{ - Well, I guess we should go look at these missions, right? Do you have a type you want to look at first?}

Anna's question made Jane think for a bit.

[{ - Well, no, I don't have any idea. Eliza said it could be any type of mission, right? But I highly doubt we can accept something too high-ranked. We're only 'Novices.' I guess we'll first see what we can take on for now.

Her answer was met with silent approval. It was quite obvious that the higher-paying missions would be locked behind higher-ranked evaluations.

Jane spun her hand around, and her Guild card appeared in it. She didn't look at it but walked up to the reception counter immediately. There, she found that Eliza had been replaced by another receptionist, a bit younger than her. The young woman had brown eyes and hair and seemed a bit frightened as Jane approached.

The redhead was surprised by that. She had never seen this woman in her life and couldn't understand why she was so scared of her. Finally, she reached the counter and smiled at the young receptionist.

- Hello, I would like to see what kind of missions are available at my rank, please. Here's my card.

The redhead presented her card to the receptionist, who took it with trembling hands. She inspected it briefly before answering.

- Y-you can look at all mi-missions from N-novice to A-apprentice. You are c-currently an Apprentice. Would y-you like to see them? There's a lot.

Her voice was soft but trembling. Her answer stunned Jane for a second. Apprentice? She should only be a Novice since she hadn't taken any missions yet and didn't have any points. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud laugh and a tap on her shoulder that almost made her stumble, but she bent her knees slightly, sensing the hand coming.

She turned around and had to lift her head to see since the one that talked to her was taller than her. It was Regg, smiling widely. He was topless, with several bandages around his chest and ribs, his jaw swollen, and a bloody bandage on his leg.

- That was a great fight, Twig! You really got me good! I can't even say you surprised me. Every one of your moves was calculated and precise. Where did you learn to fight like that?

Jane felt a little sorry about the state he was in, it was totally her fault, though not entirely—after all, he had taunted her.

- I started training at six. I'm really sorry about your injuries. You really did anger me back there."

Her voice was apologetic, but Regg just shrugged his shoulders.

- Nah, it's okay, Twig. I deserved that beating. You're strong; don't beat yourself up. I'll be healed pretty fast. I see you're looking at some missions. Confused about your rank, huh? That's because I'm Experienced rank, and you beat me. The la... I mean, we couldn't let you jump straight to my rank right away.

Jane nodded her head in understanding. It was a pretty straightforward explanation. She turned back to the receptionist, who was watching them like a deer caught in headlights, and smiled at her. The young redhead changed her mind about the missions. The woman seemed too frightened to do her job properly. Even if she understood her new Rank, Jane still didn't know what she had done to make the woman so scared of her.

- Actually, don't bother with the missions for now. I'm starving, so I'll come back after lunch. But can I request something? I'd like to send a quick letter to somewhere please.

Relieved, the receptionist nodded her head really fast.

- Yes, of course! We just need the location and the message!

After Jane told her what she wanted to convey, she turned around and strolled out of the building, greeting Regg on her way out.

Outside, she buried her head a bit more under her hood and started walking at a faster pace than she did in the morning. Without realizing it, lunchtime had arrived, and she was really starving like she said earlier. Even though she hadn't used much energy in the fight, she still exerted herself quite a bit and needed to eat so she could be at full strength again.

She spent a few minutes looking at the various stores lining the main road, noticing many interesting trinkets—most likely for tourists or people who liked to spend money on useless items. After a while, she found a restaurant from which a delicious aroma was drifting.

After seating herself at one of the empty tables, a waiter around the age of thirty approached her with a friendly smile.

- Hello, miss. What can I serve you today? If it's your first time here, I'd recommend the Gretsy steak. We cook it until it's soft and tender and serve it with a smoked sauce.

A Gretsy was a type of tame tiger that lived in packs and wasn't too difficult to hunt. Their habitat were the various forests of the world, and while they weren't at the top of the food chain, they were still placed in the middle compared to simple animals and monsters.

The young redhead thought about it for a moment before deciding.

- Yes, I'd like three of them, please.

The answer surprised the waiter, who was struck speechless for a moment before repeating.

- Th-three? Do you mean that there's someone else joining you, miss?

