Chapter 8: The Strongest Onmyoji, Recruited (Part one)

A few hours later.

We made it back to Lakana without incident.

It seemed that the materials could be exchanged for cash at the Adventurers’ Guild, and we were taught the whole process.

I sold all of the living mail armor I had taken out of the phase for a fair amount of money.

I offered to give him half, but Lloyd shook his head.

“Keep it. You guys need the money more than I do right now.”

Then he suddenly laughs and says.

“Besides, it’s no use being a senior adventurer if I’m taking credit for the work of a newcomer.”

“If that’s the case, then I will gratefully accept the offer.”

In fact, I desperately need the money.

“So, here’s what you guys are going to do: ……”

Lloyd says with a serious expression.

“If you guys want, you can join my party.”

It was not a particularly surprising suggestion.

When I was talking with Silas, he had asked if he could invite us to the party.

But before I could consider whether or not to accept the offer, I had to make sure of one thing.

“How many people are in your party?”

Before I could say anything, Amiyu was asking the same question.

Lloyd, not seeming particularly bothered by her cocky tone, replies.

“Just recently, I think we just passed the one hundred mark.”

“……!　What do you mean?　What are you going to do with that many members?”

“I don’t know much about the adventurer situation ……, but I do know that a normal party consists of about four to six people. Before I decide whether or not to join, could you please explain to me what kind of party your “Renju Alliance” is?”

“That’s fair enough.”

Lloyd nodded.

**********

Since we didn’t want to just stand around and talk, we came to a bar in the Adventurers’ Guild.

We were treated to a little early dinner, so of course we had nothing to complain about.

Before the food we had ordered arrived, Lloyd opened his mouth.

“What image did you have of adventurers when you were little?”

“….”

Everyone was tight-lipped.

In my case, I had memories of my previous life, so I thought it would be a worthless profession, just like the martial artists. I’m sure Amiyu and Mabel didn’t have dreams of becoming adventurers either, given their birth and circumstances.

Then…

“I thought it would be a profession where I would be free and …… appreciated by everyone.”

Lloyd nodded to Ifa, who gave the most common answer.

“Oh, I used to think that too. “Yes, I thought so too, when I was a child. But now, as you all know, being an adventurer is not such a glorious profession anymore.”

Waiting for the food to be brought and placed, Lloyd continues.

“Freedom means you’re not protected by anything. No one will help you if you are weak. No one will bother to give you the information you need to survive. If you become too weak to go on an adventure, you will spend the rest of your life sitting on the street. No matter how good an adventurer you are, that will never change.”

Lloyd smiles weakly in front of the food.

“I’m the only member of the first party I put together those who are still alive today.”

That must be a common story.

No, I should say that it is better that there are surviving members.

“It’s nothing tragic, this is normal for adventurers. But …… I wanted to do something about it. I thought hard about it with my uneducated mind. The conclusion I came up with was to create a very large party called the “Renju Alliance.”

“….”

“Even adventurers who have nothing to offer can help each other, but only with their friends. I wanted to expand that circle.”

“In short.”

I say.

“Is your party, in reality, a sort of mutual aid organization for adventurers?”

“No, no.”

Lloyd shakes his head.

“It’s not that loose of a connection. It’s literally a party. Newcomers are assigned a trainer from the same profession to teach them how to get around and what skills to use. We share information about danger zones and instances of imminent party collapse, and everyone takes precautions. So, even if the party is a hastily created combination, everyone is able to show their abilities. For me, the party we put together today is the first one like it I’ve ever been in, but I think we could have gone into a dungeon with Adamant’s Mail or Mithril Mail without any problems.”

“…… I see.”

I think about it for a minute and say.

“You mean, organize the whole party like an army to increase survival rates and the efficiency of the adventure?”

“Adventures are limited to a small number of people, and the combination is up to the members, but… that’s right. I don’t mind if you understand it that way.”

“So the ultimate goal is to homogenize as much as possible the abilities of each person, regardless of his or her individuality?”

Lloyd’s eyes widened slightly, as if this point had not occurred to him.

“……Of course, the primary goal is only to improve survival rates,…… but as a result, would that be the case?”

“I’m sure.”

The military, or any large organization, does not expect anything as vague as individuality.

They use personnel who have been trained in a certain way, and operate according to a certain set of rules, to achieve the desired results.

That is what an organization is.

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