Volume 3
Chapter 34: The Adventurer’s Guild and Putchin Pudding
The Adventurers’ Guild
Anyone who had ever read an isekai fantasy light novel would know the name.
The Adventurers’ Guild.
An organization that governed, managed, and supported adventurers across the world.
Naturally, hearing that name immediately caught my attention.
“You’re establishing an Adventurers’ Guild branch in Papel Village?”
“Yes.”
Cardinal Larsa nodded elegantly.
“The decision was made rather suddenly during a meeting of the guild’s executive council.”
“…Why tell me about it?”
I tilted my head.
“Wouldn’t the village chief be much happier to hear this news?”
“I intend to inform Fuldretch-sama later myself.”
Her smile softened.
“The reason I came to speak with you first is because the establishment of this guild branch is primarily intended to serve as protection for you.”
“…Protection for me?”
For a moment, I genuinely thought I’d misheard her.
“Wait.”
I pointed at myself.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“No offense, but shouldn’t Raphiel be the one receiving protection?”
Larsa’s expression grew serious.
“This morning’s attack was reported to me by Grana.”
Then she paused.
“We questioned the surviving assailant.”
There was the slightest hesitation.
“Thoroughly.”
The way she said it made me suspicious.
“…You were about to say ‘tortured,’ weren’t you?”
“My, what an imagination you have.”
Larsa laughed gracefully.
“I’m sure it was merely your imagination.”
That smile was far too innocent.
Absolutely suspicious.
As she spoke, her eyes drifted toward Raphiel, who was happily eating leftover fried rice without a care in the world.
The look in Larsa’s eyes was overflowing with affection.
Warm.
Protective.
Almost motherly.
“This child made a selfish request for someone else’s sake for the first time in her life.”
She sighed fondly.
“So I may have exercised my authority a little more enthusiastically than usual.”
“Raphiel did?”
“Larsa.”
Raphiel immediately interrupted.
“There is no need to say unnecessary things.”
Then she looked toward me.
“And you needn’t concern yourself either, Eight.”
“Well, now you’ve made me curious.”
I stared at her.
Raphiel averted her gaze.
For several moments she remained silent.
Then, in a quieter voice than usual—
“I wanted to avoid a situation where my existence endangered you.”
The room fell briefly silent.
Larsa immediately delivered a devastating follow-up.
“The simplest solution would be for Raphiel to leave your home and resume her pilgrimage.”
“Eve.”
Raphiel stood.
“Please accompany me for some post-meal exercise.”
“Huh?”
Eve froze.
“I kinda wanted to take a nap—”
“Your opinion has been rejected.”
Without another word, Raphiel grabbed Eve by the scruff of the neck.
“W-Wait! Let me go! Saintie! Violence isn’t the answer!”
Ignoring her protests entirely, Raphiel dragged the struggling Demon King out toward the mountain behind the village.
Apparently “exercise” meant another full-scale battle.
“…Anyway.”
I turned back to Larsa.
“Returning to the original topic. You were saying the guild branch is being established for protection?”
“Correct.”
Larsa folded her hands neatly in her lap.
“Eight-sama, you are protected by powerful deities such as Hinoka-sama and Amate-sama.”
“Right.”
“But their protection is not limitless.”
I blinked.
“It isn’t?”
“H-Here.”
Amate raised her hand timidly.
“Mother and I can protect Father around the shrine in the garden and the household altar.”
She thought for a moment.
“To be more precise… our influence extends throughout Papel Village and the surrounding forest.”
“…That’s actually a huge area.”
I had expected a much smaller range.
Even so—
“Well, I don’t really plan on leaving the village.”
I shrugged.
“I’m probably going to spend the rest of my life here.”
“Ordinarily that would be sufficient.”
Larsa’s smile became strained.
“Unfortunately, circumstances have changed.”
A bad feeling immediately settled into my stomach.
“How so?”
“The nobility of the Kingdom of Elde has become interested in you.”
“…Excuse me?”
My voice cracked.
Larsa continued mercilessly.
“A certain rumor is spreading.”
“Rumor?”
“Namely, that Raphiel—the Saint who rejected even the Crown Prince’s advances—has become unusually close to a young man living in the countryside.”
“…Close?”
Larsa smiled.
Then she formed a circle with the fingers of one hand.
With the index finger of her other hand, she repeatedly pushed in and out of that circle.
“…Ah.”
Crystal clear.
Painfully clear.
In other words—
People suspected Raphiel and I were in that kind of relationship.
The problem was that I couldn’t entirely deny it.
After all, we had slept in the same futon while hugging each other.
The circumstances were innocent.
Mostly.
But explaining that to outsiders sounded impossible.
“The Kingdom of Elde is a great nation.”
Larsa’s expression turned serious.
“And many nobles possess a regrettable tendency toward unreasonable behavior.”
I didn’t like where this was going.
“Some may summon you to the capital without warning.”
“That’s terrifying.”
“If you refuse such invitations, there is no telling how they may respond.”
“Even more terrifying.”
Larsa nodded gravely.
“Furthermore, if you were to leave the village and travel beyond the range of Hinoka-sama’s and Amate-sama’s protection…”
She paused.
“…and if bandits or hostile factions were to capture you and use you as leverage against Raphiel…”
I grimaced.
That was definitely a problem.
“Which is where the Adventurers’ Guild becomes useful.”
