by Victoria Sheridan 9th February 2019, 9:18 pm
Victoria listened to Haraka as they described everything his father figure had went through to dat, including giving up his high rank in society to become a "No Rank." She could not imagine any of her Capital Crocus tormentors voluntarily relinquishing their rank for anything, not even love. They persisted in loveless marriages in order to acquire money and property for themselves, if not for their heirs. Victoria did not get very many chances to rub elbows in high society and really did not want to. She was not very keen on associating with people who wanted her dead just because she was born poor.
Even getting a father figure in the person of Lawrence Sheridan did nothing to raise her image in the eyes of Capital Crocus' people, so the pair left the capital behind and settled in some hole-in-the-wall village where she could be educated and trained in magic without judgment. Lawrence was an ex-soldier and mercenary who went wherever the money was and constantly looked for action, which did not make him the best father figure. Still, Victoria did not care too much because she was glad to have someone who cared about her enough to teach her magic so that she could defend herself in the future. Lawrence also put her in touch with someone who taught her the bartending trade so that she could make enough money to feed herself without having to resort to stealing food or scavenging from trash cans.
Victoria listened to Haraka describe how zombie and werewolf bites were a mild inconvenience thanks to their mixed heritage. She tended to meet a lot of interesting mages over the course of her work, and not all of them were "pure" human... or even human at all. She had met Izayuki, Astrid Foss the cyclopean elf, Seth Augusta the healer, Itazura, Saraphina Zima, Masha Dymonrel, Imai, and Ryo the red-coated... something. It did not matter what they were. As long as they treated her right and had her back in a pinch, she would work with any Legal or Neutral mage.
"I'm just a normal human who happens to have a particular set of skills. My adopted father taught me magic that enables me to punch far above my weight class. A friend of my father's taught me healing magic that can keep me or job partners going in tough spots. Those are both good things because I tend to end up in harm's way a lot." Victoria commented on her pure human lineage to Haraka. She did not have any super-special ancestors that she knew of, but she did not need them. She had gotten by just fine without them and would continue to do so because the brunette was determined to make her own way in the world. All she needed was her magic, a few good job partners, and plenty of luck to keep making her way as a mage.
"So your father figure was a tracker too, huh?" Victoria asked Haraka.
"My father figure was an ex-soldier. He taught me everything he could about his magic. It's saved my life more times than I can count." Victoria said to him. It saved her life against the crooked cops in Hargeon Police Department, against the heavily armed crime syndicate in a private airport in Rose Garden, against those strange creatures during the Night of Eternal Darkness, and against the demon lord Zupazu underneath Hargeon Town. Being able to summon weapons that let a twiggy girl like her take on fully grown men and demon lords was an asset because the element of surprise was often as effective as the weapons themselves. Most people did not expect her to be able to summon a shotgun or rocket launcher at will nor be able to fire magic projectiles from her fingertips. Merces Letifer was a case of the magic being suited to its user.
Victoria then recalled Haraka asking about her job experience in the Cursed Lands. She could not answer very many questions about her family, but she could certainly discuss the Cursed Lands with authority. She had taken three major jobs in the region and this would be her fourth.
"I've had quite a bit of experience doing jobs in the Cursed Lands, Haraka. I've taken three jobs here before this one. I've fought zombies, skeletons, necromancers, ghosts, and even werewolves. I've been to the Haunted Guild twice and Silent Cemetery once. You've gotta be careful out here, especially when you work alone like I do." Victoria said to the West Fiore Trading Company with authority gained by firsthand experience. She had been through her share of close calls and scrapes with disaster. She had gotten through her first job at the Haunted Guild with the help of that Haruyuki guy and Zhuu. The second job at the Haunted Guild was completed with the help of Serena Anderson, the cleric from the Order of Lightbringers that she was hired to rescue. She had also gotten help from a homeless militia that had patrolled the region; they gave her and Serena a ride out on their way to Holy Castle, the Order's headquarters.
Victoria was about to talk more when she heard that Haraka did not want to hang around while more of those creatures were still lurking somewhere in the area. Her job partner wanted to hunt them down and destroy them while there was still time. The brunette did not blame Haraka... they were not getting paid to socialize while the village and its residents were in danger.
"You're right, Haraka. We can talk later. Let's go hunt the rest of those pumpkin things. Lead the way and I'll follow." Victoria requested of her job partner. She was ready to put an end to the evil vegetables. With Haraka's help the brunette would complete the job.
[Word Count: 1,000]
[Total Word Count: 3,800]