Mr. Bank's Generosity

Job Details:

Job Sign-Up: Page 40, Post Number 986

-The Neutral Grounds, Mr. Bank's Home, 9:00 A.M.-

Wearing her green, white, and gold outfit with black bike shorts on underneath the skirt, Leona walked into Mr. Bank's office with no weapons or armor. She had left them all at Silver Wolf Guild Hall because Mr. Bank had requested that she make another delivery to Dr. Harrison. Leona had complied with the request and now she was in his office with nothing but the clothes she was wearing. She walked until she reached the desk that was a short distance from the monitor with her client's face and stopped in front of the desk.

"Ah, hello my dear Wizard Saint!" Mr. Bank cheerfully greeted Leona.

"Hello Mr. Bank." Leona calmly greeted Mr. Bank in return. She was not particularly thrilled about having to go to Dr. Harrison's home in Motor City, but she would carry out the job regardless of her personal feelings. She still disliked the scientist, though. No amount of devotion to duty would erase the ill feelings she had developed towards Dr. Harrison over the past several months.

"I know that you're not very eager to go to Dr. Harrison's home because of how he's treated you in the past. I understand that reticence, but you're the only helper I have who's willing to go near the man. Just like the last few times I need you to deliver a payment to him and pick up some results he has for me." Mr. Bank outlined what it was Leona had to do and the task had not changed at all. That would be the simplest part of this job. The hard part would be dealing with Dr. Harrison, who was likely nursing a grudge against the Wizard Saint for telling Mr. Bank about the mistreatment the doctor had subjected her to during her last job.

"I'll take the job, Mr. Bank." Leona replied calmly. The desk in front of her lowered into the floor and a few moments later it reappeared with the familiar silver briefcase on top. Leona took the handle of the briefcase into her left hand and faced Mr. Bank's image on the large monitor.

"Excellent! I knew that I could count on you, Wizard Saint!" Mr. Bank offered an empty platitude. Leona said nothing in response to that empty platitude, instead informing him of her intent to set out for Motor City right away. She wanted to make the trip to Motor City and be done with it.

"I'm heading to Motor City right away, Mr. Bank." Leona calmly informed her client of what she planned to do.

"Very well then, Wizard Saint. Do be careful on your trip." Mr. Bank told her. Leona then turned her back to the monitor and began to walk towards the elevator when her client spoke again. Leona paused in place and turned around to face the monitor.

"Remember what I said last time, Wizard Saint. Dr. Harrison has been put on notice for his mistreatment of you. Should he lay a hand on you this time, let me know the moment you get back. And don't lie for his sake." Mr. Bank reminded her of what to do should Dr. Harrison physically attack her. Should the doctor make the mistake of physically attacking her all she had to do was tell Mr. Bank about the incident and Mr. Bank would take matters from there. He did not need to worry about Leona covering for the ill-tempered doctor.

"I'll tell you about any physical abuse the moment I get back, Mr. Bank. And you won't have to worry about me lying to you to protect him." Leona assured the client that she would do as instructed. With that she turned around and continued walking towards the elevator until she reached it. She entered the elevator without breaking stride and stopped, then turned around and faced the doors as they automatically closed. The elevator took her to the first floor and there she exited the building and began the long trip from the Neutral Grounds to Motor City.

-Motor City, six hours later-

Leona had reached the outskirts of Magnolia Town and had started walking in the direction of Peace Village before realizing that she was far away from the Neutral Grounds and thus could summon Winged Lion to carry her the rest of the way to her destination. She had been so preoccupied with her dislike of Dr. Harrison that she would have walked all the way to Motor City. After she summoned Winged Lion Leona climbed on his back and flew to the outskirts of Motor City, where she climbed off of his back and dispelled him.

Once Winged Lion had been dispelled Leona wasted no time walking into Motor City and starting on the path towards Dr. Harrison's residence. Her dread of Dr. Harrison grew stronger with each step she took on the path to that place. He was likely not going to be happy to see her. Leona was definitely not going to be happy to see him.

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-Motor City, outside Dr. Harrison's home, one hour later-

Leona was not really looking forward to visiting Dr. Harrison, but she promised Mr. Bank that she would make the delivery and she was going to keep that promise. She walked through the city at a brisk pace and made it to the doctor's house within an hour of arriving in Motor City. Now she had to muster the courage to knock on his door and make the delivery. Leona took a quiet breath and walked up to the door, then knocked on it three times and stepped back.

Leona waited in silence for roughly two minutes before the door opened. On the other side was Dr. Harrison, who was wearing a wrinkled labcoat with sweat stains under the arms plus a wrinkled white dress shirt and wrinkled brown dress pants. He looked like he had not taken a shower in a few days. He glared at her from behind his glasses with eyes that had visible bags under them. He looked like he had not slept in a few days either.

"Oh. It's you again." He said dryly. Leona was quick to notice that he was not shouting at her like he had frequently done in the past.

"I'm here to deliv-" Leona began to explain why she was here before Dr. Harrison raised a hand for silence and the blonde obeyed.

"I know why you're here. Just give me the case already." He instructed her. She walked over to him and handed him the case and he snatched it from her. He made eye contact with her.

"Stay right there while I go get the results for my employer. Try not to get distracted by any shiny objects and wander off while I'm gone." The doctor took a cheap shot at her intelligence before walking back inside and slamming the door to his house shut. Leona took a quiet breath and let the insult slide off of her back. She waited patiently for the doctor to return and within three minutes of handing over the silver briefcase he was back.

"The results are in the briefcase. Take them to my employer." He said to her and held the briefcase out. Leona reached for it and he deliberately let it go before she could get both hands on it, causing her to fumble for the briefcase. After it bounced up and down in the air a few times as she tried to get her hands around it she managed to grab it with both hands on the fifth bounce and brought it close to her body to keep the case from going anywhere. She practically hugged the briefcase while the doctor chuckled.

