Chapter 27

"Regarding Ms. Esther's mission this time, I will judge it as a success. Would it be alright to purchase the magic stone of the Queen Rockworm?"

"Yes. I also have other Rockworm magic stones, so I would like you to purchase those as well."

"Then—"

Just as Mary was about to speak and write, the door to the private room suddenly opened without a knock.

Tō had noticed it a little while ago with his "Perception," but Esther and Mary seemed caught off guard, and they stiffened, their shoulders trembling.

"…Is it Mr. Philip? Is there a problem?"

"Yes. I heard that Ms. Esther has returned, so I came to check the situation."

"I will report on that matter later."

"No, no. Please let me confirm it now. After all, I was the one who assigned the mission to Ms. Esther."

Philip, who had a sticky way of speaking, had been involved in Esther's missions before.

He looked down at Esther as if to say, "You probably just ran back from the forest," with a condescending expression.

At that moment, Philip noticed Tō and said, "Oh?"

"Who is that boy?"

"He is Mr. Thor, an adventurer who played an important role in this mission."

"Hmm, is Mr. Thor an outsider?"

By "outsider," Philip meant someone not involved in the party or the mission.

But his tone was quite sharp.

"That's true…"

"Then, could you please step out? Ah, by the way, Mary. Having him sit in on this meeting could be a breach of confidentiality. I will report this to the higher-ups."

"…Yes."

Mary bit her lip. She wanted to object, but she couldn't refute his words.

Tō felt a bit annoyed by Philip's words and actions.

After all, Tō was also involved. It was quite sudden for this person to appear and tell him to leave. Even if what he said was correct, Tō didn't feel like complying.

"I'm very sorry, but Esther and I formed a party today."

"—!"

Tō's response was almost a retort.

Esther, who was standing next to him, let out a soundless gasp and floated up an inch.

Her ponytail at the back of her head was swinging back and forth, like a dog's tail.

(I've been wondering… What's up with this hair?)

Tō tilted his head at Esther's mysterious hair.

"If he is a party member, he is not an outsider, I believe. What do you think?"

"Ms. Esther, is what Mr. Thor said true?"

"Y-Yes, that's right! Thor and I formed a party. So he is not an outsider!"

"Hmm. Then I will let it slide."

Philip shook his head as if to say, "What can you do?"

"Mary, please proceed with the report."

"Y-Yes. Ms. Esther's mission was a success. I haven't organized it yet, but here is the report."

"Success? …Let me see it."

Philip took the report from Mary and quickly scanned through it.

When his eyes reached the end of the report, a slight change appeared in his usually smirking face. The change was quickly covered by his smirk.

But Tō didn't miss it.

"…I have understood the content. Congratulations on the successful mission, Ms. Esther. Mary, please take Ms. Esther to the magic stone appraisal."

"R-Right. Ms. Esther, please come to the counter."

"Got it. Thor, come with me."

When Esther said this, Tō was about to stand up, but Philip called out to stop them.

"Wait a moment. I would like to have a word with him."

It was unclear what Philip was thinking from his expression. But for Tō, it was convenient.

"Esther, go ahead."

"But—"

"It's okay."

Esther looked worried, probably thinking that Philip might do something to Tō.

After Tō reassured her with a wave of his hand, she left the room, looking back several times.

Tō was left in the private room, facing Philip.

As before, it was impossible to tell what he was thinking from his expression. He was skilled at hiding his inner thoughts, which was to be expected from someone in charge of the guild's counter duties.

"This room is soundproof. You can speak freely without any worry of it leaking out."

"Ah…"

"Then, let me ask you first."

At that moment, Philip's eyes changed color.

His true nature, which had been hidden until now, became slightly visible.

"Who are you?"

His voice was like a blade against the throat. It wasn't threatening or intimidating; it was sharp, revealing his true nature.

"You are what they call a wanderer."

"The wanderers I know could never defeat a Rockworm."

"So, I must be a wanderer who can defeat a Rockworm."

"…How could someone who 'never levels up from level 1' defeat a level 30 Queen Rockworm?"

Tō understood.

Esther had emphasized that she "absolutely" couldn't defeat the Queen for this reason.

(Oh, I see. Wanderers have a level cap of 1. But my levels have been increasing normally… Ah, that's right! <Limit Break>!)

Tō realized the possibility.

When he assigned points to skills, he didn't think much about it and chose <Limit Break> because it sounded strong. It turned out to be a skill that broke his level cap.

(If I hadn't assigned points to this, my level would never have increased, my stats would have stayed low, and I wouldn't have earned skill points… That would have been dangerous!)

Cold sweat ran down Tō's back as he considered the possibility.

Previous wanderers who visited Ealguard didn't lack a skill board; they either forgot to assign points to <Limit Break> or didn't have enough points to assign to it. One of these was likely the case.

Unconsciously, Tō had avoided a "game over" situation.

If he had been in a "game over" situation, this would be reality, not a game where you can reset.

Being unable to level up would have been a severe handicap for Tō's survival, possibly ending his life.

"I will ask you again. Who are you?"

"My answer remains the same. I am just a wanderer."

Tō's response was unwavering, even in the face of Philip's sharp aura.

For a moment, they locked eyes.

Philip's sigh broke the silence.

"That's all. You may go now."

"Before I go, I have one question."

Just as Philip was about to end the conversation, Tō straightened his posture slightly.

He focused on the skill he had assigned points to before coming here.

"Why did you try to kill Esther?"

>> <Judgment +2> activated

Tō's sharp words made Philip's breathing pause slightly.