Chapter 37

The location is the capital city's adventurer guild, in the guild master's office.

"Hey, why don't you take a seat on the sofa? I'll make some tea."

Luna and Yomi didn't sit down and instead waited behind the sofa.

The guild master seemed to be making the tea himself. The pleasant aroma that wafted through the air brought a slight sense of calm to my heart.

It was a nostalgic scent, like the green tea I had during a trip to Shizuoka long ago...

"Ah, it's green tea!"

"Hey, you know this tea? I just happened to get it. I got hooked on its indescribable fragrance. It's impressive that you can appreciate its quality at your young age."

The green tea I hadn't had in a long time was truly delicious. It felt like it was seeping into my entire body, and I wanted some rice crackers or manju as a snack.

...I'll make them next time. I'll definitely make them. I'll also ask Rebrant for this tea.

"Alright, I have a lot of questions, but let's start with introductions! My name is Barak. I'm the guild master of the capital city's adventurer guild."

"My name is Owl. I'm 10 years old and from a poor farming village called Oren in the Randolf territory."

Upon hearing my origin, the guild master seemed to be looking for Oren on a map of the world.

"Oh, here it is. It's a village near Mount Azalea."

"Yes, that's right."

"Next, are those two girls really your slaves?"

"Yes, they are."

Hm, the guild master said, placing his hand on his chin and starting to think. However, after a while of contemplation, the words that came out were unbelievable.

"Let me ask you straight out, are you willing to sell those two to the adventurer guild? Of course, I'll pay the price."

The atmosphere in the room became tense the moment the guild master said those words. I almost lost my temper, but I felt an even stronger aura of anger from behind me, which made me feel a bit happy.

However, guild master, you're hopeless.

"Huh?"

I silently activated my aura of pressure and magical pressure. The table and cups began to creak under the intense pressure, but the guild master's posture didn't waver, which was impressive. However, he definitely looked uncomfortable. Even though I wasn't using my full strength, it was impressive that he could withstand it. The guild master isn't just a figurehead, I guess.

"Ha, so that's your true nature. That was a joke. So, could you please release this pressure?"

"Huh? You were testing me...?"

"In short, yes. But I wasn't just testing you. You've got good companions."

When he glanced at Luna and Yomi, that's what it meant, right? Moreover, he called them companions instead of slaves. Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all.

"Luna and Yomi have been a great help. They've really done well."

"…Hehe, not really."

There were two people blushing in the back, but I ignored them gracefully.

"Let's get to the main topic. First, about the Horned Chimera, how did you know it was there?"

Well, that's to be expected.

"It's like a skill of mine. I can sense presences. I was curious because I felt a strong presence within the capital."

"Hmm... Next, how did you defeat it? Honestly, I have no idea how you managed to defeat it. In fact, I still can't believe you did it. After all, it's a monster with a recommended slaying rank of S. And you're just a 10-year-old kid without an adventurer's license. It's hard to believe."

Now that he mentions it, I can't help but think, "Yeah, that's true." It's not normal for a 10-year-old to be this strong... What a dilemma. In situations like this, I guess I have to rely on that.

"To put it simply, it's thanks to my blessing. And I guess I was lucky."

Relying on my blessing when in trouble. I also reactivated the aura of pressure and magical pressure, but this time even stronger.

Actually, to be honest, my body is probably a custom-made product by the creator god. The blessing is something I can't quite understand, but for now, I'll blame it on that. Besides, the blessing won't be exposed anyway.

"Alright, alright. I believe you, so release the pressure. ...Still, does such a blessing really exist? If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to know about your blessing."

"I can't do that."

"Ha, I figured as much. You must have a lot of secrets, but at this rate, you won't tell me. I'll give up this time. So, let's move on to the last question. What do you think about the recent series of events? What do you know? If you have any information, I'd like to hear it."

Oh, he's asking about that too. Despite being a high-ranking official, he's willing to listen to someone like me. If he's being this sincere, I'll tell him everything.

"First, about the stampede, I believe it was caused artificially by magic incense powder."

"Magic incense powder... I see. That makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Second, I think the stampede was a diversion."

"Diversion... If the stampede was a diversion, then the main objective was the Horned Chimera's attack on the royal castle, right?"

"…This is just a guess, but I think the Horned Chimera was also a diversion."

"What? The Horned Chimera was a diversion too?"

"Yes. If the Horned Chimera was the trump card, it's unclear what they wanted to achieve. It feels more natural to think they wanted to draw attention away from something by causing a commotion."

"But didn't the Viscount Filere say he wanted to become king?"

"I don't understand it well, but even if they killed the king, that person wouldn't become king, right?"

"Well, that's true..."

"That's all I know or think."

I know about what happened four years ago, but it might be dangerous to reveal all that information at once... I don't really understand how to handle this.

"Excuse me, can I ask one more thing?"

Luna raised her hand to ask for permission to speak.

"What is it?"

"Yes, during the stampede, we were fighting at the front lines against monsters when we encountered a man. He had dark skin, a casual way of speaking, monstrous physical abilities, and an unknown ability. And he had overwhelming magical power."

What, did Luna and Yomi fight such a guy?

"Are you okay?!"

