CHAPTER FIVE_BACHERLOR'S DILEMMAS (WHEN LEARNING WHO DOES THE CHORES)
For the first time since Shinji Ikari arrived in Summerise, he woke up underneath a relatively familiar ceiling. The room in which he'd slept overnight was the same room in which he woke up just after the battle against the Great Big Slime. By the time he woke, the sun was streaming past the hovering dust motes in the still cool air. He also realised that it was the first time that he felt well-rested and relaxed after sleeping here.
He lay there a bit longer, wanting to marinate a bit more in the comfort he hadn't experienced in quite some time and listened to the sounds of daily life going on outside. But eventually, Shinji got bored and rose from bed. There was a fresh set of clothes set aside for him on a stool next to the bed. His brain, hardwired by his uncaring tutor, Asuka's wilful disregard for any chores and Misato's abject rejection of the barest of household responsibility (any responsibility for that matter), could not come to terms with the fact that someone else had done laundry and presented it to him for his convenience. It was neat. It was clean. It even smelled nice, though quite what the scent was he couldn't figure out.
Since nobody had come to check on him after getting dressed, Shinji opened the door and walked out into a short, spartan hallway. The walls were bare, and the smoothly varnished floorboards seemed to have been recently cleaned. He went left, not entirely sure where the corridor would lead. That was when he found Bastion, also in pyjamas, walking out of what Shinji assumed was his bedroom.
"Ah, good morning, Mr Ikari," said Bastion cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"
"Y-Yes, Mr Bastion, I did," Shinji replied quietly. "Can I ask where I am?"
"Of course you can. And please, call me Marcus. Can't have people being so formal when they're sharing a house, can they?" Marcus said.
"I can do that Mis-uh-Marcus," stammered Shinji trying to get used to addressing someone else with their first name. "Did I hear you say that we would be sharing a house?"
"Yes, in fact you're in it now!" proclaimed Marcus as he swept his arms around the rather unassuming corridor as if it was as grand as they came. "Come along now, we can get breakfast and then I'll give you a guided tour of Summerise."
"Uh, alright. That sounds good," said Shinji without much thought. He had somehow gotten used to sharing accommodation with military personnel. Though he certainly hoped that Marcus was neater than Misato. At least he hadn't received a picture of the man proudly showing off various unmentionable parts of his anatomy prior to meeting him for the first time. That would have been awkward.
Marcus led Shinji along the corridor a little further and then opened a door into the dining area. Decorated plainly like his room, the dining room had a polished wooden table set simply with cutlery at all eight wooden chairs. Shinji smelt the breakfast from the door and his stomach reminded him that he was, in fact, famished.
The two of them sat down at the table and The Skinny Cart Man from a few days ago materialised to service them food and a large wooden mug each. Marcus started eating with a real fervour and managed to say "thanks Al" in between bites. Shinji, not wanting to embarrass himself with food again, ate in a more circumspect manner. He liked Marcus, but he wasn't quite comfortable showing that side to himself yet. It took a long time before he let his guard down around Misato, though some of that had to do with her being a woman.
They ate quietly and efficiently, Marcus downing his mug with a single scull followed by an echoing belch once he'd made sure the plate was as clean and polished as the floorboards. He smiled with unreserved satisfaction. "Ah, that hit the spot."
Shinji had also finished his food in that time. While the chef was still restricted in their repertoire, it was enjoyable. There were at least some basic spices included in the flavouring this time around, aside from salt. And the mug of fruit juice was especially refreshing.
Shinji got up, and out of habit, started to clean up. First he put the cutlery in one of the plates, then he would have stacked the plates. Except the Skinny Cart Man phased in from an alternate dimension and nudged him out of the way. The plates magically were transferred into the Skinny Cart Man's hands.
"Don't mind Al, Shinji. He gets territorial about his work. Doesn't let anyone clean up around here but him. I don't mind, I hate cleaning up." Marcus doubled down his distaste for cleaning up with another belch. Such is the life of a bachelor. Urgh, reminds me of Misato.
