Chương 32: Chapter 30 – Placating Fantasies

Adriane stepped forward without hesitation.

"We are registering as new residents," she said, calm and direct.

"And we need to sign on our youngest member as an adventurer." The clerk nodded quickly, already reaching for forms.

"Of course. I can get that started right away." He hesitated for a fraction of a second before adding, "Do you need assistance reading or filling anything out?" Adriane didn't answer right away. Instead, she glanced down at Chelsea. Chelsea had already stepped forward, hand outstretched, waiting. Adriane gave a small nod.

"We'll take the forms and fill them out ourselves. We have someone who can handle it." The clerk blinked, clearly surprised, but recovered quickly.

"Oh. In that case…" He gathered the paperwork into a neat stack and slid it across the counter along with a quill and a small bottle of ink.

"If they're interested, we are hiring. We only have one person handling written work at the moment."

"At this moment, no," Adriane replied.

"But we'll keep that in mind." Chelsea accepted the stack with both hands.

"Thank you," she said, then immediately looked down at what she was holding. Her eyes lit up.

"Oh my god." Bea leaned in slightly.

"What?"

"I've always wanted to try using a quill," Chelsea said, almost bouncing on her feet. Bea gave her a long look.

"You can read and write but you've never used one?"

"We had pens," Chelsea said, already turning away as Adriane pointed them toward an empty table.

"Same idea, but the ink is stored inside." She gestured vaguely to the middle of the quill as she set the papers down and uncorked the ink.

"This is way cooler though." They gathered around the table, and Chelsea wasted no time. She dipped the quill, tested the weight of it in her hand, then leaned over the first page. It took her a moment to adjust. The quill held more ink than she expected, and the line it left was smoother than she thought it would be. After a few strokes, she found a rhythm.

"Okay," she muttered, scanning the form.

"Name, age…" She filled in each line quickly, pausing only briefly when she reached her class.

"Still a general warrior," she said aloud as she wrote it down.

"Do I update this later if it changes?"

"It's not critical," Adriane answered from beside her.

"The guild just needs a general idea of what you do." Chelsea nodded, continuing to write.

"Got it." She moved down the page, then paused again.

"It's asking for role."

"Make sure you're not writing anything too complicated," Adriane added.

"Keep it simple." Chelsea glanced back over what she had written so far, gave a small approving nod, and continued.

"Okay, but what exactly is a role?" Adriane crossed her arms slightly, thinking about how to explain it.

"Roles are broad categories. Defender, healer, damage dealer. Most people fall into one of those, though there are variations." Chelsea looked up.

"Explain defender like I've never heard the word before."

"The knight captain back at the castle," Adriane said.

"He wanted you as a defender. Heavy armor, shield, skills that make you harder to kill and force enemies to focus on you. That way everyone else can attack safely." Chelsea's expression shifted as it clicked into place.

"Okay, yeah. That makes sense." She wrote something down, then moved on. Bea leaned over her shoulder, pointing at a section further down.

"What's that part say?" Chelsea finished the line she was on before looking where Bea pointed.

"It's asking if I've completed any dungeons. If so, how many." Bea straightened slightly, eyes lighting up.

"She really can read. They asked me that when I signed up." Chelsea laughed softly.

"Did you think I was making it up?" Bea didn't answer, which was answer enough. Chelsea continued filling things out, the scratch of the quill steady and confident now. It didn't take her long. When she reached the end, she set the quill down carefully and nudged the page slightly to keep the ink from smearing.

"All done," she said, pushing the paper aside but leaving it face up to dry. The next sheet sat waiting.

"Number of members: five," she read aloud as she filled it in. Her quill hovered over the next line.

"Name of group?" She looked up at Adriane.

"Wixx." She replied as if Chelsea should already know. Chelsea paused, the tip of the quill hovering just above the page as a small drop of ink threatened to fall. She looked up slowly.

"Wixx? Not 'The Wixx?' Or 'The Wixx Family?'" Adriane considered it, her expression shifting just enough to show she was actually thinking about it.

