Chapter 53

That day, a rare visitor arrived at the adventurers' guild in the capital city.

The capital guild, which oversees all guilds in the Zain Kingdom, is visited daily by many people, including adventurers, clients, and merchants who bring in medicines and weapons.

As the sun was already setting and the receptionist's face began to show signs of fatigue from dealing with guests—this person appeared.

The doorbell jingled, and a man and a woman entered the guild. The young couple in their teens had swords at their waists, looking like adventurers or mercenaries.

(Hmm? I don’t recognize them. Are they newbies?)

The receptionist looked them over from head to toe and tilted her head.

The woman was clearly a newcomer, looking around the guild with great interest. The man seemed more accustomed to the place, so he might have moved to the capital from another guild.

The man left the woman behind and approached the reception desk alone.

"Welcome, do you have a request? Or are you here to register?"

"I want to see the guild master. Is he here now?"

"Um, excuse me..."

The man, who was visiting the capital guild for the first time, demanded to see the guild master. Confused, the receptionist was handed a letter.

"It's an introduction letter. Please verify it."

"Oh, yes. I'll take a look."

The receptionist opened the letter and read it... her eyes widened in surprise.

She looked back and forth between the letter and the man's face, then said, "Please wait a moment!" and disappeared into the back of the guild.

The receptionist returned to the desk in less than five minutes.

Breathing heavily, she addressed the man who was waiting at the reception desk.

"T-the guild master will see you! Please, this way, Prince Raidor!"

"Ah, thank you for your trouble."

Led by the receptionist, who was sweating, the man—Raidor Zain—proceeded to the back of the adventurers' guild.

"Nice to meet you, thank you for coming... Prince Raidor."

"...Ah, I'm sorry to trouble you during your busy time. Guild Master."

"I am Saina Cross, the head of this guild. Please remember me."

Raidor was greeted in what seemed to be a reception room by a young woman with green hair and blue eyes, a rare appearance.

Raidor's eyes widened slightly at the sight of such a young woman in the position of guild master.

"Since you are introduced by the famous adventurer Balthroemeo, I cannot refuse to meet you. Especially since you are the hero who saved the nation."

"Is that so... Zaphis is that famous an adventurer?"

Raidor narrowed his eyes in puzzlement, thinking of the face of Zaphis Balthroemeo, his sword instructor.

To Raidor, Zaphis was just a heavy-drinking old man with nothing but his sword skills to his credit. He was certainly not the kind of distinguished man who would be respected by someone in the high position of the capital guild master.

However, as Saina offered Raidor a chair, she continued to praise him.

"Mr. Balthroemeo proposed the construction of a frontier city as a forward base due to the frequent monster attacks in the southern region of the Zain Kingdom. Moreover, he invested his own wealth and persuaded influential people to build the town, replacing the royal palace that was reluctant to provide funds. His pioneering spirit and high resolve to protect the country from the threat of monsters are role models for many adventurers."

"......I see."

Raidor nodded with a slightly sour expression.

Being lavishly praised about Zaphis, who was his sword instructor and almost like a second father, made him feel more embarrassed than happy.

To change the subject quickly, he spoke up.

"By the way, Saina, you are quite young. It's impressive that you became the guild master of the capital at your age."

"Oh, I'm not that young."

Saina lifted a lock of hair near her ear with her fingertips, revealing a pointed ear under her green hair.

"I am an elf, so I age more slowly than humans. Despite appearances, I am the same age as your late father."

"An elf... that must have been quite a challenge."

Elves are a sub-human race primarily living in the southern part of the continent.

Living in the forest, they rarely leave their birthplace and are known for their closed-off nature. However, occasionally, some of them leave the forest and venture into the outside world.

Elves are rarely seen in the Zain Kingdom, and this was the first time Raidor had seen one in person.

"In this country, there is not much discrimination against sub-humans, so I haven't had much trouble. However, if the empire had occupied us, it would have been different..."

"The Arslane Empire is known for its discrimination against sub-humans. Well, it's natural since they frequently wage war with the southern sub-human nations..."

"In that sense, you are a benefactor to me, Prince Raidor. I will do my best to assist you... So, what brings you to our guild?"

Saina cut to the chase.

Raidor nodded with a smile and began to explain the purpose of his visit to the guild.