'Why is Sir Hicks talking to the brat of that pathetic bastard like that...?'
"Ah," Sir Hicks called as he turned to Garry.
"I'm sorry for keeping this a secret... His father actually saved my life a long time ago, and this young man's father wanted it to be kept a secret," Sir Hicks explained, before turning to Van.
"Well, it's been so long, so I hope your father will forgive an old man for going back on his promise?"
"He will, it's alright," Van replied.
"Excellent. Well, my subordinate and I have to take our leave. We hope you have a fantastic day," Hicks declared before taking Garry and leaving.
'Well, Miss Veil seems comfortable with that guy, so I guess it's alright... I hope he didn't use some trick on her...' Garry thought, glancing momentarily at Van after they left the guild area.
"You know this guard, Van?" Marcilla asked.
"Oh, yeah. The night I killed Arutol, I made him swear not to tell anyone I did it... Thought my Untrusted Passive would prove problematic if he told anyone about it," Van shrugged.
"...Makes sense, I think," Marcilla replied.
"Well, I have to take care of some errands. I'll see you later, Van!" Amoria called as she turned and walked away from the guild, leaving Van in the company of Marcilla.
"Hey, Marcy," Van muttered.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Now that we're alone... Give me a high-rank, well-paying quest. I need to earn some money. I kinda got off on the wrong foot with her kid, so it'd be awkward staying in the same house."
"Huh...?" Marcy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You want... out... of Amoria's place? Seriously?" she asked, skeptical.
"Is it weird that I do?" Van asked, leaning on the counter.
"Well, yeah... It's Amoria, you know!" she said. "Since it's you... I figured you'd really want to stay there and all..." she awkwardly argued.
"...Do I really give off the vibe of someone that desperate?" Van asked.
"Look... It's not a matter of being desperate, it's just... I think she likes you being there, that's all. It doesn't have to be about desperation. If you like being near her, then just do whatever you want," Marcy argued.
"I'll think about it. Now, the quest?" Van insisted.
"Haaah... Fine. I'll save you an A+ ranked quest when I get one, should be sometime by the end of the day. But since Amoria's gone, there's no one here for her. Help me out with storage sorting until then?" she asked.
"Alright. I did promise her I'd help out here."
'Normally, Marcy would be the one who was less lenient and more rough with everyone else. She would demand my help, or else... I suppose people change after 16 years,' Van thought.
"I'll introduce you to my daughter," she let out.
Van then noticed Liz and that kid from last night, Michael, arranging tables happily together in the corner of his eye.
'Well, it's her choice. If she really wants to entertain that kid, she's free to do it. I have other things to worry about anyway,' Van thought with a shrug as he followed Marcy to the guild's storage area.
Liz glanced over at Van, a pang of frustration washing over her as he brushed past her without paying any mind, especially after last night.
"Liz...? Are you alright?" Michael asked, concerned.
"A-ah... Yeah, it's just... that guy is here... so I'm a bit uncomfortable, that's all," she murmured, looking down.
"D-don't worry, Liz! I'll... I'll definitely protect you this time! That guy's just an inconsiderate scumbag!" he said enthusiastically, clutching his palm.
"Right... Thanks, Michael," she replied, smiling weakly at him as they continued their duties.
Marcy and Van entered the storage area of the guild.
Van looked around, noticing mainly groceries, armor, and weapons stacked in rows of tall shelves.
"Anne! Get over here! There's someone I want to introduce you to!" Marcy yelled, her voice booming throughout the storage house.
'...So she hasn't changed entirely...' Van thought as he glanced at Marcy.
Several seconds later, a girl resembling a younger version of Marcy approached, a bandana covering her reddish hair as she wore short clothes, her face and body drenched with sweat.
"What's up, Mom? Who's he?" Anne asked casually, momentarily glancing at Van.
'He's built... But then again, so were the last five boys who volunteered just to impress me and ended up wussing out because the job was too tiring. I had to do it all by myself...' she thought with a sigh after scrutinizing Van.
"This is Van. Van, this is my daughter, Anne. Get along now. I gotta get back to the counter," Marcy muttered as she patted Van's back before hurrying away, leaving the two alone.
'Alright... Let's make our introductions swift. I want to finish this job quickly so I can get to that quest,' Van thought.
"Hi, I'm Van, and I came fro—"
"Look, sorry to be rude, but I don't care who you are or what your name is. I just want to finish sorting before nightfall, especially with the bulk order we got today. Can you handle heavy-duty work?" she interjected sharply, her gaze stern.
Van let out a soft chuckle, taken aback by her response.
"...Yeah, sure."
"Well, great. Try not to crumble. Now let's go. I'll tell you what we need to do as we go. No time to dally," she said hurriedly, urging Van to follow her lead.
'...I like this one already,' Van thought as he followed her.
"Oh... Aunt Marcy seems to have put him with Anne... He won't last an hour in there," Michael said with a small snicker to Liz as he saw Marcy exiting the storage area without Van by her side.
"She usually puts boys in there just to shoo them out because she knows they can't keep up with her... I guess Aunt Marcy figured out that Van is just a womanizing brute," Liz said.
"Who is he, actually, Liz?" Michael asked.
"I already told you, Michael... He's just the son of a friend of my mother's. That friend was the weakest in their party."
"So, that must mean he isn't all that impressive, right?" Michael asked, a hopeful tinge in his tone.
"A-ah... Yes, that's right. You have nothing to worry about. I bet he will be out of here in the next hour or so," she assured, forcing a smile.
"Aaah... I see... Great..! I mean... It's not like I was worried or anything..." he said, shyly looking away.
"Of course..." Liz replied.
