"Wait. You're a hero?!"
By the time the words left her mouth, Aeris had already recoiled beyond reach. A dark orb of magic pulsed in her hand, aimed straight at Jan.
Jan stepped forward, startled. "What's wrong—"
"Look out!" Sophia yanked him back just in time.
Boom!
The orb struck the ground where he had been standing, kicking up a burst of dust and heat.
"Whoa!"
"Don't you dare take another step!" Aeris shouted, her voice shaking. Ragged breaths escaped her as dark energy swirled at her trembling fingertips.
"Get away from him! You shouldn't trust him either!"
Without hesitation, both sisters stepped in front of Jan, shielding him.
"What are you doing?!" Aeris barked.
"You heard Maria," Sophia said firmly. "He's not like the others. I had my doubts too—but he proved me wrong."
"He might've fooled you, but I'm not falling for it!"
"Have you forgotten who saved you last night?" Maria answered coldly.
"That doesn't mean anything!" Aeris snapped. "You know what those bastards do to us! You know why no heroes are allowed in Sylvalis—or any elven village!"
Jan's eyes widened. "What are you even talking about?!"
Maria's voice softened. "She's talking about our ears."
Jan blinked. "What about them?"
Sophia hesitated. "Some people… cut them off. Use them to craft items."
Jan recoiled. "What the hell?! I mean—yeah, they're beautiful, but… seriously?! Yikes! That's disgusting! And—what even is crafting?!"
Sophia smiled gently. "See? He's clueless. He won't hurt you."
Jan frowned. "Yes, and… Wait—you promised you'd stop calling me clueless!"
"I—I'm just making a point!" Sophia said quickly.
"F-Fine," Aeris muttered, reluctantly lowering her hand and dispelling the dark orb. "But I still don't trust you. I'm keeping my eyes on you."
Jan sighed. "As long as you're not shooting magic at me again, I can live with that."
"Only if you give me no reason."
"Good enough," Maria said with a nod. "Now that everyone's cooled down, let's get to the real reason I called you here, Jan."
"..."
Maria took a breath. "I know you probably want to leave town as soon as possible, but… can you—"
"You don't need to say it," Jan interrupted. "I'm staying until Rollo and your parents are back."
Maria smiled warmly. "Thank you. That brings me to my proposal." She stood straighter. "As Princess of Valkeries, it falls to me to manage the town in the absence of the three counselors."
"You alone? What about Sophia?"
"I'd love to get her help," Maria said, glancing at her sister. "But governance was never her thing. She never did the studying, never figured out how to run a town—or run anything, really. So… she can't do much to help."
"That makes sense," Jan shrugged. "She's more like Erza, I guess."
"Exactly!" Sophia chimed in proudly.
"Even Mom learned how to manage the council," Maria snapped back. "And you know that!"
"Okay, okay!" Jan raised his hands. "Let's not start another fight."
"Yeah, arguing won't change anything, not anymore," Maria sighed. "I'll be spending my time here at the council managing the town. I've got people in the church I can rely on, and the knights still have their lieutenants, but the guild…"
Maria looked Jan in the eyes: "The guild is where things get tricky—Sophia can't handle it alone. So Jan, as a member of the guild, this is where I need you."
"You want me to help Sophia manage the guild?"
"Well…" Maria scratched her cheek. "To be honest, you'll probably be doing most of the work. I know her well—she'll find a way to make you do it all."
"Hey!" Sophia protested. "Okay, that might be true, but that's only because I'm planning to train. Now that we know for sure we've only got two months, I need to get stronger."
"That's actually a good idea," Maria agreed. "We're going to need all the strength we can muster. This could be useful for you too, Jan—you can train with Sophia, take turns heading into the Endlesscape to level up. In the meantime, you can stay at the guild—the inn will be closed anyway. Once we agree on a reward, you can start."
**************** Mission: Manage Valkeries' Guild ********************
Valkeries is entering a period of uncertainty after losing its three councilors. The town's two princesses are stepping up to lead. You've been asked to help manage the Adventurer's Guild for two months.