"Oh, I kind of like 'The Wixx Family.'" She glanced around the table, taking the others reactions rather than asking outright. Dewey nodded immediately, clearly on board with anything that sounded more unified. Edgar gave a small, approving dip of his head. Bea shrugged like it didn't matter, though the slight tilt of her lips suggested she didn't hate it. Chelsea grinned and wrote it down with a little extra flourish, like the name deserved a proper introduction.

"Names and ranks, Adriane Wixx S, Beatrix Wixx, hey what's your rank?" She looked up.

"D. Approaching C soon." She replied. Chelsea's brows lifted for a fraction of a second before she caught herself. She smoothed it over quickly, nodding like she was impressed instead of surprised, and wrote it down without comment.

"Edgar," she looked up at him.

"What is your last name and rank?"

"Wixx and A." She nodded as she looked back down.

"Nice." She wrote it down and then quickly scribbled Dewey's and her's.

"Hey Dewey, sorry again for ruining your advancement exam." She said without looking up.

"It's fine little sister. I would have killed you." a thought occurred to him, "Why didn't you kill me?"

"Not for lack of trying but Adriane stopped me." She replied.

"My claws were inches from…"

"Fresh meat." A slimy voice interrupted her. Chelsea didn't even blink. Her quill kept moving, scratching steadily across the paper as if the interruption hadn't happened at all.

"Oh, hey Edgar can you do me a huge favor and go try to get an appointment with the guildmaster for Adriane and me?"

"Certainly." He said, and rose from the table.

"A meeting with the guildmaster? Why?" Bea asked with a grumpy face, her attention snapping between Chelsea and Edgar.

"It's a surprise," Chelsea answered with a wink, still focused on finishing her line before the ink pooled."'Ey!" The gruff voice interrupted again. He snapped his fingers at Chelsea, louder this time, drawing attention from a few nearby tables.

"You're obviously the leader of this little group. I'd like to welcome you to the guild. We are recruiting talented," he eyed Chelsea up and down, "folks such as yourself. What do…"

"Pass. Please go away." She turned to Adriane, not even sparing him a glance.

"Does the guild usually have a place we can practice? Dewey said Bea has some experience with spears." Bea perked up immediately, her earlier annoyance evaporating as something more interesting took its place.

"I would need to assess your skills. So we can build a starting point.""'Ay!" He yelled.

"I will not be disrespected in my own guild." The room fell into a hush. That hush spread outward like a ripple. Conversations dimmed. Chairs creaked as people leaned back or turned to look. The energy shifted from casual noise to something sharp and expectant. Chelsea carefully set the quill down, making sure not to smear the still-wet ink, then pushed her chair back and stood.

"What was the outcome you expected?" Chelsea stood and noted he had long blonde hair that he wore down. He was weirdly good looking unfortunately.

"You rudely interrupted us not once, but twice." Her voice rose louder, "Then you gave me an offer for most likely sex." She began yelling so everyone could hear, "Did you think I'd drop everything I was doing to placate your fantasies of having your tiny little dick bitten off by a demon!?" The reaction was instant. A few people burst out laughing. Others made sharp, appreciative noises. Someone coughed to hide it. The tension didn't disappear, but it twisted into something far more entertaining for the crowd.

"I am not a 'talent' as you called me. I am just signing up for the guild. Judging by your armor I'm guessing you're a," Chelsea had no idea, "D-rank? C? Leave my party alone." The guy smirked, like he thought he still had control of the situation, or at least hadn't lost face yet. Chelsea held his gaze just long enough to make it clear she wasn't backing down, then sat back down like he wasn't worth another second of her time.

She picked the quill back up and resumed writing, the scratch of it against parchment sounding louder than it should have in the quiet. As she filled in the next line, a thought flickered through her mind. Hiding behind Adriane might be considered a luxury. Her eyes darted up toward her sister. Adriane met her gaze immediately and gave her a small, knowing smile. There was no disappointment in it. No anger. Just acknowledgment. Chelsea's stomach tightened anyway. That smile meant something.

She just didn't know what yet. Chelsea may have screwed up.

"We will be having a very important meeting to attend, so we need you to leave now." Adriane interjected before he could do anything. This time, her voice carried authority in a way that didn't invite argument. The kind that made it very clear that if he didn't walk away, the next part of the conversation would not be verbal.

