The Adventurers' Guild hall was, as always, a chaotic sea of noise.
Warriors from all directions crowded the space—knights in full armor, mages cloaked in swirling elements, scar-faced brawlers shouting about dungeon runs.
Everyone looked tall, intimidating, and like they'd murdered at least one dragon before breakfast.
And then—
Ira opened the door, and the entire atmosphere instantly shifted to "elementary school field trip went horribly wrong."
She was at least two heads shorter than the shortest archer in the room.
Today, her silver hair was tied into twin ponytails that swayed with every step. She carried a bright red backpack, clutched half a cream stick in one hand and a folded map in the other.
Her face wore the kind of unnaturally clean smile normally reserved for holy children in stained glass windows.
For a full second, the guild went silent.
"Uh… whose kid is that?"
"Wait—is that a red backpack?"
"…Do I smell donuts? Did she bring snacks?"
Unbothered by the sudden wall of stares, Ira twirled slowly on the spot, admiring the decor with eyes full of wonder.
Ashu, floating above her head, sighed and rolled his eyes.
"This place is all wrong for you. You should've brought a wand, not a pastry."
—
Her attention was caught by a colorful, crayon-drawn flyer on the quest board—
a "Missing Cat" mission.
Ashu squinted.
"…Oh wow. They actually posted a lost-cat quest."
The paper looked less like a job request and more like a child's art project, complete with pink scribbles:
"Please help!"
"She bites when mad but she's not bad!"
A lumpy sketch of a very round cat sat in the corner.
The moment Ira picked the "Find the Cat" quest, the client—a girl named Luca—immediately leapt down from the second floor and sprinted toward her.
"Is it you? You're gonna find Barley? Really? Are you an adventurer? Can you use magic? Do you know how to feed cats? Have you ever eaten gummy bears?"
Seven questions in rapid fire.
Then she froze.
Ira smiled and answered softly,
"Mm-hmm. I'll find her. I like cats. And I like gummy bears too."
Luca blinked.
No one had ever caught her scattershot words so gently before.
For the first time, someone heard her without rushing past her.
"Her eyes… they're really bright. She's not just saying that. She really means it."
"It's like when Barley rubs his head against me—it's that 'I'll come back' kind of feeling…"
Flustered, Luca yanked the butterfly clip from her own hair—her favorite one—and clipped it onto Ira's backpack, like she was marking a sacred relic.
"She must be super powerful… no, wait. She's an angel. No—she's a friend. The best kind of friend!!"
—
Ira followed the trail of residual mana left behind by Barley, the missing cat.
Along the way, the feline had apparently pranced past a fountain, stepped all over some crates outside a potion shop, and—casually—knocked over a sack of dried fish snacks.
Ashu floated nearby, scribbling sarcastically into the mission log.
"This cat's route is more free-spirited than yours… Are we sure it's not just on a personal journey?"
The trail led to the forest's edge, where a nearly invisible crack shimmered beneath a collapsed stone tablet.
"Smells kind of… chilly?" Ira muttered, rubbing her nose.
She carefully stepped beneath the vines and down the mossy stairs.
A gray mist began to swirl around her feet—cooler with every step, and thick with the sensation of being watched.
She didn't notice.
She was softly humming.
"Baarley~ are you in there? I brought cookies~"
Ashu deadpanned,
"The ambient energy in here could simmer bone soup."
—
Suddenly, glowing runes flared to life on the floor ahead.
Semi-transparent ghostly figures clawed their way out of the walls, shrieking as they lunged forward.
"GRRAAAAAGH—"
"A living soul! How dare you enter the Sanctuary of Sleepers!"
"Leave now! Or be cursed for three generations!"
Ira blinked, watching as they drifted toward her like aggressive fog pillows.
She didn't move.
She just reached into her backpack, pulled out a cookie, and waved it in the air.
"Are you hungry… maybe?"
Three seconds of stunned silence.
Then—
BANG.
The first spirit hit the cookie's scent like a brick wall.
Its ghostly form rippled, shrinking slightly.
A glow traveled up its body, from tail to eyes—until it transformed from "menacing wraith" to "confused, semi-transparent grandpa."
"I… I suddenly feel like playing the lute…" he muttered, spinning in place.
"I haven't felt this happy since I was alive!"
Another spirit, moments away from striking, was hit by the same aura of crumbs and comfort.
It paused mid-swipe, sniffling.
"My revenge… my pain… my—wait, is someone making hotpot? Why do I want to cry?"
