“Lystie and Platinum are practically idols among the younger adventurers… How dare that youngster look so laid-back?!” “We’re older by a generation, but Platinum has this dignified aura that makes us want to call her ‘Lady Platinum.’ Especially, y’know…” “Sh-shut up, man! We all admire her, but keep it to yourself!” The men were raising a bit of a ruckus, but I had to admit I understood how they felt. Having changed out of her armor into casual wear, Platinum was so alluring that many of the men found themselves speechless. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but she looks really sexy… I’m a Sage, but even I’m having a hard time concentrating. “Hm? Might, you haven’t taken a sip for quite a while. Do you not like sweet liquor?” “Ah! Platinum, don’t move so suddenly. You’re going to spill your drink.” “Don’t worry. I’m not drunk. I don’t let myself get like that.” “Your face is clearly flushed, though… Are you not used to alcohol? Do you all actually rarely drink?” The girls exchanged looks. Apparently, they thought they’d managed to trick me. “W-we do!” Lystie insisted. “We’re adults, so we partake every day. It’s of no account.” “Excuse me!” I called out. “Can we get some water over here?” “Sure thing, mister—Oh, you’re still a boy. Did you just party up with these girls?” “No, we just kind of crossed paths. I was helping them out with something.” The bandanna-clad waitress studied us with interest, but she quickly noticed the red faces and hurried off to bring us some water. “…What? Why’re all of you staring at me?” “No reason,” Lystie replied evasively. “We don’t go drinking with anyone we just randomly cross paths with,” Nanase said pointedly. “Like they said,” Platinum agreed. “We have to be able to trust someone to drink with them. Someone like you, Might.” “Th-that makes me sound like I’m harmless. I mean, I am harmless, but still.” Meanwhile, the male adventurers around us writhed in anguish. “That bastard… Saying that like he can be more than harmless anytime he wants!” “Dammit! If only I was a laid-back teenager like him!” “Hey! I liked her first!” I felt a bit bad for them but didn’t know how I felt about being called a “laid-back teenager.” Handling these three was more work than that…though it’d probably be rude to say that out loud. In the end, what I’d feared came to pass. I guess I was partly at fault, though, for letting the girls order more after I got them water. “…Mnh… I won’t lose…to a slime…” Platinum, who’d seemed like she could hold her liquor best, was completely down for the count. She had actually started falling asleep with her head on the table, which meant I had to help carry her up to her room. “You have a magic vocation, but you’re so strong,” Lystie mumbled. “You make it look so easy carrying Platinum.” “Uh, I’ve spent a lot of time training… I can handle this no sweat.” “Um, Mr. Might, don’t get angry with me asking this…but why are you carrying Platinum like you’re kidnapping her?” “I-is that really what it looks like? I thought this way made the most sense.” It would be weird to carry her in my arms like a newlywed, and piggybacking her wasn’t a good idea for all sorts of reasons, so carrying her over my shoulder like a sack was pretty much the only option left. That said, it was true that my habits as a Thief were showing a little. Memories of escaping dungeons with a treasure chest on my shoulder as Enju kept pursuers at bay with her sorcery flashed across my mind. It really took me back. “So, which room is it?” We had left the tavern area and gone up the stairs, and we were now on the second floor. It wasn’t uncommon for people to stay long-term at an inn, so they were more like housing complexes in some ways. “These three are ours, but—” Before Lystie could finish her sentence, we all noticed something was off. The three doors that she was gesturing toward were wide open. There was only one kind of person who would enter an adventurer’s room without permission while they weren’t there. “W-we’ve been robbed! Someone stole our stuff!” Nanase cried. It seemed likely that someone had targeted the girls after hearing how much they’d earned today. “Sorry, you two! Take care of Platinum!” “Might…?!” I lowered Platinum to the ground and raced into the third room. I saw a figure on the veranda outside through the open window, but the burglar quickly jumped off. I tried to give chase, but my target used a Thief skill, and in no time at all, they were fading into the night. However, I had a way not to lose someone no matter how dark it was. Simply put, I made sure to not fall too far behind. In this case, the person I was chasing was quite fast, but only for the First Town. I doggedly stayed on their trail, taking advantage of blind spots where available and always keeping my target in sight. When I focused, they also seemed to move in slow motion, so it was all a piece of cake. Eventually, the burglar led me outside the city walls. Taking advantage of a spot where the guards weren’t watching, the two of us slipped through into the forest beyond. After continuing for a little while, my target entered a small hut. Light spilled