Starting Off With Space-Time Magic!

After an early lunch from a food stall, I returned to the inn. With a week to wait for my identification papers, I found myself restless. I decided to ask Mia if she knew of any jobs I could do to pass the time.

"Miss Mia, since the ID process takes a week, I was wondering if there's any work I could do in the meantime."

Mia's ears twitched thoughtfully. "Matthew, you can use Cleanliness, can't you? If so, how about offering your services at the Adventurers' Guild? You could make a job out of casting living magic there."

"At the Adventurers' Guild?"

I couldn't deny it—like many kids, I'd always dreamed of being an adventurer. Back in my village, we used to play adventurer games, exploring the woods and pretending to hunt monsters. A fleeting image of Agatha's tearful face came to mind. My childhood friend… I shook the thought away. Now wasn't the time for nostalgia.

"Isn't there already someone at the Guild offering Cleanliness as a service?"

"Not really, nya. At best, someone might use Clean to remove dirt from clothes, equipment, or buildings. But Cleanliness? That's a cut above, nya."

"I see… So, it could work as a job."

"The Adventurers' Guild is near the main gate, just a short walk from here, nya. Ask for Naana, a fellow catfolk at the reception desk, and tell her Mia sent you. She'll sort you out."

"Thank you, Miss Mia. I'll go there right away."

The Adventurers' Guild wasn't hard to find. I'd noticed its sign when passing through the main gate earlier. The building was strategically located close to the entrance to accommodate adventurers bringing in their monster hauls.

When I stepped inside, the hall was surprisingly quiet. Most adventurers were likely out on jobs—it was still midday, after all. Scanning the room, I spotted a catfolk receptionist.

"Hello. Are you Miss Naana?" I asked politely.

"That's me," she replied, her tail swishing lazily behind her. "What can I do for you?"

"My name is Matthew. Mia from The Bird's Perch Inn recommended me. I was hoping to offer Cleanliness as a service."

"Mia sent you, huh? Hm… and you want to work with living magic? Well, I don't see why not."

"Thank you. The thing is, I'm new to this city and not familiar with the going rates or how the job works…"

Naana tilted her head thoughtfully before pointing to a corner of the room where a lone girl was seated. "See that kid? She's one of the orphans who earns her living here by casting Clean. The usual rate for that is one copper coin."

"And how much for Cleanliness?"

Naana's eyes widened. "Wait—you can cast Cleanliness? Seriously? That's a premium spell! Why didn't Mia tell me that from the start?" She leaned closer, glaring in the general direction of the inn as though Mia might somehow feel her indignation.

"Alright, listen. For Cleanliness, you can charge ten copper coins per cast. No negotiations. But," she held up a finger, "you're to stick strictly to Cleanliness. No doing basic Clean—the other kids need to earn their keep, too."

"I understand. That's fine by me."

"Good. You can sit with the others in the waiting area. When adventurers come in, they'll approach you if they need your services. Oh, and if you run out of mana, let them know and feel free to head out. Got it?"

"Yes, I understand."

"By the way, how many times can you cast Cleanliness in one go?"

"Um… I've never counted, but since it's a living magic spell, probably a few dozen times?"

"A few dozen!?" Naana's jaw dropped. "But Cleanliness is supposed to be a highly advanced spell!"

"It's tricky to learn, but it doesn't consume much mana. It's a utility spell, after all."

"Hmph. That might upset some of the other kids…" She glanced at the lone girl in the waiting area. "See her? That's Claire. She and another boy, who comes later in the day, use basic Clean to scrape by."

"I see. Will charging ten times their rate cause problems?"

Naana shook her head. "Let's raise it. Half a silver coin per cast should be fair. That way, it's expensive enough not to overshadow their work but still a good deal for adventurers."

"Half a silver coin?" I blinked. That was equivalent to fifty copper coins—quite a lot for a single cast of magic.

"Trust me," Naana said firmly. "Adventurers often don't have spare coin, but they'll pay a premium if it means saving on bath fees. You're offering full-body cleaning, clothes, and equipment included. They'll line up for it."

"I see. Thank you for explaining."

Naana wrote the rate—Cleanliness: 1/2 silver coin—on a wooden plaque and handed it to me. "Don't let anyone haggle you down. Now, why don't you introduce yourself to Claire? She's the girl over there."

With the wooden sign in hand, I approached the waiting area.

"Hello," I said, smiling. "My name's Matthew. I'm new here. Nice to meet you."

Claire, a girl about my age, looked me over curiously. "New? You're not from the orphanage, are you?"

"No, I just arrived in the city yesterday."

"I'm Claire. Nice to meet you, I guess." Her eyes flicked to the wooden plaque I carried. "Wait… are you serious? You can cast Cleanliness?"

"Yep."

"Just… 'yep'? I've heard it's super hard to learn! And you're charging half a silver coin per cast?"

"That's what the Guild suggested."

"That's insane. I only get one copper per cast of Clean. How many times can you use it?"

"Dozens, I think."

"Dozens? That's not fair! I had to wait until I got my status at ten years old just to learn Clean! And you're saying you're under ten?"

"That's right. I haven't received my status or gift yet."

Claire stared at me, dumbfounded. "So… you're younger than me, don't even have a status, and you can cast Cleanliness? That's so unfair…"

"Well, my father was a magician," I offered. "He passed away, but he taught me a lot before he did."

Claire sighed, her envy giving way to curiosity. "You must have an incredible talent. I bet once you get your status, you'll become an amazing magician."

"I hope so."

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting, waiting for adventurers to return from their quests. Slowly, I began to settle into the rhythm of this new city life.