"Oh? You're a real go-getter, aren't you...?" asked the voice of a woman, drawing Will's attention to a tall woman with medium-length, scarlet red hair standing near the hall's back entrance with crossed arms. Her eyes were a slightly lighter shade of red, but what caught Will's attention, besides her incredible physique, were the curved black horns protruding from the sides of her head, her pointed ears, and the thick, crimson-scaled tail swaying behind her.
'A Dragonsdottir...' noted Will, outwardly responding, "I do just enough not to embarrass myself..." as he held up what he imagined to be his final log, splitting into four similarly sized pieces as the woman observed him with her faintly glowing eyes and a smile.
"That's pretty impressive," remarked the woman, uncrossing her arms and stepping forward with her left hand extended. "The name's Kiranakhana, daughter of Karael, but most people just call me Kiran. You're welcome to do the same."
"Aiden Ward," replied Will, accepting Kiran's handshake without hesitation. Most people would hesitate when they saw her beige palm backed by red scales and tipped with fierce black talons, but he didn't so much as bat an eye as he squeezed Kiran's surprisingly soft yet firm hand and noted, "I've never met a Dragonsdottir before. Are you on a pilgrimage?"
"Oh? You're aware of our customs...?" asked Kiran, raising her right brow in surprise. There were fewer than a hundred Dragonsdottirs and sons in existence, and due to their betrayal of the Creator, no new ones would be born. Most of the humans she encountered assumed she was some kind of demon, so Kiran was impressed that Will not only recognized what she was but why she was in such a remote, tiny village.
Nodding in affirmation, Will explained, "My Master taught me about your kind and told me that if I ever encountered one of you, I should offer my sincerest respect and gratitude. That said..."
Closing his eyes and bowing, inadvertently bringing his forehead within a few centimeters of Kiran's sizeable bust, Will mustered as much solemnity as he could manage as he said, "Thank you for your sacrifice..."
Maintaining her smile, Kiran exhaled a sigh from her nose and responded, "Your Master must have been an Elf or another long-lived species. I can't remember the last time a human expressed their gratitude like this. Either way, you're welcome."
Raising his head and releasing his hold on Kiran's hand, Will affirmed, "You guessed correctly. My Master was an Elf. Unfortunately, I can't tell you which-"
"It was Leshien," said Kiran, catching Will off guard and causing him to tense until she tapped her nose with her left index finger, teasing, "I'm sure you have your reasons, but never underestimate a Dragondottir's senses. There's a reason I approached you with my left hand instead of my right. Your right arm wreaks of the Ebonsword's curse. No offense."
"None taken..." responded Will, offering a cramped smile as he revealed his gauntleted right hand and asked, "Are you familiar with my Master...?"
Nodding, Kiran explained, "She was a resident of the Dragalia Temple a few hundred years ago. We attempted to help lift her curse, but the best we could do was weaken it."
Half-turning and gesturing over her shoulder with her right thumb, Kiran added, "Anyways. Bailey is waiting in the back with your food and drink. I had her prepare an extra large portion, so make sure to slip some to your little demon friend when you think no one's looking."
Without waiting for Will's response, Kiran turned around and entered the longhouse, her tail swaying almost smugly as she walked. Will attempted to get a better look at how it was attached, but the voice of Ohta stopped him, stating, 'Stop staring at her ass...' from the void.
Though he was tempted to ask what was wrong with simply looking, Will remained silent and turned his attention to the firewood littering the area. Bailey had said nothing about stacking it up and ensuring it was covered, but since he didn't like leaving jobs half-finished, he spent a few minutes doing exactly that, only stopping when the lavender-haired girl came out to lecture and dragged him in by force...
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After politely declining the half-drunken Bailey's invitation to sleep in her room, Will retired to his own in the Inn operated by the Guild Hall. It was a lot smaller than what he was used to, but as he had experienced both the best and worst of lodgings, he didn't mind that it was barely 5x5m across and only had a bed, a desk, a single chair, and a large, casket-style trunk as furnishings.
Taking a seat on the bed, causing its wooden frame to creak, Will kicked off his boots and began the arduous process of removing his equipment for maintenance as he asked, "You planning to spend the night lurking in my shadow?"
'There's only one bed...' remarked Ohta. However, instead of remaining in Will's shadow, he caused it to elongate a bit before emerging roughly a little over a meter away, hands, as usual, in the front pouch of his hoodie.
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"You hungry...?" asked Will, raising his right brow.
"Not all of us had the benefit of being able to fill our bellies with beer..." retorted Ohta, his expression and tone flat as he asked, "You know that stuff is basically poison, right? Even if you can filter it out, a kid like you shouldn't be drinking."
"You're not wrong," conceded Will, shrugging. "But it's ultimately just fermented water with a few added ingredients. As long as you drink in moderation, it's not a big deal."
"Really?" asked Ohta, narrowing his eyes into a deadpan as he accused, "It seems to me like you're just trying to act mature. You might have put on a calm mask, but I could tell you enjoyed receiving that purple-haired harpy's attention."
