Almost there guys, almost 200 favorites!
Retep- Thanks for the long ass comment :p. I posted a reply on yesterday's chapter, hope that satisfies you some. Please you the "enter" key between questions next time ;)
Also, every once and awhile someone unfollows. This makes sensei sad, so if you ever unfollow, please let me know why. I might be able to fix the problem, maybe.
Enjoy!
----------------
Steel scratched at his arm during breakfast the next day. After the unfortunate pain attack last night, he had woken up feeling slightly itchy. It was a strange thing to feel, as he didn't think such little things like itchiness existed in the game world.
'While I said before the attention to detail was amazing, perhaps they went a little too far.' He lamented to himself, annoyed that no matter how much he scratched, the itch wouldn't leave. Maria looked over at him.
"Something wrong Steel? You're been scratching all morning."
"It's this annoying itch from the geas. It's not leaving me alone." Steel stared at his arm in annoyance, "I'm not touching Lady Mary, so why?"
Maria thought a moment, "Well, did you make sure her hair wasn't on you?"
Steel stared unbelieving at her, then checked his arm. A strand of blond hair was stuck on his sleeve. "Seriously! It even affects parts of her that are no longer her!"
Maria sighed, "Well, he is the Archmage after all. His spells are quite potent."
Steel frowned at her, "There's no way someone that strong would be here in a frontier town. He'd be in the capital or on the front lines. This is seriously over-powered."
"Well, fa...the Archmage was the best candidate for the court mage years back, but he took this position instead to be closer to his wife." She explained, "I doubt he is the strongest mage in the world, but he is definitely a former SS rank adventurer."
Steel raised an eyebrow, "Even the adventurer's use that ranking system? Geez, he sounds way out of anyone's league." He complained.
Maria thought a moment, "Well, in all honesty every leader in this town is close to that rank. However, they are all older and can't fight for as long as they used too."
Mema slammed two more drinks in front of them, startling the two. "Really now, age comments? I'll have you know that I'm the youngest of that group, and we can all kick your respective asses." She grinned after a while, "Though I do admit those other guys get tried after working out these days. It serves them right for always treating me like a child." She muttered under her breath.
Maria looked up at Mema, "Mema, how come during the evenings you look so much more youthful? I mean, you look young now, but then it’s like you’re the same age as me."
Mema nodded, "It's been my greatest discovery, a special drink I had a long time ago regresses my body to the time I drank it. Well, only appearance wise anyway, but it really helps bring in the customers."
Steel noticed the look of admiration Maria was giving Mema, "Maria, don't think about it. It's not like you need it now anyway."
Mema nodded, "Agreed. Getting that drink was a deathtrap in itself, not my best memories or moments." She shuddered, and then changed the subject, "So Steel, when are you bringing me my last 3 ingredients?"
Steel coughed, "Well, Maria is going to teach me magic skills today in the grassland, and then we'll head toward the dungeon to raid it tomorrow. I'll be sure to bring you some more interesting things after that."
Mema nodded, "Good. Well then, good luck during your training boy." She walked off toward her next patron.
Steel sighed. 'That woman really moves at her own pace.' He chuckled to himself. He glanced at Maria, "So, what’s the plan for magic training today?"
She winked at him, "Well, I'm going to watch you cast all the spells you know, and then we'll move from there. So, be sure to fill yourself now before then."
Steel cocked his head at her, curious, but she did not elaborate, returning to her breakfast. Shrugging, Steel returned to his own indulgence. Echo and Mary were upstairs still, taking a bath according to Maria. They'd be down shortly for food, but in the meantime Steel got to spend some quality time with Maria.
He had a sudden thought, "Hey Maria, can travelers register as adventurers too?"
"Of course Steel. Everyone can register, right in this building as a matter of fact." She pointed at the other side of the guild at the receptionist's counter, "That's the place to do it in fact."
Steel dropped his fist into his hand, "Why didn't I think of this before. Maria, go get Lady Mary and Echo and bring them to the desk over there. We are going to register as a party."
Maria spit her drink out in surprise, "What! What are you talking about?"
Steel nodded his head, "You see Maria, Mary was talking about how she dreamed of being an adventurer as a child. Since we are leaving town anyway, why not get a quest for her to do by herself while we are out. That way, she gets the experience of surviving and doing a job for the guild."
Maria gaped at him, "Steel, that's unbelievable brilliant! I mean it too, how did you come up with that idea? Anyway, I'll be right back to get them." She finished her drink and hurried away.
Steel decided to enjoy the remainder of his meal, and let the taste flow through his mouth. In the real world, he never had enough P points to justify a satisfying, tasty, and expensive meal at the game-a-torium. As a result, food was a special time for relaxation and reflection.
'Well, enough of that.' Steel dropped a silver for Maria and the eventual other's meals and walked over to the receptionist desk. She smiled at him.
"Welcome traveler. How may the Adventurer's Guild assist you today?"
"I'd like to register myself and 3 others for a party." He replied, leaning his arm on the counter.
She nodded, "Okay then. I'll go get the passes, please have the other three here when I return." She turned around and left through a door.
