Chapter 20

On the surface, the Adventurer's Guild looked about the same size as the Mage's Guild, but the differences between the two were readily apparent. This place so poorly held itself up to the same level of upkeep the other promised, that it looked to be straddling the fence on whether or not it was about to fall into disrepair. It was to the point where, had Yua not worn that confident smile of hers the whole walk here, I would have assumed she'd been mistaken. That this place was something else entirely removed from the sort of organization that housed those supposedly guarding the city from the dungeon monsters. Ripe with the stench of alcohol and noise that filled the streets, it looked closer to a tavern.

 The sounds of drunken merriment bore down on the almost lyrical strumming of what I could only assume were the strings of a bard's lute. In the face of this alcohol-addled distraction, the soft and joyous tune still managed to dance its way out the Guild's swinging half-doors to envelope those walking the street in the early night. The laughter inside was so fresh in the air that it felt like your one and only thought you should have had regarding it was that it'd be a fun place to bring your friends for a good time, rather than to work.

 It didn't seem the sort of place one would want to bring a book, let alone read it. And I doubted this building had whatever enchantment the Mage's Guild had that allowed its interior to grow so huge. So, if the number of horses tied down in front and around the building was anything to go by, the place was packed.

 "You sure this is the place?" I asked, knowing her answer already.

 "Absolutely. I never went in myself, but I know this is where all the Adventurers go after fighting in the dungeons."

 "So, you're just assuming this is the guild?"

 It didn't exactly have a billboard with rotating lights circling around to make it stand out from all the rest, but its exterior, like the Mage's Guild, wasn't what I was expecting. Though at this point, I guess I should stop expecting anything. Most of my expectations were wrong, anyways.

 Yua shrugged and said, "I'm not assuming. I've heard Adventurers talk about it several times. Both in the dungeons and in walking past it."

 "Right. Well, it's not like I have a reason not to believe you. But I guess it's hard to deny."

 Several well-armored men and women came and went like clockwork, never leaving it free of the need to keep the booze flowing. But it wasn't just those clearly geared for battle that visited, as more dressed in more casual fair who, judging by their flushed cheeks and staggered steps as they waddled out of the building were only there for the booze. Regardless, each and every person I checked entering or leaving the building were Adventurers. Either on duty or taking a break, possibly for one of those holidays I imagined, I noticed no less than a dozen of these sorts confirm the Guild's existence while we milled about to observe the place we may well be working for soon.

 What intrigued me about them was not their dress, though the two women wearing more of that skimpy bikini armor did catch my attention for a second or two. It was the variety of video game-esque characters that felt standard issue in a Guild. Rough rugged brutes who, even by Earth standards, looked to large enough to lift you up over their head without breaking a sweat. Those that looked gentle and cunning on the outside, but who held themselves with the sort of dangerous air that suggested you truly didn't want to fight them. More so were elderly, clearly learned in their respective fields and were out giving advice to their younger compatriots for the low low price of a drink to grease their lips. Then there were those robed fellows that looked to have been sent directly from the Mage's Guild to take on a quest for themselves or to party with another team. And more. So much more that even those just carrying their party's gear had a place at the table.

 These Adventurers, varied in level, ranging from below my own to well above General Bertol's. Though it quickly became apparent that Yua's surprise at our quick leveling was very much earned, as the info boxes of every single person here above level 30 were already at least forty-years old. I hadn't done all that much with my stats outside of leveling my Luck just yet, but seeing the effort these people put into it made me feel a little guilty for squandering all that potential on something that might as well have been RNG-based. Only a little, though. Since it seemed to be working, the ends most definitely justify the means in our case.

 As we let ourselves inside to join throng, we had to step carefully around an Adventurer that stood by the door to enjoy his drinks, one in either hand, as he already looked to be so lost in his mug glass that he hadn't noticed us at all. Avoiding the pointed tips of the morning star he kept slung over his shoulder, I took in the sight of how many different weapons those around us kept at their sides. Obviously, swords weren't going to be the only weapons, but they did seem the most popular choice when we were at the dungeons, but here the choices felt nearly endless.

