Eventually, with Firanna’s encouragement, we moved on from the uncomfortable subject of my gender, and onto more pressing concerns - like how best to put our skills to use in the upcoming hunt.

“I’m essentially useless for combat,” May told us, as the carriage rumbled along towards the town. “I want you all to be aware of that, and not to take offense when I scream and duck behind you for cover. Which I will be doing at the first sign of a monster.”

“Well, you’re certainly blunt, aren’t you?” Firanna muttered. “Don’t worry - with my magic, taking care of the boar should be easy.”

“Aren't you worried about ruining the meat?” I asked. “I'm sure your powerful, but a fire affinity might not be-”

“My affinity is not fire,” Firanna interrupted, glaring at me. “It's ice.”

“But I thought every member of the royal family had…” I trailed off under her icy stare. “Right. Sorry.”

“As I was saying, I’ll be the one to halt the boar with my magic,” Firanna continued, after a moment more of glaring at me. “Amy, you will focus on protecting May and Pauline. May, in turn, can point out any vegetation worth grabbing on our way to the boar, while Pauline will be on hand to heal any injuries in the unlikely event that they occur.”

“Question,” May stated. “You never told me the purpose of this hunt. Why are we going after a monster boar? There are much more profitable monsters to hunt. Carnivores that do not eat all the magical vegetation around them would be preferred.”

“We’re hunting for a boar because it’s Bridgette’s favorite meal,” Firanna explained, before I could. “Did you tell her nothing, Amy?”

“I was a little distracted by her work on Princess Jethroo,” I said in my defense. “And she didn’t seem to care much about anything beyond getting ingredients for alchemy.”

“I don’t care,” May confirmed. “As long as there’s ingredients to be found that is. Monster boars are notorious for eating up everything worthwhile in their environments. Though I suppose there’s at least the core.”

“I uh… actually need that,” I confessed. “To make mana potions.”

“You are taking the core?” May asked, turning to me. “And Lady Firanna is taking the meat… I do not see where I fit into this.”

“You can identify plants on the way to the boar’s habitat,” Firanna said. “And I’ll pay you three gold coins besides - that should be more than enough to get yourself some proper alchemical ingredients.”

“…Acceptable,” May said, after a moment’s thought. “So long as I am the one who brews the mana potion.”

“You want to brew it?” I asked. “But… I’m the one who needs it.”

“You can have it,” May said. “I just like brewing things. Even boring things, like mana potions - though I suppose I could experiment a little? The process is simple by itself, but the taste leaves something to be desired. Making it taste good without losing efficiency would be challenging - especially if I am restricted to using plants we find along the way to the boar.”

“And that’s… a good thing?” I asked, a little confused.

“Yes. Obviously. Simple work is boring. I yearn for the challenge. Also, if I succeed, I can laugh in the face of those who make mana potions the boring way and say that I’m better at it. I suppose my parents could also make use of the recipe to sell mana potions at higher prices. They’d like that.”

“Your parents,” Firanna interjected. “They’re merchants, are they not?”

“Yes,” May confirmed. “They own and run the Forthright Trading Company.”

“Forthright indeed,” Firanna murmured. “They’re quite successful, from my understanding - and yet you, personally, are here as a scholarship student, are you not? Something generally reserved for commoners with no wealth of their own.”

“That’s because my parents didn’t wish for me to come here,” May explained. “They initially did, since they hoped I could make connections, but after the fifth - or sixth? I stopped counting, actually, but after the seventh etiquette teacher broke down crying at my hopelessness, the eighth made them promise to never let me near anyone of noble status.”

“You’re joking,” I said, hardly able to believe my ears.

“Yes,” May confirmed. “I’m fairly certain there were only five etiquette teachers. Also, it was my parents’ decision that I not be allowed near nobles. But I wanted to learn more about alchemy, so I secretly applied for a scholarship anyway.”

“That’s really impressive,” Pauline said. “The scholarships are pretty competitive.”

“Yes,” May confirmed, nodding. “Or so they told me. My scholarship was for alchemy in particular, though, which has always come easy for me. Unfortunately none of the other subjects do. I do spectacularly terribly in etiquette classes, for example.”

“I thought the etiquette classes for you commoners was meant to be easier than what they put us nobles through,” Firanna remarked. “Since you’re only expected to know enough not to piss off anyone of higher rank.”

“Yes,” May said, nodding. “It’s very difficult for me to actually care about that, though, so I usually just plot out alchemy recipes during class time.”

“That might be why you’re failing,” Pauline pointed out, her voice gentle.

“Yes,” May said, nodding again. “It probably is. Would you like to hear my latest alchemy recipe? It makes everything taste sweet for three hours after you drink it. Despite this, it contains no sugar.”

“Is there a purpose to that?” I asked.

“…It might help parents get their children to eat vegetables.”

“You just thought of that, didn’t you?” I accused.

“Yes. I am now also considering whether I can make a potion that makes everything taste like vegetables. Though I suppose first I’d need to pick the vegetable. Or find a taste that just makes people think of vegetables? The essence of vegetables, even.”

“And who would use that?” Firanna asked, before I could.

“Pranksters, perhaps? I don’t know. That’s for my parents to figure out. I just make the recipes.”

“Yes, well, just as long as you keep your little potions away from the dinner I’m making,” Firanna said. “I don’t want anything to ruin the taste of boar.”

“Of course,” May said, sounding almost affronted. “A potion must be appreciated by the one who consumes it, or it is of no value.”

“But didn’t you just say that your vegetable potion would be best used by pranksters?” I pointed out. “I doubt the victims would appreciate it, in such a case.”

“Yes,” May said. “I just said that as an excuse, though. I mostly just want to create the recipe because I think it’ll be a challenge. Also, I don’t really care whether the potion is enjoyed or not. Saying I did just seemed like the best way to ease Lady Firanna’s fears.”

