Chapter 7

"Boo! You heartless Chrom!"

At the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild, Fenrir's Roar, Ex, the holy sword, spoke for the first time since we left.

She seemed to be scolding me for abandoning Fenrir's Roar. I defended myself.

"It can't be helped, I have to become a top-notch adventurer and restore my family's honor."

"But don't you think it's a shame to leave the lady who served you tea?"

"Of course, I do."

"Then why don't you go back and join that guild? Something good will surely happen."

"Why do you recommend that guild? You were hostile to Karen at first."

"The reason is simple, that guild feels comfortable. It's a bit dusty, but it's a wonderful place with a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The occasional scent of tea served by the maids is also delightful."

"Are you trying to get me to join that guild for such a reason?"

"Yes, I want you to join that guild for such a reason."

"Think about my life."

"It's because you're my precious master. I am a holy sword, an existence equal to a god, but I will show respect to the one I have chosen as my master. That's why I'm seriously recommending that guild. It's fine, F-rank. It means it can't get any lower. From there, your rank will only go up as you perform well."

"But Karen said it could be shut down if things go badly."

"Did she say that?"

Ex feigned ignorance. She was as usual, a rather silly holy sword.

"But, if you try hard, it will be fine. Try to achieve something in that guild. Revive it and make it an A-rank guild someday. If you do, your reputation will surely rise, whether you like it or not."

"…That might be true, but—"

However, the holy sword scolded me.

"No protests or strikes! Chrom, this is a turning point in your life. If you abandon her here, you'll never have a girlfriend in your life."

"Why does it come to that?"

"Karen was cute, wasn't she? I was captivated by her."

"Sure, she was cute, but—"

"But what?"

"Ex, you don't know my sister, so you can say such things. If she finds out I joined an F-rank guild, she'll seriously try to kill me. And after successfully slaying me, she'll commit suicide. That's the kind of person my sister is."

I emphasized this and concluded that the matter was rejected.

Ex didn't say anything more, but she made a rather ominous prediction.

"By the way, according to my astrology, you will be liked by a dog today. If you encounter a dog on the street, it could change your fate. Remember that."

It was a rather ominous prediction, but to prevent it from coming true, I hurried to the cheap inn where I had been staying until recently.

I arrived at the inn. Of course, I didn't encounter any dogs. The innkeeper, who was cleaning, greeted me.

"Oh, Chrom, did you go back to the countryside?"

The innkeeper asked with a smile, but I explained the situation and negotiated to stay for a few more days.

The innkeeper remained cheerful throughout, but in the end, I couldn't get a room. Right after I left, a long-term group of guests arrived, and the inn was fully booked.

I had never seen this cheap inn fully booked before, but it was good to see it thriving.

With no choice, I bowed politely and left, saying I would try elsewhere.

After leaving the inn, Ex spoke to me.

"Hey, did you know? Fenrir's Roar is empty, and if you join, they'll give you a room."

"I heard that from Karen."

"At Fenrir's Roar, members get breakfast and dinner. Great, no more hunger."

"I heard that from Karen too. She's the one who cooks. It must be delicious."

"Also, there's a nice sword rack where you can display your holy sword."

"I didn't hear that. Where did you get that information?"

Ex, humming a cheerful tune, said,

"It's a secret, hehe♪"

She's such a girlish holy sword, even though she is a girl.

"Well, the cheapest inn I know is there. If we can't stay there, we'll have to camp out tonight. Is that okay?"

"Eh? Seriously, Chrom, you're going to make a precious holy sword and a delicate girl like me camp out?"

"What can I do? I don't have money. I need money for job hunting, and I have to save until I join the Adventurer's Guild."

"That's why you should join Fenrir's Roar. Why are you being so stubborn?"

Ex said this, but her sarcasm didn't reach me. It wasn't because she spoke softly.

On the contrary, she spoke loudly and obnoxiously. Still, it slipped past my ears. Instead, my attention was drawn to a person lying on the ground ahead.

On a side street off the main road, a young woman was lying there. Or, she might be a girl younger than me, given her small stature. I hurried to her side.

She was a 13-14 year old girl, at least by appearance. She had silver hair like melted moonlight, and her skin was shockingly white and beautiful.

However, she had animal-like ears and a tail. At a glance, I could tell she wasn't human, but I couldn't leave her.

I gently lifted her upper body to check her condition. Her small chest was rising and falling slightly. She was still alive.

I wondered what had happened. I wanted to ask her, but she was unconscious. Or maybe just sleeping.

She didn't seem injured or sick. Instead, her stomach was making a continuous sound like a toad croaking.

"Maybe this girl is just hungry?"

Ex's opinion seemed to be correct. The girl mumbled in her sleep.

"I'm so hungry… I can't move another step."

She continued to mumble.

"Homeless in this day and age?"

I wanted to comment, but to wake her up and cheer her up, she might need some food.

Thinking this, I whispered in her ear: hamburger, shrimp fry, cream stew.

The effect of these words was immediate. She woke up instantly and expressed her desire to eat them.

Since she had asked, there was no choice.

To satisfy her hunger and prevent her from becoming homeless, I decided to use my meager funds to pay for her meal.

I took her to my usual cafeteria.