Returning from a hunt always involves a visit to the local guild exchange. Every monster's core is useful for gathering material for rontogems and the technology powered by it. It's also the way us hunters get paid for our perilous work.

Even though it's called a 'hidden village', my home village of Vitra isn't just some farming commune with wooden shacks and hovels for homes. It is surrounded on all sides by stone and wood buildings, some of them a bit more decorated than others. Before now I hadn't really thought about it, however, the guild building in front of me puts the rest of the village to shame with its gaudy look. Well, I guess gaudy would mean it's a shameful, overly ornate thing in this modest setting. 

It may be the largest building in the village even when comparing it to the elder's mansion. From what I can remember the guild exchange building used to be a home owned by an eccentric family, but they decided to move back to the city after finding Vitra to be too tame for their tastes. Then it was sold to a pragmatic businessman. He tore down some of the walls to make it more fitting for an exchange. A stable on the side for travel outside of the village, and attic rooms above for rare visitors. The whole interior that used to be an absurd amount of bedrooms, and expansive ballroom, became a home office with a large storage space and armory. 

The inside isn't what makes it stick out though, it's the front of it. Two marble pillars, each adorned with statues of the four Great Lords, mark the entrance to the guild exchange. The previous owners were staunch Dianists, so it's not that surprising under that context.

"You good?"

Japhy asks while staring at me.

"Yea, why?"

"You kept looking around like you've never been here before."

I shrug at him. There wasn't really any good excuse I could come up with, and I also don't feel the need to tell him about my current 'condition'. He stops prodding me after my response thankfully.

I step ahead of Japhet to open the door to the guild exchange. He walks in as I follow behind. There to greet us is another familiar face, though not as close to me as the other five. Cordelia, she used to babysit me when I was a kid and all the adults were busy. Sometimes she'd take me to the village square during a merchant fair.

There were also a couple of other patrons sitting at the various tables inside the main hall. I didn't really take a look at them. I mostly focused my gaze at the reception desk and Cordelia who was standing there awaiting to inspect our haul for today.

Nudging me, Japhy begins to whisper.

"~Hey you know you're staring at her way too much right?~"

"Huh?"

It's true, I didn't even consider that even the way I look at people changed as soon as I got hit with those memories. Normally, I avoid looking at anybody directly unless I'm speaking with them, and even then I usually start to look away while responding, and more so if I think hard on what I'm saying in the conversation. That is to say, it's something I dropped entirely as a habit in my old life. Before I died, I went out of my way to not fear looking someone in the eye. I might be lame for it though.

"Neuros making you a bit bolder eh?"

He smirks as we get to the reception desk. Cordelia must've noticed too given that she looked away for brief moment, while I hadn't changed my gaze since I walked in. If I recall she isn't married either, in spite of the fact she's older than me by about eight years. I think her sister on the other hand is married. Why am I thinking about that?

"You two already done for the day?"

Cordelia says with her usual smile wiping away the shyness she displayed a second ago.

"Yep and this heavy bag proves it."

Japhy gently drops the bag onto the desk deceptively. Cordelia brings out a ronto-powered scale and tray to weigh the cores, at first she tries to lift the bag but it doesn't budge an inch. 

"Huh? Just how many are in here?"

She stops struggling with the bag and just opens it to place the solid intact cores on the tray one at a time. I watch as Cordelia places them onto the tray and then presses the buttons on the scale to get it to calculate the weight. Honestly, it doesn't look that different from a kitchen digital scale. That is if I ignore the glowing gemstone attached by metal brackets to the edge of the plate.

After enough cores were taken out of the bag, Cordelia lifts the now lighter bag and pours out the rest on the tray. She only waits a couple of seconds, immediately afterwards she pulls out the ledger and quickly scribbles the number onto the empty page. Her next routine gesture is to tap the pen to her forehead to calculate the exchange in her head to the common currency all while closing her eyes.

"It's a lot this time isn't it?"

Japhy smugly states.

"Heh, yeah, it's-"

Cordelia almost replies, but then she gets stuck up on the fact I'm still looking at her the whole time. Not sexually, but I can't tell if she knows that from her blank return stare. I clear my throat and look away for a brief moment after feeling like the silence lasted too long. This seems to get her back to focusing on our payment again.

