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A Time Bomb at the Border and Worries of the Adventurers Guild Receptionist – Part 04

Hikaru barely managed to catch a carriage bound for the royal capital. If he returned to the capital by day’s end, he could depart immediately with Paula—though they’d need to rent horses.

While Mount Kenmes was indeed far, Hikaru had learned about a secret route known only to high-ranking Church officials—the Proselytizer Path. With it, he believed they could reach Mount Kenmes by tomorrow.

Bringing Paula along was a precautionary measure against the venom of the Hell Tarantula.

“Hikaru! Hikaru!”

Hikaru, lost in thought in the carriage, heard a voice calling his name.

“Freya! Over here.”

“Hikaru!” Freya was out of breath after running nonstop.

Hikaru leaned out of the carriage.

“Y-You shouldn’t take commissions… you can’t do…”

“Did you come all the way here just to tell me that?”

“Of course! If anything happens to you, I… I, um…”

“Hmm?”

“A-As a guild receptionist, I can’t disregard any potential danger!” Freya yelled, blushing.

“I see.” Hikaru nodded to himself.

“What do you mean ‘I see’?”

“What?”

“Anyway! You can’t take that commission. Absolutely not!”

So it has come to this, Hikaru thought. He was doing this because he was worried about Freya, and now she was worried about him.

“Unken recommended the commission to me.”

“Ugh. B-But he overestimates you.”

“Perhaps. But I think he believes I would make a run for it if things go south.”

“…Run?”

“Yes. If there’s danger, you leave. Adventurer basics. Besides, it’s not like I have no chances of success.”

“How do you plan to kill a Hell Tarantula?”

“W-Well…”

Hikaru’s plan was to get close with Stealth, then bam! Job done.

“I have a secret weapon, but I can’t tell you about it.”

“Really? You’re serious?”

“Anyway! I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in three days.”

“Can you promise me that you’ll leave if it’s dangerous?”

“I promise,” Hikaru said without hesitation.

Leave if it was dangerous. It was so simple that he made a promise instantly. In fact, it was too instant that Freya regarded him with doubt.

“Promise, promise?” she said.

“Yes, I promise.”

“You better keep your word.”

“I-I get it already!”

“We’re departing for the royal capital!” the driver bellowed.

“We’re leaving now.”

“R-Right.” Freya took a few steps back.

The horse trotted off, and the carriage started moving.

“Hikaru! Remember: there’s no shame in running away!”

The carriage rattled along, leaving behind the worried Freya. She was treating him like a complete child.

Hmm… I should really get my adventurer rank up.

If Hikaru were Rank D, Freya might not have been so concerned. If he were Rank B like the Four Eastern Stars, no one would have said anything, but climbing all the way to B would only attract too much attention, bringing troubles his way.

And trouble was the last thing he wanted. Rank B might come with the privilege of living in a luxury apartment at the royal capital, and he still wouldn’t bother.

---

Three days passed.

Since the crack of dawn, countless adventurers had gathered before Pond’s Adventurers Guild.

“Come on, open up!” a man shouted. “Today’s the day the guild gives us the commission!”

“What? We’re the ones taking the commission!”

“No, it’s us!”

The atmosphere was growing tense.

This commission had evolved into more than a chance for a handsome reward or the opportunity to accompany a popular receptionist. A rumor had circulated among the adventurers: “Direct commissions from the guild are rare. A promotion is practically guaranteed.” Despite constant denials from receptionists and guild staff, the more they rejected the claim, the more the rumor gained traction.

Adventurer parties that had failed to submit their application three days prior had gathered as well, causing a small commotion on the day of the announcement.

“Bunch of fools,” Unken muttered disdainfully from the lobby. The doors were still closed. “Who spread this unfounded rumor about promotions?”

“I don’t know.”

“We have no idea either.”

Receptionists and other staff shook their heads.

“Even if we deny it, they don’t believe us. It’s frustrating,” the lovely but enigmatic Aurora mumbled.

“Not much we can do,” Unken said. “This rumor ends today. Gloria, open the door. Let the party leaders in first and tell the others not to cause a scene if they can’t enter.”

“Okay… I doubt they will stay quiet, though.”

“Tell them that if they have complaints, I can expel them any time. The rest of the staff, return to your posts.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gloria opened the guild’s door to reveal a gathering of brawny adventurers outside.

