Chapter 5: New Request

Ten years old.

That was the age Logan obtained the Wood plaque, the lowest rank in the Adventurer’s Guild.

Unfortunately, he didn’t break the record for the youngest, nor was he a properly recognized Bronze-grade adventurer, but it was still a remarkable achievement for an ordinary boy from a remote village.

If he had been properly recognized for the value of the Black Tusk Wild Boar he hunted in a large guild in a proper city, he might have started at Bronze-grade.

However, he was in a provincial guild where administrative processing was inevitably strict and conservative, so he had to be grateful even for Wood-grade.

In the first place, it would have been impossible without the strong endorsement of his master, Fiona, and the exceptional consideration of the guild’s branch master.

In any case, no matter how low and looked down upon the Wood-grade was, Logan’s growth took flight after he obtained the title of adventurer.

And Fiona no longer treated him merely as an errand boy or a young disciple.

To draw out Logan’s potential to the fullest, she unsparingly imparted all her knowledge and skills, sometimes putting him through training so intense it was harsh.

Logan followed through every process without a single complaint, no, rather like a thirsty person, absorbing everything like a sponge.

The guild branch master also watched Logan’s extraordinary growth with satisfaction and actively supported him.

This was because he had confirmed that Fiona’s endorsement was by no means empty words.

He gave Logan opportunities to handle requests of Bronze-grade or higher, which were overwhelming for a Wood-grade adventurer, and sometimes even entrusted him with missions nearing Silver-grade difficulty.

Of course, this was under Fiona’s tacit supervision and protection, but it became invaluable practical experience for Logan.

Thanks to this, Logan was able to rapidly build his skills while also establishing a financial foundation for Irene.

He bought expensive magic theory books so Irene could focus solely on her magic studies, and ensured she ate nutritious food.

He also didn’t forget to buy her pretty clothes so she no longer had to wear old, worn-out garments.

Thus, time flew by like an arrow, and three years passed since Logan received his adventurer’s plaque.

---

Thirteen-year-old Logan no longer had the appearance of a naive boy.

Consistent training and practical experience had built up his body, and his eyes held a depth and composure unbefitting his age.

Cutting through the early morning air, which had become familiar, Logan was about to leave home to carry out a request as usual.

Then, a sleepy voice came from behind him.

“…Logan, are you going out again?”

At a time when she would normally still be fast asleep, Irene was already awake and watching his back.

Over the past three years, under Logan’s devoted care, she had largely overcome her terrible trauma, and her magical abilities had also grown dazzlingly.

But at the same time, her feelings of apology and anxiety towards Logan, who ventured into dangerous work for her sake without a single day’s rest, also grew.

“Yeah. I’ll be back soon.”

When Logan replied indifferently, Irene hesitated for a moment, then spoke as if she had made up her mind.

“…Logan, um… can’t I go with you? I can handle basic magic well enough now… and I can’t always rely on you for everything…”

Her voice was mixed with courage and a slight tremor of fear.

Logan chuckled at Irene’s appearance, approached her, and gently stroked her head.

“I appreciate the thought, Irene. But you’re still young. Adventurer’s Guild work is much more dangerous than you think. You should focus on your magic studies in a safe place.”

His voice was firm, but the worry and affection within it couldn’t be hidden.

Logan didn’t want Irene to be exposed to danger ever again.

He believed that protecting her talent and helping it blossom was his most important mission.

Thus, Logan lightly patted Irene’s shoulder, turned, and left the house.

Left alone, Irene muttered under her breath as she watched his retreating back.

“…Hmph. Logan is the same age as me, but he always talks like he’s an adult…”

However, she soon decided to accept Logan’s wishes.

He was right.

Focusing on her magic training now would be more helpful for both herself and Logan.

Dreaming of the day she would become strong enough to be a help to Logan, she returned to her room.

---

Early in the morning, before the sun had fully risen.

The Adventurer’s Guild doors had just opened, and the spacious hall was still mostly empty.

Only the dust accumulated overnight and a faint smell of alcohol lingered in the vacant space.

The only people in the guild at this hour were a few diligent guild staff members and…

“Hello, Fiona. Good morning.”

It was Logan’s master, Fiona, who, as always, was the first to arrive at the guild and was warming up.

