As Nyarko disappeared into the back, her tail flicking with a swish, Kurono turned to Shirou, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "Do we ask her about the region?" he asked, his voice quieter than usual, as if the mere suggestion could unravel the thin threads of their safety.
Shirou, ever the pragmatic one, studied the back of Nyarko's retreating figure with a calm, calculated gaze. "No," he said, his tone steady, betraying no sign of hesitation. "That will be too suspicious. Stick to asking her about the monsters and the magical plants of the region. Keep it simple, keep it safe. Remember, it's her duty to act friendly, to put people at ease. But don't let that fool you." He met Kurono's gaze, his eyes hardening with a quiet warning. "We're in an unknown world, without even the basic knowledge we'd need to navigate it properly. It's better to avoid sensitive topics for now. Don't mention the enemies, their plans, or anything that could give us away."
Kurono listened carefully, but a part of him resented the reminder. They were no longer in the comfortable safety of their previous lives, where every conversation had the warmth of familiarity. No, here, everything was uncertain, the very air seemed heavy with the weight of unknown dangers.
He let out a slow breath, his eyes momentarily clouded. The world outside had been nothing but darkness and violence, and this—this fragile peace, this calm—was starting to pull him in. The difference between the harshness of battle and the comfort of this place was like a stark line drawn through his mind. One moment, he was haunted by blood-soaked memories, and the next, he was sipping tea and listening to idle chatter. It made him want to retreat to the past, to a time when he hadn't been burdened by death and destruction.
He swallowed, the familiar sense of guilt rising in his chest, and muttered, "Sorry, I'll keep it in mind." He didn't look up at Shirou; instead, his gaze fell to the floor as he spoke. It was an acknowledgment, a silent apology. He knew it was wrong to grow comfortable here. He couldn't afford to forget who he had become. The harsh truth lingered at the back of his mind, threatening to surface at any moment.
He wasn't the same. He couldn't pretend otherwise. The blood of his people stained his hands, the weight of their deaths pressing down on him like a suffocating cloak. The shift in his thoughts was undeniable. The peaceful mindset of the past, so naive, so distant, now felt like a different life altogether. He had killed—he had taken lives. And with each one, his desire for death and destruction had only grown. The soft, gentle thoughts of before had been replaced by a fire burning hot with rage, a need for retribution that had shaped him into something far darker.
'I can't let myself be blinded by this new world. Not now,' Kurono reminded himself fiercely, his fists clenching at his sides. 'I need to see if Big Sis Raikou is here. I need to find a way back home, but before I do, I need to make them pay. I can't let what happened to my family go unpunished. I won't.'
Shirou, sensing the internal battle raging within his companion, sighed quietly. He didn't like being the one to pull Kurono back from his darker thoughts, but he knew it was necessary. If he let him get lost in this fleeting peace, it would be too cruel in the long run.
"Just be careful with your words," Shirou said gently, his voice soft but firm. "No need to act harshly. We have to play this carefully. Too much anger, too much aggression, and we'll be the ones making mistakes."
Kurono nodded, but his thoughts were already elsewhere, consumed by his need for vengeance. He took one last look at Shirou, then walked toward Lily, where she sat, waiting in the lobby, her gaze warm but enigmatic as always. He found himself yearning for the simplicity of their past life, but he knew that nothing could bring that back. Not until he had dealt with the enemies who had stolen everything from him.
As he moved toward Lily, the weight of his thoughts didn't lift. It was there, heavy and unyielding, a constant reminder that this world, with all its mysteries and comforts, was not his home. Not yet. Not until he'd burned everything that threatened his family to the ground.
-----------------
"Well then, my brave little band of newbie adventurers, welcome! I'll be your cheerful instructor today, teaching you all about the guild and the glorious life of adventuring!" Nyarko announced with an enthusiastic twirl, her feline ears perked and her tail flicking with delight.
She practically radiated joy, her tone far too sprightly for someone discussing what was, essentially, a dangerous and often deadly occupation. There was none of the grim-faced caution one might expect from someone working in a field where "death by wyvern" was considered a minor hazard.
Shirou raised an eyebrow, his arms folded in mild surprise. "She's the one giving the lecture?" he mused silently, having expected someone more… seasoned, or at the very least, serious. But it seemed the guild really was short on hands. His first impression of Nyarko, however, was quite clear: this was someone who had seen combat — a warrior at heart. Her lean frame hinted at strength, though not magic-based. Beastkin were known for their raw power, after all. And anyone working with adventurers, no matter how cheerful, couldn't afford to be soft.
Still, her energy was disarming. She was like a particularly excitable kitten in a room full of sleeping dogs — chirpy, wide-eyed, and entirely too confident. Shirou couldn't quite understand why someone like her would take up a desk job.
