Forced to become the boyfriend for a Dancer who buffs everybody Ch.18 (Patreon)

AN: Told you there would be a bonus chapter

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Taking off the helmet was definitely a mistake for both of us. But far too late to take it back or fix it.

Because Fief became even more annoying and persistent than before, despite me putting my helmet back on. She didn’t leave us alone. Practically a limpet for the rest of the day, trailing us from stall to stall and finding excuses to lean in close to touch or show off her body to entice me most of the time. And Sana got more agitated by the minute, latching onto my arm and refusing to let go after getting her down to her feet. Her tail whipping out to smack the ninja’s hand away every time it drifted a little too close.

The first time was when we were walking down the street. Fief’s tail tried to touch my back, and Sana’s tail lashed out fast enough.

“Oops.” Fief doesn’t sound sorry at all.

“You did that on purpose…” Sana mutters, tugging me half a step away.

The second time was at the blacksmith's because I needed to fix my armor, but the bastard wasn’t around. Fief “accidentally” stumbled into my side while examining something from the window and bending down, and Sana practically wedged her whole body between us, chin tilted up, daring her to try it again.

“Didn’t know ninjas could be this clumsy.” I taunt her.

“There are always first times, you know?”

So we tried to head back to the inn but stopped at a simple shop to buy a quick bite, but by then Sana looked restless, her eyes never leaving the ninja who looked completely unbothered by her reactions.

Still tried to ignore her because indulging her would only embolden her, so we tried to eat on a nearby bench and lifted my visor.

“Oi, watch the goods,” Fief snorts as her hands get smacked again when tried to take my snack.

“Then don’t put your hand there!” Sana snaps, ears pinned flat.

“I’m just admiring the view. Both of you got a nice view, actually, so it’s really not my fault I keep looking.”

“Stop looking!”

“You really are an annoying woman.” I tell her dryly.

“Thanks!”

After that Sana stopped bothering with words at all, just a low, warning sound in her throat every time Fief gets within arm’s reach, her grip on my armor.

No matter how many times I told Sana to stop reacting through mental messages, because that was exactly what Fief wanted, Sana kept doing it.

And I should have paid more attention since then.

Because by the time we are one block away from the inn, Sana’s patience runs out entirely, and when Fief’s fingers brush a little too close to my jaw, Sana actually lunges and snaps her teeth at the woman’s hand, causing me to freeze in place, startled by the sudden show of violence from a girl as sweet as her.

“WHOA!” Fief yanks her arm back, staring at Sana like she’s grown a second head. “You little bitch...”

“Sana!” I catch her by the shoulders, pull her back against my chest, and hug her before she tries something else, one hand coming up to smooth over her hair. “Sana, hey, easy, easy.” Her tail, still bristled stiff a second ago, wraps around me instead.

I look at the ninja, who’s no longer laughing, glaring daggers at us now, her hand drifting down toward her belt.

A clear killing intent radiates off her. It pales next to what the captain put out, but still…

Fuck.

“Ummm… look, Fief. I think maybe... we’re a little too tired after today’s mess, you know how that messes with the mind and all that, right?” I keep my grip firm, one hand rubbing between Sana’s ears, the other around her waist. “And Sana’s, uh, pretty jumpy today. After facing death way too many times.”

That really sounded awful.

Fief only clicks her tongue in annoyance. “Are you really gonna pretend, now?”

Alright, yeah, fair but… I’m not a fucking coward.

“Okay, what the hell do you want me to say? Get on my knees and apologize on her behalf? No. Fuck off, Fief. You simply took it too far.”

“Hah? So it’s my fault, that’s what you’re saying? I’m trying to have fun and she goes to take a chunk out of my hand!”

‘Yes! You fucking bitch.’

I wish I could say that to her face, but I don’t want to fucking die.

“What else would that mean? No, better question: why can’t you take no for an answer? A few times, sure, that’s a fun, playful jab. But you? It’s really that fucking hard to take it easy or tone it down?”

“It’s called having fun?”

“Oh, so much fun that none of us actually laughed. That must be peak comedy in this stupid town.”

“Oh, come off it, everyone flirts a little rough, that’s just how it works. But she went for blood.” Fief flexes the hand Sana nearly caught. 

