mundane but magical contest

Summary: "The quiet will be good for you," the guild said, before transferring Alfred against his will to work as a guide in a neighboring rural kingdom. Moving from the city to the boonies is the definition of downgrade, or so he thinks. But even small towns have tricks up their sleeves; maybe...

Author's Note 1: I will keep it brief here but this was submitted for the Magical but Mundane 2024 One-Shot Contest, and won first place of one of the two judging slots. I am really pleased about this, of course, but I'll save my full thoughts on what went into the fic for after. Please read at...