Chapter 34: Reunion
Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: ”Ryunakama”
As we arrived at the guild, Luna looked up in a daze.
Opening her mouth like that, how cute.
Marius, who stood beside her, also breathed a sigh of admiration.
「The guild is huge. Will Avancier get something like this as well?」
「No, Avancier’s guild will be smaller.」
「Is that so? As expected, the city of adventurers is amazing.」
Climbing up the stairs made of white stone we enter through huge doors that were left open.
They probably can’t close them without dying from the heat.
Thanks to small windows and lamps made out of magic stones, the interior is very bright.
A wave of hot air envelopes us.
Though it was in part due to it being summer, the actual reason was that the place was overcrowded with adventurers.
From time to time, a passing gust of wind would bring a smell of sweat. It can be pretty unsettling if you aren’t used to it.
Receptionist tables are lined up in front of the entrance.
On the left side, the bulletin board with many requests and party and clan recruitments are posted there.
On the right side are the stairs leading to the second floor.
The second floor has a dining hall that offers cuisine from fresh monsters, hunted on that day.
It’s still morning, but the place seems to have plenty of people. From time to time a burst of wild laughter can be heard.
A few adventurers noticed us.
Looks like there is no one who would know me.
Some thuggish looking adventurers approached us, and stared at me and Luna, examining us.
「Newbies?」
「I’m already registered, but she is only going to register now. And……」
What should we do about Marius?
I glance at him. An innocent, almost childish smile can be seen on his face.
「I came to register as well. It’s okay, right? Rude?」
「Yeah.」
「Then how about forming a party with us? We will teach you a lot of stuff?」
He said, looking at Luna while licking his lips.
Adventurers with their sights on Luna, huh.
Making a wry smile, I shook my head.
「We would like to learn, but we only came here for business, we have no intentions of staying in this city. Sorry about that.」
「Heeh…… Look. Girlie, how about forming a party with us? We will be gentle in our teachings.」
「Are you speaking truly? How about teaching me? I’m very curious about adventurers!」
Marius jumped at those words, grabbing the man’s hand.
But the man shook off the hand of Marius, seemingly annoyed.
「Shut up. We are not interested in dudes.」
Marius muttered 「Unfair」and went away with a dejected look.
……I’ll explain to him what was going on, later.
The man once again turned to Luna, at which point she shook her head.
「I want to be together with Master, sorry.」
「……」
The adventurers frowned, not amused by the reply.
As the adventurers began exchanging glances, an employee of the guild approached us from the reception.
Seeing his face, I involuntarily froze.
「Oh my. Are you going to cause new troubles?」
「Ke-Kensei. N-no…… We didn’t do anything…… Bye! Do your best, guys!」
The adventurers dashed away, escaping.
The person that approached us is a young man, with unusually long hair for a guy.
His name is Kensei. In the past, we were in the same party.
「Hey, it’s been a while, Rude.」
「Kensei? It’s been a while.」
I was about to extend my right hand to him but hurriedly switched to the left one.
He made a half-smile and shook my left hand.
「Master, this person……?」
「Yes. We worked together for a bit before. The name is Kensei. He is pretty skillful with a sword.」
「And you couldn’t handle a sword at all. They are…… Your comrades?」
「I’m Luna.」
「Marius. A swordmaster, huh…… I see.」
「What’s wrong, Marius-san?」
「Well, I just thought that I would’ve liked to fight you.」
「I see. I also would’ve liked to fight you.」
Marius kept staring at the man’s right hand.
……Perhaps he noticed something.
I look at the clothes that Kensei is wearing.
「Anyway, what are you doing here? And this outfit……」
He is wearing clothes issued by the guild to its employees.
Kensei put his left hand to his chest, pointing to embroidery there.
「I’m working as the guild’s staff. Well, I think eventually I will move to another city.」
「I see…… Ehm, I’m glad for you.」
「Yeah. Thank you. Anyway, how unusual, to see you in the city of adventurers. With every labyrinth here being already cleared, you hardly showed up around this area.」
「Yeah. I actually have a lot of stuff to do here today.」
When I said that, another person approached us.
