Perly

The weather grew colder, and a recent light rain had dampened people's "enthusiasm" for coming to Brekka Town to seek adventure.

Ever since Renato set himself the goal of saving thirty silver coins, Lady Luck seemed to have stopped favoring him quite so much.

Over the course of a week, Renato took on four quests: one investigation and three gathering jobs. The earnings were meager, and so was the experience.

With the temperature dropping, he had to wear a padded coat over his scale armor. His leather gloves had developed a hole, forcing him to spend money on a new pair. After his daily expenses, Renato had saved only seven silver coins and forty-odd copper coins.

And that was with a Bag of Holding allowing him to carry large quantities of materials on every trip.

It had rained yesterday, so Renato hadn't gone out on a quest. He had no desire to make himself miserable.

Today the skies were clear. Renato packed his equipment and slung the Silent Lady across his back. Just as he was about to open the door, someone knocked.

Who would come at this hour? Renato gripped his sword hilt, gently slid back the bolt, then stepped back twice and called out:

"The door's unlocked. Come in."

The wooden door creaked open, revealing a short man in a hooded cloak.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Renato? Mr. Joe Laurent sent me. He said you were the best guide in the Phantom Forest."

All right, this wasn't a short man. Her chest was simply so flat that Renato hadn't noticed.

"This Joe you're talking about-did someone chop off the little finger on his left hand?"

"Mr. Laurent said that happened when he fought a ferocious beast in his youth..."

Renato studied the girl before him. Her hood and robe were made of linen, washed clean, with two patches on the hem. Three small pockets had been sewn into the robe's lining, all bulging with their contents.

"Never mind what Little Finger said. Tell me, are you a spellcaster?"

The girl, who had been rather reserved a moment ago, immediately straightened her back. She seemed particularly sensitive to this question and answered eagerly:

"Of course! I'm a fully fledged mage, from Spatia..."

The girl had short black hair and a youthful face. As Renato had expected, she wasn't very old. But that didn't stop him from shattering her delusions.

"Really? Which school of magic do you belong to? And what level of spells can you cast?"

Between his past memories and his recent studies, Renato felt he had a basic understanding of the mage profession.

The girl was instantly at a loss for words, as though she had developed a stutter. She hemmed and hawed for a while before replying:

"I, I, I haven't chosen a school yet... Besides, a mage's spell list is private, but I really am from Spatia... Wait, I came here to hire you as a guide. Why are you asking all this?"

An unaffiliated mage. No, an unaffiliated Mage Apprentice, Renato concluded.

"I just wanted to see whether you had what it takes to enter the Phantom Forest," Renato said offhandedly. "What's your name?"

"Perly."

"Good, Perly. Before you came to Brekka Town, did you pay to register as an adventurer?"

"Of course." Perly carefully took an Iron Badge from her pocket. "This is my adventurer's badge."

Then she asked, looking a little uneasy:

"Mr. Renato, may I ask how much you usually charge as a guide?"

Renato wasn't particularly concerned by Perly's anxious gaze, because he had no intention of guiding the novice standing before him.

New adventurers were poor to begin with. So-called "guides" relied on volume, taking at least seven or eight novices at a time. Otherwise, it wasn't worth the risk.

He was willing to chat for two reasons. First, he had nothing else to do and plenty of time to talk. Second, he was somewhat interested in the mage profession.

Now it was time to send her away. A complete novice like her wouldn't survive in the Phantom Forest, even if she was a Mage Apprentice.

With an inward sigh, Renato turned the question back on her:

"How much do you think would be fair?"

The girl frowned, as though making some momentous decision. Her hand clenched, then opened, and she offered Renato a silver coin.

"I, this is the most I can pay." Perly's voice trembled slightly. "I hope you'll accept that."

Looking at the warm silver coin in his palm, Renato froze for a moment. It wasn't the amount. Although one silver coin was indeed more than he'd expected, that wasn't what surprised him.

