Cindy Lou's tail twitched as she studied the pair across the counter from her. Rem stood calmly, her fox nestled in her arms, with an unreadable amount of power hidden behind her eyes. Beside her, Amaia's crimson armor glowed faintly, the aura rolling off her body like a sea of blood and fire. Cindy Lou swallowed, her throat tight in nervousness. She could not sense any power from Rem, but the danger radiating from Amaia was enough to make her hands sweat.
"Normally," Cindy Lou said carefully, "we don't allow F rank adventurers to take quests in the Underworld. But you both look like you can handle yourselves. There are no explicit rules against it. Even the strongest adventures in our guild have to start at F rank, so exceptions are often made for those able to defend themselves against stronger opponents than rookie newbies. And as I told you before, should you run into trouble, the nearest guild will dispatch someone to help you. But I must warn you both that the Underworld is incredibly dangerous. It is filled with hostile races, and they are not accommodating to the light races of Elsera's surface but they do give Guild Adventures some leeway and will allow you to travel freely down there without being attacked or killed something that is not provided for any other surface dweller as part of the various agreements the Adventures Guild has with the leaders of the underworld.
Rem lifted her hand in a dismissive wave, "Don't worry about us. I can take care of myself, and I have Amaia she will handle most of the trouble. And if she can't, then I can step in."
At this moment, Ciara let out a small, sharp "Mew." Rem looked down at her fox, her eyes softening. "And if I can't handle it, I'm sure my wonderful little darling Ciara can."
Cindy Lou managed a restrained smile. "I'm glad the new Guild Master fired the old receptionist for failing to submit paperwork on time. The new Deputy Guild Leader and I have had enough trouble keeping things running. With you two taking on tasks, it will help clear the backlog. Most of the riff-raff that were expelled left us short-handed, but we have a reputation that must be maintained. I could tell the moment you two walked in that you were the type we are looking for. Otherwise, the magical wards we use to detect malicious intentions twoards the guild would have reacted."
Cindy Lou bent down to open a drawer and pulled out a stack of folded parchments, spreading them across the counter. "As for Underworld quests, we have several subjugation contracts, and several gathering assignments. Which would you prefer?"
Rem glanced at Amaia.
Amaia's expression did not change, though her voice carried softly. "Whatever you would like to do, I support you, my lady."
Rem nodded her head once, then turned back to look at Cindy Lou. "I'll take a subjugation quest. I haven't fought anything here yet, and I want to test my strength against what the Underworld has to offer. Gather at least two quests for us—preferably near Verda, the capital of the Dark Elves. I intend to venture there soon and can submit the tasks at the guild there."
Cindy Lou gave a small nod and pushed a few parchments closer. "Very well. Here are the available contracts near Verda."
Rem studied the papers one by one, scanning the neat writing script, weighing the various levels of difficulty carefully. Amaia leaned closer, her eyes skimming the details. When she finished, she looked at Rem saying "It's your decision, my lady."
Rem tapped two contracts with her finger. "We'll take these two." One bore the image of a goblin subjugation order. The other, a contract to eliminate an Orc colony.
Cindy Lou's face tightened, her ears angling back with anxiety. "Are you sure? These two species are not exactly known for their kindness towards females."
Rem's mouth curved up slightly, her red eyes steady. "I'm well aware of their tendencies. I've read all about them. That's why they're perfect. I can't whip my father's corpse, but I can whip theirs."
Cindy Lou pressed her lips together, deciding not to pry further. She turned to the small crystal device set into the counter, tapped the surface, and the runes lit up as she logged the quests. With a flash of light, the data etched itself onto their clear guild ID's. Cindy Lou handed them back one to Amaia, one to Rem.
"And this, is the ID for your pet. Do not lose it. If you attempt to cross borders without it, she will be confiscated."
Rem took the tag, sliding it into her pocket. She nodded once, Ciara purring faintly against her chest.
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