Logan bowed energetically in greeting.

Fiona chuckled at the sight of Logan, then approached and casually draped her arm around his shoulder.

“Well, well, our disciple is still as diligent as ever.”

Fiona naturally slung her arm around Logan’s shoulder and ruffled his hair.

He had grown much taller than when they first met three years ago, but to her, he was still just a cute disciple.

“Ah, why are you doing this again, Fiona? You’re too close.”

Logan blushed slightly and tried to push her arm away.

Perhaps because he was now well into adolescence, he reacted much more sensitively to physical contact than before.

Fiona found Logan’s reaction adorable and desperately wanted to tease him more mischievously, but she held back and instead gestured with her chin towards a table.

“Now, now, don’t be shy. Logan, a good request just came in that’s perfect for you. Come over here.”

“…Huh? For me?”

Logan looked at where Fiona pointed with a puzzled expression.

The innermost table in the corner of the guild.

Two women, dressed in a manner rarely seen in this small village, were seated there.

One had more than half of her face covered by a veil adorned with delicate lace, but from her exposed forehead, the shape of her eyes, and her flowing platinum blonde hair, one could guess she was a young lady of noble birth.

She appeared to be around Logan’s age.

And next to her, a woman who seemed to be a knightly escort, clad in silver armor with a longsword at her waist, sat with an upright posture.

‘A noble lady and her knight escort? In a rural guild like this, and so early in the morning? What’s going on?’

Logan tilted his head.

It seemed the good request Fiona mentioned was related to them, but he thought there was no way they would have specifically requested him.

It was true that Logan had grown rapidly over the past three years and had become a Silver-grade adventurer at the age of thirteen, and he was fairly well-known as a promising talent within the village.

However, that didn’t mean a noble would directly nominate him, especially bypassing Fiona, a Gold-grade adventurer.

‘Fiona must be pushing herself again to look out for me…’

Fiona often tried to give Logan priority when good requests came in.

Guessing this was another such case, Logan sighed inwardly.

But this time, he had to politely refuse.

If things went wrong, he could offend the noble and cause trouble even for Fiona.

While Logan was lost in these thoughts, Fiona had already wrapped her arm around his shoulder and was striding towards the table.

“Ah, really! You’re too close, Fiona!”

Logan’s small resistance was lightly ignored.

Upon reaching the table, the woman with dark blue hair, who appeared to be the knight escort, shot Fiona a sharp, displeased look and spoke.

“…Fiona. We clearly nominated you. Who, then, is this child?”

Just as he thought.

Logan muttered inwardly.

Fiona was clearly overextending herself for his sake again.

“Hey, Renate. Don’t be so uptight. Of course, I’ll accept the request. Whose request is it that I’d dare to refuse?”

“What did you say?”

Renate’s brow furrowed even more.

She let out a disbelieving scoff.

“Are you joking, Fiona? Forgive my rudeness on our first meeting, but no matter how I look at him, he seems to be just a boy, around the same age as the Imper— no, Lady Anya. I doubt he even possesses an adventurer’s token, yet you intend to entrust him with escort duty.”

“Puhaha! Renate, your eye for people has gotten really rusty, huh? Believe it or not, this kid is a full-fledged Silver-grade adventurer!”

“Wha-what did you say? Silver-grade?”

Not only Renate, but the veiled lady also widened her eyes in surprise.

Her gaze naturally turned to Logan, and Logan, too, reflexively looked at her.

For a fleeting moment, their eyes met in mid-air.

‘…!’

Logan unknowingly held his breath.

Beyond the veil were clear, deep red eyes, like rubies.

He was momentarily mesmerized by their mysterious color.

Combined with her platinum blonde hair, those eyes were so beautiful it was hard to believe they belonged to a human.

While Logan was briefly captivated, Renate clicked her tongue in displeasure.

“Hmph. He may be skilled for his age… but from what I see, isn’t he just an immature boy who has just hit puberty? I judge him unsuitable to be entrusted with Lady Anya’s escort.”

“Ah, if that’s your concern, then you have even less to worry about!”

Fiona declared, ruffling Logan’s hair once more.

“This kid, you see, like you said, he’s still a young and immature boy, but he’s not the type to ever let his eyes wander to another woman. He’s a terribly devoted romantic!”

