Saving the World
The words "saving the world" were strange. The elves had said the Death Eye would lead the world to ruin. But he laughed. He said let's spite them by having the agent of destruction save the world instead. It was bizarre. It didn't make sense. Fate and providence wouldn't allow it to work that way. And yet he laughed. He vanished again, saying see you tomorrow. He came every day. He seemed genuinely busy, preparing something. He often told stories of the outside world. The most moving one was about the sky out there. It was different from this forest choked with horrific trees and lightless gloom, he said. The outer sky was high and blue. Even when darkness fell, it was filled with tiny lights called starlight. I wanted to see the sky he described. After he started visiting, the suffocating nightmares stopped. Instead of dreams of dying in the forest, I dreamed of a starlit sky.
"Kehk—! Kehk...!!"
My breath grew ragged. I couldn't loosen the grip on the throat I'd clenched. Just a little longer, and I could sleep. Tears streamed down. Recalling happy memories with him only brought sadness. He really did show me the starlit sky. The first sky I saw outside the forest was as blue as he'd said. The heavens brimming with light were an unforgettable happy memory. But the best part of all...
Was watching it with him.
"....!!"
My vision narrowed. At last, consciousness sank below the surface of sleep. In the fading haze, I wished desperately. Today without you is so hard. So please, be here tomorrow.
"Lady Rapi. As promised, here's our Blue medal."
The ragtag bunch trying to scout Rapi looked utterly ordinary. The adventurer party's leader had a bright voice, brimming with confidence that Rapi would naturally join them. They approached with faces full of eager anticipation.
As promised... So Rapi had made some deal with this adventurer party.
"Evan, sir..."
Rapi hid behind me. I didn't know the details of her prior conversation with them. I'd only been back in Adenia for two days, and I'd just met Rapi today. Still, the situation was clear enough. Despite being an archmage's disciple, she'd been crying over failing to take down a scrawny orc. But Rapi was an archmage's disciple. Plus, she was on good terms with the head of the adventurer's guild branch. From our brief chat, Spilvena had been subtly—no, blatantly—favoring her. Considering how Rapi was treated, she was probably a dangerous powder keg no one wanted to touch. Mess with her the wrong way, and you'd get a bear-sized fist to the face as "education." Spilvena had said anyone with brains wouldn't touch Rapi. So if someone did... well, as the bear put it, they'd be talentless nobodies too greedy and clueless to know better.
"Looks like you still don't believe us. I showed my medal first, sure. Hey, guys—show Lady Rapi yours too."
At the man's words, the ragtags behind him grinned and pulled out their Blue medals.
"Hahaha. Surprised, Lady Rapi? That we reached Blue in just a week?"
"Can't blame you for thinking that. We were..."
"Shh! Not yet. We'll tell her once she's officially in the party."
The ragtags were putting on quite the village drama. Blue rank was the same as Rapi's—why were they so cocky? Was Blue really that impressive? I couldn't judge Adenia's power levels after 50 years, but something told me no. Rapi had explained Blue as the rank for those with the highest potential. These clowns didn't scream potential to me. They really seemed intent on snagging Rapi as their party mage.
"Ugh... Evan, sir... help..."
"Help with what? What'd you even do with these idiots?"
Rapi tugged at my collar.
"More importantly, who the hell are you to be hanging around our party mage?"
Just moments ago, they'd been begging Rapi to join. Now it was "our party mage."
"Rapi, you already in a party?"
If she had party members, she wouldn't have been wandering the forest alone.
"No, I'm solo. These people... they kept hounding me, and I refused, but..."
Rapi peeked out from behind me, shaking her blue head vigorously.
"There you have it."
The adventurers flushed red at Rapi's words.
"No!! Lady Rapi! You promised—if we ranked up to Blue, you'd join our party!"
The ragtag's shout echoed through the first floor.
"Yeah! We even blew our party funds on gear for you, since you said you'd come!"
Now they were blaming Rapi.
"I... I just said I'd think about it. I never said I'd join."
Rapi's firm denial. These ragtag adventurers must not have been fluent in polite rejection.
"...! No... wait! You! It's you!!"
"Me? What?"
Suddenly, the arrows turned to me. What now?
"You!! Sneaking ahead while we were on quests!! Seducing innocent Lady Rapi!!"
"Uh... pretty sure it's the opposite?"
Spilvena had asked me to look after her. I wasn't the one seducing.
As the party leader fumed, his members chimed in supportively.
"Gasp—! What a vile thing...! You heartless scum!! Even top clans wouldn't stoop that low!!"
"Yeah... now that I look, your face is new in Rimhold. Probably from out of town."
"But in Rimhold, stealing party members is a no-go! Get out of the city—now!"
Wow. Now it was regional discrimination. Some things never changed in Adenia after 50 years. Barbarians gonna barbarian.
"She says otherwise. Rapi, mind if I go?"
"Eeeee!!? Nooo! You said you'd help!"
Rapi grabbed my collar from behind and shook it.
"Kidding."
"...!!!"
Rapi's eyes widened. Looking all wronged, she started thumping my thigh with her little fists. Cute reaction—fun to tease.
