Heading South Part 1

Two elegant-looking carriages are waiting for us. Seeing the interior from the outside, they look much more comfortable than those where we usually travel. After all, we always travel in the carriages we can afford, normally cheap, leading to them being old and uncomfortable. Instead, these are guild-sponsored carriages for this trip. In front of them, we are waiting for the arrival of Dante, the vice-captain of the guild and the right hand of the guild master. He will also be the leader of this party.

Our group consisted of eight people made up of guild members who were available at the time. The first three are Seto, Neku, and Hisa. The three of them are part of the same party. I don't know them well since our interactions so far are just a hello when we pass each other in the dining room or the corridors. From the little I know, their party is one of the best, composed of several adventurers who have been with the guild for many years.

The one I have seen the most is Seto since he usually spends a lot of time in the common areas of the guild when he is not on a quest. He carries a katana which makes me think his class is Samurai. And just based on appearances, I'd say he looks the friendliest of the three.

Next to him is Hisa, who is a Beast-Kind. Unlike Leona, who is a hybrid and only has the ears, Hisa has not only wolf-like ears but also a tail. Leona once told me that Beast-Kind hybrids often lack one of the two, the tails or ears. For that reason, it is easy to distinguish hybrids apart since pure blood Beast-Kind have both. Hisa, for her part, wears a rather peculiar outfit that I had not seen before. I assume it's an outfit from the beast-kind territory. I also heard in the meeting that she would be the healer of our party, so it would be vital for us to keep her safe at all times.

In front of them is Neku. Her rank is B, and I know she is a lancer because of the spear she carries, which is twice as tall as her. She is a quiet girl who seems to be in a bad mood all the time, as well as having huge breasts considering her short stature. She was the only adventurer who joined Midnight Dawn six months ago during the past ritual.

In addition to the three of them, Gerald will also go. Someone I've known since the days I was in the castle and never got along with. Ever since what happened with his fiance Caroline, he's become quite distant from everyone. I was surprised that he decided to join Midnight Dawn, considering that he is a noble and everyone expected him to join Oblivion. He is a B-rank earth mage. As long as he doesn't have a bad attitude, he should be of great help.

The other four that make up the party are Leona as one of the tanks, Shalia as support, and me who, by being able to use physical and magical attacks, will be able to help in front and the back. And finally, Dante is the other tank that has not yet arrived at the meeting place.

"He is late!" Hisa yelled with an annoyed expression and crossing her arms.

"Don't worry, he'll be here. You know how Dante is." Seto said, trying to calm Hisa down.

"You're the same, that's why you cover him up!" Still irritated, Hisa turned to see where Shaila and Leona were, "Tell me, are the men in your party the same?"

Shalia, being taken by surprise, replied nervously, "N-Not really."

"You think?" Leona added, "Darx and Ryul are usually the last to arrive at meetings. If you ask me, I'd say it's annoying."

The three girls stared at me without saying anything as if waiting for me to say something. Indeed, I usually arrive late, but I don't know what to say right now. It makes me miss Ryul, who always has something silly to say to change the topic of conversation.

"I know it..." Hisa exclaimed, "If they are not drunkards like Seto, they are irresponsible as Dante."

"Did I hear my name?" Dante's voice is heard approaching us, "Sorry I'm late," he continued as he smiled and waved his hand at us.

"You... are... an ASSHOLE!!!" Hisa yelled before hitting Dante in the stomach with a punch.

The blow must have been hard because Dante spat out a lot of saliva upon receiving it.

"Because of you, we are the last to leave. The other two guilds are already ahead of us. You know how important it is not to be left behind in this type of quest. If we fail because of you, I will kill you myself!!"

Hisa screamed as she jiggled Dante.

We were all surprised as we watched the show they were giving, except Seto, who couldn't stop laughing, and Neku, who was getting into one of the carriages without saying anything.

Seto got close to me and told me with tears in his eyes from laughing so much, "Don't worry, it's normal for those two to behave like this. Old habits aren't easy to forget."

