《Nobina and Her Strange Journey Through Another World》 Chapter 0: Dreams and Chances The sounds of cars filled Nobina¡¯s ears as she found herself awake. Despite the bed being warm, Nobina resisted staying the temptation of sleep and began to stand up and strech her arms. Her first instinct was to grab her glasses and put them on. Afterward, Nobina went to the mirror to fix her long, black hair a bit. During this, she couldn''t help but be a bit critical about how plain she looked. Nobina was pretty average in her mind. She didn¡¯t think she had anything in particular that stood out. Her measurements were all normal in her mind. Her hair was pretty long and black, but she didn¡¯t think it was special. Even her gentle expression seemed average. In her mind, she knew it was a bad habit to try to downplay yourself, but she couldn¡¯t help it. In her own life, she felt average perfectly described her. Looking at the time, she quickly began preparing to get ready to work. Living alone, she had to do everything herself. It wasn¡¯t too hard, as she developed a rhythm and could be ready within 30 minutes of waking up. As she was getting ready, she began thinking about the current story she was planning to write. A story about a future empress whose decisions were going to decide the fate of her space empire. Being the daughter of Emperor Alova Faux, who had not too long ago taken control of the empire after the previous rebellion, she knew that she had to do as much as she could. Not only for her father¡¯s sake but also for the sake of the people she cared about. This was a story that Nobina felt would be great to write about, but it was still in its planning stage. ¡°Sigh¡­ Like all the others, huh¡­¡± Nobina wanted to call herself a writer but felt she had no right to do so. All her writings were personal, and she had never released any of them. Whether it was fear of it not being well received or being completed in general, she had many reasons not to release her work. Her dream was to eventually publish a book she could be proud of and join all the writers she admired throughout her life. She didn¡¯t have any other talents, but she was decent at more normal stuff. That was probably why she didn¡¯t have trouble landing her current office job after college. Before she could let her worries overwhelm her, she focused on and finished getting ready for work. Once she was done, she began her drive to work. It was a decent drive, so she turned to her favorite podcast, ¡°The Virtual World,¡± which was a podcast by Vtubers. These were online entertainers who had digital bodies, yet real people behind them. Some played a character, while others were merely speaking through a virtual character, being basically themselves. In this case, the two people speaking were the latter, who spoke their minds and acted as themselves as far as she knew. The podcast itself would be no different from any other podcast from your standard entertainers. Still, this one focused more on two people who covered the virtual world and talked about their experiences. ¡°So,¡± said Maria Lai, who had a porcupine model for her character. ¡°Anything interesting happen yesterday at your debut Lu La?¡± ¡°Yeah. I just debuted with the new outfit for my model. It was a purple robe that really highlights the whole intelligence theme she has.¡± Nobina was aware of what she was talking about as she was watching the debut of a new outfit. It was a nice, elegant purple robe that perfectly fit Lu La¡¯s owl model. Nobina was in awe at how beautiful it looked, wondering what her own model would look like if she ever became a Vtuber. ¡°Probably just my normal outfit,¡± she chuckled. To her, she wasn¡¯t too creative in the art department. Writing about all sorts of things became easier and easier over time, but when she tried to apply that to the art medium, she fell short. Part of her told her that if she worked hard at it, she could become decently skilled at art, but she wanted to work on her main dream first. That being becoming a world-renowned author. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± said Maria, bringing Nobina¡¯s focus back to the road and out of her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s such a bad habit,¡± she shook her head, recognizing the danger of daydreaming while driving. ¡°So, are you excited for the upcoming convention? I know you plan to do a face-reveal in prep for it so your fans know who you are.¡± Lu La chuckled, probably nodding in response. ¡°Oh for sure. So many people wanted to meet me, and I felt it was time to put myself in the spot light a bit. Of course, I request any of my fans hearing this to avoid spreading my image to help me keep my privacy. After all, you wouldn¡¯t want your favorite owl to feel unsafe, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Nobina found herself saying out loud. She was a bit of a fan of Lu La, considering her character was all about knowledge, and being an owl certainly helped her appeal. Not only that, but Lu La was a very kind person who often treated her chat as respectfully as possible. From Nobina¡¯s perspective, she was someone worthy of following, and ever since she followed her at the start of her journey one year ago, she¡¯s listened to as much of her content as possible. ¡°I understand the feeling,¡± chuckled Maria. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get into the news¡­¡± The two began talking about what was happening in the Vtubing world, with Nobina listening as she continued driving. Eventually, she got there and headed inside the office. She greeted the lady at the front desk, who also returned a kind smile. Eventually, she reached her cubical and began her work. Typing away, Nobina found herself once again lost in thought. The story she was thinking about early on was for a game she played, a space game involving being a captain of a fleet. She did love strategy games, even if she wasn¡¯t the most strategic person herself. She wasn¡¯t picky either, but it was merely what she grew up with. ¡°Nobina,¡± came a voice from nearby. She turned to see it was her co-worker, Len, who was looking at her curiously. ¡°Spreadsheets that interesting?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh no,¡± she replied, feeling embarrassed. ¡°I was just thinking about something.¡± ¡°Your writing?¡± he asked, knowing the answer already. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Len gave a disappointed look as he looked at her. ¡°Nobina¡­ You¡¯ve worked here how long and yet you still haven¡¯t released anything.¡± She couldn¡¯t deny it. It frustrated her, but after working there for four years, she hadn¡¯t released anything. Len knew from the first year there that she wanted to be an author and that work was merely a means to an end. In fact, he had tried multiple times to help motivate her to focus on one story. However, time and time again, she let self-defeating thoughts stop her from doing anything. She had too many stories mid-way or even mostly done, yet never released. ¡°I know¡­ I¡­ I just can¡¯t find motivation to finish those stories.¡± ¡°Nobina. Life¡¯s too short to let fear get to you. If you don¡¯t take your chances, then chances will be taken for you. I¡¯m telling you this because I¡¯m your friend and you¡¯re so kind to everyone. You should gain courage and find the will to finish those unfished books. Else¡­ Well¡­ A dream will remain a dream.¡± He began walking away, leaving her to look at her spreadsheets. ¡°I¡¯m still young¡­ I still got plenty of time.¡± Another excuse. Hours flew by easily as she swapped between daydreaming and working on her work. Soon, it was time to head home. Once in her car, she tuned in to her favorite streamer and began listening to them. She knew it was dangerous to actually watch while driving, so she only left it on audio only as she focused on the road. She enjoyed being able to laugh on the way home. As she was driving, she found herself at a stoplight. Cars were zooming by, and she was listening in to La Lu¡¯s words. Before she knew it, La Lu said something that gave her pause. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯m glad I took the chance and started my career as a Vtuber guys. I¡¯ve made so many friends, had so many experiences and¡­ I¡¯ve been able to live my dream. I¡¯m so thankful for everything and hopefully we can have so many more experiences together.¡± Nobina found herself shedding a tear for two reasons. The first was that her idol basically thanked all of them for being with her on her journey. She knew well that she had her own life problems, and that streaming was La Lu¡¯s dream. Being able to support her this whole time made her the happiest person ever. However, she also dug a dagger into her heart. She talked about taking a chance and accomplishing her dream. For Nobina, she had never taken that chance, and it was eating at her. ¡°I should take my chance like her,¡± she told herself. Empty words. The light turned green, prompting her to drive forward. However, a loud noise came from her left, and she turned to a blinding light and horn. Then¡­ Darkness. Chapter 1: The End and Beginning A blinding light found itself hitting Nobina¡¯s eyes as she tried to get her bearings. As she looked around, she found herself in an empty space. Empty except for a single man standing there. Wearing what was akin to a scientist''s outfit, he smiled and greeted her. ¡°Hello there Nobina,¡± he said as he gave a bow. Nobina, confused, tries to figure out what to say. She wasn¡¯t really good at speaking with strangers, especially in sudden situations, but for some reason this person felt familiar. ¡°Do I know you?¡± she asked, giving her head a tilt. ¡°No, but I know you,¡± he smiled. ¡°A woman who¡¯s been living a pretty average life. Aspiring to be a writer, yet never finding the courage to actually write. Never taking that chance. Quite sad really.¡± A part of her felt a bit hurt by his words, but he had a point. She wanted to be a writer, but she knew it wasn¡¯t realistic in terms of sustaining herself. That was why she entered the business field and took a pretty average corporate job. There she was, basically going through the motions as she bided her time. At least, that was the plan. However, the truth was she was too scared to take the next step. Too afraid to take the chance and release her work. And now she wondered if she had lost that chance. ¡°Before you knew it, you got into a car accident. Those automatic cars really are dangerous sometimes,¡± chuckled the scientist. ¡°So. I¡¯m here to tell you that you¡¯ve died, yet I¡¯m here to give you a second chance.¡± She felt a bit of sadness as she listened to his words, but the words ¡°second chance¡± had caught her attention. ¡°Second chance?¡± she asked, wondering what it could entail. ¡°Yeah! A chance to live in a fantasy world where you can do anything you want! And the only thing I ask is you take this bag.¡± Grabbing the bag, she looked it over. Its appearance was that of an old sack. One that would likely just hold potatoes or some sort of vegetable. Looking inside, it was empty. ¡°A¡­ sack?¡± she asked, confused by what she was supposed to do with them. ¡°Well, this sack is special. Cause objects appear in it based on what the entities demand!¡± He held out his hands as if waiting for something to happen. Both of them stood there, waiting for whatever was supposed to happen. However, time ticked, and there was only silence. ¡°¡­¡± Nobina wanted to say something but was afraid of interrupting whatever was supposed to happen. At the same time, the scientist was confused, trying to figure out whether he should say something or not. After what felt like forever, he sighed. ¡°Well¡­ Maybe next time. Anyways, keep that sack with you. It¡¯ll certainly help you out when the time comes. At least¡­ I hope so.¡± The look of uncertainty on his face made her worried about what this bag was capable of, but she didn¡¯t have much reason to distrust him. If what he was telling her was true, then this was her second chance to live a life cut short. The thing was, she didn¡¯t know what this would entail. She wasn¡¯t a stranger to the concept of dying and being teleported to another world. In some cases, people were teleported straight there. In other cases, they were introduced to the world by its god or goddess. In this case, she was introduced by a scientist whom she didn¡¯t know the name of. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, coming to that realization. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Nonomo my dear,¡± he smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be checking up on you once in a while, but it seems it¡¯s the time start off your journey.¡± Before she could say anything, she found herself slowly losing vision. Everything went dark, but the last thing she saw was Nonomo turning around and start to talk to what appeared to be empty space. Nobina had no idea what was going to happen, but all she hoped was that she could handle what was to come. ¡­ Once again, she found herself blinded by a light. When her vision finally returned, she took notice of a luscious forest. It appeared vast as her gaze looked left and then right. She became in awe as she hadn¡¯t been to a forest in so long. It reminded her of a long-gone past, making her a bit sad, but at the same time, excitement started to build in her. This was really a new world for her. One ready for her to explore. She didn¡¯t know where to start, but all she knew was that no matter where she took her first steps, it would be somewhere new. Something that would lead to new adventures. Something that was a change from her pretty mundane office life. She felt her stomach rumble, making her a bit hungry. ¡°Man, I could use something to eat.¡± As she said that, she felt the bag get a bit heavier. Curious, she opened it and saw oranges inside the bag. ¡°Huh?¡± Her confusion grew as she picked out an orange from the bag. She merely shrugged as she began to peel and eat it. It was definitely an orange, which begged the question of why she had oranges suddenly. Nonomo did say the bag was special. As she finished the orange, she felt the bag once again get heavier. ¡°What now,¡± she said as she looked inside. To her surprise, now there were eggs in the bag. She took one of the egg, deciding to crack it to see if it was indeed an egg. To her surprise, it was boiled, which prompted her to taste it. ¡°Huh¡­ A normal boiled egg.¡± All of this was so strange. Why were these foods appearing in the bag specifically? Did someone hear her request for food and decide she needed these two specifically? Or perhaps she merely received them because they served a greater purpose she didn¡¯t know. Whatever the case was, she had the food she needed, showing the bag really was going to be useful to her one way or another. ¡°Now¡­ where to go.¡± She had a few choices. She could go deeper into the forest or turn around and follow the road. One option seemed safer than the other, but a bit of uncertainty filled her mind. She was never really good with unplanned things like this, and this was as unplanned as things could get. Whatever direction she headed in would decide how things would go. ¡°Safe is best after all,¡± she nodded. Nobina made her way down the road, heading away from the forest. The view was replaced with a pretty open plain full of grass. Looking around, she could see tiny things moving around far in the distance of the plain. Her writer¡¯s mind told her it was likely monsters, but she¡¯d have to get closer to confirm that, which she had no intention of doing. She didn¡¯t know if she had any powers or anything that made her beyond a normal human. The worst case would be that she was just a normal person with a special bag. That meant she could receive a lethal blow and die should fate dictate it. She knew she had to play it smart. Until she had her bearings and could settle in and learn this world, she didn¡¯t want to take any unnecessary risks. As she thought that, she felt as if a gaze had suddenly disappeared. She wasn¡¯t aware of it until it was gone either, making her wonder what that was. She suddenly felt relaxed, as if there were no longer eyes watching her. She couldn¡¯t explain the feeling, but the bag itself also seemed to reflect it. It suddenly felt normal. Looking at it and examining it, all she could think of was that this bag was linked to whatever that gaze was. When it disappeared, the bag lost its purpose. It started to make sense in her mind. If this bag was somehow linked with someone¡¯s or something¡¯s gaze, then when she was hungry, the gaze knew that and put food into it. ¡°Am I¡­ being watched?¡± She began chuckling, thinking about the idea of being watched by some mythical force. Perhaps that is what it felt like being a streamer, having the eyes of others on you as you did your best to entertain them. ¡°Welcome to the stream everyone,¡± Nobina spoke out loud, facing a random direction. Of course nothing happened, but she found the thought to be interesting. Nonomo did say the bag was special and if this was a part of it, then she¡¯d need to experiment more. ¡°For now¡­ Let¡¯s find out as much as we can about this world. Information is power and all my knowledge of my old world will do nothing if I suddenly get attacked by monsters I cannot escape.¡± With that, Nobina set out to find out more about this world, the bag she was given, and all the mysteries that came with it. This was, after all, her second chance. Chapter 2: Paths and Kingdoms Nobina began her trek down the unknown path, full of optimism yet caution. This was a new world to her, so she had to be as careful as possible until she was in a safe place. She could only think back to the times when she had traveled into the unknown to offer her a memory of a somewhat similar situation. Normally, she would plan things out as that was her nature, but there was one day when she was much younger that she wanted to see what was like to go on an adventure. She got into her car, drove to another town to explore, and experienced all sorts of new things. From foods she had never tried before to sights that made her happy. The experience was all worth it, but she never did anything like that again. Why? Because she was far too busy with her schoolwork and life seemed to take over. Soon, the thought of having another adventure never occurred to her. At least until right now. ¡°An adventure huh¡­ I wonder what my first encounter will be.¡± She continued down the road, keeping track of her surroundings in case of any potential dangers. She was mainly looking out for monsters, but she was hoping to find someone. A road meant a place that was traveled on, so the odds of finding anyone were hopefully high. The road was large enough to fit a carriage, so that was a good sign. The world around her was quite beautiful in her eyes. The forest and plains seemed greener, the tiny monsters in the distance seemed varied, which was nice. She didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near them, but from a distance they made the fact that she was in a fantasy world even more real in her mind. It was one thing to write about these worlds but experiencing them was a whole other story. Eventually, as she approached the end of the plains, she noticed a covered carriage pulled by two horses. Her excitement rose as she was happy with the thought of meeting actual people. She approached them in a sort of sprint, wanting to meet them as soon as possible. Jumping out of the back was a man with a sword who held up his hand, forcing her to stop. ¡°Halt,¡± he said. His voice was rough, and now, getting a better picture of him, she could tell he was likely either a guard or an adventurer acting as a guard. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, halting. ¡°So sorry. I haven¡¯t met anyone yet, so I was so excited to meet someone new.¡± Hearing the genuine excitement in her voice gave him pause before he lowered his guard a bit. ¡°Hm? Are you perhaps lost?¡± ¡°You can say that,¡± she replied, now catching her breath. He gave a nod. ¡°Well, the kingdom is rather unknown in terms of geography to travelers, especially from the other two nations, so I can understand that.¡± Nobina¡¯s thoughts began processing what he was saying. He was implying she was from another nation, which wouldn¡¯t exactly be inaccurate, to say the least. However, a worry entered her mind. She was from another world, and the idea of telling someone that was risky, to say the least. From the many stories she¡¯d read, revealing such a secret was a risk. The worst case would be that people would take advantage of that and do horrible stuff to her. Not wanting to risk that, she began trying to act as if she was from another nation. Just one he wasn¡¯t familiar with. ¡°Yeah,¡± she chuckled, perhaps a bit too suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to get help getting to the nearest town. Do you mind if I join you?¡± He put his hand to his chin, thinking. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll have to ask the boss first.¡± At that point, another man, a bit younger than him at least, appeared from the carriage. He looked like a merchant with his outfit, so she had to guess this was a merchant carriage. ¡°Hello there,¡± said the other man. ¡°Name Fitz Gerna. Independent merchant. What is your name?¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± she replied, giving a bow. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. As she raised her head, she noticed the expression of Fitz was a bit different. She wondered if bowing was a bad idea. If it wasn¡¯t a normal thing to do anywhere, then she might have made them unnecessarily suspicious. ¡°Well then Nobina. I heard everything the two of you were talking about, so I¡¯ll just say I don¡¯t mind you joining. You don¡¯t appear to have much besides an empty sack.¡± Looking at her sack, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a bit strange,¡± she said, calming herself down. ¡°Anyways, thank you for the ride.¡± With that, Nobina approached and entered the carriage. The adventurer had already lowered his guard and entered the back with her. Inside the carriage were five boxes likely full of the merchants¡¯ wares. ¡°So what are you selling?¡± Nobina asked as the merchant took the reins of the carriage. ¡°Nothing that great. Mostly some common goods from other nations. The town I¡¯m going to needs more general supplies like metal cooking ware and paper-based supplies, so we are on our way back from the Nation of Arren.¡± She gave a nod. Hearing about paper-based supplies made her a bit excited, but she managed to hold it in. After all, the less she had to reveal about her past the safer she was. At that point, the carriage began moving, with the guard relaxing. As he seemed to relax even more, he spoke once more. ¡°Names Alfer,¡± he replied. ¡°C-rank adventurer. Hired for a guard.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± she said, holding out her hand for a handshake. His confusion prompted her to slowly withdraw her hand in embarrassment. So far everything was going fine, but she felt she had made a few mistakes. She hoped that this wasn¡¯t the case, but she was being cautious just in case. As the three of them continued their journey, Nobina found her curious nature, prompting her to ask questions. Mainly involving the world around them as she was a sucker for world-building. ¡°So, what¡¯s your favorite place to visit Fitz?¡± Asked Nobina, more relaxed now that the three have ridden for a bit. ¡°Hm¡­ That¡¯d be the Magical Hills of Esar. At night, it gives that beautiful purple glow all over. The mixture of the plants that produce magical energy and the monsters there that all have that purple glow make that an amazing place to visit.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Magic is truly a wonderful thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± he nodded back. The idea of magic was something everyone dreamed of. To be able to shoot fireballs out of your hand and do crazy or amazing stuff? Something that anyone would love to be able to do. At least, that¡¯s what she thought. She began imagining herself firing off fireballs like a wizard, fighting a hoard of monsters and being a hero. ¡°So Nobina. What Path are you following?¡± asked Fitz, his focus on the road. ¡°Path? Well¡­ I want to be a writer, so that path.¡± He began laughing strongly, with Alfer joining him as well. Her curiosity peaked, but she found herself joining them. The laugh went on for a bit before they all calmed down. ¡°I mean what Path as in your destined Path. You know? The thing that we all aspire to follow?¡± Her confusion was suddenly clear as he stopped the carriage and turned to her. Both of them suddenly realized she had no idea what a Path was, making them wonder more about her. ¡°Can you¡­ refresh my mind on what a Path is.¡± Fitz took a breath and began explaining. ¡°A Path is something everyone is given at birth. It¡¯s how one gains abilities and becomes an elite in their field. For example, my path, the Path of a Merchant, allows me to gain merchant related abilities as long as I work hard at it.¡± His expression turned sad as he continued to speak. ¡°I have the ability to confirm accuracy of any calculation I make. It¡¯s limited to about ten uses an hour, so it¡¯s not the greatest ability, but it helps. I really wish I had a more impactful merchant ability though¡­¡± She saw his mood seem to drop even more. ¡°Imagine¡­ working hard for ten years and getting¡­ Only one ability. Sure, I¡¯m not the greatest merchant in the world, but I want to believe that I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t,¡± she said, looking at him. His gaze noticed a sort of fire in her eyes as she continued to speak. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard towards your dream and made progress. Sure, it¡¯s not as crazy as some other people, but progress is progress. Working hard to become something is something you should never be sad about. Even if things were bad, you can, at the very least say you tried.¡± He could tell that she was speaking from her heart now rather than trying to be cautious. His expression softened, and he began calming down. ¡°Your right,¡± he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve worked hard, and I wouldn¡¯t be where I¡¯m at today if I worked any less hard than I have. Thank you Nobina.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she responded, now calming down herself. ¡°You should speak more with your heart rather than being cautious all the time,¡± he chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t succeed as a merchant if you can¡¯t read people like I have been with you.¡± She felt embarrassed, seeing her act was easily revealed. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°No worries. We all have our situations, and this is merely one of them. Of course, I do recommend you get better at acting if you want to hide stuff. Else, be as honest as possible.¡± She gave a nod. ¡°Thanks Fitz.¡± ¡°Happy to help a friend,¡± he smiled. Despite him knowing she was hiding something, he seemed to be open with her, at least for now. Nobina knew she needed all the help she could get, as this was an unknown world that she was slowly gaining knowledge about. As Nobina looked out the window, it felt as if the gaze on her had flickered a bit. It was gone and back before she knew it. She didn¡¯t know how to react to it, so she decided to ignore it for now as it continued to stare. With that, they continued their journey towards the next town. Chapter 3: Adventuring Guild The three of them arrived at the town of Agora not too long later. During this time, Fitz had been more open to talking with Nobina about the kingdom they were in. Nobina learned that the Kingdom of Lumira was considered a ¡°starting kingdom,¡± where people went to discover and train their abilities. It was also where people went when they realized they didn¡¯t have any amazing abilities and wouldn¡¯t make it big anywhere else. ¡°Lumira has been a home to me for the longest time,¡± he smiled. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not like the other two major nations, but that doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s a bad place. Lumira offers a fresh start to many who feel like they aren¡¯t getting anywhere. Especially people like me.¡± As he said that, he turned to her. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s a bit short-sighted to say now that I think about it. I¡¯ve been working hard, as you¡¯ve said, and I think I might try to make the next step.¡± She gave a nod. ¡°That¡¯s all anyone can ask for,¡± she replied. As they reached what appeared to be a rest stop for the horses, Fitz asked Nobina what her plans were. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied. ¡°I need to find a job, but I¡¯d imagine you aren¡¯t hiring.¡± ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± he sighed. ¡°And I¡¯m not really sticking around here that long. I can recommend you some places to start looking for a job, but its really up to you. After all, I don¡¯t know your real path yet.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± she sighed. ¡°I wish I knew it as well.¡± ¡°You must have been raised in an isolated community,¡± said Fitz. ¡°Only explanation is¡­ Huh?¡± Fitz turned to Nobina¡¯s bag, looking at it with a confused expression. Nobina turned to it as well and noticed something inside. Opening it, she noticed what appeared to be a wooden fishing rod. As she pulled it out, she noticed it was one you put together. It was two sticks that were attached together, with a fishing line at the end and a hook at the end of the line. ¡°Did you¡­ always have that?¡± he asked, curious about the object. ¡°Well¡­ No,¡± she responded. ¡°This bag is special. Sometimes random objects just appear.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Well¡­ Hopefully you get a lot of gold random,¡± he began to laugh. The two of them began to laugh before Alfar spoke out. ¡°It¡¯s time to unload boss. We got a tight schedule with a departure tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Sorry Alfar,¡± Fitz responded. ¡°Anyway, thanks for the talk Nobina. It¡¯s been great.¡± ¡°Same to you,¡± she nodded. Nobina began walking away, taking in the city for the first time. Her eyes turned to the various stores she saw, all lined up somewhat organized. Most of them were a mixture of wood and stone, with the stone looking a bit sleek. Some of the stores had signs on them clearly indicating what they were, while others were pretty vague in what they were selling. At least vague to her. She wasn¡¯t familiar with the world at all, so some of these symbols that might have been common were foreign to her. She decided to see if she could find a place looking to hire people. So far, everything had been in her language, so she was thankful for that. If she had appeared in a world where no one understood her or she couldn¡¯t read, things would have been significantly harder. She couldn¡¯t remember reading a story like that, but she always thought that¡¯d be an interesting premise. As a writer, she was always looking out for interesting stories. There was only so much of the same thing one could read before seeking something new and exciting. Eventually, she found what appeared to be a help-wanted sign in front of one of the stores. It appeared to be a general store, so it seemed like a good place to start. Entering the store, she saw all sorts of general wares, with a rather bored person behind the counter. He was someone roughly in their thirties, bald, and wearing what she imagined was a common outfit for shop employees. ¡°Welcome,¡± he said. ¡°Buying or selling.¡± ¡°I see your looking to hire,¡± she said, trying to be as confident as possible.¡± ¡°Path?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Writing¡­¡± He looked at her weirdly before shaking his head. ¡°Haven¡¯t heard about such a path, but I need a Merchant Path or any sort of selling path or even the Charisma Path. Sorry.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! She felt defeated and nodded, leaving the store. As she exited, she sighed, wondering whether this would be a common response. ¡°If they are looking for a specific path to hire people, they should have put it on the sign... Actually, how do pathless people get jobs. Is that even a thing?¡± She thought about going back to Fitz to ask more questions, but she knew she couldn¡¯t depend on him too much. They were friends, but not to the degree that she wanted to burden him. She knew she had to be able to be independent, especially in a world all about working hard to become better. ¡°I¡¯ll find information. Always a good place to start.¡± She began looking around for a library to get some information. Part of her wondered if this world had such a place, but she didn¡¯t want to believe libraries here didn¡¯t exist. It might have been a case where they existed, but only for the rich, but that was good enough for her. Eventually, she got lucky and found a medium-sized building with adventurer-like people entering and exiting. The sign gave a good indication that this was a sort of adventuring guild. She approached and entered, surprised by the shift in atmosphere. It felt a bit intimidating, mostly due to all the adventurers around her. Though, she didn¡¯t need to be an expert to know why this was the case. Adventures in the stories she read were all strong, able to fight monsters normal people like her had no chance against. That wasn¡¯t her path, or at least she thought it wasn¡¯t her path. She had to figure out more about path stuff, so this seemed like the best place to start. Her eye caught a rather bored looking receptionist, who seemed to be day dreaming. She had short, red hair and red eyes that looked fascinating to Nobina. When the receptionist''s eyes turned to Nobina, she seemed to perk up a bit. ¡°Welcome,¡± she said, mustering a smile. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Nobina approached, giving a nod. ¡°Hi,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask if I can get information regarding Paths.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ The information room is reserved for adventurers or employees unfortunately. You¡¯ll have to ask somewhere else.¡± The look of disappointment on Nobina¡¯s face seemed to push the employee to speak more. ¡°Sorry. Let me introduce myself. The name is Sarah Airs. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± she responded. ¡°Oh, I guess I should ask if you know where someone with a Path of the Writer can find a job.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t know if such a path existed, given how Fitz and that store employee reacted when she said that, but the reaction of Sarah seemed to indicate a no. ¡°Never heard of such a path, but I can say we are looking for employees of a certain education and skill. We aren¡¯t too concerned about the path either. What would you say your skills are?¡± Nobina gave it some thought before responding. ¡°I can write, read and do mathematics. I¡¯m not too much of a people person though, so hopefully you don¡¯t mind that.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± she responded. ¡°I think you should be good to hire, but I¡¯ll need you to meet with the guild master first.¡± Those words instantly put her on alert, as meeting with a guild master sounded scary yet exciting. From what she knew, guild masters were powerful people capable of stopping large armies of monsters. This might have been a relatively small adventuring guild and perhaps she was overestimating how strong one would actually be, but it was an adventuring guild regardless. They must be somewhat strong. ¡°Sure,¡± she responded, showing an excitement that Sarah clearly noticed. ¡°Hopefully you get the job,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Always nice to have more people around here as interesting as you.¡± With that, Nobina followed Sarah into the back of the building. They went up a step of stairs and eventually reached an office. Entering it, Nobina felt the air was even thicker than before. All of that was emanating from a single man sitting at the opposite end of the room, working on a document. Looking at the man, he appeared to be in his fifties. There was a slight scar on his face, but beyond that he seemed perfectly fine. His outfit screamed guild master, being a nicer outfit compared to the one Sarah had. The last thing of note he had was a longsword that was to the side of his desk in a well designed scabbard. ¡°Hm?¡± he responded, looking up. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Her name is Nobina,¡± said Sarah. ¡°She¡¯s a skilled individual with an unknown path called the Path of the Writer.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± His curious gaze fell onto her, when he seemed to reach. It was very slight, but Nobina noticed it. He must have saw something that was serious enough to give him pause. ¡°Oh right, my apologies. I¡¯m Guild Master Eric of the Seren Adventuring Guild. We are a branch office, so excuse the lack of excitement.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± she responded calmly. ¡°I¡¯m just excited to get the chance to work here.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Anyways, take a seat. I¡¯ll need to learn more about your origins and path if I¡¯m to hire you. Hopefully you understand.¡± Nobina nodded, taking a seat in front of him. At that time, Sarah took her leave, leaving the two alone. As for Nobina, her eyes turned to the bookshelves around him, making him curious. ¡°Do you have a love for books?¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± she responded. ¡°I do love books and I¡¯m hoping to be a writer one day.¡± ¡°Well with the Path of the Writer, that should be easy enough. Though, writing itself is such a rare profession and the Path of the Writer is something I¡¯ve never heard of. Has someone confirmed that is your Path?¡± Nobina felt his probing questions making her consider her next words. This was a powerful individual in her mind, and messing up here felt like a big mistake. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much Nobina,¡± said Eric. ¡°Tell me the whole truth, since lying will not get you a job here. Nor will it help you in the future.¡± She felt as if she was threatened, but Eric clarified shortly after. ¡°I¡¯m saying this for your sake. People here are good at reading lies. Especially with how many people come and go. I¡¯m just someone who wouldn¡¯t hold it against you, but others might. For your sake, you¡¯ll need to avoid lying as much as possible.¡± ¡°The thing is¡­ I just lack knowledge of everything.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± he responded. ¡°Why is that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m from another world.¡± His expression didn¡¯t change in the slightest, surprising her. He merely offered a gentle smile. ¡°Hm¡­ Perhaps that is why I noticed a rather strange gaze looking at me. I thought it was something weird but¡­ If you are from another world then you must share an origin with the heroes of old.¡± Hearing that, Nobina began wondering if she wasn¡¯t the only person who had died and been given a second chance in this world. However, she also was now curious. Who else could notice the mysterious gaze that had been looking at her this whole time? It only stopped for a bit but came back not too long after. Was this Nonomo watching her or perhaps the entities involved with the bag. Did they also have any influence on those around her as well? Questions were rapidly appearing in her mind, but she had to leave them unanswered for now. She had to continue the interview, revealing the truth to Eric and hoping he had no malicious intentions. Chapter 4: Chance and Money Nobina began telling him as much as she could, sticking to the main points of the story of what happened to her. How she was from another world, brought there by what she considered a god called Nonomo. At least, that¡¯s what she thought he was. His scientist outfit didn¡¯t really sell the whole god thing that well, but a god could do whatever they wanted in most cases. He told her how she had died and was being given a second chance to live her dream. She also received a bag that he told her was special and that she should keep on her at all times. With that, she appeared here and found her way to town with the help of a merchant called Fitz. Afterward, she began looking for a job and found her way to him. ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Eric. ¡°Can I see the bag you have?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she said happily, handing over the bag. Taking it, he took out the fishing rod and placed it on the table, looking it over. ¡°This seems like solid enough woodwork,¡± he said, examining the rod. ¡°Very polished and sturdy. Though it¡¯s unfortunate there¡¯s not really good places to fish around here. I think there¡¯s a river you could check out somewhat close to here.¡± ¡°That sounds good enough for me. If I don¡¯t get a job soon, I might starve and have to fish to survive,¡± she laughed. He laughed as well, shaking his head. ¡°No worries about that,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯m fine hiring you on, though whether you will stay here long term is up to your actual skills.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± she said, almost shaking in excitement. Memories of her first interview quickly filled her mind as she felt a similar experience. The joy of getting the position after working for it was something special. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her reaction, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s start talking about the situation you¡¯re in regarding your Path and all. Safe to say, you don¡¯t know your born Path, right?¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°No sir,¡± she responded. He gave a nod back, picking up a book and scanning through it quickly. ¡°Well then. We have a person who specializes in checking Paths coming in two weeks, so we can confirm what your born Path is. For now, you can keep saying your Path is that of a writer.¡± He then put it back down and took a sip of his drink before continuing. ¡°Next is the whole ¡®another world¡¯ aspect. As you might guess, you should avoid spreading that knowledge as much as possible. Some people will think that you¡¯re a hero and try to take advantage of you. If you really do have the Path of the Hero, it would be very problematic if someone with bad intentions takes hold of you. In fact, I¡¯d be obligated to surrender you to the kingdom in such a case.¡± Hearing that made her immediately worried, but he once again calmed her down with his next words. ¡°However, for your sake and for ours, we can¡¯t just assume that¡¯s the likely scenario. I want to have your Path confirmed first before doing such a thing. If you really aren¡¯t a hero or if you really do have the Path of the Writer, then you can work here as long as you want without issues.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°That would be great. I¡¯m not interested in becoming a hero or anything that crazy. I just¡­ want to write.¡± He gave a nod, showing a reassuring look. ¡°It¡¯s a simple, yet respectable desire to seek simplicity. Not everyone is born for the life of an adventurer. It requires a certain fire and desire to push oneself into danger, and it is far too risky for many.¡± Nobina had a feeling that was the case. Realistically, most people wouldn¡¯t be expected to risk their lives unless absolutely necessary. That was basically the same with Nobina. ¡°With those matters out of the way, we can probably conclude the interview and have you meet with the rest of the staff. Sarah, who you¡¯ve already met, is one of the three guild officers we have at this branch. The others are Mimiki and Lare, who you will meet shortly.¡± The guild master stood up, walking close to Nobina. The aura he had previously given off was all but gone as he opened the door. Nobina took her fishing rod and bag and began to take her leave. As she passed by and exited, Eric closed the door and walked back to his desk, facing the outside window. ¡°I wonder if she really is a hero¡­¡± he said as he closed his eyes. ¡°Everyone so far that has come here from another world has turned out to be one, but her circumstances are so weird. And that gaze¡­ It felt so strange. Hopefully, for all our sakes, her being here isn¡¯t a sign of bad things to come.¡± Nobina made her way down the stairs back to the front. Sarah, who was still managing the desk, brightened up when she saw her. ¡°Nobina!¡± The excitement in Sarah¡¯s reaction caught her off guard. She made her way to Nobina, grabbing her hands. ¡°Did it go well? Do I have someone new to talk with?¡± Nobina gave a nod, causing Sarah to jump up and down. ¡°Great! I¡¯m so happy that things will be so much better. Oh, did he tell you what your job would be?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± she responded. ¡°Well, I guess Lare¡¯s job is to figure that stuff out. Anyways, we should celebrate! Drinks seem perfect for the occasion.¡± Hearing that, Nobina began to recall how drinking was a thing that she was asked about initially as she started to work in her office in her previous world. When she was new, a few people invited her out to drink, mainly her direct co-workers. She always told them she wasn¡¯t really a drinker, which seemed to slowly stop the invites. Soon, she was pretty much not invited under the assumption she wouldn¡¯t drink. It wasn¡¯t just because she wouldn¡¯t drink though. From what Len had told her, they felt she wasn¡¯t really interested in spending time drinking and seemed to want to go home all the time. Nobina couldn¡¯t deny that was somewhat true. She was always looking forward to writing a bit or relaxing by either watching anime, reading books, or even watching streams. That lack of interest in hanging out must have been clear to the others. With that in mind, Nobina didn¡¯t want to follow the same path she had followed in her old world. She wanted to spend more time with her co-workers and enjoy her journey here. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ down to drink a bit,¡± she said. ¡°Though maybe after I settle in first.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Let me introduce you to everyone else... Well, it¡¯s just Lare and the guild master here today. Anyway, let¡¯s see Lare.¡± With that, Sarah began pulling Nobina through the guild, specifically to one of the back offices. Sarah knocked on one of the doors, and a man answered the knock. ¡°Who is it,¡± called the man. ¡°Lare. It¡¯s me. Sarah. We finally got a new employee.¡± Moments later, the door opened to another guild employee. He was probably a bit older than Nobina, and he was wearing the same style of outfit as Sarah. There was a slight distinction in the emblem, likely indicating his position. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s nice we got someone at least qualified to work here.¡± In response to that, Sarah punched his arms, with him laughing in response. ¡°I¡¯ve proven myself already, alright? I didn¡¯t work here for six years for nothing.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± he replied with a look showing he didn¡¯t believe that. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m Lare, a senior guild employee. I¡¯m in charge of managing the guild staff in place of Guild Master Eric. You¡¯ve met Sarah already, our main receptionist. She handles most of the day-to-day tasks. I believe that Mimiki is out right now, but she handles adventuring matters from negotiations to promotions and acts as Sarah¡¯s backup. Hm¡­¡± Lare gave her a look over before speaking again. ¡°So, what did Eric ask you to do? Actually, what is your Path?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say,¡± she replied. ¡°I can do reading, writing, and mathematics though. Also, my Path is the Path of the Writer.¡± Those last words seemed to confuse him a bit, but he quickly began thinking about what else she said. ¡°Hm¡­ Perhaps you can handle financial matters? Take a look at everything at let me know if you can figure out what needs work.¡± With that, the three began a basic tour of the adventuring guild. The Adventuring guild was a two-story building made out of mostly stone and some wood here and there. Unlike the other buildings, a lot of the stone was carved and decorated to look nice. It was a solid building with three receptionist desks in the main lobby. There was an adventuring board where people could take the daily quests that were placed on it. The lobby itself was decently furnished and had places where people could hang out and talk before heading out to complete quests. ¡°Our quests range from F to D, so we don¡¯t have any high-ranking adventurers or even mid-rank adventurers. Many people here are just starting out their adventuring Path.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Nobina, giving a nod. ¡°So, this place is relatively safe then.¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Sometimes the monster locations get a bit too large for us to handle, so Eric personally goes out to trim the numbers. You should see him in battle. It¡¯s a sight worth seeing.¡± Nobina nodded. Seeing an adventurer in action would be a memory worth remembering, like seeing an anime fight live. For now, her focus was settling in and getting a rhythm for her new job, whatever that ended up being that is. Their tour then went to the back part of the first floor, where Nobina noticed the first thing that she could potentially help out with. ¡°So¡­ how exactly do you track your finances?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°We note down the daily totals in a notebook, and then that¡¯s basically it,¡± said Lare. ¡°Uh¡­ isn¡¯t that too simple for an adventuring guild?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I would have guessed you would have used a more solid system.¡± For her, it seemed like a no-brainer that any business, especially one like an adventuring guild, had at least a basic accounting system. She wasn¡¯t an accountant herself, but she learned a bit of it in college. Her major was economics since she needed something solid to get her a job while she did her writing. ¡°What do you suggest? None of us specializes in mathematics.¡± ¡°I can handle creating a ledger for the guild. It should help track the finances better, as well as serve as a basis for developing reports and evaluating economic performance. Especially since following trends is a good way to¡­¡± As she spoke, she noticed that both of them looked at her in shock. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have an Economic Path?¡± Asked Sarah. ¡°That sounded so¡­ math like.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Lare. ¡°What was your previous profession?¡± Thinking about it, she had to give a profession that made sense in this world. ¡°Uh¡­ I guess Treasurer would be the correct title.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Someone in charge of money. Not only that, but the ability to read and write¡­¡± ¡°We got lucky with you,¡± said Lare, nodding his head. ¡°Looks like we got your first task. Create this ¡®Ledger¡¯ and then see if our finances are good.¡± She gave a nod. It would be a tough endeavor as she needed to understand how the guild income and expenses worked first, but it was something within her power at least. They finished up the tour, and she was happy to get a good layout of the guild. Her greatest enjoyment was finally being able to see the guild information room, which had three rows of books of various information. She wanted to look through it all and see what this world was about, but Lare stopped her before she could begin browsing. ¡°Hold your horses,¡± he said, giving a stern look. ¡°You still got plenty of things to do before diving into these books. Your job isn¡¯t just going to be this ¡®Ledger¡¯ creation. You¡¯ll be expected to perform the basic duties of a guild officer. We might have days of high demand, or someone is unavailable. You¡¯ll need to be able to pick up for them.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Right¡­ sorry. I was just very excited, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Lare,¡± said Sarah, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°Don¡¯t intimidate Nobina. She¡¯s enjoying her time here, and you shouldn¡¯t slam her with pressure.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being honest,¡± he said without a change in his expression. ¡°But yeah, that should cover the tour for today. Any questions?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m really excited to begin working.¡± ¡°Great. Sarah can teach you the ropes from here. I¡¯m heading back to my office. Feel free to let me know if you need anything directly from me.¡± With that, Lare left, leaving the two alone. ¡°Finally,¡± said Sarah. ¡°We can chat about so many things. I¡¯m so curious about where you¡¯re from and would love to hear some interesting stories. You must have a tone.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in response. ¡°Well... I might have interesting stories to tell. Just a bit more on the fiction side.¡± Nobina hoped she was fine with hearing her chat about her writing. It was her favorite topic, and besides that, it felt hard talking about other stuff from her old world. The worst case would be revealing the fact she was from another world. As she thought about it, everything was going well so far. She had a lot of work ahead of her and wasn¡¯t completely set so far in terms of settling down. However, she saw a path forward and had people supporting her. She would do her best to show she was a hard worker and deserving of her job. It was a chance she didn¡¯t want to waste. Chapter 5: Charisma, Conflict and Soup The two of them headed to the front, where Sarah had Nobina sit down on a chair behind the desk. As for Sarah, she took her position behind one of the receptionist desks before turning to Nobina. ¡°Now then,¡± said Sarah. ¡°My job as the Main Receptionist of the guild is pretty straightforward. I stand here to make sure that there¡¯s always someone ready to assist guild members. For the most part, it¡¯s just turning in quests or getting new ones. The process for both of those is pretty simple. As long as adventurers make sure the requirements are met, I just have both of those processed without issue. I note down what quests are taken and completed in our quest keeping log and that¡¯s the end of it.¡± Nobina gave a nod. It was a simple job, yet it wasn¡¯t something she really explored when she wrote her stories. No one really thought about the simple roles like Sarahs, but it was critical to ensure the guild could function. Without someone handling the quests, nothing could basically happen. ¡°Occasionally, we some people need other services, but I¡¯ll always be here to assist you in learning how to handle them. Do you have any questions?¡± She shook her head. It was pretty straightforward, so she was interested to see how the interactions went. With that, Sarah nodded and began working at the desk. Working was a light way to put it though. Ten minutes had passed, and nothing had really happened. During this time, Sarah began talking about herself, and Nobina listened intently to her talk. She began talking about how she originally lived in another town that was half the size of Agora. Things were pretty quiet there, even compared to Agora. ¡°Lavasta is as small as a town you can get. Also as boring as you can get,¡± she laughed. ¡°A town with only one road to it and one that operated as a farming town. Nothing really interesting there besides a few monsters here and there. That¡¯s why I eventually moved to Agora.¡± ¡°Oh ok. Did you intent to be a guild officer initially or did it just happen?¡± Sarah shook her head. ¡°See, I learned of my Charisma skill from the guild and was offered a job on the spot. I was lucky that there was someone who could check that day. Else, I¡¯d be hunting for jobs and perhaps working something more traditional.¡± ¡°Do you have an ability?¡± She gave a smirk, showing a proud expression. ¡°I got two. Neither might be rare, but it¡¯s something.¡± Nobina was surprised and interested in learning what they were. The first one was called Far Speech. It was an active ability that allowed her voice to be heard at far distances. It was a skill that required practice, so she often spent the weekends going into the forest to train it. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit dangerous?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°What if you draw monsters to you?¡± ¡°We are in a pretty safe place and guild officers usually undergo basic monster slaying training. Plus, I only can use it twice a day right now. Of course, not all of us are required to know basic combat training, but many of us take the course. It could mean the difference between life and death, especially if you go into the field.¡± She gave a nod. It made sense to have some sort of basic training for the sake of protection. Sarah then went into her second skill, which was surprisingly not an active skill. It was a passive skill called Composure, which allowed her to maintain composure in situations that normally would cause her to lose it. It did have its limits, though, and if she lost her composure despite the skill being active, the drawback was serious. ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t like thinking about what happens when it fails,¡± she sighed. Nobina waited for her to explain it more, but she quickly moved on to another topic. It was clearly a sensitive one, so Nobina didn¡¯t press her. With that, the topic changed to more casual topics like Sarah¡¯s favorite foods, places to go, and her general likes and dislikes. Nobina knew she was leading the conversation, but she didn¡¯t mind. As they talked, occasionally an adventurer would approach and draw her attention. It was then that Nobina got a good sense of how to operate the receptionist desks. From what she noticed, Sarah always made sure to give a smile and be as welcoming as possible. Whether it was a male or female adventurer, a young or old one, or even a scary veteran, her smile seemed to be constant. She wondered if this was how she developed her Charisma Path. Interacting with people like this on a daily basis would certainly work to improve one¡¯s Charisma. At the very least, it was something that seemed relevant to the path. As the day went on, eventually it seemed the day was coming to an end. Nobina had forgotten that this was all on the same day and soon, Sarah asked her what she wanted for dinner. ¡°I¡¯m not too familiar with this place, so I¡¯d take recommendations.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°We should go to the nearby inn. Do you have a room for the town yet?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I kind of don¡¯t have money either, so¡­¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Sarah put her hand on Nobina¡¯s shoulders, giving a big grin. ¡°I got you covered. I might not be rich, but I can certainly cover a few weeks of a room.¡± Nobina, feeling embarrassed, was having trouble responding to such generosity. ¡°No need to thank me either. We are friends after all.¡± Seeing no reason to deny it, Nobina merely sighed and accepted it. ¡°Yeah¡­ We¡¯re friends.¡± It seemed to click in Sarah as she cheered despite people still being in the guild. Nobina noticed all the eyes turn to Sarah, but they quickly went back to their own business. ¡°We¡¯ll have some drinks and enjoy the rest of the day. Oh, it¡¯s going to be so good.¡± Nobina thought about what she said. She wasn¡¯t really a drinker, but she didn¡¯t want to deny her. And Sarah was also offering to pay for her room till she had the funds. With no strong reason to deny her, she nodded. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s finish the day off and¡­¡± As Sarah was speaking, a new party entered. Three individuals looking worse for wear appeared, with one supporting the other. Sarah¡¯s face turned to that of concern as she waited for one of them to approach. Eventually, a swordsman who couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen appeared. Nobina was surprised to see someone that young working as an adventurer, but she remembered that this was another world. In this world, people could have started working at a young age to become great adventurers. If everything took time and effort to master a Path, it made sense to start as soon as possible. The adventurer, a kid with messy red hair, dropped a bag and the quest flyer in front of Sarah. She opened up the bag and counter eight left ears and two right ears. ¡°Sorry,¡± said the kid. ¡°Our fire mage burned the head of¡­¡± The kid stopped immediately as a strong smell appeared. Both Sarah and the kid turned to Nobina, who was pulling a bowl out of her bag. A strong smell of what appeared to be Miso Soup appeared around Nobina. ¡°Uh¡­ Sorry,¡± said Nobina. She placed the soup down on the nearby table, along with the soup spoon. She was really tempted to drink it due to how hungry she was, but the situation seemed a bit too serious for a food break. ¡°Anyways,¡± said Sarah, turning her focus back to the kid. ¡°The quest requirements make it clear it has to be ten left ears. We can¡¯t offer the full reward.¡± The kid seemed shocked by his response, suddenly responding angrily to Sarah. ¡°What? What do you mean? I told you our fire mage made it so we couldn¡¯t collect all ten ears. We had to fight ten goblins all at once! Come on. Can you give us a break?¡± Sarah shook her head. ¡°The rules are clear. You need to provide ten left ears, else we cannot confirm that ten goblins were killed. People cheating the system is far too easy if we make any exception.¡± He seemed to want to blow up in anger, but he then decided to use that energy for some harsh words instead. ¡°Your heartless, you know that? We almost died out there doing good for people and yet someone like you who does nothing but sit around and relax thinks they can say we don¡¯t deserve payment? Because we could be lying? Does this look like we are lying!¡± He pointed to his party, who was looking away at this point. The other adventurers¡¯ eyes were on them, but no one was saying anything. Nobina, seeing this, wondered what Sarah would do. With the most composed face possible, she began speaking to them frankly. ¡°Tell me. Why did you take on ten goblins at once? Did you think you could take them without issue?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The boy didn¡¯t want to say, likely knowing how stupid that sounded. ¡°Did you at least try to separate them? Perhaps that failed and this was a nightmare situation, right?¡± The boy didn¡¯t say anything, with Sarah now laying into him. ¡°You should know that the number one rule adventurers have is to make sure to complete a mission while not risking their lives unnecessarily. We don¡¯t want people throwing their lives away, nor do we want people taking on tasks they can¡¯t complete.¡± ¡°But we could have¡­¡± His words were quickly spoken over by Sarah, who seemed to be annoyed. ¡°Excuses,¡± she spit. ¡°If you would have done this safer, your party would be safe. Are you the party leader or is it one of them?¡± ¡°¡­ I am,¡± he said meekly. Sarah looked in the eye, seeing guilt now overwhelm him. At that point, her expression softened. ¡°Listen,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m saying this for your sake. Please treat this seriously and don¡¯t blame others for mistakes you¡¯ve made as a leader and as a party. Be thankful you came out of this alive and learn from it. Got it?¡± He gave a slight nod, with silent tears falling from his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll offer partial payment. Do you accept?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. With that, he took the money and returned to his party. Before he got back to them, Sarah spoke out. ¡°Kid,¡± she said. ¡°If you need medical help, I¡¯ll have it discounted. Please let me know.¡± ¡°Thanks for the offer,¡± he bowed. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for it.¡± The kid came over, and Sarah handed him a letter. With that, the three departed, leaving Nobina and Sarah to talk. The rest of the adventurers seemed to have a happy look on their faces as Sarah sighed. ¡°Man¡­ Kids these days.¡± Nobina had an expression of awe as she looked at Sarah. ¡°Wow¡­ That was¡­ amazingly handled.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for a while and seen it all. Those kids are new, so I knew I had to lay it into them for them to understand. Adventuring is a dangerous job. We accept people working at their age as long as they are smart about it, but they are kids at the end of the day. We don¡¯t want anyone dying out here.¡± She gave a nod. Nobina respected how much Sarah cared for the job. It really showed that she deserved the role of Main Receptionist. ¡°Now then¡­ What¡¯s the soup?¡± asked Sarah, her mouth seemingly salivating. ¡°It¡¯s called Miso Soup,¡± said Nobina, picking it up. ¡°It¡¯s a soup made of what¡¯s called a dashi stock and often has ingredients like vegetables and tofu.¡± The words seemed to go in one ear and out the other as Sarah merely nodded. ¡°Mind if I try a bit?¡± Sarah asked, eyeing the soup. Nobina handed it over, and Sarah took a sip. Her eyes lit up as she handed it back. ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s amazing,¡± she said. ¡°Do you have more?¡± She shook her head, prompting Sarah to drop hers. ¡°You can have half. I¡¯m still hungry so I¡¯ll probably use this to hold me over till we leave for dinner.¡± ¡°How did you get that soup anyway?¡± asked Sarah, now curious about its origin. ¡°Uh¡­ This is a special bag that random objects appear in it. I don¡¯t know what determines what goes in it, but this time it was Miso Soup,¡± said Nobina. Sarah was confused but easily accepted Nobina¡¯s explanation. ¡°Well, hopefully you get more nice food,¡± she laughed. With that, Nobina drank half of it and gave the rest to Sarah. As Sarah enjoyed the soup, Nobina wondered what the future held in store regarding this bag. The timing of the soup was so weird, and she had no idea why Miso Soup was specifically selected? Did some sort of god love Miso Soup? Perhaps this was selected because they wanted a food of Japanese origin. So many questions formed every time the bag produced an item, and the Gaze was still relatively unknown. It was doing nothing but watching as far as she could tell. As Sarah finished the soup, Nobina put the soup bowl back into her bag with the porcelain spoon. Perhaps if she needed to make soup later, these two things would be useful. For now, Sarah returned to managing the desk. The day was close to over, but for Nobina it felt like it had been the longest day of her life. So much had happened, and the day wasn¡¯t even over yet. All she could ask was that the day ended on a calm note. Chapter 6: Friends and Diary The day was finally done, and Nobina was a bit exhausted. She might not have done much, but listening attentively and chatting with Sarah most of the time did leave her a bit mentally drained. She wasn¡¯t an extroverted person, so long chats tended to drain her. ¡°Are you ok Nobina,¡± asked Sarah, noticing her gaze was a bit distant. ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied, brushing her hair a bit. ¡°So much has happened today that I was just thinking about whether these would be what the days to come would be like.¡± Sarah put her hand to her chin, trying to think about what she just said. ¡°Maybe. All depends on you though. I know your primarily going to be working on that money stuff, so probably not. Also, are you planning to take combat training?¡± Nobina gave a shrug. She wasn¡¯t sure whether combat training would be something she¡¯d enjoy. As much as she wanted to try new things, it was time away from writing. She didn¡¯t want to delay it any longer. Plus, she wasn¡¯t the most athletic person either. ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Do you think I can take a spare book and something to write with?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Sarah. ¡°We have plenty of ink, pens, paper and books. You should be sorted.¡± Nobina smile lit up so much that Sarah couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Seems like that stuff really captures your interest huh? Over my stories as well.¡± Seeing Sarah frown, Nobina instantly panicked, but Sarah immediately laughed, waving her hand. ¡°I¡¯m joking,¡± she said, recomposing herself. ¡°Man¡­ I guess laughter isn¡¯t in the list of things your ability stops huh,¡± chuckled Nobina. The two of them laughed before calming down. With that, Nobina headed into the guild library, grabbed a set of supplies, and put them into her bag. It was getting rather full thanks to the fishing rod, soup bowl, spoon, and now the writing material. ¡°Man, I need to get this stuff put down,¡± she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s getting a bit heavy.¡± With that, she left the guild with Sarah. As the two walked, Nobina noticed how beautiful the town looked. The sunset gave the town a nice orange hue, giving off a sight that Nobina had never seen before. Everything seemed to be preparing for the night as she saw someone going around lighting the candles of the lanterns. The streets themselves seemed to be slowing down as everyone was heading in for the night. For them, they had dinner left to do, and that would be it for the day. ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± said Sarah, tugging Nobina along. The two headed to a place not that far away, heading to an inn that seemed far more active than any place nearby. Once they entered, Nobina was caught by an awe-inspiring sight. The tables were filled with all sorts of people from adventurers to civilians. All of them seemed to be having a good time eating and drinking. ¡°How many Sarah,¡± called the innkeeper from behind the bar. ¡°Two,¡± she responded. The innkeeper pointed to an empty table with two seats, and the two made their way there. As they sat down, the innkeeper asked what they¡¯d have. ¡°Do you want to check the menu or do you want me to pick,¡± asked Sarah, staring at Nobina with a kind smile. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it up to the expert,¡± she said, offering a kind smile of her own. Sarah nodded, telling the innkeeper to give them two orders of the Chizen Staroff. The innkeeper nodded back, prompting Nobina to speak. ¡°Chizen Staroff?¡± she asked with a curious look. ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± replied Sarah. ¡°A well-seasoned Chizen that uses Staroff spices. You¡¯ll love it.¡± Nobina had no idea what a Chizen was or what Staroff tasted like, but she trusted it was good. As they waited, Nobina took this time to chat with Sarah. ¡°Man,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Today was pretty crazy.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± responded Sarah. ¡°I haven¡¯t chatted this much in a long time. Usually it¡¯s just me bored out of my mind just accepting quests completions or approving adventurers to take quests. It¡¯s so rare to do anything else. Chatting was a nice change of pace.¡± ¡°What about that incident with that kid?¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s rare as well. Normally we don¡¯t have serious incidents like that. Luckily it was merely a case of someone chewing off more than they could handle and no one actually getting seriously hurt or worse. Those moments are really tough to deal with, no matter how long you work as a receptionist.¡± Nobina could understand that. Working as a receptionist meant dealing with people on the regular, and adventurers were certainly tougher than the average person. These were people dealing with life-and-death situations, so they were hardened thanks to it. Nobina respected them for being able to go out there and help others, risking their lives. At the same time, she understood that bad things happening was something that was unavoidable. When they did happen, all she could do was offer as much support as possible. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Here¡¯s your two Chizens,¡± said the innkeeper, arriving with the plates. A strong scent of chicken, with a spice smell similar to curry, filled Nobina¡¯s nose. Besides that, there were carrots and an unknown green plant on the plate as well. ¡°Wow,¡± said Nobina. ¡°This smells great.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Don¡¯t let me hold you back. Dig in.¡± Sarah began eating first, followed by Nobina. The Chizen tasted like chicken, albeit a bit different. Imagine chicken with the slight taste of a burger patty. She didn¡¯t dislike it, and the curry taste added a bit to it. As for the carrots, they were as she expected them to taste. All that was left was the unknown plant. Taking a bite into it, it gave off a rather refreshing taste. It wasn¡¯t mint per say, but it had a similar sensation to it. Think mint plus broccoli. It was interesting to say the least. The two enjoyed the nice meal together, chatting more about casual stuff like likes and dislikes. As time passed by, it seemed like the dinner would be uneventful. At least until a group of two adventurers approached the table. One of them looked around thirty while the other was a bit younger. Both males and both swordsmen as far as she could tell. ¡°Hey there Sarah,¡± said one of them. ¡°Who¡¯s the friend?¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± Sarah replied, giving off a professional attitude. ¡°She¡¯s a new guild officer, so don¡¯t get any funny ideas.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± he replied, holding up his hands. ¡°Just good to see now faces around here.¡± The two of them offered a kind smile before leaving. ¡°Who were those two?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Eh¡­ Nix and Lagune. Two hot-headed adventurers who are just too curious. Both E-rank so don¡¯t mind them.¡± Nobina nodded, enjoying the rest of her meal. She found herself looking back at them, seeing them enjoying their meal with two other adventurers. They seemed to have forgotten about her already, so she paid them no mind. Eventually, the two finished eating and headed to the innkeeper. ¡°Need a long-term room?¡± asked the innkeeper to Nobina. ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re a new guild officer. I wouldn¡¯t think Sarah would take you here unless you needed a room. My food isn¡¯t the best.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Nobina responded, a bit more adamant than either expected. ¡°The food was great, and you should be happy you¡¯re serving it to others.¡± He gave a hardy laugh, nodding. ¡°You¡¯re a good person. Though, don¡¯t expect discounts,¡± he nodded. ¡°How about guild discounts,¡± batted Sarah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Especially not for you Sarah,¡± he chuckled. ¡°But¡­ fine. The first two weeks are half off. I expect at least a month stay though.¡± ¡°Deal,¡± said Sarah, handing over a bag of coins. The inn keeper began counting them as Nobina pulled Sarah to the side. ¡°Are you really sure about this Sarah? That¡¯s a lot of money for someone you just met today.¡± ¡°Relax,¡± she responded. ¡°You aren¡¯t the type to just skedaddle after a month, right?¡± Nobina shook her head strongly. ¡°My welcome to the guild present, just for you.¡± The look of joy on Sarah¡¯s face calmed Nobina down. Eventually, Sarah was handed back the bag of money and put it away. With that, the innkeeper handed her a key and told her it was a room upstairs, room two-hundred and twelve. Heading up there with Sarah, the two found a modest-sized room awaiting them at the end of the hall. Inside was a desk, a closet to put her clothes in, and a nice bed for one. ¡°Well then,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow morning.¡± As Sarah left, Nobina called her. ¡°Sarah,¡± she said. When Sarah turned to her, Nobina gave the brightest smile she could. ¡°Thank you¡­ for everything.¡± ¡°What are friends for,¡± responded Sarah with her own bright smile. With that, Nobina entered her room and closed the door. Now that she was finally alone, she found herself immediately taking everything out and putting it on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± She took inventory of her items. It was a fishing rod, soup bowl, spoon, pen, set of ink, set of paper, and two books of paper. She didn¡¯t know when she¡¯d use the soup bowl and spoon again, but she knew she wanted to try fishing one of these days. ¡°Hm¡­¡± She put everything to the side except one of the books, the set of ink, and the pen. She began writing everything down, treating the book as a diary. ¡°My name is Nobina. I¡¯ve come here from a place far away. Thanks to a powerful individual, I was given a chance to live my life after an unfortunate accident. So far, I¡¯m happy with how everything has turned out and I¡¯m hoping to document everything in this little diary of mine.¡± She began writing about her first encounter here with Fitz and Alfar. She noted how they taught her to be more trusting and open since people could tell when others lie. Considering Guild Master Eric confirmed that as well, she kept those words to heart. The two became friends and soon made their way to this town. ¡°I should say goodbye to Fitz tomorrow,¡± said Nobina to herself. She didn¡¯t know when Fitz would leave, so she had to make sure to say her goodbyes. He was her first friend here, so it¡¯d be rude not to do so. Nobina then went back to filling in her diary, talking about meeting Eric and telling him her secrets. She didn¡¯t write them down though. If someone got a hold of this diary, it¡¯d be extremely problematic if she had anything too serious in it and it was stolen. Her diary focus turned to Sarah and her time with her. This time, she found herself writing a lot about Sarah and how good of a friend she was. She was someone Nobina respected a lot and hoped that the two would have a long-term friendship. Soon, she ended the entry with her arriving in the room, excited for the next day. As she finished the diary entry and closed the book, she felt something drawing her hand to the book. An invisible force that wanted her to lay her right palm on it. The moment she made contact, a set of words came into her mind. ¡°Recall,¡± she said. Soon, the diary was gone. She almost panicked before the voice gave her another word to say. ¡°Summon.¡± The diary appeared again, calming her down. The voice and force seem to disappear as well, leaving her to take in everything that happened. ¡°Wait¡­ was that¡­ magic?¡± Her face suddenly exploded in joy as she celebrated doing magic for the first time. It seemed that all her worries had gone away immediately, as this acted as confirmation that she indeed had the Path of the Writer. This was an ability that allowed her to summon and recall a book as far as she could tell. She wanted to test it out more, so she decided to check if she could summon more than one book. ¡°Summon,¡± she said, her palm out once more. However, she felt a bit tired the moment that happened and soon found herself wanting to sit down. ¡°Oh¡­ Maybe that¡¯s my limit,¡± she said, wanting to rest. ¡°I guess that¡¯s good for the day anyways¡­¡± Nobina found herself going into her bed and lying down. As she did, she closed her eyes, thinking about everything that had just happened. Making new friends, discovering magic and getting to use it, and also having a job was amazing. The most important thing though was her second chance. She was now in a position to continue writing and one day planned to release a book of her own. It was starting from scratch, but that was fine with her. This world had its own stories, and she wanted to tell them. At least she wasn¡¯t going to let fear control her. With that, she closed her eyes and soon let sleep take hold of her. Chapter 7: Goodbye and Meeting The sun rays from the outside hit Nobina¡¯s eyes, awakening her to a nice early morning. As she got up, she immediately took her bag and headed out of the room. As she went downstairs, the innkeeper wished her a good day. ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°My name''s Nobina. Good to meet you.¡± She found herself bowing instinctively, scolding herself a bit for making that mistake again. ¡°Oh¡­ Right. My name is Harris. Glad to meet you Nobina,¡± said the innkeeper, going back to pouring more drinks for others. With that, she headed out towards the stable where she guessed Fitz and Alfar were. Once she was close enough, she saw the two of them. They seemed already ready to go, merely standing around waiting for something. When Fitz¡¯s gaze fell onto her, his face lit up, waving towards Nobina. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± said Fitz. ¡°I had a feeling you¡¯d show up, so I waited a bit before leaving.¡± Nobina was about to bow but immediately stopped herself before speaking. ¡°Sorry about that Fitz,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I didn¡¯t actually tell you I wanted to meet before you left, so it would have been sad if you waited for nothing.¡± ¡°No worries. Anyway, it seems you got everything sorted out. Got anything special in that bag of yours?¡± he spoke as his eyes turned to Nobina¡¯s sack, which was now empty. Nobina shook her head. ¡°Got soup yesterday, but that¡¯s already finished.¡± ¡°Bummer,¡± he sighed. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you came to say goodbye.¡± Looking at Fitz¡¯s face, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but smile. They only knew each other for a day, but Nobina felt comfortable calling him a friend. At the very least, she still had Sarah and Eric assisting her so she felt comfortable saying goodbye for now. ¡°I am as well,¡± she replied. With that, Fitz began heading out with Alfar. Seeing them leave, Nobina felt a bit sad. She had no idea when she would see them next, but she had to trust they wouldn¡¯t be separated for too long. As the two left, Fitz called out at the last second. ¡°Till we meet again Nobina,¡± he yelled. ¡°Same to you,¡± she yelled back. With that, the two were slowly moving out of view. For Nobina, this was only a temporary goodbye. She had a feeling the three would meet again one way or another. She headed to the guild, where she expected to see Sarah at the front. Instead, she caught a glimpse of another bored person. Looking her over, she was about Nobina¡¯s age, had short brown hair, and wore what seemed to be a mixture of the guild outfit of Sarah and an adventuring outfit. Thinking about it, she was likely Mimiki, the last guild officer she hadn¡¯t met. As she thought that, she saw the guild officers gaze turned to herself, their eyes a bit suspicious. ¡°How can I help you,¡± said the guild officer. Nobina headed over, offering a smile. ¡°Are you Mimiki, by chance?¡± She nodded, keeping her eye on her. ¡°My name¡¯s Nobina. I¡¯m a new guild officer.¡± Mimiki seemed distrusting of Nobina, looking her over before shaking her head. ¡°You don¡¯t look the part. I guess a uniform still has to be made, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod once again. ¡°Well then¡­ You better speak with Lare instead of wasting my time.¡± She seemed awfully rude, but Nobina didn¡¯t particularly care. As she went into the back, Mimiki gave what was akin to a threat. ¡°Oh. And you better be telling the truth. I¡¯m not kind to those who lie,¡± she spoke, not even looking her way. Nobina, feeling a bit ticked off, commented back without turning. ¡°Of course I am Mimiki,¡± Nobina said, sounding annoyed. ¡°You should be more trustworthy, you know? Not that you¡¯d return the same courtesy.¡± Those words seemed to trigger Mimiki, as Nobina found her collar grabbed by her and then tossed against the wall. It hurt being slammed against it, but Nobina was managing to keep her cool. ¡°Listen here,¡± said Mimiki, her voice full of spite. ¡°You don¡¯t just tell someone you just met to ¡®trust them,¡¯ got it? You may be a guild officer, but don¡¯t act buddy-buddy with me. And think before you try to back talk someone like that as well.¡± She released Nobina, allowing her to give a calm nod before heading to the back of the guild. Normally, she¡¯d have been scared if someone grabbed her like that, but in her mind, she felt as if there was no risk that the guild officer would seriously hurt her. It was more likely that her irritation with Mimiki prevented her from thinking more logically. For now, she¡¯d merely report this to Lare and have him resolve it. The professional way to handle it. Once there, Nobina met with Lare, who asked her why she looked a bit roughed up. ¡°It was Mimiki,¡± she sighed. ¡°Ah,¡± he responded. ¡°Mimiki. Yeah, she¡¯s a pickier person to get along with. Hopefully you don¡¯t mind her attitude.¡± ¡°Well slamming someone against the wall isn¡¯t really something you can ignore,¡± said Nobina with a frown. The expression on Lare¡¯s face changed from calm to pure shock. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°What?¡± Lare was trying to figure out what to say next, displaying expressions of both shock and a bit of irritation. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯ll speak with Mimiki. Anyway, you can feel free to begin working on that money project. I don¡¯t have any training for you right now.¡± ¡°Actually, is Guild Master Eric in?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I have a few questions for him.¡± He looked surprised upon hearing her question. ¡°Hm? Something you can¡¯t ask me?¡± he responded. ¡°It¡¯s a bit¡­ personal,¡± she replied, looking down. Lare could tell she was hiding something, but he merely gave a nod. ¡°He¡¯s in. Go upstairs. Don¡¯t worry about Mimiki though. I¡¯ll speak with her.¡± With that, Nobina left and headed back up to where the guild master was. Once she was upstairs, she arrived at the guild master¡¯s office, where the guild master greeted her kindly. ¡°Ah. Nobina. Good to see you settling in,¡± he spoke, offering her a seat. ¡°Thanks Guild Master,¡± she responded. Nobina took a seat across from him, with Eric waiting for her to speak. She relayed what happened, with her suddenly gaining her ability last night and what it was. As Eric listened, he seemed to have a big smile on his face. ¡°Glad it ended up being that you really did have the Path of the Writer. Well, that¡¯s good you¡¯re working towards your Path at least.¡± ¡°It is,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I can only use it once in succession, but I need to limit test it more. It might be a ¡®limit to one¡¯ thing that I have to deal with. Or it could be a daily cooldown.¡± ¡°Might I see a demonstration of it?¡± asked Eric, giving a curious look. Nobina placed her palm facing down on the desk, speaking the words ¡°Summon.¡± Immediately, her diary appeared, prompting Eric to pick it up. She was about to tell him not to open it, but he seemed to have no intention of doing so. He examined the book, seemingly testing it by tapping against it. ¡°Seems normal. Doesn¡¯t feel magical in nature either. Let¡¯s try some things¡­¡± Eric took another book and placed it next to the diary. ¡°Please try recalling this book.¡± Nobina nodded, holding her hand over it and saying, ¡°Recall.¡± When nothing happened, Eric asked her to do the same with her diary. ¡°Recall,¡± she spoke again. This time, the book disappeared, with a smile on Eric¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Seems it might be linked with books you¡¯ve written. There¡¯s a lot of things that you should test, but for now I think I¡¯ve kept you a bit too long. You have a task to perform, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°We have a lot of documentation on abilities and Paths you can read up on. But congratulations on discovering your path.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ll get to work on the money stuff and work on learning more about Paths later.¡± ¡°Sounds good. Was that the only reason you came up?¡± he asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± With the meeting with Mimiki still on her mind, Nobina told Eric about the encounter. As she spoke, Eric seemed to merely nod, agreeing with what she said. ¡°That¡¯s Mimiki for you. I rather not get to involved in guild officer conflict, as I¡¯d be obligated to support Mimiki as long as what she does isn¡¯t unfounded.¡± ¡°Like slamming me against a wall?¡± she responded a bit loudly and annoyed. Seeing her reaction prompted a twitch in Eric¡¯s eye before he spoke calmly. ¡°Oh that¡¯s not acceptable. Lare is handling it as far as you said, so I won¡¯t intervene. However, try to get along with Mimiki. She¡¯s been here for years and tends to not be that aggressive towards anyone. Do you think you said something offensive?¡± Nobina thought about it, and the only thing she could recall was her slight back-talk about trust. As she said it, she suddenly felt as if she was downplaying her provocation and caused the incident. However, she felt she didn¡¯t deserve to get slammed against the wall for it, at the very least. ¡°I did say she should be more trusting,¡± she replied. ¡°I do apologize for that. If I didn¡¯t say anything then she wouldn¡¯t have slammed me against the wall.¡± Eric merely nodded. ¡°Well¡­ That must be it then.¡± Nobina expected him to say more about it, but he seemed to want to remain silent on the matter. ¡°Sorry I somehow offended her,¡± said Nobina. It felt unlike her to be annoyed by someone, but if Mimiki was going to be her co-worker for the duration, she had to either get along or, in the worst case, get another job. She didn¡¯t want to be here if they couldn¡¯t work out their difference. Deep down, she hoped Sarah could assist her with dealing with Mimiki. ¡°Listen,¡± said Eric. ¡°Work on your money project and speak with Lare about it. I¡¯m sure you can come to way to resolve this.¡± Nobina nodded before posing her next question. ¡°Oh, wait. Where¡¯s Sarah by the way?¡± ¡°She¡¯s off today,¡± responded Eric. ¡°She¡¯ll be back tomorrow. However, I suggest not trying to lean on her too much to resolve this. Those two are water and oil, if you get my drift.¡± Nobina sighed, realizing this really was her problem to deal with. ¡°Thanks for the advice, Guild Master,¡± she said, standing up. As she left, Eric called her. ¡°Oh Nobina. One last thing. Try to earn her trust. I¡¯m sure you can do that.¡± She nodded, closing the door and leaving the office. Eric sighed, standing and looking out of the window. ¡°I rather not get involved and let you form this friendship Nobina,¡± he said, looking out the window. ¡°Else¡­ I might have to fire Mimiki depending on what the Path Specialist says about your Path. It¡¯s so unknown, but that Gaze is still there. It seems ready to act, but for now, it¡¯s merely a silent observer.¡± Eric stared out the window a bit more before sitting back down. Heading back down, Nobina overheard Lare speaking with Mimiki in his office. Part of her told her she shouldn¡¯t listen in, but she couldn¡¯t help hearing a bit of what they were talking about. ¡°Lare,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°She looks like a toothpick. If she looks like that, she definitely won¡¯t be a combat guild officer.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what she will do, but it isn¡¯t your role to mistreat a fellow guild officer,¡± said Lare. ¡°You¡¯re not someone who just beats people up for mere taunts, right?¡± Mimiki looked away, causing Lare to sigh. ¡°Listen. Hold your tongue with her for now if you really don¡¯t want to talk to her, but at least try to be open to a non-hostile discussion.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Mimiki. Soon, she stepped out, and her gaze fell onto Nobina. She gave a ¡°hmph¡± before heading to the front. Seeing that, she decided to check in with Lare about what happened. As he entered, Lare looked a bit roughed up himself. Nobina began wondering if Mimiki was just a violent person considering the office looked a bit messy. Though, part of her though it looked the same as always. ¡°Are you ok,¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he responded, dusting himself off. ¡°It¡¯s Mimiki being herself. Anyway, I think things should be ok for now, but I¡¯d recommend speaking with her to resolve this matter.¡± ¡°I want to, but I feel it will only go badly,¡± Nobina sighed. ¡°Got any advice?¡± Lare shook his head. ¡°You two need to work this out eventually. Though, I guess you¡¯re still settling in. For now, you can go in the back and focus on your money project. Let me know if she does anything unfounded again.¡± She began wondering if talking about Mimiki was a sensitive topic, though she knew that it was likely a matter of respect. If someone talked behind her own back, it would bother her as well. ¡°Will do,¡± said Nobina. She found herself entering the guild library and feeling relieved. Surrounded by books, she felt at home, wanting to read everything. However, she quickly gathered her focus and went to find the guild financial documents. As she gathered them, she began thinking about how her old work never had co-workers like this. Everyone was always professional, and Mimiki screamed non-professional. She found herself thinking how annoying it would be to resolve the issue. ¡°If only I could sit down and just write without a care in the world,¡± Nobina thought. She had her goals, and as far as she was concerned, she didn¡¯t want to waste any time dealing with Mimiki. However, she knew she shouldn¡¯t just give up on resolving things between them. People didn¡¯t act aggressively toward each other without a reason. Whatever that reason was would be the key to resolving things between them. After finishing gathering the documents, she began laying everything out. Economics was something she spent so long in the other world studying. When she entered the workforce, she put her degree to good use. She wasn¡¯t a top student by any metric, but she was at least average. Whether her old-world logic would apply was left to be seen, but for now she had a job to do. Chapter 8: Money and Co-Workers Nobina took a deep breath as she overlooked all the guild¡¯s financial documents. And by overlooking all of them, she was basically looking at a single book that kept track of the guild¡¯s money every day. It was as basic as you could get, keeping track of what the guild funds were at all times. It wasn¡¯t a bad way to go about it, but it could be improved to help figure out certain things like trends or even expenses in this case better. ¡°This won¡¯t do at all,¡± she sighed. By no means was Nobina an accountant. Her expertise was in economics, which involved buying and selling goods. She wasn¡¯t really someone suitable to handle creating a whole new accounting system, but she did take a few courses on the matter, so she at least knew the basics. With that said, she began a new Ledger, which was where all the guild¡¯s financial data would be. It would be used to keep track of income, expenses, assets, and everything related to the guild finances. She also wanted to make an income statement, but that could be for another day. For now, she wanted to use as basic of a system as possible. Not only for her sake but also for the sake of the other guild officers. What she was doing was inherently going to create more work for everyone. Hours seemed to pass as she hammered out the basics of her monetary system. Everything she expected was there, and moments like this made her wish she had some of the pleasantries of her old world. Headphones to listen to music would have been perfect, but in a fantasy work like this, there was no chance of that happening. At least, that was what she thought. Her eyes fell onto her bag, which hadn¡¯t done anything since yesterday. She wondered if something new would come out of it, but it wasn¡¯t a big concern. More importantly, she was keeping tabs on the Gaze on her, which seemed pretty relaxed so far. She had no time to figure out more about it, but one day, when she had nothing to do, she thought about researching it. As she finished the first part of the monetary system, Lare came in, his eyes on the financial books and documents around her. ¡°How¡¯s things going Nobina?¡± he asked, his curious gaze wandering around her desk. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s going,¡± she smiled back. ¡°Setting up a new system from scratch isn¡¯t easy, but I¡¯m doing my best.¡± ¡°All we can ask for, right?¡± he chuckled. ¡°Now can you explain a bit of what¡¯s happening?¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement to show her progress. Safe to say though, it was more of a one-sided endeavor. As Nobina began talking about assets, liabilities, and stockholders¡¯ equity, Lare himself felt more and more at a loss. Nobina had told him to cut in if he had any questions, but he had so many questions he didn¡¯t know what to ask. When she was done explaining though, he merely nodded. ¡°Hopefully when it¡¯s done you can properly teach all of us. Clearly you''re well vested in Economics, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able explain everything.¡± She nodded, and Lare headed back to his office. Nobina still had her work cut out for her, but she was excited to do as much as she could. Eventually, Nobina decided to break for lunch. As she left the guild library and headed to the front, she almost bumped into Mimiki, who gracefully dodged her. ¡°That was good,¡± said Nobina, hoping her compliment would be taken well. However, Mimiki merely said ¡°hmph¡± before heading to the back. ¡°Rude much¡­¡± sighed Nobina. For now, she wasn¡¯t concerned about resolving things with Mimiki, so she continued to head out of the guild. Once she was out, she realized she had no money. Part of her wondered why she didn¡¯t ask Eric for any money in advance, but she realized she wasn¡¯t a permanent employee yet. If things didn¡¯t work out between her and Mimiki, or if she did a poor job with the money system, she risked losing her job. It was a big deal in the sense that she loved everything the guild offered. Sarah offered a good friend. Lare and Eric were very supportive. She had a library for all the information she needed. Most of all, she had writing resources to begin her dream here. She only had a diary and the ledger so far, but she wanted to start a proper book sooner rather than later. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll ask Lare,¡± she sighed. Asking people for money felt wrong, but she really had no choice. She needed to eat somehow, and she hadn¡¯t clarified lunch with anyone yet. Heading back, she met with Lare, who seemed ready to head out. He was about to leave his office when he noticed Nobina and waved. ¡°Hey Nobina,¡± he called. ¡°Heading out to lunch?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t have money though so¡­¡± His face showed surprise as he nodded his head. ¡°I understand. Come with me. We can share my lunch.¡± Nobina was surprised by the offer, looking at the basket he had. ¡°But¡­ I wouldn¡¯t want to impose¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Lare. ¡°You¡¯re a fellow guild officer. I¡¯d be such a bad boss if I let you starve when you can¡¯t get food.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a gentle smile. With that, the two headed out the back door into a nice garden area that wasn¡¯t too far away. There were tables there as well, so finding a spot to eat wasn¡¯t too hard. As the two sat down, Lare gave her half his food, with Nobina thanking him once again. Once they began to eat, Lare took the chance to begin asking questions. ¡°So how are things going?¡± he asked, enjoying a bit of his sandwich. ¡°Things are¡­ going ok,¡± she responded. He quickly noticed her expression had saddened as she continued to talk. ¡°The thing is¡­ Mimiki seems to want nothing to do with me. I want to resolve this tension between us, but this isn¡¯t going to be easy if this is a one-way street.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he nodded, thinking about her words. ¡°What if you apologize to her? You did say something rude to her.¡± The only thing she did was back-talk to her, but for everything Mimiki had done, she felt like she didn¡¯t need to apologize first. ¡°Did that justify her actions?¡± Nobina asked, trying to hold in how annoyed she was having to say the same thing over and over again. ¡°Nobina,¡± sighed Lare. ¡°I know you must feel like she doesn¡¯t deserve it, but people notice the effort at least. Give it a shot and see what happens.¡± ¡°You think she¡¯d apologize back?¡± Nobina asked, chewing her sandwich now. ¡°Unlikely,¡± Lare said bluntly. ¡°Mimiki is pretty stubborn and will more likely double down on her insults rather than apologize.¡± She looked at her remaining food, her thoughts on what to say next slowly drifting out. ¡°Then¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Nobina considered peace a two-way street. If Mimiki didn¡¯t want it, then it wouldn¡¯t happen. No amount of effort on her end would change things either. In all her years of working, she had never run into a combative co-worker to this degree, but perhaps that wasn¡¯t the norm. Perhaps she was too ignorant when it came to communication with co-workers. Seeing her in thought, Lare began talking apologetically. ¡°Nobina¡­ I might need to take a part of the blame here.¡± Seeing his expression, Nobina tried to speak before suddenly realizing something appeared in her bag yet again. She went into it, opening it and seeing a flashlight. Her face of pure confusion prompted Lare to ask what was happening. ¡°Well¡­ I got something new in my bag.¡± ¡°Oh? Care to show it?¡± he asked, looking at her bag as well. Nobina took out the flashlight and showed it to Lare, who was completely confused. ¡°Is that some sort of weapon?¡± ¡°Well¡­ No. It¡¯s an object that produces light. Think of it like some sort of magic wand.¡± His expression turned into pure shock seeing it. ¡°Magic wand? I hear those things can fetch a hefty price in the market.¡± ¡°Ok, it¡¯s not¡­ Anyways, this is more so a personal object. I¡¯ll find some time to show you it someday,¡± she said, putting it back into her bag. Nobina realized this was the most modern object she had gotten so far. Using it was inherently dangerous, but its usefulness also wasn¡¯t to be understated. ¡°I feel like we got sidetrack,¡± she said, returning to facing Lare. ¡°Oh right. Yeah, I might be at fault for what happened,¡± said Lare, a guilty expression appearing on his face. ¡°I told Mimiki that we got a new guild employee who would handle the money side of things. Her expression went from happy to upset so quickly. I think she was hoping you¡¯d be a combat guild employee.¡± ¡°Are those even common?¡± Nobina asked. ¡°I¡¯d have thought that most of the guild work was administrative.¡± ¡°A few combat guild employees are important for rule enforcement. Not to mention guild masters in particular have a minimum power expectation.¡± It made sense. If a guild master was too weak, a guild would be pretty useless in a crisis. She could only hope that one of those wouldn¡¯t happen in her tenure as a guild officer. ¡°So that¡¯s why she dislikes me? Because I can¡¯t fight?¡± ¡°That could be it, but I feel like there¡¯s more,¡± said Lare. ¡°Though, I won¡¯t pry for that information. I¡¯m leaving that up to you.¡± She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°As expected. Don¡¯t worry too much about it, Lare. This is my problem to deal with.¡± Lare spoke to Nobina with a smooth calm, trying to make his next words meaningful to her. ¡°Nobina¡­ Don¡¯t feel like this is something we are dumping onto you. We are all here to support you and you should feel free to talk to us.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She did believe that, but not completely. ¡°Maybe one day that will be true, but for now I need to worry about the money system and Mimiki.¡± Nobina finished up her meal and departed, giving her time to think about what had happened. She fully intended to at least get the ball rolling and resolve this matter. The first step was talking to Mimiki and apologizing. She didn¡¯t expect it back, but it was progress. As she returned from lunch, she saw Mimiki was at the front desk, merely waiting for an adventurer to come by. Her gaze fell onto her for a second, but she ignored Nobina for the most part. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Nobina, trying to be as apologetic as possible. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my underhanded comment earlier. That was uncalled for, and I hope you can forgive me.¡± Mimiki¡¯s lack of speaking prompted Nobina to wait a few minutes before speaking again. ¡°I¡¯m open to resolve this matter as peacefully as possible. I know you said we shouldn¡¯t be buddy-buddy, but me and you are guild officers. We shouldn¡¯t let things get too bad between us, right?¡± Again, no words came from Mimiki¡¯s end. Nobina patience was running thin, but she held strong as she decided to close off the conversation. ¡°Well, if you need me, I¡¯ll be in the library.¡± As Nobina headed into the library, she found herself peeking out of it to see what Mimiki was doing. She was still staring away from her, prompting Nobina to concede and head back to work. As she sat back down, Nobina began wondering how long the money project would take. Setting up a whole system was no easy feat, and it took time away from her writing. ¡°I need to get this done sooner rather than later.¡± In her mind, she was referring to both the situation with Mimiki and the money project. No matter what, she wasn¡¯t going to give up. Chapter 9: Water and Oil The following day, Nobina found herself hungry as she woke up. When she left the guild late at night the previous day, she had forgotten to ask Lare about money for food. She also hated having to ask again and again for stuff, so she opted to just go a bit hungry till she spoke with Sarah. Unlike Lare, she would be fine if Sarah would grill her for not asking about money for food. After all, Sarah paid a month for a room for Nobina and was likely willing to pay for her food for now. It might have been weird thinking it was better to ask more from Sarah than someone like Lare, but in her mind it made sense. Sarah was like a best friend to Nobina. At the very least, Eric might have been willing to offer her some sort of starting bonus so she could get by if she didn¡¯t want to bother Sarah. She left the flashlight in her room, as bringing that thing around was going to be annoying. If someone got their hands on it, it might cause her problems later down the line. Plus, she didn¡¯t want to know what would happen if she used it around people. The streets were pretty busy, reminding Nobina that the world she was in was more than just adventurers coming and going from the guild. Though, the previous day she was mostly in isolation with Lare occasionally going into the library to check on her or to get a book. Eventually, she found herself at the entrance of the guild, ready to begin her day. Entering the guild, Nobina saw that Sarah was telling off Mimiki, who seemed to be looking away. However, as soon as Mimiki saw Nobina, she said ¡°hmph¡± before leaving. ¡°Mimiki,¡± yelled Sarah before she sighed. The eyes of the other adventurers avoided looking at Sarah as she seemed to be steaming in anger. It made Nobina wonder if this was something that was more common than she thought. As Sarah turned to the front, her gaze fell onto Nobina. Her expression shifted almost instantly from anger to shock. ¡°Oh my god,¡± she said, hopping over the desk and running to Nobina. She braced for whatever Sarah was going to do, which in this case was a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said in a plea. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let you meet Mimiki without explaining her horrible attitude.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Also, here.¡± She gave Nobina a bag of coins, prompting confusion. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Money for food, cloths and other basic necessities for a month.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± She rubbed the back of her head, chuckling almost as if she was guilty. ¡°When Lare told me about what happened, I couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty that I forgot to give you money for food. Hopefully you didn¡¯t go hungry because of me.¡± Seeing her feel guilty, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but thank her. ¡°Sarah¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about giving any of that back,¡± said Sarah, her hands against her hips. ¡°That¡¯s friend money. I want to make sure your sorted till you get your first paycheck.¡± Nobina hugged her back, happy to have a friend. With Sarah, she felt dealing with Mimiki was going to be easier. Even if she wouldn¡¯t ask Sarah to mediate things, she had a feeling it wouldn¡¯t work out anyway. After all, Sarah did lay into Mimiki before she came in. ¡°By the way, what were you telling Mimiki?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Hm? Oh, I was telling her how she was horrible for mistreating a fellow guild officer. How she shouldn¡¯t slam one against the wall. How she shouldn¡¯t ignore me as usual. When I learned from Lare about yesterday, I couldn¡¯t help but give her a piece of my mind.¡± ¡°Sounds like you two are like water and oil,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°Water and oil?¡± asked Sarah, a bit confused. Nobina realized her expression might not be something they¡¯d recognize, so she quickly dismissed it as something from her hometown. However, it seemed Sarah had remembered hearing it before. ¡°Oh! Guild Master Eric calls us that. I mean he¡¯s right, but¡­ Anyway, they mention it in your hometown as well? I¡¯m really curious where you came from, but all in good time, right?¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Yeah,¡± responded Nobina. She had no idea when she¡¯d reveal the full truth to Sarah, if ever. However, she did feel like Sarah deserved it. She was probably her best friend at this point in this world. Besides another friend she had in college, she really didn¡¯t have many. ¡°Now then,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Lare told me that today is front desk training for you. He wanted me to make you capable of taking it over should both me and Mimiki be out. Hopefully you understand how it¡¯s important to have coverage.¡± Nobina nodded, remembering the same lesson being taught to her in her old world. ¡°Did Lare handle them if both of you were out?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Yeah¡­ Though he hates it,¡± she laughed back. Both of them gave a laugh before relaxing. Nobina was excited to have a break from the numbers. Customer service might not have been her forte, but considering everything that had happened, she considered it a well-deserved break. ¡°I¡¯ve showed you a bit of it two days ago, but now I¡¯ll give you an example and then ask you to handle the next matter similar to it,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Are you good with that?¡± Nobina gave a nod. With that, Sarah once again handled the front desk while Nobina sat back, shadowing. Watching Sarah, she was back to chatting about random stuff as she waited for adventurers to approach. It made her mostly forget the whole thing about Mimiki and her money project, giving her some peace and relaxation. ¡°Most of the quests are taken before you come in, so you might need to adjust your working schedule a bit to accommodate them,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Though, we don¡¯t have much action here anyways, so you might not need to change anything.¡± ¡°Whatever is needed of me,¡± responded Nobina. Soon, Sarah began helping out an adventurer who wanted to take a quest. Nobina observed the whole process, which was pretty simple. Sarah confirmed the quest they wanted to take, checked their guild license, checked a list of individuals to be questioned, and then approved or denied the quest. ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple stuff,¡± said Sarah as the adventurer headed off. ¡°I can see that,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°Hopefully my first adventurer doesn¡¯t give me problems.¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Sarah. A moment later, Nobina had her chance. Another adventurer appeared, a quest in hand. As he approached, his gaze fell on Nobina, who gave a gentle smile. He seemed to freeze, causing Nobina to be confused. Eventually, Sarah interrupted, coughing to get his attention. When he realized what had happened, he got embarrassed and approached, handing Nobina a quest flyer and his adventuring card. She began looking at both and going through the process. Not a minute later, she handed both back, giving a smile. ¡°Approved,¡± she said. ¡°Th.. thanks,¡± he nodded back, leaving quickly. As he headed off, Nobina noticed Sarah chuckling. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I don¡¯t think you notice, but you look quite good Nobina. Some people would easily get flustered like that.¡± Nobina, hearing that, immediately became shy. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ pretty average.¡± ¡°Average people don¡¯t have glasses,¡± chuckled Sarah. ¡°That¡¯s something only those from another nation would have.¡± Thinking about it, no one ever commented on her glasses. In fact, she realized how bad it would be if they ever broke. She had to hope to god that if it ever did, the entity in charge of her bag would bless her with glasses. After all, her vision wasn¡¯t too good without them. ¡°You know, I¡¯m surprised no one commented on these things,¡± she said, taking them off to observe them. ¡°Of course not,¡± said Sarah, speaking as if this was a matter of fact. ¡°Glasses are pretty common in the Federation of the Great Gar Gar amongst scholars is what I heard. People likely assume you¡¯re a scholar as well.¡± Hearing that, Nobina mentally noted down a new place to research about. This world was vast, and she was excited to find time to research it. Both for her writing and for her own joy. ¡°Anyway, congratulations on dealing with your first adventurer. Cheers to more to come.¡± Sarah¡¯s voice seemed to be a bit louder than Nobina expected. She didn¡¯t know why Sarah was doing that, but it seemed it became clear instantly. ¡°Sarah. Nobina¡¯s a human, not some puppy. You should treat her like any normal person.¡± The voice came from Mimiki, who was standing at the doorway leading to the receptionist area. That one comment immediately made Sarah more hostile than Nobina had ever seen. ¡°Well, if you¡¯d do that first, then that¡¯d be appreciated. Not that I expect you to treat everyone normally.¡± Mimiki moved in front of Sarah, and neither of them backed down as they stood in front of each other. As both were similar in height, they were basically staring down at each other. Nobina could only watch as both of them had rather aggressive words for each other. ¡°You¡¯d be horrible teaching anyone with a backbone,¡± said Mimiki, her gaze intensely on Sarah. ¡°People who want to earn their effort don¡¯t expect praise for some tiny thing anyone can do. Then again, I don¡¯t expect that from someone like Nobina.¡± That ticked Nobina off, but Sarah came to her defense immediately. ¡°Really? Well, it¡¯s better than no praise from someone who can be as heartless as you. Oh right, you do have a heart but only to adventurers and people who can fight.¡± Mimiki¡¯s face was full of shock before she barked back. ¡°They work hard to protect people. Don¡¯t they deserve that? After all, not everyone has the heart to protect others.¡± Sarah took a breath, trying to return herself to a calm state. ¡°Maybe, but to act like us non-combat folks deserve less is horrible. No wonder you¡¯d never be trusted to handle anything non-combat related. Leave this field to an expert to handle.¡± The fire between the two was growing intense before Nobina decided to try to put it out. ¡°Ok. The two of you need to calm down.¡± With that, Mimiki remembered she was there and stormed out. Nobina caught Mimiki clenching her fists, clearly annoyed with both of them. ¡°Pay her no mind Nobina,¡± said Sarah, returning to the front. She seemed in no mood to work, but suddenly she had a calm expression on her face. It seemed her passive ability didn¡¯t work when dealing with Mimiki. As Sarah began speaking casually like before, Nobina wondered how in the world she¡¯d work things out with Mimiki. If Sarah was having this much trouble, what chance did Nobina have of working things out with Mimiki? She could only hope the rest of the day would have no other issues. Chapter 10: Adventurers and Insults The day seemed to just pass by slower and slower as Nobina¡¯s mind was focused on what had happened between the three of them. Sarah wasn¡¯t helping either, as her focus was no longer on herself but on talking about Mimiki and how she was rude and was causing them too much trouble. Nobina wondered how wise it was for her to talk about Mimiki like this, but Nobina wasn¡¯t in the mood to voice her complaints. On Nobina¡¯s side, it didn¡¯t seem like she was paying any attention to Sarah at all with her distant gaze. However, she was listening intently to her talk about the various situations involving Mimiki. The most prominent of those situations was how Mimiki didn¡¯t like non-adventurers. ¡°It can¡¯t be as simple as that,¡± said Nobina, finally speaking up. Sarah shook her head in response. ¡°I wish it wasn¡¯t that simple, but she prefers hanging around with adventurers. You can see it if you hang out with her enough. It¡¯s as clear as day.¡± It made sense to a certain degree to like hanging around with people you work with. Nobina was kind of the same as well, preferring to hang out in crowds of like-minded individuals. However, to say you didn¡¯t like non-adventurers was hard to believe. Most of this world had to be non-adventurers. ¡°Anyway, looks like the day¡¯s almost over. I¡¯m so excited to be done with it,¡± said Sarah, trying to avoid yawning. Nobina was in the same boat as her. She was pretty exhausted mentally with thinking about both work and Mimiki. She was in the middle of training as well and that was drawing her attention. The two eventually gathered their things and headed out. As they left, Nobina noticed Mimiki was outside, laughing. Mimiki either didn¡¯t notice them or was ignoring Nobina and Sarah. It was clear she was having a great time. Her expression was completely different from what it was every time Nobina saw her. It was good to see she was happy, but also frustrating knowing someone was only gloomy and rude around a certain individuals. That certain individuals being Nobina and Sarah. Eventually, the two passed by, with Mimiki not saying a word as she continued to talk to the adventurers about a recent quest they went on. When they were out of earshot, Sarah went back to complaining. ¡°You see? Only cares about adventurers.¡± There was a look of disappointment as Sarah shook her head. Nobina didn¡¯t like talking like this behind another fellow employees¡¯ back, but at the same time, it was hard for her not to be annoyed as well. However, she held her tongue on the matter. ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­ enjoy dinner,¡± she said, remaining as calm as possible. This time around, the two of them went to a nice restaurant near the east side of town. It wasn¡¯t a fancy restaurant by any stretch of the word, but it was calmer and more civil than the inn where she was staying. Once again, Sarah ordered for the two of them. It was a Glaze Haem with Potatoes this time around, another food Nobina didn¡¯t recognize. However, it was pretty obvious what the equivalent food was compared to her old world. Not wasting any time, the two quickly dug in. The flavors melded in Nobina¡¯s mouth, making her forget all about her troubles as she enjoyed the food. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be in this bliss all the time,¡± she thought to herself. On Sarah¡¯s end, she went back to talking about herself, enjoying the food while having a good time. They were in their own world, and Nobina was having a good time being calm and relaxed. Soon, they were done with their food, and it was just general chatting. At that time, the taste of the food started to give way to negative thoughts about Mimiki. Nobina¡¯s face must have been giving away her feelings as Sarah gave her a concerned look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± she asked. ¡°Oh¡­ Mimiki is still on my mind,¡± she sighed. Hearing that, Sarah inched closer, almost whispering her next words. ¡°Want to hear a story?¡± asked Sarah. Nobina nodded immediately, curious about the story she was going to give. ¡°Did you know that Mimiki was an adventurer before becoming a guild officer?¡± Nobina gave a chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°You act like that¡¯s supposed to be surprising.¡± Sarah couldn¡¯t help but laugh, nodding her head. ¡°It¡¯s more than that though. See, Mimiki originally was never aiming to be a guild officer. Rather, she came to the guild to train under Eric. I think it was¡­ five years ago? One year after I started.¡± It made sense to Nobina. Mimiki wasn¡¯t handling much on the administrative side from what Nobina could see and her skills were likely all related to the adventuring side. For her, she must have just seen working as a guild officer as a means to an end. Quite similar to how Nobina somewhat saw this path. Her end goal was, after all, to release a book. Whatever was necessary for her to reach that goal, she¡¯d go for it. ¡°So¡­ Did she make a deal with Eric or something?¡± asked Nobina, relaxing in her chair. ¡°Basically. Eric promised to train her every so often if she assisted in reducing his workload working as a guild officer. Safe to say, the deal is the only real reason she¡¯s still here. I doubt the adventurers here are convincing her to stay thanks to her strength as an A-rank.¡± Nobina wondered if it was going to be a similar deal with her. Did she care about being a guild officer at all, or was this her means to an end? Would she leave if a better situation arose? ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t worry about patching stuff up with Mimiki. Worst case you two can ignore each other like how I do it with her already. Sure, this isn¡¯t the best situation, but it keeps the guild functioning. That all that matters, right?¡± Nobina nodded, wishing that wasn¡¯t the case. Once they were done, they headed out, with Nobina heading back to her end. As they reached the intersection where they¡¯d go their own ways, Sarah gave her a serious look before continuing on. ¡°Try to not get too involved with Mimiki tomorrow. I won¡¯t be there to knock her down a peg or two.¡± Nobina nodded, hoping she could do just that. Back in her room, she summoned her diary and began filling it out. This had become a sort of training in itself, as it was the only time she could write whatever she wanted. She still had yet to start her own book in this world, but she didn¡¯t know what the topic would be just yet. Until then, she wanted to leave her options flexible. After all, she didn¡¯t have unlimited resources. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Finishing her diary, she used Recall to bring it back out of existence. As it was close to the end of the day, she decided to practice more with her ability. She began using Summon and Recall one after another. It seemed she could do it for as many times as she wanted, but on the 20th attempt to Summon, she felt tired. ¡°Another limit, huh?¡± It was good data to know. Besides the limit of how many she could summon, there was a limit to how many times she could Recall and Summon in general. With that, she gave a stretch and decided to head to bed. Tomorrow would hopefully just be a day of working on the Ledger and nothing else. The following day, Nobina found herself waking up early. It was a rather peaceful day, with the birds chirping and the sunlight feeling particularly warm on her skin. She checked her clothes and began noticing something a bit strange about them. For something she had been wearing the whole time, they were still in rather good condition. She began wondering if they were magical at all, but she had no intention of damaging her only clothes from her own world. Besides that was her bag, which was her link with the Gaze. Part of her wondered what was in store for her next with the bag, but she didn¡¯t have time to research more into it. Leaving her room, she made her way to the guild, where Mimiki was once again at the front. The two basically ignored each other, which potentially could just be how things were going to be. When Nobina sat down and began spreading out the financial documents, Lare called her. ¡°Hey Nobina,¡± said Lare. Nobina stopped organizing her documents and asked what he needed. ¡°Mind talking to me in my office?¡± Nobina, hoping that this wasn¡¯t something too serious, nodded and followed him. A part of her was feeling nervous, but she trusted Lare that this wasn¡¯t anything of the sort. As she took a seat in his office, Lare gave her a serious look and made a recommendation that made her winch a bit. ¡°You should undergo combat training under Mimiki.¡± The suggestion itself seemed ridiculous, but she knew better than to immediately respond. As suspected, Lare began explaining the proposal. ¡°See. Mimiki is our only combat guild officer. It would be beneficial to the guild to have a second one. Of course, I know a bit about combat myself, but I¡¯m more so a supervisor. Sarah doesn¡¯t do combat either, so I just wanted to ask if you would be willing to do so. Especially since you¡¯ll be here the most often of the three. You¡¯ll be compensated well for it, if that makes it any better.¡± Nobina had to give it some thought. Logically, it made sense to make her somewhat versed in combat. Guild officers were people who had to deal with adventurers. While she wasn¡¯t expected to fight them one-on-one, she saw the importance of being able to defend herself to a degree. The main problem was dealing with the fact she¡¯d be under Mimiki. ¡°It¡¯s not an easy decision to make,¡± said Lare. ¡°I know you and Mimiki aren¡¯t on good terms, but I think this would be a good way to help smooth things over with her. What do you say?¡± The answer seemed obvious, but Nobina knew that, deep down, she hadn¡¯t given up on working things out with Mimiki. She was willing to go even further to make this work. ¡°¡­ Ok.¡± Lare seemed happy with her answer, calling over to Mimiki. It didn¡¯t take her long either before Mimiki arrived. ¡°What is it Lare,¡± she asked, trying to avoid showing her being a bit annoyed. ¡°Can you train Nobina in the basics of combat?¡± His question made Mimiki rather shocked. She looked at Nobina then back at Lare, repeating this a few times before asking one question. ¡°Why?¡± she asked, clear suspicion in her voice. ¡°You¡¯re our only combat guild officer,¡± smiled Lare. ¡°And Nobina seems fine with it, so why not?¡± Hearing that, Mimiki seemed to smile ever so slightly. Nobina noticed it as well, but she made no indication of her seeing it. ¡°Right now?¡± Mimiki asked, still looking at Nobina. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll take over the front. Does that sound good to the two of you?¡± Both of them gave a nod. With that, Nobina stood up and followed Mimiki out of the guild¡¯s backdoor and into an open training field. There, Mimiki went over to a rack and grabbed two training swords. ¡°Now then,¡± said Mimiki, seemingly more excited than usual. ¡°I¡¯m going to warn you that training isn¡¯t going to be easy. You¡¯ll probably be knocked down a lot and it might seem like I¡¯m being cruel, but this is merely a check to see how dedicated you are to this.¡± Nobina was surprised by what Mimiki said. She was basically giving her a way for them to get closer together. If she wasted this chance, then she¡¯d only have herself to blame. Mimiki, noticing her expression change, smiled. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re still fine with this¡­ Nobina?¡± ¡°Yes, I am,¡± said Nobina, giving a vigorous nod. ¡°Great. So, the first exercise will be evaluating your current skill level. I want you to try to strike me with the sword. Every time you do, I¡¯ll block or dodge and occasionally strike you back. Any questions?¡± It seemed simple enough to her. Nobina gave a nod, having her sword ready for training. She had no combat experience whatsoever, only having the anime she watched and games she played as references. This was by no means the same thing. In fact, she had a feeling she wouldn¡¯t even land a single hit. However, she wanted to believe that it was possible. With that, Mimiki took a ready stance, and Nobina did the same. Both looked at each other, and soon, Nobina was off to make the first move. She charged and tried to swing at Mimiki, but her sword was easily dodged, and Mimiki landed a strike on Nobina¡¯s side. It hurt quite a bit, prompting Nobina to freeze and check if the sword left a bruise. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, her voice full of focus. ¡°In combat, you won¡¯t get a chance to stop and check a wound like that. Next time, I¡¯ll try striking until you retreat so be aware.¡± Nobina gave a nod, retreating and getting ready for another strike. She took a deep breath, focusing on trying to find a place to strike. She could already tell that she wasn¡¯t really prepared for training. The sword felt hard to hold and she had no idea what whether she was holding it right or wrong. If someone was to ask, she needed the full basic rundown, but she guessed Mimiki meant to teach her that as soon as they were done with this. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Focus. Or are you actually just messing around and don¡¯t care about doing better?¡± Hearing those last words, Nobina regained focus and went back to trying to strike Mimiki yet again. This time, she found her strike being blocked and a counter hit to her other side. This time, she noticed Mimiki strike her leg moments later, prompting a yelp as Nobina tried desperately to retreat. She got hit once more in the leg before finally being out of her range. ¡°Hey,¡± said Nobina, sounding annoyed by her hit. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Did I not make it clear? Retreat when you fail to hit. Unless you really want to keep getting hit. Would make this a rather dull exercise.¡± As Mimiki was saying that, Nobina noticed that Mimiki had already started to get bored with this training. It lit a fire in Nobina¡¯s heart as she focused up yet again. ¡°Ready,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Come at me,¡± replied Mimiki. The training went on for about an hour and it was safe to say a one-sided endeavor. Mimiki had no intention of letting Nobina land a single hit. At the same time, Nobina was starting to feel bruised all over. Mimiki had intentionally not been targeting the same spot, making her feel the hits all over rather than having one really bad spot. If it wasn¡¯t bad enough, Mimiki clear dislike for the training grew as it went on. ¡°Come on! Stop wasting time and come at me again!¡± Mimiki sounded pissed off, causing Nobina to grit her teeth. This prompted Mimiki to lay into her even more. ¡°Why are you even mad? Are you telling me that you¡¯re only just getting frustrated now? Please. Tell me your done so I can head back.¡± Those words made Nobina more and more desperate to land a hit, but no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible. Not only that, but she was starting to want to yell back at Mimiki but held her tongue. She wasn¡¯t going to let her be the reason for this falling apart. Soon, it wasn¡¯t a choice any longer. Her body was demanding her to stop. Exhausted, Nobina leaned on her sword as Mimiki seemed already done with training. She looked at Nobina disappointingly, close to snapping Nobina¡¯s willingness to keep silent. ¡°Honestly,¡± said Mimiki, dropping her sword. ¡°This is a waste of time. Go back to doing what you like. Not that it will amount to anything.¡± Those words caused Nobina to snap as she charged at Mimiki. The response was Mimiki using her foot to toss the sword back into her hand, giving her the ability to easily parry and knock out Nobina¡¯s sword. When she went for the follow-up hit, Mimiki found her sword knocked out of her hand from what appeared to be a blast of concentrated wind. Both turned to see Lare at the entrance of the back side of the guild, shaking his head. ¡°You were going to hit her hard with that last one Mimiki,¡± said Lare. ¡°This training is over.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± said Mimiki, leaving. As she walked past Lare, giving him a shoulder bump, Lare went to Nobina. She was standing still, looking at the sword she had previously held. ¡°Nobina?¡± asked Lare. ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± she yelled, not even looking at Lare. ¡°If Mimiki wants to be alone, fine. She wins. I can¡¯t believe I wasted my time with this.¡± Nobina stormed off, her head full of emotions she couldn¡¯t process. Lare, looking at the two swords on the ground, could only sigh. ¡°I wonder if this was the final straw,¡± he said, picking up the swords of the two. Chapter 11: Warning, History, and Companion Nobina returned to her desk, sitting down and trying to switch gears. She wanted no part in dealing with Mimiki anymore, especially after what she did earlier. As she stared at her financial documents, she immediately knew this wasn¡¯t going to happen today. Her mind was all over the place and she just wanted to go home. Not to her room, but back to her world. It wasn¡¯t that this world was a bad place to her, but she felt the only way she could put all of this trouble with Mimiki behind her was being in a place she truly considered home. She imagined herself back in her room with her computer, able to type as much as she wanted. No worries about work either. In fact, she missed watching streamers and enjoying the simple things in life. ¡°I¡­ want to go home,¡± she found herself saying. As Nobina finally calmed down, the pain of the sword hits earlier were now seeping into her. All around, she felt like she needed a ton of ice or something to dull the pain. Eventually, before it got too rough, she decided to see Lare about it. Heading to his office, he once again found it closed and heard Lare chewing out Mimiki, with her now firing back at him. ¡°Are you stupid Mimiki? We can¡¯t lose another guild officer because¡­¡± ¡°Because of me? Don¡¯t try to hide it Lare. I know you blame me for the last officer we lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not making this any easier,¡± he barked back. ¡°You didn¡¯t give Nobina even a bit of a chance.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t deserve it. This is clearly going to be the same case as last time. She¡¯ll work here and go, like Eisa did.¡± Eisa? Was this someone who previously worked at the guild? Nobina was fully invested in hearing the conversation, but she found herself grunting in pain, stopping the conversation. At that moment, she saw the door swing open, with Mimiki storming out and not looking at her once. Nobina was very tempted to yell something, but part of her told her to avoid escalating things. There was a story behind Mimiki¡¯s actions, and Nobina fully intended to learn it. Nobina headed into Lare¡¯s room, where he seemed stressed out by what was happening. Seeing Nobina, all he could do was give as calm of a smile as he could. ¡°Are you alright Nobina?¡± ¡°I need medical treatment. I can¡¯t work like this. Also¡­ I want the full story regarding Mimiki. And I¡¯m not taking no for an answer.¡± Lare could see the seriousness in her face, leading him to merely nod. ¡°I¡¯ll call Sarah back to help. Mind waiting a bit?¡± Nobina nodded back, taking a seat. She didn¡¯t really know what Sarah did on her off days, so all she could do was ask her the next time they saw each other. Waiting around allowed her to really think about what had happened and if this was the end of the line. No one should be expected to deal with something like this. For her, she felt that if she didn¡¯t get a good enough reason to give Mimiki another chance, this truly would be it. She was willing to leave the guild rather than deal with Mimiki. About ten minutes later, Sarah was back, running into Lare¡¯s office and giving Nobina a hug, crying tears. Nobina¡¯s reaction of pain stopped the hug immediately though, making Sarah apologize for causing her trouble. ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll speak to Eric about this and make sure that vile woman is punished,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Sarah,¡± said Lare strongly. ¡°You can¡¯t call Mimiki vile.¡± Sarah immediately snapped back, giving Lare a sharps stare. ¡°Oh? Are we defending Mimiki¡¯s actions again Lare. She will ruin everything in this guild if we don¡¯t even punish stuff like this. Besides. Don¡¯t think I will take this lying down.¡± Her words made it clear to Lare how much this was escalating. However, Nobina had no intention of ruining the guild. ¡°Enough,¡± said Nobina. ¡°No one is punishing anyone.¡± Her words surprised Sarah and Lare, who looked at her. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to both of you about it more later, but for now, can we heal these bruises?¡± Sarah, realizing Nobina was still in pain, nodded. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± said Sarah. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Sarah,¡± Nobina replied back. ¡°None of this is any of your fault. Just¡­ let me gather my thoughts regarding Mimiki and make my desires known first, ok?¡± Both of them nodded, with Sarah helping her up. With that, Nobina was escorted out of the office with the assistance of Sarah. As they went out the back to avoid a scene, Sarah couldn¡¯t help but talk regarding Mimiki. ¡°She knows no limits,¡± said Sarah.¡± ¡°Sarah¡­¡± Sarah shook her head as the two continued on. The trek to the medical office wasn¡¯t that far, though Nobina felt every step. Mimiki did a number to her legs, but despite how cruel Mimiki¡¯s strikes seemed, she didn¡¯t cause any serious harm. Nobina could tell she was holding back. When Nobina snapped back at Mimiki, it seemed to stop her from holding back and almost delivering a serious hit. It was that sole fact that she wasn¡¯t just beating her up that made her wonder if it was her own fault for not being able to take the hits without being frustrated. At the medical office, which was a two-story building made of stone and wood, Nobina was escorted into a rather nice waiting room. At the desk was a kind receptionist who recognized Sarah. The receptionist was wearing a nice orange and white outfit, having brown hair going a bit past her shoulders. ¡°Hello Sarah,¡± said the receptionist. ¡°Another adventurer who bit off more than they could chew this time?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ No. An unfortunate training incident with a fellow guild officer,¡± Sarah sighed back. ¡°Oh dear. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t too bad. Bring her in the back.¡± With that, Nobina and Sarah found themselves in a nice, clean room. All over were vials and medical equipment. In the center of everything was a nice large bed and a more solid bed to the right of it. ¡°As this seems rather simple, we¡¯ll go with the comfort room,¡± said the receptionist. ¡°Please relax in the bed miss¡­¡± ¡°Nobina.¡± The receptionist smiled and nodded. ¡°Names Witmi,¡± said the receptionist. ¡°Medical Mage Kim will be here shortly.¡± ¡°Medical Mage?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Oh right. Medical mages are rare in this nation, but we are blessed we have one in our town. Kim is an excellent doctor and medical mage. You¡¯re in good hands.¡± With that, Witmi stepped out, leaving the two alone. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Do you¡­¡± spoke Sarah, clearly not wanting to leave the topic of Mimiki alone. ¡°No,¡± responded Nobina. Nobina was still tired of dealing with Mimiki, but she intended to get the story about her from Lare. Sarah might know, but her bias was too clear to make any conversation productive. Eventually, a nice lady in a white robe appeared. She had a gentle expression on her face, giving a bow to Nobina. ¡°Pleasure to meet you,¡± said the lady. ¡°I didn¡¯t know people bowed,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s something I¡¯m used to dealing with nobles,¡± chuckled the lady. ¡°My name is Kim Auri. Nice to meet you¡­¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± she replied back, giving a nod. With that, Kim asked Nobina to let her examine her, which she did without problems. Checking all over Nobina, Kim confirmed what spots were bruised and what spots were fine. ¡°Nothing broken, correct?¡± ¡°I believe nothing is broken,¡± Nobina responded. ¡°Then it should be a simple healing procedure. Please stand still.¡± Kim held out her hand, chanting something as she held her wooden staff. Energy began flowing out of the tip of it and into Nobina, providing a smooth feeling of comfort. As she relaxed, she noticed the disappearing pain. It was truly magical, making Nobina look in awe as she was amazed by what she considered traditional magic. This was everything she wanted to see in a fantasy world and seeing it firsthand was an experience unlike any other. ¡°Amazing,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Truly, it is,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Everyone is awed by healing magic, so I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Nobina¡¯s concerns and desire to go back to her old world seemed to disappear at that moment. Her realization that she still had yet to fully master her own power made her realize what she could do was magical in itself. If she could unlock another crazy power, then perhaps she could say she was as amazing as Medical Mage Kim. Not only that, but she wasn¡¯t going to run away from her goal to complete her dream, no matter how rough it got. ¡°Done,¡± said Kim, stopping the spell. Looking herself over, she saw she was in perfectly good condition, thanking Kim profusely. ¡°No worries,¡± she smiled. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m more surprised by how good of a condition your clothes are. Those bruises would have indicated that your clothes would be quite scuffed up. However, they appear perfectly fine.¡± Nobina understood what she meant. She was leaning more and more into the idea her clothes were magical, but she wasn¡¯t going to say it. ¡°What can I say,¡± Nobina chuckled. ¡°I guess I got some good quality ones.¡± With that, Kim gave the price of ten gold coins, which was a decent amount, but Sarah immediately covered it. ¡°Thank you for your services Kim,¡± said Nobina and Sarah. ¡°Glad to get to help another fellow civil servant,¡± replied Kim. With that, the two departed back to the guild. As they walked back, Sarah asked Nobina what was going to happen now. ¡°Hm? I¡¯ll speak with Lare and then decide what I want to do regarding Mimiki.¡± As they continued to walk, Sarah seemed to slow down, prompting Nobina to do so as well. Eventually, both stopped as Nobina found herself turning to Sarah. ¡°Are you¡­ Are you considering leaving?¡± Hearing those last words being spoken out in an almost sad tone prompted Nobina to hug Sarah. When she did, Sarah settled into the hug, taking it in as Nobina spoke. ¡°Sarah¡­ No matter what happens, we¡¯ll always be friends.¡± Sarah nodded, hugging her back strongly. With that, the two entered the back of the guild. As soon as they did, Nobina went into Lare office, sitting down with him. ¡°Sarah,¡± said Lare. ¡°Please stand by just in case you¡¯re needed. Sorry for making you work on your day off. I¡¯ll talk with Nobina in private.¡± Sarah gave a salute, taking a seat in Lare¡¯s office to relax. With that, Nobina and Lare took their leave. As they walked, they headed into the nearby forest. Looking around, it felt peaceful as it was only the two of them now. It was as private as they were going to get. ¡°So,¡± said Lare. ¡°Where to start¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°Three years ago, it was the three of us working. Me, Mimiki and Sarah. However, one day we received a request for employment from another woman named Eisa. She, like Mimiki, was an adventurer. However, she was only an F-rank scout and nothing of note. She didn¡¯t expect to be hired actually, but she was encouraged by her friends, who told her it was a chance to find a new path outside of the risky life of being an adventurer. Safe to say, she ended up getting the job once Eric met with her.¡± ¡°At the time, Eric told me that Eisa seemed like she was capable of reaching C-rank, which would make her a quality guild officer. They did lack scouts as well, so it was a good chance to increase the guild officer diversity. He did have reservations of her commitment to being their long term, but not enough to deny her the position. I was on board with the hire and so were Sarah and Mimiki. Mimiki in particular was excited, offering to do whatever she could to help Eisa succeed.¡± ¡°That offer was taken instantly. Eisa was supposedly going to fill an important role to their fledgling guild and be Mimiki¡¯s buddy in the field. Sarah and Mimiki were on somewhat bad terms at that point, but they avoided actively fighting for the guild¡¯s sakes. When Eisa came around, her kind attitude to both Sarah and Mimiki seemed to create a sense of harmony in the guild. Things seemed to be working out.¡± ¡°Fast forward to a year ago, and Eisa was promoted to C-rank adventurer and considered a quality scout amongst the adventurers in our town. It wouldn¡¯t be too much of a stretch to say she was the best scout, in fact. Mimiki and Eisa were as close as they could be, and things seemed to be working out for the best. However, it seemed that the moment she became a C-rank was the start of the end for Eisa¡¯s time here. It only took a month after that for Eisa to speak to Eric regarding her employment. She informed Eric she had received an offer from a larger town to join their guild office. Eric asked her if there was anything he could offer to get her to reconsider. When the offer was mentioned though, Eric had no choice but to say they weren¡¯t able to meet it.¡± ¡°The day she was set to leave, Mimiki was practically begging for Eisa to stay, asking why she wanted to leave them all behind for some big guild. Eisa, whose expression changed that day, merely told Mimiki the guild was not capable of helping her achieve her dream and left it at that. Her response felt cold and unfriendly. Like the two weren¡¯t even friends anymore. That was probably why it hurt Mimiki so much.¡± ¡°Safe to say, the moment Eisa left broke Mimiki¡¯s heart. Mimiki had changed ever since then, being more distant with us guild officers. Of course, she¡¯d never show such discourtesy to Eric but that¡¯s understandable. Eric was a master to her, after all.¡± ¡°As for her treatment of others, it¡¯s hard to say why she started to dislike non-adventurers. It happened ever since Eisa left and she still hasn¡¯t given either of us a good enough reason. Mimiki likely thought some sort of non-adventurer had put into Eisa¡¯s mind that she had to leave to accomplish her dreams. I think it¡¯s possible, but we can¡¯t know. Eisa never told us. Anyway¡­ That¡¯s the story of Mimiki and Eisa.¡± ¡­ As Lare finished the story, Nobina merely nodded. A lot of things started making sense. Mimiki dislike and distrust was due to years of it being broken by Eisa. Of course, it didn¡¯t justify her doing everything she has done so far, but it was a reason at least. Nobina wanted to question all of them for not telling her this information, but part of her felt there had to be a reason they hid this information. Perhaps it was a matter of trust that if they told her the story, Mimiki wouldn¡¯t trust any of them again. Regardless, the story was all Nobina needed to give her response on how she planned to handle Mimiki. ¡°I understand¡­¡± said Nobina, going silent after that. The silence was building up tension as Lare waited for her to say something. As for Nobina, she was in deep thought, thinking about Mimiki before speaking. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, I want to give her another chance.¡± Hearing that, Lare felt surprised. ¡°Why?¡± Lare asked. ¡°After everything she did to you¡­¡± Nobina gave a kind smile as she spoke. ¡°I can finally understand her pain and work to help not only myself, but her resolve the rift that¡¯s between us. It won¡¯t stop with me if I leave, so I have to do what I can. Not only for myself, but for everyone. We¡¯ll keep up with training together and hopefully we can work out our differences.¡± To Nobina, she wanted to repay the kindness that all of them had given her. If she could resolve her differences with Mimiki, it could very well eventually mend the divide between Sarah and Mimiki as well. It would be the best gift she could give Sarah, who had done so many kind things for her. Lare nodded, giving a smile. ¡°Nobina¡­ You¡¯re truly a kind person to be willing to train with Mimiki despite what she did to you.¡± Nobina enjoyed the kind words and knew he was right. Nobina, at her core, detested conflict. If she could resolve everything, that would be her dream situation. As she thought about it, she heard something moving in her bag. ¡°Huh?¡± Nobina took her bag and placed it on the table. Opening it up, she saw a white bunny hop out, shocking the both of them. ¡°Nobina?¡± asked Lare. ¡°Why¡­ Why do you have a bunny?¡± ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know,¡± she replied. Next to the bunny appeared a single piece of paper. She took it and saw the name ¡°Pausers¡± on it. The word felt somewhat familiar, but she couldn¡¯t recall why. ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s named Pausers¡­ I have honestly no idea what to do with it.¡± Nobina had resolved to work things out with Mimiki, but the appearance of a bunny was once again reminding her that not all was as it seemed. There was still a Gaze watching over her and it felt it was appropriate to give her a bunny. Why? Who knows. ¡°Well¡­ I guess you could¡­ release it?¡± mentioned Lare. Immediately, Pausers hopped onto Nobina¡¯s lap, snuggling against her. ¡°Aww¡­.¡± Her heart melted, and any chance of releasing it went out the window. ¡°Nah. I¡¯ll keep it,¡± she smiled. She needed more friends, and Pausers was perfect for her. A kind companion that seemed happy and content. She¡¯d need to figure out more about the logistics of caring for the bunny, but for now, she hugged her furry friend, happy to have it along for the ride. ¡°Well Pausers¡­ I guess we¡¯re buddies from now on.¡± In response to her words, Pausers merely snuggled into Nobina, causing her heart to melt even more. ¡°This truly is a magical world,¡± smiled Nobina. Chapter 12: Determination and Mistakes Once they were done talking, Nobina headed home early for the day with Pausers to clear her head. Like before, she summoned her diary and began writing about her day. Afterward, she enjoyed a nice, solitary dinner by herself. It was a nice moment of alone time that she wasn¡¯t used to, so it was a good change of pace. Thoughts of her old world appeared here and there, but she was able to keep them at bay. Afterward, she went to Harris and asked her about food and water for her new bunny. ¡°A bunny pet, eh?¡± spoke the innkeeper, focusing on cleaning the empty mugs. ¡°Well¡­ I do have carrots for it. Water I can also provide, but all of it will cost a few bronze coins. Is that fine?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Nobina nodded. She gathered the supplies from the innkeeper and brought them to her room. As she laid everything down, the innkeeper warned her to make sure the bunny didn¡¯t bother the guests, and any mess it made was her responsibility. ¡°I¡¯m sure a lot of people would enjoy a fluffy companion like this,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Well¡­ If you haven¡¯t met a Death Hare yet, then yeah¡­ That¡¯s true,¡± said Harris, giving a nod. The words Death Hare instantly caused Nobina to freeze as she stared at Pausers. In return, Pauser seemed to stare at her for a bit before going back to hopping around. ¡°Uh¡­ What¡¯s a Death Hare?¡± asked Nobina, hesitant to learn about such a terrifying creature. ¡°Well¡­ think of your bunny, but it moves insanely fast, bites extremely hard, and¡­ well, it¡¯s very aggressive and carnivorous. Also very lethal. Probably a mortality rate of¡­ Well, better to not know that.¡± Harris¡¯ very serious face made it clear he wasn¡¯t joking either. Nobina found herself shuddering upon hearing that. The thought that such a cute and fluffy bunny could do something so horrific wasn¡¯t one she needed. ¡°You aren¡¯t a Death Hare, right Pausers?¡± asked Nobina, looking at its face. In response, Pausers merely hopped next to her and gave a snuggle, causing her to melt. ¡°I can get used to this,¡± she said with a face full of bliss. ¡°Well¡­ Let me know if you need anything else,¡± said Harris as he left. With that, she fed Pausers and prepared to call it a day. The next day would be the big day. Nobina would try to resolve things with Mimiki once and for all. If she failed¡­ she didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do about Mimiki. The following day, Nobina found herself waking up to a fluffy object sitting directly on her. Her head tilted to see Pausers, her newly acquired bunny companion relaxing on her. ¡°Yesterday was something, huh¡­¡± Today was the day she¡¯d try to work things out with Mimiki. She took a deep breath, got ready, and headed out for the guild. She left Pausers as she didn¡¯t want it to get hurt. Pausers looked a bit sad, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do. Bringing a bunny to the workplace was something she wanted to do eventually, but perhaps not too soon. Walking to the guild felt different that day. It felt as if she was walking into some major event, with pressure building on her to succeed. Memories of important meetings from her past filled her as she took each step. The pressure not to mess up. The pressure to make sure to execute everything perfectly. It was nerve racking, but she was managing to keep as much focus as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to succeed, no matter what,¡± she told herself, trying to pump herself up. With that, she made her way into the guild. Once inside, she saw Mimiki was merely watching over the front desk as usual. Her sight of Nobina prompted a ¡°hmph¡± as she ignored her soon after. Nobina did the same, walking towards the desk. As she passed by Mimiki, she casually asked Mimiki a question. ¡°So. When¡¯s the next training session?¡± asked Nobina. Mimiki couldn¡¯t help but scoff at her words. ¡°Exercise? What makes you think I want to teach you again,¡± she said. There was clear hostility in her voice, but Nobina was unfazed. She was focused on executing her plan and wouldn¡¯t let anything Mimiki said derail it. ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s a shame. I guess I¡¯ll teach myself then. Probably for the best.¡± As Nobina took a few steps, she heard Mimiki approach, grabbing her like before. ¡°What? You¡¯re going to train yourself?¡± Nobina chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°Why are you surprised Mimiki? You don¡¯t want to teach me. I want to learn. Why should I not just teach myself? I¡¯ll at least do better than that mess of a training session from last time.¡± Mimiki let go, shaking her head as she walked back to the front. ¡°Do what you want,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not getting into a shouting match with you over something like this.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t intend for that,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m sure a book would teach me better than you ever could.¡± At that point, Nobina smiled as Mimiki approached her, jabbing her finger into her. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll teach you if you really want. Right now. Outside.¡± Nobina smiled, giving a nod. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She went to Lare and told her what was happening. Lare¡¯s face looked to be in pain before turning to Mimiki. ¡°Please¡­ Don¡¯t go too far this time Mimiki,¡± said Lare. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to. I¡¯ll teach her if it¡¯s the last thing I do,¡± said Mimiki, fired up. Nobina could tell Mimiki intended to teach her, but at the same time, she had a feeling it would be the same as last time. The two stepped outside into the back, grabbing wooden training swords like last time. Nobina stood ready while Mimiki did the same, facing her. ¡°Now then,¡± said Mimiki, now focusing up. ¡°Instead of you striking me, I¡¯ll go ahead and strike you this time. I want you to show me what you picked up from last time watching me defend and dodge.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Despite all the frustrations of the previous day, she could recall at least a bit of what she saw yesterday, with Mimiki dodging and blocking. Of course, she could only attempt to replicate a fraction of what Mimiki did. She didn¡¯t have the skills or trained body of Mimiki, but it was better than nothing. To her surprise, Mimiki began actually giving instructions. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t recall any of it, the basics are simple. Blocking is all about stance, form, and strength. A bad stance or form holding the sword and your block does nothing. Once that is sorted, it¡¯s all about a contest of strength. I don¡¯t expect you to be able to block any of this but show me what you got at least.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± said Nobina, giving a nod. She was feeling excited thanks to Mimiki giving her instructions, but that was quickly dashed as Mimiki went at her. The first strike was powerful enough to knock the sword out of her hand. The second one hit her straight in the ride side, causing a grunt of pain as she retreated. Mimiki scoffed, stepping back to let her pick up her sword. ¡°Do better, since I¡¯ll add more hits until you can show you learned what I said.¡± Nobina nodded, ready for the next block. Each time Mimiki went at her, Nobina did her best to block. However, the problem was that she didn¡¯t know the proper form or stance to properly block. She desperately tried to recall what she saw Mimiki do, but it wasn¡¯t successful. ¡°Come on! Did you learn nothing from last time?¡± yelled Mimiki as she landed another strike. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but speak back. ¡°It was rather¡­¡± She was immediately cut off as Mimiki landed another strike. ¡°Not an excuse to talk,¡± said Mimiki, retreating. That time, she had landed four hits, prompting Nobina to realize this was far more intense than last time. If she had to guess, she only could go up to six strikes. At that point, she¡¯d probably be in too much pain to continue. Nobina needed more time to think, but she didn¡¯t have it. All she could do was try her best. ¡°Ready,¡± she said, huffing as she gathered her breath. Mimiki went at her again and once again her sword was knocked out. As Mimiki hit her twice, the third time she had actually managed to dodge the hit. Her excitement was through the roof, but Mimiki¡¯s following two hits brought her back to earth. ¡°Don¡¯t get excited for such a simple dodge,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Right,¡± replied Nobina. This went on for one more time before Nobina found herself too hurt to actually continue. As she thought, after taking six hits in a row, there was no way she¡¯d be able to continue. Especially since Mimiki, despite holding back, was making her feel every hit. On the flip side, it seemed Mimiki was still frustrated. She looked as if she wanted to say something but was holding back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Mimiki?¡± asked Nobina, now leaning on her sword. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got me back here to waste my time again,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m going back in. Teach yourself.¡± Nobina was surprised, considering she felt she learned something from this training. She couldn¡¯t tell if she really wasn¡¯t learning anything or if Mimiki¡¯s past was still blinding her. ¡°Mimiki¡­ Do you think I learned nothing from this?¡± asked Nobina as she stood there with a surprised face. She turned to Nobina, shaking her head. ¡°Honestly. That¡¯s how I feel. I¡¯ve saw nothing to convince me you are taking this seriously.¡± With that, Nobina stood up, her sword ready. ¡°Then come at me one more time. I¡¯ll stop that hit no matter what,¡± said Nobina as seriously as she could. Nobina knew there was little chance of that happening, but she had a plan. The moment Mimiki came at her, Nobina intended to deflect and dodge the hit this time. Her logic was simple. Mimiki would be focusing on breaking through her guard to prove a point. However, if she didn¡¯t expect a deflection and dodge, the odds of it working were higher. Of course, Mimiki was a former A-rank adventurer. For all Nobina knew, her plan would fail immediately as Mimiki would notice the act and merely get around her deflection. However, she intended to show Mimiki she was learning. This wasn¡¯t a lesson on blocking or deflecting but a lesson on being able to handle an opponent much stronger than you. After all, if it was supposed to be the former, Mimiki would have told her more about stances and form rather than barking at her. ¡°Hey,¡± yelled Mimiki. ¡°Focus.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Nobina. Nobina stood at the ready. Looking at Mimiki, she saw her gripping her sword particularly forcefully. Memories of the last time she saw that appeared, telling Nobina she¡¯d actually get seriously hurt if she failed to stop the hit. She took a deep breath, staring at the sword. If she was right, she¡¯d try to hit the same spot again as she never changed its location. Mimiki charged at her at a speed far faster than she had gone so far. However, she was waiting for any movement to begin her deflection. Nobina¡¯s sword moved into the spot she hoped, which would result in a deflection. To aid in that matter, she also moved right to keep her stance as firm as possible and also potentially dodge the strike. When she was in position, Nobina was shocked to see Mimiki was right there in front of her. Her sword was swinging right towards the expected spot and collided directly with Nobina¡¯s sword. It was only for a moment, but she saw the sword move slightly off of its intended path, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The hit was far too strong, and it still hit her enough to knock her back. The sheer force caused her to fly a few feet, and soon everything went black. Mimiki¡¯s face changed immediately upon realizing what had happened. She looked at Nobina, who was lying on the ground, and immediately panicked. ¡°No¡­¡± Mimiki knew that the hit was far too strong. She intended to hold back, but the moment Nobina moved unexpectedly, her instincts kicked in. She saw her trying to dodge and deflect, forcing her to redirect her own blade. While Nobina was still able to cause a partial deflection, Mimiki angled the sword enough to land a hit. The end result was Mimiki¡¯s blade being a bit off course, but the force was far greater than she wanted to use against her, and Nobina was knocked back. Not only that, but the force was great enough that she hit her head against the ground hard. She immediately called for Eric, who was there in an instant. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Eric, looking at Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry Master Eric,¡± she said, tears falling from her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I made a mistake.¡± Eric shook his head. ¡°Mimiki¡­ Go home for the day. I¡¯ll tell you what will happen tomorrow.¡± She nodded, taking her training sword and holding it tightly. As she was close to entering the building, she turned to Eric, trying to hold it together. ¡°Am¡­ Am I fired Master?¡± Eric, only looking towards Nobina, shook his head. ¡°You should be more concerned about Nobina and whether she¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do my best to make sure of it at least.¡± Mimiki gave a nod. As she turned away, she heard her master speak to her with a disappointed voice. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to everything Mimiki. I thought I taught you that. This matter¡­ Is not something I can overlook.¡± Hearing that, she could only nod again before walking back into the guild. As Eric crouched down next to Nobina, he took out a potion of red liquid and dripped a bit of it onto Nobina¡¯s head. The result was a soft green glow before Eric shook his head. ¡°She wasn¡¯t the only one who needs to apologize to you Nobina,¡± said Eric in a somber tone. ¡°I should have handled this myself instead of hoping you¡¯d resolve it. Now¡­ I wouldn¡¯t blame you if you wanted to leave. You didn¡¯t deserve any of this and you could have gotten seriously hurt¡­ I¡¯m sorry Nobina.¡± Eric went ahead and picked her up, heading to the medical office to have her checked up and healed. Chapter 13: Choices and Kindness Nobina found herself waking up in a familiar spot. It was the same comfy bed she was in the last time she saw Medical Mage Kim. Looking to her right, she saw Eric was waiting there. His gaze turned to Nobina as she finally awoke. ¡°Nobina¡­¡± Eric bowed to her before speaking next. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nobina. I¡¯ve allowed a fellow guild officer to almost seriously hurt you. This is unacceptable and as the guild master and Mimiki¡¯s master, I accept full responsibility. I will compensate you to the best of my ability and Mimiki will be released from the guild.¡± His words felt sincere, and Nobina appreciated them. However, she already had her answer for what to do about Mimiki. ¡°Thank you, Guild Master, but please give no punishment to Mimiki. She was only trying to train me and made a mistake.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I cannot say that was training,¡± he responded. ¡°I was watching from the second floor earlier, and it looked like she was just beating you up. This is by no means how someone should ever be taught.¡± She wanted to question why he was not intervening sooner if he had issues, but part of her guessed it was the same reason why he hadn¡¯t been that much involved with the matter between the two. What Mimiki did wasn¡¯t solely training, and Nobina knew she should have just walked away instead of taking all those hits. However, Nobina¡¯s main goal was to break Mimiki out of her shell. She had a shell around her that prevented her from trusting anyone. If there was anyone who could do it, Nobina wanted to believe it was her. ¡°I know, but please¡­ I¡¯ve been doing my best to make things work and it all falls apart if she¡¯s punished for this.¡± Eric gave it some thought and shook his head. ¡°Even if you wish for her not to be punished, my hands are tied. If it becomes known a guild officer wasn¡¯t punished for basically bullying another guild officer, it¡¯d be completely irresponsible of me and also ruin the guild¡¯s reputation. I have to do something.¡± Nobina thought about it and had an idea. ¡°What if you change the punishment? Instead of firing her, she must undergo business etiquette training.¡± ¡°Business etiquette training?¡± Nobina realized the idea might not be familiar to Eric, so she began explaining what it was. She began to explain how the training would work on improving Mimiki¡¯s behavior to everyone, not just her fellow guild officers but also non-adventurers. Ideally, the result is her being more open with everyone and avoiding incidents like this in the future. Hearing that, he gave a laugh, nodding his head. ¡°What an interesting idea. Sure. I¡¯ll accept the punishment you¡¯ve mentioned. As the victim, you have every right to help dictate it.¡± With that, Nobina felt relieved as she leaned back against the bed. ¡°So, what now?¡± asked Nobina. Eric thought about it a bit before speaking. ¡°Well you should take another day off. Going back right now can only turn out badly. I¡¯ll have Sarah come back again to take over. It might be a bit cruel to ask her to do so but¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯ll understand,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Oh, and please tell her to see me. I don¡¯t want her butting heads with Mimiki or worse until we talk at least. There¡¯s a personal conversation that needs to happen between the two of us regarding her.¡± ¡°I¡¯d imagine this extends to Lare and Mimiki herself, right?¡± She gave a nod. This was a big mess, but it was also a matter that was hopefully close to being resolved. Deep down, she hoped forgiving Mimiki would finally give her the trust she wanted. If not, there was nothing left to do. Nobina wasn¡¯t a miracle worker, and there really was a limit to what she could and couldn¡¯t do. With that, Eric told her Medical Mage Kim would do a final check before letting her go. After all, a head injury was always serious. Once he was gone, Kim appeared and checked over Nobina again. She told her that she was really lucky her head wasn¡¯t seriously hurt. Thanks to Eric¡¯s healing potion, it likely helped prevent anything serious. ¡°How do those things work anyway?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Does it somehow indicate that its working?¡± Kim shook her head. ¡°These potions work by restoring any damage done to a particular spot its applied to. More potion is required depending on how big the injury is. In this case, when you might have received an internal injury from, say, hitting your head hard against the ground, the healing potion caused your body to restore itself. I don¡¯t know how to explain this¡­ Even if your injured, the potion can be used to prevent injuries.¡± Nobina looked at her blankly, trying to wrap her head around its logic. ¡°So¡­ I wasn¡¯t hurt visibility, but it made sure any internal injury was healed?¡± she asked. ¡°Best way to put it, I guess. He did that so he could move you without risking a serious injury. Even if you weren¡¯t bleeding on the outside, for all he knew some part of your head could have been hurt internally. The potion was meant to heal an injury you might not have been able to see, especially internal ones. I can¡¯t tell you how serious those can go untreated.¡± Nobina nodded. She¡¯d have to thank Eric for using something likely expensive on her well-being, but she knew Eric would say it was his responsibility anyway. With that, Kim gave her the go-ahead after confirming that her bruises were healed. ¡°Can you try avoiding any serious fighting Nobina,¡± chuckled Kim. ¡°As much as I like healing people, its preferred no one is hurt at all.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best Kim.¡± With that, Nobina left the medical office. Stepping outside, she took a deep breath and looked in the direction of the guild. In her mind, she was so close to resolving everything. Tomorrow was a big day, and she had to be rested and ready. Nobina headed back to her room, where she sat down and filled in her diary. Once again, Pausers was there, snuggling against her. Nobina was appreciative of how this was becoming a normal thing for her to end the night. It was a bit of progress in terms of writing, even if it wasn¡¯t the book she intended to write. She was still thinking about potential subjects for it, but she wanted to make sure whatever it ultimately ended up being was something people resonated with. As dinner rolled around, she decided to eat at the inn this time around. Sitting down, Harris approached her to take her order. However, in the middle of it, he gave a pause. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Are you alright Nobina?¡± Nobina tilted her head, wondering what prompted the question. ¡°Oh. You seemed a little down. Just wanted to know if you were fine.¡± ¡°Thank you for the concern, Harris. I just have a bit on my mind, that¡¯s all,¡± she replied. Nobina had to imagine her face was reflecting how she was currently feeling. She couldn¡¯t help but feel apprehensive given everything. Harris, seeing Nobina not wanting to say more on the matter, merely nodded and took the rest of the order. In the meantime, while she was waiting for the food, she looked around at the adventurers and townsfolk in the inn. It was a large number of adventurers, but it made sense. Adventurers would be the primary people who¡¯d enjoy this type of atmosphere. She had a feeling Mimiki must have visited this place relatively often. Eventually her order of Chizen Staroff arrived. It was something familiar, and she wasn¡¯t in the experimenting mood. As she was preparing to eat, she saw someone she wasn¡¯t expecting arrive at the inn¡¯s entrance. It was Mimiki, who was wearing a casual adventuring outfit. Her gaze saw Nobina, prompting Mimiki to look away. Nobina stood up and approached her, curious about her being there. ¡°Mimiki?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Nobina¡­¡± There was a lot of guilt in her voice as she looked at Nobina. She seemed to be struggling to speak, but she slapped both of her cheeks and then looked at Nobina dead in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so sorry,¡± she said, lowering her head immediately. ¡°You didn¡¯t deserve any of what I did to you. This whole time¡­ you were trying to get along with me but¡­ I pushed you away¡­¡± Nobina could hear her voice become more guilty as she spoke. Soon, she saw tears falling from Mimiki¡¯s eyes as she spoke. ¡°I treated you like you were a bad person from day one. I hurt you again and again¡­ I fully expected and even wanted you to push me away like Sarah has. However¡­ I don¡¯t why I was being so stupid.¡± The room around them seemed to start to get quiet as their talk seemed to dominate the atmosphere. ¡°You might be disgusted seeing me right now and I¡¯ll leave if you want. I just¡­ wanted to make sure you understood that I really am sorry for everything¡­ and I don¡¯t deserve your forgiveness.¡± Nobina, hearing this, hugged Mimiki. The hug shocked her, as she must have been expecting a different response. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Nobina, giving her as much as a comforting hug as possible. ¡°All I wanted was for us to get along. Even as you did everything you did against me, I tried as hard as I could to make it work. If I¡¯m being honest, I only recently learned why you were doing all of this.¡± Those words prompted Mimiki to look Nobina in the face, shocked. ¡°Wait¡­ so you know about Eisa?¡± She gave a nod. ¡°Please don¡¯t blame Lare for telling me the full story. I forced it out of him so I could understand why you really hated me.¡± Mimiki looked at Nobina, trying to find the words to say. ¡°So¡­ So you still tried to work things out despite hearing everything? That story should have told you that things might have never worked out between us. If anything, it should have told you friendship between us might never happen.¡± Nobina gave a chuckle hearing that. ¡°So¡­ do you consider us friends?¡± Hearing that, Mimiki struggled to speak. ¡°Do I even have the right to ask?¡± she spoke softly. ¡°I haven¡¯t even earned your forgiveness and asking for friendship seems wrong¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a first step,¡± said Nobina. ¡°But¡­ Would you be so kind as to accept my own request for friendship?¡± Mimiki looked at her, gathering herself. There was a pure look of disbelief on her face, unsure if she could even believe what she was hearing. ¡°Even after everything I did?¡± she replied. ¡°I honestly hope I did enough to earn it myself,¡± said Nobina kindly. ¡°Of course you have,¡± said Mimiki loudly. ¡°You know what? If you want it, you definitely earned it. I¡¯m happy to start calling you a friend.¡± The inn around them cheered immediately as soon as that was said. Mimiki, seeing this, yelled out to everyone. ¡°Drinks are on me tonight everyone. To celebrate a newfound friendship.¡± Nobina felt her embarrassment rapidly increase, but at the same time she felt as happy as could be. Her goal of working things out between them was finally done. There were still a few loose ends to resolve, but this was a major victory she intended to celebrate. Even if this was merely one small footnote in her life here, she knew that she¡¯d always cherish this newfound friendship built on her determination to see things through. Soon, the celebration was in full swing, and Nobina noticed something was missing. Normally, the Gaze would be a constant pressure on her that she had grown accustomed to. However, with it gone suddenly, she felt a sense of privacy, like her actions right now would not be seen by anyone else but herself. ¡°It¡¯s a bit liberating,¡± she chuckled. After she took a sip of the drink she had received, she placed it down and began to relax. At the moment, she was alone at her table while Mimiki seemed to be having the time of her life speaking with adventurers. It highlighted how she cared so much for adventurers. Despite this, she didn¡¯t feel like Mimiki was intentionally avoiding her right now. Instead, she was merely enjoying the moment with people she was still much closer to. She was in her comfort zone and Nobina understood that well. All Nobina could hope for was their friendship would one day reach similar levels. Perhaps one day all the guild employees could celebrate together. Hours passed and people were either calling it a night, were still celebrating, or passed out. For Nobina, who wasn¡¯t really a drinker, she merely finished the second meal she had ordered. Her drink was still mostly full. This time, she ordered a Walsh Cheese Platter, which was a plate full of various cheeses. She was always a fan of cheese, so having something like this in the world was great. At some point, she wanted to travel a bit to try the different foods from different places. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Mimiki, taking a seat across from her. Despite all the drinking, it appeared that Mimiki was still very much sober and perfectly fine. ¡°I wanted to thank you for everything,¡± she said, a sad look suddenly going over her face. ¡°I know my time at the guild will be over soon, but I¡¯m glad I could make things up with you.¡± Nobina tilted her head, confused by what she said. ¡°What do you mean? Did you get fired?¡± Nobina was worried that perhaps Eric had ended up firing her despite her request. It didn¡¯t make much sense that he¡¯d disregard her desire like that, but he had every right to fire Mimiki. It would have been disappointing if that ended up being the case. However, she knew the guild had its policy, and she was in no position to exert any influence. ¡°It¡¯s pretty obvious that it will happen,¡± she sighed, putting her head against the table. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt a fellow guild officer, let alone almost seriously injure one. I have no right to be a guild officer and I know both Sarah and Lare would voice their complaints against me. Heck, I¡¯m sure that despite us being friends you must have wanted me gone before that.¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°I was more worried about losing my job if we couldn¡¯t work things out to be honest,¡± said Nobina, staring at her drink that was half full. ¡°However, I don¡¯t want you to lose your job either.¡± Mimiki shook her head back in response. ¡°Eric said it himself, there was only so much he could overlook. Tomorrow, he¡¯ll likely call me in and fire me.¡± Mimiki was facing down as soon as she said that. Nobina could tell she was frustrated, but there was something that she managed to catch. ¡°Wait¡­ are you assuming your fired?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± she said, raising her head. ¡°There¡¯s no way I go unpunished for this, even if you want it.¡± Nobina gave a hearty laugh, prompting Mimiki to look at her confusedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Mimiki. I worked something out with Eric, and you should be fine. Of course, there¡¯s still a punishment but you¡¯ll be an employee regardless.¡± Mimiki¡¯s face instantly lit up as she heard that. She ran to Nobina and gave her a strong hug. It was a bit painful, with Nobina mentioning it and Mimiki releasing it a bit. ¡°Oh. Sorry,¡± said Mimiki, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°But what is the punishment?¡± ¡°Eric will explain it more tomorrow, but it isn¡¯t too bad,¡± said Nobina with a smile. ¡°Hmph, well if it¡¯s from you, I guess it won¡¯t be that bad,¡± said Mimiki in a sarcastic tone. Nobina raised her eyebrow, with Mimiki blowing up in laughter. Both began to laugh, showing how things between them had already started to resolve themselves. As the laughter died down, Mimiki gave a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m so grateful you¡¯re such a kind person Nobina,¡± Mimiki said as she looked at Nobina with a rare kind face. ¡°So many people would never forgive me for what I did. Heck, I don¡¯t want to forgive myself either, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get mad if I did that.¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t want that baggage holding either of us back.¡± Mimiki gave a nod. The two chatted a bit more regarding their interest, slowly getting accustomed to each other even more. Mimiki seemed to do her best to show at least some interest in her talking about writing, while Nobina had no trouble showing her interest in adventuring stuff. ¡°I guess a writer would love interesting things to write about,¡± chuckled Mimiki. ¡°I¡¯ll have to bring you out in the field after our training.¡± ¡°Oh? Some proper training is coming?¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll do my best to ensure you are capable of doing the bare minimum. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± ¡°Cheers to that,¡± said Nobina, raising her drink. The two drank one more time, capping off the night. All that was left to resolve any ill feelings from Sarah and Lare, and things would be fine. While she didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d easily forgive her, especially Sarah, she¡¯d do everything she could to make it happen. After all, she wanted all of them to be happy together as a guild. Chapter 14: Observers and Meeting Nobina returned to her room not too long after finishing her talk with Mimiki. The bed was looking more and more tempting, given her current state, but she couldn¡¯t help but notice two things were amiss. First, Pauser was looking around in a panic, whimpering. Seeing this, Nobina ran to Pauser¡¯s side and tried to comfort them as best as possible. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Pausers? I¡¯m here,¡± said Nobina, stroking the fur of her bunny companion. Pausers seemed to be looking for something, but Nobina had no idea what it could be. Suddenly, the Gaze returned, which seemingly calmed Pausers down. ¡°Pausers? Do you¡­ feel the Gaze?¡± They gave a nod, making Nobina wonder how linked Pausers was to the Gaze. She was aware that their origin was her bag, but she didn¡¯t know if the things that came from the bag would all notice the Gaze. In fact, if an actual person came from the bag, would they know about the bag, Gaze, and perhaps Nonomo themselves? ¡°So many questions,¡± Nobina thought. Her attention started to move towards her bag, which contained an envelope. It was an odd thing to see, but Nobina wondered if this was perhaps from Nonomo. Maybe they were trying to contact them. However, that seemed unlikely as a God had to have an easier way to do so. She walked over to the bag, taking the letter from the bag. The envelope looked normal, but Nobina knew better than to underestimate whatever came from the bag. With that, she took a breath and began opening the envelope. Inside the envelope was a letter with what appeared to be comments that specifically addressed her journey so far. It seemed like either someone or something had advice for her at various points of the story. Some of those points were when she had just arrived in the world. Others involve meeting people like Eric and Mimiki. All of it seemed to be mostly helpful, but the last comments they made seemed a bit much. Regardless, it seemed their intentions were all good and she felt obligated to write back. ¡°Wait¡­ But if they know my journey¡­ Do I¡­ need to write back?¡± At that moment, the Gaze disappeared. No. That wouldn¡¯t be accurate. It felt as if the Gaze was fazing in and out. As if something was wrong with it. It was there, yet at the same time it wasn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t explain the feeling. Pausers was reacting to the Gaze disappearing though. They seemed to be looking around once more for it before sitting back down in Nobina¡¯s lap. All she could do was pet it to keep it comfortable, and soon, Pausers seemed to fall asleep. ¡°Oh Pausers,¡± she sighed. She began to realize that if she was being watched, then these comments were from someone aware of her journey. It was as if she was some sort of protagonist from a book. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s like I¡¯m some entertainer like a vtuber,¡± she chuckled. It was different though, considering she was her own flesh and blood and not some virtual avatar. As she thought more about it, she began thinking about how much she really didn¡¯t know. Were the Gaze and the comments linked together? It didn¡¯t make sense since the Gaze was always on her, yet the comments were clearly from someone who was following along in her journey like a reader. ¡°So many questions, yet I¡¯m nowhere close to getting answers.¡± Despite possibly resolving the matter with Mimiki, it was only one roadblock of many. She needed to figure out more about the strange things around her and to what extent they would play a role in her life. Were they really just observers, or were they more like puppeteers, able to control her life without her having a say. Looking at the bag, she noticed something else. Two more objects were in the bag. One was a can with the symbol of the devil. She immediately began panicking, wondering if the drink was some deadly poison before reading the label. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ alcoholic and has caffeine?¡± She stared at the can, wondering if she should even try it. If she tried it and got drunk immediately, that wouldn¡¯t be particularly helpful. ¡°Well¡­ Doesn¡¯t say ¡®drink now¡¯,¡± she laughed, putting the can to the side. Besides that, there was a pink butterfly wing. Next to it was a note saying, ¡°throw this at someone to protect them from harm. However, they cannot move for the duration.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± Nobina said. The item screamed fantasy and the potential of it seemed great. Of course, the greatest fear was that she didn¡¯t know to what extent did it protect someone. If they were frozen in place and the protection was pierced, it could mean disaster. ¡°I¡¯ll need to see if I can figure out the limits of this thing before using it. If it was a one and done item¡­ that¡¯ be pretty sad.¡± As she placed the objects outside the bag, she felt a headache. Memories of her flashed only for a second, but she saw a memory where she was writing a letter of sorts, and the objects had appeared during it. She couldn¡¯t make much sense of it, and thinking about it more started hurting her head. ¡°What is this¡­ Why¡­ Did I see¡­ fragments of memories¡­¡± She took a breath and calmed herself down. ¡°I have to figure this out sooner rather than later,¡± she told herself. ¡°Perhaps Eric¡­¡± As she said that, something gave her pause. The comment earlier made her think about telling Eric about all these things. She wasn¡¯t sure if Eric had a Truth spell, but he could certainly discern truth and lies. She¡¯d probably need to try to avoid revealing more of her circumstances to Eric for her own sake, but it felt sad thinking about the idea of not trusting him after revealing her big secret. ¡°If it becomes important, I¡¯ll ask,¡± she nodded. For now, she intended to put everything to rest. She took the letter and thought about what to do about it, but that flash in her memory showed one particularly interesting thing. ¡°Recall.¡± The paper with the comments disappeared immediately. She then used Summon to bring it back, and it appeared as she suspected. ¡°So that did happen¡­ I can Summon and Recall this paper about twenty times.¡± With that, Nobina decided to note one last thing in her diary before calling it a night. ¡°So something strange happened. I received four things. One was a paper with comments on my journey. Next was a gold coin from someone who made one of those comments. After that was a can with the symbol of the devil that said alcoholic caffeine on it. Last was a pink butterfly wing that apparently could shield someone she threw it at, but at the cost of freezing them in place. This is the most things I¡¯ve received so far at once and it¡¯s making me question everything. All I can say is that it feels like I¡¯m someone playing a role in something far bigger than myself.¡± ¡°I also received a flash of a memory. Most of it was hazy, but there were a few things to note in this memory. As far as I could tell, I was writing a letter in the memory. While I was doing that, the can and butterfly appeared. Lastly, I discovered I could use Recall and Summon on a piece of paper. I¡¯m not sure if its conditional since it worked with the comment paper, but that¡¯s to investigate later.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll sleep on everything and think about it later. Tomorrow will be where I speak to everyone and hopefully resolve everything.¡± Once that was done, the diary was once again recalled and Nobina moved to her bed, placing Pausers on their spot on the bed. ¡°I wonder if these Observers can figure out what¡¯s going on with my life,¡± she chuckled, falling asleep. ¡­ Nobina awoke to the light piercing through her room once more. As she slowly got up, it seemed Pausers had woken up before her, as it was staring at her bag, giving what appeared to be a surprised face. ¡°What is it Pausers?¡± asked Nobina as she slowly got up. She made her way to her bag, where she saw that it was rather full. Checking her bag, she noticed that there was a metal object in it. As she reached in to pull it out, she became surprised as it seemed to get larger as it was pulled out, like how magicians pulled swords out of top hats. Her eyes widened as she finally finished pulling out what appeared to be a stainless steel compact foldable chair. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± Seeing a chair from her old world was odd. Did the person who gave her the chair want her to sit down? Was it merely to give her something so she could relax more? Or perhaps it was a metaphor meant to tell her to ¡°take a break.¡± Whatever the case was, she enjoyed the fact she had received such a useful object. ¡°There were a few other things¡­¡± Nobina went into her bag and saw two more objects. The first was a photo of herself in a sci-fi world. Seeing that suddenly made her extremely happy, as in her mind this meant one thing. ¡°Is this¡­ fan art?¡± She didn¡¯t consider herself someone who would receive fan art, but perhaps after the events of last night she had to think of it being a possibility. At the very least, someone felt she should have it. ¡°I¡¯ll cherish this,¡± she smiled. The last thing in her bag was a spare pair of glasses matching her current ones. She nodded, appreciating having a spare in the worst case. ¡°Man¡­ so many things in such a short period. I¡¯ll need to find a better place to store all these things soon.¡± With that, Nobina began to get ready to head to work. Today was the day she was going to meet everyone, and it would be a discussion of how things would be going forward. Walking outside and towards the guild, Nobina felt a bit nervous. She knew she shouldn¡¯t have been nervous, but she couldn¡¯t guarantee that things would go smoothly once she was at the guild. In fact, something horrible could happen should Sarah not accept what had happened between Nobina and Mimiki. Stepping into the guild, she saw Sarah was at the desk, but she seemed in a bad mood. Seeing Nobina, to her surprise, didn¡¯t change her mood. ¡°Sarah?¡± asked Nobina, approaching her. ¡°What?¡± she responded in an unusually annoyed tone. Nobina knew immediately that Sarah had likely heard the news and was not happy. Nobina couldn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t expected, but Sarah¡¯s colder reaction towards herself made it clear she wasn¡¯t happy with the outcome. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it Nobina,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I know you think I¡¯m mad at you, but I¡¯m not. I¡¯m mad at Mimiki. Mad that she¡¯s getting away scot-free.¡± Nobina could understand her complaint, and even one of the comments she received was upset that she was far too lenient towards Mimiki. However, Nobina felt that it was too late to change her decision. If she was suddenly colder towards Mimiki, it might just throw away all the progress she had made, and that would be far worse than forgiving someone. Besides, she still felt it wasn¡¯t bad to be kind to others. ¡°Nobina. Sarah,¡± called Lare. ¡°We are meeting with the guild master in the upper floor meeting room. Sarah, close the guild temporarily.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she said, calling out for everyone to leave. The few people there left without issue, and Sarah locked the front door. As she did, she took her leave. As she walked into the back, Nobina saw Mimiki and Lare pass by as well. Mimiki was giving a downcast look, and Lare looked upset. ¡°Oh boy,¡± said Nobina. Nobina made her way into the back and upstairs. Once there, she found the door leading to the meeting room, where she saw that everyone was waiting for her. Eric was at the end of the table, with Lare and Sarah on one side and Mimiki on the other. ¡°Nobina,¡± smiled Eric. ¡°Please, go ahead and take a seat.¡± Seeing how they were set up, Nobina took a seat next to Mimiki. When her gaze fell on Mimiki, she was giving a downcast look still, not giving her even a glance. ¡°Now then. Let¡¯s get this meeting started,¡± said Eric. Despite his smile not disappearing, Nobina could feel the tension in the air increasing. Eric looked directly at Nobina before speaking. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Eric. ¡°Let me start off by saying that I apologize to you officially as the guild master of this guild. It was unacceptable for me to let Mimiki treat you poorly and then basically force you to endure the burden on resolving everything.¡± Eric gave a bow, prompting Nobina to shake her head quickly. ¡°Guild master. There¡¯s no need to apologize. Everything worked out in the end anyway, so¡­¡± Eric shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t the case,¡± he replied. His gaze turned to Lare, who stood up. ¡°Under Section 3, article 12 of the guild employee handbook, Mimiki¡¯s actions must be treated as serious as possible. The punishment may be increase at the directive of the guild master, but it must meet the minimum requirements,¡± said Lare in as serious of a tone as possible. ¡°But,¡± said Nobina, standing up. ¡°Sit down Nobina,¡± said Eric, his voice carrying authority. Nobina frowned, sitting back down. ¡°As such, the punishment for attacking a fellow guild officer, which this is being seen as, is at least temporary suspension with removal from employment or even jail time if such a crime takes place again. Do you deny breaking these rules Mimiki?¡± Nobina, turning to Mimiki, shook her head. ¡°No sir,¡± she said. Lare, turning to Nobina, shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nobina. Your recommendation cannot be accepted under the guild employee handbook. I recommend you review it when you get the chance.¡± She could only nod in response. ¡°Now that that¡¯s sorted,¡± said Eric. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about assignments for the future. Mimiki, the suspension, at minimum, will be two weeks. During this time, please reflect on your actions and afterwards, come back to meet with me and Nobina. You may speak with the other officers outside of work, but not during. You may not participate in any adventurer-related activities. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes master,¡± she nodded. ¡°For now, Lare will cover Mimiki¡¯s tasks. Sarah will continue as normal. Nobina, you shall continue your project. Are there any questions?¡± Eric, looking around, saw Nobina stand up. ¡°May I say something guild master?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± he said. Nobina, turning to everyone, gave a bow. ¡°I want to apologize to Sarah and Lare. While I know that I¡¯m the victim of Mimiki¡¯s actions, I did not take your feelings into consideration when I basically absolved Mimiki of her actions. For that, I am sorry.¡± She turned to Mimiki to address her directly. ¡°Mimiki. Everything I told you yesterday I still believe in, but I realized something. Perhaps unless you face repercussions, you might not feel like you deserve the kindness I wanted to give you. I hope that after the two weeks are up, that¡­ you learn from your actions.¡± Sitting down, Mimiki stood up to speak. ¡°I want to apologize to everyone, especially you Nobina,¡± she said. ¡°My actions were ones that are unforgivable, and I accept the punishment that befalls me. Like Nobina has said, she wished that I be given a lesser punishment, but it is far better that leniency isn¡¯t given unless its earned. Even if the guild handbook would have allowed her punishment to happen, so far my actions towards my fellow guild employees have not given me such a right. When I come back, I will do whatever it takes to make up to not only Nobina, but everyone.¡± With that, Mimiki sat back down. Nobina¡¯s face turned to Sarah and Lare, who were taking in what Mimiki had said. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Sarah, her tone full of uncertainty. ¡°I¡­ Hope that once your punishment is over, you can really prove to us that you¡¯ve changed. I¡¯m rightfully furious with you and I don¡¯t know why this isn¡¯t being mentioned more, but you could have killed Nobina. You understand that, right?¡± Mimiki, hearing those words, shook her head. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t feel like it,¡± said Sarah, raising her voice to a yell. Tears began flowing as Sarah¡¯s thoughts and emotions on the matter became clear. ¡°Nobina. You could have died! I know you¡¯re a kind person and you really wanted to work things out with Mimiki, but treat your life more seriously!¡± ¡°But I knew she wouldn¡¯t kill me,¡± Nobina replied back in a panic. ¡°You can¡¯t make such assumptions when you¡¯ve seen her almost land a serious hit before,¡± said Lare. ¡°I told you the story about why she hated you. I¡¯m fine with you trying to train again under her, yet you should have stopped it much sooner rather than commit to prove a point. If Eric wasn¡¯t there¡­ Who knows what would have happened. She¡¯s a former A-rank adventurer.¡± Nobina saw both of them were expressing how they truly felt and realized that they were mad at how she handled things. They wanted her to realize how serious everything was. Seeing no other choice, Nobina stood up and spoke her mind. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said in a plea. ¡°I¡¯m not the best at resolving things and I took an unnecessary risk. Please forgive me.¡± Eric, seeing all of this, spoke up. ¡°Enough. Things are unnecessarily escalating. I want everyone to remember that we are a group. Instead of yelling at each other, speak to each other in a more professional manner. Understand?¡± Everyone took a breath and sat back down. Nobina felt thankful Eric was here, or else things could have escalated even further. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you Nobina,¡± said Sarah, wiping away her tears. ¡°As am I,¡± replied Lare. ¡°It was unbecoming of your supervisor to yell at you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll learn from this and take everything you¡¯ve said to heart.¡± The tension seemed to fade as everyone merely relaxed. ¡°Meeting dismissed,¡± said Eric, taking his leave first. Next was Mimiki, who left without saying a word. Following her were Sarah and Lare. Both of them seemed to want to say something to Nobina but decided against it and left. When Nobina was the last in the room, she looked at the ceiling and sighed. ¡°Why can¡¯t things be simple.¡± Chapter 15: Talks and Plans Once Nobina went back down to her work area, she went back to working on her project. The Ledger project would still take time to complete, but she was doing the best she could with the available information. Getting down to it, the guild had what she needed to create the initial ledger. The guild had a book that kept track of its daily money reserve, which was a godsend at the very least. It gave her something she could use to keep track of everything and gave her the guild¡¯s net income. While she might not have all the revenue and expenses that made up the income, she didn¡¯t need it to set up the new system. All she needed to know was how the money flowed and the guild operated. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m teaching myself,¡± chuckled Nobina. In this world, the currency was relatively simple. The lowest currency used was copper coins. Next were silver, gold, and a rare metal called owal. Apparently, it was a really rare ore, yet it wasn¡¯t good for anything besides being a status symbol. As a result, it suddenly became the most expensive currency in the world. Speaking of the world, the world all shared the same currency. After the Demon War, the world united its currency to ensure unity and the best situation for trade. Nobina didn¡¯t know much about the Demon War, but all she knew was that it was the classic Heroes verses Demon King situation. The world was now far removed from that war though. For the sake of economics, all she knew was that it basically forced a massive overhaul of how the nations handled everything as they all swapped to a more uniformed currency system with those four metals being at the center of it. At some point she wanted to read more into the history of the world, but she had a job to do. ¡°Back to currency,¡± she thought, looking at the merchant guidebook she had been using as reference. A silver coin was worth one hundred copper coins. A gold coin was worth one hundred silver coins. An owal was worth about a thousand gold coins and was much smaller than the other coins in terms of size. One might be surprised by an owal being worth so much, but in a vast world like this, having something to reduce the sheer number of gold coins needed to purchase something into a small object was necessary. This world didn¡¯t have anything digit, nor did it have a paper currency that could make having tons of money easier. Nobina knew that wasn¡¯t her role though. Next was understanding how money worked. The food was relatively cheap for their location according to the merchant guidebook. Due to the world being in a peaceful state and food being relatively easy to obtain, food was generally priced in either copper or silver. Rooms were decently priced, with rooms being in silver or gold. In Nobina¡¯s case, her room for the month was about four gold, fifty silver, which was a discounted price thanks to Sarah. She wasn¡¯t too familiar with equipment prices, but she guessed it ranged from silver to gold considering metals were worth a decent amount. Looking at the merchant guidebook, it was a really good reference for the financial side of things. It was basically an overview of how to be a merchant. She didn¡¯t know whether all of this was accurate, but it being in the library had to give it some legitimacy. Regarding guild finances, the guild itself had a reserve of about 1,404 gold coins. It seemed like a ton of money, but that was just because the guild didn¡¯t really spend it. The guild received money from people who posted quests, from the larger guild for financial support, and from the city for basically protecting it. The guild spent money by paying out people for quests, paying to maintain certain services like the Medical Office in town, paying salaries, or paying for any new additional services. With all of this in mind, the guild was fine financially. ¡°Hm¡­ There¡¯s a lot of details to think about.¡± Nobina knew she could spend awhile studying how everything worked, but she didn¡¯t want to spend too long on the financial side. She really wanted to get back to writing and once this project was done, she¡¯d be free to do so. A few hours passed before lunch rolled around. At that time, she decided to see if Sarah was in the mood to eat and chat. Despite what happened earlier, she didn¡¯t want to let it change the relationship the two had together. Nobina made her way to the front, where she saw Sarah. Nobina felt hesitant about asking about lunch, but Sarah turned to her, and she seemed to be happier. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Sarah. ¡°What¡¯s your plans for lunch?¡± ¡°I¡­ want to know if you wanted to go out to eat together,¡± said Nobina, fidgeting a bit. ¡°Of course,¡± she nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡± With that, Sarah closed the guild for lunch, and they headed out to one of the other restaurants in town that she hadn¡¯t been to. This one felt fancier than the inn, yet below the proper restaurant they had gone to before. ¡°I normally go to Oga Rants to eat. It¡¯s a nice place and they have a good mixture of foods,¡± said Sarah, casually walking in with Nobina. The two were seated quickly despite how packed it was. Nobina noticed there were mainly civilians in the restaurant. There were still some adventurers but not the rough sort at least. As the two sat down, Sarah looked at Nobina curiously. ¡°What?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Oh¡­ Nothing,¡± Sarah smiled. When asked for the order, Nobina didn¡¯t even need to say anything before Sarah ordered for them. This time, it was an easy-to-understand meal called Chicken Pie. ¡°Uh¡­ Sarah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between Chizen and Chicken?¡± Sarah¡¯s look of surprise made her pause for a bit before speaking. ¡°Obviously Chizen is a low-level monster while chickens are animals. Any reason you¡¯re asking?¡± Nobina blinked a few times before nodding. ¡°Oh¡­ I was just wondering if chickens were rare around these parts.¡± Sarah nodded her head back. ¡°At least rarer than Chizen. With so many Chizen¡¯s in the area, why would people grow chickens? Doesn¡¯t make much sense. Sure, chicken technically tastes better than Chizen, but cheap is cheap, right?¡± She gave a nod. Nobina was learning more and more about the strange oddities in her new world. At the very least, she started to wonder if all animals had monster variants. As their meal arrived and the two began to eat, Nobina noticed that Sarah seemed a bit sad. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for earlier Nobina,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I treated you rather harshly when¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Nobina. ¡°You did what you felt was right and I¡¯m thankful for it. You do not need to apologize for being mad when your right to be so.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Sarah, looking at Nobina, shook her head. ¡°I know it was my right, but Nobina¡­ Perhaps you aren¡¯t so wrong yourself. I know that there are times that you shouldn¡¯t be kind and you should put your foot down, but it¡¯s so rare to find someone who wants to resolve things peacefully despite being wronged. I¡­ I just don¡¯t want to be a part of the reason you change.¡± Hearing that, Nobina looked at Sarah and saw she was feeling guilty. ¡°Sarah¡­ I cannot say that I won¡¯t change,¡± said Nobina with an appreciative voice. ¡°This world could possibly make me someone I never want to be, but I know a lofty idealist with no real power wouldn¡¯t remain constant. At some point, I might pay a price for being too kind. All I want you to know is that no matter what, I appreciate what you¡¯ve done for me.¡± Sarah gave the biggest smile and nodded. ¡°Of course. What are friends for.¡± With that, they finished their meal and headed back. Back at the office, time seemed to fly as Nobina worked on the Ledger project. By her estimates, it would take one more week to resolve everything, but she was putting her all into getting the guild¡¯s modified money-handling system set up. The main thing she was working on at the moment was working on the system to track the income and expenses of the guild. At some point, she didn¡¯t notice that Lare was standing in the doorway to the library. ¡°Hey Nobina,¡± said Lare, who was giving a rather soft smile. ¡°Oh Lare,¡± said Nobina, her concentration broken as she looked at him. ¡°Did you need something?¡± ¡°Have some time to chit-chat or are you too focused on your project.¡± Nobina, looking at her papers, shook her head. ¡°We can chat. What¡¯s up?¡± Lare took a seat and looked at Nobina. ¡°I want to apologize for my unnecessary outburst earlier. It was unbecoming of me as your supervisor and I hope you forgive me for it.¡± Nobina wanted to accept it immediately but decided to go with a different approach. ¡°Lare¡­ Do you honestly think I¡¯m too kind?¡± Lare, curious about her question, gave it some thought. A few minutes passed before she gave his answer. ¡°Your kindness is both a blessing and a curse. Kindness should always be expected from others, but at the same time not everyone will show you kindness back. Some people can eventually change, but others will refuse to and would rather break you than ever show you kindness.¡± Nobina nodded, agreeing with what he said. ¡°As to your question, I believe you might be too kind. You should have your limits and stick with them. If someone does something unforgivable, be willing to not forgive them until they truly deserve the forgiveness. Does that make sense?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you Lare. And as for your apology¡­ I accept it.¡± He gave a nod before leaving. As Nobina turned back to her project, she wondered if she should speak to Mimiki after work. A few more hours passed, and it was basically time to head home. As she left, she saw Sarah waiting for her. ¡°Want to head dinner together?¡± asked Sarah. ¡°I actually wanted to ask if you knew where Mimiki lived.¡± Hearing her name, Sarah seemed hesitant to say something. However, she eventually caved and gave her Mimiki¡¯s address. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Still not comfortable speaking with Mimiki,¡± said Sarah. ¡°We can eat together another time. I¡¯ll just enjoy a dinner by myself.¡± Feeling guilty, Nobina felt obligated to make sure Sarah was fine. ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t want to leave you without someone to eat with.¡± Sarah chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Nobina. I¡¯ve eaten alone before you came here.¡± With that, Sarah took her leave. Nobina, with Mimiki¡¯s address in her mind, started to head to Mimiki¡¯s home. Mimiki¡¯s house was located on the west side of town. It was rather small, but Nobina guessed that Mimiki didn¡¯t need a fancy house as a former adventurer. The lawn itself did look maintained, making Nobina wonder if Mimiki maintained it regularly. Before she reached for the door, Sarah and Lare¡¯s words flashed in her mind, giving her pause. ¡°She¡­ could have killed me¡­¡± That one fact made her wonder if she should change how she interacted with Mimiki. However, she wasn¡¯t here to demand a personal apology. Mimiki had already made an apology a few times. Nobina just wanted to speak to her regarding her plans for the future. She reached for the front door and knocked on it. ¡°Coming,¡± came Mimiki¡¯s voice. Soon, Nobina saw Mimiki in casual attire, surprising Nobina with how cute she looked outside of her adventuring gear. ¡°Oh. Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Did you need something?¡± ¡°Do you mind if we ate dinner together?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Plenty of free time on my end. I was just finishing up cooking a meal, but we can half it.¡± Hearing that she would be taking Mimiki¡¯s food made Nobina feel reluctant to accept it. ¡°I''d rather not take your food unnecessarily,¡± said Nobina, looking away slightly. ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯d rather you not starve. Come in,¡± motioned Mimiki. Entering Mimiki¡¯s house, Nobina noticed how it reflected Mimiki¡¯s adventuring style. There was a lot of gear and objects that appeared related to monsters. Besides that, the furniture was minimalistic, and everything was relatively clean. However, it seemed the cleaning was done recently as she noticed the cleaning supplies against one of the walls. Mimiki set down a bowl for Nobina and began distributing the food. Nobina was surprised to see it was a large bowl of stew, considering that Mimiki was the only one there. ¡°You¡­ eat a lot of stew often?¡± asked Nobina. Mimiki gave a shrug in response. ¡°One of the easier things to make. It doesn¡¯t feel like a lot, but I guess that¡¯s the stomach of an A-rank adventurer. I need way more food if I train hard.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t too familiar with how someone like her trained, but she had hoped Mimiki would teach her at some point. ¡°Right,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about your training.¡± ¡°Training?¡± asked Nobina. Mimiki, raising a brow, seemed surprised. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me you forgot, right? You wanted me to train you still¡­ right?¡± When she said those last words, a flash of worry appeared across Mimiki¡¯s face. Nobina had to wonder if she feared that she pushed her and that she would no longer want to become a combat-capable guild officer. ¡°Oh right¡­ Yeah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°That hasn¡¯t changed.¡± A relief look overcame Mimiki before she began speaking further. ¡°Honestly¡­ I was so worried you¡¯d never want to train again. If I¡­ traumatized¡­ you¡­ I¡­¡± Seeing Mimiki seemly start to unravel as she spoke, Nobina thought it was a good time to help Mimiki change. ¡°Mimiki¡­ Use this as a motivator to change and learn. Imagine if you became the reason someone hated adventurers. Wouldn¡¯t that break you?¡± Mimiki, who had focused on Nobina¡¯s words, nodded. ¡°Your right Nobina¡­ I have to engrave everything into my heart and change. I can¡¯t become someone I don¡¯t want to be¡­ nor should I stay who I currently am. I¡­ Need to become better.¡± Nobina, happy with what she said, gave a nod. ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask for.¡± With that Mimiki relaxed and nodded. ¡°So, about your training¡­ Truth be told, I can¡¯t train you properly yet Nobina. What you need is general exercise. It should help increase your strength and agility. If you don¡¯t know how to exercise, I can help you out. Until I feel you¡¯re fit enough, we¡¯ll have to hold off on the sword training. Hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I do agree I¡¯m pretty flabby in terms of muscle. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s items that can make me as strong as a rhino,¡± she laughed. ¡°What¡¯s a rhino?¡± asked Mimiki. Realizing her fumble, she decided there was no harm in mentioning what is was. ¡°A rhino is a large beast with a horn.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Like a unicorn! Or a bear-corn! Or¡­ even a Death-howl-unibear-corn!¡± ¡°A Death¡­ Howl¡­ Uh¡­ Sure.¡± Nobina was shocked such a weird monster existed, but it seemed to be a topic Mimiki wanted to dive into. She began an hour-long talk about the three monsters, especially the Death-howl-unibear-corn, which was an extremely deadly variant of the unibear, which wasn¡¯t the same as a bear-corn. A unibear was a bear that had the mane of a unicorn and was pink, while a bear-corn has the horn of a unicorn and was white. It was so confusing to Nobina, but she could merely nod as she absorbed Mimiki¡¯s passionate talk about the creature and how a legendary adventurer almost died fighting the Death-howl-unibear-corn. By the time the talk was done, Nobina realized it was really dark outside. ¡°Should have brought that flashlight,¡± she told herself. ¡°Hm,¡± said Mimiki, catching what she said. ¡°Nothing... But you really do love adventuring, right?¡± Mimiki smiled and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s what I grew up dreaming of. I gave up that life to learn under Master Eric, but I¡¯m hoping it pays off in the end. He¡¯s so strong and if I can gain another ability while under him¡­ I¡¯m sure I can be an S-rank adventurer one day.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Is it necessary to learn under him to get such an ability?¡± said Nobina. ¡°Not really. Every Path can be mastered differently. Learning under a master is just one of them, especially if you want an ability related to them. In this case, I want one of Eric¡¯s extremely fast strike abilities. If I had that, I¡¯d be able to beat anyone.¡± It was a reminder to Nobina that she still lacked knowledge of abilities, but it did invite her to ask Mimiki one question. ¡°Do you think I can learn a combat ability related to writing?¡± Mimiki put her hand to her chin, thinking. ¡°Maybe? There¡¯s only one way to find out. I have a training regimen I want you to follow to improve your agility and strength. It¡¯s a lot of self-guided stuff, but I¡¯m willing to assist you if you want.¡± ¡°I appreciate it,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I do want to train under you when I can, even if it¡¯s just exercise.