Bonus Short Stories

Rentt and the Beauty Contest

“Wow! As expected! What a beauty!”

This bright and cheerful voice belonged to none other than Sheila, a staff member of the adventurer’s guild. Sheila, in turn, was looking straight at a woman before her—a stunning woman, to be precise.

Her blonde hair cascaded in hypnotizing waves, its beauty enough to distract any passer-by. Her almond-shaped eyes, further accentuated by her eyeshadow, made the woman seem almost bewitching. A single look sent shivers down the spines of the menfolk, many of whom who may lose themselves to their lust at any moment.

Even her body was picture-perfect, an impossibly sculpted ideal. The woman had all the right curves, emphasized in all the right ways. Her waist, hips, and just about everything else resembled a work of art.

In spite of all this, however, she was by no means scandalous or inappropriate. If anything, she was miraculously dignified.

The woman’s expression immediately changed as she sat down. She seemed tired of this entire affair, and sank deep into the chair like some sort of mollusc.

She parted her lips. “How did it come to this...?”

Her voice was a familiar one, belonging to the Scholar-magus of Maalt, a certain Lorraine Vivie. While she was dressed differently, had her hair done up, and seemingly had different facial features, those who knew her well only needed to lean in for a closer inspection, upon which they would undoubtedly recognize this was Lorraine herself, and none other.

The finery and beauty that Lorraine now exuded were the efforts of many individuals, beginning with Sheila, and followed closely by many other members of the adventurer’s guild of Maalt.

The story began just the day before...

◆◇◆◇◆

“The budget...is tight...” Sheila said, holding her head in her hands as she said so.

Standing before her in a small meeting room of the guild were Lorraine and myself—Rentt Faina.

There was no one else here.

One would wonder why Sheila was suddenly discussing the matter of the guild’s potential bankruptcy with us at this point in time. See, Lorraine and I were secretly the guild’s biggest sponsors, and we could bend them to our will at the snap of a finger.

I jest. A silly lie, that.

We were called here due to our statuses as veteran adventurers—to be specific, we have been with the guild for about eight years. Sheila, who had known me for all that time, found it easier to discuss her concerns with us. Of course, Lorraine and I both had our specialties and certain abilities which may come in handy in a variety of situations. More importantly, however, was the fact that Lorraine had always been a relatively beautiful individual. She wasn’t all that interested in cosmetics and the like.

It was all somewhat beyond me.

“You see...” Sheila continued, “the guild’s staff union has decided to hold a beauty contest this year. That’s all fine and good, but the rewards... Ugh. That union president of ours got too drunk, you see, and said he would give an impossibly huge reward to the winner, instead of our usual prizes! It would be impossible to purchase such a price on the current budget, and so I wanted to see if anything could be done... So. Would you please attend the beauty contest, Miss Lorraine?”

Such was Sheila’s description of the problem.

On another note, beauty contests were, as their name suggested, a contest in which women competed against each other in a display of feminine beauty. The most beautiful lady took home a title, and a prize. This was an event held at set periods by the adventurer’s guild, with the primary aim of helping adventurers find potential wives and partners. This contest was also set up with this aim in mind.

Under normal circumstances, the prize for coming in first place was helpful but not extravagant—a year’s worth of dry supplies or food, for instance. This year, however, the guild staff’s union president seemed to have gotten a little too drunk, and had announced in a noisy tavern that a most expensive object could be provided as a prize. This, of course, angered the usually gentle Sheila. Honestly speaking, seeing Sheila snap in this fashion was terrifying in and of itself.

Due to the fact that the announcement had been heard by members of the public, there seemed to be no way around this...unless a woman who secretly sided with the guild would take part in, and win the contest. That way the prize would go back to the house, and no ridiculous sum of coin would be spent.

“In that case, could you not simply go yourself, Sheila?” Lorraine said, grimly.

“Ah...but I cannot, as I am a member of the staff, you see...”

Would Sheila be able to guarantee victory for the staff union even if she did participate? I couldn’t help but think. As if reading my mind, Sheila huffed, visibly irritated.

“IN ANY CASE! I won’t win even if I do participate! Yes! I know! But...if Miss Lorraine goes...I feel like we could really turn this around!” she said, through gritted teeth and balled fists. Sheila was undoubtedly serious.

I turned to look at Lorraine, our eyes meeting. We both seemed to understand this was a difficult request to turn down. But Lorraine suddenly seemed to find all this very funny, a small smile creeping onto her lips.

“If you put it that way, Sheila, I suppose I have little choice... Very well. I shall accept.”

“R-Really?!”

“I do, however, have some conditions.”

“Um...conditions...?”

“But of course. Firstly, that I will participate under a false name, then...”

Lorraine leaned in to Sheila, whispering a fair amount of secretive conditions into her ear.

Sheila nodded in intervals. But her expression slowly turned into one of anticipation and mischief. Finally, she stared at me pointedly, as if meaning to bore holes through my very being. After a short silence, Sheila nodded deeply before declaring her acceptance in a strangely unsettling voice.

“Ooooookay. We will do just that!”

