Chapter 144: [144] Unwelcomed Visitors

Two days later...

After leveling the entirety of the volcanic plains, Thalia and the rest of the party had returned to Issen, where they had some much-needed rest.

Even a trip to the hero’s tower was not enough to wash away the strangeness they felt the moment they left the volcanic plains.

Staying there for nearly three weeks may have been good for their progress, but it had done a number on their bodies.

Thankfully, after doing nothing but sleeping, eating, waking up and repeating for two days, they finally felt normal...

Now the two women were on their way to the adventurers guild to sell the spoils of war.

"I can’t believe Ark left us to do the grunt work while he went back to Venaris..." Olivia grumbled by Thalia’s side.

Thalia laughed lightly. "Well, he wouldn’t have left if you didn’t collect his bribe, are you changing your mind now?"

Olivia’s cheeks tinted pink. "He is a scammer! He knew I was not thinking straight the moment he mentioned food!"

"But that is your fault, isn’t it?"

Olivia folded her hands across her chest and glared at Thalia. "Whose side are you on here? Don’t tell me you support Ark?"

"We are here." Thalia replied, staring up at the guild sign.

The guild was just as rowdy as it always was, with adventurers bragging about their exploits, while some bargained for goods at the counters.

Thalia’s eyes swept the room, searching for Eva, but she could not find her at the stands. Instead, another woman who she didn’t recognise was at her desk.

"Hmm? Is she not in the office today?" Thalia muttered.

It would be annoying to take all the materials back, they were occupying a huge part of her inventory, so she wanted to dispose of them as quickly as possible.

"Miss Thalia? Miss Olivia?" Someone called out from behind them.

When they turned around to see just who it was, Olivia’s face immediately turned sour.

"You..." she did little to hide the animosity in her tone.

The woman instinctively took two steps back and scratched her head warily while averting her gaze.

It was Stephanie, the woman that had bullied Eva the last time they were here. Unlike before, she was no longer in a guild uniform, instead she was holding a broom and wearing rubber gloves.

"Please don’t look at me with such disdain, it has been a long time since the incident, hasn’t it?"

Olivia folded her hands across her chest. "Time doesn’t change what you did, does it?"

The woman placed her hands on her chest and tried to explain herself. "I am a changed person, I apologized for my actions in the past, I have also apologized to Eva as well—"

"Tch. As if a leopard can suddenly lose its spots. I am on to you...!"

Thalia held Olivia back and sighed, before settling her gaze on the woman.

She couldn’t blame Olivia, even she did not trust her one bit, but that was not what they were here for.

"Stephanie, have you seen Eva?"

"Oh?" Her face brightened up at the thought of being of use. "Miss Eva is in her office."

"Office?" Both Olivia and Thalia asked simultaneously.

Stephanie led them to Eva’s office, which was actually Lady Freude’s office, and then knocked once before stepping away and saying;

"Miss Eva, you have visitors."

There was an audible grumble from the other side of the door. "Visitors? Like I don’t already have enough work~"

"..."

"Let them in."

The door was pushed open, revealing Eva at the other side. She was sitting down in Lady Freude’s chair. In front of her were several stacks of papers, and the quill in between her fingers trembled as she went through them.

Thick, dark circles had formed underneath her eyes, and her hair was a wiry mess.

Lady Freude on the other hand was as fresh as a cucumber. She was sitting on her lofty couch with her eyes closed, barefooted, while sipping on a cup of fruit juice.

’What is going on...’ Thalia thought as she took in the scene. She remembered Lady Freude saying something about having Eva assist her, but she didn’t know it would be to this extent, nor this strenuous.

Eva looked half dead...

The elf tiredly raised her head to see who had entered the room, and the moment she saw them, her face brightened up.

"Miss Thalia? Miss Olivia?" She got up from her chair. "It’s good to see you!"

She was out from behind the desk and in front of them in seconds.

"It has been so long since I saw you, I was beginning to get worried. What about Ark? Is he here with you?"

Thalia shook her head. "Ark has already returned to Venaris. Um, Eva, are you alright?"

