Chương 133: Chapter 126 Part 2 - The Locket

"How long have you been on this quest, might I ask?" the guildmaster asked.

"Just under a year," she replied.

"Ah!" he said with his eyebrows raised.

"Very good. Now let's get down to what perks being an S-rank member opens up."

"I've been wondering," Chelsea said. The guildmaster folded his hands on the desk, clearly pleased to be the one explaining the benefits. Freya sat beside Chelsea, quiet and attentive, though Chelsea could feel the pride coming off her without needing to look.

"First of all, you are able to override decisions made by any lower member, this includes guild employees and leaders. Though if it is believed this ability is being abused, it could be revoked. Next, from time to time the monarchies of many of the kingdoms we are contracted with, may reach out to the guild for help with things such as economy and tax advice. You will be their point of contact. Those jobs bring along a hefty price tag."

"The merchant's guild does that? Don't they have their own economic advisors?" Chelsea asked, dumbfounded. That seemed so strange to reach out to the merchant's guild.

"Many kingdoms actually poach S-rank members for full time employ. Honestly, that is why there are so few S-rankers still in the guild."

"With your scores, the kingdoms will be lining up to hire you. But but," he held up a finger, "I will insist you think about what you could make in the employ of a kingdom versus the amount you could by taking the odd job here and there while still using the guild and its resources." Chelsea laughed.

"They would have to offer an insane amount of money. I am already very comfortable. I don't believe I could go work for any one kingdom anyway. My main job keeps me back home where there isn't a guild." He looked at her in confusion.

"Where do you reside?" he asked.

"Valhalla. I'm one of the Valkyr. Oh yeah, I don't usually keep that title up. I don't like how people treat me differently when I have it. No one in this world can seem to read but they all know what the word Valkyr looks like. It's really weird." Chelsea looked to Freya, who only shrugged. The guildmaster stared at Chelsea across the desk, his fox ears angled forward and his hands still resting near the gold card he had just given her.

"A… valkyr? Surely you're joking."

"Oh no. Not joking, here, let me switch titles." She replied with a smile. Chelsea's eyes unfocused for a second while she adjusted her active title. It still felt strange to do it in front of people. She could be Chelsea Wixx one moment, then the Valkyr of Havoc the next.

"Check it now." The guildmaster used The Eyes. His expression changed. It wasn't the usual look Chelsea saw when someone read her title. His eyes softened, and his attention fixed on her in a way that made her sit up a little straighter. She realized what was happening. Freya's hand moved slightly on the arm of her chair. Chelsea reacted fast.

"Shit. Sorry. Uh, I am already seeing someone." His eyebrows furrowed as if he had lost track of his own thoughts.

"What… why…"

"My Valkyr title gives a major boost to Charisma. I also have the demon skill attract, which makes people fall in love with me if my charisma is high. Oh and your a man which makes my charisma skyrocket when talking to you. Sorry about that. I forget to warn people." The guildmaster rubbed the side of his face and blinked several times. His ears lowered, then twitched back up as he pulled himself together with visible effort.

Whatever had caught hold of him faded quickly, but not so quickly that he could pretend nothing had happened.

"No. No it's fine. I just had strange visions of us having dinner at a restaurant and feeding each other foreign breads."

"Aww I wish I could eat bread. But yeah, as you can see, the Valkyr of Havoc." She gestured above her head where the name would appear to anyone using The Eyes. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The guildmaster looked again, this time with more caution. His gaze moved over the invisible words, and the professional interest returned to his face. He looked less enchanted now and more weary that a newly ranked S-rank merchant was also one of Freya's Valkyr.

"You are truly a fascinating woman, Miss Wixx."

"Everyone says that. I just don't see it. I'm just trying to live life to its fullest."

"Don't let me forget to run by the bank," Chelsea said as Freya led her away from the busier streets. She let herself be pulled along, still holding the new S-rank card in one hand. She had expected the next part of the day to involve shopping. Instead, Freya guided her down a quieter path that curved away from the main roads and toward the sound of falling water. When they reached the end of the path, Chelsea slowed.

"Wow. It's beautiful here." They were standing beside a natural waterfall that spilled down into the city canals. The water crashed into a stone basin below, sending mist into the air and filling the secluded platform with a cool spray. The platform itself was broad and circular, built from pale stone, with branching walkways leading off toward different parts of the city. Most of those paths were empty. The city was still close enough to hear, but the waterfall softened everything until the place felt private.

