CH 327

Chapter 327 – Revisiting the Adventurers’ Guild

“Eh? Do you want to make a hole in the floor somewhere on the first floor of the guild to create a direct path to the castle? I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t do that… Um, if you need me to come over, just call me, and I’ll come over.”

“Right.”

The deputy head of the adventurers’ guild Merinesburg headquarters, Baran, looked weak as he turned down my proposal, while Iphrita nodded her head with a look that said it was only natural.

If it was too dangerous to go to the merchants’ guild or adventurers’ guild, it would be safer and less time-consuming to summon people from the merchants’ guild or adventurers’ guild to the castle than to go to the trouble of preparing an underground passageway or track vehicles. It was a natural decision.

“We got off to a bad start.”

“It’s shocking.”

Isla and I were discussing how exactly to extend the underground passage in the direction of the castle and what kind of vehicle we would build, only to have both of us drop our shoulders. No, that’s what we thought calmly.

But I’d really like to try extending the range of activities of Lime and the others by extending the castle’s underground passageway, you know? I’ll try the experiment next time.

“…As I have heard, His Excellency seems to be quite a pleasant man.”

The big old man who had been watching our exchange with great interest opened his mouth heavily.

Sitting next to Baran, his name is Cresta. He is the head of the adventurers’ guild headquarters in Merinesburg and Baran’s superior―as his title suggests, he is the head of the adventurers’ guild.

He is a sturdy man who shows no signs of decline due to age. He is probably as big as Danan and has a great deal of body mass. He is not fat but rather gives the impression of being covered in a solid armor of muscles. He is an old man with white hair and a beard but looks very powerful.

The reason why only Baran showed up the other day was because he passed by us on his way to the merchant’s guild. We had notified them in advance of our visit, so that is why he was waiting for us with Baran.

“How about we get down to business?”

“Oh, yeah, sure. Let’s see, here’s the thing. I’m here to ask you about the progress of the Adventurer Support Program, as I’ve notified you.”

Cresta and Baran nodded when they heard my words, and Baran opened his mouth.

“Yes. Through Kosuke-dono’s efforts, we were able to secure a budget from the Merinard Kingdom as well as the merchant guild, and the adventurer guild’s equipment system has begun to take shape. We are also very grateful to Kosuke-dono for purchasing a large amount of materials that we had little use for.”

“Yeah, goblin’s and kobold’s corpses and stuff like that. For me, goblin corpses are a useful source of hides and meat.”

Goblin skins and kobold pelts are so thin and of such poor quality that they are almost unusable, and the meat is so stinky and tasteless that few people eat it. However, with my abilities, goblin skins and kobold pelts of poor quality can be used just like ordinary skins and pelts, and once the meat is processed, it is no different from any other meat.

In other words, if it is made into a steak, it will look like beef, and if it is made into a hamburger or a sausage, it will look like delicious minced meat. The original ingredients are trivial in the face of such a messy process.

“Thanks to this, our stock of food has increased significantly. And materials derived from animals and monsters. Tendons and intestines.”

Since synthetic fibers and carbon materials have not yet been developed, tendons and intestines derived from animals and monsters are surprisingly valuable. Because it is impossible to make them. The same goes for leather.

“…I don’t think goblin or kobold meat is going to taste good, though.”

“Gizma’s meat becomes like any other meat when it’s processed by Kosuke. I wouldn’t be surprised if the goblin meat would be the same way.”

Gizma’s meat is like the meat of a very large shrimp, but when I use it to make steak, it becomes the meat of a cow. It can’t be helped.

“And then there’s the growing number of requests from the merchant guild?”

“Yes, in a way, thanks to Kosuke-dono. The adventurers’ guild has been receiving an increasing number of escort requests thanks to the increase in new peddlers, and the adventurers’ guild has been lending them the equipment of an acceptable level so that they can accept these requests. In addition, we are now able to fulfill requests from the farming villages around Merinesburg to take down monsters and guard the roads, and things are starting to go better overall.”

“It is true that the atmosphere in the adventurers’ guild has improved considerably.”

The last time I visited the adventurers’ guild, there were many people sitting around with dark expressions on their faces, not doing any work, but when I visited today, I did not see any adventurers in that way. There didn’t seem to be many people around, but that was probably because they were out on commission.

“The meal coupons are beginning to work well. More and more diners and inns are accepting meal coupons, and as a result, the dining establishments are also engaging in friendly competition.”

“I see. It is good that things are running smoothly. So, are there any inconveniences or trouble? I’d like to know so that I can deal with it in some way.”

“There really isn’t at this point. Maybe something will come up as time goes on, but for now, we haven’t received any reports of such incidents yet.”

“Is that so…? I wonder if, from the perspective of the adventurers’ guild, the series of activities that began with my proposal is helping to improve public safety, even if only slightly.”

Baran and Cresta nodded at the same time at my question.

“At least the people who were stationed at our place have found work and are able to eat. Although they may not be making enough money yet, their quality of life has improved dramatically compared to before Kosuke-dono’s help. Since these people have not turned into bandits, the amount of money they have made has definitely helped to improve public safety.”

“I agree with the headquarters chief. If those who have just begun working now become more powerful as adventurers, they will eventually contribute more directly to the maintenance of public safety. Moreover, if the prosperity of adventurers improves, the merchants who deal with adventurers will be enriched, and this will, in turn, create more jobs. I am sure that what Kosuke-dono has done will be greatly appreciated in the future.”

“That’s alright then. I can only give you money, but if you need anything in the future, you can count on me. If you have any suggestions on how to make things better, I would appreciate it if you would write to me at the castle with your suggestions.”

The two leaders of the adventurers’ guild nodded their heads in agreement with my offer. I’d like to stabilize the country through a series of such proposals. I’m going to continue to work on the areas that are inaccessible to Sylphy and the others. I’d rather do something to help more people than do nothing.

I don’t think it’s right that my own reputation will be enhanced because all I’m doing is paying money and taking advantage of it. But sometimes, it’s best for amateurs to be reasonable and just provide the resources and let the people on the front lines do the work. I don’t think the policy itself is wrong.

“Well, then, I’ll take my leave now. I don’t want to interrupt your work.”

“Hmm, that’s a good idea. I want to see what happened to those people.”

The assassins who were beaten back by Isla and dealt with by Shumel and the harpies should have been brought to the castle by now and are being interrogated. In the castle, there is Ellen, who has an eye to see the truth, and also Bertha-san, who is an inquisitor of the Adol religion. And, as a backup, there are also Lime and the others. No matter how much resistance the assassins put up, the information will surely be extracted. They probably won’t even be able to commit suicide.

We greeted Cresta and Baran, left the adventurers’ guild, and headed for the royal castle. We had a lot of work to do, but the appearance of an assassin who targeted me was likely to cause renewed tension in relations with the Holy Kingdom.

It’s a difficult thing to do when I want to take my time to settle our internal affairs. Good grief.