A Bug In Fate

Alden made his way toward the familiar reception counter and quietly waited for his turn. A few adventurers stood ahead of him, handing in completed requests or accepting new ones. After a short wait, the line finally cleared.

The chubby receptionist looked up, and a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face.

"Hey, I completed the mission."

Alden smiled as he placed the signed mission paper on the counter.

"Haha, I know."

The receptionist chuckled while taking the paper. He glanced over the signature before placing it behind the counter and writing something into a large ledger.

"I already heard everything from Carl."

He looked back at Alden with an amused smile.

"To be honest, I underestimated you."

"I was worried after seeing you accept that mission alone, so I asked Carl’s team to head there as reinforcements."

He closed the ledger before reaching beneath the counter.

"Looks like my concern was unnecessary."

A faint grin spread across his face.

"You’ve got some serious skills."

He placed four shining gold coins onto the counter and gently slid them toward Alden.

"Here’s your reward."

Alden picked up the coins and dropped them into the small pouch at his waist.

A pleasant clinking sound echoed from inside.

A smile naturally appeared on his face.

This was the first money he had ever earned with his own hands.

The feeling was strangely satisfying.

No matter the world, there was something rewarding about seeing your own efforts pay off.

"No problem."

"I only did the job I was getting paid for."

Alden smiled before turning toward the exit.

"Well then, I’ll get going."

Just as he took a few steps away, the receptionist called out from behind him.

"You can call me Boren."

Alden stopped and glanced back.

Boren smiled.

"I’ve got a feeling we’ll be seeing each other quite often."

Alden couldn’t help but smile.

"I hope so."

With a small nod, he waved goodbye before walking out of the Adventurers’ Guild, a satisfied expression resting on his face. His very first mission had officially come to an end.

Alden wandered through the lively streets of Ravenhold, taking his time instead of rushing anywhere. The city was just as bustling as before. Merchants called out to passing customers, children ran through the streets laughing, and people went about their daily lives.

For the first time since arriving in the city, he found himself simply enjoying the atmosphere.

As he walked past a small group of pedestrians, a conversation drifted into his ears.

"I think Mina will participate in the upcoming tournament."

"Yeah, I heard her elder sister has been training her personally."

"They’re even saying she has a chance of finishing in the top five."

Alden listened quietly as he passed them.

Mina...

The name sounded familiar.

A moment later, he remembered hearing it back at the Adventurers’ Guild. Someone had mentioned that she had already reached Gold Rank despite her young age.

Quite impressive.

Still, it had nothing to do with him.

"Not my business."

Muttering to himself, Alden dismissed the thought and continued strolling down the street, his attention returning to the lively city around him.

Alden continued wandering through the streets until the aroma of grilled meat suddenly reached his nose.

His steps came to a stop before a small food stall.

A middle-aged couple worked side by side with practiced ease. The husband stood over a charcoal grill, turning skewers of sizzling meat as smoke rose into the air, while his wife welcomed customers with a warm smile, collecting coins and handing over freshly cooked skewers.

The stall was bustling with customers, though most of them were children eagerly waiting for their turn.

A faint smile appeared on Alden’s face.

Couple goals... haha.

The thought made him chuckle to himself before he shook his head.

Just then, an excited voice cut through the noise.

"Hey! Isn’t that the cat the flower-selling grandma was looking for?"

"Huh? Where?"

"There!"

A little girl pointed excitedly toward the opposite side of the street.

"That orange one on top of the carriage!"

Alden instinctively followed her finger.

Perched confidently atop a parked horse carriage sat an orange cat, lazily flicking its tail as if it owned the entire street.

"You’re right!" a young boy exclaimed, his face lighting up.

"Let’s catch it and take it back to her!"

Without waiting another second, the group of children rushed toward the carriage, their laughter echoing through the lively street.

Alden watched them with mild curiosity, wondering if this was the same missing cat whose quest he had laughed at back in the Adventurers’ Guild.

"Hehe... children these days."

A woman waiting in line ahead of Alden smiled warmly as she watched the group of children race after the orange cat.

The man standing beside her immediately laughed.

"What do you mean, children these days?"

He nudged her shoulder playfully.

"You were exactly the same."

"Don’t you remember chasing that poor frog all over the village when we were kids?"

"Hahaha..."

The people nearby couldn’t help but chuckle at their conversation.

The woman’s cheeks turned slightly red.

"Shut up."

She glared at him in embarrassment, earning another round of laughter from those around them.

Even the husband and wife running the skewer stall exchanged amused smiles while continuing to serve their customers.

Trying to escape the teasing, the woman quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway..."

"Those kids won’t be able to catch that cat."

She watched as the orange feline effortlessly leaped from the carriage onto a nearby wooden fence, completely ignoring the children chasing after it.

"If children could catch it that easily, the flower-selling grandma wouldn’t have gone to the Adventurers’ Guild for help in the first place."

The cat lazily flicked its tail before jumping onto another rooftop, leaving the children scrambling after it with determined expressions.

Alden, who had only suspected it a moment ago, was now certain.

So it really is the same cat.

He looked up at the orange feline perched lazily on the rooftop. Below it, the children had come to a stop, their earlier excitement replaced with disappointed expressions as they stared up helplessly.

"...I’ll be right back."

Alden had been only a few steps away from getting his skewers, but he suddenly changed direction and started walking toward the group of children.

A helpless smile appeared on his face.

Even he wasn’t sure why he was doing this.

Five silver coins were practically nothing compared to the four gold coins he had just earned from his first mission.

Still...

It didn’t seem right to simply walk away.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

The woman at the food stall called out from behind him.

Alden simply waved a hand without looking back and quickened his pace.

Within moments, he reached the children.

Before any of them could ask what he was doing, Alden bent his knees and leaped upward.

His hand caught the edge of the roof with ease.

With a single pull, he swung himself onto the rooftop.

The sudden movement startled the orange cat.

Its ears perked up, and it immediately turned to flee.

"Not so fast."

Before the cat could take more than a single step, Alden lunged forward and caught one of its hind legs.

"Meow?!"

The cat let out a startled cry as Alden gently lifted it off the roof and pulled it toward himself.

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