Guild Master and Rimikia stand dumbfounded after I said no to Guild Master's question.

I enjoy my tea for a bit before I put it back and continue talking.

"Please don't misunderstand. It doesn't mean that I won't support your plan."

*slurp*

Miika finally drinks his tea when I am still talking.

"I also think that it will be helpful if you can help the goblins. It's just that I am not that idealistic of a person to share the same view as yours."

Whether it will be wonderful to have different races living together...

I am just not that kind of person who can naturally wish for strangers to be happy. Especially when I am in a situation where I can only care for myself and people around me. It's unfortunate but I cannot bring myself to like his idealistic way of thinking.

On top of that...

"It was Graize Knights led by Graize Els Victorious who raided the beastmen's village 6 years ago."

That flashback comes across my mind.

Midora's statement starts looming in my mind again.

... I am not exactly a person who can promote peaceful relationship between different races either.

I just... can't...

I continue talking to the Guild Master to get to the main point.

"Anyway, we just have to convince the goblins to help Pepprica-sa-, I meant, Pepprica right?"

"Y- yes..."

Guild Master answers while looking at me with worry look.

"I can try but..."

I look at Miika who is drinking his tea slowly.

"What will you do, Miika?"

"Mmm?"

Miika slowly turns his head towards me while still drinking his tea and looks at me with questioning expression.

"I'm going to convince Ean and others. What about you? Will you accept Guild Master's request or not?"

I know that he will most likely follow me. But in order for him to be recognised as someone who is no longer a slave, I need him to make his own decisions from time to time.

"! Y- yes!"

Miika carefully put the cup to the small plate before continuing his answer.

"I don't know how much I can help, but I'll do my best!"

Then I look at Guild Master and talk to him again.

"There you have it. I cannot guarantee the success but we'll give it a try."

"! Thank you... I really appreciate your help."

Guild Master looked worried at first but he looks relieved now that we accept his request.

If I remember correctly, there were three things that the Guild Master wanted to talk about.

I ask Guild Master for confirmation.

"Now that it has been decided, I assume that there are more things to talk about?"

"Yeah, the last thing I want to talk about is... Miika."

Miika looks at Guild Master after hearing his name mentioned.

"Do you still not remember anything from your memory?"

" ... sorry, I still don't remember anything."

Miika looks crestfallen after answering Guild Master's question. I speak up to confirm the topic of this conversation.

"Is this related to his amnesia?"

Upon hearing my question, Guild Master looks at me.

"Yeah, before you came, I asked him about how he became slave back when Panthos was not near him."

Guild Master then looks at Miika before continue talking.

"In the first place, the slavery magic is used by kingdom or monarch to punish criminals."

... wow, that is new to me. I never learn anything about slavery in this world because I assumed that slavery in this world is the same slavery from my previous world.

Monarch is the name of government system in Elverwad that rules town that is based on individual race. Each town in this continent will have one monarch system each, except multi racial towns like Liasr or races that does not has enough number to make a community big enough to apply the monarch system like goblins.

I said Monarch but it just a similar system to Kingdom in Brahmastra when there are King and Queen that rules it except that Monarch only rule one town while one Kingdom rules the whole Brahmastra Continent.

Guild Master then look at me again.

"That's why I thought it was weird for a kid like him to be a slave. I thought that he might be a victim illegal slavery."

"... illegal slavery?"

Guild master says a weird term that I cannot help but to respond that way.

As someone who thinks that slavery is illegal to begin with, that term sounds really off...

Then Rimikia who is standing quietly all this time, despite one sofa is available for her to sit on, suddenly starts talking.

"Slavery magic is usually a magic that is given to Kingdom and Monarch's chosen bureaucrats. On top of absolute command function, the slavery magic also possess time limit execution function which will kill the slave within 24 hours after they no longer have any master. This is to prevent slaves, who is formerly criminals, from harming or running away from their master."

Bureaucrats are people that works directly under Kingdom or Monarch or the other two government system for other two other continents such as Republic for Wilderystal Continent and Empire for Sanrock Continent.

Bureaucrats are basically government officials that take care of non-combat jobs. However, Rimikia and Guild Master never mention Republic and Empire. I wonder why... I will ask about it when I have the chance.

Rimikia then look at Miika before continue talking.

"I am not sure about Brahmastra. But in Elverwad, Slavery magic formula is a classified secret that only few people working in Monarch knows. The law here punishes people who misuses it. The act of misusing Slavery magic is what we call Illegal Slavery."

Right after saying that, Rimikia looks at me with silence for few seconds.

"..."