"Nice catch, Blondie. Now get lost. I've got better things to do than stare at you all day." Dr. Harrison bid her goodbye. He turned around, walked into his house, and slammed the door shut. Leona held out the briefcase and put her left hand on the grip, then lowered the briefcase to her left side. She then turned and walked away from the doctor's house to begin her trip back to the Neutral Grounds. This visit could have gone a lot worse.

-The Neutral Grounds, Mr. Bank's office, eight hours later-

As soon as she had gotten to the outskirts of Motor City Leona had summoned Winged Lion and had flown to the outskirts of Magnolia Town, then dispelled Winged Lion and walked the rest of the way to the Neutral Grounds. She then walked through the Neutral Grounds until she got to Mr. Bank's residence. Once inside she made a beeline for the elevator and entered it, going straight to Mr. Bank's office.

Leona followed the red carpet to the desk while under the unblinking gaze of her client's face on the monitor. She stopped in front of the desk and set the silver briefcase on top of it, then watched the desk lower itself into the floor. Moments later it reappeared.

"How was your visit to Dr. Harrison?" Mr. Bank asked Leona in a friendly manner.

"It was strange." Leona answered laconically.

"Oh? How was it strange?" Mr. Bank inquired.

"He didn't yell at me like he normally does. He didn't put his hands on me either. Furthermore, it looked like he hadn't taken a shower or slept in a few days." Leona elaborated on her laconic answer.

"How odd. I suppose his behavior is a result of Dr. Harrison taking the hint that laying his hands on you again would result in his dismissal from my service. As for his disheveled appearance... I have no idea why he looked like that." Mr. Bank commented on the description of Dr. Harrison's behavior and appearance. Leona was not entirely convinced that the doctor had taken the hint, but she kept her opinion to herself. Instead she remained silent and listened for Mr. Bank's next words.

"It's time that I give you something beyond financial compensation for your services over the past few months." Mr. Bank broke the silence.

"What do you mean?" Leona asked Mr. Bank with undisguised curiosity on her voice.

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Mr. Bank chuckled a little at Leona's question.

"Before I tell you what it is, I require another favor from you. It will be a simple one that will not involve a repeat visit to Motor City." Mr. Bank told Leona. The Wizard Saint let the chuckling pass without comment and she listened to the client speak.

"I need you to pick up something for me, my dear Wizard Saint. A special item I ordered roughly five days ago should be in Dr. Jacobson's store in Capital Crocus... perhaps you know where that is. I require you to collect the item and bring it back to me." The client explained the task that needed doing. Leona thought that a simple enough assignment to do in exchange for whatever reward that Mr. Bank was going to give her.

"I know where the store is, Mr. Bank. Is there anything special that I need to do to collect your item? Anything like say a special phrase or present a special card?" Leona asked Mr. Bank while looking at his face on the monitor. Mr. Bank chuckled again.

"Not at all, my dear Wizard Saint. There is nothing special you have to do. Just walk up to the counter and tell the good doctor that you are collecting a parcel on my behalf. She should give it to you without any problem." He answered. Leona again let the chuckling pass without comment.

"I'll set out for Capital Crocus right away." Leona informed Mr. Bank.

"Excellent. I look forward to your return. And do not be in any big hurry. I am a patient man." Mr. Bank informed her. With that the Wizard Saint turned around and began walking towards the elevator. When Leona entered it the doors closed and she was taken to the first floor. When the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened she then walked out of the elevator and crossed the lobby until she exited Mr. Bank's residence from the front door. Once outside his residence she began heading for the exit to the Neutral Grounds at a brisk walking pace.

-On the outskirts of Capital Crocus, five hours later-

Leona had walked from the Neutral Grounds to the outskirts of Magnolia Town and walked a short distance down the route leading to Peace Village before summoning Winged Lion to fly her to the outskirts of Capital Crocus. Once she had completed the flight to her destination and had landed Leona carefully climbed off of Winged Lion's back, then dispelled the summon. She then turned to face the path that led into Capital Crocus.

Before she started walking towards Capital Crocus the Wizard Saint took a few moments to wonder what kind of reward Mr. Bank could offer that was better than financial compensation.

Could it be a special weapon?

Could it be a piece of useful technology?

Or could it be something that was better than either one of those items?

Leona had no way of knowing what she would earn until she completed the task she had been assigned. There was no point speculating about the subject of a possible reward now. She had work to do, so she began walking towards Capital Crocus to start the process of making her way to Dr. Jacobson's store. It was likely going to be a long walk because of all the pedestrian traffic, but Leona had not been given a time limit that was set in stone, so she would not need to worry too much about how long it took her to get to her destination.

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-Inside Parts N' More, one hour and forty minutes later-

The Wizard Saint had strolled through Capital Crocus without any difficulty other than navigating the crowds to get to her destination. There were a lot of people out and about and Leona had had to make a lot of sudden stops and avoid bumping into anyone while on her way to Parts N' More. Now she was standing inside the virtually empty shop and looked towards the back, where Dr. Jacobson herself was leaning on the wooden counter.

The bespectacled brunette looked up from the counter and noticed the Wizard Saint standing near the entrance. She made eye contact with Leona and smiled.

"Welcome, Leona! It's been awhile! Come on back here!" Dr. Jacobson called out to the blonde. Leona wordlessly obeyed and walked to the back of the shop past half-empty display cases of computer graphics cards and other assorted items. When she reached the wooden counter she stopped in front of the doctor and the woman stood up to her full height. Leona noticed that the doctor was dressed more casually than normal. The bespectacled brunette's outfit consisted of a plain light blue t-shirt and blue jeans.