"I was going to curse her entire bloodline, but now I… I kind of want a hug…"
Ashu gawked.
"Are you sure those are cookies?"
—
With each step Ira took, the runes on the ground lit up in orderly rows, as if bowing.
Light rippled outward in waves.
The ruins bloomed with golden glyphs, as if ancient walls were recognizing their long-lost queen.
The ancient seals cracked open like they'd been waiting just for her footsteps.
Then, finally—they found Barley.
The cat was calmly sitting in front of a magical barrier.
Ira crouched down beside her, petting her gently.
She placed a cookie in front of the cat.
"Be good, okay? After this, I'll take you home~"
The seal promptly dissolved into a shower of sparkles—
as if the magic itself had heard: "Be good, okay?"
A bright ding! rang through the ruins, like a video game level-clear sound.
And then—
every remaining trace of vengeful energy drifted upward, transforming into small, fluffy clouds shaped like cat ears.
—
What Ira didn't know…
was that while she was feeding a cat, mystical anomalies erupted across Greenleaf Town.
—
[West Tower, Blacksmith Master Sero]
He was preparing to test his new sword when the tower trembled.
Mana feedback pulsed through the walls, and the ceiling cracked open.
"WHO OPENED A DIVINE-CLASS DUNGEON!? THIS KIND OF ENERGY—IT'S GOING TO DRAIN MY FORGE!"
He ran to the window and stared out at the horizon, where the cat-ear clouds floated lazily.
His voice broke.
"That cloud just winked at me. Didn't it!? IT WINKED AT ME, RIGHT?!"
—
[South Alley – Old Potion Master Abu]
He was in the middle of testing a new sleep-inducing potion when his entire shop suddenly filled with the scent of lavender.
Even the bugs on the wall fell unconscious.
"I DIDN'T LIGHT ANY INCENSE! Who made a curse aura smell like a spa!?"
—
[Guild Upper Floor – Enod Hervien]
He was about to read an ancient scroll when the book floated from his hands and burst into a screen of glowing light:
[Divine Purification Triggered – Site: Sleeper's Ruins]
[Automatic Registration: "Milles-Class" Holy Energy Detected]
His brow twitched.
"She's at it again… or is it… her?"
He glanced at Ira's shadow, where she was, in fact, feeding a cat.
He frowned.
"When is this kid going to realize what level she even is…?"
—
[Post-Event: Townwide Reactions]
• The Adventurer's Guild quest board became flooded with "holy footprint" photos. Adventurers began treating the cat site as a pilgrimage landmark.
• Local temples issued Divine Presence Alerts. The city lord started to suspect an unregistered god had descended.
• Nightmares across the town dropped 90%. Chronic insomniacs spontaneously healed.
• A nearby dessert shop exploded in popularity—it happened to be next to the spot where Ira had fed the cat.
—
Just then, a system prompt appeared (only visible to Ashu):
[Divine Resonance Triggered]
[Curse Dissolved via Contact with Pure Soul Signature]
[Site Registered as Sacred Land – Holder: Ira Milles]
[Prediction: Local Faith Levels Will Increase 900% Over 3 Years]
Ashu quietly opened the forecasting interface and began drafting a three-year regional religious reform roadmap.
"One cookie purifies a curse… what next? Giving hot cocoa to the undead?"
Meanwhile, Ira was still basking in the joy of feeding a cat.
—
When she returned to town carrying Barley, the entire atmosphere felt lighter.
Luca ran up and hugged her tight.
"You really found her! You did! You're the strongest friend I've ever met!"
"She's so well-behaved! After eating, she even head-bumped me~"
"That's because you're gentle…"
She said it softly, but those words etched something deep in Ira's heart.
"I'm gonna draw a picture of you and hang it over my bed!"
Luca pumped her little fists.
"If I look at you every day, I won't be scared of nightmares anymore!"
—
[System Update – Fan Stats]
[New Fan Acquired: Luca]
[Type: Emotionally-Driven Faith-Bond User]
[Event Tag: First Civilian to Visually Iconize Ira's Image]
[Projected Impact: East Coast Primary School Textbook Cover within 3 years]
—
Back at the Guild Hall—
Ira skipped up to the counter, face glowing with joy.
"I finished the quest! I brought the kitty back! Can I get my reward?"
The receptionist stared blankly.
"You're… who again?"
"I'm Ira, F-rank adventurer!"
She held out the crayon-drawn quest sheet proudly.
The receptionist gave a strained smile.
