Natalie the Spider
It was the early afternoon on a hot summer’s day. With lunchtime over for most people in the city of Wakewood, it was time for its most popular shopping district, Pinnacle Plaza, to empty out its food courts and fill up its shops! Adventurers, families, and teenagers just looking for a place to relax all make a trek past the cars and traffic to find something that can tempt the innards out of their wallets. With such a large variety of items here, any cavalier shopper would almost be guaranteed to find something they’re looking for, provided they have the money or an irresponsible sense of impulsiveness to get it.
But strangely, not as many products were being purchased today. Most prices, in fact, were exponentially higher than they were just days beforehand! Wakewood is a city of the Sunstone Empire, a nation no stranger to a fluctuating economy, but the fact that this happened so suddenly means someone may have influenced their idiot of an emperor. Because of this, there wasn’t a single soul with money in their pockets that was happy with the abrupt inflation of prices.
And nobody in the plaza was more upset than a certain healer of the Windwell Guild.
“Aw, damn it, this place too?” A red-headed young woman sighed. “This is ridiculous, Leon, everything is out of our price range!”
“Well, what can I say, Natalie,” said a young man with somewhat spiky hair. “It’s kinda our fault for spending too much on a scenic boat ride back to the empire. If we just asked Cassandra about any potential connections, we could have gotten a cheaper trip…”
“I don’t wanna ask her something like that! Not after what happened last time. We’d be relying on her royal status too much if we bugged her every week…”
“And yet, you do anyway.”
“...Well, y-yeah, that’s why. Ugh, is there anything here I can buy without giving up tonight’s dinner!?” Natalie, growing annoyed over the inflated prices in every corner, ran into the nearby dream shop for a deal. As Leon followed her in, she shuffled through the shelves looking for a dream scroll--any dream scroll--that would suit her already tight budget. She looked into one that openly advertised itself as a three-part dream capable of telling the user a full, interactive story over three different nights, with the person’s brain affecting the story by filling in any required gaps of information. A tempting offer for sure, but the moment Natalie saw the price tag she groaned and put it back on the shelf in low spirits, muttering at how it would have made a great gift.
Leon let out an exasperated sigh. They’ve been bargain hunting for almost an hour now. “No luck here either, huh Natz?”
“Aaaagh! This is hopeless! Not even the dream shops have good deals!” She quickly turned to her partner after quickly shoving the scrolls back onto their shelves. “See, Leon, this is why my dad’s dream shop is still the best I know. You try to buy one little custom-made dream for a night, and these guys rip you off! At least with my dad, you’ll know that you’ll get your money’s worth.”
“Your dad sold me a romantic dream for four times what it’s usually worth.”
“He sold you a romantic dream for four times what it’s usually worth. Why do you even need that anyway, I’m your girlfriend, you could just ask me for a kiss and date, you know?”
“I was hoping it would give me some new date ideas…” Leon began to recall his memory of buying the dream all those months ago. “I guess that explains why he had such a disappointed look on his face when I bought it...”
Natalie, still frustrated over not being able to buy anything, was already tuning out what he was trying to say. She stormed over to the cashier with a scroll labeled ‘relaxing ambiance and sleep aid’ and slapped it down on the counter. “Alright, hey, mister. What’s the big idea here, everything in this damn plaza is so expensive!”
“I’d like to ask for your forgiveness, mister,” whispered Leon to the clerk. “She’s not usually like this, I promise you. Didn’t get to drink her morning coffee, haha!”
The clerk, who had the face of a man drained by at least 64 other questions of similar content and emotion, took Natalie’s frustration in stride. “Miss, in case you haven’t heard, Callum Owen passed a bill directly to the emperor that raised taxes for pretty much everything in the western coast. I understand your grievances-”
“What?” Whispered Natalie, attempting to contain her anger. “How did a single politician manage to pass a bill that quickly!? Actually, how did he do it at all!?”
“Oh, that guy?” Leon chimed in. “I’ve heard of him, apparently he’s super close to the emperor and proposed the bill by saying it was for his sake. And, well, you know how greedy our country is. The emperor’s word can pass things almost instantly, so…”
“Your friend’s right,” said the clerk. “That’s what people think, anyway. He could have been trying this for months-”
“Well-” Natalie took another look at the dream scroll- “I’m not going back to the inn room empty-handed! Tell me again how much this thing costs!”
The clerk took a quick glance at the very obviously placed price tag that Natalie chose to ignore. “It’s, er, forty-seven Sols, miss.”
“Oh, really?” She said with a smug grin. “Well that’s funny, I know a shop that sells this for-”
“I’m not haggling with you, miss.”
“Worth a shot.” She took the scroll back and marched back to the shelf she found it in to put it away. “Forget it. Leon, let’s just go find the others.” With a sigh and a huff, Natalie left the overpriced dream shop, making sure that she at least didn’t slam the door on her way out.
“Thank you, sir,” Leon nodded to the clerk before making his way to the exit. “And sorry for the trouble!”
With Natalie and Leon out shopping, the other three members of the Windwell Guild awaited their return at a cafe in front of a nearby fountain. Gilford, a magically-gifted man with long hair, and Cassandra, the lady knight that just so happened to be the princess of a kingdom called Lunaria, sat by one of the cafe’s only outdoor tables and watched the passing shoppers. Kaiyo, the guild’s resident ronin, came out of the building with a single milkshake in hand. “That’s all you got this time, huh?” Gilford said, mildly surprised. “You usually get a few more snacks than that, or at least stuff more things into your shakes.” “Oh, I would have loved to, Gil,” said Kaiyo. “But the prices are just insane there. Like, I’m talking almost theme park levels of overpriced food. This shake alone was almost ten sols, and we’re kinda short on funds as is…” “Ten sols!?” He raised his voice. “That one shake cost ten whole sols!? We could have split that between the three of us and gotten some food in a cheaper place! Hey, share that with us, gimme the milkshake!” “No!” Cassandra, who was mostly content with watching Kaiyo and Gilford bicker as they usually do, decided to step in. “Now, now, Gil. Even if we did, it’s not like we’d get much out of it. Everything here is just absurdly priced…” “Yeah,” he sighed. “I know we’re back in the empire and all, but this doesn’t make any sense, even for our emperor’s usual stupidity. I bet these folks passing us don’t mind though! Just look at the clothes they’re wearing, oooh, they have to be rich. I do kinda think we should switch tables or something though. It feels like that one lady across the fountain has been staring at me for ages now...and I don’t think it’s ‘cause she’s into me.” “Just ignore them,” Kaiyo mumbled as she tried to drink from her underwhelmingly sized milkshake. “Besides, we gotta wait for the lovebirds to get back, so it’s not like we can just leave and go anywhere.” “You rang, Kaiyo?” Chimed a familiar voice. “Oh, speak of the devil,” said Cassandra, completely deadpan. “Hello there, Leon, hey Natz. The look on your faces tells me the dream shopping didn’t go so hot.” Natalie sighed. “Yeah...I’d call my dad to send me one personally, but it would probably take too long to arrive anyway.” She set her satchel down on the table and took a seat. “That’s true,” Cassandra agreed. “But it should be fine! Why bother buying a scroll here? We’re going back to Windwell anyway. Gosh, I can’t believe it’s almost been a full year since we started traveling together…” “It’s not fine, though!” Natalie pouted. “I wanted to buy my folks a custom-made dream scroll as a present! Or at least something that helps them focus on going to sleep quickly...agh, my first gift was too expensive! It’s all cause of that dumb...uh, politician guy!” She quickly stopped pouting to turn to her boyfriend. “Leon, what was his name again?” “Callum Owen.” “Right, screw that guy!” She said as she went back to pouting. “Screw that guy and his close ties to the emperor! I’ll curse him with bad luck for the next week for trying to screw over this side of the continent!” “S’that so, Natz?” Gilford laughed. “Well, safe to say someone beat you to your weak threat anyway.” He took out his phone and handed it to Natalie. On the screen, a news report detailing a recent traffic accident was displayed. At least six people were wounded, one of which included Callum Owen himself. “Oh, God...I was just venting…” “Relax, I’m just teasing you. And nobody died, thankfully.” Gilford took back his phone and proceeded to skim the rest of the article. “That Owen guy didn’t get any serious injuries, but it looks like he hit his head kinda hard. Report's saying that his advisors are scared that he might have lost some memories of his, even with the healing magic applied to him.” “Wow, that’s awful…I mean, I don’t like the guy one bit but-” Natalie’s eyes suddenly lit up. “-Ah, Gil, where did this take place again?” Cassandra glared at her sudden change in mood. “Natalie...what are you planning this time?” “Oh, this was in Wakewood,” said Gilford. “He’s staying at the hotel near our inn with his wife, but apparently she travels around the city a lot, so-” “Jackpot!” Natalie suddenly cried out. Her yelling was so abrupt that it startled Kaiyo into coughing up some of her milkshake. “This guy didn’t just screw over my plans, but everyone else’s plans, too! I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind!” “Natz,” Cassandra chided. “He just said he wasn’t dead, he’s probably still suffering from some confusion and concussions.” “Even more convenient! This guy’s policy is killing our already low funds! I’m just gonna pull a few strings to help us out, you know?” “That’s not gonna-” Leon, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, decided to speak up and offer his opinion. “Actually, is money even an issue here? I mean, I get that we have low funds right now, but Cassandra is a princess! She can just give us a hand when we’re in a pinch like she always does-” “After what happened back in Carus? Heavens, no!” Cassandra scolded. “Do you guys even know how much time Morgan spent fixing what Gilford did at Carus?" “Two weeks?” “Yes! That went too far for our liking, right? I’m not gonna risk having to finance the means to fix what you guys start. And this little manipulation game sounds like it can get nasty quick, so you’re on your own here. You wanna get some spending cash? Earn it yourself while we’re still here.” The rest of the guild nodded after remembering what happened back in Carus. Yet, despite this, Natalie’s desire for a petty revenge scheme persisted in her mind. “Okay, you’ve got a point, Cassie, but see, unlike Gil, I’m not gonna do anything too drastic. I’m not trying to ruin his career here, that’s too far! But I do wanna get back at him somehow, even if it’s just to take an embarrassing photo and leaving after that.” “This is gonna end in a disaster…” Cassandra groaned. “Kaiyo!” Our determined, redheaded healer called out with fire in her eyes. “Come on! I’m gonna need your help to make this work!” “Oh, hell yeah!” Kaiyo quickly gulped down whatever was left in her milkshake cup and threw it into a nearby trash can. “I don’t have anything better to do anyway!” Leon, Gilford, and Cassandra were left behind at the cafe table, with Leon noticing that Natalie managed to forget her bag in the ensuing excitement. “I’m gonna go give this back to her and look for a quick job to do,” said Leon. “That’ll earn us some money. You should do something too, Gil. See you around.” With his girlfriend’s satchel in tow, he ran after Kaiyo and Natalie, leaving Cassandra and Gilford alone. “...So, uh…you gonna do anything to stop those two?” Gilford asked. “Heh, no.” Cassandra snickered. “If she digs that grave, she’ll reap what she sows. Gotta teach you guys that I can’t keep bailing you out like what happened in Carus. Besides, I need some ‘me’ time.” “Bit of a ‘sink-or-swim’ lesson, don’t you think?” “Facing consequences can be the best way to learn, Gil. That’s how they handled things back in my knight academy. But what are you gonna do?” “I...guess I should start figuring out how to earn some money.” A smug grin grew on his face. “And I got a few ideas already…”