“What did you expect to happen for not listening?”

Fief flinches back before throwing her hands up, looking at me in disbelief. “You can’t be fucking serious right now. I lean in a little and suddenly your girl tries to take my fingers off. And I’m the one who took it too far?”

‘AGAIN, YES!’

I only glare at her in response. She is a high level ninja, there was no way that Sana would have actually hurt her, so she was throwing a hissy fit for literally no reason..

“Wow. Okay. So I probably should’ve just ignored the two of you and let you get mauled by the owlbear or maybe get ripped to pieces by the worg packs. Or kept my mouth shut and watched you two dig deeper with that impostor till you got strapped to a wheel and get all your bones broken!”

Excuse me?

“We were doing just fine, thank you very much.” I reply.

It was a bit of a stalemate, but I am sure I could have held it for long enough till reinforcement arrived or it got tired and retreated by itself.

“HA! Really now? But you know what?” With a blur, she suddenly has a dagger in hand, pointed at me. “I’ll humor you. You two were funny at first, but my good mood is ruined thanks to you two, so fight me. Let’s duke it out right here, right now, and see who had the better argument. I’m done playing around.”

I blink, pretty honorable for a thief if I’m being honest.

“What? Pussying out now? I don’t care if you’re both pretty faces or whatever, this is my town, and I say what comes and goes in it. Impostor or not out there wearing the captain’s face, I’m the one calling the shots in this MISERABLE town!”

Shit…. Shit, SHIT.

For one very tense second, nobody moves while I try to think through my options. However, there are practically none.

Exactly the situation that I didn’t want to happen, just happened.

That’s when we hear the clear rattle of metal against metal from around the corner, a simple guard holding a torch that flickers blue, stopping to look at us.

Seeing a guard has never made me so relieved and glad before.

Did Captain Dorden send him?

Fief’s expression snaps back to her usual playful smirk, dagger sliding home like it never came out at all.

“Anyway!” She rolls her shoulders, stretching her arms overhead. “We’re cool, foxy. Don’t sweat it, I can bite too, look!”

She flashes a grin to show off her sharp teeth.

“Right. Cool...” I’ll take this exit while it’s open.

“See you two around~!” She saunters off like nothing happened at all. Only to blur the moment she reaches a corner.

The guard also leaves the way he came after giving me a nod, confirming my initial suspicion.\

Fief would have easily beaten the guard, but she knows if she touches one, she will incur the wrath of this ‘impostor’, something that she doesn’t want. So that means we are safe from her…

…For now.

Only then do I let go of my dancer, and we head straight back to the inn in silence, not leaving the room again for the rest of the day.

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I wake up with a beautiful olive naked body on top of me, which is expected from her by now. Her tail is draped over my chest, her cheek pressed against my collarbone, and her breasts squished against my chest, nuzzling into my neck with small, contented sounds.  

“Morning, darling~” she mumbles, not moving an inch.  

“Morning.” I reach up and scratch behind one of her ears, and she melts, leaning harder into my hand, a low happy hum rolling out of her.  

But seeing her happy and affectionate doesn’t comfort me the way it usually does, because I can’t stop replaying the events from yesterday.  

I didn’t expect Fief to switch targets that fast. In hindsight, maybe I should have, since I already know how women react to my face. But those were other women, and this was Fief, although that crocodile girl is bisexual so she will change targets as long as they tickle her fancy, or make her wet enough.  

Weirdly, I’m not even that bothered by that part. If anything, having her fixate on me instead of Sana feels that it will be a lot easier to deal with since that’s something I should have some control over.  

Sana’s violent reaction, though…

Back in the game, OG Sana understood perfectly well when other women showed interest in OG Anon, or were just being a little flirty. She got jealous or possessive in a soft, pouty but harmless kind of way, comedic if you wanted to read it that way, or totally hypocritical if you despised NTR heroines because it painted them as knowingly malicious.  

But that sexual awareness never went the other direction. When someone, man or woman, showed interest in her, she just... let herself being molested or straight up raped or fucked with dubious consent. In other words, she was completely submissive with her attackers. 