out from the cracks around the door. Traps had been set up all around the house, but I had a wealth of experience setting up similar ones. Not only were they ineffective against me, I even had the ability to tinker with them a little. “Damn, adventurers sure are easy pickings!” said a man inside the hut. When I pressed my ear to a ventilation hole in the wall, I could hear the voices even clearer. “They were loaded, just like I told you, right?” “That Lystie girl’s sword is clearly worth a small fortune.” “The armor of that woman who said she was a Paladin is top quality, too. Oh, you grabbed it? Nice!” “Looked like they just came back from a job. Their stuff was all over the place.” I heard a dull thud—probably the sound of Platinum’s stolen armor being taken out of a leather sack. “Tomorrow, a smuggler pretending to be a merchant is gonna come pick all this up. We have to sell it somewhere else, or we’re gonna get caught.” “What’s in that chest? Looks pretty well made.” “Huh. I think it belonged to that Lystie girl.” “Give it here… Dammit, it’s locked. Anyone got a lockpick?” “This could be real interesting depending on what’s inside.” This seems like a good place to stop them. I extended my hand toward a small window, then flicked a coin toward the lantern illuminating the room. “Wh-what happened?!” “We’re under attack! Dammit, are the city guards on to us?!” “You’d prefer that?” After the room was plunged into darkness, I slipped in, circled around behind the man who seemed to be the ringleader, and gave him a hand chop to the neck. “Where did you—? The door to the hut’s locked!” “I could have kicked the door in, but instead I just unlocked it.” “You’re a Thief, too?!” “Fine by me! Bring it on! You’re gonna pay for this!” I could have just as easily knocked out the men without them being any the wiser, but I chose not to. There was something that I needed to do to ensure that Lystie’s group would never be targeted by burglars again. Part 3: The Thieves Guild There were three burglars in all. Although the room was nearly pitch-black, it was still possible to coordinate with the help of Night Vision. The tallest one apparently did have this skill and had been given some sort of sign from the one I’d attacked first. “You two, hold your breath!” the leader said. Smoke Bomb, which Thieves often used when escaping, didn’t just create smoke to obscure a person’s vision but was also mixed with irritants to hinder their movements. “Let’s get outta here!” “Y-yessir!” “Dammit! We’ll remember this!” Thinking that their smoke bomb had done the trick, the burglars all rushed out of the hut. “Wait!” One of the men threw a flying weapon at me in response to my shout, but I dodged it in the smoke. Although I wasn’t hurt, I ran out of the hut holding my shoulder. At a speed that the burglars could perceive, of course. “Heh-heh. For someone who sneaked in all by his lonesome like some big shot, you sure ain’t much!” “Try keeping up with us if you can!” “This way, idi—aaaaah!” The man trying to provoke me tripped on one of the traps and got strung up in a tree. When I came through here earlier, I had repositioned a few of the traps. Clearly, it had paid off. “Hyaaaah!” “Whaaaaa?!” It wasn’t long before all the burglars were caught. The first one stared at his companions in a daze, as both were tied up by their legs and hanging upside down. “If they find it, this kind of trap is easy for your enemy to turn against you. Provoking me and trying to lead me into it wasn’t a bad plan, but you didn’t think things through.” “Y-you bastard… Let us down, damn you!” “With skills like this, you must be a Thief, too, right?!” “B-boss, do you think Lady Mabel caught on to what we were doing?” Mabel. I recognized that name. I couldn’t forget it, even if I wanted to. She was the head of the Thieves Guild and, most importantly, the woman who had raised me. “Don’t speak her name, idiot! If she hears about this, we’re all—” “W-we’re done for…! We’re dead meat for sure!” “I’ll let things slide if you just return what you stole. I’m actually glad you mentioned Mabel. That lets me know she’s not involved with your little operation here.” “…Huh?” all three men said simultaneously, a glimmer of light returning to the men’s hopeless expressions. Naturally, I also had to take measures to ensure that they wouldn’t do the same thing again. “The next time you rob a place, you won’t get off so easily. I plan on staying in this city for a while, so I’ll know.” “Y-you’re sure? You’re really just letting us go?” “I’m not letting you go. From now on, know that I might be watching anytime, anywhere. You are to return everything you stole tonight before sunup. Understand?” “W-within the night? But what if we get caught? Even if we do it quietly, we’ll all be caught—” “Shut up! Stop pissing him off! If we don’t do it, he’s gonna kill us!” Apparently, the men had perceived my threat to be more serious than I’d meant it to be. It made for a good deterrent, though, so I decided not to correct them. “One more thing: I have a question for you.” The three men gulped in terror and gave me their undivided attention. I knew that