 The ones that stood out to me were, naturally, the more common ones I had actually expected to see a lot more of, such as spears, axes and bows. But it wasn't their collective appearance here that alone stood out to me. Each of the Adventurers holding such weapons also held classes that were named accordingly as Spear Warrior, Axe Warrior and Bowman. 

 I didn't bother to hide the small smirk that crossed my lips when I noticed how on the nose the class naming system was in this world. My Swordsman and Mage classes were equally as guilty on that end, but for some reason, they felt more acceptable.

 In short, this was damn near exactly what I was expecting an Adventurer's Guild to look like. And yes, that includes both the alcohol and the full-fledged bar serving drinks in the back corner of the room. This place, one of the few exceptions that I've discovered in this world, was what it was supposed to be.

 Men and women imbibing their listener in tales of strength and valor as they slew fearsome opponent after opponent. Adrenaline-addled warriors drinking off the day's attempts on their lives. A small window cut directly into the back wall where a woman dealt with Adventurers returning to turn in their quests and finally take in the rewards that they worked so hard for. And so much more, wrapped up into one, small building that somehow looked to be both entirely intimidating, but also oddly welcoming.

 Even if you set aside the all the deadly weapons scattered about, it was definitely the sort of place I would have never dared set foot in back on Earth, but here and now, it just felt right.

 "… I wish I started here instead of that forest."

 "Master?"

 "Huh? Oh, nothing."

 After getting caught up in my new surroundings, I noticed that Yua looked vaguely uncomfortable behind the smile she forced herself to wear. Unfamiliar with the Guild beyond where to find it, Yua looked about as lost as I must have, right up until her ears shot to attention and someone bumped into me.

 "Ah, sorry, friend," whistled a burley man through a recently broken nose. "Stopped here fer a bit of drink to ease the pain 'fore I head to the Apothercary, but me thinks I had too muches."

 "It's fine," I laughed. "I was the one standing around."

 "Heh. Well, ain't you a kind one? Whatcha standin' fer, though?"

 I blinked at the strong scent of booze on his breath as he leaned in, eager for a bit of gossip. Were I a drinker myself, I had no doubt I'd have been able to tell exactly what he was drinking by the unpleasant air seeping out from between his unbrushed teeth, but I kept cool as best I could so I didn't wind up insulting the man needlessly.

 "We're new," I said. "Could you tell us how to join the guild?"

 "Ah. Oh! Yea. Sure. Just go o'er there."

 The man threw a thumb over his shoulder so hard he nearly lost his already unsteady footing, but he didn't point to the window where the fabled large breasted guild girl was helping out another Adventurer to count out his coin. Instead, he aimed his finger to the muscular bald man running the bar, holding several bottles between his fingers as he served them up to a group of men that looked to have been waiting a while, given how they tore up the bowl of nuts set out for customers to munch on. They barely had their coin on the silver tray the barkeep offered to them before they started on their drinks.

 Really hope join the guild isn't a type of drink here.

 I turned to thank the man, only to find him already stumbling out of the building. Hoping the cool night air might sober him up a bit, but still confused by the man he pointed out, I checked the barkeep's info box and saw that he held both the Adventurer and Axe Warrior classes, both of which were in the fifties, as was his age. Not that his physique gave the impression of seniority, mind you. The man looked even more fit than I did now.

 I approached the bar, slightly worried I might get turned away because of my apparent age, but the bartender greeted me with a hearty smile that seemed out of place on his heavily scarred face.

 "You look new here, kid. Least, I ain't seen you before. What can I get ya?" 

 He started wiping down a glass cup with an already heavily stained towel in preparation for my order. But since I wasn't a drinker, I had no problem turning him down.

 "Thanks, but we're not here for a drink. I wanted to inquire about joining the Adventurer's Guild."

 He nodded respectfully and with an openly honest smile, like just hearing that made him happy. A far cry from how Beth treated us. And unlike the other merchants in the city, he didn't look at all bothered by the fact that I wasn't buying.

 "Then just step over here and we'll see what ya got. Name's Cade, by the way."

