Chapter 78: The Summons
The gazes of the nobles and their guards seated at the back of the conference room bothered me, but I couldn’t very well ask them what they wanted, so I left the room.
“Shinya, you’ve become C-rank?” Glen asked.
“That’s amazing. I finally managed to reach C-rank myself,” Dorado added.
“I think Fran is the one who truly has the skill worthy of B-rank,” Glen said.
“Yeah, she’s a fine Magician after all,” Dorado agreed.
“It’s just that her promotion is delayed because she’s in Osius Village,” another member of Osius’s Fang chimed in.
“More importantly, the look in the eyes of those nobles behind the Guild Master is concerning. Especially the way they were looking at Shinya-san,” Fran said, a worried tone in her voice.
“Oh boy, they’re definitely going to come try and recruit him,” Glen predicted.
“If you say that, Fran, you’ve made a name for yourself too, so you better be careful,” Glen warned her.
“If we’re talking about that, Ariela-san is an amazing Magician too, isn’t she?” Fran said, turning to Ariela.
“Hmm, I’ve only just recently become able to use magic properly, and I’m not flashy like you, so I’ll be fine,” Ariela replied.
“That’s true. Barrier Magic isn’t very conspicuous,” Glen mused.
“Once we drop off the game, let’s go for a drink to celebrate our promotions!” Dorado declared.
As we headed to the Dismantling Area, the Adventurers who had been loitering around started trailing after us.
We passed the waiting line and asked the dismantler at the back where to put our game, which, as usual, drew boos.
The dismantler, a man accustomed to it, skillfully brushed them off and quickly silenced them.
When we started arranging the game in the designated spot, the group that had followed us began to watch from a distance, appraising it this way and that.
Glen and his group were completely used to it and feigned ignorance, but Dorado, Fran, and the other members of Osius’s Fang looked embarrassed.
What I didn’t like were the knights standing behind the onlookers, intently watching the game I was bringing out. I could see three types of crests, likely belonging to the escorts of those nobles from the conference room.
“It’s a lot less than last time.”
“Of course it is. The compulsory summons has been lifted. If big game kept appearing so easily right up to the very end, they wouldn’t have lifted the summons, you know.”
“So the game will decrease now.”
“What are you looking at! Even if it’s less, that’s still a huge haul. Tanza will be a profitable place for a while yet!”
“Look, the Brown Bears and Big Horns are still massive!”
With Osius’s Fang, Tanza’s Shield, and myself, I requested that the payment be divided equally and deposited, then headed to the reception.
I was the only one with a B-rank Gold Card; everyone else had C-rank Silver Cards.
“As expected, promotions are fast when you’re solo,” Glen remarked.
“Well, of course. The Guild Master upgraded Shinya to C-rank when he first saw his game, and the Guild Master’s judgment wasn’t wrong,” Dorado said.
“I don’t think there are many people who’d call a Golden Bear ‘Mr. Bear’ and then punch it,” Fran commented with a wry smile.
“Or someone who teases Brown Bears and plays chase with them,” Glen added, chuckling.
“There were retainers of nobles at the Dismantling Area, weren’t there? Shinya, you be careful,” Glen warned.
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t everyone else be careful too?” I asked.
“Excluding Fran, even if we’re famous as a party, individually we’re no match for knights,” Glen explained.
“That’s right, our true strength lies in fighting Beasts. In that regard, Fran and you would be a significant asset if added to their ranks,” Dorado added.
When I glanced at Ariela, her husband Doran told me, “She’s not well-known yet, so she should be fine for a while.”
That’s right… Zalm and Kilza, who were skilled in anti-personnel combat, were strong-armed into service by the feudal lord and overworked for low pay. They couldn’t refuse because their families lived in the noble’s territory, which was a vulnerability.
Fran has family in Osius Village, so it would be hard for her to refuse if she were recruited.
“Given the name ‘Tanza’s Shield,’ Ariela, are you from this town?” I asked.
“All of us are from Tanza or the surrounding area. What about it?” Glen replied.
“I’ll tell you over drinks,” I said.
Avoiding the still incredibly crowded dining hall, we decided to camp outside the town and left the Guild.
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Inside the Dome Fran created, we toasted to the safe conclusion of the compulsory summons.
We also served the alcohol we were ‘forcefully given’ by Earl Lingan, and the drinking party began.
“Shinya, tell us before we get too drunk,” Glen urged.
“You said it in a way that implied something, didn’t you?” Ariela noted.
“Am I involved too?” Dorado asked.
“Glen, the lord of this town has changed, right?” I began.
“Yeah, rumor has it he messed up somewhere and had his domain changed,” Glen replied.
“The lord of Tanza here in the Florence domain, Earl Maurice Halewood, made a blunder in the Royal Capital and passed away. That became the reason for a demotion and a change of territory for his house. At that time, there were three Adventurers who had been incorporated into his service; they left the knightly order and returned to this town.”
“Ah, I remember hearing that their families lived in Tanza, and they couldn’t refuse, so they reluctantly joined the knightly order,” Glen recalled.
“The fact that there were three nobles behind the Guild Master means they were likely the new lord of Tanza and lords from neighboring territories. And since their knights came to watch when we brought in our game, it’s safe to assume all three lords are looking for skilled individuals.”
“If they were called out to support the Beast subjugation, it’s probably the lord of the Assid territory, which is closer to the Royal Capital, and the lord of the Belsum territory on the opposite side,” Glen speculated.