what I wanted to know wasn’t information that they would part with easily, but the situation made the process much easier than it would normally be. The Thieves Guild moved around on a regular basis. Currently, it was located in the sewer system beneath an abandoned development area within the city walls, with one of the countless wells in the city serving as its entrance. There were guards posted there, but I managed to slip in when they changed. I descended with the well bucket’s rope and found a locked door at the bottom. Without a proper key, it would take a normal Thief quite some time to pick this lock, but it was nothing against my magic key. Once I was in the sewer system, the rest was easy. Every so often, there was an area that was lit up and people who were sleeping in beds, but I slipped past everything by staying in the dark. I reached my destination without being noticed by a single soul. Naturally, the door was locked, with a sign hanging outside it that read IN. I remember this lock also being unpickable, but now… Forget “locksmith,” I’m pretty much a “locksmage.” I slipped in my magic key and opened the door without making a sound. The first thing I noticed was how different the air was inside the room compared to outside. The abandoned sewer tunnels didn’t smell like mildew, but the guildmaster’s room was filled with a sweet fragrance. As well as belonging to the guildmaster, it was clear this room’s occupant was a woman. I recalled Mabel’s hobby of collecting expensive perfumes and the habit she had of taking a bath every day when water was available. That must be what this smell is… Hm? “Ahh… I’m so glad I got that magic tool that boils water. It’s such a pain going to bathhouses on the surface, my profession being what it is.” The speaker was talking to herself. Before I could react, she appeared, nonchalantly drying her hair with a towel. It was unavoidable, though, as the room had been locked and no one else was supposed to be in here. “—An intruder…!” “No, wait!” Without skipping a beat, Mabel grabbed one of the daggers she always kept close at hand and rushed toward me. However, her swing missed. Being able to use Seize Weapon would have been amazing here, but I no longer had that skill. The only option left was to grapple, but I didn’t want to use force against her. We’d be able to talk as soon as she recognized me. “Stop…resisting!” Mabel whirled around and, in the same motion, threw the towel covering her body at me, obscuring my vision. At the same time, she sent a roundhouse kick in my direction. It was a merciless series of attacks, but instead of evading, I blocked her kick with my arm. “Mabel, it’s me! Crow!” “…?!” I knew it would be hard to convince her of my identity with my current appearance even if I used my code name from my time with the Thieves Guild. Still, it was worth a shot. “You… How do you—? Why do you look like that?” “One thing led to another, and I kind of turned young again. Though I know that’s hard to believe.” “…Nah. I can tell by your eyes. After all, you are my little brother.” Mabel had stopped attacking and simply stood there, staring at me, so I thrust her towel back at her. She accepted it and covered herself. “That said, I don’t remember raising you to be the kind of man who’d enter a guildmaster’s room without permission.” “Sorry,” I replied. “It’s just, you know, I left once, so I figured this was the only way I could talk to you again.” “Haaah. I do actually have a few choice words for you, but when you come back as a kid, being mad at you gets pushed all the way down the list of priorities.” As Mabel rewrapped the towel around herself, I looked away. Somehow, I could tell that she was laughing. “So, what’s with the mage getup? You did say you wanted to become a mage one day, though, didn’t you?” “Yeah. This might surprise you, but I’m no longer a Thief. I’m a Sage now.” “…Huh?” There was no way to change the vocation that one was born with, so what I was saying went against all common sense. Mabel’s reaction was completely understandable. To change one’s vocation required a miracle, and for that, you needed the aid of a goddess. It didn’t take long for her to connect the dots. “Don’t tell me… You actually fulfilled the prophecy and defeated the Demonic Dragon?” “Yep. It’s been, what, ten years since I left this place? I see you’ve taken over from the old man and become guildmaster.” “It’s been exactly ten years. I’m sure I remember that day better than you do.” I had reverted to how I’d looked when I left the guild, whereas Mabel—a girl I used to call “Big Sister”—was a full-grown woman. “Clearly, you’re not here because you want to return to the guild. I suppose I can hear you out…but I’ll go throw on some clothes first. You wait there.” “Sorry for sneaking in at a time like this.” “…You’re supposed to look more like an adult now, but you’re exactly like how I remember you. I’m a lot more surprised than angry, to be honest. Did you find a drug that restores your youth? Don’t worry—I’m joking. That’s not what it was, was it?” As Mabel ducked into a side room to get changed, I breathed a sigh of relief