Isobel was destined to become the best Illusion Mage in Aspia. If Lyra didn't exist, she'd be the strongest mage in Aspia, period! Hell, in the time before Lyra knew how to deal with her, she was the strongest mage in Aspia! Despite that, the Isobel Greaves standing triumphantly beside me wasn't that. Not yet, at least. She'd used her power to set the ambiance and scare a few potential buyers away from House Greaves, but she clearly wasn't the Demon Queen we knew… in terms of strength, at least.
It wasn't that this Isobel wasn't a fighter. She clearly was. That fact showed itself in subtle ways: her preference for athletic gear, the slight musculature of her arms and legs, the wear on her boots–her combat boots–and the faint scars on her hands and arms that only appear when paying particularly close attention. Besides, there's no way Alexander Greaveswouldn't have trained Isobel in the art of combat.
Despite all of that, the thing that made Isobel powerful in the future was the fact that she had her latent power awoken by the Demon Lord's Royal Scientist: Syriphis Salaphyxio. Given Isobel's obvious lack of demon horns and wings, it was clear that the two hadn't crossed paths just yet…
..though, she could be hiding them with illusory magic…?
"That'd be a bitch of an illusion to maintain for this long, Lloyd. Stop thinking like Lyra."
"What's the Quest anyway?" Lyra asked, snapping me out of my stupor.
"I'm glad you asked," Isobel answered, magically flipping the spellbook to a new page. The moment Lyra and I read its contents, we audibly groaned.
HOUSE QUEST TITLE: Goblin Infestation
This Quest is recommended for 2-Star Adventurers and above.
The forests near Podros are being overrun by a band of Goblin Raiders. Defeat enough of them to send a message to their leaders* and head back home for your reward.
*Please note that, if angered, those very leaders may make themselves known to you. These are highly dangerous creatures, and combat with them should be avoided at all costs. This Goblin Raider band, and their leaders, provoke easily and have been known to kill on sight. When arriving, be sure to avoid sudden movements and loud noises, should you wish to avoid battling the leaders of the band.
This Quest is ideal for Rogues and Rangers.
"Why this specific Quest?" Lyra asked, pointing to the last sentence on the page. "Lloyd's a Paladin and I'm a Sorcerer. We're loud! Are they grading us on performance or something? Because stealth isn't our specialty."
"Heavens, no. This isn't an examination. All the Guild cares about is whether you complete the Quest or not."
"So what's the hard part? There's obviously a catch."
Isobel's smirk widened into a mischievous smile. She leaned her head into her pointer finger. "You see, the thing about owning a Noble House is that, as Lord and Lady, you're responsible for everyone. For each maid, you have a Paladin who refuses to clean up after themselves. For each Instructor, you have an adventurer-turned-butler who swears he has the keys to the universe." She smiled wider. "And for each Prodigy, you have a recruit who simply can't follow directions."
"So we get rid of them," I said casually. "Or, we tell the Instructor to do their job better because clearly one of their students isn't cut out for Questing."
"I do agree with you there. Many Houses fall due to their Instructors' ineptitude and moral inability to 'separate the chaff'. However, you see, some recruits may test well, but once they're face-to-face with a monster capable of killing them, they panic!" Isobel's expression darkened as her tone shifted to one of faux despair. "Just like me. I've never been on a Quest in my life. I only just registered as an Adventurer to be able to join you on this Quest! How could I possibly know what dangers lie in store…?"
Lyra's eyes narrowed. To her credit, the most impatient girl I knew was doing a good job of keeping it together. "Now, I have absolutely no problem with you putting us through the wringer, but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."
"Oh? And what did you have in mind?"
"Mountains of Quests. Grueling exercise. Training. Reading. Literally anything other than babysitting."
Isobel paused, considering her words before sitting back down beside me, arms folded. "You make a good point. I did spend my night thinking of ways I could make you two suffer. It was fun, if you can believe it. Cathartic, even. 'They want my House?' I thought to myself. 'Well, I'll make them work for it!'. I fully intended on 'putting you through the wringer' as you put it, Lyra, but… that would've been useless. You're both 5-Star Adventurers, and as I said, I'm unranked. I have no clue what 'Star' I would be, but it certainly isn't five. There's nothing I could do to make you suffer that wouldn't backfire in some way. So, I decided that my best course of action was to actually test you two. If I got to see every facet of you two, understood you both as though we'd known each other our whole lives, then perhaps I'd be comfortable letting go…?"
Nobody said anything after that. Not for a short while, at least. Isobel, for the first time today perhaps, didn't have that perpetual smugness to her. She looked as sad as she ought to be about the state of the House, so sad that I felt the need to put an arm around her. Lyra looked as though she wanted to leave, but I urged her to stay with a gesture.
"I appreciate you for giving us so much thought," I snorted. "Even if it started as hostile." I caressed her shoulder and pulled her a bit closer.
Isobel pouted, though she still leaned into my chest, her lavender patchouli perfume permeating the air around me and sending a faint wave of heat through my body. "Don't take too much credit. I'm still going to look for ways to make your lives hell."
"We're 5-Stars. You're going to be looking for a while," Lyra challenged.
Isobel smiled. "Don't underestimate my creativity."