A Chance Encounter

"Hm?"

For a moment, Karen's feet suddenly stopped moving. Standing in the middle of a busy street lined with various shops and stalls in some remote town in a foreign country, such a pretty girl would surely attract the attention of many people, but in this place, everyone's mind was all set to do what they needed to do at that moment, leaving no time to notice such a beautiful stranger.

"What's wrong, Karen? You seem to be looking for something. What is it?" Her friend and the [Hero] of the group, Kai, asked her. He's walking right beside her, so he's the first person to notice her strange behavior.

"W-Weh? I-Um, it's just...unlike in Arandel, this place is a lot more lively and more 'otherworld-like', I would say. "

Indeed, for them, this place where they're currently at acts more like a capital city than a real capital city like Arandel's Arteim, even though it's one of the smallest towns in this country. Being in a densely populated area, full of the sight, noise, and scents of people, caused them to reminisce about their original world.

"Nn! Also, haven't you noticed? Almost all the shops we've seen along this street cater to adventurers. It's like we're in an RPG where there's a town where you can buy and upgrade your weapons and armor. "Gah, if we had more time, I'd go to all of these shops until I passed out!" The unofficial member of the group, Rin, spoke excitedly.

"Yeah, too bad. It's not that those geezers will know if we stay here a little longer. We did a good job of defeating those monsters after all. At this point, they should give us a break," James, the group's musclebrain, expressed his disappointment.

"Muuuuuu! I don't want to go back to Arandel yet!" Iza, the 'little sister' of the group, although at the same time the oldest, flailed her arms in protest. Seeing all the posters displaying various desserts while walking, she wanted to try all of them while she still had the chance.

Unfortunately, we can't do that. Not only are we already pressed for time, our budget's also in the red. That's why no more sightseeing for today," the leader of the group and the class president, Mari, spoke bluntly.

Although, hiding inside her pockets...are a bunch of discount coupons that she'll probably not have the opportunity to use once they return to Arandel.

Perhaps...what James has said might be true after all.

By the time they left the marketplace, it was already high noon. Even during the autumn months, the heat isn't that much different from that of summer.

Although the place where they all came from also experiences days with temperatures going as high as 40 degrees Celsius during the summer months, the dryness of the air and the location of the town near the desert make for an even hotter landscape. Luckily, there are stalls that sell head and body coverings to protect themselves from the deadly UV radiation.

Still, they decided it would be best if they found a place with a roof where they could eat together.

"Almost all of the restaurants on this street are jam-packed with customers," Mari said.

"Can't be helped, then. It's not just us that want to hide from the heat," Kai replied.

Iza lamented, "If we stay here outside a little longer...my beautiful skin will get absolutely sunburned."

"I heard that there's another inn over there, far from these bustling streets. Let's take a look at it, shall we?"

Following Rin's advice, the group continued walking for a few more minutes until they reached the inn.

At a glance, the inn doesn't look that much different compared to the other establishments they saw. However, the moment they stepped through the door—

"Good day, our dear customers. Welcome to the Sandy Fish Inn...although this has more or less become a restaurant than an actual inn. How many people will be dining here today?"

Almost instantly, all of them, especially the two boys, quietly gasped at the sight of the young lady that was greeting them.

A bright, orange-brown hair that is properly decorated by a bandanna.

Her emerald green eyes. Her long eyelashes. Her cute nose, and her small pink lips form a very refreshing smile for anyone that's passing by.

Fair skin that looks very soft and smooth to the touch.

And lastly, her clothes—though, despite not wearing a long gown and instead wearing a gray apron over her casual gear—still exuded an air of noble elegance, that no one among the group could explain.

There's no doubt she's among the most beautiful people they have ever met, perhaps even rivaling that of the Princess of Arandel.

The young lady, realizing that she's been stared at by this group of people for a while already, has started to feel uncomfortable.

"Um...dear customers, have you finally decided whether to dine here or not?" The beautiful receptionist asked.

"What? A-Ah, yeah! We will dine here, right guys?"

When James glanced at his friends, they all began nodding in unison.

Placing her hands together, the lady spoke, "Ah, splendid! So all six people in your group will be dining here? If that is the case, then please feel free to enter and select your preferred seats inside."

After a minute or so of deliberation, the group finally decided to sit on a table on the right side of the inn, facing the counter. Even during this rush hour, there are no other customers in the establishment other than them—the complete opposite of the ones they saw earlier.

