Chapter 42 - A Better Next Time (7)

The man who volunteered to guide us was a truly huge chatterbox.

Saying that Gruh Telz was his hometown, that he used to be a pirate but washed his hands of it and became an adventurer, that he quit being an adventurer after the Tatara incident and came down to his hometown, and that he was now helping out at his younger sibling's tavern. He chattered away without resting for a moment.

"Please bear with it."

The problem was DeB. If it were just me, I could have brushed it off, thinking it was nice not to have my ears bored, but the 'me' that DeB was mistaken about couldn't let this slide.

In other words, I had to act pissed off just to meet DeB's expectations.

"... Worry about yourself."

No, it was true that my concept didn't like chatterboxes like that, but telling me to hold back so openly.

Did she think I was going to draw my sword or something? I didn't set my concept to be *that* reckless.

I had absolutely no idea what kind of image DeB had misunderstood me as.

"Here it is."

「Gruh Telz: Adventurer's Guild」

Anyway, we arrived at the Adventurer's Guild. I opened the door of a building that was unusually large compared to other cities. Even though it was night, a few lights were turned on inside.

"Yes, this is the Gruh Telz branch of the Adventurer's Guild."

The official welcomed us in a rather arrogant posture, with his feet propped up on another chair. Whether he had been tending to his nails, his head lifted half a beat late.

"What the. Didn't you say you were retiring?"

"I'm not the one with business here, they are."

The tanned skin typical of coastal people and light brown eyes turned this way. His eyes, which were impossible to tell if they were sluggish or negligent, met with blond hair, giving him a somewhat delinquent impression.

"Whoops, new faces. What brings you here in the dead of night?"

Still, it seemed he hadn't completely let go of his job. As soon as he saw us, he lowered his legs and straightened his upper body.

"A request, and a story about the Sea Dragon."

I tossed my Adventurer's Token toward the counter before the official could ask for it. Perhaps because I showed my preliminary movements without hiding them, the official easily caught the token.

"Authentication is complete, but... Lord Sea Dragon, you say?"

"If you say it like that, he won't understand."

Fortunately, I had a tongue to substitute for my concept's missing eloquence. DeB stepped forward and explained the situation.

"Wh-What."

"To think such a huge incident has occurred!"

The adventurer, who ended up staying and listening by chance, became indignant, and the official made a reluctant face. It wasn't an expression that he had heard complete nonsense, but it wasn't a face full of belief either.

"It is certainly true that the weather has been fickle lately and the catch has decreased... but no particular circumstances have been discovered. Since this city has a Magic Tower in addition to a Temple, if demon worship was taking place, they would have noticed it by now."

"That remains to be seen. And whatever the cause, it is certain that the Sea Dragon has been consumed by corruption."

"Still, to believe it so hastily, the incident is..."

"No. It must be true."

"Hey, you."

"Why would a gentleman who even received a medal of honor in Tatara tell a lie."

"Wait, what? A medal of honor?"

The official suddenly widened his eyes and stared straight at me. What followed was a plea in a trembling voice.

"Um, could you perhaps show it to me..."

"What does that have to do with this."

"The statements of an adventurer who has received a medal of honor cannot be ignored by the guild. Even if it is backed up by evidence, it would take some time to verify the facts... but if the statement of a decorated adventurer is added, that time would be shortened greatly."

As expected, the world only accepted you if you had money or fame or things like that. I realized this truth anew as I rummaged through my inventory.

The medal drew a parabola and landed on the official's palm. Though it bounced a few more times because he made a fuss while trying to catch it.

"... Do you not value that at all, sir?"

"It is merely a meaningless formality."

What reason was there to value it. A Demon Knight was someone who refused wealth and honor, clinging only to revenge. I feigned an irritable face.

"It really is..."

In the meantime, the official, who had determined the authenticity of the medal, opened his mouth. A dry tongue swept over his lower lip.

"Has something really happened to Lord Sea Dragon?"

"I don't know."

"Didn't you say there was a problem?"

