Chapter 173: The one-armed lecturer, part 3
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
I met up with Lyla again after the lecture.
She said that she wanted to go to a watering-hole, so we settled for one near the guild headquarters, showing up just as the evening receded into night. Business was booming, with adventurers and employees from headquarters making up the main clientele.
「Be careful」, I warned her. 「If you lose control of your emotions, your magicka will seep out from your ‘Shadow’.」
The ‘Shadow’ seated on my lap took a swig from a glass that she was holding with both hands.
『Hmph. So did you feel anything when that fool ridiculed you?』
It was the ‘Shadow’ drinking instead of Lyla herself, but she probably felt as if she was drinking even though she hadn’t ingested a single drop.
I raised a glass to my lips with one hand.
「He said a bunch of things about my missing arm because he was fixated on the idea that not having an arm made me weak. If we had really fought, he would’ve been caught off guard by my skill and my magic — things you can’t tell from physical appearance alone. Remorse from the grave can hardly be called remorse.」
If I was up against a one-armed opponent, I would first and foremost consider why he was missing an arm. If he’s simply one-armed, then so be it. But if the ‘missing’ arm is simply invisible, then we have a problem.
『Perhaps, but that’s not practical during a fight!』
Lyla had been irate since the earlier episode.
『When it comes to your honor, I won’t allow any random serf to sully your name.』
「It’s a name barely worth sullying.」
『Do you have no pride?』
She started munching on the side dishes that we had ordered.
『Also, about what Warwick said… what will you do?』
「My right arm? It doesn’t really matter either way. I’ve gotten accustomed to life without it.」
『Your adaptability is out of this world, but… I still prefer a two-armed you…』
「Hm? Why?」
The ‘Shadow’ fidgeted uncomfortably on my lap.
「Excuse me! Are you Argan-san the lecturer?」, asked a young female employee.
She asked if she could sit next to me, to which I nodded.
『Hng?』
It’s an empty seat, I thought. She can do as she likes.
「Thanks. Is there anyone else with you?」
「Nope. Were you at the lecture?」
「I was! About what you went over –」
She asked a series of very specific questions about my examination methodology, from which I could feel the passion she had for her job. It’s a good thing to have, I thought. I should adopt such an attitude too.
We talked until I felt that it was getting late, and we left the bar.
「Uh, if you have nothing on… shall we visit another place? I know a quieter one.」
「I’m sorry, but I must go. Thanks for the invitation, though.」
I waved and walked away.
『Would you look at that. Is it your face…!? Or your glasses…!? Or a mysterious allure that not even your missing arm can mask…? Women, I swear…! Plebeians!』
Looking back, the employee was waving.
「Allure? I don’t think so. I probably just stand out and make a more lasting impression.」
『Maybe that’s it』, replied Lyla skeptically.
I guess I would no longer make a capable assassin — it’s hard to get things done with a memorable appearance.
「Weren’t you saying something about preferring my two-armed self?」
『I, uh… forgot.』
「Tell me when you remember.」
I lifted the ‘Shadow’ onto my shoulder and walked around the streets of the royal capital.
『Since Aimée is still asleep, what do you plan to do?』
「No idea. If she can no longer use her skills, she’ll pose much less of a threat. But her abilities don’t rely entirely on skills and magic — I’ll still feel uneasy if we let her loose.」
『Shall we make quick work of her while she’s sleeping, then?』
「…」
『That was a joke. I won’t let you anyway. I just wanted to hear you rejecting that idea.』
A part of me felt relieved upon hearing that. Maybe it was because my plan to defeat Aimée had involved my own death. Yeah, that’s probably it. I hadn’t expected to live to see this day, and I certainly didn’t know what to do with her either.
「Let me talk to her if she wakes.」
『You’ll of course be the first to know. Don’t worry.』
「That’s great to hear.」
『I must say, I have her to thank as well.』
「Why?」
『I would never have met you without her.』
She glanced furtively at me, then darted into my blind spot.
「You’ve been saying sappy things lately.」
『It’s b-because I’m drunk.』
It was the ‘Shadow’ that drank, wasn’t it? I shrugged, deciding not to say it out loud.
『Anyway, now what?』
「I’m calling it a night. I have to prepare for tomorrow’s lecture…」
『Not in that sense. You have something to do for that bear with a goatee, aren’t you?』
Oh, about Ta’uro?
「Right, about that.」
Ta’uro had worked his way up the ranks from being an ordinary adventurer. Someone in the association had, for some reason, taken umbrage at this.
『It’s going to be a boring coup d’etat.』
「It can happen in any organisation.」
The original Guild Master of Welger & Co. had also been evicted by some sort of plot. But things aren’t as simple as they look. I made sure that nobody was in the immediate vicinity before I continued.
「Ta’uro is where he is now because of King Randolph. He was an S-ranked adventurer that contributed greatly during the war. The lords approved of it back then, but now that the dust of war has settled, his enemies have become increasingly vocal.」
『It’s one thing to be powerful, and another to use that power wisely.』
It really hit differently when said by the Demon King.
「So. How do you think the adventurers’ association is split at present?」
『Feels like there’s a proxy war going on. On one side stands the Master and on the other stands his enemies — disgruntled nobles, mostly. If the latter succeeds in kicking the former out, it will drag the king’s image into the dirt and land the association nicely in their hands.』
「Exactly.」
When Ta’uro assumed the role of Guild Master, he had mandated an increase in the minimum commission for adventurers. As a result, the adventurers were finally receiving the amount they should have been getting. He had made that fact clear in his letter.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out where that money had been going.
King Randolph had probably been aware of it, and installed Ta’uro — the only S-ranked adventurer at the time — as Guild Master to put an end to the shady practice.
『The symbiosis between the adventurers and the guild is well-established. If it begins to crumble, then talented individuals will inevitably leak into other kingdoms.』
「And that will force a reduction in the number of employees. It pains me to think that some of us will be forced to quit while the nobles continue growing fatter and fatter.」
『Capable individuals that may cause trouble will most likely be disposed of first.』
「You mean rather than me, those at the bottom rungs like Chief Iris and Milia –」
『You think too lowly of yourself… I was talking about you, but never mind.』
The moon was now high in the night sky, but the streets were still fairly crowded. We could hear boisterous merrymaking as we passed various restaurants and taverns.
『So? Now what?』
「You said it yourself, didn’t you? It requires a different set of skills to use your power wisely compared to just actively using that power.」
Not understanding my point, the ‘Shadow’ cocked its head to one side.
「I know someone who can give us a little lesson in trickery.」
『Oh? Even a person like you has such contacts?』
「She probably has the time. It’s just a matter of whether she will acquiesce or not… but if we can recruit her as an adviser, then I can be rest assured that Ta’uro’s in good hands.」
『A trickster that you praise so highly… could it be…!?』
The ‘Shadow’ tugged at my sleeve.
『No! That’s a terrible idea!』
「?」
『I might look like I have nothing to do… but, but… waiting for you to come home everyday is a task of grand proportions!』
「I’m talking about Seraphin, but okay」, I chuckled.
『…』
She jumped and kicked me in the neck.
『You tried to trick me!』
「It’s your fault for jumping to conclusions.」
『Do you know how embarrassing that was!?』
「You certainly know how to pick a fight.」
We’ll visit the castle sometime tomorrow.
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