Part 5: Advice
“HAVE a seat. Is there anything you can’t eat?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t think so? Well, that’s a bit strange. I won’t pry though.”
During my life in Japan, I didn’t have any allergies or food I particularly disliked, but I wondered if that still applied here. That was why I’d answered the way I had. I might have overthought it though. Or maybe I hadn’t thought it through enough.
Lots of people went in and out of the canteen Miss Hitstan had led us to, and she threaded through the crowd like this was something she did every day. She picked up a pitcher and two cups from one side of the room, put them down on our table, then went to speak to one of the staff members before returning to her seat.
“Thanks for waiting,” she said politely.
Across from me, she poured a pale purple liquid into our cups. I didn’t sense any aggression from her at all, so it was entirely possible she really did just mean to treat a novice to a meal. After taking a few sips of her drink, she started talking. Her expression remained relaxed.
“We were in the same inn this morning, right?” she asked.
Uh oh. I might have jumped the gun on the non-aggression part.
“Oh, yes.”
She frowned at my audibly timid response. I was fully prepared to accept her judgment, so of course, I couldn’t muster up any energy to defend myself. She didn’t look especially stern or disapproving, but to me, she still seemed like a veteran prosecutor or judge ready to cast judgment on me, a criminal with no defense lawyer to speak of.
“W-Will you stop looking at me like I regularly go around bullying newbies?” she said nervously. “Are you always like this?”
“Um, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
“Then do something about your depressing aura, will you?”
“I will. I’m sorry.” I bobbed my head apologetically a few times while gauging her expression, which was a combination of exasperation and discomfort.
“Look, I’m really not going to say anything bad, all right?” she insisted. “It’s just that I saw you leave with Ralf this morning and I was wondering about the nature of the relationship between you two.”
I could tell Miss Hitstan was being honest because she didn’t seem at all angry or critical. So she knows Ralf. He really did seem like a popular guy, so maybe my presence had inadvertently obstructed his romantic prospects. In that case, all I needed to do was clear up any misunderstanding.
“We don’t have a relationship,” I explained. “When I was lost in the forest, he was considerate enough to guide me here and help me out while I get my bearings. He’s kind. He’s a very kind young man.”
I was doing my best to convince her that all I felt for Ralf was gratitude for his kindness—and nothing else. It was only my second day in another world and I did not need to be caught up in some kind of love triangle already. Thanks, but no thanks.
“Oh? Well that’s good then,” Miss Hitstan said, sounding relieved. Then she continued, “Just so you know, he’ll chase anything in a skirt. Sometimes, his philandering gets him in trouble. Which is why I wanted to talk to you. I was worried he was threatening you or using you or something along those lines. Not to mention, I’ve never seen someone dress like you do. I mean, who even walks into the lobby of an inn practically naked?” she chided. “Then poof, you show up in my class. Naturally, that made me even more curious about you. Plus, that inn isn’t the sort usually frequented by fresh adventurers, you know. Also, you’re the first dark elf I’ve ever seen. In short, you’re an unusual sight around these parts.”
Halfway through her monologue, a member of the staff brought over some bread and sausage with an appetizing aroma. Miss Hitstan tapped her finger on the table twice to indicate where to place the dishes. Chopped pickles garnished the edges of the plates.
It was unfair to Ralf if my estimation of him dropped based on what a stranger said. But I couldn’t deny I’d had my own reservations about him from the start. His confession might just have been his way of making a pass at me. That being said, he’d still been incredibly kind to me.
What would he think if he found out that on the inside, I was actually a middle-aged man? He would probably have been disgusted. I couldn’t imagine him believing me even if I tried to explain the circumstances, though. And I didn’t want him to think I had a screw loose, so I only entertained the thought as a hypothetical. I didn’t plan on acting on it. As far as I was concerned, Ralf had shown me kindness when I desperately needed it and that was that. Whatever his true motives were, the fact remained that I was indebted to him.
“Truly, all he’s done is be kind to me,” I said. “He even loaned me some money, though I’m determined to find a job quickly and repay him.”
“I see,” Miss Hitstan said thoughtfully. “Then you should leave that inn, the sooner the better. It’s expensive. Adventurers around my level are the only ones who can even afford it.”
“Meaning Rank 3…? Okay, in that case, you’re right,” I agreed. “But he said he’s already paid for a week’s stay for me. I planned on discussing things with him when I see him next.”
Considering the income of a third-rank adventurer, I had to admit that inn was way out of my price range. Rank 3 was much closer to the top than the bottom, so adventures on that level probably earned a pretty good living. At the very least, the inn wasn’t somewhere some novice could stay for days on end.
I didn’t like being in a position where I owed something to someone. I couldn’t say for sure because I’d never really compared myself to others, but I probably had more of a tendency to feel that way than most people. Even just the thought of owing someone something made me feel guilty about anything I did. Whenever I came across something interesting or ate something delicious, I’d suddenly feel a pang in my chest and wonder if I should really be engaging in such activities. I knew it was wrong to rebuff kindness, but continuing to rely on it wasn’t good for my mental health.
“How about this,” Miss Hitstan offered. “Why don’t I cancel your room for you and return Ralf’s money to him? Then you can move into the Guild dormitory. And if you’re serious about not wanting to owe him anymore, I can help you figure things out.” She paused to take a breath there, leaning back in her chair, then took another sip of the drink in her cup before continuing, “As long as you’re not opposed, of course.”
Now I was starting to wonder why she was being so kind to me. Her status and the inherent power imbalance between us made it even harder for me to guess at her reasons. Not to mention her final suggestion only moved my debt from Ralf to her, which on a fundamental level, wasn’t a real solution.
If you can’t figure something out even after racking your brain, the best thing to do is ask. I lacked both experience and knowledge in this world. Therefore, I needed to gather more evidence before making a decision.
“While I’m grateful for your offer, I have to ask, why are you so concerned about me, Miss Hitstan?”
“It’s not a big deal,” she said. “I belong to an all-women team and that jerk made one of my friends cry. When I became your teacher, for some reason, I felt like it was fate. Especially after you left such a striking impression on me this morning.”
When she brought up the morning’s debacle, I curled in on myself and bowed my head in embarrassment.
“Oh, I’m not criticizing you or anything,” she quickly clarified. “Anyway, I don’t have any ulterior motives. You can think of this as a bonus lesson.”
She waved her hand in the air as if to say she’d had enough of this conversation, then proceeded to clumsily split the bread in half and stuff the sausages and pickles into it. Because of the rough tear, it looked like she was forcing it all in. Then she poured some kind of sauce over the misshapen bun, while hastily picking up the pickles spilling out with her free hand, bringing them to her mouth and eating them. Despite her neat appearance, her behavior was pretty rough around the edges. Maybe that was typical for adventurers.