Callum Owen awoke from his nap with a throbbing concussion and a strangely bitter taste in his mouth. His window was wide open and had nothing to filter the harsh rays of sunlight beaming onto his face. But despite the actual head injury he received the other day being mostly healed, he was still in a bit of a daze. Some objects that would have been clear as day for him were now a slight blur, even if they were only a few feet away. He could walk but held an unsteady gait. Overall, Callum was rather disoriented from the accident, and everything seemed just a bit stranger than usual. But nothing about his room could even compare to what he found the moment he turned his head to the left. Captured within Callum’s aging retinas was Kaiyo, sitting on a chair next to the bed as she slowly ate a chocolate popsicle. An enigmatic discovery that’s considered a cryptid even among actual supernatural oddities. Her intentionally slow licking of the frozen treat only served to heighten both the awkwardness of the room and his discomfort. She made direct eye contact with Callum, who, despite the altered level of consciousness, was able to see her clearly. What he could not see, however, is that she was clearly having fun messing with him. Kaiyo took another five seconds of uninterrupted silence before finally deciding to speak. “You’re finally awake, Mr. Owen.” “Wh...who are you?” Callum asked with a tremulous voice. “Your wife has been waiting for you,” she said, deflecting the question. “Please, get ready and follow me.” “I...she’s here?” Callum stood up from his bed and made a break for what the hotel considered to be the room’s living space. Or at least, he tried, considering how slow his gait was. Kaiyo ended up having to assist him when it took too long for Callum just to get out of bed and exit his room by himself. “Catherine!” Callum called out with a wobbly voice. “Where are you!? And what the hell is this ponytail-wearing woman doing in my room!?” “Callum, honey?” A voice answered back. Footsteps approached at a brisk pace until a redheaded woman stood by the entrance to the room’s sorry excuse of a kitchen. “What’s wrong, are you-oh! You’re out of bed on your own this time! That’s great to see! I was worried the accident did a number on more than just your head, but it looks like those healers did their job well, didn’t they?” Callum was still rather disoriented from the injury, so he was only able to accurately determine what objects were when they were close to him. But for some reason, no matter how close this woman came to him, she was always a blur. It did not matter if they were from across the room or face-to-face. He could never accurately determine who it was. But her voice sounded exactly like his wife, and the hue of her hair seemed to be a similar shade of red. Or did his wife have brown hair? Maybe it was actually blonde? Callum began to grow fearful of his scattered mind. “...Catherine,” asked Callum. “Is that you?” “Of course it’s me, honey.” Natalie laughed. “What’s this now, you don’t recognize your own wife? How cold of you...” “I hate to say it...but I don’t. Everything’s just kind of a blur right now…” “My, it seems the accident did a bigger number on you than I thought.” A smile briefly grew upon her face before fading away just as quickly. “Maybe you just need some rest. Oh, and about the other woman. I’m sure you remember her, at the very least. She’s been working with us as a guard for the past few months now…” Callum tried to say something, but his voice was strangled as he tried to piece things together from his hazy memory. “That puzzled look says it all.” Natalie faked a sigh. “You really don’t remember her, do you? Well, I suppose a second introduction would make it seem less rude. This is our personal lead bodyguard, Ritsuka.” “Pweesed to meehu, Mr. Ohwehn,” mumbled Kaiyo, still nibbling on the chocolate popsicle in her mouth. “Ah look forw-” “Ritsuka, please, do mind your manners. This is my husband we’re talking to.” Kaiyo quickly wolfed down what little was left of the popsicle and cleared her throat. “Ahem! My apologies, miss. I am Ritsuka, dedicated to protecting you and your wife from any harm.” “You can ask her for anything and she will do her best to get it done!” Natalie chuckled for a brief moment. “Just do make sure you remember her name this time around!” Before Callum could ask about anything else, the conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a baby’s cry. “What was that?” Callum frantically shook his head to find out where the crying was coming from. “Oh no!” cried Natalie calmly. “That’s the baby!” “The baby!? We have a kid!?” “Oh dear,” said Natalie with a touch of disdain. “I know you were just hurt, but that’s no excuse to be so cold towards your own family…”
Leon made his way to the meeting site fifteen minutes after receiving the ad. It was next to the city limits, where he found four guardsmen surrounding a large wagon with a single woman with brown hair standing on top of it. From her crimson-colored clothing to her widely-brimmed hat, just about everything related to this woman’s clothes and odd taste in fashion was gaudy as could be. The only thing she was missing was an unreal amount of bangles, bracelets, rings and other superficial accessories covering her arms. Either way, they seemed like the pretentious sort of people that Leon would rather steer clear from, and her aristocratic aura may as well hold a neon sign reading “Oh, sweet God up in heaven, am I richer than you!” But of course, he still wanted the money, so something had to be done. “Ah...hello there!” Leon called out. “I take it you are, erm...Mrs. O?” The lady in red looked down from her wagon, which looked rather cheap for someone able to afford such garish clothing. “Yes, that’s me. I take it you’re the guy that called me earlier?” “Yeah...so uh, lemme clarify this, just so I know I got the details right.” “Alright.” “You posted this shoddy ad, which only had the bare minimum of details, on a public quest board just to get one extra guy to help you go to a forest campsite that, if I remember correctly, is twenty minutes away from here? Despite having four other competent guards to guide you? I’ll just let you know right now, all I got is a sharp metal stick and a shield to add to this party’s might, cause-” Mrs. O, if that even was her real name, smirked and let out a quick scoff. “Look, kid, you want the money or not?” “...Yep, let’s get started.” Still thinking something was off, Leon decided to take on the job anyway and escorted Mrs. O to the campsite. After all, it wasn’t very far from Wakewood anyway, so even if the job turned out to be a bust, he thought he could find his way back to the others quickly enough. The trip itself, however, was mostly uneventful. Leon and his client mostly made small talk as they made their way to the forest. On a few occasions, they ran into the odd squirrel or lone slime, but they were all just passing through and their brief presence only gave them a few more seconds to talk about what they just saw. Finally, after twenty minutes of walking, talking, and throwing in a couple of awkward silences to liven up the pace, the crew finally arrived at the campsite. Leon walked ahead of the other guards and motioned for everyone to stay put. “Now, I don’t know how many slimes are gonna be out there, but I’m gonna scout ahead and call you guys when it’s time to strike.” None of the guards nor Mrs. O answered, but they remained still regardless. “Alright…” Leon muttered to himself, drawing his sword and shield. “Here I go! Raaaagh!” Leon charged into the campsite, his blade ready to strike at any hostile slimes or any other monster that managed to drop by. Fear was completely absent from his mind. He’s spent almost a full year traveling the world and fighting things that would cause even a wyvern to quake in fear. A few pesky slimes were equivalent to pebbles on the road for him! What could possibly deter him enough to drop his guard? A fully-populated campsite filled with cheerful adventurers and a complete lack of monsters, that’s what. “-Aaaagh!...What...What is this?” “Hey there, young man!” hailed one of the travelers. “Welcome to the campgrounds, there’s plenty of food for you!” “But...why are all of you-” “Hey there, lads!” A voice cried out from behind. It was Mrs. O, who had just gotten off her shoddy wagon to meet up with Leon. He couldn’t help but notice that the four guards, who stayed behind, began to laugh at his deflated bravado. “This guy’s with me, we’ll just be talking in the back if you’ll excuse us.” “Go right on ahead!” One of the adventurers said. He moved out of the way for Mrs. O and Leon to start walking to the back of the campsite. Mrs. O sat Leon down and offered him a drink. “Water? Food maybe? We’ve been walking for a while, after all.” “No thanks...erm, Mrs. O, can you please tell me what’s going on here?” “What’s going on here, is that you fell right into my hands, young man.” Leon was even more confused. “The...shitty ad poster. Was a trap.” “A ‘trap’ would be too strong a word. I’d say it’s more fitting to say...incentive.” “Incentive, huh?” He paused for a moment and turned to Mrs. O again. “So does that mean I’m still getting paid?” “Yes, of course. I dragged you all this way, after all.” “Well damn, then. You got my attention. But why go through such little effort to lure me in?” “Little!?” Mrs. O laughed. “I’ll have you know it took one of those guards twelve minutes to make that poster!” “Precisely.” “...We’re getting off-topic,” she said with a fake smile. “You’ve been chosen because you have a close connection with that redheaded mage girl. Do you not?” Leon’s brow furrowed as soon as Natalie was brought into the question. “Ah, that reaction tells me everything. Well, if my intel is correct, she plans to take advantage of the politician known as Callum Owen, using his injury-induced delirium to pose as his wife and obtain blackmail material by exposing or creating outlandish scenarios. The use of perception-altering magic is still up in the air, but I’d imagine she’d do something about it if things don’t go so well…” She raised an eyebrow at Leon and grinned. “Am I getting any of that wrong, Mr. boyfriend?” “Wh-” Mrs. O checked her watch. “If this is all true, then she should be taking care of some ‘side jobs’ that Callum needs help on...hehe...” She stifled a giggle before it could grow any louder. “Side jobs…? You know his routine? How do you know this?” “Well, I am his wife, after all. It’s my job to know these things, despite his efforts to hide them.” A brief silence filled the room as Leon tried to collect his thoughts and process this new information. “Oh...oh shit...Natalie!” He jumped out of his seat and tried to run back to Wakewood, but he was immediately blocked by two guards the moment he stood up. “Easy now, Leon. Just because I know all this doesn’t mean I sent over someone to arrest her or anything. No, I targeted you because I need your help.” Leon, still distressed, sat back down with a touch of fear in his eyes. “‘Mrs. O, huh...I guess the O in Owen should have been my first clue...but first things first. How do you know all this stuff about Natalie or what she’s gonna do?” “Well, I was watching the area and they were discussing things pretty loudly back then…” “...Ah yeah, that would do it, fair enough,” Leon groaned, scratching the back of his head in second-hand embarrassment. “But most of that scheme is her idea. What do you need me for?” “Simple. You and I are going to create a scandal.” “...Excuse me?” Mrs. Owen sighed. “See, my husband hasn’t been the greatest of lovers, to be quite honest. He hardly pays attention to me anymore. Mostly just does his job of making terrible suggestions to the emperor and then going home, eating dinner, and heading straight to bed. And I’m not even getting into those weird ‘side-jobs’ of his. Eugh…” She shuddered in disgust after reminding herself of what her husband does. Leon grew curious. “You keep mentioning the side-” “Don’t worry about it.” Mrs. Owen interrupted. “You and I are going to take a few pictures together as though we’re lovers so that I can tell him that his neglect has led me to look for someone else. Someone with more youth in them. Oooh, he’d hate that, he’s not fond of today’s youth, you know. Then we’ll take sneaky shots of your friend, er, what was her name? Natalie?” Leon did not answer. “Right, and we will take a few shots of her