It took a couple more days to make travel plans, and I found myself being more present at mealtimes at the inn. Perhaps it was an unwillingness to leave my starting point in this world, perhaps it was a fear of what came next, but I found myself watching Ailia and Dahlia working more often. I told them about my intended departure, and while Ailia had a nostalgic look on her face, the young daughter seemed a little more distraught. While she wouldn't voice her concerns to my face, I caught sight of a few tears gathering on the corner of her eyes.
During my last night at the inn, Kuro levelled up. It happened while the hare was nibbling on a bit of verde grass I had decided to feed him.
[Kuro has levelled up!]
Exp: 0/500
HP: 20/20
MP: -Not Active-
Str: 4
Int: 3
Dex: 3
...
The skills hadn't changed, but his strength had doubled. The white hare didn't seem any different in appearance, but I got the feeling that he would change as his levels increased higher. His racial data no longer showed [Baby Boxing Hare], but instead [Adolescent Boxing Hare]. I suppose level was a factor in a monster's age. Something to keep an eye on.
Packing ended up being rather challenging. In my short time at the inn, I had accumulated a pile of alchemical tools, a hammer, several different potions and poisons, a pile of metal bits and needles, and a few more junk-like items. It all looked quite miserable, but even more so when I tried to shove it all into my pack. I quickly had to decide on a few things to get rid of. The potions I sold to the alchemy shop I had bought the herbs from - at a rather high return, I might add. Apparently a potion with two effects is quite rare. Still, with the pile of gold coins in my magical coin purse, it didn't change my funds much.
Finally, the morning of departure arrived, and I found the large cart that brought travelers to the city. Several people had already boarded, but they had room for me. I should mention, Kuro had taken up a spot sitting on my head. While it was terribly odd to look at, he was still relatively light and it was easier than trying to stuff him in the pack.
There were three people in the cart besides myself. Two of them didn't seem familiar, but the third immediately caught my eye.
Brather Tawn, the icy woman who had approached me in the forest when I was out hunting now sat in the wagon, an annoyed expression painted across her freckled face. A long metal rod, roughly five feet in length, sat next to her, and I surmised it must be her weapon of choice. The other two people were adventurers, based on their levels and abilities, but they seemed uninterested in me. Brather however, immediately noticed Kuro on my head.
"Rabbit with... rabbit?" she stated, her tone suggesting she was amused. While her face did not change, her eyes didn't seem as cold as before. She reached out a hand and tried petting the resting Kuro.
The hare took an offensive position on top of my head, baring its large front teeth in a potentially threatening gesture. I calmed him with a few words and found myself mediating the interaction between the cold woman and the monster. After a few moments, Brather was petting the hare with a hint of a smile on her face, and I felt Kuro relaxing on my head. It became even more apparent when his paws drooped onto my forehead, as he started laying in a long stance to allow her to pet even more.
"Rabbit has become a monster tamer. How strange," Brather remarked, returning to her seat as the cart started moving. She grabbed her staff and ran her fingers along it, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Maybe rabbit isn't entirely useless."
"I'm not useless," I told her. "Levels are just one means to an end. Skills can be just as useful."
"Can rabbit freeze enemies in place? Can he slay dragons with his needles? Can monster save him from sickness? Level 1 is for babes just out of womb. Not uncommon for one to die from fever, or from cold. Your pet might protect... but not much. Rabbits cannot slay dragons."
"I suppose we'll see eventually if you're right," I retorted. "In the meantime, do you know the city near us? I need to find a blacksmith, a place to stay at, and the closest thing to an adventuring guild there might be. Also, if there's a crafting guild I suppose I need to stop there too."
The woman paused for a moment, then began to answer my requests in order. "I know the city. Good blacksmith in south district, look for Iron Butterfly. Good armor, prices good too. Inns in north district. If you join adventurer's guild, lodging is free but based on rank. Crafting guild is near blacksmith's. Never been there."
"There is an adventurer's guild? What ranks are there? And what are they based on?"
"Eight ranks. From bottom, there's Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Mithril, Orichalcum, Adamantite. Based on deeds done, and strength. Very hard to get Platinum. Top three are near impossible unless can do something legendary."
"Do you have a rank?" I asked the icy woman, curiosity seizing me. She dug into her cloak and pulled out a small piece of metal attached to a necklace. It looked rather unassuming, but when my appraisal kicked in it revealed more information.
[Platinum Adventurer's Guild Plate]
So she was a high ranked adventurer after all. I noticed the two other passengers got very quiet when the plate was produced. Brather quickly put it away, but the man towards the front of the cart didn't keep quiet about it.
"You're the one, aren't you? That platinum adventurer. The Ice Queen, Brather Tawn, right? I heard you quit."
"Don't like that name," Brather stated, her icy glare locking on the man in question. Despite my cold resistance, I felt the temperature in the cart plummet, and a chill ran up my body. Was this an actual effect, or just a side effect of her presence? I wasn't terribly certain. I could definitely understand how she had gotten the title "Ice Queen" however.
The man's eyes wandered downward, as he seemed to take in the situation before him. He tactfully decided not to look in Brather's direction the rest of the ride into town.
After that outburst, the mood in the cart got gloomy, and I found myself unable to bring life back to the conversation. However, Kuro seemed to sense the awkwardness and bounded off my head, landing next to Brather. She pet him with renewed interest, and the cold atmosphere in the cart seemed to warm up over time. I made a mental note to reward the hare with some of my remaining herbs once we settled in at town.
I browsed through my list of acquired skills, and made notes on skills I'd have to try obtaining. It occurred to me, I hadn't asked Brather Tawn about a magician's guild or some place to learn magic, but it didn't seem like something to broach on since things were still rocky from the Ice Queen comment. Several times I felt her eyes on me, but I couldn't bring myself to talk about other things. Finally, sighing, I straightened my position and said something I had been wanting to ask for a while.
"Do you know any skills that I could use to be more effective in battle? I'm trying to specialize in swift, light attacks, with constant movement being key. I wouldn't mind a few close range skills to deal with enemies within a few feet of me. I already have [Evasion], [Bludgeoning Resistance], and [Piercing Resistance], but it couldn't hurt to have more."
Brather tilted her head to the side for a second, then curled her hand into a fist. "Need hand to hand skills. Self defense. Close quarters combat. You're not strong, can't use shield much, but your hands can be weapon too."
I nodded thoughtfully. "Anything else?"
"Train monster. Boxing hare can be shield or spear, not both."
I suppose that was true. I could send Kuro to attack an enemy as I threw needles from afar, or I could use him to help deal with enemies up close. He couldn't do both, despite any training I could think of. I started making mental notes of where I wanted his training to go.
And so, lost in thought, the cart I rode in took us beyond the city gates, and into the next step of my adventure.