2. I don't belong here

Log 4 Fall

I don’t belong here.

Despite completing several beginner quests, no parties seemed to have much interest in joining forces on our personal mission.

That’s why we decided on a different approach, namely: enlarging our own party.

If we manage to find someone really strong, I will be coming back home. Adventuring isn’t my thing and I’m only growing more and more tired of Matz’s face.

Vinz

I knew Joanne was rocking me by the shoulder, yet I pretended to be asleep.

“Vinz, wake up! Vinz!”

“Let him sleep. We don’t need his help finding a new quest.”

I heard her growling like a wolf, “We have to do this together as a team! What’s the point of going on an adventure together if we constantly leave each other behind?”

“Stop being so dramatic. We’ll just fetch a quest and wake him up after. Let’s go.”

When at last the door shut, I kicked the blanket off me and sat upright. With them gone I had finally created an opportunity to walk around town on my own.

At the bottom of the creaking stairs, I ran into the innkeeper.

“Morning, youngster. Your siblings told me to tell you they were going to the guild.”

I faintly smiled and nodded before heading out.

With the freshly acquired freedom to wander wherever I desired, I headed straight for the town’s weaponsmith.

I knew the way since I’d spotted it from afar a couple of days ago.

Once I made it there, I peered through the window to watch the smith at work. His forearms were wider than my face. Looking down at my own, I got another reminder I was well away from my dream.

“What are we looking at?”

“Waahh!!”

I jumped and slammed my head against the windowsill.

“Hey, I’m not that scary, am I?” The twin tailed girl pointed at herself. “Now tell me, whatcha doing here?”

I avoided her eyes to keep my cool.

“I just wanted to see the smith at work. I’ll be off.”

“My dad? Nothing much to see through this little window, you know? Come on in.”

Come on in she says…

“Oi, Dad! I found an apprentice for you!”

“Apprentice?!”

“Apprentice?!!” I yelled even louder than her dad.

Like a whirlwind she flew out of the door again, leaving the smith and I standing there.

Seconds later she was back with a poster in her hands.

“Here. Smith of Grugian looking for an apprentice. Great job, me!”

Her dad put his tools away and walked down the slightly elevated workspace. Holding onto the ceiling.

“Hold your horses, Pandaii. This kid doesn’t seem like he wants to be here at all.”

“Uh… That’s not entirely true,” I suddenly found it hard to put my thoughts into words.

“See, all good.”

“No, uh…”

Her dad sighed and tapped his hand on my shoulder.

“I want to apologise for my daughter’s antics, kid. But do tell me, what’s smithery to you?”

This conversation suddenly turned into a test.

The longer I waited to answer, the more sour his expression got.

“Kid, I didn’t ask you to find a suitable answer. I want to know what it means to you. Speak from the heart.”

Pandaii suddenly jumped in front of me, bumping her fist from her chest to mine.

“That’s right, from the heart!”

From the heart they say… Putting me even more on the spot.

“I think swords are really cool… and some other weapons as well.”

Her dad roared a laugh, “There we go! Swords are cool, huh. Yeah that won’t do.”

See! I knew it!

“I bet most adventurers think the same thing, but it’s not like that’ll make them good smiths.”

“You want me to find an answer to what will make me a good smith?”

“‘Want’ is the wrong word, kid. I want to be rich, I want to be healthy and I want to split my heavy work in half. If you’re not the answer to any of those three desires, you’re not really any of my concern.”

This guy…

“But, your answer is one of your desires, is it not? In that case, I do think you should go and find it.”
With those words, both Pandaii and I walked out of the door.

“Feeling a little more motivated now?”

“Not at all.”

“I’m the patient type, you know? Feel free to shower me in gratitude once the motivation kicks in.”
“Why are you still on my tail anyway?”

“I’m going to the guild, dunno where you’re headed, but it seems destiny is sending us in the same direction for a while.”

Just then, of course then, we had to run into my siblings.

“Haah?! Vinz? On a date?”

Joanne pulled him back, choking him by the collar.

“Don’t bother them!” She hissed, dragging him away and trying to cutely disappear with a, “Byeee~.”

“Come back!”

***

After telling them everything that had transpired in the few moments of separation, Joanne still kept throwing glances at Pandaii and I.

“Well either way,” she said, “That apprentice stuff will not be happening any time soon. We’re on an adventure together after all.”

“Say what now?” Pandaii jumped up, “You guys are adventurers? Why didn’t you tell me, Apprentice?”

When someone asks you why you didn’t tell them something and you had zero intent to tell them in the first place, it becomes very hard to find an answer.

“I forgot.”

As she sat back down she crossed her arms, “It’s fine this time. But I suppose destiny really is sending us in the same direction, I was hoping to find a party at the guild to team up with for a while.”

“Oh~ Do you want to join our little party?”

She gave herself some time to think about it. Quite some time in fact.

“My big dream is to become the highest ranked adventurer, but I suppose that means I’ll have to start small. I think your cozy party might be the perfect starting point.”

“If you have a dream so grand, why didn’t you join a party earlier?”

Not that I was one to judge.

“Because she’s a weakling dreaming big of course.”

“What’s that?”

Matz isn’t usually the type to bicker with strangers, but when they’re at the verge of joining our triplet-party, I guess they made it to his green-zone.

Somehow this interaction led to a battle between the two, refereed by me, since Joanne was totally against violence.

“On three the battle starts. Ready?”

I looked both of them in the eyes, waiting on their nod of confirmation before starting my countdown.

“Three.”

With a single sweeping kick to the guts of Matz, caught off guard, the battle was settled.

“Pandaii is the winner.”

“Yay!” She high-fived me, since I told her about the countdown beforehand.

I didn’t necessarily want her to win, but I certainly wanted Matz to lose. Seeing her strength, she might’ve not needed my help in the first place. I’m sure she’ll be a fine addition to our party.
The glee of witnessing his defeat quickly withered away once I began thinking about my role in the group.

What am I good for?

It took me a second to realise I sucked my lips in as I brought my narrowed gaze to the ground. Matz and Pandaii pack quite the punch and Joanne can use her lightning from afar while healing when called upon.

What can Vinz add to this?

Before Matz got off the ground, Joanne appeared beside him in the blink of an eye, trying to cast a healing spell on him.

“Don’t.”

“But—”

“Don’t. I’m fine.” He wiped the dirt off his clothes before menacingly pointing at Pandaii. “You’re stronger than you look, but you’re also a cheater. The moral victor is Matz.” He served himself some applause as he walked off.

Joanne got up as well and trudged our way.

“Do you still want to join our party?” She looked all worried with her droopy eyes.

“Yeah, sure!”

There really is no point in me being here. It won’t be long before they say, ‘You can go back home if you want.’ I just know it.

I really, really don’t belong here.