Willow ate her meal quietly on the counter, while Witch stood in front of her, lost in her own thoughts. Gideon, fortunately, was in stable and cleaning his steeds. Willow saw two mythical creatures, both equally impressive. She wondered how creatures like them decided to become pets.

 

Her eyes shifted to Lou, who wasn't as cool as the them, even though Willow had to become her steed all the time. "What is it, puny human?" 

 

"I was wondering, where do all of you get your pets?" Willow inquired.

 

Lou replied, "Oh, mine was inside a volcano, sitting on top of magma. It looked cool, so I took it home."

 

"Is that how it usually happens?" Willow asked.

 

"Most of the time," Vivienne chimed in. "However, Reith decided she wanted to serve me after her own ordeal."

 

"Reith? Your black bird?" Willow sought clarification.

 

Suddenly, she felt a slap on the back of her head. "Oww!"

 

"What was that?" she exclaimed.

 

"Reith doesn't like being addressed as a bird, even though she is one," Witch replied.

 

Willow heard a growling sound and asked, "What was that?"

 

"She's here. Do you want to see her?" Witch offered.

 

Willow nodded, and suddenly the hall turned dark. It was as if all the light had vanished. Behind Vivienne, Willow saw two eyes—red and white—staring back at her. Her breath hitched, and she instinctively tried to move back.

 

"Don't scare her, come here" Vivienne said, tapping the table. The darkness seemed to liquefy and gathered at that spot, revealing a cute little bird with a blue flaming crown on its head.

 

"This is Reith. You can touch her. Despite how she may try to appear, she likes being called cute," Vivienne explained, and the bird gave her a sharp look. Willow could almost imagine her grumbling.

 

Willow extended her hand and gently ruffled the bird's feathers. They were soft and fluffy, like silk. But to her surprise, her hand went through Reith's body as if she were liquid. Willow looked at Witch with a shocked expression.

 

"Now that you two have met, she won't be shy to show herself. And yes, she doesn't have a normal anatomy. Think of her like a goo," Witch explained.

 

Even Willow felt that analogy was wrong, but before she could say anything, the bird, offended, sharply pecked Witch's hand that was resting on the table.

 

"Oww, that was mean," Witch exclaimed.

 

Willow couldn't help but chuckle at Witch's feigned hurt expression. Then Vivienne looked at her with mock hurt. "Is that what I get after being such a great and magnanimous mentor and owner?"

 

"Yeah, yeah," Willow replied, 

 

She looked at the bird, still in awe of its majestic presence, even though she had no idea how it all worked. "Is she some bird royalty?" Willow asked in jest.

 

Vivienne nodded, and then Willow's eyes widened as she turned to Witch. "Say what?!"

 

"She ran away from her home, and when I was leaving that place, I took her with me. Since then, she has been living in my shadow," Witch explained.

 

"You... of course, you would do that," Willow sighed, suddenly feeling tired. Of course, her inn would have another royalty lazing around.

 

"I have never asked, but are you a runaway royalty as well?" Willow asked Vivienne, expecting a positive answer.

 

"No... I was an orphan. I was raised in a human weapon facility until the day they discovered the requirement for me to acquire a system. It was the most insane requirement in recorded history. They deemed me a failure and threw me away," Vivienne replied.

 

Willow remained silent, her surprise evident. Even Lou looked shocked, until Witch burst into laughter. "That was a joke... Don't tell me you took it seriously."

 

Willow kept her mouth shut, unsure whether it was truly a jest. It seemed uncalled for and abrupt, even by Witch's standards. She shook her head, realizing that it didn't matter anymore. It was in the past.

 

"I think I should go to the Guild. If they're willing to give me money, I should collect it before someone else does," Willow announced, rising from her seat.

 

"Get changed, and then we'll leave," Witch instructed.

 

Willow nodded, realizing that she was still in her nightdress. She watched with fascination as Reith hopped onto Witch's head and transformed into an even smaller form as it slept.

 

"I need something like her," Willow mused, looking at Lou. The creature was cute and fluffy but didn't possess the same coolness as Reith.

 

"Watch it, puny human," Lou threatened, as if she could read Willow's inner thoughts

 

Willow stood before her old, worn-out cupboard, her heart heavy with disappointment. It held the sum total of her clothing, a mere four pairs of shirts and pants. Her gaze shifted to the destroyed pair, a casualty of time and wear. Only three outfits remained, and none of them were ideal. Two were still awaiting their turn in the washing machine, leaving only one clean option.

 

Frustration and embarrassment washed over Willow as she contemplated her limited choices. As a young woman, it was shameful. She vowed to rectify the situation as soon as she received some money from the guild.

 

As she tried to take off her clothes, the realization of her missing right hand and its resulting limitations haunted her once again. She attempted again, but her grip on the fabric started to fail. Why was it so difficult?

 

A soft voice broke through the despair that threatened to consume her. "Let me help," whispered Lin, her gentle words weaving through the air. Willow turned to face Lin, she was seated on the edge of the bed, and gracefully slid off and approached Willow.

 

"Let me help you," Lin said gently. Willow could only nod silently as she found herself unable to look away from vibrant ocean eyes.

 

Her entire being felt exposed as she allowed someone to witness her struggle. Lin's presence was unnerving, and Willow stood frozen in place, unable to articulate her thoughts.

 

Sensing Willow's hesitation, Lin reached out and gently guided Willow's trembling hand upward. The heat rose to Willow's cheeks. The vulnerability she felt was overwhelming, as if every insecurity was laid bare.

 

A small smile played on Lin's lips as she observed Willow's reaction. "Are you shy?" she asked, her voice filled with warmth and amusement.

 

Willow nodded her head dumbly, then quickly realized the question and shook her head. "N-no."

