33 Chapter33: Mission Complete

[ this feels great... ]

[ the breeze feels good right? ]

[ you feel good too Alice? ]

[ Un! ]

After we left Hector ojii-san's village, we immediately got greeted by the warm breeze of the wind and the refreshing sunlight emitting from the sky as we rode Jerald-san's carriage.

Me and Alice are sitting at the back while Jerald-san is riding the brown horse in front of the carriage. I'm swaying my legs front and back while looking around the green plain grassland, spotting everything I can find. Alice is copying what I'm doing which looks really cute, while Jerald-san is humming a tune or something.

You can actually see everything as the road doesn't have any bumps or slopes. There is also just a few numbers of trees and small hills you can see until all you can only stare at is the horizon of the neverending blue sky.

This is the kind of feeling and atmosphere that I won't trade for money. This is also something I wish will stay longer.

(XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)

[ finally! we're back at Citrine Alice! ] I shouted after we finally passed through the familiar large gate of Citrine.

[ Yes, onii-chan! ] replied Alice with such enthusiasm too.

me and Alice already moved to the front of the carriage and what beholds in front of us is the usual colored brick road and the usual large number of people and other vehicles that are using it.

[ oh, right! Jerald-san, can you please take us to the adventurers guild? ] I asked Jerald-san.

[ yes, whatever you wish. ] Jerald-san replied with only a bright smile on his wrinkled face.

[ thank you. ]

[ no problem. ]

***

[ here we are. ] like Jerald-san has said, we are now in front of the large yellow colored guild with lots of adventurers coming in and out of it.

[ thank you Jerald-san, and can you please wait for us here... I want to give you something. ]

[ really? I do not mind staying here but you don't have to give me any payment you know? ]

[ no, that's not it, just please wait for us here. ]

[ ... fine. I can't refuse a request from you. ]

[ we won't take a while. ]

I really want to give some of the money I will get from the guild to Jerald-san and his family, also for their village as I received something from them much better than money.

[ let's go Alice. ] I said to Alice, then I took her small hand.

Then we finally went inside the guild. Inside is still the usual crowded and rowdy large reception room. At the end of the room, standing is Diana-san whom I already got familiar with two other receptionist who looks older than Diana-san.

The adventurers inside suddenly got quiet as they already noticed us walking towards the receptionist.

[ hey, look. It's that kid again. ]

[ they say he's strong right? ]

[ no! I bet he cheated to pass being an adventurer! ]

[ oh...? he's actually quite cute. ]

again... it's the usual clattering and whispering of the adventurers inside whenever they see me.

I just ignored them and continued walking towards Diana-san.

[ oh! Haruto-kun! Have you finally decided to give up on that task? ] Diana-san asked as soon as I arrived in front of her.

[ huh...? ]

[ aren't you here to give back the task the Guild Master gave you? ] Diana-san asked looking confused.

[ ... ]

[ really... our Guild Master is the worst, giving such task to a newbie just to scare him off. ] A green-haired onee-san added to Diana-san's statement.

[ ... ]

[ yea...he might have died if he actually went. ] the other red-haired onee-san at the side of Diana-san said.

...

[ ...what... what are you all saying...? ]

[ hmmm...? we mean the task the Guild Master gave you. You're here to give up on it right? even if you're physically strong, and the result of the evaluation says that you can even match with a Water Bear, you still can't defeat Iron Golems... right...? ] Diana-san finished.

wow... now I don't know what I should say to them... it looks like I accidentally made something absurd again...

[ well... well... how can I say this...? umm... I actually went... and I did fight them... and I was... able to also defeat them... ]

[ [ [ ... ] ] ] Diana-san and the two other onee-san's suddenly went silent while looking at me with unblinking eyes.

[ what do you think are they talking about? ]

[ no! I'm not worried about that! look! he's getting too close with the receptionist onee-sans that we can't even reach with our fingers! ]

[ why are they look so surprised!? ]

The whispering of the Adventurers behind us starts again.

