CH 61

After looking for Leila-chan for a while, we finally find her at the guild.

Seems like she has been here since early in the morning, she lays her body atop the table with her head hung down. Her long hair’s spreded atop the table, she’s also seemingly pretty feeble. Is she sick or something? But, she isn’t a human, or rather she’s demonic virus itself, so there’s no way for her to catch some disease, does she? Is she just feeling unwell or something, I wonder?

“Leila-chan?”

“Au! Ki, Kitsune-kun….”

“What are you doing? Even last night, you suddenly went somewhere like that.”

“Um, umm… back then I suddenly felt like eating something, so….”

“Give me back the gratitude I felt back then.”

What’s wrong with her? Well, given the fact that I might get eaten back then, moreover I even personally accepted it, that’s very scary. I was secretly in danger, huh.

But well, fortunately it wasn’t because of something important. Well, that sure was important in its own way, but Rishe-chan and Leila-chan were safe, and I even kinda leveled up in some ways, so that event didn’t only bring about bad things, did it?

But well, you see, even if I say guild, it’s still in its wrecked state, though.

Right now there’s only tables and chairs, and some kind of temporary quest board, the receptionists are accepting requests at some simple tables. Perhaps, it’d take quite a while before everything is reorganized, but the current scene somehow looks very simplisitic. The guild’s turned into something similar like an open-air class under the blue sky.

This was all apostle-chan’s fault, but since everyone was unanimously fainted back then without knowing what happened, when they woke up it turned into like this, huh.

Moreover, perhaps it’s because the guild they used to work at was destroyed, or perhaps it’s because they couldn’t protect it, the adventurers look somewhat gloomy.

“Runa-chan.”

“…ah… it’s you, huh.”

Runa-chan who is at the reception table is also the same, as expected, seems like she’s sad that the guild; where she acts as the ace receptionist at; was destroyed. Even though I; the very person who sexually harassed her; am right in front of her eyes, her lively expression she showed yesterday is nowhere to be seen.

Well, that’s a matter of course, huh. Even if it’s just a work place, it was the place where the adventurers deepened their bonds, and was a noisy yet fun place, after all. There’s no way for them to feel fine after having it in such a wreck.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, or so I want to say, but as expected it’s a bit hard… for me this is a precious place, after all.”

Ah, as thought, huh. Hmm, but well, it looks bad if it’s left as it is, doesn’t it? Even the adventurers don’t seems to be so inclined to work, were the receptionists are sad-looking and showing nothing but business smiles.

I have to somehow liven them up again. When I just got beaten by the hero, Grandile Kingdom’s adventurers helped me out, after all, so I have to do something here.

“….”

“…what’s the matter?”

…okay.

“Say, Runa-chan, I’m intending to go to Rookshade kingdom but, is there map or something?”

“Eh? Umm… if that’s the case, here, you can have it.”

“Oh, thank you!”

When I ask Runa-chan about Rookshade kingdom; which I’m going to go to; she unexpectedly gives me a map. There’s a safe route from Grandile Kingdom to Rookshade Kingdom printed there. There are villages and towns along the way, but it’s considerably farther than Miniera to Grandile Kingdom, so it looks like it’s going to be quite a long trip.

Not to mention if we go there by foot. Well, it’s fine in it’s own way, I think… from what I can see, it looks like if we walk by around half a day, we’ll be able to reach the next town.

Receiving the map; that’s presented by Runa-chan; I put it into my pocket. With this we should have somewhat known the way, the rest is… depending on how well we through it.

“…nevertheless, this place sure has become quite refreshing, hasn’t it?!”

I say so, loud enough to be heard by the adventurers.

“Ha?”

“Wait, wait, you see, I do feel bad for the guild to be broken just after we especially repaired it, but to be such a wreck, on the contrary, in a way it does feel refreshing, doesn’t it?! Honestly speaking, I do think this guild was oversized and also stinky, even the receptionist were of low level, so don’t you think it actually deserves to be destroyed?”

“Wha… you! Are you picking a fight?!”

“Well, just look, even though you’re such a little girl like and yet you’ve got such huge boobs? Mia-chan is definitely way better. Moreover you all; who get depressed simply by having your guild destroyed; in the end you’re only amount that much, aren’t you? Ahaha, as expected of a military country! Even if you’re strong in fights, your mental is very weak!”

“…you….”

At my word, Runa-chan; who’s before me; her shoulders are trembling and she reveals an angry expression. Seems like the surrounding adventurers can also clearly hear all of it, and are staring dagger at me.

Rishe-chan and Leila-chan are showing expressions that of a wonder, but they aren’t saying anything.

“Firstly the hero, and then that miko, seems like there’s nothing but lowly scum in this country, huh. So it can’t be helped if the guild was destroyed, right? Well, either way, simply having the guild destroyed, there’s none but those who are feeling down and doing nothing, so I thought sooner or later something like this might happen.”

Let’s just say anything as I pleased. Everyone here, just be angry if you want to, right now you’re all nothing but sore losers who won’t do anything even after I say that much.

After all, even if your precious guild was destroyed, if you do nothing but feeling down, nothing would happen, right? If you want to be feeling down that much, then just sit there and feeling down for eternity.

“Shut up!! As if you could understand it!!”

Lulu-chan, shouts so.

“Everyone here, they’ve been working and putting their life on the line here! You know, guild isn’t just a place to take requets! This is the place where they return to after risking their life in their works! That’s why, this is everyone’s home! That’s why, everyone here is family! If the family members dies everyone would be sad, if the family members succes everyone would congratulate them, that’s how things work here… even if they don’t know everything about the others, this is the place where they could spend time together! You who don’t know anything, you have no right to say such a thing! Someone who isn’t sad after losing his home, as if there’d be one here!!”

