“I was invited to join a party,” Liluetta explained, in response to Yune hesitantly asking what had happened. Her voice was sharp, and her already irritated expression twisted further. Then she crossed her arms and puffed up her cheeks in frustration.
Even after all that, her posture was straight, and she sat with perfect form in her chair. She was furious, but she still carried herself with grace.
So this is what having a good upbringing looks like... I couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed.
When I’d first heard Liluetta’s outburst from the entrance, I’d thought, Is it Waine again? But as I looked around, I realized she had been yelling at a pair of adventurers.
“Invited by those two?” I asked.
I had never talked to them, but I had seen them before. They were definitely more experienced than me but still young enough to be newcomers themselves. Both were equipped with swords and armor, meaning they were vanguard fighters.
The two of them looked startled, like they were about to say something before Liluetta’s furious expression or the jeers from the other adventurers in the guild intimidated them into staying silent. With awkward, defeated expressions, they turned and left.
I saw them around here all the time. Running into them was going to be really uncomfortable from now on.
“Those men, huh? But isn’t that an honor?” Yune, now sitting beside me, tilted her head in confusion. She usually sat next to Liluetta, but this time she’d clearly been driven away by the overpowering force of Liluetta’s anger.
Being invited to join a party meant that someone recognized your abilities and wanted you on their team. Whether you accepted was a separate issue, but the invitation itself was a good thing. At the very least, it wasn’t something people usually got mad about.
“They were only after the Magnan name,” Liluetta said with a scowl. Her voice was terrifying too. “First they just said they wanted us in their party, so I listened to what they had to say. But something about it seemed off, so I tested them a little. The moment I pressed them, it became painfully obvious that they were expecting my family name to bring them better gear and high-paying jobs.” She huffed, her face dark with irritation. “How infuriating.”
“Ahhh, I see.” Yune nodded.
Liluetta clicked her tongue. “I suppose they overheard our conversation yesterday. That scout’s warning was useful after all.”
I didn’t really want to know every single detail, but at least it sounded like Chikka’s advice had come in handy. I sighed as I glanced between Liluetta, who was still seething, and Yune, who looked troubled. Apparently, the Magnan name was extremely attractive to adventurers. Being from a wealthy family seemed to come with its own set of headaches.
“They were both warriors, right?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation somewhere neutral. “So they probably did want someone who could use magic.”
Liluetta’s gaze, sharp and piercing, snapped toward me. “What? Are you saying I should leave and go join their party?”
“I didn’t say that.” I placed a hand over my forehead to partly cover my eyes and escape Liluetta’s line of sight. This was bad. I had to be careful about what I said next.
“Fine,” she said. “It’s not fair to take it out on you, anyway.”
Not fair, she says...
Liluetta turned away with another huff. She was obviously not happy with the situation, and I could tell she was sulking because of it.
“Anyway, did you finish your shopping? What did you buy?” she asked.
Yune shook her head. “Well, I looked around, but I still couldn’t decide.”
“I see. In that case, let’s go. If we waste time, we’ll just get back late again.” Without waiting for a response, Liluetta stood up, turned on her heel, and strode out of the guild.
Yune and I exchanged glances. I shook my head.
Now’s not the time.