Cribs (3)

"I haven't even told you the reward."

"Well, I'm sure it's a good reward. That's why I already agreed. Who would agree to something like that without compensation? That'd be stupid, right?" I laugh nervously to cover up my obvious lie. Jezabel holds back a grin and continues.

"I'll be putting in a request to have your rank increased. While this comes with some responsibilities, the guild is quick to give benefits to those we trust."

"Awesome, thanks!"

"And one more thing."

"What's up?"

"As you know, Count Richter has a hand in this operation and wants to provide you with better equipment," Jezabel says. I can feel Shinobu tense up at the sound of his name.

"That's fine. As long as we don't have to meet him in person."

"I understand. He is much more concerned about losing his position than Shinobu's whereabouts. He didn't even bring it up during our discussion." I feel relieved that he isn't hunting the girl behind me. I've been concerned that he might try to make a move at some point, but it seems my fears were unfounded.

"Great, what's next?"

"I'll send you over to Marshall to get your measurements, and he can find proper armor for you. Make sure he understands your role in the party."

"Got it."

"I expect you all here tomorrow morning for your regularly scheduled training. I'll have to make sure you're tough enough to survive despite your own stupidity. I'll also send a carpenter to your new abode to begin fixing it up. It won't be free, but I'm sure you won't have any problem paying me back."

"Of course, much appreciated."

"Now, get out of my sight." We walk out the door, and I can't help leaving with a snarky remark.

"Thanks, mom, bye." I can almost hear Jezabel roll her eyes as I close the door behind me. Hugo stands by the door, looking amused.

[I may have to pay for that tomorrow, but at least I got a laugh out of it.]

"Do you know where Marshall is?" I turn to Hugo and ask him the question I should have leveled towards Jezabel.

"I don't know, probably at his shop."

"Where's that?"

"It's the shop we always go to, idiot." Sakura interrupts with her interpretation of my mental abilities.

"His name is Marshall?"

"Yes, how do you not know that?"

"You already answered that question. It's not like it's a mystery." Sakura smirks at me, which is the best possible outcome of this conversation. I'm perfectly content with her insulting me as long as she doesn't get mad. "Now that we've got that settled, let's go there now."

"I don't know. It's getting kind of late," Shinobu says hesitantly.

"It is? I can't tell since it gets dark so early," I say.

"It's only mid-afternoon. We still have plenty of time."

"Do you not want to go?" I ask. Shinobu seems hesitant, so I dig a little. She's been doing better recently, and I'd hate to lose that progress by forcing her into an uncomfortable situation. Fresh wounds are easily opened. She silently rubs her arm, so I make an executive decision.

"Let's just go tomorrow. I'm getting pretty tired myself." I yawn to sell my story better, but Sakura doesn't take the bait.

"There's plenty of time left. It'll only take a minute." I turn away from Shinobu so she can't see my eyes and focus on Sakura. Once I've got her attention, I glance back and forth between her and Shinobu. Sakura glares at me and folds her arms. "Fine. We'll go tomorrow."

"Perfect. Then let's get a quick workout in and call it a day."

"We already trained while you were goofing off."

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." I ignore Sakura's attempts to get a rise out of me and walk out of the guild. The suns are beginning to set, but there's still an hour or two of daylight left. The walk to the gate is quiet except for the sound of small footsteps behind me. I almost forgot Shinobu was there while I was lost in thought.

"Are you alright?" I catch her looking at the ground when I turn to check on her.

"I'm fine," she says, obviously not fine.

"Okay, well, let me know if you want to talk about it." I get back to thinking through all the new information I've acquired while we head into the woods. Ideally, I'll be able to get a better grip on the overall situation in the town. With so many moving pieces, it can be difficult to make good decisions, so it's important to think them through in advance. Shortly before we arrive at the den, Shinobu speaks up.

"Am I a burden?"

[What an interesting question. I'll have to raise my evaluation of her if she's this empathetic.]

"Am I a burden?" I mirror her question as a response.

"No." She quickly looks up as she rejects my question.

"Sakura seems to think so. She's always complaining about my decisions, and there's no way I'm not a burden on Jezabel."

"But you help them."

"That doesn't mean I'm not a burden." Shinobu looks at the ground. I give her a moment to digest my words before I continue. "Relationships are not a zero-sum game. You can always give more than you take, and that's what's important. No matter how much of a burden I might be, I always try to give back more than I take."

"Do I give back more than I take?"

"What do you think?"

"...No."

"Probably not, no. But you do give a lot back. Our team works much more smoothly with you around, and everyone enjoys your company. Sleeping out in the woods is a bit of a pain, but I've gotten used to it. Having you stay at our new place will be nice, and I know with how hard you're working, you'll be a much bigger asset to everyone in the future." She shifts around uncomfortably. I don't like using vapid language with those I'm close to, so sometimes my words can be a bit harsh. "Plus, we're friends. This is what friends are for."

I reach out to place my hand on her head and smile. It's heartwarming to see her face light up when she sees my reaction.

"Now, let's get to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow."

We head into the den, and I get a quick workout while Shinobu lies in bed reading. Our warm blankets fend off the cold air as we drift off to sleep.