Our decision was to move because staying in that place was no longer necessary, and there was a chance we might get involved in some trouble if we did.
Our destination naturally became the Adventurer’s Guild, where Amiricia belonged.
Amiricia, who knew the location of our destination, took the lead, and we followed behind her.
“…”
As we walked, I kept an eye on our surroundings, but I felt two people tailing us, observing from a distance.
Suddenly, as I turned a corner, pretending not to notice them, I glanced in the direction of the gaze I felt. I caught sight of a silhouette resembling a large bat and another resembling a cat.
These two figures, upon observation, showed no signs of immediate movement. They, too, had noticed our gaze. Naturally, Amiricia, who was leading, had as well. Her ears twitched occasionally. I supposed beastkin were sensitive to presences. Mait and Gray suggested that it was probably surveillance by familiars. The fact that they were watching us proved that they hadn’t thought anything of my previous actions, and it became clear that they had no intention of leaving me alone. Considering that they were likely in the preparation stages, there wouldn’t be much time left before they made a move. Perhaps sensing the same urgency, the fox girl, now Amiricia, quickened her pace.
The self-proclaimed eighteen-year-old with an apparent age of fifteen and an unknown true age led us down the main street, guiding us to the Adventurer’s Guild.
“It’s quieter than I expected.”
Given its magnificent exterior, I had expected the interior to be equally impressive, but my voice was flat when I entered. Honestly, I wanted to say it was more dilapidated than I had imagined, but that would have been too blunt, so I softened it with such a remark.
“It can’t be helped. Even if the number of active adventurers decreases, the number of requests doesn’t. So, we have to manage with the available adventurers. Delaying jobs means losing trust.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“It is! That’s why we’re counting on you!”
“In terms of strength, I can’t provide continuous support.”
The Adventurer’s Guild building was so sparsely populated that the word “desolate” seemed fitting. Within my line of sight, I could only see two individuals who looked like adventurers: a wolf-person and a bird-person with feathered arms. The other tables were completely empty of people. Both of them appeared exhausted; the wolf-person was slumped over a desk, and the bird-person was leaning against the back of a chair, asleep. The scene reminded me of the environment at my previous company, where lunchtime was also naptime.
“I’ll be back after changing, so please wait. Oh, and if you wanted to peek, try not to get caught?”
“Come back after you’ve grown a bit more.”
Despite such an atmosphere, Amiricia’s attitude remained cheerful, trying to liven up the place. I responded in kind with a lighthearted remark. While it was a lighthearted comment, it included a good deal of my true feelings, making it difficult to dismiss as just a joke, but it was acceptable in this context.
“Mmm, you’re so cold.”
“If you have time to flirt with a man about to get married, you should be working. Hurry up and go; I’ll be waiting.”
I’m not so desperate for women that I’d be swayed by a girl who looks like a middle schooler, though I’m not exactly a lolicon either. With a gesture like shooing away a pest, she pouted, her expression matching her apparent age, and glared at me for a few seconds before turning away in annoyance and disappearing into the back of the building.
What’s going on? Her actions earlier didn’t seem strange given her appearance, yet I can’t shake off a sense of unease. Is it because she’s not the age she appears to be? Suella and Memoria also look quite young for their age. I have a feeling that Amiricia is also not as old as she looks. I’ve heard that fox spirits, once they become Yōko, can live more than ten times longer than humans. Perhaps these fox people here have a similar lifespan.
“No point in dwelling on that now.”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
These are matters that shouldn’t be questioned at this point. After all, the two women I intend to marry are from long-lived species, and they are quite popular in certain circles. They are far older than me, yet they look younger. Furthermore, while Memoria looks younger than Suella, unlike Amiricia, even though Memoria looks like a high school student, there’s an aura about her that speaks of greater maturity than her appearance suggests. Therefore, I wouldn’t treat her the same way I treat Amiricia.
Now, where was I?
“Mait and Gray, what do you think about this current situation?”
“Frankly, we lack sufficient information. All I can say is that the military entrusted with this dungeon is not managing it well, and the Adventurer’s Guild is on the brink of crisis.”
“And Gray?”
“The situation doesn’t look good.”
“Do you have any leads?”
“It’s just a rumor I heard from Rou before we headed to this dungeon. I heard that the person in charge here is aiming for a position among the Seven Generals.”
“Meaning?”
I had asked hoping for some clue. Mait offered an observation based on the current situation, but Gray, a merchant, paused for a moment before offering his prediction, prefacing it with “perhaps.”
“If we consider the pressure to secure personnel, which can be seen as interference with the Adventurer’s Guild, and the changes in territory within the dungeon, then these actions could be seen as a way to accumulate merit to obtain that position.”
