Chapter 107: Continuous escort request

Chapter 107: Continuous escort request

Capital Aberdeen. Adventurer’s Guild.

“Welcome. How may I assist you?”

Ryo showed up at a vacant reception booth.

“Excuse me, I’m an adventurer from the Kingdom of Knightley ...”

While saying that, Ryo passed his guild card to the receptionist.

“Good day, Ryo, D-rank adventurer from the Kingdom of Knightley. How may I assist you?”

“Actually, I’m looking for an escort request from a caravan heading to the Kingdom.”

“I see. Certainly, there are some ... but all of them require C-rank or higher ... I’m sorry.”

“I knew it ...”

The receptionist, with an apologetic look, said she couldn’t fulfill his request.

And that was as Ryo expected.

To be exact, it was as Sue expected.

Ryo was depressed.

(Is there no choice but to borrow money from Ra-san ... I was careless ... there’s no other way ...)

It was against his belief, but Ryo thought that it would be better than inconveniencing other people, so he should just put up with it.

Then, a person called out from behind.

“A D-rank at that young age, you should be quite skillful? Would you like to accept an escort request to the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Knightley?”

Ryo was surprised. He turned around and there was a man in his mid-thirties who looked the definition of an adventurer.

“Cohn-san?”

The receptionist showed an inquisitive look. The man’s name was Cohn.

“Yeah, it’s that request. His stature is almost perfect. To be honest, I thought it wouldn’t be possible anymore, but this must be a god’s guidance or something like that.”

“Hmm ...?”

Ryo was completely lost.

It sounded like a strange request or a suspicious employer?

When he thought so, the receptionist told him in a small voice.

“This request itself is formally through the Adventurer’s Guild. Moreover, both the Duke and the Guildmaster have notified the receptionists to cooperate as much as possible. Cohn-san here is assigned to assemble the adventurers to be hired as escorts.”

After Ryo heard her explanation, he looked toward Cohn.

Cohn probably heard what she explained.

Yeah, yeah, he nodded many times.

And he added further.

“However, although it is an escort request, it is a request 『to be escorted』.”

“...... Huh?”

In the end, Ryo still couldn’t understand the request.

He told Ryo that he would tell him the details while on the move so they were now in a carriage.

The Switchback party bade him farewell from there ...

He thought Ryo was perfect, but it wasn’t definite until the client approved.

Therefore, he wanted Ryo to meet the client immediately.

After all, the departure was tomorrow morning, so today was the only time to do so.

As such, Ryo was traveling in a carriage with Cohn.

“In other words, you want me to travel to the Royal Capital together as the body double of a VIP.”

“Well, that’s right. It comes with meals and you just have to stay in a carriage and not walk. When we get to the Royal Capital, you’ll get 500,000 Florin as a reward. How is it, isn’t it a great request?”

It was certainly a wonderful request ... but he was sure many other people would like to accept such a tantalizing request ...

“First of all, you would have to be indistinguishable from the VIP, at least from a distance. And all the so-called adventurers are all well-built and brawny ...”

“Oh, true, I’m pretty slim as an adventurer.”

“He’s perfect. To be honest, I had given up halfway because we were leaving tomorrow. Ryo, this is His Royal Highness Willy, the prince of the Kingdom of Ju. This time, he will be studying abroad in the Kingdom of Knightley and is heading to the Royal Capital for that purpose. Our request is to hire you as one of the escorts. Do you accept?”

“Oka ......”

“Wait, Rodrigo.”

After receiving Rodrigo’s explanation, when Ryo tried to accept the request, His Royal Highness Willy interjected.

“That explanation is insufficient. You should explain the dangers of this request properly.”

“But Your Highness ...”

Rodrigo frowned and looked at Cohn.

Cohn was also frowning. There seemed to be something wrong.

“If they don’t wish to explain, I’ll do it. Ryo-dono. This request is, frankly, extremely dangerous. In fact, Ryo is not the first to be hired as my body double. When I left the country, the Adventurer’s Guild recruited an adventurer who looked like me, but we were attacked by bandits and the adventurer was abducted ... and found dead a few days later ...”

His Highness Willy appeared truly regretfully.

He felt that he caused the death of one person because they acted as his body double.

“At his sacrifice, we managed to get some distance and reach the Capital Aberdeen ... but there is no guarantee that we won’t be attacked again, so this request is dangerous.”

“I see......”

Ryo nodded when he heard His Highness Willy’s explanation.

Neither Cohn nor Rodrigo lied in their explanation.

But they just didn’t tell him the most difficult part.

They thought that if they told him that, Ryo, the right person they finally found, wouldn’t accept the request.

It was a terrible story, but it was also a common story.

That was why they wanted to get the prince’s body double in front of them no matter what.

“I have one question ...”

Ryo decided to ask a question.

“Yes, ask me anything.”

His Highness Willy nodded and urged Ryo to ask his question.

“Your Highness said that you are heading to the Royal Capital to study abroad ... If it is such a dangerous journey, why not abandon the idea of studying abroad?”

Upon hearing Ryo’s question, His Highness Willy’s face had a pessimistic look for a moment.

“I can’t do that. On paper, I’m studying abroad, but I’m actually going to the Kingdom of Knightley as a hostage. If I don’t go, it’s going to be a very difficult situation for my country ... I can’t abandon my journey just because it’s dangerous.”

Abducting the person sent as a hostage along the way.

(It’s like Ieyasu Tokugawa.)

That was the first thing Ryo thought when he heard the story.

Chiyo Takechi (later Ieyasu Tokugawa) was sent to the Imagawa clan as a hostage, but was abducted on the way and sent to the Oda clan in Owari. That was the story.

However, history worked in mysterious ways because he made friends with Oda Nobunaga in the Oda clan, who was still young, and that would later move the world.

At present, the purpose of those who were attacking His Highness Willy was unknown, so it was natural to think that he may be attacked again.

But ...

“Thank you for your explanation, Your Highness. I have to return to the Kingdom of Knightley by any means. It is a fact that there are not many cross-country escort requests for D-rank. I had the good fortune of encountering this request. I understand that it is dangerous, but I will accept this request.”

“Oh!”

When Ryo announced that he would accept the request, Rodrigo and Cohn cheered at the same time.

“I see. Then, Ryo, I will be in your care.”

His Highness Willy shook Ryo’s hand and smiled.

After returning to the guild, Ryo reported to Ra and his friends that he found a request.

However, it seemed that he would take a long time returning to the city of Rune from the Royal Capital, so he wanted them to tell that to Rune’s Adventurer’s Guild and send a letter to Sera in the Lord’s mansion.

Ra was surprised, but Sue received the letter beside him and promised to deliver the letter personally.

At that time, it was impressive that Sue was nodding seriously.

Ryo didn’t know the reason, but ... perhaps they might have misunderstood something.

Thus, the request to escort His Highness Willy to the Royal Capital began.