The walk to work felt longer than usual. It wasn’t just because the distance between Sarah’s house and the guild was far either. She was using the time to search her feelings on what she wanted to do. She knew her ultimate goal was to complete her dream of writing her book. Good progress was already made, but recent events were slowing it down. Not only that, but she was constantly worried about whether she should still remain in the town or search for a permanent way to quell her Path’s growing desire to upend her life.

“I wish Eric or anyone could give me the solution,” she sighed.

Looking around, Nobina took in the sight of the town to potentially give her the answers she sought. The first thing she noticed was the children playing around with toys. They couldn’t have been older than five, given their size, but Nobina hadn’t been around children enough to be sure of ages based on size. All she knew was they were having a blast. Those joyous smiles reminded her of what she had helped protect not too long ago. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel responsible for the destruction the recent events brought.

“I might bring destruction wherever I go. And if I don’t find a means to stop it…”

It was a horrible mindset, and she knew it. None of her friends would likely condone her thinking such negativity, yet the only real answer was from Mimiki.

“Get stronger,” she told herself, looking at her sword.

She knew she wanted the ability to handle the events to come, but was it too much to ask for at least a path to stop them before they got serious? One specifically that didn’t involve her going away from her dream.

Nobina sighed, continuing her way to the guild. The cold air was getting to her more and more, and she rubbed her hands together to try to stay warm. The occasional greetings from the town civilians continued to serve as a reminder that she was a part of this town. A town she wanted to protect as much as possible.

Eventually, she reached the entrance of the guild, where she saw Line speaking with one of the adventurers. When he caught a glimpse of Nobina, he gave a humble bow and called her over.

“Ah, Nobina,” said Line. “I was waiting for you. Aunai is with Eric, ready to give her report. Lila is here as well, but… She’s been keeping to herself to avoid unnecessary attention. I was surprised she didn’t have her cloak, but I guess circumstances called for her destroying it for her ability.”

“She hasn’t told you anything?” asked Nobina.

“She wanted you to give the full report,” responded Line. “She does detest giving reports, so her desire to leave it to you is understandable. Though, I am surprised she isn’t hounding Eric for a challenge. I would have thought she’d be banging at his door demanding him to come out of his office to fight.”

Nobina had an idea why she might have been less reluctant to challenge Eric, but she wasn’t going to mention it to anyone.

“Well then… Let’s have this meeting,” nodded Nobina.

The two of them headed to Lila, who merely nodded and joined them as they headed to Eric’s office. Once they were there, they saw the two chatting over cups of tea. The nice, fragrant smell reached their noses, with Nobina enjoying the nice floral aroma.

“Excuse us,” bowed Line. “We are ready for the update meeting.”

“Ah good,” smiled Eric. “Let’s meet at the meeting room.”

The five of them headed off to the meeting room, where each took their respective seats. Nobina noticed that both Line and Aunai were keeping a close eye on Lila, who was staring at Nobina. The staring part was weird since Nobina felt as if Lila was waiting for Nobina to speak to her. It was a bit bothering, but they had a meeting to handle first.

“Now then,” said Eric. “Who will give the first update?”

Aunai nodded, standing up.

“The report is as follows. We investigated the cave and have confirmed the cave was beginning a ramp-up for another attack. The temporary culling might have bought the town a month or two, but another attack was going to happen. Thus, we culled it to guild standards and no attack should be expected for another few years. However, we recommend a deep dive scouting operation every quarter instead of bi-annually to decrease the odds of this incident happening. Surface level scouting will not be sufficient.”

Eric nodded, turning to Nobina to give the next report. She nodded back and stood up, gathering herself as she gave their report.

“We have investigated the potential demon and have confirmed that a demon was involved thanks to Lila’s skills. Lila and I investigated the two sights where Mimiki’s party was attacked and then the site where we fought the troll-wolf previously. Upon arrival, we spotted a troll-wolf and wolf-troll along with several goblins. There were no signs of the demon being there, so we decided to dispatch the creatures. Upon slaying both, we’ve confirmed both were summoned creatures that have returned to their realm. Beyond that, there was not much else to do. The cages were gone, with the goblins and two summons being the only two things there. That is all for our report.”

Nobina sat down, hoping she didn’t miss any important details.

“Alright. With that done, does anyone have anything to add or questions?”

Line raised his hand, with Eric motioning him to speak right after.

“So… If a demon is confirmed, what actions will be taking?” asked Line as he held his hand to his chin. “If this demon is to blame and it is a rogue one, they need to be taken out. If the demon is associated with any significant group… That would complicate things.”

“It would,” responded Eric. “That is why we’ll need to send out high-ranking scouting parties to investigate. Demons being involved can mean this is a national matter. Also, the demon summoning makes it all the more apparent we need to resolve this matter before it potentially summons something more… problematic.”

