Meiris spent the night on a tree with the smoothest bark she could find, which was still far less comfortable than the treasury's artifact pillow. Though she was so tired that it hardly mattered.

However, she failed to consider that even while it was a hot summer in these parts, the nights were quite cold. An issue, because she was no longer immune to it.

It wasn't so bad she could die, but her muscles were all tense in the morning.

"Brrr-"

A shiver woke her up and made her wrap the cloak tighter around herself.

She looked for the sun, but it was too low to warm her. Only a few streaks of light shined through the forest's canopy.

It seemed like she had to drop down and gather some sticks for a quick fire. Unless-

snap

The flame she could produce on her own may have been small, but unlike a proper fire, it didn't require her to gather wood. So she could stay curled up.

Hopefully she wasn't going to be sick...

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Aside the physical discomfort that she felt, Meiris' journey continued smoothly.

She followed the river Lifa up to the bridge while gathering a few berries for later.

Once she rejoined the main road, it had already become quite lively. Merchants, adventurers and other people were on their way to or from the capital. Some of them would give her a look of disgust, a few had pity show on their faces... But no one disrupted her.

Now, she couldn't continue walking down south for much longer. Both because there was a major city on her way and because she couldn't even reach it in her current state.

Rather than that, she would turn left once she reached the next fork in the road. Or, well, just enter a minor branching pathway.

Compared to the avenue, the path she intended to take was lifeless. Though there were signs of regular use.

For a few hours Meiris walked through the forest alone. The trail had no semblance of pavement, but the trodden ground was actually easier on her feet.

Thanks to that, she could take fewer breaks while walking faster. Which was all the more reason why she wondered if her memory served her right...

Obviously she didn't choose a place she's been to before, for the fear of being recognized. Not that she visited many such rural locations.

Based on her memories of maps there should have been a village on this path. However, it never was an important detail for her, so she may have mixed things up.

Either way, she was bound to find something at some point. Why else would there be a trail?

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It was already well past noon when Meiris encountered an opening, a few farming fields. Soon after that, she spotted a bunch of buildings.

In commoner terms, it was more like a small town, but just a village to an average noble.

And it was the last moment for Meiris to make her decision- Was she going to risk it here, or continue marching further? Whether any of the people living here visited the capital was a certainty, but could they have seen her execution on that one day? Even she found that highly unlikely...

Eventually she dropped the hood and approached the village.

She noticed several people working in the fields, a few more on the streets. One man was sitting in front of - probably - his home.

The houses were primarily made of wood, most of them well-kept at a glance. Other - likely workshops of some kind - were part made of gray bricks.

Just like Meiris evaluated their little town - with a touch of subtlety - some of the locals appraised her. The way she looked was... unique at best, especially in a place where everyone knew each other's faces.

From what she saw, five buildings caught her interest in particular.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

There was an inn, the option she came up with earlier.

She also found two magic tool workshops, judging from the look of their glyphmarks - fancy signs that were a long-running tradition between magesmiths. Although the second one hinted that the business wasn't going well.

A tailor shop further down the main street seemed decent as well. The clothes on display were basic, but the practical design was intertwined with passion.

And then there was a modest guildhall on the outskirts. She could check later what kind of a guild it was.

Now- If Meiris became an assistant at either of the magic workshops, she would get an occasion to learn more about imbued items. Her expectations for a village in the middle of nowhere weren't high, but her knowledge of the craft was minimal to begin with. Perhaps even too low to get the job...

After a moment of consideration, Meiris ended up settling for the inn as her first destination. Not just because it seemed to be the easiest option to get a job at out of the bunch, but also because it could provide her with a place to sleep.

She didn't want to spend any more nights in the woods as there were likely to be weak, yet dangerous monsters this far from the avenue.

The inn was probably one of the largest buildings in the village, standing at two floors tall, excluding the ground floor. It also had a stable, currently housing three horses.

Meiris pushed on the door and it made a low squeaking sound. Once inside, she glanced around- The interior was simple, but cozy. There were tables and benches on her sides, a wide bar with stools in front and to the far right were stairs leading upwards.