¡± Those words made Mimiki give the biggest grin. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m happy to help.¡± With that, the day was basically over, and Nobina headed back to her room. There, she made her daily entry of the day into her diary and spent some time playing with Pausers. As she did that, her eyes turned to the objects she had that came from the bag. Specifically, her eyes turned to the fishing rod and the chair. ¡°Is this¡­ setting me up for fishing?¡± asked Nobina to herself. Nobina knew that she had planned to fish at some point and at some point, she¡¯d have a break to do so. It would be a good time to gather her thoughts and also think about beginning her first story in the world. Before heading to bed, she tried to summon her diary twice, but the second one failed to materialize and she felt tired. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not there yet,¡± Nobina told herself. As she went back to bed, she began thinking about her future plans. She would finish the Ledger, train to get strong enough to learn swordsmanship under Mimiki, learn more about the world from everyone, and finally begin writing. With that in mind, she started to fall asleep, excited for the days to come. Chapter 16: Update and Specialist The night was in full swing as Nobina was staring out of her room¡¯s window. Her legs were sore from the training earlier with Mimiki, but tomorrow was luckily a rest day. As she took a breath, admiring the beautiful moonlight, she turned to her desk. ¡°Better summarize how things have been so far, right buddy?¡± Pausers looked at her in the eye before continuing to snuggle. Nobina gave a chuckle before beginning to write in her diary. ¡°Hey there. It¡¯s almost been two weeks since I started working at the guild. So much has been happening ever since the Mimiki situation, so I¡¯d like to summarize my thoughts for myself. Let me just say that so much has happened ever since I spoke with everyone so bear with me if this is a lot.¡± Nobina took a breath before continuing to write. ¡°A few days after the meeting, I received another letter with comments. The first one was the Entity commenting on their surprise at their comments being noticed, followed by them giving her a special bag that apparently could hold twice as much as it looked. It was the same size as the bag Nonomo gave her, and it could only hold objects she received from another world. I was shocked that I received another pretty useful item and had plans to use it to carry my special objects.¡± ¡°The next comment asked me whether the Chizen or the egg came first. At first, I laughed then I began wondering if Chizen came from eggs like chickens or if they had another process. It made me research the topic and apparently, they did come from eggs. So¡­ I¡¯ll say the Chizen came first cause that¡¯s what you said first in the sentence.¡± ¡°Beyond that, I¡¯ve been working on training with Mimiki every chance I got. She¡¯s a tough teacher, but nowhere near as aggressive as the first two not really training days. She pushes me hard, but now it¡¯s out of the desire to make me stronger rather than to push me away.¡± ¡°The Ledger Project is going as planned. Most of it is done, but there are still some fine details to work out. Hopefully it¡¯s presentable within a week so I can free up my time to do other guild activities and start writing. Speaking of writing, I plan to take a day off soon to fish and determine the topic of my first book. It¡¯s both nerve wracking and exciting at the same time. To be able to kick off my dream is something that will truly mark a step in the right direction.¡± ¡°Sarah and Lare have been fine. I¡¯ve been hanging out mostly with Sarah and she still enjoys talking my ear off with her stories. However, I¡¯ve been transitioning and telling her more about my own fictional stories. I can¡¯t tell you how amazed she is about my story ideas, though it¡¯s to be expected. Telling someone in a fantasy world about sci-fi is basically telling them something that¡¯s fantasy to them. The talks were very entertaining to say the least.¡± ¡°As for Lare, the talks were mostly about how I was doing with the project, but also how I¡¯m doing in general. In particular, he was interested in knowing how hanging out with Mimiki was now. When he learned how things were going well, he told me he was thankful that I was breaking Mimiki out of her shell. It made me happy that things were turning out great. Anyway, that¡¯s all I have to say. Tomorrow, I meet with the Path Specialist to confirm my Path, which should be interesting.¡± With that, Nobina put down her quill and gave a stretch. As she did, Pausers hopped onto the desk, causing her to look at them confusingly. ¡°What is it Pausers?¡± asked Mimiki. It moved to her bag, where she noticed that there was something in there. She went to grab it, and when she pulled it out, she immediately let go of the objects. Tears ran down her eyes as she found herself saying three words. ¡°Mom¡­ dad¡­ bro¡­¡± She tried to compose herself as she picked up the photos. The first one was a photo she remembered all too well. It was the four of them celebrating Christmas together. It was hard to get all four of them in the same room back then, but Christmas was an exception. Nobina immediately began remembering all of them, and the longing to see them again was in full swing. ¡°I miss you guys¡­¡± She occasionally had moments where she missed home, but she had been able to hold them back. Now, her desire to one-day return home was even stronger. However, the fact that she died basically made that impossible. She gave a sigh as she placed the first photo down. Nobina went to the next photo and chuckled. It was a photo of her brother, but one where he was celebrating with his co-workers. Her brother worked in a software company, and they had been doing fine. However, the photo seemed to give off the impression they must have completed something major, making her smile. ¡°Glad you¡¯re doing good bro¡­¡± she smiled. The last photo made her freeze. Instead of tears, she now found herself worried. Her eyes turned to where she perceived the photo was being taken from, with her looking at the photo to confirm. She then headed to the spot she suspected it was taken from. When she held up the photo, she nodded, confirming her suspicions. ¡°Someone took a photo of me¡­ in this world¡­ standing right here,¡± she said. The mystery of the Gaze grew even larger. Was there someone constantly tracking her life and taking pictures? Initially, she thought someone was reading about her life, but now she wasn¡¯t sure. It could be far more, but she wouldn¡¯t know. She took a deep breath and used Recall on the photo, finding it disappeared. ¡°So, photo¡¯s count as objects I can Recall and Summon,¡± she said, summoning it back. ¡°Does that mean that it allows me to store or summon media related directly to me?¡± It was a question she¡¯d need to figure out. She had initially thought it merely had to be meaningful writing she did, but perhaps it extended past writing. Though, if her Path was the Path of the Writer, it didn¡¯t make much sense that photos worked. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Maybe the phrase ¡®a picture speaks a thousand words¡¯ applies?¡± she chuckled. Eventually, she¡¯d look for the answers to her questions. ¡°I need to head to bed,¡± she sighed. Tomorrow was the day the Path Specialist came to town. Apparently, it was a big event, so the guild would be packed. She had the first priority to get her ability checked, so she was told to wake up early. With that, she went to bed, excited to confirm her path was the Path of the Writer. The next day, Nobina headed out to the guild. She had recognized she had woken up at the same time as normal, prompting her to get ready faster. As she got close, she immediately saw a line of people waiting to enter. Some were adventurers, but there were a lot of civilians. It was then she remembered that civilians would be the majority of people checking their Path. After all, Paths helped people get a job or hurt the chances of landing a job if their Path did not align. Entering the guild, she saw Sarah was swamped helping people out. Even Lare was at the front handling people. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Lare. ¡°I told you to come early.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± she replied, heading to the back. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Maria is in the back. Follow me,¡± he said, leading Nobina past the line and into a special room. The room itself was one of their standard small meeting rooms. However, it had a few nice seats and a special orb at the center at the moment. In the room was Eric and an older woman. She seemed to be around her sixties and had grayish hair. Her attire matched the guild, but it had extra flourishes about it and was more robe-like than Sarah¡¯s. ¡°Lare,¡± called Eric. ¡°She¡¯s late.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Nobina replied. Maria looked at Nobina and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s alright dear. Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Path Specialist Maria. I¡¯m rather old, so do forgive me for working slow. Us Path Specialist are a group always in high demand.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Nobina. With that, Nobina was invited to sit down in one of the nice chairs. Lare left the room right after, leaving her to wait patiently. The orb in front of her was swirling in a white and blue light. Maria, who was standing nearby, went to the orb and placed her hand on it. ¡°Path Revelation,¡± she spoke, her voice sounding more authoritative than before. Immediately, the room went black. Nobina was starting to worry a bit, but she heard Maria¡¯s voice. ¡°Nobina. This is Maria. I forgot to tell you that you and I will be the only ones to see your Born Path and Current Path. Understand?¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Nobina replied. With that, Nobina saw images of her past appear. Images of her in her old world. Tears began flowing as she saw her life flash before her eyes. It started with her childhood when she wanted to be an astronaut. Then she saw herself in school, where she moved towards a desire to write. College came and went, as her focus was now on getting her economics degree, and she didn¡¯t do much else. She saw a dear friend she had that she no longer spoke to after college, which made her sad. Eventually, she saw herself at work and saw herself writing. It really showed how she had really spent a lot of her life writing casually, never releasing anything. Eventually, the last memories were of her appearing in this world and going through it, eventually leading up to this moment. At that time, the vision stopped, and everything appeared as normal. When she looked around though, she saw Maria had a stern look on her face. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± she asked. Immediately, Nobina realized she had likely seen her whole past, making her worried that she¡¯d reveal everything to Eric. However, Maria merely smiled after a bit. ¡°Sorry dear. It appears that mostly all of your Path Memories were blocked for some reason.¡± She felt relieved upon hearing that, but then she remembered that this was all to confirm her path. ¡°So?¡± asked Nobina, hoping she didn¡¯t sound impatient. ¡°Well dear¡­ I can confirm the Path of the Writer is your current path. However, I¡¯m unable to confirm if it was your starting Path.¡± Nobina found herself cheering but was quickly shut down by Eric¡¯s judgmental gaze. ¡°Sorry guild master,¡± said Nobina in a downcast voice. ¡°No worries,¡± he replied. ¡°You¡¯re free to go.¡± She stood up, thanking Maria again before leaving. As she left, Eric went to Maria, who showed a serious look as soon as Nobina was gone. ¡°What¡¯s the situation,¡± asked Eric. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ different. Her memories were all blocked as I said, confirming she is indeed from another world. Though you did already confirm that with that sly meeting of yours with her,¡± she chuckled. Eric gave a nod, unphased as she continued to talk. ¡°Not only that, but her path appears to be special. It is the Path of the Writer, but it gives off the same indications of a special path like the Path of the Hero and Path of the Anti-Hero.¡± Eric felt troubled hearing that. ¡°So does that mean¡­¡± ¡°It means she has a ton of potential, but it¡¯s up to her to both realize what that potential is and to determine how or if she dictates history. All I know is that if we allow her to operate independently, we must be sure she doesn¡¯t bring about any significant change for the worse.¡± Eric gave a nod. Seeing his suspicions confirmed, Eric knew that Nobina would play a key role in perhaps the next century. It wouldn¡¯t be immediate, but it would happen eventually. ¡°Shall I report it to the main guild, or do you want to keep that information private?¡± asked Maria. ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡± asked Eric, surprised by Maria¡¯s disregard for policy. She chuckled, nodding her head. ¡°Eric¡­ We¡¯ve known each other since you checked your Path with me when you were a kid. Don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t do such a favor for you. Especially since you¡¯ve done so much for me.¡± Eric could easily recall their rich history together, but he had other concerns. ¡°But what about the safety of the kingdom or even the world in this regard?¡± he replied, curious about her response. ¡°Please¡­ If she was a Hero or Anti-Hero, I¡¯d report her without question,¡± said Maria with no hesitation. ¡°However, her destiny feels far different. Something about Nobina feels¡­ normal? She seems like someone who wouldn¡¯t want to influence world affairs. Someone who wants a simple life.¡± Eric gave a nod. ¡°Perhaps, but people have been molded the moment they gain even a bit of power. If she changes, we¡¯ll have to be ready.¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to you Eric,¡± said Maria. ¡°If she turns out to be a bad seed, then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± he said with a straight face. Nobina came back to the front, assisting Sarah with the mass of adventurers. ¡°Man, this is kind of crazy,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Without Mimiki, it¡¯s hard to keep the adventurers in line. Especially the rowdy ones that a former A-rank guild officer could force to back down. We are just lucky that nothing problematic has happened yet.¡± When those words came out of her mouth, a rather large adventurer appeared. He approached the desk aggressively, slamming his hand on it. ¡°Hey,¡± he yelled. Nobina hid in a panic while Sarah stood her ground. Her Composure skill was showing as she gave a smile to the adventurer, showing no sign of panic. ¡°Welcome,¡± said Sarah in a friendly tone. ¡°You must be new to the guild. We have a policy where you must stand in line with everyone else if you¡¯re here for Maria. Else, I can help you apply to become an adventurer.¡± The man reached into his pocket and slammed an adventurer card onto it. Nobina appeared back and saw it was a B-rank adventuring card. ¡°I¡¯m a B-rank. I demand to see Maria immediately,¡± he barked. All around them the eyes of the others in the line were focused on watching everything play out. The fact no one was stopping him made Nobina worried. ¡°Sir,¡± smiled Sarah, keeping her positive attitude. ¡°Despite your rank status, it cannot be deployed here to skip the line. I can get my supervisor to confirm it, but¡­¡± As she said that, Sarah found her outfit grabbed, making Nobina panic. Despite this, Sarah had remained calm. ¡°Sir,¡± said Sarah, merely keeping calm. ¡°Attacking a guild officer is a serious crime.¡± ¡°You listen here¡­¡± he spoke aggressively. Before he could say another word, Nobina heard Sarah call out a name using her other ability. ¡°Eric! Attacker!¡± Immediately, Eric appeared and grabbed the large man, slamming them down into the guild floor. The whole building shook the moment the man contacted the floor. Eric then stood up slowly, dusting herself off. The downed adventurer was groaning in pain as Eric spoke coldly to him. ¡°Attacking a guild employee as an adventurer is an immediate stripping of your rank. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a B, A or even an S. No one hurts my employees.¡± Upon hearing those words, the man slowly got up, fear in his eyes. ¡°My¡­ apologies¡­¡± he spoke in pain. Nobina could see he could barely stand at this point, showing the sheer difference in power between them. ¡°Get out of my sight,¡± said Eric, his voice still cold and showing authority. As the adventurer made his way out, Eric turned to the two of them, asking if they were alright. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Man, that was something.¡± Eric turned to Nobina, asking if she was fine. Nobina shook her head. ¡°I felt¡­ powerless,¡± she said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything. Even if I wanted to, I was¡­ frozen in fear.¡± ¡°That¡¯s expected,¡± said Eric. ¡°Adventurers can be a scary bunch. So long as you¡¯re careful, you should be fine and don¡¯t worry about that adventurer. I¡¯ve marked him so if he tries anything again, I¡¯ll know immediately. He won¡¯t get a chance to regret that decision.¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing that. Eric was truly a powerful and scary individual. As a former S-rank, it made sense, making her wonder more about his past. ¡°Now then¡­ I will be heading back to Maria,¡± said Eric. As he left, Nobina realized that while she had her Path, it did not help her protect people. She was nowhere near strong enough to protect the people she cared for. While her goal was writing, and she¡¯d love abilities solely related to it, she also didn¡¯t want to feel powerless. With what happened, she planned to work even harder to get into shape to begin her swordsmanship training. ¡°Perhaps I can get some combat ability as well one day,¡± she chuckled. Chapter 17: Dinner and Fishing Nobina took a deep breath as the last person exited the guild. Things were finally relaxing now that people were no longer coming and going. Turning to Sarah, she seemed to share the same sentiment. ¡°Man¡­ Looks like we are finally good,¡± spoke Sarah as she stretched her arms. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± Nobina sighed, giving a relieved look. It had been a long day for the two after the incident with the B-rank adventurer. Nobina was still thinking about how serious things had gotten for something so minor as checking a Path. While she did understand the value of knowing what one¡¯s current Path was, it didn¡¯t feel like something to throw away one¡¯s career for. ¡°Want to head out for dinner Nobina? I know something perfect for a rough day,¡± said Sarah ecstatically. ¡°If you¡¯re suggesting it, it must be good,¡± Nobina chuckled. The two prepared to leave but stopped as soon as they caught Eric and Maria leaving the special room. They waited as Eric said a few words to Maria before departing deeper into the guild. As for Maria, her gaze fell onto the two of them, her smile rising moments later. ¡°Ah. Nobina. Sarah. It¡¯s good to see you two are still fine after the earlier incident,¡± chuckled Maria. ¡°Can¡¯t be a guild officer without some backbone,¡± said Sarah proudly. Maria could only shake her head in response. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, Sarah. Anything can make one fit for being a guild officer. Whether it¡¯s someone with good social skills, the skills of an adventurer, or even being good with numbers.¡± The moment she said those last words, Nobina noticed her gaze fall directly to her in particular. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± nodded Sarah. ¡°Say, are you heading out for dinner? You can come along with us if you want.¡± Maria gave it some thought before nodding. ¡°Why not. Eric is too busy, so it was going to be little old me alone. Might as well enjoy a nice meal with Eric¡¯s cherished employees.¡± Both Nobina and Sarah felt happy that Eric had thought highly of them. Nobina thought the praise towards herself was unnecessary though, given she had only been there for two weeks. With that, the three set off to Mares Restaurant, where Nobina and Sarah previously ate. Nobina was excited, since the Glaze Ham they had last time was certainly worth the time it took to prepare. Plus, it gave them a good amount of time to talk. ¡°Ah¡­ Mares is certainly a place I remember,¡± said Maria. ¡°I think it was when Eric started working as a guild master, he invited me and a few members of his party here to enjoy some good food. Sadly, it seemed only Eric and I really took advantage of that time together. Those other two really weren¡¯t happy with his decision to retire from adventuring.¡± Nobina noticed Maria¡¯s down-cast look as she spoke. It made her wonder how deep the history was between the two of them. ¡°Curious about the two of us Nobina?¡± asked Maria, catching her staring. ¡°Oh sorry,¡± said Nobina, looking away immediately. ¡°It¡¯s fine dear. You¡¯re young and obviously curious about the world at large. Even Sarah here loves hearing the stories regarding the two of us.¡± Nobina turned to Sarah, who gave her affirmation. ¡°Those two are pretty close,¡± said Sarah casually. ¡°You would assume they were something more than just friends, but that¡¯s what they firmly convinced me they were.¡± ¡°Perhaps if things were different Sarah. Regardless, our friendship should be good enough. For both us and anyone else.¡± Both Nobina and Sarah nodded, dropping the topic. The three entered the restaurant and this time, Sarah let Maria handle picking out the food. The result was a large display of all sorts of food that made Nobina¡¯s mouth drool. It was either high-quality monster foods or plant-based foods that were being served. Sarah eyes lit up, while Nobina felt a sense of guilt as she saw the price of the bill skyrocket. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be hurt at all buying all of this,¡± laughed Maria. ¡°This is the least I can do for the two who supported Eric.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Nobina was cut off by Maria¡¯s gentle smile and kind words. ¡°Even if you feel like you haven¡¯t done much, know your work is highly appreciated.¡± Refusing to deny her generosity, Nobina merely nodded and began digging into the food. From some meat called the Catala-Drago to vegetables called Hi-Mi-Surine, Nobina felt completely engulfed in the fantasy world atmosphere. The food was nothing like she had ever tasted in her previous world. Everything tasted far better, and her expression of bliss wasn¡¯t just hers alone. Sarah herself was in her own world while Maria seemed happy. Whether it was due to their joy or the food itself remained to be seen. Time came and went. Soon, the table was mostly empty, and all of them were relaxing. The restaurant was now calm, and everyone else¡¯s chatter faded away as the night progressed. It was clear the night¡¯s end was upon all of them, and it was almost time to depart. ¡°Say Nobina,¡± said Maria, looking her in the face. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What are your¡­ aspirations?¡± Nobina could only chuckle upon hearing her ask. ¡°Nothing grand. I just want to¡­ write my own book and release it,¡± she said, looking a bit down. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Oh? Is it not that great of a dream? You seem sad about it.¡± Hearing that immediately caused her to raise her head and wave her hands. ¡°Oh no. Sorry if it seems like that. It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m thinking about how I haven¡¯t started on that book yet. I¡¯ve been working for two weeks so far yet I have nothing to show towards my dream.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Maria. Nobina could only give her a confused look as she said that. ¡°You must already be busy learning the ropes of being a guild officer, right? Eric told me just recently that you had your hands full dealing with a conflict. Not to mention your also training during your downtime, right? Trying to become a combat-capable guild officer?¡± Nobina nodded, which seemed to form a smile on Maria¡¯s face. ¡°Writing is an art that takes time and patience. I might not be a writer, but I have met a few good ones in my time. Reading their work, it often reflects them in a time when they are no longer too busy. You¡¯re far too young to be worried about having no time for something like writing. I¡¯m sure that time will come, and you¡¯ll have plenty to write about.¡± Nobina thought about what she said and nodded. ¡°I did plan to fish tomorrow so¡­ I guess there¡¯s that,¡± she replied. Maria¡¯s face brightened upon hearing those words. ¡°See? Nobina. Don¡¯t let doubt blind you from your dream. Don¡¯t let it turn any small progression into something insignificant. Celebrate any progress you¡¯re making, even if it¡¯s not directly involving your dream. You¡¯re at the moment trying to become a good guild officer. Once that is done, you should have all the time in the world to write.¡± Hearing that brightened Nobina up, making her more optimistic about tomorrow. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I¡¯m also right here to support you as well Nobina. Heck, if you want to write, I can take some load off you. Just say the word.¡± Nobina shook her head vigorously. ¡°Sarah. That¡¯d be highly rude of me to take advantage of your time for my goals. I would rather earn that time by working hard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so you Nobina,¡± laughed Sarah. Nobina sighed, shaking her head. Maria could only look at the two of them and smile. The two were clearly close, and she trusted their friendship would keep Nobina on the right path. Soon, the dinner was finished, and the three headed out. As Sarah split off first, Nobina found the chance to ask Maria about her plans. ¡°Oh. I plan to head to the next guild tomorrow morning. It¡¯ll be a day-long journey, but I have enough food to get me there without worry.¡± ¡°Walking? Do you have an escort?¡± she asked. Maria shook her head. ¡°I might be old dear, but I was a former A-rank adventurer. I can handle myself just fine.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Were all high-ranking guild employees former adventurers? It would make some sense since they all held a position of power in an organization meant to deal with quests that could be extremely difficult. Considering she saw how an S-5 quest, a S-rank designated quest rated with five stars, could give someone wealth beyond measure, the organization needed to be able to protect such wealth. The guild book also indicated these were normally threats that threatened the world, meaning they¡¯d often be taken on by multiple S-ranks, and the rewards split accordingly. ¡°Sorry if I offended you,¡± said Nobina. ¡°None taken dear. I wish you good luck on your fishing tomorrow,¡± smiled Maria. With that, Maria departed for her own abode, leaving Nobina to head back to the inn to sleep. Once she was there, she noticed something in the Gaze bag. Opening it up, she saw it was another comment letter. Taking a look at it, she felt it necessary to comment back. ¡°Hm¡­ My path becoming more than that of a Writer¡­¡± Nobina hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of such a thing happening. Perhaps she could gain an advanced path that gives her powerful abilities, but she shook her head. ¡°I would really prefer they be writing related at least.¡± Part of the reason she wanted writing abilities was their convenience. So far, the ability to recall and summon her works has given her the ability to write anywhere she wants. It was this world¡¯s equivalent of having your writing in a bag you carried around. Only she needed far less effort to summon and recall a book. She went to her diary to note down the events of the day then went to bed. Pausers moved next to her, giving her comfort as she closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re with me Pausers,¡± smiled Nobina. The next day, Nobina got up early. From the books she read for fishing information, fishing was either an early in the morning or a close-to-sunset thing. She packed everything she needed into her Special bag. Everything that could actually go into it that was relevant, that is. She then took both it and the Gaze bag with her as she departed from the inn. She was thankful that the objects in the Special bag didn¡¯t actually weight. Another pretty useful feature, though it was limited to items from the Gaze bag. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll get something crazy one of these days,¡± she chuckled. She had already obtained an item that was magical in nature. She had been meaning to ask Eric about it, but she never had the chance to do so. ¡°Perhaps tomorrow.¡± With that, she headed out of her room with her two bags. She noticed the gaze of others fall onto her, probably curious about the two bags. Nobina wished she could have put the Gaze bag into her Special bag, but it seemed that was unfortunately not possible. She had also a book with her that had locations on where to go. Referencing it, she found the correct path to the nearby river. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing this place is well mapped,¡± said Nobina. The map book had indicated that the Ren River was the only large source of water nearby that could fish. There was a lake, but that was a day away, and Nobina didn¡¯t plan to make a long trip anytime soon. The river itself acted as a source of water for the town, so there was a travel path between it and the river, albeit a dirt path. It wasn¡¯t traveled too frequently though, as the town had a well that it used more frequently than the river. Only the adventurers really traveled on this path, as a goblin nest wasn¡¯t too far from the river. According to the guild maps, it was half a day away from the river at least. ¡°Goblins,¡± said Nobina in a worried tone. Goblins were classic fantasy creatures. It was so classic that she wasn¡¯t surprised to learn they were a commonly hunted monster for adventurers. Remembering the incident regarding that small adventuring party, goblins posed a serious threat in numbers, but even one goblin could harm an unarmed individual without any special strength. That being said, goblins had a tendency to stay far away from any source of people. Mainly, they were smart enough to know humans were a threat but aggressive enough to attack them if they didn¡¯t pose one. For Nobina, it did scream that the river wasn¡¯t completely safe, but Eric had convinced her otherwise. He had told her how the river was considered a place adventurers frequented enough that goblins tended to avoid it during the day. At night, it was often filled with monsters trying to get a drink, so she¡¯d have to avoid staying too long. After an hour, Nobina arrived at the river, excited to get a chance to fish. She had been waiting for this chance ever since she was given a fishing rod, and now that it was here, she was excited to put her limited fishing knowledge to work. She looked around for a decent spot where she could sit and fish. It had to be open enough that she wouldn¡¯t be caught too off guard if something like a goblin appeared, but it also couldn¡¯t just be too open. If she was caught, she needed options to help conceal herself or just block the goblin¡¯s vision. She had no intentions of engaging in it unless she had to. ¡°Perfect,¡± said Nobina, finding the spot she was looking for. It had a giant rock where she could rest as she cast her line and waited. To some, fishing wasn¡¯t the most exciting thing in the world, but it offered her a rare chance of relaxation. Ever since she came into the world, it had always been a lot of her trying to do what was necessary. Now, it was merely her, her stuff, and the river. Sitting down, she saw Pausers jump out of the bag and immediately snuggle next to her. ¡°Glad to have a buddy along for the ride at least,¡± said Nobina. This time, Nobina didn¡¯t want to leave Pausers alone if she could help it. She felt guilty having to leave them back all the time. However, the guild did have a no-pet policy, and Eric was concerned people would assume they were a Death Hare. ¡°You¡¯re not a Death Hare, right Pausers?¡± asked Nobina. Pausers merely looked at her confusingly before snuggling against her again. ¡°Of course not,¡± she laughed. With that, Nobina began fishing. She had no idea how long it¡¯d be before she caught something, but she hoped the trip would be worth her time. Chapter 18: Topics and Goblin Time seemed to fly by as Nobina¡¯s thoughts went away from fishing and into her book. She had a good chance to think about what topic she wanted to write about. Part of her told her she could write anything, but another part of her told her that if she was going to pick a topic, it should be one that would sell well. ¡°Do I really care though?¡± Nobina was mixed in her thoughts of selling for profit verses selling just to become well known. It was a topic that she imagined many writers coped with when deciding what kind of book to write. After all, each writer was different in their goal. Some merely enjoyed writing and would be satisfied even if no one read their books. Others cared about writing something that was meaningful to many. Some merely cared about profits, and if a book made none, it was a failure. It didn¡¯t matter if it was good or not. What mattered to them was people were willing to pay for it. ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯m more of the first kind of person.¡± Profits and fame were good and all, but her dream was to become a writer. She could write something that only mattered to her and be fine with it. So long as she wrote something good and something from her own heart, that¡¯s all that mattered. That was why she enjoyed writing in her diary so much. The writing mattered only to her, and she was completely fine with it. It was also why she enjoyed writing the Ledger. It might have been mostly numbers, but it was numbers that mattered not only to her but to the guild as well. It represented something that made the guild better. ¡°Back to the topic at hand¡­¡± Fantasy or nonfiction. What topic she wanted to branch into was being debated in her mind. As she thought about this, the sound of the river reminded her she wasn¡¯t just there to think about a topic. She was there to relax and enjoy herself. Her attention now went back to the river, and Nobina began to think about whether she had cast her line right. The book was clear on how to cast it, though the rod she was using was not exactly the same. Nothing had bitten yet, but she assumed something would eventually come. An impatient person would never be able to resist pulling their line back, but she had built up a lot of patience thanks to her previous line of work and having to show patience as a writer. ¡°Any second now,¡± she muttered. Just then, Nobina¡¯s eyes immediately noticed a bush move on the other side of the river. She immediately stood up, looking in the direction to see what it was. By instinct, she went into her Special bag and grabbed the flashlight, the best object she had. She had contemplated for a second running into the forest, but she wanted to be sure it wasn¡¯t just a small animal. Soon, she confirmed her worries were unfounded as a single person stepped out. She gave a sigh of relief, but soon she noticed the person seemed to have been through a battle recently. It was someone about a foot shorter than her. They had brown, messy hair and wore leather armor, which appeared partially scratched and had a purple stain on it. They looked tired as they looked around, eventually catching sight of her. ¡°Hey,¡± he yelled. ¡°Hi,¡± she yelled back. ¡°You got to get away from here,¡± he continued to yell. Nobina, surprised by his words, was confused by what he said. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± As she said that, the adventurer stepped out of the bush and headed towards the river. Moments later, Nobina noticed a second figure right behind him. This one was green and looked scary. It wasn¡¯t human, making it clear to Nobina what it was. ¡°Goblin,¡± she said. The goblin was half the height of the adventurer, making it rather tiny. Despite that, it was clearly a threat that Nobina didn¡¯t feel she could take alone. However, the adventurer was in danger himself, and she could not just leave him. The goblin and adventurer stared at each other as he turned towards it with his sword. The goblin, with a sword of its own, turned to the adventurer and began to attack. Their two swords clashed as the adventurer attempted to strike the goblin down in a single stroke. The goblin itself was taking advantage of the height and going for the adventurer¡¯s legs. A good move, but not enough to take down this tired adventurer. The adventurer blocked its sword and went for it again. In response, the goblin took a step back to dodge. ¡°Wow, these things are strong and smart,¡± said Nobina. There was a sense of fear in her due to how threatening the goblin was, but there was also awe. This was the first fight she had seen between a monster and person. She knew that this was serious, yet it didn¡¯t prevent her from being excited. ¡°Yet¡­ I can¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Nobina had no weapons and hadn¡¯t received proper combat training from Mimiki. She would be more of a hindrance at the moment, with only a few potential tools at her disposal. She needed something more. Suddenly, she saw her Gaze bag flash and went inside. Immediately, she recognized a weapon she could use to immediately help. But also, she was horrified by the second object. ¡°What the,¡± she said, feeling disgusted. She immediately took out the dead goblin and tossed it away, sickened by whoever put that in there. It was surprisingly easy to pull out but the moment it left the bag it suddenly became heavy. As much as she wanted to question how it fit, her attention was drawn to the weapon in the bag. She took the flintlock pistol and began approaching the adventurer. She had no weapon experience, but she had watched pirate movies and played a few pirate games, if that was any consolation. When she cocked the pistol. A realization came over her. If she missed, would that put her in danger? As she debated what to do, Pausers squeaked at the goblin, making Nobina realize she couldn¡¯t hesitate. That adventurer¡¯s life was in danger. ¡°I can¡¯t be powerless here,¡± she told herself. Nobina continued to approach, but the adventurer called to her as they fought the goblin. ¡°Stay back,¡± he yelled. Nobina ignored his words and got close to the edge of the river. ¡°Can you get closer,¡± she yelled back. He didn¡¯t know whether to call her an idiot for suggesting bringing the goblin closer, but the fight was too close for him to argue. ¡°Fine,¡± he yelled, taking a step back to avoid a swing. ¡°But you better have a plan.¡± He ran towards her and stood guard at the edge of the river. The goblin itself saw this as a retreat and went after him. Nobina reached into her pocket and took the pink butterfly item she had. It felt hefty enough to throw directly at the adventurer, but she had no idea if it would trigger. If not, she¡¯d have to take the chance of hitting them while unprotected with her pistol shot. ¡°Please work,¡± she spoke softly. She threw it directly at the adventurer. To her surprise, it was finding its way directly to them, flapping its wings like an actual butterfly. The moment it made contact, the adventurer seemed to freeze. The goblin went for an easy attack, but their sword bounced off their skin, causing the goblin to be confused. Nobina aimed the pistol and shot the goblin. It was close enough that the shot had no trouble hitting and piercing the goblin¡¯s head, sending it down immediately. ¡°Oh my god. It worked,¡± she sighed. As she said that, the flintlock pistol faded away, making her confused. She had never seen any of the objects fade away before, making her wonder if it was a condition for having it. Besides that, she felt the Gaze flicker as well. It made her wonder what exactly was happening. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Her own gaze turned to the adventurer, snapping her back to reality. Nobina began crossing the shallow part of the river and headed to the adventurer. She was happy to see they seemed fine, but they were still frozen. ¡°Uh¡­ How do I¡­ unfreeze you¡­¡± She looked for the butterfly and noticed it was attached to the adventurer. When she took it off, she was shocked to see them unfreeze. ¡°What the¡­¡± The adventurer was looking around in shock, both at Nobina and the goblin. ¡°What was that? Was that your magic? What about that weapon? What¡­¡± He began piling question after question, making Nobina awkwardly smile as she let him air out all his questions. As he was doing that, Nobina noticed her Gaze bag flash again. Opening it, she saw something she couldn¡¯t recognize. ¡°What is¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god,¡± said the adventurer. ¡°A living legend in the flesh!¡± Nobina was shocked to hear him say that, as she had no idea what would make him draw such a conclusion. She had an adventurer card with the symbol L on it. She had never seen such a card before, and the highest card she knew was SSS. For all she knew, this was a fake. The fact that it said Unknown as well made it so that it wasn¡¯t even linked to her. When she turned to him to ask about it, the adventurer was bowing before her, his head to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m not worthy to be saved by a legend,¡± he said, his voice trembling. ¡°Calm down please,¡± she said, trying to get control of the situation. ¡°I¡¯m not a living legend. I¡¯m¡­ Nobina.¡± ¡°Nobina¡­ I shall never forget your name,¡± he said, not raising his head once. ¡°May I tell you my name so you might remember me one day if I even become a fraction of your power?¡± ¡°Sure, but please stop making me feel so important,¡± she said, still trying to control the situation. ¡°My name is Merick. I¡¯m a lowly F-rank adventurer. I was going out solo to try to kill a single goblin but was caught off guard by a second one. I must have gone too far into goblin territory. I thought it was much farther and the goblins didn¡¯t wander this far this early, but I was foolish to assume such a thing. Anyway, I did kill one but the second chased me all the way here. It was then that you came from the heavens and protected me with a god-tier protection spell and then you killed the goblin without breaking a sweat. Your weapon must be of a legendary caliber, considering it died in one hit. Not to mention it seemed you could recall and summon the weapon at will, considering its now gone.¡± Nobina opened her mouth, but no words came out. She had completely lost control of the situation and decided to just go with it for now. She¡¯d have to explain everything to Guild Master Eric later, since this card clearly didn¡¯t belong to her. As a guild employee, it was her responsibility to ensure chaos didn¡¯t happen, which would be exactly what would happen if she ever used this card in a guild or around anyone who could recognize it. ¡°Ok Merick. Can you¡­ do me a favor.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Uh¡­ God?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± yelled Nobina. Her words immediately caused him to cry as he bowed his head. ¡°My apologize God¡­ I mean¡­ What¡­ I don¡¯t know what to call you,¡± he cried. Nobina felt horrible, realizing he must have thought he¡¯d be struck down. ¡°Call me Nobina, please,¡± she begged. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to strike you down or anything. I¡¯m friendly. I¡¯m actually a guild officer, so please!¡± Hearing that, he slowly got up, desperately composing himself. ¡°Of course,¡± he said, tears making a mess of his face. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that horrible display. I¡­¡± ¡°Enough,¡± said Nobina, her voice firm yet not aggressive at all. By instinct, Merick wanted to cower, but he held strong due to her request. ¡°Please speak to me like a normal person. That¡¯s all I¡¯m asking, ok?¡± said Nobina as calmly as possible. Merick, seeing her kind expression, was able to relax a tiny bit. ¡°Ok¡­¡± With that, Nobina and Merick made their way across the river where her special bag was and her fishing rod. The adventurer, seeing the dead goblin child, had a look of horror. ¡°You must¡­ really hate goblins.¡± ¡°I¡­ No comment,¡± she sighed. Moments like this made Nobina really question what those behind the Gaze were thinking. Was this some sort of game to them? They did help her though, so she couldn¡¯t help but be grateful. With that, she and Merick sat down, finally giving them both a chance to relax. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± asked Nobina, looking over the adventurer. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but pretty exhausted,¡± he responded. ¡°I guess I really should have come here with a party.¡± Nobina gave a nod, understanding how dangerous being alone was. It was moments like this that made her realize she should bring along someone next time. As they continued to sit there, Merick didn¡¯t say a word while Nobina continued to think about what to ask. ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re an adventurer, right?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m a new adventurer. Just started a few days ago.¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t handling the receptionist desk a few days ago, so her not seeing him made sense. Her job was mostly in the back, so she didn¡¯t interact much with adventurers. Most of them not recognizing her made sense, but she knew she¡¯d one day be more in the front helping Sarah out or out in the field helping Mimiki out. Whatever the case was, she was only getting started. As she was about to say something, another object appeared in her bag. She took it out and immediately recognized what it was. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not an idiot,¡± she said softly, recalling the book with her power. It was a book called Idiots Guide to Surviving: Adventuring Edition. She had to guess it was a specialized book meant to help her survive as an adventurer. While she wanted to read it, she had to finish her conversation with Merick first. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Before she could say anything, her bag glowed again. ¡°What now,¡± she said, a bit irritated. She opened her bag and saw not one but two mahjong sets. ¡°Mahjong¡­ But¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t know how to play¡­¡± It was two sets of a game called Mahjong. However, there was a tiny problem. She had never played it. She felt disappointed that she never had a chance to do it, but she was mainly a loner in her old life. She played a few games with her brother, but never Mahjong. It was times like this that made her regret not exploring more games like it, but there was no time to regret her past decisions. ¡°Are you alright Nobina?¡± asked Merick. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m ok,¡± said Nobina. She took the two sets of Mahjong and placed them in her special bag. When her bag glowed again, she looked inside and thanked god for what she saw. ¡°A book called Totally Legit Way to Play Mahjong. I¡¯ll make sure to study it well.¡± At this point, she wasn¡¯t surprised the book had a weird name. It made it sound like it was going to trick her into playing the game completely wrong, but on the off chance it didn¡¯t, it was a godsend. She recalled the book and shook her head. ¡°Ok. No more opening this Gaze bag. I¡¯m really off track here,¡± she spoke out loud. Nobina was grateful for the Gaze, but at some point, she wanted to know if it was there just to mess with her, helpful or not. ¡°Sorry Merick,¡± said Nobina. ¡°No need to apologize,¡± he said, vigorously shaking his head. ¡°You must be consulting with a higher power or something considering you were talking about some sort of Gaze.¡± Nobina felt as if she might have said and shown too much, but this whole fiasco had her flustered. ¡°Anyway¡­ We should get you back,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°I can put this fishing trip on hold for now.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t let me impose,¡± he replied. Nobina shook her head as she made sure everything was packed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. My bag is filling up faster than I want so I need to drop stuff off.¡± Pausers, looking at the bag, shook its head as it hopped next to Nobina. ¡°Guess you can¡¯t fit anymore buddy,¡± sighed Nobina. With that, the three of them headed back towards the town. Nobina knew that Merick was being quiet out of respect, but she really wanted to clear the air between them. As she thought that, a lightbulb went off in her head. ¡°Oh, I have a rather odd question.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he said, keeping his focus on her. ¡°Say¡­ you were looking for a book to read. Just for the sake of relaxing¡­ What kind of book would you read?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy,¡± he smiled. ¡°A book about adventurers!¡± Nobina chuckled, not surprised by the answer in the slightest. ¡°Like one about real living legends?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah! If I had a book about you, I¡¯d be ecstatic. I¡¯d love to know who you were and the amazing things you¡¯ve done.¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°Listen¡­ I¡¯m glad you think highly of me¡­ but can you swear never to tell anyone who I truly am?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ I would never risk the ire of a legend by revealing their secret identity. That¡¯s why those cards are never shown unless a legend wants to exert absolute authority. At least, that¡¯s what I read about in a book,¡± he smiled innocently. ¡°Right,¡± she smiled back. Nobina began wondering if showing Eric the card was even a good idea. She decided to try one last thing before making a decision. ¡°Recall.¡± The card immediately disappeared, causing her to relax. It was better that no one knew she had this thing, but if it became important, she¡¯d have it. She had no way to confirm its authenticity but from what she saw the card seemed in the same style as the other guild card. It was of a far higher quality though compared to the other guild cards she had seen. ¡°Thanks for the honest answer, by the way,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Happy to help,¡± he replied. Merick still looked roughed up, but the lack of bleeding was a good thing. Once they were back, she¡¯d help him heal up, put everything back, train with Mimiki, and call it a day. For her, so much had happened, and she had a lot of new things to check out. However, she all knew this was linked to one of the great mysteries she had. The Gaze. What was the Gaze trying to do to her? Was there a point in trying to make sense of it, or would she have to deal with it her whole life? One day, it could give her something completely crazy, and she¡¯d have no idea what to do. All she could do was trust herself to handle everything. She looked at her bag for a bit before going back into thought. Part of her felt like it could one day just throw her life in a completely new direction, but she had to trust it wouldn¡¯t ultimately ruin the life she had right now. The calm, cozy lifestyle where she could write and be with the people who she considered her friends. ¡°At the very least¡­ I have a topic,¡± she thought. She decided to write a book about adventurers. She knew two already, Eric and Mimiki, so that was a good basis. However, she also wanted to experience life as an adventurer for a bit. It would allow her to have her own perspective on the adventuring life. As this was going to be a nonfiction book, she¡¯d have a slew of perspectives on it. Her face lit up as ideas and thoughts began swarming her mind, giving her an excited look. Whether the book did well or not, she was ready to see this book written to the best of her ability. ¡°My first step,¡± she nodded. Chapter 19: Medicine and Training The trek back to the town was relatively calm. Merick had begun opening up to Nobina, asking her about her journey and whether she had any stories to tell. Part of Nobina felt she could easily make stuff up to keep the appearance of a legendary adventurer, but the other part of her wanted her to keep it as honest as possible. ¡°I can¡¯t say there¡¯s much I can tell you about my journey,¡± said Nobina. ¡°No worries,¡± nodded Merick. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some secrets you know that could change the world.¡± She chuckled, nodding in agreement. ¡°I did want to ask if you¡¯re planning to visit the town¡¯s medical office,¡± said Nobina as her focus turned back to the road. Hearing those words, he shook his head. ¡°If I had money, sure. However, I¡¯m still not making much, and I have a limited amount of funds. I¡¯ll just¡­ walk it off.¡± Nobina, overlooking Merick, saw that he didn¡¯t have any obvious cuts anywhere at least. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t worth the visit, but Nobina wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d just abandon someone who needed a bit of help. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to the medical office and see if I can get you at least a check. Never know, right?¡± she smiled. Hearing that, he bowed his head. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that someone in your position is willing to even show me the time of day. Thank you.¡± Nobina had a feeling he wasn¡¯t referring to her role as a guild officer but didn¡¯t say a word. When the two arrived in the town, Nobina first stopped by her inn room to drop off her Special Bag and Pausers. She didn¡¯t want to drag Pausers along everywhere, considering she didn¡¯t want to freak people out with a potentially dangerous bunny. Not that there was anything to worry about. Pausers was just your average bunny. She then stepped out of her room and headed back to the front of the inn. ¡°Hopefully you didn¡¯t mind the detour,¡± said Nobina, walking out of the inn to see Merick against the wall. ¡°Is that even a question?¡± he chuckled. ¡°Feel free to do what you please without concern for me.¡± Nobina wanted to say something but felt it wasn¡¯t worth the effort. She then led the way to the medical office. At the receptionist desk was Witmi, who was reviewing a book when they walked in. ¡°Oh. Nobina. How¡¯s it going. Oh¡­ and who is this with you?¡± asked Witmi, curious about the adventurer right behind her. ¡°His name¡¯s Merick. He¡¯s an F-rank adventurer who had to fight two goblins alone. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine, but can I get a discount on a check-up?¡± Witmi thought about it for a bit before nodding. ¡°Yeah. I can give you a free one,¡± she smiled. ¡°Really?¡± Nobina responded, surprised. ¡°Of course. Checking for injuries shouldn¡¯t really be charged in my opinion. We do need money, but the guild has done so much for us already. A personal favor to a guild officer shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± Nobina was thankful for it, and Witmi soon led Merick into the back. As Nobina sat down in the lobby to wait, she summoned the book she had gotten earlier. ¡°Idiots Guide to Surviving: Adventuring Edition¡­ Huh¡­¡± A quick read of the first page made it clear what the book was about. It was meant to be a basic guide for anyone to be able to read and understand the life of an adventurer. Considering the book she was writing, this book felt useful as a reference. ¡°Hm¡­ I see¡­¡± The book began by talking about the basic history of being an adventurer. How the first adventurer appeared in the world. How the guild system was established. Basic history that she hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to look at. After that, it began talking about the profession, the role they played, and what to do and not to do. Skimming deeper into the book, she found information regarding locations, what monsters to fight and avoid, and information on the most common monsters. ¡°Wow¡­¡± She wanted to take a deeper look at the book, but for now, she was content with the brief amount of information she had a chance to check. As she recalled her book, Merick walked out, looking better than before. Right behind him was Medical Mage Kim, who smiled upon seeing Nobina. ¡°Good to see you again Nobina. Though I was hoping it would have been under more casual circumstances,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯ll plan something for the future,¡± she responded, giving a bow. Kim shook her head. ¡°Please don¡¯t feel obligated to do so. Anyway, I took a look at Merick and applied a basic level of first aid medical items. Cost a bit, but better than using costly healing magic at least.¡± Hearing that, Nobina was a bit curious about how it worked. ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s better not to use healing magic if possible? Wouldn¡¯t it just exert energy to use it?¡± Nobina said curiously. Kim couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple. See, Healing abilities often don¡¯t reset as frequently as other types of abilities. I can probably only heal twenty people a month. More if it¡¯s used partially. Less if I concentrate to heal serious wounds. Example, those bruises I healed for you only took one usage. When you were knocked out, that was also one. However, it would have been two if not for Eric¡¯s healing potion, since I¡¯d have to assume you were less stable. I would have concentrated and increased the healing potency as a result.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Hearing that put into perspective the reason healing costs so much. The less she had on hand, the worse it¡¯d be if her services were required, but she couldn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much,¡± said Kim. ¡°My normal medical skills were all I had in the beginning. Healing people traditionally is something I¡¯m capable of doing so don¡¯t feel bad about me using my magic on you.¡± ¡°Ok¡­¡± was all she could say in response. With that, Merick went to Nobina and bowed before her. ¡°Thank you Nobina. If you need anything from me, don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± She nodded, with Merick taking a step out. ¡°Oh wait,¡± said Nobina. Merick turned to her, curious about what she was going to say. ¡°Uh¡­ Be careful out there.¡± He laughed, nodding his head. ¡°I¡¯ll have a party next time. Don¡¯t worry.¡± With that, he headed towards the guild, likely to find a party like he said. ¡°Kids these days,¡± said Kim, now standing next to Nobina. ¡°They¡¯ll one day grow up to understand to be properly prepared.¡± ¡°It is strange though,¡± said Nobina. ¡°The goblins shouldn¡¯t have been that close to the river this early in the day¡­ I wonder¡­¡± Her stomach growled, causing Kim to laugh. ¡°It¡¯s about that time, right? Shall we have lunch together?¡± Nobina nodded, happy to have someone to enjoy lunch with. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t leave me out of this,¡± said Witmi, now joining Kim¡¯s side. With that, the two of them headed out to enjoy a nice casual lunch together. During lunch, Witmi talked about a few patients who had come in and the interactions she had with them. From her perspective, many of them were rather boring. By that, she meant that they only came to the medical office to get healed and not to chat. ¡°I swear, they seem so focused on one thing,¡± sighed Witmi. ¡°I¡¯d imagine that¡¯s to be expected of people going to a medical office,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°Yeah, but everyone has a story, right? At least tell it,¡± said Witmi, shaking her head. ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you too much,¡± said Kim, enjoying her Rar-Gen Meat, which was apparently meat from a wolf-like monster. ¡°When I worked as a medical mage in the bigger city, I cannot tell you how much those rich folks just spoke constantly about their success and riches. I felt like removing my own ears sometimes with how arrogant people got.¡± ¡°But now the both of you are here helping more common folk,¡± smiled Nobina. The two nodded, agreeing that their work here was far more meaningful. Time came and went and soon the three went their separate ways. Nobina was satisfied with the nice Chizen she had, which was becoming more of a staple for her. The chicken-like taste was something that reminded her of the chicken back in her old world. It wasn¡¯t the same, but the similarities gave it a nostalgic feeling. Before departing, Kim told Nobina one thing to make her think. ¡°Oh. One last thing. Nobina. Don¡¯t feel too hesitant about potentially getting hurt if it means doing something important. I prefer seeing you under good circumstances, but I am happier you are helping people get the treatment they need.¡± She gave a nod. ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to bring them to you Kim. Don¡¯t worry.¡± With that, the last stop of the day was training with Mimiki. Her muscles and bones seemed to react to the thought of training, but her mind and heart were far too excited to let them hold her back. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best today,¡± said Nobina. Arriving at Mimiki¡¯s home, she saw she was waiting for her outside with two training swords. ¡°Your late,¡± she said in a disappointed voice. ¡°Sorry¡­ A lot happened on the trip and then I had lunch so¡­¡± Mimiki shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ll have to work off all of it. You know that, right?¡± Nobina smiled, nodding her head in agreement. The reaction of Nobina didn¡¯t escape Mimiki, who seemed happy to see her reaction. With that, the two headed out of town into the nearby forest. They arrived at an open spot about ten minutes away, clear of obstacles and with ground that looked specifically flattened for training. As the two stood there, Mimiki handed her a sword. ¡°You know the drill,¡± said Mimiki, crossing her hands as she waited for Nobina to respond. ¡°Right,¡± nodded Nobina. With the sword in hand, she began her run into the forest and around the grounds. Nobina¡¯s training was meant to get her accustomed to holding a sword while working on her general fitness. Mimiki advised her that she could do this stuff without her, but she was willing to watch her to help correct any bad form she had or to give words of support if she needed it. For the most part, it was her telling her to keep focus on keeping a good sword grip. Even if she was dead tired, Mimiki would tell her to never let her condition weaken her grip. A swordsman had to be able to keep their grip, even if they were going to fall over. ¡°You hit the ground before the sword,¡± she yelled as Nobina was showing exhaustion. ¡°Right,¡± Nobina yelled back. Normally, she would have stopped sooner, but she wanted to push past her limits. After ten more minutes of running around the grounds, she finally fell over from exhaustion. Mimiki ran to her side, looking both proud and disappointed. ¡°I know you want to work hard on this, but if you get hurt, you¡¯d just be wasting time,¡± she said, helping Nobina up. ¡°Sorry,¡± she sighed, checking herself over. ¡°What¡¯s with the extra motivation today?¡± asked Mimiki as she leaned against a nearby tree after helping her up. ¡°Didn¡¯t want to disappoint me?¡± ¡°No¡­ Well¡­¡± Nobina began telling Mimiki about the trip. When she got to the goblin part, she began hesitating to speak. Mimiki, who knew this well, put her hand on Nobina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say what exactly you did, don¡¯t,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I rather you not lie to me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I received a special weapon from my bag. The one I carry around,¡± she said, pointing to the Gaze bag back in the center. ¡°It disappeared after using it, but it was something I never expected to get. It was¡­ powerful, yet conditional and if it failed¡­ The goblin would have been on me. And you know¡­ I don¡¯t have a weapon or the training yet.¡± Mimiki nodded, understanding why she didn¡¯t tell her that information immediately. ¡°I know you carry that thing around all the time and that it¡¯s special, but to do something like that¡­ I can see why you don¡¯t tell people what it does.¡± ¡°The thing is,¡± said Nobina, looking down. ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly what it can do either. It was given to me by someone I didn¡¯t know. Someone that has to remain secret.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t worry,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°I rather you not get hurt for telling me a secret that should remain a secret. As for that incident¡­ I can accelerate your training. I know you should still work on exercising, but it¡¯d be prudent to learn basic swordsmanship now at least. Then you can carry around a sword and be prepared. Depending on the unknown can only get you so far.¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes lit up brightly upon hearing that. ¡°Thank you so much Mimiki,¡± she said, giving her a strong hug. Mimiki froze upon receiving it but smiled as she returned the hug. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ doing what¡¯s right,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°I still need to earn everyone else¡¯s forgiveness, but once I earn yours¡­ I hope that it would show I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°It better,¡± said Nobina, separating from her. ¡°Soon, I¡¯ll become stronger, and I¡¯ll be able to feel proud of the book I¡¯m writing.¡± Mimiki¡¯s surprised expression wasn¡¯t unexpected. She seemed to be thinking about what she said. ¡°Are you writing an adventuring book or something?¡± she asked, throwing a shot in the dark. Nobina¡¯s nod made Mimiki return her own hug. Nobina was caught off guard but accepted it as well. ¡°I¡¯m so glad¡­ that everything between us working out,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Me two,¡± she smiled back. It was hard to say whether all of this made up for everything that happened earlier. Was she still being too forgiving towards Mimiki for everything she did? No. In her mind, she was convinced that Mimiki was being good on her word and either would repay her debt or had already done so. That itself was a step in the right direction and something she couldn¡¯t dismiss. She had no intention of ever holding what she did against her. After all, it seemed Mimiki was trying her hardest to make up for everything. If Sarah and Lare could eventually forgive Mimiki, then things would have been truly resolved. Chapter 20: Gaze and Ledger Training eventually concluded, and the two headed back to Mimiki¡¯s home for dinner. Once again, they had a stew, but Nobina was used to them enjoying such a simple yet hearty dish. During this time, Mimiki droned on about the life of an adventurer, likely to fill Nobina¡¯s mind about it. On her end, Nobina enjoyed listening as she gained a better understanding of what being an adventurer meant. Time passed by quickly, and she eventually returned to her inn room to see Pausers looking at the Mahjong sets. ¡°You play Pausers?¡± Nobina asked jokingly. To her surprise, Pausers nudged the set towards her, making her wonder if it wanted her to play or if they did know how to play. ¡°I got the book to review, so don¡¯t worry Pausers,¡± smiled Nobina. At this point, Nobina took out everything and laid it out before her. There were a few items of immediate concern, but for now, she just wanted to understand what she should do with everything. As she thought about it, her Gaze bag glowed. She looked inside to find a comment page. ¡°If I fish long enough¡­ will my path change?¡± Nobina thought about it and shrugged. ¡°Perhaps, but I¡¯ve only fished once. I¡¯d probably need to spend years fishing to even get a fishing ability. Or at the very least get a fishing ability related to writing. Imagine getting an ability that allows me to know about fish by just seeing it or something¡­ I don¡¯t even know if that qualifies as writing related, but¡­ it¡¯d be cool.¡± She chuckled to herself as she recalled the page, adding it to her list of ever-growing things she could recall. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to recall or summon my own library at some point.¡± With that, she turned her attention to the other objects she had. ¡°Two Mahjong sets, and a book called Totally Legit Way to Play Mahjong¡­ I¡¯m almost certain this book isn¡¯t the correct way to play it.¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t an idiot. She could tell this book was specifically there to troll her. However, she decided to at least skim it to see if it even gave an inkling of how Mahjong could possibly be played. Opening it up, she stared blankly at the pages. The book immediately talked about Mahjong tiles being trading tiles to collect and play the game with. She went to one of the sets and looked at the tile, knowing that it was totally not meant to be a part of some trading tile game. ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know what to say.¡± She continued to skim the book, but it continued to give her the rules of a different type of game. She contemplated just ignoring them completely, but then she¡¯d have to make her own rules up to use the set. ¡°Worst case¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ make my own game up,¡± she nodded. The last thing she had to review was the Legendary Adventurer Identification Card. Summoning it, she could tell it had to be real. The material felt high quality, and the style of the card perfectly matched the style of their guild cards. It even had an identification number in the same style as their other cards. The only true way to confirm it was to give it to Eric, but if she did that, she¡¯d be telling him she had somehow received it. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be concerned,¡± said Nobina. This could just be the tip of the iceberg. Nobina could imagine receiving something like a forbidden tome with some world-ending spell or something. If that happened, then wouldn¡¯t that make her a massive threat? Even if she could recall it, having itself made her a danger she didn¡¯t want to become. All she wanted was to be a writer. ¡°If I¡­ asked the Gaze¡­ to¡­ stop sending me things¡­¡± She shook her head. If the Gaze hadn¡¯t sent her the gun, what would have happened to Merick? She wouldn¡¯t deny the Gaze¡¯s items if they helped her, but she couldn¡¯t help but be worried about the future. With that, she decided to place the Mahjong set in the corner of her room for another time. She then sat down and filled out her diary for the day. Once it was done, she headed to bed, hoping that she could finish the Ledger project sooner rather than later. The next day, Nobina was sitting in the guild library working on the Ledger project. As she finished writing in the Ledger, she stopped and gave herself a mini fist pump. ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she cheered to herself. At that point, Nobina felt something. It was as if she was feeling a sense of growth, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what exactly had grown. To confirm her thoughts, she held out her hand and tried to recall the ledger. To her surprise, it worked. ¡°Wait¡­ but it didn¡¯t work before¡­¡± Nobina had tried using recall on it before, thinking it should work like her diary. However, it didn¡¯t, which added to her confusion about her own ability. At first, she thought perhaps a numbers book wouldn¡¯t work, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡°The ledger is clearly something I¡¯ve solely worked on. I can recall the adventurer card, papers and books from the Gaze and my diary. However, the ledger didn¡¯t work until now¡­ but why?¡± According to her research, mastering abilities was often a lifetime thing. Time allowed one to use their ability more and more, thus allowing them to figure out how they grew. It might be slow or fast, but it grows at least. Something clearly had prevented her from using her ability on the ledger before, but now that was no longer the case. ¡°Perhaps that growth¡­ was being able to recall the ledger?¡± She¡¯d need to study her ability more, but for now, she had to report to Lare her success. Nobina went into the back and knocked on Lare¡¯s door. ¡°Come in,¡± he called. When Nobina stepped in, Lare seemed surprised to see her. ¡°Anything wrong Nobina?¡± asked Lare. ¡°No. I wanted to report the ledger is complete,¡± she said confidently. ¡°Really? Where is it?¡± he asked. She held out her hand and summoned it, causing Lare to be surprised. ¡°You can recall and summon it now? But¡­¡± There was a bothered look on Lare¡¯s face for a second, but Nobina was too excited to notice. Stolen story; please report. ¡°I felt a sense of growth after completing it. I¡¯m not sure if completing books progressed my path, but it feels like it could be a key to getting stronger.¡± Lare gave a nod. ¡°Well¡­ At least you can protect these books. Information like this is important and to lose it¡­¡± Lare shut his mouth for a second, causing Nobina to become confused. As she tried to figure out why Lare was being silent, Sarah appeared behind her, giving her a hug. ¡°What¡¯s this secret party about,¡± said Sarah, her head peaking on the side of Nobina. ¡°Oh, I finished the ledger,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Amazing,¡± cheered Sarah. ¡°You can finally help me out more!¡± Nobina chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°Is that the only thing your excited about Sarah?¡± chuckled Nobina. Sarah was going to open her mouth, but Lare¡¯s serious look made her pause. ¡°What is going on to have you so serious, Lare?¡± asked Sarah, still in a happy mood. Lare looked at Nobina, hesitating to speak. ¡°Nobina¡­ What happens¡­ to the book if you die.¡± Those words instantly brought the room into silence before Sarah¡¯s rage poured out. ¡°How dare you Lare,¡± she yelled, her voice echoing through the room. ¡°Sarah¡­¡± said Lare, a bit apologetically. Nobina¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing those words. He was right. She had no idea what would happen if she died. Would the book be forever gone if she had recalled it? Did that mean she had to always keep a copy out to protect it? She began questioning why she was thinking about what would happen if she died. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll just never recall it and¡­¡± Before she could continue, Lare immediately cut her off. ¡°Do you know summoned items disappear when the summoner dies?¡± At that point, Nobina saw Sarah walk over to Lare and slap him in the face. The shock caused Nobina to cover her mouth as Lare himself merely took it without showing any change in his expression. ¡°Is that all you care about Lare? Money? Sure, that book is now linked to Nobina, but to be worried because it might disappear because she dies¡­¡± Lare merely shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a big concern,¡± he said, looking at the Ledger in Nobina¡¯s hand. ¡°We can¡¯t use it if we can¡¯t be certain the information is safe. Imagine we use it for five years, and something bad happens. We lose all our information and have no back up.¡± Nobina was going to say something, but her own worry appeared. If this applied to all her recalled items, did that mean that if she used her Recall ability on a book, would it disappear forever if she died? Did that mean she couldn¡¯t use her ability on anything she wrote from now on? Tears began flowing out of her eyes, making Sarah and Lare pause their debate. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t want to lose everything,¡± she cried. Seeing that, Sarah ran to Nobina, hugging her. ¡°Nobina¡­ Don¡¯t worry¡­ You won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Sarah,¡± she said, staring her in the eye. ¡°I¡­ ran into a goblin yesterday.¡± Hearing that, Lare told her to immediately explain what happened. Nobina explained the situation, including her Gaze bag and the weapon it gave her. The only thing she didn¡¯t mention was the Legendary Adventurer Card. As she finished the story, she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m doing it again, treating my life without regards to the implications of dying. I wanted to help someone, but I put myself in danger with so many unknowns¡­ I really haven¡¯t learned anything, huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± said Lare, surprising both Nobina and Sarah. ¡°Your intentions there were pure. Can you really say that you were dumb for wanting to save someone¡¯s life? Nobina. Recognize that people have sacrificed their lives for others. Don¡¯t sully their name by saying it¡¯s not worth the risk.¡± Hearing that, Nobina nodded, her tears slowly stopping flowing. ¡°Sorry Lare,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Sure¡­ Dying is scary. Being a combat guild officer makes it so that you are more capable of defending yourself, yet it also puts you more at risk of getting hurt or worse. Don¡¯t let this¡­ deter you at least.¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ If I hesitate¡­ If I don¡¯t take chances because of fear¡­ Then¡­ I¡¯m back to being the person I don¡¯t want to be¡­¡± She had no intentions of backing off now. She had her worries, but she knew what mattered the most to her. She would protect the people important to her and work towards her dream. Perhaps she wouldn¡¯t risk her life for her writing dream, but if someone she cared about was in danger, she¡¯d do whatever was necessary to protect them. ¡°Sorry for ruining a perfectly good accomplishment Nobina,¡± said Lare. ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡­ needed that perspective. Plus¡­ we never know. Abilities do get stronger and perhaps I¡¯ll be able to maintain these items even if¡­ the worst came to pass.¡± The two of them nodded, still feeling bad for ruining her accomplishment. All of them seemed to relax moments later though. ¡°So¡­ I guess now¡¯s the time to explain the ledger, right?¡± asked Lare. Nobina gave a grin, which made Sarah and Lare a bit worried. ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s going to be a number filled conversation.¡± With that, Nobina began telling them all about the ledger. The ledger was a singular book meant to provide a more detailed tracking method for the guild to monitor financial transactions. It was far more complex compared to merely keeping a running tally of the guild¡¯s day-to-day funds. Rather, it tracked the guild¡¯s income and expenses, the two things that made up their income and dictated their funds. ¡°By understanding both our income and expenses, we can determine how to maintain a healthy income to keep the guild going or fund special projects,¡± nodded Nobina. She opened the ledger, showing what was currently written on it. Looking at the ledger, she began talking about how much money the guild was both making and spending. It didn¡¯t take into account the previous expenses and income since most of the older documents had deteriorated to unreadable levels. Not only that, but the guild paid out or gave quests sometimes without any paper trail. It was a bit messy, but at the time, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°So, if you look here, a quest reward is often only monetary. It can range from a few coppers to millions of gold. Since our guild only goes up to C rank quests, that limits it to about ten gold per quest max. Any higher would be for B rank quests, which we haven¡¯t historically given.¡± Nobina then moved on to discussing the income. ¡°Naturally, the reward is the amount people are willing to give for any given quest. People can give more or less to increase or decrease the demand for a quest, but there are set limits to prevent people from abusing the quest system. It¡¯s mainly depending on the quest objective and using that to determine the expected price.¡± A simple quest to kill only a few goblins, for example, could pay out gold. However, that would require guild master approval to confirm the reason the quest is being overpaid. Any reward that¡¯s less than ten percent more than the average for the quest could be processed without approval. Any reward of more than ten percent of the average but less than one hundred percent more needed a supervisor¡¯s approval. Beyond that was guild master approval. ¡°We generally take ten percent by default, but we accept more if they want to give it and consider it a donation in a sense. The amount we are working with does help dictate priority in getting it done. It¡¯s the reason Mimiki was often tasked with making sure high-priority quests are done, since she connects well with our adventurers.¡± Nobina understanding of the guild had grown significantly ever since starting the process. It wasn¡¯t all about numbers. It was understanding the function of the guild and each of its members. It¡¯s what made this ledger all the more important and was the reason Lare was concerned about Nobina dying. ¡°Money is received by various sources, and we mark it down as received in the ledger. As much as I think an accrual system would work, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be good to go against the system the rest of the guilds likely use. Adaptability is key here and¡­¡± Nobina eyes looked around and noticed both of them were merely nodding. ¡°You guys¡­ Understand what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± they both responded unconvincingly. Nobina shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll be handling tracking everything for now. It might be time consuming, but the tracking will allow us to save money or use it more effectively. Eventually though, you both should know how to use it if I¡¯m not available.¡± ¡°Amazing,¡± said Lare. ¡°Great job Nobina.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Sarah. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely earned your stay here.¡± Hearing that made her smile. Her worries faded away as she felt excited for the future. The talk about dying earlier was still in the back of her mind, but she wanted to not worry about something that could happen at any moment. She knew she couldn¡¯t let fear dominate her mind. ¡°With that¡­¡± Nobina, looking at the books on the table, had a lightbulb go off in her head. ¡°Summon,¡± said Nobina. Immediately, a second ledger appeared, amazing all three of them. ¡°How,¡± said Lare. ¡°I guess¡­ completing the ledger helped improve this ability as well. Summon.¡± Nobina summoned a third ledger, making her give the biggest grin. However, the fourth attempt caused her to tire, almost falling over. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Sarah, supporting her. ¡°Guess¡­ it¡¯s now three,¡± she chuckled tiredly. ¡°Nobina, be more careful. You can¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± Nobina gave a nod, sitting back down. ¡°However¡­ It looks like you¡¯ve had multiple successes today. Congratulations,¡± he smiled. Sarah did the same, making Nobina relax. ¡°Progress¡­ is great¡­¡± she chuckled. Nobina had made a great improvement to her current ability, pushing the limit of books she could have out to three. There were still so many more things to test, such as whether this limit applied to all books or if each had its own limit. However, for now, she was content with what she had accomplished so far. Chapter 21: Chaos and Training The day was nearing its end, and Nobina¡¯s mind was elsewhere. She was excited to start her training with Mimiki. After finishing the Ledger project, all she could think about was her writing and her training. As she thought about it, something occurred to her. She had told everyone about being attacked by a goblin, but she didn¡¯t actually tell them of her concerns. That goblin should have been even near that river, and she was worried that it could be a sign of a potential problem. Heading to Lare¡¯s office with her Gaze bag, Nobina appeared and saw Sarah relaxing at the front. When Sarah¡¯s gaze caught Nobina, she called her over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong again Nobina?¡± she asked, keeping an upbeat tone. ¡°Worried about earlier.¡± ¡°Kind of?¡± Nobina replied. ¡°Remember how I told you there was a goblin incident close to the river? The problem is that the data we have indicates that they shouldn¡¯t have been that close at that time of day. I wanted to bring it up with Lare and hear his thoughts.¡± Nobina saw Sarah¡¯s expression reflect her worries as they continued to talk. ¡°That is a problem. Actually, I don¡¯t even know why you¡¯re working today,¡± said Sarah, her worried voice making Nobina consider the severity of the incident. ¡°I¡¯m fine. There was another F rank adventurer there that helped, remember? I just was the one who ultimately took it down as he distracted.¡± Sarah looked a bit more relieved, but she then said something Nobina didn¡¯t expect. ¡°If only Mimiki had taught you properly¡­¡± ¡°Sarah,¡± spoke Nobina in a bit of a harsh tone. ¡°Eek. Sorry Nobina,¡± said Sarah. Nobina wanted to apologize for her tone, but she decided to make her feelings known. ¡°Sarah¡­ I know you still have a lot of misgivings for what Mimiki has done, but please don¡¯t let them prevent you from seeing the good she is doing.¡± Sarah looked unconvinced, but she eventually surrendered and nodded. ¡°Fine¡­ but I¡¯ll be very strict on my criteria for forgiving her. I won¡¯t let that past stuff¡­ Dilute my judgement, but anything from here on out will be judged harshly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± nodded Nobina. She began wondering if Lare would display a similar stance. For now, she put that thought aside. Nobina made her way to Lare¡¯s office, giving a knock when she reached it. ¡°Yes?¡± called Lare. Nobina stepped in, taking a seat in front of Lare. She began telling him about her concerns regarding yesterday¡¯s incident. Lare, in response, seemed to be in deep thought. ¡°I see,¡± he said with a serious look. ¡°I¡¯ll have a few scout quests posted to get a better sense of the situation. So far, I have seen no other reports of increased monster activity today, so best case scenario is this is an isolated incident. Do you have anything else to report?¡± he asked. ¡°No sir,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Then please take a few days off starting tomorrow.¡± His response caught Nobina off guard. ¡°Guild policy dictates when a guild officer has experience anything traumatic, involving¡­¡± The strong scent of eggs started filling the room as Nobina turned to her bag. Going into it, she saw five nicely made packages with a strong egg smell coming from them. Opening it up, she saw a nicely plated fried egg with a fork and spoon in it. ¡°These¡­ smell good,¡± she said, finding herself drooling. ¡°What is it Nobina?¡± asked Lare, stepping over. Seeing the egg, he gave a nod. Nobina was going to say something, but then another object appeared in her bag. Opening it up, she felt very tempted to throw it, but Lare¡¯s shocked face stopped her. ¡°Nobina, what¡¯s wrong,¡± he said, sounding panicked for the first time. She held the book in front of his face, with him staring confusingly at it. ¡°The¡­ Adventurer¡¯s Guide to Adventurers Guides¡­ For Idiots and dummies¡­. Volume 15 of 3? Nobina¡­ what exactly is this?¡± ¡°Some utter nonsense,¡± she found herself almost yelling. She had to take a deep breath before regaining her composure. ¡°Sorry¡­ I need to talk to Eric about this. Uh¡­ here.¡± Nobina handed him a package with an egg, prompting him to nod. ¡°Thank you,¡± he smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she said, taking her bag with eggs. She then recalled the book before heading off. Moments later, she found herself storming upstairs into Eric¡¯s office, causing him to freeze the moment she entered. ¡°Nobina?¡± As Nobina was about to say something, another glow came from her Gaze bag. Nobina, trying to keep herself calm, opened the bag and looked at the note. As she read it, she immediately recalled it and summoned it. ¡°One way to test my ability,¡± she said, completely annoyed. She ripped up the paper and held out her hand. ¡°Summon.¡± The paper appeared again in good condition, causing her to nod. ¡°At least some things make sense,¡± she nodded, her mood unchanged. ¡°What is going on Nobina,¡± said Eric, stepping in front of his desk. ¡°The Gaze Eric! It¡¯s trolling me!¡± Eric tilted his head. ¡°Trolling? What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ driving me crazy,¡± she sighed. ¡°See, take a look at this.¡± Nobina held out the book she received. Eric took it, looked at the title, and set it down. ¡°Nobina¡­¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Her bag flashed again, and she merely turned to it without saying a word. She began pulling out a small fairy statue. Her expression darkened when she saw the expression it was making. With a face full of anger, she lifted the statue up and immediately smashed it into pieces. ¡°¡­ Do I need to ask?¡± said Eric, merely smiling calmly at this point. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll ignore the Gaze bag for now. Anyway, I need to talk to you about something very important.¡± Seeing the tone shift, he nodded as the two sat down. She began the talk by reporting the goblin incident and everything involving it. In particular, she was concerned with the Gaze¡¯s rapidly growing influence. ¡°Take a look,¡± she said, pulling out another container with eggs. ¡°Is that¡­ an egg in there?¡± asked Eric. ¡°I thought my nose was sensing something.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ want one? I got three more after this.¡± He nodded and received the egg. Trying it out, his eyes lit up. ¡°Wow¡­ this is pretty good. Never thought eggs could be that good.¡± She nodded and saw the Gaze bag flash again. She was very tempted to ignore it this time, but she decided to give it one more chance. Opening it up, she found what appeared to be a massive canvas flag. It had to be five feet by three feet. It had the words ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Nobina¡± written on it, with a lot of fairies giving different hand-heart signs. She felt the anger she was clinging to finally start to fade as she let the kind gift get to her. ¡°Fine¡­ I forgive you¡­ whoever is trolling me,¡± she spoke. Eric examined the flag, giving a nod. ¡°This fabric is pretty good,¡± he smiled. ¡°What¡¯s your plan with this flag?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ll keep it for now,¡± she responded. ¡°It will go next to my fan art.¡± As she said that, another object appeared. As she pulled it out, her face became bright red as she found herself dropping the body pillowcase immediately. A beautiful image of Eric was displayed, a bright gold background right behind him. The very fine details, almost bordering realistic, made the image of Eric lying back look life-like. The only saving grace for Nobina was he was fully cloth in his guild master outfit. Looking at Eric, Nobina caught even his face going pure red. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Eric in a disappointed voice. ¡°I forbid you from opening that bag within the guild unless absolutely necessary.¡± Nobina nodded, accepting the permanent ban of Gaze content within guild grounds. She felt a sense of relief, considering everything that had happened, but she was a bit saddened due to not being able to enjoy the kinder stuff. ¡°Ok¡­ we are so off track¡­ So, the goblins?¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Lare said he¡¯d have scouts look at the location so hopefully it¡¯s determined to be an isolated incident.¡± ¡°For our sakes, yeah,¡± he nodded. ¡°Anyway, feel free to take a few days off.¡± She gave a nod, standing up to leave. ¡°Oh¡­¡± said Nobina. She walked over and handed him the body pillowcase. The moment she did, she heard a laugh from the bag, causing her to flinch in anger. ¡°Here. I¡¯m sure you rather have it than me.¡± The anger in Nobina¡¯s voice made Eric chuckle, causing Nobina to ¡°hmph¡± before leaving. As she did, Eric looked at the body pillow, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re supposed to be a hero or anti-hero, but your certainly an odd one Nobina¡­ You and this Gaze.¡± As Nobina headed downstairs, the laughter intensified, causing her to take the bag and stomp on it a few times. ¡°Stupid bag,¡± she said. Her mind realized something immediately, with her opening the back to check. Her face felt relieved seeing the eggs fine, confirming that, at the very least. The bag was similar to her special bag in protecting its content, but different in the fact it was meant for storage only. ¡°I can¡¯t put stuff into it, but anything in it can just build up endlessly,¡± she thought to herself. The bag began speaking to her in a language she couldn¡¯t understand. She thought about trying to speak to it. Perhaps it could actually talk and communicate with her. However, the voices stopped, and soon, she realized this was merely a part of the trolling she had experienced earlier. ¡°New world¡­ yet the trolling still happens.¡± Nobina began recalling seeing such a thing happen to the streamer she used to watch. She¡¯d always laugh, enjoying everyone having a good time. It made her wonder if this was exactly the same thing they experienced, causing her to burst into laughter. ¡°Nobina?¡± called Sarah, coming to the hall. ¡°What¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± she said, wiping the tears away from her eyes. ¡°Just¡­ realizing I¡¯m in a funny moment.¡± Sarah¡¯s confused look didn¡¯t go away, but the smell of eggs caught her attention. Nobina handed her a package with one egg, which she ate and enjoyed. ¡°So good,¡± she said. ¡°Can I get another?¡± She was about to say something, but she noticed a hand slowly trying to make its way out of her bag. Not sure whether this was going to be an actual person, she began going into a panic. However, the hand merely held itself open next to one of the packages. ¡°You¡­ want an egg¡­ Gaze?¡± The thought was ridiculous, but now it seemed the bag itself was an entity of its own. Why did it want something it gave her? No idea. However, she merely sighed and let it take the egg. Once the egg was in hand, the hand disappeared with the egg. ¡°Enjoy¡­ Gaze¡­¡± With that, she shook her head. ¡°Sorry Sarah. The last egg is for Mimiki.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°Just¡­ Know it was good.¡± Nobina was tempted to go home and lie down, but today was her first day of training with Mimiki with the sword. Despite everything, she wanted to make progress in the sword today and wouldn¡¯t let a bit of tomfoolery stop her. As she stepped out of the guild, she found her bag change form into a crossbody bag, making her smack her hand against her face. ¡°You can do that Gaze?¡± she asked. Not expecting a response, she was surprised to see it glow. She was tempted to not open it but did so anyway. What she ended up finding was a sword. It was a well-built sword, as far as she could tell, and holding it felt far better than holding those wooden swords she held for training. Though, it was much heavier. ¡°Wow¡­ This is¡­ cool¡­¡± she smiled. She found herself making her way to Mimiki as quickly as possible, only slowing down to avoid cutting herself. Eventually, she reached Mimiki¡¯s house, panting as she waited for the door to open. When it did, Mimiki saw her with a sword. Not only that, but her bag flashed once again. ¡°Nobina?¡± she asked curiously. She went into her bag and cheered a bit as she pulled out a well-made scabbard for the sword. It had a bee stamped on the tip in a metal that appeared to be platinum. However, Nobina couldn¡¯t really confirm that since she hadn¡¯t seen platinum in real life. She had only seen it in games. The bag flashed again, and this time contained hand-sewn sword gloves with her initials on them. ¡°Whoever you are¡­ thank you,¡± said Nobina. Mimiki sighed, asking her to come in. Once she was inside, her bag flashed. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, her voice firm. ¡°Do not open that bag.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± she replied. With that, the two sat down, and Nobina began unloading everything that happened so far, including all the Gaze items. When she was done, it looked like Mimiki had a headache. ¡°My god Nobina, please tell me this isn¡¯t going to be a regular occurrence,¡± she said. ¡°I hope not,¡± she said, shaking her head. The bag flashed, but Mimiki¡¯s rather hostile stare stopped her from even considering opening the bag. ¡°So¡­ training,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°We aren¡¯t using a real sword for it, you know¡­¡± ¡°I know¡­ Blame the bag,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°I¡­ let¡¯s get down to training.¡± With that, the two stepped outside and prepared to train. Nobina was given a training sword, which she held as she was instructed. The training session this time was unlike the previous training she had received from Mimiki. Unlike with exercising, in this training, Mimiki ensured that Nobina¡¯s form was proper and explained in as much detail as possible the basics of swordsmanship. Listening as carefully as possible, Nobina noted down how Mimiki was making sure she understood every concept she was teaching her. From the basic forms to other things like striking and defending, the goal of the day was to drill down the knowledge of the basics. Afterward, it was making sure she could execute the basics enough that she could do them on her own without constant correction. ¡°The key is to make whatever you¡¯re practicing is performed correctly,¡± said Mimiki, keeping her eye on how Nobina was holding the sword. ¡°If you swing the sword one hundred times incorrectly, it becomes a mess to correct the form since you¡¯ve basically started drilling it into your muscle memory. It is why I¡¯ve been drilling correctly sword holding into you all this time. Thank god you did train with me, cause if you were at it alone, who knows how long it would have taken to correct it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very thankful for it as well,¡± said Nobina. Mimiki nodded, going back to teaching Nobina about basic sword forms, strikes, and blocks. There was a lot of complexity behind being a swordsman, but Nobina didn¡¯t need to know every detail immediately. Rather, Mimiki explained how she intended to layer the basics on her to confirm she was doing everything correctly while keeping her engaged with new material. Nobina understood that this was Mimiki¡¯s environment. She was a swordsman at heart, and she would do whatever she could to ensure she was doing things correctly. That was why Nobina had no intentions of slacking and kept her focus the entire time. The day felt long as Nobina began to tire. Her determination kept her going, and Mimiki didn¡¯t fail to notice that. As Nobina swung her sword again after probably twenty swings, she felt Mimiki place her hand on her shoulder. ¡°You did good today Nobina,¡± she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t force it though. If your tired, let me know and I¡¯ll tell you how many more to do.¡± She gave a nod, relaxing and breathing deep breaths. Despite all the chaos that happened earlier, moments like this really made Nobina appreciate this part of her day. She imagined that one day, she¡¯d no longer need to depend on the Gaze and could do things without it. Though, in her mind she worried that even if that became the case, the Gaze would continue to watch her for who knows how long. All she could do was be prepared for whatever the Gaze had in store. ¡°What chaos is in store for me,¡± she thought to herself. Chapter 22: Return and Reports Once training was over, Nobina had another simple dinner with Mimiki and returned to the inn. There, Pausers was sleeping, making Nobina happy to see they were doing well. As she sat down to write in her diary, she began looking around. She couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of her surroundings, unsure if someone or something was going to disrupt her. It was clear what was causing her paranoia though. ¡°The Gaze,¡± she muttered, turning her attention to her diary. She had no idea when it would start doing things to her, but she had to at least be prepared. She knew she had to at least be wary of opening that bag. If she did, the bag could derail a situation or, in the worst case, turn a situation sour. ¡°Whatever¡­ I¡¯ll deal with that when it comes,¡± she nodded. Eric had already forbidden her from opening the bag when she was working, so she had no worries there. Her worries were if the Gaze somehow forced the bag open itself. Hearing the laughs and seeing the hand take the egg they gave her made it clear the Gaze and its bag had far more power than she thought. For all she knew, the bag could just run away. Not wanting to drive herself crazy, she began writing in her diary about the day to distract her. She made sure to detail everything the Gaze did in particular. After that, she recalled the diary and went to bed. Her mind was still thinking about the Gaze, but she had no intention of letting those thoughts disrupt her sleep. The following day, Nobina awoke to Pausers sitting on her stomach. Her fluffy companion was snuggling against her, making Nobina happy to have such an affectionate bunny. ¡°I¡¯m glad your normal Pausers,¡± she said. With that, she packed her Special Bag with the flashlight, chair, sword, scabbard, and gloves. Despite everything she had received, she didn¡¯t have much to put in the bag yet. Her magical butterfly item was in her pocket, the books and papers were recalled, and her Gaze Bag was empty. At least for now. She was just thankful the Special Bag negated the weight of everything in it. The items in it were basically weightless, making her wonder how expensive this bag would be. However, its limited nature meant selling it wasn¡¯t even an option. Nobina began heading out of the inn, saying hi to the innkeeper as she stepped out of the door. Making her way out of the inn, she caught a glimpse of a small adventuring party of adventurers younger than her. All of them looked excited, making Nobina remember how important her job was. It supported the guild, which supported all these adventurers who helped people. Making her way to Mimiki¡¯s house, she gave a knock. When Mimiki opened the door, she was surprised to see Nobina there. ¡°No work today?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Yeah. I have two days off due to the goblin incident,¡± she replied. ¡°Hopefully you don¡¯t mind me exercising here.¡± ¡°Should have told me yesterday,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯d have smoothen the lesson out for two more days¡­ Whatever. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. You have everything right? Including your sword?¡± Nobina gave a nod, taking the sword out of her Special Bag. It was still in the nice scabbard she was provided with, which was perfectly fit for the sword. It also had a rare metal on it, making her wonder what the worth of platinum was. ¡°I never got a good chance to look at this. Do you mind?¡± she asked. Nobina shook her head, stepping back after she handed Mimiki the sword. Her eyes were glued to it like a hawk as she examined every aspect of the sword. ¡°Hm¡­ This sword is well balanced and refined. I believe this is quality steel as well? There¡¯s no sign of imperfection and its currently extremely sharp¡­ And it came from your Gaze bag¡­¡± She nodded, though the mention of the Gaze made her look around a bit, seeing if something was going to react. When nothing happened, her attention turned back to Mimiki. ¡°And this scabbard is clearly high quality as well. The sword is perfect for it and¡­ the symbolism is nice. A butterfly to represent hope, right?¡± Nobina had no idea if that¡¯s what it did represent, so she could only shrug. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll help you get used to this sword tomorrow. Today, we¡¯ll focus on reinforcing yesterday.¡± With that, the two began the training. Nobina was still as focused as ever, but the thought of using that custom sword did distract her enough to get a bit of a scolding from Mimiki for too much daydreaming. The day came and went, with the two only breaking for lunch and dinner. This time around, the topics were swords and what made a sword good or bad. Nobina was completely engrossed in the talk, trying to understand as much as possible. During dinner, Mimiki said something that gave Nobina pause. ¡°While there are limitations to swordsmanship, even without a swordsmanship ability or path relating to it, anyone can become a swordsman. Hence why a good sword is important. Since a sword is an extension of oneself, it¡¯s best to have an extension you can completely depend on. The moment a sword fails, the swordsman will face consequences. In the worst case, that¡¯s death.¡± The words bothered Nobina, prompting Mimiki to ask what was wrong. When Nobina talked about what happened the previous day, she merely told Mimiki that Lare was right. Even if she feared death, the strength to protect someone at the risk of your own life was one not many had. That alone made Nobina better than most, even better than some with a relevant Path or skill. ¡°Be proud of yourself Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, finishing up her second bowl. ¡°You¡¯re doing great for someone without the ideal Path or ability for swordsmanship. I¡¯ll be glad to see you supporting adventurers in the field soon.¡± Nobina smiled, giving a nod. The next day was similar to the previous, though the focus was now replicating everything but now using her sword. It was heavy, but Nobina had been working on her strength a bit, so it wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°A normal person will take months to be comfortable holding their own real sword. Someone with a Path or skill would only take a fraction of the time. However, hard work means everything. If you make those months of training meaningful, you¡¯re way better off than someone with an easy route. Understand?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Yes teacher,¡± she responded, chuckling a bit afterward. At those words, she was tapped by Mimiki¡¯s wooden sword rather hard, causing a squeak. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Hey,¡± frowned Nobina, rubbing her side. ¡°Mimiki, remember,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°Ok¡­ Mimiki,¡± she chuckled. With that, the training continued until the day was over. Nobina returned to the inn afterward, both excited and nervous. She would return to the guild the next day, and Mimiki was set to return as well. It would also be the day the adventurers were set to report the situation with the goblins. Due to everything happening, Nobina was nervous about how the day would go. She merely hoped things would be fine and that Mimiki would be ready to resolve the issues between her, Sarah, and Lare. The next day, Nobina took her Special Bag and Gaze Bag with her as she headed to the guild. As she walked, she felt nervous despite not being directly involved in resolving the matter between Mimiki, Sarah, and Lare. ¡°Why am I nervous?¡± she asked herself. Nobina stepped through the guild doors and saw Mimiki standing at the receptionist¡¯s desk. She greeted Nobina kindly, prompting her to return the greeting as well. ¡°How does it feel being back,¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Well¡­ feels like I¡¯m wanted,¡± she sighed. ¡°Lare told me Sarah is taking the day off and he didn¡¯t say anything after that. I¡¯ve been working the front but¡­ I honestly still dislike the desk work of the job.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± responded Nobina. ¡°Not everyone is meant for this kind of life. I would guess you¡¯d have preferred being out in the field.¡± ¡°You know me well,¡± she said, her face showing her clear interest in the idea. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Lare if I can assist in the front as well. With the Ledger project done, I think it¡¯s better to help you out a bit.¡± Mimiki nodded, appreciative of her assistance. Going to Lare¡¯s office, she entered and saw he was busy working on a document. ¡°Need something Nobina?¡± asked Lare, looking up. ¡°Can I assist Mimiki in the front?¡± she asked, unsure of how he¡¯d answer. ¡°Sure,¡± he responded, going back to his document. As Nobina left, she could tell that Lare was intentionally cutting the conversations short. She had an idea why this was the case. Nobina and Mimiki began handling the front, with Nobina noticing the stark difference between how Sarah handled things and how Mimiki handled things. On Sarah¡¯s end, her approach was to be as welcoming as possible. Whether she was dealing with your average adventurer or a troubling case, she kept composed and acted professionally. Mimiki¡­ was different. For Mimiki, she was often very inquisitive with adventurers and loved chatting with them about the quests they were taking or about to complete. However, if a non-adventurer came to register a new quest, her enthusiasm was clearly gone as it became her merely going through the motions. ¡°Say Mimiki,¡± said Nobina as Mimiki was finishing taking a quest from a non-adventurer. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked with a smile. ¡°Why do¡­ you treat non-adventurers so¡­ poorly.¡± Hearing that, Mimiki told her to step into the back with her. Nobina nodded, putting a closed temporary sign on the desk before heading to the back. ¡°Honestly¡­ it¡¯s a problem,¡± she told her bluntly as Nobina entered the room. ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t trust these people.¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Such a comment demanded an explanation, but Nobina had an idea what she meant. ¡°You mean¡­ You don¡¯t trust them because a non-adventurer probably got rid of Eisa?¡± Those words made Mimiki freeze before she nodded. ¡°I know my mindset is really bad, but it¡¯s hard to trust people you don¡¯t know,¡± Mimiki said, her face full of guilt. ¡°When someone isn¡¯t an adventurer and turns in a new quest, I feel¡­ they want the job done cheaply. You know how our policy is we are required to approve overpayment? Well, unfortunately the same doesn¡¯t apply to underpayment. Each quest rank has a minimum and so many people try to get as close to the minimum as possible to save a quick buck. I¡¯m thankful for the generous people for doing what they can but¡­ All the people today only paid the bare minimum. I can¡¯t help but feel no joy in helping them.¡± Nobina understood what she meant. Working a bit in the guild, she did notice the pattern of people not wanting to be generous. Of course, some of them had their circumstances, but others seemed interested in merely saving. It was a reality she knew was unavoidable. ¡°I understand the concern, but I bet this is a point of contention between you and Sarah. She loves helping everyone and treats people equally.¡± ¡°She does,¡± she said a bit loudly. ¡°I¡¯m sure if she was here, she¡¯d be grilling me for everything I¡¯ve done so far. It¡¯s annoying. She should know I hate this stuff, yet she acts like I should love it. How can I love underpaying adventurers. If she even showed an ounce of appreciation for what I¡¯ve endured¡­¡± ¡°Then it would change nothing,¡± said Lare, appearing at the doorway. His voice shocked both of them, and neither said a word as Lare spoke. ¡°Listen Mimiki¡­ I know you¡¯re doing your best, but don¡¯t lie to yourself in the end. You know deep down that it¡¯ll be a long time before either of us forgive you, right? We will never forget what you almost did to Nobina. We know how you refused to change for the longest time. If not for Nobina, things would still be as horrible as usual.¡± ¡°I¡­ know,¡± she said in a defeated tone. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Nobina, grabbing Mimiki¡¯s attention. ¡°You¡¯re not giving up, right?¡± ¡°Never,¡± she said with a fire in her voice. ¡°I see my flaws¡­ and I¡¯m thankful for your help in helping me deal with them.¡± Lare couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, causing confusion once again. ¡°Treat this as a quest Mimiki and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll earn our forgiveness in record time. At the very least, trust your party member Nobina.¡± As Lare left, Mimiki turned to Nobina, who gave a nod. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to do this,¡± said Nobina. Lare had basically indicated he was open to resolving things with Mimiki, and Nobina had an idea of how they could do it. This was all about proving that Mimiki had changed and Nobina would do what she could to resolve the issue. ¡°Oh,¡± said Lare, appearing again. ¡°I need you two to come to my office really quick.¡± The two nodded, following Lare into his office. Once there, he showed three reports from the scouting party. ¡°Each one of these parties was composed of E to C rank adventurers. The best scout we had was a D rank. Two E rank scouts joined as well. The reports indicate that this was likely a one-time incident. They went as far as the Goblin Nest itself and watched the entrance for a day. Nothing unusual came out and scouting around showed no signs of goblins wandering too far in the day.¡± ¡°Odd,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Should we dive the nest itself to confirm?¡± Lare shook his head. ¡°As much as that would be the only absolute way to make sure that it¡¯s safe, we need to be cautious about an early Goblin Nest clear. As you know, any entry into the Goblin Nest has a chance of triggering a Goblin Invasion, which is why we normally forbid people from exploring it. The Goblin Queen of the Northeast nest should still be in recovery, so if we clear it now then we risk the nest being attacked and destroyed.¡± Nobina and Mimiki nodded, both aware of the situation involving the nest. From what Nobina knew, a Goblin Nest had to be cleared every year to prevent it from becoming a serious threat. This was because a Goblin Nest was left alive because their existence was crucial for many reasons. One of those reasons was adventurer growth. Training was the obvious way for one to develop a combat path. Whether it was alone, under a master, learning from a school, etc., one didn¡¯t have to fight monsters to develop a combat path or skill. However, there was a good reason for people to fight monsters. When a monster died, their energy went into two places. It went into the environment and went into the person fighting the monster. This wasn¡¯t necessarily the same thing as killing monsters for experience like in games. If you killed a monster in a way that doesn¡¯t benefit your Path, it basically would result in all that energy just returning to nature. ¡°As you two should know, the Goblin Nests help the environment grow. It¡¯s their link to the world that makes them important. Else, we¡¯d have cleared all of them out completely a long time ago. Not to mention we are avoiding getting complacent. If the next generation of adventurers do not have experience fighting, who knows what would happen if a crisis occurred. It could end up being a slaughter.¡± Both of them gave a nod again. Part of Nobina felt it was wrong to leave such a potentially dangerous threat around, but the effect of a nest being destroyed was also devastating. ¡°Anyway, we can¡¯t investigate the nest at the moment. The only two people who can do it, you and Eric, aren¡¯t suited for stealth. You might rile up the nest and in the worst case trigger a Goblin Invasion, forcing a Nest Culling. As you know with that, it¡¯s a risky business as you basically have to deal with waves of goblins before the queen forces them to stop attacking. Any harm to the queen and the nest can be destroyed.¡± Nobina¡¯s bag glowed again, but she ignored it, planning to check it later. ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to report. You two can return to the front.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± they responded, heading to the front. As Nobina headed to the front, she began wondering two things. What did the Gaze just give her, and was the goblin incident over? It felt like something was missing, but she didn¡¯t want to say they should send Mimiki or Eric into the nest. At the very least, she needed proof that the nest was a danger. Chapter 23: Cake and Words The day seemed to come and go quickly as the two headed back to Mimiki¡¯s house to train more. Once there, Nobina noticed Mimiki wasn¡¯t really as focused as usual, seeing her gaze up into the sky occasionally. It was serious enough that midway through the end-of-day training, Nobina stopped, prompting Mimiki to ask her what was wrong. ¡°Mimiki¡­ You¡¯re thinking about tomorrow, right?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°Sarah¡­ Will never forgive me.¡± Hearing that shocked Nobina. Just earlier, Mimiki seemed so confident in resolving things. ¡°Change of heart?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ being realistic¡­¡± As she said that, Nobina¡¯s bag glowed again. She looked at Mimiki, who merely shrugged. Nobina opened the bag and saw two things. First, she saw a map with the locations of the Goblin Nests and nearby camps of goblins. It was useful considering all that happened, so she merely recalled it for later. ¡°Glad that worked,¡± she nodded. Next was a cake that said something that bothered Nobina. ¡°What¡­ is that¡­ for me, Nobina?¡± asked Mimiki, her face shocked. She was going to say something, but a hand reached out and scrapped off the letters of the cake, leaving an unappealing smear along the cake¡¯s top. ¡°Is¡­ that hand clean?¡± asked Mimiki, a concerned look now on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Nobina responded. The bag glowed once again, showing the hand holding what Nobina recognized as a disinfectant wipe. ¡°¡­ I guess it¡¯s clean now¡­¡± she smiled nervously. The hand then pointed strongly at the cake before retreating. ¡°¡­¡± Neither of them said a word, but Nobina had a feeling that it was in her interest to eat the cake. ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s clean. That cake is your favorite Nobina. Don¡¯t waste it,¡± came a fairy-sounding voice from the bag. ¡°Nobina¡­ did your bag¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Both of them were stunned to hear the bag talk. It was still a matter of determining if the thing behind the bag was one entity or multiple people, but this was an unexpected development. ¡°I guess¡­ we¡¯ll call it today and eat some cake,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Sounds¡­ good to me,¡± said Mimiki. The two returned to Mimiki¡¯s house, where the bag transformed into a blue crossbody bag, a different shade from last time. Mimiki didn¡¯t say a word as she grabbed the utensils and set them on the table. ¡°Can I not comment every time your bag does something odd?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think it¡¯s for the best,¡± she responded. The two began eating the cake and were surprised by how good it was. Despite the hand smearing on the top, the flavor was a nice, rich sweetness that brought both of them into food bliss. Both were too engrossed in being in flavor heaven to say a word, merely devouring the cake slowly but surely. Thirty minutes passed, and soon, the cake was gone. ¡°What was that,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever tasted something that good.¡± ¡°It was a blueberry cake with ice cream filling. Something that¡¯s probably rare around these parts.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Can we have more of it?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°If the Gaze wills it, but¡­ I think that much cake is bad for you. Luckily, it¡¯s only one cake.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she nodded. ¡°By the way¡­ where did you try blue berry and ice cream? I¡¯ve never heard of those.¡± Nobina immediately entered a panic, with Mimiki laughing before speaking. ¡°Remember?¡± Nobina sighed and nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± It did bother Nobina holding the secret of her otherworld origin from Mimiki, but Eric did say it was best not to reveal it. As she said that, the bag glowed again, and this time appeared what seemed to be a platinum dome over a plate. Taking it out of the bag, she set it down on the table. There, she opened it up and saw the same cake. ¡°What is this metal Nobina?¡± asked Mimiki, tapping the metal dome. ¡°Not sure if your world has¡­¡± She instantly covered her mouth, but Mimiki merely laughed. ¡°Hm¡­ so you¡¯re from another world¡­¡± Nobina became embarrassed immediately by her blunder, prompting Mimiki to shake her head. ¡°I guess¡­ I couldn¡¯t hide it forever,¡± she sighed. Mimiki nodded her head. ¡°I will say anyone around this bag will eventually find out you¡¯re from another world. You recognize how strange this bag is right? Changing shape, speaking, having a hand, producing unique items and foods¡­ None of this is normal.¡± ¡°I know¡­ Listen, everything so far in this world has been mostly normal. It¡¯s just strange stuff that has been happening recently and I have no idea why. Nor do I think I have control over any of it.¡± Nobina felt herself going a bit crazy trying to deal with the bag. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about this bag Mimiki. You can see that it¡¯s capable of a lot, right? Actually, take a look at this.¡± Nobina summoned her Legendary Adventurer card, forcing Mimiki to stare at it stunned. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a Legendary Adventurer card¡­ That bag¡­ gave it to you?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ the Gaze did give it¡­¡± replied Nobina reluctantly. Just then, two more glows happened, but their focus was on the card. ¡°You realize¡­ this is not good to have, right?¡± said Mimiki seriously. ¡°It¡¯s illegal to have a fake adventuring card and can get you in deep trouble.¡± ¡°The thing is, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s fake. Is it real Mimiki?¡± she asked. ¡°Only the Capital Guilds can likely confirm. Anyway, never show anyone else, got it? Not even Eric.¡± She nodded, recalling the card. ¡°My advice for you Nobina,¡± said Mimiki in a serious tone. ¡°Do not open that bag outside of your privacy ever again. Unless it¡¯s a dire emergency, nothing good can come from you showing people, got it?¡± Stolen story; please report. She nodded again. Mimiki was right. The bag was too dangerous to open around people. If the Eric body pillow wasn¡¯t enough to indicate that, the fact the bag activity talked and used a hand would make anyone around her worried. If she left it closed, it would likely not say or do anything. At least, she hoped that¡¯d be the case. ¡°So, what were we talking about again,¡± said Mimiki, going for another slice of cake. ¡°Sarah,¡± she responded, moving to slap Mimiki¡¯s hand. She easily pulled it out of the way, with Mimiki giving a tiny pout as a response. ¡°What was that for?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t stuff ourselves with cake. We got work, remember?¡± Mimiki sighed and nodded. With that, Nobina packed everything up. As for the cake, Nobina had an idea. ¡°Let¡¯s bring this in tomorrow. Maybe it¡¯ll help smooth things over with Sarah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I doubt it, but we can try,¡± responded Mimiki. Nobina packed the cake into her special bag, hoping that it would be fine within its platinum container in the special space. If time did pass normally inside the bag, then the ice cream would melt, and the cake would be ruined. If not, then it would be another new thing learned about her Special Bag. With that, Nobina headed home for the day. Once she was back in her room, she opened her Gaze bag and found two lists with two pencils. Looking at the top papers, it read ¡°write down clothing items you want to receive¡± on the top of one and ¡°write down clothing items you want Mimiki to receive¡± on the other. ¡°Huh¡­ New outfits? That would be neat.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t have the best fashion sense, but the ability to receive ¡°any clothing items¡± from the Gaze seemed valuable. ¡°I¡­ think I should save this for later,¡± she said. As much as it would be cool to receive clothes now, she didn¡¯t have an outfit in mind yet. Rather than rushing to get something nice, she wanted to give it some more thought. She then began writing in her diary what had happened for the day. As she did that, Pausers hopped onto her lap, snuggling against her. ¡°At least as everything around me changes, you remain the same Pausers. Such a good bunny,¡± she said as she gave Pausers a pet. Nobina finished up her writing, testing her Recall and Summon spell as usual to see what her limits were. As she tired after summoning about eighty pages, she retired for the night, hoping that Mimiki and Sarah wouldn¡¯t do anything too crazy the next day. The following day, Nobina awoke to a note showing itself from the Gaze bag. Opening up, the note read the following. ¡°I DID NOT SEND THOSE CAKES!! I¡¯M BEING IMPERSONATED.¡± Nobina looked blankly at the note and smiled. ¡°So, there are more than one of you out there, huh?¡± With everything that has happened so far, one mystery was solved, but more questions were now to be answered. Who were all these entities? Did they have different responsibilities? Did they have limits on what they could do? ¡°More questions, not enough time,¡± she sighed. Nobina packed everything for work and was about to leave when Pausers squeaked. ¡°What is it Pausers?¡± Nobina asked. It hopped into her Special Bag, prompting her to shake her head. ¡°Pausers¡­ You can¡¯t come today. You¡¯re not allowed in the guild, remember?¡± It peeked its head out of the bag, frowning before going onto the bed. It broke Nobina¡¯s heart to leave Pausers, but it was guild policy. Nobina headed to the guild right after. The moment she was inside, she saw that Sarah was in a bad mood. ¡°Oh come on,¡± said Nobina out loud, causing people to look at her. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Sarah, clearly upset. ¡°What did you tell Mimiki?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Nobina as she stepped behind the desk. ¡°She¡¯s begging me to forgive her, which is¡­ honestly making me so upset.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t believe Mimiki would beg Sarah for forgiveness. There had to be more to this than Sarah was indicating. ¡°Are you sure this is the Mimiki I know?¡± Nobina asked, hoping for some evidence Sarah was misunderstanding things. Sarah led Mimiki to the guild library, where her head was against the desk. ¡°Oh¡­ she did beg huh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll.. leave you two to work it out,¡± said Sarah, walking back to the front. As she left, Nobina noticed that she was still in a bad mood. She then went to Mimiki, tapping her shoulder. ¡°What did you do?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I¡­ tried a different approach. I feel like an idiot and want to just¡­ go home.¡± Nobina sighed. At the very least, Mimiki was trying, but it looked like the first attempt had a horrible result. ¡°Listen¡­ I¡¯ll talk to Sarah. We¡¯re a team, remember?¡± ¡°Good luck with that,¡± she replied, not raising her head. Nobina headed to the front to see Sarah merely standing there. Even if she didn¡¯t see Sarah¡¯s face, Nobina could see that Sarah was exerting an aura of someone in a bad mood. Before she could say anything, her Gaze bag glowed. ¡°Not now,¡± said Nobina to the bag. ¡°What?¡± asked Sarah, turning to her. ¡°Oh nothing¡­ wait¡­¡± Nobina went into her Special Bag and pulled out the cake. Immediately, Sarah flashed a face of joy but tried to hide it behind her somewhat faded bad mood. ¡°Nobina¡­ food¡­ can¡¯t¡­¡± Sarah couldn¡¯t find herself to say the words as Nobina shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to the ¡®let¡¯s sit down and talk¡¯ party. Anyone who wants cake can come,¡± she said, walking into the guild library. Sarah sighed and followed, disappointed by her lack of willpower. Once there, Nobina found a chair for herself and Sarah. The three sat around, with Mimiki finally bringing herself to raise her head. ¡°Sarah,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll say your forgiven after eating this cake,¡± said Sarah, keeping her gaze on it. ¡°I¡¯m just hear for Nobina sake¡­ and cake¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect it¡­ I¡¯m sorry for earlier,¡± said Mimiki, finally standing up. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she responded. ¡°Honestly Mimiki, what you did was pathetic. Trying to act like someone you¡¯re not¡­ You know what you need to do, right Mimiki? You aren¡¯t stupid, right?¡± ¡°Sarah,¡± said Nobina sharply. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Nobina,¡± responded Mimiki, somewhat returning to her composed self. ¡°Sarah. I¡¯m trying. I can¡¯t guarantee you I¡¯ll change today¡­ tomorrow¡­ or anytime soon. But¡­ Please know I¡¯ll try¡­. To rid myself of this instinct to not trust people.¡± ¡°Non-adventurers,¡± said Sarah loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t notice how this only applies to them and how you completely trust adventurers.¡± ¡°Non-adventurers¡­ yeah.¡± Mimiki was looking down, but Nobina noticed Sarah seemed in a better mood. ¡°Ok. If that¡¯s what you are saying, I¡¯ll hold you to it. Despite things between us¡­ the one thing I can say is you¡¯ve never lie to me Mimiki¡­ You¡¯re always brutally honest.¡± ¡°I am,¡± she said, looking at Sarah. ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll be watching,¡± Sarah said, her face remaining serious. ¡°You haven¡¯t earned my forgiveness, but¡­ I¡¯ll try to be more open to being forgiving.¡± Nobina was happy things were starting to resolve themselves. ¡°Alright,¡± smiled Sarah, drawing the attention of the two. ¡°Cake time!¡± With that, the three of them began eating cake. Luckily, the guild did have spare utensils for occasions like this. The conversation was mostly centered around Nobina, with Sarah and Mimiki having trouble talking to each other directly. However, there was a tiny bit of effort being made during the cake eating. Sarah would ask a casual question involving adventuring, and Mimiki would dive deep into it. Mimiki would ask a casual question involving fashion, and Sarah would dive deep into it. ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I got something recently.¡± She took out the lists and showed them to Mimiki and Sarah. ¡°I¡¯m no good with fashion, but you can write down clothing items you want to receive on them and either me or Mimiki will receive them,¡± said Nobina excitedly. ¡°Really,¡± grinned Sarah. ¡°Hey Mimiki¡­ Do you mind if I pick your cloths.¡± Mimiki was going to say something, but she shook her head. ¡°Do what you want.¡± Sarah turned to Nobina and asked them the same. ¡°Of course,¡± she smiled. ¡°Fantastic. I heard of a new style in the Trade City Binso that¡¯s going around. If this works, I should be able to give you two the latest fashion,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Speaking of fashion¡­ Nobina¡­ where¡¯s your guild outfit coming in?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think one was ever ordered,¡± said Nobina. As far as she could recall, she never actually requested an outfit. She had assumed that Eric or Lare would bring it up, but neither of them ever did. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think you need one,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Your outfit is so nice. It¡¯s like¡­ actually, is that the same outfit you¡¯ve been wearing?¡± Nobina nodded, prompting a confused look from Sarah. ¡°Are you using a cleaning ability or something? It¡¯s always so clean,¡± said Sarah, examining the clothes. ¡°Well, it has to be something,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°After our training, the outfit looks scuffed up, but the next day it feels like it cleans itself.¡± ¡°I have none,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ve guessed that the outfit was magical, but I have no way to confirm that.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to check later,¡± nodded Sarah. ¡°If your guild outfit hasn¡¯t been ordered yet we can just apply some additional markings to your current one to show your status as a guild officer. Technically, your badge should be good enough, but you currently don¡¯t wear it high enough. We should have it pinned in the traditional spot to make it clear you¡¯re a guild officer.¡± ¡°That would be good,¡± Nobina nodded. The three were getting close to finishing the cake when Lare appeared. Seeing the cake, he showed an upset look. ¡°You guys know there¡¯s still work to be done right? Honestly, if you three weren¡¯t the only guild employees you¡¯d be receiving disciplinary action for leaving your post unannounced. However, I¡¯ll overlook it this once. I¡¯ll handle the cleanup and¡­¡± ¡°This is the ¡®let¡¯s sit down and talk¡¯ party cake Lare,¡± said Sarah. ¡°We¡¯ll return to our posts and you can have the cake, but are you willing to sit down and talk to Mimiki?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he said, a bit insulted. ¡°If you can talk to Mimiki, I certainly can.¡± Lare grabbed a chair and joined them, with him looking at Mimiki. ¡°Look, Mimiki. Things between us are bad because you broke my trust. As someone who¡¯s always been trustworthy, that is my requirement for forgiveness. Even if you can never earn back being absolutely trustworthy, you can at least become trustworthy again. Got it?¡± Mimiki nodded, her face showing her resolve. ¡°Of course, Lare,¡± she said. ¡°Where was that motivation speaking to me?¡± asked Sarah, feeling insulted this time. ¡°Sarah,¡± snapped Nobina, prompting her to eek. ¡°I¡¯ll show that same dedication as well Sarah,¡± she responded. Both Sarah and Lare looked at each other before nodding. With that, Lare joined in to eat the last of the cake. From Nobina¡¯s perspective, everything should have been fine from here on out, but she knew that wasn¡¯t true. Her bag once again played a role in helping resolve the matter, but she was worried that she might try to lean on the bag in the future. Not only that, but she still had a bad feeling about the goblins. Were things really fine? They hadn¡¯t absolutely confirmed it with a check of the nest. ¡°I need to keep track of this,¡± nodded Nobina. It might have been just her paranoia, but she refused to believe that she was involved in an isolated incident. Especially considering how weird things were around her. Why was she receiving all these things if not to signal something crazy to come. All she could do was train hard, develop her ability, and keep her eye out for something unusual. Chapter 24: Progress and Adventure The sun¡¯s light was entering the guild through its front windows as Nobina sat behind the receptionist desk, offering a kind smile to the adventurers coming and going. To anyone who saw her, they often returned a kind wave or just ignored her completely. Regardless, Nobina was merely content with how relaxing it was being in the front. Unlike the confines of the guild library, which she still enjoyed, the front was much more open. With everyone coming and going, there was never a dull moment for her at the front. A few days had passed since Mimiki had returned. With her back, she was back to handling most of the on-field adventurer related matters, letting Lare go back to supervising. Sarah meanwhile was taking advantage of the fact that Mimiki was back to catch up on days off. As much as she wanted to hang out with Nobina and her newfound freedom, she needed rest like everyone else. ¡°Honestly, this isn¡¯t bad,¡± smiled Nobina. Looking at her Gaze bag, nothing had happened for a few days. She started to realize that the Gaze wasn¡¯t always constantly on her. For the past few days, she had enjoyed a rather normal time working. Yet, she wasn¡¯t sure why this was the case. The Gaze wasn¡¯t always there, funnily enough. Some days, it was completely gone, showing no signs of it. Other days it was extremely active during normal conversation. She felt that the moment she understood how it worked, she¡¯d have better control over her life. That being said, she started to sense the Gaze was back to its usual power. ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s a sign of things to come,¡± she thought. As that thought came out, Mimiki entered the guild, looking rather annoyed. Nobina was a bit worried, but she merely relaxed and decided to ask her what was wrong. When Mimiki got close enough, she saw Nobina and smiled. ¡°Ah. How are things going,¡± said Mimiki, trying to change gears. ¡°Things are going,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°Rough day already?¡± Mimiki shook her head. ¡°These adventurers take promotions too lightly,¡± Mimiki said as they took a seat behind Nobina. ¡°Like. They don¡¯t display what¡¯s expected of the next rank at all, yet they act like they are acing these promotion tests. When I turn in my report later, they¡¯ll think twice about trying to take the test with such lackluster effort.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t relate to the adventuring lifestyle, making her a bit sad. She was merely a guild officer who hadn¡¯t even been in the field once. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Mimiki, noticing Nobina spacing out a bit. ¡°Not finding my story interesting?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± said Nobina, quickly trying to dismiss that thought. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Talk of adventuring has made me wish I had adventuring experience.¡± Mimiki¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing that. ¡°You want to become an adventurer?¡± she asked, practically breathing down her neck as her face got close. ¡°Well¡­ yeah,¡± smiled Nobina innocently. ¡°I¡¯m writing a book about adventurers, so having some hands-on experience is par the course.¡± Mimiki nodded vigorously, going into one of the cabinets and taking out an application. ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± she nodded. ¡°But¡­ you know I don¡¯t have to fill this out, right? As a guild officer, I¡¯m not allowed to be an active adventurer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°How are you going to experience being an adventurer if you don¡¯t follow the right steps. Just fill it out and follow the process. We can give you a valid card and everything, but your status will always be guild officer, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± Nobina thought about it and didn¡¯t see a reason to decline. This was a chance for her to get the hands-on experience she wanted. In fact, she wanted to feel like an adventurer in general, like in the stories she read. The idea of traveling wherever you want, helping others, becoming strong, and experiencing things non-adventurers can¡¯t experience was all perfect. ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s do it,¡± said Nobina enthusiastically. With that, Nobina began the process of becoming an adventurer. The first step of being an adventurer was signing a contract to become an adventurer. It was a standard contract that stated what the guild was and wasn¡¯t liable for. Any dispute between the adventurer and guild would be handled in arbitration by a neutral party. Generally, this was a high-ranking official in the town or above. It was someone who had the authority to voice complaints against the guild. Beyond those two things, the contract stipulated how an adventurer was to act in the guild¡¯s best interest, but any problems they caused were solely their fault, as per the liability section. It was a well-written document, to say the least. ¡°As you might know, the initial contract is pretty detailed, but this is merely what is signed to become an adventurer. As you climb, you might sign more contracts and such, but all of that stuff is out of my pay grade,¡± said Mimiki as she nodded. ¡°All you need to know is that once you sign this, you can become an adventurer. Well¡­ honorary adventurer in this case. You¡¯re still a guild officer but will be able to credit your adventuring card. Plus, you don¡¯t even need to kill monsters to progress it either.¡± Nobina knew what Mimiki was talking about. Adventurers weren¡¯t all combat-oriented. Knowing how to kill goblins and such was just a good skill to have. Many quests the guild received involved either expected combat or just being able to fight, if necessary, in the case of guard duty. However, there were quests that just required someone with the skill to explore, collect, or research. That was why there were two adventurer ranks, Combat Rank and Non-Combat Rank. ¡°Signing the contract automatically gives you the F Non-Combat Rank. Once you demonstrate you can fight a goblin, you can receive the F Combat Rank.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± said Nobina. ¡°So do you want me to display my combat skills?¡± Mimiki chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re at least an E in my book, but perhaps that¡¯s a bit too bias. I¡¯ll approve you since I know your actual combat capabilities right now.¡± Nobina finished up the application and handed it to Mimiki. In turn, she stored the document and filled out an adventuring card for Nobina. Once it was handed over, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but be excited looking over her adventuring card. It might not have been necessary to have one, but it gave her a sense of pride to have it. ¡°Man¡­ what¡¯d I give to be like you Nobina,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°To experience the whole process of becoming an adventurer and ranking up¡­ I do miss it sometimes.¡± ¡°Ever consider returning to that lifestyle? After all, you just want to learn a move under Eric at least first, right?¡± Mimiki shook her head. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°No¡­ I think that I want to stay as a guild officer even if I learn that move. I might have initially became an officer to become Eric¡¯s student, but my time under Eric has allowed me to build a bond with everyone in this guild. I rather not¡­ just leave everyone behind for my selfish desire to become an S rank.¡± Nobina understood her concerns. She felt the same way as well. Despite wanting to visit the rest of the world, she was gaining more and more incentive to merely stay put here and enjoy life. There was no rush for her to see the great things outside of their humble town. In fact, it made it perfect for writing a book, as she wasn¡¯t constantly busy. Even if she ended up leaving for any reason, she wanted to return here to the people she cared about. ¡°That being said¡­ One day I do want to become an S rank adventurer,¡± said Mimiki confidently. ¡°We¡¯ll need more capable officers to be able to hold down the fort while I¡¯m gone, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll come.¡± ¡°We can only hope,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go inquire with Eric about letting you go on a quest, if that¡¯s fine with you,¡± said Mimiki. As she said that, a thought occurred to Nobina. Despite all her combat training, she had only fought a goblin once with a weapon that was one-time use. She had no practical combat experience with her sword, nor was her training complete. ¡°I¡¯m not done with my sword training yet,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What if I need to use it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°You¡¯ll likely go on a F rank quest, E rank at most. You shouldn¡¯t have trouble so long as you have at least a few capable adventurers. Plus, I vet everyone so don¡¯t worry about running into anyone rude¡­ Even if they are rude to me¡­¡± ¡°What was that last part?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Nothing,¡± waved Mimiki. With that, Nobina went back to managing the front. She wasn¡¯t sure how long it¡¯d be till she¡¯d get a chance to adventure. However, it seemed that the chance was far sooner than she thought. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Lare, Mimiki following right behind him. ¡°Are you fine going on an investigation quest?¡± Investigation quests were quests with the goal of investigating a matter and reporting back. In some cases, the adventurers were tasked with resolving it, but for the most part they merely made a report. In this case, the investigation quest was to check out the area around the South Goblin Nest. ¡°We haven¡¯t had reports of increased goblin activity in the south, but I want to be prudent and have a squad check it out. Normally, I¡¯d ask Mimiki to go and assist, but I don¡¯t suspect the south to be that dangerous. Plus, the intended location is relatively safe for larger parties. Of course, there is still a risk that I¡¯m wrong, so I¡¯m sending an extra member in the party and you, making this a six-person mission. Are you fine with that Nobina?¡± She gave a nod, failing to hide her personal excitement. This was a chance to experience the adventurer life. Like Lare said, it was inherently dangerous, but she trusted that Lare was correct. Plus, she was a bit more confident in using her sword if she had people around her. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Great,¡± nodded Lare. ¡°The party is missing one more member. Once we get that, you should be clear to move out.¡± With that, Lare departed back into the guild. Mimiki, on the other hand, looked fired up. ¡°Let¡¯s do some pre-adventurer prep.¡± Mimiki slammed a closed sign in front of the desk, prompting Nobina to stare at her confusingly. ¡°You can¡¯t just¡­ close the reception desk for a personal matter,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°Sure we can. This is an ¡®important¡¯ guild matter anyway, right Lare,¡± she said, yelling that past part. ¡°Come on Mimiki,¡± he groaned loudly. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll cover for two hours. Make sure she¡¯s sorted though.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± she said back. ¡°Come on Nobina. Let¡¯s go shopping.¡± Mimiki began basically dragging Nobina from behind the guild receptionist¡¯s desk to the outside. Once both were outside, Nobina could see Mimiki¡¯s pure excitement as she began talking about the basics of adventuring. On Nobina¡¯s end, she did know a lot of basics thanks to the basic adventuring book she received, but hearing Mimiki¡¯s perspective was far better. After all, it was like reading a textbook compared to having a personal instructor who cared about the subject. There was no comparison. The first stop was a store called Aldo¡¯s Gear. Stepping inside, Nobina noticed it was a place filled with everything an adventurer could need. The majority of things were armor or cloth related, but there were also weapons, supplies and other essentials. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said the cashier behind the counter. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in a bit.¡± ¡°We rarely get new adventurers nowadays Diladar. Oh, this is Nobina. She¡¯s a guild officer who¡¯s training to be combat-ready.¡± ¡°Oh? So thinking of arming her to the teeth?¡± he grinned, likely hoping she¡¯d confirm his guess. ¡°More so preparing for an adventure,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Can you give me the basic list? I¡¯ll trim it down to suit her needs and then we¡¯ll talk any optional stuff.¡± ¡°You know it,¡± he laughed. At that moment, Mimiki and Diladar began going through all the items in the store, gathering a large variety of things like armor, general equipment, and even items like rations. From Nobina¡¯s perspective, it was like watching two hobbyists working together to get someone started in their hobby. For Nobina, all she could do was track the coins slowly disappearing as she kept a mental note of how pricy the adventuring equipment was. ¡°Ten gold, twenty silver, five copper,¡± said Diladar. Nobina was about to reach into her pocket, but Mimiki dropped eleven gold coins instead. ¡°Keep the change,¡± she grinned. ¡°Happy to do business with you,¡± laughed Diladar. The end result of the shopping trip at the store was as follows. One large adventuring bag, a set of leather armor that comfortably went over Nobina¡¯s current clothes, a rope, a tinder box, five sets of rations and water, a small axe, and a bucket. When she put on the bag, it was a bit heavy, but she wouldn¡¯t let that slow her down. ¡°This should cover the basics,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Next up are potions. A bit pricier, but I want you to be prepared.¡± They left the gear store and headed to what appeared to be another medical office. However, the large potion sign on the front differentiated it. Plus, it was called Siva¡¯s Potions. Once they stepped through the door, the inside showed a long counter with a long set of display cases behind it. In the displays were the potions for sale, most of them being various shades of red, but the rest being different colors completely. ¡°Hello Mimiki,¡± said the woman behind the receptionist¡¯s desk. They had their light-brown hair tied up in a bun behind them. They had to be at least sixty, though they gave off an energetic energy as they said Mimiki¡¯s name. ¡°Siva,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°How¡¯s the potion sales going.¡± ¡°Bleh as usual,¡± she sighed. ¡°People are being too stingy about money. A good set of potions can ensure almost one hundred percent success.¡± ¡°When someone needs to do, like, ten quests for a set, you can understand the stingy part, right?¡± ¡°I know,¡± she said with a defeated look. ¡°So, are you going to introduce your friend?¡± Mimiki gave a nod. ¡°This here is Nobina. Fellow guild officer. Soon to be combat-capable. She¡¯ll be going on an adventure, so I want to make sure she¡¯s decently prepared.¡± ¡°The full set?¡± said Siva, her face excited. ¡°Yeah,¡± she responded, dropping fifty gold coins in front of Siva. ¡°Woah there,¡± said Nobina, finally putting her foot down. ¡°That¡¯s way too much money to spend for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I¡¯m treating this as an investment and a thank you for everything. You wouldn¡¯t deny my gift, right?¡± Nobina hated that she said gift at the end because she could only sigh and accept it. She wasn¡¯t one to deny a gift. ¡°Alright¡­ Fine.¡± ¡°Glad you get it,¡± said Mimiki, patting Nobina on the back. Siva began getting to work, setting up what appeared to be a potion belt. She invited Nobina over to try it on, checking to see if it fit comfortably. ¡°Yeah¡­ it looks good,¡± she nodded. ¡°Great,¡± smiled Siva. ¡°Let me explain everything. So those three light red potions are ¡®healing potions, diluted to ten precent effectiveness. They will heal minor injuries with half a pour, and serious ones if you use two full ones. Next, the two light blue one is an antidote diluted to twenty-five. Should heal minor poisons but get those checked out afterwards regardless. Never know if it fully cured a poison or merely delayed the effect. Lastly, the orange one is an energy potion. If your tiring, drinking half should keep you perked up for an hour, but the crash is hard so make sure to get out once you finish it.¡± ¡°These are so useful,¡± said Nobina. ¡°A staple for a C rank or above adventurer,¡± said Mimiki proudly. ¡°Of course, due to the price, make sure to be very careful in not wasting them. However, don¡¯t be too frugal if these potions can save your life.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Anything else Mimiki?¡± asked Siva. ¡°That¡¯s all. Thanks Siva,¡± she nodded. With that, the two left the potion store. As they left, a guilty look overcame Nobina¡¯s face, prompting Mimiki to stop and address it. ¡°I want you to be perfectly safe Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°The guilt would eat me alive if you got hurt. Of course, you can feel guilty that I spent so much money on you but know that this is my love. I would rather spend it on adventuring stuff and things like fancy food or a nice house. Got it?¡± Nobina, hearing her resolve, nodded. ¡°Thank you¡­ for everything Mimiki.¡± She gave a nod. ¡°Enjoy the adventuring life Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, continuing to the guild. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but be excited about the quest. It was a chance to experience something new. It was part of the lifestyle that Mimiki lived and loved. It was something she previously could only read and watch. Now, she was getting a chance to live that same life. ¡°I¡¯ll enjoy this opportunity,¡± nodded Nobina, following right behind Mimiki. Chapter 25: Party and Roles The two of them arrived back at the adventuring guild, where they saw Lare speaking with a group of four adventurers. Nobina felt they were all familiar, but they were a bit too far for her to make sure. Lare eventually took notice of the two and waved them over. ¡°Mimiki. Nobina. Great timing.¡± When they got closer, the adventurers turned to both of them to see who it was. One was a very familiar face, considering she helped save them not too long ago. The three were also familiar, as Nobina recalled Sarah chewing out their leader earlier. It was a red-haired kid with messy hair. They wore leather armor and had a sword, showing they likely had a swordsman Path. The other two were his party members. One was a girl with short, brown hair and a wand on her side, while the other was a boy with black hair that was messy as well. They had a bow on their back as well as a quiver. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Merick excitingly. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡± The rest of Merick¡¯s party turned to Merick, surprised. ¡°See her again? Are you two close?¡± asked the red-haired boy. ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. The clear guilty look on his face made Nobina realize that he must have felt he was screwing up. ¡°We¡¯ve met before,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Actually, I think I¡¯ve met the three of you before, but you¡¯ve never properly introduced yourselves.¡± As she said that, her Gaze bag glowed. Nobina began wondering what was in it, but knew it wasn¡¯t the time nor place to open it just yet. She¡¯d need a private moment to check the contents though to make sure it wasn¡¯t important. ¡°Right,¡± said the red-haired boy. ¡°I think the whole incident with Sarah might have put a bad image of me and my party in your mind. Please believe me when I say we are far more cautious and learned from our mistakes.¡± He gave a bow, with the rest of his party following suit. Nobina could only smile and nod. ¡°Of course. I would hope that was the case.¡± The red-haired kid nodded. ¡°My name is Jonathan. I¡¯m the leader of our small party. We don¡¯t have a name yet, but when we do something of note, we¡¯ll name ourselves after that,¡± he smiled brightly. Next to speak was the girl with short, brown hair. She gave a nice smile before introducing herself. ¡°My name is Herrita. I¡¯m the group¡¯s fire mage.¡± After her was the boy with messy black hair. He seemed very shy, not speaking for a few seconds before finally building the courage to speak. ¡°My name is¡­ Noct. I¡¯m the group¡¯s archer and scout.¡± Last to speak was Merick, who seemed very excited to re-introduce himself. ¡°My name¡¯s Merick as you know,¡± he said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m a swordsman like Jonathan. My role right now is rear guard. Thank you for joining us.¡± ¡°Glad to be here,¡± Nobina replied. ¡°Ok then,¡± said Lare. ¡°I¡¯ll give the full briefing now that the whole group is here.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Mimiki, who looked a bit annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me these party of four and Nobina are going to do an investigation mission alone, right? I know their ranks and all of them are either F or E.¡± ¡°Please,¡± sighed Lare. ¡°Darrias. Can you come over.¡± Hearing that name, Mimiki turned around to see a man in all black walking over. She had the biggest grin on her face seeing him approach. ¡°Darrias! It¡¯s been too long,¡± she laughed. ¡°Likewise, Mimiki,¡± he nodded, reaching the group. ¡°Let me introduce him Nobina. Darrias is a C rank dagger user. His Path is the Path of Shadows, meaning he specializes in anything related to shadows. It might sound scary, and he can be very scary, but he considers himself a protector. I trust him completely to protect the five of you.¡± Darrias shook his head. ¡°You give me too much praise Mimiki. But yes, I¡¯ll make sure they all get home safe.¡± Nobina was happy that there was someone very experienced amongst the group at the very least. The goblin stuff had her nervous, but knowing the party was sizable and there was someone Mimiki trusted there gave her all the relief she needed. ¡°Alright,¡± said Lare. ¡°The mission is simple. The South Goblin Nest is about two days away. We want to make sure that nothing suspicious is happening with it, so we want you to travel to the nest. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t send a party of newer adventurers to something risky, so we are having you check out a location called Goblin¡¯s Pond, which is much closer. It¡¯s a water source that the nest usually uses that¡¯s about half a day away from the nest itself. Your task is to watch the area between the nest and pond in the day and make sure no unexpected goblins approach the pond. Before night, you are to retreat and rest up. The next day, you¡¯ll do one last check before heading back. This mission shouldn¡¯t take longer than a week, and if you all succeed, it¡¯ll be a major boost to your progression as adventurers. Any questions?¡± Nobina¡¯s bag glowed once again. A few of them knew what it meant, but for those who didn¡¯t, their curiosity forced the question. ¡°Hey,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°What¡¯s with the glowing bag.¡± With everyone turning to Nobina, Mimiki took the heat off of her by speaking. ¡°Nobina has a special bag that glows occasionally. Please remember it¡¯s rude to inquire about an adventurer¡¯s items unless they mention them first.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Jonathan, backing off. The rest of them seemed to have taken her words to heart as well since they didn¡¯t say anything either. ¡°One question,¡± said Darrias. ¡°Despite the distance from the nest, there is still some danger in bringing so many newer adventurers. Are you sure it isn¡¯t wise to bring more veteran adventurers? Perhaps another D or C?¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I thought about it, but we are currently stretched thin,¡± said Lare. ¡°More and more C-ranks are leaving sooner, and the rest are taking the more difficult quests. An investigation quest is usually one that benefits newer adventurers but doesn¡¯t do much for more experienced ones unless the expected danger matches. This one should be relatively low risk as parties usually go to that location to train anyway. It¡¯s common for weaker goblin parties to be in the area between the pond and nest in the day. It¡¯s only at night where larger goblin parties appear to secure the water source.¡± Darrias seemed unconvinced, but he merely nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Darrias,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°From what I recall, the South Goblin Nest is the weakest of the three anyway. At most you guys should be dealing with groups of five goblins during the daytime and that¡¯s probably an hour or so away from the pond. Just retreat well before nightfall and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± they all responded. Lare nodded, hearing their response. ¡°If there¡¯s no further questions, then feel free to depart. There is technically no time limit for this to be done, but preferably get it done as soon as possible unless there¡¯s a reason not to. Got it?¡± They all nodded again, prompting Lare to hand the quest to Nobina. ¡°Oh. Considering you¡¯re a guild officer Nobina, please be sure that you prioritize your safety. This is partly an escort mission, and I don¡¯t want you in unnecessary danger.¡± ¡°Of course, Lare,¡± she smiled. With that, Lare headed into the back. As for Mimiki, she and Darrias separated from the group and began having their own conversation with each other. ¡°Mid rankers,¡± sighed Jonathan. ¡°I swear, as you climb in rank you think less and less of us little guys.¡± ¡°Shh¡­¡± said Herrita. ¡°That¡¯s very rude, remember?¡± Despite her saying that, Nobina could tell they all shared the sentiment. All except Merick, as he spoke up against them. ¡°Guys,¡± said Merick, trying to break the tension. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ve met a high rank before, and they were the kindest and sweetest person I¡¯ve ever met. Not all of them share such attitudes.¡± Nobina knew he was clearly referring to her, but she merely sighed without saying a word. ¡°If you say so Merrick,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s make sure we got everything before heading out. By the looks of things though, you seem pretty prepared.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°I bought everything I needed earlier with Mimiki, so I should be mostly good to go. I do want to check the guild resources a bit to make sure we aren¡¯t missing any details. Unless you have everything down already Jonathan.¡± He gave a nod. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be a good leader if I didn¡¯t. You¡¯re free to spend some time checking though. We plan to depart whenever we are completely ready. Not sooner.¡± Nobina gave it some thought and shook her head. ¡°I have a lot of information available to me, so you don¡¯t need to worry. Actually¡­¡± She summoned a few copies of her adventuring guidebook and handed it to them. ¡°These should provide some useful information.¡± All of them looked in awe as they held the books. ¡°You can summon stuff?¡± said Jonathan in awe. ¡°What else can you summon?¡± ¡°Maps¡­ papers¡­ financial documents¡­ a lot of paper-based stuff. It¡¯s conditional though so I can¡¯t summon a whole library nor any document I see.¡± ¡°So cool¡­¡± Nobina, hearing Jonathan¡¯s words, had the biggest grin in the world. This was the first time she heard someone call her ability cool, making her feel so much joy. To her, it felt as if she had something special, even if she knew her Path was special. It was the recognition of having something cool that was truly great to hear. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, unable to hide her joy in his words. With that, the rest of them began reading through the books, all seemingly in awe at what they were reading. At the same time, Mimiki and Darrias returned, both wondering what was going on. ¡°Oh, I just gave them a book that gives the basics in adventuring,¡± said Nobina, handing one over. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this before,¡± said Mimiki, reading through it. Her eyes lit up reading its content, with her expressing her joy in the book as she read it. ¡°Did you write this Nobina? This is a fantastic book for adventurers,¡± said Mimiki, her own excitement evident. ¡°Let me see,¡± said Darrias, moving to Mimiki¡¯s side. When he took a short look, he nodded. ¡°This is an excellent guild resource. Why have I never seen this before?¡± Both of them turned to Nobina, who merely rubbed the back of her head nervously. ¡°These books are kind of linked with my ability, so¡­ they kind of stick with me. Only recently have I gained the ability to have multiple out. And I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s a distance limit for these things. I¡¯m worried they could fade away if I get too far, for example.¡± ¡°Ability testing,¡± chuckled Mimiki. ¡°Such a fun thing. Hm¡­ I guess that is a fine explanation. But I¡¯d love a permanent copy of these things. You think it¡¯s ok making a real version of it?¡± Hearing the word ¡®real version¡¯ made Nobina feel a bit hurt. Seeing that, Mimiki instantly began trying to correct what she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to say your book isn¡¯t real. It¡¯s just¡­ you know¡­¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re saying Mimiki,¡± said Nobina, her voice more stern than usual. ¡°The fear is to lose all this knowledge if someone was to happen to me. However¡­ I refused to believe that anything I write and bind to myself no longer becomes real. Everything I write means something. Everything that I receive, and I bind to my ability doesn¡¯t lose value. Until the very end, I want to believe my work will survive well beyond my life. Understand?¡± Hearing the seriousness in Nobina¡¯s voice, Mimiki gave a nod. ¡°Of course, Nobina. I¡¯m sorry for saying something so rude.¡± Nobina took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Tell you what Mimiki,¡± said Nobina. ¡°If you truly value this book, read it again and again and burn it into your memory. So that, should it actually disappear, you can write it again and ensure it lives on. Or, at the very least, use what you learn to teach others. Got it?¡± Mimiki nodded. With that, the three of them began discussing the mission and what Nobina¡¯s role would be. For Nobina, she was technically more of an escort target rather than a party member. However, she would still be credited as an adventurer. If there was a case where she needed to fight, Mimiki told her to not hesitate to use her sword to fight. She was as capable as an E rank in terms of fighting now, but she didn¡¯t have any fighting abilities, so that was her main drawback. ¡°Combat wise, you¡¯ve seen a goblin fight before so it shouldn¡¯t be too surprising, but I want you to observe the fights initially at least. Once you have a good sense of how people fight goblins, you can assist,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Worst case, I¡¯ll be in the shadows protecting everyone and watching out for serious threats,¡± said Darrias. ¡°One of my abilities is a passive called Shadow Shift, which lets me notice changes in shadows that others couldn¡¯t see. Even at night, as long as it¡¯s not pitch black, my awareness is pretty good. Even without the ability, I make sure I¡¯m fully aware no matter the time of day.¡± ¡°Amazing,¡± said Nobina, her face in awe. ¡°You sound so cool Darrias.¡± The compliment made him feel a bit embarrassed before Mimiki¡¯s laugh shook him out of it. ¡°Come on Darrias. You can¡¯t be easily phased by some woman¡¯s compliment.¡± ¡°Right,¡± he sighed. ¡°Anyway. Feel free to relax. I¡¯m keeping watch over the group in the background. For the most part, you five will be operating as a group, while I¡¯ll operate as a watcher unless I need to be directly involved.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Glad I can count on you.¡± A few minutes later, the others were done reading the books. Of course, they wanted to spend more time reading them, but there was a mission at hand. Jonathan looked at everyone, asking around if there was anything left to do. Nobina saw they all had everything packed, so they were good on their ends. She was ready as well, so as far as she knew, they were all ready to head out. ¡°Right,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss our roles. I shall take the lead. Herrita shall watch the left side. Noct shall watch the right side, but also occasionally scout ahead. Merick shall watch the rear and protect Nobina. As for you Nobina¡­ I was told this was also partly an escort mission so, unless your involvement is absolutely necessary, I want you in the center. Got it?¡± She gave a nod. Despite wanting to try out her training, she had no intention of risking her own life or others by doing something reckless. She¡¯d merely observe for now and then act if necessary. ¡°Lastly, Darrias will act as our protector in the shadows. He¡¯ll watch over us and make sure we are safe or warn us of danger. Anyone have any questions?¡± None of them did, prompting Jonathan to smile. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, the party began to depart. Nobina began following, with Mimiki waving to her. ¡°Good luck Nobina! Show them the strength of a Combat Guild Officer!¡± Nobina nodded, smiling as she followed the rest of the party out. She didn¡¯t know how the adventure would go, but the feeling of excitement was all over her. This was her first step in getting first-hand experience for the book she was going to write, and she had no plans of wasting this chance. All she had to do was put everything she learned into practice, and she had no doubt this mission would go fine. Chapter 26: Nature and Combat The six of them left the guild and headed towards the south edge of town. Walking together, Nobina could already notice how Darrias was keeping himself mostly separate from the group. It was really Jonathan taking the lead. Despite the group still being in town, Darrias seemed always wary of the shadows, likely due to the nature of his path. As for Nobina, she was with the rest of them. She listened closely as she heard Jonathan, Herrita, and Noct mostly chatting amongst themselves, showing how close they were as a party already. As for Merick, he positioned himself between Nobina and the three of them, being close enough to keep chatting with all of them. However, Nobina could tell that he really wanted to chat more with her, likely vying for some interesting story Nobina might have had. It was a bit tiring, but nothing she couldn¡¯t handle. As for Nobina, she didn¡¯t have much to say. Part of her wanted to start chatting with the four, yet she found herself mostly thinking about the task at hand. How would things go? Would they run into any unforeseen issues? It wasn¡¯t enough to make her space out and ignore what the others were saying, but it was enough to keep her occupied. Eventually, the group departed from the town and started heading towards the south forest. The south forest was about a few hours away, leaving open plains until they reached their destination. Besides the occasional farms they saw, there wasn¡¯t much to say about the area before the forest. It was beautiful, considering that it was farmlands that Nobina wasn¡¯t too acquainted with, but at the same time, it felt a bit ordinary. She was really waiting to see a sight that screamed, ¡°this is what you see as an adventurer.¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± called Darrias, breaking her concentration. ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, seeing him next to her. ¡°Why did you leave the party and walk ahead next to me?¡± he said, maintaining a rather professional voice. Nobina turned around and saw that the other four were farther away, now all chatting with each other. None of them seemed aware she had rushed ahead either. ¡°Ah,¡± she said, feeling embarrassed. ¡°I must have walked ahead without anyone else noticing. I¡¯ll head back.¡± Before she could, Darrias shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m curious how long it will take Jonathan to notice. Please wait here and don¡¯t tell him that you did this on your own. I want him to realize how he and his party need to be vigilant at all times. Something like this could get you hurt or worse.¡± Understanding the seriousness of what he was saying, she merely nodded. About ten minutes passed before Merick noticed Nobina was with Darrias. He seemed to tell the three something before approaching the two of them. As he approached, Darrias gave Merick a rather aggressive look, prompting him to be a bit worried. ¡°Uh¡­ did I interrupt a private conversation,¡± asked Merick, confused by Darrias¡¯s look. ¡°Why aren¡¯t any of you concerned about Nobina wandering off?¡± Darrias asked. ¡°Well¡­ she¡¯s with you and she can handle herself so¡­¡± Darrias, unsatisfied with the answer, merely scoffed. ¡°Really¡­ So you¡¯re aware that she¡¯s sticking out and could be in potential danger? She is an escort target, remember?¡± ¡°Relax,¡± said Merrick, trying to act as casual as possible. ¡°We are still far from the forest and monsters are very visible on the plains. If this was a more dangerous situation, we¡¯d be in formation anyways.¡± Nobina knew he had a point, but she was curious about what Darrias would say. He was the most veteran adventurer here. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right, but you remember the mission, right? It¡¯s investigating the south for any issues. Are you saying it¡¯s not possible that monsters might be further away from the forest?¡± Hearing that, Merrick turned to Nobina, who also gave a nod. ¡°Merrick. He¡¯s right. This mission is to ascertain the status of the South Goblin Nest. Despite this area having no goblin reports for the longest time, history has shown that goblins have been spotted here extremely rarely. Of course, trusting your fellow team members like Darias is good, but at the very least you shouldn¡¯t be far enough that you can¡¯t react if I¡¯m in danger.¡± Merrick seemingly wanted to say something but held his tongue. ¡°My apologies,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll speak with Jonathan about this. Please rejoin our group.¡± With Merrick heading back, Nobina gave a sigh. ¡°Are you sure they are handling this poorly? Like he said, this area is almost always safe, and those goblin sightings were years ago. Specifically, it was due to a Goblin Invasion being imminent.¡± Darrias nodded his head. ¡°Think about this one thing Nobina,¡± said Darrias. ¡°If I didn¡¯t speak up, how far do you think you would have gotten away from the group.¡± She gave it a bit of thought before giving her guess. ¡°Maybe fifty meters? It¡¯s hard to say.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ and let¡¯s say a wolf appeared and tried attacking you. Would they have been able to save you?¡± he asked. ¡°There are wolves here?¡± she said, surprised. ¡°The south is relatively calm goblin wise, but the wolf population has been on a slow rise. Unlike goblins, new wolves aren¡¯t used to the area and might journey into these plains for easy prey. They might find none, but if they see a lone individual, they have a chance of attacking.¡± Hearing that, Nobina understood why he was so concerned. ¡°Where did you learn that?¡± she asked. ¡°The adventuring reports received a few weeks ago said two wolves were spotted at the forest edge. It was only a sighting of two wolves, but it¡¯s something that more experienced adventurers recognize as a sign of a growing wolf population. I¡¯m pretty sure Jonathan is aware, but he must have not shared it with the rest of the party considering you didn¡¯t know.¡± Hearing that, Nobina nodded. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m just trying to teach all of you as much as I can about being safe out here,¡± said Darrias with a sigh. ¡°Take my advice. Ignore it. It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Thank you, Darrias,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll relay my thoughts to the other.¡± He gave a nod, turning his focus forward as Nobina headed back. Once she was back, Jonathan looked rather upset at Nobina. ¡°Nobina¡­ please let us know if you¡¯re separating from the party next time,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°We are supposed to be escorting you.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Nobina was surprised by his response to her return, but she merely remained calm and spoke back. ¡°My apologies Jonathan. I was distracted and found myself separated. I do have a question. Were you aware that I was separated from the group for quite a while.¡± Hearing her words, he merely looked a bit away as he gave his response. ¡°Yeah¡­ Well Merick informed us you were likely fine once he noticed you were far away, so I let him check up on you. That should have been good enough.¡± Nobina sighed, shaking her head. She began telling Jonathan and the rest of them about what Darrias told her and her own thoughts. Hearing them, he realized that they made a mistake. ¡°Sorry about that Nobina,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°As the team leader, I should be more aware.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Nothing happened, so just make sure to be more aware next time. I¡¯m pretty sure Mimiki would care more about this than me. Though, I wouldn¡¯t tell her for your sakes.¡± They all gave a nod, and soon, the group continued on without issue. An hour later, they reached the forest edge. Perhaps it was fate telling them to take the incident seriously, because when they were close enough, they noticed a pack of three wolves near the forest edge. The wolves, who seemed to notice them, headed deeper into the forest. ¡°Formations everyone,¡± said Jonathan. The five of them entered their formation as they got closer and closer to the forest edge. Nobina could see the forest was similar to the other forests she had seen so far, yet this one felt a bit more open compared to the rest of them. It was easier to see farther into the forest, and the sunlight seemed to illuminate it well. ¡°Alright,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°From here, we are about a day away from the Goblin Pond. It¡¯s getting closer to the end of the day, so we¡¯ll find a suitable campsite after one more hour of travel. Due to those wolf sighted earlier, we¡¯ll keep a standard watch. I¡¯ll be first, then Noct, then Merrick. Any questions?¡± They all shook their heads. With that, they continued their trek into the forest. As they did, Nobina began mentally taking notes in her head regarding the sights she was seeing. Despite it just being a forest, now things felt way more adventurous. Being in a formation, for starters, made her feel like someone important. Besides that, she was also combat-ready. She was keeping her own awareness sharper now that there was a potential threat. ¡°This is what it means to be an adventurer,¡± Nobina told herself. Soon, the sun was finally setting, and Jonathan ordered the group to set up camp. For Nobina¡¯s part, her task was to shadow one of the others as they performed their set task. Jonathan mostly organized things and gave instructions. Herrita was setting up the sleeping arrangements and fireplace. Noct was securing the area and making sure there were no nearby threats. Lastly, Merrick assisted in setting up the camp as well as preparing the food. ¡°How does the group handle food?¡± asked Nobina, trying to understand the process. ¡°Simple,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°We all have our individual rations, and we determine how we want to eat them. This is more so the process for parties that haven¡¯t been together. When a party is more in tune, we would generally have group rations and use those instead. Cheaper, but wasteful if you don¡¯t fully use them. As for sleeping arrangements, due to the extra weight, if there¡¯s no one suited for carrying a load then packing light is a must. Bags are used for sleeping and we depend on the forest for wood and stones for the firepit. That should cover the basics.¡± Nobina nodded, wishing she had some sort of notebook to write all of this down. She had considered bringing out her diary, but she didn¡¯t like the idea of having it exposed. Instead, she now planned to create another personal notebook purely for notetaking later. After the sun had finally gone down, everyone, including Darrias, was around the fire eating food. As the crackle of the fire became the predominant sound, Jonathan asked if anyone wanted to share food, to which it seemed everyone was interested in doing so. Nobina, taking her rations, opened them up and began trading hers with the others. To her surprise, it seemed that she had rations that were a bit pricier than the rest of them. Jonathan and Herrita were surprised to see her willing to give up some of her quality meats for more simple dried meats. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°I rather get a more genuine experience of what you guys eat than hog something that could make your experience better.¡± Herrita eyes sparkled as she thanked Nobina and traded part of her dried meat. Jonathan did the same, exchanging his bread with Nobina¡¯s bread. As they ate the food, Jonathan and Herrita seemed to really enjoy what Nobina had. As for Nobina, she didn¡¯t show the same bliss. Instead, her look was full of intrigue as she tried to take in the flavors she was tasting. ¡°Interesting,¡± she said. As for Merrick, Noct, and Darrias, they stuck with their own rations, not wanting to take anything of Nobina¡¯s. It seemed all of their rations, even Darrias, were considered basic rations, while hers were called quality rations due to the better flavors and more nutrients they gave. Once they were all done, everyone began heading to sleep except Jonathan. Nobina found that she was actually much more tired than she thought as she fell asleep without issue. ¡°Goblins,¡± came a loud voice, prompting Nobina to awaken. She tried to get her bearings as she looked around for her special bag. Eventually, she saw the others also waking up as everyone prepared for combat. It was still the middle of the night, yet the sudden action had awoken everyone. ¡°Nobina. Stay center,¡± came Jonathan¡¯s voice. Her gaze fell upon him as she saw him looking towards the direction of the goblins. It was hard to see in the middle of the night, but she had to guess that more experience as an adventurer made it, so seeing goblins at night was likely easier for them. ¡°Nothing north,¡± called Noct. ¡°East clear,¡± called Herrita. ¡°West clear,¡± said Merick. ¡°Got it,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°Merick. Watch Nobina. Herrita. Noct. Formation B.¡± The two nodded, entering their own defensive formation. As they did that, Nobina managed to grab her special bag and go through it to grab her sword. When she brought it out, Merick was in awe seeing it. ¡°Oh my god. The sword of a le¡­ A very good sword,¡± he said, quickly avoiding saying something regretful. Nobina was thankful for him catching himself but soon refocused herself. Taking what Mimiki had taught her, she drew her sword and kept her stance. Merick, realizing he had a job, went back to watch for any flank attacks. This was a fight between three adventurers and five goblins from what Nobina could see. There could have been more goblins or other threats, but her eyes weren¡¯t catching anything. ¡°Fireball,¡± yelled Herrita, focusing her wand towards one of the goblins. From the tip of her wand came a fireball that was about the size of a baseball. It didn¡¯t seem super impressive, but when it flew at a decent speed and hit one of the goblins dead center, it was engulfed in a powerful flame that made quick work of it. The light also made the other four goblins visible, causing them to somewhat panic as they realized their cover was gone. Noct fired an arrow and hit one of the goblins in the head, sending it down immediately. With three goblins left, they decided to rush the three of them in desperation. Herrita and Noct stepped back as Jonathan took the lead. ¡°Come at me goblins,¡± he yelled. The goblins, recognizing his weapon, seemingly tried to go around him as they targeted the easier threats. However, that seemed to be a foolish move. Once they were close enough, it was Jonathan¡¯s time to use his own skill. ¡°Slice,¡± he yelled. His sword moved fast and managed to slice one of the goblins cleanly in half. The other two, realizing it was foolish to ignore him, turned their attention to Jonathan. ¡°Fireball,¡± yelled Herrita again, hitting one of the distracted goblins. At the same time, Noct fired off another arrow, striking the goblin, but this time not killing it. The goblin, hurt, gave a screech as it tried to hit Jonathan. However, he blocked it without issue and cut down the goblin. ¡°Anything else Noct and Merrick?¡± called Jonathan. ¡°Nope,¡± said Noct, keeping at the ready. ¡°We are good here,¡± said Merrick, still scouting their rear. After a few minutes, everyone relaxed. A few of them were still tired, but the situation had given them a boost of energy. As they all gathered together, Jonathan asked if Nobina was fine. ¡°I¡¯m good¡­ but that was amazing,¡± she said, her eyes lighting up. ¡°It was¡­ just a standard defense,¡± he replied, feeling like what they did wasn¡¯t anything special. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± she responded back. ¡°Seeing adventurers in action¡­ I can see why Mimiki loves this lifestyle. It¡¯s so¡­ exciting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way, but this is serious work,¡± said Herrita, annoyed by her excitement. ¡°Please remember that our lives are always in danger. I¡¯m glad you like seeing adventurers at work, but please don¡¯t make this seem like something we all enjoy doing.¡± Hearing that, Nobina felt immensely guilty for showing her excitement. She realized that Herrita was right and showing her own enjoyment made the others uncomfortable. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Herrita,¡± said Darrias, appearing from the shadows. ¡°One of the golden rules of being an adventurer is to never demoralize your fellow teammates. This was Nobina¡¯s first time out here, but you¡¯ve made her feel guilty for enjoying this lifestyle. If this ruins her concentration the whole time, who¡¯s to blame but yourself.¡± Hearing that, Herrita immediately waved her hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡­ I was just speaking my mind. Hopefully you don¡¯t let my words ruin this¡­ lifestyle for you Nobina.¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s alright. While Darrias has a point, it¡¯s good having that perspective. Thank you¡­ for making me realize this is serious business.¡± Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the whole situation at this point. For Nobina, she realized that this was what it meant to be an adventurer. One could enjoy the combat and lifestyle of it all, but that wasn¡¯t everyone. Some people were doing this for things other than the thrill of adventure, and it seemed Herrita was one of them. It made Nobina want to know all their stories even more, since she was planning to use them to help her write her book. As long as nothing bad happened, she knew this would be a fruitful trip. However, something in the back of her head made her worried, considering they¡¯d already encountered goblins this early on in their quest. Chapter 27: Goblin Pond and History The rest of the night passed without any issues. For Nobina, it was a bit harder to sleep, but everyone else had no trouble sleeping, which helped ease her into her own sleep. When she awoke the next day, the fire was mostly out, and it seemed everyone was awake before her. She wasn¡¯t used to the adventuring lifestyle, so waking up as early as everyone else was a bit hard. However, it seemed no one was in a rush to get her ready. ¡°Morning Nobina,¡± said Merick, being the first to approach her. ¡°Morning Merick,¡± she smiled back, slowly getting up. ¡°How was your watch?¡± ¡°It was ok. Nothing happened thankfully, so I had a chance to think more about how cool your sword was. Is that one custom made by some famous smith? I haven¡¯t seen an emblem like the one you have on it before.¡± Nobina thought about it and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure they must be famous to have made something of this quality. Though I can¡¯t tell you much more about it.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure whether the Gaze could be considered a famous smith. However, she knew it was powerful and had no doubts it could create a legendary weapon if it decided to. For her, someone who was still learning the sword, the weapon felt dependable and one she could trust to not fail her when the time came. Not only because it came from the Gaze, which has helped her time and time again, but also because Mimiki had vouched for the sword¡¯s quality. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± smiled Merick. ¡°I¡¯m just glad to be able to see it. Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see you actually fight though. Of course, I¡¯d imagine you¡¯d¡­¡± As he was speaking, Jonathan¡¯s cough got their attention to him. He was standing close enough that he likely heard the whole conversation. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, we need to finish packing and head out. Else, we won¡¯t reach the site before the end of the day.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± they both replied. Packing didn¡¯t take that long, and soon, the group was off. Darrias was still watching from the shadows, so it was just the five of them in formation. During the walk, Nobina approached Jonathan to discuss the attack from the previous night. ¡°Isn¡¯t there concerns about being attacked by goblins this close to the forest edge?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Hm¡­ I guess there is. To be honest, in terms of the investigation, we trust you to determine what we should do. We aren¡¯t the sponsors of the quest and you¡¯d be the ultimate judge to determine if the requirements were complete. Do you want to head back now?¡± Nobina had to think about her answer. If she responded yes, then they¡¯d head back immediately. However, the investigation was to determine whether there was anything unexpected at the Goblin Pond, not the forest edge. All she could do was determine how likely that goblin attack was. ¡°So, with that goblin attack, did it seem out of the ordinary, or something that wasn¡¯t too uncommon?¡± asked Nobina, trying to gauge how serious the attack was. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know too much,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°I¡¯ve only dealt with one other goblin night attack and that was deeper in. Perhaps Darrias knows?¡± Hearing his name, Darrias appeared to answer Nobina¡¯s question. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s too unusual,¡± he replied. ¡°Goblins are known to wander this whole forest, so five normal goblins attacking at night sounds plausible at least. At the very least, I don¡¯t think that would qualify as enough information for the sake of the quest.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgement. Let¡¯s continue on.¡± With that, the group continued on to the Goblin Pond. After about three hours, they stopped for lunch and began chatting amongst themselves. Nobina, in particular, was approached by Herrita, who was still apologetic about the previous night. ¡°I¡¯m still sorry about my attitude last night,¡± she said in an apologetic tone. ¡°I did not mean to shoot down your love for adventuring.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Nobina said with a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t do that for no reason right? I¡¯d love to hear your story for adventuring.¡± Herrita nodded, sitting right next to Nobina. She began telling her about how she became an adventurer for the sake of money, not the sake of the thrill or helping people. ¡°It might sound bad, but I¡¯m no saint. I¡¯m doing this because the magical academy I want to attend costs a lot of money. In the town I lived in previously, there was no way I¡¯d make enough money if I didn¡¯t become an adventurer. Perhaps it was also because my path was the Path of the Fire Mage that my parents always encouraged me to develop it and become a Fire Mage adventurer. I wasn¡¯t against it personally, considering fire magic is really cool. However, training without a teacher is a nightmare. I was just lucky my parents were able to get me a basic book on magical energy. Else, I probably wouldn¡¯t even have my only fire spell, Fireball.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Do you mind telling me more about Fireball? Or would you prefer that being a secret.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± she replied. ¡°You¡¯re a part of the team, after all. See, to develop the Fireball skill, it¡¯s not done through using it constantly. Rather, it¡¯s done by constant focus and gathering magical energy. When I sleep, I gather a small amount of energy subconsciously. When I meditate, I gather this energy as well. Other than those two ways, I won¡¯t gather any energy.¡± Nobina nodded, thinking about how different fire magic was compared to healing magic. ¡°So, is there no real limit to how many you can use a day?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I guess there is also a limit, but I¡¯ve only reached it once. I can cast Fireball about ten times before running completely out of energy. This was after four days of sleeping, where I thought I¡¯d be able to cast it twelve times. However, ten was my limit the last time I checked. The thing is that energy takes time to build. By sleeping, I can only build enough energy to cast it three times. That means I need four nights of sleep to charge up to my magic capacity alone. However, if I meditate for two hours, I can cast an additional Fireball.¡± ¡°So, if you sleep, then meditate fourteen hours, you can cast ten times?¡± said Nobina with a curious look. ¡°Sure¡­ but I¡¯d die of boredom doing that,¡± laughed Herrita. ¡°Realistically, I¡¯ll just depend on sleeping. If I¡¯m really low, I¡¯ll meditate a bit as well, though I rather not spend hours doing nothing if I can help it. It also discourages me from testing my limit more, as I don¡¯t like wasting four days just to find out it¡¯s still ten.¡± Nobina could only nod back. She could see how meditating could be boring, but at the same time, that period of relaxation would be nice to have every once in a while. However, she could understand not wanting to waste time testing her spell limit if the recharge took that long. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving,¡± called Jonathan. As the two stood up, Nobina turned to Herrita and apologized. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were only doing this job for the money. I¡¯m sorry for assuming you enjoyed adventuring.¡± Herrita quickly waved her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Nobina,¡± she said. ¡°Adventuring does have its moments and I have those two¡­ hot heads as friends now. You should hear their story sometime.¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes turned to Noct, with Herrita getting close to whisper something into her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t let Noct¡¯s shyness fool you. Once you know him well, he opens up and can be pretty outgoing.¡± ¡°Good to know,¡± Nobina smiled. With that, the group continued to the site. During the five hours heading there, there were no signs of goblins or any monsters in general. Nobina thought it was a bit boring, but the lack of a monster threat meant everyone was more open to talking. Hearing those four talk together really made the journey better than if no one was talking at all. She was learning about how adventurers thought, which was perfect for her research. As they were walking, Nobina asked if she could check something really quick, with Jonathan telling her not to go too far. Nobina found a spot behind a tree to check her Gaze bag. She knew that once they were there, it would be extremely hard to open her bag in private, so she wanted to check the bag for anything new. To her surprise, there were quite a few items. The first item of note was a pair of nice boots. Trying them on, they seemed perfect for the trip. However, she wasn¡¯t used to them yet, and bringing new boots would cause too much confusion. She merely tossed them into her bag, thanking whoever gave her them. Next was a set of sturdy binoculars, which would be very useful for scouting. She thought about letting someone else try it, but it was quite advanced for this world, so it didn¡¯t sound like the best idea. For now, she placed it in her Special Bag as well. After that, there was a firecracker, confusing Nobina. She wasn¡¯t sure what the purpose of it was, but she had an idea of what she could use it for. It could either be a distraction or a signal, both of which would be quite effective. ¡°I¡¯ll just store this as well,¡± she smiled. Last were two comments to address. The first one had a question about what would happen if she summoned two books and wrote in both. The second one was about having some sort of magical security camera and orb to watch the nests. ¡°Yeah¡­ a security camera and orb would be useful to have¡­ though I¡¯m not sure whether the Gaze feels inclined to give me something so useful. As for the books¡­ I did test it. It seems like if I write something in one and then something else in the other one, it will save both. For example, if the first line I write ¡®I eat pie,¡¯ and the second one I write ¡®I hate apples,¡¯ it saves both and creates a jumble mess on the first line. So basically, I need to be careful when recalling any book. That being said, I can¡¯t leave a book out forever else I limit the maximum books I can summon while I have any out.¡± With those comments answered, she recalled her page and headed back. However, she was stopped by Darrias, who was close by. ¡°Yes?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°You should be more mindful if you have secrets,¡± said Darrias. ¡°I can hear whatever is in the shadows pretty clear, so don¡¯t say anything you¡¯d regret. I¡¯m telling you this because your Mimiki¡¯s friend, and I rather keep things like that.¡± Nobina screamed internally for being so stupid, but she quickly calmed herself and thanked Darrias. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± he replied, fading back into the shadows. As soon as she was done, Jonathan called her over, curious about what was taking her so long. ¡°So sorry,¡± she replied. ¡°I was checking something important.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, but we want to examine the lake today before the first night. Else, we might need to extend our trip one more day unnecessarily,¡± he replied. They departed as soon as he finished talking. The last hour was rather quiet, as everyone was focused on observing their surroundings. While they weren¡¯t close to the Goblin Nest, they were approaching the Goblin Pond. Without any recent updated status on the location, they were preparing for the worst. As they entered the location of the pond, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but be in awe at how beautiful the pond location was. It was wide enough that it might take someone about five minutes to run around the whole thing. There was a small pier leading towards the center, while the rest of the surroundings were plant life perfect for the pond. On the other side of where they were, they could see animals enjoying the water of the pond. ¡°This is beautiful,¡± said Nobina, finding herself distracted. ¡°It is for sure,¡± said Jonathan, standing by her side. ¡°I don¡¯t think I told you this, but the incident Sarah grilled us for with the goblins occurred much closer to their nest. You can say we got lucky that we managed to defeat so many goblins, but its thanks to Lorrita. Despite her dislike for adventuring, she¡¯s far stronger than us and has saved us twice already.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°I¡¯d imagine she¡¯d leave the group one day to accomplish her dream.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± sighed Jonathan. ¡°I know she won¡¯t be with us forever, but¡­ I¡¯m glad to have met her and I¡¯m happy that I¡¯m helping her out with her dream. We have our own adventuring dream of becoming amazing adventurers, but for her this is just a means to an end. Though¡­ I don¡¯t hold it against her. We are all here for our own reasons, right?¡± His smile was clearly directed at Nobina, who smiled back. She had her own reasons for being here as well. She wasn¡¯t trying to become a legendary adventurer or make tons of money. Rather, she was just researching the role of adventurer. No matter what, she would always return to being a writer at heart and prioritize her friends over her own glory. Those two things made up her core, after all. As soon as the others were done with their initial check, the group decided to begin their patrol of the region. Nobina took out her sword, ready to act if necessary. Merick instantly became excited but held back enough to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to Nobina. As for Jonathan, he was curious about the sword and asked to see it. Checking it out, he merely nodded and handed it back. ¡°This must be expensive considering its quality,¡± he said. ¡°And you keep it in some sort of special bag, right? It¡¯s truly amazing how prepared you are Nobina. You even have a potion belt, which a thing that only C rank adventurers or above usually have.¡± ¡°Thanks, but it¡¯s all because of Mimiki,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°She has done so much for me, and I truly appreciate everything she has done.¡± Jonathan gave a nod. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m grateful for Noct, my best friend as well¡­ The two of us lived in the same village together. See, originally¡­ I also did this for money. My path was the Path of the Swordsman and becoming an adventurer seemed natural. My parents approved of it, and I fully intended to become an adventurer, even if I was going to go at it alone. However, I convinced my good friend Noct here to join me! Without him, I¡¯m sure this would have gone horribly.¡± Noct, who was close by, merely sighed. ¡°John¡­ Please¡­¡± ¡°Oh,¡± smiled Jonatha. ¡°Noct is the shy one so¡­¡± Noct walked over to Jonahan and hit him over the head with his bow, prompting an ¡°ow¡± from him. ¡°Take better care of you bow Noct,¡± laughed Jonathan. ¡°Let people tell their own stories then ¡®John¡¯,¡± he replied back, a bit annoyed. As he said that, Nobina¡¯s bag glowed. Both Jonathan and Noct looked as Nobina hesitated to open her bag. However, she felt it would have been weird if she didn¡¯t address the glow. ¡°Oh right,¡± said Nobina. ¡°This bag glows when¡­ I need to check something in it. This is private stuff though, so¡­¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°So earlier¡­¡± Nobina nodded. ¡°Right. Don¡¯t let me keep you. Go ahead.¡± Nobina made her way behind a tree and opened the bag. She pulled out a note that had a single cigarette on it. The note said, ¡°for Pausers.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nobina was dumbfounded by the note. Why was the Gaze giving a cigarette to a cute, innocent bunny? It made absolutely no sense. Nor did Nobina want to believe that Pausers would even know how to use such a thing. ¡°What are you trying to tell me¡­ Gaze,¡± she said, squinting her eyes. ¡°Is Pausers some sort of edgy bunny? Why would they need a cigarette now of all times? I swear¡­¡± She stuffed the cigarette into her bag and recalled the note, shaking her head. She planned to have a long talk with Pausers after she got back to explain the cigarette. ¡°I feel like a parent planning to lecture their kid¡­ Even if Pausers is a bunny,¡± she sighed. With that, she headed back to where Jonathan and Noct were. As she was heading back, she noticed the two of them were arguing. Her curiosity only grew as she got close enough to draw their attention. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°Tell me. Have you killed a goblin before?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yeah?¡± Jonathan cheered, holding out his hand for Noct to give him a few coins. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± said Noct. ¡°I thought you hadn¡¯t killed a goblin before, yet Jonathan wanted to bet that you¡¯d killed at least one.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± she smiled. ¡°Well¡­ yeah.¡± Noct gave a disappointing sigh while Jonathan did a quick celebration. ¡°Next time I¡¯ll win it,¡± said Noct, looking a bit determined. ¡°Your record isn¡¯t that great so far Noct, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get better at it,¡± smiled Jonathan. Nobina wasn¡¯t sure what this was about, but she was glad to see they were having a good time. If there was one thing she knew for sure about adventurers, it was that moments like this really made the experience. Besides all the fighting, exploring, and other more serious stuff, the comradery between everyone displayed moments that might not have happened otherwise. After all, outside of the mission, there was plenty of time to chat and have a good time. Something that Nobina was glad to be a part of. ¡°Back to the mission at hand,¡± said Jonathan. The two of them nodded, continuing their patrol of the area for any goblins. So far, there wasn¡¯t any sign of danger, but Nobina was still worried that there was a looming threat. ¡°Why do I have this bad feeling,¡± she sighed. Chapter 28: Calm and Goblin Paths The night was quickly approaching, and the group retreated to a location about an hour away from the goblin pond. As they headed away, Nobina took one last look and was in awe at how beautiful the pond looked as the sunlight began reflecting over it. If it wasn¡¯t due to the danger of being too close to the pond, she would have wanted to stay there till the sun completely set. The group arrived at a relatively open clearing to set up the campsite. It was a common location about an hour away from the pond where adventurers used to set up camps for those staying overnight. To no one¡¯s surprise, that meant that when they got there, there was another adventuring team there. The team was composed of three D-rank adventurers, which was a common size for groups in this area. Since the South Goblin Nest was known to be the easiest, this was where many groups would travel for training purposes. That was why there was usually an expectation that there would always be at least one or two adventuring groups in the area. ¡°Hello there,¡± greeted Jonathan to the leader of the other adventuring group. ¡°Hello,¡± bowed their leader, a woman who was about Nobina¡¯s age. She had full leather armor, a sizable hammer-like weapon, and a decently sized backpack. Behind her were two male companions, one with a bow and the other with a sword. Nobina noted that magical-based abilities were generally rare, especially amongst lower-rank adventurers, so seeing no mage made sense. Healers were even rarer as well if their party wasn¡¯t a clear indication of that fact. That was why many adventurers often depended on either basic medical supplies or healing potions if they could afford them. ¡°So,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°Anything unusual with the goblins? We¡¯ve been task with investigating the pond for any anomalies.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± replied the female adventurer. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s been the same as I remember it. We¡¯ve been task with killing twenty goblins. Tomorrow we should finish that task, though if your party fights any we might need to extend another day.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Our goal is investigation. We¡¯ll be keeping patrol of the pond, so the goblins are all yours. Of course, feel free to let us know if you need assistance.¡± She gave a nod. ¡°Will do.¡± With that, she retreated to their side of the grounds where her party was at. Nobina herself had loads of questions to ask, but she decided to leave it for another time. She instead focused on helping everyone else set up camp, and soon, the party was enjoying a nice night-time meal. ¡°So, you think we¡¯ll be spared an attack tonight?¡± asked Nobina, enjoying a bite of the meat from her ration. ¡°Very likely,¡± replied Merick. ¡°Goblins strictly stick to their pond for the fact that this place was set up to be very defensible. The open area around us means that any melee goblin would be at a huge disadvantage. Plus, there¡¯s no goblins with a Range Path in this nest, so that¡¯s also not a big concerned.¡± ¡°Goblin Paths¡­¡± Nobina recalled her book on the topic of Monster Paths. Like people, monsters also had destined Paths they were born with. Some monsters were meant to be normal monsters without any special thing associated with them. Others were meant to have specialties like people did. For goblins, their Path was very flexible. Like people, they had a myriad of paths ranging from stat paths like Path of Strength or Path of Intelligence to more specific paths like Path of the Swordsman or Path of the Archer. These were expected for goblins deep within the nest but not goblins roaming the forest during the day. At most, they might see a Path of the Swordsman Goblin at night protecting the goblins gathering water. However, they normally wouldn¡¯t be a part of an attack on a human camp. Paths were rare enough for goblins, and they weren¡¯t stupid enough to waste them unless absolutely necessary. The prime example of this being Goblin Invasions. ¡°Goblin Paths are certainly stuff to be wary of,¡± said Darrias, taking a bite of his own rations. ¡°They often are hard to tell besides the different or better weaponry goblins carry. Thus, if a goblin with a Path attacks, it could be fatal if your group is unprepared.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Herrita, who was looking down. Seeing her look downward made Nobina wonder if she had run into a Path Goblin before. However, Nobina had no intentions of inquiring unless she brought it up first. ¡°Guys,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°We need to keep our chin up. We should just remember that all we need to do is keep prepared and follow the plan for tomorrow. Shall I go over it again?¡± Everyone gave a nod, with Jonathan bringing out a map. The plan was simple. Nobina and Merrick would stay on the north side of the pond and keep watch of the pond itself. Jonathan, Noct, and Herrita would patrol the south side to see if any goblins approached the pond. Darrias would act as an advance scout, watching even further south to see if goblins approached. He¡¯d alert the group if there was any sign of goblins and pay close attention for any Path Goblins. ¡°Any questions?¡± asked Jonathan. ¡°Two questions,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What¡¯s the plan if the goblins attack us in the south? Do we retreat towards you guys or head north back towards this site? My other question is will Darrias keep watch during the night?¡± ¡°Ideally we meet up at camp, so you should head north. If that¡¯s not an option, retreat south. Darrias should be able to clear a path for us heading north to meet up.¡± Nobina looked towards Darrias, who gave a nod. Part of her felt relieved, but she always disliked uncertainty. All she could do was trust their plan would work. ¡°As for the night watch,¡± said Darrias. ¡°We should be fine in this camp since we have two parties keeping watch. I¡¯ll take this time to properly rest. However, I can react to sound easily in the night so if there¡¯s a callout, I¡¯ll be instantly ready to act.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± said Nobina. With that, the group headed to bed. Like before, they kept the same watch rotation. However, unlike last time, the night was relatively quiet. As Nobina fell asleep, she wondered what was in store for them. The next day, the group awoke at around the same time as the other adventurers. Thanks to that, they all packed up together and began traveling towards their respective locations. During this time, Nobina was approached by the other group¡¯s female leader. ¡°Hello there,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Hi. I believe you¡¯re a guild officer, right? Are you here for an advancement test like Mimiki does?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°No. I¡¯m only here for the investigation,¡± Nobina responded back. ¡°I¡¯ll ultimately make the call whether the mission is complete or not. I¡¯m not intended to do anything besides that.¡± The hammer wielder gave a nod. ¡°My name is Macy. And before you say anything, I don¡¯t use maces.¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± she responded back. The two shook hands, Nobina noting Macy¡¯s grip was pretty strong. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but wonder what part of Macy¡¯s strength was through effort alone and what part of her strength was thanks to her Path. As they chatted, Nobina learned more about their temporary companions. Macy and her party had been adventuring for a few years, working on reaching C-rank and eventually moving to a bigger guild. For her, her goal was simply to get stronger and develop her Path. Her two companions, Lark, and Manist, were just both in it for the money. Once they reached C-rank, they intended to invest in a store and go for a simple life. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°That sounds nice,¡± said Nobina. ¡°For them at least, but it feels like they are leaving me high and dry,¡± sighed Macy. ¡°Anyway, these are my problems to deal with. Hopefully I didn¡¯t bore you with my story.¡± ¡°No worries. I¡¯m actually writing a book on adventurers so I¡¯m just absorbing all these stories,¡± Nobina smiled. Macy gave a surprised face. ¡°I see¡­ well¡­ When we get back to town, we can chat more if you¡¯d like. Maybe at one of the restaurants.¡± ¡°Sounds great,¡± Nobina smiled. With that, the two hashed out some plans to chat on another day. Once they all reached the lake, Nobina and Merrick found a nice spot near the pier in the north. The rest of them continued south, slowly leaving the vision of the two. As the rest of them disappeared from sight, Nobina gave a sigh. ¡°Did you want to fight the goblins yourself Nobina?¡± asked Merrick, finding a seat on one of the larger rocks. ¡°Not necessarily,¡± she replied back, taking out her own seat from her Special Bag. Nobina could see Merrick¡¯s slight envy as she sat on her personal chair, but when his eyes met hers, he instantly apologized. ¡°Merrick¡­¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± said Merrick again. ¡°Won¡¯t do anything to offend you.¡± ¡°Would it kill you to treat me less formally?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I mean I can,¡± he instantly responded. ¡°However, even if I discounted your status as a special adventurer, I can¡¯t say I could treat a guild officer casually. You understand that, right?¡± She shook her head, but at least Nobina understood that logic. Sitting there waiting for something to happen, Nobina decided to take out her binoculars. Merrick was aware of her special bag, so having them out felt like no big deal. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Merick, who noticed Nobina pulling out the binoculars. ¡°These are binoculars. They are used to see long distances. I¡¯ll let you check them out when I¡¯m done using them. And also¡­ don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Secret safe with me,¡± he saluted. With that, Nobina began looking towards the south of the Goblin Pond, seeing if she could catch anything. For the few minutes she looked, she didn¡¯t catch anything, but seeing the other side with the binoculars felt amazing. She felt like an explorer, scouting out uncharted lands to find anything interesting. Her mouth fell open as she saw a monster she didn¡¯t recognize. It was a blueish foxlike creature that seemed to be casually wandering around, unaware it was being watched from afar. ¡°Wow,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What is that.¡± Merick found himself next to Nobina, who handed him the binoculars. Taking a look through them, his expression of awe and excitement made Nobina laugh. It was like seeing a child receiving a cool toy for the first time, as he couldn¡¯t hold his excitement and awe at using it. ¡°These are amazing. You can see the Blue Fox with ease and yet it doesn¡¯t see us. Wow¡­ You must have had a master-level crafter make these for you, right? Oh, right¡­ this must be a secret.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ but I wish I had more of these to give others,¡± said Nobina. ¡°They are pretty useful for adventuring. Being able to see far distances. You can see that, right?¡± Merick gave a nod before finally handing them back. ¡°I thank you for letting me view the fox using them.¡± ¡°You can just say thanks,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Ok¡­ thanks¡­ Nobina,¡± said Merick, a bit uncomfortable addressing her casually. With that, the two spent the rest of the time scouting using the binoculars, talking about the cool things they were seeing through them. Time seemed to fly as they soon became hungry and ate lunch. This time, Nobina managed to convince Merick to have some of her rations in exchange for his. He reluctantly agreed, but as he ate the rations she gave, he began praising them to high heavens, making Nobina feel embarrassed. She felt lucky no one else was around at least to see what was happening. Eventually, as the sunset began to approach, all of them arrived back. Nobina greeted them all, asking how the trip went. ¡°It went well,¡± said Jonathan. ¡°No sign of anything unusual. We¡¯ll likely need one more day to confirm, but even the other party confirmed that the goblins were as expected.¡± Turning to Macy, she gave a nod. ¡°Just your standard goblins. We manage to kill twenty and will be heading back tomorrow.¡± With that, the whole group retreated back to the camp for another night. This time around, the two camps got together to enjoy some food. The supplies on their end would give them at least another night, but it was Nobina¡¯s call to determine if it was time to head back. Nobina thought about it before responding. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think tonight will be our last night,¡± she nodded. ¡°If the other group is leaving, it¡¯s safer if we all depart together.¡± With that, the groups enjoyed a nice meal together. Due to them all planning to head back the following night, they all ate a bit extra to cap off a nice journey together. As the fire faded, everyone began to hit the hay except for those assigned to watch. Nobina herself felt finally relieved that things were coming to an end, falling into a deep sleep. A scream echoed throughout the camp as Nobina found her sleep interrupted. She once again was trying to get her bearings, with her eyes turning to the scream. On the other side of the campground was Macy holding Lark, trying to stop the bleeding from an arrow wound. She seemed in full panic while Manist was holding his sword, looking around for the threat. ¡°Arrow?