◆◇◆◇◆

“Pffft... It fits you well...Rennie...? Ha...”

Lorraine had a blonde wig sitting on her head. She was, however, looking straight at me.

Yes...

It was I, Rentt Faina, who was standing with Lorraine in the beauty contest’s waiting room. A room only contestants were permitted to enter.

I was currently dressed as a woman.

It wasn’t a shoddy job by any means. My make-up crew had ensured I would appear as nothing but a woman, even going so far as to fit me with a corset. For all the right curves, they said—and of course, certain...prosthetics were added, to my behind and chest.

This was Lorraine’s secret condition: that she would only take part if I did the same.

What a mess... Perhaps the sort of mess Lorraine enjoyed. In any case, I was in no position to decline.

I was curious as to how far they would go with the whole thing, and as such didn’t expect I would be standing in this room...with Lorraine.

“Right! Our next contestant is...” a staff member announced, holding the door to the waiting room open.

They then announced the name of the next contestant...

“Miss Adeline Fran!”

Said name was, unfortunately, the false name Lorraine had came up with...for my use.

“Ah, they are calling for you, are they not? Go forth, Rennie... Ah. Perhaps Ren-Ren would be more fitting? Steel yourself! You are next!” Lorraine said, cheerfully waving me toward the venue.

Damn it all... Just you watch, Lorraine. I will pay you back in full for this humiliation...

Oh well. I suppose it will be done. Perhaps I will just take a portion of her next guild request’s rewards.

Slowly but surely, familiar words rang out through the air.

“Ren Ireed! You’re up next!”

Obediently but unwillingly following the announcer’s instructions, I slowly shuffled out of the waiting room and headed toward the venue.

◆◇◆◇◆

Of course, the winner was none other than Lorraine. And, as expected, the runner up was yours truly.

I jest. That was a silly lie... Although it didn’t quite end that way, no one suspected who I was, and the contest passed without incident. I did, however, make it into the final selections—and the entire time I sought answers for this terrible predicament of mine. I couldn’t say much, obviously, and instead suffered in silence.

“Do I have a feminine face, Lorraine?” I asked, walking by Lorraine’s side as we headed back to her abode.

Lorraine had long since changed out of her costume and disguise. Turning to me, she gave her answer in a strangely serious tone.

“Hmm. I would not exactly say that, Rentt. It is just that you do not have many...distinguishing features. It allows the make-up to stand out, you see. You also have a light build and musculature... I would not call you muscular by any means, for instance...”

In other words, I was apparently suitable for ventures that involved cross-dressing. Not exactly something I could be proud of.

That aside...

“It was a given that you’d win, Lorraine. You’re quite beautiful, after all, so there was no doubt.”

“You, saying such things in broad daylight...”

“It’s the truth, no?”

“Hmph. Say what you like. However...it is a bit of a waste if we let this end here. What do you say, Ren-Ren? Want to do this with me again sometime?”

“I will politely decline...”

Personally, I felt like such an event would hardly repeat itself, but, just in case it did, I fervently offered my prayers up to the gods—that I would never have to do anything like this ever again.

An Adventurer’s Worth

Adventurers—the collective term for individuals who made a living from slaying monsters.

A normal person hardly had an inkling of their strength. They were fearsome and dreadful, but in ways that weren’t really comprehensible to villagers from rural communities. Even someone like me had memories of adventurers—two of them, actually...

If only because those two adventurers had saved my village.

◆◇◆◇◆

The two of them showed up sometime in the spring. Winter had passed, and snow was slowly, but surely, melting. Some still remained on the paths, so few people visited us. It was a quiet time.

A quiet season...

My village, however, had certain problems with monsters. Having harvested the fields in Autumn, we stored the crops and preserved cattle products in our storerooms and barns. It was these structures the Goblins targeted.

There weren’t many of them, but we could hardly stand up to them, monsters being what they were. All the young and capable men had to join forces just to defeat one Goblin, only for it to be replaced by another the very next day. Even a fool would know the Goblins had a nest somewhere in these parts, and that they were coming from there.

But there was little we could do. We were only villagers.

This was why the village chief had gone off to the big city to enlist the aid of adventurers, who would solve this problem for us.

There were two adventurers who answered the call, their names being...Rentt Faina, and Lorraine Vivie.

The two of them looked relaxed enough, hopping off their carriage and walking into the village. They immediately spoke with the chief, then asked for information about any forest entrances from our hunters.

“Somewhere around here, I would say.”

“Yes. Carcasses of dead animals and such, the hunters say. The Goblins have been hunting... Ah, and this bark being peeled off the surrounding trees. They’re fond of this sort of thing.”

That was the nature of their discussion. Curious, I approached them.

“What are you two talking about?”

“Hmm?” The female adventurer turned around. “Ah, a child from the village. Are you perhaps interested in our discussion?”

She smiled as she spoke. I nodded, and the woman happily launched into a detailed explanation of their tasks.

“We are searching for a Goblin nest, little one. Goblins have statistically preferred a certain lay of the land, so we were asking the village hunters if such an area existed in the forests nearby. We did find a likely candidate, along with carcasses of prey, and seeds of certain plants they like to gnaw on in the region. With that much information, it was all but too easy to pinpoint where exactly their nest would be located.”

