kscans

Chapter 162 - An Encounter

Several days had passed since Hayato hired Rose, the maid who specialized in assassination.

In that time, there had been no conspicuous movements around him. However, it was possible things were being secretly "handled" without his knowledge.

Relic and Sonia were also aware that Hayato was being targeted. The Butler Guild, the former Thieves' Guild, and the Maid Guild were all coordinating to protect him near his base.

The whole affair had begun when Sonia, the guild master of the former Thieves' Guild, brought a request to Hayato. Though they now called themselves the Treasure Hunter Guild, it was only natural that they would protect him.

The Butler Guild was the guild Relic belonged to, and the request had come directly from him. Many members of the Butler Guild were indebted to Relic, so they had gladly accepted the job.

And the Maid Guild went without saying.

And so, an invisible conflict between organizations was taking place without Hayato's knowledge.

"You're quite popular. As your master's maid, I feel so proud."

"I'm not happy about it."

Hayato immediately retorted to Esha's joke. To his eyes, it was as if nothing was happening, but the thought of a battle being waged over him was unsettling.

"It's all right, Hayato-sama. Esha and I will protect you as your bodyguards. Our security measures are flawless."

"Thank you. But the number one thing I need you to do is tend the shop, okay?"

"You can rest assured on that point as well. I am handling that flawlessly too. The daily earnings are as I've reported, so I believe there are no issues."

"Never mind the earnings, you don't need to report the number of assassins and thieves you've repelled, okay?"

In addition to the daily sales report, Rose also reported the number of people from the Assassin Guild who had come disguised as customers. It was almost as if she was trying to show off her competence. Still, she did properly report what sold each day and what items were trending, so it was helpful in its own way.

As they were talking, Relic arrived at the base.

"Hayato-sama, my apologies for the wait. Shall we depart at once?"

"Yes. Let's go. Rose-san, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Understood. I will set a new high score today."

"That means you expect to be attacked by a double-digit number of people, doesn't it?"

By high score, she meant the number of people she repelled. Even if it was difficult, Hayato's wish was for her to somehow find a way to not be attacked at all.

It wasn't just Hayato being targeted, his base was as well.

This was because a rumor was circulating that Sonia might have left some kind of information there. As a result, many thieves tried to break into the base even when Hayato wasn't there. Rose was repelling them while tending the shop.

He wasn't sure if her talk of a high score was a joke or serious, but he decided there was no point in dwelling on it and began to prepare for their departure.

Yesterday, they had gathered the necessary lumber to build a large ship.

He was now going to build it, but this could only be done at a place called a Shipyard Dock in the Royal or Imperial Capital. The materials in the base's storage would be used automatically, but the location for construction was fixed.

Hayato was scheduled to go there today, but since he was being targeted, he had to travel with an escort. Even with several people from each guild guarding the vicinity, there were limits.

For that reason, Relic and Esha were to act as Hayato's bodyguards.

"Well then, Relic-sama, Esha, I leave Hayato-sama in your care."

Rose bowed to Relic and Esha.

"Understood. Please rest assured we will deliver him safely to the Shipyard Dock. However, Hayato-sama, please be sure to wear your Ring of Teleportation just in case. If anything should happen, please escape via teleportation."

"I will."

"If it comes to it, I will shoot you, so please resurrect at the base."

"That's not something I really want to experience again."

She was talking about the so-called "return from death" method Hayato had used to escape from Diite. That was strictly for emergencies.

(As long as it's not some special field, I should be able to teleport. Even if I get abducted, I probably won't stay captured for long.)

With that thought, Hayato left the base with Relic and Esha.


The three of them walked east down the main thoroughfare of the Royal Capital, known as Main Street. The port, and the Shipyard Dock, lay ahead.

Perhaps because of the Treasure Hunting event, the Royal Capital was crowded with players despite it being morning. Influenced by this, the NPC shops were also bustling, and many were hawking their wares from street stalls.

The weather was nice, and the sunny warmth was making him sleepy even though he had just woken up. Thinking he might actually fall asleep if this kept up, even in a virtual reality, Hayato spoke to Relic.

