“Whoa, this brings back memories.”
We arrived at the artificial fortress city of Kaonan.
The Adventurer Guild was perhaps still early in the day, as there weren’t many people. Half of the Adventurer Reception desks were empty.
“Hey, porter kid, over here, over here!”
Ah, right, I’m dressed like a porter now!
Oh well, I’ll ignore the usual reception and head straight for the Hero Reception.
There was a plate on my chest that read, “Hero Reception, Number Four, Kahu.”
“Um, Mr. Orika?”
“Oh, how nostalgic. She retired due to marriage.”
“Whaaat?” “If you absolutely must see her… Ah, Guild Master!”
A guy with a catfish beard, who seemed to be working in the back, came over!
He was dressed like a noble, and his name was… That’s it! I remembered and called out to him.
“Mr. Tokkan, long time no see!”
“Oh, Derus! I heard you’d fled to the Movermas Continent.”
“Fled!” “Well, never mind, show me your Adventurer Card.”
I handed over my golden card.
“It really is a Movermas Continent card… Wow!”
“My level has gone up too much.”
“Hey, Bida! Come here and apologize after looking at this!”
The bald guy I had called a porter kid earlier was summoned.
He stared blankly at the crystal that read the card, and then slammed it forcefully onto the Hero Reception table!!
“I am so, so sorry—!!”
“N-no, please don’t break the table!”
“Oh, an emergency contact is coming through to Derus, shall we hear it?”
Ah, they’re actually confirming it, how great.
(No, that’s the correct posture for an Adventurer Guild.)
“It’s a message from Frau, the sub-leader of my former party, the Derus Flyers, saying ‘Help me,’ right?”
“What, you already know?” “That’s a trap, there’s no time to explain.”
I want to get my target quickly.
“What brings you here today?”
“Do you remember Mr. Gumii?”
“Ah, of course. He’s running a brothel upstairs now.” “Hah?!”
That gaudy female magician is now on the management side!
“Um, I vaguely recall her having worked as both a prostitute and an adventurer.”
“She made enough money from ‘Kairaku Ojisan’s Pillow’ to become an operator.”
“You mean the brothel owner?” “Ah, she still dives into dungeons occasionally, so her skills haven’t dulled, I think.”
Ah, right, I need to thank them properly.
“Mr. Tokkan, thank you for your help back then. My brother-in-law was saved because the Elixir ingredients I ordered arrived safely.”
“Yeah, I heard from adventurers on the Branusiava that you were saved. Good for you.”
He was patting me on both shoulders.
His arm muscles were still as amazing as ever, this Guild Master.
“I’m glad I could properly express my gratitude, like this today.”
“I have my own thanks to give. The number of adventurers aiming for ‘Kairaku Ojisan’s Pillow’ has increased significantly.”
“Is that because…” “The rumor spread that it was Derus and Gumii who took so many, and that it was their turn to gather them.”
But I don’t think the method of obtaining it has anything to do with cycles.
“In reality…”
“As the number of those targeting it increased, naturally, it did… though it’s still single digits.”
“Can I buy it?” “It’s not something you can easily buy. If you want to buy it, it’s at the auction.”
Right… I see.
“Understood. Then, I’ll visit Mr. Gumii again.”
“Okay. The place is… Hey, Bida, a map, a map!” “Yes sir!!”
(No, why couldn’t they just have Kahu do it?)
And so, I was given a map of the city’s ground-level commercial district and headed off.
“Shall I have Bida guide you?”
“No, no, I have the map.”
“Then, say hello to Orika for me!” “Eh?!”
And so, to the entertainment district.
There it is, the brothel ‘Luxury For You’.
(It’s still being prepared, but the door isn’t locked.)
“Excuse me—…”
“Oh my, we’re still getting ready… but Derus! Isn’t that Derus!!”
“It’s been a while, Ms. Gumii!!”
(Her makeup… her makeup is so much better now!!!)
So, with money, even gaudiness disappears!
“What brings you here, all of a sudden?”
“I’m sorry, I need ‘Kairaku Ojisan’s Pillow’ again.”
“It’s not something you can get so easily… but with Derus, it’s possible.”
Yes, with this duo, it seems likely we can get two in a single day!
“Thank you so much for your help back then.”
“It’s I who should be thanking you. This brothel is like you built it for me.”
“I’m happy to hear you say that.” “Thank you truly, from me too.”
We bowed our heads to each other.
“So, can I borrow you, Ms. Gumii, from now on? If you require payment, I have Platinum Coins… from the Movermas Continent, that is.”
“Not Large Gold Coins? Oh well, Orika, Orika!!”
From the back came… Ms. Orika, the former Hero Receptionist?!
“Oh, Mr. Derus.”
“It’s been a while. I heard you got married.”
“Yes, we both work here now.”
Heavy hidden baggage, here we come!!!
“Orika, I’m going into a dungeon now, please handle things here.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Then I’ll go prepare. Would you like to wait while playing with my child?” “No, no, no.”
I don’t want to waste my energy unnecessarily.
Not that it’s just about that!
(So many things have happened since then…)
“Ah, right, Ms. Orika, please take this as a memento.”
“What is this… this feather…?”
“It’s said to be the feather of the now-vanished Angel Race. One for Ms. Gumii and one for me.”
Ah, her expression… yes, she looks half-believing.
“…Thank you.”
“It looks nice framed on a wall!”
“If it’s real, it might get stolen.” “No one might believe it’s real.”
It would cause a huge commotion if someone with Appraisal skills came along, but…
“Well then, after we get it appraised by the commercial guild downstairs…”
“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”
(I wonder what kind of expression they’ll have when they realize it’s real.)
Alright, once Ms. Gumii arrives, it’s time for the Kairaku Ojisan’s Pillow hunt!
