DanKatsu Volume 3, Side Story

E-book Bonus SS: Hanna Encounters the New Member

I’m Hanna, the only crafter in the guild <Eden>.

Actually, just recently, our guild gained yet another member!

Following Miss Kalua and Miss Rika, he’s our eighth member. And believe it or not, the new member is a boy!

I was shocked. Honestly, I thought Zephyrus-kun was building a guild of only girls.

N-no, of course I always knew. Zephyrus-kun isn’t that kind of indecent person.

Still… I can’t deny I felt just a tiny bit relieved.

Anyway, about the new member. His name is Celestan-san.

He wears a crisp black butler’s uniform, stands tall, and always greets people with a perfect smile—he’s really cool. Of course, if we’re talking about real coolness, Zephyrus-kun is… Ah, no, nothing. Forget I said that.

Ahem.

Normally, when we get a new member, <Eden> throws a welcome party, but apparently we’re skipping it this time.

When I asked Zephyrus-kun why, he said:

"Celestan joined ahead of the others. I can’t throw a welcome party just for him and leave the other four out. Don’t worry. Once <Eden> ranks up to E and those four join, I’ll throw the biggest welcome party ever!"

His eyes sparkled as he said it. Well, his eyes always sparkle, but still. I’m sure when the whole group is together, we’ll have a grand feast. I’d better polish up my cooking!

Yes, that’s right. Along with Celestan-san, there are actually four more people who passed the interviews. They’ll be joining at the same time later, so in a way, Celestan-san is the same generation as them.

Those five were brought in by Miss Sierra, Miss Ester, and Lady Lana.

Normally, Celestan-san should’ve joined with the other four.

But his competence was just too overwhelming.

Originally, he wanted to join not as a guild member, but more like Zephyrus-kun’s personal retainer.

Once he showed his talents, Zephyrus-kun immediately started entrusting him with tasks. And then it became too awkward for him not to be an official member, so he joined ahead of the rest. Pretty impressive, right?

Zephyrus-kun even said guild management got a lot easier since Celestan-san arrived. Another amazing addition.

And one of those changes affected me directly.

"Lady Hanna, please craft this item for us. Here is the recipe."

"Ah, th-thank you, Celestan-san."

"Not at all. Your production skills are the backbone of the guild. I’ll help however I can. But if it’s too much, don’t hesitate to tell me."

"N-no, I’ll be fine."

Like that, I—the only crafter in <Eden>—started getting more requests for potions and other goods, both for the guild’s use and for selling to other guilds.

Of course, I still can’t produce much beyond what we need ourselves.

But I learned something incredible: even raw materials that we used to just sell off can be turned into decent profits once processed with 『Alchemy』.

Celestan-san knows so much about 『Alchemy』—even more than me, even though classes haven’t even started yet! He even copies recipes from the Academy’s Great Library and brings them to me.

No wonder Zephyrus-kun praises him so much.

I need to step up too, so I can really support the guild.

Still… there’s one thing Celestan-san absolutely refuses to change.

"Lady Hanna, thank you as always for your deliveries. You’re a great help."

"N-no, really, it’s fine. Um, Celestan-san, could you maybe stop calling me Lady Hanna? I’d actually prefer if you didn’t…"

Yes—for some reason, he insists on calling me "Lady Hanna." I’ve asked him to stop countless times, but he just won’t. Or rather, he genuinely believes that’s correct.

"Impossible. Lady Hanna is Lord Zephyrus’s childhood friend and one of the few people he deeply trusts. I could never treat you lightly."

"N-no, no, no! I’m really not that important!?"

"Fufu, you’re just being modest."

No, he’s definitely misunderstanding something about me!

I’m just a village girl! Well, Zephyrus-kun is a villager too… wait, does that make villagers as amazing as nobles? …Now I’m confused.

"Lady Hanna, please make this next. It should fetch a good price and fill our coffers nicely."

