Chapter 103 – Reward for the Goblin Subjugation
Chapter 103
Reward for the Goblin Subjugation
Date : Day 14 of Grimleaf 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
This was it. The moment Hyoren had been preparing for. The story he and Elise had agreed upon. He met Fiona's intense, searching gaze without flinching. His expression was calm and tinged with a carefully constructed sadness. The mask was perfect.
"I come from a secluded village in the mountains..."
His voice was steady and clear. The tone was measured and practiced.
"A small place, not on any map. We kept to ourselves."
He let a hint of melancholy color his tone. The emotion was subtle.
"A few months ago, a plague swept through our community. It was... fast. It killed almost everyone. I was one of the few survivors."
He paused. Letting the tragic image settle in the room. The silence stretched. The weight was heavy.
He then continued telling the backstory of him. The narrative unfolded. Elise helped when the story reached the part where Hyoren met her. Adding details. Clarifying points. The collaboration was smooth.
He looked back at Fiona. His story complete. It was a lie, but it was a believable one. The fabrication was solid.
Fiona listened to the story. Her sharp eyes analyzed every word. Every subtle shift in Hyoren's expression. She was a veteran of countless battles and deceptions. She could smell a lie from a mile away. But this story... it held the ring of truth. The details were consistent. The emotion was genuine.
She nodded slowly. A thoughtful frown on her face. The assessment was thorough.
“It’s a believable story… A village wiped out by plague… It's a sad tale, but it’s a reality that happens often on the frontier, especially in isolated communities. It would explain why you’re not in the records.”
Her gaze lingered on him. Her mind still turning over the impossible logistics of the quarry. The calculations continued. Her gaze was accusatory. The question was unspoken.
"But your strength and intelligence are still... out of the norm. Your story hasn't revealed any sign of the source of your power."
She smirked. The sharp expression was knowing.
"Guts also told me an interesting story last night."
Hyoren and Elise gasped. The sound was sharp. Sudden. Words caught in their throats. The surprise was evident.
Fiona then stood and started pacing. Her footsteps were heavy on the wooden floor. The boots echoed in the small room. The motion was agitated.
"He was saying there is a concerning report. Three days ago, there was a report from Lakeview Village about a new kind of monster which ran so fast it left a trail of dust. The witness says it was a humanoid with bulging muscles and red veins. Carrying a figure."
She looked at the window. The glass showed the sky. The clouds drifted lazily.
"Then North Gate guard report. A familiar person. An adventurer. He looked different than usual. His muscles bulging, red streaks, and his eyes were bloodshot. And he was carrying an unconscious silver-haired figure."
She looked back at Hyoren. The gaze was penetrating.
"Plus, the report of residents in Merchants' District. About the same figure entering the Potion Shop. Then a soul-shattering scream can be heard."
Her gaze locked into Hyoren. He was shivering. The tremor was visible. The cold sweat ran through his spine.
"The report didn't say who they are. And I don't know who they are either..."
Her words trailed off. Hyoren, Elise, and Ina—the ones who knew the truth—froze on their chairs. The tension was suffocating. Words caught in their throats. The fear was palpable.
She crossed her arms.
"I didn't say the report is about you, Hyoren. I'm just talking about a particular person who has some kind of weird skill who suddenly appeared three days ago..."
She then exhaled her breath. The air left her lungs. The tension released slightly.
"I have no reason to doubt your backstory. You have Elise's trust. I've known Elise of the Silentwood for years. She is not a fool, and she is not easily impressed. If she vouches for you, then that is good enough for me."
She turned around and looked out the window again. The back was facing them. The posture was contemplative.
"For now. I won't ask too much about your strength..."
***
Hyoren, Elise, and Ina were speechless. They didn't know what to say. The weight of the moment settled on them. The backstory was accepted. The lie had held. But the strength which made him come to victory versus the Servant of Gidol was questioned. A level 9 Copper-rank would not have enough strength to do that. Unless he was hiding something. The implication hung in the air.
Fiona's demeanor shifted. She faced them again. The interrogation was over. The business began.
