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Book 1 - Chapter 1 - Part 4
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Alexandros can hardly believe he has already reached level 2. It’s almost surreal, though; how he gained the level makes him question things. He can’t stop thinking about the creature and wonders why it was even there in the first place. A sense of dread settles in his stomach when he remembers Dahlia is the one who sent him here. This makes him wonder if she had something to do with it. He walks around the library to see if she is still there, but she is nowhere to be found.
The library is still a mess, and he should get started. However, he isn’t sure what to do with what just happened. He is about to leave the library when a notification appears in front of him.
Quest Canceled. This quest and any bonuses will be removed from your queue without penalty.
Quest: Help the innkeeper clean the inn during the day. Dahlia is a busy woman who doesn’t always have time to keep up. She would like you to come around in the morning and start immediately.
Requirements: The inn must be completely clean, you must arrive early, and you will do everything Dahlia asks of you until she deems the inn clean enough.
Failure Penalty: If you fail this task, you will lose relationship points with Dahlia, have nowhere to sleep, and lose 15% of any earned during the fight.
Reward: If you can help Dahlia keep her inn clean, she will reward you with warm food, a bed to sleep in, and a new set of clothing.
Accept? Yes/No
Canceled? He stares at the quest for a few moments, completely dumbfounded. With the quest canceled, Alexandros starts wondering if he made a mistake by agreeing to help Dahlia. Making his way back to the front of the inn, he sees her standing behind the front counter.
“Oh, good, you’re back!” She claps her hands together excitedly. “Does this mean you could get it all cleaned up?”
After everything he’s seen, Alexandros doesn’t trust her. If the quest was canceled, then wouldn’t she have been the one to cancel it? “My quest was canceled,” he responds, deciding there is no point in lying.
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“Canceled?” Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. “I wonder why that would—”
“What was that creature down there? I was attacked when I opened the door you told me to open. Am I the only one who finds this odd? Whatever it was, it had been there for a long time, so don’t try lying.” Though his youthful voice betrays him, he does his best to sound confident when he speaks.
Hysterical laughter fills the room, and it takes Alexandros a moment to realize it is coming from Dahlia. “Oh, so you did meet my pet,” she replies. “I never wanted you to come here to clean. I wanted you here because you were alone. You had no one with you to protect you. I figured my pet would have killed you, but clearly, you’re stronger than I thought you were.”
“Why would you want to kill me?” he yells as he stumbles backward. His chest rises and falls rapidly as heat rises to his cheeks. “I didn’t do anything. I was trying to help—”
“You weren’t trying to help. You were looking for a place to stay. Since you’re still alive, I suppose I’m obligated to give that to you.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” he growls. Since the quest is no longer in his queue, he sees no reason to stick around. “I don’t know what you have going on here, but I want no part of it. You can keep your rewards for yourself.”
Without giving her a chance to respond, Alexandros turns and makes his way out of the building. The streets seem much emptier than when he arrived, but he pushes the thought to the back of his mind as he begins making his way out of the village. Right when he is about to step out the front gate, he hears someone having a conversation in a hushed tone. Ducking behind a nearby bush, he strains his ears to hear what they say. After a moment, he realizes there are two voices, a male and a female.
“I just need to make it to Furnar,” the woman says. “I don’t need you to hold my hand there. We don’t need to talk if you don’t want to, but I am not changing my mind.”
“You are being way too stubborn right now. Do you even understand how important this is?” questions the man harshly.
“It will be fine. When we get there, we can speak to the king, and perhaps he will show us mercy and grant us a place to stay,” she replies a little too loud, only to be silenced by her partner.
“Stop talking about all this right now. We are too close to finishing this. If you keep having outbursts like this, we will never reach victory.”
They argue about a few more things Alexandros can’t make out, and he leaves. If what they said about Furnar is true, perhaps he would still have a chance at a better life. Even though he doesn’t like the thought of heading so far away from home, he knows it is the right decision. He misses his days with his parents, and though the memories still sting, he does his best to keep moving forward. With any luck, he knows he can make them proud.
When he feels far enough away from the others, he stands up and walks toward Furnar. He isn’t exactly sure how to get there, but considering the massive kingdom, he figures he will get there eventually. It’s a long shot, but if he believes he can somehow get an opportunity to speak to the king, he may discover why Heki was attacked and why everyone was killed.