"Hey Leona, it's been awhile since we last met! How's it going?" Dr. Jacobson asked Leona like they were old friends.

"It's been going all right, Dr.- uh, Bridgette. I've been pretty busy lately with work." Leona told the woman, catching herself referring to the brunette by her title in mid-sentence and quickly switching to the woman's first name. Leona soon changed the conversation to a different topic.

"I'm here to pick up the item Mr. Bank ordered a few days ago." Leona informed the doctor.

"Mr. Bank sent you to get it, huh? If you ask me he couldn't have picked a better courier." Dr. Jacobson made a comment before turning around and walking towards the door located a short distance behind the counter. The doctor opened it and then closed it behind her while the Wizard Saint waited in front of the counter. While she waited Leona turned around and looked at the offerings of the shop.

The blonde mage saw glass display cases of graphics cards, sound cards, and other computer components in the shop. The cases were half-full, suggesting that either the doctor was not getting a lot of business and saw no point in having a lot of merchandise on display or that she was getting a lot of business and had not had time to restock the cases. Leona was not sure which option was the case and she was not going to ask. The Wizard Saint continued to look around the shop until she heard the door behind the counter open and the doctor step through with a brown square box roughly the size of a basketball.

"Well, here it is. Mr. Bank's order." Dr. Jacobson announced. She set the box down on the counter and gently pushed it towards Leona. The Wizard Saint turned around, walked up to the counter, and took the box into both hands.

"Thanks, Bridgette. I'd better get going back to Mr. Bank. He's going to want this as soon as possible." Leona announced. The doctor waved goodbye.

"All right then, Leona. I'll see you later!" Dr. Jacobson bade Leona farewell. Leona temporarily moved the box to her right arm and waved goodbye with her left hand, then took the box into both hands again and headed for the exit. Even though she did not have a clearly defined time limit in which to get the item to Mr. Bank she was not going to dawdle. He was counting on her to bring it to him as soon as possible and she was going to complete the task she had been assigned.

-The Neutral Grounds, inside Mr. Bank's office, six hours later-

Leona had walked to the outskirts of Capital Crocus with the box, then summoned Winged Lion and ordered him to fly her to the outskirts of Magnolia Town and fly just above treetop level while she clutched the box in her arms. Once she had landed on the outskirts of Magnolia Town Leona dispelled Winged Lion and then walked the remaining distance to The Neutral Grounds. When she reached The Neutral Grounds she made a beeline for Mr. Bank's residence and reached it without any trouble and without any damage to the box. After a quick elevator ride to his office Leona walked down the carpet all the way to the desk, where she faced the unblinking image of her client.

"I see that you managed to obtain my order from Dr. Jacobson. Please put it on my desk for me." Mr. Bank instructed. Leona wordlessly obliged and set the box on the desk, then took a step back and watched the desk sink into the floor. Moments later it reappeared with nothing on top.

"Excellent work, my dear Wizard Saint." Mr. Bank thanked Leona for her efforts.

"Thank you, Mr. Bank." Leona thanked him for the praise. She then stopped talking and waited for him to speak to her again.

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"Now, I believe that I discussed a reward with you. If you would enter the elevator, I will take you to the basement. Once you reach the basement I will discuss it with you in greater detail." Mr. Bank broke the silence by bringing up the reward he had promised earlier. Leona was not sure why he could not tell her about it in his office, but she was not going to question him. She supposed that he would have to show her what he was talking about.

"I'll head for the elevator right away, Mr. Bank." Leona replied. She turned around and walked towards the elevator, then stepped on it and stopped, then turned around to face the office. The elevator doors almost immediately closed behind her.

-On the elevator-

"Now I will take you to the basement. It will be a short ride, so do not get too comfortable and go to sleep on me." Mr. Bank said in a friendly manner, his voice sounding from the overhead speaker located just above her head. Within seconds the elevator began to descend and Leona waited patiently for it to reach its destination. About thirty-five seconds later the elevator gently stopped and the doors opened onto a large and brightly lit area featuring a large monitor with Mr. Bank's face on it. Unlike the monitor in Mr. Bank's office, this one was placed in the wall and featured speakers on both sides of the monitor.

"Look alive, my dear Wizard Saint. You have reached your destination. Please exit the elevator and we will begin our discussion." Mr. Bank told her. Leona wordlessly exited the elevator and entered the basement area.

-In the basement-

Leona walked out of the elevator and the doors shut behind her. She had expected the basement to be dark and gloomy with a light coat of dust on the walls and a few cobwebs here and there along with boxes of junk lining the walls and piled up in the corners, but to her surprise it was clean and brightly lit with no boxes of junk in sight. The basement was also as large as Mr. Bank's office, but unlike in the office Leona noticed that there were doors on each side of the room. Perhaps Mr. Bank would explain what they led to when she reached him, so Leona began walking towards the monitor while under the gaze of her client.

"Welcome to my basement, my dear Wizard Saint. I see that you are surprised by its condition. Were you expecting a room that was darker and less organized with all manner of assorted items lying about?" Mr. Bank asked Leona.

"I was, actually." Leona answered frankly. Mr. Bank chuckled.

"Your candor amuses me, my dear Wizard Saint." Mr. Bank said in a jovial tone. A few seconds of silence began before he broke it.

"Now I would like to discuss the reward with you, one that goes beyond mere financial compensation for your services. Since I do not know what you like, I have several options for you to choose from." Mr. Bank started. Leona listened with her undivided attention.

"I know that a mage who leads a life of adventure such as yourself always has a use for a new weapon and a new weapon is one of the options, but I have alternatives should you want something else." He continued, hinting that Leona could choose another reward if she did not want a weapon.

