As we walked to the guild, silence fell between us before Moreno abruptly said, “I’m going to quit being an adventurer.”

Startled, me and Cathy looked at each other before we began trying to dissuade Moreno from his decision. Only to have him shake his head and say, “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I’m not able to progress any higher because I don;t have time to train. Plus, as a scout, I’m not capable of surviving on my own. So…”

Interrupting him, I said, “But as a scout you don’t need to survive on your own.”

Bitterly smiling at me, he said, “But that’s one member who can’t pull his weight.”

“That’s not true,” Cathy said disapprovingly. “You know that it’s because of you that we could get past so many monsters, right?”

Chiming in, I spoke, “Without you, we would probably have taken much longer to find the spiders and that would have led to us being ambushed even later at night.”

Still shaking his head resolutely, Moreno said, “I’ve decided and I won’t change my decision.”

Then, pausing where he stood, he stuck out his hand and said, “But I hope you both will not be strangers when I come calling in the future.”

Cathy gripped his outstretched hand tightly, while I, having a distinct lack of hand to hold, opted to grab his shoulder.

Grinning, we promised we won’t be strangers in the future and as the mood lightened up; we reached the adventurer’s guild.

Walking in, we found the atmosphere to be subdued, as though the events of yesterday had left a mark on the place.

But then I chalked it up to my imagination as Farrah hailed us with a big smile on his face.

“Thought you’d never come,” He said, the smile still hanging on his face.

“Give a poor man his beauty sleep! See these? Black circles!”, I joked as I pointed to my eyes.

Snorting, Farrah pulled out a letter and handed it over to me.

Curiously, I tore open the letter, to find written in flowing handwriting the words;

 

-----

Dear Faustus,

I apologize for the incident at the guild. I heard the true narration of the events later, and my opinion on you has significantly changed. For the better.

I hope you continue to be a fine adventurer and I implore you not to take the events of before to heart.

We are a guild, but we are also a responsible organisation that strives for justice, and good faith.

My earnest wish is for you to become a pillar that upholds it, just like the other adventurers.

For that purpose, I have left behind certain instructions with Farrah. They might be of some use to you.

Sincerely,

William.

-----

Reading through it once again, I looked up at Farrah, who grinned lopsidedly at me before he held out his hand, and said, “Badge.”

Handing him my guild badge, I watched as he worked before he tossed a stone at me.

Catching it, I watched as the forcestone turned from white to almost pitch black. Surprised, I watched as Farrah - who was not surprised - took the stone back and said, “I figured this might be the case. Near-death experiences often cause an increase in stars.”

Then looking at me meaningfully, he added, “If the person survives, that is.”

The excitement suddenly dying down within me as I thought about Sia’s anger; I nodded fervently.

“If a person survives. I’ll be keeping those words close,” I thought to myself.

Tossing the badge to me, I flipped it over to see a big D written on it, with 5 black as night stars emblazoned below it.

Grinning at him, I asked, “I hope these things are easy to make, because sooner rather than later, I’ll be at iron rank and coming back for another one.”

Waving me off, Farrah grinned back as he said, “I’ll buy you a drink then.”

Frowning, I said, “I can’t drink yet. I’m too young.”

Still grinning, Farrah chuckled as he said, “Don’t worry. The day you turn iron rank will be far beyond the point that you can drink.”

“Hey!” I said peeved.

Chuckling, Farrah held up his hands, and breaking into a grin myself, I called Moreno and Cathy - who were talking to acquaintances -, and we left the guild to head to the hospital.

Slowly walking, I turned over the badge in my hand, and Cathy leaned in curiously before she let out a strangled yelp.

Looking at her curiously, she grumbled in response, “Took me 3 years to get that badge when I first started.”

“3 years?” I stared incredulously and Cathy cuffed me around the ears as she grunted, “No need for that look, boy. I’ll have you know I was incredibly fast for my age.”

Knowing not to ask a lady her age, I wisely chose to change the topic.

To why a Baling Tarantula Lord had decided to ambush us.

Pursing her lips. Cathy said, “They’re called Lords because the monsters form a group under them. Like loyal soldiers. Plus, the Lords have intelligence far beyond the average monster. They’re capable of thinking and strategizing.”

Interjecting, Moreno said, “We must have killed a lot of its subordinates for it to launch an attack like what it did.”

Nodding in understanding, I vaguely felt that this was not the first intelligent species of spider that I had faced. But the feeling passed as quickly as it came, along with the brief burst of indignation.

Puzzled, I scratched my head, but then we were already at the hospital.

Walking in, I greeted Dr Cratus, who smiled at me in his traditional stiff way, and then we made our way to the ward in which Duncan and Dunkirk lay.

Dunkirk was still unconscious, but Duncan waved his hands as soon as he saw us, fatigue lining his face.

“You finally have time to visit us poor folks in the hospital, huh!” he said good-naturedly.

“Hey! I was in my own hospital room,” then looking around the ward, I added, “And it was a lot more comfortable than this.”

Grumbling, Duncan said, “If you’re trying to make me jealous, it won’t work.”

Then, becoming serious, he said, “I haven’t yet thanked you for saving our lives and neither will I. But I shall always remember this debt.”

Clasping his shoulder and eliciting a pained wince from the man as I hastily removed my hand, I said, “Nothing to be thanked for. In fact, I’m just glad that you don’t blame me.”

Exchanging glances with Cathy, Duncan raised his eyebrows at me.

Telling him the same thing that I told Moreno and Cathy; I bowed down and apologised to him.

Scratching his chin, Duncan looked at me thoughtfully before he said, “Fine. Cancel the debt. Make it half a debt. One for me, one for Dunkirk. That makes it one debt in total.”

Grinning, I said, “Deal!” and Duncan stuck out his hand, and I shook it.

Then Duncan eyeballed me suspiciously, and asked, “You said you were a healer, but you said nothing of being able to fight the way you did.”

Blinking innocently, I said, “I did tell you I’ve been in a few fights here and there.”

“A few fights? Bal’s whiskers, boy! Those moves were like a professional’s! A professional lunatic!”

Nodding abashedly at his words, I jumped up at the last part.

“What do you mean by a lunatic, huh!”

“Throwing your dagger? Leaving your sword? Punching a spider in its brain?” Duncan said as he scoffed at me.

“Don’t think I didn’t see that,” he added with a laugh.

Scratching my head, I had to admit he had a point.

A point that I was still pondering on, long after I left the hospital.

Looking up, I stared at where my pondering had led me to.

The Page Academy.

“Soon!”, I thought. “Soon.”