In the history of professional hunting by the Hunter's Guild there have been very few times where a quest has been issued, due to the fact that only: a King, Queen, 10 nobles, or a party consistent of people with the same powers and responsibilities of a King. The last quest issued was over 100 years ago, the goal was to exterminate the rising demon population; with the reward for completion being a seat in government over the then demon colony. The first quest was similar to the latest quest issued by King Merlin and the demon extermination quest; the goal was to exterminate the rising dragon population.
Now, 924 years after the first quest was fulfilled (to an extent), a new quest has finally been issued. Such an issue should be a worldwide event, however due to new ideologies, new liberal kings, and groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Quests don't seem to reach the ears of the people and resonate within them like they used to. The Hunter's Guild upon hearing the news of a quest went to work immediately. Within the Merlin City Hunter's Guild Hall, a section of the lobby was dedicated to recruitment for the quest.
With a reward of 100,000 gold, the administrators of the Guild believed that the turnout for participants would be high. "It's been a week since King Merlin made his speech in the rain," the administrator that gave Allen and Lily their hunter passes said as she laid her head on a cloth covered table. At the front of the table was a sign that read, "Dragon Hunt Sign Up." She sat alone at the table as the lobby was filled to the brim with hunters carrying various creatures, weapons, and sorrows.
"All these hunters," she continued as she lifted her head and looked around the lobby. "Not a single one of them wanna sign up?"
*BLIP*
She groaned as she felt a looming presence appear in front of her, she flicked her head towards the presence, "Would you like to sign up for the Dragon Hunt?" The presence in front of a her was Lily who seemed fidgety and out of breath, "How many people signed up so far?"
"Only 1 so far Princess."
"1? That's far too little, who signed up," she said as she walked closer to the table to get a better look at the sign up sheet. 'I hope Allen signed up,' she thought. She read the first name on the sheet, "King of Peasants?"
"I was surprised too, I didn't know he had returned from Xyoinia."
"No, who is the King of Peasants," Lily scoured for a pencil on the table, she didn't notice it at first, but eventually found it next to the sheet. She signed her name underneath, "King of Peasants", once she finished signing her name she put the pencil down next to the sheet before adjusting the paper back into it's proper position.
"Princess, do you have anything else to do today?"
"No, I'm waiting for someone."
"Your boyfriend," the administrator asked tilting her head.
"He's not my boyfriend, but yes, I am waiting for him," Lily said blushing.
"Come on, sit down next to me. All the other administrators are busy giving life support to the Guild," she patted the stool next to her.
Lily walked around and sat on the stool, "What's wrong with the Guild?"
"Well, ever since your daddy's little speech in the rain. Statistics show that there have been a drop in applicants, rise in retirement, and rise in bounty hunts. Another Merlin mistake."
"How did that happen?"
The administrator was silent for a second before answering, "Are you still a Princess?"
"What," Lily quickly interjected.
"Do you still have to do Princess duties or are you a full on hunter? Does your father ask you to report things back to him?"
"What! No! I dislike the things my father does. A speech in the rain, keeping my mother away from me, and many many more."
"I hate him too! Most people can't even pretend to like him. The hunters absolutely despise him."
"Why? I mean he's done a lot for the Hunter's Guild, even raised more funding in the last few years than my grandfather in his lifetime."
"That's the thing, have you ever heard of the Merlin Crown Acquisition Conspiracy?"
"The one that theorizes that my father killed my uncles?"
"Yeah! A lot of people believed it back when he first became King and now people are starting to believe it all over again. No one ever wants a killer as a ruler, especially a brother killer. But you know, he was still a hunter just as much as he is royalty. So now whenever people want to criticize your daddy or protest against him, they go out their way to drag down the Hunter's Guild."
*BLIP*
Lily took her gaze off of the administrator and onto the floor of the lobby. She sniffed and smelt the rancid scent of burning flesh, she noticed a slightly burnt body peering from underneath the table. She jumped a bit before looking back at the administrator and responding, "No one wants a killer."
"That King of Peasants fella applied at the right time. He's not as much of a rookie as you and your boyfriend, but... Damn I forgot his HEL," in an attempt to recollect her memories the administrator looked toward the front of the table instead of Lily, only to jump in fear at the bright orange eyes that sang a requiem glared at her. The administrator's whole body jolted in the stool she sat in, causing her to fall off the stool and onto the ground. "Hello there administrator, you should get off the ground, it isn't healthy to become one with the earth. You are human after all, you should only walk on it."
The administrator quickly collected herself, as she mumbled, "Great, the witch has arrived."
"How many people signed," Wick said as he took the sheet off the table and scanned it. After a moment of scanning it a familiar voice to Wick and Lily was heard from amongst the various hunters that occupied the lobby, "Wick!" The call out to Wick seemed to have a heat to it, as though the energy aligned with him.
"Only 2 people signed so far, the Princess over here and the King of Peasants. Also was that someone yelling out to you."
"Wick! Where are you," accompanying the call was a soft, "hey, what are you doing," coming from various hunters.
"Probably, anyway, has Irene or any other witch arrived to supervise the hunt?"
"No sir! You are free to advertise the hunt while you're at it. It's only the 20th of July right? The hunt actually begins on the 1st."
"Wonderful, I'll contact other cities within the Kingdom and request some hunters to join. Have you already made a scouting party?"
Behind Wick, the soft, "hey, what are you doing," grew louder as an exhausted and frustrated Allen stood atop the heads of various hunters. "Wick! Why didn't you teleport me with you," Allen yelled as he hopped off the heads of the hunters and onto the floor. He landed in an empty space and approached the table. While Allen did this Wick placed the sheet onto the table and wrote down his name with a subtitle of "Supervisor".
"Your energy does not align well with teleportation."
"Yes it does! You just did it too fast and my mind could not keep up with it."
"Let me rephrase, your energy does not align well with multiple consecutive uses of teleportation. You have absolutely no finesse with your appliance of mana on your body to protect from the effects. Now sign this paper, you're joining the Dragon Hunt."
"Don't tell me what to do! I'm a free man you know. Oh, hello Lily."
Wick moved out of the way as Allen slid into his spot to sign his name. He read the list from the bottom to the top, "Lily's joining too? King of Peasants," Allen shook his head as he signed his name under Wick's signature.
"I've been a free man my whole life, getting told what to do does not hurt from time to time."
"I'm only signing this because I want to. It's my duty to hunt down the last dragon."
"Those are two conflicting statements, just because you want to do something does not make it your duty Allen."
"Yeah, yeah enough of your filophosee."
"That's not how you say it Allen."
"Really? How do I say it."
"It's pronounced, philosophy," Lily interjected, "Allen, it's good to see you. How are you feeling after everything?"
"He's great," Wick responded. Lily hissed at Wick, "I wasn't asking you. Ahem, Allen how are you feeling?"
Allen placed the sheet back and dropped the pencil, it rolled on the table as he looked up and saw her glistening eyes that shined like fire as she intently stared at Allen. "I'm fine, I went out hunting on my way here and turned in a pack of huge wild cats." He put his hand out in front of him as his hunter pass appeared, Lily scanned the paper and noticed his HEL had raised from 1 to 2.
"Good job Allen," she rose up from her stool and walked around the table to Allen. "While you took your sweet time to get over here, I dug up that unicorn grave and turned in the one I killed. My HEL is also 2, Allen."
Allen squinted his eyes and raised his brow, "WH-" Allen was cut off as an explosive and stern voice was heard coming from the entrance of the lobby. "Make way for the King of Peasants!"