Chapter 16

I savored the skewers, quickly finishing them off, and expressed my gratitude with a 90-degree bow.

"I will never forget this kindness! I will continue to use your services! Definitely!"

This wasn't an exaggeration; I was truly grateful, and I had the confidence that I wouldn't forget this even 50 years later.

The old lady laughed, saying, "That's such an exaggeration!" However, a few senior hunters who seemed to be drinking rather than having breakfast also joined in, saying, "The meat here is really delicious!" and "Don't get eaten by the old lady!" This prevented the morning from turning into an awkward atmosphere.

May seemed to have explained the situation to Potta, who was also smiling, so I felt relieved.

But... that's right.

I didn't come here to eat meat.

I had completely forgotten that I was invited by the Guild Master, not the branch manager.

When I asked May what to do,

"Just bring Loki here, that's all I was told, so I don't know!"

With such an unreliable response, I decided to ask the lady at the reception desk, who looked to be in her early 40s and couldn't be called a young lady.

"Excuse me, I'm Loki. I was informed by May that I've been called by the Guild Master. What should I do?"

"You're the one who saved Jink and the others, right? Despite being so young, you use such polite language... I'll inform the Master that you're here, so please wait a moment."

With that, the lady quickly ascended the stairs.

(I'll just sit and wait...)

I sat down at the table where Potta had been, and asked May why I was called.

"Jink explained the situation last night! When he mentioned the sword-wielding goblin, there was quite a commotion, so it's probably about that."

Potta nodded, so it seemed that was the case.

But...

What could I say when asked about it, having only been in this world for a few days?

I guess I'll just have to see how it goes.

This is my first meeting with a bigwig in this world.

I wonder why I, who haven't even registered as a hunter, was called? But if I attract too much attention, it could cause problems in the future.

I'll just have to be careful and not slip up.

After a while, the lady from before called me and led me to a room at the back of the second floor.

"Master, I'm coming in."

"Ah, go ahead."

The room I was led to was far from luxurious, designed for work comfort.

It looked similar to the desks of the clerks behind the counter on the first floor, but with three times as many drawers, or rather, it seemed like three desks were connected in a U-shape.

A thick book was visible, but there was no bookshelf. Instead, there were stacks of thin wooden boards on both sides of the desks.

There were ink and what looked like quill pens, so these boards must be used in place of paper, like the request boards.

The wooden boards were also piled up on the floor, clearly indicating a lack of storage space.

There were no recreational items like alcohol, and no potted plants like in modern offices. The only thing that stood out was a three-person sofa placed at the front of the room.

Only two chairs were placed on either side of the table, suggesting a rather stoic approach to work.

I had expected a tense, uncomfortable space like a CEO's office, but this felt more like a regular workplace, making it easier to have a conversation.

Then... the Guild Master standing next to the table was quite different from what I had imagined.

I had expected a muscular, intimidating bodybuilder, but instead, a slightly slender middle-aged man stood by the desk.

He looked to be around 60 years old. The way people age here is different from the modern world, but his originally blonde hair was now mostly white. If his hair were black, he would look like my father.

Compared to the people in town, the hunters, and the clerks, his features were more defined and chiseled, making him much more handsome than my father.

(The people in this town have a brownish complexion, so visually, they resemble people from the Middle East. However, their hair and eye colors are too diverse.)

As I was thinking this, the man in front of me spoke.

"I apologize for calling you here. I am Yagov, the Guild Master of the Hunter's Guild in Bezart."

He extended his left hand, and I realized this custom exists in this world.

I followed suit, thinking it was the norm.

"It's no trouble at all. I'm Loki."

We shook hands, and he gestured for me to sit on the sofa. When we sat down, I noticed that the lady who had guided me had already prepared drinks.

Hmm, it smells like tea?

I prefer coffee and green tea, so I don't know much about tea, but after only eating meat, I was grateful for anything to drink.

I took the cup and sipped, and Yagov spoke.

"Just to confirm, can you understand my words? I assume there's no problem since you could talk to Jink and the others."

"Yes, that's not an issue."

"That's good. By the way, it seems you're not from this country."

I naturally turned to face him, and in that instant, I felt something was wrong.

He had a smile on his face, and there was no high-pressure atmosphere typical of a Guild Master.

On the contrary, he was quite polite in his interactions with me, a 13-year-old.

But his eyes... I had a bad feeling, intuitively.

His eyes reminded me of the executive vice president at my former company.

To the young employees, he was like a grandfather figure, often dropping by the branch office with a gift, drinking tea, and having light conversations with the staff before leaving.

"Hey, are you working hard?" he would say casually, and everyone would wonder, "What did the executive vice president come for?"

He always had a smile, never showing the dignity of a senior executive. In fact, everyone was more tense when a department head from headquarters visited.

However, his eyes never smiled. There was a depth to them, as if he was hiding his true feelings behind a facade.

You only felt scared when you made eye contact with him.

I felt the same way looking at Yagov now.

(If he's always like this, that's one thing, but... what? Am I being suspected of something?)

