Vol-04 Ch 1 – The Adventurer’s Guild

Part 1

I──Yuuya Tenjou, who had come to the royal capital of the Alceria Kingdom to meet with Lexia-san's father, King Arnold-sama, and had an audience with him. At that time, I gave Lexia-san a [Paradise Futon] as a souvenir, but it seems that giving bedding to the opposite sex means a marriage proposal in this world, and I made Arnold-sama angry.

I was in a panic just to offend the king, Arnold-sama, but then suddenly, an attacker came in during the audience. Moreover, the attacker used some suspicious tools and blocked the magic of Arnold-sama's personal guards.

Furthermore, it seemed that they had deployed what looked like a barrier during the audience, and it was impossible to expect the support of the guards. I don't know why, but those attackers attacked not only Arnold-sama, but also Lexia-san and the others, and the battle began.

I was completely out of the picture, and in order to settle the situation, I defeated the attackers, but one of the attackers apparently possessed something that had the emblem of the prince of this country on it, and it turned out that this attack was all planned by that prince.

When Arnold-sama learned of this fact, he went back to his room, and Owen-san asked me to help resolve the ruckus… and that was to escort Lexia-san. Of course, I accepted it.

All of the soldiers are also busy moving around the castle to take that prince into custody, but I can't just walk around without a second thought as a stranger. It would be a disaster if this makes them suspect me too.

Then, when I was wondering what I could do, Lexia-san suggested to me.

"Then why don't we take a tour of this royal capital?"

"Eh?"

Lexia-san's eyes lit up when she unexpectedly returned the suggestion with a bare minimum of thought.

"Yuuya-sama has come to this city and hasn't gone anywhere yet, right? So I'm going to show you around!"

"Hey, Lexia. You think you can do that in this situation?"

Although Luna, the former assassin, said something plausible while dismayed by Lexia-san's words, Lexia-san's attitude remained the same.

"Ara, it's fine. There's nothing to do here; in fact, we'd rather become a hindrance, wouldn't we?"

"It's not up to you to decide whether we'll be a hindrance or not; it's the country's soldiers."

"Then, I'll ask. Owen, do you mind if I show Yuuya-sama around?"

Lexia-san immediately asked Owen-san, who was guarding her nearby, but Owen-san held his head as if to suppress a headache.

"Lexia-sama… as Luna has said, why did you think that would be acceptable in this situation…"

"I didn't say anything so strange, did I? Because the mastermind of this attack is…. well, you know, my brother."

The fact that her own brother, the prince, had tried to kill her made Lexia-san look sad.

"So, if it turns out that my brother is the culprit, of course, the people around him will be wary, right? I'm sure even my brother knew that. And I'm pretty sure he planned to kill me after the attack. If they failed to do so, the difficulty of killing me would be much greater. But that didn't happen because of Yuuya-sama's contribution. Moreover, the worst thing that could happen is that they found out that the culprit was my brother. So there's no more time left for my brother. Even if he wanted to do something from here, he wouldn't have enough people to do it… And it hasn't even been a day since the attack, so even if he wanted to gather people from the outside, that would be impossible in this high state of alert, right?"

"Well…"

"Isn't it easier now? I hardly need to worry about the assassins from my brother. He can't even send out subordinates or assassins to gather information. If he does that, and those men follow me, we'll know where my brother is in one shot. So even if I went out here, my brother wouldn't have any information that I had gone out. If so, don't you think it's safer to stay outside than inside the castle, where assassins will be sent to kill me as my brother's last pawns?"

"Lexia-sama… you just want to go out, after all, don't you?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Without seeming to be offended, Lexia-san replied with pride. No, is that okay?

"Don't you want to take a tour of the city too, Yuuya-sama?"

"That's… well."

I mean, I've come all this way. I'd like to do some sightseeing, too.

"You know? And that's why I'm here──."

"Then it would be better if only Lexia stayed in the castle. I'll guide Yuuya myself."

"Wha-!?"

Then suddenly, Luna interrupted Lexia-san's words.

"For whatever reason, it would be bad for the royalty to leave the castle so easily, wouldn't it? Besides, no matter how unlikely it is that assassins will be sent out, it should be safer inside the castle where many soldiers are on alert. Therefore, Lexia should feel safe and secure staying in the castle."

"I won't stand for this. You're my bodyguard!"

"Couldn't Owen here be your bodyguard?"

"Kiiiii! I won't accept that! Or rather, Luna just wants to be alone with Yuuya-sama, right?"

"T-that's not true. This is a respectable job, yeah."

"You're lying!"

"Uhm…"

I'm completely out of the picture, and Lexia-san and Luna are getting more and more heated up before I could speak.

But…

"Well then, if I guide Yuuya-dono, and Luna and Lexia-sama wait in the castle, everything will be fine, right?"

"Rejected!"

Owen-san's suggestion was exactly what I was thinking too, but it was rejected by the two of them, who were in perfect sync with each other. No, it was either in a good or a bad way.

However, the rejected Owen-san also seemed to have expected it to happen and let out a long sigh.

"Haaahhh… I understand. Then, Lexia-sama, Luna, and I will guide Yuuya-dono."

"Owen, we don't need you."

