Chapter 03

Nadine and I quietly watched Toofy rip and tear her way through the remainder of what had been a rather large tray of sausages. Like a starved animal, Toofy barely spared the necessary time to breathe as she stuffed more sausage into her mouth.

“I am sorry for thinking that you weren’t feeding her,” Nadine apologised, “I did not think the group synergy would be this bad...”

“Group synergy?” I asked curiously. This was the first time I had heard mention of such a thing.

“Oh, right!” Nadine smacked her forehead, “Sorry Tim, I should have told you about this sooner, it’s quite important. When slaves or monsters are in the same party, they share a lesser version of their racial abilities. I had thought since both of your abilities are only rank zero that it wouldn’t do all that much yet. But unfortunately, it looks like I was wrong,” Nadine explained hurriedly. “It is a little more complicated than this, but basically Toofy is receiving a lower-ranked version of your Iron Gut racial ability. It is probably only healing her wounds slightly while drastically increasing her appetite...”

[Toofy - HP: 8/19 - Bloodied ]

Looking at the panel displaying Toofy’s status, I could see that she had recovered five HP since yesterday. However, I don’t have much frame of reference to know if that was slow or fast.

[Toofy - HP: 9/19 - Normal ]

Oh! Toofy’s HP value just changed. So Nadine is right? Or maybe eating food recovers HP for everyone anyway? This world has many features like a video game, so it was a distinct possibility. Hrm, what if both were true? I should ask Nadine, this information could save my life after all.

“Nadine? Do you mind if I ask a question?” I asked politely. Manners cost nothing and I wanted an honest answer.

“Alright,” Nadine nodded encouragingly.

“Does eating food recover the HP stat? Or is it just because of my racial ability?” I asked inquisitively, “Also, is there healing magic to recover HP? Like spells or potions?”

“Healing spells and potions exist, but the potions are expensive and the classes with decent healing spells don’t unlock them until around level twenty,” Nadine explained with a tinge of disappointment, “Most adventurers with spellcasting classes are very unpopular at low levels because we are seen as not pulling our own weight until we have strong spells,” she became a little flustered and cleared her throat, “Ah, but anyway, yes, eating food does help recover HP but it depends on the level of the monster’s meat being eaten and how much of it you eat.” Nadine pointed to Toofy who was all but finished with the sausages intended to feed four people, “With a weak version of your racial ability, Toofy might be healing at twice the normal rate...wait...Tim?” Nadine gave me a strange look.

“What?” I asked somewhat defensively.

“Ah, I was just wondering why you aren’t as affected as Toofy. I mean, aren't you hungry?” Nadine asked quizzically, “I know you're not injured but monsters generally don't have such...restraint.”

A little embarrassed, I shrugged, “Usually only when I am eating...”

My response was certainly not what Nadine had expected, her confused expression intensifying but abruptly disappeared and was replaced by one of clarity, “Tim what was your Willpower again?” she asked excitedly.

“Sixteen,” I replied, not needing to bring up the status screen to check. My stats seemed integral to my continued survival so memorizing them wasn’t difficult.

“That has to be it,” Nadine insisted triumphantly, “If I remember right, Toofy only has six or seven. Basically the same as a child, no way she could exercise the same level of...res...traint...” Nadine’s expression became lax and her eyes grew wide, “D-did y-you s-say s-six-teen?” She stuttered.

I nodded. Apparently, sixteen Willpower was a lot huh? Good to know. I wonder if ten was the human baseline for most stats. If it was, aren't I just absurdly strong and tough? Not that I am complaining.

Nadine gulped hard and took a minute to compose herself, “Tim? Have I mentioned just how happy we all are that you are part of the team?” She asked nervously with a strained smile.

Wait a minute. There was something I had forgotten, something important, something to do with the whole enslavement thing... “I thought you already looked at my stats a couple of times though?” I asked, not sure why she had overlooked something like this after making such a big deal over my Intelligence.

Nadine gulped, “Ah, I think I was distracted by your Intelligence...” She explained awkwardly, “Monsters only very rarely have above eight Willpower. To have almost double that...” Nadine shifted uncomfortably.

Toofy finished licking the final drops of grease from the platter and had a hopeful expression as she lifted the tray and desperately searched for any sausages that may have been hiding. Toofy really did look quite adorable, in a feral hobo sort of way. She was like someone spliced together a particularly violent child with a stray cat or dog.

Wanting to get a start on the day, I shifted my attention away from Toofy and back to Nadine, “You mentioned before that you would organize some jobs for me today?” I prompted.

Nadine nodded and became more relaxed, “There are job listings on the notice board in the Guild office. Most of them are proper adventuring work, like killing specific monsters, monster resource harvesting or rescue missions. But there are also jobs posted by the other foothold residents that are safer, like what you did for Kirk. Most adventurers don't even consider them, because they don’t pay very much and you don't earn Exp because you aren't fighting monsters.” Nadine explained with a shrug, “Usually only injured or complete beginners do these jobs. But Since you don’t mind, it will be a good way to try and offset the expenses for the room and food at least somewhat,” she gave a brief but pointed look at Toofy, who was licking the already clean platter.

I nodded to show I understood.

“Are you sure you don’t need anything to eat before we go see what jobs are available?” Nadine asked, somewhat concerned.

I shook my head, “I’m fine.”

“Alright, “ Nadine seemed a little sceptical but was probably thankful to save the money, “Let’s go check the job listings then.”

Picking up Toofy, I put her inside the pocket of my apron and she eagerly set to gnawing on the belt. I had made sure to stow the belt in there for just such a reason. Why resort to commands when a readily available chew-toy achieves the same result without resorting to frying her brain.

As we were leaving the inn, Kirk hurried over “Would you be able to take care of the baths again, sometime around midday?” He asked, “Rose and I will be busy finalizing preparations around the inn and I don’t think I can spare the time to empty them all. I can give you and the little one another platter of sausages as compensation.”

“Alright,” I agreed. Most people in this world seemed to follow the same custom of stopping for lunch in the middle of the day, so it should be fine. Besides, emptying the bathtubs was easy and wouldn’t take long. “Are you sure? Aren’t sausages expensive?” I asked, trying to get a frame of reference on this world’s weird economy.

“The Vrabbit sausages?” Kirk asked, “We buy the processed meat from Don the butcher here in the foothold and he buys it from the Guild. So it’s actually rather cheap because of how plentiful it is. We can sell a platter of sausages for a copper and still make a healthy profit. But only because we boil them rather than roast them.”

I nodded to show I understood. With such plentiful ingredients, the most valuable commodity would be their time. Using the big pot they have in the kitchen, Kirk and Rose could easily boil hundreds of sausages at once. So long as the sausages tasted alright, they would have no problems turning a decent profit.

Entering the Guild office, I was not surprised to find that besides ourselves and the Guild staff, the office was otherwise empty.

Nadine waved good morning to the staff and headed over to the job board.

There were about a few dozen small pieces of paper nailed to the board scrawled with symbols I assume are letters, but cannot understand. However, each piece of paper did have a single simple picture on it at the bottom. The ones I could see were crossed swords, a hammer or maul, what looked like a knife and hatchet, and finally a pair of clasped hands. Did those symbols denote the type of job? I watched Nadine closely and saw that her attention was firmly fixed on the papers at the bottom of the board with the hammer symbol.

“Hrm, what about this one?” Nadine said quietly, rubbing her chin, “The pay is good, but you need to do the other job too? Okay let’s see...ehhhh isn't that too stingy?”

“What is the job?” I asked curiously. I have no way of reading these myself, so I have to rely on Nadine. I should see if I can buy a book or something at some point to try and learn the language. Not being able to read could get me into a lot of trouble fast.

“Well...” Nadine seemed reluctant but shrugged, “The apothecary is paying a fair bit of copper for working the sap extractor to extract the sap from dawnmoss for soaps and stuff. But...you have to gather the dawnmoss first and he is paying a copper for every two barrels of it and there is a ten barrel minimum in order to get paid and at most thirty barrels...that's a lot of work for really low pay. You also have to deliver each barrel load to the Guild first, then drop it off to the apothecary.”

“Why does it need to be taken to the Guild first?” I asked. It seemed kind of arbitrary.

“Hrm? Oh, right. So with most resource harvesting quests-” Nadine pointed to a piece of paper with the picture of a knife and axe on it at the bottom, “-You need to deliver the materials to the Guild so they can register the materials as being received, then you deliver them to the client and get them to sign your receipt before returning to the Guild to collect your reward. Most of the time the client will just take the delivery from the Guild themselves, so you get paid right away and don't need the signature. The reason it is done like this is to stop clients from cheating adventurers out of their pay. Because if the client doesn't pay up, the Guild doesn’t get their cut. The whole receipt system leaves a paper trail so the Guild can keep track of what is going on and send the compliance enforcers if needed.”

“That’s...actually pretty smart,” I hadn’t really considered that. They were basically just using a similar system to modern-day businesses, albeit doing their best with available technological limitations. Still, this job may not be so bad, “Is harvesting dawnmoss hard? Doesn't it grow just about everywhere?”

“Well sure, and shearing it off the foothold defensive wall is pretty simple. It’s just that the barrels would be pretty heavy and...oh.” Nadine paused and smirked, “I guess it really wouldn’t be that hard for you, huh?”

“Probably,” I agreed with a smirk of my own.

“Alright, well if you don’t mind this job, we will take the other one as well. The sap extractor is easy to use. You just load the dawnmoss in the top and turn a handle. It’s pretty tiring, but I think it should be fine with your Strength and Toughness. But if you don't feel up to it, just doing the barrels is fine for today.”

“Does the sap extraction job pay per quantity like the other job?” It was an important factor in deciding if it was worth the effort.

Nadine nodded, “Each bucket of sap harvested will earn one copper. Usually, you can get two or three buckets of sap from a barrel of dawn moss, so long as it isn't summer. In summer it is usually a bucket less, since the moss doesn't grow as well.”

“Alright, I will do both,” I confirmed, there was just too much money to be made to pass it up and let someone else reap the benefits. “Can I do both jobs at the same time? If I deliver dawnmoss, can I immediately use the sap extractor to stop someone else from doing it?”

Nadine had a complicated expression, “You could,” she agreed hesitantly, “But in this instance, no one else can take the job unless they are also doing the harvesting job as well. But that is still a good point. If there are jobs like this in the future, that is definitely the way to do it, guaranteeing as much pay as possible for the work you put in.”

