As I leave the keep my first destination is the guildhall of the adventurers' guild. I worked hard, thus I want to be paid too. It's only natural. And besides, while the facilities at the guildhall can't quite match a proper bathhouse, as there is no personnel serving you, I really need another bath after that workout. I'm still plenty sweaty and I'd rather do something about that sooner rather than later. Or should I hit the bathhouse I know instead? They do laundry there after all, and that might be in order too. Since my clothes soaked up more than a little of that sweat that might be prudent as well.

The merchants on the market have just about packed up and left already for the better part, which leads me to belief that I might just already be running a little late. It probably won't be long now until the night watch takes over patrolling the streets. The gate will be closed as well soon, if it isn't closes already. Oh well, the visit of the bath house might just have to wait. I pick up my pace as I cross the open space at the heart of the city too, just in case.

At least light and sound coming from the open door of the guildhall suggest that I'm not yet too late to collect my reward. Indeed the place is still quite busy. That much becomes obvious as I enter. I'm not the only one collecting their reward late in the evening. Not by far. While that is reassuring on the one hand, it means that I, on the other hand, have to get in line and wait for my papers to get processed by the senior clerk at the counter.

The man looks pretty tired as well. It's almost enough to make me reconsider. I could drop by tomorrow morning too. In the end I decide against it though. What's done is done after all. And I'd really prefer to have this out of the way which, as an additional benefit, means I'll have more coin in my purse. I mean, what's not to like about that state of things? Thus I keep waiting in line, inching forward and closer to the counter bit by bit, with every other adventurer to collect their reward.

Finally it's my turn. I hand the papers with Justyna's seal and all to the man without delay. He looks it over, checks his ledger, nods and hands me a shiny silver Shilling in turn.

"Thank you for your hard work."

That's all, but I don't mind. It is what it is. Simple praise for a simple task performed to the satisfaction of the customer. I put away the coin and make room for the next poor soul in line. And that coin by itself may not be a grand fortune either, but it triples my reserves on its own. That does count for something, at least to me. It's certainly not nothing.

I head to the bath of the dorms right after. It's no use to beat around the bush or delay after all. I'm sweaty beyond reason, there is no arguing the point. I need that bath. Thankfully most of the others have different priorities. Most probably prefer to make sure they have a good bed instead. It's not unreasonable either. I won't complain for sure, as it means that the bath isn't particularly crowded right now. I don't exactly have it to myself either, but it's not too bad despite being mixed bathing at this time of the evening.

It probably helps that the guild doesn't have all that much patience with adventurers that make a nuisance of themselves. The more important point though is, that most adventurers, who are no strangers to violence, don't have much patience with nuisances in the bath either.

Sadly I can't exactly wash my clothes. Well, I could, but I doubt I would do a good job of it. Thus I only hang everything to dry in the intended spot. That will have to do for a day or maybe two. I'll be sure to visit a bathhouse with laundry service before long anyway.

Somewhat clean, dry and thoroughly exhausted I climb the stairs to the dorm rooms afterwards, to hunt for a free bed for myself. It's not an easy hunt. The place is almost filled to capacity. It's quite possibly worse than before. The one advantage I have is that I'm not quite as late as last time and that I have a suspicion regarding at least one free bed. Thankfully the latter are proven true a moment later as I reach the bed by the window.

It's still unoccupied. A fact which I quickly change before someone else can beat me to it. Since the window is open to provide some much needed fresh air in the very full dorm room I'll probably need my cloak as an extra blanket again, but that's quite alright. After my outdoors nap the other night this is already luxurious by comparison. It'll be fine.

In the end I turn in early. It's almost a waste to sleep the hours away, I don't need to regenerate either health or Mana after all, but good gods and goddesses, Fox be my witness, I'm exhausted after today. I really need to close my eyes and get in some sleep. Yes I really need to.

As a result it's no big surprise that I doze off soon after I close my eyes. Not even the other adventurers turning in later can rouse me from my dreams, some weird, other joyful but all in general relaxing. I only come around again the next morning when the rest of the overly full house starts to wake up too, a little earlier than the rest of the city in fact. Just like everyone else probably, I wake to the sound of the usual notification.

[*Ding!* You slept. Pretty well in fact! Health increased by 0! Mana increased by 0!]

No big surprise there. I'm at full health and thanks to the level up of my masked mediator class yesterday my Mana reserves are full too. It's too bad. Except, it, of course, is not bad at all. It simply is what it is.

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With a groan I turn over and close my eyes again. I even bury my head in the pillow, but of course it's no use. I'm awake, and I won't be going back to sleep anytime soon. Not with plenty of the other adventurers sharing the dorm room already up and about, getting ready for the day. In the end I sit up and swing my legs out of bed too, blinking owlishly once or twice, before I at long last get up for good too.

By the time I pad down the stairs to the lobby the place is already plenty busy. Especially the quest board is already quite crowded. I watch the commotion for a moment, before turning to the slightly less busy counter where drinks are served. In the end that is where I head. I don't get myself a beer for a change. I'm more in the mood for a warm drink for a change. Possibly because I slept by the drafty window again.

