"Just sign this and we're good," Hotaru made Jotou and Fumeko sign a simple contract, making her a part of their party as they sat in the guild hall.
Chandeliers chimed, grey brick walls and high ceilings gleamed, while magic infused lanterns kept the lower areas lit.
Handrails from the corridor above overlooked the hall, where the doors led to members' rooms. The hall itself was filled with tables and benches to a side.
Adventurers were in random states of armour, waitresses served drinks and food alike as chatter went about. The front desk was covered in flags and banners; medals and plaques were put up on walls from hosting their own competitions.
Flags of Kria were strung across the ceiling—a turquoise flag equal to the colour of the waters that surrounded Kria and a simple sailboat in the middle.
While a lot of people paid, members of the guild got free food as the three of them were served various dishes they liked and three… beers…
"Fumeko!" Jotou immediately pulled the mug of booze away from her. "Seriously, no alcohol, you just got bailed out for this and it cost you your entire boon, remember?"
"I didn't even get to taste it properly last time," Fumeko shook Jotou by the shoulder, "Come onnnn!"
Jotou groaned, glancing over to Hotaru, "Please tell me at least you're old enough to drink."
"I'm twenty-two and a lawyer- I mean, adventurer now, of course I can drink," Hotaru stated and Jotou glared at her, just in case…
"I- I can't handle my booze, but I can legally drink it. Besides, I made it into the guild, I want to celebrate. Even though I'm not fond of beer," Hotaru sneered.
"Speaking of that," Fumeko began munching on pork ribs, "How did you know to come help us, our names, the case and everything basically?" the detective began her conspiracies once more.
Jotou peered over to Fumeko, seeing way too much food for a girl of her size…
"That's simple really," she took off her trench coat, revealing her actual outfit.
A blue corset, a lighter blue skirt that went a little past her knees and a sky-blue crop top that had sleeves spiralling down her arms like ribbons, becoming more and more translucent as it reached her wrists.
"I wanted to join the guild since I was eight. I make sure to keep my ear out for any major event that happens here. In fact, I choose most of my cases around here to help adventurers.
And you two defeating a velatos with no magic? I didn't even have to try! People in the town still think it's all fake, but the evidence is there.
It made me want to look into the both of you and any legal adviser's allowed access to public records, including recent reports, to choose their clients."
"Great, I basically have two detectives then… Hopefully I can solve why I'm in this world now…" Jotou forked in to her food.
"I'm not that great as a detective… I can shuffle through files and gather documents, but I probably can't solve that."
"That makes two, don't worry," Jotou smirked before biting into the steaming eggs.
"Hey!" a face stuffed with food glared over.
"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask about that," Hotaru folded her arms on the table, "Is it like an amnesia thing or…?"
The blonde glanced back to Fumeko, as Fumeko stared back gulping down her food. Jotou glanced over again to Hotaru, "No. I'm actually from another world…"
Hotaru's ears never folded, a frown growing on her face as the story went on, "So, you still have memories of your past life…
I'm sorry to hear that… It must really hurt being taken away from your home and put here—in our world…" for the savvy tone Jotou heard before, Hotaru's voice was pleasant to the ears when paired with sympathy—or empathy?
Jotou involuntarily sniffled a little, "Yeah… It does," she wiped under her nose, getting rid of the itch before going back to eating, "I just wanna know what happened and if I can go back. There must be a reason."
…Silence filled the table, only the chatter of others filling their ears.
"So anyway…" Fumeko spoke up, "You said you can do magic, right? Could you do a trick? I don't think I've seen magic spells since I was a kid," there was a slight glimmer in her eyes.
Hotaru smiled, lips wriggling somewhat… She lifted her fingers over the table as droplets of water formed at the tips and dripped down to dance on the table to her hand's movements.
Hotaru followed a pattern, like casting a spell, and sprayed the droplets into the air.
As the drops hit the skin of the three of them, it made them feel, a little better somehow; like their noses were clear and eyes refreshed—a little more pep in their mood.
"You can control water?" 'If Hotaru can control water, then facing any velatos in our investigations should be no sweat! She can just tsunami them away.'
Hotaru hummed, "I can make images with vapour and make them glow blue…"
Fumeko wiped crumbs off her face, "Why're you going all lawyer on us again?"
Hotaru's head bobbed side-to-side, "I… none of my spells can harm anything or anyone. My affinity's more towards water healing magic… But you already signed the contract so-"
"You tricked us," Fumeko dropped her spoon.