"I have no hobby of judging without seeing for myself. I am merely buying the possibility."

At my words, the official licked his lips once more. Then, returning the medal, he said.

"I will report the matter up the chain immediately. Please wait just a moment. And hey, you, spread the news to the adventurers. Tell them an emergency quest might drop."

"Got it."

Somehow, it felt like the maximum I could do at the Adventurer's Guild had been achieved.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late."

The Archmage was the latest to join. For the Temple, whatever the cause, as long as corruption had appeared, they naturally stepped forward claiming it was their problem, but the Magic Tower was different.

According to the Archmage himself, unlike the Temple, the Magic Tower operated on practical interests or something like that.

They did step up for moral issues in their own way—though mostly demon-related. However, since this type of problem usually required bearing a loss, they examined it extremely strictly like misers. Just like now, being late due to examining the evidence.

"As a Great Sage, aren't you a high-ranking official in the Magic Tower as well? Yet they are still this picky?"

DeB, who was sitting cross-legged on stacked boxes, asked. The Archmage's shoulders shrugged.

"Just because one is a Great Sage does not mean they hold all the real power."

It was a tone that admitted he had no power. It was also an incredibly plain voice, acknowledging it as the truth without being ashamed of it.

"I see."

"You could say that. More importantly, I hear you elicited cooperation beyond expectations. Thanks to you, we will save time."

"By saving time, you mean..."

"Literally just that. Thanks to the Inquisitor, the news must have reached the city lord early, and with the Adventurer's Guild stepping up like this... an investigation team should be formed within the day after tomorrow at the latest."

My mind grew distant as I listened to those words.

Right. It meant we had to board a ship tomorrow or the day after. I understood perfectly. I had to walk into hell again.

"Then should we assume we're departing within two days?"

"Not exactly. The main force will only be dispatched after the investigation team confirms the facts. We will probably be included in the main force, you see."

In other words, it was the difference between an advance guard and a main force. That meant the actual date the Sea Dragon raid would take place was completely up in the air.

Although I was glad the day I had to board a ship was pushed back, the worry of what to do in the meantime made my mind feel unsettled.

"Since there is a high probability that we will have to fight the Sea Dragon again, they need to locate the Sea Dragon and devise a method to counter it, as well as secure ships that can withstand the Sea Dragon..."

"That will take a really long time. Then what do we do in the meantime?"

"There is nothing set in stone. However, as always, we can find something we are able to do."

In other words, this meant we just had to kill time doing something else. It was a common pattern in generic games.

Of course, in those games, when the player talked to the NPC, they would say, 'Oh! Are you ready! Then let's depart!' and skip the preliminary preparations nine times out of ten, but anyway.

Setting that aside, what should I do in the meantime. Should I clear out some quests I can do here. It was a problem that I was only spending money and had no income anyway.

"In that case..."

Srrk.

Once my resolve was set and the conditions were met, I had to move immediately.

I raised my leaning body before the Inquisitor finished speaking. As I straightened my back, the dull sensation of the two-handed sword slung over my back was transmitted to me.

"Where are you going?"

I hated wasting time. The quests here all took a long time, so I had to accept whatever I could right now.

Above all, if I idled around without accepting quests, there were three people who would smash my head in, shouting that I was a demon! Even if I wanted to rest, I had to move.

But ah, would there be a limit to the number of quests I could accept here too? Then that would be a problem... Actually, it wouldn't be. Because it didn't look like there were many quests suitable for me to do.

As for the time it took, since raid preparations seemed like they would take a long time, wouldn't it be safe up to the one-week mark.

"Uh... Mr. Adventurer?"

"Quests."

As dawn broke, the guild became bustling, but the number of clerks had increased as well. I confidently requested a recommended quest from one of them.

For reference, the adventurer who had guided us here and the delinquent-faced official who had attended to us were not present. They had each gone to do their own things.

"Sir, you aren't actually a descendant of a dragon or a golem made of iron, right?"

"I will join you as well!"

