Terry was her assistant. He was mainly responsible for receiving requests, consulting with clients, and watching over Sonidor who would carry out those requests. He was used to these kinds of situations since he always followed and supported her, so he knew exactly where to massage her to help get her arms and legs moving again. In the grand scheme of life, he simply considered himself an insignificant being.
Unlike Sonidor who was an artisan, Terry was a commoner of the empire and was born as an orphan from the slums. As a child, he didn’t have a name, so he used to be called things like “Hey” or “You.” The first time he met Sonidor was 10 years ago. It was when Terry was seven years old and Sonidor was twelve. After having lost her mother to a carriage accident, Sonidor wandered aimlessly and came across Terry who was begging for food.
She had only given him a piece of bread, but the child ran after her. He was given the name “Terry” because he chased after her like a dog would their tail. From then on, he relentlessly followed her, claiming to be her assistant. Of course, he himself was confused as to whether he had been raised by her or whether he was the one to have raised Sonidor, who had poor vitality.
Although Sonidor would confidently state that she was the one who saved him, Terry would always respond with a cold expression. It seems he had mortgaged his life.
A shriek of pain erupted from her mouth as his firm hand squeezed her arm, which was completely stiff. Unlike other artisans, Sonidor would always suffer like that every time she used her ability. It must not be easy having to share a dream with others, Terry thought.
“Please stay still. If you move so suddenly, it’s only going to hurt more.”
“Ugh. Ow, g-go easy on me…”
Sonidor made a sound like an old woman getting a massage and barely managed to push herself out of the chair. She could hear her bones cracking as she moved her somewhat loosened limbs. She gathered up the things she had brought with her and stared at the darkening sky. Her client, Lephonse, was still in a deep sleep. Maybe this time he was actually dreaming a dream where he was having fun with Lila.
“Did you already collect the commission fees? What’s the time?”
Terry took out a watch from his pocket and with a whistle, answered.
“6 o’clock. It’s been a while since I left work on time.”
“That’s good for you. But Terry, I’m hungry.”
“You’ve been starving all day, so of course you’d be. Thanks to that, I’ve been starving too.”
Sonidor laughed apologetically and gently tousled his hair like one would to a child.
“I didn’t think it would take this long to get him to confess. You’re hungry, right? What do you want to eat?”
“It must have been nice. You received a confession while I had to sit still like stone in a chair.”
Hearing his blunt answer, Sonidor’s expression instantly contorted. Is that something he should be saying right now? The hand that had been gently stroking Terry’s hair turned into a fist before being slammed into his forehead. Her assistant let out a small groan, clutching onto his throbbing forehead.
“Does it look like my work is fun and that I enjoy it? Since I just lay down and hold my client’s hand, it seems like I’m only sleeping and relaxing, huh?”
“What are you getting all sensitive about again?”
“Anyway, I worked my ass off and yet you’re asking if I did it right, if it was all a scam, or if it was just something I dreamed up. I’m not being sensitive about it.”
“Geez, are you sulking again after hearing that? The day hasn’t even passed.”
It truly sucked to not be acknowledged for the only ability one possessed. Moreover, they were clearly working hard. As an artisan, they had faced all sorts of unfounded discrimination and contempt, but that was the one thing she could not stand. Terry consoled her, telling her not to worry about it, that injustice would always be there wherever they went. Sonidor sullenly glared at him as he shrugged his shoulders and decided on tonight’s dinner on her own. It would be Terry’s least favorite meal, grilled fish.
***
That day, Sonidor’s office was exceptionally noisy.
“We don’t do any dirty work like that.”
As an assistant who handled miscellaneous tasks, Terry growled and his fur stood up. Before them stood a rugged man with a menacing demeanor who looked like he could throw a punch at any moment. Despite the ominous atmosphere that could make one shrink involuntarily, Terry’s expression remained calm and showed no signs of agitation.
“Is this how you talk to your customers? Working under a lowly artisan has clearly made you lose all common sense, hasn’t it?!”
“You’re the one who has no common sense. If you want to sleep with a woman, go to a brothel or something.”
“Do you think I want to hold hands and just sleep with anyone? I want to sleep with my love, Sophia from the flower shop!”
“I know it’s hard to have wet dreams at such an old age like yours, but I’ve told you several times that we don’t take that kind of work. Please do not insult our office any further.”
"Look at what this damn kid is saying!"
“Ugh, what the heck. Why’s it so noisy?”
Sonidor woke up from her deep sleep and scratched the back of her head as she opened the small door to the office and came out. Her outing wear, that she had slept in because she was tired, was rumpled here and there and her hair which was tightly pulled back into a bun was also sticking out here and there. She rubbed the corners of her eyes and lazily let out a yawn before glancing at the man who was sitting haughtily on the sofa. Sonidor silently looked at him for a moment, then turned to Terry.
