The guild hall had grown cold by midnight, the fire dwindling to embers. JP curled tighter on the bench, stomach still half-empty, eyes heavy.
A soft clink broke the silence. When he opened his eyes, he saw Lyra sliding a few small coins onto the bench between them.
"Here," she said softly.
JP blinked. "What's this?"
"Spare coppers. Enough for a room and breakfast." Her hood shadowed her face, but he caught the faintest smile. "You look like you'll collapse if you don't eat properly. I'd rather not see my potential ally starve before we even take a quest together."
JP stared at the coins. Pride told him to refuse, but his body screamed otherwise. He swallowed hard. "I… I'll pay you back. First thing tomorrow."
Lyra shrugged lightly. "Then it's settled."
The innkeeper grumbled but accepted the payment. For the first time in this world, JP laid on an actual bed—thin mattress, scratchy blanket, but heaven compared to a guild bench. He fell asleep instantly, dreaming of humming wires and glowing herbs.
When dawn broke, the smell of porridge and bread greeted him. The innkeeper slapped a bowl on the table. "Comes with the room."
JP devoured it, nearly weeping with relief. "God bless whoever invented oats."
Lyra appeared, sitting gracefully across from him with her own plate. She ate with calm precision, every movement refined. JP, meanwhile, shoveled food like a man who hadn't eaten in days—which wasn't far from the truth.
When he finished, he pushed his bowl aside and stood. "Alright. Time to make good on my promise."
Back at the guild, JP scanned the quest board. His eyes slid past the low-paying chores—more herbs, rat-hunting, firewood cutting—and settled on something slightly better:
Quest: Assist local farmer with repairing irrigation system. Reward: 8 copper. Low risk.
"Perfect," JP muttered. "Pays better, no monsters, just a little elbow grease."
Lyra glanced over his shoulder. "Most adventurers avoid the 'work' quests. They want glory, not muddy boots."
"Yeah, well, I was a tradesman back home," JP said. "Wires, circuits, pipes—if it's broken, I can fix it. This one's my speed."
He pulled the quest slip and approached the counter. The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Odd choice. Most beginners chase slimes."
"Slimes don't pay eight copper," JP replied.
Lyra smirked faintly at his practicality.
As they left the guild together, JP tightened his satchel strap. Inside, the Luminleaf herbs still glowed faintly. He hadn't told anyone about them—not even Lyra. That secret would wait.
For now, his mission was simple: earn enough coin to repay his debt and take his first real step toward survival in this world.