Maria placed the golden cube onto Head Guildmaster Odalf’s desk.
Odalf sat there staring at it in silence. His velvet cape draped over his left shoulder which fastened at the opposite side of the waist with a decorative brooch of the guild's emblem. He leaned forward and reached out to touch it. “You found it?”
Eardwulf stood beside the desk. He was dressed once more in his adventuring robes, though, to Maria’s surprise, he was sporting a new leg, one fashioned from polished oak wood. He still needed a crutch to walk around, but it made her happy to simply see him on the road to recovery. Her old master slowly knelt over the desk to look over the cube. “She did. This is the same one we found after I killed the Terra Elemental back in the Emerald Forest. Good work!” Eardwulf hugged Maria. “I knew you could do it.”
“Thanks. It wasn’t easy finding it,” Maria said. “But I found it, just as I promised I would.”
Tanalia cleared her throat. Both she and Chariot were standing behind Maria in the Head guildmaster's office.
“Ah, they helped me obviously, but I’m just saying I fulfilled my promise.”
“What happened to the Ringleader?” Eardwulf asked.
“Dead.”
“You three killed one of the demon king’s subordinates?” Odalf asked. “What are your stats?”
The trio opened their menus to show the Head Guildmaster.
Name: Maria Marigold
Lvl: 35
HP: 2367
MP: 640
Total Defense: 148
Total Attack: 83.1
Name: Chariot Crowhaven
Lvl: 41
HP: 3257
MP: 54
Total Defense: 690
Total Attack: 240
Name: Tanalia Taymore
Lvl: 42
HP: 5650
MP: 63
Total Defense: 375
Total Attack: 221
“You’ve made some terrific progress,” Eardwulf said. “That being said, I’m surprised you were able to best someone stronger than me at such a low level.”
“Nothing teamwork can’t fix,” Chariot said. “And a little bit of planning.”
“I’d certainly like to hear about how you managed to beat such a powerful foe, but that can wait for another time. Please, share with us your findings.”
“Right. While searching for the Ringleader we learned a couple of minor things, like how he was working with multiple people to find the treasure. The juicy information though is what we learned after he died. When we searched The Ringleader's corpse, we found a journal. I read through it on the ride back. He’s looking for something called the Temple of Time… or, well, he found it, he just couldn’t get in at first. There were notes scribbled in the journal saying that the map was the key. There was a time after he got the key that he passed it off to someone called ‘Little Red.’ It was their job to use the map to open the temple.”
“Little Red?” Odalf stroked his beard. “I can’t say I’ve heard of anyone with a name like that.”
“I think it’s a she. When we were at the Greensbolt Theater looking for clues, I found a letter addressed to the owner Horst from someone named Little Red. She talked about how she missed him, but the Ringleader wanted her to go to Eldermyst after some sort of operation failed in Roserock.”
Tanalia glanced away awkwardly. “Well, Horst wasn’t the faithful type.”
“I have heard of Roserock,” Eardwulf said. “It’s a fairly isolated township. I’ve only ever been to the village once or twice in my lifetime.”
“Was there anything important there?” Maria asked.
“There was, yes. The village was built on the grounds of a nameless temple. The village was originally built to house the Mythari guardians set to protect it, according to the locals, they moved in when the village was abandoned. The temple doors have remained sealed for as long as it has been known. At least that's what they told me. That was years ago though.”
“If it’s nameless, do you reckon that’s the Temple of Time?” Chariot asked.
“It very well could be,” Eardwulf said, then looked to Maria. “The Ringleaders journal said that the map was the key, correct?”
“Mhm.”
“Then perhaps that's what it is.” Eardwulf took the golden cube in his hands. “If this is the map, then this is the key. Perhaps this is what opens the door to the temple.”
“Do you think you could give us the coordinates of the village?” Maria asked Odalf.
“I certainly can. I have a question first through. If you were to find this Horst, would you be able to question him for more information?”
“Maybe. There are just two problems with that. After the Greensbolt Theater burned down, he vanished. Not even the Oracle had heard of where he went. Secondly, he doesn’t talk easily. Even if we do find him, I don’t know what we would be able to extract.
“Well, this Little Red. If she’s in Eldermyst somewhere, it might be worth questioning her about Horst.”
“That is if we can find her. If she was conspiring with the Ringleader, she could be just as dangerous.”
