Older Sister and I left the Kingfisher Inn, leaving Mudo-chan to watch the house, and headed for the Adventurer Guild Headquarters. As we’d discussed beforehand, this was also a date, so sightseeing along the way was permitted. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, we weren’t bothered by other adventurers or attacked by assassins from some unknown organization. We were able to enjoy our date peacefully, holding hands.
“We arrived at the Guild Headquarters without any trouble at all,” I muttered.
“We did. Don’t worry, Kelvin-kun. I did feel some strange glances, but they were looks of hostility for reasons unrelated to what you were seeking, Kelvin-kun,” Older Sister said.
“Yeah, I guess so. Hostile glances, but not because it was me, but because it was *you* next to me… Wait, what am I even saying, Older Sister? I was purely enjoying my date with you?”
“If you weren’t so flustered that your speech pattern changed, I might have believed you. Well, let’s just say Older Sister Ange isn’t completely past it, and leave it at that.”
“Thank you, Older Sister Ange. I’m so lucky to be by your side.”
“Oh, are you copying Mudo-chan?”
“Correct.”
Pretending to be as expressionless as Mudo seemed to add some gravitas to my act. Now, with the joking aside, let’s head inside. We’ve arrived at the Adventurer Guild in the Labyrinth Country’s pub. It’s quite a magnificent building. Shall we take a look inside?
“Kelvin-kun, are you getting a bit too excited?”
“Ah, maybe seeing such a big building just got me pumped up. It’s like I’m going back to my roots… Sorry, I don’t really know myself.”
As expected from a Guild Headquarters, this building is supposedly the second largest in the country, surpassed only by the Royal Castle. Upon entering, we were greeted by a massive entrance hall. The exterior, and perhaps to blend in with the town’s atmosphere, was primarily stone, exuding a mysterious aura, as if we were inside a labyrinth. Beyond that was a long, sprawling reception counter, where numerous receptionists were busy assisting a vast number of adventurers.
“Even though it’s this large, the system here seems similar to Pars and other Guilds. Oh, but there’s no pub?”
“Yeah, there’s no pub attached to the Headquarters. The Headquarters boasts the largest number of affiliated adventurers in the world, so it prioritizes high turnover to efficiently handle users. Besides, there are tons of pubs in the town, right?”
“Ah, so if there was a pub inside, people would just hang around the Guild all day. That makes sense.”
“Most Guilds are busy, but the Headquarters is apparently incredibly overworked compared to others. It’s like the chaos during Kelvin-kun’s Ascension Ceremony happens every day. I’m really glad I’m not part of the Headquarters staff~.”
Isn’t that extremely exploitative? I recall Ange and Riod looking quite exhausted during that time.
“Hey, look at that…”
“It’s the ‘Grim Reaper’ and ‘Headhunter Cat’…”
“The rumored S-Ranks…”
“They wiped out Paul’s party a while ago…”
“They say they tore him to shreds and ate him…”
While I was worrying about the Guild Headquarters’ working conditions, the adventurers around us began to notice our presence, their gazes gradually gathering. They seemed to be whispering amongst themselves, but our keen ears caught every word. Rumors spread quickly, and it seems many already knew about the Paul incident. However, rapid rumors often lack credibility. It was concerning that the rumors were filled with misinformation. “Tore him to shreds and ate him” – I’m not that much of a monster.
“‘Chills Poet’…”
“‘Womanizer’…”
“‘Enemy of all men’…”
This is bad. Even if they are just rumors, there’s a limit to how false they can be. Who is spreading such lies and fabricated information!
“Hmph, is that what they call an S-Rank? They look like any other adventurer to me.”
“Needs more meat! When you say S-Rank, you mean Gordiana! That kind of power is what’s missing, the overwhelming presence!”
Some adventurers were deliberately speaking loud enough for us to hear. Their lively energy made me smile, but given the recent commotion with Paul, I decided to let it simmer a bit longer. There’s certainly something to see here, so I’d like to savor it as it ferments.
“Kelvin-kun, should I shut them up? Maybe knock off a head or two as a jab?”
“Older Sister, that’s not a jab. It’s too heavy to be a jab. People would actually die.”
“Ehehe, that’s right, that’s right.”
Don’t just go “Ehehe.” Someone with experience is speaking. I’m not sure if she’s joking or half serious, which is what’s scary.
“So, even with this situation, what do we do? The reception line looks really long. Honestly, I don’t really want to wait in line under all this attention… I don’t know if I can hold it together until our turn.”
“Is that what you’re worried about? But don’t worry! Just in case, Older Sister Ange already made arrangements. Look, a staff member is coming over.”
“Oh, really.”
I followed Older Sister’s gaze, and a flustered Guild staff member was hurrying towards us. She seemed quite rushed, reminding me of Kachua-san from Lumiest. She even tripped, so I hope she continues to practice that.
“E-Excuse me. Are you S-Rank Adventurer Kelvin-sama, and your companion, Ange-sama? The Guild President is waiting for you on the upper floor, so we will guide you there. Please come this way.”
“Oh, thank you so much for your hospitality. We’ll be relying on you.”
Guided by the Guild staff member, we bypassed the reception and headed for the Guild President’s room. This attracted unwanted attention, but it was better than staying where we were.
“We use this magic item for floor travel, not stairs.”
Following the staff member, we arrived at a space enclosed by glass walls, with a disc embedded with gemstone-like objects in the center. We’re going up with this instead of stairs? Does that mean–
“–Is this an elevator? How amazing. This is the first time I’ve seen one here.”
“You know this magic item? As expected of S-Rank Adventurer Kelvin-sama. Ange-sama, who visited Headquarters before, didn’t seem too surprised either.”
“Haha. No, no, this is my first time seeing a magic item. I only knew about it from knowledge.”
Of course, for me. But in Ange’s case, Zildra, her colleague as an Apostle of God, had created even more bizarre things, so it was probably nothing to be surprised about now. It’s truly advanced technology.
“Could it be that this is common throughout Pub?”
“No, this is a personal item of the Guild President. We don’t know where she found it, but one day the stairs were replaced with this facility. I wonder what kind of trick she used… Ah, don’t worry, there haven’t been any accidents so far!”
“Hahaha, she’s quite an energetic person, isn’t she?”
Just from that statement, I could tell how much trouble the staff here goes through daily. If the stairs turned into an elevator overnight, it’s natural to be surprised and worried.
“…Ange, this isn’t a magic item made by Zildra, is it?”
“Hmm… It’s not impossible, I suppose?”
Yeah, I’m worried.
