Chapter 37: The Missing Companion and the Cost of Worry

“Here is your reward for this mission; please count it carefully.”

The Adventurer’s Guild clerk meticulously counted out the full amount of thalers from the cash drawer, placing them into my outstretched hand.

“Oh, thank you!”

I swiftly snatched the coins, then promptly tucked them deep into my pocket, adhering to the common wisdom of keeping one’s wealth concealed.

However, my caution wasn’t solely due to an overabundance of prudence; the past half-month had seen the city’s defenses significantly depleted and the number of adventurers drastically reduced, all owing to the outbreak of war.

This precarious situation had triggered a cascade of unforeseen consequences.

For one, many missions remained unclaimed, forcing the guild to lower both their difficulty requirements and their collateral point demands, which, fortunately for me, meant I could now undertake high-paying assignments that were usually snatched up too quickly.

Secondly, there was the burgeoning issue of public safety, with a sudden surge in violent crimes across the city; reports of robberies and thefts had become distressingly common.

Most troubling of all, it wasn’t just ordinary citizens falling victim; even many adventurers had been targeted, a significant problem indeed, implying that the culprits possessed considerable strength, quite possibly being adventurers themselves—hence my heightened vigilance.

Even as an angel, I was currently nothing more than a puny Rank 3 shrimp, utterly incapable of withstanding the machinations of a true powerhouse.

On a related note, if only Angelina were undertaking missions with me, her formidable strength would alleviate so many of these worries.

Yet, for the past while, that individual had been almost daily engrossed in the Phantasm Card arcade, emerging only occasionally for a mission to break the monotony, but otherwise remaining elusive, save for her unwavering punctuality at home for dinner.

“Have you heard? It seems a female pervert has been sighted recently!”

As I exited the mission settlement room, I happened to brush past two female adventurers who appeared to be submitting their own assignments; both were rather comely at first glance, and one was whispering conspiratorially to the other.

“They say she’s quite beautiful, but she goes around hitting on girls everywhere…”

‘Hmm?’

‘What these two are saying sounds oddly familiar; my mind immediately leaped to Angelina.’

‘Could it truly be her? Has she reverted to her old habits? Didn’t she just purchase two balloon angels recently? Has her impulse proven too strong to resist so soon?’

‘Then again, that doesn’t quite add up.

She’s already transformed; does she still harbor so many of those desires? I, for one, haven’t noticed much.’

‘Oh well, never mind her.

As long as she doesn’t cause any trouble, it’s fine.

She’s a girl now too; even if she wanted to cause trouble, she wouldn’t have the necessary equipment.’

Glancing at the time upon leaving, I realized it was already late, prompting me to hurry homeward.

Upon arriving home, Angelina was nowhere to be seen.

‘How peculiar.

What could be happening today? A strange feeling gnawed at me.

Could she have lost track of time at the arcade?’

Following the usual script, when I would push open the door at dinnertime, the first sight to greet me would almost invariably be this scene.

Two angels, one six-winged and one eight-winged, would be perched on either side, nestled intimately against Angelina’s shoulders, their faces adorned with suggestive smiles.

Meanwhile, our young master Angelina would be semi-reclined on the bed, an angel embraced in each arm, frequently alternating between them, feeding each other tender bites and exchanging syrupy kisses, a sight that was cloyingly sweet to the extreme.

Naturally, she would often inquire if I wished to partake, euphemistically calling it ‘having some fun,’ but I, being a person of principle, would righteously refuse every single time.

‘Yeah, right!’

Alright, I confess, I succumbed to temptation once or twice.

Yet, the sensation wasn’t particularly pleasant; to be precise, it was quite odd.

Given that the two cards themselves possessed no consciousness, they remained utterly motionless; apart from their tactile feel, holding them was akin to clutching two plush dolls.

However, to make them ‘interact,’ one had to consciously issue commands, which felt utterly pointless, like the left hand stroking the right; it was far less comfortable than my own wings, which at least offered warmth, a gentle heat.

Such childish make-believe games held my interest for only two attempts before I completely lost enthusiasm; only Angelina remained tirelessly engrossed, and I truly couldn’t fathom her reasoning.

****

Setting the prepared meal upon the table, I found that she still hadn’t returned.

Unable to wait any longer, I began to eat by myself, yet with every bite, a growing unease settled upon me.

