"Pretty big yield today…"A young girl named Ciriri Mayer was sitting on a large hill. With the wind lightly blowing through the trees, she collected a couple of mushrooms near a tree trunk. The sound of the ocean crashed nearby.
"These grow pretty fast, I don"t know why other stores around here don"t sell them…" She mumbled to herself, studying the red fungus.
Standing up, she smoothed out her uniform ap.r.o.n before hoisting up the basket filled with wild onions and mushrooms.
Her black bangs flew past her eyes as the wind started to pick up again.
The view from the hill gave a wonderful scene of the vast Ocean. A few boats belonging to fisherman were coasting peacefully on this warm spring day.
"Well, time to get back to work!"

The Western Village on the isle of Happote is a very small, but cozy village. Tall wooden homes and the clean atmosphere was something akin to peace.
Ever since the time of the Great Comet, the style of the times had changed. Some would argue it was a step back from the modern clothing style of the old days.
These days, women wore dresses while men wore worker gear. The more mundane style of life had drastically simplified the style of dress throughout the world. Both could also be seen often wearing Adventurer Gear.
Work and adventuring were key points of life it seems.
Ciriri walked down the long road towards Rin"s Shop; the store she worked at. All the while, many of the village people watched Ciriri bring her haul of mushrooms down the street.
"Wow, how does she do it?"
"She always seems to find the rarest items around here. That"s why other shops around here are failing."
"Happote Mushrooms?! I gotta have some!"
Ciriri kept walking albeit blushing from the wayward attention she was receiving.
Many shop keepers were watching her walk on with a scowl on their faces. It was no secret that Rin was very wealthy due to Ciriri"s great item finding skills.
She always seemed to find the delicious and elusive Happote Mushrooms with ease. Not only that, but she seemed to find them by the bucket loads.
Along with her good food finding skills, she is sometimes recruited by village goers to find lost items. So far, she hasn"t failed any quest she"s accepted.
The double sliding doors were in Ciriri"s view as she came closer to the store. A blob of blonde hair popped up in the window before quickly disappearing again.
The door slammed open with a bang, Rin Takaba stood confidently at the entrance wearing a traditional Happote dress. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight bun with cute sticks stuck in them.
"Ahh~ Ciriri! Welcome back!!"
Her child like voice really did a disservice to her manager like personality.
"Hi, Miss Rin. I"m back from The Hills. I have the mushrooms you asked for." Ciriri then proudly presented the basket.
The look on Rin"s face changed to one of surprise as she looked upon the haul. Taking a closer look, she ended up grabbing the basket from Ciriri"s hands altogether.
"For real?! All of this from The Hills?! How do you keep doing it! You truly are a reborn saint aren"t you? There"s a G.o.d residing in you for sure!" Rin gushed.
"W-well, I don"t know about that. They just kind of show up in front of me."
"Don"t be so modest! You need to show these other workers around here how it"s done!" Rin hoisted the basket on her hip with one hand while flexing her opposing arm in a show of strength.
"No! I"m not going to do that! Can we just go inside, customers are going to start showing up soon."
"Hmm? People saw your haul, huh? Good job advertising! You were always the best!"
Skipping back into the shop, Rin gleefully started packing the haul of mushrooms onto the shelves.
Keeping a good handful of mushrooms for later, Rin produced a bag from behind the shop counter. She loaded a good few from the leftovers and handed the parcel to Ciriri.
"Here sweetie! These are for you!" A warm smile spread across Rin"s face as she offered the mushrooms to Ciriri.
With a smile of her own, Ciriri slowly took the bag and held it close to herself.
"Those mushrooms are extremely rare and only grow here on Happote. For as many as you found, you deserve this whole pile honestly." Rin started as she lifted the now lighter basket. "But we still need to make money so I can only give up a couple."
"Tch-" Ciriri couldn"t speak out even though she felt she could get away with it.
Everyone in Western Village was dying to get their hands on Ciriri. Her skills in gathering were too good to ignore. Rin knew how valuable she was. She only saw Ciriri as an invaluable and dear friend, but the money ruled her soul.
