The Achievement Junkie

The small party of three had been taking their time and were strolling through the city at a leisurely pace as they finally neared the northern city gate.

"It's too bad we couldn't go through the southern gate." Jack shrugged.

Tralon chuckled, "You just want to see the giant statue in the southern square."

"So, who wouldn't?"

Argyle laughed as well, "Yeah, who wouldn't want to see a giant statue carved in their likeness?"

When the three men reached the gate, Tralon and Argyle both nodded to the guard as reassurance to let them pass.

"U-um, sirs. I'm afraid we need to check that man," one of the guards nervously stated, pointing at Jack.

"And why's that?" asked Argyle.

"W-we're just following orders."

The guards all trembled as they pondered the orders given to them by Lord Bikkem, who made sure to try and stall Tralon's party for as long as possible.

"Sorry, but you're not allowed to check me. But feel free to ask my father-in-law who I am," Jack stated while motioning toward Argyle.

When they saw this, the guards didn't know what to say. They could either go against direct orders or face the wrath of the two powerful men before them.

"Actually, I think I have a way to prove my identity… And since I'm not hiding it at the moment, I guess he can come out now…" Jack started to ramble, catching the attention of the guards and giving them some hope. "Here, this should be enough proof, right?"

As Jack activated a ring on his finger, a beast the size of a man appeared, startling the guards.

Excited to get out, Bowzer looked around to find out they were still in the city. 'Jack, what's happening?'

"W-what kind of beast is this? I-is it registered?" stammered a guard.

Jack smiled while he scratched Bowzer behind the ears. "He's registered with the association. You would be able to check that, but you've closed the local branches. That's why it's impossible for you to check me."

"B-but, sir. It's against regulation to allow someone without proper identification and the proper paperwork to come and go from Gilga," The captain of the guard stepped forward, determined to receive the promotion Lord Bikkem had offered in return for stalling Tralon's party.

"Oh?" Jack laughed. "I don't remember Gilga being so strict in the past…"

"We've always been this thorough, I can assure you, sir," stated the captain.

Jack continued to laugh, "Sorry, that was just a thought. As for proving myself, this fox here more than enough proof of my identity."

"T-that's a fox?!"

Each of the nearby guards inspected Bowzer with their eyes, noticing that despite the beast's size, he did, in fact, appear to be a fox of some kind.

"Either way, we only need to go through with the proper paperwork," the guard captain corrected himself. "Being Argyle's son-in-law and Lady Eliza's husband, we can immediately start drawing up the paperwork for you. It'll be no trouble at all."

"And how long would that take?" Jack asked.

"Given the short notice and that we're short-staffed at night, we can have it ready for you within twenty-four hours." The captain smiled and bowed his head, happy to use his connections to speed up the week-long process.

"Too slow."

"B-but, sir, that's already speeding it up drastically--"

"Bowzer's all the evidence I need. Show them Bowzer," Jack chuckled. 'Make a medium-sized flame body, enough to scare them but not enough to threaten the city.'

'Okay!' Realizing what Jack was after, Bowzer played along.

Before the guard captain had a chance to reply, he felt a sudden wave of heat wash over his entire body. It felt like a flash fire had just hit him full force but it was still going. Almost immediately, he determined the source of the heat and the captain fell back in fear.

"T-that's a--"

"Bowzer's a Hell-flame Fox, but he's still my best friend and we do everything together," Jack laughed loudly and cut off the captain's screams. "So, do you know who I am now?"

"Y-you're the…"

"Sorry, I can't hear you. Speak up," taunted Jack.

"You're the new hero of the Adventurers Association?!" shouted the captain.

Jack smiled wide for all to see. "That's right! So, now that you know who I am and I've given you proof, I should be allowed to pass, right?"

"B-b-but, sir… We still have protocol--"

"Well, I guess there is a chance that I'm faking this with an illusion spell," Jack interrupted the captain again. "I guess I'll have to let Bowzer break a few things to prove that he--"

"T-that won't be necessary, sir!" More frantic than ever, the guard captain backed away from the party. "You've definitely proven who you are. I'll have the paperwork written up for you so you can just pick it up when you come back."

"Great!" With a clap of Jack's hands, Bowzer's intimidating appearance shrunk down to his usual, furry self. "Then I'll have to thank you in advance."

Jack took the lead as he placed a small coin purse in the captain's hands. "That should more than cover the costs, I'm guessing."

With a quick peek inside the bag, the guard captain started to nod uncontrollably. "Yes! This is more than enough! Thank you, sir!"

The guard captain led the other guards in a bow as Jack rode off on the back of Bowzer with Argyle and Tralon in tow. Once they were out of sight, the captain pulled out a few coins from the purse and handed them to a nearby guard. "Start his paperwork immediately! Call the association to get his details in order and make sure we have the paperwork ready the moment he returns!"

"S-sir, yes, sir!"

The three men all broke out in laughter, along with Bowzer, as they were no longer in ear-shot of the northern gate.

"Jack… You're as reckless as I remember. Don't change. We need someone like you."

"Me, change?" Jack shrugged. "That wasn't my fault. I'm sure they were paid off by another council member. Otherwise, why would they question me in front of both of you two?"

Argyle nodded. "You do have a point. Tralon, which council member is in charge of the military right now?"

"That would be Bikkem," Tralon's drooping pointy ears almost bounced as he nodded. "He was placed in charge of all military personnel, as well as the town and city guards. It was him that refused to search deeper about the rumors of the Limneer-Sandros alliance. If I hadn't taken matters into my own hands, there's no telling how many innocent lives would've been lost thanks to his unconcern."

"He sounds hard-headed, like most generals," joked Argyle. "But he sure thinks quick on his feet. Not only did he try to stall us at the shops, but he also convinced the guard captain to stop us at the gate. He's both determined and resourceful. I'll keep that in mind while we're in the storehouse."

"So he's a tactician?" asked Jack.

"Yes. He's the best tactician among the council members," answered Tralon.

"Well, I think my job just got easier," Jack laughed.

Argyle gave him a weird look. "Oh yeah, why's that?"

"Because the more thorough a tactician is, the more information he'll gather. The more information he gathers, the more precise his plan becomes. The more precise his plan becomes, the closer he is to victory," Jack whispered, making sure only they could hear him. "But what if his information is wrong?"

As he understood what Jack meant, Argyle burst out in gut-busting laughter. "I can't wait to get in that storehouse! There's no telling what we'll find in there!"

Tralon and Jack laughed along with him. They were anxious to see just how badly they could underestimate Jack and Bowzer, the former Legend of Trodar and a young Hell-flame Fox like those of the legendary tragedies.