"So, once we clean ourselves up, I'll take you around and show you the sights," said Bastion. "Hopefully Summerise isn't disappointing to you. Judging by your war machine, things are different where you come from."
"Thanks Marcus. I'd like to see more of Summerise. You're being very kind to be, and I'm still not sure I deserve it. I don't want to impose."
They both rose from their seats and as they left, Shinji saw The Skinny Cart Man once again phase into existence to clean up after them. Shinji never did see where the Skinny Cart Man disappeared to as he was distracted by Marcus slapping him firmly on the back. "Nonsense! I can't imagine why we'd treat a great warrior and hero any differently! It's not every day you get to save the kingdom from giant monsters. Normally it's all petty crimes or escorting snooty nobles around the place."
Shinji hadn't considered that the place where he'd landed might be relatively peaceful, his knack for generating large amounts of collateral damage notwithstanding. Or giant, cute, squidgy slimes, for that matter.
"Anyway, I'll meet you outside your room in a little bit."
/
Shinji could get used to the much milder climate of Summerise. Herds of fluffy cotton buds crawled across the cerulean sky while the sun cast a warm yellow glow over everything. He and Marcus, both dressed more casually, walked slowly across the training field careful not to interrupt any drills or exercises being conducted. Most of the soldiers were just running laps around the yard and not much else was happening for now.
The rest of Summerise was awake too. The markets were a babble of activity where livestock was being traded, food was being cooked and prices were negotiated. People walked in all directions carrying this and that. All that's missing is skyscrapers rising out of the ground.
Marcus took them along the wider paved avenues, the trees rustling in the gentle breeze. Kids ran around and in between them in intricate games of chase, pouring out peals of laughter as they flowed like water through the crowds. This is everyday life. This is kind of a paradise, isn't it?
"So, this is the Adventurer's Guild," said Marcus outside a three-storey stone and brick building. "It's the go-to place if you want to earn some money by taking on and completing commissions. The bottom is a tavern and where commissions are advertised. Upstairs is boarding for adventurers and heavy drinkers alike."
"And across the road there is Morris's Tavern. I prefer that one because there are fewer bragging adventuring types." Shinji looked at squat yellow building Marcus was pointing to. It looked a bit rundown and tired, quite unlike the Adventurer's Guild. But then, Shinji reflected, some of the best food he'd ever had had come from run down little corner shops in Tokyo-3. Maybe the interior décor would surprise on the upside.
Marcus continued without much fanfare along the avenues of Summerise. He kept introducing places of interest, though most of them seemed to relate to the consumption of alcohol for some reason. Do all adults need to drink this much? Either way, Misato would really love this place.
Eventually, they came to the part of town that had borne the brunt of the damage during the battle. Shinji looked down at his shoes as he walked, not daring to catch the eyes of any bystanders out of shame. The damage was light at the start; some windows blown out here, a sign bent out of shape there. But as they got closer to the city wall and where Unit One now rested in perfect repose, things looked worse and worse.
He couldn't run away. This was his responsibility. "Marcus, what exactly was around here? All these buildings and the people who were here…"
"Well, there were a few orphanages that were destroyed," began Marcus calmly. He was inspecting the work his men were doing, smiling and saluting grimly where required. "There was a whole row of taverns along the wall there too. They were my favourites…"
Here I thought I'd destroyed something important. Wait…did he say an orphanage?!
"Wh-what happened to the children in the orphanage?" asked Shinji urgently. He had to know. He couldn't hurt another innocent like Touji's sister.
"Oh, don't worry, nobody got hurt. Everyone who wasn't in the fight had been told to get out. The kids are staying in some of the spare quarters in the castle right now. Not like anyone else stays there anyway…"
"Thanks Marcus. That's…a relief."
"Shinji, I know you feel responsible for all of this," said Marcus seriously. "Truly, this was war. Honestly, if you weren't here, it would have been much worse. We would have been lucky to stop the trolls, let alone that slime."
