CH ss - 45

[Alfine: Frick’s Whereabouts]

※Alfine’s POV

After a few days of traveling in wagon, the building of the Inbahanes Adventurer’s Guild, where Finn who had become Frick seems to be, comes into sight.

“Al Onii-chan, Meila Onee-chan, that is our destination, isn’t it! It seems that it’s smaller than the one in Youg Hannotes, but adventurers are gathering there. Frick-san who Al Onii-chan is searching for is there, right!”

Maribel who is sitting in the coachman’s seat is delighted seeing the Inbahanes Adventurer’s Guild.

As Maribel says, Finn must be there.

He should be on the mission of escorting the frontier count family’s daughter – Noelia as the Crimson Magic Swordsman – Frick whose swordplay and magic are top notch.

During several days before arriving here, I had thought about what I should do in my head, but I feel kind of nervous when the time to meet him approaches.

“Al Onii-chan, are you nervous? Your hands are shaking you know?” (Maribel)

Maribel sitting next to me gently puts her hand on my shaking hands and looks up at her anxiously.

“Uun. I’m okay. I’ve decided to accept whatever the result is after all. But thank you for your concern.” (Al)

I gently pat Maribel’s head.

Maila and Maribel are with me, so I must try to settle the matter with Finn properly.

If I was alone, I would never have come to such a place, I think.

I feel grateful to my two companions again.

While I’m thinking about such a thing, the wagon driven by Meila stops at the horse stop in front of the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Now then, we’ve arrived. I’ve been to this Adventurer’s Guild several times to take requests to investigate ruins because there are many ancient ruins around here, but there are many beastmen who are quite hateful of humans, so be careful with your words, alright?” (Meila)

Meila who has tied the wagon’s horse to the horse stop tightens her expression.

As if to prove Meila’s words, the surrounding beastmen are looking at us in a strange way.

“Is that so? I thought that perhaps the beastmen don’t hate the human race as much as I’ve heard from hearsay because the people in Devon village are quite friendly, however.” (Al)

“I think it’s just that the people in Devon village are particularly friendly. They originally had interacted with the people of the mine, remember? And there was also the matter of Finn-kun and the others.” (Meila)

“Maribel doesn’t hate Al Onii-chan and Meila Onee-chan, she loves them.” (Maribel)

Maribel is a young but really kind girl; she takes care of us in various ways.

Before leaving on this journey, I wasn’t very good at socializing, but I realized that I was able to grow a little thanks to meeting with Meila and Maribel and the various other things that happened.

“Al-kyun is cute, but Maribel-cha~n is cute too!” (Meila)

When I notice Meila’s eyes moisten hearing Maribel’s words, she pouts her lips and tries to hug her.

“Alright, stop right there, Meila Nee-san. I’ve said you couldn’t go beyond that, haven’t I!” (Al)

After grabbing the face of Meila – who is hugging Maribel and trying to kiss her, I push her away.

I wouldn’t be able to face Marco if something were to happen to Maribel during the trip, so I have to be careful.

Whenever Meila sees a chance, she would always immediately try to hug and kiss her after all.

“Al-kyun, you stingy. Maribel-chan is my wife, you hear me~? Maribel-chan has done various things to my body so that I can no longer live without her after all.” (Meila)

“Don’t say something that would mislead others hearing it.” (Al)

“After all, it’s a fact, so it can’t be helped, right? I can’t wake up in the morning unless Maribel wakes me up, and I can’t even eat my meal by myself.” (Meila)

No, you properly ate by yourself when you were traveling with me, weren’t you?

Just that, it is true we can’t help but slacking off because Maribel does various things by herself, however.

Seeing the face of Meila desperately trying to hug Maribel, I unconsciously sigh.

“Maribel decides that she is going to be the wife of someone rich and has a lot of business, so please do your best Meila Onee-chan. If you have a lot of money, Maribel may consider to become your wife.” (Maribel)

The person who is about to be hugged herself is looking at Meila with a sweet smile on her face.

Maribel is kind, caring, and good at looking after others, yet she sure is a child with a very solid economic outlook.

The person herself said that she had been living in poverty with her father the whole time, so I think that’s why she is pretty strict about money.

“Aguu! I’ll make a lot and lots of money for Maribel-chan, so don’t abandon meeeh!” (Meila)

Being told to make money, Meila begins to be more desperate in trying to hug her.

“Meila, it’s dangerous, so stop.” (Al)

“Al Onii-chan and Meila Onee-chan, it’s dangerous, so stop—. Look—, we’ll be at the guild entrance soon.” (Maribel)

Due to trying to hold back the rampaging Meila, though I’m nervous, I soon arrive in front of the entrance to the Adventurer’s Guild.

I can see beastman adventurers hanging out and talking at the entrance of the guild, seemingly free.

