Now the big question. Do I just walk into a random AA and take some quests or do I explain my disappearance yet again to Daddy’s girl? That might be a terrible idea so I decided to just get a random quest. I pulled on my [Dimensional Anchor] and returned to my home in Alledra which was as I had left it.

  I stepped out of the door and people looked at me as if they were looking at a ghost.

  I ehh, overslept!

  I hastily walked over to the AA and noticed that people were looking at me but strangely. Was this pity? Bereavement? Did someone I know die again? They don’t have expressions that indicate that they're seeing a ghost. The AA looked as how I remembered and I stopped an AA staff member.

  Excuse me can you tell me what is going on? People are looking at me quite strangely. I ehh have been at a remote place so I have no clue what is going on.

  “Oh the Silver Torrent! You have returned!”

  Ehh yeah, I guess?

  “You don’t have to explain, we understand!”

  Uhh ok that’s good. Wait what do you understand? I’m confused.

  “Oh, you really don’t know, come with me for a bit.”

  Hoo boi, I’m not gonna like this will I?

  I got led to a room where staff members can relax. Some staff members gave me the same look as I walked in. I got offered to sit down on a couch. “Well, you have disappeared for quite a while and it seems this is quite common. So, there were big questions on who you are and why exactly you’re an A-rank adventurer since nobody had ever heard of you. That’s when the Inquiring Anesthetist came out with an explanation.”

  Huh? Never heard of that person.

  “His name is Rubert Geis. He is based in Gittrian and he has had frequent encounters with you, he even had audio logs of his encounters with you.”

  Wait Healerguy? Oh no… What did he do.

  The AA employee tapped several times on his tablet before responding. “He released a statement that was backed up by documents find in the AA but also videos that have been going around from even before the Great Calamity, videos that nobody remembered but… they had millions of views and comments. He stated that you are a tragic hero that had contracted a powerful curse that made the world forget about you.”

  And people believe that?

  “Well, there is hard evidence that you are one of the first adventurers that are highly proficient in water magic, an old report of your C-rank Assessment proves this as well as a video where you help fight a skeleton army in Nelfim, a video about bringing a ship somewhat safely to the islands that got hit by the Hurricane Path incident and several others, as well as being a master in crowd control which also has substantial data. It would be hard to not believe this after all this evidence.”

  But all I did was sell rubies…

  “Oh the Yttroz Industries also chimed in on this.”

  Of course, they did…

  “But the theory is that the cause of your…” He scrolled. “6 or more long disappearances. Is that you’re off protecting the continent from the shadows. The Inquiring Anesthetist had found curses on you which have never been reported which indicates that you are getting them somehow.”

  Ugh, that idiot. Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble but I’m not some tragic hero just a random guy with a bit too many enemies.

  “Well, there has never been a report of you bragging about your achievements so not sure how many people will believe that. The reports state that strange things happen around you.”

  I put my head in my hands. What’s the point of getting everyone’s memories wiped with videos and reports going around left and right. The situation is even worse now. I don’t want to be a tragic hero. Maybe I should tell them that I destroyed a country. But who would believe that?

  Uhm so can you guys fix this and say it’s a misunderstanding?

  “I’m sorry you will have to go to the Inquiring Anesthetist for that. He wants to make sure that you get the credit you deserve.”

  What a pain, thank you.

  I got up and the staff member did so too. “Just know that if you need help or assistance, you can always rely on the AA!” He said as he shook my hand.

  I’m not a tragic hero!

  I stormed out of the room, convinced that I was cursed! I wanted to get a quest but I saw my portrait at the ‘Missing’ section again.They had a point in this as I do go missing quite often. Maybe becoming an adventurer was a mistake. It’s hard being an adventurer and not get the ‘missing’ status it seems. Although this might be a problem unique to me. Toxic Donkey wasn’t missing anymore. They either declared him dead or he popped up somewhere.

  the thoughts got pushed aside and I went to look for an interesting quest. it didnt take long for me to I find something interesting. ‘Investigate a newly appeared island’ It had appeared not too far from the Aquini Delta in the ocean. Getting there was relatively easy but nothing was known about the island and it was surrounded by a perpetual storm. I could get into things again by getting a boat through there.

  I halted. Isn’t this going to elevate my ‘hero’ status? Actually the ‘tragic’ part bothers me more. But I’m curious about that island… what if I go full asshole? Heroes aren’t assholes. It was regretable but I had to tarnish my reputation.

  Going to Healerguy was unreasonable so I planned to destroy my reputation myself. I went to accept this quest and noticed a familiar figure.

  “Wait the Silver Torrent? This is wild! I believe we have met before but I don’t remember, sorry. My name is Wild Fang!” He said as he ‘wildly’ shook my hand.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  We have met before yeah. It’s good to see you’re doing ok.

  “Wow so I do know you! I just thought what if I took a similar assignment like those in those videos! I might surely encounter you!”