"Well, that"s about all of the items! Are you ready to open shop?"
"You bet!"
Ciriri pumped one fist in the air as Rin struck a pose by the sliding door. Ciriri was stationed firmly behind the shop counter, waiting for the morning rush.
After the first few minutes of the stores opening, the rare Happote Mushrooms were sold out completely. Even with Rin limiting sale to three per customer, they did not last long.
The other items Ciriri had procured were also sold outright. Wild onion and rare herbs not found in other shops were swept up quickly.
Eventually, the day was drawing to a close and the store was once again bare from the days proceeds. Ciriri and Rin went to work closing the shop and restocking the shelves for tomorrow"s sale day.
"That was pretty hectic! I thought Tappa was going to kill someone for that last mushroom!" Rin exclaimed as she loaded shelves with herbs.
"Did you see Colotta try and smuggle that extra mushroom in between the three she already had? I knew these mushrooms were good but I guess I really had no idea!"
"Don"t mock the power of good ingredients, my dear Ciriri! These mushrooms will be the precursor to a baby announcement a month from now." Rin said with a wink in Ciriri"s direction.
With a deep blush, Ciriri quickly looked down to the restocked Happote Mushrooms in a look of astonishment. Bashfully looking back up to Rin, she was still blushing.
"Are you saying these are a kind of aphrodisiac?"
"I wouldn"t know, but I DO know that if you get your hands on these and you have a lover, I"m pretty sure you"d be getting some form of a thank you."
"Miss Rin, you"re lewd!"
The rest of the afternoon carried on as normal. Both of the girls finished their ch.o.r.es and Rin sat down with the earnings for the day. Between the two, she was easily able to split the money by half amongst them.
"You did great today, as usual! Just one more work day until the weekend! Aren"t you happy we make enough to close up shop like that?" Rin gushed as she pulled a bottle of rice wine from behind the counter.
"I"m really happy I have time to myself on the weekends. I just wish you weren"t taking so much hate from the other store owners, you know?"
"It"s not my fault that you came to me first when it was time to start working. Plus, no one knew who you were when you started working for me. We both figured out your G.o.dly powers together! We"re a team!"
Rin took a long sip from her drinking dish. Childishly dropping a couple of drops from the corner of her mouth.
Ciriri held her own small drinking dish in her hand, nursing a few sips as well. All in a days work, she figured. Tomorrow she would be selling the rest of her finds and enjoy a long and deserving weekend.
After enjoying their drinks and sweeping the rest of the store floor, Ciriri found herself bowing towards Rin from the door. Her work was finished for the day.
"Take care tonight! See you bright and early okay?!" Rin waved gingerly as Ciriri left the store for the day.
"I"ll be here! Till tomorrow then!" Ciriri bid farewell and took off down the road.
Ciriri"s home was a small but cozy cottage on the edge of town. Since she was living by herself, it was filled with things she felt she only needed. A bed, a desk, dinner table, and a small kitchen area. It was homey and just enough for her.
The second she walked into her home, she placed the bag of mushrooms Rin gifted her on the counter. The thought of meat and mushroom stew boiled in her head a bit as she rummaged through her small fridge.
Electricity was widely abundant in the Old World but it has died down since the Comet. The cities on the Mainland still use a ton of electricity but Happote only uses it for storage and small appliances.
Since Happote was surrounded by water, electricity is generated through well maintained generators powered by wind turbines and water wells.
Shuffling through the spa.r.s.e contents of her fridge. She pulled out the stew meat she was thawing since this morning. Along with a couple of vegetables, she placed her ingredients by the bag of mushrooms.
With a bit of excitement, she opened the brown bag filled with mushrooms. Turning the bag over, she dumped the contents out on the counter.
Plip plip plip….
Only three mushrooms fell on the counter. The same restriction placed on customers was also placed on her only employee.
With a grim look on her face, she threw the bag in the ground with a huff.
"Arrrghh!! Miss Rin!!!"