and Callum to make it seem like he’s having an affair too! That should give me enough blackmail ammo to divorce him. Whaddya say, kid?” Leon was almost stunned at Mrs. Owen’s plan. “Mrs. Owen...I understand you’re my employer here. But with what little respect I can scrounge up from within my very being, I have to say that this is just utterly vile and overcomplicated. If you really just want a divorce, why don’t you just do that whole process yourself and tell Mr. Politician that you wanna leave? Why bother with the blackmail?” “Simple. I wanna get back at him.” “...Right. Well, I’m bailing out of this. I can’t let you do something so petty for a result you can achieve by talking with each other. You want that divorce, do it yourself.” Mrs. Owens suddenly burst into a hysterical howl. “Ahahaha! Really, now? Look at you, getting a moral high ground on me! What an upstanding hero!” “You can mock me all you want, I’m still not taking part in your pictures.” The wide smile faded from her lips and revealed a stone-faced scowl. “Alright, look, kid, let me level with you here. You get on my ass for trying to pull off a revenge stunt on my shitty moron of a husband, yet the love of your life is out there trying to do the same kind of scheme, if only for a comparatively petty result. Why do you let her do this stuff anyway?” “I never said I did.” “But you didn’t bother stopping her. You’re just as complicit as she is for letting her manipulate people.” “It’s not as bad as you say…” Leon mumbled. His voice grew weaker. “Is it?” Mrs. Owen clicked her tongue. “Alright, sure. If you let her walk all over other people like this, what’s to say she won’t do the same to you one day, huh? You’re so complacent about this just cause you trust that she won’t do certain things, but what if she decides to let that line go?” “Look, you haven’t known her as long as I have, okay?” The accusations were beginning to wear him down. But all he could do was contain his temper and deny the claims. Deep down, he was beginning to understand Mrs. Owen’s point. “She’s...she’s a nice person, it’s just-” “Just what? Up until I brought up my intentions to blackmail my husband, you thought I was, at the very least, a person with decent morals. But surprise! I’m willing to do things you don’t agree with to get my way. And if she’s willing to go this far with her little prank, then I wonder how long it’ll take before she suddenly forgets to draw a line.” She leaned closer towards Leon. “Is a person like that really ‘nice’, Leon? What would you call someone like that? Actually, let me help you with this one. What would you describe me as?” Leon said nothing. All he could do was look down at his feet and absorb everything he was told. “Reflect on that for a while, yeah?” Mrs. Owen leaned back in her chair and began to examine her nails. “So lemme ask again. You helping me with the pics or not?” “...No.” “...So be it then. The guards have your pay, but you’ll walk back to Wakewood yourself. I hope that sounds fine to you.” Leon raised an eyebrow as he stood up to leave. “You’re still paying me the full reward? I already told you-” “-That you’re not taking the pictures, yes, yes, but you went through the trouble of ‘escorting’, right? I suppose it’s only fair you get the promised reward for what you were hired to do on the ad.” She giggled. “See, boy? I’m not a total bitch, am I?” “I’ll agree to disagree.” He took the money from the guards and went on his way back to Wakewood. A grand total of 230 sols, just as promised. “Don’t die on your way back!” Mrs. Owen shouted. “I wouldn’t want to see your corpse lying on the road when I leave! What would your lover think!?” With a few hundred more sols to his name and a mindset now as turbulent as the waves in a storm, Leon marched back to Wakewood alone, wondering about Natalie and what she means to him. Does she truly see the guild as her friends? Or is she willing to become another Mrs. Owen to achieve her own ends? He began to fear the truth, whatever it might be. But for now, he had to focus on regrouping with the rest of the guild without losing his new reward. He can find the answers he so fears when they reunite once again.
Gilford was already cornering himself by unknowingly running around in circles. Security was moments away from catching him, and he couldn’t risk using any spells to get himself out. After all, his mana supply was poor enough as it is, and he already blew most of it on his flashy fortune-telling act and diverting the hooligans. “We have you surrounded,” cried the mercenaries, blades and even guns drawn and ready. “Now give us our money back!” “But I’m poor enough as it is! Why does this keep happening to me of all people!?” “Halt!” A voice echoed from atop a flight of stairs. “This chase has gone long enough.” “That voice,” Gilford muttered. “N-Natalie!?” With the light of the setting sun shining down upon them, Natalie stood proudly with her arms crossed. She was surrounded by a small group of guardsmen, who she sent over to detain the mercenaries with the point of a finger. “I’ll take care of the runner. You there,” she said, pointing at one of her subordinates. “Please get the cars ready by tonight.” “Wh-what’s all this about, Natz?” Gilford stammered. “I mean, thanks for the save, but...what’s with the sudden authority?” “Let’s...just say I took my scheme too far.” “Too far? It’s been a few hours and you’re already commanding your own guards! Is there anything else we should know before we leave!?” “It’s been a long day, Gil,” whispered Natalie. “Let’s just...find the others. Please.” Natalie, still posing as “Emily Kindler”, had what was left of her men escort them to her inn, where she and Gilford reunited with the rest of the guild. Cassandra took one look at her new squadron of guards and instantly deduced what had happened. “So. ‘Nothing drastic’, huh?” Cassandra giggled. “Cass, please,” begged Natalie. “I’ve caused enough trouble for one day. But you’re right...I shouldn’t have caused it anyway.” Cassandra stopped laughing and ironically grew disappointed with her realization. “At least you know now…” “Wait, did you want me to do something bad!? Cause I almost did!” “And you didn’t. Which is good!” Cassandra crossed her arms and formed a slight smile. “Kaiyo didn’t bother telling me anything when I asked anyway. But I think we’ve caused enough trouble here as it is. We bought some take-out using Leon’s earnings, so just eat it on the way.” Natalie groaned. “Yeah. Let’s just...get in the cars.” She looked around the inn. “Actually...where is Leon?” “Oh,” Kaiyo chimed in. “He saw that you prepared some cars for us and went ahead. Shall we do the same, oh mischievous spider?” “Hey, don’t call me that! I know what I did was wrong. Let me just...reflect on it more, please…” “Suit yourself,” Cassandra shrugged. “See you guys in the morning, then. Hopefully we hit somewhere close to Windwell when the sun’s up.” The guildmates headed to their cars, with Natalie sitting in the frontmost one with Leon. He stared out into the blooming night from the comfort of his window, Mrs. Owen’s words echoing through his head all the while. “Hey Leon,” said Natalie, attempting to break his concentration. “So how was your little quest hunt?” “...It was great,” said Leon, his voice wobbling ever so slightly. “I got 230 sols.” He went silent as he looked out the window again. “Natalie...my client was Callum’s wife.” “Wow! What a coincidence! It must have been-” “No, it wasn’t. She knew what you were up to. And after I actually got to speak with her, well...I’ve been thinking.” “You can tell me anything.” “I’ve known you for years now, Nat. I know how...manipulative you can be. Up until now, I felt like I could trust you with controlling your scheming impulses from actually happening, but…” He went silent for a moment. “I’m just starting to feel like after today, you’re only gonna keep getting worse.” “C’mon, Leon,” whispered Natalie. “You know that I-” “That you what?” His voice grew shakier. “That you are fully aware of yourself? From the looks of it, you didn’t even realize any potential consequences until you almost drugged someone!” Natalie pulled her bag behind her in shame. “How did you know…?” “I didn’t. I just figured you would if nothing went your way. Was I wrong?” Natalie looked away and refused to respond. “Are you ever gonna reflect on yourself? Or are you gonna act like this never happened?” “I’m not!” A single tear began to drip down her cheeks as Leon poured out his feelings. “I’m not...I’m fully aware of the fact that I’m like this, okay? I thought I could draw a line on where to stop, but after today, I...I guess I can’t. I don’t know if I’ll be able to change, but-” “Oh yeah? Well I do! I can tell you the answer to that right now!” “I know you can! But I really do want to improve!” “Why,” Leon said with a forced laugh. “Because you wanna be accepted by me? That’s not-” “Because I’m afraid that one day, I’ll actually lose my sense of morals! I’m aware of my actions, Leon.” Natalie placed one hand on her chest and steadied her breathing. “I know I’m impulsive, manipulative, and all sorts of other vices. But I don’t wanna improve because of other people. No...I wanna change because I don’t want to eventually ruin someone’s life over a simple dispute. But I don’t want to ruin us either! I...want to be as close to you as my parents were to each other.” Leon raised an eyebrow. “...You want me to impreg-” “No! Not yet, I mean…” “Not yet!?” “Not yet!” The young couple looked into each other’s eyes as they turned beet red. After a solid five seconds of eye contact, they laughed off their comments and held hands in silence. “Natalie,” said Leon, attempting to transition the conversation. “I want to trust you. I really do. I’m done being naive and unaware. Can you at least promise me that you’ll live up to your own words?” Natalie gave him a warm smile. “Oh, I can’t do that. I said I wasn’t gonna improve just for someone else, right? Let me promise myself that!” She quickly let go of Leon’s hand and pulled out her bag once again. “Hey...this isn’t the greatest time to bring this up, but...I got you something.” Natalie opened her bag and took out a red scroll. “This is kinda why I didn’t have enough sols to buy anything at the plaza. I spent most of my budget on this and the taxes just sorta stopped me from getting my parents one too.” Leon rolled out his new gift. It was a highly expensive dream scroll, commissioned by Natalie to be tailor-made to her specific orders. It was unique in that unlike other dream scrolls, which gave the user a single, one-use dream, this one contained multiple scenarios that could be reused and revisited as many times as the user wanted. But what made the gift truly personal was that all the scenarios were based around Natalie’s own memories. Each one would allow Leon to relive events closely resembling various dates and even adventures that the two had together. “You...commissioned this for me?” “Nope! Not just you!” She pointed to the opening paragraph of the scroll’s instructions. “This thing can work on two people at once! It’s really just another reason why it was so expensive to make...” Natalie let out a bashful giggle and tried to hide her embarrassment by diverting her gaze. Leon couldn’t help but crack a smile. Being able to relive old memories with Natalie would help him sleep soundly for years to come! “I love it! Oh hey...what’s this on the bottom?” At the bottom of the scroll was a note that read “Thank you for a whole year of love and laughs. Let’s make sure our flame shines brighter in the next year too!” Leon burst into a hearty chuckle. “Ahahaha! Oh, Natalie…don’t go thinking this means you’re off the hook, though!” “What!? I don’t! And what’s so funny!?” “So, even you can write cheesy lines like this, huh?” Natalie blushed so intensely that one could see her cheeks glow in the dark. “S-shut up! I meant what I wrote! I really did!” She turned her back towards him and began to pout in a vain attempt to calm herself. “I know, I know!” Leon looked over the scroll once again. “This just means a lot to me, Natz. Thank you...and I hope that just like that flame, we both grow for the better.” He could practically feel himself turning as red as Natalie. With one hand using the scroll to cover his face, Leon extended the other hand towards her. “To the both of us?” Natalie stopped pouting to smile back at Leon. “Yeah. To the both of us.” The bloom of night closed the curtains on the city of Wakewood with a journey renewed, an economy in disarray, a politician soaked in confusion and the renewed vows and promises of a flawed couple. Just another day for the Windwell Guild.
