Tales of Revenants

Chapter 14 – Wanted Poster

The party went out of the inn to search where the guildhall in Grayfrost Village is located.

Laken wanted to ask the barbarians, the natives of the place, on where it could be found.

They seem to be facing a bigger problem than golds because when they get a closer look at the surroundings and houses.

There are few people around the place. Even the inn almost looks like it's not getting stays. The four of them were the first client on this cold, blue day.

Laken dons his cape to conceal his identity and also hid Luciella on his embrace. It'd be bad if she caught a cold. The poor Eirisse had no choice but to warm herself in the soft metallic mesh Xenon produced for her.

“It's just me or there's a low percentage of natives going out. It's almost a ghost town.” Xenon noticed.

“What low percentage you saying? There's literally no one here to have a conversation with.” Eirisse implies hopelessness.

“I feel... malefic affinity around here.” Luciella murmured. He takes a precautionary reckoning since his instinct is telling him something is going on in the village.

They went into a different part of the village. From the entrance down to the path towards the mountainside. That is the moment they realized the place seems to be abandoned.

Although there are natives that are inside their houses. They were peeking to Laken and the rest as they search for someone they can talk to.

It's just they can't rudely go inside one of the houses and ask them directly. It seems they are avoiding not just the outsiders, but their neighbors as well.

“Hey... I have a bad feeling about this. They are lookin' and eyeing us in a detesting behavior.” Xenon mentioned.

“We need to go back to ask the lady at the front desk in the inn about what is going on,” Eirisse suggested.

Laken contemplates for a second to decide the best course of action for the unprecedented problem that just occurred.

“Since we're here, let's check at the eastern side of the village, there's a high possibility the guildhall's there,” Laken recommended.

Everyone agreed to what he proposed and they take a stroll to the eastern part of the village.

Now it seems Laken hit the mark. The guildhall is in between the traditional houses. It's made out of sturdy wood and the roof is designed for heavy snow as it won't budge to hail storm.

There are two pillars of torch sitting on the side of the entrance which isn't lit up. Probably because of the bad climate always bringing heavy, snowy weather forecast.

The day isn't something bright when they saw a woman who's probably in her twenties sitting on a bench near the guildhall.

Wind breezes winter frost yet she's not properly wearing anything except some tattered maid clothes. She's holding her shoulders in despair as if waiting for someone to arrive.

Luciella was worried why the woman was left outside in such a cold condition. The party was going to enter the guildhall when the woman desperately tried to stand and ended up collapsing on the snowy road.

She despairingly tried to reach their feet. Laken could no longer turn a blind eye and pretend that it didn't happen by entering the guildhall and forgetting about her. The magnanimous Laken helped her stay on the footing.

“Are you mercenaries...?” The lady urgently asked. Her lip's cracking. She's going to faint at any moment if not attended.

“We are... somewhat?” Xenon said. Not sure what he uttered himself.

“Please help my husband... I will pay with my everything, so... please I beg of you.” The lady couldn't control the tears she was holding back after waiting on the freezing bench.

One doesn't need to go through what the lady did nor feel what hopelessness she's experienced; just a glimpse of her frail body presumably had not eaten for days, and her drifting tears as she begs for help were enough for anyone to take action.

The party looked at each other. They nodded and agreed non-verbally. The sobbing Luciella also desired to help the unfortunate lady who only wanted to save someone important to her.

“You don't need to, let's talk it out inside the guildhall, shall we?” Laken suggested. Xenon instead carried the lady. The party entered the guildhall.

The group was in a moment of silence. The guildhall's clean and tidied up and the quest board was full of job requests. The seats were empty. No one's around to entertain the guests.

The display it gives is much more distant than the lifeless streets in the village. They first settle on the nearest table, Luciella tended the wound of the lady.

“Light Blessing...” The healing spell of Luciella immediately healed the frostbite the lady had all over her body. She could now think and speak rationally without feeling the grief of isolation.

“Now tell us all what happened here.” Laken instigated the conversation.

“Thanks for healing me, dear... My name's Zarah, the wife of the village chief Dunkan.” Her voice's all low. Eirisse made her drink a bottle of health potion first before proceeding.

“I need to cut to the problem... there's a quest request that was posted on the board a week ago. It has such a high bounty that everyone sought to finish the quest but...” Zarah couldn't control weeping.

“Then...?” Eirisse asked.

“The adventurers who attempted to complete the quest never came back. The quest was to kill a unique monster on the Frostsiege Valley. They thought it was a golden chance, so other's interest was piqued. Instead of fixing the problem, it turned worse.” Zarah groaned as if remembering something.

"You mean..." Xenon guesses and Zarah nodded.

“They also went missing, one by one the adventurers and mercenaries in the guild disappeared to the point others shunned the guildhall. They never visited this place again, and the families and loved ones of those who lost blamed us so my husband willingly took the quest.” Zarah told to the party.

“I guess what comes next.” Xenon sighed.

“Yes... he also went missing... so if you all are mercenaries or what... though it is selfish of me, please help my husband.” Zarah was too desperate she knelt down pleading for help.

“We'll help you, but you need to at least answer three questions.” Laken offered. They all faced him and listened.

“First, how much gold did the client left for the bounty?” Laken questions.

“Laken...!” Luciella nudged him saying that asking for the reward out of the bat to a mourning person is not appropriate.

“It's one million gold,” Zarah answered with sincerity.

Laken and the rest were shocked as Zarah even showed a treasure box where all the gold coins were confined.

The excitement made Xenon change his emotion, “Changing attribute: greedy.” The creaking sound of metallic gears inside his chest startled Zarah for a second.

Suddenly, Xenon jolted Laken forward and shook him many times, “This is it! We'll be rich after we finish the quest men! What are we waiting for? Let's head out alright.” Xenon took the quest scroll.

He's going to leave when Laken pulled him back to the conversation forcing him to his seat; the wooden barrel was smashed.

“Changing attribute: normal... I'm sorry.” He apologized.

“I forgive you. Then... who posted the quest? Do you think he's evil?” Laken asked with a follow-up question.

“I don't know who he is or what is his goal... he just gave me the chest of gold along with the copy of the quest scroll and left,” Zarah responded.

It's true when Laken looked at the bottom of the scroll where he assumed to see the name of the one who requested assistance. It turns out the name's blank, and no signature was found.

The group contemplated for a bit. Eirisse also scanned the quest scroll if it's requested by someone who had malice, but it's no use.

They assured it's not a trap set up by someone, and since they are broke, they decided what they needed to accomplish.

“Lastly... It's not a question, more likely a request.” The party took the quest scroll. Laken extended his arm, requiring a formal acceptance of the quest.

“W-What is it...?” Zarah finally found a new hope the moment he took the hand of Laken. The contract has been sealed.

“We will definitely save your husband. In exchange, you must forget our group met you, act as if this never happened.” Laken declared with conviction.

The lady Zarah cried again. The party is leaving when she remembered something important she forgot.

She's about to ask their name but when Laken glanced back, in an instance, Zarah couldn't move nor say a word.

The minute they left, Zarah hurriedly sought out the wanted posters in the counter until she found a parchment containing a quest for the head of someone notorious.

The name of the hunted is none other than Laken. The cold sapphire eyes and his pitch-black hair depicted on the picture was the same image Zarah perceived to the man who extended his arms to assist, together with his party. 

There's no more regret, Zarah thought that if seeking aid to a criminal is what would save his husband, she would gladly take it.

Zarah agreed to the words of Laken. She kept it a secret along with the hope she had given up.