Waking early, Ciriri washed and put on her shop uniform. A rather cute black dress with a white waist ap.r.o.n. It was simple but effective in charming customers.
Since the store was already stocked for today"s sales, Ciriri could spend extra time to help Rin prepare for the day"s events.
Keeping her long black hair down, she exited her home and locked the door. The villagers up just as early as her were busy sweeping entryways and carrying water for utility.
Ciriri felt she would be doing to same job as she approached the store to find Rin already standing outside, a bucket in her hand.
"Morning, Ciriri! Good to see you!" Rin greeted. Her usual confidant smile ever present.
"Morning Miss Rin. I came early to help out. I don"t usually have much going on in the mornings."
"Well that"s great for me then! Here sweetie, I need a good pale of water for today. If you need a new ap.r.o.n afterwards, don"t be afraid to ask!" Rin said handing the bucket off to Ciriri.
"Leave it to me! I"ll be back in a couple of minutes." Ciriri hooked the bucket handles onto her inner elbow and crudely saluted Rin with a girlish smile.
Turning face and quickly leaving in a direction adjacent from the store, she ended up at the exit for Western Village.
The main well for the village was located in the middle of town, well guarded by village staff from vandals and animals. However, Rin preferred the well on the outskirts of the Bobori Forest.
In her words, it was a "magical well" that encompa.s.ses the very being of her own mystical shop. A shop that sold the best, had to offer water from the best.
Usually, they bottled most into jars and sold it at an honest price. Rin had a habit of taking some to sprinkle on the doorstep for good luck and great sales.
"I"ve been sprinkling this water on my storefront since before you came along! And since you"re my rising star of the Village, it must be lucky!!"
Rin"s happy childlike face burned its way to the front of Ciriri"s mind as she thought back to that day. Maybe she was just superst.i.tious and needed the water for a morale boost?
Whatever the case, Ciriri made the trek anyways. The light brown of the well traveled dirt road was a comfortable feeling. Mixed with the warm air and occasional dragonfly, Ciriri felt as if she was one of those adventurers she"d seen coming to town every so often.
The edge of Bobori Forest was in Ciriri"s sights. The familiar roof connected to the wide stone well was too. It was a pretty big well for its location.
As far as Ciriri knew, not many people frequented the well as much anymore. Not since the establishment of the Central Well in the village.
Coming to the edge of the well, Ciriri looked into the clear water. Not a leaf or insect could be seen inside. It"s almost as if something G.o.dly was watching over the water.
She didn"t know why, but she bashfully looked around before dipping her hands in the well and cupping a handful of water. Taking a long sip and being careful not to let backwash fall back into the well; Ciriri reveled in the pure taste it had to offer.
Her eyes fell closed as she thought of ice cubes in a clear gla.s.s. A cup of this water on a hot summer day. Perhaps using this kind of water to make stew would have medicinal properties?
Opening her eyes, she looked down into the water again before something gleaming caught her eye.
To the side of the well was a pair of fully grown radishes. The long stalks sprouting from the ground were glistening from the morning dew.
"Oh, no way! I have to take these back! I wonder how big they are?"
Ciriri"s curiosity was quickly quenched as she carefully pulled the first radish from the ground.
It was enormous.
The full radish was left to grow for a long time. It"s amazing that Ciriri had only noticed them now. They were in prime harvesting condition to boot, the red pigment on the root being very vibrant.
Moving to the next radish, she noticed that more had grown around the well. Astonished but not giving them up, she continued to harvest until she yielded ten full radishes.
"Rin is gonna give me an ear full for this. I have to stop finding so many good items for her store. I wonder if I could slip one away for myself…"
In Ciriri"s lost thought, she glanced over at the dropped bucket. She almost dropped the radishes she was holding.
"The water! Oh G.o.d, how am I going to carry all this back and a bucket of water!"
Groaning, Ciriri carefully placed the radishes on the earth and retrieved the bucket. Quickly walking to the edge of the well, she gingerly dipped the bucket into the water.
THUNK
"Hmm?"
She hit something.
