Smell of alcohol combined with the aroma of beef and herbs from the pot of stew bubbling away at the back of the tavern filled her nose, tempting Helen to part with the money in her purse. But she shook that temptation away, instead focusing her attention to the inner part of “Dragon’s Tooth”. Just a quick glance showed the reasoning for the name was obvious- a sharp, serrated tooth hung in the back of the tavern, its length around half of a human adult’s height, and just as wide.

If the tooth is already that huge, then how big must the dragon be?

Helen gulped as she walked into the establishment, her head swiveling left and right to give the place a look. Both for trying to find the usual job board, as well as just trying to look at everything. She couldn’t help it, previously she only went to shady establishments such as “Rats’ Nest” and the inner part of this one blew that one out of the water. The floor looked clean, wooden furniture, the way they put the lights to give it a homely feel, then the smell of stew that made her mouth water, the people milling around the tavern that didn’t look like they just got thrown out of the local jail- all of these combined to show that this place had a class. Still crass though, considering the rough grin some of the patrons shoot at her, but at least they didn’t whistle or call out at her to service them.

Just when she thought of that, a rough voice called out to her, “Oi, Miss, this place isn’t for a wee lass like you! It’ll be such a shame if you are killed, hic… that bod is even comparable to some of those Mamono. Maybe I should check if you are one, gyahahahaha!” He ended with a laughter, chugging down the big mug of beer in his hand.

His words grated, but when she almost decided to ignore it, after all she knew how quick things could escalate if she fought- she noticed how quiet the tavern became. She knew that table on the left side near the window with three people almost came to blows, but they sat back down, their eyes flickering towards her before going away again, as if they didn’t want her to notice. Maybe she could ignore it if only that table did this, but she noticed each occupants also watched- well, some she wasn’t certain but most of them weren’t even hiding they were looking at her. Even the receptionist on the back sat back relaxedly, the grin on her face giving her some sort of challenge, like ‘Well, are you going to lie back and accept?’

The same as a lower end tavern then. Seriously, adventurers were all the same in this city. Let some random guy or girl provoke the newcomer, then if they let it be, that person had to be weak. She could bet that some of these people never faced any monsters like she had in the past. Sauntering forward, she let her magic leak from her arms, the crackle of lightning loud in the silence. Even the rude guy’s jaw dropped, his eyes staring at her as if she just grew a second head. “Alright, mind saying that again? I was too far and can’t listen clearly.” She murmured, just standing relaxedly in front of him. No need to pull out her bow or knife for this guy, after all he was just a sheep thrown by the wolves in this place.

But he shook off the shock quite fast, grinning wildly, he put down the mug and stood up- and up. He towered above her, the wide smile on his face promising pain. “Damn, I like feisty girl you know? If you stop now perhaps I’ll be gentler…”

He didn’t do much except standing there, but Helen knew she fucked up. Now she understood the whole reason they went silent, why they looked at her and what she would do. Decisions warred within her as the electricity on her arms continued to spark, silence stretching between the two of them. Perhaps she should have said something, anything to break the unnerving atmosphere between the two of them. Maybe she could launch the gathered power in her arms. Or pull out her knife. But she couldn’t shake that feeling that if she did that, her mistakes would grow bigger than what it was currently.

A sharp clap pierced through, making both of them jolt as they turned to the source- the receptionist. “Alright, that’s enough, boyo. Had enough fun yet, Karl the Demonslayer?” Even though she was smiling, cold filled that sentence.

Then the sentence she said parsed through her mind.

She looked back to him, finally really taking note of his appearance. Bald, red eyes, and intricate metal armor that looked to be lighter than what it should be. The huge hammer slung on his back with a symbol of a broken skull… “I-I apologize sir!” The words escaped her mouth before she could even think of it, bowing down as quickly as possible as she dispelled her magic.

Instead of doing the sort of thing she expected him to do, he laughed, a roaring sort that was loud and boisterous- reminding Helen of her hometown, slightly. The old men there always have the same laugh. “It’s okay. I like your spunk, that won’t be denied. So for all the trouble I caused you and the Missus there… hm…” He went silent while giving the other patrons a look.

Some looked away, either out of respect or they had no desire to be pulled into this. But some grinned and immediately shouted, “Buy ‘em some booze man! You have the coins!” That suggestion seemed to take hold, some people immediately shouting their agreement as they let out a drunken grin.

“Hah! Too true, too true. Alright then, put it in my tab Arya!” Karl shouted, and as if a switch had been flipped, everyone started chattering once more- the previous silence all forgotten. “Now just continue on with what you wanted to do, lassie. Sorry for that, you are just too cute!”

