★
The carriage drawn by three horses was indeed packed with a large amount of goods. Without any untoward encounters, they successfully arrived at the royal capital safe and sound. After unloading the goods at the recipient store, Sharlo’s body ached here and there. Apparently he had used different muscles than the ones he normally used for ditch cleaning.
“So then, let’s get back to collect the reward money?” asked Rosshi.
However, Sharlo called him back. “Hold on a moment. Are we going to go back with an empty carriage? Isn’t that a waste?”
“So you say, but it’s not like we have anything to carry back, though?”
“We can just look for something. There are adventurer guilds in the royal capital too, right? If I remember right, Elunheine has a branch here too. We can pick up the reward money there, then check whether they have any quests to carry something to Treia.”
Ohhh, went the three person group in admiration.
“Hey, you have a pretty good head on your shoulders. Especially for someone who only ever cleans ditches.”
“The second line was unnecessary. In the first place, if you properly understand how the whole adventurer system works, then this should have occurred to you naturally too.” Though in Sharlo’s case, it was because Shouzou told him “First pound into your head every detail about the surroundings you find yourself in” that he studied up on the system in the first place.
And that was how things ended up with Sharlo and Rosshi heading off together toward the center of the royal capital. The other two remained behind to look after the horses.
Along the way, Rosshi kept engaging Sharlo in conversation. “No matter how many times I look at you, I still can’t believe that you’re 16. You have this, like, dignity, or brazenness about you, I guess?”
“Oh get off it. There’s no helping the truth, is there. My skin has actually improved a bit. So then, how old are you?”
“I’m 24.”
Heeh, returned Sharlo indifferently. Age was not related to becoming an adventurer. However, many had looked up to adventurers since they were young, and thus started adventuring in their teens.
Rosshi was yet a beginner Iron rank. Yet, he was already in his 20s. In other words—
“I was a cook before.” Noticing how Sharlo had gotten quiet, Rosshi tried his best to adopt a light tone. “But, y’know, things happened. And now I’m an adventurer.”
“Things, huh...... Does that mean you’re being an adventurer reluctantly?”
“Not really, actually. It was something that I’d wanted to do. Although I can’t deny that me not having any other options did play a big part, but I’ve always been a bit confident of my physical strength since young. I thought I was quite suited for it. But things don’t always turn out so easy, do they.”
Once more Sharlo returned only an indifferent-sounding heeh, which prompted Rosshi to look at him jestfully.
“You also have various circumstances going on too, right? You have a family name, and yet you’re being an adventurer and even cleaning ditches. Aren’t you actually the son of some high up noble family? But then you were so haughty that they kicked you out—”
Sharlo started and averted his eyes. Let alone noble family, he was from the royal family. But there was no way he could actually say that.
“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. I shouldn’t probe. But well, y’know, that’s......” After taking a while to find the right words, Rosshi said seriously, “Sharlo, would you like to join our party for real?”
That was obviously not a one-time-only offer, but an invitation to become a permanent part of Rosshi’s party. It made Sharlo very happy. He had experienced setback, locked himself up, and even given up on everything at one time. And yet there was still someone who acknowledged him. Someone who needed him. However—
“Let me think about it for a while......” After two more weeks, he would probably be going back to the royal palace. Without revealing his identity to anyone, without giving anybody notice, he was going to just disappear.
“......I see. Well, take your time. More like, don’t think about it with that grave-looking face, all right? You can even join as a trial, then if you find it doesn’t suit you then you can just leave, no hard feelings.”
“I am not making a grave-looking face. I just haven’t perfected the art of ditch cleaning yet. I want to prioritize that first.”
“Hah, you sure are obsessed with that.” Rosshi returned Sharlo’s joke-like reply in a similar manner.
Then, not long after, the two of them finally reached the royal capital branch of Elunheine Adventurer’s Guild.
While Rosshi was talking with a receptionist, Sharlo gave some serious thought to his future course. What was it that he should be doing from now on? Even when he returned to the royal palace, he had no place there. More like—and this was something that he felt even more keenly after becoming an adventurer—his younger sister Lynfil was definitely more suitable to be the next ruler. (This is me we’re talking about. If I go back to the royal palace and find myself with nothing to do, then I’ll definitely fall back into that self-indulgent lifestyle. My true nature is slothful.) Admitting it was a bit painful, it was the truth, and there was no denying it.