“I suggest proceeding with caution then if you choose to pursue this mystery.”
“Pursue? I thought you only wanted us to bring you the map?”
“You’ve far surpassed my expectations,” Odalf said. “I will be honest with you, I didn’t have much faith in a newly acquainted bronze-tier adventurer to grow strong enough to take down someone from the demon king's army. I held onto hope though, and Master Eardwulf’s word that you were the right person for the job. I owe you an apology there.”
“You don’t need to. I mean, I didn’t know you didn’t have faith in me until now, so no harm, no foul.”
“Regardless, I am sorry. You and your party have proven yourself fine adventurers. You’ve done more to discover secrets to the map to the demon king's treasure than anyone. This all being said, I want you to continue this quest.”
“You do?” Tanalia tilted her head.
“You don’t want the cube for yourself?” Maria asked. “Isn’t that why you wanted me to get it in the first place?”
“The Demon King’s treasure is surely tempting, and yes, I want it for myself. However, I know nothing of what you’ve been through, or what it would require to unlock this cube. I feel as though I can trust you to find the treasure in the name of the guild. If we were to find it, it would put our guild up on a pedestal. Not only would we be given the title of the guild who found the demon king’s treasure, but we can take back everything the demon king stole from Mytharia, and give it back to the people. Heirlooms, dwarven gold, power, all of it. I, unfortunately, put my adventuring days behind me years ago.”
“And I’m not the young, able-bodied man I once was,” Eardwulf said.
Odalf nodded. “Now normally, I wouldn’t do this. However, Maria, you’ve proven yourself to be a true ally to the guild. When most adventurers do quests here, we evaluate them to determine if they should rank up or not. You have only done one official quest for the guild, a delivery job given to you by Father Varrond of the Church of the Lunar Goddess. That is nowhere near enough to evaluate you on becoming a silver-tier member. However, what you’ve done is truly extraordinary. Not only did you pick yourself up after being knocked down, but you brought me the map to the demon king's treasure, just as I had asked you. You did battle against, and defeated a subordinate of the demon king's army, and avenged our dear Master Eardwulf. So, to better assist you on your journey, and as a sign of my thanks for all your hard work and effort done for the guild, I am hereby promoting you to silver rank.”
A notification popped up in Maria’s vision.
Guild Promotion: Bronze Craftsman >> Silver Craftsman
The bronze pendant pinned to Maria’s cloak sparkled, glowing brightly before changing to silver. She looked down at it. With everything that had been going on, the rankings of the guild and the hierarchy system had gone completely over her head. She never concerned herself with it much in the first place. However, seeing the shiny pendant on her chest filled her with a sense of pride. She was being recognized for something she did.
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“I… thank you.”
“Silver-tier guild members have access to more necessities and opportunities within the guild. One of which is the ability to rent horses from our stables. Let me tell you, they will save you a lot of time. Now, as for you two,” Odalf said, directing his attention to Chariot and Tanalia. “You both applied at some point to join this guild, did you not?”
“At one point we tried,” Chariot said. “We didn’t get along at the time, so Master Vadros failed us.”
“Ah, right. He had the unfortunate task of training multiple apprentices. You two were the last he had yet to pass if I remember.”
“We were,” Tanalia said.
“Well, from what Master Eardwulf has been telling me based on his conversations with Maria, she has helped the two of you come to work together quite well. It’s evident enough in what you have been able to accomplish as a team. So, I’m willing to give the two of you an opportunity. As recognition for your valiant efforts and improved cooperative skills, I’m offering you two bronze-tier memberships at our guild.”
Chariot’s eyes grew wide. “You’re serious?”
“I am. Consider this a reward. Though your reputation amongst the guild masters may be tainted, I’m offering you this opportunity for membership that you were unsuccessful in obtaining before.”
Chariot smiled. “I would be honored. Thank you.”
He nodded and looked at Tanalia. “And what of you?”
Tanalia stared back at him, crossing her arms. She pursed her lips. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Chariot glanced at her.
“I don’t, no.”
“What do you mean?” Maria asked. “Didn’t you want the guild perks and benefits?”
“I did. After getting kicked out I didn’t see much value in joining a guild.”
“There’s plenty of value, I assure you of that,” Eardwulf said. “I may know you little, but in what I saw many months ago in the Emerald Forest, the two of you an hold your own well enough. Look at you now, you killed one of the demon king's old subordinates. The guild will only provide you with more benefits to make adventuring easier on you.”