With Natalie and Leon out shopping, the other three members of the Windwell Guild awaited their return at a cafe in front of a nearby fountain. Gilford, a magically-gifted man with long hair, and Cassandra, the lady knight that just so happened to be the princess of a kingdom called Lunaria, sat by one of the cafe’s only outdoor tables and watched the passing shoppers. Kaiyo, the guild’s resident ronin, came out of the building with a single milkshake in hand. “That’s all you got this time, huh?” Gilford said, mildly surprised. “You usually get a few more snacks than that, or at least stuff more things into your shakes.” “Oh, I would have loved to, Gil,” said Kaiyo. “But the prices are just insane there. Like, I’m talking almost theme park levels of overpriced food. This shake alone was almost ten sols, and we’re kinda short on funds as is…” “Ten sols!?” He raised his voice. “That one shake cost ten whole sols!? We could have split that between the three of us and gotten some food in a cheaper place! Hey, share that with us, gimme the milkshake!” “No!” Cassandra, who was mostly content with watching Kaiyo and Gilford bicker as they usually do, decided to step in. “Now, now, Gil. Even if we did, it’s not like we’d get much out of it. Everything here is just absurdly priced…” “Yeah,” he sighed. “I know we’re back in the empire and all, but this doesn’t make any sense, even for our emperor’s usual stupidity. I bet these folks passing us don’t mind though! Just look at the clothes they’re wearing, oooh, they have to be rich. I do kinda think we should switch tables or something though. It feels like that one lady across the fountain has been staring at me for ages now...and I don’t think it’s ‘cause she’s into me.” “Just ignore them,” Kaiyo mumbled as she tried to drink from her underwhelmingly sized milkshake. “Besides, we gotta wait for the lovebirds to get back, so it’s not like we can just leave and go anywhere.” “You rang, Kaiyo?” Chimed a familiar voice. “Oh, speak of the devil,” said Cassandra, completely deadpan. “Hello there, Leon, hey Natz. The look on your faces tells me the dream shopping didn’t go so hot.” Natalie sighed. “Yeah...I’d call my dad to send me one personally, but it would probably take too long to arrive anyway.” She set her satchel down on the table and took a seat. “That’s true,” Cassandra agreed. “But it should be fine! Why bother buying a scroll here? We’re going back to Windwell anyway. Gosh, I can’t believe it’s almost been a full year since we started traveling together…” “It’s not fine, though!” Natalie pouted. “I wanted to buy my folks a custom-made dream scroll as a present! Or at least something that helps them focus on going to sleep quickly...agh, my first gift was too expensive! It’s all cause of that dumb...uh, politician guy!” She quickly stopped pouting to turn to her boyfriend. “Leon, what was his name again?” “Callum Owen.” “Right, screw that guy!” She said as she went back to pouting. “Screw that guy and his close ties to the emperor! I’ll curse him with bad luck for the next week for trying to screw over this side of the continent!” “S’that so, Natz?” Gilford laughed. “Well, safe to say someone beat you to your weak threat anyway.” He took out his phone and handed it to Natalie. On the screen, a news report detailing a recent traffic accident was displayed. At least six people were wounded, one of which included Callum Owen himself. “Oh, God...I was just venting…” “Relax, I’m just teasing you. And nobody died, thankfully.” Gilford took back his phone and proceeded to skim the rest of the article. “That Owen guy didn’t get any serious injuries, but it looks like he hit his head kinda hard. Report's saying that his advisors are scared that he might have lost some memories of his, even with the healing magic applied to him.” “Wow, that’s awful…I mean, I don’t like the guy one bit but-” Natalie’s eyes suddenly lit up. “-Ah, Gil, where did this take place again?” Cassandra glared at her sudden change in mood. “Natalie...what are you planning this time?” “Oh, this was in Wakewood,” said Gilford. “He’s staying at the hotel near our inn with his wife, but apparently she travels around the city a lot, so-” “Jackpot!” Natalie suddenly cried out. Her yelling was so abrupt that it startled Kaiyo into coughing up some of her milkshake. “This guy didn’t just screw over my plans, but everyone else’s plans, too! I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind!” “Natz,” Cassandra chided. “He just said he wasn’t dead, he’s probably still suffering from some confusion and concussions.” “Even more convenient! This guy’s policy is killing our already low funds! I’m just gonna pull a few strings to help us out, you know?” “That’s not gonna-” Leon, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, decided to speak up and offer his opinion. “Actually, is money even an issue here? I mean, I get that we have low funds right now, but Cassandra is a princess! She can just give us a hand when we’re in a pinch like she always does-” “After what happened back in Carus? Heavens, no!” Cassandra scolded. “Do you guys even know how much time Morgan spent fixing what Gilford did at Carus?" “Two weeks?” “Yes! That went too far for our liking, right? I’m not gonna risk having to finance the means to fix what you guys start. And this little manipulation game sounds like it can get nasty quick, so you’re on your own here. You wanna get some spending cash? Earn it yourself while we’re still here.” The rest of the guild nodded after remembering what happened back in Carus. Yet, despite this, Natalie’s desire for a petty revenge scheme persisted in her mind. “Okay, you’ve got a point, Cassie, but see, unlike Gil, I’m not gonna do anything too drastic. I’m not trying to ruin his career here, that’s too far! But I do wanna get back at him somehow, even if it’s just to take an embarrassing photo and leaving after that.” “This is gonna end in a disaster…” Cassandra groaned. “Kaiyo!” Our determined, redheaded healer called out with fire in her eyes. “Come on! I’m gonna need your help to make this work!” “Oh, hell yeah!” Kaiyo quickly gulped down whatever was left in her milkshake cup and threw it into a nearby trash can. “I don’t have anything better to do anyway!” Leon, Gilford, and Cassandra were left behind at the cafe table, with Leon noticing that Natalie managed to forget her bag in the ensuing excitement. “I’m gonna go give this back to her and look for a quick job to do,” said Leon. “That’ll earn us some money. You should do something too, Gil. See you around.” With his girlfriend’s satchel in tow, he ran after Kaiyo and Natalie, leaving Cassandra and Gilford alone. “...So, uh…you gonna do anything to stop those two?” Gilford asked. “Heh, no.” Cassandra snickered. “If she digs that grave, she’ll reap what she sows. Gotta teach you guys that I can’t keep bailing you out like what happened in Carus. Besides, I need some ‘me’ time.” “Bit of a ‘sink-or-swim’ lesson, don’t you think?” “Facing consequences can be the best way to learn, Gil. That’s how they handled things back in my knight academy. But what are you gonna do?” “I...guess I should start figuring out how to earn some money.” A smug grin grew on his face. “And I got a few ideas already…”
Natalie's Plan
“Alright, Natz, lay it on me. What are you gonna do about this political mess of a man?” Kaiyo stormed down to the hotel Callum Owen was currently resting in with Natalie, still upset over the nonsensical tax law. “Agh! I just don’t get it!” Natalie grumbled. “Why would he tell the emperor to raise taxes this high specifically on the western coast areas! Do the people running our empire just get stupider and stupider!? It’s no wonder our leaders are the butt of so many jokes in other countries!” “Natz, focus! We got the guy responsible for that right beyond one of these doors! All we need is a way to know which room is his, and what to do when we actually, well, get in!” Natalie took a deep breath and exhaled all the tension she had built up inside herself. “...Okay! You’re right, Kaiyo. We need a plan...but first-” “Natalieeeee!” A voice cried out from across the hotel lobby. “Wait, who was that?” She turned around to find Leon, almost out of breath, running at a brisk pace towards the duo. He was carrying a familiar looking bag with him. “Leon? Oh! My bag! Thank you sooooo much~! I can’t believe I forgot the most important part of this scheme! I guess I was just blinded by my anger, you know?” “You… *huff*...can be so absent-minded at times, you know that!?” He took a moment to catch his breath. “How fast can you two walk!? Are you seriously so mad that your walking speed actually overtook my running?” “You could say that, yes," Kaiyo snarked. "Either that or the Star of Windwell is losing his edge.” “Well then damn, I guess your convictions are too strong to stop, as per usual.” Leon sighed and gave the duo a withered glare. “So, what are you two gonna do? Break into his house and threaten him?” “Oh, God, no,” said Natalie. “We’re not animals! We’re gonna walk right through the front door.” Her answer was met with silence and raised eyebrows. “What, the guy has a concussion and was just injured, right? So his room is probably monitored by a few bodyguards outside the door, and that’s how we’ll know it’s his room! But how are we gonna get past them, especially without a key…” “Okay,” said Kaiyo. “I looked up some news articles while you were ranting on our way here. Apparently, Callum’s marriage has been pretty rocky lately. There’s a bunch of small articles here that talk about his wife making a scene whenever asked about politics or her husband’s decisions.” “Oh! I have a few ideas that can work with that info…” Natalie rummaged through her bag to look for something that could help her. “Man, is it just me, or do all these famous people end up with marriage troubles sooner or later?” Kaiyo thought out loud. “Like, one week they’ll announce their marriage, the next week they’ll be all the radio talks about after they had a single spat. They should start praying to Deirdre more for some mercy and love, cause geez...they really make it seem like marriage sucks.” “Nah, marriage can be great,” Natalie insisted. “My parents are super close. I’ve talked about how...passionate they can get, right? Let's...leave it at that.” “She’s telling the truth, dude,” said Leon, after keeping quiet for some time now. “It's as embarrassing as she says. They flirt all the time and her dad would write her mom sappy poems now and then. At some point, he ran out of things to write about and just started talking about her boobs in some of them.” “And then what?” A curious Kaiyo asked. “I was born nine months later.” Natalie bluntly stated in the most matter-of-fact way possible. Leon cracked a smile while Kaiyo was mostly dumbfounded at the order of events. “Heh...it’s always a funny story to hear, Natz, but I gotta get going. I know you won’t do anything too bad, so please don’t prove me wrong…” Leon paused for a moment. “You are just gonna talk with him, right?” “Course we are, Leon. I’m not gonna hurt his career or anything...I just wanna pull a little prank on him, you know? Rant a little about why his little suggestion to the emperor sucks so much, show off public opinion, that sort of thing.” “But that can still get you into-” “Relax,” said Natalie, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You know me better than anyone! I’m not gonna pull a Gilford and get the city set on fire! Just a sneaky trick and a few arguments. That’s all.” Leon had doubt in his eyes and saw something else in hers, but he wanted to trust her. They’ve known each other almost all their lives, and not once has she tried to lie about anything serious. At least, not about any incident he knew of. Surely, that wouldn’t start now. Not when they’ve been through so much worse. Regardless of what he doubted or thought, however, he simply sighed and gave a half-hearted smile. “Just...don’t get yourselves into trouble, please. I don’t know what we’d do. Later.” Leon waved goodbye as he left the hotel, but not before quickly buying a bottle of water on the way out. “Bye, Leon!” Natalie waved back until he was out of sight. “Now anyway...here’s the plan, Kaiyo. You and I are gonna walk right into his room without a hitch, and-” Kaiyo only stood still with a disappointed expression that could pierce through stone. “Don’t look at me like that! Lemme finish. Check this out.” She pulled out two potion bottles containing purple and green liquids that separated themselves as though they were oil and