"A Shame? Not at all, not at all!" she said, laughing happily as she grabbed her Ale. "Opportunities. That's what it is!"

As she spoke, she began writing; fast and greedily, if such a term applied. The motion of inking the pen and the movement on the paper was like a flawless dance. Soon enough, one latter was done, then two. The written content was small, but it seemed like the pink haired lady was intent on writing a good numbers of them.

"It's never too early for ale - it's good for concentration." she also said, waving her hand as it she was waving the opinion aside. Then, suddenly, as if she realized just now she was speaking to someone, she raised her head and looked at the Inn Keeper. "Oh! Hi! My name is Hina, I'm kind of new in town. I'm a traveling merchant. Nice to meet you."

She extended her hand to James, which hit the Ale and sent the glass flying. Hina managed to lean forward to catch it with her other hand, kicking her enormous bag of belongings on the side...which the managed to keep from falling using her foot. Once everything was back into place, she sat back down with a sigh of relief.

"Do you have any form of mail delivery...birds, perhaps?" She asked the old man. But before she could continue speaking with her bar tender, another man came forward, not failing to note her clumsiness and - literally - 'loud' personality. Hina brought a hand to the back of her head; "Eheh...Sorry..."

However, her personality changed drastically at the mention of merchandising. Flames lit up in her eyes. "Sell, you say? Well...it depends at what price - and it's worth. Also if you are a merchant then you might want to stick around." after saying this, Hina finally dropped her pen, looking at a pile of letters that were all done, waiting for her to seal them. "Once these are sealed and sent, quite a few more merchants and merchandise should come this village's way. Trust me."

With the possible scent of money on the horizon, Hina's lips curved into a smile as she rubbed her hands together.

"So...what wares do you have?"

@Kazemitsu

---

"Wahah, I can always go up to the mountains." Alfy replied at the mention of ores drying up. "It's full 'of stuff y'know!" She watched Kaze hammer away at the forge, the rhythmic hammering not bothering her at all as sparks flew. Being this close would have normally probably been dangerous, but Alfy did seem very concerned for her safety this close. An idea though? Hm...she was only good with small stuff. Cutting jewels and making some fine jewelry. Not...weapons.

"Ah!" Suddenly, eyes lightning up, Alfy got to her feet. "You could make like...a giant pickaxe!" She extended her arms to either side of her, emphasizing the perceived length. "Something that could fell mountains in a single swing."

Meche took a seat as Rowan showed her a seat. Her fluffy platinum blonde hair bouncing slightly as she seated herself. She was seemingly unperturbed by the man's curtness. "Actually some coffee would be nice, but that's besides the point." There was a professional look to her as she looked at him.

She would then continue, "Well Guildmaster Rowan, as you know we have a trouble with a surging monster population. Already it's causing trouble with attacks, destroyed property, and as we've seen below a lot of complaints from merchants traveling. There's also the fact that it's going to be disruptive to the upcoming festival as well. Unfortunately the guard has been deliberating how to properly address this problem for too long. We're currently strapped in resources, particularly manpower especially when everyone is demanding an escort and other such things. And so we're just underprepared to deal with a problem of this scale."

There was a pause in her speech. She then continued, "Protection of the town and the adjacent area is our duty. While we appreciate what you're doing, we cannot idly stand by and let you do this alone from both a practical and reputational standpoint. The reason why I'm here is to deliver a message. The guard wants to create a temporal joint task force with dealing with these monsters. We will want to deploy people on patrols and hunts for monsters that stray too close or are particularly notorious. But really, the goal here is to discover what is the source of all this increased monster activity and deal with it accordingly. These monsters threaten both people's lives and the town's livelihood of traders passing by and we can't afford to let this situation escalate. So what do you say, do you agree to this partnership?"

---

Pisco was somewhat amused by the woman's change in expression as he mentioned wares to sell. It was so intense, compared to his laid back state. Still, it wouldn't turn him away as making some extra cash was always nice. Plus he had nothing better to do right now. "I specialize in making oldest friend of all the sapient races, alcohol. Particularly beers and wines. I don't produce any spirits. Some of my product can be found in this fine establishment and I've already sold to merchants before so I know my product is decent enough." There was a bit of a dissonance in his friendly manner of speaking against this detached energy he was giving off.

He took a drink of whiskey as he looked at Hina. He then spoke again, "So would you be interested in both or perhaps one of the beers or wines? Also, that beer you have isn't one of mine. But perhaps I could recommend and buy you one of mine? I see you're drinking an ale, perhaps you'd like something on that level or perhaps darker? Of course it's also a nice morning, so perhaps something lighter and more invigorating would be more suitable?" Already he was doing his routine of picking out a drink like it was second nature.