Tanalia sighed and looked back to Maria and Chariot. “Back in the tower dungeon, I started thinking. We came together to take down the Ringleader. That was the whole point. Well, we did it. He’s dead, we avenged your master, and we got the map back.”
Maria tilts her head. “Are you saying you want to split up?”
“I… don’t know. I was never used to adventuring with others until I joined you two. Being solo meant I could be more free, go where I wanted, and see the world. I agreed to come along as thanks for helping me back on that bridge. Either way, I was looking for the Ringleader. It’s just something that has been on my mind for a while now. I don’t know what I want to do now.”
Maria grinned. “Come on, you’re telling me that you don’t want to go after the demon king's treasure? After all that effort we went through to get the map back, you aren’t even remotely interested in finding out where it leads?”
“Yes. Stay with us,” Chariot said with a warm smile.
“We need your help,” Maria said.
Tanalia stood there quietly for a moment before finally nodding her head. “Alright. Let’s go find the demon king's treasure.”
“Splendid,” Eardwulf smiled. “I say stay up late and celebrate. You three earned it for the hard work you put in.”
“We will,” Maria smiled.
Odalf handed the golden cube back to Maria. “I wish you the best of luck on your journey.”
Maria took the cube and returned it to her inventory. “Thank you.”
***
The Guildhall was bustling with a cacophony of noise from conversation to the sound of blades being sharpened. Maria leaned over the railing, scanning the floor below. Witches and wizards were mingling with the knights and archers. The bard was in the corner, strumming a tune on his lute. It was cheery. Maria had her menu open and was scrolling through her list of known spells.
Spell Upgraded!
Fire Rune - Lays a trap that when passed or stepped on, explodes with fire.
Lvl: 1 >> 4
Cost: 40 mana
Base Damage: 50 >> 91
15% chance to give burn status effect.
Spell Upgraded!
Demons Fury - Hurl a flaming skull that seeks out targets.
Lvl: 1 >> 4
Cost: 60
Base damage: 100 >> 182
25% chance to give burn status effect.
Spell Upgraded!
Wall of Flames - Summons a wall of flames
Lvl: 1 >> 3
Cost: 20 Mana
Base damage: 50 >> 75
25% chance to give burn status effect.
Spell Upgraded!
Fire Storm - Raises multiple pillars of fire around the battlefield
Lvl: 1 >> 2
Cost: 100 mana
Base damage: 200 >> 244
90% chance to give burn status effect.
Those would do for now. She wasn’t sure what awaited her or what other kinds of spells should could unlock. She knew that from this point, they would only get more costly. Regardless, she was ready for it. This adventure had taken so many twists and turns for her she was already burning with excitement to continue it. It took her longer than she expected to get the map, but she had finally secured the first step in her grand quest. With one less obstacle in her way, she felt invincible, ready for whatever challenge was thrown at her next.
Irra’s voice came from behind. “Hey.”
Maria turned slightly to see the woman approaching. She leaned against the railing beside her. “Hey.”
“Heard you got promoted to silver tier. “Congratulations,” Irra said.
“Thanks.” Maria’s gaze fell onto Irra’s breasts, where she spotted a silver pendent pinned. “You were promoted too?”
“Mhm. Helping you and your party helped promote me.”
“Thanks for your help with that by the way.”
“You don’t need to keep thanking me.”
“But I will. We couldn’t have done it without you and your party’s help.”
Irra nodded quietly.
“Guess you and I are both at the bottom of the silver tier list then, huh?”
“I won’t be for long,” Irra said with a proud smirk. “Just you wait.”
“I’ll keep my eye on it.”
“Torrin is close to becoming promoted to silver tier as well. We’re thinking of staying here for a little bit and doing some easy quests to help get him over that line. Then we’ll likely head up to Al Lindal.”
“Have fun up there. Try not to pass out from heat stroke.”
Irra sighed. “Yes, it’s going to be quite hot up there.”
“Hotter than in the bedroom?” Maria raised an eyebrow.
Irra stared back at her, unamused. “Yes.”
Maria chuckled awkwardly. “Well, good luck. Me and my party are going to head out in the next few days as well. We might take a break though for a week or so before continuing our adventure. After everything we did, we need one.”
“If you're ever looking to go on vacation somewhere, I suggest the beaches of Serenovia.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, thanks.”
