Arachne

 

- Garon -

 

Just one quiet day.
Is that really asking too much?
Apparently, the answer is "yes" if you're guild leader in the branch located in Verdanis, the biggest city of the warring states.
From hunting requests of scared, and therefore difficult, people, to last-minute requests for stuff that can "only be completed by our members", to political quarrels in a land that is so notorious for being a constant free-for-all that they even named it accordingly, the guild is basically responsible for every little thing.

So, right now we’re incredibly busy with the latest “crisis“
This recent monster attack on the city of Diroen raised all kinds of alarms, and now people call for adventurers because of every little shadow they see.

I mean, I get them.
We're talking about giant spiders, after all.
If I could choose, I would prefer a direwolf to gut me alive.
Or a rager.
One claw strike and I would finally find sweet release from all this stress.

However, while I have some sympathy for those living out on the land, what we got here is basically pure hysteria.
People are calling us for any slightly-bigger-than-average spider they find in their sheds.
I'm almost tempted to send our troops, have them squash the critters they find, and then demand the usual monster-slaying payment.
But unfortunately, the guild has rules against such a thing, as taking on unreasonable requests solely to claim money would tarnish our reputation in the long run.
And I certainly won't be found causing trouble so close to the paid retirement I’ve definitely earned for myself.
Come what may, I'll somehow get over this.

 

 

"Knock, knock, knock"

 

Damnit.
Someone knocking this urgently on my door is never here to tell me that it's time to take a break.

 

"Come in." (G)

"Sir! You got an invitation from the lord. They summon you at your earliest convenience." (guild clerk)

 

That was so clear.
From everything that could befall me, it had to be him.
The local lord of the town, Zoren Temere, is a difficult man.
While he to some degree accepts the guild's neutrality in political matters, he still sees us as his personal assets.

For the guild, the political situation in the south is a nightmare, as each of the local lords does their own thing.
So, despite his difficult demands, we need to appease him or we might lose our foothold in the area.
In the case of Verdanis, this would be quite a blow to the guild, as it's the commercial center of the south.
I certainly won't take responsibility for such a thing.
So yes, I have to answer that call.
As I'm well-known, the guards in front of his spacious mansion don't make things difficult for me, and point me towards the salon.
Upon entering, I quickly cast my gaze over several items existing solely to emphasize my host’s wealth, before settling on the man in question.

 

"Lord Zoren!" (G)

"Ah, my friend! Wonderful that you could find the time to spare me a visit!" (Z)

 

I'm not a friend of such dishonest pleasantries, but hell will I point this out to the most-powerful lord in these lands.

 

"Ahem, naturally I came the instant I received your personal summons. It sounded like a dire subject. May I ask for the reason?" (G)

 

Please, don't let it again be about hunting a rager solely for the purpose of putting it on display.

 

"Yes, it is a dire subject. Sir Garon. Are you familiar with the recent sightings of spider monsters in the vicinity of our neighboring town of Diroen? They're said to be gigantic! I’ve heard they even overcame the wall!" (Z)

"Y-yes. Gossip about this incident is making its rounds at the moment. Why are you mentioning this?" (G)

"Why am I mentioning this?! Spider! Monsters! Brrr. I don't even want to think that such disgusting creatures could dwell so close to our great city!" (Z)

 

Oh no!
He's one of "them"!
For now, I need to stay polite.

 

"Of course, your lordship. But if I may ask, how is the guild involved in this? There is no branch in Diroen. To be honest, the whole town is a lawless hellhole." (G)

"This is exactly the problem! I can't rely on Lord Vrakos to solve his own mess. So naturally it's our duty to get rid of the monsters for my-... ahem, the people's sake. Before they may spread." (Z)

Sigh. I don't even know what to say at this point. Honestly, going after those fiends without any real need to do so sounds like a huge pain in the ass.

"This is a complicated request, your lordship. As far as I'm aware, the creatures retreated soon after they were sighted." (G)

"That won't be an issue. I'm in contact with Lord Vrakos and he relayed to me that the monsters retreated to the northeast." (Z)

 

Northeast! He couldn't mean...

 

"The Evergrove?" (G)

"Yes. You seem unhappy about this information. What about it? You adventurers regularly head in there, don’t you?" (Z)

"I'm sorry, your lordship, yes, it's true that our teams often scour the outer layers. It's full of magical plants and rare monsters. However, there are barely any adventurers so reckless as to go deeper. We even warn them not to do so, as the risk spikes up enormously after a certain threshold. If the creatures went too far inside, then I don't see much hope in finding them anymore. In addition, wouldn't it be quite redundant to hunt them down if that were to be the case? The Evergrove is full of monsters, and the idea of completely cleansing it is a practice in futility. If the monsters are there this shouldn't bother us anymore." (G)

I say let them all be there and hunt each other.
Why send good men into such a death trap?

 

"Oh no, I don't think so. If the creatures came once, they might feel emboldened to try so again. I'm not taking chances on such a matter, so I want your guild to hunt them down. That's what it's there for, after all. Can I trust you with such an assignment?" (Z)

 

A rhetorical question.
He doesn't plan on taking no for an answer.

 

"As you wish, your lordship. I'll put a troop together." (G)

"A single troop won't cut it. As you said, the Evergrove is dangerous. We'll need a considerable effort if this is supposed to have a chance to succeed." (Z)

"Are you suggesting deploying a whole expedition?" (G)

 

This is a terrible idea.
The Evergrove is not a normal place.
It reacts violently to intrusion.

A small troop, no problem, but too many...
There was once this attempt to establish a big lumber camp at its borders.
At first, they were happy about the almost instantly regrowing trees.
Then the growth started to target equipment.
Then it damaged any structures they built.
People got tangled inside their beds and worse.
And then, shortly before they would've left by themselves, came the monsters. Barely anyone lived to tell the tale.

Yet pointing that out if he's already so determined might end poorly for me.
Nonetheless, I should say something or I might get blamed afterward.

 

"Your lordship, this is still a very risky venture. Pardon me, but there is a great risk of failure, as always if it involves the Evergrove." (G)

 

Who knows, suddenly ten ragers might show up, the plant life could eat them alive during their sleep, or slimes destroy their weapons.
I won't take responsibility for such a thing.

 

"You don't need to worry about the costs. Of course, I'll finance the expedition myself. Nobody shall say that Zoren Temere would do things half-heartedly! I can provide everything that's needed. The only thing that I need is your men. After all, there is no feasible replacement for professional monster hunters." (Z)

"I understand. As there is no violation of the guild rules, I'll support your proposal and hang out your expedition as a major assignment on the blackboard. However, please understand that the guild members are free employees. I can push them a little, but the ultimate decision is on them." (G)

"Of course. But the reward, as well as the initial payment, will surely be tempting enough." (Z)

 

He's surely not bluffing.
If there's one good thing about him then it’s that he's not stingy when it comes to paying.
Though, that doesn't really make up for his unreasonable attitude that makes any attempt at a discussion with him a futile effort.

 

"Fine, then I'll leave now to prepare." (G)

"One more thing, Sir Garon." (Z)

 

What is it now?

 

"Yes?" (G)

"Around Diroen, they found many samples of the monster’s spider webs. I would want the expedition to gather them. Apparently, they have extraordinary properties. It would make for a good proof of subjugation. A dress of such kind would surely allow me to conquer Lady Mirea's heart, or other things, if you understand." (Z)

 

Oh damn.
It is a fetch quest!