The next day I wake up Marcy, eat some bread and fruits for breakfast. Father is out of town, peddling with my brother. It is just us four girls at home now. Sister-in-law is having nausea. Mother and Marcy are excited. I'm bitter but trying my best to hide it, because this reminds me of the whole 'monster bride' ordeal. When they accused me of having a monster's baby.

I give my sister-in-law the best smile I can manage, but she is glowing so much that she doesn't mind me. Marcy is using the "she is jealous of her big brother" excuse to justify my behavior. Yes, a baby is coming, but I'm sorry I can't be happy.

After a while, I nag Marcy to go out.

"Come on Marcy! We are going to the Guild in the middle of morning request rush. There won't be anything good left." Marcy knows that morning rush better than anyone. She worked as a receptionist for two years back home.

"OK! Bye baby!! See you soon." She is talking to a belly! "Hey, I'm the one delivering him, right? Don't change your mind."

I clench my heart for being jealous of the relationship between sister-in-law and Marcy. But I can't let this feeling fester. Marcy abandoned everything behind for me. But I feel lonely. I long for company neither my female friend or my family can give me. Those caring eyes. That warming kindness. That strange 'something' that tugs at the very strings of your being. That bond that is forged in the fire of adversity, when the only thing that keeps the world from unraveling is the trust between two creatures. The way he shielded me with his own life from that arrow that was aimed at me.

He awakened my true calling that night. That archer set the wheel of fate moving that night. When I used the power of Nature to heal that poison, I heard the voice of the forest encouraging me. "Take great care of this one, for great deeds are expected of him." Not with words, but with meaning.

Oh, Grendel. Will you wait? Don't die to some crappy adventurer party, OK?

We finally leave home behind. The first cold of winter is already upon us, earlier than it should. I use a warming spell on us. "Thanks, Helen!" Marcy hugs me from behind. Don't put your hands on strange places. Emory, bite her!!! Just joking!

Speaking of Emory has grown stronger, he leveled up from hunting wolves. He can fight a couple wolves with no problem now. The [Familiar Binding] skill improved. Maybe I can get another familiar soon. How are the two kids I left back in Mirfield? They are still alive, it is all I can tell.

"Hurry up slowpoke! Oh, what is that thing in the skewer?"

Marcy is excited for the winter foods of this place. It is a different kingdom, a different culture. While back home there were only humans and some people that claimed to have mixed elven blood, in this place there are few real elves and dwarves!! They said some beast-folk also comes here from time to time, but we haven't seen any. Maybe in spring. Do beast-folk hate cold?

We arrive at the guild, the receptionist from yesterday comes straight at us. "Miss Helen, Miss Marcy, come here. You got a nominated request, but the Master wants to talk to you."

A nominated request is a great honor for an adventurer. It means your efforts were recognized by someone with the money to pay a premium. They are also great sources of money. There are some idiotic nobles that use that to cater the favor of some adventurer, but we are a free spirited bunch.

"Oh, Helen! What would it be? I hope it is not some weirdo."Marcy is excited through the roof. She is shaking her fist up and down.

"Me too. Shall we go and see?"

We climb the narrow stairs leading to the Guild Master's room. This branch's building is very old, and was not renovated when the amount of adventurers around increased. In rainy days, there is mold.

The receptinist makes a motion for us to stop before a fancy door. "Here you are, wait here."

She knocks at the door. "Come in" someone says from inside. A woman? I have never seen this branch's Guild Master, but is it a woman?

We are led inside. This L shaped office is more beautiful than the cluttered one back in Mirfield. There are flower vases by the window sill. The flowers are happy. I can hear them singing. There is a relaxing meeting space in the end of the broad side circled with windows on all 3 walls and with some couches decorated with fine embroidery.

One woman, with slitted eyes and a long straight black hair is sitting at the desk. Her eyes are like those that can pierce souls. I feel like she can read a person just with the gaze. She stands up and greets us. "Welcome my dear adventurers. I was waiting for a good opportunity to introduce myself. I am Kareena, the Guild Master. Please have a seat."

"Thank you." We walk to the meeting area and sit on the couch as indicated.

"I know you are eager to check on the details of the nominated request, but I would like you to decline it. It means a loss of money for you and for the guild, but I think the safety of you girls is more important."

Marcy doesn't want to lose the easy money. She complains. "What is the request, what is the problem with that? Is the guild compensating us for the loss if we take on your recommendation to decline?"

"You have the right to know the details. Do you remember the boy that entered here yesterday? The one with the 'monster spear'??" Kareena's eyes sway back and forth between us. She is troubled. 

"Yes, we do." How could I even forget that strange boy? That boastful fearlessness? The side glances he stole at me? Strangely, I just felt shy, not creeped.