The receptionist, with a notepad and pencil in hand, then asked the group for their orders.

With a quick nod, Rin spoke on behalf of the group.

"We'll go with this one, I guess."

"Ah, 'meat and potatoes', is it? It might be a simple dish, but our customers love it."

"Really? Then that's reassuring."

Having written all of their orders, the receptionist then said to them:

"While waiting for your orders to come, we highly suggest that you try our newly-installed beverage bar. Using it is free of charge...although if you prefer drinking liquor instead, you will have to pay. Any questions?"

"None," all of them answered.

"Fufu. Well then, I shall excuse myself for now, our dear customers. Should you ever need something, please feel free to ring the bell over there."

She then bowed her head towards them and headed back to the kitchen. Then, immediately, James—

"Guys, I think I'm in love already—oww! Hey, what was that for, Iza??"

Iza, stepping on his foot with a smile on her face, replied, "Oh, sorry, this table is a bit small for all of us. I'm just trying to adjust my position here, hehe~"

However, even though she's saying that, she still continued to crush his foot with impunity.

"But you know, I can tell just by looking at her that she's a natural beauty," Iza said. "If she could just tell me her regiment, I might be able to become even cuter than she!"

"The way she speaks, her movements, her appearance...screams bloody noble lady to me. Well, it's most likely that I'm wrong to make that assumption, but who knows? We're in another world after all," Rin expressed her thoughts.

"A noble lady, huh..." Karen muttered softly.

Their food arrived by the time Rin and the company had their fourth refill of their drinks. Immediately, they were caught off guard by the fragrant, savory scent of the dish, which caused them to feel even more hungry.

"We highly recommend that you try this dish with loaves of flatbread, our dear customers."

"Oooh! This is so good!" Iza exclaimed.

"Fufu, I am delighted to hear that."

While the lady was carrying the serving trays back to the kitchen, Karen—

"Um, can I ask you something, Miss?"

"Hm? Please, go ahead."

"I'm just wondering, by any chance...have you ever met a young man that has—"

"Ah Iza, watch what you're doing! I spilled my drink on my clothes because of you!" James suddenly yelled, as he tried wiping off the stain from his vest and pants.

Iza, who's sitting between him and Mari, replied, "I told you, it's too cramped in here!"

"Um, if you wish to wash the stain on your clothes, dear customer, you can use the washroom located over there," the receptionist suggested.

"Thanks, I will go there now."

Looking at Karen, the receptionist said, "My deepest apologies, dear customer, but I will have to clean up this spill on the table first. Would it be alright with you if you left your question right after I am done with the cleaning?"

Nodding her head, Karen replied, "Nn, it's alright. Please forget that I said anything."

The receptionist formed a cramped smile with her lips.

"I understand. Well then, if you excuse me..."

-----

Once they're all done eating and have paid for their meal, it's already time for them to go. However, the receptionist, having been keeping a keen eye on them for some time now, decided to approach Karen.

"Pardon me for my impertinence, but do you have some time to spare?"

"M-Me? Um, let's see...guys, can you go ahead first? I'll just talk with her for a moment."

"Okay, but make sure it won't take long," Mari said.

"Thanks, Mari!"

"Then, shall we go back inside?" the receptionist asked.

When they returned to the inn that's currently devoid of customers, the young lady offered her a seat and a cup of tea.

"If you are wondering why we do not have any customers today except for your group, the inn is currently closed for maintenance and was not expecting any customers to come. However, after I saw you and your friends standing outside, exhausted and exposed to the sun, I could not help but let you in. I hope the way I served you was up to your standards despite that."

"I-If that's true, then thank you very much, Miss..."

"Lerish. Please call me by that name," the receptionist smiled at her.

Karen, having met the gaze of this lady, slowly looked away with her cheeks turning pink.

"T-Then please call me Karen, too."

After that, Lerish asked her to try the tea she made before it got cold. Immediately, Karen was taken aback, for this tea she was having was like the one she had at the royal court in Arandel, possibly even better! She's lost for words—how can an ordinary employee like her get hold of such expensive, high-quality tea?

"Well then, I will be straight to the point, Miss Karen. I would like to speak with you because... I cannot get the question you wanted to ask me earlier out of my head. I might have been busy catering to your needs at that time, but nonetheless, I heard your voice loud and clear. I want you to answer me: are you looking for something...or rather, someone?"

"Whuh—?!"