“And you’re just admitting it?” Firanna asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Is that a problem?” May asked, arching an eyebrow right back. “I really won’t mess with your dinner.”

“How can I be sure you’re not just saying that to put me at ease?” Firanna challenged.

“Because I am not an idiot? Ruining a princess’s dinner would get me in trouble. Though you still haven’t explained why this Bridgette is worth hunting a monster for.”

“Do you care?” Firanna asked.

“Not at all. Would you like to hear the recipe for my no-sugar sweet potion?”

“Not at all,” Firanna replied, leaning back in her seat.

“Understood,” May said. “To begin with, I take-”

“I said I don’t care!” Firanna interrupted, frowning.

“I know,” May replied. “But I decided that I don’t care that you don’t care. Now, as I was saying, the first step is find a flask of the proper size. I like to make big batches, so the bigger the better as a rule - unless I’m making a super concentrated potion, at least, in which case I use the smallest flask I can find. Of course, sometimes I can’t find a flask at all and have to settle for a beaker - do you know the difference between a flask and a beaker? A flask has a narrow end and a wide bottom, while a beaker is a simple cylinder. Both have their uses within the alchemical process, but I personally prefer to use flasks most of the time. They’re convenient to hold. And look dramatic when I swing them about.”

“Ugh…” Firanna murmured, grimacing. “Something tells me this is going to be a long trip.”

***

Long winded explanations of alchemy aside, we did eventually arrive at our destination. Usually the carriage had a predetermined stopping point right at the center of town, but in this case Firanna insisted that the driver take us to The Guild itself. Perhaps due to her status, the driver caved - or maybe it had more to do with her icy glare, and less than subtle threats about freezing the carriage’s wheels if he refused her.

Regardless, we soon found ourselves in the guild. Unfortunately, our problems didn’t end there, though - as it turned out, there were no quests for hunting boar monsters on the board. Which, in turn, left us with only one option.

“Please, any line but that one,” I said, trying not to panic when I saw Firanna moving towards a particular secretary’s line.

“But it’s the shortest one,” Firanna protested. “There’s only one other person in it. And look - the secretary is even waving at us.”

“Um… Is it just me, or did she do something to the person in front of us?” Pauline asked, looking worriedly at the aforementioned gentleman, who was now doubled over in pain.

“I’m not waiting in line when I don’t have to,” Firanna said, in lieu of answering, already heading towards the secretary.

“Heya Amy!” Ginny called, waving at me. “I opened up a space in line, just for you!”

“I was here first, though,” the rather brave guild member in front of us croaked out.

“Yeah, well, if you wanted proper service than you should have looked me in the eyes instead of staring down my blouse. Also, for the record? You’re not my type.”

“But-”

“Next!” Ginny yelled, loudly. “By which I of course mean Amy and co - how’s my favorite newbie doing?”

“I’m your favorite?” I asked, curious despite myself.

“You or Bridgette - kind of a coin toss, really, but you’re currently winning on account of actually being here. With a whole party, it looks like. Need to get them registered?”

“Yes,” Firanna interjected. “I would like to register as an official hunter. Pauline is a healer, and May here is a gatherer - you can take care of the registration with that information, yes?”

“Of course!” Ginny confirmed, grabbing a few samestones. “I’ll register you in half a jiffy. Maybe even a quarter!”

“What’s a jiffy?” May asked.

“A length of time that means whatever I want it to,” Ginny replied, grinning. “Now give me two shakes and a third of a jiffy, and you’ll be all set. Anything else you need while I’m at it?”

“Information,” I said. “We’re looking for a boar monster, but there’s nothing on the board.”

“A boar monster?”

“Preferably a tasty looking one,” Firanna added. “I intend to turn it into someone’s dinner.”

“A tasty looking one, huh?” Ginny asked. “Not really sure what a tasty looking boar monster would look like exactly… but I do know a place where you might find one.”

“Might?” Firanna asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Uh-huh. There’s been some signs of a new monster claiming territory in the nearby woods, but nobody’s actually seen what’s doing it yet. It also hasn’t actually attacked anyone or done anything yet, so nobody’s put a bounty on it - but The Guild’s promised to investigate anyway, ‘cause information’s power and all that. And also it’s sort of expected that we can answer questions… Now, usually we don’t send newbies out on these investigation quests - need someone seasoned, who everyone trusts, y’know? - but I could ‘accidentally’ let slip the precise location, and you could - coincidentally - end up there. And hey, if you hunt whatever’s causing it, then it doesn’t really matter whether the information you come back with is trustworthy or not ‘cause there won’t be a monster there anymore, right?”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Firanna mused.

“Does it?” I ask. “We’re not even sure it’s a boar!”

“But it could be one!” Ginny said. “And even if it isn’t, it’s probably something edible. Worse comes to worse, I give you first dibs on the next monster boar quest we get.”

“And why would you do any of this for us?” Firanna asked.

“Other than the fact that I’m bored, like to thumb my nose at the guild rules, and kinda-sorta have a minor girl crush on Amy?”

“You what?” I asked - or tried. Pauline actually beat me to it, causing me to look at her in surprise.

“It’s because you’re going to pay me!” Ginny continued, ignoring the exclamation. “One rack please!”

~~~

Author's Notes

Of course, if you're eager to read ahead, you could always join my Patreon and read up to chapter 44 for as little as $1~! (...I'm a bit behind on updating here. I've posted up to chapter 39 elsewhere.)

PS: I updated the synopsis. No big changes, but I cleaned it up a bit with help from a patron on my dsicord. Also gave credit to the artist of the cover, thesweetwinter. Since I apparently wasn't doing that before?