 "Oh, uh, Alex. And this is Yua."

 Prompted by my late greeting, Yua gave the man a respectful bow that felt a little too out of place here, but none called her out for it. Especially not me. It was probably just something she was trained to do and did out of habit.

 "Nice to meet both of ya. Now, come on."

 Without further ado, and while he calmed his other patrons that had been spurned of his attention with a dismissive wave that he mixed with a grin, he led us to the far end of the bar. Clapping his hands, he squat down and pulled out a Scrying Orb much like the one used in the Mage's Guild, though the metal base looked a bit rusted and the glass ball on top looked like it was covered in fingerprints.

 "You know how this works?"

 "Yes, Sir."

 "Oh, look. An Adventurer with manners. Good on you. Have at it when you're ready."

 Lightly amused by the fact that, out of all the merchants I'd dealt with these last few days, the scariest-looking one appeared to be the nicest, I discretely rearranged my classes so that Adventurer appeared first and Mage second. When I was sure everything was in order, I put my hand on the orb and like last time, my status window appeared between us with the same limited list of details. He started reading it and not five seconds later, his lips cracked into a toothier version of the same grin as before.

 "Level 25? At that age? Geez kid, were you born in a dungeon?"

 "Haha, well… my father used to make me train in the dungeons when I was young. It was that or I didn't get to eat for the day."

 Surprised that he was more amused than surprised at the level Yua said should have been impossible, I followed up my lie from earlier by adding to it. He looked like he believed it instantly, but Yua looked a little excited to learn about what she should know by now wasn't my actual past.

 Mom, Dad, sorry for telling the people of this world that you were tyrants. I hope you can forgive me, as I need to keep my reincarnation and abilities secret for Yua's and my safety.

 "Is it that odd?"

 "Odd? No? But it definitely ain't common. Lots of people are brought up fighting in the dungeons. We get a few like you from time to time. But still," staring at my status page, he rubbed at the back of his neck. "That makes placing you within the guild difficult."

 "How do you mean?"

 "Well, usually Adventurers at level 10 are placed at C-rank. That's where most start, since they try and join up right when they hit that level. And aside from leveling your class, if you want to rank up, you need to complete a certain number of quests at your current rank. Reach Level 20 with thirty quests completed and you can become B-rank. Level 30 with fifty quests becomes A-rank. And those level 40 and above with one-hundred quests completed are S rank. Like that bunch over there."

 For reference, instead of pointing to himself, he pointed to a table filled with five adventurers, still suited up in their expensive-looking armors. As suggested, all of them were level 45 or higher. And amongst them was a woman wearing what looked to be a more traditional fighter or brawler's garb, in that it left a fair bit of skin exposed, but not nearly as much as a set of bikini armor might. One of the men sat next to her, who looked like he had a few too many, started flirting with her rather forcefully, but the woman, old enough to be someone's mother, though still quite good looking, had no qualms putting an end to his unwanted advances with a well-placed kick in the…

 "The thing is," Cade said. "You may be high enough level to start at B-rank, but I don't know if you should since you have no missions under your belt."

 "Well, I don't mind starting at C, if that makes things easier."

 "Really? The B-rank missions pay more, you know? And you can't accept missions of a rank higher than yours."

 "That's fine with me. Gotta start somewhere, right?"

 "That's the kind of spirit I like to see in newbies," he said, his hearty smile pulling taught the scant wrinkles on his face. He looked like he'd lean over the counter to smack me proudly on the back, had it not been covered in empty beer mugs. "Alright then, you ready to join?"

 "I have a few questions first, if you don't mind."

 "Ask away. But try not to take too long. These brutes like to get rowdy when I don't get them their beer on time."

 He pointed again, this time to a table filled entirely with men either grumbling at their empty beer mugs or glaring daggers at me for wasting their time. The drunken hatred in their eyes was very real, not so much that I felt the need to worry about them drawing their weapons, of course. But it was real enough to remember a story I heard just this morning involving people with the same class we all shared, but also the dark eyes of the man that told it to me.

