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Chapter 38: Call for Aid [Rayne]

  The job board at the adventurer’s guild was one of its largest and most impressive features. Eight feet long and nearly six feet tall, it hung front and center on the left wall, visible to everyone as soon as they walked in.

  No matter the time of day, it was common to see people congregating around the board. Some in groups, parties who all wanted a say in the next mission they were going to take, others alone, searching for them on their own.

  For Rayne, who was currently stood in front of this very board, it was the latter, and he felt a headache coming on as he stared at the jobs available. For the past week, he had been adventuring with Leon; Syra had headed to another city in order to unlock her mana and claim the free skill she desired. This left him alone to deal with Leon, and the wannabe noble had a lot to say when it came to the jobs he took on.

  From disparaging collection missions such as herb picking because they lacked prestige, to ignoring the monetary compensation as it was ‘secondary’ to the task of subjugating monsters and protecting the common folk, Leon was an absolutely infuriating partner to adventure with. If his skill with a blade wasn’t practically transcendental, at least in the bronze-tier, Rayne would have kicked him to the curb long ago.

  But Leon’s skills were that amazing, and so Rayne had been forced to spend the last six days selecting missions and then reselecting them until he found one that the persnickety noble would accept. In addition to that, it was next to impossible to convince other adventurers to join them for a mission, as everyone in the guild was by now aware of Leon’s idiosyncrasies. They’d adventured together pretty much daily since Syra’s departure, and almost all of it had been alone, with no other adventurers to help keep him sane in the face of all things Leon.

  However, that ended today. Today Syra was set to return, and with her, the two-thirds majority in party decisions. Not that Syra always sided with him, but they saw eye-to-eye on a lot more topics than he did with Leon.

  Still… Rayne frowned as he scanned the board. The left half of the board was reserved for bronze-rank missions, silver-rank missions were on the right. Missions ranked gold and above were not present on the board, the guild choosing who got them based on skill level and the desires of the requester.

  Unfortunately, the left side of the board was a touch empty today. Although at least forty papers were pinned to it, there were not a ton of good missions to choose from. Scratch that, there were none. Every mission was either low-paying, too dangerous, or both. There was no way he was taking on a den of goblins with only two people for the low price of two silvers—one after being split amongst the party. That was just foolhardy.

  “Rayne.”

  He was jerked out of his contemplation by someone calling his name. Turning, Rayne found himself greeted by Mavis, one of the two primary receptionists for the guild. Strange as it was to see her on this side of the reception desk, he cocked his head.

  “Yes?” he asked politely.

  Mavis looked troubled. “The guild has a mission that we’d like to offer you. Are you free?”

  With a cautious look, Rayne nodded, sensing that something was amiss. “I am,” he replied slowly. “What’s the mission?”

  “A rescue mission.” Taking a deep breath, Mavis launched into the description. “A party of four went missing six days ago: the Thrashers. They were undertaking a bronze-ranked mission southwest of Torid, about a day away, so no one thought anything much of it when they didn’t return as scheduled. But four days ago, we received word from one of our contacts in the area that the monsters they went to subdue were still active. So we sent another party, this one with five bronze-ranks led by Calen. They left three days ago, and were supposed to return yesterday, but since they haven’t…”

  “You want us to go,” Rayne surmised.

  “Yes.”

  He frowned. “Why us?”

  “Because your party has the highest completion rate of any bronze-rank party in the last month, and both Leon and Syra are among the strongest bronze-ranks in this entire branch.”

  Rayne’s eyebrow twitched. Where was his praise? But rather than take her to account for a statement that was as truthful as it was hurtful, he simply shook his head. “What about the rewards?”

  “So long as you successfully neutralize the threat and find the missing adventurers, your team will receive the original mission rewards, as well as sixty silver, thirty per party. Any additional loot found in the process is also yours to keep.”

  This was almost enough to make Rayne accept her offer on the spot, but he forced himself to keep his cool. A massive and frankly insane level of compensation was nice, but it also accompanied a job of corresponding difficulty. After a few seconds of quiet contemplation, he shook his head.

  “My apologies. I’d accept, but Syra, my companion, isn’t back yet. Without her, it’s only me and Leon, and I don’t believe the two of us are strong enough to take on a monster that’s already defeated two parties.”