She wanted to reply against that sharply, but that aura and his reputation… well, easy choice. “Thank you sir.” She said, bowing slightly before walking quickly to the receptionist, refusing any offers from the other tables. Seemed that her stunt warmed her to them- or maybe as what the legendary Demonslayer said, she was just ‘cute’. She hated that, but she kept it in her thoughts, refusing to let it show as she finally arrived in front of the receptionist.

This close, the first thing Helen noticed was that purple eyes- very unusual. Arya gave her a small smile as she prepared a mug, her hands moving quickly to fill it with beer. “Sorry, you seemed pretty decent so I goad you without thinking.” She murmured apologetically, giving her a bow. Not too deep but Helen couldn’t help but back off slightly.

She was uncertain how she felt for this girl but- not much choice with that kind of show. “Um… it’s alright. I didn’t mind it too much.” Accepting the tankard from Arya, she barely gave it a look before chugging it down, figuring that it wouldn’t be anything good since it was paid by another. Even if the guy was one of the Hero known in the land. She immediately regretted it, the taste was above and beyond any she expected. Well-balanced, fruity and dry, with the slightest aroma of the forest… Far better than anything she ever tasted before. “Woa… how much for this mug?” She asked, immediately putting it down to the counter. “I don’t think I have enough to cover whatever’s left…” And if I did, I’d rather use it for something else instead of a good alcohol.

But Arya just laughed at that question, waving her off. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Think of it as a joint pay of him and I since y’know, I pushed you to that situation and all. Nonetheless, welcome to Dragon’s Tooth! Hope this doesn't put you off coming here again, we have the best food and drinks in Forfense after all.”

One of her eyebrows rose slightly hearing that, quite the lofty claim after all, considering this place was in the lower area instead of shopping or even the fancy place up above.

Arya seemed to understand her doubt though, giving her a pout as she answered Helen’s unspoken question, “Fine, best if you don’t compare it to those schmancy-fancy pants of those cooks for nobles. They are unfair anyway, having all sorts of magical beasts’ meat to use, not to count their fresh vegetables… anyone can cook good stuff with those, anyone! But me? Uuurgh. Anyway, enough about me. What pushes you to come to my beloved tavern?”

That reminded her of her original intention. She had relaxed a bit too much… Drinking the rest of the beer, she put the tankard down. “Thanks for it, but do you mind showing me where the job board is? Kinda in need of money, you see…” A bit of a hurry too, otherwise she would never set foot here. Even with all the rough people in Rats’ Nest, she had made her own reputation there, and Dragons’ Tooth was just full of unknown except for the fact that they were pretty upscale and far, far better rewards. Rats’ board was mostly the request of the people in the slums after all. They couldn’t pay well, but Helen didn’t mind. As long as she gathered enough for her family, she was okay with it.

“Oooooh, a job. Alright, just there on the left, a pillar on its right.”

Helen looked towards where Arya pointed and there it was. The fabled job board. Relieved, she thanked Arya before walking there, ignoring the other patrons. She could talk with them after, for now she had to find a good job.

A guy was already staring at the board, as if pondering which one to pick. Giving him a nod as she joined him in standing in front of it, she started to give each one a quick look.

Escort mission, good money but I don’t think my ability is well suited for that…

Killing a huge monster- oh boy, for Platinum and up and a group at that? Nevermind.

Gathering herbs and huge monetary reward? Wait, I know the one they are asking… can’t be uprooted for too long or it will lose its magical effect, which will be useless for anyone. Not even good for fertilizer or feed. Yeah, nope.

Catching a Fox Mamono, nice money but wow, first time I see a normal work that asks for the adventurer to be female. Sounds fishy.

Guarding the Sheeple herd until full moon. Not a bad price too…

But before she could even touch the paper, the adventurer next to her grabbed it, immediately walking back to Arya with a happy smile. All Helen could do was sigh as she looked back to the board, but nothing else caught her eye. She needed quite a sum and fast. None seemed to fulfill her needs except…

Her eyes slid back to the capturing mission, slowly, she gave it a read, being careful to read through the description.

Requester: The Head of Armmere Family

Description: Capture the Fox Mamono that has been sighted in the Winterdeer Forest. Must be alive.

Qualification: Must be female.

Reward: 10,000 Mels.