“Okay, I will do that then,” I agreed.

Nadine nodded, “So long as the client is alright with it, then it is fine. Just remember to get the receipts signed to avoid any misunderstandings.”

I nodded and followed Nadine over to the counter.

“I would like receipts for the dawnmoss collection quest and the dawnmoss sap extracting quest please,” Nadine requested politely.

The male staff member nodded, and retrieved four relatively small pieces of paper before returning to the counter, “Alright, so, the dawnmoss harvesting is rather straightforward.” He pushed forward one of the papers before continuing, “The Guild will provide the necessary equipment, I just need your Guild identification number, name and signature at the bottom here.”

Nadine took a moment to read what was written on the paper before filling out the form and handing it back.

“Thank you,” the staff member filed the paper away below the counter before pushing forward the second piece of paper, “Alright, due to the variable nature of the request, please be sure to bring the requested materials back here first and receive a signature for each...” He took a moment to scan the page, “-barrel of dawnmoss, you have collected before delivering it to the client. Also make sure to have the client sign the receipt upon delivery of each of the barrels of dawnmoss,” the staff member handed Nadine the paper.

Nadine wrote something on it and took it off the desk.

“Alright, the request for sap harvesting will take place at the client’s place of business, so please remember to maintain the Guild’s standard for professional conduct aaaand-. He slid across the third piece of paper, “-make sure to have the client sign the receipt for the completed task. Any questions?” The staff member asked cheerily.

Nadine nodded as she wrote something on the paper, “My party’s tamed monster will be providing the deliveries. Is that alright?”

The man looked at me somewhat sceptically, but shrugged, “I would advise against autonomous use of tamed monsters. But there is nothing strictly against it. If you are confident that your monster can do the job and so long as the client is satisfied, then it is fine.”

“Okay,” Nadine smiled, “I will go see the quartermaster about the equipment, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the man replied with a smile.

Nadine and I left the office and walked around to the back of the Guild office building. The supply warehouse was like a large brick shed built onto the back of the building.

The quartermaster was an older man in his fifties with thinning hair and large glasses. He was currently holding a clipboard and appeared to be doing an inventory check.

“Hello,” Nadine waved with a smile.

“Morning,” the quartermaster replied a little grumpily But his expression softened after turning around and seeing Nadine.

“I would like the equipment for this quest please,” Nadine asked politely, offering one of the pieces of paper.

The quartermaster accepted the paper and squinted at it for a moment before returning it, “Of course my dear, one moment,” he replied amiably.

“Could I also borrow a messenger satchel as well? I have the required deposit,” Nadine withdrew two coppers from her pouch.

“Not a problem,” the quartermaster replied happily, bringing over two barrels in a handcart. Accepting the coins, he picked up his clipboard and wrote something down before retrieving a small leather satchel with a thick leather strap. “Will that be all?” The quartermaster asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Nadine gave the quartermaster a warm smile and put the job papers in the satchel.

I lifted the handles of the handcart and followed Nadine back to the front of the Guild office.

“Okay Tim, I need to get back to the inn and grab something to eat before the other two begin to wonder where I have disappeared to. Do you remember everything you need to do?” Nadine asked nervously.

I nodded, “Get everything signed for each step of the job,” I summarized.

Nadine nodded, now looking more relieved, “Alright, I’ll leave this with you then,” she handed me the messenger satchel. “Good luck Tim,” Nadine smiled and waved goodbye while she jogged back to the inn.

I already had a general plan of how I was going to do this. Because I needed to stop at the Guild before making the final delivery, I figured it would be best to harvest the dawnmoss on the section of the defensive wall closest to the Guild building. So, pushing the handcart back down the side road again, I continued until reaching the wall.

Setting the handcart down by the wall, I looked inside the barrels and found the tool I was looking for. It was a piece of wood roughly shaped like a knife with a similar yet blunt edge. Basically, the way you harvested the dawnmoss was by separating its roots from whatever it was growing on by using the wooden knife or your hands and then pulling the dawnmoss off.

Setting to work, I could remove curtains of the dawnmoss at a time by making sure to properly separate the dawnmoss’s roots and scoring vertical lines with the knife down the height of the wall. It really wasn’t all that difficult and the dawnmoss growing on the wall didn’t have any dirt or decomposing leaf matter to worry about either.

Within about ten minutes, I had filled both barrels to the point of overflowing. I wanted to be sure that neither the Guild or this apothecary could find an excuse not to pay up.

Wheeling the handcart back to the Guild office, I didn't have to wait long until the same staff member from before came over to perform the inspection.

Digging through one of the barrels for a few moments, he seemed satisfied and repeated the procedure on the second barrel with the same result. He then looked at me expectantly.

I opened the messenger satchel and handed him the paper with a knife and axe symbol at the bottom.

He nodded, held it against his clipboard, signed it twice and handed it back again.

I replaced the paper in the satchel and trundled off towards the apothecary.

The Guild staff member accompanied me some of the ways there, before heading back to the Guild office. Probably just reassuring himself that I knew where I was going and wasn't just wasting his time.

The apothecary was only a few minutes walk from the Guild office. I had seen it before but never been inside. Seeing that the handcart wouldn’t fit through the door, I lifted the barrels by their rope handles and walked inside. The inside of the apothecary reminded me a little of a small liquor store. There were bottles of strange coloured liquids stocked behind the counter and a few bundles of what looked like dried kale hanging from the ceiling.

There was no one at the counter, but a bell had rung when I came through the door, so I decided to wait.

About a minute later, someone wearing a black robe, dark leather apron and a beaked plague-mask entered from the back behind the counter. “** ** ********!" the person said something I couldn’t make out clearly and pointed at the barrels excitedly.

“Sorry, could you repeat that?” I apologised.

“* ****-" The robed figure began speaking just as unintelligibly as before, but suddenly stopped. Taking a moment to remove the plague-mask, it revealed a young man in his mid-twenties, “Ah sorry, I keep forgetting that people can’t understand me with...” The young man stopped and stared at me for a long moment, “Are you an Ogre?” He demanded bluntly.

I cringed and nodded, “I am here to deliver dawnmoss for the request,” I explained, motioning to the barrels.

“Well, that is fine. Just try not to break anything, will you? Come pick up those barrels and follow me,” he waved and motioned for me to follow him into the back.

Lifting the barrels, I did as he asked and entered the back room. It looked like a giant meth lab, filled with beakers and other eccentric glassware. I now understood his need for wearing the mask. If I hadn't already lost my sense of smell, I probably would have now. Just by tasting the air, I could tell that this was where Nadine had acquired the contents of that glass vial Clarice pelted at my face.

“You can empty the barrel over here,” the apothecary pointed to a large crate.

I shook my head, “I need two signatures first,” I insisted, removing the job receipt from the satchel. Geez, I sound like I work at the post office.

The apothecary sighed and went looking for a pencil.

The prolific use of pencils was one of the more mundane oddities of this world. Yet I haven't seen a single eraser. Maybe that is why they are so popular? Without an eraser they are basically as permanent as an ink-based pen I suppose.

A short while later, the apothecary returned and signed the receipt, “Alright, can you please deposit the dawnmoss in the crate as I asked?”

I replaced the job receipt in the satchel and withdrew the second request receipt and handed it to the apothecary, “I want to do the sap extracting as well,” I explained.

The apothecary gave me a strange look and didn’t take the job receipt, “I thought I made it clear that I wanted at least ten barrels first?”

I nodded, “Yes, that is what the Guild said. But I don’t want someone else to take my hard work,” I explained apologetically.

“Oh, well, that makes sense,” the apothecary agreed, “I’ll tell you what, bring me another two barrels and I will let you start the other request early. How about that?”

It was a more than fair compromise, “Okay. I will return shortly,” I replaced the request receipt in the satchel and emptied the dawnmoss into the crate.

Returning to the wall again, I harvested more dawnmoss, filled the barrels and received the required signatures from the Guild. All told, I was back at the apothecary within about fifteen minutes.

Carrying the barrels inside, I could tell that the apothecary himself was quite surprised to see me return so quickly. “Sign please,” I held out the receipt and stowed it away again after receiving the pair of signatures.

“You are quite industrious, aren't you,” the apothecary commented with a small smile, leading me into the back again. He motioned for me to come over by what I assumed was the sap extractor.

I had to assume it was the sap extractor because it looked nothing like the olive press I had envisioned in my mind. To me, the extractor looked like a big meat grinder for making sausages.

“Okay, the sap extractor is easy enough to use. Place a bucket below the collection nozzle, Just throw the dawnmoss in the top-" He motioned to a small tap at the bottom and to the chute at the top, “-and turn the handle. If it gets stuck, just try turning the handle back the other direction for a little bit, that usually sorts it out.” The apothecary then walked over to a row of barrels by the far wall. “When you fill a bucket, empty it into one of these barrels. But please please please, make sure to put the lids back on the barrels. I do not want a repeat of last time. Oh, and don't worry about the pulped dawnmoss that drops out of the extractor, I will take care of that later. Questions?”

“Is it alright if Toofy assists me with loading the extractor?” I pulled Toofy out of the apron pocket by the back of her tunic.

Toofy looked around the room curiously while still gnawing on the belt.

The apothecary regarded Toofy apprehensively, “Are you a Taskmaster by chance?”

I nodded.

“Hrm, I suppose it is alright then,” the apothecary conceded, “Just please make sure the Goblin does not get up to any mischief. There are many unstable compounds and valuable ingredients stored in my shop and I doubt your master would appreciate paying to replace them.”

“I understand.” I held up Toofy so we were at eye level with one another, “Toofy do you want to help?” I asked.

Toofy gave me a curious look, but she didn't take the belt out of her mouth.

“It is really simple and we will buy food later if you do a good job,” I offered enticingly.

Toofy’s eyes shone greedily and the belt fell from her mouth, “Toofy help! Toofy like food!” She shrieked excitedly.

“Alright, calm down Toofy.” I picked up the belt off the floor and stowed it away in the pocket again, “You need to be on your best behaviour or we won't buy food, okay?.

Toofy nodded emphatically.

Just as Nadine and the apothecary said, it was actually a really simple job, and with Toofy’s help, we made really good time. In fact, by the time it reached midday we had completely finished both job requests.

