Nobina found herself waiting for lunch to come as her focus slowly shifted away from her task of getting up to speed on the financial situation of the Navira Adventuring Guild. As she worked, she found her gaze wandering to Carina as she did her own work. Nobina couldn’t help but wonder why a noble like her would work in the adventuring guild. Was it to keep relationships between the lord and the guild as smooth as possible? Was it a play to help keep the guild in line by planting someone inside of it in a good position?

All these questions, yet Nobina didn’t want to ask any of them. The worst case was Carina getting upset at Nobina and forcing some punishment on her. Despite her being a guild employee, Carina was still nobility. She wasn’t sure if it was true, but the limited information she read on the nobility mentioned how they had the power to make someone’s life hell. It made her worry about the noble she had encountered before Carina.

“Nobina,” called Carina, snapping her out of her work.

“Yes?” responded Nobina, standing up.

“It’s lunch. Let’s head out,” said Carina as she slowly got up herself.

The two of them left the room and headed downstairs. As they began walking through the guild, Nobina noticed that any guild employee who was nearby gave Carina a bow, likely to show their respect to nobility. Nobina wondered if she had missed any proper etiquette with Carina upon meeting her if people were bowing to her.

Eventually, the two stepped out of the guild into a ray of sunlight. Carina wasn’t bothered as she continued to walk, her stride even more meaningful as she walked with purpose towards their destination. Nobina could only follow, hoping not to fall too far behind. As they walked, Carina began a bit of small talk with Nobina.

“So Nobina. How do you like our city? It must be different from your small town, right?” she said, her focus remaining forward.

“Oh yes… It’s quite small in comparison. There’s certainly a lot more to do as well,” she responded back, making sure to avoid running into people as they chattered.

“Hm… Yes… I guess there is,” said Carina, her words reflecting her entering a bit of thought.

Soon, they arrived at a small yet beautiful café. The outdoors had a nice set of umbrellas, which was a surprise to Nobina, considering it gave the café a more modern feel. Besides that, the people there seemed to be of higher status, as everyone was wearing clothes that screamed fashion. It made Nobina feel out of place in her guild uniform, but she wasn’t going to delay their lunch to merely change into something more formal. Plus, this was supposed to be a nice, quiet lunch.

“Table for two,” called Carina to the nearest waiter.”

“As you wish Ms. Laguna,” said the waiter.

Laguna was one of the minor families under Lord Kasanta, the leader of the estate they were all in. Navira was the largest city in the estate, but Lord Kasanta’s residence was farther away, in a walled-off complex. Nobina had made sure to learn a bit about the city before coming there and it was paying off in spades.

“Let’s go,” said Carina, following the waiter. Nobina soon joined her, keeping at a respectable distance.

The two were seated in a small section that was separated from the rest. In the section was a single table and four chairs. Besides that, the section had beautiful artwork, a nice diversity of plant life, and even a single employee waiting at the entrance.

Carina took her seat, and Nobina took the seat opposite it.

“The usual for me and the same for my co-worker Nobina,” said Carina.

The waiter nodded, heading to get their order. As he did that, Carina gave a pleasant smile to Nobina, staring at her as she began to speak.

“You’ll love the Sunset Tea,” smiled Carina. “It’s said that those who drink it feel the relaxation that comes with a sunset. One’s senses are relaxed, and they feel the stress of life fade away for a bit.”

“That sounds divine,” responded Nobina.

Carina chuckled upon hearing Nobina’s words.

“That’s truly beautiful vocabulary you have Nobina. Divine… I’d never expect a commoner to speak such elegance.”

The word commoner threatened to make Nobina flash disappointment, but she managed to keep a business posture as she began explaining her word choice.

“Oh… You see, I’m a writer, so solid word choice is fundamentally important,” she said, giving Carina a smile.

Those words made Carina flash a look of surprise.

“I never expected a…. you, to be a writer,” she said. The sudden change in attitude felt weird as Nobina sensed Carina censoring herself now.

“Yes… my path is the Path of the Writer. I’m working towards releasing my first book on adventuring one day, so that’s why I’m working at the guild.”

There was a mix of emotions from Carina, but eventually she settled for curiosity as she asked her next question.

“Really… I’ve never heard of the Path of the Writer. Is it a unique Path?” she asked, her curiosity growing.