"Dante and Hisa are close?" I asked.

"Before Stella became the guild master and Dante became her right-hand man, the two of them and Hisa were members of the same party. In a way, Neku and I are the replacements for the two of them in our party."

I see. So Dante and Stella used to be in Hisa's party. I wonder if Hisa knows what is between Dante and his sister Stella. Every time I see one of them, I can't help but remember what I saw the other time. The two of them kissing despite having the same blood.

It took a while for Hisa to calm down and let go of Dante, and the time to leave had come. We are eight, and there are two carriages, meaning we will have four people per carriage.

"I'll go with Leona, Shaila, and Darx in this carriage. You can go in-," Dante said before being interrupted by Seto.

"Of course not. I will go in that carriage. I'm sure you want to go in Hisa's carriage to catch up with her. It will give you time to talk on the long road."

"P-Please, no!" Dante pleaded as Seto pushed him away.

Many things happened in a short moment. The fight between Dante, Seto, and Hisa for where to go seemed more like that of small children. What caught my attention the most was Leona's slight show of disappointment when it seemed that she would not go in the same carriage as Dante. I feel like Leona has a crush on Dante, but she's too proud to admit it.

In the end, and after multiple fights, I ended up in the same carriage with Seto and Hisa on one side and Shalia and me on the other side facing them. While Dante, Leona, Gerald, and Neku would go on the other one.

Then both carriages set off, leaving Riledo behind.

Already far from the city, I stick my head out the window to look once at the capital in the distance. For some reason, I felt a strange sense of goodbye. It's weird, I wonder if it's because of the nerves that I feel this way.

"This is your first quest of this type, right?" Seto asked us after a while on the road, breaking the silence.

"Ah, yeah," Shalia replied, sounding nervous.

"Hahaha! Are you two the kind of people who get tense around new people?" Seto, laughing, asked, "You don't have to. We are all part of the same guild, so feel comfortable. We don't bite. Hisa here by my side has a bad temper, but she's not as bad as she looks either."

After elbowing Seto in the side, Hisa continued, "Haven't you ever thought that maybe it's you that's weird being so friendly with people you just met?" Hisa then turned to us and continued, "I'm not saying this for you guys. But this guy has gotten us into trouble more than once because of his over-friendly approach to people. But as Seto said, make yourself comfortable with us. After all, we will be companions for a long time."

Because we are used to doing quests with the same members or maybe because they are older than us and we don't know them well, we were a little nervous, but it seems they are easy to get along with. In the first hours of the trip, we began to know each other a little, talking about where we came from and what we had done until now. It turns out that even though they've been adventurers for quite some time, it's also their first time on a quest of this scale.

"I've heard rumors about you," Seto said, looking at me, "About a red-eyed guy who had an unusual ritual and, despite having a level equivalent to an E-Rank, was invited to the castle to train. And the rumors about you spread even more when you came out after a month being a Rank-C."

"Are there really that many rumors about me? I had no idea."

"In the world of adventurers, information is essential," Hisa answered, "Getting ahead of good opportunities is indispensable if you want to survive."

"The fact that an adventurer went from E-Rank to C-Rank in the span of a month is something extraordinary." Seto added, "I'm sure a lot of people have their eyes on you. Even I'm curious how far you can go."

"Indeed!" Hisa continued, "I've never heard of an adventurer climbing the ranks. Rumors of you have even reached other territories. I heard that individuals are interested in you in the beast-kind territory as well."

This is getting out of control more and more. Out of nowhere, I find out that the church and the kingdom are watching every step I take, and now it turns out that even in other territories, I am a topic of conversation. I hope it doesn't escalate anymore. I just want to lead an everyday life.

"Hey, I have a question," Seto continued, "I heard another rumor. Is it true that you're dating the dark elf from Oblivion?"

Seto, for some reason, seemed happy and in anticipation of my answer. But Shalia's annoyance with that question was evident, and it looks like Seto and Hisa noticed it too.

