Getting out of the city was surprisingly easy. It helps that we left before any reports could get back to the top brass. I imagine it won't take too long for us to start getting jumped.

A few days away from the capital we found a goblin cave, a particularly noisy goblin cave.

"It seems like there is quite the ruckus in that cave should we check it out?" Mi'ara asks.

"NOPE. I'm not stepping in there unless absolutely necessary. That cave is goblin territory. Only greedy or desperate fools would go into there."

Upon hearing its a goblin cave Mi'ara shivers.

"Yeah, on second thought going in there would be a death sentence. Only a supreme idiot would go into one of those willingly"

Right as we were about to nope out of the general vicinity, a very disheveled girl comes running out.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH! PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE, MY BLOOD ISN'T TASTY!"

While running and flailing her arms like an idiot, she promptly trips over a rock and falls flat on her face. Wow she actually managed to make it out alive. While the girl in front of us clearly only has a few brain cells, she must have some skill to make it out only mildly poisoned. Ok wow, that was rude. I really have no right to act so superior, as I'd get fucked up just as badly in there unless I nuked the whole cave with dragon magic. I should tone those bad thoughts down, don't want to become like ol' Bernadette after all.

"Are you alright!?"

Damn Mi'ara is already rushing over. I should also move, as I'm the one with op healing powers. Looking her over it seems she only has a few scratches and scrapes on her body. Like I said earlier she's midly poisoned, so the scratches must have been made from the goblins spears. Judging by her equipment and the fact she hasn't been muted, it seems she fills a scout like role. If we weren't here she probably would've died on the way to town from the poison. Thankfully we are here, so fixing her up was easy-peasy with my magic.

"Wow thank you little girl! To cast such advanced healing magic at such a young age, you must be a saint! Thank you your holiness. "

Seems like she's starting to develop a misunderstanding. Actually is she? I did revive and receive a divine oracle from a god. That's got to at least make me an apostle, right? I mean they did seem rather pleased with me. . . 

While I was pondering what position in the non-existent dragon church I was in, Mi'ara proceeded the conversation like a normal person.

"May I ask you you're name, O' slayer"

"Ahh! I'm sorry snake lady, I completely forgot, My name is Livia. I am . . . was, apart of the monster slaying Troup 'Dagger Fang'."

"Oh? Is that why you decided to try your luck with a goblin cave?" I asked.

'Dagger Fang' were actually in the game. They were a part of a side quest where they were the bad guys. Basically they were a group of assholes planning to screw over an expedition you could choose to participate in for their own profit. It was also implied they had connections with the organization in the ending dialogue. Considering that group showed up in-game which takes place about 7 years later, they are probably still alive and simply kicked Livia here out. 

"Ummm... yes. You see, I was frammed for stealing a precious item and kicked out of the Troup. I was also forced to pay a costly compensation. Because of all the bad rumors, I couldn't get into another Troup, so I eventually ended up having to resort to trying to take on goblins to try and make money..."

So it's that huh. Basically the scheme goes like this. First, find a poor unsuspecting sap. Second, convince them to join your Troup. Third, frame them for stealing some valuable item. Fourth, report them to the monster-slaying guild and receive compensation from them. Its a classic fraud in this world. Shady Troups pull this scummy shit all the time. It kinda pisses me off that Dagger Fang will be around for as long as the organization is, but there's not much I can do about it as I'm on the lamb. Least I can do is help this poor girl.

Using some air magic to make sure only Mi'ara hears I say, "Distract Livia for a sec, I want to help her out."

While Mi'ara talks to Livia, I say something about needing to set up a camp and walk off a ways. Once I'm behind a tree I make some gold bars using magic. Its pretty damn suspicious to pay with gold bars usually, so I don't usually use this spell to pay for thing, but if Livia were to just so happen to conquer a goblin cave, it wouldn't be surprising to find something like these at the end.

I end up setting up an underground camp like usual as well and come back to Livia asking, "Is it alright if I travel with you two?"

Damn looks like Mi'ara doesn't know how to answer that question. After her eyes wander a bit, they lock on to me. Looks like I'll have to answer.

"Ah, if you REALLY want to join, I won't stop you, but we're gonna need to have a nice long chat before that. I'll give you two options. The first option, I give you these gold bars to pay for your debt and you'll completely forget you met us. I imagine people know you've decided to challenge this cave, so if you return alive people will just assume you got the gold bars from conquering the cave. The second option you travel with us to our destination and go into hiding with us. This option is probably going to be a lot more dangerous as you'll be caught up into a nationwide conspiracy that could tear the island of esu at it's seams from within. Your choice."

"WAIT WHAT! THERE'S A NATIONWIDE CONSPIRACY THAT COULD TEAR THE ISLAND OF ESU AT IT'S SEAMS FROM WITHIN? HOW COULD I NOT TRY AND STOP THAT!"

While it seems she's a little loud, we have obtained a new companion.