The next couple of days I spend getting the bare necessities sorted out. Wood from random tree-like growth in the dungeon is shoddily assembled into a hut-like structure. I sure am glad weather doesn’t really exist in this world, since this hut would probably not shelter for neither wind, nor rain. I had gathered up a stockpile of meat, this time from some small “scaled guinea-pigs” a bit further into the dungeon. I think their meat is a little more palatable and I have cooked it.

I found my old canteen that I received along the other gear from Ahorn for the expedition. I filled it with water and at last the little girl had enough for her to make it through a day or two.

These preparations were made as I was planning on leaving Kassa to go procure some clothes and salt in a city or village. There’s only one problem left.

If I was forced to stay behind in a shitty cottage, not doing anything but eating a drinking for up to two days, I would probably run around to do something.

I don’t want that.

And so, after some deliberation with myself, I think it is time to introduce the two girls.

“Come here, Kassa.” I say. She is currently sitting down with some long grass stalks which she is weaving together. She looks over and approaches me with her head down, like she is guilty of something.

I open my backpack and pull out the large book. Her eyes immediately light up and train on it. I open it.

“This here is Dixy, say hello, Dixy.”

“Hello there!” The book greets the girl. The girl lifts her hand and smiles a little. Oh! She likes it! I should have done this sooner!

“Dixy is here to keep you company, while I run an errand. It might be a little boring, but bear with it.”

She nods, but someone unexpectedly protests.

“I don’t want to.” Dixy does not agree.

“What? Why?” I am confused. She has never disagreed with me on anything.

“My purpose is to teach you magic, not entertain guests!” I wonder if it would ever have disagreed if I didn’t have her given an upgrade by God?

“Come on, Dixy, for me, please?” It feels weird begging a book, but I don’t know what else to do.

“On one condition” Dixy says. “You have to promise to spend an entire day with me! And soon, okay?” Wait, was she feeling lonely since I didn’t interact with her for a few days? It makes me smile a little.

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“Okay” I give my agreement and the two girls are left to get to know each other, while I set out.

I had been a bit nervous about finding my way back here, but I came up with a solution yesterday. I remove my shoes and activate high-level heat magic by the soles of my feet and run a little. Looking back, it isn’t enough and I increase the output, fearing I won’t be able to sustain for long.

But it is a success. This time, when I look back after a small run, clearly there are patches of darkened grass. I move my feet once again. Where I stood still for a little while had become pitch-black, so I get to moving immediately.

Coming back to the road, I run the opposite way of the camp. If I follow this road, I should happen upon a settlement sooner or later.

Re-equipped with my shoes, I up my speed to a blitzing level and within an hour, passing a few confounded travelers, a city emerges from the fog. I slow down as soon as I see it in order to not attract too much attention, but the entrance is guarded by a single man. I pray that I can enter with my hunter-tag.

The city itself does not seem too large, about the size of the settlement my birth-village had become, Honecker if I remember correctly. I breathe deeply and prepare myself to get past.

“Halt, who goes there?”

“Just a wandering hunter, hoping to find a bit of work” I introduce myself. He suddenly looks awfully eager.

“Then, your tag please” This was awkward. My tag has Yos written on it, can’t very well introduce myself as Yian if he sees it.

I try to flash it to him quickly, but he grabs hold of it and reads it. “Yos? The name of the evil king?” The guard asks perplexed and my mindset follows suit. Evil king? What is this? But I quickly find a chance.

“Haha, yeah, it is a bit embarrassing. I basically came from the middle of nowhere, and I didn’t know it was bad until I went to a city. I usually introduce myself as Yian.”

The guard thankfully doesn’t take it suspiciously and just laughs. “What a pickle to be in. Anyway, you can go right through. In these times, we will gladly take all the help from competent hunters we can get” He has a big smile on his face. I want to ask what he means with “these times” but I don’t want to appear any more suspicious, so I just ask the direction to the guild and thank him.

“Welcome to the city of God’s Win!” He cries at me as I walk into the streets. Strange name.

When I make it to the guild, the requests astound me. I had gotten the impression that most requests at the hunter’s guild would be for tricky to acquire stuff, but most of it looks like bulk goods in the local dungeon. In addition, it seems to be extremely well paid, upwards of ten times the asti I would normally expect for such a job. Reminds of the time the dungeon in Berliso shut down.

I make a remark out of it to the receptionist. “You’re not from here, is where you are from better off? Ever since the war there has been a real lack of men in the city, and we really need everyone to pitch in and hunt. Heck, some women have even been forced to take up the job” The man grumbles to me. There’s that war again. I try to learn more by making an off-hand comment.

“Right. And what did we even fight for? The loss of life doesn’t seem worth it to me…”

“Are you kidding? It may have been costly, but I am feeling darned happier knowing we are independent know. The tyrant called leader will no longer twist the entirety of mankind for his own needs!”

“You may be right. I just wish it could have been done more peacefully” I say vaguely. I wonder what happened. The leader seemed like someone everybody looked up to, last I was in society.