I was so worried that I stumbled over my words, how embarrassing!

"Please calm down, Master. Here, I'll continue. He attacked us because we were stopping the stampede, but thanks to the ring you gave us, we were unharmed. I was surprised when he broke through three barriers in an instant..."

"Three barriers?! All at once?"

He must be a formidable monster. What kind of magic did he use?

"The most astonishing thing was that he broke the barriers just by hitting them."

"Without using magic, just by hitting them...?"

"That's right."

The barriers on the ring were set to automatically deploy up to five in the worst-case scenario, but it was a close call. I might need to reconsider this. Still, I didn't expect such a dangerous person to exist...

"Also, he said he summoned the Chimera."

"!? What, you're serious?"

"The truth of the matter is unknown, but he definitely said it."

The guild master also seemed to find it hard to believe. But if someone can summon such a powerful monster, they are a real threat.

"Thank you for the information. We'll investigate this person at the guild. If you remember anything else or find out anything, please let us know. And in a few days, a messenger from the royal castle will come. You'll probably be called as the main contributor to this incident. ...Also, about the Horned Chimera, would you sell it to me for 10 platinum coins?"

"The royal castle... I don't really want to go. ...Since I have no other business, I'll go home today."

"Alright, alright, 100 platinum coins. How about that?"

"It's not bad, but I still can't sell it. I guess it's not meant to be this time."

He seemed to give up, even though he clicked his tongue. I guess he can't offer more than 100 platinum coins.

"By the way, guild master, when will Luna and Yomi receive their reward for participating in the hunt?"

"Oh, just give your guild card to the receptionist downstairs, and you'll get it."

"Also, before the knights confiscated them, I stole some important documents from Viscount Filere's mansion. Luna, give them to the guild master."

"Here they are."

"...I'm curious where you got these documents, but I'll let it slide for now. Still, there are a lot of them."

"I was going to look through the documents, but I'm a bit tired from the recent events, so I'll leave the rest to you, guild master."

"Ha, you sure have some guts. You'd make a good noble."

"Hahaha, you're kidding! Well, then..."

To summarize the conversation:

A: "I did too much, so I'll let the guild handle the Viscount Filere case."

B: "I haven't seen someone do me a favor in a long time."

After the meeting, when I checked the stairs, the reception area was crowded with adventurers, so it seemed impossible to get in right away.

Maybe I'll go to Rebrant's place to kill some time. I want some tea too.

"Rebrant-san?"

"Oh, Owl-kun. You're finally free?"

"For now. But, a messenger from the royal castle might come to call me as the main contributor to this incident. Can you do something to avoid it?"

"Hahaha, Owl-kun, that's impressive. But it's impossible. You defeated the Horned Chimera and even caught the mastermind. You might as well prepare for it. I think you'll get a message from the royal castle in about a week."

"...Okay."

I guess it can't be helped.

"Usually, when a commoner is invited to the royal castle, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event to brag about to future generations... Why don't you write a letter to your parents to brag?"

That's true. I haven't written a letter since coming to the capital. Maybe I'll write about the current situation and future plans. Or maybe I'll go back because I want to see Shia.

Yeah, I'll go back when everything settles down. Spending the New Year at home would be nice!

...What about Luna and Yomi? Should I introduce them? No, but... Mirei will definitely be angry.

I'll ask Luna and Yomi what they want to do later. They might want to stay in the capital.

Owl, who doesn't understand women at all.

"Owl-kun, are you done with your business?"

"Ah, Rebrant-san. I'll unload some bacon while I'm here. Also, do you know about the tea the guild master served? It's called green tea."

"Ah, that's great! I was having trouble selling it. I'll prepare the money for the next time. Green tea? I haven't heard of it, but I'll look into it."

"Thanks. I'm tired today, so I'll go home. Let me know if anything happens."

---

Phew, today was exhausting. The adventurer guild should be less crowded now. I need to stop by before going home.

"Luna, Yomi, let's stop by the guild to get the money and then go home. Let's make a fancy dinner tonight and have a feast!"

"We'll eat a lot, Master!"

"Hehe, Master? I earned more, so please praise me more!"

They must be in high spirits because they both made a lot of money at once. At this rate, I don't need to worry.

To avoid a fight, I pet both of their heads and praise them. They look so happy... I didn't know they liked having their heads petted so much.

What! The gazes in the adventurer guild are intense!

"Luna, Yomi, let's go home!"

"Yes, Master!"

Phew, that's all done.

...Still, I need to think about what to do next. And I'm curious about the mysterious man Luna and Yomi mentioned.

Maybe I'll go deeper into the dungeon for leveling up? I might need to train myself again.

I definitely don't want to lose Luna and Yomi.

...Alright, I've decided! I'll aim for the lower levels! There's still time, so I'll do my best while I can!

The messenger from the royal castle probably won't come for a few days, so I need to use my time wisely.

Ah, I need to introduce Quinn too. She's been in the subspace for a long time.

"Luna, Yomi, we're going into the dungeon again tomorrow!"

"Eh? ...The dungeon?"

"By the way, what do you plan to do there?"

"It's obvious, right? Training! We'll aim for the 40th floor next!"

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