"This is non-negotiable. I am Lexia-sama's bodyguard. Even if Luna is present, that will not change."

"Ugh…"

"Besides, I'll be escorting you from a little distance. Luna will be by Lexia-sama's side, so I'll be guarding from the surrounding area. Is that okay with you?"

"Then, well… I don't really need to, but I allow it."

"It can't be helped. I'll allow it, too."

"It's strange… I am definitely more experienced than you as a guard; why do you have to look down on me…?"

The cold attitude of the two of them made Owen-san hold his head as if he was tired. Really, thank you for your efforts.

"Well then, Yuuya-sama, let's go right away!"

Lexia-san pulled my arm, and we went straight to the royal capital.

＊＊＊

"Yuuya-sama! Come on, let's go to that jewelry store!"

"Yuuya. Instead of the jewelry store, let's go to the blacksmith's shop over there."

"Uhm…"

Although I went out to the royal capital, I didn't have any particular place in mind that I wanted to go. I completely left it up to Lexia-san and Luna, but as a result of that, the two of them said where they each wanted to go, and I was in trouble.

First of all, I don't even know the value of things when I go to the jewelry store, and most importantly, I don't have the money to buy something as expensive as jewelry… No, I guess I could just sell the pepper or something else again.

And about the blacksmith, for now, I'm satisfied enough with sage-san's weapons and Bloody Ogre's drop items, the [Bloody War Demon Series]… By the way, Owen-san is escorting us from a distance, so I can't even get him to do something about this situation.

Furthermore, since Lexia-san and Luna took both my arms and entwined them with each other, I can feel the touch of their breasts on my two arms…! Besides, I'm trying to get rid of consciousness from that feeling, so I can't stop the two of them from arguing even more, and it's really chaotic.

The two of them are walking down the capital streets, with me between them, while arguing, and as one would expect from such a noisy city, people are starting to pay attention to us. They don't come to stare at us directly, but rather they come to glance at us stealthily.

"H-hey… is that guy a nobleman from somewhere?"

"Maybe… but the way he dresses, and the way he acts, is very elegant."

"Kuh! Having two such beautiful women on the side…! Damn it!"

"As expected of such a face. Or is it because of money? …I guess it's both, huh?"

Although I can feel the stealthy gaze, I don't feel any killing intent mixed in with the gaze, so I don't have to worry too much about it. If there were a gaze that looked dangerous, Owen-san would notice it, and most importantly, there's no way Night would miss it. This time as well, Night was the first to notice the attack on Arnold-sama. As for Akatsuki… Well, yeah.

However, I noticed here that even though the princess, Lexia-san, was walking around the city, no one seemed to have noticed, and there was no one who came to observe her in a special way. This is because in case she was going out into the city, Lexia-san had changed out of her dress, and now she was dressed in a simple outfit, just like the people in the city.

Nevertheless, the clothes themselves are shiny, and if one looks closely, one can see that they are made of good materials, not the stiff clothes that everyone else wears. The reason why she's dressed like a commoner like this is what the high-status people called walking incognito. I have seen something like this in the movie Roman Holiday, and surprisingly, no one has found out so far, and it seems Lexia-san has often walked incognito in a city like this.

As they made a bit of noise, I bowed lightly to the surroundings and noticed a certain building. A sign with a sword and shield was posted on the front, and the wooden structure of that building resembled a merchant's guild building.

Perhaps because of the western doors, the smell inside the building drifted up to me, and it smelled a bit like alcohol. Is it a tavern? It's an odd sign for that…

As I was looking at the building, Luna noticed it and told me.

"What's wrong? What is it, Yuuya? Are you interested in being an adventurer?"

"Adventurer?"

"Yes. The building you're looking at is the adventurer's guild."

"Oh…!"

So this is the adventurer's guild. To be honest, I don't know what kind of organization it is. It was easy to understand that the merchant guild was a guild for merchants, but as for adventurers, it's hard for me to imagine, and I don't really understand what kind of profession that is. When I first invited Lexia-san and the others to my house, it was briefly explained to me about them, but the only thing I understood was that they were slaying monsters and such.

While I was looking at the building with interest, Luna asked me.

"…Do you want to go there?"

"Well, I'm interested to know. On the way to this royal capital, I did register with the merchant guild. However, I'm rather better at fighting monsters than doing business…"

It's not that I don't like to fight, and the reason I fight monsters is also meant to train and gain the strength needed to survive in this world in a sense, but either way, it can be said that I'm better at fighting monsters than working as a merchant.

Then hearing my words, for some reason, Luna and Lexia-san make a delicate expression.

"…What kind of joke is it that a person who lives in that Great Devil's Nest is rather better at fighting monsters?"

"Yuuya-sama… in Yuuya-sama's caliber, if you say you're a little good at fighting, it's indeed a pity for the others…"

"Eh?"

Is that so? My only experience of fighting against people is the attack in the audience room and the one with Luna before that, and I don't think my personality is suited for combat in the first place.

I fight to get stronger for the sake of survival, and I don't find any joy in fighting itself. If possible, I'd rather spend my time living comfortably with Night and Akatsuki. In addition, I'm currently training under Master Usagi, and I still have a lot of work to do in terms of combat using magic.

