Chapter 156: The First City, Part Seven

As the group went inside the Guild, Rin hugged the spellbook she was given tightly to her chest and wondered what she was about to see. Her imagination conjured up images of a small castle-type location that was almost royal, based on how the place looked from the outside. What she saw, however, didn't line up with that at all. Actually, Rin couldn't say she'd ever seen a place like this.

An oak floor with equally wooden walls, one giant, spacious room with a roasting pit at the center, and various adventurers sitting around it. Mannequins that held heroic black metal suits of armor flanked the front door, and by the back, Rin could see a board of some sort with various fliers stuck to it. The laughter, music, and chatter inside flooded Rin's ears and she nearly reached up to cover them. She could barely hear herself think.

"Holy crap," Rin couldn't help but say quietly as she stared at it all.

"What do you think?" Maria asked both Rin and Eve. The fairy flew closer to the center of the room and looked around with an awed expression, her eyes gleaming as she gazed at everything in sight.

"Whoa," she said simply. "It's cozy!"

Maria chuckled as she nodded.

"Yes," the woman replied. "It's quite the sanctuary after a long time spent out hunting monsters."

Rin could certainly see that being the case. She already felt so much warmer in here, and the overall festive atmosphere made her feel like she had walked into a busy late-night tavern. The contrast between this place and the Mages Guild was so staggering, both buildings may as well have been in different cities.

Soon, though, the adventurers inside began to notice their arrival. One woman, a lady of tall stature with massive arms who wore a streak of white paint on the side of her face and carried a mace at her hip, saw them and grinned. Maria looked back at her and it seemed as though they recognized each other, though, Maria looked more nervous than anything.

"Maria!" The woman announced loudly. The way people's heads turned, Rin understood that everyone who hadn't seen them come in yet was instantly made aware of their presence. That jovial chattering that had been going on earlier turned into excited whispers when everyone realized who had just come in.

Rin hadn't quite seen this coming, even though she definitely should have. Maybe the woman's constant presence had made Rin numb to her status, but, as she was reminded right now, Maria was a Rank S adventurer. A household name in Libera, and, possibly, throughout the entire world.

The mace-wielding, bulky woman walked up to her and bowed out of respect. She then extended a hand, which Maria shook gracefully.

"By the Divine, how long has it been?" The lady asked.

"Uhm, a while," Maria said with a nervous laugh. "Surprised?"

"Undoubtedly!" The woman replied with a cackle before she set her eyes on Eve and Rin. "I'll be honest, I never thought I'd see you again. The academy's kept you locked up for so long!"

"I have my duties to tend to, there. Uhm, Jen," Maria began to ask, "is the guildmaster busy?"

Jen shook her head.

"Nah, she's reading some reports like always. Oh, who are these two?" Her eyes fell on Eve and Rin with some curiosity, though her smile did not fade.

"Rin and Eve," Maria quickly introduced them, as now, the adventurers' eyes fell on the two strangers accompanying Maria. "They are students of mine."

"Oh, from the academy?" Jen asked, tilting her head. "That's cute. It's a pleasure to meet you both, rookies," she stated, extending a hand toward the two of them as well. "Jennia's the name. Everyone just calls me 'Jen' though."

Rin shook it and found that the woman's grip almost crushed every bone in her hand.

[Ow...]

She seemed to be a little friendlier than the adventurers she had met previously. At least, if this wasn't some weird act. Her eyes did remain on Eve for a little while longer than they had on Rin, for some reason. Neither Rin nor Eve made much note of that, though.

"Anyway," Maria told her, pulling Jen's attention back onto herself, "unfortunately, we are in a bit of a hurry, here. So, my apologies, but we'll have to catch up another time."

"Oh." The disappointment in Jen's voice was so blatant Rin would have laughed if she believed she wouldn't get punched in the face for it. "I see. Well, feel free to come back on a looser schedule. Everyone's missed you, ma'am."

"Of course. See you around," Maria replied and the woman bowed again before leaving. She sat down beside her friends and began muttering to them, throwing a subtle glance at Maria just like everyone else was.

"Wow. She's huge," Eve noted.

