Following our discussion, that request was scheduled for tomorrow, so I decided to take on a different job for today.
"Marina-san, how did you manage to make such a mess in just a few days?"
"Ahaha... Well, I had some acquaintances over recently, and I just left the dirty dishes sitting around. They kind of piled up..."
After talking things over with Harold-san, I had opted to spend the morning handling local jobs around town.
As usual, Reina-san had laid out several request forms for me.
Among them, I had spotted a familiar name.
The pay was good this time around as well, so I had taken the job.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just hire someone at this point?"
"The thing is, I'm actually pretty shy, even if I don't look it. Besides, you know... I look strange, don't I? No one would want to work for an eccentric like me..."
It was true that Marina-san usually kept her hood pulled low over her head and let her hair grow wild and unkempt.
Even so, in my eyes, she didn't seem strange at all.
"Your appearance might be a little untidy, sure, but that's only because you're completely absorbed in your work. I don't think you're an eccentric in the slightest, Marina-san."
"Ngh! Ugh, Erik-kun, you're way too sweet..."
Marina-san slumped over in defeat at my words.
"By the way, have you ever considered getting a haircut?"
"...I've tried a few times, but whenever I cut it myself, it turns out terrible. And when I think about going to a barbershop, those places always seem so dazzling and intimidating that I just can't bring myself to step inside."
There were several barbershops in the commercial district of the royal capital.
However, all of them had a bright, lively atmosphere.
"In that case, would you like me to tidy it up for you? I'm no master, but I don't think I'll make a mess of it."
"Wait, really?! Erik-kun, you know how to cut hair?"
"I cut my own, but back when I was in the village, I had to find any way I could to earn money."
Cleaning brought in the most, but cutting hair came in second.
Human hair grew fast.
Especially in the hotter seasons, even women preferred to keep it short.
Most people tried doing it themselves or asked family members, but they often botched it, and I had frequently seen squabbles break out as a result.
Watching that, I had figured there was good money to be made if I learned the skill, so I had honed my technique.
Thanks to that, plenty of villagers had started coming to me for haircuts, allowing me to earn a steady income.
"For now, let's get the cleaning out of the way first."
With that, I set to work on the living room and kitchen that Marina-san had dirtied in just a few short days.
It was messy, but thankfully nothing had crusted over.
At most, there was just dust and dirt tracked across the floor, so it didn't take much scrubbing to get everything clean.
Once the living room was spotless, I moved on to the kitchen.
I sorted the massive pile of dishes by type and washed them all. After drying them thoroughly, I neatly stacked them back in the cupboards.
"...You finished in under an hour. Erik-kun, you really are a cleaning prodigy."
"I'm just used to it, that's all. Now then, what would you like to do about your hair?"
"R-Right. Since you're offering, maybe I will have you do it. But... would that count as part of the request?"
"The request was posted as housework assistance, so I imagine it should be fine, but..."
Marina-san's hesitation made me feel uncertain as well.
Worrying that we might get reprimanded if we acted without permission, the two of us headed over to the Adventurer's Guild to check with Reina-san.
"Brought Marina-san along this time, did you?"
"We actually weren't sure whether this counted as housework assistance or not. The Adventurer's Guide was a bit vague on the matter, so we came to ask."
According to the knowledge laid out in the Adventurer's Guide, cutting hair did technically fall under the scope of housework assistance.
Housework assistance encompassed tasks aimed at resolving difficulties the client faced in their daily life.
The guide noted that along with cleaning, it included errands like shopping and taking care of the client's everyday troubles.
While one could certainly get a haircut at a shop, Marina-san's personality made that a genuine hurdle for her, making it a legitimate problem in her daily life.
Reina-san paused to think for a moment as I explained the situation.
"It's true that, just as Erik-kun said, a haircut is normally done at a shop, so it's a bit of a gray area whether to classify it under housework assistance. But Marina-san, going to a shop is difficult for you, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I'm really not good with that kind of atmosphere... Or rather, I just can't bring myself to go. So my hair ends up a wild mess like this, which has been a real headache."
"...In that case, you're entirely fine to count it as part of the housework assistance."
Hearing Reina-san's approval, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Afterward, Marina-san and I left the guild and returned to her house.
Reina-san had offered to let us rent a room at the guild, but Marina-san had declined, saying that would feel no different from getting it cut in a public shop.
Back at her home, we prepared for the haircut.
"Erik-kun, do you always carry those scissors around with you?"
"You never know when you might need your tools for a job, so I've started keeping them on me lately. Don't worry, I use a completely different pair for harvesting materials."
Previously, I had left them back in my room at the inn.
However, once I got a new bag with plenty of space, I made a habit of carrying my tools wherever I went.
With the preparations complete, I set to work on Marina-san's hair.
Her request was for something light and breezy for the coming heat, but with her bangs left intact.
As for the length, since she was getting it cut anyway, she asked for a short style to completely change up her look.
"All done. How does it look?"
"...No way. Is this really me?"
Marina-san looked like a completely different person after the cut.
Her hair had previously been an overgrown, tangled mop, with long bangs that completely hid her eyes.
Wearing a hood over all that volume had made her head look unusually large, but I had trimmed away all the excess bulk without hesitation.
I cut her hair neatly just below the ears around her neckline, shaping it into a clean, short bob.
Marina-san's hair had a natural wave to it, so I styled it to make the most of that soft texture.
"Erik-kun, thank you! This is the first time in my entire life I've had such a wonderful haircut!"
"I'm glad you like it. It's been a while since I cut anyone's hair, so I was honestly a bit nervous. I'm relieved it turned out well."
I had been secretly anxious the whole time, but I had kept a straight face throughout the process.
Then, Marina-san handed me thirty silver coins as an additional reward for the haircut.
"Marina-san, this is way too much?!"
"Erik-kun, this haircut is worth every copper of it. Please, accept it as payment for your skill."
"B-But..."
"To be honest, I want to give you even more! You just solved a problem that's plagued me for years. If you turn it down, I'll double it!"
Faced with that utterly nonsensical threat, I had no choice but to accept the thirty silver coins.
With the job finished, I naturally headed to the Adventurer's Guild to turn in my completion report.
"An additional reward of thirty silver coins?...Erik-kun, what on earth did you do?"
"I just gave her a haircut. Marina-san was so happy about it that she insisted on handing me that much..."
"...The guild can't interfere with extra tips, but make sure you keep a tight grip on that coin purse, alright?"
I nodded vigorously at Reina-san's warning.
After all of that, I really wasn't in the mood to head outside the royal capital today.
Feeling a strange sense of restlessness after suddenly coming into such a large sum of money, I returned to the inn.
Still, sitting around in my room would be a waste of daylight, so I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon training in the backyard.