Life in a new Kingdom

Standing from us was Nana Xei, the famous Beast Woman Guild Master of Saiana. Her position had been vacant due to Guild business elsewhere. Julia had been mainly the acting Guild Master handing out quests and making requests of other Guilds on her behalf. But the moment she arrived, all that power was relinquished back to Nana. The tall and toned Guild Master had smirked at us both after stating her orders.

"Nana, I am so sorry. I didn't know to expect you back—" Julia stops speaking when Nana raises her hand, commanding the entire guild to pause.

"I figured it was time to return; the business in the capital finally went through until this war broke out. Being trapped behind enemy lines isn't easy to maneuver. So, my journey may have taken some detours."

"Ma'am, if you may, we have a situation on our hands; we have a party-"

"You don't need to tell me what I already know. I found this one stranded, barely alive." Behind Nana is a young elf woman. She had bloodied bandages wrapped around her eye and body. "Go on, tell them." The frightened girl has trouble speaking before clearing her throat. A story of battles is written behind her eyes, and she speaks.

"I-I am Hinnia... I was with the group tasked with wiping out the nest of Goblins reported north of the village... We spent several days trying to find any tracks of their whereabouts but turned up short. Our leader, Uzel, pressured us to continue. We fell into a trap and before I knew it, I was abandoned by them... The goblins must have thought they killed me because I woke up with my eye missing...my body covered in blood. A dead goblin was on top of my body with his head crushed, probably by Yorn. He must have saved me cause the wounds on my body were less fatal, but I was sooner closer to death than I care to admit...

"Tell them what you told me about their Leader."

"When we were ambushed, they had this massive red-skinned goblin. It was a Hobgoblin, the one you warned us about, Caleb. He had a dark artifact in his hands, which caused his goblins to go into a frenzy. If you cut them down, their bodies would will themselves until they fell apart. By the time we realized... Senka and Noro fell from their assault... I guess I did, too, for a bit. I am sure the party retreated to camp to escape, but if those creatures... If they had kept on their trail, I would say they would follow until they were dead..." She covers her face in shame. Tears slip through her hands, and Juila comforts her.

"We need to get out there and help our brothers in arms! Let's get going!" Troa incites his fellow members as they begin to get up and head for the doors.

"I don't think so," Nana interjects. Stopping them from leaving.

"But why? They could still be alive!" Troa argues.

"She barely survived, and they forgot about her. If what she said about the dark artifact and this Hobgoblin is true, they are dead or, worse, taken to their nest, for God knows. Either way, it would be pointless to search for them; you would only perish among them."

"Guild Master..." Troa grits his teeth in anger, knowing she is right, but also, the friends he made during training could be dead.

"So, in other words we can't even retrieve their bodies? What kind of Guild shows this much disrespect for their dead or missing." I demand from Nana. She turns her head to me with a smirk.

"Here is the great little Lord I heard from Julia. Your letters did you a disservice. You're quite feisty; I can tell by your eyes. But still a child. This is Guild matters, I am afraid, so if you are, please, I have to coordinate a possible defense against this threat." She brushes past me, pumping into me even. I grab her hand and yank her back; she resists. An unpleasant look soon replaced her demeanor.

"I won't abandon those I trained; the same can be said for everyone else here. If you won't do something, I will. That is my authority as the Lord of this village. You will obey it." We stare daggers at each other before she pulls her hand away.

"If anyone is foolish enough to comply and join him, consider yourself hereby banned from this Guild and no longer welcomed." A spur of voices complain about the sudden declaration. Nana snaps her fingers and causes the rest of them to quiet down. "This is final." She walks into the office and gestures to Julia to join her.

"You guys heard her. There's nothing you can do." A look of despair and defeat washes over the entire room, crushing everyone's round spirits.

"Come on, guys, we are going to save them. Damn this Guild if they believe we shouldn't help our comrades!" Troa starts to raise the spirits of his own men.

"Forget it, you guys should listen." My voice echoes the room, causing the hall to fall in silence.

"But... My Lord, didn't you say-"

"If you guys are banned, then everything you worked for was a waste. You should all stay. The Guild Master gave her orders."

"If you requested it, the Guild would-"

"Troa, that's enough! She's right. Risking your lives for them would be a waste. As much as it pains me, I don't want to believe it, but if these Goblins have a powerful Hobgoblin Shamin, this turns from a Silver Rank quest to at least a high Gold Rank. This is something that I need to do alone."

"What?"

"Don't make me repeat what I said. You need to take care of her; she survived hell out there; if she is ever going to live beyond this experience, you need to be there for her. Don't abandon the ones you can save now, Troa. If I go, I have a good chance of at least confirming their deaths and maybe bringing back some effects to at least hold a funeral for. I helped train you guys; it is my responsibility just as much to see this through."

"What if something happens to you?"

"I was trained by Eckhart; I should be able to take on any Goblin, maybe even the Hobgoblin, if need be. I don't plan on dying or having a war with them. Traveling light and solo is the best way to get information at this time. If they are alive, I will try to convince the Guild Master to save them, okay?"

"Thank you." Troa kneels to me. An awkward feeling that I'll never get used to. I quickly raise him to his feet.

"Just take care of Hinnia while I am gone. I should be back within a week; if not...well... I misjudged the situation. I'll depart soon. Make sure everyone follows the rules and doesn't do anything stupid. If the Goblins find this time to attack the village, I need you all to be ready."

Soon after leaving the Guild Hall, I reached the manor and talked with everyone. Eckhart expressed his utmost concern for my well-being, Mei included, but putting things into perspective, they reluctantly stayed silent.

"I'll be fine, Eckhart. This is something a soldier or knight can't do. The village is our top priority, and rousing this threat with a large force could lead to something we are unprepared for."

"You're still just a child! Why can't you see that you keep putting yourself at risk!"

"I have been given the responsibility of protecting and overseeing this village, Eckhart. I can't hide or neglect this position. Father would trust me to do the right thing, and this is what I am doing. If I take anyone from the army, including yourself or Carlo, we risk too much for so little. At worst, I confirm they are dead and have to flee, and we prepare for a possible siege. At best, I can recover something of them or find survivors without causing a commotion. Trust me, I have thought through this for a while."

"Fine, if you believe you can do it, just do it already. I'll get the army ready and on standby for your return."

"That would be ideal. We may have to fight an unknown enemy, so be prepared for that."

After leaving with a bag full of supplies and my gear, I order for the gates to be opened and leave for the large signpost north of the village. I take a deep breath before passing by. A sudden voice calls out to me, stopping me in place.

"Looks like my suspicions about you were right." Leaning against a tree is the Guild Master herself, Nana.

"Nana? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see your conviction for myself. I gave Julia my plans regardless, and my orders still stand. However, seeing as you are risking your life for a couple of greenhorns, I figured I'd tag along. It might be risky having us two, but I need the practice after so long. I hope you have no objections?"

"Not that I mind, are you sure?"

"Yep, besides, I do what I want as Guild Master. So, come on, little cub, let me show you what a true adventurer can do."