"We are terribly sorry, sir! We have no current quests, hunts, or even scouting requests to offer in your stead! I, on behalf of the League, deeply apologize!" bowed by the woman in front of the counter.
We moved our way in the main lobby of the League.
After we quenched our thirst in beating up this useless and shameless git, we decided to look for quests that might jump-start our statuses as Myrmidons.
"Miss Ayesha - I understand… but can you please double-check for us if you even have any hard and difficult quests? I am terribly sorry." Roy asked in a disheartened manner.
"Hoi, Redhead! The staff already said that there are no available quests so do not pester her anymore! What are you trying to achieve here? And also, 'even hard and difficult'? Give me a break! We hardly even got the experience in working together, the three of us!" Malthur steamed- his beaten face reddening with his temper.
Even after experiencing a beat down like that, this git still have the nerve to complain! This Malthur!!!
However, due to that display he presented earlier, I would just rather call him: 'Mal-git.'
Kindly guess the meaning of that alias.
"Hey, I do not want to hear that coming from you! You have the nerve to act like that even you just said those things earlier, ha? Who is the 'controller' now, ha?!" Roy exploded while pushing his face to Malthur.
Looking at them bicker like this, isn't this rather amusing?
The two of them fought like cats and dogs by flailing their both arms into each other when I noticed the sudden silence in the building that entered. I can definitely assure to myself that it is not because of these two idiots, but because from an entrance of someone.
A man clad in white robes entered the entrance with a faint bang on his force. He is dressed in a shabby manner, that his aforementioned white clothes actually look like they are tinged in gray. His hair is rather long for a man and it is obvious that he had a large beard also. As he walked inside, his eyes wandered wearily for a sign when she coincidentally looked at me. He approached me carefully and with a gentle voice, he said:
"Excuse me, Lady. May I ask you where is the main lobby of this place in order for me to give a quest requests?"
Oh? Would you look at that! Hey, Lady Luck might be pampering me a bit too much for today!
When I was about to ask the man on his request, I heard a couple of adventurers talk shadily:
"Tsk. A swordless man is here."
"Who let this guy in?!"
"Ooof! I need to see what will happen to this one!"
Ah, I see. So this man is a Swordless.
Here in Estocia and all around Ea, there are a peculiar demographic of people who dislikes the idea and entire culture of carrying swords. For them, having a sword is downright dangerous for everyone as countless and inevitable hostilities and disputes might arise if not for worse, fierce bloodshed. So, in fear for the threat on their inner tranquility, they completely denounced their beliefs and usage of swords and did not follow the customs and traditions of the people. Soon enough, these particular group of people started living away with the swordsfolk and made a legacy for their own. Hence, the name of the people or at least, their faction, is called the 'Swordless'.
I do not even have a rough estimate of the history between these group of people when it comes to their conflict, but right now, it is rather obvious that they are still being hated for their own cultural identity and belief.
Regardless, amidst the daggers of stares that are piercing us right now in every angle, I still asked the man regarding the nature of the request and, he gladly answered:
"Oh, I just wanted to pose a monster hunt in the League. Our village is being ravaged by an unsuspected monster and still makes our daily lives hard and arduous!"
He said with a clear sadness and exhaustion in his expression.
"Hey, Tori! Are you seriously talking with someone right now amidst in our trouble in finding any quests? I misjudged you! *sniff* I thought you are a responsible person than this!"
While talking with the ragged man, Roy interrupted us when the both of his annoyance and Malthur's are gone.
It's not like that, hoi! Unlike the both of you, while both of you were arguing, I happened to stumble in our probable first-ever quest!
"Listen to this Roy, this man might offer us our first-ever quest!"
I introduced the ragged man to both of these two and to keep us informed, we invited him to sit with us while providing him some food. Thankfully, this man happily ate his meal and we talked about the nature of his troubles while he was munching:
"M-My name is Cardamon and I am the second in command after the Boss of our land. I am a man living in the village of Mantleta- a small and tiny village that is only a couple of miles far-away in this city."
He was about to say something when he drank the honeywater first.
"To get to the point, we are being attacked by a fierce monster in the village every midnight. *munch* The attack of this fearsome monster initiated last month and unbeknownst to everyone in the village, the monster is unidentifiable. *munch* *slurp* No one knows its size, its real power, nor its true form! All we know is that when sunrise comes, all of our crops and other goods will be pilfered!" he then continued while narrating his experiences.
"But Mr. Cardamon, if you cannot locate nor combat this monster that you are saying, can't the village provide any little defense or even patrolling troops for the betterment of the people?" Roy inquired.
"Roy, if you cannot see it, this man is a Swordless." I pointed at him while the man moved in finishing his soup.
"I-I apologize! I know how we are hated for what we are, but this situation is really dire! I am the only one who is aware of this trouble because the boss is acting reluctant about this terrible monster!" he said, bowing to us.
