Chapter 12

After that, the carriage journey ended without any incidents. The young master was in a bad mood the whole time, occasionally glaring at me as if he wanted to say something. I ignored him. I was treated like a sore spot just because I was with the young master. Well, I brought it upon myself. But the old man looked as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, with a clear and refreshed expression. I don’t know what happened after that.

In the end, there was a commotion, but everyone laughed it off, saying, “It happens sometimes.” I even got compliments on the meat. Maybe the meat and the commotion canceled each other out.

“See you! If we meet somewhere again, let’s go hunting for meat together!”

I parted ways with Hyater and the others with a high-five. They seem to be based in this town, so I’ll probably see them again. Still, our ranks are different, so it’s unlikely we’ll take on the same quests.

Nitz is an oval-shaped town surrounded by stone walls, much like Ridfin. It’s characterized by its many small waterways, probably due to the frequent rain. The forest looms to the west, just outside the town. As you go deeper into the forest, the monsters get stronger, just like anywhere else.

I entered through the south gate and headed for the town center. I made my way to the Adventurer’s Guild. After all, I can’t start without registering.

The exterior of the Adventurer’s Guild looked like a log cabin. Instead of a western-style door, it had a regular wooden one. A sign with an illustration of crossed swords hung above it.

I couldn’t stay suspicious with my hood on, so I took it off before opening the door. Well, what awaits me inside?

Inside, it looked like a typical fantasy setting, with a counter dividing the space like a bank or government office. There weren’t many people around, probably because it was just before noon. On the right side, a long row of bulletin boards lined the wall. On the left, there were several tables and chairs. It didn’t seem to have an attached tavern.

I walked up to an empty counter. Hmm, I can’t see over the counter unless I stretch. The downside of being short! I stretched up to the counter, and just then, a voice called out from behind me.

“Hey, what’s a kid doing here?”

The usual line. I turned around to see a rough-looking, low-ranking adventurer. He smelled of alcohol. Was he proud of his muscles, showing them off through his leather armor? It was awkwardly uncool. Probably because of his beer belly. What’s with the balance?

He grinned, thinking I was scared because I was staring at him silently.

“Kids should go home and suck their mom’s breast.”

No, that’s not something you say to a kid my age. Seriously, do I look like a toddler?

I looked up at the lady who was about to help me. By the way, all the receptionists were women. I didn’t choose a pretty one on purpose.

“Anyone who is an adult can become an adventurer. If you have no business here, please leave.”

The receptionist, looking more annoyed than confused, warned him off. The man, delighted, smiled even wider. He wasn’t interested in me; he was after her.

“Come on, Fal. How about lunch together? I’ll treat you?”

“I’m working. Please leave.”

She cut him off coldly. Fal’s face fell.

Alright, my business is done.

“Excuse me, I’d like to register as an adventurer.”

“Certainly. Please fill out this form…”

“Hey, hey, hey! I’m talking here!”

The man, who had been ignored, suddenly shouted at us as if nothing had happened. No, it’s over. She cut him off. Persistent men are disliked.

“Besides, there’s no way a kid like you is an adult!”

As he said this, he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. I was stretching, so I lost my balance and fell backward with a thud. There was a dull crack in my back.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Aaaahh!”

My scream interrupted the receptionist’s protest. Everyone in the guild turned to look.

I picked up the bow that had been on my back.

“It’s broken!!”

It wasn’t a lie. The bow had snapped in the middle.

“But Grandma bought it for me!”

“I don’t care. You probably didn’t use it anyway.”

“I saved up little by little to buy it! I haven’t used it even once! It cost five silver coins! I don’t have any money left!”

I hugged the broken bow and wailed. I wanted to cry, but no tears came, so I just sat there and screamed. The man, who had been acting tough, gradually started to look nervous.

Then, at the perfect moment, someone patted him on the shoulder.

“Thought it was noisy, but I didn’t expect to see someone bullying a little kid.”

Amazonian!

No, a well-endowed lady had arrived. She wasn’t wearing a bikini armor, but her armor showed a deep cleavage. From my seated position, I could only see the bottom part. Her abs were defined.

“Shut up… uh…”

He tried to brush her off, but he gasped. She hadn’t done anything, so he must have been intimidated by her face. She must be famous.

“What’s going on?”

“I, I don’t know. He just fell on his own.”

“Hmm. Maybe my eyes are getting old, but it looked like you pulled him.”

“N-no, that’s not it, I, I have a meeting.”

He shook his head and told a poor lie. Her manicured nails dug into his shoulder.

“Leave enough money to buy a replacement. You seem to be doing well, so you can afford it, right?”

“W-why should I?”

“Hmm?”

Her smile was terrifying, Miss.

The man looked around for help, but everyone was just watching with interest. More people entering the guild were being told what was happening. Some people even looked like they had seen this before, so he must be a repeat offender.

Realizing it was a bad situation, the man took something from his pocket and threw it on the floor. Clank!

“R-remember this!”

He spat out a line and stormed out, shouting, “Don’t look at me!” as he left.

Laughter erupted. I could hear whistles too.

Well, that was good entertainment. Applause for the goddess.