Stand Alone
It has been three days after that mission. In those three days, I was only called to the bar just to transfer weapons. The resistance now wants to find a good location to test the God weapons. But they haven't found a good place for the test yet, it's annoying.
Lilia asked me to guide the resistance fighters on how to use those wands. Yet, I haven't come to the last decision.
Hmmmm... nothing changes much to me.
Alright, I hear the footsteps of my "little sister". Elena is here, she is about to go to work. Today, I won't work for the resistance. But instead, I want to follow her, Elena also wants to spend more time with me these days.
I don't know why. Maybe she just wants to build a good relationship with me because she was so busy last week. Both of us are strangers, Elena brought me home so she thinks she also has a responsibility for me or something. She wants to consider me her big brother.
"Well... ma'am". - Elena turned around, looking at the innkeeper who was standing in the stall area. "Please stay strong... I have to go now".
The innkeeper doesn't reply to Elena a word. She just looks at this young girl and makes out a slight smile to say goodbye. This old lady lost her 2nd son a week ago. She really doesn't know a thing that her first son was the one who ordered me to kill his twin brother.
She was quite broken at first, but now she looks fine when Elena is with her. Last week, Elena spent her free time with the innkeeper to comfort her.
We just paid our debt recently after we used our breakfast in the inn. Our lives in the inn are stable, at least for now. However, things may change in the future. But at least, we, I mean Elena can now start to have the comfortable days.
After saying goodbye to the innkeeper, both of us slowly step outside. I know Elena is going to work today, so she chose her adventure job for it. Today, she wants to choose a relaxing quest. She wants to spend her time with me more.
We go out of the inn and immediately see a carriage parked before us. It's parked on the right side of the inn, beside the carriage is a man. He is a black man, his face looks so familiar. The man is bald and he wears a black tunic, his hands hold each other while he stands straight.
"It's an honor for me to see you again, Sir". - The black man approached me, greeting both of us
Elena seems to be confused. Meanwhile, I stay silent while looking at him. His face looks familiar, but I don't remember who he is.
"I was one of three men that you s-". - That guy stopped for a while when his eyes glanced at Elena. "I'm Topa, one of three men that you helped". - Oh, I remember now, he was the one of the two black men. "My chief asks me to come here, we owe you very much".
"Please take this gift, Sir...". - He raised his hand toward the carriage behind him. "My chief wants to give you more, but this is the most expensive thing he can pick to pay you right now, please accept it...".
"What did you do to them, brother...?". - Elena asked me. "Excuse me, mister, could you please tell me who you are and what made you come here to give us this thing?".
"I'm Topa, a servant of my chief - Carlson". - The guy modestly stepped back, raising his hands to the carriage as if he wanted Elena to follow. "I can't tell you in detail what Sir Alan had done to us, but we can't live that freely without repaying the debt that we owe him".
"This carriage is the only expensive thing that we have right now". "Please take a look at it, please take the gift". - He slowly stood guard while standing with his back opposing the carriage
I approach him. Elena and I look around the brown carriage, from the outside to the inside. There are two strong-looking horses that get attached to the carriage.
The interior of the backside looks wide and clean, nice to carry goods.
"Hmmmm...". - Elena stayed silent, she looked at me
I tap twice on her shoulder, it's up to her.
I want to choose the horses to make our journey speed to be much faster. Not the carriage. I don't have a future plan for this vehicle. Having a plan for it is good, but... now I just want to pick the horses.
"I'm sorry, mister... we can't take the gift". - Elena replied
"Is the gift too boring, too bad in your eyes?". - After speaking to Elena, the guy changed his direction to me. "What's your answer, Sir?".
I shake my head.
"I understand... I'm sorry on behalf of my chief". "I'll return to report this to him, we'll gift you a better thing as fast as possible when we can".
"No no". - Elena shook her head, trying to decline him. "It's good, mister". "But we don't need this thing, we don't have a need to use it for business or anything like it". "We're not merchants, and maybe my brother doesn't need it too". "I think you people need this thing than us...". "Thank you, but we won't take it, mister".
The black guy suddenly goes silent for a while.
