95 Monster Hunt, part 1/4

The girl lying on the dusty, decrepit bed stirred and opened her eyes, obscured by her long chestnut locks. Tiredly, she stretched her legs and arms, leaping onto her feet. She immediately noticed the shadow of her ornate black sunhat and the rustle of her flowing black gown.

'Hmm, she could clean up here, at least a bit.' She was in the old, dusty room where she left her vessel, with dust covering the floor and only a few streaks of sunlight entering through the boarded window.

With a relentless push, she pushed the doors wide open, bright light flooding her vision. The previously cracked and decrepit walls were now covered in a fresh coat of green tapestry.

'It looks like she used my little investment to renovate this place.'

She swiftly descended the staircase, her light steps not making even the faintest sound—the old planks were replaced by new ones. As she pushed the doors leading to the storefront, she froze, noticing the gleam of the new floor and the vivid colors of the new tapestry.

Yet, no matter how much she looked around, the store was empty except for the young blonde dusting off the counter. 'Still no customers? Why are people avoiding this place?'

The blonde lifted her gaze up and looked straight at Tia, her expression warping and changing with emotions flying through.

"You are really alive! I was getting worried. Do you even realize how long you were there?"

'Now that I think about it, how does the time flow between the worlds?'

The blonde briskly rushed to her, her blue eyes unbelievingly scanning her from her feet to her face. She leaped onto Tia, her arms spread for a hug.

'I don't want to deal with it right now.' She still hated the human touch after her past traumas, and she was already forced to endure getting petted by the red-eyed noble. She simply couldn't deal with more of it.

With a flick of Tia's mind, the blonde froze mid-step, as if she had turned into a statue.

"Please, no touching." Speaking calmly, she released her hold, allowing the blonde to awkwardly stumble forward before stopping.

"Ehhm, sorry. I was just worried about having a corpse in my store."

'Do I still need to deal with her?' The thought flitted through Tia's mind; a fleeting shadow of just abandoning the annoying blonde menacingly flashed on the edge of her mind.

Her gaze, cold and distant, flickered with uncertainty before the embers of realization kindled, banishing the thought to the back of her mind.

'Even though Riveria is more advanced overall, it lacks when it comes to pure magic development and magic resources.' Even the short moments in both worlds were enough for her to spot that neither could be dismissed as useless to her goals.

The balance of their unique offerings was not something she could afford to ignore.

'She still has her place as my agent in this world.' 

Tia spoke, breaking the silence. "Do you still want to learn magic?"

"Yes!" Without hesitating for even a moment, the blonde squealed.

"Then wait here. Once I return, you will have your chance to watch me at work." Tia stepped to the side, avoiding the blonde and striding straight for the exit, her long dress bouncing up and down and the shadow of her sunhat covering her face.

However, at the last moment, she paused. "Oh, I almost forgot. Please get me some clothes fitting for a woman to hunt in. I will return in an hour, so have them ready by that time."

'I should get some information.' Tia wasn't local, and her knowledge of the surrounding area, its wildlife, and local types of monsters was limited.

She giggled to herself, finding it amusing how she would once more cross paths with the same people she scammed before, 'Hehe, it looks like I will use the mercenary house once more.'

One hour later:

POV ???:

Laughter and the clinking of mugs filled a small private lounge. Four men in simple linen shirts and thick leather pants sat around a worn oak table, staring into their mugs full of ale.

Suddenly, the door swung open. An elderly man dressed in a leather coat marched in, drawing everyone's attention to him.

Thomas, a tall man grizzled with scars, sitting behind the table, raised his gaze from his beer, immediately recognizing the man as their mercenary manager.

"Evening, lads!" He greeted me with his usual gusto. He unfurled a notice from his pocket. "Thomas the Tank1 and your party, you've got ourselves another job!"

Thomas peered at the slip, his eyes gliding through the lines with lightning speed. "Some rich bitch wants us as her guides and bodyguards while she goes on a hunt."

The elderly man shook his head and said, "No, not a hunt, but a monster hunt."

A man by Thomas's side burst with visible irritation. "Are you insane? This job is bullshit. How are we supposed to hunt a monster while protecting some spoiled lass?"

"No, you are only to guide her; she is the one to hunt."