I remember the time I used my Overtake to erase the Slavery magic casted on Miika. I admitted that I know a bit on the method of dispelling Slavery Magic.

... don't tell me... I just labelled myself as a suspect of this Illegal Slavery activity in her eyes back then.

Then the Guild Master breaks the silence by talking to both Miika and me.

"I originally plan to ask for Elbint Monarch's help to look into Miika's case. But I guess I don't need to do that anymore."

"Elbint...?"

Miika reacts to that name and says it out loud. The Guild Master is the first one who replies to him.

"What's wrong?"

"Elbint... is Guild Master's name."

"Ohh... you also forget about that huh."

After Guild Master say that, Rimikia proceeds to explain the reason why the Guild Master shares a name with a Monarch's name.

"In this continent, the number of words in someone's name reveals their social status."

Then Rimikia moves her right hand to her chest to point at herself.

"For example, my name is Rimikia. My social status is a commoner. Commoner does not have any surname which is why my name is only Rimikia."

Then Rimikia put down her hand while still talking.

"Those who have surnames are either they are noble or family with long history. Panthos Genuma and Veilene Reverangel are the examples for this."

... so those two are nobles? They feel like a bad example to show how noble acts. After all, I am a former noble myself.

Rimikia continue explaining about surname while we are looking at her.

"The first name is the given name while the second name is the family name. That is how people name their children in this continent."

In Brahmastra, commoners usually have their own surname. The surname can be either the front or back depending on each family. I'm not sure about other continents but I heard that Sanrock people's name consists of surname first and given name later.

Rimikia opens her right palm pointing at Guild Master.

"People with three words on their name are usually related to Monarch. They have social standings higher than noble just like Guild Master."

Miika and my attention goes towards the Guild Master the moment she says that. Rimikia then continue talking.

"Stephanie Elbint Rakusha. The 1st name is his given name. The 2nd name is the Monarch name that he is associated with while the 3rd name is his family's name."

"What do you mean by associated?"

Since I am unfamiliar with Elverwad's naming format, I ask for more clarification.

Rimikia is the one who reply to my question.

"Guild Master is the second Prince of Elbint Monarch that governs the Orc race."

... A PRINCE!? HIM!!??

Of course I did not say my thought above out loud because it might sound rude.

"A PRINCE!? THE GUILD MASTER!?"

Though a certain brat cannot just keep his surprise inside his mind. He looks really surprised.

Guild Master just laugh a bit at Miika's surprise.

"Ahaha, I guess I don't look like one huh."

"Well, I'm more surprised about the fact that a prince is working here as a Guild Master."

After hearing my statement, Guild Master shrugs his shoulders and reply.

"My elder brother will be the one who inherit the throne. That's why I have the freedom to work like this."

After that, the Guild Master sips the tea that is provided by Rimikia and then talk to us again.

"My point is... I'll see if there is any clue about your memories. I know that you are no longer a slave. But feel free to come to me for help. That includes you too, Shion."

"Thank you very much."

"! T- thank you very much!"

Miika mimics me when I say my gratitude to Guild Master.

Guild Master smiles a bit before letting us leave.

"Well, you two may leave now. I count on you two on goblin matters."

I nodded and walk to the door and open it.

But before I leave, I turn to look at Rimikia before saying my gratitude to her as well.

"Thanks for the tea, Rimikia. It was really delicious."

"T- thank you too."

Miika mimics me again. It's kind of annoying but I guess this guy is learning manners on his own.

Rimikia just nod silently without a smile as a reply.

With that, both of us leave the room.

"... Ah."

As Miika closes the door, I let my voice out on reflex as I realize something.

"? What's wrong?"

Miika looks at me with questioning expression. I quickly reply to not worry him.

"No, it's nothing. Let's go."

I forgot to ask about the slavery state in Wilderystal and Sanrock continents.

... well, I can always do research about it later.

_________________________________________

*Interlude*

Guild Master sips his tea again before putting the white cup back to a white small plate on the guild master's desk.

Then he starts talking to Rimikia who is still standing.

"So that's the girl who killed Panthos huh..."

"Yes."

Rimikia immediately reply Guild Master's statement.

Guild Master put his right hand on the table and then put his chin on his right hand before talking again.

"When you said that Panthos was killed by a little girl named Shion. I was surprised at first, but now..."

Before finishing his sentences, he is remembering about Shion's attitude from when he met her for the first time until the moment Shion left the room.

"Rimikia. What do you think about Shion?"

Rimikia then walks to Guild Master's desk. She arrives in front of the desk and starts speaking.

"Back when she started working, she sometimes calling people's name with 'san' at the end of each name. But she corrected it quickly after that and start forcing herself to call other people's name normally."