that she was open to talking things through. In light of what had happened when I left, I was prepared to be chased out without being allowed to get a word in edgewise. After all, despite all the expectations that I had been shouldering, I had abandoned the Thieves Guild to become an adventurer. There was a lot of catching up to do, but the first topic had to be those men who’d been breaking the Thieves Guild’s rules and what could be done to prevent more like them. I couldn’t have Lystie’s group targeted again. She and Platinum, at least, were hiding their real identities, so I wanted to do what I could to eliminate the possibility of them being identified by their possessions. Part 4: Reunion and the End of the First Day Mabel emerged from the side room wearing soft leather armor and leggings. Without her shoulder pads, she wasn’t fully armed, but otherwise she looked every bit the part of a guildmaster. “Hm? Ah, don’t worry about it. This outfit just helps me get in the right mindset for serious talks.” “Sorry for showing up out of the blue at such a late hour.” “Did something urgent happen? What, did you get into a tussle with one of my guys?” “I don’t know if I’d call it that. Some acquaintances of mine got hit. I’ve already caught those responsible and made them return what they stole, but I wanted to talk about how this sort of thing can be prevented in the future.” Before I’d finished, Mabel had figured out what had happened. She sighed, a fist propping up her cheek. “In this line of work, there’s really no stamping out that sorta thing…but I suppose I can’t just write it off. Who was it that sullied the name of our guild? I’ll purge them.” “I mean, you don’t have to go that far… It’s just that being a Thief has its advantages, too, right? So I was hoping they could use their talents to make a living in other ways. If they ever target my acquaintances again, I’ll really rake them over the coals.” “Hm. Are you sweet on these ‘acquaintances’ of yours?” “Am I sweet on them…?—Ohhh. No, that’s not it at all. I’ve only just met them, really.” “You sure? …I’ll probably get word about you being back in a few days or so. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the old-timers at the guild don’t recognize you. Not when you look like that.” “Are Gazelle and Elk still around?” “Both of them joined upper management three years ago. They’re currently away from Fortune, carrying out an espionage mission. I can’t go into any details, though.” There were times when external clients requested that an executive-level member do a job personally. Most of the time, these requests came from people in positions of power. “The look on your face tells me you want to know. Though of course you would, since you practically grew up with them.” “Don’t worry. I know better than to stick my nose into things.” “Honestly, I’m all for it if you want to help. You said you’re no longer a Thief, but you still managed to get in here. That’s solid proof that you once mastered your vocation.” “I don’t know if I mastered it, but it’s true that I had reached its limits.” “By that, are you talking about the limits of Thief as a vocation? I sure hope I can say the same one day. My level still goes up when I complete difficult missions, despite my age.” Mabel looked a little embarrassed, even though there was nothing embarrassing about leveling up and she was still far too young to hit the limits of her vocation. “Before you turned into a Sage… Ah, I guess that would count as probing. From how you were moving just now, in your current state, you’re stronger than I am. How can your physical ability be higher than a Thief’s when you hold a magic-based vocation? That’s just cheating.” “It turned out I got to keep some things when I changed vocations. I didn’t know that either beforehand. If all of my abilities had really been reverted to level 1, I wouldn’t have made it here to meet you.” “Oh, no doubt you’d have been caught by one of our lookouts. Speaking of, how’d you open the door to my room? The lock on it is particularly troublesome.” “I didn’t break it, if that’s what you’re asking. When I became a Sage, I gained the ability to open things with magic.” “Interesting. I’d always had the impression that Sages could do a lot of different things with magic. Can you shoot fire or ice, or heal people?” “There’s been no sign of anything like that so far.” I jabbed a thumb toward myself with a grin. “But unlike before, I now have mana.” “Right…” Mabel’s face clouded over. “Sorry. I’d totally forgotten how much it bothered you that you didn’t have mana. Even I find it annoying how thoughtless I am sometimes.” “That’s not true. I’m thankful we can even talk like this. After all, I did get expelled before.” “That was almost entirely a heat-of-the-moment thing. Though I guess I don’t get to say that, being the guildmaster.” The woman I considered my big sister stood up and approached me—then gently put a hand against my cheek. “Um…Mabel?” “I didn’t think you’d ever come back. You could have easily died on your travels, but you never gave up, did you?” “I was blessed to have such good companions. If I had