Weiss , Arc 1 Old Habits

Chapter 3 (Finale) : Death of a Karen

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Sometimes , more unexpected sounds grabs our attention.

"Squeak."

Like this rainforest toad here. Squeaking viral sensations.

A round chubby critter sat in the middle of a farm land, surveying the land like it owns the place. The adorable pink thing was so round and smooth that one might mistaken it for a ball. It scratches it self with it's webbed hands as it blinked once.

Eleven hertz and counting, it sounds like a dog toy.

"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"

But, actually, this is the sonorous war cry…

A arrow with a water balloon tied to it flew and hit the target, only for the toad's rubbery gelatinous skin bounce it off harmlessly. The Toad turned, and in lightning speed its tongue shot and caught its prey right into its mouth, and then started hopping off.

…Of a very angry toad.

"YO, MS WEISS, NO!"

"Squeeeeaaaaak!"

Ferocious.

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The plan did not went the way it should.

Weiss was struggling inside the Man-eater toad's mouth , grasping for air as she grips tightly on the toad's lips to make painful attempts to climb out of her demise. Even she got out, she smell like one week old enzymes on a petri-dish , in other words, horse dick cheese.

"Sally! Eferdor-" The tongue pulled Weiss down into the frog, who desperately managed to climbed back up with all her might. " -the other CPS bag!"

The Elf fumbles inside the wagon to find the other pesticide bag. While Sally hop on to the Wagon seat, whipped the reins and the horse speeds up in pursuit of the giant chubby beast. While Weiss's incoherent screaming can be heard in the distance.

The toad hopped into the thick forests, tearing through trees, clearing roads for the wagon give chase. Eferdora frantically tried reload the crossbow with the pesticide, trying her best to line the sights to hit the weak spot of the toad. Her palms sweated more as this was the first time the timid Elf ever hold a weapon like this.

Sally has also been put under high pressure, she glanced at the indecisive elf.

"Let's switch."

The Elf nodded and gladly swap her crossbow for Sally's reins.

The Wagon was inching ever closer to the toad.

Five meters,

Two meters,

One meter.

One shot.

Sally pulled the trigger, one second too late as a the wagon ran over rotten log. Bumping the Wagon upwards and causing Sally to aim upwards for the trees instead lodged an arrow with their last pesticide bag right on the bark. The horse neighed as the Elf almost losing control of it, only barely manage to rein it to a stop before they head to a bigger crash.

"Oh no"

Despite her state of unliving , she can felt her heart skipped a beat. All the pressures and the fact that the toad was getting further, while her sharp canines chatter in anxiety was weighing down on her. So much so that she didn't notice a dark mist was sizzling slowly out of her palm.

"Sally-san…"

"What, what are you holding?"

She looked down, her right hand was holding a oversized silver lance with an appearance of a pipette and the length of her. She looked at the right, her arrow was nailed to the tree, but the pesticide balloon hasn't burst. Annoyed, she alighted the wagon, she took the reins from Eferdora, unhitched the horse from the wagon, and rode it to chase the toad.

She pointed the lance upwards, hitting the balloon right on target, letting the pesticide to drain right into the ball of the Pipette lance. She raise up slightly, closing one eye as she aimed at the hopping toad, which was already ten meters away from her.

Making her prayers, and threw it like a javelin.

The lance stuck right onto the toad's left buttock, but it was still hopping, much to Sally's despair.

"Sally! Saalllyyy!"

Weiss cried out , her grip weakening around the toad's lips.

"Squeeeaaaaakkk!"

The toad was getting closer and closer to a huge pond, and it dived straight into in, with both a splash and poor Weiss in its mouth. By the time it was done, nothing was left beside a ripple on the surface.

Sally reined in her horse once it's hooves were inches from the water body.

The Vampire under the tree's shade, knelt right next to the pond, scratching her hair and begun to panic.

She took off her gloves and begun to bite on her sharp claw-nails.

*burp* *burp* *burp*

It was then, the water bubbled and churned, and the water started to turn black where the toad last dived, before dead fishes and bugs started to float up with its bellies up one by one.

*pant* *pant*

"...I…I am here. How did it go…what is happening here?"

After much work, Eferdora pulled the wagon here, only to be startled by the scene. The two exchanged awkward silent looks. Only rustling of leaves and dead branches can be heard, while an awful odor was starting to build at the pond, either from the chemicals or the corpses.

