/
Claude showed us around the city, and we ate lunch at an adequate restaurant, which was just enough to satisfy our appetite. By the way, I asked Claude to pay for my lunch. I felt sorry for him, but I was so hungry that I had no choice.
The adventurer’s guild we went to was a three-story stone building. It was a little more impressive than the other buildings. It was old, but it had a more “historical” feel to it.
As soon as I entered the building, I saw the reception desk. The receptionist had a soft smile on her face, but she had a strong appearance that made me feel her strength. I wondered if she naturally became like that after dealing with the rough people.
I looked around and decided to look for the healer. She would be wearing a priest’s uniform, so it would be easy to spot her. I really hope it wasn’t the saint.
I looked to my right. She wasn’t there.
I looked to my left.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
I saw the saint waving elegantly. She didn’t wait too long here. If I looked to my right again, would it change to another healer?
“Are you the healer, Saint-sama?”
“Fufu, I am indeed the healer. After all, the name ‘Saint of Healing’ is not without meaning.”
“I’m certain that you’re busy with…… work. You didn’t have to come all this way.”
“I may be called a saint, but I am still a nun. It is natural for me to help in the elimination of demons, which is our zeal. Besides, I leave my work to others.”
The adventurers around us were staring. After all, the saint seemed to be a celebrity in this town, and I could hear them whispering to each other.
It was very noticeable. Two masked men and a saint. In addition, Claude, the potential hero, was included in the party, so it was not surprising.
A gathering of two suspicious men, and two famous people. If I were a stranger, I would never join this party. I could tell you that.
“Can you call another healer for me?”
“You are terrible……! You’re saying I’m not good enough…… That’s too cruel……”
The saint mimicked crying. She had an unexpectedly good personality.
“All joking aside, please feel free to call me Lily. Those closest to me call me that.”
“All right, saint-sama. We’re going to proceed with the request, but should we do it later?”
“Ara ara. We have to keep that schedule for the time being. Now let’s go to the unexplored areas!”
She was very enthusiastic. I thought she would be sending me another nun if my schedule didn’t work out. She might or might not be trying to find out who I am. I could not grasp her true intentions.
“…… Let’s register as an adventurer, nii-sama.”
“O-oh, that’s right.”
I followed Sareha’s words and went to the reception desk.
The receptionist looked at us with horrified eyes, but immediately changed her face to that of a worker. I wondered if she was surprised by the mask or by the saint.
When I told her I was registering, she pulled out a document and explained a few things to me.
The content was so simple and clear that even an uneducated person could understand it. As you fulfill requests, your rank will increase. If you are cheating or making a mistake, you will be demoted, or in extreme cases, expelled from the guild. The rest is just a few notes. It’s not something I had expected.
“… and that’s it. Claude-sama and Lilianne-sama have already registered, so there will be two people registering. What are your names?”
I looked at Sareha and tried to communicate with him before giving our names.
“I’m Ash the — no, Haino.” [1]
“I’m Chrono.”
Haino from the Ash Swordsman. Sareha’s “Chrono” may have been taken from his ebony mask. Whatever it was, he took an alias that seemed to fit with me.
I plan to use this pseudonym for registration purposes and then throw it away. I wasn’t smart enough to use both my fake name and my real name.
“Haino-sama, Chrono-sama are registered as a tenth rank adventurer. Would you like to register the three of you with Claude’s party, the Golden Pioneers?”
“Yes, please.”
The Golden Pioneer – there was nothing golden about Claude. His hair was red, and he didn’t use a bow and arrow. [2] Maybe it was a reference to a fellow adventurer he lost in the past. I wonder if he’ll tell me someday.
At any rate, a party of four was formed to be the Golden Pioneers. Two warriors, a sorcerer, and a healer. It was a well-balanced group that would be able to handle a variety of requests.
I put the plate that the receptionist gave me around my neck. There were ten star-like patterns engraved on it, which represented the rank of the owner. If it was the first rank, there would be one star.
I looked at the board on the wall and saw a request written on a piece of leather paper. The required rank, the request, the reward, the deadline, and the name of the client. It seemed to me that I should choose what I needed and give it to the receptionist.
“Are there any requests available for the sixth rank?”
I choose the request that matched Claude’s rank. Since Claude, the leader of the party, was the sixth rank, the requests he could receive would also match his rank. It was a guild rule.
A request that would pay as much as possible and raise our profile. It shouldn’t be a transport escort or herb collecting. I wanted a more advanced request.
“What about this one?”
Sareha pointed to an old piece of leather paper. The paper was old and worn, which meant that it was a request that no one had completed in a long time.
“That’s a little different from the…… usual request to explore a labyrinth. A request for ‘extermination’ in a labyrinth?”
The client was a certain merchant association. A herd of high orcs had settled in the labyrinth and were reproducing rapidly. It was said that they were attacking neighboring villages and people passing through the area. They wanted us to exterminate them.