“Well...” The man next to her chimed in as well. “I suppose that’s the case with how most of these requests are. We still have to investigate the grounds ourselves, however. With this much information, though...it won’t be too difficult. Even so, we may find a small mob of Goblins—wouldn’t hurt for us to be careful, at any rate. I think this is very much doable, Lorraine. Let’s be on our way.”

“Yes. Let us take our leave.”

The two spoke, looking at each other as they spread a large map between them. Before long, they had folded it up and were headed deep into the forest. They were walking head-first into danger even though they had just arrived a short while ago... Would they really be all right?

I was hardly the only one who had such concerns as everyone in the village looked equally uneasy as we saw them off. But the two soon returned, and the sight of these adventurers made us collectively gasp.

In the pouches they carried were ten Goblin ears apiece, each seemingly from a different Goblin. Did these two people really defeat all those monsters by themselves...?

“Is the village chief in?” the female adventurer asked, spatters of blood decorating her previously pristine overcoat.

I just nodded.

“Thank you.”

Saying so, the two faded from sight, and I just stood there, watching them as they walked away.

From what I heard later, they truly had defeated those very same monsters we had so much trouble with, and in less than ten minutes. There were twenty Goblins in all; if they had been left alone, they would have definitely attempted to attack, or even sack the village.

Upon hearing their report, the village chief was deeply moved by their valor, and offered to increase their reward. Although the two adventurers initially refused to hear anything of the sort, the chief was insistent, and they eventually ended up accepting the offer.

From what I heard, the chief’s reaction was only natural—this village was apparently that close to destruction. No one was surprised he would offer a big reward to the two saviors of this village. All the villagers agreed with the chief’s decision; not a single person complained.

At night, a large banquet was held for the two. They then spent the night at the village chief’s, before returning to their big town the very next day.

With this, even someone like me knew adventurers really were something else...

◆◇◆◇◆

“No matter how you put it, Rentt, I feel we have taken a little too much,” Lorraine said as we sat in a horse-carriage bound for Maalt.

I, Rentt Faina, shook my head.

“There is no such thing, Lorraine. That village chief asked for help in slaying five Goblins, and offered such a reward. While we assumed there were at most ten of them, there were actually double that. I think we did fair work.”

Such was often the case with requests taken on by adventurers. This particular request was written to enlist the assistance of adventurers who had a cheaper rate—veterans, however, would see through such lies easily. In truth, both Lorraine and I had already noticed this, yet still chose to accept the request.

This was also why we had said certain things to the chief after our expedition—that he would be forgiven just this once for misrepresenting the nature of the request and engaging in unethical bargaining, and should he ever do anything like it again, adventurers would no longer come to his village.

Not a threat, of course, but a warning. There were all but too many villages that engaged in similar behaviors, only to eventually be destroyed.

Upon hearing as such, the village chief became white as a sheet, and immediately offered to increase the reward for the task. The amount of coin we then received was a little more than the appropriate amount for the work we had to do. A little of it was for us keeping his transgressions a secret, perhaps.

“Either way, I think that should be it for this particular incident. I do not think the chief would ever do anything like this again.”

I nodded in response. “I suppose... In fact, didn’t that chief take on the title only a short while ago? He probably has little in the way of experience.”

He had also promised us he was remorseful, and that there’d never be such an incident in the future.

But the appearance of monsters in such rural locations spelled doom for these types of settlements. This was the real reason we had accepted such a request in the first place, and I would probably accept similar requests should I ever see them.

Half of it was charity, or perhaps even unsolicited help. I felt this could occasionally be a good thing.

My train of thought carried on as the carriage rumbled on back to town—our home, the frontier township of Maalt.

A Continued Dream

“Just...a little bit...more...”

Yes, just a little bit more, I thought as I stood on the edge of a cliff, reaching out to a surface above me.

“If I stretch...like...this...can I...?”

My fingers lightly brushed against the object in question, and, with a final, decisive stretch, I grasped it in my hands.

It was a small, beautiful flower. A Tetona flower, one that only grew on the faces of these harsh, steep cliffs.

◆◇◆◇◆

“I’ve... I’ve got it. Picked it...for you,” I, Rentt Faina, said as I triumphantly opened the doors before me.

I quickly lost my voice, however. Before me was a young girl, seated in a chair. She was watching over another girl, who seemed peacefully asleep in bed.

That’s right. The girl seemed peacefully asleep. The girl seemed that way...but... But...

“I’m sorry, Rentt...and thank you, but...it’s too... Just a little too...”

Looking at the streaks of tears running down her face, I knew I was too late.

◆◇◆◇◆

The girl in the chair was Rin, and the one in the bed was Ran. They were twins whom I often played with as a child. The two of them looked exactly the same, and had similar personalities. They even lived in a similar way, which was why I had assumed they would live as such into a ripe, old age.

But the gods were cruel. The heavens decreed that Ran was to suffer from an incurable disease, while Rin was to be completely fine.

