First Quest: The Manipulated Girl

"My lunch box..."

"Sorry, Auntie, I didn't know that it was your lunch. That person gave it to me, so I don't know anything. I'm sorry, Auntie."

"Who are you calling auntie? I'm only 18 years old, just so you know."

"Sorry, Auntie."

Hiyori was angry, even her face changed to look like a wild cat that doesn't accept its food being taken.

I have to be able to calm her down because she is my pet.

"Never mind, Hiyori, I'll give you the Whiskas later."

"Hah? I told you, I'm human. So I don't need that food!"

At the same time as she said that, I took out my lunch box from this desk drawer.

"Here, you just eat my lunch. So, sit here!"

Perhaps because I offered my lunch, she immediately calmed down and walked over to me, and lifted the side of the table to make her sit beside me.

After she sat down with a happy grin and opened my lunchbox beside me, I refocused on the problem Qiby was having, the problem of her sister who became a thief.

"So, where was it?"

"Uncle, I have neither money nor valuables, only this knife, so will you help me?"

While she said that, she showed me the knife.

Well, the knife does look good, but that doesn't mean she has to pay me to use it. I'm sure the knife was a gift from someone, whether it's from her sister or her family. I believe the knife was there to protect her from dangerous people. Also, I'm sure the knife had been protecting her all along.

Because of that, I refused the payment. Of course, because I'm not going to take that valuable thing. I don't want that knife.

However, because this is a job, where there must be a result of what is done, whether it's a reward in the form of money or goods, I will still ask for the reward.

"I refuse!"

"Eh? Sorry, I only have this."

Qiby immediately lethargic, lowered her head, looking at the knife she was holding.

"Ryuki, why did you refuse that? Didn't you accept any quests?"

Hiyori was confused as to why I refused it; maybe because I was rejecting it half-heartedly, without explaining for sure.

They responded too quickly, even though I have not explained what I want from this request.

I turned to where Hiyori was, saw a grain of rice stuck to her cheek, took a grain of rice from her cheek, and ate it.

"Why did I refuse that? Of course, I don't want that knife. After all, the knife doesn't appeal to me."

"So that's how it is, huh. Sorry, I thought you could help me, but it turns out that you, like other adventurers, don't want this knife. Sorry for the time, I'm sorry."

Even at her age, Qiby already knew how not to force her will. She relented, relented to back down rather than having to force others to help her. She was a little girl who knew quite well about her inability to behave towards others.

"Ryuki... you are..."

Before Qiby left this carriage, I burned and then smoked my cigarette.

"I rejected your knife, but I didn't refuse your quest. I will still help you to find your sister."

"Eh?"

She turned around with a confused face.

"What do you mean, Uncle?"

"How about in exchange for the reward for your quest, which is your knife, you will be the reward. You will be my maid, cleaning this carriage."

I know it sounds pretty cheesy, telling her to clean this carriage, but what can I do, because she has nothing but her sister and the knife. So, in exchange for me helping her, she would be the one to clean this carriage of the horse-drawn carriage. Of course, during this quest, looking for her sister.

"I refuse!"

Somehow Leonard refused it. He suddenly got behind me and refused it in a presumptuous voice.

"Hey, Little Girl, you know, no one should be in his servant position but for me. You can't take that position! Listen carefully, I'm-"

Before he could finish his words, I pushed him to make him fall from there.

"How wonderful of you, My Lord. I didn't even notice the fast movement of your hands."

I let Leonard ramble on there. I then refocused with Qiby who was dumbfounded there.

"How?"

"Means..."

"Ah, you still have your knife. In exchange, you will clean the carriage of this horse-drawn carriage. Since you have nothing but that knife, your energy is all I need. Therefore, I will help you to find and restore your sister. It's a nice reward, isn't it? If you don't want to, I'll-"

"I accept that. I accept that. I will clean this carriage—no, this whole carriage—as best I can. Therefore, please help me find my sister, Uncle Ryuki!"

"Okay. I accept your request."

I quickly wrote down her request on this piece of paper, then placed this paper onto the board on the wall of this horse-drawn carriage.

"Okay, the first quest, let's start from here."