Chapter 14: Mission

Chapter 14: Mission

The ride home went just as smoothly as the drive there, but the car was more crowded and louder, which made the time fly by.

Eliza greeted us happily at the guild building, probably because she was happy that her car was still intact. Still, I'm sure she was also a little excited to see us again.

To my surprise, it was Miko who got out of the car first and ran into her arms. Eliza stroked Miko's head and cuddled her a little. They can't tell me they didn't miss each other.

Alex and Nada told us that they, just like us, did not receive that much information about our mission, so we planned to enter the building together, hopefully meeting Lilith to talk about everything.

Standing in the stairwell, we decided to take the luggage to Miko's apartment, except for Miko, because she was looking for Lilith to get her second cuddling session that day.

"I don't know if I can do that…" Nada said after we sat down in the kitchen.

"Do what?" I asked, already thinking about what she could have meant.

"Meeting Lilith."

"Why? You are afraid of her?"

"No, I'm not afraid... but she's at least as famous as the King of Mages, and I really admire her a lot."

Aww, she's a fangirl. I have to admit that I had never heard of Lilith before I joined the guild, and even now, she's just my very sympathetic boss. And since she's kind of retired anyway because she's not allowed to use magic anymore, I haven't had a chance to see her do anything special.

"She is super kind and welcoming, don't worry."

"You sure?" asked Nada while playing with her braids.

"100%." That was a lie. I had no clue how she would react to Nada and Alex.

A moment later, Miko entered the room looking a bit embarrassed, "Let's go, she's ready."

Walking down the stairs, I asked quietly, "You missed each other a lot, hm?" Miko looked away. "No comment."

Somehow, I was getting a little jealous because no one had hugged me yet.

"Kayla! Why did you make me wait so long?" scolded Lilith as she ran to me and threw her arms around me. I felt a satisfied smile spread across my face.

After taking a step back, I looked at the others and noticed how Alex and Nada were staring at Lilith, more precisely at her chest area... Poor woman, the first two things people notice about her are her boobs and her small stature, even her white hair and constant red eyes getting ignored.

"Welcome, Alex, welcome, Nada. I've heard so many good things about you two." Lilith said, shaking hands with both of them.

"I... It's a pleasure." Nada stuttered shyly, apparently, the sign for our leader to pet her head. "Can we adopt her?"

◆◆◆

After all the introductions, we went into our little conference room. Eliza had made coffee and also brought us some snacks and drinks. She is so lovely, even though she seems a bit cold from time to time.

Lilith told us everything that they discussed at the leader's conference. Alex even wrote some notes she wanted to share with us later.

"The four of you make up the support slash research team. And we're going to add another capable fighter to your formation. I actually wanted him to be here today, but he's still training for his comeback. It's Krystoff, but he'll also be part of the other teams since he's the only one who already knows the inside of this dungeon."

I smiled to myself unintentionally when she mentioned his name, looking forward to seeing him again. I could not talk to him again after he brought me the flowers. Alex and Nada did not look as happy as I did because the only thing they knew about him was that he almost died and failed to save his guild healer.

Miko also looked like she was in a bad mood.

"Speak out whatever you think," Lilith said, aimed at her. "I can see that you are annoyed."

"I don't know where to start." She sighed.

"Let me guess… You aren't happy that Kayla, Alex, and Nada enter a dungeon. You also do not like the fact that you have to work with Wace. Anything else?"

Wace? Who is that? Should I ask right now? Better not…

"You're stating the obvious, but yes. I don't like the idea of running around in that dungeon with a team of rookies and civilians. And this enemy of humanity is the icing on the cake. I can't stand him."

Lilith smiled. "You need to know; Wace is the Co-Leader of the King's Guild. And around the time of the last election, Miko had a huge crush... hey, stop that!"

Miko's head was as red as her eyes as she tried to stop Lilith from talking with little magical water projectiles.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Despite what she tells you about him, he is the most experienced person I know. Yes, he's a special personality in many ways, but his skills matter at the end of the day."

Now it was Alex's turn to sigh loudly, "Listen, I know I'm not a witch like you. I've never seen the inside of a dungeon myself. But I have been studying them for many years and preparing for the day when I would finally get to participate in a mission like this. So, rest assured that I know how to defend myself. I know my words are not very convincing, but I will try to prove myself as soon as possible."

"I didn't mean it that way. It just stresses me out to think that something could go wrong... And that I can't help you all at once."

"Just focus on Kayla. She's more important than us." Alex chuckled.

I had kind of gotten used to someone saying I was the most important person when it came to work, but I had a feeling she didn't quite mean it that way.

"I keep it in mind." Miko simply said.

"If you still have questions, just ask them. The mission starts in three days. Until then, you need to rest, and we will explain what equipment you will take with you."

We talked more about the mission and possible hardships that might await us. Lilith did a good job convincing us that we were in for an exciting but not too dangerous time.

After we were done, Alex and Nada unpacked their stuff at Miko's apartment. The two of them would stay with her for the next few days until the mission started, or rather in her apartment... because Miko decided to live with me for the following days, so they could use her bed while I had to share mine. I got used to sleeping in a bed with her, and somehow, we managed to give one another enough space so it wouldn't get awkward.