"Should you not want a weapon, perhaps you want some scientific knowledge that you might find useful." Mr. Bank listed an alternative to a new weapon. She was pretty sure that he was not going to tell her everything right away and ruin the surprise. Leona was also sure that Mr. Bank had lined up several good options for her to choose from. She had no idea what she was going to choose and she would need to give the matter a lot of thought before making her decision.

"Do you need some time to reach a decision?" Mr. Bank asked Leona.

"Yes, please." Leona answered without hesitation.

"Take your time, my dear Wizard Saint." Mr. Bank replied calmly. Leona folded her arms across her chest and started to think over the rewards she had to choose from.

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Leona continued to think about what reward she was going to pick, but she was having a hard time doing so. Choosing between a weapon and scientific knowledge was a tough call because she had a need for both. She found herself taking combat-oriented jobs quite a bit, which made  a new weapon an appealing option. The scientific knowledge would allow her to make strides towards building skills in something other than fighting.

"Have you made a decision yet, my dear Wizard Saint?" Mr. Bank asked Leona. Leona shook her head.

"Not yet, Mr. Bank. I'm having a hard time choosing." Leona admitted to him.

"Tell me, my dear Wizard Saint. What is it that you want most?" Mr. Bank asked her. That question caught Leona by surprise and her face showed it.

"I really don't know, Mr. Bank." Leona admitted that she had no idea what she wanted. She wanted the scientific knowledge, but she was not sure if she was smart enough to understand it. Mr. Bank had given her a book on science in the past and the subject matter was too difficult for her to comprehend. That was something that made her feel shame every time she thought about it.

"Perhaps I should let you choose something another time." Mr. Bank offered to let Leona postpone the decision. Leona was inclined to take him up on that offer, but she did not want to give up just yet. The blonde looked at him for a few seconds longer trying to make a choice, but she just could not make one today.

"I'd like to choose something another time, please." Leona requested, finally throwing in the towel rather than continue to stand there and take up Mr. Bank's time when she had no idea what reward she really wanted.

"Then we will wait until another time for you to choose the reward you want. I can tell that you are conflicted about something." Mr. Bank commented in a serious tone of voice.

"I am conflicted." Leona said simply. The word "conflicted" was putting it lightly. She wanted to do something with her life other than fight, but she was not educated enough to be a scientist. It would take a lot of education she did not have to become a competent scientist and she could not put her mage career on hold to go back to school for the length of time necessary to get all the education she needed.

"However, the source of that conflict is none of my business. Perhaps you will be able to resolve it by the time of our next meeting." Mr. Bank expressed the hope that Leona could get past whatever was causing her to feel conflicted.

"Maybe I will, but I can't make any promises." Leona replied in a calm voice. Her conflict would take more than wishing and a little time to resolve. It would require a lot of effort and a lot of time, but the biggest obstacle to that goal was determining where to start working through the conflict between her desire to learn skills unrelated to fighting and the reality that fighting seemed to be the field of endeavor she was most competent in.

"Very well then. I will let you leaved and think about the matter. I will keep in contact with you by my usual means, so please keep an eye out for my letters." Mr. Bank informed her.

"All right then. I'll see you later, Mr. Bank." Leona said in return. She waved goodbye with her right hand and turned to walk towards the elevator. After a few seconds of walking she entered it and the doors closed behind her. The elevator began to ascend and when it reached the lobby Leona stepped out and walked to the exit. From there she began walking through The Neutral Grounds; once she was out of The Neutral Grounds she would head for Magnolia Town.

-Silver Wolf Guild Hall, six hours later-

After leaving Mr. Bank's residence Leona had walked from The Neutral Grounds to Magnolia Town, then from Magnolia Town to the outskirts of Peace Village before summoning Winged Lion to fly her to Silver Wolf Guild Hall. Once outside the guild hall Leona dispelled her summon and walked into the guild hall, making a beeline for her room. Now she was sitting on the edge of her bed trying to come up with an answer to the question Mr. Bank had asked her.

Out of the rewards he had offered her, what did she want most?

Did she want a new weapon or did she want scientific knowledge?

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-Silver Wolf Guild Hall, Leona's room, thirteen minutes later-

Leona was still sitting on the edge of her bed trying to figure out which reward she wanted. She thought she would have been able to at least lean towards one of the options, but she was unable to do so. Having to choose between a new weapon and scientific knowledge was a tough choice for her to make. Both of them were useful in their own ways, but she could only pick one.

Leona really wanted to pick something other than a new weapon for once. She wanted to expand her scientific knowledge so that she could do something other than fight, but she was not sure if she would be able to understand the knowledge once it was given to her. Besides, Mr. Bank had not told her what field the scientific knowledge would be from. It could be chemistry, botany, medicine, biology, or any other field of science.

Leona really wanted to learn robotics, but she recalled Dr. Reid's warning that the Wizard Saint would need to study and master several different fields before she could be a robotics expert. She would need to study computer programming, electronics, and learn how to be a mechanic in addition to studying a few more fields she could not remember right away. She was pretty sure that they were specialized areas of study, though.

The Wizard Saint's attention turned to Mr. Bank's offer of a new weapon. Having a variety of weapons to choose from had served her well so far and she did not see any problem with acquiring a new weapon if she could. She was always looking for a new weapon with a special ability that her current weapons did not have.

Leona was tempted to pick the new weapon because of the possibility of receiving something she did not already have, but she was not sure what form the new weapon would take. She was not sure if it would be a knife, a sword, or a firearm of some sort. She was also not sure what special ability it would have. A weapon with anti-armor capabilities was her first choice and a weapon that could harm supernatural entities was her second choice. The uncertainty of what type of weapon and what abilities it would have prevented Leona from choosing that option right away.

