Panskey (Kat)

By sunrise, me and my driver has already left the inn. There were no breakfast provided but we did brought some stale bread from the Tower so a day old bread has to fill our belly for now. None of us complained, after all in a few hours we will reach the city of Panskey. If there is anything we need to find or eat, it can wait until we reach Panskey.

The city is a large trading center due to its formerly a city-fort that houses many residents and in need of various goods and supplies during war time. Nowadays, it is becoming most well known for its' lace trades that the women delicately handmade here.

Which is why the kobold attacks are now worrisome, as the women are no longer safe even within the fort walls, and the merchants not wanting to trades for the fear of loosing both their goods and their lives trading in Panskey. After all, the laces can wait until the kobolds are dealt with and it won't rod or anything, unlike foods and other perishable goods.

When I saw the fort walls from the distance, without a doubt I saw several adventures fighting some kobolds. The problem is that is not all. At several points surrounding the fort, many adventures are doing the same thing, fighting the kobolds.

After seeing the scene, I understand why Pansky requested so many adventures to kill the kobolds. The kobolds are not particularly hard to kill, but because of their continuous attacks and their overwhelming number, the adventures can't take a break and have no choice but take turns fighting the kobolds for resting.

The moment our carriage approached the wall, some of the kobolds come rushing and attacked us. Without wasting time, I join the fight. I release both my poison bomb and my mind poison, hope the affected could fight amongst themselves and help us reduce their numbers. The carriage safely pass by the wall and after several kobolds killed, I drag one of their bodies to the fort-door.

"Please state your purpose of entering" The guard said without taking his eyes off the kobolds who are fighting, making sure none of them slipped pass the adventures and rush into the city.

"I receive the request from Pansky for kobolds extermination" I said

"And your affiliation?"

"Arcadia Tower" I said shortly

In that moment, the guard stop looking in the kobolds direction and now looking at me, seemingly surprised.

"Confirmed. Please come in, welcome to Pansky" The guard said finally after checking my badge and some paperwork in his hand. With his nod, the door opened and I walked into the famous City of Laces, Pansky.

In front of me might have a cheerful and bustling city market in full view before, but now what's left is a few empty stalls and adventurers hanging around to rest or taking a break. I understand that maybe the adventures think it's a waste of time going all the way to the inn or guild to rest, but I will have to say that this is definitely not a good first look for anyone who enters the famous lace city, especially not the first timer for sure.

"It's used to be bustling here, it's the first view of the city after all" The carriage driver said

"I can imagine" I answer shortly still looking around, trying to find a place where I could report to for my mission.

"I want to drive you to the guild, but I don't think the carriage will be able to manuver safely here, so we will have to walk this one" He adds

"Oh, that's fine. It's my first time here, so I might take this opportunity to walk and look around if you don't mind"

"Sure, just try to follow me and not get lost, Miss. It's pretty tricky getting around here"

"Noted" I said bitterly, not happy that I was treated like a kid.

We keep walking, with the driver in front leading the way. I assume that he know his way, and knowing that I chose him from all the carriages in Arcadia, I felt relief and proud that I chose well. After a short walk, we arrived in a small building with a sign hanging side of the top left corner that reads Pansky Guild. We pushed open the door and stepped right in with no hesitation.

The guild seems busy, with the staffs running around and no receptionist to greet us. One would assume that they have so much works to do considering the amount of paperwork, files, and the people running around. But it turns out most of them are only doing one thing and one thing only. Their priority work right now is to deal with the adventures who came to exterminate the kobolds, and that is all.

I do not expect them to be so overwhelmed with adventurers who came due to their own ongoing request. Did they not consider how many would show up and the trajectory needed to do this mission? Another reason to add as to why I admire Arcadia Tower's paper shikigamis. Unlike the staffs here, paper shikigamis are less panicky, efficient and much more adorable than these dead eyed overworked staffs.

"Um excuse me, I would like to report for the kobold extermination request?" I ask politely but none of them are even responding. Some would stop and give me a glance but then within the next second they would blatantly ignore me as if I was being weird.

"Just take the badge over there and start killing those kobolds, we can record and do the administration later" Said one of the staff who is still running around with papers in her hand.

'At least she told me what to do' I think in my head, trying to calm myself down. I don't know since when has my expectation of a proper conversation with a guild or tavern has been low for awhile now, so this is not something new.

I grabbed one of the badges on the table and slip in around my neck since it looked like a long necklace with a card looking thing attached to it. Then I walk back to the door and immediately eager to kill those annoying kobolds. 'If I can't find out the cause, then I need to at least help so that we can reduce their number' I think, determined.