That amount would cover what she needed and a lot of leftovers. The mission would also be one of her expertise… Slowly, she grabbed the paper and walked towards Arya, this had to be too good to be true. “Well uh… so this one…”

Arya blinked, looked up at her before looking back down. “I thought you'd pick something else but this one… what’s your rank again?”

Uncertain since the paper didn’t say anything about any sort of rank limit, Helen still took out the item that denoted that she was a part of the Adventurer Guild and not just some random people off the street. Granted, Arya had to check this anyway, but her question was a bit suspicious. The thing she took out was just a thin metal with a certain special magic imbued in it. Helen had no idea how it really works, but Arya tapped her own card with it. Nothing happened, as it should be. If one of the cards was fake, there would be a warning bell. It was rare, but sometimes people tried to pretend to be higher or lower ranked than they actually were. Nonetheless, Arya seemed satisfied and put away her card. “All good, I was just checking since you are new here and all.”

“Well… before accepting, I just want to ask if this is truly it? Like it sounds a bit too high…” Helen asked, still suspicious of the request even if she wanted it to be truly real. Catching a Mamono shouldn’t be too different compared to beasts, and she had some experiences there.

“Well, that’s because…” For the first time, Helen could see Arya seemed a little awkward, as if she was pondering if she should tell or not. But before Helen could voice her thoughts and push it one way or another, she spoke, “Just meet her tomorrow. Rest assured that Armmere can pay it, alright?”

A bit… too suspicious. Yes, Dragons’ Tooth had a good reputation with their requests, and the Armmere family was one of those nobles living in the upper space. They could pay. But still… Too much reward for a simple request really needs her to be cautious.

But before she could refuse, a sudden, huge shadow fell on top of them both. Looking back, she craned her head up and it was the guy from before. Karl. The hero of the land. The Demonslayer. Various other titles. “Saw your face falling from over there, Arya. What did this lassie do?” This time Helen could feel it, the pressure that came off Karl was heavy- much more than before.

“Nothing, nothing. You know how Armmere’s request is…”

“That.”

“Yes, that.”

“Urgh… Okay.” Turning around to her, Karl’s face was unreadable as he patted Helen’s shoulder. “I see that you find this request too hard for you.”

What.

“You can turn it down of course, but… I thought you have spunk, lassie. I thought you are good at this… You have silver too. Man, a silver and refusing this request? You are just aiming for safe stuff, aren’t you? Well, I understand that. I mean you are a girl and all-”

Okay, that’s it. I don’t care what he is but that’s too much.

“Fine. I’ll go meet her and I’ll finish this request and I’ll show you that you shouldn’t underestimate girls .” She growled out, giving him a glare.

Karl had the gall to grin as he leaned towards the counter with a smug look. “Okay then, make me swallow my words, lassie. I’ll even be generous and say that even if you fail the request, it’s fiiiine. At least you still do it. So, good luck!”

“Okay, just remember that!” She angrily shouted, turning back to walk out of the tavern.

Yes, she had been goaded to take a mission she didn’t want to grab, but in the end she did it. So she would do her best, and she would show that damned ‘hero’ that he was wrong.

Tomorrow she will go meet this noble.

The next day arrived too fast for Helen’s taste, the sun just rose and she already started to walk up the road towards the noble’s area. As always, the road was mostly filled with servants going down and back up from the middle class area where the merchants had made their territory. Some people might have said it was too early, but obviously the servants had to be earlier than their masters. Helen’s heart went out for them- even though she did wake up early today, it was mainly because she couldn’t get any sleep at all. Meanwhile these people had to be early.

Rechecking her repertoire, she took note that her leather armor still gleamed after yesterday’s polish, her bow slung on her back, and her trusty knife strapped in its sheath on her hips. Hidden beneath her armor, but still easy to be pulled out when she wanted to.

Before long, she arrived in front of the gate. Eight soldiers stood in front of the gate, each of them wearing steel armor with a spear gripped within their hand. Helen’s mouth curled down. Even the four entrances to Forfense was only filled with six soldiers on each of them, and only four stood guard to the merchant areas. Nonetheless, Helen didn’t voice out the unfairness, just slipping to the queue that had formed in front of six of the soldiers. Two just stood in front of a huge gate, probably special for the nobles.

The servants talked with one another, but Helen tuned them out, her thoughts running back to what happened yesterday. She really didn’t handle everything well, going in like a country bumpkin, which even though she really was one, not something she should flaunt like that. Then she picked a fight and if she said that she did it because of the receptionist, she knew her parents would beat her up.

Never blame others for your own mistake. Own up and do your best to make up for it if you feel you did something wrong.