The well was really deep, there"s no way she reached the bottom already. Taking the time to collect herself, she peered deeper into the water.
Something was there. White and red with stripes. There seemed to be tendrils attached to this intricately designed sh.e.l.l like object.
Before Ciriri could try to a.s.sume anything, the object rose from the water. At first it was just the head of the ent.i.ty, but as Ciriri looked on, it was of Animal Royalty.
A Sea Royal was wading in the well.
"WaaaAAAHH~"
Ciriri screamed out before falling back and landing plush on her rear. She knew better than to think he was a monster but to be face to face with Animal Royalty–– beings intelligently en par with regular humans–– was daunting enough.
The water she attempted to collect fell to the ground and quickly spilled everywhere. Some of the radishes that were collected were given a rather sudden bath.
"Ah! I"m sorry, I didn"t mean to frighten you!" The royal was now leaning over the edge of the well from the inside. It was something out of a horror book.
"Please, my intent was not to startle you. In fact, you woke me up from my slumber."
Ciriri was propping herself up on the palms of her hands from the ground. Taking a closer, yet fearful look at the royal, she could make out the animal he originated from.
The sh.e.l.l connected to his head along with the tendrils acting as hair, the jet funnel adorned with jewelry around its neck…
"are you a nautilus?" Ciriri stammered out. The royal widened his eyes at Ciriri"s question.
"That"s right! How did you know? Perhaps you are a skilled biologist in your town?"
While Ciriri moved to get up from the ground, the royal gracefully jumped out of the well. In a matter of seconds, the water dried from his clothes.
Standing up, Ciriri found that he stood a good two feet over her. It made her feel a bit small but the soft look on his face didn"t give off the vibe of hostility.
"I am Prince Triton, heir to the Sea Throne. Who might you be? A pa.s.sing traveler perhaps? No, your style of dress would get you killed out here in seconds." Triton was rambling before Ciriri could even get a word in.
"I-I"m Ciriri Mayer. I work in a shop in Western Village." Ciriri meekly answered. She didn"t fear for her life but knew she had to act accordingly around Animal Royalty.
"Ciriri, you said. Fitting. A cute name for an equally cute girl." Triton smoothly said. His deep voice made the words roll off his tongue like melted b.u.t.ter.
Ciriri, on the other hand, was fit to burst from embarra.s.sment. Looking down to the ground with her hands bunched in her ap.r.o.n, she focused on anything that wasn"t the nautilus prince.
"T-t-thank you. Uhm… I have to get a bucket of water for work and I"m sorry that I woke you, it wasn"t my intention to disturb your sleeping… I just…" fumbling her hands in her ap.r.o.n a couple times over, she finally bent down quickly to pick up the toppled bucket, "I"ll just get my water and go! I found these radishes here so if you want them, you can have them if you like!"
Ciriri"s sudden deep and formal bow was met with a confused look from Triton. He then looked around to the strewn about radishes on the ground and around Ciriri"s feet.
"It"s a nice gesture for sure but, I only eat meat." Triton simply said.
"Eh? I didn"t know…"
"It"s quite alright. But you seem to have your hands full. Would you like some help carrying your things back to the village?"
Ciriri"s embarra.s.sment flew into full blown panic at the thought of casually walking into the village with a seven foot Sea Royal. A Sea Royal carrying ten fully grown radishes no less. Oh, what the village people would say then!
There would be riots at Rin"s shop for sure after that…
"I-I don"t think I could do that… wouldn"t it be bothersome?"
"Hmm, well to be honest, I"ve been sleeping in this well for the past couple of days. I"m on a very personal quest at the moment and can"t return home without an item of severe significance."
"An item?"
"Yes, it is customary for a Sea Prince to present the reigning Sea King with a gift. After which, I will then take the throne as King of the Sea."
As Triton explained his predicament clearly, Ciriri nodded along. The look in his eyes was one of exhaustion and with him sleeping in that well for so long, he must be missing home.
"So you need to find a treasure you can give to your father? Then you can be king?" Ciriri recapped.
