Chapter 144: Discussion with the New Guildmaster

Leave a Comment / Spirits' paradise and ideal life in another world / By IX

Sara and the others decided to visit the diner where they used to go when they were in the slums. The woman who ran the place had taken care of them back then. She was beautiful and kind, so I thought of recruiting her as a spirit mage. While I was attracted to her beauty, I also knew that she had been kind to the orphaned children, and I believed that the spirits would also take a liking to her.

“Hmm, I have a question. Do you think I could defeat a dragon?” Gina asked.

Defeating a dragon seemed to be the first thing on her mind. Was this person a bit out of touch with reality? However, dragons… If Bell and the others could defeat an Assault Dragon, then they would eventually be able to do it too.

“It might not be possible right away, but I think you could eventually defeat an Assault Dragon. Sara and the others are still at the stage of defeating trolls, so it will take some time,” I replied.

Upon hearing my words, Gina looked surprised and turned to Sara and the others.

“You guys can defeat trolls? The customers who come to my place often talk about running away from trolls. They must be strong, those trolls,” she said.

“Hehe, Gina oneechan, the three of us have defeated trolls multiple times. It’s amazing when our master teaches us!” Marco chimed in, providing some encouragement.

“I see. If you can become that strong, then I’m interested. But since I often have poor adventurers coming to my place, I’ve been told by my parents not to talk about spirits to others. I think it’s because they are worried about being disliked… But I have to help in the restaurant as well. Can you give me some time to think about it? I think it’s a good opportunity when I look at Sara and the others, so I’ll consider it with a positive mindset,” Gina said.

It seems there’s some hope. I wanted to give her a little more encouragement. She seemed concerned about the restaurant as well, so I should present some benefits.

“Yeah, take your time to think about it. While there’s a possibility of being disliked as a spirit mage, if it’s just dealing with Rough Birds or Orcs, you could quickly become capable of defeating them. That would make it easier to procure ingredients for the restaurant,” I suggested.

“I see. If I can use the materials I defeat in the restaurant…” Gina seemed lost in thought. It seemed like she was considering the offer.

While it wasn’t certain that she would become my disciple, I briefly talked about our lifestyle and training.

“Yuta, if we keep talking here, we won’t have time for a meal. We need to go to the Adventurer’s Guild after this, right?” Sylphie reminded me.

That’s right, we didn’t have much time to relax.

“Gina, I have something to take care of this afternoon, so can we consider this mealtime? I’ll come back later for your answer,” I suggested.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry, we got carried away with our conversation. Then, feel free to sit anywhere in the restaurant. Today, we have Rough Bird Herb Grill and Orc Stew. Which one would you prefer?” Gina offered.

Sara and I chose Rough Bird, while Marco and Kika chose Orc stew, and we entered the restaurant. The interior and tables were old, but everything was clean, which was a bit reassuring.

We sat at an available table and waited for our food to be served. One drawback of eating at a restaurant was that it was difficult to feed Bell and the others. They understood the situation, so they didn’t seem to mind, but it would have been nice to eat together. We briefly considered openly having a meal together, but we didn’t feel comfortable enough to do that, and it would likely surprise those around us.

The food arrived… Rough Bird Herb grilled, soup, and bread. It seemed like the herbs and soup required some effort, but the taste was average. Sara and the others were delighted to be able to eat at this restaurant, and they had big smiles on their faces.

We informed Gina that we would come again and left the place. The taste was average, but it was incredibly cheap. Three hundred elts for a set meal was an incredible price.

It was also a relief that we didn’t mention that our base was in the land of death. It would have been like an ambush if we had said we lived there; she probably wouldn’t have come.

We returned to Marie’s mansion, leaving Dolly as a guard for Sara and the others. Sylphy, Dyne, and I headed to the Adventurer’s Guild.

I had prepared plenty of food for Bell and the others, but I wondered if they would be okay. I had asked Sebas-san not to go near their room, but the smell and everything might still leak out.

Now, the new Guildmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild. Silphy confirmed it for me last night, and it seems he’s just an ordinary middle-aged man. It’s a bit disappointing that he’s not a beautiful Guildmaster like an elf, but at the same time, I feel somewhat relieved.

Also, there’s a spirit mage and an intermediate spirit in the guild. Judging from their attire, they seem to be serving the country as spirit mages. They were probably dispatched by the country to confirm my identity as a spirit mage. It seems to be becoming a big issue.

Anyway, the old Guildmaster and Eltina-san are apparently waiting at the Adventurer’s Guild to apologize this time. Personally, they are already figures from the past for me.

———

Upon entering the Adventurer’s Guild, adventurers were already gathered, as if it was well-known. A table was set up in the center.

Since I refused to talk in a closed room last time, did they prepare this place instead? Well, if they had asked for a closed room, I would have declined, but it’s a bit eerie when preparations are made without saying anything.

Among the gathered adventurers, I saw Yunis. So she didn’t leave the Labyrinth City. Despite being caught up with the thorny plants here last time, she still came. Maybe she wants to directly confirm what I plan to do because of Mel?

As I paused to survey the surroundings, a woman wearing the receptionist uniform approached me. She seemed unfamiliar and new.

“Are you Yuta, the spirit mage?”

