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Here’s chapter 12! Sorry for info dumping you immediately before this, but I wanted to put down some basic world information if people are curious.

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I woke up in much the same manner as yesterday. Benson’s sword swings echoed softly through my room and, for the first time, I could hear the chirping of birds. I didn’t recall dropping my repellent runes, but, considering Benson’s friendship with the Lord of the Thrush, he probably took them down himself.

I wasn’t sure how trusting we should be of that monster, but it did seem genuinely terrified of Benson. It’s not like it could damage the house anyways. It’d take some serious firepower to mess with the reinforcement runes on this place.

I found a new outfit set out on my dresser for me by Tenia. I skipped getting dressed for now, though, and made my way to the bathroom. I found the bathroom fully stocked with toiletries, unlike the last time when I was stuck taking a quick cold wash. I hadn’t even noticed Tenia buying this stuff yesterday; she was really on top of things.

The shower was simple in design. Tiled walls inset with a small green porcelain bathtub had two nozzles sticking out of them, one for filling the bath and one higher up for taking a shower. A flower print cloth screen was hanging from a pole on the edge of the tub itself for privacy.

I messed with the nozzle for a bit, trying to make the water hot. I didn’t succeed. Still, at least this time I had soap. I cleaned myself the best I could, exploring my body a bit in the process. It was still foreign to me. I didn’t particularly mind becoming a woman, anymore. I would prefer my old body, of course, but the thought didn’t repulse me at least. The best way to describe it is, perhaps, as bearable. I wasn’t enjoying it, but I could live with it. It’s surprising what a person can get accustomed to, given enough time. I remember stories about men without lower bodies who’d walk on their hands, or sprinters without legs running in the olympics. Living as a woman couldn’t be nearly as hard as that, could it?

After my shower I found a toothbrush with my name written on it. Tenia is a terrifying woman, sometimes. Did she even sleep last night?

Now squeaky clean, I made my way back to my room wrapped in a towel. Back when the house was in Xternity, the towel rack was purely a decoration and couldn’t even be moved due to memory limitations… It’s strange seeing everything become real, at times. It’s just a reminder that I’m no longer in a game. Perhaps, considering my thoughts, Tenia is right about me needing protection. If I go about treating this world like the game world I really will die. It’s a terrifying thought, all things considered. Still, I’ve got a goal now and I’m very determined to find a way home.

The clothes Tenia set out were, against my expectations, much better than what I was anticipating. She realized that, since I was going to register as an adventurer, I would be wearing one of my custom made armors and so she laid out a set of thin undergarments and easy to move in clothes for it. I slipped them on and pulled one of my armors from my inventory.

The armor was leather in looks and weight, but mithril in hardness. Having a light-brown color, the pants had segmented armor pads along most major plains and a weaved mail on the joints. The upper torso was covered by a vest-like garment that fit well over my longsleeve. It too was brown in color and had woven mail between joints for flexible movements. Each arm was covered with two pieces, a long glove that ran up the forearm and a flexible armor piece on the upper biceps. A long staff was worn sashed across my back. It was a custom stave made for both knocking people on the head and channeling magic.

Everything I wore was heavily enchanted too. This was one of my higher tier sets designed for my personal use when I went out. It was my classic look in game. It was unfortunate that I didn’t find bulkier armors comfortable, though, because my womanly physique made this outfit look rather appealing according to my old Guildmates… It was one of the major reasons I focused so hard on crafting and only went out with my NPC companions. Still, if I had to be a woman now at least I didn’t look bad as one. The biggest thing about this outfit was how comfortable it was to wear and move around in. Not to mention one of the enchants was a self cleaning option to keep bloodstains and the like from ruining it. This cleaning enchant, in the real world now, was twofold. It also kept the armor comfortable even if I got all sweaty! Truly a magnificent piece of magic engineering! The staff itself was a rather high leveled one and had three spells it could instant cast with nothing but a simple mana charge alone. Each was on par with a tier 7 spell easily.