[ ...can you please come with me... Haruto-kun... ] Diana-san broke the silence then asked me to come with her.

Diana-san started walking towards the door at the corner of the guild without looking behind her to see if I'm even following her.

I, of course, followed nervously as I know that I might get scolded by the upper of this guild...

[ please stay here for a moment Alice. Wait for me okay? ] I said to Alice as I patted her head.

[ Un! ]

***15 minutes later...

[ WHAAATTTT!!!??? ] an angry shout was suddenly heard from inside the room I'm standing in front of.

After Diana-san took me inside the door, she made me wait in front of another door that is different from the examination room I went before.

the door then opened slowly revealing a pale Diana-san.

[ umm... can you please go inside now Haruto-kun... ] asked Diana-san.

[ ...ye-yes... ]

I went nervously inside the door just as Diana-san asked me to.

Inside is a room smaller than the receptionist room outside, but it's also full of all kinds of decorations from jewelry to weapons and armors.

On top of a gold-colored sofa, sitting is a guy wearing thin glasses. He's laying his chin on top of his locked fingers which makes him look like a serious guy. He's also wearing a red tuxedo and he got the hair-style of a mafia boss you often see at movies.

[ sit. ] He said without moving anything except his mouth.

[ you're that Haruto huh? ]

[ ye-yes... ]

this guy's atmosphere is dangerous and scary. He's emitting a dark aura around him that makes me really nervous.

[ you look just like how Yugo described you. ]

[ is...is that so...? ]

I guess he knows Yugo-san.

[ you know... you just made me lose a bet... I never expected to lose a bet which I was sure I would win. ]

[ uwahh...? ]

[ you said you finished the task right? how many are there? ]

[ three... ] I answered honestly as I'm not sure what would happen to me if I lie to this guy.

[ ...what- the- actual- heck -is -this...? ]

[ ...what was that...? ]

I was sure he said something.

[ Nothing. you're probably just hearing things. anyways, do you have the cores? ]

[ yes... I have them here, do you want me to take it out? ]

[ please do so... ]

I took out the three cores inside the pouch the Guild Master gave me and then I showed it to this guy in front of me.

[ ... ] he suddenly went silent when I showed him the cores.

[ umm... hello...? ] he's not moving at all. His position didn't change since I arrived inside.

I'm getting nervous that he might already dead, so I stood up and tried to poke his cheek.

[ ... ] he suddenly stood up leaving me stunned.

[ ...wait here... ] he said in a low and quiet voice.

[ o-okay... ] I replied awkwardly.

He then left the room leaving me alone, both awkward and nervous.

*** 20 minutes later...

[ ...what...? ]

The weird guy came back with three sacks obviously containing coins.

[ I'll buy this cores directly from you. Sell their bodies to the Guild, I'm sure they will fetch a large amount of money not including the reward for their subjugation. ]

[ umm... how many coins these sacks contains...? ]

[ that's 75 coins each. These cores are the purest I have ever seen in my life, it's also the biggest... I'm sure this can reach up to hundreds of gold coins if you sell this to the Kingdom itself. But please, I need this! sell this to me! ]

He suddenly slammed the table then starts begging me to sell him the cores.

[ okay! okay! ...I never even thought it would reach this amount... I'm now a rich guy... ]

I got pressured by his sudden turn of attitude but the amount he's offering for my cores are really high that I'm practically rich if I sell them to him.

[ I need these cores for my experiment. So it would re-...wait you'll really going to sell this to me!? ] he turned his head to me with his eyes shaped like stars.

[ yes...please I think this money is enough... ]

[ did the Gods just sent me an Angel!? ]

[ wha-what!? ]

[ don't worry! I promise I won't side to the Guild Master's side anymore! ]

[ what...? ]

[ I promise I will repay you more for selling these core to me in the future! ]

I don't know why is he so happy about those cores but I guess that he's also a good guy hiding in his scary appearance.