Unable to make a decision, Leona stood up from her bed and took a quiet breath.

Who knew making this kind of decision would be so difficult?

Deciding to postpone the matter for a bit, Leona opted to go to the guild cafe and get a cup or two of coffee before going over her choices again. Maybe a change of scenery would help. Having decided on that course of action, Leona walked out of her room, shut the door behind her, and made her way to the guild cafe for some coffee.

-The guild cafe, five minutes later-

A few minutes after leaving her room Leona was seated at the table she usually occupied and sipping from her first cup of coffee while looking out towards the guild hall. She had a cup of coffee and a change of scenery, but she was no closer to reaching a decision than she was earlier. So far Leona's plan was not working out... maybe she needed just a little more time and a few more sips of coffee in order to get her thoughts on the right track.

Leona sat in silence as she sipped from her cup of coffee while thinking about the pros and cons of each option Mr. Bank had presented to her.

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-Silver Wolf Guild Hall, Leona's room, thirty-five minutes later-

Thirty-five minutes later and two cups of coffee later Leona was still no closer to making a decision than she had been when she left her room to go to the guild cafe. The blonde supposed that she would need to give the matter a little more thought, but she was not sure how long Mr. Bank's offer would be good for before he rescinded it. That put pressure on her to decide and decide soon, but that could wait because she was a bit tired from all the traveling she had done. Leona decided to go to sleep and see if she could not make a decision tomorrow.

With that Leona took off her boots, set them under her bed, and walked over to her wardrobe. She opened it up, grabbed her green tank top, took off her green outfit top, and put on the tank top before closing the wardrobe. She then walked over to the bed and reclined on it. She began staring at the ceiling for a few minutes until she went to sleep, which was easier than she thought it would be despite having had two cups of coffee less than an hour ago. Leona was not complaining, though. Every once in awhile it was nice to have something go smoothly for a change.

-The next day, Leona's room, 9:00 A.M.-

Leona was not sure how many hours of sleep she had gotten because she did not keep track of how long she slept, but it was enough for her to wake up without any difficulty. Now that she was awake the first thing her mind went to was coffee. The second thing that was on her mind was Mr. Bank's offer.

Leona sat up on the bed, swung her feet around to the left side of it, and put her feet on the floor. She then stood up and faced her room door. She was pretty sure that she had quite a bit of paperwork to take care of, so she would need to handle that... after a few cups of coffee, of course. Leona decided to switch back to her green, white, and gold outfit top before heading to the guild cafe, so she walked over to the wardrobe and opened it, then retrieved the garment in question and started to put it on.

-The Guild Mistress' Office, thirty-three minutes later-

Once Leona had put her green, white, and gold outfit top on and looked lke a Guild Mistress she paid a visit to the guild cafe and consumed two cups of coffee there before heading to the office. After getting seated at her desk she stared at a medium-sized stack of papers that she estimated would take at least an hour to do, if not slightly longer. As the old saying went, there was no time like the present, so Leona started going over the papers slowly and carefully so that she did not make any mistakes. The last thing she wanted to do was make a mistake and have to start the stack of papers all over again.

-The Guild Mistress' Office, five hours later-

What had started as one medium-sized stack of papers had somehow multiplied into four medium-sized stacks that Leona somehow handled in one sitting. After taking care of the fifth and final stack of papers Leona quickly pushed her chair up to the desk and walked briskly towards the door before a sixth stack could appear. She opened the door and swiftly closed it, heading towards her room without anyone the wiser. If any more paperwork needed to be done she would take care of it later today... right now she needed to give Mr. Bank's offer some more thought and she could not do that if she was busy with administrative tasks.

-Leona's room, three minutes later-

Now that Leona was safely inside of her room without having been spotted by any guild staff members carrying armloads of papers, she took a quiet breath. She had a bit of time to herself before she would go back to the office and take care of any further paperwork that had been deposited on her desk. She walked over to her personal desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down in it before starting to stare at the wall in front of her and trying to think of an answer to the offer Mr. Bank had made yesterday.

She was likely going to be sitting here awhile.

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-Leona's Room, thirty-seven minutes later-

Leona had spent some time staring at the wall in front of her personal desk but had still not arrived at an answer. She stood up from her desk, pushed the chair in, and stood up to stretch her legs. She had wasted enough time sitting around here... it was time to go back to the guild mistress' office to see if she had any more paperwork to do.

This respite from administrative tasks had been an utter waste of time.

Leona thought that she would finally arrive at an answer to her problem, but she had only wasted time. She turned towards her room door and walked towards it. When she reached it she opened it and walked out, then shut the door behind her.

-The Guild Mistress' Office, three minutes later-

Leona re-entered the Guild Mistress' office to find that there was another stack of papers waiting on her attention. Not wanting to call down more paperwork on herself by saying anything, the Wizard Saint walked silently to her desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down in it. She then faced down the stack of papers for a few moments before pulling her chair closer to the desk and resuming the administrative functions of her role.

-The Guild Mistress' Office, three hours later-

Leona had finished the last of three additional stacks of paperwork that had been carried into her office by guild staff members after she had finished the first stack and was hoping that the additional three would be the last she would have to handle today. Leona began to push back on her chair and stood up when it was far enough away from the desk. She then looked towards the room door and began walking towards it, hoping that it would not open and a guild staff member walk in with another armful of paperwork. Luck was with her and no one appeared with more paperwork for her, so Leona made good the escape and quietly shut the room door behind her, then walked back to her room.

