The first rays of sunlight roused Yukki from his slumber. He sat up, groaning as he stretched. "Sleeping in courtyards… really isn't my thing," he mumbled, rubbing the stiffness out of his neck. Determined to earn enough gil for a decent place to stay, he headed straight to the Guild Association.
Inside, the morning buzz had already started, with adventurers scanning the board for quests. Yukki's eyes fell on one that caught his attention: a job for a local hotel seeking fresh boar meat. "Shouldn't be too hard," he thought, pulling the notice down.
He found Karin at the counter and explained his quest selection. "Ah, hunting boar, are we?" she said with a smile. "Here, you might want to borrow this." She handed him a sturdy-looking boar trap. "It'll give you an edge. Just make sure to place it near water; boars are bound to come by sooner or later."
With the trap in hand, Yukki set out for the forest, soon arriving by a river. He carefully placed the trap near the riverbank and hid in the bushes, waiting for a boar to appear. After what felt like hours with no sign of any boars, he started to grow impatient. "Is it even going to work?" he muttered.
As he shifted in the bushes, he caught a whiff of his own scent and grimaced. "I… could use a bath," he decided, glancing at the river.
Yukki splashed into the cool water, washing away the grime of yesterday's travel. The refreshing water revived him, and he floated for a while, enjoying the peace. But his moment of relaxation was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a boar squealing in pain. "The trap!" he exclaimed, scrambling out of the river.
Pulling on his clothes and grabbing his sword, he dashed over to find a large boar caught in the trap, thrashing wildly. Yukki tightened his grip on his sword. "Alright… time to earn my keep." He approached carefully, the boar's snarls and struggles intensifying as he drew near. Using the trap's restraints to his advantage, Yukki struck at the boar with practiced precision. With a final thrust, he ended the boar's struggle.
As he wiped his brow, he muttered, "Well, that wasn't so bad." He knelt down, readying the boar for transport, when a sudden snort made him look up.
A second boar had appeared, but this one was no ordinary beast. It stood upright on its hind legs, its eyes glaring at Yukki with a fierce intelligence. "You've got to be kidding me…" Yukki said, tensing as the massive creature charged.
The boar fought with surprising ferocity, swinging its tusks and claws in ways Yukki hadn't expected. He narrowly dodged each attack, feeling the weight of exhaustion creeping up on him. But finally, with a powerful slash, he brought the beast down. He dropped to his knees, panting and nursing a few cuts and bruises from the skirmish. "Toughest fight… yet."
With two boars in tow, Yukki made his way back to town, finally finding The Lucky Barrel Tavern, the hotel requesting the meat. Inside, the tavern was buzzing with patrons enjoying their meals and drinks.
The tavern owner, a burly man with a friendly grin, greeted Yukki warmly. "Ah, you must be the one from the Guild. Got the boar meat, have you?"
Yukki nodded, presenting his haul. "Took down two of them, actually."
"Impressive! Here, let me get you your reward." The owner handed over a pouch of coins, which Yukki accepted gratefully. But as he slipped the pouch into his pocket, the delicious smell of roasted meats and warm bread wafted through the room, and his stomach growled.
The owner chuckled. "You look like you could use a meal. Why don't you sit down and order something?"
"Don't mind if I do," Yukki said, settling at an empty table and glancing over the menu.
A few minutes later, a waitress arrived with his food. She placed the plate down with a smile. "Enjoy your meal!"
Yukki dug in, savoring every bite. As he ate, the waitress returned to his table. "You're new around here, aren't you?"
He looked up, smiling. "Yeah, just got into town yesterday. Name's Yukki. I'm… an adventurer, I suppose."
The waitress' eyes lit up. "Oh! So you're the one who brought in the boar meat! I'm Pecorine, by the way. I work here part-time, but I'm also an adventurer like you."
After Yukki finished his meal, he got up to leave. But just as he stepped away from the table, Pecorine caught up to him. "Hey, Yukki, wait!"
He turned around, curious. "What's up?"
Pecorine glanced around, then motioned him toward an alley outside the tavern. Once there, she looked a bit embarrassed but determined. "I… I was wondering if you could help me with something."
"Of course! What do you need?" Yukki replied, eager to assist.
She took a deep breath. "My sword… it was stolen by a couple of thieves yesterday. It's really important to me, and I haven't been able to track them down. I'd go myself, but I'm stuck with work here."
Yukki nodded, and Pecorine handed him a sketch of the sword. "It looks like this, and the thieves… one was tall with a scar on his cheek, and the other had a hat with a feather."
Yukki studied the drawing, committing the details to memory. "I'll do my best to find it. Don't worry."
He spent the afternoon searching through the town's weapon shops, showing Pecorine's sketch of the sword. Shop after shop, he found no trace of the weapon, and Yukki was beginning to lose hope.
But as the sun began to set, he finally spotted two men matching Pecorine's description. One carried a sword wrapped in cloth, which he handled with far too much care for a regular weapon. Yukki narrowed his eyes and followed them, keeping a safe distance.
The two men entered a weapon shop, and Yukki crept up, watching through the window as they sold the sword for a hefty sum. Once the transaction was complete, they left, unaware of Yukki's presence.
When they were gone, Yukki approached the shopkeeper and pointed at the sword. "Excuse me… I believe that's the sword of a friend of mine. Could I… buy it back?"
The shopkeeper laughed. "Well, it's a rare piece and cost me a lot. If you want it, it'll be 500 gil."
Yukki's heart sank; there was no way he could afford that. Resigned, he left the shop and returned to the tavern to tell Pecorine what had happened.
Pecorine listened quietly, her face determined. "Thank you for letting me know, Yukki. I think I'll pay that shopkeeper a visit."
She took a rare evening off from work, heading straight to the weapon shop with Yukki. When she saw the sword, she sighed. "It's even more beautiful than I remember."
The shopkeeper confirmed the price, and Pecorine winced. "There's no way I can afford that right now, but could you reserve it for me?"
The shopkeeper nodded. "Sure thing. But I can't hold it forever."
After thanking him, Pecorine turned to Yukki and handed him a few coins. "This is for all the trouble you went through. You really helped me out."
Yukki pocketed the coins, grateful for the gesture. "I just wish I could've gotten it back for you."
She smiled warmly. "You did enough. Now, I just have to save up for it. I'm an adventurer too, you know. Working here is just my part-time gig."
As they left the shop, Pecorine suddenly stopped. "Yukki, Thank you very much for everything."
Yukki's face brightened. "You are always welcome. Let's meet up some other day"
Pecorine "Sure, until then take care of yourself. See ya"
They parted ways, and Yukki returned to the courtyard of the now-familiar closed shop. He lay down, gazing up at the starry sky, a glimmer of hope in his heart. "One of these days, I'll make enough to sleep in an actual bed," he mused, swatting away a persistent mosquito.
With the promise of adventure in his mind, he slowly drifted off, already looking forward to what tomorrow might bring.