Chapter 9 – Starting small

August came from the innermost parts of the guild, a stern Yelena following him with an air of dominance. Irina gave him a strange look. As if suspecting the unsuspecting. Standing next to her she raised an uncomfortable question. 

"You smell a bit funny…all of a sudden." she fixed a part of his clothing that sat badly. "Did you do something strange to her back there?"

He laughed nervously, "No…the crystal ball thing zapped me, it may have done some unnatural things."

"Hmmm…"

They both turned their attention to the receptionist who was settling in her chair. 

"Everything should be in order," she said as she wrote something down. "However, Make sure he returns regularly for a proper investigation into his circumstances. The guild believes that there is a possibility that the court may have misjudged the severity of his crimes."

"You don't say," Irina said. She wrapped her hands around August's." Well then, shall we be off, we have to get you into top condition after all."

As they walked away from the receptionist's desk, Yelena winked at him. 

Probably thinking 'our little secret.'

He could raise his voice, if he wanted her to be caught, with Irina he was sure she'd amount some trouble. However, he wanted her to pay next time, and he was going to make sure of it. 

Irina tugged him along, shaking him out of his daze. 

They stood in front of a board, littered and plastered with a seemingly large amount of tasks. Everything from monster hunting and dragon taming, each one with its own rank and recipient. She took papers from the board without his input , shoving them in his face. 

"To the receptionist go!"

He went over the tasks, stressing about the content. Each one is a copypasted clone of the other.

Retrieve 1 kilogram of Slimeweed or Wobble weed from a slime cave. Wobbleweed – A plant with bulbous roots that stores water and slime gel in a gelatinous form, often found in Symbotic company of slime bobs. When consumed, Wobbleweed roots allow the user to absorb smaller amounts of pain, mimicking the resilience of slimes. It may also increase libido and semen count. Found near any slime herd.

"Uh, 2 kilograms!?" he moaned. "Why do I have to do two jobs this is unfair, it's like day one."

She bonked him over his head with a heavy headpat. "You have to start somewhere, if you're really that unwilling to work, I can just make you someone else's problem. Who knows you're next handler might some smelly perverted fat ugly bastard. Who knows what they might do under the cover of a building."

He sighed. He got the message. He won't contest her. 

"And don't forget this is good practice, if push comes to shove, I'll save you." she smiled. Flicking her wrist, a spark of magic appeared out of thin air. 

"You're a mage. Why didn't you tell me."

She looked depressed.

"I thought you could read the room, my, they really fucked up my little August didn't they."

He immediately recalls the machine that stripped him of his powers.

Never again. The woman who strapped the machine on him, he'd make sure to her a visit in the future. Then there were the court cronies, as soon as this whole fiasco was over. He didn't what he was going to do, but he was going to do things.

After signing the papers with a magic seal, and proof of his identification, she dragged him out of the guild.

They stopped near a local weapon shop not too far from the guild. The owner, a burly man with a funny mustache was strangely cut along the groove above the man's lips. 

He resembled a famous war criminal back home.

"Good morning, ladies. How can I help?" he said with enthusiasm.

Some part of him wanted to correct the man, best he doesn't find out.

"My friend here, is new to adventuring, I was hoping to get 'her' a new weapon for her first trip into danger."

The burly man laughed with vigor. 

"My such helpful friend you are, helping green recruits, now Ms…" he stared at August with a slight blush. 

"Augustine…" Irina interjected. 

"Ms. Augustine, what would you like?" The man walked around the counter pointing at every weapon in his disposal. "We got everything, black powder guns, sabre's, repeating crossbow whatever you'd like."

"How about a longsword, Augustine dear, you're familiar with it to some extent, aren't you."

He shook his. Clearing throat, making sure to soften his pitch, making it more feminine. 

"Um.. That's too boring, can I try them out, feel them he asked the man."

"Of course, where would you like to start."

Over the span of several minutes, he tried as many options as he could, an oversized scythe, a long crossbow, a short spear. His attention was drawn to each, their unique design were interesting to a nerd like him. 

Seeing that she started to become, irritated. He settled on a greatsword. Barely able to lift it, but carried it well if he was willing.

"You sure you can handle that young lady, I'm sure you can handle lots of big things. But maybe not that big of a sword." he laughed.

Was this man making a sex joke with him? The passing thought did cross his mind. Imagine the man, ripping of his clothes, finding out he has a penis, and still dicking him into submission. 

He shook his head.

"Yep, I need…to get stronger."

Irina snickered, watching him take a weird compliment. 

Settling on the matter, he offered a half-hearted curtsy. Thanking the man for his help, he's surprisingly appreciative, offering him a kind smile. 

Walking out of the store. The man had remarked something about young love, winking at them, causing him to flush a bit. And stammering, Irina, changed the subject positing to the door. 

Despite being teased, he did feel a small growing connection with this domineering strange woman. A mutual respect of agreeing for the sake of each other. 

"Before we head out. I wanted to ask, is there anything you'd like to eat, anything at all."

He immediately thought of modern food, not something he'd find here.

"I doubt you know what hamburger is." 

She stared at him like he was a troglodyte.

"Rhetorical, of course, I know what it is. Do you think I'm stupid."

His mind started making numbers up, if it existed here, then that meant, he wasn't the first case of a 'stranger' showing up there.

"It's possible…but I'm broke"

"Anything you'd like," she offered with a small smile.

For someone who looked cold most of the time, when she was kind, it was really heartwarming to him.