-Leona's Room, three minutes later-

Leona made it back to her room without encountering anyone and was about to shut her door when she noticed a white paper envelope sitting on her room floor. Curious as to who sent it, she picked it up, walked over to her desk with it, and set it on the desk. She then looked around her room for a knife to use as a letter opener and was not finding one until she looked in the top drawer of her wardrobe and found Ses Revanche sitting there. Leona blinked when she saw it.

How did it get in there?

Leona used her brain and soon remembered Mr. Bank's "no weapons" request from the other day when she went to take the money to Dr. Harrison as the reason for Ses Revanche being there. Now that that question had been answered she picked up the knife, walked over to her desk, picked up the envelope with her left hand, and gently began opening it with Ses Revanche. Once the letter was open Leona set the knife aside on her desk and gently pulled out the paper within the envelope, then opened the paper and began to read it.

Leona soon learned that the letter was from Mr. Bank and that he wanted her to go to his residence at her earliest convenience to discuss "something of considerable importance" with him. She was not sure what that something was, but she was not going to keep him waiting. She folded the letter back up, put it back in the envelope, and put the envelope inside her desk. She then put Ses Revanche inside the desk before immediately heading for her room door. Leona was going to The Neutral Grounds as fast as she could to see what Mr. Bank wanted to discuss with her.

She wondered if the discussion had to do with his offer from the other day. Leona would find out what he wanted when she got to his residence in The Neutral Grounds, so there was no point in wasting time thinking about it. She opened her room door, walked through it, and gently closed it behind her before turning away and heading for the front door to Silver Wolf Guild Hall at a brisk walking pace.

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-Six hours later, The Neutral Grounds, Mr. Bank's residence-

After a long flight from Silver Wolf Guild Hall to the outskirts of Magnolia Town on the back of Winged Lion Leona climbed off of the summon's back and dispelled it before walking the rest of the way to The Neutral Grounds. Once she reached The Neutral Grounds she made her way to Mr. Bank's residence and reached her destination without running into any trouble. She entered the building and walked through the lobby on the way to the elevator. Once inside the elevator the doors closed automatically and the elevator began to ascend to Mr. Bank's office.

-Mr. Bank's office-

A minute later the elevator doors opened onto Mr. Bank's office and Leona stepped onto the red carpet. She began walking towards the desk in front of the monitor while wondering what her client had called her here for. Her first guess was that he was wanting to know what reward she had chosen. Her second guess was that he had another job for her.

"Hello, my dear Wizard Saint. I am glad to see you again. I called you here to discuss something important." Mr. Bank greeted the Wizard Saint as she walked. She soon came to a stop in front of the desk and looked up at the monitor with his image.

"What did you want to discuss with me, Mr. Bank?" Leona asked him, making eye contact with the image on the monitor.

"I wanted to ask you if you have made a decision on the matter we discussed the other day, the matter of your reward." Mr. Bank told her. Leona remained quiet, but for a moment concern flashed across her face. Her first guess had been right after all.

"To be honest, I haven't made a decision yet. I don't know what I want, Mr. Bank." Leona confessed to him so that her stance was made clear from the beginning of the conversation.

"So you have been unable to reach a decision. I am willing to wager that you are having a hard time choosing between the weapon and the scientific knowledge." Mr. Bank surmised aloud.

"Exactly." Leona answered truthfully and laconically. Silence filled the room for a few moments.

"That is understandable, my dear Wizard Saint. I knew from the moment that I gave you the book on robotics you wanted to learn a scientific field. You want to become a more well-rounded person than you are now." Mr. Bank said to her. He was absolutely right. Leona wanted to learn how to do something other than fight... she wanted to learn a few other skills, especially skills that pertained to science.

"You're right on that too, Mr. Bank." Leona told him.

"You are also an adventurous person who gets into a lot of fights with all kinds of adversaries. A new weapon would be of no small benefit to someone like you." Mr. Bank added. He was right for the third time in a row.

"That's right, Mr. Bank." Leona confirmed.

"You face quite a decision, my dear Wizard Saint. Both the weapon and the scientific knowledge offer short-term and long-term benefits." Mr. Bank summed up Leona's problem. Leona knew that choosing either reward would be beneficial, but she was not sure what she would benefit more from choosing. The Wizard Saint was hoping that she would get a bit of guidance from Mr. Bank, but no guidance was forthcoming. Leona would just have to make a decision and hope that she made the right choice.

But how would she know if she had made the right choice?

Was there even a "right" choice to be made?

"What do you feel you would get more use out of?" Mr. Bank put a question to Leona. That was a very good question and one that was likely phrased in a way to get Leona to think in terms of overall benefit when choosing a reward as opposed to choosing the reward she felt that Mr. Bank would approve of her choosing.

The Wizard Saint folded her arms over her chest and remained silent as she tried to come up with a good answer to that question. Like Mr. Bank had asserted, there was no denying that she would gain both short-term and long-term benefits from choosing either option, but the problem was determining which option would give her more benefits overall. Leona was firmly stuck on the cost/benefit analysis of her two choices and was thus unable to come up with a satisfactory answer to her problem at the moment. She hoped that Mr. Bank was as patient as he claimed to be because making a decision was definitely going to take her awhile.

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-Mr. Bank's office, seven minutes later-

"Have you made a decision yet, my dear Wizard Saint?" Mr. Bank asked Leona. The blonde mage shook her head.

"Not yet, Mr. Bank. But I'll make a decision soon." Leona replied. She had tried to think through each option, but there was only one that was making sense to her and that was the weapon. Leona hated to pick yet another weapon, but it was the option that would benefit her immediately and benefit her over the long term. She was an adventurer first and foremost, so a weapon would benefit her more than scientific knowledge.

If she was going to choose a weapon, why was she hesitating so long in saying it?

Why was she hesitating and wasting Mr. Bank's time?

