Chapter 136: The Adventurers Guild Staff Stabs Twice
*
“So? Do you acknowledge Lady Erika’s Rank Promotion?”
Oof.
Saying that, Lana jumped over the upturned ground and asked me.
Judging by Lana’s face, the highway must be fine.
I was a little worried because I kind of forgot about holding back reasonably partway through.
“Of course, I acknowledge it.”
I answered Lana’s question with a shrug.
After being lightly kicked and sent rolling, I can hardly say no.
“That’s good. If you had said you wouldn’t acknowledge it, I would have approved the promotion myself using a Guild special exception.”
“Hey.”
I couldn’t help but blurt out, wondering who it was that refused to handle ranks through special exceptions.
Not that I was hoping for it, though.
“This is the Promotion Exam to Rank 2, you know?”
Lana’s eyes looked at me as if I were an unreasonable idiot.
“If you were to spout something like not acknowledging this—excuse me, if you were to say that, it would affect future Rank Promotion Exams.”
While apologizing to Lana, who was pointing at the upturned ground as if wanting to say something, ‘Yes, I was the unreasonable idiot.’
I offered my hand to Erika, who was stepping over the upturned ground.
Thank you.
Erika took my hand and crossed over the upturned ground.
Eguchi-kun, did you see that? This is what gentlemanly power looks like.
“I think that kind of consideration is necessary for us frail Guild Staff, though?”
Lana once again stepped over the upturned ground with an ‘oof,’ a grunt sounding like an old man’s.
“I was just warned not to scatter that kind of kindness around to anyone other than my wife.”
Ugh.
Lana groaned, watching her step.
“I was wondering what you two were thinking, starting to flirt the moment the battle ended.”
Lana looked at Erika with a face that seemed to say she was surprised.
“Lady Erika, you’re unexpectedly the possessive type, aren’t you? I completely thought you were the type to wear a relaxed smile, confident that Lord Shin would always return to you no matter how much he wandered around.”
Erika, whose hand I was holding, stopped walking.
“Erika’s isn’t possessiveness, it’s kindness towards me!”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Also, I don’t wander around, okay? I’m devoted, devoted!”
Since Erika wasn’t moving at all, I turned back to check.
Erika had crouched down.
She had buried her face in her knees and was muttering.
“It’s not possessiveness or anything like that, I just, I just, well, um, that thing is, you know…”
Perhaps shocked at being called possessive, her Soliloquy was rather loud.
Because you say things like ‘devoted,’ I, I understand, but really, you… honestly.
“See? This is because you called her kindness possessiveness.”
At my words, Lana made a face like, ‘Is this guy serious?’
What kind of face is that?
“The sensitivity (delicacy) Lord Shin threw away must have been quite precious.”
I haven’t thrown it away, I tried to convey just with my expression.
“I see, strength really does require a suitable price.”
I told you, I haven’t thrown it away.
I tried putting the uncommunicated emotion back onto my expression, but I didn’t feel like it got through to Lana.
*
After that, Erika quickly recovered.
While walking the hundred paces or so, Erika informed me that I had even used Physical Enhancement on the ground, and then we regrouped with Ezz and the others.
Physical Enhancement on the ground? Seriously, me?
Come to think of it, when I was brawling with the Jewel-Headed Dragon, Elza looked at me and said I was creepy. Maybe this was what she meant.
While thinking about that, I apologized to Ezz and the others, who had ended up tagging along to bring Lana here, for making them wait, and noticed that Ezz was looking downcast.
When I asked Pal ‘What’s wrong?’ with just my eyes,
Pal told me with a wry smile that he was just crushed by the difference in skill.
I said that if he could move like that, he’d be around Rank 3 even in Faltar, so there was no need to be downcast, but apparently, that wasn’t good enough for Ezz.
According to Ezz, ‘At least I have to make Shin-san move a single step.’
“Since you attacked from behind and couldn’t even make him move one step, you’ve got a long way to go.”
Pal added with a smile, kicking the corpse.
He’s harsh despite his small-animal-like vibe.
“Well then, there’s the matter of updating the Guild Certificate and such, so shall we head back?”
It was strangely memorable how Lana announced that with an exasperated face to us, as we had started noisily chatting about this and that.
I was impressed that even someone who usually complains about overtime, and is sometimes called useless by the eccentric weaponsmith Tepe, puts on a professional face when it’s time to work.
“Is something wrong?”
Lana tilted her head at my gaze.
“No, I was just thinking I’d consult with Lana for my next Rank Promotion too.”
Lana gave a listless reply, “Well, it’s my job~,” then walked a few steps and turned back.
“Do you even have a human heart?”
I responded to that by shrugging with a smile.
The Guild Staff member—who probably went through a lot of trouble finding opponents for our Rank Promotion Exams, complains about overtime, and is sometimes useless—made a truly disgusted face at my response.