water. One, however, was mixed in with a substance that resembled a glowing clump of white dust floating on the surface. “They still need to be shaken a few more times, but the ingredients and hexes have already been put into place.” “Are those the…” “Yep. Made from the very same expensive potions that one king gave us back in Carus. I used them for these babies, diluted them a bit and added a few extra stuff to make this little prank happen. See, the guy’s pretty delirious right now cause of the whole head injury still healing, but that’s what I specialize in! Once I give him a few of these things, his perception of me will be hazy enough that he won’t be able to tell that I’m not his wife! Then I can use this other one with the powdered moonlight to cure him when I gotta break the facade.” “And the guards? How are you gonna deal with them?” Kaiyo asked once again. “Oh, easy. I’ll just spray a bit of the potion onto them and play it off like I wanted them to smell some perfume for me. It only affects how people see and hear me, and they’re not equipped for seeing through illusions anyway. You said this guy has a rocky relationship with his wife, right? Well, then that gives me some room to act out for a room key. You just gotta play along with what I say, and things will blend in juuuuust fine.” “Right. One last thing.” “What is it?” “Should we really be discussing things like tricking guards with perception magic around the hotel?” “Relax, the only person near us is that lady in red clothes over there”--Natalie gestured to a nearby bench without actually pointing at it--“and I’m pretty sure she too far to hear us anyway. Now come on, this web of lies isn’t gonna spin itself. Showtime!”Callum Owen awoke from his nap with a throbbing concussion and a strangely bitter taste in his mouth. His window was wide open and had nothing to filter the harsh rays of sunlight beaming onto his face. But despite the actual head injury he received the other day being mostly healed, he was still in a bit of a daze. Some objects that would have been clear as day for him were now a slight blur, even if they were only a few feet away. He could walk but held an unsteady gait. Overall, Callum was rather disoriented from the accident, and everything seemed just a bit stranger than usual. But nothing about his room could even compare to what he found the moment he turned his head to the left. Captured within Callum’s aging retinas was Kaiyo, sitting on a chair next to the bed as she slowly ate a chocolate popsicle. An enigmatic discovery that’s considered a cryptid even among actual supernatural oddities. Her intentionally slow licking of the frozen treat only served to heighten both the awkwardness of the room and his discomfort. She made direct eye contact with Callum, who, despite the altered level of consciousness, was able to see her clearly. What he could not see, however, is that she was clearly having fun messing with him. Kaiyo took another five seconds of uninterrupted silence before finally deciding to speak. “You’re finally awake, Mr. Owen.” “Wh...who are you?” Callum asked with a tremulous voice. “Your wife has been waiting for you,” she said, deflecting the question. “Please, get ready and follow me.” “I...she’s here?” Callum stood up from his bed and made a break for what the hotel considered to be the room’s living space. Or at least, he tried, considering how slow his gait was. Kaiyo ended up having to assist him when it took too long for Callum just to get out of bed and exit his room by himself. “Catherine!” Callum called out with a wobbly voice. “Where are you!? And what the hell is this ponytail-wearing woman doing in my room!?” “Callum, honey?” A voice answered back. Footsteps approached at a brisk pace until a redheaded woman stood by the entrance to the room’s sorry excuse of a kitchen. “What’s wrong, are you-oh! You’re out of bed on your own this time! That’s great to see! I was worried the accident did a number on more than just your head, but it looks like those healers did their job well, didn’t they?” Callum was still rather disoriented from the injury, so he was only able to accurately determine what objects were when they were close to him. But for some reason, no matter how close this woman came to him, she was always a blur. It did not matter if they were from across the room or face-to-face. He could never accurately determine who it was. But her voice sounded exactly like his wife, and the hue of her hair seemed to be a similar shade of red. Or did his wife have brown hair? Maybe it was actually blonde? Callum began to grow fearful of his scattered mind. “...Catherine,” asked Callum. “Is that you?” “Of course it’s me, honey.” Natalie laughed. “What’s this now, you don’t recognize your own wife? How cold of you...” “I hate to say it...but I don’t. Everything’s just kind of a blur right now…” “My, it seems the accident did a bigger number on you than I thought.” A smile briefly grew upon her face before fading away just as quickly. “Maybe you just need some rest. Oh, and about the other woman. I’m sure you remember her, at the very least. She’s been working with us as a guard for the past few months now…” Callum tried to say something, but his voice was strangled as he tried to piece things together from his hazy memory. “That puzzled look says it all.” Natalie faked a sigh. “You really don’t remember her, do you? Well, I suppose a second introduction would make it seem less rude. This is our personal lead bodyguard, Ritsuka.” “Pweesed to meehu, Mr. Ohwehn,” mumbled Kaiyo, still nibbling on the chocolate popsicle in her mouth. “Ah look forw-” “Ritsuka, please, do mind your manners. This is my husband we’re talking to.” Kaiyo quickly wolfed down what little was left of the popsicle and cleared her throat. “Ahem! My apologies, miss. I am Ritsuka, dedicated to protecting you and your wife from any harm.” “You can ask her for anything and she will do her best to get it done!” Natalie chuckled for a brief moment. “Just do make sure you remember her name this time around!” Before Callum could ask about anything else, the conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a baby’s cry. “What was that?” Callum frantically shook his head to find out where the crying was coming from. “Oh no!” cried Natalie calmly. “That’s the baby!” “The baby!? We have a kid!?” “Oh dear,” said Natalie with a touch of disdain. “I know you were just hurt, but that’s no excuse to be so cold towards your own family…”
Leon's Plan
After returning Natalie’s bag, Leon stopped by a local guild’s headquarters to check on its quest board. Most of the available quests were either too time-consuming to complete or far too dangerous to do alone, but one particular request caught his eye. A poster titled “ESCORT ASSISTANCE WANTED”. The ad was printed on cheap paper and written as though the writer was in a hurry to post it. There was no fancy, creatively designed text or any eye-catching visuals on it save for a single group picture of four other guardsmen, who Leon presumed to be the other people he would be working with. There wasn’t even a picture of the client themselves, let alone their name! The only trace of anything related to who posted the ad was, of course, the contact information listed at the bottom and a signature reading “Mrs. O.” “Well, dubious ad quality aside, this seems easy enough to do in one day. The pay isn’t bad for a one time job, either!” Leon thought to himself. “A whole 230 sols for a one day job!” “Oh, hey there Leon. Find anything yet?” “Gilford!” Leon said, almost surprised to see him here. “Yeah, I think I got one already. It’s a quick job, it pays handsomely, and I don’t even have to go very far from the city!” “Does it now? Well, let’s hear it, what can possibly pay so high in a single day?” “I’m gonna be an escort-” “E-escort!? You’d really stoop so low, even when you have Natalie!?” “Wha-no!” Leon jabbed Gilford in the arm. “Not that kind of escort! I gotta help some woman called ‘Mrs. O’ get to an abandoned campsite in a nearby forest. Apparently, the place has been overrun with a swarm of slimes and I gotta chase them out so they can retrieve their lost stuff from it.” “Oh! That’s...that’s much better!” Gilford wiped off his brow, relieved over the fact that he wouldn’t have to watch Natalie roast someone with fire magic. “I guess I’ll leave you to it then. I have to do my part too, you know? Call me if things get dicey!” He waved goodbye to Leon and made his way back to Pinnacle Plaza. “Sure thing!” Leon looked back down at the ad in his hands once Gilford was out of sight. “Now to call this ‘Mrs. O’...”Leon made his way to the meeting site fifteen minutes after receiving the ad. It was next to the city limits, where he found four guardsmen surrounding a large wagon with a single woman with brown hair standing on top of it. From her crimson-colored clothing to her widely-brimmed hat, just about everything related to this woman’s clothes and odd taste in fashion was gaudy as could be. The only thing she was missing was an unreal amount of bangles, bracelets, rings and other superficial accessories covering her arms. Either way, they seemed like the pretentious sort of people that Leon would rather steer clear from, and her aristocratic aura may as well hold a neon sign reading “Oh, sweet God up in heaven, am I richer than you!” But of course, he still wanted the money, so something had to be done. “Ah...hello there!” Leon called out. “I take it you are, erm...Mrs. O?” The lady in red looked down from her wagon, which looked rather cheap for someone able to afford such garish clothing. “Yes, that’s me. I take it you’re the guy that called me earlier?” “Yeah...so uh, lemme clarify this, just so I know I got the details right.” “Alright.” “You posted this shoddy ad, which only had the bare minimum of details, on a public quest board just to get one extra guy to help you go to a forest campsite that, if I remember correctly, is twenty minutes away from here? Despite having four other competent guards to guide you? I’ll just let you know right now, all I got is a sharp metal stick and a shield to add to this party’s might, cause-” Mrs. O, if that even was her real name, smirked and let out a quick scoff. “Look, kid, you want the money or not?” “...Yep, let’s get started.” Still thinking something was off, Leon decided to take on the job anyway and escorted Mrs. O to the campsite. After all, it wasn’t very far from Wakewood anyway, so even if the job turned out to be a bust, he thought he could find his way back to the others quickly enough. The trip itself, however, was mostly uneventful. Leon and his client mostly made small talk as they made their way to the forest. On a few occasions, they ran into the odd squirrel or lone slime, but they were all just passing through and their brief presence only gave them a few more seconds to talk about what they just saw. Finally, after twenty minutes of walking, talking, and throwing in a couple of awkward silences to liven up the pace, the crew finally arrived at the campsite. Leon walked ahead of the other guards and motioned for everyone to stay put. “Now, I don’t know how many slimes are gonna be out there, but I’m gonna scout ahead and call you guys when it’s time to strike.” None of the guards nor Mrs. O answered, but they remained still regardless. “Alright…” Leon muttered to himself, drawing his sword and shield. “Here I go! Raaaagh!” Leon charged into the campsite, his blade ready to strike at any hostile slimes or any other monster that managed to drop by. Fear was completely absent from his mind. He’s spent almost a full year traveling the world and fighting things that would cause even a wyvern to quake in fear. A few pesky slimes were equivalent to pebbles on the road for him! What could possibly deter him enough to drop his guard? A fully-populated campsite filled with cheerful adventurers and a complete lack of monsters, that’s what. “-Aaaagh!...What...What is this?” “Hey there, young man!” hailed one of the travelers. “Welcome to the campgrounds, there’s plenty of food for you!” “But...why are all of you-” “Hey there, lads!” A voice cried out from behind. It was Mrs. O, who had just gotten off her shoddy wagon to meet up with Leon. He couldn’t help but notice that the four guards, who stayed behind, began to laugh at his deflated bravado. “This guy’s with me, we’ll just be talking in the back if you’ll excuse us.” “Go right on ahead!” One of the adventurers said. He moved out of the way for Mrs. O and Leon to start walking to the back of the campsite. Mrs. O sat Leon down