Additional Episode ~Fate Story~
A Day In The Life Of The Guild <Wappen Seal Sticker>
I’m Marie, a tailor from the guild <Wappen Seal Sticker>.
Right now, I’m working shop duty.
"Marie-senpai, you here~?"
"I’m here~."
Right on cue, today’s customer arrives.
And not just any customer—this one’s been clearing dungeons at breakneck speed lately, piling up materials into towering heaps every time he comes in. One of our guild’s prized patrons.
"Marie-senpai! I’ve got a mountain of materials again today!"
"Mister~, you could stand to hold back a little, y’know?"
Even though I say that, he just keeps stacking the materials with that bright smile of his.
This guy is Zephyrus, the newcomer who joined us not too long ago. He’s the one everyone at the academy is buzzing about—the boy who has the 【Hero】 job.
Sounds impressive, right? But honestly, when I call him "Mister," he just gets this sheepish grin. Deep down, he’s just a regular boy.
…Well, regular except for the part where everything he does blows way past normal limits.
"Hey, Mister, you know you’ve brought over a thousand materials this time, right?"
"Please buy ’em up, Marie-senpai!"
…He’s not listening.
Well, this is our usual routine. Maybe it’s my fault for egging him on in the past, but it feels like he’s completely forgotten the meaning of restraint.
Not that I won’t buy them, of course. But still—a thousand! How does he even manage to haul this many here almost every single day? What goes on in that boy’s head?
Anyway, I told him as usual, that I’d need a day to appraise and tally everything. He left after that.
And now… our real work begins.
Just as I rolled up my sleeves, one of my guildmates poked her head out from the back—hair sticking up in every direction like a bomb had gone off.
"Marieee… wow, that’s a lot of materials again~."
"Meily, perfect timing!"
"Ah, actually, I need to go back to sleep right now."
"Nope, not letting you!"
"Ugh, so cruel~."
This laid-back girl is Meily, my classmate and our guild’s 【Accessory Crafter】.
She mainly handles equipment decoration and skill-imbuing, but she’s got this obsessive streak—once she starts, she won’t stop. She’ll work herself to exhaustion, crash in the early morning, sit through classes half-asleep, then come here to nap again.
A true warrior of the forbidden art: the student life turned upside-down.
Her skills are top-notch, though.
Still, she showed up at just the right time. She tried to sneak off, but too late—I grabbed her by the scruff and plopped her down in front of the pile.
I knew she’d just woken up from a long nap. The fact that she was talking this clearly was proof that her sleepiness was gone.
Now then. Time to get to work.
"I can’t help wondering, though. How does he even get this many boss drops? Does he have some ultra-rare item that boosts material drops or something?"
"No prying. He’s our guild’s honored guest, remember?"
"Fiiine, fiiine. I’ll keep my hands busy."
The two of us started appraising the mountain of materials and jotting down the results on the appraisal sheet.
With a thousand items, this takes forever.
But I get what Meily means. Anyone would be curious how he keeps bringing back this many boss drops.
Still, if we push too hard and Zephyrus distances himself from us, that’d be a massive loss.
After all, Mister is completely different from the norm—he brings in boss materials by the cartload.
Normally, you only get about five boss materials per run. But he casually shows up with a hundred plus. It’s insane.
Boss materials are vital for production jobs.
Just like combat jobs level up through fighting in dungeons, production jobs level up through crafting.
But here’s the catch: just like combat jobs stop gaining much EXP from weak monsters, production jobs can’t keep leveling by making the same old things over and over.
And that’s where boss materials come in. Boss materials are premium stuff packed with tons of experience points. Use them, and you’ll get way more EXP than with normal materials.
On top of that, even the Beginner low-tier boss materials will still give you at least some EXP, unless you’ve completely capped your level. That’s actually a pretty amazing thing.
But here’s the catch: a boss only drops five pieces of material per kill.
That’s why boss materials are supposed to be rare, super valuable.
And yet here’s Mister, casually unloading a mountain of them like it’s no big deal.
Seriously, if it weren’t for the fact that he’s agreed to supply them exclusively to us, I’d be in panic mode right now. If the rest of the production guilds ever found out, it’d be chaos. This absolutely cannot leak.
