Takami no Kago – Chapter 5

After the night went by, we first headed towards the Equipments Shop to buy equipments.

“Now then, collar is it. Which one do you want?”

Several collars are lining up before us.

“Err, um, I can not decide one so could you pick one for me, Master?”

“Is that alright?”

“Y-Yes. Beside, I want to wear collar that you like, Master.”

What a good girl. For now, I’ll choose collars that raises some defensive power and ask Ayla’s opinion.

“Is this one alright?”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

“Then, let’s put it on here.”

After having Ayla’s confirmation, it seems it’s no good if I only buy the collar.
It seems the master have to put it on the slave’s neck himself.
And so I put the red [Leather Collar] on Ayla’s neck.
After that, it shrinks to fit Ayla’s neck automatically. That’s [Equipments] for you.
Checking the status, the [Leather Collar] changed to [Ayla’s Collar].

“With this, I am all Master’s.”

Hearing Ayla says so cheerfully, honestly I think she’s too easy,
however, it might be because she has no one to relied upon beside her parents.
Beside, I honestly feel glad that she opens her heart to me.
I’m also alone in this world. So I can understand how it relieving to have someone you can trust.

 
For defensive gear, they’re [Leather Armor], [Leather Shoes], and [Leather Gauntlet]; the same as me.
As for sword and shield, we pick the typical [Silver Sword] and [Wood Shield]; yet the same as me.

I pay 5 big silver coins for the complete set of defensive gear and weapon we buy.
Ayla look at me anxiously.

“Um, Master. Is it alright not to confirm it in the guild first?”

She nervously worried about that.
It seems she worries about her [curse].

“It’s okay. Then, we’ll go to the guild next.”

After I said so, we left the Equipments Shop.

“By the way, have you ever fight monsters before?”

Realizing that I never heard of it before, I tried to ask her.

“Yes, since monsters from the forest often came to the village.”

Well, how could she leveled up if she haven’t fight before, then.

“Um, I will try my hardest not to be a burden!”

Whatever, maybe it’ll be okay.
If I go by her status, she probably stronger than me.

“Ah, there’s no need to force yourself, okay.”

While we were talking about that, we arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Welcome. Why, if it isn’t Hibiki. Huh? Who is that girl?”

I was asked by the quite-beautiful-receptionist who was on the guild’s counter.
She introduces herself as Lily, the one who has looking after me since I register myself in this guild.

“Yo, Lily-san. This girl’s Ayla. She’s going to be my party member.
Ayla, this is Lily-san. If you want to survive in this guild, you better not making her angry.”

While approaching the reception desk, I introduce each other.

“Y-Yes. I hope we will get along well.”

Here come Ayla’s greeting polite version.

“Yup, hope we’ll get along~”

Lily-san replies so while waving her hand lightly. After that, she glared at me for a while. Yup, she’s scary when gets angry.

“For the time being, I want to register Ayla.”

While handing in the registration fee of 1 big silver coins, I ask for Ayla’s registration.

“Yes, yes. If she wear collar then that means Ayla-chan is Hibiki’s slave, right? Then, you just have to fill the name and owner column.”

Lily glances at Ayla’s collar and replies so.
Is she not talking about it because it’s not unusual for adventurers to have slave in their party?
They are usually use as meat-shield to buy time to escape; disarm dangerous traps; or carrying luggage.
And so, the registration completed after about 30 minutes.

“Here, this will be your Guild Card.”

“Th-Thank you very much.”

Ayla straighten herself as she received her Guild Card. She look over her Guild Card timidly.
Guild Card is a card created by using some metal with magic involved.
Beside displaying the owner’s status, it also displays the records of monster you’ve subjugate, status of missions you accepted, and also various information.
And then, as though finally consented after confirming many times that there’s no [Curse] inscribe anywhere on the card, Ayla look at me.
I answer her by a nod.

“Now then, it’s your first mission. What do you wanna pick?”

I want to get subjugation-type mission, but if it scares Ayla then there’s no choice but to wait her gradually accustomed.
However, even though she looks nervous, she shows a firm determination.

“I would like to pick this, Sharp Wolves’ subjugation mission.”

Hearing Sharp Wolves, Lily’s grinning as she look at me. Stop looking at me.
And Alya who noticed that tilts her head.

“Now, that’s Hibiki’s party member for you, huh.”

“Nah, she knows nothing.”

“My, is that so?”

“???”

Lily who saw Ayla’s curious expression consented, and started to talked.

“His first mission was also Sharp Wolves’ subjugation, you know.”

“Is that so?”

However, adventurer who take that as a first mission is not unusual. Sharp Wolf’s like a monster to reach gateway-to-success for novice adventurer.^[1]
Then, are you asking why Lily’s grinning?

“Yup, and I was surprised when he came back by evening of the same day with raw materials worth of 50 Sharp Wolves.”

“50?!”

“Nah, I was happened to find a whole bunch of them.”

I frantically make an excuse.

“Normally, even a mid-tier adventurer would stand no chance against a whole group of 50.”

Even Ayla nods in agreement.
Just which side are you on.

“Well, that happened perchance.”

With a status enhanced by [Divine Protection], it’s one-hit-kill with sword for a mere Sharp Wolf.
I spent not even 1 hour to hunt 50 monsters; however, it seems that abilities are too abnormal for a novice adventurer.
Recalling what an outrageous-uproar it caused back then, I grimace.

“As expected, Master is awesome!”

Ayla turn towards me with eyes brimming with respect.

“Yeah, as long as he’s with you, Sharp Wolf’s nothing. Good luck, okay.”

“Yes, I will do my best.”
Thus, my first mission with Ayla was started.
 

Translator notes and references
^[1] 登竜門 (とうりゅうもん) : it says ‘gateway to success’ in dictionary. I don’t know what it really means in RPG. I don’t play many MMORPG, let alone the Japanese one. Does PSO2 count?