and offered him a drink. “Water? Food maybe? We’ve been walking for a while, after all.” “No thanks...erm, Mrs. O, can you please tell me what’s going on here?” “What’s going on here, is that you fell right into my hands, young man.” Leon was even more confused. “The...shitty ad poster. Was a trap.” “A ‘trap’ would be too strong a word. I’d say it’s more fitting to say...incentive.” “Incentive, huh?” He paused for a moment and turned to Mrs. O again. “So does that mean I’m still getting paid?” “Yes, of course. I dragged you all this way, after all.” “Well damn, then. You got my attention. But why go through such little effort to lure me in?” “Little!?” Mrs. O laughed. “I’ll have you know it took one of those guards twelve minutes to make that poster!” “Precisely.” “...We’re getting off-topic,” she said with a fake smile. “You’ve been chosen because you have a close connection with that redheaded mage girl. Do you not?” Leon’s brow furrowed as soon as Natalie was brought into the question. “Ah, that reaction tells me everything. Well, if my intel is correct, she plans to take advantage of the politician known as Callum Owen, using his injury-induced delirium to pose as his wife and obtain blackmail material by exposing or creating outlandish scenarios. The use of perception-altering magic is still up in the air, but I’d imagine she’d do something about it if things don’t go so well…” She raised an eyebrow at Leon and grinned. “Am I getting any of that wrong, Mr. boyfriend?” “Wh-” Mrs. O checked her watch. “If this is all true, then she should be taking care of some ‘side jobs’ that Callum needs help on...hehe...” She stifled a giggle before it could grow any louder. “Side jobs…? You know his routine? How do you know this?” “Well, I am his wife, after all. It’s my job to know these things, despite his efforts to hide them.” A brief silence filled the room as Leon tried to collect his thoughts and process this new information. “Oh...oh shit...Natalie!” He jumped out of his seat and tried to run back to Wakewood, but he was immediately blocked by two guards the moment he stood up. “Easy now, Leon. Just because I know all this doesn’t mean I sent over someone to arrest her or anything. No, I targeted you because I need your help.” Leon, still distressed, sat back down with a touch of fear in his eyes. “‘Mrs. O, huh...I guess the O in Owen should have been my first clue...but first things first. How do you know all this stuff about Natalie or what she’s gonna do?” “Well, I was watching the area and they were discussing things pretty loudly back then…” “...Ah yeah, that would do it, fair enough,” Leon groaned, scratching the back of his head in second-hand embarrassment. “But most of that scheme is her idea. What do you need me for?” “Simple. You and I are going to create a scandal.” “...Excuse me?” Mrs. Owen sighed. “See, my husband hasn’t been the greatest of lovers, to be quite honest. He hardly pays attention to me anymore. Mostly just does his job of making terrible suggestions to the emperor and then going home, eating dinner, and heading straight to bed. And I’m not even getting into those weird ‘side-jobs’ of his. Eugh…” She shuddered in disgust after reminding herself of what her husband does. Leon grew curious. “You keep mentioning the side-” “Don’t worry about it.” Mrs. Owen interrupted. “You and I are going to take a few pictures together as though we’re lovers so that I can tell him that his neglect has led me to look for someone else. Someone with more youth in them. Oooh, he’d hate that, he’s not fond of today’s youth, you know. Then we’ll take sneaky shots of your friend, er, what was her name? Natalie?” Leon did not answer. “Right, and we will take a few shots of her and Callum to make it seem like he’s having an affair too! That should give me enough blackmail ammo to divorce him. Whaddya say, kid?” Leon was almost stunned at Mrs. Owen’s plan. “Mrs. Owen...I understand you’re my employer here. But with what little respect I can scrounge up from within my very being, I have to say that this is just utterly vile and overcomplicated. If you really just want a divorce, why don’t you just do that whole process yourself and tell Mr. Politician that you wanna leave? Why bother with the blackmail?” “Simple. I wanna get back at him.” “...Right. Well, I’m bailing out of this. I can’t let you do something so petty for a result you can achieve by talking with each other. You want that divorce, do it yourself.” Mrs. Owens suddenly burst into a hysterical howl. “Ahahaha! Really, now? Look at you, getting a moral high ground on me! What an upstanding hero!” “You can mock me all you want, I’m still not taking part in your pictures.” The wide smile faded from her lips and revealed a stone-faced scowl. “Alright, look, kid, let me level with you here. You get on my ass for trying to pull off a revenge stunt on my shitty moron of a husband, yet the love of your life is out there trying to do the same kind of scheme, if only for a comparatively petty result. Why do you let her do this stuff anyway?” “I never said I did.” “But you didn’t bother stopping her. You’re just as complicit as she is for letting her manipulate people.” “It’s not as bad as you say…” Leon mumbled. His voice grew weaker. “Is it?” Mrs. Owen clicked her tongue. “Alright, sure. If you let her walk all over other people like this, what’s to say she won’t do the same to you one day, huh? You’re so complacent about this just cause you trust that she won’t do certain things, but what if she decides to let that line go?” “Look, you haven’t known her as long as I have, okay?” The accusations were beginning to wear him down. But all he could do was contain his temper and deny the claims. Deep down, he was beginning to understand Mrs. Owen’s point. “She’s...she’s a nice person, it’s just-” “Just what? Up until I brought up my intentions to blackmail my husband, you thought I was, at the very least, a person with decent morals. But surprise! I’m willing to do things you don’t agree with to get my way. And if she’s willing to go this far with her little prank, then I wonder how long it’ll take before she suddenly forgets to draw a line.” She leaned closer towards Leon. “Is a person like that really ‘nice’, Leon? What would you call someone like that? Actually, let me help you with this one. What would you describe me as?” Leon said nothing. All he could do was look down at his feet and absorb everything he was told. “Reflect on that for a while, yeah?” Mrs. Owen leaned back in her chair and began to examine her nails. “So lemme ask again. You helping me with the pics or not?” “...No.” “...So be it then. The guards have your pay, but you’ll walk back to Wakewood yourself. I hope that sounds fine to you.” Leon raised an eyebrow as he stood up to leave. “You’re still paying me the full reward? I already told you-” “-That you’re not taking the pictures, yes, yes, but you went through the trouble of ‘escorting’, right? I suppose it’s only fair you get the promised reward for what you were hired to do on the ad.” She giggled. “See, boy? I’m not a total bitch, am I?” “I’ll agree to disagree.” He took the money from the guards and went on his way back to Wakewood. A grand total of 230 sols, just as promised. “Don’t die on your way back!” Mrs. Owen shouted. “I wouldn’t want to see your corpse lying on the road when I leave! What would your lover think!?” With a few hundred more sols to his name and a mindset now as turbulent as the waves in a storm, Leon marched back to Wakewood alone, wondering about Natalie and what she means to him. Does she truly see the guild as her friends? Or is she willing to become another Mrs. Owen to achieve her own ends? He began to fear the truth, whatever it might be. But for now, he had to focus on regrouping with the rest of the guild without losing his new reward. He can find the answers he so fears when they reunite once again.
Gilford's Plan
Gilford had quickly set up a plan for himself to get a ton of Sols as fast as possible. Given that he was already skilled as a traveling con artist--er, fortune teller before joining the Windwell Guild, he had more than enough tools at his disposal to draw in a crowd. He set up a tent near the center of Pinnacle Plaza with a sign that advertised “cheap” fortune predictions and other forms of foresight. Of course, all of these readings were completely made up. Actual fortune tellers were rare and much more valuable for their abilities. So to wave off the fact that all he had was a purple tent next to a fountain, a table, and some old robes, he treated his service like a special sale done in response to the absurd taxes that just took effect. Any guards trying to stop him were quickly shooed out with the help of a fake license. “Welcome, my friends,” Gilford greeted as a young couple stepped into the large tent. “I’m ever so glad that you have decided to come here and visit this poor young man. Times have been rather rough ever since the new policies hit. You two would be my second group of guests today! What would you like me to look into?” The couple glanced at each other before answering Gilford. He could see them both turning red and smiling as they turned to face him. “Ah! I’m very sorry to hear that, Mr. Diviner,” said the young man. “I hope that our visit will help you out! It must be hard on-” “Oh yes, very. Very difficult times indeed-acugh!” Gilford suddenly tried to fake a cough. “But I’m getting by. Please, I request that you pay me first before I begin. It’s twenty-one sols for a fortune reading.” “Of course, sir.” The couple split Gilford’s overpriced bill and slid the money over to his side of the table. “That cough sounded kind of strange,” said the man’s presumed girlfriend. “Are you going to be alright?” “I-er, yes!” He pulled out a deck of custom-made tarot cards. “Let’s get started, shall we?” Gilford shuffled and flipped over every last card in the deck, some of which were even duplicates of another arcana. He then tossed six cards onto the table face-down and began to shuffle their positions at random. To keep the couple distracted from the fact that he was taking too long just to do this, he used his magic to create celestial-looking sparkles around the tent and artificially darkened the inside to make them look like stars. The two fools were completely mesmerized. “Well then, let’s lift your cards and see the result…” With a flick of his finger, all six cards suddenly flipped up to reveal one tower, three death cards, and two chariots. He had no idea what any of that meant, though. “Oh dear. One tower and three death cards? Well, you two, I don’t know how to put this into simple terms but...you’re fucked. You’re just straight fucked. You especially, girlie.” The couple tried to question Gilford, but they were quickly interrupted. “But how-” “No time to explain! You must act now! Here, take this booklet that details how to avoid your impending doom. Now fly! Fly before it’s too late!” He pushed them out of the tent with a professional-looking pamphlet before sitting back down to await his next customers. “Okay, that’s another party down,” Gilford thought. “Now to wait for the next batch…” But not even a minute passed before he was greeted by two muscular ruffians. They both appeared to be part of a mercenary gang, with the leader wearing leather armor and his lackey sporting a terribly-cut mohawk. Gilford gulped down whatever saliva was in his mouth. “Why hello there, gentlemen...what brings you to this young diviner’s abode?” “Hey, uh...you can tell the future, right?” The boss spoke with a guttural growl in his voice. “My partner and I are gonna set off on a dangerous job tomorrow, and I wanna know if anything bad will happen.” “Yeah,” said the lackey. “We gotta come prepared!” “Ah, a future reading…! I have just the method…” Gilford reached into his bag for a crystal ball, which was actually a glass orb that filled with water at the push of a button. Once it finished filling, he would use his magic to change the water’s appearance to that of a fake starry sky, after which he would press another button to automatically generate a random ‘future’. “These tools will assist me in the reading. If you would be so kind as to pay me first-” “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” said the lackey, handing Gilford a sack of sols consisting entirely of coins. “Just make it quick, the boss has a meeting in an hour.” “O-of course.” Gilford pressed the first button and used his magic to create a sense of tension. A light breeze circled the inside of the tent and the room began to go dark. Celestial lights suddenly appeared and began to circle the orb, which now gave off the appearance of a black, flowing river of stars. The breeze grew even stronger, but thankfully the tent refused to budge. Finally, Gilford pressed the final button, generating two ever so fateful words that would decide the destiny of the two mercenaries! "YOUR COOL” “...Boss,” whispered the lackey. “The hell is this?” The boss squinted at the orb to read his future reading. “It says…’your cool’...’your cool!?’” “Boss, is that even the right ‘your’ to use here?” “Like hell it is! It’s supposed to be you’re! You!” The boss screamed, pointing at Gilford. “Explain yourself! What kind of future reading is this!? “Ah, shit,” thought Gilford. “I mixed up the premade stuff meant for children in this thing! I knew I should have checked what I loaded beforehand!” He quickly turned off the glass orb and tried to pacify the angry mercs. “I-I can explain. See, the orb calling you ‘cool’ implies that-” “No! This thing cost us thirty sols! Gimme our money back!” “Now see, that I just cannot do.” “You know, kid, I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with here.” “I’m twenty-” “If you’re gonna con me like this...then we’ll just have to beat the money out of ya!” “Ah,” Gilford mumbled before subsequently bolting out of the tent. “Bye, no refunds!” With the guards too risky to ask for help, he could only think of finding his friends to get him out of yet another predicament. As he ran, he checked his profits. A grand total of seventy-two sols.Kaiyo's Problem