[Quest]

Act as a guide and help the Mage Apprentice Perly complete a quest in the Phantom Forest. Requirements: ensure Perly survives and completes one quest. Payment: 1 silver coin.

[Quest description]

Driven by a longing to change her fate, the Mage Apprentice Perly has set out on the path of adventure. Perhaps she will become an archmage someday. Perhaps she will die in some corner of the Phantom Forest today. Guide this lost soul, and at least keep her adventure from ending before it even begins!

Quest reward: 1,000 experience points.

A quest paying only one silver coin actually offered a thousand experience points! Once his surprise passed, Renato calmed down and considered the connection:

Experience rewards were tied to quest difficulty, which meant this quest ought to be quite challenging. Completing a gathering quest wasn't difficult for him, so the challenge had to be getting Perly out alive...

His thoughts raced. The thousand-point experience reward had already convinced Renato to accept the commission.

Perly anxiously watched Renato stand there lost in thought, pressing her lips together:

Was it too little money? Did he want me to pay more? But I only have ten copper coins left in my pocket. If I give those away, I won't have any money for food...

As Perly fretted, Renato flicked the silver coin up with his thumb, nearly hitting the girl in the face. She hurriedly caught it.

"Your reactions aren't bad. Slow-witted people die fastest in the Phantom Forest. Listen carefully, Perly. This is your first lesson from me: in Brekka Town, never pay in advance."

Perly put the silver coin back in her pocket and stared blankly as Renato walked out the door. A little confused, she asked:

"Mr. Renato, does that mean you've agreed to be my guide?"

"Second lesson: if you don't know what's going on, stick close to me. Now come along. I'm taking you to buy some adventuring supplies."

"You weren't planning to go adventuring empty-handed like that, were you?"

As she rolled up a bandage and put it away, Perly answered sheepishly:

"I heard it wasn't far away, and I can cast spells, so I didn't prepare any of this..."

Renato found the Morningstar he'd never had a chance to sell and handed it to Perly, speaking earnestly:

"Perly, you only get one life. If you die, all the money in your hands will mean nothing. Your ambitions, your loves and hates-all of it will vanish, with no one to remember."

"So before an adventure, you need to make every preparation you can for whatever might go wrong. Take this. I'll lend you this Morningstar for now. Make sure you always have a weapon in your hand. When it matters most, it can save your life."

Perly took the Morningstar and protested quietly:

"But I need to cast spells, and that takes complete concentration..."

Perly had told Renato her spell list. She might have held something back, but at the Mage Apprentice stage, Renato considered swinging a Morningstar more reliable than chanting spells.

"Whether it's Burning Hands or Magic Missile, you still need to chant and make hand gestures. Who's going to give you that time when you're in danger?"

"I know a few cantrips too," Perly muttered. "Besides, I'll cast from a distance. I won't let the monsters get close..."

"Have you seen a map of the Phantom Forest?" Renato didn't continue arguing about spells. He had been through that stage himself and knew how stubborn youngsters her age could be.

"No, I haven't bought a map of this area."

The ignorant really are fearless. She doesn't know a thing about the place, yet she dares venture into the Phantom Forest?

Before coming to Brekka Town, Renato had spent several days doing his homework. He had completed two simple quests on the outskirts before daring to enter the Phantom Forest.

"You don't need to buy a map of the Phantom Forest. If you just want a general idea, you can go to the guild office. There's a sketch map in the administration office on the first floor."

Renato waved for Perly to follow.

"It isn't just for looking at maps. Turning in materials after a quest, verifying your identity, collecting payment-most of that is handled in the first-floor office area."

"And remember, don't cast magic in town. You'll be fined. Even if you have to cast, don't let anyone see."

"The same goes for fighting. If the other person hasn't drawn a knife, try not to draw yours either. Once blood is spilled, the town Guard Station might send someone over, and that gets messy..."