Chapter 56 Laughing Larry

Suzuka said to Thomas, "Oh don't worry about me, I survived in that forest surrounded by monsters, I will manage to survive here. I was a street kid, I gave a lot of trouble to a lot of people. I know how to take care of myself, and I can't thank you enough for leading me out of that forest. Also, as I said, I will be staying here for a long time. We will see each other."

Olivia hugged Suzuka and said to Thomas, "You can go, I will catch up with you. I just want to say goodbye."

"Don't take too long, Olivia, we can't miss this quest," Thomas said as he walk away along with the rest of the party." everyone else said goodbye to Suzuka as well.

Olivia said, "I and Thomas, we put a good word for you. If you want to join the hunters guild and be an adventurer, all you need to do is walk up to our quest cooperator, Lisanna, and tell her I sent you or just mention my name."

"Thank you so much for your help, I truly cannot express my gratitude enough. Without your help, I fear I would have been completely lost in the process of applying for the Hunter's Guild."

"Oh Suzu, my dear," cooed Olivia, her voice dripping with seduction. "I wish there was more I could do for you, or to you, mmm..." She let her words hang in the air, her gaze locked on Suzuka's, a mischievous gleam in her eye. With a coy smile, she leaned in just a bit closer, clearly enjoying the moment and the effect she was having on Suzuka.

"Oh, no, no, you did enough already. Thank you again." Suzuka said.

Olivia cast a longing gaze toward Suzuka, her eyes soft and filled with sadness. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I must go," she said in a soft voice. "But I want you to know that I'm looking forward to our next encounter. Perhaps, when we meet again, we can explore this town together. Just you and me, discovering all its secrets and wonders." She gave a hopeful smile, her eyes shining with excitement at the prospect of their future adventure together.

"That would be nice, I will be looking forward to it, just be sure to come back safe and sound," Suzuka answered with a smile.

   Olivia was overjoyed, and she let out a joyous shout of excitement. She threw her arms around Suzuka, planting a kiss on her cheek, and then quickly stepped back. With a dazzling smile, she turned on her heel and strode away, her hips swaying confidently with each step.

"It's a promise, Suzu," she called over her shoulder, her voice filled with excitement. "Don't forget. Bye!"

Suzuka waved at her and escorted her out with her gaze. Once Olivia was out of sight, Suzuka made her way over to the quest coordinator, approaching Lisanna, who was overseeing the missions. With a friendly smile and a nod, Suzuka greeted Lisanna and approached the counter, ready to discuss terms of becoming an adventurer. 

But first, she needs to sell her items before applying for an adventurer's position. Suzuka asked, "Hello there, I can tell you are busy but could I get a little of your time?"

Lisanna put her files to the side and answered, "Hello, yes, what can I help you with," but with a surprise in her voice continue speaking, "Oh, wait, you are the woman Thomas party was with, Olivia's friend, right? Olivia talked about you with fire in her eyes, she said they found you lost in the forest and you were a victim of a kidnapping."

"Um... yes, but monsters killed them so I'm fine now, no one coming after me. If you are concerned about me bringing trouble." Suzuka tried to explain.

"Oh dear, that's not quite the case," Lisanna corrected. "I was just double-checking the story to make sure it was accurate. You know how Olivia can be with her manners; she has a tendency to exaggerate things. And let's not forget about her flirting. She can be quite touchy and forward in her actions, almost all the time. It's just her way of getting what she wants." Lisanna explained with a sigh and a shake of her head, clearly familiar with Olivia's antics.

"Actually, I don't know Olivia. We met two days ago when Thomas's party found me, that's when we met. After that, we spent some time together on the journey to this town and we become close," Suzuka tried to describe the relationship between them.

Lisanna asked curiously, "You managed to endure Olivia for two days?"

"Yes, she was very nice and gentle with me, she even let me stay over the night in her tent. I really appreciate what she did for me. But, why you ask surprised though?" Suzuka asked with a slim sign of curiosity in her voice.

Lisanna was filled with curiosity as she bombarded Suzuka with questions, "Well, I mean, didn't you see Olivia flirting with me earlier? Doesn't she approach you in the same manner? Wait a minute, are the two of you dating now? I saw her give you a kiss on the cheek just a minute ago. I hope you don't mind me asking, I'm just curious about the situation." Lisanna's eyes were wide with excitement as she awaited Suzuka's response, eager to learn more about what was happening between Olivia and their quest coordinator.

"Dating? No, we just met. I don't know a single thing about Olivia, besides her name and her being nice toward me. But, I would like to know more about her. I don't mind how she acts toward me, I like the way she treats me." Suzuka answered calmly.

"Okay, well then, the truth is, I can't disclose any information about our guild members, we have strict rules. Any personal information is classified, as reasons you see. Blackmail, threats to families, and such dangers. So you will need to learn all the information from Olivia herself." Lisanna said with a strict voice.

"Oh no, I didn't mean any personal information, just wanted to know how is she around other people." Suzuka corrected herself.

"Well, I don't want to talk behind her back but, Olivia always knows how to get what she wants. She's seductive as you have probably seen many times already, also confident, and never afraid to use her charm to get ahead. She is flirting with almost everyone, man and woman alike. She tries to seduce me every time she comes by, even though, she well knows I am a married woman. Also, she is fond of my husband too, well, they are both half-dwarfs but he treats her approaches as a silly joke. That's about all I can say." Lisanna finished her talk.