Difficulty Level: E
Objective: Manage the guild for two months
Warning: Refusing this mission will damage your relationship with Maria and Sophia, as well as your reputation in Valkeries. Your refusal may also impact the town's chances at survival.
[Accept] [Refuse]
*******************************************************************
A translucent blue window appeared before Jan with the quest details.
"Can I read on the job?" Jan asked flatly.
"Eh… what?" Maria blinked.
"Am I allowed to read while I'm working at the guild?"
"W-Well… if you've finished your daily tasks and there's nothing urgent, I guess you can do whatever you want…"
"Then count me in." Jan tapped the [Accept] button.
"Really?!" Sophia's eyes lit up.
Maria blinked in surprise. "Wait—but what about your pay?"
"No need." Jan waved his hand. "I've got enough money already, and I get to stay at the guild. Also you'll need every coin you can get to run the town."
Maria smiled warmly. "Thank you, Jan. I knew I could count on you."
"Don't worry about it." He scratched his cheek. "You guys have done so much for me already. And besides... I still have a lot I want to do in this town before climbing the tower."
"Then let me say this—Valkeries will never forget your kindness, Hero Jan." Princess Maria bowed slightly.
Jan blinked, caught off guard. But then he smiled and gave a polite bow in return.
Suddenly, Sophia leapt onto his arm, grinning wide. "Alright! That settles it—let's go to the guild, Jan!"
"Hey! What about me?!" Aeris finally shouted, visibly frustrated.
Maria turned to her. "Now that we know you're from Sylvalis, we'll send a Blessed Message to the tenth floor. Considering your status, they'll ensure it reaches the nearest elven village."
"Good. But where are you planning to keep me until then?"
"I can't let you wander the town—it's too risky," Maria said. "The council hall's too public. I want to keep you secret until you're safe. The best place is the guild—with Sophia and Jan."
"I refuse to stay anywhere near that guy!"
Maria gave her a pointed look. "You'd be safest near 'that guy'. But honestly, you don't have the luxury of choosing right now. I'm sorry, but this is the best I can do."
Aeris grumbled, arms crossed. "F-Fine… but if you even look at me funny, I'll shoot you!"
"Yes, yes," Jan sighed, clearly resigned.
Sophia tossed a small bundle at her. "Here—these will hide your ears. You'll also need to change clothes before we hit the streets."
"T-Thanks…"
"Good thinking." Maria nodded. "Follow me—I'll show you where to change."
The two girls disappeared into a nearby room, shutting the door behind them.
*Click!*
Jan let out a long sigh.
"Tsk… now we've got to babysit this brat." Sophia frowned.
"I'm more worried she's going to kill me in my sleep."
Sophia snorted. "Well, you can always revive, right?!"
"You always say that like it's no big deal! I still feel the pain when I die, you know?!"
"Really? Huh... well, still better than dying for good, right? At least it makes training with real weapons possible. Plus, you can roam the Endlesscape without worrying too much. Worst case, you just revive in town."
Jan raised an eyebrow. "Your sense of optimism is twisted… but you're not wrong."
"Anyway," Sophia stretched. "We're hitting the guild's training grounds the moment we get there."
"Can we maybe… delay that a bit? I have a thing that I want to do first," Jan asked.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"I wanted to…"
Jan was about to continue when Maria and Aeris emerged from the room. The latter stomped out, arms crossed and visibly fuming.
"I can't believe you're making me wear these peasants' clothes!"
She wore a dark indigo tunic that reached mid-thigh, cinched at the waist with a leather belt engraved with the guild's crest. Over it, a light gray cloak hung loosely from her shoulders, hood down, fastened with a silver clasp. Slim black trousers tucked into sturdy, knee-high boots completed the look—practical and well-made, but lacking the regal embroidery and flowing silks she was used to.
'It's not even that bad...' Jan thought, glancing at her outfit.
"Yes, yes, Your Highness, terribly sorry it's not spun from moon-silk," Sophia said with a smirk.
"Hey! Don't mock me! This kind of fabric is terrible for my skin!"
