At the sound of people approaching the job-changing crystal room, I quietly take an ornate wooden jewelry box from my backpack.

I didn't have the time to change any settings besides reading through a ton of stuff in these system windows before Kareena returns with a leather pouch. I can feel the pemadras inside. Good girl.

"Here is what you requested. But before I hand it over, how are you going to fix this problem?"

"Is this one good enough?" I open the box for everyone to see. Inside there is another job-changing crystal. The one I commandeered back in Mirfield. This one was inert so I have resisted the urge of snacking on it for all this long autumn. "I think you can activate it. Do we have a deal? No questions asked."

"Yes, 'hero' Beowulf, we have a deal. You are a crafty conman. It is like you had everything planned two steps ahead of us. Give me this crystal without any other tricks, will you?" She relaxes her shoulders and even the tone of her voice changes. The two guild staff that followed her also think her change in demeanor is strange.

"Sure. Here is the job-changing crystal, give me my pemadra." The mana stones change hands, and Kareena places the precious guild crystal in its place. Afterward, she chants the activation spell only guild masters can use. The job-changing crystal glows and hums and after a few moments, a burst of energy can be felt all around us. Our guild cards buzz slightly for a few seconds.

"The field seems to be operating normally," Kareena states after examining the crystal with her hand over it. "The guild is back in business." She smiles.

I stow the pouch with the stones in my backpack. "Good to do business with you. We are leaving."

"Just a minute. Aren't you going to eat that monster core now?" There is a strange eagerness in her voice. Some fear too.

"Let me guess, it is a wyvern pemadra, right? It is an A-rank pemadra, and it looks very dangerous. Man, these guild masters sure love their wyverns."

She makes an awkward smile. "You surely know your stuff, right? It is just that wyverns are the most common A-rank monsters around these parts..."

"Kareena, stop looking for ways to get me killed. The same goes for your staff. I would really like if we can leave all this hostility behind and forge a new relationship."

"Then can you take an emergency nominated guild master request for me?" Then she makes a pleading face that could convince me if  "Hero Beowulf, help me please!" And here it comes. No wonder she was mellowing herself out. The girls have a surprised look on their faces.

"Marcy, what this ominous sounding term means? 'Nominated guild master request'?"

She makes a pose. "It means 'the greatest recognition an adventurer can receive from the guild, the honor of having their name engraved in the annals of the guild history, of helping community above and beyond duty and...'" Marcy recites as if she was reading from a textbook in the middle of class. I am listening trumpets sounding behind her. Not really.

"If it is an emergency request we cannot refuse." Helen completes.

"The real meaning is that we are screwed, right? She is probably sending us to kill a dragon or more likely..." I stare down at the smiling guild master before completing my thoughts, "confirmation of the dungeon arrived during these two days we rested, and now you want to send us in."

Kareena takes the floor. "You are a genius, Beowulf! I took you as a good-for-nothing murderer, but you really know your stuff. It is exactly regarding the dungeon. Scouts reported several giant bug monsters in the forests to the northeast."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"So are you going to send us to that dungeon? Is it that request of yours?"

She points at a couple of adventurers that are impatiently waiting outside the job-changing room.

"Before that, we are in the way of guild members that might want to change jobs. Let's go back to my office, there are some tea and biscuits for our enjoyment ready. This way, hero."

We are escorted by the guild master back to her office and seat on our usual places. The bitter receptionist that usually waits on Kareena serves us tea and cookies. The cookies are bland whole wheat and nuts and not very sweet, but compared to the brick bread the commoners eat, it is very delectable.

"Guild master, what is the pay for this nominated request?"

"Five gold coins to each of you three. And a rank C party wide promotion." C is the last rank before you begin to have problems being pushed around by nobility and royalty. But there are a ton of freebies that open up. Like having an exclusive receptionist. I already have someone in mind.

"Victory conditions?"

"Clear out the first five floors of the dungeon."

Marcy cuts in. "Do you know how many floors this dungeon has?"

"Over fifty." The muffled answer comes from Zahariel, that was in the background all this time. The seraph just went with the flow and revealed more than he should.

Kareena is not one to let it pass. "Amazing! To think you have this much intelligence on the target already, may I ask how do you know that... Zarr?" Someone has been reading her reports. We did not introduce Zahariel to her.

I take the lead and lie. "We were speculating about the dungeon yesterday, and he overheard some theories we were throwing around."

"It is interesting that when you went out for the field trip some days ago this child was not with you, but now you seem inseparable. Whose child is this?"

"He is my brother from my father's side. Since the partnership between me and the girls became a long-lasting one I sent for him to be brought here. We only have each other now."I make an open display of brotherly love hugging Zahariel. His 'please stop it big brother it is embarassing' act is almost perfect.

Jokes aside, I had my sights on that dungeon one way or another. It might be a good source of experience and resources but honestly, I'd rather go south and rendezvous with Shraaizar faster. I need to talk to Helen and Marcy about what they want to do, it is not like I am going to pull them around after me.

Marcy notices my indecision and chips in, "Can we talk it out among ourselves and come back to you tomorrow?"

"The request is mandatory. I am sorry, but the hero boy here is the most qualified person to dive into that dungeon right now from all the adventurers we have available. For the safety of you girls, you might want to add more members to your party or to swap out entirely."

Helen is angry, but I held her arm and whisper on her ear "She knows nothing, let it slip. We need to talk in private the four of us. But staying in this guild any longer today will only harm us. Please let it slip, you know nothing can get us apart now."

She nods and addresses Kareena. "Guild master, thanks for your concern. However, our party does not require any additions or replacements. We will gladly take on your request, but only if you pay the rewards up front. Of course, the promised rank up can wait until we return, but we will need the gold to buy supplies and prepare for the expedition. This is not negotiable."

Marcy looks at her with an amused look. I can't help but beam a proud smile. My woman is a strong one. I reach out for her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. I can really lose track of time just indulging in the texture of her skin. She looks me deep in the eyes and I have to fight the urge of taking those lips right here and now. "Not now!" she whispers to me.

"I-I can see it clearly. I was only thinking about what was best for you, but I won't meddle in your party... dynamics."

"And the gold?" Helen presses on the attack.

"I'll have it ready in a few moments. Yvonne, see to it, please." So that was the name of the bitter receptionist. I'll make sure I forget it within three steps out of the guild.

"As you wish, guild master." And whats-her-name leaves to fetch the gold.

We got paid, the request was recorded in our guild cards by the guild master herself and we left the guild a little after high sun. All this going back and forth made me hungry. Those meager cookies were only good as a light snack. People in this world usually don't eat lunch. They get a reinforced breakfast at the first rays of the sun, work until almost dusk then eat some supper and go to bed. There is the occasional snack during the day, but it is not a proper meal. Oh, the villager life. How I don't miss it.

"How about we go for a round around the food stalls and bring a huge haul back to Helen's place? We need to discuss several things before the day ends. I'm buying."

Everyone cheers at the sound of free food. Time to play with my new skill.