I was literally speechless with no idea how to respond to Lucy's question. Really, only now she noticed I do not have shoes? However, I didn't want to yell at her, because the fact that I didn't have shoes wasn't her fault.

"Yes, all the time," I nodded with a sigh.

"Oh my, your legs must hurt," Lucy said.

I smirked. "A little, I'm getting used to it. Thanks to that, I also gained a skill."

"That's nice, but did the slavers take them from you?" The healer asked me.

"No," I shook my head and looked around. We were in a group of adventurers moving through the forest. Although there were considerable distances between us, I could not be sure who could hear me. I had to choose my words carefully. "I'm barefoot from the very beginning."

"You didn't have shoes when you came to this forest?" Lucy asked, not wanting to say out loud that I was otherworlder too.

"I wasn't planning to go on an adventure," I muttered.

Lucy chuckled. "I see that."

"Hey, what do you mean?" I countered.

I know that I have paid little attention to my appearance since I showed up in these woods, but she didn't have to remind me like that.

"Well, it's just that no one would go to Greendale Forest dressed like you." She pointed at me. "By the way, what are you wearing?"

I blushed. "Pajamas."

"Oh, I've never heard of it," Lucy said, taking my breath away.

How could she not hear about the pajamas? What the hell were they sleeping in? "I'm sleeping in it."

"So something like nightgowns, or nightwear," the healer said.

I shrugged. "I guess it's just the clothes I wear to sleep."

"It looks comfortable," Lucy said. "Maybe a little too much fabric."

"What do you mean, what are you wearing here?" I asked her.

Lucy thought before answering. "Like I said. Most often, people wear nightgowns or nightwear. I sleep in underwear."

"In what you've been wearing all day?" I asked her in disbelief.

"Sometimes, even longer. Most adventurers do so. We can't be noble ladies and gentlemen in the wilderness, not when our lives are at stake. Even with the barrier around the camp and night patrols, I wouldn't risk sleeping only in a nightgown. A large part of adventurers do not even take off their armor," Lucy said.

What she said made sense. When I showed up in the woods, I would give anything for some armor, and I would definitely not take it off at night. I knew how dirty my pajamas were now. Its features were amazing, but they did not include self-cleaning. I looked around at the women and men who were going to Mitta. How long had they been in the woods looking for slavers? Three campsites could not be raided in one day. They had to be here for a few days at least, and in the forest, that could be like a sauna. I experienced that myself. Their underwear...I shook my head to get rid of the thought.

Their hygiene was not my concern.

But Lucy laughed, and I did not understand why? "Sorry, your expression was priceless."

"My expression?" I wondered.

"I know what you are thinking about right now. That everyone here is wearing weeks old unwashed shorts and panties, don't you?" She laughed and dug her elbow into me.

I knew I was blushing, but I had to ask. "...don't they?"

"Well, I can't speak for everyone," Lucy grinned. "I don't check their pants, and I'm quite sure there are people with underpants like that. However, most adventurers carry a few pairs of clean underwear on expeditions or have a magical tool that can clean it. Some like me have the skill to do that for them."

"You can wash your clothes with skill?" I asked.

"Yeah, my [Purify] doesn't just cleanse miasma and toxic substances from the body. My panties are utterly clean. They are pure," said Lucy proudly.

"That's good," I said because I didn't have a better answer. I felt embarrassed to talk to her about her underwear. How did we get on this topic in the first place? However, I got the idea because of that. "Could you Lucy use [Purify] on my clothes?"

"Feel free to call it pajamas. It sounds exotic, and the answer is yes," she smiled. "It'll be better if we stop for a moment."

We walked away from the procession so we would not stand in the way of anyone and stopped. I was looking forward to finally seeing a proper spell up close. I couldn't help but be disappointed when it went without incantations and magic circles. However, I was not completely dissatisfied because this time, not only her hands shone, but Lucy shone faintly whole. In a moment, my clothes shone with white light too. Here and there, I saw black smoke rising from it.

It was over in a moment. I quickly checked my pajamas, and it was perfectly clean. It didn't take me long to realize that I felt much better, too. My hair was not greasy, although still tangled and disheveled. When I sniffed my armpit, I didn't feel any stench, so I looked at Lucy.

"Did [Purify] wash me too, or does it just seem to me?"

Lucy smiled. "Take it as a bonus."

"I must say, it's a very useful spell," I said.

"Um-hmm, you don't have to tell me," Lucy nodded.

I wanted to ask her if I could learn it, too, but I was interrupted when a man in armor and a sword in his hand came running up to us.

"Where are the others?" He asked quickly.

I looked at him. "What others?"

"Undead, you came across the undead, didn't you?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the forest.

"No," I said hesitantly.

"But it was [Purify], right?" asked the adventurer.

Oh, how do I explain that? Lucy?

"Man, it was Lucy Hart," one of the adventurers in the procession spoke. "If you're looking for the undead, look in her underpants."

