Chapter 27: Expulsion
As I finished off the Fang Dogs, I could hear voices from inside the dome talking about magic.
“That was wind magic, right?”
“Most likely… he said ‘whirlwind,’ so there’s no mistake.”
“Was that short chanting? He even cast it in succession!”
“The Fang Dogs ran off in an instant.”
“Look, all that’s left is to finish off the dizzy ones. Amazing.”
“What a difference from Bart. Who was it that called that guy ‘a breeze’ again?”
“More importantly, Bart—were you seriously planning to shoot a Fireball in that confined space?”
Everyone’s cold eyes turned toward Bart, who awkwardly looked away.
A bit later, I set up another dome some distance from Thaddeus and his team, lying on my camp bed as I observed Bart.
That strange presence I’d sensed kept clinging to him, never appearing far away.
He didn’t seem to notice it himself—only people with strong detection skills could sense it.
It didn’t feel evil, so there was probably no danger… but who could I even ask about something like this?
Even though I was born into a world where magic exists, I’d gone all these years without learning much about it. Mysteries upon mysteries.
Still, since I’d gotten to know Thaddeus and the others, maybe I could ask them about the town and about Bart as well.
After a good night’s rest, the swelling on one of their bitten leg had gone down a bit, so I walked back toward town slowly.
Bart, of course, couldn’t stop running his mouth the whole way.
“If you could walk, why were you lying on the stretcher?”
“I carried you myself, so hand over yesterday’s earnings.”
“It wasn’t even a serious injury—what an exaggeration.”
“Since you caused us trouble, you’d better work hard to make up for it.”
He just kept piling on the snide remarks, completely oblivious to the veins bulging on everyone’s foreheads.
The rest of the group exchanged glances and went silent.
When we reached the guild, just as the adventurers who’d been out earning were switching places with those returning, Thaddeus turned and glared at Bart.
“Bart, I’ve had enough of you. You barely pull your weight and only ever run your mouth. You’re out of the group!”
“What? I’m just telling the truth!”
“Yeah, and that ‘truth’ applies twice as much to you. You’re the most useless one here.”
“Don’t act like you’re the boss! You’ve got no right to kick me out. Right, guys?”
“Fine, then I’ll be the one to leave. Here—take your share, with a little extra.”
Thaddeus pulled some silver coins from his pouch and tossed them at Bart’s feet.
Bart stood there dumbfounded as one by one, the others spoke up.
“I’m done with you too, Bart.”
“Insulting even the person who saved us—unbelievable.”
“Later. Go roast Horn Rabbits with your Fireball or something.”
“I’m cutting ties too. I’ve had enough of your pathetic whining.”
“I can’t work with someone who abandons his comrades.”
Bart froze in shock, as if it had never occurred to him that his companions wouldn’t forgive him forever.
Leaving the fool behind, we entered the guild. Thaddeus and the others were selling herbs.
“Thaddeus, did you make enough to buy potions?”
“We’ll scrape it together, even if I have to borrow. With three injured, we’ll starve otherwise.”
“Then let me treat you all to a drink—to celebrate the expulsion of that unpleasant man.”
While his teammates handled the herb appraisal, I went to speak to the purchasing clerk.
“I’ve got a Big Horn Boar and an elk—can I take them to the dismantling yard?”
“Huh? Never seen you before. You, a little runt like that, with a Big Horn Boar? Whose errand are you running?”
“I’m solo.”
“Big talk, kid. Tell your jokes after you wake up. If you’re here to sell, line up and put it on the counter.”
“If I put it there, it’ll get dirty.”
“Quiet! Just get in line!”
Fine, fine—if you insist, I’ll play along.
“Thaddeus, give me a moment—I’ll line them up on the counter.”
When Thaddeus and his team, who knew I’d taken down six Fang Dogs, saw me move, they looked surprised.
I quietly waited my turn, but the grumpy old clerk looked just like a slimier version of Bart.
Once Thaddeus’ group had received their appraisal papers and stepped aside, the man barked,
“Put it on the counter!”
So I slammed an Orc down onto it.
Because it wouldn’t fit straight, I had to lay it diagonally—its corpse now sprawled across the counter, glaring up at the clerk.
“Eek!”
“Kyaa!”
“H-help!”
The clerk and the office ladies in the back screamed.
“Y-you little brat! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
“Who put an Orc on the counter?!”
“What’s going on out here?!”
A crowd of burly men came stomping out from the back.
“Th-that kid! That kid did it!”
Guess no one ever taught this guy it’s rude to point.