"Precisely. It"s imperative that I find something good enough to present to him in a years time. I had only just left the Kingdom but I already feel dreadfully homesick." Triton finished, looking a bit downcast.
Ciriri felt guilty for Triton. Just from his body language alone, she could tell he was pushing himself to the limit with his quest. Only a few days in and he"s given up hope.
Perhaps he was a overtly confidant type that was discouraged after failing so quickly, or so soon.
"Well… can you sleep on land? I have a spare duvet at my place and it"s not really fit for Royalty but…"
"You"d really let me stay with you?!"
Triton suddenly lunges forward with his fists balled excitedly. Ciriri took a step back from the sudden outburst.
"W-well if it"s good enough for you, I"d be happy to let you stay for a while." Ciriri finished, the deep blush returning.
Triton quickly picked up on Ciriri"s facial betrayal with a sly smirk.
"Hmm, not falling for me are you? Is that why you"re offering your bed?"
"What?! No!! I"m trying to take pity on you!"
"Tacck!!!-"
Triton slumped over in a fit of mock pain. Ciriri"s blunt confession seemed to hit him right in the pride.
Standing up again, he presented an ever soft smile.
"Well, if the offer still stands, I accept. However, I will not stay long as I still have a duty to fulfill to my father and kingdom."
"I understand. I do hope you find what you"re looking for."
Ciriri and Triton collected the water and radishes before walking back to the village. It was a calm and quiet walk, Ciriri didn"t know what to say.
She wasn"t a royal and didn"t have any experience in royal affairs. She has been a store clerk all her life, and item sleuth on the side.
Once the entrance of the village came into view, Ciriri felt her blood run cold. Even from where she was standing, she could see people waking around, children playing, the basic business of the day underway. It was literally impossible to sneak in with a huge Sea Royal behind her.
"Prince Triton, I"m kind of scared to be honest." Ciriri said, her voice shaking as they came closer to the entrance.
"How come? Are you banished from here or something?"
"No, nothing like that. I have a kind of weird gift that gets me a lot of hate here."
Triton tilted his head to the side as he tried to think of something so bad it would get someone like Ciriri flack.
"Are you promiscuous?"
The sharp inhale Ciriri took was enough to send Triton reeling and almost dropping a couple of the radishes he was holding.
"W-w-w-what does that even mean!!!??" Ciriri was stopped dead in her tracks from the asinine question.
"I"m sorry, I can"t think of anything else that would garner hatred or jealousy from your type of beings." Triton honestly answered, still a bit spooked from Ciriri"s sudden embarra.s.sed reaction.
He didn"t want to say it out right but her beet red face and puffed cheeks were incredibly cute.
Calming down and hoisting her bucket back up, she continued walking with a scowl on her face.
"I have a great deal of luck finding things. Stuff like rare food and items that were lost. I don"t even have to go looking for it, I just walk in one direction and eventually I"ll stumble upon something great…" Ciriri explained.
"That"s great! You should come with me then on my quest! With your skill, I could finish my journey in half the time it would take with just me!" Triton gushed. He searched her face for any indication of agreement.
"I"m sorry but I work full time at a general store here. I don"t think my boss will let me go so easily." Ciriri said. There was a hint of sadness in her voice.
"You don"t sound so happy about that. You sure you don"t want to try? We"d make a great team, you and I!"
Without even looking at him, Ciriri could feel Triton"s broad smile from her walking spot.
"We only have just met though."
"And you offered me a bed in your home."
"Only because you"re Royalty and sleeping in a well!"
"You could"ve bought me a room at the inn!"
"Why do I have to pay for your room when you"re a royal!? Don"t you have money?"
"I do not! I"m broke!"
Triton"s booming voice contradicted his absolutely silly answer. Someone as powerful as him flat broke and searching the world for a unique treasure.
Surely this was a cruel joke being played on Ciriri"s life right now.
"You didn"t leave your home with any money? How are you living?"
"I was living in that well, like I said. It"s connected to a fresh water river, which is connected to the ocean. I would hunt for food before questing. When I was tired, I took refuge in the well."