---

About to say something in regards to what Hina had remarked upon, James paused, hearing the doors outside the bar open, his gaze turning as Agnes entered, a faint smile creasing the edges of his lips, sending them upwards. A soft laugh left him at the elven librarians words, the Innkeeper quickly scooping up the books, before something got spilled by accident upon them. "I take it you enjoyed your reading, Agnes?" Anything more was stopped by the minor scene of the various items knocked around by Hina, James taking an automatic step back to be safe, a bead of sweat rolling down his face at the sight. Only to sigh in relief once it was all said and done. He took a moment to gather himself, even as Pisco got into his own spiel, faintly rolling his eyes in bemusement, before as soon as an opening came, he spoke again, his stache moving as his lips did.

"We do have birds, a few tamed Monsters at that as well. There's also the mail route if you have a larger load." Now he grinned at what Hina spoke of regarding futher business. She was a smart one at that, and now he remembered a name needed to be given. "James, I run the inn. That being said, Agnes, can I get you anything? Food, drink, more books?" He was the ever helpful one, even as he turned his attention to Pisco now, offering him a nod. "I told you, your wares are a gold mine, if this festival goes well, perhaps you'll be able to raise more capital for expanding operations, eh? Imagine the demand!" Now he laughed a bit loudly, before falling silent, giving the trio, and perhaps anyone else who decided to join the party, a window.

@SimpleWriter@Jerkchicken@Noodles

Kaze nodded his head when she mentioned going up the mountains. "True, but there's more dangerous monsters further up. Mountains don't make for gentle breeding grounds and food is more scarce." He stated while he continued to hammer away at the metal. Slowly making it take shape before stuffing it back into the hot coals. She looked to be in thought before she light up. He knew that look well by now.

She said he should make a pickaxe, a big one. "Too much metal than what I'm currently working with." Kaze stated as he used a brush to clean the oxidized metal and slag off of the anvil. "You could also have suggested a piece of armor. I'm not just a weaponsmith." He stated, a bit of grump in his tone. The tongs found the shaped metal in the coals before he pulled it back and started to pound on it some more. Using the Face of the anvil and the Horn to give it the curve he desired and to keep the metal nice and flat where it was supposed to be.

"So aside from eating dirt and losing your footing, what do you plan to do today?" He asked, looking at her while shaping the iron. Multitasking, and having done this a million times, at its finest.

---

---

The guildmaster didn’t seem overly fazed one way or another, though Meche could certainly tell that he was giving the proposal some thought, and if he had any major objection to the grounds she was basing her offer on, he’d likely have been quick to point them out. But as it stood, Rowan would sit back in his chair, arms folded as he decided on how to approach this. “I agree that you have your work cut out for you. But just so you know, I hadn’t planned on seeing the guild become involved in anything more than the job requests that may have come up over this monster outbreak. Satiating a group of squabbling vendors is one thing, but I’m not about to stretch the purview of this establishment just so some indecisive watchdogs can save face,” he said prior to a reflective glance to the side.

“But if you want to talk about what’s practical…” he’d immediately continue, his eyes darting back to the woman. “While some might look at us as being a readily available source of manpower, I feel it necessary to remind you that these are largely freelancers you’re talking about working with. Among other things that should be obvious, you can’t expect them to agree to this unless you have the money to make it worth their while. And judging by how dangerous the scope of this mission of yours is… let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if your people have some arrangements to make.”

In essence, the guildmaster wasn’t saying no, but he was saying cooperation came with certain conditions, though of course the finer details could be sorted out at a later date, such as when actually writing up the contract for this task force. The crux of Rowan’s case however, seemed to center around agreeable wages and supplies for all members of this potential group. It was an understandable enough concern, but at the same time, as Meche had so readily revealed to him, funds and resources could potentially be an issue moving forward. The guild itself had its own revenue streams to fund its current operations, but as it stood there were not shortage of strings tied to those finances, meaning it was hardly in a position to pay for this new endeavor either.

Rowan would admit as much if it came down to it. If this really was going to be a problem though, securing more money for either the guild, the guard or the task force directly was always an option. In his opinion, he wagered the honorable village guard had the better chance of successfully reaching out for a sponsorship of sorts. Keep in mind that there’s plenty of money tied to the upcoming trade festival, and there should by all means be some people willing to pour money into such a noble and business-savvy cause.

“I’m not about to call off tomorrow’s hunting party. If you want to give this ‘task force’ of yours a test run, then by all means send as many or as few guards as you want,” Rowan mentioned, subtly curious as to how the ratio between the two groups would turn out in that case.