That was exactly the reason why I sat her down to talk before any of that happened for real, and helped her to understand that it was okay to say no, and that having boundaries wasn’t a bad thing. And most importantly, she could talk to me about her problems no matter how big or small they were. Although she pushed back at the idea, a few times because she somehow had internalized that it was wrong to think that way, that she didn’t have a right to say no.  

But after I got that haircut she climbed me and smacked a few women with her tail. I didn’t really think much of it besides getting a bit annoyed because she was turning away potential teammates.  

But now?  

Sana was relatively fine with Fief being around, despite that thief pushing too much… At least until she tried to get my helmet off and only was given permission because Fief saved us. Right up until Fief took an inch and turned it into a mile. And Sana didn’t just get jealous-pouty about it. She exploded and tried to hurt someone who’s far stronger than either of us, without a second thought.  

That’s the part that makes me pause.  

A little jealousy back in the city, sure, that’s easy to write off as comedy, a cute quirk. This wasn’t that. That reaction wasn’t normal by any stretch, especially for a woman who is as sweet and cheerful as her.  

There has to be an explanation. But thinking about it in circles isn’t going to magically hand me an answer, especially not with said fox girl currently kissing a line up my jaw and nipping at my shoulder like she’s trying to prove a point.  

“Sana.”  

“Mmm?” She doesn’t stop.  

That’s when her ears snap up, swiveling sharply toward the door, and a low growl rumbles out of her mid-nip.  

‘Cute.’

Strange.

I poke her forehead. “Hey. Focus.”  

Her attention snaps back to me instantly, and I keep rubbing behind her ears, scratching right under them the way she likes, until her whole body relaxes and her tail starts wagging lazily.  

“Okay, honey~”  

I look her in the eyes, and her cheeks go a little pink, a small giggle slipping out as she looks away. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s a little embarrassing.”  

“Is there something you want to tell me?”  

Her long ears perk up. “Huh? What do you mean?”  

I let out a sigh. Better not beat around the bush. “Sana. Do you want to talk about what happened yesterday?”  

The smile fades from her face, taking the blush with it. Her ears drop flat, and she looks away entirely, and her body starts shaking. “I’m sorry. Please, don’t be mad.”  

I gently cup her cheek, stopping her from shaking before guiding her face back toward mine . “I’m not mad, Sana. I just want to understand. It really caught me off guard because that wasn’t you.”

And scared me a little.  

Her green eyes drift away from mine, anyway. “I... I just... I don’t know, Anon. I’ve never felt like that before. So angry that...”  

“That you tried to hurt somebody?”  

“I didn’t mean to...”  

So it wasn’t malicious, not really. More like something she couldn’t hold back and snapped instead, which is still bad, but it’s intention what’s more important..  

“I know, and it’s okay, because it wasn’t your fault. It was Fief’s, for being such a... bitch.“ There isn’t really a better word for that thief.  

“Don’t be mean, Anon.” She frowns.  

That actually makes me look at her in surprise.  

However, a short giggle escapes her anyway, shattering the frown before it can properly set. “But yeah, she was really a jerk to us.”  

Well, she seems agreeable enough right now. Might as well press a little further.  

“Were you jealous, by any chance?” Obvious question, but I have to ask it, and I want to be as direct with her as I can.  

“I...” She opens her mouth, closes it again. “Yes. I... I don’t really know how to explain it. Is that bad?”  

I shake my head slowly. “It’s not inherently bad, Sana. It can even be a little cute.” I boop her nose, earning another giggle out of her. “But it can turn harmful if it’s not handled right, and that’s the part I want to help you with, of course, when you are ready because I don’t want to force you.” 

Forcing something is the best way to get the contrarian effect, I think. 

The dancer presses her lips into a thin line before resting her head against my shoulder. “I never thought relationships could be this... complicated. I always figured we’d just be laughing and having fun together all the time and...” She blushes deeply, scratching at her cheek. “Doing lots of naughty stuff.”  

I can only chuckle at that, ruffling her hair with one hand. “Yeah, me neither. But that’s why we’re talking about it instead of bottling it up, nothing good comes from suppressing our feelings.”  

Those are the basics of a relationship, after all.