 "Does the guild ever force Adventurers to take on quests?" I chewed over my next words for a moment before deciding it unlikely he'd know who I was referencing and continued. "I heard about some Adventurers that were hired to kidnap a woman and rough up her husband in the past and I'm not…"

 "Alright, kid. Lemme stop you there. I don't know what you heard, but we don't accept quest postings like that in the first place, so don't worry about it. What you heard was either a lie or some Adventurers just happened to be hired as mercenaries. Amoranth's Adventurer's Guild works for the city. We don't go around beating people up."

 "Not unless we don't get our drinks on time!" shouted a man from the same table he pointed to earlier. The man turned the same drunken hatred he aimed at me on Cade, but unlike me, Cade sneered right back, grabbed one of the empty beer mugs and chucked it full force at the man. Showing some admittedly impressive reflexes for a drunk, he caught the mug before it could touch him and slammed it on the table impatiently.

 "… That's good," I said, half expecting to have that same mug fly into the back of my head if I don't hurry this up. "What about thieves? Will I ever be required to hunt them down?"

 I felt Yua tense up next to me. She may have inadvertently cleared up my suspicions of her, but after spending so much time with the other slaves back in DeGrave Imports, I wouldn't put it past her if she found she had a soft spot for thieves. At least those in a situation similar to hers.

 Regardless, I just didn't want to windup forced to basically kidnap someone on their wedding day just because they made a tiny mistake. I'd really not make another Alphonse in this world just to fill my pockets with gold.

 "Nah," Cade said easily, shaking his head. "There are sometimes quests to capture Thieves, but those are accepted only at your leisure. We don't force our members to do anything. Well, if you want to keep your membership open, you do need to complete at least one quest every other month, but that's it."

 If there are quests like that, but they aren't forced, then it was just as likely that Alphonse only got beat by those Adventurers because he got in their way. And, though I hate to say it, I can't blame him there. At least I won't be forced to participate in anything distasteful like that.

 Yua sighed, possibly finding some relief in that as well.

 "Anything else?" Cade asked. While those waiting for his attention weren't getting any quieter, he didn't really seem to care.

 "Are there any missions available right now? Preferably ones in the city that could be finished quickly."

 We may have finished with the dungeons for the day, but if it meant earning some more coin, then I wouldn't mind some of the more beginner friendly quests typical of guilds like this. If getting that much closer to our goal meant we had to pull a few weeds or track down a lost pet, then I would do it. I'm fairly sure Yua's nose could make the latter fairly easy, anyways.

 "Mmmm… Maybe. You can always check the quest board over there, but being this late in the day, they've probably all been snatched up. Quests set within the city are always the first to go, since they usually don't require much traveling." 

 So, missions are first come first served here? Makes sense. This isn't a video game where the player is the only person accepting quests.

 "Do people compete for quests?"

 "Not usually, no. On the rare occasion that people fight over a quest, a guild mediator is brought in and the person or party best fit to carry out the mission gets it."

 "Alright, then… How do I get paid for completing missions?"

 "You go to that window over there," he pointed towards the window where the guild girl had been counting coins earlier. "You must turn in proof of your quest being completed. This can be anything from the head of a monster or animal you are asked to slay to just turning in your quest slip after it'd been signed by the person that originally posted it. Please keep in mind, though, that the guild takes a ten-percent cut of the rewards. Gotta keep this place running somehow, ya know?"

 "Yea, I get that..."

 Not that hearing that makes me happy.

 But how the hell do normal Adventurers bring in animal heads if they disappear after death? Does accepting a quest help to temporarily meet the requirement of being a Hunter somehow?

 "Oh, and one more thing. In order to accept the quest, you must pay the guild a sort of down payment."

 "Wait, I have to pay the guild to accept the quest and then pay again once I finish it?"

 "Now, now, now. It's not like that," he said with a wave of his hand, like he was shooing away my complaint. "You pay us something of a deposit. That way, if you happen to die during your quest before it's completed, or if you just fail it, the Guild doesn't lose out our cut of the reward or on the customer. You see, more often than not, by the time we receive word that an Adventurer failed their mission, it's too late to send someone to replace them. So, the mission either gets revoked or the customer takes their request somewhere else… Oh, and you'll get your deposit back in full upon completing your mission, by the way."

