Good deeds that were rewarded (part 1)

"..."

Kaipo closed his mouth and looked to the side awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Mister monk, for saving her life and more important merchandise, this Beli will give you this!"

The orange-haired girl ignored Kaipo and instead pulled a dark red wooden staff with an iron ring at one end of it and presented it to the black-haired boy, who was momentarily confused about how in the world a long weapon like that ended up fitting inside her backpack...

[Wooden staff (common) (incomplete)

+4 ATK]

"Really?! Just like that?!"

But the item description popped up in Zorey's vision, making him gasp as he took the weapon off Belinda's hands.

And speaking of which, now that she was so close to him, it became really apparent how short she was.

If Brigitta was short for an adult because of her half-dwarf blood, then Belinda was simply tiny, unable to reach four feet tall even if she climbed on her tippytoes.

"Yes! Beli knows how to reward a person who risked his life to save her while others watched!"

"...listen here, you...!"

The orange-haired girl cheered out, giving Kaipo a judgemental side glance and making him red in the face from agitation at the remark.

"Let me see that!"

"Sure."

Kaipo jumped up and reached for the staff decisively before Zorey offered it to him with a shrug.

"HMPH! Know how to reward – as if! This is old and worn out – not to mention it lacks a gemstone that should be used as a catalyst and has no skills! You are just getting rid of a useless thing that you wouldn't be able to sell anywhere!"

The greenish-blond-haired boy scoffed angrily, pointing at the metal rig at one end of the weapon and then moving his hand toward the tiny girl in an accusatory manner.

"Gah...! How did you know...?! Ah! B-Beli meant to say that it's not like that!"

Belinda gasped, moving back in an animated manner, caught red-handed before flinching and trying to play it off while looking to the side, pouting her lips in a failed attempt to whistle innocently.

"I don't really mind a hand-me-down. The weight feels just right, and the color is nice."

"Zorey! She's trying to scam you out of a reward! Even amongst merchants, there are bad people trying to scam their customers, but it's an everyday occurrence amongst those with peddler Class!"

"...!"

The black-haired boy shrugged his shoulders, taking back the staff and declaring while examining the weapon himself, causing his friend to speak up angrily, which made the orange-haired girl straighten her back, lost for words at such offense.

"What reward? She wasn't even calling for help in the first place, so her actually giving me something for sticking my nose in not my business is already amazing. Stay safe, Belinda – Grand Herbal is that way. You should not encounter any monsters."

"Bye-bye! Beli is grateful for your help, mister monk!"

Zorey raised his brows and turned around, smiling at the dark red – almost burgundy – staff before waving goodbye to the small peddler.

"But...! Haa...! Fine! But Because I used up all the charges in my wand, you will have to fight without me!"

Kaipo tensed up but ended up only sighing and following after the leaving priest of death, sending one last glare to the orange-haired girl who stuck out her tongue at him in response.

"We still have time to go further in, don't we?"

"You still don't have enough?!"

Zorey smiled at Kaipo and asked, spinning his new weapon around with well-trained movement as his friend almost tripped and gasped in disbelief.

"Of course! Since I have a staff, I want to level up the proficiency skill at least once! Besides, this guy is also rearing to go, right?"

The black-haired boy declared with no shame or self-reflection in sight and grinned towards the Zombie rat that got back for the monster corpses. It dropped to join the fight and was now trotting after him.

"...scree...!"

"...?!"

The undead let out an affirming screech despite having its throat crushed, and the energy it displayed made even its necromancer hesitate.

------

*wham* *wham* *WHAM* *CRUNCH*

Zorey spun his staff around, sending a dwarf lesser rat flying with two initial hits and then slamming it to the ground, crushing its head with the bare end of the weapon.

[Your party defeated dwarf lesser rat]

[EXP points granted]

*TA-DING*

[Skill – Staff proficiency - level up]

"There we have it!"

A series of notifications popped up for the black-haired boy, and he cheered out, raising his staff over his head and doing a big stretch.

"...I leveled up two times in the same day... How is that even possible...? Was I doing things wrong before...?"

While the priest of death was relaxing, the necromancer was apparently having something akin to an identity crisis regarding his previous training regime.

"Hey, it's a good thing, isn't it? Makes me jealous since I didn't level up since earlier, so don't make that face~ Wiggles, will you be able to carry this one too?"

Zorey patted Kaipo's shoulder and then leaned down to pick up the dead dwarf lesser rat and waved it towards the Zombie rat, whose cargo of corpses was already bigger than it was.

"...scree...!"

Even with that, the undead let out a wheezing screech and wiggled its way toward the black-haired boy, waiting to have its load increased.

"That's the spirit!"

Zorey laughed, carefully placing and tying up the new corpse to the pile.

"Whoa, we need to hurry up before they will close the gates...! Will the adventurer's guild even be open?"

Zorey's eyes widened as he spotted the orange rays of sunset passing through the trees, and he patted Kaipo's side.

"Huh? Ah! You're right! Let's go!"

The young necromancer flinched and gasped, moving first and waving his hand at the black-haired boy and the Zombie rat.

"And as for the guild – it is also a tavern where the adventurers hang out after completing their quests, so it will be open until midnight at least. But it would not matter if the city gates end up closing before we get to them!"

Kaipo added, breaking into a run, making both Zorey and Wiggles (temporary name) jog after him.