Actually here's one more for the road. I felt having one more scene showing Sword Maiden leaving would be a more fitting way to end this particular Adventure Arc, so here it is.

It was only a scant three days after her arrival when it came time for Sword Maiden to leave. Unlike her arrival, which took place when the sun was in the sky, Sword Maiden chose to time her departure in the early hours before dawn so that she could see off her host properly.

"Thank you for all your hospitality you have shown me over the last few days," Sword Maiden said appreciatively as the small gathering of friends said their farewells next to the carriage that would take the Archbishop away, "Honestly, staying with you and yours over the past few days has been the best I have had in recent memory. I cannot thank you all enough!"

"The pleasure was all ours," Vampire Sister replied, shaking the Archbishop's hand profusely, "If you ever want to come back, just send the word and I'll come up with some sort of business-related reason as an excuse to get you away from your work. We do have a contract now, after all!"

The meeting between the Vampire and the Archbishop had been a most fruitful one. The contract between the Vampire's company and the Church of Law had been a simple yet mutually beneficial one. The coffers of the Vampire's company would be filled with gold, while the Church would receive a steady, almost exclusive supply of the most potent ritual wines in all of creation, for a reasonable price no less! Had the bureaucrats at the King's castle seen the manuscript of the contract, barely thirty pages in length from end to end, they would have wept at the beauty of it.

The speed at which this deal had been drafted and concluded was only possible due to the skill and acumen of both women… and it was testament to why Vampires and Gold Ranked Adventurers were considered by many in the land to be legends.

"Oh, that is cheeky of you, using work to hide a true intention to relax and play," Sword Maiden noted with barely disguised amusement, "But I suppose that is to be expected of a Vampire, whose cunning is world renowned."

"~But, I don't hear you saying no." Vampire Sister pointed out cheekily.

In response, the Archbishop merely pressed her dainty index fingers to her lips, which had curled into a smile. Well then, that seemed to signal what the Archbishop thought about that idea.

"Well, then, I'll be sure to plan something out in advance for your next stay!" Vampire Sister decided excitedly, clearly already planning out Sword Maiden's next visit in her head, "And don't worry, I'll make sure that the Goblin Slayers are here to keep you company again!"

"That would be adbsolutely delightful!" Sword Maiden agreed, turning to look at the five Adventurers she called friends who had also come to see her off, "Spending time with both the family and my favorite Adventuring party? That is something I will be looking forward to!"

"If her next visit turns out like this one… I'm not." Banshee Elf Archer muttered dejectedly before she was silenced by a discrete kick to her shin by Hollow Dwarf.

"That is pleasing to hear, your Holiness," Skeleton Lizardman quickly said to cover up the Banshee's impulsive words, "Should you choose to return, know that, as always, we will be at your disposal."

Skeleton Lizardman the bowed, ever respectful even though the slightly gimmer glow of his eyes showed he was still a little unsettled by this last visit. The horrible experience he had gone though in first night had since been more than made up for by Vampire Sister's cheeses, but it was clear the poor Skeleton was still apprehensive.

"Well, the next time you come there won't be any Goblins to worry about. I'd wager your vacation would be better the next time around, lass," Hollow Dwarf said in a more hopeful note, "And may this time you'll have a chance to join us in the game room for a bit. You spent so much time in the pool after pointy ears fixed it for you, I was starting to think you were never going to come out!"

"I must also apologize you not actively hosting you this time. While I was preoccupied with Slaying the Goblins and dealing with the aftermath, it is nevertheless a failure on my part as the brother of the hostess to have ignored you so," Undead Master added solemnly, "Should you come again and join Hollow Dwarf in the game room, I will endeavor to join you as well."

"Oh really? I'll be sure to make sure to make it a point in the next trip," Sword Maiden noted keenly, "Although… I must admit, I did not mind you not being around very much since I knew you were busy, my dear Undead Master. Nothing warmed my heart more than knowing you was out there keeping us all safe. Goblins may by dangerous, but you going out of your way to slay them made this trip so much more exciting, you know?"