Then the bubbles intensified, and with a huge splash, the giant toad's corpse floated up with its belly up as well, joining dead fishes.

Out of the frog's mouth, crawled a Weiss covered in sticky white toad bile. She weakly made her way out of the giant creature's body, before falling and rolling down from it, hitting the grass face up with a splat, vomiting more of the white stuff.

"Uh Ms Weiss?"

"W-Weiss san?"

The Chemist begrudgingly gets up, looked at the corpse of the toad, still covered in icky white.

"L-Let's just get our pay."

The two shorter partners in this deed tracked Weiss's as she staggered back to the Wagon. Then back to the pond of dead aquatic life, then at each other.

"Sally-san, so if I remembered correctly, Weiss said that this pesticide was like very dangerous."

"Yea."

"Shouldn't we do something about it? People could get hurt because of it."

"Too late for that now, let…let's just head back, oh and uh…"

Sally went to the Toad's corpse and pluck out her lance out of its ass, before tossing it into a small pocket dimension she summoned. Looks like she remembered something again.

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The three stood behind a line of adventurers, the patrons of the Adventurer's hall gave the three or specifically Weiss a look. The poor three still stunk, not able to afford a room or a shower, not yet at least. In front of them, Adventurers of different classes and rank wait and move up monotonously to collect their reward. The Silvers and golds plates they wore glimmers in the lantern light, far brighter than her bronze one.

"Six goblin ears , thank you, here's four gold pieces as per agreement."

A enthusiastic Katheryn passed the money on the counter a the gold ranked Bard and her party. Weiss glared at them, mouth slightly opened and eyes squinting at them, without they knowing.

"A Basilisk claw, here's ten gold pieces, thank you for your time."

A silver ranked party took the sack of gold, and left. Behind them was the trio of bronze ranked pesticide brewers.

"Welcome…oh it's you three, and you smell like shit."

Katheryn's enthusiasm took a nose dive upon seeing the bespectacled face of the Chemist.

Weiss plopped a roll of slimy toad tongue onto the counter.

"Just gimme the damn dollar."

The Receptionist just flicked a gold piece with her thumb, and Weiss begun to turn around and leave.

"Well, I think we can finally afford a room and a shower."

"Yea Eferdora, maybe we can finally take a break, what do you think Ms Weiss?"

No response.

"Uh Miss Weiss?"

The tallest out of the three just silently stood there, back facing them while she was staring at the receptionist. The Vampire's sharp eye looked down slightly, and realized Weiss's hand was slightly curling into a fist. Sally's face made an expression that screamed "oh no".

"Thank you Lockmeier , here's twenty gold pieces."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

A Thief Adventurer with a orichalcum plate handed in to the receptionist a man-eater toad tongue with half a length of theirs. He thanked her as he was about to leave, until he was stopped by Weiss who put an hand on his shoulder. Weiss was smiling with a extremely forced smile that barely concealed her anger.

"Hey my friend, you killed a Man-eater Toad earlier? How big was it?"

"Uh yea in fact I did, I think, I was lucky I found a small one, like it was half a building. Must be a fresh adult."

"Wow, WOW! That's amazing Mr…"

"Lockmeier, you are?"

"Karen Lambert, now excuse me as I need to seriously chat with that piece of shit receptionist."

Weiss said that with a smile, stomped her way to the receptionist counter, cutting a adventurer party out of their line.

"Hey what gives?!" A Sorcerer Adventurer part of the Party who got cut complained

"Ms Lambert, if you have any requests you should queue up…"

"I want my nineteen gold pieces , and I want it NOW!"

Weiss slammed a palm on the counter, silencing all the chatter in the hall. Katheryn has been working at this position for years, however this was the first time she saw someone this confrontational, as rarely adventurers argue against the hand that fed them.

"M…Ms Karen Lambert, we paid yo…u as per contract. P…plus I think it was that scarfed partner that did most work, you and that elf are just profiting from her. So please don't -"

"Bull-fucking-shit, I cooked the damn pesticide! Regardless you will not short us twenty times the damn amount! This is A GOD DAMNED VIOLATION AGAINST OUR RIGHTS!"

"W…Lambert-san I think it is time to go." Eferdora begged.