We did such a good job that the Guild manager politely insisted that I wait while one of the Guild staff double-checks with the client before handing over the payment. It was pretty understandable and even though Toofy was grouchy at being forced to wait, I didn't mind all that much.

“Sorry,” the Guild manager apologised, counting out the coppers onto the desk.

I shrugged. Honestly, I am surprised by how accepting and accommodating the people in the town have been. Shouldn’t they be afraid of me or something? I mean, I am a monster, right?

I sweep the ninety-two copper coins off the manager’s desk and into the messenger satchel. I had already put my own three coppers inside as well. It wasn’t that I don’t trust Toofy but...I really really don't want to sift through Goblin feces to find any coins she may or may not eat in a fit of hunger. It seems a little crazy just how much money I earned this morning for only a little bit of hard work. I mean, Toofy helped, which made it a bit faster but not by that much.

“Food now?” Toofy asked pitiably.

“Yes Toofy, we will go get food now,” I agreed warmly, tousling her hair.

“Food!” Toofy cheered in triumph, ducking back into the apron pocket.

Returning the handcart and two barrels to the quartermaster, I asked if it was okay to return the satchel a little later and he agreed. Well, that is to say, that the quartermaster explained that the deposit could be exchanged for the satchel any time within the next few days without incurring a fine. The quartermaster had been somewhat condescending, but considering I was supposed to be a big dumb brute, his pantomiming and caveman style speech didn’t seem motivated by malice.

Returning to the inn, there were already a number of adventurers and townspeople occupying the bar and tables. So it took a few minutes to get the innkeeper Kirk’s attention.

“Ah, Tim!” Kirk waved me over to a relatively free section of the bar, “Are you ready to take care of those bathtubs? Or are you just stopping by for lunch?”

“Both,” I answered with a smile, “I would like two platters of sausages please,” I placed two coppers on the bar.

Kirk pushed one back to me, “It's alright, I know you are good for it.”

I smiled and pushed the copper back again, “These are for Toofy, to keep her occupied while I work. I will have mine after. Otherwise, there wouldn't be anything left,” I chuckled, tousling Toofy’s hair as she began poking her head out of the apron pocket.

Kirk nodded in understanding, “Alright, I will bring them up to your room when I have the chance. Shouldn’t be more than a few minutes,” he deftly palmed the coppers off the bar and into his coin pouch before attending to another customer.

I returned to my room and closed the door, giving Toofy a chance to stretch her legs again.

“Food?” Toofy asked with a confused look.

“Soon Toofy,” I promised, giving her the belt to chew on while we wait.

Giving the messenger satchel a gentle shake, I began to make a list of things I needed to buy for myself and Toofy. Clothes for Toofy at the very least, even if it is similar to what I am making do with. A proper coin pouch for each of us, for obvious reasons. I still wanted a sewing kit too, even if adjusting Emelia’s hand-me-downs was no longer necessary, it was still a very useful thing to have. More clean bandages and a small bottle of antiseptic from the apothecary if I can afford it.

Even though dawnmoss has antibacterial properties, it will aggravate an injury if you apply it to an open wound. Apparently, the apothecary has a process for making the antiseptic that keeps the antibacterial properties while losing the inflammation effect. Definitely worth buying if I can afford it. I wish I had remembered to ask for the price while I was at the apothecary earlier, oh well.

Shoes and gloves would be nice, but I kind of understand why Nadine didn’t buy them for me before. The Vrabbits had done a real number on my clothes, but my skin was completely fine. Still, it might be a good idea to get them for Toofy, she got pretty beat up after all. A club or something to replace her shiv would be a good idea too. Actually, that was something, maybe I could find a carpenter to make a custom toilet-plank for Toofy so she doesn't fall into the human-sized toilets. Definitely, a mandatory purchase if I can find someone to take care of it. OH! And a book I can begin learning the language with!

Okay, so for Toofy: Clothes, gloves and shoes, a cheap but durable weapon, a coin purse, maybe a small backpack, and most importantly, a child-sized toilet seat.

For myself: A sewing Kit, bandages, a coin purse, antiseptic if I can afford it, a satchel to store the bandages, sewing kit and antiseptic in, and a backpack for myself wouldn’t be a bad idea either, or maybe one of those big ones used by mountain climbers and backpackers. Lastly, at least one book that can give me the opportunity to help learn the written side of this language.

Just as I finalized my list, there was a knock at the door and Kirk entered with two platters of sausages. After putting the platters down on the bed, he withdrew the room keys from his pocket and gave them to me with a smirk as he watched Toofy greedily shovel a fistful of sausages into her mouth. “I'll bet Rose would get a kick out of watching this,” Kirk chuckled, shaking his head and smiling as he left the room.

I couldn't blame him, I was working hard to stop myself from laughing as well, “Okay Toofy, I will be back in a little bit, so no leaving the room and be good alright?”

Toofy nodded but continued demolishing sausage after sausage as if her life depended on it.

It took a little longer to empty the bathtubs this time, I couldn’t just dump all the water out the window as I had before for four of the five bathtubs. There were too many people in the street, so the chances of hitting someone were too high. Instead, I borrowed the trusty barrel to empty the bathtubs most of the way, before emptying them out of my room’s window, which was safe since no one should be back there. After emptying the tubs, I returned them and the barrels to the laundry courtyard before collecting my own lunch.

Unfortunately, I had only eaten half the sausages on my platter before Toofy finished both of hers. Ugh, I am such a pushover, one look at Toofy’s bigeyes and quivering lip and I surrendered a full half of my remaining sausages.

*****

“UUUUUUUGH!” Clarice groaned dejectedly at the sight of the packed common room, “ARE YOU SERIOUS!”

Her outburst garnered only minor attention from the adventurers near the door. However, once they noticed the source of the disturbance they promptly paid her no mind.

“I Told you that we should have stopped a little earlier,” Nadine sighed and shook her head, “Of course there was going to be a line at the Guild office around midday.”

“We can just order food to our room, so it's fine,” Emelia shrugged.

Clarice slumped dejectedly, “But I wanted a beer,” she mumbled.

“What was that?!” Nadine fiercely demanded.

Clarice balked and raised her hands defensively, “Ah, nothing!”

“Good!” Nadine narrowed her eyes and stared knowingly at Clarice, “For a moment there I thought you were intending to spend our bath money on beer!”

Clarice gulped and guiltily avoided Nadine's gaze, “Ah..I would never...”

The three of them then approached the bar and placed their order for a platter of sausages to share and returned to their room to relax.

Nadine immediately noticed that the bathtub was gone and understood that Tim was very likely in his room or somewhere around the inn. “He really is a hardworking monster,” she muttered appreciatively.

Nadine was quite surprised by Tim’s positive work ethic. Even though he was a slave, Nadine had no control over Tim except for what he allowed. The memory of their conversation that morning in the common room still made Nadine shiver. With a Willpower of sixteen, the effect of Emelia’s commands would be drastically reduced. While still painful, it was nowhere near the incapacitating levels of pain that normally kept tamed monsters and slaves obedient.

It was entirely possible that once Tim became acclimated to the pain, he would just ignore it outright. This possibility would only increase as Tim gained levels and evolution ranks. Granted, Ogres had only a small chance of increasing Willpower as they evolve, but even a single point would drastically reduce the level of pain inflicted by defying commands.

Nadine sighed and shook her head. There was nothing she could do about it. Nadine just had to be as nice to Tim as possible and hope that their eventual parting would be amicable. The only alternative would be to save up and buy a greater collar of enslavement and somehow trick Tim into wearing it. While he was trusting, Nadine could tell that Tim was learning at a rapid pace and by the time she could afford the greater collar of enslavement, Tim would know full well what it was and what she was intending to do with it.

There was a knock at the door and a few moments later, the innkeeper's wife Rose entered the room with their order of Vrabbit sausages. She placed the platter on the small table by the window and then turned to Nadine, “Tim has been a real help these past couple of days. Thank you for lending him to us,” Rose said appreciatively.

“But Tim is my monster though?” Emelia pointed out childishly, “Shouldn’t I be getting the credit?”

“But Nadine is party leader,” Clarice reminded her, snatching one of the sausages and hungrily taking a bite, “Beshides, gyou habent reary traed hib gyou knowb?”

Emelia gave an exasperated sigh and crossed her arms, “It’s not my fault! Tim is just too smart! How am I meant to teach him anything if he knows more than I do?!” She pouted.

Clarice gulped down the last of her first sausage and let out a satisfied sigh, “Heh, you're saying that like it's a bad thing. Think of all the benefits you're getting without actually working for it. Isn't that why you wanted to be a Monster Tamer?”

Emelia blinked and became more relaxed, “Oh yeah!” She snatched up a sausage and eagerly took a bite.

Nadine and Rose who had silently witnessed the exchange shared a knowing look.

Rose straightened her cooking apron with a practised hand, “Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Kirk has agreed to expand the inn to build the bathing area. Isn’t that great news?”

Nadine smiled, “That’s great! Oh, thanks by the way. Thanks to SOMEONE, who shall remain nameless, I almost had to take a cold bath.”

Rose chuckled and nodded knowingly, “We have already placed the order for the boiler and pipes, but we need someone to help Jerry with the foundations for the expansion and possibly with carting the bricks and other materials from the Guild. Do you think Tim would be interested?”,

Nadine thought about it for a moment, “I am not sure. Tim said he is fine with most jobs, but I’ll ask him later just to make sure and get back to you, okay?”

Rose nodded appreciatively, “That is more than reasonable,” she agreed happily. Rose then left the girls to enjoy their lunch and headed back downstairs.

“Wow, so the innkeeper is really going to build those private bathing rooms?” Emelia asked happily.

Nadine nodded, “Looks that way,” she agreed.

“Pffft, hot baths are overrated,” Clarice muttered quietly, reaching for another sausage.

Filled with righteous anger, Nadine brought her pillow down on Clarice’s head with the wrath of the heavens themselves!

*****

Tim had waited until most of the adventurers had returned to work before leaving his room again. He had read enough books and light novels to know that there was almost always some insecure delinquent wanting to cause trouble to make a name for themselves in crowded bars. So naturally, Tim avoided this problem by avoiding the source.

Although, as I was walking towards the tailor’s shop, I had the sneaking suspicion that I had already encountered that person. Sure, the antagonist usually wasn’t a woman, but who knows, maybe this world was just being progressive? I put Clarice’s determinedly antisocial behaviour out of mind. It was time to do some shopping.