Hearing this, Nobina could only wonder what that might mean. Perhaps the demon would summon a powerful dragon that could raze a town. That thought itself sent shivers down Nobina’s spine, which was caught by Lila.

“Are you alright Nobina?” asked Lila, her tone reflecting her being more concerned for her than someone might otherwise think.

“Oh… yeah… You think demons can summon dragons?” asked Nobina.

“Surely you jest,” said Aunai. “Demons are powerful, yet the ability to summon dragons is exclusive to the dragon race. A demon summoning one means either they rival even SS rank adventurers, which are extremely rare in this day and age, or that they have a special contract with a dragon.”

“She’s right,” said Eric. “Dragon summoning is extremely unlikely. They say the youngest dragon grows to the size of a tiger in mere weeks. They get much larger as time grows, with some rivaling towns in size.”

The thought of a massive dragon arriving and burning the town sent shivers down Nobina’s spine. Seeing that, Lila stood up and tried to help Nobina.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Don’t worry about it Nobina,” she said, waving her hands. “A dragon would hopefully never attack a random town like this. It would have to take an act of god for a dragon to appear and…”

The mention of the word God made Nobina’s eyes light up. Suddenly, she began wondering if the goblin incident wasn’t due to her path but an act of a god in this world. One came to mind specifically, but she worried about saying their name.

“What’s wrong Nobina?” asked Eric, drawing her attention.

“Oh,” she replied, realizing she must have looked like she was spacing out. “I was just… thinking about how crazy a dragon attack would be.”

“I remember fighting a dragon,” said Eric, entering deep thought. “It must have been twelve years ago. I wasn’t a young adventurer anymore. Rather…”

Eric began droning on about his past, leaving the rest of them to begin doing their own thing. He was giving a riveting tale of how he encountered a young adult dragon and how he and his party barely survived. It was a bit of skill and luck on their end that allowed them to survive.

Nobina was intently listening, and Lila also showed interest in the story. Aunai and Line were enjoying a nice, small chat with Line, drinking the tea that he poured. The funny thing was that it seemed he could summon and recall a teapot and cups. Nobina wondered if that was his ability, which would be funny since she didn’t expect an adventurer to have such a niche ability.

A few hours passed before Eric finished his story. Both Nobina and Lila gave a nice clap as Eric thanked them for listening.

“Hopefully that has settled you down Nobina. You’ve been off this whole meeting, but seeing you enjoy the story has certainly cleared your mind, right?”

Nobina gave a nod. Eric’s story had made her completely forget about her trouble regarding her friend Fay, her destiny, and her dream. It felt as if Eric had given her the reminder she needed. It reminded her that the world was a big place, and her problems weren’t big enough that they couldn’t be solved. Like with Eric and the dragon, if she searched hard enough, she would eventually find the ideal solution to her problem. Otherwise, there was also the chance that the answer would present itself to her, as it did with Lila and Fay.

“Oh,” said Nobina. “We need to talk about Fay.”

Hearing that, Lila’s eyes widened.

“I’m sorry Nobina,” she said, covering her face. “I should have told Aunai before this meeting.”

Seeing her name mentioned, Aunai asked her what there was to discuss.

“Uh,” said Lila, acting a bit shy. “Well… I plan to… request a leave as I need to find Nobina’s friend.”

Everyone in the room except Nobina was in complete shock at what Lila had said.

“What did you say?” asked Eric. “You were going to find Fay?”

“Woah there,” said Aunai aggressively, slamming her hands on the table. “I give you a lot of leeway Lila, but leaving the guild to find someone for someone not that important? Explain yourself.”

Hearing that, Lila barked back in a rare show of defiance that caught all of them off guard.

“Listen,” said Lila to Aunai, her tone being slightly harsh. “I help the guild because it is of benefit to my people. However, you cannot restrict what I do. I would leave the guild of this kingdom if necessary to do what I desire.”

Hearing that, Line merely sighed.

“Miss Aunai. I believe it will be more prudent to question the other girl on the reason Lila has such strong desires to complete their request no matter what.”

All their eyes turned to Nobina, who was feeling nervous about speaking. However, she knew that this request meant a lot to her, and she had no intention of giving it a chance to not happen.

“I have requested Lila to help find my best friend Fay. She is likely in the Nation of Arrin, a place that I wouldn’t be able to visit anytime soon due to my status and circumstances. Lila has understood my desire to see my best friend and has taken it upon herself to help.”

Aunai shook her head, convinced there was more to the story than Nobina was letting on.

“Lila,” said Aunai, remaining as calm as possible. “What is going on. Did you lose a fight to Nobina or something?”

“Uh… in a sense… yes…” she said, her tail falling to the ground.

Those words once again shocked everyone, making Nobina wonder how many surprises were going to happen.

“When did you face her? What are her abilities? Do we need to raise her rank?” asked Aunai, questions now barraging Lila.

