Chapter 154
Altz Point had collapsed, and three bases to its south were isolated. If this situation was not addressed, the collapse of one point could cause the other three points to fall as well.
The guild had decided to deploy a convoy to restore the intermediary base, while also bringing emergency supplies. It was going to be a large-scale logistics operation, and quite a significant affair.
Ellen, Eleris, and I headed to the Saints Point Adventurers’ Guild office to take on this request.
There, however, we encountered some rather unwelcome news.
“Ah. The escort for the convoy is already full, and we’re not accepting any more applications.”
It seemed we were too late. The guild representative showed us the escort list with an apologetic smile.
Indeed, the list was filled to the brim with about fifty names.
“...”
Ellen was staring intently at the list. The names of the escort members along with their adventurer ranks were listed there.
At the very top, even if Ellen didn’t recognize it, there was a familiar name.
The name and rank were clearly written out: B-ranked adventurer, Hugson.
The guild representative continued, “However, if you can get the permission of Hugson, the one in charge of the escort team, we can add additional people beyond the stated quota. You can find Mr. Hugson at the Lockhilt Inn.”
“... Sorry?”
That man earlier, the B-ranked adventurer, was apparently the captain in charge of the escort team.
Only then did I understand why people hadn’t dared to talk back to Hugson.
He was not just a B-ranked adventurer, but also someone who wielded a certain degree of power.
Was it the guild that offered this authority to the highest-level adventurer in Saints Point?
“Th-This is unexpected...”
Eleris, who had done some research, seemed taken aback. She hadn’t known that Hugson was such a person.
“... Why?” asked Ellen, tilting her head at the puzzlement that both Eleris and I displayed.
“... The name of the guy we had a disagreement with earlier was Hugson.”
“Oh.”
Ellen nodded as if everything suddenly made sense.
It was clear that our request to be included as additional personnel would not be well received.
***
We trudged back to the inn for a meeting once again.
“We could just go down south by ourselves,” Ellen suggested. She was suggesting that we disregard the convoy altogether and head south anyway.
“Hmm... Are you suggesting we investigate the collapse of Altz Point itself instead of escorting the convoy?”
“Yes.”
Other adventurers had set out before us, but there was yet to be any news from them. Investigating the collapse of Altz Point on our own and reporting our findings to the guild didn’t seem like a bad idea.
“Making money is good, but there’s nothing wrong with moving around on our own.”
In the end, we decided to give up on the convoy escort mission.
“That B-ranked adventurer must be quite an important person to be put in charge of the convoy for such a large-scale operation.”
Eleris seemed quite surprised that B-rank was considered such a prestigious title. Honestly, I was surprised as well. Upon reflection, it did seem like a rather high rank.
“He’s become the head of the snake,” Ellen murmured with her arms crossed.
I tilted my head in confusion at her sudden remark. “What do you mean?”
“The route to Saints Point is safe, and so there’s no need for an escort. The escort mission begins from Saints Point itself.”
“... So?”
“So, the request was originally brought up with the Saints Point Guild office. However, since this place doesn’t see a lot of action, there aren’t many high-ranking adventurers here. The highest-ranking one around was this Hugson person.”
Ellen’s point was that it wasn't common for a B-rank adventurer to be in charge of such a task.
“So, he’s like a snake that’s unexpectedly stumbled upon a fortune?”
“Probably. Who knows? He might have some connections within the Saints Point Guild office.”
“Hmm. That might be possible.”
Hugson could be monopolizing the favorable quests coming down to Saints Point by colluding with the local guild house. In this case, he’d ended up being assigned as the captain in charge of a job that, under normal circumstances, would require a higher-ranked adventurer.
Ellen’s plausible deduction left both Eleris and me nodding in silent agreement.
“On top of that, from the list that we were shown earlier, all the other adventurers were D and F ranks, aside from Hugson. Almost all of them are newbies.”
“... Newbies?”
Indeed, Austin had been bragging about being in the same party as Hugson. Ellen had noticed that after examining the list intently.
“Is there any reason to specifically choose newbies?”
“There must be a total budget allocated for this request. Lower-ranked adventurers can be paid less. He probably plans to keep the rest for himself.”
Ellen’s words left my mouth agape.
If a total of a hundred gold was allocated for this request’s payment, then filling the convoy with rookies instead of high-ranked adventurers meant he would have to distribute less of the total amount to the other adventurers, leaving more for himself.
