Chapter 126

“What’s going on? She’s beaming, but I feel like a bear trap is waiting for me in the back room.” “I must agree.” “Um, I’m kinda scared.” Kee and Cayna were on the same page. Almana, meanwhile, had already made eye contact. No longer able to pretend it was just her imagination, Cayna gave up and approached her. “H-hey, Almana.” “Hello there, Cayna. It’s been a while.” Cayna grew nervous seeing Almana’s professional smile. “Are you here to take on a request today?” “You might say that. I was curious if anything interesting popped up.” “So you’re saying you have free time? Is that correct?” Almana inquired, leaning forward with a devious expression. Cayna winced at her own failure to seize the initiative. Although fifteen times older than Almana, she was a greenhorn in terms of life experience. “Actually, I have a request I can only entrust to you. You’ll accept it, right? Everyone in the guild is already amazed by how you can take on an entire horde of bandits single-handedly.” “Hold it, hold it!” The very mention of this open secret meant Cayna couldn’t possibly refuse. All too late, she mourned allowing Tartarus/Exis to reveal her name. As usual, she lacked the skills to verbally challenge various adventurers and veteran guild staff alike. “Well then, I’ll nominate you for the request and double the reward.” “C’mon…” Soon enough, Cayna was handed the request. Something about this felt extremely familiar. “…Sniff.” “You should give up and get it over with.” “Fight, Cayna, fight!” All her Divine Spirit and fairy could do was cheer her on before Almana led her to another room to discuss the details. The Deputy Guildmaster joined them. “First of all, I would like to thank you for accepting our request,” he said, bowing his head. “More like I was forced to accept,” Cayna muttered under her breath. The Deputy Guildmaster frowned. She didn’t intend to complain; since the request was already underway, she’d follow it through to completion. Although Cayna likely could have refused, she felt that alone was no excuse. Plus, Almana was an acquaintance; if the request had come from a random staff member, she would’ve said no in a heartbeat. “Cayna? Might I continue?” “Sure, go ahead. I won’t know the game plan otherwise,” she answered apathetically. Almana and the Deputy Guildmaster felt let down. After all, based on her mumbled dissatisfaction moments earlier, they realized there was still a chance Cayna might change her mind. “Um, we would like you to act as a temporary proctor. What do you think?” the deputy asked. “A proctor? You mean for the tourney preliminaries?” “Right. We also want you to fight the candidates and test their qualifications.” “So it’s combat of all the things…” If this was a request to fight, Cayna had to be cautious. After all, unlike a battle against tough players, brawling the people of this world would require as much delicacy as building a house of cards. “The Adventurers Guild is asking this of you because we know about your hidden battle achievements,” said Almana. “We promise not to tell anyone else, of course.” Somehow, the guild had taken note when Cayna wiped out the bandits in Helshper in her battle record; this incident was currently one of the guild’s closest guarded secrets. She had assumed the story ended with her protecting Caerina and the other knights from the rock golems at the fortress and handing over Luvrogue, but Caerina must have used her connections (probably with Sakaiya) to report Cayna’s success to the Adventurers Guild and make it a guild staff secret. “Looks like things have gotten complicated.” “The implication appears to be that they are at their wit’s end. I suggest we overcharge them.” Kee, oblivious to the plight of the negotiators, suggested the outrageous. A quiet “Nghhh” could be heard from within Cayna’s hair. Kuu seemed upset about something, although Cayna wasn’t sure if she was just reacting to the word battle. No one knows what I have to deal with, Cayna thought with a strained smile. She took a sip of tea and prompted Almana to continue. “Um, so you want me to mercilessly pummel one party in particular. Am I getting that right?” “Correct. We understand our request is misguided, Miss Cayna, but no other guild member could possibly handle them.” “Isn’t that basically fixing the game…?” Cayna muttered her honest feelings as she gripped her head. In short, their request went something like this: Knock the party known as Viper’s Belly into next week. From what she’d heard, Viper’s Belly was a group of infamous, conniving troublemakers who inconvenienced everyone around them. Although fellow adventurers, their modus operandi was gray bordering on black, and their considerable power made them unstoppable. “Just on the border of evil, huh? That’s some genius calculation.” The stories put a tired grimace on her face. For instance, the group would often say things like, We were attacked during a Forest Wolf hunt, yet they would submit parts of other monsters they had defeated elsewhere earlier. Even if the guild tried to object, they couldn’t investigate for fraud, since the “hunted” parts were already at least a day old. Furthermore, despite a belongings pre-check, they had harmed participants and spectators alike after spreading poison and paralyzing power during a previous tourney. To make matters worse, although murder was strictly forbidden, the opponents struck by paralysis were sent to the brink of death. Everyone in the audience fainted as well, and the savage attack nearly turned the event into a bloodbath. However, even when Viper’s Belly’s luggage was checked after the tournament, there wasn’t a single suspicious item or dangerous