Thanks to that, though, our <Wappen Seal Sticker> guild is thriving. Even training the new first-years is going smoothly—we owe him big time. The gap left by the graduating seniors will probably be filled in no time. Well… it is tough work handling materials of this caliber, but still.
After about twenty minutes of appraising, I realized it was weirdly quiet next to me. When I peeked over, sure enough—Meily was sitting up perfectly straight, already in the clutches of sleep. Again! After all that napping, she’s still dozing off!?
"Meily, hey! Wake up!"
"Ah! I-I wasn’t sleeping!"
"Don’t even bother lying. And really, you’re still using that cliché line?"
"Zzz…"
"Caught you red-handed!"
She’s totally asleep!
I gave her a light chop on the head.
Seriously, Meily can sleep anywhere—sitting, lying, standing, you name it. What kind of talent is that? Not that it’s one anyone actually needs!
And yet, even after my chop, she didn’t budge from her sleeping posture. Just how obsessed with sleeping is she!?
For some reason, though, her hands kept moving. Not that the work was actually getting done, of course. Probably in her dreams, she’s hard at work.
Honestly, I started feeling bad about waking her, so I just ended up doing the whole job myself.
Even after I finished, Meily’s hands were still twitching, and she looked like she was having a bit of a nightmare.
I wonder how long her "work" is going to keep going in that dream of hers…
Rika And Kalua’s Slightly Chaotic First Day As Partners
The day I, Rika, joined the guild <Eden>, I met the cutest cat.
Wait, no—that’s not right. I met the cutest Catfolk.
"Mm. Kalua. Nice to meet you."
"I’m Rika. Once again, I’ll be counting on you."
That’s how she introduced herself—Kalua.
She’s petite, about a head shorter than me. Light armor, with two short swords at her waist. Looks like she specializes in speedy, multi-hit fighting styles.
On top of that, Kalua has the most adorable, rounded cat ears on her head and a long black tail that sways behind her. I want to touch it. No, wait. I just think it’s cute. No, that’s not what I mean—ugh, I’ve lost my train of thought. Let’s move on.
Anyway, I love plushies. No, I adore them. Why do plushies grab hold of my heart and never let go? I can’t help but hug them tight whenever I see one.
And the ones I especially love are the cute kind—animal plushies, of course.
So naturally, my eyes wandered up and down Kalua’s figure. To be honest, she’s ridiculously cute. The urge to reach out and ruffle those rounded ears, or gently touch her swaying tail, hit me hard. But I resisted—resist, resist! If I tried that on our first meeting, she’d definitely hate me.
First step: build a good relationship.
So, greetings.
We’d exchanged a quick "nice to meet you" earlier, but this would be our first proper introduction face-to-face.
Guild master Zephyrus had told us: the two of us should tackle dungeons together for a while, raise our levels, and strengthen our bond. In other words, Kalua was my partner, my companion. All the more reason to get along.
"……"
"……"
But… huh. The conversation isn’t flowing.
Well, we’ve only just met, so I guess that’s natural.
I’m not exactly great with words myself… but will we actually manage to get along?
No—we will.
I steeled my resolve, heart burning, and asked:
"Would you… Let me pat your head?"
Wait—wrong!! The head-patting comes later! I should’ve said something like "I hope we get along well"! What am I even saying!?
"Mm. No."
And she rejected me!!
The faint little hope I was holding onto shattered instantly. But no—I won’t give up.
"Wait! That was a mistake. Let me try again from the start."
"Mm? …Okay."
"Ahem. From here on, we’re going to be partners. I’d be happy if we could get along."
"Mm. Got it. Let’s get along."
Phew. Close one. Barely scraped by.
I wiped imaginary sweat off my brow to cover my blunder.
Now then—this is where it really matters. How do I actually become friends with her?
Just then—gurgle. A cute little stomach growl came from Kalua.
"……"
"…Kalua, are you hungry?"
"Yeah. I didn’t have money for lunch—ah!"
"What’s wrong?"
"Oh, right. I actually do have money. I forgot."
She… forgot she had money?
