Things had gone smoothly when we'd arrived at the Adventurer's Guild. A new batch of Paladin trainees was there taking up all the higher-level missions, but that wasn't our problem anymore. For now, at least. We'd received that paltry grant from the Guild, got our Quest Fairy, and confirmed that the Kill Order was to either kill or "remove" the Goblin Raider band's leaders. Once that was done, we went to the horse rental shop at the edge of town and used our grant money to rent two horses and a carriage–because of course they were two separate expenses.
The expense was negligible, though, meaning I didn't have to spend the trip to the Quest location silently suffering from buyer's remorse. I'm happy for that, too, because it meant I got to take in the scenery of the forest around me as I maneuvered our carriage through the well-trodden dirt path. The trees themselves were fairly sparse, though the space between was filled by ferns and mossy rock. Every other tree had some sign or another posted on it, giving warnings of monsters in the area, guiding adventurers towards areas only they were safe to traverse, ads from unregistered Paladins acting as mercenaries, ads from Clerics advertising healing services… if it was relevant to adventuring, it was posted on a tree somewhere. The signs tended to get rarer the deeper into the forest you got, though, due to that being where most of the stronger monsters lived.
"I've never encountered a freelance Adventurer before," Isobel noted. She'd been seated behind me next to Lyra, who herself was tracking birds and fairies with her eyes. "Why would one choose that line of work and not standard Questing?"
"Freelancers usually get the dirty jobs," I answered. "But they're usually hired by wealthy people from places outside of Podros. Vampires in Ecril will pay good money for an Adventurer to set fire to kill a group of Vampire Hunters, for example. Half-Orcs in Ublar, meanwhile, will pay even more to humans willing to help them hunt down human settlements in the Wastelands."
"So what could the recruiters here possibly want?"
"They probably need a hitman," Lyra shrugged. "That's usually what it's about around here."
"A-ah," Isobel shuddered. "I'd hope you two are above sinking that low. If you ever have a problem with another House, I'd hope you would settle it in a way that would make House Greaves proud."
"I guess it depends on what's happening," Lyra said. "If someone wants to fight over that farmland in front of the House, we can settle that with a duel. If they want to usurp the House," She smiled a wicked grin. "I won't need a hitman to kill in my place. I don't think I'd want one."
"It was merely a suggestion, don't get excited over the prospect of fighting for your life," Isobel said.
The conversation slowly shifted to one about prior Quests. More specifically, Isobel wanted to know what Lyra and I had been up to to become 5-Stars at such a young age. The answer wasn't nearly as glamorous or interesting as Isobel had hoped, judging by the look on her face. Still, the truth was the truth–
And the truth was that we Quested nonstop. Day in and day out. Not because we needed the money or anything, but because we literally had nothing else to do. We continued to seek challenges until, eventually, Quests stopped challenging us. I laughed along with the story. Back then, we'd been bored by how strong we'd become.
Here we were, 690 years later, angry because we couldn't defeat a single man. If only we'd known.
"The life of an adventurer sounds thrilling," Isobel said. "It's one thing to read about them. It's another thing to speak with some! When this is over, I'd like to document your stories, if you'd let me."
"Have you ever been on a Quest yourself?" Lyra asked.
"I haven't. This is my first."
"Then, with all due respect, are you sure you should be here? I know what you said about wanting to put us through a real-life scenario and all that, but there's more to a Quest than fighting and going home. You're always at risk. Even in a beginner Quest, one wrong move and you're dead. Is that something you're ready to face?"
Isobel shifted in her seat. "I-I've read books. I'm aware of the rules of Adventuring: Be aware of your surroundings, communicate with your squad, always keep a hand on a weapon, mask your steps, and make mental maps at all times. I even know The Four R's of Adventuring by heart: React, Respond–"
"Lloyd, I think you should take your girlfriend back home."
"No!" Isobel shouted before I could say anything. "I said I wanted to be here for this, and I will be. Don't underestimate me because I've never been on a Quest before."
Lyra was quiet for a long time before she leaned close to Isobel. It was her turn to wear the mischievous smile now. "Fine. But, you're here to sabotage us, remember? It doesn't matter if you can recite a book front to back. Your mission is to get yourself killed, isn't it?"
"I-It is. Glad you've been paying attention–"
"And what happens if you succeed with your personal mission?"
"I'm sorry…?"
"Suppose you sabotage us a little too well. You manage to summon the Goblin Raiders' boss, and we can't save you in time, so he kills you–thus marking your victory. What happens then? What did your books say about death? I mean, sure, we'll have to revive you at the local Cleric Chamber, but I'm talking bout the time between your death and revival. Did your books describe the feeling of death? The overwhelming cold? The inability to speak or be heard? The feeling of being ripped apart by reality and having to hold yourself together with sheer willpower? Of watching your entire life play out in front of you, just to cut off at the moment of your death? Did your books talk about that, Isobel? Because that's what you're going to face if you're successful with this mission of yours."
"Alright, Lyra…" I tried, but she didn't acknowledge me.
"N-none of my resources detailed death, though I have spoken with a few who have experienced it. They said it was… eye-opening." Isobel took a deep, shaky breath. "If you two are truly as good as you say you are, I-I won't have to deal with that. My life is in your hands."
"I see," Lyra nodded. She thumbed behind us. "In that case, are you ready to step out?"
"Why would I do that here?"
"Because we've been getting trailed for the past five minutes. Three goblins in the trees, eight hiding in the branches. They don't have much aura in them, so they should be strong enough that if we can't save you, you can still defend yourself." She paused. "I think."
"A-alright, you guys. We don't need to–"
"You think I'm weak? Granddaughter of Alexander Greaves, Guardian of House Greaves, and you think I'm weak?!" Isobel thundered, aura gathering around her.
"Y-you guys, the Kill Order–"
"I never said that. I just said your personal mission was to have us babysit–... oh, my bad. 'Protect' you while you trained–... goodness, I keep mincing my words! While you 'attempt to sabotage' this Quest you took on our behalf. All I'm saying is that you're at your stop now. Lloyd, be a gentleman and help Isobel leave."
"Can we not do this here? Or now?!"
"You bitch! You think I'm weak!"
"Aww, Isobel, I didn't mean to get you mad. Lloyd, come back here and calm her down. I'll look away."
Isobel screamed with rage, shooting up from her seat and gathering an impossible amount of aura in her hands. Without warning, she turned and faced the admittedly poorly hidden goblins behind us and blasted an uncoordinated wave of purple aura at them. The poor creatures didn't stand a chance. The blast detonated on impact with an ear-splitting bang and a burst of light to match. When the light faded, there was a crater where the trees had been, and a pile of goblin bodies dotting the landscape.
"There…" Isobel panted. She stared at her handiwork, shaky laughter escaping her upturned lips as she turned back to face Lyra and me with a wild expression on her face. "Don't forget your mission now. Oh, and what was that about the Kill Order? I forget, but I'm sure you two can handle it." The Demon Queen smiled as her form slowly faded to mist, a technique obviously fueled by her illusion magic. "Good luck."