After collecting a sufficient haul of magic stones from our hunt on the 15th Floor, we returned to Aingurna. We were entering a rest period for a while, giving everyone time to take care of their own business.
The first thing on my list was to report to the Adventurer’s Guild—or more specifically, to Rache-san. I needed to let her know that I’d found a floor where we could likely use that mystery key we'd obtained from the Shiny Gold Slime. There was some concern about whether an acting Guild Master should really be heading out to the Tenth Floor for an exploration, but I had to keep her in the loop.
When I entered the building, Rache-san was at the reception desk as usual. However, unlike her normal self, she was hunched over her writing, groaning things like “Ugh...” and “Aah...” Next to her, Buffy-san was working away, occasionally shooting Rache-san a sharp, piercing look. It was less like a partnership and more like a guard watching a prisoner.
I thought about leaving to avoid disturbing them, but Rache-san looked up and spotted me before I could make my escape. She gave me a wide, toothy grin and beckoned me over, making it impossible to turn back now. I had business to discuss anyway, so I followed her lead. But before I could even mention the key, Rache-san launched into a tirade of complaints. Buffy-san, unable to listen in silence, quickly chimed in.
“Buffy is a total demon-nya! It’s been absolute paperwork hell lately-nya!”
“It’s only because you made the reckless claim that you’d be leaving the Guild for several days, Rache-san. I simply condensed your schedule a bit-poko.”
“No, it was way more than that-nya! I thought I was going to die-nya!”
“Please stop making me sound so villainous-poko!”
Apparently, she had been trying to finish her work in advance so she could go explore the area where the key might be used. Even though I’d only just discovered the location during this last trip, her timing was impeccable. I wondered if her famous instincts had kicked in again.
Still, I had to wonder if she was really as busy as she claimed. Since it was Rache-san, I assumed she was just being dramatic, but… honestly, she looked a little haggard.
“You look pale,” I noted. “Are you all right?”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve been feeling awful lately-nya. Paperwork really isn't for me-nya! It’s proof that my spirit is being ground down-nya...”
“...I really haven't been giving her that much to do, though-poko,” Buffy-san muttered.
“It’s the absolute limit for me-nya!”
She was clearly feeling the pressure, even if her workload was apparently only a fifth of Buffy-san’s. While everyone has different thresholds for what they can handle, I couldn't imagine it was truly overwork. Yet, Rache-san’s health was clearly suffering. She mentioned that she had been having nightmares lately and felt like she hadn't slept a wink.
“I can’t remember what happens in them, but I’m sure it’s a dream about being crushed by a mountain of documents-nya!”
“Hmm, that’s a problem,” Buffy-san sighed. “If you’re going to be gone for a few days, you’ll have to handle an equivalent amount of work once you get back-poko.”
“Wh-what?! That’s impossible-nya!”
A round trip to the Tenth Floor would take ten days, after all. It was inevitable that work would pile up. If the issue was that she was mentally worn out, I wondered if that item with mental attack resistance would help.
“Nya?! Tort… what’s that-nya...?”
I pulled out the cat-teaser-like item I had found on the 15th Floor. Whether or not paperwork counted as a ‘mental attack’ was debatable, but it might at least provide some comfort.
...Well, I can’t deny that I had a secondary motive. I was genuinely curious to see how a cat-like beastfolk like Rache-san would react to something that looked so much like a cat toy.
“This is an item called the Hairpin of Conviction. It’s supposed to grant resistance against mental attacks.”
As I explained, I gripped the end of the hairpin and gave it a little wiggle. The fluffy ornament at the tip bounced back and forth, vibrating with every movement. Rache-san’s eyes locked onto it instantly, her pupils following the rhythm. It was actually kind of fun to watch.
“Is that so-nya...? But, looking at it… this uncontrollable urge… is welling up… nya!”
“Huh?”
Rache-san’s right hand blurred. With a whoosh of air, a High-speed Cat Punch snapped out and struck my right hand. By the time the sting registered, the hairpin was already gripped in Rache-san’s paw.
“Gah?! I moved before I knew it-nya! What a terrifying object...”
It seemed to have been a pure reflex, but I was impressed. Given that her combat style was that of a Martial Artist, her cat punch was blindingly fast. This wasn't exactly like playing with a house cat. Rache-san herself seemed to be trembling with some kind of primal shock.
“You can’t let something this dangerous out into the world-nya. I’ll take it into custody-nya!”
“Oh? I mean, sure, go ahead.”
The whole point was for her to use it as a countermeasure against mental strain anyway. If she wanted to keep it, I had no complaints.
“Make sure you actually wear it, okay?”
“Nya...? Oh, right, it’s a resistance item-nya. ...I’ll make sure to keep it out of my direct line of sight-nya.”
With that, she tucked the cat teas—I mean, the Hairpin of Conviction—into her pocket. I wasn't sure if it would still work from there, but it was better than nothing.
Still, I wondered if her exhaustion really was just from the paperwork. Knowing Rache-san, I couldn't rule it out, but I also couldn't ignore the possibility that there were lingering effects from hearing that voice that sounded like Garnalava. I decided it might be a good idea to have Halfa sing her a Song of Soothing later.
Once that was settled, I gave her a proper explanation about the key. Rache-san was overjoyed, looking ready to sprint out the door tomorrow morning. However, Buffy-san put her foot down, reminding her that her assigned documents weren't finished yet. Since we were planning to rest for a few days anyway, we scheduled our departure for three days from now.