Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Date?
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Ellie arrived in front of the request office where she worked every day. But today was different.
[Closed today due to personal reasons.]
She hung the sign on the doorknob.
It was a phrase she had never used, even when there was only one customer or none at all.
Ellie was a receptionist.
The only receptionist who handed out slime subjugation requests, the sole monster on the first floor.
That was why she always held her post firmly at the request office.
Residents who were far removed from subjugation sometimes stopped by to chat and exchange greetings.
The rest of the time, she simply waited for her one and only regular customer.
On the day novice adventurers flooded into the tower, she got a taste of chaos—but only for that single day.
By the next day, the customers had vanished like ghosts, and life returned to its usual routine.
"Was this too much?"
Ellie gazed at her reflection in the glass window.
Instead of her usual tidy receptionist uniform, a bold design that confidently showed off her figure filled her view.
She had been feeling a sense of crisis for days.
The fear that she might be pushed aside.
"Of course, Earthbound Spirit said that's not the case... but as he said, he's an adventurer who'll head to the second floor soon anyway..."
He wouldn't leave the first floor.
She had no doubt about that belief.
The time he had spent here so far, the number of slime extermination requests he had cleared, and the memories that had become everyday life all firmly held that truth in place.
But after seeing him talking with that novice adventurer named Rien, she began to think that those very things might be chains holding her back.
Making a mockery of all the records built up over countless hours, Rien had stuck by his side after less than a day in the tower.
It was unfair.
"I buttoned the first button wrong."
Earthbound Spirit was an adventurer.
Ellie was a receptionist.
The static relationship that had started from their first meeting could never bloom, no matter how much time passed.
Rien had far more natural opportunities to connect with him simply because they were both adventurers.
A receptionist could only assign requests and hand over rewards.
She couldn't hunt monsters together with him.
She couldn't spend time with him at the training grounds.
Their bond was possible only because she couldn't climb the tower and he wouldn't.
That was their one and only link.
"So, I'll rebutton it."
She planned to use today as a chance to evolve their relationship beyond just adventurer and receptionist—into something more.
There was potential.
On the day he had helped her as a daily part-time receptionist, he had definitely reacted to her not-quite-confession.
"There's an adventurer I like who comes by every day."
"...!"
"Ugh! How could I say something like that? I'm crazy."
And this time, hadn't she been the one to suggest the meeting first?
"Then tomorrow, I'll stay by your side all day long."
That voice kept replaying endlessly in her mind.
"Arghhh—."
This time, she resolved to play her trump card. Ellie steeled herself.
"Don't panic. I can do this."
She patted her soft cheeks with both hands.
A smacking sound echoed.
Ellie gained confidence.
It wasn't just from the pep talk.
Before Earthbound Spirit was called by that nickname, back when that adventurer had completely collapsed, it was Ellie who had helped him stand again.
More than anyone, the opportunity to get close was already hers.
"Let's go!"
Her delicate hand clenched into a fist firmer than anyone's.
Ellie strode confidently toward her eternal adventurer.
Light footsteps stopped in front of the request office. An adventurer stood there.
"Huh? Closed?"
The adventurer could only stare blankly at the locked door.
One confused novice was left behind, plans disrupted without explanation.
"Senior said he was busy too, so I came alone... Nothing's going right today."
Today, even Earthbound Spirit Senior had a schedule, and so did the request office receptionist.
They both lived here every day— what could possibly keep them busy on the first floor today?
"Hmph, Senior must've gone off alone to pick up a hidden quest."
Senior hadn't explained why he was busy.
When she pried, he just waved it off and refused to say a word about his plans.
Thanks to that, Rien's imagination had spiraled into full-blown paranoia.
"No helping it."
Rien grumbled and changed her destination to the swordsmanship training grounds.
After two spars with Tiana, my body ached like it was dying from muscle pain.
I desperately wanted to sleep five more minutes, but I dragged myself out of bed.
I couldn't blow off the promise and spend the whole day asleep.
On the way to my destination, more residents than usual struck up conversations.
They rarely saw Ellie close up shop, even after living together for so long.
Every few steps,
"Earthbound Spirit! Ellie took the whole day off today—what's going on? Do you know?"
They'd stop me in my tracks.
