Chapter 153: The Sea Emperor Turtle Assault Operation
By the time we arrived at Port Town Reburos, evening had already set in. However, the entrance to the town felt unusually lively. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a group dressed in uniform attire.
“What do you think that is?”
I had a hunch, but I decided to ask Rio, who was walking beside me.
“It might be the Imperial Army making an appearance.”
“Is that so? I hope they can handle the Sea Emperor Turtle.”
I could see flags, but I had no idea what the Imperial flag looked like.
“But they’re still quite far away. Do you think they’ll attack from a ship out at sea?”
“I’ve heard there’s a military facility at the harbor, so they might have some impressive ships.”
That could very well be the case. Still, I decided not to get my hopes up too high.
“Shall we check in at the Guild?”
From the land, the Sea Emperor Turtle still appeared small, but there was no doubt it was approaching. We had time to consider whether to believe we could repel it or to give up and flee. That’s why, even as we entered the town, it didn’t seem like there were significantly fewer people around.
By the way, the group that seemed to be the Imperial Army bypassed the town and headed toward the harbor. It was likely they had a route to the military facility that avoided causing a commotion in the town.
We made our way to the Adventurer’s Guild. Perhaps due to the time of day, it wasn’t as crowded as it had been in the morning.
“There are certainly a lot of requests related to the Sea Emperor Turtle,” Rio remarked.
Since it was quieter, I decided to check the request board on the first floor.
“Yeah. There are quite a few hunting requests for the Forest to the east… On the other hand, it seems the escort requests for ships have decreased.”
“With the turtle so far away, anything could happen.”
“Alright, let’s head to the second floor.”
Having confirmed a few things, we moved on to the request board on the second floor.
“Huh? Lowell?”
Just as we were about to ascend, Lowell, a Guild staff member, came down the stairs.
“Perfect timing. I’ve been waiting for you.”
It seemed he had business with us. I noticed a female adventurer nearby waving her hands excitedly at Nil. If she wanted to pet him, she was welcome to do so.
“Is something the matter?”
“Yes. It’s not suitable to discuss here, so please follow me to the third floor.”
Led by Lowell, we bypassed the second floor and entered the usual room on the third floor. This time, the Guild Master was also present, sitting in a chair and sipping tea.
“Ah, glad you could make it.”
“Thank you.”
He raised a hand in greeting, and I returned a slight bow before taking a seat. Our tea was already prepared, and as Lowell picked up a writing instrument, the conversation began.
“To get straight to the point, I’d like you to accept this request.”
Looking at the request form he handed over, it was a call for those willing to attack the Sea Emperor Turtle.
“I don’t mind accepting it, but…”
“Yes, that’s right… But is it really okay?”
The request specified that they were looking for adventurers of B Rank or higher with ranged attack capabilities. We were, of course, C Rank, so I wondered if that would be an issue.
“That won’t be a problem. I’ll be designating you for this request myself.”
“I see… That will certainly draw attention.”
“Can’t be helped. Kant insisted that you two be included.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
I didn’t understand why Kant, a C Rank adventurer, was involved in a request meant for B Rank and higher adventurers.
“Ah, well, I asked Kant for recommendations.”
Upon hearing the details, it made sense. Since Kant could use appraisal, he was likely checking if there were any C Rank adventurers who could match B Rank ones.
“So our names came up, huh?”
“That’s correct.”
“Were there any other names mentioned?”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t get any other names. I was hoping to find more promising candidates, but…”
Ah, well, that’s unfortunate. I thought there might be some other capable adventurers out there, so he didn’t need to be too downcast.
“There’s nothing to be done about it. I was hoping to bolster our forces, but adding someone with too low of abilities wouldn’t help.”
“That might be true.”
“Since you mentioned B Rank or higher, does that mean an S Rank adventurer will also be participating?”
Rio’s question was one I was curious about as well. The only high-ranking adventurers I had encountered so far were the B Rank “Heavenly Wolf Fang” and the former A Rank Guild Master.
“Ah, currently, there are two S Rank adventurers in the Empire, but one of them has been unreachable. Only one will be coming.”
Hmm, so we would at least get to meet one S Rank adventurer.
“There will also be two A Rank adventurers and five B Rank adventurers.”
“So we’ll be mixing in with them.”
“That’s how it will be.”
The plan was to split into two ships and circle around to the side of the Sea Emperor Turtle. Even if we missed our target and ended up behind the turtle, we were told to give it our all since there was no land in sight.
“As long as we can shift its course with our attacks, that’s all that matters. Even if it changes course toward the attackers, that’s fine too.”
“Wait, that sounds dangerous for us.”
The Guild Master casually mentioned something quite frightening. While we could fly, I wondered if everyone else would be alright.
“Don’t worry, you can abandon the ship if necessary. Those of B Rank and above should be able to manage on their own.”
“Well, we’ll be fine, but I can’t speak for the others.”
I shrugged, but the Guild Master didn’t seem to care. I figured it was best to let them handle it themselves.
“By the way, can that tamed monster over there also perform ranged attacks?”
The conversation shifted to Nil, who was lounging in the corner of the room.
“I’m not sure. I’ve heard he can use magic, but I’ve never seen him do it.”
“Neither have I.”
His status seemed more focused on physical abilities, so I doubted he was particularly skilled in magic.
“That’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped.”
Though he didn’t show much disappointment, he straightened up, perhaps regaining his composure.
“The operation will take place tomorrow afternoon. There will be a face-to-face meeting, so I’d like you to come to the Guild in the morning. I’m counting on you.”
“Understood.”
After receiving the designated request form, we left the Adventurer’s Guild to prepare for tomorrow.