CH 116

After leaving the reference room, we see things have suddenly gotten very noisy inside the guild.

“Master, look.”

Sera turns my attention to where the noise is coming from, and I see faces I recognize, although they aren’t the ones I want to see.

It’s the four person adventurer party we met in Saite, Light Sword, and they’re causing a ruckus again.

Are they yelling at that person to be their carrier? It feels less like they’re being overbearing in how they ask it, and more like they’re outright ordering it. The person being yelled at is arguing back, but I don’t think either party is listening to the other. Light Sword talk like they’re so good that it’s only natural that others will obey them.

People watching don’t seem to like this either, but don’t step in to stop it. I guess they don’t want to get involved.

“I don’t get why you’d even say no. You should be thanking us. You get to come with us and have a taste of the privilege of exploring the dungeon.”

“That’s right. And you just have to carry things too. Easy, right?”

They’re just saying whatever they want. Isn’t anyone from the guild going to put a stop to this? Or is it just that this sort of thing is so common that they don’t bother?

“Is it your first time in this city?”

But then, someone approaches them from the entrance. It’s someone wearing all white equipment, with an emblem of a sword and shield near the chest.

“What’s it to you? We’re having a chat with this one here.”

They’re not happy about the interruption, and snap back at the ‘intruder’.

“We have a way of doing things here. If you need partners, ask the guild and they will put it on the recruitment board.”

“We know that, but that has nothing to do with the likes of us.”

He then looks around, looking for the approval of his fellow party members, but everyone else around them looks exasperated.

“Do you want to take over for him and carry our stuff instead?”

“Hn… Unfortunately, I am affiliated somewhere else. I have to decline that offer.”

“Ah! They can’t be that good if they’re going to hire a weak looking guy like you.”

It feels like the mood changes after that phrase.

I don’t think the members of Light Sword realize this, as they keep laughing away like idiots, but everyone watching just gulped.

“Hn? What? You got something to say?”

The man being made fun of walks forward, and grabs the other guy’s head.

His scream echoes throughout the entire room.

It all happened in a second. He was suddenly near him and grabbing a hold of his head. The guy tries to escape the other man’s grip, but his arm doesn’t flinch. His friends try to help, but the moment they start to move, they’re glared down and can’t take another step.

“Say what you want about me, but don’t you dare insult my comrades.”

The man is still struggling and trying to get away, but it’s to no avail. His face is red, then white, then blue, and he struggles less and less.

“Ash, what are you doing?”

“Captain!”

The man says while tossing the guy who by now is completely limp.

I turn to where that voice came from, and see a middle aged man with the same emblem.

“I asked what you were doing.”

“I’m sorry…”

The man lowers his head and apologizes without so much as an excuse.

“Forget it. Is this your first time here?”

He asks the three men, who meekly nod.

For just a second, this man exudes bloodlust that goes well beyond the air of intimidation around Ash. I guess the others are skilled enough to at least feel that.

“If you can’t follow the rules, you should leave. This is your first and final warning.”

Is all he says before he talks to someone in the reception desk, and disappears into a back room, followed by Ash.

Light Sword pick up their fallen comrade and run away in the opposite direction.

Not that anyone blames them or cares anymore.

“Who was that?”

I ask someone standing next to me.

“I haven’t seen you around here before. Is this your first time here?”

“Yes, we arrived in this city yesterday.”

“I see. That’s Guardian Sword, the biggest clan in Majolica.”

“Clan?”

“You don’t even know what that is?”

“No. I never heard about that in the countries I’ve been to.”

“So you came from abroad? I guess there are things that exist in some countries and not in others. Clans are basically like the expanded version of parties. Like a group of people brought together because they have the same ambitions or goals.”

So they use those kinds of foreign words here too. Not that it matters.

“And those two are the number one and number two of Guardian Sword. But something must’ve happened if the big shots in the guild called them here.”

That sounds ominous. I say thank you, and leave the guild with the three girls.

It’s lunch time already, and the smell coming from stalls revives Hikari. We listen to her request, and decide to have lunch there.

There are lots of things here I’ve never tasted, probably because of the dungeon where rare monsters appear. Is this fish? The texture of the white pulp of the soup feels like white fish meat. Did I just find yet another reason to explore the dungeon?