She believed, and so she could only accept that she had been stupid and just strive to be better. At least once she had decided on that course, she arrived in front of the soldier at the same time.

“ID and reasons please.” The man said gruffly, even though Helen could see how young he looked beneath the helmet.

Still, she handed the request paper and her own silver card. The man grunted and quickly checked- his eyebrows rising slightly when he read the request. “Never saw your face here, do you know where Armmere's place is?”

A temptation to say she knew rose within her, but she quickly pushed that feeling away. Lying here would be stupid and made no sense to boot. “No, can you tell me where…?”

The man sighed as he gave the paper and metal back, which she pocketed quickly. Losing any of these would be disastrous. “Once you are through the gate, turn right, then just go forward. It’s the last house.”

Murmuring her thanks, she followed the directions but her eyes gazed at the houses- nay, it was better to call them ‘mansions’. Each of them were a sprawling sort of buildings, main building, wings, then arches and various decorative items like statues and fountains… But the main things everyone had were a huge building with an even bigger garden. Each set of buildings she went through were more beautiful than the last, each one aiming to catch her eye, and even just walking through the outside showed how busy the inside was. Gardeners, maids, butlers and who knew what else worked busily to keep the mansion in good order.

Perhaps her expectation had climbed from seeing those, but when her gaze fell onto the supposed house, all Helen could think was, This is it?

The house looked tiny, with another, smaller building attached to it as well as a garden surrounding both of those. Although after the lavish gardens she had seen… sighing, she still gave it a look. The ornate fences glowed from the sun’s reflections, and within the house, she saw a lot of workers. Slowly, her eyes slid back to the front gate, and the two tough-looking guards standing in front of them.

A brief flare of uncomfort passed through her but Helen pressed on, determined to at least see if she would be accepted by the noble. Getting through the guards were uncomfortably easy- just show them her adventurer card and the request off Dragon’s Tooth and at once their mannerism changed.

Before, they let loose a laugh, all the while looking at her with derision and even snorted. Murmuring words they thought she couldn’t hear, but she barely managed to… and wished she didn’t. If Karl yesterday made her blood boil, these two send rage burning through her veins. But she couldn’t do anything much beyond smiling and shoving her credentials and that she had a reason to go in. So even if they didn’t want to, they gave her a nod of respect while opening the gate.

What happened next was quick, she got ushered towards a parlor with a warm cup of tea put in front of her. While the room itself was small, it was still decked with plush carpet, and the only furniture within were two sofas, a fancy table and a bookshelf sparsely filled with hardcovers.

As Helen fidgeted nervously in the room, uncertain how long she would need to wait. Especially considering the fact that the other party was a noble and she was a lowly peasant. Maybe if she had a huge reputation like Karl she could relax. Although just remembering that guy made the corner of her mouth curl as she angrily gritted her teeth. She really had to do her best here, make the noble trust she could do it and all. Shouldn’t be too hard, perhaps. People already said she gave the look of being a competent hunter even with her gender. Maybe she should start thinking about the problem with the request, that was why she asked to meet instead of just asking for approval after all.

“I apologize for taking so long.” A not-familiar voice called out, the door opening smoothly and all Helen could do was staring at the sight of the noble. Flowing blonde hair that reached her waist, doe green eyes, plump, rounded cheeks that fit the shape of her face… Then her dress, while looked casual, seemed to be silky to the touch, with frills and some jewelries adorning the fabric.

So… she’s the Head, huh?

Usually, the preferred gender for heir would be male. It was just a natural thing. After all, the family probably preferred to marry off their daughter to someone else with higher standing, while their son wouldn’t leave. With that in mind, it made the fact a woman becoming a Head a rare occurrence- pretty much unheard of beyond a failing nobility. But even if the Armmere’s place was smaller than any other place, the servants seemed to look happy and worked hard. She definitely didn’t see any dust while walking.

She let loose a coughing sound, bringing Helen’s attention back with a flush on her cheeks. Bowing slightly, she stood up while offering her hand, “A-Ah, I apologize, Lady Armmere…” Helen murmured.

Grasping the offered hand, the noble let loose a slight smile. “It’s alright, I hear you came for my request…?” She trailed off slightly, while maneuvering in such a way that both of them sat back down onto the sofa.

“Yes, I’m Helen, my lord.” She replied, giving a little nod. “I hope you don’t mind me asking about the specifications of the request? Just to be certain, you see.” Helen murmured, taking out the request paper and putting it on the table. Yes, she just assumed that the noble would accept her, but being forward like this was all the rage, certainly.

