Chapter 48: The people that gather around the honey

~ A certain adventurer ~

Recently, the state of Tsige has been good.

The reason is simple.

It's because new highly-skilled adventurers have appeared and are finishing requests one after the other. The names of the guild's high-ups list has changed a lot. The names of those adventurers are still not there yet, but the party that knows them, all suddenly increased in level and are now in that list.

There are 3 new adventurers. However, there is only one that is actually mobilizing. Her name is Tomoe. It may be hard to believe, but she is level 1340!

It surpasses in dimensions the level of the 'Dragon Killer' that is rumored to be the strongest currently. Maybe there is a reason why Tomoe's rank is so low, so her name is not listed yet, and as of now, only a few people in the guild have taken attention to this, but she is 400 levels higher than Sofia*.

And she is a force that sweeps over the overflowing requests that were related to the wasteland. Right now, there is no one who doubts that level. There are a lot of people who have flattered her and tried to get closer to her, but I haven't heard of anyone that has succeeded.

For some reason, the bunch that were conspiring to do something to the Rembrandt Company are also trying to get close to her.

When I investigated it closer, I discovered that the man that is normally with those two is a merchant. I don't know what was the reason for it, but he provided rare materials that the Rembrandt Company needed and are now in a good relation with each other.

In the end, he is only a remnant that can't even go out to hunt by himself. When I investigated about it, I discovered that he fishes for the materials of the monsters which were left behind by Tomoe when she is done. Pathetic.

That guy is an idiot.

I had my eyes, not on Tomoe, but on the other two. Raidou and Mio. Raidou is a level 1, he must not be a skillful person of significance.

This is information that has been cleverly hidden, it seems that the previous top ranker Lime attacked Tomoe and the others with quite the numbers. I heard that Raidou only punched one spell caster and the others were all taken out by Tomoe. I don't know why someone strong like Lime would do that, even with those cheap looks he is actually an attentive and tender-hearted person. He may have been angered by the fact that the Rembrandt Company was taking the low ranked requests from young adventurers.

I think that teaching them about reality is one of the jobs a leader should do. Powerless people will one day end up dying. I think that people who can only do transportation and medic plant gathering should wake up from their dream quickly for their own sake.

However, for some reason, Mio didn't participate in the strife with Lime and the others.

Mio is a level 1500, it's a level that makes you doubt if she is actually a spirit. It's scary that even if I were told the reason she didn't participate was because, "She would kill them even if she held back", I would believe it.

It's possible that between these three people, Tomoe is the lowest. She certainly received some sort of order and is now taking requests with a specific party.

At the front there is a suspicious masked man called Raidou that is conducting as if he were big stuff, but that is most likely an act. He must be Mio's pimp or manservant. It may even be a male prostitute that is being shared by those two.

Mio must be the true leader of those three. Her level is proof of that. Then it would be impossible to get a good response from Tomoe even if you try to talk to her. If you want to talk with someone, you should go to Mio.

My intuition is telling me that. This intuition of mine has saved me a number of times already. We reached level 95 and finally arrived at the point of entering the wasteland. I have talent, and I even worked hard. I have the rights to say so.

If you are planning on staying in Tsige as an adventurer, what would be the point if you are not going into the wasteland? If you are not going to be entering that place, then just go to another area to perform your activities.

However, the wasteland's requests are all difficult. I have accepted a number of them, but, as of now, there is not a single one that I have succeeded in.

At any rate, the mamonos are strong. We can somehow defeat one with three of us, but in the case of a strong individual, that is impossible. We can't do requests for subjugation or collection of parts. It would be another story if we were able to smoothly gather the materials from one, but the scent of the carcass will always call the other mamonos. The problem would be solved if we were able to take them on with only two people though.

The exploration and the harvesting requests as well. In the end, the high difficulty of these combats are stopping us from succeeding. However, if Tomoe comes as a vanguard, we will be able to finish it easily. There isn't that much difference between us and that Toa party after all. That they can finish their requests one after the other, moving up in ranks, and also increasing their levels, it's all because they are operating with Tomoe. I have followed them once. Just by having Tomoe there, they were able to concentrate on gathering the materials without minding about the mamonos, because the other mamonos wouldn't get close. The mamonos that lacked intelligence attacked Tomoe, but they ended up split in half. I could only laugh. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a sightseeing tour.

Then it's only proper that we also get to use her. Raidou or Mio are fine. If I am able to reel in any of those two, I will be able to taste the same flavor. Get materials, turn them into money, and buy good equipment.

It would also be good if we walk to the other towns around the wasteland. There is no doubt that by the time we return to Tsige we will be around level 200-300. If that happens, being a knight of the highest rank would not be a dream. Even martial art tournaments around the world would be an easy win. Even the most prominent empires' competitions would send invitations to us.