“You put that Orc there? You mocking the guild?”
“Uh, I told him I had a Big Horn Boar and an elk and asked to go to the dismantling yard, but he yelled at me to ‘put it out here.’ I thought the guild in Korche did things differently, but since he shouted, I followed instructions. I did hold back on the Big Horn Boar though—it’s too big for the counter. If you don’t believe me, ask those guys over there.”
The clerk’s mouth flapped open and closed wordlessly.
“Still, you should have used some common sense!”
“Come on, don’t blame me. During registration we were taught that adventurers must follow guild staff orders or risk having their registration revoked. So I followed orders. If there’s a problem, take it up with your staff, not me.”
The man who’d shouted at me turned to Thaddeus team for confirmation—and they all nodded vigorously in unison.
“Are you an idiot? If they declare what they’ve brought, just let them go straight to the dismantling yard! If it’s only a rabbit or two, just kick them out afterward, got it?”
Now the man was yelling at the appraisal clerk instead.
“Uh, I still have a lot more, so could you please hurry up and appraise that one?”
The man who’d been scolding the clerk gave me a tired look.
“How much more do you have?”
“A Big Horn Boar, a medium-sized elk, three orcs, and quite a few birds.”
“Quite a few birds?”
“Yes — Green Birds, Red Chickens, Runner Birds, and Chikki-Chikki Birds.”
“…Let me see your guild card.”
He took my card, looked it over carefully, and handed it back with a wry smile.
“So you’re Leon, huh? You’re pretty well-known in Rosenne, I hear.”
“Well-known in Rosenne?”
“If you’re staying in this town, go hunt all the birds you want.”
Ah, that’s what I’m famous for.
“And you! How many years have you been a clerk here? Pull a stunt like this again and you’ll be kicked out of the guild!”
The self-important old man was suddenly shrinking into himself.
“Pack that up and head to the dismantling yard.”
Right, right. I stuffed the pitiful-looking orc back into my magic bag, beckoned to Thaddeus and his group, and headed for the passage to the dismantling area.
A bored-looking dismantler was sweeping up when he spotted us and came over.
“Aren’t you guys the herb gatherers?”
“Ah, I’m holding six Fang Dogs for them. Plus a Big Horn Boar, a medium-sized elk, three orcs, and a bunch of birds.”
“Hm, never seen you before. You a mage?”
“Yes. Where should I line them up?”
He pointed out where to put the Fang Dogs, and after telling him those belonged to Thaddeus’ group, I placed my own kills beside theirs.
“Huh, nice size. Were these from around Korche?”
“In the forest between Rosenne and here. The orcs were from about the same area.”
“I see. Birds go over there.”
He pointed to a dismantling table, so I began piling them up.
“Hey, line them up neatly.”
“I’ve got a lot, so if I line them up properly, they won’t all fit.”
“Is that so? Then show me.”
Once again, I wasn’t being believed. Fine by me.
Green Birds: 15
Red Chickens: 18
Runner Birds: 9
Chikki-Chikki Birds: 11
The dismantler let out a low whistle at the mountain of birds.
I handed him my guild card while Thaddeus and his group stood there stunned at the sight of my haul.
I nudged them out of the dismantling area, telling them to hurry up and cash in so they could buy potions and heal.
Later, while I was relaxing with ale and some grilled skewers, Thaddeus and the others showed up — their wounds bandaged, their faces still a little pale — and came over to thank me.
Since I wanted to ask about Bart, I invited them to join me for breakfast.
“Thank you for giving us the Fang Dogs. Because of that, we were able to buy potions.”
“Are your injuries healed now?”
“Yes. The bites and swelling have gone down — as long as I don’t push it, I can walk fine.”
“Honestly, we were shocked when we saw that Big Horn Boar.”
“And your handling of those Fang Dogs was incredible. If it’s all right, could you teach me even a little about the basics of magic?”
“Oh? You can use magic too?”
“Yes, I was granted water magic. My magic power is sixty-four, but everyone laughs when I mention water magic, so no one’s ever taught me. If you can use wind magic like that, please, any advice would help.”
“Thaddeus, I plan to work in this town for a while. If you can show me around the area, I’ll teach Regina here the fundamentals of magic.
Just remember, there’s no guarantee she’ll be able to use it — it depends on her aptitude and practice.”
“You sure? You could probably earn a lot more on your own.”
“True, but it’s always easier to earn when you’ve got locals who know the lay of the land.”
“Please, I’d be honored!”
With Regina’s deep bow of gratitude, I secured myself a guide — and an opportunity to finally learn more about Bart.