Ackster walked up to the guards at the side of the road with a smile that may or may not have been distorted by how filthy he was.
The guards' displeasure was apparent, but one of them just wrinkled his nose a little while looking at Ackster while he tapped the notepad in his hands.
"...Alright. Name, affiliation, if any, and your business in Ilto, please."
Despite Ackster's disheveled state, the guard still carried out his duties properly. Although it didn't happen very often, it wasn't the first time adventurers came back looking like they had experienced everything Mother Nature had to give them.
Ackster held out his Nomi, the greatest proof of identity he had.
[Name: –]
[Profession: (Adventurer)]
Well, it would have been a great piece of identification if it didn't display such a dubious status. But since it couldn't be faked, there was no doubt that Ackster was telling the truth.
Though, he would have some trouble in the future once people started figuring out how to manipulate and forge Nominus Cards.
"Um, My name is Dean, I'm an adventurer, and I got lost a while back, and Ilto is apparently the closest city."
"Huh?"
The guard looked closer at the card, trying to confirm what he was seeing. Not only was there not any name, but the profession was also bracketed.
"Okay. I guess you understand that we have to…."
"Yeah. Take me away!"
Ackster smiled cheekily as if he were used to being suspected due to the nature of his Nomi.
"Heh, alright. Jim, you heard him. Take this guy to the waiting room and take his statement. You know the drill."
"Yes, sir."
One of the other guards saluted to the guard Ackster had first spoken to before leading Ackster through the meter-thick city walls and into a small, almost shed-like house right next to the wall.
Jim brought Ackster into what looked like an interrogation room and directed him toward a seat on one side of the table while he took the other. Somewhere along the way, he had also picked up a notepad.
"Alright then. From the top, please."
Jim didn't even look at Ackster as he was ready to take notes of what Ackster was about to say.
"Uh, when you say the 'From the top'...?"
Jim pinched his nose bridge and sighed.
"Explain why you look like that and why you're here. And your name."
"Right."
Ackster nodded decisively while trying to maintain an innocent-looking expression.
"Have you heard of a small town called Tillo? It's a bit… east of here, I think?"
"It's almost straight north, but alright."
"Oh, are you from there?"
"No. I have a friend from there."
"Really, what's his name? I might know him."
"He moved when he was a child. Is this important to the story?"
"Right, no. I got sidetracked a bit, sorry."
Ackster hadn't really gotten sidetracked. He was fishing for information so that he didn't accidentally expose himself as a big fat liar. Since he only knew the names of a few places in Lill, there weren't really many places he could say he came from. And as far as he could tell, Tillo was the closest and most likely place.
Fortunately, it seemed like he wouldn't stumble into any pitfalls that could reveal his lies.
"Well, uh, I was on a monster extermination quest. A neighbor had seen a bunch of goblins when he was out for a walk, so I went out to kill them. But there were a few more than I expected."
Ackster waited for a little bit to let Jim write down what he was saying. Jim motioned for him to continue.
"And, uh, I kind of ran away without looking where I was going. And just like that, I was lost, and I had also lost most of my stuff."
"Happens to the best of us."
Jim seemed a little sympathetic.
"Good work on staying alive. It must have been rough getting this far. Do you know how long you were out?"
Ackster shook his head.
"No, not really. A couple of weeks, I think."
"I see. What's your rank, by the way?"
Ackster showed his Nomi again.
"Well, since my card looks like this, I can't tell, but I was F-ranked before I left the village."
"Oh, wow. That's impressive, Dean, was it?"
"Yeah."
"And then, why does your profession look like that?"
Ackster hesitated a little, enough for Jim to urge him to talk.
"Um, you've got to promise not to react too much."
"...Alright?"
He removed the bag from his shoulders.
"While I have gone through a lot, it wasn't for nothing. When I was about to die in the middle of nowhere…."
Ackster opened the bag and showed Mio to Jim.
"...This little guy found me and nudged me back to life. So, I think my profession looks like that because I've gotten the first qualifications to become a tamer."
