"Its me....I've returned!" Lutessa shouted, as she managed to get back to the wooden gates of the elf village.

However, while thankful to see her, a few others expressed concerns.

"Lutessa! Where is the others?"

"They...they got wiped out I think! I got knocked unconscious from a heavy blow, and when I woke up, it looked like everyone had died from monsters!" Lutessa warned them, as the wooden carved gates swung closed behind her. Perhaps as expected of elves, although they were not adorned with shiny doodads or trinkets, they were carved quite beautifully and nicely.

As she sat down to rest, the Elder and Leader of the Elf Village, Oriolo, approached her.

"Is it true?"

"I...I was worried about being ambushed, so I didn't count for sure, but it looked like everyone, and no one was moving by the time I woke up".

"I see, this is troubling indeed. If they got one of our Hunting groups like that, the danger may have increased. We will need to send out another hunter group to try and trim them down and trap them".

"Another?!" Lutessa questioned. "I just saw them all die! We need to be more prepared and wary then that! We need a bigger hunting group, and we need more training!"

"Now now, we cant overreact, and if we upset the balance of the forest, it is we who will suffer even more" he said, but all Lutessa could hear was a stubborn old fool.

However, that was not the only thing that was concerning her. Her students, the ones from her first life, were also of concern.

"Was it really that bad?" another elf, a man who was older then her, asked.

"Yes. The monsters were terrifying".

"The elder might be too stubborn to admit it, but we might need some help with this matter. We should head to a nearby town and post a request with the Adventurer's Guild. Well, we probably wont need to, if we report the increase in Monster activity they will do it themselves".

"I see...should we leave soon then?"

"Yeah, we need to do this sooner rather then later. That said, you still need to rest right? Take a few hours while I gather supplies, and then we can go".

"Ah...thank you. I will do just that".

The Adventurers Guild. There were various examples and images that came into Rikuo's head as they approached. The building itself though perhaps had one aspect that surprised him, more then anything else. Something that he had not seen in any iteration of any novel, manga, or anime.

It was not the outward design, which made it very clear with the adventurer's guild logo which featured a backpack, sword, bow, and staff as its icon, the backpack holding the three things as it had two legs on the bottom and walked along a road, seeming a bit cartonish. It was three stories high, and it looked quite large and spacious.

It wasn't even the fact that from the outside, it looked neat and orderly.

Rather, the strangest thing upon looking at it was that there was three doors in the front.

"Why are there three doors?"

"Occassionally it gets busy and crowded, or a lot of people are going in and out during certain times, so three doors were made to help decrease the clutter and people walking into each other. There is also a backdoor that leads to a back lot which doubles as a training ground and sparring area as well".

Arila, who knew of his lack of common sense due to his special upbringing and Reincarnator status, was very quick to asnwer his question diligently. She seemed quite proud of herself too.

Well, it was certainly an innovative design. Rikuo definently didn't expect there to be three doors. It also looked quite sturdy and well maintained, and looked a bit more well built and maybe even a bit...advanced...compared to the other buildings around it.

As they entered though, the atmosphere was certianly full of fervor. There were some adventurers by the bar who seemed to not be involved, and others by the request board doing their own thing, but by the counter there was a lot of adventurers all worked up about something. Something about a quest to gather information and identify someone. Something about a burgalor.

"Sounds like something major happened" Arila mentioned, as the trio headed over to the side where a receptionist was currently free. "What is going on over there?"

"Ah, some burgalor or thief robbed a rather important archive and stole some scroles with all sorts of knowledge that is not meant for public eyes, so the lord of the city has put out a bounty on them. The people who caught a sight of her said she was a girl with brown hair and blue clothes, who moved swiftly and with little to no sounds".

In addition, the receptionist told them about the reward. 20 silver to learning their identity, 50 silvr if you capture them, 2 gold if you capture them before another theft.

That last reward was interesting for sure. Seems like there was something going on, although it was said to be the pride of nobles not wanting to be stolen from again. Furthermore, it was signed off by the lord of the city. Even though the adventurer's guild was indepndent technically from kingdoms and politics, there was always some bits of connection and some quests put out based on them.

"Now then, is there anything you need help with?"

"Ah yes, these two want to register as Adventurers. Can you get that set up?"

"Ah, I see. Well, the requirements are not much. You just need to be old enough, or you need to have enough combat strength or have undergone a class change. Hmmm, the boy in the glasses might not be old enough though...."

Due to malnuitrition and having his aging stopped by becoming a vampire, Rikuo looked younger then he actually was. Furthermore, he had a title which tended to make people look down on him essentially, coddle him, or treat him as a monster. He wondered if that title is what caused the behavior at the glass shop.

Maybe...its just rather annoying though...

Either way, he did need to register.

"I am older then I look".

"I see...well, to confirm, please touch this crystal here. It will confirm your name, age, combat ability rank, and class. As its the mass production model, that is all it does though".

