After some deliberation, I took all three posters with me while Rebecca looked wistfully through the higher ranked missions. I stepped up front to the counter. “Are all these quests still available?”, I asked. The lady at the counter was Lea, the same lady who had been present when my status as Rolander had been explained to me. For the first time I managed to give her a proper look.

  She was about half a head smaller than me, blonde hair neatly parted and braided. Her green eyes flew over the documents before looking up at me..

  “No.”, she said with a look at them. “The mission to find and destroy the nest has been ranked up to C-Rank after it turned out the goblin matron had at least six heads.” She took the paper from me. “And the healer guilds quest has been there for half a year without being renewed so that's gotta come down and they'll need to reestablish that quest.” She looked at the last quest, the escort and opened a second folder checking and re-checking some documents.

  “The escort quest is still available." she said. “Been posted a week ago but so far nobody has shown interest. Do you want me to sign you in Rol- Sir. Henry?”

  “Me and my wife please.”, I said.

  Lea pressed her lips together into a fine line. “The quest said humans preferred.”, she reminded me.

  "Preferred, not required.”, I responded and she nodded.

  “Of course not Sir. Ill sign you two in right away.”

  She took an inkwell and began writing. “I hear the big anniversaries of Roland's arrival are a wonderful experience to behold. Some believe that every soul in the kingdom should see it at least once in their life.”, she said.

  “Have you seen it before?”, I asked and she nodded.

  “One of the regular ones, Sir. My hometown puts their funds together every year so that all the villagers can attend the year they come of age. And since it's already prepared and planned, others can join for a small fee as well. I've been there a few times. My brother liked it so much he married a woman there and stayed. Sent me back to my parents with a letter telling them “Sorry, but I'm staying here.”

  Lea laughed. It reminded me of a songbird.

  “They were so mad at him. Well, until he came to visit with his wife and their grandchild one day. Though the money he left them didn't hurt either I guess. Turns out he managed to get work in the garbage business. I guess that makes sense with how big the capital is and all, but that they make that much money? Haven't heard of him in ages though.”

  She sighed. “But enough of me and my family, I signed you and your wife up, Sir Henry. We will inform the client that his mission was accepted. Would you like to eat something while you wait for him?”

  “Would you like me to take a letter with me? For your brother I mean.”, I said. Lea tapped her fingers on the table for a few moments. "Sure. I'll prepare something and get the quest giver afterwards.”, she said. “Would you like to eat something in the meanwhile?”

  “Not for me, thank you.” I waved over to Rebecca. She stomped across the room, before stopping behind me and looking at Lea who seemed to shrink a bit under Rebecca's gaze. “You wanna eat something?”, I asked her. “No, not right now.”, she said. Lea simply nodded.

  “Wait.”, Rebecca said and Lea froze.

  “What race is the merchant?”, she asked.

  “Demihuman.”, Lea answered, unable or unwilling to look Rebecca in the eye.

  “Thats not what I meant.”

  “Uh… Bunny?”, Lea said carefully.

  Rebecca continued to stare her down. “The correct term is Leporid.”

  Lea stared for a few more moments.

  “A Leporid. The m-merchant was a Leporid.”

  Satisfied with that answer, Rebecca and I retreated back to one of the tables.

  “Quick few facts regarding Leporids.”, she said as she lowered herself onto one of the wooden chairs that creaked under her weight. “They aren't very tall, they have incredibly strong lower bodies, with the males faster but the females more enduring,” She thought for another few moments. “Their ears are both a sensitive and important subject. Their-” Rebecca thought for a couple moments, turning in the chair as if trying to make sure she had the right direction. “-left ear has markers regarding their life and their right ear regarding their family. There is a huge list of piercings, brands and tattoos with all sorts of meanings, most of which I don't know. Most importantly, our Trader will have the top of their right ear cut off diagonally with the lower point on the outside. All traders have that cut on their ear.”

  Behind Rebecca, I could see Lea approach and going by the twitch of her ears, Rebecca heard her. “Here you go, thank you very much.”, Lea said as she put the letter in front of me. Rebecca raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Immediately after she got up.

  “Im gonna get our stuff from my uncle's place, at least what we need to take with us while we travel.”, she whispered in my ear and went on her way.

