Isekai For Hire Chapter 38: Elvenarr

Read chapter 38 of Isekai For Hire by wk_rust on NovelPedia.

Elvenarr Lorena was standing across the street from the safe house, attempting to pick the lock of one of the businesses that was closed for the night. It had been dark by the time Lorena and Naith had gotten back to Darnathal, and the streets were empty. She glanced at the clock in her interface and a wave of frustration passed over her. I’m sure they’ll be done soon. It’s been over twenty minutes since Naith went in without us. I thought—Lorena sighed, then refocused on her lock picking. I’m sure it takes time for Weaver to trust anyone. I know that. I don’t expect immediate trust, but to be left out in the actual cold is frustrating, especially after we’ve proven ourselves to him more than a few times. She gently slid the rake back and forth over the pins, then felt the lock jam. Did you ever do lock picking back on Earth? Yeah, a decent amount. This is surprisingly similar, just with some System weirdness mixed in. She still had to use the proper techniques, but when she held the tools in her hands she instinctually knew what to do, to a degree, similar to when she held her skinning knife. The Lock Picking System skill also went beyond that, giving her an almost innate sense of some of the defenses that the lock had, such as the false pin she kept tripping in this one. She let out a shiver and pressed her balled up fists to her lips and exhaled. The weather had shifted dramatically over the past few weeks without her realizing, despite it still being summer. We should find some warmer clothes. Agreed. Why is it so cold during the summer? I don’t know, it’s always been like this. Oh! Maybe Harkyn has a fun fact to explain it. We should ask. If we ever are allowed inside I’ll be sure to ask him. After a few short, tense minutes of lock picking she heard the satisfying click and saw a notification appear. Basic building lock picked successfully Level 20 achieved! +1 Bladewraith talent point New ability: Silent Impact New ability: Hemorrhage New ability: Nerve Strike New ability: Distract “What are you doing?” Lorena resisted the urge to jump, she recognized Naith’s voice. “Just getting some passive experience.” Naith nodded in approval, then gestured with her chin for Lorena to follow. Lorena eyed her notifications for a second, then dismissed them and followed Naith inside. Her new skills could wait. The air in the room was warm compared to outside, yet the room felt cold, tension sapping all the warmth out. She glanced at a broken chair in the corner that she guessed wasn’t there a few minutes ago. Harkyn greeted her with a too perfect smile and gestured to the chair next to him. Weaver was standing, palms pressed flat against the table as he stared at a scattered pile of scrolls on the table. “You’re only level twenty? I told you to focus on your leveling,” Lorena stiffened slightly, tension rippling just beneath the surface. “I have been, I’ve done almost twenty quests since I last saw you, I’ve just been waiting to turn them—” “Why?” Weaver glared at her. “She has been following my plan. The Summer Festival of the Gods is just around the corner. She will receive a substantially larger amount of experience if she holds the quest until she receives the buff. Much more efficient.” Harkyn interjected. Weaver gave him a hard stare that lasted a beat too long, like maybe this aggression was about something else. Then he seemed to deflate, his fists uncurling. “Harkyn tells me you have a suspicion that Elvenarr is up to something.” Lorena perked up at being given credit, “I thought it was odd that he didn’t report the stolen arcane dust.” I knew we liked Harkyn for a reason. “Good instinct. Lord Shade has decided this is worth our attention and has assigned us a job.” He pushed a set of scrolls toward her. Her frown lines deepened as she read through them. “So… He’s buying black market arcane dust? I didn’t realize it was regulated.” “It is indeed. While the dust is invaluable for enchantments, it is also highly volatile when u