It`s been two days since the troll onslaught ravaged Rigatoni, and while there`s still evidence of the attack`s destruction, the people have been hard at work rebuilding their town. Thankfully, with the resourcefulness and gumption of the townsfolk, augmented by the power of magic and aided by relief supplies which arrived from the capital yesterday afternoon, there have already been significant strides in the return to normalcy.

　　Still, though Rigatoni maintains much of its rustic - folksy, almost - charm, there is a definite undertone of somberness through the air. At noon yesterday, the central belltower rang out seventeen times, once to memorialize each of those who lost their lives in the troll attack, and as best as I understand, that will continue for the next three days of official mourning. Sammy has been spending much of it doing what she can to help out, while I`ve been nursing my injuries back in our hotel room, lying around and sometimes wandering out onto the balcony for fresh air - anything to take my nose off the stench of troll.

　　In truth, I`ve been feeling just fine the last half day - a good night`s sleep is the cure for a great many ails in the world, and that holds even more true in a setting where staying at an inn is the literal intended way to heal oneself back to full health by the axiom of the creators. But Sammy has been adamant that I`m to stay behind and get bedrest. I tried reasoning with her - told her that I was fine, even showed her that my wounds were fully closed up& Okay, so that last part was also a bit of an excuse to judge how she feels about me in more intimate ways, and no, I got no actionable information!

　　So I`m stuck here in this room, unable to do much of anything lest I get a stern dressing down from my travel companion, and unlike back on Earth, I don`t even have ViewTube or Glitch or even a TV and old game shows to keep me company. What I wouldn`t give for some episodes of Peril! or Tire of Wealth to pass the time. Instead, all I can do is futz around through my status screen, mess around with numbers, maybe plan out a money route for the journey ahead. I do have a little leeway from that rare drop, after all.

　　A knock interrupts me during my calculations, followed by a man`s baritone timbre calling for me. If I had to guess, the Mayor of Rigatoni, here to deliver me unto the plot. I sigh - hopefully Sammy won`t blow a gasket if I answer. At least I can tell her that I have no intention of going into a battle anytime soon. And it should be true, assuming the timeline isn`t too far out of whack.

　　I answer the door and greet my expected guest. He`s your cliche mayor or village elder character - gray hair, more on the face than the head, wizened features, wearing an ornate cloak bearing what looks to be the town`s official sigil over the chest. He returns my greeting with a polite smile and small bow.

　　"Pardon my interruption. Would you happen to be Miss Lancaster?" he asks.

　　"I am, Mr. Mayor. I take it this is not a pure social visit, as I`m sure my companion has mentioned to you that I`m currently recovering from my injuries two days ago."

　　"Then, I take it Miss Relford already informed you of the situation. If so, I will be brief. Though the troll menace has been repelled for the time being, we cannot rest until it has been rooted out and excised at the source. To that end, we are seeking capable adventurers to bolster our town`s defenses."

　　"But that`s not why you`re here, now is it?" I interject. "You want the two of us to be part of the strike team that heads into the Minestrone Mines, identify the source of the troll problem, and eliminate it. Or am I mistaken?"

　　The mayor, Wilhelm Rozziari, if I recall, stands with mouth agape for several seconds before regaining his composure and nodding. "Our eyewitness reports have shown that you are an exceedingly capable combatant, able to single-handedly dispatch four of those menaces. They did not mention that you had such preternatural wisdom as well."

　　I shake my head. Those eyewitness reports must have failed to mention that without Sammy`s help, we`d all be dead right now, but I ignore the slight against her.

　　Much as I would really like to do anything else right now, the request is one of those infamous but thou musts.` And if you say yes and try to leave town after agreeing, an NPC will stand near the north gate and prevent us from leaving, claiming that it`s too dangerous` to travel or similar hogwash. Right now, however, it would be trivial to decline the request and force through any token resistance. But one thing stays my hand - the fear of veering off the game`s plot and wandering into the abyss of an alternate timeline where my knowledge and expertise holds no sway. Cursing my situation just a bit, I nod to Mayor Rozziari.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

　　"I do have two conditions, however. First, I will need an official recommendation to the Bolognese Adventurers` Guild. And that leads into the second condition - I will only undertake this mission as an official guild assignment, with compensation to be paid in accordance with guild mandates."

　　Mayor Rozziari nods. "Then I shall leave you to rest and begin those preparations. Our operation will begin overmorrow morning. Until then, I hope your recovery will continue to progress and I bid you farewell."

