They walked out of the underground waterway tunnel on the outskirts of the Eastern District. The scorching afternoon sky had now fully transformed into an orange canvas of twilight.
The evening atmosphere was usually filled with residents jogging leisurely or simply enjoying the sunset breeze. However... for our duo of rookie adventurers, Rent and Kaen, there was no such thing as leisure. There was only exhaustion that pierced through to their bones.
This first mission had truly drained them physically and mentally—especially Rent, who was still haunted by the unexpected "erotic incident" in the sewer earlier.
Some people on the street spontaneously turned their heads, then hurriedly moved away while covering their noses. The sight of the two was indeed a mess: soaking wet, sticky, and surrounded by a pungent aura of garbage.
Moro floated beside Rent's head. Its imaginary eyes glanced at several other adventurers who were dodging them in disgust.
"Master..." its voice broke the silence of their footsteps. "It seems we have successfully become a walking nuclear bomb."
Rent kept walking straight, his left hand in his pocket, while his right hand carried the wet sack filled with rats. "What do you mean?" he answered without turning. "I'm radiating a stench, is that it?"
"Exactly, Mr. Trash," Kaen cut in from behind Rent's back. "Trash in the wrong place. You should know that normal human noses are sensitive. Fufufu~"
"Who would take this dirty mission if not for the debt, Idiot."
"Oh really? Still talking about debt? You Fake Doctor," Kaen retorted with a small smirk.
As they began to enter the main street leading to the Guild, people's reactions started to split. Some covered their noses in disgust as Rent passed, but a second later, their faces brightened upon seeing the girl behind him.
"Oh! Miss Kaen! Where have you been?" greeted a young man carrying a large bag warmly.
"Wow! Miss Kaen looks like she's finished with her walk again, huh?" chimed in another adventurer.
"Ahem, Miss Kaen... you look even more beautiful today. Did you just return from an adventure in a new dungeon?" asked a swordsman with a blushing face.
Hearing the praise, Kaen instantly flipped her purple hair. Miraculously, even though she had just come out of a sewer, her hair still shimmered under the evening sunlight, as if dust and dirt refused to stick to it.
"Hmm, of course, I just came back from a secret mission. And I just punished a naughty rat with a single kick," Kaen replied with a sweet smile, winking one eye. Wink.
"Ugh... so beautiful..." the young men murmured in unison. Their faces flushed, seemingly forgetting that the girl smelled exactly like a sewer.
Rent, who initially didn't care, now glanced slightly backward. 'This girl is truly dangerous,' Rent thought. 'She hypnotizes people with just a single wink? If only they knew that their adored goddess is actually a terrifying narcissistic monster.'
"Kaen, stop playing around with them. We're becoming a spectacle," Rent scolded flatly.
"Oho?" Kaen quickened her pace until she was walking beside Rent. She leaned her face in slightly. "You... are jealous, aren't you, Mr. Doctor? You're afraid I'll be snatched away by those young men, right?" she teased with a sly smile.
"I don't care who you make friends with. I'm just a little concerned for them. Their expectations of you are too high, when in reality, it's a big fat zero," Rent sneered.
"Hah... just admit you don't want me to be taken away, you Shy Doctor."
"Haaah... whatever."
After a few minutes of enduring embarrassment on the street, they finally arrived back in front of the grand Lumeria Guild building. Rent let out a long sigh. Before stepping inside, he had already prepared himself mentally to face the "warm welcome" within.
Creeek.
The large wooden door opened. Inside the guild lobby, dozens of adventurers were relaxing, laughing, or queuing at the receptionist desk. However, the moment Rent and Kaen stepped inside, silence spread quickly like a virus.
All heads turned in unison. The sight at the entrance was a stark contrast: A young man in crumpled clothes covered in mud and smelling of trash, walking beside a beautiful girl who (somehow) made the mud stains on her skirt look like the latest fashion trend.
Several adventurers immediately covered their noses. Whispers began to buzz in the air.