Everything hangs on Raidou and Mio.

But the reaction of the other two people in my party was not that good.

One of them is a level 100 that got there by doing requests (that were not related to the wasteland), and then went defeating mamonos at the entrance of the wastelands. She told me that it would be more secure to just aim at the mirage town that has been rumored about. How stupid. Instead of looking for something that we don't even know if it exists, it would be more effective to reel in Tomoe to us. That girl, even though she holds a prejudice against the mamonos and demi-humans, she is trying to go to the rumored mamono town? Just how many years do you think it takes to get to level 100 with requests that are not related to the wasteland and mamono subjugations?

The other one was even more negative about it, how foolish. He is saying that we should begin by obtaining money and buying good equipment. Like I have been saying, money, level, and equipment will all come to us if we are able to get Tomoe and Mio with us! It's common sense that we can get cheap equipment if we have the materials! Please stop thinking about armor first when you are a man.

I began thinking about a plan. I admit that the wasteland's risk is high. So I will arrange the risk and return, and will bring the discussion to those two again. Even if they are like that, they are the two people that have accompanied me until now after all. Taking into account ability and coordination, I don't want to dissolve our party.

The important Mio is nowhere to be found. Moreover, she is way too strong. If her mood turns bad, she might even kill me. It's not to the level of the base, but the weight of life in here compared to other towns is pretty light.

Then it's fine to just get close to Raidou that is normally seen around, and then create a situation where I can talk with Mio.

Putting as much make-up as I could and wearing villager girl clothes that I would normally not put on, I tried to talk with him. But he was moving so busily, that he didn't even pay attention to me. For a mere level 1. Merchants and magicians might be my least preferred type.

However, I didn't feel like he was used to women. To call him a male prostitute was a mistake huh. Then, is he a manservant?

After that, I tried dressing as a brothel woman to make a body connection with him. For a man, even if he only sleeps with a woman once, he would hold affections to her. If he is not dyed by Mio's colors, this should work.

But, this was a bad move. When I reached the step of drawing him in, both Tomoe and Mio suddenly appeared and abducted him. That man, he may be an incredibly handsome behind that mask. I didn't think he would be a man that those two would fight for. Then that means, trying to lure him in with seduction will have a reverse effect. The ones I want to get close to is not him, it's Tomoe and Mio after all.

If I had the other two's cooperation, the result may have differed, but, in the end, the result was that I failed in getting close to them. My face may have been remembered in a bad way, the chances for me to get close to Raidou have certainly decreased. There is no mistake that he is avoiding me.

But, to have come to this.

I think of a way. A method to somehow use the power of them.

I could only think of poorly made plans. Above all, even though I escaped with my life, the chances that I ended up giving a bad impression to Tomoe and Mio are extremely high.

No choice, now that it has come to this, I have to make the other two cooperate no matter what. And then, even if we have to use cheap methods, we will make it succeed. With the two accepting, I began thinking on what I should do to make them move…

...

…

I see.

I will not make them move, it's fine if we just move when they do.

It's bad with Tomoe that already has that Toa, which is a darkness bandit. When Mio or Raidou leave the wasteland, we will tail them in a distance that they won't discover us. And if they enter the interior part, we will just give up.

This is it. If it's this, those two will accept.

We might get our hands on the mamono's leftovers that Mio hunted. We could even arrive at the Mamono Town. The amount of weakened enemies and left over enemies should not be small.

This works. That I concurred with their talk of this being pathetic annoyed me though. Instead of following Tomoe, it would be better to follow Raidou or Mio, and the competition would be a lot less. Because of that, the danger will also increase, but it's on an acceptable level.

Our plan has been decided.

Now it comes down to when they will move.

It's seriously hard to catch the position of Mio. Let's concentrate on Raidou. If we follow him, we should certainly meet with Tomoe and Mio. It's not like he would enter the wasteland alone. Because he doesn't have the level and rank. If he has Tomoe or Mio, they would let him in as a special case, but if it's just by himself, he won't get the permission.

However, he was strangely sharp. It's also because he is avoiding me. The place where I was planning on meeting him was suddenly avoided and he took another route, and we would sometimes lose him while we were tailing. In short, we were unable to predict his next moves. I don't know how he is able to detect us, but it is certain that he is being cautious.

That's why I will ask for one of the two to change with me.

We three were born in Tsige and were raised in it. If we go with two people, it should be possible to at least follow Raidou that doesn't know the area yet. I should make it so we are ready to leave to the wasteland at any time.

I should begin thinking about the time when we have to forestall Raidou and the others.

After finally becoming an adventurer, at this moment where there is a feeling of a war approaching, this is a good time to sell our names. An incredibly sweet nectar is hanging in front of me.

This is what they call, a chance of a lifetime. For the sake of rising, I can't fail here.