Playful days (Part 5)

Inside the captain's office, I was asked to stay with her for a while.

"Here, have some cookies."

The captain's secretary, Lily, placed a small plate in front of me.

"Thank you," I said, accepting the offer. I picked up a cookie and took a small bite. Its sweetness was perfectly balanced, and the texture was just right.

Now this is what I call a great cookie.

My eyes sparkled with delight, and Lily noticed immediately. She smiled before excusing herself from the room.

Now, only Captain Yuri and I remained. She retrieved an item known as a Status Card—a magical tool that reveals the user's status. Since Marry had already informed her about my overwhelming amount of magic, she was likely just confirming it for herself.

"Sorry for calling you here so suddenly, but I need to check your status, Mayu. If you're a runaway noble, you should return to your family immediately..."

Here we go again.

"...Also, Marry mentioned that you might have memory loss. If you're suffering from amnesia due to an accident, you'll be reported as a missing person. Your family is probably worried about you."

"Umm... Captain Yuri, I need to apologize."

She raised an eyebrow. "Apologize for what?"

I averted my gaze, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Well... I lied to them."

I explained everything—why I deceived Marry and Rin by pretending to have memory loss.

Captain Yuri remained calm, taking a sip of her tea.

"So, what you're saying is that you're an adventurer from another country and somehow ended up at this fort?"

"Not exactly… but close enough."

After all, Japan doesn't even exist in this world.

"I lied to them so they wouldn't question how I had the abilities of an adventurer."

"According to Marry and Rin, you performed magic beyond what a normal child is capable of. Anyway, hold this card and focus your magic on it. It will display your status."

She handed me the Status Card. As I held it, I hesitated.

How exactly do I focus my magic on this?

I figured it might work the same way as casting spells. I imagined my magic flowing into the card. Suddenly, it glowed brightly, nearly illuminating the entire room.

Characters started appearing on its surface, revealing my status:

Name: Mayu

Race: Little Elf

HP: 11,300 / 11,300

MP: 10,000 / 10,000

Level: 46

Type: None

Skills:

This card works like a simplified appraisal ability—it only displays skills. It doesn't show abilities or titles, which is a relief. Some of my titles are way too exaggerated; I'd die of embarrassment if anyone saw them.

I glanced at Captain Yuri. Even without checking, I could tell she was strong.

Curious, I used appraisal on her.

[Cannot be identified.]

Huh? Cannot be identified?

This was the first time I'd seen that message. If she couldn't be identified, that meant our level difference was massive.

Yeah… she definitely has that kind of aura.

"You're level 46 with a wide range of skills," Captain Yuri observed. "You're not just an ordinary little girl. I'm starting to believe you're really an adventurer. But that still doesn't explain why you were found drifting in the sea that day."

I hesitated before answering. "I don't know exactly… Everything turned white, and the next thing I knew, I was here. But I'm worried about Retto and the others."

"Retto? You mean the Knight of Knights? Are you from Grandellia?"

"Not exactly…"

Wait… Retto is that famous?

"I don't mean any harm. I just want to find my purpose—the reason why I'm here. The reason I live."

I stood up, feeling a surge of determination.

Captain Yuri studied me before taking another sip of tea.

"A reason to live, huh? I can read people's presence, and I can tell you're not dangerous. But I must admit, your status is impressive. You even surpass Rin and Marry, two of the strongest adventurers in Elesis Fort."

She leaned back slightly.

"Since I've gotten to know you a little better, I'll allow you to stay here in the fort for a while. I suggest visiting the guild and officially registering as an adventurer. We'll meet at the guildhouse tomorrow."

With that, she returned to her work.

Satisfied with the conversation, I left the office.

...

In the days that followed, Captain Yuri discovered that I was homeless. Without hesitation, she offered me a vacant lot in the western part of the fort.

There stood a small, abandoned house. Vines clung to its crumbling walls, and the whole place looked like it had been left to decay. But I didn't have the luxury of being picky—I accepted it without a second thought.

I couldn't stay at Rin's house forever.

She looked sad when I told her I was leaving.

I'm sorry, Rin… but your little sister is growing up.

I spent the entire day cleaning, making the house livable.

"Finally! My own home."

The words slipped out, and suddenly, tears welled in my eyes.

For the first time, I had a place to call my own.

"Are you okay?"

I turned toward the voice and saw a familiar face—Meily.

We both blinked in surprise before blurting out at the same time:

"It's you!"

"The herb girl!"

Meily scowled. "Herb girl? That's rude! I have a name, you know. It's Meily. My mother gave it to me, and I'm proud of it."

She huffed, then gestured toward her house.

"Come inside. My mother is making a feast."

Inside, I met her mother—a woman with gentle eyes and a warm smile.

"You made a new friend, Meily?"

"She's not a friend! She's my new neighbor," Meily insisted. "And she's a magic user! I saw her take down a King Slime with her magic!"

"That's impressive for someone so young," her mother mused. "You must be a genius."

"G-Genius?!" I stammered, flustered. "I just did what I had to in order to survive."

As we ate, we talked about all sorts of things. That's when I noticed several odd potion bottles in different colors.

"That's a lot of medicine for your mother," I commented.

Meily shook her head. "No… not really. Those are for me."

"For you? Like vitamins?"

"Vitamins? Sometimes I don't get what you're trying to say…" She sighed. "Long story short, they help me so I can keep supporting a kindhearted friend."

"Kindhearted friend…"

Looking at her frail frame, I realized Meily was probably malnourished and needed these potions to stay healthy. Knowing how hard she worked every day, it made sense.

"You're a kind girl, Meily," I said softly.

She tilted her head. "Huh? Where did that come from?"

"Nothing. Just thinking… I'm glad I met you."

Maybe… just maybe, this world wasn't so bad after all.