Chapter 305

I thanked the guild worker once we reached the room and she returned to her counter. I would have to do the rest alone.

I knocked three times and then a voice rang on the other side. The Guild Master of the grand guild. Vellefrost headquarters. I was surprised to hear a woman’s voice.

“Come in.”

“Thank you. I’m an Adventurer. Asagi Kamiyashiro.”

“Yes, yes. I’m Laika. The Guild Master of the Imperial Capital. A dark elf, as you can see. It’s nice to meet you.”

Behind the door, the Guild Master reclined on a leather sofa. As dark elves were rare, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Eve.

“Is something wrong?”

“Uh… Oh, I came here to make a report of the stampede. If I may?”

“Yes, let’s hear it.”

She gestured for me to sit, and so I sat down on the same sofa and gave a brisk account of what had transpired. Of course, I left the Queen’s Knight Goblin’s identity out of it.

“…It was probably by coincidence. But goblins with extreme breeding abilities were born. And that led to them using the newborns for food.”

“I see.”

“And so we decided to kill the goblins used for breeding as a way of cutting off their food supply. However, we also have a limited supply of food. As I was the fastest on foot, I was sent back to the city to restock.”

“Hmm… Where are you going to buy these supplies from?”

“One of the Adventurers with us has a family that owns a trading company. So I’m thinking of buying through them.”

I would be heading to the Mistnas Company as soon as I was done here. I told her this as well.

“I see. How very strange all of this is. In that case, we will also support this effort. To be honest, I thought sending a group of Jades would be more than enough to stop a goblin stampede. You see, the standards for Adventurers are higher in this city… But as things have turned out to be worse than I thought, it’s only right that we act.”

It was true that their standards were high in terms of combat. Though, I remember watching the B Rank preliminary fights during the tournament and being rather…unimpressed… However, the current expedition did teach me that there were quite a few people that were on the same level as that spear-wielder, Bandi Ree. And that was more than strong enough for a Jade. However, the enemy had been stronger than expected. There were an abnormally evolved being and the remains of an ancient elven city. But we had surprises on our side too, I suppose. Adlus, Manager, me, and Daniela had joined. The fact that that’s what it took to even the playing field really demonstrated the danger of this stampede.

“The guild will cover the supplies. I will write a check.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I underestimated these goblins. In a way, it was my fault, and so you can consider this a compensation for that error. However…you must annihilate them completely.”

She said with an intense stare. I gulped.

“I understand. We won’t let a single one escape.”

“Good.”

Laika stood up and walked to her desk, where she pulled out a sheet from a drawer and scribbled a figure on it. I couldn’t see how much…

When she was done, she sat back down on the sofa.

“This should be enough for fifty people. You can return any leftover money at the counter.”

“Thank you. …Huh?”

I said as I accepted the check. ‘100 Gold’ it read.

“This is too much. What exactly do you think I’m going to buy?”

“Food, obviously. But also weapons, armor, and whatever camping supplies you require. Things you will need later on, perhaps. Use your imagination.”

“I didn’t intend to…”

“They must be annihilated no matter what.”

“…”

There was nothing I could say to that. Preparing your own food and equipment were basic parts of being an Adventurer. It was with this mindset that I always carefully prepared before a quest. I didn’t like to rely on others.

However, this was an emergency. Something unpredictable had happened. This seemed like the time to shut up and accept any help we could get…

“There’s no need to hesitate. Offering this support is well within my authority as Guild Master.”

“…I understand.”

I would accept it then. Besides, we Adventurers were employees of a guild. And so we had to obey the orders of our superiors.

“Well, I must be going now.”

“Be careful, Asagi. And send the others my regards.”

“Yes.”

I stood up, bowed, and left the drawing-room behind me. I would have to use this money wisely…

□ □ □ □

My eyes met the guild worker’s as I returned to the entrance hall. She still looked scared, and so I nodded reassuringly. Hmm. It seemed to work.

As for the guy who got in my way, it seemed like someone had explained things to him while I was away, and so he was staying quiet now. I was thankful for that…I didn’t need to waste more time here. That being, there was something I needed to say, and so I walked up to him. He shuddered visibly.

“Sorry about earlier. I was in a hurry and had to react like that.”

“…I was wrong as well… Be careful.”

He looked a lot like a child who was sulking, but I was touched by the concern.

“Thanks. Don’t worry, we’ll protect the city.”

