Prologue.

"umm... Father?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you so strong and brave?"

A cool breeze blew across the hill as my father and I sat under the only tree atop the hill at the back of our home. We stared at the orange sky as the sun slowly sets.

"Hmm... You think I'm strong and brave?"

"Yes! Not to mention cool!" I answered, my eyes filled with admiration and awe at my father.

"Bwahahaha!" My father laughed with a grin on his face. He then placed his left hand on top my head.

"Listen Dante, in life there will be something or someone that you will find precious and important that you would even risk your own life to protect. When you do, you would desire to become stronger in order to protect it, and as for bravery..." he then held his chin and pause as he thought what to say next. "You can say it's another form of being afraid."

"Afraid?" I tilted my head quizzically at this contradiction.

"Yes afraid. It is when your fear of losing those which are precious to you, that the other scary things pale in comparison that you would be able to stand against them. Though this is only my view on it." He then smiled and ruffled my hair, then placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Dante, you're kind, smart, strong and back then, one of the bravest person I've ever seen. When you fired a flare in the forest which made finding you guys easier. How you stood there protecting your brother from the kobolds, and even after I arrived you still asked me not to hurt them too much or kill them because they were only protecting there young. I'm happy that someone like you looks up to me hahaha... lets go home now, it's starting to get dark, and the sent of your mother's cooking is even starting to reach here." He stood up and patted his butt, and gave me a piggy back ride home.

                                                                                   Chapter one

The 6th day of the month of Red in the 703rd year of the Crimson Dragon

                            "A dream huh?" I muttered to myself as I slowly opened my eyes and the scene of trees and shrubs welcomed me, as I was still in the forest after completing a quest.

Ahh nothing can ever beat an afternoon nap after lunch, I stood up after resting under a tree then removed the monster repellent barrier and detect enemy spells I have cast beforehand and then do a few stretching to completely wake me up.

                  My name is Dante, Dante Ferlan. A young mage and not to mention an upper gold rank adventurer besides starting only three months ago, I am still fifteen turning sixteen this year, I'm already an adult since you would be considered as one when you turn fifteen, probably because of how dangerous this world is. As physical appearance goes I have blue hair that is the same with my father, and though I don't know how to feel about it, others say my face is more like or really a male version of my mother with her silver eyes. I also learned magic and other skills from her like sewing, cooking and so on.

             My adventurer's get up consisted of a simple navy blue robe which I enchanted myself, it has temperature resistance for heat and cold, simple water proofing to ward off rain and intermediate physical and magical resistance, I carry with me a sturdy staff two meters long made from a wyvern's bone and a blue crystal called miyareth which is good at amplifying magic or in my case to control it better and more efficiently and my staff doubles as a mace cause of how sturdy it is. My secondary weapon is an ordinary steel dagger hidden in my left sleeve.

I'm in the forest called Monden a literal short for monster's den, original I know. It is west of the nearest town Arrevan and a good thirty minutes walk from town.

Today I only took a simple monster hunting quest, and have collected a few herbs and materials that I could either sell or use later on. I took my things and proceeded along the path home, as I walked, I could hear the different sounds and songs in the forest which had a strange calming effect on me.

I then reached the river Ban, it had a good ten meter distance to reach the other side, the water here is shallow that at most on shin level except of course after when heavy rain or storms land.

                    Sure is nice to take a dip before heading home. I thought, hmmm I wasn't in any rush and it was still early in the afternoon might as well relax a little. I went down stream to find the deeper parts of the river. The water was clear and I was even tempted to just go and jump in, but I knew better than to do so, I found a good clearing where I could place my things. I dropped my baggage and took off my robe and fold it neatly to avoid it being to wrinkled and then I took off my inner shirt and pants, it would be troublesome and not to mention shameful if my things would be stolen by wild animals or a passing thief so I casted an animal repellent barrier and a stun trap on my things.

Brrrr. The water was cold and at the same time refreshing and had a nice feel on my skin. I submerged my whole body in the water when I was in waist deep and picked up a smooth stone on the bottom.

As I was rubbing the dirt and grime off my body with the stone.

"Aaaaaa aaaaa!" I heard a shout followed by a loud splash on the river which cause the water and wave to hit me.

"Hey! Watch it!" I shouted, honestly don't they have any consideration for the people who are already in the water?

"Sorry sorry, I thought no one was here" the person said.

                 The person didn't sound apologetic at all, what I saw when the person emerge was a vibrant red hair which reminded me of the colors of the sky when the sun is setting and for some reason a beautiful red lily comes to mind, a Barlen lily.

It was long enough to reach her waist, because of the water the hair sticks to the skin and traces the body's curves, an ample curve on the chest area where some of the hair covers only the right side and when I looked at the waist area the well toned abs could be seen, there was a scar on the left side her abdomen though 'claw marks' I thought.

          The water here was waist deep for me at best but it seemed a little deeper for the other person since it nearly reaches her bellybutton and the nether region can't be seen due to the water's surface reflecting the suns light and the small ripples didn't help with visibility either... wait... wait!!! I thought as I was amazed by how much information I gather in that fraction of a second also as the realization that the person in front of me was a girl.

             Her golden eyes widen, when she got a good look at me realizing that I'm a guy. "aaaaaah!" she shrieked as she turned around, lowered her body and then bolted out of the water. I was dumbfounded by what just happened, but I was naive.

She reached the other end of the river and picked up something.

"Pervert!!!!" she shouted, accusingly and leaped making a beeline towards me with a great sword in her right hand as she covered her chest with her left. Oi oi oi this isn't funny! I thought to myself.

"[FREEZE]" I casted an ice spell without even chanting, never did need to do it before. What appeared in-front of me was a naked girl probably the same age as me frozen in place with a sword close to me and is too close for comfort. Then I modified the ice block, first turning it opaque so I won't see anything further and so nobody else could see her, gave her a cold resist buff and made sure that she has an air supply, I then adjusted the ice block's duration to last ten minutes.

I then got out of the water, changed into my clothes and picked up my bag. Then leaped over the river, no magic was needed since it was only ten meters.

                When I landed I felt guilty so I placed a protection spell on her things to prevent burglary and adjust it to have the same duration as the ice block, since I can't make any exceptions of her being able to get through the barrier since I don't know who she is. I gave her an apology in my head then went off.

                                                                                          °•°•°•°

                   "Phew" I finally breathed out as I reached the western gate of the town. The fact that I reached the town within ten minutes speaks magnitude of how fast I ran away from the forest.

While I was panting on the side a soldier came up to me.

"Yow Dante, working hard? Hey you don't look so good, something happened?" he asked. Concern clear in his voice.

                  A brown haired young man with blue eyes, wearing the town security leather armor uniform and holds a spear asked. His name is Marty, he's around my age since he is just sixteen years old which made talking to him and becoming a friend easy and since I pass by this gate when I go for quests and come back home we became rather close as well along with the other guards.

I looked up at him and shaked my head.

"N-no, nothing dangerous. I just met with something crazy."

"Something crazy? What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, then tilted his head to the side.

"No it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Well if you say so."

"Yeah. Thanks."

               I was glad that he didn't question any further, yeah I guess he just thought that the problem was already dealt with cause I already reached the town. And honestly I really don't know how to explain what just happened earlier with him.

"Hey we still good this weekend? Bean's looking forward to it."

"Yeah of course, just tell him to take it easy this time if he doesn't want to be slapped by Dorothy again ahaha."

"ahaha yeah, will do. I don't want him to be beaten up by mister Trent this time since he judge that Dorothy's ten slap combo was enough last time."

We laughed at remembering that anecdote then a wry smile crept on both of us. Bean wasn't a bad guy per se he was just passionate and daring at times which leads to some headache for his superiors. He is strong probably the third strongest in physical prowess in the army in the whole town.

                 He is a black haired muscular werewolf beast-man with yellow predatory eyes with red where white was supposed to be. I was told that that was a natural trait for his species, their strength are even dependent on the phases of the moon, new being their weakest making them as strong as wolf beast-men and their strongest on a full moon to compare with wolf-men they're five times stronger. He didn't rely on brute strength alone though since he has skills and a scary battle instinct to back him up and he never skips training.

All this strength, discipline for self improvement and personality made him a role model for newer soldiers, civilians and by some adventurers as well.

"I be going first, bye good luck on your shift."

"Thanks, send my regards to your brother and his party as well. See you this weekend."

                  After we said our good byes I headed in the town. The wall by the way, which surrounds the town was six meters high and three meters wide. Guard posts can be seen atop it at regular intervals and archers can be seen patrolling as well.

                      There is a five meters distance from the wall and the nearest house so there is a fairly open space where you can see kids running around. Some playing with wooden swords, others chasing each other and some drawing on the dirt. Seeing them made me smile unconsciously, yup this is what kids should be like, I thought as I pass by.

It was getting a little late since it was a half way through four o'clock after all.

                The town has a simple layout since it only has two main roads, the one which goes from east to west and the one which goes from north to south east. Here in the north west side is the residential area that's the reason for the children who were running around, the guild is also located on this side along the main road.

                  On the Southwest as well as the south have inns, taverns and the town hall as well. The Northeast part is where you'll find the craftsmen like blacksmiths, wood workers, some alchemy shops can be seen as well. The small part of town which is the one between east main road and Southeast main road is this towns version of a red light district, like I would ever know what it's like there, I have never been there after all. The west and north roads have merchant stands around, the town center is pretty much a park of sorts and the gathering spot for important announcements.

As I walked down the west road I wave back at the other adventurers heading out, probably those who choose to hunt nocturnal monsters.

                     Then I spot a familiar group. The group was leaded by a tiger beastman having orange and black hair which would have been at shoulder length if it wasn't tied up in a neat pony tail and a fierce orange eyes, he has a handsome face? Honestly I'm the last person to be ask about the quality of male faces, though he has a scar on his left cheek it only boosted a wild sense to his appearance, he has a large build compacted with muscles he was wearing heavy armor and have a sword and shield at his back.

Three other beast-men followed behind him, a dog eared which has dark spiky hair and dark eyes, he has a plain look for a lack of better words, he also carries a sword and shield and wears heavy armor.

               The other was a snake scaled busty beauty with brown hair in a bob cut, her narrow yellow predatory eyes where when she stares at you it is hard not to swallow your saliva, she is wearing light armor and has a bow on her back and a quiver tied behind her waist, she said that getting arrows was easier for her this way.

               The last one was a cat eared young woman she is petite with black hair shoulder length and big blue eyes making her appear younger than what she actually was, the best way to describe her was cute especially how her ears would flick from time to time and how it would move in response to hearing a sound and it also looks soft and when she walks her tail sways behind. She was wearing what seems to be light armor with less protection compared to the archer's, it appears to prioritize mobility and being quiet, it makes sense since she was the thief in the group.

I waved and stopped walking.

"Going for an evening hunt Velos?" I asked him.

                   They were Velos, Barkus, Sett and Lucy respectively, their party is called Red Fang, they wanted it to be called red claw but Sett disagreed since she didn't have any claws, as a team they are upper silver. Individually Velos and Sett were upper silver and the rest were lower silver.

"Yeah, we took a lower silver mon hunt. The targets are vampire bats this time and we also took a gathering quest for nocturnal herbs and flowers. We are heading out now to secure a camp site near the gathering grounds for the plants, since we didn't want to do it in the darkness of night." He responded.

Ahh such precautions, truly a veteran team, as I was lost in thought one thing caught my attention.

"Lower silver for vampire bats? Are there numbers that great?" I asked, vampire bats are low bronze level monsters and upper iron when alone, they were two meters long when their wings were spread, but when they appear in great numbers the difficulty rises as well. What makes them hard to hunt for lower ranking adventurers were their ability to fly and their sound attacks.

Noticing my expression it was Sett who responded.

"No, they don't even number a dozen, but sightings of a vampire lord bat made it a silver rank quest."

Ohhhh, now it makes sense, I thought. Normal vampire bats are usually weak but from time to time a vampire lord bat is born which is the alpha male of the group. It's wing span is five meter, not to mention that it is smarter and can coordinate those under him.

                     Intelligent monsters like that always fall in lower silver at minimum to protect weaker or inexperienced adventurers since these monsters can form strategies and other traps not to mention that some monsters evolved leading to them having skills that are not usually found in their lower brethren. An ice breathing vampire lord bat is one example of this, it was alone at the time so the adventurers that faced it only suffered minor injuries.

"Woah, be careful all of you." I voiced my concern.

"Yeah we will. Especially now since Barkus finally had the balls to confess to lucy." Sett responded teasing the other two.

""Sett!"" the two screamed in unison, faces turning red and I think I heard a poof sound, nah must have been my imagination.

"Sett stop teasing them would you." Velos scolded.

"Sure I'll stop harassing them when you finally get the courage to ask me out as well." Sett responded with a mischievous smile, she even bent a little forward and tilted her head. It must have been my imagination but I saw her chest jiggle when she leaned forward. no no no if light armor would move like that it would practically be the same as clothes, since armor isn't that flexible, right? As my head was going to the gutters Velos responded.

"When that time comes it means that I have not found a greater woman." He declared. Then looked away his face turning red.

Even though it was an open secret that he likes Sett, in fact the whole guild already knew and there's even a bet to when he will confess. I had ten gold pieces to it happening three weeks from now though Velos didn't know about it.

                  Sett on the other hand said that she will have ten percent of the total winnings, if not, every last one who placed their bets will receive her sharp tongue treatment for a whole year which made everyone agree with no further complaints. I heard the last time when she used it was on a female adventurer who was cozying up to Velos and was slandering Sett and even Lucy. 

