062. Day Off

Next evening. We are at Quratar town Adventurer Guild to sell some items. The lady at the reception calls out to us.

"Excuse me. Are you an adventurer?"

What is it about? I wonder.

Whatever it is about, l'll just deny it.

So I thought, but then I reconsider.

I always use the wall of this Adventurer Guild for Warp.

This reception lady must've seen it too.

Only Field Walk, a skill exclusive to adventurers, uses walls. Therefore, I must be an adventurer.

"Yes, but I'm not a member of the guild."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Actually, the Harz duchy in the north has seen heavy rain in recent days, resulting in massive flood. To transport relief supplies, they've solicited the strength of adventurers. Due to urgency of the request, however, we aren't able to muster up enough numbers. Would you be willing to lend us your strength?

Disaster relief?

Because I'm not an adventurer, I want to decline. However…

However, I visit Quratar town Adventurer Guild everyday. It won't be good for me to be seen as a selfish person.

Well, shouldn't I help out with disaster relief then?

The only problem is, they may ask to check my Intelligence Card.

If they check it out, they'll find out that I'm not an adventurer.

Because the matter concerns a guild and a duchy, background check of the participants shouldn't come by as a surprise.

Well, shouldn't I just avoid this unnecessary risk then?

"Well…"

"…Umm"

I look behind me. Roxanne is pushing at my back.

I'm trying to decline, but…

But the atmosphere tells me not to.

Sherry smiles wryly.

Because she knows that I'm not an adventurer.

"The guild has arranged for an allowance of 1,000 Nar for one day, that is tomorrow.

"That's not the problem. Exactly what kind of work are we required to do?"

"To transport relief supplies to the villages that have their routes cut off due to flood. That shouldn't be difficult for adventurers. The guild has asked for security from the Harz duchy. The order of Harz duchy knights will be responsible for safety of the adventurers. Security, therefore, shouldn't be a concern either."

Although villages and towns in this world may seem to be to some extent, they're not completely self-sufficient.

That merchant too, from the village where I first woke up in this world, procures various items from Vale town.

The transportation system here shouldn't be as advanced as modern Japan's.

When disaster strikes, it collapses.

That's when adventurers come into the fray.

Even if routes have been cut off, adventurers can transport supplies through Field Walk.

Quite a facility, if you ask me.

"Hmm…"

"Elves normally look down upon humans. However, the identity of the participants of disaster relief doesn't matter."

Oh, so my identity won't be questioned.

That matters to me the most.

When you're struck with disaster.

You accept help, regardless of where it comes from.

I have no idea why elves look down upon humans, but the identity of the participants won't come into question.

Apparently, there's a majority of elves in the Harz duchy.

That I'm a human, however, concerns me the least.

But the reception lady probably thinks that I'm concerned about that.

If they won't require me to tell them of my background, I don't have any problem with accepting to participate.

There's no apparent difference between Warp and Field Walk. If they don't look at my Intelligence Card, I won't stand out.

In fact, if I refuse to help out in an emergency situation such as this, I may come into notice.

"I understand. What do I have to do?"

"Please gather here tomorrow in the morning after breakfast. The duke of Harz will have all the supplies and staff arranged for. It would be preferable for the adventurer to come alone. Please free up your Item Box as much as you can before coming here. Capacity of about 1,000 items should be enough. Transportation of supplies should be over by the evening."

1,000 items?

I'm afraid that Explorer alone won't suffice. If need be, I'll add Cook, Weapons Merchant and Armor Merchant.

Because of multiple jobs, I'm not worried about capacity.

I can't help but think it over.

I'm not doing this out of goodwill.

It'll be better for them to ask someone who'll be happy in helping others.

We return home, and decide on the plan for tomorrow at dinner.

"Tomorrow, I'll be away on commission from Adventurer Guild. After early morning exploration in Quratar town labyrinth, you two will be free for the rest of the day. It'll be best in my opinion. What do you think, Roxanne?

"A day off?"

"Yes, let's do it."

"…A-Ah, certainly. Thank you."

Roxanne is lost in thought.

"Would Sherry like to go visit the library?"

"Eh? But I can't afford it…"

"I'll give you the entrance fee and the deposit."

"Are you sure?"

She asks me anxiously.

Deposit is 1 gold coin, if I remember.

But that's fine because the deposit will be returned upon leaving the library.

I would be reluctant, if 1 gold coin were the entrance fee.

"It's fine, as long as the deposit gets returned."