"But…"
"If you feel responsible, then there are ways to make amends. First, we'll need to repair the wall and then rebuild the buildings here."
Shinji nodded. He could do that. "I can do that."
"Good," said Marcus, smiling at Shinji's resolve. "Then we also have to make sure that the threat is eliminated once and for all."
"The threat? There are more slimes?!"
Marcus laughed at that. A sarcastic 'hah' was all that came out. "It's more complicated than that unfortunately. But I'll let the queen and Templar-Commander explain. Come, let's go and see them now."
/
Shinji had decided he didn't like stairs. What's more, his dislike was turning into pure, unadulterated hatred as he climbed more and more of them. He and Marcus had climbed up the stairs from the bottom of Castle Summerise, past the lower fortress levels where the walls were festooned with defensive weapons, up past the general living quarters of the soldiers in the garrison, past the courtyard where Shinji's hearing had been just days earlier, and up to the top.
Or at least, Shinji hoped that the next level was the top. He now realised that the courtyard was probably the mid-point rest stop for anyone crazy enough to make the trek. Marcus on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the climb. Of course not, he's a Fit Handsome Man like Mr Kaji. This is nothing for him.
Eventually the two of them reached another courtyard. This one was smaller, and in many ways, felt much more intimate. There were fewer creeping vines, but lots of bushes and small trees bearing red and yellow flowers and fruit. Shinji could scarcely believe that the view was even better here. He could see for kilometres and kilometres around him. He even imagined he could see the curvature of the planet.
"Alright, we're here Shinji," said Marcus, totally not out of breath. They'd set what Shinji thought was a quick pace up the stairs. His heart was still trying to keep up with his legs, but it was finally slowing down, and his clothes were soaked with patches of sweat. "Good walk huh? If you do even half of that every few days, you won't be as skinny as you look now."
Gee, thanks thought the sarcastic half of Shinji. He was having trouble forming any thoughts apart from comparing the evilness of stairs versus his father.
After a few deep breaths, Shinji finally asked: "Where are we? What's up here in the castle?"
"This part of the castle is the private chambers of Queen Greendrake. She's usually in her study holding council with her advisers at this time of day."
"Are you sure we should be up here?"
Marcus raised an eyebrow at Shinji. "Shinji. I'm the Knight-Commander. I am one of her military advisers, so that means we can be up here. In fact, let's go and see what's happening now."
They walked down a long corridor that had doors on either side with evenly spaced flags depicting the fire breathing dragon on a field of green, reminding all who walked through there of the monarch's family. The corridor split where a double door was, but even on approach, Shinji could hear lively conversation from behind them.
"…I served your father in the Qalone Wars, Your Grace. I know our enemy well," said a stately woman's voice. "We struck him down, but we didn't defeat him completely. In time, he shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
Marcus opened the door without any hesitation and walked in with all the confidence in the world. Shinji followed meekly after him, feeling like he should apologise for the intrusion. Queen Greendrake and Templar-Commander Redwood, both casually dressed, were standing around a large conference table in the warmly lit, but otherwise empty room. It was well decorated with warm wood and light-coloured tiles. On one of the walls was a large hand drawn map, which Shinji assumed was the wider world. Greendrake and Redwood turned to look at the interruption. Redwood usually carried an expression of displeasure at the best of times, but it seemed like she'd been arguing against a brick wall for some time now.
"Your Grace, Templar-Commander, good day to you both," said Marcus, looking at the occupants of the room. He nudged Shinji a little.
"Oh, uh, Your Grace, Templar-Commander Red…" Shinji paused, trying to remember the Templar-Commander's name. Ah, it was: "Redwood. Good day to you both. I'm sorry for the intrusion."
Queen Greendrake waved dismissively at them. "That's fine. I was hoping that you too would come today anyway. As much as I respect and value Renee's advice, I know you two have much to contribute." Greendrake waved Marcus and Shinji to the map stuck on the wall.
