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There’s a food stall inside the guild, and we went there to have a light meal and talk after I was finally set free. Danny went away the moment he was free though.

“Are you done crying?”
“I’m not crying. Not like I could if I wanted, I can’t produce tears.”

Ophelia knew my functions even more than I did, but she still liked being mean.

“Hmm…Just pretend you were bitten by a dog then, don’t let it get you down.”
“Getting bit by a dog would be a thousand times better…”

All the underwear Ophelia gave me matched my body type. I usually avoid the more extreme ones, but I half-jokingly tried on a black lace one for a change, since I was going to the city for the first time, and it fit me so well I didn’t feel like taking it off. Now I wish I could go back in time and beat the crap out of myself for doing that.
And just in case, I’ve never been into cross-dressing, and I don’t think I’m being a crossdresser right now either.

It’s more like I’m playing an RPG as a cute girl.

“Anyway, was there something you wanted from me?”

Ophelia puts me and my depression aside, and talks to Mir instead.

“Ah, yeah. Though to be precise it’s something I want from Natalia.”
“From me? What is it?”

She’s more interested in a maid automaton she just met, instead of Ophelia who’s famous amongst adventurers.

“Natalia, do you want to form a party with me?”

Mir’s eyes are serious, filled with determination. But my response was already decided.

“Umm, I’m terribly sorry but-”
“I beg you! I don’t mind if you’re busy most of the time with your maid work!”
“That’s not exactly it, but-”

Mir bows violently, almost striking the table with her forehead, but I can’t respond to that. It’s true that I’m busy as a maid, but I don’t have the right to decide something like that.

“Go ahead, as long as it’s just one or two days in a week.”

The person who could, gave her permission.
…huh?

“Is that alright?”
“Sure. Though you’re still my Servant, so strictly speaking I’ll be the one forming the party with Mir, and you’ll come with me. Learning to cooperate with other adventurers is also a valuable experience after all.”
“That’s true.”

I understand that, but we had only come here to register me as a Servant today, so forming a party right away feels like I’m asking for too much.

“If it really is okay, then I have no complaints.”
“Well, that settles it.”
“Thank you very much!”

Bonk! Mir’s head actually hit the table this time.

“But why ask me, who you just met today? I know you’re just starting, but weren’t there other people you could ask?” After saying that, I realized I made a mistake. I’m pretty much asking if she is completely alone.

“Well, err, I don’t really know anyone who’s an adventurer…”

She is completely alone.

“And when I tell anyone about the materials I want to gather, they all refuse.”
“Materials?”
“These here.”

Mir shows us a piece of paper. Let’s see.

‘Shaman Ape bone’
‘Clamp Boar tusk’
‘Steel Spider steel silk’

“These monsters would be hard for a beginner or low level adventurer to hunt, I see.”

I’ve never seen a Steel Spider, but I know Shaman Apes and Clamp Boars are hard to fight. I doubt even I could beat them without using Black Hawk.

“Yeah, and that’s why no one wants to form a party with me.”
“Why do you need all these hard to get materials?”

Ophelia asks, with justifiable curiosity, and Mir begins explaining the details.

“You see, my family owns a forge, and some noble ordered something from my father. But there’s this worker in the blacksmiths’ guild that doesn’t get along with my father, and doesn’t let him get the materials he needs, so now we have to procure them elsewhere.”

“I see. And if your father fails to fulfill the order from a noble, the forge’s reputation will fall to the ground, or even go bankrupt instantly.”

I’ve always heard that dealing with nobles is a hassle. But I haven’t learned about them properly yet, so I better pay attention to this.

“I know. But my father is kinda hot-blooded, so he started saying, “I’ll hunt for it myself then!” and tried going out. My mother and I had to force him to stay, if he gets hurt he can’t fulfill the order after all.”

Sounds like a troublesome father.

“That’s why I decided to become an adventurer myself and somehow get us out of this problem.”
“You were left without choice, in other words.”
“Mhm…”

Mir hung her head as her shoulders drooped down. Ophelia really doesn’t mince words.

“And so, when’s the due date for that order?”
“We still have one month left.”
“You’re also pressed for time then.”

I don’t know what kind of order they received, but a blacksmith without materials can’t even get started. So the materials should be ready even before the actual smithing begins.

“We’ll have to hurry then. How about we make the Clamp Boar our target for tomorrow? Sounds good?”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
“Of course.”

Ophelia suggests that, and Mir and I nod. After that we discuss what we’ll need to prepare and where to meet tomorrow, and we part ways with Mir.

When we get home, Ophelia gives me all the magazines she had in reserve, and shuts herself in her room to prepare for tomorrow. I focus on the remaining housework for the day, while pouring mana into the magazines whenever I can afford to.

“This one’s full too.”

I stash the filled magazine into my magic storage space. I could leave it on my belt too, but I’m already used to the amount of mana necessary to take things out of storage, and I don’t have to worry about accidentally letting them fall or encumbering my movements this way. It’s much more practical.

Then I recall something else.

While I fought Danny, I found out I could keep mana in my hand and use it to attack. Maybe I can refine that into a proper skill. I leave my hand half opened and focus mana into it, a pale blue glow filling my palm. That’s my mana.

The light seems to flicker slightly. It won’t be of much use in such an unstable state. I need to figure out a way to keep it constant if I want to use it as a skill. I know it’s not something I can learn from one day to another, but I have a higher hope in it than with other spells.

I guess I’ll focus more of my training on this.