I spent the rest of the day roaming around to collect information. I found out that this guild has several deputies— a position equivalent to the archduke since they are the people next to the king— the guild master/leader. The annual celebration is the day the game was officially released so that would mean Aswain also participates in it. No one told me a word about that. I haven’t read anything about it in the book either.
I crawled in the tall grasses and when I reached my preferred spot, I sat down and started scratching the inner part of my right ear with my pinkie finger. I am currently in the garden, waiting for someone to pass by so I can follow them to where they will conduct the meeting. When I saw the familiar stole, I immediately followed. How do I know the right person to follow?
Well, the two ladies in the library earlier were officers and I noticed something when they turned their backs around. They were both wearing stoles on their shoulders. All of the officers, precisely. You can identify their positions by color. The darker it is, the higher your position will be. And the person I am currently following is wearing a purple stole.
He stopped walking in front of a huge door with a few maids also standing, waiting for someone to open it from the inside. I crouched and waited until he got in before I moved and followed the maids walking in line. The guards inside were scanning the badges of everyone who got in. When it was my turn, I handed him the badge I got earlier from the woman I knocked out.
“Are you the new player who joined us?”
The voice from behind made me stop walking. Magic is unfair, it made me think that my senses had gone dull.
“Did I startle you? Sorry. I was just trying to confirm since the badge you showed to the guards earlier doesn’t have a green light.”
Green light?
“Think nothing much of it. It is simply the indication that you’ve been here for a week already. You can go to your seat now.”
Hmm. Did I rob a newcomer? She has a stroke of tough luck.
I shrugged and went to where the maids were seated. As soon as my butt landed on the chair, countless questions flooded me.
“What did Knight Cali say to you?”
“Omg, how lucky you are to see his face up close!”
“Does he smell nice?”
“His voice is alluring, isn’t it?”
“Ahhh, I wish Knight Cali would talk to me like that~”
“Right~ I’d even eat mud if he said so~”
“I can lick his bloody shoes if he wants~”
“Whatever shall be done for him to notice my existence?”
“You can be like Knight Clara~”
“Ahhh, she’s too lovely~”
I bit my tongue to make myself bleed to death. This is where I will end my travel on this planet folks, Goodbye.
“I heard he **** different women at night. Should I crawl on his bed tonight too to get it?”
OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE, STOP!
“Good evening, my dear members.”
The thick accent of his voice echoed throughout the huge room. The chattering immediately stopped and everyone’s attention was focused on him—The Guild Leader. Is that his wife standing beside him? They wore the same maroon colored stole.
Is Maroon the official color of this guild?
“As you may have heard, the annual celebration will be celebrated on our server yet again and as the top guild, we are expected to have the best accommodations. We’ve already prepared for it but I thought it would be best to hold a last-minute meeting.”
Oho~ way to go Mr. Burdman. Ah, right. I haven’t told you yet. That’s his IGN.
“Our first agenda will be the member’s behavior during the event. No one is allowed to move an inch from their respective positions until it is over. I know how pressuring that is but it is expected that you follow my commands as you joined a top guild.”
Wow, look at him pressuring his members openly.
“Second, we all know that Kanzas is growing rapidly and I do not like it a bit. To all newcomers, you will be exempted from the palace duties during the event and will be trained by my trusted deputies until the event is over. We will surprise every server with our powered-up guild after the event.”
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
What the heck? That’s a good … what word was that again? Gahhh! It’s on the tip of my tongue!
“Third, remember the papers you signed when you received your badges? We can just simply kill you off as soon as you decide to leave the guild and join Kanzas after you’ve leveled up.”
What was the word for it again?! Fuagsdkjkajshd. Ahhhh! I hate this!
“Fourth, Aswain.”
Huh?
“Someone from Aswain sneaked into our guild today. We managed to subdue her but she escaped. I know that you are currently here. I’m only going to say it once so listen carefully. How you managed to steal our guild’s insignia is still unknown but know that you will be the reason why we will subdue Aswain as soon as my new members finish their training.”
Pfft.
I am the reason? Yeah, right. As if I’d believe that Burdman. You’re not quite convincing.
“We will trample that good-for-nothing guild and take all of the members as our slaves.”
“How about their guild leader, Mr. Burdman?”
“Her head will be hanged on the palace gates until all of the flesh is gone! All because of the spy she sent here!”
Ohhh, shiver me timbers~
“Fifth! The annual celebration will last for 3 weeks. In the first week, we will accommodate all of the guilds who bow before us. Kanzas is not invited this time. In the second week, there will be various game events to be celebrated. On the third week, there will be a feast that will last for 7 days.”
He’s a bitter old man, isn’t he? Afraid to be a second. Well, I’ll save you for the last. You will be a tasty prey, Burdman.
He raised his hands and returned to his seat.
“Cali will take the stage for more announcements.” He uttered before passing the glowing ball to the guy.
