Rookie Hunter

— Thank you for saving us! We owe our lives to you!

Sun: "Don't worry, we're glad we made it in time."

So I did travel back in time... I don't have my Stocker. I guess I'll have to hold onto this weapon.

I hold the trumpet Shizuru gave me.

— By the way, my name is Karen. How can we repay you for your kindness?

Sun: "We're about to reopen our guild. Can you give your testimony to the association, so they know we're not lying?"

Karen: "Sure! Ah, we sell things in our village too! I'm a nurse, but there are lots of shopkeepers here. We can give you a discount!"

Shizuru: "That would be lovely. Don't go back on your promise."

We go to the guild association. As we enter, everyone notices our presence. Since there are five of us now, including the nurse, they consider us more important. I go straight to the receptionist.

Sun: "We would like to reopen our guild, Red Moon. She's here to prove our participation."

Karen: "Yes, they saved my village! Before I could get here to announce the emergency, they saw me on the way and offered to help us. It was at least a C-rank mission."

The bystanders were surprised by that revelation.

— Understood. Your guild, Red Moon, currently has two members. One is level 15, the other is 14. Would you like to register additional members?

Sun: "Yes. One is D, the other is Shizu..."

Shizuru: "Shizuru."

I thought she cared about secrecy...

— Since this is your first C-rank mission, you will gain a massive amount of experience, and your guild will be promoted to D-rank. However, if the guild finds your claims fraudulent, your guild will be demoted and temporarily banned.

Sun: "Understood. Uh... we need some Stockers."

— How many?

Sun: "Four. Do you want one, Karen?"

Karen: "No, we have some in the village."

The receptionist gives us four Stockers, one for each member of the team.

Stopping to think about it, I should have asked the villagers so I wouldn't have to carry this heavy thing and arouse suspicion.

I open the bag and bring the trumpet closer. Somehow, it gets sucked inside.

This is a rare item. I imagine this bag can hold two more before I upgrade it.

Sun: "Well, I guess that's it. Karen, can we take a walk around your village? I want to see if there's anything useful for us."

Karen: "Sure! Um, since you already know the way and know how to fly..."

Nebula: "I'll take you. Don't worry, I use a shield that protects us from air resistance."

Karen: "Whoa, really? Can you teach me how to fly when you have time?"

Nebula: "That's a bit difficult to learn if you don't know how to use magic... Maybe if there's a wizard or witch in your town, they can teach you."

Karen: "Oh, how convenient! We have a wizard. He can sell you some good stuff!"

Nebula: "Really? I'm not used to magic items, but I can try."

We fly to the village. An old man greets us. He was one of the hostages.

— We are very grateful for your kindness, adventurers. My name is Oracle. I sell various items useful for your journey. If they're cheap enough, I can give them away for free!

Sun: "Oh, are you sure we deserve that much? What do you have in stock?"

Oracle: "Torches, shurikens, daggers, anvils to forge your weapons, furniture and more!"

Sun: "Hm, I think I don't need any of them as of now. Torches, for example..."

I light my hand with fire.

Sun: "...I don't need light sources."

Shizuru: "But I do."

Oracle: "How many?"

Shizuru: "One hundred, maybe?"

Oracle: "Here, free of charge!"

He hands her a torch, surrounded by a white magic circle. It has a number written on it, indicating how many torches there are in the set. Shizuru takes the 100 torches and hides them inside her Stocker. Since it's a common item that doesn't take up much space, the bag has no problem holding it.

Shizuru: "Also, give me some shurikens and daggers. One hundred of each."

Oracle: "Since they're a bit more expensive than torches, I can't give them away for free. Look at this scale."

He places a stack of shurikens and another of daggers on a scale. A price appears on the screen.

Oracle: "If you place your Stocker here, the scale will deduct the price from your bank account. I can't take more than what's on the screen. If someone steals from you, you can dispute it at your bank, which is the guild association in your case."

Shizuru places her bag on the scale. The screen confirms the purchase.

Oracle: "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

Sun: "Do you have anything for melee fighters?"

Oracle: "Sorry, but that's out of my league. Our village has a forger. If you bring him the right ingredients, he'll craft any weapon you want."

Sun: "Sounds convenient! Oh, I forgot to thank you properly, Karen. Not only for the courtesy, but for healing my leg. Did you use magic? It was faster than I could have imagined."

Karen: "A nurse never reveals her secrets. If you get hurt, I'll heal you instantly for the right price."

A man approaches us. It's the other hostage, the one in the apron.

— What the hell is taking you two so long? We need your opinions on the table, you know?

Karen: "Oh, this is Daniel. He's our town painter."

Daniel: "More visitors? I heard you saved our village, but I can't give discounts or I'm gonna go bankrupt."

Karen smiles at us awkwardly.

Karen: "Don't worry, he's like this all the time."

Daniel: "By the way, old man, were the orcs telling the truth? Do you hide a safe somewhere?"

Oracle: "Everyone has their secrets and the right to keep their savings out of the sunlight."

Daniel: "Yeah, but you refused to give your money to save us."

Oracle: "They would kill us either way. Our only hope was to wait for adventurers to arrive."

Daniel narrows his eyes, suspicious.

Daniel: "Is the gang coming to the feast? You're not part of the town's affairs, but we'd like some protection for a while."

Karen: "Oh, I forgot to invite you! Since you saved us, how about a free luncheon? Our chef will prepare a special meal that can help you recover!"

We head to the cafeteria and sit at a table. Karen smiles at us, leaves our guild alone, and sits at another table with the villagers.

Shizuru: "This sounds suspicious."

Sun: "Relax, it's not like any poison has an instant effect on us."

Nebula: "I can analyze the health value of foods."

D: "My body is different from yours. I will protect you if anything happens."

Sun: "So, Shizuru, are you okay with this?"

Shizuru: "I don't need your protection... I can survive on my own."

Sun: "It's not about surviving. It's about living."

Shizuru: "It's the same thing."

Sun: "All this time you were surviving. Now that you're with us, you're going to live through good times and bad. That's how life is."

Shizuru: "It's not that different."

Sun: "You may say that now, but adapting is harder than it seems. So, are you okay with this? Do you want to be part of our guild for a while? You can always change your mind."

She looks at the table thoughtfully. A chef places a huge grilled chicken on the table.

Sun: "Wow, that looks delicious! Thank you!"

He salutes us and leaves. Nebula examines the food for a while.

Nebula: "Not a single trace of poison."

Sun: "Excellent! Let's eat now, maybe it will boost our minds to think better."

I take a huge chunk of chicken and eat it quickly. I feel a sudden boost in my senses, and my body feels lighter. Shizuru is struggling to think of how to cut the chicken and eat it without getting dirty.

I take another piece and hover it close to her mouth. She looks hesitant at first, but then removes the mask from her mouth. Just as she's about to take a bite, something unexpected happens.

Her head gets pierced by a bullet.