Chapter 178: A Request from the Guildmaster
“That’s an unusual group of people today. Are there no men here?”
“Yes, there is. This child.”
“Hmm, he’s just a kid. He doesn’t count as a man.”
“But this boy has a Gold Card and is known as Leon the Breeze.”
“Leon the Breeze… Is that the adventurer famous from Roxanne?”
“Yes. This boy hunted everything brought in today. Each beast has only a single, clean wound.”
“Hey, they call him Leon the Breeze.”
“It would suit a cute little boy…”
“You idiot! If you don’t know anything, then shut up!”
“He’s one of the Dragon Slayers.”
“Gold Rank is the equivalent of B Rank, isn’t it? Elvira has no one that high.”
“He reached that rank while still so young?”
“But he’s so skinny, isn’t he?”
“A mage’s appearance isn’t everything.”
“Shut up, be quiet! So, are there a lot of them?”
“Yes, far more than usual.”
“Okay, come to the back.”
I was told to line them up in the designated place, so I decided to start with the largest items.
One Brown Bear. One Black Bear. One Black Tiger. Three Armor Buffaloes. Four High Orcs. Six Orcs. Three Bighorn Boars. Five Horn Boars. Two large elk. Three elk. Six Brown Sheep. Eleven Forest Wolves.
“Wait! Do you still have more?”
“Two more kinds of wolves, and then I’m finished.”
The dismantling worker waved resignedly, signaling for me to bring them out.
Eight gray wolves. Thirteen black wolves.
“Wow, that’s a huge number!”
“Did he do all this by himself?”
“Look. Hardly any damage—just one thrust.”
“Is Leon the Breeze connected to those women from Helnenka?”
“There are a lot of skilled mages over there.”
“You guys go over there!”
The men crowding around my prey kept making a racket until the dismantling worker lost his temper and drove them away.
“Please give the appraisal forms to the ladies.”
“Are you really sure?”
“I still have that, so it’s okay.”
“I’m astonished that you still have it.”
“If it’s you, you’ll just wrap it up in a whirlwind and it’ll be over.”
“Well, the ladies don’t hide from their prey; instead, they attract them, so their numbers have increased.”
“Ugh, you guys are so noisy. Go to the cafeteria!”
I sat down at a corner table, clutching my ale mug, and took a big gulp.
“Now then, tell your big sisters what happened.”
“What’s with that arrogant attitude?”
“He wasn’t acting arrogantly. The knight was the one behaving submissively.”
“This one!”
I discreetly showed them Duke Barland’s identification card, keeping it hidden from everyone else, and began to explain.
“After the monster incident in Roxanne, there was a battle along the Blange Highway border. Because I can fly, the kingdom sent me there through Count Arkwright.”
I explained that my role had been to observe the enemy formation from the air and report to Duke Barland, the commander in chief, and that the duke had entrusted me with the identification card after the war.
“You say it so easily, but that’s a role that can determine the outcome of a battle.”
“So, because they won, the border changed, right?”
“A useful and strong child like you, of course the Duke would give you an identification card.”
“But Leon, even that doesn’t justify acting so high-handedly toward this town’s viscount and knights.”
“Viscount Valenzai served under Duke Barland during that battle, so naturally he deferred to his former commander’s identification. The same thing happened at the East Gate before, and I was taken to the viscount’s mansion. When I showed the card there, everyone panicked.”
I shrugged, and they seemed somewhat convinced. I took another deep drink of ale. Even the woman who had revealed a valuable herb-gathering spot refused to explain every detail.
We camped outside town, but the men following us were remarkably persistent.
“Leon, you noticed them too, didn’t you?”
“I’m sure Seraphie noticed as well.”
“Fools. Do they not understand that underestimating women and children will only cause them pain?”
“This is a good opportunity to test what Leon taught me.”
“Oh, I can do that too.”
“What, you can do that?”
“I practiced all the time when I had free time.”
“I practiced until I could use it without a lengthy chant or wasting much mana. It’s very convenient.”
“Where should we lead them?”
“Somewhere farther from town would be better.”
“It’s nearly dark. Perhaps we should draw them into the grassland.”
“That no longer seems necessary.”
“My, my. Being too impatient never ends well.”
“Wait! What did you just do?”
“You little brat! Because of you, the guards noticed us—aaaargh!”
“W-what happened?”
“This is bad. Run!”
“Oh dear. They left one of their companions behind.”
“They aren’t only quick to run away; they’re astonishingly slow-witted.”
“They underestimated us as women traveling with a child, but laying a hand on someone from Helnenka would have consequences.”