Agnes

That was interesting, for Agnes looked at the shattered glass of the establishment. She was sure that the pink haired girl had only her first bottle of Ale. That was usually seen in the later hours, but perhaps it might be due to the recent delays of the trading festival. That might be understandable for tone merchant, or two of them? She thought, glancing a few gazes on the sight of the postman of the village, or was it a bartender? She wasn’t very sure about that, personally.

She had yet to see that girl Hina before. Was she one that had just arrived here? She thought.

But it might not hurt for taking a couple of drinks or two, and just to let herself to be less out of place.

“Just a goblet of wine would do for my morning.” She replied, straightening her fine linen sleeves. On the regards of books, she had enough of the copies for her new prose. And the trade festival would provide more than enough from the further countries. Agnes hoped that this festival would not be cancelled for good.

“I do like books, a few proses of History is all that I worked upon, still.”

Kumiko

Kumiko couldn't help but to giggle when Rowan started reprimanding her after she teased him. She knew exactly how to deal with troublemakers, but merchants and nobles were another thing. They held much more power and influence than a random troublemaker and any action that might make them angry or unsatisfied could become incredibly problematic if they decided doing something about that.

"Don't worry, Guildmaster Rowan. I was just teasing you!" Kumiko said with a giggle.
"After all, I wouldn't want to put even more work on your hands." Kumiko said with a professional smile.

When Rowan mentioned about finding a job for her, despite her professional smile and dignified posture, it was incredibly obvious by how her ears moved, perking up and her tail that she was indeed excited looking forward to that.

With a discreet bow, Kumiko went downstairs to resume her work.

After the angry merchants left the guild hall, things were notably calmer and flowing normally again. Adventurers were speaking with other receptionists, completing quests and little by little, things were being organized again.

"I'm sorry for leaving, I had a few things to speak with the Guildmaster. Thanks for covering up for me~" Kumiko said, whispering for another receptionist that had taken her seat while she was still gone. As soon as she sat down again, a party of adventurers calmly walked towards her. By their look, their equipment and how they knew exactly what to do to join the hunting party, it was clear for Kumiko that they were veterans, despite being new faces around the town.

"You are here to join the hunting party, I presume?" Kumiko asked, readying a few papers and documents to complete their registration.

"I believe you already know the danger of this particular mission, right? Please don't overexert yourselves. If you feel it's getting too dangerous don't be afraid of retreating." Kumiko said as she gently took the guild cards that the party members offered to her the second she started talking to them.

"Aaannd... That's it! You guys are ready! Good luck and be safe out there~!" Kumiko said, returning their guild cards with a kind smile as the party walked away.

"Next, please!" she said, waiting for the next adventurer.

^@Mangrale

@Kazemitsu

---

"Hmm...no idea!" Alfy replied with a grin. "I wanna go up to the mountain and see if I can find some shinies, but that's a lot of walking." The small human hefted her hammer over her shoulder again. "I still haven't explored the areas around town much since I've only been here a few days. Like uhh..." Alfy paused, frowning lightly as she tried to think of a specific area, only to end up failing. "...heh, I'll wing it! I might find some shiny stuff. Bye Kaze!~" Alfy grinned, swiftly turned on her heels, exiting the shop. "I'll bring ya back something shiny!~"

---

---

“... And since I you’ve been asking nonstop, Jeremy finally started walking not long after we settled in! Millie was in the other room, so she almost missed it when he got to his feet and started wobbling off the carpet. The little guy really caught me by surprise when he began, though the same can’t be said for when he fell flat on his butt almost immediately afterwards,” Vivian read with warm mirth to her voice, the old dwarf laughing hardily from his weathered wooden recliner at the front deck of his home. There was another chair to his side that he offered to her, but she respectfully declined.

It wasn’t very often that she got the go-ahead to recite someone’s mail for them, but Mr. Hulgrom was a common exception as of late when it came to his son’s letters from abroad. Before then, she’d often pass by his residence to happily deliver mail as she would anyone, most certainly those of the solitary sort. But lately the old man had begun to open up about his family, and while she herself didn’t have similar stories to tell (not while she was on the clock at least), they both grew fond of this little arrangement of theirs, just the same.

“I tell you one thing though, papa. A part of me is surely going to miss holding him in my arms when he’s older… Perhaps you felt similar when I was growing up way back when…” the letter went on, Vivian proceeding softly down the end of the thought, noticing Hulgrom’s wistful sigh as he sat back in his chair. “I’m sure you can imagine the joy Jeremy’s brought to us, even in these early years. All three of us send our love, papa, and we can’t wait till your visit next year. Till then, be sure to take care of yourself, eat well, and if that lovely Vivian girl is reading this for you, be sure to invite her for tea once in a while because she’s a very hard worker and-” Vivian added with a mischievous smile before the dwarf leaned forward to swipe the letter from her hands.

