Chapter 14: Mystilynn Grainwood

Bjorn and Graum glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes. They didn't think the information they volunteered deserved such praise.

"In return for the information you've given, allow me to share something of myself." Mystilynn remarked, pouring herself another cup of tea. She then paused and looked back at graum.

"Your tea must be cold..." she said offended, looking at his tea cup then up at him.

"In the spirit of 'honesty' I'll admit..." graum began.

An uneasy feeling took root in Bjorn's stomach, he knew that Graum would let loose the unadulterated truth... and with how untrusting Graum was towards others... he knew Graum's opinion wouldnt be civil.

"I had my doubts about drinking the tea... I had no way of knowing if the tea or the cup was poisoned. So I aired on the side of caution and I would wait for the tea to get cold before drinking it, which is also why I requested no sugar or cream. Tea that's bitter, is best when it's cold anyway." Graum grinned proudly narrowing his brows.

*smack*

Bjorn facepalmed himself.

"I don't know if I should applaud your cautious nature... or pity your paranoia." Mystilynn frowned. "Although, I must admit... I appreciate the honesty... even if it was crass." She continued.

"Brother can be... rough around the edges. But I swear, he is a good guy." Bjorn defended.

Mystilynn took a sip of her tea.

"I'm sure the both of you have been through a lot, so it only makes sense for you to conduct yourselves the way you do. And I could tell before I met the two of you, that you were good." She smiled lowering her tea cup away from her lips.

"Really?!" "How so?" Bjorn exclaimed in surprise while Graum inquired curiously

"It was because you stepped in and saved my girls. You even treated their wounds in the aftermath. That was all I needed to determine what kind of men you both are." Her bright smile gave them a glimpse of comfort. But that comfort was quickly over shadowed by the reason why they both were in the forest to begin with: to kill the twins from New Zennith.

"Actually Ms. Grainwood..." bjorn paused summoning up the courage to explain why they were in the forest.

"I'm alright with you addressing me as, Mystilynn." She gestured to the both of them but offered Bjorn a warm smile.

"We were actually there... to..." Bjorn began, but the words got caught in his throat.

'How can I tell her, brother and I were really there to KILL those twins... especially since she has been so kind to us..' bjorn thought to himself, as the words refused to come out.

Graum leaned over and put his hand on Bjorn's shoulder giving him a subtle nod. In that moment Bjorn remembered what Graum had told him while Mystilynn left the room. 'What ever you decide, I'll have your back'

"Mystilynn," graum intervened "Bjorn and I were contracted on behalf of: The Grey Coin, to kill a pair of twins that were apart of the guild, New Zennith." Graum finished what Bjorn was trying to say.

Mystilynn's eyes widened, of all the things they could've said. She didn't expect them to say that. That was the first time Bjorn and Graum witnessed Mystilynn being surprised.

"Oh..." she replied, surprised by their explanation.

The room fell silent for a brief period of time. Bjorn and Graum gave Mystilynn time to process the information.

"I must admit.. that is... disheartening to hear..." she replied momentarily breaking the silence. Graum heard pain in her tone, while Bjorn heard suffering.

"Your praise, and gracious hospitality is wasted on us Ms. Grainwood." Said graum in an attempt to soften the guilty atmosphere, not for Mystilynn's sake.. but Bjorn's.

Bjorn held himself to an honorable standard, like that of a knight... or a hero..

And to be praised for heroic deeds that weren't... conflicted with his noble warriors pride.

"Can I ask why? Why you didn't follow through with your contract?" Asked Mystilynn in a stern tone.

"That question is for you brother." Graum replied slapping Bjorn's shoulder.

"Right... uh.. where to begin.." bjorn answered snapping out of his conflicted mindset.

Bjorn took the next hour explaining the situation to Mystilynn. How graum and bjorn took the quest, and how they went to the forest. Then how they saw the two twins fighting the goblins... and how honorable and fierce the twins were in battle. Their fighting spirit reminded Bjorn of his family... so He was compelled to assist them, after he convinced Graum of course.

