Chapter 9: So Warm~
Peiya felt a little surprised by the rewards Nara offered.
Back when she was in the team, she spent most of her time in the library, so she didn’t know much about how the Adventurers’ Guild worked.
Besides, she was never the one who received the rewards.
Resources and bounty money were always taken by her teammates first. What was left for her was only a small, pitiful salary.
After paying for magic potions and research, she barely had enough left to survive.
She earned little, but had to do a lot of work.
Anna often ordered her around, this way and that. She was called a “stand-in,” but in reality, she was more like a personal maid.
After all that, how could she have time to think about anything else?
Over time, these procedural matters became her weak point.
So hearing that the guild could offer such personalized services really surprised her.
“Then I just need a place to stay. If possible, I’d also like a set of alchemy equipment.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, that’s all.”
Nara felt a bit disappointed. She actually hoped Peiya would ask for more. Otherwise, accepting so many patents made her feel a little uneasy.
Although the profits from patents belonged to the adventurer, the guild with the most patents would gain great recognition and prestige.
Compared to visible gold, this kind of invisible reputation was far more valuable.
Once this news spread among adventurers, more and more people would come to their guild.
At this point, Nara almost saw Peiya as a walking bank.
Still, since Peiya didn’t ask for more, she decided to wait.
After all, people’s desires usually grow over time.
After discussing everything, Peiya left the Adventurers’ Guild. She still had someone to meet today, so she couldn’t stay too long.
She wondered if it might already be too late to go to the Adventurers’ Restaurant.
She would feel bad if she made the other person wait too long.
After all, during her hardest times, this client had helped her a lot.
Peiya wasn’t the kind of person who would take advantage of others without giving anything back.
She had lived a hard life herself and knew that even people with little often had strong loyalty and kindness.
So when she heard that the other person was sick, she didn’t hesitate to send her last few healing potions.
Later, she even spent a lot of money trying to find a cure.
There were times she was almost seriously injured by monsters while collecting materials. She barely survived through luck.
Every time she thought about those painful memories, she couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of despair.
Thankfully, the ending was at least good.
Now that the other person had recovered, it didn’t feel right to go empty-handed.
When visiting someone in the hospital, people usually bring a basket of fruit, right?
But as soon as the idea came up, Peiya rejected it.
The Adventurers’ Restaurant was usually very crowded. Carrying a big basket inside, with everyone watching…
Even if she didn’t mind, would the other person feel comfortable accepting it in front of so many people?
Just imagining that scene felt extremely awkward.
Peiya quickly pushed that thought away.
She went to a nearby gift shop instead, planning to look around and pick something suitable.
With the money she just received from the guild, she was actually quite well-off now.
“Miss, are you buying a gift for someone?” the shop assistant asked with a smile.
Peiya was a bit surprised. “How did you know?”
“Well, the items you’re looking at are clearly for gifts. If you’re choosing a gift, you can think about what the other person likes~”
The assistant’s warm voice sounded beside her, making Peiya pause for a moment.
Giving a gift… this might actually be her first time.
She needed to choose something based on the other person’s preferences, but also not something that would make them feel awkward.
After filtering through those two conditions…
There really weren’t many options left.
First of all, her understanding of this client was very limited. From the way they spoke, she guessed the person was a woman.
Other than that… she knew almost nothing.
Peiya walked around the shop again. The items were simple. Shoes, clothes, bracelets, and so on.
If she chose clothes, it felt a bit strange. And if it didn’t fit, it couldn’t be returned easily.
Ah… why does choosing a gift feel even harder than starting a research paper?
She would rather fill her head with alchemy formulas than deal with this kind of question that had no clear answer.
She was serious about giving a gift, but since she had no experience, she felt like a complete beginner.
In all her life, this was the first time Peiya found something so difficult.
She walked around the shop again, and the shop assistant followed her around as well.
“Miss, are you going to meet someone important? You look very troubled.”
“I guess so. If you’re busy, you can go do your work. I’ll just look around myself.”
“It’s no problem. It’s our honor to help you. If it’s really hard to choose, you can try something neutral, like a pen, or this leather bag. These sell quite well in our shop.”
Peiya looked at the items the assistant showed her. They all seemed too ordinary. She also felt like she had forgotten something. She was so close to remembering it, but just couldn’t say it.
It felt like when you want to write something, but suddenly forget the word.
Peiya closed her eyes and thought about their past letters. Suddenly, she remembered that the other person seemed to really like dolls.
Maybe she could give her a doll?
…No, that probably wouldn’t work. With her taste, it would be a miracle if she picked a good-looking doll.
Experience told her not to try things she wasn’t good at.
She knew her own limits.
If she couldn’t give a doll, maybe she could give something related to dolls?
Right, that could work. Even if she couldn’t pick a doll, choosing something related would be much easier.
Peiya looked around the shop again. In the end, she found a small light-blue bag in a corner that didn’t stand out much.
She checked its size with her hands. It was just right for carrying small dolls.
Inside the bag, there was also a black-and-white rabbit doll keychain.
When she saw it, she immediately liked it a lot. So she decided to buy it.
“How much is this doll bag?” Peiya asked.
“That one? 20 silver coins is enough.”
“Okay, I’ll take it.”
Peiya quickly took out the money and waited for the change.
“Do you want me to wrap it for you?”
“No need, just give me a bag.”
Since it was their first meeting, it was better not to make it too formal. If the gift looked too expensive, the other person might feel uncomfortable accepting it.
“Alright, it’s packed. Please check it. Thank you for shopping, and we hope to see you again!”
After taking the bag, Peiya left the shop happily.
Not long after she left, another person arrived at the shop entrance.
It was Elise.
She had set out early, but while waiting for her carriage, she realized she had nothing with her. So she came to the nearby gift shop to buy something.
“Miss, what would you like to buy?”
“Do you have any suggestions for a gift?”
“Yes. If you want to give a gift, you can try thinking about what the other person likes.”
The assistant paused for a moment, feeling like she had said this before.
Elise looked at the items on display. When she was young, her grandparents would buy the whole shop just to make her happy and let her choose anything.
But giving someone a gift… this was her first time.
After thinking for a long time, Elise shook her head.
She didn’t know what the other person liked. She had thought about giving her favorite doll, but that felt too selfish.
Making such a decision without thinking about the other person… would that make her disliked?
Elise gently bit her lip. Her slender, pale fingers unconsciously brushed the wavy pattern on her chest.
Today, she looked different from usual. She wasn’t wearing her usual battle outfit, but a soft blue-and-white dress.
The skirt had fine folds that moved gently as she walked, like ripples on a lake.
Each movement felt like a light breeze touching the water, creating small waves in her heart.
Seeing that Elise was having trouble choosing, the assistant gently said,
“You can walk around. Maybe you’ll find something you like.”
“Okay.”
Elise nodded and walked around the shop.
The assistant followed her.
No… more accurately, it was two rounds.
Then three rounds…
Wait, why is there a fourth round?!