'These receptionists’s sure are repetitive.' He thought, watching the door, 'Except for maybe the mage tower one, but even she was similar outside of talking about Maria.' Steel scratched his chin at a sudden thought, 'Speaking of, why was Maria a receptionist the first day I saw her. Her personality is way too complex to be a program, but her character seems to fit along those lines. Hmm, maybe she's like Hunie then?" His thoughts at once turned protective, which he threw aside immediately. He wasn't strong enough yet to think along those lines, and besides, she was a lot stronger than he was.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Maria, Mary, and Echo showed up quickly; Mary having an eager look on her beautiful face.
"I just heard Steel! What a wonderful idea!" Her excitement was so great her face had morphed into her age. Her eyes glinted in happiness and her smile stretched from ear to ear. "I'm really going to be a real adventurer?"
Steel chuckled, "Of course you are. We're just waiting for the receptionist now."
The door opened as the word left his mouth, and M.M. came out; as imposing a women as ever. Everyone took an involuntary gulp.
"Madam, what . . . an unexpected pleasure." Steel managed to stammer out.
M.M. grinned at him and laughed, slapping his back over the counter, "Don't worry boy, I'm used to my appearance scaring people. Well, except at night anyway."
"Oh, you drank the same thing as your twin?"
"Of course I did, who do you think fought through hell to get to it? Anyway, I heard you were here to get registered as an adventurer?"
Steel nodded, "Yes ma'am, but why are you here?"
M.M. pointed at Mary, "Because I'm a friend of her father's and I made a promise to her when she was a kid to be the one to register her."
Mary blushed, "I was 5 years old, and you didn't have to keep such a thing."
M.M. smiled, "Silly girl, I know how important this is to you; of course I'm going to help."
Steel interjected, "Err, so how did you know she was here? The receptionist certainly didn't see her."
M.M. smacked him, "Dumb boy, you forget about my sister already? I know everything that goes on in this place." Steel rubbed his head sheepishly. She scanned the whole group, "So three passes, am I right?"
Steel frowned, "No ma'am, four please."
It was M.M.'s turn to frown, "You’re going to register your slave?"
Steel nodded, than felt himself being jerked upward violently by the collar by M.M., her face an angry demon. "Boy, I thought you were better than this, using your slave as cannon fodder. I'm disappointed with you." She dropped him to the ground.
"Hey! What gives M.M.? What did I do?" He asked incredulously.
M.M. crossed her arms, "Slaves are only registered in parties for the sole purpose of abuse. They are forced into dungeons to trigger traps for their masters, fight monsters with their lives, and left behind when injured."
"Okay, that all sounds bad, but why are you thinking I would do that?"
"Because. . ." M.M. paused, looking lost for a moment.
"Hey sis! Stop jumping to conclusions on your own! You’re scaring the little boy!" Mema called from across the room. It was true, Echo was sniffling and on the verge of tears. He tugged at Steel's shirt, his eye pleading and questioning.
Steel sighed and rubbed Echo's head with his hand, "No Echo, I was not planning on making you do any of that stuff. Your my slave, so you will have to fight, but I'm the one with the shield okay? I'll be taking the hits, you take them out." Steel flexed his arm, "I take care of you, and you help take of me. We are a team after all." Echo looked up at Steel in wonder, than wiped his tears on Steel's shirt and made a serious face.
'So cute.'
Steel turned back to M.M., "So, can I register Echo?"
M.M. was quite flustered, which was rather comical on her battle-scared face, "Yeah, sure, okay then." She coughed and handed each of them a card. "Put your thumb on the top right corner of the card and press down." She commanded.
Steel did so, and the card glowed under his force. The card turned into light; which wrapped itself around Steel's arm and became a brown bracelet.
"That bracelet is your guild identification." M.M. explained, "The magic inside of it will record all your accepted and completed quests, and can be read by a receptionist at any guild office for your reward. You are all currently F rank, as you are all beginners. Now, I know some of you are a lot stronger than that, but guild rank depends on experience, not fighting potential." She stared pointedly at Mary and Maria, who blushed and bit back their protests.
"Great! Now that we have registered, is there any work we can do?" Steel asked.
"Depends, where were you lot planning on going?"
"I'll be taking the girls to the new dungeon tomorrow, and we'll be sleeping outside the wall tonight." Steel told her.
M.M. turned and walked out from behind the counter, "Follow me." She led them to a large bulletin board on the wall perpendicular to the counter. "This is the request board." She displayed, "All guild requests can be found here at any rank up to A level. All you have to do is take the request to the counter, and it'll be recorded as your quest. You guys at your level can only do F and E ranked requests, so lets see here." M.M. scanned the board before pulling a sheet of paper off, "Here, this should work for you guys."
The four group members read the paper. It was an E ranked quest, with request being to list the inhabitants of the new dungeon. It had been made by the Guild itself apparently.
"Madam, why has the guild made this request? Don't you send members to scout out new dungeons to rank them?" Maria asked.
M.M. nodded, "Normally yes, I would have sent a squad to estimate the difficulty of the dungeon, taking note of the creatures that inhabit it. However, my main team is currently out on another mission, so I decided to let the travelers have a go at it. Think you lot are up for it?"
They all nodded, and she smiled, "Good, then I look forward to hearing the results when you get back." She nodded to Mary, "Good luck little one, and have fun on your first adventure." She winked, and left them.
----------------
I would have made it longer, but my stomach is still killing me from yesterday. Seriously, I don't know whats up ohhh.
I'll try to make another chapter tomorrow, but no promises :(