"Alright, I understand...". - Then he got on the carriage, sitting on the stool with a disappointed face. "I'm sorry for disturbing you both...". - Then, he started the horses and the carriage slowly moved forward
Both of us stand there, waiting till the carriage goes out of our sight.
"Alan, well... can you please hear me out?". - Suddenly, Elena slowly turned to me and asked me
I nod.
"I thank you a lot, I respect you a lot". "You earn so much money from your job, you helped me to pay debt and now both of us can live a bit comfortably for a while".
"But... I see that you earn so much money way too fast...". - She got closer to me, she put her knuckles on her chin, wondering. "Just... more than a week here and you earned hundreds, it's so much...". "Please tell me that you're not doing anything wrong, give me an answer". "Tell me... please, brother". - She put her hands on my shoulders
I nod. I pat her head.
"You're not doing anything bad, right?".
I nod.
"I'm sorry but...". - Elena felt a bit insecure or something. "Please wait for me". - Elena tiredly put her right hand on her face to cover it, she gave me her adventurer's card. "The guide girls there are too used to seeing you... could you please go there and pick up a quest for me? Somewhere near this town, you know?".
I nod.
"I'm sorry, I wanted to have a day off with you but... please choose something relaxing that we can both enjoy and...". - Elena sighed. "I'm sorry, please go to the guild first, I wanna talk to sis Lilia a bit". - Elena later headed in the direction that leads to the tavern - the resistance's HQ
Both of us part ways, walking to two different destinations.
Not so long later, I finally reach the guild. The Adventurer's Guild in this town is quite small to me. Because I used to go in here with Elena several times.
The total number of the adventurers around this town is quite small. About 10 to 20 adventurers to be in total. That's my conclusion after several times going in here with Elena. If I see more than this number, that means those adventurers must be coming from another town.
I enter the guild. I get to the quest board immediately, looking for an easy mission. After looking through many papers on the board, I find one G-ranked quest is easy. "Collect 50 Yatalya plants for studies". The location of the mission is just outside of the town not too far away. The reward is just only 25 Gads.
I slowly tear the quest paper out, I turn around to watch the guide girls. For some reason, the guild is not so crowded at this moment despite being morning. Looking around, I only see four adventurers. Well, I guess I need to hurry now.
I approach a guide girl, I put Elena's adventurer card and the quest paper on the stall.
"Ummmm...". - This guide girl looked at me. "Good morning, are you here to register...?". - She greeted me, then slowly picked up the adventurer card and the quest paper. "Uhhh...". - She looked at me. "You're here... to... choose this quest for Ms. Elena, mister?". - You learned fast, good
I nod.
"I'm sorry, but it's not allowed". - The guide girl slid those things back to me. "Only the adventurer - the owner of this card, in person, can make the confirmation".
I nod. I pick up the card and the quest paper, I later leave the stall area to return to the quest board area, waiting for Elena to arrive.
After a few minutes of waiting, Elena has finally come here. She looks around, then she sees me on that side.
"Hi, brother...". - She approached me, she made a slight smile. "Hey, I'm sorry... for doubting you that much". - She held my hands, apologizing. "She's told me everything, you worked hard when I was asleep... and I never noticed that...".
"But please... take care of yourself, Alan". "You've worked too hard, give yourself more time to rest". - She looked up to see my face
I nod.
"You take a day off today, so I... it's good when we have time together". - Elena later looked down, she saw the quest paper and her card. "You were waiting for me to arrive instead of giving this quest to the guider?". - She slowly took those things
I nod.
To be honest, I really wanted to explain to Elena that I was not allowed to take that quest on behalf of her. But I have faked to be muted in the beginning. So I have to play that role well till the end.
"That's alright...". "Thanks". - Elena thanked me, she later read the contents of the paper
"50 plants... uhh... 25 Gads". - Done reading, she looked up, walking around. "Which plant to collect? 50? That many? Uhhh... I can't read". - She only knows to read a bit, so she will surely struggle to understand the words
"Let's follow me, Alan". - Elena told me to follow her to come to meet the guide girl
"Hey". - All of a sudden, someone, could be a woman, called us from behind
I turn around. Before my eyes is a young adult woman with short white hair and red eyes. She wears a light green cloak, hooded, behind her cloak is a black tunic. She wears leather gloves, iron boots, her belt contains many pouches.
