to avoid.
"I'm even lucky to have survived that era," she added softly, a shadow crossing her features before she brightened and turned to me. "And I'm lucky to have found you, darling!"
I feigned a smile, my mind racing. She was part of a war that was literally reshaping the world? Well, she is an elf, so a long lifespan is to be expected. But still… No way do I want to go back into one of those death traps. An easy life is what I want! A quiet shop, a steady income—at the very least, I don't want to die a second time! My stats are a joke; 5 HP isn't the profile of an adventurer, it's the profile of a cautionary tale. Maybe I can be a merchant… I am an Alchemist, after all. I could sell potions, not get chased by goblins. Now there's a thought…
"Next!" a receptionist's voice cut through the din.
"Come on, darling!" the elf stood, grabbing her sword with effortless grace.
As we moved towards the counter, a group of boisterous adventurers bumped past me. One of them, a man with scruffy, fiery red hair, knocked me sideways with a laugh.
"Watch it, shortstack," he chuckled, not even looking back as his companions guffawed. My face burned with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. I was invisible in my old life, and it seems I'm a joke in this one, what a fun trade off!
We were finally led past the main counter and into the heart of the Adventurers Guild, and my jaw went slack.
It was a room that defied all logic, its vaulted ceiling lost in the haze of magical light. Massive, arched windows that showed the swirling vistas of other word—one depicting grassy biomes with creatures I wouldn't even dare to imagine! The air itself hummed with power, It only begs the question how much magical energy does this burn?!
A hundred different races dwelled around me, dragons that carried a beard as old as their wisdom conversing with creatures who carry sizes comparable to mice. Mushrooms growing from their heads like organic helmets.
To call this just a guild would've been a crime to all otaku's and DND heads like me—this was a nexus! A crossroad of realities! I was speechless to say the least.
"Welcome back, Rukia." The receptionist at the main desk greeted her as she approached. I looked to the desk as i heard. So that's her name…
"Great job on your quest yesturday! Here's your reward!" she placed two bags on the counter, causing Rukia to raise her brow in confusion and interest as she picked it up.
"What's this?" She questioned, digging her hand within the pouch to pull out what seemed to be a cuboid of some sort.
"A token of thanks from one of the adventurers you rescued. They called it a 'Rune', said you could sell it, but it's inert. A paperweight." The receptionist explained, the topic peaking my interest
A rune you say—-
"Rukia, can I see that?" I called out to her, my hand stretched out expectantly. Rukia flinched almost imperceptibly at my request but she nodded. For some reason, I could tell something was off with her—but I paid it no mind.
It felt ancient in my hands, it had a lid that wont budge, I wonder what It could be, some kind of bag of holding? One thing is for sure though, it's ancient, it was lined in intricate runes and symbols I couldn't quite understand.
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention," She spoke up again at the desk, grabbing our attention. "You both had been requested for another quest that's soon."
"Really?" We just got back from another one just yesterday! Are we going to have to go out again!?
"That's right, however, the client needs about two weeks to prepare and would appreciate ur patience."
I nodded, putting the pouch away. "What kind of work is it?"
"It's an escort job. Though about what they want to achieve, at the request of the client it's to remain confidential between them and the guild. Knowing this fact, it's alright if you want to turn them down."
I took a minute before nodding, "We'll do it."
***
"An escort job huh—" I muttered to myself, clad in nothing but a towel that hung itself loosely cross my waist. We resided in a small cabin we made together some time ago—well not me persay but you get the jist. It was surrounded by nothing but forest for miles and miles. A clear ways away from civilization. It was just our cozy home away from it all.
But that oasis feeling is crushed by the thought of going into another labyrinth—it just makes my skin crawl! The image of that spider crawling about is still fresh in my mind! Not to mention we were ambushed by even more goblins after the fact.
"Darling~" I heard certain someone call out to me in a way that made all my thoughts crash to a hault. I opened my eyes from pondering to see the beautiful sight before me.
Rukia reclined in the wooden bath, the water shimmering around her. A single towel draped over her, doing a terrible job of containing the lush curves she carried. It had slepped at the crest of on breast, revealing a smooth, perfect shadow of its underside.
Air caught in my throat, freezing up at the sight of it.
The steam in the room suddenly felt thicker, the heat of the water a palpable force that wrapped around me before I'd even taken a step. Her eyes, dark and knowing, held mine.
"Care to join me?"