"Indeed," Maria replied. "Jennia of Cradle, a Rank A adventurer," Maria stated. "She's got a kind heart under all those muscles. She just... tends to come off a bit strong when you first meet her."

"She nearly tore my hand off," Rin replied.

"Yeah, that's part of it," Maria said with a shrug. "Anyway, your brother's things are probably at the lost and found, but, if not, we should let the guildmaster know you came to check it out. Come. Don't make eye contact with anyone. No one will bother you as long as I'm around, but not all adventurers are as nice as Jen is."

"Got it," Eve replied and Rin nodded. On that note, they followed her to the back, where a door gave way to some stairs. The smell of roasting meat didn't follow the three of them as they went up to the next floor, which Rin missed but, at the same time, at least she couldn't hear all that talking anymore.

The second floor was a lot less lively than the first, but still just as homely. There was one room with the word "guildmaster" written on it in golden letters, and Rin could guess who was waiting behind that door.

Casually, Maria walked over and only gave Eve and Rin one little glance to make sure they hadn't wandered off before she opened the door and went in. What they entered next was a small office, and at the desk near the windows to the back was a woman scribbling down some notes onto a book.

When the phrase "guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild" went through Rin's mind, she tended to imagine someone of unbelievable strength and power. Someone leading this group of monster-hunting mercenaries, she imagined, had to be of such a level of prowess with either blade or Essence that they could be respected by all who worked within the guild. The lady sitting just ahead of her, though, didn't stand out all too much.

A middle-aged woman with silver hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a black tunic of some sort, leather pants, and boots of the same color. Nothing about her in particular promised strength, though she did have a scar running over her right eye that indicated she was a warrior of some sort.

Her bright green eyes launched up off the page and went to the newcomers then, and the lady tilted her head when she saw them come in.

"Maria?" She asked, slightly in disbelief.

"Greetings," Maria said, bowing to this woman just like Jen had done for her. "Rin, Eve, this is Guildmaster Erin. Erin, Rin, Eve."

"..."

Erin couldn't care less about the two girls next to Maria, though she did glance at the spellbook in Rin's hands for half a second. Her eyes roamed up and down Maria's body, but not in a lustful way. Moreso in an "if I take my eyes off of her, she might disappear" sort of way.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"One of my students," Maria said, gesturing for Rin to walk forward, which she did, "heard that her brother's possessions had been kept here. Possessions that, for some reason, hadn't been sent to her. She wanted to see them."

The guildmaster closed her eyes for a couple of seconds and then opened them back up, saying:

"Asahiro's sister?" She asked.

When Rin heard that, her eyes widened.

"Y-" Maria was interrupted.

"Yes," Rin couldn't help but answer. "I... Oh, uh, sorry," she said when she realized what she'd done.

"Explain," the guildmaster said, but not to Maria. To Rin. The raven-haired girl nodded and breathed in. Although she didn't look particularly strong, the guildmaster did have an oppressive aura to her.

"... I heard that some of my brother's stuff was kept here, for some reason," Rin clarified. "And, that, some of it was set aside for someone?"

Recognition quickly flashed in the guildmaster's eyes.

"Right. Indeed," she sighed. "You have my condolences, by the way. What happened with that boy will forever remain a tragic mystery, it seems. I'm sorry."

"Um, it's okay... It was a while ago," Rin forced herself to respond.

"Mhm... Anyway, unfortunately, the things he left here weren't meant for you. I apologize."

"U-Uh, yeah, I was told that, but, I wanted to know what it was, still."

"Why?"

"Because," Rin began, "some of the things we got back were... kind of strange? I was wondering if maybe this was connected in some way."

She made that explanation up on the spot. Really, she was just curious, but now a part of her did wonder if perhaps that Mages Guild badge she'd found, which she'd spoken to Sye about through her letters, had any connection to these last few things her brother had kept here. Unfortunately, though, the guildmaster shook her head.

"Sorry," she stated. "Like I said, it isn't meant for you."

"I can't even see it?" Rin asked, baffled.

"Yes," she nodded. "It's a private matter. Everything that the boy meant to be seen by others was already sent to you. This, on the other hand, is for someone else. So, no, you cannot see it."

Rin was downright stunned. She supposed it made sense, but, at the same time, she wondered what it could be that was so "private" Tristan wouldn't even want her to see it.