Ran’s illness got worse. There were no known treatments, so Ran slowly became weaker.

The two of them, however, had a dream: to one day open a florist’s shop, just the two of them. To fill the world with flowers—that was their dream.

It was somewhat childish and cute, yes, but the twins were serious about this dream of theirs, that they would one day find a way to cultivate the Tetona flower, which was impossible to raise in captivity, then spread it throughout the world.

That was their dream.

Ran was now no longer able to pursue it. When that had become obvious, Rin had at the very least wanted her sister to see the real thing, just once. And so it came to be that she posted a request to the guild, and I was the one who picked it up.

The contents of the request were simple: to bring Ran a Tetona flower before her life ended. It was a simple request, yet...

“I’ve...failed...”

There was nothing else I could say. I had indeed failed. I should have been faster. I knew that. I even thought it.

Rin shook her head slowly, a faint smile lighting up her tear-streaked face.

“No...it’s all right. You’ve done enough, Rentt. Ran wanted to say...she was sorry. For having to leave first.”

“But...”

“It’s okay, Rentt. Hand me the request forms...”

Rin snatched the forms out of my hands, declaring the request as complete with a flourish of her pen.

I hesitated. How could I accept this? Rin just pushed the papers back into my hands.

“We’re grateful, so please... Also, you did bring the flower to us. I’ll do my best to find a way. To make them bloom and grow. Then I’ll send them to lots of places. That...is still our dream,” Rin declared.

What a strong girl..

She had lost a member of her family, yet she didn’t wallow in despair—she was already looking ahead. Individuals like her were rare. Her statements weren’t those of a child, but of someone who had steeled their resolve, who had made up their mind.

I, of all people, understood this, which was why I turned to Rin and said the following:

“If there is...anything... Anything at all I can help you with, tell me. I will do what I can.”

“Thank you, Rentt... Well, if I ever want floral specimens from dangerous places again...would you bring them to me if I asked?”

“What, like a Dragon Blood Blossom?”

That was the first thing that came to mind as I thought about plants that were rare, or difficult to procure.

“Haha... Yes, that would be dangerous indeed. Maybe a little too much for a Bronze-class, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. But it’s also my dream to one day become a Mithril-class adventurer. So...when I become much stronger, I’ll bring you one of those. A Dragon Blood Blossom.”

I didn’t know if I would ever reach such a level of strength. Somehow, I felt I had hit my limits already.

Even so, I would do what I could. Rin, this young girl before me who had lost her family, still hadn’t given up on her dream. There was no way I could give up either. Not before her eyes.

“Well then...it’s a competition. Let’s see whose dream comes true first... I won’t lose, you hear?”

“Me neither.”

As our eyes met, it was clear to me Rin’s smile had gotten just a little bit brighter. It wasn’t a smile from the bottom of her heart—she was hurting. Even so, life would go on. Our lives, too, had to go on. I had to walk forward; there was no other way.

And that was all there was to it.

The Race

It happened on a day when I had been walking around the streets of Maalt, albeit with Edel perched on my head.

While I was an adventurer, and a busy one at that, I couldn’t exactly work around the clock as not much would be done that way. It was true many problems had been popping up around me lately, and I had been hopping from one incident to the next. Humans, however, always found a way to get some rest in, lest they be crushed by the weight of their duties. All that work with nothing to show for it—not a prospect I could laugh at.

On the other hand, I wasn’t currently human. Perhaps those thoughts were nothing more than a waste of time, but it was at that moment when...

“Hmm...? Hey, you there. That thing on your head...” someone called out to me.

A middle-aged, male adventurer, to be precise. A glance at him was sufficient for me to understand he was no longer new at the business. While he wasn’t exactly a veteran, he probably had some degree of sense. The equipment and weapons on him were equally mundane, so he didn’t seem like a dangerous individual at the very least.

Even so, I had my guard up, for a moment of carelessness was all that was needed for the foe to launch an ambush.

For example, what if he suddenly poured holy water over me? Perhaps that would work on a normal Undead, but it would be worthless on me. Though, maybe there were some poisons in the world that had unknown effects on me, or maybe I wouldn’t be completely immune to them. I couldn’t discount such a possibility. I didn’t expect this to happen, of course, but if we were to engage in combat, I was confident I would come up out on top. Regardless, I was still cautious.

All things considered, the man didn’t seem hostile. He took one look at Edel, then turned to me and said the following:

“Ah, right. You, you’re going to the races? I see, I see... Yeah, he looks like a good mouse. Maybe you’ll even get first place if you participate...”

I shook my head at his words. It appeared the man was mistaken. I felt like I should correct him, but before I could do so, he was already tugging on my sleeve.

“Even I feel like I could bet on your mouse... Hmm. Okay, this way! Quickly, to the registration counter! I’m betting on you, friend!” he said, as he continued pulling me to some unknown place against my will.

◆◇◆◇◆

From his words and demeanor, it wasn’t difficult to guess what the man was up to. Race, bet, registration... With all these keywords, even a fool would know what the man had mistaken me for. The place that he had taken me to was also obviously a place for such a purpose.

