Chapter 73: 2-22 Quinteburgh

The streets were vast, to say the least. Townsfolk of various races lined up parallely on the streets to give their welcomes and cheers for the arrival of the merchant caravans. There were a considerable number of people who were throwing flowers in their bid of welcome, turning the arrival of the caravans into a parade-esque situation, something Erin found it to be quite queer.

Celia gasped in awe and waved back at the crowd from atop of the mount she was sharing with Erin. Lyra held a cautious glance to her surroundings, watchful for any opportunist who might seek to earn some quick gold with some silly petty scheme. Erin was indifferent to the whole festive mood. She was used to this sort of charade when she was Argon Raze. The arrival of the Sword Saint would always send towns and cities into an uproar. Sometimes it was bad but most of the time it was a warm reception. But it was all the same, they all had something they wanted from the Sword Saint, the Sword Saint’s skill and service.

However, there was a faint difference this time around. Those gazes on her weren’t expectations but reverence, save for the lecherous gazes of a few. There were also prying glances. Judging by their attire, they were individuals sent by some church. Off the top of her head, Erin could only think of the Ruvans.

“Lady Erin and Miss Lyra, please follow me,” said a Guild official who was waiting for the two at the separating junction of the main street.

“We’re expected, huh. Impressive.”

Though Erin truly found the Guild’s reception impressive, what impressed her even more was the sheer effort and quality of the reception by town’s folks for the caravans. The reception and decoration weren’t just limited to the streets near the entrance alone. As far as she could see, the glamorous welcome extended to the center of Quinteburgh. Erin couldn’t imagine how much money went into all these preparations.

“You two go ahead,” Iris, who was poking her head out of the window, told the pair.

“You want us to leave you alone? Aren’t we supposed to be your personal guards?” Erin asked.

Iris smiled. “We’re within safe borders now. We can rest easy. Besides, Joshua’s own personal guard will be looking after me in your stead in the meantime.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. She knew Joshua had a personal guard but not once had she seen the individual in question, though she did occasionally sense its presence.

“Lady Iris, if I may make a request,” Lyra asked.

“Of course,” Iris responded reassuringly.

“Can you look after Celia for us? Until we return from the Guild?”

Erin recoiled with a glance snapped at Lyra.

“Hmm? I can’t go with you?” Celia asked with trembling eyes.

“It’s only for a short while. Besides, it will be boring. It’s best that you go with this nice lady here, alright?”

Iris stifled a chuckle. For the sake of Celia, Lyra addressed her as a “nice lady”.

Erin was about to oppose Lyra’s abrupt request but she stopped herself. Erin agreed with Lyra’s request after realization dawned. She understood Lyra was only giving a pretense. It was best to have Celia to be close to a healer and they were about to attend some serious business. Taking a child along would only invite complications. Erin did have some uncertainty in leaving Celia in Iris’ care but given the goodwill the Umbrum had shown throughout the journey, Erin decided to trust her for now. There was also Joshua, who was undeniably a much better person than Iris. Erin didn’t know why but Joshua gave off a feeling that he could be a good friend but a terrible enemy should one betray his trust.

Celia latched onto Lyra’s leg hard and refused to let go when she knew none of her pleas could convince the two to take her along.

“Children really are a handful,” Iris mused quietly to herself.

Celia only relented when Lyra promised her some candies and dessert after they returned.

With that problem settled, Erin and Lyra rode for the Guild branch of Maven’s Creek. As expected, Erin received more and more glances from the gallery. Her three tails fluttered freely with grace and ears perked with vigilance. Her countenance was intimidating and yet, captivating. Rumors and whispers began to spread and soon, Erin noticed there were even some people who came rushing to witness her presence.

Since they were going a separate way from the caravans, the crowd lessened in numbers but there was still quite a number of people, who were all enthralled by Erin’s beauty and charm. She was attracting attention much like her past self but she sought comfort with the fact that the attention wasn't of envy or jealousy but mostly admiration and reverence. Although, there were a few unpleasant gazes mixed within the others. They came from thug-looking individuals who were sneaking peeks from dark alleys and high rooftops.

Aside from the curious gazes, all was well until they reached a plaza with a fountain ornate with excessive engravings of some inscription. Erin saw a few people who tossed a coin into the fountain.

“What are they doing?” she asked the Guild official.

“Wishing for fortune,” came the brief answer from the Guild official.

“By tossing their fortune into a puddle of water?”

“This… tradition has been around since the time of my grandfather and his father before him.”

“Huh....” Erin couldn’t understand the reasoning but since even Lyra told her the same thing, she let the frivolous act go.

“Oh bollocks...” The Guild Official uttered. He quickly turned to Lyra and Erin with a terrified look. “Whatever happens, let me do the talking.”

Erin and Lyra couldn’t quite understand the sudden change in mood but Erin felt her skin crawling then. She looked in a certain direction, three riders in knight armor were heading towards them. The three all bore the same sigil on their armor.

