Chapter 22: Aria and the Reactions of Those Around Her
Leaving Gantz’s weapon shop, Jin headed for the public bathhouse Gantz had told him about. It opened at ten in the morning, and by now it was just past that time—perfect timing. He had stopped at the guild’s bathhouse yesterday, too, but he had been so worn out that he hadn’t felt truly refreshed. Today, with no plans to take on any quests, he decided to indulge in the bliss of a long, leisurely morning soak.
After thoroughly enjoying that luxury, Jin made his way to the same tavern near the guild where he had eaten with Erza two days earlier. Last time the hearty portions had left him stuffed to bursting, but today he finished comfortably satisfied, about eighty percent full. His appetite was still stronger than usual, but it was already calming compared to the morning, and Jin was relieved. If that ravenous hunger had continued, it would have been far too harsh on his wallet.
To walk off lunch, he strolled through the main boulevard lined with food stalls. No matter how many times he visited, the colorful, stylish rows of carts always felt fresh. As he browsed from stall to stall, he finally found what he was looking for: a flower shop surrounded by vibrant blooms.
"Hello."
"Welcome. What can I help you with?"
The shopkeeper was a young man with drooping dog-like ears and an apron. Jin wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about flowers, but he recognized several that resembled ones from his old world.
"I’m looking for a Rosen flower. Do you have any?"
"Yes, of course. What color would you like?"
"Red, please."
"Oh, red? In that case, would you like a bouquet or just a single stem?"
The youth had seemed friendly from the start, but hearing "red" made him noticeably more eager. Jin liked people who took pride in their work, so he found the young man’s enthusiasm likable.
"Which would you recommend?"
"Well, is this the first time you’ll be giving Rosen to this person?"
"Yes."
"In that case, I personally think a single stem would be better than the impact of a bouquet. That way, the words that follow will come across more clearly to her."
The phrase "the words that follow" puzzled Jin for a moment, but then he realized—of course, he’d be offering words of thanks along with the flower. He pictured himself handing it to Aria, and yes, a single bloom felt more fitting.
"You’re right. Then please give me a single stem—something of good quality, even if it costs a little more."
"Certainly. I have just the one in mind, and I’ll wrap it appropriately as well."
"Please do."
Jin left the wrapping entirely to the shopkeeper, since he couldn’t have done it himself. He watched absentmindedly as the Rosen was wrapped. It was a dazzling flower, somewhat reminiscent of a rose. The shop carried not only red but also blue, white, and other colors—clearly a popular variety.
"All done. Thank you for waiting."
"Thank you. By the way, I notice you have quite a few of these here. Is the Rosen really that popular?"
He asked casually while paying for the flowers.
"Hehe, I doubt there are many women who dislike it. Good luck to you, then. Thank you very much!"
With a warm smile, the young man saw him off. Jin left the shop, hoping Aria would be pleased.
On the way to the guild, he peeked into other stores as well. If he found a place selling liquor, he intended to buy the brand Greg liked, but unsurprisingly, no street stalls were selling alcohol in the middle of the day. He decided he would search for a proper liquor store using MAP another time. For today, he would stick to his plan of thanking Aria.
Though it was still early afternoon, the guild was a little busier than usual. Several adventuring parties stood by the notice board, but fortunately, the reception counter was clear. As Jin walked over, he briefly met eyes with an adventurer at the board. Jin gave him a polite nod, then continued on to Aria.
"Hello, Aria-san. Do you have a moment?"
"Hello, Jin-san. Yes—this must be about your reward from yesterday. The appraisal and assessment are already finished. Here are the documents."
She handed him three sheets: two for the Pam flower gathering requests, and one itemizing the Mad Ant materials. To avoid drawing attention, she refrained from mentioning them aloud and instead conveyed the details in writing.
The total came to:
-
Pam Flower gathering: 1 small gold coin, 3 silver coins
-
Mad Ant materials and magic stones: 1 large gold coin, 4 small gold coins, 1 silver coin, 90 copper coins
Altogether, about 1.55 million yen in modern Japanese value.
"!?"
Staring at the figures, Jin looked up at Aria in shock.
"The numbers were high, and the materials are in demand."
She murmured softly, offering a brief explanation.
Indeed, the sheer number—over forty Mad Ants—was already remarkable. And outside of colony splits, they rarely left their nests in large groups, making encounters rare. Even when adventurers did run into them, it was usually only two to four at a time. The supply was low compared to the demand, hence the inflated prices.
"Thank you very much."
The unexpected windfall reassured Jin that he would have no trouble replacing his gear at Gantz’s shop.
"I also spoke with Bean-san. The Pam flower request counts as two completed commissions. That brings your total completed requests to six, which means, depending on your level, you’re now eligible for promotion. Have you visited the temple yet?"
"Not yet. But you can update my card now."
Jin handed over his guild card. Aria looked as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, she nodded and accepted it.
"Then please place your right hand here."
By now, Jin was used to the process. He placed his hand on the crystal, updating his guild card. Just as he’d confirmed at the inn, his level was now 11, and the Gathering skill had been added.
"Yes, everything checks out. Jin, you are now Rank E. Congratulations. I’m sure you’ll be fine, but… please try not to push yourself too hard."