"Well, it's okay. Now that we're here, why don't you also register as an adventurer?"

"Is that so?"

"The merchant guild's guild card is useful enough as identification, but if you want to trade monster materials or accept requests for a little bit of extra money, the adventurer's guild is easier. Basically, the adventurers are doing as they please."

"I see…"

Nodding at Luna's explanation, Lexia-san's eyes lit up, and she agreed.

"That's okay, then! I can see Yuuya-sama in action as an adventurer!"

"No, I haven't even registered yet…"

I don't think I can be that useful. For my part, if I'm going to take a request, I want something that isn't too dangerous.

"Fumu… then I'll register with Yuuya. That way, Yuuya and I can take the request together!"

"Eh, wait. No way! You can't, Luna!"

"Why not?"

"You're my bodyguard!"

"But that doesn't mean we're going to be together all the time, does it? Because I'd like to have other ways to make money, too."

Luna tells Lexia-san that and then turns to me.

"Come on, Yuuya, let's just get the registration over with, shall we?"

"Please waiiittttt!"

Luna put on a victorious expression and entered the adventurer's guild building, dragging Lexia-san, who was trying to keep her back, with her. I looked away from it, appalled, and turned my gaze to Night and Akatsuki.

"…Shall we go too?"

"Woof."

"Fugo."

A little later, we opened the western door and went in, and there was, as expected, a tavern-like area on the right as we entered, with some men and women talking and drinking what appeared to be alcohol.

At the front was what appeared to be a reception area, where people with armor and weapons were going through some sort of procedure. There is a large bulletin board to the left, and papers have been pasted up.

The moment I entered, I felt a lot of eyes on me. It's as if those eyes are assessing my quality; maybe they measure something like my ability. Could it be that they are looking at me with the [Appraisal] skill? But since I'm hiding my status with the [Concealment] skill, I think it's okay… Maybe.

While receiving such a gaze, I was unintentionally impressed by the different atmosphere from the merchant's guild. As I was looking around, I was approached by Luna and the others who had entered before me.

"Hey, Yuuya. This way."

"LikeーIーsaid! Luna, you can't register for that! You hear me?"

"Come on; we'll register together."

"Listen to meeeee!"

Without looking at Lexia-san at all, Luna smiles as she says that to me. As I approached her while twitching my cheeks at her sight, I suddenly noticed that Owen-san was not here.

"Huh? Is Owen-san staying outside?"

"Hmm? Oh, that knight is probably waiting outside. The adventurers and the knights are the complete opposite in nature. The knights who keep discipline and the adventurers who seek freedom. Well, more than that, if he were here, he would stand out."

"Eh, but is that okay? Will Lexia-san's protection be okay…?"

"I'm good enough to escort her on my own. No problem."

"Yes, yes! There is a problem! The problem is that you aren't allowed to register!"

"So, let's register."

"Stop ignoring me!"

At first, the relationship between the assassin and the assassination's target was complicated, but now they seem to be on good terms with each other. That's good. Anyway, making too much noise would bother the people around us, so we headed to the empty reception desk.

There was a woman at the reception desk dressed in a brown outfit that looked like a uniform, with red eyes and beautiful blonde hair tied up in one piece.

"Excuse me; we'd like to register…"

"Eh? Y-yes! Registration isn't it! Um, the one who is registering is…"

"Me and…"

"Me…"

"You can't!"

Luna admonishes Lexia-san, who still continues to say that even though she's already arrived at the reception desk as if she was dumbfounded.

"You know what… give up for goodness sake. As I said before, I'm not guarding you at all times. Or is there something else? Are you saying you won't even give me a day off?"

"I-it's not like that, but…"

"Besides, being an escort alone will slow me down. It's convenient for me to be an adventurer to prevent that from happening. Of course, I would like to take the request with Yuuya, but I'm sure Yuuya will be busy, so we won't be able to take it together so easily."

"…Really?"

After hearing Luna's words, Lexia-san looks at me… but what should I say? As far as I'm concerned, I couldn't say anything, so I didn't say anything… I turned my gaze to Luna in confusion, and she glared at me as if to say, "Just nod off". W-what's that…

"Well… the reason I was able to come to the royal capital like this is that I had a little time to spare, and what Luna is saying is correct. Even after the current commotion is over, I have to leave immediately…"

"I see…"

Lexia-san found out that I don't receive requests with Luna very often, and for some reason, she seemed relieved. Still, when she heard that I had to leave immediately after the current commotion was taken care of, her expression became cloudy again. These are the only things… I'm a high school student, anyway.

"Um…?"

"Ah, I'm sorry! It's going to be me and this lady who is registering, please."

I hurriedly told the receptionist, who watched our exchange with bewilderment, and the receptionist nodded once and took out two sheets of paper. That paper, just like the merchant's guild registration, seemed strangely coarse and difficult to write on. If this paper is so mainstream, maybe I can sell some copy paper or something.

"Then the two of you should fill out this form."

"Yes… oh, by the way, what do you think of these boys? They're indeed monsters, but do they need to be registered, too?"

"Woof."

"Fugo."

