Chapter 11

The man approached with quick steps and glared down at Estelle.

He called her "Estelle-san," but it was clear that he didn't respect her at all.

"Did you properly slay the goblins as requested?"

"Of course. However, there was a significant discrepancy between the number of goblins in the request and the actual number."

"That's quite something..."

The man then turned his gaze to Tōru.

The moment his eyes met Tōru's, Tōru's spine shivered. The man's eyes were like those of someone looking at a cockroach.

"And who is this boy?"

"His name is Tōru. I ended up involving him in the goblin slaying."

"I see, I see. So, Estelle-san, you saved this boy and failed to slay the required number of goblins. That's a failed request, isn't it? What a pity."

"That's not true. The request was a success."

With that, Estelle firmly stated and took out a cloth bag from inside her breastplate. It was a bag filled with goblin ears.

(I wonder what's inside Estelle's breastplate?)

So far, various items like pouches had appeared from her adventurer card, but this was the most extreme. The bag was not small enough to fit inside a breastplate.

(Is her chest more concave than I imagined?) Just as he thought this, Estelle glared at him sideways.

(Ah!)

The receptionist, who had taken the bag and opened it, widened her eyes.

"E-Estelle-san, how many goblins did you slay!?"

"About thirty to fifty, I think."

"Really...?"

"Can you verify it?"

"Y-Yes, I'll check it right away."

"Hmph."

Beside the flustered receptionist, the man snorted.

"Slain while protecting this boy, huh? Did you really do it, Estelle-san? Didn't you cheat or something?"

"That's impolite... I would have been killed by the goblins if I were alone."

"Hmm. So you had help?"

"Yes. Tōru defeated most of the goblins."

"Really?"

Estelle puffed out her chest as if it were her own achievement.

Her cheeks were flushed, and the corners of her mouth were relaxed.

(Why is Estelle so proud...)

Just as Tōru's tension eased, the man spoke.

"This dirty kid, huh?"

"...Take that back."

The man's words made Estelle's aura turn murderous.

It was a stronger presence than she had shown during the battle with the goblins. The man was intimidated by her aura.

"O-Okay, I'll take it back."

"...Is that all?"

"Ugh... Tōru-san, I'm very sorry."

"No, no. I am dirty, after all. I'm sorry."

Tōru's light tone made both Estelle and the man look puzzled.

Tōru's light tone wasn't to ease the tension. When called dirty, Tōru only thought, "Well, that's true."

"Hehe. Tōru, you have a big heart."

Estelle chuckled at Tōru's reaction.

"Good for you, Philippe. You've managed to keep your head."

"..."

"Here you are. The appraisal is complete. Please check."

While this was happening, the receptionist finished appraising the goblin ears. As a signal, the man called Philippe returned to behind the counter as if nothing had happened.

"In total, we confirmed forty-three goblin ears. This is the reward for the request you accepted, Estelle-san. Since the number of goblins slain was quite high, we will also count it as a completion of a standing request and add to your reward."

"Ah, that's a relief."

Estelle took the small jute bag containing the reward from the receptionist.

She took out a few large copper coins and put them in her own pouch.

She then thrust the remaining jute bag at Tōru.

"...What is this?"

"It's Tōru's share of the reward."

"But, I don't—"

"Tōru defeated most of the goblins. If you don't take it, I'll be in trouble."

Tōru hesitated, but he was currently penniless. He gratefully accepted it.

However, he would repay the debt soon.

Tōru took out a large copper coin from the jute bag and pressed it into Estelle's hand.

"This is the money from when I joined. This makes us even."

"Ah, no... You didn't have to worry about that."

"If you don't take it, I'll be in trouble."

"...Alright."

Estelle smiled wryly at Tōru's mimicry.

"Is there anything else?"

"I have one more request. I'd like to register this Tōru with the guild."

"Understood. Please fill out the necessary information on this form."

Tōru took the pen and glanced over the paper. The items included his name, place of origin, weapon, and occupation.