weapon to be found. Cayna suspected they were hiding the evidence by using a special time-freezing item to store things away. “An Item Box, maybe…?” “They are most likely players. If that is the case, there is no need to hold back.” Kee’s bloodlust aside, the goal of the request was to kick Viper’s Belly out of the preliminaries. No more, no less. “We must stand firm against shameless fools who dare to represent the Adventurers Guild!” the Deputy Guildmaster shouted with red-hot fury. He nearly burst a vein as he slammed his fist on the table. Almana turned white as a sheet and trembled at the sight. Apparently, even the man who had explained their request with all the enthusiasm of a document review could contain himself no more and fell into an ogre-like rage. “I w-wasn’t expecting that,” Cayna said. “Ah, I am terribly sorry.” The deputy apologized for his lapse in judgment and helped Almana clean up the spilled tea. Cayna nodded. “It’s fine,” she said. “I’ll accept your request.” “What?!” “R-really?!” The pair’s eyes went wide, and they stood with the cloth and tea set in hand. Almana’s body language seemed to say, Now that she gets it, I won’t let her escape. Was that how badly she wanted this? “A-are you certain?! You might perish!” “Umm, would you like me to do this or not?” The Deputy Guildmaster slammed both hands on the table and leaned forward to question the strength of Cayna’s resolve. She understood their concerns, but she’d had enough of the twenty questions. “I will proceed with our request. Also, Miss Cayna. We will begin immediately, but are you prepared?” “Huh? So soon?” “Yes. In truth, since our examiner hadn’t arrived yet, we’ve been keeping them waiting. Those unsavory men you saw earlier were Viper’s Belly.” “Ah.” Yes, she remembered the tough guys accompanied by a milder looking one at the entrance. It seemed that this meek man and his party were the problematic Viper’s Belly. Cayna would know which ones were players if she used Search. Were only some of them players, or was it the whole group? It’d remain a mystery until she checked; the thrill reminded her of using a gacha machine. “The real question is how I’ll break their spirits.” “Kuu will blow them to smithereens!” “We’ll definitely have casualties if you step in, Kuu. I’m begging you to sit this one out.” In her excitement, Kuu carelessly flew from Cayna’s hair and made Almana drop her pen. Not only that, just as he was about to leave, the stunned Deputy Guildmaster froze with the tea set in his hands. “Wh-wh-wha…?” “A f-f-f-f-f-f-f-f-fairy?” The legend of the fairies was apparently just as true in the big cities. Both looked at Kuu in utter amazement, and the fairy quickly retreated. Although shocked and motionless herself, Almana’s eyes sparkled. This radiance soon stretched across her entire face. Needless to say, the root cause was the folktale that said spotting a fairy will bring happiness. Cayna heard only children believed such tales, but it was probably different here in the city. Cayna had no idea how this all started, but it was no doubt a nuisance for fairies everywhere. She personally didn’t believe a single word. Back in the game, the rule with fairies was “avoid at all costs!” and “run away if you see one!” Fairies were supposed to be neutral NPCs, yet they did everything to antagonize the player. If you accidentally wandered into their territory, one would sweetly say, “I’ll bless your armor,” steal all your equipment, and throw you back out. Cayna couldn’t relate, since high elves were the only ones fairies respected, but she was also indirectly inconvenienced. They would constantly give her equipment stripped from newbie players as gifts, and this became such an ongoing issue that false charges of high elf players using fairies to mug people began to crop up. Cayna had countless bitter memories of self-righteous players picking PvP fights with her. “Cayna, that was…!” “Yeah.” All that aside, Almana implored Cayna with sparkling eyes and an expectant smile. Now that she’d actually seen Kuu, it was too late to insist that the fairy was just her imagination. Left with no other choice, Cayna tugged Kuu from her hair under the condition that Almana keep it a secret. “Harumph.” Kuu remained petulant and puffed her cheeks in displeasure. “You’re the one who dashed out, Kuu. It’s just for right now, so bear with it.” There was really no helping it. The irritable fairy did a few laps around Almana and the Deputy Guildmaster. “An honest-to-goodness Great Fairy…” “Ohhhh…” Almana, whose hands were clasped in prayer, was fine enough. However, the deputy’s large, tearful eyes were seriously off-putting. Nevertheless, this was Kuu’s only intended appearance. When she instantaneously disappeared (although Cayna could still see her), the pair’s shoulders drooped with disappointment. “Aww, the Great Fairy is gone. Still, now I’ll finally be able to get married!” This was apparently something Almana had heard, but for someone like Cayna, who became a great-grandmother without even trying, it was an incomprehensible desire. Most women of marrying age would surely be appalled to hear such a thing. When the trio finished their conversation and exited the room, the Deputy Guildmaster offered to accompany Cayna as a referee. “I see. So where should I fight these guys? We’re not doing it in the Battle Arena, right?” “We reserved a place in advance. It’s on the parade grounds outside the western gate,” Almana answered. “Do be careful, Miss Cayna. Whatever happens, your life must come first.” “Ah, right. Thanks, I’ll do my best.” Cayna waved good-bye to Almana as she and her guide left the Adventurers Guild. It was some distance