Finn is inside there…

“Stop, what are the likes of human adventurers——”

“Oi, this guy is wearing Youg Hannotes’ adventurer badge.”

“Are they related to Frick-san and his companions?”

After turning his eyes to my badge and finding out that I’m an adventurer of Youg Hannotes, the wolf beastman at the entrance changes his dubious attitude.

The beastman beside him also seems to know about the Finn who has become Frick, so I ask them for information.

“Do you guys know the whereabouts of the Crimson Magic Swordsman Frick?”

“Frick-san’s whereabouts? Well, he hasn’t appeared in the guild recently, so I think he has received a request from the guild master.”

“He’s currently not in the city?” (Al)

“Ahh, if he’s here, you should be able to see that huge wyvern in the sky above the city, but I haven’t seen it recently either.”

The wolf beastman points at the sky above the city at where Frick’s wyvern would have been flying.

The fact that an adventurer hasn’t been seen usually means that they are away from the city on some sort of request.

If that is the case, it may be faster to ask the guild directly.

“Al, seems like Frick-kun isn’t here, hm. Why don’t we try asking the guild his whereabouts?” (Meila)

Meila who is listening to the talk seems to think the same thing as I did, as she suggest the same thing.

“U-un. You’re right, if he’s away from the city on a request or something, it might be faster to try asking it.” (Al)

“Thank you for telling us a lot, uncles. Al Onii-chan, Meila Onee-chan, let’s go quickly!” (Maribel)

“O-ou. Glad I could hel——wait, I’m still young, dammit!”

After bowing a little to the wolf beastman who gave us the information, Maribel pulls my and Meila’s hands and enters the guild.

Perhaps because it is past noon, the inside of the Adventurer’s guild seems to be deserted.

Since it is past the request acceptance rush hour, the receptionists in charge of the counters seems to be spending a leisurely break in preparation for the evening rush hour inside the guild.

Before going to the counter, I glance into the waiting room, but I couldn’t see the figure of the flashy red-haired magic swordsman.

After all, he isn’t here, huh.

From the story I heard earlier, he seems to be on a request outside the city after all.

I feel relieved not seeing Finn in the guild for some reason.

Although I’ve been determined to meet him, a part of me also nervous at the thought of meeting him right now, like earlier.

I feel disturbed that at the fact I felt relieved that I couldn’t meet Finn, it shows my weakness.

“Al. It seems like what the adventurers from earlier said is true.” (Meila)

“Frick-san is a magic swordsman with bright red hair and eyes, isn’t he?” (Maribel)

“Ah, un. That’s right. He doesn’t seem to be here, so let’s go to the counter.” (Al)

“Yeah. Looking at a glance, it seems he’s not here.” (Meila)

“Then, let’s go quickly. It’s over there, right?” (Maribel)

Maribel takes my hand and starts running toward the counter.

When we arrive at the counter, one of the receptionists taking a break sees us and comes out to receive us immediately.

“Welcome, are you here to accept a request?”

“No, we have some business with the Guild Master Gidion-sama and would like to meet him directly, however. Our identities are guaranteed by Frontier Count-sama with this document.” (Al)

I hand out a small parchment with the Frontier Count family’s crest from my pouch to the receptionist.

On the parchment, it is written that Frontier Count guarantees our identity.

This parchment was the parchment that Frontier Count gave before we left, saying that if I were to pursue Finn while hiding my identity, various problems would probably occur.

I didn’t need to use it during the journey until now, but in order to have the guild’s side tell us about Finn’s whereabouts, I think the quickest way is to give them a guarantee on our identities, so I’ll use it unreservedly.

“T-this is! Henestrosa family’s crest!? You are a messenger from the Frontier Count family!? I-I will immediately report to Gidion-sama, so please wait for a moment.”

Having seen the crest on the parchment, the receptionist rushes to the inner part of the counter.

After finding out that we are related to the Henestrosa family, the guild staff that has been taking a break until then suddenly turn our way and begin talking in whisper,

“Messenger of the Henestrosa family, perhaps they are here about Noelia Ojou-sama’s case…”

“Is that young blonde blue-eyed swordsman a member of the knight order? Ah, but he’s wearing an adventurer badge. Seems like he’s an adventurer.”

“He’s also accompanied by a little beastman girl, and the other woman seems to be a ruins explorer, looking from her equipment. A pretty strange combination, don’t you say? Who are they?”

Around the time when I begin to feel uncomfortable about the gazes of the guild staff, the receptionist returns.

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Gidion-sama invites you to meet him, so please follow me.”

“Thank you for immediately arranging a meeting for us.”

After giving a thanks to the receptionist, we follow her to the Guild Master’s office.

The author noted in this chapter that the 2nd volume of the light novel was almost completely written anew, and this is a draft illustration of Noelia wearing an arabian nights-ish dress, I think?