Creative Writing: Cerea's Expansion

“Not a bribery, Mr. Anders,” Freiya said, handing the scroll back to Cerea’s hands. “This hidden mission is somehow related to her current quest.”
“I see. Cerea, can you tell me what quest is it?” Mr. Anders said.
“I... I don’t know.” Cerea said since she marked the quest without reading the details. She opened the scroll.
Collect a bottle of an Exohorned Deer blood. – Eran. Cerea’s felt her strength drained.
“Isn’t this the same as killing them?” Cerea asked. “You told me it’s a gathering quest.”
Freiya smirked, “Yes, it’s somehow relative with your quest. The city’s scouts had notified us that another swarm of Exohorned Deer are migrating, so we issued a quest and Ferlork accepted it. Cerea wanted another quest, thus I gave her one.”
“No

way. I don’t like killing those monsters anymore, they’re hard to kill as well. You tricked me!”
“You don’t have to kill anything. That’s why you have a party. Support them in other way you can.”
Leili cleared her throat. “Umm, I’m new here so... Is it okay to have a novice to do two running quest at the same time?”
Cerea turned to Mr. Anders and said, “This is against the rules of the guild, Master. She gave me a quest even though I already have one. A novice like me couldn’t handle two quest, too. She tricked me knowing that I would get excited to do a nice quest. If the locals heard that the famed Zestential has an employee bribed with a random book, it would ruin this branch’s reputation and yours, too, Master. It’s not good, Master. Not good.”
Freiya pinched Cerea’s ear. “I gave you a quest, you should be happy.”
“Ouch!” Cerea pushed Freiya’s arm then looked at Mr. Anders innocently. “Master, as your greatest apprentice that passed all guild’s training, if possible, could you cancel my second quest? A novice shouldn’t get two quests, it is written on the rules.”
“Cerea, you only call me Master whenever you want something not good,” Mr. Anders chuckled. “You may be a novice, but your skill is more than that. I suppose I shall give you a special exception, though it may be just for formalities since the main branch agreed to have you take the quest. You wouldn’t have been able to mark it if you weren’t eligible.”
Cerea pouted. “Jeez, I should’ve just went on ahead with the team. Leili, tell them we’ll meet at Verriad’s Sprite. I’ll hunt some strays for my second quests so try to cut their numbers.”
Leili nodded, gestured to both Freiya and Mr. Anders, and left. Cerea watched as her figure vanish as the huge creaky door closed. Freiya returned the quest book and the book she was reading to the shelves behind, and started to clean the desk and arranged the books.
Cerea began to move as well, and washed her face on the wall fountain. She carefully splashed her face so her clothes wouldn’t be drenched.
“Mr. Anders, could you throw me a towel, please?” Cerea asked. Mr. Anders went under the chair, threw a blue towel to her, and read a paper he took from his pockets.
“Thank you!” Cerea said as dried her face, and then she sat on the stool again. She observed the hall as if trying to find something out of place.
Their branch was one of the highest earner in the country, however, their hall didn’t seem to represent that.

The white wall only had a single insignia of their branch as a decoration. A whirlwind of needle-thin blades which symbolized Mr. Anders magic. Same goes for the square-wooden tables spread in the hall, simple yet elegantly polished. The pillar made of needle-thin blades was still as sharp as ever. Every now and then, an unwary would accidentally collide against it and become incapacitated for the rest of the day. Countless people requested Mr. Anders to remove his fatal collection, but he would always reject it. ‘It’s a testament of my strength,’ he would say.
“Cerea, you should rendezvous with your team now.” Mr. Anders said, pocketing the paper.”
Cerea yawned and said, “I’m waiting for something. I guess I’ll stay here a little longer.”
“Very well.” Mr. Anders stood up and selected an untitled book, and read it.
Cerea saw Freiya almost finished cleaning. She wiped the desks with a wet cloth, including the nooks and crannies. Then, with a delighted smile, she dropped the dirty cloth on a bucket and washed her hands. As soon as she finished washing, she approached Mr.

Anders.
“Mr. Anders, there is something I would like go today, Vandema, to be exact. Since there is nothing much going here, I presume it should be fine. An informant told me that something new is brewing there.”
“Go on, I shall manage this then,” Mr. Anders shrugged.
Freiya smiled, and began to walk away.
“Freiya stop!” Cerea interrupted.

Freiya stared at her, “You’re still here? I though you left some time ago. Your stealth abilities are great!” Freiya walked again, but Cerea ran to her and gripped her forearms. She glared at Cerea, and the latter responded with a smug.
“Freiya, can you tell me where you’d go? I am hoping to treat you something later because you did me a great favor. Let’s meet in perhaps a library or something and maybe invite a certain man to join us.”
“I’m going to meet a friend.” Freiya averted her gaze and whispered, “That should have taught you a lesson not to tease a Zestential employee. Mr. Anders knew that so we go unpunished right now.”
“Master! Freiya really took the bribe and she would just walk away as if nothing happened. Master, this will certainly, certainly ruin this humble branch’s reputation.”
Mr. Anders rubbed his forehead. “Since you want to press this further, I suppose I have no other choice. Freiya, go to Vandema and meet the branch’s leader, and give this letter. It has a strong magical barrier so it will attract some detestable people, make haste on this one. I care not what you do

afterwards.”
Freiya took the letter and said, “Cerea, I am not going to ride along with your nonsense anymore.” Freiya then ran with the transparent barrier enclosed letter. Even if she was already lost in sight, Cerea still felt the magical power seeping from the letter.
“Cerea, for your punishment in framing Freiya, and betraying her as well. I’ll give you another quest.”
Cerea felt a chill on ran through her spine. “I regret doing that, Mr. Anders, so please no more quests.”
Mr. Anders ignored her pleas. “Aasceon sent us a report on his first day of investigation that a cave entrance appeared. I instructed him to investigate the cave, however, since then, no report has come from him.