"F-rankers aren't allowed to take quests. And this sheet—look, there's no Guild seal. It's not official."
Ira blinked.
"So… no gift?"
She looked down, like a soaked puppy. Her backpack sagged in sympathy.
"B-But… I worked hard… and I really did it…"
—
And in that moment.
The ground shuddered.
The air compressed.
Lightning crackled across the sky.
Deep beneath Greenleaf Town, ancient ley lines began to thrash like angry dragons.
[World Alert: Emotional Resonance Critical]
[Source: Divine-Class Pure Soul Entity – Ira Milles]
[Trigger: Disappointment / Unmet Reward Expectations / Innocent Sadness Spiral]
—
As Ira looked up with trembling lips and whispered,
"…Really no reward…?"
The chandelier rattled.
A crack echoed under the floor.
The receptionist broke into a cold sweat.
"S-Something's wrong… really wrong—"
BOOM.
A shadow burst from under Ira's feet, tearing space like a vortex.
Enod Hervien appeared in a flash of pressure, cloak billowing like he'd been summoned by divine force.
The very air was sucked dry.
Even the wall-mounted axes shook.
The Guild Hall—
Instant. Deathly. Silence.
→ Muscular swordsman in the corner, mid-sip.
Choked and sprayed his drink.
"COUGH—WHY IS THAT MONSTER HERVIEN HERE!?"
→ Twin gunner sisters at the negotiation table:
"Isn't that the guy from the Imperial—"
"Shhh!!! He hears everything!"
→ C-rank adventurer squad leader:
Sat upright.
"Everyone shut up. We're not in that storyline."
→ Cleaning auntie:
Quietly leaned her broom against the wall, folded hands in prayer.
"Please let me get off work on time today…"
The receptionist, ghost-pale:
"L-Lord Enod…?"
(Internally screaming: WHY IS THE EMPIRE'S EX-DIVINE CONSULTANT APPEARING FOR A CHILD IN OVERALLS!?)
—
Enod spoke calmly, but with a pressure like cracking granite:
"No reward after clearing a quest? Give her compensation. Now."
His voice wasn't loud, but every syllable was a hammer blow to the guild's rules.
Then he turned his gaze to the badge station.
"Upgrade her. Grant her a D-rank badge."
—
Internal Screams Echoed Across the Hall:
"WHY!?"
"SHE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A REAL QUEST!"
"WHO EVEN IS SHE!?"
"WHAT IS SHE!?"
—
The receptionist hesitated, trembling, still clinging to protocol:
"But Lord Enod… this breaks guild regula—"
"Because she saved a cat. And,"
his voice dropped into soft steel,
"she was very. Good."
Translation: She didn't destroy the world. She behaved. That's reward-worthy.
Ira looked up, blinking as she accepted her silver coin and badge.
"Waaah… thank you, mister!"
Enod:
"…Who are you calling 'mister.'"
—
[Guildmaster's Office]
"Sir… Enod promoted a little girl from F to D-rank. And gave her money."
The Guildmaster frowned.
"Him? That Hervien? For… a child?"
"Yes. Her name's Ira. She doesn't seem capable of lying. Or… anything bad. She just seems really… good."
The Guildmaster paused.
Then turned away slowly, making a silent decision:
Observe. Report. Do not interfere.
Because questioning Enod is not something mortals are cleared for.
—
[Guild Hall]
Enod stood by the front desk, watching Ira happily skip away.
He took out his sealed ring again, heart still recovering.
"She gets a little sad… and the ley lines go berserk… if she actually cried, I think the kingdom would sink."
"Milles… did you drop a candy into the world… or a star?"
—
[Meanwhile – Elsewhere Around the World]
Northern Snowlands – A Magus
"WHO just triggered a Divine-Class Emotional Pulse?! The seal I just stabilized is cracking again!"
Western Dragonkin Temple – High Priest
"This divine fluctuation… carries sadness? What the hell kind of god is feeling underappreciated?!"
Imperial Magic Network Ops Room
"All units: World Stability Index dropped 0.3%. Repeat—due to someone not getting a reward."
—
[Somewhere in the Divine Realm]
In a sky of silvery divine light, a long-haired woman opened her eyes, seated on a throne of clouds.
She smiled.
"Honestly… even giving her a reward has to be done in secret."
She turned to the empty air beside her.
"Thank you, little Ashu."
Ashu—currently floating above the guild inn, writing mission reports—paused.
His ears twitched.
"…I am a babysitter, after all."