Nobina and Her Strange Journey Through Another World

The rest of the dinner went smoothly, with Exuten and Harden dominating most of the conversation. Both were giving their own tales of their recent adventures, trying to outdo each other. Exuten talked about how he managed to take a giant troll hammer’s hit directly without moving an inch. Harden then talked about how he took out that troll in a single hit to the head. Both of them then proceeded to talk about how they both did better than each other in that mission.

“They seem… rather competitive,” said Nobina as she chewed her Miro-Cow Steak. It was a steak from a breed of cows that took fifty years to mature to adulthood. It was also part monster as well, meaning a certain amount of strength was needed to handle such a strong yet rare animal.

“Oh yeah,” responded Lila, enjoying the same thing Nobina was eating. “Both talk a big game, but I could easily crush Exuten’s defenses and avoid Harden’s hammer. Isn’t that right.”

Both of them paused to agree before getting back into their argument.

“See? Man… if only I could have fought you. I would have had a true challenge,” she grinned, thinking about the idea of beating Nobina in a one-on-one fight.

Nobina sighed, shaking her head. She did wonder if it was even possible to reach Lila’s strength anytime soon. She was making good progress training under Mimiki, but her abilities weren’t straightforward boosts besides supporting her general development. Her summon and recall ability was merely books and paper, while her Pen Blade was very conditional in its strength. At some point, she felt it would change, but for now, she didn’t see herself becoming a C-rank anytime soon.

“I’ll need some opportunity to get stronger… though I doubt I’ll have the time to do so,” she told herself silently.

As she continued to enjoy her steak, Sarah pulled the side of her dress. Turning to her, Sarah whispered something to Nobina.

“Hey Nobina… Are you two friends?” asked Sarah, looking at Lila a bit before turning back to Nobina.

“Uh… I guess so,” she shrugged. “I mean, we haven’t known each other long and our interests are pretty different, but she does want to be my friend. I’m not one to say no to that if I have nothing against the person.”

“Oh, that’s for sure,” Sarah chuckled. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re getting to know more people. You’re friendly to so many people that I believe you should be friends with the whole world.”

“The whole world? I don’t think I need that many friends,” smiled Nobina. “Though… the thought does sound nice. Being able to call so many people your friend.”

“We’ll need to travel out to other towns sometime,” said Sarah, her eyes sparkling. “I know so many popular clothing stories that I’m sure we’ll find you the perfect dress for every occasion.”

Thinking about the sheer cost of traveling and Sarah likely planning to spend tons of money gave Nobina a slight headache. It wasn’t because she was going to pay either. It was actually the opposite reason. Nobina was well aware that Sarah loved spending more for Nobina’s sake than her own. It made Nobina worry that she’d have to become Sarah’s own accountant to prevent her from being too wasteful.

“That would be something,” chuckled Nobina to herself.

“Right?” responded Sarah, unaware of the thought Nobina actually had.

Soon, the night was over, and everyone gave their farewells. As everyone split, soon it became just Nobina and Lila, who were chatting a bit about the dinner.

“You should totally come to our city one day,” said Lila. “It’s a massive place with a dedicated fighting arena. You can see all sorts of A and S-rank adventurers. Oh man, you should have seen the S-rank adventurer Kale the Destroyer. He uses something called beam attacks which…”

Nobina listened to Lila give her story regarding her time in her home city. Nobina did want to visit places like that, but a part of her worried that if she were to go there, something might happen to these places. It might have been wrong to want to potentially put her hometown at risk, but if the alternative was way more people getting hurt, then it was a tough choice. Not only that, but she had a feeling whatever threat she faced would match however strong she and those around her were.

“So scary,” said Nobina out loud.

“I know!” responded Lila, nodding her head. “Imagine one hundred beams trying to hit you! It’s so hard to dodge, even for a person like me. I’m just lucky it’s an ultimate attack that he wouldn’t use lightly.”

Nobina gave a nod, trying to hide the fact she hadn’t been listening.

Eventually, the two reached their respective rooms and said good night to each other. After changing into her normal outfit, Nobina sat down at her desk and began filling in her diary. As she did, she began wondering what tomorrow had in store for her. Once she was done, she recalled the diary and went to bed, with Pausers and Lebron hopping onto the bed to sleep as well.

The next day, Nobina awoke to the soft sunlight piecing through her window into her room. Slowly getting up, Nobina had an odd feeling. It felt as if she was going to miss her room, yet she had no idea why she had that thought.

“So odd,” said Nobina, getting out of her bed.

She quickly got her stuff ready, said goodbye to her companions, and headed to the guild. There weren’t too many people greeting her that day, but it was understandable. It was a bit later than she normally left for work, so most people were likely inside their own businesses by now. As she continued to walk, she noticed a job opening sign saying “Store-Related Path Wanted.”

Nobina couldn’t help but sigh seeing the sign. It was a reminder of how important Paths were in this world. In her case, it was especially notable since her Path had worldwide influence.

“Sometimes I wish my Path was simple,” she said, shaking her head.

Eventually, Nobina reached the guild, where she saw Lila, Line and Aunai speaking with Eric. Next to him was Mimiki, Sarah and Lare. The odd thing was all of them had a serious look on their faces. Sarah looked sad as well, while Mimiki only had a serious look. As for Lare, he appeared as neutral as ever, with Eric sharing the same look. Eventually, Sarah took notice of Nobina, calling her over.

“What’s going on?” asked Nobina as she joined the group.

Eric took a step forward, now showing a rather apologetic look. It made Nobina worried something serious had happened, causing her to brace herself for the news.

“Nobina… You’ve been requested by Guild Master Aunai to return to Navira, their guild down, to assist with the transfer of finances between our two guilds,” said Eric.

