Birthdays are usually a joyous occasion. A special day in the year when you become the most important person in the world, and everybody congratulates, celebrates and is happy with you. My parents had died on the day of my sixth birthday. It was an ´inexplicable accident,´ they said. My mind was too young to comprehend the meaning of ´you won´t ever see your parents again´. ´Ever´ turns out to be longer than I thought.

A few days later I was brought to my aunt whom I´d never met before. She said she would take care of me in the stead of my deceased parents. A few knights had escorted me to her home that morning. Her house isn´t big, much smaller than the one I lived in. If I had to name something, it would be that the interior is much dirtier than in Mom and Dad´s house. When I finished looking around and came back to the entrance, I heard her talking with the knights who came with me. She was saying how much she mourned over her little sister´s death, and how the least she could do was to take in the poor kid who probably had it most difficult, or something along the lines. I think she was talking about me, that I suffered the most from my parents' death. But honestly, I didn´t feel this was true. I didn´t feel anything, actually. After the three knights who came to our house on my birthday left, I can´t remember shedding a single tear.

Shortly, the knights thanked my aunt and bid the two of us farewell. I saw one of them leave a small bag in my aunt´s hands, it was filled with something that made a clinging sound. As soon as the door closed, I recall feeling a sudden chill running over my entire body. I suddenly didn´t like being here, I wanted to go back home. My aunt walked up to me and smacked my face, slapping me back to the reality that I had momentarily escaped from. The stinging on my cheek hurt like nothing I´ve felt before, I´m fairly sure she didn´t hold back her strength.

"You disgusting brat!" she shouted at me "Who gave you permission to look around? You think you can just crawl around my house, huh?! You´re just like your mother, filth that doesn´t know their place. I won´t let you off this easily next time, you got that?"

I didn´t. I didn´t get that, I didn´t know what was going on. I understood her words clearly, but at the same time, I didn´t. I remember looking at her face and wondering if she was already this ugly since before. The pain then pulled my attention back to my face, I wasn´t able to answer her, or even nod. Maybe I should have tried to though, maybe she wouldn´t have spit on me if I gave her an answer she liked.

--

Ever since that day, my life had taken a drastic turn. My aunt didn´t allow me to go outside, she kept me from seeing the sun. Instead, she exerted me like a dog, the whole day, every day, because she would always find something new for me to do. My tasks mostly consisted of doing her chores, but in a disgustingly twisted way. When the toilet was clogged, I had to fix it with my bare hands; When I cooked for her, she threw boiling hot water at me; one time, she made me clean some rat feces by licking them off the floor. She said if I didn´t do it, she wouldn´t give me anything to eat. And still, all I would get were her leftovers or hard bread that must have been many weeks old because there was mold growing on it. At first I bothered removing the bad parts, but eventually hunger forced me to eat them as well.

I couldn´t complain, or say anything, she would beat me if I did. Soon the thought of killing her came to mind. This thought scared me, not because I was afraid of seeing it through, but because I was afraid of my own mind. I thought I´d never want anyone to die, or even get hurt. But this woman...

Though that idea disappeared as fast as it came. My aunt was an overly cautious person, never leaving an opening for me to seize. I had no choice but to give up on any chances of escape.

If I wanted to make my daily life even a little less like hell, I needed to give it my all to please her. The better I did, the less I would suffer. Or at least that´s what I thought.

Mom and Dad always praised me for my dexterity, nevertheless, I messed up a lot. My aunt would always hit me, ´try harder´ or ´do it faster,´ is what she´d say. Eventually, when I improved at the tasks she forced on me, she would still make up reasons for hurting me. I saw the bruises, scratches and burns multiply, and my body getting thinner and weaker every time I´d scrub it with a dirty rag in the evening. Because this stinking thing was all that I had to keep clean.

I sleep on the floor of a locked empty room, work all day, get almost nothing to eat and my aunt beats me up regularly. Under these conditions, I honestly don´t know how long I will last.

-- -- --

“Madeleine! I´m Hooome!” Vienessa shouts as she swings open the door to her apparently new home, but there's nobody there to greet her back

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“Madeleine?” Vienessa flicks a small switch on the wall to which the Magic Crystals above start shining a bright light. She looks around only to find the house empty.

“Huh, that´s weird,” she says as her eyes fall on a small note lying on the dining table:

´Sorry, I won´t make it home tonight. Some issues have come up at the guild that I´ll be tending to for the next few days. You don´t have to worry about me, if you planned to that is. I´m just busy. Please enjoy fighting monsters to your heart´s content.

