19 19 – Search for a Party

The day had changed. Elise left Renee in the inn again. However, this time Elise left a note for the mage not to worry.

"Good morning, Renee's friend." A male adventurer with a thin beard approached Elise. It was Viktor who yesterday got the middle finger from Renee. "How is Renee? I heard that you two had some misfortune, right?"

Kinda startled at suddenly getting such a question, Elise took a few seconds to answer. "Well, she's fine now and resting at an inn."

"I see." Viktor was clearly worried. He glanced at Elise's body, now wearing Renee's casual dress. "You didn't bring a sword today. Looks like you won't be going on any more adventures yet…. Or, you left Renee already?"

Elise shook her head. "Not yet. I haven't left Renee yet…. At least for now."

"I hope you'll still stick with her, even though I don't deserve to ask you like that. My party rejected her after one adventure." Surprisingly, the man's face is now a bit flushed. "Actually, I still want to keep her in my party, but my friends have other thoughts."

Raymund snorted in annoyance. "This bastard likes Renee? Seriously!?"

"Then, why were you mocking her yesterday?" Elise asked.

"Hey, I wouldn't have expected that question to come out of your mouth, Elise," Raymund commented.

Even Elise was surprised that she could say such a thing.

Viktor fiddled with his fingers like a child. His face was getting redder, a stark contrast to his tall and muscular body. "That's because I'm embarrassed to be teased for liking Renee."

"Just leave him, Elise." Raymund was getting more and more annoyed with Viktor's behavior. "Don't talk to him anymore!"

And Elise did Raymund's orders. She just walked away in silence, and Viktor just let her.

Elise kept walking until she finally arrived at Hugo's. The place was a little busier than yesterday.

The owner came out to meet Elise with a huge smile. "Good morning, Elise. This is all thanks to you! It turns out that cleanliness is important to attract customers! Come on in. I'll cook you something delicious!"

The thing is, the aroma from the restaurant is quite appetizing. Maybe because the conditions are always dirty, many choose to pass that place.

"No need to bother, sir." Elise politely refused. "I just want to meet some of your customers…. You know…. The people who saw Renee fight two days ago."

"Ah, they're inside!" Hugo then looked around a little. "Renee isn't with you, is she? She was like that, always locking herself up after failing a mission. But don't worry, she'll be back tomorrow!"

Seeing Hugo's smile, Elise couldn't help put a smile too.

Elise then entered and approached the five men she wanted to meet.

"Hey, isn't Renee with you, Miss?" The thinnest man among them asked. He was the one who behaved like a dog when Renee stepped on a thug's dick.

Elise shook her head. "She is resting."

The men sighed in disappointment.

"She always cheers up my days just with her presence. It is a godsend."

"She's a girl who won't protest even if we stare at her constantly, but I wouldn't dare touch her, though."

"I will miss her beautiful clothes."

"Hey, why are you talking like Renee isn't coming back, bastard?"

The four men continued to chat about Renee. However, they weren't just talking about the mage's physique.

"Renee once bought medicine for my father."

"She once helped me find my cat."

"She used to teach my little brother to read."

"She used to pretend to be my girlfriend when my mom was in town. Well, my mom wants a daughter-in-law, you know. And the great thing is, Renee doesn't ask for anything in return."

"What!?" The other men were shocked in unison.

"Even though Renee has helped you, you guys still have the heart to send a perverted man to tease her." The skinny man laughed disdainfully. He was the only one who didn't join the conversation.

"You laughed too, Pierre!" One of the men snorted. "Actually, we didn't send Tom to Renee. We even warned Tom. He's just been hanging out with us here and immediately lusts after Renee."

"Alright, don't fight in my restaurant." Hugo came from the kitchen and handed two things wrapped in paper to Elise. "I want you to eat here, but I think it would be better if you accompanied Renee to eat breakfast in her room. So, take this."

Elise received the two things and wanted to cry. Apparently, there are still many who care for Renee.

"Before that…." Elise looked at the male customers again. "I want to ask you guys a favor… If you don't mind. It's about Renee."

The thin man named Pierre raised his eyebrows. "What can we do for you, Miss?"

***

Still holding the two packages from Hugo, Elise came to the adventurer's guild headquarter. She didn't go to the bulletin board for the quest but went to the recruitment board. Since very few people gathered there, Elise could look around freely.

"Look for those who need a melee fighter, not those looking for a mage." Raymund gave the order. "And try to find a party with a few members. We still don't know whether Renee's martial arts will be acceptable. The fewer people in a party, the less the risk of a clash of opinions."

Elise moved her hand to the papers, then pointed to the one in the far corner. She motioned for Raymund to check.

"Hmmm…. An archer and a support sorcerer, huh? Great find, Elise. Since it's more focused on support, this sorcerer won't clash with Renee, who is still using magic." Raymund gave his approval. "Okay, you will have them recruit Renee."

"Even if they are A rank, sir?" Elise was doubtful.

"Yesterday, Renee was only fighting thugs, but I believe her abilities are magnificent. Don't worry Elise. If that doesn't work, we'll find another party." In contrast to his protagonist, Raymund sounds very sure.

Elise started to read the text on the recruitment paper. Starting from the meeting place to the meeting time. This afternoon, the archer and sorcerer will begin interviewing the candidates.