Rent trudged up the wooden stairs of Arvia House. His footsteps felt heavy, as if an iron ball beled "50 Coin Debt" was chained to his ankle.

  He arrived in front of his room door, number 304.

  Click.

  The door opened. The sight inside the room made Rent's eyebrow twitch.

  At the end of the bed, a clump of fire shaped like a rabbit—Fyra-Bunn—was still fast asleep in a supine position. Her small legs were raised in the air, and bubbles of fire snot came out of her nose, expanding and shrinking in rhythm with her soft snoring.

  Zzzz... Puuuh... Zzzz... Puuuh...

  Rent stared at the creature with a ft gaze.

  "Stupid rabbit," Rent muttered cynically. "Your life is so good, huh? Wake up just to eat, then sleep again without a burden. Useless."

  Rent walked in, then sat for a moment on the wooden chair in front of his small desk.

  He was completely unaware (or refused to be aware) that the "Eat-Sleep-Lazy" lifestyle he insulted was his own dream lifestyle. The irony hung in the air, but Rent was too busy pitying himself to care.

  "Haaah..."

  Rent rubbed his face roughly. The image of the stall owner recording his name in the debt book still haunted him.

  "Because of that crazy woman... my first morning in the new world is already stained with debt."

  The room felt a bit stuffy. Rent needed oxygen. He needed to see the city view to rinse his brain from the memory of the food bill.

  He got up from the chair. Walking towards the wooden window facing the main street.

  Sreeet.

  Rent pushed the window shutters wide open.

  The bright morning sunlight immediately hit his face. The hustle and bustle of Lumeria city began to be heard from below—although this district was specifically for residential housing. More made for tranquility, yet the local residents' activities were livelier than expected.

  Rent closed his eyes, inhaling deeply while leaning on the window frame.

  "At least... the view is decent. No annoying face that—"

  "Ara~? Enjoying the morning, Mr. Neighbor?"

  That voice. That husky voice coming from the side. Very close.

  Rent's eyes snapped open instantly. His neck was stiff as he turned slowly to the right.

  Arvia House and Luna Manor were buildings standing side by side. The distance between Rent's room window and the room window in the building next door was only about two meters, separated by a small gap between buildings.

  And in the window next door... Sitting casually on the window frame with legs swinging in the air, was the source of the disaster.

  Kaensista Saichi.

  The girl smiled sweetly while biting a red apple in her hand. Their positions were parallel, both facing the highway, like two spectators on adjacent theater balconies.

  "Y-You..." Rent choked. His eyes bulged in horror.

  "Surprise!" Kaensista winked one eye while chewing the apple. Crunch.

  "Turns out we really are neighbors next door, eh? Your room wall and my room wall are only one brick apart, you know. If I knock from here..."

  Kaen reached out her hand, trying to reach the outer wall of Rent's room.

  "...Maybe you can hear it."

  Rent's ft face cracked instantly.

  "So, Mr. Kaenda... when do you want to start working to pay off 'our' debt? I can see you zing around from this angle."

  Without a single word. Without warning.

  BAM!

  Rent pulled his body in and smmed his window shut with all his might. He turned the tch key twice, then pulled the thick curtains until there was not a single crack of light.

  His breath hitched. His back pressed against the wall next to the window.

  "Moro..." Rent called softly to the empty space.

  Silence. No answer from the sky. Only the sound of soft snoring from the fire rabbit on the bed answered his despair.

  Zzz... Puuuh...

  Nightmare. No, but that nightmare turns out to live next to me. Damn.

  Rent let out a long sigh, then patted his cheeks twice. Sp. Sp.

  "Okay. Focus, Rent. Ignore the visual disturbance in the window next door. Just assume it's a beautiful ghost haunting the building next door. Focus on the more real problem: 50 Copper Coins."

  He looked around the room, looking for the only creature he could talk to (besides the sleeping rabbit).

  "Moro! Come out. Don't hide."

  Poof!

  From under the bed, the blue fur ball shot out with a spinning motion, carrying thin dust with him.

  "Present, Master Rent!" Moro's voice rang out loud. "Has Master finished performing the greeting ritual a harmonious neighbors?"

  Rent ignored the sarcasm. His face was serious, as if pnning a war strategy.

  "Listen, Fur Ball. We are in a critical level economic emergency. I need money. Now."

  Rent grabbed his small bag from the table, dumping its contents onto the wooden floor in front of Moro.

  Thud. (Empty book). Clink. (Quill pen).

  Rent pointed at the pile of trash with a trembling index finger.

  "Analysis. Of all these useless items, which one can I sell for 50 coins?"

  Moro floated closer, his imaginary eyes scanning the items with a thin blue light. Beep. Beep.

  "Report!" shouted Moro. "Book: Low-quality recycled paper, market price 2 coins. Pen: Standard chicken feather, price 1 coin."