(Weapon is a sword. What should I write for occupation? Knight or magician? Or is it asking about my current job?)

After some thought, Tōru wrote "unemployed."

"Hmm. Tōru can write?"

"Ah, ...yeah. I can."

When Estelle pointed this out, Tōru realized he had written without thinking. He had written in the same way he would in Japan, but the characters were unfamiliar.

(This must be thanks to the <Language> skill. It's convenient, but it feels really strange.)

He could write the characters unconsciously, but if he thought about it too much, he might not be able to write them.

Once most of the items were filled out, the receptionist returned from behind the counter with a transparent orb.

"Thank you for waiting. Tōru-san, please place your hand on this crystal."

"What is this?"

"This is a tool to observe the soul."

"Observe the soul...?"

Tōru tilted his head, not understanding.

"This is mainly to check if there is a 'mark' on the soul, indicating past law violations."

"You might not be familiar with this in a village, but in large cities, those who commit serious crimes have a 'mark' placed on their soul."

Seeing Tōru's confusion, Estelle explained. She assumed he didn't know because he was from a village.

"I see."

"Also, it can measure your suitability as an adventurer, albeit in a simple way."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's an auxiliary tool, so it can't reveal your potential abilities, but it can be a reference for accepting requests."

"I see. Got it."

"Please go ahead."

Tōru swallowed and placed his hand on the crystal.

A small light appeared in the center of the crystal.

"Wow."

It was like a light fixture that turned on in response to a human hand.

Tōru's eyes sparkled at the magical reaction he had never seen before.

"Huh?"

"Huh..."

However, the receptionist and Estelle frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, ...Tōru's light is so small, I thought something was wrong."

"Maybe I have no talent?"

"No, the size of the light doesn't determine talent... right?"

Estelle asked the receptionist uncertainly.

"Y-Yes, that's right. Talent is determined by the intensity of the light, not its size. Tōru-san's light is bright enough, so there's no problem... but..."

The receptionist paused, then continued hesitantly.

"When did you arrive in Ealguard, Tōru-san?"

The moment the receptionist asked, Tōru felt time stop.

'When did you arrive in Ealguard?'

This question would only come up if the receptionist suspected Tōru was from another world.

"...Why?"

"If I'm mistaken, I apologize. The soul measurement device changes the size of the light based on the 'soul record.' Normally, for someone of the age to register with the guild, the light would be about the size of a fist. However, Tōru-san's light is so small because there are no records in your soul.

For someone of Tōru-san's age, the light would not be this small unless the soul appeared out of nowhere.

In other words, a light this small suggests that the soul is a 'wanderer' who has come to this world."

"Wanderer..."

"Wanderer?!"

Tōru and Estelle had opposite reactions.

Tōru translated "wanderer" to "from another world." However, Estelle's face hardened in surprise.

Tōru didn't want to openly admit he was from another world. If there were such people on Earth, they would be considered crazy.

But if he was directly asked if he was a wanderer—meaning from another world—things would be different.

"Yes."

Tōru nodded.

"Does that mean wanderers can't register with the guild?"

"No, that's not the case. There have been wanderers who registered with the guild in the past."

"Are there many wanderers?"

"Yes. While rare, they are discovered a few times a year."

(What, is it okay to send so many people from other worlds?)

Tōru was amazed at the actions of the self-proclaimed god.

Sending so many souls from another world could have a negative impact on Ealguard.

"I understand the size of the light. If I can register with the guild even as a wanderer, I would like to do so."

"Are you sure you want to register?"

The receptionist pressed the point.

(She seems cautious.)

Just as he wondered why, two men who looked like adventurers laughed from the bar.

"Hey, that tomato guy is a wanderer."

"A 'subhuman' becoming an adventurer? He'll just die quickly. Give it up, give it up."

"Ha ha ha ha ha!!"

They had been watching Tōru and the others from the bar, holding mugs. Their faces were quite red, indicating they were quite drunk.

Tōru tilted his head at their words.

"Subhuman?"