The adventurers’ guild was crowded again today.
Just how many jobs are there? If it gets this packed, maybe they should split the adventurers’ guild and the job center into two separate places.
Well, administrative reform is the margrave’s job. Good luck with that.
I looked around for Sierra and found her at a counter where no one was lined up. What section is that supposed to be?
Sierra noticed me and stepped out from behind the counter.
「You finally came. I have been waiting for you」
「I had a few things to take care of. I am here to become a provisional adventurer. Register me」
I do not want to stay in this dusty place any longer than necessary.
「Please come this way. The guild master wants to speak with you」
This woman is always so impatient. How does she even manage to work reception? Or is she looking down on me?
I shook off the hand trying to pull me along.
「Stop doing that. Do not force your schedule on me. If you have business with me, explain it first. Especially if it is urgent」
I have no intention of picking a pointless fight with the guild master, who has ties to the margrave, but I also do not plan to get friendly with anyone who lacks basic manners. If I am not firm now, they will keep pushing trouble onto me.
I took a step back from Sierra.
「…I… I am sorry」
「If you will be careful from now on, I have nothing more to say」
If the other person apologizes, forgive them quickly. No reason to earn pointless resentment.
「The guild master wants to ask about the goblins that appeared in Lasagna Village. Would you please come to the guild master’s room?」
So, she ‘can’ do it when she tries. Maybe she is just bad at handling pressure.
「All right. I will go」
She led me upstairs, just like last time.
「Ano, who’s the girl over there?」
「My partner. We handle goblin extermination together」
Hearing that, she went quiet. Well, she must have realized this is not the place to ask further. She is probably competent at the core.
「Guild Master. Takato is here」
「Yes, come in.」
When I entered the room, the guild master was surrounded by mountains of paperwork. Seems that in every world, people at the top end up wrestling with documents. Being important is not worth it.
「Sorry. Wait a little longer. I have something urgent to finish」
「Understood. I will wait however」
I was tired after walking ten kilol. Until the guild master could take a breath, I decided to take one first.
I took a plastic bottle of tea out of my apport pouch and had a drink. Ladarion took a two-liter bottle of milk tea from his backpack and drank as well.
「That is a very sweet smell」
「Sorry. Is it bothering you?」
「No, it smells good. What is it?」
The guild master stuck his head out from the mountain of parchment paperwork. A sweet tooth, maybe?
「It is something called milk tea. If you are interested, want to try some? It is very sweet」
「Sweet is welcome. I have a sweet tooth」
He really does have a sweet tooth. Even though he looks more like a heavy drinker.
I took out a five hundred milil bottle of milk tea I had bought for Ladarion, broke the seal, and handed it to the guild master.
「That is a strange container」
「Apparently it was developed in a certain country. I do not know how they make it though」
I used to work in a factory, but we did not make plastic bottles, so I have no idea.
「This is good」
「I will sell them for two copper coins a bottle. I still have five more」
「All right, I will buy them」
That was quick. Just how much did he like it?
I took out five bottles of milk tea and received ten copper coins.
「Drink them within fifteen days. Anything a goblin exterminator can buy disappears after more than fifteen days」
「…Magic…?」
「Yes. There is a spell on them so they cannot be resold, given the kind of items they are」
I explained it first because I did not want to be pestered with “bring that out” and “bring this out”. It would be found out sooner or later anyway.
「Fifteen days, huh. Long and short at the same time」
It really is long and short. I have had it happen many times where I thought something was still fine and it vanished. Even the shotgun I bought for Ladarion disappeared. It cost seventy thousand yen…
「Well, if it is something you will use up quickly, I can make it work. As long as it is when you come here」
「I will count on you then. I really like this milk tea」
Gotta watch out for diabetes though.
「So, have you finished your work for now?」
「Yeah. I hear a large number of goblins showed up in Lasagna Village. What is the situation? I heard Takato is involved」
「I asked a man named Gorg, who lives in Lasagna Village, to take the goblin extermination job, so we tried making a pitfall and luring them with bait, and a huge number of them gathered. This is just my guess, but when goblins find food, I think they get excited and release a smell that calls their companions. Something similar happened before」
「…I have heard rumors like that before…」
There was someone who thought of it. Well, after suffering from goblins for hundreds of years, it is not surprising that someone came up with a theory like that.
「It is best to avoid letting goblins gather and hunt them regularly」
「Even if we know that, it is hard to do. Goblin extermination takes nothing but time and effort」
He let out a long sigh. He really seemed worn down.
「We can handle it, so we would appreciate any information you have about goblins. Also, when we hunt them in the fields, it would help if you could arrange people to gather the goblin corpses. Leaving them there would not be good」
If someone claimed the corpses caused disease or something, it would be a hassle.
「That is easy. There are more than enough day laborers」
Even with all that crowding, there were still people without work. Right, there were a lot who looked like vagrants too.
「Are there any places where goblins appear frequently? We will head there next」
「That helps. Goblins have been causing trouble in the Roble district. I will prepare a map」
He prepared a map right away and showed us.
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