🦊 🦊 🦊
WE step out of the guild and begin making our way to the center of the city. Kiefer’s store is located in the far back of the main shopping district, nestled among the other workshops. I’m sure he’d get far more business if his shop was located along the main street, but the others tell me he prefers it this way.
“For someone with his level of talent, it’s a wasted opportunity for sure, being all the way out here,” Rinny mutters, his arms folded in front of him.
I agree. I’m sure there must be a reason, though.
“Um… Is his shop really down here?” I ask.
Once we turn off the bustling main street that runs through the shopping district and onto a narrow alleyway, I start to worry about exactly where we’re going. After walking and walking with seemingly no end in sight, I voice my concerns. I mean, we’re on a road that’s more like a lane, with no other people in sight, and flanked on all sides by tall buildings. The path is so narrow, we’re forced to walk single file, making me concerned over what might happen if we accidentally encounter someone coming from the opposite direction.
“Hahaha! I know how it looks, but I promise this is really the way,” Ektor immediately answers me with a bright smile. “Now you understand why we’re all so confused about where he chooses to conduct business.”
“We’ll get there right at the point where you start to worry if we really have gone the wrong way… Yep! There it is.” Macro’s description is worryingly spot on, but I can’t help but breathe a huge sigh of relief.
I really was beginning to worry that we’d never find it! I can see smoke rising into the air from somewhere in front of us, although I can’t see the building yet. When we finally arrive, I’m faced with an open space, much wider than I expected. There are two buildings standing side by side: a smaller round hut with a red brick roof, and next to it, a much larger, solidly built building.
I guess the smaller one is the workshop?
Directly behind both buildings is a dense forest that seems to spread out in all directions…
Wait? A forest? Here?
“We’re still in the middle of the city, right?” I hesitantly ask Ektor, faced with the improbable scene before me. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Ektor told me we were actually in the middle of the woods. But I swear we walked down a city street to get here… Honestly, I’d believe it if he said we’d been magically transported here.
“Oh, right. We’re so used to seeing this that it doesn’t seem weird anymore. I guess it’s a little odd, huh?” He scratches the back of his head awkwardly, a wry smile on his face, as if he clearly understands how I feel.
He explains how the forest is man-made. Although it looks impressive, it’s only as big as a simple town square, which still seems fairly large to me. Kiefer made this space specifically because he found it annoying to constantly have to travel to the nearby forest for supplies. The forest here is filled with medicinal herbs, flowers, and specific trees that he uses often for work.
While I understand how he feels, creating an entire forest simply so he doesn’t have to walk that far seems like more trouble than it’s worth. I guess we all have our own priorities in life, though. Still, knowing all this is enough to convince me Kiefer is certainly more than a little odd.
“I wonder what it looks like from the sky. Like a forest in the middle of the city? You could see it from up there if you wanted to, Miku,” Claire says, envy in her voice.
“Hee-hee… I kind of want to take a look! But I need a special permit to fly within the city limits.”
Without the proper documentation, I’m not allowed to fly within city limits, and these documents are usually only provided for work-related purposes or other specified reasons. We had no such rule in the small village where Claire and I are from…but I guess that’s just one more thing to be careful about for those who can fly, like me. Not being able to float on the breeze, for no particular reason, makes me kind of sad. It’s fine as long as I’m outside the city, but it seems silly to leave the city gates simply for a jaunt through the clouds… Oh, well.
“As soon as we rank up, we’ll be able to get flying permission for all our members. Our credibility rises alongside our rank, meaning we don’t need to ask for permission every single time, plus the permit is good for other cities and countries as well.”
“Huh? Really?!”
I could fly anywhere I wanted, whenever I wanted, enjoying the breeze on my fur. Now I really can’t wait until we rank up! Is that too selfish of a motive? Especially since I haven’t really helped the guild in any way… I really need to work a little harder in that respect! At any rate, once we become a high-ranking guild, I’ll be able to soar through the skies without needing to worry about applying for permission beforehand. How neat! We still have a ways to go though, so for now, my dream is still just a dream.
As my mind skips from one thought to another, I notice Rinny has already jogged over to the larger of the two buildings and is knocking loudly on the front door.
He really needs to tone it down a bit…!
“Hellooo! Kiefer! Are you awake?!”
If he’s sleeping, maybe we should leave him alone?
As I stand there, silently worrying to myself, the door to the smaller building suddenly flies open with a loud bam, causing my entire body to tremble in surprise as I hug my tail to my chest.
“I thought that was you! Ektor!”
“Whah! Candice!”
A petite girl comes flying out of the door, propelling herself across the yard and into Ektor’s arms. Her bright orange hair is divided into two pigtails, out of which peek two cat ears, twitching excitedly this way and that.
Wow! She’s really cute!
✦ ✦ ✦
“The last thing I wanted to deal with right now was that barbarian, but then I realized you were probably with him, so I rushed out to see! And wouldn’t you know it… I was right!”
“Hey! Come on! I mean it! Give me a little space, Candice!”
Candice is enthusiastically embracing Ektor, delight shining in her eyes. There’s an aura around her that reminds me of sweet candy.
She really IS adorable! I want to hug her!
Meanwhile, Ektor seems to be struggling to extract himself from her enthusiastic grip. He’s not making very good progress since he’s also trying not to hurt her at the same time.
Why does he look so uncomfortable? If I had an adorable girl like her in my arms, I’d be overjoyed!
“Hmph! Who are those two? I’ve never seen them before.” Candice finally notices us, probably because I was staring a bit too hard. She glares at Claire and me suspiciously, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance.
She looks so cute even like this, but I don’t want her to view us as a threat! I want to be her friend!
“Oh, yeah. Let me introduce you. But first, could you get Kiefer out here? Then I’ll explain everything.”
“What?! There’s no way I’m leaving you alone with these two vixens nearby! I’ll only go get him if you come with me.”
“For goodness’ sake! Fine! And I told you to give me some space! You’re completely underfoot!”
Vixens? I mean, I guess we are, but we’re on YOUR side! I haven’t even done anything! Maybe she’s just extra cautious? For being so standoffish, she seems awfully friendly with Ektor. I wonder how they became so close.
Candice reluctantly loosens her embrace before enthusiastically reattaching herself to his arm.
“Should I come, too?”
“No barbarians allowed!”
She seems extra cold towards Rinny, who’s been watching everything with a big grin on his face, clearly amused. Even her voice is low and threatening. She’s incredibly easy to read. I can tell by Rinny’s response that he knows she detests his teasing.
You know, Rinny, just because she’s an adorable button of a girl doesn’t mean you can’t get on her bad side!
“Aww! What exactly do you like about him anyway?”
The teasing continues.
You really don’t learn, do you? Gosh!
“His good looks!”
Although Candice’s quick reply to his question leaves me speechless.
“……”
As everyone stands there in complete silence, Candice begins dragging Ektor toward the larger of the two buildings before they disappear inside.
His looks?! I mean, I can’t deny his face is beautifully sculpted, but that is quite a bold answer!
“She clung to him, just like that, the first time they met, too,” Macro says dryly.
“Oh, r-really?” I ask.
So he didn’t do anything to earn her affection first?
“There’s no way she would be this affectionate if he didn’t encourage it…” Claire mutters under her breath as I stand there, smiling awkwardly at Macro’s simple explanation. “I think we’re going to be best friends.”
Why would you be?! Are we talking about the same girl?! I’m completely at a loss here, but I guess Claire knows something I don’t. All I can do is worry…and hope we get along somehow!