It said that the request was made for the sake of the healthy trade routes. In addition, it also added, “Fourth rank party wiped out. Dangerous” was written in red letters.
“Well… That request has been unfulfilled since a year ago. The first requirement is for a sixth rank party, so you can accept it at the sixth rank, but I don’t really recommend it. They are high orcs.”
The receptionist softly advised me from behind.
“Let’s do this one.”
“I agree with you. I can’t allow these filthy demons to attack innocent people.”
Surprisingly, Claude and the saint agreed with me. It looked dangerous, but would it be okay? And aside from the saint, Claude was surprising. Perhaps he felt righteous indignation towards the innocent people and stood up for them.
“I am still a hero’s vessel…… a protector of mankind who protects the fangless people…… and I was not blinded in the eyes…….”
“What are you mumbling about? Is your stomach hurting?”
“Shall I cast a healing spell?”
“Would you like a potion, ani-sama?”
The saint’s healing magic and Sheila’s healing potion were about to be used for my stomach condition. It would be a waste.
“I’m fine, and it will be a long trip so don’t waste any resources. Let’s go buy what we need.”
“What about the money?”
“Please lend it to me, Claude-sama. I will return it to you with my reward.”
Claude’s frown. I hope you would forgive me if I return the money several times over. This request was expected to be very rewarding.
I also had to pay for the sword I broke in the tavern. I would probably see those three guys who started the fight sooner or later, so I would try to talk to them peacefully this time so as not to start a fight.
“I’m really sorry. I’ll return the money properly.”
“Don’t apologize normally. I don’t like it when you suddenly become so auspicious.”
Claude laughed bitterly.
***
Gatan — The wheels clattered over the stone.
After leaving the city, the wagon was moving along at a leisurely pace. The trodden path was not very wide, and it would be easy to slip off the path if there were no experienced coachman.
When we told the adventurer’s guild that we were taking on a request, they kindly lent us a wagon for free. It also included a coachman. There had been many deaths in the labyrinth, and they asked us to collect the bodies and belongings of the dead. The wagon was their compensation.
“It will take a little longer to get to the village, so you should lie down.”
The voice of the coachman.
I heard that he was going to be staying in a village near the labyrinth. It was true that if he followed us to the labyrinth, he might die.
There were many things that were needed to conquer the labyrinth. Food, sleeping gear, equipment repair tools, lanterns, and a backpack to carry it all in. There was a wide range of things we needed. We used some things that Claude had used in the past, but it was still expensive.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been outside the city. By the way, Ash Swordsman-sama, have you been traveling around a lot?”
“That is so.”
“How did you become sworn master and servant to Claude-sama?”
“It’s a secret.”
When I talked to the saint, I only replied curtly. If I talked too much, my true identity would be revealed. Although I felt that it was already too late, I thought it was better than nothing.
“Your curt reply…… makes me cry…….”
The saint did her best to fake her crying.
“As your Master, I command you, Ash Swordsman. Talk to her a little more. We’re a party. If we can’t communicate properly with each other, as a party, we’ll die.”
Claude ordered me with a grin. His face was that of a child who had found an interesting toy. I could feel my desire to return the money to Claude fading.
“How did you come to be called a ‘saint’……? You are still so young.”
“I was a blacksmith’s daughter in a rural village. I was just a village girl with nothing special in me. But a chance encounter at an early age brought me into the Church. That’s when I was called a saint.”
“Chance?”
“There was a dying puppy. There was no one in the village who could use healing magic, and there were no expensive healing potions. I held the puppy in my arms all night, praying to God.”
Then, in the morning, the puppy was healed. The saint told me so. She had a natural talent for healing magic. The church must have discovered it and raised her to be a first-rate healer.
“Fuu… I’m a little embarrassed to tell you who I am. Now…”
The saint who was sitting beside me came one step closer to me. Too close. I’m scared.
“It’s your turn next, Ash Swordsman-sama.”
The saint asked, smiling at me. “Next” meant it was my turn to tell her who I am.
“You’re digging a grave. Interesting.”
“Brother has a weakness for pushovers.”
Claude and Sareha’s voices were heard. No one was willing to offer a helping hand. There was nothing more frightening than an unreliable companion.
“That’s…….”
“Marie-sama was a very kind person. You must know the reason for her death, don’t you? “
The reason for my mother’s death. The saint looked at me like she was talking to herself, asking me a question. There was no fake smile on her face, but a lonely expression, like a child asking for help.
I could hear the Goshujin spitting. Did that man hear that? Just do your job.
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TN:
[1]: The Japanese of Ash Swordman is 灰の剣士 (Hai no Kenshi).
[2]: The Japanese name of the party is 金色の嚆矢 (kiniro no kōshi). 金色 is translated as Golden and,
嚆矢 is: arrow to which is attached a turnip-shaped whistle made of hollowed-out wood or deer horn; whistling arrow used to signal the start of battle; the start of things.