  It took only a short while before she returned. She handed me my equipment and I put on the viper band and flickchain, as well as my gauntlets. I had just finished putting them on as we were approached by Lea and a rabb- Leporid with a calico fur pattern. Rebecca sucked in the air as she saw him.

  “You two are my guards?”, he said, his voice a lot deeper than I'd have expected of a three foot bunny man. His voice was gravelly like someone who had smoked a lot, a suspicion that proved itself true when he sat down between us and began smoking a cigar.

  “I thought I said “Humans preferred.”, he said.

  “Well-”, I started but was immediately interrupted.

  “But as long as I get what I'm paying for, one should suffice. Payment as written in the quest.”, he said. “Plus food and a place to rest inside when it rains.” He tried to let the cigar wander from one side of his mouth to the other, but was stopped by his buck teeth, nearly losing his cigar. ”Hear you're both new, but if Lea says it's fine then it should be. She hasn't let me down yet.”

  I wondered why Lea seemed to treat him with more respect than she apparently would have with Rebecca had she been alone. Did the merchant have the backing of someone important as well?

  He hopped off the chair and led us outside. As Rebecca had said, his ears were decorated lavishly with all manners of symbols branded and tattooed and what not. But the cut on his ear wasn't inclined. It was pointed, looking more like an elongated cat ear than a rabbit ear.

  The Leporid gave his name as Simon as he showed us his covered wagon. To a layman like me it seemed to be big and in good condition.”This is it, my second pride and joy.”, Simon said, hands on his waist.

  “And your first?” Rebecca asked curiously.”

  “That would be me.”, a new arrival explained in a melodious voice. She was a horse woman, the tallest person I had seen so far outside of Rebecca, though not quite as tall as the wolfwoman. She had chestnut brown hair and her right ear diagonally cut at the top. “She shook Rebecca's hand “Emily”, she said before she froze upon seeing me. She had noticed my gaze on her ear and flinched as she turned towards me. “Im sor- I am VERY sorry for not greeting you first-”, she started but Rebecca shook her head. “It's fine, no worries.” She looked between Rebecca then me then Rebecca again.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  Rebecca stepped over to me. “We are the guards that Simon hired.”, she said. “Im Rebecca and this is my husband Henry.”

  “Husband?”, both Simon and Emily said at the same time.

  “Husband.”, I replied. “Is it that unbelievable?”, I asked.

  Simon and Emily choose not to answer.

  “What are we transporting?”, I asked, stepping close to look into the wagon.

  “This and that.”, Simon said as my eyes fell onto jars and boxes. The stink they emitted drove tears to my eyes and turned my stomach. Rebecca took a few sniffs of air.

  “Monster parts?”, she asked and Emily nodded.

  “What else? The Vide Family forbade demihumans from handling other wares within their territory." Rebecca′s ears perked up.

  “Did they?” she asked and I could myself tense up.

  Emily stepped in front of the wagon and harnessed herself in. “Yeah. At least potion makers will take them.” She sighed.

  “Could you load more?”, I asked, wanting to do something to help them however little it was, even though I couldn't exactly make up for Henry′s family′s restriction.

  “No, we already have too little space and Emily can't pull much more than this, strong as she is.”

  I looked at Rebecca who nodded. “Do you have a piece of cloth?”, I asked Simon.

  I had to give it to him, the moment he saw the first batch of wares vanish into a one pound bag, he managed to procure enough wares to fill two more bags, at which point I had run out of charged Moonstones.

  With a mostly empty wagon the four of us set out on our path out of town, me and Rebecca flanking the wagon while Simon sat inside looking out the back behind us. The woods between the Vide Manor and town opened up as we left through the opposite end of town, the guards ignoring us.

  The stone path out of town led us down a slight hill and parallel to a small river, giving us an overview of miles upon miles of empty fields with small moving figures all around.. Field workers? Threats? Other wanderers? I couldn't say.

  We walked in silence, keeping a slow pace as an idea came to me.

  “Open Grace.”, I whispered to myself.

  The entrails of the gods spit at you, who was brought here.

  This was the second time I was cursed out when opening the Grace. I didn't know why but the phrasing made it clear to me that this wasn't something everybody experienced.

