Chapter 489 Tears of Steel VI
“Alen, please take care of her. We must leave.” A man said with a sad face. Beside him was a little girl at the age of four.
“Wait, you can’t expect to care for a child. You know I never stay in one place.” Guild master Alen replied.
“We have no choice, we must seek the elvish alchemist. We shall be back in a few years, please take care of her. You’re the only one we can trust.” He said.
The little girl was left in Alen’s care from there on, her na was Mary.
Despite her age, she acted like a full-grown woman. Always calm, collected, and serious about what she does. She never showed grief at her parents’ leaving nor cried.
Each day Alen returned, he found her cooked dinner and sat reading the guild manuals.
“Hey Mary, want to go to school? I could register you in one in Ourals.” Alen suggested when she beca the age of five. He was reluctant, fearing her reaction to leaving her alone in Ourals.
She might not show it, but leaving her twice was bound to be unbearable.
“I can already read and write, and calculate as well. Rather than wasting ti in school, I would much rather have a job in the guild.” Mary replied.
“But you’re still five, you shouldn’t be working yet,” Alen replied.
“Fine, trying to convince you won’t ever work. Let’s wait, I will fill my ti in the library.” Stood and walked away.
Ten years have passed and she got a job at the guild. The youngest receptionist to ever join.
Mary sat at her desk with one stack of books looking out.
“Hey, little girl, you know how to sign this?” An adventure approached her with a quest paper.
Mary stared at the paper, “Sorry but you have to finish the quest first. If you have already done that please provide the kill evidence or location.” She with a straight face.
“Already killed the thing, it rests at the northwest of the side of the forest. Close to the almany stream.” The adventure said with a smile.
“Understood, please wait for the verification team to go bring the monster’s corpse.” He replied.
“That will take them over a day! I want to resupply and embark on a new quest, please sign it now.” He tried to be nice.
“I see, but I can’t do that.” She smiled.
“Why?” He yelled.
“Well, since there is no kill at almany streams. Nor in any other place in the forest, not red hood cobra has been killed in the last two days.” She said with a passive face.
“You little girl! Call soone else who knows how to do their work!” He yelled enraged.
“Mary, co here. Let handle this.” Another receptionist approached her as the scene drew her attention.
“Don’t interfere. This man here is lying about the kill and it’s obvious care to bet on it?” Mary said with a smile.
“No, get out.” The receptionist carried Mary away and signed the adventures quest.
Later that day when the verification team arrived, “There is no kill at the identified location. The butchering team wants the corpse they paid for…” They glared at the receptionist who signed the paper.
The receptionist paled, she wasn’t supposed to sign that. The adventure was nowhere to be seen. “I will find him…” She was about to speak.
“Don’t bother, he already ran away,” Mary said from the corner. “Go to the west edge of the forest, I asked my father to kill one on his way out, use that to pay the butchering team.”
“What?” the receptionist gasped staring at her.
“You heard , back to your work. And next ti listen when I tell you soone is lying.” Mary glared at her, “Father would be pissed had you caused the guild a loss.”
“Yes!” The receptionist rushed back inside.
Another five years have passed, “Cain Lisworth…Cain Lisworth do you hear ?”
The white-haired adventure lifted his head staring at her with a confused face.
“Yeah, I can hear you.” He replied, a terrified look on his face.
Seeing him like that, she rembered the last ti she saw him die. Zaleria had started a fight with him in hell after they argued about giving the girls ranks. Then, while they were distracted, Morena swooped in killing him in the confusion.
Mary wasn’t able to save him since she was left with the girls in the mansion.
“You don’t seem well, you could take a rest in the guest room, I will call a healer for you.” She suggested, worried for his well-being as if he was her son. The chance was small but his last death could have affected his soul, she need to make sure he was fine.
“No, you don’t have to worry about , Mary!” Cain replied with a painful smile, he knew that Mary’s kindness was what guided her to the afterlife. “Just a bit nervous, It’s my first day after all. I’m a bit afraid of facing monsters!” That was a lie, he didn’t feel fear or tension. The only thing he felt now was a sense of urgency to deal with the catastrophe approaching.
‘Sa answer as ever, I can’t even peak at what going in his head.’ She thought. ‘I have to prevent Zaleria from starting the fight, how could I do that.’
“Here you go then, it’s best to start with a group who guides you! Ask around and you might find a party that will accept you!” Mary handed him a copper guild card with his na and rank. Rank F adventurer Cain Lisworth.
‘Should I give him so money to spend the night? Call him ho? No that will be strange. What am I thinking, he will kill slis for money.’ She resisted the urge to interfere, ‘I better call father Bahamut and added a vial of dragon’s mory eraser to the list of the things I need. A weak one will do, I just need Zaleria to forget a few seconds.’
Fast forward a few months, after Zaleria got out of the bath with Farryn and Jella. She saw a cup of cold water on the side table.
“Go call Cain, I will be with you in a mont,” Zaleria said.
When they left, she grabbed the cup of water and drank it. She hasn’t drunk water in the past few days. She is a dragon and usually drinks enough to sate a village, that cup was but a re drop to her.
Mary looked from the side, making sure Zaleria had no side effects. If she showed any bad signs. She will have to restart again, from the day she was left with Alen.
‘Good, she seems fine for now. I better follow her just to make sure.’ Mary followed Zaleria.
Outside, Mary was keeping an eye on everyone, especially Cain. The last ti Morena attacked, she aid for him.
‘I must keep him alive, all the girls as well, at any cost.’ She thought, BANG! Sothing clashed with her head.
‘She went for ? Why I thought her mory of our last fight was erased.’ Mary questioned in her mind.
The last ti they fought, Mary didn’t kill Morena, she knocked her out and forced her to drink a mory-erasing potion that she prepared beforehand.
Mary wasn’t an expert in magic, she didn’t know that a lich’s mories are kept in his phylactery and not his brain. Physical potions can’t work on them. Morena was a black dracolich sinner.
‘She didn’t forget , I must fix that in the next run…Restart…’ Mary activated the ability gifted to her by AO.
…It didn’t work…’Why? This never happened.’
…Far away, in the elvish kingdom. Lilia was relaxing in her lab. Two stone golems clipped her nails as she glared into a crystal orb.
The golems looked like moving statues of naked elvish won, a piece of art crafted by her hands.
“I see I see. And I thought Mystra was about to try and smite with so ti magic for the last ti, it was you wasn’t it.” She smiled, giggling at the event.
“That white-haired kid, he looks funny. What is he, he isn’t a human. He is supposed to be the one little Sylph wanted to protect, should I call, should I go check.” With a leap, she kicked the two golems down.
“I decided, going to have a look!” She started floating.
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