"And who the fuck are you? Her little slave girl? Fucking stuck up demon bitch." The words cut through the room, louder than before, sharper, meant to provoke. A few nearby adventurers leaned back in their chairs, waiting to see how this would play out. Others pretended not to look while very obviously listening. Adriane didn't raise her voice. She didn't even look angry. She simply reached into a small pouch at her side, pulled out a palm sized metal coin, and flicked it onto the table.

The sound it made was small. Barely anything. But the effect was immediate. The man stopped mid-breath. His mouth hung slightly open, whatever insult he had been about to throw dying in his throat. His posture shifted, shoulders lowering just enough to show something had changed. His skin almost seemed to lose color, like whatever confidence he had been standing on had just been pulled out from under him. He looked at the coin. Then at Adriane. He nodded once, stiffly, and began backing away. No more shouting.

No more posturing. Just a slow, careful retreat until he disappeared back into the crowd. The room exhaled.

"I need one of those." Chelsea nodded at the coin while still writing.

"S-rank token of some sort?" A few people nearby pretended not to hear that, though one man definitely leaned closer.

"Chelsea, don't cause trouble." Adriane said.

"You can't hide behind me like that forever." Chelsea pressed her hand to her chest in mock offense, finally looking up.

"You think I was hiding behind you!? No, I was hiding behind my favorite brother-in-law over there." That earned a small snort from Edgar across the room in line for a clerk and a quiet choke of laughter from someone at another table who quickly tried to disguise it as a cough. Adriane let out a chuckle.

"You almost done?"

"Yeah, just about. Honestly, I'm just going back over making sure the wording is simplistic." Bea finally couldn't hold it back anymore. She started cackling, leaning forward onto the table.

"You seriously threatened to bite off that moron's tiny dick!" A few heads turned again at that, though this time the reaction was more amused than tense. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Sex with a demon is bad luck. Haven't you heard?" Chelsea replied with a smile. Dewey, who had remained silent through all of it, went bright red again. The color climbed all the way up to his ears as he looked very determinedly at anything that wasn't Chelsea. Chelsea still forgot that though he looked like a real rugged viking man, he was a nineteen year-old sheltered kid.

"Little sister," he muttered under his breath, clearly unsure if he was supposed to be embarrassed or impressed.

"Hmm?" Chelsea hummed without looking up.

"…nothing," he said quickly.

"Good talk," she replied.

"All done." Chelsea declared, lifting the page slightly and blowing on it before setting it aside.

"You didn't ask about our classes though." Chelsea looked up confused.

"It didn't ask them. Just asked for roles. Healer and four damage dealers right?" Bea tilted her head at that, considering it. Dewey nodded slowly like it made sense.

"Is that what you wish to do?" Adriane asked.

"You could be a shield and spear protector." Chelsea leaned back in her chair slightly, tapping the quill against her lip as she thought. The image of standing between her family and danger came to mind, along with the memory of how easily she had torn through the bandits.

"Actually, I love that idea. Plus the more pieces of gear I wear the stronger I get."

"Typically that's how that works." Bea said sarcastically. Chelsea shot her a look.

"Let me have this moment." Bea grinned. Edgar returned then, his steps quiet despite the crowd.

"I was able to get a meeting right away. I may have needed to say your name Adriane to get the meeting." A few people nearby clearly heard that and immediately lost interest in pretending not to listen.

"That's fine." She replied.

"Awesome! Dewey, would you mind turning these in to the clerk?" Chelsea asked, sliding the papers carefully toward him. Dewey nodded and took them with surprising gentleness for someone his size. Bea started to rise to follow the two to the guildmaster.

"Sorry Bea. This is a bit of a private matter that Chels needs to deal with." Bea froze halfway up, then slowly sat back down, crossing her arms with a dramatic huff.

"Fine. But you better tell me what's going on."

"It's something pretty cool." Chelsea replied. She hopped up from her chair, darted around the table, and threw her arms around Bea in a quick hug before the other woman could react. She pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"It will be worth the wait." She said, grabbing Bea's hands. Bea blinked. Then blinked again. Her posture softened almost instantly, the tension draining out of her shoulders. The annoyed scowl slipped into something far more subdued.

