CHAPTER 30: CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE

After Toru and Esther left the guild.

　Philip confessed that he sent adventurers on quests that would lead to their failure, leading to their expulsion from the guild.

　He hid important information that he was supposed to convey. And he gave adventurers request that was beyond their capabilities.

　Many of the adventurers died because of Philip, and many newbie adventurers were expelled from the guild.

　If Toru didn’t save Esther, the number of adventurers who would have died due to Philip’s schemes would have just kept on increasing.

　Why did he do that? Philip didn’t answer the question until the end, and Finlis had no way to press him for more information.

　He misused his power as the guild’s chief receptionist, but every adventurer is liable for their own life.

　Adventurers basically have the freedom to receive requests, except for nominated requests issued by guilds and city/town lords during emergencies. It is the adventurer who makes the final decision whether a request fits their abilities or not.

　Legally, Philip cannot be charged.

　However, he still sinned in the eyes of the adventurers.

　Naturally, the adventurers who have been removed from the guild were angry upon hearing this.

　The guild accepted their demands and allowed those who are newly disqualified return and reapply to be an adventurer once again.

　Also, they may restart from their previous rank, when they normally restart from F-rank.

　This eliminated some controversies, but nonetheless, the credibility of Finlis’ Adventurer guild has plummeted.

　Even if special or nominated requests appear in the future, every adventurer would be suspicious of the guild thinking, “Is this request a trap?”

　If the completion rate of the request declines, the income of the guild will decline.

　The scheming of one employee put the Finlis adventurer guild in hot water.

　Philip, who was the instigator of the schemes against the adventurers, was soon found dead in the back alley of Finlis the day after he left the guild.

　Philip was stabbed through the heart, coming from behind him.

　His death was veiled in mystery.

　Is the criminal a murderer with a grudge an adventurer, or is the murderer someone who knows about his mysterious behavior?

　In any case, why did Philip act like that? The truth has been buried in darkness.

　The day after he formed a party with Esther. Toru was sparring with Esther in the courtyard of the inn.

~Toru’s Perspective~

“-Huh! Yah!!” (Esther)

“-Take this!” (Esther)

　Esther’s wooden sword swung down on towards my head.

　I calmly received the wooden sword now coming towards my side.

　But the wooden sword changed speed on the way.

　The change in speed caused my parry to fail.

　Still, I did not panic and changed my center of gravity.

　The wooden sword approaching me slowed as I evade and it slipped past my side.

(I see. Esther doesn’t continue to apply [Strength Enhancement] but activates it at appropriate moments. It also becomes a feint attack while she is suppressing mana consumed.)

　I deal with Esther’s wooden sword while quickly analyzing her attack, why it suddenly changes speed.

　At first glance, an attack that wide is full of gaps. But the disadvantages disappear due to the timely activation of [Strength Enhancement], and it turns into an effective attack.

　Even if another attack comes again, I could not make a counterattack because I was careful of the wooden sword suddenly accelerating.

　With only a little ingenuity from Esther, one of my attacks have been rendered useless.

　It was a really good attack.

　I am currently training in the morning with Esther.

　Until now, I have been training in the morning by himself. I trained every morning without ever skipping.

　When I train, my vision becomes clearer, and I am able to incorporate [sword art] into my body’s motor memory. Morning training was a routine I practice in this world.

　Esther wanted to participate in my morning training today.

　It seems to be better than me practicing by myself. Thinking about it, I sparred with Esther using wooden swords. And I found that it exceeded my expectations.

　Skills are just tools. The higher the skill, the more efficient and effective the tools are.

　However, it is through my own will that ultimately unleashes the potential of that tool.

　No matter how high my skills are, I cannot use them at 100% without knowledge and ingenuity.

　If I have a good tool but don’t know how to use it properly, it is just good as jewelry.

　What I could learn from sparring is how to use the tools properly during battles.

　This training session with Esther was effective at teaching me about how fights progress in reality.

　I can’t help but smile at the actual battle experience accumulating in my mind and body.

　I was euphoric from the feeling of having my skills shine and become bridges towards any goal I have.

“Hahahaha!” (Toru)

　I can’t help but laugh while Esther and I clash swords.

　Occasionally I attack, sometimes a feint, and sometimes a weak blow.

“What are you doing in the courtyard?!”

　Suddenly, the loud voice of the landlady can be heard all over the place. Both me and Esther were surprised our shoulders shook.

“Oh, um, good morning.” (Toru & Esther)

“Good morning? Not at all! It’s a common area. If you’re training, people can’t use them well!” (Landlady)

　I can clearly see, there were some other guests at the doorway facing the courtyard. All the guests are frowning already.

　Apparently, Esther and I had disturbed their morning routines.

“……Excuse me” (Toru)

“I’m sorry” (Esther)

“Exactly. If you do it, please do it in another place. See you again!” (Landlady)

　I and Esther rushed out of the courtyard to escape the angry gaze of the other guests.

“I’m annoying the inn guests…” (Toru)

“Yeah. It’s not a good idea.” (Esther)

　In the future, my daily morning training can’t be held in the courtyard. But I didn’t want to quit my morning training.

　During my life in Japan, it would have been quite a surprise to see me working-out early in the morning every day.

　People who are constant morning joggers take a look at me and their eyes filled with contempt are telling me, “The day has just started and you’re already tired?”

　Before, my body would move clumsily but now I can do acrobatic movement no sweat.

　Even when I tire out my body, after a night’s sleep I feel no adverse effects from wearing out my body the day before.

“Isn’t it possible to rent a vacant house somewhere?” (Toru)

“…! That’s a good idea!” (Esther)

　Esther claps loudly with bread in her mouth then talks to me.

“If you rent a vacant house, you can train in the morning and you will not bother other people.” (Toru)

　Esther’s words are truly a good idea, but having two people, a man and a woman under a roof?

　Are you thinking clearly about this or not? I send her a questioning look. But Esther just nods over and over saying, “This is a good idea!”

　…It is likely that she hasn’t thought about it.

“She’s a little dangerous.”

　The uncle-like guard flashed in my mind along with those words, suddenly the image raised his thumb for some reason.

　I drove out the image smiling guard from my head with all my might.

　Yes, Esther is a little bit dangerous.

　However, I don’t feel any intent to attack from her. So I decided to just be careful.

　So we have a goal set for the near future.

“We have to find a house for rent where we can have morning training.” (Esther)

“First of all, we have to work and make a lot of money.” (Toru)

“Oh yes.” (Esther)

　We head for the guild in search of a new request.

　There, we found a unique request.

　It was a pretty good quest.

　I was a little disappointed in the quest but decided that it was quite a safe request, so we decided to accept the request.

　–I didn’t know that it would lead to another troublesome event.