“Ya almost got me there lassy, har har!” he laughed along with the young girl before he eyed the the parting words of the letter. “I thank ya. If ya ever tire of serving drinks at that bar o’ yers, come by anytime.”

While primarily a joke, Vivian still appreciated the offer and agreed to a little refreshment now and again when she next delivers to his home. With a cordial wave and a tip of her hat, she’d return to her route, but waited until she was out of sight before hurrying along. She had some ground to make up.

Kaze glanced up from his work, putting the blade in a dark looking liquid that immediately caught fire. A wave of his hand and the flames were put out. "If you plan to explore you'll need another person. This is the 'easy' area." He said while he pulled the coals out in the furnace. Spreading them so they'd cool faster but leaving a mound to start it up easy later on. His tongs sunk into the oil, pulling the scimitar blade out and setting it off to the side. It could stay soaked in oil, it was good for the metal.

Setting his leather apron off to the side he reached over and snagged up a Battle Axe. The heavy two headed weapon felt right at home in his hands. "You're not exploring the wilderness by yourself right now. There's more monsters than usual about." He stated as he closed the door behind himself. He left the door unlocked, no one in town was a thief. But he did have an magical alarm set and he had a teleport to get back if needed. For now he went with Alfy, no need to let the girl get banged up trying to get shiny stuff for the smith.

@Mangrale

Meche listened to Rowan's response quietly and respectfully. The subject of payment for the services was immediately brought up. As expected from a group of freelance adventurers. "Yes, payment is an issue that needs to be worked out. The methods will be up to my superiors as that's outside my command. Hopefully with this issue we can get more funding authorized by the mayor. Alternatively, we might get funds from the festival visitors and merchants setting shop there" She said to him.

"What time is this hunting party? I'll make sure we send in a group with your adventurers to give this a test run. I think it'll be important as well as interesting to see what adjustments would be made to ensure they work together well. Also if you don't mind mind, would you be ok if they would take a detour from patrol to help investigate the area, or at least have the guards temporarily break apart to poke around for clues?" Meche added after a pause.

As she waited for his response she was taking mental notes of what to relay. It was gonna be another long talk at the HQ as her superiors settled this. She had a feeling that they would be able to secure extra funding, especially given how big this festival is to the town as well as just the general threat to the town's interest to let this problem go untreated. Hopefully they'd be able to secure enough funding to be amenable for the guild master and his members. Her mind drifted on going to the inn and getting a drink, it already was a long day for her and she just wanted to relax after what would be a day full of talking.

---

---

Under a leisurely hand through his worn beard, Rowan pondered over the officer’s request. It would have been preferable to know about this detour of theirs ahead of time. “Preparations will begin at the eastern entrance to the village starting at six with the intention of the whole group setting out by seven. I don’t care to make a big spectacle out of this, so if we could keep any needless formalities to a minimum, it’d be appreciated. Plus, I should mention that our team is meant to rendezvous with two others before nightfall, meaning only so much time can be spared to pull off a search if you still want to be a part of the joint offensive the following morning. It shouldn’t be too hard to pull off if you have the right mounts at your disposal.”

It probably went without saying, but in the event that it did, Rowan would admit that the guild wouldn’t be able to accommodate her men as far as personal transport went. Rather, the guildmaster had made arrangements for a large buffaloo-drawn wagon to be delivered for the benefit of the hunters. So it’d be pretty much up to the village guard to secure whatever they needed for the journey.

With the rest of his day already mapping itself out in his head, the guildmaster found himself quickly rising out of his seat the moment it seemed that these preliminary matters were settled. “I’m somewhat grateful the guard came to me now instead of announcing their involvement the morning of. At any rate, both our peoples might just have their hands full for a while to come. In the meantime, you’re welcome to help yourself to the coffeepot downstairs anytime, just don’t make me regret offering it for free. Farewell,” Rowan said as he lead the way to the doors and opened one for Meche to leave first. There was time enough for him to be cooped up with a never ending mountain of paperwork, but for now he wanted to be in the main hall while the morning ran its course.

Meche listened to Rowan speak about his plans for this hunt tomorrow. She nodded along as she listened to these additional details regarding the plan for those hunting. It seems like they might temporarily split if the adventurers aren't willing to come along for the investigation the guards would be conducing. They would also need to come back before it got too dark. Although despite the danger, poking around at night might be productive.

"We will arrive with our own equipment and mounts. You don't need to worry about lending us anything." She said to him.

