Chapter 188: Rat Problem

"Okay, with this one, we are done for the day, Aiden! Let's report back to the guild and get the rewards!" Cole spoke with an unmasked enthusiasm, as she struck his blade down and killed the last of the large horrendous rats that infested an emptied mansion at the edges of the Noble District. 

"Sure, get its tail and we can go back." Aiden spoke with a friendly smile on his face as he looked at the enthusiastic Cole. Remembering the credits his friend now had, he added with an unmasked appreciation behind his voice. "With this quest, you will be finally eligible for the Rank Up test, right?"

Already expecting such a question, Cole confidently nodded while pulling his bloodied sword out from the nape of the now-dead large rat. Sheeting his weapon, he pulled out a smaller dagger and crouched down, reaching for the beast's tail to take it as proof of the kill.

"Yes, as soon as we get this done, I should have just enough to qualify. I could do the test now, but…" He revealed a slightly troubled expression as he continued. "...I don't feel that I am ready for it, like… at all." 

"Although I can't say that I know what it is like… but on my test during my registration I had to face a seasoned, rank 2 adventurer and was told to hold against him. I wasn't required to win, they were judging my performance, not the outcome." Aiden spoke, thinking back to his test against that scarfed roguish fellow. 

"So, just do your best, and you will be fine. Try to defend against him for as long as you can. Nobody expects you to be the victor of the duel!" Aiden tried consoling his worried friend.

"If that's the case, then did you win against your opponent then?" Cole retorted accusingly, already expecting the answer.

"Well…" As expected, Aiden had a wry smile on his face as he had to face his friend's question. "I did, but that was different, you know that. Anyways, just calm down and do your best, okay!"

"Heh, of course, you won…" Cole sighed, picking up the severed tail in the process. Then, standing up, he stretched his back, turning towards the door. "Let's just go back and finish the day." 

Heaving a sigh, he walked towards the door, leaving Aiden without giving him a chance to continue the conversation. As the door to the mansion was pushed open a small group of the staff hurriedly approached the heaving brown-haired boy. 

Amongst them, a larger, middle-aged woman, wearing a traditional chef's garment, spoke the loudest. 

"Mister, did you finish the job?!" She asked with clear impatience in her voice. She was holding a large, wooden, cooking spoon in his right hand that she kept waving in a threatening manner as if it was a lethal weapon. 

Forcing a smile on his face, Cole weakly responded.

"Yes, the mansion is clear once again. The dead bodies of the rats still have to be cleaned, but there are no live ones left, you are safe to return." 

Shock settled on her face, hearing her words, which soon was replaced by anger, as her facial muscles contorted. Waving her lethal weapon in the air fervently she yelled at the boy.

"What do you mean, the dead bodies have to be cleaned?! Do you expect us to clean up after you? What is this service?! We sent a request to clean out the rats, not to litter their corpses all over our Master's mansion like that?! You better go back and clean up after yourself, otherwise, I will go and place a complaint with the guild right NOW!" 

Cole was about to surrender and acquiesce to her demand when his friend's cold voice resounded from within the mansion.

"Go ahead and complain to the guild." 

Hearing the clear voice of the previously silent long, black-haired youth speak with such coldness, alerted the middle-aged plump woman. Looking at the new arrival standing at the right side of the brown-haired lad, she had an incredulous expression. 

"W-wha... what did you say?!"

"I said…" Aiden had a calm and friendly expression as he looked at the woman giving it even more power behind his cold tone. "That you can go ahead and complain to the guild. However, don't forget to mention that despite your report, we have diligently killed off all the large rats that infested your bellowed lord's home." 

Taking a step forward, he leaned closer to the stunned woman. "Make sure you don't forget to mention all that." 

Then, without waiting for her reaction as she seemed to be stunned still due to a mixture of shock and fright, he walked away, leaving the mansion. A few steps later, however, he stopped and turned sideways. He spoke with a much warmer tone, addressing his friend.

"Come on, let's leave this place, they do not appreciate our kindness. They even forgot what they requested. Let's just report our work and get ready for your advancement test. Don't bother with such meaningless things."

"Y-yeah, right. W-wait up, Aiden!" Woken up by the sight of his friend's words, he quickly jolted after him, leaving the stunned and shocked crowd to themselves.

Seeing how Cole was finally woken up from his trance, Aiden smirked to himself, before looking ahead and resuming his slow pace. Before leaving the premises, however, he stopped once more after a few steps, and without turning back, he coldly uttered a few more words to the still shocked head-chef lady.

"Although the request was to KILL the rats and there was no mention of CLEANING your place as that would be YOUR job, I have done that extra step and done your work as well."

With his thoughts spoken out, he then left the mansion slowly vanishing amidst the crowd of the busy street with Cole in tow.

Only after their figures have completely vanished from the stunned crowd of the service staff did the chef lady react, revealing an embarrassed, regretful look, looking at the gate. She heaved a heavy sigh, but could not utter any word in response. After a long while, she shook her head and turned towards the door to the mansion, and stepped in. Her voice trailed off as she gave the command to the staff standing outside.

"Get inside and start cleaning. The Miss and the Lord will come back in the afternoon, we have to make the whole house shine! Get to it, pronto!"

Her words seemed to have the magical effect of waking the staff from their reverie. They shook with fright hearing the head staff's berating words and quickly rushed inside to resume their work after their break due to the rat infestation.

---

Walking the streets with his friend, Cole keeping up the pace next to him, Aiden thought back to the events of last week. Since his meeting with the masked madame, a whole week has passed. After receiving the information about the location of the strange and mystical, otherworldly place, he agreed to join the Madame. He was not a soldier or a contracted mercenary in service of the Lady, but a willing participant, an equal partner in-exchange. 

He agreed that if there's a request, he will hear them out, and if it's something he can help with, he will offer his assistance, but they can never force him to do their bidding. Aiden, however, agreed to join up in the upcoming 'Election Event' the fake war for the City Leader position.

Even though he wanted nothing more than to grab that arrogant golden armored man's throat and squeeze it until he stops breathing, he still agreed, due to the urging of the Lady. He had a feeling that if he were to refuse the offer, he would get her mad, and Aiden wasn't sure if he would be able to take her on. At least not without suffering as well in the process, and with his energy reserves already taken a hit due to the test earlier, he had no other choice. 

The Lady had a very strong presence, much stronger than her daughter, the hooded leader of the examiners. Aiden felt that her power was probably around his master's, Number 3's level.

Still, since Sir Michael, the golden knight was only used as a pawn, an expendable piece on the chessboard. She didn't reveal the reason, but the Lady said that she cannot step outside the shadow any longer, and has to remain hidden, from the world and from their existing and future enemies. 

After that, the Lady opened another rift, a tear in space, for Aiden to travel back. After looking at her accusingly, she revealed with a burst of cheeky laughter that this time, there would be no tricks or traps, the travel would be near-instantaneous and would bring him back to the same spot he left from.

After returning, a few days passed without much happening. They accepted some easy requests every day and returned to their rooms at the Inn at the end of every day. Mary continued to diligently serve them, not letting them go to another attendant. As the days passed, she became more and more eager and confident to approach and engage Aiden.

The days passed in peace, and today they accepted their first urgent request to come and clean up a mansion that was suddenly infested with large rats overnight.