If I show my suspicion, it might be noticed, so I continued the conversation naturally.

"Indeed, I'm not from this country...?"

The "Language Comprehension" skill allows anyone who understands their native language to communicate without the skill.

This was confirmed with Potta.

If I can communicate as if I were from this country...

Then why did he know I wasn't from here?

Was it my skin color or appearance?

"You look puzzled... It's simple. I observed your mouth movements. The words I heard didn't match the language of this country."

"I see, so that's how you tell."

"Moreover, the mouth movements didn't match any language I know. I thought I understood most, but it seems I still have a lot to learn."

"..."

"I just tried to be careful not to use too complicated words, so don't be too tense. There are two reasons I called you here. The first is this."

He took a leather bag from the desk drawer, and I heard a metallic jingle when he placed it.

Could this be...

"This is from the town mayor. It's a small token of gratitude for saving the three people."

I see!!!

Unexpected extra income is always welcome... This might allow me to quickly change my clothes and shoes to match the locals.

"I'm glad you're pleased. This time, the three were members of the Hunter's Guild. Normally, the Guild would provide the emergency mission reward, but since the rescuers weren't Guild members, there was a dispute with the mayor about whether to pay as a resident rescue or a Guild member rescue. I managed to secure this for you. You're lucky you're not a Guild member yet."

"I see... So you've heard about that from Jink and the others?"

"Yes, mostly. I heard that you're planning to become a hunter. Is that correct?"

"No, that's right. To be honest, I don't see myself doing anything else... I think hunting monsters is the best job for me."

"I see, I see. Then you might as well register after this. Thanks to you, the Guild avoided a burden. I'll tell them to waive the registration and training fees."

"Thank you. ...Wait, training?"

"The Guild provides a half-day training session after registration, covering the basics of the Guild, including requests, rewards, and rules. You'll need to complete this training before you can take on missions."

"I understand. Is this training held every day?"

"No, it's done whenever a new member registers. This is a small town, not a capital or a large city, so new registrations are rare. If you tell me by mid-afternoon today, we can arrange the training. It will be a personal session, so feel free to ask any questions. Since you're new to this world, it will be beneficial."

"...That's a great help."

"It's a good thing for us to have more members. I look forward to working with you."

"Yes... But I'm not sure how long I'll stay in this town. Please understand that."

"You might move to a different base... I understand. Freedom is the greatest advantage of being a hunter. Fortunately, the Hunter's Guild is an independent organization that spans countries, so your registration here will be valid elsewhere. You can rest assured."

(He doesn't seem like a bad person, but... he seems to have already concluded that I'm from another world. Or is he waiting for me to be led by my words?)

As I was thinking this, Yagov continued with the second reason.

As expected, he brought up the sword-wielding goblin.

"Jink and the others were chased by a sword-wielding goblin, which you defeated. Jink now has the sword. Is this correct?"

"Yes, that's correct. To be more precise, I was chased by one sword-wielding goblin and two unarmed goblins, and I defeated the sword-wielding one and one of the unarmed ones, totaling two."

"I see... About ten days ago, two hunters from this town went missing."

"Really?"

"These two usually gathered herbs and hunted in the Palmera Great Forest. One of them had confirmed that he had bought a second-hand sword before leaving."

"..."

"Have you seen these two in the forest?"

"I can't confirm if it was them, but... I did see what looked like a human arm."

"Hmm. So the emergency search request we issued... The chances of them being alive are slim. Do you know how far into the forest you were?"

"Not exactly, but I think it was about three or four days in."

"I see. If there are any remains, it would be impossible to recover them."

"Yes. I only saw the arm, but I witnessed it being eaten by the goblins, so..."

If I had known this would come up, I would have at least buried the remains. I prioritized leaving the area to survive, but...

For the families, even a part of the body would be important to recover.

I was thinking this when...

"By the way, why were you so deep in the forest for four days?"

"..."

"If you were a hunter, I could understand. No one usually goes that deep, but it's part of the job. But you're not a hunter yet, right?"

—This is bad.

I can't think of a good excuse.

Should I claim I was training?

No, if he's heard from Jink and the others, he would know I didn't have camping gear.

I've been in this suit since yesterday. It's impractical to train in the forest in such uncomfortable clothing.

I guess I'll have to be honest.

"I was in the forest for a specific reason. It's a personal matter, so I'd prefer not to disclose it. However, I can assure you that I did not kill those two. I had no motive or benefit."

"I understand. It's a rare possibility, but some people jump to conclusions when others die."

"Especially the families, right. By the way, could you give the sword to the families? It was their last possession."

"Yes, that's not a problem. The two were a married couple with no children. There are no family members, so you can keep it as a legitimate trophy."

"Is that so..."

(...Huh? What was the talk about recovering the bodies for? Did I fall for his emotional manipulation? But it does seem like they would want to recover the bodies if possible... Ugh, this is why I don't like his eyes!)

"Alright, that's all. If you want to take the training this afternoon, let me know early. You still have time for lunch. You seem quite hungry."

With that, the Guild Master smiled,