My ears almost bled when all of the females started shouting before the guy could even speak. Jesus, calm down!
“Hush, ladies.”
His tone is so flirty. My poor ears.
I did not pay any attention to whatever followed as it was filled with screams and laughter. The meeting ended just like that.
“Miss Spy~ were the Leader’s words not threatening enough that you did not flee the guild immediately?”
I rolled my eyes when I heard the familiar voice. As soon as the meeting ended, I went to the nearby tavern to mark my day finished. It’s supposed to be a peaceful one but hearing this snakelike voice, I guess it’ll be one heck of a night.
“Hearing your voice alone is enough to make me remember the utter mess earlier.”
He chuckled and sat in front of me without even asking if it was all right.
I sighed and gulped the mug of beer I was holding.
“Look at you openly disrespecting someone second to the leader~”
“Must be because I cannot sense anything worthy of you to earn my respect, Mr. Cali?”
His grin disappeared immediately and was replaced by seething anger. Do they have anger issues?
He put his hands on the table and was about to grab my neck when I slammed the beer mug on his hands first, making him yell in pain.
“No one is allowed to stop me when I drink my beer,” I uttered as I watched him heal his hands with whatever power he had.
“Hah! The level of arrogance you have is quite amazing. I should thank the leader for ordering me to kill you immediately. Your head will be the first one to be decorated in the palace gates.”
He took his sword out and started swinging it at me but all I see is a fly about to be swatted.
I sighed and grabbed his wrist then chopped the side of his neck with my hand to knock him out. I thought he wouldn’t easily go down knowing his position but it’s the same as the guards earlier, what a let-down.
Everyone in the tavern stood up and surrounded me. One even took Cali out of my grasp so I let his wrist go.
“Kill her! Kill that spy!”
Oh, it was a kill order issued to everyone? Hmmm… I see… that must be why everyone was so hostile when I entered the tavern. Then, the beer? Was it tampered? But I don’t feel anything.
As if the one who made it heard my thoughts, he walked up closer splitting the players surrounding me with his huge body. “The beer wasn’t poisoned. I take pride in every drink that I serve in this tavern.”
I like his morals! Nice! Nice!
“Hahaha! That’s good to know!” I chuckled. I picked up the mug on the table and drank the remaining beer inside. Few people started to move so I stepped on the chair and stood up on the table.
“Now, now, why don’t you all calm down? I’m not here to fight anyone. You saw what happened to your ‘Oh, almighty knight’, right? It’s no problem knocking you all down~ I’m only here to enjoy my night with this awesome beer in my hand.”
They looked at each other and discussed it among themselves.
Man, I went to all that trouble disguising as a maid only for my existence to be exposed at the end of the day. Well, whatever’s done is done.
“She said ‘knocking’ us down, not killing us. Should we let go?” One skinny guy with a spear in his hand uttered. The guy near him smacked his head and shouted, “Are you dumb?! She is saying that because she can’t kill us! She is a woman!”
Ah. It’s this talk again.
I sat down at the table as I listened to them blabber their opinions about me. Watching the cat grooming itself on the counter is much more interesting than this bunch of meatheads talking.
I yawned when the cat yawned. I looked down at my beer mug and saw how hollow it is. I stood up and swiftly jumped to the next table until I reached the counter where the big man is, back on pouring some beer on the empty mug.
“Can I have another one?”
He looked at me surprised and chuckled while shaking his head.
“Of course, young miss.”
He took my mug and poured it to the brim. I immediately gulped it down.
“When will they notice that I’m not there anymore?” I asked as I watched the dufus still arguing whether they kill me or not. It also seemed like Cali is slowly regaining consciousness.
The big man laughed heartily making the crowd stop and look at me wide-eyed. They were about to say something in unison when the big man’s voice echoed in the whole room.
“Settle down, young lads. You are no match for this lady here. Even I can only cower behind this counter table.”
They quickly returned to their seats, still eyeing me intently. The knight also regained his consciousness and the first thing he shouted was, “HERO TIME!”
Err… I feel so uncomfortable.
Anyway, he fell down after that and one of the guards came in and took him. I shrugged and returned to drinking. After hours of drowning myself with this heavenly beer, I decided that it is time for me to resign for the night.
As I walked down the empty streets feeling the cool air and the stabbing stares of everyone from every corner, I chuckled. They couldn’t be more obvious huh?
I winked on the shadow that I saw from my right side then blew a kiss on my left side. They moved away almost at the same speed making me laugh loudly. Goodness. Was this the people Aswain was scared of?
“1 bed for tonight,” I uttered and dropped some reales. The lady sitting behind the counter looked at me with so much hostility while preparing a room for me.
“Door 21.”
“Sweet,” I took the keys from her hand and waltzed towards my room. I was about to enter when I suddenly remembered something.
AH! Strategy! It was that word!