　　I close the door and go lie down. A small sequence break - joining the adventurers` guild doesn`t happen until reaching the capital, Ravioli, but doing so now will give me access to a couple of side missions that will further my goal of getting stronger quickly. It`s not affecting the main plot, so it should be okay. Probably. But if anything does come of that, it`ll come when it does.

　　Two more boring-ass days pass with my being stuck in this cooped-up hotel room. I try sneaking out once, though I get little respite. Sammy catches me and drags me back by the ear. And just to make sure I don`t try anything, she hires two kids to watch the balcony and front door, spending our money from defeating the trolls to do so. Says it`s her way of being a hare-brained, asinine nitwit after the incident with the strawberries. I briefly consider paying the kids more to look the other way so I could sneak out, but decide that it`d be too big of a pain in the ass. And in the wallet. And so I sit and suffer as reward for my victory, for truly, no good deed will go without punishment.

　　But finally the day arrives - not soon enough it is - and shortly after dawn, the two of us leave our hotel and head to the central administration building. Other than its larger size and the belltower standing alongside it, there`s little in the way of elaborate decor to mark it as a government facility. Like the others, it`s made of a mudbrick structure, this one a rust-colored burgundy, though the others. Apparently, as Sammy explains, it has to do with the relative lawlessness of mining towns, at least back in the day before the kingdom became more established. By not making their central administration too big of a target for outlaws, monsters, and the like, it reduces the risk of important figures getting kidnapped.

　　The main room of the building is plain, no notable ornamentation on the walls or ceilings, no art or decoration on the walls, but plenty of windows and gaps in the roof to allow sunlight to filter in. The outside air is a bit chilly, but some heating wards keep the inside a pleasant temperature. The two of us are led into a conference room where Mayor Rozziari stands with perhaps a secretary and a mage of some sort serving as a bodyguard? And a trio of heavily-armored men are standing around the room when the two of us enter and take a seat.

　　"Welcome everyone," the mayor says. "Now that all are accounted for, let us begin the meeting. I will be brief, that the five of you might get to work as soon as possible. You have each been tasked with the same mission - to infiltrate Minestrone Mines, identify the source of the cave troll outbreak, and either neutralize or destroy it. While we would prefer to leave the mine structure intact, if that is not possible, you are authorized to collapse the tunnels as a last resort. Your reward will be 18,000 dols, split between those of you who complete this mission."

　　And there it is. The trolls in the cave - even their leader - aren`t too tough, but it turns out these three adventurers are a bunch of greedy assholes who aren`t above painting their swords red with the protagonist`s blood after the mission, eager to brush it off as an accident` to the locals as they line their pockets. I`m not averse to stabbing the three of them right now and being done with it myself, but best not to draw unnecessary attention to myself, or the fact that I have a weapon more powerful than just about anyone in the kingdom right now.

　　With a nod of understanding, we all leave and head toward the mines. The two of us walk in front, with the three armored men all walking behind. They say they want to protect us delicate ladies` or similar chauvinism, but I`m sure they`re all sizing the two of us up right now, ready to identify any weaknesses. That, or leering our backsides. Honestly, I`m not sure which is worse, and I try not to think about it too much, mostly so Sammy doesn`t get any more antsy than she`s been since our conversation with the mayor. I turn to her and graze her hand with my own, smiling to provide some reassurance that I`ll be beside her the entire time.

　　Thankfully, it`s only a few minutes walking through the west side of town before we arrive at our destination. There`s a number of the town guard standing watch, along with a small detachment of about a dozen soldiers brought in from the capital, though none of them seem particularly noteworthy or are armed with more than basic weaponry.

　　As we approach, an older man with a large cowboy hat and equally large handlebar mustache stands up to greet us, shaking each of our hands, and palms something in them as we pass by toward the mine entrance. My mind wanders to unsavory intentions, worrying about what fetid gift` we`ve been given, but I`m pleasantly surprised when I analyze the small bag in my hand.

　　Antivenin Capsule (3)

　　A small capsule containing a broad-spectrum antivenin and healing compounds.Cures [Venom] status condition and restores 10% Max HP

　　Gotta love how, despite actually containing healing compounds, they are less effective at that job than a common strawberry. I hold back a smirk as the man addresses us.

　　"Now you folks be careful in there," he says in a thick drawl. "In addition to the trolls, you`ll find any number of unsavory critters. Most of them aren`t too harmful, but you never can be too cautious. May the goddess smile upon you in your mission and have all of you return alive."

　　That would be nice. But ultimately the decision isn`t mine to make. If these three do go through with their plan from the original game, I will retaliate, and I won`t take prisoners. A vague hope sets in that maybe this time will be different - a hope which I push aside as Sammy and I walk through the mine entrance.