The Prince Takes Notice

Ugh, I thought I was done with this bastard after the whole engagement situation. Gwen growled mentally. She stared at Eric blankly, with an unreadable expression.

The reports listed her name, but the disbelief radiating off him made this situation even more annoying.

“It seems to me, Gwen, you’re hiding something,” Eric spat. “I should have sent you to the cells for impeding a royal investigation.”

The Guildmaster snapped. She slammed her hands flat against the wooden desk, the impact echoing off the walls. “I’ve tolerated enough of your foolishness, Eric! She isn’t your fiancée anymore and is now under the protection of the adventurer’s guild.”

“Quiet, Beth, or I’ll have you arrested along with her!”

Gwen shook her head lightly. “I reported everything to the guild, including giving a full account of the goblin situation.”

“We need to verify the validity of your claims,” Eric said, his eyes drilling into her as he fought his own denial. “Unless you’re scared of the truth coming out”

Gwen stared for a second longer than necessary.

The pure arrogance he displayed in the anime was stronger than ever. Her eyes shifted toward Mika, who held a small smile on her face that she tried to hide behind her hand. The heroine's amusement was obvious to everyone.

“Everything is in the report. I saved a village, and the old lady gave me a note I handed to Beth.”

“Which I have right here!” Beth said, holding up a sheet.

“I don't know what else is there to answer, but I have nothing left to say.”

Eric cleared his throat and started to try to regain his composure. “That still doesn’t answer how you killed the hobgoblin.”

“With a really big fireball,” Gwen sighed, deeply disliking Eric’s lingering gaze. “If you have no more questions, I’m leaving!”

“So you didn’t run into the person who summoned the goblins?” Mika asked, leaning forward.

“I didn’t know the goblins were summoned at all,” Gwen admitted plainly. “But once again, Beth does know, since she has the information.”

“Why did you rush to the village instead of reporting back to the Guild?” Eric demanded.

Gwen shrugged. “I thought it was the right thing to do, instead of allowing innocent people to die.”

“I see,” Mika murmured. “So you don’t know about the connection between the attacker and the villager?

Gwen shook her head.

Eric and Mika exchanged brief looks.

He turned back to Gwen with a deep frown. “Is there anything else you would like to add that we might not have asked?”

“I mentioned it in my report: the goblins seemed smarter than they should’ve been.”

“That would make sense if they were summons.” Mika reasoned.

“Are you done with your questions now, boy?” Beth growled, glaring at the two. “Some of us have actual work to get done.”

“No, that is everything,” Eric said through clenched teeth.

“Then I’ll take my leave,” Gwen said, giving a slight bow of her head. Turning on her heel, she hurried out of the room, incredibly glad to be done with them.

“Happy adventuring!” Beth called out cheerily.

Gwen gave a small wave and hurried down the stairs.

If I ever have to see those guys again, then it’ll be too soon, she thought, resisting the urge to rub her temples at the stressful start to her day.

***

Walking back into the main lobby, Gwen headed straight for Mel’s counter.

“By the look of it, the meeting didn’t go well,” Mel commented, looking up.

“Did you know the Prince was going to be there?”

Mel nodded apologetically. “We were told to help him, though the Guildmaster asked me to keep your involvement quiet.”

“Next time give me a warning, deal,” Gwen sighed, lacking the energy to even get upset.

“Next time I’ll let you know,” Mel replied, her ears flopping downward in a display of guilt. “If it helps, I made sure to pick out two quests for you worth five silver coins each.”

Gwen perked up. “Thanks!” She reached out and took the requests from her hands.

“Also, how much longer until your sister arrives?”

“Kira should be here within the next ten minutes or so… apparently she was up late last night and was just waking up when I was leaving for the guild.”

“Alrighty, thanks.”

Gwen turned and gave Mel a small wave as she walked over to a table closest to the door. Sitting down, she looked over both of the job details.

Request: Burme Fur

Objective: Gather five Burme Pelts from the second floor.

Reward: Two silver coins per fur upon completion.

Request: Wolf Fur

Objective: Gather five Wolf Pelts from the second floor.

Reward: Two silver coins per fur upon completion.

“Huh, so we have the potential to make up to twenty silvers, not including any magic stones we get,” Gwen muttered to herself. “Mel really set us up with a good job this time.”

Gwen leaned back in her chair with a wide smile. With these savings, she could finally leave the capital soon.

That meant no more dealing with royal rumors or running into the arrogant prince. Just pure adventuring and finding her way back home.

Adventurers began to trickle into the hall until finally Kira arrived, letting out a massive yawn as she scanned the room. She spotted Gwen and walked over.

“Sorry for being late, boss! I know you wanted an early start,” she apologized, looking down.

Gwen just laughed and ruffled the beastfolk's already messed-up hair, ignoring Kira's immediate pout. “It’s fine. I already got us a quest, so we can set out whenever you’re ready to go.”

“I’m ready right now!”

“Okay!”

Gwen stood up and led the duo to the door.

Another day of hunting awaited them as they quickly made their way toward the dungeon entrance.

***

The scowl on Eric’s face never faded as he made his way down the guild stairs. That damn Beth could’ve just let us talk to Silva sooner instead of forcing me, the Prince of this kingdom, to wait! He growled internally.

A soft hand grasped his own, instantly anchoring him. He glanced down at Mika, who offered a gentle, reassuring smile.

“Sorry you’ve had to see me so out of sorts recently,” Eric muttered.

“It’s fine, my love. It’s been a really trying time dealing with both of these investigations,” Mika replied softly. “I do think we need to focus on the dungeon part first. I have a feeling that if we figure out what’s going on with that, we will be able to solve the goblin summoner case.”

Eric didn’t reply for a moment, mulling over her words as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “I don’t see how the two could be even remotely the same. One is the dungeon getting slightly stronger, which we still have no confirmation of. The other is a madman attacking innocent villages.”

Mika frowned slightly. “I don’t know how to describe the feeling, but maybe we should start viewing the cases as linked.”

“Then maybe your feeling is—”

Eric trailed off mid-sentence. His eyes locked onto the quiet adventurer from earlier, Gwen, just as she was leaving the building, followed by her cat beastfolk companion.

His heart suddenly pounded against his ribs. A strange, warm sensation surged low in his gut. He felt a sudden draw to someone he once found annoying.

“My Prince… Eric!” Mika’s voice rose, snapping the silence.

Eric fell out of the sudden trance, blinking down at Mika. “Yes?”

“Did you not hear anything I just said?”

“Sorry. Just a lot on my mind. Repeat yourself.”

Mika narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing his distraction. “I was saying maybe we should go check out the dungeon ourselves today. We might find something out about the monster anomalies firsthand.”

Eric’s face instantly brightened. “Yes! That is a splendid idea. I’ll call a couple of royal guards to escort us.”

Secretly, Eric realized he could use this investigation as the perfect excuse to find out more information on why Gwen Vanderick changed so much.