Chapter 13

The power of the rankings is amazing, isn't it?

I realized this from the readers' feedback.

Thank you to everyone who has been reading.

The numbers have skyrocketed to an unbelievable level.

It's a joyful cry.

I want to proceed at this pace without rushing.

A few days have passed since I met Alphonse and the others.

We don't meet every day, but Alphonse seems to show up at the guild almost daily and complete requests one after another.

To rank up, you need to complete a certain number of hunts or requests.

The number required differs between solo and party, but with Alphonse and the others, they should reach A-rank in no time.

The content of their achievements is also part of the evaluation, and they need approval from the guild branch manager to rank up.

Of course, if they don't want to, they won't be promoted automatically.

The country, however, would benefit from having more high-ranking individuals, as having excellent combatants is always advantageous.

By the way, I haven't seen Eugene's fellow townspeople recently.

Have they left this town?

The flow of supplies is stable, and the security is good. I think it's a great town to settle in.

Albus, the capital of the Kingdom of Albion, is one of the largest countries among the five great nations. It is top-class in both area and wealth.

Albus is the center of trade in the Kingdom of Albion.

My guild branch is located on the eastern outskirts of the city.

If you go further east and pass through a few towns, you'll enter the territory governed by the uncle.

As the name Earl of Essex suggests, beyond that is a borderland where no one lives, the boundary between humans and monsters.

It's the place most affected by monster attacks and became the last stronghold during the Dark Ages.

Of course, just because you leave the Earl of Essex's territory doesn't mean you immediately enter a place overrun by monsters.

There is no clear boundary, and the wilderness continues.

Before the "Fimbulvetr," there were villages inhabited by beastmen, but they are now desolate.

A large forest spreads from a gap in the wilderness, where only monsters exist.

It is called Terra Mortis (Land of Death) and gradually expands with each Dark Age.

I am in Albus, away from the Earl of Essex's territory, because if the monster advance begins, I can know immediately, and it will take time for the damage to reach here.

Even if I am called a coward, I do not intend to change my stance.

Life is precious, after all.

Today is a rare night shift. I will take over from the day shift in the evening and stay at the guild until morning.

I am filling in for a night shift staff member who caught a cold.

There are night shift staff at the guild, and unlike the day shift, only male staff are on duty.

The counter is basically closed.

We handle rush requests and changes in monster hunting information, but there are no contracts with users.

The night shift counter is mainly for administrative work, though there are always exceptions.

Even during the day shift, I do paperwork in my free time.

In my case, I usually get the documents from the item appraisal office that couldn't be processed.

It's a common story, but in this world, the literacy rate is not high. Mus, for example, could read simple words but couldn't write them until recently.

Thinking about it, I want to appreciate Mus's efforts and help him a little.

Mus said that things have become easier since Marie, the merchant's daughter, joined.

I flip through a seemingly troublesome stack of documents.

"Alphonse's party..."

The entire stack was related to Alphonse and the others.

From the content, it seems they have sold a considerable number of items in a short period, and the places they obtained them from are varied.

Normally, adventurers would keep necessary items in their inventory to improve their equipment.

They also don't usually convert everything to cash, as prices fluctuate daily, and it's better to sell when prices are high.

This means that Alphonse and the others don't need to upgrade their equipment and have plenty of funds.

If it were just a rich person's hobby, their pace of hunting would be too fast.

The presence of an elf in the party is also a mystery, and I haven't met the other members, but they are probably not ordinary.

I have no idea what their purpose is, but I don't want to get involved.

While confirming the distance to Alphonse and the others and preparing the report for the country, the bracelet on my wrist heated up.

This is a communication item I created with a spirit.

It looks like a fashionable accessory, and the stone used is not particularly rare.

However, it is sufficient for a spirit to use as a medium.

When there is nothing around to use as a medium and the spirit wants to alert me without being noticed, it warns me through the stone.

I stood up, pretending to go to the toilet, but the branch manager burst in before I could.

It's definitely going to be trouble.

The branch manager glares at me, who is halfway out of my chair.

She is a career woman through and through, both in appearance and substance.

Her sharp gaze pierces through the frames of her glasses. She's scary. Really scary.

I think a female branch manager is rare. It's a bit awkward for a male counter staff to say.

"Noah, where are you going?"

"E, Emma, Branch Manager. What's the matter?"

I laugh nervously, but she snickers.

She knows I sometimes sneak around and pretends not to notice.

Well, she probably doesn't pry too deeply as long as it doesn't harm the guild.

This person's intuition is so good it's annoying. I wonder if she has a skill.

"Never mind. I'm calling an emergency assembly."

"What?"

She glares at me, who is gaping, and says clearly.

"A wyvern is approaching. We want to shoot it down before it reaches the city. Wake up the A-rank parties staying in the city immediately!"

If a wyvern really lands in this city, there will be significant damage.

I couldn't immediately process the branch manager's words, but my mind unconsciously flipped through the list of high-ranking parties. It's a professional habit.

This is bad. There are only four A-rank or higher parties based in Albus right now. No S-rank parties.

One of the four just left for a distant village, and it's uncertain if they can be recalled in time.

Another party has increased injuries and is in long-term recovery, so they are scattered.

If they participate, they won't be much help as a party.

It's tough to face a wyvern with just two parties.

Usually, there would be more high-ranking parties, but the timing is bad.

The capital of the Kingdom of Albion is about to host a tournament.

It's a traditional event where top-ranked adventurers compete.

The winner gets a reward and the honor of speaking directly to the king.

It also proves the country's strength and becomes a national festival.

"Branch Manager, the only A-rank parties available now are 'Granshario' and 'Frygel'!"

"What?"

Even the branch manager's face changed. She must have remembered the tournament and clicked her tongue strongly.

High-ranking parties have nicknames. They are generally known by these.

The branch manager quickly gives instructions to other staff.

She sends them to the inns where the two parties are staying to explain the situation and order them to respond, then comes to me for confirmation.

This time, she looks at the actual list of residents while I explain.

I check not only the parties but also solo adventurers, but the numbers are low for the same reason.

Solo adventurers, unlike parties, have coordination issues. It's unclear how much they can contribute and whether they might be a hindrance.

I select a few mercenaries with military experience and recommend those who are suitable for coordination to the branch manager.

The branch manager doesn't ask any questions and gives another staff member the order to summon them.

The guild can forcibly summon registered members in such unforeseen circumstances according to the rules.

In this case, parties can be forcibly assigned to the hunt, but solo adventurers have a choice.

We can't let a wyvern enter the city. We have to use powerful magic to shoot it down and gradually weaken it on the ground.

If we only wound it and it enters the city in a rage, the consequences would be dire.

My head hurts.

If we call a few B-rank parties to surround it, we might manage, but there will be casualties.

Even knowing this, we, or rather the branch manager, must make a decision.

"Is it really heading for this city? Not just passing through?"

"It's certain. A foolish poacher stole a wyvern egg and brought it here."

The poachers entered the city under the cover of dusk but were caught by the excellent gatekeepers of Albus, leading to the discovery.

The wyvern is flying straight to the city, following the scent. What a disaster.

"A skill user monitoring the gate says it will arrive in less than two hours."

There seems to be less time left than I thought.

2015/01/10 Typo correction