CH 171

Late night guild

***---***

By the time I got back to Volzard, the sun had already set and it was getting late at night.

When I was talking with Kajikawa-san, I completely forgot about the widening time difference between Japan and Volzard.

The Griffon had been subdued, so there were still echoes of the festivities in the city, but the guild's staff space had fallen silent, and the sound of pens moving could be heard.

Donovan-san, CEO of a self-black company, was the only person using a pen at that time.

Due to the Griffon turmoil, normal work may have decreased, but the number of subjugation-related documents had probably increased.

Donovan-san's desk had piles of documents that I was impressed that they didn't fall apart.

I was a little hesitant to call out, but I heard that Tebez-san, who was in charge of appraisal, should be present when the rebar was brought in, so it would be better to ask him if it should be brought in tomorrow.

"Good evening, Donovan-san."

"Kent, what are you doing at this hour?"

"Yes, I returned to Japan after a long time, so I forgot about the widening time difference while talking about various things."

Donovan-san gave a wry smile when I talked about the situation while coming out of the shadows.

"Fufuu, if you want to work that late, I can give you as much work as you want."

"Th, that's outrageous. I politely decline."

"Fuun, well, it's about accepting the iron, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's better to do it tomorrow, right?"

"Is it possible for you to hang on to it?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"Yes, then the day after tomorrow."

"Ehh, it isn't tomorrow?"

"Are you going to tell me to work on the holiday?"

"Ehh ... Ahh, tomorrow is the day of rest."

"Yes, you should rest for a while."

"That's right ... A week here is different from a week in Japan, and Amanda-san's shop, where I'm staying, is open on the day of rest, so my senses are off."

"You're working a little too hard. Well, just sit there and let's have a cup of tea."

"Haa ..."

Even if someone who worked harder than me told me that, it's not like I would be convinced, I felt like he just wanted to drink tea, but let's treat it like an adult.

Donovan-san started working on the pile of papers again, using the magic tool pot on the side of his desk to boil water.

"Kent ..."

"Yes, what is it?"

"How many people have you seen die before you came to this world?"

"Dead people ... is it?"

"Yes, to put it another way, how many corpses have you seen?"

"When I was in Japan, my grandmother died of illness."

"I see ... Japan seems like a good country."

"Yes, there are people who die from accidents, illnesses, and disasters, but it's one of the safest countries in the world I lived in."

Donovan-san listened to me and nodded while flipping through the documents one after another.

Maybe Donovan-san was the reincarnation of Shoutoku Taishi.(TN:Someone canonized as a Buddhist saint, and quite famous apparently.)

"Kent ..."

"Yesh, wh, what is it ..."

"What are you surprised for?"

"No, I was thinking about something else ..."

"I see ... So, since you came to this world, how many corpses have you seen?"

"Um ... I don't know the exact number, but I think it's more than 20 ..."

Thinking about it again, the numbers are too different.

Just recently, I've seen the bodies of five people: Tayama, Mita, the garrison member and adventurer who were killed by the Griffon, and the First Prince, Alphonse Resenburg.(TN:The other garrison members/adventurers weren't 'seen' by Kent.)

"Kent, are you used to death?"

"I wonder about that. I don't know for sure, but if the corpse isn't severely damaged, I feel like even if I see it, I'll no longer be disturbed."

"High-ranked adventurers are able to obtain higher rewards than others because they have unique skills and have more opportunities to step into places where there is a risk of death."

It's true that low-rank adventurers would prioritize evacuation over interception even when monsters appeared in large numbers, and they wouldn't have the opportunity to set foot in a place where Salamanders and Griffons were.

On the other hand, as a high-ranked adventurer, if you go to such places, the chances of encountering death will inevitably increase.

"Those who are shaken by the deaths of others and are unable to make accurate decisions will eventually lose their own lives. If you want to continue your activities as an S-rank adventurer in the future, be careful not to lose even the minimum level of composure when you see someone else's death."

"Is that what you mean by getting used to people's deaths?"

"Right. Ohh, it looks like the water is boiling ..."

Taking a break from flipping through documents, Donovan-san began brewing the tea with a careful hand.