He glanced at the table Jane had chosen, noting that it was meant for one person. As the waiter stood there, stunned, Jane heard a laugh in her head.

{ - Hahaha, that's gold! Look at his face! He probably thinks you're a glutton! Honestly, even though I know why you eat so much, I still think you are!}

Jane's face flushed, and thanked herself she kept her hood on so nobody could see that.

[{ - You know perfectly well why I eat so much! Don't make fun of me! And yes, I like to eat—so what?}]

Despite scolding Anna in her head, Jane shook her head in negation and smiled at the waiter.

- No one is joining me. You heard right.

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The waiter nodded and told her the food would be ready shortly before turning away to give her order to the kitchen.

She really didn't need to wait long before ten minutes later three big steak where put in front of her. Jane thanked him before diving in.

The meat was just as described: soft, tender, and really juicy. The sauce complemented it perfectly. In fact she was having such a good time that she polished off all three plates in the blink of an eye. After paying the bill, she left the restaurant, satisfied.

It was time to check out what kind of missions her newly acquired rank would offer her. If she understood correctly, there were all kind of missions available. Since she had never done one before, she didn't know what to choose.

Jane made her way back to the Guild and didn't pay attention to the mercenaries that were in here. At the counter, there was now an old man with a welcoming smile. This time there were neither Eliza or Regg that could recognize her at all.

After making her way to the counter she asked to see the available missions. On her way to the Guild, she had thought of a useful type of mission while raking her some points: finding missions. Fortunately, there were some listed. She skimmed the list for a few seconds and found one that seemed quite urgent: a mother was searching for her child, who hadn't left the village. The guards had confirmed no child had exited the gates.

Since the mission was posted almost two hours ago, Jane ran out of the building. The last sighting of the child was near the east side of the village. Yes the young redhead was new to the area, but this was precisely why she chose this mission—it would help her familiarize herself with the village layout.

Once outside the Guild, Jane took a look around her before discreetly taking out a cookie and popping it into her mouth. A second later, she vanished from her spot, reappearing a few hundred meters away.

After nearly two hours of searching, she found the boy in the northern part of the village, playing a ball game with some other children. The young woman approached and caught the ball as it flew toward her. She took off her hood and crouched down with a smile.

- Hey, guys. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need one of you to come with me. Your mother is really worried about where you are, you know?

The missing boy widened his eyes and glanced at the sun's place in the sky before turning to his new friends.

- Oh no, I have to go! Or I'll be grounded for the rest of my life! Later, guys!

With that, he took off running toward his house. Jane returned the ball with a smile and a wink before following him.

{ - Hahaha, he will still get grounded for life after the little stunt he just pulled!}

Anna's laughter was contagious, and Jane found herself laughing too. She felt a little bad for him, but he brought it upon himself!

The mother was crying hard when they finally made it back to her. She promised that the reward would be delivered to the guild tomorrow, and Jane would just have to collect it then. After bidding farewell to the mother and son duo, Jane walked away, hearing the woman start crying again while admonishing the boy. This brought a chuckle to Jane's lips.

At least it was a good deed accomplished, and she had also achieved her objective: learning about the village. She decided to take a little stroll through the lesser-known streets. It was usually in these streets that one could find hidden wonders. It was quite late in the evening, and the sun was setting, painting the village in oranges and yellows, making it feel almost magical.

{ - Jane.}

[{ - Yeah, I felt that too. We have some guests.}]

It had been a while since she had started walking down these small streets, and almost immediately, she realized she was being followed. At first, she didn't pay any attention to that—it was only one person, after all. But the more she strolled, the more her stalkers multiplied. She didn't count, but there were almost ten people surrounding her.

After a few moments, she entered a dead-end alley where a single man was sitting on a box. The man lifted his head to look at the redhead, smiling kindly.

- Hello, young lady! You came at just the right time! I need some help, you see I twisted my ankle earlier and was resting before trying to get to a doctor. But since you're here, could you lend a hand to a poor old man? My name is Vir, by the way.

His eyes were basicaly oozing with lust and greed, bringing a frown to Jane's face. She sensed the other end of the street being blocked by the rest of the men who had been following her. Sighing, she put on a fake smile before responding to the disgusting man in front of her.

