"From henceforth, the party is presently disbanded! Of course, you all can look for new parties, or party up with one another in an attempt to create a new party, but for now, you are disbanded!"
Due to Rogier's death, the party is, as was said, disbanded. A rare occurrence that only happens whenever there is a death in the party early in the School Year at the Mars Adventuring Academy. A temporary measure, but at the moment, whilst a whole party isn't established, Hero, Emma, Dahlia, and Viana currently have a failing grade.
It isn't impossible that they can form the same party over again. Still, before Emma and Dahlia could even confront the issue, both Hero and Viana had been picked out by a high-ranking freshman party known as the Royal Guard, headed by the First Prince of Agnesta.
The two witnessed this firsthand, watching as their party and their ex-party members discussed amongst themselves. Emma sighed, "We're getting dumped, aren't we?"
Dahlia scratched the back of her head. "T-That is the... that's... y'know?"
"It is, isn't it?"
Caster Orelion Tachyon, the First Prince of Agnesta, sporting fire-red hair tied up and soul-piercing amber eyes. Though he wore casual attire, he still held a regal air about him, and most of all.
"His smile looks fake, doesn't it?"
Dahlia shrugged. "I dunno about that."
It had been a week since the events of the last quest had happened. The party has recovered from their injuries in full by now, but they've now found themselves in quite the predicament, with the risk of failing during their first year within the Academy.
Viana stayed with the Prince's party, but Hero himself crossed over to the two girls.
"Shit..." Emma cursed, prompting a small chuckle from Dahlia.
"Hey, guys." Hero waved to catch their attention. He sighed, "Uh... it seems that... I just wanted to ask, are you two fine if..." He shared a pained expression.
Emma waved him off. "Just go, man. I know you want to. It's a big opportunity, I understand."
"I'm sorry. I know I said that we'd reform with a new party member, but..."
"I get it, dude, we'll find a way."
Hero hesitantly looked to the other party. "You... you two are great... I... maybe..." He pressed his lips together, looking to the Prince. "They only had enough for us. A party can only go to a maximum of seven." Hero sighed. "I truly mean it when I say that you guys... I think you two have so much potential for so much more. I want you guys so bad at my party, but... this opportunity is too big to turn down."
"Honestly, you justifying it is just pissin' me off more, just go!"
"Okay..." Hero nodded, crossing back over to the Royal Guard.
Dahlia looked at Emma. "So... what do we do now?"
"You wanna stick with me?"
"We're friends, right?"
Emma considered what she said for a moment. "Yeah, thanks, Dahlia." Whenever a party disbands, it's often harder for other parties to find new members. Still, parties that lack members or want more in their entourage go after parties that have recently disbanded — case in point: Hero and Viana. But for others, sometimes it's cause some parties want a shuttle.
In this sudden and specific case, though, it's the former. A blond Elven man with a smug expression is standing before Emma. He's conventionally attractive, but to Emma, this guy looks like a fuckin' chump. She thought to herself as he approached.
"You, you're an inventor, no?"
Emma glanced at Dahlia for a moment. "Yeah...?"
"Your party has recently disbanded, no?"
"Yeah?"
"How about you be a part of my cohort, then?"
"What?"
"Be one of my cohort! I believe that your inventions will have a better place amongst folk such as I, rather than... a half-breed such as them." He pointed to Dahlia. "Someone like them... They don't deserve such talents-- it'd be wasted on them, no? What use does a Barbarian have for--"
"Hey, dude. What do you want? Are you just gonna keep shitting on my friend?"
"I want you... plus... I just so happen to have a... desire... or, no... an attraction to humans such as you--"
"Oh, Gods, what? No, no, no... I'm good, dude."
"Huh?"
"I'm alright. Not interested even." Emma jumped off from her seat, turning to Dahlia. "We should get out of dodge, you good with that?"
"Absolutely." Dahlia chuckled.
"W-Wait! Where are you going?"
Emma doesn't even bother entertaining him with an answer, running off with Dahlia to a different part of the Academy. After she realized that they had lost him, Emma sighed. "What a weirdo."
Dahlia started laughing. "True! Ha!"
"Oh?"
"W-What was that about... what did he say? He said something like, 'I just so happen to have a... desire... or, no... an attraction--" Dahlia broke into hysterics.
"Fuckin' odd job, that's for sure." Emma started laughing with her, Dahlia's joy seemingly being contagious. After a bit of laughing, Emma gagged. "Gods, honestly, thinkin' about it gives me the shivers."
Dahlia's laughter died down, looking at Emma with a huge smile. "It'll be fine, you have Rider to protect you, no?"
"Kinda made him for that purpose, yeah."
