The journey back to Larit was quiet and uneventful, which wasn't really a surprise, considering I was completely alone for the entire duration of it. Nothing but the fauna to keep me company, and the sound of the wind for conversation. This completely boring journey made me realise just what my other party members brought to my life;
Noise! Arguments! Complaints! Various other annoyances! Seriously, this is what I've been missing out on since getting saddled with Emerald and Aura? Claire's fine, I don't have a bad thing to say about her, so she can stay, but the other two? I hope they can find some other poor fool to take them on because I'm done with both of them. They'll have to come crawling on their hands and knees and beg me to take them back, and even then, I'll probably say no! I can't believe I actually let them find out that I'm not some heartless monster, and they immediately throw it in my face and expect me to solve every problem I come across, what kind of person takes advantage of somebodies kindness like that? Jeez!
Okay, so maybe complaining about their complaining, and then complaining some more is a tad hypocritical of me, but even so, don't you think I deserve to vent after everything they've done?
"Mr Crowley..." The guild attendant, who I now know is named Marie, by the way, tries to hide her disgust after hearing my side of the story. "You mean you just left them in Inesrov?"
"I didn't leave them, I said they could stay if they wanted, and they did." I say. "And honestly, I'm glad. Now I can find a party who won't constantly bitch about doing the right thing."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Marie grumbles. "You've built up a reputation over the past week or so. And that hit piece in the paper didn't help."
"The hit piece?"
"Yeah, I was pretty surprised Sara published it too, especially since you took in her sister." Marie breaks into an unpleasant grin, showing off her sharp teeth. "Well, I guess that's not the case anymore, since you ditched her in another town."
"I mean... Claire was the only one I actually got along with, so I would have brought her back if I didn't have to go through Emerald and Aura to get her..." I mutter, but if Sara already didn't like me, I doubt my excuses will work on her.
Guess I'm going back to Inesrov before this situation escalates. Maybe I should just live in the forest if all I'm gonna do is traipse between the two towns.
***
Why does nothing ever go the way I want it?
"Out on your own, Mr Unique?" Sara asks, pointedly blocking my way to the south gate. "Feeling like boosting your EXP without your party holding you back?"
"If you hate me so much, why were you trying so hard to get me to party up with Claire?"
"She was obsessed with you, and I needed her to see what your kind are really like for herself." Sara drawled. "Speaking of my darling little sister who I'd destroy the world to protect, she said the four of you were heading to Inesrov. How come you're back and she isn't?"
"Yeah, funny story, that..." I say. "She's with Emerald and Aura. Still in Inesrov."
"And you're back home." Sara says. "Alone. Why is that?"
Because you're completely right about me and I don't deserve to be in a party with your sister, is that what you want to hear? Well, there's no chance I'll ever give anyone that satisfaction, especially somebody who makes nice to people's faces before slandering them in front of the entire town.
"Emerald and I had a minor difference of opinion, so I decided to give her some space and come back here. I was actually just about to leave, so if you'd be so kind?" I motion towards the gate.
"You see, if I was even remotely inclined to believe you, I might let you go." Sara drawls. "But my journalist's intuition is telling me that Emerald might have her own side to this story."
"If you're planning on coming with me, I want you to know that I don't plan on protecting you. The forest's a dangerous place for somebody who can't fight."
"Well, aren't we chivalrous."
"I never claimed to be."
"That you didn't."
While this might be my only chance to ask somebody 'what did I ever do to you' without even a hint of irony, I think it's better for both of us if I don't. And so, I ended up having to deal with Sara on my way back to Inesrov, for some reason.
Seriously, did I piss off some powerful malevolent force in a past life or something?
***
For all my complaining, Sara and I actually managed to get through the forest without incident, and, of course, by incident, I mean speaking to each other even once. People say that the opposite of love isn't hate, but indifference, and I'm starting to see what they mean. There's been more animosity in Sara's silence for the past half hour than in all of my arguments with Emerald and Aura combined, to the point where I'm reconsidering how much I enjoyed the quiet walk back.
Not that I intend to start up a conversation with her any time soon, though it seems I don't actually need to.
"So, Claire seems genuinely happy in your party." Sara notes, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I can't see why, since you clearly don't care about her."
"Actually, if I had to pick a single party member to say I do care about, it'd be her." I say. "She's the only one who hasn't tried starting a fight with me, for one."
"Is that so?" Sara muses. "She's probably scared of you."
"Or maybe she's just a good person, did you ever consider that?"
"What are you implying? That I don't like her?" Sara's voice rises with every word. "Of course she's a good person, that should go without saying, the problem is that you aren't."
