After Ragi and I finished talking about Alto, we continued chatting late into the night. I knew he was keeping me company for my own sake, so I felt a bit guilty about keeping him up.
The next morning, Alto still looked down during our morning training. I didn’t expect anything to have changed overnight, and I left the house without much hope that things would get any better today.
I made my way to the guild. Drum approached me as soon as I stepped inside. He didn’t greet me with his usual gusto, so I could tell something was on his mind.
“Got a minute?” he asked.
“Sure.”
He left the other staff to handle the reception desk and asked me to follow him up to the second floor. It was the same room we’d used when I spoke with Norris. I hadn’t taken any quests that would require a meeting in private, though, so something already felt off.
I took a seat and used my detection abilities. Sure enough, there were two people in the next room observing us. As I was thinking about what that might mean, Drum sat down and gave me a serious look.
“I’m just going to come right out and ask: Can you use Time magic?”
“No, I can’t.”
I figured someone would ask sooner or later, but this is still a pain.
He kept his gaze on me, trying to gauge whether I was telling the truth. “There are plenty of sorcerers with rare abilities who try to hide them. I don’t fault them for it; they do it to protect themselves. If you say you’re not one of them, then I want to believe you, but…” He sat up a little straighter before continuing. “The guild headquarters sent word. They want confirmation of whether or not you’re a Time sorcerer.”
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, but still I said nothing.
“You know, you don’t match your appearance at all,” Drum said with a tight smile.
“Should I take that as a compliment?” I asked.
He narrowed his eyes a little as he stared at me. “Yeah, I guess so. I underestimated you. I thought you’d cave and tell me right away.” Drum spoke in that same familiar, easygoing tone he always used, but there was a certain pressure behind it now—the intimidating air of a seasoned adventurer.
Still, I’d faced Revale’s hostility without even flinching, and compared to him, this was like a gentle summer breeze. More than anything…I was starting to get annoyed.
“I don’t like these kinds of negotiations,” I said.
“Sorry, but I can’t let the youngsters walk all over me now, can I?” Drum said with a shrug.
I started to stand up from my seat before I could say anything I might regret.
“You’re not afraid of being kicked out of the guild? That ever cross your mind?”
He was bluffing. An ordinary adventurer might hesitate at the idea of being expelled from the guild, but not me.
“Not really. Leaving the guild wouldn’t bother me.”
His eyes widened.
“Like I said before, I only registered in the first place because it makes traveling easier.”
True, being a guild member offered certain perks, but I had no intention of letting them push me around.
“I can survive anywhere, no matter the situation.”
Drum lowered his gaze in thought. I could sense mana flowing in from the other room, so they were probably using Telepathy to communicate.
“That may be true for you,” he muttered, “but not for your apprentice.”
Once he brought Alto into it, my irritation erupted into fury.
“If Alto’s expelled, the quest he’s doing right now would have to be canceled. I’m sure you don’t want that.”
The world around me seemed to turn red.
“…”
The color drained from Drum’s face.
“I warned you earlier: I don’t appreciate negotiations like this.”
I stood up, drew my sword, and threw it at the wall. The blade pierced the stone, causing cracks to spread, and a moment later, the wall came crashing down. I calmly retrieved my sword, sheathed it, and sat back down.
Drum stared silently in shock at the crumbled wall.
“Why don’t you come out now?” I called out.
A woman stepped over the rubble, looking pale and clearly shaken.
“If you try to take Alto’s quest away from him, I’m prepared to do whatever it takes,” I said evenly.
“That’s not what we want,” she said hastily. “None of this would be necessary if you’d just tell us the truth.”
They’re still trying to negotiate.
Her arrogant attitude made my stomach churn. I could feel a dark fire building inside me.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
It didn’t even feel like I was speaking to a person anymore—just a humanoid figure making noises that sounded vaguely human. I conjured a whirlwind, trying to shake off the feeling.
“Setsuna, knock it off.”
Drum’s voice brought me back to myself, and I released the gale, letting it dissipate.
“…”
“…”
Still, I was done compromising.
“I stopped, so what now? I have no intention of continuing this conversation.”
“I’m sorry. We were in the wrong. Could you just calm down for a moment?” A man stepped out from the adjacent room.
“And why should I?” I asked.
“My name is Halman. I’m the assistant deputy guildmaster of the Adventurers Guild headquarters and an Earthmaster. This is my wife, Nancy. We put Drum up to this. He had no intention of actually banning you from the guild. Please calm your anger.”
“Is that it?”
“I apologize, the way we went about this was all wrong. I was hoping you might hear us out.”
“No thanks.”
“Setsuna, I know I’m not in any position to ask, but please listen,” Drum said. “The survival of the guild—of all adventurers is at stake, Alto included! I’m not trying to bluff like earlier. This is serious. It’s a matter of life and death.”