Adventurer of Many Professions

"Oh, this is so annoying!"

In townhouse No. 34 on Downton Street, the frustrated voice of a young girl echoed through the room. Sylph lay sprawled on her bed, her fists pounding the mattress. "Why hasn't Raymond come to me about doing a mission? Even if he's not doing the promotion mission, there are plenty of ordinary ones!"

It had been ten days since they received their compensation and the chance to be promoted to 'Black Iron' rank. Yet Raymond hadn't reached out to her once.

As her thoughts wandered back to that day, Sylph's cheeks flushed red. She couldn't stop thinking about how awkward she'd been when Raymond handed her the gold coins, how she'd blushed and couldn't even meet his eyes. It only made her more annoyed.

"This is all Raymond's fault!" she exclaimed, flailing her legs on the bed. "He said those things on purpose to confuse me, making me doubt myself and think I'm some… some kind of 'tsundere!'"

Sylph buried her face in her pillow, but after a few moments, she calmed down. Over the past two days, she'd thought about it carefully and finally concluded: Raymond had done it all on purpose. He'd carefully orchestrated the whole situation, asking leading questions and pressing her step by step, giving her no time to think.

It was his fault that she panicked and acted like someone had uncovered her deepest secrets.

"But whether I'm a tsundere or not…" she muttered, her face turning red again. "That's not the point, okay?! It doesn't matter!"

She pushed herself up and stared at her reflection in the mirror, determination replacing the embarrassment on her face. "You said I'm a tsundere? Fine! Then I'll prove you wrong. I'll take the initiative to find you; tsunderes don't do that, do they?!"

Her mind made up, Sylph hopped off the bed and stood in front of the mirror. She scrutinized her outfit, a corset dress with a beige skirt and white top that hugged her figure. Though only fifteen, her body had developed well, especially her chest, which she thought looked… quite impressive.

A hint of pride flickered in her eyes as she muttered, "Is this good enough?"

But after a moment of hesitation, she frowned. "No, this is too ordinary. Maybe I should wear something else?"

Sylph stood frozen for a moment, debating in front of the mirror. Then, suddenly, her cheeks flared up with heat. 'What am I doing?!'

"I'm just going to ask why he's avoiding missions! Why am I worrying about what to wear?" She shook her head to banish the ridiculous thoughts from her mind.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from the mirror. "I'll just wear my magic robe. That's practical, and after questioning him, I can drag him straight into a mission!"

Her eyes narrowed as she grabbed her robe. "It must be because he got too much compensation money. That's why he's slacking off!"

With that, she stripped off her dress, revealing fair, smooth skin. Quickly and efficiently, she donned her mission attire: leather inner armor, chain mail for protection, and finally a loose magic robe that concealed everything underneath.

Adjusting her magic hat and grabbing her wand, she gave herself a final nod in the mirror. "Alright, let's go!"

---

Though Raymond hadn't told her where he lived, Sylph already knew.

On the day he gave her the gold coins, he'd mentioned that Lorene was joining their adventuring team. Since then, whenever Sylph had free time, she'd visited Lorene at the temple, chatting with her or browsing the temple library to catch up on the knowledge she'd ignored in the past.

During one of their conversations, Loreni had casually revealed Raymond's address. Sylph had made a mental note of it, though she hadn't expected to use it so soon.

---

As she walked through the bustling streets, stopping occasionally to adjust her hat or check directions, she finally arrived at 'Red Rose Street'.

Her eyes scanned the row of townhouses until they landed on the number she was looking for. "Townhouse No. 25," she whispered to herself.

She pushed her hat back slightly to get a better look, and her face lit up with excitement when she spotted it. "There it is!" she exclaimed, gripping her wand tightly.

Without hesitation, she strode toward the door, ready to confront Raymond and demand answers. Whatever his excuse, she wasn't leaving without dragging him into action!

Sylph had every intention of marching right up to the door and knocking confidently, but as she got closer, her nerves started to creep in. 'What is Raymond doing right now? Will he think it's weird if I suddenly show up?'

'Wait a minute! I'm here to question him, not to overthink!' she thought, shaking her head and puffing up her chest. With that, her courage returned, and she stepped boldly toward townhouse No. 25.

Standing at the door, Sylph took a deep breath, straightened her back, and rang the bell with conviction.

'Ding-ling! Ding-ling!'

The soft chime echoed through the house, followed by the sound of footsteps approaching the door.

'Click!' The door swung open, and two voices rang out simultaneously:

"Raymond, you didn't bring your key—"

"Raymond, why haven't you come—"

Both voices abruptly cut off, and for a moment, the two girls stared at each other, equally stunned.

Sylph's confident resolve evaporated as she took in the sight of the girl standing before her, a red-haired girl about her age, wearing a simple dress, staring back at her with a curious expression.

Arya, equally surprised, blinked at the blonde-haired girl at her doorstep, clearly dressed as a magician.

Sylph felt herself floundering, unsure of what to say. She had fully expected Raymond to answer the door so she could launch into her rehearsed demands. But now, faced with this unexpected situation, she fumbled.

"Uh… um… does Raymond live here?" she finally managed to stammer, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.

Arya tilted her head slightly, then nodded. "Yes, this is his house. But he's not here right now. Do you need him for something?"

Sylph felt even more awkward. Clearly, this girl knew Raymond well enough to casually open his door. 'Who is she?' Sylph wondered. 'His sister? His fiancée? His… wife?'

The idea sent a wave of discomfort through her. Though she tried to dismiss it, the thought lingered in the back of her mind. After all, in the Kingdom of Atlantis, people could marry as soon as they turned fifteen.

Trying to keep her curiosity from showing too much, Sylph hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you… live here? What's your relationship with Raymond?"

Arya blinked, the question catching her off guard. "Uh, well… yes, I do live here, and we're…" She trailed off, unsure of how to answer.

The same dilemma that had stumped Raymond a few days ago now caught Arya. Calling herself family felt too vague, but any other explanation might be too forward. She faltered, glancing to the side as she tried to find the right words.

Thankfully, she didn't have to.

"Sylph? What are you doing here?"

Raymond's voice broke the tension, and both girls turned to see him walking up the path. He had a long sword strapped to his back, the scabbard catching the sunlight.

Sylph froze for a moment, caught off guard. She hadn't expected him to show up so soon.

"Ah, Raymond! You're back!" she stammered. "I, uh… I came to…" Her words faltered again. She couldn't very well admit she had come to scold him for not reaching out about the missions; not with Arya standing there, her relationship with Raymond unclear.

'What if this girl misunderstands? What if she thinks there's something between me and Raymond?'

Raymond, for his part, was utterly baffled. "You… came to what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sylph fidgeted, clutching the hem of her robe. "I, um… I came to check if you wanted to discuss… the next mission!" she blurted out, quickly adjusting her tone to sound casual.

Raymond glanced between her and Arya, still confused but sensing some unspoken tension in the air. "Uh, sure… Let's talk inside," he said, stepping forward to unlock the door properly.

Arya, still curious about Sylph, stepped aside to let them in, but her gaze lingered on the blonde magician. 'So this is Raymond's teammate… Interesting.'

Sylph followed Raymond in, her nerves still buzzing. She had come here ready to question him, but now her plans were entirely derailed. And worse, she couldn't stop wondering about Arya. 'What exactly is her relationship with Raymond?'

As the door closed behind them, she couldn't help but glance back at Arya one more time, hoping to find some kind of clue. But Arya only gave her a polite smile, leaving her no closer to an answer.