"And you have me!"
Emma looked to Dahlia, her ruby eyes visible underneath her bangs. Emma gave an affirming nod. "Yeah... I guess, sure." A beat. "Wait, don't you need to be protected way more? You almost died like, twice!"
"Uh..." Dahlia, embarrassed, looked away from Emma.
***
Later that day, Emma found herself in Inventor classes, only in part because most of her time was spent recovering from the events two weeks ago, so she wasn't able to participate fully. She's here now. The class itself was set in a basement on the far end of the Academy grounds.
Once Emma entered the classroom, she was met by an unusual sight. The teacher for the Inventor classes was a Djinni, a special race of people composed of elemental energies, sporting pointed ears similar to those of elves. They typically have darker skin, and their element is shown in their hair. Ms. Mercedes, otherwise known as Vattabiatta Mercedes, Djinni of the Ifrit lineage.
Emma found the woman tinkering with what looked to be an engine of sorts. Emma watched for a moment, and soon enough, her thoughts were interrupted.
"You didn't show up for class last week."
"Uh... sorry about that. Um... y'know... death at the party."
Ms. Mercedes glanced at Emma for a moment. "Okay." A beat. "You're Tierre's kid, right?"
"You mean, my Uncle?"
"Same difference, took care of you like a dad, no?"
Emma scratched her head, letting a sigh out from her nose. "Yeah, I guess. Anyway, what are the things I can learn here?"
"What do you think?"
Another beat. "S-Sorry... dumb question."
Rider, Emma's automaton, idly looked at other objects in the room, almost like a curious child. Vattabiatta noticed. "Smart AI. Make isn't too bad either."
"I can do better."
"Anyone can do better. But it's a start, no?"
Emma examined her creation for a moment. "I want... him to grow. At the moment, he's just a child, so..."
"A child? You've managed to go that deep?"
"H-Honestly, most of the work was in working on his codebase. I made it to a point where it can grow on its own and change according to its life experiences, such as how it fights, and so on. I wanted to make it self... uh... You get what I mean."
"Impressive work for a novice, I'd even say you're a genius."
Emma blinked, frozen at the compliment. "G-Genius?"
"Lots of geniuses here though, so it ain't much to write home about at that rate."
"R-Right!"
At the opposite end of the Academy, Dahlia also went to meet her Class Instructor. She sheepishly entered a gymnasium, watching various other students partake in physical activities. Lifting weights, sparring, et cetera. There seemed to be a combination of classes merged into this one part of the school, due in part because they're all martial classes of some kind.
The more agile, skill-based fighters appeared to be Rogues, Fighters, or Exemplars. The more brute-force classes, such as Champions, Guardians, and Barbarians, are also trained through emphasis on various grappling and throwing techniques, as well as the management of heavy weapons, among other skills.
A Jotunn, amongst the crowd, sporting red hair similar to the royalty of Agnesta. If it weren't for them being from Un'tempt Berlajia, and well, for being Giantkin as well, they could be easily mistaken as a sibling, or child of the King themselves.
Dahlia hesitantly approached, trumped in size by only a couple of feet.
Jror'an Stormbreaker, the primary instructor for Barbarian Classes. He looked down at the sheepish Dahlia, cocking a brow. "You are... Dahlia Albernen, yes?"
"Uh... y-yeah! I-I'm sorry for not appearing in any prior class. I was seriously injured from our... last... uh... escapades, so I needed a long rest."
Jror'an sucked his teeth, scanning the girl. "Don't worry about that, you came out alive and that's all that matters.
Dahlia nodded.
"So, you came today to be trained?"
"A-Actually, I came today for... well, yes, that, but I also came today to ask you for permission to take Cleric Classes as well?"
"Cleric Classes?"
"Y-yes... I... I-It isn't too bad being a... Barbarian. It's almost natural to me, but... I also want to help people as well."
Jror'an shared a pinched expression with the girl, pursing her lips. "Well. Nothing wrong with Cleric stuff, but... wouldn't it be more fitting for you to be a Guardian?"
"Huh?"
"Where does that desire to be a Cleric come from?"
"I... want to protect people?"
"In ways more than physical violence, right?"
Dahlia went quiet, considering what Jror'an had to say, cupping her chin with her hand.
"So... becoming a Guardian would be the better choice, no?"
Dahlia blinked, looking out to the group of Guardians scattered about, fighting amongst one another. "I... I'll think about it."
Jror'an sighed. "Well, I head their classes as well, so if you ever need to think about a class change, or anything of that sort, you know where to find me."
Dahlia spaced out, continuing to stare at her freshmen compatriots before looking back over to her instructor. "Y-Yeah!"
