Sen found Zeke exactly where Mori said he would be. The skeleton of a building, still only partway under construction on the edge of town. It would easily be three stories when it was finished, and the surrounding land was cleared as well. There must be big plans for the place. Several months ago, Mori recommended that they continue to invest in Zeke. The grand building in front of him told Sen that either his investment had been very successful, or Zeke had funneled every gold coin into a luxurious new home for himself. Either way, that wasn’t the reason for his visit.
Though no construction workers were around today, Zeke stood in front of the building with his hands on his hips, admiring it. He wore a vibrant green outfit made of fine materials, though it looked designed more for function than for style. The thick wool lining would keep him warm, but the exterior of the outfit appeared durable and resistant to stains, be they natural or magical. He wore a little hat that folded up in a triangle-like shape on top of his head.
Sen cleared his throat. “Zeke,” he said.
Zeke spun around at the sound of the voice. He allowed shock to graze his face for only a second before bowing. The tip of his hat folded with him. “Master Sen!” he nearly shouted.
Sen took a step back. He hadn’t expected this level of excitement from his appearance.
“I’m so glad you stopped by! Mori’s kept me updated on your progress, but I’ve hoped to catch up with you for a while now!” His eyes widened and he turned to look back at the half-built building behind him. “Oh, this isn’t just for me! I—”
Sen held a hand up. “Actually, Zeke, I need a favor, and time is of the essence.”
Zeke straightened up immediately. “I’ll help however I can,” he said. There wasn’t a shred of hesitation or doubt in Zeke’s voice.
Sen felt bad that he hadn’t visited before. But that was something he could fix later. “There was an attack on Brightsail Academy, and several students were taken. I need your help.”
Zeke’s eyes widened. “Oh, no…is everyone okay?” he asked.
Sen sighed. “They took Ilm, and some friends of mine. The academy doesn’t plan to do anything about it. But there’s still a way we can help.”
Zeke’s eyes lit up. He understood in an instant. “How fast can you get me to the guild?”
Fast.
It wasn’t the most elegant solution, but Sen had covered himself in Encapsulation and strengthened his body with Aggression. With Zeke under his arm, he sped over rooftops until they reached their destination. Zeke handled it surprisingly well and didn’t complain a single time. Sen appreciated that. When they arrived at the guildhall, Mori, Oliver, and Samara were already waiting for them.
Zeke patted his clothes down to remove any wrinkles from traveling and then hurried to greet Mori. He introduced himself to Samara and Oliver as well.
“Uh, why exactly am I here?” Oliver asked.
“It’s best if you find out after the fact,” Sen said.
“Heh,” Oliver laughed. Then he realized it hadn’t been a joke.
Sen led them into the guildhall. They needed to move quickly. From a quick glance, you’d think the guild was actually a tavern. Wooden circular tables and matching chairs filled the room. Men and women wore everything from armor to casual clothing, to the equivalent of pajamas. Almost all of them were drinking. Attendants hurried around the room, refilling mugs and taking orders. The atmosphere was relaxed and the general mood was high. The desk attendant, a wiry man with a tiny nose and a broad smile, perked up when he saw Zeke. “Master Zeke! What brings you in today?”
Sen raised a brow. Master Zeke? He had really moved up in the world.
Zeke sighed. “Have you heard about the attack at the academy?” he asked.
The attendant’s mood sank. “Yeah. That tore my spirit. I just hope the kids are okay. You have something in mind pertaining?”
Zeke lifted a pouch of coins from his waist. Sen realized he’d forgotten to give Zeke money for the task he’d given him. He reached for his own coin purse, but Zeke waved a hand without turning back. “I want to take a quest out. Hire some people to find those children and bring them back.”
The attendant shifted uncomfortably. “I’m afraid we’ve been asked not to touch this. Mayor’s handling it himself.”
Sen did his best not to let his anger show on his face. Samara was less successful than he. She scowled at the attendant.
Zeke nodded. “This isn’t so much me petitioning the guild. I knew you’d reject it. But rejected quests go to the school, don’t they? This is just my way of lending them some additional resources. The mayor might be taking the lead, but he’ll be working alongside the dean. This will give them some much-needed help.”