This was nowhere within the streets of Maalt, but just outside of it, along a particularly long wall. A corner of the nearby forest, once creeping up to the wall, had been completely cleared. In the clearing sat a course with several steep inclines and tunnels—such a complicated thing.

One might ask what exactly this course was for: Puchi Suri racing. In fact, there were about six of the mice at this very moment, all running toward the goal.

Around the course were throngs and crowds of male adventurers, all holding wooden plaques of sorts—betting chips, perhaps—as they cheered on their selected champions. Occasionally, some of them would make a terrified expression as their mouse of choice lagged behind.

“A betting race, I see...”

“What, didn’t know?” the man next to me said.

Like the rest, he was holding a wooden plaque in his hands. His name was Aidi, a Bronze-class adventurer. He was caught up in these races as of late, and hadn’t been taking on any requests at all. He did the absolute minimum so he wouldn’t be struck off the register, but the rewards would once again be spent betting on these races.

“When was a place like this built...?” I asked.

“This place? Pretty recently. They say the Puchi Suri in the town have calmed down recently—not that aggressive anymore and all that. So there was this guy...thought he would try seeing if they listened to instructions, if they could be trained. So it turns out they could be, and he got reminded of them races back in certain districts...and if it were mice he wouldn’t need to do very much. So he built this place.”

I felt like I understood the reasons behind all this happening. Edel’s power had changed the Puchi Suri of Maalt, causing them to become less aggressive to humans. More importantly, however, they gained some semblance of intelligence.

This...was supposedly the result of it all.

On one hand, no one would be injured or killed in these events, and I suppose it could be safely ignored for what it was. On the other, the people here were obviously addicted to the races, even if their families were starving, or they themselves were becoming impoverished. I felt some pangs of guilt at those thoughts.

“It’s getting real interesting around these parts, see...”

Although I gave the man cursory responses, he continued rambling on, eventually speaking of the people he had encountered, and the things he had seen at this place. Tales about men who became rich, men who lost everything, and men who dragged themselves to the races even if they were broke. I shook my head as he continued on, with stories of terrible individuals who stole their family member’s savings... All strange, absurd, sad, and funny tales. Perhaps some of the people here wouldn’t find these stories very amusing at all.

He went on for a while, regaling me with more of these unfortunate tales.

“Ah... There he is. That mouse of yours.”

As expected, Edel was lined up at the starting line along with the other Puchi Suri. Due to his insistence, Edel had been registered for the races at the counter prior. There were entry fees, of course; nothing grand, and there would be no penalties for losing. I suppose just one time was fine, so we went ahead with the process. For some reason, Edel was enthusiastic about the whole thing.

Before long...

“All right! Positions! One... Two... START!!!”

The staff member’s voice was amplified several times by the object in his hands; an artifact from the depths of a labyrinth, if I had to guess.

The Puchi Suri were off, as if understanding the significance of the sound. Each and every one of the mice were about Edel’s size, and their speed was nothing to scoff at. I suppose each of them were much like Edel, with followings of smaller mice in their nests and caverns.

The color of their pelts differed, albeit slightly. Bolts of ash, brown, and black darted through the racecourse. They were also capable of using mana to enhance their bodies, seeing as Puchi Suri were monsters after all.

While Edel could have taken some mana from me and gained an advantage over his peers, he refused to do so in the name of sportsmanship, perhaps. That made me feel like this race was now worth watching a little bit.

“Would you LOOK at that! Number one, Jacks Tiger! He’s fast! There he goes, taking those corners at such an aggressive speed! But wait, what’s this? Close on his tail is number two, Edel! A first time contestant this black wind may be, but he’s hot on the Puchi Suri race king’s back! WILL HE CATCH UP?!”

A cursory look around the venue revealed many of the audience had bet on number one—the reigning champion, it seemed.

Aidi, however, had a plate for number two, Edel. It was as he said; he really did bet on us.

“ALL RIGHT! Come on... Come on!!!”

Aidi watched on, muttering prayers under his breath. His intense expression was much like that of an adventurer confronting a powerful monster. The reality of the situation, however, was quite different, and the absurdity of the situation was somewhat pathetic.

Finally...

“HERE WE ARE! The LAST corner! Turning... He’s turning... There! We see him! Number one, Jacks Tiger! Will this end as...? Oh? What’s this? Coming close behind and CLOSING IN! Number two, EDEL! What terrifying speed! I have never seen a catch-up like this in the history of Puchi Suri Racing! Jacks Tiger presses on! On and on as Edel closes in! He’s closing in! Closing... THEY’RE IN LINE! This is it folks! The SHOWDOWN! Who’ll be the victor? One? Or two...?! TWO! It’s TWOOOOOO!!! EDEL HAS SECURED FIRST PLACE!!!”

And so it came to be that Edel caught up to his foe, passing it to achieve first place. At that moment, Aidi jumped up with a triumphant cry.

“YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!”

Aidi raised his fist in the air in celebration of his victory, a sharp contrast to the sea of disappointed faces, along with a heap of discarded betting plaques on the ground. The fallen plaques were then gathered by a few men of whom I supposed were staff members, most likely for recycling or some other purpose.