“Greetings customer!” The woman behind the counter waved in greeting. “How may I help you today?”

There was something off about this woman. I had noticed it last time as well but still couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Removing Toofy from my apron pocket, I put her down on the ground, “Okay, Toofy, stay still for a bit okay?”

Toofy nodded, continuing to chew on the now somewhat ragged belt.

Shifting my attention back to the shopkeep, I tried to remember what Nadine had ordered for me when we last came here. Actually, that would be a good test. “Excuse me, do you remember the order from when I was last here?” I asked curiously.

The shopkeeper’s expression didn’t move or say anything for a moment, then suddenly blinked “One nifflewed tunic, one pair of niffleweed pants, one pair of niffleweed underwear, one bristleboar hide belt and one bristleboar hide apron,” the shopkeep replied woodenly.

Okay, that’s kinda creepy and I just realized that it was a rather terrible test since all of those items are currently within her line of sight. I also just remembered how expensive my clothes were. Hrm, so adjusting Emelia’s donated hand me downs are definitely the way to go after all.

“I would like to buy a basic sewing kit, please. How much will that cost?” I brace for the worst.

“One basic sewing kit is fifty copper coins,” the shopkeeper replies woodenly.

Oof! That's more expensive than I expected. “Ah, what is in the basic sewing kit?”

“One pair of small sheers, five small patches of niffleweed cloth, three bonedog sewing needles, two spools of niffleweed thread,” the shopkeeper continued staring expectantly at me without blinking.

“May I see the contents of a basic sewing kit please?” I requested politely.

“Of course,” the shopkeep nodded and a small bundle of items appeared on the counter.

Geez, it really isn't all that much is it? I lamented looking at what would deplete half my earnings. Nadine was way off the mark, or maybe the small shears were just that expensive. “How much does a spool of niffleweed thread cost? I might want to buy more.”

“A single spool of niffleweed thread costs two copper coins,” the shopkeep replied woodenly, the contents of the basic sewing pouch disappearing into thin air.

I thought about my options for a minute, sighed and made my decision, “I would like a basic sewing kit and five additional spools of niffleweed thread please.”

“Certainly,” the contents of the basic sewing kit reappeared on the counter along with the additional spools of thread I asked for. There was an unexpected addition though, a small cloth bag that was not brought out before.

While counting out the required number of coins, I motioned my head at the small cloth bag, “Is the bag part of the basic sewing kit?”

The shopkeep bowed slightly and shook their head, “No. Dear customer, this niffleweed bag is complimentary. Consider it a special service for a first-time customer,” there was a palpable aura of danger around the shopkeep now. Her movements had become far more fluid and unlike before, she now seemed keenly aware of her surroundings and of me in particular.

Now in a hurry to finish the transaction and leave, I deposited sixty copper coins onto the counter and swept the sewing supplies into the small bag. Returning Toofy to the apron pocket, I hurriedly left the shop. Even though I had done my best not to look, out of the corner of my eye I caught a final glimpse of the shopkeeper’s face. More or less as it had been before, her lips were now curled in a predatory smile revealing needle-like teeth.

What the hell was that thing?! Is the tailor a monster like me? Or is it something else? She couldn't be that dangerous though, right? There is no way the people of the town would let her stay otherwise... Unless of course, the benefits outweigh the risks...Isn't that the logic everyone is using for keeping me around? This is too disturbing and I don’t want to think about it anymore.

I shuddered and hurried away towards the weapon store.

The bored owner gave me a quick once over with his eyes, before apparently deciding I was not going to cause trouble and returned to reading his book.

I nearly cried from the desperately needed level of normalcy. I mean sure, I am a monster surrounded by instruments of pain and death right now, but this shopkeeper was behaving exactly like the owner of a convenience store I frequented back home. Most importantly, he was almost definitely human and not whatever the hell the tailor was.

Walking through the rows of weapons, I easily found the area dedicated to displaying blunt weapons. It only took a moment to find what I was looking for. It was a much smaller version of my own weapon, a short thick ended club with a bound cloth grip. Objectively, it was better than my own club, but considering how small it was, using it would be impractical for me. I just hoped that the reduced size also applied to the price.

Depositing the club on the counter, I waited for the man to finish the page of his book. “Excuse me, how much is this please.”

The man glanced at the club and sighed, this was probably not even worth his time, “Two copper coins,” he replied.

I nodded, deposited two copper coins on the counter then put the small club in my apron pocket. Leaving the store, I began exploring around town looking for a carpenter.

It took me more than a half-hour, but I eventually found the carpenters workshop. It took me so long because I honestly didn't know what to look for. In my head, In retrospect, what I was thinking of was a lumberyard, which I now know this town does not have.

Entering the carpenter’s store, I found that the storefront was mostly empty. That made sense I suppose, This town was not very big, so there would not be enough business from selling premade furniture.

A spindly old man gave me a curious look as I approached the counter, “Can I help you?” He inquired curiously.

I nodded, “How much would it cost to make a custom-sized toilet seat?” I ask somewhat awkwardly.

The old man rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment before looking me up and down.

Quickly realizing that I would need to clear up the misunderstanding, I briefly withdraw Toofy from the apron pocket, “Ah, it is not for me. It is for her.”

Understanding flashed in the old man’s eyes, “Oh, I was about to ask if this was for using out in the field as it were. My relief seats are usually my top seller. But I can see the problem you must be having. Hrm...” He rubbed at his chin again, “I will tell you what, you look big and strong. If you can spare an hour of labour I will make you a custom seat free of charge, how about it?”

“Alright, but what do you need me to do?” I ask, more than happy to save the money.

“I just need someone to cut some planks to size so I can finish a couple of orders early. Nothing too strenuous or difficult,” the old man explained, bringing me into his workshop area.

It was pretty much as he described. All I had to do was use the handsaw to cut premarked planks of wood. However, he really seemed to have underestimated how quickly I would get it all done, because I was finished in less than twenty minutes.

The old man was still in the process of knocking the custom toilet seat together from offcuts using glue and nailless wood joining techniques.

Rather than just idling away, I took up a broom and swept up the sawdust into a corner. I didn’t try to throw it out, because I heard back in the day butchers used the sawdust on their floor to absorb stray blood. So the old man probably had a deal with the butcher and I didn’t want to mess with that.

In the end, the old carpenter offered me a special deal, for just two coppers he would treat the toilet seat with beeswax to better protect it from the elements and daily use. Naturally, I accepted.

Walking back to the inn, I stopped in my tracks as the familiar message appeared in front of my eyes and pain flared in my head. Involuntarily dropping Toofy’s new toilet seat by the front door, I staggered and braced against the wall to keep my balance.

[Your master has given you a command.]

You have got to be joking?! She doesn't even have to be within earshot?! I quickly made my way towards the gate to the town, causing the pain to disappear for the time being. Okay, so maybe they need my help out in the plains? Otherwise, the pain wouldn’t have stopped right? “Toofy, did you get an order from Emelia just now?” I ask while hustling to the gate.

“No,” Toofy replied curiously, peeking outside the apron pocket. “Master call Tim?”

“Yes,” I mean I am not sure, but it's a safe bet. Oh god, this better not be to settle a bet.

Now standing at the open gate, my attention is drawn to a small battle taking place out in the plain. A group of adventurers was being attacked by what looked like Orcs and Goblins. Experimentally moving in that direction, I was surprised that the pain in my head was not receding. Does this mean that perhaps this group of adventurers were not the only ones under attack?

Looking around the plains, I could see other adventurers running back towards town or towards the battle. However, I saw no sign of Emelia, Nadine or Clarice. Moving quickly around the wall of the town, I was relieved by the pain in my head lessening somewhat. At least now I appear to be moving in the right direction.

[Your master has given you a command.]

The latest command nearly made me lose my footing as it obscured my vision, but as I steadied myself I noticed something.

[Emelia - HP: 8/25 - Bloodied ]

Emelia’s HP had plummeted at some point in the last couple of minutes. This confirmed it, the girls were in danger and most likely fighting for their lives. Pulling Toofy out of my apron, I moved her up onto my shoulders, “Make sure you hold on tight Toofy!”

Toofy obediently grabbed a fist full of my hair and hooked her legs around my neck.

With my legs now unrestricted, I began to run.

[Your master has given you a command.]

[Emelia - HP: 2/25 - Bloodied ]

Emelia’s HP had taken another big hit and I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to me if Emelia died. Nothing good. Guild regulations stopped other adventurers from attacking me because Emelia was my ‘owner’. If she died, that protected status would disappear. At best, I could hope to be enslaved by someone else, at worst...they would kill me.

Running as fast as I am able, I rely on the absence of pain to serve as my guide. I could see another small battle taking place in the fields ahead of me. Larger in scale than the last, there were at least a dozen adventurers beset on all sides. Fending off hulking brutish humanoids from the front while Vrabbits came at them from the direction of the town.

“Toofy see master!” Toofy shouted excitedly pointing to the middle of the battle.

[Your master has given you a command.]

“Nng!” Each order had multiplied the pain and my brain felt like it was on fire. I have to make it stop! “RAAAAAGH!!!” I charged towards the battlefield with reckless abandon, my legs pumping in rhythm to the pulsing pain in my head.

[You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp], [You have slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp]...

Blinded by a flurry of notifications, I was entirely reliant on the pain to show me the way.

“Oh shit! One of them got behind us!” A male voice cried.

“Someone, move to block it!” Cried another.

“TIM!” Nadine cried desperately, “TIM, OVER HERE!”

I saw a flash of metal from my unobstructed peripheral vision and a sword swiped against my stomach.

“Gah!” Whoever was responsible cried out in pain as I rushed past without breaking stride.

“It's broken through!” Someone cried fearfully.

“Damnit!” Cried someone else.

The notifications cleared and I found myself hurtling towards a naked barrel-chested man brandishing a crude stone axe. Noticing his tapered ears and missing nose, I could only assume he was an Orc.

Emelia was knocked down in the grass and had lost her weapon, desperately scrambling to get away from the Orc that was now behind her.

A fresh wave of pain surged through my mind, I couldn’t think anymore.

Just as the Orc raised its axe to strike Emelia in the back, I delivered a punch to his gut that sent him sprawling.