  “I’m aware. Syra’s absence is why the guild did not approach you for the first mission. But she is due back today, is she not?”

  Rayne nodded carefully. “She is. But I’ll still need to consult with her before I accept anything.”

  “I understand. If you come to a decision, let me know. When it comes to rescue missions, every second counts.” With a slight bow, Mavis returned to her position behind the desk, leaving Rayne to stew on what she’d said.

  Sixty silver split three ways was twenty apiece. That on top of the mission rewards, which were likely to be decent, as well as anything else they earned in the process… No matter how he sliced it, it was a lot of money. And Mavis clearly thought they possessed the ability to succeed, else she wouldn’t have come to him.

  Doing his best to ignore the fact that she had also let Calen’s party take the mission before them, Rayne dwelled on the matter. Then he stood up and went for a walk, hoping that some fresh air would help clear his mind.

  The market was busy as ever, with vendors loudly hawking their wares in the midday sun. The canopies of their stalls cast shadows over the cobblestones, and Rayne kept a tight grip on his purse as he dodged a pair of urchins looking for easy marks. Pickpockets were not common in Torid, the guards outside the Dregs being more than happy to see them along, but they were not unheard of, and most were small children just like this pair.

  Neither looked older than twelve, and one of them—a girl by the looks of it, though her short hair and dirty face made it hard to tell—looked annoyed as she saw him cover his purse. A moment later, they were gone, and Rayne allowed his thoughts to wander once more.

  He needed the money, that much was obvious. And it would not be hard to convince Leon to tag along. The mere mention of a rescue should be more than enough to persuade his virtuous sword instructor that the mission was worthwhile. But the risks were very real, moreso than ever, what with not one but two entire adventurer parties missing. And as the de facto leader of their little party, he would be directly responsible for leading both Leon and Syra to their deaths should anything go wrong.

  Of course, for any of that to matter, Syra would have to get back first as there was no way he was going on such a dangerous mission without her by his side.

  “Rayne?”

  For the second time that day, Rayne heard his name called, and he turned. This time, it was not Mavis, but Lili who stood there, looking rather different from usual. Gone were the chainmail and flanged mace. In their place, she wore a nice green dress, with silver jewelry and just a hint of makeup on her tanned features, and she looked wildly uncomfortable in the whole getup.

  Blinking to clear his eyes so that he could get a better look, Rayne confirmed that it was indeed Liliana before him, and he could not quite keep a hint of disbelief from his tone as he returned her greetings. “Lili? What are you doing here?”

  “That’s my question, idiot. This is the guard’s mess hall. Why’re you here?” She looked him up and down. “You got a mission from us or something?”

  “From you?” Rayne shook his head. “Right, you’re the daughter of a guard, I forgot.”

  Blowing a strand of hair that had shaken free from its bindings out of her face, Lili nodded. “Yup. Today’s the guard’s ball, and my good old dad wants me here to try and entice one of the noble sons who’re supposedly showing up tonight.” She rolled her eyes. “Bunch of wannabe knights and fourth sons, most likely. But it’s my dad, so I took the day off, and wore a dress because that’ll make mom happy. But you didn’t answer my question. I know what I’m doing here. What are you doing here?”

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  “Ummm…” Rayne wavered. “Just trying to clear my head.”

  She was not wearing shoes, he noticed now, her feet both caked in mud, and she grinned as he noticed. Flexing her toes, she wriggled them so that he could see the extent of the dirt. “Yeah, dancing shoes are a bitch. Figured I’d enjoy some freedom while I have it.”

  Rayne shook his head. “I’d be more worried about catching something myself.”

  Another girl might have giggled, but Lili let out a loud guffaw. “Maybe in the Dregs, but this close to the Noble District? Streets here actually get cleaned.” Then her expression changed, more thoughtful than he was used to seeing on her. “Why does your head need clearin’?”

  Beside them, the canal flowed softly, reminding him just how close they were to the Noble District. The Guard’s Mess Hall was located at the bend where the Artisan District met the old quarter, perfectly positioned so that the guards could respond to incidents in both districts, while keeping them out of the noble’s sector when not on-duty.

  It was a fairly nice building, all things considered, its walls festooned with ivy that crept everywhere on the brick foundation. A large shield hung over the front door, adorned with the crest of the Torid guard, a pair of crossed watchman’s batons beneath the white rabbit of Torid.