“I-I’m terribly sorry!”
“Big brother! Don’t leave me behind!”
“What was that supposed to be?”
“They acted tough, but had no real ability.”
“Even so, I’m no match for you ladies.”
“Leon, that sounded rather suggestive.”
“No, I only meant that those thugs were no match for you.”
“That’s not a compliment.”
“The troublesome men are gone. Let’s drink and get some sleep.”
“Why does this child have so much high-quality liquor?”
“It’s provided by a kind-hearted nobleman.”
After returning to Helnenka, I went to my grandparents’ house, and Fin and the others accompanied me.
“We haven’t seen each other recently.”
“That’s right. It’s been a long time since we saw Felica.”
“That catkin old man is still alive, isn’t he?”
“That’s terrible, Grandpa Roy is fine.”
“Roy was a skilled adventurer, but after falling in love with Felica he settled down completely.”
“But I wish I had a man who loved me that much.”
“What, your husband left you?”
“Who’s this child?”
Something suddenly struck the back of my head. I was more alarmed than hurt, but fortunately no spirits appeared. A crowd of them revealing themselves here would have caused another commotion and required an exhausting explanation.
Without even stopping for greetings, Lidia and Seraphie barged into the workshop.
“I’m home!”
“Felica, it’s been far too long!”
“You’re working hard. It’s been a while, Roy.”
“Your grandchild is quite something.”
“Oh, it’s been a while. I’ll be free in a little while, so please wait.”
As usual, Grandpa Roy fed firewood into the furnace and checked the fire with the tip of a glass rod. I had suspected it while Seraphie was gathering herbs, but although her Detection was impressive, her Presence Sense didn’t match Grandpa Roy’s. Even now, spirits were helping inside the furnace, yet she chatted with Granny Felica as though she sensed nothing.
Granny Felica finished work early, and we all settled down together. Fin reached for the food Mother had prepared and poured herself a drink.
“Oh, what’s this?”
“It’s Golden Goat meat. Mother cooked a large amount and gave me some to bring here.”
“How enviable. My household is full of men, and none of us can cook like this. We can’t compete with a professional chef.”
“You’re a really good cook.”
“Leon, does Betty perhaps have some kind of skill?”
“Apparently so. I heard that she used to work as a kitchen assistant at a hotel, and that she’s gained some skills from that experience.”
“Betty has Cooking Skill, and her children are a renowned adventurer and an apothecary.”
“Come to think of it, Felica is highly skilled at glasswork too.”
“Perhaps Felica’s family is blessed with practical skills.”
“Roy, your grandson is one of the Dragon Slayers and carries a Gold Card. That’s remarkable.”
“Leon, you have to come visit Felica sometimes.”
“I’ll accompany you anytime you need to gather medicinal herbs.”
Grandpa Roy is giving a wry smile, but they’re kind old ladies… Oh no, they’re glaring at me.
By the time I returned home, the interior work on Mother’s shop was complete. She still had to purchase every table, dish, and utensil from scratch. Father would pay for them from the money I had entrusted to him, so there was nothing left for me to do. I went out onto the grasslands with Mintz and the others for the first time in a while.
While I waited at the west gate early one morning, Scott grinned at me and Mintz said, “The capital Guildmaster has issued a designated request for you.”
“Why would the capital guild contact me? What does it want?”
“Shams. Three of them.”
“Several Shams have been auctioned this year, including one submitted through Lynas. They probably singled you out after hearing rumors from the monster incident.”
“Neither we nor Stib said a word about you.”
“I don’t doubt that aspect, but if I accept the request carelessly, there could be consequences later.”
“It could become another Chikki-Chikki Bird or Runner Bird situation.”
“But we can’t simply ignore the Guildmaster’s request. The Submaster will probably speak to you tonight.”
When I went to the Adventurers’ Guild that evening, the Submaster hurried over.
“Leon, I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Mintz and the others told me that the capital Guildmaster issued a designated request for me.”
“They won’t explain the details, but claim it’s connected to the royal family.”
The claim that the royal family had made this request was obviously false. But why was the Guildmaster lying?
“Are you listening, Leon?”
“I can hear you, but what will happen if I refuse?”
“You remember the guild rules, don’t you? The capital Guildmaster is connected to headquarters, so the Lynas branch can’t refuse his instruction.”
Adventurers had to obey lawful instructions from guild staff. I remembered the rule perfectly. Even if I explained that the royal-family claim was false, the Submaster would probably not believe me. I was furious at being forced to cooperate with the capital Guildmaster’s lie—but why was he summoning me?