Abandoned Reincarnation
Chapter 17 – About Haku
***Adventurer Ryuk’s POV.
After seeing Haku off, I let out a sigh.
I had just barely arrived here to report after finishing a quest, but the first thing I heard were those kids’ crying for help, and when I took a look at what was going on, I saw Haku being involved in some kind of trouble with a drunkard.
Certainly, there are many ruffians among adventurers. Beginners only do simple jobs such as collecting medicinal herbs and doing chores around town, but adventurers are expected to subdue dangerous monsters. If you start looking among those who dare to do that, you’ll inevitably find several powerful men, and some of them will have very rough appearances and personalities.
Well, even so, it’s rare for experienced adventurers to be throwing their weight around a rookie. Rather, the great majority of them would prefer to take care of rookies so that they can grow properly, and everyone tells rookies that they can feel free to ask anyone in the Guild for help if they need it.
This big guy was just one among many adventurers. Adventurers can have bad days too, and I can imagine someone getting frustrated after failing a quest or something like that resorting to getting drunk and arrogant, which would cause a situation like what just happened.
I’ve never seen that yelling man before, but judging from his gear, I’d say he’s either E or D Rank. He was a bit older than the average E or D Rank adventurer, too.
I’m E Rank. Normally, a low-ranked adventurer like me telling someone who could be my senior off could be seen badly, but in this case, this situation was entirely that man’s fault. What he said was messed up and completely off the mark. And besides, he was about to raise his hand against Haku. I had no choice but to intervene.
I’ve already stopped fights like these a few times before, but in these cases, those who are about to cause trouble like this are usually in their own world. If they can be made to pay attention to their surroundings, many of them will usually return to their senses, feel uncomfortable because of it, and leave peacefully. This pattern has helped me in the past as well.
I think I have some confidence in my abilities, but I’m still just an E Rank adventurer. I’m basically a fledgling myself, so it’s too early for me to be proud of my skills.
“Are you OK?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I’m sorry I made a fuss.”
A Guild employee arrived shortly afterwards. When a problem such as a fight occurs, it was common for the Guild staff to intervene. However, this time the employee had been late to notice the commotion, since he was a bit far away from it and the commotion itself hadn’t been that big.
It would’ve been better if the employee had asked Haku if she was okay instead of me, but she had already left the Guild.
I remember the face Haku made during the commotion. Even though the big man was low-ranked, he ended up getting terribly mad and yelling at Haku after she bumped into him, breaking her potion in the process. It wouldn’t be strange for a normal child to shrink from just that and have their face crumpled up in fear.
However, Haku remained expressionless throughout the entire thing. She showed no fear as she was being yelled at, threatened by the man’s big fist, and even while she was talking to me after the situation had subsided.
To put it simply, she seemed to be completely calm. But can a normal young child stay calm while being yelled at like that?
Haku once told me that she had fallen into a pool of magical power and stayed there for a year while she recovered from the serious injuries she had sustained from the fall.
At first, I had thought she had run away from some bandits, but after hearing her story, I realized that she had lived a life far harsher than I imagined.
Pools of magical power are harmful not only to humans, but to almost all living things. Just being there can give anyone a severe headache and nausea, and make them unable to stand straight. Once inside, escaping on their own is virtually impossible, and in many cases, people starve to death in such places.
It’s hard to believe that someone can live in a place like that for a year. Still, she didn’t sound as if she was lying. …Come to think of it, even back when she talked to me about that, her face was completely calm as well. It’s almost as if that simply was Haku’s natural expression.
In my opinion, Haku’s expressionlessness was created when she was stuck in that pool of magical power. I wonder if being exposed to such a harsh environment took a toll on her emotions. Otherwise, there is no way that Haku would have been able to maintain such a blank expression on her face while being faced by a situation like the one that just happened.
Actually, to be precise, she must still have her emotions. But her experiences made it so that she has a hard time expressing them.
It’s said that slaves who have been in harsh working conditions for many years eventually lose their facial expressions. What happened to her could be something like that.
Haku is very talented. At first, I was surprised to hear that she was making her own potion, but then I realized that this wasn’t all that strange, since she’s so smart. But this fact makes me feel even more sorry for Haku’s inability to control her facial expressions.
With that kind of skill, opening a small pharmacy in town wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Even a low-level potion can instantly heal a relatively deep cut or bruise.
It’s been about three days since she started working as an adventurer. Rumor has it that she brings monsters in very clean condition every time, and collects a large amount of medicinal herbs. On top of that, considering that she even makes her own potions, Haku’s livelihood should be pretty peaceful.
I feel like she could have even been able to do something about this commotion all by herself without needing me to jump in…
However, it is a fact that I am worried. I’ll have to talk about this with the master later.
“Hey, Ryuk. Do you know that girl?”
