“…Nice to meet you, I’m Siegfriede.”
A girl who claims to be twenty, but looks like she’s barely hit seventeen, bowed her head in greeting.
“I’m Hilde, a dual-class swordsman. Nice to meet you too… um, Mr. Siegfriede.”
Siegfriede. Saying her name feels strangely old-fashioned. I wonder if she’s from a fallen noble family like Brunhilde.
“Ah, is my name a bit long? I figured it would be… um, would you call me Friede instead?”
Siegfriede stuttered, her shoulders twitching.
“That, um, is my nickname…”
Despite her somewhat sharp appearance, she oddly looks timid and stuttering.
With her head slightly bowed, she fidgeted with her fingers, cute yet oddly gloomy.
Really, she gives off a vibe like a baby crow.
No, more like… ah, I got it.
She looked like someone you’d expect to hand a thousand-won bill to, asking for three breads and two drinks.
“Alright, can I call you Friede?”
“Um, just call me Friede… I mean, we’re the same age, right?”
That’s true. Technically, we are the same age on paper, but… did I ever mention my age?
“Hmm…”
Well, she might have heard it from the receptionist. It’s not exactly confidential; I’d have told her if she asked.
“Right. Friede.”
“Hehe…”
As I nodded and called her by her name without a title, Friede smiled weirdly, lifting the corners of her mouth.
…It seems like this party member might be a bit peculiar too.
◆◆
After exchanging greetings, I sat at a table inside the Request Office with Friede for a formal introduction process.
“Hi, um, you’re a swordsman too, Hilde…? We’re the same…! Well, of course, you use a longsword, unlike me.”
“I’m not really used to greatswords. They’re a bit heavy for me. Are you okay with it?”
“Ah, I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve used it a lot…”
Friede grinned, fiddling with the hilt of her greatsword propped behind her back.
With her small frame and slender arms, in the original world, she wouldn’t just wield a greatsword; she’d be getting tossed around by it…
“I see.”
Well, this is a fantasy world inside a story.
If I could sweep Olympic gold medals back in the real world, what’s stopping Friede?
A dual-class swordsman wouldn’t be wandering around with a weapon she can’t even handle.
Anyway, we chatted for about ten minutes. Talking about our fighting styles, specialties, and this request.
“Uh, undead in the underground tomb, Abyss Priest… Should we prepare holy water? To fight the Abyss Priest…”
“No. The Abyss Priest will be handled by the Paladins. Our job is just to thin out the herd of undead. I think Wights will be the main target.”
“Ah, right… Haha…”
Friede blushed a little and awkwardly laughed. Seems like she thought we had to take down the Abyss Priest ourselves.
I couldn’t understand how she arrived at that conclusion at all.
There’s no way they’d give such a request to a dual-class adventurer. It’s like asking for suicide.
Is Levant a city that grinds adventurers that harshly?
“I seemed to have misunderstood… E-heh.”
…Maybe she just isn’t very bright. Not recalling an obvious fact like that.
◆◆
After various conversations, I decided to accept Friede as a member of this quest party.
I was concerned about her looks and intelligence, but as a dual-class adventurer, she wasn’t exactly unfit to be a front-liner.
Having talked to her, her personality didn’t seem too bad either.
Sure, she seemed a bit gloomy and timid like a gamer shut-in, but it wasn’t severe enough to raise alarms.
As long as she can properly deal with monsters, we’re good to go.
So, I asked the receptionist to take down one spot from the party recruitment notice and set out with Friede from the Request Office.
When she asked where we were going, I said we were going to buy some supplies needed for this quest, and she wondered if she could tag along.
“Um, supplies. They might overlap, right? If we buy separately. So…”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
I had no reason to refuse; she wasn’t wrong.
For that reason, I walked around the shopping district with Friede, purchasing various supplies.
Dry rations, a fur cloak for warmth, an oil lantern that broke during the last battle, a large water bottle, and a leather backpack.
“Ah, I’ll buy the lantern oil. Since we’re in the same party.”
“That works.”
Friede walked closely beside me, quick-stepping as she picked up rations and oiled cloths to neatly pack into her backpack.
We must have been wandering around for about an hour.
After chatting with Friede while roaming the streets, I decided to drop the formalities.