"I’ll do it!!"

Ack—I answered without thinking. Well, never mind the little details. What matters now is rebuilding my savings.

You see, I actually just bought a full set of equipment. Since I’ll be going into dungeons with Zephyrus-kun and the others, I got myself a whole set of armor.

But the price… it was terrifying.

I’d never even seen numbers that big before. Back in the village, I only ever dealt with amounts about three digits smaller. But here in the academy, everything is so expensive. Is this what "the city" is like?

Zephyrus-kun says it’s normal for prices to climb higher as the story progresses, but honestly, I don’t really get it.

Anyway, after paying that enormous sum with a ding, my purse was nearly empty. Time to start saving again…

That’s when Celestan-san brought me a really profitable quest.

A quest is a request commissioned by another guild, an individual, or even the academy. Completing one earns you a reward.

For a first-year student, it’s a very precious source of income.

Since I’m an 【Alchemist】, I specialize in crafting and deliveries.

That’s why Celestan-san carefully picks out requests for me—ones that I can actually make, with materials already in stock, and that yield good profits. Celestan-san is amazing!

Thanks to him, even the Mirus I’d been struggling to afford for a while has stabilized a bit.

All thanks to Celestan-san! Time to work briskly today too, crafting and completing orders!

Carrying my supplies, I headed toward a workshop where I could do 『Alchemy』.

I could work in the guild room, but compared to the portable <Alchemy Set>, the large, installed  <Alchemy Set> is far better suited for mass production.

And while walking down the road, I spotted a very familiar back.

"Huh? Lulu-chan?"

"Hanna onee-chan!"

The girl who spun around, looking at me with her adorable pink eyes, was Lulu-chan—the one who had just passed her interview and been accepted into the guild.

She’s going to be one of my guildmates in the future, and I’m really looking forward to that.

And Lulu-chan… well, her petite figure is just too cute.

No matter how you look at her, she only seems like a little child.

I’m on the shorter side myself—just a little—but Lulu-chan is even smaller.

Honestly, I can’t believe she’s the same age as Miss Sierra. But since she’s wearing the blue-collared academy uniform, she really is our classmate.

"Hanna onee-chan, what a coincidence, running into you here!"

And you know what’s even better? She calls me onee-chan!

It feels just like I suddenly gained a little sister. I’ve always wanted a younger sibling, since I’m an only child.

Oh—can’t keep Lulu-chan waiting. I’d better greet her properly, too.

"Lulu-chan, what a coincidence. Are you out shopping on your own?"

While saying that, I couldn’t help but glance around, wondering if a guardian was with her.

Halfway through, I realized and stopped myself—no, Lulu-chan is our classmate, she doesn’t need a guardian!

"Aye! Sierra gave Lulu lots of lovely stuffed animals, so Lulu wants to give her something in return! That’s why Lulu is shopping today!"

What a good girl.

In other words, she wants to buy a present for Miss Sierra as thanks. Just imagining Lulu-chan hugging Sierra, saying Thank you, onee-chan! And giving her a gift… the image was so heartwarming, my cheeks loosened up.

No no! I have to stay composed. I’m the onee-chan here—if I get all mushy, my dignity as an older sister will be ruined!

Wait—no, I’m not actually Lulu-chan’s real sister. I just… slipped into thinking I was. Is this the power of Lulu-chan’s charm?

I straightened my expression and asked her:

"I see. So, have you already decided what you’ll give her?"

"Aww… not yet. But Sierra told me about a good shop, so I thought I’d go check it out."

"Shopping, huh? Sounds nice."

Meanwhile, I had production work waiting. I didn’t really have time for shopping.

"Hanna onee-chan, if you’d like, would you go shopping with Lulu?"

"Let’s go."

I answered instantly.

Sorry, production work. Sorry, quests. I might be a little late—but I’ll get to you later!

"Yay, that makes Lulu happy! Let’s go right away, Hanna onee-chan!"