This individual never missed dinner, and given that she only needed one meal a day, she cherished it immensely.

‘Could something have happened?’

At that thought, I found myself unable to eat another mouthful, compelled to set down my utensils and venture out in search of her.

My first thought, naturally, was the arcade.

I closed the door and made a beeline for “Sommerfeld’s Entertainment Room.”

“Ah, miss, you’ve returned.

Are you here for a round this time?”

The proprietor, with his gentlemanly smile, emerged to greet me, delivering his usual lines without even a change in inflection; I half-suspected he too might be a transformed Phantasm Card.

“No, I’m looking for someone—the one who accompanied me last time.”

As I stated my purpose, I tried to peer through the double doors behind him, hoping to catch a glimpse inside.

“Ah, that young lady departed quite early this afternoon.”

“Is that so?”

I repeated, tinged with doubt.

Angelina left so early? That truly wasn’t her usual practice.

Unable to simply believe it, I had no choice but to enter and search for her myself; predictably, I found no trace.

Initially, I entertained the suspicion that Angelina might have gambled away all her points, violated some unspoken taboo of the establishment, and been quietly apprehended; however, recalling her formidable strength, I quickly dismissed that possibility as unlikely.

If she wasn’t at the arcade, then the problem was indeed serious; Angelina had most likely encountered trouble.

I would have to search elsewhere.

My next thought was whether she might still be on an association mission, delayed by an unforeseen incident and thus unable to return home.

This was a highly plausible scenario, yet difficult to verify, especially since I had no idea what mission she might be undertaking.

Therefore, I decided to head to the Adventurer’s Association first, hoping to glean some information.

Barely ten minutes later, as I arrived at the Adventurer’s Association hall, I found it nearly deserted, on the verge of closing.

The vast, empty hall contained only a few staff members, as the mission-acceptance services had ceased operation earlier in the evening.

“Excuse me, may I inquire if a companion of mine is currently undertaking a mission?”

After a moment’s thought, I approached one of the few manned counters and tentatively posed my question.

“Is the individual you’re inquiring about a friend of yours?”

Though the clerk didn’t answer directly, their tone suggested a possibility of assistance.

“Yes, her name is Angelina, and we’re close friends who live together.”

I quickly produced my identification card and handed it to them, hoping the clerk could verify our shared history of accepting missions together.

“Miss, we frequently encounter situations like yours; please don’t fret.”

The clerk, displaying utmost professionalism, took the card from my hand and promptly cross-referenced the information.

“Should you wish to ascertain the mission status of another association member, a deduction of 100 points will be applied.

Do you agree?”

‘A deduction of points!

And 100 points at that!’

‘This deduction differed from the collateral points required for accepting missions; those would be refunded upon completion, but these points, once deducted, would be permanently gone.’

‘Points were hard-earned; a low-level mission might yield only a few or a few dozen points at most.

Despite undertaking missions for such a long time, I had only accumulated just over 200 points, and this would nearly halve my total!’

I paced anxiously, circling in place.

‘If Angelina was fine, these points would be utterly wasted.’

‘But what if she truly encountered trouble during her mission?’

‘She was the only close friend I had left since transmigrating into this world.

If, for the sake of saving a few points, she were to come to harm without timely rescue, I would surely regret it to my dying day.’

“I agree to the deduction!”

‘Never mind the cost; points could be re-earned, but a life, once lost, was gone forever!’

I immediately nodded my confirmation to the clerk, who, after a brief operation, promptly informed me.

“Your friend completed a low-level magical streetlamp repair mission this afternoon and has not accepted any further assignments since.”

‘So she’s not on a mission?’

I was utterly bewildered.

What was happening? She had no active assignments, so why hadn’t she returned home?

Accepting my card, now with points deducted, a pang of regret pierced me.

I rushed back home from the Adventurer’s Association, only to find the house still empty, the half-eaten meal on the table exactly as I’d left it.

‘What was I to do? Giving up felt unacceptable, yet I couldn’t conceive of any other possibilities.

Angelina, like me, had only recently arrived in this city; she couldn’t have many places to go.’

During the day, perhaps I could have fearlessly surveyed the entire royal capital from above, without fear of exposure, but it was almost midnight now; I wouldn’t be able to see clearly from the sky, leaving me to wander aimlessly through the streets in search of her.

When I returned to the square in front of the Adventurer’s Association once more, the guild’s doors had already closed for the night.