The four discussed amongst themselves for a short while while Leonn continued to process their registrations, making smalltalk interspersed with occasional discussions of battle strategy. Although Serrena tried to keep the conversation focused on potential missions they could undertake and how to best utilize their varied skills on the battlefield, Danitha and Mirae were more interested in socializing and bonding as friends than anything so specific.

From clothes to various gossip about the campus to various students the two found attractive— Danitha liked boys and Mirae didn’t consider gender particularly important in determining attractiveness— the two were as fast friends as any pair Lysette had ever seen.

A bit too much of the conversation focused on Lysette, with Mirae gushing about all of her alleged achievements. Most of which were either false or at least grossly exaggerated. And Danitha did her best to temper Mirae’s quite overwrought and lofty view of Lysette, something that proved more than a little difficult despite what Lysette considered to be quite a robust and persuasive argument. Lysette did cut class a lot, was an overall mediocre student, and frequently vanished for days at a time, facts she didn’t even try to dispute. But still, Mirae’s tenacious defense remained unwavering, something which made Lysette uncomfortably happy and proud to hear.

After nearly half an hour of conversation, Leonn beckoned the group back to the counter and presented them with their guild membership cards. Lysette and Serrena’s cards both had an emerald hue, while Danitha’s and Mirae’s were both a deep orange-red, corresponding to C- and D-Rank membership, respectively. The ranking system, as was explained, was a way both to track the overall capacity of the guild, as well as to help assign Cultivators to jobs appropriate for their own capabilities.

After yet more discussion— this one kept far more focused at Serrena’s stern insistence— the party accepted a mission to investigate, and, if necessary, eradicate a strange stone-eating beast in the northwestern province of Domaria. And after formally accepting the assignment, with the sun halfway up the eastern horizon at their backs, they departed along the dirt road past the last stretches of Domark and onward toward the small town of Gnaria.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” Lysette said after a few miles of travel. “Been in and around Domark so long I’ve forgotten just how lovely the countryside really is.”

And not just visually. The quiet rustle of the trees in the cool air, punctuated only by the occasional chirp of birds high overhead or the distant rumble of terrestrial beasts marching around in the far distance. The rustic scent of the earth and the trees and grasses and herbs, the final droplets of the morning’s dew brushing against her arms, the warm sun peeking through the cool underbrush. All of these wonderful sensations and more, Lysette felt, and she felt them much stronger and more fully than ever before. Even Domark itself, filled with vice and iniquity though it was, was still a gorgeous marvel of the world as it floated above the southwestern horizon, growing smaller and smaller as they continued onward toward their destination.

The four traveled at a rate far faster than an untrained person could ever dream, though still not fast enough for Serrena, who muttered the occasional curse about moving too slow for her liking. Danitha, as a fully-focused Physical Cultivator, could nearly keep up with Lysette and Serrena despite having an Essence coefficient less than half theirs. But Mirae, who had only a foundational grasp of Cultivating the basics of bodily enhancement that everyone had to first master before branching out into their respective specialties. Arts? Elements? Lysette wasn’t sure of the preferred terminology; her research had been focused on Creation and information relating to the gods of Aimarion rather than such foundational concepts.

Still, despite it being nearly fifty miles through less than ideal terrain, it took a scant two hours for them to arrive on the outskirts of Gnaria, at which point, they decided to first make for the town hall before heading to get some food after a long morning of travel.

So far from the capital, even the town hall was quite plain even by the standards of the Domark outskirts, more reminiscent of Lysette’s prior life back in Osstia, and the rest of the town was otherwise quite similar to her former home in both size and appearance.

She did spare a few thoughts for what had happened to the town’s ruins since its annihilation some three weeks back. Had anyone from Domark been sent to investigate? Did the capital and the crown even care about her village? Or were they just some backwater town to technically control and siphon taxes from to fuel their own avarice? She’d been taught the former, that taxes were tribute paid for the crown’s protection, but considering that, in their moment of greatest need, that ‘protection’ was about as useful as most of the other nobles she’d had the displeasure to associate with, her hopes weren’t high that they cared in any other capacity.

An older lady with thin, gray hair looked up from the reception desk as the party stepped into the town hall’s lobby. She looked to be quite flustered, almost shaking in her chair, with any number of papers scattered across her desk, and her heart raced as though she were on the verge of a panic attack. And judging by the general lack of Essence within her, she probably had neither aptitude for nor training in Cultivation.

“Excuse me, Miss,” Danitha said. “We’re here from the Hunter’s Guild about some monster infestation. Is there someone we can talk to about that?”

The receptionist’s eyes lit up for a moment as she eyed Lysette and her companions. “Finally, the first bit of good news we’ve had in awhile,” she muttered. “I mean, welcome, esteemed guests. I apologize for the mess we have here. With the orephage running rampant, things have been in absolute freefall. Hopefully now that you four are here, things can start getting back on the right track. I’ll let the town magistrate know straight away.”

