The long-awaited day of the meeting with Spin had finally arrived.
(It's only the first time, and he said it's natural to have many meetings before deciding... so it's fine, right?)
Tricia's bag was filled with a notebook brimming with her aspirations.
(He won't be put off by me this late in the game... right!?)
Lately, she had been keenly aware that she was getting ahead of herself. She felt light, almost as if she were walking on air. It was quite out of character for her to be this aggressive in pursuing work.
(I still have time, but maybe I should head to a cafe and reorganize what I want to say today.)
As she thought this and stepped out of her room, Luke was standing right in front of her.
"Whoa!" Tricia exclaimed.
"Oops, sorry...!" Luke apologized.
It seemed he had been just about to knock on the door.
"What, you leaving already? The meeting with Spin isn't until noon, is it?" Luke asked.
"I just thought I'd double-check the meeting details." Tricia replied.
Tricia made a gesture of drinking tea. That seemed to get the message across to Luke.
"I'm called to the castle today, so I can't go." Luke said.
"You were planning on coming!?" Tricia asked.
"...So what if I was! I'm curious, too!" Luke asserted.
He asserted this, his face slightly flushed. It seemed even he realized it was a bit strange to insist on attending a meeting for a property he hadn't even bought.
"Tell me what you decide about my room!" Luke commanded.
"Yeah, yeah." Tricia agreed.
With that, she saw him off.
(For now, I'll discuss the number of rooms and the magic tools. It's going to change the budget quite a bit.)
The cafe terrace facing Central Plaza felt wonderful again today.
Tricia gazed idly at the square, where many stalls and tents were being set up. The area was becoming increasingly vibrant, decorated with a multitude of bright flowers.
Tomorrow was the festival1 celebrating the coming-of-age of Lord Edinbia's youngest daughter, Elisabeth.
Supplies for the festival were being hauled in, and the area was already bustling with carriages and people.
"Elisabeth-sama rarely shows her face in public, so tomorrow is something to look forward to!" a passerby exclaimed.
Tricia had heard people saying similar things quite often lately. The local lord of Edinbia had a good reputation. His children worked diligently for the territory, making them popular among the citizens.
(I really have to decide what to do with the first floor soon.)
She crossed her arms and pondered. She just couldn't make up her mind. It felt like a waste to just make that part a simple room, perhaps because she had heard about the building's history from Spin.
(Oh... what beautiful platinum blonde hair.)
For a while now, the same girl had been wandering around in front of Tricia. She was wearing brand-new adventurer's gear. She even carried a large sword at her waist.
(Is that a prop sword?)
She had seemed to be hiding her head with a hood, but a strong gust of wind blew it off.
(That's definitely a noble daughter... did she get separated from her attendant?)
The girl hurriedly pulled her hood back up and looked around suspiciously. Her behavior was erratic.
(Well, as long as she doesn't head toward the West Gate, she should be fine.)
There were plenty of military police around today, likely to keep pickpockets in check. Thanks to that, the only suspicious person was the girl with the platinum hair.
(Wait, ahh! You're going toward the West Gate!?)
She seemed to have left the area as if trying to avoid the guards.
(I shouldn't have noticed her...)
To ensure she could sleep soundly that night, Tricia made it a rule to handle anything that bothered her on the spot.
She still had plenty of time before her appointment with Spin. Even in the worst-case scenario, if she had to take a lost child to the military police, she would still have enough time. After downing her tea, Tricia chased after the platinum-blonde girl.
(Ugh, seriously! Just as I thought!)
A few shady-looking men were following the young lady. Though they wore adventurer's gear, their clothes were too fine. They were currently walking along the main street toward the West Gate. They hadn't made a move yet because of the crowd, but there was no telling what they might do if they strayed into a side street.
"Ah." The girl uttered.
Looking for something, the girl wandered into a narrow alley next to a weapons shop. The men followed her in.
Tricia ran. She cut them off by taking the street one block over.
"Hey there, missy! Are you lost? Come with us. We'll show you a good time." a thug sneered.
A vulgar laugh echoed through the alley.
"Hold it right there!" Tricia shouted.
Tricia rushed in to intervene.
The girl in question turned toward the men, though she seemed intent on hiding her face.
(I want to get her back to the main street... but there are three of them. If they chase us, it's over.)
"She's not the kind of girl you touch! Get lost, now!" Tricia warned.
Tricia tried to sound intimidating, but she could tell they were dismissing her because she was a woman.