Hmm. Quite sustainable indeed.

“We’ve done it! We’ve really done it! With this, I can play around and relax for quite a bit longer... There’s a payout for you, too! Come visit when you feel like it, I’ll surely bet on you again!” Aidi said, all smiles.

That was one thing, I suppose, but Edel was, for all intents and purposes, a fortified Puchi Suri. Was that not a violation of the rules? Either way, there was little in the way of fine print. I wouldn’t concern myself with that now.

This was how I came to learn about this strange new form of leisure in Maalt. Would other strange spectacles soon pop up in this small town? For one reason or other, I felt like a wave of change was sweeping through Maalt.

I, of course, couldn’t say with certainty what was bringing about these changes. Yes, I knew nothing at all... Just because strange things were happening around me didn’t mean I was responsible for any of it. That’s right, I wasn’t.

With the prize money, Edel had me purchase food that was to his liking. With the remainder, I procured a good vintage, sharing it between Lorraine and myself.

To think this day would come! A familiar paying for its own expenses... Ha. A good mouse, truly.

Of Ghosts and Pets

“...seem a ghost has appeared...” Lorraine said, with an expression of utmost seriousness.

I looked up from the book I was reading, scrutinizing her face carefully.

“What...? I beg your pardon? Would you mind repeating yourself, Lorraine?”

A joke, perhaps, or maybe a trick of the mind. Had I misheard her?

Lorraine, however, repeated herself calmly.

“It would seem a ghost has...”

I held up a hand, stopping her mid-sentence.

“All right, I understand. So I didn’t mishear you.”

“Good that we have come to an understanding, Rentt. Well then. What do you think?”

“What do I...think? Well, we could just defeat it when we feel like it, no? Some cleansing magic, maybe? If I recall, a normal ghost could be sent on its way even with normal spells...”

There was no cause for alarm or fear. It was just a ghost, after all. Perhaps I would be afraid if I were a child, but I was an adult now.

Given that ghost materialization was a natural phenomenon and ways of defeating them existed, there was no reason to panic. There was also Lorraine, who would provide magical backup in case physical attacks didn’t work.

So...what was the problem? Why the serious face?

“You would think that, yes... However, if you did defeat it with magic, they do give off that awful howl, do they not?”

A good point... It wasn’t known if ghosts could feel pain. When struck by magic, however, they had a tendency to let out an ear-splitting wail. This was why exorcising ghosts of the dead at night were troublesome, to say the least. One’s neighbors would be inclined to agree. As such, these requests also came with the task of making the rounds, preemptively apologizing to all the people who lived around the haunted building in question.

It was all quite troublesome.

Despite all the trouble, most people would just quietly accept the apology, and calmly close their doors. Most would prefer not to have a ghost in the vicinity, after all.

For instance, someone could come home to find their abode a mess, even though the windows were shut and the doors locked. Plates and bowls would be broken, strewn all over the place—a common phenomenon when it came to stray ghosts. Even if we assumed one would put up with broken plates, they could possibly wake up in the middle of the night to find a translucent, blood-spattered woman standing over their bed. Or maybe a disembodied voice during mealtimes saying, “I want to eat, too...” or something similar. While some individuals didn’t mind any of these strange happenings on account of their unbridled courage, they would at least be irritated, or slightly put off by these occurrences.

In addition, ghosts had a tendency to become stronger if left alone, and the incidents would eventually escalate to the point where someone would be grievously hurt. Once or twice a year, possibly, one would hear of townsfolk murdered by...ghosts. It was more likely than one would expect, and an occasional exorcism was necessary.

They were like...cockroaches, for the lack of a better word. Cockroaches that wailed when they were crushed. Terrifying.

We had little choice, however.

“What of it? There’s little we can do about these wails.”

“Not quite, Rentt. Have you forgotten? If they are purified with divinity, they pass on peacefully and just vanish.”

“Ahhh...yes. I suppose there is that. Would you like me to assist then?”

“But of course. Your quick understanding is helpful as always, Rentt.”

Such were the way of things. In fact, individuals affiliated with churches often carried out such duties for some pocket change. They had good business, all things considered, and some people would even call on them over adventurers.

That said, these individuals weren’t exactly Priests or Priestess-Saints. They could just be men or women of faith armed with a bottle of holy water as that much was enough to exorcise lesser ghosts, spirits, and the like.

Lorraine could have approached the issue in a similar way, but, instead, she chose to come to me. While I didn’t know of her reasons, it wasn’t an unreasonable task.

I nodded at Lorraine before inquiring about our next destination.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Is this the place...?”

“Yes. What is it with that face of yours? Surprised?” Lorraine questioned, turning to me as she did so.

I took another look at the place, the location where this ghost had supposedly materialized.

“If only because it’s such a mansion, Lorraine. Wouldn’t these people have the funds to hire a priest or two?”

“I suppose.”

It was a large mansion. Nothing on the level of the Latuules, of course, but it was decidedly bigger than, say, Lorraine’s abode.