"Is that so?" Undead Master and Vampire Sister said simultaneously, unnatural red glows illuminating in both their eyes. Wait, they couldn't possibly be thinking about…?

"Oh, by the Earth Mother, we're doomed." Zombie Priestess whispered in dread.

It was a sentiment that she wasn't alone in having. The other three Undead Goblin Slayers were giving varying expressions of apprehension, to outright horror in the case of Banshee Elf Archer, at the very notion that there might come a day they would have to do all this over again.

Now that was a scary thought.

"Well then, it has been a very good time, but I am afraid that I must be off now. Fare thee well, Goblin Slayers, and may you stay safe on your travels until we meet again" Sword Maiden bowed respectfully one last time before she boarded her carriage to depart.

And with that, the Archbishop's trip to the estate came to an end.

"Man, that was exhausting!" Banshee Elf Archer let out a long sigh as she stretched herself out like a cat on the sofa of the manor's main living room. "Gee, and I thought week long dungeon delving expeditions was hard work! Babysitting is a thousand times worse!"

"Escort and bodyguarding quests normally involve keeping a helpless client from harm. I would have thought doing the same to a Gold Ranked Adventurer who is more powerful than all of us put together would have been easy," Hollow Dwarf rumbled from where he sat in a corner, nursing a small glass of fire whiskey, "To think the danger was from the very person we were supposed to be protecting, and to our mental wellbeing at that!"

"Honored Dwarf, while I wouldn't go as far as to say as she was actively out to threaten our minds… I have to say there is some truth to your words," Skeleton Lizardman said in-between bites of a new wheel of cheese he had been so generously provided by Vampire Sister, "Regretfully, though, I fear many of our troubles were, shall we say, self-inflicted?"

"Aye. Pointy ears, you really need to get good at lying, because that performance was just embarrassing." Hollow Dwarf teased.

"Hey, I wasn't that bad!" Banshee Elf Archer retorted defensively.

"You told Sword Maiden that I had dismembered myself through my own clumsiness, and then ended up contaminating the pool with my internal organs." Zombie Priestess said from where she sat on another sofa near the reclining Banshee, her staff in her lap, her dead eyes staring at the Banshee in judgment.

"…If I agree to not give you a hard time about you tempting fate and causing disaster, will you forgive me?" Banshee Elf Archer said with a shit eating grin, "Tit for tat and all that?"

"Maybe. Let me think about it." Zombie Priestess replied noncommittally as she turned away from her comrade in a huff to look out a nearby open window to the world beyond.

The sun had now risen over the horizon, signaling the beginning of a brand-new day. While the Goblin Slayers had unanimously agreed to take the rest of this day off, as Undead Master was still in the process of arranging for transport for the rescued women to a place of healing and did not want to depart until he was sure those poor women would get the help they needed.

However, Zombie Priestess knew before long they would have to return to the Guild and give their report on what had happened here. The quest request had been an official one, after all, and Guild Girl would need a full accounting of the events that had transpired to complete her paperwork.

"I wonder what we are going to tell the Guild," Zombie Priestess wondered, the events of the weekend playing themselves over again in her mid, "I mean, technically we completed the mission, but the way were did so was, well…"

"Below what would be expected of Silver Ranked Adventurers?" Skeleton Lizardman supplied.

"Left a lot to be desired?" Hollow Dwarf suggested instead.

"A complete and utter fiasco." Banshee Elf Archer got straight to the point with her blunt honesty.

"…I was going to say 'unusual', but I suppose you are all right," Zombie Priestess said shyly, "Oh, I hope we don't get penalized for this. We didn't do that badly did we?"

All three Adventurers started chuckling at the poor Zombie's naiveite.

"Lass, you think we'll be penalized for an Adventure turning out like this, then you really have much to learn!" Hollow Dwarf rumbled good naturedly, "Didn't you hear all those stories we were swapping with Sword Maiden? Disasters like this happen all the time."

