kscans

Chapter 247 - Unchanging Things

After that, I gave Captain Magnes a brief explanation… naturally, fudging the details about the other world.

The captain simply said, "I see. I’m glad to hear things went well. We’ll be returning to the Empire immediately. Fulfill your escort duty to the end."

With just those words, he started walking.

As I followed, I began, "Tina, about what comes next…"

Before I could finish, Tina cut in. "I think I have a good idea. Once we get back to the Empire, we report to the Guild. Then we head straight for the Kingdom. After that, we inform the Guild that we’ll be taking a leave of absence to deal with a personal matter regarding our friends. Then… we go to Earth. Is that right?"

"Yeah, that’s the plan," I replied. "You catching on so quickly is a huge help."

Tina smirked. "They’re our comrades. Of course I would know." She answered, puffing out her chest with pride.

After leaving the royal capital, we went to the port town and boarded a ship. We arrived in the Republic, stayed one night, and then took a carriage straight to the Empire.

Along the way, we were attacked by Goblins, Wolves, and even bandits, but we fought them all off.

We arrived at the Imperial capital without any trouble.

Once we reached the castle, the captain said, "Your duty is now complete. Head to the Guild. A reward from His Majesty the Emperor awaits you. After that… we will have no further requests for you. You’re free to do as you please, as long as it isn’t a nuisance."

He then entered the castle.

…That was a roundabout way of telling us to do whatever we want. We headed for the Guild.

Inside, the number of adventurers was sparse.

The air was thick with a strange listlessness.

Amidst this odd atmosphere, I approached the counter. "Excuse me. We’re here to report the completion of a quest and collect our reward. The request was to escort Captain Magnes."

The receptionist, her face grim, stammered, "Ah… y-yes. Please sign here. A-and this is the reward from His Majesty the Emperor. H-here you go."

She was terrified.

After taking the reward, I asked, "…? Why are you so jumpy? I’m just trying to conduct business as usual."

Tina added, "That’s right. It’s not like you’ve done anything wrong. Did something happen?"

The receptionist glanced around nervously. "You know the story, don’t you? That the Guild Master here fled and was killed? On top of that, the adventurers weren’t able to contribute much to the capital’s defense in the last war. I hear some tried their best, but the bad rumors were stronger, and they spread throughout the capital."

"Ever since, adventurers in the Empire have been called ‘useless’ or ‘trash.’ Many have quit or left for other countries. The only ones left now are newcomers and those who fought hard on the border… Of course, thanks to the efforts of ‘Red Lightning,’ the Guild has just barely managed to survive. Truly… thank you so much."

She bowed deeply.

…I see. You can’t be rude to someone in her position. There’s no telling what might make the remaining adventurers leave the Empire for good.

Tina said, "We appreciate the sentiment. However, Shinsuke and I have friends in the Kingdom who were seriously injured in the war and are now hospitalized. We’ll be leaving for a while to check on them and help with their care."

The receptionist replied, "Oh? I-I see. If that’s the case, we can’t stop you. Please, be safe."

She bowed low again.

Tina and I left the Guild.

On our way to the gate, we saw two women being harassed in an alley by six thugs.

…This didn’t look like they were just trying to hit on them. This was bordering on criminal.

I called out, "What do you think you’re doing?"

One of the thugs shot back, "Huh?! Shut up! We’re busy with some fine adventurer ladies here. Get lost!" He shooed me away with his hand as if I were a dog.

I said, "You really think I’m the kind of person who’ll just walk away after hearing that?" My voice was tinged with anger.

The other thugs turned to me. "The hell!? You’re just some adventurer… We know all about you lot. You’re useless, aren’t you? Bunch of cowards!" The thug glared at me menacingly.

Then, one of them who had been staring intently at me said, "Huh…? Hey, wait. Isn’t that… Shinsuke from ‘Red Lightning’?"

At this, the other thugs reacted. "What? The hero of the border?"

"The one who fought alongside General Goltor?"

"Y-yeah, now that you mention it… I’ve seen him before."

Breaking out in a cold sweat, the thugs forced a friendly smile and quickly fled the scene.

Tina, who was behind me, asked the women, "Are you all right…? Wait, aren’t you two…"

She seemed to know them.

When I took a closer look, I realized they were members of ‘Mad Dog’—Loose and Dord.

"It was you two," I said. "But why didn’t you do anything? You could’ve easily wiped the floor with guys like that, couldn’t you?"

Loose replied with a dark expression, "The Guild gave us strict orders not to cause any trouble. Not to fight back even if provoked. They said we can’t let the adventurers’ reputation sink any lower."