"Y-Yeah..." I reply.

"No way, really!? Hahaha! I thought you were a shy guy, but you have skills, kid. You have to share your tricks with me."

"Tricks? I don't..."

"Ignore it!" Hisa interrupted, "He's not popular with girls, so no amount of tricks could get him a girlfriend."

"You say the most hurtful things without even flinching. Don't you feel sorry for me?" Seto spoke.

"Not at all."

We kept going until nightfall when we arrived at a small village where we would spend the night. At the entrance, I saw the carriages of the other guilds, which means Syvis must be here too.

This village is different from others in which I had been. There are many businesses and people on the streets. After finding a place to leave the carriage, we all got out, stretching our arms and legs. After the long journey, my whole body felt numb.

"I missed this place," Seto said.

"Don't even think I'll let you go to the brothels. We're on a work trip." Hisa replied instantly.

"Where exactly are we?" Shalia asked.

"This is the paradise of the degenerates," Hisa answered.

"It's a place famous for its hot springs and entertainment for adults." Seto added.

"As I said, the paradise of the degenerates."

"Why don't we look for Dante and the others? Also, we have to find a place to stay." I said.

After walking for a bit, we found Dante and the rest.

"We were waiting for you! We found the perfect place to stay." Dante said with a big smile.

I think I get an idea of ​​the kind of place this is. Just like Seto said, it's an entertainment place for adults. Walking through the streets are many bars and restaurants as well as other places where attractive girls of all races with little clothes invite everyone who passes by on the street to enter the establishment. Seeing this, Dante and Seto seemed happy, quite different from the grumpy countenance that Hisa and Leona had.

The place where we will stay is two large rooms in a big inn.

Arriving at the place, Dante asked, confident, "What do you think? I got a good place for a good price and has hot springs."

Hisa, surprised, asked, "How much did you pay for this place?"

"Only 30 copper coins! Sponsored by Gerald."

"You're lying! This place costs a minimum of 60 for one night." Hisa said out loud.

"Do not underestimate me! I have my contacts. I know a girl, and she kindly..."

Interrupting Dante, Leona walked past him pushing him, "We don't care. This will be our room, and the men go to the other."

Leona seems to be the jealous type. It's interesting to see how she behaves around Dante, as it's pretty different from her usual attitude. Another thing that surprised me is that Gerald paid for the place himself.

'Why don't you take a bath in the hot springs while we get you something to eat." Seto said to the girls.

"I go with you!" Dante said, moving closer to Seto, "I'm sure you'll need help carrying things."

"You're absolutely right! Let's go while we let the girls rest."

All the girls, including Shaila and Neku, stare at the two of them with suspicious eyes. It was pretty obvious the intentions of the two of them.

"D-Don't worry, we won't go to any brothel, right Dante!?"

"Yeah, yeah! We're just going for food. In fact, we're taking Darx and Gerald to come with us." Dante reply.

"Yeah, right... they're both men too. I don't trust them. I bet you just..."

Hisa said but was interrupted by Seto and Dante, who pulled Gerald and me with them towards the door.

"Let's hurry up, the girls will be hungry after their bath," Seto said, pushing us out the door.

"W-Wait..." Gerald tried to resist without success.

"Darx, wait...." Shalia told me, but Dante closed the door before she could say or do anything else.

"COME BACK HERE!!" I heard Hisa yell from behind the door, but Dante and Seto ran out. Confused, Gerald and I stared at each other, and hearing Leona and Hisa's anger on the other side of the door, we got scared and ended up running after them.

We finally caught up with them a couple of streets away from the inn where we were staying.

"I think we're far enough. We should be safe now." Seto said.

"It's time for the good stuff!" Dante continued, "I'm taking you to an amazing place where you'll have a great time."

"Aren't we going to go get something to eat?" I asked.

"Of course, but later." Seto answered me, "The girls will take a long time in the hot springs, so we have to take advantage of the time to not get bored, hahaha!"