It was said that Lucy cried back then, although Velos didn't believe her and even told her to stop. She was so thick skinned to do so, until Sett spoke to her. Anyone who was present back then when asked what she said would only sweat cold bullets, avert their eyes and say it was nothing. 

                     From what little information I gained like puzzle pieces the only thing I got was Sett talked to this female adventurer for fifteen minutes then the female adventurer started tearing up left the building and the next day she transferred to a far away country, she was still an adventurer though and is said to finally have changed a new leaf.

When the four of them was being absorbed in their own world I excused myself. Sett greeted me off and the others followed, so I leaved them be as I continue my way to the guild.

The guild was large two story building that was made with wood. Inside the ground floor had a marble floor, pillars having goat horns where the tip is cast downwards which replaces lanterns, mages cast a light spell and a glowing orb will float on the top of the horn. There were even three goat horn chandeliers from the entrance you could see it as left to right. The one in the middle is grander by comparison though.

The first floor acts as a tavern and quest selection area, this is where some adventurers gather around before leaving on quests, this is also a hotspot for information gathering and a place where they choose their next job.

A receptionist can be seen on the left side, on the right would be a counter for drinks and meals, the floor has ten tables in all and in the middle opposite the entrance was the stair case which leads to the second floor. The second floor was different, a receptionist area can be seen as well with the main difference that this is where people would give their requests, and also where aspiring adventurers gets registered and can ask for a rank up if they're confident enough.

I can still remember when me, my brother and our friends registered here for the first time, it feels so nostalgic even if it was only three months ago. The second floor has five private rooms, this is where some adventurers come to talk about sensitive information and for a lax way to just plan for their next quest. Clients or those who have requests can even talk with the adventurers here for further details. The guild Master's office is also located at the eastern most side of the second floor.

When I entered the guild the scent of roast pork entered my nose.

                  I surveyed the area, there were only twelve people in total. It made sense since adventurers around this time are either out on quests or in town relaxing, as for the twelve in question they were the three receptionists wearing green, red and blue which respectively are in-charge for gathering quest, monster hunting or slaying quest and last escort quests. Miscellaneous quest like part time waitress and being tutor fall under the gathering receptionist. Two people handled the counter for the bar, there were two people on the left side as well, eating their meals.

"Dante! Over here! Oi oi oi here!"

             The one who was shouting and waving at me was a buff with a healthy tan young ox beast-man named Turk. He has a navy blue hair cut neatly short, he has two horns protruding out his forehead, gentle brown eyes that can't hide the burning passion in them.

Their was only five of them on the table out of the six man party. There were lots of food on the table including a whole roasted pig, which explains the sent earlier, as well as fish, beef and others delicacies.

                      This was the party my twin brother was in as well as three of our childhood friends. They were: my brother a human with black hair like our mom's and a face like a younger version of our dad, he has deep blue eyes like our father's, he is also gifted with sword wielding like our dad and is hella strong for his age and race.

                    Mmhmm the older brother I'm proud of Darren Ferlan, many say that we are opposites and have a nice distribution of our parents traits and skills, since even if I'm a mage I can at least be an upper bronze swordsman and same goes for my brother, where he's good enough to be a lower bronze mage and the reason why lower is because magic requires a lot of time reading and studying. I'm just lucky that I can retain information so fast that reading a book once is all I need to memorize its' contents.

               Next is Turk of the Black horn clan who stands at two meters and twenty centimeters, a gentle giant so to say. He may be annoying at times because of how loud he is and how straightforward he acts, he is caring and loving to those who knows him. He is a brawler choosing to wear light clothes instead of armor to increase mobility and he also said that his skin is tough enough not to be scratched by half assed attacks and also his muscles give him additional protection.

            His weapon of choice is a Armodran gauntlet made from an upper gold class monster when alone, they are ten meters in length from the tip of their nose to their tail and once curled has a height of five meters. It curls itself and rolls to attack and defend at the same time, it's claws are no laughing matter either it can pierce through steel heavy armor, with a shell five times harder than steel it is a monster feared by small towns and villages and can cause minor damages in a big city.

                  The most dangerous time to meet them would be in their mating season where two or more male will battle it out, this fight can literally change the geography of a given area. Although they are docile by nature since they are herbivores they are overprotective with their young.

                     He said that he likes the gauntlet cause it has a shock absorption that cancels recoil which makes him less fatigued when fighting. We met when we were celebrating after being registered in the first floor.

               The mage of the group, a childhood friend of ours and a fellow student under my mothers tutelage is Vanessa Lankel, a purple haired human beauty, she's smart, quick-witted and rational. She likes my brother which doesn't bother me mind you. Yeah never even once. Most definitely not!

She is just a childhood friend that I ended up being around with more because she is also my mother's apprentice back then, I have definitely moved on from my unrequited feelings that I have never confessed! I'm an adult now so yeah.

                      She has purple eyes that has a brighter hue than her hair and her ear will twitch when she finds something interesting. The lone love mark under her left eye, the way her nose will flare when she gets mad and when she laughs mana actually leaks out and those who can sense mana can sense a pleasant sensation and the same goes as well when she is sad or dejected. At least that's what my brother told me...

                        yeah he told me those information!!! She wears a clean white robe, which honestly is efficient since there is a limit to how many enchantments you can place on a single robe and their quality as well, from what my analysis spell told me, her robe has heat and cold resistance, anti dirt and dust, anti stain and minor physical and magical resistance.

                        To compare with my own, she can still get wet and she has a weaker resistance to physical and magical attacks because she wants to keep wearing white! As smart as she is, there are a few weird things that she will not back down on. 'is white not the color of purity!? Yes it is! To wear this white robe and maintain it's elegance and purity, does it not reflect on my being. If I can't maintain this clothes, then why have I even learned magic!?' sigh I can still remember her saying that after I asked her and try to change her mind about the enchantments.

                    And wait didn't she first wanted to be a mage because she said that it was the only position left that she can still appear elegant and beautiful like my mother. Because she had no affinity with healing spells she threw away the option of wearing a white priestess's dress...

                    Next the priest of the group Barton Everwill, a childhood friend of ours. He has a gentle aura around him, with white hair, green eyes and an androgynous face, he wears a white clerical robe with steel gauntlets at his arms as well as steel boots. His weapon is a one handed mace where the center of its' head has a small blue stone inside, probably an Miyareth crystal.

               Next is the half elf archer Wendy Oakbow. She is the last of our childhood friend, in the list. She has green, wavy hair, her symmetrical white smooth face, the emerald jewels that are her eyes, her thin lips and the pointy ears that are common trait for the elves and although her ears are shorter these all makes her a beauty that most men loves. She has always been the quiet type, but amongst all of us she's the one who hates being alone the most, since she's very comfortable around us she can actually be quite chatty. Even in their Elvin forest Wendy's archery skills were hard to match and is only second to his father a human party member of my mom and dad's team. And that's when she is still fifteen.

The last member of their team that isn't present right now for some reason is Lisa Quickfoot, a member of the Quickfoot clan which consists of Lilitoan people. They are a race far harder to guess the age of since unlike the elves who stops aging after reaching at least late teens to early twenties, the Lilitoan race stops physically maturing by the age twelve both male and female. She was the oldest in the party being seventeen.

                She is blond with a bob cut, she also has big green eyes paired with two small red horn a trait of the Lilitoan race and a mark of one reaching sexual maturity, usually gained by age fourteen. The horn grows longer the older one becomes and stops when they reach twenty-five after that their horns will just slowly change color to white when they reach sixty, this is also the method we used to decipher her true age. She is the thief in the group, a role given to those who specializes in trap detection and disarming them as well as monster detection.

                    All of us who grew up together are still fifteen or sixteen, we are the offspring of the legendary party who have distinguish themselves as the greatest of all. Their achievements include dragon slaying with just six members where the norm is to hunt it down with a force of a few hundreds against an elder dragon. And the most important of all was the slayers of the previous demon lord.

                   Don't get me wrong demon lords are strong but mostly it's more of title that is equivalent of king for humans and demi humans. As the name suggest they are the lord of demons in their respective domain. They are more diverse in terms of how many race falls upon them, from goblins too Minotaur and vampires to actual demons, with their standard even kobolds are a part of it. Currently there are only eight demon/monster kingdoms left. But I'm going off topic here.

                          After greeting the other four I sat down next to Turk and Barton, they were on my left and right respectively. Across us was Darren, Vanessa and Wendy and from my perspective they go from right to left respectively, meaning Darren and Barton was facing each other, Vanessa and I were the same and Turk and Wendy was having a face off and a silent staring competition to know who gets to eat the last deer steak.

Seriously you're the one who invited me and now your too preoccupied to even talk to me?

"Well Dan, it's rare for you to be here around this time isn't it?"

"Yeah you usually sleep in the forest a little more and arrive just in time for dinner."

" And if not you spend the time gathering herbs and other ingredients for making potions right?"

After Essa asked me a question, Ren and Tonton asked with their follow up questions. Those by the way were our nicknames for each other.

Kinda feels frustrating how they know me so well.

"Well actually, something happened."

As I retold to them what happened to me this afternoon, Ren tried holding in his laughter as Tonton, Essa and Wendy all gave cold looks, Turk was triumphantly eating the steak he won after Wendy broke eye contact to look at me.

"Dante... how could you freeze a girl..."

"and someone who's naked no less."

"The worst"

                  Ok so Barton's and Vanessa's words and looks were painful. But I never expected the rarely spoken Wendy's words to hurt more, and the cold stare she gives make me feel like she's saying 'And I called you friend once spit* I wash all my hands from all things related to you.

Wendy please don't, please still be my friend I was tearing up inside.

Who knew the scorn of your childhood friends can be this painful.

"Now now, pfft. From what I pfft, heard Dante just defen pffft. He just ehe he just defen ahahaha. I'm sorry Dante I just can't. Hahahaha hehehe. Hooo my stomach hurts." My brother tried to defend me but what he did was just to dig a deeper grave for me.

The looks from the three just got colder, Turk you lucky bastard help me out here!

Turk was just minding his business eating the roasted pigs leg. Not a care in the world. And then he swallowed.

"Now everyone, cut Dante some slack will ya? He was bathing and was naked as well. If any of you were in his situation how would you have dealt with it? That the girl and you would have been left unscathed? From what I heard, she was so fast that by the time Dante cast the freeze spell her sword was near his face." Turk raised a finger and wagged it, he was like a mother correcting a child's behavior gently.

The three faces showed sign of discomfort probably what affected them more was the fact that it was Turk who was correcting them.

"But Dante still froze her.."

"Didn't he gave her a cold resist buff and made sure she could breathe properly inside?"

                  Barton tried to argue and was shot down. By emphasizing that it was me who cast the buff spell, the quality of it was assured and that she would not feel cold inside the ice block and by adding the fact that I gave her room to breathe to ensure her safety there was just nothing Barton could have said about it.

"But Dante froze her naked in the middle of the river!"

"Didn't he turned the ice opaque to prevent her being exposed? And he even protected her belongings before he left didn't he?"

                  Vanessa tried reasoning about the fact she was left there naked and Barton strongly nodded to it only to be further rejected by Turk. Daaaang I was seeing Turk in a whole new light, I'm sorry for underestimating you all this time!

"mrrr" Wendy was still glaring at me, growling in frustration cause she can't think of anything to add.

"Now everyone, I think you owe Dante an apology for the harsh criticism and Dante reflect on the points that they pointed out and try to come up with a gentler countermeasure for dealing with naked and armed ambushers." Turk said

Oi Turk I don't think the sarcasm in the end was needed, yes?

"I am sorry Dante, just remember to not go around freezing people willy nilly!"

"I am sorry too, but just imagine if your mother finds out about it?! So no, freezing!"

"urgk"

"Mmhmm"

                        Barton's apology was followed with a sharp reminder. Vanessa's on the other hand brought my mother in to it, I felt chills climbing up my spine just thinking about it. Wendy... yeah Wendy just nodded agreeing to Vanessa's statement.

"Dang imagine if mom was here to hear that you froze a girl in ice then left her out in the open like that hahaha." Darren said then continued to laugh holding his sides.

Honestly this brother of mine. Guess he really is family.

At this moment Turk leaned in on my left.

"Dante, there is no such thing as free lunch." He whispered to me.

                     My eyes widened for only a moment, yeah I thought as much. Now that I remembered he is a middle child of nine kids, maybe mediating between sibling fights was his job? Not to mention he did said something about being in a house filled with nine growing kids, the dining table was a battle field!' guess there's no helping it, he did just help me out of a bind there it is the least I could do.

"Ok, but just three meat themed lunch boxes. Thank you by the way." I whispered back to him. Which made his eyes go wide and then nodded enthusiastically like a child being promised a new toy, I guess in his case being given his favorite meal.

"Dante no fair!"

"Wendy what is it?! Something wrong? Did Dante do something again?!"

Wendy just shouted out of nowhere, she probably heard our conversation, those ears of hers' is scary. Vanessa startled by the shout of the usually quiet Wendy, asked what was wrong and glared at me again.

"Dante is going to cook." Wendy said pointing at me.

"Eeeeh! He'll cook?! But it isn't anyone's birthday yet!" Vanessa shouted confusedly.

Upon hearing her shout, the whole guild fell quiet. It was so quiet that you would hear a pin drop in this place. The receptionists, barkeep and now seven other adventurers that have just arrived not including the two from before all looked at our table. The suspense was in the air, waiting for concrete confirmation about what she just said.

"Shh shh Vanessa what do you think your doing? I am only going to cook for Turk because he helped me out just now." I talked in a volume where everyone can hear me.

