Chapter 201

Jack of all Trades – 201Post navigation

Speaking with the Guild Master

I woke up on our ninth morning in Yukka in a sleeping bag. My body felt incredibly heavy as I got up and sighed deeply. When I left the tent, I saw that the soldiers were packing their things.

It seemed that I had overslept.

“You’re up.”

“Good morning. Mister Saragi.”

“Aye. I’m glad to see you are looking better.”

I tried to help him as he gathered his things, but he refused.

He said they would have nothing to do if we went around doing their job. Well, I thought he might have had a point, so I went to the back of the tent to wash my face instead. It was times like these that I was very thankful to be able to use water magic.

When everything was finished, I got up behind Daniela on her horse, and we returned to Yukka. Upon arriving, we had the blood washed from our clothes and equipment and then spent the rest of the day resting.

The next day, we were called to the guild. A guild worker had called with a letter early in the morning. The letter read: Silvergreen Asagi Kamiyashiro, Lightwind Daniela Villesilf. Come to the guild at once.

It was a bit annoying, but it was probably about the Loup-garou. The guards must have finished their own reports. And so I woke Daniela and we prepared before leaving for the guild.

“Haahhh… I wanted to take things easy today.”

“You become slothful too quickly, Asagi. Perhaps you should accept a quest.”

“What…”

We chatted as we entered the building. And then out of nowhere, a brazen-faced girl stepped in front of us. What was this? Was she going to tell me she didn’t like my scar?

“So you’re Asagi?”

“Hey, you little squirt. Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?”

“Eh? I happen to be older than you.”

“People usually sleep-talk while they’re napping.”

She was clearly a kid. This was the Adventurer’s Guild, not a school.

“No, Asagi. He is older than you.”

“He? What? Older?”

None of this information matched what my eyes were seeing.

“Miss Daniela. You can think of me as a girl.”

“That will be quite difficult.”

“Even so!”

The girl and Daniela carried out their mysterious conversation. Why wasn’t anyone explaining anything to me?

“Ah, Master!”

A guild worker called as they came towards us. Guild Master? I looked around, but there didn’t seem to be anyone around who looked the part.

“So you already found them. I was going to bring Mister Asagi and Miss Daniela to you.”

“Yes, I could not wait. But don’t worry about it.”

“I understand. Well, you should probably take them to the master room. There are too many people watching you here.”

“Ah, yes. Right. Sorry-sorry. Let’s go.”

Unless I was completely wrong, the guild worker was calling the little girl the Guild Master. Miss Nanaya had said that the Guild Master was a ‘boy,’ which is what Daniela had claimed the girl in front of us was. Putting all of this information together, the only explanation was that the guild master was a crossdresser.

“I see. I see.”

“What do you see, Asagi?”

“Things have clicked in place.”

“Hmm. Indeed. Well, let us follow the Guild Master then.”

“Alright.”

Still, what was this about the Guild Master being older than me? I looked at his hair. It was pink. Perhaps he was an elf? And in spite of appearances, he was older than me? Fine. Fine.

I wouldn’t be shocked by anything now.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am the Guild Master of Yukka’s Adventurer’s Guild. The pink elf, ‘Flamethunder’ Kiralika Rozsilf.”

I knew it.

“And I am Silvergreen Asagi Kamiyashiro. It is nice to meet you.”

“Lightwind Daniela Villesilf.”

“Hmm, so formal.”

You started it!

“Well, whatever. I called you today because of this business with the Loup-garou. Good job, by the way. That thing has been a nuisance for quite some time. Thanks!”

Very casual all of a sudden.

“I had just gone out to get a look at it. It was really just by chance that I ended up killing the thing. So, uh, you don’t have to thank me so much.”

“Why don’t you relax, Asagi?”

“I’m sorry, I tend to be respectful to my elders.”

Daniela looked at me as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“I see. Well, enough about that. As long as you did kill it, I will have to reward you. Here, take this.”

Kiralika pulled out a heavy-looking leather purse out from under a table. Two of them.

“Can I see inside?”

“Go ahead.”

And so Daniela and I inspected the bags.

Ahh. Not that I had expected any different, but it was full of gold coins…

“I can’t accept this much.”

“Take it. Displays of gratitude should always be accepted, don’t you agree, young lady?”

“What an annoying little boy…”

“I can hear you.”

“Oh, excuse me. But, still…”

I would prefer it if the money was given to families of the victims instead.

