Collector’s Cage - Chapter 42

“I’ll call you back when things get better… Think of it as taking a short break…”

Jen, who had listened silently without even being able to get angry at the guild master speaking with an apologetic expression, let out a deep sigh.

Leaving the room with slumped shoulders, Jen headed straight to a tavern. A few workers followed him out, asking what had happened, but he wasn’t in the mood to explain and just waved them off listlessly.

What should he tell his family? It would be hard to find work elsewhere at his age. Lost in endless worries, Jen escaped the frustrating reality with alcohol.

After drinking heavily since morning, it was only around evening when the sky turned red that he staggered to his feet.

“Ah, damn it.”

Stumbling, he walked through alleyways to get home. Had he drunk too much? He felt like he was circling the same streets.

Then, some brat bumped into his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. Struggling to get up, he lacked the strength and fell asleep right there.

“Jen, Uncle Jen!”

An annoying sound, like flies buzzing, reached his ears. Feeling a tickling sensation around his face, he flailed his arms.

“Ouch, hey!! Snap out of it!!”

Something pried his eyelids open, forcing his eyes to open. Dazedly opening his eyes, Jen looked at the face before him and spoke.

“Hermie…?”

Before his eyes was Hermie, who had been missing without a trace since entering the Mage Tower. Her hair was disheveled, and she was wearing clothes even a beggar wouldn’t wear. So wretched she was almost unrecognizable.

Belatedly realizing something was wrong, Jen had informed the guild master, but when the guild master went to protest at the Mage Tower, he was turned away without even crossing the threshold.

Thus, having lost its financial officer, the Pumpkin Flower Guild began its steady decline.

“Ugh, the smell of alcohol!”

As Jen opened his mouth, the pungent smell of alcohol wafted out, making Hermie pinch her nose. Though she looked like a beggar, the clear voice was unmistakably Hermie’s.

“Did I drink too much…”

Jen muttered, still lying on the street. He thought he was having alcohol-induced hallucinations.

“It’s not a dream! This is no time to be staggering around like this. Get a grip!”

“…Such a tiny thing, and you talk so well.”

“I went into the Mage Tower and ended up like this! Because of an evil mage!!”

“An evil mage…”

“Yes!! The mage who took the Pumpkin Flower Guild’s money and ran!”

As Jen gradually began to sober up, his eyes started blinking rapidly. This isn’t a dream? Startled, Jen shot up. As he rose, his head spun, making his upper body sway.

“Ahh!! I’m down here, be careful!!”

Jen, now standing, was startled by the scream and hastily scrambled backward.

“You’re really Hermie?!”

Afraid he might have stepped on Hermie, Jen bent down to scan the ground. He saw Hermie grumbling not far away.

“Oh dear!”

She must have suffered terribly at the hands of that evil mage. Finally grasping the situation, Jen crouched down on the ground.

“What on earth happened?! What did they do to you?!”

“I told you, it’s because of the mage. We need to see the guild master right away. I need to return to my original form, and our guild needs to be saved too!”

Jen carefully picked Hermie up. Still unsteady from the lingering effects of the alcohol, he stumbled but didn’t drop her.

“Walk carefully! You’re going to fall!”

“No, but seriously, what on earth is this? Hermie, what happened?”

“How many times do I have to say it before you’ll understand?”