“So, this is the guy mentioned in the letter—Jennifer × 3, huh?”

The person speaking in such a blunt manner was a muscular man in his forties with a tough-looking face and a smooth, bald head.

He was André, the Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild in the town of Akoup.

On my very first day after arriving, I somehow found myself directly facing the Guild Master.

“Yes, her name is Ivy.”

We were in a reception room within the guild. After following Moose’s instructions to enter the room, I was immediately greeted by this intimidating man.

And that man turned out to be the Guild Master, a very high-ranking person.

I was sitting nervously on the sofa, trying not to make a bad impression.

“So this is the new species of magical creature, huh…?”

André was observing Ivy, who had jumped out of my pouch and perched herself on my shoulder, with keen interest.

As the head of an adventurer’s guild, which primarily deals with monster extermination requests, it seemed he had a deep interest in magical creatures.

“Mii!”

“Oh, she can make sounds! That’s kind of… calming.”

As he looked at Ivy chirping energetically, the stern expression on his face softened a bit.

It was a historic moment—Ivy’s cuteness even reached the Guild Master.

“So, basically, Jennifer and that idiot marquis want me and the others to take care of you two, huh?”

“Uh, yeah, I think that’s what it means...?”

“Why do you sound unsure?”

“Mii.”

“See, Ivy’s telling you to straighten up too.”

We were here to seek their protection and win their favor.

But Jennifer only gave me a brief explanation along those lines.

When I honestly told André that, he nodded in understanding.

“Hmm... The letter says that Ivy is a new species of turtle-like magical creature that he discovered, and that she’s extremely rare. It asks that I take care of both you and her because having you under our protection will definitely prove useful later. But how can I fully understand all this with just that? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what he’s talking about either. Jennifer never explains things properly.”

André grumbled with dissatisfaction.

From his tone, it seemed like he and Jennifer were on friendly terms.

His attitude gave me the sense that there was a level of casual familiarity between them, the kind you’d have with a friend.

“He said he’d send a letter to the marquis as well… Basically, you two are highly regarded by Jennifer. He’s telling us, ‘You can count on these guys,’ in other words.”

“I see…”

I wondered why Jennifer held us in such high regard.

Sure, Ivy was strong and intelligent, but was she really that different from other magical creatures?

I wasn’t sure, but maybe it was Jennifer’s way of pushing us forward.

It was like he was saying, “I’ve set things up for you, so now you have to do your best. If you get results, you’ll be rewarded with safety and security.”

—If that’s the case, then I’ve got to give it my all.

Ivy, I’ll leave the fighting to you.

As for me, I’ll focus on what I can do—like negotiations, arranging food and shelter, and all the other mundane tasks.

“Mii.”

It felt like Ivy was cheering me on, encouraging me to do my best.

“Hm, so you two can communicate well… And it doesn’t seem like you’re using any taming magic.”

André rubbed his smooth head thoughtfully.

Taming magic, as I learned from Jennifer, is the magic used by Tamers to tame magical creatures by blending their own magical energy with the creature’s, ensuring it doesn’t act violently and improving compatibility.

“We don’t need that. Ivy and I are already connected.”

“Mii!”

“I see…”

Suddenly, André stood up from the leather sofa.

Looking up at him, I realized just how massive his muscles were.

His arms and legs were so muscular, they seemed like living creatures in their own right.

He was taller than me too—probably around two meters.

He walked across the room with heavy, deliberate steps, then left without saying a word.

“Mii.”

Ivy, perched on my shoulder, closed her eyes and curled up, clearly comfortable in her favorite spot.

She’s so composed. Completely different from me.

I was wondering why André had left when, a few minutes later, he returned to the room.

He came back fully armored, wearing a decorated helmet, and clanking loudly as he moved.

He was covered head to toe in blue metal armor, and on his back was a menacing greatsword, likely made from the fangs of some monster.

He gestured toward the door with his thumb and grinned.

“Let’s have a fight. I’ll decide whether you’re worth my protection based on what I see, feel, and sense with my own body. If you want me to take you under my wing, show me what you’ve got.”

Even someone like me, who has little experience with combat, could sense the intensity of the fighting spirit radiating from him.

He said he mostly does desk work now, but there’s no way a person dealing with paperwork should be giving off this kind of aura.

Ivy, it looks like he’s serious about this… Are you ready?

“Mii!”

Ivy, full of confidence, seemed ready for the challenge.

—If she’s up for it, then I have to trust her.

“Yes, please take care of us.”

With André grinning back at me, I followed him toward the arena adjacent to the guild.

And so, my first battle after leaving the village ended up being a direct confrontation with the Guild Master...