Nobina contemplated hiding what she knew but decided to merely tell her own truth instead.

“I’ve been informed that is rare at the very least. It’s a Path that supports my dream and one that should help me reach it.”

Carina nodded, a proud look on her face.

“Meeting a unique non-combat path is such a beautiful thing,” she said. “In a world like ours where the unique paths are often combat related, I’m surprised that you’ve bound yourself to such a low position as a guild officer. Don’t you aspire to become more?”

Nobina had to give that some thought. She did aspire to be a writer, but she didn’t care if she became famous or not. All she wanted to do was complete her dream. However, perhaps it was weird she didn’t have an ambitious goal.

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“Well… I wish to do whatever it takes to accomplish my dream. At the moment, it felt like being a guild employee positions me well enough to do it, but I’m always open for a better route,” she responded back.

She wasn’t actually sure if she wanted to take a different route, but if she told Carina she was content being a guild employee and just that, Carina would likely think lowly of her.

“I see! That’s a smart decision by you,” nodded Carina. “Truth be told, I’m only a guild officer because it gives me connections I wouldn’t have otherwise. Plus, I’m not in the main family, so any sort of power is a boon to it.”

Soon, the tea arrived, with both of them thanking the waiter. Nobina gave a sip of the tea, which caused her expression to change immediately. It felt as if she was suddenly at the end of the day, with sunlight making her feel warm despite none being there. She wanted to merely relax and smile instead of think about anything stressful.

“You see?” smiled Carina. “The Sunset Tea is one that can get you through any annoying moments. You should come here more often, though I guess ten gold per tea is a bit pricy for a normal employee.”

The moment she said that, Nobina’s felt herself internally screaming. The tea suddenly felt too valuable to drink, making Nobina slowly set it down and smile.

“Perhaps, though such a tea is unfortunately out of my budget.”

Carina shook her head.

“It’s a shame that you’re not in a financial situation that can afford you such a delicacy. Of course, ten gold is nothing to nobility, even a minor family such as myself.”

Nobina could see a disappointed look on Carina’s face. However, it was clearly directed at Nobina’s situation rather than Nobina herself.

“Say,” said Carina. “Would you want to become nobility?”

The question made Nobina freeze as she tried to comprehend what Carina was saying. However, she didn’t need to say anything as Carina began explaining.

“It might sound strange, but a commoner can become nobility. Of course, one would think I mean you marrying someone of a noble line, or you being adopted into nobility. However, there is another method that is quite simple and one you can easily accomplish,” said Carina, taking a sip of her tea.

“Do tell,” responded Nobina, sipping her tea to relax herself.

Carina, enjoying Nobina’s expression, gave her the answer.

“Ask Lord Kasanta to grant you nobility,” she smiled.

The thought of asking Lord Kasanta seemed outrageous, as Nobina knew she was merely a guild employee. What right did she have to ask for a noble status from someone as powerful as Lord Kasanta?

“Is it really that simple?” asked Nobina. “I can’t imagine Lord Kasanta would grant anyone the right of nobility.”

“But you aren’t just anyone, right Nobina? Should I address you as the Hero of Agora?”

Nobina choked on her tea but managed to swallow it.

“I beg your pardon?” she spoke, setting her cup down.

“You have the achievements, skills and connections to become a noble by merit Nobina,” said Carina, giving a nod. “The moment you told me your dream and Path, I’ve became certain about giving you the push to become a noble with my recommendation as well. I’m sure Aunai would be open to recommending you as well as your guild master.”

The moment she said that, a glow appeared from the Gaze bag of Nobina’s. It made Carina pause as she looked towards the bag next to Nobina.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, but what is that bag?” asked Carina.

“It’s a magical item that generates objects that usually fit the situation,” said Nobina. “I’ll have to look at it later though, since we are talking about something important.”

“Indeed,” she nodded. “Manners are pretty important, so I’m glad you aren’t letting yourself be derailed. But yes, I believe you are fully capable of being a noble. Honestly, we have so many nobles by birth that don’t deserve the esteem position. Some of them act in such a disgraceful manner that honestly sickens me. If I was Lord Kasanta, I’d have them punished or expelled, though I guess we need minor nobles to do the dirty work.”

