Cassandra was extremely angry. She hated dealing with the people of the guilds but to get what she wanted she had to go through all of them and so far the results had not been what she wanted.
The first stop was the merchants guild where she sold everything she could to raise capital, after that she went to the adventurers guild to put some requests that would increase said capital once they were finished. Following those days of wait, she had to use the money she just made back from what she got from the request to pay someone from the healer/alchemist guild to put the word out that she was trying to contact the dark guild, an assassin/thieves guild. She only got the word back when elf bodies started to appear in broad daylight and nobody would bat an eye on heavily armed people talking with a small girl. Following the contact she managed to finally put in a request for a bodyguard. Some people would just go to the adventurer’s guild for that but she needed the type of people that were above the power and pay grade expected from most adventurers, that for the most part just did any job if you paid enough, and also didn’t mind breaking the occasional law.
So, after talking her way around people trying to scam her and the system every step of the way, someone was presented to her and the idiot couldn’t even handle the first test.
“Girl, that face won’t help you.” The contact of the dark guild said to her as they talked in his office.
“I am paying enough money to get someone to tame a dragon for me and the first idiot you send me can’t even do something simple as invade the academy.” She said very angrily.
“Invading that place is way harder than taming a dragon.” The man in dark robes that completely covered him said, trying to sound reasonable.
“I know of a girl that not only slipped past all that security but stole a giant tiger from inside a building.”
“She is probably a very good thief.”
“She is as stealthy as a blazing drunk on the winter solstice festival normally. Look, all I am asking is someone that can invade the academy and live to tell the story at least. Anyone who can do that surely is at least minimally strong, right?”
“Reaching or having the strength of a Fusion Core cultivator does indeed make someone minimally strong.”
“Then why did you send someone so weak?”
“...Because nobody thinks you need a bodyguard that strong.”
“Have you ever faced an immortal?” She angrily asked, right to his face.
“Everyone takes a beating from the guild master upon becoming a member.”
“Well, there is a group of the bastards coming after me so I need someone that can at least survive an attack from one.”
“...Would you like your money back? I don’t think the guild will allow anyone crazy enough to take the request, to take the request.”
“WHY!?”
“Look girl, the amount you are willing to pay is a lot of money and we aren’t dicks so we won’t screw you over. Follow me and follow my lead.” The man said. Following that he guided Cassandra through the underground tunnel of the city towards a hidden bar full of people. Assassins, thieves, dark mages, etc… but people.
“Members! I am sorry to interrupt your leisure times but an urgent request came and as it seems, the idiot who took it was too weak. The lady here needs the strongest bodyguard and is paying a premium for it. I tried to explain that all of you had better things to do than becoming filthy rich but she wouldn’t relent until I showed who was available.” He said neutrality to everyone in the bar.
“Ha! Hey, little girl. If you were looking for the strongest you should have asked for me.” A very big and muscular man said as he suddenly appeared in front of Cassandra. Upon looking around she could see that the man had been sitting all the way on the corner of the place and just popped in front of her.
“Are you really the strongest here? I asked for the strongest from the get go and if the guild didn’t even inform the strongest person they had of the job I can only imagine how bad the services might truly be.” She said, putting on the air of someone who had way more money than sense.
Stolen story; please report.
“I was probably occupied when the request came. How much are we talking about?”
“15 Platinum.” The cloaked man said.
“More than enough for services. All you need is a bodyguard, right? Nobody will touch you.” The man said triumphantly and nobody really seemed to go against it.
“Well, there is a small test before anything is final.” Cassandra said.
“What would that be?” The man asked.
“Can you invade the academy and steal an animal from there?”
“...I can, but why would I do that?” the man said after pausing for a moment.
“Then go and do it. It needs to be as big as you at least. You don’t need to keep, just remove it from the academy grounds. Do that and return and all that money is yours, well, the job is yours, money comes with it.” Cassandra said happily.
“I am not going to do that.” The man said, without a hint of worry.
“...Handler, you said that would show me the best of the best. If the strongest person around can’t do something so simple, what does that make the rest?” Cassandra said, not even pretending anything this time.
“What did you say!?” A man that was clearly a barbarian, not that Cassandra knew what one was, shouted angrily from his seat.
“Shut up! The big bald guy here said he was the strongest and nobody said anything. If he can’t do what I ask he is trash and all of you are worse than that.”
“He is a talkative shadow in the shape of a person. Nobody likes him and everyone is hoping he dies a sad death. If I light a cigarette he becomes weaker. I can break him in half with my bare hands. I am the strongest one here!”
“And nobody has anything to say about that?” Cassandra asked everyone. Nobody answered.
“See?” The barbarian gloated.
“Will you do the job?”
“Of course I can be your bodyguard.”
“Then go and steal an animal from the academy.”
“I, erm,...You know…”
“You know what? Here is another test. Who here can fight an immortal?”
“I can.” A few voices from all around the bar said mostly in unison.
“Alright. In about 2 weeks I will get someone that can kill an immortal with one attack to test you. Please be ready, the handler will give you more information when I make arrangements.”
Not a moment after the atmosphere changed completely and Cassandra knew that no one would take the request.
“Miss…” The cloaked man tried to say something but was interrupted.
“I am leaving. And I am taking my money back. And, this is to everyone here. Try anything against me and the test will not be optional to any member of this guild.” Cassandra said, angry with the situation, except the last part, there she was fully threatening everyone and very seriously.
Cassandra and the man walked in silence back to the room they were in before. He calmly took the money from the request and gave it back to her.
“Fuck guilds. The moment you need something from them they fuck you as much as they can. Never going to be having business this close with you again, have a nice life.” Cassandra said angrily as she took her money and left.
About an hour later the cloaked man was visited by someone he really didn’t want to.
“Xiao, you should have taken the job yourself.” The indistinguishable voice of the guild master of the Dark Guild resonated in the room.
“What do I owe the honor of the visit?” Xiao, the cloaked man asked, not daring to turn around and try to look at the guild master. He, she, it, whatever it saw fit to call itself on that day, wasn’t exactly something you could just look at and be alright after.
“I hate when my little ducklings let a golden goose run away.” The guild master said almost playfully.
“That was indeed a great amount of money but not worth the risks if you don’t mind my opinion.”
“I value your opinion, Xiao. You are one of the smart ones. But you see, you are wrong and now I have to punish everyone because you did something stupid and everyone under you is a coward.” There was no emotion in the voice, only the clear threat of what was going to happen.
“Master, please…”
“Silence! Everyone affiliated to your location has two choices. Give the branch a profit of 15 platinum or get the job from the girl. Failure is not an option, is that understood?” The guild master said. Having a knife in your heart would be less sharp and painful than the words it just said.
“As, as, as you wish.” Xiao said, doing his best to maintain himself calm.
“Good, good. Like I said, you are one of the smarter ones. Now go inform my ducklings that they will either become swans or soup.” The guild master said very playfully before leaving.
Xiao quickly ran back to the bar and informed everyone there before putting the world out to inform everyone else. To say panic insured would be an insult to what really happened. On that day at least half of the dark guild got killed simply because of infighting over various jobs and half of what was left after died trying to pass Cassandra’s test without her knowledge. The rest would become known in the underworld for various reasons but that is another story.