Chapter 57

I was being called a fraudster, and the rumor had spread throughout the Adventurer's Guild. It made me feel a bit sad.

Eltina knocked on the grand door and received permission to enter. What a fancy door, the Adventurer's Guild must be making a lot of money. I followed Eltina into the room.

"I've brought Yuta."

"Ah, Eltina, could you get some drinks? Yuta, right? You, sit over there and wait for a moment."

The Guild Master sure sounds important. Well, the Guild Master is important. He's reading documents at a grand desk and seems busy.

I sat on the sofa as instructed. Phew, this sofa is so soft. It must be expensive to be in the Guild Master's room, but I really want to get one.

The meat is delicious, and the furniture is good. If I can earn money, I might be able to live quite well. I just need some entertainment. There probably won't be any TVs or games, and with all the wars, it seems difficult to get novels or manga.

But the spirits are having a free-for-all. They must be bored, flying around the Guild Master's room, playing tag. It looks fun. As I watched the tag game absentmindedly, Eltina returned.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

She placed the drink in front of me and immediately retreated to stand by the door. I wish she would talk to me, but since I'm a new adventurer, the Guild Master probably won't have her do that.

If I were a top-notch adventurer, the Guild Master wouldn't keep me waiting, right? It's tough being a newbie.

I sniffed the drink and smelled the aroma of tea. I had heard about it from Sylph before, but it's nice to see it in person. I should add it to my shopping list.

I took a sip, and the tea's aroma filled my mouth. It's delicious. The tea leaves must be good since it's served in the Guild Master's room. Bell flew over and sniffed the tea.

"Smells good. Can I have some?"

...If I let her have some tea, it won't be a big deal, right? I nodded without saying anything, and Bell sipped the tea. She made a face and flew away, saying, "It's bitter." She didn't like it.

Rain, who was interested, and Tamamo also moved away. They don't want anything bitter. I should try to get some sugar.

"Yuta, you've been waiting for quite a while, haven't you? What do you think about it?"

Sylph asked curiously. I've been waiting for about thirty minutes, but is it too long? In Japan, there would be a significant difference in status, and we wouldn't have set a specific time. I think this is within the acceptable range, but how about in this world?

Eltina is standing silently, so I can't judge. Normally, a receptionist would return to her work after guiding someone, but is this just a formality?

Or is it harassment? But the tea is served... and he's moving on to the next document. Should I be angry? Hmm, I'm already being called a fraudster, and if I get angry and leave, my reputation will be terrible.

But I came because he said he wanted to talk. Just waiting passively might make me look weak... I don't know.

If I don't know, I should ask. It's a safe choice, but I don't want to be seen as a mad dog that bites everything.

"Guild Master, if it will take more time, can I go home? We can talk when there's a better time."

"Wait, I'll be done soon."

He didn't even glance at me. Maybe I came during a busy time, but shouldn't there be something more after making me wait?

"Understood."

...About ten minutes have passed. Is this harassment and mockery? The Guild Master makes a new adventurer wait for forty minutes. It seems normal to me, but how long is "soon"?

It's hard to talk even in a low voice here. Eltina is looking at me... As a spirit mage, it should be fine to talk, right? It would be strange to talk in the middle of town, but it might be okay here.

It's rare to hear a spirit's voice, but how rare is it to have a conversation? Thinking about it is getting complicated. This is a different world, so maybe I can be a bit selfish.

I'll wait for another twenty minutes. If it's not done by then, I can complain a bit.

...Twenty minutes passed without incident. I'll complain now.

"Guild Master, how long is 'soon'? I have nothing to do."

Oh, he looked up. It's nice to get a reaction.

"Do you not like waiting here?"

I can wait if told to, but I don't think I should care about social norms in this different world. He said "soon" but started working on another document, so it feels like harassment.

(Sylph, if I get everyone to attack me, can I escape?)

"Easy. I can knock them all down without even running."

Oh, Sylph is intense. She has a great smile. Does Sylph have a short temper? Wind spirits are curious, and she might be annoyed by just waiting.

"What are you mumbling about?"

Well, Bell and the others are bored and flying around, and Sylph said it would be easy, so maybe I can be a bit selfish.