Huh, so there are those types of people who loves to turn a blind eye in the face of a crisis.
Their boss sounds like a real pain to deal with.
Let me try to fact-check some things about this situation:
So firstly, their problem is basically rooted because of a monster- a fierce animal that doesn't cater for human emotions and is oblivious for suffering and problems of the people. This monster that they are trying to fight back is unidentifiable which means, it will be a real pain to combat against even if you are armed. Secondly, and this is in part of the main problem, the people of that village are disinclined about the usage of swords with them- a weapon that might provide them defense against this foul monster. This conundrum might be solved easily if the people knew how to fight back, but judging from their culture, it seems that the problem will be encountered in its fullest! And lastly, well…
Since they are swordless, naturally, everyone will turn down their request because of their culture.
Everywhere you look it, these people are at their sheer disadvantage.
When I was about to finally reply to the plead of this man, I heard a voice in my far left:
"PAH! Do not let them get into you, Tori and even the both of you, two Myrmidons! These people deserve what they are experiencing right now! If they can just finally embrace the culture of swordsmanship and learn how to defend themselves, surely they will not encounter a problem such as this!"
A man wearing the same black cloak as Roy's appeared in front of us and angrily commented while staring at our probable first client.
Hey, do not interrupt us for our first step on our duties! Also, you are being rude right now!
Being reprimanded by the man who apparently works for the League made our client droop his head in anxiety and bowed in front of us while crying- the wooden table rocks per every bow that he is doing.
"I am terribly sorry! I mean it! I know how shorthanded we are in these situation but I already reached a lot of Guild associations just to request for this hunt! In the end though, all of them turned me down! Nobody wants to hear me out and I am currently at my limit here! I am basically desperate right now!" he tearfully cried.
"EH? So what? That is our problem now? Your mess, your own quest! Do not even give us that dramatic ploy that you portray just to make us clean up after your mess-…"
The Leaguesman was cut off in his words.
He was this quiet for quite some time now, so both Roy and I became shocked when he interrupted.
"That is enough, Leaguesman… this man and his village are in trouble so let us, the Myrmidons, at least hear him out."
Malthur spoke in a low and deep voice as he put his right hand in the shoulder of the Leaguesman.
"B-But Malthur-sir! These people are Swordless! We cannot afford to taint our services to these lazy and laid-back people just because they are having a 'hard time'!" in his weary defense, the Leaguesman shot up in panic.
"Listen to yourself, talking about duties and what-not but immediately dismisses a person away just because they are different on their own standings in life than you. Are you really a true Leaguesman of this city? Look, I do not know much, but it is a common sense to help your fellow-human being if they are in need of something!"
In his probable fury and anger, Malthur leered at the Leaguesman in front of him and said those serious words.
I-I… what?! Is he being serious???
Is this the real Malthur of Silvos that we are sitting with right now? Are you the real one?
What happened to your git-like appearance that you just showed to us minutes ago?
Both Roy and I stared at Malthur's resolute face as he waited for the reply of the Leaguesman- our gaping mouths opened in surprise.
"U-Understood, Malthur-sir. I am in the wrong. I shouldn't have said those words, forgive me. You too, outsider." beaten by the pressuring-look made by Malthur, the Leaguesman bowed apologetically to us and the ragged man.
"As long as you understand, well then? Off you go…"
In the end, the Leaguesman excused himself in embarrassment while the ragged man thanked Malthur countless times. I and Roy however, still cannot move-on about those resolved words that this git just uttered. When I noticed something…
"Hey, why are you turning so red?"
I just noticed, but after the Leaguesman left, Malthur's ears and face went beet-red.
"W-What are you talking about, smitha? S-Shut up!" he said, panicking.
"Well, now that is out of the way, I guess we cannot turn a blind eye in this quest, huh?"
"Mmm. I guess you are right…"
"Well now, Mr. Cardamon, consider your request, accepted!"
Roy smiled as he said in the ragged man.
***
Ah. It is hot.
The four of us were walking together in the landscapes of the field amid the hot winds of the afternoon. I guess the weather became so hot since it is in the season, after all. We followed the ragged man on his footsteps since he is the only one who knows the exact location of the village. He said that the village of the Swordless- Mantleta, is somehow faraway in the city yet can be reached by a walking-distance.
Right now, forty minutes have passed in our walk.
I am walking in my own distance while Roy happened to be talking up a storm with the ragged man.
In my own, I still cannot get over about that scene that played in front of us in the League.
Specifically, about the scene that involves the bold words of this guy in my back.
"Say…" I said in him, slowing my walking to level with his own pace.
"Hm?" with his slow pacing, Malthur grunted something while looking at me.
"Are you truly serious about what you said earlier? About the acceptance of this quest…"
"OH, that…" he said when he broke the line of sight we've just connected.