Natalie and Kaiyo eventually left Callum with a nurse and his bodyguards. They had noticed a few missed texts on his phone that requested his aid at another floor of the hotel. Still posing as his wife, Natalie took it upon herself to head over there. “So I’ve been thinking, Natz,” said Kaiyo. “Do we really need to head over to the sixth floor? Callum sounded pretty insistent that he wanted to check it out himself…” “It’s fine, Kaiyo,” assured Natalie. “He said yes eventually, and he seems pretty busy with that melon-headed baby doll I made.” “He only said that because of all the pain medicine his nurses gave him…” “That may be true, but this is an opportunity to get some leverage over him! Maybe this is some money laundering network he leads, and we can expose it!” “Wait,” Kaiyo suddenly asked. “Now this is about power? You said you didn’t want to ruin his career!” “I’m not! But if I can use it to freak him out, it’s a win for me.” Kaiyo grew doubtful of Natalie’s attitude but just decided to snark at it. “Whatever. So your web of lies just keeps getting bigger, doesn’t it?” “What was that?” “...Nothing. Where’s the room we need to be in?” “Right here!” Natalie stood in front of room 623, a room that was supposedly slightly larger than the one Callum was in. “You can keep ‘Ritsuka’ as your name, but I’m changing mine for this one.” “And another thread in the web is spun.” Natalie knocked on the door. She was greeted by a woman with long hair wearing a blue apron and long-sleeved shirt. After quickly scanning the duo, she looked at a list posted beside the door frame. “Who might you two be?" “Hello there!” Natalie greeted the woman. “I’m here on behalf of Mrs. Owen. The name’s Emily Kindler! What can I do to start?” “Mrs. Owen sent you? Well, I haven’t heard of her hiring any new representatives, but I guess she’s grown rather weary after taking care of the babies here for the first few times. Please, come in!” “Babies?” Kaiyo smirked. “Huh. Maybe he doesn’t actually have any crimes attached to him…” The woman led the two troublemakers into the room. “Now put on your aprons! You two will be taking care of these lovely little creatures!” “Alright!” Natalie pumped herself up. “I’m ready to go-ooooooooh. Sweet. Merciful. Deirdre.” Upon entering the room, Kaiyo and Natalie found at least eight different men no younger than fifty-nine years of age. Each and every one of them wore adult diapers, played with rattles, and either went topless or wore undersized shirts. At least half of them were large enough to be considered morbidly obese, and the workers pampered them as if they were in a daycare center. “So, do you think you can handle the little cuties?” The woman asked. “Oh!” Kaiyo said flatly. “I see! Well, I’m out of here!” Natalie was so shocked by the sight of fat, diaper-wearing old men that she didn’t immediately notice Kaiyo calmly walking out of the room. “H-hey! Kaiyo!” She quickly excused herself before running after her. “Where do you think you’re going!?” “Oh. Callum Owen hosts a daycare roleplay club for old dudes. So, like, I can go now, right?” “No, we’re not done! I gotta earn their trust and get their connections! Now come on, I’m putting on that apron, we gotta work.” “...Natalie,” said a disturbed Kaiyo. “Are you...actually gonna pamper those old dudes?” “If it means getting some leverage over Callum, then I will do what I must.” She was completely serious. “Well, fine. Do what you want, I’m going back to the inn.” “Kaiyo, get back here,” insisted Natalie. “Didn’t you wanna tell Callum your grievances with this stupid tax policy?” “Not until I found out about this...this...baby play!” Kaiyo was beginning to fume in annoyance and confusion. “I could have lived my whole life without seeing someone old enough to be my grandpa sucking on a baby bottle! But nah, I’m barely hitting twenty and there they are! And more than one, too!” She quickly rolled up one sleeve of her gi. “I swear on the goddess Luca, if these pacifier-wearing weirdos try to so much as touch me, I’ll pacify them with my own fists!” “Will you pipe down,” commanded Natalie as she tugged Kaiyo’s sleeve back down. “It has to be done! I gotta get something against this guy if I wanna-” “Yeah, you want to hold some power over Callum. I just wanted to talk to him, give him a funny scare, and file a complaint! But here we are, and it doesn’t sound like you’re trying to pull a prank anymore. It sounds like you can actually ruin this man’s career over this, and I’m just gonna say it right now, I won’t be a part of it anymore.” Natalie began to scowl. “Oh, is that so? But do you really think he would listen to two random adventurers just cause they said they hated the change?” “Like hell I do!” Kaiyo took a deep breath to sort herself out before speaking any further. “Natalie, listen. We’ve known each other for almost a year now. I know what you’re capable of. How you can spin a web of lies just to get what you want. But see, you used to do those over smaller things. Now we’re building it up! I’m starting to fear that your morals are getting lax here.” “But they’re not!” She raised her voice ever so slightly. “I just wanna embarrass him a little before curing him with the potion…” “You sure that’s still your goal? Now, what did you say just a moment ago? Hmm...I believe you said you wanted to ‘get some leverage over Callum.’ Am I wrong?” Natalie became silent and could do nothing but look down. Kaiyo folded her arms and sighed once again. “See, that’s what I thought.” She turned around and began to walk away. “I already know I can’t stop you, but...remember what I said. How far are you willing to go for this?” Kaiyo was already out of sight by the time Natalie raised her chin. “Fine then,” she thought to herself. “What does she know? I know what I’m doing...I know when to draw a line…” She adjusted her white coat and turned to face the fake daycare once again. “Alright, Natz...let’s see where your convictions can take you.” Kaiyo’s out of the scheme. Leon’s beginning to lose trust in Natalie. Natalie is in Old Baby Hell. Gilford’s on the run...Cassandra's Plan
...And Cassandra is yawning! Cassandra, finally free from any responsibilities, was returning to the inn she and her friends were staying at after a personal shopping trip. With her casual one-piece dress and white sunhat, she felt relieved as the cool breeze caressed her skin. A far cry from how she felt under a suit of plate armor. “Ah...finally,” Cassandra thought. “A day to myself! After all the problems I’ve had to fix these past few weeks, I can finally relax with the complete series of my favorite audio drama, ‘The Garden of Forgotten Promises’! Sure, it was expensive here, but it’s not like that’s any problem for me.” She briefly pondered on whether or not it was right of her to deny her friends some extra money, but after stretching it off, she felt like it was payback for them trying to get her to fix their mistakes every week. Cassandra stepped back into her inn room after her brief shopping session. She set her bags down on the bed and rushed to a portable CD player she left on the nightstand. The player opened with a single click, and with the drama CD finally playing, all she had to do was grab a snack, lie back, and paint the story’s scenes with her imagination. “I really needed this...I just hope that those guys aren’t getting themselves into any trouble!” She thought out loud, completely oblivious to the fact that Gilford was now being hunted down by at least seventeen mercenaries. But as far as she knew, everything was okay, and nothing had to be attended to. All that mattered at that very moment was some peace, a bowl of grapes, and her favorite characters finally reaching a climactic, audio-only kiss.Natalie's Decision
“Oh...oh my God...so much spilled milk...I really hope Leon doesn’t end up like that when he’s old…” Natalie had finally managed to get out of working at the daycare roleplay room. She managed to take a few pictures of the participants’ actions and recorded some audio of things that occurred, but every bit of evidence felt rather useless as none of them directly stated Callum Owen’s involvement. Irritated, weary, and mentally scarred for life, Natalie entered Callum’s hotel room to try and forget her experience. Oh, and also to check on his condition too. “Callum, darling~!” Natalie called out with what little strength she had left. “I’m back! How are you feeling? Still a little dizzy?” Callum was sitting on a couch, carrying a baby doll with an oversized head wrapped in a blanket. A small voice box was hidden inside it to occasionally play crying sound effects. He was clearly still out of his mind, attempting to rock the doll back and forth to help it “sleep”. “Catherine, you’re back,” he said. “Thank goodness! The baby’s fast asleep, but his skin’s been feeling too...plush. Can you look at him? My vision’s gotten shakier…” “Oh. So the spell is still in effect, huh…?” “What was that?” “Say, Callum,” Natalie said, deflecting the question. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” “I...guess, but shouldn’t we look at-” “Great.” She pulled out her phone and set it up to record audio. After setting it down on the coffee table in front of Callum’s couch, she quickly sprayed another potion near his body. “Now let’s get down to business. Callum Owen!” “Er, yes?” “Did you or did you not personally convince the emperor to raise taxes in the western coasts of the Sunstone Empire?” “Well, yes, dear, I spoke of it on my last trip to the capital! But didn’t I already tell you this-” “Cool, cool,” Natalie interrupted once again. “Alright. Now is it true that you run a club where other old people dress up like babies and get pampered?” “Aw no…” Callum winced and looked away from Natalie. “I really hoped you wouldn't find out about that…” “Well you’re the one who told me! Did you or did you not, Callum? Answer the question, please.” “I-yes! It helps those guys destress themselves after all the work they do! They’re my oldest friends and coworkers, I had to do something!” Natalie raised an eyebrow and tried to question further. “By...dressing them like babies…?” “Whatever helps them relax.” “...Moving on.” Natalie reached into her bag and took out what was left of her perception potion, just in case it began to wear off and she had to keep Callum sedated. “Now answer me. Have you ever embezzled funds for yourself?” “Heavens, no!” “Have you been running anything else outside of the freaky daycare?” “Nope.” “Wha?” She tried thinking of another topic that politicians might have had a hand in. “A-are you in support of the violent treatment of protestors in Corona? The ones angry over the historical revisionism regarding our empire’s mistreatment of the Kendani race?” “Of course not,” Callum said vehemently. “In fact, I told the emperor to punish those responsible for it! It was a peaceful protest, they didn’t deserve to be beaten!” Natalie was growing frustrated, but she refused to let it show on the outside. She was surprised that Callum