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"Right… When will we leave?"

"We can\'t delay…" Serin said as she glanced over at Altria and me.

"We\'ll leave whenever you want Serin." Altria said answering her gaze..

"Yeah, whatever you think is best Serin." I said in agreement.

She looked relieved. "Thanks… Then we\'ll meet on the steps at nine tomorrow and try to leave as soon after that as possible."

"Okay that really is soon, I\'ll have to put things in order first. I had better hurry… I\'ll see you there. I\'d better go now. Bye." Beth said before turning to leave the guild.

That left the four of us in the guild. Leaving tomorrow, it was sooner than I had expected. There was going to be little chance to rest before we were on the road again.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"Let\'s take Liz to register with the guild, then we\'ll decide which supplies we need to acquire." Answered Serin.

"Okay."

"I\'m sure I can manage the registration process alone." Liz said as if she wondered why we need to accompany her.

"I\'m sure you can, but I\'d like your help gathering supplies. We\'ll need to top up our potions, I was hoping you had some stock?" Replied Serin.

"I see. In that case we can visit my store once we\'re done here. I\'ll see what I can gather together."

"Thanks."

We made our way back to the desk where Jules was still on shift. She was now the only member of staff at the desk, the other girl from earlier was nowhere to be seen.

She met us with a smile. "Ah you\'re back. I hope everything went well with the guild master?" She asked leaning over the desk.

"I think so, I was worried for a while when we first went up, but I think everything turned out alright. She\'s issued us with another quest." I replied.

"Phew, I did wonder. She\'d been shut in her office for hours. I was sure she was deciding something important, something to do with all the rumours. But another quest already? You\'ve only just returned. Don\'t you need to rest?"

"That would be nice." I laughed. "But I don\'t think we have the time."

"Sounds important."

"It is."

"If we\'re quick enough we might be able to prevent a war." Added Liz.

"So, it is to do with all of this… What do you need from us?" Asked Jules.

"The guild master suggested that I should register with you before we left on the quest. I was hoping you could help us?" Asked Liz.

"Of course, hold on one second."

Jules ducked down under the desk and after a little rummaging around, reappeared with the device that she used when I registered with the guild, after first coming to this world. She placed it down on the desk and placed a blank tag inside.

Jules pointed to the tag inside the device. "Please place you hand here."

"Okay then." Liz said as she did as she asked.

Once her hand was inside there was bright light for a moment.

Jules looked up from the device. "Right, that\'s done now. You can take you hand off."

"Right."

A look of shock appeared on Jules\'s face as she checked the results. "Oh my…"

"Is everything okay?" Asked Liz.

"Yes, it\'s just I\'ve never seen anything like this before." Answered Jules.

"Does she have some super special custom skills?" I asked.

"She does, but that isn\'t what I meant. I mean I\'ve never seen a level this high before. Not just from a new registrant, but none of our members at this branch are that high."

"Wow."

"Well, I have been building up my skills for quite some time. I\'d be a little disappointed if I didn\'t get a decent score." Liz said glancing over her tag in Jules\'s hand.

"I suppose, but this is something else!"

"Hmm."

Jules passed her the tag. "Here, please take your tag."

"Thanks."

Liz spent a moment looking over the information that it contained.

"Um, do you mind if I ask what level you are?" I asked.

"Not at all. It says one hundred and eighty six here." She replied.

"Oh, that is high."

Serin seemed to almost choke on thin air. "One hundred and eighty six!"

"Yes." Answered Liz.

"That\'s so much more than even Lillia\'s. Just how old are you anyway?" Asked Altria.

"It\'s rude to ask my age like that! Besides, age doesn\'t have anything to do with it. I\'ve been quite resourceful with my time. I\'ve kept myself busy and I always enjoy learning something new."

"You don\'t say. The mortal races struggle to raise their level above a hundred, except in exceptional circumstances. By that point it takes too long to build up the experience to level up any further, unless they are always fighting high level opponents. Lillia is only level one hundred and twenty two!"

I did have a suspicion that something like this came into effect. Each level took more experience to gain than the last. Even if it didn\'t work the same for adventurers and was just a measure of ability, in the end it would just take so long to gain skills and abilities to reach the next level you would be old before you managed it. Not if you were an elf. This meant that Lillia was much older than the average human life span and well, Liz had to be even older than that.

"Do you mind me asking what your level is Serin? Just for comparison." I asked.

"I don\'t mind telling you. It isn\'t much compared to Liz though… Eighty two."

"That\'s pretty high!"

"It\'s very respectable for a mortal of her age. Mine is Eighty seven, by the way." Explained Altira.

"But you both are only young, that\'s really good. I expect you\'ll make it past a hundred!"

"Thanks Theo."

"Is that everything I need to do Jules?" Asked Liz.

Jules nodded. "Yes, that\'s it. You are now officially registered with the guild." She replied.

"Great, then if it\'s okay with everyone else I would like to be on my way. I was in the middle of something when Lisa called for me."

"We\'ll accompany you." Said Sein.

"As you wish."

The four of us went to leave the guild, but just as we did Jules called out to me.

"Theo."

I stopped then waved the others on. "You all go on ahead, I catch up in a moment." I said before heading back to the desk. "Is everything okay?" I asked Jules.

"Yes…" She leaned forward as if she wanted to tell me something in private.

"What is it?" I asked drawing nearer.

"Be careful with the guild staff and the other adventurers. Not everyone is going to be happy the way things have turned out. Not everyone is going to support leaving the alliance. If they put a price on your heads, someone could take it up."

"Have you heard anything?"

"Just the odd grumble." She said glancing over at a group of adventurers eating in the hall.

"I see."

She stood back up. "Are you going to spare some time for me this time? You know before you go again."

"I don\'t know how much time I\'ll have, but I\'ll try."

"I\'ll get off shift in a while. I\'ll drop by if you\'ve returned by then, if that\'s okay?"

"Sure, that\'s fine. I\'d like that."

She smiled. "Thanks. You should probably go and catch up with others."

"You\'re right I should. See you later."

I turned and left the front desk, as I did so I briefly glanced at the group of adventurers that Jules had indicated. It could just have been my imagination, but I felt they were watching me leave. None of them made a move to get up as I passed so I thought nothing more of it and headed out of the guild hall after the others.

By the time I caught up with the rest of the group, they were almost at Liz\'s shop.

Altria met me with a grin. "What did she need?"

"She just wondered if we\'d have a chance to catch up before we left again."

"Missing you then." She laughed.

"Maybe."

"I didn\'t know you were friends?" Asked Serin.

"Yeah, she was the second person I met here."

"Oh."

"I think she was worried. She told me to be cautious of some of the other adventurers, after what\'s happened."

"She\'s probably right. Most of adventurers are pretty honourable, but some are little more than mercenary thugs. With things up in the air like they are, I wouldn\'t put it past some to betray our guild for the right price. It\'s best if we keep our wits about us."

"Right… Do you think it\'s safe in the guild?"

"Probably. Knowing Lisa, she most likely already has her eye on any that might make a move. Don\'t worry, they wouldn\'t be stupid enough to try something in the guild."

"I hope not… But in the city?"

Serin paused before she answered as if thinking. "It\'ll be sensible if we all stay on our guard."