“So, we’ve inadvertently stumbled into a power struggle?”
“It seems they are in the midst of preparation. Toris Trading Company has also received several requests for support of that nature. As we are a purveyor to the Demon Lord, we declined, but other trading companies wouldn’t necessarily refuse such offers.”
Currently, there is one vacancy among the Seven Generals who manage the dungeons. With the defeat of the Insect King, a position has opened up. I cannot fathom the exact status of that position, but I imagine it is quite high indeed.
“I recall the person in charge here being among those who brought us that proposition.”
This would also explain why Gray was driven away. They likely suspected us of being agents of a rival. That’s why they treated us so openly and prevented us from entering the dungeon. Dungeon supplies can be utilized in numerous ways. Furthermore, managing a dungeon provides the advantage of practically learning the know-how for its construction and operation. The former can serve as a source of funding useful for a General’s position later, while the latter provides the experience and achievements necessary to attain such a role. The recruitment of adventurers appears to be for a re-survey of the dungeon’s current condition and a more thorough investigation.
“So… the reason they thought I was a slave was because they believed me to be a pawn of a rival?”
Based on the current situation and mere rumors, my deduction is likely not far off. However, this has become quite troublesome. While it has no direct bearing on my objective, being obstructed like this is undeniably inconvenient. Fortunately, thanks to Amiricia, we’ve avoided the worst-case scenario of being unable to enter the dungeon. However, the negative aspect of visible interference cannot be ignored.
“Ugh… I messed up. I made a bad move, not the worst, but still a bad one.”
“It can’t be helped, Jiro-. They mistook us for rivals’ operatives. Although our response was a poor move, we can still recover.”
“You’re right. I’ll think of it that way. However, the fastest way to recover would be to bring in the supervisor. But someone like that wouldn’t get involved in such petty squabbles, and our instructors would likely tell us to handle this ourselves.”
As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, I realized that my impulsive action, driven by my emotions upon grasping the situation, had been a poor move. I don’t regret the action itself, but even without regret, I must reflect on it. Reflection serves as an opportunity for recovery. For that purpose, I need to figure out how to recover from this point onward.
“To challenge the dungeon peacefully after recovering, reconciliation is necessary… Fortunately, the damage is minimal, and it can be attributed to a misunderstanding on both sides. However, this assumes that the opponent’s issue is based on our speculation, and we are relying on uncertain information. Can we even initiate a discussion under these circumstances? If our speculation is correct, it might be possible, but if it’s mistaken, reconciliation will be impossible.”
“Let’s organize our thoughts first. Our goal is to prepare the materials for marriage. To achieve that, we need to enter the dungeon, but there are other means to do so. It might take time, but there’s no need to fixate on this specific location.”
“Regardless of the reason for their actions, which is speculative, it’s clear they intend to obstruct our progress. It might be a good judgment to move to another base rather than working under such interference.”
The effort required to repair the situation versus the effort to prepare alternative means and then commence work. It’s a difficult decision which is faster. Emotionally, I don’t want to back down while being looked down upon, but going to extra trouble over it would be counterproductive. If it comes to that, moving our base is a viable option. However, if we can resolve the issue smoothly, it would undoubtedly save time compared to making new preparations. Now, what shall we do?
“I’ll provide you with the information to determine that for yourself.”
Just as I was pondering, Amiricia appeared, as if timing her arrival. “Hello,” I greeted her, and we exchanged greetings.
“…You really were the receptionist.”
“You’re reacting to that?! And you didn’t believe me?”
“No, I thought you were an apprentice.”
“That’s rather insulting!”
Seeing Amiricia dressed in a white shirt, a navy vest, and a matching skirt, with her long hair tied back with a headband, my true feelings slipped out. She looked the part perfectly. So, when I honestly apologized, she let out a sigh and seemed somewhat appeased.
“Well, it’s fine. I only overheard part of your conversation, but your speculation is generally correct. The person in charge here is indeed aiming for a position among the Seven Generals.”
“Generally?”
“Yes, generally. I wouldn’t want you to move your base elsewhere just because you lack absolute certainty. To secure our military strength, I will supplement the parts of your speculation that are slightly lacking.”
Upon her return, she immediately confirmed our predictions.
“Consider reconciliation impossible. Also, other rivals are dungeon administrators, so you’ll face the same situation if you move your base elsewhere.”
She didn’t forget to give us a stern warning, which made me think she might still be holding a grudge about our initial exchange. I gave a wry smile.
Today’s word: Influence can spread in unexpected ways.
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