"Karen Lambert" looked slightly down, and saw her elven companion, who was nudging her by the shirt. All eyes were looking at them now.

"This Bitch stole something that is rightfully belonged us, we risked our bloody life out there and I am covered in toad cum! We will not … suffer unfair payment!"

She leaned closer to the receptionist, clutching tightly to the counter. The thief just looked at the commotion speechlessly, and sneaked out. Not wanting to be part of this senseless drama.

"O…Our branch have special policies… you have to understand Lambert-san!"

"`Special` policy, yea right , well I am not leaving until I receive my remaining nineteen gold pieces."

Sally just looked at the two , and leaned in slightly.

"Ms Weiss, Eferdora, I will just wait outside."

And the Vampire skidaddled out of the massive drama here, some adventurer just stared at Weiss with shock , while others eyed the developing situation with amusement, drinking to it even. Woman on Woman fights was one hell of an entertainment for these people. Eferdora doesn't like the attention, she kept nudging her companion away from the counter.

"Weiss-san , I…I think we really have to go."

But to no avail.

"I need to talk to your manager! WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?"

"M…Manager?"

"Whoever the fuck is your superior."

"T…the Guild Master is not here today, I…I suggest you uh."

"Oh lord Jesus Christ! Is everyone in this city that much of a dipshit with this much shit in the head? First those guards that extort our silvers, now we have Planet Earth's worst receptionist holding back our god damned money! Oh wait I forgot, this is not Kansas any more! It's Belize!"

The Receptionist blinked twice, completely lost at the disgruntled copper plate's ramblings. She just looked left and right, hoping to find a way out, then her eyes trailed behind the raging mess in front of her.

"Tch, Mosquito."

"THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAID TO ME?"

Karen Lambert turned her attention from the sweaty receptionist to whoever that said that. Katheryn was greatly thankful that. It was a giant man clad in full plate armour as black as the midnight sky, he was twice the size of the tallest man Weiss ever saw. Next to him was a the one who called Karen an insect, a conventionally beautiful woman with long dark raven hair that was tied into a pony tail, she was wearing a plain brown coat. They both wore adamantite-plates, making them the top dogs of the adventure guild.

"Oh…It's the Dark Hero! Please Karen, it is best if you leave now." The receptionist quickly chucked in.

Murmurs around the hall whispered "It is Dark Hero Momon and Beautiful Princess Nabe." Eferdora's anxiety heightened, she tugged the stubborn human's coat harder.

"Those two looks like important people, I think it is really wise if we leave now Lambert-san…"

"Oh yea right, but…not…until…I…get…my…nineteen…pieces!"

"You are holding the line inconsiderately , please leave." The Dark `Hero` said bluntly.

"Tch like I said, Mosquito." His second commented.

Karen Lambert slowly turned to the pair. The look on her eyes were dark and sunken, her teeth had a fixed snarl on it. Nabe upon seeing this also , returned with a shocked anger, outraged she turned to her superior. Eferdora was getting more and more nervous.

"Hey uh… Lambert-san, we really REALLY should leave."

The Chemist ignored the Elf, she slowly stomped her way to the two in spite of knowing their rank in society.

"Some, fucking, hero ain't ya? Picking on a member of the working class who got shorted of her rightful pay!"

Momon said nothing, the abyss on his Visor glared back at her, Nabe on the other hand responded to Karen with cold apathy.

"Oh I get it now, You are no hero, you are just one big frat kid with too much money in hand, compensating your lonely ass life with a two bit whore pretending that she's some sort of Entomologist!"

A vein popped out of Nabe's forehead.

"Nabe, no need to waste your time on this rabble, someone so low isn't worth your time." The Dark Hero told his companion.

"OH…WOW, so I am the bad guy here huh? Not this corrupt establishment that give preferential treatment to the bloody rich, but poor old me! The rich and powerful fucks gets worshiped , while the robbed poor gets antagonized! YOU BOTH REPRESENTS EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THIS WORLD!"

Lambert jabbed a finger right onto Nabe's chest.

"Rich, filthy, soulless FUCKS! Did you have an remote inkling what happened to me? I ALMOST DIED, TOAD CUM SPRAYED ALL OVER MY FACE, AND I INVESTED HALF MY PARTY'S FORTUNE ON GODDAMN PESTICIDES! AND THEN I WAS SHORTED TWENTY TIMES MY SUPPOSED PAY! Are you kidding me?! You got to be kidding me!"