"Psst... look at that... That guy smells all the way over here. Crazy, did he really take that sewer mission?" whispered a bespectacled young man to his friend.
"Hey, not so loud, Four-Eyes. Let it be. That's the fate of people who can only take Rank F missions," his friend replied with a chuckle.
"Ew, why is there a smell of trash here? Disgusting. Luckily our party isn't that poor," sneered a female mage while waving her hand in front of her nose.
However, in another corner, their focus wasn't on the smell of trash, but on the purple figure beside Rent.
"That... isn't that Kaensista? That cheerful beautiful girl?" whispered a young man carrying an axe with wide eyes. "Why would she willingly take such a disgusting mission?"
"That's right... Even though she flatly refused when we asked her to join our Rank C party three days ago, remember?" replied his friend in a gray jacket.
"Crazy... Miss Kaen really went into the sewer? And... who is that gloomy man beside her? Why would Miss Kaen want to walk with him?"
Moro's ears, wherever they were, heard all the conversations of the other adventurers about its Master and the purple girl beside Rent.
"Psst, Master Rent... it seems we've become the center of attention. They're all glancing enviously at us, Master!" whispered Moro beside Rent's ear.
"Ignore them, Furball. Just treat them as rocks," Rent replied while continuing to walk.
"Hey, Mr. Doctor," Kaen whispered in Rent's right ear. "Do you see them? They're staring at us. How does it feel to be famous for a day, hmm?" she continued, smiling again.
"They're staring at you, not me. Don't drag me into your fanatic fanbase; I'm busy," he sneered flatly.
They walked through the crowd in front of the receptionist desk. The smell of trash and rats from the sack Rent carried made it easy for them to clear a path to face the Guild officer, Mila, who was waiting there.
Thud.
Rent placed the burlap sack filled with wriggling fat rats onto the table.
"Mission complete. 10 rats captured."
"And a bonus 1 large boxer rat, don't forget," Kaen chimed in.
Mila adjusted her glasses, staring at the two of them whose clothes were covered in dust and shabby. "Hmm, very fast. Did you... encounter a slime creature in there?" asked Mila.
"No. We only found these rats, that's all," Rent answered quickly.
"Hmm. Alright, wait a moment, let me see the contents." Mila opened the burlap sack, quickly counting the rats inside. After 5 minutes, she closed the sack again.
"Done. A total of 10 rats and the bonus 1 boxer rat mentioned. Alright, here is your payment." Mila took a sack of coins from under her desk. "The coin count is 60 plus a 10 coin bonus, totaling 70 coins for your earnings. Good job."
Rent's hand was already raised, ready to receive his first payment.
"But..." Mila's hand, holding the sack of coins, hung in the air. "You have rented and slightly soiled the Guild's facilities."
"Huh?" Rent and Kaen answered in unison.
"Guild facilities. The rubber boots you are wearing are covered in blood. That rat blood is hard to clean, so... You are required to buy them."
"What do you mean? We have to buy these boots?" Rent retorted.
"Correct. You are required to buy them. The price of these boots is 20 copper coins. That means your payment share is cut by 40."
"You've got to be kidding me! We're buying these boots? These ugly boots?! I'd rather eat hard bread!" protested Kaen.
"I apologize, Miss, but rules are rules. I will deduct 40 coins from your total." Mila opened the coin sack, dropped 30 coins under the table, then retied the sack with a string. "Done. Now take your remaining 30 coins and take the boots you are wearing with you." Mila replied, placing the sack onto Rent's palm.
Rent stared at the coin sack, then at Kaen, who was still complaining in front of Mila, with an expression of maximum deadpan. He took out one coin, staring at it for a moment.
"First day... just to get this piece of coin. Only to have the payment cut under the guise of a purchase," he muttered. "Haaah... Kaen, let it go."
Kaen turned, still with an angry expression. "Why?! This is our right, Rent! They... they cheated us! This is unfair! I was supposed to eat well tonight!" she grumbled.
