Quest Report

"Wow, that is crazy," Lilith said. "I would never have guessed that you would be the guild master. I guess I should talk to you, then, about the subjugation quest in the mountains and what I found out."

Heather smiled and replied, "Yes, it would be better for me to hear what happened from the adventurer who completed the task. If I recall correctly, the adventurer who took on this quest did it alone. Is that true?" She looked questioningly at Elara and Ella.

"It is," Lilith confirmed. "My friends just happened to follow after me and stayed at the camp in case I needed help, without me knowing it. I guess you could say they were testing me." Lilith smiled bashfully.

Elara nodded. "Indeed. I was a little worried since it was your first adventure alone."

Ella laughed. "Haha, a little hahaha... Let's go with that." She then flew around Lilly some more.

Elara glared at Ella, then said with a smile, "Well, Lilith, you can go with Heather to her office and give her the details. Meanwhile, Ella and I will watch Lilly while you are talking with Heather."

Ella chimed in, "Yes, Lilly and I are good friends now, so we can just play around."

"Oh, that is thoughtful of you guys," Heather said with a smile. "Then you should go around the guild. There's a small garden perfect for playing and running around."

"We will do that," Elara nodded, then guided Ella and Lilly out of the hall.

Heather then turned to Lilith and motioned for her to follow her to her office.

As they settled down in the office chairs, Lilith took out an orb with a noticeable crack running through it. Heather leaned in, her eyes widening with curiosity.

"This orb is the reason the undead were still around," Lilith began.

...

It was an orb that Jakinn had given them, to use as an excuse for why the undead still remained animated and continued to spawn. They had discussed it for some time, and Jakinn told them it was for the best that no one knew about him, the sapling, or the goddess.

...

Heather listened intently, nodding for Lilith to continue.

"I found it concealed in the ruins after destroying an undead mage who seemed to be guarding it," Lilith continued. "I guess it was what the necromancer was after and hid when Lord Algran and the other adventurers came to defeat him. It was still gathering power and could animate the undead. When I fought the mage, I blasted him and finished him off by tossing my spear at him, pinning him to the wall. The wall crumbled, and the spear embedded itself in the orb. After that, all the undead disappeared, and I checked the mine again. There was no trace of any undead spawning."

Heather picked up the orb, examining the crack closely. "Oh, that is interesting," she remarked. "What a shame that the orb is damaged. I would have loved to study it in its entirety. It looks ancient. I guess I can still study it, but I don't think I'll learn much after that blow."

Lilith shrugged slightly. "I'm just glad the undead are gone. But if you think you can still learn something from it, that might be useful for preventing this kind of thing in the future."

Heather nodded, setting the orb down gently on her desk. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Lilith. Your report is thorough, and it's clear you handled the situation well. I'll look into the orb and see if there's anything we can salvage from its remnants."

Lilith smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "I'm just glad I could help. And thank you for trusting me with this quest."

Heather smiled back. "You've proven yourself more than capable, Lilith. Keep up the good work."

Then Heather started to scribble some words on a paper and said, "You can bring this to the counter and give it to the guild staff. They will pay for the quest."

Lilith nodded, took the paper, and left the office. As she walked into the hall again, she scouted for Vicksy, but she was nowhere to be found. So, she just walked up to a random guild staff member at the counter and handed over the paper.

"Just a moment, miss. I'll handle this for you quickly," the guild staff said, walking into the back area. He soon returned with a big pouch, planted it on the counter, and said, "This should be the payment for the quest. I hope you can handle this much. It is a big pouch."

Lilith smiled and nodded. "Yes, it's big, but don't worry, I've got a trick." She took the pouch and put it into her bag.

The guild staff was baffled. When he came back to his senses, he said, "I see, a magic bag. So, miss, is there anything else I can help you with?"

Lilith just smiled and said, "No," then bid him goodbye and left the guild.

As she came out the door, Lilith began to walk around the guild, looking for the garden Heather had spoken of earlier. She found it quickly, and to her surprise, she saw Elara sitting under a tree with Vicksy, talking and keeping an eye on Ella and Lilly.

Ella and Lilly were running around and playing, laughing and giggling at each other.

Lilith walked into the garden and greeted them all with a smile. "So this is where you are, Vicksy," she smirked. "Slacking off and gossiping with Elara, I see."

Vicksy just smiled at Lilith and replied, "I'm on my break. And yes, we are indeed talking gossip. Elara is a really good listener," she smirked.

Elara just nodded and waved hi to Lilith.

Lilly and Ella rushed up to Lilith.

Then Lilly shyly asked, "Big sister Lilith, will you play with me and big sister Ella? We are playing catch the thief."

Lilith beamed with a smile and said, "Of course. I'll be the guard, and you guys can be the thieves." Then she began to count, and Ella and Lilly ran away from her.

They played for a long time, and before they knew it, Heather arrived to pick up Lilly. Next to her was Claus.

"Oh, so this is where you are hiding, Vicksy," Heather remarked with a stern voice.

"Uh, Guild Master," Vicksy said with a flinch in her voice. "I guess you caught me."

Heather then continued, "Don't worry, Vicksy. I know you are working hard, and there's not much to do at the guild at the moment. So just relax and spend time tending the garden so you at least are working." She smirked, then called Lilly over. "It's time for us to go. Claus has settled our house, so we don't have to stay in the inn anymore."

Lilly said goodbye to Ella and Lilith, then waved at Vicksy and Elara. She rushed over to her dad and gave him a hug. "I'm ready to go, Daddy and Mommy. I had so much fun," she beamed with a radiant smile.

"That is good to hear, sweetie," Claus said with a smile. "Let's go home then. Dinner is almost ready."

The three of them waved farewell to the group and left the garden.

As the sun began to set, Elara remarked, "I guess it is getting late. Let's go to the tavern for dinner. Vicksy, will you join us?"

Vicksy smiled. "I will gladly join you guys. What tavern are we going to?" she asked.

Ella chimed in, "We go to the Red Devil Tavern. They make really good food there."

Lilith and Elara nodded in agreement with Ella's words. "Yes, the Red Devil Tavern sounds perfect," Lilith added. "Let's head there now."

The group made their way out of the garden, chatting and laughing as they walked through the bustling streets of the town. The sky was painted with shades of orange and pink as the sun dipped below the horizon. The sounds of the evening market filled the air, with merchants calling out their wares and townsfolk going about their business.

When they arrived at the Red Devil Tavern, the warm, inviting glow of the lanterns and the sound of lively conversation greeted them. They found a cozy table near the fireplace and settled in.

A friendly waitress approached them with a smile. "Good evening! What can I get for you all tonight?"

"We'll start with a round of your house ale," Elara said, looking around the table for nods of agreement. "And for dinner, we'll have whatever specials you have tonight."

The waitress nodded and hurried off to place their order.

As they waited for their food, the group continued their conversation, sharing stories and laughter. The tavern was filled with a pleasant, bustling energy, and the smell of delicious food wafted through the air.

When their meals arrived, they dug in with gusto. The Red Devil Tavern's food lived up to its reputation, with hearty portions and rich flavors that satisfied their hunger.

"This is amazing," Vicksy said between bites. "I'm so glad I decided to join you guys."

"We're glad too," Lilith replied with a smile. "It's been a long day, but ending it with good food and great company makes it all worth it."

The evening continued with more laughter and camaraderie, and as the night wore on, they felt a deep sense of fulfillment, joy and happiness.