"To be honest, I was lying…"
Oh, so I am right- this guy is still a git. It seems that I become worried for nothing.
Oh wait, this is the exact thing that I should be worried about!
"However, I was lying about the 'oh-let-me-help-you-since-I-am-a-Myrmidon' business that I just said! I am way too reluctant to this quest in the first place!!!" he said, his beet-red face resurfacing once again.
Really, then why take this quest if you are too lazy to move at all?
When I stared at him with an expression of that exact question, Malthur became fidgety in his words:
"Look, I just agreed to take this quest because of the nature of the Effese that might arise in any second…"
At that very instance, I remembered the words of Chief:
"When there is a concentrated feeling or emotion of malice and change, the Effese can take that body of something and use it for itself."
I see!
The reason why you took this quest is to avoid the emotion of malice and other negative-related feelings around that may result to the resurrection of the Effese!
I did not know that he can actually think ten steps ahead than us, despite of his lustful and torpid tendencies.
Well, wait… does that mean, those lustful displays and negative arguments of yours won't count as factors for Effese's awakening???
Frankly, I am confused.
"Furthermore…" he said.
"I just cannot stomach that treatment to that raggedy man…"
Huh…
"Alright, everyone!!! Here we are!"
When I was about to react to his uncharacteristic remark, the raggedy man shouted in front of us.
Mantleta, the village of the Swordless.
We walked forwardly in the city of the road and with a weird scent in the air, we continued to push forward since we felt the strange feeling of being stared at in our entrance.
"Please, continue in you walking and whatever you may do, do not make eye-contact with the villagers." with a bothered voice, the ragged man instructed us.
*GASP*
Even without looking directly at them, I can definitely sense that everyone around the village are leering us from top to bottom and basically, our very own soul. I can also feel the sheer anxiety and pressure of the two men beside me as their walking became sluggish and weak.
The raggedy man stopped walking in front of a relatively-large building in front of us and said:
"Here is the headquarters of the boss! Please wait in front while I make the arrangements with him!"
He swiftly closed the door and the silence that we felt since entering this village intensified loudly.
Oh no! This is bad- this is definitely bad!
I can undoubtedly feel that something is off in this very village.
M-Must not look in the villager's faces!
Looking in my side, I saw the sight of both Roy and Malthur, twitching in panic and discomfort.
"H-Hey… Smitha… R-Red head… one o-of the villagers wears a di-disturbing mask!" Malthur terrifyingly commented.
"H-HOI! D-Didn't Mr. Cardamon said that w-we shouldn't look around the villagers?" Roy, in return, replied- complementing the terrified expression of Malthur's face.
"I-I know, but! The thing that it wears is extremely otherworldly! I cannot turn my eyes when I saw it!"
Imagining that silly and terrifying mask that scared even Malthur, I cannot help but gulp down my own saliva because of it!
"H-Hey, should we just go back in the city after all?" Malthur said, about to cry.
"A-Are you an idiot? We already made our way in here and now you want to give up?!" I angrily chastised him, even I too have a trouble in containing my panic.
"She is right, Malthur. W-We should not let ourselves be intimidated with new faces of people just because they have a different set of cultures and beliefs!" while also panicking in his posture, Roy's words supported me in my lecture to Malthur.
"R-Right? Aren't I too c-correct in my words? Oh, Flemeroy 'Flinston' Arsonstel???"
Due to this ever-intensifying panic that I am experiencing, all I managed to do is to tease Roy out of nowhere.
Even in the face of panic and despair, my initial instinct is to tease this childhood friend of mine.
"S-Shut up!!!"
Suddenly-
"FUUUUU! Why do we have a rag-tag group of Swordsfolk here?"
"FUUUOM! Why are they standing freely in the front of boss' headquarters?"
"FU-FU-FU-FUUUU! Why are they carrying those swords like it is their cradled children?"
I heard the enshrouded voices of the villagers in my back that obviously attacks us on their own words the moment we laid our footsteps in this land. Although they make a sound that is unintelligible due to their masks, I managed to piece together the meaning that they are trying to convey.
It is simple and easy to understand, really:
"WE ARE NOT WELCOME…"
Furthermore, after that-
"HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO~~!!!"
A deep and spirited voice exploded in the front of our direction in its loudness. It is extremely loud that, for a moment, we felt that our ears might burst in that instant.
That explosion of noise shortly subsided and afterwards, the door opened once again with the sight of the ragged man, smiling.
"I thank you for waiting! The boss welcomes you in his house!!!"
We swiftly went to the door of the building without looking in our backs and closed the door immediately. The raggedy man guided us in the main room of the building and sitting in the center of the room, we met the image of a large man wearing a mask that resembles a rabbit.
"KYAH!!! A RABBIT!!!" Malthur jumped off in his posture.
Oh sharps, there goes our first-ever quest!