"Understood," Maria replied. "Thanks anyway."

Erin looked back at her.

"Is that all you came for?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Ah..." Erin nodded slowly. "I see. I had hoped you'd come to realize that your talents were too precious to waste away at that Academy, but, I suppose that's not the case just yet. Maybe someday. Have a good day, Maria."

And, that was it.

Nothing more was said between both parties. Rin, Eve, and Maria simply walked out and closed the door behind them, and that matter was settled.

"Wow. She's kind of a douche," Eve commented.

"No, no," Maria quickly denied with a little smile, "she's just... Not exactly a 'people person', is all. Don't judge her too strongly for it, that woman keeps this whole ship floating. Oh, and, sorry, Rin," Maria then turned to her, "if Tristan really didn't want anyone looking at this, then, yeah. That's all we can do."

"... He did want one person looking at it," Rin muttered, wondering who that could be.

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"Probably some old girlfriend," Maria shrugged. "No reason to believe it's anything too important. Maybe he kept a book full of embarrassing poems, or whatever. You never know."

Rin shrugged, though the idea of that did make her smile.

"Maybe."

[I really am curious, though.]

"Oh well," Maria then said. "I... I think it's probably about time we go check on Xhez and Elisa," Maria stated. "Elisa knows her way around these streets, but Xhez is new. Let's hope she hasn't bothered anyone."

[In other words,] Rin thought, ["let's hope she hasn't blown her cover."]

"I can't imagine Xhez doing that," Eve noted. "She's such a sweetheart."

"She is," Maria admitted. "Cradle has a tendency to prey on people like that, though."

As they walked out of the Guild, Rin could faintly hear the music and loud conversations now muffled behind the closed doors behind them. While they walked away from them, Eve asked:

"So, were there any other Rank S adventurers in there?"

"No," Maria shook her head.

"Where are they, then?"

"You'd have a better chance of guessing what Rin's brother was keeping away from everyone," Maria replied. "The other Rank S adventurers aren't as- well, they tend to stay away from the cities."

"Why?" Rin asked.

"I don't know," Maria said softly. "It seems once you cross a certain line in terms of power, all you do is wonder how much stronger you can get. Or, once you've killed enough powerful beasts, the next thing you ask is how strong is the most powerful creature you could kill. These questions, of course, can't be answered from within the safe walls of Libera, or Cradle. So, most Rank S adventurers become Rank S and then, maybe, if they need supplies or something, will make one yearly trip back to their hometown, before disappearing again. Most of them. Some do make appearances more frequently than others."

"It would be cool if some of them could come to the Academy," Eve suggested. "Maybe give us a few tips."

"... I'll ask about that," Maria promised then. "Maybe then you'd get to see what a real Rank S adventurer is like."

She said that last part so quietly that Eve missed it. Rin, however, didn't. A self-deprecating smile graced Maria's face, but Rin didn't press further.

Though, she did say:

"I guess it would be cool," Rin whispered just softly enough for only the Rank S adventurer's sensitive ears to hear her. "Though, even if you weren't Rank S, there's no one else I'd rather learn from than you."

The rookie glanced over at her teacher when she said that. To her surprise, Maria outright blushed.

"Thank you, Rin," Maria said, as she walked by Rin's side. "You're far too sweet."

---

{Xhez}

As the sprite returned to the Eternal Library with Elisa by her side, the two of them did not enter the building this time. Instead, they went off to the right where many different tables under wide umbrellas were laid out for people to sit and relax.

On the way back, they had been discussing one complicated topic. A conversation that continued even as they both sat down and finally stopped walking.

"Owning someone..." Xhez muttered. "I just do not understand."

"Uh, yeah," Elisa scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably. "I guess it would be pretty weird..."

"They cannot do anything without permission?" Xhez asked. "Am I a slave, then? Because I always ask Rin if something is a good idea or not."

"No, no, no," Elisa quickly waved that idea off. "You do it because you want to be safe. Slaves do it because they have to."

Xhez's brows pulled together as her confusion continued to increase.

[... I wonder what my mothers would say if I told them about this concept,] she thought to herself. She was almost certain they would hate it. As lonely as being a water sprite could be, one thing Xhez began to realize she had taken for granted was the freedom that came with this sort of existence. Freedom that none of the beastborn in this city had tasted, it seemed.