-Madeleine´

“Hmm”

After reading the paper, the girl crumples and throws it into a bin and plumps onto the bed. However used she may be to sleeping on uncomfortable ground, she still enjoys being wrapped up in the softness of a high-quality mattress. She checks her [Status], lets her mind wander around for a bit and before long, tiredness takes over…

--

In a flash, it´s morning already. A second after waking up, the girl grabs her bag and is ready to leave through the front door. She plans to stop by the Northern Adventurer Guild to sell the Magic Crystals she gathered in the last two days. There's no need to look for an available High-Rank Dungeon yet because she wants to finish the one she started first.

The streets are bustling as ever and when she arrives and steps into the guild, she´s greeted by an intense yet fragrant smell of freshly cooked food to which her stomach grumbles. For once, she hasn't eaten anything since entering the Dungeon. A few sizzling sounds can be heard coming from the back. She approaches the counter and is greeted by the same receptionist from a few days ago

“Good morning, Vienessa,” he smiles “It´s nice to see you again, did you manage in the Dragon lair?”

"Where?"

"The Dungeon"

"Ah, yes, sure"

"Fairly difficult for only being Intermediate-Rank, isn't it? Here for some more information on it?"

“Uhm, not really? I just want to get rid of the Magic Crystals in my bag. I was told to exchange them here”

“I see, somehow my gut told me this would be the case,” he laughs

Vienessa raises an eyebrow: “Is that so?" but then just shakes her head. "Anyways, can we get this over with?”

“Sure. Show me the loot and I will take care of it”

“Here?”

“Yes, just place them on the reception desk”

Vienessa gives him an unsure look. “If you say so”

She opens her back and starts putting the Crystals on the table, one stone after another: “1,2,3,4…”

“How far did you descend?”

“7,8,9,10… I was only on the first floor for now”

“I see, there's just so much you can do alone in a day"

"13,14,15,16..."

His mouth turns into a faint smile as if reminiscing about something

"It would need some luck to find the entrance to the next floor. And even then, there would be monsters on your way back again," he says as his eyes drift to the pile of Magic Crystals that is accumulating on his desk

“24,25,26,27…”

“There... would be, right?”

“36,37,38,39,40…”

The man loses his words and eventually starts wondering if the world is bugged and there are infinite crystals in her bag

"46,47,48 and 49... that should be all!"

The receptionist gives her a blank look. His eyes shift back and forth from the mountain of Magic Crystals and the girl. Vienessa gives him an innocent smile

He sighs

"I... I won't even ask, I don't want to," and massages his temples "How about you eat something while I prepare your reward? Your stomach's been giving off some noises since earlier"

"Sure, I don't have any money or whatever on me though?"

"Normally I would just deduct it from your reward, but this one will be on the house. See it as a token of apology for the other day"

"Then I'll gladly accept!"

"You can just sit down wherever, I'll see to it that your food finds its way to your table as soon as it's ready"

Vienessa nods and occupies a lone table at the edge of the guild while the receptionist disappears through another door. Subconsciously she prepares for the food to take a while, but before she knows, it a young woman brings her a plate of mashed potatoes with homemade sauce, meat and some salad.

"Enjoy," she smiles

"Thanks," Vienessa smiles back and digs in

The food is good, very so: It's hearty and juicy, with a wide variety of textures and taste. The Demon's hunger acts as the final spice to round it all up.

Some minutes later, she finishes the huge portion and pats her stomach in satisfaction. From the corner of her eye, she sees the receptionist approaching her table

"You know you can take your time, right?"

"Nah, don't wanna"

He pauses. "Well, I guess as long as you enjoyed. Here's the promised pay"

The receptionist puts a small pouch on the table in front of her. The girl peeks inside to see that it's entirely filled with silvery coins

"Isn't that quite a lot?" she asks, to which the receptionist frowns. "What did you expect after bringing me that much? Even a B-Rank party would need well over a week for that amount"

The girl just shrugs her shoulders as if not really understanding what he's on about

"Anyways," the receptionist continues "I needed to go through some older documents, but I found some information involving the middle floors of the Dragon Lair. I wouldn't rely too much on it as it isn't up to date, but I hope it can still prove useful in some way"

"Oooh! Now that´s a real reward!"

Vienessa grabs the old paper out of his hand and hastily looks through them. The receptionist laughs a bit, then wishes her luck before taking the empty plate back. Shortly, Vienessa throws them notes into her bag and takes her leave as well.