A normal-length sword on her left side belt. I don't see a dagger on her belt, it must be placed on her back, I assume. I see a short black metal tube on her left side belt, placed lower than her sword's position a bit. That metal tube doesn't look like a weapon.
Who is this woman?
"Hey...". - She waved at us, then stopped as she approached us close enough. "What should I say...? May I join your team, you both?".
"Ummm... hi". - Elena smiled at her, though she felt a bit anxious to meet a stranger
"I'm Lynn, D-ranked adventurer... please let me join your team, may I?".
"You're my senior, sis... uhhh". - Elena scratched her hair, trying to keep her smile on. "Well, you don't have anything to do with your juniors... I think there's nothing you can do".
"It's so lonely to do my job alone, let's team up...". "Please, just today...". - Lynn approached Elena, making my "little sister" hard to decide
"Ummmm... alright, but please, just once".
"My name... is Elena, very nice to meet you, sis".
"Hey, welcome to the team". - Lynn cheerfully got closer to Elena and hugged her tightly
While being hugged by Lynn that tightly, Elena glanced at me a few times. She smiles at me, as if to tell me that she is feeling very sorry for me. Elena wants to have a day at work also wants to spend her time with me. However, her plan seems to have been ruined by this young woman.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"Please wait after the quest". - Elena talked to me, then smiled at Lynn
...
...
...
It has been about half an hour since we left the town to work on the quest. After teaming up, Lynn promised that she would not take the rewards. She told us that she felt so bored to be always alone doing her quests. So she decided to try something new today, by going with us.
Her true purpose is to have a day doing her mission with some people. That's why she won't take the reward although the quest is a joint mission of two adventurers.
When we got to the town's entrance to get out, Lynn stopped there. She later guided Elena something. She rented two horses from the local guards.
The price of a horse is one Gad per hour. We rented two horses for three hours, which meant six Gads, quite cheap.
Right now, the three of us are on horseback. We're riding two horses on the dirt trail to the location of our mission. Just a few more minutes and we will get there. I'm leading the group, while the two women are chatting behind.
Hmmmm... till now I still wonder why. I mean, why do I have to be on horseback alone, riding a female horse?
While both of them are together on a male horse?
Well... I will ignore it.
"Thank you very much, sis". - I guess I will listen to their chatters while riding this horse. "I didn't know that there was such a keephouse like that around the outpost". "And yet, they allow us to rent horses with cheap prices". - Elena seems to be very relieved
That's obvious. My little sister always goes to work on foot, she loses quite a lot of time because of that travel way. Now she has learned something new, and of course, very valuable.
"Haizz... I wish the food prices were that cheap". - Elena sighed, I could hear that very loud and exhausted
"We are having a hard time, not much choice... you must live with it". - Lynn replied. "Don't worry much, the King is doing his best". "The thing you need now is to be patient, good things will come soon".
"I know, sis". - But Elena still sighed a lot in mind when she kept remembering how much costly the food prices were
"By the way, saying about those horses". "A day you go with someone, a day you learn something new, it's a lesson". "I just see it strange, you know...? W-". - Lynn talked to Elena in a teasing tone, but she later stopped it as I glared back
"Well, can't blame you". "You're new to the town?".
"Well... I moved here from the Capital city". "Nearly four months ago, I think... yeah...". - I thought Elena had been living here for more than a year, I guessed it wrong
"About you, sis?".
"Half a month...".
"You also come from the Capital, sis?".
"Yeah, you can say so...".
"Why did you move here?".
"Well... up there is harsh... high price...". - She sighed. "My parents don't want me to rely on them". "This town's much more comfortable, sis...". - Now I don't know if Elena works hard because her nature is like that or that's because of the seriousness of her parents
"What's about your brother?".
"Uhhhh... he worries about me when I'm here alone...".