  Moro spun quickly facing Rent. "Master's total liquid assets right now... Three copper coins! Still short 47 coins to pay off the debt! Congratutions, Master is officially poor!"

  A vein on Rent's temple twitched. "Poor. I am truly poor literally and spiritually."

  He stared at Moro with a sharp gaze that made the blue ball's fur stand on end.

  "What about you? If I sell you to a traveling circus? You can talk and float. Must be worth a lot."

  Moro instantly backed away, his body shaking in horror. "D-Don't joke, Master! I am an intellectual asset! Cannot be valued with money! Besides... I smell musty if I don't bathe for a week! Won't sell on the bck market!"

  "Tch. Useless."

  Rent stood up, grabbing back his silver Lumeria Pass from his trouser pocket. He stared at the metal pte.

  Rent Kaenda - Outnd Adventurer.

  "So? What is your pn, Oh Entity of Knowledge? Don't tell me I have to beg at the red light."

  Moro regained his enthusiasm after knowing his life was safe. He flew spinning in front of Rent's face.

  "Of course not! We are Adventurers, Master! The solution is in the city center! Lumeria Adventurer's Guild!"

  "That is the center of money circution! Many missions for low-rank beginners! Starting from exterminating gutter rats, looking for lost grandma's cats, to cleaning city wall moss! The pay fits to pay off debts!"

  Rent smiled wryly. Very wryly.

  "Exterminating gutter rats..." he muttered. "From someone who died saving people, now living again as a gutter cleaner. An extraordinary career evolution."

  He grabbed his brown leather jacket from the hanger, then gnced at Fyra-Bunn who was still sleeping with her legs up.

  "Guard the room, Stupid Rabbit. Don't burn anything. If this room is scorched, I'll turn you into rabbit satay."

  Rent turned towards the door, putting on his jacket.

  "Come on, Moro. Show me the way to that pce of modern svery."

  Rent stepped out of the Arvia House gate carefully.

  His eyes moved warily left and right, scanning the area like a fugitive avoiding police pursuit. He stared at the second-floor window of the building on the right—Luna Manor.

  Closed tight. The curtains didn't move.

  He stared at the street ahead. No signs of a purple-haired girl with scantily cd clothes.

  "Safe," Rent sighed in relief. "Looks like she's sleeping or busy with her beauty rituals."

  He pulled his jacket colr a bit higher, trying to disguise himself among the morning crowd of Lumeria city.

  "Which way, Moro?" whispered Rent.

  "Straight ahead towards the central square, Master! The biggest building with the Golden Sword emblem!"

  Rent began to walk, blending with the stream of humans. Merchants, adventurers, and ordinary citizens passed by. Rent felt a little comfortable in this anonymity. No one knew him. No one bothered him.

  However, he didn't know.

  That about twenty meters behind him. Behind an apple merchant's cart. Behind a street mp post.

  A pair of amethyst purple eyes were watching his every step.

  Kaensista Saichi was not sleeping. The girl was in hunting mode.

  "Hoo..." Kaensista muttered softly, hiding behind the shadow of a bakery tent while holding a piece of croissant.

  "So the Pale Mr. Mirror wants to go somewhere?"

  She bit her bread. Crunch. A crooked smile carved on her lips.

  "Without inviting me? How rude. Even though we have a sacred bond of debt."

  Rent continued walking, occasionally stopping to look at the city map on the bulletin board, or avoiding passing horse carriages.

  Every time Rent stopped, Kaensista stopped too. Her movements were fluid, blending with the crowd, as if she were just a purple shadow dancing among humans.

  When Rent turned back because he felt watched... Zip! Kaensista had disappeared behind the back of a rge-bodied Orc.

  "Moro," Rent called softly as they crossed the stone bridge. "Is it just my feeling, or is there a cold chill piercing my back?"

  Moro floating beside him spun around, scanning the rear area. His imaginary nose sniffed.

  Sniff. Sniff.

  "Hmm... I detect an anomaly, Master!" reported Moro. "There is a trace of a very strong Lavender scent mixed with the smell of toast! The signal is intermittent in a 30-meter radius!"

  Rent frowned. "Lavender?"

  He turned back once again. There was only a crowd of strangers. No purple hair. No ahoge sticking out.

  "Ah, forget it," Rent waved his hand, dismissing his paranoia. "Maybe just a traveling perfume merchant. You're too paranoid, Fur Ball. Don't scare me."

  "But Master, my sensors are rarely wrong—"

  "Quiet. We're close."

  Rent walked again, accelerating his steps towards the magnificent building that was now starting to be visible at the end of the road.

  In the distance, Kaensista smiled amusedly watching her target speed up.

  "Run, run, Mr. Mirror," she whispered softly, her eyes sparkling pyfully. "The more you run, the more interesting it is to chase."

  She stepped out of her hiding pce, following Rent's trail towards the rge building with the Sword and Shield emblem.

  "Adventurer's Guild, eh? A boring pce full of sweat. But if you're there... maybe it'll be a little entertaining."