38 - Chapter 34: The Guild Master's Job
Serious-san "Huh? Didn't you say there was work?"
In the Imperial Capital's Adventurer's Guild, a middle-aged man dressed in lavish clothes was about to leave the Guild Master's room, accompanied by an attendant.
"Then I leave it to you, Guild Master."
"Yes."
Dusk, the master of the room, bowed his head as he saw him off.
"You look exhausted, Guild Master."
"Karla... perfect, I'm thirsty, so you come along too."
The woman, Karla, spoke from behind just as the middle-aged man disappeared downstairs. She held a wagon loaded with tea and sweets. Dusk had instructed her to bring them when the time was right, but the middle-aged man in question had hurried away as soon as he heard the progress report.
In terms of time, it was an encounter of only a few minutes, but it was still an interaction with a noble. Feeling the continuous damage to his stomach daily, he urged Karla to enter.
"Even though we don't know their whereabouts, they come to press us day after day... why are the nobles so obsessed with them?"
"That's because the balance of power is equal."
As Karla poured tea into a cup and placed it on the table, Dusk answered while slumping into the sofa and munching on tea cookies.
"Balance, you say?"
"You know when the last war ended, right?"
"Sixteen years ago, with the Kingdom of Karim. Since then, there have been minor conflicts, but the center of the Empire has been relatively peaceful."
The sparks around the Leonesta Empire had existed for so long that no one remembered them anymore, and there were as many reasons as there are stars in the sky.
Although temporary, relations had deteriorated to the point of being called a war with the Kingdom of Karim about twenty-one years ago. The war, which lasted for about a year from there, settled in a form where both sides took equal damage, if one only looks at the result. From there, they continued sporadic local battles for about four years, and then officially reached the end of the war sixteen years ago from the present.
That said, the war was originally primarily for the purpose of territorial acquisition. The borderlines of the two countries, namely the Triad Border Territory and the Kessel Border Territory, remained conflict zones even now. They occasionally had skirmishes, resulting in deaths, large or small.
Still, the countries themselves did not move because the war had officially ended, and there was an agreement exchanged at that time. Since it was an official document disclosed to related countries, breaking it would affect the credibility of both parties. Therefore, the frequent skirmishes were settled with the pretense of "sorry, my subordinates went rogue on their own." In modern Earth, management responsibility would likely be questioned, but since this world is still medieval-spec, such laxity passes.
At any rate, for these sixteen years, Karla's impression was that the central region around the Imperial Capital, the heart of the Empire, was peaceful.
"Peace, peace, huh... It's certainly so, but it's a matter of pros and cons."
"Isn't it a good thing that it's peaceful?"
"Humans are like water. As long as it's flowing and being stirred, it stays clean, but once it stagnates, it becomes muddy. If war is a torrential current, peace is a pond. In exchange for less danger to life, it eventually becomes cloudy and dirty, and finally turns into a rotten swamp. Let me be clear, this isn't some fruitless emotional argument about whether war is good or bad. I have a family too, so of course peace is better. This is a matter of human nature."
Human nature is more likely to be exposed the more critical the situation is. And the more malicious the exposed nature is, the easier it is to be rejected. A critical situation like war reveals human nature whether one likes it or not, and the more acute it is, the more they are viewed as enemies by those around them who desire peace, and finally, they are cut off.
Conversely, in peace, that malice is hidden, yet it rages more fiercely than in wartime. Even more so if they possess power.
"For sixteen years, this country did not wage war. The general power balance among the nobles was established around the same time."
"Ah, military achievements?"
"Right. But the previous Emperor abandoned the policy of territorial expansion from that point. I don't know the reason, but His Majesty the current Emperor has also inherited that policy."
There are skirmishes, but no war. No matter how many military achievements one earns in unauthorized conflicts, the lord of that territory cannot be evaluated by the Emperor. Rather, there is even a possibility that their evaluation will be lowered.
When that happens, what occurs is a struggle for the limited pie of power.
"In the midst of that, those Three Idiots accidentally appeared. They aren't just wounded stray Earth Dragons. What if people who could take down a herd led by a large Earth Dragon, for example, became your subordinates?"
"Meaning they would serve as a deterrent to neighboring countries of one's own territory or other factions?"
"That's it. You could lend them out, or if necessary, you could even send them to crush someone."
"I don't think those three would cooperate with such things, though."
"Well, they have hedonistic and ephemeral personalities, so I agree with that. Even if offered a large sum of money, they'd likely refuse the troublesome affairs of nobles. They might take a request from the slums if it's interesting, though. But naturally, the sheltered nobles wouldn't know such things."
What makes the situation complicated is the origin of the three.
