A New Beginning: The Runaway Maids and the Jailer’s Offer

Junborg, a city of moderate size, felt rather desolate due to the closure of its inbound teleportation gate.

Despite the quietude, the city itself was far from empty; besides the everyday bustle of its residents, fully armed guards patrolled the streets in significant numbers.

“What’s happened in this city to make everyone so tense?”

“I’ve made some inquiries, and it seems there have been some troublesome individuals recently, causing a few issues with public order. However, given the city’s current state of heightened security, I expect things will be resolved swiftly.”

“At least for now, things aren’t resolved, and we certainly can’t afford any trouble here.”

“Rest assured, the Countess herself has spoken: we shall depart before dusk today.”

The caravan made a brief stop at an inn near the teleportation gate, where two of its bodyguards stood watch outside, conversing softly.

It was then that Nina and Yuna emerged, carrying a snakeskin pouch.

“Greetings, big brothers,” Nina called out amiably. “We’ve been instructed to go purchase some daily necessities.”

“Go on, but be quick about it,” the bodyguard instructed, stepping aside. “We have a teleportation slot booked for this afternoon, and no one will wait if you’re late.”

Given the caravan’s size and the large cargo crate they carried as luggage, advance booking was essential for using the teleportation gate.

The Countess had already secured their tickets and reserved a time; missing it meant they would be stranded.

“Understood, understood, we’ll be back very soon.”

That ‘very soon’ stretched into half a day, and by afternoon, when the caravan prepared for departure, neither of them had returned.

By the teleportation gate, the caravan counted its members, discovering two young maids were missing.

“Countess, two of our maids are nowhere to be found,” one of the caravan members reported. “They were tasked with purchasing daily necessities earlier today and haven’t returned, nor have we heard any word from them.”

“We must go; there’s no time to wait,” another voice whispered, hushed with urgency. “Junborg has been rather chaotic lately, and those two maids, being young and comely, might have met with misfortune.”

The teleportation gate attendant, growing impatient, urged, “Are you departing or not? If not, move your cargo crate; you’re blocking the way.”

The Countess pondered for a moment, then turned to her warehouse manager.

“Mrs. Sanders, have the goods been tallied?”

“They have been tallied,” Mrs. Sanders affirmed without hesitation. “Nothing has been overlooked.”

“We’re leaving; we won’t wait any longer.”

All members of the caravan stood upon the teleportation platform.

Mrs. Sanders glanced into the distance, but saw nothing.

The blue light of the teleportation magic flashed, and the entire caravan vanished within seconds.

The teleportation gate in Junborg only allowed outbound travel, meaning they would not be able to return for some time.

****

“Young miss, there’s no need to look so glum all the time,” Nina chirped happily. “You don’t have to be sold off; cheer up.”

Iordera let out a soft sigh.

Since their escape earlier today, they had done little else but sell the energy detector for nineteen gold coins, then exchanged a few of those gold coins for silver.

Next, they found a place to rent.

While Junborg was not a place to settle permanently, a stay of a month or two was feasible.

As Iordera currently knew nothing of this new world, nor understood the intricacies of her own body, she intended to remain for a while, to gather information and accumulate some funds.

The house they rented was a guesthouse on the southern edge of the city, not particularly remote.

Their landlady, a kind-faced auntie, greeted them at the doorstep.

“One hundred and twenty square meters, perfect for three people. Eighty silver coins rent per month, with a one gold coin deposit. How does that sound?”

Iordera quickly calculated, finding the rent equivalent to eight hundred units of her former currency each month, with a thousand units as a deposit.

“No problem,” she nodded. “This room will do.”

The landlady then produced a rental register. “What name should I register?”

“Iordera.”

After handing over one gold and eighty silver, the modest yet fully furnished room temporarily became her own.

Iordera found nothing to complain about; it was vastly superior to her previous cramped enclosure.

Nina and Yuna entered the room, quickly made the beds, and then both flopped onto them.

“No more overtime work; this is truly wonderful, truly wonderful.”

“This is how life should be lived.”

Yuna immediately closed her eyes to rest, while Nina, possessing a slightly better conscience, sat up and asked Iordera, “Young miss, would you like anything for dinner?”

“Not for now,” Iordera shook her head. “I want to look for work first. We can talk about dinner when I return.”

She hadn’t moved much before, so her body hadn’t required energy intake.

But now that she could move, eating was a necessity.

This was a feeling stemming directly from her body.

“Oh, right, young miss,” Nina suddenly remembered. “Why did you use your real name when you registered earlier?”

“What’s wrong with using my real name?”

“Your name is quite uncommon. If the caravan discovers you’re missing and makes inquiries in Junborg, they could easily trace you through that name,” Nina worried.

“I know,” Iordera retorted, a slight twist to her lips. “I want them to find me easily.”

The sooner the caravan discovered her absence and tracked her down, the sooner Mrs. Sanders would be relieved of any blame.

‘Besides, it’s still early. What is there to fear? I’m certain I can escape whenever I choose.’

Changing into a set of ordinary cloth clothes, Iordera tidied herself and headed for the door.

“You two get something to eat. I’m going to check out the Mercenary Guild.”

The Mercenary Guild effectively functioned as a part-time employment agency, and with Junborg’s recent unrest, it teemed with activity, people coming and going in an endless stream.

A petite, white-haired girl wormed her way through the throng, eventually squeezing herself to the front counter.

“Looking for work, little one?”

The guild clerk, a young man, didn’t discriminate against her age, first offering her an energy detector for a test.

“Level seventeen, eh? Not bad, there are plenty of suitable tasks,” the clerk remarked, then asked, “Do you have any specific requirements?”

Iordera propped her chin on her fingers, contemplating. “Let me see… First, nothing too long-term. Second, no assignments outside the city; within the walls is fine. And I’d like to return home every day; a nine-to-five schedule would be ideal.”

The clerk’s eyelid twitched, but seeing how endearing the white-haired girl was, he humored her and rummaged through the available listings.

He finally pulled out a few stiff cardboard cards and handed them over.

“These are the only ones that meet all your requirements.”

[City Patrol Guard, requires Level 10 or above. Responsible for daily patrol with a team during the day. Daily remuneration: 1 gold coin. Accident compensation: 100 gold coins.]

“Accident compensation,” Iordera blinked, “What exactly does that entail?”

“Precisely that: accidents,” the clerk clarified. “Should you encounter danger while on patrol, suffer a debilitating injury, or even perish on duty, the client will provide compensation to your family.”

As he spoke, he produced another document. “If you select this assignment, please first fill in the beneficiary’s name.”

“No, no, no, absolutely not.”

Iordera possessed a strong sense of self-preservation.

Though her body inherently came with certain levels and some undefined energy, she had no idea how to wield it, rendering her combat prowess little more than clumsy flailing and cheap shots.

A job that sounded so inherently perilous was best avoided.

She flipped through the other cards; most of them included accident compensation clauses, with the notable exception of the final one—

[Jailer at Junborg Prison No. 0, requires Level 15 or above. Responsible for delivering meals to prisoners and cleaning cells. Remuneration: 4 gold coins per day. Task duration: seven days. Compensation: None.]

Iordera’s eyes lit up.

‘This job is excellent! The pay is high, and most importantly, there’s no accident compensation.’

‘No compensation must surely mean the task carries no inherent danger, thus negating the need for such a clause.’

“This one it is!”