Just before we left to go out to eat, Lilith stopped me and asked me to meet her in her office.

"Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to talk to you alone for a moment."

"Don’t worry. What’s up?”

"You've changed, haven't you? Before you went to training camp, it felt like you were just going with the flow, but now it seems like you're setting your own path, even if that path is the same as before." She smiled at me.

I didn't know what to say. How exactly do I give something like that away just by my behavior? She hasn't heard about the incident in the forest, but she can feel the change inside me?

“I guess you are right.”

"That's great. I don’t know what to do without you."

"You're exaggerating. I'm not that important. Besides, you always have Miko."

“Before you were here, I wasn't sure if Miko would go into a dungeon again. But now her only concern is how to protect you, so don't try to tell me that you're not important.”

This almost sounded like I was just some sort of motivation device, but I wanted to believe that Lilith did not mean it like that.

"Okay, can you keep a secret?" Her smile was creepy and somewhat frightening, but I was immediately interested in what was to come.

“Of course.” I nodded.

She took a piece of paper from a drawer and unfolded it. When I saw it lying on the table, I immediately recognized the letters that I usually only knew from dungeon gates.

“This is a spell for an emergency situation. Use it if you are helpless or on the verge of giving up.”

“How do I use it?”

"Just send mana into the circle on this paper. It will activate the spell and take the mana needed to perform it."

I wanted to say that it was forbidden to use the spell, but of course, she knew it was forbidden, and she knew that I knew, so what was the point? She entrusted me with it because she was afraid that something might happen to us. And in the end, saving our lives is worth more than any possible punishment for using this magic.

"Thank you," said I, taking the paper and putting it in my pocket.

"Keep it safe, and thank you very much. I truly trust you a lot."

Of course, I had the urge to ask more questions, but I was sure she wouldn't answer any, so I left it at that.

"What did you talk about?" Miko asked for the fifth time that evening. The first time she did it was right after I left the office. She did it all the time, on the way to the restaurant where we had dinner with Alex and Nada, and she's still asking now after we arrived at my apartment. It was scary how quickly she could turn into that annoying kid.

“I can’t tell you.”

"I'll do anything you want if you do it."

“No chance.”

“Fine.” She shrugged and looked at the floor before she lifted her head. “What do you think about that mission?”

I hoped she would ask that; I couldn't deny that I wasn't really looking forward to entering this dungeon. Yes, the thought of stepping foot in this other world was exciting, but in the face of reality, we were about to take on the failed work of a guild much larger than ours.

“I hope we can get by without any trouble and at least collect some info,” I said with a faint smile.

"I'm optimistic that we won't be in any real danger as long as everyone takes their jobs seriously. Despite my dislike of Wace, I have to admit that he is much stronger than I am. And I'm looking forward to meeting the member of the magical girls guild. I've always joked about joining that guild if Lilith fails to find enough support missions for us."

"Are you allowed to fight in this mission? If I remember correctly, you are forbidden to participate in combat, right?”

"I was banned from entering dungeons and have been advised not to fight. But since the Ministry of Magic is involved in this mission, it should be fine with them if I do what I like."

“These orcs and goblin we expect to meet, how strong are they? Do you think I got a chance if I needed to fight one of those?” I laughed slightly, but that question was more serious than I wanted it to be.

“I would prefer that you not even think about fighting. But to answer your question... Yes, I think you could defend yourself. After all, you have two weeks of intense training under your belt.”

“And if something goes wrong, you will protect me, yes?”

"With everything I've got."

“Thank you.”

“Kayla…?”

“Hm?”

“I have a confession to make.”

I visibly gulped; my heart instantly started beating faster.

"When I first met you, I didn't like you. I thought it was shameful that you didn't make something of yourself despite your abilities."

"Okay." I didn't know what else to say.

"But what I really wanted to say is... I like you now, and if it's okay with you, I would like to call you a friend."

She seemed embarrassed, so I got up from my chair and sat beside her on the bed. "It's okay, please don't worry."

After the not-so-dramatic confession, we quickly moved on to less serious topics. I was just happy that Miko finally called us friends.

The next day, we met early with Alex and Nada for breakfast, and then we had to pack our things for our stay at the dungeon area.

The guilds estimated that we would stay for about four weeks. We were not supposed to destroy the still-unknown dungeon core but to search for information and anomalies, so we were not given a deadline at all.

WACE

“I’m off. Do you want any reports of my well-being?” I asked jokingly towards my guild’s leader, the current King of the Mages.

"I'm more worried about the women who must stay in camp with you." He sighed.

"Don't make it sound like I'm some kind of delinquent. In reality, I'm the victim who has to team up with a bunch of girls."

"Of course, just leave those of Lilith's guild alone. She's the last person from this or any other world I want to deal with."

"Understood," I said, waving at him before stepping into the portal I had created earlier, which teleported me directly into the city where the dungeon gate was placed.