“Ruvan Paladins?” Erin asked.

“Yes,” The Guild Official replied. “Remember, let me do the talking.”

Erin and Lyra waited with apprehension as the Paladins drew closer and closer to them. And just as their paths crossed, the Paladins rode past them. The one at the lead gave Erin a glance that could only be seen as scrutinizing but none of the Paladins stopped them. Before long, they had rode out of their sight.

The Guild official heaved a sigh of relief and they continued in their path.

“And I thought Ruvan Paladins were troublemakers,” Lyra remarked.

“We have our lucky stars to be grateful for. Most of the ones in this town knew better than to question a Fae who’s being escorted by a Guild official.”

“What if we had been less fortunate?” Erin asked.

“At best, the Guild’s authority will make them stand down.”

“At worst?”

“Swords drawn and blood shed. If that happens, the two of you will be under the Ruvan’s constant watch.”

“How likely are we to encounter those kinds?”

“Since they are the type who goes around picking fights, fifty-fifty.”

Erin almost choked on her breath.

“Well this is ironic. The real troubles began after we left the wilds,” Lyra said.

Erin nodded grimly at Lyra’s words.

The Guild was still some distance away but the three eventually arrived without further complications. There were some individuals who trailed after her steps but they gave up when she entered into a street filled with guard patrols. Looking around the stores, she knew she had entered the business district where the security was stricter. Relief swept over her. She wasn’t looking forward to picking a fight on her first day in a major town where consequences were much more dire.

****

The Guild building of Quinteburg bore a considerable amount of similarity to the branch in Green Scar. Unlike Green Scar’s Guild, the Guild building wasn’t the tallest among its peers. It wasn’t even in the top five. Excluding the bell tower, the tallest building seemed to be a mansion located atop of a small hill in the distance. The Guild official, noticing Erin’s curious gaze, told her that the mansion was the residence of the town’s chief. There two vast yards expanding from the right side of the Guild, a yard for sparring and a yard for mounts. Two lonely shops were also annexed to the left side of the Guild Building, a smithy and an apothecary. There was even a small eatery stall in front of the Guild. In terms of convenience, Quinteburgh’s was the clear winner.

“What a difference...” Erin muttered in her heart.

Inside of the Guild, however, was a close one to one resemblance, be it the design or architecture. Gasps of awe drowned the floor as Erin stepped through the doors. It was only then Erin truly picked up on the diversity of Maven’s Creek. The majority were humans but there were quite a lot of other races in the mix. At least a single Beast-kin could be found at every direction Erin turned her gaze to. There were also numerous Dwarrows and other races she had yet to meet. Her shoulders tensed when she saw a pair of Umbrums but the Umbrums themselves paid no heed to Erin.

Beckoned by the official, Erin and Lyra followed him up the stairs to the second floor where the Guild Master’s office resided. At the landing, a half-armored man was standing guard. He made way for them when he recognized the official. As stoic as he tried to be, his gulp of unease did not escape Erin’s hearing.

Arriving at such a town, Erin was once again reminded of the reputation and image Faerie-kin had.

Instead of knocking on the door, the official put his hand on the door knob and the door glowed faintly.

“Come in,” came a feeble voice from within the room.

Once inside, Erin was surprised to learn the Guild Master was an elderly woman but her lively expression betrayed her age. There were two other people in the room with them, a well-dressed middle aged man and a young girl with spectacles in the corner. Erin thought the girl to be the secretary but her elegant robe said otherwise. Erin held the same notion for the man but from the way he was sitting without minding his posture on the couch, that was obviously not the case either.

At the wave of the Guild Master’s hand, the official was dismissed and he left the room promptly.

The Guild Master rose from her seat and smiled gently at the two. “My name is Edith Rosemary. Madam Rosemary to my acquaintances. The two of you must be Lady Erinthea and Miss Lyra.”

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“We are,” Erin answered with her hand to her chest and a slight bow. Lyra did the same.

The man gave none of his greeting but Erin wasn’t the type to mind this sort of matter. The young girl tried to say something but ultimately decided against it.

Rosemary chuckled with a pleasant tenor. “You are exactly as the whispers depicted you to be, Lady Erinthea. And this must be your partner of affection, Miss Lyra.”

“Just Erin, please.”

“That will not do, Lady Erinthea. Breeding too much familiarity in a short amount of time can lead to a breakdown in management. I hope you can understand.”

Erin flinched a little. Compared to Geron, Rosemary held a different manner of intimidation but was not the least bit less effective.

“Are all Guild Masters like this?” Erin questioned to herself.

“I like her,” Lyra whispered to Erin.

Erin raised an eyebrow with a slight frown.

“Now, I assume we are all on the same page of business here.”

Before Erin or Lyra could speak, the man finally broke his silence. “We are definitely not on the same page.”

“Lord Howard, what’s with the sudden discontent?” Rosemary glared at the man known as Lord Howard. “I thought we had a concord.”