Later in the day, Dahlia and Emma meet back up again, both slumping onto a bench. Emma exhaled a long sigh, "How'd things go with you?"
"I've got a lot ot reconsider." Dahlia paused. "Hey, Emma, wanna meet up tomorrow? It'll be pretty late in the day, but... how about we meet at my dorm room?"
Emma's eyes widen, looking around to make sure no one is listening in. "Uh... you wanna meet up? Uh... sure, what for?"
Dahlia considered what she was going to say next, rubbing her chin. "I'll leave it as a surprise, okay?"
"Just like... a... a friendly excursion, right?"
"Yes?"
"Should I dress up?"
Dahlia chuckled. "No? Wear something normal? I dunno?"
"R-Right! Yeah, dumb question, sorry!"
"I'll meet you tomorrow night then!" Dahlia jumped up from her seat. "Bye!"
"Y-Yeah... bye..."
The next day, Emma called Dahlia to meet up with her and plan their next move regarding recruiting more party members. They gathered in the computer room of the Academy, Emma already sitting down by the time Dahlia had arrived.
"Yo." Emma waved at Dahlia. "I know we'll be meeting up later today, but I wanted to just get this out of the way now."
Dahlia nodded. "Yeah, okay."
"I figured we'd do as others do and search for party members through the party index? They have a bunch of people who just so happened to be disbanded just like us-- assuming that's how others would find us, or even how they found Hero and Viana."
"I... I think that was more because Caster-- s-sorry, the Prince probably has personal informants and info on people rather than... y'know... the internet?"
"Yeah, but then how do others get picked out then. No way everyone's got an informant, right? So the best place to look would be through the index~!"
"True, I suppose. Find anyone interesting?"
Emma huffed, looking back at her computer screen. "So far, it's been only duds. But, hey, we should find someone eventually, right?"
"Hopefully." Dahlia smiled.
"Okay." Emma interlocked her fingers together, stretching out as far as she could, eliciting a pop from her back before setting both hands on her keyboard. "Uh... who should we be looking for?"
"A support would be nice."
"A support would be nice, especially after the last quest."
"You were doing pretty well."
"Barely-- I might have some first aid knowledge, but that shouldn't be relied on, y'know?"
"Yeah... spells would be better."
Emma narrowed her eyes, reading names aloud. "Elabri-- Actually, should we be diverse, or have only women?"
Dahlia shrugged.
"Diverse it is." Once again, she began reading out names. "Lockton Mars, ironic. Vebella Rocks... Any of these catching your attention?"
"Hm..." Dahlia paused. "I'm not good at this, honestly."
"Huh?" Emma let out a chuckle.
"I dunno, I don't think I'm very good at this kind of thing, choosing people and stuff."
"Hm~..." Emma scratched her chin. "Okay, so... we're aiming for any spellcasters who are aimed more toward support, right?"
"Yeah, anything works really."
Emma sighed. "Can't be picky, huh?"
"Or..." A voice cut them off, causing them to whip their head over to the darkest side of the room, right where the voice came from. "I could help you out." A small Kobold with glistening black scales revealed itself, emerging from the darkness.
"W-What? What?"
"Hola, chicas. I'm Meliana, Meliana Reef. You can call me Meli for short." The black of their scales shone in the light, creating a faint rainbow hue as it cascaded down her body, wrapped in a skin-tight, beige uniform with various small slots for weapons or trinkets. "I heard you lot are lookin' for party members, no?"
Emma blinked. "U-Uh... yeah." She turned to Dahlia, using her eyes to prod for a response, who looked at Emma as well, then shrugged. Emma looked back at Meliana. "Yeah... yeah, we are."
"Bien, I want to join, but... I want something in return. That's alright with you two?"
"Uh... no reason to refuse, no?"
Dahlia nodded. "Yeah... uh... We're not in the position to refuse, so sure. What do you need help with?"
"Well, there's a reason I went to you two nobodies compared to anyone else, y'get me? I mean that in the most respectful way possible, of course, cause if it weren't for that, nobody would be able to get to the center of this... calvacade of twists and end I've come upon, y'hear?"
Emma's eyes are wide, glancing back and forth between Dahlia and the young Kobold.
"You guys are talented, but obscure. Anyway, a friend of mine-- a part of my previous party. They went out lookin' into this... ring here in Mars. Don't have a clue what it is, but there's a bunch of evidence of it. Groups of Bolgyathropes gatherin' together into places. At first, I thought they were some private escapades, y'know, like, a secret club and shit. That ain't how it is though... they set defenses, they have worgs, and they were found transporting these sketchy ass things... some bulky red armor-- looked kinda like a space suit."
