"Well, I do understand that this is not a good story, but there is more to it," Boss stated after seeing the reaction of his guests.
"When the rivers and ponds within the territory started drying up, the people of the Barony feared that a curse had befallen the land. Although the people weren't superstitious, everything was going south, so they started putting blame on the Baron's second son, forcing the Baron to take the matter in his own hand.
"He ordered his son to go to the Temple to confess all of his sins to the Clerics and be cleansed from his filth. However, all the rivers and other sources of water continued to dry up. Things started to become chaotic then.
"The fields became barren, and even if Water Magic was used, the land remained dry and cracked. The forest surrounding the barony slowly lost its lushness, until the trees have turned into dry husks.
"The way things happened was very unnatural. Even if there was a drought, the trees wouldn't die like that. The animals migrated, leaving nothing for the people to hunt. With no food and water to sustain the Barony, many people decided to leave.
"All of them cursed the Baron's second son for what was happening, making the latter unable to step foot outside their residence in fear that he would be mobbed by the townspeople. Even the Guards turned a blindeye whenever the Baron's son was getting attacked. Truth be told, the respect that people had for the Baron is gone. Even I don't give a damn if their entire family were to suddenly kick the bucket."
Cai, who had been keeping quiet, stomped its foot in excitement. It was very tempted to charge at the Baron's Residence to demand justice, but after hearing the story, it felt a bit better knowing that the Baron had lost everyone's respect.
"This is what you call Karma!" Cai stated. "This is what you call Divine Retribution! Hah! Serves them right. Those bastards deserve to get mobbed!"
Just as Lux was about to voice out his opinion, a series of words appeared in front of him, making him hold back the words that he was about to say.
—---
< Emergency Quest! >
< Whisper of Ruin >
Mission Rating: SSS
– A bereaved mother left the Wolfpine Barony to take revenge on the people that killed her child. She knew that she was powerless to do anything on her own, so she decided to seek the help of a powerful Warlock who lives in the Dark Stepes, located in the Dark Plains.
– The Warlock agreed to her request. But, in return, she has to help him break the seals that bound a creature that had been locked away for centuries.
– You and the members of your group that have entered the Wolfpine Barony are now under the influence of the Curse of Ruin. Until you clear this mission, this Curse will follow you until death.
< Quest Objective >
– Find the Baron's second son and stop him from leaving Wolfpine Barony within the next 72 hours.
– Do not attack the Creature of Ruin. The quest will automatically fail if you, or any of your members, harmed the creature in any way possible.
—----
< Mission Rewards >
– The Curse of Ruin will be lifted.
– Your lives will be spared.
—----
< Curse of Ruin >
– An unnatural drought will follow you wherever you go.
– You will not be able to sire any children for life.
– You will be fated to die a dog's death.
—----
< Will you accept this Quest? >
< Yes / Yes >
< P.S If you don't accept this, you will die, so Yes is chosen as the default answer. >
—---
"...Sh*t," Lux muttered as he looked at the unreasonable quest that was in front of him.
"That's right!" Cai nodded its head because it thought that the Half-Elf was agreeing with its statement earlier. "The Baron's second son is sh*t! Um? Why did your face suddenly become pale? Are you okay?"
Lux used both of his hands to rub his face in order to calm himself. This was his first time receiving an SSS-Rating quest, which meant that this was a very serious mission, which also meant that this was a matter of life and death.
He had faced many close calls in the past, but nothing compared to this one. Each mission gave him the option to reject it. But, this time around, refusal meant death.
How could he possibly choose death?
Lux ignored Cai's question as he spent a few minutes regaining his composure. When he felt that he was calm enough to talk, he gazed at the Bearkin in front of him and asked him the one question that mattered the most.
"Boss, do you know a monster called the Creature of Ruin?" Lux asked.
The Bearkin's body stiffened when he heard Lux's inquiry.
"Creature of Ruin? Isn't that just a fairy tale?" Boss replied, but if one were paying close attention to his words, a trace of anxiety could be heard in them. "It's just a story to scare little kids when they're not listening to what their parents say."
Lux smiled bitterly after hearing the Bearkin's reply.
'What Fairy Tale? That creature will soon come here!'
The Half-Elf was very tempted to shout out loud, but he grit his teeth and endured the urge.
"By the way, where did you hear about this Creature of Ruin?" Boss asked. He no longer had an easy-going attitude and it had been replaced by a solemn expression that made Cai feel as if the Bearkin would suddenly attack them without warning.
Lux could tell that the Bearkin was hiding something, so he started to weigh the pros and cons of whether he should share with him the information he just received from the quest.
"Boss, let me ask you a hypothetical question," Lux replied.
"Oh? I like hypothetical questions," Boss stated while showing his canines. "Go on. I promise to give you a hypothetical answer as well."
The Half-Elf stared at the Bearkin, whose eyes had locked unto his body, waiting for him to ask his question.
"What if I tell you that the Creature of Ruin is real?" Lux asked. "And if we don't do something, you, I, and probably all of the people in this Barony will die. My question is this, will you help me keep this calamity from happening?"
Boss laughed after hearing Lux's question. A moment later, he reappeared in front of the Half-Elf and grabbed his robe before raising him high up in the air.
The Bearkin pulled Lux closer to him until their faces were only inches apart from each other.
A bestial growl escaped Boss' lips before he bared his fangs at the red-headed teeanger, who was struggling from his grasp.
"Who are you, and how do you know about the creature of Ruin?" Boss asked with bloodshot eyes. "Did HE send you?"
The Half-Elf didn't know if he made the right decision by telling the Guildmaster about the Creature of Ruin. However, one thing was sure.
The Bearkin knew something about the Creature of Ruin, and he needed to pry the answers from the Guildmaster's mouth, before he faced the monster, who was about to bring ruin, not only to him, but to the entirety of the Wolfpine Barony.
