kscans

Chapter 90 - Mutual Feelings

Hearing that the Emperor had been assassinated, I asked, "Assassinated?! By whom?!"

"A monster," Altorine replied directly. "...Late one night, a few days ago, it stormed the castle, cut down many soldiers, and killed the Emperor who met it in the throne room. ...That's what we've been told. ...The Empire is still in chaos. Both entry and exit are prohibited, so no one can get in."

She gave a brief explanation. So that's what was happening in the Empire... With the Emperor dead, a strict lockdown was to be expected. But something bothered me.

"...But Altorine-san," I asked, "...where did you get that information?"

With entry and exit forbidden, no information should have leaked to the outside world. Yet she knew.

"...It's simple," Altorine said. "We have spies in the Empire. ...Things there were quite unstable, so we had them gather information constantly."

A straightforward answer. ...It's the same everywhere, I suppose.

"I see," I said. "...So, even if we go to the Empire now, we won't be able to get in. ...Do you know how many days it takes to get to the Empire from here?"

"...About three days," Altorine replied. "...There's one town along the way. ...However, it's not a town that welcomes outsiders. ...I recommend you stay in the Church for a while."

She gave me the rundown. I didn't ask about that town. I had a feeling it would just leave a bad taste in my mouth. My destination was the imperial capital. I had no intention of getting involved in anything else unless it was a request.

We parted ways and looked for an inn.

We stayed at the Church for two days. During that time, we took on quests at the Guild while listening for news about the situation in the Empire. The ban was still in effect. We decided to wait.

Just then, a group of knights entered the Guild. At the head of the group was Altorine. She came to the reception counter and announced, "...A letter from the Empire. ...It is a request for reinforcements for the Church's Guild. ...They want us to dispatch personnel to the border with the monster hordes. ...There is no limit to the number of people, the duration is indefinite, and it is possible to leave midway. The reward is one gold coin per day, with an additional coin added for each day that passes. ...That is all."

She stated the job details matter-of-factly. Of course, the other adventurers had also heard this conversation. One of them spoke up.

"...Excuse me? ...Who is this request from?"

"...An imperial noble fighting on the border," Altorine explained. "...The Imperial Guild is short-staffed and couldn't accept this request, so they sent a request to a neighboring country."

...I wasn't sure if I should be convinced by this explanation. Was it really something that required sending a letter to another country just because they were short-staffed? It couldn't be more suspicious. ...However, since a letter had arrived, it meant the upper echelons of the Empire had given their permission. The Church couldn't just ignore it.

"...May I ask something?" I said. "...If we take this request, will we be staying on the border?"

"...Nothing is written about that," Altorine replied. "...However, there aren't many facilities on the border that can accommodate a large number of people. ...The royal capital isn't that far from the border. ...I think it will probably be fine."

Her explanation was vague. It seemed we couldn't expect much in the way of food and lodging. But for me, it was convenient. It was a way into the Empire.

The receptionist posted the letter's contents on the board. Several adventurers headed over, so we did too.

- Duration: Indefinite
- Number of recruits: Unlimited
- Location: In front of Count Munil's mansion, in his domain north of the royal capital.
- Participants must bring a certificate of acceptance issued by the Guild.
- Reward: One gold coin per day, paid for the number of days worked.

That was all that was written.

...A remarkably concise summary. ...It was no wonder Altorine was so vague in her answers. We'd have to be prepared to camp outdoors.

We sat down at a table to discuss it with Tina.

"...I won't oppose whatever you decide, Shinsuke, but I agree that it's suspicious. There's just something that doesn't sit right with me."

"...If the Empire was planning something against the Church, they would have asked the knights. ...Even if they didn't send the commander, the higher-ups would have dispatched at least one division of knights. ...We have trade relations with the Empire, and we have a system of mutual cooperation in times of trouble."

"...But this noble has sent a request to the Guild. ...And with a formal letter, which is rarely used. ...I just can't read their intentions. ...In fact, the adventurers who went to the board are all at their tables, discussing it."

I looked around as she said this. ...Indeed, the adventurer parties were filling the tables and counters, deep in discussion. No one was at the board. ...Some were thinking seriously, others were laughing and talking, and some were just looking around, each with their own thoughts.

...At best, this request was a good way to earn money. One day of fighting on the border would guarantee one gold coin. At worst, it meant the danger was that great.