The attendant looked surprised. “In that case, certainly. I’ll draw up the posting now.” He eyed the coin pouch on the desk. “The usual pay per person? Also, would you like to set a limit? I’m sure the academy is gonna put a lot of people on this, don’t wanna drain your funds too much.”
“No limit. Whoever takes the lead on this can hire as many people as they want. If they hire more than this pays for, put it on credit. I’ll cover it,” Zeke said.
Sen hadn’t asked him to do that. He started to say as much when the attendant hurriedly started scribbling down instructions. Sen grabbed Zeke by the arm. “That’s too much, Zeke. I can’t ask you to—”
But Zeke beamed. “You don’t have to, Master Sen. You pulled me off the street and gave me a chance at life. I’ve taken every opportunity I can since. Trust me when I say I’ve got this covered. This is how I contribute.”
He understood Mori’s positive opinion of Zeke more and more. The man was remarkable. All he needed was a second chance. “Thank you, Zeke. I will remember this,” Sen said.
The attendant finished writing and looked back up. “I’ll send one of my fastest guys to the academy with this!”
Mori held a hand up. “Actually, we have a student council representative right here. He can take it,” he said.
The attendant looked at Oliver, and a flash of recognition overtook him. “Oh! I’ve seen you with Ms. Ladia before! Right, here you go then!”
Oliver had scarcely taken the paper when Sen took it from his hands. “As a student of Brightsail Academy, I accept this quest.”
Oliver blinked, looking between his empty hands and the blank sheet of paper. “What just happened?” he asked.
“Wait, did you just…” Samara burst into laughter.
Sen smiled. The academy could stop students from going to help on their own. But this was an official quest accepted in the name of Brightsail Academy. He was representing the school now, and he had free rein to pull in as many other students and even faculty as he wanted, so long as they were interested, of course.
[Ah, I see. So this is how you’ll operate around the framework. Oh, look at this! A new quest!]
It popped up a moment later.
[Complete the quest to rescue the missing Brightsail Academy students.]
[Reward: Boon of the God of Magic]
Sen blinked. A boon…from himself? How was that possible? It wasn’t as if he needed any additional motivation to save the others. But this was a pleasant surprise. Now, he simply needed to prepare. He looked at Mori. “Take word to Ladia.”
He felt a sudden disturbance in his temporal world and turned his attention to it.
“What’s that?”
It took Tutor a moment to respond. “I believe…that egg from the dungeon is ready to hatch.”
Professor Ladia
They’d been at it for an hour when the message arrived. The illusion came in the form of a butterfly. She wondered about that. That wasn’t typical of her messenger illusion spirit. But sometimes it could be influenced by the magic of those around it. When the letter landed in her lap, it wasn’t discreet. The butterfly dropped it from high above the table. All the other faculty members turned to look at her.
The dean arched a brow. “News?” he asked.
Professor Ladia pursed her lips. “I suppose we’ll see momentarily.” She unfolded the note and read it to herself.
A quest came from the guild to find the missing students. Sen accepted it.
-Student Council Secretary, Oliver
Ladia’s jaw dropped. “Oh.”
The dean rose to his feet. “Oh? What’s going on?”
Ladia shot a look across the table at Sikar before turning to face Dean Withershade. “Someone…placed a quest at the guild…I guess. A quest to go after the missing students. It must have been rejected and ended up here because…”
The dean’s eyes widened. “Please don’t tell me—”
“A student accepted it.”
Around her, the faculty council erupted in chatter. This certainly complicated things. Across the table from her, Crosp stroked his mustache. This wouldn’t have been his ideal path for solving the issue at hand. To her side, Sikar grinned devilishly. He’d be a fan of this for sure.
“Which student?” the dean asked. He rubbed his temples, already searching for ways out of this.
Ladia stared at him. “Take one guess.”
Withershade groaned. “The first year. He’ll be the death of us.”
“Not if we help him,” Sikar said, rising to stand. He made his way straight through the door.
The dean scoffed. “Where are you going, Professor? Our librarian has already left without a word. Do you mean to leave us now, too?”
Sikar shrugged. “This meeting is kind of pointless now. You might wish to abandon the students we are responsible for, but other students have decided they won’t. I’m going to throw my support behind them.”
“You can’t just leave!” Dean Withershade fumed.
“Sure, I can. I have tenure.”
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