Hearing that, Rikuo put his hand on it first. The result surprised the receptionist, who saw that not only was Rikuo thirteen years old, but he was a Sorcerer already too. He also had a C-Rank Combat ability. It was rare for children his age to have had a class change, not exceptionally rare, but rare enough for it to happen once, maybe twice, for a single receptionist during their careers. And C-Rank Combat ability was completely abnormal for a child his age, let alone his size.

After that came Sora, whose age came up as ten, and whose class was Rikuo's Familiar. His combat rank was the same, at Rank C. At first, Rikuo wondered if a familiar could even register at the guild, but she seemed to complete her job normally.

And in that time, Alira decided to take advantage of the situation and submit the form about completing the bandit subjugation they ended up doing along the way, which resulted in some reward money for them. With that all said and done, they decided to leave the guild and find an inn to rent for the night. Even if it was only approaching noon, as expected they had just gone out and they had done a lot of work, so they thought it would be a good idea to find a place to rest..

As they were heading out though, they ended up heading down a street that looked like it had a number of inns.

"That took way longer then normal".

"Well, the receptionist got distracted repeatedly by the commotion nearby, and after sleeping outside and all that happened, we could use a good rest. Even if we have that vampire to consider, I dont think she will cause trouble in another city so easily, especially after the wounds Sora dealt to her".

Certainly, it was a burst attack using all of his power and mana, but he dealt a good heavy blow. If she knew that was his total power used up all at once, the Teleka might have come after them sooner, but she didn't, so they had the advantage there. That should keep her away until she returns to full strength and musters some more forces at the very least.

Plus, Rikuo remembered that deathly scream she produced, and the brutal wounds and burns she had. She wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon.

However, along the way, a cloaked person rushed by him, and he had a strange feeling in that moment.

"Master, that girl pickpocketed you!"

"After her!"

But that was ignored for the moment, as they ended up giving chase to a pickpocket.

The Noble Apothacary was essentially ust a better stocked, more expensive version of a normal one. Well, the ingredients themselves were valued properly, but they were of mugh higher quality then any store you would normally find. As such, it was the best place if you wanted to make good, high quality potions. And if you wanted to buy some pre-made high quality potions as well.

As he entered there though, there seemed to be another customer. Wearing a hat that was a bit too big for someone her size, there was a girl...no wait, a boy there who seemed to be wearing some sort of fancy mantle like cloak, in some nice shorts, shirt, and boots. His clothes didn't look quite as fancy, as they seemed more practical, but without a doubt they were high quality enough that he would fit in to some degree around here. Frankly, for a moment Raevin thought he was a girl, but noticed the bone structure, while very effeminent, was definently male.

"What do you mean, shut up? How could I possible shut up when you are trying to sell me diluted mana potions for full price?!"

It seemed that there was some sort of issue with merchendice. Normally he might stay out of a matter that didn't involve him, but as he was a customer, he did need to make sure he was getting what he paid for, and this sounded concerning.

"Shut it runt! I gave you the good stuff, dont you dare try to rip me off. As expected of the rejected third bastard of Duke Elgram".

"What was that?! How dare you insult me and my mother! And use my damn name, Iosi!"

"Hey now...what is this I hear about inferior product?" Ravin asked, sensing something amiss. Perhaps due to the abilities of one of his titles, but he ould tell something was going on right now, something more then what was visible. Only now realizing he was there, the clerk seemed a bit surprised.

"Young Margrave Crowley, what a pleasure! No no, its just this runt is smearing my..."

"Well then, as an objective third party, ill test one of these out myself, and ill pay the full prive for it if its legit, and if its not...well, you have some explaining to do, starting with who you were bought off by".

Raevin had already somewhat deduced what was going on, between what he witnessed just now. I heard rumors that Duke Elgram had quite a few lovers and quite a few bastards in addition to the number of legitimate children he has had. ANd also that there was quite a lot of bullying from the main family to the bastards and their mothers. Not only that, but some other drama as well...

Either way, the man was clearly lost for words after hearing that. It seemed after being seen through so blatently, he had lost the will to stand and fell back downards.

"Well, if you obediently answer all of my questions, and treat us both nicely as customers now and in the future, then perhaps this wont need to become a topic of discussion among the nobles".

Reputation was a major factor for a shop. If it was confirmed, even a little, of such a tale, it would be ruined. And while Raevin Crowley had no proof, he had his reputation as a detective, so his words would have a damning effect as many would believe them.

Additionally, Raevin had a good feeling about this boy. Not only that, but he was sure he would be able to fill a position that was needed anyways. So he wanted to help him out and get him on his side.

Either way, the discussion ended up making the shopkeeper give in, as well as confirming what he suspected, and a few more things. It confirmed his original second reason for going to that shop.

"Thanks for the help..."

"You shouldn't go back to that inn you are staying at".

"Wait, how do you...."

