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Chapter 82: Return
🕑 Added 2023-04-10 09:53:03 +0000 UTCChapter 82: Return
"So yeah, I won the bet."
"That's quite impressive. You almost doubled your mana pool in one day?"
"Hm? Haha, no, no, I cheated. No reason to lie about it, I totally fucking cheated. I got a lot of mana just from investing my leftover attribute points, and then a bunch more from having like three days of time," Mercury said, chuckling.
"Are you sure you should be telling me this?" Zyl asked, raising an eyebrow.
"People close themselves off if you're never honest with them," Mercury shrugged. "Besides, if you're friends with Lucia, you're probably only 90% maniac, I can deal with that much," he said with a smile, waving off the other guy's concern.
"Well then, how exactly did you get extra time? And what is that thing you bet?"
"Some whacky dream realm shit. Got an alright friend there, they lent me a hand with buying some time," Mercury explained. "My bet was also related to them. Neat little trick they taught me. Thought that someone who can change the way they look might be into secrets. Educated guess, no more, no less."
Zyl shook his head a little at the mopaaw before him. What a strange person he was. "Well then, Mercury, can I ask you one more thing?"
"Hit me."
"How is it that you're 37? Mopaaws live to be 20 at most, usually," he said, throwing another curious look at the cat.
"Ah, had another life before this one. Eventually bit the dust, and found myself waking up like this on a bit of a mountain."
"I see. Interesting indeed. And what do you think of this?" Zyl asked again.
"What exactly do you mean?"
"About your current state. As a mopaaw, I mean. It seems... a strange position to be in."
"Eh, you get used to it," Mercury said. "Of course it took some adjusting, but instincts really help figure things out. My brain was also probably rewired a little on the journey, so it hasn't been too bad an adjustment period. Really missed my hands, but now I got some telekinetic shit going on, so things are starting to look up," he said with a smile. "Still, enough about me. I've been rambling for long enough. Tell me a bit about yourself? Would love to get to know you a bit more if we're going to be travelling together for a little while."
"Lucia hasn't told you anything about me?"
"Nope," Mercury said calmly.
"And you have never heard of me before either?"
"Should I?" Mercury tilted his head.
For a moment, Zyl sat there in silence, before quietly chuckling. "Kokoko, no, it's fine. Don't worry about it. My name's Zylnareth, but you should probably stick to just Zyl. I like nature, fearless people, and also working out. I hate complicated politics, and don't react well to when people threaten my country," he explained.
"Wait, you run a country?!" Mercury asked, his mouth dropping open.
"Well, kind of. I'm more just a guy who stops them from being attacked, and occasionally I deal with politics, trade routes and that kind of stuff," Zyl said, trying to wave it off.
"So you run a country?"
No, I-"
"Yeah, he runs a country," Yvette interrupted the two. "We're about ready to set off now. The reunion is over and done with, well, as much as it's going to be in the next couple hours anyways."
"Ah, perfect, we can head towards Unbar then," Zyl said.
"We are not on a holiday, Zyl. I do not have the time, nor the nerves to indulge your incessant prattling," Lucia hissed at him, still tightly clinging onto Iris.
"Sigh, come on Lucia. It's been a while since we all met. Could you-"
"I could not," she replied, raising her nose.
"He'll get you two a separate carriage to catch up," Mercury said half-heartedly.
"To Unbar we go!"
Zyl looked back and forth between the cat and his childhood friend with a stunned expression, before laying his forehead into his hand and shaking his head. "Unbelievable, Mercury."
"It comes with the territory," the mopaaw replied with a calm smile, doing his best to hide his excitement about the current situation and the slight blush on his cheeks.
"Ah, of course, any of you will safely be brought to wherever it is you need to go. Yvette, Mercury? Where would you like to leave?"
"Unbar," Mercury replied with a glimmer in his eye.
"That is the destination, yes," Zyl replied.
"Yup, that's where I want to hop off."
"Are you asking to join us?" Lucia asked in confusion.
"Absolutely," Mercury nodded. "I also want to catch up with Iris, after all, and I doubt you'll leave her side over the duration of the journey." Almost as if to confirm his suspicion, Lucia pulled the other girl even closer and shook her head vehemently.
"Thank you, Mercury," Iris said with a tired look on her face.
"Hey, no sweat. I really didn't do much."
"Your feat was more than impressive," Lucia said, placing her eyes back on him.
"Oh, I cheated," Mercury replied calmly. "Another reason for me to come with, isn't it?" he asked, wearing a smile.
"Haaah, fine. I will not object, so please, go on and use your honeyed words on Zylnareth instead," Lucia said with a slightly sour expression.
"Fine by me," the man in question agreed. "He can come along then. Miss Yvette?"
"Ah, I can make my way back myself," she replied. "No need to trouble yourself." In reality, Mercury would almost certainly bet money on her not wanting to be in a carriage with Zyl. Well, all the better for him, then. No more bickering between her and Lucia. Perhaps, finally, Mercury would be gifted a quiet night.
"Are you sure?"
"More than that. I've done more than what I needed to, and I can confidently consider my debts settled," she said.
"Then pay me for emotional damages," Mercury interjected, leading Lucia to flinch.