 

A soft chuckle escaped Lin's lips,. "Hehe, you will get used to it," 

 

"Hehe, you'll get used to it," Lin chuckled. Willow didn't particularly like the implications of that statement.

 

After a long and somewhat shameful 15 minutes of changing, during which Willow realized that Lin, being royalty, hardly ever wore clothes on her own, she concluded that Lin was the least optimal person to help her.

 

"Is it too tight?" Lin asked as she knelt in front of Willow, tightening her belt.

 

"N-no," Willow stammered, avoiding looking down. It was an uncomfortable situation, and she blamed her mind for turning into a gutter, placing the blame squarely on the old, perverted Witch.

 

Finally dressed in her only wearable clothing—a white shirt and black pants—with her right sleeve hanging loose, Willow made her way out. She noticed that there were no scars from the encounter in the forest, not even on the back of her legs.

 

"Wait," Lin called out.

 

Willow turned back to look at her.

 

"I... can I accompany you?" Lin asked hesitantly.

 

"I'll ask Vivi," Willow replied.

 

Lin nodded and walked alongside her. Willow's balance was still a little unsteady, but it had improved since the morning. She could still feel a ghostly pain on the back of her leg.

 

"Vivi...?" Willow called out as she looked around the empty hall.

 

Witch emerged from her room, having once again ditched her witch's clothing for a more civilian outfit.

 

"Shall we go?" Witch asked.

 

Willow nodded. "Lin wants to accompany us."

 

Vivienne looked at Lin for a moment before nodding. "Why not? The more, the merrier."

 

"Thank you," Lin said softly.

 

As they stepped outside the inn, Reith flew over to Lin's shoulder, startling her. "Don't worry, it's her way of saying hello," 

 

"H-hello," Lin replied, her hand unsurely reaching out to touch the bird.

 

"She didn't do that for me," Willow commented.

 

"Perhaps she didn't like you," Witch taunted, eliciting an unimpressed response from Willow.

 

They continued on the path toward the Guild plaza, not saying much. Lin observed everything with fascination, taking in the small shops along the side of the road.

 

Upon reaching the usual tea stall that Willow frequented, she suggested going in. With no objections, they entered the establishment.

 

"Oh, if it isn't our..." Oliver greeted Willow, his eyes widening as he noticed something missing. "Our little innkeeper!" he exclaimed, trying to maintain his welcoming tone.

 

Willow took her usual seat. "Did something happen?" Oliver inquired.

 

"There was a small accident, but don't worry, I'm completely fine now," Willow assured him.

 

"That's good to hear. As a celebration of your complete recovery, I shall present you with White's special tea," Oliver declared before promptly heading inside to prepare it.

 

They drank their tea in silence before heading to the plaza. The plaza, as its name suggested, was a large open market. Four guilds on each side, with the Mercenaries or Adventurers' Guild located at the northern end. As they arrived at the guild, Willow realized that her guild license was missing.

 

"I think I'll be scolded," Willow sighed.

 

"You should be, but why?" Vivienne asked.

 

"I lost my Guild License," 

 

"That's not a big deal. Almost every adventurer loses their license in a perilous situation," Vivi reassured her. As they walked, a man almost bumped into Vivienne, and she stepped aside. "Hey, watch your steps," the man warned, appearing ready for a brawl.

 

Vivienne continued walking, paying him no heed. "They are thieves."

 

"He was with others?" Willow asked.

 

"As soon as he spoke, a lot of mana flared around us. They are attempting to provoke a conflict and then loot us," Vivienne explained.

 

"Savages," Willow muttered under her breath. Vivienne looked at her questioningly.

 

"Where did you learn that word?" Vivienne asked, her tone hard.

 

"I don't know, I've always had a habit, I think," Willow replied.

 

"Before today, you hadn't uttered that word once."

 

"What's the big deal about it?"

 

"Nothing. Let's proceed," Vivienne said, clearly wanting to say more but choosing not to.

 

As they went inside, Willow approached the reception counter and caught the attention of a young man. "Excuse me."

 

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

 

Before Willow could say anything, Vivienne intervened. "Is there any free officer available? We're here in regard to the forest incident."

 

The man seemed reluctant but provided them with directions. They arrived at a well-polished door with a name inscribed upon it that Willow didn't bother to read. She was simply following Vivienne. Inside, they met a very tired-looking officer with red eyes and purple bags underneath them.

 

"Let me guess, you three were the ones who actually killed the monster in the forest," the tired officer stated.

 

"Of course not, I would never waste my time butchering animals. She is the one who did it," Vivienne replied proudly, patting Willow's head as if she were a child who had achieved something great.

 

"Oh, did she now? And let me guess, that's how she lost her hand," the officer said, showing no remorse. He seemed on the verge of madness, but Willow didn't hold it against him.

 

"That's about right," Willow responded, her voice tinged with anger.

 

Realizing his mistake, the officer's eyes widened. "S-sorry," he stammered timidly.

 

"Never mind. That is my doing. How does the Guild want me to prove it?" Willow asked.

 

The officer groaned and pointed at a red tablet. "Touch it, and it will show your level and the shards gained by monster killing in the last month. We have calculated how many shards the monster should have given, and if the amount is similar, we will proceed to the next level."

 

Willow nodded and glanced towards Vivienne. "Go ahead," Vivienne encouraged.

 

Willow pressed her hand against the tablet, and a screen appeared in the air, displaying her shards and level. It showed she had around 90,000 shards, which matched closely with the expected amount.

 

"T-that's the closest match we've had," the officer said, tears streaming down his face. "W-wait here, I'll arrange your meeting with the Guild Master. He will tell you what to do next."

 

And with that, he hurriedly ran outside. "I CAN SLEEP NOW!" Willow heard someone shout in the distance.