“Mmm.” She nods against my shoulder, quiet for a moment as her fingers trace small circles on my chest. “It’s just… when she and others started touching you like that… it felt like they were taking something that was only supposed to be ours. And I got so scared you’d… I don’t know….”  

I brush a strand of hair. “Sana, look at me. Nobody’s replacing you. Only you are the one who wakes up on top of me every morning. The only one I want to keep adventuring with, or the only one who I want to spoil rotten. That doesn’t change because somebody gets a little flirty or handsy with me.”  

Her cheeks pink up again. “I know that… here.” She taps her temple lightly. “But yesterday it was like my body just… reacted before I could think. Like something inside me that I never felt before. And it wasn’t the same when we were back at Beginera.”  

“Those little tail smacks were pretty mild, if not cute, compared to yesterday.” I say, keeping my voice soft. “But you went straight for the throat.”  

Metaphorically speaking.

She winces, ears flattening for a second. “I know… I’m still sorry about that. I didn’t want to hurt her, not really. I just wanted her to stop, to… back off. And then everything got blurry and loud in my head.” She chews her lower lip. “Does that make me a bad person?”  

“No….” I tilt her chin up gently. “It makes you someone who’s still figuring things out . And that’s okay. We’re going to figure it out together. Next time something like that starts building up, you talk to me first, alright? Even if it’s just ‘Anon, I’m getting really mad and I don’t know why.’ Deal?”  

She looks me in the eye for a long moment before she nods and a small, relieved smile tugging at her lips. “Deal… I promise.” Her fingers resume their idle circles. “And… thank you for…”  

“For?”  

“For being an amazing boyfriend.” And she finishes by rubbing her nose on mine, causing me to look away for a moment as my cheeks heated up for some reason.

But then her smile turns sly as one of her legs shifts, sliding slowly along the outside of my thigh until her calf drapes over my hip.

“And I think an amazing boyfriend deserves a proper morning reward~“ She singsongs. Her leg tightens just enough to pull our hips together, and she starts to grind herself on my crotch and her fluffy tail curling around my leg.

“Sana…” I warn, half-laughing, even as my hands find her bountiful ass.  

She only hums, nipping lightly at my collarbone while her leg keeps the pressure. “What? You said nothing good comes from suppressing feelings… and right now I’m feeling very, very loving.” Another roll of her hips, firmer this time, making me grunt as I feel myself grow hard.  

But she continues with her moves until I groan, so I simply squeeze her butt and pull her tighter against me, earning a beautiful moan.

“D-Darling.”

From there we lose track of time, our room filling with quiet moans, soft laughter, and the creaking of the bed, neither of us in any hurry to stop. 

Only when we felt hungry did we get up from the bed and get ready for the day, starting with a hearty late breakfast, washed down with a big mug of surprisingly chilled hard cider this time.

And also, I’ve got a very happy fox girl on my lap. “Honey, say ahhhh.“

I lift my visor just enough to eat the spoonful of honey-glazed meat pie she’s holding out. This place might look dark and gloomy, but the cooks here actually know their shit. That sweet mix of fruit and meat, just the right amount of spice, is truly divine. Not even back in my old life did I taste something this good this easily. It’s ridiculous, honestly, that the two worlds have such a gap in certain areas when, in theory, the modern one should’ve been the better one in every regard.

I guess magic is truly the biggest cheat code and crutch in life.

As I chew, I pick up a few berries and feed them to Sana, who happily eats them off my fingers.

Yeah, we’re being disgustingly lovey-dovey right now, but who cares? I’m enjoying it a lot, even with the stink eyes we’re getting from a couple tables over. But that’s a skill issue on their part since we had to endure many of them making out on top of the tables or acting like vagrants at times. Honestly, with the big gash on my chestplate, I probably look more like some rugged veteran adventurer showing off his girl than just two idiots being clingy in public.

There’s also the fact that we’re indirectly flexing wealth doing this, which might paint a target on us, but that doesn’t matter much either.

We’re leaving this town today, anyway. 