"Even the bastard children of dukes typically wear fancy clothes, unless of course they have to focus on work and practicality. They also dont typically need to mainly buy mana potions...you are working as an adventurer or such, and need them to help make money. Because you lost your home, and you have sold most of the nice clothes to survive...I am sorry about your mother, by the way".

Raevin was a detective, and the smartest kid in his previous life's class, for a reason.

"You really can see through everything".

"Yes...so I would like to make you a job offer. My family recently got an opening for a servant position due to some unforseen problems, and I especially need a personal one. One who can also act as a bodyguard for me, and who can help me with certain matters...and, it would give you a safe place to sleep. What do you say?"

"Can I just know first why I cant go back to the inn?"

"Because more then likely, anything there was stolen and trashed already, and they are likely waiting to rough you up and steal your belongings you have on you".

"...well, I keep all my stuff with me these days, so alright, ill agree" he said, when Raevin suddenly took out a contract. "...guess I should have seen that coming".

Incidentally, there was one detail that Raevin had left out, but he figured it would be fine.

Meanwhile, back where Rikuo was, they had finally managed to catch up with the thief.

"I wont let you get away!"

Sora had managed to cut her off, while Arila and Rikuo had sealed off her exit. Even though it was starting to get late, and they had all been running for quite a bit, no one seemed like they were especially fatigued, although they were all breathing deeply.

"Shadow Arts...Shadow Clones!"

Suddenly, two clones were created, and while the Thief attacked Sora, her clones went to hold off Arila and Rikuo.

"Wind Gate!"

Sora decided to take a countermeasure the thief did not expect though, as a gate of wind came between them and blew her back. Arila seemed to repel one clone right into the other, while Rikuo bound them both with Shadow Magic. However, as he was casting that, he was also casting a different, far more advanced spell.

"Shadows, bind my target across all the dimensions, and let her not escape my grasp..."

Hearing the chant and sensing danger, she attempted to climb up into the sky, but Sora quickly created a downdraft and forced her back down with powerful wind affinity.

"...and do not let up, for you must keep her within this darkness. Dark Grip!"

Suddenly, hundreds of shadow tendrils shot out of the ground and bound the thief, preventing her from moving. As Rikuo stepped forward though, two shadow clones came out of the darkness and held knives to his throat, while his Dark Grip circled around her own throat and held her hostage as well.

The two looked right into each other's eyes finally, and gave each other a good hard look.

And for some reason, they both felt pangs of familiarity. Their souls recognized one another instantly, having traveled across dimensions.

"To think I would find the Queen of Darkness here..." Rikuo guessed, making her eyes go wide.

"No way...to think you would be the first person I would encounter. I guess once again, we are stuck together".

"Master?"

"Rikuo?"

Arila and Sora were both a bit confused, although both roughly had realized what happened. However, their thoughts were confirmed when the two undid the magic and power they had used on each other.

"My name is Rikuo in this world. Sorry, I cant remember any names from the previous life" he said, as they bumped their forearms against each other.

"Nice to meet up with you Rikuo. Herra is my name here. Seems like you made some interesting companions so far".

As she said that, she tossed Rikuo his money back.

"So, lets just cut right to the chase. Wanna join our party?"

"Sure. Wanna help me get some vital information on this world, secret information?"

"Sounds good to me!"

"I see...so they are friends from the other world then" Sora concluded as a fact, since the conversation didn't make sense unless that was the case.

"...thats great and all, but...I get the feeling we just walked into something troublesome".

And so at this turn of events, Rikuo's party gained its first member, and two of the Reincarnators had successfully met up and joined together.

"I cant believe you meant this by servant!" Iosi complaind, completely red faced as he was wearing a maid uniform.

"Don't worry, I am sure no one will catch on. Anyways, this will help keep you safe. And, it means I dont have to worry about the next maid being an assassin sent to kill me..."

Also, maids are in charge of helping to bathe and dress nobles, especially noble children like myself. But with my previous life memories, its embarrassing to have that done by girls, so at least with a dedicated boy maid, ill feel a bit better. Well, id still prefer to do it myself, but then my parents and siblings would throw a fit and it might get worse. I only just avoided it today since I could use the assassiantion attempt as an excuse...but this should give me some cover...

Incidentally, Raevin had that second objective. But he had gotten quite the boon today. Not only with his various potions and ingredients, and an ally, but he also learned who had bought ingredients that could be used to make poisons as well. Of course, the figure was hard to make out, but they paid with quite a few gold coins.

Which meant, whoever hired that assassin is someone with quite the spare change available. Lower ranked nobles couldn't do that, and it was in this kingdom's coin.

A possible traitor, or perhaps...well, there were many things to think about.

But in the end, it was still a good day.

Even Iosi eventually accepted his situation, which was nice. Well, watching a boy forced to crossdress as a maid was quite amusing also.

Either way, as the sun set, he had plenty of new things to focus on instead of that.