Retrieving the Orc’s stone axe, I prepared to strike the fallen Orc. Something struck my back, but I ignored it, splitting the fallen Orc’s head open with its own weapon and spattering my face with its blood.

[You have slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp]

“Tim! Help!” Nadine was being overwhelmed. Even though Nadine’s opponent was only using a crude wooden spear, the Orc was a much better fighter and far stronger than her. Nadine was already covered in minor wounds and was barely holding on.

Focusing on the Orc, I felt the sudden absence of pain and nearly fainted. Staggering forwards, I prepared the stone axe to attack.

The Orc saw me coming and changed targets, “Grobguk want you dead!” He hollered, thrusting the spear into my chest.

“Oof...” I was temporarily stunned by having the wind knocked out of me.

“NO HURT TIM!” Toofy shrieked, leaping off my shoulders and into the face of the bewildered Orc. “DIE! DIE! DIE!” Toofy’s right arm thrust back and forth with manic swiftness, the shiv and her right hand dyed red with blood.

The Orc thrashed about wildly with its spear, blood pumping from its neck and down its chest.

Toofy didn’t hang around, leaping off the Orc and into the grass. Her sudden departure revealing the savage damage she had inflicted on the Orc.

Bleeding profusely from his neck, the Orc staggered for a moment before collapsing into the grass.

The instant the Orc fell, Toofy pounced onto his chest and drove her shiv through the Orcs eye.

[Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +100 Exp]

“Tim! Look out!” Nadine cried.

I turned to look towards Nadine in time to feel something hard crack into the back of my head.

Nadine had been pointing behind me, her panic increasing as I was driven to my knees.

“Ogre weak!” Someone grunted from behind me.

Pushing myself to my feet, I was hit again, this time on my left shoulder.

Snarling, I rounded on my attacker and was not surprised to find it was another Orc, wielding a stone sledge.

“Me kill weak Ogre! Me strongest!” The Orc growled in challenge, preparing to swing the sledge again.

My shoulder was throbbing painfully, but the instant I considered backing down, the pain in my head would intensify and drive me forward again. Narrowly avoiding the overhead blow from the Orc, I swung my stone axe at his left arm. The poorly made weapon couldn’t handle the strain and came apart, leaving the axehead behind in the Orc’s now broken forearm.

“GRAH!” The Orc howled and tried to retreat, nursing his left arm to his chest and dragging the sledge behind him.

“DIE!” Toofy charged at the crippled Orc from behind, burying her shiv in the back of the Orc’s knee and then nimbly leaping away.

The Orc stumbled and fell. Trying to stand back up, the Orc’s leg was unable to support his weight, forcing him to abandon his sledge and try to crawl away from the battle.

Curiously, Toofy did not pursue the Orc, instead, grinning malevolently as the tall grass near the Orc began to move.

Within seconds, a small pack of Vrabbits had erupted from the grass and began tearing into the crippled Orc.

“Tim!” Nadine called my name again. She was half carrying Emelia, who was bleeding pretty badly and seemed to be unconscious. “We need to get back to the foothold!”

[Toofy has slain {Orc: 3 } +150 Exp]

The remaining Orcs were fleeing back into the forest, leaving their wounded for dead.

The adventurers were similarly trying to organise a retreat of their own. Half of them were badly injured, and at least two were unconscious, dying or already dead.

“TIM! FOCUS!” Nadine's voice cracked, “You need to take as many of the wounded back as you can carry!”

[Toofy has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp]

[Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +50 Exp]

I took a deep breath and nodded.

[Emelia - HP: 0/25 - Bloodied, Unconscious ]

Taking Emelia from Nadine, I began picking up the other fallen adventurers. Carrying the strangers on my shoulders and Emelia in my arms, I quickly tried to find Toofy. I found her a few moments later, burying her shiv in an Orc’s neck.

[Toofy has slain {Orc: 1 } +50 Exp]

“Toofy!” I called out, trying to think of a plan. I didn’t have much time.

Toofy came running over almost immediately. She smiled up at me with a suspiciously bloody mouth.

“I need you to stay with Nadine. Kill any biters that try to attack her, Okay?” I really hoped that Toofy would be alright.

“Toofy do!” Toofy agreed, running over to Nadine and snarling at the surrounding grass.

With no time to spare, I adjusted my grip as best I could and began running back towards the town.

[Toofy has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp]

The notification made me flinch and I did my best to try and stop myself from dwelling on the fight that would be ahead of the adventurers I was leaving behind. With so many of them wounded, the Vrabbits would be drawn to them like sharks to chum.

[Clarice has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp]

I hadn’t seen Clarice earlier, so it was a relief to see the notification with her name on it.

[Toofy has slain {Vrabbit: 1 } +1 Exp]

Toofy’s kill notification was the last I received before making it into town. Was there a maximum distance on the experience shared by a party? Or were the Vrabbits just drawn elsewhere? I had no way of knowing right now and would have to ask Nadine later.

Seeing a bedraggled line of adventurers heading for the inn, I assumed that it was the emergency gathering point and would have treatment materials. So I rushed over as fast as I could manage.

The common room was in a state of barely organized chaos. Bloodied young men and women were sitting wherever there was space. Those too injured to sit were laying on the tables. Using my size to push my way through the crowd, I gently lowered Emelia onto a table before offloading the other two adventurers nearby. Quickly looking around the room for medical supplies, I found only a few remaining rolls of bandages on a nearby table. I was relieved to find that Emelia at least seemed to still be relatively stable.

[Emelia - HP: -1/25 - Bloodied, Unconscious ]

Quickly looking Emelia over, I identified a couple of broken ribs in addition to some deep cuts on her left arm, right leg and shoulder. Pulling out my sewing kit, I used the shears to cut away the tunic so I could bind her shoulder. Snatching up the bandages from the nearby table, I bound Emelia’s shoulder and arm. Ideally, Emelia should get stitches, but right now the priority was stopping the bleeding. Repeating the process for the cut in Amelia's thigh, I used up the last of the available bandages. What I used from here onwards would be from my own supply.

Besides Rose and Kirk, there was no one else tending to the injured adventurers. This is nuts! Shouldn’t there be a doctor around here or something?! What about the Guild?

Shifting my attention to more productive avenues of thought, I moved over to the pair of adventurers I had brought over from the battlefield. The first was a young man with a broken arm and a bleeding head injury. The second was a young woman with short blond hair. She had a nasty puncture wound to her stomach and shoulder.

Starting to feel overwhelmed, I took a deep breath, “Just stop the bleeding,” I muttered, “Stop the bleeding and buy time to worry about everything else.” Bunching my muscles, I ripped off the young man's tunic and tore it into strips. Since it was his clothing that was sacrificed, I tended the young man's injuries first, starting by binding his head wound. Resetting the protruding bone back into his arm was trickier. Even though I had more than enough strength to force the bone back into place, the feeling beneath my hands made me feel ill. I had to ‘borrow’ a couple of pieces of firewood from the kitchen to serve as a splint.

Shifting my attention to the young woman, I did not have enough of the young man’s shirt remaining to treat both her injuries. So I decided to use the improvised bandages on her shoulder before taking a closer look at the puncture wound to her stomach. I tried to smell the wound, only to remember that my sense of smell had still not returned. With a deep sigh, I wadded the fabric patches from my sewing kit against the wound and used the remaining bandages Nadine had bought to bind them in place. It wasn't pretty, but until I had actual supplies, it would have to do.

“H-hey,” someone took hold of my arm.

Turning around to look at them, I saw a young woman nursing her shoulder and looking up at me with a fearful yet determined look in her eyes.

“C-can you help my friend? He is badly hurt and I don’t know what to do,” she clutched at my arm desperately, giving me the impression that she wouldn’t let go until I answered.

“I can try,” I agreed, “But I don’t have any more bandages.”

She didn’t seem to hear the second part, instead, she was determinedly trying to drag me over to another table.

Following her through the crowd, I could see why she was so desperate. The clothes of the young man on the table were badly shredded, soaked in blood and his skin was deathly pale. Pressing my fingers to his throat, I tried to find a pulse. Even though I was not optimistic, I managed to feel a faint pulse. “I need bandages!” I stated loudly, using my shears to cut away his tunic to see the damage.

This was not good. The young man’s chest was a mess of cuts. Some of them were shallow and could be ignored, but most were quite deep. Strangely, this was the first injury I had seen with clean cuts. All of the others had been ragged and accompanied by substantial bruising. The kinds of injury you would expect after getting hit with something like a stone axe or knife. Had he been attacked by another adventurer?

With no sign of bandages, I sighed and wondered what the damages would be. “I will be right back,” I called out as I headed towards the kitchen. With Rose and Kirk already occupied, I entered the kitchen uncontested. Passing through the kitchen, I entered the walled-off laundry area and pilfered four of the damp bedsheets hanging on the line. Viciously ripping two of them into strips and the remaining pair into quarters, I hurried back into the inn.

Muscling through the crowd, I quickly folded over a quarter of the damp sheet and covered the young man's chest. There were too many cuts to pad each wound individually, so instead, I was using the folded sheet to cover them all and now began wrapping the strips of bedsheet to bind it in place. “Make sure no one moves him,” I grunted, working as quickly as I dared. If the young woman said anything I didn't hear it. After binding his chest, I was mollified to see that the bleeding had slowed dramatically. Binding the cuts on his arms and legs, I was really starting to feel sick.

I was covered in blood and couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. Stumbling through the crowd I tried to calm down by breathing in the fresh air outside. But somehow, the air just tasted even more strongly of blood than it had inside. Trying to take another steadying breath, I wasn’t ready for the fresh wave of nausea and doubled over as I retched up a torrent of bile. Pushing myself back to my feet, I tried to spit the lingering bile from my mouth.

“He is over here,” someone said loudly, “Hey, you need to help my party member too! His leg is bleeding!”

“He needs to help my friend first!” Another argued, “The Orcs broke her arm and the bone is sticking through!”

A small crowd of less injured adventurers were beginning to surround me. Each of them arguing why their request was more justified than the others. With so many people shouting at me, I began to panic. Everyone was being so loud and there was so much blood... My insides writhed and I felt another wave of bile rising up my throat. Leaning heavily against the wall, I vomited for the second time and nearly fell to my knees.

