Chapter Twenty One

Dagon groans for the umpteenth time as Namarie shimmers into the room. "Would it kill you to use the door when you come in?"

With a chuckle, Namarie vanishes from the office. A moment later, and the door to the office opens with Namarie walking through into the office.

Chrome blinks at Namarie's antics as she reminded him of a certain crafter. Maple however, simply giggles at her friend. "Hey Namarie, when did you get here?" Maple waves her hand as she jumps up from the couch.

Namarie walks into the office with the grace of a noble lady, making her way to the couch Maple had sat on. "Hello Maple, how has your day been?"

Maple beams at the question. "It was wonderful, thanks for asking. I got to tour the city more."

Chrome raises an eyebrow at this. "Do you guys know each other?" Maple's eyes sparkle with amusement as Namarie settles onto the couch. "Oh, Namarie and I are friends, Chrome. We've known each other for a few days now."

"Really?" Chrome watches Namarie with a skeptical look on his face.

Maple nods enthusiastically, her eyes shining with excitement. "Yeah, she's the one who helped Leone get into the institution.

Namarie's gaze never leaves Maple's face. "Ah, what are friends for? Not to worry Maple, I'll make sure she gets the best education possible."

Dagon groans, rubbing his temples. "Namarie, please. As for you two, your quest involves Namarie here." He sits up in his seat with a serious expression.

"There's been a summons from the kingdom of Welvern. And with the nine powers attending, the other players like us have to attend." Dagon pauses, "Everyone one attending will be bringing their show of force, as it could easily be a trap. Your mission, or rather, Maple Tree's mission is to protect Namarie for the duration of the meeting."

Namarie, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, adds, "Welvern is known for its power, political and strength wise. They may try to target me due to my connection with the institution."

Chrome sighs, taking a seat opposite the guild master. "Are we the only party you'll be sending?"

Dagon flinches at the question. "Uhm, yes. This meeting will have some of the strongest people in the world attending. Unfortunately, none of our S Rank adventurers are available right now. And we happen to have Maple here."

Chrome squints his eyes. 'Why do I find it hard to believe?' "Strongest people? This is quite literally our first quest." Dagon seems to shrink under Chrome's glare. "Isn't this a little premature?"

Maple however jumps up with joy. "We'll do it!! Right Chrome?"

Dagon clears his throat, trying to regain his composure. "I understand your concerns, Chrome, but with the recent incident, Maple Tree has proven its strength. Besides, Namarie is no slouch either, as a Magi, she's more than capable of holding her own."

Maple beams with confidence. "We can handle it, Chrome! This will be an actual adventure!"

Namarie nods, her expression mischievous yet calm. "With Maple Tree as my body guards, I doubt I have reason for worry."

Chrome leans back, his skepticism hardening. 'I don't like this.' he glances at Maple, 'Immediately after Maple levels a forest, we're sent to a meeting with the strongest people.' "Alright then."

Maple claps her hands together, excitement evident in her voice. "So, when do we leave? I'm ready to get started!"

Dagon relaxes slightly, a strained smile on his lips. "You'll depart tomorrow at dawn. Make sure you're well-prepared."

Namarie stands, elegance in her every move. "Then it's settled. We'll meet here at first light. Thank you, Dagon."

As Namarie exits the office, Maple turns to Chrome with a grin. "Isn't this exciting? Our first real quest!"

Chrome's expression remains skeptical. "I don't know, Maple. This feels rushed. We haven't established ourselves properly yet."

Maple's enthusiasm is undeterred. "Oh, don't worry, Chrome! We'll be fine."

Dagon clears his throat, interrupting their conversation. "I'll leave the details to you, Chrome. Just make sure you're prepared for anything. The kingdom of Welvern is not to be underestimated."

Chrome sighs yet again, resigned to watch over his naive Leader. "Come on, let's go."

"Goodbye Mr Dagon." Maple cheers before disappearing from the office along with Chrome.

With the trio gone, Dagon sighs yet again, hopefully for the last time today. He relaxes into his seat, thankful for the peace and quiet.

"I still don't understand how she does that, and it seems her friend Chrome can use the same from of teleportation." Namarie's voice signals the end of Dagon's peace and quiet.

Dagon sighs. "Namarie. did you need anything." Namarie had shimmered back into the room.

"You can't tell me you aren't even a little bit curious." Sitting on Dagon's desk, she leans towards him. "I placed multiple wards in your office. Anti teleportation wards, tracking wards, mana sensors, even the divination wards. "

Dagon massages his forehead with yet another sigh. "You did what in my office, oh Joey, where art thou?"

Namarie, with a serious expression ignores Dagon's remarks. "Nothing. I sensed nothing. The wards didn't sense whatever they used to teleport in. It's like they just walked in, but the whole walking in was skipped."

Dagon frowns, tapping his fingers on the desk. "That's... unsettling." 'Oh Joey.'

Namarie snaps her head towards Dagon. "That's all you have to say? Maple isn't the only one, her friend Chrome, he also possesses that power. Just imagine-"

"Riverra is gone, Namarie. The entire forest expanse is nothing but ash. Suho knows how long before we'll be able to replant a forest." Dagon immediately cuts her off. "And Maple considers that, not-doing-anything. According to her, the Ursagorath just died before she could even fight it."

Namarie changes her posture on the desk, now resting on Dagon's chest. "You're no fun Dagon. Argh I miss the old you, brave, fearless-"

Dagon remains unshaken however. "Don't forget reckless, arrogant, impulsive."

With a disappointed look on her face, Namarie retreats from the desk. "Fine, be that way." She walks up to the only window in the office, and jumps off.

...

"At least, close the window." Dagon sighs for the umpteenth time today. Dagon gets up from his seat, walks over to the window, and closes it, shaking his head in exasperation. "Only Namarie would exit a conversation by jumping out a window." He returns to his seat, muttering to himself. "And I'm stuck here, dealing with the aftermath of the Ursagorath's attacks, where the hell are our adventurers." He rubs his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "At least, the meeting with Welvern will be interesting. If nothing else, it'll be a chance to see how Maple Tree handle themselves. That should give us a good evaluation of their strength." He sighs, preparing himself for the inevitable chaos that will ensue. "Let's just hope they don't level the kingdom by accident."

...

...

"Why does the thought, remind me of something."

////

"Hey, are you sure about this. You're talking a big risk."

"I'm certain. From the moment I saw that girl, I could just tell. She can grant me my wish."

"Welvern is quite far. Can you afford a white gate?"

"I'll figure something out. All that matters is that I get there before the meeting."

"Fine, good luck. You'll need it, especially with those monsters attendings. Hey... Don't die."

"No need to worry. I won't."