Chapter 37: The Pathfinder’s Guild

When I arrived back home, the others were already waiting for me. Sitting in the kitchen, Damara, Micro-Sarah, and Katrina looked at me with bright eyes and wide grins. Katrina’s tail swayed softly behind her.

"Looks like you all had a good day," I said, pulling a chair out and sitting. "We have a quest to do."

"From the Harem System?" Damara chimed in, her ruby eyes catching the evening light.

"Kind of. There is an actual guild here. Along with a system quest, I grabbed this," I explained, grabbing the quest sheet from my pocket and placing it on the table. "Might get pretty dangerous."

They looked over the paper before I showed them the request from the app.

"Someone new is coming then?" Micro-Sarah said, her voice without its usual timbre.

"Most likely. Every time a quest comes in, the harem grows. But this time, we’re going to be getting ourselves in the middle of it. Come to think of it, are any of you even equipped for adventuring?"

That must not have been the right thing to say, because Damara sighed loudly before standing up and turning toward me.

"I’m a rogue," she said, muttering something under her breath before disappearing completely. "See? If we have to sneak around, I’m set."

Katrina clicked her tongue. "I can handle a monster or two on my own, no problem," she said, brandishing long, silver claws. "I’ll slice ’em in half."

The ground began to vibrate below my feet as Micro-Sarah glowed a vivid green. A wooden shield grew from between my floorboards. She sat on top afterward.

"I’ll protect you if you find yourself in trouble, Sam."

Excitement boiled inside me. "Excellent. A bit worrisome you all could end me in a second—"

"We would never," Micro-Sarah said, zooming straight to my face to look me in the eyes.

Her eyes gleamed in the light. Unable to not laugh out loud, I let loose, almost coming to tears immediately.

"I was only kidding, Sarah. Sorry," I said, raising a hand in front of my face. "Please forgive me, oh Goddess of the Hot Springs," I teased.

The corners of her mouth tugged before she closed the distance between us in a blink, punching me in the nose playfully. The air her punch displaced made my mustache wiggle, tickling my nose.

"I don’t like it," she said, pushing her lips out afterward. "Quit teasing me."

The room erupted into soft laughter before I continued. "So where does that leave me? I don’t use magic..." I looked at Damara. "...yet."

"I’ve seen you demonstrate real power. You arguably might be the strongest one here," she explained, standing from the table. "Was there any timer on the system quest?" she added.

"There wasn’t, but it’s a rescue mission," I mentioned. "I would assume the sooner, the better."

The conversation went sideways for several moments while Damara tried to talk over Katrina, who was showing me something. It was a mess.

"Listen!" I shouted, grabbing everyone’s full attention. "I want you all to know, even without the system, I would have come to your aid," I paused for a moment, thinking over my words. "If I had the chance. I thank the system for bringing you all to me, though."

The girls crowded me, placing their arms around me, creating a standing cuddle puddle. My heart hammered in my chest as Damara’s and Katrina’s breasts pushed hard into me. They all looked directly into my eyes.

"We," Damara gestured to the others. "Know that."

"Good. Now tomorrow we’ll start..."

We settled onto the plush cushions of the living room couch. The dimming evening light cast long shadows across the floorboards as I pulled the heavy parchment from my coat pocket.

I laid it flat on the coffee table so everyone could see the drawing of the cavern.

"The objective is in the southern caverns," I explained, tracing a finger over the crude map. "Calvin mentioned strange mists and old hardware down there. The system is telling us there is someone trapped inside. We go in, find whoever needs our help, and grab whatever weird relic this bounty is asking for. Two birds, one stone."

Katrina leaned forward until her nose almost touched the wax seal. Her tail twitched with anticipation, brushing lightly against my leg. "I can take the front. If anything jumps out of that mist, I will shred it before it gets close."

"I will stick to the shadows and cover our rear," Damara added. Her voice dropped into a serious tone. Her ruby eyes locked onto mine. "If this place is full of ancient traps, you will need my eyes."

Micro-Sarah buzzed in a tight circle above the map, leaving a faint trail of glowing green light. "And I will be ready to throw up a shield the second things look bad!"

Looking at the three of them filled me with a heavy dose of confidence. We actually had a solid team. We had a rogue, a frontline fighter, a magical support, and me with whatever ridiculous super strength the Goddess decided to bless me with.

"Get a good night of sleep," I said, flashing them a wide grin. "We head out first thing tomorrow."

The night passed quietly. I slept surprisingly well, knowing what we were walking into today. Waking up to the sound of soft breathing and the warmth of the girls next to me chased away any lingering anxiety.

We all gathered in the kitchen for a quick breakfast before stepping out into the crisp morning air. The coastal breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean. It was a sharp contrast to the damp underground caves we were about to explore.

The walk into town was brisk. Nobody said much, but the shared focus kept us moving at a steady pace. We navigated the bustling morning market traffic and approached the large guild building. The gold and silver emblems gleamed brightly in the early sun.

I reached out and pushed the heavy wooden doors open. The lively chatter of the guild hall washed over us as we stepped inside, ready to officially begin our first real adventure together.