*20 minutes later*
Me, Lara, and Arla are heading back to the adventurer's guild to do some more work. Even if Arla and Lara are not members of the guild it doesn't mean I don't want their help or they can't help. The guild just won't be held liable for their actions of them, and Lara and Arla won't be paid. At least officially.
As we walk in the chatter is still normal but some people start looking at Arla. Guessing she will be the stick in the mud for a while. but I think Arla is safe. She is cunning and skilled, and besides, I and Lara would step in to assist.
As I walk over to the contracts board I begin searching and the first one I notice is in the center of the board which appears to be clean and likely recent I am guessing. I pull off the board tearing it from the pin that held and begin reading it.
"Name Lula Halmar, Elf, seeks an escort to Hestia. Will pay 1,000 silver on arrival to Hestian territory. Survivor of the Davinville Village massacre near Hestia. More details at Nurma Inn in the White District"
I think I know why this was sitting in the center and ignored. 1,000 silver is not a joke to pass up, but since she is an Elf and fact it mentions Hestia I am guessing no one wants to help. If she is a survivor that means she is one of the lucky ones. Since 900 people died in a village
"Welp, I got our first one," I say showing it to Arla
She takes a few moments and gives it to Lara who also reads it. They both look at each other and me with skeptical faces.
"Are you sure you want to take this? They're wanting to go to Hestia, and I am facing all sorts of remarks and verbal assaults, but due to the law here they can't do anything to me. At least legally. But in Hestia due to the "high class" being the majority of the population you might be attacked in any form and you might be simply put, in danger."
I walk up to her and place both hands on her shoulders and look into her eyes. I then shake her back and forth aggressively causing her whole body to almost ragdoll and her hair to flail.
"I will be fine. Besides. I can just stay hidden while you and Lara do most of the work."
"Anyways to the White District" taking the paper from Lara.
*40 minutes*
As I am eyeing the window in the carriage I have seen the transition from the Grey District we were in, to the White District. It already looks very different. Buildings are primarily colored white, gold, yellow, and green. While the one in the Grey District had more grey, light brown, and no primary colors on some.
Some of this architecture look almost high-fantasy even. Or at least what I think would be high-fantasy. Most of the people I have seen within the last 20-ish minutes seemed to be humans and elves. Not much of seeing a beastmen or orcs around here.
"So is the White District built for those of Elven descent and that's why there are more elves here than in the Grey District?" I ask Arla
"Yes actually. This area was mostly designed with Elven architecture in mind, but built by humans and orcs. Beastmen refused to build the district due to historical implications.
"Can you tell me the story then? I still don't know much about the history of the world I am in so."
"Well, let's see. When the beastmen were still slaves the elves in all honesty were physically inept and weak to build anything effectively and within a short period. But with magic, they were able to enforce beastmen to do all the labor work. Typically physical harm was used to force them. Arc and flame whips would be used against them to make them do the work. So when the beastmen escaped and fled, around maybe 90% of the workforce of Hestia just left. While also causing structural damages, the loss of various artists, architects, and planners made Hestia have an extremely slow recovery. Most of the wealth of Hestia was reserved for the elves and beastmen being slaves were not given any compensation. So when elven architects eventually came to Arcadia with the intent to build Hestia-designed buildings they needed laborers. Beastmen were the first choice and at first, it was going well until investigations and various leaks exposed that beastmen were being paid 1/3 of the money they paid humans and orcs. Resulting in all the beastmen laborers leaving and most beastmen condemning any beastmen living in the White District. So that is why the beastmen population here is extremely low in this one." say finishing and breathing deeply. She told me a lot in a short amount of time. But I absorbed it like a sponge.
"Huh...Sad to say that wasn't uncommon in my world before this one. Typically immigrants were given minimal jobs or low-paying jobs. Sometimes they were paid even less because they could get away with it. But let's move on from that."
*9 minutes later*
"Alright, this is the Nurma! Be warned kid, you're in the wrong place for your kind. Might 'felt threatened' common argument against beastmen. So just make sure you feel small, but also beat the hell out of them if they lift an arm toward you. Anyways have fun" I look at Arla and Lara and shrug both shoulders and get out first.
