Chapter 14

At the "Silver Water Jug Inn," there are guild members who specialize in information gathering. He, and they, always keep their ears open to the town's rumors and make contact with informants to bring me information from the capital.

Each of the twelve adventurer guilds has an information gathering department, but except for the top guild, "White Goat Inn," they exist in name only. As long as the amount of work from the requests that come in is sufficient, there is no problem with the guild's management.

However, if we just wait around, only uninteresting requests will come in.

Due to a shortage of manpower, farmers need help with harvesting, materials need to be collected, merchants need guards, not-so-strong monsters need to be exterminated, dogs and cats need to be found, and runaways need to be searched for—competing with other guilds for such requests is a waste of effort. Instead, we should uncover requests that don't come to the guild.

That's why my guild's information department works tirelessly day and night. Today, as the evening shift began, an information department member came to report to me, who was getting drunk.

"Mr. Ver, can I have a nice cold ale? I've been running around all day and I'm all sweaty."

"Good work, Reisa."

Sitting next to my seat at the counter, Reisa, an information department member, took the ale and drank it with a satisfied look. She used to work as a messenger for an information broker in the 12th Street area, but I recruited her after recognizing her talent.

When I met her, she was 11 years old, but now she is 16. Her short hair and clear smile are memorable, and she has a piercing in her right ear. The piercing is a magical tool to enhance her hearing, specifically for information department members. I learned how to make it and crafted it myself, and she seems to like it very much.

The information department members all wear cloaks and light leather armor. However, since other adventurers also come and go, their appearance does not stand out. Regular customers are also used to it.

"Ah, by the way, is the seat next to you free?"

"Yeah, it's free."

"Hehe, thank you. You're as always, Master... I mean, regular customer."

While I chuckled at her correction, which seemed to be just a way to call me "Master," I drank the ale and ate the appetizer Verlaine had prepared. It was fresh cheese that had just arrived today.

I offered some to Reisa, and she happily took it. She loves dairy products, so this "Cloud Sheep Cheese" must be irresistible to her. It has a richness and flavor that is completely different from regular sheep cheese.

"Mr. Ver, listen. Today, something happened in town..."

Reisa seems to be making small talk, but she is actually using a code to tell me what information she has gathered. Vinsbruck, whose engagement to Manalina was broken off, tried to propose to another princess but was rejected because the third princess is too young. A noble who used to use the knights as handyman services now brings requests to the adventurer guild. One of the requests the noble wanted to bring to the guild was to exorcise spirits from a cheap mansion he bought, but the request was refused, so the noble gave up and abandoned the mansion, which is now empty.

None of these stories were particularly interesting, but if Manalina and Timis have another younger sister, I should protect her from Vinsbruck's evil intentions. He must be desperate to form a royal alliance to go after a young girl.

"Oh, and... Manalina was advised to marry by the king again, but she firmly refused. It seems to be due to the influence of a certain person."

"Hehe... Is that so? That's quite interesting. It seems this customer is not to be underestimated."

While it's not necessary for her to marry as a queen, if she is being influenced by someone, I might need to conduct a consciousness survey. If I say that, I might get a disdainful look from Miralca again.

"Hey, did you hear that, madam?"

"Madam... Are you talking about me? Indeed, I consider myself a de facto wife in spirit. Are you trying to please me, Reisa? You are excellent."

"I wasn't really thinking that much, just going with the flow, but thank you."

I wanted to tell her not to call me "madam" so casually, but since I was sitting alone next to her, I couldn't say anything.

"Anyway, there's an orphanage at the edge of the church district, right? The director is currently bedridden, and the children are worried. The older children are taking care of things, but it's quite difficult."

"That's unfortunate... Is the director ill?"

"It seems to be of unknown cause. She has been unwell for a while, but it's particularly serious now... Her name is Yufiel Manafloze."

Yufiel Manafloze. I hadn't heard that name in a long time. I recalled the image of a young nun with a slightly mysterious smile, dressed in a nun's robe.

"Her name is long, so she asked to be called by a shorter name. Aileen gave her the nickname 'Yuma'—the 'Silent Requiemist,' a member of the Demon King extermination party."