"Saying names with "san" or "kun" at the end of each names is usually what people from Sanrock do. So she is from Sanrock Continent?"

"Or she has a relative from there. It's just a mere assumption at this point."

Guild Master starts looking at the window where he can see Shion and Miika leaving the guild.

"A mysterious kid with a power that can kill a B-rank adventurer... On top of that, you also told me that she also passed the Craft Test with short amount of time."

Rimikia also see Shion walking while replying to Guild Master's statement.

"According to Pepprica, her knowledge in alchemy are pretty much basic, but she has a strong foundation for it. Which is an impressive feat for an 8 years-old kid."

Then Guild Master looks at Rimikia before talking again.

"And she seemed to understand what I am talking about. I never expected her to not agree there. She most likely knows what I was talking about and she still stay strong with her own belief... well, that's the vibe I got from her. But..."

Rimikia ask a question after hearing Guild Master's statement.

"... is there something wrong?"

"... No, it's just that she still looks dangerous considering what she did so far. I want to believe that she is a good person though. It's just that her background and magic are too suspicious..."

Upon hearing what Guild Master says, Rimikia thinks silently for a moment.

She remembers the time when Shion decides to take the Craft Test.

She remembers the time when Shion chose to accept Ean's quest while no other adventurers wanted to help.

She remembers the time when Shion dispel the Slavery magic collar on Miika.

She never say it out loud but she secretly admires the moments when Shion chose to use that strange power to help others as if it's natural for her to do so.

In her perspective, Shion does not seem to mind what others think about her action but she still takes responsibility for what she has done. She never see many people like that in Liasr Town.

Rimikia can't even compare Shion to other kids considering just how different Shion acts from children that she normally sees.

Combining all those perceptions plus her interactions with Shion for the past few weeks, Rimikia finds Shion interesting in a positive way.

Thinking that, Rimikia opens her mouth.

"..."

But she quickly closes her mouth because what she was about to say is something out of her personal feelings.

As the receptionist of the guild, Rimikia's position is relevant towards the Guild's safety.

Therefore, mixing personal feelings with work is something that she absolutely avoids.

She must not trust a mysterious person with unknown background and power. Even if that person is just a child.

Therefore, she opens her mouth to say the things that she must say as the person working in Liasr Guild.

"Should I investigate her?"

Guild Master looks at Rimikia and thinks for a moment.

A few seconds of silence passed and the Guild Master finally reply.

"Not now I guess. I would like to focus on the upcoming raid battle. With that said, you may go home now and take a rest for two days."

"? But this is still working hours. And what do you mean by two days of rest?"

Rimikia looks at Guild Master with confused expression after saying that question.

"I heard from Erkimi that you have been working overtime almost every day ever since that Fiend Kraken appeared for the first time and killed the fishermen two months ago."

Guild Master stop putting his head on his hand before continue talking.

"It was unfortunate that I was not able to help all of you because of my duties. Now that I am here, you can take a rest now."

"... Shouldn't we need more manpower in organizing the upcoming-"

"I need your help as a combat personnel when the fight happens. So I need you to be at your best condition in the upcoming raid fight."

Guild Master smiles before saying his next statement.

"So I'm counting on you to rest and take it easy until the time we need your help. Okay?"

Rimikia is silent for a few seconds after seeing Guild Master's smiling face.

She knows from years of working with him, that his current smile indicates the implication of 'This is the Guild Master's Order'.

Guild Master is unreliable when it comes to control the adventurers.

But Rimikia knows that he has his own stubborness deriving his intention in caring for other people.

Thus she can only reply...

"Understood. I shall take my leave for today and the next two days."

"Yes. Good work today."

After hearing Guild Master's statement, Rimikia stops near the door.

She bows towards the Guild Master, opens the door and closes it when she leaves the room.

Outside of Guild Master's room, many adventurers can be seen tied up at the place where the meeting(?) was held. They are tied up by Rimikia's Binding Rope magic because they wrecked the whole meeting.

The only adventurer that is not tied up is Veylene due to her fighting prowess that surpass Rimikia's. So Rimikia just gives up in punishing Veilene.

Rimikia quickly tells the dyrad and lamia receptionists that she will need to take a rest for the next two days.

The other receptionists smiles and wishes Rimikia to have a good rest. They also say that they can take care of the rest.

As Rimikia walks to the Guild's door to outside, she sees Veylene who is reading her book despite how chaotic the environment around her.

She notices Veylene but continue walking without stopping.

"..."

Rimikia passes the black-haired elf and leave the guild.

*End of Interlude*

_________________________________________