Strange way of putting it. But Kalua looked at her student handbook and trembled with joy, going "Ohhh~."
"Rika, I’m gonna go eat now."
"Wait, hold on."
She was about to leave just because she was hungry, but I couldn’t let this chance slip by.
"This works out. I’ll come with you—I was just about to get lunch myself."
"Mm. Sure."
Honestly, that was the plan all along: to have lunch together first, then head straight into our first beginner’s dungeon afterward.
I thought she already knew that, but apparently she’d been convinced she couldn’t eat because she "didn’t have money." Seems Kalua’s a bit scatterbrained.
If I don’t keep an eye on her, things could get dicey.
And so, I decided to tag along with Kalua.
"Do you have a place you’d recommend, Kalua?"
"Mm. There’s a place that serves amazing curry."
"A curry shop, huh? Sounds good."
I don’t dislike curry myself. In fact, who could dislike curry?
From the way she said it, it seems curry is one of Kalua’s absolute favorites.
Keeping that mental note in mind, I followed her—and before long, we stood in front of a fancy-looking curry restaurant called <Marvelous>.
"Here."
"O-oh, really…"
A bead of sweat trickled down my cheek.
I mean, not to be rude, but this is a pretty high-end place. I didn’t expect Kalua to know about a restaurant like this, let alone pick it for a casual lunch.
…Unless—it’s for my sake?
I am the fourth daughter of a marquis, after all. The youngest, sure, but still a daughter of the Marquis household.
Maybe she deliberately chose a restaurant that matched my status.
What a thoughtful girl. I found myself liking Kalua even more.
The only problem was… I don’t exactly have much pocket money. I’m still relying on allowances from my older sister, since I haven’t started earning yet.
If I’d gone ahead and bought that <Mochikko> plushie the other day, I’d be completely broke right now.
In that sense, I really am lucky. I can only be grateful that Zephyrus invited me into <Eden>. At the time, I hadn’t really been thinking ahead.
My manifested job was only a mid-tier one—【Bushido】. I should’ve been focusing on other things. But instead, I let my exhaustion from endless training and practice get to me, and nearly gave in to temptation with that <Mochikko> plushie.
Well, I didn’t end up buying it in the end.
Still, because of that little detour, I met Zephyrus. You never know where life will take you. Thanks to that, there’s now a <Mochikko> plushie sitting in the guild room that I can hug whenever I like.
"Rika, let’s go in already."
"Oh—sorry. I was lost in thought."
Kalua snapped me back to reality. Daydreaming can wait. What matters now is getting closer to her.
And so, the meal we shared at <Marvelous>, the curry specialty restaurant, was pure bliss.
The curry was, of course, absolutely delicious.
There were so many varieties that I honestly struggled to choose.
But more than the food itself, it was watching Kalua eat that made the moment truly delightful.
She ate steadily, mouthful after mouthful, washing it down as though it were soup, going back for refills without hesitation. The sight was so oddly soothing. I only managed one serving, but Kalua breezed past ten bowls without batting an eye.
And that steadily growing, round little belly of hers—it was adorable.
Even after I’d finished, just watching her eat was entertaining enough.
"Fuu… I’m satisfied."
"I’m satisfied too. I’m glad we had lunch together, Kalua."
Truly, a feast for the eyes.
"Let’s come back again sometime."
"Mm. Let’s. I’ll earn a lot, and then eat a lot."
She really does love curry, huh?
That’s another thing I’ve learned about her.
But… there’s one thing that bothers me.
"So, about the beginner’s dungeon we’re heading to… It’s a little early, but—Kalua, are you really okay with… that stomach?"
Yes. That round, adorably bloated belly pressing against her uniform was my concern. Cute as it was, it didn’t look like she’d be able to move very nimbly in the dungeon.
"…Ah! Oh no. I completely forgot."
Looks like Kalua’s a bit scatterbrained. She stuffed herself to the limit without remembering we had dungeon training afterward.
Well, can’t really blame her. I should’ve stopped her halfway through, but she looked so cute while eating that I just kept watching, completely forgetting too.
As things stand, she won’t be able to fight properly in her usual speed-focused style. She needs to walk it off, at least a little. Though… will a little even be enough?
