It was still early in the morning as Laila walked down the main street of Iffole.
Most people would start heading off to work later, and there was hardly anyone else out at the moment.
Laila was at the very bottom of the hierarchy of receptionists at Iffole Counter, so it was her job to tidy up the workplace before it opened. While she did think this was a drag, Alina was thoughtful enough to help her out, so it wasn’t that bad.
When she went in from the back entrance that led straight into the offices of Iffole Counter, she saw that someone was already there.
“Oh, Laila. You’re early,” came a charming voice, and the tall young man Jade Scrade appeared.
As the leader of the guild’s elite party, Silver Sword, he was equivalent in rank to the managers of the guild. Despite that, his clothes were already dirty first thing in the morning, his pretty silver hair was wrapped up in a cloth like a construction worker’s do-rag, and a hammer was in his hand. He had abandoned his typical light armor for a pair of pants and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and his handsome face, which had made so many women his prisoner, was dripping with sweat.
Seeing that he was clearly not doing the sort of job fitting of his station, Laila accidentally forgot to greet him and asked candidly, “…Wh-what are you doing…?”
“Oh, I had a bit of a strategy meeting with Alina yesterday. We wanted to implement it in time for today, so we were up working all night.”
“All night?!”
“It’s no big deal. Anyway, could you just come in through the front entrance for me?”
“…?”
While Laila was doubtful, she left the office through the rear entrance and circled around to the front of Iffole Counter.
“Wh-what is this…?!”
And then she was shocked to see that things were clearly quite different from how they were before.
A giant wooden sign had been put up on the side of Iffole Counter’s front entrance. Written in big letters on the paper posted there was the following:
Attention all fighting tournament applicants
Signatures from all participants
License cards from all participants are both required to apply. Please confirm that you have these.
“I—I see,” said Laila. “It’s true that there were a lot of adventurers yesterday who didn’t understand the application requirements… A prompt to ask them to check if they have everything before entering the office would be effective!”
Impressed, Laila nodded a few times. The thing Jade had been making while dressed up like a civil engineer was this sign. As understanding dawned on her, Laila went inside to find yet another big sign right in front of her.
Attention all fighting tournament applicants. Signatures and license cards from all participants are required to apply.
“I like this! Even if they happen to miss the sign at the entrance, they can turn back around an—”
As Laila continued over to Alina’s counter, yet another sign caught her eye.
Attention all fighting tournament applicants. Please be ready with signatures and license cards from all participating members.
“And another heads-up to make doubly sure! That way, people who missed the earlier signs will have to catch on.”
Then Alina’s counter came into view at last. Signs had been carefully set up even in the spot where the applicants would be lining up.
Signatures! And licenses! From everyone! For the tournament!
“…H-hmm.”
Now it was just large words scribbled out incoherently. Laila decided to ignore it and came up to the counter.
“…Wh-what…?”
Behind it was Alina, wearing a beaming smile and emanating an imposing aura.
At the foot of her counter was a massive poster and a standing signboard. The desktop was lined with signs, leaving the absolute minimum amount of space, and on top of that, there was a wooden sign hanging from the ceiling.
They all bore text, written out like a ghastly curse.
Signatures for all party members.
License cards for all party members.
All party members!!
Old format application forms not allowed.
Shut up and line up.
Just bring all your party members, okay?
Once you’ve filled everything out, scram.
If you haven’t decided on your party, then don’t bother lining up.
If you’re going to fight, do it outside.
“…”
The indescribable yet palpable rage of those signs struck Laila speechless. “…At some point, the notices start to feel like angry rambling…”
“Heh-heh. Now even those idiots will notice.” With a bright smile on her face, Alina puffed out her chest proudly. “Because we’ve done all this, I won’t have my time taken up by a single applicant when they come to the counter and start arguing about stuff…!”
“R-right. With this much signage, they’re going to see at least one.”
“The points written on these signs and posters are things I was forced to explain over and over yesterday. It was a mistake in the first place to expect those stupid adventurers to actually look at the application rules for the tournament.”
“I…I see…”
“If I write up this many, then there’s no way they can start complaining to me right at the counter about how they don’t have their licenses or they don’t have all their signatures. It’s perfect…!”
“But wait, did you work Master Jade like a dog all night to get this done…?”
“Way to be rude. I made sure to pitch in and make some of the signs myself, too. Like that one!” Alina said, pointing with a smug look at a little sign that was clearly shoddier than the others. It was already tilted diagonally, but when some wind blew through the open door, it was the only sign to wobble and tip over, falling to the floor with a thump.
“…”
“…”
“I-it’s fine, as long as you can see it!”
Alina awkwardly righted the sign she’d made and averted her eyes.
“I figured that people would get hurt if I left it to Alina to make signs of that size…” Jade, who was watching their conversation, smiled uncomfortably.
“Nice call there, Master Jade.”
It was a good thing Jade was there. A strange sense of relief washed over Laila. The power of love sure is amazing—it got him to work all night for Alina’s sake, she thought idly.
“Anyway, we’re on day two of applications. I spent the whole day yesterday dealing with nonsense, but things won’t be like that today…!”
Alina clenched a fist as the flames of anger mingled with fighting spirit burned in her jade-green eyes.
✦ ✦ ✦
Now come at me, stupid adventurers…!
As Alina waited behind the special tournament window and readied her business smile, she felt herself getting fired up.
Once business hours started, Laila opened the door to Iffole Counter. The first adventurer to come inside was signing up for the tournament, of course. He leaped straight for Alina’s counter.
“Welcome,” said Alina. “You’re applying for the tournament? Well then, please present signatures and license cards for all participants along with this application form.”
“Huh? For everyone? I never heard about that.”
“…………………………………………………………”
Calm down, calm down.
Sensing her business smile freezing, Alina desperately restrained the impulse to activate her Dia skill on reflex.
This man, who had been waiting outside before Iffole Counter opened, must have at least seen the large sign that was installed outside the entrance. She’d made Jade go through trial and error to write a heads-up notice in large and simple text, ensuring it would be visible from as far away as possible and understandable even to an idiot. If this guy were normal, a normal dude with good intellect and common sense, then wouldn’t his eyes be drawn to the words “fighting tournament,” the very thing he was trying to apply for? What had that man been doing outside? Oh, I see, this guy has no intellect or common sense. I guess there’s no helping it, then. It was my mistake to have tried communicating to him in writing. Oh well, it’s no big deal. What’s the big deal if it gets in my face that the effort I put in staying up all night making signs was useless from the very first customer? They’re stupid adventurers. They’re idiots and morons. This is just the usual crap I have to put up with every day………………… …………………………
In that split second, Alina came up with a logical explanation for what had happened, to maintain her sanity. And then, in the name of her pride as a third-year receptionist, she opened her mouth with the utmost calm.
“Please die a billion times!”
“Huh?”
“Please come back once you have all your party members sign this application form. Make sure to bring all your license cards, too.”
“D-did you just tell me to—?”
“I think you might be hearing things.”
“…”
The adventurer seemed to want to say something, but when he saw Alina’s expression, he immediately swallowed his words. For some reason, his face contorted in fear.
“F-fine…sorry.”
After delivering a tiny apology, the adventurer dejectedly left Iffole Counter. Alina called for the next adventurer waiting in line, as if nothing had happened.