A little peek to Armmere’s face confirmed it, what with Helen seeing a slight lift on the corner of the noble’s mouth. “Helen…” The name rolled easily from the noble before she nodded. “Then ask the question away, dearie.”

Shudder passed through her spine, but she quickly squashed it down. “R-right.” She muttered, trying to grasp back the line of thoughts she had previously. “May I ask why do you want the Mamono captured alive?” She finally decided on that question, even though the more pressing one would be the adventurer that accepted the mission needed to be female.

The noble’s shoulders relaxed as she replied calmly, “It’s because Mamono is currently the trend in the upper crust, you see. Various creatures being shown and owned by each family… While I can buy one off the Menagerie, I heard of this Mamono being gossipped among my servants. A beautiful, graceful fox with nine sleek tails, her furs looking smooth as silk and her golden eyes are so big and captivating…” Armmere’s eyes closed down, a smile spreading across her face.

Hesitantly, Helen gave an affirmative sound. Not the worst reason, admittedly. Following trends huh… the fox probably would be pampered until the trends had passed, where then it would end up being killed or sold to another noble. “O… kay.” She started off, a little hesitant before continuing once the noble snapped out of her reverie, looking back at her with alertness. “I presume that the way to capture her will be up to me?”

“Indeed, there’s no limit. As long as you ensure she’s not murdered or wounded.”

Helen frowned, that second stipulation would be harder. “My lord, what if the fox resisted…?” She had to ask that, even if it would be preferable to capture anything without hurting them, sometimes there was no choice. A few times, she had to sacrifice getting a perfect pelt because the animals decided to continue fighting.

For a brief second, Armmere’s face flickered, distaste on her face before it smoothed out to the smile from before. “... I understand your concern, but try to not do that. After all, showing a wounded Mamono is worse than not having any.”

Man this whole thing is getting more annoying by the seconds…

But Helen had promised Karl and she refused to back down. “Thank you for your generosity, my lord.” She replied with another bow, this time a bit lower than what she did previously. “For my last question, why is the request’s prize that high? A fox Mamono isn’t as dangerous as a dragon’s or some other beasts like a basilisk after all.” Well, the reward would be too low if it was the examples she just sprouted.

Instead of being offended, Armmere nodded, her eyes seemed to finally really look at Helen now. “I understand your concern, but with the stipulation I asked, I feel it’s a fair reward.” The noble stopped there, but it seemed doubt showed across her face since Armmere continued, the smile on her face spreading a bit wider. “I’ll even pay a thousand Mels now, this is how much I value that fox to be captured.”

Perhaps Helen should think it over, after all, any easy money was always suspicious. But that amount of Mels combined with the rest of the prize once she got her hand on that fox… Well, even if it was too risky she would accept it. It wasn’t only for herself, but for her family as well. Not much choice, to be honest. “Alright, I accept this request of yours… Hold tight, Baroness Armmere, I’ll bring her to your presence as soon as possible.”

“I look forward to the good result, Helen dear.”

“Thank you for using Golden Feather’s service, we hope to see you again!” The cheerful voice of the receptionist rang out as Helen walked out of the building, back to the bustle of the city.

So many people walking around, each of them having their own reasons. But most of them were smiling, talking, milling around and jealousy flared within her for a bit. Wrong of her to do so, but she couldn’t help it. She had just sent half of the down payment Armmere gave her, all in the hope that would be enough to stave off the situation back in her home village. Hopefully the money would be useful for food or whatever they needed to fend off the pest attacks. Crop failure would be disastrous, considering the reaping time was creeping ever closer. If a failure happened now… she didn’t want to think about it.

For now she just had to focus on her work though, to capture that fox Mamono. Weaving through the crowds, Helen walked past most of the stores. They were the stores focused to sell merchandise to adventurers, so some sold various potions and raw ingredients, some selling equipment, there were even those that sold solid food that would still be safe to be eaten even if weeks had passed. But those on the main roads were all general stores, yes, they might have some specialization but not as much as she needed. If Helen walked into one of the equipment stores for example, she probably could only find a few types of traps like bear and coil traps and perhaps some basic lure. Useful if she was catching normal animals but this time it was Mamono, and the requester wanted her to catch her without any wounds if possible.

Helen clucked her tongue, that stipulation would be the hardest part, and the whole reason she was walking to a specialized store. Turning right into a smaller, practically deserted gang, she stopped in front of a door, the only thing that showed it was a store was a sign with ‘Snare ‘n Share’ written on it being hung above. Lifting her hand, Helen knocked as hard as possible before walking in, the bell jingling with a clear sound the moment the door was opened.