 I had never heard of an Adventurer's Guild working like that, but since my only experience in the matter existed within the realms of video games where you could accept a quest and never bother to actually complete it regardless of how many in-game days you spent playing, I had to admit that it made some sense. If this place were a regular business like the one owned by Larloll the blacksmith and she were given an order for a large number of swords to be forged, only to wind up having to tell the customer they ran out of ore half-way through, then said customer may refuse to deal with them in the future because of the hassle in trying to get what they paid for or a refund. Something like that could ruin reputations and prospects for future work.

 Except, in this case, nobody is running out of material and people are dying. And that booze-hungry Adventurer is gripping that empty mug pretty hard.

 "I understand. I'll check the board later, then. Can we go ahead and join the guild for now?"

 "Huh, oh. Sorry, I already added you. Hope that's okay!"

 Without my even noticing the change, the Adventurer's Guild Member tag appeared in my info box, right beneath the one for the Mage's Guild. And I hadn't even thought to ask either if being a member of both would cause problems.

 Wait, doesn't he have to touch my hand to do that like Beth did? Don't tell me this ball of muscle is just so fast that I didn't notice.

 "Uh… Thanks."

 "No, thank you," he said. "We're always happy to have more help. Just make sure you complete at least one quest every other month. Just accepting one doesn't count. If you fail to do so and you lose your membership, you'll be banned from the guild for life."

 … Shouldn't you say something like that before sneakily signing me up?

 "Anyway, now that you are all set, how about your friend there?" 

 He turned his gaze to Yua. I was half-expecting her to look a little shy at being called out like that after being so thoroughly left out of the conversation, but instead, she straightened her back, unintentionally thrust out her bustline and nodded. I noticed a few of the half-drunk men near us check her out and quietly moved between her and them.

 "Put your hand on the orb, Miss."

 Yua did as she was bid and touched her dainty hand to the orb, but unlike the hearty smile he showed when reading my status window, he frowned and rolled his jaw when hers appeared.

 "I'm sorry, Miss, but I can't let you join."

 "Why not?"

 "Because you're a slave. Slaves can't be adventurers. You are free to travel and complete missions with your master here, I assume, but you can't become a full-fledged member."

 Her ears drooping a bit, she slipped her hand off the Scrying Orb without so much as a complaint. She knew this world better than I, but it didn't take a genius to know there wasn't a point in arguing just because she got her hopes up. If slaves aren't allowed to own the clothes they themselves wore on their backs, then there was probably a multitude of things she wasn't going to be able to do from here on out.

 I had no doubt that, because of her love of fighting, she may have ended up joining the guild had her past been happier. Hell, that was probably why she knew where it was, even if she never set foot in it the building.

 "I'm sorry," Cade said. "But rules is rules. If we had people letting their slaves run around completing or failing quests in their master's name, we'd look bad. Besides, if slaves can't own money, how would we pay you?"

 "I understand," Yua said. "Thanks anyway."

 Watching her try her best to hold onto a weakening smile, I took her hand and led her away from the bar before it could faulter altogether. If we weren't already effectively done here, her rejection would have ended our business with the guild for the day. Out of spite or not, there was no point in lingering here anymore.

 "You can still take her with you on missions!" Cade shouted back and immediately turned to catch the mug thrown at his face along with a call for a refill.

 "Let's just see what quests they have," I said, trying to cheer her up. "Even if you aren't a member of the guild, as long as you are with me, you're like an honorary member, right? You'll still be able to help out with all the fighting."

 It felt endlessly weird to try and use fighting as a way to pick up the mood, but I'll be damned if it didn't work. And I was sure it only would with her.

 "Yes, Master!"

 We shoved our way through the crowded room, past the adventurer still clutching at his unmentionables after the woman he was making a pass at refused him and towards the quest board. I made sure to keep hold of Yua's hand so we didn't get separated. And I tried not to think too hard into the fact that she squeezed it back.

