Chapter 9

The protagonist is setting up too many flags, which is quite a problem.

I want to break them all and move forward smoothly.

The next afternoon.

It's sunny today, and the weather is really nice.

I was having a slightly late lunch in the guild dormitory cafeteria.

"Senior!"

I was enjoying the slow afternoon, sipping my tea.

"Noah-senpai!"

Damn.

My peaceful lunch break...

The intruder who burst into the cafeteria was a bird兽人 named Muss. Whether they are birds or reptiles, they are classified as兽人 here. Some兽人 have only ears or tails, while others have faces that are entirely animal-like, making them diverse.

Muss's hands are feather-like but have fingers that move skillfully, which is quite interesting. She has a cute human face, and even though she is no longer a girl, she still seems childish.

When I was looking for talent to train a junior at the item appraisal office, Muss seemed to have the most potential. She is a bit clumsy, which is a flaw, but since she actually manifested the "Appraiser" skill, I can say my judgment was correct.

The fact that she came to call me means that either a large number of items have been brought in or there is something Muss can't appraise.

To conclude, it was both.

The noisy Muss pulled me to the guild's back entrance for item drop-offs.

Upon arrival, a large number of monster parts and items, as well as a worm's corpse, were being unloaded from a carriage.

"Mr. Alphonse."

"Ah, the receptionist. Hello."

He greeted me with a cheerful smile. I returned the greeting, but I was worried that my smile might look forced.

They left by carriage yesterday afternoon and arrived at the village at night. I didn't think they would go to the goblin nest at night, so they must have started the extermination work in the morning and left the village by mid-afternoon without a break. They probably took a break by the lake and hunted the worm while they were at it.

If that wasn't the case, Mr. Alphonse wouldn't be here now.

Were there not many goblins?

I thought so, but looking at the monster parts in front of me, it was clear that they had taken down a significant number.

The worm is not a monster that can be hunted as a side task.

I thought about all this in an instant, but since I couldn't figure it out, I asked Mr. Alphonse, and it turned out that my guess was correct.

No way, right?

It seems Mr. Alphonse's party is stronger than I thought.

The party members' ranks are registered on the guild card, and they were all B-rank. They are definitely not at that level.

I reported the worm to the branch manager, but I fudged the reason, saying I heard about it from a traveler.

Since the worm has been living there for a few days, it's not strange to hear rumors from people who have left the village.

The worm is a monster that quietly hides deep in the water, so it's not an urgent matter.

I was thinking leisurely, but I missed the report.

Since there are no issues, I'll just leave it for now.

"Um, are you the receptionist?"

"Whoa, yes. My name is Noah."

A hooded person suddenly appeared behind Mr. Alphonse and called out to me. They seemed curious about why I was here, so I explained briefly.

"Usually, I'm at the reception, but since I have a skill, I sometimes get called out like this."

"Is that so? I'm sorry, my name is Sophia Wiss."

Sophia removed her hood and introduced herself. She had beautiful blonde hair and a face like a bisque doll. Her ears were long, indicating she was an elf.

"You're a woman. I thought you were a slim man."

"Yes. Aren't you surprised?"

"You're an elf, right? Yes, it is rare. Ah, I'm sorry for being rude. That's why you were wearing a hood, right?"

Oops. I should have been more surprised. I forgot because I have an elf acquaintance and am used to it, but elves are quite rare here.

Reacting dramatically now would seem forced, so I honestly told her that I have a half-elf acquaintance.

Sophia, who put her hood back on, nodded lightly.

I hope she understands. Yeah.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I'll appraise them now. Please wait a moment."

I forced a smile and ran over to Muss, who was counting the goblin parts.