The next morning, Ye Chui dragged himself out of bed, eyes bleary from severe lack of sleep.
It wasn’t excitement for the upcoming adventure keeping him awake, but little Valkyrie Jiji making a racket half the night.
To train her magic, Debbie kept Jiji summoned continuously. As a heroic spirit, Jiji didn’t tire or need sleep as long as her host provided magic. So, the little creature was restless all night, flying about, knocking things over with a clatter, and even bouncing on Ye Chui’s bed. Classic mischievous child behaviour.
Ye Chui’s wooden cabin had two floors. The ground floor, with a simple kitchen and bathroom, doubled as his bedroom, so Jiji’s slightest movements disturbed his sleep. Exasperated, Ye Chui opened the door, thinking to let her wreak havoc outside instead.
She was a heroic spirit, bound to stay near Debbie, so no worry about her getting lost.
That way, Ye Chui managed a half-night’s sleep.
Now, yawning as he got up, he planned to splash his face to perk up, only to freeze with a “bloody hell” at the sight in his room. The living area was piled with… junk?
Broken stones, shattered tiles, sticks, wooden blocks, pots, bowls, clothes, even chunks of meat, mead, and dry bread.
As Ye Chui gaped, Jiji wobbled in from outside, her tiny wings flapping, clutching two cabbages. She gleefully placed them on the pile and, seeing Ye Chui awake and stunned, stood proudly atop the heap, hands on hips. “Jiji, found lots of treasures, oh…”
Ye Chui was speechless.
Bloody hell, how had he forgotten the Valkyrie’s collecting obsession?
Debbie came downstairs, looking exhausted, not from lack of sleep but from the magical drain of sustaining Jiji’s summon. Seeing the pile, her jaw dropped, and she turned to Ye Chui. “When did you decide to become a thief?”
“Nonsense, your heroic spirit brought this back. If anyone’s a thief, it’s you,” Ye Chui retorted, examining the items. He was certain some were taken from other residents’ homes.
Once Debbie understood, she sternly warned Jiji. “You can’t do this anymore, got it? This isn’t the divine realm. You can’t just take things. It’s wrong, understand? You… oh, this bread smells good.”
“Debbie, that’s not right. You’re setting a bad example for Jiji… oh, this mead is sweet,” Ye Chui said.
So, they enjoyed Jiji’s night-long haul while lecturing her on proper heroic spirit behaviour.
Jiji squatted on the table, looking left and right, seemingly missing the point of their lesson. Was she supposed to collect even more treasures?
“Jiji, jiji!” she cheered, thrilled at the thought of gathering more.
Feeling a bit guilty, they finished breakfast. Ye Chui noticed a crowd outside. Jiji’s blatant pilfering hadn’t gone unnoticed, and people had come to reclaim their things. But when Ye Chui opened the door, they looked terrified, faces full of awe.
Some bolted, too scared to confront the brutal teen who’d summoned a one-punch heroic spirit. Others seemed torn, wanting their items but too afraid to ask.
Ye Chui, steeling himself, sorted out the pots and bowls from the junk and returned them to the neighbours. Jiji was visibly upset, those being her hard-earned treasures. Debbie struggled to calm her down. For the food they’d eaten, Ye Chui paid the owners.
But judging by the old woman’s horrified expression, she likely saw Ye Chui as a vicious thief.
After resolving the incident, Ye Chui and Debbie hurriedly took Jiji and rushed out of town.
They’d arranged for Green to rent a carriage, which had been waiting for a while.
The Elf Prairie stretched endlessly. Legend said the last Elf Queen, Lil, perished here. Long ago, the prairie was a thriving land with villages and city-states, but after the War of the Gods, it became desolate. Within hundreds of miles of Stan Town, there were no other human settlements, only wandering bandits.
Some said the prairie was cursed by Queen Lil.
As a vital route connecting the Warmwater River’s south to the Western Mountains, the prairie had a few rest stops. White Horse Station, a hundred miles south of Stan Town, was one such inn offering food, lodging, and care for horses.
That evening, the Casual Magic Guild’s first mission carriage stopped outside White Horse Station.
The day’s journey was far from comfortable, especially for Green. The guildmaster and deputy spent the entire trip sleeping in the carriage, leaving the driving to him, the sole member.
His only company was Jiji, endlessly curious, constantly picking up flowers, butterflies, stones, and broken animal bones to toss into the carriage. Such innocent childlike behaviour. Each time, Green couldn’t help but feel a bitter pang of “how can you be a kid?”
Poor Green.
Ye Chui, yawning, climbed out of the pile of stones and leaves with Debbie. Realising they’d reached White Horse Station, they discussed dinner and entered the inn’s hall. Green, cleaning the carriage and instructing the stablehand about the horses, watched their backs and muttered, “And you said this wasn’t a picnic… even picnics aren’t this relaxed.”
The inn’s hall was brightly lit, though small, with only three tables. A fire pit burned in the centre. Despite the warm day, nights on the Elf Prairie were freezing, and the fire roared. The place was usually quiet, but today, a group of guests was already there.
Seven mercenaries, dusty from a recent mission, sat at one table, laden with food. As Ye Chui and Debbie entered, one let out an “oh” and whispered to his companions, who then eyed Ye Chui with odd, teasing looks.
Ye Chui guessed they recognised him as the mage “who awakened the worst grimoire ever.”
The ruins adventure had happened only days ago, and they clearly hadn’t heard about it.
“Just a mercenary band from town. Ignore them,” Ye Chui said quietly to Debbie, who was frowning, as they sat at a table farther away. The innkeeper’s wife came to take their order. Ye Chui asked about Southwind Outpost’s location and ordered food. By the time Green entered, the table was full.
Having eaten only jerky and bread at noon, Ye Chui and Debbie were starving and dug in.
Green, however, ate slowly, glancing at the other mercenaries. He recognised them and whispered, “That’s the Blue Fox Mercenary Band. I dealt with them when I ran bets. They’re a bunch of thugs who’ve welched on debts. Their leader, that bearded guy, Nick, was jailed by Mayor Cass for vigilante killing. We should be careful.”
“Got it,” Ye Chui said, passing Green a roasted lamb leg. “This tastes good. Try it.”
“I’m serious. Nick’s bold enough to challenge Cass,” Green said earnestly.
“Don’t worry. As an experienced adventurer, I’ll be cautious,” Debbie nodded, pointing to a dish. “This creamy mushroom is nice, Green. Try it.”
Green was speechless.
They’re definitely here for a picnic…
As dinner neared its end, Nick, the bearded Blue Fox leader, stood and approached their table.
“You’re Wade, right?” he said with a grin, scanning the four of them, his gaze settling on Ye Chui. “Last time I left Stan Town, you, this summoner girl, and our little Green entered the ruins. I thought you were dead, but here you are. Seems Thorne and Bilis were merciful. Why are you here? I heard you asking about Southwind Outpost. Are you doing the bandit-clearing mission?”
Green tensed, but Ye Chui remained calm. “What do you want?”
“Heh, I knew it. The Southwind Outpost bandit mission is tough to get,” Nick said with a sly smile. “Those bandits aren’t pushovers. Let Blue Fox join you. As fellow Stan Town folks, we’re happy to help you complete it selflessly.”
At “selflessly,” the other Blue Fox mercenaries burst into mocking laughter.
