23 Opportunities

The pulsing beat of his heart could be felt throughout his body with increasing velocity. Bao threw a quick glance at Elincia, who stood beside him if she might have heard the thumping sound -there was no reaction from her-, she either did not care or just ignored it. An uncomfortable feeling spread in his stomach area, it reminded him of a drinking party which he attended and immediately regretted the day after. Needless to say that he stopped going to any festivities and didn't touch alcoholic beverages in years.

"What is it then?" Bao asked.

"What?"

"The other method to safe the souls, we were interrupted when you wanted to give me an answer."

"Ooh, that." The elf passed her fingers through her hair. "Pretty simple, if we can't get them out of there by dragging them out one by one then we just need to destroy the place they are stored in. At least that's the theory."

"We just need to find the location of where they are collected huh."

She nodded.

Bao's back itched on a spot on his back but he resisted the urge to scratch himself. The new clothes he was wearing had not a single hair or splotch of dirt on them and while you probably needed a degree to know how to put on all of those unnecessary pompous pieces of cloth that were floating around, you could still have servants do the job for you, as it was in Bao's case. They sat tight on his shoulders and crotch but the worst part was their almost shining combined colour of white and blue, the complete opposite of his dark eyes.

"Sigh... I hate formal clothing. Damn those who invented such ridiculous attire." He complained.

"Nothing we can do about it, we are going to meet the king after all. Or did you want to go with those tattered clothes of yours?"

He shook his head.

"Now stop muttering. This is your possibility to get a new life after all."

Both of them were in the royal palace and stop in front of a massive gate, drawn on it the crest of the Kaston family. A strange white angel-like bird with four wings on a blue field, explaining the choice of his clothes colour. Hidden behind those thick doors was probably the hearing hall where they would have an audience with the king.

"Don't forget that you are the one who dragged me here."-he whispered-"I never wanted to come in the first place."

"That's a lie."

"Why should I?"

"You came to the city to become successful, so why should you through away this possibility? Isn't an opportunity like this the very own reason for coming to this town?"

He glared at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Hah, I definitely don't want to get involved with the palace politics. Every friend could be your enemy while assassinations in plain daylight are the normality. If I had the choice I would rather die as a free adventurer rather than an underling to the crown." He waved with his hand as if he would try to shy a fly away. "No thank you. I would rather be alive and poor rather than dead and rich."

"Isn't that even worse when you stay with me? After all, I am known across all of Nelenia, there are definitely enough people who want to see me dead." She smirked.

"That is not something someone would say with a smile on her face." He mumbled.

"Through the bravery and hardship of her greatness, the holy maiden of Karsuva and the help of her assistant David they could safe his highness's son and lift the curse from his body." The herald announced the moment both doors opened, splitting the bird right into two halves.

"Assistant?!" Bao threw an angry look at Elincia.

She answered with one of her gentle smiles, which he learned were not her true face.

Before coming to the castle he once again used up all of his AP points gained from both quests. Knowing that he was going to talk to the king personally, he put most of them into charisma, hoping to receive a small advantage in what was about to come.

[David - Level 6]

[HP: 20/20]

[MP: 0/0]

[Strenght: 4]

[Perception: 2]

[Endurance: 2]

[Charisma: 6]

[Intelligence: 3]

[Agility: 2]

[Luck: 2]

Skills:

[World Traveller - LvL 1]; [Scuffle - LvL 1]; [Backstab - LvL 1]; [Gathering - LvL 1]

Titles:

[Acquaintance Of The Holy Maiden]; [Soulwalker]