I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking and no matter how vigorously I wiped them against the apron, they kept coming back sticky with blood. My tunic was soaked through with sweat and for the first time in a very long time, I felt cold. I can't do this... With my back pressed against the wall of the inn, my knees buckled and I fell on my ass.

“Hey get up!” One of the people crowding around me demanded, “This is no time to take a break!”

“Stupid monster! Get up! If my friend dies, it’s your fault!” Yelled another.

“If he dies, I'll kill you m-” Another member of the crowd began to shout, but I covered my ears and didn’t hear anything else.

I want to go home! This isn’t real! Wake up!

*****

Limping heavily through the foothold gate, Nadine felt an immeasurable degree of relief. Both Clarice and herself were so tired that neither of them was sure who exactly was supporting whom as they leaned on one another and tried to keep moving forward.

In comparison, Toofy, who was trotting along beside Nadine, was positively chipper. This was kind of awkward, considering that Toofy had done the majority of the fighting on the long walk back to the foothold. Nadine was forced to admit that Emelia’s choice to make Tim a Taskmaster had probably saved her life today.

“What’s going on in front of the inn?” Clarice asked woozily, “Why are there so many people outside?”

“Maybe someone from the Guild is making an announcement?” Nadine suggested, still too far away to see any more than Clarice.

Drawing closer, Nadine and Clarice heard the angry shouts and saw that some members of the crowd were swinging weapons.

“Did someone bring back an Orc?” Clarice asked, confused.

“TIM!” Toofy shrieked and dashed towards the crowd. After taking no more than two steps from Nadine’s side, Toofy pitched to the ground and began clutching desperately at her head. “T-TIM!” Toofy feebly tried crawling forward but made little progress using only one arm while clutching her head with the other. Collapsing outright, Toofy’s body continued to shudder as if she were having a seizure.

“The hell is going on?! Ung!” Clarice bent down and dragged Toofy closer to take a look.

Almost immediately, Toofy’s convulsions subsided and she shakily staggered to her feet.

“THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!” The familiar voice boomed like thunder, rattling the nearby buildings.

The crowd by the entrance to the inn had scattered backwards further into the street, revealing the innkeeper Kirk standing in the doorway, his clothes smeared with blood and his face blackened with anger.

With the crowd now dispersed, Nadine would now see Tim curled up on the ground. Covered in blood, his clothes were in ruins.

As Nadine and Clarice drew closer, they could see that Tim wasn’t moving.

Toofy tried rushing forward again, making it slightly further before collapsing into another seizure.

“Clarice! You have to keep hold of Toofy!” Tim had ordered Toofy to stay by Nadine’s side. No match for Tim’s ridiculous level of Willpower, Toofy would fry her brain if she kept trying to leave.

Clarice grunted in acknowledgement and dragged Toofy back again. This time, she held Toofy around the waist as they continued slowly hobbling towards the inn.

Kirk was kneeling down beside Tim and looked like he was trying to assess his injuries. Seeing Nadine and Clarice approaching from a short distance away, Kirk hurried over to them.

“What is wrong with Tim?” Nadine asked urgently, “Is he badly hurt?”

Kirk shook his head, “I don’t know. It Doesn't look like the troublemakers managed much more than a few light cuts and bruises. But there is a huge bump on the back of his head and he isn’t responding. It could be brain damage.”

Nadine paled, she had seen Tim take the blow to the back of the head earlier. He had seemed to just shrug it off, so Nadine hadn’t thought much about it. After all, Tim’s Toughness and racial ability combined should have meant he took little if any damage at all from such a poor weapon.

“Are either of you critically injured?” Kirk asked worriedly, “The Guild hasn’t sent a surgeon yet, so it is just Rose and I, so I need to get back in there.”

“We can wait,” Clarice interjected before Nadine had a chance to say anything, “Is Emelia alright?” She got beat up pretty bad.”

Kirk nodded, “Tim already patched up Emelia and the other adventurers he brought with him. Rose also checked his work to be sure, and it looks fine. There isn’t much room left inside, but if you wait outside next to Tim, Rose and I will get to you when we can.” Kirk rushed back off towards the inn again.

Staggering over to Tim, Clarice let Toofy go and leaned heavily against the wall. Nadine all but collapsed sliding down the wall, too tired and sore to move.

“What do you think happened?” Clarice asked worriedly, “You think maybe they were gonna try and lynch him?”

Nadine looked tiredly over at Tim and nodded. Emotions were running high, people had very likely lost friends and party members out on the plains today from the surprise Orc attacks. Everything had gone wrong faster than anyone could process what was happening. It made sense that the more impulsive and aggrieved adventurers would try and get some payback.

Toofy had now armed herself with a small club in addition to her shiv and was standing beside Tim protectively. It was both touching and absurd to look at, given that even laying down, Tim was still almost taller than Toofy.

“The Guild is going to have to put up an extermination quest after this,” Clarice observed dryly.

Nadine nodded in agreement, “For monsters to behave this aggressively, a raid on the foothold would not be far behind.“

“You think they will let the more injured adventurers leave?” Clarice asked with concern. “It’s gonna be at least a week until some of us are able to walk again, let alone fight. They will factor that in right?”

Nadine shook her head, “I don’t know. The rules are pretty clear though, if you can hold a weapon, you are supposed to stay.”

“Shit!...” Clarice cursed angrily.

As of right now, any adventurers trying to leave this floor of the Labyrinth before the Guild made its ruling, would be blacklisted. Effectively, they were now trapped and had to make a decision that had dire potential consequences. Stay and fight? Or flee and become blacklisted, ending their adventuring careers before they ever started.

“Shit!...” Clarice repeated, hissing through her teeth as she contemplated the impossible decision.

*****

I woke up in my bed. No, that’s not right. I still have not woken up yet. I am still dreaming, still trapped in this nightmare.

Sitting up, I found that someone had taken almost all of my clothes, leaving me with only my underwear. Looking around the room, I saw no sign of my clothes, the messenger satchel, or the sewing kit.

I staggered over to the window and tried to breathe in the night air to clear my head.

Shaking my head, I can see the face of the Orc I killed, the fear in his eyes as I bring his own weapon down on his head and dash his brains onto the grass. The taste of his blood in my open mouth.

I'm finding it hard to keep a clear line of thought. I feel dizzy, disconnected... Even the room is struggling to remain focused, the floor growing wider, expanding in all directions as a black yawning pit opens beneath my feet.

I fall through the darkness for what seems like an eternity. I am beginning to forget, to remember something important. It is there, If I only knew what it was, I could reach out and touch it, be made whole again.

I am screaming, I don’t want to die, but it is inevitable. When I stop falling, I will die, this is an inescapable truth. I am falling, but the one screaming is not me. There is a light below, it is too bright, I can’t look and close my eyes.

With a ragged gasp, I open my eyes. My head is killing me, my eyes feel like someone used them as stress balls for a few hours. What was with that messed up dream? Am I having a mental breakdown?

Cautiously getting up off the bed, I can tell that it is daytime by the light filtering through the gap in the window shutters. However, even that small amount of light feels almost like it is too much to bear. My skin is hot like I am running a fever. So is that it? Was it all just a strange fever dream?

Barely able to see, I stagger to the door and try to turn the handle only to find that it is locked. Why is the door to my bedroom locked? What, my bedroom door doesn't have a lock... That means...

I forced my eyes open and focused on my surroundings. “Fuck...” I am still in this world after all? I groan and stumble back over to the bed. My head hurts too much to deal with this right now. Embracing sweet oblivion, I swear I could hear someone quietly laughing.

Waking up again, I felt like a lot of time had passed. With my eyes feeling much better, I bravely glanced towards the window. Faint golden light filtering through the shutters meant that the day was just ending, or beginning.

Getting to my feet with only minimal dizziness, I staggered over to the door. Testing the handle, I was not surprised to find that it was locked, but I had hoped that it wouldn’t be. Turning around and heading back towards the bed, I heard someone's footsteps coming down the hall.

A few moments later, a key rattled in the lock and the door opened.

Standing in the doorway was the innkeeper's wife, Rose, holding a tray with a large jug and a small dishrag. “Oh!” Rose gave a sudden start as she looked up and noticed me by the door. “Tim, you gave me a bit of a fright. You have not stirred for days and now you're suddenly up and about! How are you? The girls are worried sick!” Rose stepped back out into the hallway, “Come on, follow me!” She insisted without giving me a chance to answer, her sharp tone making it clear that it was not a suggestion.

Somewhat awkwardly, I followed Rose down the hall. I still felt somewhat light-headed, so it was difficult keeping my balance.

Rose opened the door to the girls shared room.

“Rose! Is there any news on...” Nadine’s voice trailed off momentarily as she caught sight of me lingering in the hallway. Nadine was sitting up in bed with her right arm in a sling and wearing a short-sleeved ankle-length nightgown. “Tim! You're awake!” Nadine cried out in surprise.

“Huh?” Clarice, also wearing a similar yet shorter nightgown shuffled into view from beside the door. Her left ankle was heavily bandaged and she was struggling to put her weight on it.

“TIM!” Toofy had been hidden under the bed, and desperately began scrambling towards me, only for Nadine to grab the back of Toofy’s tunic at the last moment and drag her back.

“Toofy. No!” Nadine chided authoritatively, “You have to stay close to me, remember?”

Toofy didn’t let up, redoubling her effort and began slipping out of her oversized tunic.

“Urgh, Tim! Could you get in here please!” Nadine gasped, straining to hold Toofy back with only her left arm.

Rose smiled apologetically and stepped aside to let me pass through.

The moment I came within arms reach, Nadine let go of Toofy, “Ugh...” Nadine groaned, “I think I pulled a muscle.”

Toofy scaled up my front and hugged me tightly around my neck. “Tim gone, Toofy scared,” she whimpered, wet tears falling on my shoulder, “Tim no leave Toofy!” Toofy demanded, hugging me tighter.

I couldn’t help but feel incredibly selfish. I had pretty much forgotten about Toofy. Whether this was all a fever dream or hallucination, it sickened me that I could be so heartless. If this was a representation of my subconscious, wouldn’t that make everything I do here all the more important? I hugged Toofy back, “It’s alright now,” I reassured her, ‘I won’t leave you behind again, okay?”

“O-o-okay,” Toofy sniffled, wiping her snotty nose on my bare shoulder.

“Tim,” Nadine waved her hand slightly to get my attention, “You still need to revoke the last command you gave to Toofy. She could accidentally hurt herself again if you don’t.”

