[14] No Paths to Refusal

Via Goodwill ran through the streets of Aclair, the city etched from a mountain. She winded between pedestrians, dodged the rare wagons on the forever curving slopes, and shot straight towards the heights of the city until she was below a roof lined with the soft orange glow of Orient Crystals and before the adventure guild.

"Honestly. . ." She muttered and kicked the door open with a booted foot.

The residents within immediately turned to stare at her. She ignored the masses who wore armor and wielded weapons. Ignored the woman on the left, busy with her job—yet who per-chanced to grin at her—with a scoff. And stared right smack at the duo she was after.

"So you're back after all," She stamped forward.

Claire hill raised a cup to her lips and sipped it. In front of her, there was a table lined with food and a teapot. To her left, Alicia had ignored the tea entirely and was currently stuffing her face with meat.

"Hmm?" She tilted her head. "It didn't take long for word to travel, I suppose?"

"Of course not. Not when you're looking like that. 'Ice Goddess at the adventure guild, waiting.' They murmured and my ears naturally picked up their annoying chit chats."

Via sounded half-part annoyed, ears tired at walking through Aclair and hearing news about a beautiful ice-girl who could only be the person before her. She had rushed here but now that she was actually here, she couldn't help but blink her eyes.

"Did you get a makeover or something? I don't like you or anything but you look damn stunning. And your boobs are bigger too. . .you're not padding them are you?" She asked, eyes skeptical as they ran over Claire's figure. "With looks like that, you could make a girl gay."

At those words, however, Alicia turned her head momentarily from a skewer of meat and narrowed her eyes at the bunny-girl.

"Claire is mine," She said.

Via rolled her eyes in return as she took a seat. "Calm down. I wouldn't pick her if she was the last girl on this planet, she bugs me to the high heavens. Besides, I for one like men."

Claire placed the cup down from her lips.

"That's quite the harsh words," She said.

"It comes from a place of warmth or something." Via shrugged, waving her hand, then raised a brow. "So what happened here with your looks? You were an Ice Fairy before if my thinking serves right, but did you evolve? That's the only thing I can figure to explain this."

'Smart,' Claire thought. Via might not look the part, but the girl had a good head on her shoulders. All around Claire, people ogled at her visage. Surely, they would stare at Alicia too if she didn't have her half-mask on but, right now, she took much of the glare of Aclair's adventure guild. It was no wonder Via had tracked her back here in less than an afternoon's return.

Tapping a gloved finger on the table, she nodded.

"Precisely," She said, "Now that you're here as expected, I do have something to discuss with you, however."

"Spit it out," Via replied.

"Direct as always." Claire nodded. "First off, I spoke with Clara over there, and after she stopped staring me over, she told me she had you research the Seven Deadly Sins? Would you mind telling me all you know?"

Via scoffed and brought out a leather book. It was plain and looked akin to a diary. "Tell you? I wrote as much info as I could find in here. It's really mere rumors and speculations, though."

"Oh?" Claire was impressed as she took the thing and it disappeared from her hand with flakes of snow. "Thank you very much."

"I was paid for it on your behalf. You should thank Clara." The bunny-girl replied, ears twitching. Then she arched a brow. "It sounds like there's something else?"

Claire smiled. Clara Stone was the receptionist perpetually looking for something more than boredom. Though the woman hadn't mentioned it, it looked like she would have to repay.

"Indeed there is," Claire said, "We're planning to try towards Tress and seek out the Heroes and Guardians of this world. Would you like to come with us? You do need to find the Sword Saint, don't you?"

Via narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"

Claire smiled and Via couldn't help but shudder from a silent chill. She looked into the azure eyes of the girl and immediately had a bad feeling.

"Oh," The Ice Queen spoke as she uncrossed and crossed her legs, supple thighs shifting below her skirt, "Simply train my 'familiar' in swordsmanship for me. You'll help me, won't you? I like to think the Dragon Heart was worth at least that much."

Via Goodwill cursed, "Fucker. This is why you bug me."

It was a request she couldn't refuse, especially not after her pride had forced her to run about trying to repay the gift before. She would look ridiculous if she said no now. If she did turn the girl down, she might as well go hunting for a dragon—lesser or not—and give its heart to Claire. In other words, an impossibility for the current her.

"Fine," She said, "Now what's this familiar of yours?"

Claire snapped her fingers. With a chill in the air, a featureless golem of ice stood by her side.

"Eh—eh ah, miss! I'm finally out again!"

As Asta was summoned, Via goodwill shot from her chair.

"Are you serious?! You want me to train a fricken ice golem?!" She yelled as eyes turned to her.

Claire wagged a finger. "An elemental spirit."

"The same nonsense!" The bunny-girl said, "You're practically looking down on me!"

Asta tilted his head, swerving at the place while adventurers stared at him with lips agape. Alicia, on the other hand, kept her face absolutely stuffed with the food on the table. There was not a moment she cared enough to glance any further at the insecure bunny.

"On the contrary, I'm helping you, am I not?" Claire shrugged and smiled. "Think of the bright side, why don't you? As you train him, you can also practice on your way to the Sword Saint. After all, one becomes an expert by teaching others, don't they?"

"Ah—" To that, Via could only quietly sit back down. She took an empty cup and poured herself some tea. She chugged it in one smooth motion, she huffed at the taste she considered awful, but soon relented quite readily under the pressure of Claire's patient gaze.

It was true, she did need to keep perfecting her skill with the blade as they advanced on their journey. Doubting that Claire would wield a useless ice golem, she realized there was never a chance for her to win in a battle of words with this acquaintance of hers. She had no paths to refusal, especially when she considered the possibility that sticking with the two—who always found themselves on various adventures—could very much grant her a faster rate of growth.

'Wait, now that I think about it, where the heck did she get an elemental spirit?' She thought with speechlessness.

"Alright," She grumbled, "I'll train your golem in swordsmanship, but you better not ask me to train you two too."

The Ice Queen was fine with that. Alicia was not interested in swords and Claire could just watch from a distance and replicate whatever she saw with her perfect memory. It might not make her as good as actual training, but she would be decent enough. The bunny did not need to know that, however.

"It's a deal, then." She smiled, feeling somewhat like a villain. She never did say she was a nice, truthful person. When there were benefits worth having, words were better manipulated.

As she had expected, the opportunity to win against the Sword Saint in a new duel was still a soft spot for the strong-willed girl.