Lila seemed to be done talking, as she kept her lips together, not uttering another sound. Eric, seeing this, tried to stop Aunai but to no avail. She seemed determined to get answers out of Fay, with her attention turning to Nobina.

“What did you do to her Nobina,” she said in a command voice. “How did you manage to quell the spirit of our best S-rank?”

Nobina felt a powerful aura wash over the room. Aunai was trying to pressure Nobina, but soon, two other auras were felt.

“How dare you threaten my friend,” yelled Lila, her own aura spreading rapidly out to suppress Aunai.

“Enough,” said Eric, using his own aura in response. “This whole situation has…”

Eric didn’t get to finish his sentence before Nobina fainted due to the sheer pressure of the auras, causing Lila to immediately panic.

“Oh my god. We are so screwed. Uh… Oh! We have a doctor, right? Where is she,” said Lila to Eric, grabbing his shirt.

“What in god’s name has gotten into you Lila,” said Aunai, becoming even more confused. “You can’t attack another guild master. You could be suspended for that.”

“Relax Aunai,” said Eric, remaining calm. “We have one in the nearby medical office, but Nobina has merely…”

He once again failed to finish his sentence as Lila grabbed Nobina and ran out of the room. Once she was gone, Aunai sat back down, holding her hand to her head.

“I need a drink,” she sighed. “I’ve never seen Lila just shift so drastically. What… really happened between her and Nobina.”

“You know,” said Eric, sitting down next to her. “Nobina isn’t just a normal guild employee.”

At that moment, Line poured him a drink of tea, which prompted Eric to thank him.

“She’s someone who’s done so much for the guild and town. I’ve told you the story of her being the town’s hero, but she has done stuff beyond that. We’ve updated how we handle money thanks to her with a new system that allows us to better track and understand our finances.”

“Really,” said Aunai, curious about what Eric said. “We are still slacking in updating our own financial system. “The capital is very stingy about sending anyone with a brain for mathematics out to the other guilds, so we’ve been waiting for the next financial officer to appear. Perhaps she can visit us and help bring us up to date.”

“It would certainly be a good chance for her to see the world,” said Eric. “I do worry about…”

As he said that, Eric’s hand caught a rock aimed at his head. However, he immediately dodged away as a second, rather large rock came out of nowhere and hit the wall.

“What in the…” said Eric, his eyes turning in the direction of the Gaze bag. He then turned to the Gaze, who had been watching them despite Nobina not being there.

“What is that Eric?” asked Aunai, looking at the Gaze’s direction. “Why did the bag throw rocks at you?”

“I’m… not sure,” he spoke, now in deep thought.

Eric was well aware that Nobina had a special Gaze bag that had attacked him before. However, it was usually because of an interaction between him and Nobina. If the Gaze back just attacked him regardless, it implied there was a part of it that hated Eric.

“Such a strange thing to happen,” said Eric.

“Rather calm after being attacked,” said Aunai, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“This has happened before, but… Nobina continues to surprise me.”

Aunai gave a nod. To her, Nobina was growing to become a person of interest, both positively and negatively. The fact she had Lila in her camp meant that Aunai had lost a precious piece in her own guild circle. And if she tried to force Lila’s hand, it would only end badly.

“I see… I wish…”

As she said that, the two of them noticed the bag light up. Eric went to pick it up, reaching for the inside. However, a powerful force repulsed him, making him curious.

“Hm… A bag that rejects anyone but its owner. Wow… Learn something new every day. It smells good as well… I guess it’s meant for Nobina anyway, so we’ll all enjoy a meal when she gets back.”

“Sounds good to me,” nodded Aunai. “I’m hoping we can all end up building close relations for multiple reasons.”

As he said that, a handle slowly brought out a basket of Filipino food for Eric. He didn't recongize it, but he could tell it was some sort of noodles. It looked flour based and had a red sauce with red meats. There was even a tomato-like smell coming from it, only sweeter. However, something about it seemed off to Eric, whose trained nose was keen on oddities with food.

“It seems… off… I’m not too familiar with the food though. It could be its natural smell.”

“Hm,” said Aunai. “Well… We got someone to test.”

Aunai snapped her fingers, causing Line to come over.

“Can you verify if the food has anything wrong with it?”

“As you wish,” bowed Line. He took a fork and knife and cut a piece of the food, eating it slowly to see if it was fine. Immediately, Line grabbed his stomach.

“I must… if you excuse me.”

Line left the room immediately, causing both to sigh.

“Ok. So it won’t just throw rocks at you,” said Aunai. “This bag really hates you Eric. We should destroy it.”

Hearing that, he shook his head.

“I wouldn’t. I believe some sort of divine being gave Nobina that bag.”

“Surely you jest,” laughed Aunai.

As she laughed, it slowly stopped as she saw Eric being one hundred percent serious.

“Who is Nobina Eric,” asked Aunai.

“It’s… a mystery,” Eric replied, wondering what changes would occur next under the watch of the Gaze as it followed the journey of Nobina.