The disappointment in everyone could be felt here, some even wiped their mouths and later all eyes fell on Turk filled with envy.

"Oh Dante's gonna cook? I'll have chicken then, I prefer fried." Darren raised his hands chimed in with a glee full smile.

"You won't get any!"

"Ehhh... why not, Dante have mercy! I'm your brother aren't I? Please, even if it is just one whole chicken." He looked up at me with his version of the puppy dog eyes. Honestly it just reminded me of dad when he asks something of mother.

Somewhere in a house at the base of a hill.

"Aaaachooooo!"

"Dear did you catch a cold?"

"No no I'm fine sniff*."

This was the conversation of a lovey dovey couple in a small home far far away.

"Because you just laughed earlier instead of defending me!" I shouted in frustration. Darren gave me a look of betrayal and slumped his shoulders.

"Dante you baka!" Darren shouted back, proceeding to shed crocodile tears.

"Dante just because you have surpassed your mother in cooking and slowly catching up to her in magic, doesn't give you the right to abuse your talent in cooking!!" for some reason Vanessa is so passionate about this.

Meanwhile in a house at the base of a hill

Chop chop chop Crack* Crash* Thud*

A handle of a knife that a beautiful black haired with silver eyes woman was holding cracked and broke under her grip as her knife chopped the radish and continued down the chopping board only to be stopped by the concrete surface of their kitchen, though it didn't go unscathed as spider web like cracks spread on it's surface.

"Anu... honey are you ok? You seem mad."

"Oh my, I'm fine darling just felt like an insolent apprentice of mine is saying something she shouldn't." The beautiful woman responded to her husband, the hand holding the knife raised making the knife point upwards as a smile forms on her lips, though her eyes screamed blood-lust, the husband who witnessed this shudders as how her beauty and elegance were not blemished by her actions.

With a wave of her left hand the damaged surface and chopping board started to mend themselves.

"I'm going to go out for a while, we need blood bear for dinner." She said

"R-right... happy hunting honey." The husband stepped aside as his wife passed through.

Blood bears are an evolved form of mountain browns a type of brown bear mostly found in mountains. These bears have their names because of two reasons, one is their redish brown fur and two, before winter when these bears hibernate, they attack and hunt for prey desperately to gain fat.

Leaving their claws and fur tainted blood red. Their claws also has a paralysis effect, though they don't attack as aggressively during other seasons, they will shred you to pieces when you trespass on their territory. Blood bear ranking upper bronze, before hibernation upper silver.

Vanessa shivered out of nowhere as cold sweat drip down her cheeks.

"Essa what's wrong?" Tonton asked clearly concerned.

"I felt a chill running up my spine and decided to hold me by the neck from behind."

Base on her reactions and how she responded the four of us concluded.

""Mom""

"Is it mrs. Ferlan?"

"Scary."

We all averted our eyes away from Vanessa as she nodded, visibly shaken, remembering things we don't want to. Turk on the other hand just tilted his head to the side.

""""Good luck on our next visit home...""""

The four of us said in unison, Darren and Wendy held her by the shoulder and Barton and I just raised our right hand, closed our eyes and bowed our heads. Leaving Vanessa teary eyed and looking from left to right at all of us. Then she slumped her shoulders as she accepts the inevitable.

"Why are guys acting like this? Is their mom that scary?" Turk asked. Question marks popping out his head.

All of us looked at him with gentle smiles. Ahh the innocence of a child we all thought.

"It's ok Turk it is something you don't have to know yet. Mom can be gentle so there is no need to soil your image of her yet."

"Yeah mom can be hard on her magic lessons too."

"Yeah I remember when I was vomiting due to stress and fatigue back then."

"Although I wasn't mrs. Ferlan's student I got caught up in one of her lessons once."

"Dante and Darren's mom..."

All four of us had lifeless eyes as we stare in to space. The scars that mom have dealt to us was just so deep. Even Wendy couldn't finish her sentence. Just so you know mom never abused us physically per se she just have a creative way of punishing us for our misdemeanor, but our mage training was rough especially our training to increase our mana capacity. Which could literally make you puke.

She is a loving and caring mother to both of us and a kind aunt to others, though when it comes to training she does a complete one-eighty.

This made Turk have bullets of cold sweat drip down his cheeks and back.

I recovered first from the reminiscing, the other four still had distant looks.

"By the way" I asked to change the subject "where is Lisa? She's not sick is she?"

"Ohh Lisa," Turk said.

Probably it was his loud voice, with the help of it everyone seems to have come to.

"She said an old friend is coming to town and is going to be an adventurer. She says that she is a real beauty and not to mention strong too." Turk said, then acted a bit timid "Lisa even asked me to ask you if you could cook a feast to celebrate her friends' arrival?" Turk continued.

Sigh... the way Turk keep glancing at me when he was saying the last part made it so dang obvious that he looks forward to the feast part, well same can be said with the others as they looked at me expectingly.

Ohh right her friend from Jindara was it? It can't be can it? Well guess nothing will be lost so might as well go all out.

"Sigh... alright, since Lisa rarely ask me any favors I'll do it for her. That said, I guess we will have to do it tomorrow since it's getting late now." I said. It was already past six, any meal preparations done now would be inefficient to be a feast.

Everyone, I mean everyone in the whole building stood up, raised their arms in the victory pose and cheered.

"Oi oi this is going to be a private celebration" I said teasing the crowd.

They all had defeated looks and some even looked at me with teary eyes, some were full on bawling.

I scratched my cheek feeling guilty for joking like that.

"Alright alright. As long as you guys bring the meat, ingredients as well as drinks I'll cook for you all. But since I'll be cooking for a lot of people we will have to hold the celebrations on the day after tomorrow, to welcome Lisa's friend. This will also help for the ingredients gathering." I said, as I let out a heavy sigh feeling tired from dealing with them.

The whole crowd cheered and thanking Lisa's friend who is yet to arrive.

Then a static noise can be heard as the speakers that is connected to the whole town was being used.

"ahem... good evening everyone! We have an urgent announcement to make! An open quest that would be available for the next two days only! The quest is simple but it has no monetary reward what so ever! The quest is... collect ingredients for Dante! He will cook up a feast to welcome a friend and have agreed to cook for everyone if they brought the ingredients as well as drinks! For those who wish to participate should come to the guild early tommorow morning so the division for ingredients gathering can be settled! We don't want to have a surplus of just one ingredient after all and lose the others! I repeat..."

A loud clear and cheerful voices could be heard through the speakers, it was the three receptionists taking turns to speak on the mic magic tool. And after a while loud cheers could be heard from outside the guild.

"Wahh... could it be true?!"

"Idiot of course it is, they won't use the guild's speakers to announce a lie after all!"

" uwaaah, just when I thought I could never eat his dishes again! I'm so happy to be alive!"

Conversations went along those lines could be heard from outside.

Then as the chattering was starting to quiet down in the guild, the door to the entrance swung fully open.

"Everyone, good evening!!!" Lisa greeted, doing a cute pose of thrusting her right hand up, her left hand clenched on top of her chest and then lifting her left foot.

Aside from being popular with some of the male adventurers, there was another reason why everyone here was cheering her return.

Yes, everyone here knows why I would be cooking two days from now and some were starting to tear up after seeing Lisa. There were at least forty two people inside the guild since dinner time was coming up.

Feeling good about the cheering crowd, Lisa experienced a high because of the new found popularity.

"Everyone did you miss me that much?!" she asked, then proceeded to give out flying kisses as she walked to our table, doing the occasional cutesy poses.

Then she stopped, seeming to remember something she forgot and looked back.

"Ehh Sasha, you're not coming in?"

At her question, everyone looked at where she was looking at. Behind the door they could see a glimpse of red strands of hair swaying in the wind. Then slowly a girl appeared.

Everyone went quiet, what appeared before them was something they thought was out of this world.

The sun has long set by now, and what illuminated the night sky was a full moon and the starry sky since no cloud could be seen.

A few footsteps could be heard then stopped when the figure reach the center of the door. A vibrant red hair which swayed in the wind that reflected the white light from the moon have made the crowd gulp, it happen simultaneously that it was audible.

She shivered a little and held her chest with both her arms, probably not used to being stared at. Her shivering caused the plate mail she was wearing to make a clang sound with her gauntlet. From her shoulders to her elbows a porcelain white skin that shined with the help of moonlight was visible, she half opened her eyes and looked down exposing her golden pupils for the rest to see.

She was opening and closing her pink colored lips which appeared erotic trying to find the words to say to the friend who left her as the tip of her ears as well as her cheeks started to turn red. This caused both men and women to let their jaws drop, no matter the race all was entranced by this lone girl except for one.

"Woah! Your that girl from the river!"

Everyone in the building looked at the speaker. It was a navy blue robed mage that was well known for his high rank and solo questing but more on his amazing ability to cook.

Woah... I guess it really is her, she has the red hair and golden eyes, but I cannot be mistaken if she has a great sword at her back as well I thought now that I look at her she only wears a silver breast plate, gauntlet and boots along with a normal clothe skirt, guess she's confident with her evasion against enemy attacks now. I smiled thinking about it.

°•°•°•°•°

"Eeehhh hehe he!" I shrieked then giggled, as I was jumping up and down.

I just couldn't hide my excitement, after all I am going to be an adventurer starting today! I have practiced every day for the past eight years to finally be able to become an adventurer. Ohhh I just can't wait to reach Arrevan.

As I was walking down the path in Monden daydreaming about the many adventures I am bound to experience and great memories I am sure to make. A huge bloody ursa appeared from the bushes, or was it more commonly known as blood bear?

"Alright! You will be the first monster I will slay today in the new lands of Arrevan!"

I took my great sword which was given to me eight years ago by my teacher, it was a one and three fourth meters long sword excluding the handle, it was a tough blade that have once blocked a rolling Armodran, though it was my master who did it, it still speaks volume of how tough this blade is and I have been taking great care of it after he gave it to me and taught me how to do its maintenance. Even though I don't know what it's made of.

"I will not shame my master by losing to the likes of you!"

                    I lowered my stance, the bear roared in return, blood red eyes glared at me but I stared at it back. "Everything I've done, everyday that have past since is all so I can see him again!" I screamed.

                   I launched myself at the bear and it started to charge at me, we were closing the distance from each other. Then it raised its right arm to attack but I ducked to the left and rotated counter clockwise bringing my sword with me and slashing through the bloody ursa's abdomen.

                    Due to the momentum of its paw swipe the upper body was detached from the lower half after being cleanly cut in half. Guts and gore spread out on the ground as the upper half twitched one last time not realizing that it had already been killed.

                      I swing my sword again to flick the blood off and wipe the ones that didn't fall on the ursa's fur then return it to its sheath. I pulled out a small dagger from behind my waist as I walked closer to the upper half, I then proceeded to declaw it and collect it in my pouch, next were the fangs followed by the tongue and eyes said to be useful as alchemy ingredients.

I then cut open its' chest and took the magic crystal located between the lungs, I was told they fetch a high price, lucky me. Since skinning it would take too much time and effort to do so I refrained from doing so, I wipe my hands with the beast's fur once again and left it there.

                     I resumed down the path, I hear the song of the forest, the different sounds the birds make, the many screeches and cries of animals makes me remember all those times he held my hand and patted my head telling me that there was nothing scary about the noise the forest makes 'listen, close your eyes and listen... can you hear it?' he would often ask, he was shorter than me but for some reason when I had my head on his chest and his hands stoking the back of my head I felt like it was the safest place for someone like me to be.

'can you hear it now?' he would ask again and I would look up only to see his smiling face, then I heard it. The song the forest sings the orchestrated noise soon becomes a harmony, I nodded. 'Isn't it wonderful?'

As I listened to the song and remembered something precious, I was then ambushed by monsters.

                           Again and again and again, now I know why people would choose to go around the forest instead of through. The long route would take three days and this straightforward path will take no more than a day and the difference in danger makes up for it.

I already promised a friend of mine that I will reach Arrevan around this afternoon so I better hurry.

A Lilitoan, Lisa Quickfoot, she became my friend two years ago when her clan migrated. She told me that her clan were natural travelers and won't stay in the same area for atleast five years. She told me that because her race doesn't cultivate the land they just forage the wild herbs and hunt animals in the forest. Their actions actually helps the forest to have time to recover thus not disrupting the natural Eco system of it, at least that's what she was told.

                        I was sad when she left no more than three months ago, but she was chasing her dream, I couldn't stand in her way and she would be someone I know in the town so I was happy too, even if she went ahead of me.

                       Growl* my stomach let out a small sound, guess its lunch time then. I collected twigs and fallen branches to make a fire, it was easier to light it up since I know a simple fire spell taught to me by that boy. I then took out a fresh slab of boar meat that I got earlier and cut it to pieces with my dagger, I then pierced it with a stick, season it with salt and a few wild herbs and added some mushrooms on the stick then placed it on the fire to cook, I have five skewers in total.

                           I then sat on a rock I found earlier, since I'm in the forest I already had my water spell ready. All the spells that I know were the most basic of all, since the spells he taught me that were of higher tier were hard to understand.

In fire magic the most I could do is produce a small fire that would grow up to five inches from my palm, In water I can gather the moisture in the air to have a drinkable water, I can manipulate it a little as well.

In wind magic best I could do is a cool breeze which is cool on hot days, in earth magic I can produce small amount of soil, in light magic a small glowing orb which is useful at night is the best that I can do.

                   Though he never taught me dark magic it was because when I first tried using it I produced a dark flame that burnt a tree, but the odd part is, it didn't become charred or burnt, it simply rotted. He was amazed since only a few people had affinity to all six elements like him, this made me happy, I had something in common with him I thought.