"I won't deny that. But at least I'm honest about my feelings. You could've told me you didn't like me from the start, I'd have still given Claire a chance."
"Well, aren't we altruistic."
"Is that a catchphrase of yours or something?"
Sara didn't respond to that, other than letting out a huff and speeding up.
"Don't go to far ahead."
"I thought you weren't going to protect me either way?"
"Maybe I've reconsidered. Claire wouldn't be happy if I let you die out of spite."
"Alright, fine." Sara slowed back down. "But this won't change my mind about you."
"Having somebody who openly dislikes me is refreshing." I tell her. "I can't stand people who pretend to like me just because I'm a Unique. If you've got a problem with somebody, you tell them, it's just decent manners."
"That's-"
"Probably not ideal for a journalist, right? You need people to think you like them so they'll open up to you."
"Yeah, exactly. I wish I could live like you do. I hate being fake."
"Then don't be. I think people'd respect a journalist who tells things to them straight."
"Maybe." Sara says wistfully, before intentionally getting in front of me and in my face. "Alright then, Darius. I hate people who have a natural advantage over other people, especially when they act like they don't want it, or even worse, don't need it. You're the worst of them all, saying you'd prefer not to have a Unique ability, and the fact that my sister idolizes you just makes me hate you even more. Not only that, but you're irredeemably lazy, and rely on your party members to do all the hard work only to swoop in at the last moment and finish the quest yourself. Everyone acts like you beat one of the Night King's generals, but anyone who can think for themselves would believe Emerald when she says you got lucky, and this Vaxyll person's still out there, somewhere."
"He is."
"And don't get me started on your personality, you somehow manage to be arrogant, and self-depreciative at the same time, it's like you recognise that you're an awful person, but still think everything that goes wrong in your life is somebody else's fault, and if things go right, it's all thanks to your quick thinking, even though you constantly talk about having rotten luck that should, realistically, get in the way of any genius plan you come up with."
"Well, Luck is my weakest stat..."
"So, there, now that I've been completely honest with you, do you respect me as a journalist?"
"As a person, actually."
"What?"
"Now that everything's in the clear, I respect you more in general. Thanks, Sara."
"I'll add that to the list." She mutters, before breaking into what might be the first genuine smile I've seen on her. "You really are infuriating, you know that?"
"I'd hope I did, after all the people who've told me so."
***
The Inesrov adventurer's guild was right where I left it, with a familiar face sat outside that brightened at the sight of me and Sara.
"Sis? Wh-What are you doing with Darius?" Claire begins to fret immediately after realising the implications of the two of us having been alone on the journey to come get her. "Y-You weren't mean to him, were you?"
"If anything I'd say she cleared the air." I say. "Don't worry, there's no hard feelings."
"Turns out he prefers people openly talking shit to him." Sara joked. "Guess that's why he came crawling back to Em and Aura."
"You're making me sound like a masochist." I complain, she's still trying to poison me to her sister, but I see right through it.
"Well, maybe that's my journalistic instincts at play."
"No, because I'm definitely not a masochist. Maybe you really are just a crappy journalist."
"P-Please, don't fight!" Claire pushes between the two of us. "I thought you said you were getting along?"
"We found a mutual respect." Sara says.
"That doesn't make us friends, though, does it?" I sigh. "Well, I didn't come here to bury a hatchet I didn't even know existed until a few hours ago. I'm here for you, Claire."
"What about Emerald and Aura?"
"They're probably still hung up on this Black Knight thing, aren't they? I already told Emerald if she wants to stay, she can stay."
"And what if I want to stay?" Claire asks in a surprisingly forceful tone. Okay, I'll admit I never expected this to happen. "You didn't even consider that, did you, either of you? You just expected me to do whatever I was told. I want to help people, too. Why else would I have become an Adventurer?"
"For free stuff?"
"That's why you became an Adventurer."
"And it seems I'm the only one!" I say, and it's not an exaggeration to say I'm genuinely surprised. Is nobody as pragmatic as I am?
"Because nobody else is as selfish as you!" Claire snaps with a face that says she's embarrassed that she even knows me, Sara meanwhile, seems to be enjoying this display, which only seems to piss Claire off even more. "Don't act like you're any better. I guess it doesn't matter how I feel if it means you were right about Darius, right sis? Until you've decided to care about other people, you can both just go back to Larit. I'll be here. Doing what Adventurers are supposed to do." She says, before storming into the Guild.
"I'm not even an Adventurer." Sara mutters.
***
With both of us having been thoroughly told off by one of the nicest people around, Sara and I seemed to be overdue some soul searching.