¡± said Nobina to herself. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Get down,¡± yelled Merrick, suddenly pulling Nobina down. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon as an arrow flew past the two of them. ¡°What in the world is happening,¡± yelled Nobina. ¡°Goblin attack. They have a Path of the Archer Goblin as well. Darrias should be dealing with it any moment now.¡± Nobina tried to look around, but the darkness made seeing anything difficult. ¡°Fireball!¡± A mass of flame flew towards the south, hitting a goblin straight on. The screams of the goblins made Nobina try her best to turn to the action. When she did, she caught the three fighting for their lives against what appeared to be twenty goblins. ¡°That¡¯s way too many,¡± said Nobina. She turned around to the other party but saw that they were engaged in fighting their own group of goblins. Macy started to stand to assist Manist, who was swinging towards one of the goblins. ¡°Darrias and the three will need my help,¡± said Merrick. ¡°I won¡¯t force you to reveal your true identity, but please consider it Nobina.¡± Nobina hated how he was assuming she was some amazing fighter, but she knew she did have things at her disposal. ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll do what I can,¡± she responded. Nobina turned to her two bags and grabbed them. After that, the two headed south to join the others. ¡°Be careful,¡± yelled Herrita, firing off another fireball. ¡°Do you see the goblin archer?¡± asked Nobina, trying her best to see it. ¡°No¡­ and I have no idea where Darrias is. The archer should be dead already, yet arrows are still flying. Something bad could have happened.¡± Another arrow came by, missing the three of them entirely. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. We¡¯ll be overwhelmed,¡± said Noct, firing an arrow. He missed his target, making him frustrated. Further past all of them was Jonathan, who was drawing the bulk of attention away from them. ¡°I have an idea, but it might ruin Darrias¡¯s element of surprise,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What is it,¡± asked Merrick. ¡°We need something big right now if we are to deal with the goblins.¡± ¡°I can shine a bright light over the area, but it will reveal anyone in the shadows. Darrias could be in danger, but¡­¡± ¡°Do it,¡± said Herrita. ¡°I¡¯ll target the archer with Noct and once the goblin archer is dead, the goblins should lose moral and retreat.¡± Nobina nodded, going into her bag for the flashlight. She had tested it once and knew it would work. It was high-powered and pointed directly at the archer¡¯s eyes should blind it for a second. She also noticed her sword and the fireworks from earlier, but she¡¯d have to run a bit back to lit the fireworks. As for her sword, she didn¡¯t need that at the moment either. ¡°Please work,¡± she said as she took out the flashlight. She pointed the flashlight ahead, setting it to the widest setting. Instantly, the whole area in front of them was engulfed in light. Everyone was in awe, but the fight prevented them from enjoying even a second of it. The goblins, on the other hand, instantly went into a panic as the new light was something they didn¡¯t expect. Even the goblin archer, now visible, was panicking. Nobina adjusted the settings, focusing the light into a condensed beam that hit the archer straight in the face. It was instantly blinded, and it started to try to run immediately. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, the moment it tried to run, it seemed to be cut down by something faint. She widened the flashlight¡¯s area again to reveal the rest of the goblins, now attempting to run as Jonathan held his ground. As the goblins fled back into the forest, Nobina saw Jonathan stand still for a bit before collapsing himself. The three of them ran to his side, where Darrias finally appeared. Darrias, checking Jonathan over, gave a sigh of relief. ¡°He¡¯s ok. However, he needs healing.¡± Nobina nodded, handing Jonathan her first healing potion. He immediately poured it onto his wounds, causing it to slowly begin to heal. ¡°Wait,¡± said Nobina, remembering the other party had someone hurt. ¡°I got to check the other party. Lark was hurt as well.¡± ¡°Go,¡± said Darrias. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch.¡± Nobina rushed over to check if the other party was fine. When she got there, she was shocked at the scene. Macy herself was breathing heavily as she stood next to two goblin bodies. Lark himself was still hurt, and Manist was lying on the ground surrounded by five goblins, not moving himself. ¡°No¡­¡± said Nobina. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Macy. ¡°Do you have any medical healing?¡± She nodded, handing her a potion. Macy carefully extracted the arrow before applying the healing. It seemed to be working, but Macy bit her lip. ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± she said, a bit of a cry in her voice. ¡°Take the last one,¡± said Nobina, handing her the potion. She poured it directly on the wound, and it seemed to work. Lark was now calmly breathing, still unconscious. ¡°What about¡­¡± Macy shook her head. ¡°I think¡­ We should retreat immediately,¡± said Macy, her voice reflecting the somber mood. Nobina could only nod in agreement. This was not what she imagined. She might have gotten a taste of adventure, but she also saw the harsh reality of their job. It was dangerous, and the unknown could happen at any second. The result of this job was luckily only one person dead, but Nobina could only wonder what would have happened if it was just their party of six or if one of them died instead of Macy¡¯s party. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so weak,¡± she said in a bit of a cry. Chapter 29: Retreat and Reality Everyone began gathering moments later, trying to decide what to do as a group. Once they were gathered, Jonathan immediately turned to Darrias, asking him what happened on his end. ¡°There was a Goblin Assassin. When I went for the archer, it nearly backstabbed me, forcing me back into the shadows to kill it. Luckily, once I dealt with it, Nobina shined her light and blinded the archer, making it easy to deal with.¡± From what Nobina could recall, a Goblin Assassin was a rare Path for goblins. They were far smarter than your average goblins and often operated in the shadows to take out major threats. From what Nobina could tell, it must have identified Darrias as the greatest threat and waited for the right time to get rid of him. Unfortunately for the Goblin Assassin, Darrias was too skilled to die in a sneak attack. ¡°What¡¯s the plan,¡± said Jonathan, looking directly at Nobina. ¡°We should pack up and retreat. Night travel might be dangerous, but if I¡¯m right goblins don¡¯t always attack once and ignore you. They might strike again while we are vulnerable.¡± ¡°A night retreat has its own risk, but with you light thing we should be fine,¡± said Darrias. ¡°That being said, can you tell us more about it? It seems like a magical device, but I don¡¯t want to assume.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She knew she couldn¡¯t explain exactly how it worked, so she decided to go with the idea of it being a magical device. ¡°It¡¯s a magical device that creates light from this end. It has a limited use depending on the power I set it to, and it can¡¯t be recharged so I¡¯m careful about using it.¡± He gave a nod. ¡°Then we¡¯ll travel in the dark. Of course, be ready to use it when necessary.¡± She nodded back. The group began packing everything and preparing for the trip back. Most of them were tired due to the fight and lack of sleep, but they felt better about getting as far away as possible. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch over the group,¡± said Darrias. ¡°I¡¯m well suited for being up for long periods without needing sleep. My senses won¡¯t dull either.¡± ¡°I trust you,¡± replied Nobina. As the group, now including Macy and Lark, finished packing and began their retreat, silence fell over the group. No one was saying a word to each other. Part of it was likely to keep their senses sharp and not draw attention. The other reason was no one was in a good mood at the moment. Even Nobina, who wanted to stay optimistic, was downcast. If not for Merick being at her side, she probably would have stayed quiet the whole time. Seeing someone dead for the first time didn¡¯t feel real to her. It didn¡¯t help either that they were still not out of the woods yet. As she thought about their situation, she heard Merick¡¯s voice. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Merick as they walked. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ yeah,¡± she responded, not believing a word she said. ¡°I know it must be rough in your position. Feeling powerless as you watch others get hurt¡­ but at the very least you need to appreciate the lives you saved. Even if you are a powerful person, everyone has their limits¡­ Just know that I think you did your best there, right? You didn¡¯t hold anything back?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think me swinging the sword would have changed anything considering I was one of the last to wake up and get their bearings.¡± To Nobina, the whole incident was eating at her. For all the Gaze¡¯s strength, in a moment of need, it did nothing to help. Sure, it gave her the flashlight in the past, but at that moment, she couldn¡¯t do anything but stand on the sidelines. She received no weapon to help deal with the goblins. She didn¡¯t get any medical items to potentially save Manist. However, perhaps the Gaze was merely acting within its limits. If Manist was dead or if a new weapon would have done nothing, there was no point in receiving anything. It wasn¡¯t like it was going to give her a medical doctor or a potion that could revive someone¡¯s life. ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t depend on you Gaze,¡± said Nobina out loud. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Merick. ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡­ was just thinking about how in life, you can¡¯t hope some knight in shining armor will come and save you if your in danger. You have to assume that only you can save yourself or at the very least your companions.¡± Merick gave a nod. ¡°It¡¯s a reality we all deal with. Even someone like you probably understands that well. You can¡¯t be everywhere, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, merely looking at her own hands before they continued their trek. The hours began to pass and soon it was daytime. During the day, they decided to take a short sleep each. The morning was the safest point and Darrias would keep watch. As each of them slept, there was a sense of calm starting to return. After everyone had their short sleep, Jonathan called them together. The group looked through the map and planned their route back. While they were a large group with a few experienced individuals, the goal was to minimize the chance of an attack. They were unaware if they would be pursued, which was what large goblin attack groups usually did to weaker human groups. ¡°I know this is logic used during Goblin Invasions, but we should be prepared, right?¡± asked Jonathan, her question directed at Nobina. ¡°Right¡­ The attack was a clear sign of an impending Goblin Invasion, so we must be as cautious as possible. Glad you know about them Jonathan,¡± she replied back. He gave a nod. ¡°A good adventurer prepares for the unlikely. Considering the quest, knowing how Goblin Invasions work is critical.¡± After the strategy meeting concluded, the group continued their trek back. There was nothing much to worry about, and soon, the group reached the open fields. They would be back shortly, making Nobina relieved. However, Macy called over Nobina. When she came over, she saw Herrita was with her while Lark was farther away in formation. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Macy. ¡°Do you¡­ think I¡¯m unqualified to be an adventurer?¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Nobina was shocked to hear Macy say that, but Herrita began to explain why she even brought it up. ¡°Macy,¡± said Herrita. ¡°She¡­ Had a nightmare about the attack during her nap. She told me about it since you and I are the only girls in our group. She told me¡­ that she fears that she is building a fear of goblins. If that turns out to be the case, she feels like she¡¯d only be a liability if she continued to lead. That¡¯s why we called you here though. Perhaps you have your own thoughts on her fear.¡± It was easy enough for Nobina to recall her own fear, which was the fear of not doing anything before dying. She was given a second chance, but that attack made it clear that being an adventurer put her at risk. She could have very much died during that goblin attack, and if she did, her dream would have disappeared just like that. She wasn¡¯t a hero. She didn¡¯t have the strength or power to avoid a lethal arrow. All it took was being in the wrong place and time, and her journey was over. Was she even qualified to answer Macy¡¯s question? At that thought, she had her answer. ¡°Macy,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Ultimately, what is your dream? To become a famous adventurer? Make money? What was the whole reason you did all of this?¡± Macy, hearing that, gave her answer. ¡°I wanted to help people¡­¡± Hearing that, Nobina smiled. ¡°Then feel free to quit.¡± Both of them were shocked by her answer, but Nobina began to clarify what she meant. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be an adventurer to help people. I¡¯m someone who has a simple dream of becoming a writer. Not for fame or money, but to prove to myself I can push past all my doubts and fears. Sure, it¡¯s selfish only thinking about that fact, but it keeps me going. And if I end up helping people as a result of what I¡¯m doing, then all the better. For you, all you need to do is remember that you don¡¯t need to lead a team or kill monsters to help people. Even teaching others can be good enough¡­ That¡¯s my thoughts on the matter anyway.¡± Nobin hoped her words had some meaning for Macy. She wasn¡¯t a motivational speaker, nor could she speak about completing a dream, considering she was still working on it. However, she wanted to believe that she gave her a good answer. ¡°Thanks for that Nobina,¡± said Macy. ¡°I¡¯ll talk with Lark about all of this, and we¡¯ll decide what to do. For now, all we want to do is complete the quest and then¡­ think about Manist and what we need to do for him.¡± The two of them nodded, leaving Macy to her own thoughts. As for Herrita, she smiled and patted Nobina on the back. ¡°Thanks for that Nobina,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m probably good on my end, but it does put into perspective the idea of not needed to be an adventurer to complete your dream.¡± ¡°Glad my words could help you as well,¡± Nobina said back. The rest of the trip back was relatively silent. Everyone was in their own bubble, thinking of what had happened and what was going to happen. For Nobina, she knew she and the rest of the guild would be busy trying to determine what to do. As far as she knew, this constituted an Emergency Quest due to the nature of the situation. However, it would ultimately be up to Eric to determine what would happen. As the town finally came into view, there was a relief amongst everyone there. No one was saying anything, but there was a constant worry of an attack from the goblins, even if it was very unlikely. It would likely have required Goblin Riders or goblins on any sort of mount, but the sight of those was a very bad sign. It indicated a Goblin Nest had advanced far beyond the point that should have been allowed. ¡°We are finally back,¡± said Jonathan, giving the first relieved words of the group. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± said Herrita. ¡°All this¡­ was so scary and I don¡¯t know if I want to experience anything similar ever again.¡± Macy and everyone else nodded in agreement. The group headed directly to the guild, where Sarah was happy to see them. However, the look on everyone¡¯s faces immediately had her rushing to Nobina to ask what happened. ¡°Can you handle them completing their quest and have them on standby? The situation¡­ is not good,¡± said Nobina, her tone reflecting the seriousness of the situation. Sarah gave a silent nod, with Nobina heading directly to Lare afterward. At Lare¡¯s office, Nobina relayed the whole situation. Lare listened intently, trying to avoid missing any important details. When the Goblin Assassin and Goblin Archer were mentioned, as well as the number of goblins in the attack, Lare instantly knew that it was a bad sign. ¡°These are clear indication that a Goblin Invasion is likely. We might have a week or two at most before they mount an actual attack, but one sign of an invasion is the goblins clearing out the immediate area around the nest. Rarely do they attack without preparation, but the possibility makes it so we cannot send out too many adventurers to assist.¡± ¡°What are you saying Lare,¡± Nobina asked, a concerned look on her face. ¡°Eric will make the call after we go over our current available adventurers but¡­ We might need to intentionally hold back adventurers if we don¡¯t have enough.¡± The thought of sending anything less than what was safe horrified Nobina, yet part of her knew it was a choice they might have to make. There were two other nest and their threat made everything more complicated. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we have three Goblin Nests around us. It¡¯s like we are asking for situations like this to happen,¡± said Nobina, expressing her dislike for the current situation. ¡°Things have just gotten worse over time Nobina. In our prime, even three invasions could have been handled with ease. Now¡­ We just don¡¯t have enough C-rank adventurers. My worry is we might not have enough D-ranks either. Anyways, it¡¯s time to gather everyone. We need to prepare for the Emergency Quest either way.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°Gather all information you can on current and retired adventurers in the town or on quest. We need everyone. Once everyone is gathered, Eric will issue more formal orders.¡± With that, Nobina left for the guild library, where she began gathering all the information she could. She thought she¡¯d find relief in a room full of books, but it only brought her more worries, so she rushed to gather the books she needed. From information books on their adventurers, both active and active, to books regarding guild operating procedures, Nobina was making sure they had everything they needed. As she reached for one of the books she needed, she found it immediately falling. She looked at her hand, seeing it was shaking. ¡°Am I¡­. scared?¡± Nobina realized that the reality of their situation was settling in. They were dealing with an emergency, and she was at the center of everything. Even if her work was merely administrative at the moment, she was someone who was playing a key role in helping the town deal with a crisis. Not knowing what to do, Nobina took a seat and began trying to relax. ¡°Deep breaths,¡± she told herself. As she tried to calm herself, she found her worries not going away. The sense of powerlessness was becoming more and more apparent. Soon, she began cursing in her head how she wished she could have the power of the heroes she read and wrote about. The ability to do amazing things and protect everyone. However, those thoughts only made her even more emotional. Her mind was a haze, and she didn¡¯t know what to think. She wanted to call for help, but she knew no one would come. She wanted to ask the Gaze to give her what she needed, but would it even listen? All she could do now was try to find a way to do more than she was already doing. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Sarah, coming into the room. ¡°What,¡± she replied, snapping back to reality. ¡°Are you alright? You seem out of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not alright,¡± Nobina said loudly. The loudness caught Sarah off guard, and Nobina began venting her thoughts. ¡°I feel so powerless right now Sarah¡­ I felt powerless back at the camp both times we were attacked¡­ I could have saved Manists¡¯ life if I had recalled the group sooner. Perhaps if I played a more active role in the question, we might have noticed the increase activity before that night attack. I¡­¡± Sarah immediately hugged Nobina, who found herself stunned. ¡°Nobina¡­ It¡¯s alright¡­ The reality is that none of us can do everything¡­ None of us can see the future either. You did everything you could, right?¡± Hearing Merick¡¯s words echo in Sarah, Nobina immediately calmed down. She then gave a nod, only now noticing her tears. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡­ I did what I could¡­¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s good enough¡­ You aren¡¯t a fighter Nobina. You¡¯re a writer. The sooner you accept that¡­ the easier it will be for you to do what only you can do to help. Got it?¡± Nobina could only nod, accepting Sarah¡¯s comfort. ¡°I just¡­ wish I could do more,¡± she said, her voice reflecting her mood. ¡°We all do¡­ But for now, let¡¯s do what we can¡­ right?¡± said Sarah in her normally happy voice. Nobina could only nod, agreeing with what Sarah said. They had a situation at hand, and there was no time to dwell on sadness. They had to be strong, not just for themselves but for the guild and town. ¡°Right¡­ Let me finish gathering the data and we¡¯ll meet.¡± Sarah patted her on the back and departed back to the front. As for Nobina, with Sarah¡¯s word now supporting her, she continued to gather the information for the upcoming meeting. Chapter 30: Preparations and Rest After about an hour, Lare came into the room to check on Nobina. ¡°Do you have the information?¡± he asked, looking at the table Nobina was working on ¡°I got everything ready,¡± she replied, closing one of the books. ¡°Is the meeting starting?¡± Lare gave a nod, prompting Nobina to stand and follow him. As the two headed to the second floor, Nobina saw Sarah at the front, handling business as usual. The guild hadn¡¯t sent out the emergency quest notice yet since Eric was the one who ultimately had to issue it as guild master. ¡°Sarah,¡± called Lare. ¡°Right,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Attention all guild members. Please be on standby for an important announcement. That is all.¡± Everyone was understandably confused except those who had been with Nobina earlier. They remained silent, already expecting what was going to be announced. As for Sarah, she left the receptionist¡¯s desk to follow the two of them upstairs. Once they were in the meeting room, Nobina could sense the tension as everyone took their seats. Eric was already there, looking absolutely calm despite everything. ¡°Now then,¡± said Eric as everyone finished sitting down. ¡°I¡¯ve been told the basics of the situation from Lare, so now I need the information from Nobina.¡± Turning to Nobina, she began giving her report. ¡°Currently, we have fifteen C-rank adventures active, either on quest or in town. We have eight retired C-ranks we can call upon. As for D-rank¡¯s, those are numbered twenty-five and ten respectively. E and F ranks we don¡¯t track, but I estimate that those numbers are similar to the D-ranks, about twenty-five each. However, the retired portion is likely also around twenty-five, as many adventurers quit in those ranges.¡± Eric gave a nod. With that, Nobina continued her report. ¡°Our town is decently sized, but many of our adventurers come from outlying villages. Those who have aspirations to make it big and such. As a result, despite our town¡¯s size, you could say our adventuring count is relatively low compared to other towns. It¡¯s the reason we depend on the Goblin Nests, as without them we¡¯d likely lose most of our adventurers. It¡¯s also why we don¡¯t have any beyond C, minus Mimiki and you guild master.¡± ¡°The situation is grim, yes,¡± he responded. ¡°Thank you for the report Nobina. Can you tell me how many adventurers are on quests and how many are in town?¡± She nodded, relaying that information. ¡°About fifty percent are currently on quest, while the other fifty percent are in town and available. At least, that¡¯s what I¡¯m estimating. There is currently no easy way of tracking who is and isn¡¯t in town. Just data that could indicate what the numbers are likely to be.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan,¡± asked Lare. ¡°We shall go ahead and initiate the Emergency Quest,¡± said Eric, his voice emphasizing the importance of what he was saying. ¡°Boost the reward to above standard amounts as well as increase the Adventuring Progression amount. We¡¯ll send out most of what we can. Since we got about a week or so before the actual attack, I want everyone ready to move out in three days. Got it?¡± Lare gave a nod. ¡°Sarah. Work to establish two scouting quest and put that priority as high as possible. We need to know the status of the Northwest and Northeast Nests. I¡¯m hoping that neither are showing obvious signs of attack, but if they are¡­ We¡¯ll have to consider what to do.¡± ¡°As you wish guild master,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Eric, turning to her. ¡°Yes, guild master?¡± she asked, ready to do whatever she could. ¡°Head to the medical office and then every smith you can. Arrange for the acquisition of raid-capable gearing. Due to the raid difficulty, if adventures go in with anything less than D-rank quality gear, then it might be a slaughter. Also, speak with the alchemist about acquiring as many potions as we can afford.¡± ¡°Sir. We might not be able to afford all of this,¡± said Nobina, aware of the guild¡¯s financial situation. ¡°See to it that they are paid partially and tell them the guild will pay back the rest with interest. Got it?¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Lastly. Sarah. Arrange for our fastest adventuring party to head to the nearest town. We need reinforcements, even if it just ends up being one nest we have to deal with.¡± ¡°Guild master. Aren¡¯t you capable of reaching the nearest town within three days? Our fastest party might take a week due to how isolated we are.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t afford to use my ability that distance Sarah. If any of the other nest are threatening the town, then I need to be able to cull it myself in the worst case.¡± Thinking about Eric, a former S-rank adventurer, fighting a whole Goblin Nest himself excited Nobina. When she noticed Eric¡¯s gaze fall on her, she immediately tried to hide her excitement, but Eric gave a chuckle in response. ¡°Nobina. Don¡¯t let this whole situation make you feel like you have to hide how you feel, good or bad. The thought of seeing an S-rank in battle seems cool to you, right?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± she responded. ¡°Then perhaps when all of this is over and we are in a more peaceful situation, you can watch me in action. How¡¯s that sound?¡± he said, watching for her response. ¡°I¡¯d love it,¡± said Nobina, giving the biggest grin. ¡°That¡¯s Nobina for you,¡± laughed Sarah. ¡°She¡¯s becoming more and more like Mimiki to this day.¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± said Nobina, hearing Mimiki¡¯s name. ¡°What about Mimiki?¡± ¡°She should be around the Northeast Nest at the moment for a promotion test,¡± said Eric. ¡°Ideally, her report tells us there¡¯s nothing to worry about. However, even if she indicates the nest is active, it¡¯s better we have that information now so we can plan.¡± With that said, no one had anything left to say. Eric dismissed everyone, leaving himself in the room. ¡°The nests¡­ shouldn¡¯t be active this soon¡­ Hopefully I¡¯m wrong about this but¡­¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Eric didn¡¯t finish the thought as he left the room, a concerned look remaining on his face. Back at the front, Nobina and Lare were standing in the back as Sarah began giving the announcement. ¡°Attention all adventures. We are issuing an Emergency Quest to cull the South Goblin Nest. The rewards will be greater than usual to highlight the importance of getting this done. Due to the other two nests¡¯ status being unknown, we are also asking for two D-rank level scouting parties to investigate the other two nests. This takes a higher priority, so please consider this quest over the others. Lastly, anyone who has seen the Asure Riders or any of their party members please let me know. They have a personal quest that has the highest priority. If there are any questions, please feel free to ask me.¡± As soon as she was done speaking, a few adventurers headed to the front to bombard Sarah with their questions regarding everything going on. As for Nobina, she began heading out to the medical office to speak with Medical Mage Kim. Arriving there, she waited in the lobby as Witmi told her Kim was seeing someone. ¡°What¡¯s going on anyway Nobina. The look on your face makes it feel like something horrible just¡­¡± As she was about to finish her words, Witmi noticed Nobina¡¯s concerned look. ¡°Oh Nobina¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright Witmi,¡± she replied. ¡°A lot¡­ is happening. I just need to make sure Kim understands¡­ That¡¯s all.¡± Witmi gave a nod. After about ten minutes, Medical Mage Kim appeared with another adventurer who looked freshly healed. ¡°Thank you again Kim,¡± he smiled. ¡°I feel ready to fight a goblin army.¡± ¡°You and your confidence,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Make sure you heal up first then you can go back to fighting¡­ four to five goblins.¡± He gave a sigh as he shook his head. ¡°One day though¡­ I¡¯ll be able to decimate a goblin army like Eric. You just wait,¡± he grinned. ¡°I¡¯d love to see that,¡± she smiled. With that, the adventurer left the room. When Kim saw the worried look on Nobina¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t help but return her own frown. ¡°Oh Nobina. Are you alright? Did something happen with goblins?¡± When she gave a nod, Kim shook her head. ¡°Goblin humor is what usually comforts Retan, so I was just joking with him. I¡¯m sorry if you¡¯ve suffered and goblin-related trauma.¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s¡­ alright,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Thing is, something serious is happening. Mind if we talk in private?¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t mine,¡± she responded, her face giving a serious look. The three of them headed into the back, where Nobina relayed the situation. ¡°Oh dear,¡± said Medical Mage Kim. ¡°Moments like this make me wish I could go on the field, but I¡¯d imagine that I must remain here just in case.¡± ¡°That is correct. We cannot afford having you leave the town where we still don¡¯t know the status of the other two nest.¡± ¡°This is horrible,¡± said Witmi. ¡°Is it even safe being in the town with so many adventurers away?¡± Nobina didn¡¯t know the answer to that, but Kim had her own response. ¡°Many of the townsfolk here aren¡¯t on the younger side Witmi. Most can¡¯t afford to just pack up and leave. Even if the town is safe when they come back, moving a whole town population is rather difficult. They¡¯d have to keep all the adventurers here and understand the town would likely be razed to the ground.¡± The thought of everything burning entered Nobina¡¯s mind, making her sick as she imagined the carnage that could unfold. ¡°Sorry about giving you that image Nobina,¡± said Kim. ¡°But¡­ That¡¯s just my reasoning to justify how you guys are handling things. Hopefully you understand.¡± ¡°I do,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ thankful for your input. Anyway, I shall give my official request. The guild is requesting you heal anyone who needs immediate medical attention. Do not worry about payment, as the guild will cover.¡± ¡°We will do so,¡± said Kim. ¡°Tell the guild master we shall only take what you can afford to give us. Saving lives is our primary concern at the moment and if the money is needed elsewhere, spend it as you wish.¡± Nobina smiled and gave a nod. ¡°Thank you, Kim.¡± ¡°Godspeed Nobina¡­ Godspeed,¡± Kim replied. With that, Nobina left the medical office. As she did, she began wondering if there were gods watching over them right now. The only god she knew about was likely Nonomo, but she didn¡¯t even know if he was a god. There was also Gaze, but she wasn¡¯t sure if they were gods either. They felt more like observers, if anything. ¡°Hopefully meeting with the smiths goes as smooth,¡± she told herself. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. Each smith Nobina met with had resource problems. Even with the offer of future payment, they couldn¡¯t accept it because they needed to replenish their supply. It frustrated Nobina, and she wanted to lash out at their greed, but she could tell it wasn¡¯t merely that. They wanted to help, but if they gave most of their gear and used more of their current supply, they¡¯d be at a loss until payment was received from the guild. The fact that the guild¡¯s own coffers weren¡¯t too sizable made the current problem apparent. As Nobina finished seeing the third and last smith on her list, she felt disappointed she could only arrange for two-thirds of the gear they needed for the South Nest adventuring groups. ¡°Hopefully it¡¯s good enough,¡± she told herself. Last on the list was meeting with Siva. Arriving at her potion store, Nobina noticed there were already a lot of C-rank adventurers purchasing as many potions as they could. When they noticed Nobina, they made way, allowing her to speak with Siva. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Siva. ¡°I have an idea on why you¡¯re here. Let me finish all their orders first.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± she responded, taking a seat. It took about an hour before the last adventurer was gone, and Nobina could tell they were preparing for the raid themselves. Most of the healing potions were gone, and a lot of utility potions were gone as well. There was likely only enough to fully kit out a few adventurers. ¡°Will the guild purchase the remaining supply? I can likely make a few more sets, but I¡¯ll need way more herbs and other alchemy ingredients to fully stock up,¡± said Siva, wasting no time. ¡°Yes we will,¡± said Nobina. Unexpectedly, Nobina didn¡¯t need much to buy the remaining stock. It seemed the adventurers were ensuring they had the potions they needed rather than depending on the guild handouts. People might have wondered why they didn¡¯t just let the guild give them free potions instead of buying them, but it made sense if one thought about it. There was a limited amount of healing potions, and if the guild bought them all and there was maybe one at most per person, people would feel more at risk. Plus, them having it meant they could do more and earn more rewards. An investment, as they say. As Nobina packed the last potions into the box, Siva closed up shop and began assisting Nobina in carrying them over. Despite her age, she carried it with ease, making Nobina shocked. ¡°Potion Mule,¡± chuckled Siva. ¡°Even at my age, this ability lets me carry potions with ease. It¡¯s like I¡¯m carrying an empty box right now. Of course, I still need to be careful since it doesn¡¯t last forever, but it¡¯s helpful for moments like this.¡± Nobina nodded, following Siva as they headed to the guild. Once they were there, the potions were put down in the back. There was still plenty of time in the day, but Nobina was finally feeling tired. The accumulated fatigue was getting to her, and Sarah was quick to notice. ¡°Nobina. Head home for the day. I know you¡¯ve likely been awake for awhile. Your face shows it, but no one would have said anything since you¡¯re working so hard.¡± She nodded, thanking Sarah for working hard. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s a new day and we¡¯ll need to be in top shape,¡± she smiled. ¡°Eat up and get some sleep.¡± Nobina left the guild office and saw it was sunset. As she looked at her growing shadow, she felt the call for sleep getting strong. She wanted to eat, but she also wanted the sweet embrace of her bed as well. She made her way to the inn, asking Harris for quick food. Seeing her condition, he asked the customer whose order he had in hand if he could give it to Nobina. They were about to complain, but seeing Nobina and her guild officer markings, he merely nodded. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Nobina, giving a bow. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he said, a worried look on his face. ¡°It looks like¡­ you need it way more than me.¡± With that, Nobina began eating the plate of Chizen. Unlike before, the Chizen felt less flavorful, making her wonder if all of this was getting to her. She finished the food quickly, thanking Harris before she headed to her room. Once she was there, she saw Pausers immediately go to her and try to give her comfort. ¡°Pausers,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I wanted to joke around and demand you tell me why the Gaze gave you a cigarette but¡­ I¡¯m too tired to ask¡­¡± Pausers merely looked at her, a seemingly confused look entering their face before they snuggled up against her. As that happened, her Gaze bag glowed. Opening it up, she saw a book called How to Raise Your Totally Normal Bunny. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as she read through the book. The moment she reached the 13th ¡°do not¡± bullet point regarding raising your bunny, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°So it looks like one of you is reasonable. Of course giving a bunny a cigarette, even if it makes them look edgy, is a bad idea.¡± As she said that, she looked at Pausers, who once again, looked at her confusedly before snuggling against her. She then recalled the book for later and instinctively said summon, bringing out her diary on her desk. However, she felt no urge to write at the moment. All she wanted to do was sleep and wake up rested, ending the day on the laugh she had. ¡°Tomorrow,¡± she told herself. Nobina headed to bed, falling asleep shortly after. Chapter 31: Council and Fate Nobina awoke to the warm sunlight covering her face. As she began to stretch, she remembered she hadn¡¯t written in her diary for the longest time. Part of her knew she should head to work immediately considering how busy things were, but another part was telling her to not keep putting off writing even a little bit. ¡°It can wait till tonight,¡± she told herself. Standing up, she greeted Pausers, who was happily hopping around on the bed as soon as she left. ¡°Sometimes I wish I could bring you around more Pausers. You bring me such joy¡­ despite all the sad stuff that happens around me.¡± Pausers gave a squeak, causing Nobina to chuckle. At that moment, she noticed her Gaze bag glow, revealing another note when she opened it. Reading it, she shook her head. ¡°I understand why you¡¯d believe Pausers should have a choice in what to do with that cigarette. I know that one of you gave me it with the intent to give it to Pausers. However, another one of you told me it was a bad idea¡­ If you are torn, then isn¡¯t it my choice to decide if Pausers gets it?¡± Nobina felt she was starting to understand the Gaze more and more each time it did something. The biggest thing is that the Gaze wasn¡¯t a single entity. It was multiple entities that were enacting their will through this bag. She wasn¡¯t sure who exactly were the entities and how many entities were watching her, but all she knew was they all had their own thoughts on what was right or what she needed. ¡°Still¡­ I do wonder¡­¡± She received this bag from Nonomo and had kept it at his request. So far it had been helpful, but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it had some grand purpose. The bag did silly things like give her a cigarette to give to a bunny because it¡¯d make them look edgy. Was that a part of some master plan or was she over thinking things and the entities were merely trolling her. Not wanting to think more about it, she got her two bags and began heading to the guild. At the guild, things were already hot as Nobina could hear Mimiki expressing herself all the way in the employee section of the guild. Sarah, who was at the receptionist¡¯s desk, merely shook her head, giving a disappointed look. Nobina made her way to the back, where she saw Mimiki and Darrias. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me that it was a mistake,¡± said Mimiki, digging her finger into Darrias. ¡°Someone lost their life, yet you think its fine because they weren¡¯t your responsibility.¡± ¡°You know as well as I know that there¡¯s only so much a C-rank adventurer can do,¡± he replied back firmly. ¡°I almost lost my own life to a Goblin Assassin. Do you think I expected either of those Goblin Paths on this quest?¡± Mimiki went silent, unable to come up with a response. At that moment, the two noticed Nobina. ¡°Sorry Nobina,¡± said Darrias. ¡°This must be particularly hard on you considering your position in this.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Are you alright? Seeing¡­ death for the first time¡­ it isn¡¯t easy. It¡¯s never easy honestly.¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ alright. I just¡­ want us to move on so we can prepare for the serious things to come.¡± At those words, Mimiki shook her head, showing her own personal frustration. ¡°Eric deserves a piece of my mind as well, but that can be handled later. Do you want to join me in discussing my opinions regarding the Emergency Quest?¡± Nobina was about to answer, but Sarah¡¯s call to Guild Master Eric brought all their attention to the front of the guild. The three of them headed to the front, where they noticed a single individual in fancy attire. Their long brown hair and stern look made them look a bit intimidating, but Nobina didn¡¯t want to be quick to judge. She wasn¡¯t familiar with them, but the click in Mimiki¡¯s tongue told Nobina it couldn¡¯t have been someone they wanted to see. ¡°Of course they show up,¡± sighed Mimiki. ¡°This is something that affects the whole town after all.¡± ¡°Who is she?¡± asked Nobina, her gaze being kept on the new individual. ¡°Council Member Hally,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°She¡¯s basically the liaison between the town council and the guild. As you know, the guild isn¡¯t the ultimate authority of the town. Rather, we have a council that handles most non-adventurer matters. Our jurisdiction might be far reaching, but ultimately any serious issues concerning the town is within their purview.¡± As Mimiki finished up, Council Member Hally approached Sarah, who gave her a pleasant smile. ¡°To what¡­¡± said Sarah before being cut off. ¡°Guild Master Eric. Immediately,¡± said Hally, showing a no-nonsense attitude. ¡°Understood. Mimiki. Please escort the council member to Guild Master Eric¡¯s office.¡± Hearing that name, Hally scoffed, prompting Mimiki to click her tongue yet again. Nobina sighed, realizing the two likely had something between them. ¡°Gosh dang it,¡± sighed Nobina. Mimiki approached the council member, giving a rare bow. ¡°It is a privilege to meet you once again Council Member Hally,¡± said Mimiki in a rare, humble tone. Despite that, Nobina could tell how forced it was. ¡°I trust you to my care,¡± said Hally, clearly not serious about what she just said. Before the two headed to the back, Hally turned to Nobina and smiled. ¡°Ah. You must be Nobina. It is a pleasure,¡± said Hally, giving a bow. This time, her tone reflected her sincerity, catching Nobina off guard. ¡°You¡­ know me?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°But of course. Guild Master Eric always informs us of new employees. When I found out you have what is likely a respectable academy path, Path of the Writer, which I¡¯m sure is quite rare, I knew I¡¯d be honored to meet you. And considering your look and demeanor¡­ you are truly someone worth making a friend with.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t how know to react to all the praise she was receiving, becoming beet red. However, Mimiki¡¯s cough brought her back to reality. ¡°As this is likely an important manner, we should make haste,¡± said Mimiki, giving a glance to Nobina. ¡°Then by all means,¡± smiled Hally, showing a slightly annoyed expression. ¡°Let us meet with the guild master.¡± With that, the two headed to the guild master¡¯s office. There, Eric was studying documents laid out all over his desk. When his gaze fell upon both Mimiki and Hally, he offered as big of a smile as he could. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you Hally,¡± smiled Eric. ¡°Save it,¡± said Hally, now dropping her formal demeanor. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re joking with how you¡¯re handling the matter.¡± Eric merely tilted his head, acting confused. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m not aware of the fact you¡¯re sending adventurers out to cull a nest,¡± said Hally, irritated by his attitude. ¡°You know our town¡¯s situation and how much pressure this will put on the town guards. Not to mention we haven¡¯t forgotten the prior incident with the multi-nest attack. Are you even taking that into account?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Please,¡± said Eric, dropping his own smile for a more neutral expression. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of the risk of initiating a culling operation while the other two nest status are unknown. However, here are the facts. If we are attacked by multiple nests, then defending the town will put us in the worst position. Attacking the nest itself has been planned, but town defense is another issue. Our best case, whether it¡¯s one or multiple active nests, is to cull it as soon as possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my issue,¡± said Mimiki, showing unrestrained anger. ¡°I know these adventurers and you cannot limit the culling squad. A Goblin Assassin and Goblin Archer are two threats that could easily decimate the attack groups if in larger numbers. We need to send as many as we can to deal with the nest.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot agree to that,¡± said Hally. ¡°If we experience another attack, what will the guild do? Send you or Eric out to deal with the second nest? What if all three nests attack? We should be preparing for the worst case, not assuming that this is merely a one-nest problem.¡± ¡°We already have a scout group checking both nest,¡± replied Eric. ¡°Once we find out more information in two days, we can adjust our strategy.¡± ¡°But Eric,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°If we wait too long, the South Invasion, which is going to happen within a few days no matter what we do, will cause the goblins to leave the nest. It¡¯ll be significantly harder to deal with the invasion once they all pour out.¡± As all of them continued to think, Nobina¡¯s bag gave a rather bright glow. While Nobina, Mimiki, and Eric knew about it, Hally looked confused. ¡°What is that?¡± asked Hally, looking at Nobina¡¯s Gaze Bag. ¡°This is Nobina¡¯s special tool,¡± said Eric, trying to cover for Nobina. ¡°It creates random objects that can either be helpful or useless.¡± Hally looked suspiciously at Eric but then turned to Nobina with a reassuring look. ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s see what we got then, shall we?¡± smiled Hally. Nobina looked at Eric, who merely nodded silently. With that, Nobina saw a large amount of barb wiring. She went into her special bag to grab her gloves, which she used to pull the barb wire out of her bag. Looking at it, everyone except Nobina was confused about what they were seeing. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± asked Eric. ¡°This is barb wire. It¡¯s commonly used for defense or security by impeding infantry or living beings in general. Imagine trying to run through a strong, sturdy wire that can easily cut you? Very effective at slowing things down.¡± ¡°Amazing,¡± said Hally. ¡°So this bag produced something we can instantly use for the town defense. Why weren¡¯t we made aware we had such a tool?¡± As she said that, another bundle of barb wire appeared, which Nobina pulled out. ¡°Well¡­ you see... This bag can produce stuff immediately useful like this, but not all the time. It¡¯s very conditional and needs further research. Anyways, according to the information tag on the barb wire¡­ wow, this is 1300 feet of barb wire each. So, we got 2600 feet of this stuff¡­¡± Nobina was instantly thankful for everything she was receiving right now. Considering the circumstances, they needed everything they could get to push things in their favor. As she said that, two more bundles appeared, as well as instructions on how to use them called ¡°Barbed Wire Setup for Dummies and Idiots, Volume 1 of 1.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll need four bundles of this stuff, but thanks for the book.¡± ¡°Who are you talking to,¡± said Hally, even more confused. ¡°Myself,¡± smiled Nobina innocently. Hally stared at her for a bit before sighing. ¡°Well¡­ Anyway. The town defense remains a priority. However, it seems like the guild is aware of how serious the matter is. I shall report everything I¡¯ve discuss and seen here today with the rest of the council. For now, the council trusts you in this matter. However, please do not send too many adventurers on a raid if you do proceed. We must remember the safety of the civilians is a priority.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± bowed Eric. ¡°Wait,¡± spoke Nobina, now displaying her own confusion. ¡°You¡¯re just¡­ leaving it to us?¡± ¡°Ultimately that would have been the case regardless of how this meeting went. We are merely here to advise, not control the guild Nobina,¡± smiled Hally. ¡°After all, we merely wish for the best for the town and to minimize the damages. After all, this is merely an unfortunate disaster that couldn¡¯t have been avoided.¡± Hearing those words made Nobina sad. She merely wanted a peaceful life, yet it seemed fate had something else in store for her and the town. With that, Hally asked to be escorted out, which Mimiki assisted with. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later Mimiki,¡± said Eric, with Mimiki merely nodding. As the two found themselves alone, Eric asked Nobina to sit down. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Eric, his voice turning serious. ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, giving an innocent smile. ¡°We need to talk about your Gaze and your Path.¡± Hearing that, Nobina gave him a serious look. ¡°I¡¯ve been debating whether to discuss this matter with you or not, but as your bag¡¯s capabilities have become more and more apparent, I feel its best we discuss my thoughts and plans moving forward.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help being concerned about what he was about to say, but she continued to listen. ¡°I had my suspicions Nobina, but I believe the recent events that are happening might be because of you and your Path.¡± A look of disbelief appeared on her face. ¡°Are you telling me I triggered this disaster because of my Path?¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± he responded back. ¡°Are you aware of the story of the heroes?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°Yeah. This adventuring book told me a brief intro on it.¡± Nobina began recalling the story of the heroes. How one day, the demons suddenly started amassing power and began their assault on the world. In response, the gods summoned heroes to counteract the rising demon threat. The result was a massive war that took hundreds of years to resolve. The end result was today¡¯s peace, where the demons no longer sought to expand, and everyone sought world unity. ¡°Good. So. When you arrived here and we had your Path checked, it was confirmed your Path meant you¡¯d had the potential to significantly influence the world. What exactly you will do to influence it is still unknown. However, considering the rise of the goblin threat, I believe the world is reacting to your presence and actions so far.¡± Nobina had trouble fathoming the idea that her mere presence was leading to the current mess they were in. Not to mention, that meant that the death of Manist was now sounding like her fault. ¡°I refuse to believe this,¡± she said adamantly. ¡°Exactly what am I doing to trigger this, Eric? Writing? Having dreams? Enjoying myself? Tell me. I¡¯d LOVE to hear what I¡¯m doing wrong.¡± The last words out of her mouth came out loudly, prompting Eric to give a bit of a surprise look. ¡°Like I said, I have no idea what exactly you¡¯re doing to trigger all these events, but I know you have to be playing a role due to your Path. Do you think this invasion happens if you¡¯re not here?¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t deny it, but he didn¡¯t answer her question. ¡°There¡¯s no way I would know that. However, what do you want me to do Eric? Just¡­ go away? Leave forever?¡± Eric remained silent, which infuriated Nobina. As she said that, a paper flew out of the bag, landing between the two. It displayed a hooded figure flipping off Eric, prompting Eric to be confused while Nobina facepalmed. ¡°Oh great,¡± she sighed. ¡°You know what Eric. If my presence here is really a detriment to the town, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Nobina stood up to leave, but Eric stood up as well. ¡°Nobina¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I cannot allow you to leave. Given the situation¡­ I must act in the capacity of a guild master.¡± She took a step back, fear entering her face. ¡°Are you¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I merely cannot let you leave my presence anymore. I still don¡¯t know what your purpose is or if you¡¯re really causing the current chain of events, but getting rid of you might just doom the world. For now, I shall watch over you as my priority. Got it?¡± Nobina felt hurt that she was being treated as a potential liability, but she was more concerned about Eric and what he was going to do. ¡°But¡­ What about your duties as a guild master? What about everything that¡¯s happening?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°We will resolve our current issues first, but once they are resolved¡­ we will discuss what the plan is moving forward? Got it?¡± said Eric, his voice remaining as serious as ever. Nobina could only nod in response. She had thought things were going well, but now she realized how much things have spiraled out of control. Not only that, but now Eric was telling her she could be significantly influencing the world and now had to be watched due to the danger she presented. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Eric. ¡°I know¡­ that I might be coming off as someone who wants to control you, but you must understand that I¡¯m doing this with good intentions.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, her voice gone of any clear joy. ¡°I just¡­ wanted to be a writer¡­ Is that too much to ask?¡± Eric, giving her a sad look, shook his head. ¡°Apparently¡­ it is.¡± As he said that, the Gaze bag reacted immediately. Screams came from it, saying they¡¯d kill Eric to free her if she wished. He remained calm, though his words towards Nobina reflected how he was feeling. ¡°Whatever this Gaze is, I can tell it¡¯s very protective of you Nobina. Please rest assure, you¡¯ll be safe under my watch, nor will I do anything to earn the Gaze¡¯s ire. Now¡­ do you have any questions.¡± ¡°Plenty,¡± she snapped. ¡°I have so many questions and yet I¡¯m sure you can¡¯t answer them all¡­ I just need to think.¡± In Nobina¡¯s mind, things weren¡¯t going as she wanted. It was as if her role as a puppet was now being made clear. All she wanted to do was accomplish a simple dream, and now she was the catalyst for change in this world. Was she destined to never finish the book she wanted to write? ¡°I guess for now¡­ I only want to know if you think it will be impossible to live a peaceful life.¡± Eric offered a small smile. ¡°Like I said. For all we known these events might have happened whether you came to this world or not. For now, I suggest remaining hopeful that things will work out. That¡¯s all anyone can hope for.¡± ¡°I guess¡­ You¡¯re right,¡± she sighed. Despite everything, deep down Nobina had a feeling that she still had control over what path her life took. This was a trial she¡¯d have to overcome. An obstacle that was holding her back. Writing a book for her wouldn¡¯t be easy, but she¡¯d find a way to do it. One way or another, she¡¯d complete her dream. What happened after that¡­ would be all up to fate. Chapter 32: Secrets and Defense As the two stood there in silence, Eric finally broke it by speaking first. ¡°For now, we will need to discuss what happens moving forward. Obviously, you can¡¯t tell anyone what I just told you. If people even suspected that you were the cause of the current events, then things would be difficult to deal with. Only me and Maria know about your Path¡¯s destiny, so you should be fine for now. However, this will continue to be an issue in the future if we don¡¯t address it after the Goblin situation is resolved.¡± Nobina nodded, not saying anything. Her mind was still all over the place due to what she learned, but she knew that they had something important to do. At the very least, she had to do what she could to help resolve things now before she could worry about her own Path and dream. ¡°Right. So what¡¯s the plan Eric?¡± asked Nobina, giving him her undivided attention. ¡°We¡¯ll call back Mimiki and discuss using your barbed wire in both the operation and defense of the town,¡± he responded. ¡°Go ahead and check on her to see if she¡¯s ready to discuss the matter.¡± She gave a nod, leaving the room. As she went downstairs, she saw Sarah and Mimiki working together at the receptionist desk, handling adventurers. At the moment, questing was suspended so it was them mostly helping adventurers prepare for the upcoming raid. Mimiki, who noticed Nobina, called her over. ¡°Are you done speaking with Eric?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah. He wants to discuss the plan moving forward,¡± responded Nobina. Mimiki nodded, asking Sarah to take over as the two headed back up. Once both were in Eric¡¯s office, Mimiki began giving the opinion she had been waiting to give. ¡°Eric,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Regarding earlier. We cannot risk sending too little adventurers to deal with the matter. Hopefully you have a plan for that.¡± ¡°With Nobina¡¯s new barb wire, we should actually be able to send the planned amount without issue,¡± he replied. Nobina listened as Eric went into detail regarding the plan. The plan would be to perform a minor culling operation to seal the entrance of the nest and to trim down the numbers to a ¡°safe level.¡± Eric then began talking about how there were two types of culling. The normal culling operation involved sending adventurers into the nest to deal with destroying anything that could lead to a major nest advancement. This meant the removal of nest weapons, destroying of objects that could result in goblins thriving, or even destroying parts of the nest itself if the goblins have expanded it too far. ¡°As you should know, a Goblin Nest isn¡¯t a static thing. The Goblin Queens expand the nest in any way they can and culling them is key to preventing them from becoming threats. After all, a Goblin Archer cannot form if they have no bows, or a Goblin Assassin path is unlikely to appear if the goblins don¡¯t have access to dagger weapons.¡± ¡°Right,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°After all, you can¡¯t tell the difference between a normal goblin and a Path Goblin just by looking at them. Their weapon of choice is what we use as indicators.¡± ¡°Which is why normally, to reset a nest we¡¯d fully clear the chambers except the main nesting one of anything that could develop a goblin path. However, due to the urgency and uncertainty of the current operation, plus the addition of your barb wire, we can do a minor culling.¡± A minor culling was merely the elimination of enough goblins that an invasion was not possible. The reason these were done was to merely deal with the immediate threat. The main issue with minor culling was that they didn¡¯t deal with preventing Paths but merely weakened the immediate threat of a nest. With how many resources it took to start an emergency quest, having one just for a minor culling operation was normally wasteful. However, the situation they were in made it so they had no real choice in the matter. ¡°With Nobina¡¯s barb wire, we can go ahead and seal the known entrances and kill any goblins that try to escape. It¡¯ll take much longer to cull the nest and the goblins threaten building up an attack force to breach and escape containment, but it¡¯s more defensible and we don¡¯t need to deal with the dangers of going into the nest itself. Of course, if the goblins storm out of the nest before we can secure the entrances then we¡¯ll have to issue a retreat, but it might be our only choice,¡± said Eric. ¡°The plan seems fine with me, but that means neither me nor you will be on this operation, right?¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Unfortunately that is correct,¡± sighed Eric. ¡°If something serious happens, the C-ranks might be able to handle it, but they won¡¯t have the firepower of an A-rank or S-rank behind them.¡± Mimiki looked uncertain about everything, but her look turned determined after a bit. ¡°We have to trust in them to handle it. I might not know all our adventurers, but everyone I¡¯ve promoted to C-rank should be capable of doing their job well.¡± Eric nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ I trust them as well. Now as for the defense of the town¡­ Nobina. Can you work with Mimiki to discuss planning the defense of the town. Should the worst come to pass, which is both the culling fails and we are attacked by the other nests, we need to be prepared.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best Eric,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Wait,¡± said Mimiki.. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help with the planning?¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m planning to visit the council to discuss a few things, so please feel free to contact me if something urgent happens.¡± With that, he dismissed the two. As the two headed down to the library, Mimiki¡¯s worried expression made Nobina worried. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Mimiki,¡± asked Nobina as the two headed into the library. ¡°Eric¡­ seems worried,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t we all worried? After all, this is a serious matter we are dealing with,¡± said Nobina. As the two sat down, Mimiki shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ it seems he has something else on his mind. You haven¡¯t known Eric as long as I have, so you wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the subtle changes in his expression. He seems worried about something not involving the goblins, but¡­ I wonder what it¡¯s about.¡± Nobina realized that perhaps Eric was thinking about her own situation and how he planned to handle it. Despite how serious the goblins were, Eric certainly had to have been thinking ahead. Otherwise, he would have been more focused on dealing with the matter at hand. ¡°I guess it¡¯s something serious enough that its dividing his focus,¡± said Nobina as she began looking for a book regarding the town layout. ¡°Maybe,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Have any idea what¡¯s causing it?¡± When she said that, Nobina stopped. When she turned to Mimiki, her smile seemed to give away the fact she knew it involved something she had to know. Nobina knew she couldn¡¯t say it, so she did what Mimiki always advised her to do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mimiki¡­ but I can¡¯t tell you what the matter involves,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Oh don¡¯t wo¡­¡± Mimiki stopped mid-sentence, not saying a word. Her smile faded away and soon she gave a rather blank expression. It confused Nobina as she waited for her to continue to talk. ¡°Sorry Nobina. I need to step out for a bit. Can you¡­ handle getting all the documents together?¡± asked Mimiki, not looking at her as she stood up and went to the doorway. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Yeah¡­ I just¡­ need some air is all,¡± she said, her voice indicating she was not alright. As Mimiki left, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but worry about what was going on with Mimiki. What would cause her to just leave? Nobina began spending the rest of the time gathering documents involving the town layout and any information regarding defense planning. As lunch rolled around, Sarah appeared, asking Nobina if something was wrong. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m just planning the town defense.¡± ¡°Oh, it just looks like your mind is thinking about something. You¡¯ve been staring at that page for a while actually.¡± Nobina, looking down, began realizing her mind really was somewhere else right now. ¡°Say Sarah¡­ Did you notice something¡­ strange about Mimiki as she left?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± she replied back. ¡°She looked upset. I have no idea why though. The situation is serious right now, but there¡¯s no time to let it distract you from your work. Both her and you. Uh¡­ Do you know the reason why she¡¯d be upset Nobina?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Nobina began telling Sarah about the conversation they had with Eric and then how Mimiki was noticing something was distracting him. Then she explained what she told Mimiki and before Nobina knew it, Mimiki left. Sarah thought about it and shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t say I would know if anything you said or did would make her upset based on what you told me,¡± said Sarah. ¡°From what you said, she should have merely accepted that you couldn¡¯t tell her why, but¡­ perhaps she realized something based the that supposed secret?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Nobina as she put her head in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m so bad with people sometimes.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Sarah replied. As she said that, her bag glowed. Nobina thought about opening it, but she decided to do it during their lunch. ¡°Mind if we¡­ step away from the guild to eat. I¡¯m having trouble thinking right now.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± smiled Sarah. The two headed out to the inn for lunch. As the two sat down, Sarah asked Nobina what was wrong. ¡°I hate secrets Sarah,¡± said Nobina, feeling more comfortable speaking her mind. ¡°There¡¯s some major secret I can¡¯t say and it¡¯s eating away at me. Actually, there¡¯s two major secrets I have. Normally, I would be fine but at the moment I¡¯m just¡­ ugh¡­¡± Nobina put her head face down on the table. Her bag once again glowed, prompting her to raise her head. ¡°And this thing¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, a smell of food came from it. Opening it up, Nobina noticed a picnic basket of food she wasn¡¯t too familiar with. The other thing she noticed was ten grenades. ¡°But WHY!¡± Her voice came out loud enough that all eyes in the inn were on her. Noticing this, she immediately stood up and apologized. ¡°Sorry for disturbing everyone¡¯s lunch,¡± she said. ¡°Sarah¡­ Can we go to my room?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ sure,¡± she smiled, not letting what just happened phase her. As the two headed into her room and Nobina locked the door, Sarah became more open with her worry. ¡°Nobina. This secret or secrets must be really getting to you if you¡¯re blowing up like that,¡± said Sarah. ¡°You know what Sarah? Mimiki knows this so why don¡¯t I tell you my first secret. I¡¯ll feel much better actually if I tell you. I¡¯m from another world.¡± As she finished that, Sarah¡¯s facial expression changed to pure shock. ¡°No way¡­ you¡¯re from another world? That¡¯s so crazy,¡± she said, her face showing more join that Nobina expected. ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah¡­ Why do you look so happy about that,¡± said Nobina, confused. ¡°Oh¡­ I was just thinking about how you must have so many cool things to talk about that you couldn¡¯t tell me. Now that you¡¯ve said your secret, it must be a relief to be able to talk to me freely about the cool clothes you couldn¡¯t talk about before.¡± ¡°The cool¡­¡± Nobina began chuckling before giving a full fledge laugh. As she laughed, Sarah laughed as well, both of them in full laughter. It took a bit, but eventually Nobina managed to calm herself first. When she did, Sarah stopped her laughter as well, now giving a gentle smile. ¡°You did that on purpose huh,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°What? Make a joke? You look like you needed it,¡± chuckled Sarah. Her bag glowed again, with Nobina taking out the new objects. This time, she saw three sets of really nice clothing from her world, all with the bee embroidered on the tags. ¡°Woah,¡± said Sarah, looking at the clothes. ¡°Are all these for you? All these designs¡­ They are otherworldly.¡± ¡°Please tell me you aren¡¯t going to start to make so many other world puns now Sarah,¡± said Nobina with a sigh. ¡°Only if it makes you laugh,¡± she smiled. ¡°But really¡­ this explains a lot and it¡¯s so cool¡­ I don¡¯t know why you are worried about these secrets.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I wish I could just openly talk to you about everything Sarah¡­ but one of these secrets has me so worried. If I tell you, and it ruins our friendship¡­¡± Hearing that, Sarah gave Nobina a hug. ¡°Nobina¡­ you can tell me whatever it is,¡± she said. ¡°I know we haven¡¯t known each other so long¡­ but you can¡¯t live your whole life in this world without someone you feel fully open with. I¡­ I can be that someone for you. Sure, if you tell me you¡¯re the most horrible person in the world and have done things that cannot be forgiven, I may not be able to forgive you¡­ but I can help you move past it and become someone better.¡± Nobina found herself crying into Sarah, who comforted her. It was only then did Nobina realized how much she really did appreciate Sarah for everything she had done for her. She felt that she was the best friend one could ask for and if she was going to open up completely to someone, Sarah would be that person. ¡°Sarah¡­ Thank you¡­ for allowing me to open up,¡± said Nobina. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ what best friends are for,¡± said Sarah with the smile Nobina had come to appreciate. Chapter 33: Best Friend and Teacher It must have been hours, but Nobina found herself talking as much as she could about her whole story. From her life in her previous world to her time in this world, Nobina found herself lost in conversation as she talked about everything bothering her. During this, Sarah was listening intently, not doing anything to show clear discomfort with what she was talking about. Nobina was secretly worried that she would say something that would bother Sarah, but seeing no clear reaction made her feel more comfortable talking about her own problems. Eventually, she finally stopped talking, giving Sarah a moment to talk. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s¡­ really a lot to take in,¡± said Sarah, showing a bit of relief. ¡°Are you¡­ ok with everything I¡¯ve told you?¡± asked Nobina hesitantly. ¡°Even the¡­ Path stuff?¡± Sarah nodded her head. ¡°I understand why all of these things were eating away at you Nobina,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Such a Path causing our current mess¡­ That is something scary to tell people. Not everyone would keep a clear mind and understand that what you¡¯re saying isn¡¯t necessarily fact. This whole thing might have happened regardless of your involvement, but a lot of evidence supports that you¡¯re playing a part in it. That itself would make anyone hesitant to share that secret.¡± Nobina wanted to deny that last part, but she knew it was true. The fact she had a unique Path and one that confirmed she would play a part in changing the world meant that it was likely she was involved with the recent incident. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what to do,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Like I told Eric, if I could I¡¯d hide away in the forest so no one else would be affected, but¡­ he tells me he has to be with me to make sure I¡¯m always safe.¡± ¡°Well¡­ he must not mean literally be next you at all times,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Else, wouldn¡¯t he be with you right now?¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s probably true,¡± Nobina sighed. As the two went silent, Nobina decided to swap the topic of discussion. ¡°Alright¡­ so I guess we should talk about today¡¯s objects, right?¡± Nobina turned to her left, which had everything she received today. Taking inventory earlier, she had received a picnic basket of Filipino food according to the note left with it. To be more specific, it was a plate of something called Bicol Express, rice, some food called Lechon, and lastly, something called Sisig. Bicol Express was a stew-like dish made from long chili peppers, coconut milk, shrimp paste, pork, and a few other ingredients. Lechon was pig that was spit-roasted over charcoal and flavored with oil and spices. Lastly, Sisig was a dish made of various pork parts and a few chicken parts, seasoned with lime, onions, and chili peppers. ¡°Why¡­ are all these dishes pork based? Also, why Filipino food specifically?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Clearly one of the Gaze entities wants us to try food from another culture in your old world,¡± said Sarah as if this was something easily explained. ¡°Right¡­ I guess I shouldn¡¯t question it considering the situation.¡± Nobina wondered if this was a hint behind the entities themselves. After all, some were starting to show individuality. However, there wasn¡¯t much time to think more about the matter. The two of them were starving, so they ate it all for a late lunch. They took a bite of everything, showing surprise with each bite. Even being from her own world, Nobina hadn¡¯t tried most of those plates before. Getting a chance to try them now was amazing in itself, but the food itself was amazingly cooked. It made her wonder if she¡¯d have ever gotten a chance to try the foods if she remained in her world. ¡°Man¡­ I could definitely eat more dishes like this,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Oh you know it,¡± laughed Sarah. After that, Nobina looked towards a set of twenty grenades that came with a note explaining they were ¡°fragmentation grenades¡± and to be only used on monsters. It also came with a set of instructions on how to use them as well. Apparently, one of the Gazes was a fan of explosives since the amount they received was excessive. She felt they could be used to help deal with the goblins, but she knew that using them would put so many eyes on her. For now, she had to keep them all in her bag. She also wasn¡¯t sure about keeping grenades on her person. It felt a bit dangerous, yet she felt better with them all in her Special Bag since they would all be in one place at least. Last were the sets of three clothing. All of them felt slightly different from the clothes Nobina had seen in her old world. It was likely they were all the newest fashion sets from her old world. Two of them were for Nobina, and the Gaze was kind enough to give Sarah a set that fit her perfectly. ¡°How does the Gaze know my measurements anyway?¡± asked Sarah, her eyes sparkling as she held her clothes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± said Nobina, her own eyes looking at the set she had. All three sets of clothing had a bee symbol, making Nobina think all three were from the same person. She had seen the symbol on her other stuff as well, like her sword, making her wonder if the Gaze entity responsible was trying to show individuality by linking items with symbols. Considering some of the other items didn¡¯t come with the symbol, she¡¯d have to assume whoever sent her these specific ones was the same person. ¡°It¡¯s still a big mystery how my Gaze bag works,¡± said Nobina, looking over everything. ¡°What are the conditions for someone to send me items? What are the limits? Who are these entities and why are they sending these specific things¡­ Hopefully I can solve this mystery one day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we will be able to solve it,¡± smiled Sarah. With that, she began putting the grenades into her Special Bag. As they sat there for a good while, Nobina realized the two had been away from the guild way past their lunch break. ¡°We are so going to be chewed out for this,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°Hey¡­ it¡¯s better that we all work with a calm mind than you work in that horrible state you were in earlier,¡± smiled Sarah. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± As the two entered silence once more, Nobina found herself basking in the freedom she felt she had. She knew there was so much to talk with Sarah about, both things regarding this world and her previous world, but they had a job to do. ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± said Nobina, standing first. ¡°Right,¡± nodded Sarah. Before they could leave, the Gaze bag glowed once more. Opening it, Nobina smiled reading the note that was in it, recalling it right afterward. She then took out a miniature top hat that was inside and placed it on top of Pausers head. ¡°What¡¯s with the hat?¡± asked Sarah. ¡°Oh¡­ just the Gaze telling me they are supporting me no matter what happens,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Good to hear,¡± chuckled Sarah. With that, the two headed downstairs. Once they were there, they were met by Harris, who asked Nobina if she was fine. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m much better. Sorry about earlier Harris,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Eh¡­ people can be stressed sometimes. Just glad you¡¯re good now.¡± Nobina gave a nod. The two headed to the guild, where they found Lare was handling the front. The look of annoyance he had when the two appeared prompted a look of apology from both of them. ¡°It¡¯s not easy handling things when three people are out,¡± said Lare. ¡°Three? Is Mimiki not back?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°No¡­ she told me she needed a day off. I was going to tell her we needed her here now more than ever, but the expression she gave really told me that she needed the time off.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Nobina became worried, but Sarah patted her back. ¡°We¡¯ll talk to her later. I¡¯m sure she must have realized something serious and is letting those feelings sit before confronting them.¡± Thinking about it, Nobina realized there was one possibility she hoped wasn¡¯t true. Instead of letting that start taking over her thoughts, she refocused on the conversation the three were having. ¡°Sarah. Please handle the front. Nobina, please continue to research the town defense and set up a plan. We¡¯ll need to have it ready once the reports about the two goblin nests arrive.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± both responded. With that, the two went to work. Both were in focus and, for the rest of the day, managed to focus on their tasks. During this whole time, Nobina learned a lot about their town layout and defensive strategy. Thanks to all the reading she had done, it wasn¡¯t too hard to read through all the books. However, she knew that this reading didn¡¯t make her an expert in the matter. She¡¯d have to talk to Eric and Mimiki more regarding the plan she came up with involving the barbed wiring. As the day ended, the two reported to Lare, who gave a nod. ¡°Good job today you two. We hopefully should get the report information back the day of the raid, so until then continue to prepare people for the raid. Now go get some rest.¡± With that, the two of them left the guild, heading straight for Mimiki¡¯s. Giving a knock, they realized she wasn¡¯t there, making Nobina confused. ¡°Where could she be¡­¡± Nobina only had one more place to check, so she decided to head to the training grounds with Sarah. Once the two were there, Nobina felt relieved to see Mimiki there. However, she looked like she was venting her anger as she was practicing her sword swings rather aggressively. As the two watched, Mimiki stopped and turned in their direction. ¡°Don¡¯t just hide. Come out you two,¡± she said, trying to hide how annoyed she sounded. However, both knew that she was definitely mad. The two of them stepped out of the trees and met Mimiki on the open field. ¡°What is it,¡± Mimiki asked impatiently. Sarah said nothing, letting Nobina handle the matter. ¡°Mimiki. Tell me the truth. What did you find out that made you leave,¡± asked Nobina, being forward with her question. ¡°Did you do something horrible Nobina?¡± asked Mimiki. Nobina didn¡¯t know what to say, but Sarah began trying to cover for her. ¡°Mimiki¡­¡± ¡°This is between me and Nobina Sarah. Stay out of it,¡± Mimiki barked. ¡°Sarah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Don¡¯t take this out on Sarah. This has nothing to do with her.¡± Mimiki seemed to want to yell at Nobina, but she took a breath to calm down a bit. ¡°Fine,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Tell me the truth. What did you do?¡± Nobina felt the pressure to tell Mimiki the truth as well. However, she had a bad feeling about telling her. Unlike Sarah, Nobina realized there was a tiny bit of reluctance to completely trust that Mimiki would not react with hostility to what she was going to say. Mimiki was clearly getting impatient, but Sarah spoke out again to calm her. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Sarah! I told you¡­¡± Before she could say anything else, Sarah spoke out. ¡°Listen to me Mimiki,¡± said Sarah in a loud voice. ¡°Nobina is having a hard time telling you the truth because she¡¯s worried about losing you as a friend. Can¡¯t you see her expression right now?¡± Mimiki, turning to Nobina, saw the pain expression on Nobina¡¯s face. She immediately went from annoyed to apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot again,¡± said Mimiki, grabbing her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nobina. I don¡¯t want you to feel forced to tell me anything¡­ Please just feel free to keep silent. I will never hold that against you.¡± Nobina expression relaxed a bit, but she could now tell that Mimiki was holding in her own emotions for Nobina¡¯s sake. Mimiki really wanted to know the truth about the secret between Eric and Nobina. ¡°I have to apologize as well¡­ Mimiki¡­ I really¡­ really don¡¯t want what I¡¯m going to tell you¡­ to affect things between us¡­¡± Nobina was struggling immensely to speak the truth. However, Sarah¡¯s words managed to get to Nobina. ¡°Despite your worries Nobina¡­ You must believe Mimiki will understand¡­¡± ¡°How can I know that for sure Sarah?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I¡­ I desperately want to believe Mimiki will take it the same way you have, but¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, drawing their attention. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me despite everything I¡¯ve done towards you. I won¡¯t repay your kindness with fury, even if you did do something unforgivable¡­ I swear to you that at the very least.¡± Hearing that, Nobina sighed. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Nobina told Mimiki everything as well. How Eric believed she was the cause of everything due to having a Path meant to influence the world. How it was likely that her existence might bring forth more disasters. Even how Eric advised her to keep these facts a secret, else she might be targeted in hopes her death would prevent further disasters. As she spoke, Nobina could tell Mimiki was really taking the implications of what she was saying to heart. ¡°Are you¡­ alright Mimiki?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡­ I need time to take what you said in¡­ Can you¡­ two leave me?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Of course,¡± they replied. As the two left, Sarah could see Nobina was worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Mimiki¡­ she¡¯ll keep her word and not let what you just told her affect your friendship.¡± ¡°But it feels wrong,¡± said Nobina. ¡°A friendship should never be forced. If she truly does not want to be friends anymore¡­ I''d rather we stop being friends...¡± ¡°If she manages to look past what you said¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to truly call her a friend," smiled Sarah. Nobina shook her head. ¡°A friend isn¡¯t someone who will mindlessly look past the bad stuff you¡¯ve done. Rather, they will understand it and help you atone.¡± Sarah couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re acting like you did something bad. If someone curses you and then people around you get cursed, you don¡¯t have to atone for merely being put in those circumstances. Nobina. I think the thing you need to understand is that you can¡¯t let yourself be blamed as the middleman. You didn¡¯t give yourself this Path. Remember that.¡± Hearing those words gave her some comfort, but then it made her wonder if she really should be blaming someone. Was Nonomo the one to blame for giving her this second chance? Was she to blame for accepting it? Would all of this happen regardless of what she did? Not to mention that it was hard to say she didn¡¯t give herself the Path she had, considering she always wanted to be a writer. Perhaps by getting a second chance, she had put so many others at risk. ¡°Ow,¡± said Nobina, feeling Sarah hit the back of her head. ¡°Don¡¯t let this stuff eat away at you Nobina. We still need to be calm and collected for tomorrow.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she replied back. The two headed to the inn to enjoy a nice dinner. Afterwards, Nobina wished Sarah goodbye and headed to her room. Once in her room, Nobina gave Pausers a few pats before writing in her diary. So much had happened today that Nobina found herself lost in thought as she wrote. When she finished up, she was surprised to hear a knock on her door. ¡°Coming,¡± said Nobina, going to open it. When she did, she saw Mimiki standing there. ¡°Oh Mimiki,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Do you¡­ mind if we have a walk?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± The two of them headed out, with Nobina following behind Mimiki. They headed past Mimiki¡¯s house and towards the direction of the training grounds. As the two walked, neither of them was saying a word. Nobina felt that Mimiki had something important to say, but she wanted to do it in a private setting. Eventually, the two reached the training grounds, where the moonlight was shining beautifully to illuminate it completely. There, Nobina found herself asking Mimiki why she brought her all the way out here. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, turning to Nobina. ¡°Do you¡­ trust me?¡± Nobina noticed Mimiki¡¯s hand move to her sword, making Nobina smile. ¡°Yes¡­ I trust you Mimiki.¡± In a quick motion, Mimiki drew her sword and charged at Nobina. Thanks to her training, Nobina¡¯s instincts were telling her how to react, but she was doing everything in her power to suppress every urge. Block. Step back. Speak. Anything she could be doing now was being canceled out by her mind telling her to trust Mimiki. When Mimiki¡¯s sword was close enough that she could tell it¡¯d reach her in a single moment, her mind betrayed her. Fear. She closed her eyes, preventing her from seeing the end result of Mimiki¡¯s charge. A few seconds passed, and soon, Nobina suddenly felt the blade against her neck. It wasn¡¯t pushing into it, but she could clearly tell that if Mimiki moved it even a bit towards her, it¡¯d leave a cut or worse. Nobina felt herself breathing heavily as fear had won out. She still wasn¡¯t moving, but it was no longer purely from trust, but now fear of actually dying if she did something. Her life was in Mimiki¡¯s hands at that very moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Nobina, her voice being as apologetic as possible. ¡°I couldn¡¯t¡­ absolutely trust you.¡± Mimiki put her sword away and sighed. The moment it stopped making contact with Nobina allowed her to unfreeze and fall to the ground, exhausted by the sheer stress of the moment. ¡°It was unfair of me to even test you like that,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Of course, you¡¯d never run or even try to fight back. Even if you believed I was going to kill you then and there, you¡¯d probably have accepted it instead of resisting, right?¡± Nobina nodded her head. ¡°I know your fully capable of killing me Mimiki, but¡­ why the test Mimiki? What purpose did it serve if you knew what the results were going to be?¡± ¡°It¡­ wasn¡¯t just to test you Nobina¡­ That I must apologize for¡­¡± Mimiki went to Nobina and stood by her side. ¡°Nobina¡­ The reason I did that was to ask myself if I really could be friends with you Nobina. After everything you did for me¡­ If I ended up hurting you in any way with my sword, then ¡­. I would have failed to keep my promise.¡± Nobina listened intently as Mimiki began explaining herself. ¡°Sure¡­ it¡¯s possible you¡¯re not going to bring disasters wherever you go. Like you said, it¡¯s possible all these things would have happened regardless¡­ But if I was willing to not believe that¡­ If I was willing to run my sword through you in the hopes it¡¯d prevent future incidents¡­ I don¡¯t know if I could trust myself anymore to have a friend¡­ No. I don¡¯t know if I could live with myself. I¡¯d become someone untrustworthy. Someone I¡¯d detest with all my heart.¡± Hearing that, Nobina gave Mimiki a hug. ¡°Mimiki¡­ I truly appreciate¡­ that you¡¯re my friend.¡± She gave a nod. ¡°I might not ever be able to become close to a best friend as Sarah is to you Nobina, but¡­ hopefully you consider me a good teacher at least.¡± Nobina chuckled. ¡°Well you are my only swordsmanship teacher so¡­¡± Mimiki took a few steps forward and turned towards Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything in my power to support you Nobina. Perhaps these incidents are your fault. Or perhaps you¡¯re merely a victim of circumstance. Regardless, I feel it is my job as your teacher to ensure your strong enough to resolve all of them before anyone suffers.¡± Hearing those words brought Nobina unexpected comfort. It was true she had a dream about writing. It was true that she didn¡¯t want any of these disasters to happen, especially because she was merely working towards her dream. However, if the reality was that these disasters were unavoidable, she had a responsibility to help resolve them. If she could resolve any disaster as they came, she felt she could continue to work towards her dream. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I will do my best to continue to learn from you and help resolve these disaster. It¡¯s the least I can do for having this Path.¡± With that, the two headed back to their homes for the night, both hoping that good news awaited them in the days to come. Chapter 34: Cheers and Report Two days later, Nobina found herself waking up to a bunny sitting directly on her. She chuckled as she moved her hand to pet her companion, Pausers, who was still wearing the top hat she had given it earlier. ¡°Excited for today, Pausers? Today¡¯s the big day after all.¡± Nobina knew the importance of today as much as everyone else. Today was the day the raid group was set to depart to cull the South Goblin Nest. However, before that was to happen, they were still waiting for two reports to be received. One report from the team scouting the North-East Goblin Nest and one from the team scouting the North-West Goblin Nest. Ideally, both reports were favorable, but Nobina was preparing herself for the worst case. She grabbed her bags and wished Pausers a good day. Once she was downstairs, she was surprised to see that the inn dining area was relatively quiet. ¡°Quiet today, eh?¡± she told Harris, who was helping the only other person there. ¡°Everyone¡¯s already out preparing to wish the adventurers good luck,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I guess you¡¯ve never seen a raid before, huh. It¡¯s common tradition that towns wish raid parties good luck in their endeavor. Most of the time, many of the lives in the raid party are individuals who mean a lot to the town. Even if we don¡¯t have many of those types of people, the towns still shows appreciation.¡± Nobina gave a nod. As someone new to this world, such a custom wouldn¡¯t be familiar to her, but it was one she thought was nice. Having people wish you good luck before a major event certainly would raise morale. ¡°Well, I got to head out,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Thanks for explaining things.¡± Harris gave a nod, returning his attention to the only customer. Nobina left the inn and made her way to the guild. She saw a large influx of adventurers and civilians along the streets as she made her way there. It was as Harris said, as the people there were all gathered around waiting outside the guild. There were a few people entertaining the large crowd, but most of the people there seemed to be chatting amongst themselves. A few eyes fell upon her, whispers catching Nobina¡¯s ears. She didn¡¯t like eavesdropping on what they were saying, but she did catch people talking about how they recognized her as one of the guild officers. It made Nobina happy that people knew she was playing a role. Eventually, she found herself in the guild itself, where it was bustling with activity. Adventurers were in small groups discussing the following raid with each other. It made Nobina begin recalling the setup for the culling that was about to happen. There were ten adventuring groups set to head out to perform the minor culling operation. Once they arrived, they would split into groups of three, three, and four to begin defending the three known goblin exits of the South Goblin Nest. Nobina, the day before, had assisted in the planning of the defense, with her explaining the barbed wiring and its applications for the defense. Many adventures were impressed and at ease knowing they had such a potent tool, but there were also skeptics of using something they weren¡¯t familiar with. The main worry was that Eric and Mimiki were planning to stay back in town in case the other nests became active. However, Mimiki¡¯s speech to everyone the day before had convinced everyone that the raid would go without problems. Even Nobina found herself believing that those adventures could do it. Getting back to the team compositions, the groups were five to six adventurers, mostly two normal groups of three mixing into a large group. That or it was solo adventurers joining an established group. There were a lot of lower-rank adventurers, but the amount of C and D-rank adventurers should have been enough to keep the raid from falling into chaos. After all, Mimiki explained how experience was critical in large operations like this. Too little of it, and it could all fall apart, especially since they didn¡¯t have a ¡°leader¡± amongst them. ¡°I¡¯m sure things will go good,¡± Nobina told herself. Before she could say anything else, she noticed her Gaze bag glow. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t even open it in the guild, but the bag seemed to open itself as a tiny creature flew out of the bag. It flew directly in front of Nobina, surprising her as it merely hovered in front of her. The presence of it didn¡¯t escape others either, as people began talking about the new appearance of a creature no one recognized. ¡°Is¡­ is this a miniature hammerhead? With wings?¡± asked Nobina to herself. Nobina had seen a hammerhead shark before, but this one was far different from what she saw in books. It was as tiny as a hummingbird, and it had wings instead of fins that allowed it to fly. It also was holding a scroll in its mouth, which made her wonder if it was meant to deliver messages. If so, she wondered from who. She also wondered if it needed to be in water to live, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. The hammerhead flew around Nobina¡¯s head before landing on her shoulder. It seemed to relax before settling in, prompting Nobina to sigh. ¡°Well¡­ I guess I have another companion. I guess you can keep Pausers company.¡± She began moving towards the back of the guild, where Sarah was speaking with another adventurer. She took notice of Nobina, but her eyes fell onto Nobina¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Nobina¡­ What is that?¡± she asked. ¡°A miniature flying hammerhead shark¡­ It came from the Gaze bag.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sarah seemed to accept it easily, but Nobina could tell that she¡¯d likely want to see it more when they got a chance. ¡°Eric¡¯s upstairs waiting for you Nobina.¡± Nobina thanked Sarah before heading up to the second floor. Shortly after, she found herself in Eric¡¯s office, where Mimiki and Eric were talking about something. ¡°Oh Nobina¡­¡± said Mimiki before going silent. Mimiki¡¯s initial look of excitement turned to confusion as her eyes fell onto Nobina¡¯s shoulder. Like she did with Sarah, Nobina gave the same explanation. ¡°Ah¡­ Well¡­ That¡¯s cool,¡± Mimiki smiled. ¡°I¡¯d love to see it later. Anyways, we are still waiting for those two reports. I¡¯m concerned the adventurers were delayed, which would mean we¡¯d have to send the raid without knowledge of the status of the other nests. We could try to send a secondary scouting party, but the raid would be too late at that point.¡± ¡°We are discussing sending them off past lunch if we still don¡¯t have the reports. If we wait too long, they won¡¯t arrive in time to seal those exits off,¡± said Eric, as calm and collected as ever. ¡°What are your thoughts Nobina? We are almost in agreement to send them off after lunch, but we want your opinion as well.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t feel as if she was qualified enough to sway their decision, but she knew she had played a key role in the planning of both the operation and defense. Her opinion was important as she¡¯d know if there was any scenario where they shouldn¡¯t send off adventurers. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about such a scenario and our best bet is commence the raid. We¡¯ve held back enough adventurers to hopefully deal with a two-nest attack in the worst case. The culling should commence as planned.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Both gave a nod. With that, the three discussed the raid a bit before Eric instructed Nobina to head down and inform Lare and Sarah about the decision. She gave a nod, heading down right away. When Nobina entered Lare¡¯s office, she noticed he was busy studying maps of the whole area. When he took notice of Nobina, he invited her to sit. He was about to open his mouth, but Nobina explained where the shark came from. Like Mimiki, he was also curious about it but held off since today was a big day. ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Lare. ¡°The operation will begin after lunch even if the reports are late,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Please prepare the raids as planned.¡± He gave a nod. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°That is all,¡± she replied. ¡°Then please don¡¯t let me keep you,¡± he spoke, turning his attention to the maps. Nobina then headed to the front, where she told Sarah the same news. With that, Sarah used her power and began speaking out loud. ¡°Attention all adventurers. The raid shall begin as planned. Please perform last-minute checks and report to your designated areas for the last-minute brief.¡± With that, the guild began swarming in activity. Chatter filled the guild as people began getting ready to move out. Sarah was swarmed with questions, and even Nobina found herself having to answer a slew of questions from adventurers. Everyone was trying to make sure they had everything they needed, and Nobina was doing her best to be as helpful as she could be. Eventually, lunch rolled around, and adventurers began eating their last-minute meals before the major operation. Sarah and Lare stayed in the front to continue to assist adventurers with information, while Nobina joined Mimiki and Eric for lunch in the back. She felt her nerves start to get to her, but Eric and Mimiki helped her keep as calm as possible. During their lunch, Mimiki finished quickly and asked if she could see the shark. Nobina didn¡¯t even say anything when the hammerhead flew off her shoulder and flew around Mimiki. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, Mimiki displayed a childlike attitude towards it, giggling as she enjoyed following the shark as it flew around the field, trying to catch it. While it might have been as small as a hummingbird, it certainly moved more like a shark would in water. Only the water was air in this case, and it was far faster than any shark she¡¯d seen. ¡°Curious,¡± said Eric. ¡°This is the second creature to come out of your bag, right? It makes me wonder if we¡¯ll see more in the future. At the very least it doesn¡¯t have the negative connotation of your bunny.¡± Nobina sighed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡­¡± ¡°You never know,¡± smiled Eric, clearly still convinced her bunny could be a Death Hare. ¡°By the way, does it have a name? I believe the bunny came with one, correct?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t. I¡¯m waiting for one of the Gaze members to say something, else I¡¯m fine giving it a name otherwise,¡± she nodded. Once their lunch was done, they moved to the front of the guild, where Nobina was amazed at the sight she saw. Civilians were lining a path out of the town towards the South Goblin Nest. Adventurers not involved in the raid were among them, chatting amongst the people. As for the adventurers set to head out for the raid, they were in their mini groups, ready to head out. One party approached Eric, which was the ¡°lead party¡± of the operation, consisting of all C-rank adventurers. ¡°Sir,¡± said Michael, their C-rank leader. ¡°We are ready to head out on your command.¡± Nobina was decently familiar with Michael. He had two swords on his side, as his path was Dual Swordsman. He specialized in dealing with large crowds due to his ability, which had people calling him the ¡®Goblin Slayer.¡¯ The name did make Nobina chuckle, as she knew another goblin slayer from a show she had seen before. As for his party, it consisted of an archer, priest, swordsman, water mage, and fire mage. It was well-balanced as all of them could hold their own in combat as they were all C-ranks as well. ¡°Thank you Michael,¡± said Eric with a smile. ¡°I shall give my speech.¡± With that, Mimiki headed into the guild and quickly brought out a small platform for Eric to stand on. He got onto it and stood facing the crowd, which went silent upon everyone seeing him. ¡°Adventurers. I¡¯m here to thank you all for being here. For everyone here, today¡¯s raid is about to embark on a culling operation of significant importance. Despite it only being goblins, this involves a matter important to the town and everyone here.¡± The crowd began to chatter a bit before quieting down. ¡°Everyone on this raid has prepared for the operation. Everyone on it is qualified and has the heart and soul of an adventurer. While the true nature of an adventurer is to explore the unknown, an adventurer is often looked to as a beacon of our greatest attributes as people. The desire to help. The desire to fight. The desire to protect. As a guild master, I¡¯ve seen the greatest examples of these desires and confidently say that everyone who calls themselves an adventurer in this town possesses one of these desires at the very least.¡± Hearing that, Nobina felt herself thinking about how she was an adventurer as well. She had only been on one quest. It didn¡¯t go well either given what happened. Deep down though, she felt she had a desire at least. The desire to protect those she cared about. The desire to help as much as she could. The desire to fight against those who¡¯d harm those she cared about. That alone made her happy to call herself an adventurer. ¡°As the raid party heads out today, let us all show what we as non-participants can show. Our desire to support. Our desire to hope. Our desire to believe. Now. Let us send off the raid party!¡± With that, a roar of cheers and applause filled the streets, likely reaching all over the town. The adventurers who were ready to head out were swarmed by the sheer emotion that filled the streets. Many of them were caught off guard by it due to being relatively new to a raid, but those familiar with such a cheer merely basked in it. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but be proud of everyone. This was a moment that she¡¯d remember forever, as it was a show of what they were all capable of doing. Soon, Michael ordered the adventurers to begin heading out, with each party heading out one by one. The groups of adventurers began their march out of the town, with the cheers continuing on. As the final group began heading out, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but believe in their success. She wouldn¡¯t be there first-hand to see what the result of the operation would be, but she knew that if she was needed, she¡¯d have headed out immediately to support them directly. Once the last group of adventurers was out of sight, the crowds began to disperse, while the remaining adventurers headed to the guild to remain on standby. Until the emergency was lifted, everyone was still ready to act should Eric give the order. As the last few adventurers trickled into the guild, Nobina noticed a group of adventurers running towards the guild from the northeast. She then noticed that all three she saw were injured as they got closer. The worst was that she recognized all three. ¡°No¡­¡± Nobina¡¯s look of horror threatened to freeze her in place, but she knew she had to act. She ran to the adventurers, who waved at her as soon as she approached. ¡°Nobina,¡± yelled Karora, one of the female swordsmen. ¡°Karora,¡± she replied back. Once they were close enough, all of them fell over in exhaustion. ¡°What happened,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Where¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It was horrible,¡± said Karora in tears. ¡°We¡­ we were ambushed. There were three goblin archers. Two of us went down immediately¡­ Jenga¡­ He sacrificed himself¡­¡± Her cry intensified as Nobina tried to give her comfort. Next to speak was Ned, one of the archers of the group. ¡°We thought we had gotten away, but they sent five goblin riders after us. It was a nightmare but thank the gods we were able to fight them off. Of course, we are in the condition we are now, but we somehow made it here alive. They luckily didn¡¯t send more than five of those horrific things.¡± Nobina realized how much of a nightmare situation this was. Neither archers nor goblin riders were normal to the North-East Nest. It was clear another Goblin Invasion was going to happen. If they had both riders and archers, they could not let this raid reach the town. They¡¯d have to cull this nest as well and block the entrances. Not only that, but they¡¯d have to clear out the surroundings of the nest as well. ¡°I¡¯ll help you three go to Kim,¡± said Nobina, helping Karora up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Nobina helped them all to the medical office, where Witmi immediately called Kim upon seeing the four of them. They were all helped to the back, where Kim told her she¡¯d do what she could. Nobina thanked them, saying she had to report to the guild immediately. The two nodded, with her now sprinting to the guild. ¡°Why¡­ Damn it¡­ Why¡­¡± Nobina began wondering if she was somehow to blame but brushed those thoughts away. She had to report the news as soon as possible. Arriving at the guild, Sarah asked Nobina what was going on. ¡°I need to speak with Eric immediately,¡± said Nobina. The tone of her voice had the other adventurers worried, but Nobina wasn¡¯t thinking clearly enough to have noticed it. She was merely trying to deliver the message to Eric immediately. ¡°Of course. Go ahead,¡± said Sarah. Nobina nodded and headed back up to Eric¡¯s office, where Eric and Mimiki were. ¡°What¡¯s going on Nobina,¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°The¡­ The North-East Nest¡­ The scouting team was ambushed. Only three of them made it but are heavily injured and at the medical office. They report multiple goblin archers and riders.¡± A silent, serious atmosphere formed in the room. Mimiki cursed under her breath while Eric seemed to be gripping his fist in frustration. ¡°What¡¯s the plan,¡± said Nobina. ¡°We cannot go with the defensive strategy I have if they have riders and archers. We¡­ we must commence a second culling operation.¡± Her words seemed to float in the silence as everyone began to think. A second culling operation was theoretically possible, but in this case, it would likely require sending out Eric to handle it. Mimiki and Nobina¡¯s eyes focused on Eric this whole time as he remained silent. Eventually, Eric spoke up, giving the plan of action. ¡°Nobina¡­ You must be evacuated. I cannot guarantee your safety with this information in mind.¡± Chapter 35: Decision and Pen Nobina was the first to speak up, her voice reflecting how both surprised and upset she was, hearing what Eric said. ¡°You must be joking,¡± said Nobina. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me to run from all of this, right?¡± Eric nodded his head. ¡°I am. This is a decision that is for the sake of the world.¡± He turned to Mimiki, who hadn¡¯t said a word yet. She was merely watching, waiting for her to be addressed. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Eric. ¡°I¡¯m about to tell you something you must swear to secrecy. Understand?¡± She nodded, listening intently to Eric. ¡°Nobina has a Path that has the ability to significantly influence our world. Maria, the Path Specialist that came here previously, confirmed that as fact. All evidence is pointing to Nobina being a cause of the goblin emergency. Despite this, I believe Nobina¡¯s presence in the world could be to counteract something more serious that is to come. That is why I¡¯ve sworn to protect her and plan to send her away.¡± Mimiki nodded, understanding what Eric was saying. ¡°So you¡¯re going to send her alone?¡± asked Mimiki, skeptical of that idea. ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t implying that you¡¯ll leave the town with her merely to protect her.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. I¡¯ve decided to tell you this because I want you and her to leave. You¡¯re the second strongest person in town and someone I trust. That is the reason I¡¯m revealing this to you, despite the risk that you might act on this information.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re implying I¡¯ll try to kill Nobina because I believe differently than you Eric, you are mistaken,¡± said Mimiki. She seemed hesitant to say more but found the courage and continued. ¡°I¡­ I was told everything by Nobina. I¡¯ve sworn to her I¡¯d help her to get stronger to deal with the potential events that were going to happen around her.¡± Hearing that, Eric turned to Nobina, who merely nodded. ¡°Hm¡­ I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised she told the two people she trusted the most.¡± ¡°Two?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°You¡¯ve told Sarah as well, right? I have doubts you¡¯d only tell Mimiki considering Sarah is your closer friend. Such a thing hasn¡¯t escaped me.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t deny that. For those who saw the two together, Nobina was clearly very close with Sarah. It seemed obvious that if she was willing to reveal an important secret to Mimiki, she¡¯d have revealed it to Sarah first. ¡°It is true,¡± she nodded. ¡°Well then, that makes things simpler at least. If there are no other questions, I expect you two¡­¡± ¡°Hold on a second,¡± said Mimiki, showing her irritation. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me that you expect me to abandon all the adventurers in town because you don¡¯t want Nobina to get hurt. I know you want to protect her, but there has to be another option.¡± Eric turned to Nobina, waiting for her to respond. ¡°Well¡­ There¡¯s a¡­ Solution that could work¡­¡± Both of them turned to her, waiting for her to elaborate more. ¡°So the problem is numbers. We haven¡¯t received a report from the north-west scout team, but we have to assume the worst considering they are still not back. We do not have enough numbers to defend the town from two attacks considering they involve goblin archers and goblin riders. However, and this is based on the response you to give me right now, I believe Eric alone can handle the north-east nest, while Mimiki and a group of experienced adventurers could potentially handle the north-west nest. Of course¡­ I¡¯m not experience enough about the two of you to declare you can handle nests, but¡­ It¡¯s an option if you could do it.¡± Eric spoke first, shaking his head. ¡°Well¡­ I could potentially handle the north-east nest alone, but Mimiki and a small group of C-ranks wouldn¡¯t be able to handle a nest.¡± Nobina turned to Mimiki, who sighed. ¡°It¡¯d be rough. I¡¯d prefer at least three or four groups of experienced adventurers at least. After all, unlike Eric who can cover multiple nest entrances alone, I could only do one and I¡¯d need two parties each at the others.¡± Nobina could see that Mimiki was bothered by her own inability, but Nobina found it amazing she could do the job of multiple adventuring groups. Not only that, but Eric was capable of doing a raid himself, which really showed the gap in power between adventurers. ¡°And therein lies the problem,¡± said Eric. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough adventurers to send. If we send too many and something goes wrong with any of the three raids, then the town will be vulnerable. It is best we at least don¡¯t risk your life for¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± said Nobina loudly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to protect myself and run while everyone else is fighting for the safety of the town. I know this might be my fault, but I don¡¯t want to run because you believe it¡¯s for my safety. I want to stay and do as much as I can.¡± She held up her Gaze bag, shaking it vigorously. ¡°Perhaps the Gaze will give me something critical to the defense of the town. You never know.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that for certain,¡± said Eric, his voice more assertive than it has been. ¡°From what you told me, it¡¯s random correct? The Gaze may give you what you need, but also give you nothing. I cannot trust your safety to something that is too unknown.¡± Eric did have a point. Nobina knew that the Gaze operated on its own will. There was no guarantee it¡¯d give her something she needed when she needed it the most. ¡°Plus. What it gives you are items and creatures. If you get shot with an arrow or hit with a skill that severely hurts you, how will you survive?¡± She couldn¡¯t give an answer, prompting Eric to press her further. ¡°Nobina. Get it out of your head that you¡¯re a hero. You¡¯re a normal person with the potential to change the world and a special bag that has saved you time and time again. While you might be able to do something, if I¡¯m gone and Mimiki is gone¡­ Who is there to protect you from some drunk adventurer who decides to pick a fight? A noble who decides to mess with you? Even a goblin attacking you in your sleep. Answer that.¡± Nobina went silent. Her gaze turned to Mimiki, but it seemed she wasn¡¯t going to come to her defense on this one. Seeing that he had gotten to her, Eric merely sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t have you retreat, but you¡¯ll be staying here in the safety of the town. I can¡¯t risk you dying to a goblin archer or assassin if either appear. Got it?¡± asked Eric, his gaze keeping on her. ¡°Yes¡­ guild master. I shall do as you ask.¡± ¡°Then go inform Sarah of the following plan. I shall go cull the north-east nest, as asked. Sarah shall gather two groups of parties consisting of C to D rank adventurers and use the remaining barb wiring to attempt to cull the north-west nest. Lare, Sarah and you are to stay here and adjust the defense of the town to deal with the absence of everyone. In the worst case, you are ordered to evacuate the town, but put your safety at the highest priority. Understand?¡± Nobina gave a nod, no longer willing to argue. Eric could see the pain in Nobina¡¯s face, but he said nothing. ¡°Then go. We don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± The two of them left Eric¡¯s office, finding themselves awkwardly standing next to each other outside his doors. ¡°Nobina¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I couldn¡¯t¡­ disagree with Eric¡¯s logic.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m sorry Mimiki,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ forgotten my place. I¡¯m just a normal girl at the end of the day. I don¡¯t have the power of an adventurer. I can¡¯t guarantee my safety, and I¡­ I know I can¡¯t be selfish and risk my own life when the consequences are potentially huge.¡± Stolen story; please report. Mimiki shook her head. ¡°You have the heart of an adventurer Nobina. The heart of someone who cares for everyone. When all of this is done, we¡¯ll train you harder than ever¡­ And perhaps one day you¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she found herself going silent. Nobina began wondering if Mimiki was starting to believe that Nobina really was just a normal girl. Not someone who could be as strong like her. ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Nobina. ¡°My dream has always been something simple. It has been to write a book. Perhaps my desire to write a book about adventurers has made me forgotten I¡¯m not a hero. I can¡¯t do things other adventurers can. I have my knowledge and skills from my old world, but none of that can help in this situation. All I can do now¡­ is pray and hope for the success of everyone else. I know I¡¯ve given everyone my burden, but¡­ I still want to one day make it so I can make up for everything. That¡¯s my hope at least.¡± Mimiki looked directly at Nobina and smiled. She put one of her arms around her, chuckling. ¡°You¡¯re right Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°We all have limits to what we can do and that¡¯s perfectly fine. Sure, you can¡¯t do anything right now, but if you work your hardest on your dream¡­ Perhaps it will lead to something good. After all, we still don¡¯t know how you¡¯re influencing the world and whether your meant to do something or not. Maybe you write a book that sways the hearts of millions. Until then, you can just do what you can, right?¡± Nobina nodded. Both of them realized that they had jobs that they were supposed to do. For Mimiki, she had to use all her skills to convince experienced adventurers to join her in a raid. As for Nobina, she knew she had to report everything to Lare and Sarah. Once that was done, they had to do their best to hold down the fort. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Right,¡± smiled Mimiki. The two of them headed downstairs and began preparing for the two additional raids. As the current sutation became clear, there was a less-than-optimistic enviornment this time around. Lare, hearing the news, began planning out the modified defense of the town. As for Sarah, her announcement brought a lot of worry amongst all the adventurers, many of them being E and F rank. She and Nobina did their best to explain the plan and ensure confidence, but only Sarah was good at that. Nobina found herself falling back to Sarah when adventurers began doubting the plan. It made her remember that even Sarah had things only she could do effectively. A lot of time passed, and soon, Mimiki and Eric were downstairs. Once again, Eric stood before all the adventurers and gave a speech about the situation and how he believed they would be able to deal with the new threats. Many people still had hope in Eric to resolve things. With him and Mimiki both acting, there was a new sense of hope that they could succeed. After his speech, Eric went to Nobina, who was merely showing a smile for the others. ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± asked Eric. ¡°I¡­ I wish I could do more Eric,¡± sighed Nobina. He put his hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eye. ¡°If your destiny is to do more, then I¡¯m sure there will be a time where you can make a difference directly. For now¡­ be proud of all the work you¡¯ve done. You¡¯ve done the research to help us handle the situation. The Gaze bag desires to protect you and has provided the tools to help us get out of this situation. It¡¯s only a matter of time that your Path develops enough that you can make a difference.¡± Part of her couldn¡¯t help but doubt Eric, but she wholeheartedly wanted to believe he was right. She wasn¡¯t that far from being able to make a bigger difference besides what she could do as a non-combatant. ¡°Thank you Eric,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I wish you and everyone the best.¡± Next to speak with her was Mimiki. She seemed unable to find the words to say, waiting for Nobina to perhaps say anything. Nobina was silent, prompting Mimiki to try to say something. ¡°Nobina¡­ I¡­¡± To her surprise, Mimiki found Nobina giving her a strong hug. ¡°Come home safe Mimiki¡­ please¡­¡± Mimiki couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, returning the hug. ¡°Thank you¡­ Nobina. I¡¯m glad I have a friend like you believing in me,¡± replied Mimiki, returning the hug. After a few more moments, the two separated, and Mimiki joined the other adventurers. With that, the two raid parties began their last-minute preparations before departing. The other scouting party had yet to arrive, so it was all but certain something bad was happening with the north-west nest. Once the parties were gone, the rest of the adventures began retiring to their own homes. They were still on standby and everything that had been happening was wearing thin on everyone. To her surprise, she saw Merrick approach her. He seemed hesitant to speak, but he gathered up the courage to. ¡°Nobina¡­ Are you here because you need to protect the town? Is that better than being with the other adventurers?¡± His words hurt Nobina more than Merrick knew. Seeing her reaction, he immediately apologized, but she shook her head. ¡°Merrick¡­ I wish I could do more. That¡¯s all I want to say.¡± He nodded, apologizing one more time before leaving. Eventually, the only people left were Nobina, Sarah, and Lare as the last adventurers left for the day. ¡°Are you alright Nobina?¡± asked Sarah. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ worried. That¡¯s all,¡± she sighed. ¡°They will do fine,¡± said Lare. ¡°Eric is still capable enough to handle a nest and Mimiki is his student. Plus, she has a lot of quality adventurers under her.¡± Nobina nodded, partly believing in his words. With that, Nobina and Sarah headed to their homes for the day. Neither was in an eating mood, so they decided not to have dinner together. At the inn, Nobina requested a small meal, which Harris provided without issue. Nobina merely thanked Harris once she was done and headed upstairs. As she reached her room, she summoned her diary and took a seat. She was about to write before she stopped herself. ¡°Why¡­ Why am I still writing for myself? My dream¡­ is to write for others¡­¡± Nobina recalled her diary and took out a sheet of paper. She took a breath as she looked at it, preparing to do what she had always planned to do. ¡°It¡¯s time¡­ to write the story.¡± She found herself lost in writing as she began the first chapter of her story. She was writing a book about adventurers, but it was only when the paper was before her that she had an idea of how exactly she planned to write it. As she said, it was going to be a non-fiction book. It would be one that reflected how things were rather than a fantasy that wasn¡¯t real. It wasn¡¯t necessary for it to be fantasy either, as magic and abilities existed in the world. It made her writing her perspective on adventurers, which was the first chapter, easier. She wrote about the experience of seeing an adventurer in action. Then she wrote about the process of becoming one from her perspective, mixed in with the information Mimiki had provided her during their many conversations regarding adventurers. While Mimiki wasn¡¯t there to help her verify everything she was writing was accurate, she trusted she listened to Mimiki well enough that she wasn¡¯t getting anything wrong. Eventually, she reached the end of the chapter, where she then began focusing on her final thoughts regarding everything she had written. She ended up taking inspiration from Eric¡¯s speech about what every adventurer should possess and what it truly meant to be an adventurer. ¡°Adventurers are amazing individuals capable of doing things that non-adventurers cannot do. However, that does not mean the role of a non-adventurer is any less important. At the end of the day, both adventurers and non-adventurers ideally support each other. While individuals can be amazing alone, it is working together, either as groups of adventurers or even as a town, where adventurers can truly shine. As long as you remember that you can truly understand what it means to be an adventurer.¡± Nobina finished up the chapter, giving a smile. She knew she¡¯d want to look it over again and again and edit it to perfection, but as a draft it was good enough. It was the first step of the process, and she was excited to continue the next chapter. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, huh? Best call it a night,¡± she chuckled. As she said that, she felt a familiar sensation. Her hand dropped her quill, allowing it to roll a bit on the desk before stopping. ¡°Pen,¡± she said. A pen appeared in her hand, confusing Nobina. She then felt another sensation as she began gripping the pen as if it were a sword handle, with the end of it pointing upwards. ¡°Sword,¡± she said. A stream of ink began flying out of the pen, forming a blade-like shape. Soon, the pure black ink seemed to turn grey, and she could see what appeared to be a grey-scaled sword. It felt as if it was slowly draining her energy as she stared at the blade. She wanted to check the blade out immediately, but she suddenly felt herself saying another world. ¡°Summon,¡± she said, her free hand in the position to hold a book. Before she knew it, the ledger was in her hand. It was quite heavy, but she was doing her best to hold it. There was also a golden glow starting to appear on the sword. Nearby, her coin bag also started to glow, making Nobina wonder if the glow was linked. Regardless, her eyes sparkled as the beauty of her blade with a golden aura drew her attention. ¡°This is amazing,¡± she said. As soon as she said that, she realized the drain of both the book and the pen was far greater than she could handle. It couldn¡¯t have been more than thirty seconds, but the drain threatened to knock her out there and then. ¡°Recall,¡± she spoke, with her book and pen recalling itself. She found herself breathing heavily as she began taking everything. ¡°Was¡­ all this¡­ because I decided to write?¡± she asked herself. A lightbulb went off in her head. It seemed so simple, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t believe it. Was all she needed to progress her own Path her writing? Did that mean if she wrote more chapters, edited her book, and eventually completed it, she¡¯d be able to strengthen her existing powers and perhaps gain new ones? It made sense, as her summon and recall ability solely improved when she wrote the diary and ledger. Things had slowed down since she had finished the ledger, and her diary wasn¡¯t being filled to the brim, but she knew writing in it was progress. ¡°I need to¡­ study this more¡­ when this is all over.¡± Despite recalling everything, it didn¡¯t restore all that energy she had lost. She was training under Mimiki, and her stamina was improving, but it wasn¡¯t improving fast enough that she could call herself a decent swordsman. However, she began hoping that her newfound power would potentially help her improve faster. After all, she had a feeling Pen Blade, the name she was calling the ability, was a physical combat-based one. In theory, that meant she¡¯d be more efficient at training as well, since one¡¯s own physical attributes were easier to improve when you had a physical combat-based ability. ¡°There¡¯s so much to experiment and I¡¯m so excited,¡± she told herself. Nobina felt her future was bright, and part of her wanted to sit back down and continue to write. However, she knew what she wrote mattered. If she wrote anything less than with her full focus and effort, then it would likely improve her ability slower. That and she¡¯d be betraying her dream by not giving one hundred percent. Of course, perhaps Pen Blade would also require way more swordsmanship training to make good use of. It was a swordsman-related ability, after all. For now, Nobina is headed to bed. She was so excited for tomorrow, but her body was easing her into a deep sleep. Tomorrow, she planned to continue to do what she could to prepare the defense of the town. At the same time, she also would continue to get used to her new ability in hopes that if the time came, she could use it when it mattered and make a difference. ¡°They say the pen is mightier than the sword¡­ but now the pen is my sword,¡± she said, smiling before falling asleep. Chapter 36: Pen Blade and Moonlight The following morning, Nobina found herself awake far earlier than normal. The excitement of trying out her newfound powers almost made her forget about the emergency they were facing. However, as she grabbed her bags and gave Pausers a pat, her new companion greeted her by flying in front of her face. It was the flying hammerhead shark, which had been with her since it came out of the Gaze bag yesterday. ¡°What do I call you,¡± Nobina pondered. She wanted to make sure it had a name fitting what it was. It was a cool creature in her mind and one deserving of a name that exemplified its coolness. ¡°Hammy sounds too¡­ pet like. But would a proper name be better¡­. Hm¡­¡± Eventually, she sighed, merely giving it a pet on its tiny head. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out soon little guy. For now, I need to head to the office. You can sit on my shoulder though, since I don¡¯t need to worry about people freaking out with you unlike with Pausers.¡± Pausers, hearing her words, gave a sad expression, making Nobina feel bad. ¡°Sorry Pausers. One day, we¡¯ll be able to make it so you can travel freely with me without people potentially freaking out.¡± With that, Nobina departed to the guild with her bags and flying companion. The town streets were far quieter than she was used to, but this was the first time she was out this early in the morning. The townsfolk that were awake were as energetic as always, preparing to open their shops or go to work once the day officially began. Arriving in front of the guild, Nobina noted there were a few adventurers awake as well. While the order to stand by led to many treating this as time off due to the suspension of questing, Nobina recognized that there were a few groups that wanted to be ready at all times. In fact, she was aware some even swapped their operation time to the night to be available should the goblins strike in the dead of night. While the guild didn¡¯t have any night operations, Lare himself was sleeping in the guild during the emergency, ready to ring the emergency bell should something happen. As Nobina entered the guild, the few adventurers there greeted her kindly, with her returning the greeting. At the receptionist desk was Lare, who took over early in the morning until Sarah arrived. ¡°Nobina,¡± he called, motioning for her to come over. ¡°You¡¯re up early.¡± ¡°Morning Lare,¡± she replied. As she joined him behind the receptionist area, she began explaining why she was up so early. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡­ I learned a new ability last night,¡± she said excitedly, feeling herself unable to hold back her feelings. ¡°Really,¡± Lare replied back, his face showing his surprise. ¡°If I recall, you only learned your first ability not too long ago, right? It¡¯s pretty rare to learn new abilities within a month of each other. Though, I guess everyone¡¯s Path is different right?¡± She gave a nod. ¡°I¡¯m just excited it¡¯s one I can use in combat. I¡¯d love to show you and Sarah during the break.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to see it,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Mind taking over? I need to continue reviewing the plans and then speak to the town garrison and stationed adventurers.¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll hold down the fort till Sarah gets in,¡± Nobina responded. Lare nodded and headed back to his office. Nobina was very tempted to try using her ability right then and there, but she knew it had a significant drain to using the blade portion and book portion. She wasn¡¯t sure if merely having it out as a pen would drain her, but she guessed that the drain would be minimal if it did. She also wondered if she could summon multiple pens. ¡°Dual wielding pens sounds fun¡­ though that just might kill my energy completely,¡± she chuckled. Not even an hour went by before Sarah arrived. Nobina had helped a few adventurers without issue, so she was feeling good about the day so far. Seeing Sarah, she invited her over. When she told Sarah about her ability, she expressed her own excitement as well. ¡°Amazing,¡± Sarah said, her eyes lighting up. ¡°I¡¯d be over the moon to receive a third and here you are ¡®miss talented¡¯ receiving two. I¡¯m so jealous.¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± Nobina said, feeling embarrassed. ¡°Sure¡­ You two are making it sound amazing and it kinda is¡­ but I don¡¯t deserve such praise yet. At least let me learn more about the ability first.¡± Sarah laughed, giving a nod. ¡°Of course.¡± With that, Sarah took over handling the front, and Nobina joined Lare in planning the defense of the town. Looking over the defensive planning, there was a focus on the major entrances to the town. Most of it was focused on the north-west and north-east due to those sides being the ones that had the highest potential for goblin attacks. As for the south, it was the least likely to be attacked due to the sheer number of adventurers that were sent in that direction. While it didn¡¯t mean the odds of a south attack on the town were zero, they had to smartly allocate the adventurers they had on hand. Besides that, it was a matter of deploying her barb wiring in ways to funnel the goblins into key defensive chokepoints in the town. The worst case would be if a side got overrun and the barbed wiring became a liability, so a lot of planning was done to prevent that. Not to mention that there were mostly E and F-rank adventurers in town. If not for the town guard, which was much more armored and had more suitable defensive weapons, they¡¯d struggle immensely to hold a defensive line against a goblin attack. As they finished up the planning, Lare asked Nobina if there was anything else to note. ¡°Hm,¡± said Nobina, her hand to her chin. ¡°I¡¯d say this is solid, but I¡¯m not familiar with goblin attacks of large scale to say this will definitely work. Have you experienced a goblin attack of this scale?¡± He gave a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sure barely anyone in this generation or the previous few have experienced any such large monster attack. Goblin Invasions or even Monster Invasions are usually prevented long before they happen. If we get through this, it¡¯d be many people¡¯s first.¡± ¡°We will get through this,¡± Nobina said confidently. ¡°We are all working hard, and I refuse to believe that we¡¯ll be defeated.¡± With that, Lare took the plans and told Nobina she¡¯d likely join the council for lunch to discuss this more. The two of them were on their own until he got back. Once Lare left the office, Nobina once again joined Sarah in the front to assist her. Time passed by, and soon it was lunch time. The two went out, this time to the usual restaurant they visited. As they entered, the restaurant staff pointed out how her flying hammerhead wasn¡¯t allowed there. Nobina frowned, but she understood. ¡°Sorry buddy¡­ Can you enter my bag for now?¡± she asked. The moment she said that, it flew into her Special Bag without issue. With that done, the two ordered food and began chatting. ¡°So, what is this ability you¡¯ve gained Nobina?¡± asked Sarah. ¡°I¡¯ve held in my excitement, but it¡¯s reaching a boiling point.¡± Nobina thought about it for a bit and decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to show Sarah the base ability. ¡°Pen,¡± said Nobina. When a pen appeared in Nobina¡¯s hand, Sarah¡¯s excitement skyrocketed. ¡°You can summon non-paper objects now?¡± she said, mouth wide open. ¡°Well¡­ Only a pen right now,¡± she chuckled. ¡°But¡­ wait till after work. I¡¯ll show both of you something amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it,¡± she nodded. The two had a nice, savory lunch. Despite everything that was happening, the town atmosphere felt like business as usual. The civilians showed no signs of dread compared to the adventurers, but Nobina knew that most of them were likely unaware of the fact two more raids were sent out. It would have been a bad idea to have such fanfare again since, unlike last time, they felt that there would be far too much worry about sending out both Eric and Mimiki. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Eventually, they finished their lunch and headed back, where they continued to be at the front desk helping people out. Nobina took a break here and there to stretch and practice her swordsmanship. Due to everything that was happening, she had limited her out of work training to avoid draining herself. It was a good idea, but it made her crave practicing even more. As she practiced in the back, Nobina felt a notable change. Each swing she did felt more effective. Not that she was swinging any faster or harder than usual. She could tell each swing was basically the same, maybe very slightly better than the last. It was more so that she felt as if she was getting more training benefits than usual. In her mind, she had noticed her improvement with each training day she did with Mimiki. Whether it was learning something new, getting her swings into muscle memory, or just generally getting stronger or faster, Nobina noted down her improvements mentally. That was why she noticed that today, in particular, each swing she did felt more and more natural. It felt like it was slowly becoming something she¡¯d be able to do with ease. ¡°Maybe¡­ a few months of this?¡± she told herself, taking a breath. She found it crazy to say that, but previously, she felt it¡¯d take her maybe half a year to a year to feel confident in calling herself a decent swordsman. Now, she felt like she could do it in half the time. There was no way Nobina could tell if that was accurate, but the moment she trained with Mimiki again, she¡¯d hoped she could confirm it. ¡°This¡­ this must be what it¡¯s like to train something you have aptitude for,¡± smiled Nobina. With that, she continued to practice for the rest of the hour before heading back in. Despite her training being more effective, it was still tiring all the same. When she reached the receptionist¡¯s desk, Sarah asked if she was fine, seeing her panting a bit. ¡°Training is still rough even if I have some aptitude towards swordsmanship,¡± said Nobina, taking a seat. ¡°So¡­ Your pen somehow makes you a better swordsman?¡± chuckled Sarah. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ show you after work,¡± she smiled. The two continued to work from that point on. Soon, Lare came back and was back at work as well. The three of them were a well-oiled machine, keeping the guild afloat despite how serious things were. Nobina had asked Lare about how the meeting with the council and guards went, to which he responded they were already adapting to the plan. ¡°They should have everything set up at the end of the day,¡± he told Nobina. ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I just hope everything is good with the raids. It¡¯s¡­ kind of nerve-racking thinking about how we are safe here while everyone¡¯s risking their lives.¡± Sarah¡¯s words made Nobina remember her earlier concerns, but Nobina managed to calm herself down and reply. ¡°Yeah¡­ but that doesn¡¯t make our job any less important. We are the last line of defense of everyone,¡± said Nobina with a nod. They all nodded in agreement. With that, they continued with their work until the day was over. The adventurers began leaving the guild, but some were sticking around the entrance just in case the call came in. As for the three of them, they headed to the back. Nobina stood in the middle of the training ground while Lare and Sarah stood nearby. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you got Nobina,¡± said Lare, his arms crossed as he waited for Nobina to display her ability. ¡°You got this Nobina. Wow us!¡± yelled Sarah, excited to see the big secret. Nobina nodded, taking a deep breath. She held out her hand, ready to show her ability. ¡°Pen.¡± A pen appeared in Nobina¡¯s hand, which she immediately began holding in the same fashion as a one-handed sword. The eyes of both Lare and Sarah were on her pen, waiting to see what would happen. ¡°Blade,¡± she said, her voice more assertive. In response, black ink began streaming out of the pen tip, forming a pure black ink blade that eventually turned grey as it seemingly hardened. ¡°Amazing,¡± said Lare. ¡°How strong is that blade?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t tested it,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Let¡¯s head over to this tree?¡± The three of them relocated to the edge of the field, where they approached the nearest tree. Nobina turned her grip into a two-handed one, which was her normal style of holding a sword. ¡°Hah!¡± She swung her blade without much effort. It was significantly lighter than her actual sword, so Nobina was caught a bit off guard by the swing speed. When it collided with the tree, however, she felt the resistance as her blade made a deep cut into it. Looking at where the cut was, it showed black ink all over, which was likely parts of the blade. Looking at her own blade, she noticed that part of it was missing. She was concerned about its durability, considering how it looked, but the blade slowly reformed as more black ink shot out of the pen. At the same time, Nobina felt the drain increase until the blade was completely formed, which made the drain more manageable. ¡°I see,¡± said Nobina. ¡°It seems like I spend energy to fully summon the blade or fix it. However, it doesn¡¯t require too much to merely keep the blade out.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± said Lare. ¡°So I¡¯m guessing you can¡¯t keep this thing out for too long. It¡¯s a really cool ability, but that limit means you¡¯ll likely still need to depend on an actual sword. However, that cut looks effective and could be critical in serious battles. Not to mention the black ink could have some usage. Perhaps poisoning someone considering it might put ink into their¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Sarah, cutting him off. ¡°Very effective. Let¡¯s not¡­ think about the applications of that for now.¡± Lare merely nodded, while Nobina was wondering if Sarah was perhaps more sensitive to such a graphic topic. Nobina was somewhat fine with it since she had written more serious and graphic topics before in her writing drafts, but she could understand another person¡¯s sensitivity. At the end of the day, as long as she thought about the application of her skills, others didn¡¯t need to know the details unless necessary. ¡°Sorry for giving you such a graphic image Sarah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Don¡¯t let my¡­ sensitivity¡­ hold you back when the time comes. Do whatever it takes to protect people. Got it?¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s only part of the ability as well. Check this out.¡± Nobina swapped to a one-handed hold once again. ¡°Summon.¡± In her left hand appeared a copy of the ledger, which caught Sarah and Lare¡¯s eyes. Then, her blade began emanating a gold aura, surprising the two even more. The drain was notable to Nobina, and she knew she only had maybe a minute of keeping both summoned. Wasting no time, she swung her blade, cutting significantly deeper into the tree. There was no resistance as the blade went through the tree. Nor was there any black ink as well. A ding sound could be heard the moment the swing was complete. This time, the blade didn¡¯t even break, causing Nobina to stare in awe. She noted the golden aura appeared dimmer, making her wonder what had caused it to dime. Before she did anything else, she recalled her book and blade. As she did, she began panting hard. She realized how insanely strong she was. She also began wondering what that ding was because it sounded like it came from her pocket. Nobina approached the tree and could tell the cut went halfway through it. The trunk was pretty sizable, being around half a meter in diameter, so that fact excited her. She wondered if her writing would allow her to one day cut through a tree. ¡°That was amazing,¡± said Sarah. ¡°That ability has to be rare or something. I¡¯m sure barely anyone has it.¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Lare, dampening the mood initially. ¡°It might be uniquely related to her Path, so it could be new.¡± The excitement in Nobina¡¯s face could be seen miles away. Sarah and Lare also expressed smiles of excitement. All of them knew it might have been a sign of a good change for Nobina. No one was saying anything, but Nobina knew it likely meant she really did have the potential to become a decent adventurer. Perhaps not at Mimiki or Eric¡¯s level, but someone strong at the very least. ¡°What was that ding though,¡± said Sarah. ¡°It happened after you swung that blade.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Let me check my pockets.¡± Nobina went into her pocket, where her coin pouch was. As she lifted it out, it felt a bit lighter for some reason. Opening it up, Nobina fell to the ground, her face in despair. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong,¡± asked Lare and Sarah, running to her side. ¡°I lost¡­. Ten gold coins with that swing,¡± she sighed. She poured her coin pouch content onto the ground next to her and began counting. She sighed again when she confirmed how much money was spent. ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s why you summoned a ledger,¡± said Lare, nodding your head. ¡°You can increase your blades strength, but it costs money to swing. I commend you for spending money for the demonstration.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was so expensive though,¡± said Nobina, saddened by the money she lost. ¡°Ten gold is a lot, remember? Our guild budget¡­¡± Nobina grabbed her head immediately, coming to a realization. ¡°My god, we are poor as well as a guild! How will we financially recover after this raid is done.¡± Lare and Sarah looked at each other, laughing. Nobina looked at them confusingly, with Lare speaking first. ¡°Nobina¡­ We are glad someone cares about finances. More importantly¡­ we are glad you care about the guild.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Sarah. ¡°It really shows that we are all a team, right?¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t deny that. She cared a lot about the guild as if it were a family home. While it couldn¡¯t ever replace her family back at home, it was a home that she would be happy spending her life in. At least if she never had a family of her own. As she gathered her money, the three of them headed out for dinner. This time, Lare was covering the cost of the restaurant, and the two were free to indulge in the more expensive foods. All of them were having a good time as they enjoyed bite after bite of the town¡¯s best. Eventually, they all finished and were on their way back to their respective homes. ¡°See you tomorrow Sarah,¡± said Nobina as she split off first. ¡°See you tomorrow Nobina,¡± the two replied as they headed away. Nobina found herself heading towards her inn. Once she was in front of it though, she continued past it and walked further away. Eventually, she found herself in front of Mimiki¡¯s house before walking past it. Soon, she reached the training grounds, where she took out her normal sword and began swinging it. As she did, the moonlight hit her blade in a way that made it shine beautifully. She stopped swinging and began panting due to how tired she was from earlier. She began to examine it, giving her own smile. ¡°Despite my own ability to summon my own blade¡­ I¡¯m thankful to those watching¡­ for supporting me this whole time.¡± Her words were directed towards the Gaze itself, which was still ever-present and ever-watching. Nobina had grown completely accustomed to its presence and would instantly notice the moments it was gone. Despite her saying it was ever-watching, it seemed to disappear here and there. The longest it was gone was for days, but it eventually came back. Despite that, even while it was gone, she felt it would be there when she needed it the most. ¡°Thank you for this blade¡­ and thank you for everything you¡¯ve given me.¡± With that, Nobina sheathed her blade and returned it to her Special Bag. As she began leaving, a loud bell began ringing through town, draining Nobina¡¯s face of all color. ¡°No¡­¡± Nobina knew what that bell was. It was the guild emergency bell, likely signaling a goblin attack. Chapter 37: Goblin Attack and Hero Nobina began rushing into the town, seeing every home and building light up. The protocol for a night attack was for all lights to be on. Goblins were far more suited to fighting in the dark, so as much light as possible was needed. As she reached the main street heading to the guild, she saw civilians leaving their houses and heading towards the guild. That was the second step, as it was far too difficult to defend multiple places. The evacuation locations for the civilians were the guild, the medical office, and the town hall itself. The guild and town hall were decently strong and isolated enough to avoid being affected if the goblins set the town ablaze, which was a strategy they might employ. As for the medical office, it was to be held until it was in danger of burning since it was where a majority of the medical supplies were. Eventually, Nobina reached the guild, where adventurers were piling in for their orders. As Nobina managed to squeeze her way in, Sarah¡¯s voice echoed instructions. ¡°All adventurers. Gather with your parties and head to the defense point two through five. Be prepared to shift to other defense points if the goblins begin encircling. Reports are the attack is focused on the north-west and no flank attacks are noted. If you need any assistance, ask me afterwards.¡± Nobina recognized that those defensive points that covered the west-to-north side of town. Specifically, it moved adventurers to the south-west, west, north-west, and north side of town. This meant this was an attack involving the north-west goblin nest. As she thought that, many adventurers left immediately as they had their assigned locations. However, there was still a decent amount remaining. Looking at them, Nobina could see that most of them were still in shock. Unfortunately, Nobina had no idea how to help them, so she went to Sarah to discuss things with her. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Sarah, finally noticing. ¡°Many of the adventurers left won¡¯t be able to join. We can¡¯t expect all of them to be capable of mentally handling such an attack. For now, can you watch over them and provide any support they ask?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Nobina responded. ¡°Where¡¯s Lare, by the way?¡± ¡°He headed to defense point two. A part of his theory is they might try to flank to defense point one, so he¡¯s there to instruct if that happens,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Hopefully they also don¡¯t try to move to defense point six, but the guards there are more numerous at least.¡± Nobina nodded. With that, Sarah focused on assisting the adventurers with questions. At that time, Nobina looked at all of the remaining adventurers, many of them sitting down with their faces down. Some of them lifted their heads long enough to show either tearful, fearful, or blank looks. ¡°Nobina,¡± came a familiar voice. She turned to see Macy, who looked ready to head out. ¡°Macy,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you.¡± ¡°Too bad it isn¡¯t under¡­ better circumstances,¡± she sighed. ¡°So what are you doing back here Macy? Are you¡­ worried about the goblins?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I had a lot of time to think about it Nobina and I was very close to quitting. However, Merrick introduced me to another adventurer who had lost her whole party of five to goblins. I would have thought it would have mentally destroyed them, but they were living a happy life retired. I told them I was planning to retire as well, but they told me their one regret was not continuing to fight until they were unable to. I was shocked hearing that, but they explained retiring probably killed more people than being active would have,¡± spoke Macy. ¡°But how can she blame herself for people dying while retired? Retired or not, people would die regardless,¡± said Nobina, surprising herself with how easily she said that. ¡°I told her that as well, but she told me that if she at least taught people her experience with goblins and perhaps trained others, perhaps a few adventurers who have died to goblins would have been alive to this day. In the end, she told me I could retire if I wanted to, but first ask myself if I¡¯d regret not doing everything I can. Then I remember you saying I didn¡¯t need to be an adventurer to help people.¡± Macy took a breath before continuing. ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean that¡¯s the best choice. If being an adventurer means I can help the most people¡­ then I¡¯ll take my trauma on the chin and fight all my demons. If it means one more person lives, then it would be all worth it,¡± said Macy, her face reflecting how serious she was. Nobina could only nod, absorbing everything Macy had just told her. It was right then and there Nobina felt her words really get to her. She felt she herself could be doing more right now. Sure, the adventurers there did need people to comfort them, but she felt she had the tools in her bag to potentially save more lives. Especially considering how it was night time and they were fighting at a disadvantage. ¡°So what¡¯s your plan now Macy?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Will you join the front?¡± ¡°If need be, but I¡¯m here to comfort the adventurers. I hate to admit it, but I¡¯m not that strong,¡± chuckled Macy. ¡°If you feel the same Nobina, then I¡¯m glad to join you in helping these adventurers, but¡­ your expression gives it away. You want to be out there, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Thank you Macy¡­ For telling me that story.¡± ¡°Thank you for risking your life for all of us Nobina,¡± she smiled back. Nobina headed to Sarah, who was finishing up helping someone. ¡°Sarah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m going to the front to help.¡± Immediately, Sarah froze and stared at her. She was going to say something but went quiet for a bit. ¡°I see that look Nobina,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Nothing I say is going to stop you, huh?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I know that I¡¯m not someone who can fight hundreds of goblins by themselves like Mimiki or Eric. I¡¯ll have to keep in the back and be safe, but I can do things to help¡­ That¡¯s what I firmly believe. I can save way more lives out there than here,¡± said Nobina firmly. ¡°Then go,¡± said Sarah, her voice showing a bit of reluctance. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t trade your life for another, at the very least. Else¡­ I don¡¯t know if I could live with myself letting you go.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± said Nobina. ¡°But if I can save more than one life¡­ I can¡¯t tell you I¡¯d pick myself over them. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say.¡± Sarah shook her head. ¡°Godspeed Nobina. Godspeed.¡± With that, she departed from the guild and headed to defense point three, the main road heading into the town from the west side. Getting closer, she could see the guard and adventurers engaged in an intense battle. There was barbed wiring along the defensive line where the adventurers, guards, and goblins were fighting. It was still dark, so it was hard to tell how many goblins there were, but it was enough that defensive lines were needed to stop them from advancing. At the back of these lines were adventurers and guards who had either ranged weapons or abilities. Nobina knew this kind of battle wasn¡¯t something adventurers or guards were used to. Thankfully, part of the preparation planning was rudimentary line fighting used in conjunction with the barb wiring. Nobina had to study large-scale combat to help plan such a defense. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to be effective, but it was paying off at the moment. She couldn¡¯t call herself an expert in defensive planning, but she had taught enough that it seemed that everyone was holding the line well enough. On a smaller scale, Nobina noticed how the defensive line was basically composed of adventurers in small groups, with guards filling the gaps between the groups. This was a part of the defensive planning, but seeing it in action made Nobina realize how critical her earlier work was. If she didn¡¯t work as hard or missed out on any details, this scene could have been very different. Eventually, Nobina noticed one of the guards giving orders from the back. She approached him and asked the status of the battle. ¡°Nobina,¡± said the guard, recognizing her. ¡°The battle is in a deadlock. There are probably hundreds of goblins at this defense point. Luckily, there¡¯s no sign of any Path goblins, so we are good on that front.¡± She gave a nod. ¡°Oh, are you here to give us any orders?¡± asked the guard. ¡°I have tools at my disposal that should help out,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Then by all means.¡± With that, Nobina took out her flashlight and began using it on the widest setting on max power. It began roaring, reflecting how strong the flashlight could be. Soon, the battlefield lit up thanks to her flashlight. It was mostly the front goblins that were more visible, with the back ones still out of range of the light, but it suddenly changed the flow of the battle. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. People around her were initially in awe before realizing they had a newfound advantage. The adventurers could see the goblins easier, while it seemed the light was forcing many of the frontal goblins to avoid looking directly at their opponents. Soon, adventurers began cutting them down left and right, with the range adventures and guards taking full advantage of the new visibility. The battle went on for a good thirty minutes before the defensive point was cleared. ¡°Amazing,¡± said the town guard. ¡°To think you had such a useful tool.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± frowned Nobina. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ too bad it ran out of energy. I can no longer use it in battle.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he nodded. ¡°No wonder this wasn¡¯t in the defensive planning. You didn¡¯t want to have us depend on something limited.¡± ¡°I wish I had more flashlights, but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said, patting her back. Look at the faces of everyone here. They are very thankful that you came to assist. Looking around, Nobina could tell the guard was right. Many of them felt relieved and were looking at her and thanking her. ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste,¡± called the guard next to her. ¡°Those who feel able, move to the other three defense points. We might have killed hundreds of goblins, but there are probably hundreds more that are being fought right now. Move out to save your fellow companions!¡± A cheer roared amongst the adventurers as they began moving to their next assigned defense point. As they headed out, Nobina found herself joining them. She felt the impact of her decision and realized that she really could save so many more lives being on the front lines. With that, she headed to defense point four, which was the side of town closest to the north-west forest. There, the battle was far different from defense point three. Unlike defense point three, the adventurers had been pushed back to the buildings. The barb wiring was working in forcing the goblins to head into specific areas, but those areas were now packed with goblins that made fighting difficult. It seemed like each person was having to fight off two goblins. Looking at the status of the field, it seemed like Defense Point Four was in danger of falling. At least, that was before their arrival. ¡°Reinforcements,¡± yelled the guard leading that area. Soon, everyone was turning to see the large number of adventurers and guards arriving at the defense point. The goblins were now turning their full attention to the new targets, who were preparing to fight. ¡°We shall fight for Lady Nobina,¡± yelled one of the adventures. ¡°What,¡± said Nobina in shock. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± However, her words were drowned out by the roar of the adventurers. Arrows and other ranged abilities began flying out, causing the goblins to panic a bit. However, the goblins were still very much fighting rather than retreating. Seeing that, Nobina had an idea that was a bit risky. She still wasn¡¯t pulling out the grenades due to the risk of hurting fellow adventurers and revealing a tool she didn¡¯t want people to know she had. However, she had a firecracker that could perhaps scare off the goblins if thrown amongst them. ¡°Hey,¡± said Nobina, approaching a torch-wielding guard. ¡°Can you hold that still for me?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ sure,¡± replied the guard. Nobina took out her firecracker, preparing to light it up. ¡°I¡¯m launching my attack,¡± Nobina yelled. The people around her were initially surprised, but they focused back on the battle at hand. With that, she lit her firecracker and tossed it as far as she could. It wasn¡¯t too far, but it reached past the line of adventurers and landed amongst the goblins. The fuse was long enough that it started going off a few seconds after it landed, causing small explosions. She only had one firecracker and wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to do anything, but to her relief, it seemed to work. The adventurers and guards there suddenly yelled out a roar as the goblins began panicking due to the sudden firecracker, causing the goblin line on their side to collapse. None of the goblins were aware it was a one-time thing, but it was doing enough. Combined with the reinforcements, the goblins began to route, which allowed the adventurers to cheer as they all ran. As Nobina watched the goblin¡¯s route, she felt relieved. There was no guarantee those firecrackers would have done anything, but perhaps it merely tipped the battle in their favor. The real heroes were the other adventurers who were actually killing the goblins, at least in her mind. Eventually, the adventurers returned when it seemed the goblins were routed enough. ¡°That was crazy,¡± said one adventurer. ¡°What kind of ability is that?¡± asked another. ¡°It¡¯s clearly a special object. Did you see her pull it out of her bag?¡± spoke a third. ¡°What? Do we have more of these things?¡± asked the second. Soon, discussion formed around Nobina¡¯s action, making her feel embarrassed. However, another call went out. ¡°Everyone. Prepare to move to defense point five. We shall route the remaining goblins!¡± yelled a C-rank adventurer. ¡°Yeah,¡± they all responded back in kind. Soon, the adventurers began moving out, with Nobina following right behind them. Before that, she was stopped by one of the guards. ¡°Nobina,¡± said the guards. ¡°Can you report to the guard that a few goblin archers were spotted? They luckily didn¡¯t attack, but that just means we need to be careful of an attack.¡± As he said that, Nobina suddenly felt something on her side. Screams came, and guards moved to shield her. She turned to see an arrow had landed on her side, causing her to fall to the ground as the pain shot through her. ¡°Damn it,¡± said a guard. ¡°Get that arrow out of her. We can¡¯t apply the healing potion until its out.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said an adventurer, joining Nobina. Before she could say anything, she screamed as the arrow was removed. An adventurer moved to give her a healing potion, which she poured onto the wound. It began to heal, but Nobina was feeling light-headed. Soon, she found herself unconscious. ¡­ Nobina found herself awake in Medical Mage Kim¡¯s office, lying in one of the beds. There was Kim, who was looking relieved. ¡°Oh thank god you''re awake,¡± said Kim. ¡°What happened,¡± asked Nobina, slowly getting up. To her surprise, there was no pain or even indication of her getting hit. ¡°You got hit by an arrow,¡± said Kim. ¡°There was one goblin archer that probably was aiming for the guard leading the whole thing. However, you made yourself a target and it landed a hit. It was rather far away too so the guess is it used a skill to land such a far hit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ terrifying,¡± said Nobina. ¡°They were running, so I guess they were waiting for us to lower our guard.¡± ¡°Right¡­ If it tried to target the head¡­ well¡­ It probably would have missed¡­ hopefully.¡± Nobina could see it in Kim¡¯s face. She must have seen such horrible things, considering how strained her smile was. ¡°What happened in the battle?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Did they counter attack when I went down?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± replied Kim. ¡°The goblins routed right after that attack. It¡¯s now daytime and I¡¯m working on healing everyone I can. I have a few uses of my ability left in case the raids come back, but if too many people are hurt¡­¡± Nobina could see the sadness on Kim¡¯s face. ¡°We have to hope that they will all make it back safely,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I need¡­ to head back.¡± Despite saying that, Nobina felt tired. Even with the sleep she had, she guessed that her body was still recovering from an arrow. It reminded Nobina that despite getting stronger, she still had a long way to go before she could even take hits like that. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Kim. ¡°I want to tell you to rest up, but everyone was talking about how important you were in the battle. Many of them were happy you were there, but¡­ there are people going around questioning why you didn¡¯t make your tools known. Of course, the rules of adventurers dictate your personal abilities and equipment are yours to reveal, but¡­¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could explain it in a way to satisfy them. All I will say is those things were limited.¡± ¡°Then that should be good enough,¡± said Kim. ¡°Regardless¡­ people see you as a hero now.¡± Nobina felt it was undeserved, considering she was depending on the Gaze for her special items. However, she wouldn¡¯t deny people hope. If they wanted to see her as something she wasn¡¯t, then she¡¯d work hard to at least be someone who could be a hero. Perhaps it¡¯d take a long time, but she wanted to continue to help people on top of her dream of being a writer. ¡°Then¡­ it seems I have a job to do. Thank you Kim,¡± said Nobina, getting up. ¡°Be safe¡­ for all our sakes Nobina,¡± Kim replied back. Nobina headed out of the medical office and towards the guild. To her surprise, people were taking notice of her, whispering and asking if she was the ¡°hero¡± of the defense. It made Nobina feel more and more undeserving, but she held strong. She had to keep the feeling of hope alive for all of them. Eventually, she reached the guild, where she was given a path through. Seeing Sarah, Nobina made her way to her. Sarah, who was helping other adventurers, ran up to Nobina, hugging her strongly and crying into her. ¡°You idiot. You dummy. You¡­ You said you¡¯d be safe¡­ You¡­¡± Her words were lost in tears as Sarah hugged Nobina. Smiling, Nobina returned the hug, giving as much comfort as she could. ¡°I glad I¡¯m safe too,¡± Nobina replied. Everyone gave them space to have their moment. Eventually, Lare appeared. Nobina was wondering what he was going to say, but his tone reflected that their moment of victory was going to be short lived. ¡°We need to discuss what happened immediately,¡± said Lare, his face reflecting both relief and worry about Nobina being fine. ¡°Right,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Attention all adventurers. Stand by for further instructions.¡± With that, Nobina, Sarah, and Lare headed to the second-floor meeting room. There, they began discussing the matter at hand. ¡°Thanks to Nobina, we managed to prevent a lot of casualties. The barb wiring prevented the lines from being overwhelmed, all except defense point four. However, Nobina¡¯s flashlight and whatever her explosive thing was turned the tides of two defensive points, leading to all four surviving. Luckily, there were no flanks either.¡± Both Sarah and Nobina gave a nod. ¡°However, the attack indicates the culling of the north-west has failed. In the worst case¡­¡± Lare went silent, making them both realize what that could mean. Tears flowed out of Nobina¡¯s eyes as she looked Lare dead in the face. ¡°No,¡± she cried. ¡°Mimiki is not dead. She¡­ Something must have happened. She must be still fighting¡­ Or maybe they just went around them¡­ She¡­ she has to be fine!¡± Nobina cry grew as she started to doubt her own words. Lare expression didn¡¯t hide his thoughts. He was showing a somber look, showing that he didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Sarah, showing no tears herself. ¡°We cannot just doubt Mimiki would fall to goblins. Even if they have paths, she has the ability to deal with groups of ten or twenty with ease. Even ambushes fail against her thanks to her ability. Something must have happened, or they really did avoid them. Goblins are smart and we can¡¯t discredit that.¡± With that, Lare gave a nod. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Lare. ¡°I¡­ I know Eric would be furious if I told him I didn¡¯t stop you from going to the front. I swore on my life to protect you and yet I didn¡¯t prioritize that as I headed to defense point two. I will apologize to him when he gets back. However¡­¡± He went silent before speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t want to abandon hope Mimiki¡¯s alive. I want to send a group of C-rank adventurers to the north-west goblin nest. I want you to join them as well.¡± Nobina was surprised by what he was saying. ¡°Why me? I¡­ I¡¯m still learning my abilities and I don¡¯t have more of those two special items I use,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m sending you because no one will risk their lives on a high-risk mission unless you act yourself,¡± said Lare. ¡°Despite the success of the town defense, unless they believe there¡¯s a chance of success, they won¡¯t go. I cannot allow too many adventurers to depart in case any of the other two zones fall. I¡¯m also concerned that you leaving the town will hurt moral, but this is our only shot of potentially saving Mimiki.¡± Nobina was taking in everything Lare was saying. Like he said, it was a mission that could get them all killed. Despite the team composition planning to be all C-ranks, the group could still fall easily against hundreds of goblins and a few Paths. From what Nobina knew, a Goblin Invasion was composed of thousands of goblins. They had slayed a lot already, but it wasn¡¯t nearly close to a thousand. However, Nobina knew her answer. ¡°Let¡¯s save Mimiki,¡± said Nobina, her face full of determination. Chapter 38: Risk and Friends Nobina headed down from the room with Sarah and Lare behind her. As soon as they all reached the main lobby, a cheer could be heard for Nobina. Hearing that, she felt a wave of embarrassment, considering the fact that her being a main contributor wasn''t finished settling in for her. Not only that, but Nobina could pick out the looks of people in a less celebratory mood than everyone else. She wasn''t sure if it was due to her or the attack herself, but she couldn''t help but worry. Before she could say anything, a familiar individual appeared from the crowd. "Congratulations Nobina and everyone here," said Council Member Hally. "Despite not having Mimiki and Eric here to defend the town, thanks to everyone efforts, the town was able to push back a serious attack. It would behoove me to not credit you specifically Nobina. Your contributions to the defense, both in its preparation and execution, has saved countless of lives. We are forever in your debt." She gave a bow, which everyone else followed. Even Lare and Sarah bowed as well, showing her respect. Nobina wanted to discredit herself immediately, but she felt it would have been wrong. Everyone there knew of her contribution and wouldn''t accept her selling herself short. "Thank¡­ thank you everyone," she managed to say, giving her own bow. "I¡­ I might not be as strong as everyone here, but I wanted to do my best. Not for my sake, but for the sake of everyone." With that, everyone stopped bowing and stood there, smiling and chatting. Even the faces earlier seemed to relax as the more festive mood swept over the group. Seeing this, Lare put his hand on Nobina''s shoulder. "I''ll give the news," he told Nobina. Lare found an elevated platform and stood on it, calling everyone to attention. When all the eyes of the guild fell on him, and everything got silent, Lare spoke up. "Everyone¡­ I want to announcement¡­ a special operation." Suddenly, the mood seemed to fade into worry as many people began discussing what Lare would potentially say. Hally, who was chatting with another adventurer, saw this and approach Lare. "What is this about Lare?" she asked, confused by his actions. "We''ve concluded that the attack on the town was likely from the north-west goblin nest. This unfortunately means that in all likelihood, those who went to the nest failed to cull it." Those words dug deep into everyone, as the implication was that they had lost all the C-rank adventurers and Mimiki. Many of them had a somber look on their faces, as it felt as if they were going to discuss their passing. However, everyone was surprised by Lare''s words. "There is a highly likely chance Mimiki and those who went there have died. However¡­ We at the guild refuse to believe that she died so easily. Something must have happened to prevent her from culling the nest." Chatting continued amongst everyone, with people trying to figure out if that was even possible. "Are you saying she ran?" came a voice in the crowd. "Are there way more goblins yet to come?" said another voice. It felt as if the crowd was unraveling as people''s worries and fears began to take over. Seeing this, Lare spoke again, hoping to deliver the plan. "We cannot say what happened until we send a group to investigate the status of the nest and potentially rescue Mimiki and the other C-rank adventurers." Those words sent the whole crowd into an uproar. Many of the voices were demanding to know if the guild was planning to send them all off to the north-west goblin nest to potentially die. There were also complaints about leaving the town undefended, asking if they were going to risk the town being in danger for the sake of a few adventurers. Seeing this, Lare stepped off, inviting Nobina to take center stage. Nobina found herself frozen, unsure if she could even convince the crowd to listen to her plea. However, Sarah put her hand on Nobina''s shoulder. "Nobina¡­ believe in yourself. Else¡­ how can you expect anyone else to believe?" Hearing that, Nobina slapped both her cheeks, drawing attention to her. She stepped onto the platform confidently, standing before the crowd. "Everyone," said Nobina, causing silence to form. With everyone''s attention, Nobina took a breath and spoke, looking outwards towards everyone. "I do not expect everyone to go on such a risky mission," said Nobina. "The reality is¡­ Mimiki and the others are likely dead. This might only end up being a mission to determine the status of the nest. However, I refuse to believe that they are dead." Her words continued to keep people''s gaze as they listened to what she had to say. "I don''t have the strength of Mimiki or Eric. However, I have the heart and determination of an adventurer. I''m willing to put my life on the line to continue to save those I care about. I might not expect everyone to do the same¡­ but I ask for volunteers to join me in this investgation and rescue operation." When she stepped down, she stood to the side, waiting to see if anyone would respond to her call. To her surprise, Hally stepped up and drew everyone''s attention. "Everyone¡­ Before you make a decision, please remember the defense of the town is the foremost priority. Like Nobina said, this mission is risky. While I understand the value of investigating the nest, sending off too many people could put the town in danger. Not only that, but you''ll be dealing with the goblin nest directly. I won''t go so far as to say it''s a suicide mission, but please bear in mind that if you feel that your presence in town is more important to protecting everyone, stay." She stepped down, approaching Nobina, Sarah, and Lare. Sarah, looking furious, wanted to say something, but Lare stopped her, shaking her head. Hally approached Nobina, looking apologetic about what she had just done. "I''m sorry Nobina," said Hally. "I did not mean to step over your speech, but the reality is that we cannot afford to send too many adventurers on your¡­ mission. Deep down, I feel you are doing this more to rescue them rather than scout the nest. I don''t know what tools you have to assist you, but I cannot in good faith take away from the towns defense. In actually, I really don''t want you to leave either. I hope you understand." Nobina nodded. "That''s alright Hally¡­ I know that this mission is risky. That¡­ anyone who joins me could potentially die and it''d be my fault if they did. However¡­ Mimiki is my dear friend. I would never abandon her if there''s a chance to save her." Saying that, her Gaze bag glowed once more. Like before, something came out immediately, suddenly drawing everyone''s attention. "What is that," said someone. "That''s clearly a dog," another replied. "Never seen a dog like that though." Nobina and everyone gave a good long stare at the dog before them. It looked extremely happy, wagging it''s tail as it enjoyed the attention of everyone there. It''s white and fawn fur look silky smooth as it began walking around, eventually ending up in front of Nobina. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Bark," went the corgi, its happiness now starting to get to Nobina. "It''s so¡­ cute," smiled Nobina. Picking it up, the dog gave Nobina a lick, causing her to momentarily forget what was happening. "So¡­ why did you get a dog?" asked Hally. "No idea," she smiled. "I''ll have to leave this little guy when I go on this mission, but he''ll keep Pausers company once all is said and done." With that, she put down the corgi for now. She knew she''d have to come up with a name for it later, but that was the least of her concerns. Nobina also noticed another item in her Gaze bag. Looking into it, she noticed a megaphone. Immediately, she thought it¡¯d be useful in the search for Mimiki, though using it could draw unwanted attention. She left it in the Gaze bag for now, since once she took it out it¡¯d take space in her Special Bag. Nobina turned to Hally, continuing the conversation. "Any way''s¡­ I''ll avoid getting too many adventurers to join me. In all honestly, this is more like a dangerous scout mission than a rescue one. A too large of a party might draw too much attention from the goblins that are still alive out there. Hopefully that''s acceptable." Hally gave a nod. "As usual, such a matter is the guilds jurisdiction at the end of the day. I leave this up to your discretion. I''ve said my peace." With that, Hally left, leaving Nobina with Sarah and Lare. Before saying anything, the corgi approached Sarah, who promptly picked it up and began petting it. "Say Nobina," said Sarah. "I can watch your dog while it''s gone. Is that fine?" She nodded, prompting a tiny cheer from Sarah. With that, the three began waiting to see who would volunteer. Time seemed to slowly tick as no one stepped forward. Nobina wasn''t surprised, considering Hally''s speech basically killed any drive to join her. Of course, Nobina didn''t expect a raid-size group to join her, but the lack of anyone approaching was getting to her. It gave her time to think whether or not what she was doing was a good idea. She was risking her life for Mimiki, despite knowing that Mimiki and Eric would call her foolish for taking such an unnecessary risk. It would have been better to wait for one of the other raids to return before acting. At the very least it would leave the town properly defended. However, that would significantly reduce the odds that Mimiki and the others were still alive. As she pondered, a familiar face appeared. "Nobina," called Merrick, appearing before her. Nobina could see Merrick was fully geared, ready to move out at a moment''s notice. Reaching Nobina, he gave a salute. "I''m honored to be the first volunteer. I might be a beginner, but I''d do anything to assist you Nobina. I also trust you to protect us completely." "Merrick," she smiled. Nobina wanted to tell him that it was dangerous, and she didn''t want him to risk his life. However, she wouldn''t stop someone who truly wanted to rescue Mimiki or assist her. "Thank you¡­ It means so much. Honestly." With that, Merrick stood by, waiting for the rest of the party to form. Next on the list were two new faces. It was a female and male adventurer. One had a bow, and the other seemed to have two daggers. "We would like to join," said the male dagger wielder. "My name is Hepter. My Path is the Path of Speed and I believe I''m more suited to assist you than stay for the town defense." "My name is Gavi," said the female archer. "I have the Path of the Archer. While my skills would be good for the town defense, Hepter is one of my fellow party members and I refuse to let him go alone. Plus, my presence should help us keep safe and ideally we all make it home safe and sound." Nobina nodded, shaking both of their hands. She felt both of their grips, remembering how strong C-rank adventurers were. "I''m glad to have you two join us," said Nobina. The two joined Merrick and began chatting with him as they waited for additional adventurers. To her surprise, Macy appeared before her, also ready to go. "Hopefully you don''t mind," said Macy. "I''d be devastated if I let you go on such a dangerous mission. I¡­ considering you a friend Nobina." "I''m glad you do," smiled Nobina. Once Macy joined the three, Nobina began thinking about how many more members they''d need. From her memory, dangerous scout missions were often limited to six people. The larger the party, the slower it moved and the more attention it drew. Speed and stealth were critical when time was of the essence. Plus, they didn''t want to get engaged in a serious battle. "One more should do," told Nobina to herself. She turned to the front, waiting to see if anyone else would join them. Eventually, one more new face approached. This time, it was a person who held a book in one hand with a symbol of a figure she didn''t recognized. "Hello there," said the man, a bit shy. "Uh¡­ hello," Nobina replied, caught off guard by his attitude. "Are you here to volunteer?" He gave a nod. "I have¡­ the Path of the Healer. Unfortunately, I''ve used up my healing spells for the month, so I can only come and provide basic first aid. I do have healing potions though, so¡­ I was thinking I''d come to assist in case we find anyone with serious injuries." Nobina was ecstatic to have someone skilled in healing with her, but suddenly she felt guilty about taking a healer away from the town. They were going on a risky mission and if she had gotten a healer killed, she would have felt horrible. Though, she felt like that for everyone who was risking her life to help her. "I¡­ I don''t know if it''s a good idea," she replied, sad she had to give such a response. "Oh¡­ Can you tell me why?" he asked, looking sad himself. "I¡­ I know abilities are everything, but¡­" Nobina, realizing he might have taken it the wrong way, waved her hand immediately. "Oh no no no¡­ That''s not the reason¡­ See, I truly care about Mimiki and doing everything possible to potentially save her, but if you leave the town and get hurt or worse¡­ I''d feel like I betrayed my duty to protect the town." A chuckle came from behind Nobina, causing the two to turn behind them. "A bit too late to say that," said Hepter, overhearing the conversation. "All of us going on this mission does put the town in more danger, but at the same time we aren''t people who solely think about the greater good." "He''s right," said Gavi. "If we made every decision based on what helped the most people, then we would all be people willing to give up our loved ones if it meant saving more lives. However, that''s not what makes us human. It''s our willingness to take risks in the hopes it all pays off that that makes us human. After all, who wants to live in a world where you are doomed to die because its too risky or because your death saves more lives?" She then went ahead and pat Hepter on the back. "I wouldn''t abandon this reckless fool like that," she laughed. Hearing Gavi''s words, Nobina nodded. She knew that both of them were right. While saving as many lives as possible was a good thing, it didn''t mean you should abandon the few because it put the many at risk. People would give everything to save someone important to them, which was how she felt about Mimiki. She was someone important that she wanted to save no matter what. Perhaps she would have been doing more good keeping herself safe, but she wasn''t the type of person to abandon her friends. Especially if there was a chance to save them. "You''re right," said Nobina. "Sorry¡­" "Max," said the healer, speaking up. "I''d do my best so you don''t regret this decision." "Max¡­ Welcome to the party. I''m glad you''re joining us." With that, the party was assembled. Nobina turned to the five of them, asking if there was any concerns with the party. "I would say something about the F rank joining us, but I could tell he would refuse to listen," said Gavi, nodding his head. "Other than that, this should be good enough for a dangerous scout mission." "Wonder what the pay will be," laughed Hepter, drawing two elbows from both Gavi and Macy. "Don''t worry about this fool," sighed Gavi. "We don''t expect payment." "Regardless, I''ll make it up to all of you," said Nobina. "It''s the least I can do." Once they were done talking, they approached Lare, who gave a nod. "Head to my office and we can discuss the plan. I want to make sure we plan this very carefully to minimize risk and maximize the odds we can save them," spoke Lare with a serious tone. Once they were all in the office, they began planning out the operation. The main concern was goblin camps, which were encampments of goblins often set up along the Goblin Invasion path. They formed as ways to keep the army supplied as it proceeded to whatever its target would be. In this case, the target was the town. "We need to be careful to avoid these camps as much as possible. However, ideally we at least scout it a bit to get a sense of the remaining danger. If the nearest camp has a significant force, then I''m asking you return immediately and warn us. I know this mission is about rescuing Mimiki, but¡­" "I know," said Nobina. "I desperately want to save Mimiki, but she''d never forgive me if I put her over the town¡­ even if that''s what I''m doing right now." "It is different though," said Merrick. "If there''s a guaranteed danger against the town, prioritizing it makes sense. Else, we proceed as if the town is safe." Nobina gave a nod. With that, they returned to the planning. Besides goblin camps, the other concerns were goblin patrols protecting these camps. Often, these patrols weren''t a major issue but if they had goblin riders, then being caught could mean being swarmed by a large force fast. If they could avoid being seen by the patrols and camps, they''d be in a good position to scout the three entrances of the north-west goblin nest to see the status of the other parties. "In the worst case, you''d likely see the entrances have the remains of everyone," said Lare. "I''m not saying it''s a good thing, but if you can confirm the parties are dead, return immediately. I do not want you six going into the nest under any circumstances. You C-ranks should know how dangerous the nests can be outside of a goblin invasion. During one, it could mean assured death if you venture inside." All of them gave a nod. "With that, note down the following route. It''s the same route they were ordered to travel. As this nest is the shortest to us, so you should reach the entrance to it in a day and a half. Any questions?" Everyone shook their head. With that, they began studying the maps and routes. As they did, Nobina held her Gaze bag tight. She hoped to god that those watching over her would be with her in her time of need. She didn''t want to depend on it, but she was still trying to get strong enough on her own. Until then, she wanted to believe fate was on their side for the mission at hand. Chapter 39: Rescue and Claws It took an hour to get prepared, but Lare and Sarah wanted to make absolutely sure they had everything they needed. Everyone was provided with a potion belt of healing potions. Despite Max being there, being able to heal on the fly could mean the difference between life and death. That being said, Max¡¯s knowledge would help them effectively treat more serious injuries that a healing potion couldn¡¯t heal alone. Besides that, they were stocked up on the food packs and water they could potentially need in case the mission went too long. Merrick put in on himself to carry extras, but everyone had the bare minimum at the very least. C-ranks were generally strong enough to carry larger bags as if they weighed as much as air itself. It highlighted the strength difference between the ranks. However, some C-ranks like Max weren¡¯t too much stronger than the lower ranks due to the nature of their Path. During the downtime, Nobina received another item with a note from the Gaze bag. One that had so much potential, yet a downside she was worried about. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± said Nobina, picking up the note. ¡°This is a one-time use scroll that allows you to write out an attack and its effect onto it. Once written, the attack shall happen while you hold the scroll and yell ¡®I am the Legendary Adventurer Nobina, and I command my enemies to perish!¡¯ The attack is inherently powerful but shall get stronger with each ally who hears it. However, a cost shall be paid to use such a power. Fair warning to use as a last resort.¡± Looking at the scroll, Nobina could only wonder if she was going to face situations that would prompt the usage of this scroll. Perhaps it was meant to help her deal with the goblin nest, but what would the cost of such an attack be? Not only that but the uncertainty of whether the attack would be enough was bothering her. If she tried to attack something or someone extremely powerful and the attack failed, she¡¯d gain nothing from the attack and pay an unknown cost. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep this on hand in the worst case,¡± she told herself, recalling both the note and scroll. With that, she headed back to the main guild area. Arriving there, she saw it was their party, Lare, Sarah, and a few other adventurers who were sleeping on the couches. As soon as everyone was ready, Nobina and her party stood in front of Lare and Sarah for one last check. ¡°It looks like everything is in order,¡± said Lare. ¡°We wish you six the best on your mission.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± said Nobina. As Nobina turned to Sarah, she found Sarah giving the strongest hug possible. Nobina found herself returning it, taking in the feelings of Sarah. It was at that moment she remembered that she had to come back safe not only to continue her dream, but for the sake of those who cared about her. ¡°Sarah¡­ I¡¯ll come back safe,¡± Nobina said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before,¡± she chuckled, this time Nobina sensing the nervous undertone. Before she knew it, Nobina felt Sarah¡¯s tears fall on her. ¡°Nobina,¡± she spoke, her voice now turning tearful. ¡°Please¡­ please don¡¯t die¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose a friend.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but cry a few tears herself as she strengthened her hug. ¡°Sarah¡­ Please believe in us¡­ I want us, when all of this is over, to be able to hang out together and laughing.¡± Sarah gave a nod. The two spent a few more moments hugging before separating. As soon as she did, Nobina felt the hands of Gavi on her shoulder. ¡°I swear to you Sarah, I shall protect Nobina with my life.¡± ¡°Same,¡± said Merrick instantly, trying not to be outdone in support. The rest of them agreed as well, causing both of them to stop crying and smile. ¡°Then¡­ I wish you all the best,¡± said Sarah. With that, the group gave their last goodbye and left the guild. When they stepped outside, they were surprised to see civilians and adventurers lining the streets. Standing produly above all of them was Hally. ¡°Let us cheer farewell to our hero and those willing to risk their lives to not only make sure we are safe, but to save their fellow adventurers. It is their belief that their actions are for the sake of the town, and it is our duty to support them. Especially the hero of the town Nobina, who is once again risking her life for the sake of others. May you all come back safe and rescue Mimiki and the others.¡± Cheers roared through the streets as the group proceeded to leave the town. All of them seemed to be absorbed in the fanfare, including Nobina. She couldn¡¯t help but smile seeing everyone, even if a tiny part of her didn¡¯t feel like a hero. At that very moment, it didn¡¯t matter though. She was a hero in the eyes of the people, and she would play that role if they wished. As the group eventually left the town, they were given one last goodbye by the guards at the exit of the town. Looking around, the signs of the night battle were still around them. There were many dead bodies of not just goblins, but also of adventurers and guards who fell in battle. It made Nobina remember how risky the life of an adventurer was, but also showed how much of a difference she made. She didn¡¯t want to think about the lives that would have been lost if she didn¡¯t act. They continued to make their way further away from the town and soon reached the spot where they planned to travel. It wasn¡¯t along the main walking path towards the nest, as that was the most dangerous spot at the moment. If the camps didn¡¯t catch them, patrols likely would be watching the path. Instead, they were taking a lesser-known path through the forest that was often used in emergencies. It was also the path the culling group had planned to take, so it would hopefully give insight into what happened. ¡°Hey Nobina,¡± said Merrick. ¡°I know we are trying to reach the entrance to the goblin nest, but if we go too far from the main path, what if we miss the goblin camps? We are suppose to scout as well, right?¡± ¡°That is true Merrick,¡± said Gavi, speaking on Nobina¡¯s behalf. ¡°If our priority was scouting, we would have taken the main path, scout for a goblin camp, then follow the side path. However, time is of the essence in a rescue operation. If we opt to scout first, we lose hours scouting and that could mean the death of Mimiki and her party. Of course, by avoiding the main path, we might be avoiding seeing another incoming attack. However, we are banking that it¡¯s unlikely one will occur.¡± Hearing those words, Nobina had been wondering the same thing as Merrick. Part of her wanted to believe there wouldn¡¯t be a follow-up attack, but a small part of her said it was possible that they had more goblins to spare. After all, there was only one Path goblin in last night¡¯s attack This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Hepter. ¡°You have something to say?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ I¡¯m with Gavi. I¡¯m just hoping another attack is unlikely,¡± she replied. Hepter nodded, joining the rest of the group. Nobina, seeing no point in dwelling too long on her worries, went ahead and joined the rest of them. A few hours went by and eventually, they were stopped by Gavi. She went on ahead and came back with a bag that was torn apart. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ an adventurer¡¯s bag?¡± asked Hepter, examining it. ¡°Considering its condition, it seems a beast tore it apart. The scary thing is¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem to be a wolf, which is what goblin riders use. The claw marks in particular are worrisome.¡± ¡°A beast?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°We don¡¯t have any records of any dangerous monsters here. So¡­ what tore this bag apart?¡± All of them began contemplating what caused the damage to the bag. At the very least, it seemed that the situation wasn¡¯t black and white. Something had likely attacked the adventuring party, but it was a matter of determining what. Especially considering they left behind the bag, which still had a few healing potions in it. ¡°At least there¡¯s no bodies, so no one died,¡± said Merrick. ¡°But there is also no body of a beast, so maybe it chased them further down,¡± pointed out Max, who was in deep thought. ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s just keep an eye out,¡± said Nobina. Everyone nodded, and they were on their way moments later. They continued on the path, keeping more vigilant in case the unknown danger appeared. Not too far from the spot, they found a small clearing where signs of a battle were evident. To their shock, there were five dead C-rank adventurers, with a clear trail of destruction heading westward away from the path. Besides that, there were signs of large footprints, claw marks on the bodies, and even more damaged bags. ¡°My god,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What¡­ what could have caused it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Hepter. ¡°Whatever caused it has to be big though. Look at that trail going deeper west into the forest. Not only that, but these claw marks are massive and there are also giant footprints.¡± All of them turned and saw the path of fallen trees leading west. The strange thing was that they were unsure if the giant beast came from the west and was merely returning there. ¡°So what now?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Do we follow this trail to clear danger, or do we check the nests?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe Mimiki, and her group would have continued the culling under these circumstances,¡± said Hepter. ¡°In fact, they should have headed back immediately after being attacked. The fact they aren¡¯t here means that they were either taken or¡­¡± Hepter¡¯s voice began to trail off as they began realizing what he was about to say. Merrick took a step back, trying to find the nearest tree to lean against. The others look of horror turned the mood sour as the group began wondering if their mission was over then and there. ¡°No,¡± said Nobina, refusing to believe the worst. ¡°They must have been taken! Yeah. Mimiki and the rest of them were taken by¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ some strange group that has control of a big monster! Yeah! That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Nobina fell to the ground, now in tears. She didn¡¯t want to believe that they failed. That there was no hope of them being alive. There had to be a way to check if they were still around. However, with the split path it was hard to say whether they should check the goblin caves or check the giant beast¡¯s path. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Gavi, putting her hand on her shoulder. ¡°Ultimately, we trust you to make the call. I will say that following that path of destruction is our best bet in finding out what happened to Mimiki and the others, but¡­ It¡¯s extremely dangerous. I¡­ Can¡¯t say I would follow if that¡¯s the decision.¡± Looking at Gavi, Nobina could tell those words hurt her to say. She really did want to rescue Mimiki but risking one¡¯s life for a slim chance¡­ that was a hard thing to ask anyone. Nobina looked at her hands, wondering if they could do anything at this point. At that moment, she saw something fly out of her Special Bag. ¡°Hammy?¡± said Nobina instinctively. Hammy appeared in front of Nobina, dropping the scroll in front of her. Picking it up, she opened it to see the words ¡°believe¡± on it. Seeing that, Nobina felt her determination once again rise. ¡°We follow the path,¡± said Nobina out loud. Everyone was surprised by her decision, but soon the support started to come in. ¡°I¡¯m with you Nobina,¡± said Merrick. ¡°Even if you four decide to head back¡­ I can¡¯t leave Nobina behind.¡± ¡°Geez... If you low ranks are risking your life, then who am I to cower,¡± laughed Hepter. ¡°I know what Gavi said, but¡­ There¡¯s still a chance, right?¡± Gavi shook her head, standing next to Hepter. ¡°You idiot¡­ don¡¯t let emotions dull your judgement. This is such a risky move. That being said¡­ I¡¯ll protect you guys as I promised.¡± Marcy stepped forward, putting her hand against her chest. ¡°Whatever this scary beast may be, it¡¯s certainly no goblin so it should be no problem.¡± Last to speak was Max, who merely nodded. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Nobina smiled, looking at the determination in everyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°Truly¡­ thank you all for supporting me.¡± The group, now invigorated, began following the path of destruction, sticking to the forest to avoid being out in the open. Looking at the path, it wasn¡¯t too wide. Every so often there were one or two trees on the ground, clearly pushed down by some large beast. During their walk, they began trying to puzzle together what exactly this beast was and how it related to the torn apart bag. ¡°When we were back there checking the bags, there were clearly items left behind. That meant whatever happened, it was a situation where they couldn¡¯t recover any of the adventurer¡¯s items. Not even the potions, which would have been quite valuable,¡± said Gavi. ¡°I¡¯ve read stories regarding monsters before,¡± said Merrick. ¡°It must be something strong enough to take out adventurers with ease considering it looked like one swipe killed each of them. I wonder if it was a creature with smaller monsters following it, considering the bag earlier was torn apart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely,¡± said Gavi. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of different attacks. It was merely those large claw marks.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all strange,¡± thought Nobina. ¡°Did that monster just appear from the forest or did it suddenly appear in that clearing.¡± ¡°Are you implying it was summoned?¡± asked Hepter. ¡°If so¡­¡± Nobina was aware that summoning creatures was a thing in this world. It was a very rare path that often only resulted in minor monsters being summoned. For something to summon a larger beast, it would have to be a powerful summoner. That, or it had to be something else entirely. ¡°None of this makes sense though,¡± said Macy. ¡°Are we saying that a person summoned it? It¡¯d be hard to believe another intelligent monster summoned something strong enough to attack a group of C-ranks and Mimiki. Not only that, but it killed five and then either ate or took the rest.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Merrick. ¡°If the beast retreated west, it wouldn¡¯t make sense unless the beast was smart or if it was being ordered west. So¡­¡± Nobina began wondering if this was somehow related to her Path. Like Eric said, she was destined to influence the world. Part of her wondered if that meant her Path could cause a random event like this. However, even with that in mind, this seemed like too much. ¡°Ridiculous,¡± she said, spite evident in her speech. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Merrick, concerned about what she had said. ¡°Oh¡­¡± said Nobina, realizing Merrick heard her. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about how strange all of this is. Why would something or someone want to take or eat the culling squad. Is there a power at hand we don¡¯t know about? Is this just blind luck?¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± said Merrick. ¡°All I know is that we should continue on this path. The longer we wait, the worst our odds of finding them in one piece are.¡± Both of them nodded. The six continued following the path of destruction. After five hours, they stopped as Gavi indicated they saw something. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I can¡¯t see, but I think I see the monster. I also see cages, which could be a good sign depending on what¡¯s inside of them.¡± All of them were excited and concerned, as that potentially meant that the rest of them were taken. However, that begged the question of why they were taken and what the monster had in store for them. If they were alive, of course. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get closer without risking myself, but¡­¡± When she said that, Nobina called Gavi over and handed her the binoculars. ¡°Use these,¡± said Nobina, explaining how they worked. Trying them out, Gavi was shocked using them. After trying them for a bit, she calmed herself down and nodded as she went back to the treetops. After a good five minutes, she returned with a frown on her face. ¡°Good news. It seems that they were captured. Mimiki and the rest of them are in cages, bound by rope. Though, that¡¯s where the good news stops,¡± she said, keeping a grim expression. ¡°I believe we are dealing with¡­ a Troll-Wolf.¡± Chapter 40: Tools and Troll-Wolf The words began to sink into everyone, including Nobina. While some knew more about it than others, even Nobina recognized the danger of a troll, let alone a variant of it that was a wolf. ¡°What¡¯s a troll-wolf,¡± asked Max. ¡°A troll-wolf is a troll that shares some aspects of a wolf,¡± said Gavi. ¡°In this case, this one has claws and a long mane that¡¯s going down its back. The claws are only on its hands, and it does not have a weapon.¡± As she said that, Nobina saw her Gaze bag lit up. She opened it to see a map, showing their current location and a marker showing Mimiki was indeed amongst the cages. ¡°Uh¡­ thanks? I guess?¡± Nobina was unsure why they were giving her this information now of all times, but she knew not to question the Gaze bag. Her bag glowed again and soon, she pulled out a cloak with a set of instructions. ¡°An invisibility cloak¡­ lasts for 10 seconds¡­ neat,¡± nodded Nobina. She wasn¡¯t showing it, but Nobina was excited about the prospect of having an item like an invisibility cloak, but it lasting only ten seconds and being one use per day made it highly limited. ¡°What is happening,¡± asked Hepter, confused by the objects she was bringing out. ¡°Did you say invisibility cloak?¡± ¡°Well, you see,¡± said Nobina before being cut off by her bag. This time, she pulled out 6000 feet of barbed wiring. ¡°This bag produces random objects at random times. Usually it picks moments it feels appropriate to add things.¡± All of them nodded, though some were more understanding of the strangeness than others. Due to the circumstances, Nobina decided to drop the secrecy of the bag¡¯s ability. She had no intentions of telling them more beyond what it did though, like her theories and who gave it to her. The bag glowed once again, and this time, Nobina received a stack of business cards with a bee symbol on them. Reading it, it introduced the Gaze bag as a random item generator with a quote on the bottom: ¡°Living and Breathing Gacha System. Known Residents: 2.¡± ¡°What does this mean?¡± asked Merrick, looking at one of the cards. Nobina looked at the cards, her mind lighting up as she was gaining more answers to her questions. The fact it mentioned Gacha indicated these entities were from her old world. At the very least, it was a world with such terminology. ¡°But why¡­¡± Nobina wondered. At that moment, a single note flew out of the bag and landed on her face. She read the name and stared at it¡­ ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure¡­ whatever¡­¡± Nobina¡¯s voice trailed off as she entered deep thought. ¡°What,¡± asked Merrick. ¡°You know that dog earlier? It¡¯s a corgi¡­ named Lebron¡­. Sigh¡­¡± said Nobina, shaking her head as she recognized the name. Nobina was realizing things were once again spiraling out of control. If not for the fact she wanted to make sure she didn¡¯t miss an important item, she wouldn¡¯t have been opening the bag at the moment. However, she knew she couldn¡¯t just keep delaying them by waiting for items. Not to mention that she couldn¡¯t control when they came and stopped. After a minute, she finally gave a nod to them. ¡°Ok¡­ it looks like the bag¡¯s calm down for now,¡± said Nobina. Looking around, everyone was very confused by what was happening. It was only moments after Nobina finished speaking that someone finally spoke. ¡°Oh right,¡± said Hepter. ¡°So¡­ it seems we got more barb wiring¡­ a cloak?¡± ¡°Invisibility cloak. It lasts ten seconds. Activated by fully covering yourself. Limited to one use a day.¡± At that moment, her bag glowed again with Nobina taking out the next object without batting an eye. She pulled out a white wand that looked like a twig. Reading the instructions, it indicated it could imbue a single object or construct with sentience and mobility for ten minutes and it would follow orders. It was limited to one usage a week. Thinking about it, she thought it could be used on one of the cages to get it away, but she had misgivings about using it to save Mimiki alone. She had rather save all of them at once. At least freeing Mimiki would have given them the firepower to deal with the troll-wolf. ¡°So much to think about,¡± said Nobina, holding her head. ¡°What is it this time?¡± asked Merrick. ¡°A wand that makes an object sentient and under my control for ten minutes. Limited to one use a week.¡± Merrick opened his mouth to say something but closed it before he could utter a word. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s the plan,¡± said Merrick, directing the question to everyone. That seemed to break everyone out of their confused stares as Gavi spoke up. ¡°Well, we need to take inventory of everything here,¡± said Gavi, hoping to get everyone on track. ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve gained a lot of familiar and¡­ not so familiar tools. Nobina will have to familiarize us with the items, though for the sake of time and urgency, I ask her to identify only the items of immediate use.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Her bag glowed again, and a note flew out. This time, even Nobina was confused by reading it. ¡°Who is Faffie?¡± She recalled the note, hoping to look at this stuff later. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Hepter. ¡°As much as the bag is useful, we can¡¯t be here all day receiving objects. Can you put it aside for now as we formulate a plan?¡± ¡°Is there much of a rush?¡± asked Max. ¡°There¡¯s¡­ no clear indication of something happening anytime soon.¡± ¡°We have people back in town waiting for our report,¡± said Hepter. ¡°We must remember that while we¡¯ve confirmed the status of the raid team, we need to return immediately in case the goblins try an attack while we are gone.¡± Nobin realized he was right. Despite the bag¡¯s potential to offer them a solution, she couldn¡¯t pause the discussion every time it lit up. ¡°Understood,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll merely pull out the objects and leave them to the side unless its immediately important.¡± She pulled out one last object, which was a picture of this ¡°Faffie¡± person. Looking at it, she found it very cute, but also it made her wonder if this was an actual person from her world, from another world, or if this was potentially someone¡¯s persona. ¡°So many questions,¡± she sighed. Gavi began the planning by stating out their situation. She took a stick and began drawing out the location of everything. ¡°So we have about five cages. One cage has Mimiki, while the other four have split what I believe is the remaining adventurers. Judging by the bodies left behind and the number in the cages, it seems the remaining were split among those cages. They number about eleven.¡± Gavi then pointed towards the location of the troll-wolf, which was about twenty feet away. ¡°Our main objective is to rescue all of them, but we also should consider dealing with the troll-wolf as mandatory. Trolls are already difficult to get away from, but one faster due to being part wolf might be impossible for people at our level.¡± ¡°How did they get captured by this thing anyway,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Is it smart enough to capture and trap so many people? Did it have claws? Why did it trap them?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. All the questions seemed to just float in the air as no one had the answers. ¡°That¡¯s the big question. Why were they captured instead of killed like those five,¡± said Gavi. ¡°Honestly, this seems like a trap for some reason. Perhaps someone is behind the scenes responsible for the troll and is waiting for a certain someone to try to free them.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s at trap, then we shouldn¡¯t walk into it, right?¡± asked Hepter. Nobina started to become worried that they¡¯d abandon all of them due to the risk, but Gavi surprised Nobina with her response. ¡°I would have been inclined to agree with you, but even if this was a trap, then who would it be for? I¡¯d have to guess Eric, considering he¡¯s the strongest person here. Perhaps someone wanted all of them captured and then would make a deal with Eric for their freedom.¡± All of them nodded, understanding the logic behind it. Deep down, Nobina wondered if she was the target, but if so, then why? Until she had some concrete reason for someone to try to lure her into a trap, she didn¡¯t want to say anything. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t see anyone else nearby. If they were close enough to monitor things and did ambush us, we¡¯d likely all die or be captured. However, if we retreat now then we condemn then all to death. Perhaps not all of us have strong ties to Mimiki, but I doubt you¡¯re going to abandon them, right Nobina?¡± asked Gavi, looking directly at her. ¡°She¡¯d never abandon me and the same is true for me. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to save them,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Then¡­ we need a plan,¡± said Gavi. ¡°My plan itself involves distracting it while we try to free them, but I have a feeling that would go horribly. Hence, do you have any items that can help?¡± Nobina nodded, taking out everything relevant. ¡°So I have a few things we can use. I have this wand that allows me to animate and order an object that is up to three-by-three-by-three meters large. I can use it to control Mimiki¡¯s cage and have it open itself. Once¡¯s its open, we can free her from her binds and she can assist us.¡± ¡°Next is this butterfly I have. It creates a shield around the object it hits, but also freezes it. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, but it should freeze the troll so we can act. Ideally it freezes it until everyone is free and we are ready to deal with it, but it might just not work.¡± ¡°Lastly, I do have a ton of barb wire, but I think it might be ineffective. Perhaps trying to surround it while its frozen would be effective, but it can also work against us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it would stop the troll, so let¡¯s just stick with the first two items. We try to freeze the troll and free everyone. Else, we perhaps try to free Mimiki at least using the animated cage to bring her to us. That will work, right?¡± asked Gavi. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have to vocalize the command or mentally give it. If it¡¯s the former, we¡¯ll be in danger. For now, let¡¯s just hope it¡¯s the latter. Oh, I also can use the invisibility cloak to hide myself from view if I do have to yell.¡± When she said that, she remembered she had one more item. ¡°Oh¡­ I also have a one-time powerful magic scroll. It might be able to slay the troll outright, but it has a heavy cost and if it fails, then we are doomed.¡± ¡°If things take a turn, hopefully you get a chance to use it,¡± said Merrick. Nobina gave a nod. With that, she decided to prepare the scroll and write down what the attack would be in the worst case. She wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but if it did then she¡¯d gain more than just a one-time attack out of using it. ¡°By the way, can we kill it if we manage to free all of them?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°It¡¯s a troll with claws and enhanced by its wolf-self. Pretty dangerous and it seems smarter than your average troll. I won¡¯t underestimate the sheer attack power we all have together, but it¡¯s going to all depend on whether its just a troll-wolf we are fighting.¡± Nobina gave a nod. With the two plans set, they reviewed what they had one more time. The barb wire, while normally useful, would unlikely stop the troll. As for her other objects, nothing came to mind as immediately useful. The grenades could potentially work, but if her knowledge of trolls from games was correct, they had thick skin. At that moment, her bag glowed, and Nobina found a satchel. Opening it up, it contained three flashbangs, three smokescreens, and a photo of a fairy wearing an ¡°I love Nobina¡± t-shirt, with a picture of an explosion behind it. It also had a set of instructions. ¡°I¡¯m so glad these have instructions,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should try using them now. The flashbangs could ruin the situation, and the smoke¡­ could work against us. Nobina decided against using it for now, placing the satchel within her Special Bag. ¡°Alright¡­ plan A¡­ let¡¯s do this.¡± Nobina stood near the forest edge, looking at the troll. Gavi was above her, ready to act should plan A fail. Nobina took a deep breath and threw the butterfly. Like before, it began flying straight, heading towards the troll. She held her breath as she waited, and soon, the butterfly made contact, projecting a massive shield over the troll. The troll didn¡¯t move a muscle, causing Nobina to cheer. ¡°It worked! Let¡¯s go quickly!¡± Nobina and the rest of them rushed over to where Mimiki and her party were. Nobina, keeping focus on their objective, used her wand on Mimiki¡¯s cage. It immediately came to life, moving towards Nobina as she yelled for it to come to her. Inside, Mimiki, who was bound by rope, was shocked at everything before realizing Nobina was there. ¡°Nobina,¡± she yelled. ¡°What are you¡­¡± ¡°Get ready to escape,¡± Nobina yelled to Mimiki. When they got close enough, Mimiki¡¯s cage opened itself. Hepter was the first one inside thanks to his speed, trying to cut her ropes. ¡°Damn it,¡± he yelled. ¡°They are magical.¡± ¡°Stand back,¡± said Nobina, arriving a few seconds later. ¡°Pen.¡± A pen appeared in her hand, which she swapped to holding as a sword. ¡°Blade.¡± Black ink began shooting out of the pen, forming a black then grey blade as it hardened. ¡°Summon.¡± She summoned her ledger, intensifying the drain she was feeling. She didn¡¯t have long, and she had to be careful of not cutting Mimiki. Using the Pen Blade, she cut through the rope, freeing Mimiki. Nobina then immediately recalled everything, but she was once again tired. ¡°I¡¯m free,¡± said Mimiki, shocked. Seeing Nobina tired, she patted her on the back. ¡°Leave the rest to us.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°The moment¡­ someone removes that butterfly¡­ the freeze and shield stop. I don¡¯t know¡­ how long¡­¡± As she said that, she heard a crack in the shield around the troll. ¡°It won¡¯t last long,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Remove the butterfly and prepare to retreat.¡± Mimiki gave a nod. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that random sleep spell, we would have been able to kill it,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Let¡¯s try freeing as many people as we can. Once that¡¯s done, follow my directions. I¡¯ll pinpoint the weaknesses and we¡¯ll take them down. We cannot escape it if we try to run.¡± Nobina was still good enough to act, but she could no longer use her pen blade ability. However, she had a bad feeling about taking on this monster. If it was capable of killing that many C-ranks, there was no way they¡¯d get out of there without someone getting hurt or worse. The rest of them began opening the cages and trying to free the other adventurers. Only Mimiki¡¯s ropes were magically bound, as the rest were easily freed by Hepter. ¡°We got a lot of us here,¡± said one of the C-ranks. ¡°We can do it. We know it¡¯s weaknesses,¡± replied another. Nobina saw all of them were raring to go, ready to fight this troll. Nobina, who wanted to do more, merely found herself standing back, her two bags by her side. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ve done all I can,¡± said Nobina to herself. ¡°It¡¯s up to the rest of them now.¡± As she said that, the shield finally shattered, allowing the troll-wolf to move. At that moment, the butterfly seemed to shatter into magical dust. ¡°Well that¡¯s the end of that,¡± she nodded. When she looked back at the troll-wolf, she was surprised to see the sheer number of abilities being used on it. From magical to physical, its back was being slammed by everything they got. The troll-wolf itself seemed stunned, trying to understand what just happened. As for Mimiki, she jumped onto the trolls¡¯ back, yelling her ability. ¡°Flash-Blade: Cut!¡± In a flash, a massive cut appeared on the back of the troll¡¯s neck. It screamed in pain as it went to try to remove her, but Mimiki had already hopped off. Despite its speed, Mimiki was significantly faster. Looking at the troll¡¯s back, it seemed significantly injured, highlighting the effectiveness of so many abilities. Not to mention that it seemed Mimiki¡¯s ability had significantly hurt it. ¡°Back away,¡± yelled Mimiki. All of them backed away as the troll swung around and swiped its claw. Unfortunately, two adventurers in Mimiki¡¯s party got caught and were sent flying. The rest managed to get back fast enough. ¡°Again!¡± They barraged the front of the troll, which was shielding itself from attacks using its hands. Nobina¡¯s eyes were on Mimiki, who was moving behind it. She once again jumped onto its neck. This time, she used a different ability. ¡°Quick Cut.¡± She once again struck where Mimiki was. The troll went to get her off but failed to do so. Mimiki jumped off and moved backward, away from where all of them were. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon as the troll swung around again and swiped at her directly. It was scary how fast it was, but fortunately it was still a troll at its core. ¡°The power of an A rank,¡± said Merrick, joining Nobina. ¡°Oh Merrick,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Not participating?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get sliced immediately and don¡¯t have a range ability,¡± said Merrick. ¡°Best I just watch with you.¡± Nobina gave a nod, turning her attention to the troll. Looking at it, it seemed it was slowly regenerating the damage. However, the damage they did was significant enough that it seemed to be backing away. ¡°It¡¯s going to run,¡± yelled Mimiki. ¡°Be prepared to retreat. This thing is not our priority.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± yelled everyone else. The troll roared once more and soon it stomped on the ground. A massive cloud of dust appeared where it was standing, forcing everyone to look away. People began scattering, trying to get out of the cloud. From a distance, Nobina could see the troll running out the back. As she looked, she was surprised to see it seemed to stop regenerating, indicating that even the troll had limits to its ability. ¡°This is truly a strange world,¡± said Nobina as she watched the troll disappear from sight. With the troll finally gone, Nobina breathed a sigh of relief. The dust began to clear, and everyone seemed to relax. Nobina made her way to Mimiki, who ran to her. The moment she got close enough, Mimiki gave her a hug. ¡°You idiot,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°Risking your life to save me¡­ You know that troll could kill you in one hit, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d done the same,¡± smiled Nobina. Mimiki merely sighed. ¡°When this is all over, I expect you to work twice as hard training. And don¡¯t expect me to go easy on you either.¡± Remembering how rough her training to be, Nobina could only brace herself for what was to come. ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± said Hepter. ¡°But we need to hurry back. We need to report everything that happened. More important, we need the story of what happened from Mimiki and the others.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she replied. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s head out of here while we have a chance. It seems like a lot has happened and we need to catch each other up.¡± Everyone gave a nod. The group gathered their things and began their trek away from the site. As they all left, a figure appeared from behind one of the trees. Behind it appeared a blue tail that merely swung left and right. ¡°Hm¡­ Such strange items and abilities... I can understand why they paid so much for such a silly experiment. Then again, I don¡¯t know why they told me specifically to not capture her,¡± spoke the hooded figure before disappearing into the shadows. Chapter 41: Scouting and Return As everyone began trekking back through the path of the troll¡¯s destruction, Nobina and her group were chatting with Mimiki¡¯s group about what exactly had happened. ¡°Why were you captured? Was it by the troll?¡± asked Nobina, now showing worry as they had a moment to talk. ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± said Mimiki, who looked both worn out and serious. ¡°I¡¯ll need to give this full report to Eric and everyone else when we get back, but this whole situation is not something we can handle as a small guild.¡± Nobina wondered what that could possibly mean, but Mimiki began giving the full story. ¡°Things were fine initially. The moment we departed, we took the designated route towards the goblin nest. We were moving with a bit of haste due to the urgency of everything, but we were keeping an eye out in case we ran into the goblins. However, we didn¡¯t see any signs of them. Instead, after traveling for a while, we encountered a wolf-troll,¡± said Mimiki, giving a pause for Nobina to respond. ¡°A wolf-troll? Is that what we fought?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°No. A wolf-troll is more like a wolf, only it has troll traits instead like regeneration, thick-skin and strength making it far stronger than your average wolf. Honestly, it¡¯s not something a C-rank should ever face. Even I had difficulty fending it off before it ran.¡± ¡°Ran? So, it¡¯s still out there?¡± said Nobina a bit too loudly. ¡°What ran?¡± asked Merrick, appearing upon hearing Nobina¡¯s word. ¡°A wolf-troll,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­¡± Merrick¡¯s face went pale upon hearing that. ¡°No way¡­ Those shouldn¡¯t be anywhere in our kingdom. Why is one here?¡± he asked, his face showing even more worry than Nobina¡¯s. ¡°I believe¡­ it was summoned,¡± said Mimiki. Both of them looked at Mimiki, waiting for an explanation. ¡°Getting back to it, I say summoned because after more traveling, we eventually heard the sound of a lot of trees falling over. When we reached the location, there was the troll-wolf tearing up the area. The moment it saw us, we knew we were in for a battle. However, a few of us managed to catch a hooded figure behind it. At that point, we had to assume this figure was responsible. When we went to fight, however, the field suddenly had all these particles around it. Suddenly, everyone was getting sleepy and a few of us were killed by the troll-wolf. I thought it was over when I went unconscious, but then I woke up to you guys trying to free all of us.¡± As she said that, Nobina noticed a glow in her bag. She turned to the two of them, who merely nodded. When she pulled out the object, she found a note saying it was a Ring of Lesser Presence, which made the wearer less noticed by any hostile threats. ¡°That¡¯s pretty useful. I wonder how well it works in active combat,¡± said Nobina. She then told Mimiki what it did, prompting a nod from her. ¡°I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s only effective while you¡¯re not noticed, so I¡¯d be careful leaning on it,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Speaking of which, mind explaining that powerful sword-ability you got there, miss swordswoman?¡± ¡°Right,¡± chuckled Nobina nervously. She began explaining to Mimiki how she gained a new ability called Pen Sword, which allowed her to create an ink blade for a limited amount of time. It was further boosted by her holding a book, which granted it an effect based on the book. However, it also increased the drain on her, so she couldn¡¯t maintain it for long. ¡°I had to think quickly to free you, since my normal sword didn¡¯t cut through. There was some magical enchantment on that rope,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Though¡­ I think I used most of my gold on that last slice.¡± ¡°All of this is so strange,¡± said Mimiki, now deep in thought. ¡°What purpose would there be to capturing the raid group? If they wanted us dead, we¡¯d be dead by now. Even me being an A-rank, being ambushed by a sleep spell would mean death. Especially since running against a troll-wolf and especially a wolf-troll isn¡¯t an option.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the big question. I don¡¯t think this individual is related to the Goblin Invasions,¡± said Nobina as she was also in thought. ¡°We think¡­ it could have been a trap, but for who we don¡¯t know. I mean¡­ what reason is there to capture anyone in our town?¡± The two of them thought about it a bit more before shaking their heads. ¡°We¡¯ll need to investigate this matter later. For now, can you tell me why exactly you came to rescue us?¡± asked Mimiki, one of her hands against her hips. ¡°I thought we were making sure you were safe. Not only that, but the town defense should have taken priority.¡± ¡°A lot has happened¡­ let me fill you in,¡± said Nobina. Nobina began telling Mimiki everything. She told her about how the goblins attacked and how it eventually led to them realizing something must have happened to Mimiki. Nobina was able to rally some adventurers to help rescue her and then they followed the trail of destruction to where they were. ¡°I see,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°So, it seems that the town should be safe from a goblin attack, but we should make sure and check the likely goblin-attack route.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± said Nobina. ¡°We came here to also check the status of the goblins, so we should at least do that before heading back.¡± Mimiki gathered everyone around, taking command and instructing them on their new mission. ¡°Everyone,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I want to thank everyone here, both from the culling group and the rescue group, for risking your lives for the sake of the town and its people. I know that everyone here is tired, but we still have one last job to do. We need to confirm the status of the goblins and confirm they are no longer a threat. Else, the town will have to live in worry of a follow up attack. Thanks to Nobina, I have enough information to say that a follow-up is unlikely, but we need to make sure. Does anyone have any questions?¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°What about the mysterious figure?¡± asked one of the members of Mimiki¡¯s party. ¡°We should keep watch for them, but other than that, there¡¯s not much we can do. If they attack us again, then I swear to do whatever it takes to protect you all.¡± No one said a word, but all of them had a smile on their face, including Nobina. With all of them seemingly on-board with the last part of the mission, Mimiki began arranging everyone into a new formation. At the center of the formation were Mimiki and Nobina, who would act as the core of the team. With that, they continued their trek until they reached the clearing with the other adventurers. To their surprise, there were goblins at the location, looking through the empty bags of the slain adventurers. Not needing to say anything, the adventurers attacked the goblins immediately, slaying them without mercy. Nobina could tell a lot of it was venting the ill feelings they all had towards the goblins for putting them in this mess. After the ten goblins there were slain, they turned to Mimiki, who merely nodded. ¡°The river isn¡¯t too far from here. If the goblins still have their camps, one would be along the river. We¡¯ll continue taking the designated path to it, travel west along the river, then head back on the main path. Of course, we need to be cautious of ambush, so we¡¯ll have our scouts constantly looking out. Got it?¡± All of them nodded in agreement. The group continued to the river, where they began following it. As they did, they saw no goblins. There were a few signs of a large camp previously being there though, indicating goblins were in the area at some point. It made Nobina a bit nervous, but there were so many adventurers in the group that she felt pretty safe. Eventually, they reached the main path, which had a shallow portion used to cross the river quickly. To their surprise, there were still no signs of goblins. There were tracks leading towards the town and caves. ¡°Hm,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°It seems like they fully retreated, considering there are tracks heading back and there are no goblins in sight. You must have done a number on them for them to stop the raid. For now, I think we should be safe fully retreating back to town, but everyone should keep an eye out.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± they all responded. The group began their trek back, with everyone more relaxed compared to before. The scouts around them were still working hard, but people were more open to chatting. As they did, Mimiki focused her conversation on Nobina¡¯s future. ¡°With that new ability, we¡¯ll have to re-invent your training schedule from the ground up,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°A lot of training that was previously not effective will become effective much sooner. We need to make sure you¡¯re constantly doing the most effective training to help you reach C-rank status as soon as possible.¡± ¡°That being said, my abilities are linked to me continuing to write,¡± replied back Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll need to put more time on continuing my book, considering this resulted in my Pen Blade ability. Not only that, but now I¡¯m certain the only way to improve it is to write, rather than train. That doesn¡¯t mean I can ignore physical training, but I can¡¯t put my full focus on it either.¡± ¡°As expected,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°It is your dream to be a writer after all. Your Path and abilities being trained by doing writing makes sense. We¡¯ll have to work this all out more when we get back, but¡­ I¡¯m excited that you have the path forward to becoming a first-class adventurer.¡± ¡°I¡­ wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that,¡± said Nobina. Hours passed and the lack of goblins made everyone more and more relaxed. It felt as if the whole situation was over, but everyone had a tiny part within them, doubting things were over. Things could always change at a moment¡¯s notice, and the mysterious figure was still a serious threat to the town. Eventually, they reached the end of the path, which led to the open field leading back to the town. Before anyone could say anything, the scouts called out the number five. Upon hearing that, Mimiki called out. ¡°Everyone engage,¡± she yelled, her sword drawn. Her words echoed through the group as everyone took out their weapons. Nobina¡¯s eyes became focused as she stared at their target. In front of them was a massive group of goblins numbering in the hundreds. Not only that, Nobina could tell they had archers amongst them. ¡°Damn those goblins,¡± said Merrick, standing on her side. The goblins launched a follow-up attack on the town. Nobina couldn¡¯t tell the status of the adventurers and guards, but she knew that it wouldn¡¯t be good. The fact the first attack caused so much death, even without archers, meant that this one was even more dangerous. Being in the day was a blessing, at least, since the whole field was visible. None of the adventurers in their party wasted any time. They all began heading towards the goblin. In a flash, Mimiki was ahead of everyone else, her sword on her side. The goblins began to take notice to the new arrivals, splitting their army to deal with them. However, Mimiki began displaying why she was an A-rank adventurer. The moment she reached the army, she zipped through the lines, cutting down goblins like they were targets standing still. Not only that, but her passive allowed her to avoid attacks with ease. The goblin archers turned to her, but the arrows and ranged abilities like fireballs, stone throws, and wind cuts forced them to turn to the party. When they did, Mimiki turned her focus toward them and began whittling down their numbers. Nobina herself had her grenades still, but they wouldn¡¯t help now that the close-range adventurers were starting to engage with the enemy. As much as she wanted to run in and assist with her sword, she was still tired from using her ability earlier. She was about to curse her inability to help, but she stopped herself immediately. ¡°I¡¯ve done enough,¡± she told herself, watching as the other adventurers fought. The battle lasted a good while before the goblins were dwindled down to the tens. Mimiki herself was moving to deal with the last goblins, and the other adventurers cut down any that tried to escape. Adventurers from both sides realized that Mimiki was the ace of the battlefield immediately as her kill count soared. It must have been close to half the goblins in the army alone. Eventually, she landed the last slash on the last standing goblin, causing it to fall before her. At that moment, cheers went out to Mimiki. ¡°Cheers to the Hero Mimiki,¡± called one adventurer. ¡°Let all know our savior has come,¡± called another. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but be proud seeing Mimiki being recognized for her contributions. She knew that, unlike herself, Mimiki had trained for so long to reach her own strength. Nobina knew she still depended on her Gaze bag for everything, but one day, she wanted to be able to handle a situation without its help. Of course, if the help came, she¡¯d still use it. However, she knew that there might be a moment where nothing it gave her would be useful and it would provide her nothing. At that moment, she wanted to handle the situation by herself. As they all gathered together, Mimiki asked the town adventurers about what happened. ¡°They came not too long ago,¡± said one of the adventurers. ¡°Hundreds of goblins attacking this defense point alone. Adventurers from the other three defense points came to support, but soon we realized how serious the attack was when a lot of arrows started hitting our ranged adventurers. We¡­ did lose a good number of people and were starting to fear the town falling, but you guys came and saved us.¡± As he said that, they all seemed to turn their focus to Nobina, who was confused. ¡°Everyone¡­ let us cheer our other hero Nobina for bringing the other adventurers back safely to save us!¡± She couldn¡¯t say anything as the cheers started to rain out for her now. Even her own party and Mimiki couldn¡¯t help but cheer for her, making her fully embarrassed. However, unlike the last cheers she received, Nobina was receiving this one a bit better. Deep down, she had accepted she had played her role and did the best she could. She couldn¡¯t deny the lives she helped save. ¡°Everyone,¡± said Nobina, a bit tearful. ¡°I¡­ I might just be someone who wants to be a writer¡­ But I¡¯m glad even someone like me could play a role in helping others¡­ like a true adventurer.¡± ¡°Cheers to that,¡± everyone roared. Soon, everyone began returning to the town. The battle was over for now, but there were still two more raids to wait for before they could finally declare the goblin incident over. Chapter 42: Demon and Destiny Everyone returned to the guild, where the mood was joyous amongst all the adventurers. Despite all the loss of life on their side, no one was letting that bog down the good mood. With the return of Mimiki, there was a sense of relief amongst everyone as no one was worried about dealing with another attack. Everyone in Mimiki¡¯s and Nobina¡¯s party was having a good time as well, but Nobina was thinking about the mysterious figure. She was worried that this wasn¡¯t the last time they would cause them problems. As Mimiki and Nobina entered the guild first, they heard Sarah immediately call out to them. ¡°Mimiki! Nobina,¡± she yelled, jumping over the desk with a surprising amount of dexterity. Before they knew it, Sarah¡¯s arms were around both of them as she jumped into them. Both smiled as they hugged Sarah, who was bawling her eyes out. ¡°You two¡­ I was so scared¡­ I was so worried¡­ But I¡¯m so¡­ so happy both of you are back safe and sound¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± they both replied, not saying another word. No one would dare interrupt the moment as the three celebrated being back together again. After a few minutes, they separated. Lare appeared moments later and also welcomed them back. ¡°Glad a few goblins couldn¡¯t take either of you out,¡± he chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it,¡± said Nobina. ¡°So¡­ I guess we should discuss things now, right?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± replied Lare. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the meeting room.¡± With that, they headed into the meeting room. Mimiki asked a few trusted adventurers to watch the guild lobby. They agreed without issue, allow them to leave the front unattended for the moment. Once they were all there and seated, Lare began leading the conversation. ¡°First off¡­ Welcome back Mimiki. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe and sound.¡± ¡°Thanks Lare,¡± she replied. ¡°So much has happened, and I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be back here¡­ but I¡¯m glad Nobina was there to save me.¡± ¡°You give me too much credit,¡± said Nobina, waving and shaking her head in protest. ¡°I¡­ I was just lucky that I was in the position to be useful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let that discredit what you did,¡± said Mimiki, showing a bit of her classic annoyed expression. ¡°Sure, you were in a position to make use of your abilities and strengths, but at the end of the day being able to execute everything is all up to you Nobina. Remember that.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Nobina nodded. ¡°That being said, we have two matters to discuss,¡± said Mimiki, taking control of the conversation. ¡°The two last raids¡­ and the mysterious figure.¡± Everyone¡¯s expression turned serious as they began discussing the two important topics at hand. ¡°Eric is still out there, I¡¯m assuming,¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Right. Due to the distance of the nest, even with his ability, he isn¡¯t bound to arrive¡­¡± As he said that, a knock immediately came from the door. Nobina went to open it and saw one of the trusted adventurers. ¡°Guild Master Eric has arrived. He¡¯s saying the nest has been successfully culled and we are safe. He does look a bit worse for wear, but he seems in good spirits.¡± All of them cheered upon hearing the news. The fact that his mission was successful meant that there was almost no risk to the town. With both Mimiki and Eric back, they¡¯d be able to handle everything. Not only that, but Eric¡¯s sheer presence brought an enormous amount of relief to the town. ¡°My god. Eric truly is a pillar to this town,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Mimiki. ¡°Master dealing with a goblin nest alone is merely a walk in the park. If not for the limits of his ability, all these nests would have been handled.¡± ¡°What are his limits?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Well,¡± said Eric, appearing behind the trusted adventurer. ¡°I can double my speed for up to three days, but the longer I use that ability, the longer it takes to recover. I say¡­ I got a month before I can use it again.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Considering how strong you are¡­ you at double speed must be an amazing sight¡­¡± ¡°It makes him a monster in combat. Though he does have a signature ability that has given him the nickname Flash of the West,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°But anyway, welcome back master.¡± ¡°Welcome back,¡± they replied. Eric nodded. ¡°Welcome back to you as well Mimiki. I hope the culling was successful, considering the mood of the town.¡± There was a newfound silence in the room. Eric, seeing this, asked the trusted adventurer to leave as he prepared to hear the news. Mimiki and Nobina worked together to tell Eric the full story. From the initial goblin attack to the follow-up attack, they made sure not to miss any details. It was only when they concluded telling the story that Eric finally spoke. ¡°A demon,¡± he said. The word sent shivers down all their spines. All except Nobina, who wasn¡¯t too familiar with demons. ¡°Demon?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Ah, right¡­ I guess you wouldn¡¯t know. Honestly, do you mind if I tell Lare your secrets now Nobina? If everyone but him knows¡­¡± Nobina nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m ok with it.¡± Eric began explaining Nobina¡¯s origins and Path to Lare, who merely nodded. ¡°I see¡­ why I wasn¡¯t informed about the information. I do worry about Nobina¡¯s future, but I trust you Eric to handle her if she ends up being an obstacle.¡± Both Mimiki and Sarah reacted harshly to his words, rebuking him for talking coldly about a fellow guild member. Eric merely nodded, letting them say what they wanted before continuing. ¡°I shall do what is the best for all,¡± he merely replied. With that, Eric turned to Nobina. ¡°You are familiar with the history regarding demons, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she responded. ¡°Demons are one of the many races in this world. They arrived here due to a summoning and since then had become one of the major races.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Right,¡± said Eric. ¡°After the demon war, the demons were allowed to live in the Federation of the Great Gar Gar, which is the strongest nation in the world. One where they are starting to thrive once more. So long as they do not gain another leader, they are allowed to thrive.¡± ¡°Demons are quite strong due to their naturally long lives and the strength of their Path abilities,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°However, demons are less likely to gain unique or historical paths. Not only that, but they tend to lean towards very specific paths that have harsh limitations compared to the other races. Thus, a demon using an ability is often a last resort.¡± ¡°So is that the reason you think that a Demon is the mysterious figure?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Summoning Monsters is almost exclusively a demon-related Path,¡± said Eric. ¡°There might be a Path of the Summoner amongst other races, but that would be an extremely rare path.¡± ¡°What does this mean Eric,¡± said Lare. ¡°Are¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± he replied sharply. ¡°We cannot assume there is more than a single demon acting out. After all, why would a demon take hostages then let them be rescued? Was he trying to lure someone out and they merely didn¡¯t appear?¡± His eyes then turned to Nobina, who merely shook her head. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me they were targeting me. It wouldn¡¯t make sense anyways. They didn¡¯t make a move on us while Mimiki and the others were trapped. Do you think you were the target instead Eric?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say,¡± said Eric. ¡°All I know is that once the third raid group returns, I¡¯ll have to keep an eye out for this demon. If someone is trying to take you or me, I can only assume the worst.¡± At that moment, her Gaze bag glowed. She looked at all of them, who nodded. When she pulled it out, it revealed a bracelet with a note. ¡°Temporarily changes your appearance while worn. Tap to use. Last for three hours. Recharges every month. To be used to escape Eric.¡± Reading that last line, Nobina looked at Eric, who merely shrugged. ¡°I have no idea why they would want you to escape my watch, but it doesn¡¯t bother me. My goal is your safety for the sake of the world.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry Eric,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°I trust you to protect me. If I didn¡¯t, I would already be long gone.¡± Nobina knew Eric was merely watching her in case she was a liability, but at the end of the day, all that needed to be proven was that she needed to be alive. If that became the case, then Eric would have no reason to ever harm her. ¡°Even if he was against you, I¡¯d take on Eric to defend you,¡± said Mimiki to everyone¡¯s surprise. ¡°Oh,¡± smiled Eric. ¡°Think your strong enough to do that yet my pupil?¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± The confidence in Mimiki immediately disappeared as everyone began to laugh. Despite everything that had happened, it seemed like they were now merely waiting for the last raid. The meeting continued for about an hour before they wrapped up everything. The third raid was set to conclude in two days, so it was merely a matter of waiting. In the meantime, Eric wanted to send a scouting party to check the status of the third raid. Downstairs in the lobby, Eric asks for volunteers for the scout party. A sizable number of people volunteered, with Eric picking those most qualified. Once that was done, Eric told all of them that soon, the incident would be over, and things would return to normal. A ritual would be held for the deceased once the last raid came back. After that, they would have the day off to relax before they went back to work. Nobina was wondering if his words were a bit premature, but she could tell that he was likely right. Unless another unknown appeared, they shouldn¡¯t expect someone to go after them. Then again, the demon remained a threat still out there. During the remaining time in the guild, they all returned to a standard rhythm. Sarah was working the front, while Mimiki was assisting adventurers. Nobina was checking over the books due to how much spending was done, keeping track of the sheer expenses they now had. ¡°Hm¡­ Something needs to be done about this eventually,¡± she told herself. Whether it was support from other guilds or raising money on their end, the guild needed financial support. They had spent most of their reserves and were not prepared to re-enter normal operations. Instead, it would likely be limited operations, which meant promissory notes instead of coins. Considering promissory notes didn¡¯t have any value outside of the guild, many adventurers disliked them, but they took them regardless. As she closed her book, she saw Hammy appeared from her bag. ¡°Oh¡­ right,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I need to give you a proper name¡­ I feel like it shouldn¡¯t be something as simple as Hammy since Lebron¡­ Though¡­ I wouldn¡¯t mind calling you Hammy if you like it.¡± Hammy gave a nod, which seemed to affirm their acceptance of their new name. Once that was done, Nobina stood up and headed to the front. Once she was there, she approached Sarah, who was merely relaxing. ¡°Sarah,¡± called Nobina. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± she responded. ¡°Where¡¯s Lebron?¡± Sarah stood there for a second before realizing who she was talking about. ¡°Ah. Right. Your dog is with your bunny Pausers. I decided to check on Pausers since you were away. When I came back, I saw his bowl empty and was worried. However, Pausers seemed perfectly fine. When I was about to leave with Lebron, he kind of refused to come with me and stayed with Pausers. I¡¯d imagine the two are keeping each other company.¡± ¡°Did you leave them food and water at least?¡± asked Nobina, wanting to make sure they were covered. ¡°Of course,¡± nodded Sarah. ¡°But yeah, I¡¯m sure they will be excited to see you when you get back.¡± ¡°Lying in a bed sounds so good right,¡± chuckled Nobina. With that, they went back to their work. Soon, night was upon the guild, and it was time to head back. This time, Mimiki asked Nobina to join her for dinner. ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me out of this,¡± said Sarah, overhearing them. ¡°Of course you can come,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Sorry for¡­ not inviting you as well.¡± ¡°Ah don¡¯t worry about it,¡± laughed Sarah. ¡°I¡¯m sure this was supposed to be a heart to heart, so I feel bad for intruding.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Yeah. But honestly, it is better we all talk as friends, right?¡± said Mimiki. All of them nodded. With that, they all headed over to Mimiki¡¯s place. She began preparing the food, giving them time to chat. Sarah asked Nobina more about what happened, to which she gave Sarah a more detailed story on what happened from her perspective. ¡°Really,¡± said Mimiki, who was listening to the story. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize your Gaze bag gave you so many tools. And you still have them as well, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Modern grenades, a scroll that can perform a powerful attack with a cost, tons of barb wiring, even a wand that allows me to animate objects for a limited time. This bag has given me so much, yet it makes me constantly worried. Some of this stuff is immediately useful, while others feel like they were meant for future situations. If I had to guess, I¡¯d find a use for all these things later.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good right?¡± asked Sarah. ¡°Better to have tools you might not need rather than having nothing when you need something.¡± ¡°Part of me agrees with that, but¡­ What if¡­¡± Nobina didn¡¯t want to say it in case she was right, but she built up the courage to say her theory. ¡°What if¡­ everything around me is affected by what I receive?¡± Silence engulfed the room, the only noise coming from Mimiki cooking. Everyone understood what the implications of that was, which was that things were happening to Nobina because she received items. That or she received items because there were events planned for her based on what she had. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°I¡­ Well¡­ Take a look at this.¡± Nobina took out her legendary adventuring card. Both of them stared at it, with Sarah in shock while Mimiki merely nodded. ¡°What about the card?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Why would it be the cause of events around you? It¡¯s addressed to another adventurer.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Sarah. ¡°You seem so casual about the card. Have you seen this already?¡± When Mimiki nodded, Sarah merely sighed. ¡°Guess adventuring stuff is your domain, so¡­ anyways, what importance does this card have.¡± They both turned to Nobina, who then held out her hand. ¡°Now take a look at this,¡± said Nobina, summoning a scroll and a note. ¡°The note in particular gave me a command to say to active this scroll. ¡®I am the Legendary Adventurer Nobina, and I command my enemies to perish!¡¯ Don¡¯t you think that these things might be related?¡± asked Nobina. Sarah and Mimiki seemed to realize Nobina was onto something. The two items could indicate that she was moving towards becoming a legendary adventurer. ¡°People are now calling me a hero. I¡¯m gaining an ability to make me more capable of being an adventurer. Heck, now I¡¯m believing it all myself. This can¡¯t just be all coincidence. This all feels designed. Planned even.¡± Nobina found herself breathing heavily as she finished speaking. It felt as if she was creating some sort of delusion that wasn¡¯t there, but the Gaze bag itself made it all seem possible. ¡°Enough,¡± said Mimiki, drawing attention to herself. ¡°Even if what you are saying is true¡­ then what are you going to do Nobina? Destroy that bag? Try to fight against fate, is that you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Nobina shrank back into her chair, realizing how stupid she sounded. ¡°Now now Mimiki,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Calm yourself down as well.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± sighed Mimiki. ¡°But anyway¡­ All we know is this. Your Path is the thing influencing your destiny. It says you¡¯re meant to do great things, but in the end, you decide what you do. If you become a legendary adventurer, fine. However, that¡¯s not your goal anyway, right? You want to be a writer at the end of the day. Being an adventurer doesn¡¯t stop that.¡± Nobina nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right Mimiki¡­ At the end of the day¡­ I¡¯m in control of my life. I refuse to believe my destiny is in the hands of others. Destiny is in my hands and my hands alone.¡± All of them nodded in agreement. No matter what happened, Nobina knew she¡¯d refuse to bend to her surroundings and any mysterious being wishing to govern her life. While she wouldn¡¯t ignore doing good and helping others, she would not let her dream fade away for the sake of what others wanted. She was a writer, and nothing would change that. Chapter 43: Memories and Moving Forward Soon, the dinner concluded, and everyone gave their goodbyes. ¡°I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± laughed Mimiki. ¡°Work doesn¡¯t stop for anyone and I¡¯m sure we have a lot to do. Tomorrow hopefully the last raid group comes back, and we finally conclude this whole thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be great,¡± nodded Sarah. ¡°Time to relax and think about the finer things in life¡­ like clothing¡­ and cool stories¡­ and¡­¡± Sarah began listing all her interests, making Nobina laugh. ¡°Yeah¡­ We can start finally thinking about how much money we need to make to cover our expenses,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°But anyway, I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow.¡± With that, everyone departed for their home. When Nobina reached her room, she opened it to see that Pausers and Lebron were playing around with each other. Nobina felt relieved since she wasn¡¯t really sure if the two could keep each other company. Seeing a dog playing with a bunny was a sight to see. Before she could do anything else, Hammy flew out of her special bag, joining the three together. The sight itself felt like a balm to her soul, considering everything they had just been through. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are all getting along with each other,¡± nodded Nobina. She sat down at her desk and began filling in her diary. Despite her desire to continue her story, she wanted to go over it with Mimiki first to make sure it was solid. Not only that, but she didn¡¯t want to give up diary writing. Instead, she wanted to mix writing in the diary with continuing her book. Sure, it would make her journey of writing a book longer, but she had no intentions of rushing a book at the expense of her own happiness. Filling in her diary, she began remembering the first time she wrote in it and the joy it brought her. Before, there was so much unknown to her. Heck, there was still so much unknown to her now. The difference was that she had so many answers and theories now. She knew that she was destined to potentially influence the world thanks to her Path. There were people who could be watching her from her old world and perhaps other worlds as well, all intent on giving her things through the Gaze bag she received from Nonomo. ¡°Nonomo¡­¡± That one name. There had only been one encounter with him, but it was clear he was playing a role in her life. His degree of influence was still unknown, but she had no intentions of forgetting that name. Moving on, she started to think about all the people she had gotten to know. First were adventurers like Merrick, Macy, Jonathan and his party, and so many others, and she began to realize why Mimiki enjoyed her job so much. She must have known so many more faces than her and knew a lot of all these adventurers. Beyond the adventurers, there were also Sarah, Lare, Mimiki, and Eric, who made up the guild staff. While they were small, they all did a lot of work, and all their roles were important. Not to mention everyone was on good terms with each other. ¡°Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say,¡± nodded Nobina. Realizing she was going down memory lane, Nobina went ahead and finished up her entry. There would always be more chances to think of the past, but Nobina was starting to get tired. ¡°Oh¡­ one last thing.¡± Nobina summoned her pen and then summoned the blade. After that, she went to pick up her diary. The moment she held it in her hand, she saw the blade gain a dreadful, black aura. It was pure black, unlike the pen blade, which was still grey. Fearing the worst, Nobina recalled everything, panting heavily. She felt as if she would have gotten a headache if she held it any longer. ¡°Why¡­ do I feel¡­¡± It was very faint, but Nobina felt as if the blade had whispered something to her. ¡°Surrender your memories¡­ and I shall cleave through everything.¡± Did the blade¡­ talk? Not only that but it was telling her that if she used her blade with her diary, she¡¯d lose her memories. ¡°Such a dreadful ability,¡± she told herself. The voice never came with the ledger, so she had to wonder if it was the blade itself or perhaps the diary with the blade. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ answer this another time.¡± With that, Nobina went to bed. To her surprise, Lebron hopped onto her blanket, trying to sleep next to her. Too tired to mind, she merely smiled and fell asleep. The next day, Nobina unpacked everything from her special bag. Looking at her room, it was a mess of new objects received in the previous days. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a new storage sooner or later,¡± she sighed. ¡°I swear if I get something massive one of these days.¡± For now, Nobina packed everything that would have been bad to leave behind. That meant the grenades, the magical items, and Hammy, who seemed to continue to want to follow her. Once that was sorted, she began heading downstairs to head to the guild. Once she was in the lobby, it seemed everyone wanted to greet her as they all wished her a good day. ¡°Thanks everyone,¡± said Nobina, leaving the inn. As she walked down the streets, she was getting a different feeling from before. It felt as if the feeling of worry was gone despite the fact the last raid team hadn¡¯t arrived. Perhaps it was just because Eric and Mimiki were now watching over them, but she felt as if it was more than that. She felt that finishing a major incident like this would give her time to breathe and relax, strange as it sounded. Though, she didn¡¯t want to jinx herself before all the loose ends were tied up. After all, there was still a demon on the loose, and she didn¡¯t know if it was after her or Eric. Eventually, she reached the guild, where people greeted her kindly. She returned the greetings and soon found herself behind the receptionist¡¯s desk with Sarah. ¡°How was your sleep?¡± asked Sarah, merely standing happily behind the receptionist¡¯s desk. ¡°Great,¡± Nobina responded. ¡°Managed to get some writing into my diary and learned more about my ability.¡± ¡°Oh? Learn anything interesting?¡± asked Sarah. ¡°Absolutely do not use it with my diary,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°I think it makes it immensely stronger, but it might cost me my memories.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s horrible,¡± said Sarah, shocked by what Nobina said to her. ¡°Yeah¡­ never use that ability please. Though, it is interesting how versatile it seems. I wonder what your blade will become once you finish your first book.¡± ¡°I¡¯m excited to see,¡± nodded Nobina. Once that was done, Nobina headed into the guild library and began her work tracking the guild expenses. Looking at all the numbers, her face was getting paler as she saw how much closer to the red the guild was than she expected. ¡°We don¡¯t even have the reports from the medical office yet,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°We¡¯ll need to make up this money somehow.¡± At the very least, Nobina knew they still had gold. She had established a minimum amount of gold, which she determined was necessary to return to normal operations. If they ran out of money completely, they couldn¡¯t handle the issuing and payment of quests. Despite how bad it was, Nobina didn¡¯t let it discourage her. She began looking through the means by which the guild had gained revenue in the past and thinking about how organizations in her world got additional funding when they needed it. The day passed quickly, with the rhythm only being broken with a lunch between all the guild staff. There wasn¡¯t much serious talk this time, but Nobina enjoyed that. Instead, it was a lot of them talking about their own interests and a bit of messing around with each other. It reminded her how much of a family the guild was in Nobina¡¯s eyes. As the day started to end, an adventurer ran into the guild with a report. ¡°The last raid party has arrived,¡± he yelled. Adventurers began piling out of the guild to welcome back the raid party. Nobina and the other guild officers decided to close the doors for now so they could head to the town entrance and welcome them all back personally. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Once the guild was shut, all of them headed to the south entrance. The raid party hadn¡¯t reached the town just yet, but it was visible from a distance. Nobina was relieved as she saw the party seemed decent in size. Not only that, but it seemed they were all in good spirits. As they waited, the lead adventurer in front pointed a fist in the air, causing a cheer from the crowd of civilians and adventurers waiting at the edge of town. Even Nobina felt herself drawn into the fanfare as all of them celebrated what seemed to be a successful mission. Before she knew it, the lead adventurer, Michael, saluted Eric and Hally, who both stood in front of everyone. ¡°Welcome back,¡± said Eric. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back sir. We report a successful raid. We lost a few E and D rank adventurers, but overall, no heavy losses. The plan worked as a charm and the nest has been partially culled.¡± ¡°Excellent work,¡± said Hally. ¡°A lot has happened since your party has left, but I don¡¯t want to ruin the good mood with that. For now, enjoy that you¡¯ve all done well to help protect the town.¡± Michael gave a nod, continuing to lead all the adventurers towards the guild. Seeing that, the rest of the guild staff began heading back to properly welcome them all back. Everyone was still in high spirits as the various leaders of each group approached the receptionist desk. There were a lot of discussions that were to be had regarding payment, since this would basically empty most of the guild vault. However, it was better than the alternative, which would have been a heavy loss of life. ¡°Nobina,¡± called a group of three adventurers. Nobina recognized it was Jonathan and his party. ¡°Jonathan! Herrita! Noct! Good to see you all made it back in one piece,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Yeah¡­ Raids are no joke Nobina,¡± said Jonathan, shaking his head. ¡°So many adventurers, yet so many goblins. It was only thanks to us funneling them out of those tunnels did it make it much easier. If we had to go in, I¡¯d imagine things would have been far worse.¡± Nobina felt ecstatic seeing people she cared about coming back without issues. She¡¯d have to imagine the mood would change once everyone learned about what happened, but for now, all of them were having a good time enjoying the victory. Before anything else could happen, Sarah made an announcement. ¡°Everyone. The guild welcomes all of you back. A lot has happened since your departure, so please listen closely as I relay the chain of events that have happened.¡± Sarah wasted no time relaying the events. A lot of the fanfare seemed to disappear as people realized how bad things had gotten. However, the successful defense, rescue of Mimiki, and the culling of the other two nests brought back the good mood. ¡°Tomorrow, we shall have a remembrance for the fallen of the two attacks on the town and those who have died for the sake of the town. Please report to the town center, where we shall have Priestess Irida give words to the fallen.¡± Hearing that name, Nobina recalled that the town had a small church for the God of Beginnings. She didn¡¯t have many details regarding the world religions, but she did know about the three major gods. The God of Beginnings represented the start of all, the God of Progress governed the progression of all things, and the God of Ends governed the end of all things. It was simple to understand, but there seemed to be a deep religious system behind each god. If Nobina had time, she wanted to learn more about them. However, her duties always kept her busy. The main thing she wanted to know anyway was how these three gods related to Nonomo and whether he was a god or something else. ¡°That is all,¡± said Sarah. ¡°If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.¡± Almost expectantly, many adventurers approached not only Sarah but also Nobina, Mimiki, and Lare with questions. They all did their best to answer everyone¡¯s concerns. However, a part of it was people thanking Mimiki and Nobina for the work they did. Many of them were thankful because they had families in town and credited her for protecting them. Knowing that they managed to get through two attacks that could have seen the town destroyed was a relief to them. Some even felt like they had to pay Nobina back for what she did, but she quickly dismissed those thoughts. ¡°I was just doing what I could,¡± she¡¯d respond. ¡°I rather you use that money to help those who need it.¡± Many of them appreciated that response and left things there. Eventually, things died down as most of the people¡¯s questions were answered. By the time the adventurers had left for the day, it was the dead of night. ¡°Man, I¡¯m starving,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Let¡¯s all head out to eat.¡± ¡°The restaurants are probably packed,¡± said Lare. ¡°Why not eat at Eric¡¯s place?¡± All of them turned to Eric, who merely shrugged. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no choice. Come on.¡± All of them seemed excited to go there, prompting Nobina to wonder what Eric¡¯s home was like. She had never been there personally, nor did anyone mention it. They closed up the guild for the day, following Eric as he headed to the north-east corner of the town. Next to one of the guard post was a nice stone house. The lawn itself looked well-kept and the house gave off a rather old look to it. Eric opened the wooden gate of the house, and they followed him down the cobblestone path. Eventually, they reached a nicely decorated wooden door, which he waved his hand to open. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, it seemed to unlock the door, allowing them in. ¡°Wow,¡± said Nobina. Nobina was amazed by the interior being a well-furnished wooden setup. The furniture looked well made, with designs reflecting the craftsman was someone who clearly had interests in adventuring. ¡°This house hosts a lot of my past treasures, so I keep it secure,¡± said Eric, looking a bit sentimental. ¡°Many of them aren¡¯t useful in battle or should never be used, so forgive me if I never brought any out for the recent events. If I had an item that could save people without repercussions, I wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to use it.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± said Nobina, waving her hands. ¡°I know that that my Gaze bag isn¡¯t useful all the time either, so¡­¡± ¡°Speaking of your bag Nobina,¡± said Eric, looking directly at it. ¡°Have you received anything to offer insight regarding it and your Path?¡± She shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of answers I¡¯ve received thanks to the items, as well as question. It¡¯s a good discussion for the future but¡­¡± The growl of their stomachs caused Eric to laugh, shaking his head. ¡°Forgive me. We¡¯ll have plenty of time to discuss the future. For now¡­ let¡¯s enjoy some food.¡± With that, they all entered the dining room, which had a table meant for six people. All of them took their seats as Eric began preparing food. ¡°Man, this is exciting,¡± said Sarah. ¡°Eric was the chef of his party and developed his skills during his many years adventuring. He often doesn¡¯t cook for others because he never has time, opting to cook quick meals for himself. However, if you get a chance to try his cooking, you take it.¡± ¡°Please,¡± said Eric, showing a sense of embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯ve met far better cooks than me, so all this praise feels a bit underserved.¡± Nobina was surprised to see his reaction to Sarah¡¯s praise, considering Eric seemed to be the type to never show such emotions. However, perhaps it meant that Eric had another side to him on the private side. Soon, the food was set, and Eric gave an introduction to the meal. It was a well-seasoned Chizen, using seasonings from his journey during his adventuring day. Many of the seasonings had an amazing shelf life, but his spice rack itself was magical and preserved his food even longer. ¡°It cost a pretty penny, but even a bit of the spices I¡¯ve gathered really enhance the meal. Forgive me Nobina, as you might have never tasted anything as good. Though, considering you¡¯re from another world¡­¡± ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± smiled Nobina. She bit into the meal, savoring the Chizen and the powerful flavors of the spices. It felt so unique that Nobina felt as if she was in another world once again. ¡°Wow,¡± said Nobina. Looking around, everyone shared the same sentiment. A look of pure bliss was filling everyone¡¯s faces as they were savoring Eric¡¯s personally cooked food. ¡°It¡¯s too bad some of these ingredients can reach up to a thousand gold nowadays, else I¡¯d get some more.¡± Nobina froze upon hearing that, causing Eric to chuckle. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking about selling the spices, I¡¯ll tell you that I can obtain way more money if we need it Nobina. After all, we are a part of a national guild system, remember?¡± ¡°Oh. Sorry,¡± said Nobina. As she said that, her Gaze bag glowed. When she opened it, she saw what appeared to be someone¡¯s bank book. ¡°Why did someone give me their bank book? Who in the world would accept dollars in this world?¡± A note flew out of the Gaze bag, saying, ¡°It¡¯s for your pen.¡± On the very bottom of it was a sign of the foreign currency conversion rate being ten to one.¡± ¡°Two¡­ thousand¡­ six hundred gold?¡± asked Nobina softly to herself. However, Sarah was close enough to hear. ¡°Did¡­ you say two thousand six hundred gold Nobina?¡± asked Sarah, her face in a bit of shock. ¡°I believe the person who gave me the bank book gave me their conversion rate, though I doubt I¡¯d actually be able to use this to get the gold. I¡¯m just curious if this works with the Golden Pen Blade, which is what I¡¯m going to call this ledger and pen blade combo,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°Oh right,¡± said Mimiki, coming to a realization. ¡°You have that new blade! Tell us all about it.¡± Nobina nodded, beginning her explanation of how her Pen Blade ability worked. Sarah and Lare merely nodded as Mimiki¡¯s eyes lit up during the conversation. Even Eric was clearly interested in the ability, as he seemed to be deeply thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯m so ready to test that thing out later. Man¡­ It¡¯s going to be so cool seeing you become a great adventurer,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°Perhaps even¡­ a legendary adventurer.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t fail to see Mimiki almost drooling over the idea, causing her to cover her face in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯ll be cool to see what comes of this as well,¡± said Eric, merely smiling. ¡°I have no doubt you can become an amazing adventurer. Perhaps legendary might be a stretch though, considering we¡¯ve only had a few in our worlds existence.¡± As he said that, Eric reached out and caught a rock that was about to hit his head. ¡°Nice try Gaze,¡± he chuckled. The hand from the Gaze bag shook its fist at Eric before going back into the bag. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why some people in there hate you,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± smiled Eric. ¡°If I was beaten by a single rock, I don¡¯t deserve the title of former S-rank adventurer. Anyway, I think we went off track. Don¡¯t worry about the money for the guild. When the reinforcements get here, we¡¯ll begin organizing a supply relief to the other guilds.¡± ¡°That sounds good,¡± nodded Nobina. With that, they all continued their meals. As Nobina enjoyed the sight of everyone eating, she began thinking about the future. She¡¯d finally get a chance just to focus on developing her own abilities. There was always a chance that something would attempt to impede her development in the future, but for now, all she wanted to do was move forward in her life. It might have seemed like she hadn¡¯t made much progress in her dream, but that was far from the truth. She felt she had learned so much about the topic she was going to write about. Writing wasn¡¯t merely just creating fiction. It was taking your experiences and putting them down on the page. Sometimes, it was converting those experiences into immersive experiences that would reach the hearts of millions. Other times, it was merely personal writing that would be solely for your enjoyment. Regardless of why someone wrote, the experience behind the writing matters. After all, authors were made up of experiences that made their writing unique. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Sarah. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yeah,¡± she smiles softly. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about how things are going to be moving forward.¡± Chapter 44: The Beginning and Another Dream The following day, Nobina found herself waking up in her bed with her three companions sleeping on it. Hammy was sleeping on her while Lebron, her corgi, and Pausers, her bunny, were on her sides. The moment she moved slightly, all of them woke up and moved off her, allowing her to get up. ¡°Morning you three,¡± said Nobina. Lebron gave a bark while Pausers and Hammy merely looked at her. Nobina began wondering how many companions she might end up having since she was sure this wasn¡¯t the end of receiving them. She turned to her Gaze bag, which had the strong scent of cookies in it. Going into it, she saw a really pretty plate of cookies, with one in particular that didn¡¯t look great. On it was the name Eric, causing Nobina to sigh. ¡°Typical.¡± To keep the plate preserved, she left it in her Gaze bag for now. Once she made sure she had both her bags, she told all her companions to behave as she headed out for the day. Once she was downstairs, the quietness of the inn became evident. Nobina knew why this was the case. Many of those in the town were likely heading to or at the front of the Church of Beginnings, where Priestess Irida would perform the Ritual of Beginnings for the deceased. The previous day, during dinner, Sarah had told her that they would perform the ritual to allow the souls of the deceased to pass on through something akin to reincarnation. According to Sarah, when someone passes on in the world, their soul remains in the deceased body. Eventually, the soul wills itself into the afterlife, becoming a spirit due to attachment to the world, or was allowed to begin the cycle of beginnings. The last one required the performance of the Ritual of Beginnings and would only give the soul a chance to join the cycle. Otherwise, they might decide to remain as a spirit or move to the afterlife, both governed by the God of Progress and End respectively. As Nobina stepped out of the inn, she saw people of all ages walking in the direction of the church. Nobina herself headed to the guild, where she saw the rest of the guild officers and Eric waiting. ¡°There you are,¡± said Sarah. ¡°We were about to head out.¡± All of them were wearing pure white robes. As for Nobina, she had her normal outfit since she hadn¡¯t received her own robes yet. ¡°Will they provide robes there?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Yeah,¡± responded Mimiki. ¡°Priestess Irida always has tons of these robes to borrow. While its not necessary to wear, as you can see with most civilians, those who are closer to the decease often opt to wear them.¡± ¡°Shall we head out?¡± asked Eric, giving a pleasant smile. All of them gave a nod. The five of them began heading to the front of the church, which was now packed full of people. It was a reminder to Nobina that their town was sizable at the very least. So many lives were here and it was thanks to the actions of all the adventurers and guards that they all could continue to live here. They eventually found a spot near the front as people allowed them through. Once they were standing in a good spot, they began waiting as people continued to gather. As they did, one of the church members came by and handed Nobina a pure white robe. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Thank you for all you¡¯ve done for us, Nobina,¡± he replied, bowing before moving on to the next person. Looking around, Nobina noticed a few familiar faces like Macy and Merrick, but she didn¡¯t say anything as they were too far away and there were too many people. When it appeared that people stopped trickling in, a woman in pure white robes with a brown symbol of a tree appeared from the entrance of the church. Everyone there closed their eyes, prompting Nobina to follow. ¡°A moment of silence for the deceased.¡± There was a long pause of silence amongst everyone. The only sounds that could be heard were birds chirping. After what felt like a few minutes, she called for everyone to open their eyes. Once they did, she began to speak. ¡°Thank you everyone for being here,¡± came Irida¡¯s voice. ¡°Whether you¡¯re a follower of the God of Beginning or not, your presence here shows that you wish to help those move to the greater beyond. While a soul might not need the Ritual of Beginning, we offer it to everyone, and it is up to them to seek new beginnings. No matter what one has done in the past, the offer is equal, and a soul may decline it if they wish.¡± Irida approached the statue of a tree that stood in front of the church. When she reached it, she placed one hand onto it. ¡°I ask for those here to now close your eyes and remember the fallen. Whether they have passed recently, or passed awhile ago, this ritual shall now reach into all your souls and extend the offer to those who you¡¯ve seen or known passed.¡± Everyone once again closed their eyes. When Nobina closed her eyes, she felt as if something was searching within her soul. She began to worry, but a whisper calmed her immediately. ¡°I shall offer them peace,¡± came a calm female voice. Soon, she relaxed, and the presence was gone. ¡°Please. Open your eyes,¡± spoke Irida. Once everyone¡¯s eyes were open, she put her other hand on the tree. ¡°It is time to begin the ritual. The Beginning!¡± Her words echoed outwards in every direction. Soon, calmness came over all of them as Nobina noticed a single figure above the tree. It was a winged angel-like figure that was merely hovering above the tree. They were translucent and looking up into the sky. ¡°I grant all who seek it¡­ the right to begin again,¡± said the angel-like figure, their voice echoing an authority unlike anything Nobina had ever heard. If not for the sheer calmness she was feeling, Nobina could tell that such authority would make her tremble in fear. This was a god that demanded respect. Nobina instantly recognized it as the same voice that had spoken to her. Soon, the figure disappeared, and so did the calmness that was previously there. ¡°The ritual is complete,¡± said Irida. ¡°The offer has been given and all the souls I could reach have¡­ been¡­ offered.¡± She began to close her eyes, prompting Nobina to worry. She was going to take a step forward, but Sarah grabbed her hand, telling her to merely look. ¡°I¡­ wish you all¡­ a good day¡­ I shall awaken¡­ when the process is done.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. With that, Irida seemed to fall asleep on the tree statue. Four members of the church began carrying Irida back into the church. Everyone began to leave, allowing Nobina to ask what had happened. ¡°The Beginning,¡± said Sarah. ¡°It is a powerful ability that allows Iris to offer everyone who hasn¡¯t received the offer the chance to begin again. As I told you yesterday, this is basically a soul that is given a new beginning in another form. Whatever that form is, we cannot say. As with all other abilities, even this one has a cost. The cost, in this case, is sleep until all souls have made a decision. As for the souls this impacts, the God of Beginning determines who and how far to reach out from the caster based on those who are here. In this case, all the town being here for the ritual allows the ability to go pretty far.¡± Nobina gave a nod. It was interesting to see such an ability exist. It made her wonder how powerful those who were apart of the three religions were. ¡°Anyways, Irida is likely going to remain asleep for a whole month, so her fellow church followers will take over for her,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I see,¡± said Nobina. ¡°So,¡± said Sarah. ¡°What should we do now?¡± ¡°Hm,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Considering its our day off, I was planning to visit Gazu to ask him to look at my blade. I think it went a bit dull after all those goblin kills. I want it checked to make sure everything is good and have it re-sharpened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What about everyone else?¡± ¡°I wanted to check out the clothing store,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a fashion update in a while and I think Muni has some new designs. I may order a new set of cloths myself it I like it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m probably going back to the guild. We still have a lot to do and I don¡¯t have anything in particular I want to do,¡± said Lare. Nobina turned to Eric, who merely smiled. ¡°Honestly, I should be working as well, but I think I¡¯ll just enjoy a stroll around town. What will you do Nobina?¡± asked Eric. Nobina had no idea what she wanted to do. The easy answer was to continue her story, but she felt this was a rare chance to enjoy a day without having to worry about anything. It was then she realized she hadn¡¯t had a moment to merely take a break to walk around and enjoy a casual stroll through town since she arrived. The closest to a break she had was going fishing, but the trip was cut short due to the goblins. ¡°Mind if I join you, Eric?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Not interested in clothes or swords?¡± he chuckled. ¡°No¡­ I just want to also look around town. Still new, remember?¡± she smiled. ¡°You know what,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I¡¯ll join you two.¡± Hearing that, Mimiki shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯d be selfish and abandon you guys. Count me in,¡± said Mimiki. All of them turned to Lare, who sighed. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll join you all,¡± he smiled. As he said that, Nobina remembered the cookies in her bag. ¡°Oh right. I have something from Gaze for all of you.¡± Hearing that, they waited as Nobina removed the plate of cookies from the bag. All of them seemed to drool upon the smell of cookies reaching their nose. ¡°Wow,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°What is that smell.¡± ¡°It smells¡­ unlike anything I¡¯ve smelled before,¡± said Sarah, her eyes sparkling. Lare didn¡¯t say anything, but Nobina could tell he was interested in trying them. ¡°Cookies?¡± asked Eric. ¡°You recognize them?¡± replied Nobina, surprised by Eric¡¯s response. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ve tried them before, but¡­ Well, I guess this is not a story to talk about in the open. Let¡¯s just say that recipe was left behind a long time ago in another era.¡± Hearing that made Nobina wonder if she¡¯d see more signs of those from another world if she ended up going on a long journey. As Nobina offered the cookies, Eric frowned upon seeing his cookie. ¡°Come on,¡± he sighed, looking at the silly face of his cookie. They all began to laugh, enjoying the reaction of Eric. However, it was also them realizing they wanted to spend time with Nobina above all else as they were having a great time together already. With that, the five of them began their trek around town. As Nobina followed them, she began to smile. Tomorrow, she¡¯d be back to training, working and writing. As much as she wanted to have a longer break to relax and focus on writing or training, she knew they had a lot of work to do. The recent events had taxed the guild¡¯s finances, and she¡¯d be key to keeping them afloat until aid came. While she was sure they¡¯d be fine even if she wasn¡¯t there, she wanted to do her best and continue to work hard. ¡°My journey has only begun,¡± she told herself. ¡­ ¡°Hm,¡± spoke an old man sitting at a desk. The man was overlooking papers in an office that looked similar to Eric¡¯s. However, his gaze turned to the corner of the room for a second before he squinted his eyes. ¡°Was¡­ someone watching me?¡± he asked himself. He looked around the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary. However, he no longer felt the presence of the gaze nor any indication something else was off. As if on cue, a knock came from the door, drawing his attention. ¡°Come in,¡± he called, keeping his eyes on his papers. As soon as he said that, a woman with short, black hair entered. Her outfit was black and full of belts, showing a unique style compared to the average adventurer. Beyond that, she exuded a powerful aura that the old man didn¡¯t fail to notice. ¡°You should really control your new energy better,¡± said the old man, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯m just showing off,¡± she laughed, receding the aura. ¡°Anyway, excited I¡¯m back?¡± The man merely smiled, not looking up. ¡°Well only if you aren¡¯t back with bad news.¡± She gave a frown, taking a seat in the chair in front of his desk. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe how ridiculous the Nation of Arren is. Not only did it take me a year to enter, but they made me do a year of work and then it took half a year to exit due to ¡®duties owed to the nation.¡¯ Honestly, I never want to go back there.¡± The old man looked up to see her expression. Seeing her sulk made him chuckle and shake his head. ¡°Did you obtain it at least?¡± On those words, the woman slid her adventurer card to the old man. Looking at it, he smiled. ¡°An S-rank adventurer in less than three years. That¡¯s something that even the heroes failed to do. I knew our specialist was right.¡± The woman gave a pout upon hearing that. ¡°And so, as a part of our duty to maintain the alliance, I offer the Queen of Arren our most promising adventurer. May she serve your nation well¡­¡± said the woman, trying to mimic the old man. ¡°I swear, if you weren¡¯t the Grand Guild Master, I would have tried to go my own way.¡± ¡°That breaks my heart Fay,¡± said the old man, acting sad. ¡°Anyway, as promised you have earned my blessing to do whatever you wish now. Travel. Stay in the capital. Do whatever you want. At least, as long as it doesn¡¯t disgrace the guild and nation. Oh, and also be ready to return if I use the whistle.¡± Upon saying that, he held up a silver whistle with the symbol of a tiger-wolf. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m glad I can finally do what I want,¡± said Fay, now giving the biggest grin. ¡°Oh this world isn¡¯t ready to end the fashion revolution I¡¯m ready to introduce.¡± The old man put his hand against his face. ¡°Someone capable of reaching SS and perhaps even SSS rank, yet you''re interested in fashion¡­ I guess that is your Path so¡­¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m destined to do a lot, but I have my own dreams Lent,¡± said Fay, conviction in her eyes. ¡°Anyway, anything I should know before I head out?¡± ¡°We have a fighting tournament you can join for prize money and fame,¡± he replied. Fay sighed, shaking her head. ¡°You know I¡¯m not interested in that stuff.¡± ¡°Then show off your ability there. You got to start advertising if you want to sell right?¡± he asked. The moment she heard ¡®advertising,¡¯ her eyes lit up. ¡°You¡¯re a genius,¡± she said, standing right up. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and do that. See you later Lent!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Before he could say anything, she was out the door. Fay was about to run off before running into a second individual. They were wearing robes that covered most of his body. Fay could notice they were a demon due to their features. She hadn¡¯t seen many of them, but she knew blue demons indicated they were a part of the Warna, a demon race that often had paths related to the water element. ¡°Watch it human,¡± called out the demon angrily. ¡°I¡¯m here to report to the guild master, not some nobody adventurer.¡± ¡°Man. You demons are so aggressive. I¡¯m just trying to relax,¡± said Fay, smiling and grinning. ¡°What kind of information could you possibly have worthy of the old man¡¯s time?¡± He scoffed, shaking his head. ¡°I have no intentions of telling some nobody.¡± Hearing that, Fay took out her adventuring card and flashed it, causing an immediate expression change. ¡°Another special path user?¡± said the demon with a surprised face. ¡°Another?¡± questioned Fay, curious about who he was referring to. ¡°Bah. I said to much. Anyway, I got business with the guild master.¡± The demon began walking past Fay, who merely sighed. ¡°So boring.¡± Upon hearing those words, the demon¡¯s tail flung towards Fay¡¯s back in response to her disrespect. Before it could make contact, the aura around Fay instantly froze the demon in its place. Fay, whose expression was boredom a second ago, instantly showed a cold expression. She didn¡¯t even look at the demon as she began to speak. ¡°Oh¡­ If you think you¡¯re going to ruin my friend¡¯s gift to me, you have another thing coming demon. In this outfit¡­ I truly represent a power beyond your understanding.¡± She released her aura as she made her way past the demon. The moment she was downstairs, Fay leaned against the nearby wall. ¡°After all this time¡­ I still can¡¯t control my emotions when it involves you¡­ Damn you fate...¡± Fay took a deep breath before continuing out of the adventuring guild. As she walked, a single teardrop hit the ground, remaining there as Fay¡¯s steps got farther away. Chapter 45: Practice and Patience The clashing of wooden blades echoed through the forest as two women stood opposite of each other. One was clearly fatigued, barely able to hold their own wooden sword, while the other was merely sighing. ¡°You didn¡¯t even last ten minutes Nobina¡­¡± sighed Mimiki, shaking her head. ¡°What¡­ did you¡­ expect,¡± Nobina replied, panting. ¡°I might have¡­ the ability¡­ but this training¡­ is¡­ still intense.¡± Mimiki merely sighed again as she rested her wooden sword on the ground. Looking up into the sky, she noticed that the day was almost over. ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much time left¡­ Want to call it a day? We still need to eat dinner and review your chapter. What are you on right now¡­ four?¡± asked Mimiki, counting the chapters on her fingers. Nobina gave a nod. The two of them had been training and working on her book ever since the conclusion of the goblin incident. It had only been six days, but it felt much longer on Nobina¡¯s end. Her muscles were getting the work out of their life, and it made her appreciate breaks even more. Thinking about it more, Nobina was happy that she was able to focus a lot on training. Despite the hectic work that came as a result of the goblin invasion, she enjoyed being back to a set schedule. As the two packed up and headed back, Mimiki couldn¡¯t help but drown Nobina in the things she needed to work on. The diligent student she was, Nobina listened intently to everything she said despite being tired. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, stopping for a bit. ¡°What¡¯s the plan for tomorrow? I believe you wanted to go fishing.¡± She shook her head, a sad look going over it. ¡°Unfortunately, Eric wants me to speak with him tomorrow in the morning. It means there won¡¯t be any fishing, but¡­¡± ¡°Hey,¡± said Mimiki, surprised by what she said. ¡°I think Eric told me he wanted to do some special training tomorrow afternoon. That¡¯s why I was going to tell you I couldn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°Maybe he wants me to see you in action,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you and him train with each other.¡± ¡°Oh boy,¡± said Mimiki, excitement building on her face. ¡°The training is far more intense than what we do. Eric is no joke when it comes to being my master. We usually have limited time together, so he makes every minute count. Man¡­ I can¡¯t wait to show you how awesome he is.¡± Seeing Mimiki¡¯s clear idolization of Eric made her happy. It was good to have someone to look up to, reminding her for a second that she did have two idols in her old world. One was an online entertainer that she spent a lot of time following after she entered a rather sad period of her life. It was only days after she graduated that a dear friend, her second idol, completely ghosted her. There were no responses when Nobina tried to contact them, and she got more and more desperate to find out why she was ghosting her. Eventually, she had to give up after months of trying to contact them. At that point, she sought someone to comfort her, and that ended up being La Lu from her old world. It made Nobina hope that La Lu was still doing well and following her dreams. It was strange since she reported them as missing, but the authorities indicated she never existed. It made Nobina question everything for a while. What secrets did her missing college friend have? Was she hiding her true identity the whole time? The two had a bond she had considered unbreakable, yet it was being tested to this day. Even now, in another world where she had no chance of seeing them, she just wanted to know if they were fine. Not only that but what exactly happened between them. ¡°Where are you,¡± Nobina thought to herself. Eventually, Mimiki finished talking about how great Eric was and the two went to her house. Once they were there, Nobina began enjoying a nice meal with Mimiki. During the meal, she was looking at her writing pages. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t keep important papers on the dinner table, but Nobina could always create new copies. Plus, she knew damage to the paper wasn¡¯t saved, so the papers getting ruined by an unfortunate incident wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, pointing to one of the paragraphs. ¡°This isn¡¯t exactly correct. While swordsmanship is the most common Path, it doesn¡¯t make it the easiest of the combat Paths to progress. Sure, we have a lot of teachers like you pointed out and swinging a sword is easy to understand, but the easiest combat Path is actually strength and agility. Remember, the general stat Paths count as combat Paths in the eyes of adventurers. They just maintain flexibility as also being non-combat Paths as well.¡± Hearing her words, Nobina nodded, making a correction page. As she did, Mimiki chuckled. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be helping someone write a book about adventuring. Hopefully it ends up helping a lot of adventurers,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°I hope so too,¡± replied Nobina. Soon, the two finished their meal, and Nobina edited the chapter after Mimiki¡¯s review. The moment it was done, she felt herself get stronger yet again. ¡°That is certainly something,¡± said Nobina, looking at the palm of her hand. ¡°I feel even writing and editing session make me actively stronger. It¡¯s so much different compared to the training we are doing, which feels slower and more methodical.¡± Mimiki nodded. However, after doing that, her eyes seemed to start closing a bit before she forced them open. ¡°Anything directly involving your Path is bound to develop faster,¡± said Mimiki, giving a yawn. ¡°Hench why it might take a while for you to reach C-rank status, despite your advantages. Though, don¡¯t let it discourage you from taking the test later. Your progress is still amazing compared to most.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m going to pass it with flying colors before I even study for it,¡± laughed Nobina. ¡°But¡­ I trust our training will help me greatly in passing the test later.¡± With that, Nobina headed home for the night. It was only when she was far enough from the house that Nobina got a chance to enjoy the cool air of the night sky. Looking up, she saw how bright the stars were compared to her old world. The shining beauty on the display made her wonder if someone in this world had names for the various images one could form amongst the stars. Not only that, but she began wondering if this universe had other planets as well. Could she travel into space one day and explore the vast beyond? Was the world she lived in a part of the same universe as her own? ¡°Nah¡­ that¡¯s impossible,¡± she shook her head. This world fundamentally worked differently from her own. Considering magic and abilities were a thing, it didn¡¯t seem possible that she was in the same universe as her old world, where technology ruled supreme and magic didn¡¯t exist. She sighed and continued heading back. Once she was in the middle of town, she looked around and saw the almost empty streets. Besides the occasional person and guard, there were very few people around. It allowed her to get a better look down the various roads, seeing the store fronts set up for people to buy things in. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Despite being in the town for a decent while, she still hadn¡¯t been to a majority of stores. The stores she mostly visited were adventuring related, with one being a clothing store thanks to Sarah bringing her along. Speaking of Sarah, Nobina remembered how she was begging her to take a day off from training so they could go clothes shopping. Considering how often Sarah was asking now, Nobina had finally agreed to go the day after meeting Eric. ¡°Man¡­ things sure are getting busy again,¡± Nobina told herself. Eventually, Nobina was back in her room, greeted by her companions. Once again, she greeted them back and then summoned her diary. She began writing the events of the day, which didn¡¯t take too long. After that, she gave a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ see if it has changed,¡± Nobina said. She held her hand out and summoned her Pen Blade. She then grabbed her diary, forming the Memory Pen Blade, as she was now calling it. The drain was immense, and it was desperately calling to her now. ¡°Swing me! Forget the pain of the past! Slice all away!¡± The desperation of the voice coming from the blade sent shivers down Nobina¡¯s spine. She quickly recalled all of it, but that was the nail in the coffin for her stamina. ¡°That¡­ was clearly¡­ my past voice,¡± she said. Nobina had listened to that voice a few times now, and she was certain of who it was. It was a past Nobina speaking as she started to hear past the doom and gloom of the voice. It made her almost certain swinging the blade was a bad idea, and she¡¯d instantly regret it. However, she did feel bad for the voice, as the desperation to clear away painful memories was a feeling Nobina had once. ¡°Let¡¯s call¡­ it a night.¡± With that, she went into her bed and immediately fell asleep. The next day, Nobina headed to the guild early with her two bags and Hammy. People greeted her kindly, serving as a reminder of how the town saw her as a hero. Even in the guild, many people recognized her immediately and greeted her as if she was a strong adventurer. She no longer denied the effort she had made, but she still told people she was merely an E-class adventurer. She had plans to take the D-class test within the month, but she was in no rush. She had other responsibilities she had to attend to. Once she was behind the reception desk, Lare greeted her kindly. ¡°Good morning Nobina,¡± said Lare, who was in a good mood. ¡°Here during your day off?¡± To Nobina, Lare was still the most unknown out of all the staff there. She felt comfortable calling Lare a friend, but she knew very little about his past. She had hoped that one day, the opportunity to learn more about all of them would present itself. Whatever form that was, she¡¯d be happy with it. ¡°Morning Lare,¡± replied Nobina with a bow. ¡°I¡¯m just here to see Eric.¡± ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry about me. Enjoy your day off.¡± Despite him saying that, Nobina felt like this was just another day as a guild employee. Though, it didn¡¯t help she was still not wearing the guild official outfit. Instead, she merely had a pin that indicated she was a guild officer. It made her feel a bit out of place, but at the same time she felt her outfit with pins was growing on everyone else. ¡°I think I¡¯d look decent in the guild uniform,¡± Nobina told herself as she headed upstairs. Once Nobina was in front of Eric¡¯s office, she gave a knock. ¡°Come in,¡± said Eric. Nobina entered the room and found a seat facing Eric. He was behind his desk, writing in one of his various books. Noticing her gaze, he chuckled as he spoke. ¡°Just filling in the log of new adventurers,¡± said Eric, closing his book. ¡°We have the one downstairs, but I like to keep one with my personal notes.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°The one downstairs is pretty basic and not meant for personal notes. Though, it makes me wonder what you wrote about me.¡± He gave a grin, shaking his head. ¡°Being a bit nosy Nobina?¡± Nobina, realizing what she said, lowered her head. ¡°Sorry.¡± After a bit of silence, Eric went into what he wanted to discuss as Nobina raised her head. ¡°Last week was the conclusion of the goblin incident. As you know, I still suspect your Path played a role in it happening, but I cannot confirm that. Not only that, but we still have a lot of questions that need to be answered. Who was the demon who captured Mimiki? What is this Gaze bag you have meant for? Unfortunately for me, I have no answers to any of it. How about you?¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°I wish I had answers as well Eric¡­ All of this being a mystery still bothers me. That reminds me¡­ Didn¡¯t you say we were going to see someone about my Path?¡± Eric leaned back into his chair, deep in thought. He then turned to Nobina and began to explain his thoughts to her. ¡°I wanted to bring you to the nation¡¯s Oracle Path user Naren, but it would bring a lot of attention to you. I know at some point more and more people will learn about your Path and be interested in you. It could result in a lot of trouble heading your way, both helpful and otherwise.¡± She could tell what he was implying. If she was someone who could change the world, there was always a chance someone would want to use her for horrible things. She knew she would do anything to resist that though. Eric gave a nod before continuing. ¡°That being said, it is inevitable people learn about your path. As much as I want to say I can hide you forever, the mere existence of the Oracle Path means that they will eventually find out about you as your influence grows. Considering everyone in town is calling you a hero¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to happen soon, huh,¡± said Nobina, a bit sad. ¡°I guess¡­ I¡¯ll become more and more busy as time passes.¡± Nobina began remembering the worlds of Maria and how she told her this would happen. She¡¯d be busy until she was done with her adventure. And in her mind, she was only getting started adventure wise. ¡°Honestly, I would merely continue what you¡¯ve been doing Nobina,¡± nodded Eric. ¡°If we still need to bring you to the Oracle, we will. However, I think we¡¯d best spend the time developing you instead. Continue to train and develop your path Nobina. I will do my best to avoid you being dragged out of this town into other people¡¯s goals, but it might happen regardless. I¡¯m only a former S-rank after all.¡± It was the first time Nobina had noticed Eric show a bit of frustration. Even he had his limits, and it was natural to be frustrated hitting them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Eric,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll become amazing and free you of the burden I¡¯m placing onto you eventually.¡± Hearing that, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I should be the one saying that Nobina. After all, I should be able to protect you and not leave it up to fate.¡± Those words caused Nobina to pause for a second, remembering her own theory of her destiny. ¡°Nobina?¡± asked Eric, noticing her pause. ¡°What¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Eric¡­ Do you believe that we are in control of our own destiny?¡± she asked, curious about what he would say. Eric didn¡¯t respond immediately, merely standing up and approaching the window of his office. As he looked out of it for a good while before speaking. ¡°Destiny¡­ If I believed in destiny, then many of the people I would have cared about would have died.¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes widened hearing about that, but soon she was shrouded in disappointment as Eric turned around. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nobina. I can¡¯t tell you that story¡­ but please understand that you can¡¯t resign yourself because you believe destiny has control. All you need to do is refuse to believe that you aren¡¯t in control of your destiny. Else, we¡¯d believe people who tell us something is impossible and never strive to do what¡¯s right or what we want to do.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± said Nobina, standing up immediately. ¡°I¡¯m in control of my own destiny and I refuse to compromise. I will write my story. I will fulfill my dream. Nothing is going to stop me.¡± As she said that, an item flew out of her bag with a note, landing right in front of her. Nobina sighed, shaking her head. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯m starting to think that the rule about opening the bag isn¡¯t going to matter if the bag just perfectly presents these items,¡± said Nobina. Despite saying that, she was impressed with how the new item she received looked. ¡°Well, it looks cool though. A feather that looks quite beautiful.¡± Looking at it more in detail, Nobina could see there was a way to clip the feather onto her. On the note itself was information regarding the item. ¡°A good luck charm for social situations, try rubbing it!! Heart. Works once a day!¡± Right after those words was a picture of a pot plant that looked like two white branches forming a V with tiny green leaves around it. Looking at the feather again, she wondered how long the effect would last and what exactly it would end up doing. ¡°My symbol¡­ my brand¡­¡± Came words from the bag itself. It was a different voice from the last voices that came from it. ¡°What was that,¡± said Eric.¡± ¡°I believe¡­ another entity making it known that they are themselves,¡± said Nobina, her mind trying to make sense of what happened. ¡°I¡¯m guessing this pot plant represents them.¡± Nobina began thinking about how she had two distinct symbols now. The bee was one, and now a potted plant was another. It made her wonder what other entity would make their mark obvious. ¡°How many of you people will there eventually be¡­¡± Nobina wondered, merely staring at the note and feather. Chapter 46: S-Rank Vs. A-Rank As Nobina stared at her feather, Eric got back her attention by coughing. ¡°Anyway, I think the plan for now is to continue to train and get stronger. At the same time, keep looking into your Gaze bag and your Path. I¡¯m still trying to find out more about the demon but¡­¡± A loud knock came from the door, prompting a sigh from Eric. ¡°Eric! Are you done yet!¡± yelled Mimiki¡¯s voice from behind the door. ¡°Mimiki¡­ Come in,¡± Eric said with a bit of reluctance in her voice. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Mimiki, coming inside the room. ¡°I¡¯m just so excited to train with you. It¡¯s been more than a month.¡± Nobina turned to Eric, who merely shrugged. ¡°My work as a guild master has kept me busy unfortunately. You understand, right.¡± Seeing Eric giving an innocent smile seemed to sour Mimiki¡¯s mood, resulting in her shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that excuse too often master. Anyway, let¡¯s get going.¡± Before either of them could say anything, Mimiki was out of the room. Both Eric and Nobina gave a sigh as they shook their heads. ¡°She¡¯s pretty excited for this, huh,¡± said Nobina, smiling at the sight of Mimiki¡¯s excitement. ¡°Oh you don¡¯t know the half of it,¡± replied Eric, who was giving her own small smile. ¡°She once tried to come to my house and wake me up early to have a longer day of training. However, I trained her to the bone that day and told her not to disturb me like that. Now she¡­ mostly holds back in trying to rush me. Patience is a virtue after all.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ As with writing, better to not rush things and show patience,¡± nodded Nobina. After a bit, the two headed downstairs and out to the back of the guild. Standing there was Mimiki, doing swings with a wooden sword. She looked significantly more focused than while she was training with Nobina, making Nobina wonder how much more serious this training would be. ¡°Now then,¡± clapped Eric, drawing their attention. ¡°Despite being busy due to the goblin incident, I¡¯d be a horrible teacher to delay your training any longer. Let¡¯s start with the classic. Ten laps around the town.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± saluted Mimiki, beginning her sprint away from the training grounds towards the town. As she did that, Eric chuckled as he grabbed his own training sword. ¡°Is it¡­ fine that you asked her to do that?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Hm? Oh. You think I¡¯m having her waste time doing the running,¡± said Eric. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a bit of a way to gauge her willingness to train, but as well as how well she¡¯s pacing herself. See, the faster she¡¯s done with the running, the sooner we get to the portion of training she loves. However, if she wears herself out, it will mean the training is less effective. If she kept up with the running assignment I gave her to do outside of our training sessions, it won¡¯t take her too long to come back. Not to mention she should be in a good enough condition to do the training.¡± Nobina was fascinated by how Eric handled her training. It was far different compared to the training the two did together, making Nobina realize that she still had a long way to go herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about doing something similar,¡± said Eric. ¡°Everyone is different, and I¡¯d probably find something more effective than having you sprint out your emotions.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± said Nobina. Nobina and Eric merely chatted casually about how each was doing as Mimiki passed by them with each lap she was doing. It was a nice break, considering she never really had such a casual talk with Eric. She even ended up talking to him about the foods between their worlds, making Eric more interested in learning about Nobina¡¯s old-world food. In the meantime, Nobina noticed that Mimiki seemed to be keeping a good pace instead of running as fast as possible. An hour later, Mimiki arrived back. She looked a bit tired, but not enough to prevent her from training. She had the biggest grin as she faced Eric. ¡°And that¡¯s how you do it,¡± she said proudly. Eric couldn¡¯t help but chuckle seeing her expression. ¡°Good job Mimiki,¡± said Eric, finishing a one-handed swing. Seeing that swing finish, Nobina could see the power behind it as she saw the dust flying at the tip of where the sword was pointed. Her face was in awe, and Mimiki was the same. Her excitement rose even further as she was ready to continue her training. ¡°What¡¯s next master,¡± she said, basically drooling at the thought of training. ¡°Well¡­ Hm¡­ Let¡¯s go over your swings. I expected you trained them as I asked?¡± She gave a nod, taking a stance. Nobina and Eric watched intently as Mimiki displayed a set of swings. From Nobina¡¯s perspective, it looked like a dance, as none of those swings were a single motion. Rather, they were a chain of attacks and follow up strikes that seemed to highlight how skilled Mimiki was. Nobina wasn¡¯t skilled enough to understand Mimiki¡¯s combination attacks, but she did know all her swings were deliberate. Nobina then turned to Eric, his face showing no signs of how he was feeling. It was as neutral as possible and didn¡¯t show whether he approved or disapproved of her set. After about twenty minutes, Mimiki was done. She was panting a bit, but it didn¡¯t stop her from looking towards Eric for his judgment. ¡°Seven out of ten. Work on set four, five and ten again.¡± ¡°Damn it,¡± said Mimiki, her mood souring a bit. Nobina couldn¡¯t tell what was wrong with any of those sets, so she merely nodded and smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t have you spend an hour practicing each since it¡¯d be a waste of Nobina¡¯s time but¡­¡± Hearing that, Nobina was surprised to see Mimiki do a fist pump in excitement. It was surprising enough that even Eric began to laugh. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t be too harsh on you normally,¡± smiled Eric. Hearing that, Mimiki shook her head. ¡°Not necessary master. I should always aim for success and not take the easy route. That being said¡­ I am thankful for this one exception.¡± ¡°Good,¡± nodded Eric. ¡°It¡¯s about lunch, so we¡¯ll eat, both warm up, then have that match.¡± Upon hearing that last word, Nobina noticed Mimiki¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m totally going to land five hits this time master.¡± ¡°I look forward to it, student who thinks they can defeat me in general,¡± he grinned. Those words made Mimiki give a nervous chuckle, realizing that Eric wasn¡¯t going to forget her saying that to him. The three of them headed to Eric¡¯s house, where he prepared a meal for them. This time around, it was a stew like the one Mimiki made. However, upon tasting it, it was far superior in every way. The flavors melded beautifully together, making Nobina excited to eat multiple bowls of it. ¡°Be careful of eating too much Nobina,¡± said Eric as he got her a second bowl. ¡°These are really high in nutrients so eating too much would be bad for you. Limit it to that second bowl.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cherish it,¡± she nodded, continuing to eat her food. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Eric chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°If only I can bring you two to some of the master chef¡¯s I¡¯ve met¡­ You¡¯d experience a whole new world of flavor. Then again¡­ I¡¯m sure this is especially true for you Nobina.¡± All of them laughed, enjoying what Eric said. The lunch was relatively quiet after that, outside of the food talk between Nobina and Eric. Mimiki was focused on refilling her nutrients, while Eric was merely savoring the food. Nobina was the same, but she was dealing with the full feeling she had as she finished up her second bowl. Once all of them were done, they headed back to the training grounds. Nobina didn¡¯t miss both of them exerting their aura more and more as they got closer. They were clearly trying to pressure each other for the match. Feeling their aura, Nobina could tell it would be intense, even if they ended up using wooden swords. At the training grounds, Eric surprised Nobina by taking out two small metal rods from his shirt. ¡°Expand,¡± he said, causing the metal rods to suddenly form solid metal swords. They were both dull, but Nobina could tell they would hurt a lot if someone was hit with it. ¡°Remember,¡± said Eric. ¡°We go until you are unable to continue. Feel free to use all your skills, but I shall use none at the start. Each hit you do land on me will result in me being able to use another skill until I start using all of them. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes master,¡± nodded Mimiki, taking a deep breath. The tension between the two grew as Eric stood at the ready. Mimiki, in the meantime, was slowly advancing on Eric, looking for a chance to strike. Nobina could only stare intensely as she waited for the sword clash to happen. Bang. A loud clash of metal swords could be heard as their swords collided. Mimiki was going for a low swing, but Eric easily intercepted it with her sword. Seeing that, Mimiki backed off a bit, with Eric not following. She took a deep breath and began using one of the combos she had shown earlier. It seemed like it was going to be a simple matter of blocking for Eric, but as she did the combo, Mimiki yelled out an ability she hadn¡¯t heard before. ¡°Combo.¡± The moment she did that, the combo she was doing was far faster than it was before. Eric, who was simply defending against it, was having difficulty guarding against it now. After the third combo, Mimiki grinned as she stepped back, satisfied with her results. ¡°One,¡± she smiled. Eric, looking at his arm, smiled. ¡°Nicely done Mimiki. Executing the combo that you messed up earlier correctly is good to see.¡± ¡°Thank you, master. I will not let it go to my head,¡± she said as the comment seemed to start going to her head. ¡°Prepare for the first skill. Block.¡± Nobina was curious how serious a simple skill like block would be, but that was answered immediately. Mimiki approached Eric as fast as possible, yelling out one of her other moves. ¡°Strike.¡± A massive cloud of dust flew towards Nobina, forcing her to look away. After it started to dissipate, she turned to see Mimiki flat on her butt as Eric shook her head. ¡°Wrong angle. Try again.¡± Standing up, Mimiki nodded, charging at him again. ¡°Shield.¡± ¡°Strike.¡± The two clashed again. This time, Nobina had mostly covered her eyes to avoid having to turn away. From what she saw though, Nobina realized this was a fight between two high ranked individuals. Eric¡¯s sword glowed blue as Mimiki¡¯s sword hit his. The moment of the collision showed a shockwave that highlighted how powerful Eric was despite performing a simple ability. Nobina had her Golden Pen Blade and Memory Pen Blade, but both had cost she didn¡¯t want to pay merely for training. The moment the clash happened, Mimiki was blown back again, but this time she kept her balance. ¡°Better, but I think you¡¯ll need to give up on trying it with strike. Go with what you know.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Mimiki. She took a deep breath and rushed at Eric with all her speed. ¡°Shield.¡± ¡°Quick Cut.¡± Unlike before, instead of blocking the blade, it seemed the blade just went directly through the block as it hit Eric¡¯s chest. It sent him stumbling back, causing Nobina to worry a bit as he gave a cough. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Eric. ¡°I knew it was coming, so I stepped back at the last second. Though, this is a good lesson for you to learn Nobina. The body of high-ranking adventurers is significantly different from that of lower ranks. An S-rank needs to be able to take a dragon swipe without armor, while a D-rank should be able to take a goblin sword slice at least once. However, a well-placed attack can injure even the most solid body, so you should avoid damage as much as possible. Hearing that, Nobina began wondering how much potential was behind Paths. Did they really end up making you super-human in a sense? As Nobina thought that, she noticed Mimiki was merely standing by, a serious look on her face. ¡°Anyway,¡± said Eric, getting up without issue. ¡°The hit needs work. I wanted to feel out of breath with it, not slightly uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Sorry master,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I shall work to make it stronger.¡± ¡°Please,¡± he nodded. ¡°Now¡­ I shall add strike and attack. Got it?¡± Mimiki nodded, tensing up as she prepared for Eric¡¯s counterattack. Within seconds, Eric was attacking Mimiki with attacks far faster than Nobina could ever do. It was similar to how fast Mimiki attacked the goblins. However, Nobina noticed how Eric seemed relaxed during his assault. Nobina wasn¡¯t at the stage where she could watch them fighting easily, but she could notice things here and there. For starters, she could notice a bit of the form that both were using. Eric¡¯s form felt refined, while Mimiki¡¯s felt like a lesser refined version of Eric¡¯s. Both of them were concentrating on landing hits on each other, with hits by Mimiki resulting in the fight becoming harder. Mimiki barely kept pace with Eric, who was commenting during the fight. ¡°Watch your swings Mimiki,¡± he called, swinging his own sword in the meantime. ¡°You should be reacting even faster than that.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she responded, countering a rather low hit and then striking back with a series of stabs. Eric easily avoided them, creating some distance. Looking at the two, Nobina could tell that Mimiki was already fatigued. The run earlier had likely drained a lot of her energy and keeping up with a more skilled fighter was draining. Especially considering Eric was faster than Mimiki and was holding back, allowing him to conserve energy. ¡°Tiring my student? You wouldn¡¯t be able to defend Nobina with such a lack of stamina.¡± Mimiki didn¡¯t say anything, merely taking a breath. Eric¡¯s expression changed as he stood at the ready. Without a word, Mimiki charged at Eric faster than Nobina had seen her act. It was like a flash, as each of Mimiki¡¯s hits had barely any time between each strike. Sparks were flying with each collision of metal. Before she knew it, Mimiki landed a hit. Eric, in response, created distance as he congratulated Mimiki. ¡°That makes three. Let¡¯s kick it up. I shall now use Elegant Strike.¡± Upon hearing that, Mimiki spoke up. ¡°Master¡­ I can¡¯t handle Elegant Strike right now¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mimiki relaxed her grip as she fell to one knee. Eric shook his head, walking over to Mimiki and patting her on the back. ¡°You must have been training hard before you learned that I was going to train you huh¡­¡± She nodded, merely standing silently as Eric helped her up. As soon as she was up, she began relaxing, trying to catch her breath. ¡°Well¡­ we still have plenty of time in the day. Let¡¯s call it a rest and move on to the next part of the training.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Mimiki, giving a respectful nod. As the three got together, Nobina finally began displaying her excitement seeing their training. ¡°That was amazing,¡± said Nobina, her eyes glistening as she spoke. ¡°Seeing both of you fight was something else. The speed was out of this world and the impact¡­ man, I could feel it from here. It felt a bit scary, but at the same time¡­ I¡¯m so glad I could finally see you fight Eric.¡± Eric chuckle, shaking his head. ¡°I wish you could see me against monsters Nobina,¡± said Eric. ¡°It¡¯s far different from what you saw, as I¡¯m more willing to use my more¡­ lethal skills.¡± Hearing that, Nobina began imagining Eric slaying hordes of goblins in a dance of combat that would be beautiful on one side but terrifying on the other. ¡°Anyways, this next part of training is more so teaching, so you can listen in if you want,¡± said Eric. Upon him saying that Mimiki gave her biggest smile. ¡°This is an amazing chance to learn from the best Nobina. Listen carefully.¡± The three of them stood in a circle, with Eric instructing Nobina to grab her own wooden sword. He began teaching both of them a sword technique that both of them could use. It was one that focused on speed, which made sense considering that was Eric¡¯s specialty. He began explaining to Nobina how the sword¡¯s strength was its ability to be effective even without the usage of abilities. Abilities like Strike and Elegant Strike both increase the strength of your strike, but using them by themselves is not using them to their full potential. ¡°See, if you perform a sword combo and end it with ¡®Strike,¡¯ the result will be a finisher that targets a good spot and has way more power. However, if you merely tried to swing at someone with Strike, then the result would be something more blockable or something targeting a rather tough spot to do damage. It might not matter as much against some monsters, but against targets that can defend themselves, it matters a lot.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She always enjoyed listening to the details regarding swordplay, so it was great hearing from someone like Eric. From there, Eric began going back to teaching them about the Speed Strike technique. It was a technique that would be hard to master, yet if they learned it, their swordsmanship would be ever so stronger. Mimiki was exuding excitement, while Nobina merely expressed her gratitude for being taught it. The rest of the day was spent learning the technique. It was rather hard for not only Nobina but also Mimiki to learn as well. Mimiki told Nobina she had learned a lot of techniques from Eric, but this was the second speed-based technique she was being taught. ¡°Once we are done today, I want both of you to practice the forms of this technique. As it isn¡¯t an ability, it¡¯s something both of you can use without worrying about limits. However, you¡¯ll have to keep working on using it until your body can do it purely by muscle memory.¡± Both of them nodded, with Eric telling them to take a short break before they go into the last hour. As they were resting, Mimiki couldn¡¯t help but talk about her future. ¡°I¡¯m sure this puts me one step closer to S-rank, but I got a long ways to go,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Until I can slay a whole goblin nest by myself, I¡¯m nowhere near ready.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a crazy thought,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I wonder how long it¡¯d take me to reach S-rank.¡± ¡°I bet you can do it in a decade,¡± said Mimiki confidently. Nobina chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°Maybe in my dreams Mimiki¡­ but I¡¯ll work at it. Perhaps one day I¡¯ll become a legend.¡± Mimiki nodded her head. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure you can become one as well.¡± As the sun began to set, Nobina began wondering how long she¡¯d have to continue to develop herself. She wanted to get stronger and continue her story, but she knew that this was only the calm before the storm. Something would eventually happen, and she¡¯d have to deal with it. However, she felt more confident than ever in dealing with what was to come. Chapter 47: Reinforcements and Complications The following day, Nobina was working in the guild, monitoring the finances. It had been a week since the goblin incident and they were barely managing to stay afloat. Thanks to the reserves and a bit of money from Eric directly, they managed to continue to pay adventurers for the quests that were coming in. Due to the goblin incident, a lot of the quests involved gathering materials to refresh the stockpiles of the town. A lot of resources were spent and there was an increasing demand for materials to restore their stockpiles. They were still waiting for the reinforcements to arrive as well, as it was expected they would bring the desperately requested healing potions to refill the towns supply. As Nobina was about to go over the income from the most requested quests, her Gaze bag glowed once more. A piece of paper flew out of it, landing perfectly in front of Nobina. ¡°You know. What¡¯s the point of policy when you just¡­ force the item out of the bag,¡± sighed Nobina. She proceeded to pick up the piece of paper, reading it carefully. As she did, her expression got paler as her eyes desperately tried to deny what she was seeing. ¡°No¡­ No¡­ This can¡¯t be¡­¡± Nobina was staring at a piece of paper that was a poll. It asked what Nobina¡¯s destiny should be and had six votes already. Three people wanted her to become a legendary writing adventurer. One person wanted her to become an influential and successful writer. Another wanted her to live a modest life as a small-time writer and adventurer without much influence. Last was a vote for people to comment on what it should be besides the three, but apparently there was no comment to go along with the vote. She had focused on the word ¡°influence,¡± as the implications of that was that this poll would influence her destiny. Part of her wanted to discount it as a sick joke, but soon she heard Lare call for her. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon either, as it stopped her from thinking too deeply about the fact that people were actually voting for her destiny as if she was some sort of character to them. ¡°Nobina. The reinforcements have arrived. Eric request that me, you and him gather to greet them.¡± Hearing that, Nobina nodded and headed to the front. Once she was there, all of them, that being Lare, Sarah, Eric and herself, exited the guild to meet the reinforcements. The guild was closed temporarily and they all headed to the west entrance of the town. There was a large amount of adventurers gathered at the entrance, many curious about the reinforcements. Of course, most of them weren¡¯t there as the goblin incident was over and their presence wasn¡¯t necessary. Many of the veteran adventurers had more important matters than seeing high-rank adventurers. However, the newer adventurers with nothing to do were excited to see who would have came to their aid. From the distance, Nobina could see five adventurers on horseback heading in their direction. She wondered why there was only five of them, but Eric¡¯s reaction seemed to indicate that those adventurers were a big deal. ¡°Hm¡­ brining two S ranks and two A ranks is definitely something that Aunai would do,¡± chuckled Eric. Her own eyes widened upon hearing that. As they all approached, Nobina could tell all of them were powerful. One wore a set of heavy armor that was highly decorated with medals. Another wore beautiful silver and purple robes that displayed the symbol of a massive wolf. After that there was someone wearing a rather professional-looking suit, something similar to her own world but more suited for the fashion of this one. Then there was one merely wearing leather adventuring gear, yet they had a massive hammer on their back. Lastly was someone wearing a guild outfit like Eric¡¯s, only theirs felt a bit more basic given the design of it. ¡°Who are these people,¡± asked Nobina. ¡°This is Guild Master Aunai and some of her top adventurers. I guess it¡¯s to be expected she¡¯d bring the big guns for a request from me,¡± he chuckled. Soon, the adventurers stopped once they reached Eric, Lare and Nobina. Eric and Lare gave a bow, making Nobina follow as well. ¡°Greetings Aunai,¡± said Eric, who straightened up right after he spoke. ¡°Hm¡­ Is the incident handled?¡± asked Aunai, stepping off her horse. ¡°This feels too¡­ casual for a serious matter. Unless you¡¯ve overestimated the threat and our presence wasn¡¯t needed.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ though there were¡­ complications. The incident was far more serious than we thought,¡± he replied, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Tch¡­ I told you that you need to keep more high ranks here,¡± said Aunai, shaking her head. ¡°Let¡¯s speak more in the guild.¡± With that, they all headed to the guild. Nobina could see many of the newer adventurers asking questions from the A and S rank adventurers. Three of them were more than willing to talk to them, telling them all about who they were and what they were about. The one with the heavy armor with medals was Iron-Wall Exuten. He was an S-rank adventurer who had the Path of the Iron Wall. Nobina was surprised hearing that since it sounded like it was either a unique Path or a historical Path, though she didn¡¯t know enough history to say which it could be. Next was the adventurer with the leather adventuring gear and large hammer. Their name was Harden, and they were an A-rank adventurer with the Path of the War Hammer. Nobina wondered if their weapon was considered a war hammer since she thought they looked a bit different. His hammer looked comically large compared to something a normal soldier would use. The last who was willing to speak was the one in a professional suit who¡¯s name was Line. If Nobina didn¡¯t know any better, she¡¯d have thought he was a butler considering the manner he spoke. He even told them all that he considered himself a close supporter of Aunai, saying that his status as an A-rank adventurer was merely a formality. When asked about his path, he wasn¡¯t as open to sharing it unfortunately. The only one who didn¡¯t speak was the adventurer in silver and purple robes, who remained silent. Considering the other three gave their rank, Nobina assumed they were the other S-rank adventurer. It made her wonder why they were keeping silent. Eventually, they all reached the guild, where Sarah welcomed them all. Once inside, Eric helped escort everyone upstairs to the meeting room. Nobina was going to go back to her documents, but Eric requested that she join them while Lare went back to his work. She began wondering what the purpose of her being at the meeting was, but she wasn¡¯t going to question Eric¡¯s decision. As everyone got settled in, Exuten immediately questioned Nobina¡¯s presence there. ¡°Why do we have some random guild employee here,¡± he scoffed. ¡°Exuten,¡± spoke Aunai, showing an annoyed demeanor that didn¡¯t fit the guild master title at all. ¡°You have to stop thinking everyone is below you. Else Lila will humble you before you know it.¡± Exuten eyes flicked to the silver and purple-robed individual for a second before turning back to Aunai. ¡°Whatever,¡± he sulked. ¡°Forgive him Eric,¡± Aunai, trying to give a proper smile. ¡°Exuten was annoyed at the distance the trip took. The town location is rather far from the main road, so you can understand why it took awhile to get here.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± nodded Eric. ¡°Truthfully, we aren¡¯t in a position to handle sudden crises like this so¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m curious about,¡± said Line. ¡°How can someone in an esteem position like Master Aunai need our help to handle goblins.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Before Eric could say anything, Harden cut him off. ¡°That begs the question of how many nests went active,¡± said Harden, keeping a professional demeanor. ¡°Your message was the following. ¡®We have one confirmed nest that is going to invade. We are confirming the status of the other nests as we speak. Ideally they don¡¯t become active and your reinforcements helps up perform a culling. Else, we hope you get here in time to deal with any potential attacks.¡¯ So¡­ how many nest went active?¡± ¡°All of them,¡± said Eric. His answer caused Aunai to stand up, her anger clear to everyone in the room. ¡°How the hell did you let it get this bad,¡± said Aunai. ¡°What¡¯s the loss of life?¡± ¡°Thirty-five adventurers, twelve guards, and no civilians,¡± he replied calmly. Nobina wasn¡¯t sure if it was how Eric said it that caused Aunai to blow up at him, but her immediate response was her flying across the table to punch Eric in the face. Nobina could tell Eric could have dodged it, but he merely allowed her to do it, resulting in him landing hard against the wall. It left quite a bit of damage, making Nobina worry about the additional cost. ¡°Pathetic,¡± she said, her voice cold. ¡°A former S-rank letting so many potential buds die¡­ What do you have to say for yourself Eric.¡± Eric, who was slowly getting up, merely dusted himself off. There was a bit of blood on his face, but he merely wiped it off, and the wound itself seemed to close. ¡°There was interference from a demon,¡± he replied. The mention of demon silenced everyone in the room. Aunai, hearing that, seemed to go a bit pale as she returned to her seat and sat down. ¡°Explain. Everything,¡± she ordered. The next hour, Eric explained the whole situation. During this conversation, Nobina¡¯s bag glowed once. This time, Nobina didn¡¯t open it to avoid interrupting the conversation. She desperately hoped that it wasn¡¯t another poll, but that might have been too much to ask. A few of them noticed the light but didn¡¯t say a word. When Eric finished the explanation, Aunai had a grim look on her face. ¡°So¡­ A demon interfered, but you don¡¯t know why and they are still out there. Hm¡­¡± Aunai turned to Lila, who wasn¡¯t saying a word. Nobina wondered why she was still staying under her hood, but she wasn¡¯t going to request that she remove it. ¡°Lila. Can you investigate the area that this incident took place in? In the meantime, we¡¯ll check the three nest and make sure its all completely culled.¡± Aunai looked at Nobina, smiling. ¡°Also, if this is the ¡®so called¡¯ hero of this incident, I think she should accompany Lila in investigating. Lila doesn¡¯t like being with too many people and I don¡¯t want you anywhere near Lila Eric. So the two of them can investigate the demon instead. As for the rest of you¡­ Exuten and Harden will check out the south goblin nest and finish culling it. I¡¯ll handle the north-west nest with Line. And¡­ you are sure you covered the north-east nest?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Eric. ¡°I didn¡¯t anticipate the demon attacking the other raid party, so I made sure to clear it fully.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s at least one competent thing you did,¡± sighed Aunai. ¡°Any problems with my request?¡± ¡°One question,¡± said Line, who seemed in thought. ¡°Are you sure you want Nobina with Lila. I know your keeping Eric away from her because two S-ranks together isn¡¯t usually a good idea, but¡­¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Does she have something against S-ranks?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Eric. ¡°S-ranks, even if they are the nicest people to each other, tend to¡­ want to test each other.¡± Nobina began to laugh, shaking her head. ¡°Come on now. You¡¯re telling me that if you and Lila were together, you¡¯d want to test her?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°The other way around,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Lila is the strongest S-rank in our city and I¡¯ve told her stories about Eric. She¡¯s been wanting to duel him for awhile. I¡¯ve been telling her he¡¯s long past his prime but¡­¡± Nobina turned to Lila, whose hood was still on. It seemed they weren¡¯t reacting to what Aunai was saying initially. However, she suddenly noticed a rather wide smile from Lila underneath the hood. ¡°I understand. I shall escort her in Eric¡¯s stead,¡± nodded Nobina. With the plan set, all of them began to head out. As she headed downstairs, Nobina¡¯s eyes were on Lila the whole time. She was wondering what she would be like in the field as they walked, considering the only thing she knew was she was strong and she wanted to face Eric. Once they were in the lobby, Nobina told Sarah what they were going to do. ¡°Got it. Good luck out there Nobina,¡± waved Sarah. With that, they all exited the guild. Immediately, Exuten and Harden wished the four the best as they headed off to the south nest. As for Nobina, Lila, Aunai, and Line, they headed towards the town¡¯s west entrance. During their walk, they were approached by a few adventures who had questions directed towards Lila, Aunai, and Line. It was when they were close to the entrance that Nobina asked them for a moment. They waited a bit, with all of them curious about what she was doing. Nobina opened her Gaze bag and pulled out a bouquet of roses with a card saying, ¡°For punching Eric, my enemy.¡± She immediately felt like merely sliding the roses into her special bag and not giving it to Aunai, but it seemed that it wasn¡¯t an option. ¡°Why am I getting flowers for punching Eric? Also, what flowers are these? They have thorns and I don¡¯t recognize them,¡± said Aunai, who was suddenly next to Nobina. ¡°Oh¡­ I guess the bag wanted to give you flowers?¡± Eric had mentioned the bag as something that gave random items, but he didn¡¯t mention the whole idea of the Gaze. Aunai was confused, but she merely took the flowers and note. ¡°Uh¡­ Thanks¡­ I guess?¡± She was looking at Nobina as if she was crazy to give her such a gift, making Nobina extremely embarrassed. ¡°Why,¡± Nobina spoke silently to herself. Once all four of them were out of town, they followed the mission route the whole time. During their walk, Aunai had a lot of questions for Nobina regarding her role in the mission and her purpose in the guild. She had to be very careful not to reveal her secrets, but Aunai was clearly skilled in speaking. It felt as if a single slip-up would be noticed, putting Nobina on edge the whole time. ¡°Why so nervous,¡± chuckled Aunai. ¡°I know being around S-ranks and A-ranks is intimidating, but a feat you preformed is worthy of making you an A-rank. If you want, you can join our guild and become one easily. I can arrange a transfer and...¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± Nobina found herself saying without thinking. ¡°Oh?¡± smirked Aunai. ¡°Is Eric really someone you love working under? He must treat you well.¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Nobina, trying to find a valid excuse. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ more so we are a family. All of us work together and understand each other¡­ It¡¯s hard to walk away from that.¡± Hearing that seemed to cause Aunai to frown as she backed off. ¡°I see¡­ I won¡¯t press you any more about it,¡± she said with a hint of disappointment. Nobina was surprised by the shift in attitude, making her wonder if family was a sensitive topic to Aunai. If it was, then it was another reminder that no matter how powerful one was, there was always something that could hurt even them. Eventually, the group reached the first location, which was the area where the wolf-troll first attacked Mimiki¡¯s party. ¡°Lila,¡± said Aunai. She removed her hood revealing a woman who was part wolf. Some of their wolf traits included their hair and ears resembling a wolf, yet their face was human. Nobina could see the sharp teeth of Lila as she widen her mouth. Lila gave a howl that echoed throughout the forest, causing Nobina to cover her ears. After that was done, they waited a bit before Lila shook her head. ¡°It was indeed a summon. No wolf has responded to my call.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Let¡¯s check the next spot.¡± The four of them headed to where part of the raiding party was killed and the rest were captured. Once they were there, Nobina noticed how the site was cleared of everything but the goblin bodies. The bags and healing items, as well as the bodies, were retrieved by adventurers who were hired to deal with it. It was good profit, so they had the area cleared in a few days. ¡°Hm,¡± said Lila, walking all over the place. She seemed to be sniffing all over, trying to find something. Eventually she stopped, turning to Aunai. ¡°A demon was here. He went towards that path of fallen trees,¡± said Lila, pointing to the down trees leading to where Mimiki and the others were previously. ¡°So far everything checks out. This is where we split. Lila and Nobina. Investigate the site of the troll-wolf. We shall cull the nest. Once you guys are done, return to town and report to Eric. Got it?¡± Both of them gave a nod. Once Aunai and Line were gone, Nobina turned to Lila. ¡°It¡¯s good too¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s fight,¡± said Lila, giving a big smile. Nobina was shocked by the suggestion, considering that Nobina was nowhere near her strength. ¡°Uh¡­ You¡¯re an S-rank adventurer, so I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Lila took a step closer, her smile growing a tiny bit. ¡°You¡¯re a hero, right? You have to be strong¡­ Let¡¯s fight.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t tell if Lila didn¡¯t know what they were supposed to be doing or didn¡¯t care. Regardless, it didn¡¯t take an expert for Nobina to know Lila would easily defeat her. ¡°People say that, but I¡¯m not strong enough to be called a hero.¡± Lila shook his head. ¡°You smell of power. Hm¡­ It¡¯s not like Eric, but you smell¡­ like you can become way stronger than him.¡± ¡°You can¡­ tell that by smell?¡± asked Nobina. Lila gave a nod. ¡°I believe it¡¯s called¡­ instinct. I¡¯m not the smartest, but I¡¯m very strong. I love to fight to get stronger. That is why¡­ I really¡­ want to fight you.¡± ¡°Listen,¡± said Nobina. ¡°We are on a mission right now and we don¡¯t want to get in trouble from Aunai and Eric.¡± Hearing that, Lila nodded her head. ¡°Of course. So we fight really quick and¡­¡± ¡°Can we do this after the mission back in town? We¡¯ll do it in the training grounds where a healer can be on standby in case¡­¡± ¡°I get hurt,¡± smiled Lila. ¡°You¡¯re really smart. No wonder you work for the guild like Aunai. Ok. Let¡¯s do that. We finish the mission really quick, head back, get a healer, and then we fight.¡± Nobina wanted to tell her she had no desire to fight whatsoever, but she had a feeling she¡¯d try to fight her regardless. The best she could do would be to merely delay it and beg Aunai and Eric to help her get out of this mess. ¡°Deal,¡± said Nobina. Without even saying anything, Lila grabbed Nobina¡¯s hand and shook it. ¡°It¡¯s a promise,¡± she smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get this done as quickly as possible! I¡¯m so excited to fight someone who people call a hero.¡± As Lila ran off ahead of Nobina, she gave a sigh. ¡°What did I get myself into.¡± Chapter 48: Troll and Alpha Nobina and Lila followed the path of destruction back to where Nobina and her party fought the troll-wolf. Heading back there made Nobina feel a bit nervous, considering it was just the two of them, but she knew that Lila was an S-rank adventurer. If there was anyone who could handle the unexpected, it would likely be her. During the walk, she was relatively quiet, her eyes scanning over the destruction and its surroundings. It was quiet enough that Nobina tried to make some small talk to lighten the mood, but Lila brushed it off. Her concentration made it clear to Nobina that she was focused on the mission at hand. ¡°We are here,¡± said Nobina once they reached the end of the area. To her surprise, she noticed that the area had at least twenty goblins that were handling the cages. Amongst them was a hooded figure that Nobina thought she heard about. ¡°Is that¡­ the person that attacked Mimiki and her group?¡± asked Nobina to herself. ¡°Hm,¡± said Lila, seemingly in thought. ¡°Goblins, a troll-wolf and a wolf- troll. Rather tricky to deal with.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± As Nobina spoke, she felt herself get a headache. She experienced this feeling once before, making her worried that the headaches were something bad. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Lila. ¡°Yeah¡­ Don¡¯t you¡­¡± Nobina was about to say "see the hooded figure", but now she saw merely goblins, the troll-wolf, and what she guessed was the wolf-troll. ¡°Huh¡­ It¡¯s the summoned creatures.¡± Lila grinned her teeth, seemingly excited by the thought of fighting. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll show you the power of an Alpha Magical-Wolf!¡± Nobina was surprised to hear that she identified herself as an Alpha Magic-Wolf. From her own research on animals, a Magic-Wolf was a rare, yet powerful species of wolf. This was due to their natural aptitude for magic and their likelihood to obtain a magic-based Path. Unlike most monsters, they were highly intelligent and considered protected as their species had representation on the Nation of Arren¡¯s Animal Council. It made it so that people didn¡¯t try to hunt them down for the sake of getting stronger, which was a growing concern in Arren. At least, that¡¯s what Nobina had read about. Arren was one of the three major nations and had a vast history Nobina hadn¡¯t even scratched the surface of. As Nobina was thinking about Lila¡¯s race, she wasted no time attacking the troll-wolf. Unlike when it fought Nobina and Mimiki¡¯s party, it seemed to react the moment it sensed Lila¡¯s movement. It gave a powerful side-swipe in order to hit Lila, but even acting in advance didn¡¯t help the troll-wolf land a hit. Lila easily hopped over the swing and used the troll-wolf¡¯s arm to let her reach its head. When she was close enough, Nobina heard Lila yell her ability, Lightning Claw, which was a swipe of claws made of lightning. It wasn¡¯t too large, but the impact easily tore into the troll-wolf¡¯s head, which screamed in pain. In response to this, the wolf-troll tried to jump and land its own jumping-slash on Lila with its claws. However, it was also easily dodged as Lila jumped off, landing right behind it. ¡°So slow,¡± she laughed. ¡°Nothing compared to a hero I¡¯d imagine.¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡± Before Nobina could say more, Lila charged at the troll-wolf¡¯s legs. Still in pain, it was unable to react to Lila¡¯s approach, allowing her to use an even more brutal ability. ¡°Magical Bite,¡± she yelled before chomping into its legs. From Nobina¡¯s end, it looked like she had created a mouth of magic that bit and easily ripped into its leg. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, when she pulled away after biting, the wound seemed to not regenerate at all, making her wonder if the bite had magical properties. Seeing this, the wolf-troll seemed hesitant to continue its attack. However, that only lasted for a second before it put pressure on its back-legs before pushing off in a crazy fast charge. Lila, who was still relaxed, seemed to react a bit as she stepped aside and easily dodged the wolf¡¯s bite as it went flying past her. ¡°Maybe in another hundred years with a bit more evolution,¡± said Lila, shaking her head. It was clear to Nobina that this was a one-sided fight, but she was interested in seeing what would happen next. So far, both abilities used by Lila were strong, but Eric had told her many adventurers who reached S-rank had a signature ability. It was usually reserved for dire need, but Nobina still wanted to see one in her lifetime. ¡°Now then,¡± said Lila, putting one of her fists into her palm. ¡°Let¡¯s show you why I¡¯m an Alpha Magic Wolf.¡± Watching Lila, Nobina was in awe as she saw her gathering energy up. Her robes started to burn up, revealing a high-quality adventuring outfit underneath. Nobina could tell the quality merely by look at this point, as Mimiki had drilled into her the differences between adventuring outfits and how to tell someone was a high-rank merely by outfit. Lila¡¯s outfit, in particular, looked modified to fit her fighting style, that being of a wolf. It offered a lot of flexibility for her arms and legs while also giving a decent amount of protection. Nobina wasn¡¯t too familiar with the gear, so she couldn¡¯t confirm if the magical writing she glimpsed on the outfit was an enchantment. Besides that, there was a beautiful silver and purple tail that instantly made her want to pet it due to how soft it looked. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Stage One. Roar of Magic,¡± said Lila, her confidence soaring. As she finished saying that, she gave a powerful roar that echoed far and wide. It forced Nobina to cover her ears while both the troll-wolf and wolf-troll seemed to stop immediately. When Nobina looked at them, she could tell they were showing signs of fear. Before Nobina could say anything, Lila was rushing towards the troll-wolf. It made one more attempt to stop Lila with its bare hands, abandoning its slow, massive club, but it was unsuccessful. The grab wasn¡¯t even close to reaching Lila, who reached the wolf¡¯s neck. In a powerful kick, the troll was sent flying as she kicked it, causing a massive crash. Looking at her foot, Nobina could see her kick was magically enchanted, making Nobina wonder if all of Lila¡¯s attacks would be magical from here on out. Looking towards the troll, which had skidded across the ground before being partially buried, it started to fade away in magical dust. The was the clear sign of a summon being defeated and returned to its special realm. ¡°Guess that summon will be out for a few months,¡± said Nobina. She didn¡¯t have too much knowledge of summons, but from what she knew was that summons were being that, once defeated, required time to regenerate before coming back. The stronger the summon, the more time required. That and the condition of the summon mattered a lot. One horribly defeated would take way longer to regenerate over one merely stabbed once and killed. Lila¡¯s attention turned to the wolf-troll, who attempted to flee into the forest. However, Lila wasn¡¯t having it. She braced her feet against the ground and charged the wolf. It felt like it was an instant since Nobina was shocked that Lila was right next to the troll moments later. ¡°Lightning slash,¡± she yelled. Unlike lightning claw, Nobina could see a lightning form onto the dagger Lila had taken out. She then slashed into the wolf, defeating it instantly. Like the troll-wolf, it turned into particles, the clear sign of its defeat. Upon it disappearing, Lila turned to Nobina. ¡°Now! Let us have our duel,¡± said Lila, who looked ready to do anything. ¡°What are you talking about,¡± yelled back Nobina. ¡°We are on a mission you idiot! We have no time to waste.¡± Nobina wouldn¡¯t have normally reacted so aggressively towards another adventurer, but she was flabbergasted by Lila completely forgetting their mission and earlier deal. Hearing that, Lila¡¯s aura started to fade as it seemed her first stage was removed. When she returned to her normal self, Nobina could see a guilty look on her face. ¡°My bad¡­¡± she said, looking as guilty as a puppy who had done something wrong. ¡°Can you¡­ hold it together until we are back? Unless you want to cause everyone problems,¡± asked Nobina, shaking her head. ¡°Of course¡­ Let¡¯s finish up here,¡± said Lila. With the incident handled, the two began discussing what exactly happened. Nobina had basically confirmed that there were two summoned creatures invovled, likely from the demon. The presence of the goblins made it also likely the same demon was somehow involve with them. However, deep down Nobina feared that that her Path was playing a role somehow. ¡°Hm¡­¡± said Lila. ¡°So the good news is we confirmed a demon summoner is likely involved. However, the demon didn¡¯t show itself unfortunately. I wish that demon showed itself. I can only imagine how powerful it might be to directly fight. Oh, I hope I get a chance to sink my teeth into something even more deadly.¡± Nobina began wondering if this was a sign she could remain in one place. It only invited more and more people to come to her town and cause trouble. That wasn¡¯t to say that moving to another town would fix the issue, but she didn¡¯t want to cause this town any more trouble. ¡°Damn it,¡± she told herself. ¡°So,¡± said Lila, looking at Nobina. ¡°What should we do now? Meet with Aunai?¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°We should head back and report to Eric. Once Aunai is done with her mission, we can inform her of the news.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± nodded Lila, whose mood seemed much better now. The two did one more check around to see if there was potential evidence of the demon, but nothing came up. As the two left, Nobina took one more look back, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s never simple,¡± she sighed. The two of them returned to the town at a decent pace. Lila wanted to run back, even offering to carry Nobina, but Nobina¡¯s pride prevented her from accepting such an offer. ¡°Boo,¡± said Lila when declined. ¡°Most people would kill to be offered a ride by an Alpha Magic Wolf. You are definitely as prideful as a hero should be.¡± ¡°I¡­ Nevermind,¡± said Nobina, shaking her head. She wanted to deny the hero role, but she had a feeling Lila would refuse to believe her unless Nobina actually lost in a battle. Eventually, the two were back in town and Lila was drawing an insane amount of attention. Without her robes that were destroyed in the earlier battle, Lila was showing off how strong she was. Nobina could tell she had focused a lot on training merely by observing her muscles. Lila screamed ¡®strong¡¯ merely from a single glance. You didn¡¯t even need to be an adventurer to recognize it, since even the civilians were greeting her kindly. Not as much as Nobina though, who was still getting used to all the talk of her being a hero. Once the two reached the guild, Lila was the first one in, calling out to the receptionist¡¯s desk. ¡°I wish to meet with Eric,¡± she proclaimed, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Lare, in particular, gave a sigh, shaking his head. ¡°Lila,¡± said Nobina, entering right afterward. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do that. Just follow me.¡± Nobina made her way behind the receptionist¡¯s desk into the back. Lare, who Nobina walked past, gave her a pat on the back. ¡°Thank you for handling her,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Nobina, shaking her own head. On her end, Nobina felt as if she was a dog owner trying to cover for her dog, even if Lila was vastly stronger than Nobina. As soon as the two entered Eric¡¯s office, he looked happy to see them. ¡°Ah. Lila. Nobina. Good to see you¡¯re back safe and sound,¡± he said, motioning them to sit. Nobina sat on the chair in front of Eric¡¯s desk, while Lila was relaxing on the couch, grabbing an apple on the table and eating it. ¡°So¡­ how did the mission go?¡± asked Eric to Nobina. ¡°Well¡­ bad news Eric,¡± said Nobina. ¡°It seems like you were right. A demon is involved and it summoned those two creatures. We¡¯ll need to plan accordingly to deal with it.¡± Her words caused him to go a bit pale as he looked at Nobina. He then turned to Lila, who seemed confused by his stare. ¡°What?¡± she asked, worried she had done something wrong. ¡°Can you give us a bit of time to talk?¡± asked Eric. ¡°Hm¡­ Fine. But you owe me a match as well,¡± said Lila, taking a step out and closing the door. As soon as she was gone, Nobina was shocked by Eric slamming his hands against the table. It was so out of character that Nobina froze in fear, worried about what Eric was going to do. ¡°Eric,¡± said Nobina, trying to get his attention. Eric turned to Nobina and shook his head. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ll need to go on an adventure after all,¡± sighed Eric. ¡°Ideally, this demon is rogue and is unrelated to any serious organization. However¡­ if the demon is involved with any of the powers of the Federation of the Great Gar Gar... Then this matter is out of our league and must be addressed to the Grand Guild Master.¡± Nobina¡¯s face went pale as she began worrying about what was going to happen to her at this point. Were things going to get more and more complicated as time passed? Was her life going to change forever, stalling her dream even further? She took a breath, ready to discuss what the plan would be. Chapter 49: Sandwich and Economics Nobina stood there, thinking about the implications of what Eric said. It felt as if she was being pushed out of their town into something much bigger. As she thought that, a bright light appeared from her bag. Looking at Eric, he gave a nod, prompting Nobina to open the Gaze bag. Once she did, she found what appeared to be a peanut butter sandwich, which she took out to examine. ¡°What is that?¡± asked Eric, looking at her sandwich. ¡°Ah,¡± said Nobina, realizing he was more focused on the food. ¡°It¡¯s a peanut butter sandwich. I¡¯m not sure that you¡¯ve had¡­¡± Upon hearing those words, Nobina noticed a change in Eric¡¯s face. His gaze felt intense as he stared at the sandwich. ¡°Did you say¡­peanut butter sandwich?¡± asked Eric, seeking confirmation. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah? Is there something I should know about it?¡± asked Nobina, curious about his look at it. ¡°This might seem odd¡­ but our history notes how one of the heroes constantly talked about missing that specific food. It was something about it being something their mother made. Being able to see one here and now¡­ I¡¯m curious as to what the hero was craving, since I believe recreating it perfectly was impossible.¡± Nobina nodded and offered half her sandwich to Eric, who instantly agreed. Once both of them took a bite into it, they both felt satisfied with the creamy peanut butter taste overwhelming their tastebuds. To Nobina, this reminded her of her old home and once again, she began remembering her two idols. ¡°Why am I remembering La Lu and Fay now¡­¡± asked Nobina to herself. ¡°Fay?¡± asked Eric. ¡°Oh Fay¡­ She was my best friend in my old world before¡­ Before she disappeared.¡± Eric, hearing that, seemed surprised. Nobina didn¡¯t fail to notice that either. ¡°Your legends talk about a Fay as well?¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°That would certainly be something.¡± ¡°Well¡­ No,¡± he replied, a curious look on his face. ¡°Three years ago¡­ Another person with a Path of great potential appeared¡­ And her name was Fay.¡± The remaining part of her sandwich fell to the ground as Nobina stared directly at Eric. ¡°¡­ Fay? Am I¡­ Hearing you correctly Eric? Someone name Fay¡­ appeared here three years ago?¡± asked Nobina, moving close to Eric. ¡°Yes¡­ Another person named Fay appeared here three years ago,¡± said Eric, his tone turning more serious. ¡°Her origins from being from another world is a secret amongst only the guild masters, specialists, and the Oracles. Do you¡­ happen to know this Fay?¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Did Fay die and come to this world? Or perhaps Fay was directly taken and brought there. It would explain why she suddenly disappeared without a trace. However, that left the question of why the police said Fay didn¡¯t exist. Regardless, Nobina knew she had to do one thing. ¡°I have to meet Fay,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Wait, did she mention a last name? Probably not. I¡¯d imagine she¡¯s hiding her past. Oh! What about¡­¡± ¡°Hold on there,¡± said Eric, holding up his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t know that much about her honestly. From what I was told, she¡¯s in the Nation of Arrin at the present moment. That nation is extremely strict about who enters and leaves, as it¡¯s highly dangerous. It would be dangerous to bring you there.¡± ¡°Then all the more reason I have to go,¡± said Nobina adamantly. ¡°Fay might be in danger as well. She was¡­ I mean she is! She¡¯s my best friend. If she¡¯s alive and here, I can¡¯t just wait for her to come to me.¡± Seeing Nobina adamant about seeing Fay made Eric realize how much this person potentially meant to her. However, the reality is that no amount of desire would speed up the process of meeting Fay. ¡°Well,¡± said Eric, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Fay has extremely strong abilities that has given her an exception to go. I know you¡¯ve gotten a new ability recently, but it doesn¡¯t put you even on par with A-ranks at the moment. From what I know, Fay¡¯s ability allows her to stand toe to toe with A-ranks. And that was when she just joined this world. I have no doubt she can stand toe to toe with S-ranks now as well. I¡¯d say you don¡¯t need to worry about her safety at least.¡± Hearing that, Nobina began wondering if Fay was a sort of hero and if her own destiny was to save the world. ¡°Wait¡­ does that mean that Fay¡¯s a hero in this world?¡± asked Nobina, now curious about what Eric knew about Fay. Eric shook his head. ¡°No. Her Path is the Path of the Cosplayer. A unique path that is her own.¡± ¡°Cosplayer¡­¡± Nobina began laughing, making Eric confused. She couldn¡¯t believe that Fay¡¯s Path was based on her favorite thing to do when they were in their old world. For this world to grant her the Path of her dream, Nobina knew this had to be her best friend. ¡°Sorry,¡± said Nobina, calming herself down. ¡°It¡¯s funny. Moments earlier, I¡¯m thinking about how fate has been pushing me all over the place¡­ now I¡¯m glad it has given me a chance to meet Fay.¡± With that, she sighed and sat down, shaking her head. ¡°If I can¡¯t go to her¡­ Then how can I meet Fay, Eric?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°She¡¯s someone that is my best friend.¡± Eric began thinking about the best way to go about it. ¡°Well¡­ We have a few options. The first option is for you to travel directly to the capital to request the grand guild master let you into the Nation of Arrin. I¡¯m not sure I would be able to go, so I¡¯d likely ask Lare to accompany you. Of course, going without a reason would be problematic, so we¡¯d need to either go with revealing your secret or perhaps something else. Like¡­ your accounting system you set up.¡± Eric went to one of his bookcases and grabbed a large, red book. Opening up, Nobina noticed it was text regarding finances. Eventually, he found the section regarding the capital. ¡°The capital likely has its own way to record and handle finances, so you could go there with the excuse of potentially introducing it,¡± spoke Eric. Nobina gave a nod. She had a good basis of knowledge of economics, but she wasn¡¯t an accountant. She had some worries about trying to introduce the system on the scale of a major nation, but if that was needed to meet Fay, then so be it. ¡°That being said, I must make it clear the path to meeting Fay is going to be a long one,¡± said Eric. ¡°The capital is a long distance away and you¡¯ll likely need to make a few stops before reaching it.¡± ¡°Stops?¡± questioned Nobina. ¡°Any particular reason why?¡± Eric¡¯s expression became even more serious as he began explaining the main problem with going to the capital. ¡°Our town doesn¡¯t reflect this, but our society¡­ Well¡­ We have lords who govern the estate. If you want to travel to the capital, you¡¯ll have to pass through the estates boarders with a reason for travelling. They wouldn¡¯t let anyone just wander into and out of an estate.¡± ¡°For security reasons I¡¯d imagine,¡± said Nobina, giving a nod. ¡°Well, that and once you enter an estate, you have to abide by their rules. In particular¡­ The estates you are passing through have lords with not the best reputation,¡± said Eric. ¡°How does that impact my travel?¡± asked Nobina, curious about the inner workings of the nation¡¯s politics. It was one of the few things she hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to read up on yet. ¡°Doesn¡¯t being a guild officer help travel at least?¡± ¡°The opposite,¡± he sighed. ¡°As a guild officer, there will be questions regarding your travel to the capital. It might be seen as suspicious, and you might draw unnecessary attention. It is why you¡¯ll be heading from guild to guild to get authority from each guild master to travel from estate to estate.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Nobina couldn¡¯t understand why it was needlessly complicated to travel as a guild officer. She had her identification and couldn¡¯t see why her traveling would be suspicious. ¡°If you say so, then I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Nobina with a bit of reluctance in her voice. ¡°However¡­ It¡¯s so strange I can¡¯t just travel directly to the capital. Do traders have to deal with this sort of complication?¡± ¡°Funnily enough, yes,¡± said Eric. ¡°They have their trade guilds who give authorization. I¡¯ll admit, Lumira¡¯s methods are pretty dated compared to other nations, but that¡¯s how things are.¡± Part of Nobina was frustrated that she couldn¡¯t see her friend as soon as possible, but she wasn¡¯t unreasonable. She knew that she was in the Nation of Arrin, and this was just the process of getting authorization to go there. She had no idea how long the travel there would take and how long the progress of getting into Arrin was. Regardless, she desperately wanted to confirm her friend was in this world with her. ¡°Well then¡­ when do I head out,¡± asked Nobina. Eric gave a chuckle, confusing Nobina. ¡°We¡¯ll have to speak with Aunai first. Remember? There¡¯s still a possibility the demon attacks or perhaps another entity tries to stop you. This was the other reason that travel will be complicated. You¡¯ll need protection if you are going to travel all the way to the capital.¡± ¡°Wait a second,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Why can¡¯t we use that justification to just head there directly? Surely safety should be a high priority for a guild officer.¡± ¡°Because you want to see your friend,¡± smiled Eric. ¡°If this was solely to get your protection, I¡¯m sure the grand guild master would do it without hesitation. However, if you then requested to travel to the Nation of Arrin, then it¡¯d be complicated to protect you. Not to mention he doesn¡¯t have an obligation to accommodate a request that would put you in danger.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina, a lightbulb going off in her head. ¡°So instead of telling the grand guild master that I need protection, I tell him I¡¯m there for the economics issue. And if I solve it, he may potentially assist me in getting into Arrin.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± nodded Eric. Nobina felt everything was making much more sense, though she felt things were still needlessly complicated. ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± said Eric. ¡°Why were you talking about fate?¡± Nobina summoned the paper with the poll on it. Picking it up, she began reading it, her face going pale again. ¡°This is a joke,¡± she sighed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Eric, confused by her expression. ¡°This¡­ this document told me people are voting for what they want me to become. The last option being for people who want to specify my path is particularly¡­ concerning. However¡­¡± Nobina began reading one of the comments, making her smile. ¡°Some people¡­ want me to live a simple life at least. Honestly¡­ things have been getting so complicated. I know my destiny says I¡¯ll do great things. I know I want to go on a grand adventure to meet a friend¡­ But is the simple life dead Eric?¡± asked Nobina in a bit of a plea. ¡°Can I just enjoy a nice peaceful day eating tasty deserts with my friends?¡± When Nobina said that, she realized something important. If she did commit to this journey, that meant she¡¯d be leaving Sarah and Mimiki, as well as the others she had slowly gotten to know. It was hard to say she could easily say goodbye to them solely because this was her chance to see her lost friend Fay. She might have been her best friend, but she considered Mimiki and Sarah equally important friends. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Eric. ¡°You are in control of your destiny right now. You can remain here if you so desire, but it might bring trouble due to your Path.¡± Nobina, frustrated, gripped her hands as she shook her head. ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s like destiny itself won¡¯t allow me to merely remain here in peace. I think¡­ I want to think more about what to do.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Eric. ¡°Anyway¡­ take the rest of the day off. I¡¯ll wait for Aunai to come back, and we¡¯ll discuss this more.¡± With that, Nobina left the room. As she did, she saw her bag glow one more. Opening it up, she saw a heart-shaped locket with a note attached to it. Opening the note, she saw the words ¡°contains traces of home,¡± followed by the pot plant symbol that she recognized from earlier. ¡°Another magical item, huh,¡± said Nobina, looking at the locket. The moment she opened it, she felt a sense of home emanating from it. The smell of her room. The feeling of the sunlight she¡¯d often wake up to. In particular, she remembered sitting in her room, writing on paper next to her laptop. It was a fond memory she cherished, making her smile. ¡°It seems¡­ that this truly does contain traces of my home,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± With that, she happily headed downstairs. She told Lare she was heading home for the day, prompting him to nod. ¡°Have a good day Nobina,¡± smiled Lare. ¡°Thank you,¡± she responded back. As she headed out of the door, she noticed that there was a large crowd of people near the center of the town. Nobina was curious, heading closer to the crowd to see what was going on. ¡°Back off,¡± spoke a familiar voice loudly. Eventually, Nobina saw Lila was at the center, trying to get people to stop approaching her. ¡°I never saw a wolf person before,¡± said a kid nearby. ¡°Yeah, me neither,¡± replied the kid right next to him. ¡°I wonder if her tail is fluffy.¡± ¡°Oh yeah! I really want to pet it,¡± responded the first kid. Nobina¡¯s eyes turned to Lila¡¯s tail, and only now did she really notice how nice and soft it looked. It wasn¡¯t massive enough to be a hindrance during combat, at least. When she was fighting the two summoned creatures, she did remember seeing them move gracefully with Lila. ¡°Hey,¡± said Lila, turning to a kid who was touching her tail. ¡°Can the parents of these kids stop them? Please?¡± Lila¡¯s flustered state made Nobina chuckle. Someone as strong as her bending to the whims of children seemed so funny. However, she knew that this could take a turn for the worse if this kept on. Too many people were starting to gather. ¡°Alright, enough,¡± called Nobina, drawing the crowd¡¯s attention. People made way for her, with Lila seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. ¡°Nobina,¡± she called, running over to hug her. ¡°Oh thank god you came. Why are all these people so curious about me? I know I have a nice tail, but that¡¯s no excuse to just surround me like that.¡± Nobina could tell that the whole incident had made Lila uncomfortable, prompting her to speak up to the crowd. ¡°You all should know better,¡± said Nobina, her hand against her side. ¡°Treating an adventurer like some sort of attraction is wrong. Respect everyone¡¯s boundaries, got it?¡± Hearing her say that they all instantly agreed. All of them began apologizing to both Nobina and Lila. Nobina merely nodded as Lila waved her hand, feeling embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± she said. ¡°Just¡­ give me some space to walk and breath.¡± Once everyone was done apologizing, with a few giving a more personal one due to their actions, everyone dispersed. All of them were still looking at the two but with more respect. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± bowed Nobina. ¡°Such actions should never happen to adventurers. I apologize on behalf of the town.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± laughed Lila. ¡°I¡¯m just glad I got out of there in one piece. I had rather not try to force my way out and I suck at public speeches. Anyway¡­ so about our duel.¡± Hearing that, Nobina went pale yet again. Remembering how strong Lila looked in combat, Nobina knew she¡¯d embarrass herself if she actually fought. ¡°Listen¡­ can we do it tomorrow?¡± asked Nobina, trying to buy time. ¡°I rather be fully rested. You should do so as well.¡± ¡°I feel fine,¡± said Lila, stretching her muscles. ¡°But¡­ yes. I should fight a hero in optimal condition. I don¡¯t want any excuses.¡± Nobina sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± As she was leaving, Nobina noticed that Lila was following her. She began wondering if her inn was going in the same direction, so she decided to ignore her. Eventually, Nobina reached her inn and walked inside. It was still a bit early for dinner, but Nobina had no trouble eating early. ¡°Wow,¡± said Lila, entering not too long after Nobina. ¡°Great minds think alike. I have a room here as well.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± sighed Nobina. With that, Nobina called for a table. Lila asked if she could join, which Nobina reluctantly agreed to. The two sat down, waiting for the food to arrive. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, Lila wasn¡¯t trying to make any small talk. Instead, she seemed very content with merely sitting in place, humming some sort of tune. Eventually, the menus came, and Nobina ordered. When it came to Lila¡¯s turn, she picked the same thing as Nobina. ¡°Trusting that my taste matches yours?¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°Yep,¡± smiled Lila. Soon, their meal of pork came in. Unlike chicken, there was no monster pork variant. Instead, they merely had normal pigs. While they weren¡¯t as rare as chickens, they were rarer than Chizen, so Nobina had to pay a bit more. Eventually, their two meals came in, and they both began to eat. Unlike Nobina¡¯s slow pace, it didn¡¯t take long for Lila to finish her meal and ask for more. ¡°That was so tasty,¡± said Lila, smiling happily. ¡°Can I get five more?¡± ¡°Five,¡± gasped Nobina. ¡°Is that¡­ your normal portions Lila?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± she smiled. Nobina knew she shouldn¡¯t have been too surprised with how much she needed to eat, but it was still a shock to her. Lila felt like another human, so for her to ask for so much food reminded her that everyone was different. Nobina was just a normal human, while Lila was a Magical Wolf. Plate after plate arrived at the table during this, and Lila began eating all the food rather quickly. When it was time to pay, she showed a rather large bag of money, making Nobina a bit jealous. While she didn¡¯t have a lot to spend money on, her own funds were rather low, given she had used her Golden Pen Blade twice already. ¡°Now then,¡± said Nobina, standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to my room. It¡¯s a bit early, but I do want to wake up early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh. You want to warm up for our fight. Makes sense,¡± nodded Lila. Nobina knew correcting her wouldn¡¯t matter much, so she merely sighed and went to her room. Once again, Lila was right behind her, making Nobina wonder what her room number was. As Nobina reached her room, Lila stopped and waited. ¡°Yes?¡± asked Nobina, turning around before she could open her door. ¡°Can I check out your room?¡± asked Lila. ¡°Uh¡­ why?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I wanted to see what a hero¡¯s room is like,¡± smiled Lila. Nobina stared at Lila, wondering if there was even a slight chance she was joking. After about a minute, she merely shrugged. ¡°Fine¡­ you can check it out, but don¡¯t touch anything,¡± said Nobina, entering her room. ¡°Got it,¡± nodded Lila, who was now clearly excited. As the two entered, Nobina took a step to the side to allow Lila to view the room. When she stepped forward, Nobina instantly sensed a powerful aura from Lila. Due to being right next to Lila, Nobina found herself almost fainting due to the sheer pressure. However, she was resisting it slightly and soon, the aura was gone. Turning to Lila to ask what was wrong, a few words came out of her mouth. ¡°An¡­ Alpha¡­ Death Hare¡­¡± The moment she uttered those words, Lila immediately fainted. ¡°Lila? Lila!¡± Nobina tried to wake her but was completely unsuccessful. She then turned to the bed where Pausers was sitting, merely looking at Lila¡¯s body. ¡°Pausers¡­ why did she call you an Alpha Death Hare?¡± Pauser merely looked at Nobina, tilted its head, before hoping off the bed and next to Nobina to snuggle. She merely sighed, wondering what to do about this newfound mess of a situation. Chapter 50: Death Hare and Advice Nobina sat patiently on her bed and waited for Lila to wake up. In the meantime, Pausers was next to her, merely snuggling against her innocently. During this time, Nobina had examined Pausers all over to see if there was something she was missing. From a glance, Pausers seemed like any other bunny. However, looking at him further in detail revealed that perhaps that wasn¡¯t one hundred percent true. Pausers had white and pink fur, with most of the pink being on their backside. His eyes were rather large, and his ears even larger. Looking at him further in detail, it seemed he had a bit of redness in both of his cheeks, making Nobina wonder more about his look compared to a normal bunny. ¡°Hm,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I didn¡¯t think those details really matter, but I guess you aren¡¯t exactly a bunny from my world.¡± After ten more minutes, Lila started to wake up. She gave a casual stretch as she stood up before turning to Nobina. However, the moment her glance fell onto Pausers, she instantly froze. Nobina could see the hairs on her all standing up as she kept her eye on Pausers. ¡°Nobina,¡± spoke Lila, caution in her voice. ¡°Why do you have an Alpha Death Hare in your room? And why are we still alive?¡± Nobina gave a shrug, petting Pausers a bit. The moment she did that, it looked like Lila was going to faint again. ¡°Wait,¡± yelled Nobina, which seemed to snap Lila back to reality. ¡°Pausers wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly! He¡¯s just a friendly bunny I received as a gift.¡± Lila gave a laugh, shaking her head. ¡°Who gives an Alpha Death Hare as a gift? One would think they were out to assassinate you if they let one loose within your city.¡± ¡°That¡¯s surely an exaggeration,¡± chuckled Nobina. Lila shook her head, taking a seat. ¡°There are only a few sightings of a Death Hare in our recorded history. None of them have turned out well.¡± Nobina listened intently as Lila began telling her the history of the Death Hare. The Death Hare was a very fast, lethal bunny. According to their history, the first one appeared in the middle of the Demon War. A battalion of soldiers was passing through a forest to flank the demon army. However, the reports indicated they stumbled upon a den that had four bunnies. Three of them had a large section of pink on their back, while the fourth was even more pink, similar to Pauser¡¯s fur. Things were fine until one soldier approached a bunny, being killed immediately by its jump attack. Chaos ensued when the battalion decided to try to deal with the bunny. Two of the bunnies were on the offensive while the other two were merely sleeping. It was a slaughter on the human side. Only a few survivors remained when the battle was over. They recounted the sheer horror of the bunnies¡¯ rampage as they tore through highly trained soldiers, mages, and even those as strong as A-rank adventurers. If not for the fact they kept to their den, the survivors knew they would have perished that day. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ horrifying,¡± said Nobina, looking at Pausers in a bit of a new light. She was still convinced she wasn¡¯t going to be harmed, but it made her much more wary about their potential. That was if Pausers was an Alpha Death Hare. ¡°It is,¡± said Lila. ¡°There are other stories about one destroying a town, but I rather not discuss something so graphic. Bear in mind, it was taken out by two S-rank adventurers, who said it was their hardest fight ever.¡± ¡°So¡­ then what¡¯s the difference between a Death Hare and an Alpha Death Hare,¡± asked Nobina. Lila, looking at Pausers for a bit, seemed hesitant to speak. However, she gathered courage and spoke up. ¡°An Alpha Death Hare is a power we have never truly understood. All we know is that there were several Ancient Dragons in our world, but apparently, this number has fallen by three. It was only after learning from someone of the dragon race that apparently, those idiots challenged an Alpha Death Hare and were defeated within a minute each.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± said Nobina, covering her mouth. ¡°So¡­ if Pausers was an Alpha Death Hare¡­¡± ¡°He is,¡± yelled Lila, scaring Nobina a bit. Pauser gave a squeak, immediately causing Lila to bow down on the ground, her head firmly against it, and beg for forgiveness. Nobina felt it was a bit sad she was likely going to treat Pausers like some sort of supreme being. However, convincing her that Pausers was not an Alpha Death Hare would likely be hard to do. After all, she had no proof he wasn¡¯t an Alpha Death Hare. After about five minutes of asking for forgiveness, Nobina eventually demanded she stand up and calm down. As if now listening to Nobina like a student to a master, she merely nodded and stood up. She tried to display a level of calmness, but Nobina saw through it. She was as nervous as possible, and she had signs of someone who was mentally breaking. ¡°Anyway,¡± said Nobina. ¡°This is my room. You can look around if you want.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± said Lila obediently. She began wandering through the room, trying to find something of interest. Eventually, her attention turned to Lebron. Her expression drastically shifted the moment she saw how cute its face was. ¡°Oh my god,¡± said Lila, staring at Lebron. Lebron, who had been sleeping moments before, slowly started to wake up. When he caught a glimpse of Lila, he gave a bark, walking over to her. When he was close enough, Lebron began treating her like a fun new person to play with, with Lila completely giving herself over to playing with Nobina¡¯s corgi. ¡°He¡¯s such a good boy,¡± said Lila, enjoying every second she was spending with Nobina¡¯s dog. ¡°Bark,¡± responded Lebron, enjoying his time as well. ¡°Guess it¡¯s better than you and Pausers,¡± chuckled Nobina. The two had a good time playing together while Nobina decided to be productive with her time. She began filling out her diary, drawing curiosity from Lila. When she explained what she was doing, Lila seemed a bit in awe. ¡°Wow,¡± said Lila. ¡°I never expected to meet a writer before. I¡¯m normally doing adventuring or spending time with my family, so there¡¯s not much time to meet different professions.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your life like Lila?¡± asked Nobina with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ve always been curious about the world in general, so I bet your life must be interesting.¡± Lila chuckled as she heard that, adjusting herself as Lebron moved to the other side of her. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s the right word for my life,¡± smiled Lila. Lila was an Alpha Magical-Wolf, meaning that she was destined to help lead her race or to become a beacon for it. As a result, she started to train to become a fighter at a young age. Eventually, she began her service as an adventurer in the Nation of Arrin until she became an S-rank. Once she reached that status, she decided to explore the world. She headed to the Kingdom of Lumira, where she became an adventurer under Aunai. She¡¯s been with her ever since. ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Nobina. ¡°You must have amazing stories of things you¡¯ve fought.¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± she said, a burning excitement now in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve for all sorts of strong people! That¡¯s why I am excited to face you and Eric.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The moment she said that Pausers hopped in Lila¡¯s direction. ¡°Eek!¡± responded Lila, immediately having her back against the wall. Lebron, seeing this, turned to Pausers and barked. Seeing that, Lila spoke in a plea to Lebron. ¡°Lebron,¡± she begged, starting to cry in tears. ¡°Don¡¯t anger the Alpha Death Hare! Please! I don¡¯t want anything bad to happen to you.¡± However, Lebron barked again. Pausers seemed to look at Lila once, blinked, and then hopped back next to Nobina. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Lila. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I refuse to fight you now. I can see now that if I do, I won¡¯t see the rest of my days. Maybe out match might have been close, but any harm to you¡­ I¡¯d died of the fear that Pausers would destroy me in a flash.¡± Nobina had no words for the conclusion Lila was coming to. She was thankful that it sounded like she wasn¡¯t going to needlessly attack her, but she really wanted Lila to treat Pausers like a kind bunny. ¡°Alright,¡± said Nobina. ¡°But promise me you¡¯ll try to make friends with Pausers. He¡¯s a kind bunny and I will not have to causing him problems by making people fear him.¡± Lila seemed to want to protest, but she merely sighed and nodded ¡°If you desire that, it shall be done Nobina,¡± she bowed. ¡°Why are you acting like Merrick?¡± Nobina screamed, startling all of them. Immediately, Lila¡¯s eyes went towards Pausers to confirm they weren¡¯t going to act. Once that was done, she turned to Nobina, her heart racing. ¡°Why did you scream like that,¡± asked Lila. ¡°Who is this Merrick person?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina, realizing what she did. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t want people treating me more than a normal person. Merrick is someone who treats me too formally.¡± Hearing that, Lila gave a strong laugh. ¡°I can¡¯t say that will ever happen,¡± said Lila. ¡°You¡¯re a hero by all accounts. You¡¯ve saved a town from goblins, and no one will ever forget it.¡± Such a fact should have made anyone happy, but not Nobina. Instead, she laid back in her bed, Pausers staying by her side. ¡°Then is a normal life really forever gone for me, Lila?¡± Hearing that, Lila tilted her head. She noticed the sadness in Nobina¡¯s face, prompting her to sit beside her and ask her what was wrong. Nobina, seeing this, decided to tell her the problem she was facing. Nobina told Lila about her destiny. She knew the dangers of telling someone she couldn¡¯t completely trust, but she knew that Lila was never going to reveal it. Pausers had scared her to death, and as much as Nobina didn¡¯t want to lean on that fact, she knew that it made Lila someone who wouldn¡¯t harm her. ¡°Huh,¡± said Lila. ¡°So, you¡¯re both the hero and cause of everything?¡± Nobina nodded her head, still lying back in her bed. ¡°And you fear that you¡¯ll never have a normal life ever again because of destiny?¡± She gave another nod. ¡°Well, that¡¯s dumb,¡± said Lila, standing up. ¡°Just because you can do something, doesn¡¯t mean you have to. Why not stay here and live a rather normal, mundane life?¡± ¡°Because destiny has other plans. First it threw goblins at me. Then it threw demons at me. Now its dangling my best friend and is telling me to bite.¡± ¡°Best friend?¡± asked Lila. Nobina began telling Lila that she had lost a dear friend three years ago. Initially, she thought they were dead, but Eric had told her that she was alive in Arrin. Hearing that, it seemed Lila understood the problem. ¡°I get it,¡± she nodded. ¡°So you feel obligated to go to Arrin, which might take multiple years, to confirm they are alive.¡± A lightbulb seemed to go off on Lila¡¯s head as soon as she said that. ¡°I got an amazing idea,¡± said Lila. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Arrin myself and search for her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d recognize your name. Then she can come here, and you can live your simple life! One problem solve.¡± Nobina got up immediately, excitement in her face. ¡°My god Lila. You¡¯re a genius. But¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can ask you to do something like this for me.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± she responded. ¡°Such an act is a surefire way to convince Pausers I¡¯m your friend. Right Pausers?¡± Nobina was going to say something, but she saw Pausers nod, prompting her to be in shock while Lila seemed excited. ¡°Friends with an Alpha Death Hare¡­ Oh my race will love this story,¡± said Lila with the biggest grin. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll talk over everything with the rest of my group and go from there. I¡¯m sure there will be much to discuss, but for now, I shall take my leave for the night.¡± Lila left the room without another word, leaving Nobina to absorb what had just happened. She had basically received the advice to try to live as normal of a life as possible. Part of Nobina was skeptical that was possible, especially because others wanted her to live a grand life as an adventurer and writer. However, she knew that there was some balance out there she could reach. One that led to her becoming great, but also being able to live a peaceful life. The life she wanted to live. With that done, Nobina updated her diary once more for the night. She wrote about what had just happened and her dreams for the future. Once that was done, she decided to call it early for the night. When she was lying down, she fell asleep without issue. However, she called Fay¡¯s name once before falling asleep. The early morning of the next day was a bit cloudier than usual. The sunlight that normally shined through the window was replaced with a soft light that made the room a bit darker than she was used to. Nobina slowly got up, not waking any of her companions. She prepared herself for the day, thinking about what she was going to do in the guild. If she was right, then Aunai and Line would have been back already, and a discussion about what had happened would begin at any moment. However, part of Nobina felt she wasn¡¯t ready to see them just yet. Instead, she wanted to ask Sarah one thing to convince her of the path she was choosing. Making her way out of the guild, the air felt colder than usual as well. It felt like a bad omen, but Nobina wasn¡¯t convinced of that. It was likely just because they were slowly approaching the wintertime of this world. ¡°Where was Sarah¡¯s house again?¡± asked Nobina to herself. She traveled to the residential block on the south side of town. There, she went from house to house until she found one matching the description Sarah had given her. It had a nice, well-kept lawn that was more colorful than all the ones around it. Part of it was likely Sarah¡¯s love for color since she often preferred more colorful dresses rather than the guild¡¯s blue and brown uniform. It still made Nobina partly concerned about having a non-standard uniform, but she was convinced to not worry about it. Nobina approached the door, hesitant to knock since Sarah might have been sleeping. However, she knew she wanted to discuss it with Sarah as soon as possible, so she decided to knock. ¡°Coming,¡± yelled Sarah. When she opened the door, Sarah was surprised to see Nobina standing there. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Sarah. ¡°What are you doing here so early? Oh! Are you taking another day off to join me in the world of fashion!¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but laugh as she shook her head. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to¡­ do you mind if I get your advice on something?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± she nodded. Nobina and Sarah sat down in her living room. This was her first time there, so Nobina was amazed by how decorative Sarah was with her room. It seemed designed by someone who was an artist given how colorful everything was. Despite that, it all felt as if everything was perfectly balanced. The colors felt right for everything in the room, while the furniture felt all purposeful in its placement. ¡°So,¡± said Sarah. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Ok¡­ So, I¡¯ve learned that apparently one of my friends from my old world might be here,¡± said Nobina. Sarah¡¯s expression changed to shock as she heard that. ¡°What are the odds of that?¡± said Sarah. ¡°It should be near zero unless someone is pulling the strings in my life,¡± said Nobina. Hearing that, Sarah shook her head. ¡°Nobina¡­¡± ¡°Sarah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I know. I won¡¯t let destiny dictate what I do, but I fear for the future. So far, I¡¯ve handled everything thrown at me. I¡¯ve even got someone who¡¯d check to confirm the Fay here is the one I Know.¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Sarah with a curious face. ¡°Lila,¡± responded Nobina. ¡°She¡¯s an S-rank who was a part of the reinforcement.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ how did you convince her to agree to help?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°Well¡­ I guess we don¡¯t have much time. However, you said you needed advice. What¡¯s the advice?¡± Nobina gave Sarah a serious look as she spoke. ¡°Sarah¡­ Should I try to fight against destiny and stay here? I¡¯m scared¡­ that another greater threat will put all the innocent people here in danger.¡± Sarah easily heard the fear in Nobina¡¯s voice. There was a slight tremble as well, as Nobina¡¯s fears were rising to the forefront of her mind. Nobina knew Sarah was one of the few people she felt could scare the fears out of her, so she desperately needed her reassurance to force herself to stay here. ¡°That¡¯s a tough question,¡± said Sarah to the surprise of Nobina. ¡°I want you to stay here for sure, but I don¡¯t know if I can comfort you if worse thing happen and its clearly your fault.¡± Nobina¡¯s face went pale, and soon, she was in tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she cried. ¡°I¡­ I feel like I¡¯ve been crying too much but¡­ It all seems unfair. Like someone is stacking the deck against me.¡± ¡°It does feel like that,¡± said Sarah, going over to hug Nobina. ¡°However, you need to keep looking at all of this in a positive light.¡± Nobina turned to Sarah, whose bright smile helped calm her down a bit. ¡°I might have said I don¡¯t know what the correct choice is, but we have to believe either choice will work out. If you end up having to leave us even for a bit, don¡¯t let it worry you. Think about the positives that will come with it. Eventually, you might be able to fight and change your destiny and obtain the lifestyle you want.¡± ¡°Change destiny?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°What do you mean.¡± ¡°Remember? Our Paths are something we are born with, but we can always fight against our destinies to change them. If you change your Path, would not your destiny change as a result?¡± Nobina gave it some thought and nodded. However, she felt a bit unsure after doing that. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to stop being a writer.¡± ¡°A Path cannot tell you to write or not,¡± said Sarah firmly. ¡°You can write without a writer Path like you can swing a sword without a sword path. Just keep that in mind.¡± Nobina knew she was right. Soon, she¡¯ll meet with Eric and Aunai to discuss what had happened and what was going to happen going forward. There was still a lot of uncertainty, but with the advice of Lila and Sarah, two individuals with valuable perspectives, she was confident that she¡¯d make the right choice. ¡°Thank you Sarah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Happy to give some solid advice,¡± she nodded. With that, the two decided to chat a bit before Nobina headed out for work. Chapter 51: Her Heart and Friend The walk to work felt longer than usual. It wasn¡¯t just because the distance between Sarah¡¯s house and the guild was far either. She was using the time to search her feelings on what she wanted to do. She knew her ultimate goal was to complete her dream of writing her book. Good progress was already made, but recent events were slowing it down. Not only that, but she was constantly worried about whether she should still remain in the town or search for a permanent way to quell her Path¡¯s growing desire to upend her life. ¡°I wish Eric or anyone could give me the solution,¡± she sighed. Looking around, Nobina took in the sight of the town to potentially give her the answers she sought. The first thing she noticed was the children playing around with toys. They couldn¡¯t have been older than five, given their size, but Nobina hadn¡¯t been around children enough to be sure of ages based on size. All she knew was they were having a blast. Those joyous smiles reminded her of what she had helped protect not too long ago. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible for the destruction the recent events brought. ¡°I might bring destruction wherever I go. And if I don¡¯t find a means to stop it¡­¡± It was a horrible mindset, and she knew it. None of her friends would likely condone her thinking such negativity, yet the only real answer was from Mimiki. ¡°Get stronger,¡± she told herself, looking at her sword. She knew she wanted the ability to handle the events to come, but was it too much to ask for at least a path to stop them before they got serious? One specifically that didn¡¯t involve her going away from her dream. Nobina sighed, continuing her way to the guild. The cold air was getting to her more and more, and she rubbed her hands together to try to stay warm. The occasional greetings from the town civilians continued to serve as a reminder that she was a part of this town. A town she wanted to protect as much as possible. Eventually, she reached the entrance of the guild, where she saw Line speaking with one of the adventurers. When he caught a glimpse of Nobina, he gave a humble bow and called her over. ¡°Ah, Nobina,¡± said Line. ¡°I was waiting for you. Aunai is with Eric, ready to give her report. Lila is here as well, but¡­ She¡¯s been keeping to herself to avoid unnecessary attention. I was surprised she didn¡¯t have her cloak, but I guess circumstances called for her destroying it for her ability.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t told you anything?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°She wanted you to give the full report,¡± responded Line. ¡°She does detest giving reports, so her desire to leave it to you is understandable. Though, I am surprised she isn¡¯t hounding Eric for a challenge. I would have thought she¡¯d be banging at his door demanding him to come out of his office to fight.¡± Nobina had an idea why she might have been less reluctant to challenge Eric, but she wasn¡¯t going to mention it to anyone. ¡°Well then¡­ Let¡¯s have this meeting,¡± nodded Nobina. The two of them headed to Lila, who merely nodded and joined them as they headed to Eric¡¯s office. Once they were there, they saw the two chatting over cups of tea. The nice, fragrant smell reached their noses, with Nobina enjoying the nice floral aroma. ¡°Excuse us,¡± bowed Line. ¡°We are ready for the update meeting.¡± ¡°Ah good,¡± smiled Eric. ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the meeting room.¡± The five of them headed off to the meeting room, where each took their respective seats. Nobina noticed that both Line and Aunai were keeping a close eye on Lila, who was staring at Nobina. The staring part was weird since Nobina felt as if Lila was waiting for Nobina to speak to her. It was a bit bothering, but they had a meeting to handle first. ¡°Now then,¡± said Eric. ¡°Who will give the first update?¡± Aunai nodded, standing up. ¡°The report is as follows. We investigated the cave and have confirmed the cave was beginning a ramp-up for another attack. The temporary culling might have bought the town a month or two, but another attack was going to happen. Thus, we culled it to guild standards and no attack should be expected for another few years. However, we recommend a deep dive scouting operation every quarter instead of bi-annually to decrease the odds of this incident happening. Surface level scouting will not be sufficient.¡± Eric nodded, turning to Nobina to give the next report. She nodded back and stood up, gathering herself as she gave their report. ¡°We have investigated the potential demon and have confirmed that a demon was involved thanks to Lila¡¯s skills. Lila and I investigated the two sights where Mimiki¡¯s party was attacked and then the site where we fought the troll-wolf previously. Upon arrival, we spotted a troll-wolf and wolf-troll along with several goblins. There were no signs of the demon being there, so we decided to dispatch the creatures. Upon slaying both, we¡¯ve confirmed both were summoned creatures that have returned to their realm. Beyond that, there was not much else to do. The cages were gone, with the goblins and two summons being the only two things there. That is all for our report.¡± Nobina sat down, hoping she didn¡¯t miss any important details. ¡°Alright. With that done, does anyone have anything to add or questions?¡± Line raised his hand, with Eric motioning him to speak right after. ¡°So¡­ If a demon is confirmed, what actions will be taking?¡± asked Line as he held his hand to his chin. ¡°If this demon is to blame and it is a rogue one, they need to be taken out. If the demon is associated with any significant group¡­ That would complicate things.¡± ¡°It would,¡± responded Eric. ¡°That is why we¡¯ll need to send out high-ranking scouting parties to investigate. Demons being involved can mean this is a national matter. Also, the demon summoning makes it all the more apparent we need to resolve this matter before it potentially summons something more¡­ problematic.¡± Hearing this, Nobina could only wonder what that might mean. Perhaps the demon would summon a powerful dragon that could raze a town. That thought itself sent shivers down Nobina¡¯s spine, which was caught by Lila. ¡°Are you alright Nobina?¡± asked Lila, her tone reflecting her being more concerned for her than someone might otherwise think. ¡°Oh¡­ yeah¡­ You think demons can summon dragons?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Surely you jest,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Demons are powerful, yet the ability to summon dragons is exclusive to the dragon race. A demon summoning one means either they rival even SS rank adventurers, which are extremely rare in this day and age, or that they have a special contract with a dragon.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Eric. ¡°Dragon summoning is extremely unlikely. They say the youngest dragon grows to the size of a tiger in mere weeks. They get much larger as time grows, with some rivaling towns in size.¡± The thought of a massive dragon arriving and burning the town sent shivers down Nobina¡¯s spine. Seeing that, Lila stood up and tried to help Nobina. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Nobina,¡± she said, waving her hands. ¡°A dragon would hopefully never attack a random town like this. It would have to take an act of god for a dragon to appear and¡­¡± The mention of the word God made Nobina¡¯s eyes light up. Suddenly, she began wondering if the goblin incident wasn¡¯t due to her path but an act of a god in this world. One came to mind specifically, but she worried about saying their name. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Nobina?¡± asked Eric, drawing her attention. ¡°Oh,¡± she replied, realizing she must have looked like she was spacing out. ¡°I was just¡­ thinking about how crazy a dragon attack would be.¡± ¡°I remember fighting a dragon,¡± said Eric, entering deep thought. ¡°It must have been twelve years ago. I wasn¡¯t a young adventurer anymore. Rather¡­¡± Eric began droning on about his past, leaving the rest of them to begin doing their own thing. He was giving a riveting tale of how he encountered a young adult dragon and how he and his party barely survived. It was a bit of skill and luck on their end that allowed them to survive. Nobina was intently listening, and Lila also showed interest in the story. Aunai and Line were enjoying a nice, small chat with Line, drinking the tea that he poured. The funny thing was that it seemed he could summon and recall a teapot and cups. Nobina wondered if that was his ability, which would be funny since she didn¡¯t expect an adventurer to have such a niche ability. A few hours passed before Eric finished his story. Both Nobina and Lila gave a nice clap as Eric thanked them for listening. ¡°Hopefully that has settled you down Nobina. You¡¯ve been off this whole meeting, but seeing you enjoy the story has certainly cleared your mind, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. Eric¡¯s story had made her completely forget about her trouble regarding her friend Fay, her destiny, and her dream. It felt as if Eric had given her the reminder she needed. It reminded her that the world was a big place, and her problems weren¡¯t big enough that they couldn¡¯t be solved. Like with Eric and the dragon, if she searched hard enough, she would eventually find the ideal solution to her problem. Otherwise, there was also the chance that the answer would present itself to her, as it did with Lila and Fay. ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°We need to talk about Fay.¡± Hearing that, Lila¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nobina,¡± she said, covering her face. ¡°I should have told Aunai before this meeting.¡± Seeing her name mentioned, Aunai asked her what there was to discuss. ¡°Uh,¡± said Lila, acting a bit shy. ¡°Well¡­ I plan to¡­ request a leave as I need to find Nobina¡¯s friend.¡± Everyone in the room except Nobina was in complete shock at what Lila had said. ¡°What did you say?¡± asked Eric. ¡°You were going to find Fay?¡± ¡°Woah there,¡± said Aunai aggressively, slamming her hands on the table. ¡°I give you a lot of leeway Lila, but leaving the guild to find someone for someone not that important? Explain yourself.¡± Hearing that, Lila barked back in a rare show of defiance that caught all of them off guard. ¡°Listen,¡± said Lila to Aunai, her tone being slightly harsh. ¡°I help the guild because it is of benefit to my people. However, you cannot restrict what I do. I would leave the guild of this kingdom if necessary to do what I desire.¡± Hearing that, Line merely sighed. ¡°Miss Aunai. I believe it will be more prudent to question the other girl on the reason Lila has such strong desires to complete their request no matter what.¡± All their eyes turned to Nobina, who was feeling nervous about speaking. However, she knew that this request meant a lot to her, and she had no intention of giving it a chance to not happen. ¡°I have requested Lila to help find my best friend Fay. She is likely in the Nation of Arrin, a place that I wouldn¡¯t be able to visit anytime soon due to my status and circumstances. Lila has understood my desire to see my best friend and has taken it upon herself to help.¡± Aunai shook her head, convinced there was more to the story than Nobina was letting on. ¡°Lila,¡± said Aunai, remaining as calm as possible. ¡°What is going on. Did you lose a fight to Nobina or something?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ in a sense¡­ yes¡­¡± she said, her tail falling to the ground. Those words once again shocked everyone, making Nobina wonder how many surprises were going to happen. ¡°When did you face her? What are her abilities? Do we need to raise her rank?¡± asked Aunai, questions now barraging Lila. Lila seemed to be done talking, as she kept her lips together, not uttering another sound. Eric, seeing this, tried to stop Aunai but to no avail. She seemed determined to get answers out of Fay, with her attention turning to Nobina. ¡°What did you do to her Nobina,¡± she said in a command voice. ¡°How did you manage to quell the spirit of our best S-rank?¡± Nobina felt a powerful aura wash over the room. Aunai was trying to pressure Nobina, but soon, two other auras were felt. ¡°How dare you threaten my friend,¡± yelled Lila, her own aura spreading rapidly out to suppress Aunai. ¡°Enough,¡± said Eric, using his own aura in response. ¡°This whole situation has¡­¡± Eric didn¡¯t get to finish his sentence before Nobina fainted due to the sheer pressure of the auras, causing Lila to immediately panic. ¡°Oh my god. We are so screwed. Uh¡­ Oh! We have a doctor, right? Where is she,¡± said Lila to Eric, grabbing his shirt. ¡°What in god¡¯s name has gotten into you Lila,¡± said Aunai, becoming even more confused. ¡°You can¡¯t attack another guild master. You could be suspended for that.¡± ¡°Relax Aunai,¡± said Eric, remaining calm. ¡°We have one in the nearby medical office, but Nobina has merely¡­¡± He once again failed to finish his sentence as Lila grabbed Nobina and ran out of the room. Once she was gone, Aunai sat back down, holding her hand to her head. ¡°I need a drink,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen Lila just shift so drastically. What¡­ really happened between her and Nobina.¡± ¡°You know,¡± said Eric, sitting down next to her. ¡°Nobina isn¡¯t just a normal guild employee.¡± At that moment, Line poured him a drink of tea, which prompted Eric to thank him. ¡°She¡¯s someone who¡¯s done so much for the guild and town. I¡¯ve told you the story of her being the town¡¯s hero, but she has done stuff beyond that. We¡¯ve updated how we handle money thanks to her with a new system that allows us to better track and understand our finances.¡± ¡°Really,¡± said Aunai, curious about what Eric said. ¡°We are still slacking in updating our own financial system. ¡°The capital is very stingy about sending anyone with a brain for mathematics out to the other guilds, so we¡¯ve been waiting for the next financial officer to appear. Perhaps she can visit us and help bring us up to date.¡± ¡°It would certainly be a good chance for her to see the world,¡± said Eric. ¡°I do worry about¡­¡± As he said that, Eric¡¯s hand caught a rock aimed at his head. However, he immediately dodged away as a second, rather large rock came out of nowhere and hit the wall. ¡°What in the¡­¡± said Eric, his eyes turning in the direction of the Gaze bag. He then turned to the Gaze, who had been watching them despite Nobina not being there. ¡°What is that Eric?¡± asked Aunai, looking at the Gaze¡¯s direction. ¡°Why did the bag throw rocks at you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure,¡± he spoke, now in deep thought. Eric was well aware that Nobina had a special Gaze bag that had attacked him before. However, it was usually because of an interaction between him and Nobina. If the Gaze back just attacked him regardless, it implied there was a part of it that hated Eric. ¡°Such a strange thing to happen,¡± said Eric. ¡°Rather calm after being attacked,¡± said Aunai, placing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°This has happened before, but¡­ Nobina continues to surprise me.¡± Aunai gave a nod. To her, Nobina was growing to become a person of interest, both positively and negatively. The fact she had Lila in her camp meant that Aunai had lost a precious piece in her own guild circle. And if she tried to force Lila¡¯s hand, it would only end badly. ¡°I see¡­ I wish¡­¡± As she said that, the two of them noticed the bag light up. Eric went to pick it up, reaching for the inside. However, a powerful force repulsed him, making him curious. ¡°Hm¡­ A bag that rejects anyone but its owner. Wow¡­ Learn something new every day. It smells good as well¡­ I guess it¡¯s meant for Nobina anyway, so we¡¯ll all enjoy a meal when she gets back.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°I¡¯m hoping we can all end up building close relations for multiple reasons.¡± As he said that, a handle slowly brought out a basket of Filipino food for Eric. He didn''t recongize it, but he could tell it was some sort of noodles. It looked flour based and had a red sauce with red meats. There was even a tomato-like smell coming from it, only sweeter. However, something about it seemed off to Eric, whose trained nose was keen on oddities with food. ¡°It seems¡­ off¡­ I¡¯m not too familiar with the food though. It could be its natural smell.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Well¡­ We got someone to test.¡± Aunai snapped her fingers, causing Line to come over. ¡°Can you verify if the food has anything wrong with it?¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± bowed Line. He took a fork and knife and cut a piece of the food, eating it slowly to see if it was fine. Immediately, Line grabbed his stomach. ¡°I must¡­ if you excuse me.¡± Line left the room immediately, causing both to sigh. ¡°Ok. So it won¡¯t just throw rocks at you,¡± said Aunai. ¡°This bag really hates you Eric. We should destroy it.¡± Hearing that, he shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. I believe some sort of divine being gave Nobina that bag.¡± ¡°Surely you jest,¡± laughed Aunai. As she laughed, it slowly stopped as she saw Eric being one hundred percent serious. ¡°Who is Nobina Eric,¡± asked Aunai. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a mystery,¡± Eric replied, wondering what changes would occur next under the watch of the Gaze as it followed the journey of Nobina. Chapter 52: Quiet Life and Advice Nobina awoke in a room she was starting to get tired of seeing. The soft, white bed was still as relaxing as ever, yet being here meant one thing. ¡°Sigh¡­ I must have fainted due to those auras. The strong really are something, huh¡­¡± said Nobina to herself. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± came Lila¡¯s voice to her left. She turned and was surprised to see her sitting there. The last thing she recalled was seeing Lila¡¯s terrified face when she was fainting. Nobina honestly expected to wake up back in that room, but being at the medical office meant Lila went out of her way to bring her there. ¡°You know,¡± said Nobina, slowly getting up. ¡°I just fainted due to the pressure. I¡¯m sure all of this wasn¡¯t necessary. Lila shook her head vigorously. ¡°It was very necessary,¡± she replied. ¡°Imagine what would have happened if you hit your head too hard or something. You did fall a bit hard onto the ground¡­ I think.¡± Nobina was very skeptical of that being a good enough reason to be here. However, she was thankful that Lila did show care for her. Even if it was because of Pausers. ¡°Well¡­ thank you anyways for bringing me here. Now then¡­¡± She slowly got up off the bed and stretched her arms. Looking herself over, Nobina saw nothing obviously wrong with her. With that reassurance, she made her way out of the room, down the hallway, and into the lobby. When she got there, she saw Medical Mage Kim and Witmi, who both were having a casual conversation. ¡°Ah, Nobina,¡± said Kim. ¡°How are you doing? I didn¡¯t see anything wrong with you, so I opted not to use my ability. However, if you can recall it being necessary please let me know immediately. Internal injuries are a serious thing.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± said Lila, showing a shocked look. ¡°Wasn¡¯t my word that it was possible Nobina had a really serious injury good enough to use a heal? Someone as important as Nobina¡­¡± ¡°Enough,¡± said Nobina, shutting up Lila. ¡°I appreciate all your doing for me Lila, but I rather Kim has her ability for more serious cases.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± said Lila, shrinking a bit. Kim and Witmi both chuckled at seeing Lila¡¯s reaction. To them, an S-rank acting like this towards a simple guild officer showed that she really had the utmost respect for Nobina. That or she believed Nobina something far more than she actually was. ¡°Now I don¡¯t mean to pry, but what exactly happened Nobina?¡± asked Kim. ¡°Lila said that there was some sort of argument and the auras of Eric, Aunai and herself knocked you out.¡± ¡°Right¡­ There¡¯s just a lot of talk about my future in the guild,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s complicated,¡± replied Kim. ¡°If it¡¯s something you don¡¯t want to say¡­¡± Nobina thought about whether she could tell them the whole story but decided to merely ask her the question she¡¯s been debating. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about whether to go on a journey or stay in town,¡± she told Kim, taking a seat. ¡°There¡¯s a good reason for the journey, but I¡¯ll likely be away for a long while. It¡¯s unlikely my friends here can come either, so I¡¯d be saying goodbye for now.¡± Kim chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with a trip of necessity, but I¡¯d imagine you wouldn¡¯t have felt it necessary to tell me if there wasn¡¯t more to it.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Lila, Witmi, and Kim took a seat as Nobina continued answering her question. ¡°Part me of wants to say, despite feeling it necessary for me to leave. The reason being is that I do enjoy the quiet life here. All the people here are great. Besides the goblin incident, it¡¯s a rather peaceful town. I love that I can pursue my dreams and do meaningful work. I worry¡­ That if I leave, I might not get this quiet life back.¡± Hearing that, Kim seemed to go into deep thought. As she did that, Witmi gave a concerned face as she asked her next question. ¡°Why would this trip change that? Are you going to become a national hero or someone famous?¡± Nobina struggled to decide what to tell her. She didn¡¯t want to reveal her secrets, yet without revealing them, it would be harder to paint an accurate picture. ¡°Honestly¡­ I¡¯m not sure what will happen. The worst case is¡­ well¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she didn¡¯t want to think more about everything that could happen on this trip. It was a trip that was both necessary and unnecessary. Things could go well or terribly. She wasn¡¯t sure what would ultimately happen. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Lila. ¡°I told you I¡¯d go on the trip. Why would you say you¡¯ll go instead now?¡± ¡°Because of what happened earlier,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Aunai is right. You¡¯re an important person to the guild. If I ended up taking you away and something bad happens, any lost lives would be on me.¡± At the very end of what she said, Nobina noticed she emphasized the ¡°me¡± part of it. She was once again thinking about the potential consequences of her actions. Realizing that, she merely covered her face, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m becoming a mess,¡± she said, her voice muffled by her hands. Kim stood up and took a seat next to Nobina, patting her on the back. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± said Kim. ¡°There is one thing you need to do. Speak with Eric and Aunai about this. Work out a plan. There¡¯s not much more you can do yourself, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. As she did that, she noticed the door open. Stepping through the door was Line, who was holding his stomach. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Are you alright Line?¡± asked Nobina. Kim walked over to Line, checking to see if he was alright. ¡°Sorry to intrude,¡± bowed Line. ¡°I have seemed to have eaten something poisonous. Can you hand me medication for it?¡± ¡°I can handle your case in the back,¡± nodded Kim. She then turned to Nobina, giving her a smile. ¡°Do you need any more advice?¡± asked Kim. Nobina shook her head. ¡°Thank you Kim¡­ I appreciate all the advice.¡± With that, Nobina and Lila departed from the medical office and headed back to the guild. On the way, Lila made her way next to Nobina. There was a somewhat guilty look on her face as she began talking to Nobina. ¡°Am I¡­ being a bit too protective Nobina?¡± asked Lila. ¡°I¡¯m doing this because of Pausers, but¡­ I can hold back if I¡¯m being too involved.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I appreciate you helping me out, even if it¡¯s just because of Pausers.¡± A few minutes later, they arrived at the guild. A few eyes fell on them due to both of their statuses, but no one impeded them as they headed into the back and up the stairs to the second floor. Once they were in the meeting room, they saw it was empty. They then went to Eric¡¯s office, where they saw Eric and Aunai chatting and enjoying a cup of tea. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± said Eric. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she smiled back. ¡°Sorry about earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our fault for escalating things to a completely unacceptable level,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Please forgive us S-ranks for pressuring you with our auras.¡± Aunai stood up and gave a bow, followed by Eric and Lila. Seeing this, she merely nodded to acknowledge their apology. ¡°Oh. One more thing¡­ Well, I guess two things,¡± said Eric, grabbing Nobina¡¯s two bags. ¡°Your Gaze bag produced food that had poisoned Line. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine, but¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s at the medical office right now,¡± said Nobina. ¡°But¡­ did you say you received poisoned food?¡± Eric brought out a basket with food that was somewhat familiar to Nobina. It was Filipino food, yet there was an odd smell about it. ¡°What did they do to this perfectly good food?¡± asked Nobina, staring at it in hopes of getting an answer. ¡°I cannot say,¡± said Eric. ¡°It¡¯s honestly depressing seeing a new potential meal wasted.¡± ¡°I can agree with that,¡± said Aunai. ¡°More important, why is your bag trying to poison guild masters? You know that¡¯s a crime right.¡± Nobina¡¯s face went pale, but Lila stepped up to protect her. ¡°Why exactly did you try to eat food from her bags without her approval?¡± asked Lila, her hands against her hips. Aunai, realizing she had no real defense, apologized. ¡°Sorry,¡± was the only word she said. ¡°Now now,¡± said Eric. ¡°The bag offered it to us, so it¡¯s not solely to blame. Rather, it¡¯s the Gaze itself.¡± ¡°What is the Gaze,¡± asked Lila. ¡°Someone strong? Can I fight them?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Nobina and Eric, causing Lila to frown. ¡°So boring,¡± she sighed. Aunai looked at all of them, trying to think about what to say next. ¡°Anyways, there was a second glow,¡± said Eric. ¡°Mind looking and telling us what it is?¡± Nobina dug into her Gaze bag and saw it was a beautiful portrait of herself The nice wooden carved frame helped highlight the beauty of the portrait. In particular, she was impressed with the style of the portrait, which was a sort of cute artwork. If she could recall, the artwork was in a chibi-style. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She looked around a bit and saw the artist¡¯s name. ¡°Miso...¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t familiar with the artist, but there was some sort of familiar feeling she was getting. ¡°Wait¡­ did they give me the miso soup awhile back?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if this was the same person. However, it would make sense for someone named Miso to have given her the soup. Not sure what to do next, she merely put the portrait into her special bag. She then turned to the others, who were merely waiting for her to speak. ¡°Now then,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What¡¯s the plan? Will Lila be unable to assist me?¡± Aunai seemed surprised by her response but quickly returned to a more neutral position to answer Nobina¡¯s question. ¡°Officially, we are completely against an S-rank abandoning her duties for the sake of a non-essential personal errand,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Unless you can prove this is a serious matter worth taking away such an important asset, we cannot give our consent to the action.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary,¡± said Lila. ¡°I¡¯ll go regardless of¡­¡± ¡°I understand,¡± responded Nobina. ¡°Lila¡­ please don¡¯t force yourself out of the guild for my sake.