A Dull Blade's Shine Pt. V

"Hello...?" I said, as I opened the large door leading into the guild house.

No response- Maev and I found ourselves in an empty, bar-looking room- there were tables set up around and the like, but no one was around.

Maev didn't look surprised as she made a casual beeline to the left of the room, where a staircase was leading upstairs.

I didn't follow immediately in suit however, as I wanted to see the room a little bit for myself first.

It... looks like a fantasy-game tavern, with everything that a fantasy like it should as a decor within. I approached the bar as I heard Maev call out to me.

"Is there an issue?" She said as she peeked at me through the turn of the staircase.

"No, no- just give me a moment, it's my first time here." I ran a finger on the counter, it came up with a lot of dust.

"Well, I'll be upstairs- just go to the large door straight ahead when you follow up, I'll be waiting there with the guild master; he'll tell me where the oracle is." She said as she left.

It's underwhelming.

Too underwhelming.

I thought I was going to see 'adventurers', but no one was here- and they haven't been here for a long time as I can see it.

Is that? Ah, well that should be expected- it's the hallmark!

It was a large bulletin board hung on a side of the wall next to the counter.

I could see years and years of use on it, with hundreds of visible grooves from the tacking on of paper.

This was the adventure request board.

To my surprise, there was a single quest still available on it- it being tacked on dead in the middle.

"Help hunt a stadeer, speak to Nilo to accept, reward: gratitude, and stadeer meat."

"..."

Under-...whelming.

I suppose that's the gravity of the situation.

The Stolgs are near worthless, so it can't really be used as payment for a quest anymore.

Even in the stalls outside, I didn't see anyone trading anything with the coin- it was all barter for barter.

And as such, this guild house has become what it is now.

"Hey, you." I heard a voice call out to me from behind.

I turned around and saw that there were two demons dressed in familiar looking armor.

They were wearing the dragon symbol of Modos.

"Yes?" I asked, they we're likely the lent capital guards- didn't they see the sign outside?

"Look, he's alone- we'll get promoted if we can get him to squeal." One guard brazenly said aloud.

"Didn't know the fat man hired men, I thought he was a pervert through and through- him picking up any stray girl on the street to work for him." the other said, he rested his hand on his sheathed sword on his hip as he eyed me.

"Look guys, I'm not a servant of Lord Saleos if that's what you're getting at." Did they come in silently from the door?

"What's that? Making excuses now cause you're alone now, are you?"

"Annoying Head bitch won't save you now- she's always in heat, waving her tail for her master even though he won't ever really love her, Heh." They began to lumber at me, every step of theirs heavy with intent.

"That's fine though- if she's caught walking alone anytime soon, I'll make sure to give her some of my 'love', haha; get her to bark a whole mess!"

"You guys are making a mistake- I'll make sure to tell-"

*thump*

"Owah!? Sergean- *thump*"

They both suddenly fell to the hard, rickety wooden floor like bags of flour.

"Huh? What just happened?"

"Yaaaawwwnnn, why're these idiots making so much noise so early in the day!"

Walking down the staircase, was a small girl with a rather large, blue point hat wielding an equally large, tree-branch; she had it extended towards the guards.

"Mmmmm? Who're you?" She asked, as she fixed her large hat to show her face to me- she tapped her staff to the ground.

She had on large, circular glasses- her face looked drowsy, as if she just woke up a moment ago. Even though she looked really young, she gave the impression that she was a lot older than she looked- it didn't help that her violet eyes had massive sleep-deprived eyebags underneath them. On her forehead were two black horns that curved inward like a bull, her ears were long, and pointy as well- a lot longer than even Ima's or Ami's. Her hair was the color of her hat, with it being in five, long separate braids that fell and reached below her knees.

"I, er- I'm Kai?" I replied, confused as to what was just happening.

"Kai? Strange name for such a putrid smelling boy like you." She waved her tree-branch staff at me.

"Putrid!?" I reflexively took a whiff of my armpits, forgetting that I myself, can't smell.

"Your Aether is leaking out, have some shame and bottle it up won't you." She said as she lazily walked over to the guards- she poked the one who had his hand on his sheathe with her staff.

"Mmmm, bothersome, bothersome- boy, do you mind helping a frail old woman carry these unwanted guests outside?"

