Jaeger pushed through the doors and walked into a cacophony of noise. The Adventurers' Guild Hall was packed with people talking excitedly. As he stepped further in, he found that most of the people weren’t looking for jobs, but rather discussing a finished one. He couldn’t pick up much information, but from the various conversations, he gathered that a party had killed a monster called a Cerorinth. From the way people talked, it was a big deal.

  “Jaeger! Over here.”

  Jaeger glanced around and saw Lisette standing in front of her desk. As he looked toward her, she waved and moved behind the desk. He made his way over, navigating the unusually packed hall, and got to her desk, which was covered in paperwork.

  “I’m glad you’re back! Follow me.” Lisette waved a guild receptionist over to man her desk, then led Jaeger along a familiar route.

  Once the door to the meeting room shut, Lisette groaned and rubbed her temples. She looked stressed, with dark circles under her eyes and her usually immaculate outfit rumpled. Whatever had been going on since he left seemed to rely heavily on her. Jaeger gave her some time, not being in a hurry.

  “Thanks, I needed that. Things have been hectic ever since Melissa’s party killed that named Cerorinth.” She slapped her cheeks twice to invigorate herself. “By the way, you just missed Emilia. Her group came by a few hours ago to report in. They told me how you saved them; thank you again for that. Now that I know what I do, I’m really glad I took a chance and asked you to go. Normal bandits are bad, but ones willing to work with the Decaying Court? Those are even worse.”

  “I can’t say if it was the whole group, but Kadrin certainly was. I’ve seen desperate men turn to dark and forbidden options rashly, but this wasn’t one of those times. He seemed to have it planned out; we just sped up his plan.”

  Lisette nodded and pulled out a notebook. She took a few notes before speaking.

  “Emilia agreed. Do you still have your bounty notice? With her group showing up, I don't need to verify that the job is complete. However, she also mentioned your encounter with a Guardian, which needs to be confirmed for the guild records.”

  He pulled out the bounty notice and handed it to her. As she read it, Lisette’s eyebrows rose. After finishing it, she pulled on a pair of gloves, closed her eyes, and snapped her fingers. Runes and patterns circled her closed eyes for a moment before settling into them. Then she opened her eyes and read the notice again.

  “Beautiful.”

  She stared at the notice, quiet praise slipping free from her mouth. Jaeger looked at the notice, then at her, and finally scanned the room. He let her stare at it for a while. He poured a drink from a nearby decanter, lit a cigarette, and slowly finished both. She still hadn't looked up. At that point, he decided enough time had passed. He slipped his hand in front of the notice, blocking her view of it.

  “What are you doing!?!”

  “A better question is, what are you doing? We came here to talk about the job, not to sit in silence for hours.”

  “It hasn't been hours, Jaeger. You don't have to exaggerate.”

  He raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to check the time. Lisette rolled her eyes and tapped her fingers together, releasing a spark of magic. Her eyes went blank as she looked at the spell she had cast, and then her face reddened.

  She cleared her throat and avoided his eyes.

  “I have verified that the Guardian of Greenwood both adjusted and verified the completion of your notice.”

  “So, how long has it been?”

  She continued, ignoring him.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Thanks to the Guardian's addition to your bounty notice, your rank has increased. Your badge has been updated, and the guild records have been updated as well.”

  He nodded and motioned at her gloves, deciding to give her an out.

  “I noticed the change in rank and am glad to hear it's official. Speaking of, I’m glad you’re putting those to good use.”

  She looked at him and smiled.

  “Yes, they’re great! Subtle casting has never been easier.”

  They chatted for a moment. Jaeger asked about the changes to her magic casting, and Lisette happily answered. They continued this way until he mentioned Muri-Gena.

  “I had some dealings with one of them, and she had a magical voice. She said it was a natural ability of her race.”

  “You spoke with a Muri-Gena? And she didn’t try to drown you?”

  “No, she didn't try to drown me. In fact, she ran a bar in Clivetown.”

  When Clivetown was mentioned, Lisette's expression fell.