¡± Hearing that, Lila had no choice but to agree. ¡°The offer always remains,¡± said Lila. ¡°I shall leave this matter to you.¡± With that, Nobina heard a sigh of relief from Aunai. It was clear how stressful this issue was since Nobina knew first-hand how important S-ranks were. ¡°I know this is a poor excuse of an apology, but do you mind if I treat you and your fellow guild officers to a meal?¡± asked Aunai. ¡°We can discuss alternatives to fulfilling your request as thanks for allowing Lila to stay. I cannot guarantee we can get similar results, but we can try our best.¡± ¡°I appreciate it,¡± said Nobina. ¡°What about you Eric? Anything to add?¡± ¡°This arrangement is acceptable,¡± he responded. ¡°I shall inform the others of the plan.¡± Eric took his leave from the room. Before exiting, he told Nobina and Aunai they can chat as long as they wanted. As soon as he was gone, Aunai gave a small stretch. ¡°Man¡­ What a last few days,¡± she sighed. ¡°Culling a nest and potentially losing a S-rank really is a bit stress inducing.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize for it,¡± responded Aunai. ¡°This is a choice that Lila is making, not you. I understand the desire to see a close friend. That is why I can see why you¡¯d resort to accepting the help of an S-rank without thinking about the consequences.¡± Nobina nodded, unable to deny the truth in her statement. ¡°Anyways,¡± said Aunai. ¡°We got some time before dinner, so let¡¯s have some casual talk. I¡¯m sure you must be curious about our guild as a fellow guild officer, right?¡± Upon hearing that, Nobina shook her head vigorously. ¡°I love learning cool stuff like that, so lay it on me,¡± she said, her eyes shining. The rest of the time before dinner was spent with Aunai and Lila talking about the adventuring guild in the city of Navira. Unlike Nobina¡¯s guild, the Navira adventuring guild was significantly larger than their guild. It was a guild well known for producing top adventurers who used a melee Path. There were a decent number of notable adventurers who weren¡¯t melee-based, but that was a small number. Lila talked about how many people saw the Navira adventuring guild as the step right before going to the capital. At the capital was where adventurers either aimed for A-rank, S-rank, or the become a Royal Adventurer. ¡°What¡¯s a Royal Adventurer?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°A special designation for adventurers who serve the crown,¡± said Aunai. ¡°This status is separate from the adventurer ranking system, meaning even an F-rank can become a Royal Adventurer. The crown merely seeks that these adventurer meet certain criteria. After all, not all adventurers are combat based. As you know, the rank S does not mean you can find extremely rare herbs.¡± Nobina knew that all too well. She was flabbergasted by how unskilled some C-ranks were at simple gathering quests. This time of peace was shining a light on these people in particular. ¡°I swear,¡± said Nobina, talking about the adventurers she was working with. ¡°We need a separate qualification for non-combat adventurers.¡± ¡°I believe they¡¯ve adapted that in the Federation of the Great Gar Gar,¡± said Aunai. ¡°As you know, we are a bit dated, so it might be a while before we adopt a similar system.¡± Nobina sighed, shaking her head. Soon, Eric gave a knock and came into the room. ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡± he asked. ¡°We were just talking about Navira. I¡¯m still sad she rejected us so brutally to stay here,¡± said Aunai in a slight fake cry. Nobina felt embarrassed seeing that, while Lila gave a strong laugh. ¡°Oh, if only you knew Aunai,¡± she laughed. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have even tried to pry her away from this town.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± replied Aunai. ¡°I was curious about why you decided to become so close to Nobina. Perhaps that¡¯s the key to all of this?¡± Realizing her mistake, Lila shook her head. ¡°I refuse to talk,¡± she said. Aunai looked at her a bit before smiling. ¡°Give me a week,¡± she said. ¡°Eep,¡± replied Lila, knowing exactly what Aunai was going to do. Seeing that, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Seeing interactions like this really made Nobina happy. It was the main reason she was planning to listen to everyone¡¯s advice. ¡°Perhaps¡­ I¡¯ll end up staying after all,¡± she told herself. Chapter 53: Dress and Dinner Nobina headed downstairs, where Lare and Sarah were. ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina, looking around. ¡°Where¡¯s Mimiki? Is she out on a mission?¡± Lare gave a nod. ¡°Yeah. One of the groups needed a placement done. With everything that¡¯s happen, Mimiki said that took priority over some dinner. Plus, she didn¡¯t feel right sitting at a table with so many S-ranks. She said she¡¯d feel out of place.¡± ¡°And we wouldn¡¯t?¡± sighed Sarah. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me whether it¡¯s high ranks, nobility, or just an average civilian. I love chatting with people.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t deny that. She began remembering one day when Sarah was chatting up a storm with one of the merchants who brought goods from Arrin. The merchant in question had repeatedly asked her to stop, but she really wanted to know more about what doing business in that place was like. It gave Nobina the vibes of her early days with Sarah and chatting about her stories. Even to this day, she occasionally had Sarah asking questions about her past stories she¡¯d never released. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s go shopping Nobina. Unless you intend to treat your everyday outfit as formal wear,¡± smiled Sarah. Nobina could tell that Sarah had started to get annoyed that Nobina wasn¡¯t even buying new clothes. It was one of Sarah¡¯s favorite things to do, and she always seemed a bit disappointed when Nobina told her something new wasn¡¯t necessary. For Nobina, it was merely a matter of saving time by keeping an outfit that was magical and never needed to be cleaned or repaired. If it did that itself, then why would you need anything else? ¡°Alright,¡± replied Nobina, causing Sarah to jump up and down with joy. ¡°You two enjoy yourself,¡± said Lare. ¡°Dinner isn¡¯t too far, so please don¡¯t take long.¡± Both of them nodded. Sarah began leading Nobina out of the guild, pulling her along with a surprising amount of force. They were doing a short jog, which Nobina was used to doing thanks to her training. However, she couldn¡¯t remember the last time she saw Sarah jogging anywhere. She usually enjoyed walking and talking about either herself or questioning the other person. The two of them drew eyes, but many people were more focused on Nobina. There were constant greetings that Nobina returned, growing ever so slightly accustomed to them. Eventually, they reached a store called Kara¡¯s Threads. It had a sign that showed a blue dress, while on the window display was a nice yellow and orange dress for the summertime. Next to the door was a male employee sweeping the entrance, keeping it clean for any potential customers. He was wearing a nice white dress shirt and long tan pants. ¡°Oh. Hello there Nobina and Sarah,¡± said the employee. ¡°Fred. It¡¯s good to see you,¡± smiled Sarah. ¡°I finally managed to convince Nobina to get something nice to wear!¡± Hearing that, Fred showed a sense of joy that Sarah often displayed. He moved to grab Sarah¡¯s hands, who smiled as he did. ¡°My god. We spent so many days trying to plan an outfit together. Finally glad we can have our hero wear it,¡± he smiled. ¡°Uh,¡± said Nobina, giving an innocent smile. ¡°Do you two¡­ know each other?¡± Sarah gave a nod. ¡°Fred¡¯s someone I got to know a lot when I came to town. We usually chat about outfits and stuff whenever I come over. Of course, being a guild officer has kept me busy, but I always enjoy the chance to see him.¡± Fred nodded as well. ¡°Sarah¡¯s joy for clothing has probably rubbed off on me. Before she came here, selling felt like a means to an end, but now me and her are close friends who share a love of clothes.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but be happy for the both of them. Seeing them happy together started to remind Nobina of her past and Fay. At the start of college, Nobina didn¡¯t know Fay at all. She was just another student who was taking classes in communication. It was only due to an accident that they ran into each other. Fay had apologized profusely, but Nobina quickly forgave her. After that, the two decided to chat a bit and soon found themselves wanting to become friends. Fay was someone who was very outgoing. It surprised Nobina Fay didn¡¯t have too many friends. Fay¡¯s response was that she never really found any common interest with most of the people she met. As for Nobina, she didn¡¯t have many friends either, but that''s because she never tried to make friends. They either came to her or not. After that, the two shared interests, and Nobina learned of a game that Fay loved. It was a fantasy game that had a cool female protagonist who had a large number of outfits. Fay¡¯s choice was a black outfit with a lot of belts, which made Nobina think about the perfect gift for Fay. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Sarah, tapping her shoulder. ¡°What?¡± asked Nobina, realizing she had been lost in thought. ¡°Shall we try some outfits on now?¡± Sarah smiled. ¡°Oh right. Of course,¡± nodded Nobina, feeling a bit embarrassed for losing focus. The three of them entered the store, where Fred told another female employee something in a whisper. ¡°Oh my,¡± she chuckled, walking over to Nobina. ¡°Our hero wanting an outfit. I have a perfect one for every occasion.¡± ¡°I just need a formal dress for now,¡± responded Nobina. She immediately noticed all three of them frowning, causing her to panic a bit and wave her hands. ¡°It¡¯s just for now! I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll pick more outfits later.¡± The moment she said that all of them began high fiving each other, making Nobina disappointed in herself that she folded immediately. From that moment on, Sarah and the female employee named Gatuna began helping Nobina. She began with getting her measurements for her dress. It was a long process, as Sarah demanded perfection with the dress. She wanted it to be one she¡¯d use awhile, so there was an effort to make it high quality as well. The rising budget caused Nobina some worry, but Sarah swore she¡¯d never let a friend pay for something like this. She lived for these outfits and would make sure that Nobina¡¯s was perfect without flaw. ¡°You remind me of my old friend Fay,¡± chuckled Nobina. Hearing that, Sarah stopped and tilted her head. ¡°Fay? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve mentioned her before.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°She¡¯s a friend from back in my homeland,¡± said Nobina, causing Sarah to realize what she meant. ¡°Ah¡­ Of course you had friends back at home. I bet you were some popular girl who would attract everyone,¡± said Sarah with the biggest grin. Nobina shook her head as fast as she could. ¡°Oh definitely not,¡± she replied. ¡°I was just your average quiet girl who did schoolwork. I did have a few friends, but we only hung out a few times. That¡¯s why Fay would be considered by best friend back then since we hanged out way more.¡± Hearing that seemed to put Sarah in deep thought. After a bit, she asked something that caught Nobina off guard. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why have you never mentioned them before,¡± said Sarah. Nobina could sense all eyes were on her, making her very uncomfortable. At that point, Sarah¡¯s eyes widened as she waved her hands. ¡°Oh I¡¯m so sorry Nobina. This must be something personal. I didn¡¯t mean to bring back any bad memories if¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± smiled Nobina. Sarah could instantly tell Nobina wanted the topic dropped and began changing the topic back to her new outfit. For the rest of the session, Nobina and Sarah tried on different outfits each. Nobina ended up picking a nice yellow and orange dress. It was more decorative than the one on the front, and for good reason. It seemed that Sarah had been giving as much creative input as she could to design a dress that would suit Nobina well. ¡°Wait a second,¡± said Nobina, hearing that. ¡°Are you telling me this is a custom dress for me? No wonder you kept pushing it.¡± ¡°Whoops,¡± said Sarah, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure you¡¯d like it, so I asked them to put it amongst the other dresses. Of course, that means¡­¡± ¡°¡­ You had my measurements already, huh¡­¡± said Nobina, shaking her head. ¡°Not the exact ones,¡± she said. ¡°I had to guess them and thankfully it turned out right. I¡¯m so sorry Nobina for being a bit sneaky with this gift. I wanted to make sure the first one was as good as possible and¡­¡± ¡°Sarah,¡± said Nobina, taking her hand. ¡°I really appreciate it. Even if this dress didn¡¯t fit or wasn¡¯t my type, I¡¯d accept it regardless because it came from your heart.¡± Hearing that, Sarah gave Nobina a strong hug, prompting her to hug her back. Both of the employees were in awe as they watched this nice moment between Nobina and Sarah. After that, Sarah showed off the outfit she picked, which was a nice green and pink outfit with flowers similar to roses adorning the bottom. She gave a twirl, reveling in the beauty of her pick. Once that was done, she paid for both of their outfits and the two were out of there. Heading to Sarah¡¯s house, both of them were drawing far more eyes than usual. For Sarah, it seemed many people saw her as a beacon of fashion, while they saw Nobina as some sort of princess. It made her far too embarrassed, as she wasn¡¯t expecting such a strong reaction to a simple dress change. ¡°I guess simple is the best after all,¡± she thought to herself, wishing she was wearing her old clothes for now. Once the two reached Sarah¡¯s house, Sarah helped Nobina prepare to be presentable for the dinner. She had a dedicated room for cleaning, which was nice since the inn had one that was shared among the residents. They all had planned times to use it, and Nobina¡¯s was in the dead of night on the third day of the week of the month. However, due to the training with Mimiki, she¡¯d often had to get clean at Mimiki¡¯s before returning home. Mimiki¡¯s washing place was more for a basic ¡°wash off the dirt¡± style of cleaning. It made her miss the shampoos and soaps of her old world, but she was aware that the rich did have something similar. It was something Sarah envied having. After they got done cleaning, both looked over each other, making sure they were presentable for the dinner. Nobina was feeling a rising sense of nervousness, but Sarah¡¯s composure brought her back to reality. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Sarah. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be nervous about anything. People see you as a hero. People have respect for you. Don¡¯t¡¯ worry about making a tiny slip up or anything. This is just a nice dinner between fellow guild officers and adventurers.¡± Hearing that, Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Right¡­ Thanks Sarah.¡± The two headed off to the restaurant, which was Bara¡¯s Fine Foods. Nobina had never been there because Bara¡¯s was way pricier than the nicest restaurant she had been to so far in this world. She almost fainted seeing the prices the last time she visited. Even the offer of a discount from the manager wasn¡¯t enough for her to feel comfortable buying food there, so the two never went. Arriving at Bara¡¯s, Nobina was impressed with the nice two stone statues in the front. It was the statue of two people, one male and one woman, both wearing nice dress attire. Both had respectful faces, showing people of high class. It made Nobina wonder if her dress was appropriate, but she knew it didn¡¯t matter. It was a dress from a friend, and she¡¯d never let anyone harm it. ¡°Fay would say the same,¡± she thought to herself. The two entered the establishment, which had three groups there. One was a set of merchants talking about their business. Another was a couple who Nobina didn¡¯t recognize. They could have been traveling nobility since it wasn¡¯t too uncommon to see people of status come and go in their town. She did remember seeing a carriage in the morning as well, so it was possible they were staying the day before heading off to the border town, which was another three days away to the east. Nobility in this world had different levels to it. Some nobility had significant power and controlled estates, while others were merely individuals a part of said families that merely had the title ¡°nobility¡± as a formality. However, they were still required to act on their part to keep it. Hence, the term ¡°travelling nobility¡± was developed to denote nobility with no obligation to stay in one place or have an escort. The last table had Eric, Lare, Aunai, Line, and Lila. Nobina also noticed that Exuten and Harden were also there. All of them were wearing their normal attire, making Nobina stare at Sarah. ¡°Whoops,¡± she said. ¡°I guess normal attire was the dress code.¡± Upon seeing them, the hostess greeted them. ¡°Welcome Nobina and Sarah. Please take a seat with the others. Thank you for wearing appropriate attire to our establishment.¡± Nobina was shocked that she basically said that the others were wearing inappropriate attire, but she didn¡¯t say anything. It seemed unprofessional to slightly influential customers like high-rank adventurers and guild officers, but Sarah¡¯s next words explained everything. ¡°Oh Vai. You shouldn¡¯t be so openly rude to them. Though, I agree. They should respect the rules of this place.¡± ¡°Glad you get me Sarah,¡± smiled Vai. ¡°Now. Please go ahead and join the rest of them.¡± As soon as she said that, the hostess called over an employee and whispered something in their ears. He nodded and headed straight to the back, making Nobina wonder if that was the sign to start bringing the food. When the two of them got close enough, Aunai gave a rather strong smile as she spoke to them. ¡°You do know our hearing is excellent for S-ranks and A-ranks, right¡­ Sarah I believe?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s to be expected,¡± replied Sarah. ¡°After all, I would think our betters should set good examples.¡± Aunai laughed and nodded. ¡°I like you Sarah. Say, would you like to join my guild.¡± The audible groan from Eric caused Nobina to laugh, shaking her head. ¡°Do you try this with other officers Aunai?¡± ¡°Well, only the really good ones. Speaking of that¡­¡± Before she could say anything, three employees came out with plates of food. They began setting everything down, drawing Nobina¡¯s attention. The sheer smell of all the high-quality food made Nobina¡¯s nose move closer and closer to each plate. ¡°Hm¡­ it smells like¡­ but it could also be¡­¡± Nobina had an idea of the comparable foods, but she didn¡¯t actually say their names. Most of them still didn¡¯t know she was from another world. It caused a few chuckles from Aunai and Eric while Sarah tried her best to stop Nobina from being unprofessional as well. Even if this wasn¡¯t a formal meeting, they still represented the guild. The fact that Eric and Aunai were wearing the guild master attire further solidified the need for proper etiquette. ¡°Food time?¡± asked Lila, her eyes staring at the largest plate of high-quality meat. Nobina was sure it was steak, but the color and texture looked too off. She wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it was magical. ¡°Not yet,¡± said Aunai. ¡°I want to take this moment to thank everyone here for coming. While this isn¡¯t a formal event, I feel it right to acknowledge the success of the operations. Thank you Exuten and Harden for culling the South Goblin Nest.¡± Both of them gave a nod. ¡°Piece of cake,¡± said Exuten. ¡°Nothing hammer worthy,¡± laughed Harden. ¡°Next,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Thank you Line for assisting me in clearing the North-West Goblin Nest.¡± Line gave a respectful bow. ¡°It was a pleasure.¡± Aunai¡¯s gaze turned to Eric, who merely nodded. ¡°While it might be an obligation, thank you Eric regardless for clearing the North-East Goblin Nest.¡± ¡°Lastly, thank you Lila and Nobina for handling the investigation. While the demon was not caught, we have enough to begin a hunt for the demon. Once we return to Navira, we¡¯ll being the process of hunting it down.¡± ¡°Glad I got a decent fight at least,¡± said Lila. ¡°I still want to fight Eric, but¡­¡± ¡°Give it a rest Lila,¡± said Exuten. ¡°We are still on task, so keep yourself in check.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± she said, pouting. With that done, Aunai then turned to Nobina directly. ¡°With all that being said, I hope working together goes smoothly as we handle the evaluation of the resources of this town¡¯s guild. I¡¯ll be working closely with Nobina to ensure a fair amount is given. Not to mention I hope her future cooperation will help us catch the demon.¡± Nobina noticed Aunai¡¯s smile was a bit suspicious, making her wonder if there was some ulterior motive behind her plans. Chapter 54: Unchosen Path and Choices The rest of the dinner went smoothly, with Exuten and Harden dominating most of the conversation. Both were giving their own tales of their recent adventures, trying to outdo each other. Exuten talked about how he managed to take a giant troll hammer¡¯s hit directly without moving an inch. Harden then talked about how he took out that troll in a single hit to the head. Both of them then proceeded to talk about how they both did better than each other in that mission. ¡°They seem¡­ rather competitive,¡± said Nobina as she chewed her Miro-Cow Steak. It was a steak from a breed of cows that took fifty years to mature to adulthood. It was also part monster as well, meaning a certain amount of strength was needed to handle such a strong yet rare animal. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± responded Lila, enjoying the same thing Nobina was eating. ¡°Both talk a big game, but I could easily crush Exuten¡¯s defenses and avoid Harden¡¯s hammer. Isn¡¯t that right.¡± Both of them paused to agree before getting back into their argument. ¡°See? Man¡­ if only I could have fought you. I would have had a true challenge,¡± she grinned, thinking about the idea of beating Nobina in a one-on-one fight. Nobina sighed, shaking her head. She did wonder if it was even possible to reach Lila¡¯s strength anytime soon. She was making good progress training under Mimiki, but her abilities weren¡¯t straightforward boosts besides supporting her general development. Her summon and recall ability was merely books and paper, while her Pen Blade was very conditional in its strength. At some point, she felt it would change, but for now, she didn¡¯t see herself becoming a C-rank anytime soon. ¡°I¡¯ll need some opportunity to get stronger¡­ though I doubt I¡¯ll have the time to do so,¡± she told herself silently. As she continued to enjoy her steak, Sarah pulled the side of her dress. Turning to her, Sarah whispered something to Nobina. ¡°Hey Nobina¡­ Are you two friends?¡± asked Sarah, looking at Lila a bit before turning back to Nobina. ¡°Uh¡­ I guess so,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I mean, we haven¡¯t known each other long and our interests are pretty different, but she does want to be my friend. I¡¯m not one to say no to that if I have nothing against the person.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Sarah chuckled. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re getting to know more people. You¡¯re friendly to so many people that I believe you should be friends with the whole world.¡± ¡°The whole world? I don¡¯t think I need that many friends,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Though¡­ the thought does sound nice. Being able to call so many people your friend.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to travel out to other towns sometime,¡± said Sarah, her eyes sparkling. ¡°I know so many popular clothing stories that I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find you the perfect dress for every occasion.¡± Thinking about the sheer cost of traveling and Sarah likely planning to spend tons of money gave Nobina a slight headache. It wasn¡¯t because she was going to pay either. It was actually the opposite reason. Nobina was well aware that Sarah loved spending more for Nobina¡¯s sake than her own. It made Nobina worry that she¡¯d have to become Sarah¡¯s own accountant to prevent her from being too wasteful. ¡°That would be something,¡± chuckled Nobina to herself. ¡°Right?¡± responded Sarah, unaware of the thought Nobina actually had. Soon, the night was over, and everyone gave their farewells. As everyone split, soon it became just Nobina and Lila, who were chatting a bit about the dinner. ¡°You should totally come to our city one day,¡± said Lila. ¡°It¡¯s a massive place with a dedicated fighting arena. You can see all sorts of A and S-rank adventurers. Oh man, you should have seen the S-rank adventurer Kale the Destroyer. He uses something called beam attacks which¡­¡± Nobina listened to Lila give her story regarding her time in her home city. Nobina did want to visit places like that, but a part of her worried that if she were to go there, something might happen to these places. It might have been wrong to want to potentially put her hometown at risk, but if the alternative was way more people getting hurt, then it was a tough choice. Not only that, but she had a feeling whatever threat she faced would match however strong she and those around her were. ¡°So scary,¡± said Nobina out loud. ¡°I know!¡± responded Lila, nodding her head. ¡°Imagine one hundred beams trying to hit you! It¡¯s so hard to dodge, even for a person like me. I¡¯m just lucky it¡¯s an ultimate attack that he wouldn¡¯t use lightly.¡± Nobina gave a nod, trying to hide the fact she hadn¡¯t been listening. Eventually, the two reached their respective rooms and said good night to each other. After changing into her normal outfit, Nobina sat down at her desk and began filling in her diary. As she did, she began wondering what tomorrow had in store for her. Once she was done, she recalled the diary and went to bed, with Pausers and Lebron hopping onto the bed to sleep as well. The next day, Nobina awoke to the soft sunlight piecing through her window into her room. Slowly getting up, Nobina had an odd feeling. It felt as if she was going to miss her room, yet she had no idea why she had that thought. ¡°So odd,¡± said Nobina, getting out of her bed. She quickly got her stuff ready, said goodbye to her companions, and headed to the guild. There weren¡¯t too many people greeting her that day, but it was understandable. It was a bit later than she normally left for work, so most people were likely inside their own businesses by now. As she continued to walk, she noticed a job opening sign saying ¡°Store-Related Path Wanted.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but sigh seeing the sign. It was a reminder of how important Paths were in this world. In her case, it was especially notable since her Path had worldwide influence. ¡°Sometimes I wish my Path was simple,¡± she said, shaking her head. Eventually, Nobina reached the guild, where she saw Lila, Line and Aunai speaking with Eric. Next to him was Mimiki, Sarah and Lare. The odd thing was all of them had a serious look on their faces. Sarah looked sad as well, while Mimiki only had a serious look. As for Lare, he appeared as neutral as ever, with Eric sharing the same look. Eventually, Sarah took notice of Nobina, calling her over. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Nobina as she joined the group. Eric took a step forward, now showing a rather apologetic look. It made Nobina worried something serious had happened, causing her to brace herself for the news. ¡°Nobina¡­ You¡¯ve been requested by Guild Master Aunai to return to Navira, their guild down, to assist with the transfer of finances between our two guilds,¡± said Eric. Hearing that, Nobina felt her heart sink low. She knew something was odd and now she knew why. She was being told to leave the town and go to another town. ¡°I¡¯m guessing¡­ there¡¯s no choice in this matter,¡± said Nobina. ¡°There is not,¡± said Eric. ¡°Aunai requested the person most knowledgeable about our financial situation to assist. It is not within my right to deny such a request, as we are the one seeking assistance.¡± ¡°Please,¡± smiled Aunai innocently. ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m doing something horrible. I¡¯m merely doing what¡¯s best for our guilds, unless you have an objective reason why Nobina cannot leave this town.¡± Hearing that, Eric shook her head. ¡°I have no reason to keep her here. Ultimately, it¡¯s up to her to have a valid objection to a guild master¡¯s request. If not¡­ Then I do request a replacement for her and Mimiki as we¡¯ll be short-staffed.¡± Aunai nodded her head. ¡°Exutan and Harden are both trained to be guild officers temporarily,¡± replied Aunai. ¡°As they commonly take leadership roles in operations, I had them take the certification for being basic guild officers. While they might not be as skilled as Nobina and Mimiki, I¡¯m sure their combat potential will suffice.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ They should be sufficient,¡± nodded Eric. ¡°Anyways¡­ Please prepare your things Nobina. You leave today with them.¡± ¡°Wait a second,¡± said Nobina, trying desperately to get control of the situation. ¡°Isn¡¯t leaving on such short notice too much? We haven¡¯t even properly reviewed the financial situation of the guild together.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± said Aunai, thinking a bit. ¡°Eric told me you basically created the new financial system of this guild. Are you saying you have no idea of its finances?¡± ¡°Well¡­ no, but¡­¡± Nobina tried to think of a valid reason to keep her in town, but the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that there was no way out of the current situation. Even if she revealed her deep secrets, it¡¯d likely backfire and force her to leave anyway. It was sad having to leave the town without any choice, but there was nothing she could do. She didn¡¯t have any influence at all, and it seemed that Aunai intended to get her to her town no matter what. It could have been to either continue to try to recruit her or perhaps something else, but either way, she was not happy about what was happening. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nobina,¡± said Lila. ¡°Even if I make threats, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be good for anyone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright Lila,¡± said Nobina, trying to compose herself. ¡°Sometimes¡­ you don¡¯t get to choose your path in life. Rather, you are set on a path determined by others. However¡­ So long as I have the ability to choose, I will continue to take advantage of any situation that befalls me. All for the sake of my dream and those who I care about.¡± Hearing Nobina say that surprised everyone. She had a determined look on her face. There was no doubt Nobina did not feel dread over the situation. Instead, she looked ready to tackle the situation that had befallen her. Aunai couldn¡¯t help but be impressed, with Eric showing a similar look. As for Sarah, she gave a small smile before jumping out to hug Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you Nobina,¡± she said, squeezing her with her hug. ¡°Showing us how strong you¡¯ve become in such a short time.¡± ¡°Sarah,¡± said Nobina, feeling embarrassed at how she was being treated. Part of her felt like she was being treated as a kid who had done their first responsible thing and was being praised. However, she didn¡¯t detest the part of her showing that she was growing mentally. As she released Nobina, Mimiki stepped up. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s not what you wanted Nobina, but we¡¯ll take advantage of this and make you a powerhouse before you know it,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°I¡¯m honestly excited to see more people in action, so¡­ please forgive me for wanting to join you on this trip.¡± Nobina nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m glad at least you¡¯re seeing the positives of the trip,¡± commented Eric, happy Nobina was coming to terms with the situation. With that, there seemed to be nothing left to say. Aunai informed her they¡¯d leave after lunch, so she had until then to get ready. As everyone separated, Eric asked to speak with Nobina privately in his office. She gave a nod, following him upstairs. Once the two were alone, Eric gave a bow. ¡°Once again, I¡¯m sorry for not being able to prevent this chain of events,¡± said Eric. ¡°With you leaving, I entrust Mimiki to protect you from harm. Please remember to prioritize your safety and if something happens, then protect yourself first.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that Eric,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I know my life is important, but I would never be able to live with the guilt of anyone getting hurt, especially if I can do something about it.¡± Eric smiled, shaking his head. ¡°I figured you¡¯d say that. Anyway, I wish we could keep in touch, but¡­¡± As he said that, Hammy flew out of Nobina¡¯s special bag, dropping a piece of paper in front of Nobina. Reading it, it mentioned Hammy could deliver letters. Both of their eyes widened upon realizing that Hammy could deliver long-distance letters. ¡°This is a nice development,¡± nodded Eric. ¡°Honestly, imagine if we could train birds to do this more often.¡± ¡°Like a carrier pigeon,¡± said Nobina, snapping her fingers. ¡°Carrier¡­ pigeon?¡± said Eric, tilting his head. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s a method of letter delivery in my old world. Very ancient stuff, but when the alternative is horseback, it¡¯s quite effective,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°Hm¡­ I guess there are flying mounts from the royal guard, but you wouldn¡¯t use that for anything but the most important letters,¡± responded Eric. Nobina eyes lit up upon the mention of Royal Guards on flying mounts. The idea was straight up fantasy and almost made Nobina giggle in excitement. Seeing her change in demeanor, Eric smiled and continued talking about the world at large. He began mentioning things like legendary weapons and abilities, making Nobina¡¯s mind work overtime to think about how cool it would be to see all those things. Mid-conversation, Eric paused to tell Nobina something important. ¡°Nobina¡­ Hopefully you make the best of this opportunity. There are so many cool things in this world and part of being an adventurer is adventuring into the unknown and learning. Sure, you might be worried about the danger you present, but¡­ You shouldn¡¯t let that ruin such a good opportunity. Hopefully you enjoy your trip.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m going to do my best to enjoy it and get stronger Eric. So that one day, I alone will make my choices. Not anyone else.¡± Nobina was convinced that, at some point, she might be able to free herself from the chains of her Path¡¯s destiny and forge a new Path. One that she and she alone has chosen. Chapter 55: New Horizons and Swords Nobina and Eric talked a bit before she headed back downstairs. Lunch was right around the corner, so she had to make sure she had everything she needed before departure. Before she could do anything, Mimiki appeared with the biggest smile on her face. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± called Mimiki, waving her over. ¡°Do you need help getting ready? I have a pack meant for short trips, but nothing for long ones.¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± she responded, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know what I need for this trip. I haven¡¯t actually gone on a long adventure like this so¡­ Any assistance would be great.¡± Mimiki nodded, showing a look of understanding. ¡°Makes sense. I¡¯ll head to the adventuring stores and pick you up a bag of what you might need for a long journey. I know you have your other two bags, so perhaps some sort of large bag that can hold the other two would be good. Besides, the fact your Gaze bag keeps glowing might draw problems if it¡¯s out and about. Best you have a way to conceal it, especially that light.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t agree more with that. The Gaze bag has been forcing its will more and more with actions outside of just putting items into the bag. It had been shooting them out of the bag directly sometimes, making it so she couldn¡¯t control when she took some items out. So far it hadn¡¯t been too big of a problem, but entering a new city would likely change that fact. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and sort my companions and perhaps check out the potion and medical sore.¡± Mimiki smiled, giving a thumbs up. ¡°As expected of a fledgling adventurer,¡± she nodded. ¡°You¡¯re getting a good grasp of good places to visit before an adventure. Soon, you¡¯ll be able to write your own adventuring book without anyone¡¯s help.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°Perhaps, but a book with information from people who are much more knowledgeable has so much more meaning. Until I can call myself a notable adventurer, I shall continue to lean on you for assistance.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± nodded Mimiki. With that, the two departed to their respective destinations. Nobina found herself enjoying her walk back to her inn. There were still people greeting her here and there, but she had finally grown used to it. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon either because she¡¯d be saying goodbye to her hometown for now. ¡°I wonder what the cities of this nation are like,¡± she asked herself. A lot of her curiosity stemmed from the memory of the last time she decided to go on an adventure to a random city. It was a while back, but it was the most comparable thing she had to what she was about to do. Though, in her mind, this felt more like a business trip with a lot more danger and excitement. She was acting as a representative of their town¡¯s guild, after all. When she reached the inn, Harris was surprised to see her there. ¡°It¡¯s a bit early for lunch,¡± said Harris, serving another customer. ¡°Are you back early to eat or get something?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going on a journey to another town, so¡­¡± As she said that, the nearby patrons all had concern looks on their face, talking to each other. Nobina was confused as to why they were acting like that, but Harris seemed to know instantly. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Harris. ¡°Will you be back soon? A lot of the people in this town feel safer with you here and would be heartbroken if you left forever.¡± Seeing that, she shook her head vigorously. ¡°Oh I¡¯m not leaving forever,¡± she responded. ¡°I love this town and plan to return as soon as possible. I¡¯m just leaving to help get monetary support for the guild.¡± Hearing that, all of the civilians and adventurers there seemed relieved. ¡°Oh she cares so much,¡± she heard a male civilian say. ¡°I bet she¡¯s going to get enough money to make sure we are all treated well,¡± smiled another female adventurer. ¡°She¡¯s so cool,¡± said the daughter of one of the mothers there. That last line almost made Nobina cry a bit. To be called cool felt wrong, but at the same time she was filled with joy to be someone that a kid looked up to. ¡°Glad to hear that,¡± said Harris. ¡°Please don¡¯t let me keep you.¡± With that, Nobina headed upstairs to her room. Once she was there, she saw that Pausers and Lebron were playing around and having a good time. It was still hard to believe Pausers was such a deadly animal, considering he and a normal corgi were playing together. ¡°Wait a second,¡± said Nobina, walking up to Lebron. Lebron, happy to have attention, jumped towards Nobina, practically begging to be picked up. She couldn¡¯t resist picking Lebron up. When his face got close enough, he gave Nobina a few licks, making her melt in pure joy. ¡°Oh Lebron,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°I¡­ I wish I could bring you along.¡± The moment she said that Lebron seemed to stop and give her a curious look. Nobina set her down on the bed, where Pausers was sitting. ¡°Listen you two,¡± said Nobina, not convinced either would understand what she was saying. ¡°I¡¯m going on a trip to another town. I know I sometimes leave you to your own devices for a few days, but anything longer I would rather have someone trusted watch you. Even if you two don¡¯t necessarily need food, I know that you do enjoy it so¡­ I think I¡¯ll have Sarah watch over you two. Any objections?¡± Both of them shook their heads, making Nobina happy they understood. At least, she thought they understood. As they couldn¡¯t speak, it was hard to get a sense of their true intelligence. If Pausers was an Alpha Death Hare, he must have a good amount of intelligence. ¡°The fact that you and Lebron play together must mean you have some intelligence,¡± said Nobina to Pausers. Part of her wondered if Lebron had anything special, but she would have been content if he was just a normal corgi with a few special things. With that, Nobina inventoried all her items and came to a realization. She had far too many special items at this point. Due to how long she was going to be away, she wasn¡¯t sure about keeping all of them here. ¡°Wait¡­ Eric has a special item storage, doesn¡¯t he?¡± she asked herself. It would have been ideal if Eric could store the special items she didn¡¯t use. Besides the various grenades, there were a lot of potentially dangerous or valuable things that could be taken should someone break in while she was away. ¡°Actually, I think my rent expires soon anyways,¡± she sighed. ¡°Guess I might be saying goodbye to this room.¡± Feeling a bit disappointed, she headed downstairs to ask Harris about it. However, she was surprised by his response? ¡°Hm? Oh right, you previous paid for that room,¡± he nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve decided not to charge you as long as you live in our town. I might take a hit, but I would rather have you here than anywhere else.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Nobina covered her face, surprised by such generosity. ¡°Oh really? This¡­ this is a lot to do for someone like me¡­¡± Harris shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re our town hero Nobina,¡± said Harris. ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that. Also, I¡¯m preparing you some food for the road. It¡¯s not too much, but it should let you save your rations for a few days.¡± ¡°Harris¡­ thank you so much,¡± said Nobina, giving a bow. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure,¡± he smiled. With that, Nobina headed off to consult with Eric regarding the storage of her items. Reaching the guild, she saw Eric speaking with Sarah. ¡°Oh,¡± said Eric. ¡°You need something Nobina?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, joining them behind the counter. ¡°First, can I store my extra items in your house Eric?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he nodded. ¡°Such valuable stuff should have been secure a long time ago. Anything else you need from me?¡± ¡°The next one is for Sarah,¡± said Nobina, turning her attention to her. ¡°Can you watch over my two companions Sarah?¡± ¡°Lebron and Pausers? Sure,¡± she smiled. ¡°They don¡¯t need food, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, but they enjoy it,¡± replied Nobina. Sarah gave a nod. With those two things sorted, all that was left was going to the medical office and potion store. She headed to the medical office first since they closed during lunch. When she arrived, Witmi greeted Nobina and asked if she needed something specific. ¡°I¡¯m going on a long journey, so I wanted to get some medical supplies I might need. I know healing potions generally cover everything, but some basic stuff might be useful. Though, I¡¯m not an expert so¡­¡± ¡°I got a few things,¡± said Witmi, going to a drawer behind the counter. She brought out a nice small red bag that she handed to Nobina. ¡°This is a field medical bag. It holds some basic stuff to help with basic injuries that don¡¯t necessarily prompt a healing potion usage. Sure, you can also dilute the potions for minor scrapes and bruises, but it¡¯s always better to save with this stuff. It also has instructions so don¡¯t worry about not knowing what everything does.¡± ¡°How much for¡­¡± Witmi gave a chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°Do you need to even ask? It¡¯s on the house.¡± ¡°Thank you so much,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°I really appreciate how kind all of you are.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve earned it Nobina. Anyway, enjoy your trip. Bring us back something nice if you can,¡± she smiled. ¡°Of course,¡± Nobina smiled back. Nobina left the medical office and headed towards the potion store. Once she was there, she saw that Siva was behind the counter, seemingly crafting potions. It looked interesting, so Nobina tried to get a look without disrupting her. However, the moment she got a bit too close, Siva turned and almost jumped, seeing Nobina right next to her. ¡°Ah,¡± she said, barely avoiding knocking over anything around her. ¡°You scared me Nobina.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Nobina responded back. ¡°How¡¯s the potion making going?¡± ¡°A bit annoying,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Getting the right balance is key for a high-quality potion. I think I get one every twenty or so crafts. Else, they just turn out a bit inefficient.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you use an ability for that?¡± asked Nobina, her curiosity growing. ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t have such an ability, remember? This is all skill. Oh, and did you need anything?¡± Nobina explained how she was going on a journey, and Siva nodded the whole time. ¡°I see, I see,¡± she responded. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the standard potion belt assortment. You still have your old belt, right?¡± Nobina nodded, handing it over to Siva. She nodded, heading to one of the shelves to load the belt. It only took a few minutes before she was done. ¡°Here you go,¡± said Siva, handing her the potion belt. Nobina attached it to her person, giving her a nod. As she finished that, she saw her Gaze bag glow. ¡°What is that?¡± asked Siva. ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°My special bag. It produces items at random. Let me see what it made this time.¡± Siva¡¯s eyes were kept on the bag as Nobina went into it. Once she did, she pulled out a small bag with a note attached to it. Reading it, it said the following. ¡°A small seed that is guaranteed to grow into a ripe fruit-giving tree of choice within the next twelve hours. Send a prayer and thoughts as you plant, and they will be felt. Seeds from this tree will behave as is natural to them. Be mindful of local ecosystems!¡± At the very end of the letter was a familiar symbol of white branches forming a V. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve given me is so¡­ magical,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Siva, who was standing nearby. ¡°This seed grows a fruit tree rather quickly. All I have to do is give my prayers and thoughts and it will grow.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± said Siva, her face in awe. ¡°What tree are you planning to grow? Oh! Perhaps the elf fruit tree known to provide the nutrients that let them live longer.¡± Nobina¡¯s jaw dropped upon hearing that. Did such a tree really extend people¡¯s lives? ¡°Does it only work for elves? What about normal people?¡± asked Nobina, barraging Siva with questions. Siva laughed, shaking her head. ¡°Silly. It¡¯s an elf secret. I hear only elf royalty can eat these fruits. Anyways, I wouldn¡¯t suggest actually growing one here unless you want the elves to take it by force or destroy it.¡± Hearing that, Nobina shook her head vigorously. ¡°Oh absolutely not,¡± she replied back. ¡°I think I have a few ideas, but I¡¯ll speak to Eric about them first.¡± ¡°Sounds good with me,¡± nodded Siva. ¡°Better share whatever fruit you give though. We barely have enough of them back home.¡± With that, Nobina headed out of the potion store and towards the guild. Once she was there, she saw that Mimiki had returned with two rather large bags. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I got us everything we¡¯ll need.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± said Nobina, looking at the bags. ¡°Can we really walk all the way there with those bag?¡± Mimiki and Eric gave her a confused look. ¡°Uh¡­ We are going to have a carriage Nobina. There¡¯s no need to rush to our destination.¡± Nobina felt a bit stupid forgetting that such a thing would be used. However, she also felt relieved the trip would be more relaxing. ¡°That being said, we¡¯ll have to work extra hard on training to make up for the non-walking,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°Of course,¡± sighed Nobina. The three of them chatted a bit before Nobina found a chance to talk to Eric. ¡°Oh Eric,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I have a special seed that grows any fruit, and the tree grows in twelve hours. So¡­¡± The two of them stared at Nobina, prompting her to give a confused look. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Eric. ¡°Time and place for everything. You can¡¯t just say stuff like that out in the open.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Imagine if you picked a rather problematic fruit? Like an elf fruit.¡± Hearing that mentioned, Nobina realized she made another mistake, causing her to sigh. ¡°Sorry,¡± she responded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± said Eric. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ll find a spot for it. In the meantime, I¡¯ll watch over the seed so it¡¯s safe along with the rest of your stuff.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± smiled Nobina. The three of them chatted for a bit before it was time for lunch. They decided to eat at a nearby restaurant and enjoy some simple Chizen meals. As they ate, Mimiki and Eric talked about what was going to be expected of her on the trip. At Nobina¡¯s end, she planned to lean more on Aunai, Line, and Lila¡¯s assistance, but she also would borrow a book about the location as well. It had been a while since she had a good info-read, but she was excited to get back to it. Once lunch was done, they headed to the guild, where a carriage and a few horses were waiting. On the horses were Aunai, Line, and Lila. Behind them was a carriage large enough for all their stuff and for Nobina and Mimiki to sit. ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± said Aunai. ¡°We should head out soon. Unless you want to spend another day on the road.¡± Mimiki excitedly ran over to the guild. She was in and out quickly with their bags, tossing them into the back before sitting herself. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road,¡± said Mimiki. Nobina turned to Eric, giving him her key. ¡°Please be careful with everything there,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± he smiled. ¡°Good luck on your trip.¡± Nobina headed to the back when Lare came out to greet them. ¡°Nobina,¡± he smiled. Lare reached into his pocket and took out what appeared to be a crest. Looking at it, the crest had a tree she didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°In the worst case, merely pull it out and tell whoever is giving you problems that you¡¯re under the protection of the Lavil Tree,¡± he said, placing it into her hands. ¡°The¡­ Lavil Tree?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s best not to know what that means Nobina,¡± responded Lare, taking a step back. As Nobina was about to get into the back, she heard Sarah¡¯s voice from a distance. It was the voice she used if she was using her power. ¡°Wait,¡± she said, prompting all of them to wait. Five minutes later, Sarah arrived, completely out of breath. She had a rather large bag with her, prompting Nobina to look at her curiously. ¡°So sorry,¡± said Sarah. ¡°It was being finished up, but I wanted you to have this before you left.¡± Sarah walked over and handed Nobina a bag. Opening it up, she saw it was a set of three pieces of clothing. One for nighttime. One for casual wear. The last one, in particular, had Nobina give the biggest grin. She pulled out a purple and brown uniform. The shirt itself was white and loose, while it had nice blue cuffs and a nice leather and brown vest over it. On the lower end of the outfit, the sides of her pants had a leather skirt that covered her left and right sides. Her pants were more form-fitting and also two shades of blue. Lastly, she saw that there were also brown leather boots as well. ¡°The official outfit of the guild,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Sarah. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ going to miss you¡­ Nobina.¡± Hearing that, the two gave each other the biggest hug. Nobina knew this wasn¡¯t going to be goodbye forever, but she knew she¡¯d miss all of them. With that, she got into the back of the carriage with all the bags. She gave one final look at the adventuring guild with Sarah, Lare, and Eric standing in front of it. ¡°Goodbye for now,¡± she waved. ¡°Bye Nobina,¡± they all responded. Soon, the carriage started to move, and they were on their way. Anyone who recognized Nobina and Mimiki came to them, asking them questions as they began moving. Before they could stop the carriage, Nobina gathered her courage and stood up. ¡°Everyone,¡± she yelled. ¡°I shall return once I have gotten the supplies the town needs. Till we meet again!¡± Hearing that, people all around began waving Nobina and Mimiki goodbye, wishing them a good trip. As she sat back down, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but smile. She felt that everything she needed to do in the town was sorted, and it was time to finally go on an adventure. It might not have been one she wanted to go on, but it was one she¡¯d take full advantage of not only for her sake but for the town¡¯s sake. Chapter 56: Travel and Sights The initial part of the journey was relatively peaceful. They were traveling at a rather slow pace, but that was mainly due to the wagon. They didn¡¯t have too much in terms of gear, but two people and two heavy bags did slow down the group a bit. Nobina felt a bit bad that they were slowing down the whole party, but Mimiki told her that it was a part of the job. ¡°It¡¯s expected to pack a lot if you¡¯re going to be somewhere for a while,¡± said Mimiki as they sat in the wagon. ¡°I have no idea how long this trip will be, but at the very least, it¡¯s best to be prepared.¡± As she said that, Nobina saw her Gaze bag glow. She had taken a bag of pretzels out of it before noticing it glow again. The second glow had what appeared to be a sword in the bag. Pulling it out, she was shocked at how large the sword was. After pulling out of the bag, it ended up being about as long as Harden¡¯s hammer. No one failed to notice it either, as the whole group stopped the moment, she finished pulling it out. ¡°Uh¡­¡± said Aunai, bringing her horse closer to see what Nobina had. ¡°Why do¡­ you have a large sword Nobina?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ sigh¡­ the bag,¡± Nobina said, sounding a bit drained. ¡°I have no explanation for this. Sorry for the distraction.¡± ¡°Ah, no big deal,¡± laughed Lila. ¡°I¡¯d love to see some of our sword users try to wield this thing. Let me try.¡± Lila hopped off her horse and headed to the wagon. Once she was there, Nobina handed it off to her. Grabbing it, Lila was shocked as she tried to wield it. ¡°Woah,¡± she said, trying to get a good grip on it. ¡°This thing is much lighter than I thought it¡¯d be. That being said, the metal seems of decent quality. Hm¡­¡± Lila spent a good minute trying to get a good grasp of the sword. Eventually, she managed to hold it, but it felt unstable in their hands. It made Nobina wonder who the sword was meant for considering the profile was quite large. ¡°We should get going,¡± said Line, joining the group. ¡°Soon it will be nightfall, and we would best reach the planned rest stop for the added safety. Not that we need to worry about it, but the demon is still out there.¡± Hearing that, Nobina remembered that a demon was part of the reason the whole incident happened in the first place. Luckily, the demon¡¯s summons were dealt with, but the fact a rather strong demon was involved was concerning. ¡°Right,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Let¡¯s continue on Lila.¡± Lila nodded, handing off the sword to Nobina to put in the wagon. It was a bit annoying now that there was just a large sword in the middle of it, but there was nothing Nobina could really do about it. Once they started moving, Nobina took the bag of pretzels and tried one. As expected, it was a rather crunchy yet salty treat. Nobina went for her water pouch and began to drink some, prompting a confused look from Mimiki. ¡°What are those?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Pretzels,¡± she responded, wiping off the excess water around her mouth. ¡°Always need to have water with them, else the saltiness might be too overwhelming.¡± ¡°Salt? Isn¡¯t that used to preserve stuff?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Right, but it also adds a nice unique flavor to things. Want to try one?¡± asked Nobina, handing the bag over. Mimiki looked over the bag a bit before grabbing a pretzel and eating it. Watching her reaction to the saltiness made Nobina laugh as she watched Mimiki go for her own water pouch. Nobina noticed the looks of the others drawn to them, but it seemed this time they had no intention of stopping. Not wanting to eat all of them herself, she put the pretzel bag back into her Special Bag. She was thankful the Gaze was rather tame with the suggestions this time around, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before she received something crazy. Soon, the sun began to disappear and the sky itself began to darken. Lila told Aunai that they were close, making her a bit relieved. ¡°Hopefully the site still has room,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Else we¡¯ll have to make room somewhere nearby.¡± The group arrived at the designated stop site, where there was another adventuring group already there. Nobina saw that it was a rather large spot meant to take four adventuring groups. Even with their carriage, they managed to contain themselves to one spot as they began to set up. Aunai and Lila talked with the adventurers, who were more than happy to answer any of their questions. Nobina could notice they all looked nervous, but it was understandable. Those two were S-ranks, and to adventurers, such a thing was a sight to behold. They were the pinnacle of the adventuring lifestyle and what many strive to become, even if only a few would actually become S-ranks. As Line and Mimiki handled most of the setup for the campsite, Nobina was left to enjoy the whole environment. The smell of the forest occasionally blew through the campsite, serving as a constant reminder of how they were deep within the forest at this point. The trees had a majestic feel to them compared to the trees closer to the town, reflecting a bit of the forest¡¯s age. Walking close to one, Nobina could tell the forest was a bit old. While she wasn¡¯t a forester or someone who studied nature, she had a sort of sense for things like this. ¡°I guess you never forget your past, huh,¡± she told herself. Nobina began recalling a deep memory of traveling to the state park as a kid. She recalled a park ranger talking about the trees and their various ages. It seemed like such an unimportant thing to learn as a kid, but Nobina was surprised she could still recall such a thing. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°The past makes us who we are,¡± she nodded as she touched the tree that she was next to. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Mimiki. ¡°Time to eat.¡± ¡°Coming,¡± she replied back, leaving the tree to rejoin the group. Dinner was relatively quiet amongst the group. She had shared some of the extra food she had gotten from the innkeeper. All of them appreciated it, since it was fresher than their preserved rations. Nobina also took the chance to share pretzels with everyone. All of their reactions to it differed, which fascinated Nobina. Line ate it without even flinching, showing how well he could control his reactions. Aunai, however, reacted like Mimiki. She immediately got water, shaking her head at how she didn¡¯t like how salty it was. Last was Lila, who ate it and seemed disappointed. ¡°Man¡­ I thought I¡¯d be challenged by the ¡®saltiness¡¯ like Aunai, but I guess it was merely a weak opponent.¡± Nobina stared at Lila for a bit, trying to figure out what exactly she meant by that. ¡°Lila,¡± said Aunai, looking a bit irritated. ¡°Don¡¯t call my taste buds weak. You must have gotten a pretzel without much salt.¡± Being challenged, Lila took the whole bag and poured the rest of the pretzels and salt into her mouth. The reaction she had to the pure saltiness of everything made all of them laugh as she desperately tried to get some water. ¡°Oh you guys are so funny,¡± smiled Nobina as she enjoyed the moment together. After that was done, Lila began messing around with the large sword again as everyone else began to get ready for bed. The site was supposed to be safe, so no watch was needed. However, for the sake of Nobina¡¯s safety, Lila was told to sleep next to Nobina to keep her safe. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary, but I shall do as you ask,¡± nodded Lila. Everyone else finished getting settled in and soon, they all began to fall asleep one by one. Nobina found herself the last awake as she watched the campfire of the group continue to burn. The smell of burning wood reminded her more of her past. It felt like it wasn¡¯t too long ago that she was sitting by the campfire enjoying marshmallows with her brother, mother and father. The laughter between all of them made the whole camping experience something Nobina loved. Unfortunately, she could recall them only doing it once. The mosquito bites discouraged every future attempt at camping. As the fire continued to crackle, Nobina saw Lila finish up trying to use the large sword. ¡°I think I¡¯m finally getting it,¡± said Lila, lying down next to Nobina. ¡°Really? I¡¯d imagine that the sword wasn¡¯t meant for people our size,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°You could say that, but remember Harden uses a similar sized weapon,¡± replied Lila. ¡°If I could master the sword, I¡¯d love to face him one on one. Sure, his experience with his hammer gives him the advantage, but having the reach will be nice.¡± After she said that, a silence formed between the two as they both ended up watching the fire. ¡°You¡­ really like challenging people, huh?¡± said Nobina, her eyes not leaving the fire. ¡°I¡­ guess so,¡± Lila replied back. ¡°Honestly¡­ I¡¯m always aiming to be stronger. Whenever there¡¯s a mountain that appears before me, my mind tells me to ¡®climb it,¡¯ no matter how hard it is. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll climb every mountain. When there¡¯s a bunny that can destroy a dragon on that mountain, I¡¯ll move on to the next one.¡± Nobina sighed a bit hearing Lila still scared to death of Pausers. However, she respected Lila¡¯s desire to get stronger. Improvement was important and Nobina was no different. She wanted to improve at everything she did, even if it was a small amount of improvement. ¡°How else will I write my book if I remain the same,¡± she told herself. Before she could close her eyes, she heard Lila say one last thing. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to face you though Nobina¡­ One that will finally let me see how tall my next mountain is.¡± Nobina was about to say something, but Lila was already asleep. As the fire began to die down, Nobina found herself closing her eyes. Nobina hoped the next day would provide even cooler things to see. As the morning sun landed on Nobina¡¯s eyes, she found herself the last to wake up. Everyone else was packing up everything as they prepared to go on the next leg of their trip. Nobina saw that Lila was speaking with the other adventurers, who seemed excited to hear whatever she was saying. Aunai was watching over Line and Mimiki as they cleaned up. Once she noticed Nobina was awake, she called her over. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Aunai. ¡°The trip is going to be awhile, so I suggest you stretch before we head off. Don¡¯t want to get too rusty as an adventurer.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she replied back. Nobina did a few exercises to keep herself limber. After Mimiki was done with her part, she joined Nobina and assisted her a bit with her exercises. Lila joined in moments later, and soon, their group started doing a short training session. There was no sparring due to them being a bit pressed for time, but they all enjoyed the short break. Soon, the carriage was moving, and they continued on their way to the City of Navira. The day felt longer and longer as they continued to move slowly through the dense forest. The initial awe went away as Nobina got used to the sight of the forest. Instead of looking around, her focus turned to reviewing her writing as she summoned and recalled her books and documents. Before she knew it, they stopped again for lunch, where everyone was eating their rations. There wasn¡¯t much talking this time, making it a bit boring. However, Nobina knew not every meal could be exciting. Once they began to move on, Nobina wondered how long it would take before they got out of the forest. She didn¡¯t do too much research on the geography this time, as she was leaning on Aunai and her party for navigation. Who was she to not trust S-ranks to know what they were doing? As the day seemed to be nearing an end, Nobina was in awe as they finally left the forest area. Nobina moved to the edge of the carriage the moment she saw a massive field of flowers. The color seemed to vastly vary, showing what felt like a rainbow of color. Amongst the flowers were all sorts of monsters and animals as well. Some were easier to recognize than others, like the horses and what appeared to be buffalo. Besides the obvious animals being monsters, she recognized them as well. From basic ones like slimes to more complicated ones like cows with five heads, the whole sight was a reminder that Nobina was in another world. She was growing accustomed to it, but new sights like this were what she really loved seeing. ¡°So much inspiration,¡± she said, thinking about using this moment in her book. To her surprise, she noticed Hammy come out of her special bag. Nobina had been keeping Hammy there the whole time to avoid drawing attention. She didn¡¯t like keeping them confined, but they seemed comfortable in the bag rather than flying around constantly. That being said, she wasn¡¯t surprised to see them enjoy flying into the air. They went around the field, going from monster to monster. Many of the monsters kept to themselves, but some did take notice of the flying creature, trying to follow it as it passed by. ¡°You¡¯re such a mysterious thing Hammy¡­ not that Pausers and Lebron aren¡¯t equally as mysterious.¡± Nobina had treated her companions as simple pets, but after learning about Pausers potentially being an Alpha Death Hare, she wondered if there was something special behind Lebron and Hammy as well. Besides them not needing food, what other secrets did her small companions hold? ¡°More secrets to the list I guess,¡± smiled Nobina, thinking about what new things would find themselves getting involved in her life. Chapter 57: Spar and Declaration The moonlight was shining over the party as they were camping out for the night. Once again, Nobina found herself one of the last ones awake. Lila was still practicing with the large sword, feeling more and more confident about using it each night. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ a few nights so far,¡± Nobina told herself. The trip was set to take two weeks to reach the city of Navira. It was mainly due to the carriage preventing a shorter path from being taken. Despite that, even the shorter path was a week long journey by horse. It was the main reason why it took so long for reinforcements to arrive from Navira. ¡°If only you were here sooner Hammy,¡± said Nobina to Hammy, who was sleeping outside the bag. Ever since everyone saw Hammy, Aunai told her it was fine for Hammy to be free from their bag. Nobina knew that Hammy often chose to remain in the bag for two reasons. The first was it really didn¡¯t like the attention others were giving it. As it had previously sat on her shoulder, Nobina could tell that Hammy actively avoided being in the sight of people. When they were in the bag, they were much more comfortable. The second reason they remained in the bag was that Hammy must have known Nobina didn¡¯t like the attention they drew either. As a result, they made the active decision to stay in the bag for her sake as well. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you feel obligated to stay in the bag Hammy.¡± Hammy, hearing her say that, merely flew around her for a bit before resting on her shoulder, causing her to chuckle. ¡°I guess you¡¯re happy at least,¡± she smiled. As Nobina turned back to Lila, she saw Hammy produce a scroll that promptly dropped in front of her. Opening it up, Nobina was shocked to see a letter from someone she hadn¡¯t heard from since. ¡°Miso says hi.¡± At the bottom of the letter was the name Nonomo. ¡°So the artist of the artwork¡­ is communicating to me through Nonomo?¡± asked Nobina to herself. This was the first letter she had received from Nonomo since she had come to this world. It was odd to see one of them say hi to her. It was common sense to greet people, yet the Gaze itself defied what she thought was logical and illogical. After all, it made her new world one that could have items from her old world. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s your role in my life Nonomo.¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t whether Nonomo was playing a role in the current events. Part of her was convinced that they were involved as the entity that brought her over. Another part of her felt as if they were merely a puzzle piece in some larger puzzle. After all, did they have any say with what the Gaze did? ¡°Those readers did vote on my destiny,¡± Nobina sighed. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s them and not Nonomo who I should be worried about. After all, Nonomo did deliver this letter with a message from one of them. Other than that, what have they done so far¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions, but she was certain that Nonomo definitely had a role in everything. What that role was remained to be seen. For now, she knew she merely had to wait for more information to come to her. Eventually, the Gaze¡¯s role and his role would be revealed. At least, she wanted to believe it¡¯d be that simple. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Lila, panting after finishing her practice. ¡°Let¡¯s head to bed.¡± ¡°Right,¡± responded Nobina, finally lying down to go to sleep. Shortly after, the two were soundly asleep. The next day, the group was once again on the move. They were still in the open plains, which had dominated the view for the past few days. After that amazing flower sight previously, the sight soon turned to open fields of grass filled with normal animals. She recognized the horses and buffalo were the primary animals of these plains. She also saw there were only a few monsters on these plains as well. Despite this, they presented a danger Nobina was warned about. ¡°So those massive six legged horses are Viper-Stallions,¡± said Lila. ¡°They are quite deadly due to their speed, size, strength, and lethal poison. One spit can take out most adventurers. Even I have to be careful engaging them since I don¡¯t have that great of a durability or resistance to poison.¡± Hearing that made Nobina way more worried about the monsters there. However, they were mostly docile towards humans. Their main food was just grass, so you were fine unless you invaded their grassy territory. They were merely lucky that the creatures avoided claiming the roads as their own. As the group continued through the grassy plains, the sight of a small village on the road appeared. ¡°Finally,¡± said Aunai. ¡°We¡¯ve reached the Village of Tega. We¡¯ll restock here before moving on.¡± The group continued to make their way to the center of the village. Nobina, who was keeping her eyes on the village, took in the cool sight. This was the first village she had been to, making her curious about what the people outside of her town were like. The village itself was nothing too special. It had one inn along the main road, while small businesses took up any free space they could on the main road. Behind those businesses were the houses of the people who lived there and the other businesses that didn¡¯t need a direct connection to the road. ¡°Let¡¯s rent a room for the night and stock up,¡± said Aunai. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left in the day, so best we take advantage of the limited village time we have.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± said Lila, stretching her arms. ¡°Me and Nobina can spar in the meantime.¡± Nobina found herself coughing, shocked that Lila recommended the spar. ¡°Lila¡­¡± said Nobina, now suddenly worried about Lila. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry,¡± said Lila, waving her hand. ¡°I won¡¯t attack you at all! I want you to strike me and I¡¯ll try to avoid or block it. Pausers won¡¯t have anything to say about our spar if I don¡¯t attack. I¡¯ve been thinking about the best way to finally spar with you and this is totally it.¡± Lila was giving a nod as if she had come up with the most brilliant solution to her problem. However, the only thing she had managed to do was have Aunai even more curious about why Lila was treating Nobina like she was an important person. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°So¡­ someone named Pausers is the reason,¡± said Aunai with a hand to her chin. ¡°The puzzle is solving itself.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± sighed Nobina, shaking her head. She didn¡¯t know whether to try to deny her request for a spar or to just relent and go with it. If Lila realized she wasn¡¯t that strong, it would at least prevent any future spars. She was curious how strong her Pen Blade was, but she had no intentions of using the Memory Pen Blade. However, she was willing to test the Golden Pen Blade if Lila paid for it. She did have the Gaze¡¯s money as well, but she wanted to save that for emergencies. ¡°So¡­¡± said Nobina. ¡°I will agree to it, but one of my abilities requires money, so¡­¡± Nobina found a sack of coins being tossed to her. Looking into the bag, she was shocked to see what appeared to be at least one hundred gold coins. ¡°If money is required, I shall pay whatever you need. I¡¯m just so excited to see your true power Nobina,¡± said Lila, her mouth practically salivating at this point. Looking at Aunai and Line, Aunai merely shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s your choice Nobina. Lila is extremely strong though. Even if she¡¯s not attacking, you might bring out her fighting spirit if you display enough strength.¡± ¡°No way,¡± said Lila, shaking her head vigorously. ¡°I shall never let harm befall Nobina so long as I can do something.¡± ¡°It is commendable that you desire that Lila, but we¡¯ll see if you finally keep your word,¡± said Line, shaking his head. Nobina was feeling nervous all of a sudden. Was there a chance Lila would actually attack her? ¡°I trust you Lila,¡± said Nobina, deciding to put her faith in her friend. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lila cheered, heading straight out of town. Nobina, Mimiki, and Lila made their way to the outskirts of the village. They gave it a good amount of distance as Lila angled herself away from the town. ¡°Feel free to use weaker attacks first and ramp up. Better you not potentially harm me,¡± smiled Lila. Nobina gave a nod, summoning her Pen Blade. The sight of it made Lila extremely excited, and she took a defensive stance. Seeing that, Nobina approached her with caution, being careful not to do anything too rash. On Lila¡¯s side, she seemed eager to block the first hit, her own sword now taken out and ready to defend against Nobina¡¯s attacks. When she was close enough, Nobina took a breath and swung her sword. The moment she did, Lila moved to block. The collision shocked Nobina. The blade seemed to stay firm, and it bounced off Lila¡¯s sword. For the first time, Nobina could see a disappointed look on Lila¡¯s face. One specifically directed at her. ¡°Huh¡­ Well, I guess you¡¯re just being extra careful,¡± smiled Lila. ¡°Use a lot more power! I¡¯m ready to take it!¡± Hearing her voice, Nobina took a deep breath. She had the combination attack that Eric had taught her, so she decided to try that. The Golden Pen Blade was a last resort, and she would use that as the combo finisher. With that, Nobina attacked Lila with the combo Eric had taught her. Lila seemed to effortlessly dodge it, but at the last swing, Nobina summoned the Golden Pen Blade to hopefully satisfy Lila. The moment the golden blade came out, Lila¡¯s own blade started to emit lightning. The clash was unlike the previous ones, emitting a wave of power that blew Nobina back. Lila held firm, but Nobina could see she felt it. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± cheered Lila. ¡°Now! Even more¡­ power?¡± As Lila turned to Nobina, she saw she had fainted. Seeing that, Lila found herself dumbfounded. She was convinced Nobina was so much stronger, yet after displaying a somewhat respectable skill, they were out cold. ¡°¡­ Lame,¡± Lila found herself saying, her look now downcast. She walked over to Nobina, sitting right next to her as she waited for her to wake up. It was only then did she remember that Mimiki was there. Mimiki, who was merely watching, felt Lila¡¯s bloodlust as she turned her attention to Mimiki. ¡°Say,¡± smiled Lila. ¡°You must be at least better than¡­ Nobina, right?¡± Hearing her hesitation, Mimiki found herself now curious about Lila¡¯s changed expression. She was giving off a feeling that Mimiki was all too familiar with. An unpleasant one that she had given out previously. ¡°Do you¡­ detest Nobina now, Lila?¡± asked Mimiki. Hearing that, Lila was about to say something, but then an expression of fear appeared on her. ¡°Oh no,¡± she replied, shaking her head. ¡°Nobina is still my friend. She must be having an off day. Yeah! She can¡¯t be this weak. She¡¯s a hero after all. A hero can¡¯t be weak.¡± Those words were all Mimiki needed to hear to know why Lila wanted to fight Nobina. She saw her as something more than what she was. ¡°Lila,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Nobina isn¡¯t a fighter. She might be our town hero, but her dream is writing. Her Path is the Writer. She doesn¡¯t aim to become strong like us. Rather¡­ she¡¯s focusing on her dream.¡± Those words seemed to have a mixed effect of Lila. She gave a nod, seemingly understanding what Mimiki was saying. However, Lila had a part of her that was failing to hide herself. ¡°Then¡­ will she ever reach the level¡­ I expected of her? The level expected of a hero?¡± she asked Mimiki. ¡°She has great potential Lila,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°If I raise her properly, she¡¯ll reach S rank in no time. Trust me.¡± Hearing that seemed to relieve Lila, who was now smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it. So¡­ Do you want to spar?¡± Upon hearing those words, Mimiki displayed her own smile. ¡°Oh absolutely,¡± she said, taking out her sword. Nobina found herself awake about ten minutes later. When she looked around, she saw that Mimiki and Lila were having an amazing fight. Both were pretty fast, but it was once again a display of an S rank versus an A rank. However, Mimiki was doing far better than Nobina had done against Lila. On Lila¡¯s side, she was merely yelling about Mimiki¡¯s mistakes as she exploited them. It was a spar meant to teach Mimiki, who was open to learning under Lila. ¡°Guess you two are having a good time at least,¡± smiled Nobina. She had hoped that the sorry display was enough to convince Lila that she wasn¡¯t someone worth sparring with. That wasn¡¯t to say Nobina wanted to remain weak forever, but she needed time to train, learn new skills, and work towards her dream. The moment her dream was complete, she was more open to trying to explore the adventurer route. However, her primary goal was merely to get stronger to protect herself and counteract the troubles her path was set to bring. An hour went by before they were done with their spar. The sun was setting, and Aunai came by to see how things were going. ¡°Seems like Lila is satisfied by Mimiki,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°I¡¯m surprised though, since I thought she was planning to fight you.¡± ¡°We had a spar, but it was rather short,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m not that strong, so it was pretty quick.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she nodded. ¡°So I guess the main reason she didn¡¯t want to harm you previously was because of this Pausers person. Is he an up and coming adventurer?¡± ¡°Well¡­ no,¡± said Nobina. ¡°See¡­ Pausers is a normal bunny. However, Lila believes he¡¯s an Alpha Death Hare. I think it¡¯s ridiculous, but¡­¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes noticed the paleness of Aunai¡¯s face as she stared at Nobina. Realizing what was happening, Nobina quickly shook her hands. ¡°Oh no no no,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Pausers is a normal¡­¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± said Aunai, her face pale. ¡°Did¡­ did Eric confirm it was a normal bunny?¡± ¡°Well¡­ No. He told me that it didn¡¯t make sense that Pausers was a Death Hare. If he was, then why am I still alive.¡± Aunai, hearing that, nodded her head. ¡°True. A Death Hare, let alone an Alpha Death Hare, has never been confirmed to be tamed. If one was tamed, that would make the owner¡­¡± Upon saying that, Aunai put her hand against her head. ¡°Uh¡­ Nobina. You don¡¯t hate us right?¡± asked Aunai. Nobina put her head in her hands, shaking her head. ¡°Come on¡­ Not you too¡­¡± It was at that moment that Nobina was convinced that no one would believe her that Pausers was a normal bunny. At the very least, she was thankful that Sarah wasn¡¯t deathly afraid of him. It did make her wonder if Pausers could have easily resolved the goblin incident if he had seen them. However, she had no intentions of testing her bunny companion. ¡°Death Hare or not, Pausers is my companion and please trust he wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± smiled Aunai. ¡°Anyway, please let me know if you need any assistance from us. We are always open to accommodating a fellow guild employee.¡± Nobina had no words, merely walking away from where they were staying. ¡°Can we please reach our destination already,¡± she sighed. As she said that, her Gaze bag glowed. Looking into it, she took out what appeared to be a nut. Reading the note, it said it was ¡°a nut that freezes a surrounding area upon forceful floor impact.¡± At the end of the note was the white branch symbol. ¡°Hm¡­ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do with this, but glad you guys are brightening my mood with cool things,¡± smiled Nobina, speaking in hopes the Gaze was receiving her thanks. Chapter 58: Pass and Dragon After the duel, Nobina noticed a slight change in attitude from both Aunai and Lila. On Lila¡¯s end, she seemed less attached to Nobina. Instead of seeing if she was fine when she took notice of Nobina, Lila continued her chat with Mimiki regarding her swordsmanship. Mimiki was enjoying the talk, and Nobina had to admit it felt better that Lila was no longer concerned about her all the time. Part of Nobina felt this was a reminder that honesty was the best policy, and it was important to set expectations as early as possible. If she had convinced Lila she wasn¡¯t some strong person earlier, perhaps Mimiki and Lila would have been friends sooner. However, Nobina had no doubt in her mind that her position regarding Pausers would still lead to Lila keeping a sense of protectiveness towards Nobina. If not just for her sake but also for the sake of everyone. As for Aunai, she was keeping an even closer distance between herself and Nobina. During the dinner at the village, she would ask Nobina how everything was and try to learn more about her. Nobina had already noticed Aunai doing this even before mentioning Pausers, but now Aunai¡¯s actions were amplified. Once dinner concluded, they all headed to their room for the night. All except Lila and Mimiki, who wanted to train a bit more before heading to bed. ¡°Just my luck,¡± she sighed, sitting in her room. She was sharing a room with Lila and Mimiki, but both were out doing nighttime training. She was invited by Mimiki, but Nobina declined, as she wanted to get a chance to fill out her diary. There was a clear look of disappointment in Lila when Nobina told her that, but she seemed to swap her focus on enjoying training with Mimiki. ¡°Hope those two become good friends,¡± nodded Nobina, continuing to fill in her diary. It had been a while since she had written something in her diary. Their journey had only been going on for a few days, but she had seen a lot of new sights that she knew her diary wouldn¡¯t be able to hold. It had limited space, and as much as Nobina wanted to write every single detail, she knew the time was better spent on her book. ¡°Speaking of book¡­¡± Nobina took out her book on adventuring. She hadn¡¯t managed to get another chapter in, but that was to be expected. A lot was happening and her time working on it was somewhat limited due to her training and work. Not to mention she often enjoyed spending free time with Mimiki and Sarah. ¡°I wonder how Sarah¡¯s doing,¡± asked Nobina to herself as she finished writing her diary for the day. Once she recalled it, she summoned a piece of paper and decided to write a letter to her, Lare, Eric, and her companions. She focused on asking how they were all doing and whether there were any new developments. She then talked about how her own trip was going and the few things that happened on the trip. It was a simple letter, yet Nobina appreciated they had a means of communicating. As she finished it up and recalled it, the door opened to her room. First to enter was Lila, who had the most satisfied look on her face. ¡°Man¡­ You¡¯re so great to train with Mimiki. Sure, you aren¡¯t nearly on my level, but you got me to use the first stage of my ultimate ability. Props to you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± panted Mimiki, appearing right behind Lila. Lila¡¯s gaze turned to Nobina, her eyes falling onto the book in front of her. ¡°A book about¡­ adventuring?¡± asked Lila, her curiosity peaking. ¡°Yeah,¡± smiled Nobina, moving back a bit. ¡°I¡¯m writing a book about adventuring. It¡¯s my dream to publish a book, so I thought one about adventuring would be fun to write.¡± Lila seemed to go into thought a bit before nodding. ¡°Cool,¡± she said, moving to her bed right after. Once Lila was next to her bed, she patted it down a bit and laid down, closing her eyes right after. ¡°Night Mimiki. Night Nobina.¡± ¡°Good night,¡± they both replied. Lila was out shortly after, leaving Nobina and Mimiki to chat. ¡°So how was training?¡± asked Nobina, recalling her book. She then headed to her bed to sit and waited for Mimiki to regale her with their training. ¡°Oh, it was so fun,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°Training with the strong is something that is near and dear to my heart. I¡¯m sure you would have enjoyed it.¡± Nobina gave a chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°Perhaps, but it sounds a bit too intense for me.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± replied Mimiki as she lay down in her own bed. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d have gotten a lot out of it. Plus, more intense training would help you develop your Path more.¡± She couldn¡¯t deny that. Nobina was aware how the intensity of training helped play a keep role in development. As far as she understood, hard work and dedication towards ones path were rewarded generously. If Nobina intended to become an S-rank one day, she¡¯d have to do more intense training, take on risky missions, and do meaningful work on the adventuring side. All of it would eventually wind up making her strong enough to stand amongst the other S-ranks. ¡°Yeah¡­ Though I still plan to focus on writing,¡± she told Mimiki. ¡°That¡¯s fine, but remember we are on duty Nobina,¡± said Mimiki as she stretched a bit. ¡°You never know how often you¡¯ll get to leave town, so you should enjoy the adventure.¡± As soon as Mimiki said that Nobina began wondering if that was the best thing to do. ¡°Thanks for the¡­¡± Nobina chuckled the moment she noticed Mimiki had just fallen asleep. It seemed their training had taken everything out of them, making Nobina happy it was successful. ¡°Guess its time to call it a night,¡± nodded Nobina, heading to bed herself. It didn¡¯t take long before she was out herself. The next day, the group was out of the town and once again on a trip through dense forest. This time around, there were rather strange, yet tough monsters along the path they were taking. According to Mimiki, the main monsters on the path were Ambush Slimes, which were monsters that often tried to ambush unsuspecting monsters or people. For anyone who was E rank or lower, these slimes could be fatal if one was swarmed. However, there were constant warnings regarding the slimes, and the slimes generally avoided trying to ambush those of D-rank or of equivalent strength. ¡°There¡¯s not much we need to worry about,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°It would have been great practice to try to fight them, but we do lack time.¡± ¡°Perhaps when we get to the city and I have some time, I can take a quest or two,¡± said Nobina, her eyes looking toward where they were going. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Oh that¡¯s a great idea,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°You need to rise your rank up eventually, so its good to get more quests under your belt.¡± Beyond that, Nobina had sent out Hammy to deliver the letter when they left the village. Nobina wasn¡¯t sure if Hammy would know how to get back to the village, but them heading in the right direction made Nobina a bit more confident they¡¯d get there without issue. Midway through the forest, Nobina¡¯s Gaze bag glowed once more. Opening it up, she saw a big sign with a slime on it. Under the slime was a warning saying, ¡°Bewaring of Slime Swarms.¡± ¡°Oh neat,¡± said Nobina. ¡°This might help more people avoid slime swarms.¡± ¡°We can put it at the end of the forest on the west side,¡± said Aunai, who overheard Nobina. ¡°It should be helpful in preventing more adventurers and civilians being ambushed. Nobina felt happy the Gaze sometimes had great ideas like this. It was one of the few times that the Gaze¡¯s actions seemed for the sake of others rather than being something that directly affected Nobina. She began wondering if she¡¯d receive more gifts like this, but she knew the Gaze had all sorts of entities behind it. It was only a matter of time before one of them took action like this. At the same moment, she thought that the bag glowed again. This time, a spyglass was peeking out of the Gaze bag, seemingly looking for something before the spyglass fell to the carriage floor. Picking it up, Nobina began wondering what its purpose was since it wasn¡¯t as clear as the sign. ¡°I wonder if this is a sign? I already have binoculars, so perhaps it¡¯s an indication from the Gaze that I¡¯ll need to look out for something? Or maybe¡­ Hm¡­¡± Nobina spent the rest of the day thinking more about what the spyglass could be an indication of. Nothing came to mind, so she decided to merely keep it on her person in case it became important to use. Plus, she liked using it to look around since it seemed more appropriate to use versus binoculars. Eventually, they were out of the forest and now passing through a small bunch of hills that seemed to lead toward a small mountain range. At this moment, Line took the chance to chat with Nobina about the rest of the trip. ¡°We¡¯ll be passing through the Hawk-Hunter Mountains after these hills. Normally, you¡¯d need to wait at the entrance for the designated guide to escort you, but those of A rank or higher can pass through the range without a designated guide.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Why do they call it the Hawk-Hunter Mountains?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the mountains have the Cowana Hawk, which is a chicken-like hawk that flies around the mountains and lives there. They number in the thousands and often attract more dangerous flying creatures like Griffins, Hawkin Hunters, which are hawks that hunt the Cowana Hawk, and other bird monsters and animals.¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes widened, surprised by the ecosystem she was hearing about. It always fascinated her learning about the inner workings of an area, so this was right up her alley in things she wanted to know. ¡°Too bad there aren¡¯t any dragons or wyverns,¡± sighed Lila. ¡°I¡¯d love being here more if there was something at least more deadly than the Viper-Griffin.¡± ¡°Viper-Griffins?¡± asked Nobina. Lila began explaining how Viper-Griffins were the sole reason a guide was required to pass through the area. They were large-winged creatures that had poisonous claws, spit venom, and had a rather long body compared to normal Griffins. ¡°Just keep yourself in the carriage and we¡¯ll protect you,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Our sheer presence should deter any of the more senior monsters from attacking, but the young ones you never really know about.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± responded Nobina. The group eventually reached the end of the hills and the entrance into the mountain pass. There was a guide waiting there already, as well as several adventuring parties. Looking at a nearby sign, it indicated that the guide could only escort twenty people max. Any larger parties needed additional guides or individuals who were able to deter the Viper-Griffin. ¡°Oh,¡± said the guide, seeing Aunai. ¡°How was your trip Guild Master Aunai?¡± ¡°It was pretty productive. We¡¯ve completed the mission and are heading back.¡± ¡°Great,¡± he smiled. ¡°Safe travels through the pass.¡± Aunai gave a nod. Soon, the carriage was moving through the pass. Nobina was in awe at the sight of the mountains they were moving through. Their elevation was slowly rising as they traveled through the natural terrain. It made Nobina wonder if one day this world would have the equivalent of roads like her own. The whole trip was a good example of what life was like before the advent of modern technology. She was unaware if this world would grow faster or slower than her own world technology-wise. However, she was sure it¡¯d become more and more advanced over time. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll see a spaceship here if I¡¯m lucky,¡± she chuckled to herself. The trip through the pass was half a day long. There was absolutely no stopping in the pass due to the danger. It was why there was an adventurer base camp at both ends for people to sleep as they waited for the daytime and guides. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have too much¡­¡± As Aunai said that, a shiver went down her spine. Lila¡¯s reaction of pure excitement could only draw worry from Nobina. ¡°What is¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Lila hopped off her horse, screaming a single word out loud. ¡°Dragon!¡± she yelled in pure enjoyment. A powerful roar echoed throughout the mountains, causing all the horses to panic. Immediately, Line moved to secure all of them to prevent them from running away. He spoke a word into each of their eyes and they all fell asleep. Nobina had no time to think about what Line did as a massive shadow appeared over them. Her eyes turned to the sky to see something classic yet extremely scary. Using her spyglass, she had a better picture of the beast. It was a large-winged creature that was now over them, flying in a circle formation. It looked to be red and covered in scales. The head itself looked as classic as possible to a dragon¡¯s head, confirming Nobina¡¯s fears. Nobina felt a shiver down her spine as she noticed its eyes looking directly at her, forcing her to put down the spyglass. ¡°My god,¡± said Mimiki, pulling her sword out. Aunai ordered them out of the carriage, which they listened to without hesitation. As they left it, the dragon began its descent towards them. They all prepared to move, but the dragon itself landed in front of them. It¡¯s large eyes turned towards them as it opened its mouth. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, she heard it speak their language. ¡°Humans,¡± it spoke in a deep yet authoritative voice. ¡°Why do you have such a divine entity watching me as I travel?¡± ¡°Divine entity?¡± asked Aunai. ¡°We are merely adventurers.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ but a divine entity has its eye on me. It is right next to that girl with long black hair.¡± They all turned to Nobina, who shook her head vigorously. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Gaze is focusing on you,¡± spoke Nobina, seeing no other choice but to mention the Gaze. The dragon¡¯s eyes narrowed, but soon, it seemed to shiver a bit. ¡°Hm¡­ I see that this divine entity is a protector. Then I shall leave you unless you attempt harm me or my belongings,¡± it roared back. Soon, powerful gusts of winds began flowing at them. They all managed to avoid being swept away as the dragon left them. As soon as it was gone, all of them gave a sigh of relief. ¡°What¡¯s going on Nobina,¡± asked Aunai. ¡°Do you have a divine entity watching you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± she replied back. All of them continued to look at Nobina as Aunai responded. ¡°We got time. Let¡¯s continue as you explain everything to us,¡± said Aunai, her focus now on getting them to the city. As they traveled through the mountain pass, Nobina explained the Gaze and the Gaze bag to all of them. She left off the part of it being given to her by Nonomo since she didn¡¯t want anyone to know about the entity that brought her there. Hearing the story, Aunai seemed to accept it without much issue. ¡°I see¡­¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°So you¡¯ve received a bag from some divine entity and have to carry it around. It does explain a lot of the story you gave earlier. There were a lot of holes, but I didn¡¯t press it for Eric¡¯s sake. He¡¯d have told me if he wanted me to know.¡± ¡°Sorry for keeping it a secret,¡± said Nobina. ¡°This is something not everyone should know.¡± ¡°Secrecy for these things is important,¡± responded Line. ¡°Reveal the information when you need to, else its better less people know. Else, it leaves you open to being used or worse.¡± Nobina knew of the dangers of her secret, but now she was realizing how much more problematic her situation was. She didn¡¯t know if the Gaze intentionally drew the dragon in, but it was clear that it did draw its attention. Nobina was worried that perhaps any powerful entity would be drawn in by the Gaze. In the worst case, some entity that merely wanted to kill could take notice of the Gaze and then strike her down immediately. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll just keep keeping it a secret then,¡± said Nobina. Soon, all their attention turned forward as they continued their journey through the pass. ¡°Too bad I couldn¡¯t fight the dragon,¡± sighed Lila. ¡°You¡¯d have been destroyed or someone else would have gotten hurt,¡± sighed Aunai. Nobina gave a chuckle, but deep down, she knew Aunai was right. If they were unlucky, all of them could have gotten hurt or worse. She was far from being able to deal with threats like a dragon, and she needed to deal with even greater threats eventually. So long as her Path sent danger her way, she¡¯d have to be able to repel it. ¡°It is strange though,¡± said Aunai. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a dragon sighting in years. We¡¯ll have to send teams to investigate the reason for one appearing, since the mountain pass is far away from Darunka Mountains, their primary home.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything, but Nobina suspected it was related to her path. For now, she kept quiet, but she knew what she had to do. ¡°I have to get stronger,¡± Nobina told herself as the group continued through the pass. At the same time, Aunai was in deep thought. ¡°The puzzle is solving itself," she thought to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep observing to make sure though.¡± Chapter 59: Navira and Bookstore The trek through the pass was rather slow but far more peaceful than Aunai anticipated. The presence of a dragon had basically cleared the area of the more dangerous bird monsters that would often hunt. It was nice knowing it was rather safe, yet the appearance of a dragon still had most of them on edge. Only Lila looked excited to see the dragon appear, even if everyone else didn¡¯t want another encounter. As they got near the exit of the pass, the sun in the sky was already setting. As there was no stopping, all carriages had to be out of the pass before night. The worst case was that the night creatures would appear and take advantage of the darkness. It wasn¡¯t too uncommon for a caravan to be lost in a night attack in these passes. That was why guides prioritized safety and would order groups to leave behind belongings if they suspected they wouldn¡¯t be out before night. ¡°I wonder,¡± said Mimiki, keeping her eye partly on the sky as they talked. ¡°This is the first dragon I¡¯ve seen. The feeling wasn¡¯t like anything else I¡¯ve experience yet¡­ For some reason that felt like a rather weak dragon.¡± ¡°You must be joking,¡± said Nobina, shocked by Mimiki¡¯s words. ¡°If that was weak, then we are basically ants standing before giants.¡± ¡°Not me,¡± said Lila, giving a laugh. ¡°I might have not been able to take on the dragon, but I would have given it a run for its money.¡± Nobina was happy Lila was keeping optimistic, but her worries were that dragons would start appearing and messing with the city of Navira. If this happened because of her yet again, Nobina wouldn¡¯t know what to do. Telling people that they were being attacked by dragons because of her would never go well. ¡°Nobina?¡± asked Mimiki, noticing Nobina¡¯s worried expression. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m just worried about the dragon. Is that¡­ not normal,¡± she asked. ¡°Perfectly normal,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Dragons are beings that have lived well beyond humans, changed the world time and time again, and have done unspeakable things we would never condone. Being cautious about dragons is wise.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t have agreed more. She¡¯d be cautious around them until she could comfortably fight one. Not that she was anywhere close to even standing up to one. The party left the pass and was greeted with the sight of a large city. Nobina, who was keeping her gaze on their surroundings, was in awe seeing the city. Despite its far distance, a lot of it was still visible and impressive. From what Nobina could recall, Navira was a central city that was used as a bridge between other major cities. The city itself was still a place to be though. There were a vastly larger number of dungeons to visit and monster nests containing monsters stronger than goblins. From what Nobina knew, Navira was going to be an amazing place to explore and learn. Of course, they still had their primary job as guild officers, but Nobina wanted a chance to view the city before she became known. ¡°Hey Aunai,¡± said Nobina, getting Aunai¡¯s attention. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. ¡°Can I look around the city by myself?¡± Nobina asked with sparkles in her eyes. ¡°I rather get a chance to do that before people recognize me as a guild officer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°However, would you be against Line being with you? He¡¯ll merely shadow as you look around.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± replied Nobina. She had a feeling she didn¡¯t have enough leverage to deny such a request, so she accepted it without any trouble. Once that was done, everyone once again focused as they continued for a bit. Soon, the moonlight was upon them, and they rested in an unplanned location. ¡°The forests near Navira are rather safe. At most there might be a C rank threat, but if we fail to stop one, then we disgrace the ranks we all hold.¡± With that, the party rested for the night. Nobina was still amazed at how they didn¡¯t need someone on watch, but she figured it was something that the strong didn¡¯t need. The moon, in particular, tonight felt beautiful. Looking at it, a memory appeared in Nobina¡¯s head. One she didn¡¯t expect to recall. Nobina remembered Fay bringing her to the park in the middle of the night. It was her birthday, and Nobina had a blast celebrating it with all her friends. Fay had taken the lead the whole day, making sure Nobina was the center of attention and having a blast. It was only at the very end that Nobina saw Fay almost fall over that night. It scared Nobina to death, but she quickly learned the reason Fay looked weak. She had worked all week non-stop, ensuring the day would be perfect, and it wasn¡¯t until it was dead of night that she felt her job was done. ¡°Fay,¡± said Nobina, letting Fay rest her head on her lap. ¡°I appreciate everything you¡¯ve done for me. You¡¯ve made¡­ today far more special than most of my other birthdays. However¡­ Please never work yourself this hard ever again for my sake. I care too much about you to watch you hurt yourself for my sake.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Fay chuckled. ¡°I guess I should have toned it down a bit.¡± Fay¡¯s eye looked up at Nobina, who was looking at her. ¡°Nobina,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°I wish we remain friends¡­ forever.¡± ¡°I do too Fay,¡± she smiled back. As Nobina blinked, she found herself in her bed, looking up at a nighttime sky that looked different from her old world. ¡°Do you still look up to the sky and think about me Fay?¡± asked Nobina, hoping that Fay was living her best life in this new world. Soon, her own tiredness overtook Nobina, and she was asleep. The next day, the party continued for about a few hours till they were within range of the city. They started encountering adventurers heading out to do their various quests. Many of them gave their respects to Aunai. The rare few who didn¡¯t seem to recognize them were quickly reprimanded by their fellow party members, who knew these were the big shots of the Navira guild. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Nobina found all the interactions funny, enjoying the large variety of adventurers here. It was very apparent the majority of them were swordsmen or had melee weapons. Every party seemed composed either fully of melee weapons or had a majority of melee weapons with the occasional other Paths like archer, mage, or even healer. When they were close to the city¡¯s main gate, Nobina was in awe. The whole city was walled off, protected by walls that must have been about thirty feet high. Nobina had never seen a castle before in real life, but seeing a massive stone wall like this made Nobina realize how small she was compared to such a big wall. The entrance to the city was already packed full of people of all sorts trying to get in. There had to be at least a hundred people, either adventuring groups, civilians, or traders and their caravans. Their group went past all of them, drawing the eyes of everyone in the main line. Most of them recognized Aunai immediately, not questioning her cutting to the front. Once they were there, the guards greeted her nervously and allowed Aunai and the rest to travel through. ¡°Welcome to Navira,¡± said Aunai with the biggest grin. Nobina¡¯s face was in awe, seeing the sheer size of the city. From a distance, it was hard to actually understand the city¡¯s scope, but once she was inside, she was impressed by the sheer amount of multi-story buildings. This was a completely different vibe compared to the small town of Agora. People were coming and going in swarms. There seemed to be a shop for everything. More importantly, it made Nobina wonder if exploring was a good idea. ¡°Alright,¡± said Aunai. ¡°We¡¯ll drop by the guild to discuss your living situations. The guild has a designated residential building behind it for guild officers or individuals of high importance. After you¡¯re settled in, you can join Nobina.¡± Aunai¡¯s gaze turned to Nobina, who merely saluted. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to not do anything to disgrace the guild.¡± Aunai nodded, moving with the rest of the group towards the guild. Line himself left his horse to Mimiki, who rode it with the rest of the party. ¡°So,¡± said Line. ¡°Do you need assistance, or will you be searching on your own accord?¡± ¡°My own accord for now, but thanks for asking,¡± she smiled. Hearing that, Line nodded and took a step back. With the freedom to look around for the first time in a while, she began by walking down the roads everyone else was walking. Nobina hadn¡¯t walked in a large crowd in such a long time. It felt like she was at in the downtown of a major city in her old world, with people focusing on where they were going. Inside such a crowd, Nobina felt free to look around to find her first place of interest. ¡°Wait!¡± she said, stopping in front of a sign with a book on it. Looking at the store name, she saw the name Mara¡¯s Books. She immediately found herself going in moments later, causing a ting on the door¡¯s bell. ¡°Welcome,¡± spoke a red-headed woman with short hair behind a wooden counter. She looked a bit like Sarah, though her hairstyle was definitely messier. Nobina¡¯s eyes quickly scanned the room, seeing shelves full of books that could be potentially good reads. The thing about the guild library was that it was all non-fiction writing. Nobina had craved a new book that was fiction, which would have been hard to find in this world. When she asked Eric about it previously, he merely told her that such a book wouldn¡¯t be too popular. It seemed crazy initially, but Nobina had accepted that not many people in this world had thoughts of what wasn¡¯t possible. After all, there were a lot of magical and fantasy elements in this world that made it hard to find something that would fit the fictional realm. ¡°Uh,¡± said the red-headed woman. ¡°Welcome.¡± Nobina turned to see Line walk into the store, his eyes merely looking toward the books. It was at that moment that Nobina remembered her purpose for coming into the store. She approached the woman, who looked at her curiously. ¡°Hello there,¡± said Nobina. ¡°My name¡¯s Nobina and I¡¯m here to find a certain kind of book.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± responded the red-haired woman. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have the most extensive collection Nobina, but I can certainly help you out. My name is Mara if you didn¡¯t know, and I made this store to spread books to those who wanted it.¡± Mara explained how her store wasn¡¯t a traditional store. Rather, she took in books of all kinds in exchange for books she had. It was a sort of book exchange place, with her taking a small fee to help fund her getting more books. Her goal was to spread as much knowledge as possible to every single person who was willing to share. ¡°Wow,¡± said Nobina. ¡°That¡¯s so cool.¡± ¡°I know,¡± replied Mara, showing her own excitement. ¡°So. What book are you looking for?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ something that is fiction, or isn¡¯t real,¡± she replied back. Mara entered deep thought as she analyzed Nobina¡¯s request. ¡°Hm¡­ I have a few of those. What kind of topic? I only really have hero stories for younger people. Someone as old as you¡­¡± ¡°Can I see it?¡± asked Nobina, her eyes sparking as she got close. ¡°Sure,¡± said Mara, only slightly phased by Nobina¡¯s action. Soon, Nobina found herself reading a book called The Daughter¡¯s Hero. It was a story about a young girl who became the hero of a nation under the teachings of a powerful S-rank adventurer. The adventurer had suffered a serious injury, and she declared she¡¯d grow up powerful and spread her father¡¯s name far and wide. She saw her achievements as both of theirs and would never let anyone forget either her or her father. ¡°It¡¯s a rather touching tale,¡± said Mara, looking a bit tearful. ¡°I won¡¯t give away anything major, but this is truly a story that people have both taken and given back. I was always scared that someone would one day take this story and never return it. After all, this is a book exchange and rarely do people exchange the books back. Especially since this isn¡¯t a town that values books. However, this story in particular always finds its way back.¡± ¡°Amazing,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I really wish I could exchange for the book.¡± Mara was confused by Nobina¡¯s sad expression, but it suddenly clicked in her mind. ¡°Yeah¡­ I wish I could help you,¡± said Mara. ¡°However, I cannot give you a book without a book in return. The whole point of the store would collapse if I just sold books like a traditional bookstores. You probably won¡¯t find a copy of a book anywhere.¡± Nobina understood, yet she really wanted to read that book. ¡°If only I had finished my own book,¡± Nobina told herself softly. However, Mara¡¯s ears didn¡¯t fail to catch that. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± she asked. Nobina explained how she was an inspiring author and how she was writing her own book. That fact instantly made Mara happy to hear. ¡°Meeting an author. Despite me exchanging so many books, no one has declared themselves an author. This would be a first,¡± nodded Mara. ¡°Yeah¡­ Well, I appreciate knowing what you do and this store Mara,¡± said Nobina. With that, Nobina began to leave. As she did, Line approached Mara, drawing her attention. ¡°Can I help you, guild officer?¡± asked Mara. ¡°Yes¡­ May I exchange this book for The Daughter¡¯s Hero?¡± Line took out a rather colorful book that he handed to Mara. She opened it up, her eyes glowing upon her reading through it. ¡°My god. There¡¯s so many pictures and words on tea in this book. What is this?¡± asked Mara, her curiosity soaring. ¡°My personal book on the various teas and their ingredients. I¡¯ve always kept a copy on me for emergencies, but I think it¡¯s worth getting a read. Plus, if it¡¯s still around, I can exchange it back, right?¡± asked Line. ¡°Of course, but there¡¯s no guarantee this type of book would last the day,¡± sighed Mara. ¡°Nobility often comes here to hunt books they might not personally have. They often exchange information books or books that cannot be easily obtained by commoners, so their trades are often accepted.¡± ¡°It is of little concern,¡± smiled Line. ¡°I shall always have the most updated version. Also, an act of kindness for those you know is worth giving a bit of yourself.¡± Those words had much more meaning to Nobina than Line knew. Instantly, she remembered Fay and found tears running down her face. It didn¡¯t escape Mara, who approached Nobina. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Nobina?¡± asked Mara, grabbing her hands. ¡°Just¡­ remembering my past,¡± she said, wiping away my tears. ¡°I guess with everything going on, I forgot today was my birthday.¡± Chapter 60: Birthday and Gifts As Nobina spoke, she saw her Gaze bag glow a different color than usual. There was a rainbow light that appeared from its entrance, and it flashed for a bit before fading away. Nobina and the rest of them looked at her bag curiously, all of them wondering what had happened. ¡°What is that rainbow glow for Nobina?¡± asked Line, keeping his eye on her Gaze bag. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± she responded. ¡°Normally the light is plainer.¡± Not wanting to let her curiosity get to her any longer, she opened her Gaze bag to check what she had received. To her surprise, she saw there were wrapped gift boxes inside her bag. There were three in total, making her wonder if these were entities wanting to give her a gift for her birthday. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± she said as she took one of the boxes out. It was a rectangular box that was wrapped in purple wrapping paper. It had a nice red bow on it as well, making Nobina curious about its contents. ¡°Should I open it right now?¡± Nobina thought to herself. She checked the contents of her Special bag and saw there was still a lot of room. Plus, she really was curious about what her gifts were. Opening the first box, she saw the first gift, which was a scarf. Reading the note with it, apparently it was magical and would give strong resistance against low temperatures. To her surprise, it also didn¡¯t specify any drawbacks, which was quite new for the magical items she received from the Gaze entities. ¡°Neat! I guess it¡¯s because it¡¯s my birthday the items are less restrictive. I¡¯ll be sure to use it responsibly,¡± she nodded. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Line, getting her attention. ¡°Uh¡­ What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡­ I guess it¡¯s a long story,¡± she chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m guessing my bag is going to give me gifts because it¡¯s my birthday. I don¡¯t suppose you celebrate birthdays in this nation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not from here?¡± asked Line, surprised by what she said. ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s a long story,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll probably need to open all of these back in my room, so shall we head out?¡± Line gave a nod. ¡°I agree. Sorry for the inconvenience we¡¯ve caused Mara.¡± Mara, who seemed to be in a state of shock, came back to her senses and nodded. ¡°Oh¡­ yeah. Don¡¯t worry about it. Thanks for stopping by,¡± she waved, a slightly confused look still remaining on her face. As the two left, Line chatted with Nobina a bit regarding what had happened. ¡°So¡­ I guess there¡¯s more than meets the eye regarding you and your bag, huh?¡± said Line, keeping a rather composed face. ¡°You can say that,¡± responded Nobina as the two walked. ¡°It¡¯s rather complicated, so please forgive me if I can¡¯t answer any of your questions.¡± ¡°As long as you provide them eventually, it¡¯s fine,¡± he replied back. The walk towards the guild was rather quiet. Neither of them was saying anything else at this point. It was a chance for Nobina to take in the sight of the city as she was still amazed by its sheer size of everything. It was still as busy as ever, though not much time had passed since she entered that store. The day was still young, so Nobina was enjoying the remaining part of her birthday. She had a few more gifts in her bag but didn¡¯t want to just open them in Mara¡¯s store for obvious reasons. It would be awkward if more and more people came into the store and saw her pulling out gift after gift, it¡¯d become a mess very quickly. As they walked, the constant glows her bag was receiving were not helping her avoid attention. Each rainbow glow drew more and more eyes onto her. People began chattering about her, and soon, Nobina found herself walking faster and faster, trying to hide her embarrassment. ¡°I got to get somewhere more private fast,¡± she told herself. Soon, they arrived at the front of the guild. It was there that Nobina saw a sight that made Nobina forget her immediate problem. ¡°Woah,¡± said Nobina, admiring the sheer size of the guild. Unlike the guild back in her hometown, this guild was probably three times the size or even larger. It seemed to cover the whole block and have its own dedicated plaza. At the plaza itself was a large statue of a female adventurer with a sword at her side. The statue was looking forward, giving off an aura despite it being made of stone. ¡°This is so cool,¡± said Nobina, her eyes glittering. ¡°This is a symbol of one of our great heroes,¡± said Line, appearing next to Nobina. ¡°The Hero Harana had defeated a dragon at the cost of her life. The town is forever grateful for what she did, and her students have grown to A ranks, with one even becoming an S rank herself. They are an inspiration we all look up to, even if we all do not follow the path of the sword.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit inspired. Her journey might have been writing, but she wasn¡¯t someone who didn¡¯t respect effort. If someone who was also called a hero was willing to sacrifice their life, then she had no excuse to not continue to work hard to make sure no tragedies happen because of her. ¡°Oh right,¡± said Nobina, remembering the reason she was there. ¡°Can you lead me to my room Line?¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± he nodded. The two of them went into the guild and started to make their way into the back. Many of the guild employees greeted Line, who offered a polite greeting back. Nobina herself drew a few stares and curious looks, but none of the guild employees said a word to her. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Eventually, they exited out the back of the guild and found themselves in front of an inn. It was right next to the guild and had a sign saying, ¡°For Guild Employees Only.¡± ¡°Is this a private inn?¡± asked Nobina, her eyes taking in the sign of the inn. ¡°Yeah,¡± responded Line, his gaze falling onto the Gaze bag as it glowed twice again. ¡°Uh¡­ I guess you want to get to your room sooner rather than later?¡± Nobina, who was now glowing red in embarrassment, nodded. Line led Nobina inside, where there was a guild employee at the receptionist desk. She greeted Nobina and Line, asking Line who Nobina was. When he responded back, the employee merely nodded. ¡°Please take this key. Your room is Room 204 on the second floor. Please come down if you have any questions or need anything,¡± said the guild receptionist, giving a nice, calm smile. ¡°Thanks,¡± Nobina smiled back. Nobina made her way to her room, where she saw it was a rather simple setup. It had a nice single bed, a desk and chair for her to write, a small empty bookshelf, and a closet to put her things in. ¡°Shall I inform Aunai that you have settled in?¡± asked Line. ¡°Please do,¡± nodded Nobina. As soon as Line left, Nobina moved to her Gaze bag and began removing everything. There had to be more than six remaining gifts. Without wasting any more time, Nobina began opening them one by one. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Oh! This is a nice hairclip. It¡¯s a nice royal blue color as well. Thanks,¡± she smiled. She put on the hairclip, happy with how it felt. She didn¡¯t have a mirror but hoped that it was on correctly. As she did that, her bag glowed again, giving her another box to open. ¡°So many boxes,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m being spoiled rotten it feels.¡± The next box she opened contained food she didn¡¯t recognize. It had a nice meaty smell to it, and reading the note, Nobina could only smile. ¡°Pork Adobo huh¡­ I¡¯ve never tried it, but it smells divine. Can¡¯t wait to eat it for dinner.¡± After that, Nobina decided to change it up a bit and open the newest box, wondering what one of the entities wanted to give to her. When she opened it, it revealed a ring with a sapphire on it. The note read that it could summon and recall Hammy by her merely calling their name. It had no cooldown either. ¡°Woah,¡± she said, putting it on immediately. ¡°Hammy!¡± Upon her saying the words, Hammy appeared in front of her. They immediately went to her, flying around her head. Eventually, they laid themselves on her shoulder, with Nobina giving them a pat. ¡°I missed you Hammy,¡± she smiled. It had only been a few days, but Nobina had wondered how Hammy was going to find her after she sent them to the town to deliver the letter. With the ring though, it made the process significantly easier to do. ¡°Also, I can store you in this ring as well, so it all works out,¡± she nodded. As she said that, another rainbow glow happened, and a note flew directly onto her face. Nobina quickly took it and read it, becoming suddenly confused after she did. ¡°Uh¡­ Why do you want me to hate Utah? Uh¡­¡± Nobina knew Utah was a state but had no idea what that had to do with her birthday. ¡°Uh¡­ Please forgive me whoever gave this note, but I can¡¯t just hate Utah for no reason. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she bowed, hoping the Gaze entity would understand. She recalled the note and moved on to opening more boxes. The next box was a box full of her favorite candies, which were Snaps. It was a chocolate that was meant to be snapped into individual pieces to share. It had a nice caramel and nut filling as well, which she enjoyed. ¡°Man¡­ These will be my treat for this world,¡± she nodded. Part of her wanted to share these with everyone, but she had no idea of how long it would take till she¡¯d get more of them, if ever. For now, she decided to eat one to savor and put the rest away. When she took a bite, she couldn¡¯t help but become nostalgic about the candy. Memories she associated with it began swarming her brain. The moment the ones involving Fay appeared though, she quickly brushed the thought aside and finished the candy. ¡°That was good,¡± she smiled. Nobina moved on to the next box, which she opened to a rather surprising cake. It was a chocolate cake glazed with hard chocolates, some layers of jam, and a single candle on top. Reading the note, it told Nobina the following. ¡°Happy Birthday! Light the candle around friends,¡± with the white v branch symbol following right after. Nobina began wondering what would happen if she lit it, but she remembered that her friends were all over the place. Sarah and the others were still back in the town. Fay was somewhere in this world but far away. Mimiki was the only friend she really had since she wasn¡¯t sure where she stood with Lila after the spar. ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to save this,¡± Nobina told herself as she stored the gift. She looked and saw there were only three more gifts to open. The next one was a normal birthday cake, making Nobina happy. ¡°Ah. Something I can share. That¡¯s good,¡± she nodded. The next gift caused Nobina to jump for joy as she read the letter attached to it. ¡°This is a book that shall show a new fiction book that fits your interest. Merely tap the book¡¯s cover five times to change it to another book.¡± Nobina felt excited to see what the first fiction book would be, but she held it in. She decided to open the last gift first as she knew she¡¯d easily get side-tracked reading the fiction book. When she opened the last gift, Nobina froze. Inside was a single letter with one sentence that made her extremely confused. ¡°A gifted sub to Nonomo¡­¡± That phrase was one she instantly recognized. It indicated that Nonomo was some sort of viewer, and someone was giving him a sub to someone else. That made the whole situation she was in extremely confused because she had always guessed Nonomo was some divine being. However, was that not the case? Was he a part of the entities of the Gaze like everyone else? ¡°Why did you have to make me so confused for my birthday,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°Well¡­ thanks for the gift of knowledge I guess.¡± With that, she had opened every gift. At least, that¡¯s what she thought. The moment she finished putting away the note, a knock came on her door. ¡°Coming,¡± she said, heading to the door. When Nobina opened it, she was surprised to see a man in a company delivery uniform of her old world. ¡°Uh¡­¡± said Nobina, extremely confused. ¡°Your package is out front,¡± he smiled, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Nobina, still stunned, wasted no time heading out of the inn. When she got to the front, she saw a rather large gift box sitting directly in front of the inn. ¡°Ok. I have to open this as soon as¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± said Lila, appearing next to her. The sheer shock caused Nobina to fall, making Lila laugh. ¡°Are you alright Nobina?¡± she smiled, helping her up. ¡°Thanks,¡± replied Nobina dusting herself off. ¡°Oh Lila. Can you do me a favor? Can you open that box?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she nodded. Before she knew it, Nobina saw her appear in front of the box and slash into it, creating a large gap. She then tore it open, revealing the gift instead. ¡°What in the¡­¡± said Nobina, completely shocked. ¡°Wow,¡± said Lila, taking a step back herself. As the box around the gift fell apart, what appeared at the center was a giant bunny holding a bowl of miso soup. It had to be twice Nobina¡¯s height. The fact that it was also in front of the inn put Nobina in a full-blown panic as she had no idea what to do with it. It certainly wasn¡¯t going to fit in her bag and was going to draw in a constant stream of people with questions. She was going to ask Lila what she was supposed to do, but she suddenly calmed down when she saw Lila was examining the bunny with sparkles in her eyes. ¡°Wow,¡± she said. ¡°This is an amazing bunny.¡± ¡°I love it but¡­ man this is going to be so hard to explain,¡± sighed Nobina. Nobina didn¡¯t expect her birthday to turn out like this, but she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Everything had turned out crazy and fun. She received a good number of gifts she appreciated and would cherish. The giant bunny would be hard to handle, but she had to hope things would work out. Regardless, she found herself smiling as she saw Lila suddenly hug the bunny. ¡°So fluffy,¡± she said, giving it a careful hug. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Today was a blast.¡± Chapter 61: Unwanted Attention and New Faces Nobina could only stare at the giant fluffy bunny as she sat on a nearby bench. Now that she had more time to examine it, the fact that it was a massive living bunny made her so confused. It had to be at least twenty feet in length, making it comparable to elephants in size. However, it was significantly fluffier, was capable of sitting and holding miso soup, and looked rather content with Lila merely hugging it. More and more people were gathering around, curious about the new bunny that was standing between the guild and the quarters for the guild officers. Many of them showed no fear at all of this giant bunny. From what Nobina could tell, there was a large variety of people appearing. Some were officers of the guild, while others were curious adventurers. Not only that but civilians who were close enough to see it from the road were taking a detour to see it. The whole situation was out of control, but Nobina had no intention of putting herself in the crosshairs. ¡°Where am I even going to keep it?¡± asked Nobina to herself. Looking at it again, Nobina was sure that one of the Gaze members was involved with this. After all, it had a bowl of miso soup in its hands, which looked exactly like the same bowl she had received a while back. It was an added part of the growing mystery behind the Gaze and her own Path. ¡°What¡¯s going on here,¡± came an authoritative voice in the direction of the guild. Nobina could see that Aunai was finally arriving at the scene with Line by her side. There was also a guild officer with her, but she wasn¡¯t exactly sure who they were. Aunai¡¯s arrival caused the whole area to freeze as she approached. When she got close enough, an annoyed look flashed on her face as she saw Lila lying down on the bunny¡¯s stomach. ¡°Lila,¡± yelled Aunai, causing her to suddenly get up. Luckily, the giant bunny didn¡¯t react at all, merely seeming content holding its giant miso soup, taking the occasional sip. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± she said, leaving the comfort of the bunny to stand right in front of it. ¡°Are we being attacked? Is a strong opponent here that wants to challenge me? Is there something happening with Nobina?¡± That last line caused Nobina to groan as she couldn¡¯t believe that Lila was casually mentioning her in front of all those people. ¡°No,¡± responded Aunai bluntly. ¡°Why are you lying down on this¡­ giant bunny? Do you know why it¡¯s here?¡± ¡°I do,¡± she nodded. ¡°This man in a blue and yellow uniform appeared. He waved a wand and bam, a giant box appeared. Then the man went inside to get Nobina, brought her out, and she then asked me to open the box. Once I opened it, I saw this adorable giant bunny that I¡¯ve decided to cherish as a show of dedication towards bunnies. Hopefully this is enough to get on Pausers good side.¡± Her whole speech had everyone around her begin chattering with each other. They were questioning everything, including who Nobina and Pausers were. Seeing the result of Lila¡¯s words, Aunai merely shook her head and spoke out loud. ¡°Attention everyone here. Please return to what you were doing prior. We are handling the appearance of the mysterious bunny and need space to investigate.¡± Nobina¡¯s face drained as the people began to disperse. She wasn¡¯t sure if Aunai was actually going to investigate the giant bunny. Instead, Nobina was certain that Aunai would just ask to speak with her directly. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Aunai, still maintaining the authoritativeness of earlier. ¡°Coming,¡± Nobina replied, running right over. Once she was there, Nobina took a breath and explained how she had received the giant bunny as a gift for her birthday. It was a nice gesture, but she had no idea where to put the giant bunny or the other gifts she was receiving. ¡°As you know, I don¡¯t have a permanent home here so I¡¯m very cautious about leaving important stuff in my room. I know it probably is safe, but some of these items have to be even more secure than others. That¡¯s not even covering this giant bunny. You understand, right?¡± asked Nobina, hoping her explanation was good enough. Aunai looked at Nobina for a bit before nodding. ¡°Alright¡­ I can arrange for private storage for any item you have. We have a storage building not too far from here that we often use. As for the bunny¡­ I¡¯ll arrange for someone who handles large animals to watch it as we escort it outside of town. I¡¯m sure you understand we can¡¯t have this giant bunny in the center of our town.¡± Nobina nodded silently, thankful for Aunai¡¯s help. ¡°Thank you so much for your help Aunai,¡± she said. ¡°Now that that¡¯s resolved, I can finally¡­¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± said Aunai. ¡°It¡¯s your birthday, right? We might as well celebrate it, even if you¡¯re just a newfound temporary member of the Navira guild.¡± Nobina was suspicious of Aunai¡¯s words. She was suspicious that Aunai was still trying to recruit her to her side. Before she knew it, she called a few guild officers to escort the bunny out of the city with the assistance of an S-rank adventurer. Afterward, she asked Nobina to follow her, sticking close behind. Lila joined them as well, choosing to be with them instead of the giant bunny. ¡°Oh boy,¡± said Lila, her face grinning. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve celebrated a birthday.¡± ¡°I know,¡± smiled Aunai. ¡°Despite all the officers we have, most of them have birthdays within a few months. I don¡¯t think we have a September birthday yet.¡± ¡°You guys celebrate birthdays?¡± asked Nobina, curious about how their world handled the concept. ¡°Of course,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°The birth of a person is the start of their Path. Previously, we called them Path Days, but the term Birthday became popular with the advent of otherworlders.¡± The moment she said that Aunai stopped for a bit. Nobina turned to her, noticing she seemed to be thinking deeply about something. ¡°Aunai?¡± said Nobina after a bit of time passed. ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± she replied back. ¡°But yes, we celebrate birthdays. Do they not celebrate it back in Agora?¡± Thinking about it, Nobina didn¡¯t know the birthdays of any of her friends at the guild. It seemed a bit sad, but they had been busy for a while. Plus, she had no doubt the goblin incident was still causing lingering problems, like making people too busy to celebrate the occasion. ¡°None of my fellow guild officers have had a birthday yet. I just joined recently, so forgive me for not knowing what those dates are exactly.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ makes sense,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°Regardless, I hope you enjoy the celebration we do here. It¡¯s nothing extravagant, but it does help build the unity of the guild.¡± Before Nobina knew it, they arrived at the entrance of the guild. Aunai walked over to a guild office and whispered something in their ear. Once that was done, they stood before everyone and made an announcement. ¡°Attention everyone,¡± called the guild officer. ¡°Today is the birthday of Nobina! She¡¯s a new, temporary guild officer working here to represent Agora. Please show her the upmost respect and give her the best greetings our guild can offer.¡± Upon him saying that, all the adventurers and officers gave one shout of happy birthday. Nobina was shocked at how responsive they all were. They were celebrating her birthday, despite not knowing anything about her. ¡°This is so cool,¡± said Nobina, her eyes glittering at the sight of everyone giving a big smile. ¡°I knew you¡¯d like it,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°It¡¯ll take time, but we¡¯ll prepare an impromptu party if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± said Nobina. With that, everyone except Nobina went to work. They began the process of setting up a birthday. From spreading the news to every officer to arranging for the food at such short notice, Nobina could tell they went all out for these things. It made Nobina happy they were having a good time, at least because she wasn¡¯t sure about all this attention she was getting. ¡°Hey there,¡± spoke one of the female guild officers. Looking at her, Nobina was interested in her light-red hair with the occasional black strands. It was pretty long, going down to her back. There was a clear contrast between the hair color and uniform as well, making her wonder how many other people had unique hair colors like the guild officer. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Oh¡­ hello,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Right¡­ you¡¯re Nobina right? I know all the faces here so I¡¯m sure you¡¯re her,¡± nodded the guild officer. ¡°That is correct.¡± Upon hearing that, Nobina saw the guild officer give the biggest grin. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet another guild officer from another guild,¡± smiled the female guild officer. ¡°Rarely do we get guests like that since most people stick to their hometowns. Not to mention we get to celebrate your birthday. It¡¯s all very exciting.¡± Nobina gave a nod. It made a lot of sense for a person not wanting to go too far from their hometown. Besides distance, it was being put in a new environment that one might not be ready for. While Nobina felt she didn¡¯t fit this description well, she knew that she barely felt ready for an adventure like this. It was all thanks to her friend¡¯s support, the Gaze, and other things just falling into place. ¡°Names Audunai by the way,¡± smiled the female guild officer. ¡°Nobina,¡± she replied back. Soon, Nobina noticed more and more people began approaching her. Many of them were fellow guild officers who were excited to meet someone from a neighboring guild. The main questions were focused on what Aunai said regarding Nobina, leading to her having to explain the same thing again and again multiple times. It was exhausting, but thanks to Nobina¡¯s training, she was able to power through. Things seemed to be going smoothly before a new face appeared at the entrance of the guild. Looking at it, Nobina saw that they looked extremely important in a uniform that screamed regal. They had a beautiful purple outfit that had laces all over the stomach portion of the jacket they wore. Next to them were two heavily armored knights. They looked like guards, but Nobina wasn¡¯t completely sure about that. ¡°Damn it,¡± said Aunai, shaking her head. ¡°Hm? What kind of greeting is that Aunai?¡± asked the man in the purple outfit. ¡°Is little o Doriten someone you dislike seeing?¡± Doriten. Nobina had recognized the first name since she had studied a bit about Navira, so she wasn¡¯t completely blind or unknowledgeable. Doriten was someone who was in the main family of Lord Kasanta, the leader of this particular territory. Doriten¡¯s attention turned to Nobina. He began approaching, causing more people to step aside. When he got close enough, the next words out of his mouth shocked Nobina completely. ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯m disappointed that Agora decided to send me someone so¡­ weak?¡± The moment he said that Nobina heard a familiar voice of a defender. ¡°Nobina is not weak,¡± said Mimiki, who appeared. ¡°She¡¯s strong, courageous, and is the hero of our town. I take serious offense calling someone weak that you don¡¯t know.¡± The man chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t think that being a guild officer exempts you from punishment that us nobility can exert. I might have the lowest authority of the main family, but my influence is the biggest.¡± Hearing that, Nobina became worried she was dealing with another potential headache. She was only a normal guild officer, so she couldn¡¯t stop royalty from making such threats. ¡°Hey,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Please don¡¯t think little of us. You might be the lords fifth son, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can exert influence when unprompted.¡± Doriten¡¯s smile didn¡¯t disappear as he kept his gaze on Nobina. ¡°So much effort for someone who doesn¡¯t appear to be that important. Anyway, I merely came by to pick up some documents, but it seems I found a new interesting person to discuss things with. Now then¡­ I shall pick up the documents then take my leave.¡± Before she knew it, Nobina saw Doriten walk past her with his knights, heading upstairs and out of sight. ¡°What¡­ was that,¡± said Nobina, now overwhelmed by everything that was happening. She began wondering if she should have spoken up for himself, but she was completely content with the others handling things.¡± ¡°So much attention,¡± sighed Nobina, shaking her head. ¡°But what did Doriten mean by having someone interesting to talk with? Surely it isn¡¯t me.¡± Nobina had convinced herself it was unlikely that Doriten had any good intentions in terms of doing discussing things. However, she had no idea what the correct approach to the situation was. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Lord Kasanta¡¯s son is¡­ a lot. He has no obligations, yet all the influence a lord¡¯s son would have. It makes it so we merely tolerate everything he does.¡± It wasn¡¯t that reassuring to Nobina that someone like Doriten had free reign. It made her more concerned about her being there, but Lila stepped up to reassure Nobina. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Nobina,¡± nodded Lila. ¡°I¡¯ll vouch and protect you. Doriten might think they can do anything, but I¡¯ll easily shut him down. I would have done it before he left, but I didn¡¯t want to ruin your experience meeting nobility.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t deny that. Seeing someone with the authority of nobility use it that close seemed crazy. It reminded her of the shows she used to watch where nobility stuck its nose into everything, yet it didn¡¯t matter. The hero came out on top and Nobina was hoping something similar would happen to them and the group. Soon, Nobina found herself once again the center of attention, but now people were curious about her gearing and her life. Nobina knew she had to keep things secret, but she wasn¡¯t great with tons of people asking questions. It made it harder to keep secrets if they were related to the topic at hand. ¡°Alright,¡± called one of the guild employees. ¡°Davta¡¯s Restaurant has everything ready, and the rest of the restaurant shut down. Let¡¯s gather all the employees.¡± Nobina suddenly remembered that they were celebrating her birthday, making her once again nervous. Was she once again going to be the center of everything? She enjoyed it, but it didn¡¯t stop making her worried she¡¯d do something to embarrass herself. ¡°Why are you so nervous,¡± laughed Lila, patting Nobina on the back. ¡°We are all here to have a good time. Just enjoy it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°Think of this as an extension of how things are with you and being a hero. It makes it much easier.¡± Nobina sighed, giving a nod. She knew they were right, but it didn¡¯t change how she initially felt. Soon, all the guild officers except a few began leaving. Many of them stuck with Nobina, barraging her with questions as they walked. Eventually, they reached a large restaurant that appeared to be two stories high. Nobina wondered if it was one of the common work-home setups, where the restaurant had a residence on the second floor and the restaurant on the first. ¡°We are here,¡± spoke Aunai to the rest of the group. ¡°Please keep on your best behavior.¡± Nobina was surprised Aunai felt a need to say that, but the reassuring nods from everyone convinced Nobina that there was a good reason for it. Entering the restaurant, Nobina was surprised at how modern the restaurant looked. It definitely had some aspects of her old world but of a time that was much older than her own. It made Nobina wonder about the influence her own world and perhaps so many others had on this world. After all, the Gaze made it clear that not everyone was either from here or Nobina¡¯s original world. Standing in front of all of that, however, was a large group of staff members lined up. Before she knew it, Nobina felt herself pushed to the front, now sticking out like a sore thumb. At that moment, all the employees gave a bow. ¡°We thank you Nobina for your efforts as a guild officer. May you have the happiest of birthdays.¡± Soon, Nobina heard everyone say happy birthday from the guild officers there to the adventurers who followed. So many people who didn¡¯t know Nobina or that Nobina didn¡¯t know of were wishing her the best. At this point, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but feel flattered by their actions. She was receiving so much unwanted attention, but she didn¡¯t dislike it. It was merely something she felt she had to get used to. ¡°Thank you¡­ everyone¡­ for wishing me a happy birthday.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but give the biggest smile seeing so many people celebrate her birthday. She still wished all her friends could be there, but she always had other birthdays she could share. As everyone got seated and started to chat. Nobina found herself next to Lila and Mimiki as the people continued to ask her questions. She hoped that all of them were having a good time, even if she barely knew any of them. During this time, Aunai was sitting at her own table with Line and the guild officer from earlier. ¡°Are you sure Aunai?¡± asked the man, looking at her face directly. ¡°I¡¯m certain of it,¡± she nodded. ¡°She¡¯s from another world. We¡¯ve been traveling long enough together that I¡¯ve caught her saying things that would be clear signs of it.¡± ¡°Then¡­ should we report her to the grand guild master?¡± asked the guild officer. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be wise to act in haste Rathurn,¡± said Line to the guild officer. ¡°She received that giant bunny and also has an Alpha Death Hare, both which we need to somehow investigate. I have a bad feeling about their presence, as it could signal something serious is going to happen involving her.¡± The mention of those bunnies made all of them shudder in worry. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan then?¡± asked Rathurn. ¡°We merely wait and see,¡± said Aunai, sipping her tea. ¡°As long as Nobina isn¡¯t a threat and merely accomplishes her goal, we¡¯ll be fine. The demon threat is still lingering, but now we have to worry about dragons.¡± All three of them gave a nod, moving back to casual conversation as the party dragged on. ¡°What the¡­¡± came a voice from Nobina¡¯s table. Aunai turned to see that a bright light had glowed from Nobina¡¯s bag. Recognizing it as Nobina¡¯s bag, Aunai quickly headed over to assist Nobina. Nobina was dumbfounded and now in a panic as so many people were staring at her. She found it difficult to move before Aunai appeared. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Aunai. ¡°Feel free to use the restroom for¡­¡± She didn¡¯t have to finish the sentence before Nobina was out of her chair. She almost found herself running to the restroom but managed to slow down enough to calmly enter it. Once inside, she took out the two items that were inside of it. She was shocked at how heavy one of them was, considering it seemed like a small object. ¡°Hm¡­ a curved drinking horn that¡¯s dark-blue grayish in color¡­ Nicely sealed cork plug on the tip¡­ I wonder what¡¯s inside¡­¡± Nobina opened the drinking horn and took a small sip of the content. Her eyes widened upon realizing that it was really good water. ¡°I didn¡¯t know water tasted this good¡­ is this even water at this point,¡± she chuckled. She could only speculate, but the horn seemed as heavy as a two-liter bottle. It made her wonder if this was its max capacity, as she felt space when she swung it around a bit. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± She tossed it into her special bag, giving a nod. ¡°Huh¡­ I guess this is a bit of cheating,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Next¡­¡± She held a purple, partly translucent dagger in her hand. It appeared made out of a crystal, with what looked to be a flowing liquid inside of it. The liquid seemed to sail around the dagger moved, like clouds in a sky. It was wrapped in an orange and white wrapping and had a leather holster with it. Reading the letter with it, Nobina found herself curious by the words. ¡°Fiction made manifest¡­ Reality becoming a dream¡­ A blade of none and both. Wield it with care or vanish in smoke, flames and¡­ despair¡­ From¡­ the Poet.¡± Nobina gaze turned to the dagger, making her curious about what its purpose was. ¡°Hm¡­ The letter is the key to understanding how this dagger works. All I know is that it must be fragile considering the last words¡­ I¡¯ll have to make sure to keep it safe.¡± Nobina placed the dagger into its holster then placed the holster into her special bag. She was thankful the bag acted as a safe space, because she was concerned about keeping such a potentially dangerous, yet powerful dagger on her side. Soon, she found herself standing in the restroom, listening to the chatter outside. As she stood in that room, she found herself hesitating to go back out there. So much attention was on her now that she felt the moment she¡¯d step out, she¡¯d be overwhelmed. However, she took a deep breath. She wouldn¡¯t let something like this hold her back. After all, if she wanted to complete her dream, all she could do was move forward past her fears and worries. ¡°I got this,¡± Nobina told herself, stepping back into the restaurant¡¯s main room once more. Chapter 62: Settling In and Predictions Nobina headed back to the main room and enjoyed the rest of her party with everyone there. The staff at the guild was very diverse bunch with people of different paths and upbringing. A few of them were a part of the town¡¯s nobility or the nobility of other towns. Others were sons or daughters of crafters like blacksmiths or woodworkers. Many of them though had some ties to adventuring thanks to a parent who was either an active adventurer or a retired one. What mainly surprised Nobina was how each of them seemed to enjoy chatting with her about her own Path and guild. Many of them showed a passion that Nobina would be hard pressed to not noticed. It was clear that many of them were there because they truly wanted to be guild officers and loved the idea of it. When the time came, Aunai stepped forward and called everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Everyone! Thank you for attending the birthday party of our temporary Navira Guild Officer Nobina. While she might not be official to our guild, I believe she¡¯ll play an important role of advancing the guild to levels that compare to that of the national guild. That being said, please treat her as a fellow guild officer, not someone that needs to be put on a pedestal. Anyway, happy birthday Nobina!¡± ¡°Happy birthday,¡± cheered the rest of the guild officers. Nobina smiled and thanked all of them. Her gaze managed to catch Mimiki and Lila both cheering for her as well nearby, turning to chat with each other right afterwards. Seeing that made Nobina smile, as she returned to her spot at the table to enjoy the rest of her birthday. Soon, the guild officers began trickling out of the room one by one. Nobina, as the birthday celebrant, took it upon herself to be one of the last ones to leave. Eventually, it was just Nobina, Mimiki, Lila, Aunai, Line, and a few other guild officers still chatting with each other. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Aunai, calling her over. When Nobina came over, Aunai pulled out a small gift box to hand to her. ¡°This is for you. It¡¯s a bit last second, but hopefully you enjoy it.¡± Curious, Nobina opened the box and found a nice, purple stone necklace. It had rings of silver that made up the chain. Looking at the stone, it had a nice light purplish glow, making Nobina curious if it was magical. ¡°It¡¯s a minor protection necklace,¡± said Aunai. ¡°It should help reduce any damage you take, though of course its very minor in how much it reduces. Never know if it¡¯ll save your life though.¡± ¡°Thank you Aunai,¡± nodded Nobina, placing it around her own neck. ¡°I really appreciate it.¡± Aunai gave a nod, satisfied that Nobina accepted her gift. ¡°Tomorrow will be a pretty calm day. I¡¯ll introduce you to our two financial officers to help handle the financials. I¡¯ll be in meetings all day afterwards, so if you need something please feel free to depend on them.¡± Nobina gave a nod back. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and do that,¡± she smiled. With that, the party was officially over for the day. All of them headed back to their rooms at the guild inn to rest up. Nobina found it a bit lonely sleeping alone without her companions there, but she knew this was only temporary. Plus, it was similar to her old world, where she was alone in her old room. ¡°Guess some things never change,¡± she chuckled to herself. Before heading to bed, she filled out her diary with the events of the day. As she did that, her bag glowed a few times, making her curious what about her remaining gifts. ¡°Hm,¡± said Nobina, taking out everything and placing it on her desk. There were two last gifts to cap off the day. One was a stew that seemed to have pork and some spices on it. Taking the spoon that came with the stew, she took a sip and found herself surprised by the hearty, bold flavor of it. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ pork, yet¡­ hm¡­¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t the best at determining flavors. All she knew was some pork-based stew. There was a note with it though that called it Dinuguan. ¡°Well, this Dinuguan is certainly a nice treat. If I wasn¡¯t full, it¡¯d finish it now. Guess I¡¯ll leave it for tomorrow.¡± The other item she turned to was a book like any other. Opening it up, it had a note that the book contained a hundred-thousand blank pages for her usage. ¡°This is¡­ one of the best gifts of the day for sure,¡± she nodded. She had an unlimited pen in the ability of her Pen Blade, but pages had always been a concern for her. With the gift she had received, she felt a major problem solved, making her appreciate it greatly. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯d argue this might be the second greatest birthday every,¡± she told herself. In her mind, there was only one birthday that topped this. It was a birthday with her best friend Fay. She had only managed to share that one birthday with Fay, but it was one that Fay put her heart and soul in to make sure it succeeded. Nobina would have been hard-pressed to put another birthday over it. ¡°Perhaps one day, we¡¯ll be able to celebrate such an amazing day together¡­ Fay,¡± spoke Nobina out loud, her voice trailing as she finished the sentence. Not wanting to let the sad thought of missing Fay overwhelm her, Nobina headed to bed for the night. The following day, Nobina found herself waking up to a nice, pleasant sunlight piecing into her room. The air of the room felt new, reminding her she was a far ways from both her home town and her old world. As Nobina got up, she found herself stopping in front of her bags. A thought occurred to her, bringing her towards her closet. There, she saw the guild uniform that she had hanged the previous night. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°You know¡­ I think I should wear this. It¡¯s Mimiki¡¯s gift after all,¡± she nodded. Putting on the uniform was a task, as it had a lot of parts to it. It was very form fitting on the bottom, but the top was a bit loose at least, giving her some room to breathe. Putting on the leather parts in particular felt as if she was preparing to go on an adventure. It was one of the nice aspects of the guild uniform she liked, making her wonder why she didn¡¯t wear it sooner. ¡°I guess it¡¯s hard to give up such a familiar feeling,¡± chuckled Nobina as she looked at her regular cloths sitting on her desk. Deciding it was time to get the show on the road, Nobina put her old clothes into her Special Bag. She was surprised that they went in, but she had a feeling those cloths had an exception to them. After all, those were the things she had when she initial came to the world. Once that was done, Nobina headed downstairs and past the reception desk. As she walked, she heard the female guild officer wish her a good day, which Nobina did in kind. Walking out into the open, Nobina felt a bit nervous. She was in a guild officer uniform, which made her feel like she¡¯d naturally draw more attention from adventurers. Of course, she had grown somewhat use to excess attention back in her hometown, but this was different. This was a guild that served a rather large city, and there were all sorts of people there. Not wanting to be too much of a coward, she took a deep breath and headed for the guild. Once she was there, she saw that it was significantly busier than her home guild. There were lines going into each available receptionist desk. Tons of people reviewing the many quest boards on one of the guild¡¯s walls. A lot of people chatting either in parties or duos, showing how common group questing was in this guild. Back in her home guild, single adventurer were more common. ¡°It¡¯s going to take time to get used to this,¡± said Nobina, her gaze moving all over the guild. As she walked, she found someone waving to her. ¡°Nobina,¡± spoke a male guild officer. Looking closely, his uniform was slightly less decorated than Lare¡¯s, but it was decorated, nonetheless. One symbol in particular indicated he was a guild supervisor, causing Nobina to immediately change her tone. ¡°Do you need anything supervisor?¡± she asked. He must have not expected to be address so formal, cause his eyes widen upon hearing her response. ¡°Oh¡­ It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been addressed as a supervisor,¡± he said, giving a hearty laugh. ¡°Most people are too casual with me, but I¡¯m totally fine with it. Please¡­ While Aunai says we should treat you like any other guild officer, she¡¯s also made it clear your someone more akin to a guest. Please call me by my name, Hearth.¡± ¡°Oh ok¡­ Hearth. Are you one of the officers Aunai wanted me to work with?¡± she smiled. ¡°Oh no. I¡¯ve come here to bring you to them. Aunai is currently in a meeting and unfortunately cannot introduce you to the financial officers. I can do it in her stead. Let¡¯s go,¡± he nodded. Nobina was led into the back of the guild and up a set of stairs. Eventually, they reached a room that had a guard right next to the entrance. ¡°Morning Jimmy. This here is Nobina. She¡¯s already been approved to access our Financial Room.¡± He gave a nod, opening the door. ¡°I work in the office down the hall,¡± said Hearth, pointing to a door all the way at the end. ¡°If you need anything, feel free to see me.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± nodded Nobina. Once Hearth took his leave, Nobina entered the financial room. Once she was there, she saw two people arguing with each other. She was surprised she didn¡¯t hear a word before the door open, making her wonder if the room was soundproof. Nobina could tell the two of them were vastly different. One of them wasn¡¯t wearing a uniform. Rather, she was wearing a nice dress with decorations that made it clear she was part of the nobility. If not for the badge of the guild, it would be hard to tell that she was a guild officer. Besides that, she had long, blond hair and an aura of authority. It was similar to the council back in her hometown, yet it was far greater as nobility of an estate had significantly more power. On the other end of the desk was a smaller man with glasses. He had a book on his side and was wearing the male version of the guild uniform. Unlike the female version, it had less leather protection and was looser on the top. The bottom pants were very baggy though and had a lot of pockets, reminding Nobina how she wished she also had that many pockets. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Carina, but the numbers don¡¯t lie,¡± he said in a softer tone. ¡°The numbers clearly say that five percent to training will result in an overall increase in income by ten percent. ¡°I¡¯m telling you that we should have allocated only four percent to the training budget,¡± said Carina, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve studied economics, and all signs point to another recession that will come up. We need to reserve as much money as possible.¡± ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± The two continued to argue with each other, making Nobina wonder if she should eventually draw their attention. It didn¡¯t take long for one of them to notice her though, as Carina turned to her immediately. ¡°Hey,¡± said Carina. ¡°No one but authorized personnel should be in here. Get out.¡± Nobina felt a strange sensation, as if her voice was compelling her to follow her orders. However, before she could say anything, the male guild officer slammed his hand on the desk. ¡°Carina,¡± he called. ¡°You can¡¯t use the Nobility Authority on a fellow guild officer. That¡¯s clearly against policy.¡± ¡°Shut it Mesten,¡± she shouted back. ¡°The financials of the guild are too important to let anyone see them. The only people authorized to see all of the financials are me, you, Aunai and¡­ uh¡­ the new girl. Mesten pointed her finger at Nobina, drawing Carina¡¯s attention. ¡°She¡¯s the temporary guild officer Carina,¡± he spoke. Hearing that, Carina shook her head. ¡°She certainly doesn¡¯t look like a financial person.¡± Nobina felt insulted by her insinuation, but she didn¡¯t want to set her ablaze again. She merely took a breath and introduced herself. ¡°My name is Nobina. I¡¯m a member of the Agora Adventuring Guild. It is a pleasure to meet you,¡± she said, giving a bow. ¡°Respect to nobility,¡± nodded Carina. ¡°As expected of a commoner.¡± Mesten open his mouth, but didn¡¯t other a word, merely shaking his head. ¡°Welcome Nobina,¡± smiled Mesten. ¡°My name is Mesten and I¡¯m one of the senior financial officers of the guild. The other one would be Carina here, who is also a part of the estate¡¯s nobility.¡± Carina gave the biggest grin as she nodded. ¡°Glad we have another female guild officer,¡± she nodded. ¡°You can finally break the constant ties we have between each other. I hated going to Aunai cause she often sides with¡­ that guy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mustan,¡± he responded, shaking his head. ¡°Whatever,¡± she chuckled. ¡°But yeah, we¡¯ve been informed yesterday that you¡¯ll be determining the budget that will be sent to Agora in a few weeks. Until then, you were also given to us to help update our financials system, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Yeah¡­ She wants me to help as much as possible.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Then there¡¯s a bit of bad news on that front,¡± sighed Carina. ¡°I predict that there will be a sort of financial crisis soon. I¡¯ve been tracking our numbers and that of my father¡¯s and every sign is pointing to a downturn in the economy.¡± Nobina was surprised to hear such a thing. Normally, she¡¯d never see the topic of financial crisis mentioned in a fantasy world. After all, that indicated that the economy was vastly complex and could have scenarios where the nations finances could collapse. Then again, she guessed it had to do something with the genre of book she¡¯d often read. ¡°It¡¯s a pretty outrageous prediction,¡± said Mustan. ¡°I¡¯ve looked at the trends of our numbers and everything is still holding steady.¡± ¡°Watch,¡± said Carina. ¡°Nobina can review the books herself and give her thoughts. Anyway, I guess we should give you an assignment. Your task will be to study the books and determine how much of the budget should go to Agora. Note that while we have significantly more capital than Agora, we cannot offer too much due to the programs we have, mandatory expenses, and other factors. I¡¯m trusting Aunai¡¯s word that you know numbers, so we¡¯ll leave it to you as we handle the current allocation of the budget.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She was somewhat excited to be working with others that also handled numbers. No one was really like that back in Agora, so Nobina felt it¡¯d be a fun experience. At least, fun in the sense it was a cool thing to do. In a perfect world, she¡¯d have all the time in the world to continue writing her book and explore the town. She also wanted to adventure a bit with new people, but that would have to wait. ¡°I shall get right on it,¡± said Nobina, giving a nod. Thus began Nobina¡¯s first day working at the Navira guild. Chapter 63: Assistant and Village The Navira Adventuring Guild¡¯s financials were far more complex than that of the Agora Adventuring Guild. For starters, they had more than twenty times the number of active adventurers in comparison to Agora. That alone meant all the numbers were significantly higher. ¡°One¡­ hundred thousand gold¡­¡± Nobina¡¯s eye reflected her shock at how much gold the town held in reserve. It was about a hundred times the reserve that their own guild normally held. It made sense though, since looking at the expenses was equally shocking. The guild spent an insane amount on its programs, quests payments, and apparently fees from all sorts of places. These included fees from the estate, town, guild organization, and royal family. Nobina was surprised they paid some of these fees though, since she had initially assumed that they would be receiving funding from these sources rather than having to pay them. ¡°Why would¡­¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± called Carina. Hearing her voice, Nobina raised her head from the Navira ledger and turned to Carina, who was looking at her with a rather impatient look. ¡°Can you hand me the financial records for all guild spending on programs related to the swordsmanship program? I need to show Mustan how wrong he is about the trends.¡± Nobina, remembering that she was lower in the hierarchy than Carina, both in terms of social and guild status, merely nodded. ¡°Alright. Give me a minute to look,¡± she said. Carina merely nodded, going back to her own desk where she was reading through papers. Both Carina and Mustan had concluded their argument about ten minutes earlier. Mustan left, telling Nobina he was going to meet with Aunai regarding the swordsmanship program. That seemed to put Carina in a bad mood, but she didn¡¯t say anything to stop him. As soon as he was gone, she went to her own desk and told Nobina to get acquainted with the guild financials. Nobina got up from her own desk and headed to the book section of the room. The size was similar to the whole library of their own guild. However, the only thing in that room were either financial documents, documents related to finances, or books on the topic of finances. It reflected the long history of the guild and was likely one of the reasons the room had its own guard. These documents likely contained information that was very important. Reaching the bookcases, she began looking for the section that covered expenses. Eventually, she found books regarding the programs and the financials that Carina was looking for. ¡°Got it,¡± said Nobina, grabbing the three books related to the topic. She headed to Carina and handed over the books, with her merely nodding. ¡°Thanks. Now keep getting acquainted with those financials. It¡¯ll be nice being able to hand off some of the tedious work we have,¡± she laughed. ¡°Uh¡­ right. You know I¡¯m just here temporarily, so¡­¡± Carina instantly frowned upon Nobina mentioning her temporary status there. ¡°Tch¡­ yeah. I wish you were here permanently. Getting non-stupid help would have benefited me so much. Well, at least I hope it does. I do expect you to not make any mistakes I¡¯ll have to clean up.¡± Nobina nodded her head. ¡°I can assure you that I¡¯m very careful when handling financial information. After all¡­¡± ¡°Just¡­ head back to your desk already,¡± said Carina. ¡°I need to look at these books before Mustan gets back with likely annoying news.¡± Seeing Carina turn to the books Nobina brought and ignore her, Nobina merely shrugged and headed back to her table. For the next few hours, Nobina was completely locked down reading about the financials of the Navira guild and assisting Carina in her work. Even after a few hours of work, Nobina could already tell it was going to take awhile to fully understand the income and expenses of the Navira guild. However, she knew at least that it was still behind the Agora guild in terms of modernization. The guild used a more advanced version of the system Agora used prior to Nobina going there. It was a system where the guild tracked the treasury amount of the guild on a daily basis. However, it also tracked the total amount they spent on payments to all sources. It was a good start, since it basically would help Nobina fully understand the extent of what Navira spent money on. The only thing they were missing was tracking the individual items of income and expenses. Of course, such an undertaking on a guild of this scale might not have been feasible. It required a new system of recording income and expenses that the guild wasn¡¯t currently using. ¡°This is going to be¡­¡± Nobina found herself cut off when she heard Carina call again. ¡°Nobina. Can you come over here.¡± ¡°Coming,¡± said Nobina, standing up and headed to Carina again. When Nobina got there, she saw that Carina was holding a book in her hand. ¡°Can you go to each supervisor and have them fill out their justification for their individual spending for the month? We generally do this so we can determine whether to tone back in allocation or expand it if necessary. I¡¯m still working on the swordsmanship program research so I can¡¯t do it myself,¡± she told Nobina. ¡°Of course. Do you know where I can get information on where all the supervisors are?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Downstairs. Go to Darune, who¡¯s supervising the receptionist today,¡± said Carina, a slowly annoyed look forming on her face. ¡°Now stop wasting time and go.¡± Nobina really wanted to say something about Carina¡¯s unnecessary complaints, but she merely smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and get those responses.¡± She headed downstairs towards the receptionist desks. Arriving at the main lobby, Nobina was in awe once again at how many adventurers were there. There had to be hundreds of people either talking with each other, receptionist, reviewing the quest board, or just coming and going. It felt a bit overwhelming, since it was far busier than Agora had been excluding the goblin incident. That incident managed to bring a lot of retired adventurers into the guild, making it very hectic. Not wanting to get distracted, Nobina immediately turned to the back of the receptionist desks to find someone who appeared to look like a supervisor. It didn¡¯t take long before she saw a rather serious looking man behind another guild receptionist. Heading to him, she could overhear what they were saying due to how loud he was. ¡°You have to remember we aren¡¯t a charity Ms. Sigan,¡± he spoke in a disappointed voice. ¡°You cannot accept a partially completed quest. If it¡¯s not completed within the establish conditions, then you tell them.¡± ¡°Sorry sir,¡± said the guild receptionist, giving a sad look. At that point, the likely supervisor notice Nobina and gave a smile. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Ah. Nobina. Can I help you?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh right, my name¡¯s Darune. I¡¯m the one of the receptionist supervisors.¡± Nobina tried to recall if they had met before but was drawing a blank. It was likely he was at the party or was informed of her prior though, which would explain why she knew her. ¡°Oh¡­ yeah. Carina asked me to get the justification for spending from all supervisors. Can you point me in the right direction?¡± asked Nobina The mention of Carina immediately seemed to cause him to freeze. Nobina gave a curious look in response, as they didn¡¯t say anything for a good minute. ¡°Oh, right,¡± said Darune, remembering he was talking with Nobina. ¡°Follow me.¡± Nobina followed Darune to the back section of the guild. Once she was there, she found another set of bookcases full of information. ¡°Wow¡­ this place has so many books,¡± said Nobina, impressed by the second room she saw full of books. ¡°We are a guild that prides itself on being effective,¡± nodded Darune. ¡°There¡¯s probably five rooms with this much information. You¡¯ve seen the financial one, correct?¡± Nobina gave a nod, causing Darune to laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve seen four out of five and I¡¯ve been working here for twenty years. I¡¯d love to finally get into that room one day, but Carina gave me so much trouble for asking her about it awhile back. Man¡­ those nobles are something.¡± The way Darune mention nobles made Nobina realize he might have some opinions on the nobility. However, Darune merely moved back to the topic at hand to avoid saying more about his opinions. ¡°We have a book here that will tell you where all the supervisors are. However, I believe you will want to speak to the managers as well. Unfortunately, all of the managers and non-essential supervisors are meeting with Aunai for an emergency meeting right now. So you might be out of luck until tomorrow.¡± ¡°Are meetings really that long?¡± asked Nobina, surprised by what he said. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know much, but I hear its related to the burning of a village,¡± said Darune, concern washing over his face. He quickly brushed it aside as he continued to talk to Nobina. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not my room to speculate, so tell Carina that. Actually, they will likely all be in one place so you can talk to them after the meeting.¡± ¡°Great! Where are they meeting?¡± asked Nobina, a bit of excitement entering her voice. ¡°I believe they are in meeting room one. It¡¯s upstairs next to Aunai¡¯s office. Here¡¯s how to get there.¡± Darune showed her a map of the room location, which was the second floor of the guild. It was right next to Aunai¡¯s office as he said. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be heading out.¡± With that, Nobina left and headed back upstairs to the financial room. She was let in without any hassle. Once inside, she saw that Carina was deeply engrossed in the book she was reading regarding the swordsmanship program. Her eyes turned to Nobina, showing surprise at her being there. ¡°Wow¡­ either you¡¯re very efficient at your job or you have some annoying news for me,¡± she said in a both polite and annoyed voice. ¡°Uh¡­ the latter¡­ there¡¯s an emergency meeting,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Tch¡­ Forgot about that. Well, nothing to do about that. Get back to what you were doing. Once lunch concludes, I want you to join me, got it?¡± she said, her voice now easily showing how annoyed she was. ¡°Oh¡­ ok,¡± she responded. Nobina turned to her desk, but Carina¡¯s next words caused her to give pause. ¡°Nobina¡­ Is that disappointment I hear?¡± said Carina, her voice turning a bit harsh. ¡°Huh? Oh I¡¯m so sorry,¡± said Nobina, realizing she must have sounded disappointed with her response. ¡°I¡¯m not disappointed, but¡­¡± ¡°Tch¡­ you commoners really do have distain for us nobility. Whatever. I still want you to join me for lunch. Aunai has told me that I need to ¡®get along¡¯ with you for the sake of the guild, so I¡¯ll hold back my pride for her sake. I¡¯m sure there has to be more than meets the eye with you.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t know how to feel about Carina¡¯s attitude. This situation felt similar to how things were with Mimiki, only now she was dealing with nobility rather than some employee who was more senior than her. It felt odd, since she was a guest there rather than an employee under her. However, Nobina knew that she was a guild officer and that there was still a hierarchy, even if she wasn¡¯t at her home guild. She contemplated pushing back but knew that would merely make her situation a nightmare. All she could do was merely smile a nod. ¡°Ok. I¡¯m still sorry showing my disappointment earlier,¡± responded Nobina. ¡°Tch¡­ Whatever. Better knowing the truth than seeing someone lie about how they feel about me.¡± Nobina merely returned to her desk. She knew the situation could get so much worse if she pointed out Carina¡¯s attitude, so she decided to wait for later. Nobina was hoping a more casual setting would let her communicate better with Carina. She didn¡¯t want their working relationship to continue to get strained due to something as stupid as the relationship of commoner and nobility. ¡­ Aunai was looking at all the guild managers and supervisors that were invited to the meeting. All of them were either essential to resolving the situation or did not have an essential task to perform. All of them were merely looking at her in silence, not saying a word as she talked about the topic of the meeting. ¡°I¡¯ve went over the report and wanted everyone to be up to speed. There has been a dragon attack. The Village of Saphirin has been completely burned to the ground and a massive forest fire was sparked. An emergency quest has gone out to all water mages to assist with putting out the fire. They was also a request to have S-rank escorts due to the risk of a dragon appearance.¡± There was a lot of chatting immediately after Aunai finished talking. ¡°This is crazy,¡± said one of the managers. ¡°A dragon appearing now suggest that they might be seeking to expand their territory. After all, the estate is directly south of their mountain range. If I¡¯m correct, then Saphirin being burned means they might be seeking territory outside of those mountains.¡± ¡°Bah. The fact that we have to handle this and the capital guild refuses to lift a finger to help is pathetic,¡± said another manager, which was a rather large looking man. ¡°Calm yourself Inta,¡± said a female manager. ¡°It¡¯s not just them. The other large adventuring guilds would rather not waste their own funds and power to assist what they think is competition.¡± ¡°Speaking of that, I hear that the National Guild Association is raising our fees again.¡± The talk in the room started to devolve into complaints about things from the other adventuring guilds, the capital, to even the nobility of the estate. Aunai, seeing this, merely snapped her fingers. The moment she did, the room went dead silent. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love for this to be a talk about how much everything sucks, I must remind you that those topics are scheduled for later. For now, I need people¡¯s thoughts about why the dragons are becoming more active. First there was the encounter I had and now the burning of a village from a potentially different dragon.¡± The managers and supervisors began discussing with each other, thinking about reasons for the dragon appearing. Eventually, Mustan spoke up, drawing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Uh¡­ It¡¯s possible that they aren¡¯t related. The previous report of Aunai indicates that the dragon warned them not to mess with him or his belongings. I doubt it would then go ahead and attack the village. It¡¯s likely another dragon that did this act.¡± ¡°Speaking of the first dragon,¡± said one of female managers. ¡°You mention that it merely stopped you because it felt threaten by something following Nobina?¡± The room soon went silent as they all turned to Aunai. She gave a sigh, realizing she was going to need to address Nobina sooner than she wanted. ¡°Yes¡­ Nobina has a divine entity watching over her. I¡¯ve had my suspicions, but I believe Nobina was brought to our world and is being watched by a divine entity as a result.¡± The room erupted in chatter as all of them began talking about Nobina. ¡°Wait, does that mean another crisis is upon us?¡± asked one of them. ¡°She might be a hero. But why is she working as a guild officer? This is all so strange¡­¡± said another. ¡°Wait¡­ divine entity? What divine entity?¡± asked one of them. Many questions were appearing, but Aunai once again snapped to gather their focus. ¡°As much as I want to question her, I have a feeling that doing so might be a bad idea. As we know, divine entities are beings that can do whatever they wish. They still remain a power on the level of the ancient dragons. As a result, I want everyone in this room to keep the information of her otherworld status a secret. It might have been a bad idea to tell you all this at risk of Nobina¡¯s status leaking, but that itself is still speculation as well. I¡¯ve only deduced she¡¯s from another world and that hasn¡¯t been confirmed.¡± ¡°Why mention it in the first place?¡± asked Mustan. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want my special treatment of Nobina moving forward to seem out of place,¡± said Aunai. ¡°I want everyone here to be aware of why I¡¯m doing it, since you¡¯ll find out sooner rather than later.¡± The room went silent, with only Mustan speaking. ¡°If I¡¯m to be frank, this information will eventually be leaked to the public,¡± said Mustan. ¡°As much as I want to believe this information won¡¯t be leak, there¡¯s a non-zero chance someone slips up by accident.¡± Aunai nodded. ¡°All of you are trusted members of the Navira guild. You¡¯ve become managers and supervisors for your own various reasons. There have been times you¡¯ve not all seen eye to eye with me or my decisions. However, please know that I tell you this information because I believe it¡¯s for the sake of the guild. Know that I trust you all completely to keep this a secret as long as possible.¡± Hearing that, they all stood up. ¡°We shall make you proud,¡± said one of the managers, with all of them affirming their support of Aunai. Aunai couldn¡¯t help but smile seeing all of them supporting her. No matter what problem came their way, she knew that she had dependable people under her. She told them the truth because she believed it was the best way to ensure they were all working towards a common goal. In her mind, Nobina was someone she wanted investigated, but she knew she had to be cautious. A divine entity was watching over her. She had an Alpha Death Hare on her side. She was even the hero of her hometown thanks to the goblin incident. ¡°You¡¯re such an unknown Nobina¡­ I wonder what role you will play while you¡¯re here,¡± said Aunai to herself. Chapter 64: Easy Paths and Nobility Nobina found herself waiting for lunch to come as her focus slowly shifted away from her task of getting up to speed on the financial situation of the Navira Adventuring Guild. As she worked, she found her gaze wandering to Carina as she did her own work. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but wonder why a noble like her would work in the adventuring guild. Was it to keep relationships between the lord and the guild as smooth as possible? Was it a play to help keep the guild in line by planting someone inside of it in a good position? All these questions, yet Nobina didn¡¯t want to ask any of them. The worst case was Carina getting upset at Nobina and forcing some punishment on her. Despite her being a guild employee, Carina was still nobility. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was true, but the limited information she read on the nobility mentioned how they had the power to make someone¡¯s life hell. It made her worry about the noble she had encountered before Carina. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Carina, snapping her out of her work. ¡°Yes?¡± responded Nobina, standing up. ¡°It¡¯s lunch. Let¡¯s head out,¡± said Carina as she slowly got up herself. The two of them left the room and headed downstairs. As they began walking through the guild, Nobina noticed that any guild employee who was nearby gave Carina a bow, likely to show their respect to nobility. Nobina wondered if she had missed any proper etiquette with Carina upon meeting her if people were bowing to her. Eventually, the two stepped out of the guild into a ray of sunlight. Carina wasn¡¯t bothered as she continued to walk, her stride even more meaningful as she walked with purpose towards their destination. Nobina could only follow, hoping not to fall too far behind. As they walked, Carina began a bit of small talk with Nobina. ¡°So Nobina. How do you like our city? It must be different from your small town, right?¡± she said, her focus remaining forward. ¡°Oh yes¡­ It¡¯s quite small in comparison. There¡¯s certainly a lot more to do as well,¡± she responded back, making sure to avoid running into people as they chattered. ¡°Hm¡­ Yes¡­ I guess there is,¡± said Carina, her words reflecting her entering a bit of thought. Soon, they arrived at a small yet beautiful caf¨¦. The outdoors had a nice set of umbrellas, which was a surprise to Nobina, considering it gave the caf¨¦ a more modern feel. Besides that, the people there seemed to be of higher status, as everyone was wearing clothes that screamed fashion. It made Nobina feel out of place in her guild uniform, but she wasn¡¯t going to delay their lunch to merely change into something more formal. Plus, this was supposed to be a nice, quiet lunch. ¡°Table for two,¡± called Carina to the nearest waiter.¡± ¡°As you wish Ms. Laguna,¡± said the waiter. Laguna was one of the minor families under Lord Kasanta, the leader of the estate they were all in. Navira was the largest city in the estate, but Lord Kasanta¡¯s residence was farther away, in a walled-off complex. Nobina had made sure to learn a bit about the city before coming there and it was paying off in spades. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Carina, following the waiter. Nobina soon joined her, keeping at a respectable distance. The two were seated in a small section that was separated from the rest. In the section was a single table and four chairs. Besides that, the section had beautiful artwork, a nice diversity of plant life, and even a single employee waiting at the entrance. Carina took her seat, and Nobina took the seat opposite it. ¡°The usual for me and the same for my co-worker Nobina,¡± said Carina. The waiter nodded, heading to get their order. As he did that, Carina gave a pleasant smile to Nobina, staring at her as she began to speak. ¡°You¡¯ll love the Sunset Tea,¡± smiled Carina. ¡°It¡¯s said that those who drink it feel the relaxation that comes with a sunset. One¡¯s senses are relaxed, and they feel the stress of life fade away for a bit.¡± ¡°That sounds divine,¡± responded Nobina. Carina chuckled upon hearing Nobina¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s truly beautiful vocabulary you have Nobina. Divine¡­ I¡¯d never expect a commoner to speak such elegance.¡± The word commoner threatened to make Nobina flash disappointment, but she managed to keep a business posture as she began explaining her word choice. ¡°Oh¡­ You see, I¡¯m a writer, so solid word choice is fundamentally important,¡± she said, giving Carina a smile. Those words made Carina flash a look of surprise. ¡°I never expected a¡­. you, to be a writer,¡± she said. The sudden change in attitude felt weird as Nobina sensed Carina censoring herself now. ¡°Yes¡­ my path is the Path of the Writer. I¡¯m working towards releasing my first book on adventuring one day, so that¡¯s why I¡¯m working at the guild.¡± There was a mix of emotions from Carina, but eventually she settled for curiosity as she asked her next question. ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of the Path of the Writer. Is it a unique Path?¡± she asked, her curiosity growing. Nobina contemplated hiding what she knew but decided to merely tell her own truth instead. ¡°I¡¯ve been informed that is rare at the very least. It¡¯s a Path that supports my dream and one that should help me reach it.¡± Carina nodded, a proud look on her face. ¡°Meeting a unique non-combat path is such a beautiful thing,¡± she said. ¡°In a world like ours where the unique paths are often combat related, I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯ve bound yourself to such a low position as a guild officer. Don¡¯t you aspire to become more?¡± Nobina had to give that some thought. She did aspire to be a writer, but she didn¡¯t care if she became famous or not. All she wanted to do was complete her dream. However, perhaps it was weird she didn¡¯t have an ambitious goal. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Well¡­ I wish to do whatever it takes to accomplish my dream. At the moment, it felt like being a guild employee positions me well enough to do it, but I¡¯m always open for a better route,¡± she responded back. She wasn¡¯t actually sure if she wanted to take a different route, but if she told Carina she was content being a guild employee and just that, Carina would likely think lowly of her. ¡°I see! That¡¯s a smart decision by you,¡± nodded Carina. ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯m only a guild officer because it gives me connections I wouldn¡¯t have otherwise. Plus, I¡¯m not in the main family, so any sort of power is a boon to it.¡± Soon, the tea arrived, with both of them thanking the waiter. Nobina gave a sip of the tea, which caused her expression to change immediately. It felt as if she was suddenly at the end of the day, with sunlight making her feel warm despite none being there. She wanted to merely relax and smile instead of think about anything stressful. ¡°You see?¡± smiled Carina. ¡°The Sunset Tea is one that can get you through any annoying moments. You should come here more often, though I guess ten gold per tea is a bit pricy for a normal employee.¡± The moment she said that, Nobina¡¯s felt herself internally screaming. The tea suddenly felt too valuable to drink, making Nobina slowly set it down and smile. ¡°Perhaps, though such a tea is unfortunately out of my budget.¡± Carina shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re not in a financial situation that can afford you such a delicacy. Of course, ten gold is nothing to nobility, even a minor family such as myself.¡± Nobina could see a disappointed look on Carina¡¯s face. However, it was clearly directed at Nobina¡¯s situation rather than Nobina herself. ¡°Say,¡± said Carina. ¡°Would you want to become nobility?¡± The question made Nobina freeze as she tried to comprehend what Carina was saying. However, she didn¡¯t need to say anything as Carina began explaining. ¡°It might sound strange, but a commoner can become nobility. Of course, one would think I mean you marrying someone of a noble line, or you being adopted into nobility. However, there is another method that is quite simple and one you can easily accomplish,¡± said Carina, taking a sip of her tea. ¡°Do tell,¡± responded Nobina, sipping her tea to relax herself. Carina, enjoying Nobina¡¯s expression, gave her the answer. ¡°Ask Lord Kasanta to grant you nobility,¡± she smiled. The thought of asking Lord Kasanta seemed outrageous, as Nobina knew she was merely a guild employee. What right did she have to ask for a noble status from someone as powerful as Lord Kasanta? ¡°Is it really that simple?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine Lord Kasanta would grant anyone the right of nobility.¡± ¡°But you aren¡¯t just anyone, right Nobina? Should I address you as the Hero of Agora?¡± Nobina choked on her tea but managed to swallow it. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± she spoke, setting her cup down. ¡°You have the achievements, skills and connections to become a noble by merit Nobina,¡± said Carina, giving a nod. ¡°The moment you told me your dream and Path, I¡¯ve became certain about giving you the push to become a noble with my recommendation as well. I¡¯m sure Aunai would be open to recommending you as well as your guild master.¡± The moment she said that, a glow appeared from the Gaze bag of Nobina¡¯s. It made Carina pause as she looked towards the bag next to Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but what is that bag?¡± asked Carina. ¡°It¡¯s a magical item that generates objects that usually fit the situation,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll have to look at it later though, since we are talking about something important.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± she nodded. ¡°Manners are pretty important, so I¡¯m glad you aren¡¯t letting yourself be derailed. But yes, I believe you are fully capable of being a noble. Honestly, we have so many nobles by birth that don¡¯t deserve the esteem position. Some of them act in such a disgraceful manner that honestly sickens me. If I was Lord Kasanta, I¡¯d have them punished or expelled, though I guess we need minor nobles to do the dirty work.¡± Nobina was about to mention Carina being a minor noble herself, but she opted not to put a target on her back. ¡°So¡­ Will you become a noble Nobina?¡± asked Carina, patiently waiting for a response. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ willing to be one if necessary, but I must ask¡­ What does it mean to be a noble?¡± Carina put her right-hand fingers to her chin as she thought. ¡°What it means to be a noble¡­ Honestly, a noble is someone who leads those who need to be led. They are individuals of status that are granted a powerful position and are expected to become examples of outstanding individuals. It is why the king is considered the highest position after all. They are the person who truly exemplifies what a noble should be and thus, we tend to follow the king¡¯s example as nobles ourselves.¡± Nobina gave a nod. It made sense that Carina saw nobles as a position of power, yet one that should be a good example to all. It made Nobina wonder though about Carina¡¯s clear dislike of commoners, but she decided it was a question for another time. ¡°That being said, not all nobles are pure or should be pure. Some nobles are needed that are able to put their foot down and get things done. For example, as a minor noble myself, you might think of some of my actions as unbecoming of a noble. However, my role is to support the higher positioned nobles like Lord Kasanta. As a result, I¡¯m trying to recruit you as a minor noble. Your support is bound to boost Lord Kasanta¡¯s position, while it also gives you tons of benefits that a commoner would never have.¡± It started to make sense to Nobina as to why Carina made the offer of nobility to her. Carina saw it as a way to boost her own, Lord Kasanta¡¯s, and Nobina¡¯s position. It was something Nobina found commendable, but it did rub her the wrong way a bit. ¡°So¡­ Do you want to go now?¡± asked Carina. ¡°Can you give me some time?¡± responded Nobina, stopping immediately when she realized she didn¡¯t flat-out accept an offer. She worried it would immediately sour Carina¡¯s mood, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡°It is wise to not make haste with such a decision. I do recommend getting Aunai¡¯s confirmed support first then letting me know,¡± nodded Carina. When she took another sip of her tea, she looked around a bit and then nodded. ¡°Seems like its almost time to head back. I¡¯m not asking you to make the decision immediately Nobina but think about it. There are a lot of benefits to being a noble and it does give you an easy path to becoming a writer.¡± Carina didn¡¯t wait as she got up. The waiter gave her a nod as Carina departed. ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t rush yourself Nobina,¡± said Carina, turning to her. ¡°I¡¯m merely heading back because I really want to get the research done. You can spend a bit of time here and enjoy a dessert if you wish. Really take in what it means to be a noble and the benefits of it.¡± Nobina gave a nod, prompting Carina to leave. As Nobina sat there, the waiter appeared before her, setting a menu. ¡°Here are today¡¯s deserts. We have a beautiful Rainbow Cheesecake and Aurora Brownies for today¡¯s deserts.¡± Nobina began salivating immediately upon hearing that, but she realized that she didn¡¯t have time to get lost in the benefits of nobility. Rather, she needed to answer Carina¡¯s question.¡± ¡°Say,¡± said Nobina to the waiter. ¡°Did you overhear anything we said?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± he nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sworn to secrecy however and if I reveal the information to anyone my head will likely roll. It is the price to be a servant to nobility.¡± ¡°Then can you answer this questions? Do you see any reason one would not want to become a noble?¡± The waiter seemed to hesitate to answer, but they eventually took a breath and did. ¡°I will say one thing. One should only become a noble if they feel it necessary. The role of a noble isn¡¯t one to easily be earned or discarded. Their influence is far greater than most and commoners do depend on them in times of need, like with heroes.¡± Nobina gave a nod. There was a lot to think about since she didn¡¯t know what the correct choice was. She wanted to speak to Aunai, Mimiki, and perhaps even Lila before giving Carina her answer. For now, she decided to check her bag before heading out. ¡°Oh right. Can I get a Rainbow Cheesecake,¡± said Nobina instantly, not wanting to waste a chance to taste something she suspected would be amazing. Part of her wanted to question why cheesecake and brownies existed in the shop, but that was a question she didn¡¯t need to answer at that moment. ¡°As you wish,¡± said the waiter, departing to get her the dessert. As he left, Nobina checked her bag and found a doll. It had no note with it, but Nobina began thinking about Fay the moment she held it. Moments later, it felt as if Fay was hugging Nobina, making her almost tear up due to the feeling. Setting it down, the feeling went away, making Nobina realize the doll must have had the power to replicate Fay¡¯s hug. ¡°I miss you Fay,¡± said Nobina, taking the doll and hugging it again. ¡°I bet you¡¯d know the answer to this question.¡± Chapter 65: Opinions and Ride Nobina found herself leaving the caf¨¦, satisfied yet worried about the upcoming decision. The offer of nobility wasn¡¯t something Nobina saw as a clear-cut yes or no. There was a lot to consider when it came to being a noble. She might not have known how exactly the nobility worked in this world, but she did have an idea based on the knowledge she studied here and what she knew about nobility from the history of her own world. The main concern out of all of this was being locked down to the territory she was in now. Her dream of being a writer wouldn¡¯t be too hampered being stuck in Lord Kasanta¡¯s territory, but the main concern came with the freedom she wanted to maintain. ¡°Meeting Fay will be much harder¡­ I think.¡± There was a chance it would actually make it easier to see her, but Nobina knew that minor nobles, which she likely would become, didn¡¯t have that much influence. It¡¯d likely be a case similar to Carina, where she would work for the guild yet have some noble authority under her belt. She wasn¡¯t even sure about what family she¡¯d be put under. She had doubts she¡¯d get her own noble family at least. ¡°Is there really a good reason to become a noble? I think I have enough help to get me by¡­¡± She continued to weigh the pros and cons of nobility until she eventually found herself back at the guild. At the entrance was Mimiki, who was talking with a group of adventurers. She was in her guild officer uniform and Nobina could tell she was on the clock based on how she was acting. Her ecstatic self was a reminder that she really did love helping adventurers above all else. As she was talking, she eventually glanced over and saw Nobina, prompting her to invite her over. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki as Nobina joined the group. ¡°I¡¯ve been helping these adventurers get together a party and was going to search for a fourth person. However, would you like to join them?¡± Nobina found herself excited about the prospect of going on an adventure and forgetting her current dilemma, but she knew how irresponsible it would be. She was tempted to leave Mimiki be and seek advice from someone else, but Mimiki was her only friend from her town. Not to mention that she trusted Mimiki probably the most out of everyone there. ¡°Unfortunately, I have something important I need to do,¡± said Nobina reluctantly. ¡°I do need to ask you an important question, if you don¡¯t mind stepping away.¡± Mimiki turned to the group, who gave them a reassuring nod. ¡°I¡¯m good to talk, said Mimiki. The two of them found a quiet room on the first floor of the guild. Once they locked the door, Nobina began telling Mimiki about everything that had happened so far, eventually leading to the question she was asking herself. ¡°Do you think I should become a noble or should I remain a normal commoner.¡± ¡°Commoner,¡± Mimiki answered immediately, surprising Nobina. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think you need the title of nobility Nobina. It has its benefits, but the main thing to be concern with are the cons. You¡¯d be in the service of Lord Kasanta for the rest of your life or until you somehow leave the nobility. You¡¯d no longer be a part of our family as well, which would honestly be sad. Unless¡­ you really want to try to go at it on your own.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± said Nobina, shocked at what Mimiki said at the end. ¡°I¡¯d never want to abandon you guys. All of you are my friends and I wouldn¡¯t give it up to be nobility.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s your answer,¡± nodded Mimiki. With that, Nobina thanked Mimiki, who left shortly after, leaving Nobina alone in the room. As she stood there, doubt began to creep back in in regard to her answer. ¡°Is¡­ the answer really just¡­ no?¡± She didn¡¯t want to doubt Mimiki¡¯s answer, but she had every reason to want Nobina to stay a commoner. It would allow them to stay together, and it didn¡¯t really matter what benefits came with nobility. Nobina wanted to believe Mimiki would have been willing to change her answer if it was in Nobina¡¯s best interest, but it was hard to believe that completely. ¡°I should¡­ get more opinions,¡± Nobina told herself. Nobina left the room and headed to the second floor. She contemplated going into the financial room but decided not to do that until she had her answer. Instead, she found herself knocking on the office room of Guild Master Aunai. ¡°Come in,¡± she called, prompting Nobina to enter. When Nobina was inside, she was surprised to see how messy Aunai¡¯s room was compared to Eric¡¯s. Books were scattered everywhere. There were all sorts of decorations that didn¡¯t fit the aesthetics of the room as well. The main thing that drew her attention was Lila, who was lying on the sofa, reading a book. ¡°Lila?¡± said Nobina, surprised to see her there. ¡°Ah,¡± said Lila, fumbling the book, causing it to fall on her face. She quickly got it off and set it to the side, getting up and trying to make herself presentable. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± she said, trying to play it cool. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I had an important question to ask Aunai, but I guess you can hear it too,¡± Nobina replied back. Aunai had a curious glance as she watched Nobina sit down to the sofa across from Lila. She took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°Ok¡­ so¡­ I was offered the position of nobility. Do you two know any reason why I would accept or decline it?¡± Hearing that, Lila nodded her head. ¡°Easy! Accept it,¡± said Lila with absolute confidence. Nobina was curious as to the reason she told her to accept it, but soon she regretted even entertaining it. ¡°If you become a noble, then you¡¯ll have access to Lord Kasanta¡¯s guards, and you can have a three versus one with me! It¡¯d totally be awesome.¡± Both Nobina and Aunai found themselves dumbfounded by the line of logic that Lila came up with. As both of them stared, Lila soon found herself confused by the expression. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°What? Is there something I missed? Does Lord Kasanta have some legendary weapon she can use?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Lila. Please go ahead and help out downstairs. Breaks over.¡± ¡°Alrighty!¡± said Lila joyously. As soon as she was gone, Nobina saw that Aunai was shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lila gave you such an unserious answer to your question Nobina. Truth be told, she is right though. You really should consider accepting the position,¡± she smiled. ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡± asked Nobina, curious about Aunai¡¯s reasoning. ¡°You might not know this, but the position of a noble is one that cannot be earned unless you have the status to support it. Luckily, you have the title of Hero of Agora, which is a part of Lord Kasanta¡¯s territory. He might allow you to stay in Agora if you¡¯re lucky.¡± Nobina was aware that Agora was in Lord Kasanta¡¯s territory, but it was at the very edge of it. There was doubt in her mind that he¡¯d allow any nobility under his command to be in such a risky spot since Agora was close to Lord Gensura¡¯s territory. It was well known that neither of them liked each other. ¡°Isn¡¯t it likely that he keeps me close?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d allow me to stay in Agora if he is willing to making me a noble in general.¡± Aunai gave a nod. ¡°It is true that there¡¯s no guarantee that you¡¯re allowed back to Agora. You might be stuck here in Navira considering your value. However, if you work diligently enough, you might gain the influence to accomplish your goal of meeting Fay.¡± Hearing that, Nobina asked her to clarify what she meant by that. Aunai began explaining how there was a path she envisioned Nobina taking that would lead Fay directly to her. If Nobina grew her noble influence enough, and with Aunai¡¯s support, she could put in a direct request through the guild to get Fay to come to Navira. Of course, if Fay was out of the nation or had a status of S-rank, things would be complicated. However, it was a better chance than Aunai trying to get Fay over with the just her own influence. ¡°It¡¯s all a possibility, but nothing is certain though,¡± said Aunai, putting doubt into her grand plan. ¡°The point I¡¯m trying to make is nobility comes with a lot of influence. For someone who wants to be a writer, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d love the free time. No needing to worry about working in the guild as the noble family and guild supports you.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t my situation be similar to Carina?¡± asked Nobina. The mention of her name caused Aunai to freeze. ¡°She mentioned this plan to you, right? Asked Aunai. When Nobina gave a nod, Aunai could only sigh as she leaned back. ¡°Be careful of Carina, Nobina,¡± said Aunai. ¡°She¡¯s constantly trying to grow her own power, so be careful of what you tell her. If she learns of anything¡­ important, you¡¯d best believe that secret is no longer safe.¡± Hearing that, Nobina could only nod after giving a gulp. ¡°Wait¡­ if Carina isn¡¯t trustworthy, why is she a guild employee?¡± Aunai merely smiled upon hearing the answer. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to get into the complicated political web between us and nobility.¡± Nobina merely gave a strained smile. ¡°Uh¡­ thanks for the advice and warning Aunai. I think I¡¯m¡­ going to think this over a bit more,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Happy to help,¡± she smiled. Nobina left her room, heading downstairs and back into the lobby. Mimiki was no longer there, leaving Nobina to focus on thinking about the decision. ¡°Both of them are pretty biased¡­ I really should ask a neutral party.¡± As she said that, Nobina caught a glimpse of four horses and a carriage pulling up to the entrance of the guild. The coachman got off his seat and went to the carriage door, opening it then bowing. Nobina found herself taking a step back when she saw it was Doriten, the 5th son of Lord Kasanta. ¡°Oh god,¡± said Nobina, finding herself moving further away. However, she failed to completely avoid Doriten¡¯s gaze as he gave a rather creepy smile. ¡°Ah! Nobina! Someone I¡¯d love to have a chat with. Please wait right there.¡± The moment he asked her to wait right there, Nobina had no choice but to listen. If she didn¡¯t, she knew that Doriten could use his authority to make her declining to speak an issue. As he approached, Nobina began wondering what exactly Doriten had planned for her. She really hoped it was going to be a casual talk, but she wasn¡¯t sure what kind of noble Doriten was. ¡°Alright,¡± said Doriten, stopping a bit far from Nobina. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go for a ride.¡± Nobina merely nodded, following Doriten¡¯s order. The grim facial expressions of those nearby didn¡¯t help ease Nobina¡¯s concerns. Many of those looks made her more and more convinced Doriten had something bad in store for Nobina. It wasn¡¯t too late to back away, but Nobina had to trust that this decision was better than drawing Doriten¡¯s ire. Doriten was the first into the carriage, with Nobina following right afterward. When both were inside, the driver shut the door, and they were off. As the two began their ride through the town, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but ask her questions regarding his plans. ¡°So¡­ where are we going?¡± asked Nobina, offering a polite smile. ¡°Oh¡­ we are just going around the town. It¡¯s still too early for dinner and I rather not have dinner with someone I barely know. Hence why we are talking now,¡± he said with a smile. Nobina wanted to shiver at how creepy the smile was, but she barely managed to hide how she was feeling. ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s¡­ a splendid idea," smiled Nobina weakly. "Shall I introduce myself first or do you wish to go first?¡± He gave a laugh so strong that Nobina thought he was going to keep it up for a good minute. However, after ten seconds of laughing, he reeled himself in and manage to recompose himself. ¡°Oh, you are so funny¡­ Of course you know who I am, so obviously you want to introduce yourself.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She introduced herself as a guild employee at the Agora Adventuring Guild. However, she realized that perhaps showing her merits would best protect her, as it would make him think twice about messing with her. ¡°Besides that, I¡¯m considered the Hero of Agora and have connections with Eric, Aunai and Lila,¡± she said, trying to be as confident as possible. Hearing that, Doriten once again chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. Spouting your qualifications. Of course, I¡¯d love to know why you think yourself highly as I¡¯ve asked that, yet¡­ it seems odd. You don¡¯t see them as a ¡®show off¡¯ type of person. Any chance¡­ you are merely putting up airs to make yourself scary while in reality¡­ you¡¯re more like a puppy?¡± Nobina found herself freezing, realizing that she had made a mistake. However, she couldn¡¯t back down now. Especially after he was calling her a puppy, which felt insulting. ¡°It¡¯s enough¡­ to earn the qualification of Nobility by Merit.¡± The moment she said that, Doriten¡¯s attitude went instantly cold. That happy attitude he had was a thing of the past as he smiled and looked at her while pointing deadly daggers towards her. ¡°Oh¡­ So you plan to become nobility? I see that Carina is trying desperately to build herself a shield and you, unfortunately, are being chosen to be that.¡± Nobina remained silent, waiting for Doriten to speak. ¡°Let me give you some friendly advice¡­ don¡¯t become a noble. The fight between us nobles is quiet¡­ messy. I have no doubt your achievements make you an asset to father. However, you should be wary that you¡¯d find yourself dead if you try to make yourself a noble. Carina can¡¯t protect you from the enemies you¡¯d likely have.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t deny the possibility. If she wasn¡¯t careful, one of the main family nobles might want her dead. She wasn¡¯t strong enough or in a position to protect herself either. ¡°I¡­ thank you for the advice,¡± nodded Nobina. Doriten chuckled, giving a nod. ¡°A wise decision will be rewarded Nobina. Honestly, this talk was rather fruitful. I learned your true self and I¡¯m excited to see what you do from here on out. It¡¯s been a pleasure.¡± The moment he said that the carriage stopped. The door opened to reveal they were at the guild. ¡°That was¡­ rather short,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Is that¡­ really all you wanted to talk about?¡± Doriten shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s plenty more, but I¡¯ve learned enough that I can plan out future excursions. They should be¡­ quite enjoyable. Anyway, this was the perfect trip around the building,¡± he smiled. ¡°Now then¡­ I wish you the best Nobina.¡± Doriten closed the door, leaving Nobina standing out in the open. There were a lot of eyes on her, but she was too focused on what Doriten said to notice. ¡°I¡­ think he¡¯s right,¡± Nobina told herself. The reality was that she might be putting a target on herself if she became a noble. She doubted she¡¯d have the protection she¡¯d need to counteract the targeting, so it seemed the choice was clear. ¡°For now¡­ I think I¡¯ll just remain myself,¡± she nodded. Whether it was the right choice was yet to be seen, but she was convinced being steadfast against those who wanted to use her was the correct choice at least. Perhaps Carina didn¡¯t intend to use her, but the moment she became nobility, she¡¯d be someone others would use for power. Instead of that, she wanted to maintain her freedom for now. With her decision made, she decided to return to Carina to give her answer. Chapter 66: Glimpse and Growing Crisis ¡°Hm¡­. No¡­ I¡¯m sure this feels too drastic¡­ What if I¡­¡± Nobina found herself standing in a dark room barely illuminated. The only thing she could see was someone typing on a computer in what appeared to be a modern-day personal office. There was a glass wall behind them revealing a dark back yard that led into a rather open forest. Beside him were two wall sized bookcases full of modern-day science books and fantasy books. It would have fascinated Nobina, but she felt extremely sleepy. ¡°Is this¡­ a dream,¡± she thought to herself.