"I can't! I have a fiancee, and that's something I can't do." Gerald said, "You guys go have fun while I get the food."

We all know that Gerald refers to Caroline. In almost everyone's mind, she is either dead or a traitor. Only Gerald doesn't seem to believe all that and still trusts that he will find her and clear her name.

Far out in the crowd, I spotted a tall girl with fiery red hair, and I immediately knew it was Syvis. Without thinking, I ran to where she was, leaving the others confused. Syvis kept walking down the street, not seeming to have noticed my presence. I ran, colliding with some people on the street because of how fast I was going since I didn't want to lose sight of her in the crowd. Then in the middle of a street, I finally caught up with her.

"Syvis!" I yelled, almost reaching where she was.

Syvis turned around, looking a little surprised, "Darx!"

"I knew it was you. I thought I wouldn't let you out of my sight. I think there are even more people on the streets here than in the capital," I said, "Has it been a while since you arrived? If you haven't eaten anything, do you want us to go get something?"

While I spoke, Syvis stared at me quietly without saying anything.

After not hearing her answer and seeing how she only looked at me, it seemed strange, so I called her name, confused, "Syvis?"

"What are you doing?" She asked me, looking upset, "I thought I made it clear that we weren't on vacation. I don't know what you intend by coming to me like this when you know well that we are in rival parties looking to complete a quest."

I had never seen her angry this way with me. Seeing her, I didn't even think about it and just ran after her. I am a fool. I thought that the status of our relationship was clear to me during this trip, but I forgot for a moment and did something that I think I should not have done.

"Syvis, I..." I tried to say when I was interrupted by various things.

"WAIT!" Syvis yelled, stretching out her hand and seeing someone behind me. I wanted to turn around quickly after feeling the presence of someone very close to me when I felt something splashed on my face.

Reacting and turning around, I saw what was happening. Close to my neck was a knife held by Kase, which was stopped by Dante, who halted it with a small metal plate that had his glove but was not strong enough, and the knife went through it, creating a wound on his hand. What I felt splashing onto my face a second ago was Dante's blood.

"Aren't you getting ahead of the party?" Dante told Kase with a smile.

"Always so inopportune," Kase answered as he pressed the knife, still being stopped by Dante's hand, causing him pain which was reflected on his face, "It reminded me of that night when you came at the worst time. If it wasn't for you that night Stella..."

Dante couldn't take it anymore and kicked Kase, but Kase dodged the kick by backing away and getting to Syvis's side. At that moment, Seto and Gerald also arrived. They quickly realized what was happening, and both Seto and Gerald drew their weapons and surrounded Kase and Syvis. The people around us also realized what was happening and made a circle around all of us, thinking it was a street fight or something. Kase got into a fighting stance in front of Syvis while she took out her book, ready to fight. Dante didn't have his big axe with him, and I didn't have my swords either, but I did have the ring that Syvis gave me so I could help with magic. However, I couldn't even react to what was happening.

In front of me was Syvis being guarded by Kase, and the attacking group was my companions and me. It was a scene that I couldn't believe. I thought I was ready for this, but it's just too twisted. I don't want to hurt Syvis, and I hate the idea of Kase having to protect her from me.

"Darx, react!" I heard Dante say.

When the fight seemed about to start, the village guards came to stop everything, "YOU CAN'T DO THAT HERE! IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT, GET OUT OF THE VILLAGE RIGHT NOW!"

"Looks like you guys got lucky," Kase told us mockingly.

"I think it's the other way around," Dante replied.

The guards began to spread out the crowd, including us, "If you don't want to go to prison, get out of here." They told us.

After everyone put away their weapons, Kase told Syvis, "Let's get out of here." while he lightly touched her back. Without saying anything, she turned around and began to walk away from us. Kase left with her not before warning us, "We'll have time to finish this, and next time, there won't be anyone to save you."

All I could do was stand still as Syvis disappeared into the crowd with Kase.