I want to listen more to their conversation. But I have to stop, because we have finally reached the destination. Renting the horses for three hours was redundant, a wrong decision. Because going from the town to this place only took us 30 minutes.
I signal both of them by raising my right hand. I later move the horse out of the trail to go to the plain on the left. Many Yatalya plants can be seen on the grass. They have a yellow color on their spiky top, the height of the plant is the same as a 10-year-old kid.
The log of the plants seems to be very thick.
I dismount my horse. I tie the rope that holds my horse to a tree nearby, I slowly tighten it. After that, I look around to watch the plants. Lynn can be seen choosing the area near my horse to park her horse.
"I guess we have just wasted our money, sis". - Elena dismounted the horse, she immediately approached and crouched down to watch the yellow Yatalya plants
"Not wasted, junior". "I used to chop off them, I know this kind of tree very well, they're annoying, you will see". - Lynn later dismounted her horse, she got down softly
"By the way, may I ask you something?". - Lynn sat beside Elena, asking my little sister
"?".
"Your brother's not so talkative".
"He's mute, sis...". - Elena only knew to smile to pass that silly question
"Wow... I thought he was cold, because I always saw you talking to him only". - Lynn turned around, watching me
"He's nice...". - Elena later took out her dagger and started cutting the plants
"Well... earlier when we got out of the town, he... got to an empty ground to take a sword he buried". - Suddenly, Lynn mentioned to Elena that previous incident
"It's complicated, sis". - Elena focused on cutting the plant, but she still tried to explain. "I told him to register to become an adventurer to have the right to carry weapons, but he didn't listen".
"So he bought a sword and left it home". "The second one he bought he left it outside of the town, waiting when he goes outside, he'll dig it up to use it if he has a need".
"Oh, I see". - Lynn later glanced at me. "You all by yourself make you miserable". - She teased me in a low tone
"I don't really know why, sis". - Elena suddenly made her voice a bit louder. "If he needs to protect himself, then a knife is alright, the laws allow people to carry a knife". - Elena was losing her patience or something, she kept cutting the plant and it hadn't broken
"They've re-modified it, you don't know?". "They've tightened the laws due to the rebels, no weapons allowed". - Lynn replied. "That's why he kept his knife in the pocket when they checked on him". - She looked at me
"It's no use, sis, stop chatting, please help me!". - Elena complained, she sat on the grass and dropped her dagger
Lynn suddenly draws her sword, she presses and holds a button on her sword's rain-guard area. She later holds the two-edged sword's blade and slowly pulls it out.
Lynn shortly puts that blade back into the sword's scabbard. She puts her hand inside the scabbard again, and pulls out a one-edged blade. She puts that blade carefully into the sword. Her thumb lets off the button and the new one-edged blade has now replaced the old blade.
I get it now... Lynn's sword must be an advanced weapon, it must be very costly.
"Here, one-edged, makes it easier to chop anything". - Lynn gave Elena the sword
"Thanks, sis". - Elena modestly received the sword, she later used it with more of her strength to chop off the yellow plant
"What a shame...". "Swords are used to kill... but now is used to chop some damn plants...". - Lynn mumbled in a teasing tone, she put her hands on the back of her head while looking at me
"You must help your little sister, you know?". "Don't stand there, please move...". "I'll guard the horse... s...". - Lynn grinned a bit, her eyes were like to tease me
She walks that chillingly to the two horses. I gave Lynn a middle finger when she was approaching the horses with her back opposed to me.
Fuck you bitch...
I later turn around and approach the plants. I crouch down with my dagger ready, I start cutting a Yatalya plant. This plant is so thick, I guess I will put more force to chop off this plant. My little sister is working so hard that she doesn't care about looking around.
Suddenly, my head senses something hard pointing to it from behind. At the same time, I noticed that Lynn was crouching down behind me. She smiles, but her smile is full of morbidity. Her face is so close to mine, what a sick.
"Shhh...". "I hope you know what is behind your head...". - She whispered. "Rumors are talking about you these days, the guards who survived...".
Who is she? Is she the assassin who was ordered to follow me by the resistance?