"Uh-huh," Sophia sighed. "Shall we go, then?"
"Fine," Aeris muttered. "Let's just get it over with."
Sophia turned to Jan. "You said you wanted to go somewhere first? We'll go with you."
Jan nodded. "The Library."
***
After saying goodbye to Maria, the three stepped out through the rear entrance to avoid the crowds.
They made their way through the streets, doing their best to remain unnoticed—but it was hopeless.
Everyone in Valkeries now seemed to recognize Jan—the hero who had helped save their town. People stopped him every few steps, thanking him with tears in their eyes, offering warm bread, drinks, or whatever they could spare.
All eyes were on Jan, so no one noticed Aeris, who stayed quiet the entire time beneath her hood.
It wasn't long before the trio found themselves carrying sacks filled with groceries, baked goods, and miscellaneous tokens of gratitude.
[Strength increased by 1 point (+1 STR)]
"This feels like training already..." Jan muttered.
"I can't believe you've got a royal like me hauling groceries!" Aeris grumbled.
"Quit whining. It's manageable," Sophia said, adjusting a loaf of bread under her arm. "And we've already passed the market, so we can take it easy."
"But we've lost a lot of time," Jan said. "Doesn't it bother you that the guild's still closed?"
"It's still early. Besides, it's only been a few hours since we sent the pulse message to the guild members. I doubt any of them are here yet."
"Pulse message?"
"You remember your guild badge, right? It's not just a trinket—it's your link to the guild's core crystal. If you're ever out in the field, the guild can send a pulse through that connection to get your attention."
"I never knew."
"How are you this ignorant? Even I know that—and I've never stepped inside a guild!" Aeris snapped.
"Hey! I've only been here a few days!"
"Still, it literally glows. You should've guessed it had magic."
"It has magic?!" Jan yelped, pulling his badge from his belt.
The badge was a palm-sized, stylized shield made of dark steel with a bluish sheen and wind-like etchings. At its center, a silver emblem of a winged sword and staff marked the Valkeries Guild's symbol. Above it, a pulsing crystal shard was embedded, and if tilted just right, a faint engraving of a tower could be seen behind the emblem.
The back had a slot for clipping to belts or cloaks, and each badge was numbered—Jan's was 127.
"I don't feel anything from it..." Jan said, puzzled.
"Because you're ignorant," Aeris huffed, turning away.
Jan sighed and turned to Sophia. "So… you really get messages through this thing?"
"It's not like you'll hear words or see letters," Sophia explained. "It's more like… a feeling. A signal. Warmth, cold, or sometimes just this weird vibration going through your chest. We call it 'Pulsing'."
"And how do you even know what it means?"
"Each pulse means something different. For example, one short one means 'check-in.' Three sharp pulses? That means get your ass back to town—something's gone wrong."
"That's… not the most practical system."
"Well, if something's really important, you have to go to the nearest guild hall and get a written decryption."
"And how do you know if the person received your message? Can they reply?!"
"No, they can't, but we can check their status. If someone's badge goes totally silent, that means one of three things. They're either unconscious, dead... or in an area so deep the crystal can't reach them. It's never a good sign."
Jan's expression tensed. "So that's how you knew Rollo and your parents were okay?"
"Sort of," Sophia said. "But only Mom has a badge, so… it's not a guarantee."
Jan nodded. "Don't worry. They'll be back. They're strong."
"I hope you're right."
Jan paused, then asked, "So what about that blessed message you mentioned before?"
"I'm tired of explaining," Sophia frowned, stepping up to the grand doors of the Library. "Look it up in a book or something. We're here already."
"Alright, jeez, why are you getting so grumpy all of a sudden?"
"Because you ask too many questions! Now grab whatever you need from the Library so we can go."
"..."
"Well? Go on."
"..."
"Why are you just standing there?"
"...The Librarian."
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"
"He's a bit intimidating. Can you knock for me?"
"You fought a demon last night! He's just a Librarian."
"Exactly! You have no idea how terrifying those guys can be!"