"Alright. Let’s head back to the guild room first. I’ve got an idea."
"Mm. Okay."
Kalua really is obedient.
From what I’d heard, she came to this academy with literally nothing—no support from her family, no allowance at all.
At the academy, breakfast and dinner were provided free of charge at the cafeteria, but lunch had to be paid for separately.
Since I received an allowance from my elder sister, I never had trouble affording lunch. But Kalua, it turns out, had been skipping lunch all this time and going hungry.
How heartbreaking—how pitiful! No wonder, when she finally got her hands on some money, she went wild and devoured all that curry yesterday.
Hearing this, I instinctively tried to hug her—but she smoothly dodged me.
Ugh. For someone with a belly that round, Kalua is surprisingly nimble.
Not long after, we arrived at the guild room of <Eden>, the guild that had been looking after me since yesterday.
"What are we doing here?"
"Mm. I thought we’d borrow the power of <Mochikko>."
In one corner of the room, a small shrine stood against the wall, and on it sat a certain plushie.
It was <Lucky Cat-sama>, a cat plushie that the guild master, Zephyrus, treasured dearly. Oh, how I longed to pet it… but Zephyrus had forbidden us from touching it.
Truly a shame.
Well, I can’t be greedy. He did buy me a <Mochikko> plushie, after all.
So, after bowing respectfully to <Lucky Cat-sama>, I picked up and hugged the <Mochikko> plushie sitting on the table beside the shrine.
That table was its designated spot—its "home." Zephyrus had told us never to move it permanently, and to always put it back after use. I don’t really know why, but I obeyed.
"Mm. Cute."
"Right? Just wait a bit while I set things up."
Seems Kalua likes <Mochikko> plushies too.
That made me happy. I was sure we could grow even closer.
I laid down a sheet so it wouldn’t get dirty, set the plushie on top, and preparations were complete.
"Alright, Kalua. Sit on the <Mochikko>."
"Eh? I can?"
She tilted her head at my words.
"It’s fine. Even if you sit on it, it won’t break. It’s built tough."
This <Mochikko> plushie was massive and sturdily made.
Its concept was to be big and resilient enough to give a comfortable hug even to STR-heavy warrior girls.
Kalua sitting on it wouldn’t faze it in the slightest.
She slipped off her shoes, stepped onto the sheet, and reached out to touch the plushie.
"…Soft… but kind of clings to my hand? It’s really squishy."
"Well, of course. It’s a <Mochikko> plushie. The creator is famous for never cutting corners."
The painful part? It cost me 120,000 miru.
I stroked its squishy surface as I explained this to Kalua.
But this was dangerous. If I kept cuddling this plushie, I’d lose track of time, and before I knew it, we’d be late for our beginner dungeon rendezvous.
I had to get to the point.
"Kalua, go ahead and sit on it. This plushie can be used like this too."
I guided her around and had her sit on the <Mochikko>.
It was soft, of course, but its elasticity pushed back against her weight, supporting her like a proper chair.
"Mm… this feels good."
"Doesn’t it? That’s the idea—comfort you can feel with your whole body."
Hug it, sit on it, flop on it—it was made for you to enjoy every way possible.
Then I stepped around behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Now, Kalua, try stretching out your legs."
"Hm? Okay—wah!?"
"Whoops, careful."
The moment she lifted her legs, the plushie wobbled dangerously, but I steadied her with my hand.
"Rika, can I put my feet down? It’s all wobbly."
"That wobbliness is supposed to be good for your waist. Try balancing on your own now, Kalua."
Zephyrus once looked at it and muttered, "That’s basically a balance ball." I forgot to ask what he meant, but apparently, it helps tone your waistline.
Which made it perfect for Kalua’s adorably round belly.
"Mm. I’ll try. …Nn."
"Ohh, impressive! I can’t do it yet myself, but leave it to a catfolk."
Like a balance ball, it was tricky—you rolled off easily, which was both fun and frustrating.
But Kalua, despite it being her first try, quickly found her balance and no longer needed me to hold her steady. As expected of a catfolk, no one could match their sense of balance.
"If you keep this up until it’s time for the dungeon, I bet your belly will slim right down."
