Chapter 3: A proposition
When Trethan arrived at the adventurers guild the next day to collect his money he was immediately grabbed by Nina and pulled upstairs.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No."
"Then why are you dragging me upstairs? Where are we going?"
"The guild master wants to meet you. We are going to her office."
"Alright."
Trethan was confused about why the guild master would want to see him but if she wanted to do him harm wouldn't hesitate to kill her.
"We're here. Guild master I have brought him."
"Enter."
"Come on."
Nina walked in the office followed by Trethan. A middle aged woman with sunset orange hair and jade green eyes was sitting behind a large desk. She gestured to a chair in front of her.
"Please sit. Thank you Nina, you may go."
Nina bowed her head and left closing the door on her way out. The guild master stared at Trethan for a minute in silence. She couldn't see his face as it was covered in bandages and only a little bit of his hair was showing and his left eye was covered with an eyepatch.
"You brought in quite a bit of materials yesterday. Even a full dragons materials. This could normally only be done by an S rank adventurer with extreme difficulty. You are being upgraded to S rank because we don't have a rank beyond that otherwise you would be given that. Also a certain someone is interested in you and I owe them a favor. This friend of mine wants to meet you but can't because of certain circumstances. She has a proposition for you but wants to test you as well."
"Who is this friend of yours? What is this test of hers?"
"She is the second princess of this kingdom. Her test is to have you meet her in the palace without being noticed. Know that if you try and fail to sneak in you will become wanted throughout this kingdom and possibly others. The rewards for such a task would not be insignificant but your job would be one in the shadows."
"I don't like being noticed anyway. When is this test supposed to happen?"
"She wants you to meet her in the palace gardens at midnight tonight. If you fail you will most likely die so think about it before you decide. That's all I have to say to you, Nina will give you your payment for the materials downstairs."
Trethan nodded and went back downstairs to Nina to collect his money.
"Here is your payment."
She gave him a blue crystal card that was used by merchants and nobles to transfer gold from their bank to another. It had 83,572 gold on it with his name at the top.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me, I'm just doing my job."
Trethan left the guild and went back to the inn he was staying at and thought over if he wanted to meet the princess. He didn't think about if he could make it in the palace because he knew he could easily. He pondered over what the princess wants him to do. He was used to being in the shadows and wasn't comfortable being noticed by other people. He wanted to have a job that he could do without others knowing about it. If the princess wanted him to do something like that he would accept but if he had to be in the open he would refuse.
When it was almost midnight Trethan started making his way unnoticed to the palace and into he gardens. He used magic to conceal everything that could be used to discover him and even traces of him. When he got to the palace gardens he saw a beautiful girl who looked to be about seventeen with deep purple hair and eyes. Trethan kept himself concealed when he spoke.
"I'm guessing you are the princess who wanted to meet me correct?"
The girl stiffened and looked around before responding.
"Yes I am. Where are you? Can you show yourself?"
Trethan thought about it and decided it was fine so he lifted the magic. To the princess he seemed to have just appeared in front of her out of thin air. She stared at him for a few seconds before smiling.
"That was impressive. It seems like I made the right choice using the favor with the guild master."
"So what is this proposition of yours? You did ask for me to meet you by sneaking through the palace so it must involve something to do with that."
"Correct. I asked you to come here because I need someone to protect me while going unnoticed. It seems you are perfectly suited for this and whatever you desire will be given to you if reasonable."
"I'll do it."
"What? Why would you agree without even thinking? Tell me what you want at least."
"I thought plenty before coming. I want a job in the shadows. The thing I desire is to be able to remain in the shadows. If you try to expose me to people I'm done but otherwise there isn't anything I want right now. All I need to know is when you want me start and if you want anything other than my protection."
The princess giggled and smiled at Trethan.
"If you can start now that would be great and if I need anything else I'll ask. I'm Alina by the way. Alina Jarus. Can I get your name?"
"Trethan. Take this necklace and put it on. It will allow me to tell your location at all times and for me to come to you in an instant. It will also activate a barrier when you are attacked."
"Oh taking this quite seriously aren't you?"
"It is my job and if you die I lose my job and what I want to do."
"That's pretty harsh but I like that you don't try to pretend to be a hero."
"I'm not a hero and never will be. I kill when I deem it necessary and don't save people out of the goodness of my heart if anything I am more of a mercenary."
"Well you might have to kill to protect me so be prepared."
"I won't hesitate."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone