Chapter 42: Adventurer Guild

Next morning.

After waking up and changing out the spells that I have charged, I immediately use one of them: [Psycometry]. It is a spell that enables the caster to read the past of objects and places—it is also a spell to make your GM cry. 

My target is of course the maid uniform left behind by that fake maid. 

Looking deep in contemplation while holding the uniform cuts a rather problematic figure, but I don’t have the time to worry about that. 

Projected directly into my consciousness is the figure of a girl who is right in the middle of putting the uniform on. 

It seems that conveniently, I am being shown the scene of the imposter changing. The other girl lying unconscious on the floor is most likely the real maid employed at the Council Hall. 

When I concentrate on the girl who is changing, her figure gradually grows clearer. 

Her style is rather good…… no, it’s quite something. The color of her skin is a dark tan that borders on black. Long, purple hair, and golden pupils. Slightly plump lips the same color as her hair. Hmm…… among all the females that I’ve met so far, her appearance shouts ‘fantasy!’ the loudest. 

Furthermore, what surprises me is that the top part of her ears is long and pointed. Whichever way I think about it, she is an elf. And a dark elf at that. 

I’ve heard from Sedam before that elves and dark elves exist in this world. True to the cliches, dark elves are abhorred as an ‘evil species.’ Depending on the region, they might even be treated as ‘phantom demons,’ a subspecies of anki. They are almost never seen around Liuus Lake, but…… 

As I was in the middle of my recollection, the elf has finished putting on the maid uniform and is now drawing some complicated-looking symbols in midair with a finger. It must be magic of some sort, as the symbol suddenly starts s.h.i.+ning. After the light fades, the person wearing the uniform now looks like the chestnut-colored hair maid. 

“I see. So the female a.s.sa.s.sin was a dark elf. How cliche.”

I cut the effects of [Psycometry], break my contemplative pose, and ma.s.sage the area between my eyebrows. 

At that moment. 

“Exactly what is it that you see from holding something like that so tightly, Gio-san?”

In front of my eyes, there stands Mora, who is glowering at me with moist eyes. Her mouth is firmly in a へ shape. The maid uniform in my grasp is also getting very pointed glares. 

I could have done without this cliche, seriously…… 

♥♦♣♠

After breakfast. 

Irudo, Mora, and I are in a carriage heading towards the Adventurer Guild. 

Security at the mansion has been locked down iron-tight with items and spells, but Irudo cannot be in this state of being open but conducting no business for an indefinite amount of time, considering how he has 5 caravans under his management. 

This situation must be remedied with utmost haste. 

“Now, to confirm once again what I know about the Adventurer Guild……”

As I'd heard yesterday, the Adventurer Guild in Sedia is quite different from the ones imagined in light novels and games nowadays. 

The basics of accepting and resolving requests from troubled persons or groups, exploring dungeons, and subjugating monsters is the same. 

However, it is not a free organization where someone can show up out of the blue and just register, and taking on requests is not a simple matter of tearing a poster off a board and bringing it to the counter. 

The ranks in the Adventurer Guild are as follows: Guildmaster, Adviser, Leader, Member, and Trainee. 

Members and a Leader forming a ‘party’ together is as expected, but the Leader and Members are not on equal footing. Their relations.h.i.+p is akin to that of a craftsman and apprentices, and the Leader holds all authority when it comes to decisions regarding jobs. The Leader is tasked with educating his/her members, which includes teaching them the knowledge and skills necessary for becoming an adventurer. However, when it comes to cla.s.s-specific skills that the Leader cannot teach, such as a Warrior’s fighting techniques or a Scout’s covert techniques, it is the Adviser’s job to provide guidance. 

The Guildmaster oversees all requests, and possesses the authority to decide which request goes to which Leader. As for dungeon exploration and non-request monster subjugation, Party Leaders have to proactively dig up the relevant information on their own, then bring it to their Guildmaster and gain approval beforehand.

In short, the Adventurer Guild’s structure is the exact same as the Carpenter Guild’s or Leather Craftsmen Guild’s or other such guilds. 