Larsa’s smile returned.
“Adventurers who have accepted an escort request are permitted to accompany their clients virtually anywhere.”
“…I see.”
The pieces finally clicked together.
“If there’s a guild branch in the village, I can immediately hire escorts whenever some noble suddenly decides to summon me.”
“Precisely.”
Now the decision made sense.
“I understand.”
I stood and bowed my head.
“Thank you for going through all this trouble.”
To be honest, I’d rather ignore any summons from nobles entirely.
But when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
People with power were usually easier to deal with if you avoided antagonizing them.
Still…
The thought of being dragged outside the village into potentially dangerous situations was deeply unpleasant.
“Hehe.”
Larsa chuckled.
“You look unhappy.”
“Huh?”
“It’s written all over your face.”
She pointed at me.
“‘I don’t want to leave the village and do dangerous things.'”
“W-What?”
I laughed nervously.
“I wasn’t thinking that at all.”
A blatant lie.
“I was merely feeling guilty that an entire guild branch is being established because of me.”
“You needn’t worry about that.”
Larsa waved dismissively.
“In truth, there were already discussions about opening a branch here.”
“Oh?”
That was unexpected.
“The forest surrounding Papel Village contains numerous monster species that cannot be found elsewhere.”
“Ah.”
I remembered something.
“Adventurers can also make a living selling monster materials, right?”
“Exactly.”
Larsa nodded.
“Areas with high monster populations naturally attract adventurers.”
“I see.”
The explanation made perfect sense.
And right then—
The front door burst open.
Raphiel and Eve returned.
Both were covered in dirt, dust, and mud.
Apparently their “exercise” session had been particularly intense.
“Eight.”
Raphiel brushed dirt from her sleeve.
“It is already three o’clock.”
“Oniichan!”
Eve practically bounced into the room.
“It’s snack time!”
“…Before that.”
I pointed toward the bathroom.
“Both of you go wash your hands and change clothes.”
“Okay.”
“Yeees.”
The pair obediently headed off.
While they were gone, I moved to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
Today’s snack was simple.
Pucchin Pudding.
As I prepared the servings, I noticed Cardinal Larsa peeking into the kitchen from the living room.
Her eyes were fixed on the pudding with unmistakable curiosity.
She looked so interested that I quietly decided to give her my portion.
“This is…?”
Larsa examined the pudding cup.
“Raphiel.”
“What?”
“What exactly is a ‘Pucchin Pudding’?”
Raphiel answered immediately.
“You remove the lid.”
She demonstrated.
“Then place a plate over it and flip it upside down.”
Larsa watched attentively.
“And then?”
“You break the small tab on the bottom.”
Pop.
A moment later, the pudding slid neatly onto the plate.
“Oh my!”
Larsa’s eyes widened.
“The wobbly thing came out!”
That reaction alone made it worthwhile.
“Was this handmade by Eight-sama as well?”
“No.”
Raphiel shook her head.
“Eight is poor at making sweets.”
Hey.
No need to say it so bluntly.
“This is a commercially produced product from Eight’s world.”
Then she added with absolute confidence:
“The flavor is, to put it mildly, exceptional.”
“Oh my.”
Larsa looked amused.
“So there are dishes Eight-sama cannot make.”
“Haha.”
I scratched my cheek.
“What exactly do you think I am?”
I wasn’t some all-powerful chef.
Especially when it came to desserts.
Baking required precise measurements down to the gram.
I was the type who cooked by instinct.
Taste.
Adjust.
Taste again.
Repeat until satisfied.
That approach worked wonderfully for ordinary cooking.
Not so much for sweets.
Sure, I could make them if I followed a recipe on my smartphone exactly.
But they took time.
And effort.
So I rarely bothered.
“My goodness.”
Larsa took a bite.
The pudding melted across her tongue.
Immediately her expression blossomed.
“This rich sweetness…”
She closed her eyes.
“It’s delicious.”
“Eight.”
Raphiel finished hers in record time.
“Another Pucchin Pudding, please.”
“Me too!”
Eve raised her hand.
I shook my head.
“No.”
Both of them froze.
“Eating too many snacks isn’t healthy.”
“A-Ahem…”
A tiny voice spoke up.
I looked over.
Amate was staring at me through the gap in her bangs.
Her crimson eyes were tilted upward in the ultimate pleading expression.
“Father…”
“Hm?”
“I would also like another one…”
Honestly.
That was unfair.
“Just this once.”
Amate’s face immediately lit up.
The next second—
“Eight!”
Raphiel objected.
“Favoritism toward Amate is unacceptable!”
“That’s right!”
Eve slammed the table dramatically.
“If you’re going to spoil someone, spoil all of us equally!”
And so, the peaceful snack time descended into chaos.
Later that afternoon, Cardinal Larsa went to inform the village chief about the establishment of the Adventurers’ Guild branch.
The implications were enormous.
A village located beside a forest rich in monster populations would naturally attract adventurers seeking valuable monster materials.
Where adventurers gathered, merchants would follow.
Where merchants gathered, money would flow.
And where money flowed—
Villages grew.
Apparently the village chief had immediately imagined the prosperous future awaiting Papel Village.
The vision affected him profoundly.
Witnesses later reported that he began dancing wildly through the streets in a manner that could only be described as deeply disturbing.
Fortunately—
For once—
He was fully clothed.
That alone was enough to count as a blessing.