"R-Right?"
"My previous party-- or rather, a member of that party. They went to the same orphanage as me and..." Meliana's brow was pinched, thinking for a moment before letting out a sigh. "She went missing. I hope she isn't dead. In general, a bunch of other students have also gone missing, and well... everything I've been investigatin' has led me here. It shouldn't even be more than a level 2 or 3 quest either."
"Wait? It's on the questboard?"
"It is, it's why I even got onto it. The thing is... I think if a big party went to look into it, the lead would die. Whoever these fuckers are, they're careful. Not a single thing has gone out, no matter who was sent looking... so... now I'm here."
Emma looked to Dahlia for a moment. "Do we get paid?"
"Of course!"
"Oh! Thank the Gods, we didn't get paid for our last quest, so..." Emma cleared her throat. "Okay... I don't... uh... sure, if you'll have us. We'll do it."
"Good, at least through this, you got me and... potentially, you might get some more party members as well from this."
"Oh? Do tell?"
"Well, one, there's the friend I was talkin' about. Second, who knows what missing person we're gonna find when we get there? Anyway." Meliana, just as she started to leave, threw a card with her number on it at the two. "I'll text you guys the location, alright?"
Emma took the card, watching as the small woman left her sight. After a moment, she looked back at Dahlia. "Wow, I really am taller than a Kobold."
Dahlia cocked her head to the side. "You're like, five feet, right?"
"Yeah, and she was like, 116 centimeters or somethin'."
"It's not that surprising."
Emma shrugged, spinning back around, looking back at the computer. "Alright, let's check to see if we can find anyone anyway."
"Okay."
Emma hummed. "Alright... Suuma Alarie...?"
"Is she blind?"
"They're a bard... huh?"
***
Emma looked at the empty spot beside her, leaving her trusty construct back at home. She swallowed nervously, looking up at Dahlia's door in front of her. Though it was still casual, the clothes she wore were a bit nicer than what she would typically wear. Long-sleeved shirt, jeans that are a bit more tight-fitting than she would normally have them, pulled up to her waist, and a pair of fur-lined boots.
Additionally, Emma had her hair down, her long curls rolling off her shoulders, a hairband used to keep the chaos somewhat at bay.
Emma sat idly on a nearby wall support directly outside Dahlia's dorm room, awkwardly squeezing her hands together and pursing her lips, thoughts suddenly interrupted by her young, large friend opening the door. Emma didn't get many opportunities to see Dahlia without a hoodie, and she didn't have one on now.
Dahlia wore a looser-fitting long-sleeved shirt with a similar-looking pair of jeans to Emma's. She held open the door, leaning onto it. "Hey~!" She beamed, waving at Emma with her off-hand.
"Uh... hey~..." Emma smiled back. "I'm curious about what ya made."
"You're gonna love it!" Dahlia made her way inside, welcoming Emma, who followed.
"Y'know..." Emma scratched her chin. "I can cook a little as well."
"Really?" Dahlia had already crossed over to the table, and only then did Emma realize, Man... these dorms are more like an apartment complex than actual dorms. And then the other realization. Holy shit, she's fast as hell, how'd she get there so quick? From the door to the small dining table she had set up was a good sixty-foot gap, but maneuvering around the room, despite her large body, was a simple prospect; the table was even set in those six seconds.
"Y-Yeah. My Uncle, Tierre. He taught me since he couldn't be there all the time to take care of me, y'know? He's a busy man, and he's got a lot of admirers." Emma scanned the room absentmindedly.
"Admirers?"
"Uh... not as well known to the public, but as an Inventor... significantly more popular. He's the one who created the Stalker Armor."
"Wait, what!?"
Stalker Armor is a power set of equipment capable of defending itself against various high-speed objects and powerful artillery, primarily notable for its built-in natural cloaking. It revolutionized guerrilla warfare across Ehiztaria and the world. "Yeah, my old man is a bit of a Genius, but... he's uh... y'know, a bit cold, a bit of an ass. Once ya get to know 'em though, you'll love him."
"I'd love to meet him. It'd be nice to get a weapon upgrade as well on top of that." Dahlia set out a plate of prime rib paired with a primarily vegetarian side dish, composed of onions, yams, carrots, and other sweet delights, topped with rosemary and a variety of herbs and spices.
"Holy! This shit looks emaculate, that steak looks crazy~!" Emma let out a laugh, sitting herself down.
Dahlia handed over a glass of water before pouring herself one. "I know. I can't wait to eat it all. By the way, I hope it isn't too much, I just went with whatever portions I always eat-- there's also more if it's too little."