Yep, heading back to Beginera to cash in all those quest certificates we stacked up, along with the special scroll. It’s the closest adventurer branch we’re actually familiar with, and we’re on decent terms with the guild master there, so maybe that scroll nets an even better reward with Jess handling it. Then it’s leveling up, fixing my armor with Esme because I’m sure the asshole here will take all my money for mediocre work and hopefully finally getting that blonde to teach me proper armor self-maintenance, because the kit I bought I’m only doing polishing and using whetstone despite having way more tools than that.

The whole missing people will remain a mystery, or the guards will solve it eventually. We aren’t really heroes after all.

There’s also the fact that I really don’t want to stick around dealing with Fief anymore. Leaving is the safest, smartest option at this point, especially after how badly we ended up pissing her off yesterday. 

So yeah, we’re indulging a little as we should. As long as we’re having fun, everything’s fine.

“Good morning, lovebirds. Sorry to interrupt, but you’re making everyone jealous here. Me included.”

Well, things are no longer fine.

We both turn to find Fief lazily sprawled across a chair, legs kicked up on the table. Good thing it’s wide enough…

Huh? She’s barefoot. How are her feet that clean?

No, wait… Sana is also barefoot all the time, but she is also clean and smooth too when I massaged hers…

The fuck am I thinking about right now?! Fief’s literally right there!

Sana has better hearing than me, but she didn’t even react, and the thief has a big tail, so how come we didn’t even hear her get close enough to pull a chair to sit on?

“What do you want?” Sana pouts, more bite in it than usual.

Oh? Sana took the initiative there.

Fief merely chuckles. “Come on, don’t be like that. Playing with my heart like this, foxy, I’m not sure I can handle it.”

Sana just hugs my arm tighter, tail winding protectively around me.

“Sana.” I remind her gently.

“Oops, okay.” She quickly lets go and pulls a chair around to sit right beside me instead, which, fine, that’s better.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. “Yesterday made your opinion of us pretty clear.”

Fief examines her nails, not quite looking at either of us. “Told you already. Water under the bridge. We’re cool now, you two are my favorite people in this dump.”

Since when, exactly?

The dancer just frowns at her.

Fief drops her feet off the table before she rubs the back of her neck with one hand. “Okay, fine. Maybe I did go a little too far yesterday. Didn’t think you’d react THAT badly, is all I’m saying.”

Wait. Is Fief actually apologizing?

Sana looks just as surprised, ears and tail both perking up before she glances away, scratching her cheek. “Ummm, well… I’m sorry too. Didn’t mean to, ummmm, do that.”

“Yeah, yeah, water under the bridge, like I said.” Fief waves a hand quickly, already moving past it. “Not like I’m gonna hold a grudge over a little nibble. Takes more than that to scare me off.”

She suddenly shows a kunai in her hand before it disappears just as fast.

“That’s not really an apology.” I point out.

“Sure it is. I’m apologizing right now, aren’t I? Very generously, might I add.” She flashes a grin. “Don’t push it, or I’ll take it back.”

I roll my eyes. “I mean, can’t help but be surprised you’re even trying the whole apologizing thing at all. Guess there’s a first for everything.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The beast girl frowns.

“Nothing, nothing.” I raise both hands in mock surrender.

“You better mean nothing.” She squints at me a second longer, before waving a hand and letting it go. “So, you two heading out today or what? Or do you just like showing off your armor like that?”

“Heading for more work.” I lie.

“Ah, so you’re ignoring my good advice, or you think you can take on the challenge, pretty bold of you.” She stretches, arms overhead, joints popping. “Guess this dump’s not exciting enough for you two now that you’ve had your fun. Though we had something fun going on between us.”

Seriously?

“It’s not that…” Sana makes a strange gesture with her hands as she thinks about her words. “It’s just-“

“Relax, foxy, I’m messing with you.” Fief waves her off, grin easy again. “Go on, get outta here. Gotta earn your coin somehow, right? Even if it’s penny-pinching with that bastard over there.”

A bastard who is actually paying us way more than any of you for some reason.

“You know, this town’s actually kind of boring without someone worth messing with,” she adds, almost too casually, examining her nails again. “Guess I’ll have to find some other idiots to bother.”

“That would be a fantastic idea.” I say.

“Obviously. I’m just that amazing.” 

“See ya around, maybe.” I offer, mostly out of politeness.

