Chapter 9

Rina's Perspective

"Eh? Mongrel-senpai, you refused to join our party?"

"Hmm, I did suggest it once, but it seems he wasn't in the mood to work with Artemis."

"Eh... What's that all about..."

It's the harvest season. For guild members, it's the time to work.

Some return to their hometowns to help with the harvest, while many others hustle to earn contribution points during this special period.

My party, Artemis, is mostly women, so we get a lot of jobs like escorting noble ladies.

However, this time the dispatched security job wasn't related to that... I guess Mongrel-senpai probably said he didn't want to work with a bunch of women. He probably would have said something like that...

I asked Milene at the reception, but it didn't work out. Hmm.

"Rina, would you have preferred to work with Mongrel?"

"Well, yeah. The last time we met, Mongrel-senpai and I completed a mission to slay an ogre."

"Ah, that one. The stray ogre at the Russ Bee Farm. It was a big win for Artemis."

"Right... He even praised me more for the time we killed a lot of crazy boars. Isn't that a bit much?"

"Aha..."

Mongrel-senpai knows how strong ogres are.

Killing a bunch of crazy boars can't compare to that intense battle. I worked really hard in that fight, and it would have been nice to get a little praise for it...

Why does he think the boar hunt was more impressive? Maybe it's because of the meat. He seems to only think about meat...

"So... I wanted to show him how much I've grown by working with him..."

"Hmm."

Milene listened to me and smiled faintly. She put down a glass pen, which apparently is popular these days.

It seems she finished her work.

Looking around, the guild hall was nearly empty, probably because it was the awkward time just after noon.

"Rina, why don't you sit down? I'm taking a break, so let's chat. How about some tea?"

"Sure. I'll pay, of course."

"Oh, you're so responsible. I was going to treat you."

"It's fine."

The tea in the guild isn't expensive, but it's quite relaxing.

Especially when you pay for it with your own hard-earned money, it feels more grounded and satisfying.

...I couldn't take a break like this when I was in the village.

"Rina, you've really settled down recently. It's great, especially compared to when you first joined the party. Many young parties from outside the city either retire quickly or become bandits."

"Yeah... But it was tough. I couldn't earn money no matter what I did, and things didn't go well. If I got injured, I couldn't even make a profit... Honestly, I thought about going back to the village and begging to become a hunter again many times."

"The two who came with you from the village did that, right? What were their names? A boy and a girl..."

Right, I came to Regol with two others from the village.

The city was a dream for a country girl. I thought I could make a fortune here with the hunting skills I learned in the village.

...But I hit a harsh reality.

The two I came with eventually went back to the village after various incidents.

"Those two are doing well in the village."

"We were good friends."

After they left, it got even harder for me.

Working alone was inefficient, expensive, and lonely.

I joined other parties, but I never fit in, made mistakes, and even got scammed...

"If I hadn't met Mongrel-senpai, I might have gone back to the village too."

About a year and a bit ago.

I was hunting wild birds in the forest near Regol, moving from party to party.

That's where I met him.

A lone man with black hair and white streaks like a Sangrean.

"F**k, why does the arrow bounce off when I pull the bow to its maximum? Is this bow broken!?"

He was trying to shoot a maruko pigeon with a toy-like bow and arrow he bought cheaply from the market.

I thought, "There's a weird guy here."

The bow was shorter than his arm, and the arrow was short with a tip. One of the fletchings was missing.

"There's no way you can hunt with a bow like that."

I said it without thinking, even though I didn't know him.

Right after I said it, I regretted it. I was afraid he would yell at me for saying something strange.

"Really? Then what should I do?"

But Mongrel-senpai treated me, a woman, as an equal, even though I was just a kid.

He didn't look down on me or try to deceive me. He never did anything rude or mocking.

"Is this a kid's practice set? No way, right? I paid 600 gil for it."

"Actually, making a bow like that might be harder, and I can't tell if it's expensive or not. By the way, a normal bow can do this much damage, like this."

"Whoa!? Amazing! So fast! It's a weapon!"

"Yeah, it is a weapon."

He was surprised and praised me when I shot down a bird.

"Hey, if you can hunt a lot of these birds, can you pluck them and take out the guts? I'll buy them at 40% above market price. You can register the request with the guild."

When he found out I was short on money, he offered a deal that wasn't very profitable for him.

"Why not gather some wild vegetables and fruits while you're out hunting? They're always bought at the gate, like these."

"Really, you can sell these?"

"You can make jam with them. Oh, but these are better fried."

He taught me various ways to earn money and how to navigate the guild.

...I was recognized for my hard work by the people of Artemis and eventually joined the party, all thanks to Mongrel-senpai.

I haven't done anything with him in a party, but I know he's been supporting me from behind all this time.

So, I think...

It would be nice if he joined our party and worked with us once in a while.

"Hehe. Mongrel may seem to do as he pleases... and he does, but he's a good person who takes care of others."

"Right. I think so too. He's not just someone who makes weird purchases."

Mongrel's position in the guild is that of an eccentric.

He's not a troublemaker, he's cheerful, and has many friends, but he's a bit of a playboy and an eccentric.

"...Mongrel-senpai must be lonely on his own. I don't want him to feel lonely."

That's why he's always alone.

The other day, he was even challenged by some thugs, and I think it's dangerous.

I want him to join a party.

...Even ours.

"Well, I understand. I'm worried too. But he probably has his reasons for being alone. We can't force him."

"...Yeah, you're right."

"Don't worry. Mongrel is surprisingly strong for a bronze-ranked member, and mentally... well, he does some weird things, but he's definitely honest. At least, he wouldn't do anything bad."

"Yeah, I can't imagine him doing anything bad."

"He's probably working as a model guild member at his dispatch right now."

A model guild member... Mongrel?

"Hehe."

"Hehehe."

"Hey, why are you laughing, Milene?"

"No, no, hehe. You laughed too, Rina."

He's not bad, but is he really a model of justice?

No, he's a really good person.