「Hey hey, to think we’d meet again.」
Sinanis forced his way through.
The moment our eyes met, his expression became a bit more tense.
「Sinanis、why are you―」
I was about to ask what he was doing here, but then remembered.
He said that he was going to go to the city of adventurers.
「C’mon. To forget the location of your rival, how cruelー」
Before he could finish speaking, his comrades appeared, pushing him aside.
「Ru-Rude-sama! It’s been a while! I’m so glad to see you again!」
「He-hey! I’m talking! Don’t interrupt me!」
Sinanis raised his voice, but his party mates pushed him to the back anyway.
They are just as usual. Seeing their interaction I can’t help but smile.
I look at Kensei.
「At any rate, Kensei. Were you acquainted with Sinanis?」
Kensei nodded.
「Yeah. It was pretty much just after he became an adventurer. We met while I was still active. I taught him swordsmanship.」
「That’s how it is.」
Sinanis grinned.
So from Sinanis’ point of view, Kensei is his teacher in the ways of adventurers.
And I’m a rival, huh.
Bonds form in the weirdest places.
Having said that, he glared at me.
Then, pointed to his face with a thumb.
「What’s more important, Rude! Hear this and be amazed!」
「Rude-sama, we were promoted to C rank!」
「……That’s amazing.」
「I! Wanted! To say! That! Stop getting in my way!」
Getting there at their age means that they are quite talented.
Sinanis lost his fire, and folding his arms he turned away.
「What a lively bunch.」
Marius said, laughing.
Just as he said, they are pretty amusing.
However, Kensei’s eyes looked just a tiny bit lonely.
「What’s wrong, Rude.」
As our eyes met, he was tilting his head.
By that time his expression looked cheerful again.
「……No, nothing.」
I guess he wanted to continue his life as an adventurer.
His outer shell got shattered, after which he received a wound to his right hand, which ended his career as an adventurer.
「Rude, how about having dinner after this? I’d like to hear what happened to Avancier after that.」
「Yeah, sure. I also would like to celebrate your promotion…… Let’s go somewhere after we finish with Luna’s registration. 」
「Yeeah, it’s your treat, right?!」
What a brazen fellow.
「Well, we are celebrating your promotion. I’ll take the bill.」
「As expected! We can eat to our hearts content……! Guys, we are getting stuffed for tomorrow as well!」
「Rude-sama, thank you very much!」
「Fufufu, I’m glad that I didn’t eat anything…… I will be able to show my true power……!」
「Now, how much will I be able to eat……?」
Marius, I never said that I’m paying for you as well.
I stared at him, as he shouted the last, joining the cheers of others.
「Kensei, what about you?」
「Let’s see. My shift is about to be over soon, I guess I’ll register the two over here and leave.」
「Thank you.」
「Registering as adventurers, huh. I am curious as to what is going to happen.」
「There is nothing particularly curious. Nevertheless, you seem to be pretty skilled, and yet you didn’t register at the guild until now?」
「Yeah. I was training with the sword in the countryside.」
「I see. I also used a katana in the past, but isn’t it tough with a katana alone?」
「Not really? Katana is such a weapon thatーー」
Marius and Kensei are enjoying the conversation.
Meanwhile, Luna poked my elbow.
「What’s wrong?」
「……Is it possible for me to register as an adventurer?」
「No problem. If you have magic power then you are good. Though if you want to put detailed information there, you would need a proof of ability from the church.」
Some might have magic powers of similar wavelength, but none are the same.
With the wavelength of the magic power of the guild card and the person matching, it can be used as an identification tool.
Many people register for that alone. Even regular citizens.
Anyone can get a card, as long as they can cover a modest fee.
After a stretch, Kensei heads to the reception.
We follow after him.
The process of registration went without an issue.
With this, Luna and Marius are new F rank adventurers.
Receiving the guild card, she happily pressed it against her chest.
I’m glad that I took her along. Seeing her bashful demeanor, I can’t help but feel a bit of happiness myself.
「So this is a guild card. This concludes my registration as well. That was simple.」
Marius stared at the guild card for a while.