Leona stood in silence for a few more minutes before finally speaking. She had wanted to make sure that she was making the right decision before saying anything and she was pretty sure that she wanted the weapon. She would get a lot more use out of it than any book because she tended to stay on the road a lot and she tended to fight a lot.

Was that how she really felt on the subject or was she just rationalizing?

Leona had no idea. She definitely knew that she was trying to finally make a decision so that she would quit wasting Mr. Bank's time. He had been patient with her and she felt like her inability to choose was wasting time that he could spend on better things other than holding her hand through a matter she should be able to figure out on her own. She needed to choose what she wanted and choose soon.

After a few more moments of thought Leona decided to quit wasting time and announce her choice. She had already wasted enough of Mr. Bank's time standing around and agonizing over something that should have been an easy choice. She might as well get something that might help her become better at fighting instead of pining for scientific knowledge that she would never use because she was not educated enough to understand it.

"I'd like a weapon, please." Leona announced.

"Would you like a melee weapon or a ranged weapon?" Mr. Bank immediately asked Leona. The Wizard Saint was not expecting to be able to choose the type of weapon she would get. As a result she folded her arms across her chest and began to think the matter over.

She already had the Ranger Laser Rifle and the Scout Laser Pistol for ranged weapons. She also had plenty of ranged spells in Wind Strike Magic. When those things were considered it would make more sense for her to choose a melee weapon.

"I'd like a melee weapon, please." Leona replied after a few seconds of thought. She was trained to use them at a young age and they were her weapon of choice for close combat. They also made a good complement for her magic; in the case of her Silver Longsword and Shoki those weapons let her fight supernatural enemies she would otherwise have a hard time against because she did not have Holy magic. Her Silver Longsword was a lifesaver against ghosts and made fighting werewolves a lot easier than it otherwise would be.

"A melee weapon." Mr. Bank repeated calmly. Leona detected what sounded like a hint of disappointment on his voice but did not react to it. Maybe she was just hearing things that were not there and she did not want to react based on something that might not even be real. Maybe he was not disappointed in her choosing a weapon but was only repeating what she had told him and she was reading into it too much. She hoped that that was the case.

Leona kept her misgivings to herself and remained quiet while waiting for Mr. Bank to speak again. She wondered what kind of melee weapon he had in mind for her. She would prefer an edged weapon like a knife or a sword since she was familiar with those, but maybe Mr. Bank had a special weapon that had a special property Leona's arsenal would benefit from. Leona's first choice was an armor-piercing weapon, but one that had crowd control abilities would also be a welcome addition.

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Silence dominated the office as Leona waited for Mr. Bank to speak again. The Wizard Saint was not sure if she had made Mr. Bank disappointed in her for choosing the weapon, but she had to stay calm and not let her insecurities run wild. Staying calm and in control of her emotions was the key to success here. However, that was easier said than done. A small but growing feeling that she had disappointed Mr. Bank with her choice was gnawing at her.

"So you would like a melee weapon." Mr. Bank repeated to Leona.

"Yes, please." Leona confirmed her choice. She had agonized over the decision for long enough. A melee weapon would serve her a lot better than another ranged weapon because most of her fights tended to take place in melee range and she was much more proficient with melee weapons than she was with ranged weapons.

"And so you shall have another melee weapon." Mr. Bank stated. Leona was relieved that that was over. She should not have spent nearly as long deciding on what reward she wanted as she had, but the time had already been spent, so there was nothing she could do about it but move on.

"Thanks." Leona said to him. She was as comfortable with her decision as she was ever going to get. Now she wondered what melee weapon Mr. Bank had in mind for her.

"It is no problem, my dear Wizard Saint. I think that you will like the weapon I plan to give you. It is one with a property that you will likely find useful." Mr. Bank hinted to Leona. The blonde wondered if that meant that she was going to get an armor-piercing weapon or one that was good at crowd control. While her current melee weapons provided a respectable range of abilities, she could benefit from a weapon that had armor-piercing ability or one that made it easier to take on multiple opponents at once. Leona would find out what the weapon could do once Mr. Bank gave it to her.

Silence filled the air again for about three minutes and Leona stood in silence the entire time.

"However, there is a slight complication." Mr. Bank reported.

"A slight complication?" Leona repeated in a neutral tone.

"Yes. You see, I just went through records of my inventory and learned that I have a prototype version of the weapon available. However, it has quite a few problems and one of the most troublesome is that it will literally fall apart when subjected to the rigors of a typical combat situation. I would not dare give you a weapon with such a glaring flaw. Instead I will make a perfectly functional one for you, but it will take some time." Mr. Bank informed her of the exact nature of the complication. Leona was grateful for the warning, but she felt a bit disappointed. She had struggled so hard to make a decision so that she would quit wasting Mr. Bank's time only to find that she would not get the weapon right away. That was a bit of a downer, but it was a disappointment that she could live through.

"It will take about three weeks for me to make a functional version of the prototype weapon." Mr. Bank informed Leona of how long it would take to make the weapon before she could even ask the question. Leona was unpleasantly surprised by that figure, but she kept her mouth shut. She did not need to seem ungrateful for what he was doing for her because he could easily change his mind and take his offer of a new weapon off of the table if he felt insulted by her reaction to the news.

"All right then. Approximately three weeks it is." Leona replied calmly. If there was nothing else for her to do here she would go back to Silver Wolf Guild Hall and get some coffee before heading to her room for the rest of the day. Due to the combination of fatigue from the trip to The Neutral Grounds, disappointment that the new weapon would take awhile to make, and just not feeling up to the task, Leona would save any paperwork waiting for her for tomorrow unless there was no other choice in the matter.

"Have patience, my dear Wizard Saint. The end result will be worth the wait." Mr. Bank promised Leona that the wait would be worth it. Leona remained silent. She would determine for herself whether or not the wait was worth it once she held the weapon in her hands and used it in combat.

