A Proposal, and Companions
"Welcome," Ren said, "to the Esras Mercenary Group."
With that, she slipped a wing into the long, oddly shaped door handle — nothing like the one downstairs — twisted it, and pushed the door open.
"Captain. We've got guests."
Huey and Lucy followed Ren's glance into the room. There, slumped face-down across a desk buried in paperwork, was a middle-aged man.
His light purple hair was slicked back, and a rough, neglected beard covered his jaw. He cracked open a pair of light purple eyes ringed with dark circles, irritation written all over his exhausted face.
"…Guests?"
"Yep. And while we're at it, can we swap the first-floor handle for one of these? A little more of that and the whole door's going to come off."
"You broke it, so you pay for it."
"Ugh, so petty. Seriously."
He shoved the papers into a rough pile, rubbed his eyes, and finally looked at the two standing in the doorway.
"Pardon me."
Only after taking them in did he seem to come fully awake. He brushed off his clothes and rose from his chair.
"I'm Violet, captain of the Esras Mercenary Group."
"Please call me Huey. And this is…"
"…Luciella."
"Why don't we sit and talk."
Violet guided them to a sofa set aside for guests and gestured for them to take the seats opposite him.
"What brings you here?"
"Marie must've sent them our way."
"…If you're done showing them in, get out."
"Aw, come on. That's cold."
"Cold? Cooold?"
Ren had already settled in beside him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Violet tapped her on the head a few times, then a vein stood out on his forehead at her words.
"Do you have any idea how many clients have run off because of you?"
"Stuff happens when you're working. Don't be so stingy."
"Gaaaaah!!"
"My eardrums, old man."
Huey and Luciella both heard it — the distinct snap of something breaking inside Violet's skull.
Squeeze.
"Ghk!"
"…And who do you think has me working through the night because of all that?"
In one motion, Violet clamped a hand around Ren's head and lifted her clean off the floor.
"Aaaagh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay?! Just—put me down first, yeah?!"
Watching Ren thrash with her feet dangling in the air, Huey called out in a panic.
"Um—excuse me!"
"Ah, my apologies. One moment, please. I'll deal with this headache real quick."
"Help! Heeelp!!"
"I said get out, so get out!!"
And with that, Ren went sailing through the wide-open window.
"You damn captain—!! Just you wait—!!"
"Ha! Never met a 'just you wait' that was actually scary! Finish the cleaning, you brat!"
As if this were the most ordinary thing in the world. Neither the thrower nor the thrown seemed remotely concerned about injury, and Huey could only stare in bewilderment.
"Sorry about that. She's unbearable when she's in the room."
Violet sat back down as though nothing had happened, and Huey and Luciella exchanged looks of pure disbelief.
"How about some tea while we talk."
"Ah—yes. Thank you."
He seemed the sort who genuinely enjoyed tea. Violet lifted the teapot already waiting on the table, poured two cups, and handed them over.
"So. Marie referred you?"
At the name, Huey pictured the lively receptionist downstairs — brown braided hair, green eyes.
"I never caught her name, but if you mean the adventurer's guild receptionist in the village below… here's the letter of introduction."
Violet took the letter, opened it, and skimmed the contents while stroking his chin.
"Hmm. Information, is it… Care to go into more detail?"
"I'm looking for a way to another world."
"…I'm sorry? Could you say that again?"
Violet asked as if he must have misheard, one hand half-raised toward his ear. The answer came back unchanged.
"I'm looking for a way to a world that isn't this one."
Beside them, Luciella took a sip of tea, grimaced, and showed not the slightest interest in the conversation. Huey ignored her and pressed on.
"I'm not from this world."
His face darkened as the past rose up behind his eyes.
It had been the day he finished his long, grinding military service — the day of his discharge.
"Five years ago, I was suddenly transported here."
The moment he finished his discharge report and stepped outside the base, his world changed. From the otherworld that was the military… into this one.
He remembered the hollow, disbelieving instant of it.
"Lucky for me, I landed somewhere people spoke a language I could understand. If I hadn't…"
He'd nearly died right after arriving, only to be picked up by kind strangers who kept him alive. Learning how to survive in this world had taken four years. Then a year of adventuring on top of that. Five years gone, and Huey's purpose had never shifted.
"My goal is to return to the world I came from."