…So that’s what the receptionist was talking about. In the past, they could have defended themselves if harassed in the city, but not anymore. Fighting back against thugs would only tarnish their reputation further. They did well to restrain themselves.

"I see," I said. "Well, you don’t have to worry about them anymore. I’m glad my reputation was enough to scare them off. Honestly, I don’t like standing out." The last part was a mumble.

Dord, his expression impassive, said, "Thank you."

After offering their thanks, the two of them departed.

As we watched them go, Tina said, "The situation for adventurers in the Empire is dire. But… there’s nothing we can do."

I nodded.

She was right. I wasn’t a strategist or a politician. The only thing I was good for was fighting.

But that was fine. I just had to do what I could within my own limits. With that, we left the capital behind.

Along the road, we encountered Flame Wolves and Rock Wolves. They used to be tough enemies, but now we could hunt them without any trouble.

Using a transfer circle, we arrived at my house in the Kingdom… and then headed to Earth.

Seeing the house, Tina remarked, "My… the exterior looks the same, but it has the brilliance of a brand-new building." She looked astonished.

Once inside, she peered into each room with curiosity. After I explained what the massage chair was, she sat down and began to relax, her face melting into an expression of pure bliss, revealing a rather alluring sight. I stepped away and made a phone call.

A short while later, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door to find Kuroda and two men in black suits.

"This is a surprise," I said. "I didn’t expect you to come in person, Kuroda-san."

Kuroda smiled. "Heh heh. When it comes to you, Kaikawa-san, I can’t work in peace unless I handle things myself. Now then, what about the items in question?"

I led him to the yard.

Lying there were the two monsters I had hunted just before coming.

Seeing them in person, Kuroda exclaimed, "My, my. This is magnificent. This texture… it’s the same as last time. And I’ve never seen this one before. The hardness and beauty of its fur… truly exquisite. This will be a worthy centerpiece for the next auction. I shall notify everyone that we will hold it tonight."

"What?" I said, surprised. "Can you really arrange it that quickly? It’s already past noon. Don’t the participants have their own schedules?"

Kuroda replied, "Not a problem at all. In fact, our clients are eagerly waiting. I’ve even been receiving calls demanding to know when the next items will arrive. I truly thank you."

He bowed his head in gratitude.

"Not at all," I said. "This is how I make a living. Thank you." I bowed in return.

This exchange felt strangely like a corporate business dinner.

Kuroda said, "Well then, let’s have these transported immediately." He snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, several more men in black suits appeared from behind and carried the carcasses to a light truck. I’d never seen him do that before… the finger snap.

"Now then," Kuroda said, "shall we be on our way?"

The door of a Rolls-Royce opened.

"I’m sorry," I said. "I have some luggage, so if possible, I’d prefer a more spacious vehicle." I glanced at a box on the veranda.

"I see. Understood," Kuroda said. "You there, have the men in the van head toward the truck." He issued an order to one of his subordinates.

I called for Tina. She was wearing her casual clothes for this world—jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt. The season was shifting from fall to winter, so it was perfectly suitable.

I had a similar box prepared. We each carried one and got into the van.

From there, we headed straight for the hospital.

Along the way, the light truck turned off in a different direction. It was probably heading to the auction site. As I was thinking that, I looked at the car behind us. It was a common, light-engine sedan.

But for some reason, it bothered me. I felt like I was being watched.

"Excuse me," I said to one of the men in black. "Please contact Kuroda-san."

A short while later, we reached a three-way intersection. The Rolls-Royce and our van split off to the left and right. The sedan followed the Rolls-Royce.

The man in black explained, "That road ahead is closed for maintenance. There’s no other way through. Of course, everyone around here knows that. Even for people from out of town, the information is registered in their GPS."

That confirmed it for me.

That sedan was suspicious. We pulled over to the side of the road. The man’s phone rang, and he spoke for a moment.

He then said, "Your hunch was correct. They’re hostiles."

The black van sped toward the scene.

When we arrived, the sedan was parked in front of the Rolls-Royce, flanked by four armed foreigners.

One of the men in black said, "Please leave this to us."

As he reached for his gun, I stopped him. "No. I’m the cause of this mess. Besides… there’s something I’ve been wanting to try."

I drew the knife from my hip and stepped out of the van.

Tina did the same, taking her position to my right.

Facing our opponents, I sighed. "Honestly. Now I have to fight here, too?"

Resigned to my unchanging circumstances, I raised my knife.