“Yeah, yeah, maybe.” She shrugs it off like it doesn’t matter to her either way.

Then the ninja stands up, stretching her elbows this time. “Welp, this was a little fun. See ya around!”

She walks off, using her tail to smack a couple of heads on her way past the tables, unbothered by the annoyed grunts that follow.

Sana and I exchange a look, but she just smiles and I shrug. Nothing much left to say about it, but ending things on that note isn’t the worst way it could’ve gone.

That woman is probably trying to reset things so she can take another shot at seducing one or both of us later. But we’ll be skipping town, so who cares.

We finish the food and head back to the room to pack everything up. Shockingly, or maybe just luckily, nothing’s been stolen from us during our entire stay in Heshbrawn.

With everything ready, we head down, check out with the receptionist, and make our way toward the gate after filling up our water-skins with fresh water.

However, the sole guard there stops us..

“Is there a problem?”

“Oh, no, no. Captain Dorden just asked us to have you two wait, in case you were planning to leave town today.”

How did he know that? Or I’m just overthinking and just instructed the guard to wait for us.

I look back at my girlfriend, who shrugs.

“Sure.” I answer.

We wait for a while before the captain arrives and nods at us in greeting.

“What did you need, Captain?” I step forward to address him. “Hope there are no problems.”

“None of the sorts, I simply have a new quest for you two.” He produces another scroll from his belt which has the same orange wax stamped with the eye and burning sun and then seals inside a metal tube. 

Must be important.

So I’m a little careful when I take the item from his hand.

“Oh, it looks pretty! So what’s our quest, Mr. Captain?” Sana asks.

“You’re to deliver this message to the guild master in Beginera. She’ll reward you both appropriately for your continued service to the crown.”

He mentions the crown again. Sounds like whoever this guy really is, he’s very loyal to this kingdom’s royalty.

“Sure, no problem. We were already planning on heading there anyway.” I agree as I pass it to Sana who quickly puts it inside the backpack where we also stored all the quest certificates as well.

The older man gives us another quick nod. “Then may your journey prove as flawless and enduring as the eternal wisdom of the Crown.”

Huhhhh…. What?

With his farewell said, he turns around and walks off without further ceremony.

I scratch my head, or try to. Forgot about the helmet again.

Still, Fief keeps saying this guy’s an impostor, but he’s honestly acting like a far better version of a captain than the one we first met: dutiful, fair, even courteous. Hard to imagine that days ago he was a racist prick.

If he’s really wearing someone else’s face, then better he stays wearing that face, because he’s doing a better job of the role than the original ever did. Whoever Fief actually knew probably would’ve been a wastrel or an outright corrupt piece of shit abusing his position and probably also looking to use that power to coerce Sana to suck him off or something.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, I guess.

“Come on, Sana. Hopefully, we reach the crossroads in one day.” I extend my hand.

“Okay!” She happily takes it.

And with that, we set off toward Beginera.

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We arrive at the crossroads, and the first thing I notice is that the caravan is gone, and the impaled victims are nowhere to be seen. So whoever was sent to investigate must have finished their business and closed the case, giving the caravan the go-ahead to continue toward the capital. The only thing left as evidence is a single stone slab set beside the road.

We approach it together and read the epitaph carved into it.

“The road leads to many places, but this is where the journey ended too soon for so many. Bound together by tragedy, they sleep side by side. Stranger, pause and remember their lives, honor their suffering, and carry their quiet plea for a better world.”

I let out a sigh, shaking my head.

Sana presses her hands together and murmurs a prayer, eyes closed for a moment.

At least those poor people should be at peace now. The mystery of who did that to them, and why, will probably stay a mystery. Or maybe it got solved while we were gone, and whoever did it already got dealt with.

I hope so.

“We’ll be careful out here, promise.” Sana whispers, opening her eyes.

After paying our respects, we get moving again. The rest of the trip goes smoothly: no random monster encounters, no problems setting up camp, or discovering a wreckage at the side of the road. We pass through Millhaven again too, and a quick word with a few locals confirms the worg that had been harassing their cattle is gone for good. They show us its pelt hanging on the gate as proof.