No, she can't be. I know exactly what is the thing that is pointing to my head. That's a metal wand, I can sense that... now I wonder who is this young woman...
I wonder if she is a spy... not from the resistance...
"I have been watching you for a while...". - She whispered. "Knowing how to use our weapons, working for the resistance in silence... killing my men...". "Who are you exactly...? I have never seen anyone this strange before...". - She pressed the metal wand deeper to put a big pressure on my head
"Shhhh...". "I love it when you go mute... just let it be...".
"You don't need and you will never know who I am...". "Listen now... I have some work for you...". "Deal...?".
"Gimme me money and I'll do anything...". - I told her
"Awww, c'mon... I thought you were man enough...". - Lynn slowly caressed my face
"I said... gimme money and you'll get what you want...". "No money, no work...".
"How's about my body...?".
"Sell it...".
"To you...?". - Lynn slowly licked my cheek, I stayed silent with a cold face
"Listen...". - She stopped licking me, but started whispering slowly. "Three days ago... a carriage of the Royal guards was assaulted...". "All the prisoners escaped... including Carlson - the leader of the resistance in Tobol village...". "I want him... gone... today... forever...". - Lynn licked my ears when she stopped saying
"Around here has a town... named Tursol...". "Carlson, his family and his men... moved there after they got saved...". "A small inn... used to be their ally's hideout a year ago...". "Their allies also sent some men there... to stay there as "clients"... they're... annoying".
"Take one of my men... he's going there on foot... not too far from here...". "He's in a brown cloak, hooded and masked... he carries a gun, much longer than mine...". "Make his mission end faster... take him to the inn... return here... and let him take care of the rest...". - All of a sudden, Lynn gave me something like a map
"The assassin's been activated". "When you come to pick him up, send him that code and he'll follow you...".
"Now go... if you don't...". - Lynn slowly gazed at Elena. "Understand...?". - She returned to see me, she licked my neck joyfully
I slowly get up. Elena is still cutting the plants, she is doing her best to end the quest fast. A few minutes later, the girl turns around. She sees Lynn standing too close to me, Elena's face has some grumbles for some reason.
"You're standing too close to him, what's wrong?". - Elena stopped her work, her face blushed while it stretched out because of her frustration
"Sorry, Elena...". - Lynn got closer to me more, she got very close. "I have to count on your big brother now". "The guild forgot to reward me for my old quest... he'll go back there to take care of things for me". - Lynn later caressed my face with a grin
I put Lynn's hands away from my shoulders. I don't look at Elena or Lynn, I get on the horse and start moving away.
"What are you doing? That's not the Guild's direction". "How could you?! We should have been dating today! Return here!". Those were the words from Elena that I heard when I was going away
I look at the map. I can see the clear direction and how far is from the Border town to Tursol town - not too far. However, I only see the road direction. Nothing on the map leads me to an "assassin".
Hmmmmm... it's difficult...
I have to work on my own, he may be around here.
...
...
...
I got myself on the horse, running around the forest for 30 minutes. At first I couldn't find a man traveling in a cloak, it was difficult to find. However, I recently found a person in a cloak walking on the trail. He got an appearance that fitted Lynn's assassin description.
I slowly pass by him, I look at the man carefully. He wears a brown cloak, hooded, putting a veil on his face, covering from his nose to his mouth. The man carries a long weapon or something behind his brown cloak. He walks his way on the road that leads straight to Tursol town.
The direction here to the town now only takes five minutes. In case he gets escorted by me on my horseback, the time will be shortened to two minutes or less.
"Assassin's been activated". - I said out the words when I got close to the man
The cloaked man stops, he looks at me. The guy approaches my horse in silence, then slowly mounts. He then sits behind me tightly, I keep my eyes on the trail.
"Keyler sent you here, huh...? Drive me inside the town, I'll tell you where to drop me". - The guy said to me, he sat tightly on the horse
Not so long later, I start riding my horse forward. The road to the town is very near here, I later push my horse to run faster than ever to the town. After two minutes, the entrance of the town has appeared before my eyes.
Two local guards in leather armors with spears can be seen standing on both sides to guard the town. I just need to pass them, these guards won't check on me or my weapons. According to this Kingdom's laws, only the guards in the border towns and the Capital city will do the checking.