"Relic-san, if you know anything about it, could you tell me about the bandit group called the Greedy Fire Serpent?"

The Greedy Fire Serpent. One of the bandit groups targeting Hayato.

According to the Maid Chief, they were a group that had broken away from the former Thieves' Guild. The Maid Guild was apparently investigating them, but asking Relic or Sonia would be faster.

Relic's face took on a thoughtful expression for a moment before he smiled and spoke.

"They are likely the largest bandit group in this world. Their leader, unlike Sonia and myself, is a young and ambitious man. His name is Ban Fargaruto."

"Ban Fargaruto. I heard they broke away from the Thieves' Guild. I can understand Sonia knowing him, but you do as well, Relic-san?"

"Yes. We worked together for a time. In fact, you could say Ban was a student of mine and Sonia's. However, I would also say we failed in raising him."

"A student of yours and Sonia-san's... What do you mean by failed?"

"Ban absorbed all manner of knowledge from us. You could say it was like dry sand absorbing water. He quickly acquired skills on the same level as ours. However, talent superior to others makes one arrogant. Perhaps Sonia and I, who nagged him not to be conceited, became a nuisance to him. Or perhaps he thought there was nothing more to learn from us. On a certain job, Sonia and I were betrayed and captured. After that, he reigned as the Guild Master of the Thieves' Guild, but Sonia took it back from him."

When Sonia took back the Thieves' Guild, Ban fled the Royal Capital with several followers. He then formed the bandit group called the Greedy Fire Serpent.

"So that's what happened... That must have been before you met Esha and the others, right?"

He had heard that Relic and Sonia met Ivan when they were working as treasure hunters in a dungeon. If so, it would be strange for them to have been captured. Hayato surmised that, chronologically, it must have happened before they met Ivan's group.

"That's right, we were captured before we met Ivan and the others. After getting out of prison, we decided to stop working in groups and started doing something like treasure hunting, just the two of us. That's when we met Ivan and Esha. It was even later that we took back the Thieves' Guild."

"After all that, you still joined a clan? This is the first I'm hearing of it, but I would think you'd be reluctant to hang around young people like us, just like Sonia-sama."

Esha had a point. If you were betrayed by someone, it would be far more common to avoid associating with anyone else to avoid being betrayed again.

Relic gave a wry smile. Hayato thought he might be a little embarrassed.

"As you get older, you become more conscious of death. When that happens, you inevitably look back on your life. And you start to want to leave something of yourself behind for the future after you're gone. That's why I joined the clan. I've never asked, but perhaps Sonia felt the same way when she took back the Thieves' Guild. Maybe she was thinking she had to clean up her own mess before she died."

"So, are you trying to leave something behind as a butler now, Relic-san?"

"That's right. Before you hired me, Hayato-sama, I was teaching various things to the younger butlers. But I was truly surprised when Esha called out to me and came to hire me. In fact, Esha was the one who seemed the most unstable in that clan, so I had been wanting to see her again after the clan disbanded."

"I see. She does have a beauty that could make one arrogant."

"You're the same as ever, but that's not it. Esha resembled my younger self and Ban, so that was something that concerned me a little. However..."

For some reason, Relic looked not at Esha but at Hayato and smiled.

"Thanks to you, Hayato-sama, and the Maid Chief-sama, I thought that danger had passed. I'm glad for you, Esha."

"Hah... I don't really understand, but I do think I've changed quite a bit since back then. Though I'm a bit hung up on the part about it being thanks to the Maid Chief and my master."

"Meeting people changes you. The point is, Esha, you changed for the better, and that's a good thing."

Esha wore a complicated expression. It was a face that said she sort of understood, but not entirely.

(Meeting people... I wonder if I've changed at all since meeting Esha and everyone else. I was able to open my cafe, but I feel like I myself haven't changed at all. I don't know if not changing is a good or a bad thing, though.)

"The Shipyard Dock is coming into view. I believe Sonia is already waiting, so let's hurry."

Startled by Relic's words, Hayato began to walk a little faster.