  No one else was visible outside, but the door had been left open to cool the place, and he could hear people moving things within, setting up for the ball later tonight.

  “Rayne?”

  “Oh.” Realizing that he had gone silent, Rayne told her about his conversation with Mavis, only for Lili to give him a knowing nod.

  “Yeah, a rescue mission? I getcha.” She nodded sagely, both arms crossed in a defensive posture. “Those are tough. I turned that one down actually. Was tempted by the rewards, but Bob and Benji ain’t up to that just yet. They’d come with me if I took it, but I’d never forgive myself if they died because I got greedy, ya know?”

  This was exactly what Rayne had been grappling with, and he was about to nod when Lili grinned and jabbed one finger into his chest.

  “You, on the other hand, mister, can definitely take this. Syra and Leon? You’ve got an all-star cast. Syra’s great, and Leon…” She snorted. “Even if he is the most unbearable asshole I’ve ever run into as an adventurer, he’s got skill. With those two beside you, and your plans, I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about.”

  “But what if my plans get them killed?” Rayne asked plaintively.

  Lili shrugged. “Then die with 'em if you feel so guilty. Or don’t, and just try to come up with a better plan if you think there’s a chance someone dies. I dunno. My plan is usually to charge forward and smack whatever’s causing trouble in the face till it stops causing trouble. Been fairly effective so far.”

  Try as he might, Rayne could not suppress a laugh at this, and Lili smiled. “There we go. What, me in a dress talkin’ ‘bout smacking things is funny to you?”

  The juxtaposition was actually pretty funny, and now it was all Rayne could do to not double over. Instead, he let himself chuckle as he pictured Lili, her feet bare and dress flowing elegantly around her as she brought her mace down into the face of a goblin with vicious glee.

  “Liliana!” a feminine voice called from within the hall. “Liliana, where are you?”

  “Ah shit, that’s my mom,” Lili swore. “Listen, I’ve gotta go. But you should take that job, man. Rewards are great, and it’s not often you get the chance to put other adventurers in your debt. You never know, it could come in handy one day. Favors, you get me?”

  “Liliana!”

  With that, Lili fled back inside, leaving Rayne to contemplate the rescue mission with a newfound sense of perspective. Lili was right. Mavis had come to him because she thought his party was strong enough to succeed where the others had failed. The rewards were lucrative, the opportunity tempting, and his party was strong. What more was there to think about?

  Hastening back to the guildhall, Rayne hoped that Syra would arrive soon. There was gold to be had.

  ~

  It was one hour later that Syra made her appearance in the guildhall, her clothes still dusty from the trip, but Rayne did not plan to give her a break.

  “Syra!” he called, rising halfway from his chair as he waved her over.

  Immediately, the Katiine changed course, a tall mug in her hands whose contents sloshed at the edges as she made her way over.

  “How was your trip?” Rayne asked her as she pulled up to the table, placing her mug down before hunting for a seat.

  “Fine,” Syra grunted. For a moment, she looked like she was going to say something else, but apparently thought better of it, for she instead returned the pleasantry. “How’s your sister?” she asked as she turned and pulled out a chair from the table opposite them.

  Rayne hesitated, both at the unexpected question and the manner in which it had been asked. “She’s fine?” he said after a moment.

  This was true, but also heavily undersold the matter. Issa was still working on her scholarship plan. From what she had told Rayne of it, it was a convoluted mess of implications and half-truths that now involved multiple noble families, professors, and businesses, each one working for their own self-interest.

  According to his sister, for the time being, she was managing to keep every party in line. Rayne had wanted to counsel her that a simple plan was often better, but had thought better of it after realizing that his own idea for earning the tuition money had been to live a double life as adventurer and unassuming clerk. Hardly the poster child for a simple strategy.

  “Glad to hear it.“ With the formalities out of the way, Syra grabbed her drink and took a large gulp, a portion of the contents splashing down her chin and into her shirt as she let out a relieved sigh. “Ah, that hits the spot.”

  “Thirsty?”

  “You have no idea.” With a sigh, Syra leaned forward. “I spent the last day in a carriage whose maker has never heard of shock-absorption spells.”

  Rayne lifted an eyebrow. “I’m surprised you’ve heard of them.”