Now as the conservation came to its ending she then added, "It's been a pleasure talking to you. Anyway, we'd never do something so boorish like that. We have a threat that might be bigger than what we're used to dealing with, and so we have a responsibility to take care of it. We want the best cooperation possible to do this, so something that hostile wouldn't work in our favor. Now as for that coffee, I just need enough to finish this assignment."

She'd then leave and go downstairs and take some coffee. Although honestly, she'd rather have a beer to cozy up to. But that would have to wait as she need to report back. The events back at HQ were important but rather boring and dry. She replied to her superiors what her conversation with the Guildmaster entailed along with the details for this hunt. She was told she would be heading this hunt, which suited her fine.

She had been intending on exploring alone. Maybe go to the town and see what it was like, since she had never really been in one before. Since arriving she had kept herself to the outskirts and the woods, just messing around and mostly just been staying up on the mountain. Honestly...

"Wahaha, silly Kaze, Alfy can handle herself." she replied with a bright grin, not slowing her quick pace, hammer hefted over her shoulder. "I lived on that mountain for my entire life! Wahaha, well, almost oops..." She scrunched her nose up in thought for a moment, before shrugging off whatever thought she had as she headed in the wrong direction - that is, towards the town. Not the forest.

---

There was little for Al'nehak to do but wait until she was called for by one of the guild receptionist. She decided to pass the time by observing the other adventurers signing up to be in the hunting party. Most of them seem to be adequately geared and experienced at a first glance. Hopefully, they would prove to be useful allies in the upcoming hunt. Even if they were strangers, having someone dependable would be invaluable for such a dangerous task.

Al'nehak arrived at the end of the line and plopped the last of the berries into her mouth as she heard a voice call out in the crowd seemingly directed at her.

"Next, please!"

Her eyes fell upon the source of the voice. Why, it was the kitsune who appeared to call for her!

First impressions eh? Let's start off strong here.

"Hello there!" Al'nehak started, still chewing the berries in her mouth. "I'm here for the hunt!" She gave a small bow.

Did I just greeted her while chewing? Al'nehak groaned aloud to herself, swallowing the remaining berries slightly embarrassed. She looked up and found herself looking at the kitsune in the eye. Al'nehak's eyes made no movement but she was already inspecting her facial features. Of all the kitsune's she had come across, the one in front of her was certainly the most unique looking.

She's a beauty. Al'nehak thought to herself as she waited for the kitsune to hand her the paperwork.

After calling the next in line, Kumiko started preparing the papers before the adventurer presented itself. Most adventurers were always in a hurry, so it was easier for both Kumiko and the adventurers themselves if both of them had everything ready, in hands, before even greeting each other. But the second the next in line walked forward, the first thing she felt was the sweet, refreshing smell of the berries that the woman was chewing, making her give a small smile. It was a pleasant surprise. Much better than the smell that some other adventurers gave off when returning from a hunt or just because they forgot to clean themselves.

Kumiko looked curiously at the exotic looking woman in front of her as she greeted her with a small bow. It was clear that the woman was slightly embarrassed by having presented herself while chewing berries. Not only her appearance made it obvious that she was a newcomer to Kumiko, but the way she had stopped to look to Kumiko, almost as if enamored by her appearance, spacing out for a moment.

When the woman paid attention on what was happening again, she would find Kumiko's face close to hers with a mischievous smile, almost as if she was observing the woman just as she was observing Kumiko herself.

"An enigmatic stare and the refreshing fragrance of wild berries~" Kumiko said with a mischievous smile, teasing her regarding her curiosity, the berries she was chewing and hopefully making her a bit less apprehensive and embarrassed.

"Apparently, cats and foxes aren't the only curious ones!" she said, teasing the woman in front of her with a delicate laughter. Despite Kumiko's teasing, it was clear that she was as curious about the woman in front of her as the woman was about herself.

"I'm Kumiko, the guild's head receptionist. Any trouble or question you might have, you just need to talk to me." she said, twitching her ears with a kind smile as she introduced herself.

"I don't mind if some of those questions are about myself. Although I can't promise I'll answer them all." Kumiko continued, with a playful wink and putting her finger in front of her mouth almost as if she was telling her to keep a secret, before handing her the papers.

Al'nehak scratched her chin, letting out a small laugh. "Oh, I didn't mean to stare. I couldn't help it. Your features are quite unique compared to other kitsunes I've met, in a good way. I'm Al'nehak," she introduced herself.

"Al'nehak~" Kumiko repeated the woman's name, almost as if she was singing it.

"It is a beautiful name. It's exotic and it has a distinct sound to it, almost like a melody." Kumiko said, with a kind smile to the woman.

"By the way... Have you met other kitsunes? That is surprising! Not many people have since my homeland is really far away from here." Kumiko said, with a delicate laugh.