It seems like she recognizes my face. She must be confirming my appearance based on descriptions.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“We’ve been waiting for you. Since we heard that you didn’t like closed rooms, we have prepared a seat here. Is that okay?”

“Ah, yes. This is more preferable than a closed room.”

As I replied, I was guided to the seat prepared in the center of the gathered adventurers, just like last time. When I passed by adventurers I had never seen before, I overheard them whispering, “Is that the spirit mage who caused trouble in the guild?” or “Looks average” or “Dragon Slayer.” It bothered me a bit that being called average-looking could be an insult.

While waiting at the designated seat, I couldn’t quite relax. Last time, I saw everyone as potential enemies, so it was fine, but now, I don’t know what to do when being observed by adventurers I completely don’t know. It feels like being exhibited as a rare creature.

Huh? Over there, behind the adventurers, is a floating, fluffy-looking spirit, right? And next to it is the spirit mage dispatched by the country. He seems thin and gives off a serious, middle-aged gentleman vibe. I’m not particularly fond of that type. I’d rather not get involved with them, but it seems impossible since they’re completely focused on me.

As I was lost in thought, a good-natured, chubby middle-aged man, accompanied by the receptionist, approached from the back. He must be the new Guildmaster. Out of courtesy, I stood up to greet the Guildmaster.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I am Anton, the newly appointed Guildmaster of the Labyrinth City. I apologize for the trouble the Adventurer’s Guild has caused. I am truly sorry,” the Guildmaster said, bowing his head.

The Guildmaster is bowing. The previous Guildmaster also bowed, but it was just a calculated move, so it didn’t matter. But this time, it’s different, so it’s difficult. It’s not right to keep making him bow, but it would also be impolite to act as if nothing happened.

However, I caused the Adventurer’s Guild to be overrun by plants, but should I just act like it never happened?

“I don’t know how to respond without hearing the explanation, so for now, please raise your head,” I said.

“Understood. Then, let me explain. Please have a seat.”

I pondered while sitting in my seat. He seems like an unfamiliar person. He appears genuinely apologetic but still maintains a smiling face, and despite being reserved, he seems natural. Is it appropriate to respond in a way that undermines the authority of the Guildmaster in front of the adventurers?

“Now, I will inform you of the results of the investigation conducted by the headquarters of the Adventurer’s Guild regarding the recent events. What has been confirmed so far is the retirement of the former Guildmaster and the confiscation of his personal assets. Those who harassed you will be punished according to the severity of their actions. Additionally, all staff members have been reassigned from the Labyrinth City.”

Oh, is that so? What about the severity of the punishment? If they were reassigned, there’s no way to confirm it. There’s one more thing I’m concerned about.

“The Adventurer’s Guild as a whole was responsible for the incidents this time due to the prevailing attitude of underestimating spirit mages. How will that responsibility be addressed?”

“Ah, I’m sorry, but the Adventurer’s Guild considers itself not responsible for that. In a way, Yuta-dono is an irregular existence. In reality, there are no employers who hire spirit mages as escorts or adventurers who want to form a party with them. The punishment for the Labyrinth City’s Adventurer’s Guild is a penalty for harassing a capable spirit mage and causing turmoil in the guild.”

I see… In the end, even if I, Yuta, am the one causing a commotion, the evaluation of spirit mages doesn’t change much, huh? To break the current situation, it’s still necessary to raise capable spirit mages and have them perform well.

The low evaluation of spirit mages affects the growth of the spirits, and as someone who relies on the spirits, I want to do something about it. Well, the spirits are laid-back, so they might say it’s fine. First and foremost, it’s important for Sara and the others to shine.

“I see, understood.”

“As the Adventurer’s Guild, we are also considering compensation for the inconvenience caused to Yuta-dono. We would like to offer monetary compensation and a rank upgrade as a form of compensation. How does that sound?”

…Hmm, rank upgrade is mentioned again. It can’t be a trap, right? But well, I’ll decline it.

“I’ll pass on the rank upgrade, regardless of the money. When we negotiated last time, I looked into it because I was persistently urged to rank up. I found out that there are mandatory requests that you can’t refuse once you reach the higher ranks. Even if you apologize, I can’t trust the Adventurer’s Guild to that extent. I have no reason to be attached to the Adventurer’s Guild, and I decline the rank upgrade.”

Well, if I joined another guild, I’d probably face a different set of problems. It seems easier to be assertive in the Adventurer’s Guild. But mandatory requests are annoying. I wanted to experience an event where I became an S-rank and surprised everyone with my guild card.

“Mandatory requests are the issue… However, it also becomes a problem to keep capable individuals at a low rank. We will have a discussion with the headquarters. Can you give us some time?”

What are they going to discuss? Will they offer a high rank without mandatory requests? I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but it means I can finish some events. However, it’s just an event for my own satisfaction, so it’s unnecessary if I think about it.

“Sure, I understand.”

“Also, the former Guildmaster who harassed you and the receptionist, Eltina, who was involved, are waiting and would like to apologize to Yuta-dono. Can you spare some time to listen to them?”

What will happen if I refuse? Should I say that I don’t want to see their faces and won’t meet them under any circumstances?… Hmm, well, that might be interesting, but meeting them and settling the matter completely might be better. It would be troublesome if they started stalking me.

“Understood, I’ll meet them.”

Now, I wonder what they will say to me?