The end of the quest

-15th day of AC, 15.04.1052-

-About 6:40-

Getting out of Silvana wasn't difficult in the slightest. After ensuring that he had everything that he thought he needed (and that he did get a quick bath), Travis took his steps toward the southern walls of the city. The air was a little stale, not even the faintest breeze making its descent onto the roads. It seemed that the last night was a little chillier than the ones before it. But it wasn't what mattered to the man. Soon enough, he was approaching the southern gate to the city.

Thankfully for him, the guards didn't bat an eye at him leaving. Truly, the difference between entering and leaving a city was like night and day. Within a few minutes, Travis was walking down a road that he had attended for nearly half a year. As the sun was rising on the horizon, the man took a look around. 'That half a year really passed like a few days, huh.' he reminded himself of the day when he heard that a Rogue was staying near the city. In early October last year, that was when Storm Rogue made her appearance.

Travis wasn't the only one who wanted to study under her. At the time, she was the only holder of a Rogue-type class that was not affiliated with any guild, which meant that she had a lot of time. Without a shred of doubt, many would want to have such a person as a teacher just due to the sheer availability she had.

Then, why did he manage to convince her? One word: persistence. Travis was too determined to train under her to give up. When most gave up after one or two tries, he just kept on returning, asking again and again. A day turned into two, then three, and finally into five. He'd watch Cecilia train herself, attempt to replicate what she did, and try to persuade her to let him stay.

In the end, he did manage to convince her. They formed a student-master relationship, with him trying to learn as well as he could, and her watching his progress and giving him hints. But that didn't mean any smooth sailing. The training strained him every day. The occasional breaks were rather short in nature, and Cecilia kept on punishing him whenever he showed signs of fatigue, even as much as a carefree breath. He was supposed to stay on alert constantly, even when dead-tired. That was the only thing about his time as a Rogue that he didn't remember nicely.

But that was already behind him. Travis let out a small sigh. Today was the day he officially broke down their relationship. After today, the two of them would become strangers to one another again. But that didn't matter.

He smirked a little, seeing the tent belonging to Cecilia appear on the horizon. Travis broke out into a light jog, reaching the place in just two minutes.

Looking around the area, he noticed the usual spot where a campfire would burn every day, currently only spotted with light gray ashes. Somewhere to the side, there was a small pile of wood that could be used to start a new one.

Slowly, the man sat down by the stone circle, legs crossed as he unequipped his backpack. Looking at RALS, he confirmed that the hour was approaching 6:45 in the morning. From what he could recall, Cecilia mostly got up around 7, rarely earlier. Deciding not to wake her up, Travis opted to simply wait for her to do so on her own. Instead, summoning his quest screen, he glanced at today's Daily Quest.

'Nothing outstanding, it seems. The evasion condition will be easy enough, and thankfully, I can fill out the base condition without anything extra. Just a runestone for doing all four conditions isn't even worth it, though. At least there are 7 stat points today, and not even a run.'

His yellow eyes looked toward Cecilia's tent. The gray material serving as the entrance was ever so slightly ajar, letting a bit of light inside. 'I may just be able to finish it before Teacher wakes up.' and with that in mind, the man changed his position and began a long set of push-ups. Within minutes, he changed to burpees, and then to the exercise which he dreaded the most from the ones he had learned: the Plank.

It wasn't even about the fact that this exercise tested his Endurance; despite the length always being about 15 minutes, it was easier to do with every passing day. The thing he didn't like about it was the fact that this exercise was hellishly non-involving. All he did was just position himself correctly and wait for the timer to run out.

But he did even that exercise. Steadily, the counter increased, until it finally hit the maximum value and signaled to him with a bell's ring that today's quest was finished.

Travis relaxed in his position a little, and laid down on his back, staring into the sky. In the east, the sun was showing itself in full, spreading a blue coat across the sky, barely a sign of other colors yet visible in other parts of the horizon. A few small clouds were lazily going about, prognosticating a very peaceful day that was to come.