Jin didn’t plan to take on quests above his rank anyway, so he didn’t quite understand what she meant by "push yourself too hard." Still, he realized Aria was still worried after yesterday, and he was grateful for her concern.
"Right. There’s a beginner’s lecture in three days, right? Until then, apart from the standing collection requests, I plan to focus on training with Instructor Greg and the others to learn combat techniques and magic."
"I see. That’s a relief. But I’m sorry, we don’t teach magic at this guild. To learn it, you’d have to attend the Mage’s Guild, a private school in the city, find a mage acquaintance to tutor you, or study on your own from books."
"Is that so…? I’ll have to think about it, then."
He hadn’t found any books on magic in the guild archive, after all. Sword skills were certainly important, but Jin had already seen how versatile magic could be. Now he was left wondering how best to proceed.
However, with only two days left before the beginner’s course, Jin concluded it was better to focus on skills he could learn here at the Adventurer’s Guild rather than trying to do everything halfway.
"If you’d like, I could lend you one of the books I used back in the day. Even if you plan to study magic properly somewhere else later, the knowledge you gain from a foundational text will definitely help."
For Jin, who had been about to give up on the idea, Aria’s offer was like a gift from the heavens. Still, if the guild didn’t even keep such a book in storage, it might be something valuable, and he hesitated.
"That would be wonderful. But… are you sure it’s alright for me to borrow it?"
"Yes. I don’t use it anymore, so it’s fine."
"Thank you. I’ll take good care of it."
Grateful for her kindness, Jin thanked Aria with a genuine smile.
"But if you know magic, does that mean you were an adventurer yourself once, Aria-san?"
He asked it casually, still smiling.
"…Yes."
Her reply, however, was heavy, completely different from her earlier tone.
The air, which had been warm and easy, turned heavy in an instant.
Realizing he’d stepped on something sensitive, Jin hurried to find a way to change the subject. That’s when he remembered one of his original reasons for coming here.
"Aria-san!"
"Y-Yes!?"
Jin deliberately called out her name in a louder voice. Aria startled a little, but the weight in the air lightened.
"Please accept this."
Seizing the chance, Jin pulled out the Rosen flower from his bag and held it out to her.
"!?"
Not only Aria, but also Samantha, who had been watching from the side, and several adventurers and guild staff who had turned at Jin’s raised voice, froze in place. One by one, the rest noticed too, until the entire guild fell silent.
There stood a young adventurer, presenting a red Rosen flower to Aria.
Everyone watched with bated breath. But Jin noticed none of it; his eyes were only on Aria.
"Um…"
Aria tried to speak, but the heavy air from earlier had completely vanished.
Only then did Jin realize that while he had handed her the flower, he hadn’t said the most important part.
"I’m sorry for always worrying you. And thank you for always looking out for me. To express my gratitude, I wanted to give you this flower you like so much. Please… would you accept it?"
He spoke earnestly, finishing with a heartfelt smile.
His words carried only faintly to the onlookers, fragments that easily led to misunderstanding, but Jin didn’t notice.
Aria, staring at his smile, found her hand moving on its own. Before she even thought about what his words meant, she accepted the red flower.
"…Gratitude, huh."
After a short pause, she finally caught up to the meaning of what Jin had said.
"I also wanted to apologize for worrying you yesterday. I thought maybe this flower would bring you some peace when you look at it."
Jin beamed, happy she had taken it. He couldn’t tell what she truly felt, but she seemed pleased, and that was enough.
"Thank you, Jin-san."
Aria smiled.
It was the first smile Jin had seen from her in three days. His own grin deepened in response.
"And who told you I like this flower?"
She asked, still smiling.
"G-Gantz-san did. I stopped by his shop earlier, and he told me… Wait, don’t you actually like it?"
Flustered, Jin admitted the source, then asked nervously.
"No, I do. Especially since it was you who gave it to me."
This time her smile carried no shadows. Jin sighed in relief. She really was happy.
The two continued smiling at each other, completely unaware of how the scene looked to everyone else.
At the notice board, the adventurers muttered amongst themselves.
"Oi, Aria-san’s smiling. That’s the first time I’ve seen it."
"Me too. Damn it, who the hell is that guy?"
"He gave her a Rosen flower—red, no less. And she accepted it!"
"Doesn’t the flower mean ‘I love you’? And didn’t he say he liked her or something? Damn it!"
"Seriously, who is he? I’ve never seen him before."
The young adventurers were restless, their voices tinged with jealousy, resentment, and even anger.
In contrast, the older, more seasoned adventurers narrowed their eyes as they watched Aria and Jin. Their expressions and words carried warmth.
"The Ice Witch is smiling. And what a smile it is. Been a long time."
"Yeah… looks like she finally remembered how. That kid did good."
"Right. I almost feel like congratulating him."
"Same. But…"
"Yeah…"
"""In the end, if he turns out to be a worthless man—we’ll crush him."""
They spoke in unison, their declaration quiet but firm.
The same atmosphere wasn’t limited to adventurers. Among the younger guild staff and the older employees, similar murmurs spread.
Aria, it seemed, was cherished in more ways than one.
Meanwhile, Samantha, the only one who had clearly heard everything from start to finish, leaned back in her chair.
(Heh-heh-heh… confirmed~♪)
She wore a beaming smile, looking far too entertained by it all.
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