"And please Mr Ikari, call me Anna in private."
"I-I…alright. In that case, please call me Shinji." He offered his hand and Queen Greendrake – Anna – shook it firmly.
"Now that we're all here, I suppose it's time we told Shinji what we're facing," said Templar-Commander Redwood.
"Y-You mean that slime isn't the end of it?" enquired Shinji nervously. If he was a religious person, he'd ask what he or his ancestors did in previous lives to anger the gods and ensure he was fated to fight colossal monsters within his own. A colossus which had a literal ghost in the machine. Of his mother. If it got any weirder, his life might be the inspiration for some sort of science fiction franchise that would take fans years to decipher.
"No. It's not even the start of it. You see, we're fighting against a man with great magical ability and intellect. His name is..."
/
Far, far away from Summerise, at that very moment, a man in fancy gilded wizard's robes sat at his onyx stone desk, hands clasped loosely in an arch, deep in thought. A short mop of scruffy peppered hair adorned his head while a moustache twirled and flowed across his cheeks. A pair of circular glasses partially hid his stony expression as he listened to his subordinates give various reports about the state of his Grand Design.
"My dear Grand Wizard, The Archduke General, Gerard of Wessen and Rotesland, I thank you for this audience," beseeched an older, silver-haired man with what one could describe as a wise face. "I have a grave report from the front, which will greatly affect your Grand Design."
"Please, Sub-General Frostlune, pray tell what news from the front."
"Woe! Grim tidings! Grim and woeful tidings, my liege!" wailed Frostlune.
"Sub-General, there are others waiting in line, please be succinct," said Archduke General Gerard, unmoved by the spectacle. There were indeed others waiting in line, orcs mainly, and some trolls. No doubt they also had important business today.
"My apologies, my amateur theatre troupe was rehearsing last night. We're putting together a play that I'm sure...ahem. Report from one of our troll allies. The Legion sent to Summerise was neutralised by a colossus dressed in purple and green," reported Frostlune.
"And nobody was able to defeat this new enemy?" asked the Grand Wizard in an imperious manner.
"No. the Colossus was armoured, armed and performed great feats of strength and agility," replied Frostlune, somewhat dramatically. "It is even capable of igniting other forms of life and creating a great conflagration!"
"I see. Thank you for the report, Sub-General." Frostlune bowed (dramatically). "Please see to it that any survivors of the failed expedition are sent to the mines for hard labour, poor rations and mild-to-middle levels of torture for their incompetence. My Grand Design must come to fruition!"
"Of course, my liege. I will see to it personally. As you say, your Grand Design must not be permitted to fail. We will bring peace to the lands!" And with that, Frostline twirled on his heels, and walked out of the hall with his head held high in a manner fit for a theatrical performance. Some orc guards followed him, pikes held high, but shambolically, in a vain effort to impress.
"This new Colossus must not be permitted to affect our Grand Design. Bring forward the next stage of the Design to tomorrow!"
All present in the hall gave their assent accordingly.
/
"...so you see, we have to find some way to stop Gerard and Unhinged and his minions from taking over the world," concluded Queen Anna. At the end of the explanation, she looked tired and worn. So unlike the lively person she was during Shinji's day in court, seemingly impervious to any and all challenges.
"You forgot the Seven Dragons, which he must now be close to possessing," Templar-Commander Redwood reminded her queen. "Legend has it that whoever can kill these dragons will unite the dragons' hearts and be granted a wish according to their desires."
"Whatever the case, those dragons form the backbone of his power," added Marcus. "His people cower before him not because he is especially powerful, but it is because those dragons are under his control."
Queen Anna Greendrake looked at the map. "So, what's our plan?"
"We need allies, Your Grace. As many as we can get," Redwood answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Our neighbours must be able to contribute to the fight. They are all threatened by Gerard and his madness."