However long it took — he would go home. For the family that had to be worrying about him even now.
"…An otherworlder."
When Huey finished, Violet sifted through what he knew of such people.
"They turn up now and then. Not common, but not unheard of either."
Which was probably why Huey had been willing to admit it so openly.
"The best-known method involves a variation on summoning magic — but we can rule that out."
For good reason.
"Hero summoning only exists in legends, after all."
A method said to have been used thousands of years ago, and nowhere else. No one even remembered how it worked anymore, and besides—
"The current Hero is alive and well, so this has nothing to do with a Hero summoning. Which means we'd have to look for something else…"
He trailed off, tapping a finger against his temple.
"As of right now, I'm afraid I don't have anything for you."
"…I figured as much."
Huey had heard that answer often enough. He was already starting to rise from his seat when Violet spoke again.
"Which brings me to a proposal."
"Pardon?"
"Our mercenary group may be small, but our skill is the real thing."
Huey decided not to point out that saying so yourself rather undercut the claim.
"We'll look into it. A way for you to return to your original world."
The world was vast, he said, full of ruins and treasures and mysteries still sleeping under the earth.
"There's a way in. There's bound to be a way out."
Dig through enough ancient ruins and something always turned up. Violet grinned as he said it.
"If we find anything that looks promising, we'll pass it along."
He was careful to add that they would provide information only — acting on it would be entirely Huey's responsibility.
Huey's response to the offer was…
"Why?"
He made no effort to hide his suspicion, rising half out of his seat as he eyed Violet warily. Why extend that kind of goodwill to someone he'd only just met?
"Master. We're not finished yet."
"Would you mind hearing me out to the end? I did say it was a trade."
Luciella tugged at Huey's clothes, mortified by the sudden movement, and pulled him back down. Violet, who had only been trying to wet his throat with a little tea before finding himself cast as a suspicious character, looked thoroughly put upon.
"Ren! Get in here."
Violet called toward the door.
Creak.
"You throw me out and now you want me back in."
The door opened and Ren walked in, lips pushed out in a sulk.
"Eavesdropping was fun, was it?"
"It was, actually."
"Good for you. Really."
Thwack!
"Gah!"
Violet flicked her hard on the forehead for admitting it so brazenly, then sat her down beside him.
"The price for the information… is this one."
"Excuse me?"
"What kind of crap are you spouting now— ow!"
"Quiet."
He clamped a hand over Ren's grumbling head and continued.
"Take her with you on your travels. In exchange, any information we dig up gets passed to you through her."
"But…"
"Truth is, this one used to be an ordinary… well, not ordinary, but human, at least."
"What?!"
"Oh?"
Even Luciella perked up at that, turning an interested gaze on Ren.
"She touched the wrong relic during a ruin expedition and ended up like this. It's been a headache ever since."
"I see. That can happen."
"Anyway, we've been looking for a way to turn her back whenever we have the time, but…"
Not much to show for it, he admitted with a sigh, rapping Ren lightly on the head as he went on.
"Figured searching for a path to another world might broaden the field a bit."
In short: they would investigate methods of crossing worlds, and in return Huey would take Ren along and help search for a way to restore her original body.
"Well, if that's all it is… Lucy, what do you think?"
"You were going to bring her anyway, even if I said no."
Huey scratched his head sheepishly at Luciella's sour reply.
"We'll take Violet's offer."
"Glad to hear it."
Violet rose, crossed to his work desk, and began drafting a contract at remarkable speed. Ren sidled up beside him and whispered low enough that Huey and Luciella couldn't hear.
"Captain. Am I really going with them?"
"You are."
"I hate to say it myself, but I'm ridiculously weak right now."
"You are."
"What if they get any funny ideas?"
"Then use your head and run. You can still manage that much."
"Ugh."
Just don't bolt over nothing, or else. Faced with Violet's unyielding stance, Ren's expression soured as if she'd bitten into something foul.
In no time the contract was finished. Violet carried it over to Huey.
"Here. The contract."
"One moment."
Huey read every clause carefully, checking for anything problematic, then nodded and signed.
"Here you are."
Violet took the signed document, put it away, and smiled.
"Well then — we'll be counting on you to look after our Ren."
Luciella would later say that the smile looked like a man who'd finally gotten rid of a toothache — pure, unfiltered relief.