Isekai For Hire Chapter 2: The Unexpected Guest

Read chapter 2 of Isekai For Hire by wk_rust on NovelPedia.

The Unexpected Guest Lorena kept her head down, shoulders hunched as they moved through the busy market toward wherever Jade was leading her. Her employer, Colton, had been confident that the body acquisition would allow her to evade detection, but years of experience in the field told her that keeping a low profile was still paramount to her survival. It’s body theft, not an acquisition. Murder too. And it clearly didn’t go according to plan. It’s not murder if you’re still in my head, Lorena thought. The voice did something, a kind of roll, its best approximation of an eyeroll Lorena guessed. She evaluated Jade as they walked, watching her interactions. The Priest was confident and friendly with the locals, mingling as they moved through the crowd. Jade led Lorena into a house nestled between several larger buildings. It looked somewhat run down: the bushes out front were overgrown, the paint on the door faded from sun exposure, and the inside felt more like someone’s home than an inn. “Hi Henry, do you still have that room for rent?” An old man lumbered into the room. Barely four feet tall, based on his height next to the small table he walked by. His skin had a grayish tint to it and looked rough, almost like stone. She had to fight to keep her focus from narrowing on the flash of long orange hair and impressive beard. There were other important things to notice, like the small dagger sheathed at his waist. She used Identify. Henry, Dwarf, Level 40 Priest Another Priest. Maybe that’s how Jade knew him. A dull ache thumped in her back as the weak muscles strained from the tension brought by a 30 level difference; this body clearly wasn’t used to being under this much stress. Henry gave Jade a knowing grin as he approached. “Found another stray, have ya?” His voice was gruff like steel wool, but his eyes were kind. Before Lorena could speak, Jade spoke for her. Her jaw ticked. Ha. First time? Get used to it. “Yeah, she stumbled into town, literally. Caught her on the edge of the market at one health! Said she was fighting spiders in the forest.” That wasn’t exactly what she’d said, Lorena thought. The dwarf cocked his head at her with a raised eyebrow. He looked her up and down and Lorena did her best to stand tall. “That’s a mighty foolish thing to be doin’. But I do have a room for rent. It’s two gold a night.” Lorena glanced toward the currency tab in her interface and pressed her lips into a thin line. She only had 6 gold, 12 silver, 33 copper—enough for three nights, but not much more than that. How polite of you to hide the disappointment from him at the poor financial state of your stolen body. Maybe extend the courtesy to me next time? Lorena ignored the voice’s comment, but she did feel a twinge of embarrassment. She’d have to figure out a way to filter her thoughts. “That’s fine,” she said. The words came out tighter than she meant. The dwarf handed her a key and directed her upstairs. “I’ll send up a shirt for ya too, my daughter was ‘bout your size before she left home. You won’t be gettin’ any attention from anyone good with a hole in your shirt like that.” As she was about to head to her room Jade broke away from her conversation with Henry and walked over to her. “Sorry for giving you a hard time about the forest, it’s just everyone from around here knows not to venture into there before they have a class.” “It’s fine.” “If you want, I can show you around town once you’re settled. I can help introduce you to some people to get a good deal on armor and what not, once you choose your class.” Lorena didn’t trust Jade, but having a local on your side could provide valuable intelligence. She needed a better understanding of the landscape, and this world, but her professional paranoia wouldn’t let her accept the offer just yet. “Maybe another time, I need to rest. Thank you though.” How predictable. The voice said in a bored tone. Lorena walked up the stairs, Jade and Henry diving back into their conversation. “Jade