"Mm. Thanks, Rika."
"No need for thanks—we’re partners, aren’t we?"
If anything, I should be the one thanking her.
I don’t know how to explain it… But seeing Kalua perched on the <Mochikko>, stretching out her arms and legs and balancing with such focus—she looked so cute.
Just watching her made me happy.
And so, while waiting for our dungeon run, Kalua and I grew even closer.
Oh, and by the way—her belly actually went back to normal in just thirty minutes. That stomach of hers is something else.
...I Wonder If It’s Really Okay To Introduce This Girl.
My name is Sierra. That day, Zephyrus asked me for a favor.
The request was simple: If there’s a promising candidate for a new member, scout them. Introduce them to me.
If that were all, I wouldn’t mind. But my worries never seem to end.
"Sierra? What’s wrong?"
"It’s nothing. Well... I suppose I’m just a little worried."
"! Then I’ll pat your head and make it all better-nano desu! Once you get a head-pat, all your worries will fly away, you know!"
Such heart-melting cuteness.
The source of my worries is sitting right beside me, and yet... when she says things like that, I really do feel like my troubles might just vanish.
Yes. The girl right in front of me is my biggest concern. That ridiculously, ridiculously childlike appearance of hers.
I can’t help but worry Zephyrus might try something indecent with her.
No, I do understand that Zephyrus genuinely wants her as a fighting asset. But whenever I recall the way his eyes lit up, I can’t help imagining the worst.
This girl is actually sixteen. Sixteen years old.
Sometimes I find it hard to believe, but I’ve known her since we were little—we grew up together as childhood friends. She goes to the same academy as I do, so there’s no mistaking her age.
Even though, in appearance, she barely looks older than eight.
And mentally... well, she might be about the same.
But that’s exactly why I could never entrust her to another guild.
She’s just too adorable. That cutesy "-nano desu" tacked onto every sentence alone is enough to melt hearts and win people over.
If she joined another guild, nothing good would come of it. No—she would be the one to suffer.
That’s why I have to protect her—within my reach, as her childhood friend, as her companion.
My worries about her never end.
Which is exactly why the guild <Eden> feels like the perfect environment. That place is unlike any other guild... probably thanks to the guild master.
Everyone’s cheerful, free of negativity, and since it’s a guild mostly made up of girls, I can’t imagine a safer place for her. Truly, there’s nowhere more reassuring.
And yet...
"Good girl, good girl, nano desu~"
As she pats my head, I can’t help but wonder: Is it really okay to let her join?
Zephyrus’s delighted face flashes across my mind.
What exactly does he plan to do with that kind of eagerness...?
No good. My thoughts are looping again.
I shake my head lightly and try to reset my mind.
"But... a promise is a promise. I have to keep it."
"Nyuu? Sierra, you have to keep your promises, nano desu."
"You’re right..."
If I promised to bring her and then backed out, it might hurt my credibility.
Not that I think he would ever care about something like that. But if my own reliability were to drop... that, I’d rather avoid.
I let out a breath and decided to ask her directly.
"Hey... the guild I’m in, <Eden>, is recruiting new members right now. So..."
My Attendants Are Exceptional
I’m Lana. Today, Zephyrus came to me with a request. As both a princess and one of the Hero’s companions, I felt it was my duty to see it through. So, I volunteered to help.
The request was about recruiting new guild members—he asked if I knew anyone I could introduce.
I told him I had two. For Zephyrus to actually come asking us for help, that’s rare in itself. I wanted to do whatever I could to support him.
When I thought about who I could really trust to be companions worthy of aiming for an S-rank guild, the only ones who came to mind were my attendants. But Zephyrus said that was fine, so I decided to introduce them.
They’re the kind of girls chosen to serve as a princess’s attendants—they’re bound to be useful.
"So that’s how it is. You two will be joining the guild <Eden>."
"That’s no problem. In fact, we were planning to ask for the opportunity ourselves, so we’re grateful."
"Understood, Lady Lana! We’ll do our best-desu!"
When I returned to my room, the two attendants were waiting, so I explained everything.
Ester had mentioned it’d be easier if my attendants were in the same guild, and thankfully, both of mine agreed right away. I’m relieved they didn’t decline.