He told me not to use dark magic for awhile until I can find my own teacher who specializes in it since the dark magic he knew was scary and the effect it would have if I used it would be a risk.

While I was sitting, I was refilling my leather pouch with water for my travels. A pleasant scent started to be wafted through the air, my skewers were about done.

"Mmmhmm this is the life." I thought to myself.

Before I knew it all five skewers were gone, I was now chewing on some berries.

"Yawn..." guess an after lunch nap is needed here huh.

......

"hey!"

Huh? There was a boy calling out to me, I didn't know who he is, I felt scared so I ran away. Huh? Wait?! Why am I running away from him?

"Wait stop" he called again.

'Hey! Little me, I know your cute and scared and all but he won't hurt us' I tried to reason with my younger self.

"Wait I won't hurt you" he called again.

'see what did I tell you, he is even repeating what I told you, so please stop' but the young me won't listen, until.

                       "kyaa!" the young me fell and was hanging on the roots of some tree nearby. Now, the height would have been no problem for adult me, but back then ten meters above ground would have been lethal to the young me. I was at the top of a cave opening.

"wait hang on!" the boy cried.

' Ahh what good memories these were.' I thought to myself

"Take my hand" the boy said as he stretched out his hand.

                  It was small, yet rough, he had calluses and the like, his robe was a mess. Yet he was strong, strong enough to pull me up and not only from the cave opening.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked as he checked my arms, legs and face for any injuries.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

I was scared and was crying but at the same time relieved. He saved me didn't he, he didn't let me fall, he didn't left me behind.

He then stroke my head to calm me down and it was effective.

"It's ok it's over now, you don't have to be scared anymore"

As he said those words and patted my head it calmed me far more than he originally intended.

"I am sorry for having scared you" he bow down to me.

"I just thought I saw something and when I chased it, it was you." He raised his head and scratched his cheeks.

"Woah you have a pretty hair, what's your name? I am thud*"

Huh come again?

"I am thud*"

Ow for the love of, whats with that thud sound!

When I came to, I saw a rock head slamming its' head on the tree I'm sleeping on.

              From what I heard, Rockheads were bipedal lower bronze monsters where it only had a hard head and nothing else to write home about.

I jumped off the branch that was my momentary bed and landed behind the beast.

"You... you... do you know what you have done?!"

I couldn't control myself, he was finally going to name himself! And this thing disturbed me from my happy reunion with him?! Unforgivable! completely unforgivable!

The beast started scratching the ground ready to charge at any moment, it lowered its' head and then started a mad dash towards me.

I stood my ground, still pissed off as hell then at the right moment spun around driving my heel to the monster's cranium blowing it off. I then used wind magic to deflect the blood splatters away from me.

I only opened its' chest to collect the crystal and was surprised to find that it had no crystal inside!

"I hate rock heads!!" I screamed from the top of my lungs.

I lose strength and simply sat on the ground, I was sobbing "I was so close, he was about to tell me his name"

Argh why does this happen to me?! I stayed there for a good ten to fifteen minutes. After the small rest I got up and continued walking. I hear something.

"Could it be?!"

I ran down the path as I hear running water, it is, it's a river. After a day of fighting monsters and traveling, the dust, dirt, sweat and some blood have dirtied my body, a bath is what I needed.

I hurried along till I found the river. I took off all my clothes and armor, folded it and insert it all in my breast plate so as to prevent animals from stealing it. I should probably wash it later.

I then rushed to the water, jumped, screamed and made a huge splash. It was fun, the cool water was doing its' job mending my weary heart, that rock head sure did a number on me. As I reemerge...

"Hey! Watch it!" the person screamed.

Uh-oh I thought, welp best to apologize fast.

"Sorry sorry, I thought no one was here." I apologized, but when I turned around.

I saw the person's blue hair which reminded me of how the skies were back then when we played in the Meadows, the person had pretty silver eyes. The face would have looked even prettier than me if it had more feminine features, wait... the person's eye moved left, right, up and down in quick successions, I followed him and she didn't have any breasts, her shoulders were broad, she was ripped and there was a nasty scar on the chest going from his upper right towards the middle. Wait...wait I thought she couldn't possibly be a he can she? The denial was stong with me.

As I realized she was indeed a he, I ducked, turn around and leaped to where my sword was at 'I can't be married now and definitely not to "him" what would "he" think if "he" finds out. No that's it, "if" he finds out, all I have to do is knock the memory away from this random guy.

I unsheathed my sword 'there is no backing down now.'

"Pervert!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

'I will just ask for forgiveness later, but right now' I lifted my sword with my right hand, making sure to cover my breasts with my left arm.

'This will be over soon!' I made a beeline for him and swung my sword making sure that the flat side would hit and then...

"[FREEZE]"

The next thing I knew I was in a block of ice, it's cold and I can't breathe. Is this it for me? How cruel! I didn't even get to know "his" name again. Ahh I wish I left from that stinking forest that was my home for a horrid ten years sooner.

                    No more than two seconds sooner after he froze me, he pointed his palm at me, then everything went opaque and I couldn't see a thing clearly, after that my body started to get warmer and air started flowing through my lungs again. Though I still can't move and I can't see where he went.

                      What is he planning? I can't let my guard down, no matter what. And what's up with this ice it's too damn hard! Wait I'm still naked inside this block, I can't see anything but I can't say for sure that's the same for him. No what if he already called his friends and are surrounding me at this very moment, then when the ice melts they'll attack me at once?! I would rather die than let them get their way with me!

Calm down Sasha, relax, no matter what awaits you after the ice thaws you just have to deal with it. I still have my sword with me and I will take as many as I can with me!

In all honesty I was starting to get bored in the ice and started to wonder what if I am stuck here forever. It is such an anti-climactic end for me...

                  As I was starting to get comfortable and nonchalantly thinking what would happen next, would I die of hunger first or die of thirst? I was able to breathe for some reason even if I'm inside this block of ice, maybe food and water would be delivered the same wa...!

"Waaa!"

Before I could finish, the ice just up and disappeared and I came crashing down the water. I quickly surveyed the area trying to find out where he could be hiding. Standing in the water anticipating an attack from any angle, it was starting to get cold.

"Hiyachee!" I was starting to sneeze.

"Guess he ran away." I thought.

When I reach the river's edge, my things were surprisingly still intact. Guess even wild animals didn't want my things. Sigh that was depressing.

I picked my things up and got dressed and then it hit me.

"I think... I'm lost..."

Wahh, I only followed the sound of running water to get here so I really don't know where I came from.

"Well no use crying over spilt milk as they say."

And thus I continued at a random direction.

                     I have been walking for a few hours and the sun was about to go out. This is bad, I told Lisa I'll arrive in the middle of the afternoon and knowing her she probably started waiting a little sooner. 'I have to get there fast' I thought to myself and then it hit me when I was looking up at the sky. "see the sky goes from my hair color to yours and then it goes dark and pretty stars starts to appear! Isn't it magical? How the sun goes bye bye and the stars watch over us from above." an image of a smiling boy appeared holding hands with a little red haired girl, 'haah I shouldn't give up now! From above huh.'

I jumped from branch to branch trying to reach the highest part and then leaped from the highest branch and a sea of trees came to view, then I saw the town.

"There huh." I started sprinting in the direction I saw the town at, dodging and running past monsters before they could even react. Soon I exited the forest and what came to view now was a meadow filled with colorful flowers, I was tempted to stay a little longer but the growing darkness snapped me back to my senses.

The distance from the end of the forest to the town was farther than I thought. It took me a good fifteen minutes to reach here even in a full sprint.

At the gate I saw a child hopping up and down waving her hands. To others she may appear to be a twelve year old but the two horns on her forehead is actually a telling sign for her race that she is pass fourteen.

"Your way beyond late you know!" she shouted at me as soon as I was hearing distance and by that I mean three steps away.

"Your lucky I am friends with the guards here so waiting for you wasn't all boring."

As she said that, true enough there were two guards smiling wryly.

"B-but it's not my fault! A crazy guy froze me a-and then got me lost!" I tried to defend my self. Unfortunately Lisa wasn't having any of it.

"Eeehhh froze you? Ehhh you frozen? Are you stupid? Knowing your brute strength you could have blown any ice away!" Lisa was acting like a delinquent, with how she talked.

"Well at least she arrived, so you can stop worrying now Lisa." A brown haired human tried to calm Lisa down.

"Marty stay out of this" she coldly replied "She deserves what's coming to her and it is my job to right her wrong way of thinking of letting people worry about others!"

"B-but..."

The soldier, apparently named Marty was shot down by Lisa and a wolf beast-man tapped his shoulder and shook his head.

"Lisa if your going to scold her do you mind it not be in the middle of the gate? Our office right now is free if you want some privacy." The wolf-man... wait his eyes were red, he must have been a werewolf then. Suggested to Lisa. And then she nodded.

"I'll take you up on your offer Bean, thank you." She responded with a bow.

She then glared at me.

"Follow me." Her cold words and stare were more fridged than the ice block I was in earlier.

It may have been weird to see a twelve year old kid scolding someone like me. But in reality she was the older one. She turned seventeen this year and I just turned sixteen not too long ago.

Then as luck would have it.

"Ahem... good evening everyone!..."

A cheerful voice resounded through the town. This made Lisa stop and listened.

From what I heard, there will be an event! I just arrived and an event like this is already taking place, the adventurer's life sure is fun! But a quest to hunt and gather ingredients for someone to cook? As I was pondering this fact.

"I knew I could count Dante."

Lisa had a bright smile, making her look like a kid.

"Your thinking about something rude aren't you?" Lisa glared.

'oh snap' I thought and just when she was starting to let me slide.

"'oh snap, just when she was forgetting to scold me' something along those lines huh?" she shrugged her shoulders.

Is she using some kind of mind reading spell?! Quick think of something else I closed my eyes and then thought of something else 'potato, cabbages, carrots, apples, crispy fried chicken!'

"I have a feeling your thinking of food." She said with a wry smile.

How can she do this?! Ever since we met she could read my mind.

"I've told you time and time again, it's not mind reading. Your thoughts are just clear as day on you face... although it's one of what's cute about you... anyways I haven't forgotten about scolding you! For now lets go to the guild first I want you to meet my party that I have been telling you about."

Lisa gave me a smile and then held my hands and took me away.

"Bean and Marty. We'll be going to the guild now, thank you for keeping me company!"

"No problem! Hang out anytime!"

"Tell Dante we will have spare roasted ribs tomorrow okay?!"

Marty assured Lisa and the werewolf was thinking about the feast scheduled two days from now.

"Dante...?" I accidentally muttered my thoughts aloud.

"Yup, he is this town's strongest mage, though he is as old as you, and he just started three months ago too. He is a kind person who's friends with a lot of people, I am in a party with his brother too, which is the strongest swordsman in town as well. Honestly those two and their friends they came to town with are all monsters. I have to keep up or I will be left behind ahehehe."

She was telling me these as we walked to the guild.

"Dante isn't in a party though."

"Even if his brother and friends are here?" I asked.

"Yeah, he said something about wanting to have a party of his own and have crazy and fun moments with, he also argued that we already had a mage in Vanessa. He only gave Turk and me that reason and the others just nodded, apparently he already decided this before they came here." She answered.

"I see. Ehhh wait, why would someone like that be able to cause an uproar with asking for ingredients and there won't even be a reward as well?"

"Because his cooking is the best!!" she answered enthusiastically. "When me and Turk arrived and joined Darren's party. Darren by the way is his twin brother, though they don't look alike. He cooked a feast to celebrate the forming of the new party and meeting new friends, it was heaven."

She was drooling as she said the last part. To think I could see her make that expression.

"Anyways, I asked that Dante to cook for a welcoming party for you!!" she puffed up her chest.

"And he agreed?! And why are these people so happy about it?

"Well I rarely ask any favor from him probably? And about how people act. It is because Dante once cooked on the daily basis and earned a lot of money back then and then he snapped at us shouting 'this wasn't what I wanted to do' it only lasted three days. People in the guild felt sad at first, but he promised that he would cook a meal to anyone celebrating their birthday or have achieve something great."

Ohh I see, he probably wanted to be an adventurer rather than a chef.

Before we knew it we were in front of the guild. Lisa let go of my hand and barged in. Being left alone I instinctively hid behind the doorway. Lisa was pretty popular I thought, everyone was cheering her arrival, muuuh Lisa how could you leave your friend behind.

"Ehh Sasha, You're not coming in?"

With that I unconsciously walked and stopped in the middle of the doorway, everyone was staring at me which made me conscious about myself, my heart was beating fast, I held my hands to my chest to prevent it from bursting out, I tried calling out to Lisa to get me but I can't form the words. And then.

"Woah, your that girl from the river!" he shouted

Everyone including me stared at the speaker. He was wearing a navy blue robe, his sky blue hair swayed a little, his silver eyes widened in shock as he pointed at me.

'h-he was the guy from the river! I have finally found you! Time to end this.' I held my head down trying to control my rage but it was no use. I was so angry at him.

In a quick, fluid motion I lowered my body, grabbed my sword and burst to him swinging my sword, a sonic boom came afterwards, I was confident no one in the room could have followed my speed, then...

The sound of metal against metal rang through the hall as sparks flew. The flat of my sword met another sword, my eyes widened. There was a black haired young man who stood between me and the robed guy, his eyes were staring straight sharply at me showing no openings in his stance. 'he is strong' I thought.

