• a clockwork dilemma • job, erika

On the rare time where Hikari was on bar duty at the Silver Moon Inn, there was an urgent request from the Magic Council which was rather odd. Right now, the continent was at a time of peace due to the recent monster issue being solved by legal mages on the case. Hikari didn’t partake with helping the second time because she helped with the initial request and she wasn’t asked to help the second time. So, in all honesty, she felt like she had helped enough with the issue and other people were required as the Magic Council wouldn’t go to the same people for help every time they needed it… would they? However, the request this time was a rather odd one. There was a rather large influx of mechanical creatures dwelling nearby towns and villages. At first, the Magic Council sought to see what the machines were doing but this further complicated as once they found out where they were going, the next question was where in the world were they coming from? The investigation upon the machines raised more questions than answers and it stirred something in the Black Rose guild after being informed. Most of the guild was consumed with questions as well and some were even questioning what they should be doing in this situation. Hikari had been having paying attention to the food she had been cooking at that moment. The steak on the pan in front of her was slowly becoming more tough the longer the holy mage neglected to cook the outside like she planned. She took it off the pan in order to avoid the steak burning entirely as she thought. How long had it been she had heard as strange as a request as this one? Most jobs that she took as a more inexperienced mage were understandable as you couldn’t just take a novice mage to go slay a dragon or something. You had to work you way up from the bottom. Even the veteran mages started somewhere that wasn’t as luxurious or dangerous as what they did now. Granted, most of Hikari’s jobs have been rather simple so this job spoke out to her. This could be the most eventful job to date that she does. The only problem should she accept it would be not knowing exactly what to do as the representative of the Council that came today wasn’t very clear as to what the mages going on this mission would do. Would they eliminate the problem from the source, or do more reconnaissance before deciding from there? Hikari put the steak back on the searing pan and basted it with butter on the outside, crisping up the edges. Despite the loud sizzling of the meat on the pan, Hikari was able to tune it out as she though about her options. She could probably get away with not taking this job as it seems like something she isn’t ready to do. However, by sticking to lower difficulty jobs, she wouldn’t really be improving herself as a mage. After decorating a plate with sauce and delicately placing the steak on it, she moved the platter of vegetables and meat to the window where servers pick up the food. Untying her hair and removing the apron from herself, she hung it up on the rack and from there, the Rising Star had headed up to meet with the Council representative on the second level of the Inn.

Hikari was lying down in her room at the Silver Moon Inn. It wasn’t as luxurious as the rooms designated for the guests but that was mainly because they were designed for short term residence and considering Hikari has been living in her room for about 6 months, it was still very comfortable. Almost it’s own home within an inn. The noblewoman sat on the covers looking at the information she had taken down at the debriefing with the Council representative from earlier. Apparently, the mission’s objective was to take care of the machine problem, which was just a fancy way of saying get rid of it. Due to it making people feel unsafe, which was an incredibly well justified feeling, the Magic Council wanted mages who signed up to get rid of this problem at the source. Hikari was researching further onto where these sightings were taking place. All of the villages and towns were within radius of the Lycan Woods. There most likely was something here that was the cause of this all. Hikari circled it on her iLac and it zoomed into the area. Apparently, there was not much in this forest aside from some ancient ruins that have been researched and analyzed for a long time so there wasn’t much left undiscovered. But, since the machines have come in, no one had tried going to the ruins again. Based on these conclusions, Hikari had decided to check which train headed to the town closest to the ruins. She needed to get there as soon as she could as these mechanical beings could change their desires whenever they want and that might result in the villages and cities being attacked. The holy mage decided to catch the night train due to it being more convenient to start the day in the other village as opposed to waking up early and catching the train there. She had always been more of an evening person anyway so this decision was incredibly easy to make. Changing into her gear, the holy mage would have left the warm inn into the cold of night rather quickly. Donning a jacket and a white hat, Hikari walked her way over to the station where she was able to board the last train. Most of the time, train rides bothered the mage to no end. Always filled with kids who ran amuck on the train, weird strangers and uncomfortably close people but at night, the train was always tranquilly quiet. Most of the ride, the holy mage was watching the city lights get consumed by the darkness outside the further they drove away from Rose Garden. Everything felt dull for a moment when one left the Garden but that was only because everything is so bright there even at midnight that you forget what it should normally look like. Surrounded by only the light of the train car she was occupying, the holy mage smiled as she looked onwards to see farms and landscapes in the distance.

It was a two and a half hour train ride in total and so it was still rather dark but the holy mage was teeming with energy. It had been a while since the last time she had went on a job with only a single person. The job with Astrid and Lucius had been draining to say the least but it was fun overall since they were able to explore another dimension. However, there was always something nice about being with only one other person who probably wouldn’t get offended at what she says or just want to kill her without her saying a word in general. But she might be still drained after her mission from before. Either way, she probably wouldn’t see those two for a while and maybe she’ll get a more stable partner for this job. The representative had informed her while she was on the train that there would be one more person joining her on this expedition so she was rather eager to meet them. Hikari doesn’t know many people but that was most likely her own fault more than anyone else’s. Sighing to herself, the holy mage would have entered an inn in the village that she was occupying. Changing into her sleeping clothes at the snap of her hand, quite literally, when she walked into her room, she would lie down on her bed, eager for the night to end and the morning sun to finally arrive.

Waiting at the opening of the woods, Hikari would yawn quietly whilst covering her mouth, looking around, hoping that the other person joining her would come early just so they could have time to potentially chat for a bit before they had to go on their mission. The holy mage arrived around thirty minutes early and was munching on a small tart she had purchased before she boarded her train last night. She chewed quietly as she sat on a large rock while occasionally looking both ways. She was rather tired as she didn’t sleep as well as she usually did but it wasn’t enough to have her doze off. Something simple like just talking to her or even a scare would probably snap back to her peppy personality. But right now, she was content with the silence of the village in the early hours, the rich flavor of the tart she was eating and the mysterious air of who will be accompanying her on this mission. She was restless.

Words: 1500/9000