Chapter 169: The State of the Two
“No, no, an S Rank… I heard that it requires the approval of three Guild Masters, right?”
Recalling the conditions Linford had mentioned, I directed my question at Lowell. One of them was undoubtedly the Guild Master here, but where did the other two come from?
“Of course, I have obtained the approvals from all three,” he replied.
“Seriously?”
“Yes. One is the Guild Master of this Rebros Branch. The other two are the Guild Masters from the Commercial Nation Aresgute.”
“Wait, what?”
When I thought of the Guild Masters from a commercial nation, I pictured a petite elven woman and a muscular bald man who had been toyed with by Nil like a plaything…
“The two are Lady Frances from the Raven Branch and Lord Jared from the Commercial City Branch.”
Ah, right, I think those were their names. They are also aware that Nil is an S Rank monster.
“When did this happen…?”
I learned that both Guild Masters had been keeping an eye on us since we tamed an S Rank monster. It seems that adventurers who are deemed noteworthy, for better or worse, are monitored across guilds. The Rebros Adventurer’s Guild had already received notification that we had obtained S Rank approvals from two Guild Masters.
“So that’s why we received a designated request for the Sea Emperor Turtle raid directly from the Guild Master,” I concluded.
“Exactly. Of course, Kant’s appraisal results also played a part in this.”
“And this mithril tag signifies that Nil is an S Rank tamed monster… right?”
Since the original tag had been collected by the guild, I placed a new tag around Nil’s neck. The adventurers who had been screaming in fear were now cautiously inching closer, eager to pet him again.
“Regarding that Adventurer’s Certificate, it’s supposed to be exchanged for an existing one, but unfortunately, our guild lacks the magic tools to engrave letters on mithril.”
They want me to have the official version of the Adventurer’s Certificate made at the Adventurer’s Guild in the major city. The closest one is apparently in the Imperial Capital. I could fly there in no time.
“Understood.”
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“There’s a designated request from the Imperial Army staying in this city.”
“Eh?”
I suddenly thought of Dogesha. A request from him? I wasn’t particularly keen on accepting it, but what should I do?
“They want you to transport two heads of the Sea Emperor Turtle to the castle in the Imperial Capital.”
Oh, that’s a surprisingly reasonable request.
“It seems they plan to purchase the Sea Emperor Turtle for the nation, but they want the heads delivered quickly.”
“Oh, I see. If it’s just that, then it should be fine.”
I exchanged glances with Rio, and she didn’t seem to have any objections.
“Yeah, I think it’s fine.”
“However, since the request was made when you were still C Rank, the reward will be equivalent to that rank.”
“I’m not worried about that; it’s fine.”
I had more money than I could spend, so it didn’t matter.
“Understood. When you deliver it, they mentioned there would be discussions about the purchase price for the Sea Emperor Turtle and rewards from the nation, so please take care of that as well.”
“Ah, yes, understood.”
Perhaps my reluctance was evident, as Lowell responded with a wry smile.
“Please make sure to receive proper compensation for the sake of the other adventurers. We don’t want them thinking they can request work for free.”
“Haha… of course.”
Originally, this was a joint operation between the Imperial Army and us through the guild. We might have been incorporated into the military’s plans, but we were told to stay out of it and ended up taking it down ourselves. It felt like it could lead to some troublesome complications.
“By the way, how much does it typically cost to issue a designated request to an S Rank adventurer?”
It wouldn’t hurt to know the market rate. I had no idea how much the Sea Emperor Turtle would sell for, so I asked about the going rate for such requests.
“Well, it would be at least ten million Fron. I’ve heard that the highest known amount in the past was over a billion.”
“Wow.”
I examined the mithril Adventurer’s Certificate I had received. I never expected it to be worth that much.
“Additionally, the prices for the spoils or collected items would be added on top of that.”
“I see. Thank you.”
In that case, the price I got for the Earth Dragon I sold at the auction in the Commercial City might be a good reference.
“Then I’ll head to the Imperial Capital right away.”
“Yes, please do.”
I would make a quick detour to the forest where Phonia was, but it shouldn’t take too long. After securing the new Adventurer’s Certificate around my neck, I headed out of the guild toward the harbor. The heads of the turtle were still on display at the harbor. I gently reassured the disappointed onlookers that it was all part of the job as I collected the heads. The festive atmosphere was still ongoing, which surprised me. Once I moved to a less conspicuous area outside the city, I confirmed that there were no people at the teleportation destination and used Teleport to leap there.
The coordinates for the recorded hideout were between a two-story building and a cliff. Descending to the first floor, I made my way to the entrance and knocked on the door.
“Hey, Ivan! Are you there?”
After waiting for a while, there was no response.
“Phonia-chan?”
Rio called out as well, but still no answer. We exchanged puzzled glances, wondering if they were both asleep. I used Presence Detection.
“—They’re not here?”
“Eh? …Oh, you’re right.”
I couldn’t sense either of them. Ivan had hinted at going hunting, but it was strange that Phonia was missing too. I opened the front door, which was unlocked, and it swung open easily. As I stepped inside, I noticed a few logs stacked in the shoe closet that looked like they could be used for firewood. Upon entering the living room, I was met with a shocking sight.
“It’s been ransacked…”
“Shuu! What about the second floor?!”
“Let’s check it out!”
We dashed up the stairs and stepped onto the second floor. What awaited us there was a scene of shredded furs, a wall that had been smashed as if something had been thrown against it, and a few bloodstains.