{Rin}

The Mages Guild was an interesting building in that it was one of those places that felt much bigger from the inside than it looked from the outside. Winding golden halls with purple banners eventually led Sye and Rin up to another floor where the mage paused to speak with her.

"This is our stock," Sye explained to Rin, as she gestured at multiple bookshelves, scrolls, and runic symbols etched on the walls. The air felt slightly dense here, and Rin could feel something weighing on her shoulders the moment she entered the area.

"Whoa. I feel... Heavy."

"Hehe, don't worry. That's just a little bit of magical insurance that we've put in place. Anyway, this here is where we keep some of the spellbooks that we like to sell to people."

"The Mages Guild does that?" Rin asked. "I don't know why, but, I kinda figured you guys were the types to hold onto knowledge... Keep it all secret and stuff."

"We do," she quickly clarified, smirking a little as though that was something to be proud of. "But, usually, only whenever it's a spell that we have reason to be cautious over. Something that the limits of which have not been tested, or, where results of a certain spellsign are still unstable. You have personal experience with one such spell."

That was a reminder of an event that Rin really, really didn't want to think about right now.

"That sort of thing," Sye continued. "Older, more trusted, forms of spellweaving are kept here."

"... Is there really something here that could help my friend out?"

"I don't know," Sye responded. "I'm not terribly knowledgable on that particular school of Essence. However, it's worth checking."

She walked forward and Rin figured that it was okay to follow after her. Despite the fact that Illusion magic wasn't Sye's specialty, she still knew where the Illusion spells were kept and she made a beeline for that area, soon letting her eyes scan the books there for anything that seemed useful.

"... This is quite nostalgic, honestly."

Sye spoke in a quiet, but mirthful tone. Rin got a little closer, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"Why's that?"

"When I first started out my career at the Guild as an apprentice, I used to sneak in here all the time, searching for powerful, secret spells. Of course, back then I didn't quite understand that every spell here has to be whitelisted, but, well, I was far too curious for my own good."

"Did anyone ever catch you?" Rin asked with an amused smile.

"A few times, but, the higher-ups never really cared much. I didn't know that, though, so whenever they did I would be drenched in sweat, hoping they wouldn't disintegrate me on the spot for trespassing."

"Wow."

"Don't get me wrong, there are certainly infractions that will result in getting disintegrated on the spot, but trespassing here as a young learner is not one of them."

"I'm glad," Rin replied naturally. "If you'd gotten turned into ashes, I would have never gotten to know you."

"Oh? Did you enjoy getting to know me that much~? I'm flattered."

"H-Hey, I'm being serious here," Rin said, blushing a bit.

"And I'm not?" Sye raised a brow. Rin giggled a little as the woman turned her eyes back to the books in front of her. With the hint of a smile on her lips, she continued to look for a suitable spell for Rin's situation. All the while, the adventurer's eyes went down from those supple lips to her collarbone, to her chest, all because she'd just been reminded of the time they'd shared together.

Rin would certainly not mind a second round of that.

"This might do," Sye spoke up and Rin's eyes went back up to meet the mage's own. She pulled out a spellbook and flipped through some of the pages before sticking her index finger down on one of the pages. She walked over to Rin's side and showed her the spellsign she'd found. "It's a shapeshifting spell," Sye explained. "Of course, as it's an illusion the 'shapeshifting' is only, ehm, skin-deep, you could say. However, it should work. And, as it is an advanced spell, only other talented mages should be able to see through it."

[Other talented mages,] Rin repeated in her thoughts. [So, Harriton will still be able to see through it, then. But, guards won't? Eh, I guess that's good enough.]

"Yeah, this works," Rin declared.

"Good. Here you go," Sye said, closing the spellbook and placing the entire thing in Rin's hands. "Like I said, it's advanced. The spellsign curves and tangles in a way that a regular mage probably can't handle. But, if your friend is skilled enough, she should be able to perform it."

"W-Wait," Rin said, looking up at her. "You're giving me the whole thing?"

"Yes," Sye nodded.

"But, I thought you were just gonna tear the page out or something. Is this alright?"

Sye made a face so offended suddenly that it was almost funny.