"Th-Thank you."

Sherry lowers her head.

Her voice, however, was lively.

Sherry said earlier that she wanted to go there.

I'm really happy.

"What would you like to do, Roxanne? Anything is fine. You don't have to decide right now. You have tomorrow as well."

"Because I want to be of help to master, like Sherry, I will train after returning from the labyrinth."

"No, no, Roxanne is already a big help to me."

"Thank you."

"If possible, rest. Don't try to do anything dangerous."

To be able to hunt in labyrinth, you need training.

Because I have a person such as Roxanne, however, I don't need training.

Also, she gets 20 times as much experience with me, so she doesn't have go to higher floors alone.

It'll be dangerous, if she goes to higher floors alone, and gets in trouble.

"Okay, then I'll just do the cleaning as usual, and relax at home."

"Please do that. Also, I'll give you an allowance, so you can go shopping too."

Roxanne is fond of shopping.

She may enjoy her time tomorrow, if she goes shopping.

"Allowance?"

"Sherry, would 5 silver coins be enough for entrance fee?"

"I heard it's 100 Nar."

"I'll give 500 Nar to both of you. Use it however you like."

My allowance for tomorrow's commission is 10 silver coins.

It's a lot now that I think about it.

It could be lower than the going rate because it's disaster relief, but they're hiring adventurers specifically, so the rate is high.

A half of that is more than enough for me for a day.

"Are you fine with it?"

"It's fine. Roxanne has been a great help, so she's free to do anything tomorrow."

"Thank you, master."

They may act carelessly, if there's too much. On the other hand, they may get in trouble, if there's too less.

With 5 silver coins, they can't buy something really expensive, but they can buy enough.

It's reasonable amount.

That night, they talked between them till really late.

It looked like they were having fun.

Because they were happy, I was happy too.

It's morning now. I kiss Roxanne first as usual.

"Good morning, Roxanne. You're always early to rise."

"Yes, because I have to do the most important thing first in the morning."

I have an idea what that most important thing is.

It might sound bad, but it's actually something good.

Followed by Roxanne, I kiss Sherry.

"Thank you. You two stayed up quite late last night. Is everything alright?"

"Umm… did we trouble you?"

"Ah, no. Actually, your chat sounds like a lullaby to me."

"So there's no problem with staying up to talk."

Afterward, we went to Quratar town labyrinth. Then after breakfast, I prepared to leave.

About Needle Wood, it shot magic only once.

Roxanne dodged it brilliantly.

And so, we avoided it without any trouble.

Sherry makes two Misanga in a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. By now, she has made four in total. She has yet to make one with empty skill slot.

"Well then, here's 5 silver coins."

"Okay. Then I'll give 3 to Sherry because she has to pay the entrance fee."

When I give Roxanne silver coins, she divides them between Sherry and herself.

"Ah, no. These are all yours. Sherry will get her own 5 silver coins."

"Eh? That's too much. Are you sure?"

They seem to think that 5 silver coins are for two people.

"It's fine."

"Thank you."

"But the library entrance fee isn't that much."

"Sherry will spend all day reading, so you may get thirsty. You can use it then."

I go to Sherry, and tell her.

Are 5 silver coins a lot?

I don't understand the standards.

The cheapest room at the inn in Vale town costed me around 300 Nar.

Luxurious rooms would surely cost around 500 Nar.

500 Nar isn't even enough for more than one day's stay and meals.

Isn't it actually less?

"Shouldn't you be putting a cloak on?"

While I was lost in thought, Sherry advises me.

Why?

Was what I thought, but then I remembered.

It's not raining here in Quratar town, but it's flooding elsewhere due to heavy rain.

I didn't notice it at all.

Of course it would be raining there.

What would people think of someone who's part of disaster relief team in an area flooded with heavy rain without a cloak?

I was so close to disgracing myself.

"That's right. Thank you."

"Here, master."

Roxanne goes to the closet inside, and comes back with a cloak.

That's the cloak I bought back then.

I hand the key to the house over to Roxanne.

Because I always use Warp, this key is hardly ever used.

"Well, I'm off then."

"Have a nice day."

I put the cloak on, leave the house in Roxanne's care, and go to the Imperial Capital with Sherry.

At Adventurer Guild, I ask around for the location of, and then leave for the library.

The Imperial Capital's library was a white building made of marble.

A grand, elegant structure.

Magnificent.

As magnificent as a palace.

"Amazing."

"It surely is."