As explained from time to time, faced with the three's overly special backgrounds, one cannot take short-sighted actions like threatening some commoners to make them obey. At worst, the entire Triad Border Territory would turn into an enemy, the Romanet Company would stop logistics, and they would be condemned by guild officials who are on good terms with Jinrai, causing adventurers to stop visiting their own territory.
Things that are sufficient to make one's positioning disadvantageous would happen one after another. If they are even slightly skilled at self-preservation, they will not take reckless actions against those Three Idiots.
However, that ability and fame are hard to throw away. Or rather, it would be troublesome if another faction took them.
Then what do they do?
"Why does a mere Guild Master have to do this..."
The matter eventually reaches their boss, Dusk.
While Dusk, whose highlights in his eyes had vanished and whose character had started to waver as he muttered "this tea is delicious," wondered how it came to this, a new trouble arrives.
"I-It's an emergency, Guild Master!"
"What is it? Which noble is it this time? Surely it's not royalty?"
"Those three have returned!"
The difficult task brought by the guild staff member, who entered with enough momentum to nearly break the door, was however the very thing Dusk had been waiting for.
●
"Right, clear."
"Left, clear."
"Front, clear, desu wa."
In front of the Adventurer's Guild, there were the Three Idiots, each pointing their fingers to confirm safety.
"Um... Later-sama, is that...?"
"It's point-and-call. Confirmation is important."
What he was saying was sensible, but the poses the three were taking were more like the cat poses used at worksites.
"Hey, Geo. You seem to be wary of the Guild Master, but what will you do if we're found?"
"First is Oasis."
"Oasis? Why is a watering hole coming up here?"
"Lilitia, that is... the initials of 'It wasn't me, that guy did it, I don't know, it's over' (Ore janai, Aitsu ga yatta, Shiranai, Sunderu koto), which makes Oasis...!"
It is a joke. In reality, it is an enlightenment activity to encourage greeting campaigns, so one must not take the Three Idiots' words at face value.
"---Alright, the Guild Master isn't in sight. Karla-san isn't here either, so while we can, go secretly to the receptionist we're less familiar with... that person over there is good, go there and quickly register."
"I-I understand."
Having sent Latia, Kazuha, and Lilitia off stealthily, the Three Idiots let out a sigh while remaining wary of the guild interior.
"If that's the case, I should have developed cardboard boxes, desu wa."
"We need bone conduction communicators too. Also, erotic books."
"If there's a reincarnated person named Sasaki, I'd like to secure them. They'll probably be active in the final stages of the story."
While they were having their usual kind of conversation.
"Ah, it's the Serious Breakers."
'! '
Being called out by name from behind, they instinctively looked back to see three shadows. Checking the faces timidly, there were Alan the dog-beastman warrior, Larc the priest-warrior, and Mira the mage, the members of the silver-rank party 'Hekireki'.
"W-What? It's the big brothers from 'Hekireki', don't scare me like that."
"You really surprised us, honestly."
"Goodness, Sister is so playful... ---it's time for the tickle torture, desu wa!"
"Hyaa! Stop it, Marianne-chan!"
Relieved to see familiar faces, Marianne, for her part, began teasing Mira as if she had found prey.
"So, what are you guys doing so sneakily?"
"Now that I think about it, we haven't seen you lately. Did you take a request to go somewhere far?"
"Well, actually."
It was just as they began to explain the circumstances.
"Where are the Three Idiots of the Serious Breakers!?"
"Gueh! Guild Master!?"
Finding a person sprinting down the stairs from the second floor in full armament, the Three Idiots tried to retreat in a panic. However.
"---!?"
They were gripped firmly by the members of 'Hekireki'.
"Oops, don't run away."
"Actually, the Guild Master asked us to catch you if we found you."
"Sorry, okay? There's a reward, so we couldn't refuse."
If they had time to be speechless at being betrayed.
"Three... I-di-ots...!"
At Dusk's voice, which sounded as if he had returned from the brink of hell, the Three Idiots shuddered. Immediately after, Later and Marianne exchanged glances.
"Guild Master, Guild Master! ---It wasn't me!"
"That's right, desu wa! ---Geo did it on his own!"
"Ah, these guys are using others as decoys...! ---I-I don't know anything about it!?"
They began an ugly dispute, but Dusk drew the sword at his waist.
"Is that all you want to say...?"
Under the freezing gaze that looked down on them, the Three Idiots softly averted their eyes, then attempted a final resistance.
"I-It's already over."
The sound of Dusk's blood vessel snapping reached the ears of every person packed into the guild.
"Line up right there, you idiots---!!"
"Uwaaan! I'm sorr---y!!"
Furthermore, it is said that the lecture on this day continued until late at night.
To be continued tomorrow.