The job board was separated for the different rankings, likely dependent on difficulty. Claire and I worked together to filter through the pieces of paper pinned to the walls. I had no luck on my end since most of these quests were in the opposite direction of the Hidden Grotto. I didn't feel like going out of my way, so when I finished all of the F-ranked quests, which were plentiful due to their easier difficulty, I moved on to the E-ranked quests. Claire was working on the D-Ranked when she called for my attention.
"Well, be pleased, Sir Shakey Tail; I have found something in the area of our destination, but it is relatively dangerous." She said as I approached her.
She placed her finger on the parchment, and I read the contents:
"Rank Level: D
The Adventurer's Guild of Astana requests an eligible party to scout and validate the numbers of a Goblin stronghold on the outskirts of the Grotto Plains. The number of the settlement that was last scouted was forty goblins. Many more could be stationed there, and the presence of a Hobgolin was detected but not confirmed. Caution is advised, and extermination is requested."
"Goblins are aggressive creatures, and a Hobgoblin complicates things. Forty may be too much for us, but this is the only quest in that area right now." Claire said with a defeated sigh.
"That's perfect. Forty is a lot, but nothing that we couldn't handle. However, if you are doubtful, you can scout while I deal with them." I said before an unfamiliar voice appeared behind me.
"I doubt a foxkin could deal with a single goblin, much less forty and a Hob."
A provocateur had arrived, so it seemed, and I heard stifled chuckles as I turned to face him. Standing behind me was a slender man with spikey silver hair and green eyes. He was lightly armored, and two swords were sheathed on his back. He looked me in my eyes with confidence that bordered on the line of recklessness. With the contents of his words, I could sense the disdain for fox demi-humans. He and his two partners made that evident. They were both wolf demi-humans, and they were identical twins. They were brothers with tanned skin, grey furry ears, and long silver hair. They both had a sword, but the swords were on opposite thighs from each other.
Their armor was light, too, but one thing they didn't have in common with the one who spoke was their height. The wolf brothers were several inches taller than their leader. They were toned, too. I would imagine that these two were the muscle for the loudmouth.
"I'm surprised they allowed such a vile creature to enter this building. You must be a combat slave for the lady," one of the brothers said, his face scowling as he took in my fox-like features.
"I don't recall inquiring on the opinion of a trio of mutts and assholes. Just who the hell do you three think you are?" I snapped, and the trio seemed taken aback by my combative response.
The other brother didn't appreciate my words, so he stepped forward but didn't get far. His brother cooled his temper by holding him back.
"Not now," he told him, and his brother begrudgingly agreed.
"Control your lap dog." the loudmouth said to Claire, but she was not amused.
"I encourage you to control your own. We seek no quarrel with you, so I encourage you to mind your business. Our affairs are none of your concern." Claire replied before the loudmouth grinned.
"Well, it does if you're trying to steal our job. In this case, you and your pet are stepping on our toes, and we don't appreciate it in the slightest."
"So that's what this is about. If you wanted to do the quest, too, then we could come to a compromise. There is no need for unnecessary insults." Claire said.
The loudmouth considered her offer. Once he had concluded, he stepped forward and offered the woman a handshake.
"If that is the case, then introductions are in order. I am Svett, and these two are Yami and Yomi." Svett said, gesturing between the two brothers. "We are the fastest-rising B-rank party known as the Silver Stars. The sky is our limit, and soon enough, we will hit our bounty of gold."
His allies didn't look to approve his action, but they didn't offer any resistance.
"I believe that you may have a point. There are forty in count and possibly more.
Plus, the hob. Just the two of you would not be enough to combat a group of that size, but if we worked together, we might be able to cull their numbers successfully. That being said, we expect to take a sixty percent cut." Svett said.
I was stunned at his words. Svett expected a sixty percent cut from the reward for us working with him. It was nonsensical, but Claire seemed more amused than I was. Her eyes lit up with familiarity when Svett mentioned the name of his party: The Silver Stars. If they are B-ranked, I imagine they are relatively powerful or skilled compared to their fellow adventurers.
