Chapter 148: The Designated Request Once More
A few days had passed since then, and the shadow of the Sea Emperor Turtle could now be seen from the harbor. As I walked along the Main Street after leaving the inn, snippets of conversation about the Sea Emperor Turtle floated through the air.
“Has the information been released?”
“Maybe. Should we check the Guild?”
“Yeah.”
We had been quietly conducting our own investigation into the durability of the turtle’s shell, even though it wasn’t an official request from the Guild. In truth, it had turned into a training ground for our skills. The next day, when we returned, we found that everything had regenerated. I had hoped we could chip away at it little by little, but it became clear that was impossible. Thus, we shifted our focus to training.
By consciously directing the impact of my attacks to penetrate the shell, I managed to break through three layers in one go. I suspected I had learned a new Skill. For now, I intended to hone this Skill further. My HP had decreased slightly, so I wanted to believe it was effective.
By the way, Kant and the others had results that were not much different from ours. In fact, they had even less information. It seemed they hadn’t landed on the shell and had only made a round with their appraisal to check the status.
“Oh, it really has been released.”
As I stepped into the Adventurer’s Guild on the first floor, information about the Sea Emperor Turtle was prominently displayed. I thought there might be more detailed information on the second floor, but it was the same. After all, there was no restriction preventing C Rank adventurers from entering.
“Shu-san.”
As I read the information about the Sea Emperor Turtle on the bulletin board, a staff member called out to me. Turning around, I recognized her as the one who had taken notes while speaking with the Guild Master. Her name was—
“Ah, Lowell-san.”
“Perfect timing. You two have a Designated Request, if you’re willing to accept it.”
“…It depends on the details.”
“Ahaha, understood. Since this isn’t the place for it, let’s discuss it in a private room.”
She led us to a familiar room on the third floor, but it seemed the Guild Master wasn’t joining us this time. After preparing tea for the three of us, Lowell placed a request form on the table.
“While the talk of the town is about the Sea Emperor Turtle, this request is about something else.”
“Oh, is that so?”
As I quenched my throat with tea, my gaze fell on the request form on the table.
“…Capture of a Fugitive Slave?”
At Rio’s words, my brow furrowed.
“Why would a request come to us at a time like this?”
I had heard that C Rank adventurers could receive compulsory Designated Requests, but the previous investigation into the Sea Emperor Turtle had been a spontaneous affair. No information meant no Designated Requests for adventurers. Moreover, we were in a critical situation with a threat looming before us.
“Well, it seems you two have gained a bit of fame for being the adventurers who quickly brought back information about the Sea Emperor Turtle.”
“Eh?”
“More like a ‘known to those who know’ situation. However, it’s true that there are people in this world who lack a sense of crisis.”
“Haa…”
I could only respond with a resigned sigh. Come to think of it, the Japanese were also somewhat pacifistic, weren’t they? Capturing a Fugitive Slave at a time like this… No, perhaps it was precisely because of the situation that they wanted to provide protection. Ivan from the Bear Tribe and Phonia, the Fox-Eared Child, came to mind, but surely not…
“Anyway, regarding that Fugitive Slave, it seems he is the eldest son of the Marquis of Ragloi from the Imperial Capital.”
“A Marquis…”
“The targets for capture are an adult male from the Bear Tribe and a young girl from the Fox Tribe.”
“…”
Wait a moment. That means—
“The male’s name is Ivan, and the girl’s name is Phonia.”
Despite my inner voice urging me to stop, the names were announced, and they were exactly who I had imagined. Wait, Phonia was a girl?
“Hmm… What could be the reason for that slave’s escape? I can only think of not wanting to be with his master. If that’s the case, I really don’t want to return him to a nasty master.”
Rio was trying to convey her reluctance without showing her true feelings.
“Eh? …I don’t know the reason, but it’s a request from a noble, you know?”
“Is there something in it for us?”
“Of course, gaining favor with a noble is beneficial, and the rewards are often generous.”
“Hmm.”
“On the other hand, if you refuse, you might attract the noble’s attention, making it difficult to operate in the city.”
“That’s quite a threat.”
“No, it’s not a threat; it’s just the truth… So please consider it carefully. Either way, if you refuse, the request will just go to someone else.”
What? Then there’s really no point in refusing… If someone else searches for them, they’ll hand them over to their master without question. I exchanged glances with Rio, and we nodded at each other.
“Then we’ll accept the request.”
“Really? Thank you!”
“However, since we have the issue of the Sea Emperor Turtle at hand, we will prioritize that if anything comes up.”
“Yes, of course.”
“By the way, is there a deadline for the capture?”
At my inquiry, Lowell glanced down at the request form.
“Um, it seems there’s no specific deadline mentioned. Since it’s from a noble, I believe they would prefer it to be done as soon as possible.”
“I see…”
Thus, after thoroughly confirming the details of the request, we agreed to take on the task of capturing the Fugitive Slave. Just to be sure, I asked about the House of Marquis Ragloi, but it seemed they didn’t have a very good reputation. I didn’t intend to take Ivan’s word at face value, but it was clear that there was some truth to it. Since there was no deadline, and given the current circumstances, a slight delay in reporting to the client shouldn’t be a problem.
As I pondered ways to protect Ivan and the others in my heart, we left the Guild.