"Oh, no, no. This is perfect. My metabolism is crazy-- I got abs, y'know?"
Dahlia chuckled, "For real?"
"Not joking." Emma dug in, a smile on her face as she mixed the steak with her side. "Gods..." Emma's eyes light up. "Holy... that's amazing."
"I'm glad you think so." Dahlia took a bite from her dish, melting. "Oh... Gods, I love food." Dahlia let out a satisfied moan, a small but deep trill leaving her throat following it.
"W-What was that?" Emma chuckled.
"What? This?" Dahlia did it again, a deep warble leaving her throat.
"How are you doing that?"
"I think it's the Orc ancestry."
"Do Orcs do that?"
"Yeah, I hear it all the time."
"Oh~, interesting."
"It's like satisfaction, or comfort. That's what it means, at least."
"Yeah, sadly, we Humans don't have funny traits like that." Emma took another hefty bite from her steak. "God, it doesn't get old."
"It took a while for me to get it right."
"I'm curious."
"Hm?"
"You're part Jotunn, yeah?"
"Yeah?"
"And Orc?"
"As was established~." She smiled.
"So like... the portions must be crazy, yeah?"
"Oh, definitely, why do you think I made enough for seconds?"
"How much do you have to consume daily?"
"Dahlia blinked, thinking on it for a moment. "Uh... fourteen...?"
"Huh?"
"Fourteen thousand?"
"Holy shit!"
"Honestly, I'm a huge carnivore too, so it's mostly protein I eat."
"No wonder you're built like that, Gods! You've got biceps bigger than my head!"
"Do I?" She looked at her arms. Though it isn't readily apparent, it wasn't a lie on Emma's part. At first glance, you'd mistake it all as fat, but, in action, it's much more noticeable—the size of a giant, the strength of a full-grown gorilla, with the muscles to boot.
Those back muscles must go wild. Emma shook the thought away. "Anyway. How long have you been cooking, Dahlia?"
"Uh... literally since I was a child, I think?" Dahlia smiled, a faint chuckle leaving her lips. "I was mostly alone-- kinda... orphaned? I was uh... too gentle for the Orcs, too Violent for the Giants. Had uh... a 'natural' rage within me. Guess they were right, but... I knew that I wanted to channel all of that in the right way. I didn't want to be mad at people who didn't deserve it. Most of all, I wanted to show kindness to others rather than... be... be who they thought I was... I suppose."
"Very admirable."
"What about your childhood, Emma? What was that like?"
"Oh... uh..." Emma sighed. "Well... It's always been just me and my Uncle Tierre for as far as I can recall. My Ma tried runnin' off with me with some affair partner she had and got into a crash. She died, the other guy died too, and I was the only one left alive. Tierre found me and picked me up; he raised me from then on."
"You must've had an interesting childhood."
"Not... really? He taught me everything I knew about being an Inventor, but other than that, it's been mostly us bickerin', shitting on each other, stuff like that."
"You guys argue a lot?"
"Definitely, but it's our norm. We know not to go too far, and it's fun makin' jabs at each other. It's... It's a life."
"I'm surprised you chose to be an adventurer then."
"Well... Tierre was an adventurer at some point, so I thought... 'why not?' And also, y'know, wizards always go on and on about their spells and shit, but the biggest wizards out there are the fuckers who put themselves in danger. Didn't the Principal talk about that shit too?"
They both have a brief flashback to the orientation at the beginning of the school year. A lot of it had been rambling about unrelated issues or introductions of the various teachers here at the Academy. One part of the orientation stuck out to Emma, though, and it was some time before it had ended, Alastro, the Principal, pointed to the Audience.
"What do you all think makes a strong Mage?" A wry smile spread across his lips.
One student spoke up. "Spells!?"
"No! That's one part of it, but what is the main ingredient to a strong Mage!?"
Another student, "Uh... intelligence?"
"BZZT! Wrong! The correct answer is killing things!"
"W-What?"
"Yes! Look, learning spells is great and all, but goin' out there and just killin' stuff will skyrocket you to the top! That is the main ingredient to a strong Mage." He paused for a beat. "Alright! Next question! What is the strongest magic of all?"
Dahlia chuckled, remembering the event. "Yeah, didn't expect the Alastro to say something like that."
"Didn't he get mad when someone said that the strongest magic was love?"
Dahlia choked a bit, laughing. "Yeah, yeah, he did!"
"No!" Emma immediately began doing an impression of the Archmage. "You moron! The strongest magic isn't love, you idiot! It's chronomancy!" Emma snorted at herself before watching Dahlia break into hysterics. Gods, it wasn't that funny, which made Emma laugh inadvertently.