That seemed to be a ritual, and maybe it was an important opportunity for Donovan-san to refresh himself.

"Take it as a thank you for killing the Griffon."

"Thank you. Nnn, this is ..."

Just by holding the cup to my mouth, I could smell the sweet aroma of fruit.

Then, when I put it in my mouth, the rich taste of tea leaves spread in my mouth.

The fragrance was pure, and the taste gave a feeling reminiscent of a leading actor.(TN:演技派の大御所 means a master actor who relies on skills rather than appearance, so maybe it just means it tastes good without relying on looks?)

"This is a taste that leaves me speechless."

"Fufuu, that's right, that's right, because the skill of the person who brewed it is also good."

If Donovan-san gives such a terrifying smile, no, you're wrong ... I can't say such a thing.

Donovan-san sat back in his chair and relaxedly enjoyed the taste of the tea.

You don't need a poor gourmet report for this fragrant taste, right.

Donovan-san, who was immersed in the taste of the tea for a while, returned to the topic.

"High-ranked adventurers often go to places where they are faced with death. That's why they have more chances to see people die, but it's not just people who have little to do with you that will lose their lives."

"But, in my case, the only people I work with are my genus ..."

"That's true for now, but it won't always be the case in the future. As you age and gain experience, you will be in a position to lead other adventurers. I know your abilities are outstanding, but that doesn't mean you can absolutely protect those around you. In fact, someone was already snatched by the Griffon."

"It's true that Mita was snatched, but that's because he didn't follow the instructions to evacuate ..."

"Right. That's right, but from now on, there will be people who will easily take actions that you don't expect. And those kinds of people die easily."

"In other words, do you mean that I can get used to the death of people close to me?"

"Well, that's how it is, but if you get used to that kind of situation again and again, you'll be in trouble. So, even if someone close to you loses their life, be prepared not to lose your composure."

"I kind of understand what Donovan-san is saying, but whether or not I'm prepared ... I can't say with confidence."

When I heard that Funayama, who I wasn't on very good terms with, died, I was quite upset, and I was stopped by Reinhardt because I lacked composure.

Compared to that time, I thought I was able to act relatively calmly when Tayama and Mita died.

However, if someone with a closer relationship, for example, the chairman, Manon, Beatriche, etc., were to be killed, I would undoubtedly go out of control.

Even with Amanda-san, Meisa-chan, and Meline-san, I didn't have the confidence to keep my composure.

"How did Donovan-san become prepared?"

"Me? I ... learned from my mistakes."

"Even Donovan-san can make mistakes."

"Of course. When I was your age, I was a kid who was more full of himself than Gilik is now."

I couldn't imagine Donovan-san, who didn't neglect to check the participants even in combat training against beginners, and who didn't cut corners, was more out of control than that mutt.

"At the time, I was based in the Academic City of Bakkenheim, and I was just a kid who had just risen to C-rank. I did a request by pretending to have a party with two people I was interested in. There was a party that invited us like that ..."

It seemed that it was a party of seven men in their late twenties who called out to Donovan-san and the others, who were 17 or 18.

They didn't dislike lively young people ... While accumulating experience, he was told to take a peek at a slightly higher-ranked job, so he decided to work with that party to complete the request.

As the party consisted of one A-rank member, four B-rank members, and two C-rank members, they were able to accept high-rank requests that Donovan-san and the others at the time could not accept.

"The request was to subjugate the Ogres that appeared in a suburban village, and the number was supposed to be four to eight, and it was an A-rank request. For C-ranks like us, it was a request that we couldn't even accept unless we teamed up with someone who was A-rank. I had a strong desire to fight with an Ogre, so I agreed immediately."

The village, about two days by horse-drawn carriage from Bakkenheim, was alert to the hordes of Ogres that were frequently sighted in the vicinity, and built a fence around it to solidify its defenses.

Donovan-san and the others decided to divide into 3 teams, 3 young men and 2 veteran parties, to investigate the surroundings of the village.

Even though they were divided into three teams, they were told to be positioned so that their voices could be heard and they would act within the range where they could be seen.

However, the instructions were meant to deceive Donovan-san and the others.