  She waved a hand dismissively. “One of the other passengers was complaining about it. Basically, it felt like a hobgoblin was clubbing the bottom of the cart every few feet, sending me and everyone else a foot into the air before we came back down on hard wooden benches. Pretty sure my tailbone is gonna need healing, and I still can’t feel my ass.”

  “That sucks,” Rayne responded, unsure of what to say to that.

  With a rueful grin, Syra took another sip. “Tell me about it. And the dust was unbelievable. No rain for the last week meant that the horses were kicking up all sorts of dirt and other crap, and it all flowed right into the cart. My lungs are caked with the damn stuff, which is why I’m drinking so much.”

  “Understandable.”

  “Yeah.” Taking another big gulp, Syra glanced at him. “S’up with you? How was adventuring without me for a week?”

  “Great,” Rayne replied, “and if you ever leave me to adventure alone with Leon again, I’ll kill you.”

  Syra snorted. “That bad?”

  “That bad.” Running a hand slowly across his face, Rayne’s mind turned to the events of the past few days. “He’s fantastic in a fight, and worse than useless everywhere else. If I have to hear ‘that’s not the honorable thing to do’ one more time, I’m gonna put my head through a wall.”

  “But he’s good at fighting?”

  “You’ve seen him. Dude’s a combat freak. If we hadn’t been in the same initiation as him, I’d suspect he’s a silver-tier who’s just messing with us. And I’m still not certain he isn’t. I watched him solo six goblins the other day without breaking a sweat. He just asked me to make sure none of them flanked him and then off he went. It was crazy.” Rayne sighed. “Makes me kind of envious honestly. But enough about me. Did you manage to unlock your mana?”

  Grinning, Syra held up her right hand, which glowed a faint brown color for a moment before she put it down again. “Yup. And I got the skill I wanted. Dash. It lets me put mana into my legs to go faster for a few seconds. Gets pretty crazy with charge attacks.”

  “I bet,” Rayne said dryly. “And did you manage to learn it? Or just how to flash your mana?”

  Syra smiled awkwardly. “That’s why I took six days instead of four. Turns out, Dash isn’t an easy skill to just learn, so I kept having to go back and study the manual to make sure I was doing everything right. Turns out, I just suck at it, but I did learn the skill!” She gave him an enthusiastic double thumbs up, and Rayne shook his head at her antics.

  “Well, I’m glad to hear you’ve come back stronger, because we might have a mission.” Quickly, Rayne sketched out what he had heard from Mavis, and Syra became serious.

  “A rescue mission?” she looked contemplative, a look slightly ruined by the water dripping from her chin. “Those are dangerous.”

  “But lucrative,” Rayne responded. “And we have Leon with us.”

  Syra chuckled. “I knew you’d warm up to him eventually.”

  Rolling his eyes, Rayne pressed on. “Since two parties have gone missing, there’s potential for double the loot. And whatever killed them is likely to be worth a pretty copper as well.”

  “You’re assuming they’re dead,” Syra analyzed.

  He shrugged. “If it was just one party missing, I’d hope for the best and plan for the worst. But with two missing, it seems likely that both have run into something beyond their capabilities and gotten wiped out.”

  “And you think that our team of three can succeed where they’ve failed?” Syra appeared skeptical. “Not that we’re weak. But that’s a pretty big risk, Rayne.”

  Now it was Rayne’s turn to wave her off. “I spoke to Lili. The first party that went missing styled themselves as Torid’s Thrashers. They’re a long-term bronze party who have some really nice gear. And all of that’s ours if we find them.”

  “So now we’ve gone past assuming and are hoping they’re dead,” Syra observed dryly. “Real good guys, us.” She shook her head. “What about the second party?”

  “New guys from the same initiation as us,” Rayne replied. “Nothing special. In fact, they’re fairly weak according to Mavis. But they heard about the Thrashers' disappearance before anyone else and took on the rescue mission. Now that they’ve gone missing, the guild doesn’t want to send any other parties of questionable strength after them, so we’re up.”

  “And Leon’s fine with this?”

  Rayne paused, then nodded. “He should be. If there’s one thing he’s consistent about, it’s that nobles have to help others. Noblesse oblige as they like to call it. We tell him there’s a rescue mission where we might have to fight a bunch of monsters, and I’m sure he’ll be all over it.”

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