"Rin, I'm not about to ruin a perfectly good spellbook like that. Of course, I'm giving you the whole thing." She said that as though Rin should know better. Rin set that aside and said:

"Um... How valuable is this thing, though? I mean, I don't want some angry mage to show up at my door and shank me just because I have it."

The mage chuckled a little, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she put a hand up to her lips and looked away.

"Don't worry," she then added. "We keep copies of every book. And, we make more all the time. You're not taking some last scrap of forbidden knowledge or whatever."

"Oh, okay then," Rin replied, calming down a little. "So, how much is it?"

She began reaching for her coin pouch, which she kept on the opposite side of her body from Xhez's water bag. Sye stopped her, however, and smiled a little.

"You know what?" She said. "I changed my mind. You can consider it a gift," Sye said, interrupting her. "It's on the house."

"..."

Rin was stunned. She blinked twice, looking back at Sye who placed her hands on her hips, waiting for a response. Eventually, Rin realized she'd been standing there with her jaw on the ground for the last five to ten seconds and stammered a few times before finally asking:

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"B-But, I'm serious, if this costs too much, I-"

Before Rin could continue protesting, Sye stepped forward and placed her hands on the girl's cheeks, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Rin," she started. "It's charming that you're modest enough to turn away a gift like this, but, really, it's okay. Your friend's situation is a compelling one. Helping this friend out is reward enough for me. But," she then added, "if you truly feel the need to pay me back, then, how about this?"

Then, her hands went from the adventurer's face down to her back and ended up over her other cheeks.

She gave them a light squeeze before saying:

"Next time I find myself in Libera, how about you make my nights a little more comfortable? Your company would also be a nice reward. Is that deal a little better for your conscience?"

Rin gulped.

"S-Sure."

Sye grinned.

"Wonderful. Then, it's settled."

---

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but, we had a little matter to attend to," Sye told Maria and Eve as she and Rin walked out into the street. The sun had turned a little brighter as its position shifted up in the sky.

Maria looked back at them with some skepticism. Actually, Rin felt she could see a hint of annoyance on her face.

"Is the curse removed?" The Rank S adventurer asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Sye replied.

"Ah. Thank you for your services. That will be all, then," Maria told her. It almost sounded like she was letting a waiter know that she was satisfied rather than giving her thanks to someone for curing her student of vampirism.

Regardless, Sye simply bowed and turned toward Rin.

"I'll see you another time, then," she said sweetly. "Maybe sooner than you think."

That last part came in a whisper as she placed her right hand softly on Rin's shoulder and leaned in. Out of the corner of her eye, Rin saw the woman smirk back at her before she walked away.

Eve had no reaction at all. Maria, on the other hand, looked even more annoyed now.

"... Unprofessional," she muttered, shaking her head. "Well, you wanted to head over to the Adventurer's Guild next, right Rin?" She asked.

"Right, yeah," the raven-haired girl nodded. "I wanted to check on my brother's stuff. If they'll even let me see it."

"Ah. Alright, let's go then."

Just like that, the woman all but began power walking down the street. Eve flew over her while Rin jogged up to her side, Xhez's water-filled bag sloshing back and forth at her hip. It became slightly difficult to keep up with Maria, who, all of a sudden, seemed to be walking in a bit of a hurry. Rin had no idea what prompted this, but, she guessed that the woman simply wanted to get back to Libera as soon as possible.

As they went deeper into the heart of Cradle, Rin did let her eyes roam a little while she kept up with Maria's unusually quick stride.

This city couldn't truly be any more different from Libera. From the old architecture to the cold, borderline freezing air, to the chained-up beastborn who were being dragged from one place to another on the other side of the street.

It came to her then that this place reminded her of Dren, just a bit. A much more aged, dreary version of a city that was already depressing as hell.

"... Here we are," Maria announced and Rin looked ahead. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets as she saw people walking in and out of the building in front of her. They weren't dressed like regular civilians, no. Each and every one of them looked more like mythical figures than people.

Some wore golden armor so shiny it nearly blinded Rin, others wore rags, showing off their scar-covered bodies. Some wore suits of black and hoods over their heads with greatswords at their backs, others almost looked like guards rather than adventurers. But, no. They were all exactly that.

"The Adventurer's Guild," Maria announced. "Let's head inside."