Though I tried to pry, Dixy evaded the line of questioning. Eventually, I gave up and let it be.

“Just as long as you can fix it.” I said.

“I can, but… I either have to be some distance away from the dungeon, or not be available for a few hours.” Such strange conditions…

I remember the dungeon shutting down because God appeared and gave me a gift… Does Dixy perhaps run on the same power supply?

“Does it have anything to do with how monsters don’t appear after God gives me a gift?” I asked, but all I was met with was flustered, evasive noises. It really bothers me.

“Why can’t you just tell me?”

“I… I can’t help it. God made me in this way.” Dixy deflects. I feel a bit pissed off. I had somehow thought Dixy was only on my side, but it appears there is loyalty she holds higher.

Due to my excessive magic use earlier today, I can’t practice much and instead only look at the patterns and imagine weaving them. I don’t know if it will do any good, I don’t think I would have gotten very far if I only imagined doing things, but I guess it is better than nothing.

I feel the refreshing feeling of being restocked and start to wander back to the city. It seems the sleepy guard had gotten the shift some time since I left yesterday and I enter the city without disturbing him.

As I enter the inn, however, I am in for a rude greeting.

“What were you doing last night?” It was Big Mother, who questioned me in an accusatory tone.

“I like sleeping outside the city.” I default to the lie I used in God’s Win, but she looks skeptical. The large lady approached me and unexpectedly take a whiff of me.

“Smells like you cleaned yourself before coming here… How suspicious.”

“I am a clean freak. You can ask anyone of my companions.” I retort, remembering Patir’s accusation. I try to go up and wake Kassa so that we might head to the guild.

“That girl idolizes you, you know?” I hear from behind my back. “If you hurt her, I won’t forgive you.” It suddenly dawns on me what she suspected me of doing over the night, and I feel like a small weight is lifted from my shoulders, as I certainly isn’t guilty.

Kassa is already awake, while Patir is sleeping. She is doing some of the training routines I showed her, morning stretches I learned from my time as an athlete.

I catch her attention and wave her out. She quickly gets dressed in the robe, grabs her sword and shield and follows me.

“Can’t wait to get back to hunting again.” I say as we leave the inn. I feel like I have been lacking a routine these past two weeks or so, makes me feel lazy and unsettled.

Kassa merely lets out a noise of agreement, as we enter the Loffreq. I still hate that name.

We start browsing the notice board with requests. There is no concern for strength among the monsters usually hunted by normal people, so our only concern is how hard it is to carry versus how much it weighs. If we got a storage user, like Patir wanted, I think I could clean out the whole board today.

I try to remember what little I know of storage users. Most end up with merchant companies, since the people who have a chance to make a living that doesn’t require hunting, usually do so. That leaves only the ones with weird defects for the hunters.

I remember Asger. It is strange. I was usually pretty melancholic about remembering his death, how he perished before my eyes, but now… It doesn’t evoke those same feelings. It does, however, make me remember how everyone I know, Kassa, Yasia, Patir… They’re all going to die someday. I shake my head to clear it from the depressing thoughts as Kassa and I pick the requests. I was about to leave, but Kassa stops me.

“We need to get these stamped.” She says. I am confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t they tell you at the introduction?”

After a bit of back and forth, I learn that Kassa received a crash course in how to use the Loffreq’s services. Guess they forgot to provide me with the same after the incident.

Apparently requests have to be stamped at the desk, whereafter we will present them to guards at the dungeon. Strange, I can’t help but feel this level of bureaucracy is unneeded.

We line up in a queue and twenty minutes later, we are at the desk. “We would like to get these stamped.” Kassa requests. The receptionist is an older man.

“Right, I don’t recognize you, please present your plaques.” And we do. His eyes widen a little, as he looks at me. “So you are the rumored one, that beat up Kurat. Guess there will be no issue.” He says and swiftly stamps the five or so papers we brought

We immediately get directions to the dungeon and start to hunt. There are guards posted outside the dungeon.

“Officers or private?” They ask us. Guess they are referring to out newfound title of requisition officers.

“Officers.” I say and flash my plaque. The guards are a bit taken aback.

“And you?” They direct themselves to Kassa, who also shows her badge and they nod.

“Please present your papers.”

I fish up the requests we took. The guard looks over them. “It seems to be a bit much for only two people… But I guess you are 1st rank. Very well, proceed.” He says and we are let through.

For a couple of hours, I finally feel a bit in my element, as I crush most monsters, while letting Kassa fight a few on her own.