Al'nehak looked up with a small smile. "You're the fourth one. I can tell you more about them if you'd like. At an appropriate time and place of course." She looked back down and continued to fill in the paperwork.

Judging by the looks of the woman and the fact that she seemed to know about her race, she was indeed as experienced as Kumiko initially thought. Still, that hunting request wasn't an ordinary one and Kumiko would still warn adventurers about it even if they were veterans. She knew very well how prone some adventurers were to underestimate their enemies. Even it that wasn't the case for everyone, it wouldn't hurt just to remind them to be safe.

Al'nehak took the papers and began to read. It was a fairly standard hunting request and the only thing that appeared that warranted a bit of concern was the higher than expected monster count. Hmm...I hope we have the numbers to match theirs. I'm not looking forward to a repeat of that again. Maybe the monster's breeding season is higher than expected this year? she thought, That might explain their numbers?

She turned the page. More lines and signatures. Al'nehak picked up a pen and began to scribble. "Kumiko was it?" she said briefly looking up before looking back the papers once more, "What can you tell me about this town? Maybe places I should consider visiting or the people that live here. Being so close to the border between the two countries, I'm sure you come across many colorful individuals."

Interrupting her thoughts, Al'nehak called her name after as she continued reading the documents regarding the hunting party asking about the town. When she mentioned it's location, close to the border between two countries and the fact that many 'colorful people' passed through the town, a mischievous smile immediately appeared on Kumiko's face.

"Colorful indeed~" Kumiko said with a giggle. Despite the guild hall being crowded, Al'nehak and Kumiko were by far the most exotic sights on the hall.

"Despite not being that big, there is more than it meets the eye about this town. If you need a place to rest or just to relax, you could go to the Golden Hind Inn. James, the innkeeper is quite an interesting man. He somehow always seems to know exactly what food or drink to prepare to please his customers. He also always has incredibly interesting stories to tell." Kumiko replied as she patiently waited for Al'nehak to finish reading the papers.

"If you're looking for equipment, you should see Kaze, the Blacksmith. Although he can be... a little difficult to deal with sometimes, regarding forging weapons and equipment, he is one of the best in the town. He is quite a character too. For some reason, he chose to put up his shop on a cave outside the town instead of inside it. Maybe it's because he is a dwarf?" she said, with an inquisitive expression as she continued.

"If you are planning to stay here for a while, you will undoubtedly meet Vivian, an incredibly cute and adorable young girl that works on the post office. Sometimes you can see her working as a waitress on the inn too. Oh~ Although it's only a rumor, she does have a really beautiful voice and can sing very well. Just don't tell her I was the one who told you that!" Kumiko continued, putting a finger over her mouth with a mischievous wink.

"We have quite a few interesting individuals who settled in quite recently. Sadly, I didn't have much time to talk with them properly. If you're curious, you should go take a look through the town. Maybe you will meet one of the two elves that recently moved in, or better... out of the town. Or perhaps you will meet with a petite, adorable girl wearing a cute white and blue dress wielding a big hammer and always carrying valuable ores and gemstones nearby Kaze's cave..." Kumiko finished, with a rather mysterious air.

Al'nehak flipped to the last page as Kumiko was finishing her reply. One last signature and the paperwork was finished and she set the finished paperwork aside. Al'nehak rested both arms on the counter and she leaned slightly forward. "I see. Thank you, that's good to know." There was pause. "Mhm, can you tell me a little about yourself? What brought you to Frontier Village?"

Kumiko nodded her head with a smile as Al'nehak thanked her, having already finished reading the papers regarding the hunting party. When Kumiko was about to give her a few advices about the request though, interestingly enough, Al'nehak asked her about Kumiko herself and her reasons for coming to the Frontier Village.

"My reasons to come to this village...? Let's just say I had a few problems back home and staying wasn't an option anymore." she said, with a mysterious tone and a playful wink.

"About myself... Hm... I do have a house somewhere around the village but most of the times you will find me either on the Inn or just walking around either playing tricks at others or just talking to people. Everyone who comes to the guild regularly seems to know me, since somehow I became the 'Guild's Pet'... Don't ask me how." she said, laughing.

Al'nehak took out a notebook and began to jot down what she was told. "Good to know, good to know. Being the guild's pet, I suppose it means you're doing your job really well. Perhaps the people here enjoy your company? You do brighten up the room."

"Do I? Thanks a lot!" Kumiko replied with a giggle.

"A lot of adventurers do enjoy talking with me..." Kumiko said, thinking about what the woman had said. She had never thought about why the adventurers seemed to take a liking to her since she was simply being herself.