Sherry admires it in awe, and I agree.

It's in total contrast to Japan, where the government constructs buildings with minimalist exterior, but superb interior facilities.

Because it was in the Imperial Capital, however, it wouldn't only be the appearance that's magnificent.

Inside, there was a large lobby.

There was a wall to the side where adventurers were going in and coming out from.

Field Walk can be used from there, it seems.

Further in, there was reception desk.

Entrance fee seems to be collected there.

Opposite to the reception desk was reading room.

"Thank you."

"I'll come pick you up from there in the evening. You're free to use your time however you like. Once you spend some time here, you'll get used to this place."

I point to a location near the reading room.

Quratar town is in the west of the Imperial Capital.

When it's sunset in Quratar town, it'll be evening here.

"I understand."

I see Sherry off until she was in the library.

She pays the fee at the reception, and enters safely.

Having confirmed it, I leave for Adventurer Guild in Quratar town using the wall in the library.

Disaster relief itself had no problems in particular.

We first gathered at Bode town, which is situated in the centre of the duchy.

From Bode town, I teleported to local villages with the adventurers of the Harz duchy.

Afterward, I added one of the duchy knights to the party, and transported supplies to the villages.

Since the supplies and staff were already arranged for by the duke, adventurers had not much to do.

The only thing they had to do was to use Field Walk.

In my case, it was Warp.

Because we were reciprocating between the imperial palace and the buildings in the villages, there was no need for cloak.

Except for some items, like rabbit meat, which needed to be carried in the Item Box, other supplies were to transported through Field Walk as luggage.

For this reason, I couldn't use the technique of partial body transfer to exchange goods.

Consequently, I had to make countless round trips.

The supplies which were to be carried in the Item Box were closely monitored.

It's not like I wanted to misappropriate those goods.

And there was a knight too with me.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do anything out of norm without getting my identity verified.

It's finally time to rest after making about a dozen round trips between the imperial palace and the villages.

I sit down on a chair to take some rest.

As expected, there was a clear decrease in my MP after using warp more than 20 times consecutively.

I lean sloppily on the chair.

There are many elves in the order of Harz duchy knights.

Handsome men and beautiful women.

Every one of them.

Damn it! All good-looking men should just go die.

There's a female elf of around 60 in my party. Even though she's beautiful, I can't just go and pull her into my embrace.

It would've been dangerous, had I selected Sex Maniac job.

They should've verified identity of the participants after all.

She's a beautiful woman with a youthful face. Although she's slim, she has just the right amount of meat in all the right places.

She's 58 years old.

She totally doesn't look that age from her appearance.

I look forward to 58 years old Roxanne.

While I was staring at the granny elf from my chair, someone comes in from the back.

Patrol?

The duke of Harz, Brocken North Braun Anhalt | Male | 35 years old

Holy Knight Lv14

Equipment: Orichalcum Sword | Sacrificial Misanga

Wha-

He's the duke!

He's a holy knight!

He has Orichalcum Sword!

Because of the hood of his cloak, I can't see his face.

He's walking about idly.

He has no attendants either.

Because he's inside the palace?

Did he come here for inspection?

I wonder if I should be leaning sloppily on my chair in front of the duke.

It may look bad.

Although I don't know etiquette of this world, I understand at least that much.

I stand up in a hurry, and bow.

Was it impolite?

I'm scared.

"To recognize me, even though I'm incognito — excellent, anonymous."

The duke approaches me, and whispers.

So as not to alert others.

I did something unnecessary, I guess.

To act rashly based only on Appraisal was a mistake.

He was patrolling incognito, it seems.

Because I was gestured so, I sit back down.

"Have you seen me before somewhere?"

The duke sits down next to me.

I have attracted unwanted attention.

Although he came here with his face hidden under the hood of his cloak, I bowed to him.

Had I not bowed, I wouldn't have been noticed.

"Ah, yes. Before…"

"I see."

I try to deceive him desperately. He simply withdraws.

It's not strange for a person such as duke to be seen before.

Actually, it would be bad for a lord to not show his face to his people.

"Your Excellency!"

Someone comes running in.

"Unfortunately, we can't talk here. Let's go elsewhere."

The duke confirms his surroundings, and leaves.

I seem to have been noticed when I bowed.

If possible, I don't want to follow him.

The duke advances quickly, in steady steps.

"I'm called Gozer, the leader of the order of Harz duchy knights. This way, please."

The man, who came running in, introduces himself.

