Chương 4: Heinkel

Heinkel hid in the shadows of a canopy, waiting for familiar adventurers to pass by. The moment they were out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled and entered a familiar store, bells chiming above him. A sweet scent reached his nostrils, accompanied by the smell of fresh dough. Ah, this is true bliss. Old man Greg, who was the usual clerk, raised an eyebrow towards the young man. His attire was as strapping as usual. This was a pastry shop for the wealthy, and Sir Greg had a suit to match.

"You're back again today, Heinkel?" The young adventurer nodded.

"You know me, always one to empty my purse at your shop." Greg laughed heartily.

"That sword is not just for show, is it?" Heinkel looked down at the sword attached to his hip and shook his head.

"Come on, you know there is no way that's true. Otherwise, how could I afford this expensive place?"

"Hey, don't be that way. The pastries are expensive because they turn up good clientele. If they were cheaper, then I would do a disservice to my skill as a baker. Besides, you could always try the other bakery near the entrance." Greg finished by raising an eyebrow and grinning slightly.

"You smug old man... You know that other bakery is out of the question." Heinkel looked down inside of the magic protected shelves. The fresh pastries sat behind a piece of glass. The swordsman could see them and was already imagining which one he'd buy.

"Wait, before you choose, I might be willing to save that purse of yours a little bit. Provided you're not a fake adventurer, that is."

"Hey! You know I wouldn't have this silver emblem if that was the case." Heinkel reached into his leather vest and pulled out the signature silver adventurer pendant. It was circular and featured the guild's insignia, a shield with a crossing sword and staff.

"Though, I could prove it to you if you want. You got a job old man?"

"No, nothing like that. I was thinking a discount for a bit of information. Have you taken any quests near the Gloomy Woods?" Heinkel placed two fingers on his chin and shook his head.

"Even I would be reticent to readily take quests there. It is hard to prepare by myself enough as it is. There have been rumors though. I've heard things while I was in the guild hall."

"Anything you're willing to share? Some ingredients that we purchase often comes from that place. Even if most adventurers are only permitted around the edge, there is a huge bounty of things. If not for those damned monsters, supplies would be so much cheaper. Anything that you can share would be helpful." Heinkel sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Like I said, there were a few rumors lately. Some monsters have been drawing closer this way, away from the heart. I surmise the guild will put in a cleansing quest soon and have higher ranked adventurers go deeper and figure out the cause." His voice trailed off to a whisper.

"Though, that is above my pay grade, even as a silver ranked adventurer."

"Ah, I guess that's true. Thanks for sharing even this small amount. How about this? I will give you this new pastry for 5 bronze coins."

"5 bronze? Are you sure, old man?" Sir Greg nodded.

"Then, I will take two of them."

"Hey..." The old man sighed.

"Fine, you can get two for the same price. Let me know how much you liked it when you come in next time." Heinkel watched with anticipation as the old man put two pastries into a brown sack. He placed a silver coin on the table and smiled. Now, I only need to eat them somewhere private. The young adventurer thanked the old man and left the store with two new pastries. He tucked the bag under his arm and at his side opposite the sword, making his way out of the shop and back onto the street.

It was mid day in the city of Hammerlin. The sun shone down onto Heinkel's brown hair and cast a sheen on the silver around his blade's hilt. The wealthy bakery wasn't the only sign of class in this part of the city. Although, it wasn't rare to see adventurers like him here. They'd often tended to quests for the nobles, especially if they were silver ranked or above. He walked with a steady gait, taking care to greet familiar faces he walked past. If I make myself normal, then they probably won't ask about the bag.

He thanked his lucky stars that he'd made it to the shadows of the guild building. He ducked into an alleyway and checked twice to make sure no one followed him. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. It was only after he was certain that he pulled out the two puffy pastries. He held one right beneath his nose and took a sniff. This one smells like it has some kind of vanilla cream inside.

He took a bite, and sure enough, he tasted vanilla beyond the sweet dough. He couldn't help letting out a sigh of pleasure from the taste. Though, there was a hint of something he couldn't place. Must be one of the old man's secrets. That's why I have to choose that place. Heinkel slumped against the stone wall of the guild building like a gutter rat.

"I suppose that description of me is not that far off." He took another munch and savored each bite. Though, he rolled up the brown bag in order to save the second one, placing it inside a pouch on his waist. He stood up and patted himself down. The dirt fell from his trousers, and he decided it was time to decide on a quest for the day. Heinkel rounded the corner of the building and pushed open the guild doors.

The sweet scent he smelled before was replaced by the sweaty bodies of men and women who worked as adventurers.

"Good morning, Heinkel." He turned to the soft voice speaking.

"Kaila? I didn't expect to see you back so soon. Where is the rest of your party?" The cat woman shrugged.