"Alright. I'll contact them. In the meantime." Anna looked Shinji in the eyes. Though she was tired, her eyes belied a strength that reminded him of his favourite redhead. He could lose himself in those deep blue eyes... "Is there any way for you to help repair our wall?"
"I-I...don't know. But I'll help in whatever way I can," he said. He'd resolved that he wouldn't run away, and the few seconds of eye contact between them had resulted in an understanding that they needed Shinji Ikari to help them. And Shinji had made an unspoken commitment.
"Then that settles it," declared Queen Greendrake, her strength returned at least for a moment. "I will contact our neighbours. Marcus, tend to your men. Renee, keep building our defences against Gerard's magic. Shinji, build a wall. Or some buildings."
Even someone of Shinji's social ineptitude realised that was the end of the meeting.
/
Shinji had much to think about as he made his way down the seemingly infinite number of steps in Summerise Castle. He had what he considered a relatively simply job. Rebuild a wall. How hard could it be? And it looked like he had to use Evangelion Unit One to help defend not just Summerise, but a much bigger threat in the wider world around them. The thoughts at least kept him distracted from the pain his legs were in from all the climbing he'd done.
Well, if the queen wants me to rebuild a wall, then I guess that's what I'd better get to doing.
"Marcus, could you please tell me where to start with helping to rebuild the walls?" asked Shinji as his legs wobbled on step number one billion, eleventy thousand and one.
"Hmm," Marcus was deep in thought. He seemed unperturbed by the damned stairs. "I would say the best place to start is to ask at the Carpentry Guild or the Masonry Guild. I think they could do with extra hands."
"Alright, I'll see what I can do to help."
/
"Shinji," began Ken awkwardly. "Have you ever even seen a hammer before?"
The context to this question was that Shinji had walked into the Carpentry Guild, asked about open positions. The Emotionless Woman behind the counter had, without any ceremony, questions or oversight, handed Shinji a hammer and instructed him to join the work crew outside in putting more scaffold sections together.
Shinji wondered how hard it could be to hammer some nails into wood. So, he picked up a nail, lined up the hammer and SMASHED THIS THUMB AND IT WAS SO PAINFUL IT HURT AND DEAR GODS WHY DID I DO THAT I REGRET ALL THE THINGS.
This led him to meeting again with his new friend Ken Confield, now bandaging his damaged thumb, while excitedly relating to Shinji that he and Tom had found a nice and cheap hotel near the centre of town. Ken especially had taken to their newfound pet rats (rats?!) and cockroaches (cockroaches!) since he'd always taken care of the animals on his father's farm.
"Well-OW!" screamed Shinji as Ken tied the bandages a little too tightly. "I have seen a hammer, but never used one. I guess carpentry isn't for me?"
"Probably not, without any practice or a good teacher," said Ken sympathetically. Shinji looked quite down considering his failure and desire to make amends. "It's alright Shinji, this isn't everybody's calling, especially not with a squashed thumb."
"Thanks Ken, you're a good friend," said Shinji, still cringing a little from the slowly subsiding pain in his thumb.
"No problems!"
"Shinji," asked a very concerned Thomas Bellden. "Have you ever lifted anything heavy in your life?"
The context of Tom's question was that the very next day after injuring his thumb, Shinji walked to the Masonry Guild in a determined mood to help fix his own mess, and asked if there was any work for a slightly injured person. The Gormless Man behind the counter appraised Shinji with a single look, and told him to report to something called the 'delivery crew'. This turned out to be a crew of young shirtless, muscled and tanned men glistening with sweat who pulled and carried and pushed stones or piles of stones towards the part of the wall being rebuilt at that moment. It made Shinji feel very inadequate.
The team leader, a brusque looking titan of muscle and sinew, pointed at a small sack and ordered Shinji to carry it to the end of the wall. And so, Shinji picked up the sack, which was unexpectedly heavy and DROPPED IT ON HIS FOOT WHY DID THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO HIM AND OH GODS HE REGRETTED EVERYTHING IT HURT SO MUCH MAKE IT STOP.