The receptionist offered a small bow, and the four sat on a few chairs scattered about in the lobby for a few minutes before a short, rather rotund man approached from the back hallway. He looked around for a few minutes, tapping his toes on the ground. “I was told there was a group here from the Hunter’s Guild?”

“That would be all four of us, Your Honor,” Serrena said. “And despite our youthful appearance, I can assure you, all four of us are quite competent. Especially our leader.”

She gestured toward Lysette, who took the cue and stood up, walking over to shake the magistrate’s hand.

“We were told that there was some stone-eating monster ravaging the town,” Lysette said. “And we’ve come to take care of it. However, we don’t have all the specifics about the mission or much more about this monster other than it apparently is quite large and eats rocks?”

The magistrate muttered something under his breath about ‘a bunch of girls,’ something Lysette was glad Mirae didn’t seem to hear. After a too-awkward pause, he continued.

“Not stone, specifically. Ores. Crystals, minerals, gems. You all may not be aware, but Gnaria is a mining town. There’s a mine a few miles to the west, where a great deal of Domaria’s precious and semiprecious gemstones are harvested. Plenty of corundums, jadeite, beryls, the occasional lazulite and diamonds as well. Unfortunately, we’ve had to close the mines due to the monster you heard about.”

“So why isn’t the palace sending soldiers?” Serrena asked. “Something so valuable sounds like just the sort of thing the army would want to take care of themselves, rather than leaving it to civilian mercenaries.”

“Have you not heard? Elithria has been taking an increasingly aggressive posture as of late, massing more soldiers along the border. There are even some isolated instances of raiding parties being sent to pillage some of the border towns. With war looking increasingly likely in the not-too-distant future, most of the army has been dispatched to the borderlands or recalled to the capital.”

Lysette furrowed an eyebrow. Took them more than long enough.

Danitha and Mirae had since gathered from their seats on the other side of the room and were standing just behind Lysette and Serrena.

“So, we just need to find this creature and crumble it to dust?” Serrena asked. “Seems easy enough.”

“Are you sure about that? The beast is over three times as tall as you, with fists much larger than your heads. And yet it still moves far faster than any creature of its size has any right to. I– I fear you may be throwing your lives away.”

“Why’s that?” Serrena asked. “Because we’re young? Because three of us are women? Because we don’t fit your stereotype of hunters being a bunch of rugged, scarred old dudes?”

Mirae mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ at the second of those statements.

“If you’re worried about us, don’t be,” Serrena continued. “Or have you forgotten that the power a Cultivator wields is not tied to such trivialities as their age, gender, or appearance? Quite frankly, I’m a little insulted. Even if we don’t look the part, I promise that the four of us are not to be trifled with. Especially our leader. I really believe she’ll be someone who can shape the world itself someday.”

Lysette blushed. “That’s a lot of pressure, Serrena.” Even if I intend to do exactly that. “But the guild has confirmed that we’re an appropriate rank for the task ahead of us, and while I can understand your hesitation. I promise we will do all in our power to see this mission brought to a successful resolution. Now, if you have any further information about where these mines are, or what we should look out for. Any additional information you can give us would be invaluable.”

The magistrate stammered for a bit and was cowed by Serrena’s fierce glare. “W– Well, if you four really are serious, then we’ll do what we can to assist you. As I said before, the Gnarian mines are about five miles to the west. Though the terrain past the town will be rather rocky and difficult to traverse, which is why most of us live down here instead.”

“You said most. Could you explain?” Mirae asked.

“Well, the miners would generally travel and live in a makeshift campsite just outside the mines. All the equipment and tools are kept there, and the miners themselves would carry their food for a week’s stay. A week on, a week off, living and working up there. Of course, since the damned orephage showed up, we’ve had to recall everyone back to the town for safety’s sake.

“The damned thing does eat stone, but as the name suggests, the bastard has a particular fondness for gemstones and precious metals. If I were to speculate, you’ll probably find it in the deepest parts of the mines. So make sure you have a way to fight in low light conditions, and bring plenty of water and food as well— the last thing I want is for you to defeat the beast, only to get lost in the caves and… Well, let’s not think about that.

“As for direct aid, the only thing we can give you are a handful of light bulbs and a map of the mines.”

“Light bulbs?” Danitha asked.

“They’re a strange plant shaped like a tulip bulb that glows a bright white at nighttime.” Lysette said. “Hence the name. As for how they work on a biological level, I’m afraid that’s beyond my knowledge. Medicinal plants I could tell you more about.”

“Well, I think that’s just about that,” Danitha said, smiling as she bowed slightly toward the portly man. “I hope we can bring news of success back soon.”

Her stomach growled. “Right after we get some food.”

“Good call,” Mirae added.