Theo always needs a second opinion. In his mind, every plan and every scheme he made were as perfect and as natural as it can be. There was nothing absurd, nothing too strange, nothing to laugh about. The only way he could know how absurd his plans were, was by telling it to other people. But, of course, he couldn't just tell anyone about an assassination, kidnapping, or blackmailing plan. This was where Cynthia came in. Cynthia was the place he could tell anything and everything that he couldn't tell anyone else.
If she laughed when he told her his plan, that mean it was absurd. However, that didn't mean he needed to change them. After all, no matter how crazy his plan was, it was a well-thought plan in the end, and Cynthia knew it. Even if she laughed, even when she knew that it was absurd, she believes that her man will be able to accomplish it. Because he was that kind of a man.
"So do you want Tia to be a member of your harem, or is she just that woman that you slept with on some occasion?"
"Well, I can't make her a member of my harem can I? She has a husband after all. Maybe after the duke's death."
"How about that barmaid?"
"She's nice.....how do you know?"
"Oh I know Theo, you mustn't underestimate how fast gossip spreads." She stood up and went out of the bath. "And how can I manage your harem if I don't know what girl would come in next? What do you think about that barmaid girl?"
"She's good, but the problem is me. I'm going away tomorrow, and we don't know each other that much yet. You know what, you talk to her. Ask her about her feeling about me and the usual stuff."
"Do you not worry about Fergus? I mean you know how much he loved Mary."
"No, remember about my father's rambling I told you? I must not worry about my girl being stolen because the God loved his story. But you got a good point, who know what Fergus might try to do. I leave that you."
When Theo got outside, Ed was furious at him for taking too long inside. With one question, he silenced him. "What do you think we were doing inside, hmm?" He asked with a sly smile on his face.
Ed, who was able to regain his composure, lost it when faced with that question. He knew what they were doing, but he couldn't possibly say it out loud. He was red-faced again. "O-Okay, I won't complain anymore, let's just go to our next destination."
They both walked toward the outer ward after their brief exchange. The serene and quiet air turned into a crowded one as soon as they passed the inner ward gate. Usually, the area just before the inner ward gate was inhabited by the richer population of the commoner and was neatly organized. But the gate they came out from was not the normal place. It was the business district.
As soon as they came out from the gate, rows upon rows of stalls and small shop greeted them on the street. It was not supposed to be that way. The shops and stalls were supposed to be lined on the street's side, but the guard had given up long ago on trying to organize the place. Among the stalls and shop-filled street, one building stood above the rest. It was made like the rest, part wood, part stone, part bricks, but the size can't be compared. It towered over the other buildings and was even taller than the wall guarding the inner ward.
It was the Adventurer guild. A place full of wonder and opportunity. A place where common people could be well known and famous because of their power. Where anyone could be heroes, remembered for all ages for killing a legendary monster, or forgotten, eaten by some random monster in some random back alley.
Even though they named themselves adventurer, adventuring was not part of their job. Monster Hunter was the correct term when describing them because that was what most of their job entailed. While they were also hired to do some other things like escorting a Noble, collecting ingredient in a dangerous area, and surveying a newly found tomb, most of their job revolved around their ability to kill and hunt monsters.
Theo took a small metal plate from one of his pouches. He observed it, then hung it around his neck. It was made of some variation of steel that made it hard and strong, but also brittle. There was a carving of a beast with the heads of a lion and a goat, and its tail a snake, Chimera. On the other side of the plate were his name and his adventurer identification number. Every adventurer has one of those plates. It was their Id card along with a show of their ranks as an Adventurer which they had their pride on.
Wolf, Tiger, Wraith, Chimera, Hydra, Demon, Giant, and Dragon. Those were the ranks of an adventurer with each higher ranked than the previous one. A Dragon-ranked adventurer was extremely rare in Amaryn kingdom, with only three parties or only 17 people were an active dragon-ranked adventurer. They were also said to be as powerful as the royal guard, the finest fighter in all the kingdom.
If looking at Theo's battle prowess alone, he would be placed as a giant or dragon ranked adventurer, but due to personal issues, he was still on chimera rank.
By the masses, adventurers were seen as heroes and savior, a really expensive savior, but it's better to pay them half a city wealth rather than having the whole city burned to the ground by a monster.
Yet, in the eyes of the noble and the government, they were in a strange position. They were more akin to mercenaries because they were a standing military power that the kingdom couldn't fully control and will fight for the highest bidder. This made them hated by the noble and the Kingdom, but at the same time, their power was needed to hunt and control monsters that couldn't be handled by the armies and city guards. To solve this, all active adventurers must not take a side during a political dispute, or risk losing their plate. Though sometimes, the temptation of wealth and position was too much to resist.
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Theo entered the building, followed by Ed behind him. The place was like usual. On the left and right of the entrance was dozens of tables surrounded by four chairs for each. Adventurers were already gathering here in the morning. There were also those who had just returned from a night quest.
The atmosphere there was like a tavern, people drank and ate and told their friend stories, some boasted their achievement, some showed off the new plate they got after promotion. It was a rather happy and cheerful place considering how dangerous their job was. Or maybe, it was because they survived their dangerous jobs that they could be so happy and cheerful there.
But Theo's destination was not the dining room. He walked straight forward from the entrance and was met with a counter. It was a repurposed bar stand from the looks of it. To the left and right of the counter was a board covered with posters and papers. Those were a quest paper. Adventurers who wanted to get a quest or mission would look at the board and search for a quest that fit their rank. Then they take the paper and present it to the staff at the counter.