"OK." Chelsea pulled back, smiling to herself. Chelsea realized what Bea was. She was a feral cat. She craved attention and affection but you had to get past the hissing and claws to get to her. The two headed up a set of stairs on the west side of the hall which led to a larger upstairs lounge area above the actual bar. The noise of the main hall dulled as they climbed, replaced by quieter conversations and the occasional clink of glass. There were doors on both the left and right sides.

"Excuse me miss." Chelsea said in as sweet a tone as she could to a girl who couldn't be older than sixteen, "Which one is the guildmaster's office?" The girl looked up from a stack of papers, revealing pointed ears and an ethereal beauty. An elf. She started blinking as if she had been pulled out of a deep focus.

"Oh that's me." It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Wixx, she said to Adriane. I was an adventurer still the last time you were in Junstruce. Her voice was polite, but her eyes flicked toward Chelsea for just a second longer than necessary. It was subtle, but it was there. Chelsea didn't miss it. She couldn't fault her for it. She was a demon after all.

"Please, follow me." The young girl led them through the door on the right.

"Please close the door behind you." The elf added to Chelsea. The tone made it clear she hadn't bothered to ask who Chelsea was. She had already decided. Chelsea glanced back at Adriane for half a second, then reached behind her and shut the door with a soft click.

"Please have a seat." She gestured to the two empty wooden chairs in front of an old beaten up desk. The office was smaller than Chelsea expected for someone in charge of an entire guildhall. It felt cramped, like the room had been filled past its limit and then some. Cabinets lined the walls from floor to ceiling, each one packed tight. Papers were stacked in uneven piles across every available surface, some tied with string, others left loose like they had been abandoned mid-task.

There was a faint smell of ink and old parchment that clung to the air. Chelsea took one of the chairs. Adriane sat beside her, posture straight, presence filling more space than the room really allowed.

"So Miss Wixx, how can I be of service?"

"Actually," she gestured over to Chelsea, "She is going to lead this discussion. I am here just to fill in any questions she may have."

"Her?." The elf had furrowed brows.

"very well." Chelsea didn't let that reaction touch her. She put on her best smile, the one that had already proven useful more than once.

"It's nice to meet you, I am Chelsea Wixx, Adriane's youngest sister. I have a few concerns about a loan our family has been paying on for quite some time. I understand that there is a lien on all transactions made through the guild, garnishing all payouts as well as dropped item sales. I would like a copy of the contract submitted to the guild outlining the terms of the loan." The guildmaster blinked. Once. Then again.

For a moment, she just stared at Chelsea like she was trying to decide if this was some kind of joke. Her eyes flicked over to Adriane, searching for confirmation. Adriane gave a small, calm nod.

"Ok." She huffed in annoyance, though it sounded more like being caught off guard than actual irritation.

"give me a moment to find any contracts applied to the Wixx account." She stood and moved to one of the cabinets, pulling it open with a practiced motion. Inside were rows of files that looked almost identical to what Chelsea was used to back home. Thick bundles of parchment, organized vertically, each one labeled in careful handwriting. She skimmed quickly, then closed it and moved two cabinets down.

"Wixx…Wixx… W E… W E… W I L… Wixx here we are." She pulled a thin file free and returned to the desk, flipping it open as she sat. Inside was a single sheet, dense with writing, the lines packed tight like whoever drafted it wanted to fit as much as possible onto one page.

"Seems this is the contract." She handed it over to Chelsea.

"The legal wording is too complex for our reader we have on retainer. You can go to the capital and they have…"

"We should be fine." Adriane interrupted.

"Right? We should be fine?" Chelsea smiled and winked at her sister, taking the document.

"While I read this over can you look into our account. Let us know how much we currently owe, when it's due next and when will the interest be applied next."

"Uh…" the guildmaster stared at Chelsea again, clearly reassessing everything she thought she understood about this situation.

"Let me go speak with our accountant. He can write that down for you."

"Oh, one more thing. Can you have them total up the amount Adriane, by herself, has contributed to the loan?" The guildmaster nodded once, more brisk this time, and stood. Without another word, she left the room, closing the door behind her. The moment she was gone, the room felt quieter. Chelsea lowered her eyes to the page. The text was dense, far more formal than anything she had seen in this world so far, but it wasn't impenetrable. It was complicated, yes, but it wasn't designed to be unreadable.