  If this is related to me being here from another world then maybe I could learn more at the festival in the capital? Maybe Roland committed some crime against the gods? But how bad could it be that they'd curse those that came after him too?

  I thought for a while, silently walking on. Henry's body began feeling more and more like my own. I hoped it was similar for him. Part of me wanted to talk to him, exchange what had happened but maybe it was for the best.

  Why have you opened your Grace?

  The window asked. Right, my idea.

  “Activate [Emperor′s Gaze].”, I whispered.

  Designate target for [Emperor′s Gaze]

  A target. I was looking for threats, wasn't I?”

  “Threats.”

  This target is insufficiently defined for the current level. Please be more clear.

  I stumbled over a rock and fell against the wagon. Emily turned around. “E-everything ok?”, she asked, not stopping on her path.

  “I missed a rock. Stumbled, everything is ok.”, I said as I stood back up and walked on.

  I whispered. “Target: tripping hazards.”

  This target is insufficiently defined for the current level, Please be more clear.

  What else could I say?

  “Target: Flintstone.

  This target is sufficiently defined for the current level. However, too many valid targets are within the field of view. Please choose another target.

  This was the bloodline power of a noble family? The power that Rebecca had hoped I could use? What a joke.

  With frustration slowly piling up within me I whispered: “Target…. Rebecca."

  This target is sufficiently defined for the current level. However, the target is currently not within the field of view. At your current level, you cannot use [Emperors Grace] to target something outside your field of view.. Please choose a valid target.

  I cursed under my breath.

  “Grace, can you give me a valid target?”, I asked, having no clue what else to try for now.

  I wouldn't spit on you if you were on fire, Rolander.

  Have a wonderful day.

  My Grace closed again.

  “Oh go to hell.”, I whispered.

  The rest of the day went well all things considered. We stopped about an hour before the sun set, Simon lighting a fire and washing the salt of a chunk of meat before tossing it into a cauldron with some ground hardtack and water and a red-ish brown powder that seemed like a spice. Stirring the mixture until the water was gone and the mass brown-ish, he served each of us a bowl of the mixture. We ate as the sun set. The texture was crumbly despite the hardtack having absorbed most of the liquid, the taste not unpleasant but not something Id look forward too.

  Almost as soon as the sun had set, the temperature dropped sharply. I pulled a blanket out of my backpack and wrapped myself into it. At least the stew gave me some warmth.

  After finishing her meal Rebecca washed her utensils off in the nearby river before sitting behind me, pulling me between her legs and wrapping her arms around me, my back pressed into her. I could feel her warm breath on my ear as she whispered: “Everything ok Henry? You cursed loud enough that I could almost understand what you said. No doubt these two did hear what you said. ”

  I almost didn't hear her over my racing heart. “Henry?”, she repeated.

  “I tried using that [Emperor′s Gaze] ability but right now it's incredibly limited to say the least.”, I sighed.

  Rebecca hummed thoughtfully. “We′ll figure something out.”, she whispered finally. She didn't let go of me and I didn't mind too much. Simon and Emily didn't seem to know what to say so Simon simply washed off his cauldron and finally declared: “Well, I hope this will be a peaceful night. I will see you two tomorrow. Emily nodded in our direction and followed Simon into the wagon, closing the flaps.

  “Get some rest, Ill keep the first watch.”, Rebecca whispered.

  I removed my flickchain and placed it onto her wrist, the chain barely big enough to fully wrap around it. “This might help.”

  “Thanks.”, she said as the night vision effect let her see far beyond what the fire brightened.

  Soon, my eyes fell shut and I sank into sleep, enveloped by Rebecca's warmth.

  Required disposition for increasing the level of [Behind every great person, there's their spouse] almost reached.

  _________________________________________________________________________

  Current Status:

  Stats:

  Power 2

  Agility: 1

  Toughness 3

  Mental: 2

  Perception: 3

  Mana: N/A

  Effects:

  Overlapping Protection  Lvl. 1

  Poisonous Blood  Lvl. 1

  Protection against Natural Poison and Venom Lvl. 1

  Skills:

  [Behind every great person, there's their spouse] Lvl. 1

  [Emperors Gaze]  Lvl. 1

  [New World Mental Block]

  Known Ritual Spells:

  [Determine Value]

  [Simple Transportation Magic]