"OK, Mr. Bank. If there's nothing else for me to do here I'll head home." Leona said to him in a neutral tone of voice. She then waited for him to either bid her farewell or tell her what he wanted her to do next.

"Please wait a moment, my dear Wizard Saint. There is one last thing we must discuss before you leave." Mr. Bank replied. That statement piqued Leona's curiosity.

"What might that be, Mr. Bank?" Leona asked him.

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"You should look into acquiring skills in areas other than fighting, my dear Wizard Saint." Mr. Bank told her. Leona was not thrilled to hear that, but she kept her mouth shut and her facial expression as neutral as she could. She waited to hear what pearl of wisdom Mr. Bank would dispense to her next.

"The adventuring lifestyle will eventually take its toll on you. While you are currently young and are able to handle it, one day you too will grow older and less able to handle the rigors of constant travel and fighting. You should learn how to do something other than fight because the life of an adventurer is one of uncertain length." Mr. Bank added. Leona was finding it harder and harder to keep her mouth shut because the "advice" she was getting consisted of things she already knew, but she was going to keep a good relationship with Mr. Bank because he was a good client. She hoped that some time within the next few seconds he would give her advice that was actually useful.

"You should give some serious thought to learning other skills so that if the worst ever happens you will have something to fall back on." Mr. Bank counseled her. Leona was growing more infuriated by the second. It seemed like he was making fun of her barely adequate education and limited studying skills. She disliked being reminded of her intellectual weaknesses because she was keenly aware of them. She wanted to change that, but she currently lacked the means to do so.

"I will, Mr. Bank." Leona assured him. She had already tried to learn other skills a few times in the past. She had tried studying archaeology and had tried to learn to use modern technology. She had limited success in both endeavors. She had tried to learn robotics only to have her attempt be rebuffed by Dr. Reid and for the book Mr. Bank had given Leona on the subject to be utterly useless because the Wizard Saint was not smart enough to understand the material.

"I wish you well in your search for other skills to learn, my dear Wizard Saint. I have confidence in your ability to learn." Mr. Bank said to Leona. The Wizard Saint decided to avoid commenting on her learning ability.

"If there's nothing else, I'll see you later, Mr. Bank." Leona said to him.

"I will see you later. And do keep an eye out for my messages. I will have need of your services in the future." Mr. Bank told her.

"I'll keep an eye out for them." Leona assured him. With that she turned around and headed for the elevator. The moment she got in the doors closed behind her and the elevator went to the first floor. When the doors opened Leona walked out of the elevator at a brisk pace and kept walking until she reached the exit and left the building. From there she would begin the walk out of The Neutral Grounds.

-Silver Wolf Guild Hall, Leona's room, six hours later-

Having changed into her green tank top and green, white, and gold skirt, Leona was trying to figure out what to do with her time now that she was back in Silver Wolf Guild Hall. After exiting The Neutral Grounds Leona had walked all the way to Magnolia Town, then left Magnolia Town and started down the path towards Peace Village before summoning Winged Lion to fly her the rest of the way home. Once she had reached the guild hall Leona made a beeline for her room.

Now that Leona had changed her outfit to something more comfortable she was going to look for something to do that was not guild paperwork.

She could go to the guild library and do some more research on plant ingredients. If she did not feel like going to the guild library she could read her personal books on the subject. if plant ingredients did not interest her Leona could always read the books on computer programming and repair that she had bought ages ago but had never gotten around to reading. If she did not feel up to reading anything there was always going to the guild cafe to drink some coffee.

Leona stared at the wall in front of her desk for a few moments while trying to make up her mind. It did not take her very long to reach a decision. She decided to go get some coffee, then decide on some other activity to do.

With that Leona walked towards her room door. She opened it, walked out, and gently closed it behind her. She then made her way to the guild cafe to get a cup of coffee or two and buy herself some time to think about what activity she wanted to do next.

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-Leona's room, one hour and thirty-five minutes later-

Leona had spent a lot longer in the guild cafe than she had anticipated, but now she was back in her room and sitting at her desk. It should not have taken her over an hour-and-a-half to drink two cups of coffee, but she was feeling a little better now than she was feeling back then. Her frustration with the perceived uselessness of Mr. Bank's advice had drained away and she was now feeling calm enough to actually think about what he had suggested. While it was still obvious advice, he had made a good point with his assertion that she would not be able to be a traveling mage now and forever.

In the past Leona had tried to study fields like archaeology and electronics, but both endeavors had come up short because of her intellectual limitations. Every time she ran into difficulties she found a convenient reason to put the subject on the back burner and go on another adventure instead. The only activity that seemed to keep her attention long enough for her to actually learn something was researching magical ingredients and that was because she could go out into the field to gather the ingredients she was researching.

Leona looked at her desk and for a moment wanted to grab one of the books sitting in the drawer and open it to begin reading. Then the urge passed as quickly as it had arrived. Leona took a quiet breath.

Perhaps she was not meant to sit at a desk and study.

Maybe it was the truth. Maybe it was a convenient excuse she had come up with to avoid having to challenge herself to do better and learn to study. Leona had no idea, but she definitely knew that she did not want to read anything today, so she stood up from her desk, pushed the chair in, and stood motionless while looking at the wall in front of her desk for a few moments. She suddenly got the idea to go to the guild library after all.

Leona was going to go to the library and browse the books for anything that interested her. If she found something she would take that book to a table and try to read it for as long as she could. She was not certain if she would find anything to read, but she would at least try to read a book. With that Leona walked to her room door, opened it, then walked through and closed it behind her. She then began a leisurely walk to the guild library to try and find something to read.

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