"I chose this to be the kingdom for your final exam because of how beautiful it is. There are two other massive waterfalls like this one. But this one seems to get little to no foot traffic."

"You think of everything," Chelsea said, grabbing Freya's trembling hands and pulling her down for a kiss. Freya kissed her back, but Chelsea could feel the tension in her. It was in her fingers, in the careful way she held herself, and in the way she pulled back a little too slowly. Chelsea searched her face.

"Are you ok?" Chelsea asked, concerned.

"Chels, I really wanted this to be the most perfect birthday you've ever had."

"You're killing it so far!" Chelsea said, cocking her head to the side and smiling up. Freya breathed in.

"Chels," she said. Her form changed in front of Chelsea. The massive body shifted down into her original form from Earth, the Ashleigh form. Chelsea smiled at the change. She loved Freya no matter which form she wore. Freya had been using this one more often around her lately, and Chelsea had gotten more used to the idea of kissing someone who looked so much like Amber. It still caught her sometimes, but not the way it used to.

"I love you," Freya said.

"I know. I love you too," Chelsea replied. Freya reached into her satchel and pulled out a box. Chelsea's attention dropped to it immediately. Freya was visibly shaking now. She had never seen her hands tremble before.

"This is your birthday present. I need to tell you some backstory first." Chelsea eyed the box suspiciously.

"I wanted to find you the perfect gift to show how much I love you. I talked to the love goddess to figure something out and she did even better than I'd hoped. First off, she knew who you were by name." Chelsea looked confused.

"How?" Freya smiled.

"Because you are you. And for the best reason there is. Chels, you're somehow like the most loved person in our entire pantheon. Not just me, your family, people who interact with you." Freya's smile softened, and Chelsea felt her own worry begin to loosen.

"But also for all of your extracurricular activities. Many of the children in your orphanages pray to the gods, pouring their affection and adoration your way. Even if many of them don't know who you are because you're anonymous it still reaches Sophiana, the love goddess. All of the love you accumulate all goes to her and she basically lives on it. She wants to give you her blessing as well which I hope you're OK with, I said you'd love it."

"I would love it!" Blessing of Sophiana has been bestowed.

"Oh!" Chelsea jumped.

"I just got it. You've explained that's how your baths work. You bathe in battle, right?"

"Essentially, yes. Sophiana, wanted this to be your gift. I want it to be more," Freya explained, nodding down to the item in her hands. She opened the box. Inside was a simple silver locket on a silver chain. It was small enough to look ordinary at a glance, but the air around it felt charged… electric. Her fingers twitched with the urge to touch it.

"Don't touch it, but use The Eyes on it." Chelsea obeyed. Freya's True Love Locket of Adoration????????? Classification: Godly Chelsea stared at the classification. Godly? She had yet to see that before, and the locket didn't show a level requirement.

"What classification is godly? Where does it sit?" Chelsea asked.

"It's two above Mythical. At Mythical equipment stops adding the +1, +2. They just go Mythical, Divine, Godly. Godly is the classification of armor that I found that made me… Well, into a goddess."

"Freya!" Chelsea exhaled slowly.

"I don't believe this would be enough to make you into a goddess so don't get excited," Freya said, pulling it back slightly.

"She poured the love you accumulate in one day into it. It was a ridiculously large amount. Chelsea Wixx. I want you to marry me."

"Yes!" she all but yelled.

"A million times yes!" The shock of being asked left her wanting to do something with her limbs while her body refused to pick a direction. She hugged Freya tightly and kissed her cheeks again and again. Her wings tried to join in, but they only rose into stiff angles behind her, unable to express what the rest of her was feeling. Freya laughed at her excitement.

"Hold on, hold on. Let me finish." Chelsea backed up a step, trembling now for a completely different reason.

"There are rules in place, making it impossible for a mortal and goddess to be wed right now. But," she held the box out, "If you were to ascend to godhood. It will take a while for us to find more but…" Chelsea stepped forward and pressed her lips to Freya's. She nodded while kissing her, because there was no part of her that needed time to consider it.

"Will you put it on me?" she whispered into Freya's ear. Freya nodded with a massive smile. Chelsea turned around, her hands unsteady as Freya lifted the locket from the box. The silver chain brushed the back of her neck, and Chelsea gathered her hair up so Freya could clasp it. The metal settled against her chest, cool for only a moment before warmth moved through it. Evolve Class? Y/N