"Listen Mosquito, watch your tongue before I rip it out…"

"Or what? Intimidate a Man, expressing his opinion under THE FIRST AMEN-"

Karen Lambert stopped mid sentence, as she felt herself levitating. Only to realize the big Dark "Hero" pinched and held onto her collar, then lifted her up with two fingers. Giving her a air wedgie of some sort. The whole guild hall erupt in mocking laughter as Karen Lambert flailed her arms and legs while being dangled. The receptionist was hiding sniffles of laughter at this sight. Only Eferdora looked with despair.

Then with an effortless swing, Karen Lambert was thrown out of the double swinging doors. She hit the ground head first, breaking her nose. Sally who was standing outside leaning against a wall immediately jolted up straight at this sight.

"Ms Weiss!"

Then, Momon and Nabe emerged outside the Adventurer hall, the howling laughter of the Adventurer emanated from the double swinging doors. The Dark "Hero" gave Lambert two cruel kicks to rib even while she was down. The poor chemist was already squirming on the ground , bloodied , bruised and still covered in Toad bile. She moaned in agony as Sally immediately rushed to her aid.

"Oi stop, that was uncalled for!"

The Dark Hero stopped at looked at her, without saying a word.

"Tch-another Mosquito."

Eferdora hurried to the commotion, trying to diffuse the situation she kowtowed to the Dark Hero.

"IamSoSorry! IamSoSorry! IamSoSorry!"

Sally supported Lambert to stand up by her arm. The poor battered woman coughed out a few mouthful of blood. Usually when others got manhandled by either Nabe or Mormon, they will show immediate signs of fear and submission. Lambert on the other hand, just glared at the two with intense hatred.

"You…Say, we are…Mosquitoes right?"

Lambert twisted her head slightly at Nabe. Her blue blazing eyes ever piercing her soul.

"Mosquitoes are deadlier than a tiger, hell, it's the deadliest animal in the World. Killed more people, and will give you diseases right for assholes like you…"

She ended their conversation by spitting a glob of blood and saliva onto the ground. Sally carried her injured companion away. Eferdora gave the famous pair a sorry look as she did so. The battered trio slowly disappeared from the pair's line of sight.

"If you allow , I can kill them for their insolence, what they say and how they blatantly looked at you my lord, were unforgivable."

"They learn`t their lessons, they are mediocre in magic and stats, they are no threat. On the other hand we need to track down Shalltear soon."

"I heard Solution found some leads here."

"Yes, apparently someone pawned her dress to a Tailor in the Capital."

"Which idiot would even do such a stupid thing?"

"..."

To be honest, even the Dark hero has no clue himself, all he need to do was to act cool so that Naberal doesn't pick up the wrong signals. Also for some reason, that one in the scarf sounded dreadfully familiar.

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"I…I think you can let go now, thank you Sally."

The shorter companion gingerly let go of Weiss. With some small struggles, the adult woman can managed on her two feet.

"Ms Weiss Now what? We got banned from the Adventurer's guild for misdemeanor. We lost our only source of income."

"Don't look so down, that place was a bust anyways, rotten to the core. We will think of something once we get back to the Wagon."

"Also who was that guy?"

"Some rich fuck by the name "Dark Hero" Moron and his side bitch Nabe the "Beautiful Princess". No kidding those were their actual names, some big shot around here with a big lack of creativity, someone we should put everything to avoid becoming."

Sally raised an eyebrow at this name, but regardless her thoughts drifted to something else.

"Not going to lie Ms Weiss, people wearing that kind of armour usually have heavy insecurities within. Kicking someone so weak while down must be filling some kind of void in there, someone pathetic no less. Also that Woman who called us "Mosquitoes"? Nothing but some kind of rich man's toy."

"Yes Sally YES, that's the spirit! Finally I see some backbone in you. I am proud of you."

Sally smiled, although something deep inside her regretted saying all that. She doesn't know what and why. Weiss then turned to her other companion , Eferdora who was looking down with a sad frown and clasped hands.

"Come on, don't tell me you feel guilty over all this! We are in the right here so grow a pair and stand for yourself! Else you will be kicked in the nuts forever if you lacked ambitions."