But her duties were her duties — and any guild employee worth their salt would report interesting newcomers to their superiors. They would likely be meeting the guild head soon.
"Hehe, actually… this is my first time doing this!" Nyarko confessed, scratching her cheek sheepishly.
"Oh?" Kurono asked politely, keeping his tone friendly while quietly reminding himself to stay cautious. "Is Nyarko a new employee here at the guild?"
"That's right!" she beamed. "I've not even been here a full year, but already I'm the poster girl of the Irz Village Adventurer's Guild!"
Kurono tilted his head. "Poster girl? Is that your self-proclaimed title?"
"I am the poster girl in reality as well!! How rude, Kurono!" she huffed, her ears twitching with mock indignation.
"Alright, alright," he said quickly, raising his hands in surrender. "I get it. Nyarko is the guild's official poster cat-girl."
"As long as you understand!" she chirped, tail swishing again. "Now then! Enough chitchat — it's time to begin our grand lecture on all things adventuring!"
Kurono, Shirou, and Lily chorused, "We'll be counting on you," although Lily's expression was more bewildered deer in headlights than anything else.
"Umm, right then! First, let's begin with the Rules and Important Guild Information!" Nyarko said with theatrical flair.
"Shall I take notes?" Kurono offered.
"Oh! Yes, please! That'll help a lot!" Nyarko clapped.
Shirou gave him a small nod, silently entrusting the duty to him. Kurono had already shown a good grasp of the written language, and his memory was reliable.
Nyarko passed him a clean, white sheet of paper and a smooth pen. Kurono blinked in mild surprise. 'Paper of this quality? Not parchment? It's nearly identical to modern Japanese printing sheets... Have they developed pulp-processing technology? Or is it… magical in origin?'
He scribbled the date at the top of the page as Nyarko began.
"Now, the guild exists to match adventurers with quests — requests, really — submitted by towns, villages, or even private individuals. Kurono, you knew that already, right?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "the village head mentioned it."
"Perfect! Then we can skip the boring bits," she smiled. "Anyway! The details and rewards of a quest passed through the guild are checked and verified — usually, that is. If the information is incomplete or can't be confirmed, the quest form will say so. From there, the adventurer decides whether to take it."
Kurono scribbled diligently, nodding.
"But!" Nyarko raised a furry finger dramatically. "Sometimes, there are emergency quests! These are the scary ones — compulsory missions during disasters or monster-related emergencies. If, for instance, a dragon shows up, the guild will issue an order. And you have to obey."
"What happens if someone refuses?" Shirou asked coolly.
Nyarko's ears flattened slightly. "If you refuse… you'll have to pay a hefty cancellation fee. And if you don't, the guild can remove you from its registry entirely."
Kurono frowned slightly. "What happens to someone removed from the guild?"
"Well," Nyarko said more seriously now, "you lose access to all guild facilities. And if you try to take quests privately, without guild mediation, it's incredibly risky. People lie, exaggerate, or underpay. Once you're blacklisted, adventuring becomes near-impossible. So, really, it's best to follow the rules."
-------------
"I see. Is there any other way that might lead to being kicked out of the guild?" Kurono asked, brows slightly furrowed as he dipped the quill into ink.
Nyarko nodded with exaggerated solemnity, her ears twitching as if to punctuate her seriousness. "Oh yes, several ways, in fact! Though most of them involve either idiocy, arrogance, or a combination of both."
Shirou glanced sideways, a flicker of amusement behind his stoic mask, while Lily remained still, her expression blank, as though she were watching a squirrel lecture on geopolitics.
"The first and most obvious," Nyarko continued, clasping her hands behind her back and pacing a little like a professor who had been waiting all day to use her lecture voice, "is to ignore the rules around rewards."
She stopped short and tapped the request form on the desk with a clawed finger. "The guild takes ten percent commission from the client's payment—already deducted before the adventurer even lays eyes on the numbers. This isn't negotiable. It's our way of keeping the system afloat. The guild backs every request listed here, which means that if the client vanishes, gets eaten, or simply keels over from old age, the guild pays the adventurer regardless."
"That's… surprisingly reliable," Shirou remarked under his breath.
"But!" Nyarko raised a finger in dramatic fashion, "Should you fail the quest, abandon it halfway, or break your leg running away from a slime, a cancellation fee will be docked from your hide—or wallet. Whichever you hand over first."
Kurono nodded slowly, the quill scratching across the parchment in neat, fluid lines. "So, as long as you complete the quest, the reward is guaranteed. But if you fail, you may have to pay."