He's an elf.

His ears are pointed.

And, of course, he's good-looking.

Cool.

Not only does he look cool, the way he acts is cool as well.

I wish I were cool too.

I wish I were dead.

Gozer North Braun Anhalt | Male | 46 years old

Grand Wizard Lv61

Equipment: Staff of Offerings | Sacrificial Misanga

As you would expect from the leader knight.

His level is quite high.

And he's not just any Wizard.

Is that an upgraded job?

"Okay."

The good-looking leader knight has asked me.

I have to go.

I can't turn someone like him down.

"I will be borrowing adventurer-dono for a while.

"Understood."

The leader knight informs the knight who was in my party.

We follow the duke.

The duke leaves the room, and quickly advances through the corridor.

There are some torches here and there in an otherwise dark corridor.

It would be darker than even labyrinth without torches.

Is it alright for them to let an anonymous adventurer visit such a place?

And I'm not even an adventurer.

After walking for a while, the duke opens a door, and goes in.

The room isn't large, but is luxurious, and fully carpeted.

On the side, there's sofa and a table. In the front, there's a desk and chairs.

It looks kind of like a president's office.

"We are in the room now. Suit yourself."

"Thank you."

What's that?

To be allowed to see such a beautiful face, I'm extremely delighted.

I sit on the sofa.

Having taken off his cloak, the duke sit's on the chair by the desk.

He's an elf.

He's handsome.

Cool.

I don't know why do I have such a face.

I really should just die.

"It's a private room, so don't be courteous. Be your usual self."

"V-Very well."

"I dislike ceremonial words even more. You don't have to be so polite."

"Yes, I'm grateful."

More formal words are coming out.

Whatever, it's getting translated that way.

"I'm grateful to disaster relief team for their assistance this time. I sincerely thank you."

"Not at all."

"This time around, raining season has coincided with snowmelt, resulting in greater damage."

I see.

Is there flooding every year due to snowmelt?

Is that why the supplies and staff were arranged for so efficiently?

"Excuse my intrusion."

When I was having conversation with the duke, the leader knight enters.

"Gozer? Have a seat."

"Thank you. We are grateful to you for assisting us this time."

Gozer bows his head, and goes to sit across from me.

"Are you fine with inviting an adventurer to the duke's room?"

I try to confirm with the leader knight.

"We are inside the palace. In but a call, someone would rush immediately in. Also, both the duke and I are wearing Sacrificial Misanga, so assassination is highly unlikely."

"Ah, I see."

Sacrificial Misanga will receive first attack, if it's life threatening.

In the meantime, guards will rush in, and prevent the second.

So it's not necessary to always be guarded in the imperial palace.

"The nobility have the duty to rid their territory of labyrinths. If I can't even take an attack from the front, I don't have any right to keep the title, do I?"

"Ah, no. I didn't mean that."

What is this handsome guy even talking about?

Well, I did think about that, but…

"Even the best of the adventurers might lose to His Excellency."

"No, I'm not that good."

"Your Excellency?"

The duke tries to cover it up.

Because he knows that it's mere flattery.

"Transportation of supplies to Tare village seems to have finished."

"Tare?"

"Tare village is the farthest from here in the territory. As you may already know, Field Walk to far off places is strenuous. For this reason, I assigned three adventurers to Tare village alone. One of them has finished, but two are yet to reach half-way mark."

The knight leader explains to me.

So it has finished?

Is that why you're taking rest?

From what the knight leader just said, MP consumption of Field Walk varies depending on the distance.

Going to far off places takes more MP.

It's natural to take breaks.

Is the MP consumption of Warp not dependent on the distance?

Or do I have a lot more MP compared to other adventurers because of Explorer, Hero, Wizard, Weapons Merchant, Armor Merchant and Cook.

If I remove Wizard job, my MP will reduce significantly.

Was it unnecessary to select these many jobs?

I thought of removing Hero job, but I kept it for contingencies.

Overwhelming will be vital in case of a surprise attack.

I can't even begin to think of removing Wizard job.

It's believed that effects such as 'Increase in Strength' are shared with all party members. Sherry and Roxanne, however, never noticed it.

So there shouldn't be any problem of getting exposed.

I don't think I'll get in trouble over that.

"You seem to be of human race."

"Ah, yes."

"Humans are quite talented."

The duke seems to be misunderstanding something.

"Yes, they certainly are."

"How about you join the order of Harz duchy knights?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I'm still in training.

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