Chapter 213: How to Handle the Guild Master
It was my second visit to the Guild today. As it was nearing evening, the place was considerably busier than it had been in the morning. Perhaps it was because I had just reported on the Mole Ball yesterday, but the atmosphere felt more raucous than usual. Although I had assured everyone that there were no issues, it seemed like they were still on edge.
“Hey? Phonia-chan!”
As I stood in line at the purchase counter, a voice calling out to Phonia caught my attention from somewhere nearby.
“Huh?”
I instinctively turned around to see a rookie adventurer with flushed cheeks approaching. Upon closer inspection, I realized he was the same man who had tried to kidnap Phonia and had received a well-deserved counterattack.
“Phonia-chan! I’m so happy to see you again!”
His overly enthusiastic smile made me want to take a step back. I could sense that the other adventurers around us were also feeling uneasy.
“Um… Uncle…?”
Although my Danger Detection didn’t react, there was something suspicious about this man. He seemed to be breathing heavily, giving off a dangerous vibe.
“…You’re a bit scary, so please don’t come any closer.”
I had thought Phonia was fearless lately, but it seemed this kind of person was a different story.
“Is there something you want with Phonia?”
I stepped in front of Phonia, but it felt like he didn’t even register my presence. It was as if Phonia was the only thing in his line of sight. The poor girl looked shocked by my words, her expression twisting into one of despair, but it quickly softened.
“Uh? Well, um, I just wanted Phonia-chan to… insult me a little…”
His words sent a ripple of shock through the surrounding crowd.
“Is that really who he is?”
“I thought he was a promising newcomer.”
“To want Phonia-chan to insult him…?”
He was not just dangerous; he was a complete weirdo. However, it seemed there were others like him around… I might need to be more cautious in this Guild.
“Ew, Uncle, that’s gross…”
“Ugh!?”
The man clutched his chest, a look of ecstasy on his face as he crouched down. He was giving off such a creepy vibe that I decided it was best to escort him out.
“Whoa!?”
With a flick of my magic, I lifted him off the ground and tossed him out the door, sending him flying outside the Guild. He definitely seemed like someone to keep an eye on.
“Phonia, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine…”
I gently patted Phonia, who was clinging to me, and returned to the purchase counter.
“Looks like there are all kinds of adventurers out there.”
Ivan muttered as if he had just witnessed something horrifying, but I thought there were plenty of people like that, even outside the adventurer community. Now that I thought about it, I felt like I had encountered someone similar in my class. Ah, no need to force myself to remember; I should just forget.
“Oh, it’s Shu and Rio. Your assessment amounts are ready.”
When my turn came, I received the rewards from the Squirrel Tribe. The breakdown was forty million Fron for the Wyvern and fifty-two million Fron for the Chimera. This price included the handling fee for the dismantling process.
“Thank you very much.”
“Make sure to bring us more materials next time.”
Well, that should wrap up my tasks for today. There were some edible parts from the Wyvern and Chimera that I could identify, so I planned to dismantle a few later.
“Hey, hey, finally found you!”
Just as I was about to head back to the inn, a balding man and a Lizardman adventurer blocked my path.
“Yo, it’s been a while, little lady.”
He was overly familiar, but I vaguely recognized him.
“Uh, if I remember correctly, you’re Hagen and…”
“Darts,” he chimed in.
I echoed Ivan’s words, recalling his name.
“No, it’s Darts. I’ve never been mistaken for anyone else before.”
Now that he mentioned it, I remembered it was the name of a dart, not ice cream.
“Hm, so these are the ones?”
Looking closely, I noticed a girl with yellow hair standing behind Hagen and Darts. A white snake with blue stripes was coiled around her neck, peeking out from behind her shoulder and flicking its tongue. She must be the tamer they had mentioned.
“According to what the Guild Master told me, that’s right.”
“Could you tell us about the mountaintop?”
I see, so these three had taken on the investigation request issued by the old lady.
“If that’s the case, I don’t mind sharing.”
“Great, that helps a lot.”
Pushing through the crowd of adventurers, Hagen and Darts made their way to the Guild’s lounge. Although the seats were full, a nearby adventurer party vacated a table with a simple, “Could someone make some room?”
Hagen, Darts, and the girl took a seat at a six-person table. On our side, I sat in the middle with Rio and Ivan. Phonia was perched on Rio’s lap, while Nil was unusually napping on Ivan’s knee.
“So, what do you want to know?”
I thought I had already told the old lady most of what happened, but I was curious about what they wanted to ask. Even if they wanted to know about the atmosphere at the scene, the main focus had been on mining and dismantling the Sea Emperor Turtle.
“Hah hah hah, you know what I’m asking. Everything, I want to know everything.”
“Huh?”
I just wanted to know what they were curious about, but they laughed it off as if it were obvious. I let out a confused sound, but Darts’ next words made everything clear.
“If we wait for the Guild Master to finish telling us the details, the sun will set.”
“““Ahh.”””
All three of us chimed in unison. It seemed everyone had their own way of handling the Guild Master.