Book 1: Chapter 65: Communication Orb and Rotten Country

Book 1: Chapter 65: Communication Orb and Rotten Country

"I beg your pardon?" a man toiling away over an accounting book of some sort asked sharply towards the woman who was standing on the opposite side his desk.

She adjusted her glasses and frowned. "It's as I said. I ordered Growol and his merry little band of rapists to capture the foxkin. That was six hours ago. They should have been done two hours ago at most even if they molested the woman with him. I sent a small group of five down into the sewers to see what was taking so long, and oddly enough, in one of the tunnels, there were signs of fighting, though not a single body or even a drop of blood could be found."

"And the foxkin and his 'master' are merrily walking through the streets of Ranton as well?" the man asked as he brushed his hair back with his hand in frustration.

The woman nodded. "That's correct, Sir. It seems that we've underestimated him."

"Where is he heading?" The man had an impatient look on his middle-aged and fairly handsome face.

Frowning once more, the well-dressed lady replied, "The Adventurer's Guild."

"Fuck." The man hung his head back and stared up at the ceiling. "How were 20 men who were all at least D-rankers unable to subdue two F-rankers? I smell bullshit... Ha-ah... Anyway, there's no doubt that he'll squeal to that damned dragonkin... Keep an eye on him, and if he's ever secluded, let me know. I'll capture him myself."

"But sir, there's no way the grand guildmaster will overlook that considering how rare Golden Foxkin are. Thugs in a sewer is one thing, you, a nobleman, acting personally, is another. I think our window of opportunity has passed..." the woman advised regretfully.

The man stood up and shook his head. "I know, but we don't have a choice. He's easily worth his weight in ruby-gold coins. You know as well as I do how many lunatics of the underground scene are dying to get their hands on a nine-traited beastkin. If we can just get him and sell him off... You and I, we can leave this festering cesspool.

But your title-

The man clicked his tongue and interrupted her. A noble title means nothing in a kingdom like Milindo. I can buy a better title in a better place with the money that fox will earn me.Ñøv€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on Ñôv€lß¡n.

The woman looked hesitant but nodded.

In a soothing tone, the man said, We'll go to the Taslo Empire. With their upcoming war, there'll be plenty of opportunities to slip in there and set up a standing for us in their local underground. Itll be simple as well to buy a large estate and perhaps a title if needed. It'll be our retirement."

The woman adjusted her glasses again in an effort to hide her rapidly reddening cheeks. "I hope it turns out that way..."

"It will, I promise. We just need to make no more mistakes or experience any more hiccups. We can do this, you hear me, Jess? We can, and we will. We have to. Duke Malik has been sniffing around all of Milindo a lot recently, and he's already caught wind of a few of our less important branches. It's only a matter of time before he finds the trunk... before he finds us. Were lucky hes shifted his focus to illegal mages as of late. We have no choice but to take this chance, so trust me, okay?" the man requested in a charming and almost pleading tone as he approached the woman and gently caressed her cheek.

Her expression hardened upon being reminded of Henry Malik and his efforts to purge not only Ranton but all of Milindo of what he deemed to be 'filth'. "I trust you, sir. I always have and always will."

"Good," the man replied as a devilish smile wormed its way onto his face.

Now all cleaned up and refreshed, Lone and Sophie returned to The Adventurer's Guild. Lone purposefully waited until their usual receptionist, Charles, was free, and he then approached the man's desk with the fully armoured Sophie by his side.

"It's good to see you two again," Charles greeted with a warm smile on his face.

Lone nodded. "Likewise," he said and then slid a silver coin across the desk. "I have the slime cores from the quest we accepted, but I also have something that I'd like to report in private again if you have the time."

Accepting the payment, Charles nodded. "Follow me, Lone, Sophie. We can deal with your request reward in the private room at the same time as your report."

Lone smiled in relief. "Perfect. Please, lead the way."

Charles nodded, and Lone and Sophie were soon led to the same room that they'd been in when they had informed the guild of the Manasilk Spider Queen.

After seeing that Lone and Sophie were comfortable - and making sure the sound-sealing enchantment was properly in place, Charles gave Lone and Sophie their reward for killing 25 slimes after he had collected the cores from them.

With that out of the way, Charles wore a worried frown. "Has a Slime King appeared? I don't doubt that with your talents that you two would struggle subduing a Slime Chief, so for you to request a meeting, a king must have appeared, no?"

Both Gilbert and Charles were scared by such a morbid idea. "Thankfully it's impossible to apply mana points directly into this, so no, it is not a weapon."

That was likely true normally, but Lone had witnessed Soph forcefully extend the life of his Illusionary Dome by injecting her mana into it an impossible task conventionally.