Three days of walking pass easily enough, filled with Sana’s beautiful voice thanks to her songs, and nothing worth complaining about about an uneventful trip. Which is a very good thing.

We don’t stop for the night at the village, though. We push straight for the city instead, arriving late, and head to the same inn as before to grab a room and collapse for the night.

Which is why we’re heading to the Adventurer’s Guild fresh the next morning and Sana is back wearing her green robe.

Walking in, the first thing that hits me is how busy the place is compared to over a month ago, and how much the layout has changed. There’s a single but wide counter now, a giant bulletin board buried under papers, and a whole separate section where a line of civilians waits for a woman with long hair. Adventurers are everywhere too, coming and going, heading to another worker who’s stamping and scribbling on paper after paper as it’s handed to her. A lot of young faces mixed in, the youngest one maybe sixteen, wearing simple newbie gear...which looks a little similar to the one I used to wear.

Ignoring that detail, this is what a real fantasy adventurer’s guild should look like.

It’s honestly impressive how much things can change just by getting rid of the sluts. Or maybe Jess is just THAT good at her job, hence she is the guild master.

I wonder if they’ve already dealt with the kobolds.

After that short sightseeing, we head straight for the reception counter, and sure enough, there’s Jess, hair a disheveled mess, glasses slightly crooked, glued to a stack of parchment. Behind her, more towering stacks that look like they will topple over at any moment.

Damn, and here I thought Dorden was overworked.

I tap the bell on the counter.

She sighs before lifting her head, and I get a full look at the bags under her eyes, dark enough to look almost bruised, her eyes bloodshot, her usually sharp dress rumpled and creased like she slept in it. 

Which, assuming the mess she was left with, she probably did.

But holy shit. Jess looks completely wrecked.

“Oh. It’s you two.” Her tone comes out flat, dry and obviously exhausted. “Welcome back to the Adventurer’s Guild in Beginera. How can we help you?”

“Hi, Jess!” Sana waves cheerfully, either not noticing or not caring how dead on her feet the woman looks. “You should sleep more.”

That earns a flat look from Jess, one eyebrow twitching behind her glasses.

“Sana...”

“Oh... sorry, didn’t mean it like that.”

Jess just sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose beneath the lenses. “It’s fine. Please, state your business.”

I glance around before pulling out the metal tube with the message inside. “We were given a quest to deliver this to you personally. Also came to cash in a bunch of quest certificates, if that’s alright.”

I brought all of them in a separate bag after all.

She yawns, extending a hand to take the tube and twist it open. But the second the sealed scroll slides out into her palm, her whole face changes. All the exhaustion just drains out of it.

“Daran!” she shouts.

A moment later, the old man pokes his head out from the back room. “Yes?”

“Cover the counter. Emergency quest.”

“Wait, what?” Sana perks up, ears twitching.

Daran’s expression turns serious fast, and he nods without another word, already moving to take her place.

Jess is on her feet, rolling the scroll back up in one clean motion. “Follow me upstairs, you two.”

I trade a look with Sana. She gives me a sheepish shrug, showing that she is just as lost as I am, and we follow Jess toward the second floor, weaving between the mess and people until she leads us into the meeting room.

Everyone takes a seat around the table, and Jess clears her throat.

“Are there more scrolls with that same orange seal?”

I nod and set the second one on the table. ‘Dorden’ had mentioned that with this, the guild would reward us pretty well.

The guild master grabs it, breaks the seal, and reads through it quickly, eyes scanning line by line.

“I see...” She sets it down. “Should I assume the person who wrote these two also handed you quest certificates to redeem?”

Sana and I both nod.

“And by any chance, did this person introduce themselves with their FULL name? Not an alias, but a full name, including their rank.”

“Well... no?”

He didn’t even introduce himself when we met him for the first time.

Jess holds her chin in thought for a moment. “I see… Okay. First and foremost, thank you for your continued service to the kingdom and its people. You’ve helped a lot more than you probably realize. It’s rather interesting that you two have accomplished this much in such a short time. You’re either lucky or unlucky to keep tangling yourselves up in these things.”

A little of both, honestly speaking.

“You’re welcome!” Sana exclaims, flashing her usual smile.

