I was curious. Normally, if someone said they wanted to become an adventurer, people would try to stop them. That would be even more true if they came from a wealthy family. So what had Liluetta meant when she’d said she became an adventurer for her family?
The more I thought about it, the more something felt off. And that feeling kept growing.
Yune had told me that Liluetta’s grandfather, the head of the Magnan family, had asked her to protect Liluetta. That’s why she’d said she wanted to stay in my party. Liluetta’s family clearly wanted her to be safe. They didn’t care about her ranking up as an adventurer or anything like that.
So what was the Magnan family’s real goal? In other words, what was the goal of the sea salt guild and the Magnan Trading Company? From what Liluetta had said yesterday, it seemed to be about gathering information, finding trustworthy adventurers, and identifying new business opportunities. Those were the reasons she had become an adventurer.
But if that was the case, why was she planning to leave my party and join other adventurers later? That would mean taking on even more dangerous jobs. It didn’t add up. If I wasn’t misunderstanding something, then Liluetta and the Magnan family were completely at odds with each other.
All of that led me to one conclusion: Liluetta hadn’t become an adventurer just for her family. That was just an excuse. The real reason was that she had wanted to become one herself. She had pushed for it and forced it through, no matter what.
And if that was true, another question came to mind: Why did she want to be an adventurer in the first place?
With a sharp smack, Liluetta slapped my hand away.
“Ow.” My hand stung a little, but it didn’t actually hurt that much. What really shocked me was how sudden the slap had been.
“I’m disappointed in you, Kiri.” Liluetta’s low, heavy voice sent a shiver down my spine.
When I looked up, I met her gaze. She was furious. I had no idea what part of what I’d said had made her so angry, but her glare made me shrink back.
“The people of this town are all doing their best to live.” Her tone reminded me of the village priest. “Fishermen catch fish, farmers grow wheat and vegetables, and they provide us with food. Lumberjacks cut trees, craftsmen fire bricks, and carpenters use them to build homes. Shepherds shear wool, and weavers turn it into fabric for clothing. And when problems arise, adventurers step in to solve them. That’s how a town functions.”
Her expression was still sour, but her voice was serious. Her eyes were sharp and unwavering as she looked straight at me. “When people can’t do something themselves, they pay those who can. That exchange doesn’t just serve individual needs. It allows everyone to support each other and survive together. The people of this town depend on one another. No one ever thinks, ‘It doesn’t matter if an adventurer dies.’ That’s not why they post requests. They offer up the money they worked so hard to earn, not because they want to send someone to their death, but because they desperately need help. They turn to adventurers—specialists in their field—because they have no other choice.”
Behind Liluetta, Yune nodded along, mm-hmming in agreement. That made sense. After all, this same idea was written in the Scriptures of Amana. And fairly early on, if I remembered correctly.
“People cannot live alone. That is why they must help and respect one another.”
Liluetta’s eyes flashed with anger as she continued. “You think clients are just telling adventurers, ‘Go risk your life in my place’? Do you really believe they’re all that cowardly? If anyone here is being a coward, it’s you. You’re just trying to justify your own fear. If you’re part of this town’s cycle of trade and labor as an adventurer, then you should respect everyone else who contributes through their own work.”
She had spoken so quickly and forcefully that she needed to pause. But even that wasn’t enough. She exhaled, then inhaled again to steady herself. “It’s fine if you’re not strong enough yet. But using fear as an excuse to belittle others? That’s unacceptable. You need to take yourself more seriously as a professional. You’re doing work that ordinary people can’t, so act like it. Carry yourself with the kind of pride that earns respect from others in this town. If you’re an adventurer, don’t just sit there being afraid. At least have the resolve to take down a few weak monsters! No client wants to pay someone who has no confidence in themselves.”
Wow. This was a serious scolding. It was so straightforward and reasonable that I couldn’t even argue back. Instead, all I felt was the growing weight of embarrassment.
“You’re earning money from this job, so take it seriously.”
It was a lecture so perfectly and painfully on the mark that I had no way to argue back.
“You should always carry out your work with sincerity and dedication,” Yune added.
Ouch. This was really, really rough.
“Well, I suppose that’s just how an ordinary town boy would think.” Liluetta let a long breath out, like she was trying to dispel the lingering frustration in her voice. It didn’t seem to work. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “Ah, but Kiri, you’re just a child from a rural village, aren’t you?”
Liluetta turned away and grabbed onto the same thin tree trunk I had used earlier to haul myself up the ledge. Her grip was firm as she gave it a few testing shakes.
She sighed. “How enviable—becoming an adventurer with a child’s heart, without burdens or obligations. So free. Well, do your best from now on.”
With that, she planted a foot onto the ledge, tightened her grip, and pushed off the ground with a burst of effort.
“Ahhh!”
“Whoa, careful!”
“My lady?!”
Liluetta’s foot slipped, and Yune and I lunged forward to catch her just before she fell.