The way Triton explained his current lifestyle depressed Ciriri. She somehow wanted more for the nautilus prince.
Eventually, they were past the point of no return. While Triton wasn"t fazed in the slightest by entering the village, Ciriri looked like she was on the verge of full blown panic.
Village people looked towards the entrance in a ma.s.s of curiosity and fear. Many children ran to hide in their homes or cling to their parents.
As Ciriri and Triton entered past the gates, they weren"t stopped but Ciriri heard the whispers anyways.
"Can you believe it, not only the radishes but a ROYAL as well."
"Jesus, what can"t she find in this G.o.d forsaken land?"
"As expected from a hound like her. Nose right on the money."
Ciriri kept her head down and kept walking. Triton, on the other hand heard every word. Astounded, he looked down towards Ciriri to gauge her reaction but couldn"t see her face.
"I get it now…" Triton quietly said.
Lifting her head up a little bit, Triton saw the devastated look on her face. It must"ve been years of ridicule she had endured by her towns-mates. All for something she couldn"t control.
Eventually, they found themselves outside of Rin"s shop.
"This is where I work. My boss, Miss Rin, is inside." Ciriri said quietly. It was obvious she was mentally exhausted from the whole trip.
"Alright, after you then." Triton carefully said. He didn"t want to overload her with cheerful words. He got the feeling they would be mentally discarded anyways.
When the doors slid opened, the first thing Ciriri saw was Rin bounding towards the shop entrance.
"Ciriri! Where have you been! A couple of minutes my a.s.s, that was over half an hour! What could"ve––"
Rin stopped throwing a fit once she saw both Triton and the radishes he was holding.
"Ciriri…" Rin slowly turned to her. "Don"t tell me you found BOTH of those things just now…"
"I did." Ciriri said, her face fixed on the floor.
Promptly placing both of her hands on her hips, Rin let out a hearty laugh.
"Wow Ciriri! You sure are a G.o.ddess! A Sea Royal and full radishes!! I can"t believe it! I should marry you so we can make babies with your skill pa.s.sing down through blissful generations!"
This time, Ciriri didn"t fight the lewd quip. Even Triton blushed a bit at Rin"s joke but Ciriri was done for the day.
"Ciriri?"
Rin had stopped laughing to actually look at her distressed state. Turning to Triton, she bore a face of pure seriousness.
"Oi, Sea Royal," Triton"s eyelid twitched at the blatant rudeness from the tiny shop owner, "something happen out there? Don"t see many of you around anymore so I"m guessing Ciriri took some c.r.a.p from the villagers?"
"That is precisely what happened. I was astounded myself when I heard the things they said about her."
"Hmm, thought so."
Rin walked up to Ciriri and placed a well meaning hand on her shoulder.
"Sweetie, I want you to get an early start to your weekend, okay?"
Ciriri looked up into Rin"s eyes in astonishment. At first, Ciriri seemed to snap out of her sadness and shook her head in retaliation. She wanted to work and help out in the store. Sea princes be d.a.m.ned.
"I know I don"t look it but I"m a heavyweight in the store business! Heck, I was ruining this place as number one before you even started here. Go on, okay? Go get some rest."
"Are you sure it"s okay?" Ciriri quietly asked.
With a sweet smile, Rin gave a hearty nod.
"It sure is! I"ll even only take five of these radishes from you! You can have the rest!"
Even while being sweet, those sales numbers still rung in her head. With a huff and a smile, Ciriri gave Rin a hug.
"Now now, I"m sure your prince here will take care of you."
Ciriri stiffened at the quip. Rin could feel her blush forming over her cheeks.
"Although I"m kind of jealous, I wanted to be your knight in shining store uniform ap.r.o.n! I guess I"ll have to let you be taken away from me by a prince!" Rin laughed out.
"I think she would make an excellent Queen of the Sea!" Triton agreed behind her.
As the pair laughed, Ciriri gripped her head; fighting off the embarra.s.sment she thought was fleeting.