I said as I patted him on the shoulder. And then I started to make adjustments to the plan in my head as I stepped out of the doors to the guild.

First, I would go to the Mistnas Company to buy supplies. Apparently, they delt with food as well. And while that was being prepared, I could go out and buy weapons and armor. I wasn’t really sure what weapons or armor sizes to get, so I’d just get stuff that was good for all sizes maybe. One-handed swords, shields, and arrows. Armor would be tricky, but I’d figure something out.

That would give the company enough time to prepare. Then I could put everything into the hollow bag, rest one night, and return in the morning. Yes. It was a good plan. I could get everything we needed without making them wait too long. It seemed like it would go well.

□ □ □ □

Well, that was what I had thought, but the world wasn’t so kind.

“Hey, don’t move! That’s dangerous!”

“W-whaa!?”

A boy was swinging his sword wildly while a goblin looked frantic. As they were both swinging their swords, I was unable to get close. Tragically, the goblin seemed like it was the more experienced of the two.

“Ah!?”

There was a high-pitched metal ring, and the sword flew out of the boy’s hand and fell into the snow. The goblin’s face twisted in triumph as it raised its sword for a final attack.

“Ahhh!!”

But this was good news for me. It was easier to deal with one sword flailing in the air. In a flash, I moved between the fallen child and the goblin. And just like that, my blade separated its head from its body.

“Hah…”

In spite of it just being one goblin, I felt very tired. Damn it. A God Wolf’s thrall should be tougher than that.

“Go home. You’re too green for this.”

“No! I want to protect the village too!”

“…”

This happened as soon as I left the city. Could anything be more annoying? It was ridiculous.

□ □ □ □

“Yes, as you say.”

“Thank you. Alright, I’ll be back in the evening.”

“Certainly. We will be waiting.”

I had to repress a sigh as I finished negotiating and walked out of the store. It wasn’t something I could ever get used to doing. And it wasn’t even that serious. After all, I had the letter from Silket and the all-powerful check from the Guild Master. Still, business was business. It wasn’t for me.

I had gone straight to the store after leaving the guild. It didn’t take long for me to see the ‘Mistnas Company’ sign. You couldn’t miss it. The unexpectedly large size of the building was one of the reasons that I was uncomfortable. It was as least twice the size of the other stores in the area.

As for the interior, it was pretty but also simple in taste. Perhaps it would be described as refined. Regardless, I always felt out of place at such establishments.

Thankfully, they were very kind when I approached them. I showed the letter and was taken to the back so I could meet the owner, Marcera Silket.

I told them that Silket was safe and gave a brief report of what had happened. And then made the request for supplies. This would have all taken a lot more time without the recommendation.

I was thankful for Silket and the Guild Master. Things went smoothly and concluded without any trouble.

I used the check from the Guild Master to pay and put the rest back into the hollow bag. Mister Marcera looked worried about Silket’s safety at first, but I assured him that she was fine. Besides, she was in good company.

“…Hah. That was tiring… I think I’ll get a bite to eat first.”

I felt bad for those on the frontlines, but I was hungry. And so I found a place to stop by and eat. As it had been a very long time, the meat pie and chili soup were especially delicious.

After that, I had to go buy weapons and armor. The blacksmith district was just down the street from the food district. I scanned the different stores as the sounds of banging metal rang in my ears. The first store I went to looked suspicious in terms of quality, and so I turned around and walked right out. I ended up having to go in quite a few places and pick out stuff that seemed good.

“That should be enough…”

I looked at my memo to be sure that I had bought enough. It was. Swords, shields, and arrows.

There was a large variety of arrows. Some had ore stones inside the arrowheads. Ones with the fire attribute would burn your enemies and ones with the water attribute would push them back. Ice would freeze them and earth would turn the arrow into a stone spear. Thunder would paralyze and wind gave a boost in speed.

I bought a lot of these arrows and stuffed them into the bag. The archers should be happy, at least. Though, I didn’t see any arrows with the dimension attribute.

When all of the shopping was finished, I looked at the check that the Guild Master had given me. There were only ten pieces of gold left. Perhaps I had gone a little too crazy with those arrows… While I was free to spend it, I probably should have been a little more careful. And so it was with a feeling of slight regret that I returned to the Mistnas Company.

Wooden crates were stacked up to form a mountain near the entrance. They all bore the Mistnas brand and had their contents written on them. The first one I checked was…meat.

“Thanks to this hollow bag you told us about, we were able to gather a lot of food without worrying about it going bad.”

