[09:02 | April 11, 2035]
"Alright! It's settled." Fuyumi said while getting up from the chair.
Shin followed suit and stuck out his hand over the coffee table and invited Fuyumi to a party.
"Looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise."
They shook hands, solidifying their partnership.
"I'll let you know once I figure out where Syros is." Fuyumi added.
"Sure thing."
Shin stood up and followed Fuyumi out the door.
They split ways as Fuyumi went down the hall and Shin walked back towards the balcony that he came from. His eyes went to Fuyumi's back. She looked back over her shoulder and smiled at Shin before continuing to walk forward.
Shin hopped over the balcony guardrail. With one hand on the handrail, he leaned forward. He hasn't ever been captivated like this before.
He let go and dropped down to the street level and walked back onto the streets of Freila.
+++++++++++++
"What a silly guy." Fuyumi thought to herself. She didn't hate him though. Fuyumi was well aware that Shin would likely win in a fight in a different setting. She was able to use her surroundings to her advantage.
She walked around the corner and found the maid from earlier. She waved at her.
"Miss Mel, do you have a moment?"
"Ah, yes, of course." Mel replied.
"Do you have any idea of the master's whereabouts?" Fuyumi asked.
"Not at the moment. He said he would be gone until nightfall, though."
"Okay, thank you, Miss Mel. I will be finishing my work early today."
Fuyumi lightly bowed and walked back around the corner. Mel bowed in response.
Fuyumi joined the Stormwatch guild to gain Syros' trust. She wasn't interested in working for them as a maid but it was the most accessible position to get close to Syros.
She opened the door to the service room and began her cleaning duties.
+++++++++++++
[19:47 | April 11, 2035]
Dust clouds drifted around the room as a broom swept left to right. Fuyumi slid the curtains aside and opened the window. Sunlight illuminated the room and revealed dust particles dancing in the air. She set the broom and dustpan down in the corner of the room and sighed while wiping a drop of sweat off her forehead.
She left the storage room and went down the drab hallway. The lower levels of the Stormwatch guild headquarters weren't nearly as decorated as the main lobby or the upper levels. They mainly housed the maids and other servants who worked for the guild. She had grown accustomed to these halls and rooms in the last few weeks that she worked here.
At the end of the day, Fuyumi would sneak out of her room and go into the ravine and forest to train. She hardly had any time to rest as she had to keep up with others to remain competitive.
As usual, Fuyumi went to her quarters after finishing her duties. She shared the room with Mel, an NPC. She wasn't very keen on making conversations with Mel as her responses felt scripted and robotic. Of course, that wasn't a surprise to Fuyumi. The staff at the Stormwatch headquarters consisted of both NPCs and players; by her estimate about 60% of the staff were NPCs. The players among the staff varied in age. Initially, most of the workers were around Fuyumi's age. However, that slowly changed as time went on. Her hypothesis was the huge influx of players after John Miller's message.
Her room was drab and plain. Wooden planks covered the floors and walls. Two small beds on opposite sides of the room took up most of the space. In between the beds was a desk and wardrobe.
Fuyumi snapped her fingers creating a cloud of dark smoke that enshrouded her. The cloud ran down her body and drifted to the right upon contact with the floor. The smoke coagulated into a shadowy figure in the likeness of Fuyumi. Shortly after, the concentrated smoke was completely identical to Fuyumi.
This too had become part of her routine.
The clone undressed and changed into Fuyumi's casual wear. Fuyumi opened the door and faded into the shadows cast by the lone candle atop the desk.
She made her way up the stairs, hiding inside the shadows. She heard a cart rolling around the corner and disappeared into the shadow underneath the cart. As the cart passed by the master's room, she jumped from the cart's shadow to the underside of the door. In the same manner, Fuyumi slid past the door and into the dark room.
From the shadow, Fuyumi reappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The master's room was large and open. The large office desk was the first thing to draw people's attention. Bookshelves were lined up against the walls behind the desk. To the right was a massive window that ran down the length of the room. Velvet-red curtains held back the moonlight and street lights outside. In the middle of the room were three cushioned seats and a meeting table big enough to sit eight people.
Her first thought was to check the master's desk. Stacks of documents covered the desk in a sea of paper. In the center of the desk was an envelope with a broken red seal. The letter stuck out, halfway exposed.
Fuyumi took out a match and lit the candle sitting atop the desk. The dark room was dimly lit by the fluttering candle. She then picked up the letter and unfolded it revealing the message.
---------
[Stormwatch Guild]
Dire wolves and orcs have grown in count in the past week. Their forces have been rallying along the outskirts of the city according to our scouts. Attacks along the city's roads have led merchants to avoid some key trade routes. As you know, our merchants already have trouble moving goods through the snow and ice.
The royal guard informed us that the wolves and orcs are not to be taken lightly. Their scouts warned that their behavior was far more aggressive than usual.
If this situation is taken care of, Stormwatch will be rewarded handsomely.
- Freila Merchant Guild
[Accept Quest: Freila Routine Defense IV? Y/N]
---------
The quest acceptance line was highlighted in green.
"That explains that." Fuyumi thought.
She put down the letter and looked around the room. The armor stand that stood tall beside the desk was stripped bare. The weapon case, a large metal box about two meters wide with a velvet interior that hung on the wall, was also vacant. In the middle was a massive cavity in the shape of a hammer.
Fuyumi has seen Syros leave the headquarters without his armor before but those were trips to the royal castle or commercial district. From Fuyumi's experience, the only time that he had seen him wear the armor was for duels against other guilds.
She pulled out the ornate red chair from the desk and sat in it, resting her hand on her cheek and tapping the desk with her other hand. She then changed positions to cross her legs and arms.
"Just you wait, Syros." Fuyumi spoke under her breath.
Fuyumi leaned back into the chair and looked at the ceiling. The thought of Shin crossed her mind.
"I should tell Shin." She thought to herself.
Fuyumi swiped open her messages panel and sent a message to Shin.
"Looks like he's out on a quest. I found a letter on his desk with some information about killing a pack of monsters. He's been out since the morning and the other maid told me that he should be back by the evening. We might be able to catch him on the way back. Maybe we can set up an ambush on the road leading to the bridge into the city."
Fuyumi reclined backward and kicked her legs up on the desk.
+++++++++++++
Shin was browsing the armory in the commercial district when he suddenly received a notification. It was from Fuyumi. When he read the message, he hung the sword that he was inspecting back on the rack.
"I'll meet you on the bridge. I'll be by the first set of lamp posts." Shin responded.
Shin walked to the opposite side of the room and pulled out arrows from a quiver on display.
---------
[Poison-Tip Arrows]
[Specialization: Ranger, Savant]
[Attributes]
Attack: 32
[Skill Effects]
[Poison Affliction I] - When the arrow pierces its target, there is a 30% chance for the target to be poisoned.
(?) - Poisoned enemies take damage over time and causes their actions to consume more stamina.
---------
"I'll take fifty of these." Shin said pointing at the arrows.
+++++++++++++
Fuyumi read Shin's message, put her feet back down on the floor, and got up from the chair. She walked over to the curtains and threw them aside. Blue and yellow light spilled into the room.
Fuyumi opened the window, letting the chilly winds of Freila blow into the room. She leapt out of the window and faded into the falling snow.