"Haha, well, I'll be taking my leave then," she said, quickly bowing before running off.
Once again, Mercury's master plan had worked. Now he would have all the time in the world to get to know Zyl! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
"Ah, by the way, what's Unbar?" he asked.
"The capital of Zyl's little protected nation."
- - - - - -
As one other time before, the door in Stormbraver's gloryhall opened up a small gap, before closing. Many would have missed it, and most did, not due to a lack of ability, but more because the present seekers were already beyond piss-drunk. Not the receptionists though.
Marcel found himself wearing a slight smile as he plugged his fingers into his ears, waiting for what could only be seconds from happening. And, not one to disappoint, Avery did it again.
With a loud cracking sound, the door the the guild flew open, off its hinges, and onto the floor with a giant crack down the middle. Then, there was a short silence, and then a commotion broke out.
"THE GUILDMASTER IS BACK!!!"
"WOOOOOOO!!"
"I'M BUYING EVERYONE A ROUND, IT'S TIME TO DRINK!!!"
Yells and cheers echoed through the gloryhall for a moment, as a figure, drenched in mud, and dripping wet with water stepped inside, making his way to the reception desk with a smile.
"You smell like shit," Marcel told his friend and boss with a grin.
"It's good to see you again as well, my man," Avery replied with an even bigger grin, flashing his teeth, one of the few parts of his body not covered in mud.
"So, what dragged you through a barrel of wet dogs, old man?"
"Kah, I missed you too, asshole. Long story. Most of this happened on the journey back, but rivers near a mar aren't exactly the best place to bathe," he said, his smile going a bit crooked.
"If it's a long story, boss, maybe you could tell us after a long shower?" one of the other receptionist said, holding her shirt over her mouth.
"Kahaha, alright, alright. Someone get me a hot meal and something to drink before I come back up. Haven't had anything good to eat in days," he said, already waving goodbye.
"You got it, sir captain guildmaster boss sir!" Marcel replied sternly, giving him a salute as he went. "Sigh, what was he thinking. Alright, anyone who isn't hammered yet, we need to take care of the dirt he dragged in, and then we need to get someone ready to fix our door."
"What, is it bothering you?" another coworker teased, hitting him in the side with her elbow.
"And you guys wonder why we get new recruits. Just clean the floor, I'll see if I can't contact the Carpenter's Guild, and grab him some food while I'm at it," Marcel said, already walking out the building.
Avery, on the other hand, walked down to the showers. He took off his shoes as soon as he got to the staircase and threw them into his inventory for now. After a quick trip up, and grabbing some new things to wear, he then finally went to the cellar, where the showers were already waiting for him.
After dragging himself out of the armor, he felt almost free. It already wasn't comfortable, but wearing it for multiple days had started to make it rub at his skin. Some of the nooks on it were still covered in dried mud or monster blood, making it even more uncomfortable to move around in, but as the hot water hit his head, some of those worries finally began to wash away.
He was back home. Finally. Where he could wash up, relax a little, and engage in exciting battles with paperwork rather than monsters. The thought made him shudder again. Maybe that kind of stuff could wait.
Still, being able to just lay back was nice... And so, Avery decided to empty his thoughts for a little while, deciding to simply enjoy the pattering of the water, seeing some of the caked dirt fall off him and down the drain. He put some shampoo and showering gel on, before washing it off, just to really get rid of the stench.
Then, for a little while longer, he just enjoyed the hot water, making sure to properly clean himself up, before finally leaving the shower, drying himself off, shaving, and putting on some light clothes. He felt like a whole new guy.
With a light smile on his face and some spring in his step, Avery walked back up the stairs of the gloryhall. He knew the members of his guild, seekers like him, were waiting upstairs. Friends he had known for a long time, and ones he would want to catch up with.
Yet, when he opened the door, his eyes widened in shock.
"You motherfuckers!! How are all of you already passed out?!?" he yelled, enciting some groans from the sacks of meat on the floor of the gloryhall.
"People partied hard while you cleaned up. It's been an hour and a half. People kept ordering heavy drinks, and now here we are. Floor's got vomit spilled on it, too," Marcel said, deadpan.
"Piece of- seriously, they couldn't even wait for me?" Avery asked with a disgruntled look on his face.
"No, they couldn't. I've got you a meal and something to drink though. Doesn't a nice conversation, surrounded by passed out idiots, sound charming to you?" There was quite a bit of sarcasm in Marcel's voice, his expression seemingly dripping with satisfaction at Avery's small loss.
The guild master let out a long sigh, brushing through his dreadlocks, as he tip-toed through his own gloryhall. "Unbelievable..." he muttered, looking at all the pissed idiots on the floor and slumped over the chairs, yet eventually, after going through some difficult parkour, he finally made it to the singular empty table.
As soon as he took a seat, Marcel plonked himself down on the other end, heavily hitting a bottle of booze onto the wood.
"How about we do a little talking, old man," he asked with a smile.
"Fine, you bastard. What's been up while I was out?" Avery asked with an amused frown, already expecting the tirade of insults and verbal jab's he'd have to endure for his prolonged absence.
"Well, while you were busy childishly running away, I..."
And off it went.