♥♦♣♠

“Well then, this seems as good a place to get out as any.”

“H-, hai!”

“Understood.”

After making a certain amount of progress on the large avenues via carriage, I speak up according to what we’d agreed on beforehand. 

We do not know if there are any, but this is a ploy to confuse any surveilling parties by using [Move Outer Plane] for the latter part of our trip to the Adventurer Guild. The coachman has already been instructed to randomly roam the streets for a few hours. 

♥♦♣♠

It would have been a problem if it wasn’t so, but we did end up finding the Adventurer Guild quite easily. 

We’ve already sent a messenger ahead of us outlining our business, so we were courteously guided to a parlor by an old man. 

Already gathered in that room are ten Party Leaders, with Sedam included. 

“Welcome, Wizard Margils-dono. Once again, my name is Lect, and I am the Guildmaster. Those present here are the Leaders who head the most excellent parties in my Guild.”

“......”

Having cast [Sense of Adept] on my own eyes beforehand, I now look at the Guildmaster and Party Leaders in turn. 

In my view, the words [Human / Male / 65 Years Old / Level 8 Thief] are floating above the old man’s head. [Sense of Adept] is a spell that enables me to see other people’s status information. 

However, the Thief part is strangely quivering. According to D&B rules, the only existent professions are Warrior, Cleric, Thief, Wizard, and Commoner. Thus, I surmise that the quivering must be an indication that ‘if his profession in this world is to be forcefully cla.s.sified under one of the basic professions, then he would be a Thief.’

Furthermore, the concept of levels do not exist in Sedia, so the numbers I see are merely ‘if this person’s strength is to be measured by D&B standards.’

Sedam’s level 9 is the highest out of what I’ve seen so far, but there are several people here who could be a match for him. 

Just like the other mind-reading skills like [Detect Enemy] and [Telepathy], I feel significant resistance about using this spell, as it disregards the privacy of other people’s personal information, but this time will have to be one of those rare exceptions. 

“I am the wizard Gio Margils. Today, I have come here with great expectations of you experienced adventurers. The task will be a difficult one, which is why I am here to borrow your strength.”

“Hey, hey, you’re that guy, right? The one who can call down a meteor like dobaa~, right? Can’t you show us a bit?”

Before the Guildmaster could say anything, a young man speaks up in a frivolous voice. 

Even I’ve already noticed this person who has his long legs on the table and is fiddling with a knife. He sure does come on straight. 

By the way, according to [Sense of Adept], his information is [Human / Male / 23 Years Old / Level 6 Thief]. His level is a bit on the low end among the adventurers gathered here. 

“Shaup! Will you stop!”

“You’re being disrespectful!”

Rebukes fly from several other adventurers, but the man called Shaup acts like it’s no concern of his. 

Irudo and Mora are about to stand up, but I swing my staff to stop them. 

Well, as people who make a living in this world as adventurers, I understand them not wanting to accept the existence of an overwhelming power without witnessing it for themselves. 

There are even several adventurers who, instead of censuring Shaup, nod as if in agreement with him, or are looking my way with suspicion in their eyes. 

Seeing as how the Guildmaster is staying quiet, this is either orchestrated, or he is letting Shaup bear the full brunt of whatever may happen as he weighs me up. 

The very fact of weighing would mean that he, too, has doubts. 

When I look towards Sedam, he jerks his head in Shaup’s direction and raises a single eyebrow for a fraction of a second.

Though I haven’t known him long, he is a nakama with whom I’ve faced an anki nest together. I can at least understand that he is saying “give it to him.”

“In short, you wish to see me cast a spell?”

“That’s exa~ctly what I’m saying. Don’t you get it, ossan?”

“I see.”

Sorry, this ossan is a bit irritated right now. 

The fastest way to handle some people is to show them the difference in power from the start. 

I turn towards Shaup and utter a chant. 

“By means of this spell, transform him into the figure of an unsightly pig. [Transform Other].”

“Hah? What did you say? Hurry up and call a m.. m.... bu….. buu……. bubu…….."

[Transform Other] transforms someone else into an animal or monster. Although he might be someone with enough strength to be a Leader in this world, being only level 6 by D&B standards means there’s no way he could have resisted the spell. 

His body shrinks squis.h.i.+ly like a character in a doll anime until all that’s left is a piglet. 

“Buh…… Buhi……”

“Oh, I beg your pardon. I’m afraid I couldn’t really catch what you were saying. Did you want me to call something?”

“ “ “............” ” ”

The energetic piglet running around the parlor who used to be Shaup, and the speechless Guildmaster and adventurers. 

Irudo’s and Mora’s faces are twitching. 

“Guildmaster.”

“Y-, yes?”

“Would you be able to finish what Shaup-kun was trying to say earlier? Please, I only wish to grant his wish.”

“P-...... Please forgive us!”

“We are very sorry!”

“I did tell him to stop!”

“Please don’t turn me into a pig, Wizard-sama!”

Including the Guildmaster, the adventurers fall onto the floor in dogezawhile apologizing profusely. The only exceptions are 3 people, one of which is Sedam.

This Guildmaster is a bit…… Isn’t he supposedly more used to the ways of the world that I am?

Sedam is openly grinning at Shaup-kun and the adventurers, but comes to his senses with a start and rearranges his posture into a decorous bow.

“I thought I had adequately conveyed the information about you to all of them, but it was clearly not the case. I, too, bear some of the responsibility. Please accept my apologies, Margils-dono.”

“We will make sure that Shaup fully atones for his transgress, so please calm your anger with this much.”

“We are truly sorry.”

The other two adventurers who did not appear unsettled even while looking at the ruin of what Shaup once was also respectfully apologize to me. Respectively, [Human / Female / 30 Years Old / Level 7 Cleric] and [Human / Male / 38 Years Old / Level 8 Warrior] show up.

When treated in such an adult manner, it makes me feel embarra.s.sed about my quick and careless handling of the situation.

On top of which, Mora’s reproachful eyes from the side hurt quite a bit.

“He said he wanted to see wizardry, and I merely answered his request. That is all that happened—there is no anger. Worry not, I shall return him to his das.h.i.+ng form a while later.”

“T-, Thank you so very much.”

“Can we now move onto the discussion of my request?”

“Yes, of course. Please begin.”

There is no longer anyone left who would dare interrupt. 

♥♦♣♠

“...... And this is the situation that we currently find ourselves in. Consequently, what I wish to request for is firstly, the protection of these two friends of mine and their property, and secondly, the identification of the mastermind behind these incidents.”

“...... Is the order of priority in that order?”

So asks the Guildmaster timidly. Irudo aside, Mora looks uncomfortable being the focus of attention of all the adventurers. 

“Naturally.”

“However, to conduct both investigation and escort duties at the same time would be quite difficult……”

“That's only if we’re talking about a single party, right? I have full intention of hiring every single party led by the Leaders currently present.”

“T-, that’s…… I’m really sorry, but to hire all 10 parties represented here would incur quite the expense……”

“Hah? Expense? Would this be enough?”

I stand up, and flip my sling bag upside down. 

True to its name, this sling bag, more properly called Infinity Bag, is capable of storing literally an infinite number of items below a certain size. 

A golden river starts pouring out. 

As the river makes contact with the floor of the parlor, it returns to individual pieces of gold coins and white gold coins and jewels, which proceed to pile up into a rapidly growing mound. 

In front of the slack-jawed faces of all the adventurers, I could not suppress my feelings of glee. 

Instead of slapping their faces with stacks of bills, this is more like punching them with gold coins and jewels. And in the mounted position, no less. 

“Gio-san, Gio-san!”

Beside me, Mora is desperately making the [x] sign with her fingers. It seems that she is trying to say “that’s enough.” Irudo also has a worried look on his face, and Sedam is shrugging resignedly.

“...... I’m afraid I’ve yet to count it, but I hope this much should be sufficient as compensation?”

Thanks to them, my emotions have already calmed down as the Guildmaster furiously nods his head. I am truly thankful for such reactions from them. 

It is thanks to them that I can remain the person that I am.