After dressing myself, I stored my staff in my Inventory. Carrying it around indoors was more troublesome than I anticipated without the buffering zone Xternity provided for item collision. I ended up hitting it off every doorway and railing on my way downstairs. I think I’ll have to carry it like a walking stick when I want to have it with me, rather than in the leather holster on my back… Maybe I could modify it and add a shortening enchantment to it… That wouldn’t be too hard. It’d ruin the balance, though, and I’d have to take away one of its other three active spells.

Deep in thought about the best way to modify my staff, I sat down for breakfast at the table Tenia had already set. Benson, today, didn’t need to be called inside. He was already walking in the front door as I sat down.

The meal was a bit simpler than yesterday. Each person got two eggs scrambled with some leafy green that tasted oddly similar to spinach. There was even cheese on it!

“Tenia, how did you get these ingredients?” I asked in a stupor.

“We went shopping together yesterday, Mistress. Did you not watch me purchase these goods?” She replied with a confused look.

“No, I didn’t,” I said as I took a bite. “But I’m glad you did.”

“Ah, don’t talk with your mouth full, Mistress. I am glad you’re happy with something this simple, though.”

Tenia seemed to be beaming with joy. Benson, of course, simply shoveled the food into his mouth all at once yet again. It definitely wasn’t enough for him. He had huge muscles and all. He probably needed more food.

“Okay,” said Tenia with a smile, “So our plan for today is to split up when we reach the town and go about our separate business. I’ll enter the Magician’s Guild and you two will sign up in the Adventurer's Guild. Let’s plan to meet up back here for dinner at say, around 18:00 hours.”

“That sounds like a solid plan,” I replied before taking another bite of my food.

“Oh, and are you going to be using that equipment, Mistress?” Asked Benson.

“Yea, I figured if we’re going to be showing off my goods might as well show off some of my better stuff. This armor looks good and it’s effects are powerful, so it’s perfect for what I want.”

“Does that mean you want me to equip my higher level gear too, Mistress?” asked Benson with an eager look in his eyes. His real intentions were obvious. He wanted to play with his special toys. Toys he was normally forbidden from dealing with.

“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea,” said Tenia with a concerned look. “Your high level gear is really showy, Benson.”

“Isn’t that the point, though?” Asked the lion beastman with a feral grin.

“I don’t mind,” I said, “But don’t overdo it. I doubt the beginner missions we can take will even involve fighting monsters. If they do, your High End stuff might be too much for the low level beasts we’d be fighting. We’ll probably need some proof of subjugation. In most stories it’s the ears of a goblin or something similar. If you completely annihilate the monsters then we can’t collect proof.”

“Ah, that’s a good point,” replied Benson as his eyes lost their luster and his ears drooped down.

“If you want, we can play around with the High Level gear later.” I said with a smile. At my words Benson’s ears perked up again and I could hear his tail strike against the chair he was sitting in. He was terribly easy to read. I wondered if that was a facet of his personality or if it had to do with his race as a beastman.

“That’d be nice,” he said with a goofy grin. Honestly, when I designed Benson’s body back in Xternity I made him big, strong, and fluffy looking. I was a big glad his personality seemed to reflect that fluffiness now. I was filled with the desire to just hug him, but I persevered against my impulses.

We finished our breakfast quickly. Benson went out and reactivated my repellent runes while apologizing to the birds, since none of us were staying to guard the house. It would be bad if some of those people trailing us found it while we were away. Even if we didn’t have anything of import lying around, considering our inventory, it was still a bit creepy to have people break into your home. Not to mention they could easily set up an ambush for when we returned. It’d be bleak to have to fight inside your own home. You’d easily ruin the upholstery with some bandit’s blood.

