Despite how angelic Ranelle had seemed, I'm still surprised he would request someone to deliver gifts to the Western Orphanage. I had always thought that those who lived lives unaffected by poverty, hardship, and the likes would simply ignore or look down upon those who are. Then again, he is a priest, not a noble. The Western District was the official name for the slums. Honestly, I hadn't put much thought into the orphanage there before; there were far more children who spent their nights on the streets than those who did in the orphanage. That said, I'm sure the orphanage was doing its best for the children that they were able to take care of. I sighed, resting my cheek on the box. I can't believe I was so taken in by his appearance, but is it possible for someone who looks so much like an angel to be anything but?

The walk to the orphanage went by quickly, and I soon arrived at the worn-down building. The door creaks open, revealing a young girl of around 14 or 15 with auburn curls cascading down her shoulders like a veil. She wears a simple yet well-mended dress, the faded fabric hinting at both the passage of time and the frugality of the orphanage. As she opens the door wider, a soft gust of wind ruffles the edges of her worn clothing

 She watched me through distrustful eyes, waiting for me to state my business. "Ah, I… S-sorry to bother you, I-I'm from the Adventurer's Guild. I took a request… To deliver this package from the Church of Lemitre…" Her small face, framed by long, black hair, lit up in a smile, "Come in! I'll take you to the office!" Honestly, I hadn't been sure if I wanted to come in, as it looked like it was ready to fall down at any time, but I was assured it was quite safe. If it was good enough for the children, then it was good enough for me. "You look so young for an Adventurer! I thought you were even younger than me!"

I nodded, as she brought me into a room with a desk, covered in miscellaneous goods and papers, a few bookshelves, messily arranged, and a table. "Y-yes… I'm a new member; this is my f-first request."

"That's pretty amazing! Y'know, my mom and dad used to be adventurers! I'll turn fourteen in just a couple more years, and then! I'll be an adventurer, too!" The girl's grin only grew the more she spoke. Even I couldn't help but return her smile as she talked excitedly. As much as I find them to be nuisances, they could also be unexpectedly endearing. I wonder when the last time I had that much hope and excitement for the future was… Certainly, they weren't emotions that I've been very familiar with since, well… Since I was a very young child.

She chattered happily, telling me various stories about her parents' adventures. They were perfectly ordinary stories, the kind you might hear from any adventurer. She told me of the first time her parents confronted a small pack of goblins, the time they took part in an annual slime extermination near her father's hometown. The entire time, her smile never faltered. Nor did she mention what had become of her parents or how she had come to be in the orphanage. Unfortunately, such was often the fate of the children of active adventurers.

An adventurer had many options available when it comes to requests. Some are like the two requests I took: assisting with tasks around town. Others required an adventurer to escort travelers through precarious locations, acting much like a mercenary or guard. Others still required them to subdue various creatures considered to be 'monsters'. A monster is a creature that is able to use the inherent aether in their bodies or draw it from the air. Some are peaceful, but many are openly hostile. Some have intelligence rivaling, or greater than, that of humanity.

I shifted the way I was holding the box. At this point, the girl stopped her stories, "Ah! I'm so sorry! I totally forgot to fetch the matron for you! I'm sorry! I'll be right back with her!" She frantically hurried off into a different room, not forgetting to close the door behind her. I couldn't help but fidget. Being left in an unfamiliar room alone made me more uncomfortable than it did when I had to interact with others. However, fortune must have been smiling upon me, as she returned shortly.

"So sorry for the wait," said an older woman as she was guided to where I waited by the older girl who had welcomed me in. "You're from the adventurer's guild? My, you look so young! Are they treating you properly?"

"Yes, t-they are. U-uhm, I have a package for you… From the Church of Lemitre," I told her as I hefted the box to draw attention to it. It wasn't very heavy, but after carrying it for over half an hour… Well, I was definitely starting to feel it.

"Oh! Yes! Please, do set it over here!" She pushed some items aside on an already overcrowded table. It was covered in papers and half-eaten snacks; coincidentally, I had noticed that there were no such snacks elsewhere in the orphanage. It's unfortunately a common story. The matron wasn't a large woman, but she was definitely in possession of a more… voluptuous body; whereas, the children were little more than skin and bones. It's easy to see what was happening. Unfortunately, I could hardly take care of myself. I can't exactly volunteer to take responsibility for the children, and that's exactly what would happen if I drew attention to the situation. Well, that is, if I wasn't killed almost immediately after. The only bright side was that she didn't seem to be neglecting them entirely.

She opened the box and shifted through the contents. "Yes, this seems to be everything. Do you have the request paper? I'll sign it for you now."

"Aww, you're leaving already? But I wanted to talk to you more…" The girl whined, pulling at the hem of her patchwork dress. She pouted cutely, tilting her head ever so slightly. If she had a proper meal every once in a while, no doubt she would grow up to be a heartbreaker.

"I-I'm sorry…"

"It's fine; you'll just have to come back and play with me sometime! Ohh! And you can tell about all the adventures you go on! My name's Verity, okay?"

And just like that, I found myself promising to come and visit the orphanage every once in a while. Much like at the church, I just couldn't find it in me to turn her down. However, with that, I was half done with everything I had set out to do for the day. I had at least a few more hours until dark, so that should be more than enough time to search for the cat. Cats are most active around sunrise and twilight, the in-between hours, so if all else fails and I can't find them before then, I might have a better chance at that time. Needing more information, such as what the cat looked like, I set off towards the client's recorded address, written in small lettering at the bottom of the request.

There a nice young lady, no older than eight or nine, answered the door, followed shortly by her father. In the girl's arms was a large, chunky grey cat. Seeing this girl so soon after finishing up at the orphanage only seemed to amplify the pitiful situation of the orphanage's children. Her face was a little on the chubby side, and she was almost taller than Verity was. What wonders a proper diet can do… 

The father, who was undeniably lean and awkwardly lanky, apologized fervently, explaining that the cat had been missing for several days but had suddenly returned home early that day. Still, he signed my request form regardless, so I guess all's well that ends well. Cats are fickle creatures. I know I sound ungrateful, but I wonder what it's like to have so much money that you can afford to essentially give it away for free… It felt like a bit of an anticlimactic way to end the day, and I slowly made my way back towards the Guildhall.