Mystilynn quietly and eagerly listened till Bjorn finished.

"So you ignored your contract, because your targets reminded you of your family?" She asked hesitantly with a blank expression.

"Well… it's a little more... complicated..." replied Bjorn with a crestfallen tone.

"I'll take it from here." Graum chimed in, saving Bjorn the trouble of re-opening up old wounds.

Graum took the next half hour explaining to Mystilynn that each of the twins, respectively, reminded them of family... and in that moment, the targets they were contracted to kill offered Bjorn and himself something more valuable than gold... the chance to redeem themselves for the faliures of their past.

"Sigh~ And that's why we were unable to complete the quest." Graum sighed finishing his explaination.

"It sounds like you two were set up." Mystilynn stated plainly.

"Sigh~ I came to that conclusion as well..." graum sighed. "of course that was only after a member of the Grey Coin, Maltreesh launched an attack that leveled a portion of the forest..." he continued

"Hold on, didn't you know?" Mystilynn interrupted, with a confused facial expression.

"Huh?" "Didn't know what?" Bjorn and Graum asked.

"Kmhp~ Didn't you know, accepting a quest to attack a Radiant Guild is a capital crime?" Mystilynn asked trying to hold back her giggling.

Bjorn and graum looked at each other and shrugged, they didn't know anything about what Mystilynn refereed to.

"What's a Radiant Guild?" Asked Bjorn.

"Haha, Oh my.." Mystilynn giggled covering her mouth with her hand. "Allow me to explain, All established guilds fall under one of three classifications-" she held up three fingers as she explained "Those classifications are: Radiant, Grey, and Nior. A Nior guild is classified as an inherently hostile guild, meaning they aren't officially sanctioned by the empire. The kind of work guilds of this classification undertake are usually murders, abductions, and thefts. Hostile actions taken against these guilds are viewed as nothing more as eliminating bandits.

A Radiant guild on the other hand, is officially sanctioned by the empire. Meaning, hostile actions taken against these guilds are seen as hostile actions against the empire... guilds with a 'Radiant' status accept work like, culling monsters, escorting people of influence or merchants. And even menial labors.

A Grey guild however, has no official standings with the empire, but they aren't viewed as hostile either.. a gray zone of you will... as for the work they undertake... range from both Radiant and Nior guilds." Mystilynn informatively explained.

Graum, and Bjorn took in Mystilynn's informative lecture. She opened their eyes to the kingdom's system that governed the guilds.

"Do you see how you were set up?" She asked with a smile.

"Sigh~ Yeah... we accepted a quest to kill the twins" Bjorn casually sighed. "But wait... we didn't actually kill them... so we did nothing wrong" he followed up with a smirk.

"Not in the kingdoms eyes... however, we still accepted payment for the job. A job that we FAILED to complete." Graum corrected, finally taking a sip of his cold tea.

"Haha... I wouldn't say that the two of you did 'nothing wrong' ." Mystilynn giggled revealing a cunning smirk.

"Wait, what?!" The boys exclaimed.

"In the aftermath of the battle with the goblins... you treated my girls wounds... remember?" Mystilynn's smirk seemed even more cunning.

"I don't like where she's going with this.." Graum whispered under his breath.

"Ya I remember..." Bjorn replied casually, unaware of what Mystilynn was alluding to.

"One of my girls was poisoned by the goblins, and one of you sucked out the poison... where was the site of the affliction... that's right... it was right here" Mystilynn grinned as she pulled the left fold of her yukata, exposing the pale skin of her cleavage. With the same hand that pulled back the fold in the yukata, she pointed at the side of her breast that was still covered by her yukata.

"Huwhoooow" bjorn excitedly grunted as blood trickled from his nose.

Feeling embarrassed, Bjorn quickly covered his nose.

"Are you suggesting we sexually assaulted her? Haha, I'm sure the magistrate, along with a jury of peers would agree that we saved her life." Graum smugly defended.

"You might be right... but if it looks bad enough... who knows what the magistrate and jury would believe.." Mystilynn smiled fixing her yukata then leaning over opening up one of her desk drawers. She pulled out a few articles of tattered clothing and placed them on the desk for the guys to see.