“Ah, seriously! Fiona, please stop!”

Logan’s face turned bright red, and he lowered his head.

It was a silent protest, begging her to stop, but Fiona paid no heed.

Instead, the guild staff and other adventurers nearby even chimed in.

“That’s right, indeed! There’s no way our Logan would look at any woman other than Irene!”

“Kuhahaha! True! Where else would you find such pure and devoted love in this day and age!”

Logan hung his head low in embarrassment.

Seeing his ears turn crimson,

“Pfft.”

A small chuckle was heard.

When he looked up, the veiled lady was shaking her shoulders, desperately trying to suppress her laughter.

At that sight, Logan’s face grew even hotter.

Renate shook her head as if utterly fed up with the boisterous situation.

“Haaah… Anyway, that’s enough. It’s sufficient if you, Fiona, accept the request alone.”

“Don’t be like that, Renate. Think about it carefully. Wouldn’t it be much more efficient if this kid handles Lady Anya’s escort, and the two of us search for that together, rather than me just sticking by Lady Anya’s side?”

Renate hesitated for a moment at Fiona’s proposal.

There was some truth to her words.

“…That may be so, but…”

Just then, the guild branch master appeared at the perfect moment and joined the conversation.

“Ahem! I don’t know who these esteemed guests are, but Fiona, our guild’s ace, vouches for him, and I too, stake my honor as this branch’s master, to say this. Logan, this young man, is a talent you can fully trust and entrust with the task.”

“Guild Master…”

As Logan looked at the Guild Master with moved eyes, the Guild Master chuckled heartily and patted his back.

“Haha! Why are you making such a face? If anything, I should be the one apologizing. If this wasn’t such a remote guild, you might have reached Gold-grade with your skills long ago… It’s regrettable that I could only grant you up to Silver-grade!”

At the Guild Master’s active recommendation and Fiona’s persuasion, Renate seemed to ponder for a moment.

She turned her gaze to Anya, who was sitting beside her, to ask her opinion.

“Haaah… Understood. Lady Anya, would that be alright with you?”

The noble lady, Anya, her master, remained silent for a moment before giving a small nod.

Then, she spoke to Logan in a clear, gentle voice.

“Yes, I don’t mind.”

She seemed to offer a soft smile from behind her veil as she continued.

“Please take care of me. You’re Logan, correct? I’m Anya.”

“Ah, yes..! Please take care of me, Lady Anya!”

Logan hurriedly composed himself and bowed deeply.

‘…Get a grip, Logan. I have Irene.’

Realizing how much his heart was swayed by a girl he had just met, Logan inwardly berated himself.

Let’s dismiss such unnecessary thoughts.

This is just a request, nothing more.

He decided to be happy, thinking of it as a good opportunity to earn more money for Irene.

Thus, somewhat suddenly, Logan found himself in charge of escorting the mysterious girl named Anya.

---

The request details were simpler than expected, but the payment was so exceptionally high it couldn’t be compared to any request Logan had ever received.

He had to guard Anya from morning till night, so he couldn’t take on other requests simultaneously, but the amount was such that there was no need to.

In addition to escort duty, an additional role was given.

“Due to circumstances, we couldn’t bring any attendants or servants. It might be troublesome, but I’d like you to take care of Lady Anya’s simple needs and meal preparations as well.”

Renate said in a stiff tone.

“Ah, of course, Lady Anya is not in good health and can hardly eat anything other than easily digestible porridge, so you won’t need to worry much about the cooking.”

Logan hesitated for a moment but soon nodded readily.

He was already used to housework and cooking from taking care of Irene, and making porridge wasn’t a difficult task.

The place they would stay was a small villa located on the outskirts of the village, occasionally used by nobles or wealthy merchants visiting for leisure.

Logan’s mission was to closely escort Anya, who was staying at the villa, and assist with her basic living needs.

Renate and Fiona said they would go out searching in the forest every day for special medicinal herbs needed for Anya’s recovery.

He wondered what kind of illness she suffered from that required them to come all the way to this remote village to procure herbs, but Logan didn’t ask.

Prying into secrets the client didn’t wish to reveal was not the way of an adventurer.

