The Lille Guild Hall towered over the surrounding buildings, its white brick walls gleaming in the afternoon sun. Massive pillars held up the entrance, giving the hall a grand regal look. The red roof sloped gently, with a watchtower rising behind it. The place was buzzing with life: with adventurers of all ranks coming and going, the sound of clanking adventuring equipment, and the scent of leather filling the air.
It was where Axel had spent countless hours, here, taking quests on quests from that busy quest board inside. The wooden doors creaked as she led Axel inside, making all the memories flood back into him. The interior was just as bustling as Axel remembered. Long wooden tables were lined with adventurers, exchanging stories of their quests over mugs of ale. A few posters clung to the quest board on the side, showcasing the latest jobs in town. Axel's eyes darted to the reception counter, a familiar place of both triumph and disappointment for him.
Meira walked confidently toward the counter, her steps soft but purposeful. Axel followed close behind, glancing around the hall, his chest tightening with nostalgia. He noticed that a couple of the adventures stopped to look at Meira, their lecherous eyes staring intently at her curves. Axel sighed, not surprised at all.
"Good afternoon," Meira said, her voice smooth as she addressed the receptionist. The receptionist, a young woman with brown hair tied up in a bun, looked up with a polite smile. "I have heard that there is an opening for a receptionist position. I'd like to apply."
The receptionist blinked, almost surprised. "Oh, I see. You must be Meira right? The one Ember recommended?" she said, flipping through a ledger in front of her.
"Yes!"
"One moment! I'll call the Guildmaster." As the receptionist stepped away, Axel shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know how he felt about coming back here, especially with Meira of all people. This place used to mean something to him, but now, it just felt weird.
"Mama, are you really up for this?" Axel muttered under his breath, still trying to make sense of it all. "These receptionists get awfully busy."
Meira glanced down at him, her calm smile not faltering. "It's unusual for you to worry about me~" she said softly, her hand gently ruffling his hair, "Besides, if I can handle you, I can handle anything."
"Tch...shut it." Axel scoffed, crossing his arms.
Just then, a young man walked up to Meira, his presence getting their attention. He had dark blonde wavy hair, complementing his chiseled jawline. He wore expensive looking black armor with a blue cape draped elegantly behind him, matching the scarf wrapped around his neck. He stood at the same height as Meira, with a slender and nimble build. But the main attraction was that large sword resting on his waist.
"Well, I haven't seen you around here before." he called, a warm smile spreading across his face as he approached. Axel felt annoyed seeing his presence. He knew exactly who this 20 year old was. "What's your name, Miss elf?"
"Oh hello," Meira replied, her tone bright and welcoming. Axel could sense the ease between them, how Arthur's charisma seemed to light up the space around him. "My name is Meira. I'm new in town."
"Meira? I shall remember that. My name is Arthur Valebrandt, " Arthur smiled, offering Meira a handshake. "It's an honor to meet you."
"Likewise~"
Arthur then glanced around the bustling hall before focusing back on Meira. "So, what brings you to the guild?"
"I'm looking to apply for the receptionist position," she said, her enthusiasm evident.
"Our receptionists do seem to be overworked, so we are definitely looking for one." he replied, clearly impressed. "Everyone who comes here either wants to offer a quest or become an adventurer. I'm sure you'll be a good receptionist!"
Meira laughed. "Thank you, Mr. Valebrandt."
"Please, Arthur is fine." Arthur laughed. He then noticed the little boy with a black cat on his shoulder, clutching onto Meira's leg. "Is this your son?"
"Yes, this is Axel." Meira said, fluffing his hair.
"Axel, huh?" Hearing this name, Arthur raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Once your mommy gets the job, she can buy you all the sweets in the world, y'know."
"Y-yeah." Axel responded, his voice quiet.
"Miss Meira!" yelled the receptionist, who was not standing near the stairwell. "The Guild Master is ready to see you!"
"Ah, coming!" Just as Meira was about to leave she turned to Arthur and bowed. "Arthur, can you look after Axel for a bit while I finish the interview?"
"Of course." Arthur replied. "I can spare some time before I begin my quest.."
"Thank you! Axel, listen to Mr. Valebrandt, okay? Don't be troublesome!" With that, she and the receptionist left to go upstairs, leaving both Arthur and Axel together. The two stood looking at each other in silence, until Arthur decided to break the ice.
"Oi…you're Axel Willowkin aren't you?" Arthur said, pointing a finger at the little boy.
Axel scoffed, "How can you tell?"
"It's the way you look at me. I know those pitiful eyes from anywhere."
"Fuck you."
Arthur then broke out into a hearty laugh, almost garnering the attention of the entire guild hall. "It really is you!" He cried, "What happened?! You were just normal sized three days ago?!"
Axel looked down in defeat. "I got caught by that demon in the ruined dungeon. She put a spell on me and that elf and forced us to live together as a 'mother and son'"
"Of course you'd get caught." Arthur said, crossing his arms. "You don't have that adventurer's awareness. You never did."
"What'd you say, bitch?" Axel snarled, tensing up.
"Hold on," Arthur said, raising his palm against Axel. "I have no intention of fighting a child, and it's best not to make a ruckus in the guild hall." Hearing this, Axel stood down. "You'll never reach my level Axel, I'm just better in every way."
"Just wait. Once I get back to my normal self, I'm taking everything away from you."
"Now that's funny!" Arthur laughed. "You would say this every time we would compete back in the Academy. Be it for a woman, during scrimmages, or pure academic skill—I'd always come out on top no matter what."
"You…" Axel growled,
"Yes, that's the face you would always make when I beat you. You might stand a stance if you were a noble, not a silly country bumpkin." Arthur chuckled. "Don't change, Willowkin! Don't change."
Axel sighed. There really wasn't anything else he could do in this situation. Usually he would be throwing hands at Arthur at this point, but now he just felt calm. "Is this that stupid elf's influence?!" he thought.
"Ah, but you are lucky." Arthur continued. "Living together with that elf…that beauty, that chest, and those hips are all yours. It is truly a pain that you are forced to be her 'son'."
"What are you getting at?"
"Do you like her?"
Axel paused. A slight blush appeared on her face. He placed his hands into his pockets and looked away towards the est of the guild hall. "N-no…I've been trying to get rid of her from the beginning, This stupid spell is making it harder."
"I see." Arthur said, analyzing Axel's behavior.
Suddenly, the two noticed a ray of sunshine approach them from the stairwell. "I'm done! I have squired the job!" Meira said, approaching the duo with excitement. She seemed to have a scroll in one hand, and a brand new receptionist outfit in the other. "The Guildmaster said my first shift will be tomorrow…Thank you for looking after Axel, Arthur~" she said.
"Congratulations...and my pleasure." Arthur smirked. "He's been a very good boy."
Meira wrapped an arm around Axel and brought him closer to her body as a show of affection. "I'll buy you something sweet on the way home, okay?" she cooed towards Axel, who really just wanted to get the hell out as soon as possible.
***
"Oh my…" Sofia whispered to herself. She had been watching her little "babies" throughout their day, making sure everything was running smoothly. Having a body of a cat made this ten times easier. This particular conversation with Arthur piqued her interest. He eyed the young nobleman intently, watching his every gesture alongside Axel's---and managed to come up with a dastardly plan for her little pets.
"He's going to love this~" she said, with her typical sly snicker.