Chapter 198: A Job Unsuited for a Longdagger 4
After spending the night at the inn I used the last time I came to Noel Jeun, we arrived at the Noel Jeun Adventurers Guild early in the morning.
The main hall, which I had only passed through last time when summoned by the Guild Master, was now crowded with many adventurers.
It wasn’t as large as Hecate’s, but in terms of liveliness, it might even surpass it. I decided to ignore the several adventurers muttering that they had a feeling the Priestess’ Eye would appear today.
It would surely be unfair to count fools as part of the liveliness.
“Are you looking for additional personnel here?”
It was Erica who asked. Her face looked dubious.
“I try not to trust my own eyes too much, but…” Erica said, choosing her words carefully.
“Is there really much difference from searching in Hecate?”
“That’s true. In that case, wouldn’t it have been better to invite Ezz-kun?”
Shara jumped on Erica’s doubt, bringing up the name of an adventurer of the same age they had met in Hecate.
“Actually, Ezz turned me down.”
Even though I told him it was an escort request, for some reason, he refused, saying, “We haven’t even defeated a Dragon yet, so we’ll pass.”
Ezz’s partner, Pal, tearfully begged me to stop, saying Ezz would die.
Well, since they’re still fledgling adventurers, they probably didn’t understand that escort requests are often a battle against boredom.
“I know a few adventurers in Noel Jeun. I can vouch for their skills since I’ve fought alongside them.”
Your guarantee?
Erica muttered softly, looking inexplicably serious. Could it be that she doesn’t trust my guarantee?
Well, there are too many instances that come to mind for me to deny it.
But I think she’ll be convinced once she actually meets them. Especially Yuunou-san, she’s truly competent, so I think Erica will be satisfied.
“Shin-san’s guarantee… are they really human?”
Has challenging me to duels become Shara’s hobby lately?
“Indeed.”
I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard Erica’s muttered words.
We sat at a table in the Guild’s main hall, waiting for the people I was looking for to appear.
My plan was rather rough—wait until noon and figure it out then if they didn’t show up—but the person I was looking for appeared quickly.
Armor made of metal, rare for an adventurer. In a hand covered by a brass-colored gauntlet, she held a warhammer.
Tall enough not to be overshadowed by her large partner walking beside her. Her slender build guaranteed she was no ordinary person.
I simply told Erica and Shara, “There they are,” and approached the individuals I was looking for.
Perhaps sensing my approach, the adventurer in Armor turned around, giving me a dubious look.
As competent as ever, subtly checking my footwork and such.
Noticing me a moment later, her large male partner turned around with a clueless expression. He was the same as ever, too.
“Yo, Beardy.”
So I greeted him first, since I was wearing a Mask last time. But when I did, for some reason, it wasn’t the person I greeted but the surrounding adventurers who started murmuring.
“How dare he speak to ‘Bluebeard’ like that?”
“Which adventurer is that? Some country bumpkin?”
…Hold on, what’s with that reaction?
Beardy and I are fellow fools who struggled together against those damn rabbits in the Forest of Fools. We’re comrades-in-arms (friends) who fought the Jewelhead Dragon together afterward.
So why am I being treated like some rookie adventurer rudely accosting a famous one? Me?
Beardy and I are fellow fools, right?
“Sorry, but…”
Just as I was momentarily bewildered, wondering if I’d mistaken him for someone else, Beardy spoke in a calm demeanor, with a dandy voice full of kindness and warmth.
“Only the ‘Masked Man’ is allowed to call me that.”
Oh my… this Beardy is such a cool bearded man.
My heart’s pounding.
“Sorry about our idiot…”
While I was getting unintentionally happy about Beardy’s cool beardedness, his partner, Yuunou-san, aka Maricia, apologized while rubbing the bridge of her nose.
I replied with just a wry smile and a gesture that it wasn’t a problem, then turned to the puzzled Beardy—Drim—and put on my Mask.
I’d bought the same Mask in Hecate, just in case something like this happened.
Instantly, Beardy yelled.
After calming down Beardy, who yelled, hugged me, and looked like he was about to toss me in the air, I invited the two of them to the table where Erica and the others were waiting.
The surrounding adventurers stared and muttered things like, “So that’s the ‘Masked Man’,” or “The guy who reattaches your arm if you meet him in the Forest of Fools,” as if they were looking at some mythical creature.
I’ve memorized the face of the guy who said you definitely won’t find the Priestess’ Eye on a day you meet the Masked Man, okay?
Though it’s true I didn’t find it.
“Let me introduce you.”
I said, once Drim and Maricia had taken their seats.
“This is ‘Beardy’ Drim and ‘Yuunou’ Maricia. We fought the Jewelhead Dragon together in the forest near Noel Jeun before.”
At my introduction, Drim got embarrassed, saying, “Aw, come on, Masked Man, it’s not like I fought alongside you.”
Maricia sighed, “I told you to stop calling me Yuunou.”
“Uh, excuse me.”
For some reason, Shara started with an apology.
“I don’t know the circumstances of how it happened, but I can tell you’ve been dragged into something.”
This girl…
“I’m in a party with Shin-san… uh, the Masked Man? My name is Shara.”
Shara gave a polite greeting, and all eyes naturally turned to the remaining person, Erica.
Noticing the gazes, Erica momentarily showed a flustered expression. Had she let her guard down?
Muttering softly, “I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” she straightened her posture.
“My name is Erica Longdagger. I’m in a party with Shin and Shara. Also, um, well…”
And then, for some reason, in the middle of a perfectly normal self-introduction, Erica started searching for words.
Her gaze flickered around several times, she seemed to look at my face before looking down, and uttered inarticulate sounds like “