Ten minutes later. Inside the Guild.
"The—the—the... 49th?!" Mermes stammered, eyes bulging. "Can Saveth even do that?! But—but the Guild—wait, wait, wait! More importantly! The next wave attack is in two months! Valkeries!"
He scratched his head frantically, pacing in circles like a broken clock. The news was too much for him.
Aeris sighed in relief. She'd been sure he was about to rant for another fifteen minutes—but miraculously, that was the briefest he'd been all day.
Sophia chuckled. "Calm down, Mermes. Everything's going to be okay."
"But, Princess—"
"Shh. Shush."
She pressed a finger to his lips before he could spiral again.
"Listen," she continued, barely forcing herself to keep her own composure, "we're safe for now. Two months is a long time. The other guild members will regroup by then—and even if they don't, we'll be ready. This is why we sent the Pulse Messages in the first place."
Her words carried steady authority, and for a moment, Mermes visibly relaxed.
As his frantic breathing slowed, Sophia gave a small nod, resting a hand on his shoulder. "This is where your part comes in. We knew you'd be the first to arrive—Maria and I were counting on it. You understand, right?"
Mermes's eyes widened for a moment, then he gave a firm nod. "Yes."
Sophia finally relaxed. "Good. Now—what do you need?"
"It's going to be a long journey!" Mermes exclaimed, instantly back to full energy. "Therefore, I'm gonna need a lot of supplies! Also, a proper meal before departure! Old, cold bread was all I had for the last month! I'd like to bring fruits—but they spoil too fast! And water! Did you know, Princess, the last time I took a wrong turn, I got delayed ten days—ten days!—with no water! Water is important! Food not as much, though, if you're lucky, you might find edible monsters! Ooooh, you should definitely try Hopper meat! No, wait—Slider's Milk! OMG, let me tell you about this one, once, I ate the—"
Sophia cleared her throat. Once. Twice.
Mermes stopped mid-sentence, cheeks puffed out. "Ehehehe… bread would be fine, Princess," he chuckled. "But I won't compromise on that proper meal!"
Sophia turned to Jan with a pleading look.
Jan, who had been trying and failing to follow the conversation, sighed in defeat.
"Fine," he said sharply. "But you owe me."
He'd thought he finally had time to relax and read a few books.
Apparently not.
Sophia pressed her palms together gratefully. Behind her, Mermes had started bouncing on his heels, almost vibrating with energy.
"Alright," Sophia said, rubbing her temples. "Follow Jan back to the inn. He'll cook you a proper meal. Then you can start your mission."
Mermes saluted dramatically. "Understood!"
He immediately trailed after Jan, still talking.
"So you're the new member, Jan, right? And a hero?!"
"Yes."
Mermes flickered into view in front of him, extending a hand.
"I'm Mermes, Scout! Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you," Jan said, shaking his hand. "Wait—'Scout'? Is that a class?"
Mermes blinked. "Not exactly. You're a cook, right? You don't know this already?"
"No. I'm sure no one—"
"Worry not, Hero Jan!" Mermes cut him off with a grin. "I'll explain everything! Let's see… since you already know about classes, this will be easy!"
Sophia, still standing near the door, stared at them in disbelief.
"You haven't even stepped outside, and you're already chatting?!" she shouted. "Walk and talk!"
At her command, both Jan and Mermes flinched—then scrambled out of the guild in a hurry.
===
Once again, Jan found himself in the kitchen.
This time, however, he had Mermes for company, and the guy was like a walking radio.
He never stopped moving. Or talking.
Still, thanks to him, Jan was learning a lot.
"So, to summarize!" Mermes clapped his hands and drew a deep breath.
"Classes define what someone is—a mage, a warrior, an archer. They shape your stats, combat style, your very identity in battle. Jobs, on the other hand, define what someone does—your role in a party, a guild, or even daily life. A cook, healer, blacksmith, scout—those aren't classes, but jobs. Unique talents you pick up, sometimes becoming your life's work—your WHOLE existence!"
He puffed his chest proudly. "Like me, a Scout!"
Jan flipped an omelet in the pan, unimpressed.
"And what do scouts do?"
"Excellent question! Prepare yourself for the answer—prepare!" Mermes announced dramatically, pointing at the ceiling.
"I scout the tower!"
Jan froze mid-stir. "I figured that from the name!" He groaned, cracking another egg a little too hard. "I mean, what do you actually do? How do you scout?"
"Oh! Well, my job is to explore every corner of every floor!" Mermes said, pacing like a lecturer on caffeine. "Every room, every hidden passage, every shortcut! The tower's layout is ever-changing, right? So my job is to map the shortest, safest route to the exit each time!"
He leaned closer, eyes gleaming. "You know how the portals always shift locations? That throws everyone off, right, right?! But not when someone like me is in the party! I can track it down faster than anyone!"
Jan sighed, sliding a plate onto the counter. "So, basically, you're a living compass."
Mermes gasped as if insulted, and then grinned. "Exactly! But cooler! Scouts are vital; if not for us, merchants wouldn't be able to travel through the floors, for example! The whole economy of the world rests on our shoulders! If we stop moving, everything stops!"
Jan stared at him, plate in hand. "That's pretty impressive, to be honest."
Mermes nodded solemnly before immediately perking up at the smell of food.
Jan sighed and set the plate down. "Here, dig in."
Mermes was already eating before Jan finished speaking, humming happily between bites.
"OH! This is sooo good!"
Watching him shovel food like a starved squirrel, Jan couldn't help but smile.
Having him in his party someday wouldn't be so bad…
assuming he ever shuts up.