The board was relatively empty when Theo got there, but in a city as big as Aeston, there was no shortage of quest and mission. One just needs to wait for a few hours for the board to be filled again.
Theo approached one of the female staff. "Morning."
"Morning." The staff was busy with her papers and didn't notice it was Theo. "Put the quest paper on the table so I can register it, sir."
"I'm not looking for a quest. I'm looking for Miki."
The staff raised her head after hearing his strange request. Her body jumped, and her face turned red. "A-Ah, I-It's you Theo."
"Hi." He smiled and waved. "So is Miki here?"
The staff frantically searched her paper. "I-It's seems Miki is away on a quest today."
"Well, that's too bad."
"WHO IS SEARCHING FOR MIKI?!" A shout came from the second floor. Then it was followed by a loud slamming of a wooden door and a running sound. A shadow blitzed from the upper floor and jumped down, landing on one of the tables.
It was a man in his forties, with a spiky hair and one eye covered with an eye patch. His skin was covered with scars, and his right arm was made of metal. He was the leader of Aeston's adventurer guild, and everyone there called him boss. Except for Theo.
"Yo, father. Good to know you're healthy."
The man pointed his metal finger at Theo. "DON'T EVER DARE CALL ME FATHER!"
Theo rubbed his hair. "My bad. Future father!"
The boss made an exaggerated pose. "NOOOO!!!" He jumped down from the table and grabbed Theo shoulder. He was a huge man with more than two meters in height and a bulky muscular body.
"My precious Miki! What did you do to make her like that?"
"You realize that Miki is the one who approached me first right, father?"
"NOOOO!! There is no way my Miki is like that! You must have changed her!"
"Boss, boss, calm down boss!" The other adventurers began trying to separate Theo from the boss. After a while they did it.
"So what did you come here for?" One of the staff asked after the situation was normal again.
"Since this is my last day here, I'm going to see Miki to say my goodbye, but I guess I can't do that now." Theo took something from his bag and gave it to the staff. "Give it to her, please. As a gift from me. Also, tell her that I will send letter whenever I could, and I will try to return here as soon as possible." Theo turned toward the Boss and gave him a paper. "A prophecy I found during a quest. For the adventurer guild. Read it and inform it to the adventurer guild headquarter."
-----
"Mary, I'm home!" Theo said as soon as he opened the door to his house, Mary's house.
The first thing he realized when he returned home was that Fergus' wagon was still parked outside their house. And when he opened the door, Mary and Fergus was still chatting on the table. "Welcome home Theo!" Said Mary. Her eyes opened wide when she realized who was following Theo and she bowed her body. "L-Lord Lion. I-I didn't know you are coming."
"Relax Mary." It was Theo who answered her, not Ed. "He's here to buy some book."
"Hey, who-" Theo hit Ed with his leg before Ed could protest.
"Right?"
"A-Ah yes, that is right."
"W-Well, then please browse to your heart content my lord, but I don't think my collection could be compared to the book shop in the inner ward."
"Don't worry about that Mary. I told him that you have some nice unique collection. Not to mention Fergus'." Theo said.
"I-I'll be looking then." Said Ed.
He pulled Theo to look at the book that was sold there. "Why are you pulling me?" Theo asked.
"It's your fault for forcing me."
"Believe me, Ed. Mary has some unique book collection that you won't find anywhere else."
"Okay okay. I get it. I'll take a look."
Only a minute after Ed take a look at what was sold there, he was completely immersed in looking. His eyes were wide and crystal clear all the time. "See?" Theo asked with a smug grin on his face, but Ed didn't answer him. He was too focused on the matter at hand.
Ed thought that Theo was lying, but he wasn't. There were so many books there that Ed had never seen before. Some of the author he never even heard before. This was mindboggling for him. He always thought himself as a book enthusiast, and he was. He already read countless books from his mansion library, public library, the bookstore in the inner ward, but this was something else. So many books, and so little that he knew.
"You really like book, huh?" Theo asked again.
"Like? They fascinated me!" He said with great enthusiasm in his voice. "I'm not good with a sword, but books, books are something else entirely. A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone. If it's to keep its edge."
"Hey, that's not your quote."
"No, I'm quoting it from a book that I read. A Symphony of Frost and Flame series by the author Meorge R.R. Gartin. You should read it if you've got the time, it's an excellent book."
"Well, I'm gonna leave you with your books." Theo left Ed with his books. He sat on the table where Mary and Fergus were. It was evident from their eyes that they had fun with their reunion, and from Fergus' eyes, Theo could conclude that he wasn't welcome there, by Fergus at least.
"So Fergus, I'm surprised to see you're still here. The last time you were here, you left without a word for three years."
"And why do you think I left?" Fergus asked while barring his teeth. Theo was about to answer him when he talked. "Sorry to disappoint you Theo, but I'm staying in the golden inn for a few months. Traveling for three years almost without stop has made me really miss home."
"Good. I hope you can protect Mary while I leave then."
"What?" Fergus was dumbfounded. He didn't think Theo, his rival, would ask him to do something like that.
"Cynthia will watch you, of course. Oh yeah, I haven't told you yet. I'm going to go far away for a few months starting tomorrow."
"O-o-oh. I, I didn't know that."
"Of course you don't know, where were the last three years?"
"Speaking of traveling Theo," Mary said, fidgeting her finger. "I have something to give to you as my parting gift."