The Achievement Junkie

Jack, Eliza, Maura, and Lina were the final members of the party walking around the guild. They remained in the restricted area, quickly reaching their own large courtyard not too far from Eedaj's.

Once they entered, Maura turned to Lina and asked, "Do you want me to sleep with you tonight? Just in case you have another bad dream?"

"Yeah! I'd like that!" Lina grabbed Maura by the hand and led her away toward the private bathhouse. "Can you help scrub my back too?"

Maura laughed, acquiescing to whatever Lina asked. But before Maura disappeared with Lina, she winked to Eliza.

Red streaked across Eliza's face again. Then, when she remembered what Dragas whispered to her, and became as red as a tomato. She looked to Jack carefully though, not wanting to hide her embarrassment from him.

Having noticed the wink, Jack sighed. He took Eliza by the hand and did his best to calm his beating heart.

Together, they entered their bedroom, just the two of them.

Jack sat on the bed beside his wife, trying to come up with what to say. And since Eliza was in the same boat, it took them a minute to do anything apart from blush.

"Eliza…" Jack finally mustered the courage to speak up, caringly stroking Eliza's cheek with his hand.

'Jack, are you back?'

Just as Jack was feeling more confident, Tralon's urgent voice popped into his head.

Jack turned his head as he coughed to regain his composure in front of his blushing wife. "Just a moment, Eliza… Tralon's calling me and it seems important."

"O-of course!" Eliza chuckled nervously. "Then… I'll be waiting here…"

"Right." Jack turned to face a wall, still sitting on the bed. That's when he felt the need to look back to Eliza, who used her head to motion towards the door. Finally catching the hint, Jack rushed to his feet. "R-right…"

Jack nervously chuckled and left the room, letting Eliza breathe and take in the situation a bit better.

'What's up, Tralon?' Jack asked.

Glad to hear Jack's response, Tralon replied, 'So you're back? I found Bowzer in Dragov's chamber so I assumed so.'

'Yeah, I'm back. Is something the matter?'

'Come to your office,' answered Tralon. 'Hurmot arrived this morning and has been waiting all day for your return. He refuses to leave until he meets with you personally.'

'I see… Then I'll meet you in my office. Give me a few minutes," Jack stated, exiting the restricted area.

That's when Jack noticed the uncommon amount of foot traffic within the guild. Though it was well past sunset, people were still coming in and out of the guild like it was day time. Assuming it was due to the recent increase in the guild's popularity, Jack shrugged and hurried to his office.

Jack knocked and entered the door, closing it behind him before looking to Hurmot sat on the side. Tralon sat on the opposite side of Hurmot, glad to have Jack back.

Assuming his comfortable seat behind his desk, Jack smiled at Hurmot. "So, Hurmot, it's been a while. How have you been?"

"Jack… Why didn't you tell me you were the Legend of Trodar?!" Hurmot blurted out his questions, acting out of character. "I would've let you into the restricted storage and more should you have told me. So why didn't you tell me?!"

"Well… I didn't plan to reveal myself so soon, otherwise, I might've considered telling you during our last conversation," admitted Jack. "But, there's no changing the past. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Jack…" Hurmot took a moment to regather himself and return to his usual calm behavior. "Jack, I want to make the Celestial Crane a subordinate guild under the Leisure Guild."

"Whoa, that escalated quickly. Where did that come from all of a sudden?" asked Jack.

"Well, that's what you wanted isn't it?" reasoned Hurmot. "That way, we can help each other. My guild gains your protection and you'll have me enter the campaign for a council seat. Is that such a terrible exchange?"

"No, that's a great thing. I just didn't expect to reach that conclusion so quickly," Jack laughed briefly. "Then I take it you were surprised by what happened in Federal City?"

"Who wouldn't be?" Hurmot asked that rhetorical question only to see Jack smiling back at him. "That, of course, doesn't include you, the most accomplished hero of Ancient Kartonia. But either way, it was an eye-opening experience. It taught me many things."

"Like what? Please, elaborate," asked Jack.