The first thing I did after arriving was to sit down in a café, where I picked up a fresh diary, as I was sure I could share many exciting thoughts with it over the next few weeks.

LUNA

“You are sure you don’t want to stay at a hotel?”

Our guild's secretary was bugging me with that question daily since I told her I wanted to sleep in the tent like I was used to when I was still in a regular dungeon-clearing guild.

"Yes, I'm sure. What do you think the group will think of me if I'm the only one who doesn't stay with the party but sleeps in a comfortable bed in some expensive hotel?"

“I don’t care what the others think. I want you to feel good.”

“I am unsure if it’s possible to feel good since you want to force me to wear our uniform.”

I'm not saying I don't like our uniforms. They're cute and make me look younger than I am… but to wear it on a real mission away from social media or a stage act is a nightmare!

“And if you meet some pretty girls, ask them to join us. We can’t get enough newcomers. And don’t forget to take some footage for vlogs!”

“Am I allowed to film?”

“That was the condition that our guild would participate in that mission, so yes, you can. Or rather, you should.”

I sighed... Walking around in this outfit and recording some cutesy videos for my followers... I am destined to be bullied by the others.

KRYSTOFF

After arriving at work today, I was surprised by my colleagues. They saw me off together for the coming mission. Some were clearly unhappy that I would be sent to this dungeon again, but I begged Sami to give me this chance when he told us about it.

I was looking forward to seeing Kayla again. I wanted to find out why our guild had to experience that horrifying day.

The face of that orc I saw that day is burned into my memory; I can literally see him standing on our lifeless healer, downright mocking me for being unable to save her.

It would be a lie if I said I wasn’t out for revenge, but I am telling myself constantly that I am professional enough to focus on the real goal of that mission.

We need to discover the truth behind that second dungeon gate and the intelligence of these monsters.

ALEX

I am feeling sick.

The overall atmosphere in our car was pretty tense, even though we wouldn’t be going inside the dungeon for another two days.

But we will meet the team today.

Honestly, I'm a little afraid of how the others will treat us. Nada and I are magic students and can do some magic ourselves. Still, I have heard that the witches and mages who clear the dungeons insist that we are very different from each other.

But in the end, I shouldn't care so much about them, except that I hope they will protect us while we try to research the inside of this dungeon.

NADA

I can't wait to meet the team! Miko has told us some stories about the other guilds involved in this mission, and meeting someone from the King's Guild is more than exciting.

And I finally know why our director gave me the assignment to write a study on dungeons. I wonder if he would have kicked me off the team if I had turned in nothing or something terrible.

"We'll pull in over there. It's a five-minute walk from here to the dungeon area," Miko said, maneuvering the car into the parking spot.

Miko, Kayla, and Alex took their numerous bags out of the car, while I had only one backpack with me.

"Hello, little lady." A voice spoke behind me. It rang in my ears like a song. So, I stopped, let the others go ahead, and stayed behind with the young man who was now standing next to me.

He had pitch-black, shoulder-length, curly hair, piercing yellow eyes, and snake-like pupils.

“You should not let your friends walk away when a stranger starts talking to you.”

“But you aren’t really a stranger, aren’t you?”

“What gave it away?”

"Miko described your appearance in great detail."

"Speaking of the Devil.” He said, laughing.

MIKO

Fortunately, I was able to save Nada from Wace. This guy is a womanizer who doesn't even shy away from teenagers, even though he promises he doesn't do it on purpose. He is cursed with his beautiful face and maybe one or two other diseases.

Anyway, we welcomed him into our little traveling group. Kayla and Alex also stared at him for a bit too long before we finally arrived at camp. There, it turned out that we had actually arrived last.

We were met by Krystoff and a woman I didn’t know. Even with the casual clothes she wore, she had the charisma of a real idol, the way she moved, the way she smiled at us, and the way she introduced herself.

KAYLA

"My name is Luna, and I will be leading this mission. I hope we will have a good and productive time together and successfully complete this mission. But since the actual mission has not started yet, I will not go into detail today about how we will behave inside and outside the dungeon. Still, I would love to hear what role you see yourselves in so I can include that in my planning.”

We had formed a half circle in front of Luna and looked at each other, waiting for someone to take the word. In any case, I wouldn't start.

“Okay, I continue… My name is Krystoff, and I will be a guide inside the dungeon and participate in any combat.”

We made eye contact before he started talking, briefly smiling at each other. I was glad to see him here.

"My name is Nada. I study magical items and will try to help you unravel the mysteries of this dungeon."

Alex gave her a thumbs up after she finished speaking and began introducing herself, "My name is Alex, and I am also a student. I specialize in dungeon theory and hope to assist you in any way I can.”

"My name is Wace, and I'm here to protect all of you, not just the ladies." He smiled broadly, showing off his shining white teeth. I won't talk about how handsome he is now… I need to focus on my upcoming introduction.

“I’m Miko, here to fight but mainly to protect that one over here.” She pointed a finger at me so that everyone knew for sure who she meant.

I took a deep breath. There wasn’t much I could say.

“Hello, everyone, my name is Kayla. And I am Your Healer.”