Rick didn't like how quickly morning came. He woke up to sunlight coming in through the window and the sounds of the guild waking up below. The emotional exhaustion from the previous day left his body aching, and the royal summons continued to weigh heavily on his mind.
He could feel Carmilla's steady presence somewhere in town through the Spirit Bond. She was already awake and probably on patrol. Natasha's sharp awareness flickered at the edge of his mind, which meant she was probably awake and looking up something about magic. The connection was still new and strange, but it was beneficial to know they were there.
Rick got up and dressed, putting on his leather armor and sword. He had to tell them about the capital summons today, and he wasn't looking forward to that talk. He went downstairs to the dining hall, where the morning crowd was already having a good time.
While he was eating breakfast, a few adventurers yelled out greetings or made jokes about what he did for a living. Rick had gotten used to the teasing over the past week, and to be honest, it was better than the first time they made fun of him. People at least respected his fighting skills, even if they thought his power source was funny.
He was halfway through his eggs when Carmilla walked into the guild hall wearing her patrol armor. Rick felt a warm pulse through their bond when her eyes immediately found him across the room. Without being asked, she walked over and sat down across from him.
"You didn't sleep well," she said, not as a question but as a statement. "I could feel your worry through the bond last night."
"What happened?"
Rick put down his fork and took out the royal summons scroll. "This happened."
"Captain Marcus from the Royal Guard brought it himself, saying that the Grand Magister wants me in the capital in three days."
Carmilla's eyes got big when she saw the official seal. "The Grand Magister himself?!"
"Rick, this is important! Royal summonses are not sent out for such small things, you know?"
"I know."
"Sebastian talked about some of it last night. There is a prophecy about someone called the Hero of Mature Hearts, and it sounds a lot like my job."
"The kingdom thinks I might know something about it."
"Or you are it," Carmilla said in a low voice, looking deep in thought. "An oracle hero. That would explain why you grew so quickly and had such strange skills."
A sudden wave of cold awareness swept through the bond before Rick could answer. Natasha walked into the guild hall and headed straight for their table, giving off her usual "don't talk to me" vibe.
She sat down next to Carmilla without asking and gave Rick a cold blue look. "Something's not right," Natasha said in a flat voice.
"I felt your pain through the bond last night, and now Carmilla is worried."
"Care to explain that?"
Rick gave her the scroll. Natasha quickly read it, her face staying the same, and then she put it down with care. "Three days to get to the capital."
"If you travel by carriage, that's not enough time. Additionally, traveling solely on foot will also not be feasible."
Rick said, "I need to hire a fast carriage. I spend the silver I've saved up from quests."
"Right away," Carmilla said, "we'll go with you."
"Uhh... What's going on?"
"You don't need to do that, by the way. Both of you probably have important things to do here."
Carmilla said, "It's my job to keep Thornwick safe."
"But if an apocalypse is coming, I know that's a bigger deal to be solved as fast as I can! Also, you are now my bonded partner."
"You're not going into the capital's political mess by yourself because you have me—us!"
Natasha agreed with a nod. "She's right."
"There are many ambitious mages at the Royal Academy who will try to use you for their own ends. Someone who knows how magic works is what you need."
"And someone who can threaten to freeze anyone who does something stupid," Carmilla said with a small smile.
Rick felt something warm grow in his chest that had nothing to do with the Spirit Bond. "Thanks... both of you."
"I don't know what I did to deserve partners like you."
Carmilla said, "You were honest when you could have lied."
"That's more than most people can do."
"And you're useful enough in battle that you won't be a total liability," Natasha said, which was probably the nicest thing she had ever said to him.
Sebastian appeared on the table between them, where all three of them could see him. "How sweet."
"Now that we know everyone is coming, I need to say something important."
They all looked at the little butler. Sebastian happily adjusted his monocle. "By fast carriage, the trip to the capital will take about two and a half days."
"Rick will have to help mature women in many different situations during that time."
"Why do you say that like it's going to happen?" Rick asked with suspicion.
"Because the system has a travel mechanic that I haven't talked about yet..."
"The Mature Affinity System will create side quests to help you grow faster when you're actively working toward a major quest goal."
"You can think of it as the world working together to put the right challenges in your way."
Rick said, "That sounds very useful and also scary."
"It's both, actually. These meetings won't be fake or staged."
"There will be real-life situations where real people need help. The system just makes sure you're in the right place at the right time, and it's up to you how you deal with them."
Natasha's eyes got smaller. "What kinds of situations?"
"Different."
"For example, situations such as broken wagon wheels, bandit attacks, medical emergencies, and travelers getting lost."
"The system finds mature women who really need help and gives Rick chances to help them. Helping them successfully gives him experience and sometimes makes new friends."
Rick said dryly, "So I'm going to be a traveling problem solver like that one gacha game I used to play."
"Yes, in a way. I like to call it 'destiny engineering,' though."
"The world needs you to get stronger quickly, so it's taking away things that get in the way of that growth."
Carmilla got up, looking determined. "Then we should go right away!"
"I'll let the guard captain know that I'm going on emergency leave."
"Natasha, can you get a quick carriage?"
"Already planning to. The guild has contracts with several trustworthy companies."
Natasha got up too, and her cold efficiency took over. "We're leaving in two hours."
"Make sure to bring weapons and pack light. We'll get attention if we travel."
They went their separate ways to get things ready, leaving Rick alone with Sebastian. The little butler floated closer, and his face was more serious than usual.
Sebastian said softly, "Listen closely."
"These experiences you'll have along the way aren't just about learning. They're about figuring out how to use your skills in different situations."
"Every mature woman you help will teach you something new about how to connect with others, read their feelings, and figure out what they really need."
"You're saying this is some kind of a practice...?"
"I'm saying this is your crash course in how to be the hero the prophecy says you should be."
"If you can't help regular women, you can't bring together the most powerful women in the world. Think of this as your last test before the real one starts."
Rick nodded slowly, knowing how serious Sebastian's words were. "Any tips?"
"Be realistic about it."
"Don't try to be brave or cool. Do what feels right and be yourself."
"Your best quality is that you see mature women as people first and sources of power second."
"Don't lose that."