"Well, I guess not. It didn't look that heavy, but I definitely could have been more careful," Shinji said, very much embarrassed. "And thanks, for looking after me."
Tom gave Shinji a smile as he bandaged up the injured foot. "You're lucky you didn't break a bone. You're going to be a bit bruised, but it'll heal. In the meantime, you'll be walking funny."
"So…no more lifting?"
"Not until you get stronger, Shinji. Also, what happened to your thumb?"
Shinji got even more embarrassed. "Oh…uh, well yesterday, I was at the Carpentry Guild and I hammered it instead a nail. Ken patched it up for me"
Tom winced in sympathy. "Ouch. Well looks like you need to rest a bit before you try any other manual labour jobs."
"I will, Tom. Thanks for helping me. You and Ken are good friends."
"You're welcome!"
/
Shinji hobbled into the Adventurers' Guild building. His foot hurt too much to walk all the way back to the barracks. He was also hungry, and thought the tavern there would be a good place to rest and recharge a little. And so, he hobbled inside, almost getting bowled over by a very attractive woman holding half a dozen pitchers of some bubbly liquid in each hand. She somehow pirouetted around him without spilling a drop and continued on her merry way, smiling at all the guests. Somewhere else, someone yelled loudly for more food and drink.
"Table for one?" asked the woman who had neatly avoided colliding with him earlier.
"Oh, yes please."
"Right this way."
Shinji hobbled after her. She really exuded a feeling of bubbly happiness as she walked. Shinji tried not to be mesmerised by her frilly black and white dress as it twirled in all the right ways whilst she walked. Finally, after snaking around to an empty round table with a couple of chairs, Shinji could take a seat and let his injured foot rest.
"New adventurer?" asked his waitress.
"Uh, I'm sorry, I'm new to Summerise. Do I have to be an Adventurer to eat here?" Shinji enquired.
"Oh no, anyone is welcome here, but if you're an Adventurer, then you get a free meal on joining, discounts on every meal thereafter, a free meal on your birthday, and…," she reached into her dress from her cleavage, rummaged around, and fished out what looked a Rubrics Cube etched with runes with a fancy red tassel hanging from one corner, "for this month only, new members get this Authentic Replica Cube of Adventuring Luck."
Shinji turned a little pink at the rummaging she did but kept his composure by looked at her dourly. "What…do I do with it?"
"Oh, well many adventurers tie this to their sword's pommel or scabbard for good luck!" His waitress smiled prettily.
"Um. Isn't it a replica? Does it actually work?" Shinji asked cautiously.
"Oh, the Adventurers who come back in one piece swear by these!" She fluttered her eyelashes cutely at Shinji, attempting to distract him.
"I see." Shinji said evenly, trying to parse what he was being told. "Well, I guess I'll join up then. What do I need to do?"
"Nothing," chirped his waitress as she once again rummaged through her dress. There seemed to be a lot of useful things in there. "You've just been admitted. Here's your membership talisman. Please don't lose it, because I'll have to make a new one in that case, and they're a pain to make! Also, I'll go get your meal for you!"
She slipped away as Shinji examined his new talisman. Clearly there was magic involved, as the talisman had his name, birthdate and picture etched on it. Well, there are slimes and trolls here, why not magic as well?
Magically, food appeared on his table along with a mug of something sweet and fruity. He tested it gingerly, and confirming that there was no alcohol involved, began to dig in to both his free introductory meal and drink. The tavern food was a step above the food in the barracks. The serving was even aesthetically pleasing, not just slopped on. The vegetables were arranged parallel to each other, as if it was a bouquet of flowers, the piping hot bread had a lump of rich golden butter melting on it before his eyes and the meat was charred well on the outside and tender on the inside. Shinji had to take notes for future reference.