It was quite possible that the route downward was safe anyway. After all, this was an escort mission, not a combat mission.
“Wow... Quite the character, that one.”
Despite now recognizing Hugson’s greed, it had nothing to do with us anymore. We had decided not to participate in the escort mission. There wasn’t any reason for us to stay in Saints Point anymore.
*
We decided to head towards Altz Point on our own, separate from the convoy.
Ellen and I, who had yet to have dinner, decided to have a meal. Eleris, who claimed she didn’t need to eat, made the excuse that she had already eaten and returned to her room.
Of course, from previous conversations, I knew that it was possible for her to eat regular food. She’d mentioned previously that continuously abstaining from meals wasn’t practical, as it would arouse suspicion.
Now that the issue of “fishing for mages” had been resolved, I expected the inn to be quieter, yet the first floor was bustling, full of people drinking.
—Is that the guy?
—Yeah.
—Geez... to think she chose to pass up a party led by a B-rank and team up with such a rookie instead.
—Maybe she’s not as skilled as we thought.
—No way. Haven’t you heard of the saying, “Even if it’s rotten, a mage is still a mage?”
I occasionally overheard discussions about me taking away the mage, but I chose not to pay them much mind. If I were to confront every single one of them, I’d end up spending at least a week in Saints Point.
Ellen ordered three hamburger steaks with a large side of potato salad, and I only ordered one.
“...You eat a lot here too, huh?”
‘Does her appetite ever take a break?’
In response to my reproach, Ellen looked at me with a blank expression.
‘What?’ said the look on her face.
“With more activity, I need to eat more.”
‘Oh, there it is, the justification coming right out of her mouth.’
“... That’s actually not wrong.”
It did make sense to eat a lot. We had already stocked up on preserved food from the Egxian base, so there wasn’t a need to replenish our supplies at Saints Point.
But would she still eat this much if we were camping outdoors?
“...”
Anyway, I had a concern.
—Another beer over here!
—Coming right up!
Seeing the other patrons drinking so liberally made me wonder if the service staff would just serve me one if I ordered it. Back at the Temple, I couldn’t even touch alcohol, but maybe in a place like this, they’d just give you whatever you asked for as long as you paid?
“... Maybe I should have a drink.”
“... ?”
Ellen looked at me intently. It seemed she couldn’t quite grasp what I was suggesting.
“... Alcohol?” she asked.
“... H-Hey, d-don’t take it so seriously.”
The thought that drinking could lead to severe consequences suddenly filled me with a sense of danger.
Her look didn’t say “You shouldn’t drink,” but merely one that said, “What did you say just now?” And yet, it was a look that made me back down.
It was a hit to my pride...
‘Even though I’m actually much older, it’s understandable to be intimidated by someone who is destined to be the strongest person in this world, right?
‘Then again, is it more shameful to make excuses for being like this?
‘You know, I sometimes find Ellen intimidating in a different way than Vertus or Charlotte!’
I’d been beaten up by her every single day, even though it was in the context of sparring. She was basically like my designated high school bully.
“Do you drink?” Ellen asked out of the blue, while eating her hamburger steak.
Of course I drank. A lot, too.
But since this body transformation, I had only drunk once. It was some mysterious, sour liquor with the brothers from the Rotary Club.
Still, alcohol is alcohol.
“... Is that wrong?” I protested timidly, and Ellen shook her head.
“It’s not that it’s wrong,” she said firmly as she cut into her hamburger steak. “But not today.”
“I said I won’t drink.”
“If you’re going to drink, do it later on.”
‘I said I’m not going to drink it, okay?’
“With me.”
“... What?”
Her completely unexpected response left me momentarily stunned. I could understand her telling me not to drink, but suggesting we drink together in the future was not something I expected at all.
“I want to try drinking too.”
It seemed Ellen was curious about the taste of alcohol. Honestly, Ellen was diligent in everything she did, but she wasn’t exactly the type to pursue a straight-laced lifestyle.
She was simply dedicated to her tasks, and not necessarily a crusader for righteousness. So, her wanting to try alcohol wasn’t exactly out of character.
Moreover, I suddenly became incredibly curious about how she would act if she got drunk.
While I was still stunned by Ellen’s unexpected remark...
Bang!
The inn door was suddenly flung open,and I felt a sense of déjà vu.
‘What now?’
It was just a little while ago that the same thing had happened.
