184 - Labyrinth Rampage
After returning to Beim, I headed to the guild with my documents.
It was just past three o'clock.
There weren't many adventurers around, but the atmosphere felt more tense than usual. At the reception counter, the staff were moving frantically despite the low number of adventurers.
Watching this, I checked the bulletin board to see if a labyrinth had been discovered, but there was no such news.
The adventurers, seeing the guild's frantic state, were whispering among themselves.
"What's going on? Are we going to war somewhere?"
"Galleria and Lusworth are always like that, right? Did we pick a fight with Zain and Rolfis? Or did they pick one with us...?"
"Isn't this a bit too frantic for that, though?"
I know that when war begins, the guild that manages the adventurers also becomes busy. However, I felt something different from that.
When I headed to the third floor with my documents, the third floor was as usual. Since it consists of private rooms, I couldn't see other adventurers or guild staff, nor could I hear their conversations, so I couldn't tell if anything had changed.
However, I just had a strange feeling.
(Maybe it's just my imagination.)
Thinking that, I entered an empty room, and the staff member waiting there looked a bit nervous when they saw me.
Sensing the atmosphere, the Fifth Generation spoke from the orb.
『More trouble? Still, the atmosphere wasn't like this during the previous war.』
The Seventh Generation, who hates adventurers, laughed.
『Perhaps another country is invading? Beim deserves to be crushed once.』
Mireia-san looked exasperated.
『Honestly... always like that. And yet, for Lyell's sake, they have to stay in Beim.』
While becoming convinced that this person was also a member of the Walt family, I sat in the chair and handed the documents for the completed request to the staff member.
The other person accepted them politely, then glanced at me.
"Thank you for your hard work. More importantly, has anything unusual happened?"
"Anything unusual?"
I had traveled far to complete the request. I also had the standby members handle some chore-type requests, but nothing particularly unusual had happened.
I wondered if we had done something, but there were too many things that could fit, so I didn't know. As I was troubled, the staff member hurriedly added,
"No, if there's nothing, that's fine. Also, could you come to renew your party members' guild cards soon?"
I remembered that I hadn't renewed them before heading out on the request, and it had been a while since we had renewed them as a group.
"Then maybe during the next request. However, I'm thinking of taking a vacation for a while, so it'll have to be next time."
I had completed several requests. I had some time to spare for a few weeks.
(I also want to challenge the Beim labyrinth soon.)
I've become able to earn more than before, but it's still different from earnings in a labyrinth. I thought they would be displeased, but the staff member looked slightly relieved.
The Third Generation, of course, didn't miss that expression.
『...Something's up. Shall we investigate immediately? Also, Lyell.』
At that prompt, I asked the staff member.
"The guild seems tense. Did something happen?"
The staff member's hands stopped for a moment, but they immediately gave a strained smile.
"No, despite you asking, nothing in particular... However, I also thought the atmosphere was strange, so I wondered if I could hear something from an adventurer."
Since the staff member was appealing that they didn't know either, I gave up, thinking it was useless to ask further. I could probably extract the information using a skill, but it wasn't necessary to go that far.
(Maybe I'll go see Rauno-san later.)
After finishing the procedures and receiving my reward, I left the guild.
――Adventurer's Guild East Branch.
In the guild staff's break room, the general staff in charge of reception were bewildered by the frantic nature and tension within the guild.
Marianne sat in a chair in the break room, holding a cup of tea with both hands on her lap.
Telling herself that today was just like any other day, she would return to the reception and act with a soft atmosphere while dealing with rookie adventurers.
Marianne's working hours were from early morning until evening. Since she was in charge of assigning chore-type requests to many rookie adventurers, her hours were fixed.
Then, a rookie staff member who entered the break room with sweets spoke up.
"Listen to this! I got sweets again!"
The staff member, a girl with brown hair reaching her shoulders tied in two side-ups, was young but had been hired as a guild employee.
She spoke in a light tone, but she was capable at her job. Also, since she was pretty, she was popular with the adventurers. Because of that, she often received sweets from them like this.
One of the staff members looked at that and gave a strained smile.
"It's not great to receive too many. You didn't ask for them, right? Please stop, as it can lead to trouble."
Then, [Rieue] said, "That's not it," while adding,
"I was told they wanted me to have them. It's a very excellent adventurer party, and the person was the leader. Their income is stable and high, and they're young and capable. They often use my counter."
In other words, she was saying she was cute. Marianne felt an indescribable emotion looking at Rieue.
Adventurers who often use a specific counter often trust that staff member. Or, they've chosen them as a compromise. Rather than using a different staff member every time, adventurers prefer someone who knows their various circumstances.
Not all adventurers were without ulterior motives, but it was natural to have a few such regulars if one worked at reception.