By which I of course mean I have to solve everything, since Sara's just a journalist, and that means that not only is she worthless in a fight, but I trust her as far as my flimsy wizard arms can throw her.
"Well, guess I'm gonna have to look for this Black Knight." I say, stretching as I stand up from the steps of the Adventurer's guild. "You need me to walk you back to Larit first, or can I just get to solving your mess for you?"
"Excuse me?" Sara immediately stands up, far surpassing eye level as she does so. Why do all the women in my life have to be so damn tall? "You're the one who ditched Claire!"
"And then you came to gloat about it. Two wrongs don't make a right."
"Oh, I'll show you two wrongs!" Sara growls, rolling up her sleeves.
"Are you seriously going to-" I didn't get to say 'punch me' before she, well, punched me. Surprisingly hard, at that. "Holy hell, woman, where do you work out?"
"Maybe if you cared even slightly about your party members, you'd know that me and Emerald have been getting along quite well recently."
"That demon's been teaching you? No wonder you fight dirty." I say, spitting out a tooth. "Who hits someone when his-" I didn't get to say 'guard's down' before she hit me when my guard was down. "You're the worst!"
"There, that's your two wrongs." Sara tells me. "Now, how do you suppose we fix your mess?"
"Oh, no, you're not doing anything. I know I say this about my party members a lot, but you actually would slow me down. You said it yourself, you're not an adventurer."
"I'd have thought knocking a few of your teeth in would've proven I can handle myself in a fight."
"Oh, sure, you hit an unarmoured mage while he was distracted. I can hear the Black Knight quaking in his boots as we speak."
"Point taken, if not appreciated."
"Well appreciate it. I doubt getting her one and only big sister killed would improve my standing with Claire any more than you doing the same to her reliable party leader would for you."
"So if it weren't for Claire, you'd have no issue getting me killed?"
"Y'know, this is why I hate reporters. You're always reading between the lines, even if there's nothing there. As malicious as you are, no, I don't want you dead."
"Well, that's nice to know, at least." Sara pouts. "I guess I don't want you dead either, even if you are an asshole."
"Well, now the lines in the sand have been drawn, I'll only say this once more. Go home." I instruct. "For Claire's sake."
***
The outskirts of Inesrov are about as different from the rolling plains of Larit as I could imagine, the marketplace alone was more than twice the size of the entire town, and even beyond the city limits, it was still pedestrianised. It made searching for anyone, even somebody who'd stand out as much as this Black Knight, all the more difficult. I'd just passed the first tree to be found on this side of the city, telling me I was finally outside of the outer perimeter, when I spotted an annoyingly familiar shade of orange.
"You get lost?" I ask, knowing there's no way that's right. "Larit is that way."
"No way I'm letting you take all the glory."
"If we're lucky, there'll be no glory to be had. I'm still counting on this black knight being nothing to worry about."
"So-"
"But if there really is a well-armoured serial killer on the loose, that's all the more reason for you to leave." How many times am I going to have to point out how she's just a journalist? "I've got this."
"Fine. You've made your point."
"Several times, in fact." I say. "If you ever want to stop being a bottom-feeding parasite, you're welcome to become an Adventurer. I'll even let you join my party."
"There you are!" I hear a familiar voice, though not one I can actually put to a face, come from behind me. "Lord Vaxyll said you'd be here."
"Oh, son of a bitch." I mutter, before turning to face somebody I... still didn't recognise. "Who are you, again?"
"Maximilian Kendall!" The black haired man announces. Is that supposed to be a name a recognise?
"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell." I say with a shrug, and Maximilian really doesn't seem to like that.
"Because you got your cheap shot off before I ever had a chance to introduce myself, you bastard!"
"Really?" Sara says with a smirk. "What kind of person attacks somebody who's guard is down?"
"He was about to kill Claire." I tell her. "Emerald too, I guess. Pretty sure he's the guy, at least."
"And now I'm gonna kill you." Maximilian snarls. "Her too, I guess. Boys!"
Before either of us can react, a group of bandits appear out of thin air and grab Sara, before pushing me to the ground. "Oh? The Unique Mage can't even detect a simple cloaking spell? How embarrassing."
"And you were just lecturing me about fighting fair." I spit.
"Turnabout's fair play, friend." Maximilian... okay, I'm just gonna start calling him Max. "A shame your girl had to get caught up in this, though."
"I am not his girl!" Sara scoffs.
"Really? The guy's got you pinned down and you're pissed off because he thinks we're a couple?"
"I at least want the person who kills me to know I have standards." Ouch. But I can't respond before Sara is dragged closer to Max.
"No, of course. Pretty thing like you wouldn't be seen dead with a scoundrel like him, would you, love?"