Nobina was about to mention Carina being a minor noble herself, but she opted not to put a target on her back.

“So… Will you become a noble Nobina?” asked Carina, patiently waiting for a response.

“I’m… willing to be one if necessary, but I must ask… What does it mean to be a noble?”

Carina put her right-hand fingers to her chin as she thought.

“What it means to be a noble… Honestly, a noble is someone who leads those who need to be led. They are individuals of status that are granted a powerful position and are expected to become examples of outstanding individuals. It is why the king is considered the highest position after all. They are the person who truly exemplifies what a noble should be and thus, we tend to follow the king’s example as nobles ourselves.”

Nobina gave a nod. It made sense that Carina saw nobles as a position of power, yet one that should be a good example to all. It made Nobina wonder though about Carina’s clear dislike of commoners, but she decided it was a question for another time.

“That being said, not all nobles are pure or should be pure. Some nobles are needed that are able to put their foot down and get things done. For example, as a minor noble myself, you might think of some of my actions as unbecoming of a noble. However, my role is to support the higher positioned nobles like Lord Kasanta. As a result, I’m trying to recruit you as a minor noble. Your support is bound to boost Lord Kasanta’s position, while it also gives you tons of benefits that a commoner would never have.”

It started to make sense to Nobina as to why Carina made the offer of nobility to her. Carina saw it as a way to boost her own, Lord Kasanta’s, and Nobina’s position. It was something Nobina found commendable, but it did rub her the wrong way a bit.

“So… Do you want to go now?” asked Carina.

“Can you give me some time?” responded Nobina, stopping immediately when she realized she didn’t flat-out accept an offer. She worried it would immediately sour Carina’s mood, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“It is wise to not make haste with such a decision. I do recommend getting Aunai’s confirmed support first then letting me know,” nodded Carina.

When she took another sip of her tea, she looked around a bit and then nodded.

“Seems like its almost time to head back. I’m not asking you to make the decision immediately Nobina but think about it. There are a lot of benefits to being a noble and it does give you an easy path to becoming a writer.”

Carina didn’t wait as she got up. The waiter gave her a nod as Carina departed.

“Oh. Don’t rush yourself Nobina,” said Carina, turning to her. “I’m merely heading back because I really want to get the research done. You can spend a bit of time here and enjoy a dessert if you wish. Really take in what it means to be a noble and the benefits of it.”

Nobina gave a nod, prompting Carina to leave.

As Nobina sat there, the waiter appeared before her, setting a menu.

“Here are today’s deserts. We have a beautiful Rainbow Cheesecake and Aurora Brownies for today’s deserts.”

Nobina began salivating immediately upon hearing that, but she realized that she didn’t have time to get lost in the benefits of nobility. Rather, she needed to answer Carina’s question.”

“Say,” said Nobina to the waiter. “Did you overhear anything we said?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded. “I’m sworn to secrecy however and if I reveal the information to anyone my head will likely roll. It is the price to be a servant to nobility.”

“Then can you answer this questions? Do you see any reason one would not want to become a noble?”

The waiter seemed to hesitate to answer, but they eventually took a breath and did.

“I will say one thing. One should only become a noble if they feel it necessary. The role of a noble isn’t one to easily be earned or discarded. Their influence is far greater than most and commoners do depend on them in times of need, like with heroes.”

Nobina gave a nod.

There was a lot to think about since she didn’t know what the correct choice was. She wanted to speak to Aunai, Mimiki, and perhaps even Lila before giving Carina her answer. For now, she decided to check her bag before heading out.

“Oh right. Can I get a Rainbow Cheesecake,” said Nobina instantly, not wanting to waste a chance to taste something she suspected would be amazing. Part of her wanted to question why cheesecake and brownies existed in the shop, but that was a question she didn’t need to answer at that moment.

“As you wish,” said the waiter, departing to get her the dessert.

As he left, Nobina checked her bag and found a doll. It had no note with it, but Nobina began thinking about Fay the moment she held it. Moments later, it felt as if Fay was hugging Nobina, making her almost tear up due to the feeling. Setting it down, the feeling went away, making Nobina realize the doll must have had the power to replicate Fay’s hug.

“I miss you Fay,” said Nobina, taking the doll and hugging it again. “I bet you’d know the answer to this question.”