"You're not getting sixty percent. Our parties will split the reward down the middle, and that's the end of that. We were collecting it first, and I don't give a rat's ass if you saw that job from across the room. First come, first served." I declared while removing the job from the board. "That puts our parties at twenty-five silver and two gold upon completion. "
Yami and Yomi disagreed, but Svett raised his hand to cut off the two men. Svett glared at us, attempting to pull rank and intimidate us. When he realized that my words spoke for both of us, he relented and scratched his head.
"Very well. If we are to work together, then you should tell us your names. We've introduced ourselves." Svett said, gesturing towards us.
"I am Clarice, and this is my chief retainer, Mark. He is an F-rank, and I am an E-rank," Claire said, gesturing toward me.
Svett sized me up again when Claire referred to me as her chief retainer. While our standing hasn't been formalized, this is what we'll end up coming up with anyway. Claire, as Clarice, has the Angea family name backing her. I noticed that she didn't introduce herself with her family name, rightfully so, as she didn't trust the three men in front of us. I understand the strife that wolf demi-humans have with foxkins, so as Yami and Yomi glare at me, I find myself wondering if this is the right play.
"You both are low in the pecking order, but I'll be gracious and allow you two to accompany us. If you find yourself in trouble, you can rely on our strength to get you home." Svett said.
While I can understand the content of his words, I couldn't help but not trust the man standing before us. There was something sinister about this man, and his time was suspect. If The Silver Stars are B-ranked, why would they seek a D-rank job?
They could have wanted an easier job, but something tells me that isn't the case. I handed the job parchment to Claire and watched as she and Svett discussed it on their way to the receptionist's desk. That left me with Yami and Yomi, and the two men confronted me immediately. They were roughly around my height and stood on both sides. Yomi's growling filled my ears, and I couldn't understand why.
"Do we have a problem here? If so, then I might have to solve it." I said, looking between the two men.
"Yes, we do," Yami said coldly. His gaze was sharp and more controlled than his brother's.
Yomi wanted to fight me. That much was obvious, but Yami was more challenging to read. Yami stepped away, examined my spear from a distance, and continued scanning every inch of my body. It was weird, but I didn't shy away from his gaze.
"That woman. She's a noble, so I want to understand why she would choose a foxkin as her chief retainer." Yami said.
"Minding your own business seems to be a lost art in Astana. It's always... foxkin this and foxkin that, but I've yet encountered a man or... a woman who could beat this foxkin. The answer to your question is simple: I'm competent. You're going to find out how competent I am when I smack the shit out of your brother for looking at me like that." I declared, pointing directly into Yomi's face.
Yomi reacted, but not with words, but with action. His fist clenched, but I moved away from the man before he could strike. The twin brothers had different reactions to it. Yami was stunned that I detected his brother's ambush before it happened, while Yomi was upset that I read his intentions. Yomi was about to reach for his sword when his brother grabbed his wrist and shook his head.
"Calm down," Yami growled, and his brother scoffed in response. Yet, Yomi would concede to his brother's order.
Yami was wary of me now; I could tell by how he looked at me. I assume his brother was built differently regarding ambushes, but my actions have shaken the man to his core. He would see off his brother and order him to retrieve their supplies for the quest. Yomi continued to glare at me even while he followed his instructions.
I watched as the man intimidated the other lower-ranked adventures that he passed them. Truth be told, I expected both brothers to leave together, but to my surprise, Yami stuck to my side. His eyes shifted to me, and mine met them.
"I owe you an apology, Foxel. My brother has not yet mastered his temper. In battle, his rage consumes him, and things become more complicated. He is powerful, but he can not see beyond simple tasks." Yami said.
"Foxel?" I pointed out, and then Yami realized his slip-up. "I presume that your hatred for fox demi-humans is not as deep as your brother's. If I cared, I would explore your reasoning, but I don't. Since I know you're not stubborn like most, I will entertain this conversation for a bit longer. I presume you're a seasoned veteran at this job, so tell me, what do you expect from these goblins?"
Yami hesitated for a moment before looking away. His eyes shifted around the room from the general populace to Svett and then to his brother, each fulfilling a task that benefited them or their groups.
"I expect more than forty goblins, and so does the Svett. A few goblins are no match for us, but if they have more than one hob in their camp, then an issue could transpire. Hobs are different from regular goblins. They are tougher, meaner, and stronger, and if an orc isn't present, then a hob is in charge of the settlement. That's a guarantee." Yami said plainly.