been alone, I’m sure I would’ve gotten held up somewhere and never managed to take another step.” “Have you split up with your party?” “We didn’t technically split up…but yeah, pretty much.” We had achieved our shared goal of defeating the Demonic Dragon, and everyone had their own things to attend to. We would probably never party up again. I knew that in my head, but it had yet to truly sink in. “As long as you’re all alive, you can always meet them again. Going back to what we were talking about before, I’ll make sure to tighten things up around here. We’ll all suffer if the city guards catch on to us and make a move.” “Thanks. And let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. It’s the least I can do.” “Well, now that I know a Sage, I have to make the most of it, don’t I? It would be such an honor to have an oh-so-mighty Sage working for the Thieves Guild.” Chuckling a little, Mabel stepped back. With that, my business here was finished. However, there was one last thing that I had to address. I’m…seeing a lock again. It wasn’t there before, right? “What? Are you angry with me?” Mabel asked. “Why’re you staring at me so intently?” “Oh, no, um… It’s nothing. There’s still stuff that I’m getting used to as a Sage.” “If you say so… Oh, hey. If you want to learn magic, how about reading some books? This might be the City of Pleasure, but we still have a few places that sell grimoires. Though I know the Mages Guild officially frowns on them.” “Good idea—I’d forgotten about grimoires. Thanks, Mabel.” “…Might, I know you don’t look it anymore, but you’re still an adult, so—Well, I guess I shouldn’t worry about that. How I see you will never change.” Just as I was about to jokingly ask if that meant I hadn’t grown as a person, the lock floating before Mabel’s chest turned into particles of light that dissipated. I hadn’t created a key with magic and unlocked it—which meant some sort of condition must have been met. “I’ll let the guys on the surface know. Next time, just pass a message to them and it’ll reach me.” “R-right, thanks. I’ll do that.” “I don’t mind you coming at night…but situations like this could very well happen again. So be careful. I’ll forgive you only this once.” Mabel opened another door, not the one I’d used to enter. “One last thing. You might’ve been there since you came back, but there’s a back-alley shop we’ve been financing. If you wanna pay a visit and have some fun, I’ll make sure you get special treatment.” I imagined it was probably similar to the kind of establishment that had tried to employ Lystie. A part of me was curious what kind of place it was, but I doubted it was somewhere people just poked their nose into as they walked past, so I filed it away as a “when the opportunity arises” kind of thing. I stepped back out into the underground sewer system. After walking for a while, I came to a place where I could climb back up to the surface. Someone who wasn’t a Thief probably couldn’t take advantage of it, but my fingers found their way with certainty, and I was up and away in the blink of an eye. When I returned to Lystie’s room at the inn, I found her sitting in front of the door, clutching her sword, keeping a lookout—or at least, trying to. “Lystie.” “Hm…mm…? Zzz…zzz…” She responded when I called her name but was losing the fight against the sweet embrace of sleep. I felt bad, but I called out once more. “Did you get back everything that was stolen?” “…The ring… It’s important…Platinum… Thank you…” “I see. I’m glad to hear it. You’ll catch a cold sleeping out here, you know.” “…” No more answers were forthcoming. She was probably really tired, and alcohol had a way of making people who didn’t drink often drowsy. I couldn’t just leave her here, but just as I was racking my brain over what to do, the door opened and Platinum stepped out. “…Lystie’s…asleep? I can’t believe I let alcohol get to me. How mortifying.” “A lot’s happened since then, but for now, the problem’s been resolved. Can I carry Lystie to her bed?” “Uh…sure.” As Lystie had fallen asleep sitting up, the easiest way to carry her was to hold her in my arms. Also, I didn’t want to be called a kidnapper again for treating her the same way I had Platinum. Nanase was already in bed, her quiet breathing indicating that she was asleep. I did my best not to look around too much while putting Lystie down according to Platinum’s instructions, then left the room. “…You’re leaving already?” “Yeah. It’s late, after all. I’ll try to find a place that can give me a room without needing a reservation.” “What will you do if you can’t find any, though? We can’t just leave someone who did so much for us on the streets…” “Don’t worry—I’ll manage. See you around, then.” After saying goodbye, I descended the staircase but turned around when I heard the sound of footsteps. Platinum was standing there looking at me. “Thank you. I promise we’ll repay this favor one day.” I waved it off, telling her not to worry about it, then stepped out into the street. There were still lights on in places as I started wandering around, searching for an inn that accepted walk-ins at this late hour. Part 5: Locks and Bonds After meeting Might, Mabel hadn’t been able to sleep. She let out yet another sigh. “Haaah…” The current Might looked exactly how he had when he left the Thieves Guild to become an adventurer long ago. He said that he’d defeated the Demonic Dragon, but the reality of that still hadn’t sunk in for Mabel. Very few people in this area had even applied when the kingdom proclaimed that it was recruiting adventurers to fight the Demonic Dragon. “If it’s true, word would have spread all the way here. If you had actually killed the dragon, Might, it would make you…” A hero who saved the world. For someone like him to return to level 1, something truly monumental must have taken place. The changing of one’s vocation was a miracle that only a goddess could bestow, yet there was no doubt that was what had happened. Might now had mana, when he never had before. It made sense to think that a goddess had given him her favor as a reward for killing the Demonic Dragon. “But there’s no way you’re level 1. You truly are a hero…,” Mabel murmured, her chest tight with an emotion that she could never share with anyone. She had touched Might’s cheek because seeing that old face of his had left her wanting to tease him a little. However, because of that—or maybe for some other reason—Mabel felt that something in her had changed during her conversation with him. “I had no intention of forgiving you. How’d you manage to disarm me so easily?” The emotions that Mabel had shut away when Might left the Thieves Guild were rushing through her. Instinctively, she raised a hand to her chest and tried to calm her breathing. A voice sounded outside the door. “Guildmaster, three of our guys say they have something to report to you.” “R-right. What is it? Tell me from out there,” Mabel replied, adopting a stern voice. She couldn’t very well let her subordinates see her now, when thoughts of Might were flooding through her mind. “They say that they robbed a place, and though they didn’t get caught by the city guards, they still want to apologize to you. How do you want to handle this? Should we throw them in the disciplinary cells for a while?” “Ah, yes, I’m already aware of this matter. I doubt they’ll do it again, so just tell them to report back to their direct superior and do what they say.” “U-understood. I should’ve known you’d already got word, Guildmaster. Even though this only just happened.” “Stop brownnosing. If there’s nothing else, you may leave.” The subordinate’s footsteps faded into the distance, and Mabel made sure she was alone again before peering into a small mirror on her table. “…What sort of a face is that, Mabel?” she asked herself. Even though Might was no longer here, she still felt flushed, and her cheeks were red. Trying to avoid thinking about what emotions Calm Mind didn’t work on, she threw herself into doing paperwork for the rest of her sleepless night. The next day, I headed to the Novices Guild and made a beeline for the bulletin board. As I’d thought, there were no parties recruiting a level-1 adventurer. As for jobs, most required a party to accept, and the ones that could be taken on alone gave paltry rewards. Killing random monsters or searching for grimoires would be a much better use of my time. “Hey there. Looks like we meet again. Did you not end up joining those girls’ party?” “Oh, good morning. Pretty much, yeah.” “You’re a better man than most. You and me will get along just fine, kiddo.” I was being addressed by a middle-aged adventurer whose name was Gotts, if I remembered right. He had been drinking yesterday, but apparently today was a workday. I got the feeling he thought I was just putting on a brave face, but I couldn’t be bothered to explain everything that had happened. And the fact was I hadn’t joined Lystie’s party. Last night, the first inn I’d found that I hadn’t needed a reservation for was in a neighborhood that was too noisy for sleep. The second was quieter, and although it only cost five silver coins, the beds were as hard as you’d expect for that price. I didn’t mind it much, though, because I could sleep with my cloak as a sleeping bag. I recalled Lystie’s inn having a tavern on the first floor, which meant it was probably also quite noisy there late into the night. I wondered if they’d simply gotten used to it. Once they managed to make a steady income, they could change inns if they wanted to. They should be able to take care of themselves so long as they avoided accepting any jobs that were beyond their abilities. I made my way to the counter of the guild, hoping to ask if there were any monsters that had bounties. As it turned out, I was greeted by the same receptionist as yesterday. She smiled at me. “Good morning, Mr. Might. Well done yesterday. It was quite the achievement for your first day.” “All I did was help Lystie and her party. I was basically just passing by.” “As you said yesterday. However, they have been waiting for you since morning.” “…What?” I hadn’t really been paying attention to my surroundings. When I had been a Thief, I’d had a skill that I could keep activated the whole time that widened my range