She shyly held out her tiny hand.

My HP instantly dropped into the red zone. No, wait—I checked my status, and my HP was still full. Guess it was just in my head.

Pulling myself together, I gently took Lulu-chan’s hand.

Her hand was so small! Ugh, my cheeks are about to relax again.

"This way, Hanna onee-chan!"

"Okaaay~"

Ah, even my voice came out all soft.

Luckily, Lulu-chan didn’t notice and simply started walking, so I matched her pace, strolling along with her.

"Where exactly were you headed, Lulu-chan?"

"Aye. Sierra told me it was this way… Ah! There it is!"

"That one, huh!"

It wasn’t far at all—we arrived almost immediately.

And the place turned out to be… well, how should I put it? A fancy shop.

Miss Sierra sure knows her stuff. Does she come here often, I wonder?

The shop, in a word, was packed full of plushies.

Most likely, this was where Sierra had bought the stuffed animals she’d brought to the guild.

"Fwaaah~! So much love—so much love overflowing!"

The moment Lulu-chan stepped inside, she looked around with sparkling eyes, overwhelmed with delight.

Is it really fair for such an adorable creature to exist? Honestly, she’s way cuter than any of these plushies.

"Fuwawawa~ Fuwawa~"

She floated forward, drawn in by the fluffiness, and of course, I followed after her.

What do I do? The plushies are certainly cute, but I can’t take my eyes off Lulu-chan as she wanders ahead, eyes shining like stars!

She’s just… too precious!

"That one deserves love! And that one, too! Love is overflowing here! So much love!"

Her love runs deep. Really deep.

Like a fairy running through a flower field, Lulu-chan spread her arms wide, scattering smiles all around her—mostly at the plushies. (Though, I admit, a part of me wished she’d scatter just a little of that smile my way too.)

At this point, it’s pretty obvious: this trip isn’t about giving Sierra a thank-you gift anymore. Lulu-chan’s just enjoying herself to the fullest. But that’s fine—seeing her so happy is more than enough.

So, I took the chance to enjoy the sight of her together with the plushies.

"Hanna onee-chan, Hanna onee-chan! It’s full of cute plushies in here!"

"It really is~."

"This place is paradise! Truly paradise! I want to take them all home and shower them with love!"

Is she planning to build her own personal paradise of plushies? Just imagining it made me smile a little.

That reminds me—our guild is called <Eden>. Zephyrus-kun once told me it means ‘paradise.’ For him, it is his paradise. And now Lulu-chan wants her own plushie paradise, too. Everyone’s overdoing it with the paradises!

Oh, wait. I almost forgot something important.

"By the way, Lulu-chan, what about your budget? How many plushies are you planning to buy?"

"……"

The moment I asked, Lulu-chan—who had been happily floating around—suddenly froze.

She picked up one of the display plushies and hugged it tightly.

"...Lulu can only afford one. Out of all these, Lulu can only buy one."

Her voice carried a sad little note.

Well, if the goal was to buy Miss Sierra a thank-you gift, then one is enough. But I didn’t say that out loud.

Instead, I stepped closer and wrapped my arms gently around her from behind.

"It’s okay, Lulu-chan. Maybe you can only buy one for now. But everyone in <Eden> is really strong. And Zephyrus-kun knows so much—he’s a great teacher. Once you officially join and take up your job, I’m sure they’ll take you dungeon diving lots of times. You’ll save up plenty of money. Soon enough, you’ll be able to buy as many plushies as you want."

"...Really?"

"Of course. I guarantee it. As long as you leave it to Zephyrus-kun, you can’t go wrong!"

"Zephyrus-oniisama is amazing!"

"That’s right! Zephyrus-kun really is amazing! Let’s work hard together, Lulu-chan, and earn lots of money—then we can buy mountains of plushies!"

"Aye! Lulu will do her best!"