His face was blank, and his seriousness reminded me of Bonner. In fact, they even similarly crossed their arms.
"I advised cooperating with another B-ranked party, but Svett and my brother saw it differently. While you and your master are not what I expected, I am under the belief that we can still complete the job. That is if you follow Svett's command." Yami said.
I could feel his eyes as they moved to me. They were like a predator staring down at their prey. He watched me intently, trying to gauge my reactions to his words. He didn't need to look that hard since I laughed at his suggestion. It was clear that he expected me to back down after hearing his explanation. I would imagine that to an ordinary adventurer, hearing that there was a possibility that there would be more goblins than expected would be frightening.
It is logical to concede and put your life in the hands of a more experienced adventurer like Svett. While I doubt Svett was that much older than I was, it would be reasonable for them to believe I was a complete novice. In a way, I am since I have yet to encounter trouble with a group of that size in this world. While I did have a close near-death experience with the other wolf demi-human when we fought, things have changed since then. It's only been a single day, and if we ran it back, the fight would be even more of a stomp in my favor.
Even if he did go berserk like last time, I could put him on a T-shirt if necessary. That being said, I have to face the reality that I may have to kill something in this world. Sure, I knew that day would come, but killing something up close and personal is different from causing a tunnel collapse to kill the Lynx. I've encountered my dangerous opponents thus far, and nearly each wanted to put me out to pasture.
There will be a time when I may need to be the Grim Reaper for someone else, and I see this quest as practice for this. While their strength is up to question, I know that I must focus on my resolve to do something that I would never have done back on the earth. I will have to kill something in this world, and one day, I will likely have to kill someone. This quest will be the beginning of that path.
"Follow Svett's command?" I repeated and considered his explanation. While I thought, I began stroking my goatee. "It's possible, but as long as Svett proves himself worthy of listening to. I'm willing to follow his lead. I'll give him that courtesy."
Yami nodded in acceptance, and I offered the man a handshake. Naturally, he refused, but I didn't care to point it out. Instead, I shifted my focus to Claire and Svett as they approached us. Svett seemed to have changed his mood due to his conversation with the noblewoman. On his face was a wide grin, which told me that Claire had promised him something good.
He wasted no time informing us when they arrived. Svett pointed towards himself with his thumb and said, "We received an order from the guildmaster to cooperate on this task with you two and a third party. As we spoke with the receptionist, they updated the number of hobgoblins seen at the settlement, increasing this quest from D-ranked to B-ranked. Normally, that would mean that you two would be passed over, but your mistress has proposed an offer that I could not refuse."
Claire's attention was on me as she spoke, and I could sense she was about to say something she imagined would upset me. She braced herself as she spoke, "Svett has agreed to allow us to temporarily join The Silver Stars since our party doesn't fit the rank requirement to undertake the quest. In return, he and his members will be given the sixty percent cut he requested and priority in selection over any items found in the settlement."
"He's hell-bent on taking sixty percent, huh?" I scoffed.
I looked at the smug Svett as he reveled in the decision that was placed in my hands. Since the job was upgraded in ranking, it would mean that we could no longer take it on. Knowing this, Claire took the initiative and brokered this deal between us and The Silver Stars. I appreciated that, and if I actually cared about the pay for the job, then perhaps I would have a thing to say about it. The job is merely a means to an end, and whatever loot we find in a goblin settlement is not my goal.
"Alright. I have no arguments against it, so we agree to those terms. Any items of value found at the goblin settlements are yours if you desire them. That leaves a twenty percent of the cut for us, and the remaining twenty for the final party of this exhibition." I said.
Svett seemed to grin at my words before offering to shake Claire's hand. I expected a handshake my way, but I should have known better. He would turn to address Yami instead. "The numbers are higher than you even anticipated, but it is something we can handle. Locate the reserves and bring them here. I will discuss our plans with our new members."
Understanding his job, Yami nodded his head before leaving. He met up with his brother, and the two men disappeared into the incoming crowd. Svett clapped his hands and rubbed them together while he addressed us: "Yami will see to it that we are prepared to march within the hour. I have a party in mind to join us on our job. So follow me."