had enough compassion in him to react that way, especially considering how low she thinks of her nation’s rulers. “This can’t be it,” she thought. “He’s supposed to say something incriminating! There’s gotta be something he’s done that I could use against him! Anything!” She looked at the potion in her hand and primed it. “Well, if he won’t say anything as he is now, I’ll just use more of this until he believes in a lie-” But just before Natalie could lean in and use more of her hazy concoction, she stopped herself. One glance at the potion in her hand was all it took to snap her out of it. Her frustration turned to grief. “What the hell am I doing,” she wondered. “What was I trying to do? I just wanted to get him to realize his policy was stupid...why am I trying to ruin him? Cassandra was right. One wrong move and I would have manipulated my way into hell.” Natalie quickly put away the potion. She knew she had to put a stop to her little scheme. ...But not before taking a quick picture of Callum holding a doll as though it were a real baby. “Kay, the jig’s up. Time to cut this little charade short.” Natalie took out yet another potion, this one being the second mixture containing powdered moonlight. “Hey, drink this,”-- she handed the potion to Callum--“it’ll help you out.” Callum drank the funky-looking mixture and became visibly repulsed by the taste once he finished. Not even five seconds passed before he began to notice its effects; his vision became clear as day, his pain was entirely gone, and all traces of his head injuries were completely healed! “Augh, that was disgusting! What was...huh? What’s going on, and who the hell are you!? Where’s Catherine!? And why am I carrying this...doll!?” “Just your average medic, I guess. Oh, and also your smile could have been a little brighter.” Natalie waved her phone, displaying Callum’s embarrassing photo of him rocking the doll with a blank stare. “But-wha-delete that at once!” “Relax. I’m not gonna do anything with this. I just want you to know that your new tax policy sucks and nobody is buying anything cause of it. Please tell the emperor to change it.” “‘Not going to do anything’, she says. How am I supposed to trust an intruder!?” “Well you can’t, honestly...at this point, all I ask is that you let me leave in peace.” Callum threw the doll aside. “You think I’ll let you leave with that picture after you broke into my room!?” “Of course not. That’s why I’m doing this.” Natalie displayed her phone in front of Callum once again and proceeded to delete the picture and audio recordings in front of him. “There. All gone! Now may I leave, sir?” “...Why should I let you?” “I just healed your injuries, cured your delirium, and removed anything embarrassing to show your wife. I think I at least deserve that much, even if I did worsen your symptoms and memory until I cured you…” Her words quickly trailed off as she mentioned her own shortcomings. “Wait, run that last one by me again.” “I said I think I deserve to walk out.” Callum mulled over the situation with a grumble in his voice. “I can’t let an intruder leave here...but I can let my nurse leave. Just get out of here, kid. And don’t let me see you again.” Natalie bowed her head and sighed. “Thank you, Mr. Owen. But...please think about reconsidering that tax policy.” She left the hotel room without any trace of Callum’s strange habits. Just then, a voice cried out from outside the hotel. “Oh God, somebody help me pleeeeeeeeeease!” Now there was a voice she would recognize any day. She took a moment to facepalm before doing anything else. “Well, I guess I better go do something. One more trick wouldn’t hurt...excuse me, guards? I’m Emily Kindler, associate of Mr. Owens, and I need a quick favor…”Gilford was already cornering himself by unknowingly running around in circles. Security was moments away from catching him, and he couldn’t risk using any spells to get himself out. After all, his mana supply was poor enough as it is, and he already blew most of it on his flashy fortune-telling act and diverting the hooligans. “We have you surrounded,” cried the mercenaries, blades and even guns drawn and ready. “Now give us our money back!” “But I’m poor enough as it is! Why does this keep happening to me of all people!?” “Halt!” A voice echoed from atop a flight of stairs. “This chase has gone long enough.” “That voice,” Gilford muttered. “N-Natalie!?” With the light of the setting sun shining down upon them, Natalie stood proudly with her arms crossed. She was surrounded by a small group of guardsmen, who she sent over to detain the mercenaries with the point of a finger. “I’ll take care of the runner. You there,” she said, pointing at one of her subordinates. “Please get the cars ready by tonight.” “Wh-what’s all this about, Natz?” Gilford stammered. “I mean, thanks for the save, but...what’s with the sudden authority?” “Let’s...just say I took my scheme too far.” “Too far? It’s been a few hours and you’re already commanding your own guards! Is there anything else we should know before we leave!?” “It’s been a long day, Gil,” whispered Natalie. “Let’s just...find the others. Please.” Natalie, still posing as “Emily Kindler”, had what was left of her men escort them to her inn, where she and Gilford reunited with the rest of the guild. Cassandra took one look at her new squadron of guards and instantly deduced what had happened. “So. ‘Nothing drastic’, huh?” Cassandra giggled. “Cass, please,” begged Natalie. “I’ve caused enough trouble for one day. But you’re right...I shouldn’t have caused it anyway.” Cassandra stopped laughing and ironically grew disappointed with her realization. “At least you know now…” “Wait, did you want me to do something bad!? Cause I almost did!” “And you didn’t. Which is good!” Cassandra crossed her arms and formed a slight smile. “Kaiyo didn’t bother telling me anything when I asked anyway. But I think we’ve caused enough trouble here as it is. We bought some take-out using Leon’s earnings, so just eat it on the way.” Natalie groaned. “Yeah. Let’s just...get in the cars.” She looked around the inn. “Actually...where is Leon?” “Oh,” Kaiyo chimed in. “He saw that you prepared some cars for us and went ahead. Shall we do the same, oh mischievous spider?” “Hey, don’t call me that! I know what I did was wrong. Let me just...reflect on it more, please…” “Suit yourself,” Cassandra shrugged. “See you guys in the morning, then. Hopefully we hit somewhere close to Windwell when the sun’s up.” The guildmates headed to their cars, with Natalie sitting in the frontmost one with Leon. He stared out into the blooming night from the comfort of his window, Mrs. Owen’s words echoing through his head all the while. “Hey Leon,” said Natalie, attempting to break his concentration. “So how was your little quest hunt?” “...It was great,” said Leon, his voice wobbling ever so slightly. “I got 230 sols.” He went silent as he looked out the window again. “Natalie...my client was Callum’s wife.” “Wow! What a coincidence! It must have been-” “No, it wasn’t. She knew what you were up to. And after I actually got to speak with her, well...I’ve been thinking.” “You can tell me anything.” “I’ve known you for years now, Nat. I know how...manipulative you can be. Up until now, I felt like I could trust you with controlling your scheming impulses from actually happening, but…” He went silent for a moment. “I’m just starting to feel like after today, you’re only gonna keep getting worse.” “C’mon, Leon,” whispered Natalie. “You know that I-” “That you what?” His voice grew shakier. “That you are fully aware of yourself? From the looks of it, you didn’t even realize any potential consequences until you almost drugged someone!” Natalie pulled her bag behind her in shame. “How did you know…?” “I didn’t. I just figured you would if nothing went your way. Was I wrong?” Natalie looked away and refused to respond. “Are you ever gonna reflect on yourself? Or are you gonna act like this never happened?” “I’m not!” A single tear began to drip down her cheeks as Leon poured out his feelings. “I’m not...I’m fully aware of the fact that I’m like this, okay? I thought I could draw a line on where to stop, but after today, I...I guess I can’t. I don’t know if I’ll be able to change, but-” “Oh yeah? Well I do! I can tell you the answer to that right now!” “I know you can! But I really do want to improve!” “Why,” Leon said with a forced laugh. “Because you wanna be accepted by me? That’s not-” “Because I’m afraid that one day, I’ll actually lose my sense of morals! I’m aware of my actions, Leon.” Natalie placed one hand on her chest and steadied her breathing. “I know I’m impulsive, manipulative, and all sorts of other vices. But I don’t wanna improve because of other people. No...I wanna change because I don’t want to eventually ruin someone’s life over a simple dispute. But I don’t want to ruin us either! I...want to be as close to you as my parents were to each other.” Leon raised an eyebrow. “...You want me to impreg-” “No! Not yet, I mean…” “Not yet!?” “Not yet!” The young couple looked into each other’s eyes as they turned beet red. After a solid five seconds of eye contact, they laughed off their comments and held hands in silence. “Natalie,” said Leon, attempting to transition the conversation. “I want to trust you. I really do. I’m done being naive and unaware. Can you at least promise me that you’ll live up to your own words?” Natalie gave him a warm smile. “Oh, I can’t do that. I said I wasn’t gonna improve just for someone else, right? Let me promise myself that!” She quickly let go of Leon’s hand and pulled out her bag once again. “Hey...this isn’t the greatest time to bring this up, but...I got you something.” Natalie opened her bag and took out a red scroll. “This is kinda why I didn’t have enough sols to buy anything at the plaza. I spent most of my budget on this and the taxes just sorta stopped me from getting my parents one too.” Leon rolled out his new gift. It was a highly expensive dream scroll, commissioned by Natalie to be tailor-made to her specific orders. It was unique in that unlike other dream scrolls, which gave the user a single, one-use dream, this one contained multiple scenarios that could be reused and revisited as many times as the user wanted. But what made the gift truly personal was that all the scenarios were based around Natalie’s own memories. Each one would allow Leon to relive events closely resembling various dates and even adventures that the two had together. “You...commissioned this for me?” “Nope! Not just you!” She pointed to the opening paragraph of the scroll’s instructions. “This thing can work on two people at once! It’s really just another reason why it was so expensive to make...” Natalie let out a bashful giggle and tried to hide her embarrassment by diverting her gaze. Leon couldn’t help but crack a smile. Being able to relive old memories with Natalie would help him sleep soundly for years to come! “I love it! Oh hey...what’s this on the bottom?” At the bottom of the scroll was a note that read “Thank you for a whole year of love and laughs. Let’s make sure our flame shines brighter in the next year too!” Leon burst into a hearty chuckle. “Ahahaha! Oh, Natalie…don’t go thinking this means you’re off the hook, though!” “What!? I don’t! And what’s so funny!?” “So, even you can write cheesy lines like this, huh?” Natalie blushed so intensely that one could see her cheeks glow in the dark. “S-shut up! I meant what I wrote! I really did!” She turned her back towards him and began to pout in a vain attempt to calm herself. “I know, I know!” Leon looked over the scroll once again. “This just means a lot to me, Natz. Thank you...and I hope that just like that flame, we both grow for the better.” He could practically feel himself turning as red as Natalie. With one hand using the scroll to cover his face, Leon extended the other hand towards her. “To the both of us?” Natalie stopped pouting to smile back at Leon. “Yeah. To the both of us.” The bloom of night closed the curtains on the city of Wakewood with a journey renewed, an economy in disarray, a politician soaked in confusion and the renewed vows and promises of a flawed couple. Just another day for the Windwell Guild.
Cover art by astero.
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Author's Notes
An entry to the Kyanite Publishing contest featuring the five members of the Windwell Guild! My longest story as of this writing, and the one I had the most trouble with (since I had a limit of 12,500 words)! I hope you enjoy this silly little adventure!