"Exactly!" Nyarko beamed. "Simple arithmetic, really. But you'd be amazed how many folks argue over it—bless their poor math-challenged souls. Honestly, Kurono, you're a rare find. You might actually understand what I'm saying."
"Flattery won't get you anything," Kurono replied, though a smirk betrayed his amusement.
"I'm being sincere!" she huffed. "Most people get glazed eyes the moment I mention percentages. And don't even get me started on the ones who think 'ten percent' means they're entitled to negotiate!"
'I suppose in this world, being an average high school graduate from Japan might make me a certified genius by comparison,' Kurono mused silently. 'It's not that I'm especially brilliant—it's just that the general level of education here seems… rustic, at best. No wonder so many get scammed or stuck with penalties.'
He didn't feel superior, exactly—but the thought that Pandora might lack the basic infrastructure of public education painted a rather grim picture. Could these people even defend themselves against serious threats like the Apostles, who seemed more like legendary monsters than anything else?
Shirou, too, seemed to sense the inadequacies. His gaze kept flickering toward the bookshelf in the corner of the room, where several dusty tomes stood half-forgotten. Kurono had no doubt his friend would be combing through them the moment this orientation ended.
"Now!" Nyarko announced, clapping once with an enthusiasm that made Lily flinch. "Let's talk quests! Or more precisely—ranks."
"Like difficulty levels?" Shirou asked.
"Exactly. Both adventurers and quests are ranked from one to ten. One being the easiest and ten being… well, let's just say that's where you start seeing dragons, haunted labyrinths, and talking swords with trust issues."
Kurono raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying I'll start at rank one."
"Of course! Everyone does—unless you're a knight or soldier who's distinguished yourself in battle. In that case, you might qualify to start at rank three. Though, Irz Village isn't equipped to test that sort of thing."
"Sounds fair enough."
"But!" she added with a wink, "There's nuance. Each rank has its own 'upper' and 'lower' tiers. Rank 1 Upper and Rank 1 Lower might both be technically 'beginner level,' but trust me—one of them involves helping an old man find his missing chickens. The other might involve why the chickens went missing—which is usually because something ate them."
"Very practical distinction," Kurono muttered.
"Quests are ranked according to the danger of the target—be it monster or dungeon—and the adventurer's own rank must match or exceed the difficulty. No more, no less. The guild doesn't take kindly to reckless types biting off more than they can chew."
"Sounds like a good way to keep the death rate low," Shirou noted.
"Exactly! We do try." She gave a proud flick of her tail. "Now, shall we move on to how to actually take a quest?"
Kurono dipped his quill once more, the ink glistening on the page as he scribbled. There was a sense that despite her eccentric mannerisms, Nyarko was proving to be far more competent than she let on.
--------------
"That's all there is to know about quests, really," Nyarko said, tapping the table for emphasis. "Also—try not to injure any civilians, steer clear of private property, and please do your best not to smash anyone's belongings to bits. Just because you're on a quest doesn't mean the guild will sweep your mess under the rug. And disputes with other adventurers? We wash our hands of that. You're responsible for your own choices."
"I see," Kurono replied thoughtfully, fingers resting against his chin. "So essentially, just behave like a decent person."
"Exactly," Nyarko said with a brisk nod. "The guild won't micromanage your every move. However you wish to complete the quest—be it with flair or subtlety—is entirely up to you."
"Understood. Then," Kurono straightened, eyes now gleaming with mild anticipation, "I'd like to take a look at the rank one quests I can begin right away."
"Feel free and choose!" Nyarko grinned, but then gave a small sigh. "Though, I'll be honest—at the moment, the pickings are rather slim."
With a practiced flourish, she slid a stack of request forms across the table. The papers smelled faintly of ink and something herbal—perhaps an unfortunate side effect of the alchemy shop downstairs.
Quest: Collection of Rixei Grass
Reward: 500 silver coins per bag
Deadline: First week of the Month of June
Client: Kisshu, Shopkeeper of the Irz Village Item Shop
Details: Travel to the Fairy Garden and gather the specified quantity of Rixei grass. Adventurers who return with more than three bags will receive a bonus potion set crafted from the grass itself.
Quest: Escort for Peddler Caravan (Kuar → Daidalos)
Reward: 750 silver coins per day + battle allowance
Deadline: Apply by 20th of the Month of May | Departure: 22nd
Client: Morty, Peddler Group Representative
Details: Accompany a caravan of merchants along the north-west highway. Minimal danger expected. Free meals (three per day) provided. Estimated duration: one month.
Quest: Luggage Carrier for [Irz Blader]
Reward: 300 silver coins per day
Deadline: Until end of May
Client: Nino, Party Leader of [Irz Blader]
Details: Seeking assistance to carry supplies for a level 3 monster subjugation party. Direct combat not expected. Protection will be provided.