"Hey, stop right there". - Suddenly, a guard called me and asked me to stop my horse when I was about to go inside the town. "Why are you carrying a sword? The one behind you also looks so suspicious". "Show us your card if you have the right to carry that sword legally...". - He approached us while speaking to us in a harsh tone
All of a sudden, the guy behind me pulls out a grey card which seems to be made of metal. He shows the card right in front of the guard. That guy's pose immediately changes, now he looks so much humbled. The guard has changed his attitude.
"I'm sorry for not knowing you're from the Capital, Sir". - He apologized. "Please go in". - The guard slowly stepped aside to let us pass
"Hear me". - The hooded guy spoke up
"Yes, Sir".
"I'm here for a mission, this man's giving me a ride". "Later he'll go out here without me, just let him go". "He's just an escort".
"Understood, Sir".
I slowly get my eyes away from the guard. I ride my horse inside the town, walking around the street. This time, I control my horse to go slow. I can only know the exact location of the inn if the guy behind me tells me.
"You're on the right away, just keep going". - He said
My horse keeps going straight, I look around from the left side to the right side.
"Sorry for the earlier, citizen". "Some guards these days want to give people hard times to get more cash to feed themselves...". - The hooded guy told me. "I don't know if you're a mercenary, but you must pay more attention to the changes of laws". "Everything's been tightened than before". "Bring your work cards when you're out".
I nod.
I'm in trouble now. Maybe I should register to become an adventurer to have the right to bring weapons with me.
"There, stop there". - That guy all of a sudden, told me to park my horse somewhere
I look around. I see a small wooden building above me. Then I park my horse on the right sidewalk. The hooded man dismounts, he starts gazing at that small building.
"This inn used to be a big hideout of the rebels, it was raided...". "I can't believe that they would go back here". - Done saying, the hooded guy turned around
"200 Gads, your reward". - Suddenly, he threw at my hands a small brown bag. "Your duty's done here". "Return to Keyler, she's waiting for you". "Before I open fire with my gun, go before the guards mess up with you when I'm not there".
The hooded man slowly turns around, he looks at the wooden inn. He slowly pulls out the metal wand which he called "a gun", for the raid. Hmmmmm. I must leave the town and return to Elena.
...
...
...
...
...
I left that town before I heard anything loud. I immediately rushed back to the location of the quest with my horse.
Both of them can be seen from afar now. They're still cutting those Yatalya plants. Some chopped logs of the plants can be seen left on the green grass. My horse slowly approaches the location where he will be tied to.
Elena and Lynn don't about looking at me. I dismount my horse and tie it up to the tree, then I slowly approach them. Both of them can be crouching, chopping off the yellow plants. The girls can be seen sweating, their sweat makes their clothes wet.
"Don't". - Elena spoke to me in a frustrated tone when I was crouching near her to help her collect the plants
"How could you...?". "You didn't listen to me... but you listened to her...". - Elena sighed heavily, she mumbled to herself while swinging her sword to the plants strongly
Is my "little sister" feeling jealous right now?
What should I do...?
I was thinking about how to calm down Elena, someone suddenly tapped my back.
I turn around. That's Lynn.
She gives me a bag, she points around the logs that are left on the ground. Maybe she asks me to pick those logs up. I snatch the bag, I carefully pick up every log on the ground. Not so long later, those logs have been stuffed so full inside the bag.
I get up and look around, I realize that my bag is not the only one. There are six other bags which are lying on the ground, also stuffed with logs. Elena later gets up and approaches me. She drops all the logs she chopped into the bag that I am holding.
"That's all we need to collect". "Let's go home, brother...". - Elena sighed, she turned around and approached a horse with disappointment and a frustrated face
My eyes follow Elena's movement, I see her picking up the bags tiredly. However, my sight has been locked not so long later by Lynn...
"Good boy...". - She grinned, caressing my face gently. "Come to see me in the guild every morning, I always have a job for you". - She later got to Elena's position to help her with the bags
Bitch... I'll kill you someday.