When I landed, the sound of a bow string being pulled hard enough that the string shouts it's stress as an elf girl which had shorter ear length so maybe a half elf? Aimed her bow at me and I can tell her arrow will fly straight between my eyes, the sound of ice forming four beautifully crafted spears all trained at me and at the corner of my eyes was a priest lowering his stance mace in hand.

             A tense atmosphere filled the whole building, the people who weren't able to follow my movements were surprised by the change of scenery an audible gasp and gulps could be heard from the audience. The ox man who was a little late to react just stood up, now sweat dripping down his cheeks.

Only five people were able to react to my attack and it was the five in front of me, my body was covered with cold sweat 'crap I just did something stupid didn't I' I thought. It was annoying how only one person was relaxed in all of this like it didn't concern him or anything.

After a few moments someone pushed my head down from behind.

"W-we're sorry!" Lisa was now beside me, bowing her head and had her hands behind my head forcing me to bow.

"Y-you see she's just a stupid forest dwelling hic who just arrived today. She doesn't have much going in the head department but I can assure you she is a good girl!" she apologized.

Oi oi I can hear you, you know?

"She is a dear friend of mine, she is awkward, little sense of shame, straightforward and someone who relies on her brute strength a little too much but besides all that she is a kind and sweet person who..."

She was stopped when the blue haired mage raised his hand.

"L-lisa... I-it is ok now, so uhhh can you raise your head?" he asked,

                    He looked troubled when trying to assure Lisa but she did as she was told. Which made the two girls behind glare suspiciously at him, I think they may have learned why he asked her to get up.

"I am guessing she was the friend you said that would be arriving today." He said, as sweat drips from his cheeks and the glares just grew in intensity.

"Yes, she is." She answered and then looked at me. Telling me to introduce myself.

"Y-yes, my name is Sasha Barlily, sixteen years old from Jindara forest." I was able to say my introductions which made people gasp and whispered to one another.

"Hey isn't that an A rank difficulty forest?"

"Shhh, don't talk they're not done with their conversation."

"But..."

"just shut up for now"

I heard this conversation from the back and what caught my attention the most was.

"Barlen Lily huh?" the mage whispered.

"Huh you mean the flower." The sword wielding young man asked in response.

                    Where did that come from? Even Lisa never made that connection until I told her about it. Maybe she told them about it, I looked at her seeming to have read my mind again, she just shook her head.

            "Anyways... Lisa no need to apologize further" the mage said. "Actually I-I may have... uhm ahhh met her already... heee" he continued stuttering here and there, shrieking at the end as there were now three people glaring holes at him, yes for some reason even the priest have joined them, and slowly the ice spears slowly change its' trajection aiming at the mage.

"H-hi, I am D-dante Ferlan. We may h-have met earlier, you know in the r-river...!"

                                When he finished the word river an arrow and four spears were fired at him, but not one hit him as he dodged all of them easily. I was amazed since even I didn't think I could evade all of them fired simultaneously.

"You dare dodge?!" the white robed girl shouted.

"I'll die if I didn't!" he replied.

"Dante, down!" the half elf demanded.

"No! And why should I!" he shouted.

"Uhm... Darren what's happening here?" Lisa asked the young man named Darren tilting her head.

Wait, Darren?! So these people are Lisa's party mates?!

"I think it's better if we have a seat first." He replied, then looked around us.

People were still standing watching and waiting what else would happen.

"A-aahh agreed, that would be better." Lisa replied.

With that said the others started going to the table where the ox man was. The trio still shouting at Dante, and he just replies in kind.

"Okay everyone nothing to see here just a misunderstanding, we have it handled." Darren told the people "And Bart we'll have eight of today's special and eight fruit juices please." He continued, facing the bar counter, then followed behind us.

                    The table fitted eight people at most, three on each side and one on each end. Following a clockwise order of who were seated goes: Darren sat at one end, then the ox beastman, the priest, the half elf, Dante, the white robed girl, me and then Lisa.

The half elf and mage were still both glaring at Dante.

"Well why don't we start with introducing ourselves, I am Darren Ferlan, human, fifteen turning sixteen this year, I am a swordsman by profession, leader of the White Wolves and older twin brother to Dante over there." He ended by pointing at Dante and then bowing at me.

"I am Turk of the Black horn clan, Ox beast-man, turning seventeen this year and the brawler in White Wolves. Nice to meet you." Turk then bowed.

"My name is Barton Everwill, human as well, I am seventeen and the second oldest in the group, the arc-priest in the White Wolves, pleased to meet you." Barton bowed as well.

"I am Wendy Oakbow, I am a half-elf, sixteen of age and am the marksman of White Wolves. Nice to meet you." Wendy bowed then returned to glare at Dante.

"Wendy chan, if you keep making that scary face you might turn into an ogre... gah" Wendy then jumped at Dante pulling his cheeks. " ow ow ow, I gweeb I gweeb, leg gow oh meh sheeks" Wendy let go of his cheeks then stumped her way back to the table.

Rubbing his cheeks, Dante picked up his chair and sat back down.

"I am Dante Ferlan, a genius sorcerer, trapped in this young fifteen years old human boy's body!" he stood up a fist in the air as he declared. He was hit with the end of a staff by the mage beside me.

"Ouch what was that for?!"

"introduce yourself normally!"

"What's wrong with adding a little flair?! The introductions so far were too boring!"

"Dante down."

"Wendy stop treating me like a dog!"

The others just smiled wryly and looked at me their eyes saying we're sorry.

After a few moments the three calmed down. When Dante sat down, the mage looked at me.

"I am Vanessa Lankel, also turning sixteen this year, learned sorcery from Mrs. Viraia Ferlan and thus a battle mage for the white wolves." She smiled and bowed. She was cute.

"Sasha it's written on your face again." Lisa said.

"Ohh, a little girl on girl action ey."

Dante's comment got him two swift kicks under the table.

"Dante, you should really stop provoking these two."

"Can't help myself Turk, their reactions are just too cute to pass up. Ow!"

This time only Wendy kicked him, her ears slightly turning pink. While Vanessa just took the complement and smiled.

"Well let us get back to our topic." Barton said, then looked at Lisa

"Ahh right, I am Lisa of the quick foot clan, a Lilitoan and because of how Barton introduced himself, I am the oldest being seventeen. I am also the thief and scout for the party White Wolves." She said and bow to me.

I guess that leaves only me huh.

"I-I am S-sasha Barlily, I turned sixteen this year and I use the sword as well, I am also so sorry of my actions earlier." I said then bowed my head a little to low as I hit the table which made the others giggle.

Wahh I felt that it was hard to breathe a moment there, and I even hit my head.

"Oh yeah, Sasha I have been meaning to ask, why did you attack Dante earlier?" Lisa asked, making all of them to turn for me for answers, Dante on the other hand just looked away.

"H-he... he saw me n-naked wahhh now I can't get married anymore!" I confessed tearing up.

"""What did you do?!""" the three girls yelled at Dante.

"I didn't do anything I swear!"

Unfortunately the others in the guild also heard what I said and made their own versions of it.

"hey did you hear that?"

"Yeah, apparently Dante just hit and run from the girl."

"No way! He did that to her?"

"yeah yeah, weren't you listening?"

The back ground for the three women turned to hell fire as they glared at Dante.

The waitresses couldn't have chosen any better timing to serve our meal. Three of them brought our food and when one of them placed the plate for Dante the way she looked down on him was cold.

"Wait, Mira chan! Why are you looking at me like that?!" Dante bawled " I didn't defile her or anything! She still isn't done explaining things. Right?!" he asked looking at me.

"H-he... froze me." I replied, unfortunately it didn't go as we thought it would.

"He froze her?"

"What kind of play is that."

"Wait don't tell me he froze her half way and enjoyed her right?!"

People around us have created their own conclusions again.

"Why is this keep happening?!" Dante shouted.

Darren on the other hand just keeps laughing and the others just had their heads on their hands.

"Finish your story!" Dante demanded.

"A-ahh yes, after he freezes me he left me all alone!" I finally managed to tell them, I felt triumphant in finishing the story and then.

"Hey isn't that that?"

"Ahhh you mean that?"

"Who knew Dante was like that."

"Guess you really don't know a person huh?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Dante asked.

"Ehhh you don't know?"

"Isn't it called shame play?"

"Honestly Dante, who could have guessed."

"What do you guys take me for! And is that what you really think of me?!" Dante once again asked.

"No we think of you as..."

"Young"

"Innocent"

"Oblivious"

"Play boy"

"Too kind"

"Virgin!!"

"What the hell was that last one?!" Dante shouted, he was starting to get frustrated.

""""Hahahaha"""" everyone just laughed especially Darren. Even Wendy was laughing.

Everyone in the room was apparently just teasing Dante.

"Come on Dante, if you were the type to take advantages on just anyone, there would have been many who have fallen victim to you since you got here."

"And do you know how many girls cried because you didn't notice their advances?!" a beautiful serpent lady with a curvy body with big boobs said, wait I think she was the one who called him virgin. She was only wearing a V cut shirt which was revealing some of her cleavage which were making some men blush. Her leather armor was under her left arm.

"Sett?! What are you doing here?! What happened to your quest?" Dante asked.

"Relax they're good as long as they have Lucy. Besides I was asked by Velos to investigate a red haired blur that passed by us as we were walking in Monden" she finished pointing at me.

"Me?" I asked, pointing at myself.

"Yup, you. Back then you were running so fast towards town, so the most logical thing to do was to find out if you were hostile or not. And if you were I would have alarmed the guards and the guild." She responded

Ohhh now I see, guess that would make sense. Wait she followed me?! How fast is she and I didn't even noticed her even once.

"Ohh come on, I ain't an upper silver for nothing you know?"

How did she...

"I have mind reading powers."

"?!"

"Pft hahaha"

"Miss Sett could you not tease her so." Lisa asked.

Lisa thank you!

"Your welcome."

"?!"

"Oh the guild is filling up, well it is dinner time." Turk commented

He was right people were coming and going to free tables or tables where their friends were.

"Hey Sett are you really sure about being here and anyways what were saying earlier?!"

"You honestly don't know? Wow your worse than I thought. Anyways, Bart! One special for me!"

"Right!"

"Move aside Dante I need my space." She said as she sat next to Dante like it was the most natural thing to do and leaned her armor on the table's leg.

"Right right. Wait what the heck Sett?!"

"Augh would you stop nit picking the small stuff? Hey since it will take a while till my order arrive how about I get some of yours?"

"Sure, here have this tomato soup first." He said, as he passed his bowl to Sett

"Delicious!!"

"I know right! Mira has been working hard since the time she asked me to teach her how to cook and now she can make something this delicious. She will make some lucky guy happy one day."

"""""Dante...""""" all the women in the table responded including me.

"What?" He asked, while tilting his head.

This guy, honestly what is he.

"You have no right to say that Sasha." Lisa said to me. Then...

"Mira chan I wasn't done with my order."

On the next table, unfortunately the aspiring cook waitress was getting the costumer's orders and heard what Dante said and ran away.

Everyone near our table and the table she passed to reach the door connecting the kitchen looked at Dante with hate filled eyes.

"W-what?! What did I do?" Dante was sweating under the pressure of everyone's glare.

"Are you really that dense?" Sett's stare deepens.

"Fine, here's a test what can you tell me about the triplets who are the receptionists? And what do you do to differentiate them from one another? Even some veterans here find it hard to tell the three since they look so alike, and at most they can only get to tell one from the rest." She was speaking in a loud voice and looked at the receptionists trio behind the counter.

"I'm not asking you to differentiate all three cause honestly I can only differentiate them because of their scent and heat signatures, so one would do." She continued.

              Her comment about people not being able to tell them apart obviously hurt them, I think she didn't mean any harm with it. Though they were still visibly shaken and now she wants Dante to differentiate at least one of them?

If I remembered correctly Dante only started three months ago right, that's gonna be hard when even some veterans here can't do it. I wonder what this test would do exactly.

              Looking around, some adventurers felt guilty when they heard her, even Darren and the rest in the table couldn't tell them apart. Dante had a troubled look, of course he did anyone would but he stood up, everyone went silent.

"Then I would like to ask the receptionists if it's alright if I say a little personal things about them." He asked looking at the receptionist's counter. The three of them nodded.

                     "First, the oldest Mary, she acts mature and keeps her sisters in line. You could say she is the serious type, but she likes being indulge in and spoiled a little from time to time. Her favorite past time is reading books, the genre she loves are romance and story of chivalry. Her favorite flower is the yellow daisies, so I gifted her with a hair pin with a magically preserved Daisy as an ornament and is enchanted with a simple storage spell that can hold atleast ten books or a few bouquet of flowers." Dante smiled at the green colored receptionist. Mary touched the hairpin and gave it a gentle caress.

                     "We went to the eastern meadows once where she taught me how to preserve flowers and make flower crowns, it was quite educational and fun. We ate lunch there as well and surprisingly Mary loves spicy food and the way she reacted when she bit her tongue was adorable quite the gap in her usual demeanor and then at the end of the day I received a Daisy she preserved by putting it between the pages of a book and it was one of her oldest ones by far that she have given me, so it is now pressed on the very first book I wrote." He continued.

Upon hearing that, Vanessa's eyes widened. By this time everyone was just listening to Dante, even the waitress who ran away earlier was at the door connected to the kitchen.

"Wait! By first book, you mean your first master piece?! A beginner guide to shortening cast chants and thus nearly removing cast time?! Of course you mean you placed it in a copy right?" she asked in a panicked voice.

"Hmmm, idiot you think I don't know the values of things?" he asked smugly.

This reply made Vanessa breathe a sigh of relief and a wry smile an the receptionist Mary.