"Okay, forget about your identity. Let's talk about the reward."
She looked at Ina. The command was implicit.
"Ina, process their original reward. And the bonus."
Ina nodded. The motion was professional. And she checked a document. The papers rustled. The numbers were calculated.
"Yes. The quest should reward them with 200K Kres and 3 CP if scouting was successful. An extra reward was promised if it was subjugation."
Fiona crossed her arms, her large bosom were more pronounced by her gesture.
"First, you two completed the original quest of scouting. And you went far beyond that, wiping out the entire goblin settlement. A 400 goblins was an army. With my authority as Guild Master, you will be rewarded with an extra 2 Million Kres and 50 CP."
Hyoren and Elise widened their eyes. The shock was simultaneous. The number was staggering. They were expecting a 200K Kres reward. And they now got ten times that. The difference was enormous.
Hyoren couldn't hold his surprise and blurted. The words escaped before he could stop them.
"What? 2 Million Kres?"
Fiona smirked. The expression was amused.
"Of course. A settlement on that scale usually needs a joint work of multiple Bronze-rank parties or a single Silver-ranked party. Silver-rank quest's normal reward was on that scale."
Ina also nodded. The agreement was professional.
"Guildmas is right, Hyoren, Elise. This was pretty normal for subjugation of settlement with hundreds of goblins."
Fiona then looked at them again. The gaze was serious. The announcement wasn't over.
"And I'm not done. This will be a reward from both Guild and House of Akela itself, for actually killing a Servant of Gidol, and reporting back the discovery of the dungeon."
She looked at the ceiling. Her eyes moved slightly. Calculating. Trying to determine how much they were going to get. The numbers were being processed.
"For Guild's reward, Ina, give them 500 CP."
Ina nodded. The pen moved quickly.
"Okay, Guildmas. Noted."
Fiona then returned her gaze. The attention was focused.
"For the monetary reward from the city. 10 Million Kres."
Elise gasped. The sound was sharp and involuntary. Hyoren's eyes almost left their sockets. The disbelief was total. The sum was astronomical.
Elise composed herself. The shock was pushed aside. The question needed to be asked.
"Lady Fiona. 10 Million Kres? Isn't that too excessive?"
Fiona scoffed. The sound was derisive.
"What? You didn't want it?"
She smirked.
"No. It was not excessive. A Servant of Gidol is a true threat. I don't know the strength of this Hifoppe. But the Ogre Assassin we defeated before was a really tough nut to crack. We spent months tracking it, and when we finally cornered it, it took our party everything to kill it."
She pointed her arms at them. The gesture was emphatic.
"Plus, if Hifoppe was not killed, it can move again to create a new dungeon somewhere else. By killing it, you prevent the occurrence of more dungeons. I think even 10 Mil Kres was not enough. But our coffers can't take any more hits. We still have a war to prepare. And now with new dungeon management..."
Elise finally gave up. The protest was abandoned.
"If you say like that... Okay, we accept the reward, Lady Fiona."
Hyoren finally snapped from his stupor. The haze cleared slightly. He mumbled. The words were barely audible.
"10 Million Kres..."
But Fiona was not done. She leaned forward. Her eyes gleamed.
"Plus, you will be given the chance to accompany our official Guild scouting party when we enter that dungeon. You will be the first to explore it."
Hyoren tilted his head. The question was in his eyes. The words was out before he thought about it.
"Scouting Party?"
Ina then looked up, explaining it instead of Fiona.
"Yes, Hyoren. When a dungeon is discovered, the Guild will send a scouting party to determine the rank of the dungeon. Then officially name it. Before we did the scouting, the dungeon is forbidden to be entered."
Fiona then looked at Ina. The command was clear.
"Ina, send a messenger to Harvengald. They are experienced in handling dungeons. Ask them to send us an experienced scouting party."
Ina nodded. The acknowledgment was instant.
"Will do, Guildmas."
She then looked at Hyoren. The instruction was direct.
"Scouting party from Harvengald will come in about 1 week. I will notify you when we are ready. You will come with us."
Elise and Hyoren nodded. The agreement was simultaneous. And said in unison.