Family, that’s why they’re sad. Guild is their home, guild is their family, that’s if one is sad, everyone would be sad, if one is laughing, everyone would be laughing. This is the place that has forged such bond.

That’s why everyone is sad, feeling down, and angry.

But, even after being told so, I still don’t feel anything. In the end, even when they say they’re family, they still are doing nothing, aren’t they? By feeling down together, what will it bring about? By encouraging each other, will the guild be repaired? The guild was destroyed, but does that mean the bond’s destroyed as well?

If that’s really the case… what a frail bond.

“As if I’d understand. I just came here several days ago, you say family or whatnot but in the end you’re just stranger to other, aren’t you? And yet here you’re doing nothing but licking each other’s wounds and consoling each other because of that so called bond of yours, aren’t you? After all, simply by losing the guild, all you do is nothing but feeling down, right? No one is working, no words of encouragement, and yet you get angry when I point it out. I should be the one who’s angry here.”

“We have no time for such a thing! A person who’s always foolishly laughing like you wouldn’t ever understand it, the tears we shed will definitely become our support later someday! One after another, we’ll definitely be able to stand straight up again! That’s what we believe!”

Runa-chan shouts so. These words posses a powerful energy as if a roar from a giant dragon, it’s pointed at me, then reverberate toward the feeling down adventurers.

And then, their hearts are shaken by those words.

“That’s right… that was exactly how we built this guild… this is our cherished place… fooling around with other adventurers, making a pass at li’l Miss Runa-chan and the other receptionists, getting scolded, entrusting our lives to our comrades… and the fools who’d welcome us when we return… I love such a guild!”

“Yeah… me, too! What Runa-chan says are right, I also love this place!”

“Me, too!”

“Me, as well!”

“Me, also!”

“Me, too!”

Me too, me too, and so on, energy is returning to their eyes. As if agreeing to Runa-chan’s words, the adventurers are standing up, and staring dagger at me, while holding their feelings toward the guild inside their heart.

Family, well said, their bonds are surely as strong and as solid as family.

“Then just move your ass already. In the end, is spouting such flowery words all you could do?”

“!!”

“Gu…!”

Runa-chan grips her palm tight, and then launches it to my face.

Perhaps it’s thanks to my high resistance stat, not just it doesn’t hurt, I also don’t get blown away. It only makes me somewhat shaken. Also, thanks to “Demon-eye of foresight”, I already knew that she’d hit me. Well, even without using it, I already knew that she’d definitely hit me, though.

Nevertheless, her little fist sure is very painful. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s painful.

“…don’t you ever make fun of our bond…! Go away… if I see any longer, I might end up killing you…!”

Runa-chan says so.

Hearing that, I turn my back on her. There’s already no door, but I leave through the location where the door used to be. Rishe-chan and Leila-chan are following behind me.

I’m fully aware of the sharp gazes at my back, but I don’t turn back. In the end, whether they’d be able to stand up again is simply depending on them, after all, all I need to do is to lit it up. Also, I’ve intended to leave this country, after all.

“…are you sure, Kitsune? Saying something like that.”

“It’s fine. Let’s leave this country immediately.”

I answer so to Rishe-chan’s inquiry.

◇　◇　◇

After Kitsune and co. left, even while heavily breathing, Runa calmed herself down.

Being told something as he pleased, she rebuked, but then she was told that in the end they were only amount that much. Anger was overflowing her to the point she wanted to kill him, but she was able to somehow restrain herself.

“…haa…haa….”

“…are you okay, Runa-chan?”

“…I’m fine, of course, I’m fine.”

Toward Runa who hung her head and placed her hand atop the table, one of the adventurers called out to her, but Runa firmly answered so.

If she felt down here, it’d be just like what Kitsune just said. To triumph over Kitsune, she mustn’t feel down here. Everyone was similarly sad because of the guild was destroyed, then with the bond that the refered it as family, they’d definitely meet her feeling expectation.

“Everyone…”

Toward Runa’s word, the adventurers’gazes were all gathered on her.

“I… love this guild… that’s why, please, I’ll put up a request. Please help me rebuild the guild! As for the reward… currently I don’t have that much of money, but… nonetheless!”

“…the reward is, yours and the other receptionists’ smiles.”

“Eh?”

Runa raisd her head. And then, she could see adventurers; who were floating wide smile; were looking at her. They didn’t need money. Rather than such a thing, the smiles of the family members were the best reward possible. Adventurers were usually working while putting their lifes on the line, but for the sake of their family, even such sweat work was as important.

That was why, the option to refuse Runa’s request was nonexistent from the very beginning.

To rebuild their home, they’d lend however much power they had. That was why everyone was smiling, everything wasn’t over yet. So that everyone could smile again, so that they could stay be family from there on, they’d restart it again there.

“Everyone…”

“Please smile, Runa-chan! You’re our ace, aren’t you?”

One of the adventurer said so while boldly smiling, he was also the adventurer who once called out to the depressed Kitsune.

Understanding that all the adventurers were feeling the same as her, her heart felt warmer.

How delightful, she truthfully thought so.

That was why, she returned to her usual confidence self, she floated a lively yet cute smile that said she was the best, and said.

“Thank you, everyone!”

With Kitsune’s word as the trigger, this guild was standing up, and starting to move on again.