I take Night and Akatsuki in my arms and show them to the receptionist. Actually, can Night and Akatsuki be considered as monsters?　They're so much smarter than the monsters I've fought so far, and when it came to Akatsuki, there was no hostility or harm from the start…

Then the receptionist looked at them in a bit of surprise but laughed gently.

"No, you're the only one who needs to register."

"Okay, thank you."

While thanking the receptionist, I was about to fill out the paper that was handed to me when I realized that the contents were similar to what I had written in the merchant guild.

However, perhaps because of the dangerous job of being an adventurer, I'm supposed to write down the weapons and magic attributes that I can use and so on. Do they look at compatibility with the request or something? However…

I had to get my head around the magic attributes I could use.

…Magic attributes? Isn't magic something you can do with most things if you have imagination and magical power? Sage-san's book said that imagination and magic power were important, but he didn't specifically mention attributes.

In fact, this method was also used to teach Usagi-san, so Usagi-san can use a variety of magic without being bound by the attributes. However, the magic that can be used depends on the amount of magical power, and imagination…

And thanks to the magic circuit I inherited from sage-san, I can use magic without having to think about it. I'm also increasing my magic power by leveling up. It's really various, sage-san.

But when I looked at the section of this form, it seems that the magic attributes are common knowledge. Ah… the discrepancy between common sense and the sage-san himself is something that was worried about.

In other words, if I try to write all the attributes here, it's going to be a big deal. In that case… let's write something safe.

For now, I think water, fire, and wind… I think that if there is a space attribute since I use teleportation magic, that will fall under this category as well, but I think that's just as important as writing all attributes. Lexia-san has told me that I shouldn't tell anyone about the teleportation magic. It's definitely not a good idea to let people know.

By the way, the reason why I chose water, fire, and wind is that it's a magic that is inconspicuous and yet often used. You can use fire when you're camping out, and water is also useful when you're thirsty and can be drunk right away. And with water, you can use it in the forest without having to worry about your surroundings.

Also, the wind is invisible, which is very useful when attacking.

When I was filling out the form, my hand stopped at a certain column.

"Um, what's this [Amount of Magic Power Possessed] category?"

I tilted my head at the unfamiliar words and asked the receptionist, who was kind enough to tell me.

"Yes. The column there is for you two to fill in the amount of magic power you both have. There are some requests for which a higher amount of magic power is recommended, so…"

"I see…"

But what should I write? Is the amount of magic power I have supposed to be the number in my stats' magic power column?

As I was thinking this, the receptionist took out a clear crystal from under the desk.

"Then, I will use this crystal to measure your magic power level."

"Um, aren't those magic power numbers in status?"

"Although that is the amount of magic, adventurers basically hide their private parts in their own hands. That's why this crystal is a magic tool that changes color depending on the amount of magic power, so it can hide detailed numbers and other details."

The measurement seemed to start with Luna first, and Luna placed her hand on the crystal. Then the crystal glowed yellow.

"Yes, customer-san magic power is yellow."

"Well, I'm not very good at magic, anyway."

Luna doesn't seem particularly bothered by this, but… how much is yellow?

"Then, please."

I knew that the colors would tell the difference, but I had no idea what color was good and what color was bad. I was going to ask, but it was already prepared, so I put my hand on the crystal for now.

*Clank*

"….."

The crystal shattered. There's an indescribable silence between us.

Wait a minute. It's broken, but… was it my fault? Eh, could it be that I have to pay for it? To be honest, I don't understand the situation at all, but no matter how I look at it, it was probably my fault that the crystal was broken.

In that case, I should have to pay for it, but… i-it's bad! Will the money I have now be enough?

Just as I wondered if I had to sell the pepper again, the receptionist immediately came to her senses.

"I-it's surprising… I didn't expect you to have enough magic power to break this crystal…"

When the receptionist said that with a quiver in her voice, Luna was taken aback.

"Hah… I didn't expect it to end normally since it's Yuuya, but… it's really unexpected…"

"Yuuya-sama, that's amazing! To break a [Magic Crystal] that is said to be impossible unless you're a legendary elf!"

For some reason, Lexia-san's eyes sparkled even though I had broken the crystal, and the receptionist didn't seem to be angry at me.

"Eh? U-um… what about the reimbursement…?"

The receptionist smiles and shakes her head when I asked that fearfully.

"No, it's fine. I can see that it wasn't intentional…"

T-thank goodness! Apparently, I don't have to pay any reimbursement.

"Even so, it's amazing. I've never seen someone break the crystal before…"

As I was relieved from the bottom of my heart, the receptionist said that to me while tightening her cheeks a little. It seems I don't have to pay for it, but apparently, I'm a little out of the ordinary. No, I just put my hand on the crystal, and she said there's nothing she can do about…

Despite the accident, I finished filling out the other sections with a quill pen that I'm not used to and handed the paper to the receptionist. Then, just before I finished writing, Luna also seemed to have finished writing and handed the paper to the receptionist.

"It's done."

"Yes… you must be Luna-sama. The entry itself is fine here. Just one thing I'd like to confirm, is there anything else you can use other than the "Thread" in the Weapons to Use section here?"