  Am I this predictable… anyways having you on board is good news. At least we won’t sink.

  “So, are those wild rumors true?”

  I don’t know which ones but I deny everything!

  “So, you’re just wildly misunderstood like I am? I just want to have a great time but now they keep pushing me to do some S-rank event or something. I don’t understand what it’s about but it sounds wildly boring!”

  I know right! Same here! Let us just do whatever we want!

  I had forgotten how cool and relatable Wild Fang was. He’s just like me, just a dude that wants to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. Finally, someone who understands me!

  So, what are the details of this quest?

  “No clue! It looked wild so I took it!”

  Storm and random island is the only thing I know.

  I looked at the document which had more details in it. Do actually care about the details? I don’t really. Let’s have this island surprise us!

  Wild Fang also lived in Alledra. I had never considered him to be a home owner. More someone who goes where he wants to but he admitted that the city was too pretty to pass up on the opportunity to get a house. So relatable. We hung out together the whole day and it already started to look as if he never forgot me.

  Our bond wasn’t that strong before getting his memory wiped so that wasn’t an achievement or something. We had a week before the boat would leave so we went hunting and fishing in the jungle and rivers. I could be my beast kin self here in the Aquini Kingdom. We were just 2 beast kin guys doing what we wanted to do.

  We were currently loafing around at the port where the boat would depart in 2 hours. I had made ice cream and both of us were eating ice cream. The seagulls were terrorizing the tourists by stealing food and shitting on everything.

  Do you think those seagulls discriminate? They are only targeting tourists.

  “I heard a wild story that most tourists are humans and humans have issues in retaliating, especially beast kin would not tolerate this.” I fried a seagull that tried to steal my ice cream and Wild Fang turned the seagull going for his ice cream into a snack.

  Hmm I see your point.

  “Can you fry this one too?” We found a spot and Wild Fang enjoyed his free snack. “What wild adventurers would join us on this quest?”

  Hmm, judging from the last quest we did together I would expect 1 traitor, one wannabe hero, several that want to bring up their status without necessarily doing anything, some try hards but not yet ready for it. Hmm let’s see what else. Maybe one more competent adventurer which puts us at 3 adventurers that have to carry this whole investigation.

  “How about 2 more competent adventurers?” A man in a donkey suit and a red-haired woman appeared. “It’s good to see you’re still alive. Now tell me dear mentor…” Toxic Donkey approached me and pulled me in by my collar. “Why the fuck did Io had to tell me everything about you and how you picked me off the streets and trained me? Why didn’t I remember any of this?”

  Oh, you’re still alive! Well, uhh this and that happened and I kinda died but didn’t.

  He let me go and I dodged Io who dove at me for a hug. “Hey come on! We haven’t seen each other in forever!”

  Ugh, fine. I’m glad you two are fine. What happened to your donkey suit? One of its ears looks messed up.

  Toxic Donkey held the messed-up ear. “It is the only lasting damage from the fight between me and the Silent Night.”

  I never got to congratulate you but nice job!

  “Whoa this is wild the Toxic Donkey and the Red Dragon! How do you know them?!”

  “Hehe Agnis has trained Kyle! And he helped me a lot!” Io said as fire plumes shot out of her nostrils while she was exuding pride.

  Couldn’t you get a better adventurers name than Red Dragon?

  “But I’m a dragon! And I have red hair!”

  Toxic Donkey and I facepalmed.

  This is your fault you know Kyle, why didn’t you get her a better name?

  “Oh, like how you got me the name Toxic Donkey?! You know what maybe I should kick your ass right here right now!”

  Sure, I’ll send you packing so hard you will have to rename to Packing Mule!

  “Two legends fighting. How about you leave that for the dangers on the mysterious island?”

  I twitched as I recognized that voice.

  Toxic Donkey also reacted. “Agnis, how about a truce? We need to get out of here immediately!”

  For once I agree with you. Sorry Wild Fang, this man is dangerous!

  “Golden Angels get those two!” Healerguy said as a group of Golden Angels started casting magic known for capturing and restraining difficult patients.

  Seriously Healerguy can’t you just stay home?!

  Toxic Donkey pointed at me, accusingly. “I bet this is your fault, he must have sensed that you would take this quest! I have just been fine avoiding him for years! The moment I meet you is when I get caught by him!”

  Hey this can’t be possibly my fault! And you’ve been cheating! I can also avoid him by going missing for like 10 years! But you seem to remember things just fine now.

  “I didn’t go missing for 10 years you know that! And well… everything came back to me after Io told me. It was easy to fill the gaps in my memories after several stories.”

  We got caught because we were too busy fighting each other.

  “We still have over an hour before our boat leaves. Let’s give them a checkup.” Healerguy said with an annoying smile.

  Wild Fang! Help!

  Wild Fang waved at us as Kyle and I got dragged away. Io was useless as she just followed us and asked if she could also get dragged away.

  ?