Chapter 124: The Stomachache Margrave’s Opening Ceremony 3
*
After finishing lunch, we immediately headed to the Adventurers Guild to take care of today’s business.
I opened the door to the Adventurers Guild.
Since it was daytime, the inside was quiet.
There were only a few adventurers; instead, the figures of people who seemed to have come to post requests were more prominent.
One of the Guild Staff talking to an elderly man who looked like a merchant noticed me and discreetly waved his right hand twice.
What’s that? While wondering, I walked towards the counter, and screams could be heard from the back.
As the gazes of the people around focused on the back of the counter, wondering what was happening, the familiar Guild Staff member, Lana, was dragged out, supported on both sides by two other Guild Staff.
“Stop it! I just finished dealing with all the Forest Dragon stuff! Stop! I can’t handle any more overtime!”
Seeing Lana screaming with her teeth bared, I couldn’t help but exchange glances with Erica.
“Come on, you’ll get paid a lot, won’t you?”
The two staff members supporting her said cheerfully.
“Money only has meaning if you have time to spend it!”
Lana’s words were completely ignored by the two staff members.
Pushed from behind as if being shoved out, Lana stumbled forward and arrived at the counter right in front of us.
Our eyes met as Lana placed both hands on the counter to support herself.
She’s having a rough time too, huh.
“Whose fault do you think this is!? Welcome to the Guild, damn it! What business do you have today, Longdagger-sama?”
Somehow, she read my mind.
“Is it okay for a Guild Staff member to call an adventurer ‘damn it’?”
“The relationship between Guild Staff and adventurers is basically stab or be stabbed.”
What a bloodthirsty Adventurers Guild.
Just as I thought that, I felt a restless atmosphere behind me.
“Is that so?”
It was Erica.
“So, it seems Guild Staff dealing with adventurers must possess considerable, no, above-average skill.”
“No, I’m joking, Ma’am.”
Lana dismissed the misunderstanding of Erica, whose eyes were sparkling slightly.
Quick and decisive. Not bad, Lana.
I wanted to ask what she meant when she muttered, “The Ma’am was a Longdagger too,” but I ignored it.
“Ahem, well, jokes aside. It really was a joke, okay, Ma’am?”
Lana asked, driving the point home to Erica just in case.
“So, what is your business today? You don’t seem to have your Mask, so I hope it’s something decent.”
“Just selling a Magic Stone.”
Saying that, I placed the Magic Stone of the Blackened Jewelhead Dragon on the counter.
“That’s exactly the kind of thing you do!?”
Lana slammed her fist on the counter.
“Yes! Yes! Of course, I know! I know that ‘Unbefitting Longdagger’-sama subjugated a Blackened Jewelhead Dragon!”
Yes! (Hit 1) Yes! (Hit 2) Of course, I know! (Hit 3), the counter suffered further blows from Lana.
“But does that mean you bring that here? To the Adventurers Guild? I thought it was just a Magic Stone from some monster you hunted on the way!? Thank you!”
“You’re welcome?”
Since she thanked me, I replied that way for the time being.
“Sar-ca-sm! That was sarcasm! Are you trying to create a new legend about how people named Longdagger don’t understand jokes or sarcasm?”
I have no intention of creating such a legend, I thought, while looking around at the Magicka (gazes) directed at me from the surroundings.
For some reason, everyone in the Guild was looking at me like, “What’s with this guy?”
Strange. Having the Adventurers Guild buy the Magic Stone of a subjugated monster should be a perfectly normal thing.
According to the Hecate Adventurers Guild system, the Guild Staff member in charge at the time handles the buying and selling procedures, so it might cause trouble for Lana, but…
Still, it shouldn’t be something that warrants these kinds of looks from everyone in the Guild.
“Eh? Are you serious with that face?”
Lana looked at my face, exasperated.
“There’s no way the Adventurers Guild can buy a dangerous Magic Stone like this that you can tell is bad just by looking at it.”
I tilted my head at Lana’s words.
To me, it just looks like a normal Magic Stone from a very strong monster.
It’s true that Magic Stones you can tell belong to a powerful monster just by looking are rare, but I’ve never heard of the Guild being unable to buy them.
If that were the case, high-Rank adventurers in Faltar wouldn’t be able to survive, mainly people like Master.
Uwah, he really doesn’t get it.
Lana groaned.
“Ah, yes, allow me to explain.”
Lana said, looking like she was enduring a massive headache.
*
Common sense changes with the place.
I had realized such an obvious thing over the past few days, but…
I realized it once again.
To briefly summarize what the Adventurers Guild Staff member, Lana, explained to me:
A Magic Stone that powerful can be processed into a Barrier Generator to create a Barrier enveloping a city.
If the Adventurers Guild were to buy such a Magic Stone, one involved in national strategy like creating a new city, it would cause trouble with the country. That was the gist.
I see, I don’t get it.
That was my honest impression.
I mean, right? While it’s certainly not a Magic Stone on the level of a Blackened Dragon, Magic Stones close to this level aren’t that rare in Faltar.
To be specific, it’s the kind of thing Master or someone else brings to the Guild at least once every six months.
Even being told such a thing is related to national strategy, honestly, it doesn’t quite click.
When I told Lana that, she told me to discard Faltar’s common sense for a moment.
“It’s natural that if the number of cities increases, the country prospers, right?”
That was Erica’s comment.
Apparently, in Faltar, the country buys up such Magic Stones that the Guild acquires.
They are considered important diplomatic resources.
While I was impressed, thinking “Huh,” Erica lightly scolded me, saying, “You’re a noble too, aren’t you?”
Anyway, according to Lana’s explanation:
If Orclaugh, which is rich in Magic Stone resources thanks to the Demon Realm, were to handle Magic Stones of this level with Imprudence, it could lead to war with other countries in the worst case.
Apparently.
From the perspective of the second son of an Impoverished Viscount Household, it sounds like a story from a distant country. Even though it’s a neighboring country.
“Therefore, the Adventurers Guild cannot purchase this Magic Stone.”
Then what should I do? The question that appeared on my face was quickly resolved.
“If you wish, the Guild can contact the Margrave-sama for you. What would you like to do?”
Lana asked, her face having completely returned to that of a proper Guild Staff member.
I thought, “If only you’d said that from the start,” but didn’t say it out loud.
I felt like I’d get scolded for something if I voiced it.
“Understood.”
“Due to Guild regulations and Orclaugh law, we will need to take custody of the Magic Stone.”
While listening to Lana’s explanation, I signed five documents.
The Magic Stone was stored in an incredibly sturdy-looking box brought over by three Guild Staff members.
The reason I feel a sense of unease at the strictness is probably due to Faltar’s common sense.
“We have certainly taken custody of the Magic Stone at this Guild.”
“Is there any other business you have?”
I nodded at Lana’s question.
The Jewelhead Dragon’s Magic Stone was certainly one reason for coming to the Guild, but the main reason was different.
To Lana, who was clearly exhausted and thinking, “There’s still more?”, I said.
“It’s about our Adventurer Rank.”
I grabbed the collar of Lana as she tried to turn around and flee.