¡± Her gaze fell onto the man in a white coat sitting behind the computer. Looking at them, she instantly realized who that was, but suddenly, everything went completely dark. His voice said one last thing before it went silent. ¡°Erase¡­¡± ¡­ Nobina found herself waking up in the middle of the night. There was an odd sense of loneliness as Nobina noticed the lack of a gaze upon her. Usually, the Gaze was either intense or light, but she had only rarely remembered a few times it was as light as it was now. ¡°Wait¡­ was that¡­. Nonomo? ¡°Ah¡­ my head,¡± said Nobina, grabbing it with her right head. A familiar headache appeared, making her wonder what was happening. ¡°What¡­ is going on,¡± Nobina asked herself as she tried to get her bearings. She got out of her bed, the room dark except for the moonlight shining through the room. Her vision could barely see the rest of the room, but she managed to reach the nearby candle to light it. ¡°Hm¡­¡± said Nobina, grabbing the nearby Spark Rocks. Those were two stones that, when struck together, created a spark. The rocks were especially good at creating these sparks and weren¡¯t too expensive to make. It was often used in adventuring parties as an inexpensive Firestarter. ¡°Curious¡­¡± said Nobina as she examined the rocks. She had been in this world for a while and was quite familiar with Spark Rocks, which was the name that people called them. She hadn¡¯t really thought about the logic behind how they worked before. However, her curiosity at the moment was at an all-time high. She began taking out all her objects from her bag, taking a look at everything she had. From the grenades she still hadn¡¯t had usage for to the newer items like the scarf and the water horn, there was an ever-growing number of items she had that all did their own special things. Looking at all of them, she received some of them at times where they might have been useful but also received items that had no immediate usage. Part of her felt like these were ultimately the key to solving the great mystery behind the Gaze and the entities behind it. However, there was a building up worry regarding these items. ¡°Once again¡­ I wonder if these items are a sign of future events to come, or if they exist regardless of what¡¯s going to happen.¡± Her eyes started to find themselves closing as she felt fatigue kicking in. She put away all her items and headed to bed. Tomorrow, she¡¯d meet with Carina and give her response. After that she guessed it be back to business as usual. ¡°Tomorrow¡­¡± she whispered before falling asleep. ¡­ The next day, Nobina felt a warm ray of sunlight piecing into her room. She slowly got up, looking out the window to see what time of day it was. ¡°Guess it¡¯s time to give my answer,¡± she told herself. Once again, the Gaze was weaker than usual, but it was still there. She tried to pay it no mind though, as she had something important to do. After putting on her uniform, she headed downstairs and to the guild building. She was feeling a bit nervous, but she merely hoped Carina wouldn¡¯t take her decision too badly. Entering the guild, the air was as hectic as usual as the morning quest rush was still going on. She hadn¡¯t been there long, but she saw something on a small scale in the Agora guild. It was basically people trying to get the easiest jobs or the highest-paying jobs. ¡°Guess things never change,¡± she chuckled. Nobina headed upstairs and soon found herself instead the financial room. Mustan and Carina were arguing again, but now on a different topic. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± said Carina, sounding baffled. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me that the quest was worth fifty gold. It should have been thirty.¡± ¡°Demand was quite low when it was posted at that amount,¡± replied Mustan with a sigh. ¡°It was increased in accordance with policy.¡± ¡°Policy is up to fifty percent. The fact it was pushed up beyond that is inexcusable, especially from a veteran officer,¡± she said, slamming her hands to the center table. ¡°Uh,¡± said Nobina, once again breaking the deadlock. Both of them looked towards Nobina before looking back at each other. ¡°We¡¯ll handle this later,¡± said Mustan. ¡°I have a report to give.¡± ¡°Whatever,¡± said Carina, clearly frustrated. As soon as Mustan was gone, Nobina found Carina¡¯s gaze intently on her as her expression changed to a smile. ¡°Ah¡­ Nobina. Hopefully you¡¯ve thought it over and have an answer.¡± Nobina felt as if Carina had expected her to say she¡¯d become a noble, but Doriten¡¯s clear threat, above all else, was the biggest deterrent. ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry Carina, but I¡¯ve determined it is not in my best interest to become a noble by merit.¡± She expected to see disappointment flash on Carina¡¯s face, but instead, it was just curiosity. ¡°Hm¡­ Any particular reason why? Certainly there¡¯s something I can do to help,¡± she smiled. ¡°That¡¯s the thing¡­. Doriten warned me against becoming a noble.¡± The mention of his name caused the expected disappointment to appear on Carina¡¯s face. She merely shook her head as she sat down. ¡°Can you tell me what your relationship is with Doriten Nobina? It would be¡­ problematic if you were his ally.¡± The implied threat was clear as Nobina felt herself scrambling to explain the situation. She told Carina about their two meetings, with the most recent one resulting Doriten learning about her potentially being a noble. Carina sighed, shaking her head. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Ah¡­ you gave him a heads up. I expected better of you Nobina,¡± said Carina, turning a page in one of the books she was looking at. ¡°It didn¡¯t help that I was a bit fearful of my life,¡± she responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Doriten is capable of, nor did I want to anger him.¡± Carina shook her head, continuing to read the financial book she was holding. ¡°Regardless, what¡¯s done is done. There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be able to become a noble if Doriten is going to oppose it actively. Anyways, continue learning about our financials. If you have any questions let me know,¡± said Carina, turning her attention back to her financial book. Nobina looked at Carina a bit before turning to her own work. She wasn¡¯t sure how Carina felt about her, given the answer she gave, but she could only hope it wouldn¡¯t affect their relationship that much. Without another word, she continued her research into the financials of the Navira guild. A few days had passed since she had given her answer to Carina. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, her attitude remained relatively friendly. She didn¡¯t invite her to go out, but Carina didn¡¯t show any disdain towards her. Rather, she treated Nobina as a co-worker, even asking if she needed help every once in a while. It was a good experience, making Nobina wonder if things were finally going to go smoothly. In the meantime, Nobina had been hard at work making sure to understand the financial situation of the Navira Adventuring Guild. So far, they had a lot of programs that had to be monitored and paid for, leading to her realizing they needed financial officers for that specific reason. She had also thought more about the costs of swapping their system to something similar to Agora, but it wasn¡¯t a simple matter and would likely take weeks to do. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll think more about it today,¡± sighed Nobina as she walked into the guild. Nobina headed to the financial office of the guild, but as soon as she got to the entrance, she saw Carina and Mustan were heading out of the room. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± said Carina. ¡°Aunai has something she needs to let us know. Come on.¡± Without missing a beat, Nobina was right behind the two as they headed to the guild master¡¯s office. Once they were there, they all stood in a line, with Nobina standing on the right of Carina, who was the center of the three. ¡°Ah,¡± said Aunai, who was sitting at her desk. ¡°Glad you could all be here on such short notice. There¡¯s been a report that was just received a few minutes ago. No one else knows this, but news will quickly spread. I need you three to take action immediately.¡± All of them straightened up, waiting for whatever Aunai had to say. ¡°A few scouts were sent to watch of for a dragon that had recently destroyed a village. One of them was near the Town of Wistern when a dragon appeared. Luckily, the dragon merely did a pass by, but we are concerned that the town will be the next target. Evacuations have been ordered immediately and reinforcements have been sent. Ideally, they decide to evacuate themselves, but they might wait for our directive. In the worst case¡­¡± Aunai seemed hesitant to speak but mustered the will to do so after a bit. ¡°¡­ it might attack before the order is received or before they can evacuate.¡± All of them stood there, dumbfounded by what she just said. The first to speak was Carina, who was extremely emotional. ¡°Damn it! No! Are you telling me that an order for evacuation wasn¡¯t given when the sighting of the dragon happened initially? What were you thinking Aunai!¡± Nobina could see tears coming from her eyes, making her wonder if Carina had a link with Wistern. ¡°We¡¯ve already been gathering a hunting party and did not expect another dragon sighting so soon,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Wistern was a key economic town for the territory and an unnecessary evacuation would severely hamper Lord Kasanta. However, the situation leaves me no choice but to act now. Not to mention I have no choice but to request reinforcements from the capital as we mount the best dragon-hunting group we can. A rogue dragon cannot be left alone and if it ends up destroying Wistern, it must be eliminated as soon as possible¡± All of them nodded, with Carina still visibly shaken. ¡°I trust you know what to do Carina,¡± said Aunai. She gave a nod, trying to wipe away her tears. ¡°I will speak with the nobility and get their financial support. They will certainly give it, due to how dire this situation is and how many¡­ including myself¡­ had ties to that town.¡± Aunai gave a nod, turning to Mustan. ¡°As the most senior guild officer, I¡¯m trusting you to determine the impact of the towns destruction and the funds we¡¯ll need to send off a dragon hunting squad, as well as the funds needed to bolster the City of Navira¡¯s defenses.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he nodded. Lastly, Aunai turned to Nobina. ¡°I want you to meet with the leader of the merchant¡¯s guild and obtain as much funds as possible. Time is of the essence and the economic crisis will likely cause a panic amongst the merchants who might flee out of the territory in fear of us failing to dispatch the dragon. If necessary, tell them you have my full authority.¡± Nobina felt the immense pressure of Aunai¡¯s request, prompting her to immediately question it. ¡°Why me? I¡¯m just a temporary guild officer here. Certainly a more senior officer would be more suited,¡± Nobina replied, waving her hands. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunately not the case. The merchant guild and adventuring guild have recently come into¡­ unfortunate tension. They might be more willing to listen to an outsider¡¯s request with my authority. If you are unable to secure funds, then merely report back. There¡¯s a lot of work to be done.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She was very concerned about the sudden news they had received. Was this the same dragon Nobina had met or another one? Was this her Path at work, or was this unrelated? ¡°Damn it,¡± she said under her breath, both towards the current situation and her lack of knowledge. It hadn¡¯t been that long since she had arrived in town, but she felt she wasn¡¯t getting enough time to settle in, at the very least. ¡°Don¡¯t stress yourself out too much Nobina,¡± said Aunai, drawing Nobina¡¯s attention. ¡°Despite how urgent everything is, hunting a dragon could take weeks or longer. The town¡¯s location is about a week away and the news is technically four days old. If not for the scout¡¯s speed, this matter might have been more¡­¡± ¡°How can you say that¡± said Carina in almost a scream. ¡°The town is under immediate danger ¡­ So many people can lose their lives! How can you¡­¡± Nobina found herself freezing upon hearing Carina¡¯s yelling. Immediately, Nobina feared for the worse, thinking about her Path and the potential of her being the cause of the issue. She then wondered if she had gotten a whole village destroyed by the dragon earlier as her Path began placing her in the center of a potential disaster yet again. ¡°No¡­¡± she found herself saying to herself, pure fear on her face. The stress was building up as she felt the guilt of so many lives on her. ¡°Enough,¡± said Aunai, her voice echoing her authority. Carina immediately backed off, causing Aunai to shake her head. ¡°Please keep a level head Carina. I know how you must be feeling, but I¡¯m trying to make sure we handle this as best as possible. Sending Nobina into a panic isn¡¯t helping.¡± Carina turned to Nobina and froze upon seeing Nobina. She was hyperventilating, finding herself unable to breathe. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mustan, holding onto her. ¡°Huh,¡± said Nobina, managing to slow down her breathing. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Nobina,¡± said Carina, bowing her head. Seeing that, Nobina managed to recompose herself, but she did find herself flustered by Carina¡¯s action. ¡°No. I should apologize¡­ I was¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to explain it Nobina,¡± said Carina. ¡°You must be feeling immense stress and I¡¯m not helping. Please forgive me.¡± Nobina, realizing how much pressure all of this was putting on her, took a deep breath to calm herself as much as possible. ¡°I¡­ Do forgive you Carina,¡± she responded. ¡°Can I¡­ get a moment? I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± ¡°No worries,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Please. Let Mustan keep you company at least.¡± She gave a nod, leaving the room with Mustan. As soon as she was out, Aunai spoke to Carina. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Carina¡­ I know you¡¯ve lost people you hold dear, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± she said, trying to regain a noble demeanor. ¡°It¡¯s unbecoming of a noble to let emotions get the best of them. I shall execute the task you have given me.¡± She gave a bow before stepping out. Aunai gave a sigh, standing up and looking out her window. Her gaze fell onto the townsfolk and then widened to the town itself. ¡°Demons and dragons¡­ What is happening,¡± she asked herself. Nobina was walking downstairs and out of the guild. Once she was near the statue, she found herself staring at it. ¡°Nobina?¡± asked Mustan, drawing her attention. ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ Sorry Mustan¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± he smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize for everything. You¡¯re under a lot of stress right now, right?¡± She gave a nod. Deep down, Nobina had gone into a panic as she feared she was the cause of so much death. However, she managed to keep herself sane by telling herself that there was a chance she didn¡¯t cause the dragon¡¯s attack. She couldn¡¯t blame herself for everything that happened in the world. ¡°I¡­ I understand,¡± she told Mustan, keeping her gaze on the statue. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m so¡­¡± Nobina held back, calling herself weak. She already knew she had her own strength, and it could help her get through this situation. Her mind was already running through the things she had and what she could do. ¡°I wish I didn¡¯t have to deal with this. It feels so unfair that I can¡¯t relax,¡± she sighed. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mustan. ¡°This isn¡¯t your burden to bear, but ours. This is the Navira guild and you¡¯re our guest. We appreciate everything you¡¯re doing, and we are asking so much from you. Honestly? I¡¯m sure after you do this, Aunai will ask you to take a step back and do a minor task. She must know how unfair it is to stress you out.¡± She wanted to protest that but merely stayed silent. If taking action threatened to make her panic or worse, it was better she did a more relaxing task. ¡°You¡¯re right Mustan¡­ Thank you for telling me that.¡± He smiled, giving a nod. ¡°It to be expected from your senior Nobina,¡± he smiled. With that, Nobina nodded to herself. She had a job to do and wasn¡¯t going to waste any more time dreading the past, present, or future. Rather, she was going to do the best she could right now and worry about the problems as they came. Chapter 67: Economics and Merchant Nobina began walking through the town with purpose as she headed towards the merchant guild. Luckily, Mustan was with her, so she was being led directly there. Eventually, they arrived at their destination. The guild itself was massive, being a size comparable to that of the adventuring guild. However, there were merchants instead of adventurers and carriages loaded with goods all around. Once she was at its entrance, Mustan gave a bow. ¡°I shall return to the adventuring guild and begin my own task Nobina. Remember, you do not need to secure the funds. Merely do your best and get a sense of the stance of the merchant guild.¡± ¡°Right,¡± she nodded. When Mustan was finally gone, Nobina went into her bag and grabbed one particular item. It was a feather that she had received that was apparently a good luck charm in social situations if she rubbed it. Considering the importance of the meeting, she had to trust that it would work as she thought it would. She gave the feather a rub, put it in her pocket, and stepped inside. Once she was inside the guild, she saw it was a bustling place of activity that rivaled the adventuring guild. Nobina could tell there were a lot of negotiations happening, even at the entrance. It was very overwhelming, but not enough to distract her from her task. ¡°Nobina?¡± called a familiar voice. Nobina turned to her right and saw a familiar face approach her. ¡°Fitz? Is that you?¡± she asked. Fitz, the merchant she had met at the start of her journey, was standing right before her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± he nodded. ¡°I was honestly getting an order that would let me pass through Agora, but I guess we get our chance meeting much sooner.¡± Nobina gave a nod, giving the biggest smile she could. ¡°I¡¯m happy to get to see you again,¡± she smiled. ¡°So much has happened and is happening that seeing you really is brightening my day.¡± ¡°Really? Well glad it is,¡± he nodded. ¡°Want to get something to eat later? Dinner isn¡¯t too far off, and I¡¯d love to show you a really nice restaurant to eat. I can even get a discount and save you a decent amount.¡± Nobina laughed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯d love that. As soon as I¡¯m done meeting with the merchant guild leader, then we¡¯ll head out.¡± Hearing that caused Fitz¡¯s face to widen in surprise. ¡°Speaking to the big honcho himself? You¡¯ve really moved up in the world, huh.¡± Nobina waved her hands, trying to downplay herself. ¡°Totally not. Circumstances dictate I need to meet him, but I doubt I¡¯m the best one for the job.¡± Fitz gave his own laugh, shaking his head. ¡°Be a bit more confident Nobina. That¡¯s the key. Anyway, best not to keep Merchant Leader Asteron waiting. Good luck!¡± She gave a nod, making her way to the nearest receptionist¡¯s desk. The reception look was less than warm when she saw Nobina, merely asking her what she wanted. When she said she was there to see Asteron under Aunai¡¯s authority, the female receptionist immediately straightened up and nodded. ¡°Of course. Please follow me miss.¡± Nobina was led to an office that was pretty close to the receptionist desk. Looking at it, she could see it was a far different style of office. It had three walls, but a single open one that anyone could walk in. The lack of door was surprising as well, making Nobina wonder if this really was the office of the Merchant Leader. ¡°Mr. Asteron. A representative of the Navira Adventuring Guild,¡± she spoke. ¡°Got it,¡± said Asteron,¡± appearing from behind his desk. Taking a look at him, Asteron appeared as unassuming as you can get, having a rather skinny demeanor and a rather timid look. However, Nobina wasn¡¯t fooled by this sight. This man likely had a huge influence that let him dress in such casual attire. ¡°Please, take a seat miss¡­.¡± ¡°Please call me Nobina,¡± she smiled. He gave a nod, taking a seat on his own desk. Looking at it, it appeared rather messy, which made sense for someone as busy as the merchant leader. As he straightened himself up, he turned to Nobina with a smile. ¡°Now. What can I do for the representative of the adventuring guild?¡± Nobina worried about telling him something important with the lack of privacy, but it seemed that he caught on to her expression. ¡°You seem rather new for the financial representative. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re either a new hire or a guest, but a guest seems more likely.¡± She gave a nod. ¡°My name is Nobina and I¡¯m technically a financial officer of the Agora Adventuring Guild.¡± Asteron gave a nod. ¡°Ah¡­ Agora¡­ a rather quiet town. But please, you must be here for an urgent matter considering how you¡¯re looking a bit impatient.¡± Nobina wondered if she¡¯d keep encountering people who could easily read her. It was likely a fault she had to fix, but she had a laundry list of things she had to do already. ¡°Right¡­ The¡­ town of Wistern was completely destroyed. Aunai has requested I get fundings to pay for both the bolstering of the towns defenses and the group meant to hunt the dragon.¡± Asteron gave a nod. ¡°You have our support. Please give us the numbers of what you exactly need on our end after the nobility, and we¡¯ll cover it. Anything else?¡± Nobina stared for a bit, showing her confusion about him instantly agreeing. ¡°Ah,¡± he laughed. ¡°You must be confused as to why I just agreed without asking anything in return. See, this is an emergency and many lives were lost, so there is no time for me to try to get as much out of the adventuring guild as possible. Perhaps it¡¯s not for the benefit of the merchant guild, but we have a policy of putting the needs of the people as a priority. It is what has granted us their trust and thus I¡¯m fulfilling their obligation. I won¡¯t need anything until this matter is resolved and will do what I can to assist.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Asteron was quickly showing himself to be a good leader and Nobina had so much respect for him. It allowed her to relax as she leaned back in her chair. ¡°Thank you so much Asteron. I shall report back.¡± He gave a nod, leading Nobina to stand up and leave. Once she was gone, he smiled, shaking his head. ¡°She certainly is new to this. Well¡­ Aunai will likely cover for her mistake, but at the very least we¡¯ll be able to take advantage of this situation.¡± Nobina found herself satisfied, leaving Asteron¡¯s office, happy that negotiations went well. She didn¡¯t know how much the magical item she had was playing a role, but she felt it did help a bit. ¡°It¡¯s really neat having all of these things,¡± Nobina said as she looked at the feather she was holding. She came back to the lobby to find Fitz waiting around. When he saw her, he waved her over. ¡°Oh, how did it go?¡± he asked. ¡°It went great honestly,¡± she smiled, giving the biggest grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll give as much support as possible, considering he really seemed like someone who cared for others.¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± nodded Fitz. ¡°He¡¯s considered a man of the people, so I have no doubt he¡¯ll keep his word. Anyway, let¡¯s meet at the front of the adventuring guild later for dinner.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± she smiled. Nobina waved goodbye to Fitz as she left the merchant¡¯s guild. Stepping into the streets, she felt a sense of pride come over her. Despite the pressure she was feeling earlier, successes like this still made her feel like she was making progress. There were still many problems she had to resolve, but, at the very least, the merchant guild¡¯s support wasn¡¯t one of them. As she began walking back to the adventuring guild, she had another headache. It didn¡¯t last long, and once it was done, the Gaze that was gone was back to normal. ¡°Huh,¡± said Nobina, wondering what had caused it to weaken. It was something to look into later, but she had to report the status of her task. It didn¡¯t take long before Nobina arrived back at the adventuring guild. It was still a hive of activity with adventurers coming and going. Some of them were strong and intimidating, while others gave off an aura of wisdom and magical prowess. It made Nobina a bit envious that all those adventurers had the freedom to take jobs to travel and help others. However, Nobina did cherish the stability that came with being a guild officer. After being told how much Paths mattered for jobs a long time ago, she knew she¡¯d have a rough time if she lost her job as a guild officer. Who else would need the Path of the Writer? It was a relatively unknown, rare path, after all. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get this report in,¡± Nobina nodded to herself. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. She entered the guild and headed straight upstairs. Once upstairs, she headed straight to Aunai¡¯s office, giving a knock on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± came Aunai¡¯s voice. Nobina entered the room, seeing Aunai have a surprised expression on her face. ¡°Oh Nobina. Back so soon? How did negotiations go?¡± said Aunai with an inquisitive look on her face. ¡°They went great. He promised to support the adventuring guild as much as possible.¡± When Nobin said those words, she saw Aunai flash a rather concerned look on her face. ¡°Oh¡­ He did? Well¡­ did he write that in the contract?¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes widened when she heard the word ¡°contract¡± mentioned. It didn¡¯t occur to her to obtain something in writing because she trusted the words of Asteron were good enough for any agreement. ¡°Well¡­¡± said Nobina, a flash of guilt appearing on her face. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t get a written contract. Only¡­ his verbal promise.¡± Aunai merely shook her head in response. ¡°Unfortunate, but don¡¯t worry too much about it Nobina. If you¡¯re wondering why I asked about the contract, it¡¯s because this gives Asteron the power to determine how much funds will ultimately go to the relief effort. Of course, Asteron isn¡¯t someone who would let innocent people suffer, so he¡¯ll no doubt still offer support now that he¡¯s aware of what¡¯s happening. However, he¡¯ll likely expect compensation for his effort, and we¡¯ll be obliged to give it.¡± Hearing that, Nobina felt as if she had just messed up something important, but Aunai continued to speak. ¡°That being said, it is good that you¡¯ve gotten his verbal promise to support us. He didn¡¯t mention anything about compensation, right?¡± asked Aunai. ¡°He did not,¡± replied Nobina immediately. ¡°Then¡­ good job Nobina,¡± she smiled. Nobina took joy in completing the task returned upon hearing that. The mess up no longer seemed like a mess up and she was happy to have done her part. ¡°With that done and all the other financial officers busy, there¡¯s not much I want you to do. Not that there isn¡¯t anything that you can¡¯t help with, but you still are our guest and me burdening you with tons of work wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± ¡°But I want to continue to help,¡± she said in a bit of a protest. ¡°Well,¡± said Aunai, thinking about it a bit. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll have some assignments for you. Of course, if Carina or Mustan have something for you, please assist them. However, if you find a moment free, I¡¯ll give you some tasks. For now, please take a day off. After earlier¡­ I think you should have some time to relax.¡± Once again, she wanted to protest, but this time she merely nodded. That temporary breakdown earlier really revealed to herself how fragile she could be. It felt pathetic, but she remembered that she was only human. There was a lot she blamed herself for, and it was bound to boil over if the pressure mounted. That was why she appreciated everyone¡¯s help in returning her to a calm self. ¡°Thank you Aunai¡­ for everything,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°Thank you as well Nobina,¡± smiled Aunai. ¡°Your service to the guild is appreciated.¡± With that, Nobina left Aunai¡¯s office and headed back to the financial office. Once there, she saw Mustan was reviewing a ton of documents. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± said Mustan. ¡°Done completing your task?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied back. ¡°Aunai told me to take the day off, but I wanted to make sure you guys were ok.¡± He chuckled, nodding his head. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re thinking of us Nobina. We should be fine without your assistance for the rest of the day. After all, it was just the two of us before you came here. Both Carina and I are a force to be reckoned with in terms of how efficient we are, so don¡¯t worry about us being overwhelmed. This pales to the famine we had to deal with five years earlier.¡± ¡°Famine?¡± asked Nobina, giving a curious look. ¡°Ah¡­ yeah, a story for another time. It¡¯ll likely take me an hour to fully tell it and¡­¡± His glance moved over his books, causing Nobina to shake her head. ¡°Please don¡¯t let me trouble you. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow Mustan.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he smiled, getting back to his work. Nobina headed back downstairs, finding herself looking at the large crowd of adventurers. She was tempted to talk a bit with them to learn more about adventuring for her book, but she felt being in the guild officer uniform would make her feel unprofessional. After all, she felt a guild officer shouldn¡¯t be acting as if they didn¡¯t know what it was like to be an adventurer, even if they weren¡¯t adventurers themselves. At least most of them. Instead, Nobina headed out of the guild and decided to check out a few places. The first location she went to was a general store she had seen going between the adventuring guild and the merchant guild. Entering the store, she was amazed by the large selection of goods compared to the general store back in Agora. ¡°Greeting guild officer,¡± said the man behind the counter. He had a rather large profile and a short, brown beard. His hair looked a bit messy, and he had a brown apron covering his front. On his side was a rather small coin pouch. ¡°Hello there sir,¡± she smiled. ¡°I was just browsing since I haven¡¯t checked out this store before.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± he smiled. ¡°Anything you need specifically? Names Barmort.¡± ¡°Oh. My names Nobina,¡± she smiled. ¡°Uh¡­ Do you have¡­ books?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Sorry. Afraid we don¡¯t have any. There¡¯s a bookstore not too far with a lady with red hair, but she doesn¡¯t really¡­ sell books.¡± ¡°Oh. I did visit that place. I was just asking because I was wondering if there were any stores that sold them.¡± ¡°Afraid you won¡¯t find one in this town. At least dedicated ones,¡± he sighed. ¡°But there is a library you can check out.¡± Hearing that, Nobina¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Please give me the details,¡± she said, finding herself excited at the potential new location to visit. Once she learned of the details, she nodded, heading out of the store. It was close to dinner, so Nobina headed back to the guild to wait for Fitz. As she did, Nobina noticed something odd about her Gaze bag. Instead of the usual flash, the bag began faintly glowing. It didn¡¯t seem that different from how it usually was, but then it created a short-lived shining burst. A white twig began growing out of the Gaze bag, slithering almost toward Nobina in a zigzag pattern. On its tip was a thin string with a gem and paper attached. ¡°Woah,¡± said Nobina, staring at the gem and paper. As Nobina took the items, the figure of a fairy, white skin, dark hair and green eyes with horns in the shape of the twig, appeared, giving a bow before dispersing into white particles that resembled white sparkles. ¡°Pretty,¡± Nobina said in awe. Nobina found herself about to open the note, but soon she realized she was still in front of the adventuring guild, drawing all sorts of attention and comments. She was about to run off when she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Fitz, appearing nearby. ¡°Fitz!¡± she exclaimed, running over to hug him. Fitz immediately found himself panicking as he was caught off guard. ¡°Nobina. What are you doing,¡± he stammered, trying to figure out what was happening. ¡°Oh,¡± she said, releasing him immediately. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± She immediately took his hand and began running off, with Fitz still flustered by Nobina¡¯s sudden actions. ¡°The restaurant¡¯s the other way,¡± he barely managed to say. ¡°Oh right,¡± she said, stopping. ¡°Lead the way.¡± Nobina soon let Fitz lead the way, happy that she was out of the problematic situation from earlier. It didn¡¯t help that earlier she noticed the bag glow twice after the fairy disappeared. ¡°Thank you so much Fitz,¡± said Nobina once they reached the restaurant. The restaurant was called the Coridan. It looked high end considering the d¨¦cor was way fancier than what Nobina had seen from all other restaurants she had been in besides the best restaurant in Agora. There was an aura of wealth about it, reminding her a bit of the caf¨¦¡¯s exclusive section that Carina brought her to. ¡°You¡¯re welcome? Nobina¡­ what happened earlier. Why did you hug me all of a sudden?¡± Nobina went immediately red, realizing what she had done. ¡°Oh my god. I¡¯m so sorry Fitz¡­ I was just so thankful that you were there to get me out of such an embarrassing situation that¡­¡± She found herself burning in embarrassment as she realized how much trouble she might have given Fitz. ¡°Got it,¡± he nodded, giving a smile. ¡°Well¡­ Glad I could help.¡± She gave a nod back. The two of them entered the high-end restaurant, where the hostess greeted them. ¡°Welcome sir and guild officer,¡± she said, giving a respectful bow. ¡°Reservations?¡± Fitz gave her a card, which she quickly reviewed and then placed behind the podium she was at. ¡°Table for two,¡± called the hostess. Soon, another gentleman appeared, escorting the two to the back of the restaurant. The spot was pretty far from the center, but it did offer a nice, private place to talk. ¡°Oh, this is nice,¡± said Nobina, looking at the d¨¦cor of the restaurant. Nobina noticed the artistry of the restaurant gave off a fantasy nobility vibe. An example of this was the occasional artwork of kings helping others or queens giving speeches. Besides that, there was also the artwork of dragons that these rulers were on. It was an interesting design choice, and certainly, one Nobina found appealing. ¡°Yeah,¡± he nodded. ¡°Some people don¡¯t like how much the artwork is of nobility, but this is a high-end restaurant after all. Nobility comes here often and many of them appreciate the artwork showing what it¡¯s like to be a noble.¡± Nobina chuckled, hearing Fitz mention the purpose of nobility. ¡°So,¡± said Fitz, looking directly at Nobina. ¡°How have you been? I¡¯d imagine a lot has happened since we¡¯ve last met.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I got a long tale for you.¡± Nobina began telling Fitz about everything that had happened since they last met. She started with her bond with Sarah and Mimiki, the two closest people to her. Then, she took on the role of financial officer of the Agora guild before embarking on her journey as an adventurer. Afterward, she began talking about the goblin crisis and the visit from Aunai and her adventurers. Lastly, she then talked about her journey to Navira. During this time, tea was brought to them and Fitz had ordered a full-course meal for the two of them. The soup they had was a nice onion soup, making Nobina think of the French Onion soup she had enjoyed a few years back. ¡°Wow,¡± said Fitz, his expression just full of surprise. ¡°So much has happened to you Nobina. ¡°I know,¡± said Nobina, taking a sip of her tea. ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised that so much has happened in such a short time.¡± ¡°Well¡­ life works in mysterious ways they say,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Sometimes we have normal, mundane lives. Other times we are fighting off the goblin armies.¡± ¡°Just another day in the life of Nobina,¡± she replied, taking a sip of her soup. As soon as she did that, the waiter came with their main course. It was a fresh fish fillet with vegetables on the side. With it was a nice bread roll with cheese, which helped complement the food well. Nobina took a bite of the fish and found herself instantly satisfied by the slightly salty yet savory flavoring of it. ¡°Amazing,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Hopefully this isn¡¯t draining your bank. As a friend, I¡¯d hate to burden you like that.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s not a burden,¡± chuckled Fitz. ¡°I have a decent amount saved up for occasions and meeting a friend is certainly one of them. Plus, I know one of the chef¡¯s here, so I got a good discount.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll need to visit here more often,¡± she smiled. ¡°If you actually want to drain my funds, sure,¡± he responded back. Both of them gave a laugh, causing Nobina to relax even more as she enjoyed her dinner. As she said that, Nobina heard Fitz say something that caught her off guard. ¡°You¡¯re honestly amazing Nobina. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m friends with someone like you.¡± ¡°Amazing,¡± she replied back softly to herself. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if that¡¯s the right word. I¡¯m just doing what I can to help, that¡¯s all. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m doing enough really...¡± Fitz gave a chuckle. ¡°Nobina¡­ You¡¯ve done so much for people and a lot of people respect you. You should take pride in what you¡¯ve done and not downplay how much you¡¯ve helped others.¡± Hearing that, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve done a lot, but I don¡¯t want that to go to my head. Helping people is just the right thing to do and I¡­ wish I didn¡¯t let my doubts get to me as often.¡± Fitz gave a nod. ¡°If you have any concerns, remember to depend on others. We are only human after all and despite how amazing we can be at times, there are times when we need to work together to accomplish great things. Anyway¡­ I¡¯m sure no matter what trouble comes your way, you¡¯ll get through it. I believe in you, and you always have my support.¡± Nobina smiled, giving a nod. ¡°Thank you, Fitz¡­ you really are a good friend.¡± As Nobina continued to enjoy her food, she remembered that her Gaze bag had glowed earlier. Not wanting to forget to check, she excused herself and headed to the bathroom. Once there, she opened it up and found a large, compact, heavy-duty tent was inside the bag. Nobina face was full of shock upon realizing what she had. ¡°Why the¡­ I guess adventuring will be a bit easier with this,¡± she chuckled. Next was the gem she had received earlier. Reading the letter that came with it, the letter said, ¡°Offensively charged jewel. Exclaim the following for spells. ¡®Fire¡¯ ¨C Fireball, ¡®Ice¡¯ ¨C Ice storm, ¡®Wind¡¯ ¨C Razer Blade, ¡®Earth¡¯ ¨C Rock Throw.¡± At the very end of the note were the words ¡°three charges.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to use this in an emergency. I have no idea if this is a one-time thing. But¡­ I¡¯m receiving a lot of cool stuff recently. I wonder if it¡¯s a sign¡­¡± Nobina knew that every time she received things, it was usually a precursor for something in the future. The fact that a dragon was sighted near a town was a scary enough sign. Not only that, but Nobina couldn¡¯t help but think about the demon as well. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s happening with both of those,¡± said Nobina, packing everything in her special bag before heading back to eat. Chapter 68: Trolling and Giant Bunny Nobina left the room and came back to the table. Fitz was enjoying his meal, waving at Nobina when she came back. "What was that?" he asked, taking a bite of his fish. "Well¡­" Before Nobina could say anything, a flash occurred from the Gaza bag. Nobina felt embarrassed as she realized she couldn''t really hide the bag this time. "Uh¡­" said Fitz, looking at Nobina. "Right¡­ this is a special bag that produces items," said Nobina. "For example¡­" Nobina opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of water. It came with a note that said, "Fills with the preferred liquid you desire. One use per week." "Oh that''s¡­" Before Nobina could say anything, a dart shot out of the bag, poking a hole in the water bottle, causing it to leak. Not only that, but then a water balloon fell out of the bag, exploding in a massive burst of water, causing Nobina, Fitz, and most of the area around them to be soaked in tons of water. "Nobina¡­" said Fitz, staring at her dumbfoundedly. "Excuse me Mr. Fitz and guest¡­" approached a waiter that was oozing in anger yet maintaining a proper demeanor. "May I speak with both of you on the side?" Nobina and Fitz both sighed as they got their things and followed the waiter. In the meantime, a few other waiters were doing their best to clean the watery mess, but the sheer amount of it made it unlikely to be handled anytime soon. Once the two were in the back, the waiter politely told both of them they were banned from the restaurant and that other restaurants would be put on notice. Fitz and Nobina began both apologizing to the best of their ability, with Nobina extremely embarrassed. However, the words fell on deaf ears as the waiter told them to promptly leave the establishment. They would be refunded partially, but they would not be served the remaining part of the course. As both of them left after receiving the refund, Nobina gave the biggest bow she could. "I''m so sorry, Fitz," said Nobina, feeling extremely guilty for causing so much hassle not only for Fitz but also for everyone at the restaurant. "I¡­ I don''t know what overcame the entities. They normally aren''t this¡­ well, they are sometimes chaotic, but never to this degree¡­ I¡­¡± Fitz grabbed hold of Nobina, causing her to freeze and stare at him. "Calm down Nobina," he smiled. "Sure, what happened was unfortunate and I''d love to hear what exactly happened, but¡­ I''m ok. Really. I hope your evening wasn''t ruined by what just happened." Nobina, looking at Fitz, shook her head vigorously. "Oh no¡­ I''m ok. I''m more saddened by the fact I might have ruined the evening of everyone else," she responded back. Fitz gave it some thought and patted her on the shoulder. "Let''s go for a walk and talk. If it''s a bit private, we can find a nice, secluded spot to finish up the night. Unless you¡¯re hungry, of course." "My appetite is a bit ruined," she chuckled. "I''d love to have tasted some of that chocolate desert, but¡­ not much we can do about that." With that, both of them headed off into the night. The moonlight was illuminating the calm, peaceful streets. There weren''t that many people out at this time, with guards making up most of the individuals they saw. Eventually, they found their way into the city part. It was illuminated by magical lanterns that were powered by very common energy crystals. Agora was different in the sense that they only used candle-based lanterns because these energy crystals weren''t common at all in Agora. It was thanks to Navira being a major trade town that these were more numerous. "It''s beautiful," said Nobina, approaching one of the magical lanterns. "Oh yes," smiled Fitz, joining her. "These lanterns are growing in popularity. They only require a bit of magic and last for days to weeks. As long as someone can cast magic of any time, they can power the lanterns, which makes them far cheaper to use." Nobina gave a nod, her gaze still on the pleasant light of the lantern. After looking at it for a bit, Nobina found an empty bench, where she sat down with Fitz on her side. It was only then that she realized she was pretty cold due to being wet by the water. If it wasn''t for the leather portion of it and the pants being water-resistant, she''d have been freezing. However, looking at Fitz, she finally noticed that he was shivering a bit. "Fitz! You''re freezing aren''t you," she said worriedly. The weather was relatively cold, so Nobina was worried that Fitz was enduring a coldness that was causing him pain. However, he smiled, shaking his head. "Oh, don''t worry," he smiled. "I''ve delt with heavy showers before, I''m perfectly fine." Nobina shook her head, going into her special bag to find something to help. "Nope. Not this¡­ Definitely not those¡­" For all the special items, Nobina had no idea what would work best. However, her mind remembered one of the gifts, drawing her to grab it near the bottom of the bag. Nobina pulled out a beautiful scarf that she immediately tossed over Fitz. His eyes opened in surprise when he felt much warmer than before. "What¡­ is this?" asked Fitz. "This scarf has high temperature resistance. It should hopefully bring you to a warmer state." Fitz, his eyes full of wonder, looked at Nobina in awe. "Who¡­ are you Nobina?" Nobina, giving a smile, decided to tell Fitz what she could. The story Nobina gave Fitz was one that spoke of everything except her Path and Nonomo. She told him about the Gaze bag and went into more detail about it compared to before. She talked about the things she''d received from it and the various events that had happened related to the bag itself. Fitz merely nodded, piecing together the story from earlier with the new information Nobina was adding. When it was done, all Fitz could do was nod. "I see¡­ So you have some divine entities watching you and they interact with you through this bag," he nodded. "It''s honestly crazy," sighed Nobina. "I never thought that this bag would get so chaotic, but its proven me wrong each time. There are so many magical items I have with me that I''m scared will cause chaos if I ever use them. At least Eric is watching most of them, but I do have the most important ones with me." "Then¡­ would you say the bag was messing around with you?" asked Fitz, his gaze on it. "I honestly don''t know," she smiled. "It''s done more good than bad, but it makes me worried about what it will do in the future. All it takes is an item received in at a bad time to ruin everything." Nobina had always had that worried, but the bag had so far been mindful of when it timed things. The fact that this time its timing resulted in this mess meant that it might be leaning to be more reckless than it usually was. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "So what now?" asked Fitz. "Just¡­ keep going on as usually, I suppose?" "What else is there to do," said Nobina, leaning back. "Do I try to learn more about the Gaze and try to control it? There''s also a lot of other stuff I''m dealing with that¡­ I can''t tell you yet. I feel overwhelmed." Fitz thought about the correct thing to say but eventually just shook her head. "Well¡­ It''s hard to help you without knowing everything, but¡­ just know that I''m here for you Nobina. I might not be with you all the time, but I''ll do my best to find time to help you if needed." Hearing that, Nobina gave a chuckle. "I really¡­ appreciate that Fitz. I''m hoping tomorrow is calm and there''s nothing to stress over, but it might be too much to ask," she said, her eyes looking a bit down casted. "Let''s hope together," nodded Fitz. Soon, the two departed from the park, heading back to Nobina''s place. Once they were at the guild inn, Fitz handed back the scarf. Despite still being wet, the guild receptionist of the inn offered a set of dry clothing for him to use, which he accepted gracefully. "See you around Nobina," smiled Fitz. "See you¡­ and thank you for everything Fitz," responded Nobina. As soon as he was gone, she returned to her room, where she changed out of her outfit, dried off, and swapped back to her normal outfit. "Guess I''ll have to get the uniform dried," sighed Nobina. Once that was done, she began writing in her diary. At the same time, Hammy joined her, appearing on the side of her diary and resting as it seemed to watch her write. "Do you enjoy writing Hammy?" asked Nobina. Hammy merely looked at her before turning their attention back to the book. Despite the lack of words, Nobina took their response as a yes, as they seemed extremely focused on what she was writing. So much had happened and Nobina hadn''t been filling in her diary as often as she liked. "I¡­ haven''t even been keeping up with my training," she sighed. Nobina had been slacking on her physical training ever since they left the town. It was mainly due to the fact that she wasn''t fully settled in and hadn''t found her rhythm. She was hoping to wake up a bit earlier the next day to get some training in. Besides that, Nobina really wanted to continue her book, but she lacked both inspiration and the material she needed to continue it. She had hoped to go on an adventure in the town to write a few more chapters, but so far, she had been swamped with work. She was hoping it wouldn''t be long though before the current situation was resolved and she had some free time. The worst case would be having to merely keep things in memory so she could write the book when she got back to Agora. "All in good time," she told herself. Soon, she finished up her diary and headed to bed. Hammy slept right next to her, providing her some comfort as her only companion there. "I wonder how they are doing," Nobina told herself before falling asleep. The following day, Nobina woke up early to go for a bit of a jog. Once she was downstairs, the receptionist was surprised to see her in a casual outfit. "Day of Nobina?" asked the receptionist. "Oh no," she responded. "I still need to get my old uniform dried. Uh¡­ you wouldn''t happen to have a spare one, right?" The receptionist shook their head. "Unfortunately not. We don''t often keep spares for security reasons. I can have your uniform dried though." Nobina gave a nod, heading upstairs to grab it and then heading back down. Once she handed it over, she thanked the receptionist, who merely gave a nod. "Have a good day Nobina," she smiled. With that, Nobina stepped out of the guild inn and began her jog. She was still new to the city, so she took a route amongst the streets she was familiar with so far. The city was slowly waking up, but Nobina knew it wouldn''t be long before it was packed yet again. All she could do was enjoy the nice, relaxing sight she was having as she made her way through the city. The city itself felt somewhat old. From what Nobina could recall, this city was founded hundreds of years ago as a small village. However, it immediately blew up one day when a famous merchant decided to turn it into a hub of commerce. Eventually, its population soared as trades from all over decided that was the place to do business. "This place certainly doesn''t lack options," she chuckled. Despite not having a bookstore for her to buy books, it did have a specialized book trading store and a library. That was more than Agora had and Nobina wanted to visit the library when she got a chance. Eventually, it was time to head back to the guild. Despite not having a uniform, Nobina had the special guild symbol attached to her clothing, indicating it was a substitute for an actual uniform. She hoped that it would still be valid at the Navira guild, but she was prepared to change into an actual uniform if it wasn''t. When Nobina arrived back at the guild, she was immediately flagged down by Mimiki, who was at one of the receptionist desks. "Nobina," she called. "What is it Mimiki?" asked Nobina as she headed to her. "The supervisor in charge of animals has informed me they are having trouble taming your giant bunny. Can you go ahead and handle it? The bunny is outside the western gate in the Navira Animal and Monster Containment Area. I can lead you if you want." Nobina gave a nod. "That would be great." Mimiki handed off the spot to another guild employee, and the two were off. As they walked, Nobina could see Mimiki''s joyous expression as they traveled to the western gate. "Seems like you''ve been enjoying things," chuckled Nobina. "Oh yeah," she nodded. "I''ve helped so many adventurers, seen some new cool skills, and sparred with another S-rank adventurer. Of course, I got easily defeated, but I learned a decent amount from then. This is a blast." Nobina couldn''t help but be happy for Mimiki. Despite how less exciting her own work had been, Nobina did enjoy working with the numbers. It removed her worry about dealing with the craziness of her Path and her ever-growing worry about something serious happening. "How about you Nobina? Have things been good?" asked Mimiki with a curious look. "Hm¡­ Overall? I say yes," she nodded. "There''s been a lot of hectic things due to the position of financial officer, but I''m getting used to it at least." "That''s good," smiled Mimiki. "Have you been keeping up with your training?" "Ack," said Nobina, causing Mimiki to stop and stare at her. "Nobina," she said, tapping her foot and looking at her with a frown. "Listen! I''m settling in. I did go for a jog at least so¡­ soon I''ll get back into the routine." "Alright," smiled Mimiki. "We''ll do some personal training together later on so be ready for that." Nobina gave a gulp realizing Mimiki was going to work her to the bone. It was her own fault though for slacking behind. "Yes¡­ teacher," sighed Nobina. The two of them eventually reached the west gate and passed through. Nobina was surprised to see more houses and other structures on this side, considering that the east gate had none, but she had to guess it was due to this side being the path to the capital. The walk to the giant bunny took about ten more minutes, with them leaving the housing area and arriving at a fenced-off area with a few large buildings. There were all sorts of animals around, but the really surprising thing was the special metal enclosures with monsters. Some of them were giant-winged birds, while others were similar to wolves and bears. "Wow," said Nobina, her eyes moving from monster to monster. "Yeah. This place contains any animals that clients have requested to be captured," said a nearby guild employee. "Of course, due to the danger of this we charge significantly more for this, but money is money after all. There are limits to what you can capture, but we generally have no issue with most animals and monsters." Nobina gave a nod. It made her wonder what purpose some of these animals and monsters had that someone would pay extra to capture it. "Squeak!" A large squeak was heard, causing all the animals and monsters to react accordingly. Nobina, Mimiki, and the other employees covered their ears as well. "What was that," yelled Nobina. "The giant bunny," he yelled back. "Ever since it ran out of that soup, it''s been extremely difficult to control. Even our best animal handler can''t do anything. Either we get it more soup, or the owner helps control it." Nobina felt guilty once again that she was a part of the problem, but she shook her head, hoping to resolve the issue. "I''m the owner," said Nobina. "Please lead me to them." The employee gave a nod, leading Nobina to the spot of the giant bunny. Once she was there, she saw that it was sadly lying down, looking at the empty bowl in front of it. The moment it saw Nobina, it gave another loud squeak, forcing them to all cover their ears. "I''m here," said Nobina, realizing she still needed to name the bunny. "Uh¡­ Shoot. What should I¡­." Before Nobina could say anything, she saw a piece of paper fly out of the bag and land in her hands. "Tenfold Gigaton¡­ Iron Beast of¡­ the Moon? Oh! Also known as Giggles," said Nobina. The moment she said Giggles, the bunny gave a nod, positively receiving the name. "Right¡­. Giggles¡­ Uh¡­ Do you want¡­ miso soup?" "Squeak," they responded back. "Right," Nobina said. "Well¡­ I¡­ Hold on. Let me try this." Nobina took out the bottle that had been pierced earlier by the dart. Hoping it worked, she imagined highly condensed concentration miso soup, and soon, the bottle began filling with it. Due to the leak, it was unable to hold the liquid long, but that worked to Nobina''s advantage. She uncapped the top and held the bottle to allow the miso soup to fill the giant bunny''s bowl. However, almost expectantly, the bottle only filled it slightly. Next, she had them fill the rest of the bowl with water. Her hope was that mixing the highly concentrated soup with water would create a slightly diluted version of the soup. She began worrying it wasn''t enough for Giggles, but they seemed happy and began drinking the diluted soup. "Phew," sighed Nobina. "Thank you," said the guild employee. "Uh¡­ but I think that might only last¡­ Giggles¡­ a week at most." "Right," nodded Nobina. "I need to find a more permanent means of feeding Giggles¡­ " She couldn''t help but sigh at getting another task to complete. However, she was happy that Giggles was content for now. "Giggles," said Nobina, walking up to it. "Squeak," they responded, turning to them. "I won''t be able to give you miso soup that often, but¡­ can you drink water and not cause a fuss?" "Squeak," they responded again, giving a nod. "Thank god," smiled Nobina. For now, the immediate problem was handled, but Nobina knew there was still a lot to do. From her normal tasks to the more serious problems, she found herself lacking the time to do everything. However, she knew the only thing she could do for now was power through the tough times and hope for things to get better. In the meantime, she''d do her best to get stronger. Chapter 69: Swordsmanship Nobina was back in the financial office of the guild, continuing her review of the finances. Despite how busy things were, Carina and Mustan were the main ones in charge of ensuring that the guild was handling the upcoming financial crisis without issues. It might have been a lot for two people, but they had dealt with other crises in the past, and this was no different. ¡°We are quite good at handling them, actually,¡± said Carina, scanning her table, which was full of reports. Carina had just gotten back from meeting with Lord Kasanta, who was apparently very open to assisting the guild in handling the issue. It was mainly thanks to Lord Kasanta having personal ties to the town, so he had every reason to support the guild¡¯s operation to deal with the rogue dragon. ¡°As for Mustan, he¡¯s halfway done creating a financial analysis. Thanks to his ability Grand Economics, he can learn about the economic impact of any decision by concentrating his mind. Of course, due to how powerful the ability is, it can only be used once a month, and it takes him six hours to fully gather the information. After that, he takes a few days to compile all the information while it¡¯s still in his mind, because it does strain him having all that information. He has to manually disable the ability to remove any strain, but it also causes him to lose that information.¡± Nobina found her mouth wide open upon hearing her explain Mustan¡¯s ability. It felt so powerful, making her wonder what other powerful economic abilities he had. ¡°What about you?¡± asked Nobina to Carina. ¡°Do you have any economic specific ability?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Increase Calculation Speed,¡± she sighed. ¡°It allows me to perform a calculation twice as fast. It has about ten uses a day. Not the best ability, but it helps.¡± ¡°That¡¯s neat,¡± Nobina smiled. ¡°And you Nobina?¡± Hearing that, Nobina felt a bit shy to speak. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t really have an economic focus ability.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ right¡­ Path of the Writer. Anyway, Mustan¡¯s ability is the main reason I respect him. His path, the Path of the Economist, makes him highly gifted in this line of work. He carries most of the load, while I use my connections. We make a pretty solid team,¡± Carina smiled. Nobina was surprised to see Carina actually smile when talking about Mustan, but it was very short-lived. ¡°However, that prick thinks he¡¯s always right and perhaps he¡¯s right a bit more than half of the time, but it¡¯s still annoying.¡± Carina was once again in a bad mood, with Nobina smiling awkwardly in response. The two of them, despite butting heads here and there, were a solid team as far as Nobina could tell. She wondered if Mustan would use Grand Economics to figure out the impact of the new accounting system she was going to implement. If so, it would save so much time, making Nobina realize further how much powers helped in this world. The day continued on, with Carina, Mustan, and Nobina hard at work. When dinner rolled around, Nobina headed off first. Once she was outside of the guild building, she saw that Mimiki was waiting for her. She was already in her adventuring outfit, which she often used for training. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I got a spot reserved in the Farkon Training Area. We¡¯ll do our training there. Let¡¯s go!¡± Nobina merely nodded and followed. There was a sense of dread at the expected difficult training, but she was also excited to be visiting a new area to train. In her mind, any excuse to look around this city, which was still very much new to her, was a good excuse. The trip to the Farkon Training Area was rather short, only being about five minutes away. The training area was basically a walled-off area with a lot of training equipment. It had a few small buildings inside for either medical healing or teaching. Besides that, it also had a few permanent trainers there to assist others who didn¡¯t have anyone to train them. Due to its proximity to the guild, Nobina wasn¡¯t surprised to see it was extremely packed with people. Most of them were people training in the way of the sword, but some were using alternative melee weapons. To enter, Mimiki gave their names, and the guard of the training area nodded and let the two through. Once inside, Mimiki led her to one of the ¡°training squares,¡± which were sectioned-off areas with a few training dummies, various training equipment, and a ring that they could spar in if they wished. ¡°Due to how packed this area is, getting a personal square was rather tough,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°I manage to make a deal with someone to get their square and I¡¯d personally train them another day. They had decent potential with swordsmanship, so I was more than happy to accept their terms.¡± Nobina smiled, knowing it was just like Mimiki to find an excuse to continue training other adventurers. At least, she was assuming this person was an adventurer. ¡°Now. Let¡¯s begin warmups,¡± chuckled Mimiki. The two began the process of warming up. It had been a while since Nobina trained, so Mimiki was rehammering into Nobina the whole warmup process. It made it tough, but Nobina was managing to get back into the groove of training. Mimiki didn¡¯t fail to notice that either, since she was smiling every time Nobina did something correctly. By the end of the first hour, Mimiki was giving a nod. ¡°Took a bit longer than I wanted, but that should be good. Let¡¯s do some form training.¡± Nobina nodded and the two were at it again. This time, Nobina was practicing the forms that Mimiki had taught her. Her body was feeling the burn as she was pushing herself to keep pace with Mimiki. On Mimiki¡¯s side, she told Nobina to not push herself too much as she shouldn¡¯t make herself too sore with their first session. ¡°Remember. Pace yourself Nobina,¡± said Mimiki firmly, yet strictly. ¡°This is a marathon, not a sprint. There¡¯s no immediate crisis that needs you in tip top shape.¡± Nobina wanted to correct her but kept silent since she was somewhat right. ¡°Got it,¡± she responded back, sweat dripping all over her body as she tried to control her breathing. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. After another hour, Nobina was already feeling exhausted. She was definitely not in fighting shape, and part of her felt disappointed that the arena might go to waste. However, Mimiki didn¡¯t look disappointed at all. ¡°Good job Nobina,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°Getting back into the groove is rather hard and I am pushing you a lot. However, subsequent trainings should be easier at least. Now then, let¡¯s move on to¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, two other individuals approached. Both of them were male adventurers with swords on their hips. One had short black hair, was a bit skinny, and gave off a rather timid vibe. The other had hair a bit longer that was blond, was decently toned, and gave off much more confidence in comparison. ¡°Hey there,¡± waved the blond hair person. ¡°Names Arsen. This here is my buddy Koridon.¡± Koridon, the black-haired man, timidly raised his hand. ¡°Hi there,¡± he responded back. ¡°We saw you two weren¡¯t utilizing the sparring ring of your area and wanted to ask if you two were down for a one-on-one spar. I can face whoever is the strongest and Koridon has the weaker one.¡± Nobina¡¯s eyes turned to Mimiki, who seemed to be very excited about the prospect. ¡°I¡¯m so down,¡± she responded. ¡°Nobina might be a bit too exhausted to spar, so please forgive her if she declines.¡± They all turned to Nobina, who merely gave a nice smile. ¡°As she said¡­ I¡¯m a bit too exhausted for a spar. Sorry Koridon.¡± Nobina hadn¡¯t had a chance to spar with someone close to her level before, so the offer to spar was very tempting. However, she didn¡¯t want to give a poor showing and would rather rest than potentially injure herself fighting in a bad condition. Plus, she was more excited to see Mimiki in action. ¡°No worries,¡± he smiled, a relief coming over him. ¡°We can watch the two and do some studying of their fight.¡± Nobina gave a nod. The two headed to the side of the area as Mimiki and Arsen went to the center of the arena. As those two stood there, stretching a bit before getting into position, Koridon started a bit of small talk with Nobina. ¡°So,¡± smiled Koridon. ¡°Uh¡­ what rank adventurer are you?¡± ¡°D-rank,¡± she replied, feeling a bit embarrassed she was still a bit far from becoming a respectable C-rank ¡°Oh, nice,¡± he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just a E-rank adventurer, so I¡¯m sorry if I might feel too inexperience for a discussion.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not the most experienced with swordsmanship either. Mimiki¡¯s been hammering into me the training and I¡¯ve done my best, but I¡¯m not really a fighter. My path is focused more on writing.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s really cool,¡± he responded back. Nobina felt herself overjoyed by his answer, mostly because it involved her writing rather than her combat ability. ¡°Thank you,¡± smiled Nobina back. The two went quiet when they saw that Mimiki and Arsen were beginning their spar. The clashing of their swords sent sparks everywhere as both tried to out-maneuver each other. Mimiki was clearly the superior opponent, but Arsen was holding his own well. ¡°Wow,¡± said Koridon, his eyes fully focused on the match. ¡°Mimiki¡­ is easily beating Arsen. I¡¯m shocked someone that skilled is in this arena. Most of the A-ranks and above usually use the more advance training areas.¡± ¡°It might be because of me,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ve been slacking and Mimiki wanted a fast way to get me up to speed. That¡¯s really why we are here.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± nodded Koridon. ¡°That makes perfect sense. Though¡­ I¡¯m curious about what you said. You are a writer, right? So what are you doing training the sword?¡± Nobina began explaining to Koridon how she was writing a book about being an adventurer and performing the whole process as a result. Koridon merely nodded, with him taking everything she was saying in. ¡°I see¡­ I see,¡± he smiled. ¡°Well¡­ hopefully all of this is useful to you.¡± ¡°Oh, it is for sure,¡± nodded Nobina. Their attention turned back to the sparring circle, where an exhausted Arsen was trying to catch their breath against Mimiki, who looked much fresher. ¡°That was a pretty good warmup,¡± Mimiki taunted, waiting for Arsen to catch his breath. ¡°My god,¡± he replied, wiping the sweat off his forehead. ¡°This was definitely worth speaking to you two. I haven¡¯t been worked this hard in so long.¡± ¡°Then you clearly are slacking,¡± pouted Mimiki, her hands on her hips. ¡°You owe me a lap around the city after this.¡± He chuckled, nodding his head. ¡°Unless I beat you right now.¡± Mimiki smirked, getting her sword ready for the next engagement. The two of them were sparring for a good hour. It wasn¡¯t ever close, but Mimiki wasn¡¯t perfect throughout the whole thing. Koridon pointed out the few small mistakes she was making, shocking Nobina at how well Koridon read the fight in general. Nobina wasn¡¯t experienced enough to pick up on what was exactly right and wrong during a fight, but Koridon was covering for her. ¡°See,¡± said Koridon, pointing a finger at Mimiki after one of her swings. ¡°That swing was a bit off, resulting in Arsen being able to counter it.¡± ¡°How can you notice swings that fast,¡± asked Nobina, curious about Koridon¡¯s skill. ¡°Lots of practice. I¡¯m¡­ not really good at using the sword myself, but I¡¯ve been practicing for ten years. I know it must seem slow to someone who¡¯s done more in the same amount of time, but I¡¯m doing my best,¡± he smiled. It made Nobina a bit guilty that she had gotten as skilled as she was in such a short amount of time, but that was Paths for you. They significantly influenced potential, and Nobina was no exception to that. She had a feeling she wasn¡¯t that far from C-rank, but only time would tell if she could keep such a pace. ¡°Oh,¡± said Koridon. ¡°Did you hear about an upcoming adventurer who¡¯s recently reached S-rank in a year of becoming an adventurer?¡± ¡°Wow,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°A year? That¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he nodded. ¡°She¡¯s starting to become all the rage, as we got a newspaper saying that she¡¯s currently participating in the National Combat Tournament that only happens once a year. I¡¯m waiting for us to get another paper with the results, since a new edition is produced weekly. I hear she¡¯s using it to promote her clothing brand. It sounds a bit strange, but apparently that¡¯s all she cares about.¡± Nobina gave a chuckle. Someone only caring about clothing reminded her about Fay. She was similar, and it was a bit of Nobina¡¯s fault Fay became someone who loved cosplay. ¡°I¡¯d love to see her in action,¡± said Nobina, turning her attention back to the adventurer in question.¡± ¡°Same,¡± nodded Koridon. ¡°Who knows if she¡¯ll stick around our humble nation. All the money and cool stuff is in Gar-Gar, while the high-value monsters are in the Nation of Arren. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she left and headed to either post tournament.¡± ¡°A bit disappointing, but sometimes those things happen,¡± nodded Nobina. Soon, the sparring of Mimiki and Arsen concluded, with both looking a bit exhausted. ¡°Alright¡­ you¡¯ve won this one,¡± said Arsen. ¡°You mean I won all of the spars,¡± Mimiki chuckled back, looking a bit exhausted now. She was still in much better shape than Arsen though, who fell to the ground. ¡°My body hurts all over,¡± said Arsen, his gaze turned to the sky. ¡°Well¡­ etch those feelings into your brain. Use them to continue to improve and one day you¡¯ll reach my shadows,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°Ouch,¡± chuckled Arsen. Nobina and Koridon approached the two. Mimiki helped Arsen up, who was still recovering. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a bit late,¡± said Mimiki, looking up into the night sky. ¡°How about we eat at a nice restaurant? I know a good one not too far from here. It¡¯s my treat to all of you for a good days work.¡± Koridon felt a bit embarrassed since he didn¡¯t personally feel like he earned it. However, all of their stomachs rumbled in unison, resulting in a big laugh. ¡°I¡¯m down,¡± said Arsen. ¡°Same,¡± replied Nobina and Koridon. ¡°Great. It¡¯s called the Coridan and¡­¡± Nobina¡¯s face drained instantly upon hearing those words. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she bowed. ¡°I¡¯m banned from the Coridan and other high-end restaurants.¡± They all looked dumbfounded by the fact she was banned, resulting in Mimiki entering deep thought. ¡°How about Joen¡¯s Meats,¡± replied Koridon. ¡°They sell very nutrient heavy meals, perfect for post-training.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± responded Mimiki. With that, the four of them were off. Nobina found herself enjoying the chattering about the training they all did, with her being in the conversation and discussing her own progress. To her, it felt like she belonged there, which mattered a lot to Nobina. With everything happening, it was great having a break from the craziness of the current crisis and the dread she was starting to experience more and more. It made her excited for the future and she hoped that her swordsmanship would one day become impressive enough that she could call herself a strong adventurer. It would mean a lot and make her feel like her book would be even more valid coming from herself. ¡°Progress is progress,¡± she nodded, silently speaking to herself. Chapter 70: Water and Merit ¡°¡­ So, this amount of the funds will go towards the emergency reserves¡­ Interesting,¡± nodded Nobina. Progress on the financial review was going swimmingly. After handling her end of the matters regarding the upcoming financial progress, both Carina and Mustan had convinced Aunai to let the two handle the financial crisis. In the meantime, Nobina would be able to continue to perform her review before the crisis affected the guild¡¯s financials. Mustan had finished his own review of the situation regarding the dragon, and his report had determined that the impact of the evacuation of Wistern would result in a loss of twenty percent to the territory¡¯s economic revenue for the year. At the very least, that was the long-term estimate. There were a lot of factors Mustan¡¯s ability could not take into account, making the ability, at best, a rough estimate. However, it was better than nothing, and the ability to monitor finances on such a large scale wasn¡¯t to be underestimated. ¡°So¡­ with my review done. That should give me some time to now determine the impact of swapping the guild¡¯s financial system. I¡¯ll have to see how it performs day to day, but this part shouldn¡¯t take too long.¡± Nobina gave herself a nod, feeling proud. While economics wasn¡¯t her strong suit, she had spoken to a few of her co-workers who did perform a review of a company¡¯s financials. They talked about terminology she was somewhat familiar with but not to the level she felt confident in performing a review herself. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Carina, prompting Nobina to stand and head over to her desk. Looking at it, Nobina saw that Carina was still as busy as ever, handling financial documents not only of the guild but of the town and territory as a whole. As the liaison between Lord Kasanta and the guild, she had become extremely busy over the past few days. Nobina had done her best to assist her, but dealing with finance at the largest scale was a tall ask for her. ¡°Yes Carina,¡± asked Nobina, waiting patiently for her to finish reading the paper she had in her hand. As she waited, her bag glowed, prompting both Carina and Nobina to look at it. She reached into her bag and pulled out a book called Economics for Dummies and Idiots, Vol. 26 of 6 ¡°Huh¡­ wow. This is actually so useful considering everything,¡± said Nobina out loud. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Carina, standing and looking at the book Nobina had just received. ¡°Wait¡­ why is this book called ¡®for dummies and idiots¡¯ Nobina?¡± Nobina merely sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Ok. So the bag has a sense of humor and likes to do stuff like this¡­¡± Before she could say anything else, a tiny flash of light appeared in the bag. From it came something that landed on her hand. Both Nobina and Carina stared at the tiny thing that was on it, seeing it was a bunny that was the size of an ant. ¡°What is this tiny fellow,¡± said Nobina, her face in awe at the sight of a tiny bunny on her hand. Before she could say anything else, both she and Carina found themselves completely drenched in another large water explosion. Nobina¡¯s face went pale as she realized how insanely bad this water explosion was. Her gaze looked around, seeing a lot of documents on Carina¡¯s table completely drenched in water. Carina was dumbfounded, staring at Nobina so intently that she felt like daggers were being stuck into her. ¡°Ok Carina¡­ I¡­ I can explain¡­ So¡­¡± Nobina¡¯s mind was trying to figure out what she could do to resolve the issue. Her mind instantly went to the scroll that would let her cast any spell at a cost, but it felt extremely drastic for a situation like the current one. Once again, her bag flashed, with Nobina reaching in and grabbing a ring with a note from it. ¡°Nobina!¡± yelled Carina, causing Nobina to fumble the ring out of her hands. ¡°Yes Carina,¡± she said, straightening up immediately. ¡°What did you do!¡± Her fury felt extremely hostile as she stared at Nobina with an untamable fury. The pressure to respond correctly was so strong that Nobina found herself frozen, unable to respond. Before she could say anything, Carina gave her the out she needed. ¡°I hope you have a way to fix this, because you¡¯ve just ruined so many financial documents by wetting them.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Nobina, going to the ground to pick up the ring. ¡°I got a way to fix this.¡± Carina stared at the ring, confused about its purpose. Nobina then went to put it on and read the letter. ¡°All I have to say is ¡®Restore what is dirty¡¯ and¡­¡± In a massive flash, the whole room began glowing a light-blue glow. All the water that had splashed everywhere began to disappear, and the papers themselves returned to the condition they were before the splash. Before she knew it, the area itself was back to how it was, causing Nobina to give a sigh of relief. ¡°This ring cleans an area. It has one time use per week, but it doesn¡¯t have a cost,¡± replied Nobina. Carina¡¯s anger subsided a bit, but there was still a bit of fury in her as she shook her head. ¡°Nobina. You understand how ridiculous and irresponsible this whole situation was, right? Causing a mess, even if you cleaned it moments later, in such a large scale would normally land you in so much unspeakable trouble. You are lucky that it was fixable, and it was just me. If this happened to Lord Kasanta, it would be off with your head.¡± Nobina gave an audible gulp, realizing how right Carina was. If the timing was worse, who knows what would have happened. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Carina. I¡¯ll be sure to open this bag at a proper time.¡± Carina¡¯s last bit of anger finally left her as she gave a sigh. ¡°Fine¡­ I might have been a bit too angry there, but understand it was rightfully earned.¡± Nobina could only nod in agreement. ¡°Squeak,¡± came the tiny bunny that was on the desk nearby. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Oh my god,¡± said Nobina, turning her attention to the new bunny. ¡°Are you alright little guy? Did you get wet?¡± The tiny bunny shook its head, causing Nobina to feel relieved. She didn¡¯t expect to receive another companion anytime soon. This time, it was a bunny the size of an ant. There was no note regarding its name though, making Nobina wonder if she¡¯d have to figure it out this time around. ¡°What is this thing Nobina?¡± asked Carina as she brought her face close to it. ¡°It¡¯s a bunny that the bag gave. It sometimes gives companions who seem to have their own purposes. Not sure what the purpose of this little guy is, but for now I¡¯ll keep watch over him.¡± ¡°Squeak,¡± the tiny bunny responded. Things were already hectic for Nobina, and it seemed today was going to be no different. It was apparent that she had to be extremely cautious about her bag, as she realized that it was, for some reason, dropping water balloons that exploded in a watery blast. Luckily, it was only in an area a meter wide around Nobina, but it was serious enough that it almost ruined Carina¡¯s financial documents. If not for the fact they used parchment paper, she would have been extremely worried that the ring would have failed to fix the issue. ¡°This is so much,¡± sighed Carina. ¡°I was going to show you the market and talk finances, but I need a break. Shall we go to the caf¨¦ for lunch?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so down,¡± nodded Nobina, excited at the prospect of trying more deserts. With that, the two went back to work, with Nobina¡¯s new companion now keeping watch of Nobina as she began the next part of her review. She was now reviewing the specific parts of the guild¡¯s financials that related directly to income and expenses, as her system would involve keeping track of the individual items. It was a daunting task, and it was possible the overall cost of the system implementation would not be worth its value. Mustan alone also made it possible that the best route was to leave the current system as is. The fact he could perform such large-scale financial analysis thanks to Grand Economics was a godsend that could make it completely unnecessary for Navira to swap. That being said, if Mustan were to ever leave, the situation would be much different. ¡°This bag¡­ do the entities even understand the trouble they are getting me into?¡± There was a growing worry from Nobina that the Gaze would drag her into a serious situation that could get her killed. If this water balloon thing the Gaze was doing happened at the wrong time, Nobina feared the worst. A few hours went by, and soon, the two of them were off to Caf¨¦ Larent, the same caf¨¦ Carina had brought Nobina to previously. The two asked for a seat in the back but were informed that it was already occupied. ¡°Who in the right mind would¡­¡± Carina found herself frozen as she stared at the section of the caf¨¦ they were going to. Sitting in one of the seats was Doriten, who seemed to be enjoying a cup of tea. Doriten didn¡¯t fail to notice both Carina and Nobina standing at the entrance of the caf¨¦. ¡°Oh, what perfect timing,¡± smiled Doriten. ¡°I was just planning to enjoy a cup of tea and head back to my duties, but it seems you two have decided to appear before me. Please! Join me for some tea. The Sunset Tea is a good choice for some, but I do prefer Dawn Tea instead. A tea meant to awaken someone to the new day, or I guess new dawn would be more appropriate.¡± Carina seemed to freeze, not knowing what she wanted to do. However, Nobina felt the pressure of Doriten to answer positively. Seeing no other choice, she merely nodded. ¡°Ok,¡± she said, walking to join Doriten. Seeing no other choice, Carina sighed and joined him as well. The three of them sat there in silence for a good few minutes, merely looking at each other while both Carina and Nobina waited for their tea. Once it arrived, Carina drank it immediately while Nobina took a sip of it. Like Doriten said, the tea gave Nobina a warm feeling, as if the morning sun was now shining on her. Thinking about it more, it was shining behind her, making her radiate in what felt like the bright glow of the new dawn. ¡°Did you enjoy the tea Nobina?¡± asked Doriten, merely giving a pleasant yet scary smile as she waited for a response. ¡°Yes¡­ it was pleasant,¡± she said, her voice a bit quieter than she would have liked. ¡°Hm,¡± replied Doriten, his finger to his chin. ¡°Oh! Right. With both of you here, I wanted to ask you how you are dealing with the financial crisis. I know both of you work with the guild, who are the main party in charge of resolving the incoming crisis. Hopefully you¡¯re not letting any of us down Carina.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± she replied, showing a bit of a proud face before Doriten. However, that only made him chuckle as he shook his head. ¡°Always one to make yourself large Carina. It¡¯s truly sad sometimes. But let¡¯s verify that claim. Do you think things are being handled well Nobina?¡± asked Doriten, his smile once again being both calm and scary. ¡°Uh¡­ yes. The numbers have been run by Mustan and we are¡­¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± said Carina, causing Nobina to go silent. ¡°Tsk tsk Carina,¡± said Doriten. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate to interrupt a conversation between your superior and another individual.¡± Nobina could see sparks fly immediately the moment Doriten threw around his influence. Carina wanted to blow up on Doriten right then and there, but she held back. Instead, she merely made a comment to address his words. ¡°While you do have a right to know what a commoner is thinking, matters involving guild employees are under my jurisdiction. Please do not attempt to extract knowledge or pressure the employees unless given explicit permission by Lord Kasanta,¡± said Carina calmly. Doriten merely smiled and nodded. ¡°At the very least you aren¡¯t dumb enough to let someone spill the guild¡¯s secrets. It is why Aunai trusts you as much as she does, despite the fact that you truly work for our team.¡± Nobina wondered if that was Doriten was trying to manipulate her by making Carina someone untrustworthy. Before she could say anything, the gaze bag glowed again, prompting all of them to freeze. ¡°Hm? What is that?¡± asked Doriten, looking at the Gaze bag. Carina immediately spoke up, hoping to prevent Doriten from learning what Nobina¡¯s bag did. ¡°It¡¯s a bag that¡­¡± ¡°Silence,¡± said Doriten, his voice now exuding an authority Nobina and Carina clearly felt. ¡°If one is to cast unknown magic, they leave me no choice but to exert my authority. Nobina. Answer me and tell me what that bag is and what that glow was.¡± Nobina felt compelled to tell Doriten what the bag¡¯s true secret was. It was an unbelievably strong force that Nobina was struggling to resist. ¡°The bag¡­ is called the¡­ G¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, a single ding could be heard in the room. Nobina felt the sudden urge to speak vanish as she suddenly went silent. ¡°Wait¡­ what did you just do,¡± said Doriten, standing up. ¡°Guards.¡± Immediately, his two knights approached Nobina, causing her to freeze as she feared the worst. ¡°Answer me immediately,¡± said Doriten, his voice speaking in authority yet again. However, Nobina felt no urge to answer. At least, there was no urge due to his authority. Rather, the intimidation of the knights made Nobina extremely fearful of not answering. When Nobina didn¡¯t answer, Doriten merely sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Fine¡­ if you will refuse me, you leave me no choice. Nobina. Under the authority vested me as a noble, I hereby arr¡­¡± ¡°You leave me no choice Doriten,¡± said Carina, finally speaking up. ¡°I sponsor Nobina as a Noble by Merit to serve under him directly. You will not interfere until the judgment is given.¡± Immediately, Doriten expression went cold as he stared daggers at both of them. ¡°I see,¡± he said, standing up. ¡°Then I shall leave this matter alone¡­ for now. I wish you the best Nobina¡­ The test truly will be exciting. Also¡­ I hope the risk is worth it Carina.¡± Doriten walked out of the caf¨¦ without another word. The two knights began following him, not saying a word themselves. Once they were all gone, both of them felt a sense of pure relief. However, that was short-lived as Carina held her hands to her head. ¡°Damn that man,¡± said Carina. ¡°Forcing me to directly sponsor you.¡± ¡°What does this mean Carina?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Do I have to become a noble?¡± ¡°No¡­ but a lot of problems are going to appear really soon for you Nobina. For now, we¡¯ll continue to resolve the crisis. I shall let Aunai know the situation and hopefully the two of us can save you from what¡¯s to come.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s to come?¡± asked Nobina in a bit of a plea. ¡°A test that will show your true colors and self. One that will show everyone in this estate who you truly are Nobina,¡± said Carina, her voice reflecting the seriousness of the situation. Nobina felt herself wanting to collapse to the floor. Once again, things were getting complicated, and the gaze was a part of it. ¡°Things can never be simple huh,¡± said Nobina, peeking into her bag. When she saw the title of the book, The Secrets of the Guild, she didn¡¯t say a word as she left it in the bag. It wasn¡¯t something she intended to bring out now, but she fully intended to see what this book was about and determine why it was so necessary that she received it now at all times. Why was the Gaze causing her so much trouble right now? Was what was happening due to her Path or something else entirely? Was she just unlucky at this point? ¡°At least there wasn¡¯t a water ballon,¡± she replied to herself, taking another sip of her Dawn Tea. Chapter 71: Test and Professionalism The pleasant feeling of tea didn¡¯t last Nobina as long as she wanted, as the feeling of the new dawn was already long gone by the time they finally left the caf¨¦. The dessert wasn¡¯t as tasty as she wanted it either, with her mind thinking about the fact she would have to perform a test for Lord Kasanta to potentially become a noble. With both walking back to the guild, Nobina could only bring herself to look optimistically at the situation. ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Nobina said, hoping for the best. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± said Carina, showing a rare hesitance that Nobina instantly noticed. Nobina wanted to say something, but she decided to hold off questioning her for now regarding it. ¡°So¡­ do you know when I¡¯ll take this test Carina?¡± asked Nobina. Carina shook her head, a nervousness not leaving her as they continued to walk. ¡°It will be up to me to let Lord Kasanta know I¡¯ve made the offer, but I have no doubt that Doriten will do everything in his power to have it accelerated. For now, we¡¯ll need to speak with Aunai, who will hopefully co-sponsor.¡± ¡°Oh? Are there any notable benefits to that?¡± asked Nobina, her curiosity growing regarding the test and the whole process. ¡°Tons. The biggest is that a co-sponsor ensures that should the test fail, that the consequences aren¡¯t as bad. Beyond that, it gives you a more favorable outlook immediately to Lord Kasanta, though due to this being a Test of Merit, it isn¡¯t going to drastically change things if you have a poor showing.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She wanted to note everything down but had to settle with memory for now. The two eventually arrived at the guild, which seemed busier than usual. People were coming and going, yet the two overheard a certain conversation as they continued. ¡°Did you hear there was a dragon spotted?¡± asked one of the adventurers. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± responded another. ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s close to the north, so a lot of people are avoiding questing in that area.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s where a quality goblin hunting spot is. Man¡­ I might have to withdraw this quest¡­¡± Nobina¡¯s mind began trying to piece together the situation as the two continued. Carina seemed to not hear what they were saying as she had her focus forward. However, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but worry about the news of a dragon appearing spreading. The two entered the guild, making their way past the adventurers to head towards Aunai¡¯s office. At this point, Carina couldn¡¯t ignore the clear discussions regarding the dragon both amongst adventurers and directed at guild staff. ¡°The news already spread this fast? I guess it was inevitable with people from the Town of Wistern likely arriving. We¡¯ll have to work twice as hard to make sure we are ready for the crisis. It should be in a few days at this rate,¡± Carina said, seriousness replacing the nervousness that had overcome her before. ¡°Right,¡± said Nobina, giving a nod. She understood how serious a crisis was and would do her best to support it. The two of them arrived in front of Aunai¡¯s office, where another supervisor had just stepped out. They kindly greeted the two of them before going on their way. ¡°Huh¡­ Jamina seemed shocked. I wonder what happened between her and Aunai,¡± asked Carina out loud. Nobina, having no clue as to what could have happened, merely gave a shrug. The two stepped into her office, where they could see a big grin on Aunai¡¯s face. The moment her eyes locked on to Nobina, she couldn¡¯t help but stand up. ¡°Amazing news Nobina,¡± said Aunai. ¡°I have news that Fay is in the capital, and I have a good chance of making contact with her.¡± Immediately, all worries and doubts Nobina vanished in an instant. One of her major goals was suddenly within reach, with her having the urge to complete it now at the forefront of her mind. ¡°Fay? Are you saying I can meet her?¡± asked Nobina, her eyes sparkling in a radiance that surprised Carina. ¡°Potentially,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°She¡¯s apparently an S-rank adventurer, so I was planning to make a request to have her assist with the dragon hunt. Of course, I¡¯d also mention you to hopefully convince her to rush over. You can never know if she¡¯d leave the capital to go somewhere else. Especially since I heard her venture in the capital to ¡°spread the way of cosplay¡± seemed to fail and she might be looking to do it elsewhere. I have no idea what cosplay is, but it must be something special for her to mention it to the interviewer.¡± That last part of the news basically confirmed it. Only the Fay she knew would have an interest in cosplay. No other person in the world should know what that was either. ¡°Really¡­ Fay was always pretty good at accomplishing goals, so I¡¯m surprise she had such a hiccup. I guess something to ask her when we meet,¡± nodded Nobina. As she said that, her Gaze bag glowed again. Both Carina and Aunai stared at her as if motioning her to answer it. However, Nobina merely shook her head. ¡°We have a bit more pressing matters to attend to,¡± said Nobina, her voice reflecting a new shift in mood. Things seemed to tense up as Nobina began talking. ¡°I want to make sure that this meeting with Fay happens Aunai. If there¡¯s anything I can do, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I will do whatever is within my power to assist.¡± The two of them were surprised at the sheer determination that they were seeing from Nobina. As the two had seen her in her more normal state, it was a clear sign that she was prioritizing meeting Fay at all costs. ¡°Wait,¡± said Carina, remembering the reason they came there. ¡°Aunai. Something serious has happened. I have sponsored Nobina for Nobility by Merit and need a co-sponsorship.¡± Both could see Aunai¡¯s face drain as she sat back down. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Nobina, confusion showing all over her face. ¡°It¡¯s just a test I have to take, right? Even you wanted me to become a noble, so¡­¡± Aunai looked at Nobina, shaking her head. ¡°I know. However, it¡¯s no longer necessary to put yourself at such a risk to potentially meet Fay. My previous recommendation was assuming you¡¯d do anything to meet her but¡­¡± Nobina went silent immediately before instantly blowing up. ¡°What do you mean risk! What is this test!¡± Both of them looked at each other, with neither wanting to break the news. However, Aunai finally spoke up, her voice now reflecting how serious the test was. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°The Test of Merit is a trial to determine whether or not someone is worthy to join nobility. Some nobles treat it as a joke and make it impossible. Others have requirements so low that they make people very undeserving nobles, drawing the ire of the other lords usually. However, Lord Kasanta¡¯s Test of Merit is seen as the golden standard. One who takes the test is someone who would have his full support if they became a noble. However, if one wastes his time and has a poor showing, he has not hesitated to execute both the person testing and sponsored noble in the worst cases.¡± All the joy and determination she was feeling was instantly shattered with a newfound dread. The idea of dying before meeting her dear friend or accomplishing her dream was horrible. Her eyes instantly fell to Carina, who looked away. ¡°He left me no choice,¡± said Carina. ¡°Doriten would have likely done worse to you if he learned your secrets. Not to mention the fact you resisted his command is... well¡­ unthinkable. I don¡¯t recall stories of anyone resisting the command of nobility besides S-ranks or those of substantial power.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Aunai, giving a nod. ¡°Doriten would do everything in his power to compel you to his side if he learned about who you are and what you have. If you do become a noble, it would at least protect you from him, though I guess Lord Kasanta would try to use you¡­¡± When she said that, something seemed to click in Aunai¡¯s head. ¡°But don¡¯t worry about any of this Nobina,¡± said Aunai, a clear nervousness overcoming her. ¡°As long as your protected by an Alpha Death Hare, no harm shall befall you! Actually, you should probably convince it to come to your side. Wait! The city might be in danger if you did that¡­ though if you were to be harmed...¡± Aunai was beginning to ramble, with Corina now becoming confused. ¡°What are you talking about Aunai? What Alpha Death Hare? Aren¡¯t those like¡­ myths?¡± ¡°Very real,¡± she responded back, slamming her desk. ¡°Lila herself has shown fear due to seeing one and her identification skills are top notch. Man, why does everything have to be so complicated¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying,¡± said Nobina, feeling as if someone was getting her. ¡°My life is such a complicated mess. Even right now it¡¯s a rollercoaster of emotions. Learning about Fay. Learning about a test that could kill me. On top of my ever-growing complicated life, it¡¯s just¡­ too much.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t notice she was breathing heavily as she had spoken her heart out. She was once again feeling overwhelmed, but instead of internalizing it, she had let it all out. Carina, who was feeling confused as well, took a deep breath. ¡°Nobina¡­ I find that in times like this, clear minds prevail. Sure, a lot of good and bad is happening and even Aunai is showing herself being affected, but panic helps no one. As you know, even my life is in danger should you do poorly, but I have full confidence in you. Me having doubts dominate my thoughts when we have so many lives on the line right now with the crisis would not be good. I need to be at my best to not only help others, but to represent nobility in the best light.¡± As she said that, another flash of light appeared from her bag. Nobina had no intention of opening it, but it didn¡¯t stop a hand from taking another water ballon and dropping it onto the floor. ¡°No wait,¡± said Nobina, trying desperately to stop the disaster. However, it was too late. An explosion of water once again wet Nobina and Carina, as well as their immediate surroundings. Carina merely stood there in silence, her speech ruined by the water now running down her clothing¡­ again. Nobina, on the other hand, merely bowed and apologized as much as she could, saying her ring was still unavailable. At the very least, Aunai seemed to find the whole thing funny, laughing as she saw what was unfolding. ¡°Ah¡­ that was good,¡± said Aunai, now calm herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you two. Showing a side that is unbecoming of a guild master is unacceptable and I hope you accept my apology.¡± Both of them stopped what they were doing, their eyes on Aunai. Seeing her radiate calm and professionalism naturally reminded them that they were her employees at the end of the day. They both stood at attention and gave a bow. ¡°We apologize for such behavior unbecoming of guild officers,¡± they both said in unison. There was a new aura of professionalism over the three. Despite everything that was happening, they were all members of the adventuring guild. While Nobina might have been a guest of the Navira guild, she also had an obligation to represent the Agora Adventuring Guild to the best of her capabilities. ¡°Now then,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Let us start from the beginning and discuss matters without any unnecessary side-discussion. Your personal matters are important Nobina, so we shall include them as well.¡± With that, the three of them spent the next hour discussing matters in order of importance. The first matter of discussion was regarding the dragon and financial crisis. Aunai updated the two on the status of the situation. They had already initiated the evacuation of Wistern before Aunai gave the official command, which was why there was already news of the dragon sighting in the city and amongst the adventurers. Luckily, there was no new report on the dragon itself, but they were still on the look out for it. ¡°I know you have this test to worry about, but I hope that you focus on helping with the crisis Carina. As for you Nobina, please do not worry. Both Carina and Mustan have dealt with crises like this before, so they will be able to do so without your assistance. Your focus understandably will be towards this test.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°What about the test? What should we do regarding it, considering it should come up soon if Carina is right about Dorina likely triggering it himself.¡± ¡°It is problematic, but there are odds you won¡¯t need to deal with the test immediately,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Lord Kasanta understands the current crisis and is likely not in a position to host the test. For now, you should prepare but assume the test won¡¯t be anytime soon.¡± Nobina gave a nod. It was a relief that there was a chance that she¡¯d have some time to prepare, but she knew the thought of it would continue to weigh on her. ¡°Now¡­ Let¡¯s see what else there is to discuss¡­¡± ¡°I have a few things to say,¡± responded Carina. It was Carina¡¯s turn to lead the discussion, with her basically explaining what she knew about the Test of Merit. From what she knew, the test consisted of testing one¡¯s morals, strength, and mind, and lastly, a special test that only Lord Kasanta knows. From what she knew, only two people had passed all four and became Nobles by Merit under Lord Kasanta. The rest faced various punishments, from forced training to help them become noble-ready to the worst case, which was the death of the tester and their sponsors. ¡°By having Aunai sponsor you, the worst case should be impossible. At the very least, you should be prepared to face forced training. It might be a secret boon, but so far, the three who have been under the training have all become individuals that were unbecoming of nobility. Thus¡­ well¡­ all three are dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± said Nobina, keeping as calm as possible. ¡°Do you know whether items can be used during the tests¡± ¡°They can, but it might reduce how favorable Lord Kasanta looks upon you. These tests are to test you, not your ability to get powerful items. Abilities would likely be fine thought.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She had her sword ability at least, so it would likely help. She also had her recall ability, so she had some ways to get additional knowledge that would fall under ability usage rather than item usage. Deep down, she was regretting not practicing her abilities more, but there was no time to mope on it too long. ¡°Alright. So the Gaze bag will likely be out for usage,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Not necessarily,¡± said Aunai, drawing both of their attention. ¡°The Gaze bag can, by all accounts, be considered an item bestowed upon you by a god. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t be considered wrong to say that Lord Kasanta might approve of its usage. After all, you can¡¯t deny how much it has become a part of you Nobina.¡± Looking at the Gaze bag, Nobina¡¯s eyes widen. Aunai had a point. The Gaze was something that had so much influence on her life at this point that she would be a completely different person without it. Of course, it might be considered an item at the end of the day, but the Gaze had entities behind it that were real. Individuals with their own tastes and preferences. She had no idea who or where they came from, but some had left their own marks. Those marks had given them faces in her mind to remember them by, at the very least. ¡°You might be right,¡± said Nobina, looking at her bag. ¡°The Gaze is a part of me at this point. Both my pain and happiness are things that it understands and reacts to. Or in some cases, the Gaze itself causes those things. I cannot see how the Gaze and everything it has given me should be discounted in the test.¡± Carina shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see where Lord Kasanta stands with that. But for now, work under the assumption that you and you alone will be taking this test.¡± With that, the three continued their discussion. Besides those two things, there wasn¡¯t much left to discuss. Nobina gave an update on the progress of the potential accounting system swap, while Carina informed her of the progress of their work regarding the financial crisis. On Aunai¡¯s end, she informed them that she was working on resolving the crisis herself and would try to get as many S-ranks to assist as possible, Fay included. Once the talk was done, Aunai gave a nod. ¡°That should be sufficient for now. Get some rest Nobina. As for you Carina, you can also take a break, but if I know you¡­¡± ¡°I shall continue my work,¡± she bowed. Aunai gave a chuckle, figuring that was the likely response. With that, both of them left the room, leaving Aunai to herself. ¡°Oh Nobina¡­ I¡¯m sorry that things have become so complicated for you. However, you are someone I feel is capable of handling everything. Please do your best¡­ not only for your sake, but for the sake of us all. You surviving¡­ is likely what holds back Pausers from the unfathomable destruction that would proceed should any serious harm befalls you¡­¡± Chapter 72: The Daughter, Son, and Gaze Nobina headed back to her room, where she immediately opened the Gaze bag to check the items she received. There were four of them in total. The first one that caused the nobility mess was a book called The Secrets of the Guild. She immediately put it to the side, knowing it would likely take a bit to read through it to see what it was about. ¡°Next¡­ Hm¡­.¡± The next item was a token that apparently granted her the strength of the Nameless Knight. It would last for ten minutes and had no other information. ¡°Ok¡­ but why are they nameless? How am I going to find out what this entails?¡± Questions continued to form, but Nobina knew she¡¯d have to try to figure it out later. She also didn¡¯t know if it was a one-time use or if it had a cooldown, so she decided it wasn¡¯t worth testing for now. ¡°Next we got¡­ Oh! Another item from the fairy.¡± Nobina was starting to associate the symbol of two white branches with the fairy that had appeared to deliver the previous item, which was a gem she had yet to get a chance to use. She sometimes wondered what situation would prompt their usage, but she knew she didn¡¯t want to be in one that forced the usage of some of them, like the grenades or the one-time usage scroll. ¡°Hm¡­ The Ragnfrid Jewel¡­ A rough gemstone with purple lint. When rubbed over a weapon, it¡¯ll feel as if it was wielded by a vengeful knight and help move your body to emerge unscathed. Stay safe¡­. Whatever may come¡­ little sapling. Heart¡­. Fairy¡­¡± It was times like this when Nobina wished she knew the names behind those who gave the items. She was always thankful for them, despite how much trouble some of them caused. It was all items with good intentions. At least, that¡¯s what she believed. ¡°I think this might combo well with my sword and ability, and perhaps other magical items. However¡­ What¡¯s the usage on this? Oh wait¡­ a secondary note¡­ Oh. Once per month. Last ten minutes. That¡¯s pretty good honestly. I wonder if the token has the same cooldown, though I guess I won¡¯t know until the time to use both happens.¡± Nobina gave a nod, moving on to her next item. ¡°Let¡¯s see here¡­ A¡­ Plane Ticket to Japan! Wow¡­ That¡¯s so cool. I¡¯ve always wanted to go, but never got the chance. I wonder¡­ how do I even use this?¡± Holding the ticket, Nobina looked at a note that was attached to the ticket. ¡°Can be used to travel to Japan for a day. Will promptly teleport back afterwards. Can bring back one souvenir. Must be approved by TSA.¡± ¡°Typical. Even in a fantasy world, the government is going to stop me from bringing back something cool,¡± said Nobina, her cheeks puffing a bit. She relaxed them moments later, thinking about the positives of her gift. ¡°That being said¡­ is this a way back to my old world? If so¡­¡± The thought of returning felt extremely appealing to Nobina. If she was right, it was a golden opportunity to bring back knowledge from her old world. She¡¯d also be able to visit a country she wanted to visit, but she knew it would be wasteful to use it immediately. There had to be a time when it was right to return, and she wanted to be fully prepared. After all, it was only for a day. ¡°Hm¡­ And the last item¡­ Oh!¡± The last item had a ring that apparently allowed her to change hair colors at will. Nobina knew she wasn¡¯t one to change her hair color due to how much of a hassle it seemed, but if there was no limit, she was down to change it every once in a while. ¡°Thank you for this,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°I wonder what color I should pick first. Was always a fan of purple, but pink seems like it¡¯d be a nice choice¡­. Anyway, another time.¡± Nobina went to her last item, which was the book The Secrets of the Guild. Opening it up, it clearly stated the book was for the secrets of the adventuring guild of Lumira. The information itself seemed to focus around the appearance of otherworlders and their effect on the world itself. ¡°Wait¡­ so every time someone from another world has appeared, the world has always experienced a shift. Sometimes small. Sometimes massive. Whatever the case may be, any individual from another world is to be monitored. If their Path is confirmed high potential, they are to be reported to the Grand Guild Master to operate under them privately or¡­ disposed of¡­¡± More dread fell over Nobina, realizing that Eric was likely obligated to report her or dispose of her. However, it seemed he had done neither, considering he had just let her go. It made her wonder if Eric had told Aunai about her Path at some point and whether she also had such an obligation. If there was one difference, it was that Pausers was likely protecting her from harm from both of them. ¡°What other secrets are there?¡± asked Nobina, turning to the next page. She was surprised to see ¡°Progress Further to Unlock¡± on each subsequent page. When she got to the end of the book, Nobina realized that there might be information there that was crucial to her that was locked behind the progression of something. Whether that was her progress at the guild, the progress of reaching her dream, or some other metric, was left to be seen. ¡°Did I ever tell anyone how I have so many questions,¡± she chuckled to herself. Part of her wanted to dread, but at this point, she was treating this all as if her life was a bit of a comedy. It was fitting, considering how some of the things around her seemed too nonsensical to be her actual reality. If it was all a joke, it made so much more sense. ¡°Hm¡­ dinner is soon huh¡­ I guess I got training as well¡­ Well. I guess there¡¯s no time like the¡­¡± A knock was heard on her door. ¡°Coming,¡± said Nobina, wondering who it could be. When she opened the door, she was met by a lady with long, purple hair. It was a bit shorter than Nobina¡¯s, but it look far more taken care of and smoother. She had a soft face exuding the feeling of nobility, yet there was this softness to her expression that completely negated such feeling. Her gentle smile was what really took Nobina¡¯s attention, making her think about how kind this person seemed. Besides that, she had an outfit that seemed to be suited for adventuring yet also reflected the designs that clearly screamed nobility. Besides that, she had a sword that looked like a rapier, which was surprising since she hadn¡¯t seen one yet. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hello,¡± smiled the lady. My name is Immana Nasren, the First Daughter of Lord Kasanta. Immediately, that feeling of kindness evaporated into sheer nervousness. Nobina froze immediately, worrying the worst was going to come. ¡°I¡¯ve learned from my father that you¡¯ve been sponsored by Carina for the Test of Merit. I¡¯m surprised she went to the lengths to potentially risk her life for a commoner, but from what I learned you are far from that. You¡¯re a hero to a village. You¡¯re someone that has connections with S-rank adventurers and guild masters. You present yourself as proper, someone refine in a way that only those with a keen eye could notice. Everything about you¡­ screams¡­ I want you to serve me directly.¡± That last line seemed to form a rather devious smile from Immana, causing Nobina to unintentionally shiver. ¡°Oh¡­ well¡­ its good you think highly of me,¡± she smiled. That devious smile reverted back to a calm one as Immana continued to speak. ¡°Alas¡­ that likely will never be possible. Once your sponsor to be a Noble by Merit, either you become one or eventually die. It¡¯s truly a sad reality, but it has made sure that father has more quality nobles¡­ unlike some of these idiotic, unbecoming Nobles by Birth father refuse to cull. It is truly sad.¡± There was almost no doubt in Nobina¡¯s mind that this person was secretly insane. The idea of casually being fine getting rid of people was not a normal person thing. It was the fact this exact person was meeting with her right now that made Nobina worried for the worst. ¡°Anyways. By the rules of the Test of Merit, it is forbidden for me to directly interfere with you till the test concludes. Even then, post-test its my father¡¯s desires that will matter, not my own.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ then uh¡­ is there any reason you stopped by in particular?¡± asked Nobina, giving a nervous smile. ¡°Yes,¡± she responded. ¡°I have stop by to get an initial evaluation of you. I offer my own sponsorship if you pass it. Of course, if you fail¡­ you might owe me something.¡± The way she said that instantly made Nobina¡¯s answer clear. ¡°Uh¡­ no thanks,¡± she smiled politely. ¡°Hm¡­ if I sponsor you, it¡¯s almost guaranteed you pass. The two Nobles by Merit? They¡¯ve been sponsored by me along with others. Surely you aren¡¯t going to pass up a prime chance to almost guarantee you live,¡± smiled Immana, the gentle look now appearing way more hostile than it might normally be. Nobina was completely scared of Immana. ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­ I mean¡­.¡± She was desperately trying to figure out what the right answer was. If she declined, was she guaranteed to die? Was this merely a trap to get her to fail and become Immana¡¯s? There were so many questions, and Nobina was starting to hate questions. It was then she was saved by something unexpected. ¡°My lady,¡± appeared a well-dressed servant. The calm face turned to the servant, shooting daggers as they asked what needed her attention. ¡°Sir Vert is here. He is requesting to speak with Nobina,¡± said the servant, appearing unfazed by the daggers. ¡°Oh dear,¡± smiled Immana, turning to Nobina. ¡°It seems that my brother wants to exert his influence as well. My offer is still open until you meet with my father later today Nobina. Merely come to my personal estate on the north-west corner of the city and ask me to test you. If it¡¯s more re-assuring to you, considering how hesitant you were to accept, even if you fail my test, I shall sponsor you. Of course, you¡¯ll still have to perform my favor, but¡­ It¡¯s nothing too bad. Certainly better than death.¡± It felt extremely unreassuring coming from Immana, but she was making the offer more acceptable, at least. She wanted to have the best chance, but she wasn¡¯t sure she was good enough to pass four tests. Not to mention that having her support felt like a boon too good to pass up. ¡°Ok¡­ I will think about it and come over if I¡¯ve decided,¡± bowed Nobina. ¡°Proper in the face of pure fear. Such a beautiful gem that needs to be polished,¡± smiled Immana, taking her leave. With that, Nobina waited patiently at her door for her next guess. She was hoping desperately that Vert was a far better noble to speak to. At the very least, she hoped she would be in pure fear speaking to them. The next person to appear gave Nobina a look of relief. It was a man with short, brown hair. They wore a typical noble outfit, yet their hair was a bit messy. Not only that, but they looked nervous themselves, which was oddly a good thing to see. They also had a sword, but it was a standard long sword instead of the unique rapier Immana had. ¡°Hello there,¡± spoke the man, giving a smile. ¡°My name is Vert Nasren. First son of Lord Kasanta and heir to the throne. People call me a Sword Master, but please treat me more casually. I prefer people call me Vert.¡± ¡°Oh ok Vert,¡± said Nobina with a genuine smile. ¡°My name is Nobina. How may I help you?¡± All her fears were gone for that moment, with her merely waiting for good news. ¡°Ah¡­ yes¡­ I heard from my father that you are performing a Test of Merit. I would normally stay out of it, but Immana being interested in you¡­ means that she sees you as an asset. As a result, I have decided to directly sponsor you under the condition that you don¡¯t become sponsor by Immana.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s an easy¡­.¡± She was about to say yes, but she held back. Doubts formed in her head, and she didn¡¯t actually know if saying yes was the right call. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± smiled Vert. ¡°I won¡¯t force an answer right now. I reside in my father¡¯s estate, so you can meet me there and request to speak directly. If you want it, it is free without a condition. I haven¡¯t sponsored anyone before, but know that¡­ My father would look favorably towards you if you received my sponsorship.¡± From what Nobina could tell, Vert seemed trusting in his word. Not only that, but she wasn¡¯t going to put her in danger. That being said, she needed to confirm Immana¡¯s word. ¡°Is it true though? That so far, only the people who have her sponsorship have succeeded in becoming Nobles by Merit?¡± Vert nodded his head. ¡°It is quite¡­ funny honestly,¡± he chuckled. ¡°We call it Noble by Merit, yet only those sponsored by Immana have succeeded. However, I believe that you can break the mold. I offer my sponsorship, but the right call might honestly be to decline both of ours and take the test with only Carina¡¯s sponsorship. You seem quite capable and¡­ even if you fail, I¡¯m sure you will be able to perform the training that father might ask you to do.¡± It caught her off guard that he¡¯d suggest taking no sponsorship, where clearly it seemed that he thought it¡¯d be a good idea. ¡°Oh? Aunai was going to sponsor me, but do you think it¡¯s better if I just did it with Carina¡¯s?¡± Hearing that, his eyes widened, and he immediately shook his head. ¡°Ah. No. Yeah Aunai¡¯s sponsorship is far more valuable than you think. She has never co-sponsored anyone if I recall correctly, so she might be good enough. However, mine wouldn¡¯t hurt and¡­ if you really feel obligated, you can take Immana¡¯s offer.¡± Nobina could only wonder why Vert seemed like such a nice guy despite being the first son of Lord Kasanta. She fully expected some sense of nobility, yet he acted more like someone who merely wanted to help others. ¡°Thanks for the suggestion. You know¡­ you seem like such a nice person Vert,¡± she smiled. ¡°Thanks,¡± he nodded. ¡°I just want to enjoy life. If not for my fears of Immana taking over, I might have conceded the position of heir to her. For now, I act in the interest of the nobles against her and¡­ I do my best. Anyway, you probably want to warm up before the test or get more help. I shall return to my home and if you want more chat before everything happens¡­ I shall be there.¡± With that, Vert left as well, leaving Nobina to think about the decision to be made. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the right decision,¡± Nobina said to herself. Chapter 73: Sponsors and Laguna As Nobina stood there, she began wondering what she should do. She felt extremely unprepared to meet with Lord Kasanta, yet the invitation to meet him could come at any moment. The thought of messing up the meeting was now making her completely unsure of what the correct choice of sponsor was. ¡°Squeak!¡± came the small little bunny that was sitting on Hammy. ¡°Oh! Little guy!¡± said Nobina, sticking out a finger to pat the tiny bunny on the head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯ve been ignoring you. It¡¯s been so busy that I hadn¡¯t had a chance to really get to play with you.¡± As she saw the bunny happily accept the pats, Nobina remembered that her own problems were more than her own. Others around her would be affected by her actions and she¡¯d have to make the best decision for all parties involved. At the very least, the parties she cared about. ¡°Let¡¯s see if Aunai has some advice,¡± said Nobina to her little bunny. She had yet to come up with a name for them, but she was hoping that their creator would mention something. Else, she¡¯d eventually call it something silly like Speck. ¡°Speck is a solid name though,¡± chuckled Nobina. Before heading out, Hammy and Speck went back into her bag, which was basically their home at this point. Nobina wasted no time heading downstairs with both her bags in tow. She quickly greeted the receptionist before heading out of the guild inn. The sun had already begun to set, signaling the end of the day. She had no idea when she¡¯d get the invite, but she knew she didn¡¯t have much time. She made her way into the guild, which was now slowing down as most of the groups had concluded their business for the day. The only ones left were those trying to turn it in at the last second or those who operated during the night. Due to the size of the guild and its importance, this guild operated all day and night. Nobina knew Aunai was set to work part of the night shift, so Nobina was banking on that as she headed upstairs. Once upstairs, Nobina made her way to Aunai¡¯s office, knocking on the door rather aggressively. ¡°Come in,¡± called Aunai. Nobina headed in, seeing Aunai filling out papers on her desk. Aunai¡¯s gaze turned to Nobina, giving a pleasant smile. ¡°Why the rush Nobina?¡± asked Aunai, tilting her head. ¡°Did you need something else from me?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± she responded, rubbing the back of her hair. ¡°I need your advice. See¡­ I was approached by both Immana and Vert and offered a sponsorship. I don¡¯t know if I should take either and I worry that I¡¯ll be extended the invite soon.¡± Aunai, who had been listening closely, gave a nod. ¡°Unfortunately, the Test of Merit is something I don¡¯t know well enough to advise you on. I hear both nobles who passed Lord Kasanta¡¯s test had Immana¡¯s support, so she¡¯s a prime one to have. However, Vert is the heir to the estate, so he¡¯s also one to consider. Though both are in opposing factions¡­ Carina might be a better ask.¡± Nobina had a feeling she was going to say that. The only issue was she didn¡¯t know where Carina was at the moment. ¡°I believe she¡¯s at her family estate, which is right outside on the north-west of town. You should check there,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Oh and take this.¡± Aunai stood up and handed a letter to Nobina. ¡°This should serve as proof of my sponsorship. Please make sure only Lord Kasanta reads it. No one else should have eyes on it no matter what.¡± ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Nobina nodded, heading off immediately. Nobina was thankful that she had been starting back up her training and exercise since she felt a bit better running to her location. However, she was finding herself winded by the time she reached the north gate. The guards there gave her a rather confusing look before noticing her badge. ¡°Oh, a guild officer,¡± said one of the guards. ¡°Haven¡¯t met you before.¡± ¡°Names Nobina. I¡¯m heading to the Laguna estate,¡± she responded, catching her breath. The guard gave a nod. ¡°Head directly right and follow the stone path along the wall. Eventually, you¡¯ll reach the estate.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± smiled Nobina, heading off soon after. The remaining trek to the estate was rather beautiful despite the fact she was still running. Outside of the city to the north was more housing area that led to the Vaserna Forest. The trees there were much older than the other forests due to the fact that this forest in particular was rather preserved. This was due to the fact that the forest was said to have a strong connection with the World Tree Eleanor, a tree said to be able to restore even land that was completely raised to the ground and tainted. Due to this, it was believed that by leaving the forest alone, any damage to it or the surrounding lands would be healed rather quickly. One of the many benefits of the forest being rather preserved was the plant life in the forest was said to be beautiful and diverse. While the forest itself wasn¡¯t off limits to harvesting and hunting, there was a group called the Eleanorian Foresters who charged themselves with protecting the plants and wildlife of that forest in particular from overharvesting. Nobina knew those individuals did have special authority to arrest those who threatened the status of the forest. What that meant, Nobina didn¡¯t know, but she knew that people were occasionally arrested there. ¡°I¡¯d love to check it out when I get a chance,¡± huffed Nobina, still on the run to the estate. Eventually, she reached the Laguna estate, which was a section of a few buildings fenced off with a high hedge and stone wall. Reaching the entrance, Nobina found herself stopped by the guards. ¡°Halt. Invitation?¡± said one of the guards, a man in an iron chain-armor. He was a bit bigger than Nobina but significantly more built. Right next to him was another male guard of a similar build. Both had swords on their sides. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I don¡¯t have one, but¡­¡± The guard immediately shook his head. ¡°No commoners can enter without invitation, he barked, his tone turning aggressive. Nobina would normally back off, but she had to speak to Carina urgently. ¡°I am a guild officer of the guild with urgent news to deliver to Lady Carina,¡± she responded back, trying to sound a bit more formal. The guard shook his head once more. ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯d buy it for a second. You would have led with that if it was true.¡± Nobina felt offended that they¡¯d merely assume her not leading with that was evidence enough. The sun had finally begun to set, and night was upon them. If she didn¡¯t get in now, she¡¯d have to wait till tomorrow. By that time, she might not get a chance to speak to Carina about what to do. ¡°This should confirm it,¡± said Nobina, flashing her guild officer badge. The two guards talked it over before shaking their heads. ¡°While this confirms your status as a guild officer, it is not sufficient enough for us to allow you into the estate. Now please step aside.¡± Nobina, trying to figure out what she could say to convince them, decided to speak about the situation at hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say this, but Carina is currently in a very dangerous situation that requires me to¡­¡± Immediately, the guards drew their swords, prompting Nobina to take a step back. ¡°How dare you threaten Lady Carina,¡± said the first guard. ¡°My god, you¡¯re jumping to conclusions,¡± yelled Nobina. ¡°Can¡¯t you let me finish what I have to say?¡± Neither of the guards seemed in the mood to listen at this point, making Nobina wonder how she was going to get out of this situation. At this point, she had no choice but to show the letter of Guild Master Aunai. ¡°My name is Nobina, and I¡¯m operating under Guild Master Aunai¡¯s Authority,¡± said Nobina, hoping that would help. The second guard, hearing those words, seemed to react immediately. ¡°Wait,¡± said the second guard. ¡°Didn¡¯t Lady Carina inform us to allow someone name Nobina in?¡± The first seem to realize this since they lowered their sword. ¡°Can you provide proof of your identity?¡± asked the first guard. Nobina took out and showed her adventurer card. There was a disappointed look on their faces as they handed it back. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯d be friends with a D-rank, but go ahead,¡± said the first guard, with both stepping away. ¡°She¡¯s in the main building.¡± Nobina, just relieved that she was being let through, continued into the estate. The grounds themselves were well kept, with the lawn and hedges being well kept. The flower patches looked extremely colorful despite the fact the lawn was now being lit up by the lanterns lining the paths. As she made her way to the main building, a single maid stepped out of the building, bowing and greeting her. ¡°Guess of the Laguna family. Please tell me what you need, and I shall assist you,¡± said the maid, giving a bow. ¡°I need to see Carina,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± responded the main, straightening up. ¡°Please follow me.¡± Nobina followed the maid into the house, which was well-decorated with all sorts of high-end furniture. A lot of it looked rather expensive, making Nobina wonder if this was the norm even for a branch family. She did her best to avoid touching anything as she followed the maid deeper into the house. The two of them eventually reached a room at the back of the first floor, where the maid gave a knock. ¡°What is it?¡± called Carina, sounding as if she was occupied. ¡°A guess is here for you. Her name¡­¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± called out Nobina. The two of them waited for a good ten minutes before Carina opened the door. Nobina could see that this was her personal room, making her feel embarrassed meeting her directly in front of it. ¡°Ah Nobina,¡± said Carina, straightening her hair. ¡°To what do I owe this late-night visit?¡± ¡°Both Immana and Vert have offered to sponsor me, and I need your advice,¡± said Nobina, keeping her gaze on Carina. ¡°Right,¡± sighed Carina. ¡°I should have told you about them. Please¡­ come in.¡± Nobina nodded, walking right into the room. She noticed that Carina gave a maid a nod, prompting her to close the door. Carina sat down on a chair in front of her desk filled with papers. Looking around, Nobina could see the room had two bookcases full of books, a fancy bed with two side tables, and a chair next to one of the bookcases. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± said Carina, motioning to the open chair. ¡°Working from home Carina?¡± chuckled Nobina as she sat down. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I wanted to some financial strategy for when the crisis fully hits. You never know if it¡¯ll be useful to know. Anyways. Let¡¯s discuss the topic at hand.¡± Carina straightened up and began to speak to Nobina. ¡°There are pros and cons to taking each sponsorship. I¡¯ll go over Immana¡¯s first. Immana, as you know, is the first daughter of Lord Kasanta. She¡¯s seen as his right-hand woman, often acting on his behalf on important matters that Lord Kasanta cannot attend directly. A well-versed and rather smart woman, she is someone you don¡¯t want to make enemies of. So the pro¡¯s of her sponsorship is making Lord Kasanta¡¯s first daughter, his right-hand woman, an ally. Not only that, but you can learn why the two nobles under her passed the test directly from her. The obvious con though is you are against Vert and his faction at this point. Becoming an enemy to any faction is rather tricky and gets you involved in politics that are rather messy. I highly wouldn¡¯t recommend.¡± Nobina gave a nod, noting it down on a piece of paper she summoned. Carina wanted to ask about it but knew that time was of the essence. ¡°Vert, on the other hand, is a potentially easy, yet dangerous choice. He¡¯s the first son of Lord Kasanta and likely has significant pull despite him not being too active.¡± ¡°Not being active?¡± asked Nobina, wondering what she meant by that. ¡°Well Vert¡­ is a go with the flow type of person. He doesn¡¯t like taking charge and he¡¯s only becoming heir due to his personal feelings that Immana shouldn¡¯t be heir. Other than that, he¡¯s someone who¡¯s willing to ally himself with anyone anti-Immana. This includes¡­ Doriten,¡± said Carina, shaking her at the end. A shiver went down Nobina¡¯s back upon hearing that name. Learning that Doriten was a part of Vert¡¯s faction was a relief since it meant that she knew what choice would make him an ally or enemy. ¡°So¡­ the pros and con?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°The obvious pro¡¯s is that you¡¯ll have a unique sponsor in Vert on your side and the largest faction on your side. I believe the third son, second daughter, and third daughter also are on Vert¡¯s side, but we don¡¯t have time to discuss them in detail. Just know that both Vert and Immama hold the biggest sway of all of the factions. There are very few independents like me,¡± said Carina, her eyes looking away as if what she said was a bad thing. ¡°The cons, well¡­ you¡¯d be Immana¡¯s enemy and that can go horribly wrong.¡± Hearing that, Nobina shook her head. ¡°It feels like the right choice is to just say no to both and take the test without any additional sponsorship,¡± said Nobina. ¡°It could be, but it¡¯s not going to be easy going at it with only our sponsorship. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t have sponsored you under better conditions.¡± ¡°Nothing you can do about it,¡± said Nobina. ¡°All I can do now is mentally prepare myself for the invitation.¡± Hearing that, Carina went to her desk. She grabbed an envelope and handed it directly to Nobina. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Doriten handed me this an hour ago,¡± said Carina. ¡°This is the invitation for me to bring forth who I¡¯m sponsoring. I have until midnight to do so.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°So were you planning to get me?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she nodded. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s all unnecessary now. If you need more time to prepare, now¡¯s the time to do so. Else¡­ we can head out once I change into my proper attire.¡± Looking her over, Nobina could see Carina was wearing a sleeping gown. It looked expensive, despite having a rather messy appearance. The pink and white colors matched the room¡¯s aesthetic well, making Nobina wonder if Carina had a fondness for those colors. ¡°Please go ahead and change,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°I shall be waiting outside for you.¡± Nobina took her leave, stepping outside of the room. As she sat there, she leaned against the wall, contemplating her decision. It seemed obvious that she should decline both, but she had a bad feeling. Was having neither of their support really the right idea? ¡°I have to believe that I can do it with only Carina and Aunai¡¯s help,¡± said Nobina to herself. Chapter 74: A Noble鈥檚 Entrance and A Fireside Chat Nobina found herself waiting outside of her room for a decent bit. As she waited, two maids rushed in with clothing, shutting the door immediately. Nobina could only imagine how fast they were working to get Carina presentable for a meeting with Lord Kasanta. Looking at her own clothes, which were the ones she came into the world with, she wondered if she should have swapped into one of the dresses that Sarah had given her. However, there was no time for that at this point. ¡°Miss Nobina,¡± said one of the maids as they left the room. ¡°Lady Carina asks if you will be wearing your current attire or picking one more appropriate for meeting with Lord Kasanta.¡± Considering how she said it, Nobina had a feeling she was basically being told to change. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have an outfit I could use?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°We can rush over to one of the stores and immediately obtain one,¡± said the maid. ¡°However, Lady Carina has made it clear that you must determine if this is the right choice.¡± That last part gave Nobina pause. In her mind, she was sure that Carina was asking her to change her outfit. However, she had a guess about who was actually making the suggestion. ¡°Wait¡­ Are you¡­ the one suggesting I change outfits?¡± asked Nobina. The maid bowed down, stepping back. ¡°I apologize for overstepping. I did not mean to lead you to a bad decision if you feel it was one.¡± There was a bit of fear in her voice, but Nobina quickly tried to dismiss her worries. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Nobina, shaking her hands and head. ¡°But I will be keeping my attire. It is what defines me and what I¡¯m the most comfortable in. I¡¯m just¡­ curious about the recommendation.¡± The maid was hesitant to speak, but she spoke her mind after gathering the courage to speak. ¡°We are¡­ aware that this is a very important meeting. Not only for Lady Carina, but the estate as a whole. We wish the meeting between you two and Lord Kasanta go without problems¡­ Hopefully you find that reason acceptable for me overstepping.¡± Hearing her out, Nobina could see there was a concerned look on the maid¡¯s face. Despite them being able to hold their feelings most of the time, it seemed that there was a limit to it. ¡°I understand. I do feel like there is merit to changing, but I feel maintaining my own attire would suit me better.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± said the maid, giving a bow before returning to Carina. As she departed, Nobina began wondering whether she had made the right choice. When she realized she was questioning herself again, she could only shake her head. ¡°This is going to be a long night,¡± sighed Nobina, continuing to lean against the wall. It took about twenty minutes before the maids stepped out with Carina right behind. Nobina could only stare in awe at how beautiful Carina looked in her outfit. The dark blue dress helped highlight the beauty of her straightened hair, which was flowing right behind her. On her neck was a necklace that was a mixture of silver and gold, with a symbol of the Laguna family directly on it. The symbol itself was a nicely made short sword with a shield right behind it. ¡°Shall we depart?¡± asked Carina, her voice much more gentle than usual. ¡°Yeah,¡± nodded Nobina. The maids escorted the two of them out of the main building to a carriage that was sitting right outside. In the front were two horses with the estate guards on it. Right at the entrance of the carriage itself was a butler opening the door for them. ¡°Lady Carina. Miss Nobina,¡± he said, giving a bow. The two of them nodded, heading inside the carriage. Moments later, the group was off, with their destination set for the estate of Lord Kasanta. As they made their way, Nobina began looking out the window at the city. Her eyes were admiring how beautiful the city was, yet her mind was in a state of disarray. There was so much worry about how the meeting with Lord Kasanta was going to go that she was trying to find the right feeling to have. Worry? Frustration? Should she have been calm and composed? She worried for the worst because it wasn¡¯t only her life on the line. Carina¡¯s life was also linked to hers, making her worry that Carina might also be feeling a similar fear. However, it felt unlikely since Carina herself was someone who hadn¡¯t shown a moment of weakness. ¡°Carina,¡± said Nobina, turning to her. It was then Nobina¡¯s eyes widened to see that Carina was looking shaken. Carina¡¯s Gaze was facing outward towards the town, unaware of Nobina at that present moment. It took a few seconds before Carina realized she was being asked something. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Carina. ¡°Are you¡­ ok?¡± asked Nobina, keeping an eye on Carina¡¯s expression. Carina couldn¡¯t help but laugh hearing the question. ¡°Far from it,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s settling in how¡­ serious the situation is. If you want to know the truth¡­ I was taking advantage of the situation for my own gain back then. My forcing you into the state of being a noble, I was hoping to boost my family¡¯s position. Now¡­ there¡¯s a very real chance that I mess up and we both pay the price.¡± Nobina could tell Carina meant every word of what she said. There was a good chance she didn¡¯t pass and would have to take some sort of punishment. However, if she let that thought dominate her mind, Nobina knew she¡¯d have failed right before even meeting Lord Kasanta. She had to believe that she had a chance and that her decisions were right. ¡°Carina,¡± said Nobina, standing up and sitting right next to her. Carina tensed up a bit but relaxed as soon she felt Nobina¡¯s hug. The feeling of warmth soothed her as she listened to Nobina speak. ¡°Please know that¡­ Despite me being scared as well¡­ I¡¯ll do the best for both of us. If you believe in me¡­ that would mean a lot,¡± said Nobina, her voice soft as she spoke. Carina seemed to calm down, giving a chuckle. ¡°Look at this,¡± she said, giving a smile. ¡°Me being comfortable by a¡­ by someone not even my own family¡­ It¡¯s a bit disgraceful for a noble.¡± ¡°Well, I might be a future noble so¡­¡± smiled Nobina. After a few more moments, Nobina released her hug. Carina was now as calm as could be, giving a nod. ¡°Thanks Nobina,¡± said Carina. ¡°Hopefully you don¡¯t think worse of me for what I said earlier. I¡­ Just wanted to tell you the truth. After all, if we come out of this alive... You might think of me as a horrible person.¡± ¡°I can never think worse of someone who¡¯s honest with me,¡± smiled Nobina. Deep down, Nobina was glad to see a side of Carina that wasn¡¯t her normal noble self. It made her hopeful that things would be different despite their social status. However, if she had become a noble, things would have changed anyway. Both of them felt as calm as could be, and it wasn¡¯t a moment too soon. The carriage came to a stop right in front of their destination. Looking outside, Nobina could see a massive mansion that seemed to stretch out for multiple blocks. There were knights forming a line right next to a carpet that led the carriage into the estate. When she turned her focus to the entrance, Nobina could see that there were two individuals she could recognize and one she couldn¡¯t. One was Vert on the left side, while Immana was on the right side. In the center was a man much older than both of them. His face was a bit rugged, yet it was clearly done up to make him look respectable. He had a sword by his side and the symbol of the Kasanta family directly on his chest. His attire, a mixture of black and silver clothing that screamed noble, looked far fancier than what Vert and Immana were wearing. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Lord Kasanta¡­ he¡¯s greeting us personally,¡± said Carina, barely holding her now growing nerves in. The nerves were returning to Carina, but Nobina did her best to calm her. ¡°We got this,¡± said Nobina, trying to pep her up. Carina nodded, waiting as her butler opened the door. ¡°Might I present Lady Carina and Miss Nobina,¡± called the butler as he stood to the side. The knights stood at attention, waiting for the two to depart from the carriage. First out was Carina, walking with as much elegance as she could muster. Nobina, not wanting to fall too far behind, stepped out next. She didn¡¯t have the training of a noble, so her walk was much more casual. However, she walked with as much purpose as she could muster. No one said a word as the two finally found themselves close to the other three. Carina kneed down first, with Nobina following right after. ¡°We greet Lord Kasanta as your humble followers,¡± said Carina, her voice being as submissive as possible. Nobina, not knowing what to do, could only follow suit. ¡°We thank you for the invitation,¡± said Nobina. The two waited, their faces looking downward as they waited for Lord Kasanta to speak. ¡°Hm¡­.¡± was all they heard. The silence felt deafening, with the only other sounds being the night animals nearby. ¡°I see¡­ Please¡­ Stand up Nobina. Carina, please join Vert and Immana in the guest meeting room to discuss what happens next.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± both replied, standing up. Nobina saw the three of them leave first, with Lord Kasanta now staring at Nobina as she stood there alone. ¡°Come,¡± he said, turning and walking into the estate. Nobina quickly followed behind him, doing her best to keep focused on the task at hand. She couldn¡¯t help but look around at the various furniture and pictures scattered about. Part of her wanted to ask questions about it, but she held it in so as to not waste his time. Eventually, the two entered a room that had two chairs facing a fireplace. It had a stone chimney that went straight up, and bookcases lining the walls. ¡°So many books,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Big fan of books Nobina?¡± asked Lord Kasanta, taking a seat in one of the chairs. ¡°Oh yes,¡± she replied, taking a seat herself. Nobina found herself sitting in silence as her eyes turned to Lord Kasanta. The crackling of the fireplace was the only thing preventing the room from being completely silent, as neither of them said a word. ¡°Tell me,¡± said Lord Kasanta, leaning back in his chair. ¡°What¡­ do you know about me?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh! I know that you¡¯re known as the Passive Lord. You often let your followers handle everything, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re weak. Rather, you are strong yourself, but you have absolute faith in those who serve directly under you. In your mind, a territory can only be run successfully if all those working in it are doing their best.¡± He gave a chuckle, nodding his head. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯d imagine the books would praise me like that. However, I don¡¯t think myself that great of a lord if you had to ask me,¡± he replied, staring at the fire. ¡°A great lord would be able to handle any problem thrown at them no matter what. They¡¯d be able to bring out the best of everyone they meet and can turn water into wine. At the very least, a great lord wouldn¡¯t have to depend on those who follow him for success. Rather, they should be able to handle everything themselves and be able to unburden those around them.¡± Hearing that, Nobina couldn¡¯t argue there was some merit to what he was saying. Someone who was great was someone who could lead their people to boundless riches and success. If they had to depend on others, then if they lost those loyal followers, it would result in disaster. ¡°I see¡­¡± said Nobina. ¡°That being said,¡± spoke Lord Kasanta, his Gaze turning to Nobina. ¡°There are things that I don¡¯t like about you Nobina right from the start.¡± Nobina could feel the harshness of his voice as he spoke. ¡°Someone who uses this process as a means of defense¡­ Why would you think such a disgraceful action was a good idea?¡± Nobina wanted to deflect to Carina but held back. The worst thing she felt was to shift blame rather than explain the situation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lord Kasanta, but please forgive me. I did not mean to use such a method as defense.¡± ¡°Covering for Carina huh?¡± he sighed, leaning back. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not a bad thing to do, yet¡­ It feels so¡­ dishonest.¡± Nobina¡¯s heart sank when she realized her potential misstep. ¡°It was a difficult choice I¡¯d imagine. Lie to protect those you care about or tell the truth and have them take your burdens. I do not blame you for making a bad choice.¡± ¡°But¡­ the other choice wasn¡¯t correct either,¡± said Nobina. ¡°That is correct,¡± responded Lord Kasanta. ¡°If you shifted the blame to Carina, then that would speak of how much you prioritize your own skin over others. Even if it was truthful, a harmful truth can also be considered extremely bad.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what was the right answer?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°That¡¯s not for me to answer right now,¡± said Lord Kasanta, standing up. ¡°I guess we are done her. I shall¡­.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Nobina, standing up herself. ¡°Lord Kasanta, I believe I can represent the ideal noble if you listen to my story.¡± He took a pause, looking her in the eyes. ¡°What makes you think I care about your story? I can¡¯t continue to waste time here.¡± At that point, a nerve was struck. Nobina¡¯s next words came out in a way she found shocking herself. ¡°How dare you imply that my story is a ¡®waste of time¡¯,¡± she spoke loudly. There was so much emotion behind the voice that even Lord Kasanta found himself unable to do anything but listen. ¡°My story¡­ It is what makes me who I am and is not just mine, but a long tapestry of all the experiences of those who¡¯ve become significant parts of my life. You might say that a great lord is someone who¡¯s able to do everything himself, but I disagree. A great lord is someone who¡¯s able to work with everyone to ensure success. One that, should they disappear, those who they leave behind can succeed. That is why¡­ I cannot accept you dismissing my story without even hearing it.¡± Lord Kasanta stood there, taking in all of Nobina¡¯s words. After a few minutes, he nodded his head, sitting back down. ¡°A noble is someone who can show that they can lead. They are those who should represent me and my ideals, or the ideals of the one above them all. That is why¡­ I¡¯m giving you a chance to prove yourself.¡± Nobina felt herself relax a bit but was still on edge. She wasn¡¯t sure what was going to happen next, but she realized that the ball was rolling. Her test started the moment they met, and she was doing her best to pass. ¡°I no longer believe that this was just used as a defense. Rather, the defense was what pushed Carina over the edge to stake her own life on the line. I am surprised though that you went into this meeting without anyone else sponsoring you. Both Vert and Immana must have given an offer to you, yes?¡± ¡°That is correct my lord,¡± said Nobina, nodding her head. ¡°However, I felt both Carina and Aunai¡¯s sponsorship would be sufficient.¡± Hearing Aunai, Lord Kasanta¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°Do you have proof of Aunai¡¯s sponsorship?¡± Nobina gave a nod, standing up and handing Lord Kasanta the letter that Aunai had written for her. Reading it, he nodded, placing it within his coat. ¡°She has written of how you are of great importance and that even if I judge you unworthy, you be spared any punishment. She is even willing to make a promise to me in exchange.¡± Hearing that, Nobina felt relieved. If she was protected by Aunai, then it meant the test to come wouldn¡¯t be too bad. ¡°Despite her request, I must inform you that Carina will not receive such a reduction in punishment,¡± said Lord Kasanta. ¡°Should you perform horribly enough¡­ her life will be forfeited as per the rules of the Test of Merit.¡± Nobina could only nod, horrified that Carina¡¯s life was still in danger. ¡°As per her request, I¡¯ll only force training upon you if you fail to pass. That being said, do understand that you should do your best should you not want to burden both Carina and Aunai.¡± ¡°I will,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°Ok¡­ Well¡­ the night is still young. Let us hear your story,¡± smiled Lord Kasanta. Nobina took a deep breath before beginning to tell her story. She told Lord Kasanta about her arrival in the town of Agora, her employment and everything that¡¯s happened, and the events that have happened from the goblin incident to the journey here to assist with the change in the accounting system of the Navira Adventuring Guild. She did avoid telling him about the Gaze Bag and her destiny. Despite the talk of honesty earlier, she knew that if she opened up those cans of worms, she¡¯d find herself in deep trouble. When she was done, she merely waited for Lord Kasanta to evaluate everything she said. ¡°Hm¡­¡± said Lord Kasanta. ¡°You¡¯ve left out a few things huh? Like¡­ I believe it¡¯s called¡­ the Gaze Bag?¡± Nobina didn¡¯t even want to know how Lord Kasanta knew about it, but she relented and answered him. ¡°Yes¡­ I did leave out mentioning the Gaze Bag,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I guess painting yourself as a puppet to a divine entity isn¡¯t something you¡¯d want to do, but next time consider how important it was to tell me about it. This bag is something you¡¯d want to use on the test, yes?¡± Nobina gave a nod, staying silent. ¡°Also, Aunai basically told me that was one of the reasons she wants you spared any harm. Apparently, some divine entity is watching you. Can you tell me about them?¡± ¡°I unfortunately cannot,¡± said Nobina, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about them myself and I lack the time to look into the matter.¡± ¡°I see,¡± nodded Lord Kasanta. ¡°Well¡­ we can resolve that matter later. For now, I think I have enough information from you and Aunai¡¯s letter to give you the first tasks of the Test of Merit. Nobina. Your task will be to eliminate the rogue dragon that has threatened the territory by any means necessary. Gather as many allies as you wish. Use your Gaze bag if you wish. All I request is you do it as soon as possible. I will not offer you assistance. Anyone else is free to help you.¡± Hearing that, Nobina gave a nod. ¡°I shall do as you request,¡± she nodded. ¡°Good. Immana will be following you and scoring how you do. Ultimately, you are to ensure no harm befalls her. She may assist you if she wishes.¡± Once again, Nobina felt her heart sink as she realized that Immana was going to be scoring her. If she had her as a sponsor, then she might have looked favorably on Nobina. However, the fact remains that she basically declined her sponsorship. If Immana wished it, she might score Nobina poorly regardless of what she did. ¡°Any concerns?¡± asked Lord Kasanta. Nobina was about to voice her concerns with Immana but held her tongue. She felt that if she voiced her worries, then Lord Kasanta might think she was trying to back out. Not to mention that Nobina wasn¡¯t exactly Immana¡¯s enemy either. She had not accepted Vert¡¯s help either. ¡°No concerns that I wish to voice my lord,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I see¡­ Well¡­ Good luck Nobina,¡± said Lord Kasanta. ¡°You may go and speak with the others. I shall let Immana know what is happening.¡± With that, Nobina stood up and left the room. Now alone, Lord Kasanta moved his Gaze to the fire. ¡°Will you prove yourself worthy of nobility Nobina? Or¡­ will you disappoint me like so many others before you¡­¡± Chapter 75: Questionable Advice and Last Words Nobina made her way back to the entrance of the household, following behind one of the maids that had accompanied her and Lord Kasanta earlier. As they walked, the maid kept quiet for the most part, merely guiding her through the house. It was only when they were at the main entrance that the maid spoke up. ¡°Please let me know if you need more assistance. Else, I shall be standing by,¡± said the maid, giving a bow and moving to the nearest wall. ¡°Actually, can you bring me to Carina?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± responded the maid, separating herself from the wall. She began bringing Nobina down the corridor right from the entrance of the house. It was quite spacious, giving enough room for four people to walk side by side. To make up for it, every few feet they walked had either a fancy-looking plant, a nice piece of artwork, or a doorway to another room. There was the occasional hallway here and there, but it was mostly a straight line until they reached a t-section of the hall. They traveled to the right, continuing to find a hallway now snaking until they reached a set of double doors. Before even opening the doors, Nobina could hear Carina speaking loudly, worrying Nobina about what was going on. ¡°Oh god,¡± said Nobina. The maid gave a knock, and the door opened moments later. Once inside, Nobina could see Carina was standing on the right side of a rather long table, with Vert on the left side and Immana at the very end. The room itself was mostly taken up by the long table with a few paintings in the room to give it color. Besides that, and the lighting on the wall, the room was pretty minimal. ¡°Miss Nobina,¡± announced the maid, taking a step back. Before she could say anything, her bag glowed once again, an all-too-familiar action that Nobina had experienced time and time again. She thanked the gods that it didn¡¯t happen when she was meeting Lord Kasanta, as that would have likely derailed the whole thing. However, now she had to deal with the fact it flashed in front of both Vert and Immana, neither of whom had seen the glow first-hand. ¡°Ah,¡± said Carina, her eyes moving to both Vert and Immana. Nobina eyed the two to see if they¡¯d point it out or ask about it, but she was surprised when they didn¡¯t acknowledge it. ¡°Welcome Nobina,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°We were just having a nice chat with Carina regarding your sponsorship. I do apologize that you didn¡¯t get a chance to talk about it before meeting my father. How did that go by the way?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ It was very pleasant. Your father has given me my first task, which is to slay the dragon. I¡¯m allowed any assistance except from him,¡± replied Nobina. Immana gave a bright smile and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m certain that we can do it together. Of course, I still want you to pass my test, but even if you fail, you¡¯ll have the full support of my faction behind you. That is¡­ If you decide to ignore such a stupid decision to ¡®decline both of us¡¯ as Carina has informed both of us earlier.¡± Nobina could see it in Immana¡¯s face. She was basically telling her that she was aware of everything, and she¡¯d be foolish to decline her sponsorship. Given everything that had happened, there was no doubt in her mind that picking Immana wasn¡¯t a bad idea. However, her gaze couldn¡¯t help but focus on Vert, who had been holding in his response. He might have been waiting for Nobina to answer rather than try to convince her to join his side. ¡°Well,¡± said Nobina, trying to find the right words. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure. Your father has told me you¡¯d be the one judging me for the test, so if you were to be my sponsor¡­ wouldn¡¯t it make it a bit bias?¡± Immana put a hand to her chin, thinking about Nobina¡¯s answer. ¡°In a sense¡­ yes,¡± responded Immana, her smile becoming warm. ¡°I would be expected to be as unbiased as possible for the sake of fairness. However¡­ It is definitely impossible to avoid being even a tiny bit biased. Whether you believe me or not is up to you, but understand that I, above everyone else, knows what my father wants and doesn¡¯t want in a noble. My testing will be based on what¡¯s best for him, not for myself.¡± Nobina could tell there was no lie in her words. Immana would do her best to ensure that she was the right choice for her father. If Nobina had a poor showing, even with Immana as a sponsor, she¡¯d likely score poorly. Even if her life wasn¡¯t on the line, Carina¡¯s was. Her gaze turned to Carina, who remained silent. She then turned back to Immana to give her response. ¡°If I can be honest with you Immana¡­ I do not believe it¡¯s in my best interest to gain your sponsorship or Verts. I feel capable of getting it done with Carina and Aunai by my side,¡± said Nobina, hoping her answer was the correct one. Immana¡¯s warmth didn¡¯t disappear as she gave a nod. ¡°I shall respect your decision for now. Then¡­ I will be taking my leave. I wish you three a good day,¡± said Immana, heading out one of the doors into the nearest hallway. Nobina could tell she was heading in the direction of Lord Kasanta, likely going to get her assignment from her father. ¡°It is good to see you again Vert,¡± said Nobina, hoping the casual address was still what Vert desired. ¡°Yes¡­ Well¡­ perhaps for you at least,¡± he said, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to decline Immana given you¡¯re thinking about your best interest, but I guess you think that not picking a side is the best choice, right?¡± ¡°I do,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°Well¡­ We¡¯ll have to see,¡± he smiled back. ¡°Note that most of Lord Kasanta¡¯s sons and daughters are on either my faction or Immana¡¯s faction. There are a few smaller ones like Jims and Aleti, but both of them¡­ well¡­ are out of the territory currently.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Nobina tried to recall who both of them were. Jim was the youngest son of Lord Kasanta, the 6th son. As for Aleti, she was the heir of another branch family like Carina. It was even smaller than Carina¡¯s family, so it was hard to say her faction had any teeth if Carina¡¯s already had barely any. Without another word, Vert left the room, heading in the same direction as Immana. Once he was gone, Nobina gave a sigh in relief. ¡°Oh thank god,¡± she said, looking at her Gaze bag. ¡°I¡¯m honestly shocked that they didn¡¯t press me about the Gaze bag. Any idea why Carina?¡± ¡°Because they have more pressing matters,¡± replied Carina, who was now sitting with her face in her hands. ¡°They are likely going to speak with Lord Kasanta to get their tasks.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ that makes sense,¡± nodded Nobina. As Nobina stood there, Carina gave a sigh as she leaned back into her chair. ¡°My god being grilled by those two was horrible.¡± Nobina took a seat next to Carina, asking what had happened. ¡°Well¡­ They first lambasted me for using the test as a means to defend you. I barely managed to reduce the punishment, but it¡¯s going to be rough regardless,¡± she sighed. It was understandable that Immana might have spoken to Carina harshly, but she was shocked that Vert was also harsh. He seemed like a laid-back person, making Nobina realize that there was more to the two of them than meets the eyes. Immana had revealed to her a rather scary side already, while Vert likely had another face that Nobina had yet to see. ¡°Oh,¡± said Nobina, taking out her Gaze back. ¡°I wonder what I got.¡± Nobina checked quickly and saw she had a pair of boots with a note on them. ¡°Boots of Cat Walking¡­ A pair of boots that heavily dampen the sound of the wearer¡¯s footsteps¡± She smiled, placing the boots in her special bag. There were a decent number of usages Nobina could think about for the boots, though it was mostly centered around doing adventuring work. If she got a chance, she hoped to do some exploring and make use of the many items she had received so far. ¡°Sounds useful,¡± said Carina, who was finally sitting straight. Her eyes weren¡¯t on Nobina, merely looking at the door the two left. ¡°Is that all?¡± asked Nobina, curious if that really was enough to cause Carina to yell. ¡°Oh, there was one other thing. The two were very adamant I pick a side and stop staying neutral. However, I basically laid it out to them that for the sake of my position in the guild I had to remain neutral. Both of them seemingly understand my position, but they did indicate that I¡¯d feel some consequence for it. It was then I blew up on the two of them, not caring a bit about any repercussions. Of course, I was fully expecting blowback, but then you stepped in and¡­ the rest his history.¡± ¡°Well glad my timing was good,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°But yeah, I need to slay that rogue dragon that¡¯s causing issues. Do you think you can help?¡± ¡°This is out of my paygrade, but perhaps,¡± responded Carina. ¡°Since this means protecting my life, I¡¯ll allocate as much resources as I can.¡± Nobina gave a nod. It seemed that despite how uncertain things were, Nobina was going to have the support she needed. Deep down, all she really wanted to see was Fay at that moment. She was extremely dependable and way more skilled than Nobina. She was even an S-rank adventurer, giving her full confidence that she¡¯d be able to deal with the rogue dragon if she was there. ¡°I guess before we go, I should ask you a few questions,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Do you think¡­ Immana will really try to keep as unbiased as possible?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± nodded Carina. ¡°Immana is not a liar. She might be a whole slew of things, mostly bad, but a liar isn¡¯t one of them. She¡¯ll grade you mostly unbiased at least.¡± It gave Nobina some relief, but she still had a few more questions. ¡°How is this going to work anyway? Will she follow me around as I try to assemble another dragon hunting team? What if I join the planned one from Aunai?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I believe that Immana will be basically following you around until the conclusion of the test,¡± said Carina, her hands crossed on the table. ¡°It might seem insane given how she¡¯s the leader of a major faction, but this is a rather important test. Not to mention she has every incentive to ensure the dragon falls. Whether it¡¯s due to you or due to her own actions doesn¡¯t likely matter. What matters is she wants to do the best for the territories and civilians of them.¡± It was even more of a relief, but Nobina wasn¡¯t convinced it would be that simple. This was a serious test after all, and Nobina had no intentions of failing because she wasn¡¯t diligent enough. ¡°Then that should be good for today,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Shall we head back?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Carina. The two of them headed back to the front of the mansion. However, they were stopped by another maid. This one looked to be in a higher position, one given a badge on their attire. ¡°Please wait here Miss Nobina and Lady Carina. Lord Kasanta wants to speak with the two of you before you go.¡± Both of them stood nearby against the wall as they waited. After roughly twenty minutes, Lord Kasanta appeared with both Vert and Immana by his side. They immediately got on their knees, showing respect to Lord Kasanta. As he saw this, his gaze moved onto Carina first, with his voice sounding more commanding than anything. ¡°Carina,¡± said Lord Kasanta. ¡°I want to remind you that your task at the guild takes priority over helping Nobina. Even if your life is on the line, you must prioritize the people over your own. It is the way of the noble.¡± Carina gave a bowing even lower. ¡°As you wish my lord,¡± she said humbly. He then turned to Nobina, giving a grin. ¡°It seems like the ball is already rolling Nobina,¡± nodded Lord Kasanta. ¡°As discussed earlier, Immana will be by your side to score you for the test. My son Vert has requested that he also gets to test you as well to keep the score rather fair. Immana has no objections, so I¡¯m allowing him as well to test you. Both can decide when to be with you, but they will have to see the dragon being taken out.¡± ¡°Lord Kasanta,¡± said Nobina. ¡°It¡¯s quite risky having both your first son and daughter being involved with a dragon, right?¡± He gave a hardy laugh, nodding his head. ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong. There¡¯s a good chance we will lose not only your life, but theirs as well. However, they both accept the task and believe they can survive even a rogue dragon attack. If they believe that, then I will not doubt them.¡± Nobina¡¯s gaze turned to both of them. Both seem to be smiling, indicating that they were both accepting of the task. ¡°Anyway, I shall let you two depart for the night. Don¡¯t let me keep you,¡± he said, allowing both to stand up. They both stood up, giving a bow before departing. As they left, Lord Kasanta shook his head. ¡°I really hope I¡¯m not wasting my time having you grade her. Make sure you do it as fairly as possible,¡± said Lord Kasanta to Immana. ¡°Of course, father,¡± she bowed. Lord Kasanta nodded and retreated back to his quarters for the night. That left Immana and Vert to speak freely without their father¡¯s watchful gaze. ¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± said Immana. ¡°Will you really be watching Nobina this whole time brother? It¡¯s far more work than you often do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there for the final battle, but I leave it to you for the rest,¡± said Vert, giving a sigh. ¡°Though I¡¯ll try to stop by during the prep stage to make sure everything is turning out well.¡± ¡°You never change brother,¡± smiled Immana, giving a smile that seemed even more gentle than the one she gave to Nobina. ¡°Well¡­ You really want her to become yours, Immana,¡± replied Vert. ¡°Do you really think she¡¯d be a perfect servant?¡± ¡°Well, there is no such thing,¡± she giggled. ¡°If she was qualified, she¡¯d be a lord and a fellow ally. If she was anything lower¡­ She¡¯d be a peasant undeserving of anything but doing everything for my sake. Hero or not, someone who isn¡¯t an asset to father¡­ Well¡­ Should meet my desires instead. Perhaps after that she¡¯d be ready to take the test and pass it with flying colors.¡± Vert was all too familiar with the look he was seeing. Immana, deep down, wanted Nobina to be undeserving of the title of noble but good enough to meet Immana¡¯s desires. Whatever it took, Immana wanted Nobina to be a loyal servant or a willing follower. After all, she had the blood of Lord Kasanta. She was someone who also wanted dependable people under her. ¡°God speed Nobina,¡± said Vert, his gaze on the door leading to the chilly night. Chapter 76: Crisis and Testing The ride back to the guild was relatively quiet. Neither Nobina nor Carina were saying anything the whole time, their eyes staring out into the nightlife of the city. It wasn¡¯t until they were halfway into their trip that Carina spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s going to be interesting to see what happens,¡± said Carina, her gaze still distant. ¡°I have no doubt that Immana will be unbiased, but I am worried that we might not be able to hunt down this dragon even with this team Aunai is assembling.¡± ¡°Would this whole thing be separate from the dragon hunting team Aunai is assembling or will we be joining them?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°It should be fine for you to join them, but you¡¯d likely not play a major role,¡± sighed Carina. ¡°My main concern in all of this is that your judge as either an insignificant factor or, the worst case, a liability to the actual dragon hunting squad. It isn¡¯t enough just to be there and defeat it.¡± Carina had a point. If she didn¡¯t contribute much to the test, it would likely reflect poorly on her. She¡¯d either need to be a major contributor to the team or play a major role in its inception. ¡°So¡­ there¡¯s a reason for me not being a part of that team huh? I guess forming my own team might be a choice¡­¡± said Nobina, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to do it, but we¡¯ll speak more with Aunai about this.¡± Carina turned to Nobina, seeing a concerned look on her face. ¡°We got this,¡± said Carina, giving a reassuring nod. The two arrived back at the guild, where Nobina stepped out. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow,¡± said Carina, smiling at the fact they finally got through the day. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Carina,¡± Nobina replied back. Once Carina was gone, Nobina made her way into the guild. It was the middle of night-time operations, so the staff there was much lower than in the daytime. Not to mention that there were all new faces, as Nobina was generally not there during the night. As she made her way into the back, she began wondering if perhaps a night-time search party would be a good idea. She¡¯d imagine the main squad would be moving through the day, so having more time covered didn¡¯t see like a bad idea. ¡°I¡¯ll have to run it by Aunai tomorrow,¡± said Nobina, stepping out of the back of the guild. She made her way into the inn and all the way up to her room. Once she was there, she took a seat on her bed and began filing out her diary. During that time, both Hammy and Speck made their appearance known, playing around her now that they were free from the bag. ¡°Do you guys enjoy the bag travelling more or would perhaps staying in the room be better?¡± asked Nobina. The two of them stopped before standing on the bag, giving their versions of affirmation. At least, that¡¯s what it appeared to be for Nobina. As she filled in her entry for the day, she took a step and looked out her room window. It was facing the north side of the guild, looking over a vast cityscape. The lights kept the city visible, but from her view, there were a lot of dark rooftops. Besides that, there was the view of the streets below her window. That was a much better view, revealing a well-lit road with people and guards appearing occasionally. Seeing this just reminded Nobina that the world was already ready to move on to the next day. There was no point in stalling the inevitable and letting her worries eat away at her. ¡°Hopefully tomorrow goes smoothly,¡± said Nobina as she stepped away from the window. She went to bed shortly after, closing her eyes as she tried not to let the day¡¯s events get to her. The next day, Nobina found herself waking up to a gentle sunlight piecing into her room. Things felt rather calm as Nobina stood up to stretch. It was only when she found herself a bit more awake that she could see the outside seemed rather active. The streets were full of carriages, far more than she was used to. Not only that but there were tons of people, seemingly all walking in one direction, making Nobina wonder what was going on. She quickly got ready and departed downstairs. Once she was at the receptionist¡¯s desk, she was stopped immediately. ¡°Ah Nobina,¡± said the receptionist. ¡°Aunai has issued an emergency order for all guild officials to report to the guild. The town is dealing with an influx of refugees. Not only that, but there¡¯s a large number of requests for escorts out of the city to other towns. I believe Aunai wishes to speak to you directly regarding this.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± nodded Nobina, quickly heading off to the guild. Once inside, Nobina was shocked by the sheer number of civilians speaking to receptionists at the present moment. The crowd of people was significantly larger than usual. It was a mixture of both adventurers and civilians, with a few nobles in the mix. It didn¡¯t take long for Nobina to overhear the majority of the talk. ¡°I need an escort immediately. I can¡¯t wait a few days,¡± said one civilian. ¡°My family is willing to pay big money, just approve my request,¡± yelled another. The guild officials were doing their best to handle the sheer number of requests, but Nobina knew that the guild wasn¡¯t meant to deal with such a large influx. It was very likely the guild would have to issue an emergency declaration, as this was clearly a crisis at this point. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Carina, who had appeared in front of the stairs leading to the second floor. ¡°I was just about to get you. Aunai wishes to speak to the three of us immediately.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Nobina. The two of them made their way to Aunai¡¯s office, where she was talking with other managers and supervisors. Inside was also Mustan, who was sitting on the couch waiting. The moment Aunai noticed the two of them, she quickly concluded up her conversation, and the other guild officials left. ¡°Ah good, you¡¯re awake,¡± said Aunai. ¡°What¡¯s going on Aunai?¡± asked Nobina, sitting on the couch across from Mustan. Carina took her seat next to Nobina, awaiting Aunai¡¯s response. ¡°The worst case,¡± she responded. ¡°The refugees from the town are flocking in, but there¡¯s a growing concern that the dragon might attack the city itself. A lot of people are fortunately not panicking, but we are dealing with a huge influx of requests for an escort out of the city. It was being mixed with requests to house the refugees, making the whole situation far too difficult for the guild to handle alone.¡±Stolen novel; please report. ¡°What about assistance from the nobility and city government?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Surely they aren¡¯t just leaving us out to dry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where the issue lies,¡± responded Carina, a clear look of frustration on her face. ¡°The nobility and city government are doing their best to handle the situation, but under their own terms.¡± ¡°What exactly does that mean?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°It means that they are securing their own people before the rest of the town,¡± said Aunai, seemingly frustrated as well. ¡°As it stands, they care more about making sure the nobility and rich from the town are settled in first and care not for the civilians who are scared of leaving.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mixture of politics and greed, which is honestly disgusting,¡± said Mustan, who was also frustrated. Nobina could see all of them were understandably frustrated with everything going on. She couldn¡¯t blame them either since this was likely going to interfere with the dragon hunting plans as well. ¡°What will happen with the¡­¡± A knock came on the door, with Aunai inviting the person knocking inside the room. To their surprise, they all stood when they saw it was Lady Immana. She was wearing a nice blue and white dress that had elements of a noble¡¯s attire. On her side was her rapier as well. ¡°Hello there everyone,¡± she said in a friendly tone. ¡°Hopefully I¡¯m not intruding.¡± ¡°We were discussing the current crisis,¡± responded Aunai, standing then giving a respectful bow. ¡°I see!¡± she said in a fake-sounding surprise. ¡°Well, it¡¯s certainly crazy downstairs. If was some average person, I could have imagined myself crushed in the crowd of cowards trying to flee our territory. It¡¯s truly¡­ Sad.¡± There was clear spite in her voice, but the odd friendliness of the tone helped hide it. She was still smiling, but all of them could tell she was rather unhappy with how things were unfolding. ¡°Regardless, it shouldn¡¯t interfere with your test of stopping the rogue dragon, yes?¡± said Immana directly to Nobina. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t,¡± Nobina responded back immediately, trying to show some confidence. Immana¡¯s smile seemed to grow immediately upon hearing that. ¡°Pure confidence¡­ but can you back it up,¡± said Immana, her eyes turning to Aunai. ¡°Tell me Aunai, how goes the hunt for the dragon? Is your team coming along?¡± ¡°We have¡­ unfortunately, postponed the team formation for now,¡± Aunai reluctantly replied. All of them except Immana looked shocked at her answer. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°What¡¯s going on at that front.¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Half of the adventurers of the original squad have opted not to participate. The main reason for that is that many are being paid a fortune to escort some of the high-profile individuals and their whole wealth out of town. That or they are being paid as guards for those nobles choosing to stay in town. After all, mot all adventurers are in it to help people alone.¡± Immana merely shook her head upon hearing the last line Aunai spoke. ¡°It is rather unfortunate,¡± said Immana, looking genuinely disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s a showing how not many have the makings of an ideal adventurer. Regardless, I believe you can still hunt it down with Nobina¡¯s assistance. Unless you have other plans Nobina.¡± Nobina shook her head. She wasn¡¯t the strongest person, but she was certainly someone who could help out. She did possess tools that could help swing things to her advantage as well. However, whether the Gaze offers more assistance was left to be seen. ¡°I¡¯ll be working to get the team ready in the meantime,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Fantastic,¡± said Immana excitingly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see how capable you truly are.¡± Immana then turned to Carina, who had been keeping quiet. ¡°That reminds me,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°I believe that your family has its own problems, isn¡¯t that right Carina?¡± Carina gritted her teeth, giving a nod. ¡°I will be unable to assist you with your test Nobina,¡± said Carina. ¡°My family is¡­ focusing on assisting the refugee effort under the orders of Lord Kasanta.¡± Nobina could tell this was likely Immana pulling strings, but she was basically powerless to stop the effort. Not only that, but the crisis was making it so that Aunai couldn¡¯t focus on helping her either. ¡°I¡¯m curious how things will go now that is just you working at it alone,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°Hopefully you have no issue. After all, this is a dragon we are talking about.¡± ¡°I should be able to handle this,¡± said Nobina, unable to completely hide the doubt she was feeling. ¡°But what about you Lady Immana? Don¡¯t you have a lot of responsibilities due to the matter at hand?¡± ¡°I do, but the test must be completed and cannot be stalled. My father was ¡®so moved¡¯ by your words yesterday he told me that he trusted that you could stop this dragon,¡± said Immana, her sweet words unable to hide the pure delight she was feeling. ¡°Of course, you can choose to give up the test right now and free me from my own obligations. Or¡­ you could take my sponsorship and agree to my demands. That should also suffice. If you leave this to me, I can offer so much assistance that you wouldn¡¯t need to stress.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t answer right away, having to think about what the right choice was really. However, Aunai threw her a bone by responding in her stead. ¡°Nobina is far more capable than you know, Lady Immana,¡± she responded back in her own calm voice. ¡°You can say Nobina has the support of powerful entities far beyond our understanding. Even the ones we understand are truly ones that have no equal. Even if she were to go at it alone, she¡¯d come out on top. There was a thankfulness for Aunai¡¯s reassurance, but it seemed that it was going to backfire. ¡°Oh? Nobina can take it on alone? Is that true?¡± asked Immana. ¡°Well¡­ The odds are rather lower, but with enough assistance I can do it,¡± she nodded. ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ll be excited to see that happen. Anyways, will we all keep standing around here wasting time? I¡¯d imagine we all have a role to play,¡± said Immana. All of them nodded, with Aunai giving her orders. ¡°Continue to monitor the financial situation Carina and Mustan. As for you Nobina, please take over the recruitment of party members for the dragon hunt. I have the current list of people that are on the team, but I¡¯d say we¡¯d want at least two more S-ranks on the team. Three is a lot, but we are dealing with a dragon here.¡± Nobina walked over and took the list. She wasn¡¯t too surprised seeing Lila and Mimiki on it, but there were certain names she was unfamiliar with. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± said Nobina. ¡°You got a week till the squad should head out, but the sooner the better,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Dismissed.¡± All of them stepped out except for Immana, who told Nobina to wait for her outside the room. ¡°Oh right,¡± said Nobina before stepping out of the room. Will Vert join us at some point?¡± Immana gave another smile, shaking her head. ¡°I believe my brother is pre-occupied with a task from my father. He¡¯ll join us if he can on the actual hunt, but¡­ It is unnecessary if you ask me.¡± Nobina could see that things were all falling into place for Immana. She could do nothing about that but do the best she could to pass the test. ¡°If you excuse me,¡± bowed Nobina before she finally stepped out of the room. Once they were alone, Aunai¡¯s attitude shifted to one showing her true feelings of annoyance. ¡°Damn it,¡± she sighed. ¡°I do pity you Aunai,¡± said Immana, her smile shifting to a more neutral expression. ¡°Such a big retreat spreading so fast¡­ it feels a bit¡­ unnatural, yes?¡± ¡°Are you implying¡­¡± spoke Aunai, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Oh¡­ I have no evidence of it, but you know a certain major nation is almost certainly getting involved in major matters. I¡¯ve seen the report regarding Agora and considering the demon hasn¡¯t been found¡­ It makes you wonder if this demon is really rogue.¡± ¡°Finding a demon can be as difficult as searching for a needle in a haystack Immana,¡± she said, clicking her tong right afterward. ¡°I have no doubt that there is something unnatural happening, but my hands are far too busy.¡± ¡°You can always make a deal with me you know,¡± she smiled. ¡°If Nobina isn¡¯t taking my assistance, I can certainly offer it to you.¡± ¡°What? And then become the equivalent of your toy to manipulate? No thanks,¡± she snapped back. ¡°Well, I never expect you to fold, but we¡¯ll have to see how strong willed Nobina is,¡± chuckled Immana. ¡°Though if both of you fail¡­ it would be bad for father. Though we¡¯ll have to see.¡± ¡°You wait Immana,¡± replied Aunai. ¡°She¡¯ll surprise you.¡± ¡°Perhaps, perhaps not. It¡¯s more likely her Gaze bag does something far more significant. Anyway, I shall not keep the test taker waiting. Good day,¡± she said, leaving the room. As she was gone, Aunai merely shook her head. ¡°This can¡¯t get any worse, right?¡± asked Aunai to herself, trying to suppress her growing headache. Chapter 77: Team Building and Best Friend Nobina was still outside of the room when Immana left Aunai¡¯s room. ¡°Lady Immana,¡± said Nobina, walking over and giving a short bow. ¡°I wanted to ask what happens now.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± said Immana, surprised by her question. ¡°What do you mean? The test started yesterday. You¡¯re currently trying to get rid of this rogue dragon. Seems like a silly thing to ask honestly.¡± Nobina nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, but I wanted to know if you¡¯ll be following be the whole time.¡± ¡°Well¡­ yes. If I miss you recruiting someone or obtaining a key weapon to defeat this dragon, I couldn¡¯t award you a positive score for those actions. Unless you are trying to fail intentionally,¡± she giggled. ¡°Ah no¡­ I just wanted to clarify, that¡¯s all.¡± The day was still young, yet Nobina was already feeling the whole situation wearing on her. She knew that she had a simple goal, but accomplishing was no easy feat. She had avoided asking Aunai regarding Fay since she did not want her best friend in the crosshairs of Immana. Thinking about it logically, it made sense to begin by gathering the current squad and learning what they needed. Two people came to mind, which were Lila and Mimiki, who could assist her with the matter. ¡°I think I have someone that can help,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Nobina made her way downstairs and located one of the supervisors. ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Nobina, getting their attention. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± responded the supervisor. ¡°Did you need something?¡± ¡°Do you know where Mimiki or Lila are?¡± He gave a nod, pointing out of the guild. ¡°I believe both of them headed to the Auluren Training Grounds. You know where that is, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. The Auluren Training Grounds was a more advanced area for people to train. One had to be at least C-rank to even use the grounds, leaving it relatively open for C-ranks to come and go without a reservation. However, higher ranks like A or even S would reserve spots in advance to ensure their training wasn¡¯t delayed. The main difference between the Auluren Training Grounds and the other training areas was that they usually had an S-rank adventurer there either training themselves or helping out. Initially, Nobina was worried she¡¯d have trouble leaving the guild, but Immana removed that concern immediately. She merely began walking towards the exit, and people naturally cleared the way for her. She wasn¡¯t even giving off an aura that would make people move. Rather, everyone in the room was likely aware she was there and making sure they didn¡¯t do anything to disrupt her. It was both impressive and scary. Once both were out, Nobina didn¡¯t even need to say anything. Immana told one of her servants to get her carriage for their departure to the Auluren training grounds. Nobina followed behind her, and the carriage arrived only ten seconds later. Once they were on their way, Immana spoke up, shaking her head. ¡°You really should be making a better impression Nobina. For me to have to do all the work is pretty sad. Especially since it¡¯s not helping your test score.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Nobina, dumbfounded by what Immana was saying. ¡°You didn¡¯t really give me a chance.¡± Immama gave her a nice smile before speaking again. ¡°Oh. How were you going to get us there? Having us move slowly through the crowd then walking all the way there?¡± she chuckled. Nobina didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Immana was right. Nobina didn¡¯t have an easy way to get them around. There was probably a way that could have gotten them through without issue, but she would have taken a bit of time to figure it out. ¡°I can certainly stop requesting a carriage to get places and also no longer lead but think about what¡¯s more important right now. Taking a bit of a hit to get us to a place, or losing points cause your wasting time,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want that, right?¡± ¡°No¡­ just keep requesting it,¡± she said, gritting her teeth. They were already off to a rough start. Traveling to the arena, Nobina could only try to keep her gaze away from Immana. Every time she looked over to her, she saw that Immana was merely looking out the window peacefully, not saying a word. Looking at her closely, Nobina had so many conflicting feelings about Immana. She felt very capable but also someone who would do whatever it took to get what they wanted. Not only that, but the way she spoke to her bothered her more than she wanted to admit. The two arrived at the Auluren Training Grounds not too long later. Once they were there, one of the staff members there immediately greeted Lady Immana and escorted the two of them into the grounds themselves. Looking at the grounds, Nobina was impressed by how organization it was. Not to mention there were strong individuals in every training square. Many were practicing their skills or training, but there were the occasion individuals sparring as well. ¡°So how may I help you?¡± asked the training grounds employee. ¡°We are here to see Lila,¡± said Nobina. She didn¡¯t even need to hear a response before she saw Lila dashing in the air before landing in one of the squares. At the spot of her landing was Mimiki, who tried to swipe her sword upward to hit Lila. However, she dodged it mid-air with ease and landed a hit with her training sword on Mimiki¡¯s side. When Mimiki tried to retaliate, her sword only caught air as Lila created distance. ¡°A bit more prediction Mimiki,¡± instructed Lila. ¡°A dragon won¡¯t give you a chance like I did.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± she responded. ¡°Again.¡± They were at it again, with Lila jumping and then dashing in the air before trying to land another swing at Mimiki. Nobina knew she could stand there for hours just studying how they fought, but she knew time was of the essence. The two approached them, and Nobina called out. ¡°Mimiki! Lila,¡± she yelled. The two stopped and turned their attention to Nobina, who was still waving at them. ¡°Oh Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, waving her over. As the two saw them approach, both of them suddenly froze as their gaze realized who was standing next to Nobina. When the two finally got there, Lila spoke up first. ¡°Hello there Lady Immana,¡± she grinned. ¡°Do you got any strong opponents for me to face?¡± ¡°As eager for combat as ever Lila,¡± chuckled Immana in a rare display of genuine joy. ¡°Do you know each other, Lady Immana?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Hm? Of course I would know a future leader of the Magical Wolves. We speak from time to time, she does me favors, I do her some favors. A very reasonable relationship,¡± she nodded. Nobina turned to Lila, who was only nodding at this point. Whether Immana was leading people to believe such a thing or not didn¡¯t really matter. What mattered was this could potentially further complicate her job.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Alright,¡± said Nobina, turning her attention to the two of them. ¡°Aunai left me in charge of assembling the dragon hunting team. I wanted to ask you two for assistance in getting more members.¡± Both of them seem to hesitate to speak before looking a bit away. ¡°Well¡­¡± said Mimiki, not being able to finish the sentence. ¡°I don¡¯t think you can do it,¡± said Lila bluntly. Nobina was surprised by the bluntness, waiting for clarification from Lila. ¡°Honestly Nobina. I don¡¯t know if anyone will be convinced to join you,¡± said Lila, shaking her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have the strength to convince others. At least without Pausers.¡± ¡°Pausers?¡± asked Lady Immana, curious about who this Pausers was. Lila was about to speak, but Mimiki managed to intercept the request. ¡°Pausers is one of Nobina¡¯s companions back in Agora. They are decently strong but will be unable to help.¡± Immana stared at Mimiki for a bit before sighing in disappointment. ¡°Oh. How unfortunate for you Nobina,¡± said Immana, who was basically mocking her now. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see what you have planned to win people to your side.¡± ¡°Oh, I got a plan,¡± said Nobina, turning to Lila and Mimiki. ¡°Are you two enough to convince more S-ranks?¡± Lila shook her head. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m not on the best terms with others. I also believe Mimiki doesn¡¯t really know anyone. She spends most of her time helping weaker adventurers, even if I requested her to stop doing so,¡± said Lila with a look of disappointment. It was worrying that they lacked the confidence to convince others. Nobina had some items that could potentially help, but she doubted it was enough power to directly convince them. The only saving grace was that Nobina could work with them to get others. ¡°We¡¯ll take whatever we can get at this point,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Can you lead us to the first free one you know?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± nodded Lila. The three of them followed Lila as she made her way into one of the buildings. Inside the building was a woman with a book reading in what appeared to be a mini library. Nobina was in awe and wanted to check out the books, but she decided against it. Instead, she approached the woman sitting next to the table. ¡°Hello there,¡± smiled Nobina. Her smile was immediately ignored as the woman continued reading her book. ¡°Hey Casi. These three wish to speak to you,¡± said Lila, looking a bit impatient. Casi¡¯s gaze turned to the four of them before locking on to Immana. When Immana shook her head, Casi merely nodded and continued to read her book. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Nobina to Immana. ¡°Hm? She was merely checking if I really wanted to speak to her. Of course, the answer was no, so she decided the two of you weren¡¯t worth time,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°Honestly, you should really just ignore my actions if you want to stay focus to the priority.¡± Nobina was getting annoyed but kept herself calm. At that point, Nobina was curious about the topic of the book Casi was reading. When she was close enough, she noticed it was a book regarding abilities. ¡°You know Casi, I have a rather unique ability,¡± said Nobina casually. Casi took a pause and looked at Nobina. She eyed her for a bit before speaking. ¡°Really,¡± said Casi, curiosity changing her tone. ¡°Show me.¡± Nobina held out her hand and called forth her ability. ¡°Pen Blade,¡± she spoke, summoning a pen. She then held it like a sword, leading to the black ink blade forming. Nobina was feeling the drain more than usual due to how out of practice she was, but she seemed to have Casi¡¯s attention. Casi stood up and went towards the blade. She stopped right next to it, barraging her with questions. ¡°Fascinating. Is this a skill? Is the pen a magic item? What powers the blade? How strong is it? Can you create more?¡± The question onslaught didn¡¯t stop the whole time, leading to Nobina waving her hands. ¡°Will you listen to my question if I answer them?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Certainly,¡± she said, giving a gentle smile. Nobina began answering every question she had. Each answer she gave seemed to convince Casi more and more to speak. Once Nobina was done though, Casi merely nodded. ¡°Thank you. You may ask your question as per our agreement,¡± said Casi, with her listening attentively. ¡°Great. So, we are trying to form a dragon hunting party, and I wanted to know if you would join us.¡± ¡°No,¡± is all she said before turning back to her books. ¡°Wait,¡± called Nobina. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to even consider it even a little bit?¡± ¡°Why would I? You gave me what I wanted, and I gave you what I promised. I see no benefit to entertaining you further,¡± she said, turning to the next page. Nobina, furious at her response, recalled her blade as she began yelling at her. ¡°Are you really just going to take that knowledge and give us some half-baked response? The nerve of you to prioritize your reading over what is pretty important.¡± Casi stopped, not looking at them but also not reading her book anymore. Instead, she spoke in a rather aggressively neutral tone to them. ¡°Bold of you to assume that what I¡¯m doing isn¡¯t important,¡± she responded back. ¡°I have a duty to help these fledgling swordsmen become powerhouses. I have no interest in what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hunting the dragon that¡¯s cause this mess,¡± Nobina replied, trying to keep herself under control. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s important to handle right now?¡± ¡°Hmph. And what do you want me to do?¡± asked Casi. ¡°Do you even know who I am and what my abilities are?¡± ¡°Well, no, but Lila led us to you for a reason,¡± she replied back, looking to her for a response. Casi turned to Lila, who gave a shrug. ¡°She¡¯s known to be a non-combative S-rank who specializes in information gathering and planning. Can you provide us information regarding the other S-ranks that are available?¡± asked Lila. ¡°Don¡¯t you have that access already?¡± spoke Casi, a bit annoyed now. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you need a non-combat S rank. I certainly can¡¯t offer anything to this hunt considering it requires S and A-ranks who specialize in either combat or searching.¡± ¡°Wait, but how did you get S-rank?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°A deal with me,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°Casi is a brilliant adventurer that I¡¯d have loved either as a fellow noble or as a servant. However, Casi does not possess the drive or charisma needed for a noble. As for being a servant¡­. There¡¯s no way I can convince her. She¡¯s too good and she¡¯d lose so much benefit to Lord Kasanta if I bounded her to my service.¡± Immana gave a chuckle, shaking her head as she thought about Casi more and more. In her mind, she was a prize jewel she wanted to protect from harm. At this point, Nobina could only sigh. ¡°So?¡± asked Lila, clearly impatient. ¡°Do you have some people in mind at least?¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± said Casi, turning her attention to her book. ¡°Logna is currently working an escort roll. As for Desa, she¡¯s currently negotiating for a higher pay for her escort. You might win her over with even more pay, but outbidding a noble with economic support is a tall order. I have no information on other S-ranks at this time.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Lila, turning to the others. ¡°We got the info. Let¡¯s go.¡± Nobina followed Lila as she took the lead. As they walked, Immana moved next to Nobina and spoke soft enough that only she could hear. ¡°Not looking too hot right now Nobina,¡± sighed Immana. ¡°If I had to guess, you¡¯ll likely need to get way more points in on-field leading or even helping defeat the dragon.¡± Nobina was feeling the dread all over. If things didn¡¯t change soon, Nobina would be in a world of trouble when it was time to hunt the dragon. ¡­ ¡°Message for Fay,¡± said a messenger to the guild receptionist at the table. ¡°I¡¯ll deliver it to the grand guild master,¡± nodded the receptionist, taking the letter. It took them a bit to get to the top floor of the guild. Once they were at the office of the grand guild master, they gave a knock. ¡°Come in,¡± called Lent. The guild receptionist entered and handed off the letter. Once that was done, they left immediately, leaving Lent to open the letter in private. Reading it through, he gave a chuckle. ¡°Ah. You have something to cheer up the depressed one. Let me do the honors.¡± Lent took the whistle he had and blew on it. No sound came out, but that didn¡¯t matter. Lent merely had to wait for Fay to hear the call. Ten minutes later, she was already knocking on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± said Lent. Fay entered the room, looking a bit depressed. It was a sad sight that Lent didn¡¯t take any join in seeing. Her spirit had been like that for a while, and Lent was still trying to find a way to cheer her up. At least until the letter came. ¡°Lent,¡± said Fay, sitting on the couch. She then laid down on the couch, shaking her head. ¡°I¡­ I need a break. Failure after failure¡­ The desire to see my best friend... I really can¡¯t do any job right now.¡± Looking at Fay, Lent decided to begin his speech. ¡°Oh,¡± sighed Lent. ¡°A bit disappointing. Rogue dragons are tough opponents many crave to fight. Whether it¡¯s wealth, power, or something else, there¡¯s always something you can get out of fighting one, even if you don¡¯t win. Though, you¡¯d have to survive and not get permanently injured.¡± Lent¡¯s eyes moved to Fay, who didn¡¯t respond at all to his words. ¡°Well¡­ Take a look at this then,¡± said Lent, holding out the letter.¡± Fay slowly got up and got the letter. She then sat down in front of Lent and began to read it. ¡°Urgent Request. We request any free S-rank adventurers to assist with the subjugation of a Rogue Dragon. Payment will be twice the standard expected of such a job. We will also offer double credit to the ones who join. Message for Lent. If the request is acceptable, please make sure it is fulfilled. We are willing to owe the Capital guild if necessary. Message for Fay. Nobina is here.¡± Lent saw the letter fall out of Fay¡¯s hands as she seemed to freeze. Her expression was hard to read even for Lent, but immediately, Fay burst into excitement. ¡°Is this real Lent? Who sent this? Can you confirm everything is true?¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± chuckled Lent. ¡°Who is Nobina?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­ my best friend,¡± grinned Fay. ¡°I¡¯m off.¡± Fay began leaving, with Lent standing to call to her. ¡°Wait,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t you need to prepare?¡± She gave a strong laugh, shaking her head. ¡°If I really desire something, I can make anything possible,¡± she said, a fire in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll only be slowed down. I shall see you later.¡± Lent didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything before Fay was gone. ¡°Is Nobina really that important to you Fay?¡± wondered Lent, sitting back down behind his desk. Chapter 78: Recruitment and Strength Nobina had a bad feeling as she left the room. Standing back in the main training area, her mind was questioning whether she was really capable of even getting enough people in general to participate. This was hunting a rogue dragon, after all. The only saving grace was that Nobina could utilize the funds set aside for the dragon hunt. Thanks to her studying the guild¡¯s financials, she knew the limits of how much she could spend. In the worst case, she could push past the allocated funds and go into the emergency funds. ¡°So, what now?¡± asked Mimiki, hands behind her head as she stood there waiting. ¡°We¡¯ll need more than S-ranks anyway to complete the mission,¡± replied Nobina back, opening the list. Currently, they had two S-ranks and three A-ranks on the list. It was comparable to the roster that was used to assist with the goblin incident, but the dragon did call for at least four S-ranks and five A-ranks. A few B¡¯s could join as well, but C or lower were more so a liability. At least if the dragon was just a young adult. A full-fledged dragon would require a significantly bigger force to deal with. It made Nobina concerned given she was only a D-rank with a C-rank¡¯s strength, but she was in charge of the hunt. She had a duty to participate and play her part, even if it meant using the Gaze¡¯s full arsenal. ¡°Do you know where the roster of S-ranks is Mimiki?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a few back at the guild. We should perform our search here first though, since most of them don¡¯t have up to date location indicators. We only know when they last visited the guild.¡± Nobina nodded her head. She was aware that it was difficult to know where everyone was at any given time. The guild did have a way to alert everyone in the town that there was an emergency, but this wasn¡¯t going to alert any adventurer too far from the town. ¡°Say Immana,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Let¡¯s say¡­ I don¡¯t have a team sufficient to deal with the dragon. Is there a point where you help out?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she smiled. ¡°I fail you immediately and use all my connections to get together an A team to find and slay this dragon. I then get you as a potential servant. It¡¯s a win, win.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ servant?¡± asked Nobina, worried about what she was saying. ¡°It¡¯s nothing too bad,¡± she smiled. ¡°You¡¯d just be obligated to do task for me for¡­ ten years seems fair. Then when it¡¯s done, you can do as you please. It¡¯s not too much to ask for the help of a powerful noble, right?¡± Nobina had no idea what Immana had planned for her and had no intention of finding out. ¡°So anyway,¡± said Nobina turning to the others. Immana gave a chuckle, but Nobina ignored it. ¡°Let¡¯s try to recruit a few people here to help. Some of these people are A-ranks, so perhaps we¡¯ll get lucky, and one is really willing to help us out.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°Mm¡­. ok,¡± smiled Lila. ¡°I¡¯ll be a good chance to see how strong everyone¡¯s gotten.¡± With the plan set, Nobina and the two began going around the arena to potentially get assistance with the dragon hunt. Nobina spoke to a few people, but all of them were B¡¯s and lower. By the fifth person she met, she still hadn¡¯t spoken to an A-rank yet. ¡°Where are all of the A¡¯s,¡± wondered Nobina, looking around. There was no obvious indication of what everyone¡¯s rank was. Mimiki and Lila seemed to not be getting any success either, as none of them had anyone follow them. It felt like they¡¯d be unlucky this time around, but Nobina spotted two rather strong-looking adventurers walking into the training grounds. One had long blue and purple robes while having a book on their side. The other had a large two-handed axe on their back and was laughing as he talked with the robed person. Nobina approached them, both giving pause to their conversation upon seeing Nobina. ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Nobina, trying to appear as friendly as possible. ¡°How can we help you?¡± asked the person with the book. Getting a closer look, they had short black hair and hazel eyes. They looked a bit younger than Nobina, making her wonder if these were potentially newer adventurers. ¡°I was wondering if either of you were A-rank adventurers?¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Yeah,¡± laughed the axe wielder loudly. The person with the two-handed axe was a foot taller than Nobina, being around seven feet. He was also much wider than Nobina, reminding her of a football player in terms of width. His muscles were no joke either, making Nobina wonder if he could take on Lila in a test of strength. ¡°Do you need something from us?¡± he asked. ¡°I was trying to recruit A ranks and S ranks for a dragon hunt. See¡­¡± Before she could speak, the man with the axe laughed, shaking his head. ¡°Why would I join a weakling like you! You look like the wind can blow you over.¡± Nobina wanted to feel offended, but she doubted herself too much to even disagree. She knew she wasn¡¯t strong, and so far, she hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to improve either physical or ability-wise. Once all of this was done, she was hoping she¡¯d get a chance to train and potentially complete her book. Till then, she had to work with what she got. ¡°I might look weak, but I have the spirit,¡± she said confidently. The axe-wielder looked her in the eye, giving the biggest grin. ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s spar. If you can force me to move once, then you win, and I¡¯ll join.¡± The man with the book sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Marve. You¡¯re such a simple-minded person sometimes. Who risks their life for someone just because they prove they can push you?¡± Marve laughed, pointing to his chest with his thumb. ¡°Listen,¡± he laughed. ¡°If someone isn¡¯t willing to help those who can prove themselves, then who do they help? Besides, she¡¯d have to really be someone worth helping to push me back.¡± Nobina began wondering if there was something she was missing that would justify his sheer confidence. There was a chance that they had some skill that would make it impossible, but Nobina had her own skill. This time, she didn¡¯t want to use her Gaze items either. If she was going to prove she was capable of leading this team, then she¡¯d have to at least show she had the strength to do so. ¡°So,¡± said Marve, taking his axe and holding it in his hands. ¡°Will you accept my deal?¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Nobina, her conviction stronger than ever. The two made their way to one of the free spots. Nobina was surprised to see a few people gather, but the reason was clear. ¡°Who is that girl?¡± asked one of the adventurers. ¡°Why is she fighting Marve the Iron Wall?¡± ¡°Beats me,¡± said the other. ¡°I wonder why Marve is entertaining such a weak-looking person.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t like how much doubt people had about her, making her desire to prove herself strong enough grow even more. Marve was reacting to it as well, since his grin only grew as he took his position. ¡°You got an hour. It might feel like a lot of time, but I want you to use everything you have. This isn¡¯t a one-shot competition. It¡¯s a competition to see if you use everything you have, brain and bronze, to beat me and get me to move.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She placed her bags to the side, only having her sword with her. ¡°And I¡¯m good to use the sword?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure,¡± he nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll just block. Don¡¯t worry too much about defense. Though, I might try to push you away if you aren¡¯t careful ha ha!¡± She gave a nod. With both in position, the book person stood as referee. ¡°Are you two ready?¡± asked the book person. ¡°Yes,¡± replied both of them. ¡°Begin!¡± he yelled. Nobina immediately felt pressure emanating from Marve. It felt as if she was standing before a troll, ready to smash her to bits if she even tried to approach. She could immediately understand why people had so much confidence in Marve as Nobina felt her legs shaking a bit. ¡°Already too scared Nobina?¡± he laughed. ¡°This is just a passive ability and my weakest one! The Aura of Strength. If you can¡¯t even get close to me, this match will be over in a flash.¡± She took a breath and tried to step forward, sword in hand. However, she wasn¡¯t able to do so. It was as if all her senses were screaming for her to back off. If she tried to approach him, she¡¯d be crushed like an ant. It was a terrifying feeling, but not enough to make Nobina surrender. ¡°I can do this,¡± she told herself. Nobina used every bit of strength she had and managed to take one step. It felt as if the aura wasn¡¯t pushing back, which was a good sign. However, Nobina was already feeling exhausted. It was as if she had completed a single workout with just one step. ¡°Looking tired,¡± said Marve, shaking his head. ¡°Imagine if I stepped forward right now. You¡¯ll fall flat on your back and be there for the duration.¡± That was a scary thought, leading to Nobina retracting her step. It was a mistake, as she sensed the aura fill the newly formed space. ¡°Back to step one,¡± said Nobina, gritting her teeth. She still had two abilities, making her wonder if she could perhaps throw something at him. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot,¡± she told herself. ¡°Summon.¡± Nobina summoned one of the books she had. From what she knew, as long as she recalled the book before damage could happen to it, it would be fine. She took the book and pulled back her hand. With one motion, she threw it forward, seeing it fly through the air. Before it could hit the ground, she recalled the book. ¡°Hm,¡± smiled Marve. With that information in her mind, Nobina took a few steps back, going to the edge of the ring. There were no ring-outs, but Nobina knew that she shouldn¡¯t go too far. Else, Marve might do something that would make things significantly harder. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± yelled Nobina. With the courage she could muster, she ran full force towards Marve. When she was close to where the aura was, she made a jump into the air. She had no idea if she¡¯d run straight into a wall, but she wasn¡¯t going to back off. The moment she passed where she knew the aura was, she was grinning as soared through the air with ease. When Nobina landed, she immediately felt a wave of aura try to push her back, but she somehow managed not to fall onto her back. Instead, she was standing still, about six feet away from Marve compared to ten feet earlier. ¡°A bit of progress their girl,¡± he laughed. ¡°But its¡­¡± ¡°My name is Nobina,¡± she yelled. ¡°I will prove myself if it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡± Marve immediately shut himself up, seeing the intensity in her eyes. ¡°Then by all means ¡®Nobina.¡¯ Prove your strength, because a dragon will show you no mercy.¡± With him one step forward, Nobina felt the power of Marve¡¯s aura. She was barely able to not fall, but with a second step, Nobina fell on her back. The aura was now fully over her, preventing her from even standing. The only thing she could do was lie there and breathe. ¡°What will you do now,¡± said Marve, standing still once again. He was only six feet away from Nobina, yet it felt like she had a large canyon to cross to even touch him. It felt like a lot of time had passed as Nobina laid there, her brain working overdrive to figure out a way out of the mess. She only had one option, but if she used the sword, her remaining stamina would be gone. It was a serious issue, but Nobina had time and didn¡¯t want to rush it. The worst thing she could do was panic and do something stupid. ¡°It¡¯s quite sad Nobina,¡± came Immana¡¯s voice. Nobina could only slightly turn her head to see her standing on the sidelines. She also noticed that the other two adventurers had left, leaving only her, Marve, his friend, and Immana there. ¡°Are you really just going to waste time just lying around?