After he finished, Shinji picked up his Authentic Replica Cube of Adventuring Luck and decided to investigate the Adventurer's Guild some more and ended up at the Commission Board. It was then that his waitress appeared beside him again. "Thank you for your patronage. Are you considering taking your first commission?"
"Ah!" yelped Shinji. Thankfully, there was so much noise and chatter that nobody heard him, and the waitress pretended she didn't just scare someone who was supposed to go out into the world and be adventurous. "I-I guess I am. How does it work?"
"Well, the jobs available are posted on the board. They're open to all. Some are mundane, and some are super-duper-dangerous!" The waitress seemed to be most cheerful when emphasising the word 'dangerous.' "But since you're new, we would recommend getting what are termed Starter Commissions, like…" she searched along the bottom row of the board, plucked a job card from it and handed it to Shinji. "…this one!"
Shinji read the card.
On behalf of Her Grace, Queen Annabella Laurel Greendrake, Protector of the Realm of Summerise, Lady of the Pentagon Sea and Duchess of the Protectorate of Baz, the Adventurers' Guild is pleased to offer the sum of fifteen-thousand silver coins for the supply of heavy stone for the re-construction of the protective wall of Summerise.
The payment terms are as follows:
One tenth on job acceptance,
Three tenths on delivery of half the requisite quantity, and
Five tenths on delivery of the remainder.
"Erm," Shinji said to the waitress. "I think there's a problem with this commission."
"Oh? Please, tell me what the issue might be?"
"Well, the payment terms…it only adds up to nine tenths," replied Shinji, pointing to the bottom of the card. "What happened to the last tenth of the reward?"
"Oh! That's normal. The Guild takes one tenth for various administrative expenses."
"Administrative expenses?"
"Why of course! You don't expect the Guild to provide all this –" she waved her hands around "- for free do you? There's insurance, book-keeping, board for the duration, medical and of course, the Guild will generously make funeral preparations if anything super-unfortunate happens! Some of your fellow Adventurers will even show up to pay their respects."
Shinji blinked slowly, absorbing the information. "I…see."
"So, will you take the commission?"
Shinji ran an eye over the remaining commissions recommended for the novice adventurer (literally what the board said). A bunch were for killing slimes (never again), some were for running errands, and others were for hunting. Delivering stone was probably the easiest one for him, considering he could use Evangelion Unit One for the task.
"Sure, I'll take it."
The peppy waitress smiled widely and shook his hand. She then turned around and yelled (loud enough to drown out the background noise): "Hey everyone! Our latest adventurer, Shinji Ikari, has taken his first commission! A round of drinks on the house!"
And the whole tavern cheered.
Author's notes:
Hi fellow FanFictionians, author here. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. It took some time due to life related things taking up more time than I expected. Thanks to all of you who read, like and review my writing!
In the next exciting episode with our Mopey Boi:
Shinji apologises! Shinji has a picnic! Shinji wears a scarf!
Chapter 5.5 – OH-MA-KE
Shinji and Marcus had finished their dinner some time ago now and were sitting in quiet companionship next to the fire. Shinji was making his way slowly through a cheesecake while Marcus was reading a book.
Suddenly, the front door opened, followed by a familiar voice ringing out along the corridor. "Honey, I'm home!"
Shinji was sure that he had misheard the words uttered by the voice. Was that…Redwood? His suspicions were confirmed when Templar-Commander Renee Redwood walked in, a lot more casually than usual. She had half taken off a lot of the fancy robes she seemed to wear during the day, leaving just a loose shirt and pants.
"Marcus, how was your day? I'm just dying to have a bath, jump in bed and then…jump…on..."
Renee stopped mid-sentence. She stared at Shinji with her mouth slightly open. Shinji stared back, fear and embarrassment at the dawning understanding of what she had on her mind.
"MARCUS!? WHAT THE HELL IS HE. DOING. HERE?!"
Marcus stood up with fear in his eyes and apologies in his mouth. "Uh, please, my lovey-dovey Renee. I can explain everything."