Chapter 2 - New skills, old habits

Eran rose from his bed the moment the moon fell past the horizon. The first weak rays of the early morning light caressed his face and illuminated the tiny inn room. Waking during the beginning of the twilight hour had been hammered into him since he was a boy. As he dropped down to the floor and began the workout routine that the academy had drilled into him, he reflected on the events of the past few days. Becoming a monster girl tamer was a dream he never allowed himself to have, and yet he became one anyway. In the battle against the salamander, Wendy had attributed their success to his knowledge, but it was also true that he hadn’t landed a single blow on the creature. Had Mark and Dimitri not been such prolific fighters, Eran was sure the outcome would have been more grim.

“Knowledge is my best asset, but when it comes to monster girls I’m sorely lacking in information… No, even the things I do know aren't actually that useful.”

Dimitri had a point. If the information he held about the large salamander was only true in the realm of fiction, then they would have lost. Eran’s vaunted knowledge base was faulty. There was far more about the world that he didn’t know than the things he did, and most of his information came from the pages of fantasy stories.

“No more daydreaming. It’s time for me to make fiction reality.”

Filled with renewed determination, the fledgling adventurer made his way downstairs. At the bottom of the staircase was the front entrance to the guild house. To his right, an open door invited him to return to the tavern he had so thoroughly enjoyed himself in the night prior. The savory scent of a hearty breakfast wafted through the doorway and made Eran’s stomach growl. It was enticing to put a meal before anything else, but he had remembered how busy the guild hall across from the tavern had gotten during the middle of the day. With that in mind, Eran wandered to his left after descending from the staircase.

The guild hall was an open room that went deep enough to allow for multiple rows of tables to fill the room. The longer walls were occupied by a consistent line of tall and skinny windows that let plenty of morning light in. The windows on the right side gave a clear view of the town outside, while the opposite side revealed a large outdoor courtyard lined with target dummies. With how wide and open the courtyard was, Eran imagined it was likely used as a sparring ground.

Immediately upon his left when turning the corner was the receptionist’s desk. It was built into the entire wall, and held enough space for five workers to comfortably assist any adventurers that needed to do official guild business, or collect rewards for a job done well. Eran had received his guild card there the previous afternoon, and he was thankful that there were no long lines so early in the morning. There was only one receptionist working at the moment, and she was happily chatting away with a young man who had the appearance of a rogue.

As he walked toward the opposite end of the guild hall he glanced around at the dozen or so people who occupied the tables. Among them, he recognized a couple familiar faces from Greenhorn Academy. Seeing them helped to ease his nerves in his new environment. The young man hadn’t realized how tense he had been that entire time until his shoulders finally relaxed. Though he wasn’t homesick, going through such a stark change in lifestyle made him subconsciously long for the life he had left behind.

At the far end of the guild hall was what the guild workers referred to as the job board. The entire surface of the far wall was covered from top to bottom with sheets of paper that were tacked on. Eran had overheard some adventurers refer to it as the “job wall,” and now he understood why. There was no shortage of work, and the variety of it was rather extreme. Delivery jobs, exterminations, monster hunting, swordsmanship tutoring; there were many tasks that the people of Oakwood requested of the guild house, and in turn the adventurers within. A fair number of jobs tacked onto the wall was work that Eran used to do frequently as a teenager growing up in Greenhorn. The pay was a couple iron coins more than he expected, and the young man was familiar enough with manual labor to be able to knock out enough requests in a day to earn a decent wage. With a small stack of job requests in his hands, Eran strode across the hall and approached the receptionist’s desk.

“Please Miss Eleanor! Allow me to be the one to sweep you off your feet!”

The rogue adventurer shouted from the top of his lungs as he thrusted his hands forward. Cradled in his palms was an expensive-looking gold ring that glittered even in the dim morning light. Everyone in the room turned their heads toward the source of the passionate shout, but it only took a few seconds for most of them to lose interest, and they resumed what they were doing before the interruption.

One of the older adventurers turned to a Greenhorn graduate and muttered under his breath. “Happens everyday. Don’t pay it any mind.”

With a pleasant smile on her face that didn’t show even the slightest hint of annoyance or frustration, the receptionist leaned up close to the rogue and whispered something into his ear. Whatever it was made his face become flushed, and he scampered away leaving the ring behind.

“There we are. Hi sweet thing, I don’t think I recognize your face. Are you also from Greenhorn?” The receptionist was now directing her smile toward Eran. The young man felt his own cheeks become warm as the lady’s gaze fell onto him, a seductive glint lighting up her green eyes. She was clearly an older, more mature woman, but her features were so youthful that it was difficult to pinpoint her age. Bouncy auburn curls framed her attractive face, and her fair skin appeared as smooth as silk.

