[h2][center]Byron Cauna[/center][/h2]
The beastman responded to Sylphie's quip with the same smile he had given the guards, making it fully known that he was not particularly enthused about even entertaining the though of having to act as a butler. Given that Malachi had headed straight to the bar and that both Sylphie and Izel were headed off to the church, Byron simply gave the pair a nod and slight two-finger salute before heading off on his own. The first destination in mind for him would have been the same as Malachi's, but given how much of an odd pair they would be together, the young man found it more prudent to head elsewhere instead.

Thus, the gathering point of the so-called 'adventurers' that the guards had mistaken him and the rest of his group for was his next destination. That, too, required a bit more inquiry, and so Byron quickly turned back around after the others had left and asked the guards for directions.

An 'adventurer's guild', they called it; located near the center of the town, next to the town square that he had suggested that the others regroup at later, it was apparently a hub of activity at all points of the day. Thanking the pair for the information, Byron promptly walked off to explore the building.

The first thought that popped into his mind when he entered the guild was that it was, more than anything else, filled with people who were far more rugged than he; in fact, his own entrance seemed to turn a few heads and draw a few snickers before the patrons therein (partaking in the food from the joint restaurant that served the adventurers and its staff) returned to their business. He was obviously an outsider, with his clothing standing out so prominently compared to the rough leather armor that many of the men and women present in front of him wore. When thinking about the state of the armaments of the guards and comparing them to these people, it seemed apparent that these 'adventurers' were really more along the lines of mercenaries; the term used instead simply had a better ring to it.

Without missing a beat, Byron walked up to the reception desk and, after a curious few glances around, noticed an open area next to a comparatively well-dressed young woman in uniform. There was a bit of curiosity in her eyes that he made note of as she sized him up, but the magician simply cleared his throat and spoke calmly instead.

"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, but are there any maps of the area for sale here?"

"A-ah... A map, was it?" the woman responded, clearly not expecting that line of inquiry. "I'm sorry, but if you want to purchase a map from the guild, you need to be registered as an adventurer. Do you have an ID with you?"

"Er... It's a bit complicated, but I do not. Would you mind if I simply looked at one instead?"

"Oh, certainly," she said, taking a roll of paper from behind her and rolling it out in front of Byron. There was a brief pause as the beastman scanned the area over, his eyes slowly narrowing the more locations he took note of. The map in front of him was by all means far cruder than the mass-produced copies available in the Alliance, but most notable was the shift in landscape. Nature had reclaimed territory from after the war, which was more than understandable, but the forests and mountain ranges that he took note of—the one they had just passed through included—were not things that could have arisen in the last three decades. The nations that had once made up the Alliance seemed to exist to an extent, if not vastly less powerful (he assumed), and the presence of the Empire in the northern half of the continent seemed markedly clear. Though as to what they were doing now...

Well, that remained to be seen.

After pulling out a piece of paper from his pouch and taking a few notes, Byron thanked the receptionist as she put away the map. Of course, the only thing left to ask now was the question that was bothering him the most.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, though, could I ask you for the date?"

"The date...? If I recall correctly, it's the twelfth day of the seventh moon. Oh, were you travelling somewhere for the Festival of Crows?"

"Er... Come again?"

"You know, the Festival of Crows! It's supposed to be the 300th anniversary of the Great War in a week or so, so every town's in a bit of a festive mood right now. If you're planning to stay in Lefine until then, I'm sure you won't be missing out."

[i]"300th... Anniversary? Oh, this is far worse than I thought it was."[/i]

[hr][hr]
It took but a few scant moments for the bartender to pour the requested beer into a large wooden mug and hand it off to Malachi. There was a slight hand motion passed off from the old man towards a barmaid off to the side, who responded in turn with a nod as she disappeared past the door to the kitchen. Both sides seemed used to the crude half-praise that Malachi had given and took it in stride, and before long a pair of plates, each with a hefty sandwich sitting on top, were delivered to the half-elf.

"From out of town, I take it?" the bartender asked, a smirk on his face as he gave Malachi a once-over. "There ain't many people in this place even half your size, so I feel like I'm obligated to ask; what brings you out to our 'bonafide country tavern' here? A job or something?"

[@Lugubrious]

[hr][hr]
The church of Lefine was nothing all that distinct; the statue of Aphei, as was standard among churches, was erected near the entrance to the building itself, and though everything was quite well-kept there did seem to be a distinct lack of people present—bar the orphans playing around near the building and the nun watching over them, of course. It was to be expected of a day in the middle of the week, with people having jobs to do rather than offer their faith to the gods who looked over them.

There was a brief moment of pause as the nun, who had until this point been watching over the children as their ward, noticed the unusual pair of girls walking over to the church. Telling the children to not get themselves into trouble as she went to greet them (despite knowing full well that some might ignore her words entirely), said nun quickly walked over to greet the pair that had come to the church.

"May the Goddess smile upon you, dear travelers. Did you need something from our humble place of worship?" she asked, a smile on her face as a few of the children began to take notice of the unfamiliar people who she had begun to talk to.

[@Rune_Alchemist][@VitaVitaAR]