This is Part 13, Chapter 4.
Kousuke, who had been pointed out by Kouhi and Mitsuki for recently becoming somewhat reclusive, was visiting a certain city on a certain continent with Floria, Silvia, and Nana.
Kouhi was also accompanying them, but this time she was asked to use magic to erase her presence and remain hidden, so as not to be seen. This was a small measure taken in case something happened.
The city was the capital of a certain kingdom, and a Crown Branch had recently been established there, along with a teleport gate. They had come with the intention of sightseeing for about two nights, genuinely just to clear their heads. Besides, there was another reason for choosing this particular city. It was because the country encouraged the activities of Tamers. The capital and several other large cities in this country had Tamer Guilds, which were not found in other countries. Kousuke had heard about them before, but it took too long to get there, so he had given up on the idea. Now that a teleport gate had been installed, he could visit without hesitation. For these reasons, this was the destination chosen for this trip.
Exiting the teleport gate room and passing through the teleport reception area, they found the city bustling with activity.
“This is what you’d expect from a capital, I guess?”
Depending on the country, even the capital can have a somber atmosphere. This is often the case in countries that are at war and likely to lose, or when the economy is in decline. This country, however, did not seem to be the case, as people were moving around with a clear spark in their eyes.
“That’s right. The economy seems to be running smoothly as well. It’s proof that the king is ruling well,” said Floria, drawing a somewhat hasty conclusion. Kousuke felt it was a bit premature to conclude that based solely on the capital, but Floria seemed convinced, so he decided not to press the issue further.
While observing the city and its people, Kousuke and his companions walked toward a particular location. They had obtained directions from a staff member at the branch before leaving, so finding it was not a problem. They could have gone straight there, but since there was no need to rush, they took their time, looking around at other sights. However, as this was the capital, the commercial center rather than a tourist destination, there weren’t many sightseeing spots to casually stroll through. They reached their destination after a leisurely two-hour walk.
Kousuke and his group were headed for the Tamer Guild building. While smaller than the Crown Branch, the building was well-constructed. What set it apart from the Crown Branch was that, in addition to the building where guild members usually entered and exited, there was another large building set aside. This separate building was where Tamers could exchange monsters or buy and sell trained monsters. It could truly be called a building for Tamers. Entry into this building required registration with the guild. Therefore, Kousuke and his party first entered the building facing the main street to register with the guild.
The Tamer Guild’s reception area was laid out similarly to other guilds and the Crown’s Adventurer Division. Immediately inside the entrance, there was a counter and a notice board for posting requests. Adjacent to this was a bar and restaurant.
Since they couldn’t do anything without registering, Kousuke and his party headed straight for the counter. To their surprise, the receptionist sitting at the counter looked at them with wide eyes.
“Is something wrong?” Kousuke asked, not understanding the meaning of her attitude. The receptionist waved her hands flusteredly. “N-no, I apologize. It’s just that the two behind you didn’t look like Tamers at all.” “Ah, I see,” Kousuke nodded with a wry smile at the receptionist’s explanation. In fact, Kousuke had noticed that from the moment they entered the Tamer Guild, the gazes of what appeared to be guild members in the bar and restaurant were directed at them. Female Tamers were that rare. It was understandable, as women who planned to live their lives with monsters were a rare sight indeed. This seemed to be the case even in this country, where Tamers were numerous, and female guild members were few. In terms of numbers, about one in fifty Tamers were women. With such a small number, it was natural for Silvia and Floria, who were extremely beautiful, to attract attention when they appeared at the guild.
“These two are just here to leave the monsters I tamed, but that’s still okay, right?” “Yes, of course, it is,” the receptionist agreed to Kousuke’s question. If this were not allowed, it would threaten the existence of Tamers in this country. This is because most Tamers registered with the Tamer Guild do not use monsters they have tamed themselves from the wild, but rather use monsters obtained from other Tamers or monsters born from the breeding of already tamed monsters. If they were to rule that only those who use monsters obtained from other Tamers are not considered Tamers, most Tamers would fall under this condition and be forced to close their businesses.
Therefore, Kousuke and his party decided to register as new members of the Tamer Guild. Since all three already had Crown cards, the procedure itself did not take much time. Regarding rank, the Tamer Guild and the regular Adventurer’s Guild had different natures, so they would start at the lowest rank. However, there was a system for skipping grades, so they could take an assessment to advance at any time if they wished.
Upon hearing this explanation, Kousuke and his party were about to register when a problem arose. “Um… to register, you need to have a tamed monster…” the receptionist stated matter-of-factly, looking at Kousuke and his group, who, by all appearances, had only brought one wolf (Nana). Judging by her demeanor, it seemed that many people made the same mistake. Incidentally, Kousuke also understood the meaning of the receptionist’s attitude when they first arrived. “Ah, right. Now that you mention it, it doesn’t make sense if you don’t bring your familiar,” Kousuke said with a wry smile. It was only natural that one could not register at the Tamer Guild without bringing a familiar. By the way, it was possible to register as a party, and in that case, if one member brought a familiar, the system would consider it sufficient. The receptionist, nodding at Kousuke, looked at him with a questioning gaze. “You can choose to register only one person this time. What will you do?” “No, no. We’ll go back and get them, and come back later,” Kousuke replied. “I see. We will be waiting for you, then,” said the receptionist, bowing politely.
Leaving the Tamer Guild, Kousuke and his party walked back towards the Crown Branch. “So, what will we do? Will we be back today?” Floria asked. Kousuke thought for a moment before replying, “Hmm, I don’t think it really matters. … If it’s too much trouble, maybe tomorrow?” They had planned to stay for two nights, but they had no specific schedule. Since there were no time constraints, they could register anytime. However, they also had a desire to take on some requests while they were there. Upon hearing Kousuke’s words, Silvia and Floria exchanged glances. “In that case, it would be better to go back and get our familiars,” Silvia said. “That’s right. Either way, we have to go back,” Floria added. With that conclusion reached by both of them, Kousuke and his party decided to return to Amamiya Tower immediately. They were not in a hurry, so they leisurely took their time, observing the city’s scenery.
Thus, Kousuke and his party reappeared at the Tamer Guild several hours after their initial visit. Kousuke was primarily responsible, but Silvia and Floria were equally at fault for not thinking to bring their familiars when they knew they were going to the Tamer Guild. They had to make a round trip, but it was truly a case of serving them right.
