5. Of Woolies And Request Boxes

Arganan and Frey did manage to finish visiting the other residents in town; one Lin Fa and her daughter, Xiao Pai, Kiel (the younger brother of Forte), and they even stopped by Bado's workshop briefly.

"How do you not end up in the red?" Surprisingly, it wasn't Arganan who asked this, but Frey.

Bado could only shrug as he looked up from his work on Arganan's metal arm. "I have a friend who finds some odd jobs for me from time to time. And then I sometimes get work like," He gestured to the limb, "This. I don't mind, though. It's nice to just lay back and enjoy life once in a while."

Arganan frowned. "Surely it can't be enjoyable when you're in the red."

Bado simply shrugged again. "I heard you used to be a Count, right? What's it like? Giving orders, keeping up with everything?"

"More or less, yes."

"I think you just relax a bit." Bado chuckled. "It probably would help you get better faster."

Arganan looked towards Frey for help, but she only shrugged. "He kind of has a point."

He couldn't argue much with that. But now that they visited virtually everyone in town, it was about time to go back to Illuminata and see if she was up for hiring anyone.

"Whoa." Illuminata stared at his lack of left arm as he and Frey entered the florist's shop. "Where did your arm go?"

Arganan could only shrug as he looked towards her. "Vishnal broke it by accident. Bado's fixing it now."

She could only sigh, shaking her head as she moved around the florist shop's counter to face him and Frey properly. "Honestly, I'm not surprised. He's broken a lot of things before."

"Is he usually really clumsy?" Frey asked.

"At times, yeah. He means well, though. Also, don't eat his cooking." Illuminata could onlyl chuckle as she adjusted her monocle. "Are you two here to buy any flowers, or seeds? Maybe Greenifier?"

"Actually," Frey managed, "Arganan and I were wondering if you were hiring anyone."

"Oh? Why?"

Arganan cleared his throat, and he felt Illuminata's gaze on him as he answered. "I…I'm in need of employment as soon as I can. My rooming and medical expenses are paid for already, but for everything else, well…"

"Hmm." Illuminata paused, looking him up and down, and then her gaze settled on his lack of left arm. "How soon is your arm going to be fixed?"

"By the end of tomorrow."

"Well," Illuminata paused, "It would be nice to have someone take over the cash register while I'm on break and maintain the flowers when the shop gets busy. But since you just came to town and you need your arm fixed, maybe I can have you start the day after tomorrow? Give you some time to get used to being here and all."

Arganan fell quiet. That was…quick, wasn't it? "You're just going to let me work for you? Like that?'

"Um…yeah." Illuminata chuckled a bit. "I can train you on the register and such when you start working. That sound good?'

He wasn't about to ask more questions about her readily accepting him working at her place, so he nodded once. "Yes. That would be fine."

"Great!" The detective beamed at him. "I'll see you then!"

As Frey and Arganan said their goodbyes and left the shop, Frey chuckled. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Arganan could only shrug. "I still find it odd that everyone is so…readily accepting, of newcomers."

"I think I have to get used to that, too. By the way, I have a question."

Arganan blinked. "Yes?" Was it about how to rule a kingdom? That kind of thing?

"Can you hear Eliza?"

That…was not the question he expected. Arganan stared at Frey for a full moment, before asking, "Who's Eliza?"

"You don't know?" Frey stared back, before continuing, "She's the Request Box at the front of the castle! You can't hear her speaking?"

Arganan slowly shook his head. He hadn't lingered around the front of the castle for long, so he wasn't sure if he ever heard the box speak. "Not that I'm aware of, no."

"Huh." Frey's nose scrunched up at that. "Well, she told me, earlier today, that I should try befriending a monster so I can bring them back to my Monster Barn, so…"

"Monster Barn?" What the bloody hell is that?

"It's where I can house tamed monsters! Apparently, you can tame and befriend them!"

"But how?"

"I don't know. Gift giving?"