Someone said as I looked at the boxes. I turned around to see Mister Marcera standing there, and so I bowed my head in gratitude.

“Thank you. Now we’ll have a lot less to worry about when we fight.”

“Think nothing of it. You Adventurers are doing your best for the Empire.”

Mister Marcera said with a laugh.

This was everything that I had ordered. There were ten of the wooden boxes in all. Most of it was food. Though, there was one box that contained small items and tools.

I quickly got to work, storing them in the hollow bag. I just needed to open the bag and carry the box over it, and they would get sucked into it. As for getting them out, I might have to turn it upside down.

Everything fitted in easily. I put in the last one and then carried the bag on my back. Mister Marcera watched the whole process and sighed.

“Aah… That really is an impressive bag.”

“It was given to me by a friend and is priceless to me. So I’m not going to sell it.”

“Hahaha. I am not that ungrateful. However, I am just a little jealous.”

Well…maybe priceless was an exaggeration. Regardless, it was no wonder that a merchant would drool over it.

“Well, I better go then. Thank you for everything.”

“No, no. Please look after my daughter.”

We shook hands before separating. Ah, this really was an eventful day… I was terribly tired. This was one night where I needed to sleep at an inn. In fact, we still had our room, so I could just go back there. I felt bad about the others on the frontline, but it couldn’t be helped. Sometimes, people just needed to get a good sleep. I wanted a hot bath and a warm bed. It would be good for my morale and would result in improved performance. Yes, it was something that had to be done…

I told myself this as I bathed, ate dinner at the dining hall, and went to bed. Somehow, I managed to sleep in until it was quite late, and I had to get ready and rush out of the city in a near panic.

“Damn it… It’s all your fault, you warm blanket…!”

I still hadn’t calmed down as I dashed through the sky with Legs of the God Wolf. While I wasn’t going at full speed, my steps were long. It was just as I was nearing the Rivier lake that I saw someone below me. I slammed on the breaks and looked down with Eyes of the God Wolf.

I saw a boy and a goblin.

The boy was swinging his sword wildly while a goblin watched and licked his chops. Well, it seemed like the boy was only moments away from being killed and eaten. That wasn’t something I could ignore, and so I changed direction and unsheathed the Velnoir. That’s when the goblin hit the sword out of the boy’s hand.

“Damn it…!”

I raised my speed and descended while swinging the dark blade down like a bat. It cut through the goblin, head to crotch. The old chief from Fhiraldo would be furious if he saw me using a sword like this. Such thoughts were in my mind as I stood up and a cloud of powdered snow rose into the air. As for the boy, he seemed okay. But Legs of the God Wolf had blown him back a little.

I unleashed the wind and blew away the snow that was in the air. And then we faced each other on the clear field.

“Don’t you know that it’s dangerous here? Go back to the city.”

While he looked surprised by my sudden appearance, he didn’t back down.

“No! I have to protect the village too!”

And so that was how I met the kid. His name was Felz.

□ □ □ □

He was from Namila Village. But he was still very young. Not even an Adventurer. And yet somehow, he had picked up a sword and traveled all of the way here from the Imperial Capital. I didn’t know what route he had taken, but I couldn’t just leave him here. Sleeping in meant I had already wasted a lot of time, and I could only use Legs of the God Wolf for so long. However, I couldn’t take him with me either.

Well then, since he was from the village, maybe I should just drop him off there. I thought, as no better idea had occurred to me. He could hide in one of the houses for now, and then we might send a Jade or two to escort him back to the village later. I could make up for them during the battle. Yes. That would work.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Agh! It’s so cold!”

And so I took the boy who had no sense of danger and flew off towards the village.

□ □ □ □

On the way, Felz insisted that he would fight against the goblins who attacked his village. And so I allowed him to fight a goblin just once. Of course, I had Presence Detection activated as well as Legs of the God Wolf, just in case. Basically, if he wasn’t going to listen, he could learn the hard way. A mere boy could not take down a goblin.

“I told you this would happen. If you haven’t done it before, you’re not going to be able to do it now. Everything takes practice. That’s the important trick to living.”

“Grrr…”

He did not look convinced as I carried him under my arm. However, he was used to flying in the sky now, and so he just hung limply and glared at the snow.

“Got it? You better. Now stay quiet in the village. I’m going to send some nice Adventurers to come and get you.”

“…Send a pretty lady.”

“Shut up.”