“So, are we the next targets?” Dorado asked grimly.
“It’ll likely be Fran and Shinya,” Glen said.
“Ariela’s Barrier will eventually become a rumor too,” Dorado added.
“This is where the main topic begins, or rather, I’ll tell you my address, so don’t forget it,” I said.
“Your address?” Glen asked, surprised.
“Can you defy a lord’s strong-arming?” Dorado questioned.
“We could just run away, but our parents and siblings…” Ariela trailed off worriedly.
“You probably won’t believe it, but I have something like this.”
I showed them the Identification I received from the Queen.
“No way~” Glen exclaimed.
“You… that’s the Royal Family Crest, isn’t it?” Dorado said, his eyes wide.
“Shinya, are you from a noble bloodline?” Ariela asked.
“Why do you have something like that… I mean, is that real?” Glen stammered.
“Fran knows about it too. It’s something I’m holding onto from the Queen, through my connection with Milene-sama, the madam of the Moran Trading Company. The reason I came to this town to visit acquaintances was because I helped them get out of service to a noble.”
I’ll keep quiet about how I extorted a hefty sum as severance pay and set them free.
“If any of you are forced into an unreasonable situation by a lord and can’t refuse, I think I can do something if you contact me.”
“I don’t know much about identification from nobles or the Royal Family, but is it really that useful?” Glen asked.
“This is apparently given to those in service to the Queen for her errands. I’m a Tamer, and if I show this, I can bring Hoo-chan and the others, who normally wouldn’t be allowed into the Royal Capital, into the city. I’ve heard it’s the same in any territory within the kingdom, and nobles can’t carelessly interfere.”
It’s not omnipotent, but it should be enough to flaunt the Queen’s authority and thwart a noble’s tyranny. If it doesn’t work, I’ll think of another way. I’ll put into practice the Chinese proverb: “Where there are policies from above, there are countermeasures from below.”
“If a noble makes unreasonable demands and you can’t refuse, remember that if you contact my house in the Royal Capital, I can lend a hand. I’m an Adventurer too, so I’m not at my house in the Royal Capital year-round. There’s no guarantee I can act immediately even if you contact me, but I promise to help within my capabilities.”
“Ramcott Street, Number 19, first floor, left, huh,” Glen muttered, memorizing it.
“When did you rent a house in the Royal Capital?” Ariela asked.
“Last June. I can’t stay in hotels with Hoo-chan and the others, and I also needed a place to contact Milene-sama.”
“Being in service to the Queen for her errands means you’ve met the Queen herself?” Ariela asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“As Milene-sama’s attendant, just once though.”
“Hey, hey, what’s she like? Is she beautiful? Where did you meet her? What do you do as someone in her service?” Ariela bombarded me with questions.
“Stooop! I was just an attendant. I was just kneeling with my head bowed.”
“Still, to think Shinya-san is still connected with Milene-sama,” Fran said thoughtfully.
“It’s a Gold Mash connection.”
Talking about Honey or Flower Nectar would be troublesome, so I changed the subject and told them about the Gold Mash Fran had taught me about.
“There wasn’t that much of it, was there?” Fran asked.
“After parting with you, Fran, I had Mii-chan and the others search for it and gathered plenty. One of my reasons for coming to Tanza this time was to collect Gold Mash.”
Saying that, I showed them the Gold Mash powder in a Medium Bottle.
“What! Shinya, you were using Mii-chan to gather Gold Mash?” Glen exclaimed.
“That’s not the only bottle, is it? You must have gathered a considerable amount,” Dorado observed.
“Yeah, I can live comfortably just off Gold Mash, and Mii-chan hunts birds like Chiki-Chiki Birds for me, so life is easy.”
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It was decided that I would travel with Fran and Osius’s Fang to the Royal Capital. After being told the location of Ariela’s group’s homes and their party’s lodging, my plans to leave Tanza were abruptly overturned.
We broke camp, returned to the town of Tanza, and when I showed my Guild Card to the Guard at the entrance, he said the lord was summoning Fran and me, and we were pulled away from the others.
“Could you wait a moment?” I said.
“What! Do you intend to defy the summons of the honorable lord?!” the Guard barked.
“That’s not it. As you can see, I’m a Tamer, and I have Tamed Beasts with me.”
“Then just leave them with your companions!”
“That’s why I’m asking you to wait while I entrust them.”
“Then hurry up!”
He’s quite arrogant for a mere underling.
A Lord-sama who summons Adventurers out of the blue and an arrogant Guard… I wonder what business they have with us.
I have a hunch, but I really wish they’d do a little research before sticking their noses in.
“Everyone, sorry, but could you go back to our previous campsite and wait for two or three days?”
“Hey, aren’t you moving things along too quickly?”
“He’s sharp to notice that, but it seems he doesn’t know you have a bodyguard.”
“Ariela, please look after Mii-chan and Hoo-chan.”
“Will you be okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I have an even stronger bodyguard with me, you know.”
“When I’m with you, Shinya-san, all sorts of problems seem to arise, don’t they?”
“If showing my Identification doesn’t work, I’ll have my bodyguard sort it out.”
“In that case, I’ll leave it to you, Shinya-san.”
“Well then, I suppose I’ll pray that the Lord-sama is someone who understands reason.”
“Summoning us so suddenly like this… I don’t think we can expect much, though.”