I’m still inside the guild conference room. I have calmed down from my panic attack and drank some watered mead they offered me.

“Are you feeling better, Marcy?” Master asks me. Inquisitive. I almost told him the truth.

I have to play my cards carefully. If it gets out that I visited Helen, even my life might be forfeited.

“Yes, I’m fine. I have worked too much under the sun these days, maybe it is that.”

“Indeed. I was careless to allow you to do all those requests. It might have an impact as expected.”

One more of Master’s double meaning phrases. I’ve seen him trap people several times in those years. And now it is my time. I won’t fall for it.

“I’m sorry for my inexperience. Forward, what is this request you want to nominate us?”

Master stops for a while, absorbed in his thoughts. Cloude is just fiddling with some stones, bored.

“I sent a B rank adventurer party into the forest a few days ago, but they are yet to respond. You two are of the fastest adventurers in the Guild, and I want you to scout their whereabouts. You don’t need to engage any dangerous monster. Just scout the forest, and see if you can find them.”

I’ve seen those guys in the Guild, and I know who they are. Was I supposed to know?

“I’ve seen some different guys with good gear some days ago… Were they the B rank party?”

“Yes, the Shining Blades. They came from the capital. And they were tasked with the subjugation of the Troll.” He pauses, reading our reaction. Cloude dropped his pebbles. "They should have reported yesterday and nothing happened."

“Isn’t a one-day delay too hurried? They could be returning this very moment.”

“It doesn’t matter. I want you two out… to go out and scout. It will be good for you, you know the forest, and it is a chance to forge a connection with a high ranked party.”

Cloude jumps at those final words.

“Is Helmholtz the spellblade with them?” That name, I recall Cloude talking about someone like him.

“Yes. He is the leader this time.” Master nods, and seems delighted at Cloude’s reaction. Even if I back off now, Cloude is going alone.

“It is fine. We are going, right Cloude?”

“Of course. It is a chance to see Helmholtz in action!!!” Cloude slams the table. The last pebbles fall to the ground.

“Great. You two are ready, right? You should depart as soon as you are.”

“I need to buy traveling supplies. I am not carrying any.” I was supposed to stay in the fields today.

“Good. You should go together. Leave your gear in this room, go quickly and depart. Speed is of the essence here.”

Cloude takes off his scabbard, and puts everything on the table. I also remove my weapons and pack. We leave the Guild. I am absorbed in my thoughts as we walk.

The unwavering trust I had in Master is gone. He is plotting to murder Helen. Even if it really were for the good of the city, I will stop it if I can. We need to go into the forest, find the Shining Blades, and return. While a B rank troll prowls around. At least it is not hostile. As Helen told me, it only pushed her out of the bush that time because it knew I was going to care for Helen.

It would be a wonderful day if I was going to be killed and eaten by Helen’s beloved in some forsaken woods. Except that I don’t know for whom it would be wonderful. Not for me, I’m sure of it.

We go around the stores near the Guild, and in less than an hour I have traveling gear for one week. The most critical part is food, and we can cook monster meat while on the go. We visit an alchemist, and purchase four repellent potions, and a dozen minor healing potions. Those were the most expensive part of our budget.

After leaving the alchemist, we go to the hardware store. I got three sets of flint and steel, five changes of clothes, a roll of fabric, three large blankets, a 100ft roll of rope, a reel of strong string, scissors, a bag of big nails, a bag of small nails, a hand hammer, two spear heads, a splitting axe, and a shovel. I also buy some seasonings and a big bag of salt. Salt is very expensive, but I want to take it with me anyway. Everything is too much, so I buy a spare rucksack and some hemp sacks too.

“Why this much salt, Marcy? And what are all those tools?”

“I want to try something. Leave me be. Do you have enough oil for the swords?”

Cloude bites his nail, but shuts up. While passing in front of the sundries shop, I remember to buy a skin of flower water.