Not like the legal nonsense she was used to back home. She began to read. Line by line. The more she read, the more her expression flattened. The gist of it came together quickly. The Wixx were technically in default. That alone triggered the lien. Ninety nine point nine percent of all income routed through the merchants guild, adventurers guild, and the world banking system was automatically claimed toward repayment. Chelsea's fingers tightened slightly on the page.

The initial loan amount had been fifty thousand gold. She blinked once, then kept reading. Three percent interest. Monthly. Not yearly. Not seasonal. Monthly. And it didn't stop until the debt was cleared. Her jaw set. The contract transferred the debt to the descendants of Jared Wixx for three generations. After that, it would dissolve. Three generations. Chelsea let out a slow breath through her nose. That meant this wasn't just a bad deal. It was a trap.

Paying on a loan your great grandparent took out over one hundred years prior seems completely unfair. Chelsea nodded faintly to herself and looked up at Adriane.

"Oh it's bad. I'm so sorry you've been dealing with this. I wish I was summoned sooner." Adriane's expression shifted, just slightly. Hope tried to push its way through, but she held it back.

"But you can…" Adriane hesitated not wanting to seem too eager, "Still do something?" Chelsea tilted her head, studying her sister for a moment.

"That depends. How strong are you exactly? And how famous?" Adriane frowned.

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Nevermind. Watch your little sister work and be amazed." Chelsea said with a smile. Adriane huffed a quiet laugh at that, though there was something behind it now. Curiosity. Maybe even a little anticipation. The door opened again, and the guildmaster returned with a small slip of paper. She handed it over to Chelsea without a word at first, her eyes lingering just a bit longer this time, like she was still trying to figure her out.

"Is there anything else?" Chelsea glanced down at the paper, scanning it quickly, committing the numbers to memory before folding it once.

"At this time, I don't believe so. Thank you so much for your help today." She started to stand, but the guildmaster raised a hand slightly.

"Please wait." Instead of returning to her chair, she moved around the desk and sat on the edge of it, facing them. The shift in posture made the room feel less formal and more… personal.

"If you don't mind my asking, what is your relationship? I know you say sisters but really, you're a demon who is way too intelligent to be a demon and she is a human. What is actually going on?" Chelsea blinked once, caught slightly off guard.

"I was adopted?" Chelsea answered unsure of how to get out of this. She looked to Adriane for help. Adriane didn't hesitate.

"I stumbled upon a demon who was in need of some guidance, so I decided to offer her a place in our family. You can see with your own eyes, she isn't your average demon. I would be stupid just to kill her and not get closer to her." There was no defensiveness in her tone. No hesitation. Just a simple, practical answer that somehow said more than it should have. The guildmaster studied them both for a long moment, her gaze moving between the two. Whatever she was looking for, she seemed to find enough of it.

"I see." She pushed herself off the desk and walked back to the door, one hand already reaching for the handle.

"That is all I need for now. Miss Wixx…" She hesitated, her voice shifting slightly, "Adriane, if I come across any special request jobs I will let you know."

"I appreciate it." They stepped out into the hallway, the door closing behind them with a soft click. As they made their way down the stairs, the noise of the guildhall returned in waves, growing louder with each step.

"Did you get what you needed?" Adriane murmured to Chelsea. There was something almost excited in her voice now. Not quite relief, not quite hope, but close enough to both that it showed.

"I did and then some." Chelsea said. She folded the slip of paper again in her hand, her mind already racing ahead. She had numbers now. Real numbers. That meant she could work. She was excited too. But there was still one massive hurdle sitting in front of everything.

"That's all done." Chelsea said approaching their table. Bea leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, watching her approach.

"Your little show earlier has had several people approach us asking about you, Chels." Chelsea noted the name immediately, and despite everything else going on, it hit her right in the chest in the best way.

"Sorry about that. What did they want?" Chelsea asked, wincing a bit.

"Mostly asking if you were a real demon." Bea said.

"One guy asked if you'd ever bitten someone's dick off. I told him yes." Chelsea looked at her with exasperation. Bea didn't even try to hide the grin spreading across her face.