Once again the surroundings of Journey’s End grew quiet. Tenia took the lead and made us walk about a mile out of our way to the north before heading towards the town. She said she really wanted to make sure everyone thought our camp was in the northern end of the woods somewhere. Of course I thought this was just silly. They’d surely be able to eventually figure out where Journey’s End is if they really wanted to. They knew exactly what land I purchased the other day and, if they comb it over while using a map, they’d surely be able to find out a small circular section they’re unable to approach.

Still, those repellent runes are powerful enough that anyone under level 60 doesn’t have a chance to break through by force. Even Tenia and Benson would have a hard time getting in without their [Key]s unless they were particularly determined.

It didn’t take us more than five minutes to cover the full distance to the town. My armor, covered with numerous enhancements, gave me a movement speed comparable to Benson and Tenia’s higher gears. Of course without the proper eyesight it’s rather hard to control myself when moving at those speeds. Following Tenia was easy, though. She made sure not to move at too fast of a pace.

I pulled out my staff before we left the woods, finding it easier to use it like a walking stick than anything else. Of course it certainly didn’t look like a walking stick, though. If I had to say so, I certainly looked the part of a rich adventurer.

It was still early morning and not many people were out and about the town yet, thankfully. We quickly made our way through the farmland to the town square. Benson attracted a few stares from those that were awake, unfortunately. Well, it wasn’t exactly possible for him to fit in after all.

“This is where we part ways,” said Tenia with a smile. “I’ll see you both tonight for dinner, okay. If you’re late I will have to come find you.”

It felt almost like a latent threat coming from her. Benson didn’t seem to mind it, though. I just shrugged it off as well. I didn’t feel like getting nagged, so I’d make sure as hell I wasn’t late. Benson, though, if he ends up being late that’s his fault for sure~

Tenia walked to the Magician’s Guild and entered. Benson and I walked towards the Adventurer’s Guild.

The Guild Hall was a three story building with a steep roof. Unlike the Town Hall, there was almost no decoration on the outside bar the windows and a simple signboard. The guild’s front door was on ground level and seemed to swing open inwards.

I walked in first. The room inside the door was large and filled with tables and chairs. It looked more like a restaurant or bar than a Guild. On the left side of the building were several poster boards with papers hanging on them. Each poster board had a letter above it going from F to A. It was easy enough to understand at a glance.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

In the back of the room there were three counters, but only one had a woman behind it. The other two were empty. Behind her there was a door to a back room where, presumably, some kind of kitchen operated. A staircase ran up the wall on the right side of the room to a small outcropping that overlooked the dining hall. There was a door to a room there before the stairs twisted going up another level. I couldn’t see to the top floor from here, though, but I assume it’s probably just a door to another back room as well.

In the main hall there were several groups of Adventurers seated and talking with one another. Two groups of three were sitting squarely in front of the mission boards debating about what mission to take on. It’s worth noting they were only in front of the F and E boards respectively.

A few of the people looked over at us as we walked in, but most glanced away instantly as if afraid to catch our ire. I didn’t blame them for that. Benson was a giant lion man and I was a woman in absurdly expensive armor, after all. We were clearly either strong or high ranked, and to the people here it probably didn’t matter which. There was no way they’d get involved or pick a fight just because we were new.

We walked up to the counter in the back of the room and the woman, her nametag read ‘Susan’, offered us a smile. Her eyes were tired, but her grin seemed genuine enough. She probably wasn’t a ‘morning person’ judging by her looks.

“Welcome,” said Susan, “what can I help you two with?”

“Yes, we’re here to register as Adventurers,” I replied.

“Oh? I assumed from the way you looked you already were! You two certainly seem to fit the bill, at least.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” said Benson with a grin.

“I meant it as one,” said Susan. “It’ll cost a Middle Mark for each of you to register. Fill out these forms. If you need help writing ask Tommy’s group at the table in the corner there. They’ll do writing requests for a Low Mark or two.”

“I’ll be fine filling them out. Thank you,” I said as I handed over a High Mark.