¡± questioned Immana. ¡°Marve is right. The dragon won¡¯t wait for you while you lie there and waste time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ trying¡­ to recruit¡­ them,¡± she spoke, finding it difficult to speak. She was now feeling the aura exert pressure downward on her. It was going to be dangerous if she didn¡¯t deal with it. ¡°Well, if you want helpful advice, I can give you some. It¡¯ll only cost you a day being my servant. It¡¯s a pretty good deal,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡­ can¡­ do¡­¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t able to finish her sentence. She knew she was reaching the limits of her strength, and either her own fatigue or time would end this. Seeing no other choice, she decided to use her remaining strength to at least get off the ground. ¡°Pen blade,¡± she yelled, dropping her sword. Immediately, a pen formed in her hand. A blade shot out of it, leading to Nobina trying to swing it. To her surprise, her hand was having less and less resistance as she wiggled the blade. It soon became clear that her ability was the key. Not wasting time, she moved the blade in a swirling motion as she found her hand more and more free. Her own confidence started to build as well, as she felt that overwhelming force slowly fade away. It took about five minutes, but she had cut the aura enough and built enough willpower to stand, now gripping her Pen Blade with two hands. ¡°I see,¡± he smiled. ¡°No wonder you are stronger than you look. You do have an ability.¡± ¡°It¡¯s one that I fully intended to show you,¡± she smiled weakly, doing her best to now stand. ¡°Hm¡­ Then I shall wait for that slash. Or at least, the attempt to slash,¡± he laughed. Nobina knew that if she tried to slice the aura and reach him, her remaining strength would be spent, and she¡¯d be on the ground yet again. Her other option was to retreat, but she felt it wasn¡¯t an option. ¡°Can I really not do this without help?¡± Nobina was at a loss. However, a lightbulb went off in her head. ¡°Wait,¡± she told herself. Immediately, Nobina retreated out of the aura, standing right at its edge as it refilled. ¡°Hm?¡± said Marve, confused. ¡°Why did you run away? Do you not intend to show me that blade you¡¯ve spend everything to summon?¡± ¡°A tactical retreat,¡± she responded, adjusting her glasses. ¡°My goal was to move you alone to prove my own strength, not my foolishness. However, there is no point in throwing your life away against a dragon. Rather, if there¡¯s no chance to defeat it and the option to retreat and regroup is there, it¡¯s wiser to do so.¡± Marve thought about her words and nodded. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right,¡± he nodded. ¡°The real question is, do you have a plan you can execute in ten minutes to move me yourself?¡± Nobina looked at her hands and shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t possess the power myself. If this is really the metric that you require of me to pass this test, then I would have to admit my defeat. It¡¯s hard to admit, but I¡¯m likely going to be the weakest person in this part.¡± Marve¡¯s expression remained neutral as she spoke. He was eyeing her, seeing if she was going to surrender as she said. ¡°However¡­ This isn¡¯t a single person¡¯s job. My only objective here is to assemble the party and lead it without being a liability. And if that is sufficient enough for you, let me show you the power of our team instead. Lila! Mimiki!¡± Moments later, the two appeared next to her, both of them looking ready to strike. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± said Mimiki, sounding annoyed. ¡°Honestly, you should have called us from the start. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± said Lila, looking ready to strike. ¡°I probably wouldn¡¯t have helped if she didn¡¯t ignite a fire in me just now. It was honestly worth watching from afar. Now I¡¯m convince you can make her an S-rank Mimiki.¡± ¡°S-rank?¡± asked Marve, looking at them curiously. ¡°Nobina is far more capable than you know,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I haven¡¯t been the best teacher, but I fully intend to guide her to her goal.¡± ¡°And I fully intended to give her a partner worth sparring with,¡± said Lila, giving the biggest grin. Both of them were ready to strike, making Nobina smile. ¡°It¡¯s your move Marve. Will you surrender?¡± asked Nobina. He gave a laugh, shaking his head. ¡°Well, I could easily just say you¡¯ve lost this deal and decline¡­¡± A massive grin formed on his face as he looked at the three of them. ¡°But who would miss the chance to fight another A-rank and S-rank? No one. Come at me and show me you can move Marve the Iron Wall!¡± he yelled. All three of them were fired up, making Nobina happy that she had proven to herself at least one thing. She now fully believed she could defeat the dragon together and pass the first test. Chapter 79: The Wall and Elementist Marve, Mimiki, and Lila stood facing each other, with both Mimiki and Lila ready to act at a moment¡¯s notice. Nobina had taken several steps back to give them some room, moving to more of a spectator role for now. She was still technically having her match with Marve, but neither of them was concerned about that at this point. Rather, Nobina was merely there to assist the two in facing Marve if needed. Not that they needed her assistance at all. ¡°Come on,¡± yelled Marve, his aura pushing forward a bit more. Both Mimiki and Lila were unphased as the aura swooped over them. ¡°Hm,¡± said Lila, a hand on her chin. ¡°This is quite a powerful aura. No wonder Nobina was being pushed back. Mimiki nodded her head, also unphased by it. ¡°Perhaps I would have been pushed back a bit if I was still a B rank, but as someone seeking S-rank you can understand how wasted it is.¡± Marve laughed, nodding his head. ¡°Such a show of force would normally be wasted, but the aura is far more complicated than merely something that pushes the weaker back. Observe my ability firsthand. The Will of Strength!¡± As Marve yelled out his ability, the aura suddenly became visible, showing off a reddish color. It was light enough that you could still clearly see through it, but there was something else going on as well. Both Mimiki and Lila, who were unamused, suddenly became serious. Without wasting time, the two of them both tensed up before charging at Marve. Marve, who had his axe already ready, held it up for defense as both Mimiki and Lila swiped toward him with their training swords. Thanks to the fact the swords were steel, they held up as they clashed against Marve¡¯s axe. However, the result of the impact was Marve being pushed back a bit as both Mimiki and Lila jumped back as well. ¡°How reckless,¡± scoffed Lila. ¡°A taunt that makes us incline to attack immediately. Against these odds I don¡¯t know what you were thinking.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°I hope you can explain yourself Marve.¡± Marve, who took a deep breath, nodded. ¡°One doesn¡¯t go on explaining his abilities to his opponents. Once we are done though I won¡¯t mine sharing,¡± he laughed. Both Mimiki and Lila were now calm, showing that the aura was no longer affecting them. With both in control, Lila spoke up to Marve. ¡°It would be unfair of me to use my full might against an A-rank. Especially given this is a two verses one, I shall abstain from using my arsenal of active skills and beat you purely with the strength and speed of a S-rank,¡± she grinned. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you aren¡¯t thinking of me as weak enough to have to only face Mimiki,¡± he nodded. ¡°If you believe me that strong, then I shall prove it. I do have the title of the Iron Wall for a reason.¡± ¡°I know someone else that feels like a wall,¡± chuckled Lila. ¡°Though¡­ this isn¡¯t going to be quite the face comparison.¡± As the two got ready for the next clash, Mimiki moved closer to the sidelines where Immana was standing. She was as calm as could be, which really made Nobina curious. ¡°Hey Immana,¡± said Nobina, drawing a chuckle from her. ¡°Ah addressing me more casually now that you have likely two more members? How bold of you Nobina,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m still a noble after all.¡± Nobina really wanted to say something she shouldn¡¯t say, but she luckily held back. ¡°So how do you feel about this current match?¡± asked Nobina. Immana put a single finger under her lip as she gave her analysis. ¡°Well¡­ The current match between the three has just started but I can already tell that this will be much closer than you think,¡± said Immana, surprising Nobina. ¡°You don¡¯t notice it, but that A-rank with Marve seems ready to join the fray. It is unlikely Lila is going to break her word even if that second A-rank joins. Bear in mind, this is still two A¡¯s vs an A and S, but Lila is handicapped enough to make this interesting. It would be sad though for her to ramp it up at all.¡± As she finished speaking, Nobina could see a look of excitement in Immana¡¯s eyes. She was really investing in the fight, making Nobina feel obligated to focus on that for now. With her attention back on the fight, Nobina noticed that Marve was being pushed back. Mimiki and Marve were the primary fighters of the fight, with Lila moving around and poking at Marve here and there. There was no seriousness in her attacks as far as Nobina could tell, as she wasn¡¯t trying to decisively end the fight. Immana was right that Lila was indeed handicapping herself. However, Nobina could see the joy in Lila¡¯s face. This was what she wanted, and she was going to make the most of it. ¡°Come on,¡± said Lila in a taunt. ¡°If you give us a few minutes then this will¡­ woah!¡± Lila was about to charge but immediately dodged to her right. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon either, as a pillar of earth coming from the sky almost crushed her. ¡°Damn it Marve,¡± said the A-rank with the book. ¡°Don¡¯t let them look down on us.¡± ¡°Can it Cain,¡± Marve shouted back, swinging his axe forward. ¡°Lila¡¯s a S-rank holding back and Mimiki¡¯s a rather skilled A-rank. Don¡¯t think that me winning this alone is even possible. Mimiki dodged the axe with ease, swiping at him with her training sword. To her surprise, it landed a hit, but Marve did not give her a chance to combo as he took a defensive stance yet again. As Nobina watched, her Gaze bag glowed once again. Considering what was going on, Nobina felt she had the time to check out what was inside. She noticed Immana move closer to see what she was doing, making Nobina hesitant to pull anything out. However, the smell of food was too great for her to resist. Before she knew it, a branch made its way out of the bag, offering a weird-looking fruit that was light brown and shaped like a big m & m. Nobina did her best to carefully remove it from the branch without damaging it. The surface of it was warm to the touch, and it had a soft, fluffy exterior. She took a bite of it, enjoying the mushy nutting filling of it.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve eaten some Gaze food,¡± smiled Nobina. It made her crave another feast of food from her old world, but she knew she couldn¡¯t depend on the Gaze for something like that. She would need a recipe for food she could get regularly. ¡°Gaze food,¡± said Immana curiously. ¡°So¡­ your bag offers non-important items like food?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say non-important,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°The bag has a will of its own and gives everything for a reason. Sometimes the items it gives are immediately important, but other times it takes time till I find a use. Overall, I will say it¡¯s been extremely helpful.¡± Immana seemed to be in deep thought as she stared at the bag before turning to Nobina¡¯s fruit. ¡°Do you¡­¡± Nobina, realizing she had eaten half of the fruit already, stopped herself from consuming it all. ¡°Oh yeah. You can give it a try,¡± said Nobina, handing it over. At the same time, she noticed a note with it. ¡°Hope you¡¯re allowed to bring snacks! Enjoy ?.¡± The note ended with the symbol of the white branches at the end of it. ¡°I will,¡± smiled Nobina. She turned to Immana, but to her surprise, the fruit was gone. What was more surprising was that Immana had a rather pleased look on her face. It seemed she was in her own world. However, it wasn¡¯t long before she noticed Nobina and returned to her usual self. ¡°Please¡­ uh¡­ Forget you saw that,¡± smiled Immana. It was only for a little bit, but Nobina was happy to see at least something normal from Immana. However, it didn¡¯t change how she felt about her overall. ¡°Sure,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Doesn¡¯t do me any good remembering that pure enjoyment you experienced eating food.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but give a smirk at the end of that, prompting a sigh from Immana. ¡°Fine. You can enjoy your temporary victory. Now let¡¯s focus on what matters,¡± said Immana, looking towards the others with a bit of embarrassment in her face. However, that faded away quickly, showing how much in control she was of her emotions. Turning her attention back to the fight, Nobina could see that the addition of Cain had completely changed the dynamic of the fight. It had turned into two one versus one matches, with Mimiki and Marve facing each other, while Cain and Lila were the others. One would have guessed that Cain would have been at a significant disadvantage against Lila due to her just being fast and strong, but Nobina was surprised to see her play it passively. Lila herself was strong and fast. As an Alpha Magical Wolf, her real strength was in her abilities, which made this whole fight a lot more difficult with her own self-imposed restriction. Physically, she had to be on the lower end of S at the very least. Though, that might not have been the case. It was just hard to tell with her since she did have forms. Getting back to the fight, Nobina was surprised at how strong Cain was. He had a slew of different abilities of different elements. Fire, water, wind, and earth were the four types of spells Nobina saw. She even occasionally saw non-elemental spells cast by Cain. ¡°My god,¡± said Nobina, seeing what felt like the twelfth different spell cast from Cain. ¡°How many spells does he have.¡± ¡°I believe they say he has more than twenty,¡± said Immana, her eyes on the fight. ¡°They call him the Elementist because he has a large variety of spells he can cast. His major drawback is he can¡¯t cast too many copies of each spell and recharging isn¡¯t the fastest for him. It¡¯s the main reason he¡¯s currently stuck at A-rank.¡± There was a look of disappointment on Immana¡¯s face, making Nobina wonder if she wanted to recruit him as well. As she said that, Nobina turned her attention towards Mimiki and Marve. Both of them were basically slugging it out with how close they were to each other. Mimiki was trying to get around Marve¡¯s defense, but he was doing great and defending against Mimiki¡¯s fast, precise hits. It seemed like the matchup favored Marve, but Mimiki looked calm. Nobina was well aware she had means against strong defenses, so she likely was looking for the right opportunity to strike. After a few minutes, she turned to Immana, who seemed focused on the battle between Cain and Lila. It wasn¡¯t long before she commented though. ¡°That being said, I think we are about done with the fight,¡± sighed Immana. ¡°I was hoping to see more, but Lila seems to be too fired up.¡± Nobina turned to Lila, who was transforming into her first form. Before anything could begin, she yelled out something. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare surrender Cain. Do your best to at least survive! Prove you can actually be a part of this hunt!¡± Cain wasted no time creating barrier after barrier to block off Lila. It was a composition of earth and ice, which was surprising since she didn¡¯t expect him to also have ice spells in his arsenal. As for Lila, she didn¡¯t seem to want to try to go around any of them. She was getting ready to charge right through. On her right hand was her lightning sword, which she was ready to use to slice through all the defenses. However, before anything could happen, Nobina saw Marve fly back, landing on his back as Mimiki appeared on top of him, one foot on his chest and her sword on his neck. ¡°My god,¡± laughed Marve. ¡°When you get serious, you really are something Mimiki.¡± Nobina, looking at Mimiki, could tell she was dead tired. However, the look of triumph on her face was all she needed to see to know Mimiki was being completely fueled by victory. ¡°Thanks for the spar, Marve. We should do a few more before the hunt begins for sure,¡± she said, taking her foot off his chest and putting her sword away. As Mimiki helped him up, Nobina barely caught Lila making her move. Lila was moving like a streak of lightning as she moved. Her sword movements were quick as strong, destroying each barrier in a flash. By the time the last one was gone, Lila had her sword against Cain¡¯s neck, the lightning gone as the barriers of stone and ice all fell apart. It was one motion, but it was a sight to behold for sure. ¡°And that¡¯s that,¡± said Lila, withdrawing her lightning sword as it faded away. ¡°As expected of an S-rank who¡¯s fired up,¡± sighed Cain. With the matches done, they all reconvened back where Nobina and Immana were. ¡°Well?¡± asked Nobina to Marve and Cain. ¡°Well indeed,¡± he nodded. ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯ve proven yourself enough for me, but Cain didn¡¯t get a chance to test you so his choice is up in the air.¡± Cain sighed, shaking his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gone with such a brutish method anyway. I will say this. I will also join you as I tend to support this knucklehead in his stupid choices. Though I do have confidence you can get together a group that can do this,¡± nodded Cain. Nobina turned to Immana, who merely shrugged. ¡°You did as you said you would, and that¡¯s what matters,¡± she told Nobina. ¡°Though remember, what matters the most is dealing with the dragon while minimizing damage. Considering this whole economic situation is due to the dragon, I¡¯d try to resolve it as soon as possible. Immana was right. As long as the dragon remained a threat, Nobina needed to resolve the matter as soon as possible. Else, it was very possible the dragon would cause the town to turn into chaos as people either retreated or gathered into the town. All it took was one piece of bad news, and things would go south quickly. ¡°I know,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Let¡¯s figure out how to get those S-ranks then.¡± As she said that, Cain raised a hand. ¡°We could ask my master, Master Helios,¡± said Cain. ¡°He¡¯s a retired S, but he¡¯ll likely help us if we accommodate him and his particular needs. If we can get someone better, great. Though I doubt you¡¯ll find many quality S-ranks at this point.¡± Cain was right. Nobina knew that the situation was grim, and they were losing A and S-ranks to escort jobs out of the city or protection jobs. If they waited too long, they might have no other A or S-ranks to add to the party. ¡°Then lead on,¡± said Nobina. The group all began to follow after Cain, with Immana at the back. As she saw them walk, she slowed down and smiled to herself. ¡°Hm¡­ Will they really convince the Nav the Spell Library to join their cause?¡± chuckled Immana. ¡°That would be impressive for sure, given what he demands for payment.¡± Chapter 80: Spells and Library Nobina was feeling satisfied with the successful recruitment of two more A-rank adventurers. Both Cain and Marve were showing themselves as great allies to have in a dragon hunt with their various skills. Nobina knew she¡¯d have to get a better understanding of their capabilities later, but that could wait. For now, she merely wanted to work on getting Cain¡¯s master, Helios, onto their side. A third S-rank would immensely help solidify the party¡¯s power. ¡°Now then,¡± said Immana, stretching her limbs as she caught up. ¡°Will you try to recruit the Spell Library to your side Nobina?¡± She looked at Immana with a curious gaze, wondering more about the title she used. ¡°Spell Library?¡± she asked, tilting her head. ¡°It is said that Master Helios can cast almost one hundred spells,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°He had assisted Lord Kasanta a few times and he¡¯s been satisfied every time. It seems he¡¯s always bringing out a new spell or coming up with new ways to use his own spells. Thus, people say he¡¯s basically a spell library capable of doing anything. Though¡­ I guess that isn¡¯t exactly true. Else he would¡¯ve been moved to SS rank before retiring.¡± Nobina was excited to meet someone as skilled as Master Helios. If things worked out, then they¡¯d have the sheer power and versatility of someone who had one hundred spells. However, she also wondered about the reason for his retirement. The group began leaving the training grounds and headed westward towards the library. Lady Immana requested a carriage once again for the group, with them filling two wagons. The sheer speed of her calling everything together managed to impress all of them there, but Nobina could see in her innocent smile points being deducted from her score. It made such an innocent thing a double-edged sword, making Nobina desire for the test to be over sooner rather than later. For the first carriage, Mimiki, Lila, Cain, and Marve were the ones to enter it. In the second carriage was Nobina and Immana, who boarded right after the others. Once they were on the way, Immana began chatting away to Nobina. It didn¡¯t seem of much substance, but Nobina was able to tell it had more meaning than it let on. ¡°It¡¯s always hard to tell how quickly things will move sometimes,¡± she said, staring out the window. ¡°I always worry that my actions aren¡¯t the most beneficial for my father, but I do have my own desires and often try to balance things.¡± ¡°It¡¯s natural, isn¡¯t it? We are inherently individuals who are a bit selfish,¡± replied Nobina, who was merely lying back trying to relax. Immana gave a chuckle, nodding her head. ¡°If you were speaking to some other noble, they¡¯ve have lost their mind hearing you call them selfish, despite how true that is. At least you know I¡¯m far more reasonable.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t even need to look at Immana to feel that smile. It bothered her yet again, but she merely continued to clear her mind. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the library, where Nobina¡¯s attention was finally drawn outside of the window. Awe filled her face as she stared at a two-story building that was quite large in size. It felt amazing seeing such a large building of books since she knew that books weren¡¯t too common. Part of her wanted to just run in and begin exploring, but she waited for everyone to disembark. They had a mission to do, and she wasn¡¯t going to derail it if she could help it. ¡°Welcome to the Library of Helios,¡± said Cain, holding his hands out to emphasize the scale of the structure. Nobina was still in awe, staring at the library. A building of decent quality stone and windows that were stained glass. It felt surreal to see, and Nobina felt as if she could almost cry. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Immana, drawing her back to reality. ¡°We are going in. You might want to join us.¡± She saw that Immana was right as Cain was leading them all inside. She quickly joined the group, catching up to Cain as he reached the entrance. There, the two guards stared at Cain and spoke up. ¡°Welcome back Cain and guest and¡­ oh! Lady Immana. Thank you for blessing us with your presence.¡± The guards were offering as low of a bow as they could, not moving an inch until Immana asked said they could stop. Once they were back to standing upright, they stepped aside, allowing the group to enter. Nobina¡¯s excitement continued to build until they were finally inside, where she was in awe once again. Both levels of the library were visible at the entrance, which was a large room that was lined with bookshelves on both levels. There was a walkway with railings on the second floor. It was wide enough that there were tables as well along the railing, letting people read and look down if needed. On the bottom floor entrance were rows and rows of bookshelves, with the central area having plenty of long tables for people to read or study. At the very entrance of this room was a circular desk with a few librarians there to assist others. ¡°Welcome,¡± said the closest librarian at the desk. ¡°Ah, Cain. Welcome back, and¡­ Welcome, Lady Immana. At the mention of her name, any free librarian stood at attention and gave a bow, waiting once again for her to allow them to raise their head back up. ¡°To what can we assist you with Cain and Lady Immana?¡± asked the librarian. ¡°We are here to see Master Helios,¡± smiled Cain. ¡°Of course,¡± said the librarian. With a hand wave, another nearby librarian approached and gave a bow. ¡°My name is Howrad Dase. I shall lead you to Master Helios. This way.¡± The group began following Howard, though Nobina¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t help but wander as they walked. They were heading deeper into the library, past the rows of bookshelves, before reaching the end of the room. They then entered a hallway that was decently large. There was nothing in it but doors that led to the inner rooms. Nobina¡¯s curiosity made her wonder what was behind each door, but she held back carelessly opening each of them. Midway through their walk, one of the doors opened, revealing a room of bookcases and a metal cage wall sealing off a section of books. Immediately, Nobina found herself asking Howard about it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Oh,¡± he responded, surprised by Nobina speaking. ¡°That is a Level Three Access information section. If you aren¡¯t familiar with how it works, we have five levels of access for information. Everyone who joins the library as a member gets level one access automatically. Level two to four can be earned by being a productive and important member of the library. Level five is solely for Master Helios.¡± Nobina gave a nod, mentally noting down those details. She really wanted to see what was considered level one to level five information, but that could wait. For now, she was merely thankful for the info as the group continued on. The group eventually reached the end of the hallway, which had a door with the nametag of Master Helios next to it. When the door opened, Nobina and everyone else¡¯s jaw dropped upon seeing the sight. The room was rather large, with a massive open space in the center. The center itself was made of some magical stone, as it emanated power that all of them could visibly see. Around this center was a ring of tables and books, all of them facing this center circle. Against the walls was bookshelf after bookshelf. However, that wasn¡¯t what everyone was in awe about. At the center of the magical circle was an individual levitating with all sorts of magic around him. He was sitting in the air, eyes closed as spells moved around him. The beauty of it was that the spells seemed to be merging and unmerging, showing that something magical was about to happen. Moments later, the spells all merged into one, forming a beautiful rainbow-colored ball of energy that disappeared moments later. ¡°Ah perfect,¡± said Helios as he lowered himself to the ground. He opened his eyes, showing no surprise as he saw all of them standing before them. ¡°Hopefully you enjoyed the show Cain. That was six spells that merged successfully to form advance energy. With that, I could likely use my high-mana spells and boost their power about¡­ two-fold.¡± ¡°It was amazing as always master,¡± bowed Cain. ¡°May I introduce you to Mimiki, Lila, Marve, Nobina and Lady Immana.¡± Helios turned his attention to Nobina, surprising all but Immana, who merely smiled. ¡°Ah¡­ you seem quite¡­ special. An aura about you Miss Nobina tells me you have a unique power, yes?¡± Nobina, who was recovering from being surprised, merely nodded. ¡°I¡¯d love to see it at some point, but I¡¯d imagine you all are here for a reason,¡± said Helios, turning to Cain. ¡°We are,¡± he nodded. ¡°Master. I¡¯ve been recruited with Marve to join in the dragon hunt.¡± Helios gave a nod, closing his eyes. ¡°I would be willing to join you for a fair price. After all, Cain is my student and it¡¯d be horrible to overcharge you. Assisting my student is basically an obligation.¡± It felt a bit wrong that Master Helios was still going to charge them whatever this price was going to be. At the same time, Nobina knew that risking your life, even for a student, was a lot. ¡°What is this price that you charge Master Helios?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I require something to further my research into magic,¡± he nodded. ¡°That or knowledge that I cannot obtain anywhere else. It can be a national secret, some hint to a grand treasure, or anything that can be verified. If it cannot, I cannot accept it.¡± Nobina began wondering if she had anything that would satisfy him. She had her special magic items, but she wasn¡¯t going to hand them over for Master Helios¡¯s help. They were items given to her by divine entities. She had no idea what they¡¯d do if she gave them away instead of using them as they were intended to be used. ¡°So,¡± said Helios, looking at the party. ¡°Is there something of note you can cover my cost with?¡± Thinking long and hard about it, Nobina had an idea. ¡°Excuse me Master Helios, but¡­¡± ¡°Please call me Helios,¡± he smiled. ¡°Right. I have a book that is capable of bringing forth books not of this world. I cannot give it to you exclusively, but I am willing to let you use it while I¡¯m in its presence.¡± Hearing that, Helios¡¯s and everyone¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh? A unique magical item? Do you mind¡­ verifying it with me?¡± asked Helios. ¡°I do not,¡± said Nobina, reaching into her bag. Grabbing the special book she had received as a gift on her birthday, she opened it to show the last fiction book she was reading. It was a story about a space admiral fighting against another interstellar nation, which she had no doubt would draw Helios¡¯s attention. As expected, he was indeed taken in by it. ¡°What is this,¡± he said, reading the first pages closely. ¡°There are so many things in here that I don¡¯t understand. Part of me cannot believe it¡¯s real, yet¡­¡± ¡°The story you¡¯re reading is about concepts that are partly real, yet also fictional. I could try to explain it, but we are pressed for time so¡­¡± Nobina was reaching for the book but quickly found her hand being swatted away by Helios. ¡°I would prefer that you let me fully understand this page at least,¡± he said. It was with enough seriousness that Nobina felt a bit scared. She felt as if he was going to take that book from her without any chance to return it, but Nobina was relieved it was given back to her after a few more minutes. ¡°I have so many questions regarding what I¡¯ve read, but as you said we are pressed for time,¡± he replied. ¡°As you request, I shall join your party for unrestricted access to reading that book while within your presence. You shall also answer any questions regarding what¡¯s in it without hiding any of the truth.¡± Nobina knew how dangerous that last part was, leading to her shaking her head. ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot agree to that last line. However, I can tell you what I know truthfully so long as I believe the impact of you knowing that knowledge will not be dangerous.¡± Those words made all of them, including Master Helios, curious about the book¡¯s content. ¡°I can agree to those terms,¡± said Helios. ¡°I also request level five access,¡± said Nobina. At that point, Master Helios shook his head. ¡°I cannot grant you that level of access,¡± he responded. ¡°Knowledge at that level is basically at the importance of national secrets. I can grant you level four access, but nothing more.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Fair. As I¡¯m restricting your access, you may do so with me. Is that a deal then?¡± asked Nobina, her hand extended. Helios shook it without a second thought, causing Immana to clap her hands together. ¡°Masterfully done,¡± said Immana, giving a chuckle. ¡°Winning over such a powerful asset that I personally was seeking. Using your unique advantages to your benefits. This is truly a good mark on your test Nobina.¡± Seeing Immana mean what she said genuinely, Nobina couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°Thank you,¡± she smiled back. With that done, Nobina was feeling extremely confident about their chances of subduing the dragon. However, the moment was short-lived, as a knock came from the door. ¡°Come in,¡± yelled Helios. Entering the room was a messenger wearing the insignia of Lord Kasanta. ¡°Report for Lady Immana. The dragon has been spotted at the Town of Wistern. It has not attacked it however and is merely keeping watch over it. Most of the scouts are still there in case it does something, but a few were sent back to report the status. The news is estimated two days old.¡± Hearing that, Immana grinned as she looked at Nobina. ¡°Well. Times up Nobina. It¡¯s time to gather the forces and begin the hunt.¡± Dread started filling most of them, but Lila was giving the biggest grin possible. ¡°Finally! I can fight an opponent worthy of my full power,¡± she laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go everyone. The hunt is on!¡± All of them were flabbergasted by her reaction, but soon, they all began to laugh. ¡°Lila is right,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°We might not have the recommended numbers, but we cannot let the dragon drive us into fear. Let us move up once we gather everyone.¡± All of them gave a nod, including Nobina. Things were ramping up, and Nobina knew she¡¯d be the x-factor to their team. Chapter 81: A Dangerous S-Rank The group made haste and headed back to the guild. As the rest of the party was scattered, Nobina was aware that the only way to get the party together was to have the guild send messengers to locate and give notice that the hunting party was assembling. Things were rapidly developing, and they didn¡¯t have a moment to lose. Once again, the groups entered two carriages, but this time, Master Helios joined Nobina and Lady Immana. As the carriages set off, Nobina saw Immana immediately try to chat with Helios. ¡°Master Helios. It is truly an honor to get to work with you once again,¡± she smiled. ¡°Likewise,¡± said Helios, merely bowing politely before turning their focus back to Nobina¡¯s special book. Nobina was getting better at noticing the slight differences with Immana with her smile. They all seemed the same on the surface, but underneath each of them was a different meaning. For example, most of her smiles towards Nobina were not genuine. She partly wanted Nobina to fail due to it leading to Nobina serving her. However, she also wanted Nobina to succeed enough to not let Lord Kasanta down. It was a weird position to be in, but Nobina knew it helped keep Immana in check. ¡°Excuse me Miss Nobina,¡± said Helios, turning to her. ¡°This book mentions such concepts as space travel. Can you explain what this exactly is?¡± Nobina was already feeling a headache hearing the question. Considering the book was science fiction, there were a lot of things within the stories Nobina recognized as problematic. If Helios used some of the knowledge in the book that wasn¡¯t science fiction, he could very well have a serious impact on the world. Despite the fact otherworlders were a part of this place, she hadn¡¯t noticed any significant impact they had. At least, within the region she was in. The only thing she could really do was to explain it in a way that wouldn¡¯t cause problems later down the line. ¡°Hm¡­ Imagine there¡¯s another realm outside of this realm that expands almost endlessly. That endless realm links all the other realms together.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Helios, giving a nod. ¡°So our realm is linked to all others via this ¡®space¡¯ and we can access not only ¡®space¡¯ but other realms as well with these ¡®space ships¡¯ I¡¯m assuming. Fascinating.¡± Helios seemed to be lost in thought as he thought of the possibilities of space travel. As that was happening, Nobina noticed Immana merely giving a nice smile. However, she could already tell Immana wasn¡¯t pleased with the situation either. It didn¡¯t take long before they arrived at the guild. Nobina took back the book, telling Helios that until the mission was concluded, he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to see it again. ¡°Ah¡­ understandable,¡± he sighed, looking rather displeased. The group made their way into the guild, where it was still bustling in activity. Most of the conversations were about getting escorts or doing quests away from where the dragon was last sighted. Luckily, it did seem that the recent news wasn¡¯t being spread. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Guild Supervisor Oren. Oren was one of the supervisors in charge of the front desk. Nobina hadn¡¯t spoken to him besides one prior greeting, so she was unfamiliar with them in general. ¡°Yes Oren?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Guild Master Aunai wishes to speak to you regarding the special mission,¡± he replied back. ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± said Mimiki, taking the lead. Nobina found herself naturally following Mimiki as the whole group followed her up. It didn¡¯t take long for Mimiki to begin knocking, with Aunai inviting them in. ¡°Ah. It seems most of the party is already with you,¡± said Aunai, looking relieved. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. That dragon report is likely outdated, and that dragon could potentially be making Wistern its home or worse, heading in our direction.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the latter, then we¡¯ll hit it with everything we got,¡± laughed Lila. ¡°Lila,¡± sighed Helios. ¡°We don¡¯t have as much firepower here as we¡¯d want. The city itself could suffer serious damage if we fought it here.¡± ¡°This is why I need you to gather the group you have and move out as soon as possible, tomorrow at the latest,¡± responded Aunai. ¡°I have already sent the messengers to gather all the registered party members. It¡¯s good you got a few more A¡¯s and Helios in your party though. As it was previously, I was concerned you were outmatched.¡± It was a valid concern for sure. Nobina knew that as it currently stood, the party was under the recommended composition to deal with a rogue dragon. In the worst case, Nobina worried most of them could very well die. ¡°We got this,¡± said Mimiki confidently. ¡°Me and Lila have been practicing anti-dragon combat so it should help even the odds.¡± Aunai looked at Lila, who nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve taught her about the techniques my race uses to fight against dragons. As our race has a close border with theirs, we¡¯re always prepared to fight them,¡± nodded Lila. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± smiled Aunai. ¡°If you have any questions, let me know. Else, meet downstairs and await for the remaining party members.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± replied Nobina. Once again, the group began heading downstairs. All except Helios, Lila, and Immana. ¡°We¡¯ll be chatting with Aunai for a bit,¡± said Immana. ¡°We¡¯ll be down right afterwards.¡± Nobina gave a nod, heading back downstairs. Once she was downstairs, she saw Mimiki and the others head into the back. It didn¡¯t take long before they entered one of the meeting rooms. The guild had specific meeting rooms where adventurers could gather their parties. It was often used to either plan missions, negotiate between parties, or as a staging area if messengers were being employed. In the fourth meeting room, where the rest of the party was, Nobina saw the rest of them discussing the mission at hand.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Mimiki. ¡°We were discussing the plan to deal with the dragon given the limited party composition.¡± ¡°Right,¡± nodded Nobina. She joined the group as they stood around a round table in the middle of the room. Mimiki took out a map that showed the territory itself, along with the points of interest within it. ¡°So,¡± said Mimiki, pointing to the Town of Wistern. ¡°Currently, we are operating on a two-day old report that states the dragon was spotted here. As far as we know, a dragon could likely fly from this town to the city in half a day. However, that would be at its fastest speed. They have a tendency to fly at half that speed, meaning that they would likely take a day to reach the town. Assuming they weren¡¯t rushing of course.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the odds it even has interest in the town?¡± asked Cain. ¡°If it really wanted to strike it, it would have been here by now.¡± ¡°Which leads to two cases,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Either the dragon left right after or is staying in the town. Until we get a follow up report, we won¡¯t know.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s our plan?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Do we stick with the plan that was made when the party was establish, or form a new one?¡± When the party was formed, a plan was established regarding how the dragon hunt was supposed to go. The group was to speak with the scouts currently monitoring where the dragon was or could be for the most up to date intel. Once that was obtained, they would then attempt to pinpoint its location with the assistance of adventurers skilled at hunting or locating monsters. Unfortunately, the group did not have any adventurers of A rank or higher who specialized in hunting dragons. Nobina wanted to find some in her search, but she was prioritizing looking for any A or S ranks to fill out their party. It was a good thing she did since if they went at it with just the A and S ranks they had when she took over, it would have gone horribly wrong. ¡°We should stick with the plan,¡± replied Mimiki. ¡°We¡¯ll reconvene with the scouts, get current information, and work with them on hunting the dragons. A part of the contingency if we couldn¡¯t get any scouting adventurers was to have those scouts join us on the hunt.¡± ¡°Say,¡± spoke Marve. ¡°Why is Mimiki leading the meeting? Isn¡¯t Nobina team lead here?¡± ¡°Marve,¡± said Mimiki sharply. ¡°Nobina is leading the group overall, but I¡¯ll be handling the party on-site. As such, I¡¯ll be handling the meeting unless Nobina has something to say.¡± Marve gave a nod. ¡°Well if you say so¡­¡± ¡°Marve,¡± sighed Cain. ¡°It¡¯s quite rude to speak out like that. Every one of us has a role and it makes sense for the most suited person for each role to take over. Nobina is quite capable as you¡¯ve tested, so rest assured that she could take over if necessary.¡± Marve gave a nod. ¡°Aye¡­ I apologize Nobina.¡± Nobina nodded her head. ¡°Listen. My specialty is in the financial side of the guild. Leading or even assembling a party is a bit out of my realm of expertise. However, I¡¯m aware of what is needed to do both, and doing my best to let those more skilled take over. After all¡­¡± A knock came on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± said Mimiki. The door opened, revealing an individual wearing a full black robe. Their face was covered by a black mask, making it hard to even see their eyes and mouths. On their left side was a set of tools, while on their right side was a sword. Besides their mysterious look, Nobina felt alarms going off as she looked at the individual. Something about them screamed danger, but no one else seemed to be worried. ¡°Ah,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°This is Nia. She¡¯s the other S-rank adventurer that is in the party. She specializes in killing, so we are leaning on her to help deal serious damage to the dragon.¡± Hearing the word killing mentioned so casually made Nobina wonder what exactly did Nia specialize in killing? ¡°Uh¡­¡± said Nobina, confused by what was being said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ but¡­ what exactly does she specialize in killing in particular?¡± ¡°I believe¡­ uh¡­ humanoid monsters,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Though her second best target is winged monsters, so that¡¯s what we are banking on here.¡± Nobina nodded, giving a weak smile. There was something really odd about her being skilled at killing humanoid monsters. What exactly made her skilled in that type? ¡°Anyways,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Welcome Nia.¡± Nia, who was not saying a word, merely nodded, heading to the table. She stood between Nobina and Mimiki, creating a bit of tension as Nobina felt unsafe next to Nia. Nobina didn¡¯t want to say anything, but part of her was screaming at her to avoid eye contact. ¡°Now back to the plan,¡± said Mimiki, turning her attention to the map. ¡°The main plan previously was to have the S-rank strike at the dragon as a spearhead, while us A-ranks cover any gaps in the defense or offense. As we know, fighting a dragon is extremely dangerous. They are winged beasts with the strength to level towns or worse. The Queen of Dragons Elanor has destructive power that could very well level a nation or worse. However, that¡¯s luckily not what we are dealing with.¡± Mimiki circled the mountain range nearby. ¡°We are suspecting the dragon is likely in the nearby mountain range, which is the territory of the dragons. Our close proximity to them usually is not an issue, but in this case it presents a problem. If this dragon retreats there, it¡¯s technically untouchable unless we get approval by one of the Elder Dragons to enter the territory to hunt it.¡± ¡°It complicates this a lot,¡± sighed Cain. ¡°A target that can merely retreat for safety. How do we even deal with it if it does a hit and run type attack?¡± ¡°A single strike to weaken it¡¯s ability to retreat or deal with it outright,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°It¡¯s possible we might be able to defeat it off the bat, but we need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. That means dealing damage to either its wings or other parts of the body that would hamper it.¡± Mimiki reached into her backpack and pulled out a book. She opened it to a page that had a full diagram of a dragon. ¡°If we strike it at these specific points,¡± she said, pointing at the weak spots of the dragon. ¡°We¡¯ll do serious damage and likely disable its ability to retreat. Of course, a cornered dragon is extremely dangerous. That is the reason why we wanted four S-ranks to deal with it. Lila, Nia and now Helios is a strong party no doubt, but we need that keystone that would really round out the party.¡± ¡°Well¡­ what do we do about that?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Nothing,¡± sighed Mimiki. ¡°If we leave now, then there¡¯s no chance of getting another A or S rank. And if we don¡¯t leave now, we risk losing the dragon or worse, it doing more damage. For now, we should merely plan with this party in mind.¡± Mimiki turned to Nia, who hadn¡¯t said a word yet. ¡°Nia. If you have any idea¡¯s we¡¯d love to hear them,¡± said Mimiki, looking at her directly. Silence. It felt extremely awkward, but Nobina was shocked by the lack of concern from any of them. Did they merely accept Nia was like this? ¡°Uh,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Is she normally this quiet?¡± ¡°Oh absolutely,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Nia never really says anything, though she isn¡¯t mute. Rather, she¡¯s someone of little words.¡± Nobina could only give a nod. Even if that was true, Nobina felt that couldn¡¯t be the reason for the dangerous feeling Nia was giving off. What exactly was causing it. Not only that, but how familiar was Mimiki with Nia? It hadn¡¯t even been that long since they¡¯ve arrived. ¡°Alright,¡± sighed Mimiki. ¡°We¡¯ll spend the rest of the day gathering everything we need for the hunt and depart. Despite Aunai saying we should depart today, we¡¯ll have to wait for the remaining A ranks to join us. There¡¯s no point in leaving early after all.¡± ¡°That being said, we don¡¯t have time to recruit and get people up to speed. Of course, if someone just falls from the sky ready to help, we won¡¯t deny them. However, we¡¯ll have to prioritize getting everyone else together first. Any questions?¡± None of them said a word. Nobina¡¯s eyes were still on Nia, but she had more pressing issues to worry about. Could their party really handle a dragon in its current configuration? ¡°Squeak!¡± A loud squeak came from outside. Nobina recognized it immediately, as it sounded like Giggles. Worry filled her face as she wondered what exactly was going on with Giggles. The remaining soup she gave them shouldn¡¯t have run out yet, meaning that they might have been in danger. ¡°I have to leave,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Giggles might be in danger.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to go fast,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I did not like that sound.¡± ¡°Who is Giggles?¡± asked Marve. ¡°A giant bunny,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°My god,¡± said Cain, appearing shocked. ¡°Is it your bunny Nobina?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ll answer any more questions on the way. Would you guys like to come, or will you wait here?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°No point in waiting. Let¡¯s move,¡± laughed Marve. Cain merely gave a nod while Nia said nothing. Nobina and Mimiki departed first, and Nobina saw the rest of them, including Nia, following right behind. ¡°What¡¯s going on now?¡± she sighed. Chapter 82: Demon and Giggles The five of them headed out of the meeting room and towards the lobby. Already, the effect of Giggle¡¯s loud squeak was causing a lot of people to be worried. Before they headed out, Nobina realized that they still had one thing to do. ¡°Let me let Aunai and them know what¡¯s happening,¡± said Nobina before heading upstairs. She didn¡¯t need to get too far before she saw Aunai, Lady Immana, Master Helios, and Lila heading down the hall. ¡°Ah, Nobina,¡± said Aunai, taking the lead. ¡°I believe that¡¯s¡­ your bunny, right? I¡¯ve heard that squeak once before, so I just wanted to make sure. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Nobina responded back. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s happening with Giggles, so I was going to check them.¡± Aunai gave a nod. ¡°It¡¯ll likely cause quite a panic, so I¡¯ll try to calm everyone down. In the meantime, you, Lila and Helios should check if it¡¯s anything serious.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Nobina responded back. ¡°Oh, how exciting,¡± smiled Lady Immana. ¡°A new factor to consider.¡± Nobina and the rest of them rejoined the other four, who were waiting downstairs. As they got downstairs, Aunai made an announcement. ¡°Attention all guild staff and adventurers. The squeak has been identified as one of the large animals we have currently under our care. We will be investigating immediately but be assured there¡¯s nothing to panic about.¡± The effect was immediate, as it seemed everyone swapped back to being worried about the dragon instead. With that done, Aunai left the group to speak with the supervisors regarding the incident. ¡°We don¡¯t have a moment to lose,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡± The whole group headed out immediately. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, she noticed that Immana was on edge when she was close to Nia. It made Nobina wonder how much Immana knew about Nia and whether there was any sort of bad blood between them. It seemed unlikely, given that being hostile towards a noble was a serious problem, but Nia was a complete mystery to Nobina. Eventually, the group got outside, where Immana had carriages assembled to bring them to their destination. Once again, the same four entered the first carriage, with Nobina, Helios, Immana, and Nia boarded the second. When everyone was seated, they were off. The trip outside of the city to the monster holding area was relatively quick, yet there was a lot of tension in the carriage. Helios was merely sitting and reading one of his personal books, with Immana¡¯s gaze never leaving Nia. On Nia¡¯s end, she merely sat there quietly, not muttering a word. Nobina wanted to ask about it, but she remained silent for the time being. Eventually, the group got out of the city, but the carriages were halted. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± yelled Immana. ¡°Lady Immana,¡± responded one of the escorting guards. ¡°We have a problem. Please exit immediately.¡± Everyone filed out of the carriage, with the problem being noticed immediately. The location wasn¡¯t too far away from where they were, but they noticed a flying monster in the air around it. ¡°Is that¡­ a dragon?¡± asked Nobina, her face draining. ¡°Its profile is too different,¡± responded Helios, trying to get a better look. ¡°It might be a hybrid, though it¡¯s hard to tell from a distance.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Do we just press on?¡± asked Nobina to the group. Looking at Helios, his gaze turned to Immana, who nodded her head. ¡°A dragon, even if just a hybrid, cannot be left alone. Retreating will likely cause the monster containment area to be fully breached, and the damage might be far too great. We should press on,¡± said Immana, her face reflecting the seriousness of the situation. As she said that, the other four joined them. Nobina relayed the plan, with all of them nodding. ¡°That seems like the correct course of action to me,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°Let¡¯s go before it can cause any more damage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so excited,¡± smiled Lila. ¡°This might be the fight I¡¯ve been craving for.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± nodded Marve. ¡°It might be winged, but when it lands, my axe will be there.¡± Cain merely nodded, leading Nobina to order the group forward. The carriage would have to be left, as approaching them would have been a terrible decision. It didn¡¯t take long before they got close enough that the threats were easy to identify. ¡°Wait a second,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­ the troll-wolf? And that¡¯s the same wolf-troll as well!¡± ¡°Oh my god,¡± said Lila, her face in awe. ¡°Even better opponents to face.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. Those two summoned monsters were back again. This time, they were targeting Giggles, as Giggles was keeping their distance away. ¡°Squeak!¡± Giggles looked a bit ruffed up, but otherwise they were holding their own. Nobina¡¯s gaze turned back to the monsters, seeing if she could see any more threats. Above all of them was the circling monster, who had yet to land. Besides that, most of the staff was gone, but there were a few unfortunate souls. It made Nobina furious that she was somehow involved in this yet again.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Giggles,¡± called Nobina. Their attention seemed to turn to Nobina for a moment, but the wolf-troll took advantage of that and attempted to strike at them with a jumping bite. Before it could even get close, Giggles hopped forward, opening its mouth. To Nobina¡¯s surprise, she saw energy gathering in its mouth before it fired a beam toward the wolf-troll. The wolf-troll was quick enough to dodge, but it backed off immediately. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon either, since the beam caused burn marks on the ground it hit behind the wolf-troll. ¡°Wow,¡± said Helios. ¡°That bunny is quite powerful.¡± ¡°Nobina¡­ You really are something,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°A powerful animal companion with such an attack certainly an asset we should all be aware of.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± trailed off Nobina, wondering how to explain that she didn¡¯t know Giggles was capable of firing off a beam of fire. At that point, she wondered if its other name had a hint of its true power. ¡°Tenfold Gigaton Iron Beast of the Moon¡­¡± whispered Nobina to herself. ¡°Are you actually extremely powerful giggles?¡± Was that merely a trait of bunnies in this world? Did Spot also have some hidden power? As she contemplated that, Lila yelled out immediately. ¡°The dragon hybrid is going to descend?¡± she smiled. ¡°Get ready!¡± The group braced as the dragon-hybrid landed. The moment it did, Helios identified it immediately. ¡°My god that¡¯s a dragon-wolf,¡± he responded back. ¡°A rare breed of dragons that specialize in pack hunting. With wolf traits, it¡¯s a quite dangerous dragon to face. However, due to it being a hybrid, we should be able to manage it with this group along.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± laughed Lila. ¡°Let me show you the power of the superior wolf!¡± Immediately, Lila entered her first form. Her outer clothes burned off to reveal her high-quality adventuring outfit. She was oozing in lightning, ready to strike at the dragon-wolf. Nobina turned towards the dragon-wolf, whose attention was currently on Giggles. However, its eyes met Nobina immediately, and it gave a howl. ¡°Damn it,¡± came a voice on top of the dragon. On the very top of it was a blue demon who was looking at the dragon-wolf. ¡°Are you really sensing that much danger? Fine. Retreat.¡± Immediately, the dragon-wolf kicked off the ground, avoiding Lila as she barely missed her own claw attack. ¡°Get back here,¡± she yelled. ¡°No chance of that,¡± yelled the demon as their voice faded away. Before they knew it, the dragon-wolf and demon were flying away, moving around the town before heading towards the direction of the dragon mountains. ¡°What is even going on?¡± asked Immana, confused by the sight. ¡°This is¡­ quite a serious situation,¡± remarked Helios, entering deep thought. ¡°If a demon has a dragon-wolf summon, which it seems likely as dragon-wolves are historically summons, then we have to report this.¡± Nobina could only wonder how serious this situation was. Knowing a dragon was serving under a demon was one thing, but was this the demon that they were looking for? It made everything much more complicated, as they still had their plans to head out and deal with the other dragon. It seemed unlikely they were the same dragon, but she couldn¡¯t be certain. ¡°First things first,¡± said Helios. ¡°Let us deal with the two remaining threats.¡± Helios held out his hand, summoning three elemental spells. Without much effort, powerful arcs of lightning, a large fireball, and a blade of wind fired off toward the troll-wolf. Immediately, the three attacks merged in the air to form a powerful blade of fire and lightning that immediately destroyed the troll-wolf. The wolf-troll, seeing this, began to retreat. However, Nia was on top of it in an instant, cutting off their head and causing it to disintegrate as well. ¡°That was rather quick,¡± laughed Marve. ¡°The power of two S-ranks for you.¡± ¡°They are indeed in a league of their own,¡± nodded Cain. ¡°Master Helios never ceases to amaze me.¡± Nobina began wondering more about Helios and his spells. How exactly did their merging work? Was it one of his abilities? Did he really have just one hundred spells, or did he have a set of base spells he merged to form combined ones? There were a lot of interesting aspects she¡¯d love to know, but they didn¡¯t have much time for that. ¡°Squeak!¡± Giggles immediately headed over to Nobina, causing the rest of them to give her space as she saw Giggles lying in front of them. ¡°Ah Giggles. Are you alright?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Squeak,¡± it responded back with a nod. Once the scene seemed to have calmed down, Nobina saw adventurers approaching from the city. Many of them stopped immediately at the sight of Giggles, unsure if it was a threat. ¡°Everyone,¡± yelled Helios. ¡°The threat is subdued. Inform all fellow adventurers and guardsman of this as well.¡± All the adventurers who had approached merely nodded and headed back. Nobina recognized immediately how influential Helios was, able to convince large groups of adventurers with his words alone. ¡°Thank you, Helios,¡± said Nobina. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m doing what I can to assist,¡± he nodded. ¡°Now then. Shall we do a quick review before heading back?¡± The group gathered to discuss what exactly they saw. Out of everything though, the main topic involved the dragon-wolf. ¡°From what I can see, it seems a demon had ordered three of its summons, including a dragon-wolf to attack your bunny Giggles. Luckily, they were able to hold out before we arrived. Next, the demon forced a retreat after sighting you Nobina, so I must ask¡­ why did the dragon-wolf sense danger from you? Are you really just a D-rank adventurer?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± said Nobina, trying to find the right words. ¡°Previously, a dragon had spotted me as I was heading towards the City of Navira with Aunai and her group. It recognized I had a divine entity watching me, so it questioned us about it before leaving.¡± ¡°Divine entity¡­¡± said Immana, entering thought. ¡°Is that linked with your special bag and all the assets you have at your disposal?¡± Nobina gave a nod. She knew it¡¯d be too difficult to try to hide all of this, and they lacked the time to beat around the bush. ¡°Fascinating,¡± nodded Helios. ¡°It does explain a lot about you Nobina. I¡¯m curious if you have other aspects of note, but we shouldn¡¯t dwell on this too long. Let¡¯s continue our discussion.¡± Helios went on to discuss the rest of the situation. The wolf-troll and troll-wolf were certainly serious threats, but nothing compared to the presence of a demon and dragon-wolf. Not only that, but Giggles was also a topic of discussion. ¡°We have so much to discuss honestly,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait though. A report to Aunai about how we should proceed would be best.¡± ¡°What about Giggles?¡± asked Helios. ¡°We can¡¯t bring them into town, and that demon might try again to take them out.¡± ¡°I will watch,¡± said Nia, speaking out for the first time. Nobina found herself unable to close her mouth and was in shock at Nia finally speaking. ¡°Thanks Nia,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°I believe Nia should be able to watch them alone, but¡­¡± ¡°We got her back,¡± said Marve. ¡°Right Cain?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± he nodded. ¡°The three of us form a solid defensive core. Do not worry Nobina.¡± With that settled, Nobina ordered the group to head out. ¡­ ¡°Damn it,¡± said the demon, who was still riding the dragon-wolf. ¡°If I was told to kill her, I could do that and get out of them without issue. However, it seems that interest in her was justified. I will need to retreat before they send actual hunters against me.¡± ¡°Wolf,¡± responded the dragon-wolf. ¡°Harten,¡± sighed the demon. ¡°We aren¡¯t attacking her again. We were merely trying to do another test, but¡­ those bunnies are really strong. Even you dragons seem to have it rough, right?¡± ¡°Wolf,¡± nodded Harten. The two of them continued their fight towards the direction of the dragon mountains, fading into the distance. Chapter 83: Dragon-Wolf and Raid Heading back to the guild, the group reached where the carriages were. To their surprise, there were a few more guards waiting for them. Not only that but there was another individual with whom they were familiar with there to greet them. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re all safe,¡± smiled Doriten, who was standing nearby with his knights. Immediately, Immana spoke up to greet him. ¡°Ah¡­ Doriten¡­ brother. It¡¯s good to see you are making sure we all were safe,¡± smiled Immana, clearly disliking his presence there. ¡°I would like to ask how your current assignment is going.¡± Doriten clicked his tongue before returning a rather deceptively calm smile. ¡°Well, you know¡­¡± he smiled. ¡°Trying to convince so many nobles to not leave is tough work. Despite them being minor nobles, they find themselves unbound to the spirit of nobility. Thus, it requires¡­ persuasion to change their minds.¡± ¡°If necessary, of course,¡± nodded Immana. Nobina could see the two were at each other¡¯s throats as their proximity seemed to get closer. The knights next to Doriten seemed to back off as Immana got close enough. ¡°Well¡­ we have important matters to handle unrelated to your mission. Do you require anything from us?¡± smiled Immana. ¡°Oh no¡­ I was merely curious considering the whole town heard the squeak,¡± he smiled back. ¡°Good day sister¡­¡± With that, everyone entered their carriage once again. As they got farther from Doriten and his group, it seemed Doriten was now heading towards Giggles. It made Nobina worried, but she trusted Nia, Marve, and Cain to protect them. Turning back to Immana, she began revealing her true feelings regarding Doriten. ¡°Doriten¡­ always in the right place at the right time¡­¡± sighed Immana. ¡°I do wish he¡¯d stay in his lane. Despite being Vert¡¯s right-hand man, he does him no favors sometimes.¡± ¡°It is not my business to speak on the matter,¡± replied Helios as Nobina¡¯s gaze fell on him. ¡°For now, you should let nobles handle noble matters themselves.¡± As he said that, Nobina¡¯s bag gave a flash. Nobina turned to it, pulling out an orange. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s been a while since I had one,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°What is that?¡± asked Helios, staring at the fruit Nobina held. ¡°An orange. It¡¯s a fruit that sounds like the name,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Orange,¡± said Immana, thinking about the name. ¡°Mind if we all try some?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± she smiled. As Nobina split up the orange and handed it to Helios and Immana, she noticed the note with it. ¡°Have some more fruit *wave* It¡¯s healthy!!¡± ¨C Pottered plant symbol. The interesting thing about the message was it had the face of someone on it waving. She could only imagine that it was perhaps the entity behind all these gifts involving the potted plant. It seemed that they¡¯d reveal themselves more and more over time, but it was hard to say if that was the case. ¡°Amazing,¡± nodded Immana. ¡°A nice treat considering that insult of a brother was souring the mood.¡± ¡°I do enjoy this ¡®orange¡¯ that you¡¯ve provided. Thank you Nobina,¡± smiled Helios. ¡°It¡¯s nice sharing some of the things I receive,¡± smiled Nobina back. The three of them were enjoying the orange, but soon Immana¡¯s attention was turned to Nobina. ¡°So Nobina¡­ Do you mind telling me more about that bunny under your control? Uh¡­ Giggles, I believe. How did you manage to get such a powerful monster? Is it a summon? No¡­ It has to be a tamed creature, all things considered.¡± ¡°It would be surprising if it was tamed,¡± laughed Helios. ¡°You should very well be aware of how strong these ¡®bunny¡¯ monsters can be Lady Immana. The strongest of them are well documented in history as dragon slayers.¡± Immana shook her head. ¡°Those are merely myths Master Helios. No one has seen a bunny of that power in such a long time. Even then, I doubt one of those Death Hares could stand against the current Queen of Dragons,¡± she chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a bet I wouldn¡¯t make at least,¡± responded Helios. Nobina noticed their attention turned back to her, prompting her to speak. ¡°In regard to Giggles¡­ He was a gift, if you can believe that,¡± smiled Nobina, feeling a bit nervous about how ridiculous it might sound. Both of their expressions matched their shock. To receive a massive bunny as a gift that can fire a beam of energy seemed like fantasy. ¡°Oh please,¡± sighed Immana. ¡°If you could receive creatures of that power as a gift, that would make you a valuable asset not only to the estate, but the nation as a whole. Regardless, I¡¯m excited to see what other cards you have up your sleeves.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± nodded Helios. ¡°I¡¯m excited to see what more you have in store for us.¡± The rest of the ride to the guild was rather quiet, leaving Nobina to reflect for a bit. They were right in the sense she had a lot of items at her disposal. There were still powerful items unused, and there was also Pausers, who was probably even stronger than Giggles. However, it was still hard for Nobina to believe that, given she never saw Pausers in action. It could have been a case where people were assuming they were something they weren¡¯t. Beyond that, Nobina realized her friends were quite strong as well. With so much going for her, it seemed that the world around her was matching her strength. That, or the world itself, was much tougher than she knew, and she was only running into things now. ¡°Which is it,¡± wondered Nobina. Eventually, the group arrived back at the guild, where it was even more active. Adventurers, civilians, and even nobles were moving in and out faster than normal. If not for Immana and Helios, the group would have had trouble navigating the guild. Once they were through the guild lobby, Mimiki recommended that most of them stay while Helios, Immana, and Nobina spoke with Guild Master Aunai directly. From the conversations they were hearing, the sighting of that dragon from that demon was making rounds, accelerating the desire to evacuate the city.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to join?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Someone needs to hold down the fort while your handling business leader,¡± smiled Mimiki innocently. Nobina could only sigh as she realized why she was electing to stay behind. ¡°Come now,¡± said Immana, already heading up the stairs. Helios was right behind Immana, leaving Nobina the last one to catch up. Once the three arrived at Aunai¡¯s door, they gave a knock. ¡°Come in,¡± said Aunai. They entered the room and saw that Mustan was there. The shock on his face upon seeing both Immana and Helios made Nobina chuckle a bit, realizing how much more influence the two had. ¡°Excuse our interruption,¡± said Immana. ¡°Not at all Lady Immana,¡± smiled Aunai. ¡°I¡¯d imagine you¡¯re here to talk about the dragon sighting?¡± ¡°Indeed we are,¡± nodded Helios. ¡°We were actually directly involved in the altercation between us and the dragon.¡± Aunai¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing that. ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯d love to hear a more detailed report on the matter,¡± she smiled. ¡°Does¡­¡± his eyes turned, glaring at Mustan. ¡°Mustan is my name,¡± he replied. ¡°Mustan¡­ need to hear this?¡± spoke Helios, wary of his presence here. ¡°Mustan has the clearance to hear this,¡± nodded Aunai. Helios gave a nod. He began talking about what had happened from his perspective. Hearing it, Nobina was surprised at how detailed he was in regard to small things. From the description of the monsters themselves to what was said, Helios left no stone unturned when it came to discussing what had happened. Funny enough, it made Nobina really want to write her story again. Hearing and envisioning everything based on both what she remembered, and his words painted a clear picture in her mind. ¡°I see,¡± said Aunai, seriously forming over her face. ¡°So, we are dealing with a demon who controls a dragon, trolls and wolves. It wouldn¡¯t be out of the question to say this is a summoner path demon either.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t,¡± replied Helios with an equal amount of seriousness. ¡°A dragon-wolf might not be a full dragon, but its danger cannot be understated. If a demon has one under its control, summon or not, it implies they are quite powerful.¡± ¡°Which begs the question,¡± said Immana. ¡°What are you planning to do Aunai? Certainly leaving this to us alone is now out of the question.¡± ¡°It is,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°As of now, I¡¯m taking over as the lead to the subjugation of the dragon and potential demon. However, the knowledge of the demon shall be kept under wraps until necessary.¡± ¡°Is that the wisest choice?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°If people find out that the guild is hiding the true scope of the threat¡­¡± ¡°It will prevent mass chaos Nobina,¡± said Helios. ¡°We do not need to deal with a city under panic. Not only that, but the implications a demon is involved, even if rogue, will make people question the king himself. He¡¯s been trying to convince everyone to accept the demons are being re-integrated into society in the federation. If something throws any doubt into that idea, it would be bad news for all of us.¡± Nobina knew he was right, yet part of her worried about the backlash if people found out about the demon before it was dealt with. ¡°Ok,¡± conceded Nobina. ¡°So, what will happen with my role?¡± ¡°It stays relatively the same,¡± replied Aunai. ¡°Your group moves out tomorrow, yet I¡¯ll be assembling a second raid to reinforce. It might be difficult doing, but¡­¡± ¡°The nobility will fully support this,¡± said Immana, taking out a letter she had. Reading it over, Aunai gave a nod. ¡°In three days, we will mobilize and move towards the Town of Wistern. Unless we suspect this demon and dragon intend to attack Navira directly, we will need to be proactive in this matter,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°A few,¡± responded Immana. ¡°Were you aware of Giggles power when you had it within the guild monster containment area?¡± Aunai¡¯s look of confusion seemed to answer the question as Immana turned to Nobina. ¡°What about you Nobina? Were you aware of Giggles strength?¡± ¡°Not really?¡± said Nobina, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°Giggles just seemed like a normal large bunny, though I guess normal might be a stretch.¡± ¡°Well it would depend on what you define normal as,¡± chuckled Helios. ¡°Regardless, it seems that you are aware of how strong some of your assets are Nobina. I¡¯d recommend taking stock of them at some point and formulating a gameplan based on that.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She was overdue to check her items again, but she felt she hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to do so. ¡°Another one to the list,¡± sighed Nobina, realizing how much she wanted to do, yet she had a lack of time. ¡°Anything else?¡± asked Aunai. ¡°Yes. Who is Pausers? Are they an adventurer or is this also another creature under your command,¡± smiled Immana. Helios immediately noticed Aunai¡¯s face go pale, and he did not say a word. ¡°Aunai?¡± asked Immana, not letting it go unrecognized. ¡°Pausers is another bunny under Nobina¡¯s command. A Death Hare,¡± spoke Aunai reluctantly. Both Helios and Immana¡¯s expressions turned serious upon hearing that. ¡°To say that a Death Hare is under someone¡¯s command¡­ What a truly scary idea,¡± said Helios. ¡°But it makes sense,¡± nodded Immana. ¡°Nobina wouldn¡¯t have such a strong connection with Aunai unless she had some key card under her control. In this case, a Death Hare would certainly be it.¡± Immana turned to Nobina, who found herself instinctively looking away. ¡°Nobina,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°Where is Pausers again?¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­ back at my home guild,¡± said Nobina reluctantly. ¡°I see¡­ Well, I guess getting them here is out of the question then?¡± asked Immana. In response, Nobina noticed Hammy fly out of her bag with Speck on its head. From Hammy¡¯s mouth dropped a scroll with information on it. Reading it, Nobina gave a nod. ¡°What was it?¡± asked Aunai. ¡°Hammy and Speck plan to contact Pausers and have him come here to¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± said Aunai, standing up. ¡°Do not have them bring Pausers here.¡± ¡°You cannot say it¡¯s a bad decision Aunai, given what¡¯s happening,¡± said Immana. ¡°Having the enemy of the dragons here to assist would be a boon.¡± ¡°It could be an issue though,¡± said Helios, who was thinking more about the idea. ¡°If Pausers was here, it could potentially invite more danger to the city. They say power invites challenge, so a Death Hare might invite dragons to get more ¡®involved¡¯ with the city.¡± Nobina¡¯s face drained as soon as she finished speaking. Helios mentioning power invited challenged made her wonder if she was inviting the chaos. ¡°Damn it,¡± said Nobina out loud, causing all of them to look at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Nobina?¡± asked Aunai. ¡°Do you wish for Pausers to be here?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Nobina. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m tired of dealing with this.¡± Nobina immediately regretted speaking those words, but it was too late to take them back. ¡°What do you mean Nobina¡±? asked Immana. ¡°Are you¡­ perhaps¡­ withdrawing from the test and wishing to abandon the team?¡± ¡°What? No,¡± she responded back. ¡°I¡¯m just tired of dealing with so much chaos. However, I will keep to my obligations. That includes passing the test.¡± Immana seemed to think over what Nobina was saying before nodding. ¡°Well that¡¯s fair,¡± she smiled. ¡°Dealing with crisis after crisis, it¡¯s hard to say you aren¡¯t a hero Nobina.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Nobina never wanted to be a hero. All she wanted to do was write her book, but it seemed the world had something else in store for her. She couldn¡¯t deny the claim either since she was at least a hero to Agora at this point. If she succeeded in her subjugation of the rogue dragon, what would stop her from being a hero in Navira as well. ¡°This is more suited for you Fay¡­¡± thought Nobina. As Nobina stood there thinking about the matter more, Aunai spoke up. ¡°Anyway, we all have much to do. For now, please get ready to head out tomorrow and I will handle things on my end,¡± said Aunai. ¡°Got it,¡± said Nobina, with her the first out. Once she was gone, neither Helios nor Immana made a move for the exit. ¡°Aunai,¡± said Immana. ¡°What is Nobina¡¯s path?¡± ¡°I cannot say,¡± said Aunai,¡± shaking her head. ¡°If she is either the hero or one mean to influence the world, we must know,¡± responded Helios. ¡°And if you were hiding either¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware of the issue with hiding such information,¡± said Aunai. ¡°However, be aware Nobina has a Death Hare under her command. If something were to happen to her¡­¡± ¡°All the more reason for her not to participate,¡± responded Immana. ¡°With what we know now, Nobina should be as far away from this danger as possible. It might be prudent to say she shouldn¡¯t be in this city.¡± ¡°Are you suggestion she go back to Agora?¡± asked Aunai. ¡°I¡¯m suggesting¡­ she be isolated from people in general,¡± said Immana, her face fully serious. The tension in the room was high as all of them contemplated what Immana suggested. None of them knew how Nobina would react to such a suggestion, nor if it would even be wise to force such a decision onto her if it was made. Regardless, they had to figure out how to proceed, whether with or without Nobina. Chapter 84: Respite and Silence Nobina found herself in deep thought as she made her way back down to the guild lobby. Activity was still high as everyone was reacting to the sighting of the dragon. It felt as if chaos was just around the corner, but luckily the guild employees were masterfully keeping things in check and facilitating calm discussions. As for the rest of Nobina¡¯s group, they were merely chatting amongst themselves before Mimiki took notice of Nobina. ¡°Ah. Nobina,¡± she smiled. ¡°How did the discussion go?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Nobina, rubbing the back of her head. ¡°Despite everything, we¡¯ll still be proceeding with the plan of heading out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tsch,¡± responded Mimiki. Mimiki certainly wasn¡¯t happy with the plan, but there wasn¡¯t much they could do about it. Given what just happened, Nobina was merely thankful they had a moment before heading out. ¡°So do we stick to the original plan then?¡± asked Cain. ¡°We do,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°We¡¯ll spend today gathering supplies and head out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± laughed Marve. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been a part of anything important. Let¡¯s show them all how strong we adventurers are.¡± As usual, Nia wasn¡¯t saying anything. She still felt dangerous to Nobina, but Nobina was starting to get accustomed to danger at this point. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for Helios and Immana to rejoin us, discuss the plan fully, then split up,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Any questions while we wait?¡± ¡°I have a few,¡± responded Nobina. The group began discussing the plans for preparation. Most of the supplies they needed were already at the guild. Food, water, and transportation was already set for the group, as they¡¯d be using two guild carriages for the journey northwards. What was left to gather were items each individual needed personally for the trip. ¡°That is why once everyone¡¯s here, we¡¯ll all split up, make sure we have everything we need for tomorrow, and then meet up at the guild in the morning,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± said Cain. Both Marve and Nia gave the nod, with Mimiki turning to Nobina. ¡°Yeah,¡± she responded back, a slight bit of hesitation. ¡°Oh, and Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss more about the planning with you later, so do you mind meeting at my room at night to¡­.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± she answered immediately, catching Mimiki a bit by surprise. ¡°Ok. We¡¯ll let Helios and Immana know and go from there,¡± nodded Mimiki. They didn¡¯t need to wait long before the two showed up. Both had a rather serious expression on their faces. It went away as they got close enough, but Nobina could only wonder what was on their minds. ¡°Any additional information for us Lady Immana?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Hm?¡± responded Immana, appearing a bit distant. ¡°Oh. No. Everything is good on our end.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± said Helios. ¡°We just discussed with Guild Master Aunai about the plans for tomorrow. Everything should still proceed as planned, and Aunai¡¯s own raid group will be sent a few days after we depart.¡± ¡°Good,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°We discussed splitting up so everyone could get personally ready. Any objections from you two?¡± ¡°None whatsoever,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to take a break from watching over everything anyway, so I¡¯ll take this chance to do so. And you Master Helios?¡± Helios thought a bit before responding. ¡°Best chance to gather information for the hunt I suppose. With those two new potential threats, it¡¯s best we have all the information we need or could potentially need,¡± he nodded. With that, everyone began heading out except for Nobina and Immana. Nobina could notice something was on Immana¡¯s mind. The curiosity was too strong, so she wasn¡¯t surprised to find the question coming out naturally. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind Lady Immana,¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Hm,¡± she responded, leaning against the wall. She was thinking about her answer, not rushing to dispel any notion of her current state. ¡°Tomorrow is going to be the start of another journey. One where the danger could be quite¡­ drastic. It¡¯s very understandable that we all think about what could happen, right?¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡­ suppose,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Personally, I¡¯m¡­ probably the weakest link in the group. My own power isn¡¯t too grand for the sake of fighting.¡± Immana gave a nod. The discussion seemed to calm her as her next response felt more certain. ¡°The concern is valid. Sometimes, the reality of the situation takes a bit to seep in and it can eat away in you depending on what it is. However, you shouldn¡¯t just ignore it and move on. You should really think about it and come to terms with it as soon as you can. It would forge a resolve that will allow you to move forward without worry.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Nobina gave a nod. Some of Immana¡¯s words gave her some comfort, but most of it was just a reminder of her ignoring her biggest concerns that have been eating away at her. Her Path. She was still unsure about what her own destiny truly was, how much influence she actually had on the events to come, and what the correct decision was. The only person she felt comfortable talking about her thoughts with was Mimiki. That was why she was so excited to speak with her later today. ¡°Anyway,¡± said Immana, interrupting Nobina¡¯s thought. ¡°If you need to spend this time resting, I suggest you do. After all, you won¡¯t be under my watch for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°Right,¡± nodded Nobina. As Immana departed, Nobina noticed her bag glow once more. Opening it up, she noticed that there was a small bundle of glowing blue berries. With it was a note explaining the berries. ¡°Hm¡­ One of these berries can revitalize a person, giving them energy and healing wounds. However, eating more than one can have severe negative effects¡­¡± Recalling the note, Nobina could tell these would be good for emergencies. Considering the last part of the note, she had an idea these were ideal for helping multiple people in a pinch. She didn¡¯t know how effective they were, but she could only hope they¡¯d heal even serious wounds should the traditional healing potions fail. As she packed away her berries, Nobina saw Hammy and Speck fly out. ¡°Oh. Right. You two wanted to get Pausers here, right? Is that still the plan?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Squeak,¡± responded Speck. Hammy handed her a note reading one word. Yes. ¡°Well¡­ If you two feel like he should be here, then go ahead,¡± she smiled. With that, both Hammy and Speck flew out of the guild. Nobina wondered how long it would take for Pausers to get here. ¡°Hm¡­ Nah. I¡¯m sure everything will be fine,¡± said Nobina to herself. What¡¯s the worst thing that could happen having an innocent bunny coming to their town? For all she knew, she¡¯d just have her fluffy companion back. Once she was done taking a breath, she headed out herself. Walking out of the guild, she found the midday sun shining on her, offering her a bit of warmth. She didn¡¯t have anything she personally needed for the trip, so she was merely spending this time thinking more about what to do. Making her way through the streets, she could see that the dragon sighting wasn¡¯t having too much of an effect on the average person. Most people were going on their day as usual. Of course, the occasional talk of the dragon did appear, but most of it was people being dismissive of it actually being a dragon. ¡°That thing was way too small to be a dragon,¡± said one person. ¡°Yeah,¡± responded another. ¡°Must be some other flying monster.¡± Part of Nobina was relieved that the sighting wasn¡¯t causing a mass panic, but it made her wonder if there should have been more concern amongst the people there. Eventually, Nobina found herself in front of some random, unassuming general store. The sign said the following. ¡°Hiring. Path suited for general store employee required.¡± The mention of Paths caused her to feel slightly annoyed for a second, but she recalled seeing something like this back in Agora. ¡°Even all the way in the big city, Paths are such a big deal, huh?¡± Nobina began thinking about her own Path and what was happening because of it. So far, she had gained abilities that suited her style of being a writer. Both of those abilities were useful in their own way, making Nobina happy with what she could do with them in general. However, what she was not happy about was what was attached to the path. She was meant for something more, and so far, that¡¯s merely meant dealing with major problem after problem. The goblin incident she was convinced was her fault, but she had been telling herself it was mere coincidence that it happened. Wrong place, wrong time. This dragon incident couldn¡¯t be the same. ¡°Damn it,¡± said someone behind her, walking by. ¡°No one sales today again. The economy is getting really bad.¡± Those words froze Nobina immediately. With everything happening, she had swept the whole economic issue to the side. ¡°This is my fault,¡± Nobina said softly. She found herself continuing to walk. Her mind was all over the place, thinking about what she should be doing. It felt as if she was wasting her time now, just walking without any real purpose. It wasn¡¯t clearing her mind at all, and it was letting all the negativity eat up at her. She wanted to scream, but she held it in. On the outside, she looked like someone deep in thought. On the inside, she was a whirlwind of emotions, ready to let loss. Eventually, she found herself outside the city. Once she was a decent bit away from the gate, she found herself looking in the direction of Agora. Not only that, but she noticed the sun was finally setting, letting the darkness slowly creep in. The air itself became cold as Nobina stared toward the mountains they had previously traveled to. ¡°What do I do?¡± she found herself saying out loud. The minutes slowly passed by as the emptiness of the lands in front of her became more apparent. There was no one there to interrupt her thoughts as she stood there in silence. It was the perfect place to think and battle her inner demons. At least, that was the ideal case. Instead, the turmoil in her finally broke out. ¡°Ah!¡± she screamed, her voice echoing in the night. As she felt the instant relief of the yell, she found herself light-headed. She was tempted to grab a berry and eat it to provide some form of relief, but she stopped herself. A rash decision like that was really a reflection of how bad things were getting. ¡°I¡¯m in no state to lead this group,¡± said Nobina to herself. A leader should be someone who is calm and collected. She was a mess and was letting doubts of her own ability get to her. Someone like Mimiki was far more suited to lead the raid. Nobina was better off remaining in the back as support if necessary. Nobina finally sighed, turning back to the city. Looking at it, she began admiring how beautiful it looked from the outside. Past the large stone walls of the city, Nobina could see the beautiful glow of the lights that allowed the city¡¯s night life to function. It felt a bit calming, but Nobina knew it was merely temporary. She had bottled up her concerns once again. The plan now was to speak with Mimiki then call it a day. As she took one step forward, she found a figure appearing in front of her. All the danger signs in her went off as it became clear who it was. ¡°Nia,¡± said Nobina, staring at their S-rank party member. Nia didn¡¯t say a word as she removed her hood. Getting a better look at her, Nobina was surprised at how beautiful her long, purple hair was. It was tied up at the back to keep in control. It was too dark to get a good look at her face, but Nobina felt its coldness. Silence filled the area as neither said a word. The fact Nia removed her hood offered a tiny bit of hope. This wasn¡¯t something bad, but Nobina knew Nia could end her life if she truly wished it. After all, Nobina didn¡¯t have anything to actively defend herself from an attack from someone like her. Minutes passed by, and nothing was said. At this point, Nobina thought she should be explaining herself, but Nia finally spoke up. ¡°Be careful Nobina. The shadows have ears,¡± she said. Moments later, Nia disappeared, leaving Nobina alone once again. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re always watching, or¡­ someone else is watching me,¡± said Nobina to herself. Feeling now scared of being alone, Nobina rushed back towards the city, hoping her chat with Mimiki would give clarity. That was the only thing left to do in the day. Chapter 85: Midnight and Authority Heading back into the city, Nobina had an uneasy feeling. Nia had warned her to be careful about the shadows, but the fact that she was there meant that Nia was either watching her or seeing a threat after her. If it was the latter, she would have said something. Regardless of which one it was, Nobina wanted to be back in the guild inn, where it was almost assuredly safe compared to being exposed out in the empty streets. Passing building after building, the lights slowly began to disappear one by one. Only the streetlights, which remained lit for the sake of the guards and the general safety of the people, would remain once the time turned midnight. ¡°I got to get to the inn before Mimiki falls to sleep,¡± Nobina told herself as she continued to make her way to the guild inn. It didn¡¯t take too long to reach, but it was a tense feeling the whole way through town. Once Nobina was inside, she was greeted by a surprise guild receptionist manning the front desk of the inn. ¡°Nobina? Out pretty late tonight. Getting a few drinks in?¡± she chuckled. ¡°Uh¡­ no,¡± replied Nobina, waving her hand. ¡°I was just¡­ getting a night walk to clear my head.¡± The receptionist gave a nod. ¡°Ah¡­ Night walks are a fantastic thing,¡± she chuckled. ¡°The peace and quiet versus the busy day are night and day comparisons. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but laugh, nodding her head. ¡°I guess so. But yeah, I was just going out for a walk. No drinking considering tomorrow is a big day. Got a party to lead.¡± Mimiki was mostly going to lead the party when it was time to head out, but Nobina was technically the face of the operation. She knew better than to downplay herself, especially when it wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°Oh, I heard about that,¡± said the receptionist in surprise. ¡°Usually don¡¯t get lots of news working the graveyard shift, but it¡¯s great to meet someone who¡¯s doing something to help relieve the town.¡± ¡°It was great meeting you as well¡­¡± ¡°Manina,¡± she smiled. With that, Nobina thanked her and headed upstairs. Mimiki¡¯s room was on the floor under Nobina¡¯s, not too far from the stairway. Once she reached it, she knocked, hoping Mimiki would answer quickly. ¡°Coming,¡± came Mimiki¡¯s voice, offering Nobina relief. Once the door was open, Nobina was greeted by a rare sight. Mimiki was wearing nightwear, which she never really did wear back in Agora. Nobina wanted to ask about it, but she knew they had more pressing matters to attend to. ¡°Ah Nobina,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°Was thinking you weren¡¯t going to show for a moment. Please. Come inside.¡± Entering Mimiki¡¯s room, Nobina could see her gear already ready for the next day. To her surprise, there was also another set of gear right next to it. ¡°Is that¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± smiled Mimiki. ¡°I made sure to get your gear ready as well. I know your usually busy and might not know what¡¯s best to get, so¡­¡± ¡°Thank you Mimiki,¡± said Nobina, giving her a strong hug. Mimiki was shocked at the hug at first, but feeling how tight it was, she sensed there was something more to the hug than mere thanks. ¡°Nobina¡­ Tell me what¡¯s wrong,¡± said Mimiki, returning a comforting hug. Nobina wanted to just speak her mind about everything, but Nia¡¯s warning kept her from speaking immediately. Instead, she decided to ask her about Nia and her warning. The two took their seats at Mimiki¡¯s bedside, getting ready for a long chat. Relaying the information to Mimiki, she nodded, thinking about the words Nia had spoken. ¡°Nia definitely isn¡¯t after you, Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, nodding. ¡°She knows we are good friends, so she must be keeping tabs on you. As for the warning, it might mean that some powerful entity might be watching you.¡± There weren¡¯t too many people coming to mind, but one recent demon did rear its head. ¡°The demon perhaps?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Possibly? We don¡¯t know much about it besides its link to a dragon-wolf. They could be specialized in stealth or have a fellow stealth demon companion. We can¡¯t know for certain,¡± said Mimiki. The thought of being followed bothered Nobina, but it wasn¡¯t as worrying as it usually would be. Instead, now Nobina was thinking about her own destiny. ¡°So¡­ Do you think it¡¯s safe to talk right now about secret stuff?¡± asked Nobina, a worried expression forming on her face. ¡°I believe so,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°If we had someone watching us, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Not that you shouldn¡¯t be worried about saying anything extremely important. If it has to be said, please say it.¡± Nobina, thinking about everything, had only one thing to say. ¡°Mimiki¡­ I want to go home.¡± The silence right after Nobina said that was deafening. Mimiki had a mixture of expressions, from surprise, irritation, and sadness, before settling on worrying. As for Nobina, she had sat there, waiting for Mimiki to either chew her out or ask why. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, who was struggling to find the words to say. ¡°Is this¡­ due to your Path?¡± She gave a silent nod. Tears began falling from her eyes as she tried to hold them back.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°How long will it take for me to get strong enough Mimiki? Strong enough to prevent disaster? Strong enough that I can feel like I¡¯ve repaid this debt I continue to build? It¡¯s so much¡­ and it¡¯s not getting smaller.¡± Mimiki didn¡¯t say a word, merely thinking about what Nobina had said. At one point, it seemed she was stumped as well, letting Nobina speak more of her mind. ¡°This Gaze and everyone around me¡­ They¡¯ve given me so much and done so much for me, yet¡­ I might be the cause of all the chaos that forms around me. At first, it might have been coincidence, but you can¡¯t tell me it is still that. After all, look at our current situation.¡± Mimiki gave a nod. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think we can associate it all with your Path,¡± she replied, not denying what Nobina was saying. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to go home so badly,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Was it chaotic? Yes. But it was controllable at least¡­ kind of. After the goblin nests were culled, I felt certain that things would be fine.¡± As Nobina said that, she felt as if she was lying to herself. So far, her Path has found a way to make it so there was always something going on. First goblins, then demons, and now dragons. Nobina did not want to know the extent it was having on her destiny, but at the same time, she wanted to know how to finally grant herself peace. ¡°Do I have to give up my dream for peace?¡± asked Nobina to herself. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do that,¡± said Mimiki, standing up in fury. ¡°Your dream means the world to you Nobina and I do not want that even as a consideration.¡± ¡°But if it meant stopping all of this, why not?¡± asked Nobina, standing up herself. Mimiki couldn¡¯t counter, letting Nobina press her problem. ¡°I can¡¯t say I will do anything for my dream,¡± said Nobina, trying to be honest with herself. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let you guys get hurt for it. I wouldn¡¯t let innocent people die for it. There¡¯s only so much I am willing to sacrifice. All I want to know is how to finally bring myself peace! Is that too much to ask?¡± Nobina found herself panting as she tried to catch her breath. A headache was forming as the urge to lie down and rest increased. ¡°I just want peace Mimiki¡­ Is that too much to ask?¡± Moments later, Nobina found herself lying back in Mimiki¡¯s bed. As she did, she saw Mimiki slowly lying down next to her. ¡°You know Nobina¡­ I don¡¯t have all the answers,¡± said Mimiki somberly. ¡°I know that I want you to protect your dream, but I don¡¯t want you to suffer because of it.¡± Both of them turned to each other, looking each other in the eyes. Nobina felt herself relax more and more as she stared into Mimiki¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mimiki¡­ Even if you don¡¯t have all the answers¡­ Thank you for listening to me,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± she smiled back. Soon, Nobina found herself falling asleep, and Mimiki fell asleep soon after. Nobina found herself waking up in an empty room. Looking around, she noticed that she was still in Mimiki¡¯s room. Turning to the window, she noticed it was still night. She wasn¡¯t feeling too tired, so it must have been close to daytime. ¡°Where did Mimiki go?¡± asked Nobina to herself. Getting up, Nobina made her way towards the door, where she heard Mimiki speaking. ¡°No way,¡± said Mimiki¡¯s voice on the other side. ¡°By the authority granted to me by Lord Kasanta himself, stand aside or you will be arrested for treason,¡± boomed Immana¡¯s voice. Nobina¡¯s face drained as she realized something serious was happening. Moments later the door opened, with two guards entering followed by Immana. Right behind her was Mimiki, looking absolutely defeated. ¡°What¡¯s going¡­¡± Before Nobina could finish, her bag glowed. The guards immediately went for their swords, but Immana held up her hand. ¡°Let her open it,¡± said Immana, causing them to relax a bit. Nobina, not wanting to waste any time, opened the bag to reveal a few baked goods that were steaming. She recognized the mango scent, which seemed to give Immana and Mimiki pause as well. ¡°What is that¡­ amazing smell?¡± asked Immana. ¡°Let me see,¡± said Nobina, taking the note that came with it. ¡°Hm¡­ looks like these are mango pies and also chocolatey nut-nougat cr¨¨me pies. And the note said, ¡®Peace is an ideal. Ideals come with hardship. Never give up.¡¯ The note then finishes with the potted plant.¡± Taking the pies, Nobina offered them to Immana, Mimiki, and the guards. The guards were hesitant to take them, but seeing Immana and Mimiki take and eat them brought them to partake as well. ¡°Hot,¡± said Immana, pulling it away after the first bite. She then blew on it a few times before taking another bite. ¡°Yet¡­ so good.¡± ¡°These are amazing Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Like a sweet nutty taste¡­¡± Both the guards gave nods of agreement as they ate. ¡°Glad you like them,¡± smiled Nobina, taking a bite out of her own mango pie. As the group enjoyed the pie, Immana seemed to come to a realization. ¡°Right,¡± she said, regaining the seriousness of the moment before. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nobina, but your pies will not deter the judgement of Lord Kasanta. By his order, you are to remain isolated until a Path specialist can confirm your path. However, if you reveal it to me fully and completely, I will discuss releasing you early. If you are aware of it, however, and do not tell us¡­ Then you might face significant punishment.¡± Nobina knew how serious it would be to reveal the full extent of her Path. However, she knew the truth would come out eventually, whether she wanted it to or not. ¡°Immana,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ willing to tell you what I know, but only if you allow Mimiki to join me and this remains between you, me, Mimiki, and Lord Kasanta.¡± Immana gave a nod. ¡°Fine. It will save us a lot of trouble and I¡¯d rather not make you my enemy or Lord Kasanta¡¯s enemy. You hold too many cards for it to be worth it,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°Then why threaten her like you did?¡± asked Mimiki, irritated by how casual Immana was being now. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t harm her unjustly,¡± chuckled Immana. ¡°I was merely seeing if she folded to some words I spoke.¡± ¡°So¡­ you made a false threat nonetheless,¡± replied Mimiki. ¡°Do you think she¡¯d be fine with that?¡± ¡°Believe what you want, but Nobina is a reasonable person. I would hope she holds no grudges against me,¡± Immana replied, turning her attention to Nobina. ¡°Shall we get going?¡± Nobina gave a nod, taking her Gaze Bag and Special Bag with her. The six of them headed out to the carriage that was waiting downstairs. The sun finally began to rise the moment they stepped outside. ¡°Such a beautiful day,¡± smiled Immana, looking as satisfied as could be. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Nobina, not showing as much optimism. Things were going to get even more complicated, yet Nobina found herself unable to do anything. She still had the items in her special bag, but she knew they wouldn¡¯t do anything for her at that very moment. ¡°What about Giggles?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Ah. Yes. Giggles is currently still in the Guild Monster Containment area. We have a few A ranks merely guarding Giggles, but we are prepared to send you to them if they act out. However, you must meet your obligation first.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Once the four had boarded the carriage, and the guards remounted their horses, they set off to the estate. As Nobina looked out the window, she began wondering what was in store for her once she spilled the beans. At worst, she imagined being sent far away, but would they even consider killing her for being such a risk? As that thought entered her mind, the carriage came to an immediate stop. ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± called Immana. ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± said the driver. ¡°Please step outside and take a look.¡± Immana and the group disembarked the carriage to the sight of a flying Griffin, one of the creatures under the royal family¡¯s command, heading towards the guild. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a messenger from the royal family?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°It should be,¡± responded Immana, her gaze not leaving it. ¡°Though, I can barely make out two riders. Someone must be being transported by Royal Griffin. A rare sight for sure.¡± All four of them stared as the Royal Griffin began its descent in front of the guild. People began making room as the strong winds of the winged creatures blew right where it was planning to land. Eventually, the Griffin reached the ground, with two people disembarking. One of them was an individual wearing armor with a symbol of the Royal family. The other¡­. ¡°Fay!¡± yelled Nobina, running directly towards the other individual. ¡°Nobina!¡± yelled Fay back, running towards her. The two embraced in an unbreakable hug, with both zoning out everything besides each other. Tears welled up in each as both of them merely took in the moment of their reunion. One they both never thought would happen again. Chapter 86: Fay Fay. Nobina never thought she¡¯d see her again. The memories of the last time they spoke were burned into her mind, never forgotten. Despite it being a few years since they last saw each other, the way Fay just suddenly disappeared bothered Nobina for months. Even after Nobina had gotten over Fay just ghosting her, she longed to know so many things. Why did she leave without a word? Why did she refuse to make contact? Where did she even go? And now, years later, she was here in another world. She was wearing the same outfit Nobina had bought her. A black outfit with a long coat. Belts lined the center of the outfit to hold it together. Long black sleeves lined her arms, going nearly to her hands. On her hands were leather straps that served some purpose she wasn¡¯t exactly sure of. Under her black cloak was a set of black shorts that didn¡¯t cover too much. Lastly were her large, black boots that arguably covered more of her legs than her shorts. All of this was basically an outfit Nobina knew Fay¡¯s character wore in a game Fay loved. It was difficult to make, but it was all worth it. ¡°Fay,¡± said Nobina through her tears. ¡°How. Why. When?¡± Fay, who was taking it all in, remained silent. As time continued to pass, Immana eventually interrupted their moment. ¡°Excuse me Nobina, but who is this?¡± asked Immana, a false smile on her face. Immediately, Fay relaxed her hug, allowing the two to separate. ¡°My name is Fay. S-rank adventurer of the Capital Guild,¡± smiled Fay back. ¡°I¡¯m here to join the dragon hunt Nobina is a part of.¡± Immana looked over Fay, trying to get a judge of her character. From her perspective, Fay didn¡¯t look the part of an S-rank. She didn¡¯t exude any sense of strength but rather a sense of some bizarre fashion. Of course, it was very likely that she was telling the truth, but Immana had a bad feeling about Fay. If Fay was close to Nobina, Immana knew it¡¯d cause loads of problems. ¡°Please excuse me Miss Fay, but Lord Kasanta has asked me to bring Nobina to him. She will no longer be participating in the dragon hunt,¡± said Immana, trying to exert a bit of her authority. The guards with Immana took a step forward, trying to intimidate Fay, but it was a hopeless effort. Fay herself was aware of how strong everyone there was, showing no signs of any fear whatsoever. As she said that, Nobina¡¯s bag glowed. The first to react was Fay, whose eyes opened with surprise. ¡°What is that bag Nobina?¡± she asked with a curious look. When she got closer, Fay¡¯s eyes lit up brightly as she recognized the smell. ¡°Is that cup noodles! Oh my god. I thought I¡¯d never ever get to try them again. Why do you have them? Can I have some? Please?¡± Fay was practically drooling as she stared at the Gaze bag. Nobina, knowing how Fay was, sighed as she took out the multiple sets of cup noodles. They even came with a set of chopsticks. Both Nobina and Fay were accustomed to using them, but there was a bit of concern that no one else could use them. ¡°Well¡­ I guess we can teach them,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°I got this Nobina,¡± nodded Fay. As they removed the set of six cup noodles, Fay handed them to Immana, Mimiki, and the two guards. The guards were reluctant to take them but did so when Immana did. Fay began explaining how chopsticks worked, with all four of them listening intently as she displayed the usage of them. Luckily, the noodles were in an ideal temperature that it wasn¡¯t too hot to eat. Nobina merely smiled as she listened and enjoyed her own cup noodles. Seeing Fay teach everyone reminded her about their college days. How Fay always took the lead and taught everyone. She was extremely smart and was an inspiration for everyone in the school. It made her proud to be someone Fay considered close. As she enjoyed her cup noodles, her bag emanated a red glow. An uneasy feeling overcame Nobina as she took a step back, allowing the Gaze bag to fully open up. From the bag came a centipede-like creature with an unsettling humanoid face on its head and human arms for its legs, covered in reflective, eye-like patterns that glowed faintly. Nobina found the creature had turned immediately towards her. Instinctively, Nobina turned to Fay, who had already stopped talking, and turned in the direction of the creature as well. Not knowing what to do, Nobina saw the creature grow larger and stronger as she started to feel fear. However, Fay¡¯s voice managed to draw her attention. ¡°Nobina!¡± yelled Fay. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Leave it to me.¡± All of her trust was now directed towards Fay, who was now drawing the creature¡¯s attention. It seemed to shrink a bit as Fay dashed towards it. Only a moment passed before Fay¡¯s fist landed dead center on the centipede¡¯s back. The human face on it screamed in agony as it attempted to attack back. All the eye-like patterns seem to focus on Fay, who froze for a mere second before charging once again. ¡°Take this,¡± she yelled, jumping up and delivering a firm kick to the centipede. In response, the creature fired off black masses towards Fay, who dodged them as if they were barely moving. The creature continued to shrink back to its original size as it felt Fay launch another punch into its center. The centipede-like carapace began to crack, with the creature shrieking as it suddenly made a dash for the bag. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t. Heaven Strike,¡± she yelled. A blinding light appeared on her fist as she dashed towards it and landed one last hit on its back. The creature seemed to immediately stop moving, its body mostly torn apart as only the front part remained. The part that was destroyed began fading into a sparking dust that also disappeared.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Before Fay could deliver the final blow, the creature dashed for the bag, shrinking into a size no bigger than a rat before disappearing back into the Gaze bag. Fay went for the bag, trying to reach for the creature, but the Gaze bag rejected her attempt, creating a powerful pushing force that forced her back. ¡°What is this bag Nobina?¡± asked Fay, relaxing as the danger finally passed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated,¡± Nobina responded, moving to grab the bag. Before she could, Fay¡¯s hand stopped her. At first, Nobina instinctively braced for a firm grip, but Fay¡¯s grip was as light as possible, merely there to invite her to stop. ¡°Be careful,¡± said Fay. ¡°From what I can tell that creature will come back and it will be extremely tough to deal with. I was being careful not to use too much force with everyone around, but that just means we have something to worry about later.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She knew better than to question Fay, so she relaxed as she stared at her bag instead of going for it. ¡°I can¡¯t just leave it there,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ll take it for now,¡± said Fay, wearing the bag instead of Nobina. As Nobina gave a nod, a voice came from the side. ¡°Excuse me Nobina,¡± said Immana, drawing their attention. ¡°What in god¡¯s name was that creature? Why did you summon something so horrific in the middle of the city?¡± Immana had dropped any sense of smile as irritation filled her face. ¡°Nobina. You are far too much of a threat at this present moment. You are to come with us immediately.¡± The guards of Immana stepped up to take Nobina, but Fay stood in their way. A cold expression formed in her as she eyed them down, immediately causing them to back off. ¡°No one lays a hand on Nobina,¡± said Fay, her voice exuding threat. ¡°I am the first daughter of Lord Kasanta,¡± said Immana, resisting Fay¡¯s gaze. ¡°You have no authority to stop me in this matter, S-rank or not.¡± Fay¡¯s sharp gaze turned to Immana, with Fay sighing. ¡°Look. I rather not use my connections to counter you, Miss Immana. However, you are leaving me no choice. Greogory!¡± Immediately, the Royal Griffin rider appeared, pulling out a letter. ¡°By order of Third Princess Elina De Lural, Fay is authorized to use her name to suspend any active order against Fay¡¯s interest so long as Fay believes it¡¯s within the best interest of the nation.¡± ¡°What in¡­ how can you even suggest your actions are in this nation¡¯s best interest?¡± asked Immana, flabbergasted. ¡°I would do anything to protect Nobina, and my promise to protect this nation under this condition is justification enough. Right Greogory?¡± asked Fay. Greogory gave a nod. Immana shook her head. ¡°This is ridiculous, but I have no desire to put Lord Kasanta at odds against Princess Elina. Fine. I leave Nobina in your hands, but should she cause destruction on a horrible scale, you shall be held fully responsible,¡± said Immana, placing a sharp gaze on Fay. ¡°Fine with me,¡± she grinned. As the situation seemed to calm down, Nobina sighed as she looked at the cup noodles she dropped. ¡°Man¡­ I was enjoying that,¡± said Nobina sadly. She looked around and saw that the whole situation had caused all six cups to fall over and spill, leaving the remains of the cup noodles on the ground. Fay, seeing Nobina sad, approached and gave her a hug. ¡°It¡¯s alright Nobina,¡± she said, patting her back. ¡°If you desire it, I shall find a way to have more produced.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright Fay,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°We have more pressing matters.¡± Nobina stepped forward, drawing the attention of Immana, Mimiki, and her guards. ¡°I apologize for what has happened Immana. I do not fully understand the Gaze bag and what happened falls on my shoulders. If Fay wasn¡¯t here, I have no idea how south this could have gone. I am still willing to explain my Path to you and Lord Kasanta, but now under my own terms.¡± Hearing that, Immana gave a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are a voice of reason Nobina. Please name your conditions,¡± said Immana. ¡°Once this matter is settled, I shall be leaving for Agora with Fay. My priority right now is defeating the dragon threatening this city and then explaining my Path.¡± Hearing that, Immana gave it only a second of thought before nodding. ¡°Acceptable. Do you wish to suspend your test or continue it? Regardless, we will give no punishment.¡± ¡°Suspend this test,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I have no need for it anymore.¡± ¡°Deal,¡± smiled Immana. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss everything in private with Aunai. Then we can get this dragon hunt on the way.¡± With the matter resolved, all of them began making their way back to the guild. As they walked, Mimiki joined Nobina¡¯s side. Fay¡¯s eyes were on Mimiki like a hawk, but they relaxed as soon as Nobina gave a gentle smile towards Mimiki. ¡°So, who is she Nobina?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Someone from your homeland?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she smiled back. ¡°Fay and I are best friends. We have such a strong bond that you would be a fool trying to separate us.¡± As she said that, a hint of a frown formed on Fay¡¯s face, but it disappeared quickly to avoid Nobina¡¯s sight. ¡°Nobina is someone I care deeply about,¡± said Fay. ¡°We have a lot to talk about, but for now know I¡¯m here to help with the dragon hunt.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic,¡± nodded Mimiki. ¡°Considering how well you took out that insanely scary creature, I have no doubt about your abilities. Mimiki could tell that Fay was a full-fledged S-rank adventurer. Compared to Lila, Fay seemed way more well-rounded, displaying a sense of both combat and non-combat intelligence. Not to mention that she was one of the many people seeing Fay basically announce herself as the right-hand of Princess Elina. Someone with that level of connection was not to be messed with, even if Princess Elina was fourth in line for the throne. Beyond that, Mimiki could also tell Fay and Nobina really did have a strong bond. They gave each other looks that only true friends could give. Mimiki saw that look from Nobina last night when Nobina spoke her heart to her. Mimiki knew that Nobina would only do that to someone she truly trusted. ¡°When will we get a chance to talk?¡± asked Nobina to Fay. ¡°When everything is resolved,¡± she smiled back. ¡°Do you really want to discuss the more sensitive stuff here? Especially with someone watching you from the shadows.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Someone¡¯s watching us?¡± Fay pointed to their left, having both Nobina and Mimiki turned. From behind one of the people in the crowd appeared Nia, who approached the two. ¡°Oh Nia,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Are you watching over Nobina still?¡± Nia gave a nod. ¡°She¡¯s good,¡± replied Nia, her hood still on. ¡°I shall leave it to Fay to continue watch as I search for the other shadow.¡± With that, Nia stepped away and disappeared into the crowd. ¡°So did you ask her to watch me Mimiki?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°No. I was just assuming that was the case. It¡¯s likely someone else in the shadows is watching you. I suspected she was keeping an eye on you just in case something happens,¡± replied Mimiki. Nobina turned to Fay, who shook her head. ¡°I sense nothing else, but if someone else is watching, I¡¯ll know,¡± smiled Fay. The reassurance was nice, but it made Nobina wonder how strong Fay truly was. She seemed like her normal self, but the ability Heaven Strike seemed powerful. She had a feeling Fay had much more in her arsenal that was yet to be revealed. There were a lot of questions Nobina honestly had, but those could wait for another time. For now, she wanted to merely enjoy the fact she had succeeded in one of her goals. It might have required almost no effort on her part, but she knew part of her actions did lead to this. If Aunai never sent out that letter, Nobina had no idea what would have happened to her. She could very well be in some cell rotting away as Lord Kasanta, and Immana consider her too dangerous. Even Nobina herself felt she was a danger to those around her. However, that was no longer the case. Fay was there to help her finally resolve all the chaos that surrounded her. While she knew people like Lila and Mimiki were strong and dependable, they weren¡¯t on Fay¡¯s level. Fay was someone who would resolve any issue you had with a sheer level of determination that many would consider admirable. At least if it was something troubling a friend. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Fay, snapping her out of her thoughts. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Coming,¡± smiled Nobina, running to catch up with Fay. Chapter 87: Princess and Dragons Joining Fay, Nobina and the rest of the group made their way back into the guild. It was still early morning, but the guild was as active as ever. People were still trying to leave the city, adventurers were still going out to complete quests, and more inquiries were coming to the guild by the day. There was never a dull moment, and Nobina missed that part of being a guild officer. Remembering her time working as a guild officer back in Agora, she could recall the interactions with adventurers. It was great getting to know a few and learning about how their quest was going. Perhaps back then, it wasn¡¯t exactly all great. She could only recall being so busy to the point where she just couldn¡¯t wait for some sort of vacation. However, now that she was here and working even more, it made those past moments more meaningful. ¡°I miss Agora,¡± she sighed as they continued to make their way through the guild. ¡°Was that where you started out Nobina?¡± asked Fay, who had been watching her the whole time. Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Agora was where I became a guild officer, and I found myself here to help out with accounting stuff.¡± Fay gave a chuckle, nodding her head. ¡°That so like you,¡± she smiled. ¡°You have that work side of you that is far different from your writing side. The desire to work hard and use your talents, even if they necessarily aren¡¯t your interest. It¡¯s one of the great things about you.¡± Nobina knew Fay always did this. She was the type of person who tried to make her happy and feel better when she seemed a bit down. It was the reason Nobina loved being around Fay and why the separation was so hard on her. ¡°Yeah¡­ Though I am happy I¡¯m getting a chance to write my book,¡± replied Nobina, refocusing on following the group. Fay¡¯s expression of shock was to be expected. Nobina knew that Fay was one of the few people she had told about her dream back in her previous world. It was her that helped keep it alive when she had even considered dropping it once. The level of effort she made to ensure Nobina never gave up her dream left a lasting impression that Nobina could never forget. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re actually working on it,¡± smiled Fay brightly. ¡°Are you close to being done? Do you need help selling it or perhaps need people to help you write?¡± ¡°Not close and not at the moment,¡± Nobina answered back promptly. ¡°I became so busy here with the current economic crisis and the dragon hunt that I had no time to work on it whatsoever. Not only that, but I haven¡¯t had a chance to train except for a few instances.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll work all of that out at this meeting with Aunai,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°Even if I have to pull out my strongest skills, I¡¯ll help you get rid of this dragon so you can finally relax.¡± ¡°Thanks Fay,¡± smiled Nobina. The group continued to make it through the guild. Moving up the stairs, Nobina wondered how things would go meeting Aunai. Last time, Nobina felt a bit out of place with Immana, Helios, and Aunai basically leading the discussion. However, with Mimiki and Fay here, Nobina felt she had a few people on her side. Not that Aunai wasn¡¯t on her side, but she had an interest in the guild above all else. That was why Nobina was cautious around her. A few minutes later, Mimiki gave a knock on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± came Aunai¡¯s voice. All of them entered moments later, with Nobina entering last. She saw that Helios was there as well, likely discussing the mission without Nobina¡¯s participation. ¡°Hm? What brings you four here? And who is the girl in the black clothing?¡± asked Aunai, eyeing Fay. ¡°My name is Fay, S-rank adventurer,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°And also, apparently the ¡®Right Hand¡¯ of Princess Elina,¡± sighed Immana. Aunai¡¯s look of surprise was understandable as she looked Fay up and down. ¡°Do you have anything to verify this, Miss Fay?¡± asked Aunai. ¡°A Royal Griffin Rider was there to confirm it,¡± replied Immana. ¡°She has the authority of the third princess on her side.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well¡­ I guess you can explain what your intentions here are Miss Fay,¡± said Aunai, crossing her fingers on her desk. Fay gave a nod. ¡°My mission here is to accept the invite by you to join the Dragon Hunt group to hunt down the rare dragon. I wasn¡¯t sure when this mission was going to take place, so I requested a Royal Griffin escort from Princess Elina to allow me to get here in about a day¡¯s time,¡± replied Fay. Aunai gave a nod. A Royal Griffin escort wasn¡¯t something done lightly. There was a sizable number of riders under the royal family¡¯s command, but only a few were authorized to become riders. Griffins themselves were rare birds that existed in small numbers, dropping by the day as people hunted them for various parts. Royal Griffins, in particular, were a breed meant to be strong and fast, making their numbers significantly more limited. For Fay to request an escort from one of the riders confirmed that she had significant pull with Princess Elina. As her right hand, it made sense, but Aunai wondered how exactly Fay became her right-hand woman. Especially since Princess Elina was known as the Princess of Judgement, being extremely critical of those around her. ¡°Forgive me for asking but isn¡¯t a Royal Griffin escort something Princess Elina wouldn¡¯t give out so casually. Even the emergency stated wouldn¡¯t prompt it,¡± said Aunai. Fay gave a nod. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Almost anyone else asking would likely result in Princess Elina having you jailed or worse. However, I explained Nobina¡¯s meaning to me and she help arrange everything, including this letter,¡± said Fay, taking out the letter the Greogory had. Aunai read through it, giving a nod and handing it back. ¡°I see that Nobina really does mean a lot to you Miss Fay,¡± smiled Aunai. ¡°I trust her in your hands with the upcoming dragon hunt. Unless Immana or Helios has any objections?¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°None whatsoever,¡± nodded Helios. ¡°Regrettably none on my end as well,¡± sighed Immana. ¡°I will also be withdrawing from the team as well, as the test was suspended. My father has been missing my assistance, so I rather not waste the time joining the party. Of course, I shall also be preparing a secondary party to assist if needed, but their primary role will be handling matters back here.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± nodded Aunai. ¡°Do you need anything else from us?¡± ¡°Not at this present moment,¡± said Immana. ¡°I will be taking my leave.¡± As Immana was leaving, Nobina spoke up. ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°Immana. Does Fay interest you at all?¡± Immana paused, turning to Nobina and smiling. ¡°She is extremely fascinating and of course I¡¯d be lying to say that she doesn¡¯t interest me. She¡¯d be an amazing person under either my command or Lord Kasanta. However, she is under Princes Elina¡¯s command and her heart belongs to you and you alone from the looks of things. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t shy away from you offering us assistance, but that is all up to you at the end of the day.¡± With that, Immana left, leaving Nobina to wonder if things were really just going to end like that. As Nobina turned back to Aunai, she saw Aunai begin to speak. ¡°With that done, the mission shall continue as previously planned. Fay will act as an additional member, and I trust you two to get her up to speed,¡± she said in a serious tone. ¡°Understood,¡± both Nobina and Mimiki replied, straightening up to show respect. ¡°As for you,¡± said Aunai to Fay. ¡°If you have anything you need, do not hesitate to ask.¡± ¡°You got it,¡± smiled Fay. With that, the group headed out, with Helios following right after them. As they all left, Aunai felt herself get a slight headache. ¡°At least we don¡¯t have to deal with a Death Hare now,¡± sighed Aunai. Nobina and the group made their way downstairs, where they found the rest of the group waiting. Even Nia and Lila were there as well, bringing the total of S-ranks there to four. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon either. Nobina noticed the Gaze bag on Fay¡¯s side glow red. Fay immediately dropped it and stepped back. The bag began to rustle a bit, but nothing happened after a few minutes. All around them, officers and adventurers alike were staring in curiosity as they saw Nobina¡¯s group preparing for something to come out of the bag. When nothing did, Nobina saw Fay pick back up the bag. ¡°What was that?¡± asked Fay. ¡°These red glows are new to me Fay,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°It might mean we should expect another one of those creepy creatures coming up, so I¡¯m leaving the bag with you for now.¡± Fay gave a nod. As she did, the bag glowed once again. However, it was a standard glow this time. Nobina asked Fay for the bag, but she was hesitant. ¡°We saw the red glow, so I¡¯m not sure about letting you reach in for the item,¡± said Fay. ¡°I understand that, but those green glows haven¡¯t been problems before. At least¡­ not like that creepy crawler earlier,¡± replied Nobina. As if understanding Nobina¡¯s reluctance, the bag opened up, prompting Fay to put it on the ground again and stand at the ready. Waiting, another creature appeared. However, it appeared to be a baby dragon this time. Nobina was immediately worried, but that worry disappeared as it waddled its way to Nobina. Looking at her with its large eyes, Nobina melted as she went to pick it up. ¡°Wait Nobina,¡± said Fay to deaf ears. Nobina¡¯s grin grew large as she held the baby dragon, which was absolutely adorable. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± smiled Nobina. Looking at its back, she saw a note with its name on it. ¡°Echo? What a fantastic name,¡± she nodded. ¡°Uh Nobina,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°We have¡­ a lot of eyes on us. Not good eyes either.¡± Nobina, looking around, became extremely embarrassed. All around her were adventurers staring. Shock. Fear. Awe. Anger. So many emotions were on display as they saw Nobina handling a baby dragon. Considering the whole incident at the moment was being caused by a rouge dragon, the sight of a baby dragon was focusing all that attention on her right now. ¡°We should go,¡± said Helios, looking around as well. ¡°Else we might draw even more unwanted attention.¡± ¡°Out the back should suffice,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Let¡¯s go everyone.¡± Everyone followed her out of the guild¡¯s backside. As they stepped outside, the baby dragon gave a lick to Nobina¡¯s cheeks. It caused her to chuckle and forget the situation they were in for a second. ¡°Ok,¡± said Mimiki once everyone was outside. ¡°What exactly are you going to do about that baby dragon. We can¡¯t exactly bring it on our trip.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t leave it with the Monster Containment group either,¡± said Helios. ¡°Especially since dragons and bunnies are enemies.¡± ¡°My bunnies wouldn¡¯t hurt Echo,¡± said Nobina in a pout. ¡°That might be the case, but you never know,¡± replied Helios. All of them looked at Echo, who merely looked at them with curious faces. ¡°I guess¡­ Echo has to come with us for now,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Great,¡± sighed Mimiki. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°I¡¯ll help Nobina take care of it.¡± ¡°Thanks Fay,¡± nodded Nobina. With the Echo situation sorted for now, the group decided it was best to head out as soon as possible. Echo was able to enter the Special Bag without issues, giving them a huge relief of not carrying around a baby dragon as they walked. ¡°Everyone get your gear and meet up here in thirty minutes,¡± said Mimiki. Most of them headed out, leaving Nobina with Fay, Nia, Lila, and Helios. Marve, Mimiki, and Cain departed for the guild inn to get their gear, with Mimiki saying she¡¯d get Nobina¡¯s gear as well. When they were gone, Lila approached Fay, standing directly in front of her. It surprised Fay how bold Lila was, but she merely gave a nice smile. ¡°I want to spar with you,¡± said Lila. ¡°Hapy to oblige once this is all said and done,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°Tell me, what relationship do you have with Nobina.¡± ¡°Eh? She¡¯s¡­ my friend. Why do you ask?¡± responded Lila with a curious look. ¡°Oh¡­ I just saw that tiny bit of a look of contempt you had towards Nobina, and it made me worry you hated her,¡± smiled Fay, a colder expression forming. Lila reacted immediately, waving her hands. ¡°Oh no! It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s complicated between me and Nobina,¡± said Lila. ¡°I can tell you more about it so there¡¯s no misunderstanding.¡± Fay, looking at Nobina, saw Nobina vigorously nod her head. She relaxed immediately upon seeing Nobina¡¯s reaction. ¡°Well¡­ I rather not create unnecessary problems, so we¡¯ll talk later,¡± said Fay. As she said that, another glow came from the Gaze bag. Fay looked to Nobina, who told Fay to take the item out of it. Fay tried to reach for the bag, but it pushed back Fay¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s no good,¡± said Fay. ¡°Only you can access this it seems.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She was now hesitant about reaching into the bag, but she knew she couldn¡¯t fear the bag. If she just ignored the items the Gaze gave her, something bad could possibly happen should she get on the bad side of those entities. She took a deep breath, opening the bag with Fay right next to her looking as well. To her surprise, she saw a silver bracelet in it with a purple stone on it. Taking it out, she noticed a note on it. ¡°Speak the words ¡®Dragonrend¡¯ with the vision of taking a dragon down in mind. Your voice will lash out at a dragon¡¯s very soul, forcing the beast to land. Limited to one usage per day, ineffective against strong enough dragons.¡± Nobina was both surprised and not surprised by what she received. She recalled how she got barbed wire to handle the goblin invasion in the past. This was likely the Gaze preparing her for the dragon hunt as well. Considering how very specific yet useful the bracelet was, Nobina felt herself relaxed. If Fay¡¯s presence didn¡¯t do it, the additional item really made her feel prepared for the dragon hunt they were about to go on. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Fay. ¡°Oh, this is a bracelet that gives me the ability to force a weak enough dragon to land with my voice. Limited to one usage a day,¡± replied Nobina casually. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ kind of crazy,¡± said Fay in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but what exactly does this bag do? Why do you get such random stuff from it? Both good and bad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story not for the public ears,¡± responded Nobina. ¡°When we get a chance, I¡¯ll tell you everything, but for now, just know it¡¯s there to watch over me.¡± Fay gave a nod. ¡°If it helps you, then great. If it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll be there to protect you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± smiled Nobina. Nobina knew that once they headed out, they¡¯d get a better moment to chat, but Nobina really craved a moment to speak with Fay in private. The sheer number of questions she had was so large that Nobina felt it¡¯d take a whole day to get only a fraction answered. However, she knew there was a time and place for everything. They¡¯d eventually get that moment to talk, and Nobina was ready for it. All she had to do was be patient. Chapter 88: First Day and Peaceful Moments It didn¡¯t take long before the rest of the group appeared with their gear. Not only that, but Mimiki had two carriages brought to them to help transport the group. ¡°This should be enough to transport all of us,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Of course, these are merely to get us to the town, so they won¡¯t be joining us once we begin the actual hunt. It¡¯ll mostly be walking, but we¡¯ll have everything set up in a base camp. Any questions?¡± None of them said a word, prompting Mimiki to nod. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s pack up then head out.¡± Nobina was surprised to see that most of them wanted to sit with her for various reasons. Fay wanted to sit next to Nobina because of so many reasons. Helios wanted to continue to read her special book. Mimiki wanted to chat about a few things, both mission-wise and otherwise. Lila just wanted to be next to Fay to chat about Fay. As for Nia, Cain, and Marve, they were content in the other carriage. ¡°One of you should join them,¡± said Nobina, looking at the other four. ¡°I can do it,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I know you¡¯d like to chat more with Fay, and Lila is extremely stubborn about these things. I rather she gets a chance to speak to her as well. We¡¯ll get a chance to talk later anyways.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Thanks, Mimiki. Really appreciate that,¡± smiled Nobina. As Nobina left to join the other carriage, Fay smiled as she gave a nod. ¡°You two appear close. You must have some stories to talk about,¡± said Fay. ¡°Yeah¡­ though I think if I told you everything that happened it might cause you to freak out,¡± chuckled Nobina. ¡°Certainly not,¡± laughed Fay. ¡°Are you going to tell me she hurt you or something?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± smiled Nobina with a fake innocence. The moment she did that, Fay immediately covered her face with one of her hands. ¡°Please¡­ save it for later then. I really don¡¯t think I¡¯ll contain myself if you told the story now,¡± said Fay, already trying to hold back prying into Nobina¡¯s past. Nobina knew Fay well. If she had told the full story, they¡¯d have had so many problems during the trip that it wasn¡¯t worth the effort. Of course, Fay would desperately try to hold herself back, but it would likely fail immediately as long as Nobina wasn¡¯t actively trying to defuse things. With the carriages set, everyone boarded their respective rides, and the drivers set off. Nobina felt herself relax as she finally knew she had a moment to breathe. With so much happening, not having to do anything else but wait and chat was a nice change of pace. As they rode through the city, Nobina absorbed the sight of it into her mind. People casually walking down the streets going about their day. The occasional adventurers at various stores buying the equipment they needed for their quests. Common folk just chatting about their day-to-day lives without a care in the world. Soon, they started to reach the outer edge of the city. The folks there were more travelers going to and from the city. Some of them were merchants. Others were adventurers. The variety reminded Nobina of how many kinds of walks of life went to and from the city. It made her worry how a dragon¡¯s wrath would devastate so many lives. It was the reason their mission was so important. If not for politics and self-interests, she had no doubt everyone would be on the same page to stop this dragon. Instead, it was just a smaller group that had a particular interest in stopping the dragon. In this case, it was the eight of them who had immediate interests, with those around them working at a slower pace. ¡°We are heading out of the city,¡± called the driver. Nobina looked forward, seeing the north gate with people still coming into the city. Perhaps not surprisingly, barely anyone was heading out of the north gate. Considering that people were evacuating, and that news of the dragon being sighted north was becoming widespread, it was expected that this side of the city would only see an influx of people. Not only that but there were adventures standing by to protect the city in case the dragon was sighted. As they finally left the city, Nobina¡¯s bag glowed once again. ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Helios, his attention not the bag itself but the book he was reading. ¡°So many things to think about. I can¡¯t wait to begin experimenting with spells again.¡± Nobina gave a sigh, turning to Fay, who nodded. She was at the ready once again when Nobina went for the bag. To her surprise, there was a plant inside the bag this time. Taking it out, she gave a good look over the potted plant. If she had to guess, it was probably around 30 cm/11¡±. It had small leaves and buds sprouting from its edges and thorns. Attached to it was a note from someone Nobina knew all to well at this point. ¡°Please take good care of her until she can do so herself. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be of use.¡± ¨C Naglfar. Next to that was the symbol of her potted plant. ¡°Now a plant,¡± chuckled Fay. ¡°Man¡­ What¡¯d I give to have a nice peaceful chat with you Nobina.¡± ¡°Same,¡± she smiled back. ¡°But honestly, this nice moment of peace we have traveling is great. It¡¯s so peaceful that I just want to lay back and relax.¡± As she said that, a snore could be heard from her right side. Nobina turned to Lila, who was peacefully sleeping in her seat.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Initially, Lila swarmed Fay with questions, but Fay said they¡¯d chat more later since she wanted to relax for a bit. Hearing that, Lila merely nodded and sat there before falling asleep midway through their trek out of town. ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s gotten good sleep,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her do something like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing she was training all night,¡± said Helios, still looking at Nobina¡¯s special book. ¡°She must really want to be the one to take down the dragon. After all, there¡¯s a lot of fame behind being known as a dragon slayer, but also an equal amount of infamy towards the dragon themselves. Though, I have no doubt Lila does actively want to fight dragons to get stronger.¡± Fay gave a chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°She¡¯s certainly something. If not for that tiny bit of contempt I saw, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d get along just fine,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°I know you mean well Fay, but please don¡¯t let people having tiny issues with me turn you hostile against them,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°No worries,¡± said Fay, nodding her head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in control for you.¡± With that being done, Nobina¡¯s focus once again turned to their surroundings. She enjoyed seeing the beauty of nature as they got closer and closer to the western forest. The trip itself was set to take a few days to reach the Town of Wistern. There was still no report of it being burned to the ground, but it should have been a ghost town at this point. Only a few people might have stayed behind, but a majority would have listened to the evacuation order. Especially since the status of the massive forest fire hasn¡¯t been reported yet. ¡°What do you think Helios? Do you think the team sent out to handle the fire handled everything?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I cannot say unfortunately,¡± said Helios, turning his attention to Nobina. ¡°The group was sizable, but if the dragon attacked the group, it wouldn¡¯t survive. Luckily, no one has reported any more villages or towns being destroyed, so we can just hope nothing has indeed happen and the fire is finally out.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°I could have asked Greogory to scout out the spot with me riding with him,¡± said Fay, snapping her fingers. ¡°It¡¯s probably something to consider right now while we are in range of town.¡± ¡°If you think you should, go for it,¡± said Nobina. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to ride with you, I rather the best choice be made.¡± Fay gave a nod before a frown formed on her face. ¡°Actually¡­ Never mind. I remember that Elina gave me explicit instructions not to put Greogory in any danger. We¡¯ll have to go at it on our own.¡± ¡°Really?¡± said Nobina in surprise. ¡°Is Greogory important?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Yes,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Greogory is one of the few people Elina considers a friend. It¡¯s the reason why he¡¯s her personal Royal Griffin Rider.¡± Hearing that, Nobina began wondering how exactly the two of them became close. However, it seemed that Fay was reading her mind. ¡°It¡¯s funny how the two of us came to meet each other,¡± chuckled Fay. ¡°When I met Elina, she wanted me executed for destroying her favorite dress. It was a freak accident as well, but that wasn¡¯t a good enough reason for someone like Elina.¡± ¡°My god,¡± said Nobina, covering her mouth. ¡°What happened after that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I spent a few days playing cat and mouse with her. She sent so many people after me, with even the Grand Guild Master refusing to help me out. It seemed so grim, and I thought I¡¯d have to leave, but then I had a grand idea. I began making a dress that would replace the one I destroyed. It took a week of running, but eventually, I managed to defeat her personal guard, someone a bit stronger than even me, and present the dress. And¡­ the rest is history,¡± she smiled. Nobina really wanted to know the full story of what happened. Considering everything Fay mentioned, it felt as if it would be an amazing read. ¡°I can tell you about everything in detail if you want,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°We got time to burn I suppose,¡± chuckled Nobina. For the rest of the day, Fay began explaining the story in detail. Listening to it was fascinating, with Lila eventually waking up and listening to it in detail as well. She was particularly interested in the people hunting Fay, which made sense since she loved fights. Eventually, the group stopped for lunch, where everyone had one of the pre-prepared meals. Nobina and Fay shared a bit of food, with Lila offering to share as well. The rest of them mostly kept to themselves, but Nobina did notice that the other carriage was eating with each other. Helios, on the other hand, was merely reading and eating. ¡°You really do like that book,¡± said Nobina, chewing her food. ¡°I got to make the most of it,¡± said Helios. ¡°This book has so many ideas flowing in me. If you excuse me.¡± Helios went back to reading Nobina¡¯s special book, causing both Fay and Nobina to chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re quite funny Helios,¡± said Fay. ¡°I¡¯d love to learn more about your drive someday.¡± ¡°If fate demands it,¡± he replied back, his eyes on the book. The three of them went back to eating and chatting. After a bit of time passed, everyone got back together, and the trip continued. A lot of it was listening to Fay¡¯s story, with Nobina, Lila, and even Helios having many questions for Fay. Most of it wasn¡¯t a secret, but Fay did have a few things she couldn¡¯t discuss. This was, after all, information regarding the third princess. She was still someone important to the kingdom, and a lot of the information regarding her directly would be considered somewhat classified. The more general stuff was fine to say, especially what the princess was fine being mentioned. ¡°You two must have so many stories together,¡± said Nobina, giving a nod. ¡°A good amount, though its mostly limited. A majority of my time was spent in the Nation of Arren.¡± Lila gave her the biggest grin. ¡°You must have fought some amazing monsters, right? What¡¯s the biggest one you¡¯ve fought?¡± asked Lila. Fay put a finger under her chin, giving it some thought. ¡°I think it would be the Magical Stone Colossus. Those things do not go down easy, no matter what you throw at it?¡± nodded Fay. ¡°How did you defeat it then?¡± asked Lila, eyes sparkling. ¡°By running,¡± laughed Fay. ¡°Those things are extremely deadly and probably would give ancient dragons a run for their money if not for the dragon¡¯s range and flying advantage. Not to mention that even the golem¡¯s magic isn¡¯t too effective against dragons.¡± Lila nodded, taking a mental note of everything. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me more about the monsters you fought later,¡± said Lila, practically drooling to know more. ¡°If I get the time to, for sure,¡± smiled Lila. The rest of the party got back together to set up camp for the night. During this time, Nobina took a step to the side as everyone else had it mostly handled. Joining her was Fay, who merely stood next to her as they watched everyone else work. ¡°So,¡± said Fay. ¡°How¡¯s the trip been for you so far Nobina?¡± ¡°Honestly? Heavenly,¡± she replied back, her gaze on the fire the group set up. ¡°After all the chaos of the last few days, I¡¯m glad I have a peaceful moment to relax.¡± ¡°You should definitely cherish these moments Nobina,¡± nodded Fay. ¡°When I was in Arren, there was no days of rest. It was constant training, dealing with politics, and so much stuff being done. All so I could meet the obligations required to become an S-rank in Arren.¡± ¡°But look at you now,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°So strong after how long being here?¡± ¡°Like a year-ish,¡± Fay responded back. Neither of them said a word as they let the moment seep in. Listening to the night noises, Nobina was caught off guard by Fay¡¯s next comment. ¡°Nobina¡­ Thank you for being you,¡± said Fay, looking towards the fire. ¡°And thank you for being my best friend,¡± Nobina responded back. The two spent the rest of the time silently staring at the fire before rejoining the group. The next few days would be relatively peaceful, but soon, the real hunt would begin. Chapter 89: Wistern and Mayor The following day started rather uneventfully. Everyone began packing everything back up, and the trip continued as planned. Due to the dragon¡¯s presence, the lack of monsters in the region was understandable. Besides that, the sheer strength of the group created a natural deterrent for any monster that would even consider attacking them. It was one of the few advantages of being a part of such a large, powerful group when traveling. ¡°The air feels nice,¡± said Fay, her gaze looking out of the carriage into the nearby forest. ¡°Arren always felt so hostile, even in groups like this. One minute you¡¯re relaxing and the next you have a large number of Sonic Birds launching the most devastating first strike you could see. Birds that can move faster than most eyes can see. Most wouldn¡¯t survive it.¡± Nobina began imagining such a fast, deadly strike, shivering as she imagined how horrible it could be. ¡°Did that happen to you Fay?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Three times actually,¡± she replied, giving a slight stretch. ¡°The first time it happened, half the party died. The second time, only Fardo died, and the last time¡­ half the party died.¡± ¡°Are they that deadly?¡± asked Lila, her focus fully on Fay. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± responded Fay. ¡°They say that Sonic Birds are one of the deadliest hunters of the sky, hunting the energy that only powerful living beings have. Under a certain strength they completely ignore you.¡± ¡°Did they attack you, Fay?¡± asked Nobina, a worried expression forming on her face. ¡°Fortunately, all three attacks were when I was weaker. By the time I got strong enough that they would target me, they had finally been hunted down by the S-rank Adventurer Ardune, the best hunter in Arren. Some people complained about the elimination of a whole species, but considering how so many S-ranks and A-ranks were killed by these birds, it was understandable they were quickly dealt with. The yearlong terror they had was far too much.¡± Nobina heard stories of how deadly Arren was, but considering Fay had been there, this made Nobina wonder how and why everything there was so deadly. If such birds ever went to Lumira, they would likely cause unspeakable damage. Then again, they only target a certain strength of people for their energy. ¡°I have plenty of Arren stories, but probably not the best to talk about right now,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°Some of them are¡­ rather messy.¡± ¡°Aw¡­¡± sighed Lila, who was far more interested in the stories than Nobina was. Thinking about the dangers Fay faced made Nobina feel sad for not being there to support her. However, she had no doubt she wasn¡¯t even a fraction of the power needed to help Fay out in a meaningful way combat-wise. Morning turned to afternoon. The afternoon turned to night. Once again, the night was upon the group, who rested up for the last leg of the trip to the Town of Wistern. ¡°Let¡¯s talk strategy,¡± said Mimiki, gathering the group. ¡°Wistern should be mostly evacuated at this point. The only people remaining would likely be the town guard there to ensure that Mayor Duven is still safe, as well as those electing to stay should the town not actually be attacked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s surprising anyone would elect to stay,¡± said Cain, shaking his head. ¡°Some people show bravery rather than fear power,¡± laughed Marve. Nia didn¡¯t say a word, but Nobina could feel she would be shaking her head. ¡°I can understand why they¡¯d stay,¡± said Fay. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to just abandon everything you have, even if the risk is your life. To some, what they have in Wistern might be worth the world to them.¡± Nobina and Lila made a nod. Nobina could believe people would stay behind for that reason. However, part of her wondered if there was any nefarious reason people would stay, especially with a weaker adventurer and guard presence. ¡°I applaud them for staying,¡± smiled Lila. ¡°They can witness us taking out a dragon first-hand.¡± Fay couldn¡¯t help but sigh and shake her head. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ highly doubtful anyone will try to follow us once we begin the hunt,¡± said Fay. ¡°Anyways,¡± said Mimiki, gathering everyone¡¯s attention again. ¡°Once we get to Wistern, we¡¯ll establish a base in one of the buildings that the scouting adventurers are using. From there, we will join them in locating and then eliminating the dragon itself. However, in the worst case that Wistern is destroyed, we will need to be prepared to go at it alone or retreat should the situation seem far worse than we thought.¡± None of them wanted to even think about the possibility of Wistern being burned to the ground, but it was hard to say it wasn¡¯t possible with a dragon being involved. The rest of the talk was mainly focused on the logistics of everything. The food supply in particular was the main topic of discussion due to the fact that the group brought only enough for a week of hunting. Should it go longer, the plan was to speak with the mayor about obtaining more food as well. Other than food, the other focus was on the actual route the group planned to take. Most of the pre-planned routes were under the assumption that the whole scout team would be eliminated, but this was the worst-case scenario. The most likely scenario was that most of the scouts were still alive, and they would help them plan out the actual route. ¡°Any questions?¡± asked Mimiki, looking at the faces of everyone in the group. ¡°It should be a great hunt,¡± laughed Lila, looking excited to get another chance to fight. ¡°The firepower we have should be sufficient,¡± said Helios, his attention partly on the group and the other part on Nobina¡¯s book.¡± ¡°You know you should really pay more attention to these meetings,¡± said Fay to Helios. Helios looked at Fay, seeing a bit of ice in her stare. ¡°Perhaps you are right,¡± said Helios, closing Nobina¡¯s book. ¡°It¡¯s rather irresponsible of me to not give this my full attention.¡± Fay nodded, relaxing a bit and removing her cold gaze. ¡°So,¡± said Fay to Mimiki. ¡°Are there any potential problems we might run into speaking with the people remaining there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but I don¡¯t have strong knowledge of nobility,¡± replied Mimiki. ¡°Helios?¡± Helios gave it some thought before nodding. ¡°Any nobility without a spine is long gone. Anyone remaining is someone more likely to work with us to stop the dragon.¡± Everyone gave a nod, agreeing with his assessment. ¡°Well let¡¯s head to bed for the day,¡± said Mimiki, dismissing the group. Once everyone was in bed, Nobina found herself feeling nervous about the next day. It would be their first step towards hunting the dragon. Part of her felt relieved thanks to Fay, Lila, and Mimiki being there to support her. However, another part of her felt nervous, remembering the fight against the troll-wolf. The adrenaline during that had her heart racing the whole time. She played a part with her special items from the Gaze, and the result was that Mimiki, and the rest of her party were saved. It should have boosted her confidence, yet she felt as if it was a reminder of how deadly something like a troll-wolf was. If it was a dragon, would she be safe unless she was miles away? From what she could recall in the books she read; the dragon could very well have a widespread attack that none of her allies could protect her from. Even with some of her special items, she didn¡¯t know if a dragon¡¯s attack was too much.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Nervous?¡± asked Fay, drawing Nobina¡¯s attention. ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied, noticing her breathing was a bit heavy. ¡°I should be fine during the hunt, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Fay with absolute confidence. ¡°I will put your protection over everything else. You¡¯ll be absolutely safe.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°So, you¡¯d pick me over¡­ never mind,¡± said Nobina, realizing she was going to ask a stupid question. ¡°Yes,¡± said Fay, giving a gentle smile. Turning to Fay, Nobina could see it in her eyes. Fay valued her over everyone else. ¡°Sorry I even thought to ask,¡± chuckled Nobina, closing her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± smiled Fay as she closed her eyes. ¡°I rather you ask and get reassurance than just drown in doubt.¡± Hearing those words gave Nobina the comfort she needed to finally fall back asleep. Soon, daybreak came around, and the group continued the trip. Once again, nothing eventful happened, and the group reached Wistern without any issues. Looking at the city from the outside, Nobina could tell Wistern was pretty much a ghost town. The lack of people there was evident, with only a few guards in sight. When they saw Nobina¡¯s group, the first guards headed over to the first carriage to stop them. ¡°Halt,¡± they called. ¡°By order of Mayor Duven, the town is to fully evacuate due to the danger of the dragon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Mimiki, pulling out a letter she had. ¡°We are a part of a dragon-hunting group organized by the Navira Adventuring Guild.¡± Handing over the letter, the guard gave it a quick read before nodding. ¡°Follow me. I will lead you to the mayor¡¯s estate.¡± The group followed the guard through the empty streets, keeping their eyes observant of the true extent of the evacuation order. Most of them were feeling relieved since the town looked in one piece. It meant the dragon was either gone or had little interest in the town and was ignoring it. ¡°It¡¯s quite a relief to see more assistance from Navira,¡± said the guard. ¡°Ever since all those scouts failed to return, we lost any sense of knowledge regarding our surroundings.¡± ¡°What,¡± said Mimiki, dread on her face. ¡°What do you mean the scouts haven¡¯t returned?¡± The guard, realizing what he said, shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s best that the mayor tells you the full situation,¡± responded the guard. None of them wanted to say anything, but there was now a major wrench in their plans. Without the information or assistance of the scouts, hunting the dragon was now comparable to finding a needle in a haystack. There was a lot of ground to cover, and the dragon was far more agile than the group was. It didn¡¯t take long before they reached the mayor¡¯s estate. Looking at it, Nobina could instantly tell why the mayor himself was staying behind. All around the large central stone building was exotic plant life and statues that seemed to be made of high-quality material. By all accounts, this place was significantly more valuable than the wealth of some minor nobles. At the entrance, the two guards spoke with the escorting guard before opening the gates. They continued to make their way into the estate before arriving at the central building. It was a large, two-story building made out of a mixture of stone and what seemed to be a bit of marble. Nobina was surprised by that, considering that even Lord Kasanta¡¯s building didn¡¯t have nearly as much marble on full display. ¡°Please wait here,¡± said the escorting guard, leaving the group to chat a bit before meeting Mayor Duven. ¡°How much you think this all cost?¡± asked Mimiki, shocked by what she was seeing. ¡°Maybe comparable to a small castle,¡± said Fay, her eyes evaluating everything in sight. ¡°I¡¯d guess less than that,¡± replied Helios. ¡°While a lot of this material is fancy, I recall Mayor Duven is someone who seeks value and likely got everything cheaper than market price.¡± They all continued to chat about the cost for a few minutes before catching sight of people exiting the building. Behind the escorting guard were two maids, followed by a man who looked dressed up on every part of his body. His clothes had all sorts of colors, but the main thing catching their eye was the jewelry he was wearing. There was so much of it that it felt as if he was likely wearing thirty pounds of metal and jewelry. ¡°Welcome,¡± laughed the man in jewelry. ¡°My name is Mayor Duven. I¡¯m glad to finally have reinforcements from the guild.¡± ¡°Hello there,¡± responded Nobina, being the first to step out of the carriage with Fay¡¯s help. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Duven turned his attention to Helios, giving a great smile. ¡°Ah! Master Helios! Your reputation is quite known. I take it that you¡¯re leading this group,¡± he smiled. ¡°That¡­ would be inaccurate,¡± said Helios. ¡°I¡¯m merely a member recruited by her.¡± Helios motioned towards Nobina, who couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit odd with the spotlight on her. However, she quickly became confused as she saw Duven¡¯s facial expression change. ¡°Surely you jest,¡± laughed Duven. ¡°None of these¡­ other adventurers¡­ can likely hold a candle to you! Like that frail girl!¡± Duven casually pointing at Nobina surprised her, but not as much as Fay. ¡°How dare you,¡± said Fay, taking a single motion to reach Duven with her sword. Everyone else froze, including Duven, sweating profusely as he sensed death only a few words away. ¡°Ah¡­ So sorry,¡± said Duven, trying to keep it together. ¡°I¡­ Yes. Please go ahead and all introduce yourselves.¡± The rest of them began introducing themselves, with Nobina being the last person to speak. Once she was done, Duven gave a nod. ¡°It¡¯s good to have so many qualified people here,¡± smiled Duven, trying his best to relax as his gaze failed to completely leave Fay. ¡°Now, let¡¯s speak inside, shall we?¡± As Duven and his maids went into the estate, Fay shook her head as she sheathed her sword. ¡°The nerve of him to straight up insult you,¡± said Fay, still angry from what Duven said. ¡°It¡¯s fine Fay,¡± said Nobina, feeling overwhelmed by their first impression. ¡°I¡¯m really frail as he said, so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s no excuse,¡± she replied back. ¡°Whether your frail or not, insulting a party that¡¯s here to help you is horrible etiquette. If he wants to not feel my wrath, he¡¯d best remember it.¡± Fay immediately entered into the estate, with the rest of them following. Nobina was the last to enter, with Mimiki next to her. ¡°Fay really is intense,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°She very well was ready to kill Duven there.¡± ¡°I sometimes worry about how protective she is,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we get some good explanation for the disappearance of the scouts.¡± The group all entered the main building, being led into a side meeting room. Sitting on the end of a long rectangular table, Duven smiled as he finally began to relax. The rest of the group filled up the remaining seats, with Nobina sitting on the opposing end. It was only for a second, but Nobina and Fay both caught Duven visibly flinching a bit when she saw Nobina sit down on the opposite side of him. ¡°Now then,¡± said Duven. ¡°Let me give you a status report on the situation. Currently, the dragon has not been sighted. The good news is that the last report of the scouts was about the massive fire that the dragon caused being put out. As a result, they began their next goal of creating a scout wall to keep watch for the dragon. They were supposed to report back on the progress of the scouting two days ago, but none of them returned.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to believe,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I believe there were seven scouts sent out. For all of them to disappear is unlikely unless they were all targeted.¡± The room went quiet as soon as Mimiki finished speaking. Tension was building as the idea of the scouts being directly targeted was now forming. ¡°Impossible,¡± said Helios. ¡°Most of them were C and B ranks. It would take someone strong to target them. Not only that, but what reason would there be to have so many scouts eliminated unless you were fearing being discovered.¡± ¡°A marvelous conclusion Master Helios,¡± nodded Duven. ¡°I suspect that someone might be working with this rogue dragon, but it¡¯s extremely hard to prove such a thing. Thus, we must assume the dragon itself might have played a role.¡± Fay gave a nod. ¡°I can¡¯t put it past the dragon to have done such a thing,¡± said Fay. ¡°Dragons are extremely smart creatures. If one was worried about being caught, taking out those keeping watch of it would be a smart idea.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± said Lila. ¡°Does it really make sense for a dragon to cover its tracks? Why did the dragon even attack in the first place?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the question we need answer to,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Part of this hunt was to ascertain the dragon¡¯s goal, and we are still in step one. Without the scouts, it¡¯ll be hard to hunt this dragon as well.¡± ¡°Will your group be focusing on guarding the town then?¡± asked Duven. ¡°After all, we are probably the only thing of interest left for the dragon.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that for certain,¡± said Fay. ¡°The fact the town is still here means the dragon has no interest in it. Not only that, but the dragon or some entity aligned with the dragon eliminated the scouts. All of this means we must find the dragon at all costs.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I wish you all the best,¡± replied Duven. ¡°The scout building is on the north side of town. That guard can escort you there and help you out. If you need anything, feel free to ask. Else, I wish you good luck.¡± With that done, the group gave a few more questions to the mayor, mainly regarding the remaining townsfolk and potentially getting more food. ¡°Hm¡­ I can get you another week of food supplies, but we aren¡¯t producing much at the moment. Anymore and we¡¯d need to evacuate even sooner,¡± sighed Duven. ¡°I know this stuff is valuable, but perhaps the time to evacuate is now. If the dragon attacks, its all over, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Nobina. Duven shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t agree with you on that front,¡± he replied. ¡°My duty is to protect the people of this town and so long as the nobles stay, I stay.¡± Nobina could tell that that wasn¡¯t the only reason, but she had no appetite to dig further for information. ¡°As for the nobles¡­ Well¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know why they are staying. I asked them but all their reasons seem strange.¡± ¡°Strange how?¡± asked Helios. ¡°Well¡­ One says that he fears dying during the journey. He¡¯s quite old and can¡¯t really move around. Another says he invested everything in his home and if it was destroyed, he rather die with it. A bit respectable I guess, but¡­ questionable. The last noble refuses to speak to me and shut himself in his estate. I can¡¯t force them to speak to me either, so I just ignored them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very odd,¡± said Fay. ¡°Do you think the last noble has an ulterior motive for being here?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say,¡± replied Duven. ¡°All I know is unless I¡¯m certain he and the other two nobles leave at least, I¡¯m stuck here protecting them from danger.¡± Lila gave a laugh, shaking her head. ¡°If the dragon wants this town razed, it will raze it and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡± ¡°Thanks for the optimistic words,¡± said Duven, showing a bit of annoyance at Lila¡¯s remark. ¡°Now is there anything else I can help you with?¡± ¡°That is all,¡± said Mimiki, standing first. Everyone else followed suit, all leaving the room until it was just Duven and his two maids. Once he was certain they were gone, he slammed one of his fists into the table. ¡°Damn all of them,¡± he said. ¡°They are going to complicate things. No matter. Despite Master Helios being here and that¡­ insane woman, they can¡¯t hold a candle to a dragon with allies. Chapter 90: Mystery and the Egg As the group left the estate, the guard escorted them toward the location of the scout¡¯s base. During this time, everyone was thinking about what Duven said and how strange the situation was. ¡°Do you think Duven is hiding something?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°He has to be,¡± said Fay. ¡°Think about it. Despite how bad it is to lose all those scouts, he seemed content just waiting in his estate for the nobles to leave. I know his property is quite valuable, but he didn¡¯t seem that happy we were here.¡± ¡°You noticed it too?¡± asked Helios. ¡°Duven was certainly trying to win me over with his words, but I can tell a snake¡¯s words when I hear them. He has a reason for staying and a reason for not caring about the situation at its present moment.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s interrogate him,¡± said Lila, looking ready to crack a few bones. Fay shook her head. ¡°As much as that might sound appealing, none of us are interrogators,¡± said Fay. ¡°Not only that, but it spits on the spirit of being an adventurer if we did that,¡± he replied. All of them continued to think before Nobina made a suggestion. ¡°What if we speak with the nobles? They¡¯d likely shed some light on the situation,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I like that idea,¡± said Fay. ¡°Let me speak with the others so we can split off. Me and you should be sufficient.¡± ¡°I should join you two as well,¡± said Master Helios. ¡°Your lack of pull might cause issues, unless you want to use the princess¡¯ name.¡± Fay shook her head. ¡°I used it once out of necessity, but I rather not use her name everywhere. It creates problems for her if someone just casually uses it unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Lila, pointing to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure the rest of them are safe.¡± It was clear Lila didn¡¯t want to investigate at all, but it made things easier for them. Nobina had the carriage stopped, and soon, the group gathered to discuss the plan. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°We¡¯ll have their base investigated and things set up for your return. If you find nothing wrong, we¡¯ll need to decide whether we launch a hunt with the backup plan or if we fall back.¡± With the plan settled, the three of them stayed as the rest of them continued to the scout¡¯s base. The escorting guard had given them the general direction of the three estates but also told them that the presence of guards beside gates should be easy to spot. As Helios, Nobina, and Fay made their way to the first noble, Helios began speaking his own hypothesis on the situation. ¡°If you ask me, we might be dealing with a town working with the dragon,¡± said Helios. ¡°That¡¯s insane,¡± said Nobina, shocked by the initial hypothesis. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then how do we even proceed? Report back to Aunai certain individuals are working with the dragon? And if we are wrong, it¡¯ll cause so many issues.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a hypothetical,¡± chuckled Helios. ¡°We could be dealing with only Duven or even no one here working with the dragon. The investigation we are doing should she light on things.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She began wondering what kind of mess they had gotten themselves into. It didn¡¯t take long before they reached the first set of guards. Seeing them, they gave them the whole speech of the order of evacuation, but Helios showed his adventuring card and explained the situation. ¡°Of course,¡± said the first guard. ¡°Please enter.¡± The guards opened the gates, allowing the group to head inside. Unlike Duven¡¯s estate, the estate they were in was mostly minimalistic. Only a few trees and bushes filled the space, with the rest of it merely grass. Once they were at the door, another guard told them to wait as he contacted Sir Hinar. ¡°I believe this is the one barely able to move, right?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°That sounds right,¡± replied Fay. ¡°If only Lady Immana was here,¡± said Helios. ¡°She would have made things much easier.¡± ¡°Or chewed me out,¡± sighed Nobina. After a good ten minutes, the guards allowed them in, leading them deeper into the house. Eventually, they reached a room with an elderly man lying on the bed. He seemed in no condition to move, confirming Duven¡¯s story regarding his fear of death being transported. ¡°Excuse us Sir Hinar,¡± said the guard. ¡°The S-rank adventurers are here to speak with you.¡± Sir Hinar¡¯s mouth began to moved but none of them could hear a word he said, prompting the maid attending to him to listen closely to his mouth. She then sat up straight and spoke. ¡°I shall relay Sir Hinar¡¯s words. ¡®I greet you. I apologize. I cannot move and must stay¡¯,¡± said the maid. ¡°Sir Hinar,¡± said Nobina. ¡°This might be a bit too forward, but¡­¡± Fay held up her hand, stopping Nobina from speaking. ¡°What my friend meant to say was that we thank you for speaking with is. Can we do anything to help you?¡± said Fay in a polite voice. The maid leaned closer to Sir Hinar, listening for a bit before standing back up. ¡°Yes. Can you tell my daughter I¡¯m sorry for not being able to see her one last time? Her name is Aurana Hinar.¡± Fay, Nobina, and Helios went silent for a bit before Fay finally spoke up. ¡°Of course,¡± said Fay. ¡°Once we conclude our mission, we will deliver the message. The maid leaned in one last time and spoke one more set of words. ¡°Thank you,¡± said the maid. With that done, the group left, with Nobina shaking her head. ¡°He seemed¡­ not suspicious honestly,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Do you think this really is only on Duven?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± replied Helios. ¡°Remember, the scouts were all either B or C rank. It doesn¡¯t take too much to take either out.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°So, it¡¯s possible that Duven alone could have arranged for their deaths,¡± said Fay. ¡°Though¡­ I don¡¯t know. I was getting a feeling we are missing something. Duven might be involved, but I don¡¯t think he got rid of the scouts.¡± ¡°So the dragon perhaps?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Maybe¡­ I need more information,¡± replied Fay. With that, the group left the estate, heading off to the next noble. Walking through the town, the three of them found the silence very eerie. It was to be expected due to the lack of population, but another part of it was getting close to the end of the day. Tomorrow, the group would head out to hunt the dragon, so they only had today to investigate the nobles and the mayor. The estate of the next noble was in a similar state. Outside of their estate were guards watching the gate, giving the same response. Once again, Helios showed his adventuring card, and they were told to wait. This time, a rather furious noble exited his estate, followed by a single butler. When he reached the outside of his gate, he stopped and looked at the three of them carefully. ¡°What do you three want?¡± he asked, holding back his anger. ¡°Please calm down sir¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lord Exa to you adventurer,¡± said Exa to Helios. Helios was a bit caught off guard by his attitude but relaxed quickly. ¡°I understand your desire to stay here Lord Exa, and we have no intentions of demanding you to leave.¡± The moment Helios said that, Exa visibly relaxed and gave a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry then,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°That blasted mayor has been egging the three of us to leave, yet I will not let the dragon or some looter have free reign on this estate. My family has spend generations building this place and I will not be the one to loose it. Even at the cost of my life.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you worry that the dragon might end not only your estate but your own life as well?¡± asked Fay. He shook his head, looking at his hands right after. ¡°My father told me to protect this place with my life. Our noble family is already dying out and I¡¯m¡­ A failure of a noble. If I lose this place, then we have nothing left.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°My father and mother are dead. My grandparents are dead. I¡¯m the last noble of the line and my stubbornness is going to result in this line coming to an end. I¡­ Rather not get more into details about that though.¡± Nobina noticed that Exa was holding back tears. It was clear he thought that even if he was to lose his life, he felt it was better to protect the estate of his family rather than run away. ¡°I can understand that, but what¡¯s your plan once the whole incident is resolved?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Do you intend to go back on the hunt for someone to have a relationship with?¡± Exa stood there for a bit before shaking his head. ¡°Honestly? I have no idea what I want to do. All I know is I plan to protect this estate,¡± he said with a bit of reluctance. She wished there was something more she could say, but she had no sense of relationship advice. Nobina herself was never in a relationship with anyone, so all she had to go off of were movies, books, and other media she viewed. If there was anyone who could help, it would be Fay. ¡°I can totally help you out,¡± said Fay, nodding her head. ¡°Though, I¡¯m quite busy with the dragon situation, so¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± said Exa. ¡°Anyway, what did you come by for anyway?¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Helios. ¡°Have you noticed anything strange? We came here with the intention of working with the scouts to defeat the dragon, but Duven informed us they were all dead.¡± Exa nodded his head, looking a bit irritated. ¡°That Duven¡­ Something is up with him,¡± responded Exa. ¡°He¡¯s been pushing for all of us to leave, yet I feel he has no intention to leave himself. Else, he would have his things packed. If you asked me, he has plans involving an empty town. What those plans are, I have no idea.¡± Helios gave a short nod. ¡°We appreciate the information regardless. Thank you for seeing us,¡± said Helios. ¡°Good luck on the dragon hunt,¡± responded back Exa. With that, the three of them left for the final noble¡¯s house. As they left the earshot of the guards, they began discussing the conversation with Exa. ¡°I have a feeling Duven is hiding something,¡± said Fay. ¡°That seems pretty obvious,¡± responded Helios, one of his hands on his chin. ¡°I think the likelihood he¡¯s working with the dragon is far greater than not.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then what do we do about him?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Nothing,¡± he responded back. ¡°If we act against Duven without confirmed proof, we waste valuable time and might be completely wrong. For now, we will investigate the last noble and meet up with everyone for the hunt. The last noble house had the most eerie feeling out of all of the estates. No guards were present at the gates. When Fay went to try to open it, the doors opened without resistance, creating a loud scrapping sound as if the gates hadn¡¯t been open in a long time. Looking around the estate, it was clear it was overgrown, yet Duven indicated it wasn¡¯t abandoned. ¡°Where are the guards?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t like this,¡± said Fay. ¡°I don¡¯t sense anyone watching us either, so either they are deep within the house, or they are better at hiding themselves than even people like Nia.¡± All three of them nodded, proceeding with caution deeper into the house. Once they were inside, they noticed cobwebs everywhere. On the staircase and furniture were layers of dust that must have been accumulating for some time. At first, they were worried this was the wrong address, but someone¡¯s voice yelled up. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± called a man from under the floor. The group tensed up as they heard someone walking around. It wasn¡¯t long before they noticed a door open, showing a man in noble attire stepping out. Unlike the other two nobles, this third one looked far nicer than the rest. He was tall, well-groomed, and was wearing attire that looked extremely decorative. ¡°Hello there,¡± said the man with a grin. ¡°Name¡¯s Harton Dale. Pleasure to meet you three. I don¡¯t mean to be rude though, but why did you enter my house without permission?¡± Helios gave a bow. ¡°I apologize, but we have an important matter to discuss with you Harton,¡± said Helios. ¡°We are checking on the nobles to see if they found anything strange with the deaths of the scouts. That is why we were concerned with the lack of guards and servants here, not to mention the bad condition of the house.¡± ¡°Ah apologize,¡± laughed Harton. ¡°I¡¯m actually just a cousin of the noble family. They asked me to come here to watch over the estate until the conflict is resolved.¡± The three of them looked at each other before returning their focus to Harton. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that they¡¯d ask a cousin to come to an evacuation zone to watch over a house that appears not used that much,¡± said Fay, eying Harton suspiciously. ¡°Are you sure you are with the noble family?¡± Harton nodded his head vigorously. ¡°Ask Mayor Duven. He also questioned me taking over the house, but I showed him the family crest and he verified it legitimate.¡± Reaching into his coat, Harton brought out a noble crest. It was clear it was nobility since the noble crest had a particular design that only a verified crafter could replicate. Not only that, but it also had a unique magical crystal on it that only the royal family could implant. ¡°This is the real deal,¡± said Helios, examining the crystal. ¡°Sorry for the suspicion,¡± said Nobina. ¡°No worries! After all, I¡­¡± Before Harton could finish, Fay immediately jumped and almost cut Harton in two with the sword on her side. However, he stepped back and dodged with ease. ¡°Woah there miss,¡± said Harton, looking dumbfounded. ¡°Why did you¡­¡± Fay wasted no time. She locked eyes with Harton, ice in her stare as she used a skill. ¡°Magic breaker!¡± Magic began forming around Fay¡¯s hand as her sword fell to the ground, and she charged straight for Harton. This time, he couldn¡¯t dodge the fist strike completely, suffering damage to what appeared to be a magical shield around him. ¡°Damn you,¡± said Harton, quickly running out of the house. Fay began running after him, prompting Nobina to look at Helios in confusion. ¡°What is going on?¡± she asked. ¡°I believe that Harton must have had a stolen crest,¡± he replied. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell since I¡¯m not familiar with them, but someone like her who has close ties with the princess must have figured it out easily.¡± Not wanting to let Fay chase him alone, the two of them exited the building. Once outside, they saw Fay standing in the center of the yard, looking up. Their eyes widened upon seeing a medium-sized dragon flying away. ¡°Was that¡­¡± said Nobina, trailing off. ¡°Harton is the rogue dragon,¡± said Fay. ¡°Looks like the mayor is working with the dragon. The real question is, why was he in this house?¡± The three looked at each other, making a nod before heading back inside. The group made their way down the staircase into the basement of the estate. What they saw shocked them. In the basement was a bed that had a large dragon egg on it. It had to be half the size of Nobina, making them all wonder if this was that dragon¡¯s egg. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Why did that dragon abandon its egg?¡± ¡°Perhaps this is merely a temporary retreat,¡± responded Helios. ¡°If it sensed that it couldn¡¯t take us on without damaging the egg in the process, it¡¯s sometimes better to perform a tactical retreat. When it does come back, it likely won¡¯t be alone.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°That dragon¡­ has to have a mate,¡± said Fay. ¡°That means we have two rogue dragons we are dealing with, not one. Not only that, but the fact the dragon had the ability to shapeshift means these likely aren¡¯t normal dragons.¡± Nobina felt the blood drain from her face as she realized how serious the situation was. Even with Fay and the Gaze, could they actually handle two dragons? Not only that, but Nobina was aware that most dragons could not shapeshift. That meant the dragon likely gained it through a rare Path. ¡°What should we even do,¡± she thought to herself. Chapter 91: Guilty and New Strategies The three of them quickly made their way to the scout¡¯s building, which was located at the edge of the town. Once there, they saw Mimiki outside, reading what appeared to be a journal. When she caught sight of the three of them, she waved them over. ¡°You guys won¡¯t believe this,¡± she said, waiting for them to get close. Once they did, however, she asked them what was wrong. ¡°Did you guys learn something important?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Let¡¯s speak inside,¡± responded Nobina. The group headed inside, where Marve, Cain, Lila and Nia were. Inside was a large single room that had a staircase going upstairs and downstairs. The room itself was a mixture of a living room, a dining room, a study and a kitchen. It lacked the ways to separate them, but the large room was arranged in a way to fit all of those four elements. Marve was sharpening his axe while Cain was looking at a table of documents. Lila and Nia were merely sitting, facing each other. Neither of them turned to look at the four entering the building. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Cain, the first to turn to the group. ¡°Big news apparently,¡± said Mimiki, putting down the journal. ¡°Everyone gather at the table.¡± Everyone stood up, with Lila breaking concentration first. ¡°Damn it,¡± said Lila, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I hate keeping others waiting.¡± Nia nodded, joining Lila at the central dining table. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Lila first, showing a tiny bit of impatience. ¡°We investigated the three nobles, and it turns out one of them was one of the dragons,¡± said Nobina. Lila turned to Fay, surprised. ¡°You let it escape?¡± she asked. Fay shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t do well against targets that try to flee,¡± said Fay. ¡°Not to mention, that dragon is probably similar strength to me, perhaps a bit stronger. In its human form, I had a chance, but in its dragon form, I had no shot of containing it.¡± Lila covered her mouth. ¡°Wait... human form? Is it an ancient dragon!¡± The excitement exuded from Lila was instantly crushed as Fay shook her head. ¡°I believe it¡¯s just a dragon with a rare Path, but we must be cautious regardless.¡± Nobina remembered she did have her ability, but she was too slow to react anyway. It did seem like she made the right call though, as the three might not have been enough to take out that dragon. ¡°Do you think we could have taken it out?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Not without serious destruction to the town,¡± said Fay, shaking her head. ¡°Not only that, but it might have called for its partner, which could have resulted in our complete defeat.¡± All of the others gasped except for Lila, who was shaking her head. ¡°Tch. I wish I was there,¡± said Lila, cracking her knuckles. ¡°I really want to defeat a dragon.¡± ¡°Well¡­ The issue is that I don¡¯t think we are in a position to take out two dragons,¡± said Fay. ¡°We need to interrogate that mayor immediately,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°He must have known there were two dragons and was protecting them.¡± All of them nodded in agreement. Before leaving, Mimiki informed them of the contents of the journal. Apparently, it had indications of suspicion of the dragon having interest in the town, but they were unsure of what the reason could be. The idea was to investigate the outer parts of the town for a few days and then begin investigating the town itself a bit to identify anything of interest in it. ¡°And I guess we have the point of interest,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Is the egg still back at the nest?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Fay. ¡°If we moved it, we risk damaging the egg or invoking their fury. The best bet was to leave it there for now. I doubt they¡¯d come back immediately for the egg.¡± ¡°This changes things though,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°Should we still proceed with the hunt or abandon it until we get reinforcements.¡± The room went silent. All of them knew that they were only really prepared to face one dragon. Two was definitely too much for the group. ¡°We obviously retreat,¡± said Cain, being the first voice of reason. ¡°I reluctantly agree,¡± nodded Marve. ¡°We are only four S-ranks. Two dragons can get a few of us killed, if not all of us.¡± Helios gave a nod as well. ¡°I must concur with the group. As strong as we are, the collateral damage of a two-dragon attack is far too much. ¡°I disagree,¡± said Lila,¡± shaking her head. ¡°We need to hunt them immediately, or else we¡¯ll never get a chance to slay one.¡± ¡°Listen here you,¡± said Cain, slamming his hands on the table. ¡°You want to go?¡± responded Lila, her sharp gaze on Cain. ¡°Calm down you two,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°We are in the mist of voting. Let¡¯s hear the others.¡± Turning to Nia, she spoke one word. ¡°Stay.¡± It surprised the rest of them, but Fay gave a nod. ¡°I agree with Nia and Lila, but for a particular reason,¡± said Fay. ¡°If we abandon the town, the dragons might take the egg and raze the town right after, finding a new nest. If this egg is freshly laid, then they will protect that egg with their lives, let it hatch, then leave.¡± ¡°Are new eggs that fragile?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Was that the reason they attacked the town in the first place? If so, why have the egg here in particular?¡± ¡°We need to ask the mayor that,¡± said Fay. ¡°But for now, my vote is to stay.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Three stay. Three leave. Nobina turned to Mimiki, who shook her head. ¡°We lack the information, but my vote is Nobina¡¯s vote. Whatever she decides, I¡¯d go with that.¡± Nobina felt the pressure of the vote as the rest of them looked at her. ¡°We are rushing things,¡± she said quickly, waving her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s find out what the mayor knows and go from there.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± they all nodded. The group left the building and made their way to the mayor¡¯s residence. Once they were there, the guards halted them immediately. ¡°The mayor has ordered no one come in, no exceptions,¡± said the guard. Fay, irritated, pulled out her letter. ¡°By order of Third Princess Elina De Lural, let us through immediately,¡± said Fay, showing the letter. The guards bowed, opening the gates for the group to proceed inside. Once they were at the door of the estate, the doors opened to one of the maids standing there as if expecting them. ¡°Mayor Duven is waiting for you upstairs,¡± said the maid. ¡°Follow me.¡± The group followed the maid up to the second floor, heading all the way to a set of double doors at the other end of the building. The maid opened the doors, showing the mayor standing facing the window away from them. ¡°So,¡± said the mayor. ¡°You poked around and doomed this town. Congrats.¡± ¡°You know this is your fault,¡± said Fay, irritated. ¡°You had to hide the fact you were working with¡­¡± ¡°For,¡± he corrected. ¡°Not by choice either.¡± He turned to the group, sighing before sitting down. ¡°You must have discovered that the third noble was using that house as a nest.¡± ¡°Why,¡± asked Helios. ¡°Are you familiar with World Energy Pools Helios?¡± asked Duven. Helios nodded. ¡°Yes. World Energy Pools are exact locations where one can gather energy directly from the world itself. Only a few are known to exist, and they drain quickly. Are you saying¡­¡± ¡°The dragons are using a World Energy Pool to ensure that child becomes a Magical Dragon when it hatches.¡± Nobina was confused, but Fay began explaining what she knew. ¡°They must be certain that a World Energy Pool can influence Paths. I¡¯ve heard people have tried to do it themselves, but to no success. It must require certain conditions to use those pools we are still unaware of.¡± Duven gave a shrug. ¡°I told that dragon she didn¡¯t need to burn a village and forest to get people to abandon this town, but she said that she didn¡¯t trust a town full of people. Instead, she wanted to empty it, have her child, and leave as soon as it had absorbed the energy and hatched,¡± said the mayor. ¡°And now her mate is likely going to warn her, and this town is doomed.¡± ¡°So what do you plan to do now?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Will you oppose us?¡± ¡°Like I have a choice,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Those dragons will kill me and burn my manor to the ground. At this point, I hope you defeat those two and spare me a harsh sentencing.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± said Fay, shaking her head. ¡°So, with the new information, what¡¯s the plan Nobina?¡± All of them turned to Nobina, who was deep in thought. If they left, the dragons would be gone by the time they got back. If they stayed, they¡¯d have to fight two dragons. As far as Nobina was concerned, they could likely take one on without casualties, but two was unlikely. ¡°What are the odds we take out both?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Slim,¡± said Fay immediately. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t like to say it, if we stay to fight the dragons, there will be sacrifices. We have to all be committed to defeating both if we do.¡± ¡°A magical dragon is a threat that we cannot ignore,¡± said Helios. ¡°As much as I want to leave, this new information means we have to defeat those two dragons or take out that egg in the worst case.¡± Nobina turned to Marve and Cain, who looked at each other before turning to Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m on board,¡± said Marve. ¡°It¡¯s risky and I might die, but I rather die a hero than let people die.¡± ¡°Where Marve goes, I go,¡± replied Cain. At this point, Nobina was the last person left. Fear threatened to overtake her, but she only had to look at Fay¡¯s gaze once to know her decision. ¡°We prepare to fight two dragons,¡± she responded. With them all on the same page, they turned to the mayor. ¡°There are no more secrets,¡± said the mayor. ¡°You know what I know, and I will fully cooperate.¡± Fay gave a nod. ¡°Tell me this, did you get all those scouts killed?¡± asked Fay. ¡°Unfortunately, I gave the dragon the information that might have got them killed,¡± responded Duven. ¡°They asked me for their plans, and I gave it. Then they informed me they planned to dispose of them during their mission.¡± Nobina could see Mimiki ready to take out her frustrations on Duven, but she managed to calm down. ¡°You know that will only look bad on you,¡± said Mimiki, spite in her voice. ¡°I rather have a chance to survive than die on the spot,¡± said Duven. ¡°Do you blame me?¡± Mimiki clicked her tongue. As angry as she was, she knew Duven was being held hostage by those dragons if his story was now fully truthful. It was possible he was going to receive something else as well for his cooperation, but it was also as likely he was receiving nothing. ¡°No,¡± said Mimiki, shaking her head. ¡°Anything else we should know?¡± ¡°I swear that¡¯s it,¡± he replied. Seeing no need to question him further, the group decided to have one of them watch him as the rest met downstairs in the meeting room. They had no reason to believe speaking about anything near him was safe at this point, but at the same time they were certain he was telling the truth mostly. Once everyone except Cain was in the meeting room, the group began discussing strategy. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°We don¡¯t have a strategy for multiple dragons.¡± ¡°The key is their target,¡± said Fay. ¡°Those dragons will defend that egg to the death. They likely have no plans to abandon it, but¡­¡± ¡°Hey Fay,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Why did you attack the dragon? Couldn¡¯t you have ignored it and let us know you suspected they were a dragon? Then we could have all gathered and¡­¡± ¡°He was going to kill you Nobina,¡± said Fay, looking downward. ¡°You are right that it would have ideally been better to come back with everyone, but that dragon had his eyes on you the whole time. I had such a bad feeling I felt there was no choice but to strike first.¡± Nobina found herself shocked by the news. She didn¡¯t even suspect Harton was going to strike her down, yet knowing now made her realize how weak she really was in the face of a dragon. ¡°Thank you, Fay,¡± said Nobina, unable to hold back her nerves. ¡°Hm,¡± said Helios. ¡°Your senses are pretty keen Fay. Are you sure you¡¯re just an S-rank adventurer?¡± Fay nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near the fabled SS rank status Helios. Maybe after ten years or longer? If ever? For now, I just know I have my limits. I¡¯m just really good at trusting instincts thanks to my time at Arren,¡± said Fay with confidence. He gave a nod back. ¡°Back to the planning. Do we intend to use the egg as leverage? Perhaps threaten it or even use it as a shield? As long as its there, they won¡¯t use powerful attacks,¡± asked Helios ¡°They might be rageful though if they see that we are taking those actions,¡± commented Mimiki. ¡°Our best course of action likely will be to somehow get the fight outside the city.¡± ¡°It gives them a tactical advantage though,¡± said Fay, shaking her head. ¡°Out in the open, we¡¯ll almost certainly get slaughtered. Those two dragons will likely keep draconic form.¡± ¡°Then what do we do?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Try to separate them?¡± ¡°Almost impossible,¡± said Helios. ¡°They can fly and are massive. There¡¯s a reason that the dragon decided to retreat instead of fighting the three of us. It might have died, and its partner would have been delayed in responding. That being said, my suggestion is we attempt negotiations. Even if they have an advantage, they¡¯d likely don¡¯t want to risk the egg if possible.¡± ¡°It does give them the first strike though,¡± said Mimiki, shaking her head. None of them were certain about the correct course of action, but Nobina had a potential idea pop up in her head. ¡°What if we get my bunnies here?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Pausers was called, and we know Giggles isn¡¯t too far. If we¡­¡± ¡°Wait,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°You¡­ called your Death Hare to Navira?¡± All of them turned to Nobina, who waved her hands. ¡°Listen! I was worried and its better we have all our cards on the table, right?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Fay in almost a yell. Nobina shrunk back as Fay began laying into her. ¡°You know how destructive this might all be if we get something as deadly as a Death Hare involved.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she replied back, her head downcast. ¡°How exactly will your bunny know where to go?¡± asked Helios. Nobina raised a finger before lowering it. ¡°Note to future self?¡± she asked, reluctantly smiling. ¡°We¡¯ll need to talk later,¡± said Fay. ¡°About this and loads of stuff.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Hold on,¡± said Cain, face full of shock. She has a Death Hare?¡± Nobina realized how bad things were going to get, but Mimiki came to the rescue. ¡°We can discuss this more in detail later, but please let¡¯s focus on the topic at hand. The dragons.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Helios. ¡°We don¡¯t have much of a choice here. We should attempt negotiations. If it fails, we must be ready to strike them down. Those dragons will likely appear either tonight or tomorrow, so we best be ready.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± all of them responded. Nobina was unsure of how things were going to turn out, but they needed to know for certain whether they could let those rogue dragon lives or had to take them out. ¡°If all else fails, I have my Gaze items,¡± she thought to herself. Chapter 92: Fear and Negotiations The group rejoined the others back in the mayor¡¯s office. At this point, the mayor was merely waiting for them to decide what to do with him, but the situation was tricky. ¡°Can we really leave him alone?¡± asked Cain. ¡°The dragons might go to him first and if one of us is caught alone, it¡¯s curtains for them.¡± They all looked at the mayor, who raised his hands. ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t want to die. If they approach me again and demand information, I¡¯ll reveal everything I know on the spot.¡± Nobina shook her head. She understood the idea of not wanting to die, but coming from the mayor, it felt more shameless. If there was even a chance of getting hurt, she knew the mayor wouldn¡¯t hesitate to work against them. ¡°I mean¡­ we can¡¯t leave him here, right?¡± asked Nobina. Fay shook her head. ¡°He¡¯ll have to come with us for negotiations. When the dragons come and check, they¡¯d likely head straight for the manor once they see Duven isn¡¯t here.¡± They all looked at Duven, who raised his hands again. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± he replied. The group gathered up and headed to Harton¡¯s manor. All of them were on edge the whole time, keeping their eyes partly on the sky as they awaited contact with the dragons. A few of them split off to get supplies for the night, but most of them stayed in the group. ¡°You think they already are back there?¡± asked Nobina to Fay. ¡°I doubt it,¡± she replied back. ¡°If Harton¡¯s mate was close, then he would have just roared out for her. She must be doing something farther away.¡± Nobina began to wonder why those two were separated in the first place, but she had nothing to really go off of. It didn¡¯t take long before they all reached the manor. Nia told the group she¡¯d remain outside while the rest of them remained on standby inside. Once inside, they cleaned off an area, and all sat down in the living room. It was decently dusty, but Nobina remembered she had something for cleaning. Taking out her ring, she used it to clean the living room, leaving it free of dust. Everyone was in awe seeing the ring in action, with Duven being the most impressed. ¡°Amazing,¡± said Duven. ¡°The ability to clean in a snap? You must sell me that ring.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± said Nobina, putting the ring away. ¡°This was a gift.¡± Duven looked dissatisfied but didn¡¯t press her. ¡°Another Gaze item?¡± asked Fay. Nobina gave a nod. ¡°I have a lot of their gifts with me, some more useful than others. Like I have one that gives me the ability to force a dragon to land as long as its weak enough.¡± Fay¡¯s eyes glisten hearing that. ¡°That¡¯s so amazing. Was that your¡­¡± Fay shut her mouth immediately, realizing how she shouldn¡¯t reveal their origins. ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Nobina, understanding what Fay was going to say. ¡°Sweet. All I got was a special ability. It isn¡¯t too special though,¡± she replied, looking at her own hands. ¡°Though, I guess it allows me to¡­¡± Immediately, Fay drew her sword, prompting everyone to stand as she jumped back. The Gaze bag fell to the ground, glowing red. ¡°Not now,¡± said Fay, ready to strike at any moment. Minutes passed before the glow disappeared, calming everyone down. ¡°What in god¡¯s name was that?¡± asked Duven, the most confused of everyone. ¡°Nobina¡¯s bag can produce horrific monsters sometimes. The last one came when the bag glowed red, so we were just being cautious,¡± replied Fay back. The group tried to calm down, but the situation was now more tense than it should be. ¡°Say,¡± said Nobina, trying to break the tension. ¡°So, you said that we could negotiate with the dragons, right? What exactly are we negotiating?¡± ¡°We¡­ didn¡¯t really hash that out,¡± replied Fay. ¡°However, I believe it¡¯s mostly a ruse to get the drop on the dragons. Whatever we negotiate, it will likely involve them wanting the egg fully hatched after absorbing all that magical energy. If that happens and they can secure the dragon¡¯s safety, they¡¯d either leave us alone or burn this town to the ground. Regardless, in both cases we cannot let them leave with a magical dragon. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Nobina understood that, but if there was no other choice but killing them, it would likely result in some of them, if not all of them dying. There had to be a better way about it. ¡°Is there really no word where we accept their negotiation of leaving in peace?¡± asked Nobina, failing to hide how sad she was feeling. Fay placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. ¡°These are dragons Nobina. They hardly fear us and will do anything they please. One day they might promise peace, but the next they might choose violence,¡± replied Fay. ¡°But the queen of the dragons keeps most of them in check, right? If peace with the dragons couldn¡¯t happen, then we¡¯d be at war with them right now. Not only that, but these are intelligent creatures. They surely must know how beneficial peace is,¡± said Nobina. In her mind, fighting them should have been a last resort at this point. Sure, when there was one dragon it made sense to only go for the kill. It was in retribution for their destruction of the village and forest. Now that they were at a disadvantage, fighting them to the death seemed like the wrong way to go about it. Nobina continued to give it more though before a knock came at the door. Opening it, Nobina saw it was Cain, Marve and Helios, who had gone to get the supplies back in the scout base. Once the supplies were set down and every began eating, Mimiki gathered everyone to discuss the plan. ¡°I¡¯m putting Fay in charge of negotiations with Nobina and Helios backing them up. No one else is to say anything unless spoken to,¡± said Mimiki, her eyes full of focus. ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°One question,¡± said Helios. ¡°We are using these negotiations as a ruse right? We cannot let them fully hatch the magical egg.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Yes,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°No,¡± said Fay. Everyone turned to Fay, confused by her response. ¡°There might be a situation where we will absolutely die if we confront them. If that becomes the case, I do not want one of us throwing our lives away for nothing. Rather, we will let them leave with the egg,¡± said Fay. ¡°But¡­¡± said Mimiki. All of them went silent before Cain spoke his mind. ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Cain. ¡°There is a likely chance we can¡¯t kill both of them. If that¡¯s the case, we should retreat to fight another day. If we had even a day or two or more time, perhaps reinforcements would be here, but that¡¯s unfortunately not the case. I say that, if Fay determines it, we negotiate for our safety.¡± They all looked at each other before mostly agreeing with the plan. Only Lila didn¡¯t agree, but she didn¡¯t really voice opposition either. ¡°If I can¡¯t fight them now¡­ so be it,¡± she replied. As she said that, Nobina saw the Gaze spew out an item. All of them looked at it before Nobina recognized it. ¡°Wait, that looks like¡­¡± Nobina picked it up and noticed it was an old token of the Nameless Knight Token. ¡°Amazing,¡± said Fay, looking at the token. ¡°That looks like an expired Nameless Knight Token.¡± ¡°Expired?¡± asked Nobina. Fay gave a nod. ¡°A few of these have appeared in history. They basically grant the user the strength of the Nameless Knight. Few know how strong they really are, but history has revealed that even the queen of dragons failed to defeat them.¡± Nobina eyes opened widely hearing that. She reached into her special bag and pulled out the token she received, causing Fay to cover her mouth. ¡°How did¡­ Did the Gaze give you that?¡± asked Fay. Nobina nodded her head. ¡°Nobina. Can you request items from the Gaze?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I tried once, but it didn¡¯t really work. I think these are entities that operate at their own drum. They give me items as they please and whether it helps or not is up to them.¡± Fay¡¯s curiosity grew immediately. If Nobina had such a powerful tool at her disposal, then they really did have a chance against the dragons. ¡°I can use the token to deter those two dragons for sure,¡± said Fay. ¡°Likely?¡± Helios responded, cutting in. ¡°The Nameless Knight never goes on the offensive. They will attack me and fail to. Not only that, but I will be striking fear into them to retreat. Of course, I doubt this thing will last long, right?¡± asked Fay. ¡°Ten minutes,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°In those ten minutes¡­¡± A large boom could be heard, with the glass windows of the building shattering. Moments later, she heard Harton call from outside. ¡°Humans,¡± he yelled, drawing their attention. ¡°Ah hand me that,¡± said Fay, taking the token, The group headed outside, where they were all immediately struck in fear. Outside the manor was Harton in human form. Right behind him though was a dragon that was almost three times the size of an elephant with wings. The blue and black scales glistened in the fading sunlight as the sky was slowly darkening. It stood directly behind Harton, with its eyes staring intently at Nobina. ¡°She¡¯s dangerous,¡± said the dragon. ¡°We need to get rid of¡­¡± ¡°Woah hold on there Sina,¡± said Harton, who was seeing the murderous intent from Fay. ¡°We came here to talk first, remember?¡± ¡°Please forgive us,¡± said Helios, speaking up. ¡°We mean you no harm, but we must discuss your goals here. Please help us understand why you are doing all of this.¡± Harton nodded his head vigorously. ¡°Understandable! Two dragons appearing and terrorizing weak humans is so odd right? Especially since our queen forbids it. Well, let me tell you a tale. See¡­ Me and my mate Sina want to one day make it big in the world. However, our queen exiled us while we weren¡¯t mates. Things happened and we eventually did become mates and¡­¡± ¡°God please don¡¯t tell the full story,¡± roared Sina, causing everything to shake around her. ¡°Ah sorry my love,¡± he replied back. ¡°Long story short, we were exiled and wanted our kid to have a good future. Being a magical dragon guarantees that. Simple.¡± He was giving the biggest grin, but all of them could tell that Sina was getting close to just blowing them away with her dragon breath. There were even visible flames in her mouth, yet she kept it closed. ¡°So, you know our purpose here. Only one question. Will you oppose us?¡± smiled Harton. ¡°We are willing to leave if you leave once this egg is hatched,¡± replied Fay. ¡°Perfect! Is that good with you, my love?¡± smiled Harton as he turned to Sina. ¡°I don¡¯t trust any of them. They will stab us the moment we let our guard down,¡± he huffed, more flames coming from her mouth. ¡°Now Sina¡­ I rather not harm our child in the process. Can you just patiently keep watch as I finish incubating the egg? It should only take like¡­ two more days.¡± Sina¡¯s eyes turned to Nobina, causing her to shiver in fear. ¡°She must die then,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Absolutely not,¡± said Fay, standing in front of Nobina. ¡°What¡¯s one life for the many?¡± replied Harton, trying to calm everyone down. ¡°If you won¡¯t even promise us one life, how can we trust you with ours?¡± Nobina was frozen in fear, realizing how close she was to death. Even with Fay in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but want to run at this point. After all, Sina had so much murderous intent that it was impossible to sense anything else. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, stepping to her side. ¡°We will protect you.¡± Harton sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Is this what you call failed negotiations then humans? I¡¯m being very generous right now not killing any of you, but you are leaving us no choice. I am quite strong and Sina even more.¡± Fay could see past Harton¡¯s smile. He wanted all of them dead but was merely holding back because of the egg. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no choice,¡± said Fay, holding the token. Sina hissed, roaring into the sky. ¡°Why does that girl have that,¡± she roared. ¡°Harton!¡± In a single motion, Harton snapped his fingers. Before Fay could even react, the token disappeared from her eyes. ¡°What?¡± responded Fay, trying to find it desperately. As Fay looked, she saw Harton was right next to her, clashing his claws with Nia¡¯s blade. ¡°Clever,¡± he hissed. ¡°Waiting for this moment.¡± He hopped back, turning to Sina. ¡°Go,¡± she said, with Harton saluting. ¡°I shall be back.¡± Harton bolted for the building, with all of them now turning their attention to Sina. ¡°You humans think that that one token will be enough? Foolish. Foolish!¡± repeated Sina, becoming more rageful by the second. Sina¡¯s breath began forming fire once again, but soon, a powerful bolt of ice slammed directly into her mouth, dispersing a blast of electricity from within it. She reacted immediately, backing off as she took to the skies. Nobina, trying to recover, could turn just enough to see Helios preparing another spell. ¡°We are lucky that the egg is preventing a massive fire blast, but as long as¡­¡± ¡°Dragonrend!