Luna showed him her guild card as well.
「Me as well.」
「The number of this magic stone represents the rank. F rank…… Isn’t this the lowest possible? Aren’t you dissatisfied with this?」
「No, I’m fine.」
「How can you say that?…… Ah, if only there was a way to quickly prove my strength.」
One actually can take a practical exam during the registration.
But having a low rank isn’t much of an inconvenience.
……And there also was a concern that Marius might overdo it.
「However, it seems that if you perform a successful labyrinth investigation, your rank can raise in one go.」
「What? I see…… Then, well, so be it. Yeah, so be it.」
Marius put his guild card into a pocket.
Luna was still looking at it.
「Anyway, it is quite unusual. For you to have a permanent party. Earlier, you were doing nothing but labyrinth raids?」
Kensei said while arranging documents.
「Yeah. But she was just like me…… Lost. I”m here today because there was someone to save me. ……So I thought that I’d like to help her.」
「I see. That’s how it is…… And I assumed she is your girlfriend.」
「No way.」
Kensei stuck out his tongue, mocking me.
……Good grief.
「Then. I’ll put this away. After I’m done with this, let’s go somewhere.」
「Yeah.」
Kensei disappeared into the interior.
Then, a guild card appeared in front of my eyes.
Held by a cute little hand.
「Master, look at this. The guild card.」
「Congratulations, Luna.」
「……Thank you.」
She then pressed it against her chest again, embracing it.
「Rude, do you know any good places?」
Sinanis and his group returned to us, after looking at the bulletin board.
「No. I actually never stayed in the city for long. So I’m not that familiar with it.」
「Is that so? Then, let’s go with the place of my choice.」
「Yeah, sure. What’s more important, are there any good requests?」
「Nope. Nothing interesting. I guess it’s about time to go to a new town…… Which reminds me, Rude. What did you come here for? You won’t say that it was only to register Luna?」
If that was the case, there are places much closer, where it can be done.
Sinanis looked at me with suspicion.
……Hmm, what should I do?
On one hand, there is no reason to tell him, on the other, there is also no reason to keep quiet……
「I want to make a clan. And this town offers a lot to learn about that.」
In the end, I decided to tell him.
After all, he is my friend, and well, a rival.
「………Clan, huh. Clan…… Hmm?」
「What’s wrong?」
「……No, about that clan thing. We also were looking for one. But we have no intention of joining a famous one. So, err, well……」
Sinanis scratched his cheek.
As he continued to hesitate, his comrades pushed him aside.
「Sinanis wants to join your clan, Rude-sama.」
「Wha…… I didn’t say that!」
「……Will you join us, Sinanis?」
「N-no…… Damn. Well… if you are that troubled with members, then I don’t mind helping you out by joining.」
「……Then please do. I can trust you.」
「……tch. Crap, this is unfair…… Well, we will be in your care.」
Sinanis lowered his head.
……I didn’t think that I would get new members in such a way.
Standing with his arms folded, Marius observed the scene, then smiled.
「Good for you, Rude. Getting new members. I’m Marius. Pleased to make your acquaintance.」
「Ah, yeah, sure.」
Sinanis shook Marius’ hand.
Marius grasped Sinanis’ hand with both hands, stroking it.
「A good hand, you are using a sword a lot…… How lovely!」
「Stop that, you creep me out! Stop touching me!」
「Oh, don’t be like that, it will be fine…… Hey, Rude? Wouldn’t it be nice to hold a clan tournament to find out who is the strongest? As a form of training…… Mm?」
「You just want to fight, don’t you?」
Marius turned away, trying to play it off.
Good grief.
Then, Kensei came back.
「Sorry about the wait. Shall we go?」
Kensei, now wearing his plain clothes, touched the collar, adjusting it.
He looked pretty good, grabbing the attention of nearby girls.
Kensei, seemingly uncomfortable with the situation, signaled with his eyes to get moving.
So this part of him hasn’t changed from the past.
「Then, everyone, follow me!」
No idea if that was because he was that happy about leading the way, but Sinanis shouted energetically and then began walking.