Part 6: An Expedition
THE sun was already starting to set by the time Haruka and the others finished shopping. When they returned to the guild to eat dinner in the canteen, a woman at the counter named Dorothy called out to them.
“Oh, you’re finally back,” she said. “Can you wait there for a second?”
She paid the adventurer she’d been serving and placed a wooden sign with the word “Closed” on the counter. Then she beckoned Haruka, Corinne, and Montana over to a private room separated from the lobby by a thin wall. Dorothy was the same receptionist who had once scolded Haruka for causing trouble in the lobby, the day after she’d registered as an adventurer. Naturally, Haruka was nervous around her, wondering if she’d done something wrong this time, too.
Dorothy told them to sit down before taking a seat across from them and handing them the piece of paper in her hand. “This contains the details for a commission,” she explained. “I’m going to tell you about it first, and if you turn it down, then I’ll put it up on the job board.”
When all three of them leaned forward to look, Dorothy smiled and turned the sheet around so they could see it. She seemed charmed by the eagerness of these young adventurers.
The request was for adventurers to escort a delegation. The destination was the Holy Nation of Lejion, a neighboring country that could be reached by heading west from Oranz. Haruka remembered seeing a similar group matching the description on the sheet a while ago.
In terms of military might, Lejion was the weakest of the four nations on the Northern Continent, but because it was home to the headquarters of the Oracle Church religion, it garnered the world’s support as a neutral country. The city of Vista, known for being where the gods had first descended, was also home to a school that attracted scholars and researchers from all over. It was said to be the cultural center of the world.
Haruka wondered if they should really accept such a prestigious request on such short notice.
“We’ve never been on an expedition before,” she said. “Are you certain about this?”
“Well, that’s a difficult question,” Dorothy replied, pursing her lips. She looked away thoughtfully before continuing. “You were able to defeat a tyrant boar with just the four of you, and we haven’t heard of any notable failures on your part, either. Plus, your party has positive evaluations from all the clients you’ve escorted so far. But the main point is that this time you were specifically recommended by one of the city’s leading trading firms upon the client’s request for suitable adventurers to escort them on their journey home. They were told of your interesting talents and how capable you all are.”
Dorothy liked this party. She sincerely hoped that they’d continue to receive solid work so they could spread their wings accordingly.
Almost ten years had passed since she’d started working as a Guild receptionist. By now, the mundane work had become so routine for her that it was easy to think and do her job at the same time. So she just stood at the counter, mentally evaluating the many adventurers who appeared each day.
Albert was energetic and skilled for his age, an adventurer with a promising future. Though he had a short temper, he listened to his friends’ warnings and advice. Corinne was level-headed for her age, knew how to handle money, and had real guts. Dorothy would have hired her as a receptionist if given the opportunity. She was sure the girl would have made an excellent employee.
Haruka had a polite demeanor despite her striking appearance, and was a powerful enough mage to have generated loads of rumors. Supposedly, her magic had been responsible for that tyrant boar’s defeat. Dorothy had never seen a cleaner finishing blow.
And above all, Montana was adorable. Small, with cute fluffy ears and a bushy tail. Dorothy was unaware of it, but she loved therianthrope boys with bushy ears and tails because she was totally obsessed with anything small, cute, and fluffy.
Even now, Montana’s excited expression and his cute appearance combined to make her heart race. Still, she continued speaking without showing any hint of her emotions. Incidentally, she also finally noticed that Albert wasn’t there, but she was too focused on Montana to care.
“You can think of this as the culmination of all your hard work so far,” she continued. “While I agree that you’re light on experience, the client has already hired their own guards. What they’re looking for from you is connections. As they travel around the country, they’re hoping to get to know promising adventurers.”
The three of them shared a look and nodded. Corinne brought the request closer to herself and answered for the group with a huge smile.
“We accept. Please give us all the details!”
✦ ✦ ✦
“…I know I screwed up cuz I passed out drunk, but… But!”
Haruka, Corinne, and Montana all looked awkwardly away from Albert. They knew why he was blaming them, and they definitely felt bad.
“If you were gonna decide something so important, you could at least have come and gotten me!”
“You’re right. You’re so right,” Corinne admitted. “I’m sorry?”
Albert stood up as Corinne apologized, her gaze still averted. “Wait, did you guys really not think about me? Like, at all?”
After a very long, very uncomfortable silence, Montana spoke just one word: “No.”
Haruka said nothing. Dorothy’s announcement had made her so happy and excited that she’d completely forgotten about Albert. She had no excuse for her actions.
After they had accepted the job, the three of them had convened in the guild cafeteria. When Albert had finally shown up, yawning, the rest of the group had looked at each other like a family of deer caught in headlights. The three of them exchanged surreptitious glances to try and come up with a solution silently, but to no avail. Which brought them to now.
“Not to mention you guys have been prepping for the expedition already… Damn it to hell, I’m never drinking again!”
“…Uh, what do you say we go together tomorrow to buy your equipment, Al?” Haruka suggested, trying her best to pacify him.
Luckily, his excitement over the upcoming expedition eventually won out over his frustration and he started chattering about what he should buy, and asking the others what they had already bought. By the time they went their separate ways after dinner, he was back to his usual cheery self.
“Okay, guys, make sure you don’t oversleep tomorrow!”
It’s a good thing he’s so straightforward, Haruka thought. She felt both relieved and charmed by his endearing honesty.