“You are going to the middle of the forest, why do you care about how do you smell.”

“Stop it. Don’t underestimate a lady. You won’t get a good marriage partner next year if you do.”

Cloude hangs his head. I’m sorry, but I can’t have you poking too much into my business.

We return to the guild, and pick up our stuff. I carefully pack the salt and the flower water in the middle of my bag, and Master enters.

“Marcy, why all those tools? Master catches me in the act of packing away some of those tools.”

“I want to train for trap making. I was thinking that it would be a useful scout skill.” I lift the string and nails. “I’ve memorized some designs from the library, now I want some field practice. Besides, it will be only me and Cloude camping out, and I need to protect myself. From him.”

I put my tongue out, and wink at Cloude. He makes a disgusted face. My woman pride is shattered. Yeah. It is Cloude we are talking about. He wouldn’t have the spine to assault me in the woods, just the two of us alone. Te-he!

I finish packing, and then I begin to regret buying so much junk. Those two bags are heavy. But it is not something I can’t deal with. I need to push my plan forward. Before leaving, I check on my status.

=====================================

Status Info

Name: Marcy

Race: [Human]

Age: 15 years

Job: [Scout]

Job Level: 6

Skill Points: 5

Skills:

[Short Blades]: 4

[Bows]: 5 (Rapid Fire)

[Presence Detection]: 3

[Stealth]: 4

[Lock picking]: 4

[Athletics]: 3

[Evasion]: 3

Titles:

[Guild Employee]

[Options]

[Hide System Messages] OFF

[Hide Skill / Title]

[Skill Synthesis]

[Interface Type]: ADVENTURER

========================

I’ll increase my [Short Blades] to 5. Martial Technique [Dual Gouge] learned.

We depart, and soon the town gates are behind us. We look at the fields, and some of them are being ploughed, while the last summer crops are being harvested. The grain fields are growing, and will be harvested next season. And I have to rescue Helen before the next season begins.

“You don’t feel so well, Marcy. Want me to carry one of these bags?” Cloude makes an earnest offer. His face is really shows concern.

“I will take up on that offer. We will move faster this way, right?” I hand over the pack with the iron tools to him.

He takes the pack, and is aghast with its weight. It is filled with iron, you know? Then Cloude stops, rearranges his gear, gets a piece of string out, ties both his and mine packs together, and strap them on his shoulders. It seems awkward, but he manages to find a balance.

I’m sorry Cloude. This is for Helen’s sake. The reason I bought all that stuff is to bargain with Grendel, if I meet him. Helen claims he is a person, able to speak. If I can find him, maybe he can help me get Helen out. Like drawing the soldiers out of the garrison while we break Helen out of the jail. If he is a person in a monster's body, he should need tools.

We walk to the forest, and I begin to trace the usual path to the cursed campsite. We find a pack of four wolves, and defeat them. We only take the wolf tails and hind quarters. It will become our next meal.

“Be careful. We don’t have Helen here with us. There is no healing. All fights must be perfect.”

The careless idiot drops a bomb.

“Hey, Cloude, do you know what happened to Helen?” I’ll probe how much he knows.

“She is being investigated, isn’t it? People want to know how she could survive that monster, and what happened. I heard she is being sheltered in the garrison.”

Yes, sheltered. In a damp underground dungeon. Sheltered by a bunch of soldiers that beat her every single day. I hang my head.

“I hope they let her go soon. Cloude, it would be nice, wouldn’t it? For us four to go adventuring again...”

“I think so, but now this is impossible...” Cloude pauses to take a breath. Is the pack heavy? Sorry.

“Yeah, impossible...”

“I mean, Julius is gone. He now serves the lord. He has responsibilities.”

I burst into laughter. My tension was too high. This boy, he has no clue. I want to shout at him: “Helen is going to be executed in the equinox in a few days!!!!! You idiot!!!!”

I can’t say it. I need to confirm something first.