Eva’s mood seemed to dampen a bit, maybe she was expecting to see Ark? Regardless, she gestured towards the room.

"Please have a seat..."

As she led them to the couches, she then asked; "Oh, and what do you mean by your question?"

"You look like you’re about to collapse and die." Olivia said plainly. "Why are you doing all the work?"

"Oh?" Eva’s eyes widened with realisation. "I was actually the one who asked to take over Lady Freude’s work for a day. Oh, and this is not all the work, I was meant to do everything..."

She glanced at Lady Freude and frowned slightly. "But Lady Freude already did seventy percent before six o’clock."

Thalia glanced at the table and blinked. ’That is 40%?’

Lady Freude was indeed in charge of her merchantry, and since the adventurer’s guild master only knew how to fight, she ran the guild as well.

But Thalia never thought the work would be this intense—

"Such a silly girl isn’t she?"

Thalia turned around to see Lady Freude open one eye, before she opened the second.

"I told her she is not ready, but she insisted on trying it out..." she said in an exasperated tone.

"You have done so much for me, Lady Freude." Eva said shyly. "I want to do my best as quickly as possible..."

Lady Freude shook her head before turning her attention back to Thalia, a wide smile blossoming on her face.

"Alright, my money making gremlins, what do you have for me today?" She floated to her feet and landed right in front of them.

"Don’t tell me you were gone for nearly a month and have nothing to show for it?"

Olivia smirked. "What do you take us for?"

And then Thalia summoned a bundle of basilisk hide. "We have over five hundred basilisk hides of a very heat-resistant variant, and the mana stone of a charged obsidian giant."

Lady Freude’s smile grew even wider.

"Excellent!"

<•••>

Cracker was bored.

It was the weekend, meaning she had no school, so she was stuck at home without her friends. During this time, she would often be wrapped up in Ark’s sheets, playing CODM or whatever new game he had installed...

But she could do that now because Ark was back, and although she was happy to have him around, Cracker missed being able to play without disturbance.

"Maybe I need to steal his phone? No, that won’t work, he has been glued to it ever since he came back."

Cracker ruffled her hair and kicked up her feet in rage.

"Urghhh! I’m going to go crazy out of boredom!"

"..."

Bronya gave her a long stare. "You can just watch this series with me—"

"I’m not watching that romance slop."

"..."

"You know, sometimes I worry for you." Bronya said in a low tone.

Sometimes her sister was like a little bundle of joy, other times it was as though she was a part of the yakuza.

Cracker sat up on her chair, her baggy shirt swaying around as she pointed a finger at Bronya.

"Command Ark to play with me! You are his older sister!"

"You are thirteen years old..."

Ding!

Just when Cracker thought she would lose her mind, the sound of their doorbell reached her ears.

’Hmm? Could it... could it be a mailman?’ Her eyes grew brighter.

She got to her feet before Bronya could tell her to get it, and then pulled the door open, only to lose all interest the moment she saw who it was.

Behind the door was probably the most beautiful woman Cracker had ever laid her eyes on.

Her hair was white as cotton and was so full that she had it tied up in three different ponytails, with a golden pin keeping it all in place.

She was in a hoodie that nearly swallowed her pleated skirt, and black thigh highs that reminded Cracker of her school uniform.

The strange woman had rather expressive ears, like those of a puppy, and three large tails behind her.

’A player? She looks as old as Ark...’

Cracker’s eyes darted to the girl by her side. She seemed much younger, but she was clearly an awakener, judging by her unsettling red eyes.

She was also beautiful, with jet black hair and pale white skin, and when she smiled, Cracker could see a hint of fangs. Were all players this pretty?

But that was besides the point...

Cracker placed her hand on the door frame, blocking the entrance.

’Women. What are these hussies doing at my house?’

Her eyes sharpened as she raised her gaze to meet theirs, her blue eyes gleaming coldly.

"The animal shelter is down the street. You must have missed it."

Isabella gave her a deadpan stare.

"Huh?"