SWNOVELXO Chapter 5: What guild?!
[Warning chapter is 1,867 long + what I am writing now 1879]
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Rory, who was at her table eating rice balls with the enthusiasm of someone who hadn't eaten in days, couldn't help but stare at Princess Pina with a shocked expression. Her dark eyes widened first with surprise, then her face twisted into something more complicated, like she was trying to solve a difficult puzzle.
She had known Pina briefly about three years ago, if she remembered correctly. The memory was hazy, like trying to catch smoke with her hands. The only thing Rory could clearly recall was saving a group of people from bandits near a burning village before she continued on her endless, destinationless journey. Back then, Pina had been just another face in the crowd of grateful survivors.
But now, seeing the princess again brought back fragments of that day. The smell of smoke, the screams of terrified villagers, the way Pina had stood protectively in front of the children even though she was barely more than a child herself.
"..." Pina caught her breath as she placed both arms on her knees, breathing in heavy, ragged gasps. Sweat dripped from her forehead, and her red hair stuck to her face in damp strands. She had run from the entrance of town to this tavern, which was a relatively long distance, especially for someone wearing full plate armor that must have weighed as much as a small person.
Her armor was scratched and dented from recent battles, and Leon could see dried blood on the edges where someone had tried to hurt her. Dark circles under her eyes spoke of sleepless nights and endless worry.
Leon, sitting opposite Rory with his cup of ale halfway to his lips, couldn't help but stare at the princess with a raised eyebrow. He glanced at Rory questioningly, but she shook her head slightly, implying that she wasn't too familiar with the desperate woman in front of them.
The tavern had gone completely silent. Even the barkeeper stopped wiping glasses to listen. The crackling fireplace seemed louder now, and somewhere in the corner, a man's fork clinked against his plate as he forgot to eat.
"Goddess Rory, please, we need your help urgently!" Pina said after finally being able to speak properly. Her voice cracked with desperation, and her hands trembled as she clasped them together. Her face was colored with the kind of desperation that comes from watching everything you love slowly burn to the ground.
"Our empire is currently being invaded by the opposition empire, but that's not the worst part." Pina's voice grew shakier. "We have little forces to spare because most of them were lost in the war against world invaders. Strange people from another world, wearing green uniforms I've never seen before."
Leon paused mid-sip as he heard the princess speak. The cup froze at his lips, and ale dripped back into it as his hand trembled slightly. Her situation seemed more than just interesting – it seemed impossible, yet familiar.
"They wielded weapons that don't exist in this world!" Pina continued, her voice rising with each word. "Weapons that could kill a man from distances no bow could reach. They had flying things – metal birds bigger than houses – that they could cast fire spells from without any chanting! And their flying things destroyed our dragons like they were nothing more than large insects!"
When Rory and the other people in the tavern heard this, they stared at Pina like she had completely lost her mind. Whispers started around the room. Someone muttered something about battle fatigue making people see things. But Leon stared at her intently, his green eyes sharp and focused.
'People from Earth, probably...' Leon thought to himself as he placed a hand on his chin, stroking the slight stubble there. The possibility of these people being from his old world made his heart race. 'Helicopters, guns, maybe even jets. But how did they get here?'
It wasn't impossible, but Leon knew it could also mean that Pina was suffering from some kind of battle-induced madness. He had seen soldiers break under pressure before. He didn't want to involve himself in a situation that would bring him more losses than actual gain, especially if it meant facing modern military technology with medieval weapons.
But what if they really were from Earth? What if there were others like him in this world?
"And what exactly do you want me to do about it?" Rory questioned with a raised eyebrow. Her face looked innocent, almost childlike, as though she didn't understand what the princess had been talking about. The casual way she asked made Pina's jaw clench with barely contained frustration.
It made Pina feel insulted, but she bit her tongue and folded her fists, trying to contain the royal anger that had been bred into her since birth. She had to remember that she was the one asking for help.
"Please, we need your help to fight against these forces!" Pina's voice broke slightly. "I am willing to compensate you in any way you desire! Gold, land, titles, anything!"
Princess Pina Co Lada, a royal who had the pride of a lion and the bearing of someone born to rule, had bowed down low to a girl who looked to be around thirteen years old or less. Her forehead nearly touched the wooden floor of the tavern. It was truly a shocking scene to those who didn't know the actual identity of the girl dressed in the dark Gothic dress.