I stop at the campsite, and search for tracks around. I find several, because in the last twenty days over forty people and a few were strolling around this place. But only some human tracks are going away from the campsite in the opposite direction of the town. I begin to follow those tracks. Three people? Weren’t they four?

We move past the campsite, and follow the tracks. One of the Shining Blades is a heavy armor user, so the tracks from the greaves is really easy to follow. They have a spellblade (Helmholtz), a heavy armor, an archer and a magician. All male party. The track that is missing is the archer’s.

We follow the tracks until nightfall. It would be impossible to follow them now, because the moon is waning.

Cloude sets a monster repellent potion, and we go to sleep. Hope nobody kicks the potion this time.

Morning comes, and the potion has managed to survive the whole night. No weird pacifist monster came to cause us trouble. Better.

We resume following the tracks. They seem to be two or three days old. Cloude is silent. It is not that he is being wary or anything, but the gear he is carrying is too heavy. He notices me giggling, and shouts:

“Marcy, if anything happens, I’m leaving your stuff behind.”

“It would be an improvement if you leave only MY stuff behind.”

“Bummer”

“Take care. A troll, is a B rank monster. Fifty knights.”

“Oh, great. Let’s get some posthumous accomplishments. Onwards….” That last battle-cry had zero energy.

I don’t know why, but my mood is steadily improving as we go deeper, opposed to Cloude’s that is sulking. We are going to meet your idol! What about it.

They camped here. We keep moving. After a while, presences pop. Five of them. They seem to have noticed us too. They are moving here.

“Cloude, get ready. We are going to have company.” I drop my rucksack, and draw my bow. “Five monsters incoming.”

Cloude drops his bags, and unsheathes his bastard sword from its back scabbard. I circle around him, to put him between the monsters and me.

They come into sight, several trees away. Green pigs with a shape like people. “Orcs.” My arrow flies true, and finds its nest between the eyes of the front-most one. Any female would be wary of orcs. It is an instinct. Those ugly lustful brutes. I cannot help but fear for my dignity.

Cloude steels himself, and is set to block the advance. We have no healing magic. We must be careful not to be severely wounded.

I use a bow technique. “[Rapid Fire]!!” It boosts hand-eye coordination for rapid shooting. Mana circulates from my waist into my arms. I’ll pour my hatred in those arrows.

Two more arrows fly. One hits the mark, the other vanishes in the forest’s gloom.

Orcs grunt and bellow Three of them, coming. My heart races. I must control my fear. Cloude also is afraid.

Cloude readies himself, lowering his waist. I have little time. I either shoot again, or switch to dual daggers. I’ll shoot.

My hand trembles a little. I almost drop the arrow. Two more shots. One kill and one in the arm.

The orc attacks Cloude with a scimitar, and scrapes his left arm. Cloude uses the opening to swing at the orc’s exposed left flank. With a warcry, he parries the attack of a second orc.

The third orc with an injuried arm comes at me. It is drooling. I’m scared. I drop my bow, jump backwards and draw my daggers in a swift motion.

A club comes down. I dodge, but lose my balance. I fall down. The orc smiles. Those filthy teeth. I crawl lying on my back to put some distance between us. It licks its mouth.

A timid cry leaves my mouth: “No!” I hide my clenched hands behind my back.

The orc drops his club. I can see the bulge growing under his fur clothes. In the distance, I hear the sounds of metal clashing against metal.

“Buhiiii” The orc cries in ecstasy. It ignores its companions’ fight, and jumps on me.

The orc pins my shoulders with his hands. His weight is pressing me down. Pain. His knee between my legs. He is on all fours. I muster my strength to control my panic. Orc drool falls in my face.

I take my hands from behind my back, before he can press on my abdomen.

And then I stab both sides of his belly at once. "[Dual Gouge]!!"

The orc headbutts me. I twist the daggers inside the orc entrails before strength leaves my hands, and I faint.