Though, Lorraine’s home was the size it was because of her preferences, since she wasn’t exactly one for excess. If she really wished to purchase a mansion, it may actually be possible. I couldn’t even recall a time where Lorraine’s finances were ever in dire straits.

“Even so, they are bound by certain...circumstances. We should be going, Rentt.”

Lorraine stepped forward, and, after a brief exchange with the guard, we were invited through the mansion’s open doors.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Oh thank you, thank you so much for coming... Oh? And who might this be...?”

“Ah, yes. This is the adventurer who will perform the purification.”

The client, seemingly convinced at Lorraine’s explanation, took a step toward me. From her demeanor, it seemed like she was asking for...a handshake. The client looked like a lady who was particularly well-to-do, and was exactly that.

“Oh, please, please kind sir! I implore you! Lay the soul of my Sweetpea to rest, that he may ascend to the heavens above!”

“Sweetpea...?”

Lorraine turned to me. “A monster, Rentt. One that Lady Emilstead here treats as her own family... A variant of Puchi Suri...”

The meaning of “variant” in this case would refer to reduced aggressiveness, or perhaps a cute appearance, optimized to be attractive toward humans.

I see. I understand now.

I suppose priests and the like would find this request difficult as most ghosts appearing in town were human in origin, so the goal would be to peacefully put them to rest. Failing that, they would be blown away by a few well-placed spells.

In this case, Lady Emilstead would probably be deeply unsatisfied with such a procedure, seeing as it would only cause the monster’s soul pain.

This was why I was called here, I suppose...being another individual having a mouse for a pet.

I understood the lady’s feelings well enough. This was why I turned to her and spoke, holding her hands in mine.

“Leave it to me, madam... I will do everything in my power to put Sweetpea’s soul at ease.”

With that, I did as I had promised, seeing the mouse’s soul off to the heavens. Lady Emilstead shook my hand vigorously, tears streaking her face, offering to once again seek out my services should she require anything. It seemed I had obtained a good client.

Immediately after this, Lorraine presented the woman with a few Puchi Suri, a suggestion for her to adopt another to fill the hole in her heart.

While some could argue that Lorraine’s actions were insensitive, her demeanor and manner of speech suggested that Lorraine truly cared for this grieving lady. Lady Emilstead, in turn, was deeply grateful, and ended up choosing a Puchi Suri from amongst Lorraine’s offerings. She then decided to name it...Sweetpea...

I felt this was a little too simple of an affair...

◆◇◆◇◆

“Well, Rentt. With this, obtaining information from that household has become all too easy,” Lorraine stated after we had left the mansion behind.

“What do you mean?”

“What, did you not notice? The new Sweetpea is a subordinate of Edel’s. In other words, he would be our mouse on the inside. Edel had wanted to gain access to that mansion, so I offered some assistance. They are a well-to-do family, you see, and they have guests from all corners of the land. It just so happened there was a good excuse in place...at least for us to do what we did.”

Was Lorraine referring to the ghost...?

“Since when were you such fast friends with Edel...?”

“No, it is not quite like that. The truth is a little more simple. That mansion has a barrier around it, you see, generated by a magical tool of sorts. I happened to pass by and witness a Puchi Suri body slamming the barrier repeatedly. Noting its interesting behavior, I stood and observed the mouse for a while, only for Edel to show up and begin issuing it instructions. I then approached him and asked if he would like entry into the mansion...so I offered my assistance, as I said.”

“What, you can even understand him now?”

“A few words, yes. Not the specifics, but that is an experiment I would gladly take part in. A little difficult, however, given how Edel is always so busy. In any case, it is good for your friend to owe me a favor, in case we ever need anything from him in the future.”

And all this had been happening this whole time...? To think Edel had been working harder than me on a daily basis...

For a while, I was at a loss for words...

Rentt, Housekeeper

“Spring has come, huh...”

How long ago was that? A few years after I started adventuring, maybe? Sometime in the spring, when the air had started warming up. I remembered this happened during one spring or other.

It was a harsh winter, with the very air itself drawn taut by the cold. But now, spring was here. I also knew of the fact that fighting monsters in the warm, comfortable spring rays would eventually cause me to make a mistake. That was why I chose to stay in Maalt, instead taking on simpler requests like cleaning, transporting, or hauling groceries. This was also why I was present at the guild around the time new requests were posted up on the boards. It was a little after that when I had heard that voice...

“Hey! What’s the meaning of this?!”

The voice came from the rewards counter, where adventurers turned completed requests in. It was a young voice, and its owner also looked suitably young—a new adventurer, fresh out of the guild’s registration records. Judging by his expression, he was in a state of panic, probably due to a request that had gone awry.

I strained my ears, listening in on the conversation.

“Even if you say that...it was a request to have a location cleaned. But there was still dust remaining in some places... There was no choice but to reduce the rewards.”

“Dust? What do you mean, “dust”?! I cleaned that place! I did!”

“The client is the final judge of that, I’m afraid.”

“You say that, but! Oh, I get it, it’s because I’m new, so they’re picking on me, huh?! Now that I think about it, that also happened a while ago, for the exact same reason!!!”

