The next morning, Rick woke up to the sun shining through his window and the sounds of the town waking up below. He forgot where he was for a short, happy time.
Then reality hit him like a bucket of cold water. He was in a different world, he could cheat like no one else, and today he had to take an old woman to the next village.
He got out of bed and put on the simple clothes that were in the room's closet. A leather vest, a white shirt, and plain brown pants. Not very stylish, but it works. He put his guild card on his belt and went down to the dining hall.
There were a lot of people in the morning. People of all kinds who liked to explore sat at the tables, eating breakfast and talking about their plans for the day.
Rick took a plate of bread, eggs, and something that looked like bacon but tasted a little off. Then he found an empty corner to eat in peace.
Someone yelled, "Hey, Mature Affinity guy!" Rick tried to ignore it. "Are you going to do any quests today? Need help making some lonely widows happy?"
People at nearby tables started laughing. Rick pretended to be deaf and paid a lot of attention to his eggs.
Sebastian appeared across from him, sitting casually on the table. "Ah, the sweet sound of your reputation growing. What does it feel like to be famous?"
Rick thought back, "I hate you."
"I promise you, the feeling is mutual."
"Careful not to overdo those widows, yeah? Make sure that your virginity is safe, hahahahaha!" An adventurer with two swords starts to make fun of him.
That's the moment when Sebastian starts provoking him, "Are you going to take insult without a counter or anything? That's only going to make you look even more like a loser."
Rick slams the table with his fist, and he is shocked knowing that it hurts, but he needs to act all cool about it to show him that he will be the very best soon enough. "All you do is yap this and yap that, but know this... all the widows, even the MILFs, loved me! Even your fucking mom will soon be next!"
The adventurer was shocked hearing that. "What did you say about my mom!?"
"Your mom is going to make me stronger! You hear that? And I bet she can take my virginity!"
The insult was so strong that it made the adventurer run away while saying he'll regret this, but all Rick does is laugh it out. "Who's next?! My mature affinity has some kind of skills that make hypnotizing any mature women, you know?"
"If I know one of you has a sexy mature women, I'll steal it all!" Rick just threatened everyone in the room until they all felt silent, and they started to clap hard.
"You really are a lucky bastard, aren't you, Rick Rolland?!"
Sebastian starts to shake his head. "I can't believe they're all threatened with fear because of some bullshit talk that was made by a gooner."
"Shut up, this is my moment. Even if I'm weak, I can still utilize my own cheat!" He answered right away.
...
Rick walked to the east gate after finishing his breakfast and putting up with a few more comments about his job. The air was cool and crisp in the morning, and the streets were full of merchants setting up their stalls.
He found Martha right where Miraya said she would be, next to a huge traveling bag that looked like it weighed more than Rick did. Rick wasn't ready for how old Martha really was.
The woman looked very old. She had a very tight bun in her hair that was all white.
She had deep wrinkles on her face and was slightly hunched over when she stood. She was at least in her seventies, and maybe even older. She had on a simple dress for traveling and a walking stick that looked more like a weapon than a way to get around.
"You must be the escort boy the guild sent," Martha said, her voice surprisingly strong for how she looked. "Finally. For fifteen minutes, I've been waiting."
"Kids these days don't know how to be on time."
Rick said, "I'm sorry," without thinking. "I'm Rick Rolland. Today, I'll be taking you to the village."
Martha reviewed him with sharp, calculating eyes. "You're too skinny. Are you able to carry a bag? Fight off thieves? Did the guild send me a useless piece of art?"
Rick said, "I can handle myself," but he wasn't completely sure that was true.
"We'll see about that. Get my bag now, we're leaving because we're wasting time!"
Rick took hold of the bag's handle and immediately wished he had made different choices in his life that had brought him to this point. The thing was very heavy. What did she put in her bag? Rocks?
[QUEST STARTED: TAKE MARTHA TO CLEARBROOK VILLAGE]
[DIFFICULTY: F-RANK]
[GOAL: GET MARTHA TO SAFELY AND BEFORE SUNSET]
[REWARD: 5 SILVER, +25 EXP]
The three-hour walk to Clearbrook taught Rick a lot and wore him out at the same time. Martha talked the whole time, giving her thoughts on everything from the weather to the state of the kingdom's economy to why kids don't respect their elders anymore.
Rick carried her bag, which was too heavy for him to carry, and she nodded along, saying "yes" every now and then when she stopped to catch her breath.
Martha was surprisingly sharp, even though she was very old and always complained. She told stories about Thornwick's past, pointed out useful herbs growing along the road, and even gave some helpful advice on how to avoid making common mistakes as an adventurer.
"Don't trust anyone who offers you a quest that sounds too good to be true," she said at one point. "Especially if it has to do with old ruins or artifacts.'
"You will likely end up cursed or dead in nine out of ten cases. Most of the time, both."
Rick said, "I'll remember that," and moved the bag to his other shoulder.
Rick's arms felt like they were going to fall off by the time they got to Clearbrook. At the entrance to the village, Martha's daughter, a woman in her forties who looked nothing like her mother, greeted them. She seemed genuinely delighted to see them.
"Thank you for getting her safely," the daughter said as she put five silver coins in Rick's hand. "She won't listen to us about going on this trip alone, but we're worried about her."
Rick lied through his teeth when he said, "It was no problem."
Martha looked him over before going into her daughter's house. "You did well enough, boy. Better than some of the other escorts the guild has sent."
"Come back next month if you're still alive."