“Come over here. Tell us all about it.”
While I was immersed in thought, someone from a nearby table called me over.
Well, I’m not very good with alcohol, but… I guess it’s okay once in a while.
I shrugged my shoulders as I sat down and immediately ordered a beer from the clerk.
“Let’s have a toast to that little girl’s savior, shall we?”
“Cut it out. I just did what had to be done.”
“Don’t be so humble. That little girl probably considers you her savior after what you did.”
I returned a bitter smile to the man, who had cheerfully placed his arm around my shoulders.
A savior, huh?
Haku is a very clever kid. She probably knew what she was getting herself into. Besides, instead of choosing to ignore that drunkard, she just watched and listened to him to see how things would develop from there.
I couldn’t see it well because I intervened right away, but just before that drunkard was about to hit Haku, she had calmly crossed her arms in front of her face, taking a defensive stance. I don’t know if she could have blocked the man’s blow, but I suppose she had some kind of plan to help her block it. Since she’s also proficient in magic, she was probably going to try to use some kind of spell to increase her sturdiness.
I feel like Haku could have gotten over this situation even without my involvement. More than a simple guess, I’m almost certain of it.
That kid has something that I don’t have. And that’s probably something she acquired when she fell into that pool of magical power.
Even though she lied about her age – she said he was 11 years old, but that’s probably a lie – Haku should be commended for her determination to become an adventurer, and the one who should be praised now is Haku, not me.
“If I remember correctly, you took care of her when she registered, right?”
“Is that so? I’m sure if I found such a cute little girl, I’d reflexively want to protect her.”
“Idiot. It’s not you, I’m talking about Ryuk, cause he’s such a serious guy.”
It’s not my first time in Karaba, and I know these guys. We understand each other to some extent.
I guess that’s why they called out to me… that, and the fact that they had nothing better to do.
Well, they were the typical characters who seem to be always in the loop and would talk about all sorts of things over some booze and snacks, and since we knew each other, it’s only natural that they’d talk to me.
“So, who is that girl anyway? I heard that she can use Storage.”
“I can’t talk about it in detail because it has to do with her personal life…well, I guess there’s no doubt that she doesn’t have a single relative.”
Haku said she was abandoned by his parents. She told me this with an indifferent look on her face, as if it were nothing.
Since she said she wanted to become an adventurer in the city, she probably has no intention of going back to her parents anymore.
It breaks my heart to think that such a small girl has such determination. I wish I could be of more direct help.
“That’s pretty rough. Is she an orphan?”
“Well, it’s something like that. So don’t even think about stealing from her or anything like that, you hear me?”
“I won’t. But I might ask her to join our party. After all, she has her Storage.”
Storage is a rare skill that can store many things. For an adventurer, it’s a means of carrying a large amount of materials, making it a very valuable skill, especially for a child.
What’s more, for some reason, Haku is always gathering a large amount of medicinal herbs, and she even hunts monsters. This tells me that she dares stepping deep into the woods.
The depths of these woods are definitely not a place for F-rank beginners to step into. Having some experience would help, but one does not simply go there without a weapon. And yet, the fact that she keeps coming back from the woods in spite of this while being able to bring back the materials she needs means that she must be quite skilled.
She should be taken into account not only as a luggage carrier, but also as a fighting force. If you think about it, Haku is a great asset to any party.
“I don’t have a problem with you asking her to join your party from time to time, but make sure you give her a proper reward. She may have some trouble paying for her lodging fees otherwise.”
“Well, I wonder if that’s the case. I just heard that she’s earning the highest amount ever for a beginner, you know?”
“…How much?”
“I know that at least she got paid a few small gold coins. And by bringing in goblins, at that. You don’t get that much money by bringing goblins, I’ll tell you that much…”
…Come to think of it, I feel like the first time we went out to the fields together we actually received a few small gold coins because the orcs we brought in were in good condition.
That’s not how it usually goes for orcs, though. At most, they’ll net you about 5 silver coins. But according to the person who handed out our reward money, their condition was too good.
At that time, I thought it was just a coincidence, but since she’s earning small gold coins even by delivering goblins, I’d say earning those small gold coins was exactly what she was trying to do. It’s certainly understandable that they would be worth so much since she had cut their heads off so cleanly.
“Good. You said her name’s Haku? I really want her…”
“…Just keep it in moderation, okay?”
“I know.”
I don’t think it’s a good idea for an older man to say he “wants” a girl Haku’s age, but it would be really nice if he could form a party with Haku.
I wonder if I should invite her to go questing with me some time soon as well.
While I was thinking about that, the beer I had ordered arrived. I drank it up in one gulp.
Anyway, I’m relieved that Haku seems to be able to become an adventurer with relative safety. I kept on thinking about that girl who just left while listening to my acquaintances’ laughing cheerfully.