Gasps echoed around the room. Someone's chair scraped against the floor as they leaned forward to get a better look. The barkeeper's mouth hung open, and a serving girl dropped her tray, sending wooden cups clattering across the floor.
Rory stared at Pina for several long moments, her dark eyes unreadable. She seemed to be weighing the princess's plea carefully. Naturally, she would have dealt with such a threat without Pina having to beg for such a favor. Being a wanderer who protected the people who hated and feared her, it was exactly the kind of job she would have completed without question.
But now she had finally found something she had been looking for – something that would give her excitement and entertainment. Leon was far more interesting than any war.
"I refuse," Rory stated with a straight, innocent face that made people throughout the tavern gasp in shock and disbelief.
The sound was like a physical blow. Several people stood up from their tables. A man near the bar slammed his fist down, making bottles rattle. An old woman near the window started muttering prayers under her breath.
Pina had confronted Rory in a loud tone, meaning everyone had overheard. Perhaps she thought that in the presence of so many people, Rory wouldn't be able to disagree, or maybe it was totally a coincidence. But whether or not she meant to make it public, Rory had refused without hesitation.
This earned natural insults and angry shouts from the people around the tavern. They felt that as a goddess, she was supposed to protect them. Coupled with the fact that Princess Pina Co Lada had humbled herself to ask for help, they believed Rory had to agree. Yet she had refused like it wasn't her problem at all.
"How can she be so heartless?" someone whispered.
"People are dying while she sits here eating rice balls!" another person said, louder this time.
Some people felt her refusal was justified – after all, why should she help people who treated her like a monster? Others felt guilty for their past treatment of her, wondering if their fear and hatred had driven away their only hope.
Either way, they knew the strength of someone who served a god. They understood that she had transcended from her normal mortal self to become a goddess, making her the most powerful being in their world. Her refusal meant doom for countless innocent people.
"Why?" Princess Pina questioned, her voice filled with disbelief and confusion that cut through the tavern's noise like a blade. Tears gathered in her eyes, though she tried to blink them away. "I've heard of your deeds, how you've helped people take care of dangers even when they... even when they said terrible things about you. I thought... I thought you cared about protecting innocent lives."
She wasn't entirely wrong about Rory. The goddess was something like a protector of the people, but only when it was convenient for her. She didn't necessarily go out of her way for people who really didn't value her existence or appreciate her sacrifices.
"Well, currently I am in a guild, and I really can't go anywhere without my leader's permission," Rory stated boldly, her voice carrying across the now-silent tavern.
When everyone heard this, they gasped so loudly it sounded like a wind storm had blown through the building. People put their hands over their mouths in shock. Chairs creaked as people leaned forward. Someone's ale mug hit the floor and shattered.
They couldn't believe what they had heard. Who could have been so strong, so bold, so incredibly powerful to tame a Goddess of Death like Rory?
'Someone actually tamed the Goddess of Death?!' Pina thought, her mind racing to figure out who could have been able to do such an impossible thing. Was it possible that there was someone even more powerful than Rory in this world? The thought both terrified and excited her.
"May I ask who this... leader is?" Princess Pina Co Lada said after a long moment of stunned silence. Her teeth were gritted so hard her jaw ached. No matter what it took, she had to get Rory on her side, or even better, convince this mysterious powerful figure to help them.
Rory didn't respond with words. Instead, she turned toward the man wearing a white trench coat with long, spiky black hair and a face that was just a level below the legendary idols of their world. Her movement was slow and deliberate, like she was savoring the moment.
Everyone in the tavern turned to follow her gaze, their heads moving in unison like they were watching a tennis match. They all stared at the innocent-looking Leon, who was gulping down a cup of ale with some white foam still clinging to the corner of his lips. He gazed back at them with confused green eyes, clearly having no idea why he had suddenly become the center of attention.
The silence stretched on for what felt like hours but was probably only seconds. Leon's cup stopped halfway to his lips as he realized everyone was staring at him.
"H-he's the guild leader?" Marcus, the scarred soldier standing behind Pina, questioned with a voice that cracked like a teenage boy's. His eyes bulged as he looked Leon up and down, trying to find some sign of the incredible power that must be hidden within this ordinary-looking young man.
Leon blinked slowly, foam still on his lip, looking more confused than powerful. "What guild?" he questioned back, his voice genuinely puzzled.
The tavern erupted into chaos. People started talking all at once, their voices mixing together into an incomprehensible roar of shock, confusion, and disbelief.
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Sorry I've been on a short break but now I'm back, regular updates will come in.