He had a feeling that if she or Sophie tried to, they could make this magical sphere detonate like an atom bomb. Scary thought.

"Then what is it?" Sophie asked.

"It's a fairly rare and very valuable communication orb. It only has thirty or forty more uses in it before it shatters, but it'll work well enough," Guildmaster Gilbert explained before saying, "Lone, I can tell that both you and Sophie here have both of your mana organs awakened, so if you ever get into a bit of a pinch, contact me immediately with this. You just need to let some of your mana flow out of you while holding the orb and itll activate, linking it to the sister orb I hold, allowing for long-distance communication."

Lone was initially in awe at such a wondrous item, but he quickly came to his senses and shook his head. "This'll be very useful, but there's no way that I can just take this from you. How much would it go for on the market? I'll pay you what it's worth. I'm not swimming in gold, but I have some wealth."

Gilbert chuckled. He picked up the orb and walked over to Lone and Sophie's side of the table. Once there, he grabbed one of Lone's hands and placed the sphere into it. "Take it. That thing is worth way more than you could ever pay me, and I don't need it anymore. I used to use it to talk to my uncle, but he's been nagging me to return to our clan for far too long, so I don't need it now."

The dragonkin laughed a bit more strongly. The old bastard. He got so upset I stopped answering him, he sent me his orb, hence why I have both. And tell me, whats the point of that? Two different people need to hold possess each for them to have any worth.

"But... I really can't accept this in exchange for just nothing. It could save mine and Sophie's lives," Lone's sense of personal honour was stopping him from accepting Gilbert's kindness.

Gilbert laughed again. "You can and you will. You're an honest kid, but seriously, if you want to give me something, then simply don't die. I never had the chance to meet the reclusive Golden Foxkin before their clan mysteriously disappeared a hundred years ago, so I feel it'd be a great show of disrespect to them as well as to Altros herself if I irresponsibly let one of the only two known Golden Foxkin in the world die to some criminal thugs. More seriously, Id be the biggest disgrace of all beastkin if I didnt do everything in my power to protect the only known nine-traited one to currently exist."

'Two known Golden Foxkin? Huh.' Lone didn't know what to say. "Uh... Well, thanks. I guess I can't really refuse you at this point, huh? I swear, I'll pay you back for this somehow."

Gilbert slapped Lone's shoulder with care and closed his eyes as his handsome face grinned. "Just keep adventuring. Also, don't let the fact that you killed some people wear you down too much, okay?"

Lone's eyes shook. "Wha-"

Gilbert's grin only grew. "Despite how young I look, I'm still over 400 years old, you know? You? You're actually young, anyone with a bit of wisdom could see that with but a glance. So don't let it eat away at your heart, okay, Lone? It was a you or them situation. Try not to lose too much sleep over them dying, will you? If it helps, no one will miss them. Not you, not I, not the people they knew, and most certainly not history itself."

Lone genuinely had no words for that. He stood there silently as he tried to find the proper way to respond.

Seeing her other personality's lover clamming up, Sophie took the initiative. She grabbed Lone's hand and bowed her head. "Thank you for the advice. I'm sure he'll take it to heart."

"The same applies to you, young lady," Gilbert claimed with a wise tone in his voice.

Sophie sneered a little. "If we are young, then what does that make you? Nothing more than seminal fluid? Regardless, thank you again. We shall not forget this favour of yours. We will not keep you for any longer than this."

With that having been said, she led Lone out of the room. Just before they left, however, Lone snapped out of his trance-like state and thanked both Gilbert and Charles before leaving a small sack filled to the brim with gold coins.

Gilbert had his hands clasped behind his back as he made his way back up to his office. He was humming happily as his mind wandered. 'What a good child. What Sophie said bothers me somewhat. While insulting words, there was meaning there. She truly thinks herself to be older than me. How? Shes a human at a low rank and while short, she looks no older than twenty or so.

His racial skill truly could be a massive annoyance at times.

For all I know, she could be a demigod in disguise. Hah! Wouldnt that be something? Regardless, she seems to genuinely care for him, and she serves as a good anchor to teach him not to hate humans... The auction is being held just after the tournament, isn't it?' Gilbert thought.

Auctions were commonplace all over the continents many kingdoms, empires, and ruling factions. Milindo was no exception to that despite how primitive the kingdom seemed to many.

The upcoming auction, however, was particularly special for a few reasons, only one of which Gilbert cared about.

His eyes narrowed as he used one of his hands to stroke his goatee. 'Yeah. Let's do that. They should be perfect. I can't let that bastard Malik get his hands on the baby, after all. The sooner it and Lone can leave Milindo, the better. Neither are safe here in this rotten country.'