I believe that even if we’re the same age, it’s polite to use honorifics in work-related relationships, but Friede seemed to feel differently.
We’re the same age anyway, and since I’m the party leader, she kept insisting it would be easier if I spoke casually to her.
“Um, is that not possible?”
With her sparkling eyes looking up at me, it didn’t seem right to refuse.
Looking at her demeanor, she seems a bit shy, and she clearly looks uncomfortable with me using formal language.
“Okay, if that’s what you want.”
After all, I’m already on casual terms with Amy, the other party member. It would seem a bit odd to only use honorifics with Friede.
“Hehe….”
Friede smiled happily like a crow when I decided to drop the formalities.
◆◆
After finishing our shopping and buying everything we needed, including a new longsword and mended quilted armor, it was nearing dinner time.
“I think we’ve packed about everything we’ll need.”
I said, lightly shaking the heavy backpack and suggested it was time to disperse.
“It’s getting kinda late, so let’s part ways today and meet again the day after tomorrow morning. I’ll find one more party member by then.”
Today, I planned to separate, head back to my lodging, have dinner, and rest.
Also, I wanted to practice the [Stabilization] trait I learned from the last battle.
“Okay, see you then!”
Friede said with a smile and continued to follow me.
“……”
She kept that up until we got to the inn street.
……What’s this?
“Uh… are you staying at this area too, Friede?”
“Ah, yes? Oh, that’s right! I, um, just got a new place!”
Ah, I see.
True, there aren’t many inns around here for female adventurers to rest comfortably.
It seems she’s also living near the inn I’m staying at.
“Where are you staying, Hilde?”
“I? I’m at the ‘Snowbear’s Rest,’ a three-story inn on Fifth Street.”
“Really?!”
Friede exclaimed with wide, surprised eyes, practically jumping.
“Wow, that’s amazing! I also live there…!”
“Really?”
It was indeed a surprising coincidence.
In this city, there are plenty of inns, yet the party member I just met today is staying at the same one as me. What are the odds?
About ten minutes later, we arrived at the ‘Snowbear’s Rest.’
“So, what are you going to do now, Hilde…?”
Once we opened the inn door and walked in, Friede glanced at me and asked.
“Hmm… I’m not sure. First, I’ll unload my stuff in my room and then maybe have dinner. Haven’t you eaten yet? Want to join me?”
Thinking about it, I realized Friede probably hadn’t eaten dinner either.
Since we’re both staying at the same inn and for now, the same party, it wouldn’t hurt to have a meal together.
“Um, yeah. Let’s eat together!”
Friede nodded eagerly, clearly happy just to hear that.
Since she’d just arrived in this city, she probably had no acquaintances to eat with. That’s relatable.
I, too, was a complete nobody when I first set foot in this city.
“Okay, let’s unload our stuff first. I’m in the left third room on the third floor. Where are you staying, Friede?”
“Um.”
As I asked while balancing the backpack that was on my back, Friede’s mouth slightly opened, and she muttered something incoherent.
“Um, give me a moment. Where was it again? Uh, it’s…?”
With her head slightly bowed, she fumbled over her words, clearly flustered.
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh… I forgot… it’s a new inn that I just got to yesterday… I’ll need to ask the owner…”
Friede replied in a voice that trailed off as if she felt embarrassed. She forgot where her room was.
What a ridiculous thing to say.
How could someone forget where their room is?
“Um… okay. Just ask and come back. I’ll head up first.”
Guess she might really be a bit slow. Forgetting where her room is…
Is the nickname “crow” because of her hair color or memory?
“Ugh… okay, please wait a little…”
Friede walked with her head low toward the innkeeper at the front desk.
I watched her for a moment and then shook my head and went up to my room.
◆◆
I learned later that Friede’s room was, surprisingly, the left fourth room on the third floor.
In other words, it’s right next to mine. What an interesting coincidence.
“Hey, Hilde. Let’s go eat…!”
…Well, isn’t that convenient?
Staying next door means we’ll run into each other often and likely grow closer.
Whether she’ll be useful as a party member or if we’ll mesh well, we won’t know until we undertake a quest together, but…
“Hang on a second. I’ll change my clothes.”
“Oh, yes. I’ll wait…!”
If all goes well, I might secure a dual-class adventurer as a permanent party member.
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