Her words were like a sucker punch to the gut. I was all too aware of the pain I experienced under Emelia’s commands, to think of Toofy suffering through that made me feel sick. “Toofy, you don't have to follow Nadine anymore okay?”

“K-kay,” Toofy sniffled.

“You brought them back safe, just like I asked you to. I am proud of you,” I tousled her hair and moved to go sit on the corner of the bed.

During this whole exchange, Emelia had remained asleep with a contented expression on her face.

[Emelia - HP: 3/25 - Bloodied ]

Rose placed the tray down by the window and placed the back of her hand against my forehead, “Hrm, no sign of the fever, good. How do you feel?” She asked, scanning me from head to toe.

‘My eyes hurt a little,” I admitted.

Rose nodded, “That’s normal, it should pass some time in the next day or two. Just make sure you get plenty of rest,” she insisted.

I nodded, even though I didn’t really feel tired. There were still some light activities I could do in the meantime. However, with all my belongings currently missing, that would be quite difficult. “Ah, have you seen my sewing kit?” I asked nervously, worried that one of the less scrupulous adventurers had stolen it in the confusion. OH NO! “Ah, there was also a custom made toilet seat for Toofy, I dropped it...somewhere,” trying to think about where I had left it, made my head hurt.

“Oh, we were wondering who that belonged to,” Rose giggled, “It’s alright, we have all of the unclaimed belongings locked away to prevent sticky fingers. I will bring you your things a little later alright? Oh, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much we could do to save your clothes I am afraid, sorry.

I nodded, but couldn’t remember what happened to my clothes either. I remember that they had gotten pretty bloody and tattered, but a decent wash should have been alright.

“Anyway, I should leave you all to get some rest. Oh, here,” Rose handed me a room key, “So you can lock your door. After what happened, Kirk wants to play things safe. So be safe, alright?” she straightened her apron, excused herself and closed the door.

“Why do I need to lock my door?” I ask, a little confused over what I have apparently missed.

Nadine looked worried, “You don’t remember what happened?”

I shrug helplessly, “Remember what exactly? I remember receiving Emelia’s commands, sort of, but bits and pieces are a blur.”

Nadine nodded sombrely, “What is the last thing you remember?”

“I think...I think it was bandaging up one of the seriously injured adventurers, but it's kinda fuzzy,” I shook my head, “I don’t even know that person's name, maybe I imagined it?”

Nadine and Clarice shared a look, “Mathis,” they answered in unison.

“The surgeon says you saved his life Tim,” Nadine explained, “He didn't believe it when everyone kept telling him that it was you who did it.”

“Still didn’t by the time he left,” Clarice grunted irritably, “Snotty prick.”

Judging by the way Nadine let Clarice’s comment slide without challenge, it seemed like her assessment was not altogether inaccurate.

Nadine stared at me for a moment, her expression a mess of conflicting emotions, “We are alive because of you Tim. No matter what happens, I just want you to know that I won't forget it.”

“Me either,” Clarice grunted brusquely in agreement, “Someone has a problem with you, they have a problem with me too!”

“Toofy too!” Toofy insisted.

I didn’t know what to say. “Thank you,” I replied lamely, embarrassed by the intense focus of their attention. “I uh, should probably go rest,” I muttered awkwardly. Standing back up, I gave the girls a brief wave in parting and closed the door behind myself.

Heading back to my room, I noticed a young woman with short chestnut coloured hair and hazel eyes, staring at me from the landing to the stairs leading down to the common room.

She had a curious expression on her face as if making up her mind about something. The young woman shrugged and headed downstairs, but she kept looking at me from the corner of her eye until disappearing from view.

That was weird. I don’t remember having seen her around before either, is she one of the adventurers Kirk was trying to get the inn prepared for? Or is she perhaps part of some reinforcements sent by the Guild? Without asking her, which I was in no rush to do, I had no way of knowing who she was and why she was here.

Before going to bed, I made sure to lock the door and double-check it just to be sure. Something about that woman had put me on edge.

With nothing else to do, I spent most of the day lightly dozing on my bed.

Toofy had draped herself over my chest and tried to bite me every time I tried to move her, so there she remains. Toofy was only temporarily dislodged when Kirk delivered a large bowl of fried Vrabbit meat. But only until we finished eating.

Sleeping through the night without incident, Toofy was slightly less clingy now. She only insisted on remaining next to me. Waking up well and truly before just about everyone else, Toofy and I did not have to wait in line to use the toilets. I will admit, sending Toofy in to use the toilet alone, was nerve-wracking. I mean, what if she fell in?! What the hell would I do then?! She couldn’t just stay down there...

But my worrying was ultimately for nothing. After a few minutes, Toofy pushed open the door and walked out proudly carrying the custom toilet seat under one arm. “Toofy smart,” she reminded me with a grin.

I chuckled and tousled Toofy’s hair, “Yes you are," I agreed happily. It was so satisfying, knowing that I wouldn’t have to accompany Toofy to the toilet anymore. Partly, because of how awkward it was, but mostly because my sense of smell was slowly coming back.

Returning to our room, I finalized my plans for making alterations to Toofy’s clothes. The overall idea was just to downsize the tunic and pants. There was obviously more than enough fabric to do it, but since Toofy lacked any form of underwear I thought it might be best to start with the pants. At least this way Toofy would still basically be wearing a dress while I work.

Before sewing together the much smaller pair of trousers, I stitched together a couple of pairs of underwear for Toofy from the leftover fabric. It felt super awkward trying to design panties for her, so I just made drawstring boxers instead. Working on the tunic next, I decided that I would make Toofy a cloth belt, coin purse and a shoulder strap singlet from the leftover materials.

Toofy really didn’t understand my insistence on wearing two layers of clothing, but she eventually relented.

“Oh! Toofy warm!” Toofy announced cheerily, hugging herself and rolling around on the bed.

So long as Toofy is happy and wearing underwear, I’ll take this as a win.

Now I was left to lament my own clothing situation. While not naked, I am far from comfortable walking around in my underwear. With only a few scraps of cloth leftover, the only other fabric I have to work with is Nadine’s bedroll. I could try and make a kilt, but I think the fabric is way too thick. Ugh! this is so annoying!

I resolved myself to head downstairs and ask Rose what happened to my clothes, “Come on Toofy, we are going downstairs.”

“Okay!” Toofy agreed eagerly, nimbly jumping off the bed and clambering up my back to hang off my shoulder.

Contrary to my expectations, despite being early in the early evening, the common room was mostly empty. I guess most adventurers must be resting up in their rooms or something. Ignoring Kirk, who was struggling to keep a straight face, I determinedly walked through to the kitchen.

“Oh, hello Tim,” Rose welcomed me warmly from over by the cooking pot. “When did you buy new clothes?” She asked, pointing at Toofy.

“I didn’t,” I sighed, “I made these out of the clothes Toofy was wearing before.”

“Really?” this seemed to have piqued Rose's interest. “Mind if I take a look?”

“Go ahead, it’s nothing special. I just did what I could with what I had,” I shrugged. I probably couldn't do much better unless I somehow found a magical sewing machine or something, my finger dexterity leaves a lot to be desired.

“No, you did a pretty good job,” Rose insisted, testing the seams and darning, “I am honestly surprised you can use a sewing needle with those large fingers of yours.”

I shrugged. It was more an act of patience than actual skill on my part.

“Oh! You even made underclothes for her!” Rose commented in surprise, unabashedly looking down the front of Toofy’s tunic.

“Ah, so Rose, I was wondering if there was anything left of my clothes? Even if they are a bit tattered, I can stitch them back up," I explained.

Rose stiffened somewhat before quickly returning to making a show of looking over Toofy’s new clothes, pretending she had not heard me “Hrm? Oh look at this! How darling!”

Well, that is incredibly suspicious. What happened to my clothes?! If Rose won’t tell me, I’ll try asking Kirk, and if Kirk won't tell me, I’ll ask Clarice. Why not Nadine? Because Clarice likes stirring the pot, and if she won't tell me, no one will. “We should be heading back to bed then, I’ll see you later Rose,” I turned and left somewhat abruptly, hopefully making it clear that I didn’t appreciate the cloak and dagger nonsense regarding the fate of my clothes!

“Oh, good night,” Rose called out hastily.

I was going to take a seat at the bar but noticed Kirk deliberately avoiding eye contact. Well, that's a bust too then. What the hell is going on?! What happened? What am I not remembering? Getting pretty annoyed at this point, I headed upstairs to the girls shared room. If Clarice was going to tell me anything, she wouldn’t care if there was a disapproving audience or not, so it didn't really matter.

“Grrr” Toofy stiffened, digging her thick pointed nails into my neck and back, growling quietly at the door to the girls room.

Stopping outside their door, I could hear a conversation already progress with another woman I don’t recognise.

“-just for tomorrow as a trial run and we split the coin one and three so everyone’s nice and happy, okay?” The stranger suggested good-naturedly.

“You said that already,” Nadine replied suspiciously, “But you still didn’t explain why a level ten is interested in hunting on this floor of the Labyrinth. Forgive me, but this really doesn’t seem worth your time...”

They were discussing inviting another person to the party? But even Nadine, who was the most mobile of the group at the moment, was still fairly injured.

The woman laughed a little in response before stopping suddenly, “Oh, you're serious? I thought I already explained myself quite well though? I am a Synergist, I need qualified party members to work at my full potential. Since no one else from my charter accepted this Guild request, I need at least one strong partner I can rely on. From what I hear, your Ogre is the strongest on the floor.”

“His name is Tim!” Clarice growled.

The stranger gave a loud exaggerated sigh, “Fine, Tim, whatever. Anyway, we can make the deal through the Guild if it makes you feel better, make it nice and legal,” she offered appeasingly, “You really mean to tell me you three have enough savings to just sit here and do nothing for at least another week, HOPING that the raid doesn't hit before you can stand on your own two feet and defend yourselves?”

“Shut up!” Clarice snapped angrily, “How do we know you won't just gank Tim the moment you take him outside the foothold?!”

The stranger snorted derisively, “Really? Assuming we make this deal through the Guild, why the hell would I risk my career over this? And in case you have forgotten something, I am stuck here like the rest of you until this raid is dealt with! The extermination request has Orc heads at ten copper each and Goblin heads at five copper each. With three-quarters of the bounty going to your party, you can make some quick easy moolah.”