Marianne's situation was different, so she had no regulars. For better or worse, Marianne was in charge of rookie adventurers. Once they grew, they were removed from her exclusive care, and the way she dealt with them changed.
Therefore, she had no regulars in the true sense of the word.
A female staff member in her mid-twenties looked at Rieue and warned her.
"There are times when you have to ask them to do unpleasant jobs, so keep your relationship professional. Otherwise――"
However, she stopped her important warning halfway.
"I know. But there are many adventurers who will listen if I'm the one asking. Even tedious requests, they say 'if it's your request,' and do them."
Thinking that the boasting had begun, the female staff member said, "That's nice," and stopped the warning.
Seeing a male staff member wondering if he should continue, Marianne sighed.
It wasn't that she was angry at Rieue. After all, Marianne herself had once been like Rieue.
(I wonder if I was seen that way too.)
Thinking that, Marianne drank her tea and placed the cup on the table.
"Ah, come to think of it... Senpai, you're training rookies again, right? Dealing with rookie adventurers is tough because they're all just dreamers with nothing but ulterior motives. Before, the adventurers you were in charge of came to me. Then they started calling me cute, and it was quite troubling."
As Rieue started pestering Marianne, the surrounding staff members had subtle expressions. However, Marianne was smiling.
"I see. I'm sorry about that."
Rieue, perhaps finding it boring, sat down, spread out the sweets, and shared them with the other staff.
Marianne stood up and left the break room――.
After returning to the mansion, I looked for Miranda.
It was to go to Rauno-san's place, but it had become a rule that I invite Miranda whenever I go to Rauno-san's.
She was fine with that, and the usual flow was to kill time with tea or shopping on the way there and back.
Looking at the reactions moving within the mansion, I headed toward where Miranda was.
"At this time... ah, is she relaxing after a bath?"
When we return to Beim, the women usually go back to the mansion and head for the bath. Unlike the public baths installed in the guild, they seem to like being able to use the large bath here without hesitation.
It's wastefully large, so management is hard, but the automatons manage it with great enthusiasm. For some reason, they seem to feel an immense sense of happiness.
(...The ancients who made Monica and the others were actually perverts, weren't they?)
I don't want to speak ill of the ancients who are no longer here, but I can't help but think so.
As I walked down the hallway, someone called out to me.
It was Maxim-san. Walking from ahead, he had an expression that said he had finally found me.
"Lyell-dono, you were here. A guest has come to visit."
"For me? No, it's not unusual. Who is it?"
I stopped going to Miranda and decided to go deal with the guest. Checking the surrounding map with a skill, a guest had indeed come to the mansion.
Because I was preoccupied with Miranda and hadn't looked at the map over a wide area, I hadn't noticed.
Walking alongside Maxim-san, who was tall and looked like he wore armor made of muscle, I started to look frail.
"I'm not sure. But they seem to be in quite a hurry. I didn't know them, but Novem-dono invited them to the mansion."
I thought it might be related to Zain or Rolfis, but if so, Maxim-san would probably know the person's face or say so.
Besides, if Novem invited them, there's no problem...
Yes, there should be no problem.
"Novem, huh."
There were many things that made me think. However, the reactions of the successive heads were the most intense. Remembering it still gives me a headache.
Starting from the Third Generation.
『Is it that? If we leave demi-human relations to Novem-chan, there's no problem? This is really helpful, isn't it?』
『Elves scattered across the continent, Dwarves with many craftsmen. Gnomes with dexterous hands... and a Divine Beast... they've come. With this, the probability of Lyell winning against Celes has increased.』
『Can we really expect that much? For my part, the story about Novem betraying them also bothers me... but no matter how I think about it, it's a story from the past.』
『It doesn't matter. We must use whatever can be used. The overwhelming difference in combat power has not been filled at all.』
Mireia-san, in response to the reactions of the successive heads,
『Everyone really has two or three screws loose in their heads, don't they? I think those reactions are wonderful.』
Hearing that, the Third Generation laughed.
『Even if they talk about the era of the Goddess, it has nothing to do with us. Or rather, the story has become too big for me to understand, but as long as they're allies, there's no problem! If they become enemies eventually, we'll deal with it then. Or, we'll have Lyell make them fall for him, right?』
Working hard for Novem's sake is fine, but what do these people really think of me?
As I shook my head, Maxim-san looked at me worriedly.
"What's wrong, Lyell-dono?"
"Ah, no... it's nothing."
That's right. For us, what the Goddesses did in ancient times is not the problem. The problem is that I, the dregs of the Goddess, and those who are descendants, exist.
(...Dregs of the Goddess, huh. Who said that?)
Dregs of Celes, dregs of the Goddess――I was told that by the successive heads and couldn't talk back. In reality, I had various things stolen and sealed by Celes.
(There are mountains of problems I have to solve... I hope this isn't trouble this time.)