"Lady Lana, may I ask something?"
"What is it?"
The one asking was the maid-uniformed attendant—the one who manages my wardrobe, my schedule, and all sorts of daily matters.
"We already have established jobs... will that be all right?"
That... is a good question.
My attendants are exceptional. Their very role as royal attendants proves that. And their excellence is reflected in their jobs—they’ve already met the conditions and manifested their desired professions.
But Zephyrus is... well, unusual. Every member he’s brought in so far has no job yet. And then somehow, through his strange methods, they’ve all ended up with high-ranking jobs! Honestly, how does he even do that?
If Zephyrus’s plan was to mold every member entirely into his own design, then maybe my attendants wouldn’t qualify. Not that I think he’d ever dare say something so outrageous... If he did, Sierra would probably smack him.
"Well, it should be fine. If it’s a problem, we’ll deal with it then. First, I’ll take you to the interview."
"Understood."
My attendants are both already in high-ranking jobs. They should easily meet whatever requirements Zephyrus has. Yes—I can vouch for them with full confidence.
"And one more thing, Lady Lana. A very timely matter: your father has recommended a candidate to the guild. I’d like him to join us for the interview—would that be acceptable?"
"A ‘him’? So it’s a boy?"
At my question, the maid-uniformed attendant gave a small nod. A boy, huh... The guild <Eden> is full of girls, and at this rate, I’m worried Zephyrus might drift into some... dangerous direction. Bringing in a boy now might be a clever move. If he’s Father’s recommendation, then his ability and character should be beyond question.
"Very well. On the day of the interview, bring him along too."
"Yes. I’ll make sure to fetch him then."
And so, the number of recruits I’d be introducing became three.
I wonder what kind of face Zephyrus will make when he sees them?
I Really Hope She Gets Accepted
My name is Ester. Today, I came alone to the forest park inside the academy city.
I’m here to meet up with a familiar face.
For today, I left Lady Lana’s escort duties to the other attendants. Apparently, Lady Lana also had something to discuss with them, so it worked out for me to step away for a while.
"Ester, over here."
"Oh, you’re already here? That’s unusual—you’re usually later than me."
Waiting there was an elven girl.
For an elf, she was fairly tall, only a little shorter than me.
Normally, she takes things at her own pace, and whenever we arrange to meet up, I’m the one who gets there first. But sometimes, like today, she shows up really early and ends up waiting for me.
We’ve known each other since we were little—so long, in fact, that I don’t even remember our first meeting. Before I became Lady Lana’s personal guard-in-training, we used to play together every single day. But ever since I started working at the royal palace, our meetings have become less frequent, though we still remain close.
She’s still the same as ever—fond of cute, small things, which matches perfectly with my own tastes.
"I didn’t think you’d actually introduce me… I’m really grateful, Ester."
By "introduce," she meant my recommendation to the guild <Eden>. She had been aiming for the High-ranking job of 【Spirit Mage】, but she was stuck, unable to progress—just like Lady Lana had been once. But after Lady Lana and I both advanced to our jobs, 【Saint】 and 【Princess Knight】, she became convinced there was something special about Zephyrus, and asked me if I could recommend her to <Eden>.
From my perspective, she posed no risk to Lady Lana, was trustworthy, and I knew her well—so naturally, she was someone I could vouch for.
Besides, 【Spirit Mage】 is a high-ranking mage job. If she can obtain it, she’d become a truly reliable guild member.
And with Zephyrus’s guidance, there’s real hope she can achieve it.
After all, he was the one who helped Lady Sierra, then myself, then Lady Lana awaken our jobs. More recently, I heard he even supported Miss Kalua and Lady Rika in their jobs.
If that’s true, then maybe… he can make my friend’s dream come true as well.
"Zephyrus-san isn’t the kind of person who exists just to grant people’s wishes, you know?"
"I know. I swear I’ll never do anything that would disgrace you, Ester."
"…Very well. Then let’s go. First, we’ll have the introduction."
Since Guildmaster Zephyrus himself would be conducting the interview, I was about to escort her to the guild room.
Well then… I truly hope she passes.
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