Laughter came from their ranks. "She uses it on her clothes. Tell me about overkill."

"This is Greendale. You can't find the undead here, man," said another.

"To my displeasure, I found one dead in your shorts last night," the woman said, making the others laugh.

I ignored their teasing and looked at the man who had run up to us. He was very frustrated by all this, but I appreciated his intention.

"Um, thank you for your quick response. It's good to know that when I need help, there's someone I can count on," I said.

The man looked at me, and when a smile appeared on his face, I knew the situation was saved.

"At your service, madam," he said, tucking his sword. "May I ask, are they telling the truth?" he asked.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The healer nodded. "Yes"

"You are using [Purify] to clean clothes?" He asked again.

"Yes, is there a problem with that?" She replied.

The man shook his head. "Not at all, ma'am, I just haven't heard of anyone using master tier magic for cleaning."

"That's because they don't know how clean it is then," Lucy told him.

The man laughed. "I will have to believe you, madam. It was a pleasure."

All the while, I waited for him to get angry and get into a fight. Instead, it ended with a laugh. It amazed me.

"They told me Mitta was a crazy place," I heard the man mumble as he left.

Lucy took my hand. "Come on, Kirra, we should go too."

She was right, the end of the expedition was slowly approaching us. I definitely didn't want to end up alone in the woods again. Although I had a good idea of which direction Mitta was, and I was sure that I would have no problem tracking so many people back to the city, I did not want to fight for a bare life in this forest full of bloodthirsty monsters.

"There is always someone like that on these expeditions," Lucy said, frustrated.

I looked at her. "You mean the man who ran up to us?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Someone new who is surprised, like him. Once, I don't even know where it was anymore, we camped in the evening, and I used [Purify]. A man with a sword in his hand and trousers at his ankles jumped out of the bushes. I was more shocked by what I saw than he was."

I could imagine that, but I didn't want to. "But most seem to know about you."

"Most of them are from Mitta, or they've been in it for a while," Lucy shrugged. "So they know about me, or they've heard of me."

"It's like you're someone famous," I said.

But Lucy shook her head. "Not at all, I just grew up in Mitta."

"Oh, why do they say Mitta is a crazy place?" I asked her.

She should have known if she grew up in that city. I wanted to know what the city of Mitta was like when it was where I was headed right now. Especially when it was said that crazy things were happening there. It was not a complaint. I was glad that some cities were here and that this wasn't a forgotten planet full of monsters. I was just interested.

"Well, from time to time, something crazy happens in or around Mitta. Maybe for that reason, it attracts weirdos from all over Elaaden, which means even more… crazy." Lucy explained.

"Like what?" I wondered.

"Like you," she pointed at me. "How did you get here?"

Oh yes, of course. No ritual, summoning magic, or anything like that. I just found myself there. Confused, alone, in my pajamas and toothbrush in my mouth, I had to survive. "Does it happen here often?"

"You mean a case like you?" Lucy asked, shaking her head after my nod. "No, you're the first, but there are other things. But it depends on what you think is crazy. Something in the city explodes almost every week, but in Mitta it is normal. The workshop of an alchemist, or a failed magic experiment, people bet on where the next explosion will be. Last week, a bakery exploded as they tried a new recipe there."

Now I wondered what kind of bread they were trying to bake, that their bakery had exploded. I knew flour could explode under the right conditions, but I was sure it wasn't the case. What kind of croissant or cake could they bake there that caused the explosion? The thought of sweet pastry was mouth-watering. I liked sweets, even though I tried to avoid it. It was a temptation that I, like most women, had to resist if I didn't want to be fat. I would now give in to this temptation.

Back to reality. The city where something exploded every week didn't seem like a nice place to live. Constantly counting on the possibility that the store I visited could blow up felt like waiting for a terrorist to walk through the door and drive a bullet through my head. That wasn't something I liked.

"Sounds like a pretty dangerous place to live," I said. "How often does someone die in such an explosion?"

Lucy thought. "Rarely, they usually miss a limb or fingers, some burns - at least there's a lot of work for me in Mitta and for other healers."

Yeah, you had to look at it from the bright side, and from her point of view, this city was good because it had a steady supply of customers.

"Then why did you go on this expedition? I mean, if you have a store in Mitta?" I asked her.

"Because I don't have it. I'm an adventurer, and when I'm not an adventurer, I work for the Guild. There is no shortage of people who need treatment from a healer like me. People from the city also go there for treatment. I went on this expedition because it is well paid," she explained to me.

I looked at her. "Oh, so it wasn't a noble reason to rid this place of slavers?"

"That was the goal of this expedition, Kirra. I helped Chris organize it, and I went to help achieve that goal and help those who needed it, like you. But you have to be realistic. The expedition would not have taken place if the adventurers had not been paid. If the reward wasn't tempting enough, they would find another job, so would I. That's why the Guild is here to take care of such things, like money and protection. Greendale Forest is a place for budding adventurers. A safe place where they can gain their first experience. Those slavers wanted to use it and make money on people who have no experience and the strength to stand up to them. I think they should execute all those bastards, but they'll end up like slaves in the mines." Lucy said, kicking cone on the ground in frustration.

