The next day, we went to Zanac’s shop to close out the job. He was startled by how fast we’d returned, but when I explained I could use Gate, he accepted it.
“This is the reply from Viscount Swordreck.”
He checked the seal, opened the letter, and skimmed it.
“Confirmed. Good work.”
“And this. Half the travel budget — we didn’t use it. Returning it.”
I handed back the still-sealed bag.
“Honest of you. You could have stayed quiet about the Gate business and pocketed it.”
“This work runs on trust. As a businessman you understand that.”
”…You’re right. Trust is a businessman’s capital. Without it, no business runs. Trample it and it returns to you eventually.”
Zanac accepted the bag.
He handed over the guild-issued completion card with the assigned job number. Submitting it at the guild would release our payment.
We thanked Zanac and left. Off to the guild.
The guild was as usual — the request board surrounded. First time inside for Yae; she looked around as we walked to the desk.
Card handed in, job report filed.
“Guild cards please.”
She stamped each of our three cards with the magic-stamp.
“Here’s your reward — 7 silver. Good work.”
I picked up the coins; while doing so, called Yae over.
“Excuse me — could you also register her with the guild?”
“Registration? Of course.”
While Yae went through the briefing, the three of us split the 7 silver — 2 each, with 1 reserved for a group meal later.
“Honestly… 2 silver per person feels like a little now. That’s a bad sign.”
“Yeah. Receiving platinum recalibrates your money-sense.”
Elze’s muttered comment got a wry smile from me.
The duke’s money was a windfall. We needed to live off our own work and treat that as separate. Otherwise.
“Registered!”
Yae returned, waving her card. Beginner-black, unlike ours.
She looked a touch disappointed at the color difference. But we were still low-level too; she’d close the gap fast with jobs.
She wanted to take a job immediately, so we returned to the request board.
A higher-rank member counts for everyone in the party — so with the three of us at purple, Yae could come along on a purple job no problem.
We scanned the postings.
“North ruins… extermination… mega… slime? This one’s still up. Hey, this—”
"" Nope. ""
Stereo veto, again. One more vote this time. Apparently Yae also hated jelly-blob creatures. Such a waste…
We settled on a Tiger Bear — some sort of tiger-or-bear monster. The habitat was Gate-walkable. Off we go.
Short version: a Tiger Bear turned out to be a tiger-striped massive bear. And — saber-tooth fangs.
It lived in a rocky outcrop and ambushed us — startling, but Yae alone basically took it down.
We broke off its fangs as proof of the kill, Gated back to the guild, turned them in. Job done. Total elapsed: two hours. Reward: 12 silver. Absurd pace.
Yae wanted another job immediately — we soothed her into food first.
We celebrated job-complete + Yae’s guild registration + her first hunt at café Parento.
Each ordered a light meal and a drink, plus vanilla ice cream across the board. Yae’s first time with ice cream — startled, immediately devouring.
On the way out, Aer asked us to think of another menu idea. Hmm, what next. I’d search around when we got home.