“We do but I have no such thing with the Fae,” said Lord Howard who was still lounging on the couch.

Erin sighed internally. “Here we go...”

“Forgive my interruption but what has my lover done to offend you, mister?” Lyra asked with her voice raised.

“Mister?” Howard scoffed. “I’ll have you know that you shall address me as Lord Howard of House Clayton, the governor assigned to oversee this territory by his Majesty.”

“Lord Howard here is the chief of this town but you’re not at fault for not knowing since he neglected to introduce himself,” Rosemary told the two with her ever present gentle smile.

“Edith, I don’t know why we are even entertaining this idea, with a Fae no less.”

Erin clicked her tongue, loudly. She had enough of the chief’s impertinence. She didn’t expect a grand reception from everyone but she did expect the basic decency which this Lord clearly lacked.

Howard snapped his head at Erin with surprise painting his face. He didn’t expect a Fae to be discorteous with her conduct.

“I don’t care who you are, my lord, but if you have something to say, I’m right here. Or do you lack the guts to direct those words at the person herself?”

“Well how curious, this Fae talks for more than a sentence,” the Lord retorted.

“Lord Howard, please. You are being—”

“She brought death to our doorstep, Edith!”

“Excuse me?” Erin blurted out. She stopped Lyra from throwing some insults back.

“Yes, you heard me right. We received reports regarding the attack on the caravans by a horde of monsters. They attacked because of you. Now that you’re here, what if another monster horde attacks this town with a larger force? I’m the governor of this town. It’s my duty to protect Maven’s Creek and Quinteburgh.”

"Howard, that's enough," Rosemary reprimanded with a slightly raised voice.

“To be precise, they were aftering this.” Erin took out the Magic Relay rod from her chest pocket and brandished it in the air.

“And you still brought that thing into town? For all we know, the Necromancer could already be marching unto us with an army of monsters.”

“Then the quicker we resolve this, the better,” Erin said.

“Easier said than done. With the timing of the merchants’ arrival, do you know how difficult it is to organize an expedition party on a short notice, Fae?”

“Howard, that’s enough!” Rosemary reprimanded the chief sharply. “Lady Erinthea here is my esteemed guest and most possibly our savior. You are to treat her with the respect deserving of a Fae”

Howard heaved out his frustration. “Thanks to you, I can no longer enjoy this festival.”

“If it wasn’t for Lady Erinthea, there might not even be any festivals to enjoy in the future. Lord Howard, we cannot let this blight fester. If we do, the Ruvans will intercede.”

“But can you find someone to lead the expedition in matters of days?”

“Whether if I’m able to, we’ll save that matter for later. We have yet to even ascertain the location of the Necromancer.” Rosemary turned to the girl standing in the corner. “Miss Olivia, would you please do the honors?”

The robed girl with spectacles nodded and approached them with small steps.

“This here is Olivia. She’s a Seer and a powerful Water Mage.”

Olivia’s face reddened at the Guild Master’s praise.

“She’s cute,” Lyra whispered.

Erin refrained from rolling her eyes.

She gazed only briefly at Erin before reaching her trembling hands out.

I-if you don’t mind… m-may I have the r-rod?” Olivia asked softly, her gaze was cast down.

“Forgive her, Lady Erinthea. She’s a little diffident.”

“There’s nothing to be forgiven of,” Erin said and smiled warmly at Olivia as she handed the rod over. Erin noticed Olivia was sneaking a gaze at her tails. Her smile widened at that sight.

Rosemary faked a cough. “Miss Olivia,” she called out.

Olivia yelped and retreated a few steps back hastily. “I-I’m sorry!” she said.

“You don’t need to apologize at every turn, Olivia. Just get on with it,” Howard urged.

Olivia closed her eyes and held the rod close to her chest. She uttered a faint and short chant. Magic swirled around her.

Erin activated her Spirit Sight on instinct and witnessed the Spirits were converging around Olivia. The Spirits danced around the rod. It was erratic at first but a formation of a ring was slowly formed. The Spirits then stopped dancing, and a pulse was emitted from the Spirits’ ring formation. Erin recoiled slightly but the push was only a trick of the mind. After a short while, a pulse came back. This time, it was Olivia who flinched. She opened her eyes but terror was there in her gaze. She began panting and threw the rod away. Erin moved quickly to catch the rod.

Oliva stumbled back but Rosemary was there to receive her fall.

“What’s wrong, Olivia? What did you see?” asked the Guild Master.

“Death… Torment… Despair… It was horrible… The things h-he had done...”

“For god’s sake, we have no time for theatrics!” The chief roared but he turned silent when Erin glared at him with her tails flourishing behind her. Howard wanted to retort but Erin’s intimidating aura robbed him of his voice.

Rosemary stroked Olivia’s back gently. She waited for Olivia to calm down her breathing before asking, “where?”

“T-The Singularity,” Oliva answered.

“Fucking hell, really?”

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