  “Melinda.”

  Jaeger was surprised that she knew the Muri-Gena.

  “You know Melinda?”

  “Only by reputation.” Lisette took a breath before continuing. “She has a reputation title; Ship Taker Man Breaker.”

  He knew about the title ‘Ship Taker’; it appeared on the chain she gave him. However, ‘Man Breaker’ was new. Lisette raised her hands and performed a series of hand signs, leaving behind glowing sigils. When she finished, she pushed them forward, and they flew through Jaeger before he could react. A wave of warmth rushed through him before dissipating. He stared at Lisette before speaking.

  “What the hell was that?”

  She straightened her back and locked eyes with him.

  “I needed to check if she had put you under her thrall. The spell would have burned off any hypnotic or magical influence she left on you. She’s called the Man Breaker because her song enthralls those who hear it, sometimes breaking them. She broke the mind of an admiral from the Republic of Centros, and now he’s one of her most loyal lieutenants.”

  Jaeger didn’t appreciate having magic cast on him without his permission; it was too similar to how the charm-surgeons would do things. However, he understood Lisette’s concerns. If Melinda was half as dangerous as she claimed, then the magic was warranted. His feelings were complicated, but his choice was not. So he relaxed.

  “All right. I understand why you did it, but I don't like it. I felt a little overwhelmed when I first heard her, but I managed to shake it off.”

  Lisette relaxed too.

  “My spell detected a trace of magic on you, but it was being removed by something.”

  In response, he rolled up his sleeves and showed her his chain tattoos.

  “It's probably these. I've been hearing chain noises—a clanging or rattling—whenever something tries to affect me recently. I haven't noticed any changes, but the fact that I haven't succumbed to mental magic must mean something.”

  Lisette leaned forward to examine the tattoos.

  “Interesting. I don't see anything different, either, but if you can hear them, that means you’ve better bonded with them.” She sat back down and picked up her notebook again, skimming through it. “Right. Melinda. You’ve had contact with her and Emilia said you made a deal with the FRC?”

  “Yes to both. Melinda gave me some directions to finding the bandits and in exchange I agreed to be open to taking bounties from the FRC.”

  Lisette made a few quick notes.

  “Emilia has already vouched for your neutrality based on the terms you set, but things may have changed since your last meeting with Melinda. Have they?”

  “No, I still have a choice of jobs, but I can’t ignore them all. She said that some of her ‘whitelisted’ members would come by to offer jobs.” He reached into his pocket and took out the Spikey Union. “She also gave me this. It's supposed to identify me as a neutral associate. If you wouldn't mind checking it for dangerous magic, I'd appreciate it.”

  Lisette put down her notebook and directed Jaeger to a nearby countertop. She ran her hand across the surface and summoned a pentagram into which she motioned for him to place the object.

  “A Spiky Union, huh? Well, that at least confirms your neutrality.”

  “It does?”

  “Yes, only truly neutral associates receive one of these. They're mostly from the Grocers Guild, but this is the first time an adventurer has received one. I imagine it's because of your unique class and outlook. Usually, the guilds see either Paltry Favors or Debtor's Dues, which are also neutral but much less important.”

  “I reckon even villains need to eat.”

  “Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of the Grocers Guild. That's how you end up with moldy bread and stale deliveries.” Lisette snorted as she finished her spell, then handed the Spikey Union back to him. “It's clean with just some standard quest trackers and identifiers. Feel free to wear it openly; no one is going to bother you about it.”

  Jaeger took it and attached it to his pants waistband. He’d never imagined himself wearing a pant chain before, but at least this one would match the rest of his gear.

  “Stylish.” Lisette said, barely maintain a straight face.

  “Are we done here?”

  “Are you not interested in taking another job?”

  “No, I have some personal business to take care of.”

  Lisette leaned forward.

  “Oh, a personal quest? I thought you weren't the adventuring type.”

  “I’m not. It’s a favor for a friend.”

  “I didn't think you were the friend type, either.”