"Okay. Understood."
Fiona's gaze fell upon the pile of black armor and the black katana on top of the table. The items gleamed. The metal was dark. Ominous.
"Okay, next... the loot... You two can keep Hifoppe's gear."
She touched the black katana. Her fingers traced the dark metal. The contact was brief.
"I know the craftsmanship of Demons and Servants of Gidol is as good as, or in some cases, better than dwarven masterwork. We don't know how they do it, but the quality is undeniable. It's a testament to your victory. You earned it."
Her gaze locked on the pulsating sinister orb. The Demon Core. The darkness swirled within. The malevolence radiated outward.
"You need to bring the Demon Core to the Church though. And ask their Archbishop to purify it."
She looked at Ina. The instruction was clear.
"Ina, write to the Church about the circumstance, then give them a letter of introduction for these two."
She then stood and walked to the door. Her fiery wolf-cut hair flowed with her motion. The red strands caught the light. Her posture was straight. The business was concluded.
"Do the rest of the procession for me, Ina. I need to go to my husband to report about this matter. And plan on how we were going to deal with the dungeon on the Old Quarry."
She exited the door. The frame passed her form. The door shut with a click. The sound was final. The Guild Master was gone.
***
The moment the door clicked shut behind Fiona, the tension in the room vanished. The air seemed to lighten. The weight lifted. Leaving behind a profound sense of relief. The shoulders of all three occupants relaxed. The breathing steadied.
Ina then stood, and took a familiar magic tool from nearby cabinets. The white magic tools glowed—the runic inscription shone in soft light, the symbols were intricate—the device hummed with contained power.
She put the tools on the table. The surface was flat.
"Okay, now time to process your magic stones."
Hyoren nodded. His long black hair swayed with motion.
"We didn't recover everything as sometimes we needed to run fast without looting, but we should still have plenty."
Elise then stepped forward. Her loose silver hair fluttered with every step.
She took the pouch which contained magic stones from her storage bag—the pouch came out from the void. And Elise gave the pouch to Ina.
Ina took it. Her fingers closed around the leather. Then quickly poured it into the magic tools. The void accepted everything. The stones clinked together. The sounds were sharp. The device processed each one.
She then manipulated the orbs. Her hands moved with practiced ease. And the magic tools' glow intensified. The light grew brighter— counting and tallying the magic stones.
Not long after, the result appeared. The display stabilized. The count was final.
Goblins : 191 Magic Stones
Goblin Fighters : 102 Magic Stones
Goblin Warriors : 56 Magic Stones
Ina nodded. Her cat ears bobbed with the motion
"Good, 349 total magic stones. It seems you recovered most of them. Let's see. Goblins were 3,000 Kres each. The fighters were 5,000 Kres each. And the Warriors were 12,000 each."
She then counted their earnings. The numbers were calculated. The sums were processed. Then she looked up. Her cat ears twitched slightly.
"Okay. The total is 1,755,000 Kres. Add it to the reward from before. You two earn a total of 13,755,000 Kres."
She then added the totals. The pen moved across parchment.
"And you will gain 175.5 CP from the magic stones. With the CP reward from before, you earn a total of 725.5 CP. That's more than enough to raise your Copper-rank into Bronze rank. Talk about record-breaking speed."
The weight of their reward settled on them. The number was staggering. The achievement was remarkable.
Elise looked at the number. Her emerald eyes widened slightly.
"Almost 14 million Kres..."
Hyoren looked at Ina. The question was in his eyes.
"So, I can raise my rank to Bronze, Ina?"
Ina shook her head, before look at him. Her large amber eyes focused on him.
“Not yet, Hyoren. There’s another requirement you haven't met. To reach Bronze, you need 500 CP and be in level 10. Your CP was enough. But you are still level 9. By the time you hit level 10, come back to me and I will raise your rank.”
Hyoren nodded in understanding. The information was processed. The goal was clear.
"I see. That's good. So what about the rank requirement for Silver?"
He looked at Elise. His partner. She earned a lot of CP too. Would her rank also be raised? The question was implicit.
