Reincarnated as a random race, of course I got goblin.

Chapter 86 - A Gathering of Champions

We're given a cold look by the woman as she leaves, and finally Lychee and I can get our weapons and armor back.

"Here they are, sorry about the wait." Anise's back to her usual cheerful self as she wheels out two armatures on which our armor is placed. She hurries back inside, and brings out two wrapped packages. 

We pack them down and pay before exiting the Armory. 

"I... I want to go see that lady." Lychee admits. It's rare to meet another Photian, and having been raised by Accan, she's always eager for a chance to learn more of her heritage even if she's nervous about meeting new people. 

"I'll go with you, if you want?" I offer. Having someone she trusts nearby puts her at ease, I've learned. I'm also intrigued by this new arrival to G'cal, especially since she might be the Champion of Light.

"I'd like that. Perhaps you'd be able to learn if she really is involved in this whole Champion thing?" Lychee smiles at me, and we head towards the Smiling Goblin together. Although it's a bit cumbersome to lug around our armor and weapons like this, we're both too intrigued to bother going to our respective homes to drop them off first.

"Uh, seems she's causing trouble again?" Lychee mumbles as we enter the door to the bar section of the Smiling Goblin. Teeny, the now Hobgoblin for which the tavern was named, flashes a fanged grin at us as he notices us before returning to supervise the other customers.

At one point, he was an abandoned runt Goblin found by the father of the current owner. Now, he serves as the bouncer to the bar, using his brute strength to evict those that cause trouble and breaks up fights on the regular. 

The Photian lady is standing at the counter for lodgings, her cheeks flushed with anger as she helplessly watches her belongings being brought down to her. 

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but we have a partnership with the Guild that forces us to prioritize Hunters over other customers." The owner issues a non-apology. "I'm sure that there's other accommodations elsewhere in G'cal you can make use of?" 

"No! You were the only ones willing to take my money, and you made me pay a premium! Now that someone 'more proper' arrives, you're all to happy to kick me out as well?" Her voice almost breaks as her eyes become extra shiny, no doubt tears threatening to break loose. 

She angrily reaches for something, and Teeny edges closer as she does so, intending to intervene if she draws a weapon. 

'tak'

The Photian woman throws a small metal card onto the counter. It's a B-Rank Hunters Guild card! "Here, this proves I am a Hunter. In addition, if you'd have bothered to read over my lodgings registration, you'd be able to see that I wrote down 'Hunter' on 'occupation'." 

There's a silence in the bar now. A lithe, pale woman with flowing silver hair descends the stairs leading to the rooms, and her expression seems angry, though it's hard to tell. 

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but there's nothing to be done at this time. I must have missed that on the ledger, but still, it's too late. Your room has been assigned someone else." The owner tries to remain calm, but he is nervous. Even if Photians might have a bad reputation, Hunters look after their own regardless of race.

I decide to step in, to tighten the noose, so to say. "Sir, this is in clear breach of the contract you've signed with the Guild. If she did indeed state her occupation as Hunter in the ledger, you have no right to evict her over any other renter. Even so, it seems to be in poor taste to demand a premium only to then evict her the moment a more 'presentable' client appears." 

The owner becomes pale as he hears my voice. Everyone knows I have a direct line to the Guild Master. 

"If this is true, I'd like to rescind my renting of a room here. Forget Hunter allegiance, wasn't Parshura founded on the principle of 'none over the other'?" The silver-haired woman has made her way to the counter, her tone is composed, but one gets the intense sense of a looming storm from her as she addresses the tavern owner. 

"Lady Amberroux, please- it was an honest mistake!" The owner is frantically trying to salvage his reputation. Amberroux... could this be the famous Healer, Peony Amberroux, niece of the King himself?

Jeers and shouts of agreement sound from the crowd as more and more people get up, either to leave or to go upstairs, perhaps to pack their things. 

"P-please, can I offer your room back, and we'll... forget this whole thing?" The owner meekly asks the Photian woman. 

"I'll take the room, but I suspect these kind ladies won't let you go that easily." The Photian seems to take some delight in the owners misery. The maids who'd been removing her luggage sigh and begin bringing it back up again. 

"Thank you for helping me. Ah, let me introduce myself, I am Terne Fluxbeacon. I hail from Feyloche, so I'm unaccustomed to the Parshuran way of etiquette." The Photian woman hesitantly holds out a hand for Peony to shake. 

Although a social faux pas, to offer one's hand to a royal, Peony smiles and takes it, introducing herself as well. They both get a strange expression on their faces. Did I look like that when I grabbed Brockens hand?

"And you too, kind Ayvin." Terne turns to me, offering her hand to me as well. Once again, that strange jolt of energy hits me as we shake hands, and I become aware that this is the Champion of Light.

"I am Valena Argenfeather, and this one here is Lychee Voidreiser, a friend of mine." I introduce us, glancing at Lychee who's using me as a shield between her and Peony. Her face is beet red.

"How odd. But then again, maybe not. Seems Champions are drawn to each other." Peony muses as she must have noticed my expression mimicking that of Ternes when they shook hands. 

"We're still missing three." I quietly inform as I curtsy to Peony in line with proper etiquette. 

"I'm sure they'll turn up soon. Now, Argenfeather, I'm of the impression we have a report to make to the Guild regarding this." Peony gets a mischievous expression at odds with her otherwise refined appearance. 

"Come with us, Terne, we'll make sure this won't happen again." I offer. As the victim of the incident, her testimony will be important. Terne grabs her Guild Card as we head for the Guild to make a report.