The forms themselves were rather simple. Age, name, and race were all asked. Of course I filled mine out honestly. They probably had some kind of magic identification card thingy that would see through those anyways. Most fantasy stories had things like that. A magic guild card that automatically recorded your information and such.

I let Benson fill out his own card. I didn’t actually know his age and, all things considered, putting down three days would probably be weird. It looks like you could leave the age blank if you didn’t know it anyways, too.

Once we finished, we handed the forms over to Susan. She looked over them once before looking at us with a confused eye.

“Um, miss November, I think your friend looks a bit older than seven years.” Said Susan.

“Ah, yeah he doesn’t exactly know how old he is. He’s definitely over seven, though.”

“In that case I’ll just erase that and leave it blank,” replied Susan with a smile.

“Thank you.”

“Ah, also I’ve never heard of your race before, Miss November. Human/Fairy Hybrid?”

“Is that a problem?” I asked, trying my best to hide the worry in my voice.

“Ah no, no problem. Anyways, I’m going to go grab two blank Guild Cards for you two. Just wait here a moment,” said Susan as she slipped through the door behind her into the back room.

“Did I make a mistake in putting my real race, Benson?” I asked with a sigh.

“There is never a mistake in honest words, Mistress.”

Benson really was the right choice to go adventuring with. I could only imagine Tenia giving me death glares for all of my mistakes. He at least makes me feel not as terrible about them.

After about a solid 15 minutes of waiting, Susan came back. She had a strange look on her face.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a careful tone, “But our guildmaster wants to process you two herself. If you could follow me I’ll take you to her office.”

Ah, that probably wasn’t a good thing was it. I really should have lied about my race. Though I’m not quite sure why it’s such a big deal. Races in Xternity were just flavor options for appearance, after all. Though in this world Benson seemed to have some benefits from his… Perhaps my race is something strange in this world too?

Susan lead us up the staircase on the right side all the way to the third floor. I was right about it just being a door to a back room, by the way. It was fairly obvious, after all, that it was going to be the Guild Master’s room.

Susan knocked on the door carefully and a woman’s voice answered it, “Come in.”

The Guild Master’s office was a rather cozy place. It was filled with bookshelves and old maps. Weapons littered the walls like a mowed lawn’s fresh cut grass floating in a kiddie pool. In the center of the room, lined by large windows, was a desk and leather chair.

The Guild Master herself was a rather stout woman. She certainly didn’t have an hourglass figure. Her hair was dark black and curled sharply, hanging loose to about her shoulders. She wore a man’s suit, gray on black, and the shoulderpads looked a bit wide for her. Between her lips was an old cob pipe with fresh billowing smoke rising from it. This was the first time I had even heard of someone smoking, let alone seen it. I had assumed this world didn’t have tobacco, to be honest, so it was a surprise. I didn’t see it being sold anywhere so she probably had her own stash.

It made me glad I abhorred smoking in my past life. Imagine the torment of having to quit cold turkey when you came to a new world where cigarettes were a rare commodity.

In front of the Guildmaster’s desk two chairs were set up, clearly for myself and Benson. I leaned my staff up against the wall near the entrance before walking over and sitting down in the chair. Benson, though he didn’t disarm, sat down next to me soon after.

“You,” said the Guild Master as she pulled her pipe from her mouth, “Must be the little noble’s daughter Kelding’s all worried about.”

“Kelding? The manager at the Town Hall?” I asked.

“Yup.”

“Why is he worried about me?” I asked.

“Well, when a mysterious noblewoman appears in the middle of town with a bodyguard whose aura alone scared the bejesus out of everyone starts buying land in the middle of the forest, people start asking questions.”

“I see,” I said.

“And then, this noblewoman appears the next day with a second bodyguard that no one can even see through, and this one’s aura is just as terrifying as the first.”

The Guild Master met Benson’s eyes straight on for a moment, and then she shuddered hard before averting her gaze.

