Setting aside the matter regarding my grandmother, it had already been three days since my arrival in Millishion, and I needed to take stock of my situation.
A roof over my head, food, and access to new clothes—but also to the library and information. I might find something there about the incident, or perhaps exactly what triggered it. Why specifically in Roa? What was the connection? Or... was it merely a coincidence?
I had no answers to those questions, so my only option was to investigate.
For the moment, however, I was ready for something else. I had new clothes, the hooded cloak Cliff gave me, and my sword at my waist, secured by a new, much sturdier belt.
I stepped out of my room, adjusting the cloak that fell to my ankles.
"Daiki? Dear?" my aunt called out. I crossed paths with her in the hallway as I headed toward the exit.
"I'm going to go rank up... I already told you about that."
She walked over and straightened my collar. "Be careful, okay? I've already lost one family member; I don't want to lose another."
I blushed slightly. "Y-yeah, I promise."
She smiled. "Good. But... when you get back, your grandmother wants you to start your lessons. Also, it seems that if everything goes well, she'll be sending you to the Ranoa University of Magic in a few years."
University? Roxy had spoken very highly of it. "Alright. Thanks, Auntie."
She kissed my forehead and brushed a stray lock of hair away from my face. I simply smiled back and went out to find Cliff.
Is he waiting? I wondered.
I entered the Adventurer's Guild and there he was: Cliff, sitting at one of the tables, looking impatient and sketching something.
He didn't look up, but he knew I was there. "You're late. Three days late, subordinate."
Then, he lifted his gaze.
"What happened to you?"
He looked me up and down—referring, I assume, to my noble attire: neat hair, a smooth-looking face, and new boots.
"You look... acceptable. At least you won't bring shame to my cape or the logo."
"Had to make some adjustments to please the family," I replied, taking the seat opposite him. "Let's just say my grandmother is a bit... intense about the dress code."
He just snorted, closing his eyes. "I hear you. Old people are insufferable about image."
[You're insufferable about image too!]
(Calm down, Ayam... The more emotions you express, the more it drains me.)
[Don't you talk! You're just like him... always telling yourself things... things...!]
I pressed my hands against my forehead, feeling a throbbing pain shoot through my body. Ayam was expressing anger; she was speaking louder than usual, and it only made me feel worse.
Cliff, observant as he was, noticed my state. "Don't tell me you showed up sick..." But beyond the snark, I noted a hint of genuine concern.
[I-I'm sorry, Daiki, this emotion thing is new to me... I... I...]
And then she went silent; I could feel her retreating into some dark corner of my mind.
The pain subsided a little, so I silently began chanting a detoxification spell followed by a healing one. Even so, the sensation lingered.
"Don't worry, I'm fine... It's just the forty-eight hours I spent passed out and the lack of food catching up to me."
Cliff arched a brow, skeptical, but didn't press further. He turned his attention back to the papers in front of him, shifting from fleeting concern back to his usual air of superiority.
I didn't want to overthink it, so I listened. The quests consisted of:
1. Finding a cat that got lost in the forest a few weeks ago.
2. Collecting ten bunches of Shadow Grass from a cave to the north—a dangerous place due to the appearance of monsters that shouldn't be there.
3. Hunting five oversized rabbits that were ravaging the local fauna, indicating they weren't native to the area and were likely a plague.
4. Recovering a lost cargo shipment for a merchant.
If we did them all today, we could rise to Rank E and accept better-paying jobs.
"Four quests in one day?" I asked, rubbing my temple. "That's ambitious."
"It's efficient," Cliff corrected. "I've mapped a route. We start in the meadow, follow the path, head into the forest, and end at the cave. It's a perfect circuit. If you don't slow us down with your 'dizzy spells', we'll be back before sunset."
He stood up, grabbing his staff.
"Can you do it, or would you prefer to go back to having your aunt spoon-feed you soup?"
I smiled, despite the headache.
"Let's go, Cliff. Wouldn't want to keep you waiting any longer. And... I hope I don't have to save you this time..."
"Ha! In your dreams. I am a genius, remember that," he scoffed. "Move out! Time is money, and glory doesn't wait for the slow."
**
Cliff's itinerary was, I had to admit, impeccable. Despite his attitude, he had a sharp mind for logistics.
First Stop: The Giant Rabbits
We arrived at the spot where the pests had been sighted. These weren't normal rabbits; they were beasts the size of medium dogs, with incisors that looked like daggers and unusual aggression. They were tearing apart the roots of some wild fruit trees.
"Watch and learn," Cliff said, aiming his staff.
"Cliff, wait, we need the bodies intact as proo—"
BOOM!
An explosion incinerated two of the rabbits instantly. The problem was, it also incinerated most of the evidence.
"...oof," I finished the sentence.
Cliff adjusted the collar of his robe. "Two down. Three to go. Are you going to move, or do I have to do everything myself?"
"If you burn them all, we won't get paid," I reminded him, unsheathing my sword.
The three remaining rabbits, alerted by the blast, charged at us with surprising speed. However, for someone used to training with Ghislaine, this was moving in slow motion.
I slid forward.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
I used the flat of the blade to break their necks. They hit the ground before Cliff could even charge his next spell.
"Hmph. Not bad for a brute," Cliff muttered.