“Y-Yeah, I am. I just wanted to accept these jobs, if that’s okay.” Eran had a hard time maintaining eye contact with the receptionist, but letting it falter would not have been any easier on him. Should he have allowed his gaze to wander, it would have bounced around between her various pieces of lavish jewelry and her generous cleavage that she kept on display. He could feel it tugging away at his vision, the low hanging necklace she wore acting as a siren that only attracted more attention toward the depths below.

The woman noticed the request forms Eran held, eliciting a feminine giggle. “Oh darling, there’s no need to tell little old me that you’re heading out for the day. Just bring those papers back, with proof of completion, and I or one of my other lovely coworkers will fetch your reward.”

“Doesn’t that make it hard to keep track of which jobs have been taken?”

The receptionist’s smile widened. “How adorable for you to worry, but you let me handle those pesky details, okay sweet thing? I promise you we can keep very good track of which jobs are either in progress or have been abandoned.” With a hint of pride, the woman rested a hand on her chest and proudly puffed it out.

“I see… I guess I’ll be back later, then.” Eran awkwardly scratched at his cheek as he turned to walk away.

“Just a minute, sweet thing.” Once the woman knew she had the young man’s attention, she gave him a professional bow. “My name is Eleanor, and I hope your time spent here in Oakwood is a fruitful one. Don’t hesitate to rely on me for anything you might need, and I do mean anything.” When she straightened back up, she gave Eran a flirty wink that made his cheeks become flushed.

“T-Thank you, I’m Eran. I’ll be sure to come to you if I need help with something.” Feeling like his heart was about to burst in his chest, the young man rushed outside of the guild hall and made his retreat to the tavern across the way. “That woman is scary…”

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Eran spent the entire day performing odd jobs around Oakwood. It was a good opportunity for him to learn the layout of the town, although it was that same learning process that caused him to finish later than he anticipated, just moments before the dusk hour. Though he would have liked to have had more free time before nightfall, he couldn’t complain about being twenty five iron coins richer.

“Still, that’s exactly half of what I made yesterday…”

Five silver coins was his share of the two gold reward that came with slaying the salamander. There was good money to be made as an adventurer, but only for those who took on the more dangerous work.

After collecting his reward at the guild hall, Eran walked past the staircase and wandered deeper into the first floor of the massive building. There were several rooms available for adventuring parties to use as a place for holding private strategy meetings, each one filled with various maps of the surrounding areas as well as books on local flora and fauna. He also found the door that led to the outside sparring ground, but there was another room that caught his eye.

At the very end of the corridor was an impressive set of dark wooden doors. They were left ajar, and the comforting light within the room seeped through the crack to invite anyone who came near for a peek inside. Eran entered the room, and what he saw made his heart flutter. Tall bookcases filled the room and lined the walls, and there was a second floor balcony that wrapped around with even more bookshelves. Right away, Eran picked up the woody scent of a library that he was in love with. At the far end of the room, near where the staircases to the balcony began, was a fireplace that only added to the warm and cozy atmosphere.

“Hello there, welcome to the library. Is there anything I can help you with?” A woman greeted Eran the moment he walked in. She was dressed in a dark brown suit as she sat comfortably behind her desk, a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Her long brown hair was tied back into a neat braid, and a pair of large glasses rested on her nose as she gently tilted her head at Eran. Combined with the calming atmosphere of the room and the woman’s gentle demeanor, the young man felt invited and welcomed.

“I was just looking around, but I’m happy to have found a library. I’ve never seen one this big before.” He looked around to take in the sight once more, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

“Lovely, isn’t it? You are more than welcome to enjoy it with me. If there is anything you would like to read I can show you where it is, should we have it. We carry quite the assortment here.”

“Really? Since this is an adventurer’s guild, do you carry books on magic?”

“Only books that are relevant to true novices of spellcraft. The archmages from Caelestis keep a firm grasp on most of their material.” The woman placed her book and coffee down on her desk, adjusting her glasses before continuing on. “Are you interested in learning? I happen to be quite knowledgeable when it comes to magic.”

Eran was about to say yes, but he stopped himself. He knew that if he said he was interested, he would spend the next several months learning yet another discipline. Wendy was an accomplished mage for her age, and even she struggled to hit the salamander without being counterattacked. What he needed to do was focus on a singular skill and become excellent at it. “Actually, there is something I need help with.” He reached into his bag and set his tome of tamer spells on the desk.