"Just let it be. Here. Take your 20 coins share. Tomorrow I will take another mission," Rent replied, offering the sack containing the remaining 20 coins.
Kaen stared at the sack, then at Rent's resigned face, and back at the sack again.
"Tch," Kaen looked away to the side, folding her arms to support her chest. "Just take my share. I don't need it right now."
"Huh? What are you talking about? Here, take it. You were the one who kicked that rat, so you deserve more coins than me," Rent coaxed, still offering the sack.
"I said I don't need it! Just take it! I... I'm still full!"
"Full?" Rent raised one eyebrow.
"Yes! You said I was getting fat earlier, didn't you?! So I'm going to reduce my portion!" Kaen snapped, her face flushing slightly at the memory. Then she lowered her voice, whispering very softly while glancing away, "Besides... I don't want to see a gloomy face just wallowing in self-pity... ugh, just accept it, how hard can it be?"
"What are you saying? I can't hear you."
"UGH! I SAID I DON'T NEED IT! YOU DEAF DOCTOR!" Kaen shouted, causing several passing adventurers to turn their heads in shock. "You idiot! Just keep your spare change!"
Rent fell silent for a moment. The evening breeze blew gently, moving their bangs in unison.
"Oh... so you don't want it?"
"Yes! Just take it all!"
"Heh..." Rent scoffed softly. "Weird girl."
Slowly, the corners of Rent's lips curled up. Very faintly. Almost imperceptibly. But in Kaensista's eyes, it was like a slow-motion effect in a romance movie.
(Kaen's Inner Monologue: "Wait... Is he smiling?! Dammit! Why is he so handsome?! That's my face, but why is the guy version of me this HOT?! That's cheating! This is an illegal attack!")
"U-Uh..." Kaen took a step back, her hands covering her mouth. "D-Don't smile like that! You're... cheating!"
Rent furrowed his brows. "Who's smiling anyway? You're weird."
"Suit yourself if you don't want it," Rent muttered, then turned around and resumed walking home.
Kaen stood there, her heart pounding wildly from her own imagination. "Dammit... I almost had a heart attack because of myself," Kaen grumbled, clutching her chest.
However, as Kaen looked up at Rent's retreating back... she saw it.
From the side, Rent's cheek was clearly slightly raised. His usually tense shoulders now looked much more relaxed.
Rent muttered softly to himself, but Kaen's sharp ears (which technically had the exact same physical specs) caught it clearly.
"At least... tomorrow's burden will be a little lighter. Hmph... that girl... isn't bad."
THUMP.
Time stopped for Kaensista.
Those words. "Isn't bad."
Not "Annoying." Not "A burden." But "Isn't bad." Coupled with a faint smile that was rarely seen.
Kaen's face exploded into a deep shade of red. Imaginary steam seemed to puff out of her ears.
(Kaen's Inner Monologue: "KYAHHH!!! HIM?! HE SAID I WASN'T BAD?! BUT... WHY ONLY 'NOT BAD'?! WHY DIDN'T HE SAY 'THE BEST' OR 'PERFECT'?! STINGY WITH PRAISE! ARGHH!! BUT... BUT... WHY DOES 'NOT BAD' COMING FROM HIS MOUTH SOUND SO SWEET?! OUCH!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! SNAP OUT OF IT, KAEN! THAT'S YOURSELF! DON'T CATCH FEELINGS FOR A MIRROR!! AHHH!!")
Moro, who was floating away with Rent, spun its body around, looking back at Kaen who was still standing still with a red face.
"Um... Master? Is it okay to leave her standing there?"
"Let her be, Moro. She's regretting her choice to give her wages to me," Rent answered somewhat casually.
"WAIT FOR ME! HEY, YOU DAMN DOCTOR!!" Kaen screamed in a high-pitched voice as she ran, covering her tomato-red face with both hands, ignoring the other adventurers who were still staring at her.
"See? She's screaming just because of money. Stupid girl," Rent muttered with satisfaction.