CH 30

(Oh, adventurers ……)

Souya observed the four adventurers who came from the entrance.

The one with the taut, beautiful voice was a slightly taller, blond-haired young man. He had a longsword hanging from his waist and a metal breastplate on his body. He wore a red cloak that looked to be of good quality, and a kite shield in his left hand.

Next was a woman with red hair and a ponytail. A freckle in the middle of her face, a magician’s staff in her hands, and a robe over her head.

Following behind her was a large, brown-haired young man with sleepy eyes, armed with a longbow and leather armor, with a quiver of arrows at his waist, dressed like a hunter.

The last person to enter was a man of medium height with a shaved head. After entering the room, he stopped by the wall, closed his eyes, and began to meditate while standing. A war hammer mace hung from his waist, he was clad in chain mail, and he carried a round shield. Around his neck hung the Holy Symbol, the holy seal of the god of war Ragacia.

(…… Hmm. I’d I guess they’re a Fighter. Magician. Hunter …… and a Monk.)

Souya gave each of the four adventurers a pseudonym.

“Oh, Randy-kun. Welcome back. How was the escort request? Did it go well?”

“Louise-san. Thank you for introducing me to a good job. It was a very easy job …… No, but I was a little unsatisfied that there was no fighting at all.”

The fighter lad called Randy handed Louise a certificate that appeared to have been issued by his client. He has an unsatisfied look on his face.

“…… Huh, Randy, what are you talking about? Are you stupid? Of course it would be better if there were no battles.”

The female sorceress next to Randy said in a ridiculous tone. She had a rather high voice and seemed to be nervous.

“You’re saying that, Rebecca. But, you said you would color the reward if there was a battle along the way, right? I would have liked that, bonus.”

The sorceress seemed to be named Rebecca. And Randy seemed to have no intention of changing his mind about wanting a battle.

“Well, well, well, stop fighting, both of you. Seriously …… Let’s get the money from Louise-san and have a meal already.”

It was the large man with a hunter’s look who admonished Randy and Rebecca. He mumbled something to himself, and then sighed heavily, looking sleepy.

“Thomas. You are a big man, but you lack enthusiasm. You’re the companion of the hero. Get a hold of yourself.”

The curious word “hero” came out of Randy’s mouth. It may be that he is of heroic blood.

The shaved head monk was not interested in these exchanges, and continued to meditate.

“Hey now, stop fighting. And, what are you going to do with the reward? …… Well, it’s all in gold, right? I’ll give you sixty of them then.”

Louise unlocked the safe and prepared the gold coins. Collecting night grass was a job that cost three gold pieces, so even if nothing happened, doubling that amount to six gold pieces was a pretty good deal.

(Hmm, a hero. Such nostalgic word …… By the way, Mia-kun. What the hell are you doing hiding out in a place like that?)

Before he knew it, Mia was hiding right behind him. She’s clinging gently to his back, hiding any sign of herself. She seemed to be cautious for some adventurers who had arrived.

But her hiding was not worth it, because Randy’s gaze, just as he looked around the room, caught Mia protruding from Souya’s back.

“Oh, that priestly robe of the Earth Mother Goddess Mikaela …… If it isn’t Mia!”

Randy’s taut, beautiful voice echoed through the guild. Randy and Mia drew the attention of all the adventurers in the room.

“Oh god …… I’m in the mood to die now.”

Mia’s sleigh, muttering voice and hollow expression. Souya was vaguely remembering something he’d heard before. Mia told me that there was an adventurer who wanted her to join in exchange for a relationship, but I wonder if she was talking about him. 

“Mia. I’ve been worried about you since you haven’t shown up. You didn’t quit being an adventurer, did you?”

“…… Yes. Yeah, I’m still working on it. What about it?”

“…… Good. I was worried that you had quit being an adventurer because of me. I’m sorry about the other day. Louise-san scolded me a lot. I was really out of line.”

Randy bowed his head deeply. But Mia was blank, and her mind was clearly on something else.

Souya looked around and saw Rebecca, the red-haired female sorceress behind her, glaring at Mia with a resentful look in her eyes.

(…… Ohhhhhh. I see.)

Souya held his glasses. Rebecca’s demeanor gave me some idea of the relationship. I can understand why Mia would not want to get close to him.

Beside Rebecca, the large man hunter Thomas was looking uncomfortable, with a troubled expression.

The shaved head monk was still meditating with his eyes closed, seemingly unconcerned.

“…… Mia. If it’s alright with you, will you can join our party? It would be too dangerous for a Cleric to travel alone.”

Randy was trying to recruit Mia, while spitting out a good argument in the latter part.

“Randy-san. You see …… right now, I’m ……”

It was when Mia was about to say no to Randy.

“Randy, I disagree. Besides, if you want a cleric, you have Bud.”

Rebecca said in a cold voice. Bud was probably the shaved head monk who was meditating.　

“Rebecca. Mia is a valuable full-time cleric. She’s definitely useful for the future of the party.”

Randy said plausibly and tried to persuade Rebecca.

“…… I disagree too. As a believer in the god of war, Ragacia, I find the clerics of the Earth Mother Goddess Mikaela, to be a bunch of weaklings. I just don’t like them.”

The shaved head monk Bud, who had been meditating and keeping silent, finally opened his mouth and muttered in a grave voice. The sudden mockery of the Earth Mother Goddess Mikaela made Mia’s expression fade.

“Thomas! Rebecca and Bud both disagree with me, what about you!?”

Randy asked Thomas in a half-acted, half-desperate voice.

“I’m neutral …… I mean, Randy, you should also try to understand Mia’s intentions ……”

Thomas seemed to sense the bad atmosphere and didn’t want to get actively involved. He seemed decent in this situation, but his voice is so low.

Mia looked completely offended and depressed. Perhaps the trauma had come back to haunt her.

(Good grief, they’re so selfish …… Even if Mia-kun can make ghosts go away, she can’t handle the complexity of human relationships, huh.)

In order to give a helping hand, Souya exaggeratedly spread his hands and appeared in front of the adventurers.

“Greetings adventurers, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh …… who are you?”

Randy seemed to have finally noticed Souya’s presence. He had been in Mia’s immediate vicinity for some time, but it seems that he didn’t notice him.

“You must be Randy-kun. I’m …… Oh, shoot.”

Souya tried to take out his blank-class adventurer’s card from the breast pocket of his suit, but he remembered now that he had burned it in the fire in the Thrail Forest.

“…… and Louise-san, I actually burned my blank-class adventurer’s card. I’d like you to remake it again.”

Souya smiled lightly, and Louise, who was doing paperwork while eavesdropping on the conversation, looked at Souya coldly from the counter.