Yuma is ill. Since Miralca didn't know, it must have happened recently.

"Her father is the Archbishop of the Albein Church. He can't openly bring a request to the guild, but he wants to cure his daughter by any means necessary... Her mother is currently taking care of her."

Reisa knows about my relationship with Yuma, so she is giving me this information with that in mind.

"Well, I'll be off. I'm exhausted today, so I want to rest at home."

"Yes, we look forward to your next visit."

Reisa, sent off by Verlaine, waved at me casually and left the shop with a slightly tipsy but steady gait.

Nearby, there is a collective residence bought by the "Silver Water Jug Inn," which serves as a dormitory for guild members. I live on the second floor of the shop, and Verlaine lives with me.

"Customer, did you hear that? Reisa called me 'madam.' Has the air of a young wife started to show during my time as a bar owner? What do you think, customer?"

While it's unclear if there is any relationship between a bar owner and a young wife, Verlaine seemed very happy.

Recently, she stopped asking me to return the Demon King's amulet, and I suspect her purpose has changed. As long as I'm not attacked while living together, I should be fine—though I'm not sure what I'm fine with, I kept telling myself that.

◆◇◆

The next day. During the shop's afternoon break, I went out the back door and headed to a certain place.

The capital has twelve streets running north to south, numbered from west to east, each with its own characteristics.

The First Street is adjacent to the "Church District." Since it takes time to walk to the Church District, I took a carriage that patrols the capital for convenience. The recent carriages have good seats, so my buttocks didn't hurt much.

After about an hour, I arrived near the Church District, put on my cloak, and got off the carriage. The fare was five silver coins, which is cheap for this distance. This is because the government subsidizes the shared carriage service.

The Church District is literally a district where facilities of the Albein Church are concentrated. There are chapels where people attend worship and monasteries where priests train. I walked past several buildings and arrived at the orphanage. A chapel is attached to the orphanage. Yuma serves as a priest here while also being the director of the orphanage. She is also studying to become an archbishop, so it's no wonder she collapsed from fatigue.

In the orphanage's courtyard, children were playing. A young nun who was watching them walked over to me.

"Hello. Is there something you need here?"

"I want to see the director. Can I meet her?"

"The director is in the chapel today. However, she has not been feeling well recently, so..."

Yuma is not old enough to drink, and alcohol is strictly forbidden for priests, so she can't come to my guild.

That's why I thought I should come to see her, even though it might seem overprotective. I hadn't visited her for a long time.

This time, it's an exception. I only solve requests that come to the bar. I only take action when I have no choice. While I thought this was an excuse, I made up my mind.

"I'm an old friend of Yuma... Yufiel. I also know Miralca Ilees."

"Miralca Ilees... Ah, the 'Adorable Calamity's' friend...?"

The nun was surprised. I thought I might be able to persuade her with this, but Miralca's name was powerful. Since she comes here often, the nun seems to know her.

"Then, I will go and ask Yufiel. Please wait a moment."

The nun, who is probably older than Yuma, hurriedly walked to the chapel. Yuma would probably recognize me. As expected, the nun returned and led me to the chapel where Yuma was.

When I entered the chapel, I saw the back of a female priest praying in front of the statue.

In the light pouring in from the skylight, she continued to pray quietly. I hesitated to approach, but I started walking with determination, and the priest turned around.

—And she smiled with the same smile as before. She raised her hand and waved slightly in greeting.

"Mr. Dick, it's been a long time. I received a divine message earlier, so I knew you were coming."

"That's impressive... What kind of divine message was it?"

"...It's a secret. The will of God is not something to be easily shared with others."

She put her index finger to her lips. She is still small, but she has grown taller, and it's not accurate to call her a child anymore. The white priest's robe gently outlines her soft curves.

"...Have you lost some weight? I haven't seen you in a long time, so it's hard to say, but..."

"Kusu... Mr. Dick, you knew I was bedridden and came to see me, didn't you?"

"You're perceptive... Well, I thought it would be strange to send a messenger to visit you."

