Garden Of The Abyss

He was left perplexed by her odd, enigmatic behavior, but he felt she wasn't trying to be malicious, but actually intending to help.

"Is something the matter?"

The question came from one of the newest members of the guild, Charles, who greeted him with a smile from his fair, handsome expression.

"No, I'm alright," he put on a smile, though still left perplexed, "Are you settling in well?"

Charles chuckled a bit, rummaging his bright, orange tufts, "Well, about as much as I can. That man, Memo, is it? He isn't exactly a welcoming neighbor, is he? I tried to introduce myself to him, but he completely ignored me while wiping down that giant sword of his. It kinda felt like he was trying to scare me off, honestly…"

"He isn't. That's just how he is though, don't take it too hard," he laughed wryly.

It was an issue he knew was present; Memo wasn't particularly the most sociable or amiable person, hardly exchanging a few words a day as he kept to his own room most of the time.

Maybe I should talk to him? Is that too overbearing of me? I don't know, he thought to himself, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't stress about it, really! I wasn't trying to say anything," Charles assured him with a worried laugh.

"No, it's alright. I understand," he gave Charles a pat on the shoulder, "...I was probably going to have to talk to him anyway. Oh, right, speaking of that–when will you be able to fetch quests for everybody?"

Charles looked at him for a moment before rubbing his chin in thought, nodding, "Do you have the documents of each member? I've really only had the chance to do basic introductions with them, but I'd hate to pry information from them. If I at least know their general strengths, I can find work for them."

"The documents should be…Ah, I think they're in Akshay's room," he snapped his fingers.

Venturing into the private quarters of the youthful-seeming, mixed-haired man, he didn't seem as if he had even slept the night before, greeting them immediately after a single knock.

"What's up?" Akshay asked.

He was still wearing his baggy, weathered trench coat, which seemed odd for indoors in the nice temperature sector, and for being in his room.

"Charles needs the documents for the members. You have them, right?" He asked.

Akshay thought for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, one second.

The short, frail-looking man went to the red-wood dresser placed in his room that was littered with papers scattered everywhere, though miraculously, the documents were neatly maintained in one of the shelves.

He must be hard at work with something. He does seem like a guy with a lot of connections, he thought.

"Here," Akshay handed the papers off to him.

"Thanks," he accepted the documents, still standing there for a moment, "Is everything alright?"

Akshay looked up at him, trying to at least try to spruce up his room, collecting the scattered papers, "...Yeah, just personal stuff."

"I see. Well, if you need anything, just yell."

"Got it," Akshay laughed.

Leaving the man's room, he returned to Charles, who waited just beyond the bedroom doors, placing the documents in the pale, smooth hands of the slender man.

"Thanks," Charles smiled, "I'll look through these. I can probably find some quests for everybody over the next few days."

"Appreciate it."

Charles stopped him, "What about you, and Mrs. Iris? Should I find something for the two of you?"

He thought about it for a moment, but shook his head, "No, I'm probably going to be busy for the foreseeable future."

"I see. Good luck with that," Charles smiled and waved him off with the papers in hand.

It felt as if everything had slid into place, at least in terms of managing the guild. He returned to his room, where Iris was, reading a grimoire and practicing magecraft, manifesting sparse, brief lights.

"Are the newcomers adjusting?" Iris asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a smile after closing the grimoire.

He shrugged, "It's only been a few hours, I think it takes more than that," he laughed a little.

A moment of pause followed as he looked around, glancing past the prominent window in the room that looked out into the barren land beyond the foundation.

"Are you thinking about something?" She asked, noticing the distant look in his eyes.

After a moment of pacing around the room, he plopped down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"We're probably going to be away for a couple months. At least, not very active around here. Between Gaol and the festival, I mean," he said, "I'm just wondering if things will be fine here when we're not here."

Iris sat beside him, wearing a lavender dress with all-white knee high socks, "It'll be fine. All of the adventurers in Gladiolus are experienced, and Akshay will be able to handle all of the background work. Charles, too."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"It's normal to worry," she assured him with a smile, laying beside him, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead, "but, try not to worry everybody else by worrying a little too much, alright?"

He was caught with slightly pink cheeks, nodding, "Fine, fine."

After using the rest of the day to exercise lightly, training with his sword, and also partaking in some grimoire studying beside his wife, the day of freedom before the daunting task assigned by Beatrice would come.

By the early morning of the next day, he already informed Akshay of what might be happening, though he'd prefer if Sirius returned in time to take charge in his absence, showing up alongside Iris at the Outlander sector, dressed fully in armor as the mission could be beginning on that very day.

"Thank you for taking the time to show up, Iris, Ren," Beatrice told them.

"Yeah, yeah, you knew we'd be here," he sighed quietly.

In Beatrice's chambers, now feeling claustrophobic with the amount of people in it, were all of those partaking in the Gaol mission: Iris, Kazuya, Noah, Brahmi, Tristan, and himself.

"...So, let us begin: "The Mission To Save The World", on this day," Beatrice announced.