"No, no, no, I only left some details out; I am still an expert level magic caster-"
"You realize that's still tricking us?" Jotou's glare got to her.
"NO! I can still offer legal advice and everything I promised! Besides, you have a healer now! I can make you feel refreshed without coffee or heal fatal wounds; not too fatal, but still wounds!"
Fumeko and Jotou began eating silently, avoiding eye contact.
"Please! You know how long I've been saving this adventuring outfit for!? Every party rejects me and the Adventurers Guild never accepted me! Don't throw me away like this!" she pleaded with her hands clasped together.
Jotou sighed, "I'm not gonna do that."
"You're not?" Fumeko stuffed her face again.
"No. You helped us when we needed and you're pretty amazing at what you do.
If you can heal us just as well as help us in our investigation, then you're a pretty useful asset in our party. Also, unlike this one, you seem responsible enough," Jotou rationalized.
"Hey!" 'this one' spoke.
Her tail wagged at the compliments, "I'm sorry I tricked you, I really am, I was just, so desperate," her face couldn't smile as she apologized.
"Why didn't they accept you anyway? Into the guild I mean. A healer is pretty useful for people who throw themselves in harm's way daily," Fumeko was nearly done with her meal while Jotou was only halfway.
"Oh, it was always, 'You don't seem fit to be an adventurer'," Hotaru stated.
Jotou knitted her eyebrows, looking out from the table to peer at Hotaru up and down, "You seem pretty fit to me. Maybe they were looking for more muscles or something."
Hotaru blushed and her ears perked up before she faintly giggled, "No, that's the reason they always gave. They just don't want a part-human to be in the guild… it would cause an uproar… It still will now, but I was never concerned with that anyway."
Jotou's gaze was locked on the redhead… That feeling; her eyes softened as she placed her hand on Hotaru's hand.
Hotaru jolted a little, before looking to Jotou. "I know what it's like… I've been in your shoes before; well in my old life anyway.
I'm not letting you go anywhere away from this party, okay? We weirdos gotta stick together."
Hotaru had her mouth open; the blonde's hair may have covered a little of her face, but her eyes and that soft smile it could not. Her tail gave her away as it shook back and forth against the chair.
"Who're you calling weirdo?" Fumeko glared, her mouth still full as she had snuck some off of Jotou's plate.
Hotaru slowly took her hand away, "Well, this weirdo has a way for us to make money," she got up with her eyes closed.
Fumeko immediately slammed her hands on the table as she got up, "Let me in, right now!"
Hotaru had flinched backwards in response. Hotaru gulped, "Sure… Anyway, the guild pays any member who kills a velatos, one armite."
"AN ARMITE!?"
"Now that we're members, we can take down a few velatos to buy all the resources we need for your investigation. Most parties would easily fail, but we have a secret weapon," Hotaru eyed Jotou.
Jotou stared back; both of them gazing back at Jotou…
"First of all, me and Fumeko can't fight and none of your spells are offensive. Second, we do get access to starter gear, but all of what I saw was worn out and pathetic.
Third, if we go looking for them, we have no experience to fight and a sword handle might crumble when we swing it. Fourth, what happened in the cemetery was a miracle that I'm not sure I want to test the limits of.
Fifth, I don't even know how much an armite is," Jotou ended.
"That's a lot!" Fumeko put very eloquently, "And I can fight! If I try…"
"I guess you don't know our currency in this world…" Hotaru pitied, "One armite is ten platinum, one platinum is ten gold-"
"And one gold is ten silver and one silver is ten copper which means one armite is ten thousand copper pieces!" Fumeko cut her off.
"Well… it sounds like a lot and both of your reactions seem genuine… What's the cost of a loaf of bread for instance?" she tried to guestimate.
"Hm, around three or five copper in Kria, depending on the day it was made," Hotaru replied.
Jotou's eyes widened, "That puts a better perspective on things," she got up from the table alongside the others. "That's a lot of money."
Hotaru's ears wiggled, "Any commoner would be lucky to see an armite in their life. A few of those and anyone can retire peacefully but even a decent sword around here costs fifty to sixty gold and that's just the basic ones.
As adventurers, our daily costs of living are much more expensive. All of our money would go to weapons, gear, maps, travel, upgrades, mending," she listed off one by one.
As she listed and Fumeko listened, Jotou's thoughts drifted. 'If I'm going to find out how I ended up here and how I can get back, I have to fully become an adventurer… It's not like I have other options.'
"Alright, we can look at the notice board and search for quests."