They exchanged glances without speaking.
Hey, who is that? He’s a complete jerk of a customer. Should I chase him out? Hm…
She pondered to herself. Still, he did come as a customer, so would it be alright to just kick him out? Hopefully there won't be a problem. Lost in thought, she tilted her head and as she was still contemplating, the man who came to make a request gave a sly grin as he looked Sonidor up and down. She might have looked a bit disheveled after just waking up, but she was quite pretty. For the most part, it seemed like artisans tend to have above-average looks.
Having read into the man’s sinister intentions, Terry quickly made a decision. It would be good to just throw him out the window.
Suddenly, a jingling bell rang and someone walked into the office. It was four sullen men who wore black hoods that covered them from head to toe. No matter how one looked at them, they didn’t look like ordinary clients. The already tense atmosphere in the office just became more complicated. Goddamn it. Why is the day already like this? Sonidor had muttered this to herself and was about to tell the hooded figures to wait a moment. That was if only they didn’t just barge in and get rid of the man sitting on the sofa.
He was literally carried away like a piece of luggage. Sonidor and Terry stared blankly at the man who had disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared.
“Wh-What! Who are you people! Do you think you’ll be safe after doing this?!”
With a final scream, the man was dragged out of the office. In that instant, the client and two hooded men disappeared and only the other two hooded people remained. What in the world happened just now? Sonidor stood there, dumbfounded, and unable to organize her thoughts, spat out something foolish.
“Uh… Thank you?”
“I removed him since you looked troubled. I’m glad that it was of help.”
A man with a voice that could send shivers down one’s spine had answered. The fact that the man had been removed at the same time as the people in black hoods had entered the office meant that he had been listening in from somewhere. Perhaps it was through a mage or an artisan with the ability to eavesdrop. Sonidor shuddered and reflexively rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. If his voice alone could frighten a person, then he must’ve been someone who was used to hanging out in dark places…
She looked at the hooded figures with a look of suspicion before gesturing to them to take a seat. When she asked Terry to go prepare some tea, the boy glanced at them with suspicion as he rose from his seat.
“No need to be so wary. I’ve come to make a request.”
The man with a menacing voice said as he sat down on the sofa. The dust that had accumulated on the sofa then rose and fluttered like pollen on a spring day. He was silent for a moment. He glanced over as if to ask when was the last time they had cleaned, but Sonidor awkwardly averted her gaze as she sat down across from him. In fact, it was normal for her to fall asleep after completing a request and wake up a day or two later and when she woke up, she would have to carry out another request. So cleaning was, of course, Terry’s job.
It was not Sonidor’s responsibility. She was always busy.
Bad Terry! Lazy Terry!
The man with a menacing voice had sat down while the other hooded man stood behind the sofa without even moving, as if to protect him. They must have a master-servant relationship or an employment relationship. Sonidor took a quick look and made a judgment. Unlike the client from earlier, they seemed to be people of high ranking.
People with a high rank were a source of money.
She tied back her disheveled hair in a quick motion and straightened her back.
“Are you the dream artisan?”
“You’re in the right place. We are proud of our perfect success rate here at our dream office!”
“It seems like you were sleeping well, so I apologize.”
He said as he tapped his cheek. There were red marks on her cheeks. Sonidor, who had been talking so proudly, had no choice but to awkwardly turn away. Somehow, she had given off the impression that she was lazy to her client, but it was unfair since it was something she could not help.
Regardless of whether she was embarrassed or not, he began to make all kinds of threats.
“I’ll start off by saying that if any of this gets out, I’m afraid your head is not going to stay attached to your neck.”
How noble of him to say that he will kill me if I recklessly speak up. Sonidor nodded nonchalantly, as she had heard similar threats before. Ensuring the confidentiality of the client was of utmost importance. However, the approach varied depending on the nature of the client’s request.
“I’m sorry, but I’m very selective about what requests I take on from clients. I don’t engage in work that involves things like manipulation or extracting confidential information. To fully utilize my ability, physical contact with the person is necessary. Usually, I will hold their hand.”
She said as she held up her unusually small hand. It meant that she would not accept requests that could put her in danger. The man stared at Sonidor’s hand, which had suddenly appeared in front of him before speaking.
“Physical contact will take a while, but it can’t be helped.”
Just then, Terry, who had been bustling around in the kitchen, brought out teacups on a tray. The man naturally accepted the tea and spoke.
“It’s a job that involves saving someone.”
“Saving someone? Could you elaborate?”
“Can you wake up someone who has fallen into a sleep that they can never awaken from?”
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