"Oh! Now we've got two beauties! This is gonna be fun!" the thug retorted.
With that, they drew their daggers and closed in.
"Come on, come here! Hehehe." the thug laughed.
(Three of them, huh... wonder if I can handle this.)
Tricia was an adventurer, after all. She was even C-rank. Even if she was a liability in the Demonic Forest or dungeons, she knew a few tricks to defend herself.
(If word gets out that I lost to a bunch of amateur thugs, I'll never hear the end of it from Anetta!)
She fueled her negative emotions, intentionally stirring up her own mental state.
Just then, a chill ran down her spine. She heard the sound of a sword being drawn behind her and, expecting the thugs, she reflexively spun around.
"Ah, perfect timing. Could you teach me something?" the noble girl asked.
Beautiful red-purple eyes glittered sharply.
"Hehe! What's this? Playing adventurer?" the thug mocked.
That comment seemed to strike a nerve. The platinum-blonde girl sank the man into the ground in an instant.
It seemed she had struck his head with the hilt of her sword with all her might. The man on the ground was bleeding profusely.
"You bastard!!!" the other thugs screamed.
The remaining two were enraged and drew their daggers.
"Up you go!" the girl remarked.
But those daggers were instantly deflected by Tricia's small ball of wind, clattering away behind them.
(Lucky! To lose your weapons to magic like that... they really are amateurs.)
The girl immediately landed a strike in the thug's midsection, and the impact forced everything in his stomach to come back up.
Realizing there was no winning, the last man let out a pathetic cry and fled.
"You there, rolling on the ground—vanish somewhere. If I see you again, I'll stab you." the girl threatened.
Groaning, they managed to stagger to their feet, and the thugs were gone.
"Kind lady, thank you very much." the girl said.
"Oh, no, it was nothing." Tricia replied.
Looking at her properly, she was a very beautiful girl. However, the sword she had been holding was a rare type for a female adventurer. Most female swordswomen preferred light, thin blades like rapiers. Her sword was heavy and rugged, the kind used by a large-framed warrior.
"I have something I'd like to ask." the girl said.
"Yes? What is it?" Tricia asked.
(So you really did have something you wanted to ask.)
"Where is the Adventurer's Guild?" the girl inquired.
Summary:
Tricia prepares for a business meeting with Spin, feeling unusually eager. While passing through the plaza, she notices a suspicious noble girl being stalked by thugs. Tricia intervenes in the ensuing fight, during which the mysterious girl reveals herself to be a capable combatant.
Trivia:
Tricia is a C-rank adventurer who considers herself a liability in dangerous areas.
The local Lord Edinbia and his children are well-liked by the commoners.
The platinum-blonde girl uses a heavy, rugged sword, which is atypical for female adventurers.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ In this context, the festival is a specific coming-of-age celebration, a common trope in fantasy settings, emphasizing the importance of the noble family to the local populace.
Notes:
• Spin - An enthusiastic young architect at the Valentia Workshop, they specialize in city walls but aspire to design residential homes. They are also a business contact of Tricia, having provided her with detailed historical information about a building she is interested in.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• Tricia - A pragmatic, light-haired C-rank adventurer with obsidian eyes and reincarnated past-life memories. Formerly a lonely, abandoned party healer and strategist known for her foresight and ability to heal scars instantly, she hides a rare item-restoring "Reset" skill and basic wind magic. She is now a self-conscious, budding entrepreneur in Edinbia, building a boarding house for low-rank adventurers.
• Luke - A silver-haired, blue-eyed S-rank adventurer, noble Marquis's son, and mercenary captain leading a dungeon expedition. Frequently called to the castle for duties, he acts as Tricia’s wealthy, protective childhood friend and manager. While dryly teasing, curious, and baffled by her entrepreneurial ideas, he devotedly guards her passive income empire with overwhelming combat power and a jealous streak.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• Lord Edinbia - The authority figure overseeing the territory, currently focused on military training and dungeon security.
• Elisabeth - The youngest daughter of Lord Edinbia, whose coming-of-age festival is being prepared. She is rarely seen in public.
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• Anetta - A blonde, manipulative, and arrogant sorcerer skilled in offensive and healing magic, she used her vanity and charm to usurp Tricia’s role as Eagle's romantic partner, causing Tricia’s expulsion from their party. Dismissive of other adventurers and plagued by impulsive spending, she subtly controls Eagle's group while acting as a teasing acquaintance who treats Tricia with ongoing hostility.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• R - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• K - A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N's protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.