"He is the requester. But he is a dangerous person. He requested that you become his escorts and party up to hunt monsters so he can rank up."

Marcy straightens her back, and gets her inquisitive tone out. "And you don't want him to rank up, right?" Marcy cuts to the heart of the matter.

Why has the conversation shifted so much? With that strength and that spear that piqued Cedric's interest, there is no way he won't be able to hunt some wolf or frostworm or even gather herbs to rank up. Some kids half his age can do as much. And we two escorting him?

"Oh. You are knowledgeable, Miss Marcy." There is a delighted grin in Kareena's mouth now. But it is a business smile. Her eyes aren't smiling.

"I was a receptionist for two years. I know what a rank 'i' card means." I look at Marcy with my 'I don't get it' face. "Oh, Helen. All registrants begin at rank 'H', you know that, right?" I nod. "But when a receptionist is registering someone under a threat, she registers the person with a rank below 'H'." She clears her throat, and continues. "Rank 'i' means threat of serious physical injury or even death. It is like a last act of resistance."

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"That is correct, Marcy. It means that boy registered by threatening the life of the receptionist that registered him. And his data was not transmitted to the other branches." Kareena waits for her words to sink in. "He is probably a murderer of Guild personnel. But we can't find any records of such a strike in any branch."

I suddenly felt like I don't belong in this conversation.

"You don't have any proof, or you would have expelled him or even sent a subjugation request on his head." Rogue adventurers that commit heinous crimes can be hunted by the Guild. It is a last resort though. "So this is all speculation and political maneuvering. You want to nip the kid in the bud."

Marcy has become completely disillusioned with the guild. From the lovestruck girl that would dance any tune the Mirfield Guild Master played to this strong determined woman in front of me, she has grown a lot. I wish I could become someone that grown as well. But I feel like I am still the 'wheat girl' that needs to be protected and sheltered.

"Miss Marcy, the main concern is indeed you girls' safety. This guy could assault you in the wilderness."

"I've had my share of villains. I want to talk to him face-to-face before making up my mind. Are you fine with that, Helen?"

I can't deny that I want to talk to him. I need to ask him about that spear. I can't let this opportunity slip, even if it has a risk. "I agree. Let us meet him, Kareena."

Kareena looks at the receptionist, that was waiting on her. "Bring in the boy." She leaves and after a while later she brings that boy. He is looking at me and smiling. Please stop... It is embarrassing.

"This is the requester that wants to hire you as his party to complete requests, Mr. Beowulf. The pay is five silver per request completed, plus all the rewards and loot of the requests, except the monster cores."

"What is this guy's job and level, Ms. Kareena?" Marcy doesn't even addresses him directly.

"Beowulf here is a level 25 villager." Kareena smirks.

"Yes, that is correct. I am a level 25 villager. The guild won't let me use the job-changing crystal because my rank is not 'H' or higher." He winks at Marcy. "And I cannot complete any request because there is no request ranked 'G' or lower. So I thought about hiring some adventurers to party with me and complete requests so I can rank up."

"Why us? It could be any other adventurer party. But straight to the point, did you murder any guild personnel?" Marcy is after blood. I want to leave, but I need to ask about the spear.

"No. I did not 'murder' any guild personnel."  Beowulf pauses and looks at each one of us in turn.

"Did you threaten a receptionist to register you?" Seizing the advantage, Marcy presses on with a straight.

"You can say she was in a state of profound distress." Don't you go looking at the window now, sir. That is a white lie. I have no courage to say that though.

"Did you threaten to kill her?"

The boy stands up, takes a deep breath and speaks his mind.

"No. I did not threaten to kill her when I asked her to register me. But I had just carried out an official execution sanctioned by the king, and the one executed was her lover. I can't say much, because it is a matter of the crown, but I was tasked with hunting down and executing some criminals. The receptionist in question was the lover of the criminal ringleader. And by fate she saw me carrying the realm's will. I wanted to change careers, and the adventurer's path was enticing for me. Since I was at the guild I just asked her to register me. And so she did. I was unaware that ran 'i' was abnormal. And now I am stuck here, without the ability to change jobs, without the ability to receive assignments. I am both an adventurer and I am not capable to act as an adventurer."

Whoa? A kid this size with the Villager job working as marshal to the king?

"And you want us to believe that someone with the job of villager was working as an executioner for the crown? Are you a noble?" Nice! Make him spill everything Kareena. I am completely outclassed in these political matters.

"While my job is villager, I was endowed with several unique skills. I am strong enough to defeat an Orc King singlehandedly. I am not a noble though." He stuffed his chest. What a liar. Kill an Orc King? One on one? Is he a Hero?

