Acting as if I did not care about the cold stares, I walked into the Adventurers’ Guild branch.
「The Goblin Killer, huh. Go call Rusul.」
It seemed like they had completely memorized my face. Wait, what? Are there wanted posters of me going around or something?
Rusul came right away, and for some reason he let out a sigh.
Why though?
「…Ever since you arrived, things have been incredibly busy…」
「It’s not like I’m the one attracting all this trouble. If I really were drawing it in, I’d have already ended my life in despair.」
There’s no way my heart is strong enough to live while carrying around that kind of misfortune magnet.
「Well, it has certainly become busier, but strangely enough, there have been no deaths. I’m grateful for the guidance.」
It seems Cyrus had already told him about me.
「I’m just an ordinary guy, so please don’t expect anything from me.」
「…You’re the same as ever. Even though you defeated two of the Yamaguro’s offspring by yourself…」
「And in doing so, I nearly bankrupted myself with the expenses.」
That fight was basically won by throwing money at the problem. It was the performance of the guns that defeated them. What exactly am I supposed to be proud of? Rather than pride, I’ve been getting stomachaches every day thinking about how to recover those costs.
「That’s why I’m currently planning an operation to recover those massive expenses. I’d like the Adventurers’ Guild’s cooperation.」
Thanks to my massive spending, the Adventurers’ Guild should have profited as well. There were no casualties, and they were able to obtain the magic stone from the parent Yamaguro we defeated.
「…Understood. Let’s talk over there.」
We moved to the same room where I received my reward last time.
I declined tea and instead brought out canned coffee and bottled milk tea from my side. Mishinie was still drinking wine. Is she an alcoholic?
「Milk tea is delicious.」
So he has a sweet tooth too.
「If you’re fine with the cheap ones, I can sell them to you.」
I ordered some powdered milk tea packs (one of Ladarion’s usual supplies).
「I’ll let you have it for three copper coins.」
It normally costs about five hundred yen, but since it’s Rusul, I’ll sell it cheap.
「…Trying to lure people with goods isn’t very proper.」
Even as he said that, Rusul took out three copper coins and accepted the pack. He gives off a serious impression, but it seems he’s actually a bit playful at heart.
「So then, how exactly should we cooperate?」
「We’d like to use Fort Miroid, so we’re hoping for your cooperation with that.」
「…Fort Miroid, you say. Ah, come to think of it, you did recruit young Sierra away, didn’t you?」
She’s not really at the age where you’d call her ‘young’ anymore. That’s what I thought, but I kept it off my face and out of my mouth. Who knows what kind of trouble I’d get into if that got out.
Silence is the best policy.
「She’s been working very well for us.」
「Well, if it’s you, you can probably handle Sierra.」
Rusul didn’t say the reason out loud. Well, I accepted her for roughly the same reason anyway.
Rusul also chose silence.
「Please wait a moment. I’ll bring the layout map of Fort Miroid.」
Holding the milk tea pack carefully, he left the room.
「Mishinie, you can go to the inn ahead of us if you want. Seriously, you’re drinking too much. You’ve already emptied four bottles.」
Three during the trip. One after arriving at the branch.
Does she want to replace her blood with wine?
「No, I’ll stay. Who knows what men might talk about when they’re alone.」
「Talk about what? What would we discuss besides Fort Miroid?」
It’s not like I’m close enough with Rusul to chat casually.
「Takato, you’re really hopeless.」
What do you mean hopeless!?
I tried looking to Bisha and Mebi for help, but they were still giving me those cold stares.
What the hell is going on!?
Lacking the courage to ask directly, I reached for a canned coffee and waited for Rusul to return.
What kind of hell is this?
「──Sorry to keep you waiting.」
Rusul noticed the atmosphere in the room, but clearly not wanting to get dragged into it, he silently spread a sheet of parchment across the table with a blank expression.
「It’s been over thirty years since it was abandoned, so the surrounding area is probably in ruins. But the inside shouldn’t be too badly damaged, since adventurers still use it.」
So this is the layout of Fort Miroid. Hmm.
Actually, calling it a layout is generous, it’s more like a rough sketch. It’s drawn very loosely.
「May I copy this?」
Even if it’s rough, it’s better than having nothing.
「Yes, feel free.」
So I copied it into my sketchbook.
「Is there a road from the town of Mars to Fort Miroid?」
「There’s something like an animal trail.」
If it’s just an animal trail, the Pioneer probably can’t pass through. Well, considering it was abandoned, I wasn’t expecting much anyway.
「Could you notify the adventurers not to approach the area?」
「In a little while, no one will go near it anyway.」
So during winter there really is less work.
「Could you hire about ten adventurers by tomorrow? I’d like to make the fort usable.」
We’ll probably need to clear the area around the fort, and prepare firewood as well. Hiring about ten people shouldn’t cost too much.
「Would it be alright if there were more?」
「Yes, that’s fine. As long as it’s no more than twenty.」
More than that would be hard to manage.
「Would ten silver coins be enough? We’ll provide the meals ourselves.」
I don’t know the market rate, but Fort Miroid is about half a day away. Considering normal walking speed, it shouldn’t be more than twenty kilometers. If we hire them for about five days, we should be able to get the place into decent shape.
「That will be fine. This is a season with little work anyway.」
So he said he would gather them by tomorrow morning.
「Ah, I’ll accompany you as well. If something serious happens, it will be quicker if someone from the Adventurers’ Guild is present.」
Apparently, I’ve been completely labeled a troublemaker.
This is way too unfair.
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