¡± yelled Nobina, snapping out of her fear. Her voice echoed a massive amount of power, her focus towards Sina. Seconds later, they began falling from the sky, roaring before smashing directly into the ground. ¡°Go,¡± Nobina huffed, finding herself barely able to stand. All of them nodded to each other as Fay, Nia, Helios, and Lia went for Sina. Cain, Marve, and Mimiki stayed behind to watch over Nobina. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Marve. ¡°I¡­ feel so tired,¡± said Nobina. Using the Dragonrend had drained her of most of her energy. She knew she didn¡¯t have much in her to keep going, but she couldn¡¯t faint right then and there. ¡°The berries,¡± she told herself. Going into her special bag, she looked for one of the berries. Finding it, she ate it and found her energy revitalizing. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon either, as she saw Mimiki¡¯s black collide with Harton¡¯s claws, knocking back. ¡°Damn it,¡± said Harton, eying Nobina. ¡°You had to block my way. Well then¡­¡± ¡°Axe slam!¡± yelled Marve, slamming his axe where Harton was standing. Harton was about to say something when everyone froze in fear. An ominous fear-inducing whisper, one appearing both male and female, began speaking in their minds. ¡°A gleaming stitch in the fabric, loose, waiting ¨C waiting for my hand.¡± Suddenly, Nobina noticed the Gaze Bag, which was left behind by Fay and glowing a dark red, shot out a golden thread. It began traveling in the direction of Sina and everyone heading towards her. Harton was still frozen in fear, but he immediately reacted moments later. ¡°Sina my love! Are you ok?¡± Nobina turned to see Sina standing up. However, there was an eye on the dragon¡¯s forehead. It looked like one of the ones that appeared on the Gaze Crawler. ¡°Get away,¡± she roared, building up the fire in her mouth. All of them braced for the worst before hearing someone scream out. ¡°No! The child,¡± yelled Harton. Harton immediately jumped up and began transforming into a dragon. When he did, he used his body to block Nobina¡¯s group and the manor from harm. ¡°Ah!¡± The flames were intense, not being held back in the slightest. Despite the skin of dragons being somewhat resistant against dragon fire, Sina was far more powerful than Harton in terms of offensive power. Harton couldn¡¯t move, merely lying there as he said Sina¡¯s name softly. Nobina didn¡¯t know what to do, but she noticed something appear on the ground next to her. ¡°The token,¡± she yelled, grabbing it in her hands. ¡°What is going on Nobina?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°I don¡¯t know but¡­¡± ¡°You must stop Sina,¡± yelled a familiar voice. ¡°Nonomo?¡± said Nobina. ¡°You cannot let that mark fully take her over. Go!¡± yelled the voice before Nobina felt a headache. The Gaze power weakened significantly. She could tell that was a warning she shouldn¡¯t ignore. ¡°We need to stop Sina now,¡± said Nobina. ¡°We can¡¯t let whatever is influencing her win.¡± Mimiki gave a nod, fully trusting her. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together,¡± said Mimiki. All of them nodded, ready to stop Sina no matter what. Chapter 93: Sina and the Nameless Knight Nobina and her group ran past Harton but dodged right behind him as they avoided another blast of fire. Harton once again screamed in pain but held firmly. ¡°Girl! I swear on my soul to surrender to you. Stop Sina from killing our child!¡± At that moment, Nobina felt something etch into her soul. She didn¡¯t know much about dragons, but she did know dragons could make promises that couldn¡¯t be broken. If this was that feeling, then Harton meant every word. ¡°Go now,¡± said Mimiki, tapping Nobina¡¯s back. The flames subsided, and the group continued to approach Sina. It wasn¡¯t a moment too soon as they saw Fay fly into the air and land a summersault kick into Sina¡¯s skull. The sheer power of it was awe-inspiring, but it was short-lived as Sina reacted immediately. ¡°Go away,¡± she roared, firing a blast of fire in Fay¡¯s directly. Fay managed to avoid it, and then barely dodged the tail swipe that came afterwards. ¡°My eyes,¡± yelled Sina as Nia appeared on her head. Two daggers had hit their mark, blinding Sina. However, Sina rolled to her left in the direction of Helios in response. Unlike those two, Helios wasn¡¯t able to dodge. Before he could be crushed, Fay appeared in front of Helios and punched directly forward towards Sina. ¡°Hammer Fist!¡± she yelled. A powerful bang could be heard as Sina stopped mid-roll. Reacting to the punch, Sina stood up and turned her head towards them. ¡°Die,¡± she yelled, firing off a massive blast of fire in their direction. ¡°Lightning Cut,¡± yelled Lila, cutting a blade of lightning into the fire attack. It didn¡¯t stop it, but it disrupted the flames enough that it avoided harming the group. Nobina, seeing all this, knew the group was being pushed to its limit. All of them were visibly drained, and if it continued, Sina would win. ¡°I¡¯m stepping up,¡± said Nobina, holding the token. She pressed it against her heart, hoping something would happen. However, only time passed as the battle waged on. ¡°Nobina,¡± yelled Fay, seeing what she was doing. ¡°Imagine you¡¯re an unstoppable force and do it again!¡± Nobina nodded, pressing it against her chest one more time, imagining herself as a knight who could not be stopped. Soon, she felt as if another entity was surrounding her. An armor of pure black formed around her, and her vision went dark for a second. However, soon her vision was only a single slit out of the black armor that surrounded her head. For a moment, a red glow appeared on that slit but soon faded. The glow appeared a few times but faded after a few seconds each time. ¡°Why won¡¯t you die,¡± Sina yelled, firing off her strongest flame blast yet. From the outside of the armor, all of them except Fay looked in horror as Sina fired a flame blast point-blank into the black knight armor around Nobina. The sheer heat left a glowing mark on the ground around Nobina. However, Nobina was still standing firm, showing no signs of damage. Fay could see that Sina was huffing, barely breathing, as she then attempted to stomp and slash Nobina. Each stomp caused more harm than good to Sina, as Nobina remained still. Sina was becoming more visibly fatigued and hurt with each strike. ¡°Nine minutes,¡± said Fay mentally. ¡°We need to strike now before it wears off. Everyone. Prepare your strongest attacks now!¡± All of them made a nod as they began preparing their skills. Helios was forming his strongest spells, draining every single ounce of his energy. Both Nia and Lila were moving into position, targeting Sina¡¯s head. Fay herself was preparing her strongest spell as well. ¡°We are here too,¡± said Mimiki. Cain and Marve were there as well, preparing for their final strike. ¡°Thirty seconds. Strike now,¡± she yelled. All of them charged the dragon, firing off their strongest attacks one after another. Sina, who was already fatigued, was unable to fend off the attacks, merely roaring in pain as each one was taken. The last to hit her was Fay, who struck her head with her strongest attack. ¡°Final Strike,¡± she yelled, slamming a fist directly into Sina¡¯s head. The dragon was blown away, falling on its side. The mark vanished on her head, causing Sina to relax. Despite all those attacks, Sina was merely out cold. Fay and the others were preparing to act once again, but Fay saw all of them begin to fall over. All except for Nobina, who was finally free of the black armor. She looked at all her friends and teammates, running to their side as she feared the worst. When she reached their side, she was relieved to see all of them just asleep. ¡°Ah¡­ This is going to take a while to heal,¡± came a voice behind her. She turned to see Harton standing there, looking decently roughed up. His clothes looked still clean, yet the rest of his body showed bruises all over. ¡°Despite using my Human Form skill, it doesn¡¯t really hid these injuries well,¡± he chuckled. Nobina took a step back, suddenly fearful again. However, she noticed there was no hostility from Harton whatsoever. Suddenly, a voice came into both of their heads. Once again, it was a whisper like before. ¡°How stubbornly you cling to the unwritten. But I have patience. Even the strongest prose bends to the editor¡¯s hand.¡± Nobina could see the red from the Gaze bag finally disappearing. Along with it, an evil presence she hadn¡¯t noticed existed previously. ¡°Editor?¡± wondered Nobina. ¡°What is that voice referring to gir¡­ Nobina, right?¡± asked Harton.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I believe it¡¯s¡­ one of the Gaze entities,¡± she replied back. It was the first time Nobina was fearful of the bag itself. It had given her the power to deal with this threat, yet it was also the cause of it in the first place. Part of her was relieved that the bag itself was being handled by Fay, but now she had another thing to worry about. ¡°First my destiny, and now this evil entity. What am I going to do,¡± she wondered. There was a lot to do, but the first thing to do was handle the situation with Sina and Harton. Nobina turned to Harton, who gave her a smile. ¡°Well, Nobina. It looks like all of this ended pretty well all things considered. Of course, that bag seems very much something I want destroyed, but I can tell some god is protecting it. At least I didn¡¯t have to kill all of you and now I feel comfortable letting all of you live. Not that I have a choice, but it makes me feel better having the illusion of control.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°You just surrendered to me, right? What does that¡­ exactly mean?¡± ¡°Until you do something to break our bond, I consider you an ally. Of course, Sina isn¡¯t under this bond, but we are mates for life so¡­. She wouldn¡¯t do something to break that bond and get me killed. Dragon promises are tricky like that.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Anyway, Sina needs to be healed, then I¡¯ll release your friends from that illusion spell.¡± ¡°Illusion spell?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Yes. They are currently under one of my skills. I can only use it once a month and it¡¯s called Mass Illusion. I used it to put all of them to sleep for a good hour, but I can break it sooner. I was saving it for a more dire situation like a human army hunting us, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. Didn¡¯t want your companions killing Sina.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Hearing that Harton had such a skill up his sleeve, Nobina realized how outclass they really were. If both were truly trying to kill them no matter what, they¡¯d be all dead. ¡°Now then¡­ Uh¡­ Do you have anything that can heal Sina?¡± asked Harton, rubbing the back of her head. She went to check her bag, finding she had only a few berries left. ¡°I¡­ might? But I was saving these for special occasion,¡± said Nobina. Harton explained the berries, giving them a nod. ¡°Ah it¡¯s fine. Sina is a strong dragon compared to most. Her Draconic Regeneration is particularly potent so she should be up in the hour.¡± Draconic Regeneration. Nobina knew that was another rare Path ability of the dragons. It allowed dragons to recover their wounds in exchange for their energy. It meant that Sina would be fine but unable to really defend herself. ¡°I believe that the evolution is¡­ Dragon Knights?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Right. Her Path is Dragon Knight, and she has a few abilities that suit it. Like that fire blast she has is boosted by her other passive, Draconic Flames. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that Sina is the protector of this relationship.¡± Nobina could see Harton was really proud to be Sina¡¯s mate. It made Nobina wonder though. Her ability affected Sina, which meant there were dragons far stronger than Sina out there. ¡°The world is a truly fascinating place,¡± said Nobina out loud. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± he smiled. ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s uh¡­ Get everyone up and about.¡± Nobina headed to each one of them one by one. Harton dispelled the skill on each one of them as Nobina began explaining everything. Most of them wanted to know about what happened with her Gaze bag, but she told them she¡¯d talk more about it later. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t do anything reckless and merely accepted Nobina¡¯s explanation as she gave it. Soon, Fay was the last to wake up, hugging Nobina and crying her heart out. ¡°Nobina¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so¡­ so¡­ sorry.¡± ¡°What for,¡± said Nobina, surprised by Fay¡¯s tears. ¡°I couldn¡¯t protect you. You almost died while I was supposed to make sure no harm becomes you. I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± Nobina gave a soft smile, speaking gentle words into Fay¡¯s ear. ¡°Fay¡­ Thank you for everything.¡± Fay began to calm down, pulling herself together as she nodded. Soon, the two stood up, with the whole group now facing Harton. Their eyes were also on Sina, who was almost fully done regenerating. She was still fast asleep, though they knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before she would awaken. ¡°So,¡± said Fay, eying Harton suspiciously. ¡°Just like that? We move pass all of this?¡± He nodded his head vigorously. ¡°Of course! Me and Nobina are like friends now! Well¡­ Kinda. The relationship needs work, but we cannot harm each other and certainly we don¡¯t want to harm those we care about, right Nobina?¡± Nobina nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m just thankful this dragon incident is mostly resolved. Though¡­ Kind of not at the same time. I know that Navira and the guild still want your heads for¡­ well¡­ burning down that village. Plus you did kill a lot of people and¡­.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes. Human logic. I committed so many crimes that I must either be enslaved or killed. However, I will say that animal logic has the cycle of life. You don¡¯t kill wolves for killing animals to eat, right. Same thing¡­ surely.¡± Nobina could tell Harton was really trying to justify his action somehow, but no one would side with that logic at all. That being said, they couldn¡¯t really kill them at this point. Everyone was worn out and needed rest. The link was the only thing preventing even more deaths. ¡°Tell you what,¡± said Harton. ¡°Me and Sina will just¡­ take our child and go far north. You never need to see us again.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± asked Fay. ¡°I swear to Nobina once again,¡± he smiled. Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Well¡­ I guess we just wait for a few days till the eggs done, right?¡± ¡°Yeah! Also, I¡­¡± Immediately, Harton froze. Nobina didn¡¯t know why, but soon it became apparent. She saw Hammy appear with Spot on his head. Right behind them was a bunny Nobina knew well. ¡°Hammy! Spot! Pausers! You¡¯re here!¡± Harton didn¡¯t move a muscle as Nobina ran to her bunny. Pausers gave a few hops as she picked him up. She then went to Harton, who looked extremely pale. ¡°Are you¡­ ok?¡± asked Nobina. Looking closely, Nobina could tell he was out cold. ¡°Not again,¡± she sighed. Nobina turned to Lila, who was also frozen. ¡°Not you as well! Oh god¡­¡± Pauser turned their head to Nobina before nuzzling against them. ¡°Well¡­ I guess we got another deterrent.¡± The group began assessing the situation as both Sina and Harton were knocked out. Pausers was likely capable of finishing them off if necessary. However, it seemed Pausers had no inkling of hostility towards those two. ¡°So... you won¡¯t kill them Pausers?¡± asked Nobina. Pausers shook her head, causing Fay to sigh. ¡°I guess we just let them go, huh,¡± said Fay. ¡°I think it¡¯s for the best for now,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Though, you did say that Magical Dragon was a threat, right?¡± ¡°It will be one day, but it seems like we have a few bigger issues. Mainly your bag and resolving the aftermath of this battle. For now, we should prepare to head back home and report the situation. The dragons fled with their magical egg, and we weren¡¯t able to stop them,¡± said Fay. ¡°Actually,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°I think its best that those five report and we head home.¡± ¡°Home?¡± questioned Nobina. ¡°Why would we not go back to Navira?¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s going to make things messy if we go back and explain everything,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°You got Pausers, remember? A bunny capable of destroying the city.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Well¡­ What if¡­ Uh¡­ Yeah¡­¡± Nobina was good with going home. With everything that¡¯s happened, she wanted to go back to Agora anyway. However, it felt wrong not to wrap up everything back in Navira first. ¡°Squeak,¡± said Pausers, turning to Nobina. ¡°What is it Pausers? Should I go to Navira instead?¡± They squeaked again, making Nobina nod. ¡°Uh¡­ I have an idea. We¡¯ll head back, but can you and Pausers wait outside of the city? I¡¯ll resolve everything with everyone else and we¡¯ll head out as soon as possible. Plus, we need a carriage and stuff,¡± said Nobina to Mimiki. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too difficult,¡± Mimiki nodded. ¡°Anyone have any issues with the plan?¡± ¡°Good with me,¡± replied Cain and Marve. ¡°Shoot. I guess we can¡¯t have our duel for a while,¡± sighed Lila, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll miss that book,¡± sighed Helios, showing more sadness than Nobina had ever seen. Nia didn¡¯t say a word, but she gave a nod. ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± smiled Fay. With the plan sorted, Nobina went back to Harton. It didn¡¯t take long for him to wake up, with Pausers now a decent distance away and being held by Mimiki. ¡°My goodness,¡± said Harton. ¡°You have an Alpha Death Hare under your command? I¡¯m so glad we didn¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s¡­ complicated,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Well, glad we can make this less complicated with leaving. Once the egg is done, we are gone for sure. Though¡­ it will take two days so¡­ You¡¯re going to be here till then, right?¡± asked Harton. Thinking about it, they did have to wait for Harton and Sina first. During this time, Nobina knew they had stuff to resolve here as well, like the destruction of the battle. Not only that but if reinforcements arrived, they¡¯d have to explain everything. ¡°I guess we get a few days of rest,¡± smiled Nobina, ready to finally relax. Chapter 94: Mates and Bonds It didn¡¯t take long for Sina to wake up. When she did, she immediately froze upon seeing Pausers standing before her. Behind Pausers was Nobina, Fay, and Harton, with Harton in the center. ¡°Hi¡­ my love,¡± smiled Harton. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to alarm you Harton¡­ But death is right in front of you,¡± she said cautiously. ¡°Oh yeah¡­ That¡¯s Nobina¡¯s bunny. Also, we made a few promises, so we aren¡¯t harming them anymore. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± he smiled. ¡°I swear Harton. How do you get us into these messes?¡± she sighed. ¡°Well¡­ I guess we are just going to wait till Lina hatches and then we head out.¡± ¡°Lina? I thought it was going to be a male dragon named Arthur,¡± said Harton, looking disappointed. ¡°I have a feeling it¡¯s going to be a Lina, but that¡¯ll be discussed in a couple of days,¡± she chuckled. ¡°But¡­ Nobina, was it? I¡¯m honestly shocked. I did not expect you to have more power than an ancient dragon.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯m merely a C-rank adventurer.¡± As she said that, the Gaze bag glowed green. Fay handed it over to Nobina, who opened it to a little fairy dragging out a branch. On the branch were a few pieces of brown fruit resembling coconuts. However, when she took one, it was very easy to peel. Below that skin was a soft layer of dough. Taking a bit of it, Nobina tasted something similar to milk. Under that was a bit of chocolate, making Nobina smile as she enjoyed the fruit. ¡°Amazing as always,¡± smiled Nobina. To her surprise, the little fairy landed on Fay¡¯s shoulders, merely relaxing as it seemed to enjoy itself. ¡°So cute,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°You know¡­ despite the chaos this bag can cause, it certainly brings calm as well.¡± ¡°It does,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m just saying this is why I knew you were dangerous,¡± said Sina. ¡°That bag almost took over my mind. I barely fought it off until it disappeared. Though I guess that Alpha Death Hare is more of a threat.¡± ¡°Pausers,¡± said Nobina. ¡°His name is Pausers.¡± Sina nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ Well. I guess I should remember that.¡± Sina relaxed her head, lying down as she watched Harton. ¡°Say Harton. How long can you stay in that form?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Hm? No limit. It¡¯s a skill I spent like a good hundred years mastering. I will say that us dragons have so much time to train our skills. If you have it, you can master it. Though unfortunately we do not learn too many skills due to this. Hench why we master what skills we end up discovering,¡± responded Harton. Nobina gave a nod. Considering they had a lot of time on their hands, she wanted to know more about Harton and Sina since they wouldn¡¯t be seeing each other after they left. As the four of them stood there, the group noticed some of the guards of the other noble¡¯s approach. However, the sight of Sina deterred any of them from doing anything but watching. As they stood there, Marve and Cain approached the guards to explain the situation. From the manor, Duven appeared from the entrance, shocked to see both Sina and Harton standing there still. ¡°Ah! My good man Duven. Glad you could come out,¡± grinned Harton. ¡°Yes! I¡­ I¡¯m here! What do you require of me Harton?¡± asked Duven hesitantly. Harton approached Duven, causing him to freeze in fear. When Harton was close enough, he stopped in front of Duven with a curious expression. ¡°You seem under the weather. Probably should rest up back at your own manor,¡± said Harton with a smile. ¡°Of course! If you excuse me.¡± Duven took the chance to walk away, moving faster and faster as he got out of sight of the two. ¡°Ah Duven. If we weren¡¯t trying to avoid conflict right now, you¡¯d be so dead,¡± chuckled Harton as he turned back to Nobina and Fay. ¡°Now then, shall we discuss what will happen now?¡± Fay gave a nod. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯d imagine in these two days the only thing that might happen is reinforcements from Navira to assist in the dragon hunt. However, since we have an agreement, we will prevent them from attacking you,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Right. Cause I¡¯d burn this city to the ground if you humans even think of trying to attack us,¡± huffed Sina, a bit of fire coming from her mouth. ¡°Beyond that, I¡¯ll be resting here for the duration. If you need anything, ask Harton. He¡¯s in charge of the egg.¡± Nobina began wondering about the egg and what would happen when it hatched. What would the baby dragon look like? As she wondered about that, Nobina noticed Echo fly out of her bag. They seemed to look at Harton and Sina before landing in Nobina¡¯s arms. ¡°What the¡­¡± said Harton, mouth wide open. ¡°Interesting¡­ You should have shown us that baby dragon you¡¯re raising Nobina,¡± said Sina, shaking her head. ¡°We would have been significantly less hostile, perhaps even friendly to start off with.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯d imagine it¡¯s rare to see a human with a baby dragon, let alone raising one,¡± said Nobina as she held Echo. ¡°Hm¡­ Quite right,¡± nodded Harton. ¡°If that baby dragon was in distress, we¡¯d have to completely decimate you and this town, but it seems quite fond of you. Even as a baby, us dragons are quite intelligent. It has given every indication it is with you willingly, so we have no issues.¡± Nobina looked at Echo in the eye, who gave a nod. ¡°To think I¡¯d see a human caring for a dragon,¡± chuckled Sina. ¡°What strange times we are in.¡± As she said that, Sina gave a yawn. ¡°I have expelled too much energy for the day. Take over Harton,¡± ordered Sina. ¡°As you wish my love,¡± he bowed. Sina¡¯s body relaxed as she slowly began to slumber. Both Nobina and Fay turned to Harton, who had the happiest look on his face. ¡°Look at that. My mate finally feels enough safety to rest. She¡¯s been lightly sleeping for so long that I was worried for her, but now she can fully recharge her dragon breath. It will truly be a beautiful sight then. A pure blue fire that would turn everything to ashes¡­¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but smile seeing Harton happy, but the idea of her burning everything to ashes was troublesome. ¡°Say Harton,¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?¡± ¡°Perhaps tomorrow?¡± replied Harton. ¡°The sun is down now, and I rather get some rest myself as well.¡± Looking around, Nobina was shocked that she didn¡¯t notice how quickly it turned to night. The skies and moon were particularly bright, so there were no issues seeing around them. ¡°Shall we head off for the night Fay?¡± asked Nobina. Fay gave a nod. ¡°Lead on Nobina,¡± she smiled. The group gathered everyone to discuss the plan. Nia would stay with Harton to both keep watch and act as a liaison between them and the two dragons. As they all headed back, Nobina could tell they were all tired as well. They hadn¡¯t eaten dinner after all, and that fight must have drained everyone. ¡°I could do with some food,¡± said Mimiki, stretching her arms. ¡°Same,¡± said Lila. ¡°Tomorrow I need to be ready to spar with Harton.¡± Everyone else groans audibly as she says that. ¡°Please just think logically for once Lila,¡± said Mimiki. ¡°We aren¡¯t trying to have them burn all of us to death.¡± ¡°She is right,¡± said Helios. ¡°Sina is likely holding back showing open hostility because of Harton and Nobina. We should not aggravate her if possible.¡± ¡°Harton is not too far from that either,¡± said Fay. ¡°Like he said, he made a promise to Nobina and will follow it. If we do break it though, I have no doubt that we will not be able to take both of them at this point. They are far stronger than us combined and will show no mercy.¡± Nobina could tell that both Harton and Sina were far stronger than they initially anticipated. Considering the tools both had at their disposal, she wondered if they could even take one of them head-on if it came down to it. Sina had her dragon fire, and Harton had his special illusion skills. ¡°Do you think we had a chance?¡± asked Nobina to Fay. ¡°Maybe,¡± she replied back. ¡°Harton would be extremely tricky, but Sina is a more straightforward fight. I think the eight of us had a shot at defeating her even if she didn¡¯t have that weird mark on her.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Cain. ¡°It came from your¡­ Gaze bag, right Nobina?¡± All of their attention turned to Nobina instinctively, who averted her eyes in response. ¡°I¡­ It came from the Gaze bag,¡± she replied, head facing downward. ¡°That¡¯s quite a dangerous bag then,¡± said Helios, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m surprise you bring that thing around with you. Imagine what would have happened should Sina have been fully converted. Nobina could only imagine the worst. She had even received a rare warning from Nonomo about stopping Sina before the mark fully corrupted her. ¡°Can you even control what comes of it Nobina?¡± asked Cain. She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t really predict what this bag will do, but I am learning more and more about it to this day,¡± said Nobina. ¡°That is why I hope to return to Agora so I can do research into the bag and potentially prevent it from causing issues like this.¡± As Nobina said that, doubt appeared in her mind. Was there really a way to dimish the bag¡¯s power? At the present moment, it seemed capable of disrupting her life to the greatest extent. Not to mention that she also had her own Path to consider. At the moment, they managed to get out of the hairy situation, but would they eventually run into something they couldn¡¯t defeat? She didn¡¯t want to find out. ¡°Well¡­ I would suggest destroying it but¡­¡± said Helios before being cut off by Mimiki. ¡°I believe some sort of divine entity is protecting it. Would not be wise to try to aggravate it,¡± Mimiki replied. There was general unease about the bag, but none of them had anything else to say about it. The group eventually reached the scout base, which was unharmed by the destruction. Nobina turned towards the town as everyone filed into the base. As she looked at it, she started to feel the guilt of its destruction. The battle between them and the two dragons had destroyed half the town. They were lucky that the fires were cut off by lines of destruction, leaving the part of the town with the nobles and mayor still intact. ¡°What do I do,¡± she asked herself as she entered the building last. Once inside, everyone had a decent dinner to eat. There were still plenty of rations, and now they had no reason to stockpile more than what was needed. They would only stay for a few days and then depart. ¡°Doors open and close up?¡± commented Mimiki as she took a seat on the living room couch. ¡°I¡¯d say,¡± replied Nobina as she sat beside Mimiki. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Much better than you,¡± she chuckled. ¡°Honestly? I didn¡¯t do much during that battle. This wasn¡¯t something meant for my skill level, and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d even reach the realm of S-ranks anytime soon if ever.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll reach it,¡± nodded Nobina in support. Mimiki couldn¡¯t help but smile upon hearing Nobina¡¯s words. ¡°I do love that optimism you always have Nobina. Cherish it well,¡± smiled Mimiki. Soon, everyone was done eating. They all found their own respective spots to either set up their beds or sleep on. As Nobina was getting ready to sleep, she saw Fay was already asleep. Normally, she was the one to stay up longer, so it was a nice surprise for Nobina to see the roles flipped. ¡°You worked hard today, Fay,¡± Nobina smiled, seeing Fay sleeping away. Nobina was soon to follow, excited to see what the next day had in store for them. When Nobina woke up, she saw everyone was as active as they could be, enjoying a nice breakfast and talking strategy. ¡°Ah, Nobina is awake,¡± said Mimiki, motioning her to join them at the dinner table. Nobina sat next to Fay and Mimiki, taking out her breakfast for the day. As she munched on it, Mimiki began outlining the plan of action for the day. ¡°So, with the matter with Sina and Harton mostly resolved, our only goal is to ensure no one does anything stupid and attack the dragons. If we can have them leave without issue, that would be it for our mission,¡± said Mimiki, looking at all of them for a response. ¡°It is quite dangerous to leave them be,¡± replied Helios. ¡°There is a good chance Sina and Harton become a problem in the future. Despite Nobina¡¯s promise, there¡¯s no doubt someone is going to attack them and that promise becomes null and void. Then again, this is better than all of us dying.¡± All of them except Lila nodded in agreement. ¡°Do you really think¡­¡± Their attention turned away from Lila as she tried to justify having a spar with either one of the dragons. Instead, they began discussing everyone¡¯s roles. ¡°I still have bad feelings about the mayor, so one of us needs to watch him,¡± said Fay. ¡°Leave it to me and Marve,¡± said Cain. ¡°He probably requires the least power and influence of the group to handle.¡± Fay gave a nod. ¡°Next, we need someone watching the dragons. That will be¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d imagine you and Nobina, right?¡± responded Helios. ¡°After all, the dragons respect you two the most and if the worst happens, you two have the best chance.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t like them considering her strong in any regard. She had already used the Nameless Knight token, and her other magical items weren¡¯t really suited for pure power. ¡°I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m that strong, but¡­¡± Pauser gave a squeak, turning all their attention to them. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Nobina admitted. As for Lila and Helios, they¡¯d keep watch for any new adventurers or reinforcements. If spotted, they¡¯d alert Nobina and Fay to help prevent an attack on Sina and Harton. ¡°Lila will also keep watch from the shadows as well,¡± replied Mimiki. ¡°Anyone have any questions?¡± With no questions amongst the group, all of them packed their food for the day and headed out. The trek through the city in the day was sadder than they thought it¡¯d be. The destruction caused by their fight meant the city might take years to recover, if not longer. It was unavoidable, yet that didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t cause problems for the guild in the future. ¡°I guess that economic crisis will just get worse, huh,¡± Nobina told herself. After a good ten minutes, they reached the spot where Sina was sleeping. Next to her was Nia, and one of the guards was also having a chat with Nia. When the guards noticed their group arriving, he went to Fay to discuss something. ¡°Excuse me,¡± said the guard. ¡°Nia told me that we had nothing to fear, but is that really true?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Fay. ¡°The dragons will leave us alone unless we attack them.¡± The guard seemed a bit relieved but shook his head. ¡°The destruction they caused¡­ So many lives were upended by their actions. It doesn¡¯t sit right with me,¡± said the guard. ¡°It is a matter we must accept,¡± replied Helios. ¡°It¡¯s either the land or our lives, and I rather we all live to fight another day.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± said the guard. With his question answered, he headed out, leaving the group to disperse. Once they were all gone, Harton exited the building, giving a big stretch. ¡°Another day, another chance to learn more,¡± laughed Harton, turning his attention to Nobina and Fay. ¡°And it seems the two people I wanted to talk more to are here.¡± Both of them looked at Harton curiously as they approached. ¡°Do you mind if I take a look at Echo?¡± asked Harton. Upon hearing their name, Echo exited Nobina¡¯s bag and flew into Harton¡¯s arms. ¡°Woah there,¡± he chuckled, smiling as he looked at Echo. ¡°I see¡­ So, Echo seems a bit special. I can sense a lot of draconic potential. Perhaps in a hundred or two hundred years they¡¯d be as strong as us, which is fantastic,¡± he smiled. Echo gave a nod, then snuggled against Harton. ¡°It also seems like they love hugs, which is a good sign of a kind-hearted dragon,¡± smiled Harton. ¡°Perfect for you Nobina,¡± smiled Fay. As Nobina saw Echo play with Harton, who seemed happy to turn his attention to Echo, Nobina felt a bit better. Despite all the uncertainty and how many things there were to resolve, if they had moments of reprieve like this, that was all she really needed. ¡°Fay?¡± asked Nobina, drawing her attention. ¡°Yes?¡± responded Fay, tilting her head. ¡°I can¡¯t wait till we go home,¡± smiled Nobina. Fay nodded back, giving her own smile as well. Chapter 95: Standoff and New Destinations The rest of the day went rather smoothly. Despite Lila¡¯s insistence on facing both Sina and Harton, neither of them showed any appetite to spar with her. As for everyone else, they had nothing to report. There were still no signs of the reinforcements, and the nobles had not sent anyone else to discuss Sina and Harton. Even the mayor was now keeping to himself, letting Nobina and her party handle things. As the day started to come to a close, Nobina and Mimiki had a moment to chat away from everyone else. Both of them stood outside the scout building, standing close to the edge of the city. The chill winds made her wish she had her scarf on, but she didn¡¯t want to be the only one keeping warm. When Mimiki asked to speak to her, Nobina saw Fay find an excuse to step away. It wasn¡¯t a surprise to Nobina though, as Fay must have known Mimiki wanted to chat with Nobina in private. ¡°A bit cold out today, huh,¡± said Nobina, warming up her hands. ¡°Yeah¡­ Beats being burnt to a crisp by dragon fire,¡± chuckled Mimiki, causing Nobina to chuckle as well. Once the chuckling died down, Mimiki paused for a bit, trying to find the right words to say. ¡°Say Nobina,¡± said Mimiki, keeping her attention forward. ¡°Do you think what we are doing is right? Letting Sina and Harton go with their child?¡± Nobina turned to Mimiki, trying to get a sense of how she was feeling. Seeing Mimiki¡¯s uncertain expression, she sighed and turned back to the forest. ¡°You know¡­ I wish I was more certain with my opinions on things, but lately I¡¯ve felt like it¡¯s been uncertainty after uncertainty. I never really know what¡¯s the correct decision is. Sometimes I just let my instincts guide me. That or I trust those around me. As for the decision involving Sina and Harton¡¯s children¡­ I feel like we should let them go. No one else needs to die here.¡± ¡°Nothing wrong with trusting your instincts or others,¡± said Mimiki, giving a smile. ¡°Trusting those around you can really be the only choice sometimes. Especially if you can¡¯t make a decision.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She knew it was always wise to depend on those who were more suited to making certain decisions. At the same time, she recognized that people saw her more and more as a leader these days. ¡°There will come a time where I¡¯ll need to make tough decisions though,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°With the new revelations that the Gaze bag can create tricky situations, the need to research it more grows by the day. Else, it might cause some calamity if left completely unchecked as it has been.¡± Mimiki nodded, a grim expression forming on her face. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to know what might happen should you lose it,¡± she replied back. As silence began forming between them again, Nobina decided to speak up. ¡°When we get back to Agora, I really want to begin my research into this bag. There are so many problems that I¡¯ve been dealing with. The Gaze has been involved in some way every time, either for the better or worse. If I could somehow understand it more and¡­ perhaps control it¡­ Maybe that will solve everything,¡± said Nobina, with a bit of optimism in her voice. ¡°Perhaps¡­ but I¡¯d be careful Nobina,¡± she replied back. ¡°Some things are merely not meant to be controlled. If you try to control it, who knows how they¡¯d retaliate.¡± Nobina sighed, knowing how true that could be. If it decided to send something that could flatten a city or worse out, she¡¯d be completely powerless to stop it. Her resources were slowly draining, and her own skills needed work. ¡°Lots to do still,¡± said Nobina, turning for the scout base. ¡°We¡¯ll be there to help you at least,¡± chuckled Mimiki, following suit. Once they returned, they enjoyed a bit of dinner and headed to bed. Nobina knew that they only had one or two more days before Sina and Harton departed from the town. Once they were gone, they could finally depart and head back to Navira to report on everything that was happening. There was the issue of them helping the dragons, but Nobina wanted to believe that Harton and Sina would not cause any more trouble for them. The next day, everyone once again headed out to perform their assignments. It didn¡¯t take long before the situation started to change. ¡°Squeak,¡± went Pausers, looking towards the south. ¡°What is it Pausers?¡± asked Nobina. A loud squeak could be heard from the south, which sounded similar to Giggles. ¡°Wait. Is that¡­¡± Nobina didn¡¯t need to say a word as Hammy flew out of her bag and then headed towards the direction of the squeak. About ten minutes passed before Hammy came back, with three people trailing him. ¡°Wait, I think that¡¯s Immana,¡± said Nobina, squinting her eyes to see who was approaching better. As the three individuals got into view, Nobina confirmed it was Immana and two other adventurers. One of them was immediately recognizable. Holding a different book, Casi was in a somewhat different attire compared to what she wore before. She was wearing leather armor under a set of blue and purple robes. She looked similar to a caster, despite not actually having combat magic as far as Nobina knew. The other was less recognizable, being someone with a large bow on their back. Besides that, they had black robes and what appeared to be scaled black armor underneath them. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Immana seemed hesitant to approach, but the sign of Sina sleeping gave her the confidence to approach Nobina and Fay. ¡°Well¡­ What do we have here,¡± said Immana, stopping a good distance away from the two of them and Sina. ¡°Hello there Immana,¡± said Nobina with a gentle smile. ¡°It seems you brought reinforcements.¡± ¡°I did, but¡­ I¡¯m not sure for what now,¡± she smiled back. ¡°Tell me Nobina, what¡­ exactly is happening here. I see a dragon sleeping and you two relaxing around it as if your allies.¡± Nobina took a deep breath, trying to make sure to be as calm as possible. ¡°So¡­ Funny story. We have a deal with the dragons to let them hatch their egg and they¡¯ll leave. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± asked Nobina, hoping Immana would share her optimism. Immana seemed to struggle to keep her smile, taking a breath before responding back. ¡°Let me get this straight¡­ You somehow befriended the dragons and now have an agreement to let them leave with their child. After they destroyed a village, they caused a lot of damage to the nearby forest. Not only that, but the town looks mostly destroyed as well,¡± said Immana, failing to hide her frustration. ¡°¡­ Well, when you put it like that,¡± replied Nobina, trying to figure out a way to salvage the situation. ¡°Nobina. You have no authority to let these dragons go. They are a clear danger and¡­¡± Before Immana could finish, Nobina noticed Harton appeared next to Sina. ¡°Ah. Looks like a party has started,¡± smiled Harton, his attention towards Immana. ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Harton and this here is my wife, Sina. See¡­ We are currently in an agreement to let bygones be bygones. If we were to fight, things would get messy quickly and no one would like any further bloodshed, right?¡± Immana could tell Harton was ready to act if she spoke out of turn. However, she could also tell that he wasn¡¯t showing any hostility. ¡°I see¡­ Well, as you might have heard, not everyone is fine with the destruction you two have caused,¡± said Immana, her eyes on Harton¡¯s expression. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fair to let you two off the hook after what you did.¡± ¡°Fair,¡± said Harton, a finger on his chin. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. What do you people even desire? Wealth beyond measure? Power? Knowledge? Or something as lame as¡­ punishment.¡± Immana stood there, trying to figure out what to say before a dragon roar could be heard in the distance. Sina, who was resting, immediately rose, causing Immana and the two adventurers with her to stand ready to act. ¡°What is that?¡± called out Immana, looking towards the sky. ¡°It must be dragons from Garival,¡± hissed Sina. ¡°We¡¯ve stayed here too long.¡± Not too long after saying that, Nobina saw a rather large dragon, perhaps twice the size of Sina, land on the opposite side of everyone. They showed no regard for the destruction they caused as they crushed a decent number of still-standing buildings. Looking at the dragon in more detail, Nobina could see they had a unique white marking on their yellow neck. Their scales and features looked bigger than Sina¡¯s, with their wings, in particular, being almost three times the size. She could immediately tell they were far stronger than Sina. The dragon¡¯s eyes were initially on Sina, but they immediately turned to Fay. ¡°You there,¡± echoed their voice. ¡°What god do you serve?¡± Fay seemed confused before turning to Nobina. Not wanting to keep them waiting, Nobina gave the best answer she could. ¡°I do not serve a god. The Gaze merely watches over me,¡± Nobina responded back. A suspicious look formed on the yellow dragon¡¯s face before their attention focused on Nobina. ¡°Girl. My name is Faran. One of our elders has ordered me to dispose of the rogue dragons. If you have any reason why I should not, speak now before I tear them to shreds.¡± Nobina¡¯s attention turned to Sina, who showed a similar fear to the one she had when she saw Pausers for the first time. Knowing time was of the essence, Nobina decided to try to convince them to let them go. ¡°I have an agreement with Sina and Harton. To prevent any more needless bloodshed, please let them leave with their child,¡± yelled Nobina, hoping that Faran would listen. ¡°The reason is insufficient,¡± he responded back. ¡°Step aside. I have no qualms with whatever entity watches you nor you humans in general.¡± Before Nobina could respond, Pausers gave a squeak, drawing Faran¡¯s attention. Immediately, Faran froze, eyes now on Nobina. ¡°Girl. I am an emissary of the Dragon Mountain Garival. Do you really wish to threaten me?¡± Nobina shook her head vigorously. ¡°Not at all! Pausers is making their own will clear, and¡­¡± Faran roared into the sky, causing all of them to cover their eyes. ¡°Know this girl. We will not forget this decision. I shall consult our elders to determine our retribution.¡± Faran took off, not giving them a chance to say anything else. As Faran left, Sina spoke up. ¡°Nobina,¡± she spoke. ¡°Beware. You¡¯ve made an enemy of the dragons today.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even mean to!¡± she yelled, extremely frustrated by what just happened. ¡°I¡¯m never going to know peace, huh?¡± ¡°Nobina,¡± yelled Immana, clearly upset. ¡°What did you do?¡± Nobina was close to blowing up, but Fay came to the rescue. ¡°Everyone. Relax,¡± she said in a calm voice. ¡°The situation at the moment is problematic, but we can resolve this without escalating everything unnecessarily.¡± Immana began calming herself down, as well as Sina. All eyes were on Fay at the moment, now away from Nobina. ¡°We will handle speaking with the dragons regarding Sina and Harton. As for you Immana, please do not escalate the situation any further by being at odds with Sina and Harton.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Immana responded, stopping when Fay raised her hand. ¡°I know. Their crimes are something that cannot be easily forgiven, but we must compromise to avoid any more needless bloodshed. I will personally oversee everything, so please have your reinforcements merely stay on standby until Sina and Harton conclude their matter here,¡± said Fay, maintaining a calm voice. Immana finally sighed and nodded her head. ¡°You still have the princess¡¯s authority, so I shall defer to you. However, whatever happens is on you. We will not hesitate to strike should it seem you have failed,¡± said Immana. ¡°That is fine,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°Please. Feel free to rest up at the scout¡¯s headquarters. Nia shall lead the way.¡± On cue, Nia appeared, giving a bow to Immana before directing her away. Following her were Casi and the other adventurer, who didn¡¯t say a word. Behind the group appeared ten adventurers, all about A rank, keeping at the ready to act. ¡°Do not harm either dragon. Follow me,¡± she ordered, with the rest of them complying. The last member of their group, which apparently was Giggles, merely squeaked as it rested nearby. Sina eyed Giggles for a bit but relaxed as they showed no open hostility. ¡°Your companions are something Nobina,¡± sighed Sina as she tried to rest. ¡°Hopefully you two have a plan for the dragons, else it won¡¯t be just us facing their retribution.¡± As Immana¡¯s group finally got out of range, Nobina gave the strongest hug she could to Fay. ¡°Thank you so much Fay,¡± she said, relief washing over her. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I could have avoided blowing up there.¡± Fay gave a gentle smile, hugging Nobina back. ¡°We have a lot more on our plate now, but we can handle anything together Nobina. For now, let¡¯s gather everyone else and discuss the next move. We might need to go somewhere a bit far to avoid something extremely serious,¡± said Fay. Nobina knew that things were going to get even rougher from here on out. Even with Fay, they had to figure out how to handle all the problems that had just appeared. There was only so much that their group could do, and the dragons in particular felt like something extremely difficult to handle. Chapter 96: Child and Trio As expected, everyone else began gathering around to discuss with Nobina what exactly happened. When Nobina explained it to everyone, the reactions were mixed. Most of them wanted to know what Nobina and Fay planned to do about it, considering making enemies of the dragons would be a horrible idea. The faster the conflict was resolved, the better. Then again, there were a lot of problems regarding making contact with the dragons. ¡°The dragon mountains are deep within the North,¡± said Harton, stretching his arms. ¡°Reaching there on foot would be a nightmare. Unless you were a dragon, of course. Even then, if either me or Sina goes anywhere close to Garival, we¡¯ll be burned to a crisp by either the older dragons or dragon guards. The worst case is running into the Dragon Royal Guard, who could defeat us in a snap.¡± ¡°Then what are our options Harton?¡± asked Nobina, who was still trying to figure out a plan. ¡°I do know of a path we could technically take to ¡®walk¡¯ to Garival. It would take a decent amount of time, and it¡¯s not guaranteed to be safe, but flying would get us caught and killed.¡± Nobina turned to Fay, who gave a shrug. ¡°We could always return to Navira and then try to discuss the matter with the princess. Of course, I¡¯d hate getting her blamed for this matter, considering I¡¯m part of the reason the dragons might turn hostile. However, we don¡¯t have many options,¡± said Fay, trying to think of a plan herself. ¡°You two have plenty of time to think of something,¡± smiled Harton. ¡°Our child doesn¡¯t hatch for another day, so discuss amongst your companions. Oh, and we need to discuss bringing along Pausers. Despite how strong they are, if they approach then there¡¯s a high chance that the dragons turn hostile regardless. It would be like bringing an army to the doorsteps of another kingdom.¡± They turned to Pausers, who gave them a curious look. Moments later, they went into Nobina¡¯s special bag, with Harton¡¯s eyes widening right afterward. ¡°Oh. Fascinating. If they stay in that bag, then we can¡¯t sense them. That does explain why we never sensed Echo or your other companions,¡± nodded Harton. Sina, who was listening to them this whole time, gave a small huff of fire. ¡°I swear, you humans cause us too much trouble,¡± she commented before resting her eyes. As she began to fall asleep, Nobina began wondering how long it would take for Sina to fully rest up. ¡°Ah what a beauty,¡± said Harton, his hand against Sina. ¡°Despite how hostile she is, Sina is being quite open with her feelings right now. Normally, she¡¯d just call me an idiot or talk about her hatred of those other dragons, but now she¡¯s just talking about hating humans. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± Nobina and Fay didn¡¯t respond, merely letting Harton enjoy his moment with Sina. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ be right back,¡± said Nobina. ¡°We need to discuss with Immana regarding the situation.¡± ¡°Oh. Go right ahead,¡± he nodded, not looking at them at all. ¡°Let me know what the plan is so I can begin preparing. It¡¯ll be a long trek to Garival and its best we leave as soon as our child is born.¡± With that, Nobina and Fay left Harton and Sina alone. Lila, who was there, would stand by in case Harton or Sina had something important to say. However, all of them knew that she was really just going to make another case to spar with Harton. ¡°I swear that girl causes us too much trouble,¡± sighed Helios. ¡°That¡¯s a wild S-rank for you,¡± chuckled Mimiki. ¡°Always willing to do what they want, even if it causes trouble for others.¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t become that problematic at least,¡± nodded Cain. ¡°So true,¡± laughed Marve, nodding his head. As the group reached the scout room, they noticed a few of the adventurers were standing by as guards. When they took notice of the group, they let them in without issues. Once inside, Nobina could see that Immana was already using this place as her own headquarters. The other adventurers, including Casi and the other S-rank accompanying Immana, were working on looking through the documents, stopping when they caught sight of Nobina¡¯s party. ¡°Ah. Nobina,¡± said Immana, waving their group over. ¡°We¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you away from those dragons. Please, all of you.¡± Nobina¡¯s group lined up on the other side of the table. Once they were sorted, Immana began leading the discussion, pointing one of her fingers on the map. ¡°So far, we expect the group of adventurers of Aunai to arrive tomorrow. Once they are here, we should have sufficient firepower to make an informed decision regarding disposal of those two dragons,¡± nodded Immana. ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Fay, drawing a slightly irritated look from Immana. ¡°Do you really intend to try to kill those two dragons, even if it means causing the death of so many adventurers.¡± Immana shook her head. ¡°I understand the sentiment of wanting to preserve lives, but leaving rogue dragons alive will only end badly. You¡¯ve already made enemies of the dragons, and I expect you have a plan to deal with them,¡± said Immana, tapping her arm. ¡°We do,¡± said Fay. ¡°We will travel to the Dragon Mountain Garival with Harton and apologize for our earlier actions. Hopefully it goes well, and we resolve the most urgent issue. Once that is done, we¡¯ll work on resolving the matter regarding Harton and Sina.¡± ¡°And you expect me to trust that the dragons, beings that have lived for thousands of years at most, will just¡­ forgive you because you asked?¡± replied Immana, hoping for a better answer. ¡°We don¡¯t have any other choice. The longer we wait, the more we risk retaliation. Regardless of whether they accept it or not, its better than any alternative I can think of,¡± responded Fay. Immana thought about what Fay said for a good minute, her gaze falling on Nobina a few times. Eventually, she sighed and nodded her head. ¡°Then so be it. I will convince the remaining adventurers to stand down. As for your plan, what will become of Sina? Surely you aren¡¯t just going to let her go free,¡± said Immana, keeping her eyes on Fay. ¡°We have an agreement. We¡¯ll let her go, and they won¡¯t harm humans unless threatened,¡± said Nobina. ¡°As much as it¡¯s hard to trust their words, Harton swore on his soul to keep that promise. That should be sufficient, right?¡± Immana turned to Casi, who nodded. ¡°Right. Dragon promises are the most trusting of all promises. A promise that could kill if broken. I would trust Nobina to handle the matter if Harton is indeed joining them on their journey.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°I swear, all you people give me headaches,¡± sighed Immana. ¡°But if what Casi is saying is true, then you have my approval of the plan. When do you three plan to depart.¡± ¡°Once their child is hatched,¡± responded Nobina. ¡°Excuse me. Did you say child?¡± asked Casi, her stare focused on Nobina. ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± smiled Nobina. Nobina could see Immana merely shaking her head, turning to Casi moments later. ¡°Note down everything said. Get every detail from everyone here. Once this matter is resolve, I hope you¡¯re ready to speak to Lord Kasanta directly Nobina and Fay,¡± said Immana, giving a rather irritated smile. Both of them gave a nod. ¡°Good. Now then, please handle the rest of your mission independently from our operation. We will be working on restoring the town to working order and preventing any conflict with the dragons. Your group should continue to monitor the dragons until their departure. The rest of your group should return to Navira, while you three depart for the dragon mountains. Got it?¡± said Immana in almost an order. ¡°As you wish Lady Immana,¡± bowed Fay, followed by everyone else. Once the group departed, Immana shook her head. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t even know if you¡¯re worth the trouble you bring Nobina,¡± sighed Immana. The group returned to their various positions, with Fay and Nobina once again keeping watch of Sina and Harton. Sina was fast asleep, with Harton spent the time discussing the details of the plan with the two of them. Soon, day turned into night. However, before the two could depart, Harton waved them over. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°I believe the egg will hatch a bit sooner than expected. Do either of you mind waiting the night?¡± smiled Harton. Fay was giving a suspicious look, but Harton immediately waved his hands. ¡°There is absolutely no reason to suspect malice,¡± smiled Harton. ¡°Once the egg hatches, we can depart as soon as possible. I rather not deal with more humans, as I the feeling more on the way, right?¡± ¡°That is correct,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Then please. Come with me,¡± motioned Harton. The two of them followed Harton down into the basement, where the egg was still resting on the bed. Nobina could sense the magical energy being drawn into it, both in awe and slightly terrified by how much power was gathering in one spot. ¡°Surely it¡¯ll be a boy,¡± commented Harton, taking one of the chairs and lying back. ¡°Anyway, one of you take the first shift. I shall rest my eyes till the hatching.¡± ¡°Do you need a lot of sleep to regain energy as well Harton?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± he responded back. ¡°I cannot recharge my skill usage unless asleep.¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯re a bit loose talking about your weaknesses,¡± chuckled Fay. Harton gave a small chuckle as well before speaking back. ¡°Please. All living beings have skills that need to be recharged. That is the way of Paths.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Despite how powerful dragons were, she fully expected they had limits to their own powers as well. It was a reminder of how power had either cost or limited usage. Not only that, but even powers without any notable downside might not be strong for combat at all. Nobina was merely lucky, one of two of her powers was combat. It meant that she could train her body to an extent that she would otherwise not be able to do so. As the two sat there, Nobina and Fay began having a more casual discussion. Most of it was regarding Nobina and her time in the world. ¡°You really have to tell me how things were with you,¡± said Fay, kicking her legs up and down as she sat in her own chair. ¡°I¡¯m sure you had some many experiences worth chatting about.¡± ¡°Not as much as you,¡± Nobina chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re an S-rank. You¡¯ve probably seen so many people and been so many places. I¡­ I¡¯ve only been here for¡­ what. Like maybe a few months? I¡¯m honestly not sure how long it¡¯s been with how much there¡¯s been to do every day.¡± ¡°See? I told you that you have a lot of interesting stuff to chat about,¡± said Fay, acting as if she caught Nobina downplaying an actually amazing journey. Both of them looked at each other before laughing, nodding their heads. The rest of the time was spent with Nobina explaining her journey from the start, omitting anything important due to Harton still being in the room. Midway through her talking, Nobina didn¡¯t notice her finally falling asleep. ¡°Nobina,¡± called Fay, waking her up. It only felt as if a moment passed to Nobina, yet she couldn¡¯t be too sure. Nobina tried to get her bearings before noticing Harton and Fay standing in front of what appeared to be a cracking egg. Soon, the shell of Harton¡¯s child began to give way to a dragon, emanating a decent amount of magical energy. ¡°Oh my god¡­ he¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s beautiful,¡± said Harton, jumping in joy. ¡°Our plan was a success! He¡¯s absorbed the magical energy. We still need to confirm it, but I¡¯m sure Arthur has a rare Path.¡± ¡°Congratulations,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°May Arthur grow up to be a kind dragon who doesn¡¯t wish to harm humans.¡± Harton gave a nod. ¡°Right. I rather him not live a short life and incur the wrong human¡¯s wrath. With the hatching done, we must depart immediately. Of course, I know that you likely need some rest because your humans, but time is of the essence,¡± said Harton, heading to pick up his child. As he approached, the baby dragon finally fully broke out of his shell. Their eyes opened, locking onto Nobina as she gave a gentle smile. Immediately, they flew out of the egg and landed in Nobina¡¯s arms. At the sight of that, Harton froze. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh dear,¡± he responded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Nobina, petting Arthur as they snuggled against them. ¡°I forgot the small detail that dragons¡­ tend to treat the first people they see as parents. Clearly Arthur recognizes me as his father since I was the only male in the room, but they might consider you and Sina as mothers,¡± he smiled innocently. Nobina turned to Arthur, who merely kept snuggling against her. ¡°Well¡­ surely this won¡¯t be an issue, right? After all, dragons are smart, and Arthur should eventually just learn Sina is his true mother. Right?¡± asked Nobina, hoping a bit she was right. ¡°Sure,¡± responded Harton, merely smiling. ¡°Anyway, please gather the things we need Fay. Nobina likely will not be able to separate from Arthur until Sina can gain recognition as his mother.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Nobina, moving to Harton to hand Arthur over. When she did extend her arms, Arthur moved even closer to Nobina, refusing to leave her side. Nobina was speechless as Fay sighed and put a hand against her shoulders. ¡°Take care of Arthur well Nobina,¡± she said, leaving to get their gear. ¡°It¡¯s not funny Fay!¡± cried Nobina, causing Arthur to laugh. After Harton was done packing a bag full of items, Nobina, Harton, and Arthur made their way out of the house and to the front. Once there, they found themselves greeted by Sina, her gaze sharp on Harton. ¡°You idiot,¡± she said, noticing Arthur being in Nobina¡¯s arms. ¡°You really let someone else take my role of mother.¡± ¡°Is it really that serious?¡± asked Nobina, wanting someone to take Arthur away from her. ¡°That¡¯s how dragons are Nobina,¡± said Sina, trying to hold in her frustration. ¡°We see the first two people we meet as parents. Sure, Arthur will eventually acknowledge that I¡¯m really his mother and that you were only there at the wrong place, wrong time. However, he will always have that tiny bit of him wanting to be with you. That, and it¡¯s going to be a pain raising him if he doesn¡¯t acknowledge me as his mother.¡± ¡°Oh god,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°It is that fool¡¯s fault,¡± huffed Sina. ¡°Arthur might be upset with me as I raise him alone, but he¡¯ll eventually acknowledge me as his mother.¡± Arthur, who was snuggling against Nobina, stared at Nobina before turning to Sina. When their eyes met, Arthur went back to snuggling against Nobina. ¡°This is going to be a long decade,¡± sighed Sina. It didn¡¯t take long before Fay returned with their bags. When it was time to go, Nobina attempted to hand off Arthur, but they desperately resisted trying to go with her. It was only when Echo, who hopped out of her bag, communicated with Arthur that he finally relented and went with Sina. ¡°I wish you three safe travels,¡± said Sina, preparing to take off with Arthur. ¡°Be safe my love! We shall be back before you know it!¡± yelled Harton. With a powerful flap of her wings, Sina was off, heading to the northwest. At the same time, Nobina and Fay saw Mimiki approach the group. ¡°Are you guys heading out already?¡± asked Mimiki. ¡°Not even a goodbye?¡± ¡°Mimiki,¡± said Nobina, giving her a hug. ¡°We should head out as soon as possible before more trouble can rear its head.¡± Mimiki gave a nod, returning the hug. ¡°I know¡­ I just¡­ Be safe, ok?¡± she asked. ¡°We will do our best to apologize for our actions on your behalf. Best case, everyone forgives everyone, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. The two continued to hug each other for a good minute before finally separating. Once they separated, the three finally began preparing for their departure. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lila will despair that her two sparring partners are gone,¡± said Nobina as the three of the began to head out. ¡°Wait,¡± said Fay. ¡°What about Giggles?¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Nobina. The three of them took a quick detour to Giggles, who was standing close to where Sina was. Nobina walked up to them, explaining what their plan was. Luckily, Giggles seemed to understand, giving a positive squeak before going back to sleep. ¡°Ok. Now we are ready,¡± said Nobina, seeing the sun starting to rise. It was a new day, yet the three of them had a long journey ahead of them. Part of her was tired of traveling, but there was a sense of joy that this journey would only be for the three. She knew it was the best chance for her to get to know more about Fay, as well as to get stronger herself. ¡°Off on new adventures,¡± smiled Harton, who also seemed excited for the trip. With that, the three departed from the town, starting the first part of their journey. Chapter 97: Knowledge and Trust As the sun soon began to rise, Nobina and Fay quickly began to learn how much of a talker Harton really was. Previously, he seemed to keep quiet yet now he was chatting a lot about his past adventures. It didn¡¯t really bother either of them too much, as both were fascinated by the journey Harton had gone on himself. Harton was about five hundred and twenty years old. It was not too long for a dragon, yet it was long enough that he was around to see various nations grow and rise to power. ¡°Most of my time was in the nest, but I did get to visit humanity every couple of years. Thanks to my abilities, they have allowed me to visit places that we¡¯d generally avoid. Of course, I had to be careful. If I was ever caught as a dragon while acting as a normal human, I¡¯d get in some much trouble,¡± he chuckled. ¡°You must have so many stories to tell then if you¡¯ve been around that long,¡± said Nobina in awe. ¡°We got plenty of time for it,¡± he nodded. The first day of their trip was rather uneventful. Besides the stories, which both Nobina and Fay enjoyed, they took the occasional stop to eat some food before moving on. It was mostly Nobina and Fay though, as Harton didn¡¯t need to eat more than once every few days. He ate a lot during those moments but otherwise could travel awhile without issue. ¡°That being said, I can eat three meals a day if I choose. I just need to pace myself,¡± he smiled. Nobina and Fay took the time to chat about their own experiences during their lunch, since Harton took it as a chance to merely keep watch. ¡°Man, sometimes I wish we were truly alone,¡± said Nobina. ¡°There¡¯s so many secrets I can¡¯t say near Harton that it sucks so much.¡± ¡°What if we get him to swear never to reveal your secrets,¡± asked Fay. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that,¡± he yelled from a distance. ¡°I can¡¯t just keep swearing on my soul all the time. It¡¯s really just a one-time thing dragons can do in desperation. Plus, I can¡¯t promising multiple things at once.¡± Both of them sighed. ¡°Worth a shot,¡± said Nobina, taking another bite of her rations. Once lunch was done, they continued on. Fay herself was starting to feel a bit tired, but she told Nobina she could manage until their stop at the night. Soon, nightfall came upon the group and Fay was the first to sleep. It gave Nobina and Harton a moment to chat. ¡°Say,¡± said Harton, standing next to Nobina. ¡°You two can sleep, you know. I¡¯ll keep watch one day and Fay can do it another day.¡± ¡°Hm? And what about me?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Rather not let you be even more fragile by keeping you awake,¡± he laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve honestly never seen you display any power that would make me fear you. Well¡­ besides your bunnies, that token, your bag, your friends¡­¡± ¡°I get it,¡± she waved. ¡°I¡¯m weak, but those around me are strong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Do you want help training?¡± he asked, stretching himself. ¡°Training? Do you think it will help?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Paths only get stronger when you do something related to it, and my Path is the Path of the Writer.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Harton, looking over Nobina. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a non-combat Path? Do you have just a normal destiny? Was your life merely dictated by your special bag?¡± Nobina stayed silent, not responding immediately. Part of her didn¡¯t want to reveal too much of her past to Harton, yet another part wanted to tell him everything so she could be free the whole trip. As she tried to think of the correct decision, Harton merely sighed. ¡°Listen,¡± said Harton, looking up at the moonlight. ¡°We¡¯ll be on this journey for who knows how long. Ideally, it¡¯s done as soon as possible, but I feel it better that there¡¯s no secrets between us.¡± ¡°How can¡­¡± ¡°You trust me?¡± asked Harton. ¡°I swore to you to that I would surrender to you. Whether or not you choose to believe that I¡¯m trustworthy is up to you. However, do you really want all your secrets eating you up? My hearing is excellent and you¡¯d have to be decently far to hide anything. Not only that, but each conversation you have has a chance of you slipping up. After all, I already got a sense you have some sort of special destiny related to the heroes of old.¡± ¡°How did¡­¡± ¡°I know?¡± he chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I had a feeling, and you confirmed it.¡± Nobina began insulting herself under her breath for not being able to avoid hiding her secret. ¡°Also, that doesn¡¯t work,¡± said Harton. ¡°Those soft words are like you speaking normally.¡± ¡°I swear,¡± she sighed. ¡°You know what? Fine. I¡¯ll be more open about my secrets. However, I want to speak with Fay first before saying anything.¡± ¡°That is fine,¡± he smiled. ¡°You won¡¯t regret letting me into your inner circle. Sure, I might seem like a silly person who might back stab you, but to those I really care about I¡¯m very trusting.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Nobina stared at him for a bit, trying to gauge if he was telling the truth. After a bit, she gave a sigh, shaking her head. ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯m going to regret letting you into my secrets?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± he smiled. ¡°For now, take a rest and we¡¯ll discuss this more in the morning.¡± Nobina gave a nod, heading to bed and leaving the watch to Harton. As she fell asleep herself, Harton gave a small chuckle. ¡°It is wise to doubt someone like me Nobina, but it¡¯s even better to have me as an ally,¡± he told himself as he continued to keep watch. The following day, Nobina woke up and heard Fay arguing with Harton. ¡°How dare you try to break her down like that,¡± said Fay, showing a fury that was becoming more and more common. ¡°Relax,¡± said Harton. ¡°I was merely being honest with her! Did you want me to hide that I¡¯ve heard every single word you¡¯ve two said while being even remotely near me? I could have and just learned everything in secret. However, I rather neither of you feel it necessary to hide anything at this point. Be free! Speak your mind!¡± Fay wanted to punch Harton badly but was holding in all her frustrations. They needed him not to become their enemy, and he had valid points. Nobina wasn¡¯t the tightest of lips and would eventually reveal her secrets to Harton given enough time. ¡°I just hate the idea you spoke to her alone,¡± said Fay, spit flowing from her mouth. ¡°Listen. I get that you love her but¡­¡± Immediately, Harton felt a powerful fist across his face, causing him to fly back a few meters before landing on the ground. Nobina, seeing this, ran to Fay, who appeared to be beat red. ¡°You idiot,¡± she said under her breath. ¡°Fay?¡± called Nobina, drawing Fay¡¯s attention. ¡°Oh! Nobina! How¡­ long have you been awake?¡± she asked, trying to compose herself into her cool demeanor. ¡°Uh¡­ I just woke up like a minute ago. Why do you ask?¡± she smiled. ¡°What¡­ did you hear?¡± said Fay, looking away from Nobina. ¡°Uh¡­. Starting from ¡®how dare you break her down¡¯ to you saying something I couldn¡¯t quite hear. Though, I am surprised you hit Harton that hard for his comment. I was sure you didn¡¯t let jokes like that get to you,¡± she smiled. ¡°Right¡­ jokes¡­¡± said Fay, giving a weak smile. ¡°But yeah, don¡¯t let Harton break you down. I know you really want to talk about your secrets, but we can¡¯t trust him to that level.¡± As she said that, Harton slowly got up, touching the spot that Fay hit. It had a bit of a bruise on it that seemed to bother him a bit. ¡°I guess that was deserved,¡± said Harton, heading back to Nobina and Fay. ¡°But really. Can you two be more reasonable? You can¡¯t keep up with secrets those whole trip. I¡¯m really doing this to save all of us a headache.¡± Fay was going to say something, but Nobina held up a hand to stop her. ¡°Fay,¡± said Nobina, turning to her. ¡°He¡¯s unfortunately right. Sure, there are a lot of dangers to telling him my secrets, but there¡¯s so many advantages with us being able to talk freely.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± nodded Harton. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t to be better to have a trusted ally rather than someone who you feel that will backstab you?¡± ¡°I swear,¡± said Fay. ¡°You are really good at manipulation Harton.¡± ¡°Guilty as charge,¡± he laughed. ¡°But no. I honestly will keep your secrets and only tell my love. It does me no good to get your ire, especially considering Nobina likely has a potential that will benefit me to be friends with. Not to mention how strong you are yourself Fay.¡± A headache was slowly building in Fay¡¯s head, but Nobina¡¯s hug managed to cause her to relax. ¡°Fay,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I desperately want to tell you everything. Ask you so many things. Perhaps it¡¯s a bad idea, but I still believe the two of us can deal with anything that comes as a result of this. We aren¡¯t telling the world either. It¡¯s just the three of us.¡± Fay, who listened intently to Nobina, merely nodded. ¡°Nobina¡­ If you truly desire it¡­ Then you can speak our secrets,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°I will do whatever I can to ensure to minimize any consequences that come our way.¡± With that, Nobina gave a nod. She turned to Harton, who waited for the big reveal. ¡°There are two secrets that I have Harton. The first secret is that my destiny can change the world. That is the result of my Path. The second secret is that I¡¯m not from this world, like the heroes of the past. Fay is also from another world as well. Both of us come from the same one.¡± Harton face exploded in surprise, freezing as he took all that information in. ¡°That answers most my questions surprisingly,¡± said Harton. ¡°How on earth did you ended up with your special bag. Why a Death Hare is with you. Actually, wait, is this related to your Path or something else?¡± ¡°Well¡­ See¡­ This bag was given to me by a god named Nonomo who uses this bag to connect me with Gaze entities. These entities watch over me, giving me items that either benefit me, cause chaos, or, in the worst case, creates problems.¡± At this point, even Fay was surprised at what Nobina was saying. ¡°We¡¯ve come to this world, yet our circumstances are so different,¡± said Fay. ¡°Did Nonomo bring you here as well Fay?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°No¡­ I found myself alone when I arrived here. Not only that, but my Path stuff¡­ works a bit differently.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Nobina, tilting her head. ¡°My skills depend on my outfit, and this is the outfit I came into this world with,¡± said Fay. ¡°I have the Path of the Cosplayer, allowing me to turn fiction into power.¡± Nobina was shocked. It reminded her of those overpowered skills that she knew people received in the various fantasy books she read back in their world. If Fay had something on that level, it would perfectly explain how she got S-rank so quickly. ¡°Are you overpowered Fay?¡± asked Nobina, eyes glistening. ¡°Hardly,¡± she laughed. ¡°Like all Paths, even this skill has its limits. All my skills have limited usages, but luckily no costs. If I damage the outfit too much, my skills will weaken. Of course, I do have a skill that makes my outfits extremely durable, but it also means that I have to be extremely careful on taking it off unless absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking it you trust me now?¡± smiled Harton. ¡°Revealing such a flaw in front of me¡­¡± ¡°Listen,¡± said Fay, taking a deep breath. ¡°If you do end up using all this information against us, I will do whatever it takes to ensure you or anyone you know can ever harm Nobina again. However, I desperately want to believe that Nobina is right. You will keep these facts a secret for all our benefits.¡± ¡°If I could swear on my heart, I would,¡± he nodded. With that, Fay gave a nod, going back to her explanation. ¡°As I was saying Nobina, I¡¯m far from overpowered. I¡¯m strong, sure, but I don¡¯t think I can reach any higher level easily. My improvement in my Path involves becoming more well known. In a sense, I play a hero, but I¡¯m not a hero.¡± ¡°That sounds kind of weird,¡± Nobina chuckled. ¡°You save lives, right? How can you play a hero and not be one?¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± she sighed. ¡°All I know is that for me to develop further, I¡¯ll have to continue to accomplish feats, being more well known, and spread the recognition of this outfit to more and more people. It¡¯s a lot, but that¡¯s how I got strong so fast. And perhaps one day¡­ I¡¯ll be strong enough to protect you from anything.¡± Nobina gave a chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°Fay¡­ You really are overpowered. I¡¯m nowhere near that level of strength, nor do I know if my Path can reach that sort of power. Not to mention I have so many costs to my combat skill¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Fay. ¡°We can talk more about it as we travel,¡± said Nobina, heading back to the camp. ¡°No fair,¡± said Fay, following after Nobina. As the two got farther away, Harton couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head. ¡°You do really love her Fay,¡± he smiled as he followed suit. Chapter 98: Monsters and Hunters The following days went smoothly for the group. With the secrets between them no longer being hidden, Nobina and Fay took this time to talk about their own world. Harton couldn¡¯t deny being interested in their talk, with him asking a lot of questions regarding what they were talking about. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be concerned about telling Harton about some of the technology from our world?¡± asked Fay, stretching her arms a bit. ¡°It is a concern, but¡­ I¡¯m not sure we can hide that stuff. Of course, we shouldn¡¯t try to explain how some of the stuff we say works, but talking about it should be fine,¡± replied Nobina, trekking along. Both of them looked at Harton, who merely nodded. ¡°Could I figure out more about the technology you¡¯re talking about? Sure. Will I? Probably not,¡± he laughed. ¡°What good would knowing all these random things do me if the end result is me being hunted by the Technology Control Hunters, people sworn to prevent the spread of otherworld technology to preserve the world.¡± Nobina was partly surprised that such a group existed. If there was really a group that would prevent the spread of technology from her world, then there was a bit less to worry about. Though that also meant it could be another group interested in controlling her should she talk too much about her own world. ¡°I¡¯d love to meet a member of this group one day,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°Rather understand what I can and can¡¯t say and be say.¡± Fay gave a nod, aware of how problematic it could be with a group like that against them. As the group continued down the path, Nobina continued to admire the environment around her. Despite having all the time in the world to chat with Fay, this was also the perfect time to merely enjoy the journey together. Fay, who was in the Nation of Arren for the longest time, was decently knowledgeable about the ecosystems of the world they were in. It was one of the things Arren¡¯s adventurers were trained on, as they shared a close link with the environment. ¡°As you might know, Arren is a nation that specializes in uniting all intelligent monsters and races in one domain. Under the Queen of Monsters, the nation has allowed all under it to thrive. Of course, some of the things that have thrived have caused significant damage, so the adventurers there are tasked to help control monsters,¡± said Fay, drawing sparkles from Nobina¡¯s eye. ¡°Wow. So, you¡¯re like hunters in a sense. Hunting monsters and doing what you can for the world,¡± replied Nobina, fully drawn into the conversation. ¡°You could say that,¡± she chuckled. Nobina continued to listen to Fay talk more and more about monsters and adventurers. Hours must have passed before the group finally reached a village. ¡°Ah, the village of Dega,¡± said Harton. ¡°We¡¯ve avoided destroying it since it was far enough from where we were watching Arthur grow up. A good thing too, since we¡¯ll need to stock up a bit on supplies. Plus, I¡¯d love some cooked meat. Haven¡¯t had any in a while.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you hunt your own eat?¡± asked Nobina, curious about Harton¡¯s eating patterns. ¡°Sure. But I¡¯m not a cook and seasoning aren¡¯t my forte. Also, Sina isn¡¯t good at cooking either, so we both preferred food from those who know what they are doing,¡± nodded Harton. ¡°Though, we do eat a lot of food, so we have some extra we gather to really fill our bellies.¡± Nobina and Fay made a nod. Harton had eaten a bit on the trip, but it was surprisingly light, considering his dragon form was significantly larger. However, he explained that while transformed, he didn¡¯t need as much food. It was only when he maintained his dragon form for a long duration that his food needs increased. Once the group was in the village, a guard approached them and held up their hands. ¡°Halt. Identification?¡± asked the guard. Both Fay, Nobina, and Harton took out their adventuring cards. However, seeing Fay¡¯s card first immediately caused them to lower their guard. ¡°An S-Rank from Arren,¡± said the guard in surprise. ¡°Please forgive me for taking your time.¡± ¡°No worries,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°We¡¯re just passing buy, planning to gather more supplies and food before departing.¡± ¡°We have a small inn and a general store you can stop at,¡± said the guard. ¡°However, we¡¯ve been having issues with a growing monster problem. We don¡¯t have adventurers stop by too often and those who have generally don¡¯t stay long. Plus, we haven¡¯t had any for the longest time for some reason. Do you mind if you speak with the mayor about helping out?¡± Nobina looked at Fay, who gave a nod. ¡°Of course,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°Happy to help those in need.¡± Fay¡¯s eyes quickly looked at Nobina. Satisfaction quickly filled her as she saw Nobina happy with her decision. Harton held back a chuckle, understanding what was happening. The group followed the guard to the mayor¡¯s house, drawing the attention of the villages. ¡°Say, that girl looks strong,¡± said one of them. ¡°That other one is wearing a strange outfit though,¡± replied another. ¡°That guy¡­ he¡¯s pretty handsome,¡± chuckled one of the women. All three of them became embarrassed as they walked. They didn¡¯t know who they were referring to, but the amount of conversation showed they were drawing a crowd. By the time they reached the mayor¡¯s residence, the mayor was already out to greet them. ¡°Hello there,¡± said the mayor, giving a bow. ¡°To what do we owe the visit?¡± ¡°These here are adventures, with Fay here in the center being an S-Rank from Arren,¡± said the guard, giving a salute. ¡°They are willing to help deal with the monster problem.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Right,¡± nodded the mayor. ¡°So¡­ we have a goblin nest and¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± screamed Nobina, falling to her knees. Fay immediately went to help her up, asking Nobina what was wrong. ¡°This is some sick joke, right?¡± asked Nobina to Fay. ¡°Another goblin nest? We had to deal with three, and now another one. I¡¯m just¡­ I need a moment.¡± Nobina took her leave, with Harton following after her. As Nobina got a bit away, Harton gave a sigh. ¡°Are you alright Nobina?¡± asked Harton, giving a gentle smile. ¡°I was, but¡­ Harton. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening,¡± she replied. ¡°A goblin nest? Really? If this was something simple like ¡®We got this giant treant blocking the road. Can you help clear it?¡¯ Then at least it¡¯d be different. The fact we are being asked to clear a goblin nest in particular can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± ¡°You think something, or someone is influencing your destiny?¡± asked Harton, curious about her thought process. Nobina opened her mouth but closed it. She had no idea if that was true, but that would make sense. This seemed far too convenient for a coincidence. She had been meaning to research her destiny for a while, but she never got the chance. However, it felt like the trip might have be the best chance she¡¯d get to research the matter. ¡°Perhaps. I¡¯ve been meaning to research my destiny for a while, but never had the chance to do so,¡± she replied back. Harton thought about what she said for a bit before nodding. ¡°I know a few places specialized in Path research. After all, I know a decent amount myself because of Arthur. This whole plan with him only happened because I¡¯ve spent a good few decades finding as much information as I can,¡± he nodded. ¡°Then perhaps you can help me look into it or understand Path¡¯s and destiny¡¯s more?¡± asked Nobina, her eyes lighting up. ¡°Sure,¡± he smiled. ¡°While we deal with this nest, we can discuss what I know. We got plenty of time for this trip anyway.¡± With that settled, the group returned to Fay, who was finishing up her conversation with the mayor. Nobina was drawing a decent number of stares, causing her to be a bit nervous. However, Harton waved them off, shielding her a bit with his distraction. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Nobina said to the mayor. ¡°I have¡­ a bit of history with goblins.¡± ¡°Now worries,¡± nodded the mayor. ¡°Goblins are scary monsters. Make no mistake, we would have loved this nest to be destroyed a long time ago. However, the guild has requested we only cull the nest if we plan to have it cleared ourselves. In exchange for keeping the nest functioning, we receive supplies every so often from Navira. It¡¯s a good deal, but it does make us nervous.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°But yes. Please go ahead and cull the nest. You¡¯re aware of how to do that, right Fay?¡± asked the mayor. ¡°Of course,¡± she nodded. ¡°Culling monsters is a part of what we learn as adventurers of Arrin.¡± ¡°Sorry for even questioning it,¡± he laughed. ¡°I¡¯d ask if you could handle it within a few weeks at least, but I¡¯m sure someone of your caliber will have this job done quickly. And as promised, we will give you the supplies you need and a decent amount of money if you wish.¡± Fay gave a nod. ¡°We¡¯ll try to get it done within the day,¡± said Fay. ¡°Nobina¡­ Do you mind waiting here with Harton?¡± ¡°Go ahead Fay,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Be back in a flash!¡± laughed Fay, rushing out of the village and towards the north. She was moving so fast that all of them felt the air that came from her first step. ¡°S-Ranks¡­ To think we¡¯d get one to help us,¡± smiled the mayor. ¡°Perhaps the gods are looking down on us and giving their blessing.¡± ¡°Some god is surely looking,¡± said Nobina under her breath, thinking about one particular god. As the matter was finished, the mayor turned to Nobina and Harton, asking if they¡¯d like to stay at his residence or if they needed anything. ¡°Hm,¡± said Harton. ¡°Do you mind if we eat some food? ¡°Not at all,¡± he laughed. ¡°By the way, the name is Alester. And you two are¡­¡± ¡°Harton and Nobina,¡± they said, introducing themselves. ¡°You two are quite lucky to be friends with an S-Rank,¡± he nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have amazing story to tell.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it,¡± smiled Harton. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get some food!¡± Alester and the guard brought both of them to the nearby inn. When they entered, more conversations about them happened, still drawing a bit of embarrassment. However, the mayor waved everyone off, telling them to treat the two as important guests. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said the mayor, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°People love to gossip a lot. Not much happens in our town despite it being one of the routes connecting this village to both Wistern and the other countless villages leading to the borders. ¡°Ah. No worries,¡± nodded Harton. ¡°All I really care about is the food.¡± Nobina nodded, curious about the selection of food this time. Taking a look at the menu, Nobina was happy to see a nice selection of new dishes. One of the nice things about the menu they had was they labeled the monsters on the menu with their animal comparisons, making it easier to understand what type of food she was going to be eating. ¡°I¡¯ll have one of everything,¡± said Harton. ¡°Uh¡­ The Fire-Red Tomtoms,¡± said Nobina. Tomtoms were tomato-based monsters that actually were like real tomatoes, only spicy. However, she did not want to think about the slight chicken comparison listed in its description. As for Harton, his meal seemed to cause the mayor to flinch before he nodded and went to the inn owner. ¡°There¡¯s like¡­ ten items on the menu,¡± said Nobina, surprised by Harton¡¯s order. ¡°I¡¯m quite famish actually, so eating my fill now will do us well,¡± he smiled. ¡°Plus, I do like ordering one of everything. Hard to say something is your favorite if you haven¡¯t tried everything.¡± Nobina gave a nod, knowing that, personally, she had so many dishes she wished she had tried. It took only twenty minutes for Nobina¡¯s food to be ready, but Harton¡¯s order took much longer. They did bring it out plate by plate, at least, allowing his hunger to slowly be sated. Once they were finished with their meat, both of them stepped outside. There was still a lot of time in the day, leading to the two spending the rest of the time chatting more about Paths and their destiny. ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Nobina as she sat with Harton in the mayor¡¯s living room. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the God of Progression is the likely cause for these weird situations happening?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± he responded. ¡°The God of Progress is responsible for ensuring that everything progresses towards their natural or unnatural ends. The purpose of this is to ensure there¡¯s always change happening, like how children age into adults or how animals evolve to survive or even how monsters evolve to challenge other beings. It¡¯s a rather complex topic that they have people researching to this day.¡± Harton took a breath before finishing his explanation. ¡°The core tenant of the God of Progression is that ¡®everything must change.¡¯ However, that change is controlled so their end isn¡¯t too fast or too slow.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Having Harton explain what he knew felt like she was making meaningful progress in her own research, even if it hadn¡¯t begun yet. There was a lot she wanted to ask him, but the mayor¡¯s call for dinner drew their attention. ¡°I¡¯m not that great of a chef, but I do know how to cook some decent food,¡± chuckled Alester. ¡°I made enough for eight, so hopefully your friend Harton is good with that.¡± ¡°That should be plenty,¡± laughed Harton. Soon, the group was eating a nice dinner when a knock came from the door. ¡°I wonder who that can be,¡± said the mayor, going to check who it was. To his shock, it was Fay who was panting hard. ¡°Did I miss dinner?¡± she asked, trying to catch her breath. ¡°Did you¡­ manage to cull the nest already?¡± asked the mayor in shock. ¡°Oh yeah. It was a nightmare to navigate and count all the goblins, but I managed to perfectly cull it. I did expend a decent amount of energy though, so we might have to rest part of tomorrow,¡± she smiled. ¡°You really are a hunter, huh,¡± said Nobina. Fay was surprised at first, but she merely smiled and nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s for your sake, I¡¯d hunt even the toughest monster.¡± Harton sighed, shaking his head as he watched Fay join them for dinner. The day was almost over, yet Nobina felt this was the most productive day yet. If they could keep pace, she knew that she¡¯d make meaningful progress in her understanding of Paths and more importantly the understanding of her own destiny. Chapter 99: Onward and Tugan As night rolled around, the mayor apologized that they only had a single spare bed for someone to use and offered the inn rooms as an alternative. Harton accepted the first one, with Fay accepting the second room. ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Nobina, feeling weird taking the only bed in the mayor¡¯s house. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°The adventuring life is one where you take what you can get. I can sleep in an inn as if it¡¯s a second home.¡± ¡°No bother to me either,¡± nodded Harton. ¡°A bed is a bed, regardless of quality.¡± Nobina could tell neither of them would change their mind, leading to her conceding and accepting she¡¯d sleep there for the night. As she wished the two good night, the mayor gave a smile. ¡°You have good companions Nobina,¡± said Alester. Nobina nodded back, having a small smile. ¡°You know, if I was alone, I¡¯m not sure how this trip would have gone so far. I feel like I Iean on so many people, not being that strong myself,¡± said Nobina, finding herself speaking her mind. Alester took the time to look over Nobina before shaking his head. ¡°I think you might be selling yourself short,¡± he responded. ¡°You¡¯re a D-rank adventurer, right? Yet you carry yourself as someone who¡¯s comfortable around S-ranks. That alone speaks volumes of how much stronger you are than a D-rank.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t deny that. She had a lot of tools at her disposal, and she also had her powers. It was one of the things she still wanted to develop. With knowledge of how strong Fay was, she had a part of herself that didn¡¯t want to be outdone. ¡°There¡¯s so much I want to do, yet so little time,¡± she sighed. The mayor looked at her curiously, wondering what she meant by that. ¡°Do you have some grand goal you¡¯re trying to achieve?¡± he asked. Nobina began talking to the mayor about how she was a writer. Her goal was ultimately to write a book, but so far she¡¯s been so busy that it felt like she didn¡¯t have time. She was aware that there technically was no rush to write, but she was feeling a bit rustier with each consecutive day not writing something. ¡°Not sure about writing, but I will say that with long tasks, all you have to do is focus on doing your best to finish what is a priority. At some point, you¡¯ll get the time to do things,¡± smiled Alester. She gave a nod. It felt pointless agonizing over it but even doing it a bit felt a bit liberating. She didn¡¯t like holding anything in and the more she talked, the more comfortable she felt. ¡°Thank you for speaking with me Alester. I think I¡¯ll sleep better after this talk,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°Happy to help,¡± he nodded back. With that, Nobina headed to the guest room of the mayor¡¯s house. It was a clean, minimalistic room with merely a bed, a bedside table, a desk, and a chair. Before lying down to sleep, she found herself sitting at the desk in the room, summarizing her writing utensils and her diary. She began writing about her journey so far, settling with a more simplistic version of it to merely catch up. As she began to write, she felt her desire to write continued to grow. To her, writing was still what she loved. A way to express herself without having to say a word. The pen was her instrument, playing the melody of her story to a recorder that may one day be played for others. Of course, it was her diary, so it wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d share with anyone. However, she really wanted for Fay to see it one day. After all, it would allow for them to catch up sooner even faster. ¡°I wonder what you¡¯ll think of my journey so far,¡± smiled Nobina, recalling her diary for the night. As she went to bed and blew out the lights for the night, the moonlight presented her with a nice, pleasant view before she eventually let sleep take her. The following day, the mayor invited the three of them to enjoy breakfast, which he had prepared early in the morning. It was a simple egg and ham breakfast, but it was something that Nobina and Fay enjoyed in particular. It reminded them a lot of their home cooking, and luckily neither the eggs nor ham was from a monster. They were from traditional animals. As they ate, Harton commented on the skill of the mayor. ¡°One of the better meals I¡¯ve had in a while,¡± he smiled. ¡°Thank you for serving us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± nodded the mayor back. ¡°I rarely find a chance to share my skills with others given how busy I am, but I¡¯m glad it¡¯s still up to par for a party such as yourselves.¡± ¡°We¡¯d definitely love to have another meal one of these days,¡± said Fay. ¡°I agree,¡± nodded Nobina. As the three finished, Fay told the mayor she was feeling well enough to travel. The plan was to leave as soon as they were done. ¡°A shame,¡± said the mayor. ¡°I¡¯m sure a lot of the townsfolk would love for you to stay. You¡¯d get a lot of gifts and get to tell your travel stories to them. Doesn¡¯t that sound fun?¡± Nobina began thinking about all the gossip they were getting from the villagers, shaking her head immediately upon realizing how bad it might get if they stayed too long. ¡°I think we are good to leave as well,¡± said Nobina, with Harton merely giving a nod. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not my place to keep you here longer than necessary,¡± he smiled back. ¡°Will you be heading towards Arrin or back to Navira after this?¡± ¡°Towards Arrin,¡± replied Harton. ¡°We have a place in Arrin we need to get to.¡± Alester gave a nod. ¡°Then we¡¯ll send someone to report the status of the raid to Navira then. For now, we wish you safe travels.¡± With that, the party prepared to depart from Dega. The four of them headed to the general store, where the mayor organized supplies for their trip. During that time, a lot of the villagers went to Fay to discuss the culling of the goblin nest. Part of Nobina was relieved that most of the focus was on Fay, but there were people who had questions for them as well. Harton easily deflected people away, yet Nobina was having trouble doing so. Eventually, the supplies were ready, and they departed immediately. It felt as if the whole town was wishing them goodbye, with only Fay being the one to wave goodbye back. As soon as they were out of range, Fay gave a sigh, relaxing herself. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°I haven¡¯t delt with a crowd like that in a while,¡± said Fay. ¡°I guess people here are really bored.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a smoother time on the trip,¡± smiled Nobina. The next few days were once again uneventful. It was a lot of Nobina, Fay, and Harton talking about their own personal stories. This time around, Nobina was fascinated by the tales that Harton had. Much of his journey was through the Federation of the Great Gar Gar, one of the three great nations of the world and the location of the demon remnants. The Federation itself was a nation focused on profits and power above all else. If you had money, you easily had status. Many people went to the Federation in the hopes of making it big and living an easy life. Some merely sought power, but it was hard to obtain any meaningful position in the nation. Most of the power was consolidated amongst the big groups, one including the Adventuring Guild of the Great Gar Gar, the branch that many S-Ranks found themselves visiting to make it big. ¡°At some point, do you think you¡¯d go there Fay?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Nope,¡± she smiled. ¡°All I desire is right here, and if I really needed power, I rather do it either here or in Arrin. Being involved with the Federation is only asking for trouble.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± responded Harton. ¡°I visit the Federation because it has what I need, but its otherwise a place you want to avoid at all costs. It¡¯s a cutthroat place and being involved with any power there will only hurt you eventually. Nobina didn¡¯t need any more reason to not visit that place. While she had a strong desire to see some of the world, she already realized how much more complicated her life was because she decided to leave Agora. If she had stayed there, she was confident her book would have been done by now. She might have even progressed her own Path or gotten strong enough to be a C-rank by now. However, that was merely a possibility. The worst case would have been getting the town involved in even more trouble. For now, she merely wanted to count herself lucky that she was coming out on top. She found Fay, and that was one of the only things that mattered to her. The trip continued on, with Nobina enjoying taking all the sights in. Eventually, by the end of the week, the group reached the village of Tugan, their first major stop. ¡°Ah Tugan,¡± said Fay. ¡°It¡¯s one of the border villages to Arrin. From what I remember, this place has its own adventuring guild that we can stop by to resupply in. Not only that, but we can get information regarding what¡¯s happening with Arrin. Any news would travel through here, even if it doesn¡¯t go all the way to Navira.¡± Nobina gave a nod, letting Fay take the lead as both she and Harton followed suit. At the entrance, they were once again stopped by guards who checked their adventuring identifications. Seeing Fay as an S-Rank didn¡¯t prompt them to escort them to the guild. However, they advised stopping by and checking if their services were needed. S-Ranks were hard to come by, and it was likely that the guild master would want to meet with her. ¡°Sounds good,¡± nodded Fay, with Nobina and Harton following right after. The village itself was beautiful, being similar in size to Agora. Of course, the stores and houses themselves had their differences. A lot of the architecture was similar to Arrin¡¯s building style, according to Fay. ¡°It does make sense,¡± nodded Nobina. ¡°I bet there are a lot of people from Arrin who visit this place from time to time.¡± Fay shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, Arrin is very strict with its boarder. Only traders are allowed an easier time moving between the borders. Civilians and adventurers of Arrin have a strict process on traveling back and forth. Only A and S-Ranks would be the exception, having an easier degree of movement with the right authorizations.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She eventually did want to see all of Arrin and understand what the nation was about. However, they had a task to do first, which was speaking with the dragons. Eventually, the group reached the adventuring guild. It was about the same size as the guild back in Agora, giving Nobina a sense of nostalgia. It hadn¡¯t been that long, yet it felt like it had been forever since she left Agora. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to go back,¡± she told herself as Fay entered the guild first. Once they were inside, Nobina attached her guild pin to her shirt, displaying her status as an officer. Their presence drew some attention, but many noticed Nobina¡¯s pin immediately and went back to what they were doing. It didn¡¯t take long before one of the guild officers motioned Nobina to come over. ¡°Excuse me,¡± said the receptionist. ¡°Are you perhaps a guild officer of another guild branch?¡± ¡°Yes I am,¡± she nodded. ¡°My name is Nobina. I¡¯m the financial officer of the Agora branch.¡± The receptionist¡¯s mouth widened upon hearing that. ¡°A financial officer¡­ Wow. Your guild must have expanded recently, considering I remember your branch was about the same size as ours. How many are you now?¡± asked the receptionist. ¡°About five including Guild Master Eric,¡± she smiled. The receptionist gave a nod. ¡°We are about six here, but we are nothing too special unfortunately,¡± she said. ¡°The name is Tia by the way. Great meeting you Nobina and¡­¡± ¡°Fay,¡± smiled Fay. ¡°Harton,¡± said Harton, giving a short bow. ¡°Fay and Harton,¡± nodded Tia. ¡°Now then. Is there anything we can help you with?¡± ¡°Actually yeah,¡± said Fay. ¡°Can you tell us the status of the border?¡± Hearing that, Tia¡¯s frown was only a sign of bad news. ¡°Unfortunately, the border has been closed. An incident occurred in Arrin recently that forced them to relocate their adventuring groups. As a result, we are unable to request assistance for a serious matter that¡¯s developing,¡± said Tia, looking a bit sad. ¡°Perhaps we can help,¡± said Nobina, feeling a sense of kinship with Tia. ¡°Fay is an S-Rank adventurer, and we can help resolve any issues you have. We will probably want assistance crossing the border though for the help.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± said Tia, holding a hand to her chin. ¡°I¡¯m not really authorized to make such a decision, but you can speak to Guild Master Ina. She¡¯ll be able to negotiate deals like this.¡± ¡°That works with me,¡± said Nobina. With that, the group was escorted up to the second floor. Tia gave a knock, with a female voice inviting them inside. Once they were inside, Nobina felt impressed by what she saw. Sitting behind the desk was a woman in her forties. She had long, brown hair and glasses like hers. Besides that, she wore a leather outfit similar to Mimiki¡¯s adventuring one, but it was simpler. Mixed with that was a set of white clothing that flowed easily with each movement. ¡°How may I help you?¡± asked Ina with a smile. ¡°Hello there,¡± said Nobina, giving a bow. ¡°My name is Nobina and this is my party, Fay and Harton. We are trying to cross the border, but we are aware that is closed. However, we are willing to offer Fay¡¯s services as an S-Rank in order for passage through the border.¡± Ina gave it some thought before shaking her head. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the pull required to get you through. However, we would greatly appreciate the help dealing with our monster problem. In exchange, we¡¯ll do what we can to keep you informed of the border stats and get you through immediately once it¡¯s open. Not only that, but we¡¯ll make sure your well accommodated for the duration,¡± said Ina. Nobina could tell there was a sense of desperation in Ina¡¯s face. She really needed their help, and Nobina felt obligated to do something. Looking at Fay and Harton, Nobina saw it was her decision to make. ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Excellent,¡± smiled Ina, looking far happier. ¡°I might be an A-rank, but even I am not good enough to deal with this problem.¡± ¡°A-Rank?¡± asked Fay. ¡°Normally its former or current S-Ranks for guild masters, especially the border ones.¡± Ina sighed, shaking her head. ¡°My father, Guild Master Donell, passed away a few years ago. Due to my relationship with Arrin, they requested I take over as guild master and be trained to become an S-Rank within ten years. Otherwise, they would have me lead alongside one of their retired S-Ranks. ¡°I didn¡¯t think this nation would ever accept allowing an adventurer of Arrin to lead one of the organizations,¡± said Harton. ¡°History has shown how much of a bad idea that can be.¡± Ina gave a shrug. ¡°Navira approved of this without issue. So long as they get to vet the co-leader, then they would accept whoever has both of their approvals. Anyway, if you really doubt my capabilities of leading this guild, please note your concern is noted.¡± Nobina could tell Ina wanted them to drop the topic, so she decided to change it to something more lighthearted. ¡°I believe I didn¡¯t introduce myself fully,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m the financial officer of the Agora guild. It is nice to meet you Guild Master Ina.¡± Hearing her introduction put Ina at ease. ¡°Ah¡­ a fellow officer. Right, you had that pin on you. Forgive me for being a bit defensive. So many people question my qualifications and honestly, it eats at me. However, I do my best and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Nobina could understand how Ina felt. Remembering her own qualifications being questioned, Nobina would also get defensive and feel obligated to prove herself. If it happened too often, it would be understandable to be frustrated as well. ¡°Hopefully we can relieve the burden even a bit,¡± said Nobina. ¡°For now, can you help us get accommodated for the day?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± nodded Ina. ¡°Please let Tia know that you are high profile guests, and she¡¯ll do the rest.¡± The three of them gave a nod, leaving Ina to relax back in her chair. ¡°Hm,¡± she spoke out loud. ¡°I might not be strong, but my sensitivity to divine energy is second to none. I can see you watching me you know.¡± Ina¡¯s eyes turned to the spot the Gaze was, keeping her eye on it as she waited for a response. Chapter 100: Mission and Information Nobina, Fay, and Harton made their way down the stairs back to the front. Arriving there, they met not only Tia but another guild officer as well. It was a man that seemed to be in their forties with black, short hair. They wore standard guild attire but had an additional badge on them that likely symbolized their status as a supervisor. ¡°Ah,¡± said Tia, seeing the three come downstairs. ¡°Hello everyone. I would like to introduce you to my supervisor, Loct Moren.¡± Loct gave a short bow, smiling after looking them over. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you three. As Tia has said, I¡¯m the supervisor of this branch. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask any of us. Tia has already informed me that one of you is a guild officer and the other an S-Rank adventurer. Both demanding as much respect as possible.¡± ¡°That is correct,¡± smiled Nobina, stepping forward. ¡°My name is Nobina and I¡¯m the financial guild officer of Agora. Next to me is Fay, an S-Rank adventurer and also Harton, a fellow adventurer as well.¡± Harton gave a nod. ¡°My rank might be a humble B status, but I do carry my weigh,¡± he smiled. Loct gave him a nod back. ¡°Despite how much respect we give S-Ranks, we do hold someone who reaches B-Rank in high regard. Glad to meet you as well,¡± said Loct. With the greetings out of the way, Nobina relayed the words of Guild Master Ina to the rest of them. Listening to her speak, both kept quiet until Nobina finished the message. Once she was done, both Tia and Loct gave them a respectful bow. ¡°We will do what we can to accommodate you. For now, would you like to know the details of the mission?¡± asked Loct. ¡°That would be great,¡± said Nobina, curious about the nature of the job at hand. If it wasn¡¯t something an A-rank or even multiple lower ranks could handle, then it must have been something serious. The three of them followed Loct into his office within the guild. Tia, whose attention went back to the front, waved them goodbye as they left her sight. Nobina was impressed by how the guild interior looked. It was mainly a wooden structure with a mixture of different types of wood. Stone columns did appear here and there, helping make up the core of the building. Once they were at Loct¡¯s office, Nobina was further impressed by its d¨¦cor. There were a decent number of books that seemed to relate to adventuring. Not only that but there were a few well-crafted furniture pieces that looked to be miniature monsters serving multiple purposes. One of those was the center table surrounded by two clothed couches. ¡°Please take a seat,¡± said Loct, motioning towards the couches to sit. Once all of them were seated, with Harton taking the opportunity to be the most comfortable, Loct began relaying the mission. ¡°Two weeks ago, we noticed a change in the northern forest. Monsters became more and more active, prompting us to send out an investigation. At the time, we had members of the Arrin guild here that were lending a hand. The result was the discovery of a new alpha monster taking over the arena. Normally, we wouldn¡¯t care too much about such a thing, as it was natural for a region to gain a new alpha every once in a while. However, the sheer amount of activity has indicated the alpha is attempting to claim even more territory, including this village.¡± Loct opened up a map and set it before them, pointing to a particular circled area. ¡°We¡¯ve identified this as the likely spot of the cave of this monster. We don¡¯t have any details of what it is though, unfortunately. Before we could send out a second scout party, an emissary from the Arrin Adventuring Guild ordered all Arrin adventurers to return to Arrin in order to deal with an immediate threat.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the threat?¡± asked Fay, curious about the recall. She knew that whatever could have caused the recall must have been serious since they would rarely take such an action. ¡°They were unable to tell us at the time,¡± sighed Loct. ¡°However, they promised to send us a report once the situation was handled. Hence, the border between our nations is closed.¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Nobina. ¡°You said the border is closed, but isn¡¯t there the small nation of Nitu between us and Arrin?¡± ¡°That is correct,¡± replied Loct. ¡°The order to seal the border was informed to us by Nitu. Travel between here and Nitu has not been suspended.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She was aware there were a string of nations that created a natural barrier between the three great nations. It acted as a sort of neutral ground where parties of both nation could meet and do business. It also acted as the first line of defense should something go wrong in any of the major nations. ¡°Back to what I was saying,¡± said Loct, turning to the map. ¡°We¡¯ve been holding off sending any quests north to prevent drawing more monsters in our direction. So far, we¡¯ve seen a decent number of strong monsters appearing that normally are closer to the Letun Mountains. We speculate it¡¯s an indication of something happening to the north as well, but that is strictly off limits due to the dragons demands.¡± Fay gave it some thought before taking the lead in the conversation. ¡°Do you need us to scout of the location or eliminate this new alpha monster?¡± asked Fay. ¡°The primary mission would be to scout the circled location and then scout the mountainside. If you spot the alpha, please give us as much information as you can, but finding it is not necessary. All we need is information and getting information on the status of the two is all that matters,¡± said Loct. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Seems a trivial task for an S-Rank,¡± said Harton, wondering what would have prevented the guild master or other adventurers from taking this task. ¡°I¡¯d normally agree with you, but we¡¯ve gotten recent reports that the monsters slowly approaching the village are around C-Rank in strength. We have a few B-Ranks and C-Ranks, but most of the adventurers here are D or under. After all, this is merely a village. We also do not want to risk losing either, as this could leave us virtually defenseless against the alpha,¡± said Loct, a worried expression on his face. ¡°So that basically covers the mission. It would roughly take two days to reach the alpha¡¯s location and then two more days to reach the mountains. I¡¯m not sure if you have to depart immediately, but any help would be appreciated.¡± Fay once again turned to Nobina, who merely nodded her head. ¡°We do have something time sensitive, but if the border is closed then there¡¯s no rush to get it done. We¡¯ll help you out,¡± she replied. Relief washed over Loct as he heard the good news. ¡°Guild Master Ina did inform us she¡¯d assist us crossing the border though, so any help in that matter would be appreciated,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± he replied. ¡°We¡¯ll send out a team to check the border status and report back. That way you are informed once the border situation is resolved.¡± With that, Loct went over the rest of the smaller details with the team. Most of it was information about what the monster could potentially be, but it was mostly speculation. As soon as he was done, he told them about the place where they would be able to stay for the duration. ¡°Please informed Jerina the Inn Keeper that you are working an important guild mission. She¡¯ll ensure you are treated well,¡± said Loct. ¡°Besides that, do any of you have any questions?¡± ¡°Only one question,¡± said Harton, drawing all of their attention. ¡°Do you happen to have a nice restaurant in this town? I¡¯m in the mood to try more new foods.¡± Both Fay and Nobina sighed as Loct started to laugh. ¡°We do have one called the Carton Birds. They specialized in winged monster meat if you¡¯re fine with that.¡± ¡°Perfect for me,¡± smiled Harton. The group thanked Loct for his help, making their way out. As soon as they were back in front, Tia inquired about the status of the quest. ¡°We¡¯ve decided to take it and will head out tomorrow,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Oh great,¡± said Tia, feeling relieved herself. ¡°It¡¯s hard sending out adventurers to something risky, as you might know as well Nobina. Many of them want a chance to test their mettle, but we don¡¯t want to lose anyone during this time. Once those adventurers from Arrin are back, things will be different. For now though, we are just playing it safe.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± said Nobina. ¡°The safety of others is important and a part of being guild officers is prioritizing adventurer safety. Despite us sending them on risky missions, it¡¯s always because it¡¯s necessary.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± nodded Tia. ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand that. Anyway, I don¡¯t want to keep you three waiting. Good luck!¡± Nobina nodded, and the group headed out of the guild moments later. Once they were outside, Harton shook his head. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s wise to take such a quest? Time is of the essence and the border might be open by the time we reach it,¡± he pointed out. ¡°Harton¡­ does have a good point,¡± said Fay. ¡°Despite it being closed, my status as an S-Rank adventurer of Arrin would be sufficient to get us through. I do agree though that we should help out fellow adventurers, but we do need to consider the greater impact of this decision.¡± Nobina was quiet for a bit before nodding back. ¡°I understand. Do you think we should just abandon this promise and attempt to cross?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°You know where I stand on the matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll still stand with you as well Nobina, but we need to be prepared to accelerate this trip once this quest is done. I¡¯m very tempted to ask you to remain here with Harton as I clear the locations myself.¡± There was a bit of a disappointed look on Nobina¡¯s face, but Harton quickly changed that. ¡°It would be a better alternative. We can study your two problems in the meantime Nobina and make some headway there. Else, we can also work a bit on training. Nothing speaks opportunity like training with those around your skill level, right?¡± he smiled. Harton had a point. Nobina knew that she¡¯d merely slow down the mission in her current state. If Fay was fine with it, Nobina was good with her handling the mission alone. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fine with me,¡± said Nobina. ¡°We¡¯ll take the time gathering information and training a bit.¡± Fay gave a nod, hugging Nobina. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me either. I¡¯ve done plenty of solo quests before and this will merely just be another one of them.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Nobina, returning the hug. With that settled, the group headed to the inn. Once they were there, Nobina felt a sense of homeliness with how the small eating area of the inn looked somewhat similar to the one back in Agora. The differences were in regard to the Arrin building style, but it was mostly the same. ¡°I¡¯ll merely have the guild cover the payment,¡± said Jerina. ¡°If you need anything, please let me know.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Nobina. The group headed upstairs to unload their gear before heading back down. It was still halfway in the day, so they decided to explore the village a bit before eating dinner and calling it a night. Tugan itself was a calm village compared to Dega. There were far fewer people walking around, and practically no one came up to them or talked about them. Of course, no one knew Fay was an S-Rank, which helped a lot, but it felt relieving, to say the least. The town had a general store, a blacksmith, an alchemy store, a clothing store, and a medical office. It was a similar setup to Agora, though they only had one of each building. Agora had multiple blacksmiths and general stores, as well as restaurants. In the center of the village was a small garden with a few benches to sit down and relax on. Nobina felt tempted to take one herself to write a bit on, but Harton ended up leading them to the next location. Eventually, the group reached the Carton Bird, causing Fay to chuckle. ¡°Have a bit of an appetite right now, huh?¡± she smiled. ¡°Well¡­ I do eat a bit more when nervous,¡± he sighed. ¡°Though, I will not deny wanting to try more foods all the time.¡± With the decision of what to do next basically made, the three made their way inside to enjoy a nice dinner. Once again, Harton ordered everything on the menu, with Nobina and Fay ordering two Winder-Hawk dishes. According to the waiter, the Winder-Hawks had a taste similar to chicken, yet it was a bit sweeter thanks to their diet. As they ate, Harton turned to Fay with a curious look. ¡°Hey Fay,¡± said Harton, drawing her attention. ¡°Yes?¡± she asked with a curious look. ¡°Would you have preferred this journey without me?¡± he replied back, eyeing her to see her reaction. Fay thought about his question for a bit before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯d prefer Nobina have someone I trust watching her. While I cannot say I completely trusted you before, I feel almost certain I can completely trust you now,¡± said Fay. ¡°You know, I appreciate that,¡± nodded Harton. ¡°After this journey, we might all end up good friends and grow old together! Wouldn¡¯t that be a sight.¡± Nobina and Fay gave a sigh, shaking their heads. Both knew that by the time they passed on, Harton would still have plenty of years left in his life. ¡°I guess having someone watching over our descendants isn¡¯t bad,¡± said Nobina, thinking about the positives.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Harton nodded. ¡°And with me and Nobina getting closer, you never know!¡± Hearing that, Harton could sense a bit of hostility from Fay, causing him to chuckle. ¡°Wow¡­ you really are bad at hiding your feelings for Nobina,¡± he smiled. Nobina could barely hold back her laugh as Harton left the restaurant as Fay chased him down. Moments like these were amazing and she hoped that she could have more calm light-hearted moments in the future. ¡°Cheers to an optimistic future,¡± she smiled. Chapter 101: Reminiscing and Divine Knowledge Soon, night came, and the group headed back to the inn. This time around, Harton had a separate room, while Fay and Nobina shared one this time. It wasn¡¯t something Nobina was unfamiliar with. Back in their world, the two had shared a room a few times when they went out to other locations for conventions. Fay changed into her own nightgown while Nobina kept her own outfit on. ¡°I guess your clothes also keep themselves clean,¡± chuckled Fay. ¡°Ah¡­ is it the same for you?¡± asked Nobina. Fay gave a nod. ¡°My outfits are always clean or can be repaired with energy. Of course, I shouldn¡¯t let them get shredded too often if at all, but they are basically armor in my case.¡± Fay began explaining how, despite her clothes being tied to her power, they were more durable than most armors. It was the only reason she could get aggressive with her attacks as if they were more fragile, she¡¯d avoid direct conflict and use more range-based skills. ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Nobina. ¡°You¡¯ve never talked about your skills either, right?¡± said Fay. ¡°Mind¡­ sharing them?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Nobina, shocking herself with that reality. ¡°I should have shared what they did with you sooner.¡± Nobina started out with her first skill, summoning and recalling books and paper. When she did that, Fay was amazed. She slowly approached one of the books Nobina summoned, picking it up and examining it all over. ¡°This feels¡­ so real,¡± said Fay. ¡°It¡¯s magic though, right?¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if these books will disappear with me, but I¡¯m in no rush to figure that out. Next¡­¡± Taking a deep breath, Nobina held out her hand, preparing to use her other skill. ¡°Pen,¡± she said, summoning a pen. Fay was surprised, but soon Nobina used the next part of the skill to shock her even more. ¡°Blade!¡± From the tip of the pen came the ink blade that Nobina hadn¡¯t used in a while. She could tell as well since she felt her energy slowly drain. Fay took the time to immediately examine the blade, asking a barrage of questions regarding it. Before answering any of them though, Nobina recalled her blade, panting a bit afterwards. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Fay. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not able to keep the blade out for long, but that¡¯s part of my second skill. It can also form a golden blade that increases it power but takes my money as it slashes. There is also a blade where I could use my memories as a cost to increase its power, but¡­¡± Fay immediately grabbed Nobina, scaring her for a second as she noticed the serious look in Fay¡¯s eyes. ¡°Tell me you never paid that cost,¡± said Fay, staring her directly in the eyes. ¡°Never,¡± smiled Nobina gently, causing Fay to release her. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± sighed Fay. ¡°I¡­ Can you make me a promise Nobina? Can you promise me to never¡­ ever¡­ use that skill.¡± Nobina opened her mouth, but closed it, asking a question of her own. ¡°Fay¡­ If that skill could save a life, are you asking me¡­ to let someone die for the sake of never losing a moment?¡± Fay gave a sigh, shaking her head. ¡°You know what the answer is already,¡± she sighed. ¡°Sorry for asking you the impossible.¡± Nobina gave Fay a hug, patting her on the back. ¡°I will do my best to avoid using this skill is all I can promise you Fay. Until I¡¯m strong enough to never need it, then it will remain a possibility.¡± ¡°Then when the time comes, I shall train you to the bone to never need it. That or protect you till the very end,¡± nodded Fay. ¡°That¡¯s so like you as well,¡± chuckled Nobina. Both of them looked at each other before giggling. Moments like this highlighted the strong bond the two had together. Nobina knew that she¡¯d never want anything to get in the way of how close they were. After all, Nobina cared deeply about Fay. ¡°Hey Fay,¡± said Nobina as the two still hugged. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Fay, her eyes looking softly at Nobina¡¯s. The two stared at each other for a moment, their eyes locked. ¡°Oh, I meant to share my diary with you,¡± said Nobina, breaking the eye lock. Nobina quickly summoned her diary, opening and beginning to talk about her journey. She began acting as a narrator, talking about her journey so far and the things that had happened. Soon, both of them were lying down in bed, Nobina reading the diary to Fay as she lay in bed and got comfortable. As she was reading though, Nobina didn¡¯t notice Fay falling asleep with a smile on her face. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I guess I can finish telling my story another time,¡± said Nobina as she recalled her diary. Part of her wanted to continue it, but she knew they had a long day ahead of them. ¡°Well¡­ I guess I¡¯ll call it a night as well,¡± said Nobina as she blew out the room¡¯s candles. Once again, Nobina found herself falling asleep looking at the moonlight, feeling excited for what tomorrow held in store for them. The following day, Nobina found herself waking up to an empty bed. She gave a bit of a stretch, looking out the window to see that it was approaching lunch hour. ¡°Guess we stayed up too late,¡± she chuckled, heading out of her room and down the stairs. Once she was there, she didn¡¯t see Fay, prompting her to ask Jerina if she saw Fay. ¡°Right,¡± said Jerina. ¡°She headed to the guild to speak with someone there and told me to relay that to you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Nobina replied back. She headed out of the inn and headed straight to the guild. Once she was there, Nobina saw that Fay was talking with Tia before turning to her. ¡°Hey Nobina,¡± said Fay. ¡°Hi Fay. What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Nobina, curious about what the two were talking about. ¡°Oh,¡± said Tia. ¡°Fay told me you were looking for assistance training a bit while she left for the quest. We¡¯d be honored to help a fellow guild officer develop, so I¡¯ll relay the request to the guild master.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary,¡± said Nobina, waving her hand. ¡°I mean, I have my other companion Harton who was planning to train me, so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have a variety of training partners,¡± replied Fay. ¡°Plus, I¡¯m sure that someone here might be more suited.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too sure of that,¡± chuckled Harton as he stepped into the guild. ¡°I might not be the most suitable teacher, but I do understand a bit of sword combat and Paths.¡± Nobina didn¡¯t know what to say, but Tia came to the rescue. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt having Nobina train under someone who¡¯s suited to teach,¡± said Tia. ¡°At the same time, Mr. Harton here can observe and add his input. Does that work for everyone?¡± They all turned to Nobina, causing her to sigh. ¡°Yeah¡­ we can give it a shot,¡± she said. ¡°Excellent,¡± said Tia. ¡°Wait here one moment while I speak with the guild master.¡± As Tia headed out, Nobina turned to Fay, giving her a hug. ¡°It¡¯s also time I head out Nobina,¡± said Fay. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get everything done as soon as possible, but no promises.¡± ¡°Just be safe Fay,¡± said Nobina, returning the hug. Harton couldn¡¯t help but smile as he saw the moment the two were having. It didn¡¯t last long though, as Fay separated moments later, grabbing the bag of supplies she had on the ground. ¡°Well then¡­ I will see you two later,¡± she said, heading out immediately. It wasn¡¯t until she was out of the door that Fay boosted herself off, leaving another gust of dust in her wake. ¡°She still is quite fast,¡± said Harton, giving a nod. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Nobina, merely hoping that Fay would be safe on her trip. After waiting for a few minutes, Tia came back downstairs to speak with them. ¡°Ina wants to speak with you alone Nobina,¡± said Tia, who glanced at Harton to see his response. Nobina turned to Harton, who merely gave a nod. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s fine with me,¡± said Nobina, following Tia upstairs. Once Nobina was in the room, Tia closed the door right behind her. ¡°Please have a seat Nobina,¡± said Ina, motioning for her to sit in the chair in front of her desk. When she did so, Ina¡¯s eyes moved to where the Gaze was once again occupying. As Ina¡¯s attention was on the Gaze, Nobina merely tilted her head in curiosity. ¡°Tell me,¡± said Ina, keeping her attention on the Gaze. ¡°Are you aware of what you have following you Nobina?¡± Nobina, realizing Ina likely sensed the Gaze, merely nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ Does the Gaze bother you, guild master?¡± asked Nobina, studying Ina back. Ina gave a sigh, shaking her head. ¡°No. If you recognize what this is, then it likely isn¡¯t something to be too concerned about. I do want to clarify though which god is looking at us right now,¡± she replied back. ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t believe it¡¯s a single god. I believe its multiple divine entities using that Gaze to observe me and my journey,¡± she replied back. ¡°For what purpose?¡± asked Ina, who was trying to recall her knowledge on the topic of gods. ¡°I¡­ do not know,¡± she replied. ¡°Are you perhaps knowledgeable on divine entities?¡± Ina gave a nod, standing up and going to one of the nearby shelves. She then walked over to Nobina and placed a book in front of her titled ¡°The Divine.¡± Opening it up, she could instantly tell it was a book meant to provide information on the various divine entities of this world. Besides the three major gods, it also mentioned what were titled classical gods and minor gods, each governing their own aspects of the world. ¡°It¡¯s a fascinating read, but the book doesn¡¯t explicitly mention any case where multiple divine beings observe anyone¡¯s life through a visible object. Well, I use visible lightly since I believe only a few would be able to fully notice this Gaze and its origin,¡± said Ina, taking a seat back behind her desk. ¡°I¡¯m currently trying to look more into this Gaze, but I haven¡¯t had the time to,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s for the best,¡± replied Ina, drawing a confused look from Nobina. ¡°If you look too deeply into the Gaze, it might react to stop you. In the worst case, these divine entities might want you dead.¡± Nobina froze for a second, knowing full well that there were times when the Gaze sent out hostile creatures that could have very well killed her. It was hard to believe it wouldn¡¯t do so again in the future at this point. ¡°Perhaps your right, but if I leave this Gaze as a mystery, then I can only blame myself when more and more unexpected things happened. Shouldn¡¯t I have at least some idea of the capabilities of the divine beings watching me?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°If you can figure that out, yes. However, do you think you¡¯d be able to?¡± said Ina. ¡°Those entities feel particularly powerful.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t answer that question. So far, the Gaze and its bag have continued to up the ante in terms of what it could give her. She even had a powerful Alpha Death Hare that could take on ancient dragons. If it was capable of that, what¡¯s to say it couldn¡¯t send a nuke one day and end it all. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t say,¡± said Nobina, feeling disappointed by how much she couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°And that¡¯s perfectly reasonable when it comes to the divine,¡± nodded Ina. ¡°These are beings that are supposed to be above us mortals. As someone who has the ability to sense it easily, I can tell you that we are lucky that there aren¡¯t tons of hostile divine entities out there. Who knows what would happen to the world if one of them send their followers against us,¡± said Ina. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to imagine,¡± she replied back. ¡°So¡­ Are you saying it''s best I just get stronger and live life?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what most people do,¡± smiled Ina. ¡°Speaking of which, Tia has informed me you are seeking training. As a fellow guild officer, I¡¯d be happy to assist with your development as a combat guild officer. Being able to execute the guilds orders is valuable, especially since guilds usually depend on the guild master themselves for strength. As you might know, many guild officers are former S-Ranks or active S-Rank adventurers. It¡¯s ideal to keep at this power in a guild at a minimum to prevent chaos.¡± Nobina gave a nod. She was aware that guilds were set up to be entities capable of preventing disasters. It was why Agora having both an S-Rank and A-Rank was valuable. It meant there were always two capable individuals able to deal with incidents like the Goblin Invasions. ¡°Thank you for your support,¡± bowed Nobina. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need from me, please let me know.¡± Ina gave a laugh, shaking her head. ¡°Your friend Fay is already doing enough as is,¡± responded back Ina. ¡°Please. Go ahead and let Tia know to gather a few of our capable adventurers to help you out.¡± Nobina gave a nod, heading off. As she did, Ina gave a chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°Hopefully you truly become strong enough to understand the Gaze Nobina,¡± she said as she went to put away the book about the divine. Chapter 102: Workout and Future As Nobina made her way downstairs, she was caught off guard by a sight she didn¡¯t expect. ¡°Surely you humans can recognize when your outmatched,¡± said Harton, smiling in front of three clearly exhausted adventurers. ¡°It must be some trick,¡± huffed one of them. ¡°He dodged everything we threw at him.¡± ¡°You¡­ idiot,¡± said another one of them. ¡°You bumped into us constantly while we tried to land a hit. Of course we failed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a disgrace for three B-Ranks to not be able to touch another B-Rank,¡± sighed the last one. Nobina felt a bit bad for the three adventurers in front of Harton. They were completely unaware Harton was far stronger than a B-Rank. He could very well go toe-to-toe with S-Ranks if push came to shove. ¡°Now then,¡± clapped Harton. ¡°I¡¯ve judge you three decent enough quality to teach my friend Nobina.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± said Nobina out loud, drawing Tia and Harton¡¯s attention. ¡°Perfect timing,¡± said Tia, feeling relieved. ¡°Harton here was having a small contest with the three adventurers Ina asked me to get. They will help you reach up to C-Rank in skill at the very least, which will be excellent considering you¡¯re getting close to it as a D-Rank.¡± As Tia said that, the adventurers slowly got up, making themselves presentable as they turned their attention to Tia and Nobina. ¡°Forgive us for that¡­ display,¡± said the female adventurer in the center. ¡°My name is Wendy. Next to me are Joey and Ganore. Both Joey and Ganore gave a bow respectively. Joey had light-brown hair with a slightly slim build. On his side was a wooden staff that looked to be magical. On the flip side, Ganore had black, short, straight hair. He had a shield and sword on his person in comparison. Last was Wendy, who had brown hair that went down to her neck. Her weapon was what looked like a whip. ¡°Hello there Wendy, Joey and Ganore,¡± smiled Nobina. ¡°I apologize for Harton¡¯s behavior to fellow adventurer.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s no big deal,¡± laughed Joey. ¡°It¡¯s on us to show our skill as your teachers, so that display was on us.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± said Ganore. ¡°We should have been able to at least land a hit on Harton. He might be more suitable to teach than us.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I might be skilled, but teaching isn¡¯t more forte. If you are better at it than me, then be my guest.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Would you accept us as your instructors?¡± asked Wendy. ¡°This is technically a quest, so you as the client have every right to accept or decline.¡± ¡°What are the conditions?¡± asked Nobina, turning to Tia. ¡°Merely train Nobina to her satisfaction. The goal is to make you capable of taking the C-Rank promotion test. Of course, even if you¡¯re not able to pass, they will still receive payment if the improvement is notable,¡± said Tia, turning serious. Nobina gave a nod. ¡°I accept these three then,¡± responded Nobina. With that, their training together officially began. It didn¡¯t take long before the five of them made their way to the back of the guild. A few adventurers were training in the yard in the back, reminding Nobina of the setup Agora used to help train and test adventurers. She wanted to reminisce a bit more, but Wendy called her attention. ¡°Now then,¡± said Wendy. ¡°Can you demonstrate your current skill level and weapon of choice?¡± Nobina gave a nod, grabbing her sword from her bag. The three of them were impressed seeing a sword come out of a bag that wasn¡¯t nearly as large. ¡°Wow¡­ is that a magical bag?¡± asked Joey. ¡°Can I see it?¡± asked Wendy, looking at the bag. ¡°Unfortunately, I must decline,¡± replied Nobina, drawing a sad look from the three. ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s understandable,¡± said Wendy. ¡°Well¡­ please begin the demonstration. Show us a few attacks and your movement with the sword in hand.¡± Nobina nodded, taking a deep breath before beginning her demonstration. The first part, the demonstration of her swordsmanship, wasn¡¯t too hard. Despite being out of practice, her sword swings were relatively accurate, and the combos she displayed impressed the three of them. However, when she began displaying her movement in general, there was a slight look of disappointment among the three. After thirty minutes, Nobina was told to stop, allowing her to breathe. ¡°Man¡­ I¡¯m really out of practice,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°We can tell,¡± said Joey. ¡°If you were fighting any real monster, you could very well be tired out and hurt.¡± ¡°I know,¡± sighed Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m guessing practice is the first step in my training, right?¡± Wendy shook her head. ¡°The first step is to ask yourself if you really want to be an adventurer,¡± said Wendy, causing Nobina to stare straight at her. ¡°What¡­ do you mean by that?¡± asked Nobina, confused by her instruction. ¡°What I mean is¡­ Nobina. You knew you were out of shape before requesting training, yes?¡± asked Wendy. ¡°Well¡­ yeah. I probably should have gotten back into the swing of things before asking for training,¡± she replied. ¡°You recognize that, yet you requested training. Why?¡± asked Wendy. ¡°Isn¡¯t getting back in the swing of things something you can do yourself?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to get stronger faster,¡± she replied back. ¡°For what purpose?¡± pressed Wendy, who was staring straight at Nobina¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t say,¡± she replied back. Wendy gave a sigh, shaking her head. ¡°The contract is for five days. By the time you are back in fighting form, the contract will be over, and we¡¯d only have gotten you back to shape. I really suggest asking yourself if this is the right direction for you. Is your time really best spent training and physically improving? Do you have any other routes you can follow? Considering you got yourself out of shape, you must have other priorities¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Nobina stood still, now questioning herself and her decision to even train. Mimiki was always there to support her, but she remembered how Mimiki was also disappointed in her lack of keeping up with her physical training. She could even recall seeing Fay and Harton train a bit during the trip as well while she merely watched. ¡°Listen,¡± said Wendy. ¡°We are contracted by the guild and will do our best to get you back into shape, but¡­ We cannot guarantee you pass the C-Rank test. If that is still fine, we¡¯ll continue the contract, else¡­¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡­ wish to dismiss the contract and will pay you the fee for contract dismissal.¡± Wendy and her party gave a nod. Joey and Ganore headed back, while Wendy went to Nobina. As for Nobina¡¯s end, she found herself frustrated. Perhaps she would have benefited from the three of them helping her, but she knew how tricky the guild situation was and didn¡¯t want to waste the time of three B-Rank adventurers. ¡°Hey,¡± said Wendy, drawing Nobina¡¯s attention. Nobina looked at Wendy, who merely wiped the tears of Nobina away that had formed. ¡°Don¡¯t let my words stop you from your goal Nobina,¡± she said gently. ¡°I just want you to have the fire you¡¯d need to become stronger. It would be sad if we trained you only for you to fall short of the test. I¡¯m sure you have your reasons for it, but I hope that you understand that what you seek requires you to dedicate time to it. Talent might get you far, as we see your swordsmanship skills, but effort matters just as much.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Thank you for those words, Wendy. I¡¯ll¡­ hopefully be able to one day train under you.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m excited for it,¡± said Wendy, patting Nobina on the back before heading off. As everyone else left, Harton finally spoke up, nodding his head. ¡°They are right though. Training your body physically is going to be really important for you to continue to develop your swordsmanship. However, what is your power based on? Does it get stronger by physical training?¡± asked Harton. Nobina shook her head. ¡°My abilities get stronger with writing, but I haven¡¯t had the time for it,¡± she replied. ¡°Then you should make time,¡± replied Harton. ¡°We probably have five days before Fay comes back. Fully focus on your writing. Make strides in it. Sure, you might not receive an immediate boost, but any progress will be good.¡± Harton had a point. Nobina knew that she had never really had the time to continue her writing, but this was the perfect change. It was only five days, but she couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had five days to work on her writing at all. ¡°Perhaps I can finally get a few chapters done,¡± she smiled to herself. ¡°Exactly,¡± nodded Harton. ¡°If you need any help, please don¡¯t hesitated to ask.¡± Nobina couldn¡¯t help but laugh, nodding her head. It seemed so simple, but writing was really all she needed to do to advance her powers. Sure, physical training would be important to fully utilize them, but improving her current powers might have been the most effective path for her. Not only that, but it was a step towards her dream of writing a book. If she had done that, she¡¯d have accomplished a major goal. ¡°I¡¯ll take a step towards my dream,¡± nodded Nobina. With that, Nobina and Harton left the training grounds, heading back to the inn. ¡­ Fay was making good progress through the woods. It was approaching the end of the day, yet she felt the urge to travel a few more miles. ¡°Man, I wish my endurance was better,¡± she sighed, stretching as she finally stopped. The sun was already gone, yet Fay was well accustomed to night travel, thanks to her training back in Arrin. ¡°Like old times I guess,¡± she smiled to herself, remembering the solo missions she had been on. As Fay found a spot to settle down for the night, she gathered the materials she needed and lit a fire. It wasn¡¯t necessary for her at her strength, but the warmness of the fire reminded her of a lot of Nobina and their time together. ¡°The sooner we are done with this, the faster I can get back to you,¡± said Fay. Fay found a good spot to put her back to. As she relaxed against one of the nearby trees, her eyes turned to the Gaze Bag, which she still had on her person. ¡°I wonder¡­ would one of the entities bring something forth while Nobina is away? Is she really safe as long as I have it and she doesn¡¯t?¡± she asked herself. To her, the Gaze was a threat above all else. It might have provided her with the means of protecting Nobina, but it also provided the very threat that came after her life. Fay was very tempted to merely bury this bag and leave it be, but she knew how foolish that was. If the bag produced another deadly monster with the potential to get stronger or one capable of defeating even the strongest adventurer, then it would be her fault for leaving it unattended. As the fire crackled, Fay found herself slowly falling asleep. Many thoughts were running through her mind, but one thought found itself on the surface. The fact that as long as she worried, she¡¯d be keeping herself awake longer. The longer she was awake, the longer she was going to be away from Nobina. ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ have¡­ that,¡± she told herself as she fell asleep. ¡­ It was nighttime, and Nobina was feeling tired. She had spent most of the day writing another chapter in her adventuring book. It was unfortunate she couldn¡¯t consult with Mimiki regarding what she wrote, but Harton ended up being a boon to have. His knowledge of adventuring was second to none, and he had loads of tips and advice that helped fill the most recent chapter. She not only finished one chapter, but she had a chance to edit it as well, and she was ready to move on to the next chapter. Harton had already headed off to bed for the night, so all Nobina was doing was writing an update in her diary. As she finished that, she took a breath and decided to practice her abilities once more. ¡°Pen Blade,¡± said Nobina, immediately summoning the weapon mode of her Pen Blade skill. As she held it out, she felt the drain of the sword on her stamina. She could tell it was slightly easier to maintain, but her being out of shape was countering any real progress in keeping it out for a significant time. All she knew was that if she worked on both writing and physical training, she would be able to use the blade from dawn to dusk. ¡°That¡¯s the dream anyway,¡± she chuckled to herself as she began feeling tired. Eventually, she recalled the Pen Blade, preparing herself for the night. However, as she laid her bag down, she saw Pausers, Echo, Hammy, and Spot come out of her bag. ¡°Hello everyone,¡± she smiled as her four companions found themselves playing around her. For most of the trip, her companions had been in her special bag, only coming out occasionally to look around a bit before going back in. They had generally avoided coming out of the bag when she was near others, which was a relief but also sad. Part of her wanted them to be able to walk freely without drawing unnecessary fear from those around her. ¡°Perhaps when I¡¯m stronger or more renowned,¡± said Nobina to Pausers, who merely snuggled against her. As she said that, Pausers dropped a message in front of her. Nobina, reading it to see what it was about, gave a gentle smile. ¡°Well¡­ If the entities have no issues with me researching them, then who am I to complain. Also, I¡¯ll be sure to summon this message the next time I¡¯m in danger,¡± chuckled Nobina. Recalling the note, Nobina felt a bit safer with a message that basically amounted to a one-time safety net. It would only work on things from the Gaze bag that would cause her trouble, making its usage limited. She merely had to summon it, and the message would act to protect her. How exactly it would that it didn¡¯t specify. Nobina, satisfied with the message, looked at the four of them, a sad face formed on her face. ¡°I wonder if Lebron is doing ok,¡± she told herself, thinking about her last companion. Lebron reminded her of herself in a sense. He was just a normal Corgi, yet that normal status meant he had to stay behind for the trip. Nobina didn¡¯t want to bring him in harm¡¯s way if she could help it. ¡°Hm¡­ I guess there¡¯s more than Lebron to think about, right?¡± she told herself. Mimiki hadn¡¯t been too far apart from her, but it didn¡¯t prevent Nobina from worrying a bit about her. She was going to bear the main brunt of dealing with Aunai, Immana, and the other nobles and high-position individuals back in Navira. When Nobina was done with her business with the dragons, she knew she¡¯d have to make it up to Mimiki for handling everything. However, that wasn¡¯t the only person she had to make it up to. Back in Agora, Sarah was holding down the fort as both Mimiki and Nobina were away. Despite the goblin threat being handled, she couldn¡¯t help but worry some new threat would rear its ugly head. Pausers was no longer there, so only Eric was really there to protect them. Plus, they have Exuten and Harden, both capable individuals. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be fine, right?¡± she asked herself. Eric, Lare, Exuten, Harden, and Sarah were all experienced. There was really no reason to doubt them as long as the Gaze stayed out of it. As Nobina¡¯s eyes began to close, she began thinking about what Wendy said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I want to be an adventurer, but I do know I want to accomplish my dream and finally stop the chaos of the Gaze,¡± she told herself as she closed her eyes. Chapter 103: Ranks and Promotions The following day, Nobina headed to the guild to chat more with Tia. Harton was already there as well, talking to Tia regarding gathering information about the situation in Arren. ¡°Do you think waiting in Nitu would be a better option?¡± asked Harton. ¡°Once Fay finishes the mission, we¡¯d like to be able to cross the border as soon as possible.¡± Tia gave a nod. ¡°The situation in Nitu should be stable enough for you three to head over,¡± replied Tia. ¡°Though as for waiting there, there is still some caution to be exercised verses waiting here in Lumira. You are aware of the situation regarding Lumira and Nitu, right Nobina?¡± Nobina, who had joined the two, gave a nod. From what she knew, Lumira and Nitu had a souring relationship at the present moment due to a recent trade dispute. She wasn¡¯t too knowledgeable about the details, but apparently, the nobles of Lumira were diverting trade towards the Federation of the Great Gar Gar instead of Arren. ¡°People are saying Nitu might very well shut the border between the two nations should Lumira continue to hurt its economy, though that itself would cause an issue,¡± said Tia. ¡°For now, just be aware that those of Lumira aren¡¯t being seen in a good light.¡± ¡°Such petty issues,¡± sighed Harton. ¡°Well. We¡¯ll deal with it when it comes to it.¡± Tia gave a nod, turning to Nobina moments later. ¡°Ah Nobina,¡± said Tia. ¡°I know you are no longer training with those adventurers from yesterday, so I wanted to ask if you could potentially help us out with something.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Nobina smiled. ¡°What do you need help with?¡± As she said that, Hammy flew out of Nobina¡¯s special bag, holding something other than the usual scroll in its mouth. Instead, it was a small bag that glowed red for a second before turning white. Nobina instinctively froze in fear, with Harton prepared to act. However, out of the bag Hammy carried came a bookmark and a ragged piece of paper that seemed to be tossed out by something. Once the two items were out, the bag seemed to fade into dust, leaving Nobina perplexed. She moved to pick up one of the items, the ragged piece of paper. To her surprise, it seemed something was actively being written on it as she read it. ¡°Hm¡­ The Keeper¡¯s Margin is a bookmark that let¡¯s its...¡± Nobina went quiet, reading the rest silently to avoid saying anything. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s its holder step into the ¡®margins¡¯ of time, granting momentary sanctuary. When placed within a book, the user is temporarily removed from the current moment, as if slipping into the space between pages. They may observe but not interfere with reality during this time. The longer one remains in the margins, the more one risk forgetting their place in the¡­ story¡­ potentially becoming a Margin Walker¡­ signed¡­ S.¡± Immediately, Nobina wondered about the potential of this powerful, yet dangerous item. It seemed clear it was perfect for defensive purposes, yet she had no idea what would be too long within the margins. For now, she¡¯d merely keep it on her person just in case. As Nobina recalled the note, Harton appeared next to her, asking what was on the note. ¡°Just instructions on how to use this bookmark,¡± said Nobina, picking it up from the group. ¡°It¡¯s strange though¡­ Normally items like this come from the Gaze Bag, but I can only recall two times the items have come to me from alternative ways. Giggles was delivered by a delivery man, and this bookmark was delivered by Hammy,¡± said Nobina, looking at Hammy as it flew in circles. After a bit, Hammy flew back into Nobina¡¯s special bag, their role complete for now. ¡°Interesting,¡± said Harton, looking at her bookmark. ¡°Well¡­ what exactly does it do?¡± ¡°I can tell you about it later,¡± she replied, noticing the new stares forming around her. Tia, who was amongst those staring, shook herself out of it before calling Nobina back over. ¡°As I was saying,¡± said Tia. ¡°We have a few promotions that have been requested. Normally, we¡¯ve allowed the adventurers from Arren to handle the promotion tests due to their qualifications, but we currently don¡¯t have anyone besides the guild master. None of us are combat officer unfortunately.¡± Nobina hadn¡¯t tagged along on a promotion test before, but she was aware of how it worked. Mimiki wanted her to do one in Agora, but there had never been time for it. However, Nobina had confidence she could perform one for at least D-rank and potentially C-rank. ¡°What¡¯s the test?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Two people prompting to D-Rank and one person to C-Rank,¡± replied Tia. ¡°Do you think you can handle it?¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°I should be able to do it if it¡¯s really needed,¡± she replied. ¡°Excellent,¡± smiled Tia. ¡°I¡¯ll let the adventurers know. Does after lunch sound good with you?¡± ¡°Perfectly good with me,¡± she replied back. ¡°I need to do a quick refresher anyway, so it gives me enough time.¡± Tia gave a nod, heading to the back to talk to one of the other guild officers. As for Nobina, she headed behind the receptionist¡¯s desk and headed to the guild¡¯s library. It was a bit smaller than the one in Agora but still had a decent number of books. Organization was also similar to Agora¡¯s guild as well, making it easy for her to find the book she needed. ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± said Nobina, her finger moving row to row as she tried to find the right book. Eventually, her eyes lit up as she picked out the book she was looking for. Reading the cover, she nodded as she opened up the book and began reading the contents. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Nobina found herself lost in the book as Tia tapped her back, drawing her attention. ¡°The adventurers are ready for the test,¡± said Tia, handing her the scroll. Opening it up, Nobina saw the examination quest and nodded, closing it after reading through it a second time. ¡°Lead the way,¡± she said, following Tia to the front. Once she was there, she saw three other adventurers standing in front of the receptionist¡¯s desk. One of them was a young girl who had a bow on her back. She had short brown hair and a rather shy look on her face as she avoided eye contact with Nobina. Next was a boy with short black hair and a mace on his side. Unlike the girl, he seemed rather confident as he looked at Nobina. Last was a boy with messy brown hair that was a bit longer than the black hair boy. He also had a bow on his back, giving off a look of indifference. ¡°Are these three a party or are they individuals?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Individuals,¡± responded Tia. ¡°We generally let them take these tests separately so they can show competence without the aid of fellow friends.¡± Nobina gave a nod. Back in Agora, they did allow groups that knew each other to take the test together. Despite the advantage it gave over adventurers who generally ran solo, it was preferable that people made life-long friendships in the adventuring world. Teams that were created that way had a higher likelihood of advancing and completing missions. ¡°Please introduce yourselves,¡± said Tia to the group. ¡°My name is Lily,¡± said the young girl. ¡°I¡¯m an E-Rank hoping to advance to D-Rank.¡± ¡°Parcen. A proud D-Rank hoping to advance to C-Rank,¡± smiled the black-haired boy, putting one thumb to his chest. ¡°Denvaun,¡± replied the brown-haired boy, merely giving a short nod. ¡°E-Rank hoping to move to D-Rank.¡± ¡°Glad to meet you three,¡± said Nobina. ¡°I¡¯m Nobina, one of the guild officers from Agora. I will be conducting your promotion test today. Before we begin though, do any of you have questions?¡± Denvaun raised his head, Nobina nodding in response. ¡°I wanted to confirm that taking this test will allow us to promote without completely the normal quest amount requirements,¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Normally, one would need to complete a certain number of quests to promote to D-Rank. However, exceptions can be made to promote someone sooner. One of those is taking the E-Rank promotion test, which will allow you to promote upon completion. As for the D-Rank promotion test, that one is required regardless.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Parcen. ¡°Don¡¯t need to repeat the obvious.¡± Nobina merely smiled, mentally noting down Parcen¡¯s behavior. ¡°Do you have any questions then Parcen and Lily?¡± asked Nobina, giving a nice smile. ¡°No¡­¡± Lily quietly replied. ¡°Good to go here,¡± said Parcen. ¡°Let¡¯s do this thing.¡± Nobina gave a nod, turning to Harton moments later. ¡°Will you be joining us Harton?¡± she asked, wondering what he planned to do. ¡°Mm¡­ might as well,¡± he smiled. ¡°Never know what could happen if I left you alone.¡± ¡°Is that man here to protection you?¡± laughed Parcen, thinking it ridiculous to have multiple people there. ¡°Oh kid¡­ she¡¯s more than capable of doing this mission without me,¡± smiled Harton. ¡°I¡¯m just here to keep her from getting bored watching over some kids.¡± Hearing that, Parcen stomped forward, standing right in front of Harton. Tia, who was watching this whole thing, merely shook her head as Parcen began talking to Harton. ¡°Listen here,¡± said Parcen. ¡°I¡¯m going to become an S-Rank. The fastest S-Rank in history, I might add. I¡¯m going to show Nobina that I can be double-promoted to B-Rank.¡± Nobina wanted to tell him it was against guild protocol to do such a thing, but she merely kept quiet. Seeing Parcen being so confident was a bit funny to her, as he seemed absolutely confident in himself. Of course, depending on his Path, his confidence could be justified. However, being here wasn¡¯t a good sign of that. Someone who was on the path to rapid advancement would be in Arren, where one could face monsters that could get one to A or even S-Rank. ¡°I like the confidence,¡± smiled Harton. ¡°I¡¯m hoping you do prove yourself interesting.¡± Parcen, who was staring at Harton intensely, turned around and headed back to where he was standing. ¡°Now then,¡± said Nobina, clapping her hands together. ¡°Let me go over the mission details.¡± Nobina opened the scroll and began to read its contents. ¡°Your mission will be to slay five goblins, two wolves, and two wolf-chickens. The mission will be considered successful if all nine are slayed. More can be killed but are not required. The mission will be considered a failure if these creatures are not killed by the following day at the same time. It will also be considered failed if the party requires intervention from the guild examiner or another individual not within the party. Any questions?¡± asked Nobina, looking at the three. ¡°Nope,¡± they all responded. With that settled, Nobina grabbed the guild supply bag that Tia handed to her. It was a backpack filled with enough supplies for a few days. Besides that, Nobina looked over her special bag¡¯s supplies. Seeing everything was in order, she gave a nod to the group. ¡°I shall be following behind you three. Who leads is up to you and if you need my assistance, please let me know,¡± she smiled. ¡°Won¡¯t be necessary at all,¡± laughed Parcen. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Parcen was the first out of the guild, with Lily running right after him. As for Denvaun, he merely walked out of the guild instead, feeling no rush to follow the group. ¡°I wish you luck, Nobina,¡± waved Tia, who was feeling relieved that she did not have to do the examination herself. ¡°Thanks,¡± nodded Nobina, walking after the group. Things were already on a rough start, considering they had basically rushed off without her. She was hopeful they wouldn¡¯t actually abandon her since if they got the kills without her nearby, those kills would not count. ¡°Not the brightest humans,¡± said Harton, joining Nobina as they walked out of the guild. As both Nobina and Harton left the guild, they gave a sigh as they saw Parcen running back to the group. ¡°Come on! I know where all these monsters are! We can hunt them down today if we go quick enough,¡± said Parcen, looking rather impatient. ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Though are you telling me you can take on these three without your party members?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± nodded Parcen. ¡°I told you I could potentially double promote. If I take them all out without help, then you¡¯d do that for me, right?¡± Nobina gave a sigh, shaking her head. ¡°As much as I admire the enthusiasm, the test for C-Rank promotion is significantly more difficult. If you¡¯d like to take that afterwards, I¡¯d advise you look up the targets and tell me honestly if you can take them out,¡± said Nobina. ¡°No problem,¡± said Parcen. ¡°Now let¡¯s go!¡± As he said that, both Lily and Denvaun had caught it. ¡°Stop being stupid,¡± yelled Lily, drawing surprise from all of them. ¡°We are supposed to be a team, yet you are running off like an idiot.¡± To Nobina¡¯s surprise, Parcen¡¯s confidence seemed to evaporate as he waved his hand. ¡°Listen! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just excited¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ make things hard for you.¡± The sudden change in Parcen drew a few laughs from both Nobina and Harton, who both shook their heads. ¡°She is right though,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Even if you could do this quest alone Parcen, the test was designed with the three of you in mind. You¡¯d be taking on most of the monsters, but having both Lily and Denvaun as support will help lighten the load and help cover in case of an emergency. Situations can change in a flash, and an adventurer operating alone is more likely to deal with the change. Hence, this is why I suggest you calm yourself down and communicate with your team. You have a day to complete the quest, remember?¡± Hearing that, Parcen gave a nod. ¡°I¡­ understand,¡± he sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the plan together, then Lily and Denvaun. ¡°Ok,¡± said Lily, calming herself down. ¡°Works for me,¡± responded Devaun. The three of them began discussing strategy amongst themselves, with Nobina smiling as she saw this. Part of this made her wonder if this is how Darrias felt when he was watching her from the shadows. It felt like it had been a long time since the scouting mission, yet she knew that the whole goblin incident didn¡¯t happen too long ago. ¡°Time flies huh,¡± she told herself as she thought back to the past. Chapter 104: Impressions and Evaluations The group headed south into the nearby forest. From what Nobina had overheard, they already knew the locations where they¡¯d find the targets of the hunt. Their current goal was to hunt five goblins, two wolves, and two wolf-chickens. The goblins were going to be from the nearest goblin nest, which was ironically the same cave that was culled by Guild Master Eric a while back. Remembering the map they saw, the northeast goblin nest that they dealt with wasn¡¯t too far from Tugan. The only real reason the goblins likely didn¡¯t attack Tugan was because the village was about twice as far from the nest. Otherwise, they would have discussed checking the status of Tugen once the whole goblin invasion matter was concluded. As for the wolves and wolf-chickens, those creatures were more sporadic around the south, acting as a means to keep the goblin population in check. Of course, the concern of goblin riders forming was always there, but it wasn¡¯t something that was too common if culling¡¯s were handled as they should have been. ¡°So,¡± said Parcen, giving a grin. ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take for us to finish this test? The three of us should be able to take out those goblins and wolves with ease.¡± Lily gave it a bit of thought before giving her own answer. ¡°Well¡­ We haven¡¯t seen many goblins recently. I believe Agora culled the nest not too long ago, so it might be difficult finding enough goblins,¡± said Lily. Parcen stopped, his face reflecting how dumbfounded he was. ¡°What do you mean it was culled?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ read the notice, right?¡± asked Lily, staring directly at Parcen. ¡°How there was a goblin invasion, and the nest had to be culled?¡± ¡°Where was that? I never saw it before,¡± replied Parcen, trying to figure out when it was announced. ¡°The weekly notice,¡± said Denvaun, joining into the conversation. ¡°No wonder!¡± laughed Parcen. ¡°Who has time to read any of those where there¡¯s training and questing to be done.¡± As Parcen continued to laugh, both Lily and Denvaun couldn¡¯t hide how disappointing it was seeing Parcen. He was a higher rank than them, yet also more ignorant of the state of affairs of the guild. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but be a bit disappointed too. One of the things about high-ranking adventurers is that there was a general hope that those adventurers would represent the ideal adventurer. Someone who was strong yet knowledgeable about everything related to adventuring. Of course, no one was expected to know everything, including anything about monsters, plants, or world affairs, but prioritizing training and questing over being informed was not a good sign. ¡°Parcen,¡± said Nobina, drawing his attention. ¡°You really should consider reading those notices. I will tell you that while it is important to train and get quests done, knowing the situations about your area is also important. After all, research is a part of being an adventurer and those who don¡¯t research might find themselves attacked by something they aren¡¯t ready to handle.¡± Parcen gave another laugh, shaking his head. ¡°We totally can handle anything that appears around these parts. After all¡­¡± Lily immediately stopped, causing everyone to stop as well. ¡°What¡¯s going on Lily,¡± asked Parcen, turning to her. ¡°I see movement,¡± she replied, looking towards the south. ¡°Twenty meters I believe. Three goblins.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± said Parcen, drawing his mace. He looked ready to smash everything that headed his way as both Lily and Denvaun drew their bows. All of them had a serious look on their faces, ready to act now that their target was nearby. Both Nobina and Harton took a few steps back, avoiding drawing attention to themselves. Minutes seemed to pass before Lily gave an update on what she was seeing. ¡°The goblins are moving further south. Shall we pursue?¡± she asked Parcen, who gave a nod. ¡°Three should be easy enough for us to handle. Even I can take out three without breaking a sweat,¡± he nodded, his expression keeping its seriousness. Following Parcen¡¯s lead, the four of them got closer and closer to where the goblins were. It was only after arriving where they were originally spotted that Lily grabbed Parcen to stop. ¡°What¡¯s up,¡± said Parcen, stopping immediately upon feeling her tug on his shit. ¡°There are now seven goblins,¡± she replied, her voice now reflecting a bit of worry. ¡°What do you mean seven?¡± said Parcen, stepping back a bit. ¡°I thought you said the goblin amount should be lower. We aren¡¯t even that far from Tugan right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we need to be careful,¡± said Lily. Nobina could instantly recognize the seriousness of the situation. Seven goblins about two hours from Tugan normally wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if the nest was close to needing to be culled, but it hadn¡¯t even been too long since the last culling. ¡°Harton,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Do you think this might be a serious situation? This sounds like an overcrowded nest.¡± Harton gave a nod. ¡°I think our actions earlier might have moved a lot more goblins away from the west and eastwards. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the goblins to the west joined with the ones from the east.¡± Hearing that, Nobina gave a nod. It was their duty to confirm if this was true, as this might spark another invasion, despite how insane that would be. Stepping back a bit, Harto kept his voice down as he spoke. ¡°What do you want to do Nobina?¡± asked Harton. ¡°Do you want to check the nest? I know you humans try to do something called ¡®culling¡¯ but I¡¯m not sure I can do much unless you instruct me on the process.¡± Nobina thought about it and shook her head. ¡°We have a bit of time, and I rather have Fay back as well before we act. For now, we¡¯ll cancel the quest and return.¡± As Nobina went to tell the group, she noticed them heading towards the goblins. She was about to tell them to stop but held back. Seven goblins, despite being a difficult target for three adventurers of their rank, wasn¡¯t something they wouldn¡¯t be able to beat. As long as they worked efficiently together, Nobina was sure they¡¯d be fine. Nobina turned to Harton, who gave a look and said that it was her call on what they did. With that in mind, she merely got closer to the others, making sure to keep enough distance so as to not get involved. When they finally stopped, Nobina waited for one of them to act first. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Both Lily and Denvaun drew their bows, their targets in their mind. Parcen held up one hand, which seemed to be a signal. After a minute, motioned it forward, with both of them shooting at two separate goblins on the edges. To their relief, the two goblins they aimed at went down immediately, drawing a bit of panic from the goblins. However, it was short-lived as they recognized their targets and began the charge. ¡°Listen to my words. Taunt!¡± yelled Parcen, drawing the attention of all five. The goblins gave a screech before heading straight to Parcen. At the same time, Lily and Denvaun fired off two more arrows each, managing to take down two more goblins. Despite their numbers dwindling, all the goblins could do was focus on Parcen, who swung and crushed the first goblin that got within range. With two more left, the three made quick worth of them as Lily and Devaun managed to fire off another set of arrows, injuring one and killing another. Denvaun crushed the injured one with his mace, having a smirk form on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he screamed. ¡°Was that good enough Nobina?¡± Nobina, who was watching the whole thing, gave a nod. ¡°Yes. I can confirm the required five goblins have been killed. Well done,¡± she smiled. All of them seemed excited, yet also a bit relieved. Dealing with seven goblins wasn¡¯t the easiest feat, despite how well the three did. A combination of surprise and skill played a key factor, as taking out the two immediately and the two that approached made the situation much easier to deal with. However, there was also another factor at play. Not all goblins were equal in strength. Besides each goblin¡¯s strength being based on whether or not they had a Path, another factor that came into play was the age and development of individual goblins. Younger goblins or elderly goblins, for example, were weaker than goblins in adulthood. Goblins that were also not eating well or well-practiced with their weapons were generally easier to defeat as well. Nobina was aware that there were a decent number of books that focused on talking about the various monsters and the details behind them. It was a reason it was important to study and research, as one could recognize danger or an advantage that they might have not saw otherwise. ¡°Next up¡­ the wolves and wolf-chickens,¡± said Parcen. ¡°If I¡¯m correct, they should be eastward.¡± ¡°You did your research,¡± chuckled Lily. Parcen nodded his head. ¡°I might not read that weekly report, but I do some research at least,¡± said Parcen, giving a proud nod. ¡°Else we¡¯d take forever finding our hunt targets.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t research the monsters themselves, right?¡± said Denvaun. ¡°Exactly,¡± replied Parcen, snapping his fingers. ¡°Just locations.¡± The look of joy from Lily immediately was replaced with disappointment as Parcen merely laughed. Nobina thought about canceling the quest but decided against it. They likely would wait till Fay was back anyway to perform the culling, as she likely knew the proper procedure. Not only that, but the guild was likely in no position to act immediately. The best bet for now was to report it after the quest was completed. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go,¡± said Parcen, taking over leading the group. An hour had passed since they started traveling to the next location. It didn¡¯t take long before their next targets were in sight. To their luck or unluck, there were both wolves and wolf-chickens in the same area. Lily motioned for the group to stop. ¡°Two wolves and three wolf-chickens,¡± said Lily. Nobina, who had only a brief knowledge of wolf-chickens, knew they got their name due to their taste and the chicken-like attributes they had. The most notable part of wolf-chickens, who mostly looked like wolves, were the feathers that covered their spin, and their tail being feathers. Other than that, they were basically wolves. ¡°Careful,¡± said Lily, drawing their attention. ¡°Wolf-chickens might seem like wolves, but they are far scarier. They are much faster, yet more likely to flee. If we give chase, they will likely lure us into a wolf-chicken pack, which can be fatal.¡± Parcen gave a nod. ¡°So, we take the three wolf-chickens first and then the wolves,¡± said Parcen. ¡°We¡¯d be lucky if we could even take out one,¡± said Lily. ¡°They flee when they sense danger, and a sneak attack will likely prompt it. We should focus on taking out at least one and once the other two flee, take out the wolves. From then on, it¡¯s hunting one at a time till we reach the target of three.¡± Nobina gave a smile, happy with Lily taking the lead. Despite how she was acting initially, she seemed to have been comfortable enough with the group to take charge when necessary or express herself when needed. Both Parcen and Lily were displaying traits that would benefit them as they continued to prove themselves capable adventurers. ¡°Actually,¡± said Denvaun, cutting into the conversation. ¡°I can use my ability Net Shot and capture two of them at least. It¡¯s a once a day ability, but its large and strong.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± said Lily. ¡°We¡¯ll see if we can get all three together. If so, I¡¯ll lay into them with my arrows, and we¡¯d take them down.¡± ¡°Do you have an ability as well?¡± asked Parcen to Lily. She nodded her head, looking a bit disappointed. ¡°My ability is a passive one called Extended Sight. It just means I can naturally see a bit farther than what I¡¯d normally be able to.¡± ¡°And I just have Taunt so far,¡± replied Parcen. ¡°But I¡¯m hoping to one day get a mace skill. The moment I do¡­ B-Rank here I come.¡± Both Lily and Denvaun smiled and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s all strive for it one day,¡± said Lily, drawing their attention. ¡°After this¡­ we should form a party.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good with that,¡± said Parcen, who then turned to Denvaun. ¡°Likewise,¡± he nodded. With the three in sync, they began getting in formation to enact their plan. With a similar positioning to the last time, Lily stood by as she looked at the targets. She was waiting for the moment at least two were grouped before raising her hand, three fingers in the air. With the notice given, Denvaun merely said his ability, Net Capture, firing off an arrow that, once it was close enough, expanded into a large net. To their surprise, it managed to catch all three wolf-chickens, prompting the three to launch their attacks. Immediately, the wolves charged in their direction, with both Denvaun and Lily targeting one wolf down. Before both could reach Parcen, who used his Taunt once more, they managed to take down one with four arrows between the two. The second wolf attempted to take down Parcen, but he managed to hit the wolf each time it attempted to bite and claw him down. Before he knew it, the second wolf was dead. The three rushed to the net, which was being torn at by all three wolves. Denvaun could tell it would break any second now, telling them to kill the wolves. With their arrows, they manage to land easy headshots on two of the wolves, while Parcen managed to crush one of the wolf-chicken heads with his mace. With the targets down, Nobina was feeling relieved. ¡°And that concludes the test,¡± said Nobina. ¡°We did it,¡± the three celebrated. It was certainly a job well done as far as Nobina was concerned. All three of them were well-suited to work together to complete the quest together. With Parcen leading the front while Lily and Denvaun supported from the rear, the group composition likely would be able to take down a large assortment of monsters. Ideally, they¡¯d get a mage or even a healer Path, but that would be later down the line. ¡°So how did we do?¡± asked Lily. ¡°Well, the three of you passed, so congrats on that,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°But¡­ how was our general performance,¡± pressed Lily. ¡°I¡­ want to know what I could improve on, if you could answer.¡± ¡°Same,¡± replied Parcen, nodding his head. ¡°As much as I¡¯m happy with our success, I do want to know what your general thoughts are.¡± Nobina gave a nod. ¡°Well¡­ I will start with the positives. A lot of your success has to do with all of you excelling on your roles and executing your plans well. For example, those seven goblins were taken down with ease thanks to two working together to trim down their numbers before they could get close. Not to mention the sneak attack helped level the playing field immediately. Next, being able to divide and conquer the monsters using your net ability allowed you to take them out in small groups. That level of teamwork will be key moving forward, as it will let you handle threats you would never be able to handle alone.¡± All of them gave a nod, continuing to listen as Nobina went on. ¡°However, you three should be aware that I was close to cancelling your examination.¡± The three of them stared at Nobina confusingly before she continued. ¡°Seven goblins in close proximity despite the recent nest being cleared should be an indication something appears wrong. Of course, I understand the desire to complete the quest, but it would have been preferable to cancel and report the sighting so we can begin our investigation. A part of being an adventurer is reporting things like this in general, because it could be a sign of something serious.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± said Parcen. ¡°Thank you for letting us know.¡± ¡°What does this mean Nobina?¡± asked Lily. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll also experience a goblin invasion.¡± Nobina found herself frozen for a second. Doubt and worries filled her mind as she began wondering if she was once again the cause of it. However, Harton whispered something in her ear to break her out of her worries. ¡°Nobina. Don¡¯t worry about the nest. I¡¯ll scout it out and let you know what the status is. Just return with the others for now.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± said Nobina, feeling relieved Harton was there to help. As Harton ran off towards the nest, Nobina began feeling there was a growing need to look up her Path and the Gaze more and more. What was happening was not normal in the slightest. Chapter 105: Secrets and Memories The four of them headed back, with the three newly promoted adventurers chatting together about their future plans. As for Nobina, she was thinking about the current situation and what their plan of action would be. The smartest course would be to wait for Fay and have her handle a second culling if needed. Once Harton finished his investigation, that¡¯d likely be enough information to work off of. However, there were still other factors to consider. Considering the last incident was three goblin nests, what would it be this time around? It didn¡¯t take too long for them to reach the guild. Once they were there, Nobina asked the three of them to stand by as she talked with Tia and Ina regarding the increased goblin activity. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Tia, curious about what pressing thing Nobina had to talk about. ¡°I need to speak to Ina regarding some concerning activity. Do you mind handling their promotions? I¡¯ve cleared them all for completing the requirements and have nothing of note that would influence the promotion,¡± said Nobina.¡± Tia gave a nod. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll handle it. Please go ahead and speak with the guild master,¡± replied Tia, turning her attention to the other three. As Nobina headed upstairs, she began wondering what to tell Ina. She had her theories, but it involved information she wanted to keep secret. At the very least, she knew there were certain things she had to avoid mentioning, but other things that would be really good for her to know. Before she knew it, she was in front of Ina¡¯s door, giving a knock. ¡°Come in,¡± said Ina. Nobina walked in to see Ina reviewing guild documents. ¡°Did you need something Nobina?¡± asked Ina, looking at her with a gentle smile. ¡°Yeah. I need to report an increase in goblin activity. There were several goblins spotted south of the village,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Due to their proximity, I¡¯m concern of a second culling being needed.¡± Ina gave a nod. ¡°Yes¡­ that would be a concern. We unfortunately do not have the manpower to allocate to a culling though and Fay was already sent to the north. We¡¯d have to wait for her to come back at least,¡± replied Ina. ¡°I understand. I just wanted to let you know,¡± replied Nobina. Before Nobina could turn around, Ina tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Nobina?¡± asked Ina. ¡°You seemed¡­ worried. Do you think the situation is worse than it is?¡± ¡°Hm? What makes you say that,¡± said Nobina, giving a nice smile. ¡°Well¡­ If I had to guess, you¡¯re hiding something right now. Considering you have that Gaze, I¡¯d believe you if you said that they are causing this incident,¡± said Ina nonchalantly. Nobina couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. Ina was basically saying she believed the Gaze could be responsible for what was happening. ¡°Wait¡­ are you sure about that?¡± asked Nobina. ¡°Well, you seemed concerned, so I was guessing you already knew they were causing you issues. This isn¡¯t the only time this has happened, right?¡± asked Ina. Nobina, feeling a sense of happiness knowing Ina wanted to learn about her Gaze, decided to tell her everything she knew about it. Ina, listening to Nobina give all the details, merely nodded along. A few things she said did surprise her, especially regarding the potential of the Gaze. ¡°I see,¡± said Ina, heading to one of her bookshelves to grab a book. Reading through it, she seemed to not find the thing she was looking for, much to her disappointment. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± asked Nobina, tilting her head a bit. ¡°I was seeing if the Gaze was similar to one of the known gods of the world, but I was unfortunately wrong. The Gaze itself seems very unique, and I wouldn¡¯t doubt that it¡¯s a new god entirely,¡± she replied back. ¡°I see,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°I can¡¯t directly communicate with the Gaze, but it does seem to react to either my environment or desires sometimes. However, other times what it has given has been completely random. I still possess items that I haven¡¯t found usage for.¡± ¡°Oh? What would those be?¡± inquired Ina, crossing her fingers. ¡°Mm¡­ a one-time user item to create any spell I desire¡­ weapons that can cause a smokescreen or explode¡­ Things of that nature,¡± she innocently smiled. At some point, Nobina felt it would have been good to inventory the items she had. Lots of things had been happening, and inventorying was a lower priority. However, one thing popped into her mind. She had a single book called The Secrets of the Guild. Back when she first checked it out, it had the phrase ¡°Progress Further to Unlock¡± after a certain point. She still needed to figure out what that exactly meant, but once she did, she had a feeling she¡¯d learn something very important. ¡°I see,¡± said Ina. ¡°Can I see one of those items?¡± Nobina gave a nod. She went into her special bag, pulling out one of the smoke grenades she had. Back during the previous goblin invasion, she had received them in order to make good use of them. However, there was never time to use them, and she ended up storing them for later. ¡°Hm¡­.¡± Ina looked at Nobina curiously as a chain reaction of thoughts began appearing. Nobina remembered how many of the items she gained eventually gained usage later on in her journey. If that was the case, it seemed plausible that the items she had on her person were influencing the events around her. Of course, it could very well just be related to her Path, but it was hard to confirm such a thing. She didn¡¯t want people to blame her for all the horrible things that have or will happen. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Though I guess I¡¯m deflecting responsibility again,¡± she chuckled. As Nobina continued to think about theory after theory, Ina interrupted her thoughts. ¡°You know Nobina. I will say that you really should get council about your Gaze from a better authority than me,¡± said Ina. ¡°I might be well-versed in divinity thanks to my Path, abilities, and history, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m the best person to help you figure out something this unknown. You could head further east as you have been and consult the long-lived species of the Nation of Arren. That or you can head south and consult with those trying to research the past in the Federation. Even heading westward to some of our great libraries and academies can really help you figure things out.¡± Nobina gave a nod, summoning a notebook to note down the advance. When it appeared, it surprised Ina, who hadn¡¯t seen such type of magic before. ¡°Fascinating,¡± said Ina. ¡°Is that a type of summoning magic or perhaps a storage magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ability that allows me to summon or recall books or written material at will. There are limitations to it like it has to either be from me or the Gaze, but otherwise its very versatile,¡± replied Nobina as she wrote down the potential spots in her notebook. This was one of the few times Nobina could recall bringing out a normal notebook rather than her diary. As the days passed, Nobina found herself forgetting more and more things that she should have remembered. Her memory wasn¡¯t bad by any stretch, but it was hard to commit everything to memory sometimes. ¡°Memories huh,¡± said Nobina to herself as she finished writing down everything. Once she recalled her notebook, Ina gave a nod. ¡°Memories¡­¡± echoed Ina, going deep into thought. ¡°That reminds me of the time I was an active adventurer. There was a particular book I was looking for regarding divinity that I spent years looking for. It¡¯s a fabled book called the Book of Knowledge, said to contain all the information of the world. Some think it¡¯s not real, but I did find signs it does exist. In fact, I believe it exists in multiple parts, scattered throughout the world.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Did you find anything about it?¡± asked Nobina. Ina gave a nod. ¡°I found evidence of its existence, but that¡¯s unfortunately classified. Sorry Nobina,¡± replied Ina. ¡°No worries, Ina. I¡¯m just happy there are avenues to figuring out all the mysteries around me,¡± said Nobina. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ve given the report. If you need me, I¡¯ll probably be going around the village before continuing my book.¡± ¡°I will be sure to let you know if something comes up,¡± replied Ina. As Nobina left, Ina closed her eyes. ¡°Will I get a chance to see the Gaze in action¡­¡± she asked herself silently. Once Nobina was downstairs, Tia reported that the three adventurers had all been promoted to D and C ranks, respectively. Nobina gave a nod, happy at the outcome of the events. ¡°So do you have time to help out with other things?¡± asked Tia. ¡°I do have a few things I¡¯ve been slacking off of. Perhaps another time unless it¡¯s urgent,¡± replied Nobina. ¡°Of course,¡± smiled Tia. Nobina headed out of the guild, finding herself in the pleasant sunlight. ¡°Time to continue that book,¡± Nobina smiled. ¡­ ¡°Wow¡­ They weren¡¯t kidding about active,¡± said Fay, whistling as she stood on the tallest tree she could find. Directly in front of her, she could see what appeared to be a camp of orcs, one of the intelligent species, in a makeshift camp. Orcs were a very uncommon thing to find in Lumira due to many of the stronger, intelligent monsters choosing either Arren or one of the nearby nations as a place to make a home. Lumira had little interest in such a species, and there were plenty of laws that would not allow the species to form communities, villages, or even bigger. ¡°If they are here¡­ then it must be because¡­¡± As she said that, Fay noticed a flying creature approaching the camp. She kept a low profile, merely observing as the now identifiable dragon-wolf landed with a cloaked figure on top of it. ¡°How goes the preparations,¡± said the figure, Fay¡¯s sharp ears picking up the conversation despite how far it was. ¡°As planned,¡± grunted the orc. ¡°We will strike the city while Arren has recalled its adventurers. We expect payment in advance though.¡± The figure scoffed, reaching into a bag on its side and pulling out a magically enchanted hammer. ¡°Took a bit to get one, but here¡¯s your Builder¡¯s Hammer. Just remember that if you fail to complete the mission, the hammer will automatically come back to me,¡± replied the figure. The orc held up the hammer, having the biggest grin. He walked over to a set of wooden spikes, taking one and placing it standing upward. ¡°Ha,¡± screamed the orc, hitting it with the Builder¡¯s Hammer directly. Upon impact, the wooden spike seemed to embed itself into the ground, forming a grin on the orc¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯ll strike tomorrow as planned,¡± he smiled, placing the hammer in the small bag they carried. Fay, hearing all of this, began thinking about the correct course of action. Fighting a demon, a dragon-wolf, and orcs wasn¡¯t too difficult. However, the fact she still had the Gaze bag on her was the main issue. If it introduced a factor she couldn¡¯t handle, it would mean curtains for her. All she knew was that she didn¡¯t need to take on all three. With enough patience, she could strike at night when the demon was gone, and the orcs were sleeping. ¡°Let¡¯s not take any chances,¡± she told herself, heading down from the tree. Despite the urgency to get the quest done to reunite with Nobina, there was no need to put herself in danger. Fay found a spot to observe and rest for the night, keeping above the ground and within the brush to avoid detecting. As she guessed, the demon left, leaving Fay confident in being able to take out the orcs. After a decent amount of time and waiting, nightfall came. Fay took a deep breath and made her way towards the camp. She approached the makeshift wooden spiked walls of the camp, waiting alongside the walls for the chance to hop over and strike. Using her ears, she could hear the activity of the camp. There were some orcs merely sharpening their weapons. Other orcs were training with each other. A few were just innocently eating, unaware of the danger on the other side of the wall. ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s¡­¡± Before she could say anything, Fay sensed a demonic presence within the center of the camp. Moving off the walls and back up the tree, Fay noticed that a troll-wolf and wolf-troll had appeared from a summoning circle at the center of the camp. Their presence immediately had the camp up in arms, with yelling happening all over. The orcs were smartly keeping to their own tongue rather than using the common speak of the world. However, Fay had been around enough orcs to make out a few words. The key amongst them was ¡°under attack.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Who needs the element of surprise,¡± she chuckled. It seemed the demon had left behind a few guards, but even trolls weren¡¯t anything to Fay. It reminded her a bit about her past training back in Arren, but she had no time to really reminisce. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± smiled Fay, moving to the wall and hoping over it. Before the orcs and trolls could reach, Fay launched her Heavens Strike directly onto the wolf-troll, causing it to disappear into a puff of dust. A second later, she launched a series of kicks onto the troll-wolf¡¯s head, sending it down before it also puffed into smoke. The orcs stood no chance. Despite being comparable to a C-rank each, these weren¡¯t the stronger species of orcs, nor did any have a Path. If one had had a Path, it would have been a much bigger issue, though it was nothing she couldn¡¯t handle. After about ten minutes, the camp went quiet. The only thing that remained was the crackle of the fireplaces still lit and the breathing of Fay, giving a small stretch. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m guessing this was the cause of the activity,¡± Fay told herself. ¡°Hm¡­ I should still spend a day looking deeper into the matter. If orcs were the issue all along, Ina would have told me. There must be something I¡¯m missing.¡± Every adventurer had a gut feeling, and Fay was no exception. Trusting that feeling, she headed out of the camp to find a safe spot for the night. Chapter 106: Advancement and Oddities ¡°Phew¡­ another good session of writing,¡± Nobina told herself as she put down the pen. It was late at night, and she was beside herself with how much progress she had made for the night. She had completed the chapter for Harton to review when he got back. Not only that but since she didn¡¯t want to write the following chapter, she wrote down a few pages of notes and an outline. Normally, such progress would have her concern for resources, but a gift she received from the Gaze included as many pages as she could need. Combined with her pen from her ability Pen Blade, it allowed her to write without worry. ¡°It is fascinating though,¡± said Nobina, twirling her pen in her fingers for a bit. ¡°I feel more¡­ in tune the longer I use you. Even if it¡¯s not in sword form, it just feels¡­ right to have you out.¡± It sounded a bit silly, but Nobina considered the pen an extension of herself. After all, it was made through her ability and allowed her to put her thoughts on paper. With each pen stroke she made, a sense of unity grew stronger between her and the pen. However, at the end of the day, it was merely a pen. ¡°Man¡­ it must be late,¡± told Nobina to herself, feeling the urge to sleep grow. She made her way to the nearby window, looking outside of it to see the moonlight shine beautifully towards the inn she was staying at. She could look towards the northern forest and see the trees sway left and right to a nighttime breeze. It made her wonder if Fay was keeping warm, considering she was still out in the field for her quest. ¡°Hopefully things are going good for you,¡± smiled Nobina, having full faith in Fay to handle her mission. Fay was an S-Rank for a reason. She also had a unique path, the Path of the Cosplayer, which allowed her to advance up the guild ranks fast. Not only that, but she had gone on far more adventures than her. Nobina could only imagine what Arrin was like, considering it was the nation of monsters. There had to be tons of cool yet scary things to find. ¡°I wonder if I¡¯d be fine though,¡± she thought to herself, thinking about some of the threats Fay mentioned. All it took was something fast or range to target her while she was alone without protection to do her in. It had been a while since Nobina had worried about death, but it was thanks to always being around so many strong individuals. Her individual power was much weaker, yet she had grown to accept it was nothing to brush off either. She had the items from the Gaze, her own abilities, and the Gaze itself. In her head, it would protect her in the worst case, but there was a small doubt in her mind telling her not to lean on it too much. The Gaze was still an unpredictable entity. Another yawn overcame Nobina, snapping her out of her senses. ¡°Bedtime for now,¡± she smiled as she stepped away from the window. As she lay down in bed, she smiled as she saw her companions already resting on their side of the bed. They had already made themselves at home when she started her writing session, which made Nobina happy. Having all of them in her special bag made her worried about how they were feeling, but they always seemed happy. The only time she¡¯d see any other expression was if they were communicating with each other or towards others in a serious matter. At the moment though, they were enjoying the nice embrace of sleep. ¡°Time to join you guys,¡± she chuckled, closing her eyes. Soon, her mind began to drift off as the embrace of sleep took over. The following morning, Nobina gave a slight stretch as she slowly got out of bed. Her companions were already enjoying the morning, playing with each other as they entertained themselves. Something Nobina noticed is how Pausers acted as the lead and elder of the group, talking a lot to both Hammy and Spot with their squeaks. It was fascinating since it helped her understand more about how Pausers and the others operated amongst themselves. Not wanting to waste any more days, she packed her things up, her companions included and headed off to the guild. At the guild, Nobina was greeted immediately by Tia, who asked her how she was doing. ¡°Pretty good,¡± nodded Nobina, heading behind the desk where Tia was. ¡°Got a lot of writing done, so happy I¡¯m making progress with that.¡± Tia smiled, making a nod. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a writer Nobina. Do you have a book?¡± she asked. Nobina shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately not,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve still been working on my first one. I¡¯ve made some good headway into writing it, but I¡¯m not halfway done with it. I want this first one to be a good piece of information, as it is going to be a book about adventurers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so fitting for you,¡± Tia chuckled. ¡°If you need help, just remember you¡¯re in a guild of adventurers. We¡¯ll do our best to help you fill in the blanks.¡± ¡°Appreciated,¡± she responded. ¡°For now though, I¡¯d be content with helping around. Need help with anything?¡± ¡°Nothing at the moment. Perhaps you should get some physical training in while you have some downtime,¡± responded Tia. ¡°Never know when you¡¯ll be off again on your journey.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± smiled Nobina. Nobina headed out of the guild to its backside. Like Agora, the guild at Tugan also had a field where adventurers could practice and train. It was one of the many benefits of being a part of the guild since this area was pretty much only for adventurers to practice unless they had special permission. When she got back, she noticed three familiar faces sparing. Wendy was lashing out her whip left and right, trying to hit both Joey and Ganore as they dodged and attacked each other. ¡°You¡¯re totally going to get hit first,¡± laughed Joey as he dodged another whip hit. Ganore, who blocked a hit with his shield, laughed back. ¡°I¡¯m the primary defender for a reason,¡± he responded back. In between them dodging the whip, both engaged each other, trying to land a decent hit. Nobina could only be impressed as she saw the level of concentration on all three of them. Wendy was doing her best to predict where each was going to go, making small adjustments to her hit locations. On the flip side, both Joey and Ganore were displaying how in sync they were with Wendy¡¯s weapon and how it worked. Despite her best efforts, they were managing to dodge or block the hits. It was a nice display of the skills of a B rank, all things considered. After ten more minutes, Joey fell to his knees in defeat, panting hard as he rubbed the spot Wendy hit with her whip. ¡°Told you,¡± chuckled Ganore as he stood there, panting as well. ¡°You¡¯re buying dinner today.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Wendy sighed, shaking her head as she took a few breaths. ¡°Should have known I was going to strike there. It¡¯s like you¡¯ve never seen me use a whip before,¡± she smiled. ¡°Listen you two,¡± said Joey, slowly getting up. ¡°Twenty minutes of this is tiring. Don¡¯t act like you weren¡¯t close to getting hit as well Ganore. Also, you¡¯re up next Wendy. Let¡¯s see you land a hit on Ganore as I chase you done.¡± Wendy raised her hands up, excited for the challenge. ¡°Even if you target me, I¡¯ll still take you two on one-on-one. Remember who you¡¯re talking to,¡± she smirked, drawing a fire out of the two of them. As Nobina gave her own smile, Wendy¡¯s gaze fell onto her. ¡°Nobina! How¡¯s it going?¡± she asked, motioning for her to come over. ¡°Things are going great,¡± she responded back, joining the three as they continued to recover. ¡°Training going well, it seems.¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± nodded Wendy. ¡°We are trying to prepare for the next tough quest. Never know when our skills will be needed as one of the higher ranks of this guild.¡± ¡°Arrin normally has a few A ranks here to cover the toughest of missions, but all the adventurers have been withdrawn on some mission,¡± responded Joey. ¡°Makes you wonder what¡¯s going on there.¡± ¡°Something serious I¡¯d imagine,¡± nodded Ganore. As all of them thought a bit about what the reason could be, Wendy interrupted them with an idea. ¡°Say Nobina. Want to join us a bit for training?¡± she asked. ¡°Hm?¡± responded Nobina with a curious look. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be sparing more between the three of us to see who can avoid getting hit the most. Currently, it¡¯s me and Ganore¡¯s turn to fight, while Joey tries to land a hit. Considering how Joey is targeting me, I want you to try to land a hit on Ganore. Feel free to use your main weapon but avoid any seriously damaging skills if you have any,¡± said Wendy. There was a bit of concern on Nobina¡¯s face, but Ganore merely laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about me,¡± said Ganore. ¡°I¡¯m mostly focus on defense, so I can take a low rank direct hit with a steel sword.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll be fine on my end,¡± responded Wendy. ¡°A part of this training is having the desire not to get hit to avoid getting hurt. I¡¯m probably the best at avoiding hits of the group as well.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t stop me from landing a hit,¡± said Joey, his staff ready to go. ¡°And if you feel tired, feel free to step out,¡± said Wendy. ¡°This is mostly our training. We just wanted you to get a bit of practice in yourself.¡± Nobina gave a nod. The three of them got into position, with Nobina preparing herself as well. She started to do a few stretches as she watched the three of them start to go at each other. Like earlier, none of them were giving each other an opening as they tried to land a hit on each other. Nobina could tell that Wendy was having an easy time dodging the two of them. She was clearly one of the most agile members of the group, while the other two were more tired, thanks to the earlier match. Not wanting to leave this as a two-on-one affair any longer, Nobina summoned her Pen Blade, drawing the eyes of the other three as they continued to fight. ¡°A swordsmen, eh?¡± said Ganore, blocking one of Wendy¡¯s hits. ¡°I¡¯ll show you that I can handle a two on one as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to get you an opening,¡± said Wendy to Nobina, dodging another hit from Joey. ¡°Not if I have anything to say about it,¡± responded Joey, going even more aggressive in trying to hit Wendy. Sensing the pressure, Nobina took a deep breath and began making her move. She had gotten close to Ganore yet was having trouble trying to find a spot to attack. It was only when she was next to him, she decided to go for a combo attack. Her initial combo was easily dodged as Ganore focused on blocking Wendy¡¯s hit. It definitely was putting more pressure on him to defend, but not enough to draw his primary attention away from Wendy. As she withdrew and prepared for another attack, all of them stopped immediately when a purple portal appeared nearby. On top of it was the Gaze, which was radiating a sheer amount of power. Before long, the portal began to close, spitting out a single individual. They had long, red hair and a proud demeanor about them. Her red eyes shined beautifully as they focused on the spot next to Nobina. Besides that, she had slightly tan skin and wore a nice red and silver dress. ¡°Why have you brought me here Divine Entity,¡± responded the woman towards the Gaze. Nobina and the rest of them merely looked at her confusingly, trying to understand what happened. However, once again, Nobina instantly recognized this as the Gaze at work. She didn¡¯t know who it was, but they appeared powerful. The woman paid them no mind, but it seemed her patience was running thin. She then turned to Nobina, who felt an insane amount of pressure hit her. It was as if she was staring at death itself, making her fear for her life. ¡°Squeak!¡± came Pausers, stepping out and drawing the woman¡¯s attention. ¡°Tsch,¡± she responded, withdrawing her intense aura. Nobina noticed how everyone else was breathing heavily as they slowly got up. ¡°Girl,¡± said the red-haired woman. ¡°I see you are clearly involved with these two. Come with me.¡± The red-haired woman made her way towards the forest, drawing a quick nod from Nobina as she ran after her. Pausers followed suit, keeping their eye on the red-haired woman as they left the rest of them to chat amongst themselves. Once they were in the forest alone, she turned to Nobina, no longer showing any of her aura. ¡°What is your name girl?¡± asked the red-haired woman. ¡°Uh¡­ Nobina¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡±, Nobina asked back. ¡°My name is Misana. I am the Queen of the Dragons,¡± she replied back proudly. Immediately, Nobina found herself unable to comprehend what had just happened. Did the Gaze bring Misana directly to her? If so, what was its purpose? Were they taking too long on their journey to reach her? ¡°Now tell me Nobina. Why did that Divine Entity summon me? What purpose would you need to use a god on me.¡± The last part of what she said revealed a slight frustration from Misana, making Nobina worried again. However, Pausers squeaked a few times towards her. ¡°I hold no qualms with your guardian,¡± replied Misana back to Pausers. ¡°How on earth do you have someone so weak as your master? Is it because she has some sort of divine power I¡¯m unaware of?¡± Pausers squeaked back a few times, drawing a sigh from Misana. ¡°Really¡­ Well¡­ It is of no concern to me. My kind has no qualms with humanity, so¡­¡± As she said that, Misana¡¯s eyes widened a bit. ¡°Huh¡­ I take that back. Are you¡­ the one who threatened one of my kin Pausers?¡± asked Misana, waiting for their answer. ¡°Squeak,¡± Pausers responded back. Immediately, Nobina sensed Misana¡¯s aura radiating once again. Nobina was barely able not to faint as she took the brunt of the aura directly. Seconds later, a familiar figure appeared before Nobina, blocking all of the aura. Nobina breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the Gaze glow once more before returning to normal. In front of Nobina was a figure wearing the same armor she had on when she stopped Sina earlier. A figure that would not be stopped by another stood between Nobina and Misana, causing her to recall her aura once again. ¡°I should have figured a god capable of summoning me could pull out someone like this,¡± said Misana, her eyes on the Nameless Knight. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll hear you out Nobina. Explain to me what exactly is going on.¡± Nobina took a deep breath, explaining the situation that happened back in Wistern. As she finished up, Misana merely gave a nod. ¡°While I dislike the idea of allowing a few dragons to do as they please, they do not threaten me enough to warrant me making an enemy of you Nobina,¡± said Misana. ¡°It is your responsibility though if they end up threatening your kind. We will not assist unless you specifically request it.¡± ¡°Me?¡± asked Nobina, confused as to why she had the ultimate say. ¡°You¡¯re the only reason I¡¯m not hunting them down myself at this point,¡± said Misana, looking at both Pausers and the Nameless Knight. ¡°I swear¡­ do you not see how this looks? An Alpha Death Hare as a companion and the Nameless Knight to protect you. There is few if anyone who can stand in your way.¡± Nobina wasn¡¯t sure about that. The Gaze had brought out a protector for her, yet it wasn¡¯t her power once again. She was improving thanks to her writing, but a sheer bulk of her current power was thanks to what she had. ¡°Perhaps, but I personally wish to get stronger myself,¡± responded Nobina. Misana gave a nod, giving a slight smile. ¡°What purpose do you seek power yourself Nobina?¡± asked Misana. ¡°Do you wish to conquer? Take on the strongest of opponents? What pushes you forward?¡± Nobina shook her head. ¡°Truthfully, I merely wish to write my book,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s my dream to release it and I¡¯ll be content afterwards.¡± What started as a small chuckle turned into the strongest laugh imaginable as Misana reacted to what she was hearing. Nobina couldn¡¯t help but start laughing as well, thinking about the absurdity of the situation. She merely wanted to write, yet she was right now negotiating with the Queen of the Dragons, a figure well-known around the world. Nobina hoped whoever was making this all happen would get a laugh out of this situation, as she couldn¡¯t think of any other reason why they¡¯d bring about it. ¡°Nobina,¡± said Misana, finally getting control of yourself. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my opinion of you. I like you and wish to help you accomplish your dream.¡± Hearing that brought a sparkle into Nobina¡¯s eye. Having Misana herself assist her seemed like a guaranteed way to grant her the time to write. All she had to do was make the most of it. However, a part of her began to wonder what consequences or conditions would be imposed with Misana here. There surely had to be something she was missing.