“And, to make it all worse, the noblewoman herself seems to be just as much of a monster as her guards. Tell me, girly, do you have any more of these behemoths hiding in the woods or is this the last one?”

“Are you asking me to give away the details of my security team? Surely you jest,” I replied with a glare. I wasn’t about to play along with this woman’s game. I didn’t realize the people of this world could sense someone’s ‘aura’. It felt a bit ridiculous. Was it some kind of spell unique to this world or was it well-developed intuition? Back in the Xternity days some of the higher level players could usually guess how strong a mob boss was just from a glance. They always said it was based off intuition. Could this be the same?

“Are you trying to play games with me, girly?” Asked the Guild Master as she met my stare.

“I came to register as an adventurer. Your questions are out of line.”

“... I like you. You’ve got some moxie. Reminds me of… Well, you remind me of me when I was young and stupid. Though, judging by your gear you’re far richer than I ever was. Where’d you get that stuff made, anyways?”

“Hmm? My armor? I made it myself.”

“Yahtzee.”

“Excuse me?” I asked with a puzzled look.

“Ah, no. We had someone use the spell [Analyze] on you but the only thing we could see were your professions. We couldn’t even see how skilled you were at them,” replied the guildmaster.

“You had me analyzed?”

“I mean, we analyze all newcomers in Golden Thrush. Besides, it’s not like we could find anything out about you from it,” said the woman before she pointed at Benson, “and we got even less information about that one. Only could get his title, ‘Benson of the Seven Thunders’, whatever that means. Your other ally, the mage girl, was ‘Tenia of the War Song’. How the fuck do you even earn titles like that?”

“You kill a lot of things,” said Benson, breaking his silence and making the guildmaster flinch.

“Heh, you said you guys were from New Hidet, but if people like you were there I’m certain I would’a heard about you through the grapevine. So what’s the truth, huh? You some refugees from Terran trying to escape the war out East? No, your accents aren’t close to Terran. You aren’t from Forlorn, are you? I mean, you’d have had to cross the Middlings if you were, but still…”

“Does our nationality matter?” Asked Benson with a growl.

“Ah… No, I guess it really doesn’t,” replied the guildmaster with an aloof grin.

“Can we get back to the matter at hand,” I said with irritation in my voice. “I came here to register for your guild. I’ve paid the fee and I’ve filled out your damned forms. What more do you want from me?”

“Ah, that’s right. I got a bit sidetracked, sorry. Basically I wanted to bring you here to tell you that I can issue you and your doberman here up to C rank immediately, but I’m not authorized to give you anything higher.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Since we can tell you guys are the real deal, there’s no need to make you climb the ranks like some newbies. I’m starting you out at C rank in the guild. I’d give you a higher rank if I could but, unfortunately, I’m not authorized. You’d have to go to a major guild like in New Hidet to get higher ranked than this. Our little town doesn’t have much in the way of work for anyone over D rank anyways.”

“If that’s the case then it’s fine,” I said in a careful tone. I wasn’t good with these high energy types like this guildmaster.

“Cool. If you don’t have a problem with it then I’ll have Selina give you your cards.”

“My name is Susan, Ma’am,” interrupted the clerk girl who I just realized never left the doorway.

“Susan, Selina, Sarah, it’s all the same. Just go get them C rank cards for now. Oh,” the guildmaster held her hand out towards me for a handshake, “my name’s Carolyne Carter. I’m a former S Rank adventurer and the current Guildmaster for Golden Thrush Town’s Adventurer’s Guild.”

“My name’s November Jackson,” I replied as I took her hand and shook it.

“My name is Benson,” replied my companion as he shook her hand afterwards.

“I’ll have Sacagawea brief you on the rules of the guild when she hands you your cards.”

Somehow poor Susan’s name only managed to get mangled further. I think I see why she had such a tired look in her eyes at the front desk earlier. My head was already starting to hurt from meeting this annoying Guildmaster Carolyne. Today was going to be a long day.