"Thank you. Mr. Dick has always been kind, even though you seem uninterested in others."

"If I wasn't interested in others, I wouldn't have started the guild. I just don't want to stand out."

As I said my usual line, Yuma laughed happily.

However, even as we talked, she seemed to be off. Yuma is known for her "requiem," but she didn't mention it at all. This is strange. The Yuma I know is not this picture-perfect saint.

"How is the orphanage doing?"

"Yes, we are at full capacity, so I am consulting with my father about opening another orphanage."

"...Isn't it already difficult and busy? You should be careful not to overwork yourself."

Yuma's characteristic is "requiem." However, she doesn't seem to mention it at all. This is odd. The Yuma who was obsessed with requiems would surely want to calm my soul after not seeing me for a long time. This is clearly abnormal. Well, maybe it's normal for others, but not for Yuma.

"Work and studies are important, but sometimes it's good to do something fun without thinking too much."

"Yes... But the capital is peaceful. There are not many events that stir my soul."

Yuma looked down.

Indeed, that's the case—most likely. The reason she is not energetic is because she can't perform requiems.

"Since you returned to the capital, you haven't been able to... perform 'requiems,' have you?"

"...H-how did you know...?"

"Well, it's obvious. You used to talk about requiems all day, but now you only talk about ordinary things. That's not like you."

"...The capital is peaceful, and I haven't been given the task of consoling the dead. Unlike when I was adventuring, I can't perform... requiems... very often."

Yuma hesitates to even say the word "requiem," as if she is starving for it—saying it might make her unable to hold back, probably.

"...But... Ah... If you say it like that... I remember. I want to calm Mr. Dick's soul... Just a little bit... will do..."

"Wait... I'm still alive. What does it mean to calm a soul while alive?"

"Forcefully to the realm of God... Holy magic... Ascension..."

"...Y-Yuma, calm down. I'll calm my soul when I live a full life. So, for now, it's on hold..."

Yuma's eyes, which had been glazed over, returned to their usual state as she slowly approached me.

—Indeed, she has lost weight. I sighed in relief, sat down in a pew in the chapel, and took out a gift I brought for Yuma from my leather backpack.

"Is eating and drinking not allowed in the chapel? If so, we can change the location."

"No, it's fine... Mr. Dick, for me...?"

"Yes. For nourishment... It's not alcohol, so you can drink it with peace of mind."

I took out a bottle with a cork and opened it, pouring the liquid into a glass I had brought carefully.

"Tranquil Drops." It's a medicinal drink uniquely formulated by elves, made from the extracts of rare herbs and flavored for easy consumption.

Yuma sat next to me and took the glass. She gently touched it to her lips.

"Mm... I thought it would be bitter because it's so concentrated, but it's sweet and easy to drink."

"Even medicine needs to taste good. Think of it as a high-quality potion."

"Yes... My body is warming up a bit. I feel very calm..."

It is said to be highly effective when one is tired, and it seemed to work well for Yuma.

Since the Tranquil Drops stimulate appetite, I also brought bread sandwiches and fruit juice, which are allowed for priests who are not allowed to eat meat.

"Please have this too. It's a popular light meal at our shop."

"...Yes. After taking the medicine, I feel a bit hungry, even though it's not proper. Thank you."

Yuma unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite. Since I don't often see a lady eat, I shifted my gaze to the statue.

"Mr. Dick... It's nostalgic. When we were on the journey to defeat the Demon King, we often ate like this. It's much more delicious than back then."

"That's good. Yuma, you look so light, so you should eat properly."

"Yes. I would be happy if Mr. Dick ate with me."

If Yuma says so, I should join her. I took out a sandwich I planned to eat later and bit into it, feeling her gaze.

For now, Yuma is not so weak that she can't eat, but I don't think this is good.

To resolve her stress, I need to address the root of the problem. Then, what should I do?

I need to satisfy her accumulated desire for requiems.

While the current gentle and refined Yuma is not bad, I want to help her regain her true self.

In my own way. I already have an idea of what I can do for Yuma