Her smile returned, chasing away the gloom, and before I knew it, my arms squeezed her tighter. Hug.

"So cute."

"Aye! Plushie-san is so cute!"

…That was meant for you, Lulu-chan. But it seems her eyes were only full of plushies. Ouch.

Well, that’s just who she is—our sweet, honest, gentle Lulu-chan, who loves plushies with all her heart and is loved by everyone in return. A true plushie devotee.

That day, I felt like I grew just a little closer to Lulu-chan.

I can’t wait for the day she officially becomes a guild member.

By the way, since this was meant as a thank-you gift for Miss Sierra, she ended up buying a small, palm-sized stuffed cat. It was adorable. Perfect for setting on a shelf as a tiny decoration.

As for the big plushie Lulu really wanted, she decided to wait until after she’d gone on plenty of dungeon runs with.

"Hanna onee-chan, thank you! Lulu will work hard in the guild and gather a whole bunch of plushies!"

"That’s the spirit, Lulu-chan. Do your best."

"Aye!"

…Later, thanks to this very conversation, poor Zephyrus-kun would end up holding his head in despair as the number of plushies in the guild kept multiplying day by day. But that’s a story for another time.

I parted ways with Lulu-chan in front of the shop.

Lulu-chan said she was off to storm Miss Sierra’s place, clutching the bag with her newly bought plushie as she trotted away.

…Honestly, I kind of wondered if I should’ve escorted her. A secret worry I’ll keep to myself.

Just as I was about to start walking again, I ran into another acquaintance.

"Oh? Aren’t you Miss Kacheria?"

"You’re the one who was with Lord Zephyrus of <Eden>."

When I turned around after seeing Lulu-chan off, I noticed someone else staring at her. It turned out to be an elf with light-green side-tails, a flower hair ornament, and a familiar face. Miss Kacheria, who had once come for a guild interview. Surprised, I quickly greeted her since our eyes had met.

"Come to think of it, I never introduced myself back then. I’m Hanna, a member of <Eden> and an 【Alchemist】. From now on, we’ll be working together in the same guild. Nice to meet you."

"I remember. I am Kacheria. As you know, I’ll be in <Eden> from now on. Lady Hanna, I look forward to working with you."

What a relief—she remembered me.

Back during her interview, I had accompanied Zephyrus-kun into the guild room, but I stayed quiet in the corner so as not to interrupt such an important moment. That’s why I worried she might not recall me. Clearly, Miss Kacheria has a sharp memory.

"Ah, there’s no need for the ‘Lady’ with me. Please just call me Hanna."

"Is that so? Then I’ll call you Miss Hanna. Please call me Cheria."

"Miss Cheria, then. Understood."

Even during the interview, I thought she was beautiful, and seeing her up close again only confirms it. They say elves are all stunning, and it’s true—her face is flawless, her skin smooth and radiant, her posture perfect, tall and elegant… She’s everything I envy.

I found myself staring at her with nothing but admiration, but Miss Cheria seemed preoccupied with something else.

"Miss Hanna, the small, adorable girl you were with earlier… Do you know her?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean Lulu-chan. Yes, she’s just like you—someone planned to join once we become an E-rank guild. We were shopping together just now."

"I see…"

Her eyes lingered on the direction Lulu-chan had gone, unwilling to turn away.

"She was very cute."

"She is! Lulu-chan is the cutest!"

"I understand."

Somehow, we immediately clicked. Once again, Lulu-chan’s charm breaks all boundaries. Truly, the Lulu effect… Well, not that such a thing actually exists.

"Miss Cheria, did you come here for something? Oh, wait—were you planning to shop at this general store too?"

Meeting her like this felt like fate, so I asked. Then I remembered we were standing right in front of a little-known specialty shop, and hurriedly stepped aside so we wouldn’t block the way.

"No, actually… It’s embarrassing, but I don’t have anything particular to do. I was just wandering."

"Wandering?"