“That’s the part I don’t understand,” Nadine replied coldly, “Why take on so much danger for so little reward?”

The stranger groaned loudly, “Seriously?! Are you not listening? I AM A SYNERGIST! So teaming up with an Ogre and hunting Orcs would make me the safest adventurer on this floor. Geez, if I could afford my own monsters, I wouldn’t even be making this offer.”

“We need to think about this,” Nadine reluctantly conceded.

“That's all I am asking,” the stranger said in exasperation, “Geez!”

The door opened and the chestnut-haired woman from earlier looked up at me, “Oh hello there handsome. I was just talking about you,” she smirked and by the look in her eyes I could tell she knew I was listening to most of the conversation that transpired. She gave my stomach a playful slap as she passed by me into the hall and headed off to the stairs.

There was something really off about her.

“Tim what are you doing here so late in the evening?” Nadine asked nervously.

Trying to put that strange woman out of mind, I focused on my original reason for coming here. “Clarice? What happened to my clothes?”

Clarice and Nadine glance awkwardly at one another but say nothing.

Emelia looks confused, “Wait, why is Tim basically naked again?! Did someone steal Tim’s clothes?!” She stared accusingly at Clarice.

“Uh...no,” Clarice answered awkwardly.

Emelia narrowed her eyes and glared, “Clarice, give Tim back his clothes!” She demanded, “If you don’t I’ll tell Tim about-”

“I didn’t steal his clothes!” Clarice interjected with a panicked expression on her face.

Emelia was unconvinced, “Prove it,” she demanded.

“How?!” Clarice countered, “I don't have them and I don’t know where they went. So how do you expect me to prove I didn’t steal them?” She demanded angrily.

“Oh,” Emelia scratched her head and her hardened expression softened again, “I didn’t think of that,” her eyes suddenly went wide and Emelia pointed her finger accusingly at Nadine, “Then it was you!”

Well, this was going nowhere fast.

Nadine let out a long-suffering sigh and massaged her temple, “Look, Tim, your clothes were badly damaged in the Orc attack. Rose took them to The Tailor for us, to get them patched up, but something happened...” She shifted uncomfortably, “Rose says The Tailor won't give the clothes back unless you collect them in person...It hasn’t done that before...”

I shivered remembering the tailor’s minor change in appearance as I was leaving the shop. “What is the tailor? Is it a monster or something?” I blurted out, unable to handle the unknowns of it all. The tailor had really freaked me out. And there was no way in hell I was going back in there again without knowing more about it.

Nadine nodded in understanding, her anxious expression a reflection of how I felt, ”The Labyrinth doesn't just make monsters. Sometimes it makes people too-”

I gulped hard and tried not to look too suspicious.

“-The people made by the Labyrinth are divided into two types, quest givers and vendors. Both types are very predictable and you can pretty much immediately tell that they aren’t people. The quest givers will offer rewards for doing specific things, usually something dangerous, but the reward is almost always worth it. The vendors are mostly the same, charging high prices but selling items made of monster materials. But sometimes...sometimes the people the Labyrinth makes are a bit...wrong...” Nadine shivered.

So I wasn’t the only one who had seen what was wrong with the tailor, Nadine must have seen it as well. It’s somewhat of a relief to know that I am not crazy....less crazy? Hrm...

Nadine took a steadying breath before continuing, glancing somewhat nervously towards the window, “The Tailor is something unique to this Labyrinth and it has a shop on every known floor. That in and of itself is pretty weird, a Labyrinth will rarely outright copy something like that so perfectly. Most of the time, it’s just that woman, completely normal, just like every other vendor, predictable and forgettable. But every so often, The Tailor breaks script and talks to people,” she shivered again, “But its appearance changes, like it is just borrowing the shopkeeper’s body to communicate. This has started the rumour that The Tailor isn’t just part of the Labyrinth, but the Labyrinth itself.”

“Wait, so the tailor is a monster then?” I asked, wanting this confirmed.

Nadine scrunched up her face and shrugged, “It’s complicated. By Guild definition, yes, it is a creature made by the Labyrinth, so it is a monster. But every attempt by epic level Monster Tamer’s and Slaver’s to capture The Tailor have met with disaster. The Guild’s current policy is now to just observe. So long as no one antagonizes it, the Guild seems content to leave it be. There are even rumours of the Guild offices on other floors making deals with it in secret. But those are just rumours, of course.”

This all had a Halloween type of vibe to it that I really wanted no part of. For the first time in my life, I was seriously considering whether I needed to wear clothes. I mean seriously, to let something that insanely dangerous live inside the town just seemed insane! It’s like knowing Pennywise is living in a house across the street and sending your kids trick or treating anyway! How the hell does the Guild even rationalize it?

“It has never attacked anyone unprovoked,” Clarice explained, giving me a sombre look that made it clear she had guessed at my line of thought. “Only when people try to steal something or attack it. Fuck, you can curse at it all day and it will just raise the prices. So much as slap it, you're done...”

“That does not make me feel better...” I complained.

“Wasn’t meant to,” Clarice scoffed, “It was for context.”

“It’s alright Tim,“ Nadine added hastily, “I can go with you if you want,” she offered reassuringly.

Geez, am I that much of a coward, that I would drag a crippled woman a quarter or less of my weight into a monster den, just to retrieve my clothes? Yes, I totally am. No way in hell am I going back there alone.

“Toofy too!” Toofy volunteered adamantly.

Oh, right, I forgot about Toofy. The prospect of Toofy backing me up was actually much more reassuring than Nadine. Even though Toofy was damned small, I pitied anyone who would pick a fight with her one on one. Not least of all because I still don’t know where she has been hiding that shiv...

“Okay,” I agreed with a depressed sigh. Let’s go and have a chat with the creepy monster across the street just as the sun is setting. What can go wrong? Nope. To hell with that! “Let’s go tomorrow morning,” I suggested tactfully.

Nadine nodded, visibly relieved.

Even Clarice looked somewhat relieved.

“Wait... So Rose stole Tim’s clothes?” Emelia asked, obviously confused.

The three of us stared at Emelia incredulously for a moment before Clarice started baying in laughter. Unable to help ourselves, Nadine and I joined in.

“What?” Emelia asked, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment, “Did she not take them then?”

Even Toofy joined in now, “Heeheehee, Master silly.”

“Hrmph!” Emelia pouted, crossing her arms.

It felt good to laugh again. I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt like this. To feel it here of all places too, maybe my subconscious knew what it was doing. I haven't felt this happy in a long time. I was almost disappointed that this was all just a figment of my imagination.

*****

Jacque left the inn and walked across the street to the tailor’s shop. Unlike most, she didn’t hesitate for even a second before entering. Jacque knew about ‘The Tailor’ and the stupid mythos the adventurers Guild had built around her and she couldn’t care less.

“Greetings, customer,” the hollow puppet of a shopkeeper called out in welcome.

“Spare me,” Jacque slid the deadbolt home and locked the door before approaching the counter. “Come on out Kiki, I don't have all night!” She tapped her boot impatiently.

The shopkeeper puppet blinked and subtly began to change, most notably her teeth sharpening like needles. “Ahhh, Jacque!” Kiki hissed, “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Her accent completely out of place for this world and its inhabitants.

“I want to know more about that Ogre, the one the adventurers are calling Tim,” Jacque demanded.

Kiki nodded, the neck of her puppet crackling like dry leaves, “This information will cost you,” she grinned and leaned forward across the counter.

Jacque sighed and removed a small pouch from her belt before upending the contents on the counter. Small quartz-like crimson crystals tumbled into a small pile, “Talk,” Jacque demanded.

Kiki’s grin broadened as she regarded the tiny crystals. Even though there were only ten, they were each the size of her thumbnail and she had not eaten yet today. “A young woman brought him in about five days ago, bought some basic clothes and an apron. All quite ridiculous, like an Ogre even needs anything more than a loincloth.”

Jacque nodded and pushed two of the crystals to Kiki.

Kiki immediately snatched the crystals up, threw them in her mouth and swallowed. “Mmmmmm, that hits the spot,” she purred, covetously eyeing the remaining crystals.

“You want more?” Jacque asked, tracing her finger between the crystals, “Then make it worth my while.”

Kiki hissed and scratched her now lengthening fingernails across the counter in frustration, “You want him? Yes? The Ogre?” Her accent thickened, becoming more difficult to understand.

Jacque nodded.

“I can help! Give him a nudge in the right direction!” Kiki’s attention rapidly altered between Jacque and the crystals.

“Explain,” Jacque demanded cooly, unimpressed.

“The clothes! His clothes! I have them, wanted to have a little chat, demanded they bring him to me,” Kiki explained hurriedly, “You want the Ogre? I can offer him a deal!”

Jacque was unimpressed, “And how does this help me?” She demanded.

Kiki hissed angrily, “When his masters take him into the forest to perform my quest, you follow and kill them! Then the Ogre is yours!”

“Your ideas get really stupid when you're hungry, you know that?” Jacque observed dryly.

Kiki bristled at the insult, her mouth growing larger, lips blackening as her skin grew paler.

“Oh, calm down!” Jacque hissed in annoyance, picking up one of the crystals and tossing it into Kiki’s mouth, “Such a drama queen.”

Kiki glared balefully at Jacque but did not spit the crystal back out, instead, she quickly swallowed it.

“Still, that’s not an entirely stupid idea,” Jacque sighed, “Alright. Offer him a deal to go hunting for the boss monster, or something. His masters are out of commission, so as long as you make the deal sweet enough, we can all come out a winner here. You get a tasty mana crystal, I get some alone time with Tim and his masters get a stack of cash. Deal?” She pushed another two crystals halfway across the counter.

Kiki stared hungrily at the crystals, her long black tongue slipping between her teeth, “I want more!” She demanded.

“I’ll give you the remaining five AFTER,” Jacque countered.

“Done!” Kiki slammed her withered hand down on the counter and swept the two crystals up into her mouth.

Jacque placed the remaining crystals into her pouch again and walked back over to the door, “You better hold up your end of the deal, Kiki!" Leaving the shop and stepping out into the now rapidly darkening street, Jacque looked back over her shoulder at the puppet which had returned to its original unassuming appearance, “Pfft, addicts,” she muttered derisively, rolling her eyes and walking back over to the inn.