"I already knew about the inn but the owner having some interesting stories to tell? I might find some useful gossip. As for the blacksmith, I'll pay him a visit when the time is right. Having a post office nearby does make it easier for me to get in contact with them." Al'nehak thought to herself.

"I do have one more question before I go join the others for the hunt. I think the lines behind me are getting restless. Can you tell me a bit of the guild master in charge here? Don't want to get on the bad side of management if this place is going to be a source of income for me." she asked.

Kumiko was indeed curious when Al'nehak said she was the fourth Kitsune she had met. Silently nodding with a smile on her face when she asked if she wanted to hear more about them later, Kumiko couldn't help but to think that Al'nehak surely must have a lot of interesting stories to tell. It was clear that she had traveled far and wide before coming to the Frontier Village.

"About the Guildmaster?" Kumiko asked, looking to Al'nehak after she asked about Rowan.

"Guildmaster Rowan is a serious man regarding his work. He devotes most of his time to take care of the Guild, so he basically lives here... Even though I keep telling him he should take a day or two off to rest and relax..." Kumiko said, rolling her eyes as she said the last part.

"Don't worry about getting into his bad side though, he is not the type of person to get offended over nothing or something like that." Kumiko said with a smile.

After Al'nehak finished filling all the paperwork, Kumiko swiftly organized it and archived it on the cabinet behind her together with many others.

"That will be all then. Don't forget to check your supplies and equipment before the Hunting Party departs! Oh, and if you have any other questions or anything, don't hesitate to call me." Kumiko said, with a formal, business like bow, unlike the informal and friendly manner she was talking a while ago.

Al'nehak returned the bow. "Thanks again for everything Kumiko. I'll see you around."

She left the guild hall. The streets bustled with activity despite the delays in the festivities. "From what I read, the rendezvous place is over there. I still have some time until then..."

Setting down her backpack she browsed the contents inside; a day and a half worth of provisions, cooking utensils, dirty clothing, her journals, and a few trinkets and gizmos she picked up along the way. Two empty healing vials were tucked in the side pockets. A third was halfway full.

She sighed softly. "Some shortcut that turned out to be," she muttered to herself as she took the half empty vial out of the bag and placed it in pouch around her waist. "At the very least, I still have my spellbook and quarterstaff with me. Hm...might as well finish some of these provisions, going to treat myself tonight after this after all!"

Al'nehak stood up, putting on her backpack, her mouth chewing on some meat jerkies. It was time rendezvous with the other adventurers.

After walking for a while, she arrived at the gathering. Indeed, it was a rather large gathering of adventurers. "Hoh, this looks a tad bit serious," Al'nehak remarked to herself. Judging by how everyone was still waiting, she reckoned that whoever who was suppose to lead them wasn't here yet. Al'nehak sat down on some steps and with a keen eye, began to observe those who would fight alongside her.

Kaze raised an eyebrow as Alfy spoke. "You dove off the mountain and faceplanted in front of my shop." He stated, he felt if she had lived on that particular mountain her whole life she'd have known the composition of what she was standing on. Then the girl started moving again. "That's not to the forest, kid. That's the way to town." Kaze said, palming his own face now.

Sighing the mountain of a blacksmith thumped along after the girl so she didn't wreck anything. Or anyone. "You have a very poor sense of direction..." He muttered to her, shouldering his axe as the pair walked. A strange pair they made, a grim giant and a peppy shorty.

Hina took another sip of her own drink, smacked it back down on the table, trying to look tough - which was hard for such a small framed and frail looking girl. Her self-confidence more than made up for that, though. "Are you doing trying to compete with old gramps here in his own establishment? That's in poor taste!" she said, in a joking manner, while pointing to the Innkeeper James. "In all seriousness though...I don't really do alcohol. And even if I did, I couldn't compete with both an Inn AND a Guild Hall...could I? I'd be stuck with that merch for weeks!"

"But these venues are small as they're contained within this town. Since you will eventually leave, I'd like to sell them to you much like I have done before to other merchants that have passed through. In fact, I'd tell you my wares are of a sufficient quality that I have some repeat costumers as well!." The man said to her. In the back of his mind he knew the great game of negotiations has begun. He only wondered if he could get her to comply as she seemed quite unwillling to do so. He then added, "Also you still haven't answered my prior question regarding your tastes."

"Dark." she said, raising her buck to his. "Ale is best when it actually tastes something!" She took another great sip, which emptied her cup and she slid it back towards the Innkeeper, with a thanks. "So... If your ale is actually as good as you say, then maybe I could resell it. Maybe. That being said, is it attached to a name? And how many barrels and gold pieces are we talking about?"

