Chapter 273: Taken to the Guild
Upon arriving at the Guild, we instantly drew the attention of the onlookers. It was only natural, considering we were dragging people along with ropes. While we had attracted some attention on the way, the Spatial Isolation Barrier and Sound Barrier had kept the noise to a minimum, as we were merely dragging those who couldn’t move.
As I surveyed the first-floor area, I spotted the four men we had sent ahead, standing awkwardly in a corner.
“What are you guys doing?”
I had assumed they were being interrogated by Dorothy, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. When I inquired, they explained that while they had arrived at the Guild, they had no idea what to do next.
“Just telling you to ‘go ahead’ isn’t enough, is it?”
“Well, I thought Dorothy would be waiting for us and would handle things.”
Even though Rio chided me, I hadn’t expected that much either.
“Dorothy isn’t that capable, you know?”
El’s harsh words made Ivan’s face twitch in response.
“Well then, let’s head to the second floor for now.”
“Shu-san!”
Just as I was about to drag them upstairs, a Guild Staff member called out to me. When I turned around, I recognized the staff member who had shared various details about the Dungeon with us. Perhaps Dorothy had put in a good word for us.
“You’re drawing quite a bit of attention all of a sudden. Could it be that those guys are…?”
The rope extended toward the entrance of the Guild, and as the staff member spoke, the gazes of the surrounding Adventurers shifted toward the culprits. Just then, Phonia and Nil cheerfully entered the Guild.
Perhaps due to the unexpected attention, Phonia froze for a moment, but quickly spotted us and rushed over.
“Big brother! I did my best too!”
The little girl was tugging on the rope, and the person at the other end had just slammed their head against the wall at the Guild’s entrance. Yet, undeterred, she continued to drag the adult along, causing a stir among the surrounding Adventurers.
“Wow, good job, Phonia!”
“You’re amazing!”
“Huh…?”
As Rio and I praised her, the staff member stood frozen in shock.
“Dorothy isn’t here, huh?”
El murmured as she scanned the Guild.
“Oh! Hey, don’t you dare run away!”
I turned at the sound of Ivan’s voice, only to see a woman who had been dragged along trying to blend into the crowd.
“…I know that.”
She reluctantly stepped forward, but it seemed she had unintentionally drawn attention to herself, grimacing as she did.
“Now they’re bringing in a dog too!?”
“Hey, what’s going on with these guys!?”
“Being dragged along is another form of…?”
Nil, who was about the size of a small dog, appeared at the Guild, tugging on the rope as well, further escalating the commotion. I felt there was something odd about one of them, but I made sure to keep them away from Phonia.
“This is getting out of hand.”
As I looked around again, I couldn’t help but voice my thoughts.
“…Huh!? I-I’ll go get the Submaster right away!”
Whether she overheard me or not, the Guild Staff member seemed to snap back to reality and shouted before rushing up the stairs. Deciding to wait for her return, I was soon met with the hurried footsteps of Dorothy as she descended.
“You’re already here! …Wait, there are so many!?”
Dorothy’s eyes widened at the sight of the seven people we had dragged in, though she hadn’t noticed the additional four.
“F-For now, please bring everyone over here!”
For a moment, the appearance of Dorothy, the Submaster, silenced the crowd, but it was quickly drowned out by whispers, which soon escalated into a buzz. Before anyone could call out to her, she slipped away into the back.
“Well, let’s follow her. You guys come along too.”
I couldn’t just leave them behind, so I called out to the four men with collars and followed after Dorothy. After entering a narrow hallway from the Guild’s lobby, we soon found ourselves stuck as the culprits at the end of the rope blocked our way. With no other option, I cut the rope and magically levitated them into the room Dorothy had entered.
Inside the spacious conference room, three Guild members were present: the staff member who had gone to fetch Dorothy, Dorothy herself, and a stranger I didn’t recognize. He had a slender, tall build and exuded an intimidating aura that seemed to emanate from within.
“Ah, so these are the so-called collaborators?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Gargant Sylvigang, the Guild Master here.”
So this was the Guild Master. It made sense that he would appear after such a significant operation to apprehend a criminal organization involved in Newcomer Hunts.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Shuu, S Rank.”
“And I’m Rio.”
Gargant showed surprise at our introductions but remained silent, allowing us to finish introducing ourselves.
“I’m Ivan, E Rank.”
“I’m Phonia!”
“Wooof!”
Nil also chimed in, though it was unclear if he was understood.
I thought it was El’s turn next, but she chose to remain silent, standing behind us with a gentle smile. Once everyone except El was seated, we faced each other once more.
“Ah, S Rank, is it? …For now, let’s hear the details of the situation.”
As he spoke, Gargant’s gaze sharpened as he surveyed the captured individuals.