As Travis checked the time with RALS, he confirmed that it was a little past 7. 'Teacher will wake up any minute now.' he thought, closing his eyes for a moment. A quick command to the system distributed his stats between Intelligence and Strength. The memory of the dream he had surfaced at the thought of seeing Cecilia after such a long time. A slight shiver went through the man's body. 'And this skill won't let me forget it easily, will it...' he grimaced slightly.

A minute passed, barely a sound entering his ears. The air around was pretty much unmoving, much like it was in the city, and the only thing that he could smell was the dirt he was lying on. However, suddenly, Travis felt it. An eerie feeling, somewhere in the back of his head. A sixth sense, per se, telling him that something was watching him. Quickly, he arose from his position, crossing his legs and looking around, and almost immediately his eyes met with Cecilia's gray. The woman was just peeking out from the tent, barely her pugnacious nose visible to the naked eye. For a split second, the two of them looked at each other, until the woman broke the silence, "Travis. You're early," she said, hiding behind the material. "Did you fail your mission?"

"No, Teacher, I have it," he replied, rummaging inside his pocket for a moment. Within a few seconds, he was holding the earring, slightly presenting it in front of himself.

The woman in the tent didn't answer him for a long moment. "Very well. Wait for me here. I'll return in a few minutes," Storm Rogue came out of the tent, holding a large towel and some spare clothes in her hands.

Immediately, Travis noticed how her typically loose, black shirt was now clinging to her body somewhat tight, showing off her figure. He averted his gaze quickly, but he didn't fail to notice how her graceful legs were also being hugged by her pants.

The woman stared at him for a few seconds.

'I wouldn't mind just leaving him right now, but... better to not have him snooping around.' Cecilia thought, watching the man for a few seconds. "I'll return soon. You stay here."

"...yes, Teacher."

"Don't worry, you will have company," the raven-haired woman said and turned her head toward nearby trees. "Come out, Violet. Watch him over."

"...?" Travis looked up at Cecilia for a moment and then followed her gaze to see an outline of a person descending from a tree and walking over to them.

"Yes, Teacher," Violet said quietly, bowing her head a little. After doing that, she walked over to the entrance to the tent and sat down, crossing her legs.

"...?" Travis looked at her for a long moment, and then at Cecilia.

However, the woman didn't say a word more, instead quickly making her way into the forest, disappearing from their vision within seconds.

Violet didn't say a word, only looking at the man with her blue and green eyes.

Travis kept quiet, as well, unsure how to respond to the situation.

The aura of awkwardness was beset upon the two as they waited for their teacher to return.

-About 2 minutes later, Cecilia's position-

The forest around Silvana was full of many small streams of water. Such was the way of a country with somewhat hilly terrain. Or so had Cecilia heard.

The sun's beams were piercing through the forest's roof, creating nice-looking rays of light that seemed to come from the heavens themselves. The leaves beneath her feet crunched a little as she walked, their sounds mixing with the scent of needles and bark, truly welcoming any adventurers inside of this area.

But she wasn't interested in any of that. What she was looking for was her usual spot in one of the larger streams. It was not very big by any standards, hardly half a meter in some wider points, but that was more than enough for her.

Quickly sitting by a spot, Cecilia put down the towel and spare clothes and then looked around. After ensuring that there was not a person in sight range, she quickly took off her shirt and pants.

For a very short moment, her hands traced her stomach, gathering a few drops of her sweat before she took her bra, briefs, and shoes off and carefully stepped into the water.

It was chilly, just like she remembered, just like she liked as well. Turning around, Cecilia rummaged in her towel, quickly taking out a piece of soap. Without waiting for anything, she wetted it and rubbed it in her hands, creating a bit of foam which she quickly spread across her upper body. Then, she repeated the process for the rest of her body that she could reach.

'He's already back...' she thought, thinking back to who welcomed her just a few minutes ago. 'What timing. Just as I had that ridiculous dream...' she shivered momentarily. Her body wasn't wet with just sweat this morning. A slight shiver went through her body as her heart rocked slightly stronger. Whilst washing off the foam with some water, Cecilia kept her eyes closed, focusing on her thoughts. 'Good thing Violet's around. A bit of privacy is nice to have. And the fact that Travis came back isn't half bad. Since he's a Psion, getting him on our side will be beneficial. Can never have enough of them, especially since Joseph's students got caught in February...'