The man then paid for her drink, ordering his own coffee milk stout. Due to the ingredients it was extremely dark brown looking like molasses. It also had a satisfying foam to it that lingered. However, unlike molasses the taste for it wasn't super sweet. There was a hint of the bitterness from the dark roast and coffee added to it, but the lactose added balanced it from being excessively bitter and added a very smooth mouthfeel to that rich taste of it, He offered it to her with an aura of confidence. "I can offer you a barrel or two. Or if it would be easier perhaps a handful of bottles if you're not feeling sold on it. As for name? Do you mean me or the brew itself? Name's Pisco and for this well, I'm not too good at names. I've been calling it 'Morning time delight' due to that toasted dark flavor and coffee. But really, I call it Coffee Milk stout recipe #32."

Hina took the buck and gave it a taste, taking a long time to taste the flavor and really feel the different ingredients. It was a far cry from your usual village Ale, that much was certain. For that fact alone, people might pay a good price to have a try at something different. "It's not bad...I can give you that." She handed the drink back to him, almost spilling it in the process. "However I'm not paying in gold for it. How about...a trade? We can exchange products, yes? I can take two barrels and provide with with goods at a better rate. We'd both sell them at a profit. You are a merchant, after all - you travel, yes?"

Pisco stifled a laugh when she assumed he was a merchant. "I'm a brewer. Although this is not to say I haven't traveled over the world. I'm just a person that drifted into this town and settled. Although if you managed to have something worth using in my brewing, I would be up for considering a trade of goods over selling for money. Also, if you enjoyed this beer, would you be interesting in sampling my other beers?"

Hina legitimately looked surprised at learning he was a brewer - as if it had not have been clear up until now. "Oh ! In which case, a trade of products can't do, Hmm... well. I can't very well travel with a broken cart and with the festival coming, I don't think I will be moving anytime soon either. If I bought you your stock now, I'd sell it at the Festival and do you competition. Tell you what; Give me one of your barrel, and I'll add a good word about your products to my contacts coming into town for the festival and help you sell your products. You give me 25% of the incredible profits you made thanks to my amazing mercantile skills, and I have a barrel of your product to sell at the next town over. Sounds like a sweet deal to me! What say you?" She told him with one of the biggest, most assured smile the man might have ever seen.

He was amused at the woman's energy. But there was an issue, and that was her broken wagon. He took a pause and thought over it. Eventually he responded, "Seems like a deal. But let's wait until you get your wagon fixed before I give you my products as I don't want them to languish in the wait. Also, if you need it, I can point you out to someone who could help. One more thing, welcome to the village miss, I hope you can enjoy your stay."

"I'm not a hurry to leave, but I'd appreciate that. I just need to make sure those letters leave as soon as possible." She said, standing up with a hop. "So...who would be this person that can help me, then?" Despite her frail look, Hina managed to grab her very large bag of belongings and hoist it onto her back, ready to leave.

"I believe there's a blacksmith by the name of Kaze.' The man said to her. "Perhaps he can help with your broken wagon. Anyway if you wish for more beers or wine you can find me at this address." He said as he gave wrote down the information on a napkin.

Hina made sure to thank Pisco for all of the information and the beer he paid for her, mentioning that she owed him one. After also thanking James, and leaving him her letters, Hina left in order to find this Kaze.

---

"W-wah?!" Alfy stopped walking, looking up at Kaze with a wide eyed stare.
"...Dummy, Alfy is an adult! Not a kid! And she is totally not lost!" Shifting her eyes to the side and giving a small chuckle, the small human turned and resumed her walking pace. "...probably. Anyways, keep up, Kaze! Shinies in this direction!" Hammer in hand, Alfy started joyfully sprinting towards the village. Kaze would have quite the work ahead of him to catch up to Alfy - despite her inherent clumsiness and the fact she was carrying a hammer almost as big as she was, she was still oddly nimble.

She totally wasn't trying to lose him on purpose, nope!

He was totally right though, she was a bit lost. The mountains were her backyard. Not these foothills - she meant the mountains further up towards the empire. She knew her way around them. Here though? So close to other humans? Well, she was like a fish out of water. A mole out of its hole. A gemstone dropped on a paved road. She did however, smell gems - and her nose didn't lie.

Ah, where she really did miss her mountain...she should go back soon.

She was caught up in such thoughts that she almost didn't see the other person on the road.

"WAH!?" But before she could face plant into a human this time, she managed to dig her heels into the ground, coming to a swift stop just a few feet in front of Hina. "...eh? Ahah!" She grinned up at the human. "And Kaze thought Alfy would probably run into you, haha!" Alfy giggled. "But no! I am not a klutz! I don't run into people, heh!" Blinking excitedly, Alfy tilted her head at the girl, circling Hina, before standing in front of her again.

"...I smell shinies. You have shinies?"