"Yeah, I'm not lowering my standards for you, either."
"Feisty. I like that." Max turns to me. "So, Unique. How does it feel to be shown up in front of a cute girlie?"
"It's gonna feel a lot better when I've reduced all of you to a red smear."
"You know, for all his posturing, he's very protective of women like you." Max says to Sara. "Almost like he's got something to prove, wouldn't you say?" He points to me with his dagger. "I'm sure that despite everything, he'll hate to have to watch you die. Unable to do anything about it because he knows the second he starts chanting one of his special spells, we'll poke both of you full of holes."
"I don't have anything to do with him. We can't stand each other, I'm only with him to get him away from my sister!"
"Well, isn't that novel?" Max gloats. "Hear that, Unique? The second there's a hint of danger she's distancing herself from you. How does that feel? Being abandoned?"
"She's not lying." I say. "And even if she were, I'm used to it. But you're wrong about one thing. I don't need to chant my spells."
"What?" Max gasps, before recomposing himself. "You're bluffing."
"Last time you assumed that, it didn't go so well. The chants are just to focus my thoughts, but if I'm gonna die either way, I guess I don't mind one of my spells going haywire." I feel the bandit's grip on my arms go slack for just a moment. "I mean, my Fusion Spells are more more than the sum of their parts, you know that better than most, so if I lose control before I cast, it could end badly for all of us."
"Don't fall for his bullshit, boys. He ain't gonna risk it."
"Oh, aren't I?" I say, as magical energy begins to build.
"Fuck! Kill him! Kill him right the fuck now!" Max screams, trying to plunge his dagger into Sara's chest as he does so. But it's too little too late.
"Infernal Maelstrom."
The air around me ignites as a huge explosion bursts from my hands, knocking Max' entire crew away, but, in a testament to their durability, not incinerating them on the spot. They're like cockroaches, I guess. Ultimately harmless, but impossible to kill. It's not them I'm worried about, however, and before the air has even had time to cool, I rush over to Sara. She's badly burned, but it's nothing that the healers back at the guild can't handle, and as much as I want to question Max about his involvement with Vaxyll, her safety obviously comes first.
Y'know, since I don't want to have to tell Claire that I killed her sister, that's all.
***
All four of us (five, including the healer) were gathered around Sara's bed. I'd gotten here fast enough that the burns wouldn't leave any scars, but it was still concerning how long she was taking to wake up. The first time she stirred, all of us breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yo." She muttered as her eyes slowly opened. "Guess you weren't bluffing."
"I never bluff." I say. "But I'm glad it didn't get too crazy back there."
"And just how crazy could it have gotten?" Claire asks. "What actually happened?"
"Those bandits from the storehouse are working for Vaxyll." I explain, noting the smug luck on Emerald's face. Is now really the time? "Somehow, he knew we'd be here, and he sent them after us."
"And Mr Unique here blew himself, and more importantly me, up to deal with them."
"Like I said, it could've been worse. They were gonna kill us anyway, so I figured there was no point in holding back."
"To get back to the matter at hand, you said that Vaxyll knows we're here?"
"Yeah, but if he's sending goons after me, I don't think it's too much of a problem."
"Better than the Black Knight being here, I suppose." Aura says. "I believe this is case closed."
"There's still a risk of Vaxyll attacking Inesrov without us here." I say. "Especially if he's got the Night Princess backing him. Plus, we've gotta wait around until a certain somebody can go home like I told them to. Repeatedly."
"We're staying here?" Aura asks. "Is that wise, Vaxyll may be counting on that so he can attack Larit."
"Yeah, but if we leave, he'll attack here. I hate to admit it, but he's got us cornered, there's no right answer here."
***
"You imbeciles!" Vaxyll roared after hearing the bandit's report. "I should have known to never entrust this task you you feeble Daylighters!"
"Lord Vaxyll, please, allow us to explain!" Max begged., following Vaxyll as he stormed away from them "The Unique, he blew himself up to even have a chance at beating us. Don't you see? That means he was afraid of us."
"Scared? Of a group of petty bandits such as yourselves?" Vaxyll scoffed. "Save your excuses."
"But, My Lord-" Max began, before one of Vaxyll's disembodied gauntlets launched itself at him and lifted him by the neck.
"Did you not hear me?" Vaxyll asked, his voice devoid of emotion. "Save your excuses, lest you earn my full ire, Daylighter."
"We... we won't fail you again, Sir!" Max gurgled. "I swear it."
"Good." Vaxyll released Max, who fell to the ground with a dull thud. "And if you break that oath, I hope for your sake I never see you again."