232 Job opportunity II (1/2)

”My name is Hana... And I need to talk to you...” replied the lady who looked just like the painting of the goddess of the east hanging in front of them inside the entrance hallway of the temple of the fire mages.

Evlin just finished talking with Marcus a couple of seconds ago and was in a really good mood for the first time in a while, but right now, finding out that the originator of magic herself was right there next to her was enough to send her to a breaking point once again.

She then slapped her own face with both hands and began to groan, ”Uuuuuuughhhh... Of course you are... And of course you do...”

”Uuh...” Hana flinched a little from Evlin's reaction, ”something wrong...?”

”What? Pfft!! No, no, of course not...” Evlin replied while waving her hand and trying to force a smile while being on the verge of tearing up, ”It's just that I assumed that after I lost my family, lost my city, and lost my body, I would finally, FINALLY, get a small break to catch my breath and stuff... You know... Enjoy a little party, hang out with my friends and my niece, have a good night of sleep later for the first time in God knows how long...

But that's stuff for losers, right?? Who needs to rest when you can just have the universe throw another good old dose of nonsense and stress in your lap right when you just manage to get your life back...?? That would be stupid!! Hahahaha!!”

Hana began to worry about the black-haired lady in front of her who seemed like she was having a mental breakdown.

”Do- Do you need a minute...?”

”No... No... I'm fine, really, just... Sigh... Let's just get this over with... What do you want...?”

Hana started to wonder if it really would be ok to talk to Evlin right now but she really needed her help and was running out of options.

”Do you still take jobs as an adventurer?”

”Jobs...? You... You wanna hire me?”

”Yes, please! I would very much like to do so!”

Evlin began to feel like she was daydreaming, ”You said your name was Hana, right?”

”That's right!”

”Hana, the one that planted that berry tree that gave birth to the three types of energy that cover this world and that used to hang out with a girl made of fire? That Hana?”

The woman started to look down, ”so you know about me...”

”The same woman that turned into the first cursed energy being and started a war to gain control over the other types of energy? A war that almost destroyed the world? That Hana??”

”T- That's right...?”

”And you also happen to be the new goddess of the east... A goddess?? These guys that just say things like 'Do what I say because I said so!!' when they want people to obey then?”

”Uuhh...”

”Is that... Not how you usually ask for favors...?”

”I'm sorry... This is a lot to take in and I kinda have been having a long... day? Week? Month? Man, how long have I been in the white void...?”

”Miss Evlin!!”

”Ah!” Evlin was about to lose herself in her own thoughts and almost forgot about the goddess right in front of her, ”sorry, sorry... please, proceed...”

Hana started to rub her forehead as if this conversation was proving to be more draining than she expected, ”I need to hire you to kill a dragon for me!”

”A dragon...” Evlin raised an eyebrow.

”Yes! It's very important that this creature be gone, and I require you to do it! He is very, very dangerous!”

Evlin started to think about how convenient it was that she just heard not too long ago about a very dangerous dragon herself, ”This dragon wouldn't happen to be called Knucker, would he?”

Hana widened her eyes, ”He does like to call himself that, yes... You know of him?”

”More or less...”

”Then you know how important it is to get rid of him!!” Hana shouted while leaning over and bringing her face closer to Evlin's.

”Eeehh... ” Evlin honestly didn't know much about Knucker. She knew he was responsible for giving Mia some bit of false hope which led to her becoming a full demon and completely losing herself, but when it was all said and done, she never actually met the guy, ”You could say I don't like him... But right now, if anything, I'm more curious about what his deal is...”

Hana's face began to change, looking she was in pain with her eyes frowning and gritting her teeth, ”Please... Please... I need him gone...”

Evlin recognized that face, it was the same face Daren used to show when he talked about Detra, and the face Evlin herself used to show when she looked in the mirror and thought about Mia harming her family.

”This is about revenge, isn't it?” Evlin assumed.

Hana remained silent and looked away.

”I see...” Evlin said while holding her shoulders, ”look, I'm sure it must be really painful, whatever it is that happened to you... But I'm sorry... I'm done getting involved in these kinds of things... I just want to let go of this life and move on... If I help you now, I get the feeling I will never be free ever again...”