“Ah, don’t worry about that. Those who died were wandering Adventurers with little sense. I did not allow any of our own guards to go after it.”

I still wasn’t sure.

“Well, we can never have too much money. We should take it.”

“…If you insist, Daniela.”

I guess we’d take it then. Though, to be honest, I was strongly considering donating it to some orphanage.

“So, would you mind filling me in on the details? Why was the corpse cut up like that?”

“Ah… Well, it jumped at me like this, and I cut it with an ice sword and two other swords. And then it fell and split into several pieces.”

“I have no idea what you are saying.”

Bloody hell!

“Why don’t you make this sword right now?”

“Uh, sorry. I have to have my ice dragon armor on.”

That sword, ‘Niflheim’ required the ice magic boost from the ice dragon armor. Otherwise, it would become a normal ‘Frost Sword.’ It was possible I would be able to do it without the armor if my INT went up, but that wouldn’t happen for a while.

“I see. That’s too bad. Well, I’m sure you weren’t lying.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. In any case, I wanted to hear it from the man himself. So, did the Loup-Garou give you that?”

I instinctively touched the scar around my left eye.

“Yes, it’s less visible now.”

Perhaps the potions had continued to work, but the scar had become much lighter. But it was still there. Though, it was more on my cheek than my eye.

“Well, at least you never had a pretty face to ruin. You might even call it an upgrade?”

“I guess.”

“Ignore the kid. He’s not what he appears to be.”

“I can hear you?”

“Oh, sorry. You’re very cute.”

“Whatever.”

The stupid conversation ended there. And the subject moved to the fact that he was a pink elf.

Kiralika was from a family of noble elves. But that lifestyle was not to his liking, and so he ran away from home to become an Adventurer. He would be one-hundred and twenty-one this year. Daniela had pried this information from him. That was twelve in human years.

“To me, you’re a very old man.”

“A human would say that. A human. We don’t live on the same scale as you.”

“That is true, Asagi. Let us not speak about it.”

“Says the elf who is three-hundred.”

“I just said that we should not speak about it!”

Well, teasing elves about their age is a popular pastime!

Still, everything should be done in moderation. Besides, she seemed to care a lot…

“So, I suppose there are not many Adventurers who can kill a Loup-garou?”

“Hmm… This one was very fast. Wasn’t it about as fast as you?”

“You know then. Well, yeah. It was even faster once it transformed.”

“It is no wonder no one was able to beat it. Speed is everything. No matter how much damage you are capable of dealing, it won’t matter if you can’t make contact. And it will find an opening no matter how strong your defense is. You should take notes from that.”

“I’ll…consider it.”

I had only stepped foot into the world of such incredible speed. I couldn’t use it properly yet. But it was ideal.

“Besides, all of the strong Adventurers are in the imperial capital during this season.”

Kiralika muttered as he reclined into his chair.

“Is something happening in the capital?”

“Oh, you don’t know? Next month is the Imperial Sword Tournament.”

“A tournament?”

I glanced over to Daniela, but she seemed like she hadn’t heard of it.

“Huh, I thought you would have known of it, Miss Daniela.”

“No, I do not.”

“Really? What the hell do you live so long for?”

“…”

I could tell she was furious, but I pretended not to.

“So, what king of a tournament is this?”

“Well, to be honest. It’s just a normal tournament. The strongest warriors throughout the land gather to determine who is the best.”

Well, I suppose I could have predicted as much.

“And it’s next month?”

“Yes. Are you going to enlist?”

“Uh, I haven’t even considered…”

I looked at Daniela. Huh. She clearly wanted to.

“If you want, I could write you a letter of recommendation? Just drop by before you leave Yukka.”

“We might just do that.”

“Yes, yes.”

And like that, the meeting ended. Daniela and I walked down the hallway and to the entrance.

“A tournament… I wonder if there is a prize.”

“Imperial Sword. That does sound familiar.”

Daniela folded her arms and looked at the ceiling as if she were searching for something.

“I think it was a treasured sword passed down in the empire…”

“Surely that wouldn’t be the prize? It’s a treasure, right?”

Haha. There was no way.

“Yes. You will be bestowed the sword and made Emperor Asagi.”

“That’s a chilling thought. We’re Adventurers.”

“Haha. You sound like you think you can actually win.”

Daniela laughed as if this were the silliest thought. Well, you never know.

Imperial Sword Tournament…huh? I couldn’t say I wasn’t interested.