‘Anyway, I guess this is a pretty comfortable and well-paying ‘sweet deal’ of a request.’

Logan decided to think positively.

Thanks to his consistent monster subjugation and request fulfillment in the surrounding forests over the past three years, the security near the village was quite stable.

The possibility of monster attacks or bandit raids was almost nonexistent.

As long as he didn’t let his guard down against potential external intrusions, there shouldn’t be any major problems.

What reassured Logan the most was the attitude of the client, Anya.

Most noble ladies in the fictional works from his past life’s memories were arrogant, selfish, and villainous, but Anya was completely different.

Despite being thirteen, the same age as Logan, she always showed politeness and consideration for others.

Considering she was much younger than him if you included his past life’s age, it felt even more remarkable.

“Please don’t stand so uncomfortably leaning against the wall. Come here and sit comfortably, Logan.”

Anya, who was reading a book in the villa’s living room, spoke gently to Logan, who was standing motionless by the door.

“It’s alright, Lady Anya. I am currently carrying out a request. This is comfortable for me. And… please speak comfortably. You can just call me Logan.”

“Is that so? Hmm… Then Logan, please just call me Anya too. Hehe.”

“No, Lady Anya. How could I dare…”

“Hmm… I hear you and I are the same age, Logan? Yet you still find it so difficult?”

Anya asked playfully.

“No, I can’t possibly…”

“Hmph. Then I won’t say anything to Logan from now on.”

Logan felt troubled by Anya turning her head away as if pouting.

Since he only needed to perform escort duties, there was no real need for conversation, but it wasn’t good to upset the client.

And above all… for some reason, the veiled girl seemed incredibly lonely.

He felt sorry for her circumstances, having to fight her illness alone and come all the way to such a remote place.

‘…It would probably be good to at least be a conversation partner.’

Logan finally sighed and said.

“Haah… Alright. Anya. Just in case, I’m asking, but you’re not going to ask me to drop all formalities in speech, are you?”

“Hehe. Thank you, Logan. I have no intention of burdening you that much either.”

Anya showed a hint of a bright smile from behind her veil.

After that, the two began to gradually open up to each other and grow closer.

Anya, being frail, rarely went outside the villa, so she was unfamiliar with the ways of the world and enjoyed hearing stories about the outside world and adventures from Logan.

Logan, within the scope of his knowledge, answered her questions as diligently as possible, and sometimes told her about the thrilling adventures he had experienced.

As they talked like this, stories about Logan’s childhood friend, Irene, naturally came up.

Listening daily to how much Logan cherished Irene and how hard he worked for her, Anya sometimes wore a subtle expression mixed with envy and bitterness.

“…She must be very happy, that Miss Irene. To have someone like Logan by her side…”

One day, Anya murmured softly.

“Pardon?”

When Logan asked again, Anya quickly composed her expression and changed the subject.

“Ah, it’s nothing. So, what was Logan like when Miss Irene first manifested her magic? Please tell me more details.”

“Ah, well… At that time, Irene really…”

It was the moment Logan was about to excitedly continue Irene’s story.

“Cough! Cough! Cough..!”

Suddenly, Anya started coughing severely.

It wasn’t a simple cough.

She seemed to be struggling to breathe, and eventually, red blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

‘Blood..!?’

As the blood stained it, the veil covering her face fell limply to the floor.

For the first time, Logan saw Anya’s entire face.

Her white skin was so pale it looked translucent, her thin red lips trembled, and her delicate face was contorted in pain.

Even considering her frailty, she looked precarious.

Logan felt his heart drop and cried out urgently.

“Anya! Are you alright?!”

He reflexively rushed to her side and supported her collapsing body.

Her frail body leaned limply into his arms.

“Cough.. Cough.. Ah.. I’m.. okay….”

Anya gasped for breath and spoke with difficulty.

She clutched Logan’s clothes with a trembling hand and barely managed to continue.

“Um… I’m sorry… Logan, on the table next to my bed in my room… there should be a new veil… could you please get it for me..?”

“Ah, yes! Understood! I’ll get it right away!”

Logan carefully helped Anya lean against the sofa, then hurried to her room.

His mind was in turmoil, filled with the image of Anya’s pale face and the red blood she had coughed up.