"O-oh, and... Seriously, thanks again... for inviting me to work with you. I really... missed this... missed you..." he mumbled with a blush.
"Right... Ahah... Me too, I suppose..." she replied awkwardly as she rushed to help other people, picking their orders.
Marcy looked at Liz and sighed.
'Haah... It's like watching someone work two jobs with the way Lizzy forces herself to look after that boy... So pathetic I want to puke... Well, I can't go telling Amoria how to raise her kid.'
She smiled to herself, a private moment of relief flickering across her face. "At least my child is in good hands..." she mused silently, her worries easing slightly.
"Alright, you see this?" Anne gestured towards an enormous pile of goods, neatly stacked on a cart. "The guild is a real multi-purpose hub—it's part smithy, part restaurant, part inn, and a lounge for members and adventurers alike. We're also the distributors for our own network of restaurants and smithies. All these supplies come from out of town, and we're responsible for distributing them to our various establishments. With the recent surge in visitors to the Capital since the Goddess took down Arutol, we're swamped. This delivery arrived late, and we need to sort everything out fast to avoid any major losses. No breaks today, we need to get through this by nightfall."
She was clearly driven, her energy infectious.
"Got it. What do you need me to do?" Van replied, eyeing the heap of items with a calm demeanor.
Anne raised an eyebrow. 'Not even slightly unsettled by the workload? Or maybe he's just good at playing it cool.'
"Your job is straightforward, just like mine. We need to sort these items into their correct categories: armor to the armor section, tools to tools, swords and morningstars to melee, bows and quivers separately over there, and magic staves and enchanted accessories to the magic section. Produce goes to produce, and bread with dried meats. While we arrange everything, we must also ensure the counts are accurate. Any discrepancies, and we note them down—otherwise, the guild covers the cost. Once sorted, we'll organize deliveries for the sub-branches. Those go onto that cart, which our driver will take care of in about six hours."
"And you manage all this by yourself? Why not get some extra help?" Van inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"I'm usually on my own, and I handle it pretty well. Today's unusually hectic, so my mom promised to send some reliable helpers... Yet, here you are, all by yourself. I'm not sure what your previous jobs were like, but just don't pass out on me. Even with no breaks, I'm skeptical we can finish on time," Anne explained, stretching her arms, her voice tinged with concern.
"Don't worry. We'll figure it out," Van assured her, a calm resolve in his voice as he moved towards the massive pile.
"Tsch... You remind me of this guy who really gets under my skin. He's been messing with my half-sister, pretending to be Mr. Innocent... You're not like him, are you? I can't stand guys who think they're above everyone else, and I'm getting the impression you might be just like that," she said, eyeing Van with a mix of suspicion and annoyance.
"Look," Van's voice hardened, catching Anne off-guard.
"I'm not here to talk about who I am or am not. I'm here to get this job done and move on to do a quest. Shouldn't we be focusing on the work rather than making assumptions?" he retorted, his tone bordering on reprimand.
Van sighed inwardly, thinking, 'Marcy really needs to teach her daughter some manners...' as he crouched under a pile of armor.
Anne watched him skeptically. 'He talks a big game but doesn't even know how to properly start unloading. Always start from the top, not by pulling from the bottom...'
As Van reached for a piece of armor near the base of the stack, Anne scoffed internally. 'Exactly as I thought, all talk.'
"You'll need this," Anne said dismissively, hurling a notepad towards Van's back.
Without even turning to look, Van flicked his hand behind his back and caught it effortlessly.
'He caught it...?' Anne thought, her surprise evident.
"How about you save that throw for a real novice?" Van quipped coolly, holding up the notepad.
'Well, they're really similar... So maybe her working on Anne's manners wouldn't do much...'
[BACKGROUND MUSIC: Serious Steel (Mashle OST)]
DEX: 887
'It's lower than the rest, but it will do,' Van thought to himself, casting a quick glance at his status window.
With an effortless gesture, he lifted the enormous pile of armor onto his shoulder with one hand and started striding toward the fitting section.
"W-what the...!!?" Anne gasped, toppling backward in astonishment.
'That's... That's over a ton..!! I can barely manage 170 kilograms...!' she thought, her eyes wide as she watched Van nonchalantly proceed to the fitting area with the load.
"Wait..!!" Anne scrambled to her feet and dashed after him.
Van had already placed the armor down neatly by the time Anne caught up.
"I get it, you're strong... but you still need to count everything..!!" she exclaimed breathlessly.
"I admire your commitment," Van replied, extending the notepad towards her.
"But I already counted it all on the way here," he added with a slight smile.
PERCEPTION: 587
Anne took the notepad, her eyes scanning the figures in utter disbelief.
1. Leggings:
* Greaves: 70 [These are metal plates that protect the shin from the knee to the ankle.]
* Cuisses: 70 [These cover the thighs.]
* Poleyns: 68 [These are knee guards.]
* Sabatons: 75 [Metal foot coverings, though not specifically leggings, they are part of the full leg armor setup.]
2. Torso Armour:
* Breastplate: 69 [This was the front portion of the torso armor, covering the chest.]
* Backplate: 70 [This piece was worn on the back, often attached to the breastplate.]
'I-impossible...!! How did he tally these numbers without even seeming to move his hands...?!' Anne marveled inwardly. 'And he's spot on—70 armor sets, exactly as in our order; with some missing, which always happens... I also added extra Sabatons on my own, and he's accounted for those too... He really did count everything...!!' She was awestruck by his accuracy.
Feeling a spark of competitive spirit, she thought determinedly, 'I'm not going to be outdone here.' Fired up, Anne hastened to sort the remaining items, while Van matched her pace with an equally brisk efficiency.