...

"You put them to sleep?"

I was standing behind the counter, serving what was likely hard liquor to a young girl who looked like she had just graduated middle school.

"Ah, delightful- it's age gives it a good kick." She sipped the murky liquid casually as she sat leisurely on the stool next to the counter.

"Yes, boy, I put them to sleep- it's a simple sleeping spell." She waved a small finger in the air and a tiny magic circle appeared.

"They we're making far too much of a ruckus, loud roughhousing sours my mood, especially so early on in the day..." She took another sip of the grog, it looked like it helps her to relax.

"You live here?" I said as I cleaned some of the cups and glasses with a rag- hmm, I wonder if I hadn't met Levii, would I have ended up as a bartender?

"Here and there, yes."

I think I know who I'm talking to now.

"Are you the oracle?"

She said nothing as she took a long gulp of her drink- at last finishing it.

"Yes, I am the oracle lent here for the 'time'." She said.

"Why? Have I, Ofelia the Infinite, finally become recognized for her achievements? Will I finally be paid for my countless years of loyal service to the crown and be given a handsome, strapping silver-fox of a nobleman to whisk me away off my feet to a cozy estate near the ocean so I may live out the rest of my days in my study in peace? Preferably a quiet, nobleman, neither too fat nor skinny?" She slammed the empty mug onto the counter, her round glasses were crooked on her small nose; her face was a little flushed.

"*Huff* the estate near the ocean optional, mind you. *Huff*"

"Ah, no." I replied.

"I was sent by Head maid Lorica from the Saleos manor to ask you for your divination report." I showed her the small golden brooch that Lorica had given to me, she eyed it in between her huffs.

"Of course, of course- that's the reason." She groaned, now fixing her glasses.

"Welp- I can't help you." She said as she jumped off of her stool.

"W-What?" I was shocked by her response.

"Are you as deaf as you are smelly, boy? I said I can't help you." She pointed her large branch-staff at me, it was an inch away from my nose.

She noticed the Faustus crest on my forehead, but she looked unbothered by it as she just walked away.

"B-But, the report you gave Lorica was blank! What's the deal with that!"

"I gave what I was asked for, nothing else nothing more- leave me be, the drink has given me some of restored some of my youthful spunk, I won't be wasting it on the likes of you; that grey-haired gentleman will be mine this time~" She cooed as she strutted up the stairs.

"W-Wait!- Huh?" I hopped over the counter table and made a brisk walk over to her, but as I took one step on the staircase, I noticed that I wasn't at all ascending.

Over and over again, did I try and walk up the stairs, I ended up back on the first step.

"Are you doing this!?" I demanded, but she ignored me as she breathed a heavy yawn.

"Keep it down, or I'll put you to sleep too- your young upstart of a creator's half-baked magic won't save you either." She waved me off as she disappeared at the bend of the staircase.

"W-What!? Wait!!" I cried out, but she was gone now- but with her disappearance came the return of the stairs acting normal.

I raced upstairs to try and catch her slinking away, but I was only greeted by a rather startled looking Maev and a middle-aged man standing next to her.

"K-Kai!?" Maev blurted.

"One second, did you see the oracle just now!? I was just talking to her a moment ago and-"

"Oracle? Hmph, have you been sampling the grog downstairs young man?" The middle-aged demon spoke, he was bald with only his goatee being his only bit of hair on his head- he was wearing some casual-looking clothes, with it being mainly just trousers and a blouse with a thin coat atop. He had steer-like horns jutting outward from his temples.

"What!? Didn't you two see her just coming from upstairs right now? She was just here!" I motioned to them, but as I could now see- she wasn't anywhere to be found.

"She- She was just-"

"Kai, this is guild master Puell Gohorn, I was just speaking with him on the whereabouts of the oracle." Maev interrupted me, likely to help me straighten myself out.

the middle-aged demon gave a small bow, but unlike the ones I've seen before- this bow was a bit different.

He gripped his throat as he bowed, letting go of it as he came up.

"Crush my throat if I cross ye'- as the lass said, I'm the guild master of this here Adventurer's flocking."

"And for the whereabouts of the oracle- well, you've just missed her by a hair, she left just last night."

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