'So she still remembered that even though I asked her not to,' she thought to herself. Usually, she would get angry at people who poke into other people's problems, but with the hospitality this lady in front of her was showing, she felt conflicted about doing so.

"My apologies, it was impertinent of me to ask you that. Please do not take what I said as an ill-thought towards you. I only intend to help you, that is all," Lerish bowed her head in apology.

"H-Help me? But, but...how?"

Then, without saying anything, Lerish placed her hand on the small circular table they're using, and from it, a green magic circle with the same radius as the table appeared, floating like a hologram right in front of Karen. This magic circle has grid lines all over it, making it look like a radar screen.

"Y-You formed a magic circle...without using an incantation...?"

Lerish nodded. "This special magic of mine...allows me to locate any object or person in the world...although as of this moment, I am not proficient enough for the extent of my power to go beyond this country. Notwithstanding that, Miss Karen—should we try to find that person you are looking for?"

Seeing such a special kind of magic for the first time from this mysterious lady, Karen couldn't help but to gulp her saliva in bewilderment.

'What kind of person is she, really?' she grumbled.

Lerish then told Karen that in order for the magic to work, she must describe the notable features of the person she's looking for. She added that accuracy is a must, for even one small detail missed can greatly change the results of the search.

"Okay...to start, just like what I said earlier—that person was of the same age as us, about sixteen years old if he's still alive."

"Hm-mm. Anything else?"

"Um..let's see, he had an average physique, as far as I remember. A bit skinny, but not malnourished. His height, how do I describe it...if we stood face to face, his lips would surely be in front of my forehead. Somehow, I couldn't think of a better analogy than that," Karen said, while trying not to grin in front of the lady that's helping her.

Lerish, attentively listening to Karen, also smiled at the way she described the missing person. She thought that this person might be really special for this young lady, and that she had to go through great lengths just to find him.

"His hair, his black hair—although he does not style it most of the time, he never came to class looking haggard, and he always had it cut once every two months. He also had brown eyes that, even though they were unremarkable, still had their own unique charm. I don't know why, but I was quite interested in those eyes. It's like...they're talking to me."

'These features...I think I saw all of these just a while ago...'

Using the descriptions Karen gave her, Lerish then began the search with her special magic. For a moment, the magic circle showed nothing, until one by one, blue dots quickly filled the screen, covering it entirely.

"My, it seems that there are so many young people in this country that have the qualities you have described to me."

"F-Figures."

"Perhaps it is possible for us to refine the search by using that person's name," Lerish thought. "Pardon me, Miss Karen, but could you please tell me the name of the person you are looking for? Even if there are several people that have that same name, we could at least greatly reduce the number of people we have to scrutinize to a minimum."

Of course, there's also the possibility that among all of those people, none of them would be the one Karen is looking for—that these people just coincidentally had his name and his 'defining' features. Now that she's come to this point, however, Karen has no chance to waste.

"Ren...his name is Ren Mortel."

"—?!"

As soon as she heard that person's name, Lerish's body became tense, like a jolt of electricity running through her spine.

Karen, noticing her sudden change in behavior, asked—

"What's wrong, Miss Lerish? Is there a problem with the search magic you're using?"

"Hmm? Ah, my apologies—I just remembered something, that is all. " Lerish shook her head. "Ahem, where did we stop? Ren Mortel, was it? I will resume with the search immediately."

With a deep breath, she continued—

'Search: Ren Mortel.'

Almost immediately, all of the dots on the magic circle, which stand for every potential match in their search parameters, disappeared one by one...

...until none of them were left. Looking at the blank magic circle floating on the table, Karen's mood quickly sank to the bottom.

"No results..."

"I am terribly sorry, Miss Karen. It appears that there is no person here in Narashel named "Ren Mortel'. I can try one more time, just to confirm that it is accurate."

"N-No, no...it's alright, Miss Lerish!" Karen vehemently waved her arms. "You have already done so much for me, even though we're strangers to each other. I can't just abuse your kindness, you know?"

"I-If...if you say so..."

Karen nodded. "Nn. While the outcome didn't end up in my favor, it doesn't mean that I've already lost. Looking on the bright side—that's one less country for me to consider! It really helped me a lot. Thank you, Miss Lerish!"

Without any hesitation, Karen quickly grabbed Lerish's hands. Lerish, not being used to getting touched so casually, especially by a stranger, flinched for a moment, but seeing how thankful Karen was to her despite failing to locate the missing person, she chose not to say a word.

Or rather, she couldn't say anything at all.