"Hmm, I'm not extremely dissatisfied, but the Guild Master said he wanted to talk, and I came, but I've been waiting, and when I asked how long, he said 'soon,' but it's not done yet. I'm wondering if the Guild Master is just unaware of time or if I'm being mocked."

Ah, a vein popped on the Guild Master's forehead. Eltina looks flustered, so maybe I said too much?

"You have some nerve. But if you pick the wrong opponent, you'll die young."

"Are you going to kill me, Guild Master? Are you going to kill a new adventurer for complaining after waiting? Is that what someone with status should do?"

I feel like my personality has gotten worse recently. Maybe I'm getting arrogant with power beyond my capabilities. Even if I say I want to live selfishly, I need some limits, or it will end badly. I need to be careful.

The Guild Master is taking deep breaths. He stood up a bit roughly and approached me. He sat on the sofa in front of me and threw a leather bag.

"That's all of Karl's possessions. Take it."

"Thank you."

I took the leather bag and stored it in my magic bag.

"..."

"Can I go now?"

I was waiting because he said he wanted to talk, but if it was just to hand over money, he could have thrown it at me right away.

"No, there's more to talk about. Why did you pretend to be a spirit mage?"

"I didn't pretend. I said I'm a spirit mage because I am one."

"What about that hammer? Do spirit mages use such things?"

They do, so there's nothing I can do about it.

"He's right here. Besides, I only learned that spirit mages are disliked here, so why would I pretend to be one?"

"Then use some spirit magic."

Sylph and the others use spirit magic, but humans call it spirit techniques. It's complicated. Also, I don't like the way he said "use it," and his face is full of mockery.

"Will I get something good if I use it? The Guild Master seems to dislike spirit mages, and it's unpleasant for me too."

"Hmph. If you can use some decent spirit techniques, I'll allow you to join the guild."

Yesterday, I used a wind barrier in the duel, but did he not notice? I thought he was strong, but maybe he was looking down on me and didn't pay attention?

"...The guild accepts anyone except criminals, right? If I haven't violated any rules, can you refuse me just because I'm a spirit mage? If so, please put it in writing and sign it. I'll have it verified by another guild."

"..."

"Eltina, is this person really the Guild Master? I heard why spirit mages are disliked, but is it necessary to exclude them from the guild?"

Ah, she looks very troubled. I shouldn't have involved her, but talking to the Guild Master isn't getting anywhere, so I'm sorry, but I need your help.

"The Guild Master is excellent. Many people in the guild have suffered from spirit mages' mistakes, like misfires or failures. This has gradually led to the exclusion of spirit mages, and now almost no spirit mages are in the Adventurer's Guild."

Oh, the reputation of spirit mages is worse than I thought. Not just in the Labyrinth City, but generally. When I glanced at Sylph, she looked away silently. Spirit mage. The name sounds cool, but is it a disappointing job?

"But I heard that amazing spirit mages are recruited by the country with great respect."

"Spirit mages' abilities are immediately apparent, so those who come to the Adventurer's Guild are usually those who weren't recognized elsewhere."

It's about whether the spirits will listen to you. Using it would immediately show your ability. The problem is that if a spirit mage's ability is low, they can cause a lot of trouble, which is why they are disliked.

"Yuta, this isn't a good situation, is it? I hadn't noticed, but the spirits' reputation seems to be declining."

(Will something happen if it declines?)

"Did you say something?"

"No, Eltina, nothing. I just said something out loud."

"Hmm, nothing will happen, but without a contract, the spirits' growth will be slower. That's not a big deal, but it's unpleasant for the spirits' reputation to decline."

That's right, it must be unpleasant for spirits to be undervalued by humans. Sylph has a high pride? We can talk about this later, but for now, let's focus on the Guild Master.

"I understand why spirit mages are disliked. But to me, it feels like a case of misplaced anger. If my abilities are lacking, that's one thing, but it's unpleasant to be treated with hostility from the start."

"That's why I'm telling you to show your power. Stop whining and do it quickly."

"You're being petty and making me wait, which is making me irritated, you fool. Show your power? Please, show it to me."

I shouldn't have said that. What should I do now? If I had shown Sylph's power honestly, I could have improved my reputation...

Thank you for reading.