Quest: Night Sentry – Irz Village
Reward: 400 silver coins per night
Deadline: Ongoing recruitment until July
Client: Grint, Vigilante Corps Leader
Details: Increased sightings of goblin and raptor-type monsters. Reinforcements needed for night patrol. Come and go at your convenience; pay is issued nightly.
Kurono's brow furrowed slightly as he flipped through the neatly handwritten sheets. "Hmm… there are quite a few terms I don't understand," he murmured, his eyes lingering on place names and creature types that sounded more like fantasy novel monsters than anything grounded in reality.
Noticing his puzzled expression, Nyarko leaned forward, her smile knowing. "Don't worry. Even if you're unfamiliar, most rank one quests are designed for newcomers. Little to no fighting involved, really."
In truth, Nyarko had already made her own assumptions. The pair—especially Kurono with his manners and tidy speech—reeked of a noble upbringing. Perhaps a pair of highborn youths out for a taste of the world without a retinue of handmaidens and guards trailing behind them.
Not that it was rare. Tales of adventurous heirs or daughters of dukes traveling under assumed names weren't unheard of in the guild. And if she played her cards right, perhaps they'd even gift her a pretty trinket or two out of gratitude.
Kurono, meanwhile, remained unaware of her speculation. He carefully read through the details again, his thoughts lingering on Fairy Garden, Rixei grass, and the mention of raptors roaming the night.
-----------------
"Come on, Nyarko," said a voice, smooth and composed. It belonged to Aten, the Lamia of the group, her serpentine lower half coiled elegantly beside her chair. Her long crimson hair cascaded down her back like a river of silk, and her golden, slitted eyes flicked toward the feline girl with practiced calm. "You know this is our livelihood. If we started doing everything out of charity, we wouldn't have the coin to maintain our equipment—let alone feed ourselves."
Beside her, Claydor, the group's towering Lizardman, placed a firm, clawed hand on Nino's shoulder. The tension that had begun to rise between the War Cat and Nyarko dissipated with the gesture, though Nino still looked like a pot just shy of boiling over.
They all knew Nyarko was only teasing—but even good-natured jokes, when overheard by the wrong ears, could spread like venom through the guild's reputation.
"Ah, sorry Aten," Nyarko said quickly, tail drooping just a little as guilt tempered her usual bravado. "Didn't mean anything by it. I know you're always running about, doing the guild's dirty work, and the village's too."
"We know that, Nyarko," Aten replied, her voice kind but firm. She reached up and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear as she turned a page in her thick, rune-covered tome. "But not everyone knows us. Newcomers will hear and judge, and that kind of thing can ruin a name faster than a fire spreads through dry forest. Please, take more care with your words."
She didn't sound angry. Just tired. The kind of tired that comes from carrying a group on your back for a long time without complaint.
Aten was the strategist—the brains of the group's operations. Not born into gold or grandeur, she had clawed her way to strength and status the hard way, barely reaching Two Rings by twenty. That alone would have been enough to earn respect, but the fact that she had done it as a Lamia—a species more known for assassins and swift spear-wielders than spellcasters—made her something of an oddity… and an inspiration.
Nyarko bowed her head dramatically, clasping her hands together like a scolded child. "Big sis Aten, please forgive me! I won't let my tongue run wild again."
Aten offered a soft chuckle, already half-lost in her reading again.
"Well then, we'll leave you all to it," Kurono said, scooping Lily into his arms. She stirred briefly, mumbling something incoherent before burrowing deeper into his shoulder like a contented kitten.
Shirou fell into step beside him as they made their way across the guild hall toward a quieter corner where rows of shelves stood lined with parchment and leather-bound tomes.
"Enjoy your time at the Guild," Aten called after them, not looking up from her book. "If you need help, ask. Nino's team is trustworthy and dependable—even if they grumble a lot."
"Oi," Nino muttered from his seat, crossing his arms—but he didn't deny it.
"Thanks for the advice—and the hospitality," Kurono and Shirou replied in unison, bowing politely as they reached the reading alcove.
There, in the dim amber glow of a floating lantern, they settled in. Kurono placed Lily gently on a cushioned bench, draped his cloak over her like a blanket, then pulled a thick volume from the shelf labeled Flora and Fauna of the Whispering Wilds.
"Let's see if we can find out why even the goblins here seem unusually organized," Shirou murmured, opening another book titled Beasts of the Borderlands.
Outside, a breeze stirred the banners bearing the Guild's crest, and in the distance, the bells of the clocktower chimed the hour. Inside the Guild, however, time slowed to the rustle of turning pages, the low murmur of adventurers, and the quiet lull of knowledge passed from parchment to mind.