CLACK! The guild's door busted open with a loud thud, and a large man cast his shadow on the inside. The adventurers stared at the door, whispering.
"It's him!" One mumbled.
"I heard he punched a vampire so hard he sent him flying."
"For real? Wrestling werewolves, slaying dragons, and now he's punching vampires?"
"Look at him! He's as large as a bull. How is that a sorcerer?"
"How do you even get the idea to punch a vampire? Those things can bite, and they have superhuman strength. Physical attacks are meaningless, so even people strong enough to do it usually don't try."
"Nobles been babbling about since yesterday. His punch sounded like a cannon, they say."
"I heard a large boom that night. Was it him?"
"I doubt it."
Arad looked around, walking toward the desk as the adventurers gazed at him.
Thud! One of the adventurers stood, walking in front of Arad and staring at him. "Say, can I ask you something?" The man said, looking at Arad with a tilted head.
"What is it?" Arad replied, staring at the adventurer with a confused face. They usually leave him alone.
"Did you punch a vampire?" The man asked.
"Yeah?"
"Why?"
"It attacked Mira. Why wouldn't I punch it?" Arad was confused.
"The carpenter?" The adventurer gasped. Mira is well known. Her furniture is one of the best in the city. And each house has at least something that she made. "I mean, you could have used fire magic."
"The vampire closed the distance first. And we were at a party. I didn't have any weapon to use besides my fist." Arad stared at the adventurer, "Don't you usually train to fight without your weapons or magic?"
The adventurer glared at Arad, blinking twice, lifting a finger to speak, and then stopping.
"Merlin, the archmage. She could beat with her bare hands. Why wouldn't I try to be like her?" Arad added.
A loud laugh came from the back. "Did you hear that? He's learning from everyone he meets, compiling it into his fighting style." It was Alcott, sitting beside Mira's desk with Ginger. "You will never reach A-rank by just following a single mindset."
The adventurers stared at Alcott. "How many fighters of you there have bothered to learn some weak spells? The 0-tier mending is pretty useful, and so is the bonfire and booming blade."
The adventurers looked at each other. "How many mages there would lose to a random person in a squabble? I guess all except Arad. Even fighters would lose to him."
Arad approached Alcott, "I heard about the quest."
Alcott stood, "Be creative if you want to reach S-rank. That's all I can say." He then looked back. Nina was sitting beside the private room door. "Let's go. We have a lot to talk about."
Alcott, Ginger, Nina, and Arad walked into the private room.
Nina closed the door, and Alcott sighed, dropping himself on the couch. Ginger gracefully sat beside him. "The magic, if you please." He tapped Ginger's leg.
Ginger pulled her small wand, waving it through the air. Arad could see the room getting engulfed in a weird spell.
"It's magic so no one can hear, see, or spy on us," Alcott said with a smile, staring at Arad.
Everyone sat around the table, and Nina was the first one to break the silence. "You didn't tell me that Arad was a dragon."
"The less people who know, the better," Alcott replied, looking at the ceiling. "The mages at the capital are searching for his kind. I don't want them sniffing around him."
"The mage from last time was one of them?" Nina scratched her chin, looking at the table.
"Then you get it."
"What kind of dragon is he?" Nina looked toward Arad, "Sorry, I should be asking you."
"I'm a void dragon. Even I don't much about myself." Arad looked at her, lifting his palm. The air around it started disappearing as it got sucked into his hand like a vacuum.
"If someone killed or imprisoned you, we should expect an angry mother." Nina looked at Arad first and then at Alcott, "And I reckon you wouldn't be able to deal with her."
"Looking at how strong Arad is now. Yeah, I won't be able to do anything. It's better to avoid a fight in the first place."
Thud! Thud! Ginger knocked on the table with her wands. "Alcott, the quest. We don't have time to waste. That's why we're here."
"Yeah," Alcott looked at Arad. "The quest reward is six platinum coins. Me, you, and Ginger, each will get two."
Arad blinked twice, "Starting with the reward, it must be quite a bad deal."
"You can say that." Alcott smiled, "The quest name is Sisters' Noise."
"Two sisters, twins. Daughters of a Marquess. They have gone missing a month ago, and the only lead we have is a faint magical noise they are emitting from below the ground of Mount Rita." Ginger explained.
"A Marquess?" Arad looked at them.
"Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquess, Duke. Those are the nobles' rankings. I heard you might get a title soon. It will most likely be a Baron." Alcott looked at Arad, "The underground city of Rita is built on the ruins of an ancient dwarven city under the mountain with the same name. It's about a month ride to the west."
Arad sighed, "You just need me to get you there? Couldn't you find a mage that can teleport you?"
Alcott smiled, looking at Arad in the eyes. "It's two platinum coins. I rather give it to someone I know with high potential. And I would love to have someone strong that can fight."
"I'm already the mage, and Alcott is the fighter. Having someone balanced like you could prove useful." Ginger smiled.
"So what is this Rita city?" Arad looked at Arad with a smile. He can get a lot with two platinum coins.
Alcott smiled, "A lustrous city of gems, crimes, lust, and unfiltered evil. Heaven for thieves, assassins, slavers, and bandits." He glared at Arad, "The place no one wants to be in."
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