Freya shuddered when she saw them. Though they were the same adventurers she usually dealt with, at this moment, they were menacing—a departure from their noisy but good-humored and silly selves.

Thanks to Gloria’s persuasiveness, they settled down momentarily, and the party leaders entered. There were more than twenty of them, including Jonathan of the Rank D party, Blue Summit.

Unken stood on a platform in front of the commission bulletin board. Party leaders gathered around him, while adventurers crowded behind.

Freya had sought refuge behind the counter, but the chill she felt earlier lingered, making her shiver. She couldn’t believe how Unken stayed calm in this situation.

“Don’t worry, Freya. Sir Unken will handle it.”

“Aurora.”

Her colleague’s quiet presence brought Freya some comfort.

Late into last night, deliberations took place on which party to commission, and while Freya already knew the outcome, she couldn’t shake off the nerves.

“I appreciate the numerous applications we’ve received for this commission. We will now announce the party that will be taking it.”

As Unken began, the lobby fell silent despite the sheer number of people present.

It’s gonna be a Rank D party, anyway, one thought.

We’ve taken commissions nonstop the past three days, another mused. It has to be us.

“The party that will take the commission…” Unken paused briefly. “…is unfortunately, not any one of you here.”

Question marks flew around. Freya, too, was puzzled. This wasn’t what they discussed last night.

“Wait a minute.” Finally, Jonathan of the Blue Summit spoke up. “If it’s not anyone here, then who’s taking the commission?”

“The party doesn’t have a name. You all remember the black-haired adventurer who took the Hell Tarantula Extermination commission, yes?”

“Oh, right… Wait, hold up. Are you saying he actually killed the Hell Tarantula?”

“That’s right.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I’m not being ridiculous. Nor am I lying.”

Unken produced a red gem the size of a ping pong ball from a leather pouch hanging on his waist.

“This is a Ruby Poison Stone, embedded in the Hell Tarantula’s forehead. All twelve of them were brought in as proof of killing it, just before dawn today.”

Freya’s eyes widened. Hikaru’s back? Before dawn? He killed the Hell Tarantula?

“I call bullshit. He probably just bought them!” Jonathan shouted, and other adventurers echoed his sentiment.

“The guild has verified it,” Unken said. “We have a signed letter from Viscount Clement and Baron Ricker, who were on a mission to kill the monster. There is no mistake. It was the black-haired adventurer that killed the Hell Tarantula.”

“Th-That can’t be right… How could that kid pull that off?”

“At any rate, this settles the matter regarding the commission. I appreciate everyone coming here, even if things didn’t go as you may have expected. We still have many pending commissions, so I’ll be counting on you.”

As Unken was stepping down from the platform, one adventurer said, “I’ve seen that old man and the black-haired kid training every morning.”

“He’s acquainted with old man Unken?”

“Was the whole thing rigged?”

“So this was a plot to raise his adventurer rank.”

Adventurers who couldn’t accept the decision voiced their doubts. Unken stared intently at them.

“I told you it would take more than that to convince them,” said the black-haired adventurer in question, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

“Hikaru!”

When Freya called his name, everyone’s attention shifted to Hikaru.

Seething, Jonathan approached Hikaru. “I got a question. Don’t you have any shame? Trying to cozy up to the guildmaster to boost your adventurer rank?”

“Well, yeah. With annoying adventurers like you around, I figured it’s about time I bumped up my rank.”

“What?!”

“Are you the highest-ranked around here? Let’s have a one-on-one, then. Having everyone here as witness will make things quick.”

“You little shit!” Jonathan barked. “Hey, did you hear that? He wants to fight me, Jonathan, leader of the Rank D party Blue Summit. Talk about overestimating yourself.”

The adventurers burst into laughter.

“Are you done? I’m in a bit of a hurry, so let’s get this over with quickly. Unlike you, I’m busy,” Hikaru said tiredly, yawning.

Veins popped on Jonathan’s forehead. “Bring it, then. I will show you an adventurer’s real power. Guildmaster, we’re using the training grounds out back!”

“Go ahead.”

Hikaru had already left the lobby. Jonathan followed him, shoulders squared, and the other adventurers trailed behind.

“H-Hikaru!” Freya was unnerved by Hikaru’s unusually fierce demeanor.

“You worry too much,” Unken said calmly. “I trained him, you know.”

“…”

Gloria watched the unfolding situation with amusement.