Shrugging a second time, Will contended, "She was treating me to a meal. I just went with the flow to avoid things becoming awkward."
"Uh-huh..." droned Ohta, extending his right hand as if he were expecting something. In response, Will pulled out one of his bentos, prompting the pint-sized demon to accept it with both hands. Then, though there was a desk with an old wooden chair, he sat near the head of the bed, his back against the headboard and feet propped up on the mattress as he popped the bento's top off and devoured its contents.
Waiting until he was nearly half-finished with his food, Ohta interrupted Will's equipment maintenance by asking, "By the way...that fake name you gave, Aiden Ward. Where did you hear it...?"
Meeting Ohta's gaze, Will raised his right eyebrow and asked, "Why? Did it trigger something in your memory...?"
"..."
Seeing Ohta furrow his brows and frown, the corners of Will's lips curled into a smile as he returned his gaze to his equipment and explained, "It's the name of a relatively inconsequential person from the distant past. He was the leader of a burgeoning organization called the Seven Sages, but they never rose to prominence or accomplished anything of worth before their group split and went their separate ways..."
"The Seven Sages..." muttered Ohta, his frown deepening as he remarked, "That's a pretentious name for a group that failed to accomplish anything. This Aiden guy sounds like an idiot."
"You're not wrong..." muttered Will, his expression softening into one of reflective contemplation. Even after several decades and six additional incarnations, he still regretted many of his actions as Aiden. He was good at coming up with ideas and managed to personally encourage tens, if not hundreds, of people throughout his life. This included the other six Sages. But, when push came to shove, and he found himself at the crossroads of major, life-changing decisions, he found himself plagued by illness, family tragedies, and a general lack of motivation...
Ostensibly confused, Ohta tilted his head slightly and asked, "If he 'was' an idiot, why would you choose his name as your alias...?"
"Who knows...?" responded Will, his voice low, giving off a 'distracted' vibe as he expressed, "You could say I feel a kinship with the original owner of the name. It's difficult to explain..."
"Uh-huh..."
Though he still had questions, Ohta decided to drop the topic after seeing how pensive Will had become. He wasn't unaccustomed to seeing Will in deep thought, but his current state gave off a distinctly...depressive aura. Since Will usually exuded confidence like a slug oozing slime, it felt weird and strangely stifling to see him so...vulnerable...
"I'm going to go wash up..." said Ohta, setting aside his mostly finished bento, hopping off the bed, and stepping past Will as he made his way to the attached bathroom. Unfortunately, while there was a functional toilet, there was no bath or shower. Instead, there was a large bucket that could be filled with warm, soapy water and three sizes of wooden stools treated with oil to prevent rot and mold.
'Lame...' thought Ohta, closing his eyes and exhaling a sigh before pulling his black and white hoodie over his head. He nearly removed the rest of his clothes, but before he could strip off his white undershirt, the choker around his neck trembled slightly, a faint, indiscernible voice giving him the impression he should ask Will for a towel and sponge before getting completely naked...
Reaching up to caress the choker, Ohta fell into a contemplative state of his own. It rarely reacted in the past, but as he spent more and more time with Will, it roused constantly...
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[Early the next morning]
Sensing someone outside their room, Will and Ohta awakened at nearly the exact same time. The former was a little confused to find Ohta in his bed, as the latter had insisted he would be fine with a sleeping bag, but as the diminutive demon promptly sank into his shadow, Will dismissed it in favor of grabbing a sword.
"Nice reactions. But you can relax," came the voice of Kiran, followed by her phasing 'through' the door rather than opening it.
Before Will could ask, Kiran tossed him something while explaining, "You mentioned you were headed for Deisceart, right? I got permission for you to use the Guild Hall's Waystone. No need to thank me."
Staring at the object Kiran had tossed him, a pull-cord pouch, Will opened it to find a few dozen Astralian Crowns and a silver medallion with three stars, a large, decorative B flanked by angelic wings, and the name Aiden Ward carved into its surface. Beneath that was a crimson scale that made the pouch feel warm to the touch...
"Travel funds and a B-Rank Guild Token..." muttered Will, his expression softening into one of gratitude as he raised his gaze to meet Kiran's. He had spent part of the previous evening deliberating over whether or not he should entreat her assistance, but given her status as a Dragonsdottir, there was very little he could offer her.
Seeing through Will's thoughts, Kiran waved her scale-covered hand in front of her face, stating, "You don't need to worry about trying to repay me. Just keep on the straight and narrow and do your best to help those in need. You don't need to help everyone, but at least help those right in front of you, okay?"
"I will," replied Will, his expression and tone giving his words the weight of a promise. He wasn't entirely sure what he hoped to accomplish once he reached Deisceart, but with the identity of a B-Rank Adventurer, he would have considerably more freedom to move and act. It was four steps short of the highest Rank an Adventurer could attain, but as the requirement for achieving it was to be a Grade Three Practioner or higher, there were only a few thousand in the entire world. More importantly, it allowed him to use Guild-operated Waypoints and cross most borders uninhibited...
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