to the western gate, so they took a stagecoach through town. Cayna could have traveled faster over the rooftops if she’d been on her own. Someone else was with her, however, so she went along quietly. Although technically a stagecoach, it was more like an uncovered wagon pulled by two donkeys with low wooden boxes on either side. According to the Deputy Guildmaster, there were several stagecoaches circuiting the capital, and the fare was one bronze coin. “Whoa, that’s it?!” “Ha-ha-ha, you can thank the nobles for that. Now even children can afford them.” The stagecoaches around town were a collaboration between several noble families. Among these was the family of Mai-Mai’s husband, the Harveys. There were also stagecoaches traveling along the highway that Cayna heard were run by the Adventurers Guild. Adventurers could double as guards, and the fare was cheap. However, it still cost at least ten silver coins. The Deputy Guildmaster was surprisingly eloquent and an excellent conversationalist. He shared various anecdotes about the guild with Cayna until they finally arrived at the western gate. “It feels kind of dangerous around here,” she said. The western gate had a heavier air about it and stricter security than when she passed through it before. “These are defense measures to prevent troublesome characters from entering the capital.” “Gotcha.” The Deputy Guildmaster’s expression was mixed, but Cayna simply nodded as she blocked the path of someone who just entered the city: a young man with a kind smile who looked like a peddler. “Yes, miss? How can I help you?” “You’re a merchant, right? What do you sell?” “Nothing a lovely girl like yourself would need, unfortunately. I’m afraid I sell small accessories at most. Please excuse me.” The man offered an innocent look of apology and quickly tried passing her, but Cayna bluntly called out, “How many wallets did you steal while waiting in line?” The man, the nearby guards, and even the Deputy Guildmaster stared at her in shock. “N-n-none. Why would you make such a false accusation, miss?” Cayna ignored his firm protest as she swung her right arm down diagonally. Her fingertips sliced through the wind and left the man speechless. With the simultaneous rattle of coins, several leather wallets and stuffed bags rolled to the ground. All around them, curious onlookers gaped in surprise. A single slice of Cayna’s right arm had opened the man’s inner pocket and revealed the fruits of his labors. “Tch!” It was impressive how fast he tried to make a run for it as soon as he realized the cards were against him. Unfortunately, his opponent wasn’t in the mood. Kicked from below, the man sailed diagonally through the air as he spun like a top. In the blink of an eye, he struck the ground and splayed unconscious across the ground. The confused soldiers soon rushed over to apprehend the pathetic young man. “Thank you for your assistance!” “Don’t sweat it. It was just a coincidence.” The soldiers lavished her with gratitude, but Cayna couldn’t stand it. It really was a huge fluke. She was just curious about what would happen if she used Search on the crowd waiting in line. Who would’ve guessed a swindler and pickpocket was hanging out by the very front? The man himself was probably more confused than anyone else. “Unlike when I find players, the display just now showed me people’s jobs, titles, and backstory. What’s that all about?” “May I ask what you mean for reference?” “One line had their name and level. I saw the man was a swindler, and a bonus comment said, ‘Steals countless wallets on the side.’” “I see. This appears to be more than a mere advantage of the game system.” As Kee spoke, the captain of the western gate said, “Please forgive the trouble, Miss Knight Captain Fiancée!” Cayna did a spit take. “I’d heard rumors,” said the Deputy Guildmaster, “but is it true?” It was scary enough that her rumored status as the knight captain’s fiancée was common knowledge, thanks to a secret communication network. Did everyone look down on Shining Saber, or were they just worried for him? At any rate, she’d start by clearing up the misunderstandings around her. “Please don’t believe every rumor you hear!” “R-right… I understand now, so let go of my shoulders. I hear creaks and groans.” The pale Deputy Guildmaster acknowledged his error before guiding them to a very familiar place just beyond the western gate. “Isn’t this where Li’l P went wild when Felskeilo was under attack?” This area had been their final line of defense, and under the premise of keeping soldiers and adventurers at the ready, the forests on either side of the main road were cleared out and repurposed as training grounds. This way, they could effectively stare down people passing along the main road and defend the city if anything happened. At present, stationed soldiers on one side were neck-deep in training. Across from them on the opposite side, five men were lazily sitting around. “You sure kept us waiting.” “Thought we’d be here all day.” As the Deputy Guildmaster approached, a slim man with a wand staggered to his feet. His four companions were a bald human, a human with an eyepatch, a gray kobold, and a human with a mohawk stuck in the last century. These five were the party known as Viper’s Belly. Cayna’s Search confirmed four of the members were below level 40. The only player was the mohawked man with the outdated fashion sense. At just under level 100, he posed no threat. “You’ll be fighting this girl for the preliminary round. If you win, you’ll qualify for the tournament,” the Deputy Guildmaster explained. The party began whistling and clapping. “We just gotta take down one little girl?!”