As the receptionist read the first condition out loud, the man’s face turned red, and he slunk back, defeated. Those who had been nodding in agreement quickly looked away, pretending they hadn’t heard anything.
They sure backed down quickly.
After being warned that I’d still have to pay the posting fee even if no one took the request, I finally got it processed and posted on the board.
Bodyguard Request
Details: Personal protection for a free priestess (twelve years old).
Duration: Until either the client or the contractor wishes to terminate the agreement.
Location: Based at inns in the royal capital, traveling to nearby towns and villages, including through forests.
Rest Days: None (the bodyguard will rest on the same days as the client, but they will still be on duty).
Reward: Three small coins per day. Meals and lodging provided by the client. The contractor will share a room with the client.
Contractor Conditions:
The hunter will be camping with a young female client, so they must be female.
Only one contractor will be hired.
Must be capable of defeating several orcs or ogres, as well as several malicious male hunters or thugs.
Must be capable of defeating a noble house’s private troops or mercenaries.
When the hunters saw the posted request, their reaction was unanimous.
“That’s impossible!!!” they all cried out.
“A young, solo female hunter who can protect the client while taking down several orcs or ogres?”
“Someone who can beat multiple soldiers, mercenaries, or hostile hunters single-handedly?”
“While protecting the client from being taken hostage?”
“There’s no freakin’ way!” the group concluded in unison.
Some kind soul had read the request out loud for the illiterate hunters, but that only increased the number of people agreeing that it was impossible.
After that, a few female hunters read the request board closely, but ultimately walked away, shaking their heads. Some of them might have considered temporarily leaving their teams to take on the job, but they must have realized they couldn’t possibly meet the prerequisite combat ability.
Reiko—Can—had been standing by the request board even before the job was posted. If anyone had reached for my request, she was in position to snatch it first with superhuman, magic-enhanced reflexes. Of course, the chance of another hunter suddenly lunging for it with all their might was incredibly low, so she’d planned to casually peel it off the board at a natural moment and accept the job. Reiko and I were cautious types, so it was merely a precaution.
No one seemed interested in the request. And so, figuring it was about time, Can reached for it...
Whoosh! Fwsh! Grab!
Unbelievably, the scenario we thought would never happen had actually occurred. A girl had lunged at the request with all her might, grabbing it at the same exact moment as Reiko—Can—who’d been ready to grab it faster than anyone.
Reiko, whose physical capabilities were enhanced with magic, was matched in speed.
Impossible...
Even though Reiko had started moving at a normal pace at first, she had a head start. And the moment she noticed the intruder, she’d moved with the full speed of her empowered body—with improved dynamic vision and reflexes—and still, they’d grabbed the posting at almost the same exact time. No ordinary human could have done that.
“Let go! I am accepting this request!” the girl barked.
“No, that’s my line. I grabbed it first, and jobs are first come, first served,” Can shot back.
“Wrong—I clearly grabbed it slightly sooner. This is mine!” the girl said, showing no sign of backing down.
“Grrr...” they growled at each other.
The request absolutely couldn’t fall into someone else’s hands—such were the thoughts of both girls, who refused to yield to the other. One was, of course, Reiko, who was supposed to accept this rigged request. And the other...
Seeking further information and hoping to meet with the guildmaster to secure future favors, Falsetto arrived at the Hunter’s Guild. There, she encountered the commotion caused by a twelve-year-old-looking free priestess’s bodyguard request. A free priestess, around twelve years old, seeking a bodyguard—a solo female capable of mowing down orcs, ogres, hostile hunters, soldiers, and mercenaries single-handedly—at this precise moment. To Falsetto, this could only mean one thing: the Goddess herself had foreseen her arrival and was telling her she was the one to take on this job. Naturally, she believed there was no other explanation. After all, no one knew Kaoru had peers at her side.
Falsetto had heard from the lord about the Angel’s current name and appearance, and the True Ancestor, Francette, had told her the Angel often used false names and altered her facial features, hair, and eye colors with her divine powers. Shockingly, she would even disguise her most distinguishing trademark feature—her terrifying eyes.
Thus, given the circumstances, Falsetto had no doubt that this free priestess named Edith was none other than the Angel Kaoru in disguise and that this request had been prepared specifically for her. So...
“This hunter woman is my enemy, obstructing the divine mission bestowed upon me!”
It was only natural for her to think this way.
Neither Kaoru nor Reiko could have imagined that someone would have appeared at that moment to take on a request so ridiculously difficult that no one other than Reiko could possibly have accepted it.
“Are you even a hunter anyway?” Can asked. “Judging by your appearance, you’re obviously some kind of knight. Besides, do you even have the skills to handle this job?”
Falsetto was wearing practical clothing for a long journey, but her weapons and armor were clearly expensive, too refined to be a hunter’s gear. Only registered hunters could accept requests through the Hunter’s Guild, so it was an obvious point for Reiko to target. However...
“Indeed, I am a knight. However, I am registered as a hunter for the convenience of being able to travel freely to foreign countries, cross borders, enter fortified cities without paying fees, and earn pocket money when my funds are low. Though, that said, I’ve kept my rank at B to avoid unnecessary complications...”
“Whaaaaaat?!” the assembled people yelled. Their voices were raised in shock—not just Reiko’s and Kaoru’s, but the surrounding hunters’ and guild staff’s as well.
“Here,” the girl said, pulling her hunter registration tag from under her clothes with her left hand. Her right hand still gripped the request form tightly, showing her unwavering resolve to never let go.
“It really is a B-Rank tag...” Can said, eyes wide.
“Now, that proves I’m a registered hunter, B-Rank, and fully qualified to meet the prerequisites for this job. So, why don’t you prove you have the necessary skills? Are you B-Rank? Or perhaps even A or S-Rank?”
“Ugh...”
The tables had turned. Reiko had tried to trip up her opponent, only to be deftly dodged and counterattacked. At this point, her only option was to settle the matter with a mock battle on the training grounds. Even then, Reiko was confident she wouldn’t lose as long as she didn’t let her guard down.
However, there was one concern: the girl’s alarming speed when she’d reached for the job posting. If that speed was reflected in all aspects of her physical abilities, there could be trouble.
Reiko had only strengthened her body with magic; her combat skills were practically amateur-level. Sure, she had trained in some martial arts in her previous life in preparation for her reincarnation, but training in martial arts wasn’t the same as having actual combat skills. And it wasn’t as if she had dedicated her life to perfecting her abilities; she had only spent two days a week at a dojo.
How would she fare against a professional combat specialist who matched her magically enhanced physical capabilities? Even if she were to use magic, it would be severely limited if she had to be discreet about it in front of an audience. A slight delay, a minor mistake, or a technique catching her by surprise could mean defeat. She couldn’t afford to let Kaoru’s bodyguard role fall into the hands of some stranger.