We trailed the man throughout the guild house until the sound of wood smacking caught my sensitive ears. Once we exited the building, we found ourselves at a training hall. I could tell without entering the building that people were hard at work in it. Call it the benefits of Kitsune hearing, but I could also hear the soft explosions of practicing mages inside.
It's sensible that the Adventerur's Guild would have a place like this. It is beneficial for determined members to train themselves freely. The real question is, why were we here?
Svett pushed open the dark wooden doors, and the sight of mock combat was revealed. The building was structured like a gymnasium with a large dirt floor covering a large section. There were areas for the people to sit and rest, but those areas were slightly elevated and moved away from the fighting on the dirt. Truth be told, I expected this facility to have more people than it currently does. I counted fifteen, and the majority of them were sparring on the dirt. They had a distinctive grey uniform, each of them. Both men and women wore this uniform, which made a realization click in my head. All of them must belong to the party.
Tuck off in the back were a row of straw practice dummies, and four people stood there practicing their magic on them. Svett led us to an observation section, and the man sat with a satisfied huff. He crossed his legs as he observed, but I broke his peace right afterward.
"Who are they? and why have you brought us here?" I asked.
"They are called Project Anvil. They are the ones who will be lending us some support." Svett explained.
"I have heard of them," Claire said, taking a seat next to me. Her eyes were sharp as she observed the group in front of us. "They are a B-ranked party that serves as an organization to assist the development of new adventurers into formidable members of the guild."
Svett laughed in amusement at her words. "They are THE B-ranked party. Project Anvil has formed many A-ranked, B-ranked, and even S-ranked Adventurers. They are the real deal, so when dealing with a settlement of goblins, you want some of these guys watching your back. They are as legitimate as they come."
"Svett! You've come with work?" a voice called. It hit me like lightning as I recalled where it came from. It was firm and full of confidence as if this man were infallible and untouchable.
I hid my surprise as we all turned to face the individual responsible. My eyes narrowed as I took in the man's features. Only a night had transpired since our last encounter, so I was genuinely surprised by the sudden appearance of the red-haired elf from last night. He was wearing the same gray uniform as the other members and was flanked by two more with the same uniform. His red hair was tied into a ponytail, and a wooden sword was mounted on his waist.
Once he recognized me on his approach, his yellow irises lit up like a flame. Svett stood up and greeted the man with a mischievous grin. This interaction made my stomach churn, and suspicion was immediately cast on The Silver Stars. I loosened my grip on my spear and stood up when Claire did so.
"Talio. Glad to see that you've been well. I've heard that Cedarro is out of commission." Svett said as the two men clasped hands.
Talio was this man's name, and I could sense that he disliked the fact that I now knew that. Yet, he kept up his friendly persona around Svett and the people flanking him. Putting two and two together, Cedarro must be the wolf demi-human that ambushed me.
"He found himself faced with an opponent that was too much for him on a job. He'll be ready for a rematch soon enough, and this time, he'll get it done." Talio said. He looked past Svett and pretended to notice us. He gestured to us, and Svett turned to face us, "Who might these two be?"
"The foxkin is called Mark, and this is his mistress, Clarice," Svett said, gesturing to us during our introduction. "We are working together for the time being to deal with that goblin settlement, so consider them honorary Silver Stars."
I met Talio's gaze and recognized the realization as it bloomed in his mind. His eyes shifted from me to Claire. It was then that he made the connection that Clarice was Claire Von Angea. He seemed genuinely elated as he responded.
"I've come here to ask Bardak for a few members of your party to assist us. They will get a twenty percent cut from the deal and valuable experience dealing with goblins." Svett said as he pulled out a rolled parchment from his waist bag.
Svett handed the man what I could only assume was the job parchment. Talio read its contents and thought for a moment. Once reaching a conclusion, he nodded his head. "Bardak isn't here, but I could lend you some of my people to assist you. This task requires a few of our B-ranked guys, but I have two E-ranks here who could use the experience."
"I'll take them and put them to good use. We plan on leaving in half an hour, so it would be easier if you could collect them now." Svett said.
Talio beckoned for Svett to follow him, and we watched in silence as the two men departed. They were engrossed in conversation.
"This is no longer a good idea."