But what were the odds he would listen to her? Cecilia wasn't sure. She knew well what he would try to do. It was as obvious to her as breathing. It's something she'd seen many times already, after all. As such, she needed a way to talk through him. And, truth be told, she already had one.

'Everyone needs a teacher of their arts.'

And she knew one of the best Psions on the continent.

'I'm sure that'll be enough.'

-Meanwhile-

"..."

"..."

Violet and Travis sat on the ground, roughly 3 meters of space between them, not a word spoken since Cecilia left to wash. It must've already been a minute or two, and it seemed that if the man didn't break the awkwardness, the woman wouldn't.

"...so... Violet?" he began speaking.

She didn't respond, instead only looking to her side.

'Tough audience, I see.' he sighed quietly, looking at the ground nearby.

"...yes," the woman answered finally. "And you're... Travis?"

"Yes. So... is Storm Rogue your teacher?"

"Not anymore. I finished my training last year," she replied calmly.

"I see..." 'I did know Teacher had students before me, but I didn't expect to meet any.'

"How long have you been studying under Miss Storm Rogue, Mister Travis?"

"...about 6 months."

"So, you're halfway through it?"

"More or less," he shrugged. "But if I may ask, how come you are here?"

"Just paying a visit. Isn't it something a student ought to do for their teacher every once in a while?"

"...I suppose."

"..."

'And here's silence again.'

"...would it be alright to ask you something, mister Travis?" Violet's mouth parted slowly, her eyes darting to her sides before focusing on him.

"...depends on what it would be."

"Why did you begin training as a Rogue?"

"I'm trying to find a class for myself, I guess."

"I see," Violet nodded a little.

'She looks kind of similar to Storm Rogue.' Travis pondered for a moment, taking a better look at the woman while trying to make his staring not obvious.

Violet's height seemed to be roughly equal to his if not slightly lower. Her hair had nearly the same shade and length as Cecilia's, maybe just a touch darker, but Travis wasn't the person to judge. Her skin had a more natural-looking pinkish than their teacher's pale appearance, but the way they two carried their expressions seemed to be the same: stone cold and with barely a sign of life.

However, Travis had to admit, Violet's eyes were something he hadn't seen yet. Two different-colored orbs rested in her eyeholes, watching his movements diligently, sparkling like a sapphire and an emerald would, almost. However, Violet's blue wasn't as pure as Leaf's, and took on a somewhat darker shade, and her green wasn't as bright as Aria's, either.

Violet's body seemed slightly more pronounced than Cecilia's, but the difference wasn't great. If anything, Travis would say that it was the clothes that made her look that way. The dark brown tunic was definitely a little loose, and her dark pants didn't cling to her body, either.

Another minute of silence passed, and Travis decided to simply open his Status screen and plan out the stat distribution for the near future.

'Today's stats from the quest will go into Intelligence. After that, I won't need to increase it for a while. I suppose I can focus on other stats in that case. But... which ones?' he pondered for a moment. He couldn't forget that the monsters he would be facing soon wouldn't be as low-level as what he had been hunting up until now. Quear wasn't a place where something would survive unless it was able to withstand the environment. Most monsters would definitely have a good HP pool, but that didn't mean their other stats would be lacking.

'The biggest threat in mountainous areas is definitely the avians. With steep terrain, it's extremely difficult to avoid their strikes, and since mountains have tons of rocks, tripping is also a hazard. I think an Agility of 100 is a good amount to counter their speed. A bit of Sense should make it easier to detect them sooner. I think 70 will be just enough. Then, it's a matter of dealing with their momentum through increased Strength, and the rest can go into Widsom for now.' he closed his eyes momentarily. 'But even if I abolish that distribution, my stats total should easily put me above them. Since every Daily Quest gives stats a little greater than a level-up, my effective stats are more or less equal to that of a level 60, maybe even 65... I'll think about that on the way.'