The Elf looked at the taller human with watery eyes..

"W-We did caused a scene, c-could…we at least try to apologize to the guild and perhaps get our license back? We don't have to mean it."

"No way, utterly pointless. We are getting no where as adventurers. We faced Moron and his slut today who knows which boot we will taste tomorrow? "

"Pesticides, we can sell them, they seemed pretty effective against the toads, probably many people would want that, we might make some coin from that."

Weiss pat the Vampire on the head.

"Yea nice thinking, we can do that."

When the trio headed back, they slowed their footsteps when they heard the wailing sound of a crying woman coming from their destination. A dozen of City guards were surrounding the Former Slave Wagon, a crying woman and her child were standing next to it.

The three approached their property, a guard immediately turned towards them.

"Halt, is this thing your property?"

"Yea, what happened?"

The crying Woman turned towards Weiss, and lunged at her. Only to be held back by a city guard.

"Y…You poisoned my baby! You monster! My Baby cannot even move his legs and is dying right now!" The woman's word dripped with hatred.

Weiss looked at the Wagon, the hold which contained their alchemy equipment was still locked with a padlock.

"Lady, the Wagon is locked, there is no way your child was poisoned, even if it was that means your child was breaking and entering and done goofed."

"...it's my fault!" The Child confessed.

"No, it's not your fault, it was theirs!"

"Lady get your eyes checked, we did nothing wrong!" Weiss rebuked.

Sally turned to the Child, she widened her eyes and pointed at him.

"I remembered you, you were playing with this other kid when we are cooking."

"I…I dared Lemiare to drink from weird lady's cauldron!"

Eferdora felt a pang in her heart, Sally was still stuck in a state of unpleasant surprise. A city guard just nonchalantly nods and took notes with a quill and paper. Weiss looked at the kid , then glared back the mother with a invigorated intensity.

"So you are telling me, you failed to watch the kid and you pin your failed parenting on me?!"

The Mother gasped, morally outraged by this other woman.

"Ms…"

"Karen, Karen Lambert"

"Well Ms Karen Lambert, do you have a city license as an Alchemist or Pharmacist?"

"Uh no, do I need one?"

"Practicing unlicensed Alchemy that resulted in public harm…checked. I need you three to give me your names, and I need you all to remove your mask, scarfs and hoods so I can sketch your portraits."

"What?"

"Oh and the fine will be a hundred and twenty gold pieces in a week's due. Please provide the payment at the City District Hall. Failure to do so will result in eight years of hard labour and imprisonment."

"T-This is complete bullshit! This…"

The guard merely gave Weiss a unsympathetic look, causing her to heave her shoulder in defeat. Meanwhile the Mother gave her a smug and hateful grin.

"So…how many gallons of Pesticides do we need to sell now?" Sally asked

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"So now what? We are still banned from the Adventurer guild and we have no money AND we will be facing possible prison time!" Eferdora cried.

"We can always escape this city and settle somewhere else, sure it might a bit troublesome regarding supplies and all. The risks outside the walls are pretty bad I guess, but we can still do it."

Weiss was quiet while the two was bickering about an escape plan. However the tallest of the bunch seemed collected. Her expression turned cold and calculative, without a word, she strolled forward.

"Ms Weiss, what about you do you have an…Ms Weiss what are you doing?"

The Chemist was towering over a shadowy figure lying in the alleyway, it was that Junkie from earlier, too dazed from whatever he was drinking. Weiss slide her hand under his ragged clothes, with the cover of the shadow, she stole a vial of black dust.

Uncorking the drug, she poured it out to her hand, and sniffed it at a safe distance before tossing it to the ground and crushing it.

"As I thought, inferior Opium."

"Ms Weiss…?"

"Yea Sally, I have a plan. I have a really good plan that worth ten thousand upon thousand of gold. This will be a score of an lifetime. All I need is faith from you two."

Weiss turned to her partners. The night and the alley covered half of her face with a foreboding shadow. The dim street lanterns reflected a dangerous glint on her spectacles. The two just looked that her as everything have been stolen from their mouth.

"Sally, We need to cook. And I need a new name."

It was after that night, a fire within forced Weiss reconnected an old part of her life, as she reawakened her old name she once used in the past. With that Karen Lambert has been put into the ground once more.

Heisenberg has returned.

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Arc Ended

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