“Joan, the promised two weeks have passed!”

A young man with silver hair burst noisily into the shop with a wide grin, showing off his pearly-white teeth.

Name: Heouie of House Gastothes

Level: 42

Age: 17

Race: Human [Details]

Afflictions: None [Details]

Occupation: C-rank Adventurer

HP: 652/652

MP: 439/439

[Attributes & Titles]

[Background]

[Skills]

Nope, still don’t remember who this guy is.

But he seemed to know who I was, so…

“Heouie!” I raised a hand and greeted him with enthusiasm, hoping I’d pronounced his name right. “Long time no see! How are you, man?”

Heouie stumbled and fell flat on his face.

“Oh shit, mate, you okay?”

I hurried out from behind the counter to help him up. Only when he stared at me like I’d grown a second head did I realise I’d probably fucked up.

Ah, shit. Are we not friendly? He seemed pleased to see me, so I just assumed…

He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. “I’m fine, but you on the other hand-”

Damage control, damage control…

“Anyway!” I said loudly. “Listen, Heouie, you know I’m always pleased to see you,” which just made his eyes narrow more “but I’m working right now, so…”

I turned him around, took ahold of his shoulders, and pushed him out of the store without allowing him to get a word in edgewise.

“We’ll catch up later, okay? For now, sayonara!”

I waved and shut the door in his stunned face. I wiped the light sweat from my forehead.

Great. Now to just avoid that guy for the rest of my life. That’ll teach me to assume things.

“Joan, what the hell was that?”

Shit, I forgot there were actually customers in the shop.

I pasted a placid smile on my face and looked quizzically at the light blue-haired woman.

“What was what?”

Name: Senga

Level: 52

Age: 23

…

Senga gestured to me, then the door, at a loss for words. I tilted my head in confusion. She threw her hands up in the air.

“Everyone knows you don’t like him and aren’t afraid to show it. So, what the hell was that?”

“Ah, well…” Think, Joan, think… “It sure got rid of him quickly, didn’t it?”

I grinned at her. She narrowed her eyes at me but evidently couldn’t find fault in my statement, so she just sighed. Then her expression turned concerned.

“Hey, I heard that you’ve been in the clinic for the past few days. What happened?”

“Oh, you know. Just a minor mishap with a spell. I’m in perfect health now. Really,” I added at her doubtful look, “Just ask the apothecary if you’re that worried.”

“Hm…”

“Okay, okay, that’s enough worrying about me,” I said, eager for a subject change. “Just let me do my job and bring that up to the counter.”

Senga looking searchingly at me for a moment longer. Then she sighed.

“Alright then. By the way, have you got any…”

Over the next few weeks, I got to slowly reknow everyone I had before. Aunt Detion, Toen, the butcher’s family… I had everyone fooled. Actually, I think Aunt Detion harboured suspicions, but she had yet to call me out so everything was fine. If she ever did confront me, I’d just bullshit for all I was worth. And failing that, run away.

A perfect plan, if I did say so myself.

Kuro was the only one I ever told, through whispers late at night when I knew for sure everyone else was asleep. It was also the only one I managed to remember. I didn’t know if that was because it wasn’t a sapient or if it was because of the symbiotic relationship I had with it. I’d never know for sure; I didn’t even know why exactly I had such a specific form of amnesia.

In this way, time slowly passed and the weather turned cooler. We were reaching the end of my third month here when a big change came.

The bell rung and a new customer entered the shop. I looked up briefly from my 7th origami rose of the day to greet them.

“Welcome to Cleimeph.”

“Who are you?”

I looked up again, startled by the almost hostile tone in the man’s voice.

“I’m Joan…?” I said, not entirely sure what he was asking. “I work here.”

The man narrowed his eyes at me but seemed to accept that answer.

“Where’s Arsral?”

“In the ba- wait, no, he’s out. You can wait here until he comes back if you’d like…? He left a while ago, so it shouldn’t be too long.”

“Alright.”

He leant against the wall by the side of the doorway, just out of way of any other customers and didn’t speak again. I snuck glances at him under the pretence of reading my book.

The man had familiar green eyes and a nose I was sure I’d seen on someone else. He had a strong jawline covered in stubble and was handsome in a rugged way. Personally, I preferred Arsral’s pretty boy looks but I could definitely see the appeal of a man like this one.

Despite looking like he ate bears for breakfast, he was obviously still pretty young. He couldn’t have been more than twenty.

He definitely noticed me staring but ignored it. He didn’t seem inclined to answer any questions I might have had for him either, so I gave into the temptation to peek at his status.

Name: Sir Arslop of the Amber Knights

Level: 79

Age: 20

Race: Human [Details]

Afflictions: None [Details]

Occupation: Royal Knight; Captain of the 4th Squadron of the Amber Knights

HP: 1308/1308

MP: 602/602

[Attributes & Titles]

[Background]

[Skills]

Oooh. So that’s why he looks so familiar.

“Yo, are you by any chance Arslop, elder brother of Arsral and Arswen?”

He squinted suspiciously at me. “What’s it to you?”

I raised my hands appeasingly.

“Nothing, nothing! I can just see the resemblance. Your brothers look a lot like you!”

Arslop’s face softened a little at my comment. I counted that as a win. But before I could further the conversation, the worst person possible burst noisily into the shop.

Heouie. After relearning of my relationship with him, I had been subjected to his silly challenges again and again. Running, more poker, sparring, wooing women… you name it, I beat him at it. Not without a lot of cheating with both Kuro and my own skills of course; who do you think I am? Someone honourable?

“Joan, two weeks have passed since my last challenge! I have come to-”

I pegged a conjured block of wood at his head. It missed spectacularly, but it didn’t need to hit. Once Hewey saw Arslop he blanched, and when I looked at Arslop I realised I had never truly seen someone look ‘murderous’ until now.

“A-hem, I see you have a guest. I’ll be taking my leave now, goodbye!”

He ran away as quickly as his legs would carry him. I whistled. If he had run that fast during our race he surely would have won.

Then Arslop’s murderous expression turned on me.

Oh shit.

“Are you friends with him?”

“No, no, not at all!” I waved my hands frantically as if to physically rid him of the notion. Please have mercy on this poor soul. “In fact, I really need to thank you for chasing him away! He’s very annoying!”

He didn’t move his eyes from me. I broke out into a cold sweat.

Did I not make my disdain for him clear enough? What more do you want from me? Please, stop glaring!