Chapter 21

Three days had passed, but Estelle still hadn't returned to Finris.

By this time, Tō had become unable to remain silent.

He headed to the guild and checked the E-rank quests on the bulletin board. Most of the posted quests were monster hunts, with the rest being gathering or investigation tasks.

None of the quests would take more than a few days to complete. At least, for Tō, they would all be finished in a day.

Estelle had said she was almost D-rank, but she was still an E-rank adventurer. It was highly likely that she had taken one of the E-rank quests.

However, she still hadn't returned.

If that was the case, it was highly probable that Estelle had encountered an accident during her quest.

Next, Tō went to the reception desk.

"Excuse me. Estelle hasn't returned in the past few days. Do you know where she went?"

"I'm sorry, Tō. Due to our confidentiality obligations, we cannot disclose which adventurer has taken which quest."

"...If she hasn't returned, the probability that something has gone wrong is very high. If Estelle is still alive, going to help her now might save her. However, if you withhold the information, it might cause a delay in helping her, and she could die. Do you understand that?"

"..."

Perhaps he had been a bit too threatening. The receptionist turned pale and froze, tears welling up in her eyes.

Tō, realizing he had unconsciously activated his <Intimidation>, shook his head strongly to dispel it.

(Why am I this anxious...)

Tō wasn't in a party with Estelle, and they weren't particularly close. They were just fellow adventurers who shared the same inn.

But without Estelle, Tō wouldn't have been able to reach Finris, and without her money, he wouldn't have been able to enter the city. She had also introduced him to the Adventurer's Guild, encouraged him to register, and told him about the inn and the magic shop.

Without her, Tō wouldn't have been able to achieve even half of the life he now had.

Therefore, Tō felt a strong sense of gratitude towards Estelle. If she was in trouble, he wanted to help her without hesitation.

Interpreting Tō's silence, the receptionist regained her composure and spoke.

"Tō, have you taken an E-rank quest? There are many monster hunts, the most famous being the Goblin. There's also the 'Silver Wolf' hunt. Not many monsters come out of the 'Forest,' but as you go deeper into the 'Interior,' more and more appear. However, if you go too deep, you might encounter monsters that are beyond the capabilities of E-rank adventurers, so please be careful."

The receptionist looked Tō in the eye and tapped the counter at certain points.

"Besides monster hunts, there are a few 'investigation tasks.' These are the main tasks for E-rank adventurers. Is there anything you don't understand about E-rank quests?"

"---! ...No, thank you for the explanation."

"Then, please be careful."

The receptionist gave Tō a strong look, and he nodded in gratitude.

The explanation of the E-rank quests that the receptionist gave included tapping the counter at certain points. When connected, it read: 'Silver Wolf, Forest, Interior, encounter monsters beyond E-rank capabilities, investigation task.'

A few days ago, when Tō entered Finris, the guard had mentioned that 'Silver Wolves were increasing.' When he recalled this, the pieces of the receptionist's explanation clicked together in his mind.

(Estelle must have gone deep into the forest to investigate the cause of the increase in Silver Wolves!)

The receptionist had hinted that Estelle might have encountered a monster beyond her capabilities, which was why she hadn't returned.

The receptionist had provided the necessary information to Tō without breaking her confidentiality obligations.

"Thank you very much..."

To repay this favor, Tō was determined to find Estelle no matter what. He ran into the forest with all his might.

○

"Wasn't that boy a lesser human?"

Just as Tō left the guild, a slimy voice came from behind Marī.

The voice made Marī shudder and her shoulders tremble.

"...Chief. I don't think it's appropriate to make such remarks about adventurers. We earn our living thanks to the adventurers who complete quests for us."

"Hmm. I respect excellent adventurers, but why should I respect lesser humans? If they fail a quest due to lack of ability, we suffer the consequences, don't we?"

"That's true, but your comments here are inappropriate. If you insist on retracting them, I will report you to the higher-ups."

"Feel free to do so."

Philip, the head of the reception desk, smiled and leaned in close to Marī.

"So, what did you whisper to him just now?"

Marī's spine tingled, not because he was leaning in, but because he knew she had broken the guild's rules by giving Tō information.

A breach of confidentiality would result in immediate disciplinary action, ranging from a pay cut to more severe penalties.

(Oh no...)

Thinking of the punishment she might face, Marī shuddered. However, a rational part of her mind recalled a memory.

(Come to think of it, it was Chief who recommended this quest to Estelle...)

A sudden suspicion creased her forehead. Sensing something, Philip shrugged.

"Never mind. Just make sure it doesn't happen again. Thoroughly manage the information."

"...Yes, thank you."

—She had been let off.

When Philip disappeared into the back, exhaustion washed over Marī's body.

—Or was she being played?

Recently, Marī had noticed something odd about Philip's actions, especially regarding Estelle's quest. Philip had been unusually involved.

—No, upon closer reflection, it wasn't just Estelle's quest. Philip had been involved in multiple adventurers' quests.

Philip, as the head of the reception desk, could recommend quests to adventurers without overstepping his authority. His usual job, however, was managing the finances behind the counter, handling the rewards for completed quests and the purchase of materials.

(Why, then...)

She had questions, but no evidence. Marī couldn't pursue Philip further.

If she did, she wouldn't be able to corner him, and she might face retaliation. She could be reassigned to a department unrelated to adventurers, losing her current position.

The receptionist's job was demanding and poorly paid, but Marī had a strong attachment to it. It was better to remain silent than to stir up trouble with vague suspicions.

The only thing a mere receptionist could do was keep quiet.

○

Tō ran into the forest's interior with all his might, not stopping to check anything. He activated <Strength Enhancement> and <Hearing Enhancement>.

With his [Magic Sword] in hand, he slashed through obstructive vines.

Three days had passed since Estelle left Finris. It was unclear how much preparation she had made before embarking on her mission, but a human's carrying capacity is not infinite.

If she was unable to move for some reason, she might be reaching her limits of thirst and hunger.

Tō didn't consider for a moment that Estelle might already be dead. Of course, there was a possibility, but thinking about it would slow him down.

After running for a while, Tō's enhanced hearing picked up a particularly intense sound.

"...Someone is fighting?"

The sound came from deeper in the forest. Listening closely, he heard the vibration of something heavy moving and what sounded like a woman's voice.

"Is it Estelle!?"

Tō immediately ran towards the source of the sound.