- Hello, kind old man. I could help. But could you help me with the person who's been following me from a while ago please? I'm a bit scared, you see...

She curled up a bit, her arms wrapping around herself in an attempt to make herself appear vulnerable. It worked perfectly, as the old man jumped to his feet, forgetting his supposedly twisted ankle. He got closer to Jane in his excitement.

- Of course, lady! Come with me, I'll show you a safe place!

As he got closer, Jane used her gift to deliver a punch to his gut, sending him flying through the air until he hit a wall. Seconds later, she was surrounded by almost twenty men, all wielding various weapons. The old man she'd sent flying got up and started shouting.

- Damn you, you fucking piece of cunt! Boys, get her! We'll sell her after we've had fun with her at the HQ! The boss will be happy to get some fresh meat.

A chorus of laughter echoed down the street. One of the men approached Jane, but she sent a straight right to his cheek, knocking him out cold on the spot.

- Fuck, she knocked out Jim! We might need reinforcements. Dave, go get them. The rest of you, attack her all at once, you idiots!

The old man barked orders, and the circle began closing in. The redhead looked around for a possible escape. Using her gift might help; she could use th e momentum from her speed to jump high enough to get out of the circle. But she had never tried that before and wasn't sure how she'd land. Just then, Anna's voice interrupted her thoughts.

{ - Jane. We have to kill them.}

Surprised, Jane froze for a second.

[{ - What? No! I've never killed anyone, and I'm not starting now, even if they are disgusting rapists! I can just knock them out!}]

{ - No. They've already sent one to fetch reinforcements, and I have a feeling they aren't far. I'm sorry, but you have to.}

The young woman gritted her teeth, weighing her options for a moment before sighing. She lifted her hand, and a katana slowly materialized in her grip. It was entirely white—even the blade was strangely white.

[{ - I think I'll regret this. But you're right. I can't risk more people showing up.}]

Maybe reinforcements would take a while to arrive, but there was no way to be sure. Taking a deep breath, she crouched slightly, the blade of her katana angled towards the ground at her side. She whispered a quiet apology.

- I'm... sorry. I have to. Please, be better in your next life.

Then she disappeared. When she reappeared, it was in front of one of the men, her blade piercing his heart. Her action stunned everyone on site, but she had no time to dwell on it. She had to finish the job, no matter how painful it was. She flickered in and out of sight, and with each reappearance came accompanied to another death.

When the last man in the circle fell, Jane walked up to the old man. He was a mess of spit, piss, and tears, begging for his life. Jane, now covered in blood like her katana stained with the blood of the various men, ignored his pleas and drove her blade through his heart.

Afterward, she crumbled on the spot, the pooling blood splashing beneath her as she hit the ground. Tears streamed down her face, and her whole body trembled.

{ - Jane... we need to get out of here... now.}

Anna's voice was barely a whisper in her mind, soothing in tone. She knew what killing for the first time felt like—it was horrible. But right now it was more important that they get away from here. Reinforcements could arrive at any moment. Thankfully, Jane had kept her hood on since they'd dropped the boy off with his mother, so they shouldn't be chased for now.

[{ - Am I... a monster, Anna? I killed them. I stole their lives.}]

{ - You survived. Imagine what they would have done to you. You would be less than alive.}

Jane fell silent for a few seconds before struggling to her feet. Her trembling had slowed, but when she saw the bodies, she hiccuped and bent over, vomiting everything she'd eaten that day. The flow didn't stop, it couldn't, the sight was too much for her body to handle. Eventually, only water and gastric fluids came out.

Finally, after nearly five minutes, it stopped. She wiped her mouth with a trembling hand as Anna spoke again.

{ - Let me take control for a moment. I'll deal with this. We can't leave everything out in the open.}

Without thinking, Jane nodded. A few seconds later, her eyes shifted to a gorgeous red color—Anna was in control this time. She surveyed the scene, snapped her fingers, and flames engulfed the bodies, devouring and reducing them to ashes in no time. Once done, she gave control back to Jane, whose eyes reverted to their usual blue.

{ - Eat something, and let's leave the village. We'll take a bath in the river.}

Jane nodded again, pulling a cookie from her dimension. After regaining some strength, she vanished from the spot.