"Hmm? What's the problem with the thread?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with filling out the form itself, but the "Thread" weapon itself is so rare that if I were to appoint a request to Luna-sama, it would be difficult to make sure it was appropriate for Luna-sama."

"I see… I'm sorry to say, but I can't use much of a weapon other than that "Thread". If I had to say anything, I'd say it's only martial arts and dagger… well, the "Thread" is very applicable. I'm sure you won't make a big mistake, whether it's a designated request or not. Besides, there's no rule that says you must accept a request just because it's a designation request, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Of course, if the request is urgent, or if it's a request that has to do with the survival of the country, it would be difficult to refuse…"

"In that case, it's not even a question of saying no or refusing, is it?"

"Yes."

"Then, I have no problem. If it's too much for me, I won't take it."

"Very well. So, I guess we'll just go ahead with it."

The receptionist nodded at Luna's words and removed the paper once and took my paper.

"Uhm… you must be Yuuya-sama. The contents of the form are… Eh? You can use three magic attributes as well?"

"That's right. …is there something wrong with that?"

"Eh, it's unusual… using three attributes is just like the people in legends and fairy tales!"

Oh, hey… I'm glad I didn't write all the attributes… While I am relieved from the bottom of my heart, Luna stared at me.

"…Yuuya. Magic, other than non-attribute magic and life magic, requires talent to use in the first place. And that, you have three attributes…"

"I knew that Yuuya-sama was amazing!"

Luna seems to be dumbfounded, but Lexia-san looks at me with shining eyes. …But this isn't because I'm amazing; it's just that the magic power circuit I inherited from sage-san is too amazing… Besides, I only made the three attributes for the sake of convenience, but in reality, as long as I have magic power and imagination, it's almost like it's unlimited…

"Ahem. I'm sorry for being so distraught. The magic one is fine here. …No, it's not okay, but this is all self-declared, so…"

"Huh…"

Does that mean that if I write a lie, I'm going to get ripped off somewhere? Let's be careful. It's not a lie, though.

"The weapons are mainly spears and swords, correct?"

"Yeah, correct."

Those are the two that are used most often. The receptionist nodded in confirmation, and she set the paper Luna, and I gave her into a strange machine that looks like a photocopy machine.

And the moment she pressed the button, the paper disappeared, and an iron plate came out. I didn't see it in the merchant guild, but I wonder if the same machine was used to build a guild card?

"…Yes, this is Yuuya-sama and Luna-sama's guild cards. Freshly registered like Yuuya-sama and Luna-sama will start at the lowest rank, F-Rank… F-Rankers can only receive requests from the same F-Rank or one rank higher… in other words, E-Rank requests. Also, regarding rank promotion, it will be based on the results of your requests and your attitude within the guild, so there will not be a specific number to promote you to a higher rank."

"…The content is almost the same as the dark guild…"

Luna murmurs quietly next to me. Is there such a thing as a rank in the dark guild…? The receptionist didn't seem to hear Luna's murmurings and continued without seeming to change in any way.

"Do you have any questions so far?"

"Uhm, the assignments… is there a rule that you always have to fulfill the request or something like that?"

"No, that's not particularly true. Some people register with the adventurer's guild in order to obtain a guild card to serve as their identification, so we leave it up to you to decide whether or not to accept the request."

I was relieved to hear that explanation. If there was some kind of quota, I had to take requests frequently. That's because it's tough from my point of view. After all, I usually want to do some sightseeing or have to go to school in the real world.

"Next is the explanation of the request. As for the collecting type, you must collect the amount of material listed on the request form, but if you collect a lot of material, there will be additional compensation. However, please be careful not to collect all the plants in a cluster. If you collect all of them, there is a possibility that the plant won't be able to grow…"

Fumu… if you collect a lot, you get more money, but that doesn't mean you have to collect all of it. Let's be careful.

After that, we've been given some basic information, such as the part of the monster that needs to be presented as proof of defeat when doing a subjugation request. Well, even if you don't bring the proof of defeat, it seems that the information is recorded on the guild card, so there is no way to cheat. I didn't understand what the principle was, though.

"Well…last but not least, the guild basically does not interfere in conflicts between adventurers. Please be fully aware of that."

"Eh? Oh, I understand."

A conflict between adventurers… is this a fight? I don't know, but I don't want to fight like that either, so I nodded obediently.

"I'm sorry for the late introduction; my name is Emilia. And now that we welcomed Yuuya-sama and Luna-sama in the adventurer's guild. I look forward to working with you in the future."

When she said that, the receptionist… Emilia smiled. After we finished registering, we left the receptionist and had a little discussion.

"Well, what do we do now? Now that we've come to the point, we might as well take the request…"

"Eh? Are you sure? I mean, Lexia-san and the others have done all the work to guide me, but…"

"It's okay! I've always wanted to make my adventurer's debut too!"

"No, you're not even registered."

"Come on. I'm in the mood. In the mood!"

I don't mind the mood and the adventurer's debut, but would Owen-san allow the princess to be an adventurer…? While thinking about that, Lexia-san's momentum pushed us to accept the request that we ended up being able to do right away.

"Heh… there are so many different kinds."

"Well, we've only just registered, so I'm sure the requests we'll get will be limited."