"What the hell are you doing in front of people?! Think our words are a joke!?"
"Hand over our mage! And get out of the city!!"
The first floor was in chaos, but Spilvena still hadn't come down from upstairs. Guess he really expected me to play full babysitter. Handle it myself, huh? From their eyes, I could tell even a "educational" beatdown like Spilvena's wouldn't deter these pests—they'd cling harder.
"Lady Rapi... with just you, we could skyrocket to a top clan."
"The guild's underrating our talent. Join us, and we'll leap to the top!"
The ragtags reeked of ambition, eyeing the archmage's disciple as their ticket to success.
"Evan, sir... what do I do..."
Rapi whispered softly. Annoying mess I'd stumbled into. They already saw me as the guy who'd tricked Rapi.
"Hmm..."
I touched the axe handle. Blood would end it quick, but the aftermath was the issue. I'd cut a deal with Spilvena for Hayes info. Stir up too much trouble here, and it could derail things, given his guild branch head position. Violence was a last resort... so, another way?
I glanced around, ignoring their ongoing drama. Other adventurers watched with interest. Behind them, against the wall, stood the bulletin board crammed with quest papers.
"Alright. High-potential Blue adventurers? Here's a proposal."
This should satisfy them.
"Ha! As if we'd take a proposal from a shameless punk like you."
Maybe just deck 'em and be done.
"Hold up, leader. Let's hear him out. He looks like a con man, but he came down from the second floor with Lady Rapi. He's got skills."
"Second floor... you mean we ran into that maniac bear...?"
Spilvena had a bad rep, huh. The female archer in the back hugged herself with her bow arm.
"No way... no more 'education'..."
"It's fine. We've got you. Calm down."
The leader soothed his teammate.
"Cruel bastard... triggering our party's trauma. You really are trash."
This skit was wearing thin. I was getting tired of watching.
"Ugh, annoying. Wait here a sec."
"Evan... sir, where are you going...!?"
I ignored the dramatic party and headed to the board. Up close, the quests varied—some worn and crumpled from age, others torn like someone had snatched them in a hurry. Each had stars drawn on them, colored like adventurer ranks: white, blue, and so on.
I yanked every visible quest with White or Blue stars.
Showing them to the glaring party, I said,
"Adventurers settle things with quests, right?"
"Obviously. Who doesn't know that?"
Just a throwaway line, and it was real?
"So my proposal: we bet on who clears these quests fastest and most efficiently."
"If we win, you hand over Lady Rapi?"
"'Hand over'? Watch your words."
Rapi darted behind me again.
"Anyway, if you win, I'll split with Rapi. If I win... hmm. Yeah—proper education from Spilvena."
"...Hold on. Gotta confer with the party."
His eyes said he'd already bought in. But formality's a thing with parties, I guess. They turned their backs, huddling and whispering. Eavesdrop? Handy trick for that.
I channeled mana into my body, enhancing my senses.
...What do you all think? I say we can do it. Might've been tough before, but now we've got 'that.'
Yeah, but leader, it's your call.
Their whispers came clear. Same old ragtags, but the leader had some real trust from them.
Conference over, the leader approached with a resolute face.
"...You look like a con, but we've decided to accept the bet."
"Then take these."
Paat—!
The leader snatched the quests roughly. Why's he always pissed? Punchable face.
"Deadline?"
"Dunno. Month sound good?"
"Generous. Lady Rapi, just wait—we'll be back soon to pick you up."
"No... I'm not joining your party?"
Rapi protested, but the leader just offered his palm confidently. The ragtags exchanged grim nods.
"We head out now. No time to waste."
"Yeah. Let's crush 'em quick."
Chattering like pros, the ragtag party marched out.
"Heh... off to save the world or something."
Fun little commotion.
"Evan, sir!!! How could you make a bet like that!!"
As they vanished, Rapi yelled from behind.
"Nice pipes. Why not yell that at them?"
"Evan, sir!!!!"
This time, she clung with a new pattern. I blocked her flailing fists overhead with a smirk; now she was jabbing my thigh with her staff.
"What if they actually clear the quests first!!"
"Then great."
"Whaaaaat!!?"
Didn't matter if they beat me to it.
"If they clear 'em first, no big deal, Rapi."
"...Oh... right... yeah..."
She deflated, head drooping. What now?
"I'm... just a failure anyway... Can't team with someone as strong as you, Evan, sir."
Something about Rapi felt familiar every time I saw her. Now I got it—slight attachment issues and rock-bottom self-esteem. Just like Hayes. One surefire fix for that.
Thwack—!
"Eek—! It huuuurts—!"
"Meant to hurt."
Damn, her skull's tough. My fist stung more. I'd hit hard, but no bump on her head. Future archmage's noggin was a weapon.
"What's to worry? You'll head back to the academy after a few quests anyway."
"...Huh? Oh yeah! Wow!! Evan, sir, you're so smart! Amazing!"
Beaming, Rapi glomped and shook me all over.
"Yeah, yeah, got it—stop shaking. Let's register our quests."
"Yessir—!!"