“As for the emergency quest, don’t worry about it further. Your role ended the moment you delivered it to me successfully. You’ll be rewarded accordingly.”

“So that was an emergency quest? What is it about?”

“Correct. And that’s all you’re going to know about it, so please stop asking. Neither of you has clearance for the rest, and asking more, or trying to peek, is a SEVERE crime.” She finishes with a glare.

Oh, shit. That’s serious.

“Okay...”

“Now, before we move on to the second reward, please hand over all your quest certificates so I can validate them.”

I set the bag of certificates on the table.

Jess sighs, grabs her stamp and quill, and gets to work, stamping and signing every single one at a rapid pace, barely glancing up between them. A single stamp and a quick signature, apparently, is all it takes to validate a quest.

Each time, I feel a small wash of experience settle into me. I wonder how many levels we’ll get once we reach the statue or the bonuses from killing the alpha worg, since I’m pretty sure that monster was a boss.

“And done.” Jess sets the stamp down. “Thank you both for waiting.”

“So, as for the other reward...” I ask, gesturing with my hand.

“Yes, one moment, please.” Jess stands up from her chair and walks to a side room, disappearing for a moment before returning with a medium sided chest cradled in both arms.

She sets it down on the table with a thud.

“Very well. This is a special reward from a very important individual. The guild maintains agreements with certain people and organizations, and when an adventurer earns a letter of recommendation from one of them, we reward that contribution appropriately. In these cases, we offer a pool of rewards, but you can only pick one.”

Recommendation letter? Wow, I didn’t realize that’s what that was. Who exactly is that guy back in Heshbrawn?

Seems like he’s more important than he let on. Good thing we left such a strong impression on him.

Sana’s eyes light up. “Ooh, what could it be, what could it be...”

Jess raises one finger. “Option A. You may be paid five platinum coins.”

Sana gasps, hand flying to her mouth. Can’t blame her, that’s a lot of money.

Second finger. “Option B. A high quality, enchanted mana regeneration ring, mithril band.”

That sounds really powerful.

She raises a third finger. “Option C. An enchanted mithril sword.”

Cool weapon!

I blink and glance at Sana, who’s already smiling and nodding at me, clearly leaving the choice in my hands.

I lean back and actually think it over. More money is always good. The sword would be a nice upgrade too. But the ring…. the ring is clearly the best pick here.

“We’ll take the ring.”

Jess nods and opens the chest, producing a beautifully crafted ring set with a small red gemstone.

She slides it across the table. I pick it up, turn it over once in my palm, then, without thinking twice, reach over and gently slide it onto Sana’s finger. It’s obvious she’ll get far more use out of it than I would, she’s the support and the mage in our team. It only makes sense.

Sana gasps, looking away sharply, ears flattening against her head, her whole face going red.

“Careful, dear.“ I keep my expression completely straight. “Or our public might think this is a marriage proposal.”

“I... I know that!” she squeaks, not looking at me, ears somehow flattening even further.

“So, is that a yes, then?”

“Anon!” Her voice cracks halfway through my name, and she buries her face in both hands, peeking at me through her fingers.

I laugh a little, unable to resist.

“Meanie,” she mutters, sticking her tongue out at me, though she doesn’t take the ring off. If anything, she keeps a silly smile as she appreciates her new accessory.

Jess clears her throat pointedly to drag our attention back.

“Now, for your other reward, the emergency quest payment. Sign here and here, please.” She slides another parchment and quill across the table, and we both sign without hesitation.

Now, to learn what our reward is.

“Your monetary reward is one platinum coin.” She sets the coin down and slides it over.

“Yay!” Sana pumps a fist in triumph.

I just smile. After everything that trip towards Hesbrawn put us through, this more than makes up for it. Worth every bit of danger in hindsight.

Although not eager for a repeat for at least a month.

“Oh, right.” I glance up. “What about the kobold settlement underground? Did you finally deal with them?”

The city is still standing and no giant hole, so my guess is that they already cleared them out.

Jess groans, slumping back in her chair like the question physically drained the last of her energy. “Don’t even get me started on that.” Then a small smile curls at her lips. “But I really need a break from all of this, so let me go grab some tea first before I tell you.”