A Meeting Of Minds (2)

The front doors burst open, and a tall, handsome man walks in with two women in tow. He's wearing a clean set of leather armor and a smug smile. The two women are a little worse for wear but aren't visibly injured. The taller of the two women has floppy bunny ears sticking out between her long green hair and a bow slung across her back. The other appears to be part elf, with pointed ears and a small stature. From what I've read, elves are known for being very small, and this trait extends to their half-human offspring. She has short white hair and a pair of gauntlets caked with dried blood. Demi-humans are not treated as citizens in this country, so having two as your party members has some unfortunate implications. The male member of the party strides up to the counter and slams down a piece of paper.

"Martin the Warrior has returned from another successful mission." Hearing him use that moniker makes me want to puke my guts out, or at least punch him in the face. I hold down the bile rising in my stomach and finish off my beer. Before I even set it down, my waiter has set another by my side. I tell him not to bring me anymore, and I turn back to watch the scene. Catherine, who is also a bunny person, takes the sheet of paper without hiding her displeasure.

"This is a bounty for killing a known group of bandits."

"Yes, I've just completed it," Martin says while inspecting his fingernails.

"Where are the bodies?"

"What?"

"We need the bodies for verification. You can't just walk in here saying you completed a quest without any evidence."

"Look at Valencia's gauntlets. What more evidence do you need?" Martin asks, exasperated.

"Sir, if you continue to cause a disruption, I'll have to inform the guild master," Catherine says as she places one hand on her hip.

"And we wouldn't want that." Jezabel appears behind the counter and approaches the rowdy adventurer.

"Ahh! Of course, I'm sorry!" He takes a step back and bows. "I'll bring the evidence immediately! Peaches! Valencia! Go get the bodies!"

The two women shuffle out of the hall without saying a word. The whole experience leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I finish my second drink and make for the door. The brisk night air brings me back to my senses. I wander about the town for a while and buy some supplies before heading back to the forest. The familiar walk calms me down, and I arrive at my destination before I know it. While walking over to the cave, I notice Inari floating overhead.

"Hi, honey," I say in a stupor.

"Is that how you always greet the fairies?"

"No, I just thought it would be f–" I suddenly realize a voice is emanating from behind me. I turn around, ready to fight, only to find Jezabel standing there with her arms crossed. My brain short circuits, and I don't know what to say. "Why are you doing here?"

"How drunk are you?" The guild leader asks while looking down her nose at me.

"I feel like that's a trick question. Wait, don't try to change the subject; why are you here?"

"Yes, I'd like to know as well," Inari speaks for the first time since we arrived. Her words carry even more force as something begins to glow behind her. One after another, orbs of light of all colors appear around our position.

"Kukuku, I've never felt so threatened by something so beautiful." Jezabel laughs in the face of death and admires her surroundings. She steps forward and confronts Inari. A silent battle occurs between the two behemoths, and I can only hold my breath. After a few moments, Jezabel breaks the tension by raising her hand. "Hi, my name is Jezabel. I'm the leader of the Adventurer's Guild branch in town. It's nice to meet you."

Inari grabs her finger without missing a beat and calmly responds.

"Likewise. I'm Inari, the leader of the fairies. You've come to talk, I presume."

"How did you know?"

"She can read your mind," I interject. "You get used to it."

Inari ignores me and continues speaking.

"If that's the case, then please, come inside." She leads the way into the den, where Shinobu is getting ready for bed.

"EEP!" The small girl is so surprised to see the guild leader that she trips over a weight and falls to the ground. I walk over to check on her and help her up.

"Are you okay?"

"What's she doing here?"

"If you're referring to Jezabel, I have no idea. If you're referring to Inari, I still have no idea."

"This is some impressive equipment you have down here." The guild master runs her hands over the racks of weights to her left.

"Thanks, it was mostly Josh, actually. I just made the designs."

"So this is what you're using to improve so quickly."

"It certainly helps; we've also been doing a lot of running too."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt you showing off, but I'm losing my patience." Inari's cold voice cuts through our conversation. I step back and busy myself with unloading the supplies from my magic bag.

"I'll be frank with you." Jezabel stands up and looks Inari dead in the eye as she responds. The whole fairy village is floating a short distance behind her. "I've got a bit of a problem with some nobles, and I think we can help each other out."

"Proceed." We're in fairy territory, so Inari holds the upper hand at the moment. As strong as Jezabel is, I can't see her making it out of the cave alive if Inari wanted her dead.

"I'm sure you're aware of the coming war." Jezabel waves her hand about casually.

"I've had my suspicions."

"The duke of the territory is planning to make a move now that the situation in the kingdom has calmed down. Alkine town was supposed to be a trade hub before the civil war started; the upper nobles were too busy to develop the territory. Now that they're free, they plan to take control of the forest."

"Why do you care?" Inari raises an eyebrow.

"Well, for one, the Adventurer's Guild has a long-standing policy of non-interference when it comes to territorial disputes, but that isn't really the truth. As we aren't associated with any one state, it gives us the opportunity to play both sides." A malicious grin spreads across the guild master's face. You could hear a pin drop during her short intermission if it weren't for the sound of dozens of fairies beating their wings. "The Adventurer's Guild will be supporting the expedition on the surface to save face. We will be employing a number of problem cases that are about to be expelled or already have been. If they succeed, then we can just get rid of them later, and if they are exterminated, then it saves us some paperwork."

"What do you want from us?"

"Nothing, really. At least, not yet. Partly due to Nick's interference, there's been an increased interest in the region. We're all aware that the wealth he's bringing in is only a fraction of what's available, and many people are looking to profit." I cringe at this last statement. I know Inari doesn't care about profit or trade. At best, I'll just be seen as a pest. I don't want to lose the relationships I've invested so much effort in, but the situation is beyond my control.

"You want my help in exploiting the forest?" And with that, she hits the nail on the head. I brace myself as the negotiation sets to explode.

"That certainly wouldn't hurt. I see Nick has been providing your tribe with clothing. I'm sure we can reach some kind of arrangement. At the very least, we just want to avoid fighting you. I don't even want to imagine how many adventurers would die by your hand if we were to break out in open conflict."

"You don't think you could beat me?" Inari smirks at Jezabel, who shrugs before responding.

"I have more than enough confidence in my abilities, but at the end of the day, I'm only human."

I never thought I'd see the proud guild master acting humble. It can be hard to see which giant is taller when you're looking up from so far below.

"We'll be in touch." Jezabel waves as she walks out of the increasingly cramped cave. "Oh, and before I forget. I expect to see you in my office tomorrow, Nick."

"Okay, see you later." It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I wave blissfully at the woman responsible. She disappears up the slope, and the cave falls into silence. I feel an odd tension in the air, so I look for Woohee in the crowd. It seems she is relegated to the back as it takes me a minute to find her.

"Woohee!" She flies forward at my call. "Here's your cookie."