At times like that, I'd play dumb,
"She worked all day not long ago. She deserves a day off."
I'd make up a plausible excuse and slip away.
It didn't always work.
"Deserves a break? Anyone else, maybe, but Ellie doesn't seem the type."
Deina, who ran the clothing shop.
She wasn't one to drop her suspicions easily.
"Ellie's not a machine that only works. She can rest sometimes."
"She worked through a cold, coughing the whole time. If she's resting, she must be seriously ill. Should I check on her?"
"I don't think so...?"
"You know why she's off, don't you? Spill it."
She was sharp as ever.
Hiding it from her seemed impossible.
If I lingered, she'd pin me down until I told the truth.
Any more delay, and I'd be late.
"Whaaat!?"
"What's with the shock? She's just taking a day to relax."
"That workaholic closing shop for a date? So you've decided to go steady out in the open now?"
"It's not like that."
"Bullshit."
Deina cackled like she'd seen it coming.
But her laughter stopped soon enough.
"Oh, hold on. So...?"
Those piercing eyes scanned me from head to toe.
"Please tell me you're not on your way to meet her right now."
"I am."
"Are you insane? In that getup?"
"This is what I always wear."
"You lunatic! That's for request pickups. Are you going hunting or what?"
I looked down at myself.
White shirt.
Sturdy leather vest over it.
Shoulder pauldrons and a belt with my sheath.
Gloves to keep from dropping the sword—essential.
Stretchy pants to top it off.
Hm, was it that weird?
Best I could get on the first floor—defense had limits, but dodging attacks was enough, so as long as it didn't hinder movement, it was fine.
"Killing slimes turned your brain to jelly?"
"Dressing up would be weirder. Ellie'll probably come in her usual outfit."
"You're hopeless. Shut up and follow me."
Deina grabbed my collar and dragged me into her shop.
She stood me in front of the mirror and tried various things on me.
"Perfect. Wear this and go."
"It doesn't look very stretchy—."
"Want a smack before you go, or just go?"
"I'll wear it."
I didn't know the exact name, but compared to stuff from home, it was like an ivory knit and something you'd call jeans.
New adventurers brought in periodic influxes of designs from outside, blending into the tower.
Deina had refined them with her own flair.
"Hey, take off those shoulder guards and belt. Gloves too."
"The sword too?"
"That... you can store weapons in sub-space, right? Just put it there."
Finally, after adding the leather shoes she recommended, I could leave the shop.
"You're really not charging me?"
"Payment's the date story when you get back."
"Money would be easier."
"Not taking it."
Deina patted my shoulder encouragingly and shooed me off so I wouldn't be late.
I was already cutting it close changing clothes.
"Figures. Good looks mean changing clothes alone makes him look like a new man."
Deina gathered the adventurer's old outfit and gear, storing them together.
"No wonder Ellie asked for all those sexy clothes a while back."
Ellie hadn't used those exact words, but the intent was the same.
"How did those two hopeless dorks end up smitten? I have to spoon-feed them every step."
Thankfully, I arrived on time.
My hair was a bit messy from running, but once we met, I had no attention for trivial things.
"Earthbound Spirit! Over here!"
"Uh, Ellie."
"The new clothes suit you so well!"
"Uh, yeah. Thanks."
I could only reply half-heartedly, looking away.
I didn't know where to look.
"I'm used to seeing you in the same old gear, so this is fresh and nice."
"You're no slouch in the new department either."
"R-Really?"
It was a bold outfit, completely unlike her prim receptionist uniform—totally unexpected.
Good thing I'd listened to Deina and dressed up.
I owed her a thanks.
"Hungry?"
"Haven't eaten yet."
"Then let's grab food first."
Ellie led me to a restaurant she must have picked in advance, like she had a plan.
She hyped it up as a quiet, atmospheric spot perfect for two people to talk.
"Oh no, what do we do? You'd have to wait another 30 minutes for a table."
"Wh-Why...? It's so crowded..."
"This is actually thinned out compared to opening day. Back then, you couldn't even breathe."
Waiting wasn't an issue.
The problem was the restaurant's vibe—nothing like what Ellie expected.
It was packed with adventurers, noisy to the point where conversing over a meal seemed impossible.
"No... My plan..."
It was a harsh lesson that life doesn't go as planned. Right from the start.