The articles of clothing looked familiar to them...

"Shit.." graum uttered under his breath.

"Aren't those.. the cloths the twins were wearing when we saved them?" Asked Bjorn.

"Yes they are.." Mystilynn answered, generously pointing out, the lewdly suggestive cut marks the guys made as they tended the twins injuries.

"So you are gonna blackmail us?" Graum gritted narrowing his eyes at her.

"You make me sound so sinister.." she innocently smiled.

"What do you want from us?" Bjorn asked nervously.

A subtle silence filled the room, as Mystilynn quietly took in a deep breath.

"I want you both to answer a question... but first, I said I would share something about myself and I will. when I do... I will ask you both the question. Sound fair?"

Graum and bjorn looked at each other and nodded.

"I was born into an influential noble family, and as the first daughter it was expected of me to be married off to secure political power for the family. But that wasn't the life I wanted for myself. I was gifted with a natural comprehension for mana, and I would always hear the marvelous adventures that my bodyguards exchanged with one another... I guess at some point I romanticized the adventurers life. Haha-" Mystilynn paused to laugh.

Bjorn and Graum noticed she had an affectionate look in her eyes when she paused.

"-Eventually I summoned up the nerve to talk to my father about becoming an adventurer... but when I did, he struck me and said: I was to do what was expected of me. And nothing more" She paused again, this time there was no affectionate look in her eyes... only sadness.

"My father's strong rejection... was devastating. That was the first time I saw that side of him. I never brought up the adventurers life again. A few years went by and in that time, my eyes were opened to the oppressive societal cycle I was trapped in. The more I saw it, the more unbearable it became. Suddenly a dream had formed in the back of my mind. My dream was to be apart of some sort of institution that would give someone like me the chance...no... the CHOICE to decide their own destiny. It must sound silly to the both of you..." her voice trailed off, and she had a glint of self pity in her eyes.

Before Bjorn and Graum could say anything to offer her meager words of comfort, Mystilynn started speaking.

"I then thought, if someone as blessed as I felt so trapped... than surely there would be others who felt the same. However fate soon tested my resolve. My father and brother decided to marry me off to the eldest son of another prominent noble family... it just so happened to by my best friends older brother. My friend strongly opposed the idea... her and her brother hated each other, and my friend knew her brother wouldn't make me happy. Not in the way my friend though I deserved. She was always supportive of me and wanted the best for me. As I want for her. But in the elven nation there was nothing I could do... I was bound by social obligations... so I decided to leave all the privileges afforded to me by my birth. I asked my best friend to come with me... at the time it was such a selfish request... but I think the both of us don't regret it. I decided to make my dreams a reality, so I decided I would create a guild here in the human nation. A guild where everyone, no matter their background, social standing, or talent mattered. A place where everyone was equal. It would be a dawn of a new day. It would be my new zenith.. and the inspiration for the guilds name: New Zennith." She paused with a relaxed smile.

"So now Ill ask my question. Will you Bjorn, and Graum join new Zennith... join me?" She asked standing up from her chair, extending her hand out to bjorn and graum.

Bjorn and even Graum were inspired and enthralled by Mystilynn's passionate backstory. Her invite was warm.. and sincere. Her radiant smile shined a ray of hope unto them washing away their doubts and troubles. Like fate put the both of them through all the pain and misfortune just to end up right there... right in Mystilynn's office... at this particular point in time.

"If it isn't the choice you think is the best for the both of you... I understand." Mystilynn added, her smile seemed even more warm and inviting.

Bjorn reached hesitantly for Mystilynn's hand, stopping just short. He felt like this was a decision to important for just him to decide. He turned and looked at graum.

Graum nodded to him as he reiterated his previous statement, with an affirmative smirk. "What ever you decide, I'll have your back."

A wellspring of joy erupted in Bjorn, giving him the confidence to extend his hand into Mystilynn's. He gently grabbed her hand, and she grabbed his.

"We would be honored to join"