"You know how they are. The moment we got back, they insisted on getting some drinks." Heinkel smiled wryly.

"It is the middle of the day." Kaila clicked her tongue, and her black and white tail waved behind her. She made her voice sound deeper, imitating the voice of her party leader.

"It is obvious that the first thing anyone would do after surviving a quest like that is start drinking..." She let out a small laugh.

"Or, so he said." Heinkel shared a chuckle.

"If he keeps talking like that, he'll die young. Was the quest really that difficult?" Kaila gestured towards a table and sat down with a sigh.

"You don't even know the half of it." She pressed her large chest against the table, slumping over it like she was ready to croak.

"I thought it was just going to be a simple escort, but no... we just happened to get attacked by an ogre." Heinkel's eyes widened.

"An ogre?"

"Yeah! Get this, the bastard was skirting the forest edge. He was near the bridge towards Ambergrad." She groaned again.

"We managed to kill it, but the merchant insisted on turning back." Heinkel pressed his hand to his chin and narrowed his eyes. Does this have to do with what the old man was talking about? Kaila smiled deviously and grabbed his wrist.

"I know that look. Tell me what you're pondering." He wrestled his hand away from her and shook his head.

"It's not that big of a deal." Besides, there is no way I can tell her I go to that bakery. His face reddened even thinking about it. Kaila narrowed her eyes towards him.

"You act like you've never been touched by a woman before. Come on, if you tell me I can make it worth your while." She finished with a wink. Heinkel breathed a sigh.

"Stop playing around."

"Come on, you've been by yourself for so long. We're all worried about you. Yacob says he is thinking of taking you under his wing."

"This again? I told you I don't want to be in your party. I've gotten on just fine by myself." Kaila lowered her head and frowned, her voice becoming a soft whisper.

"Trystan said that, too." Heinkel swallowed.

"Trystan wasn't nearly as prepared. I'd have never taken on a quest like that. You need to have more faith in me." Kaila gritted her teeth.

"I don't even understand why you want to be alone. Is there anything good that will come about when you're a loner?" The young man smiled and lifted her chin, looking in her gorgeous orange eyes.

"For one thing, I get to keep all of the spoils in each quest. I'd rather not divide my riches if I am going to afford a farm one of these days." She managed a sigh and shook her head.

"You're truly helpless." Heinkel was about to answer, but he noticed her ears twitching on her head uncomfortably. His eyes instinctively shot towards the door, and sure enough, two people entered. The first one had an elegant maid dress with frills that likely cost as much as his two pastries. She was beautiful enough to be a noble on her own. Long midnight hair went down her back, and two purple eyes seemed to glimmer in the light. Though, the one who really stole the show was behind her.

This woman wore a hood that covered most of her face, but Heinkel saw strands of black hair. There was also a pair of green eyes, and he could see pointed ears despite the hood. Is that an elf? No wonder her servant seems so... noble. That servant seemed to notice his gaze, and her purple eyes turned towards him. They narrowed, becoming a glare that made his skin crawl. Heinkel looked down at the table and reached for Kaila.

He made both of them as small as he could, trying to stay out of this woman's line of sight. It seemed to work as after a moment, he could no longer feel her eyes. He swallowed and listened to the sound of their footsteps. The entire world of the guild around him came to a halt. It was as if everyone knew that a disaster had arrived, but no one would speak. Heels stepped on the floor, echoing with the wooden beams. It was so quiet after the entire place was a buzz with life before.

Heinkel was certain that he'd have been able to hear the sigh of a gnome in this atmosphere from a whole field away. The green-eyed woman stepped closer to the counter, and everyone could hear the receptionist's breath hitch. Heinkel in his stupid curiosity looked over. She lowered her hood, and her long black hair flowed freely behind her. Her pointed ears popped out, and she managed a smile. Her smile was something of legends.

It was like what Heinkel would have expected to read in a fairy tale from Grinnich, The Poet. Her green eyes softened at the receptionist, and her voice came out as soft as the wool of a lucky sheep.

"Hello, I was told that this was the adventurer's guild. Is that true?" Receptionist Hilda breathed a sigh of relief and placed a hand on her chest.

"Yes, madame, this is the guild hall. I apologize, I'd lost my breath for a second." The noble elf waved her hand and kept up her smile.

"There is no need to worry about that. Such things happen sometimes."

"I am glad you understand, madame. Were you needing to put in a quest. Are you coming from Fayamis?" She shook her head.

"Fayamis? No, we've both come here to register as adventurers." Hilda blinked several times.

"Huh?" The maid next to the elf frowned and clicked her tongue.

"Haven't you heard, Lady Sh---" A hand was placed on the maid's mouth, and the elf sighed.

"I apologize for her, but our request is genuine. Or is there something against elves becoming adventurers?"