What was DeB talking about. The Inquisitor was cheerful as usual, so that was that, but...

I glared sideways at the dumplings who provided the cause, then pressed the clerk to receive the quest forms. I didn't even hope for quests related to demons; what I wanted right now were missions that could kill time but were permissible under my concept.

"What you can do right now is..."

However, since I put forth this and that condition like last time, the options given to me were not that many.

"I think this is about it. Would you like to take a look?"

To be exact, there was only one.

"The pirates who have been running amok on the southern coast are slowly creeping up to our side as well. We are planning a large-scale subjugation, and this is a recruitment quest for that. The recruitment will end in two hours. The rest are all bounty hunting. You just have to cut off and bring back the heads of the presented pirates. Although, since there is a large-scale sweep today, there is a high chance they will become meaningless."

Or rather, one category.

"What would you like to do?"

In other words, either way, the fact that I had to board a ship in the end didn't change. At this point, it was destiny.

"..."

"Will you be alright? Your seasickness seemed severe..."

"Huh? You get seasick, sir?"

While I was keeping silent, the Archmage needlessly flapped his mouth. I had been agonizing over that very point, but the decision was made by the remark I just heard.

The corners of my mouth trembled slightly, and the muscles around my left eye lightly crinkled.

"I will, do this one."

Gaaaah. You know touching my pride makes me do it even if I shouldn't, so why are you asking! You're actually just tormenting me, aren't you?! Right!?

"Are you sure you are really alright?"

Grind.

I barely suppressed my urge to whine and ground my teeth while feigning an expression.

I wanted to say, 'It's all an act,' but there was no way that was possible. Now was the moment I had to endure even if tears fell. If I got emotional now, it would be breaking character.

"That is, none, of your, concern."

I bit out my words one by one and put strength into my eyes. It wasn't very difficult. All I had to do was put the resentment welling up inside me straight into my eyes.

Fortunately, the look in my eyes reflected in the eyes of others wasn't a half-bad shape.

"Do not push yourself too hard."

I had already been pushing myself too hard for a long time, so wasn't that a phrase that didn't need to apply to me?

I glared at the Mage, who was giving the disease and then offering the medicine, and signed the quest form. The clerk, who was reading the room, quietly announced that the contract had been established.

"As you must have checked, you need to go to the written location and join the city army. It is by 8 o'clock today."

Even if they called it a large-scale sweep, it was just a considerable-sized fleet patrolling the pirates' main area of activity. Since it was for killing time, I felt like it didn't really matter, though.

They said the reward was ten thousand Gals per head, but I didn't know how many pirates there were for them to offer that. Wouldn't it just be a relief if I could get some money.

"We will join you as well."

"Th-Then you must present your Adventurer's Tokens..."

Even though it was a contract I concluded almost on my own, the party was willing to follow me. I wasn't that happy about it.

In the first place, if it weren't for those guys...

Ah, wait. The more I think about it, the angrier I get.

"Ah, it would be best for this old man to stay here. There needs to be one person to monitor the unfolding situation, after all."

"Ah, understood."

"I don't have an Adventurer's Token."

"How about making a new one this time?"

I suppressed my boiling sense of unfairness and spun my body around. The three-pronged hem fluttered once like a bird's tail feathers.

"Ah, please wait!"

"Uwaah, do I have to take a test to make an Adventurer's Token?!"

"We do not accept just anyone as an adventurer."

"Ugh."

Endure it, endure it. In a world where there's a saying to enjoy it if you can't avoid it. This might be an opportunity in its own way.

An opportunity to train my seasickness this time. Though I didn't know if seasickness was really a problem that could be covered by familiarity.

"Demon Knight!"

"I absolutely hate moving without a reward..."

"Then will you stay here?"

"It's fine. I need to experience a ship too..."

I tilted my head back, recalling the location written on the quest form.

It seemed the Archmage was backing out too; would it be possible for me to lead these two dumplings and endure my seasickness as well?

I suddenly became anxious.