Shadows Over Arcadia Chapter 22: 22. Urgent Quest

Read chapter 22 of Shadows Over Arcadia by Zacheas on NovelPedia.

22. Urgent Quest I am Shadow, 9 arcs old. I am a metal golem imbued with a copy of Ren Drakemore’s soul, and I am a D-rank adventurer living in the city of Stonebrook. https://shadowsoverarcadia.com/api/storage/objects/uploads/51f2eb33-199c-4126-a5b5-1bea5c8fc16a "Master Shadow!" calls a friendly, feminine voice from behind me, rising above the general din of activity in the Stonebrook Adventurer's Guild. There’s a distinct urgency in her tone. The voice snaps me out of my intense focus on the quest board. I turn around. "Yes?" "Down here!" comes the squeaky reply. I glance downward to see the diminutive but ever-enthusiastic guild attendant, Iris, standing on her tiptoes, tugging at the hem of my cloak with one hand while waving above her head frantically with the other. Her long red braid sways with the motion as she looks up at me, eyes wide with importance. I tilt my head downward slightly. "How may I help you, Miss Iris?" Without missing a beat, Iris drops her waving hand and reaches into the inner breast pocket of her uniform vest. She pulls out a neatly folded piece of parchment and holds it up toward me. "This arrived this morning—an urgent quest from Lord Griswald, specifically addressed to you and Lady Maribel!" "Thank you, ma’am," I say, carefully taking the letter from her hand. It’s not unusual for Lord Griswald to leave quests for Maribel and me at the guild. In fact, he does so regularly, especially when the task is particularly urgent or difficult. These jobs often involve dealing with monsters threatening farmlands or providing protection for merchants handling the lord’s business. They also tend to come with decent bounties, so I’m not particularly surprised as I unfold the parchment and begin to read. The note is brief but written in a wide, sloppy script, the quill pressed too hard against the parchment, leaving uneven strokes and smudges. It gives the distinct impression that Lord Griswald penned this himself in haste. It reads: Master Shadow and Lady Maribel, I order you to make ready and depart at once on the western road to Ashford. This morning, a wagon transporting slaves purchased from the Ashford market failed to arrive as expected in Stonebrook. Please find what has become of my two retainers, Sir Nickles and Sir Adams, my servant Diana, and the three slaves they were escorting. Do all you can to bring them home safely. I will pay fifty silver coins for each person returned and ten silver for the head of any beast or man responsible for harming them. So ordered. Signed, Lord Griswald. I frown slightly. I know Diana. She’s the rabbit beastkin Ren and I have met several times before. A tall, slender woman with neatly tied black hair, always impeccably dressed in a well-kept maid’s uniform. She carries herself with a composed, professional demeanor, always polite and efficient. She’s always been kind to me. I hope she’s okay. "It's more missing persons…" I mutter to myself, glancing back at the quest board. Nearly half the available postings are for missing people. "It does seem urgent, Master Shadow," Iris says, her tone gently prodding me toward action. I nod, slipping the letter into my trouser pocket. "Alright, we’ll handle it." "Good luck and stay safe, Master Shadow!" Iris calls after me, her voice cutting through the hum of chatter, clinking mugs, and laughter filling the guild hall. I give her a brief wave before turning toward the door. I weave my way through the crowded guild hall, carefully avoiding the chaos around me. I sidestep a young man eagerly reenacting his "heroic" battle against a horned rabbit, duck under a recklessly swung spear, and step over a man scrambling after a runaway coin rolling across the floor. With Stonebrook’s rapid growth, the adventurer’s guild has become just as crowded, now bursting at the seams like a hermit crab that has outgrown its shell. Stepping out from the warm glow of the guild into the crisp winter air, I take in the sight of the bustling streets. The