"I placed it on the hand written copy, bwahahaha." Dante started laughing

"H-hand writen copy, y-you can't mean..." Vanessa was dumbfounded by this revelation.

"Of course it can only be referring to one book right?" he stated like it was a matter of fact. Many people opened their eyes wide.

"huh what's so important about a hand written copy?" I asked Lisa.

                 "From what I heard a written copy is one where it contains unedited and unfiltered content. What that means is, not all the content can be published in a mass produced version of the book because it can be dangerous and stuff or it could have a revolutionary content that can advance a country's military power.

                     I was told that Dante did his own editing and removed dangerous things and revolutionary contents as well. So you could say he alone knows it's contents, so the reason why people are reacting this way is that that book is literally one of a kind, the only one in the world so any damage to it can have a devastating effect on the sorcery world." Lisa said.

"Wait isn't he the only one who knows the content? Can people force him to give it up?"

"There are ways to get a written copy, one of those is just plain murder. Others through duels, they don't necessarily need to die they just need to give up. But the most natural way is through master and student relationships." Sett answered this time. Which made me swallow my saliva when she mentioned murder like it was nothing.

"Wow you guys know a lot huh." I commented

"Of course, this level on intel gathering is part of being an adventurer." Sett replied

I see, adventurers really are amazing. I wonder how he is doing now.

                           "I analyzed the flower she gave me" he paused and looked at Mary "it was about ten years old and it contained evidence that only two people have ever touched the flower before me. One was Mary and the other was an older woman presumably their mother. So that means I received the very first flower she tried to preserved or one she successfully preserved with her mother that survived through the years. And you want me to place it in a copy of my book?" Dante asked, in a way that asks are you crazy?

                   Now all eyes except for Mary's fell on Dante, they look at him like he did something crazy even his brother and his party as well as Sett. Mary took the hairpin off and looked at it caringly. Dante didn't care about how people looked at him and continued.

"So if you want to know how to differentiate Mary from the others, she gives off a strict but caring aura. Like a big sister who cares about her younger siblings."

Everyone's eyes widened even Mary's at the simple way to differentiate her from her sisters.

"Next, middle sister Marisel, she's very girly among the three, she loves baking and sewing so we had a lot in common so we hang out often." He stated with a smile.

His statement caused a lot of surprise to everyone especially the women, the girl in question just got fidgety on the spot and looking left and right until she decided to look down and blushed hard.

"I also learned that she already likes someone" he said with gleeful smile "so any dude who wants a one up I may tell you a few details if you wink* wink* do something for me bwahaha." He continued.

""""He's stupid isn't he"""" was the universal response of everyone inside, who mind you are about seventy people now since tables maximum seating arrangement is eight persons each.

"How rude I'm trying to be a support here you know?! Anyways, we became each others guinea pig for new dessert recipes!" When he said that, a lot of envious eyes were directed at Marisel. And the one who was most envious was his own brother, Darren.

Seriously can't you just ask him whenever you want? Aren't you brothers?

"She makes a mean apple pie and we already ate it outside once, when she asked me to accompany her to the northern lake and eventually spent the night star gazing." He sounded like he was bragging about a date with the beautiful lady but for some reason we just kinda felt sorry for Marisel.

" I gave Marisel a whisk that was enchanted with a fatigue reducing effect so when she cooks or bake she can feel more relaxed. And in return she made me my robe that I'm wearing right now." He finishes by showing the people his robes.

"Ahhh so that was when you change your gear a few weeks ago." Darren concluded.

"Yeah bro, this material is so soft and warm, it's great as well since it handles the enchantments well." Dante explained.

Impressed by Dante being able to distinguish two out of three, Sett was about to call to him when he continued on.

"Last but not the least we have Mavel, with a tomboyish nature." He smiled trying to show off Mavel. "But don't let appearance fool you she is someone who super loves cute things!

There was this time where we went to the north west flower field to have a picnic and when she caught sight of a rabbit running around she went crazy for it and she asked me to catch it for some reason. So I told her that wild animals are dangerous, she didn't believe me one bit.

                  Because she's tomboyish and as well as her honest nature she can be frank and say things that may hurt you if you don't know her well enough to find out that she's just concerned about you. Like when she directly told me 'aren't you weak against melee opponents? Shouldn't you just throw away your pride and join a party?' ahahaha that sure got me."

Dante just laughed it off, but the person in question was feeling guilty and was embarrassed after hearing it come from Dante's mouth and the others were just amazed that she had the guts to say that face to face.

                    "Don't get me wrong, I do have pride but it isn't something that would hinder me from forming a party. I am not yet in a party because I don't feel like being in one yet. You can say I haven't found the right people yet so to say.

Enough about me, Mavel was just probably worried about me going on dangerous quests alone since this job of ours is a life hazard ahahaha. I probably shouldn't mention this but when she told me to find a party she held my hand and a serious look on her face, telling me how much she cared. I couldn't laugh it off then and never will.

                     The thing I gave to her as a gift is a bandanna that doubled as a ribbon and I tell you it changes her regular appearance drastically." As Dante said that everyone looked at the bandanna that the blue receptionist was wearing and they noticed a cute little white rabbit embroidered on one corner of her bandanna.

"Have you guys noticed the bunny? She's the bunny that Mavel and I found injured two months back. Ahhh brings back memories, when Mavel wanted to treat her we had to keep it a secret from her sisters. Eventually her sisters found out and was actually accepting of her case.

              They soon accepted the bunny as a member of their family, naming her snow because of her white and fluffy fur. Her bandanna is actually enchanted to make Mavel's hair soft, nice and silky smooth." He stated as he puff up his chest.

The women in the room felt a tinge of jealousy after hearing the enchantment placed on the bandanna. How lucky, to have an item to keep your hair healthy and smooth.

                   "In short Mary would be strict at times but she would do it out of love and concern. Marisel shows her emotions more confidently! While Mavel could be frank and straightforward in telling her thoughts without wording them well, just remember that she does it out of concern for you and not to insult you or anything." With that Dante sat back down.

Everyone was dumbfounded for a good few moments, on the other hand the sisters who were the focus a while ago started smiling and were cheerfully talking to each other.

                  "Ok Dante, I admit defeat." Sett raised both her hands to surrender. "Honestly I was only expecting you to say something like 'the red woman is nicer than the blue woman' but I never would have expected you to say something so elaborate."

Everyone in the table nodded in agreement.

"And as to why I called it a test, it was to know how dense you were when talking to the receptionists and I was right, your dense!"

"Ehhh but didn't you just say you admit defeat?"

"Yeah, defeated on how someone who just started three months ago can know much more about the people who we have been working with for two years."

Two years?! Just how old are they?

                  "Don't worry Sasha, they're still seventeen they officially started working as receptionists after being aides."

Lisa answered my question! How can they read my mind.

"It's not really that hard, even I can now do the same." Dante shrugged

"?!"

First it was the boy, then Lisa and Sett and now even Dante?! I should stay quiet for now.

                   "Wait a minute!" Barton slammed the table which caught everyone's attention. "How long have you been playing hooky with the receptionists?! Do you know how some other male adventurers wanted to be close to them?!"

For some reason the focus of a lot of male adventurers was back to Dante again as they continued to eat.

                    "I don't know anything about playing hooky but I have been able to talk to them since we started to become adventurers I guess. They aren't really hard to talk to and our job offer us plenty of opportunities to talk to one another. Sometimes when I return after quests and have nothing urgent to do and their shift ends we end up hanging out." He stated as he took a bite at his steak.

Sett pulled at his sleeve saying ahh and Dante just cut a piece and gave it to her. Giving the people who were still looking at Dante a few moments ago do a spit take and others choked on what they were eating.

Turk was so focused on his own meal at this point to care about others.

"H-have you no shame!! You know Velos likes Sett!!" a guy adjacent to our table roared.

And at that moment a waitress with Sett's meal arrived. She placed the plate of steak and bowl of soup while blushing apparently witnessing what just happened.

"Thank you Tina." Sett thanked the waitress.

"Hey are you just going to ignore me?!" the guy shouted again.

"Ohh what's the harm with feeding one another, here Dante." Sett responded as she feed Dante a piece of steak

"Ouch! It's still hot Sett." He complained.

Dante was accepting the steak nonchalantly that it was making the other girls blush. And Dante would do the same to Sett.

                  "What the hell are you doing Dante?! First the receptionists and now the beautiful Sett?! And your even stealing her from Velos san who everyone, even the new comers like us, know has a crush on miss Sett here." Barton was completely red on the face. But the two in question just looked at each other.

                      "Calm down Barton." Dante raised his hands. "Yeah Dante is practically an honorary member of our party, since he comes with us from time to time on quests." Sett continued. "And then we have a practice where we feed each other said to be a pack bonding by Barkus. Although it was more like a scheme by him so he could feed Lucy and get closer to her, none of us had any objections and it just became a practice unique to our party where even Barkus and Velos would feed each other and even Dante when he comes with us. Right?" She finished, clinging to Dante's arm where two mountains wrapped around his arm.

                        The men in the table gave an audible gulp at the scene. The girls on the other hand blushed at the idea of Dante feeding two muscular beast-men. Vanessa on the other hand seems irritated at Darren's reaction.

"Wait Dante, you didn't party with us but you joined them?" Darren had teary eyes as he asked.

                       "Now now, Darren to correct this misunderstanding. I am not a party member of Red Fang they just ask my help when they need an extra pair of hands from time to time. Besides you guys never invited me to any quests or adventures you know." Dante said glaring at the whole team

"""geh!""" they all grunted.

                      "Do you guys know how lonely I felt when you guys, my childhood friends no less never even bothered to invite me on fun quests for three months?!" Dante was drilling in the nail and everyone was feeling more and more guilty.

"Pfft... hahaha" Dante started laughing, making the others confused.

                           "Sorry sorry, I don't really hold a grudge against you guys. In the same way I could have always asked to join you guys when I feel lonely, I know I don't need to be reserved with you guys. I enjoyed my own adventures as well. Meeting new people and getting to know them was a blast." He smiled looking at Sett, she replied in kind.

Everyone sighed in relief, but smiled wryly at the pair where Sett was still clinging to Dante and smiling to one another.

"Ohhh yeah, we may have had a bad start but here's to being friends." Dante raised a fruit juice towards me and the others followed. So I raised my glass as well.

"""CHEERS!"""

"I've been meaning to ask, why were you so persistent about killing Dante" Vanessa asked me.

"I-I wasn't planning to kill him or anything... I just wanted to wipe away his memory..." I replied.

"Memory? Memory of what exactly?" Turk asked.

"H-he saw me naked... so I couldn't be married anymore!"

This is one of a life time mistake that would leave me alone for life! I-I just wanted to be fit for marriage again.

"""So Innocent""" Sett, Barton and Vanessa said in unison.

"wah?!"

"Wait, correct me if I'm wrong do you perhaps have a significant other?"

I couldn't do anything but blush and looked down at Sett's question and reluctantly nodded

"""Ehhhhh!""" an enthusiastic chorus of cries from the girls were heard and they flooded me with questions.

"Neh, what's he like?"

"How old is he?"

"How long have you guys been together?"

"How far have you guys gotten?"

"Is he tall?"

"Is he fat?"

"What does he look like?"

"Where is he now?"

The bombardment of questions came from every on except for Dante and Turk who was still eating his fifth serving.

"Uhm... h-he was kind, gentle as well as straightforward, daring and did a lot of crazy stuff. Pft hehehe" I couldn't help but giggle at the end when reminiscing the past I shared with him.

"Crazy? Like what?" Vanessa asked

"He ate poisonous mushrooms and the like." Ahh I just can't stop smiling thinking about him.

"Wahhh?!" they exclaimed

"I am sorry to hear that. Is he dead?" Lisa asked

                   "Wha n-no he was very much alive. He just had this great thirst for knowledge and was naturally curious that he tried eating different types of mushrooms in the forest. He always cured himself by letting me administer antidotes he prepared before hand." I sigh.

"Y-you had it rough eh." Darren said.

"Unfortunately we know how that feels, growing up with Dante." Vanessa added.

"No I wouldn't say that, since he showed and taught me all kinds of things. He is also the first person to be kind to me."

"I-im sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright Darren, he told me that not everyone is mean or scary. And true to his words I met Lisa after a few years." I looked at Lisa and she grinned at me

"So how did you guys met and what's his name." Wendy asks

"Funny story is..." I told them a summary of how we met.

"So you ran away from him huh?"

"The fact you actually trusted him is something way more amazing."

"It's kinda sad that you can't remember his name though."

Wendy, Turk and Darren replied and the others agreed.

                 "W-well, when he hugged me I f-felt safe for some reason. Like it made sense and nothing bad will happen when I was with him." I told them.

"Ohh so he had that effect on you huh." Darren said.

"Could it be?! Love at first hug!" Dante added, soliciting a pinch on the cheek by Sett.

"This is taking us longer. Why don't you just tell us the events in chronological order after you guys met?" Sett suggested.

"A nice idea."

"Ohh...that will speed things up, ta hey! Would you stop clinging to Dante?!"

"I can't help it, I am cold blooded and Dante is very very warm."

Dante agreed, Barton was mad at how Sett was still clinging to Dante and Sett just gave an excuse.

Was it really okay like this? Though Dante doesn't seem to mind and Sett was just probably doing it to tease Barton.

                      "W-well, turns out I was older than him by a few months, for five days before my birthday he would drag me here and there, day in and day out, taught me how to cook wild game differently every time so I don't get tired of one taste alone. Those days were the most enjoyable days I have ever experienced. Then on the day of my eighth birthday he brought me to the meadows at the base of the mountain, he said that he learned when my birthday was when he asked in the village.

