Preparations

"Here is the reward of 5 silver, one for each Demonic Rabbit horn."

"T-thanks."

I had decided to head toward the guild first to turn in my quest. I didn't want to have to keep hauling these mutilated rabbit horns around.

"However.....these horns.....may I suggest you use that dagger at your waist next time?"

"A-ah....ya.....I kind of forgot.....I had it....."

".....You forgot and then ripped the horns off their heads with brute force?"

".....I-I have a deep hatred for r-rabbits.....due.....to...a tricksy rabbit in my p-past...."

"....Well, once again I am sorry I asked. Still, even though I expected you to finish without too much difficulty, I am surprised it was so fast. You are as efficient as a party of five Adventurer's."

I gave a wry smile to Brianna, if only she knew I was technically a party of five right now....just not five people.

"Well then, would you like to look at another quest?"

"N-not right now."

"Very well then, please come back when you are ready, any of the advisors here can help you."

"U-uh....c-could I ask for you again?"

"Oh? Did you get attached to me already?"

"N-no...I....I...."

"That was a joke, of course you can request to see me again..........though I must say it is a bit distressing how much I enjoy teasing you."

"S-sorry I missed th-that last part."

"Ahem. Don't worry about it, have a wonderful day Deminas."

"A-ah ya.....you too."

As I headed out the door, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had missed an important tidbit of information in our exchange. 𝘖𝘩 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦....𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.

I opened the door, halted, and looked back at Brianna. She caught my gaze, smiled, and then waved at me. As I waved back I tried to take a mental snapshot of her.

She was the person I had interacted most with since coming to this world, and while our time was superficial and short.....I'd like to think we were sort of friends. I just wanted to make sure I could remember my friend's face in case this was my last adventure.

**********

"Alright, here ya are. One survival pack, that'd be.... let's call it 25 copper."

"H-here you go."

"Can't believe you completed your first quest already, color me impressed."

"Y-yes. U-ummmm R-Rockfort.....th-thank you for your kindness."

"What the hell is that about? Why do you sound like this is our last meeting or something? Are ya leaving town?"

"N-no.....but I might not come.....n-nevermind. Thank you again."

"....You aren't doing something stupid are ya? Don't get a big head just cause you finished a quest!"

"I-I.....promised…..."

"Hmmmm."

She walked from around the counter and walked right up to me. If she wasn't so tall, we'd be staring at each other in the eyes very closely, but instead I was staring in between her gigantic melons into her eyes.

"Look here boy, remember to take care of yourself first. You can't save anyone in the future if you're dead, ya got it?"

"I-I'll try."

"No try. Do it. I've seen too many Adventurer's not make it past Low Tier. You aren't too bad, so I'm tell ya, if shit goes sideways, take care of yourself first."

".....I-I can't promise I w-would do that in the m-moment. I'm sorry."

"Tsk. Stubborn kid, well that part of you ain't so bad either. Fine, how about this, if you come back from whatever you are doing..... I'll let you have a free squeeze."

"W-what?"

"Don't pretend like you don't understand, I've seen you gawking since we first met. Course you can't do anything else, but you can have a feel. You are like the retarded brother I don't have, and I'd rather not see you die, call this... incentive."

"...For real?"

"For real."

I couldn't hold back my smile.

"Thank you Rockfort. I will try my best to see you again."

Not only me, but Rockfort was also surprised when I completed that sentence without a single stutter. I didn't know why, but her words seem to give me a bit more courage than usual. That or maybe the idea of getting one step closer to climbing the mountain had pushed aside all other thoughts...𝘕𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦.

With that she gave me a earth shattering slap on my back as I went to leave the store. I turned around once again, looked at her, and waved.

**********

The door had closed and Rockfort stood there with her hand still up in the air.

"Hahhhhh. What did you get yourself into kid?"

She had only met him twice, but for some reason he had grown on her. He reminded her of the retarded brother who she could no longer see. Seemingly a chicken shit by nature, but when push came to shove was the bravest man she had ever known. The world would have been a much better place if he was still around in it.

Because of this scar in her past, she tried her best to get the boy to promise her to put himself first. 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧!

That is what she wanted to scream at him....and at Deminas, but in the end she couldn't do it to either of them. All she could do was try to give him a reason to come back alive. She had noticed his intense gaze during their first meeting, and it had not changed.

"Well I can only hope that you are a bit luckier than Brain. Maybe I should have offered everything instead?"

Out in the streets Deminas suddenly felt as if he had missed out on something amazing again.