Suzuka couldn't help but blush as she asked Lisanna, "Excuse me, are you suggesting that Olivia is loose with her affections and sleeps with every person she comes across?" She looked at Lisanna with a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment, clearly taken aback by the suggestion.

Lisanna noticed Suzuka's reaction and quickly tried to clarify, "What! No! I didn't mean to say that Olivia is a slut. She's just... look, Olivia is a pretty woman, just like you. I don't know why she acts like that all the time but after long years, I started to see Olivia for what she is. A kind, warm, helpful, comforting person. She helped a lot of people in this guild. Don't worry, we all know Olivia and what she's really like. She's a good person at heart and a valuable member of our guild."

As Suzuka was about to speak, a loud, boisterous laugh filled the room, capturing the attention of everyone present. All eyes turned towards the main doors, where a single adventurer had just entered the guild hall. It was a tall and lanky man with a wild mane of long hair, styled in an undercut. 

He was dressed in well-crafted hardened leather armor that was reinforced with steel supports, making him look both rugged and ready for adventure. He strode into the room with a confident swagger. 

As he was walking towards the quest coordinator he looked over to the sides, checking out the adventurers lingering in the room as he was speaking, "Hey, hey, hey! Laughing Larry is in the house! Who's up for a fun, easy adventure that'll earn you a few silver coins?"   

As Laughing Larry strode confidently towards the quest coordinator, he cast a quick glance around the room, taking in the sights and sounds of the adventurers waiting for their next mission. But no one called back.

Larry walked up straight to Lisanna and called out in a loud, boisterous voice, "Good day, fair lady! I've come to seek adventure and maybe even a bit of mischief if you catch my drift!" His infectious grin spread across his face as he leaned against the counter while checking out Suzuka.

Lisanna asked, "What do you want, Larry?"

"I am looking for a free adventurer at the moment, I got an easy gig you see. Not a big job, but a few silvers here and there are always nice, right?" Larry playfully answered. 

 Laughing Larry's eyes swept and landed on Suzuka, "Hey, hello hot stuff, are you an adventurer like me?" With a playful grin spreading across his face he said as he reached out to touch her shoulder, "Wanna go on an adventure time with me? I promise a good time." However, before he could make contact, Lisanna said, "Larry, she's Olivia's girl." 

Suzuka didn't even have time to respond to Larry's approach as Larry's hand froze in mid-air as he processed what Lisanna had just said. He looked from Suzuka to Lisanna, trying to gauge their relationship, before finally lowering his hand. A look of surprise crossed his face, and he let out a low whistle as he realized the implications of Lisanna's words.

"Whoa, hey! I had no idea," Larry said, holding his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean any harm, I was just trying to say hello. Hey, look, no touch no harm, right? Don't say a word to Olivia, okay?"

Lisanna gave Larry a smile. "It's alright Larry, just be mindful of their relationship in the future. We're all here to have a good time and make new friends, not to cause any trouble."

Larry nodded, understanding the situation. He gave Suzuka a friendly nod, then turned to walk away, his mind already working on a new joke to lighten the mood. Despite the awkward moment, Larry's spirit was still high, and he went to talk to some rookie adventurers standing by the entrance.

Suzuka said, "He was a cheerful guy, what's his story?"

"Him? That's Laughing Larry, he is well known in the guild as a joker and a bit of a wild card, but he is also a seasoned adventurer with a wealth of experience and a reputation for successfully completing missions. With his infectious energy, he is a popular figure among the rookie guild members. I would really like him as an adventurer if not for his, being big dick energy, shtick."

Suzuka smiled, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "I think I like him, he sure has energy around him."

"You know, Laughing Larry has a similar issue to Olivia," Lisanna commented thoughtfully. "They're both good people at heart, but their approach to life can sometimes give others the wrong impression."

Lisanna continued, "Larry, with his wild and carefree personality, can come across as lacking in discipline and focus, some people think of him as a douchebag. And Olivia, with her bold and seductive demeanor, can sometimes be perceived as lacking in genuine intent, or worse, some call her slut. But despite these exterior appearances, both of them have a kind heart and a genuine desire to help others."

"It's a shame that people often judge others based on appearances," Lisanna sighed. "But I'm glad I know the truth about them, and I know that they'll always have my support, no matter what anyone else may think." 

Suzuka expressed her concern as she spoke. "Excuse me, Lisanna? I hope I haven't been a bother. We've been chatting for a while now, and I don't want to hold up the line or cause any inconvenience for you. You seem like a very busy woman, and I wouldn't want to get in the way of your work." She fidgeted, looking uncertain.

Lisanna smiled warmly at Suzuka, assuaging her concerns. "Oh, don't worry. You're not bothering me at all. Thomas was the last adventurer scheduled for me today. As you saw Larry, you can just walk up to us quest coordinators and ask a question. I'm here to help adventurers like you, and I'm always happy to take a break and chat. I have already finished all the applications of new adventurers that applied this week for the license evaluation test. Besides, I could use a little break from the hustle and bustle of the day." She leaned against the counter, with a friendly and approachable demeanor. "I like our little girls' talk."