I didn't want to argue with her because their fate seemed somewhat ironic and deserved. As slaves in the mines, they will contribute to society in at least some useful way. The Guild will probably finance this expedition by selling them. But another thing occurred to me.

"I've heard the name Greendale several times now. It is this forest?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, this whole forest in the valley below the Sierra mountain is called Greendale."

"Ok, and you said it was a place for beginners?" I wanted to make sure I heard correctly.

"Exactly, Greendale is a place for beginning adventurers. They are not in much danger here. Leaving aside the slavers. It is an ideal place to gain their first experience," said Lucy.

I frowned. "But it's a forest full of bloodthirsty monsters, the bear, the rats."

Lucy stopped, then put her hand on my shoulder. "Kirra, I don't want to make light of what you've been through. Being able to survive in Greendale with what you had, with no level of experience, is absolutely amazing. When I talk about beginning adventurers, you have to understand that most of them have their main class at level thirty and the other two around level twenty. They are ready. They know what monsters live in the forest, what to expect, what to avoid, what not to eat" she looked at me. "They have armor and weapons, and most importantly, they have their party. You definitely can't compare yourself to them."

She was right. It couldn't be compared. It was just really frustrating. I went through hell there, couldn't even count how many times I thought I was going to die, how much I cried, and in fact, it was a place for strolls to adventurers. Their backyard.

"I understand Lucy, it's just hard for me to accept - I almost died there," I said, looking at her. "What about the Shadow Tiger?"

"Yeah, he's a bit of a tricky opponent, but he usually attacks only weaker prey and not groups," she said, patting me on the back. "It's amazing that you managed to defend yourself against him."

I tried to smile. "Thanks"

System decided to diversify the awkward silence which occurred with notification.

(ding) Barefoot Walking reaches lvl 5

"What?" I asked aloud. Level 5, somehow I missed when I got to level 4, not that it mattered. It was a skill that will soon be forgotten. As soon as I get to the city and make money, the first thing I do is buy shoes. I never wanted to go barefoot again.

Lucy looked at me, worried. "What happened, Kirra?"

"Nothing, I just got a level in the [Barefoot Walking] skill," I said, waving my hand.

"Oh my god, you're still barefoot," Lucy realized again. "I completely forgot about it."

"Yeah, still barefoot," I shrugged. "That's me."

"Sorry, I have some spare shoes with me. I could lend them to you," Lucy suggested.

I hugged her immediately. "Please, and thank you."

She patted me on the back. "The expedition should stop in a moment for snacks and rest. Can you last for a few minutes?"

"I lasted a few days, I can handle a few more minutes," I nodded.

Lucy was right. A few minutes later, the whole expedition stopped so that everyone could gather strength and continue on their way. Not everyone had enough stamina to march all morning without a break. I also welcomed the moment of rest, but I was, even more, looking forward to the promised shoes.

I was burning with anticipation as I sat on the fallen trunk. A pair of leather boots appeared in Lucy's hands, standing in front of me. They weren't shoes I would usually buy, but I couldn't be picky now. Even these army-boots were a treasure to me. It surprised me when Lucy gave me a pair of black socks, too.

"Don't worry, they're clean," she assured me.

I smiled. "Thank you."

I immediately brushed my dirty foot with my hand, so I could put on my socks.

"Lift both legs," Lucy said.

I understood what she wanted to do, so I obeyed her order. Then, as she applied [Purify] to my dirty feet, I looked around, waiting for some hero to come ready to fight the undead. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed when no one showed up.

However, my feet were clean, and in a minute with socks and shoes on.

"Ahhh," I breathed a sigh of relief.

This was heaven. When I stood up, I didn't feel any stones or pine needles stabbing my feet. It was amazing.

"How do they fit you? Aren't they small?" Lucy asked me.

"They could be bigger, but thank you so much Lucy, you don't even know how much it means to me," I hugged her again.

(Dink) One or more of your equipment does not have a sufficient quality to be worn by Bearer of Legends. These objects cannot withstand the pressure of your presence and will be destroyed.

What? Destroyed? Wait! Insufficient quality? What does that mean… oh, the rope that turned to the dust. Was that because it wasn't good enough? So my new shoes… I immediately released Lucy from my embrace, sat back on the log, and started untying my shoelaces.

"No, no, no, no." I cursed because I tied them too well and firmly.

Lucy knelt beside me. "What's up, Kirra."

However, I did not have time to answer her and had to ignore her. I managed to take off my shoes, but the socks turned to dust on my feet. Dust which was blown away by the wind just as my great mood and my hopes that one day I will have my own shoes and underwear again. If I understood the message correctly, I could not wear anything other than Legendary items, thanks to my class.

"I hate this world," I growled.