When Phasis calmed down.
McGillis was told there was no breakfast.
“I ate, so it’s fine.”
“Oh… is that so?”
Phasis almost casually said “That’s good.”
He quickly corrected himself.
His money was completely gone.
Collecting magic stones would be a hassle.
He headed to the adventurer referral office to sell the sugar-cube sized magic stones.
While he was there, he went to check if there was any information about those who had gone out to subjugate the King and the King’s army. They had participated. They subjugated medium and small monsters. There were no penalties. No matter what the guards said, they would not pay any penalties.
McGillis was assertive.
There were few adventurers at the referral office.
At the material purchasing counter, he tried to quickly sell the magic stones… but couldn’t.
“The Director (Guild Master) and other Guild Leaders are in the back. Once the Director’s meeting is over, we will process the material purchase. I’m sorry, but we can’t do it right now.”
“… The back, in that room, right?”
McGillis pointed to a door in the back of the referral office to confirm.
“Yes, that’s right. Please come back later to sell your materials.”
McGillis and his companions left the material purchasing counter.
They knocked on the door and, after receiving permission, entered.
“E-excuse me…”
Phasis was left to handle everything from here.
The Director (Guild Master) and the other Guild Leaders were seated on a long bench, as if for an interview, and looked at them with scrutinizing eyes.
There were no chairs for McGillis and his companions.
They stood and talked… and were informed of the penalty for failing the request, separate from the subjugation force.
“Hey! We subjugated monsters. It was someone else’s fault for bringing a horde of monsters into town.”
Phasis desperately argued his case.
Beside him, McGillis (the monster) was smiling, but Phasis felt a sense of dread, wondering when he would reveal his true nature and attack everyone in the room.
“I understand your argument.”
“Then”
“But, it’s a fact that you separated from the subjugation force. The request failed. Furthermore, there is a report from the Guard Captain who repelled the approaching horde of monsters.”
“N-no way… (There’s a monster next to me!! I can’t do anything when I’m not around… it’s all dumped on me, so it’s impossible!)”
McGillis and Phasis were ordered by the Director and the other Guild Leaders to pay a penalty equivalent to one gold coin.
Incidentally, the adventurers who had fled to other towns were also given the same penalty.
“…”
“H-hahaha, money, money. Hahaha, hehehe.”
On the way back from the referral office.
McGillis laughed with a chilling smile, realizing that with the proceeds from the magic stones lost to the penalty, he had no money to go to the brothel.
Phasis just wanted to return to the inn quickly, escaping reality.
They loafed around the inn.
Phasis said lunch tasted bland.
McGillis repeatedly flailed on the bed, trying to embrace the imaginary princesses and prostitutes of his delusions.
Hubbub.
Hubbub.
It was evening, and dinner was about to be brought to their room.
The outside of the window became noisy.
Phasis opened the window and listened.
Other participants of the subjugation force, besides themselves, had returned.
And with a horde of monsters.
The guards were once again active, and the evaluation of adventurers fell.
Currently, the town gate was blood-scented from the disposal of monster corpses.
“…”
He briefly wondered if he should tell McGillis.
“Why-ty-chan… Caroline-chu…an…”
If he told him, it would only make things worse.
He quietly closed the window and went outside to hear about the subjugation force’s current situation.
“I’m just going to take care of some business.”
“Ah, the cute girls at the brothel~~”
Phasis was relieved to be away from the danger zone.
He saw an inn employee in the hallway and asked them to quietly place dinner by the door.
“Understood.”
He went outside and joined the residents who were gathering information.
Phasis was able to gather detailed information in exchange for the rumor-loving old ladies patting him all over his back and ass.
“… Well, should I tell that guy (McGillis the monster) this information, or not? Hmm, it’s probably best to just organize it so I can answer if I’m asked.”
After all, who knows what other bad deeds (criminal acts) McGillis might commit with this information.
“I’m back.”
When he returned to the room with the dinner from outside the door.
McGillis was still chasing the imaginary girls.
“He never catches them with his hands,” Phasis thought, “he’s really something.”
Phasis cautiously called out, “It’s dinner time.”
“Hmm? Ah, dinner. Dinner. Haaah. Cute girl…”
He sat down at the chair and munched on the bread and pickles for dinner.
“Speaking of which, it’s noisy outside?”
“Ah, that’s because some adventurers who fled from the subjugation force appeared.”
“From the subjugation force? Did they lose to the King’s army of large monsters?”
“I don’t know about that.”
Munch.
Gulp.
McGillis chewed the last piece of bread.
He thought about the subjugation force, and then immediately about his financial situation. Debt meant he couldn’t go to the brothel.
“Can I leave town? I need to make money.”
“Um… If the guards at the gate give permission. You’re going out tomorrow morning, right? Not right now? It’s already pitch black outside. Let’s ask the guards at the gate tomorrow morning, okay?”
Phasis, feeling like he had had enough trouble for one day, persuaded McGillis to get into bed and grimaced at the cold sweat on his back.
He might catch a cold.
He took off his clothes, wiped off the sweat, and got into bed, half-naked.
