Lenia leveled a searching gaze at me.
"You're a hero, aren't you?"
'W-what?'
"H-Haha, Lenia, what're you on about? Me, a hero? Not a chance," I stammered, attempting to brush off her probing question.
She frowned, torn between doubting my words and questioning her own instincts.
But she pressed on. "Then where'd you get all that gear and coin earlier? Seems unlikely for a fresh-faced Guardian to come by it all."
"Well, um..."
'Ugh, what's the play here?'
"I... had a bit of backing from someone."
"..."
A heavy silence descended between us, neither of us willing to break it. Then, remembering the item I'd picked up for Lenia, I reached into my pack.
"Oh, almost forgot. This is for you."
I handed her the necklace.
"But didn't I say I didn't need it?"
"Consider it more of a tool than a gift, something to make our quests a tad smoother."
"Alright... I suppose that's fair."
We lapsed into silence once more, gazing out at the moon-kissed waters of the lake.
'This takes me back to my world.'
"Lenia, reckon it's time we head back and catch some shut-eye."
"Right."
We made our way back, rejoining Lloyd and Seth. With nightfall looming, we agreed to take shifts keeping watch until dawn.
***
Morning broke, and we resumed our hunt without a hitch. Everything flowed smoothly, and we ended up with 7 Grey Wolf pelts.
"Seems like a lot," Seth remarked.
"Yeah, we'll offload a couple later," Lloyd decided.
"Alright, let's hoof it back to town."
As we strolled, thankfully encountering only slimes in the Verde Forest, I posed a question to Lloyd.
"Where do we sell these Grey Wolf pelts?"
"To the Merchant," he replied.
"And Ken, did you know? Each monster's got specific parts you can sell. Like these Grey Wolves - their pelts fetch a pretty penny for armor crafting," Seth chimed in.
"Oh, got it," I nodded.
"And if you're curious 'bout other beasts, check the guild's guidebook," Seth added.
"Can we hunt monsters without taking quests?" I inquired.
"Sure can, but you gotta sport that Guardian badge. Otherwise, offloading your haul's a right pain. Plus, it's only when the guild's got no gigs for you. And the pay ain't always as sweet as questin'," Lloyd elucidated.
"Ah, crystal clear. Thanks."
We reached town and made a beeline for the Guild to turn in our Grey Wolf pelts and collect our rewards, also offloading the two extras we bagged.
***
Lloyd divvied up the spoils, each of us pocketing 5 silver. With the cash from the extra pelts, we decided to splurge on grub.
I prodded Lloyd about his lagging level.
"Lloyd, what gives? Ain't you clocked 20 quests by now?"
He just grinned, redirecting the query to Seth.
"Seth, what're our crewmates up to?"
"Ash's on guard duty, posted at the forest entrance, and Serina's lending a hand at the care center."
"Well, reckon I'll help you and Lenia catch up then."
Lenia chimed in, "Why me too?"
"Haha, keen to keep pace with Ken, eh?" Lloyd teased.
"Not 'cause I want to, but 'cause I gotta," Lenia replied bluntly.
"In essence, you'll be trailing him," Lloyd noted.
'Gotta?'
"Hey, let's grab a bite," Seth suggested, noticing our empty stomachs. I realized we hadn't eaten breakfast yet. Lloyd led us to a nearby eatery.
Seated, we ordered and dug in once the food arrived.
After polishing off our meals, Seth and Lloyd planned to rendezvous with Serina.
"Ken, Lloyd and I are meeting Serina. You two can explore the city for now," Seth informed.
"Sure, and thanks for the assist on my maiden quest."
"Haha, no sweat. Leave it to us veterans. Anyway, I'm off. Catch you at the care center if you need me."
"Sure, take care."
With that, they left, leaving Lenia and me.
"Lenia, where to next?" I inquired.
"We ought to find an inn first."
"Ah, right, I need a place to crash."
"We should hurry before they fill up."
Off to the inn we went, booking two rooms upon arrival.
"Excuse us, we'd like to book 2 rooms."
"For how many nights?" the receptionist asked.
"Three nights," I replied.
"Alright, that'll be 2 silver."
With that settled, we headed to our respective rooms, Lenia's adjacent to mine.
'Still daylight; might as well take a stroll.'
I proposed we explore the city, Lenia agreed.
Knock knock knock.
I rapped on her door.
"Lenia, care to join me for a walk around the city?"
"Just a moment."
After a brief wait, Lenia emerged, once again catching my eye.
'Beautiful...'
At the Guild, she wore wizard-like garb, but now, clad in city attire, she exuded a different charm.
"H-Hey, Ken, quit starin'."
"A-Ah, sorry. So... up for a stroll?"
"Y-Yeah, no plans here."
Lenia and I wandered the city; despite her aloof facade, she proved warm and friendly. Come afternoon, we climbed a hill for a panoramic view.
"Wow, stunning. And that breeze? Bliss. Could kip here if we can't find a room."
"..."
"Oh, Lenia, why'd you become a Runemaster?"
She stayed silent for a beat, then spoke softly.
"I... hail from the Frenic clan. Runemastery's our way, but now... I'm the last one left."