A little later my purse is one penny lighter but in exchange I'm nursing a nice warm cup of aromatic tea with some honey in it. I guess, it's not the worst way to start a day. I pick a spot that is a little out of the way and lean against the wall while nursing the cup with the warm beverage while having an eye on the beehive of activity too.

It's really not a bad comparison. Especially the bustling activity around the quest board. The orderly lines forming in front of the counters with their clerks on the other hand are a little reminiscent of ants instead. Either way, everyone seems quite busy.

I'm not in a hurry though. I cling to my cup for a little while longer. Only when I'm done with my tea, and after returning the cup of course, do I turn to the quest board. By now the crowd in front of it has thinned out considerably. As far as I'm concerned it's much better like this. Yes, I prefer it, if I don't have to rub elbows with essential strangers all the time.

I go over the remaining requests without an hurry. I suspect all the easy ones as well as the ones with the really juicy rewards are already gone anyway. Thus there is no reason to rush. Usually there would still be plenty of quests anyway, but with the recent influx of adventurers the board is actually a little emptier than usual. It's not picked clean, but the difference is noticeable. After a while I give up. There really isn't anything that tickles my fancy and fits my circumstances.

With the whole issue around that fighting ring essentially still unresolved I can't exactly leave the town either. Leaving Sylwia and Matylda to deal with it on their own? That wouldn't be a good look. Can't exactly do that. Not that I even would want to do that.

Thus, with a little sigh, I give up on finding a job for the day. I don't leave just yet though. No, I have something else in mind. Something I have neglected too long already. As a result I wait for the line at the counter to shorten a little more, before I join it. As it's finally my turn the clerk raises an eyebrow considering my lack of quest papers. I'm quick to explain though.

"Could I borrow the key for the library again?"

"Certainly. I know you are well aware, but I'd like to remind you anyway, to please be careful when handling the books."

He grabs the key from below the counter and hands it to me with a serious look on his face. Not stern, but no nonsense serious anyway.

"Lock up behind you, when you leave the library, please. And, good luck with your research."

I nod and am off up the stairs once again, this time with a little extra spring to my steps. Once I reach the library, which really is more of a reading room, I slip inside and lock the door behind me from the inside. That isn't exactly what the clerk mean for sure, but I want to remain undisturbed as I do my research.

After a night spent in the very full dorm room and the early morning rush in the equally crowded lobby I really appreciate the quiet and privacy offered by this room.

There is only one little problem. This time around I have no suggestion where to even begin my research. I haven't shared any details about what I'm hoping to learn with the clerk after all. Thus I'm on my own this time. Oh well, I'll manage somehow. I'll have to.

I decide to begin with the one book I actually have some experience with, Wielimir's illustrated guide to the frontier's wildlife. It being illustrated really is helpful since it lacks things like a table of content and an index or page numbering in general for that matter. And to be honest I'm not quite sure if what I'm looking for will be in the book to begin with. Ghosts, as restless souls or possibly some kind of undead aren't exactly wildlife after all. Since the book contains all sorts of other monsters as well though I decide to give it a try anyway. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky?

Humming a little tune I have picked up somewhere I begin to leaf through the book. I don't hurry though. As the clerk requested I handle the book with great care instead. This gives me enough time to read some headlines and check out the illustrations as well. That way I'll hopefully not miss what I'm looking for.

As it turns out, ghosts don't have an entry of their own. They are mentioned though, as a subset of the restless dead under that particular entry. The write up is not terribly comprehensive though. What little there is seems, for the better part, intended to discourage the average adventurer from engaging ghosts at all, as they are notoriously hard to kill, or rather destroy as they actually are already dead.

Apparently it's not impossible though. I mean, notoriously hard is not the same as impossible, right? How do you deal with them though? The book doesn't provide any details, beyond mentioning that the ghost needs to be manifested to be susceptible to damage at all. The book doesn't go into any detail at all in that regard. The most helpful thing is the mention of another book, The unquiet dead and how to deal with them, by Bianka the Pale.

My brows furrow a little. I suspect the woman didn't pick that name herself. Although, I can't really rule it out. Could she be related to Agnes Pale, the scout from Ediva's group? Well, it doesn't really matter. The real question is, is that book part of the guild's little library. I don't dare get my hopes up. It sounds like it is a rather niche book.

That I actually have to get each book off the shelf and open it to check the title doesn't exactly help, but I have time. I even take the time to put them back nicely, exactly where I got them. Imagine my surprise though, when, by the time I'm halfway through the shelf, I actually get to read the title I'm looking for.

Lucky me! Except, the book is written in Arngarm and not in Syld which I'm much more familiar with. And while the letters are neat enough and the illustrations are top notch as well, it's no easy read. This is no book for beginners. Well, I have no choice. I grit my teeth and begin to leaf through the book, once again focusing on the sparse few illustrations and the headlines first. I'll mange. Somehow I'll manage. It may take me all day, but I will prevail!

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