The woman’s eyes lit up upon seeing the book. “I see. So you are a brand new tamer, then. Congratulations.”

“How did you–?”

“I’ve seen this tome before.” She stood up with a smile on her face and gestured toward the empty tables nearby. “Have a seat and I can help you with any questions you may have. Would you like some coffee to help keep you awake?”

Eran shook his head. He wasn't a fan of the bitter drink. The eager young tamer pulled out a chair for himself and sat down at the table, placing the spellbook at its center.

With graceful steps, the woman sat down in front of the young adventurer and introduced herself. “Forgive me for taking so long to say this, but you may call me Miss Rosbin. I am the guild librarian. Might I learn your name, young tamer?”

“It’s Eran. Nice to meet you, Miss Rosbin.”

The librarian gave Eran a friendly smile before slipping into a more serious mood with a quick clearing of her throat. “Now then, to begin. What do you know of magic already, Eran?”

“Just the basic concepts, really. I know about the four elements, the difference between lunar and solar spells, and a little bit about latent and innate spellcasting.”

“Very good, that will make explaining things much simpler. Have you read through the tome yet?”

Eran shook his head. “I haven’t gotten around to it. I was hoping to do that today before bed.”

“In that case, allow me to simplify the four spells written within.” Rosbin cracked open the tome and dragged her finger along the pages, highlighting its contents as she made her way through the material. “Soul Bind is what makes you a tamer. Scholars do not understand how this spell works, only that it is capable of binding a monster girl’s soul to your own upon using it. Naturally, you can’t just use it haphazardly. The spell only works on monster girls that have been beaten down, or even slain if the spell is cast soon enough after their death. Once Soul Bind is cast it cannot be undone unless the tamer or the monster girl dies, so choose your girls wisely. The average tamer can only handle having four or five monster girls bound to them at a given time.”

“I see…” The fantasy stories Eran read never painted tamer spells in such a light. The heroes he looked up to often recruited monster girls after beating them of course, but they were always willing. The idea of forcibly binding another creature’s soul to his own left a sour taste in his mouth. “What does it mean to have a monster girl’s soul bound to mine?”

“Simple. Any command you give, they must follow.” Miss Rosbin spoke matter-of-factly as she turned the page. “Of course there is a bit more. The next spell, Summon, allows you to simply summon any monster girl that has been bound to you. There is also Enhance Ability, which temporarily gives your chosen monster girl a boost of energy.”

“They’re all solar spells, then?” Eran asked.

The librarian smiled at Eran, nodding her head in approval. “Very good, Eran. Indeed, all tamer spells fall under the solar category, as well as being unaspected when it comes to their element.”

Eran studied the sigils inscribed within the tome. As Miss Rosbin continued her explanation of the spells, he felt himself beginning to understand them more and more. Within his mind’s eye, he could accurately trace each sigil, and he was confident that with enough studying he would be able to do it from memory.

“Moving on, we have the final spell this tome has to offer: Slow. Unlike the others, this one doesn’t involve Soul Bind at all. Simply cast it toward an enemy of choice and they will find their movements considerably slowed. Though not strictly involved with monster girl taming, it is still a useful spell and follows the same principles as the other tamer spells.”

“That doesn’t really sound like a solar spell, though. Aren’t they supposed to be more supportive?”

Rosbin adjusted her glasses, a sharp light reflecting off of them as her smile evolved into a smirk. “Ah, a common misconception. Solar spells tend to be supportive in nature, but the nomenclature comes from the end result of the spell itself. The goal of solar magic is to have the mana used for the cast remain, such as erecting a stone wall or imbuing an ally’s weapon with one of the four elements. Conversely, the mana used in lunar magic always ends with it being dispersed. It is why you will never see a firebolt cause anything to catch on fire.”

“Ah! So then Slow is all about putting a magical weight on something with unaspected mana!”

“Precisely!” Like a satisfied teacher, the librarian clapped her hands together. “In ancient texts, the mages of eld referred to the two types of spells as ‘Creation’ and ‘Destruction’ magic. Somewhere along the way, we attributed them to the heavenly bodies.” Rosbin took a sip of her coffee before continuing. “There are more tamer spells, but each one is some variation of the four you have been given. The exceptional tamers go on to develop new spells of their own by modifying them.”

Eran stared at the sigil for the Slow spell. Before Miss Rosbin’s explanation it was a jumbled mess, but now he could see that the once seemingly random lines and shapes had a purpose to them. “I get it now… thank you Miss Rosbin, you’ve been a great help!”