of vision, but that was no longer the case. When I turned around, I spotted the three girls in front of the bulletin board. Of the trio, only Nanase was facing my direction, but when she saw me looking over, she turned back to the board, flustered. “I will be here to process any request you want, at any time. Please feel free to go and talk to them first.” The receptionist smiled as if she already knew what was going to happen next. I couldn’t pretend not to see Lystie’s group any longer—as they were clearly doing to me. As I drew near, I heard Lystie say, “How about this request? It says that it’s looking for people to kill plantlike monsters appearing on a farm.” “Hmm… It also says that a large group is recommended, because it’s a pretty big area,” Platinum pointed out. “A-apparently it’s best suited for a group of…four or more.” Nanase said. “Even if we go looking for someone to join us now, who knows whether we’ll find anyone?” “…I’m pretty sure you’d get a whole swarm right away if you asked.” All three girls whirled toward me, looking surprised. Some would call this whole thing a farce, but I appreciated it, knowing that they were doing it for my sake. “Uh… G-good morning, Might. Yesterday was, well… I’m not sure how to describe it…” “You have done us a great service. My behavior was certainly not befitting of a Paladin…” Apparently, Lystie and Platinum both at least faintly remembered last night. Their embarrassment somehow made me feel a little embarrassed, too. “Um, I know it’s presumptuous to ask you for help again after everything you did for us yesterday, but…” “Say no more. I was also in a tough spot, because I can’t really take on any jobs by myself. If you happen to be in need of one more person, would you consider taking me along?” The eyes of all three girls shone. I felt many nearby adventurers staring daggers into me, but I figured that when you were getting involved with a party of girls with near-idol popularity, it was better to be somewhat brazen about it. “A-are you sure?” “Yeah. When I look at the three of you, I just want to help. Though I guess that doesn’t mean much coming from a level 1.” “I-indeed. You may be strong, but you’re still level 1. It falls to me to protect you!” “I would love it if I could show you the effects of the potion I made with the slime we picked up yesterday, Mr. Might!” “…If you two make such a fuss, it’ll look like we’ve been waiting for him!” The receptionist had already told me that they were, but not saying it out loud was an act of mercy. Honestly, though, there was an unconscious part of me that was growing hesitant about joining a new party. I wondered what Falina and the others would think if they saw me now. Probably say “So this is what you get up to without us around?” and shake their heads at me. “At the moment, I can’t use any attacking or healing spells. If you don’t think that’ll weigh you down, then I’d be glad to open locks for the party.” “…If you dance around it like that, we might jump to the wrong conclusion,” Lystie said with a mischievous smile. “You’re going to have to spell it out for us.” Clearly, Nanase and Platinum were enjoying this, too. It was embarrassing saying this sort of thing out loud, but I suppose that was what it meant to formally join a party. “Please let me join your party. I’ll do whatever I can to help.” “Wonderful. We’d love to have you.” “I’ll watch your back, Might!” The moment Lystie and Platinum spoke, a lock appeared in front of their chests and scattered into particles of light. One lock discovered with “Lock Eye I” has been opened. “Break Seal I” can now be used on the target with an open lock. Upper limit of Bonds has been removed. Suddenly, I knew that I had the ability to do something to people whose locks had opened. I also knew the condition I had to fulfill to open someone’s lock. Lystie gave me a quizzical look. “What’s wrong, Might? Why’re you staring?” “Oh, sorry. It’s nothing.” “In any case, we’re now officially party members.” Platinum grinned. “When you said you’d see us around, I thought you meant you were leaving Fortune.” “Ms. Platinum is such a worrywart. I was sure we’d meet Mr. Might again if we waited at the guild.” Despite what Nanase was saying, she hadn’t yet accepted me enough for her lock to open. At least, that was how I interpreted what was going on. It was hardly surprising, of course, as we’d only just met yesterday. “Well, is everyone happy with this job that’s asking for four or more people?” Lystie asked, for confirmation. “We’ll be heading straight there.” “No objections on my end,” Platinum replied. “Whoa, Ms. Receptionist is practically beaming at us…,” Nanase mumbled. “That’s kind of embarrassing.” “There’s no reason to be embarrassed,” I said, following the three girls to the counter. “When adventurers accept a job, they have to do it with their heads held high.” By this point, the rest of the guild had erupted into pandemonium. “Th-that bastard! Becoming an official party member right in front of our eyes!” “No way! Not happening! A teenage boy can’t be left alone with three young girls!” “They still have more girls than guys, though, so