Chapter 2

After a terrible night, the next day dawned.

Reda was lying on the bed in his apartment, still in his clothes, having returned home at some point.

An empty bottle of cheap whiskey lay on the floor.

Though he had no memory of it, he must have drunk to drown his sorrows.

“... My head hurts.”

His headache was severe, likely from a hangover.

He also felt slightly nauseous and had a stomachache, but he thought it might be more of a mental issue and gave a wry smile.

“I still have the energy to smile.”

Thinking this made him feel a bit better.

That’s right. He hadn’t given up, and he hadn’t experienced something so painful that he wanted to die.

“I’ll take a shower and freshen up. I need to start looking for a new job, too.”

For a moment, he considered taking a day off to relax.

However, he thought that moving his body would help him avoid thinking about unnecessary things.

Reda shed his clothes, which smelled of sweat and alcohol, and took a shower to cleanse himself.

“Ah, I feel refreshed.”

A few minutes later, not only his body but also his mind felt clean. After putting on new clothes, Reda decided to head to the Adventurer’s Guild.

Money was needed to live, and therefore, a job was necessary.

He didn’t have much savings.

He had given most of his money to the person he thought was his lover, so he had almost no savings.

He probably had enough money to live for about a month, but that wasn’t enough.

Life in the capital city was expensive.

“The Adventurer’s Guild... It’s already open, right? Okay, let’s go.”

He threw his belongings into his Item Box, a skill he possessed, and headed to the Adventurer’s Guild.

“It’s warm today. Yeah, something good might happen. I hope so.”

The streets of the capital were as usual.

It was early spring, and the cold still lingered.

Some of the children he passed were still dressed for winter.

Occasionally, he was called out by familiar shop clerks, and he smiled and waved back.

(Probably, no one knows that I’ve been kicked out of the party.)

The shop clerk from the equipment store had also been a client of the party.

To them, Reda must still appear as a member of the漆黒の狼 (Black Wolf).

Sighing, he found himself at the guild before he knew it.

The headquarters of the Adventurer’s Guild in the capital city.

The building, larger than a noble’s mansion, housed guild staff.

Not only adventurers but also people from other guilds and civilians frequently visited, so it was always crowded.

Just as he was about to take a number and wait, someone stood in front of him.

“... Uh, Seira?”

“Good morning, Reda. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Good morning... What? Why are you waiting for me?”

“In the guild, it’s already rumored that Reda has left the Black Wolf!”

“Already today!?”

Standing there with an unhappy look was Seira, a guild staff member.

She had long black hair tied up and wore silver-rimmed glasses, giving her a sharp and capable appearance.

In reality, she was very efficient at her job and had helped Reda prepare many reports.

She had been the handler for the Black Wolf and had been dealing with Reda, who handled the party’s miscellaneous tasks, for five years.

It was embarrassing to have her know in advance that he had been kicked out of the party.

“Don’t worry about the order, just come to the reception. Please tell me the details.”

“But, there are many people waiting—”

“Just come!”

“Yes!”

He was grabbed by the arm and led to the reception, where he was ordered to sit down.

Reda, feeling embarrassed, told Seira about receiving the news from the leader yesterday.

Then,

“... That’s impossible. Why such a hasty decision? My head hurts.”

“Seira?”

“To be clear, the party leader Jiro’s judgment is wrong. Our guild had proposed a B-rank promotion for the Black Wolf, including Reda.”

“—Really?”

“Of course. Reda, while your adventurer rank is low, you can use healing magic and possess the rare skill Item Box. You wouldn’t be treated so lightly.”

It was nice to hear, but the fact that he had been kicked out was still true.

Even if he told Jiro that there was a possibility of promotion, his opinion wouldn’t change.

Reda, after being criticized so much, didn’t want to go back either.

“To be honest, the promotion was largely due to Reda’s presence.”

“Huh?”

“I know you might not realize it, but the Black Wolf wasn’t a well-regarded party. The leader Jiro isn’t exactly a good person and often caused problems. No, he still does. So, the guild kept a minimum distance. But when Reda joined, the troubles decreased significantly.”

“Did I do something special?”

“Maybe it wasn’t special to you, but your friendly and considerate nature, even though you were given the miscellaneous tasks, greatly reduced the problems after you started interacting with the guild.”

“I see...”

He had been told to handle the miscellaneous tasks, so he hadn’t thought much about it.

He hadn’t even known that the party had so many issues.

“That’s right! We were relieved not to have to deal with those troublesome people. The promotion talks were possible because the problems decreased. But, to think they would kick out Reda... It might even cancel the promotion talks.”

“It’s not that big of a deal just because I’m gone.”

“You don’t understand your own value!”

Her sudden loud voice, uncharacteristic of her calm demeanor, drew the attention of the surrounding people.

“Calm down a bit.”

“... I apologize. But what I said is true. Reda, you are a healer who can use the rare healing magic and possess the rare Item Box. Either one is rare, but both... Without the Black Wolf, your adventurer rank could have been much higher.”

“... That’s ridiculous. My healing magic can be replaced with potions, and the Item Box is just for carrying things.”

“—Haaaaa. I see. You’ve been misled by them. The Black Wolf probably wanted to use you and said such things.”

Reda couldn’t quite understand what Seira was saying.

He knew that healing magic and the Item Box were rare.

But he thought they were just replacements for potions and carrying items.

At least, that’s what he had been taught.

“... First, we need to reform Reda’s mindset. But, hmm.”

Seira, folding her arms and muttering to herself, left Reda wondering how to respond.

He didn’t care much about his magic or skills or the Black Wolf’s promotion.

What he wanted was to find a new job.

“Anyway, I came to the guild today to find a new job.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking. About finding a new job. I want you to understand yourself better, but is finding a job urgent?”

“It is! I don’t want to join a new party, but I need to take on quests to earn money. Is there anything?”

“I understand. But, please recognize the value of your abilities. If you don’t, you might end up with someone who uses you and then discards you, like the Black Wolf.”

“... I don’t really understand, but okay. If you say so, Seira.”

Reda didn’t feel used, so he could only tilt his head.

But finding a new job was his priority.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll find some jobs that suit you.”

Seira started spreading out documents on the desk.

As he looked over her shoulder, his eyes stopped on a particular request.

“Seira, this one!”

“What? Oh, that’s not a job request.”

When Reda reached for it, Seira handed him the document.

It read, “Recruitment for Settlers! The Town of Amurs in the Lord Rodenvalt’s Domain!”

“This is a notice for recruiting settlers. Lord Rodenvalt has recently started developing the town. Amurs is a border town with the potential to grow, but it has many monsters and bandits, and there’s a shortage of adventurers.”

“I’m going there!”

“Huh?”

“No, I mean, I’m going to the town of Amurs.”

“Wh-what? Why! What’s wrong with the capital? I can introduce you to jobs, look, here are some!”

Seira pushed some documents towards him, including a party looking for a healer.

“I have no complaints about the capital. But I want to start anew in a new place after everything that’s happened.”

“With that look, I can’t stop you. I understand. I’ll handle the procedures for moving to Amurs. Fortunately, I have a friend at the guild there.”

“Thank you.”

“But remember, this is just a recruitment for settlers, not a job guarantee.”

“I understand.”

“Then it’s fine. The guild hopes for a bright future for you.”

“Thank you, Seira.”

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