Hearing that, Nobina felt her heart sink low. She knew something was odd and now she knew why. She was being told to leave the town and go to another town.

“I’m guessing… there’s no choice in this matter,” said Nobina.

“There is not,” said Eric. “Aunai requested the person most knowledgeable about our financial situation to assist. It is not within my right to deny such a request, as we are the one seeking assistance.”

“Please,” smiled Aunai innocently. “You make it sound like I’m doing something horrible. I’m merely doing what’s best for our guilds, unless you have an objective reason why Nobina cannot leave this town.”

Hearing that, Eric shook her head.

“I have no reason to keep her here. Ultimately, it’s up to her to have a valid objection to a guild master’s request. If not… Then I do request a replacement for her and Mimiki as we’ll be short-staffed.”

Aunai nodded her head.

“Exutan and Harden are both trained to be guild officers temporarily,” replied Aunai. “As they commonly take leadership roles in operations, I had them take the certification for being basic guild officers. While they might not be as skilled as Nobina and Mimiki, I’m sure their combat potential will suffice.”

“Yes… They should be sufficient,” nodded Eric. “Anyways… Please prepare your things Nobina. You leave today with them.”

“Wait a second,” said Nobina, trying desperately to get control of the situation. “Isn’t leaving on such short notice too much? We haven’t even properly reviewed the financial situation of the guild together.”

“Hm,” said Aunai, thinking a bit. “Eric told me you basically created the new financial system of this guild. Are you saying you have no idea of its finances?”

“Well… no, but…”

Nobina tried to think of a valid reason to keep her in town, but the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that there was no way out of the current situation. Even if she revealed her deep secrets, it’d likely backfire and force her to leave anyway.

It was sad having to leave the town without any choice, but there was nothing she could do. She didn’t have any influence at all, and it seemed that Aunai intended to get her to her town no matter what. It could have been to either continue to try to recruit her or perhaps something else, but either way, she was not happy about what was happening.

“I’m sorry Nobina,” said Lila. “Even if I make threats, I don’t think it’d be good for anyone.”

“It’s alright Lila,” said Nobina, trying to compose herself. “Sometimes… you don’t get to choose your path in life. Rather, you are set on a path determined by others. However… So long as I have the ability to choose, I will continue to take advantage of any situation that befalls me. All for the sake of my dream and those who I care about.”

Hearing Nobina say that surprised everyone. She had a determined look on her face. There was no doubt Nobina did not feel dread over the situation. Instead, she looked ready to tackle the situation that had befallen her. Aunai couldn’t help but be impressed, with Eric showing a similar look. As for Sarah, she gave a small smile before jumping out to hug Nobina.

“I’m so proud of you Nobina,” she said, squeezing her with her hug. “Showing us how strong you’ve become in such a short time.”

“Sarah,” said Nobina, feeling embarrassed at how she was being treated. Part of her felt like she was being treated as a kid who had done their first responsible thing and was being praised. However, she didn’t detest the part of her showing that she was growing mentally.

As she released Nobina, Mimiki stepped up.

“Perhaps it’s not what you wanted Nobina, but we’ll take advantage of this and make you a powerhouse before you know it,” nodded Mimiki. “I’m honestly excited to see more people in action, so… please forgive me for wanting to join you on this trip.”

Nobina nodded her head.

“I’m glad at least you’re seeing the positives of the trip,” commented Eric, happy Nobina was coming to terms with the situation.

With that, there seemed to be nothing left to say. Aunai informed her they’d leave after lunch, so she had until then to get ready.

As everyone separated, Eric asked to speak with Nobina privately in his office. She gave a nod, following him upstairs. Once the two were alone, Eric gave a bow.

“Once again, I’m sorry for not being able to prevent this chain of events,” said Eric. “With you leaving, I entrust Mimiki to protect you from harm. Please remember to prioritize your safety and if something happens, then protect yourself first.”

“You know I can’t do that Eric,” said Nobina. “I know my life is important, but I would never be able to live with the guilt of anyone getting hurt, especially if I can do something about it.”

Eric smiled, shaking his head.

“I figured you’d say that. Anyway, I wish we could keep in touch, but…”

As he said that, Hammy flew out of Nobina’s special bag, dropping a piece of paper in front of Nobina. Reading it, it mentioned Hammy could deliver letters. Both of their eyes widened upon realizing that Hammy could deliver long-distance letters.

“This is a nice development,” nodded Eric. “Honestly, imagine if we could train birds to do this more often.”

“Like a carrier pigeon,” said Nobina, snapping her fingers.

“Carrier… pigeon?” said Eric, tilting his head.

“Oh. It’s a method of letter delivery in my old world. Very ancient stuff, but when the alternative is horseback, it’s quite effective,” nodded Nobina.

“Hm… I guess there are flying mounts from the royal guard, but you wouldn’t use that for anything but the most important letters,” responded Eric.

Nobina eyes lit up upon the mention of Royal Guards on flying mounts. The idea was straight up fantasy and almost made Nobina giggle in excitement. Seeing her change in demeanor, Eric smiled and continued talking about the world at large.

He began mentioning things like legendary weapons and abilities, making Nobina’s mind work overtime to think about how cool it would be to see all those things. Mid-conversation, Eric paused to tell Nobina something important.

“Nobina… Hopefully you make the best of this opportunity. There are so many cool things in this world and part of being an adventurer is adventuring into the unknown and learning. Sure, you might be worried about the danger you present, but… You shouldn’t let that ruin such a good opportunity. Hopefully you enjoy your trip.”

Nobina gave a nod.

“Yeah… I’m going to do my best to enjoy it and get stronger Eric. So that one day, I alone will make my choices. Not anyone else.”

Nobina was convinced that, at some point, she might be able to free herself from the chains of her Path’s destiny and forge a new Path. One that she and she alone has chosen.