"There were four Ogres that attacked me, and if it were me now, I would be able to manage at least one, but at the time there was no chance of winning in a one-on-one battle. I immediately called out to the veterans, but they didn't come to help me. At first, I thought it was to help us gain experience, but even when the situation got worse after our comrades got injured, they didn't even pretend to help us. Only then did I realize that we had been deceived and were used as a decoy."

He learned later that the veterans were the only ones who sprinkled medicinal powder that monsters disliked.

Just hearing about using a promising young man as a decoy made me angry, but Donovan-san remembering those days didn't have an expression of anger, but rather, an expression of regret that he could not see through the opponent's strategy.

"We should have escaped to the veterans without worrying about shame or rumors. But, one of my comrades was killed, and the blood rushed to my head, and I couldn't think of the option of escaping."

"But, the fact that Donovan-san is here means that you were saved, right?"

"That's right. My second companion was also killed, and it was only a matter of time before I was killed. An adventurer happened to pass by and instantly killed the four Ogres with his magical swordsmanship. That was a famous S-rank adventurer at the time, the one who is currently guarding Master Reese, Lau-san."(TN:He uses Engrish Masutaa here.)

Every time Lau-san's sword flashed, an Ogre's arm flew into the air and its head fell to the ground.

Wait, Lau-san was an S-rank adventurer? I wish I had been told that when we met.

Lau-san also took revenge on the seven adventurers who attacked him.

Donovan-san was also wounded and dizzy, but when he tried to slash at the adventurers who deceived them, he was beaten and forced to stop by Lau-san.

"Being an adventurer is a business where you carry everything on your own. Even if we were deceived, I was told that the reason we couldn't deal with the Ogres was because we were immature. From that mistake, I learned that I should not lose my composure even if someone close to me collapsed. After the first comrade had fallen, there was still the possibility of escaping, and I might not have lost the other comrade."

Lau-san collected the guild cards from the veteran adventurers and carried Donovan-san back to the village.

It seemed that the guild cards were collected so that he could report the circumstances and dispose of them, even if each and every one of them argued, the words of S-rank adventurers had a lot of power, and the seven people's arguments didn't go through.

Donovan-san didn't know what happened to the seven adventurers after that, but in order to receive work through the guild, it was necessary to accept the punishment, and the only way to avoid the punishment was to register again from F-rank.

"But, isn't it a bit strange that there is no penalty if you start over from F-rank?"

"Think about it carefully, F-ranked adventurers in their late twenties, would be those who didn't work until that age and were lazy, or those who registered as new members to avoid being punished."

"I see ... it's like saying yourself that you're someone who did something in the past."

"That's right."

After that, Donovan-san followed Lau-san like a stalker, and learned many things, such as the mental attitude of an adventurer.

For me, now is the time to learn as an adventurer.

"Kent, if you want to continue working as an adventurer, you need to get used to the death of people, but don't become indifferent."

"Indifference ... is it?"

"Right. Getting used to it and being indifferent seem similar, but they're different."

I'm sure there are differences, but if asked how they differ, I didn't have the confidence to give a good answer.

"Of the 20 ore more dead people you've seen since you came to this world, how many of them have you had a close relationship with?"

"We weren't on good terms, but there were two people I knew."

"People with whom you have a weak connection will probably cause you to be shocked if they die in front of you, but unlike those who were close to you, you should be able to switch relatively easily."

"It's as you say, that's true."

"But, Kent. Even if they aren't close to you, they always have family, friends, and acquaintances. From the point of view of those people, their death is a big deal."

"I suppose that's true."

I think what he's saying is true, but I didn't quite understand.

"That's it, Kent. Um, it has nothing to do with me ... it sounds like you want to say that."

"Ehh ...?"

"When someone close to you dies, you feel a great sense of loss. And you want the people around you to agree. I have nothing to do with it ... if you hear such words being said, what the hell is this guy ... it gives a somewhat repulsive feeling."

"That is, it's about understanding the feelings of the bereaved, isn't it?"

"Right. I think there's something that comes to mind."

Certainly, when Funayama died, I even went to search for traces of his body, but I felt like I gave up from the beginning when it came to Mita.

