01 28 - Into the Deep Blue

I looked at her with shock, and even her butler looked surprised. I wasn't even able to say anything since the old man was fast to sound ever so worried for this kid.

"Guild master! It's too dangerous!"

He spoke with hands shaking with worry.

"oh please, I can handle myself, plus Mr. Gihyuk here is a strong person right?"

She looked at me with the same eyes, she was clearly wanting to get me to persuade him as well. I wasn't sure if this would be a good idea, but I kept seeing a old friend in here, a friend who couldn't be a child and forced to grow up before he even finished school, maybe this is her way of trying to escape the responsibilities.

"Yeah, I'll act like her older brother, that would work right?"

She looked at me looking annoyed, she was the type of child that didn't like being treated like a small child.

"b-but can't we just wait for one of the magicians to come here?"

The butler asked worriedly, Hare replying with a shake of her head.

"Who knows how long they'll come again, this is an important quest for our guest, and I'm also the only one who could show him where to go since no one else is allowed to know the whereabout of the tower other than me."

After stating her statement, the old man went quiet, clearly not wanting to let her go into possible danger, but let it go and gave up.

"Then just please keep many escape scrolls and a magic ring to keep you safe."

The butler who was acting all cool earlier now was like a overly worried grandfather, it was pretty funny.

"okay okay, enough with that let's get ready for departure."

The girl was happier now, standing up proudly and rushing off, both me and the butler left in shock.

"right now??"

Though I guess this would be the best especially for me since I didn't want to wait for too long to continue the quest.

"She'll take around half an hour to get ready, so please go get whatever you need to get ready."

The butler spoke, leading me out of the door, I gave him a small bow before walking down the stairs with the rub of the back of my neck. Now that I think about it, I haven't let Leaf out much, so while I go shopping, might as well let him come out for a bit.

Now back on the busy streets of Stella Urbs, I lightly tapped the pearl on my neck, and at first it was just silence, before a soft glow came out, and there was our boy Leaf flying in front of me with leaves all over his body.

"hey bud, wait, how did you get leaves on you?"

I looked at him confused, but he was too busy flying around excitedly then nudging my face with the top of his head. Though I'm confused, maybe in the pearl isn't just a room, but a huge space that probably replicates Leaf's home.

"Well I'm glad you're okay, we're going to somewhere new again, aren't you excited?"

The wyvern let out small cooes, oh god I missed him, he's basically part of my family now. I gave him some small head rubs, before something delicious smelling attracted both of us.

"Grilled fish.."

I mumbled quietly, then took no longer to go and buy some with excitement. While eating the fish and sharing it with the beast on my shoulder, I began to look around for anything that might be useful to me. I wasn't exactly sure what to get though since she never said what kind of terrains we had to travel through.

Though this country is mostly Ocean and wet lands, so maybe anything that could help in water would be good. I looked around the many stands in this place, both shops that were by players and npcs. There were breathing jems, water reflecting clothing that would go under your armor to keep you dry. I ended up buying many things because I wasn't sure what to get. Of course I was sure to buy some delicious food too.

Opening the menu window to check the time, it was almost over 30 mins. While heading back to the adventure guild, I was stopped by a hand grabbing my wrist.

"Take these charm bracelets."

I looked at the old lady with a awkward smile.

"No no it's okay,"

Yet she insisted, she kept pulling me down so I gave in and kneeled down in front of the blanket filled with different types of bracelets. She held two dark blue and black bracelet and a small dark red and dark blue one.

"You'll need it if you want to stay safe in the water."

I looked at her slightly surprised, I was feeling skeptical anyways, it won't hurt to buy these right?

"why do I need 3?"

I asked her as I gave her 3 gold coins for it anyways. She kept looking at me with such sad eyes I felt I had to do it either way.

"For your pet and your friend. Now go shoo shoo, keep it with you all the time."

The moment she gave me the bracelet, she began to push me away with a staff. I hurried forward to avoid getting hit anymore, but how did she even know I had another friend with me? I decided to just ignore it and put on one of the blue and black on my wrist, while putting the smaller red and black one on Leaf.

"Don't take it off okay? Anyways let's go in."

I spoke as Leaf looked at me annoyed by it, but listened. I opened the adventurer guild's door, the same amount of people inside almost, but a knight came to me right away to take me back to the room.

Opening the door, the butler and the guild master were already in there.

"How long were you planning to make me wait?"

She spoked annoyed but I just went ahead and sat down on the couch in front of her while placing the last bracelet on the coffee table.

"Sorry I was stopped by someone, they said I needed the bracelet and to give one to the friend I'll be going with so, here you are."

She looked at me skeptical, before grabbing the bracelet and putting it on.

"Anyways, you have to stick to me carefully, we're going into the sea so, thing's might get dangerous."

I looked at her, then the butler, once the word dangerous was mentioned, his face was back to the worried grandpa look. Hare then looked over to the butler with a small sigh.

"I'll be okay Louis. You'll take care of the guild for now, anything important just try to see if it can wait till I come back."

She stood up and I quickly followed to stand up as well, she then put on two rings, one with an emerald and the other with a transparent purple gem.

"We'll go through the backside, don't let anyone other than the Lapis heads know that the guild master is away okay?"

She looked at the butler named Louis who gave a bow as an answer of yes. We then walked out of the room, but rather than going through the front, we went to the back of the hallway, there were no one here nor anyone could see us from the bottom floor.

"Move quickly once I open this,"

She then looked up to the wyvern on my shoulder, confused on how I have him now. Well considering I didn't have Leaf out earlier of course she'd be confuse.

"anyways, hold him so he doesn't get caught."

I nodded and grabbed the beast, holding him in front of my stomach. Hare looking back to the painting at the end of the hallway, pressing the side on a specific part of the frame, and then suddenly yet quietly a passage way revealed to the side of the painting.

"Hurry."

She slipped through easily, I followed the small girl quickly from behind as the door shut behind us quickly. It was dark at first, then the walls of the passage way slowly began to glow a soft blue. The girl was fast with her movements, I had to make sure I was paying attention to her only or else she would have left me behind.

"You'll be the first person to see me without my mask aside from Louis and the Lapis heads."

She looked back at me, and I looked back at her. Was I supposed to be scared? Does she have a face scar? Yet once she took it off, she just looked like a normal child with a light caramel color skin, her eyes were still red and her hair stayed white as well.

"Well that wasn't anything interesting."

She suddenly punched my stomach making me let out a hurt groan while Leaf flew up in surprise from the sudden movement.

"it was important since guild master's show their face to just anyone you know! Anyways, outside of this door is the back side of the ports, like you said earlier, act like I'm your younger sister."

She spoke to me while putting on brown colored contact lense.

"Yes ma'am, I'll call you bunny instead though, It's cuter to say, what kind of brother uses Hare as a nickname for this cute younger sister anyways."

I quickly shut up after that since I could see the annoyed look on her face even if it was dim inside this passage way.

"Fine! Whatever it is, I'm just happy to get out! Let's go."

She huffed, pressing something on the wall, which then opened the secret door, and the sudden shine of the outside blinded us for a moment, before the familiar salty smell of the ocean, the splash of the waves and the sea birds shouting along side the other people in the port.

"we'll, let's go Mr. Gihyuk, you're the ticket to my short freedom."

She looked back at me with a grin, well glad to be able to help her leave the title of Guild master even just for a little bit, but there was something in my stomach that hurt, my guts were saying things may not go as smoothly from now on.

To be continued...