Behind the bar stood a skinny man with gray hair and a short beard, wearing a black tunic. He was tending to a customer with shoulder-long brown hair, clad in a gray and pale blue leather.

Shortly after he noticed Meiris, his relaxed demeanor hardened-

"If you ain't got money- Get out."

"N-no, that's not-"

She was taken aback by his sudden reaction.

"You gonna beg? Out. Now."

"I just-"

The single guest only glanced at the situation with mild interest, a glass in her hand.

"OUT."

He pointed at the door with an angry expression.

Meiris was almost ready to yield, when a door behind the bar opened-

"What's going on, Dad?"

A decently muscular man in his 20s walked through that door. He looked quite handsome with his black hair and eyes so green that Meiris couldn't miss their color from the four meters separating them.

"It's nothing Helrin. Just another vagrant."

The old man said the last word while squinting at Meiris.

"You say it like we get one every day."

Helrin answered his father in a casual tone, while he grabbed an empty glass from the bar to wash it.

"We had six of them this year. Six. That's twice as many as last year with five months still left to go!

"The idiots think they will make it big and then return begging for an ounce..."

The man was about to return his attention to Meiris who still hadn't left, but-

"Come on Dad. Look at her- It wouldn't hurt you to hand out six buns a year."

Helrin turned on an imbued tap and water flowed into the glass.

"You think that would satisfy them, son? You are naive. They would come back asking for more, encouraged to live off others' hard work."

"Actually I-"

Meiris spotted her chance, but-

"Are you deaf or maybe blind? Do you need me to drag you out?"

She was interrupted yet again.

"Dad, did you take your potion today?"

The now-clean glass was still wet, but Helrin put it on a shelf regardless. Since the water was created with mana, it would soon disappear.

"No, why?"

"Because that way I will have you for longer. And also, you won't be angry all the time."

"I'm not angry."

His voice actually became gentler.

"Please?"

"Alright- Take the bar."

Eventually Helrin's father gave in and went upstairs.

"Will do."

Meanwhile he poured their guest some more beer.

"Can't say I blame your old man. It's no fun to lose all you got, but that's life. If you fell to the bottom, you gotta work your way out of it."

She spoke with a neutral tone.

"I can't argue with that, but I also think a little help won't hurt. So-

"What's your deal?"

Helrin turned his attention to Meiris.

"Ah- I actually wanted to ask if maybe I could work here?"

'Work? Dad would have a good laugh if he heard that.'

"Can't say I expected this..."

He looked at Meiris for a moment in silence, while she maintained the eye contact-

"Fine. It will be a pain in the ass to convince my father, but I need to hire someone anyway...

"So- Is that all you got?"

Of course "that" meant her cloak and the... rag on her feet.

"Yes."

She wouldn't tell him about the gloves or the necklace.

"Then lets do it this way...

"I can give you some old clothes, feed you and let you sleep in our hay compartment. In return, it will be your responsibility to clean rooms during the day and do the laundry. It will also be on you to keep this place clean in the evenings, dishes included.

"If you work earnestly, I can get you a heated room before winter and a pay in bronze. Sounds good?"

It sounded to Meiris like she would be stuck here for a while if she took that offer, but... Could she find a better one?

"Take it girl. This guy is your best bet."

The woman said while staring at her glass, then downed what was left in one go and turned her almond eyes towards Meiris-

"And don't think of stealing shit. If you do, I will make sure you won't have a future."

Her tone remained calm and neutral, but Meiris was sure it was a real threat.

It almost made Helrin laugh.

"Don't scare her, Jill. I can handle a child."

"I know, that's the issue. You don't know this child, who to me looks more like an adult...

"Speaking of, how old are you?"

It didn't seem like there was a reason to lie.

"Seventeen."

"See? An adult. Why don't you tell us your name, too?"

For this one, she was prepared-

"Lena."

----------------------------------------

Once the introductions were over, Helrin gave Meiris a set of old, but well kept clothes. Then he told her about a shower behind the stable.

All she had to do was touch it and a stream of water washed the dirt off of her. Though her mana potential wasn't enough to power the item fully.