"Don't think too hard about it, though," Elisa then stated. "There aren't too many beastborn around anyway. Most of them left to go to Libera once the war ended."

[Does that really make it better, though?]

At that moment, movement from the left caught Xhez's eye, and she turned toward it to find that Rin, Eve, and Maria were all walking into the courtyard. Elisa followed Xhez's gaze and when she saw them, she quickly called out to the group.

"Hey!"

Maria heard her and as she saw the two of them, the three of them walked up to where Elisa and Xhez were sitting. Xhez's eyes went down to the book Rin was holding before Elisa spoke up.

"Done already?" Elisa asked.

"Yeah... Not gonna turn into a vampire anymore, thankfully," Rin replied.

"Awesome. I'm a little disappointed, though," Elisa replied with a smirk. "I was a little bit curious what you'd look like as a vampire."

"I wasn't," Rin replied.

"Anyway," Maria cut in. "We're done here. If we head back now, we should make it back to Libera on time to where you can actually get a good night's sleep before your classes start tomorrow."

"Or we could just let everyone at the Academy know we're going on vacation and stay here for a week or two," Elisa suggested.

"I'd be down with that," Eve agreed with a grin.

"You're not skipping out on my class that easily," Maria countered and both Elisa and Eve chuckled a little.

Naturally, Xhez and Rin looked back at each other while the others talked. Xhez tilted her head a little when she saw the look on Rin's face. She looked... eager. Like she was anticipating something, but couldn't say anything just yet.

[Hm.]

"Well, Xhez," Maria said, grabbing the sprite's attention. "Ready to go?"

"Y-Yes," the sprite replied, getting up. "I am ready."

---

They walked all the way back to the station, after heading back to the hotel to pick their things up and swapping out the clothes they were wearing in favor of a fresher wardrobe.

Some of the same sights that Xhez had been seeing all throughout the city became much more puzzling on the way there. The shackled beastborn, the aged architecture, the overall drab, but regal atmosphere. Xhez would love to learn more about this city. Maybe visit it again at some point. However, for now, She had enough on her mind to that thinking about the curiosities of this place was a bit much for her to handle.

Once they were back onto the train, Xhez noticed Maria letting out an audible sigh of relief, and she guessed it was because they'd managed to make it through this short trip without Xhez letting everyone know she was a sprite.

"Unfortunately," Maria said as they sat down back where they'd been, as far away from the rest of the travelers as possible, "we did not get to see too much of Cradle, but, once your careers as adventurers properly begin, you can expect that to change."

"Eh, it's not all that great anyway," Elisa said with a shrug.

"You won't find me disagreeing with that too strongly," Maria replied. "But, Cradle is the heart of adventuring as an occupation, so, do try to set your distaste aside at some point."

[Adventuring,] Xhez thought. [The act of completing dangerous missions in exchange for some amount of money. Could those slaves be adventurers? Would it be better than their current situations?]

"Hey, Xhez," Rin whispered then, and the sprite turned toward her.

"Yes?"

The raven-haired girl smiled back at her as she placed the book in Xhez's hands.

"Read through this thing," she instructed with a little smile. "I think you'll like what you see."

"Hm?" Xhez tilted her head curiously at the woman, but Rin didn't explain further.

She opened the book up and, as the train soon began to move, Xhez quickly realized what she meant. As soon as she saw the word "Illusion" pop up, her eyes widened and a beaming smile appeared on her face.

"ILLUSION SPELLS!" She exclaimed. "FOR MY DISGUISE!?"

...

Xhez hadn't just said that. She shouted it. Shouted it rather loudly, actually. Thankfully, there weren't too many people on the train with them. This wouldn't be an issue if it had just been Maria, Elisa, and Rin who heard her. But, of course, there was a fifth person there. 

Eve heard that and arched a brow.

"Disguise?" She asked.

"... I-I mean..." Xhez quickly began to mutter. "I..."

"... Uh, well," Rin quickly said, looking toward Maria who was almost red with anger. "W-We were going to try to explain this to her anyway, so, I guess now's a pretty good time, right?"

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