"The Honored Dwarf is correct. In our line of work, it is important that we find humor in all things," Skeleton Lizardman rattled in agreement, "As poor as our performance was, consider that we were never in any real danger thanks to Milord Undead Master's efforts, and that our mission was completed to our client's satisfaction. Any mishaps that happened along the way were acceptable."

"Yep. We messed up, but messing up is part and parcel of being an Adventurer," Banshee Elf Archer turned to give Zombie Priestess a wide grin, "I mean, sure we felt horrible at the time, but ten years down the road we'll all be looking back at this incident and laughing about how dumb we all were."

"That's were all those dumb bar stories we Adventurers tell each other come from, after all!" Hollow Dwarf informed the stunned Priestess. "Lass, we may all be grousing about what happened now, but that's just us blowing off stress. For all our complaints, we will be able to live with all this."

"The ability to laugh off defeat, accept that it had happened, and move on… that is part and parcel of being an Adventurer," Skeleton Lizardman stated humbly, "Every experienced Adventurer will have had their bad days in addition to their good. Even we, at the Silver Rank, as you may have realized."

"So don't worry your head off about it too much," Banshee Elf Archer said reassuringly with a wink "You'll learn to laugh it off, just like the rest of us."

Shocked by their words, Zombie Priestess looked at the three Adventurers before her in turn, seeing not a shred doubt in their faces. They were being completely honest about what they were saying… the important lesson about being an Adventurer that they were trying to teach her.

"It is our duty as your mentors to help you grow in the right ways. Our lot is to tech, yours is to learn." Undead Master's earlier words came back to Zombie Priestess in that moment.

Zombie Priestess lowered her eyes and gave a soft, grateful smile.

"I understand." She said, feeling grateful to all the Goblin Slayers for their kindness and mentorship. There was no doubt in her mind that, under their guidance, she would become the Adventurer that Undead Master had wanted to be in his youth.

She would be able to become an Adventurer, after all.

"That's my girl!" Banshee Elf Archer cheered jumping up from the sofa, "Hey, Dwarf, I heard you and Scaly here found on an interesting game in the game room."

"What, the board game?" Hollow Dwarf lowered his glass of whiskey in thought.

"Yep. I heard it from Orcbolg's Uncle that the two of you ended up getting hooked on it while us girls were in the pool," Banshee Elf Archer asked, her curiosity ablaze, "Considering how the two of you normally are, it must have been one heck of a board game to have gotten the two of you hooked."

"Wow, really?" Zombie Priestess sat up herself. "I'd like to have a try too, if that's okay."

"Then it's settled! Let's play a board game!" Banshee Elf Archer snapped her fingers in excitement.

Hollow Dwarf and Skeleton Lizardman shared a concerned glance at each other, clearly unsure as to how answer their comrade.

"Honored Elf," Skeleton Lizardman said, caution and warning lining his tone "Although the two of us found the game quite enjoyable, I must express my doubt as to whether either of you would find that particular game to be to your liking."

"Especially the young Lass, here." Hollow Dwarf mumbled. "I really don't think this game is for her."

"Oh, come on guys. The Guild's staff have been running a tabletop roleplaying game back in the Guild that I joined two weeks ago, and I had a great time. Board games are no stranger to me!" Banshee Elf Archer waved both her hands eagerly as she pretty much charged ahead with her idea, "Don't worry, I'm sure what ever the game is, we'll love it!"

It was barely five minutes into their very first game of 'Zombiecide: The Black Plague', Banshee Elf Archer asked a very good question.

"Wait, why does a necromancer and a Vampire, who live in a house full of Zombie laborers and have a sentient Zombie as an apprentice… have a board game that is all about killing Zombies?" Banshee Elf Archer wondered as her eyes scanned the board, cards and many playing pieces that were arrayed on the table before her.

"That… is probably a very good question." Was all Skeleton Lizardman could say in response while the Goblin Slayers, including their newest member who happened to be a Zombie, awkwardly proceeded to play a game about killing Zombies by the wagon load.

…surprisingly, they had fun though.

A/N – And now that is really the wrap for this arc. Thanks for reading!