Certainly, Luna was right, as far as the requests we could receive, most of them were of the type of helping people in the city, and beyond that, most of them were to defeat monsters with names I didn't even know. Then, Lexia-san is surprised while looking at the bulletin board as well.

"It's amazing… these many requests are coming in for adventurers every day, right?"

"Yes. The dark guild I belonged to has the same with the so-called adventurer's guild designation request, so it's refreshing to see the request posted all the time like this, or to be able to choose a request at will."

I honestly have no idea what kind of existence the dark guild is and what it's for, but just listening to Luna's story, I thought it was a pretty decent organization. While the three of us were looking at the bulletin board for a while, we were suddenly approached by a voice.

"You there."

"Eh?"

I turned around and saw a woman standing there, dressed like a witch with a bright red face. She's that, a witch in a big black hat and a black dress. However, this woman's clothes were, how should I say… sensational with her chest open so much that it was hard to look at her.

Besides… she reeks of alcohol. She's quite drunk. As I'm thinking like that, Luna stands between the woman and me.

"What, do you need something from us?"

"Oh, don't be so wary. I just saw a nice guy and called him out."

"Y-you can't! Because Yuuya-sama is mine!"

"No, I'm not really Lexia-san's thing, but…"

And I've turned down the marriage proposal… didn't I? I was starting to feel uneasy. As I was thinking like that, the woman in witch form slipped past Luna's side and approached me. Then, she held my arms to her chest just like that.

"Hmm~! The more I look at you, the more I see you as a fine man! What do you think? Do you want to do something nice with onee-san?"

"Huh…!?"

"H-hey! Get away from Yuuya-sama!"

"Eeh? Don't worry about it. It's okay. Onee-san will be sad if you reject her like that."

"…Well, I don't know who you are, but I think you've been drinking a little too much."

Luna, looking a little angry, grabs the woman's hand in witch appearance and pulls her away from me. I-I'm saved. However, the woman in witch appearance shows no signs of discipline and smiles brightly, and looks at me as if she's found some kind of prey.

"I'm sorry, okay? But I'm an adventurer myself, and if someone looks a little stronger, I'd like to get to know them."

"Eh?"

"I was watching the interaction at the reception desk earlier. The boy there is great, don't you think? If you can connect with someone like that, it might help you in some way."

"Mmm…"

I'm still new to being an adventurer, but Luna seems to understand what the woman says and gives a small snort. The woman's smile deepened at Luna's situation.

"Well, that's the reason… I'm Grena. That's about it for today, but I'll be happy to take the request with you at some other time."

After saying that much, the woman in the witch's outfit…Grena-san left in a flash. Seeing that figure, I say to Night and Akatsuki.

"We're not quite there yet, and we're not as good as Grena-san says by now, are we?"

"Woof?"

"Fugoo."

Night tilted his head, and Akatsuki gave me a subtle look for some reason. No, why? Then Luna also looks at me with a subtle expression.

"…Hey Yuuya…"

"Eh?"

"…No, it's nothing. In a way, I'd say it's typical of Yuuya…"

"What does that matter? It's more of a matter of that woman targeting Yuuya-sama! In order to protect Yuuya-sama from that woman, shouldn't I also have to register as an adventurer?"

"No, this Grena person's existence is indeed a problem, but beyond that, if you move any more freely, that Owen guy will collapse."

When Luna admonished her to do so, Lexia-san's mouth twitched in a trivial manner, but… Yeah, I think she shouldn't do that either. It would be really hard for Owen-san.

"Mmm… it can't be helped. Then let's take a request that I could do as well! There was a request on the board for a herb collection! Even if I can't register as an adventurer, I can still help you with this, right?"

"That's fine, but you'll have to convince Owen to do that yourself."

"Of course!"

…I'm sorry, Owen-san. I don't think I can stop the two of them from doing this…

While Lexia-san and the others were moving more and more freely, I apologized in my mind to Owen-san, who was taking care of her.

Part 2

After our conversation with Grena-san, we decided to accept the request to collect medicinal herbs according to Lexia-san's idea, so we quickly went to the reception desk to finish the procedure and came outside the capital.

As expected, we accepted the request, and although Owen was reluctant to have Lexia-san participate in the request, Lexia-san's momentum overwhelmed him, and in the end, he agreed to allow her. …I'm really sorry, Owen-san.

"Well, since Yuuya-dono is present, it won't be a problem, I guess."

…I've been trusted mysteriously, but I'm causing Owen-san a lot of trouble, so I'll try to live up to that trust. It seems that medicinal herbs grow surprisingly everywhere outside this city, and it's not hard to find them.

However, I've never seen any other medicinal herbs other than [Complete Recovery Herb], so I asked the receptionist to show me a sample, but…well, I couldn't understand what the difference was between them and the grasses growing around here and there. Speaking of which, the [Complete Recovery Herb] is very similar, anyway.

Fortunately, I don't think I can fail since I can use [Identification], and since Luna seems to know what kind of herbs they are, I don't need to worry about it.

In fact, Luna, Lexia-san, and the others had said that it would be okay to make a request to defeat a super easy monster, but as expected, Owen-san had done his best to stop them from doing so.