Claire tilted her head in confusion, but she quickly grasped my seriousness and matched my energy immediately. "We could always forget about the job and just travel to our destination," she said.
"I was thinking the same thing, but something inside of me told me that we should stay the course. Talio, without a doubt, is our enemy, but I am unsure if Svett and his cronies are involved. That ring that I gave you was taken from Talio's associate last night. They are both working with individuals who want you dead, so now I assume another attempt will happen when we get to the goblin settlement."
Claire's face hardened as she considered my words. Her hand rested against her chin as she contemplated our options. I laid out two viable options for her: "That being said, we could either avoid the confrontation by going directly to the Grotto ourselves, or we could stay the course and deal with the confrontation head-on.'
"Directly confronting them is dangerous, considering that our enemies will outnumber us. Talio mentioned that his men are B-ranked, so they will likely be as skilled as The Silver Stars, and I don't have confidence that you and I could deal with them effectively after a battle with the goblins." Claire said.
"You raise a valid point, but think of it like this... if we can force the confrontation before the battle, then we will be at full strength, but of course, they will be, too. That's the risk that we could take, but we could launch a preemptive strike against them." I proposed, but she didn't approve of my suggestion.
"I'm against that. If we strike them first, then we could make enemies on the small chance that they weren't there before."
"True enough." I pushed my glasses onto my nose and overlooked the Project Anvil training members. They seemed competent, and that made me wonder just how deep Talio's fangs were within this group. "We are in agreement about that. So that makes our decision even more difficult. Do we stay the course and attempt to take out a dangerous faction, or do we avoid it? Heading directly to the Grotto is always an option."
I could see Claire's mind turning as I laid the options out for her. She looked at me and then at her sword; with it, her confidence seemed to settle.
"I would feel more confident if Bonner or Q were with us. You were recently injured by Talio, correct? So what makes you so confident that you can beat him this time?"
I raised my finger as I corrected her. "Talio seems to be a confident and cautious man, but his arrogance will be his undoing. He has glimpsed my strength, but he will find that I am stronger than I was yesterday. Believe me when I say this, Clarice. I am not a regular fox demi-human, so if you have any preconceptions about me, toss them out of the window right now. I break the mold and set the bar for my species. This isn't arrogance talking either."
Claire shook her head with amusement and laughed for a moment. The elven woman looked at me, and I could feel her confidence rise. That was a good sign.
"Very well then. I'll continue to put faith in the devil, so continue to work on making both of our desires a reality. For the sake of both our grand ambitions."
"I'm good at things like this, so don't fret. I have a plan, so make sure that you stay close to me for your safety."
"I think you just enjoy my company," Claire responded with a playful smile.
"Maybe I do, but I'll never admit to it. You might just use it against me. I can't have any weaknesses."
I matched her energy while twisting my mustache. There was something endearing about the woman. It made me want to connect with her, assist her in her goals, and keep her safe. In such a short time, I've come to rely on our banter to keep me in tune with myself. Now, I wanted to increase my strength to fulfill my promise to her. The promise that I made the night of the banquet.
"Perhaps, but I'm really counting on you and hope to atone for abandoning your friend one day."
Her words were somber, and I knew that abandoning Q to the Gold Coin Brigade wore down on her soul. Yet, I couldn't help but feel that there was something more underneath the surface. These past few weeks were likely traumatic for her, but I would do what I could to help her get through it whenever she decided to share. I tucked my arms behind my band and shifted my attention to the Project Anvil members.
"I'm sure you will, but we move beyond that for now. We don't have the luxury of wasting time on misunderstandings and past mistakes. I am alive. Q lives, too, and you are still standing and defiant. That is what matters. There's a phrase that I used a lot in our past with the boys." I looked at her before chuckling to myself. "If one survives, then the team survives."
"Logical, but how is that relevant?" She asked.
"I'm applying that to my schemes. If one of them survives, then our team will survive. Just know that I developed a scheme, and I believe that screw-ups over there could prove useful."
I gestured for the woman, and she saw the indivual that I spoke of. Her head tilted with curiosity, reminding me of a cat. She seemed amused by them, but she didn't disapprove.
"Him? Are you serious, Sir Shakey Tail?" she asked with a chuckle.
"Yep. Trust me, these two will be perfect. They'll be our new allies for a new quest."