"Why didn't you job change at the Knight's barracks by the palace then? Or at any other estabilishment that can perform a job change?" Marcy knows that because Julius always boasted how one can live without the Adventurer's Guild. But it makes sense that there should be other places able to change jobs.

"There were no opportunity for that." He is staring out the window again. But it is not a direct lie. He is omitting something.

Some silence takes the room, while everyone plans the next step in this interview. I am the one to break it.

"Hey, sir, can I ask you one thing?" I summon the courage to ask. If I don't act now, these girls will push him out and I will never know.

"Yes, what is it... what is your name, miss?"

"He... Helen. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Beowulf."

"Helen!" He is smiling at me. STOP. "Most pleased to meet you, miss Helen. Your question?"

"That troll horn of your spear, where did you get it?"

"To be honest, when these boyish hands of mine here touched that spear, the horn was already there." Liar! I can see in your eyes you are lying.

"Was it so? Do you know how the spear was crafted, or who crafted it?"

"Yes, and yes. But miss Helen should not worry. The troll whose horn was used to make that spear is very happy right now..." HELP! Is he a psychic? How did he read my worries so deeply? " Alive and happy."

I hide my face with my hood. The warmth of those words, they broke any resistance I had. Even if they are honey coated lies, I want to believe them. I want to drown in them. "Gre... gre..." The words don't come out. I'm frozen.

Before I realize, the Marcy is patting my head. The boy continues.

"I understand that you are suffering, miss Helen. I also understand that you want to make the most money because you have a goal you need to accomplish faster." He kneels next to me. Emory gets out of his pocket and squeaks at him. "If you help me accomplish my goal, I swear that I will help you accomplish yours. Work with me three days out of every four. On the fourth, you can rest, or go on other missions with miss Marcy. Only until I reach H rank and gain access to the job-changing crystal. I don't want to become a level 99 villager."

I can't answer. My throat has a huge stone stuck in it right now.

"Backoff now, Mr. Beowulf. You still need my consent to this request of yours, and I can tell that your real goal is Helen. And you still haven't cleared the issue of the receptionist that granted you this 'i' rank." Marcy holds my shoulders and shields me from Beowulf.

"I will answer everything you want to ask me, if it is something I am allowed to say."

Marcy is about to talk again, when Kareena suddenly stands up and claps her hands.

"I think we have heard enough. Mr. Beowulf, your request has been declined. I will issue a warning to all adventurers in this branch so none of them shall party with you. Please leave." Kareena brings the negotiation to a close.

"Are you refusing my named request on behalf of the guild? Are you ready to pay the fine?" Beowulf corners Kareena.

"Oh. The girls you requested are the ones that declined. Right, Marcy?"

"Right. You are too shady. We won't acc..." Shady or not, that boy might be my last lifeline at finding Grendel. I cannot let that happen. Something snaps in me.

"No... Wait! Don't go!" I surprise even myself when I jump out of the couch and grab Beowulf's wrist.

This boy is a thread of hope that can lead me to Grendel. Even if half of what he said here is a lie, I am willing to die if I can see Grendel once more. I want to believe him, even if he kills me. I'm desperate.

"Helen, release him!" Marcy removes my hands from him. She then hugs me, her back to the boy. I can't do anything. Beowulf won't work in this town, he will probably go to the next. He has to use a job-changing crystal. I feel like a door is closing to the only light of my life.

"This is enough. Remove yourself from my office now, Mr. Beowulf."

"Good, good. I am not here to fight. And I don't think I can win against the former A-rank swordswoman here, eh, Mrs. 'Heartseeker Kareena of the wind'. I will propose one thing. Marcy, Helen, don't refuse my request right now. Talk between yourselves if you want to work with me or not. I will wait until the sunset of tomorrow. If you refuse by then, I will go away. Forever."

I pick myself up and summon the courage look at his eyes. He is looking at me, but I don't care. I can't see hostility in those eyes. "Don't... go." I mutter between my teeth.

"Don't worry. Clear your thoughts, and give me an honest answer. I will see you tomorrow. Is that fine, Guild Master?"

"These conditions are acceptable." Mrs Kareena pauses and thinks for some time. "But you are forbidden to try to persuade these girls in the meanwhile. Let them think for themselves."

"Indeed. I will comply. Even If I meet them by chance, I won't talk to them about accepting."

"You better do so."

"Then I am gone." He looks at me again. "Until tomorrow, Marcy, Mrs Kareena. Farewell, Helen of the gentle fire." He says while rubbing his shoulder.

I've heard that somewhere before... I can't even think. I just watch that slender back slowly going away and further away.