When Takagi-san asked me why I couldn't abide by the feelings of the bereaved family, I couldn't help but feel repulsed.

Well, that must have been influenced by Takagi-san's character.

When I talked about the circumstances of that time, Donovan-san nodded several times and answered after listening.

"Well, it wasn't a very clever response. As your rank rises and you play a central role in things, the number of people who make various demands increases. Naturally, it's impossible to satisfy everyone's demands, and in fact, searching for the remains will also be refused."

"That's right. If that's the case, was there anything wrong with my response?"

"No, didn't you have a needless confrontation. In the first place, the matter of remains left behind is not something that you can judge, so you'll ask, but you don't know if your wish will go through ... You should have just said something like that."

"But, if they ask for such an unnecessary thing ..."

"It's fine, isn't it. You work hard enough, leave that troublesome decision to Klaus-san. He's going to be your father-in-law, so don't hesitate to use him."

Saying such, Donovan-san grinned.

Yup, it's a learning experience.

"But, if you take an interest in the other person, you're likely to think about a lot of things when they die, and if that happens, you won't be able to keep your cool, and it's kind of difficult to balance."

"Rather than balance, it's switching."

"Switching, is it?"

"Right, at least don't be upset if someone dies in battle. The turmoil of those in power puts others in danger. And once safety has been secured, don't forget to mourn those who died."

"I see ..."

Donovan-san's words carried a weight of experience.

Come to think of it, I might have been immersed in the joy of subjugating the Griffon and lacked the feeling of caring for Mita's family and friends.

"Kent, you are in a very distorted state."

"Distorted ... is it?"

"That's right, it's distorted. Ability values and experience values are not balanced. It's an overwhelming lack of experience."

"I see, not that. Certainly, I don't have enough experience to match my abilities."

"Since you belong to an organization called a guild, you must act according to the rules of the guild. That's why I recommended you to become S-rank ... To be honest, I think it's too early to become S-rank."

"But, I'm already an S-rank, aren't I."

"That's right. However, no request nomination as an S-rank has come yet. Due to the Griffon disturbance, Master Reese is staying in Volzard, but that will disappear soon."

"Does that mean that if Reese-san returns to Bakkenheim, I might receive a nomination request?"

"Well, it won't be right now, but there's no guarantee that it won't come. Then you'll need to be prepared when it does."

To be honest, I had to proceed with the return of my classmates, the troubles in Resenburg hadn't been resolved, and I personally had Seraphima's marriage and house hunting to do, I couldn't afford to think about requests from other cities.

"Since your affiliation is Volzard, you will need the consent of the Lord to request nominations from other towns. However, since there are certain circumstances in issuing a nomination request to an S-rank adventurer in another city, the reality is that in most cases there is no choice but to accept it. I will be informed of the details of the request, so I should be able to give you some advice, but you should also consider becoming the center of a large organization."

"Eeehhh ... even if you suddenly say that ..."

"You don't want to do that, you're likely thinking that right now."

"That's right ..."

"Well, in your case, Reinhardt is at your side, so if you are unsure about your decision, ask for advice."

"Ah, that's right. Reinhardt was the branch leader of the Knight Order, so he's good at that sort of thing."

When I turned my attention, Reinhardt, who had been listening in the shadows, spoke to me via telepathy.

[ Buhahaha, it's true that I'm used to moving groups, that's why if you're in trouble, rely on me. ]

[ W, well, I'll try my best to do so ... ]

If I stayed too long, Donovan-san's unpaid overtime would increase, so it was about time to leave.

I finished drinking the tea that was left in the cup and stood up.

"Thank you, it was a treat. I'll take it slow and think about the future."

"That's right. But, don't think about work tomorrow, take it easy."

"Yes, I will do so. Then, good night."

"Ah, good night ..."

When I turned around when I was diving into the shield of darkness, Donovan-san was seeing me off with his arms folded.

Klaus-san would become my father-in-law if I married Beatriche, and Donovan-san was more a strict father than a big brother.

I didn't get along well with my biological father, but I was blessed with a good father in Volzard.

Now then, what should I do on my day off tomorrow.