...Well, of course, some guys who had no intention of taking the problem seriously and couldn't read the room went up to the counter with a punk-like attitude.

"What's this? ...You're all sittin' around with long faces. ...You gonna let a good money-making opportunity slip by? ...Well, you guys can stay here and earn your daily pittance. ...We're outta here."

They accepted the request and left the Guild on the spot. ...The remaining adventurers were half exasperated, half angry.

The former group thought that those who didn't think things through would meet a bad end and continued their discussions. The latter, perhaps because their pride was wounded, went to the counter and accepted the request.

The number of people in the Guild instantly dropped by nearly half.

Seeing this, I remarked, "...The place cleared out in a flash. ...Are the adventurers here really that susceptible to provocation?"

"...I think it depends on the person," Tina said. "...But I'd be lying if I said that after doing this for a long time, pride doesn't naturally emerge. ...Especially when you think you're doing a dangerous job. ...If you go without knowing your own abilities, what awaits you is death in the name of failure. ...Being an adventurer is a profession where you die young."

Tina had a look of someone who had seen it all.

Hearing that, I asked, "...Can I ask you something? ...Why did you choose this line of work, Tina?"

"...My mother was an adventurer, and my father was a merchant," Tina said. "...When I was a child, I wanted to be an adventurer. With my childhood friend, Leona. ...But my parents didn't approve. ...They thought it would be better to live a stable life as a merchant."

"...I went against their wishes and became an adventurer, setting out on a journey with Leona. ...After a while, I heard that my hometown had been destroyed, and I rushed back immediately. ...But everything was gone. ...Only the corpses were left. ...I found out later that a certain organization was attacking villages to get funds, and I started chasing them."

"...So, the organization you mentioned destroying before...?" I asked.

"...Yes. That was them," Tina said, and didn't elaborate further.

...I hadn't known, but I shouldn't have asked. I regretted my own carelessness.

Seeing my expression, Tina said, "...Oh, don't worry about it. ...It's a common occurrence around here. Being destroyed by villains or monsters is an everyday thing. ...I was chasing them to prevent any more casualties. ...I wasn't such a filial daughter as to be on a quest for revenge."

She said this with a self-deprecating look.

"...If you're going to say that, then I'm the same," I said, my own face tinged with self-deprecation. "...I ignored the grandfather who raised me and worked in a society where everyone said it was common sense. But the result was a disaster. ...I fell into such a state of paranoia that everyone seemed like an enemy. ...Sometimes, I wish I had listened to my grandfather's words back then."

A moment of silence passed. It was Tina who broke it.

"...Let's stop talking about the past. ...Let's talk about the present. ...Whether to take the Empire's request or not."

Tina changed the subject. ...In a way, I was grateful for her quick thinking. I tried my best to change my mood as well.

"...You're right. ...It's definitely suspicious. ...But if this is the only way to get into the Empire, I think we should take it. ...Besides, I'm on a journey for training. I think it's better to have all sorts of experiences."

To this, Tina said, "...If you've decided, Shinsuke, then I have nothing to say, but... please value your life."

She warned me with a look of concern. I nodded.

"...I know. ...You're strong enough to protect yourself, Tina, so saying this might be an insult, but... if anything happens, I'll protect you. ...And I'll do everything in my power to make sure we both survive."

I declared with determination. Tina looked stunned for a moment, then chuckled.

"...Hehe. ...In the books you brought, wouldn't the line there be, 'I'll protect you with my life'?" she said with a smile.

"...Well, normally, yes," I replied. "...But I value my life, and I don't want to see you die either. ...In that case, there's no choice but to protect both, right? ...Besides, a strong man needs not only strength but also a strong heart. ...Having someone to protect makes a person stronger. ...Is that wrong?"

To my slightly wry smile, Tina said, "...No, I prefer that. I'm happy that you'll protect me, but that's only half of it. ...The other half is that I want to protect you, too. ...We can just protect each other. ...I can't think of any other way."

She answered with a wonderful smile. I had been prepared for her to get angry if I told her what I was thinking, but my fears were unfounded.

...With that settled, we stood up from our seats and headed to the reception counter. We accepted the request from the Empire. We left the Guild, bought some supplies, and decided to stay the night before departing.

Our destination: the Empire. ...To Count Munil's mansion.