Besides, when I looked at the bulletin board, I noticed that the request form for collecting medicinal herbs seemed to have been abandoned for a long time, and when I asked why, I found out that it was apparently left because it was more profitable to defeat monsters such as slimes and goblins, which were in the weakest category in the world, and that's why it was being left there.

…I don't know how weak they are because my image of slime and goblins is completely of the monsters in that forest, but if I think of the money from completing the request plus the money from redeeming the drop items, then defeating them is probably more fruitful.

Maybe that's why I decided to accept the request to collect medicinal herbs quietly because I was told that if this were the case, the stock of medicinal herbs would eventually run out, and there would be a problem in case of an emergency.

Well, I don't really need the money right now, and Lexia-san seemed to want to help me out as much as possible after hearing about the situation, and Luna didn't have any particular objection to the herb collection.

By the way, the number of herbs collected to accomplish the request is ten, but it seems that if you collect more than that, you will be paid an additional reward. However, if you uproot the medicinal herbs around you to get that extra reward, the adventurer's guild will find out about it, and you'll have to pay a fine. Well, it would be very annoying if I picked them all up and they never grew again. However, it's not an amount that can be picked up so easily, and the vitality of the herbs themselves is so strong that they'll grow right back if left unchecked, so there's no need to worry…

Once again, once I stepped outside the city, a pleasant breeze blew through.

"Hmm… the wind feels nice."

"Well, yes. I wouldn't have had time to enjoy the wind like this in the past, but it feels good to feel it like this."

"Yes. I, too, have been on the official business lately, or only in the castle, so it's a bit refreshing to get some fresh air… shopping in the city is nice, but this kind of time is nice too!"

"Lexia-sama. Don't get too excited, okay? I just want you to avoid moving around too much under the current circumstances…"

Owen-san let out a sigh and told that to Lexia-san.

"I know, I know. But when things are settled down, I'd like to have dinner outside on a nice day like this!"

Lexia-san looked at us and smiled as she said that. It's certainly a moderate temperature, and most importantly, the air is clear, so a picnic would be nice. Well, there will be danger of monsters and such.

We entered the meadow just outside the city and looked around while remembering the medicinal herbs Emilia-san showed us.

"Hmm… oh, this is it, right?"

Then I immediately found something that looked like the herb, and so I activated [Identification].

[Heal Grass] :: A plant that is called "Medicinal Herb" in this world. It is mainly treated as an ingredient in recovery medicine. It can be used by grinding the leaves as they are and is effective for grazing wounds, etc. It is highly effective to pull them out while being careful not to damage the roots when you collect them.

Fumu… it seems like this is definitely the medicinal herb, but I didn't know they had an official name for it. Moreover, thanks to the [Identification], I even figured out the correct way to collect it.

As I was lightly digging up the soil with my hands, Lexia-san peeked at it from the side.

"Heeh… that's how to collect medicinal herbs, huh?"

"I've heard somewhere that the collecting itself is not difficult, but it's best not to damage the roots as much as possible. In that sense, Yuuya's collection is very careful."

"Then I can just do like Yuuya-sama did and collect as many as I want!"

"Hey, have you forgotten what Emilia told you? You can't take too many of them, either."

"That's right. The medicinal herbs themselves seem to have a strong life force and fertility, so if you leave a few plants behind, they'll be back to normal in a few days…"

"I know! …Oh, it's so boring just to collect, Luna! Let's have a match!"

"Huh?"

Luna was taken aback by Lexia-san's sudden suggestion.

"By the way, Yuuya-sama will be the referee!"

"Eh?"

I'm involved too! Ignoring me and Luna, who were surprised, Lexia-san started to run.

"The winner gets the right to monopolize Yuuya-sama for a day! Well then, let the game begin!"

"Oh, hey, Lexia! Sigh… Yuuya. I'll go to Lexia's place, so come over after you get as many of the requests as you can get. …Or rather, suddenly starting on those terms would be unfair…!"

After saying that, Luna hurriedly headed towards Lexia-san while holding her head. No, that's fine, but… why is the right to monopolize me for a day treated as a prize? And how about my will?

I look away from them in a daze, but since they've already gone, I call out to Night.

"…Uhm, I'll ask you two to help me out then, okay?"

"Woof?"

"Buhi.:

"Here's the herb, and… tell me if you find one just like it, okay?"

"Woof."

"Fugo."

They each put their noses close to the herb, sniffed it, and then went separate. I watched as they went to look for the new ones, and then I started to look for mine, and I found one growing nearby and collected it as well.

It's simple, but I like this kind of work. I can become more carefree. After searching for a while like this, Night barked lightly.

"Woof!"

"Oh, did you find it?"

When I approached Night, there was something that looked like a medicinal herb growing there. However, I felt somewhat strange with it, and when I activated [Identification], it was displayed like this.

[Magic Heal Grass] :: A plant that resembles a medicinal herb. However, this doesn't heal wounds but has the effect of restoring magic power. It is mainly treated as an ingredient in magic power recovery medicine. Even if you put the leaves in your mouth, a very small amount of magic power is recovered. The collection method is the same as for medicinal herbs.

Apparently, it was something a little different.