From their exchange, I understood both the adventurer and the client had certain problems of their own. Stricter adventurers may say the youth was a fool, and was the one in the wrong—but of course the discussion would veer off in this direction. After all, if the client was overly stingy or picky, he should have been smart enough to notice it before signing the contract. Complaining after one had signed the paper only causes things to go in circles, or so they would say.

He was young, however, and didn’t understand much in the ways of adventuring. He would surely fail again and again, until he eventually learned. Despite that, the receptionist was having a hard time...

I suppose I should have been going as well, and accept a request or two. I tore down a few request sheets, bringing them to the counter. I was an adventurer who was used to doing all sorts of chores throughout the day. Despite my capabilities, taking on too many at once could be problematic, so I thought greatly about my decisions before committing to them.

Even though the guild was relatively empty around this time, there were quite a few other adventurers who were set on doing chores, and only one reception counter was open. To be precise, it was the counter with the angry youth, who had finally stopped arguing at some point.

The receptionist dutifully read out my tasks.

“Yes... A cleaning request, from Zant Currin. The reward is five bronze coins...”

And so she continued on, with me signing the relevant forms as she did. Upon hearing that, the youth, who apparently still had something to say, turned to me.

“All of those people endlessly complain. They’ll find something to complain about with you. You shouldn’t take those requests.”

It seemed like he had taken requests from this particular client before, but I shook my head.

“I’ve never received any complaints. In any case, it’s well within my rights to take on this request.”

“You... I was even being helpful...”

The youth, now visibly agitated, began going on about one thing or other. I, however, finished signing all my forms, took the correct ones with me, and turned to leave the guild.

But this didn’t mean the youth would leave me alone. Instead, he chased after me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“Wait!”

“What is it you want?”

“I’ll come, too.”

“Why? You’ll only get in the way.”

“I’ll help!!!”

“I’ve no intentions of splitting the reward, just so you know.”

“That’s fine! Those guys will definitely complain. I’ll make sure they can’t do that this time!”

And do what, clean harder? I thought I’d ask him, but ultimately refrained from doing so.

I suppose this was quite all right... The youth was nothing more than a noisy newcomer to the business, but he seemed to have some redeeming points. Even the receptionist, who was now a fair distance behind the youth, looked in my direction and promptly winked. Asking me to show the newcomer the ropes, no doubt. I could refuse, of course, but the youth himself said he needed no compensation, so that was that.

I turned to the youth decisively.

“You will follow my instructions to the letter. And no strange statements at the venue. Make sure you work hard.”

“Of course! I’ll show them! I’ll make it so clean...”

Maybe he’d have looked more impressive if he were saying those words before bandits or monsters.

Well...no matter. We headed to the client’s abode.

All of those requests I had taken were for cleaning houses, since it was spring cleaning season in the small township of Maalt.

Some of these houses were large, and the cleaning couldn’t be completed in one day. I suppose this youth showed up on one of those days and received some negative feedback for his work.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Thank you, Rentt. Truly... And you over there, too. I’ve never seen it this clean before! Here’s a little more for your trouble.”

The client signed off on the request forms before handing me and the youth two bronze coins each. Under normal circumstances, the rewards were deposited at the adventurer’s guild. We received extra today, however—a tip, if you would.

“Thank you. I hope you seek out my services again.”

With that, we turned, leaving the house behind. We had finished all our tasks for the day.

“Not a single one...” The youth’s expression was one of bafflement. “No one complained. Not one...”

The boy just didn’t seem to understand why this was the case.

“Do you know why it turned out this way?”

“Yeah... I’m still not very good...at what I do...”

Cleaning was a simple task, but there were many ways to go about it. How to clean certain surfaces, to scrub or to wash, how to grind off even the toughest stains... All were basics of cleaning and housekeeping. The boy had no such knowledge, and as such performed an unsatisfactory job. That was why his rewards had been reduced.

For his part, though, he observed what I had done and followed my instructions as best as he could. He learned the methods and didn’t hesitate to ask me if he didn’t understand something. This was why the previous client had praised his work ethic.

“That’s how it is. Experience matters. You may have made mistakes in the past, but you should be fine from here on out.”

“Yes... Thanks, Rentt. No, thank you, Mister Rentt... I’ve learned a lot from you.”

“Don’t call me that. I’m not really used to it... Also, we’ll be fairly splitting the rewards, so don’t worry about it.”

Of course I’d as such. It was never my intention to cheat the youth of his earnings. Nevertheless, he protested vehemently.

“Eh? No no, it’s fine! It’s fine, really! Think of it as a fee for you teaching me all the basics...”

“No no, you worked hard as well. Take it. Next time, you settle your requests to the highest standards, then take that coin to the tavern for a drink. No one will complain about you then.”

“Mister Rentt...”

I slapped the youth’s back—for some reason, he had stopped talking mid sentence.

“Well then! Off to the guild we go. We still have to turn these in. That’s how you can tell you’ve truly started on the path of adventuring, right?”

“Yeah!”

A few years later, that very same youth would achieve the rank of Silver-class before I had, then set off on a journey, leaving Maalt behind. But perhaps that would be a story for another time...