Chapter 107

Doting Master

After lunch, Penrose continued to practice using Presence Detection, as we destroyed small groups of goblins. I tried to stick to goblins that carried weapons. It was never too late to learn to fear a blade. Apparently, it was his father, the guild master who taught him to use a sword, but he was going up against monsters now. They weren’t teaching him, they were trying to kill him. They wouldn’t play by any book, and the only will that existed behind their every wild swing was a desire to end his life. But Penrose showed no signs of letting his guard down. He didn’t allow them to surprise him and handled the attacks well. Having a good tutor really made a difference. As I watched him, the rays of the setting sun began to disturb my vision.

It was time to end the hunt and return to Replant.

“Thank you for helping me today!”

“Yeah, you did well. You had the basics down already. Having the guild master teach you is a great advantage.”

“My father is the best!”

He really did like his father… Well, perhaps he was that great of a father then.

“Alright, we’ll report to the guild and disband.”

“Yes…”

Penrose looked a little sad as he held his hands behind his head. But then he laughed when I tousled his hair. Kids were the best when they were being honest.

We entered through the western gate and headed straight for the guild house. The town was starting to light up with glimmering lanterns. There was an excitement in the air as if to say that things were just getting started. I considered taking Daniela out and eating somewhere after disbanding…and then realized I had forgotten about Gardo and Ness. I had to tell Daniela about that.

“We are here.”

I looked up at Penrose’s voice. Thinking while you’re walking made the time pass so quickly. It took me by surprise.

We opened the door and went inside. It was crowded with other Adventurers who had finished their quests for the day. See how many monsters I killed! I just thought of an amazing trick! Etcetera. It was a bit rowdy, but no one bothered us. There was always a level of etiquette that was maintained here. Wonderful.

But there was one that was different. A slender man with long blond hair that was bound in the back was running around the room as if searching for someone. The other Adventurers who noticed him cast suspicious glances his way. After a while, the unsuccessful blond-haired man raised his voice with a look of despair.

“Where are you!? Are you here!?”

The others began to murmur. But their faces showed no concern. If anything they looked exasperated and annoyed.

“Where are you? Penrose!?”

Oh? Now there was a familiar name. I turned and saw that he who should have been next to me was now in the far corner and chatting pleasantly with Daniela.

“Hey, Penrose…”

“PENROOOOSE!!”

Just as I was about to call him over, the man with blond hair howled and rushed past me.

“Ah, father!”

“Penrose! You! Goblin slaying…!”

“Yes, I went with Asagi and Miss Daniela.”

“Ah, ahhh, but that is so dangerous!”

So the blond man was his father… In other words, this man was the Empire’s finest guild master(according to his son). Honestly, he looked like a pushover…

“The master is looking for his son again…”

“He deserves a medal for doting…”

A pair of Adventurers muttered next to me. I see, so this was just the usual for them. That made sense. Their face expressions. This happened all of the time.

“Asagi and Daniela, you say? You mean that famous pair on the rise?”

“Yes! They were with me, and so I was fine!”

It was time to go…

Well, as much as I hated the complications that were likely to arise, I had to at least make a report after taking his son with us.

“Pardon me, but are you the guild master?”

“Mm, yes… Ah, and you must be the young Asagi?”

“Yes, Asagi Kamiyashiro.”

“Thank you for taking care of my son… I never dreamed that he would go on a hunting quest while still being G rank, and I acted a fool. I am sorry.”

“No, Daniela and I enjoyed his company.”

“That is a relief. Hmm, perhaps we could talk in the back room? I would like to hear more.”

“Uh, sure.”

I shot a glance at Daniela and she nodded. Penrose also looked happy to be able to be with us longer. And so all three of us followed the guild master out of the hall. People stared at us as we left, but I felt like I’ve been caring about that too much recently. Maybe it was important to just think, ‘stare if you want,’ sometimes…

“Ah, I have not introduced myself yet. I am Cline Mavis. The guild master. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“I am Silvergreen, Asagi Kamiyashiro.”

“Lightwind, Daniela Villesilf.”

“Please sit down. There is a lot that I want to ask.”