 There was a small crowd in front of us studying the papers. The bard's continued melodies must have lulled them some, because not even the alcohol-flush to their cheeks riled them up whenever someone snatched the quest they had been looking at.

 Wanting to keep the mood pleasant because we were new to the guild, but needing the money, Yua and I pressed our way through the crowd until we were within reading distance of the couple dozen or so quest slips still pinned to the board. A few of the other adventurers plucked a slip or two off the board and went to go accept them, giving us more room to stand comfortably. Others scoffed and walked off, annoyed that there wasn't anything at their level or worth their time.

 By the time we were able to actually read the contents of the quests, there were only a few still available for my rank. They all seemed easy enough, collect this many herbs in such and such forest, deliver a letter to someone in another town, carry this over there and so on. All basic quests anyone could do, really. They didn't have very appealing rewards listed, but given the lacking difficulty, who could complain?

 Guess I'll have to do a bunch of these to level up and start earning the big bucks.

 Wondering what the reward for higher ranks could promise, I checked the board for the cream of crop in S-rank missions, only to come up emptyhanded. There were plenty of C and B quests, but only a few A's, but no S-rank's. Without knowing what the quest board looked like this morning before the other Adventurers got to it, it was probably safe to assume that the higher the rank, the fewer quests there were. For all I knew, there weren't any S-ranked quests posted today anyways. Those must actually be pretty rare if they require Adventurers be such a high level just to accept them.

 Still, after checking the lower ranks for their rewards, I had to say that leveling within the Guild would be worth it.

 "… Maybe if I pushed to start out as B-rank, I could have accepted one of these."

 The rewards for the B-rank missions added up to a little more than the total our dungeon diving got us from the last two floors, staff included. I didn't recognize the name of the city any of the quests were set to take place in, but we could have just asked around and teleported our way there.

 Not much point complaining about the past, I suppose. Asking for a higher rank when Cade was already apprehensive probably wouldn't have been a good idea anyways. The others here may seem nice, if not drunk, but if it took them the completion of at least thirty quests to get the rank, I could easily imagine some bad blood brewing between us if I tried to jump the line.

 It'd be worth it for Yua's sake, but the limited time already had us beat.

 "I guess the auction really is our only hope," I said with a sigh.

 We let the other Adventurers still looking over what scraps the quest board had take our place and left the guild without accepting any quests. Making our way outside beneath the gradually darkening sky past the lively folks still heading inside for a drink, I decided to start checking the quest board on occasion. It honestly felt strange to have joined two guilds today, only to have nothing to show for it other than a couple tags in my status page. Normally, were this a video game, I would have taken something, even if I didn't plan on completing it, if anything to save myself a later trip, but I suppose progress is progress even when you can't see it being made.

 It'll be too late for our current needs, but we can always come back another day.

 "I'm sorry, Master," Yua said, looking down at her feet again.

 "Sorry? Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong."

 She shook her head.

 "If I had thought about joining the guild yesterday, you might have been able to accept a mission and completed it already. You don't know much about the city, so this was my mistake."

 I understood where she was coming from, but not why she chose to blame herself. Part of why she didn't think to bring it up may have been because she hated me at the time and it may have helped, but that thought wasn't any less based on luck than hoping we'd run into something valuable in the dungeons. There would be no guarantee that there'd be a quest worth the effort, even if we got there early in the morning. Cade didn't exactly exude confidence when I brought up the question of local quests, anyways.

 Luck aside, it seemed like the guild actually gave meaning to the "Adventurer's" name as the vast majority of the quests were would take us to destinations outside of Amoranth, from my rank or higher.

 "Don't worry yourself about that," I said, then whispered, "Don't you remember, I was only level 1 when we met yesterday. I wouldn't have been able to meet the level requirement to join the Guild, anyways. Even if we did, there's no telling if we would have been able to travel to the quest's destination and back before your contract's time ran out."

 Yua shook her head again. Leaning in close to whisper back, she unintentionally buried my arm between her breasts. But before her softness could fully register, a pair of older women that looked to be the sort to enjoy themselves some gossip happened to see this, quickly got the wrong idea and, much to my embarrassment, giggled to one another.