Ina smiled. The expression was knowing.
"It's the same as you, Hyoren. Her CP was enough. She already gathered 2,000 CP after this reward. But Silver-rank needs to be level 20. She still needs to raise her level."
Elise turned to him— her pointed ears twitched slightly. She was amused.
“I see. So we need to do a lot of subjugation quests after this. Fufu.”
Hyoren was also relieved, now they have goal.
“Okay, one level for me. And three levels for Elise. That’s our immediate goal.”
They then gave their card to Ina. Ina quickly processed their card. Then gave it back to them.
“Okay Elise, Hyoren. I already transferred the reward to your Party account. Congratulations.”
Hyoren took his Guild Card. The card was cool in his hand. The CP. The Kres. It seemed unreal. They had risked their lives—Elise almost died. But the reward which came from it was plenty. Like a prize for their hard work. The compensation was just.
Ina then gave them a letter. The envelope was sealed.
"Hyoren, this is a letter for the Church. Without this, you might have a hard time meeting the Archbishop. Give this letter to one of the Templar Knights, then they will lead you to the Archbishop."
Hyoren took the envelope. The paper was thick. Then he remembered something. The dream from last night surfaced.
"Right. I haven't told you two. Elise, Ina."
Elise and Ina tilted their heads. The curiosity was simultaneous.
"What is it, Hyoren?"
Elise asked. Urging him to continue. The question was in her emerald eyes.
"Last night, I had a dream. Luminara visited me in my dream. And she told me to go to church."
Ina smiled. Her cat ears perked. Her tail swished softly.
"As expected for the Goddess herself. She already knew you needed to go to church to purify the Demon Core."
Elise also nodded, her pointed ears twitched.
"Yeah, that makes sense, Ina."
She then looked at Hyoren. Her emerald eyes gaze at him.
"Now with her word, we really need to go to church after this."
Hyoren nodded. Then stood. The motion was steady. Ready.
"Okay then, let's go? Our business is done here, right?"
He took Elise's hand to help her stand. The contact was gentle.
She nodded at him, her loose silver hair swayed slightly.
"Yes, Hyoren. Let's go to church."
Ina smiled at them. Her cat ears twitched.
"Okay Hyoren, Elise. I also need to compile all of this report. We need to report to the Central Guild fast about this new dungeon appearance. And I also need to send a messenger to Harvengald."
She also stood. Holding the paper on her chest. The documents were pressed against her uniform.
"And I will notify you two when the scouting party is going to depart. It will be mostly in 5 to 7 days. Wait for it."
Hyoren nodded. Smiling at Ina. The gratitude was evident.
"Thank you Ina for everything... we will wait."
Elise then packed everything into her storage bag again. The void easily ate Hifoppe's gear and its Demon Core— everything disappeared into dimensional space. The bag held everything.
Those three then exited the Audience Room with an easy step. The tension was gone. The business was concluded.
This was where they were going to part. Ina walked towards her office on the second floor. Vice Guild Master Office. Her footsteps echoed on the stone. While Hyoren and Elise went downstairs. Their boots padded softly.
On top of the stairs, they turned and saw Ina in front of her office door waving at them. Her cat ears twitched. Her tail swished. The smile was warm.
"Goodbye Hyoren, Elise. We will meet again!"
Hyoren and Elise waved back at her. The gesture was simultaneous. Then they saw Ina enter her office. Ready to compile reports. The door shut behind her. The click was final.
They then returned to the first floor. The wood stairs creaked under their weight. Each step groaned softly. Back to the bustling main hall. The noise rushed back. Voices overlapped. Armor clanked. They crossed the hall with steady steps. Ignoring the crowd of adventurers. The wooden floor made soft sounds with every step—the familiar chaos of the guild surrounded them.
Hyoren opened the heavy ironwood door. The wood was solid. Dense. Elise exited the guild first, her loose and long silver hair fluttered from the cool air which entered the building.
He followed her shortly. The morning air rushed in. Fresh. Cool. Next they had a new destination. A Church of Luminara. Where someone was waiting. As prophesied by Luminara herself in his dream.