After about ten days of investigating the tower, Kousuke and his party returned to the tower’s entrance with the results.
Kousuke then noticed that the adventurers were making an unusual amount of noise.
Adventurers, who were often rough and boisterous, were generally noisy, but this was a different kind of commotion.
“Did something happen?”
Mitsuki, who was also on the cart, tilted her head and replied to Kousuke’s muttering.
“Hmm. I feel like they’re subtly excited, but… I don’t know the reason.”
Mitsuki also seemed to have noticed the subtle change from usual.
However, she didn’t seem to know the reason.
With Mitsuki’s hearing, she could pick up the voices of people chatting nearby, but since there seemed to be no urgency, she hadn’t done so and had no intention of doing so.
Peach and Ririka were currently on the driver’s seat, but they couldn’t hear the adventurers’ conversations.
Therefore, Kousuke and his party had no idea why they were in such a state.
Someone brought the answer to Kousuke and his party.
It was a receptionist from the Tower Conquest Guild.
“Ah?! The conquest this time is finished?”
Kousuke hadn’t noticed since he was on the cart, but Ririka and Peach were there, so she seemed to have noticed.
Also, their modified wagon was distinctive, so they were remembered for that as well.
The receptionist spoke to Peach on the driver’s seat.
“Yes~. We’ve reached a certain point, so this time it’s over for now.”
Peach replied, but she noticed the receptionist looking at them as if she had something to say.
She vaguely sensed the reason but pretended not to notice and asked about the surrounding situation.
“By the way, it’s a bit noisy around here, did something happen~?”
In response to the question, the receptionist momentarily seemed eager to ask, then calmed herself down and asked in a slightly lowered voice.
It seemed that what the receptionist wanted to ask and the answer were the same.
“Um… There’s a rumor going around that Fang of the Divine Wolf has come under the umbrella of Crown. Is it true?”
Upon hearing that, Peach tilted her head slightly as if she had heard it for the first time and shook her head left and right.
“No~. I hadn’t heard about it.”
She knew that Fang of the Divine Wolf would eventually change to Crown, but she hadn’t expected them to announce it so soon, so it wasn’t entirely a lie that she didn’t know.
Peach’s answer made the receptionist look disappointed.
“Is that so? I just wanted to know if it was true or not…”
“Were you told to ask someone~?”
Peach casually asked, and the receptionist’s expression became startled, then she smiled as if to cover it up.
“Ah, no, no. It’s been the talk of the adventurers for the past few days, so I was just curious.”
“I see~.”
Peach also smiled and nodded, pretending not to notice the receptionist’s change.
In terms of obtaining necessary information, Peach seemed to have been a step ahead in this exchange.
Kousuke, on the cart, listened to their conversation.
“A rumor, huh.”
The original plan was for the Guild to make an official announcement.
There was no plan to spread rumors among adventurers.
“I wonder what happened?”
“Who knows. We’ll have to go back to headquarters to find out. Ah, and the two of you, if anyone asks you anything along the way, please respond like Peach just did.”
Kousuke said that to the two in front, and both Peach and Ririka nodded.
Mitsuki, who was on the same cart as Kousuke, did the same.
“Well, well. I wonder what exactly happened?”
At this point, Kousuke had no doubt that Exu and the others were the ones who started the rumor.
If anything had leaked from elsewhere, it would have already leaked.
Considering the timing after Schmidt’s involvement, it was more natural to think that the rumor originated from their side.
And Kousuke’s thoughts were proven correct when they returned to the Guild.
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Kouhi greeted Kousuke and his party as they returned to the Fang of the Divine Wolf’s base.
“There seems to be a rumor going around, did something happen?”
Kouhi tilted her head slightly and replied when asked.
“I think it would be better to hear it directly from Exu rather than from me.”
“I see. That’s true. Ah, that’s right!”
Kousuke’s expression suddenly changed as if he remembered something, and Kouhi tilted her head again.
“?”
“Welcome back.”
“Welcome home.”
To Kousuke’s words, Kouhi gave him a beaming smile.
After returning the wagon to its designated spot and entering the base, Kousuke immediately noticed that work was underway to transition to Crown.
The number of people working in the building was far greater than before.
There were even people they had never seen before.
They had probably moved from Crown Headquarters using the Teleport Gate.
With Kousuke glancing at the scene, he was guided to a certain room in the base.
This was the room that would later be used by the branch manager of the Seichun Branch.
After knocking on the room door and entering, Exu, Schmidt, and one other person were there.
“Yo! Kousuke! You look well!”
The person who called him by his real name, understanding that the room was properly secured against espionage, was Gazelan, the Division Head of Crown’s Adventurer Division.
“It’s been a while. If Gazelan is here, does that mean it’s being moved up considerably?”
Kousuke guessed this, as the head of the Adventurer Division, an important department, was present besides Schmidt.
As his prediction suggested, Schmidt and the others nodded.
“Yes. The situation changed a few days ago. We apologize for not reporting it…”
Schmidt started to bow his head in apology, but Kousuke waved his hand.
“There’s no need to apologize. You did what Schmidt thought was necessary, right? Besides, if it comes to this, you guys are in a higher position now, aren’t you?”
As Kousuke smiled mischievously, Schmidt and Gazelan returned a bitter smile.
As long as Kousuke was in Seichun, he was still in the position of Adventurer “Kou.”
Therefore, it was natural that the two who led Crown’s respective departments would be in a higher position than a mere adventurer “Kou.”
However, Kousuke’s position within Crown completely disregarded such formalities.
“More importantly, what happened?”
In response to Kousuke’s question, Gazelan and Schmidt exchanged glances, and Schmidt immediately began to explain the situation.
It was easier for Schmidt, who was in Seichun before Kousuke went to the tower, to explain.
Of course, Exu, who understood everything, could have explained, but since they were already moving as Crown, it was proper for Schmidt, the Division Head, to speak.
Putting aside such minor details, Kousuke listened to the situation and the reason, nodded, and said,
“I see. Indeed, in that case, moving it up is necessary.”
“Yes. Most of the preparations here are almost complete. We’ll be able to function as a branch within two or three more days.”
“You’re certainly fast with your work.”
Kousuke was genuinely impressed, but he then turned his gaze to Mitsuki.
Understanding the meaning of his gaze, Mitsuki took out some of the spoils from this time from her Item Box.
“Here’s a souvenir for you two, who are so fast with your work.”
Seeing the barrel Mitsuki presented, Schmidt and Gazelan seemed to immediately grasp what it was.
“There aren’t many, but I also found new harvesting spots.”
“Hoh. I see. We’ll have to hear all about that.”
Kousuke’s words made Gazelan’s expression serious.
It was information about materials that could become a significant source of income for the Seichun Branch.
Gazelan, being a former adventurer, naturally had a sharp sense for such things.
We’ve reached episode 40.
However, this arc, which has continued for over a month, is finally nearing its end.
Please bear with the Gazenran Tower arc for a little longer.