Arganan could only sigh. He didn't know else to react to it otherwise. All he could hope was that Frey wouldn't accidentally off herself. "Maybe this is something you should just ask someone else about."

"You're right. I'll ask Volkanon or Clorica about it." Frey paused, looking around, and then towards Arganan. "I think it's still early enough for us to go out of town. I can check with Volkanon, Clorica or Vishnal about taming monsters and we can go out together, if you want."

Arganan paused. That was technically against doctor's orders for him, after all. Then again, he was curious about what was out there, and if Frey was by his side… "You can fight if needed, I presume?"

"Yup! Forte showed me how to handle a broadsword the other day, so I know some basics! Promise we won't be out long." She grinned, and it was hard for him to resist her giving him the doe-eyes. It reminded him of a younger Calista, of how she would ask to go outside the castle with a look like that. And then he said no—repeatedly, to the point that she didn't bother asking before trying to sneak out late at night.

"Then count me in." He decided. "I'll go with you."

Clorica at the castle (after waking her up, as she'd fallen asleep while leaning against the wall) did clarify that yes, giving gifts to monsters was a common way of taming and befriending them. With that in mind, Frey picked up several Medicine Herbs before she and Arganan left town. The path outside town was a full forest, dense with trees and foliage as far as the eye could see. Thankfully, there was some form of a main path, so they treaded along there so they would have less of a chance of getting lost.

"See any monsters yet?" Frey asked.

Arganan looked to his left, then right, then shook his head. "No." Maybe all the monsters decided to nap today. Maybe this part of the woods didn't have many monsters.

A "baa" suddenly caught their attention, and both Frey and Arganan turned to their left to see a Wooly emerge from the bushes. It looked like a sheep, except smaller and it stood on its hind legs. It stared at them, sniffing, but it didn't outright flee at the sight of them, nor did it seem aggressive.

"Hey there!" Frey walked over to the Wooly, before offering it a Medicine Herb. "Want one?"

The Wooly munched on the offered herb, pausing, but then it gazed at her with expectant eyes. Arganan thought he saw little hearts in the Wooly's eyes, if he was correct. "I think you tamed her. Or him. Whatever it is."

"Great!" Frey smiled at the Wooly, petting its head. "I'm naming her Woolia."

"Woolia?"

"Like Julia, but you put in Wool instead." She giggled, petting the Wooly again, before looking up at Arganan. "Want to pet her?"

He stared at her for a minute. "You're sure that's okay?"

A hum escaped her as she nodded. "Yeah. I don't think it'll bite. Clorica told me they're pretty docile in general, and the easiest monsters to tame."

Arganan carefully got on a knee. Putting his cane down on the ground, he extended a hand towards the Wooly's head after taking off his glove with his teeth. Probably not the best idea to do such a thing, but he was curious about how fluffy the Wooly was, and his lacking a left arm wasn't going to stop him right now.

He placed his right hand on the Wooly's head, petting it. The Wooly stared up at him, a little "baa" escaping it, but it didn't really react much. The wool was soft, akin to a comfy scarf or sweater that you never wanted to stop wearing, and definitely guaranteed warmth.

Frey beamed as she, too, petted the Wooly, who "baaed" a bit at her. "I think she likes you."

"I think she likes you better." Arganan managed, noticing how said Wooly was also trying to eat the seven other Medicine Herbs in Frey's free hand.

A giggle escaped as she teasingly pulled the Medicine Herbs away from the Wooly, only to extend them to her again. The Wooly, in response, ate a second Medicine Herb. "Probably because I have all the food. Wanna come home with me, Woolia?"

The Wooly simply "baaed" a third time. Arganan wondered, in the back of his mind, if Dr. Jones wouldn't mind him also getting a Wooly. Then again, the Clinic was pretty small, so maybe not. And he didn't know how to take care of said Wooly, either. He'd just visit Frey again sometime, he guessed. Calista would've loved to see this, he was sure.