Another dozen or so seconds passed in complete silence. Finally, however, Cecilia's voice entered their ears, "Thank you, Violet," she walked over to the sitting woman and threw the clothes she had worn previously into her tent. After that, she sat down near her, assuming much the same position.

"Of course, Teacher," Violet responded, quietly moving slightly away, giving Cecilia some space.

"Now then, Travis," Storm Rogue focused her eyes on the man. "You say you finished your quest?"

"Yes," he nodded quickly and showed the earring. "Here," he said and then threw the accessory to his teacher.

Getting a hold of the item, Cecilia quickly checked it. After a few seconds, a tiny smile entered her face momentarily.

"Good work, Travis. I imagine it must've been at least a bit of a challenge."

"It was nothing," he answered, looking to his side with internal glee and seeing the quest finished.

"But I do have a question."

"Of course, Teacher."

"What is your current class?"

"...what?" he looked at her with a slightly surprised expression. A sixth sense in the back of his mind immediately flared up, saying to be wary.

"A day after you left Silvana, an Inspector came around. Apparently, you were caught with a counterfeit MID."

"...that's--"

"However," she cut him off. "I've seen your MID a few times. And trust me, if it were fake, I would've known. And when you were questioned, you apparently told them you were Classless, and that was allegedly true."

'...Aria did say she tried to reach my teachers, but... I didn't expect her to slip something like this... she must've been too tired to help herself.' he thought, feeling his heartbeat accelerating slowly.

"But I think we both know you wouldn't change your class from Rogue easily. You've been pretty adamant about learning it, after all. Then, what class would be able to take the pedestal you put your previous one on?"

"...a Mage."

"A Mage, hmm..." Storm Rogue put a hand on her chin for a moment. "I see. Who's your teacher in that class, then?"

"I... don't have one. I changed spontaneously."

"Mphm," a hum escaped her mouth. "And what do you plan to do about that?"

"...I'll go and level up on my own, I suppose. I don't want to trouble you with myself any longer."

"Understandable. And to be frank, it's not an easy decision to make, especially for you, having been through many class changes. I will commend your decision."

"...thank you."

"Though, there is one thing I don't understand. Why did you proceed to do that quest after changing your class, Travis? You should know that what I asked of you was a job specifically for a Rogue, not a Mage. Especially since your change came out of the blue, there was nothing I could be mad about."

"I just... didn't want to fail you."

"But then, how DID you manage that?"

"I... found a companion who helped me."

"Hmm... I see. Where is that companion, if I may?"

"We went our own ways after that quest."

Cecilia looked at Violet momentarily, and then back at Travis. "I'm not sure..."

"...?" he frowned slightly at her reaction.

"I'm starting to see a pattern emerge in here."

"...excuse me, what pattern?" Travis asked, feeling an eerie feeling unravel slowly at the base of his spine as the two women in front of him started staring at him similarly to how predators would watch their prey. The pressure that oozed from their stone-cold expressions was enough to make the man feel like he was about to be crushed.

"Your MID broke after your class change and you got accused of having a counterfeit. You convinced the authorities of your innocence and were let out. On the way to Autir, you met someone and talked them into helping you steal from Goldhilts. On the way back, you split your ways. Tell me, is all of that correct?"

"...yes," he replied, feeling his heartbeat reverberate in the back of his throat. 'How in the world is she able to deduce things like this?! This is almost exactly what happened!'

"Alright. Now, allow me to reiterate those events more truthfully. YOU broke your MID after your class change and got accused of having a counterfeit. You MANIPULATED the authorities into believing your innocence and were let out. On the way to Autir, you met someone and INFLUENCED them into helping you steal from Goldhilts. On the way back, they became a liability, so you released them from your CONTROL. Does that sound familiar?"

"...Teacher," Travis said, doing his best to not show his nervousness. "What are you implying? What do you mean, 'manipulated', 'influenced', 'control'?"

"What does it look like I'm implying?" she asked him a calm question, but her gaze seemed even sharper than usual. "*Sigh* Travis, it's pointless. I know the truth."

"W-What truth?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"I know your class, Travis. You are a Psion."

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