Hurmot nodded. "Well, mostly, it was a great lesson in humility. If I hadn't ordered a retreat so hastily, then my guild would've likely fallen alongside Golden Haven. I didn't know that the syndicate was so powerful. Nor did I know that the association was hiding its true strength from the world."

When Jack waved his hand for Hurmot to continue, Hurmot added, "With my strength, there's no way for my guild to prosper as it has up till today. We all believed that we stood at the top. And, yes, we did understand that the association could overtake us should they desire, but we didn't think they were strong enough to overtake all three auction guilds combined. That's why I desire your protection, even at the cost of me dabbling politics."

"Seems like you were definitely humbled," Jack chuckled. "Is there anything else you learned? Or maybe any conditions you have for me before swearing fealty to the guild?"

"I now understand that there's much more happening in this world behind the scenes than I had ever considered. And should I interpret your great reveal correctly, it's the gods that are truly pulling the strings and not the syndicate nor the association," stated Hurmot.

"As for conditions… Can we also have storefront space like the Fat Goose?" Hurmot asked.

"Hmm… Do you want to be on the same street or a different one?"

"The same street would be fine," answered Hurmot. "That way we can attempt to create an auction district in the future."

Smiling, Jack replied, "I like the way you think. But I have a condition for you. I want to form a pact with you. That way you're linked telepathically to me and many others, like Tralon or Argyle. Also, you'll become stronger by gaining access to my passive skills, like boosted mana capacity or increased mana regeneration."

A brightness emerged in Hurmot's eyes as he smiled and asked, "Would that include your beast skill?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've heard all about how you've grown a flame body like your fox," answered Hurmot. "Would that skill be included?"

"The skill would be, but not the flame body itself. That particular skill allows me to access the bloodline of any beast companions with a mutual seal," explained Jack. "I can also grow wings like my Minokawa now."

"And the Celestial Cranes, do you still have them?" questioned Hurmot, getting more and more excited. "Can I make one of them my companion, so I can do the same?"

"Sure, but there's a catch," Jack added. "This pact will send me fifty percent of the EXP you gain from now on."

"Deal!" shouted Hurmot. Seeing some shock in Jack's face, Hurmot explained, "I'm an old man and I don't need to spend all my days trying to level up. To give up the EXP from the few fights I get into nowadays, that's a pittance compared to that beast skill."

"Then we have a deal."

They performed the pact on the spot, sealing their standing as subordinate and leader. And because of Hurmot's impatience, Jack telepathically called Cerdot to the office. Once the cranes arrived, Hurmot was over the moon and begged Jack to perform the mutual seal on the spot, which Jack did.

However, Jack kept his pact with Cerdot. Even if he never had to use it, it offered Jack some powerful skills that he wanted for his transformations.

Jack allowed Tralon to handle the rest, taking his time to return to Eliza at the courtyard, ignoring the traffic which Jack now understood as the survivors of the Celestial Crane Guild moving in.

Once he entered his courtyard and stood in front of his bedroom door, Jack hesitated.

Instead of entering, Jack shakingly lifted his hand lightly knocked on the door. He then softly added, "It's me…"

"... Come in."

There was a pause before Jack entered the room, giving Jack a moment to prepare himself. When Jack entered, he was surprised to find it so dimly lit.

"I'm waiting…"

Hearing Eliza from the bed, Jack took one last deep breath. With the initial nerves gone after the couple's earlier interruption and no need to say anything more, Jack locked the door and made his way to Eliza on the bed.

He sat down, finding her in lingerie.

Eliza was lying down on her side, looking away from Jack. She then pointed to the side table where two glasses sat, one empty and one full. "I've already had mine… You took so long…"

Feeling bad, Jack downed the full glass in one gulp.

Suddenly, Jack's entire body felt warmer. He felt himself become entranced by Eliza, unable to look away.

"What… What was that?"

Eliza finally turned to Jack, letting him notice the red in her cheeks and the few beads of sweat on her body. "M-My mother gave it to me… It's to help…"

Neither of them could wait any longer.