"Yes. I have a little free time before Lord Zephyrus can make me into a 【Elementalist】. Until now I’ve been pouring everything into training to manifest it, but suddenly there’s nothing left to do."

Ah, that makes sense.

People like Miss Kalua, Miss Rika, and the others were granted jobs by Zephyrus-kun right away, so they were busy leveling and diving dungeons afterward. But Miss Cheria hasn’t been formally taken a job yet, though her path is already decided. Meaning, she no longer needs to attend manifestation lessons either.

Basically, she’s hit that "suddenly free and not sure what to do" stage.

I get it. After finishing a big task, you suddenly feel adrift. They say that’s when it’s best to pick up a hobby.

"Miss Cheria, do you have any hobbies?"

"Hobbies? Let’s see… Talking with spirits feels more like training. Besides, I’ve already entrusted <Spirit Garden> to <Eden>. So, no… I don’t really have a hobby."

"In times like these, they say it’s best to find one. Maybe try something new?"

"A hobby, huh…"

"Is there anything you particularly like? Things or activities you enjoy?"

"Well… I like walking in nature, but there isn’t much of that here. And I can’t enter dungeons yet. Aside from that… I like cute things."

"Oh, me too! I love cute things!"

Actually, everyone in <Eden> does. Cute is justice, after all.

"Anything else you like?"

"Hmm… yes, I enjoy satisfying my curiosity. Even this little walk was mostly to explore the Academy."

"I see. Then, how about books?"

"I love them. Books are crystallized wisdom."

"Then how about the <Great Library>?"

"The… Great Library?"

Oh wow—Miss Cheria doesn’t know about the yet. For us crafters, it’s a regular destination since so many production recipes are stored there, but Shelia’s aiming for the <Dungeon Department – Combat Division>, so I guess no one told her.

"Yes. It's a facility with an incredible library, packed to the brim with books up to the high ceilings, about three stories high!"

"That sounds fascinating."

Miss Cheria’s eyes lit up.

"In that case, perfect timing! I’m headed there myself. Want to come along?"

"You are as well, Miss Hanna? Then I’d be delighted to join you."

And just like that, Miss Cheria tagged along.

"I see, so production recipes are stored there."

"Right. Crafters can’t produce without recipes. It’s even written right on the front page of the Academy guidebook."

"Interesting. The pamphlet I received was very different—it focused on the training grounds, the marketplace for buying and selling, and how that buy any dungeon loot. Essential things for dungeon explorers, it seems."

We swapped info. As first-years, there’s still so much to learn.

Still, that just proves even more that visiting the <Great Library> is a must. Zephyrus-kun said all the basic knowledge you could want is gathered there, so I can’t recommend it enough.

"We’re here!"

"It’s huge…"

The —easily millions of volumes. The shelves reach so high that you can’t even read the spines near the ceiling. Absolutely massive.

While guiding Miss Cheria, I searched for the recipes I needed for production, things beyond what Celestan-san had requested.

By the time I found what I was looking for, Miss Cheria was already seated at one of the library’s desks, completely absorbed in a book.

And honestly… it was like something out of a painting. Her back straight, her presence calm and mature, she looked perfectly at home here. I’m glad I brought her.

Even after I finished copying the recipes I needed, Miss Cheria hadn’t budged an inch. Her concentration was incredible.

But the moment I made to leave and called out to her, she lifted her gaze at once.

"Miss Hanna, my apologies. I was lost in focus."

"Not at all. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ve finished my errands here, so I’ll be heading off now."

"Miss Hanna, thank you for today. I’m very grateful you brought me to the <Great Library>."

"Ehehe, you’re welcome. Well then, Miss Cheria, see you next time."

"Yes. Most likely when I join the guild, but I’ll look forward to it."

"Same here!"

And with that, I parted ways with Miss Cheria and made for the production workshop.

Everyone who’s joined lately—they’re all such good people.

The guild is only going to get more fun from here.

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