"A contract?"
"Not just any contract either: let's just say our client is a powerful figure in Velmusia. They specifically asked for you," Bilo told him as her scarlet eyes stayed on him.
It was a surprise to hear, but it certainly piqued his interest. Still, he couldn't help but feel that he wasn't going to be happy about whatever the offer was.
The cloak-wearing woman reached over with her fingerless, black gloves, retrieving the tattered book he was looking at along with a rolled-up map, setting them down flat on the table as she cleared some space.
"The client who contacted the Veil is Frederic Ul Samson, the current head of the Samson family. I'm sure you know him, or know his influence: he owns the land where the kingdom gets all of its gold," Bilo explained.
"You weren't kidding. That's a big name. What's he want from me though?" Bastian asked.
Bilo opened the book as she flipped it over to where a feather bookmark was kept, revealing a page that showcased a drawing of a dazzling crystal. The young man stood beside her, glancing down at the entry in the book.
"Frederick is interested–no, desperate–for the "Chrono Crystal." And if he wants something, he's willing to spend as much as he needs for it. I'm talking more than enough to cover a dozen dungeon expeditions–maybe even more. It only exists within the tower, on the eleventh floor to be exact–"
"Not interested," Bastian cut her off as soon as the specific floor was mentioned.
Bilo furrowed her eyebrows as her ears flicked, seeming disgruntled at the complete shutdown, though not saying anything right away as she looked at the young man.
He looked at the opened book as his emerald irises inspected the text, though not actually reading anything he saw.
There was an unshakable reason why the skills of a "dungeon crawler" like himself were always of high value; the dungeons that occupied each floor of the mystical Tower always changed—it could be from one day to the next, or perhaps weeks or months, but eventually, all dungeons mysteriously rearrange themselves.
Sometimes the layout is altered, the creatures within it, or even the traps that await greedy adventurers—but one thing never changes: the precious treasure laying dormant.
"C'mon, Bast. We're talking about the biggest client we've ever had here. He made it clear that you were the only one he trusted to do this," Bilo said, trying to reason with him.
"I'm never going that high in the tower again. Sorry, but I've got my own reasons," Bastian told her.
Bilo sighed, folding her arms over her chest as she leaned against the table, "I get it. This is different from that time though–the eleventh is a whole lot different from the eighteenth floor. It's still dangerous, no doubt about that, but when it comes to expertise in navigating dungeons, you're the best there is."
Bastian was hesitant, bringing his hand up as he felt the scar that ran over the bridge of his nose, "How much are we talking about here?"
"Interested?" Bilo asked with a sly smile, tilting her head to the side as she looked up at him.
"Just tell me the price."
Bilo walked across the room while the curious man watched; she stopped in front of a tall, rectangular safe forged of sable steel before placing her hand against it.
"Open," she commanded in a whisper.
The single word acted as some sort of key for the enchanted vault as deep-purple seals manifested across it before its door opened itself.
There was an assortment of trinkets, likely of high value, along with jewels, though the silver-haired woman retrieved a small lock box made of ivory.
"What's that?" He asked as he watched the box be carried over to the table before being set down.
"The first half of the payment," Bilo said, "Open it up."
For a moment, he stared at the lavish box that was decorated with cerulean flowers painted along it before reaching over, pressing the mechanism on its front before it clicked. The lid swung open on its own, revealing something all too beautiful for the naked eye: a rainbow of dazzling colors, a spectrum of exuberance that made his thoughts freeze up.
Even though he was no expert in jewels, he knew that the ones that laid in that box were nothing short of monumental in value, nothing like he would find in his lower dungeon expeditions.
As he reached to retrieve a golden necklace that laid in the box–SLAM. It was shut in front of him, closed by the hand of the lithe woman.
"You haven't agreed to do the job yet, in case you've forgotten," Bilo reminded him.
"...Give me the details and I'll give you my answer, then," Bastian hesitantly said through the allure of the expensive jewels.
"Now that's what I like to hear. It's not complicated, really. That's the sweet part of it—our client is entrusting you to decide how the job is done," Bilo told him.
"So, he's leaving the thinking and the doing to me. Got it," he sarcastically replied.
"Just one thing: you'll be accompanied by one other person," Bilo told him, staring intently as if gauging his reaction.
A piece of information that made him scrunch his nose; the idea of working with another adventurer—especially one he wasn't familiar with, wasn't an idea he was fond of.
"Don't give me that look. Our client is sending his best fighter to accompany you—his own personal bodyguard," Bilo informed, "Claxous, The Iron—a ruby-rank."
"Claxous? I've seen him around, I think. Ugh…" A sigh left his lips as he placed his hand over his face upon recalling who the guard was.
"So, will you do it? If so, I'll leave the finer details and your first half of the payment with you—minus my finder's fee, of course," Bilo smiled, grabbing a sapphire necklace and jeweled ring from the box.
"I'm in. Only because it's you bringing me this job," Bastian finally accepted after enough thought.
"Great! Here's everything you need to know then," Bilo said as she reached beneath her cloak, retrieving a rolled-up document as she handed it to the man, "Live free."
"Yeah. Live free."
After taking the document that detailed his contract, along with the initial payment, he took his leave from the underground city. Holding onto such a hefty sum of jewels was certainly not something he preferred to walk around with, making his pace hastened.
On his way out, he acquired the total sum from his earlier dungeon skirmish from the half-giant barter: a handful of silver.
The sun had already dipped beneath the clouds, bestowing a soft, warm glow of sepia over the city as he walked down the quieted down street.
He looked down at the sealed document, not yet opening it as he stuffed it under his coat. The streets were almost too quiet, with only some drunkards left loitering outside of taverns and merchants closing up their shops, though he preferred the muted ambience.
Looming in the distance was the ever present structure that reached into the boundless depths of the sky. The sight of its grand height was as natural as clouds themselves to him, yet still nebulous.
'I really let her talk me into going back up there. I told myself I wouldn't go higher than the ninth floor—I guess everyone has a price though,' he thought.