My feelings, thinking that, were easily trampled upon.
The person who had come to the reception room was Tanya-san.
She wasn't in the staff uniform I saw at the guild, but she wasn't in casual clothes either.
She was in a suit and looked somewhat nervous.
(Ah, Maxim-san and the others probably don't know Tanya-san. Even if they registered as adventurers, we've basically handled all the requests.)
I greeted Tanya-san, who was sitting on the sofa, and sat on the sofa myself. Beside us, Monica was preparing tea, and Novem, who had dealt with her first, had a slightly stern expression.
"Did something happen?"
From Novem's expression, I predicted that it might be something disadvantageous for us, then the Seventh Generation spoke up.
『Ho? Did they come to pick a fight? That saves us the trouble. I'll gladly take that fight, Adventurer's Guild!』
Why does he hate adventurers so much...
Leaving the Seventh Generation alone, I looked at Tanya-san's face, and Tanya-san urged me to look at the envelope placed on the table.
"This is information that only a very small number of people in the guild know."
Told that, I looked through the documents, and information about the village I had seen at Rauno-san's place was written there.
However, it was written in the report to the guild that it was in a very dangerous state.
Tanya-san continued.
"A state of labyrinth rampage. This hasn't happened around Beim for twenty years. It seems that someone who quit being an adventurer and returned to their hometown was involved."
Looking through the documents, the situation had become quite bad in the few weeks I had been away from Beim.
It was written that subjugating the labyrinth was impossible, and it seemed that Beim had already decided to move for defense.
Novem spoke up.
"...A regrettable result. But why did you bring this story to Lyell-sama?"
Novem glared at Tanya-san as if on guard.
Tanya-san, while sipping the tea Monica served,
"The Beim Adventurer's Guild――the Guild Headquarters, evaluates Lyell-kun highly. We would very much like you to participate in this defensive battle."
I thought about the fact that she mentioned the Guild Headquarters, not the East Branch.
(If it's a decision from the headquarters, it'll be troublesome later if I refuse. But what's the point of putting this much pressure on a single party?)
Then, the voice of the Fourth Generation was heard from the orb.
『I see. They want to keep Lyell, who has influence over Zain and Rolfis, under control. At the very least, doesn't Beim want to put pressure on both countries, asking if they'll abandon their benefactor?』
Then, the Fifth Generation said in a low voice.
『We've been underestimated. We'd participate naturally even without that. Even if we didn't participate, Beim could probably be defended, but this is a chance.』
The successive heads, who felt that a labyrinth rampage was a chance, must have had their screws fly out of their heads.
The Seventh Generation too.
『A defensive battle, huh. It's necessary to raise Lyell's name further. And we can put Beim itself in our debt. However, it would be problematic if Zain and Rolfis participated because of Lyell. There's no benefit for the two countries.』
The Third Generation said happily,
『Come to think of it, the two countries have debts to Beim, right? That's not very interesting, is it? Let's take the lead in participating and have those debts reduced. Uha! This is getting fun! The enemy is an army of monsters numbering from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands! We've got to prepare!』
I wanted to hold my head, so I looked down, and Tanya-san seemed to think I was considering refusing.
After all, once a labyrinth rampages, the labyrinth withers, but it still spews out monsters on a scale of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.
Many countries had been destroyed by labyrinths in the past, which was the reason for the difficulty of managing labyrinths.
Tanya-san said,
"Indeed, this request is a difficult one. However, this time it is very important――"
"The one who decides is Lyell-sama. Or are you saying you'll force him to participate?"
Restraining Novem, who was intimidating Tanya-san, I looked up.
(...I can't exactly not participate here, and if I can put them in my debt, I'll do it. Besides, I have to reduce the debts of Zain and Rolfis.)
I turned a smile toward Tanya-san.
"Of course I'll participate. I, Lyell Walt, shall stand up for Beim's crisis. For that, first, I'll secure the cooperation of Zain and Rolfis! Leave it to me, I'll have the two countries cooperate immediately. By the way, rewards will be given from Beim to the two countries, right?"
When I checked in advance, Tanya-san's cheek twitched.
"T-that, I'd have to consult with my superiors before I can say."
"Then I shall move immediately! Novem, prepare for war!"
"Yes, Lyell-sama."
Watching Novem stand up with a smile and leave the room, I thought.
(...Preparation, what should I even do?)
I've experienced small-scale battles, but I have no experience with large-scale ones. Unlike what I experienced in Zain and Rolfis, this time I'll be clashing with monsters in earnest.
While looking at Monica, who was directing an excited gaze at me as if wondering if an order would come for her too, I listened to the voices inside the orb.
Saying "oh my," Mireia-san said one thing while looking at the successive heads who were getting excited.
『They really seem to be having fun. I wonder if Lyell is excited too?』
(Hell no!)