Kingdom of Loathing

Chapter 1: And it Begins

November 17, 20XX

A magic-using adventurer was found dead in her campsite. The body had a gunshot wound in the head. Two girls were also found at the scene, alive. The younger was taken for inspection while the older was quickly rushed to the hospital.

"Pretty crazy story they've got there, eh, Cass?" the bartender chuckled, blowing his blonde locks of hair out of the way of his emerald green eyes. "And you're the girl in the paper?"

"Oh please, Bart," Cassidy rolled her eyes, refolding the newspaper and setting it down. "That was five years ago."

"Do you know what happened to that woman?" Bart the bartender asked as he put away a cup.

"Honestly, I don't," Cassidy responded, twirling the spoon inside of her lemonade. "I just remember waking up and..."

Her voice trailed off.

"...I didn't even hear the gunshot. The next thing I knew, there were a bunch of strange guys taking me and my sister away. It's all kind of a blur to me."

She lifted her cup and downed the entire glass of lemonade.

"And after that, I never saw Sis again. Pretty depressing story, right?"

"Gee, Cass," Bart set down the cup he held. "I never knew about that. I'm sorry. About your sister and everything, I guess."

"No need to be."

"But you're managing fine now, right?" Bart smiled at the girl. "At least you've got a place to live and food to eat!"

"That's a massive understatement," Cassidy scoffed, waving her hand at Bart. "Ever since they threw me in that pathetic excuse of a boarding school, life for me just became hell."

She clinked the sides of the empty cup with her spoon.

"I should just be glad it's almost over now. But after school comes a job. And I haven't been getting much luck with that, considering my reputation..."

"I don't think your past should affect you," Bart frowned. "You seem like a resilient worker to me, and I don't think people should be judged on rumors."

"Newsflash," Cassidy sighed. "Once you're labeled, it's never coming off."

Turning back towards the newspaper, Cassidy changed the topic and asked, "This is my first time hearing the term 'adventurer.' What does that mean?"

Scratching his chin, Bart replied, "Oh, you didn't already know? Adventurers were people who took on quests from others to earn meat. It was pretty popular, before a bunch of them got killed and most people stopped adventuring."

"People got killed?" Cassidy sat up. Now this was interesting.

"Yeah, apparently, there were a bunch of serial murders. The woman who found you was the second."

"Sounds suspicious. Did the killer get caught?"

"No, and that's why it's so dangerous. There's not a single adventurer ever since those incidents. They think the job will get them targeted."

"Dangerous," Cassidy dropped the spoon inside the cup and rested her cheek on her palm. "So, do you know where I can apply to be one?"

Bart nearly stumbled and fell on his back. He had to grab onto the edge of the table to steady himself.

"You can't be serious."

"But what if I am?"

"You'll be the first adventurer in five years. And the first potential target."

"So? It's not like I have anything to live for, anyways."

Bart sighed and tapped his fingers impatiently on the counter. Then he spoke.

"I'll first give you a quest to see if you like doing this type of job," he suggested. "Does that sound good?"

"What's in it for me?" Cassidy asked with a sly grin.

"Two hundred meat. And how to become an adventurer."

"It's a deal. What's the problem, chief?"

Waving his hand at the door to the basement, Bart explained. "We have a rat problem in the basement. It would be great for you to get rid of them."

"I'll cook you up a nice rat casserole with the corpses in no time."

"Please don't do that."

"I'm just joking. I'll get going."

Sliding out of her chair, Cassidy made her way over to the basement for her first quest. Even she didn't know that would trigger the beginning of a completely new life for her.