***
Second Stop: The Lost Cargo
We found the cart overturned on the side of the road. The merchant had fled, leaving behind several heavy wooden crates.
"I am an elite mage," Cliff declared, crossing his arms and staring at the boxes. "My hands are made for tracing complex magic circles and wielding scepters of power, not for the manual labor of a pack mule."
"Understood."
I ended up carrying four large crates, strapped to my back with ropes, while Cliff walked ahead, "securing the perimeter."
The merchant was lucky no one had stolen them; it seemed the bandits were taking the day off. Still, what could have happened to make the owner run away?
***
Third Stop: The Lost Cat
This mission... was the easiest. We just had to follow the description of the cat and figure out what it liked. Cliff had come up with a plan for that, so he had already bought its favorite food.
We scoured the forest for an hour until we heard a meow. It wasn't much, but the cat, having been out for weeks, seemed to have gone feral. It lunged at me, trying to claw my face, but missed. I grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and started bathing it using water magic.
The cat writhed in the warm water I had conjured.
"Are you trying to drown it or wash it?" Cliff asked, watching with a look of disgust while keeping the food at a safe distance.
"Cleaning it. The owner is a wealthy old lady. If we return it covered in ticks and smelling like dirt, she won't give us the full reward."
Once the water ran clear, I dissipated the sphere. Before the cat could fall to the ground and get dirty again, I used a gentle gust of wind magic combined with fire to dry it instantly. The cat, now fluffy and smelling clean (well, clean wet dog smell), fell into my arms, dazed.
Cliff seized the moment and shoved the food under its nose. The animal, defeated by hunger and the bath, began to eat voraciously.
"Mission accomplished," Cliff said, closing the transport box once the cat walked in on its own, chasing the food. "Let's go. The cave awaits."
***
Fourth Stop: Shadow Grass
The atmosphere changed drastically when we reached the cave entrance. Cliff conjured a sphere of fire, illuminating the stalactites.
After a few minutes inside, I did the same to cover more ground.
"That was... Incantationless Magic?"
I tensed up slightly.
"No... I just said it under my breath."
Before I could explain further, I felt the entire cave begin to vibrate. A loud sound rumbled from the depths of the cavern, where the light didn't reach. Then I saw it: a stalactite broke loose from the ceiling. I had to grab Cliff's cloak and throw him backward so he could avoid it.
"What the hell was that?" he shouted.
And, as if it had heard us, an enormous monster emerged from the darkness. It looked like a gigantic reptile that barely fit inside the cave. We had the herbs, yes... but we also had that thing in front of us.
"Is this really a Rank E mission?" Cliff said, starting to recite a fire spell. "They sent us to our certain death..."
It was time to use the Sword of Light.
I placed both hands on the hilt of my unsheathed sword and launched myself. In an instant, the monster terrorizing Cliff was split into two perfect pieces. When Cliff reacted, he looked at me from the other side: I had passed through the monster without getting a drop on me.
The only thing left was the smoking, cauterized gash on the monster's remains.
Cliff was open-mouthed, his staff half-raised and the flame of his spell dying out. His eyes darted between the two halves of the giant reptile now lying inert on either side of me, and me, casually sheathing my sword.
"That..." Cliff stammered. "That wasn't a normal cut. The wound is cauterized. There's no blood. And you moved faster than my eye could follow..."
"Questions later, I want to eat," I cut him off. "You carry the herbs and the cat; I'll take the rabbit evidence and the boxes. Mission accomplished, right?"
"'Mission accomplished'?" Cliff repeated, snapping out of his stupor and looking at me like I was insane. "You just sliced a giant being like it was a piece of cheese and all you can think about is eating! That was a Saint Rank technique! I know because I've read about it!"
"Cliff. I'm hungry. And if we don't leave now, the smell of burnt meat will attract things worse than this lizard."
He seemed to consider that, staring into the darkness of the cave.
"...Fine. But you owe me a detailed explanation. And don't think I'm carrying the cat the whole way; that beast hates me."
"The cat is in the box, Cliff. You just have to hold the handle."
"Details."
We exited the cave. The return to the adventurer district was swift, driven by Cliff's desire to get away from monsters and my desire to arrive before dinner at the mansion got cold.
By the time we reached the guild, I felt everyone's eyes on us. I looked back, and it made sense... I was dragging boxes, walking into the guild as if nothing happened, while holding five horns... well, three whole horns and two charred ones. And Cliff was carrying a box with a cat that was meowing as if it were being tortured, and a sack full of herbs dripping purple liquid. We were quite the spectacle.
The receptionist blinked several times, alternating her gaze between us and the small disaster we had organized in front of her counter.
"Four quests?" she asked.
Cliff stepped forward, dusting off his robe and placing the cage on the counter.
"Of course. Efficiency is the mark of a true leader," he declared. "And my subordinate... well, let's say he serves well for heavy lifting. Process the promotion to Rank E, please."
And just like that, we officially became Rank E.
We left the guild. Cliff weighed his coin pouch in his hand and then tossed me mine.
"Not bad," he admitted, looking away. "For a sick rookie, you moved well."
"Thanks, Cliff. See you tomorrow."
[You did well, Daiki. And... thanks for not getting mad at me.]
(We're a team, Ayam. You, me, and now the egomaniac Cliff.)