Unwanted Reunion

"I didn't know I had so many affinities," Faye says as we walk down the stairs back to the main lobby.

"What exactly do these affinities do?" I ask.

"I am not sure either. The first time I heard about them was when Astra told me in Cimavetta."

"Right, but isn't that great? You actually have a lot more potential than you thought," I say.

Faye smiles.

"Thanks, Kris, but these are just gifts from my parents. I didn't really do anything to receive them," she says.

"Then you'd better put them to good use, huh?"

"Yeah."

As we step down into the lobby floor, I spot Astra's blue dress immediately. She is currently talking to a young woman in an equally out-of-place yellow gown.

Astra sees us approaching and turns toward us.

"Hey, Kris!" She waves at us.

The woman beside her also turns and looks. Her eyes widen as a sense of recognition ignites in them.

Oh crap.

"Kris!" The woman calls out and sprints toward me while lifting her dress.

It's that girl I met on the way to the Holy Capital from North Cimavetta, Alice Pecunia. The only way her name could be more on the nose is if she is called Money Money.

"H-Hey," I say.

She grabs my hand and blasts a bright smile into my face.

"Look who I found," Astra says as she catches up behind Alice.

She definitely approached Alice on purpose.

"You two know each other?" Alice says.

"Krissy is my big bro!" Astra exclaims.

Alice lets out a mix of a gasp and a happy shriek.

"Aw, really? I was wondering how a girl could be so adorable. It turns out you got your genes from your brother!" Alice exclaims.

That's not… how that works.

I hear Faye giggle quietly behind me. Alice looks at the two girls and then back at me.

"Are they your servants?" She asks.

"Yes."

"Oh, that's why you were playing hard to get. You already have two beautiful girls," Alice says.

I would have expected her to be deterred after thinking that, but she only grew more eager.

"If you got two, why not just add me to your harem?" She says.

"Why are you here, Alice? Are you a crusader, too?" I say, avoiding her question.

"Me? Oh, no, no. I don't have the guts to do something like that. I am here to see my brother off. He is starting a four-day-long mission."

"Your brother is crusader, then?"

"Yeah, he is amazing. He just reached rank B+ not too long ago."

"Cool."

I am guessing that's impressive? It's so confusing, especially after Faye got to rank A without really doing anything.

"So, did you have some time to think about my offer?" Alice asks, her eyes sparkling.

"You offer?"

"Yeah. Our lunch date."

"Uh…"

"My brother would love to!" Astra interjects.

"Really?" Alice turns to the little girl.

"Of course!" She gives a wink and a thumbs up.

Astra speaks in my head, "She is rich, Krissy."

Well, so am I.

"Ugh, fine," I give in, "But it's just lunch, not a date. Got it?"

"Sure, sure," Alice bobs her head up and down.

She turns to a middle-aged man in a formal uniform behind her and asks, "Greg, when do I have time for lunch with Krissy?"

"Milady, you have a mock ceremony tomorrow, an audience with Her Holiness the day after that, then a charity event, and then the welcome-back party for your brother, so, in five days," her butler says.

What a packed schedule.

"Five days? That's so long," Alice whines.

She turns back to me and says, "You'd better not forget, okay?"

"Alright," I say with a sigh.

"Where do you live? I will go pick you up."

"We can just meet some-"

"We live in St. Margaret's Convent," Astra cuts me off.

"St. Margaret's Convent? Got it. See you then, Krissy!" Alice waves and walks away with her butler.

I shoot a glare at Astra. She grins and shines her teeth.

"You got yourself a date, Kris," Faye congratulates me.

"Yeah, great," I say sarcastically.

Faye chuckles.

"So, what are we doing now?" Astra asks.

"Let's find a mission. We should be able to do C and below," I say.

"Below C? I know just the right one," Astra says.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I was looking around the boards before I saw Alice, and there was this D one asking for wild yams. It's for medicine, and there is no limit. They will give you move rewards the more yams you bring in. I think it's a copper coin for every two pounds," Astra says.

"Why are we doing a D?" I ask.

"Baby steps," she says.

"Aright. How do we accept it?"

"You just go up to the reception desk and tell them."

"Can we accept more than one?" Faye asks.

"No, you have to either finish or report a failure for the mission you are doing before you can get your rewards for another one," Astra says.

"Okay."

"And where are these yams?" I ask.

"Everywhere," Astra says, "They grow anywhere outside the city walls. It's just a bit hard to find them since all that's above ground is two leaves."

"Alright. Let's take that one, then."

We go back into the line in front of the reception desks. Soon, it's our turn to talk to the lady again. Apparently, Naomi had already put our names and ranks in the registration books, so it went pretty smoothly. Astra told her which mission we were doing, and we got the go-ahead right away.

There is no time limit on this one, either. The client of the mission will keep it up until they've received enough yams.

After that, we head back out of the shrine and get ready to leave the city walls.

This is rather anti-climatic if I have to admit. I thought we were going to fight some ogres or something, but a little peace isn't too bad.

Outside in the front yard, I see someone holding the severed head of a dragon by its horn and walking by us. The sword in her other hand is still bloody and glowing. Must be a Holy Weapon.

I thought Lohikaarmi was going to at least show a little care seeing the decapitated head of her species, but she gives no more than a single side glance.

"Are you not sad seeing that?" Faye asks. She is displaying more emotion than Lohikaarmi.

Lohikaarmi shakes her head and says, "The one that crusader killed was a very small dragon. They are nothing more than a nuisance to me."

"Wow, that's cold," I say, "But aren't they like your version of children?"

"Yes, but I can not lay eggs, Master. So it means nothing to me."

Damn.

"Well, anyway, shall we get moving?" I ask. Any more of this conversation and I think I will get depressed.

The girls nod, and we leave for the city walls toward our first mission as crusaders.