Good. God. A giant is standing behind me as I look to him in amaze and shock from the understanding that he and the two behind him wanted my attention. I'm currently standing at the man's abdomen from how tall he was. Mind you, I'm only 4'5". Jeez! And the freaking abs! What is with these guys and the abs!? Urgh!!!
"Ugh... Yes?"
"Are you the goblin known as Tessa?"
His manner of speaking is very aggravating. "I am a goblin named Tessa, yes. How can I help you?"
The man and the two behind him, a bowman and woman with a staff, who I assume is a mage of sorts, all bow before me to one knee. The whole room quiets down to whispers as everyone watches us.
"We are finally able to express our gratitude to you. Thank you for saving us from that imprisonment." The man says. Oh god! Why!? I am too stunned for words. Who the hell bows to a goblin like that!? Then it hit me. These three were stuck in that noble girls staff before I broke it. I get their grateful but seriously. Overkill.
"Okay! Okay! You're all welcome just get up already! This is getting weird and uncomfortable!" I tell them.
They stand to their feet obediently. The mage is smiling at me sweetly. Why do I feel like I know that smile? "We truly are grateful to you." The big guy bows at a near 90 degree angle this time. "We would like to ask you to join our party." Again, his tone says otherwise. So let's see where this goes if I say...
"... Why?"
"We have been thinking of a way to have a reward for you as a thank you. Our conclusion was to have you join us on our quests from here on. This way we find it beneficial to you as most newcomers will need to join a party once they join a guild as well as having been part of a party with high level veterans like ourselves to get you greater rewards throughout your adventure that will allow you to level up faster." Damn! What!? "If you take part in our party you will also have access to greater areas in the city, like the nobles sect and the dungeon runs outside the city. Of course, we have every intention to defend you during all of this."
Sweet!! But from what I'm starting to hear is that they think I'm a healer type. Which I'm not. "... I don't think you have the right idea of me being part of your party, sir."
He stands straight and looks to me confused. "... What do you mean?"
"I get the feeling you think I'm some healer or something similar, but I'm just a scavenger that learned basic mending attributes for magic because of my blessing. I don't have the ability to support anyone in your party, and though I am a newcomers looking for a good party, I think being part of a group as grand as yours would be a bit overkill. Don't you? I mean I haven't even had my first test mission yet. I'm still in training and barely know about the things outside of the city. I'd be completely useless. And before you say anymore about protecting me, I don't find that in anyway beneficial for either of us if I'm just mooching off you without gaining real experience."
They all look to me in surprise from this. Is it so hard to think a goblin can use a brain? The mage is looking at me with a face of amaze. Ah jeez. She's like the Halliways. I look to the bowman and he seemed a bit relieved. Must have been a majority vote on this. "Does that really matter for a goblin?" The big man says. I knew I didn't like him. I can already tell he's the type to force ideals and his point of view onto others to get his way with things to satisfy himself.
"Sorry to disappoint, but yeah. It does to this one." I tell him. I don't back down from how harsh he asked that question. He was trying to push me into accepting his conditions so he doesn't have to carry the feeling of owing someone on his mind. And from what I can tell from everyone's reaction now, its as plane as a clear day that goblins are not as bold as I am. So let's break that stereotype today.
"You won't have to worry about being pressed for danger."
"I happen to like living on the edge, and I should be fine without a party so long as I stick to what I know I can handle at that moment. If I can't, I have the brains and speed to escape."
"You can earn 5× as much with us as your party than you would for a simple beast hunt."
"I can also earn just as much selling to the goblin alley and doing odd jobs faster than hunting and dungeon diving without the need of a party."
"What about the noble faction; which no goblin has ever come close to approaching?"
"One: No one said anything about goblins not being allowed in specific places. They chose not to go for their own reasons. And two: why would I want to have an audience with anyone in the high castle being as weak as I am? That's just begging to get laughed at."
It got quiet and a few snickers where heard around the room. They all know I'm right. If they were called to do a special mission that required them to meet a noble, they'd get sent back out the moment someone recognized my level as no good.
He's glaring at me now. "Then why did you help us?"
Ah. He got to his main point now. "Is it wrong to help someone?"
"Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do."
"Then mine would be that the guild master asked me to, to compensate for damaging a nobles magic staff on a whim."
"... The guild master asked you to free us?"
"Yup. He wanted to see if I was capable of something odd and out of curiosity, I took the opportunity."
"... So you didn't know what you were doing?"
"I was saving trapped souls and you three happened to be said souls." He's having a hard time arguing. I think he's trying to find a fault in me to make me join. "Well there's also the fact that I don't know any of you, being a new goblin on the block, so you already lost my interest the moment you forgot to introduce yourselves." Now he looks furious. His face was red like a cherry. Oh god. Why is it fun picking on this guy? I couldn't help myself.
"You... Are absolutely right." My win! "Allow me to start again. My name is Bartabus Locklorn. These two are my brother and sister. Lotus and Lilac." Freaking flowery names. They bow to me. "We call ourselves The Lockhearts."
The room is now filled with gaspes of amaze. Are they that amazing? Where are these guys in the charts? I hear people whisper around about their rumors saying they are gold level adventurers. I saw that that's the third highest you can get to in a guild the second is emerald and the top is diamond. The list from top to bottom is diamond, emerald, gold, silver, platinum, bronze, and copper. Then there's me. Shit. No backing out now.
"Okay. So you already know me. I'm Tessa Halliway Greenwood. A noble house goblin adopted by the Halliway house." Now more shocks and gasps. Does that not make sense? They're a goblin loving family for fucks sake. Or is it the fact that I'm here with that name as a goblin?
"Then Mr. Halliway Greenwood..."
"Miss. Though I am this way, I identify as female."
"Uh... Okay. M-ms. Halliway? Will you reconsider the offer, please?"
"Reconsider what. I never said 'no'. Did I?"
"Eh?"
"Unless you don't actually want me in your group. Hey, no ones really losing anything if that's the case." I'm pulling strings here but I just started having way too much fun messing with this guy's personality. Watching him go from fluster to shock was a little entertaining.
"Then we have a deal?"
"No."
"What!?" Pfft! Okay I'm done.
"Give me two months to get myself set. One month for training and the other to get everything I need to hit a bronze at least."
He looks at me completely take aback. Take it. Take the bait. He smiles half irritated half enlightened. "... Interesting. Done. Let's see how far you can get within two months." He holds out a hand and I take it. His grip was tight around my hand as if challenging me. "Be ready for our return, Halliway."
With this he heads to the reception desk with his party. I walk out the building with my things just as satisfied. This is gonna be interesting for sure. Oh snap! I almost forgot about the last push!
"Mr. Locklorn!" I call and he turns to face me. His siblings do the same. "I thought about mentioning this earlier. You should smile more. Your dimples are cute." I tease. He and his siblings turn bright red. He covers his mouth and cringed at me. I smile at him and trot out the guild down the road happy as a clown from that. God! That felt good!