"Too bad! I think this isn't the herb that we are looking for."

"Kyuunn…"

"Don't look so down. It's a good one, at least."

"Woof."

I gently patted Night, who sounded sad for making a mistake. As I collected magic heal grass with Night, who had regained his spirits, I heard Akatsuki's voice this time.

"Buhi! Buhi buhi!"

"Hmm? Did Akatsuki find it too?"

As we hurried towards Akatsuki, he looked at us and gave us a smug look. We turned our attention to the medicinal herb that he had found while smiling bitterly at his appearance.

"…Eh?"

And I was at a loss for words.

"Uh… well… Akatsuki? I told you I wanted you to find me some herbs, didn't I?"

"Buhi."

"And this one?"

"Buhi!"

Akatsuki pointed with his hoof as if to say, "This is the medicinal herb."

In case something goes wrong, I activated [Identification].

[Ichikoro Grass] :: A plant that must never be eaten. If you ingest it even once, the last thing you'll do is pass away to the other world instantly. Unless you have poison resistance and poison invalidation skills, but even then, no one would like to eat it. However, if mixed with the proper procedures and ingredients, it can be transformed into a "Poison Neutralizer". All you have to do is collect the leaves. [T/n: Ichikoro means losing easily, being trounced, being beaten hands down and such.]

It was different. It's just as strange as it sounds. Everything around it is green, but the grass is purple. Moreover, it has red and yellow spots. The color combination is just as if to say, "Don't eat it."

"Akatsuki-san. Are you saying that this is the herb?"

"Buhi."

"Yeah, you should look at it more."

"Buhi!?"

Akatsuki was shocked by my words. I don't think of it as a medicinal herb, though it could be used as a poison neutralizer if I got the ingredients and procedures right.

Well, since Akatsuki found it, I'll take it anyway. We also found some other medicinal herbs, but we couldn't find them altogether as they were not in a cluster.

Then, Lexia-san, who was collecting at another location, comes running towards me.

"Yuuya-sama, look, look!"

In Lexia-san's hand, there was something that looked like a medicinal herb, but how could it be… she was very muddy. Eh, what happened?

As I was surprised to see Lexia-san in her muddy state, a tired-looking Luna also comes from behind her.

"Hey, Lexia. Are you sure you're royalty? That's not ladylike or anything at all…"

"Ara, excuse me. I've been doing my official duties as a member of the royal family, and my manners are perfect! And isn't this mud a so-called adventurer's courtesy?"

"What's your image of the adventurer in your mind…?"

"Uhm… you won't be offended, will you? They're so muddy…"

Really, Lexia-san was covered in mud and really a mess… I would have believed her if she had told me that she had gone head first into a puddle.

"Well? Isn't it okay? I'm not using a dress, anyway!"

I'm really sorry, Owen-san.

──By the way, both Luna and Lexia-san had the same number of results in the herb collection battle, and the right to monopolize me for a day never passed to anyone.

＊＊＊

At the time when Yuuya and the others were receiving requests in the other world──Kaori Houjou was in her room doing her prep and review as usual.

"….."

Kaori, who had been studying silently for a while, put down her pen for a break and stretched.

"Hmm… I guess the problem is with English and ancient literature…"

As she realized that again, in today's review, she unexpectedly saw a calendar.

"Come to think of it… it's almost time for midterm exams…"

When she was thinking about such a vague thought, Kaori suddenly thought of Yuuya. And at the same time, she remembered the incident on the way home after the ball game tournament the other day──.

"~~Uh!"

Her face suddenly flushed red, Kaori stood up from her chair and fell onto her own bed, and writhing.

"…What have I done…"

The day of the ball game tournament. She injured her teammate due to her own lack of athletic ability, and when she was depressed, Yuuya gallantly helped her out. Kaori was attracted to Yuuya, who was always there to help her, but… Kaori was confused by the first time she felt that feeling.

That's why, after the ball game, she couldn't help her feelings and lightly kissed Yuuya's cheek. Remembering that, she had to writhe and roll around in shyness when she got home. But if she got to this point, no matter how much she had never experienced it before, Kaori could understand how she felt about Yuuya too.

"…I, Yuuya-san…"

She was about to say all that, and when her face became heated again, she buried her face in the bed. Kaori writhed in shyness for a while, but she suddenly felt uneasy when she eventually cooled down.

"Yuuya-san, he's so nice… and maybe he already has a girlfriend… and even if he didn't have one, there's no way another girl would leave him alone…"

Kaori suddenly begins to feel depressed, even though she seemed so happy just now.

"But I don't want to give up either… But what should I do…"

Just as she started to think about how to get as close to Yuuya as possible without losing to the other girls, the calendar came into Kaori's view again.

"…Ah!"

Then, realizing something, Kaori stood up vigorously.

"That's right! How about studying for a test with Yuuya-san!"

For some reason, Kaori begins a questioning soliloquy in a room with no one but herself. However, Kaori herself was no longer in the mood for that, and the content of her soliloquy seemed like a very good idea.

"I have decided… let's ask him about it next time!"

Kaori thought of the time and went to her desk again.

──In this way, Kaori began to study again in preparation for the time when she and Yuuya would study for the test together.