                      Which scared me to think that he will change how he would interact with me but he never did and I never felt like he was pretending or anything either. He did brought it up but it was more because of his curiosity than anything else and on that day he gave me something I could never have asked for." As I said the last part I was caressing my hair.

"Wait... what was the thing that you were afraid of him knowing in the village?"

"Oi Turk that's a little personal" Barton scolded Turk "Sorry Sasha, you can just ignore him."

"No, it's alright. I don't plan to keep it a secret anymore. He taught me how to be more proud of who I am after all." I said as I placed my hand on my chest "I am a half demon, a daughter of a greater demon to be precise."

Whoooo that's a load off my chest, nearly everyone's eyes opened wide and kinda troubled except for Lisa and Dante he just went woah and clapped his hands.

This is bad, even when he told me it's something to be proud I really am scared how people would react that I was sweating profusely in my armor.

Lisa already knows about me but Dante's reaction really is strange for someone who heard it for the first time.

"Dante what's with that reaction, your being rude!" Vanessa scolded Dante

"Ehh well. Isn't she just a half demon?"

Everyone including me couldn't help but be dumbfounded

"If you guys still don't get it, isn't Sett a snake person, Lisa a Lilitoan, Turk an ox man and Wendy a half elf. If you ask me, with our line up shouldn't she fit right in?" Dante said tilting his head.

"Thank you, Dante thank you." I bowed my head to Dante.

Lisa along with Sett who finally realized smiled at me and was happy for me.

"To think you were more mature than I thought, annoys me to no end." Sett whispered

"Ehh Sett what was that?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." Sett replied with a captivating smile.

The men who witnessed this except for the one she was clinging on once again swallowed their saliva. Which made Vanessa agitated and was glaring at Darren.

"If you say so. Now back to Sasha there's really no need to thank me but I am interested in what was it that he gave to you?"

With Dante's question everyone's attention returned to me. I panicked a little but I was able to calm myself down.

                        "You see... back then I hated my blood colored hair and predatory golden eyes. I hated them so because I was told that my hair was red because of the blood of my mother who died after birthing me and the eyes of my father whom everyone feared." I said caressing my hair. "He told me how beautiful my hair was that it was soft and smooth and that it resembles the red flower that he picked up, it was a Barlen lily. He placed the flower on my head he smiled and said 'see now it looks waaaay more beautiful'." I was blushing when I told that part.

The others on the other hand were leaning closely their eyes telling me to go on.

                    "I looked down embarrassed by what he told me, but he just lifted my chin high enough that we were seeing each other eye to eye. 'You see I'm told that my eyes are like the moon where it's gentle silver glow lightens the night sky. Then I think your golden eyes are like the sun, where it shines bright. It could be hot and painful at times but it can also give a gentle warmth.' He told me, that was the first kind words I have ever heared about the hair and eyes that I hated so much. He even told me to have a second name just because my first name would be lonely, he pointed at the flower on my hair and asked how about Barlily short for the Barlen lily." I said smiling nostalgically.

"That's kinda..."

"...yeah"

"To think he would give her a second name just because her first would be lonely."

"And to give a flowers name and shorten it in a way that doesn't sound cute."

"Well they were kids."

"Well as long as Sasha's happy I have no qualms about it."

They all commented starting from Darren going clockwise. Wendy and Dante were the only ones who didn't know what to say

"But that boy, he's skilled huh"

I tilted my head at Sett's comment

"Yeah to think he was still seven."

"And was able to say those things face to face."

"Guess he will be the type to break a lot of hearts when he grows up."

"I hope karma would get him!"

The comments started with Darren but this went counterclockwise and ended at Barton's salty remark.

"Please don't say that." I asked Barton

"Ahhh sorry I just got caught in the moment." He bowed

"I forgive you."

"So what else did you guys do?" Vanessa asked.

                "He introduced me to his father and for some reason I got caught up in his morning training. It was hard but that's how I learned how to fight, the kid and I only trained during the early morning and was free for the rest of the day cause his father had work to do. So we ended up mostly in the mountains playing, he taught me a lot of things, like how to hunt properly, how to cook and how to build temporary shelters.

                  I also caught on his habits like sleeping after lunch and bathing every day. When scurrying for food he would tell me to give him any suspicious looking mushrooms or herbs, he would be poisoned most of the time after eating them and then he would write it down on his notebook, that made me panic at first as he asked me to take care of him but soon it just became normal." I said.

"Woah isn't it scary how people can get used to things." Vanessa said.

"I really have nothing to rebuke to that. But he did taught me how to use a little magic, though the best I could do is basic spells since the intermediate ones were too complicated for me."

I produced fire in my right hand to show them.

"Wait, why didn't you use fire to melt the ice you were in?" Lisa asked me narrowing her eyes.

"W-well I was holding my sword with my right hand and covering my chest with my left. So I could not use any fire spells." I blushed as I have once again reminded every one that I was naked in the ice block.

"Speaking of spells, how many elements are you compatible with?" Vanessa asked me

"Six"

"""SIX?!"""

All of them shouted in unison and Dante had eyes like he found something very interesting.

"You and Dante have something in common. Amazing."

Darren said but I wasn't really happy about having something in common with him.

                      "Even I only have four. Though it's fire, water, air and earth that's why I am the offensive mage. Barton on the other hand has the rare combination of light and dark attributes, making him great at giving buffs and debuffs, he is also capable of healing magic that which even Dante can't use." Vanessa added.

"Dante can't use healing magic?"

"Yeah, though that's just the wonders of the light and dark attributes. They say that spells from them are very varied from buffs to healing in light magic and debuff to curses in dark magic and both can cast illusions. Each person would just have different level of compatibility that would determine what spells you could use." Barton explained

"Dante on the other hand is highly compatible with dark, water and fire attributes like our master, his mom. Since he is highly compatible with dark, his light compatibility is quite low and since he is compatible with fire and water two completely opposing elements, he can create bizarre spells." Vanessa said feeling perturbed.

"People say that because of his imaginative and creative way of making and creating spells, it won't be long till he surpass their mother." Barton added.

"I still have a long way to go, you know. Surpassing mom will not be an easy task." Dante answered. "Wait since were introducing her to magic and compatibility and all. Listen there is also what we call a race's intrinsic compatibility.

              Like how both Lilitoans and ox beast-men are natural earth users and elves are water and wind users, elves also has a low to no compatibility with fire since they live in forests making elves who are compatible with fire the minority and they just simply don't use flame spells because of the trees."

"Ok this is first class basic information and all but haven't we diverge from Sasha's story?" Sett asked "I really want to hear the end of it before I return to Velos and the others."

Sett was still clinging to Dante, I was more surprised that they can keep that long, won't his arm be sweaty or her cleavage be wet no?

"Sasha you thinking of dirty thoughts that's rude." Lisa scolded me.

"?!"

"Don't worry, I am cold blooded and it takes a while for me to heat up if I'm just hugging his arm, it would be faster if he hugs me though." She said teasingly with a smile then looked up at Dante communicating telepathically.

"You know I won't do that and no your still quite cool so I am not sweating yet."

"Ohh good to hear"

After their exchange Sett just clinged tighter. This cause Barton to be red with rage and jealousy biting and pulling his handkerchief.

"Anyways, please continue Sasha." Sett added.

"Well in all honestly that's just how we spend the next two months, everyday training and going on little adventures until the day they had to leave when his father finally finished his work. His father who have become my master gave me this sword and is one of my most treasured possession he also told me to take care of it.

His son on the other hand gave me something like a half of a whole, he told me that he will become an adventurer and travel the world in search for the undiscovered and mysterious things in the world.

He told me that if we someday we meet again we would show each other our pieces and put them together as a sign of our bond, he even told me as a clue that his first stop in his travels would be Arrevan. Though I think he was just trying to tell me to be an adventurer as well, so that's why I am here. We only knew each other for two and a half months but the time I spent with him changed my whole world." I said with passion in my eyes.

"Aww how romantic, hope you meet him soon."

"Mmhmm I will cheer you on."

"Good luck on your love."

"I'll be there for you if you need any help, ok."

Sett followed by Wendy, Vanessa and Lisa all supported me which made my eyes twinkle with gratitude. "I wish you luck as well miss Vanessa and miss Sett." We exchanged a firm hand shake.

"But what would you do if he turned out bald now?"

"Or what if he turned into a delinquent and is a good for nothing, now?"

"What if he is weak, scrawny and a big wimp?"

"Or what if you find him with five wives?"

Darren, Turk, Dante and Barton respectively all gave scary and negative what ifs scenarios.

"Hey aren't you being mean to my friend?!"

"No, it's okay Lisa, thank you." I held Lisa's shoulder to calm her down.

                      "Well if he turned out bald, I don't think it would be a big deterrent since he is kind after all. As for him being a delinquent or weak, I don't think his father would have let him become someone like that. And if someday I do find him and he already has five wives, since Lisa told me before that having multiple wives was called polygamy and was allowed as long as the man can support the number of wives he has. I won't mind it much..." I paused as I play with my index fingers in front of me. "But I guess I would have wanted to be his first wife..."

Everyone was silent. Dumbfounded for a good few seconds.

"Wow I never would have expected that from you Sasha! When did you grew up?!"

"W-well that was i-informative." Wendy stuttered

"R-right! Even my old man has four wives." Turk added.

                        "I definitely don't want Velos to have a lot, three of us would probably be the maximum that I would feel comfortable with." Sett commented to herself.

Everyone was talking to themselves except for Dante and Darren who were just blushing and looking down. I guess they are twins even their reactions are the same.

                        A few moments later we heard the chime, it was already nine, It was getting late. Here where people sleep early to save on candles, oil or mana chooses to rest early and get up early.

"Well I guess I have to go, Velos and the others would be worried about me if I stay any longer." Sett said.

"I guess we should call it a night." Darren said and everyone agreed.

                     When we stood up everyone placed two coppers each except for Turk who had seven meals, placed one bronze coin and four coppers and Lisa who placed four coppers.

                   So I was told that 10 tin coins is equal to one copper coin and 10 copper coins were 1 bronze, then it goes to silver and gold. There was a higher currency which was royal coin but each were equivalent to a hundred gold coins each, making it rare in the normal market and is only used in national spending.

"Don't worry Sasha I'll pay for today" Lisa said smiling at me

"Thank you."

"Sett I'll escort you to the forest okay." Dante told Sett

                  "Thank you Dante, I'm counting on you." Sett replied "I still need to head for the receptionist for tomorrow's quest since it would be tiresome to comeback here in the morning just to return again." Sett continued

"Ohh I nearly forgot, I'll drop by the kitchen to get everything ready for the celebration two days from now. See you at the entrance then." Dante said and left for the kitchen.

The others choose to follow Sett to the receptionist

"Good evening Mary." Sett greeted

"Ah everyone good evening, how may I help you?"

                    Mary was smiling from ear to ear and not her professional smile either, clearly in a good mood and it wasn't just Mary the other two receptionists were also visibly happy. Marisel was even humming a jolly tune.

"Guess what Dante said earlier is still in effect huh?"

"Yeah seems like it. Honestly that brother of mine."

There were people who were talking behind me but it only turned out to be Vanessa and Darren.

                     "I was wondering if I could have the quest detail for tomorrow's gathering quest. You see Red Fang is currently on a hunting and gathering mission for nocturnal targets. I was hoping to get our part of the quest now so we can hunt them when morning comes."

"Well... your party have reached the two quest ques limit for silver rank... but your team does have a perfect quest track record for three years... hmm since this is just a special quest made by mr. Dante to celebrate the welcoming of a friend, I see why not." Mary answered Sett then she took a piece of paper.

"Base on mr. Dante's estimate he would be cooking for the 614 registered adventurers in town and some possible walk in both civilian and military alike possibly numbering around 1,500 not to mention the merchants and their security detail. Here is his list of ingredients."

50 Blood Bears

60 Barbus Boars

50 Gaus Bull

20 Carnivorous Coocaa eggs

40 Carnivorous Coocaas

30 Wartu chickens

I was amazed and slightly scared by the scale this feast was turning in to and it was all because of me.

"Wait will this number be sufficient for the number of guests? And won't this gathering quest endanger the Eco system in Monden? And what of the spices? Also if I may be so bold who would be paying for this?" I asked.

"There is no need to worry miss Sasha, even if the monsters are few, they are large in sizes. All the monsters except for the Wartu chicken is at least two meters in height. For the danger of over hunting we have already specified a limit to how many monsters are to be hunted in Monden and requested druid adventurers to keep track of the hunting, once reached they would be forced to hunt in the northern Verya forest or to the Qura'ko forest to the south.

                    Some merchants have seen this as a perfect opportunity for profit and have contacted us through the merchants guild, they were willing to give the spices we need now and to pay for it later at a 40% discount as long as they can have their own stalls for both food and dry goods near town square. So shortage on food and liquor is something we don't need to fear.

                       As for the payments, a messenger from Baron Arrevan said he would be paying 50% of the total costs as both payment for his delicious birthday meal three days ago and since some of his noble friends were still here and he invited them to come and enjoy the festivities. For the rest of the payment the adventurers and towns people would pitch in, cause they all said 'to be able to taste his cooking again before he leaves is a chance we will not miss' so they say." Mary said.

"Oh so the Baron's birthday was three days ago."

" Then did Dante cook for the evening banquet?"

"Nah I don't think my brother would just cook for anyone just because they're nobles."

"He did refuse offers of being the head cheff before."

"Wait guys we still need to choose which monster to hunt."

