Leo happily made his way down the street. The kindness in the air had a vibrancy that warmed his heart. While he headed back to Philips’ apartment, he saw a small crowd had formed.

They surrounded a stand set up by the side of the road. Leo walked up to see what the commotion was about. He saw a man with vibrant red hair regaling the crowd with stories. He enchanted them as he detailed the monsters he stopped from entering Faelde city.

The stand had advertisements for the local adventuring guild. Fliers were freely passed, prompting people to sign up. Leo would've been content to just listen to the man's story, but his plans were changed once he was spotted.

As the man jolted out of his seat and walked up to Leo, the gaze of the crowd followed him. Leo wondered if this man was a survivor he met before, but one that he couldn't recall.

The man shoved a flier towards Leo, “Hey, I've been hoping to see you. Sign up for the adventurer's guild!”

“Uh, what?” asked Leo, as he felt himself become the center of attention.

“I heard all about what you've been up to. We thought you were one of ours, but we couldn't find you on any list. So, sign up to be an adventurer!” the man exclaimed.

Leo took the flier, “Sure, I'll take your flier. Let me come back with my friend though. Don't want to rush into anything.”

The redheaded man looked disappointed, “Alright, well our guild address is on the flier. Hopefully you join us though.”

Leo grabbed the flier and walked away from the crowd. He read over the flier which seemed to be hastily made. The adventuring guild not only offered a sign on bonus, but they would also provide supplies and housing for new recruits. It seemed as if the disaster had brought a flood of new adventurers.

He certainly wouldn’t mind being an adventurer. The guild could help him reach Edheim, and he would be able to more easily help people. Quests to slay dragons would be simple work for someone of his strength. He hoped Marem would sign up alongside him, as she seemed to know about the adventurer’s guild in Faelde.

Leo entered the apartment to find Marem sitting down in the living room.

He approached her, “Hey!”

“Hello Leo, I see you’ve been out shopping,” remarked Marem as she glanced at him.

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“Yeah, got some new clothes and stuff.”

“Well that’s a shame, wouldn’t have wasted my morning if I knew,” she rolled her eyes with a light smile.

Leo didn’t know what she meant. Before he could ask, she handed him a bundle of fabric. As it shifted in his hands, he realized that it was more than just a familiar material. He unrolled it to discover his once ruined hoodie now in pristine condition.

His knockoff Overwatch hoodie was one of the few things he had brought to this world, and now it was back. Every tear and rip was mended, even the stains of his gamer days were removed.

“Saw that you left out some rags, and this sweater seemed fascinating. Never seen this material before, so I figured that I may as well try to repair it,” explained Marem.

He stared at the sweater, “Honestly, thank you so much, Marem. I can’t believe you were able to fix this. I’d given up hope on ever wearing this again.”

“You saved my life, dude, I just fixed up an outfit for you. No need to think too much about it. I did enchant it by the way, so it could hopefully survive daily use. No promises though,” Marem replied, surprised at Leo’s reaction.

“It would be nice to have a consistent piece of my wardrobe,” he headed off towards the bathroom.

Leo quickly changed into his hoodie. While he made sure to be careful as always, he could definitely feel the enchants at play. The hoodie seemed strong enough that it could survive being worn in a fight. He just had to make sure not to tear it apart. Even if it was durable, he could still rip it like paper.

He walked out of the bathroom wearing the most comfortable outfit he’s had in weeks. While he was grateful for the clothes he’d been gifted, they weren’t well fitted for him. The sweater lay on him comfortably, as the fabric felt akin to a warm embrace.

“Honestly, Leo, that doesn’t look bad on you. Where’d you get it? I’ve never seen a style like that before,” asked Marem.

“Oh, I just bought it from a traveling salesman back in Irontree. My hoodie aside, would you want to sign up as an adventurer?” asked Leo, as he hoped to change the topic.

A confused look sprawled on her face, “Pardon?”

He handed her the flier, “I remember you mentioned the guild to me before. Some guy gave me a flier, so I figure that I may as well sign up. It’d be cool if we signed up together.”

“Are you not signed up?” she asked.

Leo started to feel worried, “Was I supposed to be?”

“Yes? Why would you be traveling the world and fighting monsters if you’re not a registered adventurer? How do you make money, and what do you pay in taxes?” she questioned.

“Well, uh, I just didn’t sign up. I’m not really from around here, so I never got fully signed up,” he lied.

He was more than comfortable with white lies, but this seemed like something more. Leo hadn’t paid much attention in history class, yet he knew medieval societies weren’t exactly kind on tax evaders.

“Oh, are you not a citizen?” inquired Marem.

“I’m not,” admitted Leo, a convenient half-truth.

She rolled her eyes at him, “Just say that then. Anyways, non-citizens can’t become adventurers. Sorry to break it to you, but that’s just how it is.”

Leo let out a sigh of relief, “No worries.”