The moment I jump out of the carriage and stretch myself from sitting for who knows how long I notice many eyes of people walking by already. Yep, being out of "my" element here. Going to be interesting.
Arla and Lara follow up by jumping out of the carriage as well and following me into the Nurma Inn. Which looks why to fucking classy for an "inn"
The floors, walls, and ceiling are too damn clean, and everyone in the building seems to be either elves or humans. All of them are wearing clothes that look either formal or expensive. I already want to leave.
When going deeper I go to the front desk and wait for the other two to catch up with me.
"Who are you?" the man at the desk standing up
"I am looking for a woman named...." I pull the paper of the name of the woman from my pockets and
"I am looking for a Lula Halmar. Elf woman. She put a contract in the Grey district for someone to help her."
I say showing him the contract which he looks at and then nods at it.
"Stay here, please. I will get her. She has requested I call her when someone is here for the contract."
He turns to his right and walks around the corner and I just stand there tapping my fingers on the smooth marble counter.
*5 minutes later*
I am looking at a marble statue portraying a beastman getting stabbed by an elf who is using a spear. The beastman is a wolven male who is flashing his teeth, fully nude. While the elf is very much wearing smooth and glamorous armor and isn't wearing a helmet. Her hair is free-flowing and elegant. Compared to the beastman, his fur looks jagged and rough, and primal. Not hard to tell what this is trying to convey.
"Sir," a familiar voice comes up behind me
"She is willing to meet with you in her dorm. It is room 203"
"Okay...where is 203..."
"Second floor is represented by the first number, number 2. The 03 is the room number themselves," he says walking away back to his desk.
I tilt my head over to Arla and Lara who are looking at the other forms of art and follow me.
As we find the room I knock on it and nothing happens for maybe about a whole minute. Then I hear a door unlocking. Sounds like a few locks. And then the door opens showing a woman who has blonde hair that goes beyond the shoulders, blue eyes, light skin, and also wearing a dress that doesn't look very fancy. It is yellow primarily. Seems free flowing as well.
"Hello, we came here for the contract that you put up in the Grey District."
"I see. Please come in"
She lets all three of us in and the first thing that happens is that I feel off. And then I hear something get knocked over. Sounded like a wooden block.
I look down a short hallway and see a cracked door with a small amount of light.
"I am sorry if I couldn't have been closer to the Grey District. But due to some potential dangers, I chose to stay somewhere where the threat was lesser." Lula says
"Well, it's fine. Can we take a seat and I can ask questions?" gesturing to the dining table.
She nods and moves over to the dining table which conveniently has 4 chairs for all of us.
"So if I may ask, why are you afraid for your safety?" I ask
"Well, since the village I was living in got attacked, and I am maybe the only survivor, I have been afraid of being attacked in Arcadia. War does that to people. People's fear and anger drive them to attack the innocent because they think it proves a point." Lula states
"I see...So how far in Hestia do you want to go?"
"I just need an escort to get me to the checkpoint. Which has not been blocked off yet from what I have heard. If I can get there I will likely be safe enough to-"
*CRASH*
I jerk my head to the right and Arla and Lara jump up from their chairs. Then Lula gets up and runs over to the room that is slightly cracked and with light.
I look to Arla for guidance but that's dumb because how would she know what is going on. But maybe I should've asked if she had another with her.
Then I hear her walking back and I turn my head towards her only to see her carrying a small wolven beast child with brown fur and brown eyes. He is wearing a white shirt and light brown shorts and what looks like sandals.
"I am sorry he has been rowdy. He wants to see...see his mother"
"Uh...What?"
"His mother is dead. Died in the attack on the village."
"Wait, just wait. I need an explanation now. What happened in the village?"
*Sighs*
She sets the little child on the ground and he begins walking towards me and then Arla. He then wanders away to the corner of the room pulling on a plant.
Weird kid...But then again no one is normal, to begin with...