Ackster smiled with pride as he let Jim take a closer look at Mio, who was trying their best to look cute. Well, as cute as a featureless slime could look.
"A Slime Tamer, huh? That's pretty rare. I guess you've got luck on your side, Dean."
"Thanks."
"..."
"Um, is that it?"
Jim hesitated a little before taking a sharp look and directing it at Ackster.
"One last thing."
"Yeah?"
Jim leaned forward and rested one arm on the table as he scrutinized Ackster under the well-lit room's light.
"You're looking awfully healthy for an F-rank who got lost in the woods."
Ackster shrugged.
"I… got lucky?"
Jim continued staring at Ackster. The fact that Ackster was dressed in blood-stained rags, which showed clear signs of being torn and attacked by monsters, wasn't weird.
What was weird was the fact that Ackster didn't seem very, or at all, injured below those rags. It was suspicious.
Ackster looked from side to side as if afraid that someone was listening in before he also leaned close and whispered to Jim.
"Before you get any weird thoughts about what I'm about to say next, it's already all gone, okay? I don't have any more, and there wasn't much to begin with. Got it?"
"Yeah…?"
"I found a Lover's Petal."
"!"
Jim leaned back in shock and stared at Ackster with his mouth agape and eyes opened wide.
"Really?!"
"Shh!"
"Right. Really?"
"Yes. But I had to use it all. Please believe me. I know what those are worth, and if word gets out I found one, I probably won't return home in one piece."
Ackster pleaded with Jim.
He would have preferred it if Jim didn't notice he was fine beneath the rags, but since he had noticed, Ackster had to come up with an explanation that would fit with the rest of his story.
And the only reasonable reason for why a weak adventurer would arrive unscathed after crossing such a large part of Lill's wilderness, even if it were on the side bordering Badhurst, was a miraculous plant like the Lover's Petal.
An ingredient for high-level potions that, even on its own, possessed outstanding healing capabilities. That's what the Lover's Petal was. And while they were rare, they weren't impossible to find. They were just very useful and higher-ranking alchemists would happily pay a great deal of money to get their hands on one. Not only alchemists would do it since everyone would benefit from a high-level potion in reserve.
Well, it was only medium-ranking fighters who would go to the extreme for a high-level potion like that.
It was also the only thing Ackster could think of that would explain a weakling's survival. Hopefully, Jim would be nice and not tell anyone.
But even if he did, Ackster was almost looking forward to the challenge. It would let him train his abilities to escape pursuit and how to turn the tables during a manhunt while keeping his identity secret.
At his current strength and the likely strength of the people who would possibly chase after him, regardless of laws, it was basically impossible to cause a big enough ruckus that people outside the immediate area cared much about it.
Jim nodded gravely as he looked at Ackster, who, in turn, looked at him with an earnest, pleading, and serious face.
"You got it. My lips are sealed."
Ackster sighed in relief.
"Thank you, Jim. Truly, thank you."
Jim shrugged with one of his shoulders.
"Don't mind it. There's nothing for me to gain by spilling the beans, either way."
Ackster smiled gratefully and stood up while slinging the bag over his back again.
"Still, let me buy you a meal once I get my affairs in order."
"You're not going back to Tillo?"
Ackster flashed a bright smile, filled with his adventurous spirit.
"I'm here now, why not take the opportunity to see the world?"
Jim chuckled a little.
"I would hardly call Ilto the world. But sure, as long as you don't get lost, you're welcome to stick around. Oh, and don't cause any trouble."
"Never."
"Then you're good to go."
Jim guided Ackster out of the interrogation room and the house. He looked Acskter in the eyes when they were outside.
"Welcome to Ilto, Dean. And if you were serious about that meal, come look for me at Popper's Belly."
"Thank you, Jim. See you around, then."
Ackster shook Jim's hand with a smile before turning around and leaving to join the crowds in the city and find the Guild branch office. His smile faded as soon as he turned around.