Even though it was still early evening, and only some of the seats were filled, the smell of alcohol was already strong inside the dim guild. Scattered voices—people laughing or chatting idly—buzzed through the space. There were tables crowded with plates of food. Someone sat alone at the counter with a drink in hand. A party having a serious discussion stood in front of the wall where requests were pinned. Even after everything that had happened to us, the adventurer’s guild was the same as ever.
Of course it is, I thought. This is a place for people who live with danger as part of their daily routine.
“Three goblins, huh? Hmph. You were lucky.” The voice came from behind the reception counter. Barque, the leader of the guild, sounded somewhere between annoyed and unimpressed.
That reaction made sense. Someone like me had been the party leader, and the other two members were brand-new rookies. No one would ever expect us to handle monsters properly. Honestly, one or two of us could’ve died. I didn’t think anyone would’ve been surprised if all three of us had been wiped out. The fact that we all made it back in one piece really was just luck.
I nodded. “Yeah. I think so too.”
Barque shot a sharp look at my forehead. “That dent on your browplate. Was that from today?”
The wound on my head was already healed, but the notch on my browplate was still there.
“Yeah. I got slashed by a shortsword.”
“You took a clean hit. I’m surprised that flimsy scrap of metal actually blocked it.”
“Yeah... It didn’t fully block the attack, though. I still got hurt, but Yune healed me. Healing magic is amazing.”
“Be careful. If it’s a fatal hit, not even healin’ magic can save you.”
So bringing someone back from the dead is off the table, huh? I guess having a healer in your party doesn’t mean you can go taking hits left and right. Not that I want to fight recklessly... Getting hurt still hurts.
Barque turned to the side and shifted in his seat while reaching for a feather pen with a worn tip. That meant our conversation was over. He always gave solid advice, even though he looked scary and spoke bluntly, so I thanked him and stepped away.
In my hand were a few small silver and copper coins, our reward for the day. I counted them out, then put exactly one-third into the pocket of my pants. I held on to the rest as I made my way to a table, tucked against the wall in a back corner of the room, where Liluetta and Yune were waiting for me.
After I’d passed out, Yune had apparently healed me with her magic. By the time I’d woken up, my head had stopped hurting and not a single scar had been left on my body. I probably hadn’t been out for very long, because Liluetta had still been sniffling a bit and Yune had still looked pale. Everything had still felt awkward too, so we’d made our way down the mountain without saying much.
At the table, Liluetta and Yune were sitting side by side. The two seats across from them were both empty—one of those was probably for me. Both girls wore gloomy expressions as they sat in silence with their heads bowed. They didn’t notice me until I was standing beside the table.
“I reported to Barque,” I said. Both of them looked up in surprise.
Instead of sitting down, I kept talking. “This is something I only just found out. It seems like goblin hunting is considered a permanent request. It’s like an ongoing job from the lord, so adventurers who take out goblins at any time, even while they’re doing something else, will get paid for it. The reward’s not much, though.”
I set their share from the money Barque had given me on the table. This was the only reason I’d asked them to wait for me. Now that it was done, I had no more business here—no reason to sit down.
“See you.” I turned on my heel.
“Wait...” came Liluetta’s quiet voice behind me.
But I didn’t stop. I walked between tables, past all the noisy adventurers, and headed for the guild’s exit.
The whole way down the mountain, I’d been thinking about what I should say to Liluetta and Yune. In the end, I decided there was nothing I needed to say. They had already left my party. It had ended with a falling-out, which wasn’t great, but they had been planning to look for different companions from the start anyway.
And if what had happened on the mountain made the two of them quit being adventurers, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. They weren’t struggling to make a living or anything, though I kind of had a feeling they weren’t going to give up.
What would I even say if I sat down at that table? I asked myself.
Would I scold them for acting recklessly? But I’m a rookie too.
Would I try to convince them to stay in the party? But they were the ones who left.
Would I tell them to quit because they’re not cut out for this? But being an adventurer means being free to make your own choices, so giving advice like that would be pointless.
There’s really nothing I can say. That’s why it’s better to leave without saying anything, I decided.
I had made sure they got out of there safely. I had given them their fair share of the reward for defeating the goblins. There was nothing left to do. Even if I felt a little uneasy, this was the end. There was nothing more I could do.
As I stepped out of the guild, Waine was there like he’d been lying in wait for me.
“Yo, kiddo. What’s with the face?” he asked. “You’re lookin’ all gloomy.”
“It’s obvious.” Sheya peeked into the guild as she placed a hand on my shoulder. “Those two made a mistake.”
“Oh, yup. Your spear got busted,” said Chikka, noticing the damage. “If you’re gonna get it repaired, don’t go to that blacksmith on the main street. That place is for pots and pans and stuff. I’ll hook you up with a good smith, one who’s cheap and skilled.” She casually pulled the broken spear out of the basket on my back.
Being surrounded by the three of them made me clutch my forehead. The injury was fully healed, but for some reason I felt a sudden headache coming on. And then, a wave of exhaustion washed over me.
“Ah, um, thanks, Chikka,” I said with a weak smile. “I appreciate it.” Knowing a good smith was important, since I couldn’t go on any adventures with a broken weapon.
Then I turned to face Waine and Sheya. “Uh, so...” I hesitated. “You two...”
There was a different kind of weight in my chest now. It was a weird, restless feeling, like an is this really okay? kind of emotion. We were definitely not kindred spirits. At the same time, I didn’t have anyone else to rely on.
“What’s up, kiddo?” Waine asked.
Sheya raised an eyebrow. “What’s on your mind?”
I can’t say that I don’t care about what’s going to happen to Liluetta and Yune, because that would be a lie. Is it really okay to leave things like this? Or maybe I should be asking, is it really okay to leave those two girls in their hands? Waine and Sheya will definitely handle it... Somehow. Except I have an awful feeling they’ll make things worse.
I squeezed my eyes shut, turned my face away, and forced myself to speak. “Please. I have a request.”
“Oh, c’mon, did you see the look on his face just now? That was the worst way to ask someone for a favor I’ve ever seen,” Waine muttered.
“He looked deeply unwilling,” Sheya added.
I pretended not to hear them. They were definitely not talking or making snide comments. I was not anxious and not thinking this was a bad gamble while I started walking away as fast as I could. Well, it was more like running away. I’m already nervous, and there’s no way I’m going to stick around and watch everything play out. I don’t even want to know what happens after.
“Jeez. That’s your job as the leader too, y’know,” Waine called out.
“That kind of thing? Easy.” Sheya headed into the guild.
Did Waine sound exasperated just now? And didn’t Sheya sound kind of ominous? Nope. Didn’t hear any of that. I kept walking.
Chikka waved her hand. “Hey, tiny, not that way. You’re going the wrong direction.”
I did hear that, so I turned around in a hurry.