Inside, the store was immediately divided into different sections. Lures, traps, chains and collars, cages… all of them were shown with multiple varieties. Even so, the ones shown here only had one size, good for small beasts like a fox. The bigger ones were kept on the back. "Oi, old man I'm back!" She called out, walking deeper.

"Who are you calling old- oh, Helen! Here to replenish your lures? I just got a new brand the other day so you probably can get a special discount for your usual. The other hunters are getting all huffy on me to get more of this new brand so..." Behind the counter, there stood a thin man with balding white hair, and he was pretty much the store’s owner. To be honest, he differed from most other merchants Helen knew, with how kind he was with potential customers, even those that looked like they didn’t have money. But he always moved silently and it was easy to lose track of him… a bit suspicious if she thought about it.

Shaking her head, she dispelled those thoughts, instead of focusing on now. Bad habit of hers, really. "Nah, today I'm here for a different order. You see…" Walking closer, Helen started to explain the events in the tavern and the mission she had accepted. "... And that's how it is. Uh… mind helping?" She murmured in the end, reluctant to voicing it out loudly. It felt too much like showing her weakness even if that was needed.

A jolt seemed to run through the shopkeeper’s body as he leaned forward, a frown on his face. “Right… I’m giving you this warning since you are always a good client to me, but you know, no one ever managed to do that request you are taking. I’ve seen multiple hunters, all of them with good skills but still failing. Are you sure about doing this?” Concern tinged his words, and while she felt like he was underestimating her, it was understandable.

Grinning in answer, she thumped her chest lightly, puffing it forward. “Of course! You know that I have hunted a lot of things. I even got some of the big games, y’know?” Admittedly, those big games were a group effort, but he didn’t need to know that. It wasn’t wrong of her to say that she had a lot of experience either, she had hunted in the forest near her home village and here since her childhood. At first just alone, with her trying to use slingshots before she finally was seen by a hunter in the village that figured he should teach her.

But her answer didn’t get rid of the frown on the shopkeeper's face, it even started to change to a troubled look. “... I don’t know what happened to them, but something tells me the fox isn’t as easy as what you are feeling, Helen.” His voice was soft, full of worry and concern that Helen knew that if this was for anything else, she would have listened.

Slowly, she shook her head before looking straight to his eyes, showing him her determination. “I’ll be fine.”

They looked at each other for a while, staring, trying to make the other back off. But Helen had decided her course of action, and so she kept her gaze, not blinking or averting her eyes. In the end, the shopkeeper did that first, a sigh out of his mouth. “Alright, alright. Tell me your budget then.”

A grin spread across her face as she pumped her fist, glad that he finally acquiesced to her demands. “Glad you see my way, and it’ll be around… five hundred Mels. I hope that won’t be a problem?”

Another sigh, but he shrugged while walking towards the collar and chain area. “Quite the conundrum, but at least you can get the magic nullification set. Well not exactly nulling but… that’s the only thing you can get for the low, low price of three hundred ninety nine Mels. This price is even special for you!”

The one he pulled out looked like a solid choice in her eyes. A thick leather band with some ropes added in. “This collar will get bigger as you pull it, although of course it has a maximum size… but the main thing you need to know is that after the fox’s head went through the band, it will tighten automatically and will only release her if you want it to be. The ropes are well…” He shrugged. “Use it however you want, it has the same properties as the collar. So use all of them together to ensure it’s effective.”

While she accepted the collar easily, she eyed the rope doubtfully, uncertain if they would be able to withstand it if the fox decided to bite on them or just use its strength to break it off…

“It’s stronger than it looks, albeit not as strong as these reinforced steel chains…” He murmured, his hand picking up the steel chain on the table, making them rattle before letting it fall again. “But that one would bump the price to nine hundred ninety nine and I don’t think you have that amount of money.”

Yep, not happening. With a heavy heart, she picked the rope and put it with the collar, attached to her pants. That should ensure she always has them near her and wouldn’t be caught unaware. “Alright, thank you for the help. Will tell you how it goes… after I buy some things I need to prepare for a week or more of camping in the forest. Won’t be hard to hunt but you know, just in case.”

“Understandable. Good luck in your endeavor.” The shopkeeper smiled before continuing, “After all, I need you to buy the rest of the lures.”

“Heh, gotcha boss!” She answered with a grin as she paid the money. Soon she would finally start this hunt, and she would show everyone that doubted her that she was better than they thought she was.