maybe we’ll be able to join, too?” “H-hey! Don’t even joke about leaving us! I’ll do anything you want!” I wondered whether it would help if they knew I’d joined as a guardian of sorts for the three girls—but no. Of course it wouldn’t. That said, rather than feel sorry for all those brokenhearted adventurers, right now, I was overcome with excitement. What sort of adventures would I have with my new party? What could my new skills do? I couldn’t wait to find out! We left the guild, and, after walking for a little while, Lystie suddenly stopped and turned around to face the rest of us. “Um… So, since Might is now officially one of us, what does everyone think about marking the occasion by coming up with a name for our party?” “A name, huh…? I can see Platinum having a talent for that sort of thing.” “Well, this would be the party that has the Silver Flash, so how about ‘Flash Force’?” “That’s so embarrassing!” Lystie protested. “Can it be something that’s more relevant to us?” “The moon was really beautiful last night, so how about putting the word moon in there somewhere?” Nanase suggested. “Oh, I like that,” Lystie said. “It reminds me of the night we first met.” “Fine by me,” I agreed. “How about ‘Moon Brigade’? Plain and simple.” “We’re getting closer, but I feel like we’re not quite there yet.” “What about just ‘Moonlight,’ then?” “Oh, I like that,” Nanase said. “I feel like I’ll probably be a bit too self-conscious to use it at the start, though.” “We don’t really need a party name, do we?” “We do, to register with the guild.” “What’s wrong with ‘Demonic Dragon Slaying Party’?” The memory of brainstorming a party name with Falina, Sheska, and Enju drifted across my mind. In the end, we’d decided on “Holy Sword,” but we weren’t the ones who came up with it. “‘Moonlight’ is a pretty impressive name. Are you sure we can live up to it?” “Don’t underestimate us, Might! We’re gonna get a lot stronger from here on out!” “Indeed, I will also do my best to live up to it. We won’t be reliant on you forever, Might.” “Here, to celebrate us becoming a full party of four. Where I’m from, people do this with their friends.” Nanase held out a hand, and somehow we all understood that we were supposed to stack our hands on top of hers. “Here’s to our future as Moonlight!” Lystie called out. The four of us exchanged glances, smiling bashfully at one another. I was starting a new adventure with a new party. With these three, I would grow and become an outstanding adventurer again, so I could stand tall when I reunited with Falina, Sheska, and Enju. Part 6: Off to a Vegetable Field for Our First Quest After going out through Fortune’s East Gate and going straight for a while, we came to a large river. We crossed the stone bridge over it, then kept on walking until we reached the farming region. “Are there really monsters in such a peaceful area?” Nanase asked. “That’s what it says on the request form,” Lystie replied. “According to the map, the farm belonging to the client should be in that general direction.” “The soil is fertile, and the wind feels great. The vegetables grown here must be delicious.” The three girls had completely let their guards down. I knew of a few plant monsters that attacked fields, but I wasn’t sure what would pop up in such a low-level area. Sadly, I’d never fought any, so that would be a first for me, too. “If it’s plants, there’s a possibility they might attack us from below. We should probably start paying more at—” Just as I was warning the girls, the ground suddenly started shaking. “…Wh-what’s going on?!” “Heads up, everyone! Something’s approaching!” Suddenly, the ground exploded, and vine-like protuberances shot out and grabbed Lystie and Nanase by their feet. “Ahhhhhh…!!” “Eeeek…!!” The two girls were lifted up into the air. Both of them instinctively held down their skirts, but they were in a pretty vulnerable situation. “L-let go of me, you!” “I feel my strength being sapped out of me… Uh-oh, this isn’t good. It’s like it’s…absorbing…my life force… Ahhhh…” “Curses! Why are these vines so tough?! My blade can’t cut through them!” We have to sever these vines. But since they’re flailing all over, it’s best to go for the base! A dagger would have been a great help here, but it was hard using a weapon that I didn’t have an affinity for. Strangely enough, a coin was better suited to me, as even Sages could handle them without issue. Right…there! I flicked two coins, adding a spin to them. Whereas Platinum’s sword only made it halfway through a vine and got stuck, my coins easily tore through them. I caught Lystie, and Platinum caught Nanase. I expected more vines to shoot out of the ground, but thankfully, they didn’t attack straightaway. “Is this the plantlike monster that we’re to fight?” Lystie asked. “Indeed,” Platinum said with a nod. “But it reminds me of something…” “Turnip leaves,” Nanase declared. “Right?” “I see how it is,” I said. “These aren’t plantlike monsters so much as vegetables that have turned into monsters.” “Th-that’s a thing? Now I’m never going to be able to eat vegetables without thinking about that!”
Chapter 8
38 min read