Chapter 41

Daily High Fantasy Ranking 6th Place!

Weekly High Fantasy Ranking 7th Place!

Monthly High Fantasy Ranking 5th Place!

Thank you very much!

Mirette, who works as a receptionist at the Amrus branch of the Adventurers' Guild, was holding her head and groaning.

"Reta and Mina have been missing for three days... Did something happen? No, something must have happened."

It had been three days since Reta and her group, who had just completed a mission, disappeared.

They had been accompanied by a guard, but due to certain circumstances, Reta and her group left the scene first. However, their whereabouts afterward were unknown.

The distance between the scene and the town was not far, so it was unlikely that they had taken a wrong path.

"...What's concerning is that there were monster corpses along the way."

Initially, it was thought that they had been attacked by monsters, but it was soon clear that this was not the case.

The monsters, though troublesome, had been decisively defeated, and with arrows.

To Mirette's knowledge, Reta did not use a bow, and Mina was not capable of combat.

Therefore, it was concluded that the monsters and the two were not related.

--So, where are they now?

Needless to say, the guild was in a panic.

A search party, led by adventurer Tex, who was close to Reta, was formed and is currently searching for them.

Reta is highly regarded.

No townspeople are unaware of his name, as he has already saved many people for free.

While there are healers in the town, the cost of treatment is prohibitively high, making it difficult for many to rely on them in times of need.

In such a situation, Reta appeared like a savior, bringing gratitude and hope.

At one point, he had become disillusioned with the burden and the low treatment fees.

Initially, he had taken advantage of Reta's kindness and received free treatment, but it was eventually decided that this was not right, and he began to pay for guild missions.

Of course, even then, the amount paid was less than one-tenth of what a typical healer would charge.

Healing is a profitable profession.

Due to the high fees, treating one person every three days would be more than enough to live comfortably.

However, Reta's case was different.

He treated injured people as part of guild missions, and the fees were minimal.

Frankly, the guild was hesitant about this arrangement.

Then came this disappearance.

Mirette, in a panic, used the magic communication device, which only the guild could use, to contact the capital branch of the guild where Reta was registered.

Fortunately, the staff member in charge, Seira, was a friend of Mirette's, so the conversation went smoothly.

"...But I never thought Reta's treatment in the capital was so bad."

The story she heard was not a pleasant one.

Reta Dixon became an adventurer in his mid-twenties, a bit of an oddball.

He was recruited by a party with a less than stellar reputation and, being new, joined the party.

Later, he contributed to the party as a potion substitute and a general helper due to his ability to use healing magic.

It must have been his personality. He served the party without complaint.

The guild itself did not know about his healing magic until recently.

It seems the party leader advised Reta to keep it hidden, saying, "If they know you can use healing magic, they'll use you for their benefit."

Indeed, the capital guild might have used Reta, just as Mirette and the others did.

However, it was the party members who actually mistreated him.

Seira also knew about Reta's healing magic, but due to his own pleading and her concern that Reta, who was not part of the healing guild, might be mistreated by the adventurers' guild, she kept quiet.

In the end, Reta was well-liked in the guild and was valued as a mediator for the party, which often caused conflicts. However, as an adventurer, he was treated as a low-ranking member.

Hearing this, Mirette immediately felt angry at the party members who had used Reta.

But the party had already disbanded.

It seems the main reason for the disbandment was debt.

Typically, adventurers prepare potions in anticipation of injuries. However, "Black Wolves," the party Reta belonged to, relied on his healing magic.

Without a healer, they needed potions.

The members of "Black Wolves" had been negligent in their defense because they relied on Reta.

In a sense, they felt secure with Reta around.

However, even after he left, they continued to get injured.

Eventually, their injuries became too severe for potions, and they had to rely on healers, leading to high medical bills.

Unable to pay, they accumulated debt.

The party members, who had fired Reta, disbanded a few days later to escape their debt.

Currently, the guild has received a request to capture them for debt collection, and wanted posters are circulating.

"...But in the end, Reta wasn't in the capital."

While it felt good to know that those who mistreated Reta met a bad end, it was meaningless if he couldn't be found.

In these three days, the guild has deeply reflected on its treatment of Reta.

They should have treated him better and not taken advantage of his kindness.

Though there was no malice, they regretted exploiting his kind and good-natured personality.

If he returned, they even planned to build a clinic for him.

Of course, they would ensure that he received fair payment for his services.

However, if he didn't return to Amrus, it would all be for nothing.

After all, they couldn't even tell him about the plan without him being there.

"Please come back, Reta, Mina!"

To Mirette, Reta and Mina were like family.

She didn't want to part ways like this without properly repaying their kindness.

As a human, not just a guild receptionist, she wished for their return.

Just then,

"Hey! We found that bastard Reta!"

"---What?"

Tex, who led the search party, burst into the guild and shouted.

Mirette kicked her chair and stood up, rushing out of the guild.

And there,

"Ah, Mirette-san."

"…Hello."

Reta, with the same kind and gentle smile as before, and Mina, who was holding his hand and waving shyly, were standing there.