Chapter 52 - Running Around

"AHAHAHAHAHA!!! Wait--I cant, I can't even...haha! WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

"Can you please stop laughing so much? There's so many people looking at us now!"

The next day, I went alone to the Guild HQ to ask if my community service sentence would cause conflict to my job as an adventurer, and seek permission if there is. Upon hearing what happened, Alisha who is currently on her shift soon started laughing her brains out.

She wiped the tears on her eyes from too much laughing. "Hahahaha, haaah...sorry, sorry...but would you blame me though? Your story just became so complicated it's hilarious."

"Maybe if you experienced staying a night in prison you won't laugh at my situation the way you are doing right now."

"Oh? I know that feeling very well."

"Y-You got imprisoned before?" My eyes widened in surprise.

She nodded. "Almost a month, after I got into a fight and torn down a neighbor's door to throw at my opponents."

Y-You did something like that?! How strong, I mean, how brutal?! We had the same offense more or less, but as expected from the one who is known as [The Cutthroat], it was intentional!

"Leaving that aside, you're still fortunate that your first day of doing community service wasn't in vain and didn't sent you straight to prison again if the rules were to be followed," she said while stamping out some doc.u.ments from other adventurers.

"Yeah. I think we achieved a reasonable compromise to settle what happened yesterday..."

Later that afternoon, Miss Mallory sent a letter to me, saying that she will put her signature on my form as compensation for her 'unreasonable' request, and a pack of cookies to be given to Aoi.

I'm sure she only did that so that I won't tell her to the authorities. Well, as long as she fulfills it, and if she also promise not to go within fifteen meters from my sister, then that's okay.

"Here. Two down, forty-eight to go. I say, thanks for sharing your misadventures today, Ren. I never had a good laugh these past few days."

Setting aside the other doc.u.ments for awhile, she took out her own seal, then stamped it on my form and notes.

"No problem, but next time just tell me directly whatever you want to say. Making the town chief request something to me on your behalf...feels so awkward and embarrassing."

'That young woman at the Guild...Alisha if I'm not mistaken? She needs your help as soon as possible,' I remembered him telling that to me earlier. I thought it was an emergency so I rushed to come here, only to find out that by 'asking for help', she just wants to have a good talk with someone.

Alisha raised her eyebrows. "What? Aren't you satisfied with how easy the request I gave to you? Come here and I'll remove my seal right now..."

"No thanks. I will go now," I replied, before I turned my back to her and left.

-----

While walking around, I noticed that everyone has their eyes fixed at me as if they're looking at a strange-looking beast being paraded on the streets. At first I didn't mind it, but shortly after I can't take it anymore, as I want to dig a hole on the ground either for hiding myself away, or to hide their bodies if ever I reached the unsurpassable depths of shame (just kidding!).

Maybe the vest I'm wearing right now over my clothes is the reason for everyone's strange behavior. I don't see anyone having the same thing other than mine yet, so it's natural for me to stick out like a sore thumb even with this amount of people.

'Keep walking, Ren Mortel. Don't mind the other people; just look down into the road, and keep on walking...'

I kept on whispering those words onto myself continuously until--

*bump*

"A-Ah, I'm sorry! I'm not looking at where I'm going that's why..."

When I tried to apologize, the person I bumped into didn't looked at me as he just fixed his black cloak that completely covered his face, and went on with his own business.

That person didn't even budged or anything...maybe he's on a rush that he doesn't care if there's anyone on his way?

"Eh, let's leave it like that. I have to hurry to my next...hm?"

Just as when I was about to run I saw a folded piece of paper on the ground. I thought it was only trash at first, until I noticed that it's folded neatly and without any creases.

I picked it up and examined it closely. "Did that person dropped it when I bumped onto him? I wonder what this thing is..."

Bills? A to-do list? His tax certificate? Is this a map leading to a hidden treasure, or I'm really an idiot for thinking it's one of those choices? I'm feeling a strange thing coming from this little piece of mystery, that it makes me want to unfold it.

No, no, this thing isn't mine. It doesn't seem that person just threw this folded paper away, and going by that it's not good for others to poke into someone else's privacy whether they know it or not.

However...

"Ugh, why am I thinking about this so hard?! I just have to unfold it, take a quick look, and get over with it..."

Having my bad side leak out of me, I looked what's inside the paper, and--

"W-What in the world is this..."

A circle. A perfectly drawn circle in thick black ink.

Although compasses do exist in this world, it doesn't seem like the tool has been used to draw the figure. More like, the shape was traced from a circular object like a cup or plate. I noticed also that the folds of the paper also perfectly divided the circle into four parts, as if pointing into four directions. Whether it was used as a compass or not, no one knows for certain.

I don't know why--it's just a simple figure, but the more I look at it the more I get hooked at it as if I discovered something important.

Putting the folded paper inside my pocket, I heard the town bell ring nine times.

Ah, geez! I'm already late!

Speeding my way towards my destination, I prayed to myself that I would get there on time.

-----

I spent the whole afternoon running around town just to do errands for five different people. Who would've thought the things they needed had to be found at the farthest reaches of the town, with no shortcuts available? Are they conspiring against me?

Still, I managed to do it all just before the day ends and get all five marks from them.

"7 out of 50...seems like I underestimated my community service sentence," I sighed as I sit on a bench.

Going by this rate I would complete the required number in a week. Depending on the difficulty of the task, it could be faster or slower than that.

Haaah...my body might not be tired, but my mind is. All the fatigue that my body should be having right now is translated into mental strain, giving me a slight headache.

I want to go home already, but I still have to make a report to the town chief.