"Uh, sorry I was still trying to calculate the amount. It's going to be sixty gold coins total. Are you wanting them in hand or added to your accounts?"

Ironically, some of this whole process doesn't feel that different to Earth. I usually just take the bounty and stuff it in my savings chest, although that's all the way back in Linktown, I'll probably have to carry it in my coin bag for now.

"We'd like it in hand today. Thanks."

I say with a simple smile on my face. Cordelia takes a moment to breath before finishing writing in the ledger, putting it away and unlocking another drawer in the desk.

Japhy gives me a smug look lifting his eyebrows, I chuckle silently. He reminds me of my school days where kids would often joke around crushes and silly shit like that. Though, school wasn't the best time of my life it was the only time where the loneliness wasn't as obvious. I lament. 

I stop dwelling on those thoughts right as Cordelia lifts up a small wooden case and opens it up. Inside are rows of aligned gold coins. She picks out ten at a time and lays them in towers on the desk. She counts them out before placing them in a small leather bag.

"Here you are, sixty gold coins."

Cordelia slides the bag over to us. Japhy immediately opens it up and splits it in half before placing it in his own coin purse and tossing me the remainder in the leather bag, our usual arrangement.

"You planning on coming to Relwing's birthday party?"

Japhy springs the question on Cordelia. She's immediately a bit flustered at the unexpected question. 

"I hadn't realized it was already your birthday today Relwing, uh happy birthday. Though I still have work to finish here, I'm not certain, but I'll try to make it over to the party if I have time."

Cordelia slides her hair back while looking away before looking back with a somber look through her reply. Did she expect me to ask instead? Is that what she wanted? I think while she starts to look at the other files on her desk.

"Cordelia? I understand if you can't make it. Hope you have time though, we'd be able to catch up a little, considering it's been a while since I came back home."

I try to give a warm smile to go along with my words. Cordelia perks up and looks at me to return a similar genuine smile. A grin so wide she has to close her eyes, and the dark blond strands of her long hair fall in sync to cover her eyes for a moment. She's actually quite good looking.

"Yeah, I'll try to get done early then."

I nod my head before making my way out with Japhy. I'm still wearing the same slight grin on my face.

"Heh, you really put on the moves there, huh?"

Japhy nudges me, he has a habit of doing that a lot. 

"I wouldn't really call it that, I just feel different today."

I am different, and in a good way too. Although, I will say that my 'power' doesn't feel all that useful just yet. Maybe it's just my gamer sense making me paranoid, but surely there's something that's coming up that may require me to rely on it.

"Hm. ~Oohkay. Well I'm gonna go hang out with Wendall for a while I'll be at the party too, just a bit late though."

I nod in agreement and part ways with Japhet for the time being. Alrighty, I sigh and psyche myself out for the training I still have with my father. It's the only condition to staying at his place while I'm in Vitra. Sure he taught me everything I needed to survive, but he's always been a little zealous about finding out if I've surpassed him yet or not. 

It's one of the few traditions my family has. From my father's side at least, in order to inherit the family name and fortune you have to beat the current head in a sparring match with the family style. I never gave a shit about learning Syzygy for that, but that's the main reason my father trained me so hard over the years. To be something greater than him. That's what I'm guessing at least. 

I have only ever done as much as I needed to live, or I guess more accurately enough to survive, I haven't wanted for much my whole life. For certain, that aspect of me is different. So I'll be sure to kick your ass this time Dad. My fist clenches from excitement as I think about that kind of future. 

***

Waiting for me at the front of my father's house is most obviously, my father. He sits on the second step of the staircase. On his shoulder lie two wooden practice swords. A common sight whenever I'd visit before now and throughout my childhood.

"Oy, Relwing, catch!" 

Father shouts as he tosses the wooden sword towards me. The trick here, is that he always rushes towards me once I catch the sword. 

Save.

【Save 2 Completed.】

I didn't need it prior with Japhy but there's just one more thing I'm wanting to test here. 

I catch the sword Father tossed before I have time to finish thinking. Right as he's about to close the distance I continue where I left off in my mind.

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