"This place is called the "Twilight Dusk." Sounds cool, right? We're mainly a place that's like a hotel and a casino… I mean, an inn and a gambling den rolled into one."
After the event had calmed down somewhat, Rain was escorted to a private dining room. It was a strangely-decorated room with a soft, smooth matting that covered the floor and short furniture that barely reached his chest. At the middle was a large, square, wooden table half-buried into the floor, where a depression was dug such that a person could fit his legs inside.
Coin, the owner of the establishment, had already been waiting for him as he arrived, flanked by two attendants who stood, ramrod straight, with closed eyes.
He was greeted amicably by such an affluent figure, and even welcomed for a meal, which was quite a strange thing to experience as someone who was born and lived as a lowly commoner. Though there are many who become rich enough to live like nobles, those people tend to adopt the same condescending attitude towards the less fortunate.
Besides the both of them, the only other attendee to their meeting was one of Coin's guards, a demon with a slave collar on her neck. There had been another one, but it had been sent out to keep an eye on Snow.
After sharing a meal, which was shockingly delicious by the way, they immediately went on to business. And like all business interactions, it started with an introduction.
"We have two rules here, as you may know already. The first is to never use each others' names here, and that you never speak of this place outside. Those two rules are related to why we're so deep underground and allows us to perform another service to dear guests such as yourself.
And that, is to deal in "hope.""
The world outside was a twisted mess. There were wars everywhere, famine was rampant, plague and sickness were common, and the people feared the cold more than monsters and bandits.
If there was one thing the world needed the most, it was exactly that; hope. That was the entire reason why Rain felt the need to confirm the rumors with his own eyes. If it wasn't true, then it would have just been another terrible event to add to the long list of the many tragedies he had experienced. But if it was real, then… there was a chance. And he was willing to do whatever it took. Even if he had to grind himself to dust.
"How exactly do you… deal in "hope"? Is there some sort of magic involved or–"
"Depends," Coin cut him off abruptly. "I mean if your problem is just a broken foot, we can certainly accommodate you. But since you're our very first guest who came due to the rumor and not from referral, then I think it's fair to assume that your issue isn't something a bottle of green goop could fix."
She was right. But there was an interesting implication behind her words.
"So, everybody below knows each other?"
"Pretty much."
Was that why they were so comfortable being with each other despite being of different races? Also, did that mean that the ruler of Solycis was acquainted with monsters? Or with demons? If so, then that just lent more credibility to her image as a heartless despot.
"Anyway, again, it depends. The problem is that usually, even the customer doesn't know what it is that they want. And sometimes, what they want isn't what they need."
"So, do you… take time to determine that?"
Coin tilted her head at his words and asked, genuinely baffled; "Why do we have to do that? Not part of our job," she laughed. "All you need to know is that if you need something done, we assign people who could do it for you."
Rain sunk into thought. That was weird.
"Doesn't that mean you're just a guild?"
Yes, it was similar to the old tales of the "Adventurers Guild" that he had heard. Most of their job entailed assessment and assignment of commissions to their members who would handle the task for money. They were also able to protect their members from all sorts of political problems, both local and international ones due to their connections with many of the high nobilities. And that was why it was so familiar to him. The ruler of Solycis must have been one of their backers.
And that… disappointed him. If they truly were the successors to the extinct Adventurers Guild, then there was no chance that they would accept his request.
"You stopped asking. Can I take it to mean you've understood, or is it something else?"
Coin held up a steaming cup of what smelled like tea and drank from it sparingly. It was then that he noticed that a second cup had been placed on his side of the table as well.
"Your lack of response tells me it's the latter. And since you look quite despondent, it must be related to what you were going to request from us. Is it illegal?"
Rain shook his head. He heard Coin release an amused giggle.
"So, I'm wrong. But you didn't correct me, which means I'm close. It can't be political, since you could just flee the country. Unless, of course, you're from Solycis since you would have been executed at the border. And it can't be a monster subjugation since that's all what you mercenary types like to talk about. Hmm…
A metallic ping. He looked up and saw a strange coin being tossed into the air. It drew a perfect line straight up before landing squarely on the back of Coin's hand. On its face was the golden image of a bird, polished to near mirror perfection.
She smiled.
"It's an impossible request, isn't it?"
The words made Rain wince. Even so, Coin laughed.
"What exactly is it that you want us to do?"
**********
Coin laughed. She laughed hard enough to cause her to roll on the floor while clutching her sides. Meanwhile, Rain and the demon could only watch on as she struggled with the lack of oxygen. This continued for quite a while, which should have irritated Rain, but instead it only caused him to feel embarrassed in front of the more mature non-human with them.
And just when he thought she was recovering, she suddenly burst into another fit of laughter. Though that one lasted for a shorter period of time, that was if it was compared with her previous fit. So the overall time was still significant.
"Ho, boy! That was good. Can't believe I'd find a grown man who believes in fairy tales."
She wiped the tears off the corner of her eyes while panting. Perhaps out of habit, she dusted herself despite the spotless floor. And all Rain could do was to hang his head anxiously.
"The Purging Stone. Been a while since I've last heard of it. That's the item described in a book surrounding the Behemoth Descent a thousand years ago, right? It has the power to remove a blessing, regardless of the scale, without any repercussions. It's quite an insane item to want.
Why do you need it?"
Rain hesitated. He kneaded his knuckles, uncomfortable with how his request was being dismantled.
"Do I need to say…?"
He was worried that they would refuse if they knew what he was going to use it for. A blessing was, after all, a "gift" from the gods. Why would anybody want to be rid of it? Though there was always the chance that they would refuse if they didn't know, he thought that the chances were overwhelmingly in favor of the former. That was why he kept mum about it.
Amused by his reaction, Coin stared at him with narrowed eyes and a wide smirk. She continued doing so until Rain's shoulders started fidgeting.
"No, you don't. You must have a reason for it, but I don't care. Anyway, I accept the commission."
"... Huh?"
Rain almost felt his eyes pop out of his head as he stared in shock at Coin. On the other hand, the latter met his eyes with an incredulous expression.
"What? You think I wouldn't accept it just because it's ancient history?" she mocked. "Good thing for you, the people here are more than qualified to chase after skeletons in the closer, even after several hundred years."
She turned to her remaining attendant and then said,
"Get Rex, Stain and his girlfriend. This one's perfect for them."
The demon bowed obediently and left the room without a single word.
Everything happened so fast that Rain didn't know how to react. First, he thought that there wasn't any hope there and that he had wasted their time. Then, Coin said that she was going to accept their request anyway. He thought that they would need more time to iron out the details, similar to how mercenaries like them planned excursions out extensively to avoid any casualties, but instead the team was immediately planned out and ordered to come. What was next?
"What about payment?"
"Payment? Oh. "Payment" payment. Hmm… Let's discuss it after everybody gets back with the bread, yeah?"
It was Rain's turn to be baffled. Coin simply shrugged.
"Honestly? You're doing the people here a favor by having them run around.
Heroes need a hobby too, right?"