Turk, Barton, Darren and Vanessa were intrigued of the mention of the Barron's birthday only to be called back by Lisa.

Ehh so Dante actually refused to be a Noble's ceff, guess he really didn't want to cook for a living.

"Uhm I was just wondering... How long will this feast last?" I reluctantly asked.

                     "Right now the main celebration duration would just be around one evening since that was the only duration mr. Dante have given us. But the festive energy of the people would probably make it last another two days. This is when the merchants and the Baron would take over control, that is why the merchants wished to give such a generous discount since mr. Dante's event would be a starter for a great influx of consumers for even the small time retailers." Mavel gave the explanation.

"I see, thank you miss Mavel."

"Your welcome, but just Mavel will be alright."

"Right, then you can call me Sasha as well."

We both smiled at each other, guess talking to them really is easy since they're very pretty as well.

It would really be hard to tell them apart if they wear the same clothes. I thought.

"My team will take 5 blood bears please."

"And we will go for 15 Gaus Bull."

"Right, here are your contracts then, please place your seals once you have concluded your decision."

Sett and Darren have settled their quests targets and Mary took out two papers. Which were then stamped by the two with their seals.

"Ehh Darren why are we going to hunt so many silver rank monsters?!"

"Same reason as why Sett choose to hunt the upper bronze blood bears even after their current quest. It is to make it easier for lower ranked adventurers to help out."

Lisa asked panicked, but Darren just calmly replied.

I was kinda confused at how this would help other adventurers though.

We left the counter after thanking Mary and went towards the entrance to wait for Dante

                  "If your wondering how it can help lower ranked adventurers it's because there is only a few silver ranked parties in this town that can take up Gaus Bulls head on. If I remember correctly there are only ten upper silver party in town including ours, twenty lower silver and the rest are bronze and iron level."

"Woah. Miss Sett's team is amazing."

"Just call me Sett as well, we're friends now right?"

"Ah! Yes! You can call me Sasha too!" I was so happy to hear the word friend that I couldn't help but kinda shout.

                 "Kheee your just so cute!" Sett then hugged me. Two mountainous things then pressed on my chest, this made even me blush as she wrapped her arms around me. Ehhh, I thought, she really is cool to the touch. So this is what cold blooded people are like.

"But you know, our team isn't as amazing as White Wolves." She continued letting go of my neck.

                          "Huhuhuhu." Lisa laughed smugly upon hearing Sett's comment "We are an upper gold ranked party! We have two upper ranked adventurers with Darren and Wendy, Three lower gold in Barton, Vanessa and Turk and last but not the least me an upper silver!"

"Wow Lisa, you're the only silver ranked member" I said in amazement and clapped my hands. To be a part of a gold rank party despite being silver ranked must speak volumes on how much they trust her.

                   "Urgk... Sasha that doesn't sound like a complement than you think it does. But it doesn't bother me! Me and Turk started out as upper silver but since he already took a promotion test he is a lower gold now, I on the other hand am still training and studying so that I don't fail the promotional exam since they cost a pretty penny." Lisa explained

Now I see, so that's why she's the only silver ranked now and why Barton and Vanessa just remained at lower gold. Because it's expensive to rank up.

"Ohh by the way," Darren cut in "since your going to register tommorow I guess this would be a valuable information. Any new adventurer can get a promotional exam upon registration for only one bronze coin and from that you can even become a gold ranked adventurer depending on your results, that's how we got our ranks." He continued

"Ehhh! Isn't that kinda broken?"

                       " No no, you see they have this test system created seven years ago to safely and accurately determine ones rank so you can't pay your way to a higher rank. Because if that were to happen and you become let us say a gold rank even if your abilities are only for bronze level you would most certainly die. And the guild would never allow that." He explained.

"I see... that makes sense, by the way how many gold rank party are there in Arrevan?"

"Hmmm let's see, this guild branch only recognizes three so far, theres us the White Wolves."

"Ugh there's also those battle maniac Bloody Guillotine."

"Yeah they're really something."

Vanessa began and then Turk and Barton gave troubled comments

"Are Bloody Guillotine that bad?" I asked.

                          "I guess you can't call them bad. But they have this thing where every monster they slay have there heads cut off, they consists of two upper gold ranked great sword warriors and two huge battle axe barbarians they also have a druid the three being lower gold. They once even tried to recruit Dante hahaha."

"Yeah that was fun to watch wasn't it?"

"Gahahaha good thing I betted all my money so far to Dante's name back then hahaha I got to eat a feast afterwards."

Sett explained then followed by Wendy's reminiscing about what happened and Turk just laughed

"Why, what happened?" I asked.

"They were so persistent on having Dante join their team that they challenged him to a duel." Sett replied

                          "You see, adventurers are a rough bunch and conflicts are hard to avoid. So there is a duel system in the guild to end such conflicts, it's mostly just an agreement to accept the winner's decision and if any whether it be the winner or the loser who stills bother the other about the specific thing that they earlier fought over, they would be punished from paying a simple fine to your adventurer card being revoked." Lisa explained

"So Dante won?" I asked

"Yup and because their fight was a five vs one. They couldn't possibly ask him to join them."

"This also made the guild recognize Dante's prowess."

"So right now even alone he is known as the third gold ranked party."

Sett and Lisa were taking turns explaining what happened.

"He is that strong?!" I couldn't hide my surprise

                      "No no no, well yeah Dante is strong but the reason why he won was because Guillotine didn't have any battle strategy and just attacked him underestimating him for being a lone mage. They were even getting in the way of one another." Said Vanessa "which made their movements and attacks easy to read even Barton wouldn't have fallen to them."

Barton was blushing at Vanessa's compliment and the others just smiled.

"I see, so even Wendy could have won without a sweat." I said

"That's impossible" Wendy replied.

"Ehh?!" I was shocked to hear her reply so fast

                    "Actually, Bloody Guillotine is a group composed entirely of Amazons. So they wouldn't have any interest in Wendy or Vanessa." Lisa replied.

"This also resulted in their defeat since they had an infight, from what I heard they had a bet. The one who defeats Dante would be his primary mate and would have more authority over him compared to the others." Sett said

I was dumbfounded of this information and the others were smiling wryly. They seem to be troubled about something so I asked further about it.

                   "So you see, the first reason why they choose Dante was because he was all alone, so their next target would have been Darren, logically speaking." Said Barton "Unfortunately after being beaten by Dante with out using any attack magic just self enhancements. They fell deeply in love with his prowess and in their own words wanted his seed to bare strong kids and said that they would be satisfied to be his mistresses or even just someone to pass the night with" he continued.

I blushed at the last part, just how daring are those Amazons to say that to his face.

"Dante didn't accept though, saying that they should offer it to the ones they love. That excuse didn't pass the Amazons and are still pursuing Dante to this day." Said Darren.

               "It would be hard to persuade people whose culture is to abduct men from villages or wandering adventurers until they're dried up. They actually became too much of a threat that the guild negotiated with the different amazon tribes to challenge adventurers to duels.

If the adventurer accepts and loses then it is fair game, but if the adventurer wins he can decide to leave peacefully, to just have a one night off or to take that woman alone as a wife." Sett said as she shrugged.

Woah these Amazons are scary, to be classified as a threat by the guild and be made to have counter measures against them.

"Don't they have any men in their village?" I asked.

                  "No, they are actually a different race than humans. They can mate with different races and their children would always be a female amazon. People believe it is because they are all children of the Goddess Vera, the warrior Goddess of the hunt and beauty. Though their kids may develop skills, strength and traits from the father. That is why Amazons prefer strong partners." Sett said.

"You know an awful lot about them Sett." Lisa said.

"Of course, Velos was once targeted by an Amazon after all." Sett nonchalantly replied.

"""?!"""

"Don't worry we're friends now, that's how I got this much info."

We were all shocked to have heard it.

"Yow everyone sorry for the wait, it lasted a little longer than I thought."

A loud cheerful voice could be heard from inside the guild.

"I had Bart be in charge with gathering a few cooks for the feast also we discussed a few things." He continued.

"Took you long enough." Sett said.

We snapped back with their exchange.

"Oh yeah! Dante?"

"What is it Lisa?"

"Since all of us would be going for the gathering quest and all, I am afraid I can't come with Sasha for her guild registrations and stuff. We will also be out until the next day."

"Ahh I get it, so you want someone to go with Sasha right?"

"I love it how you catch on so quick, thank you, so I leave her in your care."

"W-wait Lisa don't I have a say in this?!" I shouted.

"So Dante could you also give her a tour around town after her registration? It would be nice if she knows where to get what. You know what I mean."

"Yeah sure."

They're ignoring me aren't they! How could they decide everything while I'm literally infront of them?!

             "Thanks Dante." Lisa smiled befitting her child like appearance. "Sasha, there you have it, be on your best behavior tomorrow okay and follow Dante's instructions."

"W-wha... ok fine." I answered Lisa, then turned to look at or rather glare at him. "I-I'll be in your care then."

"I feel like your threatening me..."

"Your imagining it."

"Glad to see you two getting along."

""How is this getting along?!""

Honestly Lisa can be blind at times.

"Darren, sorry I can't go home with you guys I'm going to join Sasha in the inn just for tonight."

"It's fine Lisa it is her first night here. Do enjoy yourselves."

After we said our good byes, Dante and Sett went on to the western gate.

"Sett was it really fun teasing Barton?"

                 "Ohh you know I just love seeing his reactions, I don't really get a chance to hang out with them if your not around, things just feels awkward you know? I wish we can be closer though, so even if your not there we can still have a pleasant chat."

"Well I think that's easy to do, since I think that Barkus and Barton would get along just fine."

"Riiight! And Lisa and Lucy have a lot in common aside from being thieves too..."

               I guess only those with good hearing like Wendy or Lisa could've heard what I heard as Sett and Dante slowly vanish from the night. We were headed for the inns near the guild.

We entered at an Inn just south east of the guild. We were welcomed by a counter in front of the door, there was a lovely middle aged lady behind it.

The going rate here for single bedroom with one bed was two bronze coins per night with a free breakfast. To the right of the entrance there is a door connecting to the dining area and to the left of the counter there was a hall way towards the stairs to the second floor where the rooms are at.

Lisa greeted the lady and arrange for us to have a single room with two beds that costed three bronze coins.

When we were now laying in bed after the long day.

"Ugh what a long day it has been."

"You can say that again, I felt tired right after you attacked Dante out of nowhere."

"Urk"

"Your lucky he also felt guilty about what happened or else. They aren't exactly fans of their friends being harmed, that even reach to me and Turk even if we just joined them not too long ago."

"I know, I already said sorry right?"

""Pfft hahaha""

We laughed out of nowhere seeming to find what happened earlier amusing.

"Still they're amazing aren't they?"

"Yeah, to think I'm the oldest in that group kinda feels surreal."

              "I was wondering, where does Dante live?" I asked Lisa, as I turned at her. Our room had two beds with one on the left and right, there is a small table near the wall in between our beds that has a beautiful flower vase on top and a window that had it's curtains open to let the moonlight in.

"Ohh. Your interested in where Dante live ehh and not where I live." Lisa had a mischievous smile.

"N-no it's not like that... i-it's..."

"Pfft ahahaha don't worry, I was just messing with you."

"Muuuuh."

"He leaves outside the walls of town on what appears to be a shabby shack surrounded by a fence that covers the backyard as well, north west to be exact and only his brother have ever set foot in his home, not I nor his childhood friends are yet to be invited inside."

"Ehhh why?"

                      "You know he's a sorcerer right? He has lots of research papers in his home and he needs to protect those carefully. And it is also easy for him to go to the forest to collect herbs and ingredients he needs. He also does experiments with his spells so the large backyard of his is great for him."

"That makes sense, wait so does he rent it?"

                     "No, he bought a piece of land with what he earned from selling his book, remember what Vanessa said in the guild earlier? Well Vanessa also has her own workshop east of town, she also bought it herself though she lives with the rest of the party in our home within the town."

"Wow are they rich?"

"Hmmm kinda, though they got a nice deal with their bases since it is in a dangerous area of being next to where monsters are.

                      Researching magic can actually be rather expensive, but the pay off is just as great. Just being an ordinary mage and not a researcher is expensive in and of itself, books for learning spells and their equipment is no laughing matter either. So beginner sorcerer's have it tough, usually the most practical thing they could do is learn one offensive spell and use it to earn more money."

"That is hard..."

                     "Though they are what you call a great investment as well. If you have a mage in your team, it would grow at a faster rate if the sorcerer could learn more spells, they are versatile members since they can learn buffs, debuffs, defensive and offensive spells after all. Just so you know, cold resistance is actually a fire type buff spell. So even if a mage doesn't have a lot of affinity it will all depend on his or her imagination or ideas to create different spells for different situations."

"Amazing so there are a lot of people like Vanessa out there huh?"

"Hmmm no, Vanessa is already a rare occurrence of having four affinities, after all the average is only two which also makes Barton a rare pairing of affinities of light and dark."

"Huh, why?"

"Hmmm, I don't think I can explain it properly as Dante can so you can ask him tomorrow. Hehe after all you guys will be together for two days."

"B-buh huh?! Two days?! You never told me about it!"

"Well it was kinda obvious since we would be hunting for two days, we will return after lunch time on the second day since Dante still needs to prepare them."

"Lisa! Where will I stay tomorrow?! I don't have any money."

"Didn't you come from Monden? Just sell the monster parts or magic crystals you gained from killing them."

"Ohh yeah, there is that."

"Or you could ask Dante to stay in his home hehehe." She gave another mischievous smile.

"Lisa!!!"