96 Tragic backstory (2/2)

”How does that make sense? Shouldn't you at least recieve half of the points then?”

She shook her head. ”Normally a hunter receives a beast when they are level one, and the bond is started then. But our village did not have any. As the beast and hunter level they will gain stat points together. Because I don't have a companion I cannot officially gain levels, but unofficially I am already level 200. Unfortunately those levels mean nothing until I can get a companion.”

”So why don't you get a companion? Where do you even get one from?”

”Normally a hunter gets it from their class trainer in their city. It is always a newborn. But.. Our village is poor, and I only recieved my class due to dumb luck. I managed to learn about it from a book left in a forgotten corner of the shrine to Eliondra.”

”Because the village did not have one, I have to search for my own. But it is not easy to find a newborn. There are eggs in the shop that I could hatch, but they are all incredibly expensive, and worse you have no idea what will hatch from them. ”

”How expensive is incredibly expensive?

”All of them cost 100,000 coins. but like I said you have no idea what you will get. And whatever hatches I am bonded with forever.”

”100,000 isn't that much. If you're level 200 you should have earned many times that by now.”

”It is when your party demands a protection fee from you. When your own partner forces himself on you because you can't defend yoursel. When you are completely isolated from everyone and everything. Hell, I only have the clothes on my back, and this crappy bow. But I was relieved when I found out about you. Relieved that such a woman existed, the daughter of a legend, and a hero in her own right.”

She whistled as she stared off into the distance. ”When I found out that your party only had four people I went to the temple of Eliondra and prayed. I prayed for almost an entire month. Finally a priest approached me. He told me that the goddess had been impressed by diligence and would grant me my request. He showed me the same documents I had showed you. it... It was truly a relief. Even if I am now penniless and homeless. It is a relief to be away from that torment.”

I nodded as I listened to her story. Unfortunately her story was not unique. A lot of girls suffered as much as she did. Boys did as well. Just because a person was an adventurer and they served the light did not mean they were just. After several moments I spoke.

”You can join me, I will help you reach 100k coins. But after that you need to show improvement or I will kick you out. And you have to get the approval of Hylia. How you do that is up to you.”