Chapter 4 "Chapter Four: "So, That Means You Can't Inflate?"
"We've stored our luggage and left the horses. Let's head to the Mercenary Guild."
"Yeah! Got it."
And so, the two of them left unnecessary baggage in the room, locked it, and exited the inn. With confidence, Eel walked through the sparsely populated village, and right behind her was Lara, sticking close like a duckling following its mother. The village wasn't that large. A short walk revealed their destination.
"There's the guild."
Eel pointed at a simple two-story wooden building. It lacked decorations, giving off a sturdy and unadorned impression. A sign with a sword and wolf emblem hung over the entrance.
"Is that the guild's symbol?"
"Yeah. Mercenary Guild bases and affiliated shops display that emblem."
With a brief explanation, Eel entered the building, and Lara hurriedly followed. Inside, there was a spacious lobby.
"Wow... the ceiling is high."
The front half of the first floor had a high ceiling with a mezzanine, offering a clear view of the second floor's ceiling. Though the air was a bit sweaty, the large windows likely helped mitigate that.
"This way."
Eel, turning back to check on Lara, called her over. She ran up to Eel.
The back of the first floor had counters, and behind them were receptionists wearing matching red uniforms. Eel approached one of them.
"I want to go through the procedure for new guild members."
"Understood. Please fill out this form."
They were handed a form to fill out with basic information like name and age. Lara tried to write but stopped just before touching the pen to the paper.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Lara's suspicious behavior, Eel tilted her head. Lara turned around, eyes teary.
"Oh no, Eel. I can't write."
While nanomachines allowed her to comprehend language, writing was another issue.
"Ah, well then, I'll write it for you. Here, lend me the pen."
"Ugh... thank you..."
Comforted with a pat on her head, Lara switched places with Eel. Eel faced the form, and Lara answered the questions.
"Let's see, your name is Lara. Your age?"
"Uh, then let's go with eighteen."
"Alright, female... Birthplace?"
"...I don't know."
"Well, that's fine. Leave it blank. Next—"
Some parts couldn't be filled in due to circumstances, but other than that, the form was quickly completed. The receptionist, who had quietly watched, glanced at the form but stored it away without saying anything.
"Alright, that concludes the new member registration. Would you like to register as buddies?"
"Buddies? What's that?"
"That's a system the guild uses to enhance the safety of its members. It links two mercenaries, treating them as a pair for detailed information sharing. When registered as buddies, guild rank promotion requirements are relaxed, you get discounts at affiliated shops, and you may receive special rewards based on buddy evaluations."
In short, it was a system to facilitate information gathering if one of them were to die or become inactive due to circumstances. Seeing Lara's confusion, the receptionist explained it calmly.
"What do you think?"
"It doesn't hurt to try, and it's free."
So, the two of them became buddies.
"Alright, the procedure is complete. If you wish to take on requests, choose a request form from the bulletin board over there."
Saying that, the receptionist concluded the process. She pointed to a massive bulletin board with numerous request forms pinned to it.
"Thank you very much!"
"Well then, shall we go back to the inn for dinner?"
"Yeah!"
After Eel ordered their meals from the innkeeper, a dish was soon placed in front of them.
"Wow!
"It's nothing to be amazed about."
It was a dish made by simmering finely chopped meat and root vegetables in a vegetable sauce. The thick sauce contained various types of vegetables and looked delicious.
"Let's dig in!"
"〜〜〜!!"
Lara picked up a spoon and eagerly took a bite.
"Uwah! Eel, this is amazing!"
Watching her with shining blue eyes, Eel smiled gently.
"Hey, Eel."
"Hmm?"
After devouring more than half of her portion in an instant, Lara unexpectedly spoke up.
"Where are we going after this?"
Well, let me think.
Then, wearing a mischievous smile, Eel looked at Lara.
"Hey Lara, between the sea, mountains, and desert, which one do you prefer?"
"Huh?"
Um, the mountain...?
She answered that way because back on her home planet, there had been no chance to witness mountains. Due to advanced technology that could manipulate the environment at will, her home planet had flattened the land and filled in the seas. When Lara became aware of her surroundings, only a tiny bit of the ocean had remained.
Seeing Lara's confused response, Eel snapped her fingers.
"Alright, mountains it is."
"Eh, w-wait, you can't just decide so easily, can you!?"
"Well, we're wanderers living life on the go. Might as well choose our destination. It's the mercenary way, you know?"
"Mercenaries sure are carefree..."
"Consider it a flexible mindset."
Chuckling, Eel crossed her arms. Lara, having suddenly encountered a sharp comment about her chest, glared at Eel with a blushing face.
"Ugh... even with nanomachines, I can somehow..."
"Is it really that convenient?"
"Well, since I can reference DNA, I can repair myself to some extent..."
"So, you can't inflate, huh?"
"Shut up!"
As if she'd pierced through Lara's weakness, Eel grinned mischievously. Lara, who had been struck in a vulnerable spot, teared up and shoveled food into her mouth.
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