After all the tasks has been finished for today, I sprinted immediately back to Sandy Fish. At a distance, I saw Aoi standing in front of the entrance as she waited for me to come home.

"...Big brother, welcome home!!!"

Running straight towards my direction, she greeted me with a tight embrace.

"...You left while I'm still sleeping. I thought we'll go out together today?"

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I slipped past my mind," I apologized to her.

"...Forget it," Aoi shook her head lightly. "Then, how's your day, big brother? Did those people asked you to do super difficult things?"

"So far, so good. It's a little tiring, but..."

"...Oh my, looks like I have to kill all of them this instant."

"Eh?"

Staring into the heart of the town, Aoi raised her hand and formed her fingers into a snapping gesture.

"No, don't do it, Aoi! Look, I'm fine! I'm really fine!"

Good grief...stopping Aoi before she unleashes hell into unsuspecting people is much more exhausting than all the things I did earlier.

"Really...you're acting overboard sometimes."

"...I just don't want to see big brother getting tired after being exploited by other people," Aoi spoke with teary eyes.

Exploited? Is that what she thinks of my situation right now?

"Calm down, okay? Listen, your big brother might be doing tasks from other people because of my circ.u.mstances, but it's not the same as being treated like a slave. Besides, come to think of it--isn't the tasks being requested to me more or less similar to the tasks being posted on the Guild?"

In my current case, the tasks either come directly from the client or through the town chief's office.

Having her realize it, Aoi finally calmed down.

"...Still, that doesn't mean I would stay here and wait like an idiot. Just like yesterday I will go with you and see it for myself."

'Also, there might be a possibility they would provide me with snacks while big brother is working,' she mumbled to herself.

Although I heard what she said clearly, I only shrugged my shoulders at her. "Suit yourself then."

"...Are you hungry already, big brother?"

"Not yet, but if you want to eat let's go inside. The sky's about to go dark soon."

Entering the Sandy Fish I noticed that there are no customers around, except for one person.

"Y-You..."

The person with a black cloak hiding his face--it's that person from before!

"...Hm? You know that person, big brother?"

"N-No...I just saw him on the streets earlier," I replied while walking towards Saku.

"Yo, you're back already," Saku greeted me from the kitchen.

"Yeah. I'm back safe, healthy, and intact."

While watching Aoi eat, I talked for a while with Saku at the bar.

"Oh, where's Saki? Usually she's the one in charge of cooking right now."

"I let her play with her friends since there are only a few customers coming today," he replied. "It's already dark now, she'll be here any minute soon."

He then glanced at the cloaked person and said, "That person didn't even touched the tea he has ordered for about two hours now."

The cloaked person just sat at a seat farthest from us, looking at the steadily fading light over the window and doing only that. Sometimes he takes a look at his watch, as if he's patiently waiting for someone.

"When he entered here, I got scared because even in broad light I still can't see his face. Do you know how sweaty I was when I took his order?!" He whispered on my ear.

"I-I think if I was in your situation I might not be able to do my job properly."

"Right, right?" Saku nodded. "Plate Town's already full of strange people, but not of the same caliber as that man!"

Hey, aren't your voice too loud? What if he hears what you're saying?

"Oh, he's leaving already."

"What?!" Saku shouted all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you stupid? That person haven't paid yet for his tea!"

"Eh? Eh? What?!" I also shouted in shock.

At that moment the cloaked person just got out of the door, closing it without making any noise.

"Let me catch that man for you," I said as I followed after the man.

"Nn. Thanks."

Aoi, who has just finished her meal, noticed me running and asked, "...Where are you going, big brother?"

"I'm going after that man. I'll be back shortly."

It's just a few seconds since that man went out of the inn. I'm sure he haven't gone that far...

"There he is!"

For some reason he just stood there at a distance, facing away from me. When I was about to approach him, a group of adventurers suddenly appeared from nowhere and went towards the direction of Sandy Fish, blocking my path in the process. When the commotion finally subsided, the cloaked man was already gone.

"Tsk, he disappeared again!" I clenched my fists tight. "I need to catch him before it's too late!"

I rushed towards the center of the town and looked for any signs of his presence nearby. Since the streets are only lighted by lamps at night, it is difficult to find someone especially those who are wearing dark colors but after a few minutes of searching, I saw the man as he was about to enter a narrow street.

"I won't let you escape!"

I followed him, only to find out it was a dead end.

"W-What in the world is going on right now?! He was supposed to go here!" I scratched my head in frustration.

Then, when I turned back I saw him on the large street, looking at me.

Is he aware that I'm following him all this time?

"You want to play tag? Fine, if I catch you I'll make sure you won't be able to stand on two legs anymore."

It's my first time meeting a person like this. Do you really not want to pay for your order that bad?

When I said that, he just walked away casually as if I'm nothing but air.

"Damn, this guy!"

With a kick on the ground I continued to chase after him.

"Excuse me, excuse me!"

While he's walking away in a relaxed manner, I had to deal with several obstacles on the street. Using my improved agility I managed to get out of the crowd in a short period of time, then...

"Hm? He went to that place..."

The cloaked man entered a small building at the end or the town. When I looked at the sign, the word 'BAR' is written in the local language. Just 'BAR', nothing else.

I entered the place, hoping to find the culprit and warn the owner about him.

But...

"Oh my, looks like we have an uninvited guest tonight," a woman spoke as she sat in front of the bar table, swirling the drink on her hand.

With blonde hair and eyes that show a burning red while being illuminated by a low-lying chandelier, the woman looked charming as she wore clothing that emphasized her curves.

"I wonder, did you lost your way home, boy? Maybe, allow this elder sister here to bring you back."

In front of my stupefied self, she looked at me with a seductive smile on her face.