Irra nodded. “So, I suppose this isn’t goodbye then.”
Maria smiled. “No, not yet. Hopefully, I’ll see you again.”
“I’m sure our paths will cross again one day.”
“And I’m sure when they do, I’ll be stronger than you.”
Irra rolled her eyes. “Don’t bring this up again.”
“I might take you up on a rematch for that dungeon.”
“I’ll accept it if you do. I’ll never back down from showing someone their place.”
Maria laughed and enjoyed the peaceful ambiance for a moment. “Is your party down there?”
“I don’t know where they are. They’re somewhere around here. What about yours?”
“They’re getting dinner.”
“Not hungry?”
“I’ll go down and join them in a minute. I just wanted to think to myself for a little bit.”
“Ah. Well, I’ll leave you to it then.” Irra pushed off the railing. “I’ll see you around.”
Maria nodded. “I’ll be seeing you.” She watched Irra strut off, catching a glimpse of her ass as she returned to the rooms. Maria sighed and glanced back out onto the guild floor. Maybe it was time to rejoin her party. She came downstairs and found Chariot and Tanalia sitting at one of the tables.
“There you are,” Tanalia said.
“Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Chariot asked.
“I’m fine. I just needed some time to think to myself.”
“Would you at least order a drink?” Tanalia asked.
Maria smirked and ordered a few rounds. She, Chariot, and Tanalia sat in the middle of the mess hall, talking, laughing, and drinking. As the evening went on, the mess hall got more rowdy.
“I don’t know about you two, but after everything that happened, I’m exhausted,” Maria said.
“I am too,” Chariot said. “I wouldn’t mind a short break.”
“Oh! Now that you two are guild members, do you want to come down to the bathhouse?”
“I wouldn’t mind,” Tanalia said. Her cheeks were rosy.
“A proper bath after traveling back from Berlington does sound nice,” Chariot added.
Maria nodded and sat there quietly. She pondered for a moment before she had an idea. “You know, I wonder if we could get the entire bathhouse all to ourselves.”
“With how many people use it, I doubt it,” Tanalia said.
“Well, I may know of a way we can. Wait here.” Maria hurried over to the receptionist's desk. Silori was sitting at it, looking over a book when Maria approached. The guild maiden looked up and smiled upon seeing her.
“Evening Silori,” Maria smiled.
“Evening honey,” she said, resting her chest on the counter. “Need something?”
Maria nodded. “I and my party were going to go use the bathhouse, but unfortunately, I think somethings wrong down there. Maybe everyone should evacuate from it when they’re done, and we have it closed down for the night. You know, just so no one goes in there and gets hurt or anything.” She gave the woman a wink.
The sly smile on Silori’s face told Maria everything she needed to know. “Oh, is that so? Well, I’ll be sure to act on that right away. I’ll go inform anyone in there we need to close it for the evening.”
“Thank you. I’m just looking out for the guild.”
Silori smiled as Maria hurried off back to the table. She practically fell over as she sat down.
“Alright, give it a little while and we’ll have it all to ourselves.”
Chariot rolled her eyes. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Oh come on. Let’s let loose a little,” Maria said with a sly grin.
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***
Maria sighed as she flopped down onto her bed. The bath was certainly refreshing, and the gentle chill from the midnight air blowing in through her window helped. She rolled onto her back and stared blankly at the ceiling.
How long had she been in this world?
A couple of months at least. Time flew by so quickly that she couldn’t remember. So much had happened that she only thought possible in her wildest dreams. She was in a fantasy world! With Unicorns, magic, and monsters! She could hardly believe it at times.
Maria took out the cube and looked it over. Her thumb glided over the engravings of the mark of the demon king. She then looked at her wrist, and the matching marking etched into her skin. There was still this she needed to take care of though. As she turned the cube around in her hand and looked at the markings etched into the other five sides, she couldn’t make out what they were. One of the marks of the demon king was obvious enough, but the other markings were unfamiliar. She wasn’t even sure what they were supposed to be.
Oh well. She’d find out soon enough.
For now, she could rest. Sleeping didn’t prove to work though. Her mind was racing with thought. She was carrying the most sought-after map in Mytharia’s history, and now she likely had new problems she was going to have to worry about.
“She’ll come for you,” The Ringleader's voice echoed through her mind. “She’ll smell your scent on me… and she’ll come for you. There’s no hiding from her…”