“The pleasure is all mine, Eran. Should you find yourself wanting for more information, or even just a decent book to while the hours away, the library’s doors shall remain ever open to you.” After giving such a grandiose statement, Rosbin finished the last of her coffee and returned to her spot at the librarian’s desk.

Armed with new knowledge, Eran spent the remainder of the day studying the sigils before reluctantly retiring to his room.

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A full week passed for the young adventurer in the blink of an eye. He spent his early morning and afternoons completing odd jobs around the town, while dedicating his evenings to studying his tome in the library. He had no way to test if he could truly cast any of his tamer spells, but he did have a strong feeling that he was capable. The young adventurer’s routine had not changed much from his time in Greenhorn, and he was comfortable.

“Hoy! Eran!”

As the fledgling tamer entered the guild hall to begin yet another day of labor, he came across a familiar face. “Oh, Mark! Good morning. You look like you’ve been doing well.”

The warrior wore a brand new leather chestplate, and hanging from his waist was a pair of hatchets. “Hah! It is a pretty good morning, isn’t it? I’ve got a killer job lined up, so I made sure to buy myself some new toys. A merchant is paying me good money to be his bodyguard.” Mark unhooked one of his hatchets and held it up to the light, admiring the blade’s sharp edge. “It sucked pretty bad having only one weapon to rely on. I learned a lot fighting that salamander.”

“I’m surprised you had the money to buy all that. Did you get paid in advance or something?” Eran touched his coin purse and felt how light it was. He had about eighteen silver coins himself, which was a far cry from the three gold coins that Mark’s armor alone likely cost him.

“Haw! As if a merchant would pay a d-list adventurer like me anything before the job is done. I just barely managed to scrounge up enough coin, but hunting monsters in Trent Forest pays well. What have you been up to?”

“Well I–” Eran cut himself short. He felt the question strike him somewhere deep as he thought about the answer. Since the salamander hunt, Eran hadn’t set a single foot outside of the palisade walls. “Small jobs around town. Moving boxes and getting rid of rodents, stuff like that.” A sense of shame washed over the young adventurer as he admitted that.

Mark awkwardly smiled at Eran, and in Eran’s mind he imagined the warrior was pitying him. “Well, everyone starts somewhere. You’re new to town, so it only makes sense you’d wanna get used to it first.” The burly man patted his friend on the shoulder as he made his way toward the exit. “I oughta get going, but why don’t you try something that’ll take you outside of town? I’m sure our honor student can handle it.”

After his friend was out of sight, Eran lowered his head and clutched at his chest. There was a nagging feeling of embarrassment that he wanted to rip out. When he closed his eyes, he could see a certain blonde adventurer derisively sneering at him.

“It never bothered me before, but…”

For the first time, he found himself disturbed by the idea of Dimitri looking down on him. It was easy for Eran to ignore his former classmate’s harsh words that had painted him as an unambitious oaf, because Eran believed that once he became an adventurer he would give it his all. Now that he was one, there was no excuse for him to have continued walking down the path of least resistance.

Eran stepped up to the section of the job wall where most of the low-level jobs were posted. It had thinned since his arrival, and most of the higher paying requests were already taken by him. His eyes scanned the area and fell upon a job that caught his eye.

Lost Kitten

Our pet calico went missing, she’s very important to our family.

Please return our daughter home.

Payment will be 2 iron.

Time Limit: None.

It was a potentially time consuming job with negligible pay. “If I keep letting myself take all the easy jobs, would I end up doing small stuff like this too?” Eran thought to himself. Feeling pathetic, he pressed his hand against the sheet of paper and let out a deep sigh.

“... huh?”

Something was off. For some reason the texture of the form felt different, as if it were heavier somehow. Eran poked the paper a few times before he noticed the outline of another sheet hiding behind it. The guild workers were very careful about overlapping request forms, so for one to be so thoroughly hidden struck the young adventurer as odd. He carefully removed the hidden job request from the wall and looked it over.

Emergency Delivery

In need of a trustworthy adventurer to deliver a parcel to Trentmoor Manor.

Must not open the package under ANY circumstances.

Payment will be 5 gold upon delivery.

Time Limit: 2 days upon accepting.

- Lady Elizabeth Trentmoor

Eran felt his heart nearly leap out of his throat. Five gold was an exceptional amount of money for such a simple sounding job. His first thought was that it had to be some kind of prank, but the potential reward was too great to ignore. He waited in line to speak with a guild receptionist and slid the piece of paper their way.

“Excuse me, I found this form on the job board…”

“This one? One moment, please.”

When the receptionist handed him a small wooden box and reminded him to respect the client’s confidentiality, he could no longer convince himself that it was just a prank.