Chapter 98: Brand new adventure
Lacrosa's Adventurer's Guild branch was surprisingly mundane.
Lea had expected something grand, grand doors, mystical decorations, maybe even something magical.
Instead, she found a simple two-story building wedged between a weapon shop and a restaurant, marked only by a weathered sign depicting a compass and sword.
Jim pushed open the door with familiar ease, "Not as fancy as you expected, huh?"
"I thought it would be more... impressive.", Lea admitted, following him inside with Solafant padding along at her feet in cat form.
The interior was wooden floors, a large bulletin board covered in job postings, several desks where staff processed paperwork, and adventurers of various levels, both Pathstriders and normal people, lounging around discussing contracts or equipment.
"Adventurers aren't really about the aesthetic.", Jim explained, heading toward the registration desk, "We're more about results. Uncovering mysteries, charting dangerous territories, guiding people through the unknown, following the will of the Light Seeker."
A bored-looking clerk looked up from her paperwork, "Registration or contract?"
"Registration, please.", Lea said, pulling out her identification papers, which she got from Dawn, all forged with the authority of the princess.
The clerk slid a form across the desk, "Fill this out. Name, Pathstrider level if you are one, specializations."
Then she explained, "Ten percent cut on all missions you take through the Guild. In exchange, you get a free pass to most countries, discounted transportation, and a basic salary of 5 Cee per month just for staying alive."
"5 Cee?", Lea repeated. That was way below minimum wage in most countries.
"It's symbolic.", Jim chimed in, "Shows you're active. The real money comes from contracts."
Lea filled out the form... name, Fourth Step, specializations in stealth. She deliberately left out her Shadow Guard status and connection to Princess Dawn. The Guild didn't need to know everything.
The clerk stamped the form without even looking at it closely, "Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. Your badge will be ready in an hour. Browse the contracts while you wait."
They moved to a table near the bulletin board. Solafant jumped onto Lea's lap, curling up like a normal cat despite being a Sixth Step demigod in disguise.
"So...", Jim said, leaning back in his chair, "We need to figure out our route. Divine Domain of Unconscious for you, Divine Domain of Motion for me. The question is which one first?"
Lea asked, "Where's your Divine Domain?"
"That's the problem.", he sighed, "I don't actually know yet. I need to... find it somehow. Very vague and annoying."
"Unconscious is three thousand meters underwater off Australia's west coast...", she replied, "But I need specialized diving equipment. Something that can withstand that pressure without killing me."
They sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. Lea thinks about what would be better...
I already know where to find mine, but without specialized equipments then it means nothing... she thought.
And it is in the sea, the area over which the God of Water rules.
"Motion first.", she decided, "I already know Unconscious's location, it's not going anywhere. But your Divine Domain could be anywhere, so we should find it first, then use the time between now and then to build my connections and resources for the dive."
Jim nodded, "Makes sense. Plus, if we're traveling together, we can take contracts along the way to build up funds."
Solafant meowed in agreement, tail swishing.
"Speaking of which...", she looked down at the cat, "What do you need for Seventh Step? You're already Sixth Step, what's your ritual requirement?"
Solafant's eyes gleamed with an intelligence no normal cat possessed, "Of course, escape the confines of this planet!! Simply, I must go to space."
Lea blinked, "Space. As in, beyond the planet."
Another meow came, "That's Device V's main goal. Building the means to leave the world entirely, while helping against the mystical nature of the world~"
Lea struggled for words, "That's incredibly ambitious."
The cat looked smug, if a cat could look smug.
"Alright.", Lea stood, moving toward the bulletin board, "Let's pick a contract. Something that pays well and is on the way to wherever Jim's Divine Domain might be."
She scanned the postings. Most were routine escort missions, monster hunting, and resource gathering. Then her eyes caught on one particular notice:
=0=0=0=
HAUNTED MANSION INVESTIGATION
Location: Kres Republic
Reward: 6,000 Cee
Requirements: Third Step or higher, experience with mystical phenomena
Details: Mansion on the outskirts of the capital has been abandoned for decades. Recent reports of disappearances in the area. Client requests full investigation and resolution of any supernatural threats.
=0=0=0=
"This one!", she said, pulling the notice off the board.
Jim read over her shoulder, "Kres? That's... not exactly on the way to anywhere."
"It's on the way to the coast!", Lea pointed out, "And it pays well. Six thousand Cee for investigating a haunted mansion? That's good money."
"Haunted mansions are never just haunted mansions.", the Trailblazer said warily, "There's always something worse. Horrors, cursed artifacts, spatial anomalies..."
She looks at the post once again, "Besides, I need to get used to working as an adventurer. Might as well start with something interesting."
Solafant meowed, jumping from Lea's lap to Jim's shoulder, "Let's do it!"
Jim sighed, "Fine. But if we encounter anything that tries to kill us, I'm blaming you."
"Deal."
They took the contract to the clerk, who processed it with the same bored efficiency she'd shown during registration.
"Haunted mansion in Kres.", the clerk said, stamping their contract, "You have two weeks to complete it. Report back with evidence of resolution. Payment on completion."
She handed them a mission token, a small metal disk with the Guild's symbol of the hammer and sickle, "Show this to local authorities if needed. Good luck."
As they left the Guild, Lea felt a strange sense of anticipation. She was no longer just a Shadow Guard operating in secret. She was an adventurer now, with official status and a clear mission.
"First stop, Kres.", he declared, already planning their route, "Then we figure out where Motion's Divine Domain is hiding. Then we build your diving equipment connections. Then Australia."
"Simple.", Lea said dryly.
"Nothing about our lives is simple.", Jim countered with a chuckle, "But at least we're getting paid for it now."
Solafant meowed in agreement from his shoulder.
And so the journey began, three Pathstriders seeking their next Steps, taking the long route through haunted mansions and unknown destinations.
Because if there was one thing Lea had learned from working with Charlotte, it was that the straightforward path was never the interesting one. And interesting was exactly what they needed.
Whether they wanted it or not.