 "No, Master, I meant that if you used your teleportation magic, we could have made it there and back in no time. We could have done a quest or two and then gone to the dungeons. And if we did, you wouldn't have needed to sell your weapons."

 "Ah, right, well… I hadn't thought of that."

 Yua's ears drooped like she thought I was agreeing that it was her fault, so I quickly corrected her.

 "I'm not blaming you. Really, I'm not. If anything, that is actually a good idea. But I still wasn't a high enough level to join the Guild then, anyways."

 Her ears perked up a little when I praised her idea, but she didn't look fully convinced. I tugged on her hand and led her back to the merchant's district.

 "Where are we going, Master?"

 "Well, you said it yourself. There's not much point in trying to push deeper into the dungeons right now and the Adventurer's Guild was a bust, so we have nothing else to do but pass the time until tomorrow. So, I thought we could just look around the city for now. That okay with you?"

 The Great City of Amoranth was, as its name suggested, a very large city with plenty to see. Aside from my missed opportunity after stowing away on the back of a spice Merchant's cart when I first made my way through the city gates, and because of all the fighting in the dungeon, I hadn't had much of a sight-seeing experience at all. A rather sad fact, considering that this was the first bit of civilization I managed to find in this world.

 And if she's been locked up in the slave house for three years, I figured she might like a chance to look around for a while without having to worry about something jumping out to attack her.

 Finally, her smile returned. Then she blushed just before the light blue glow of the street lamps brightened the area. It was 6:00pm and no amount of magic, no matter how flashy, would have prevented me from seeing the cute flush that took to her cheeks right then and there.

 "I'm happy to walk with you, Master, but… won't this send the wrong idea?"

 She pointed between us, to our hands still holding onto each other. Hers squeezed mine when I looked. I must have been so lost in thought after joining up with the guild that I forgot to let go after pulling her through the crowd. Feeling my face get hot, I quickly let go.

 "S-Sorry, I didn't mean…"

 "N-No. Master, I don't mind. It's just… Masters don't usually act this affectionate towards their slaves. Especially not in public."

 Like the gossipy women earlier, we were surrounded by an endless stream of people that might get the wrong idea. Although, I wasn't sure if just holding hands was something couples even tended to do in this world. I haven't seen a single pairing of people doing so, at least.

 While my intentions were to keep us from being separated in the bar crowd, I didn't want her to feel like I was just dragging her around for the sake at pretending to be something more.

 Still… Affectionate, huh?

 I repeated the word on loop in my mind, letting it fuel my fantasies for a brief, but very warm moment before reality came crashing back down on me.

 I was still holding her hand. It wasn't the same as hurrying her along through the dungeon or city or when trying to keep us from getting separated in a crowd. She'd pointed out the fact that there could have been more meaning to it, and I still didn't let go. And that was because both consciously and subconsciously, I knew I didn't want to.

 As she looked into my eyes, her cheeks a maidenly shade of pink that the street lamps couldn't quite cool, she smiled. That was it. That was all. And it was all she'd ever need with even the moon up above doing its very best to illuminate the truth behind that lovely curl to her lips. Her big emerald eyes almost looked to be burning with words left unsaid, but for fear of what they might've been, I let go.

 "I see," I said, withdrawing my hand. "Sorry if that made you uncomfortable."

 "I didn't say…"

 "How about we go look over there first? There are some shops I still haven't seen yet."

 I pointed to a group of open-front shops and single stalls lined up along the street.

 "… If that's what Master wants to do."

 Still blushing slightly, but also looking a little dejected, Yua gave me an okay with a nod and let me change the subject. If this were one of the anime I used to watch, the heroine would have slapped the protagonist because of the public misunderstanding they caused. Or perhaps because of a misunderstanding that was all my own. Either way, I was happy she at least didn't get mad despite all the people looking our way. Aside from generally not wanting to upset her, getting slapped by her as strong as she was now would be dangerous.

 Regardless, the public's interest in us faded soon after we let go of one another and we were free to while away the night with a tour of the city.