We started by telling him of the day’s events. Of course, that meant the incident at the quest board. Penrose’s shoulders slumped as he sat in self-reflection and so I tousled his hair. After that, I told him about how we had revealed that we were Silvergreen and Lightwind in order to humble him, and then we decided to hunt goblins together.

“…and so we started to teach him how to use Presence Detection. Penrose, see if it appears in your status.”

“Ah, yes. Status Open. …Ah! It is there! Presence Detection!”

“All of this in just one day…I cannot thank you enough.”

“Ah, it was just done along the way.”

A guild worker came in and served us some fruit water. I glanced over at Daniela, who was eating a snack for some reason. Wait, there were four wrappers. Was that supposed to be for all of us?

“I and everyone else knows that I am a doting parent…but I have spoiled him for too long as well.”

“You have. Well, for now, he is sorry and wants to learn to grow. I believe that he will move forward in the right direction from now on. That’s what he told me, you know? He will be the best guild master in the empire, just like his father.”

“Ahahaha… Indeed, Replant’s Adventurers Guild is one of the most highly esteemed in the empire. It is a good thing to aspire to.”

“Is that why it is the Grand Guild?”

“Yes. It is the guild that brings all of the other branches together. Though, our actual headquarters is in a different place.”

I see. I didn’t know that. So this slender man, huh? He must have something in him that is not visible to the eye. I wasn’t a warrior myself, so I had no institution for actually being able to tell if someone was good. So I could only judge by a person’s general physique. This guy was thin, that guy was muscular. And so I tried to stay cautious, regardless of how people looked.

“By the way, Master Cline…”

“Hm? What is it?”

“You said you were a doting parent. And it seems like you are very fond of telling your child stories. Stories of other Adventurers.”

“Ah, yes. The world is filled with all sorts of Adventurers. My son was very happy when I told him of you two.”

Yes, that’s just the problem.

“And how much did Bordow tell you?”

“About you? Well, you were gifted with an enchantment from an abnormally evolved creature…and…oh…”

“Yes. It would be very inconvenient for me if word of that spread.”

I could not help being worried about this point. Such stories might make children happy, but this one could have consequences.

“After all, it could result in us being pursued…”

“I-I-I am sorry! It was just…I had never heard of such a thing before, and…!”

“No, no. It is mostly Bordow’s fault. That man is the root of this problem.”

“Yes, he is a little… However, the league of guild masters are all in agreement that he’s ‘Amazing! A fine Adventurer!’ I do not think that you have to worry too much. Though, perhaps you have little reason to believe me now…”

League of guild masters… And this was the Grand Guild that connected everything. And he said something about a separate headquarters. Still, were there any leaders that were more proper for the…

“I am treating it as a unique skill and I can make any number of explanations for it. Perhaps it is just that I am being paranoid. Please don’t worry too much about it. It is entirely Bordow’s doing.”

“Thank you… Uh, but, do you really hate Bordow that much?”

“I hate him just the right amount!”

That man has done too much already. You could even say that my life as an Adventurer has gone wrong because of him. I would have my revenge one day. I said as much to Cline before we finished our talk and disbanded. Daniela was half asleep, but jumped at the words, ‘we should be going.’ She was like a child who hated being in class. Penrose was sleeping as well, he must have been very tired. Listening to adults talk was boring.

“Perhaps you might help my son again some time?’

“Sure. It gave me a lot to think about and was stimulating.”

“I am glad to hear that. But please do avoid any dangerous places? And come home early, as he must be back by six. I would not want him to to be back so late like today. I must tell this to Penrose as well. But that goes for you too, Asagi. It is not good to be out there so late. The night is filled with danger, and it would be best to return to your inn. Also…”

“Alright, let’s go, Daniela.”

“Yes.”

“Hey, wait! I am not finished ta-”

I closed the door and the conversation was ended. Seriously, that man should put his energy into something more useful.

As we walked down the hallway, I told Daniela about Gardo and Ness. She had remembered them too and looked pleased to be able to see them again. Well, maybe she was pleased because I mentioned the Anthill restaurant. You never knew with her…