"What? You need to build some reputation."

"As a dick biter?" Chelsea whisper yelled at her. Dewey choked on whatever he had been drinking and immediately turned away, coughing into his hand.

"Better than being forgettable," Bea shot back.

"Oh, speaking of dick biters, that woman over there seems to think you're the one in charge and wants to fight you for the chance to court Dewey." She pointed across the room. Chelsea followed her finger and spotted the woman immediately. She really did look like a female version of Dewey. Massive frame, muscle stacked on muscle, thick braided hair hanging over one shoulder, and fur draped across her armor like it had been claimed from something she killed herself. The woman was already watching them.

"Any idea if I could take her?" Chelsea asked"No chance in hell." Bea answered without hesitation.

"She's a D-rank from what I can tell. Honestly, I don't want her anywhere near Dewey. She smells like shit." Chelsea couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. It came out loud. Real. Unfiltered. And the effect was immediate. The surrounding noise dipped again. Not completely silent, but enough that it was noticeable. Heads turned. Conversations paused just long enough to glance over. Chelsea noticed it this time. Her laughter faded into a grin.

"They're scared of me aren't they?"

"Some are scared. Some want to murder you and sell you for the bounty, that guy over there wants to fuck you." Bea gestured to the clerk they spoke to who gave them the forms to fill out. Chelsea followed her gaze. The clerk immediately looked away like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't.

"What makes you say that?" She asked.

"He hasn't stopped looking at you with those puppy dog eyes except when he thinks you're looking his way." Chelsea watched him for another second before shrugging.

"He's cute. Not interested though." Bea snorted.

"Your standards are weird." Chelsea leaned in slightly.

"Says the woman who thinks 'smells like shit' is a dealbreaker."

"It is a dealbreaker," Bea shot back immediately.

"You going to tell me what you two were doing up there?" Bea asked. She leaned forward over the table, eyes sharp, clearly not planning to let this go easily. Dewey looked between the two of them, curious but not nearly as invested. Edgar remained still, though the slight tilt of his mask suggested he was paying attention.

"Not quite yet." Chelsea booped her on the nose and stood from her seat.

"Hopefully, it will be finished soon." Bea recoiled just enough to snap at her finger, teeth clicking shut an inch too late.

"One day I'm actually going to catch that," she muttered, though there was more amusement than threat behind it.

"In fact, Adriane, you up for one more stop real quick? I'd like to get this finished up." Adriane turned slightly, studying Chelsea with narrowed eyes, like she was trying to piece together what the girl had already figured out.

"Finished up?" She asked slowly.

"Already?"

"As much as I can for one afternoon." Chelsea replied. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, energy building again now that she had a direction. The folded slip of paper was still in her hand, and she tapped it lightly against her palm without thinking.

"You two are killing me." Bea replied.

"Just tell me what's going on." She dragged a hand down her face in exaggerated frustration, then pointed between the two of them.

"You don't get to just go upstairs, come back all smug, and then not explain anything." Chelsea just smiled at her, which somehow made it worse.

"Save that frustration for Chelsea's spear training." Adriane said with a wide smile. Bea's expression shifted immediately, interest flickering back in.

"Oh, I will," she said, voice brightening in a way that probably should have been concerning.

"Really?" Chelsea asked.

"I'm doing all of this extra hard work for you and that's how you repay me?"

"Yes," Bea said without hesitation.

"Let's see if you can still talk like that after I knock you on your ass," she added under her breath, just loud enough for Chelsea to hear. Chelsea grinned.

"You'd have to catch me first."

"Let's get going." Adriane said as she led her through the guild hall. Chelsea fell into step beside her, still smiling, while behind them Bea let out a frustrated noise and slumped back into her chair.

"Don't you dare leave me out of this!" she called after them. Dewey looked between the retreating pair and Bea, then back again.

"Should we follow?" Bea crossed her arms and huffed.

"No. We wait." She paused, then added, "And then we interrogate." Across the hall, a few heads turned again as Adriane and Chelsea moved toward the exit, the earlier tension now replaced with curiosity. Chelsea didn't notice. She was already thinking three steps ahead.