And just like last time, a brief silence fell over the inn.
Clop, Clop, Clop.
However, this time, unlike previously, a group of people entered.
They were dressed in uniforms, and all of them were armed.
Among them was the B-ranked adventurer Hugson, whom we had seen earlier.
And there...
“...”
Austin was there too, pale and trembling, possibly unsure of what was going on. Hugson silently pointed at me, and the people in uniforms approached the table where Ellen and I were sitting.
I recognized those uniforms.
“My name is Zaller, and I am an official from the Saints Point Adventurers’ Guild.”
They were wearing the uniforms of the Adventurers’ Guild staff.
“Reinhart, and Ellen, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s right.”
The cold-mannered official confirmed our identities and then said briskly, “We have received a report claiming that the two of you are suspects in a robbery and assault.”
“... What?”
“...”
Hugson grabbed Austin’s shoulder, whom he had brought along with him.
Austin was visibly pale.
“Austin, tell them what you saw.”
“U-Uh... Uhh...”
‘Damn it.’
“If you don’t speak properly, the carriage you brought along with you will be considered as your loot from a robbery.”
I began to understand what this was all about.
Right before my eyes, Hugson was threatening Austin.
“Th-They... attacked the adventurers and coachman on the carriage... and robbed them of the carriage and their equipment...” Austin said, trembling.
The person who had introduced himself as a guild official gestured towards Austin with his chin, and then looked at Ellen and me.
“We have already secured the testimony of a witness. I suppose you’re not planning to deny it.”
“This damned—”
Just as I was about to lose it, Ellen called out to me. “Reinhart.”
Was she worried I’d flip out and cause a scene?
“Take it out,” Ellen whispered softly,
I knew immediately what she was referring to.
‘Ah, right.’
Not a grand magical artifact, nor a tremendous relic.
Swish.
The universal cheat code against all human forces.
The imperial crest was now in my hand.
Ellen took her identity card out of her pocket.
“... A Temple student...?”
The imperial crest, coupled with the Temple student ID, which certified our identity as part of the continent’s highest educational institution.
Without even glancing at the official, Ellen, while nonchalantly cutting into her hamburger steak, murmured, “If you can handle the consequences, feel free to take us in.”
Such a graceful way to tell someone to shove off...
A different kind of silence descended upon the inn.
“What nonsense! Such a thing must obviously be fake!”
The one who broke the silence was Hugson, who had been observing the situation from behind the official.
“Hugson, be careful! Tampering with such items can lead to the extermination of one’s entire family!” The official yelled at Hugson, who was starting to get agitated.
While this wasn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card, if it was discovered that they had tried to frame us unjustly, it could lead to significant trouble.
“How could you be so brazen?!” Hugson yelled, his face turning red with anger.
Things were not proceeding as he had envisioned, and he began to shout loudly.
“Hey! You guys! I thought you brats were just simple thieves, but you’re traitors as well! Forging the imperial crest and impersonating Temple students? You deserve immediate execution!” he continued.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
He began to advance towards us, losing all restraint, axe in hand.
“If you take one more step,” Ellen murmured in a chilling voice, “You’re going to die.”
“What?”
“I said you’re going to die.”
Ellen stood up and stared intently at Hugson, whose red face was just beginning to show the smallest traces of fear.
I had never seen Ellen wear such an expression before.
Her face was a mask of chill-inducing indifference, yet there was a palpable cold anger behind it.
Even though it wasn’t directed at me, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Hugson, who had been about to brandish his weapon, instinctively stepped back as Ellen rose.
“What, you want a duel or something?” he said.
Ellen picked up the knife she’d been using to cut her hamburger steak in her right hand as she gazed at Hugson.
“This is all I need,” she replied.
Nobody laughed at Ellen’s seemingly absurd claim that a dinner knife was all she needed against an axe.
A palpable pressure hung in the air. Clearly, everyone sensed that she could indeed pull it off.
“If you can’t handle it, then get out of my face.”
The manner of Ellen’s demand for them to leave was a far cry from the gracefulness of her earlier dismissal.
The imperial crest, the Temple student ID...
And now, this inexplicable confidence.
This was not enough to absolve us from guilt.
However, if they made the wrong move, their own heads could be at risk.
In fact, their heads might already be at risk right then and there.
“... Let’s go back, Hugson.”
“... Tch!”
In the end, they made the wise decision to turn around and leave, just one step shy of disaster.
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