(Rather, what if I just continue being an adventurer under this alias......?) But if so, then he could no longer remain in this country. If he ever found himself in trouble, he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back from running to his father or sister for help.
(No wait, but would I be able to endure situations that would make me want to cling to them? Ugh...... What to do? What should I do...... More like, is this something that I have to decide here and now......?) Just like his thoughts, he himself walked around the receptionist lobby round and round in circles.
Bump.
“Oh, sorry.”
“Kyah!”
Until he bumped into someone. Looking down, he realized that a slightly plump girl had fallen on her butt. She was small-bodied and had a baby face. (It would be better if she had a more adult-like aura, but this in itself is already quite......) Sharlo could not help but to ogle a bit while observing her. It just so happened that girls who seemed enveloping were his type. Or to be more specific, well-rounded girls were his type.
“Apologies, I was in the middle of my thoughts.”
“Oh no, I was also a bit spaced out—eep!”
Sharlo had proffered a hand in a gentlemanly manner. However, the smile that he managed despite not being used to smiling apparently came out looking rather... disagreeable, so much so that it caused the girl to shrink back.
Right after she let out a small cry—
“You ruffian, what have you done! Step away from Hanna... my lady immediately!” The shout caused Sharlo to jerk his hand back.
It was here that a person wearing the outfit of a butler smartly slid in between the two of them. The features framed by black hair tied up in the back cut quite the dashing image indeed.
“Yuli......” The girl who was called “Hanna” looked up at the butler’s back with a spellbound expression.
“How lacking in common sense do you have to be to pace around and around in such a crowded place?!”
“Wh-What’s your problem. We were both not looking at where we were going. Hah, what’re you being so haughty about anyways. You and your woman-like face.”
“You knave, you dare mock me!” The butler—Yuli—glared at Sharlo, and reached for the thin-bladed sword on his waist.
“What are you do—?! H-Hah. So you are going to draw your sword on an unarmed person, are you? You talk high and mighty, but you act like a mere bandit.”
“You knave, I will endure your repeated insolent mockery no more! Very well. Let’s do this with our bare fists then. I’ll change the shape of your face for you!”
Sharlo could not help but to shiver at the sight of Yuli cracking his fingers. However, at that moment—
“Oi, what’s the commotion?” asked Rosshi while rushing over in a fluster.
“Y-Yo, did you find a good quest?”
“There were no quests for carrying cargo to Treia. Right now the receptionist is checking whether there’s anything similar. More like, this isn’t the time for that. What did you do?”
“I-I was not in the wrong.”
“You continue with your drivel?! How about you be a man and own up to your own mistakes!”
This was one thing that he did not want to hear from a guy with good looks. Sharlo grounded his teeth hatefully. (Screw him and his trying to act cool in front of a girl. This is why I hate handsome guys. Both guys and girls, if they’ve got good looks, you can be sure they’ve got shit personalities. Lynfil being the only exception.)
(What an egoistic man he is. If even someone like this can be an adventurer, then this country cannot amount to much.)
Sparks flew as the two of them glared at each other.
✦ ✦ ✦
As tension ran through the lobby area of the adventurer’s guild, that man suddenly showed up.
“What is this? What a coincidence it is to find you in the royal capital.” Shouzou placed a hand on Sharlo’s shoulder. “Are you perhaps here for a quest?”
“Oh, uh, yes I am. Actually—” Sharlo explained what had happened succinctly.
“I see. And so you are here looking for a quest that you can do on the way back. Then you’re in luck.”
As a question mark appeared above the head of everyone looking on, Shouzou paid them no mind and calmly approached Yuli and Hanna. Then he told them, “He’s Sharlo-kun, the one I told you two about.”
“Wha-?!”
“Geh!”
Both of them trembled in shock.
“Sharlo-kun, these two are customers of the guild who have come from a foreign country. This is Lady Hanna, and that’s Yuli-san, her escort.” Sharlo’s mouth fell open.
Without paying any mind to the state that the three of them were in, Shouzou nonchalantly declared, “Sharlo-kun, how about you escort these two to Treia? After that, you can stay on as their local guide. Of course, this will be processed as an official quest issued by the two of them.”
“What? Guide......?” Sharlo looked at the two “customers” uncomprehendingly.
Whereas Hanna was looking up at the ceiling while murmuring an enigmatic “oy vey!” Yuli was still trembling all over. As for her state of mind—
(This...... This rude and egoistic man is the one who I might be wedded to, oh God?)
—She was in the middle of cursing God just a little bit.