Volume 4 Chapter 17 When You Add The Side Story To The 100Th Chapter, It Actually Exceeds 100 Chapters Normally!!
After returning to the royal capital, we went to the Mercenary Guild the next day. We took a day off because we were feeling tired for various reasons.
The rewards for the mercenaries who participated in the reconstruction work are paid individually, but the overall report had to be submitted to the guild by the highest-ranking member, Mikage.
Although Mikage has a higher rank, in reality, Aina was the one directing the work, and it was me who originally took on this request. So, naturally, both Aina and I are accompanying Mikage. Kyunei is currently working at the clinic and wasn't with us.
The person we're reporting to is Karan, a senior staff member of the guild. Ever since the Monster Rampage incident, we've been seeing each other quite often. It's reassuring to deal with a familiar face.
However, Karan might have a different impression from his side.
"----So, that's the situation."
"..."
After Mikage's explanation, Karan closed his eyes while crossing his arms. He didn't seem upset, but there was a hint of seriousness in his expression.
After a deep sigh, the seriousness eased, but his face still showed some concern.
"Well... I have a rough idea of the situation now. First, good job on the reconstruction work. You can collect your reward at the counter later."
Saying that, Karan lowered his eyebrows and looked at me.
"Anyway, you always seem to get involved in trouble."
"Uh, even if you say that... It's just coincidence, really."
This kind of role seems to be more suited for Brave (Relix). He faces difficulties wherever he goes, overcomes them splendidly, nurtures bonds with his comrades, expands his circle of friends, and hones his abilities. It's truly a wonderful success story.
'Getting involved in troubles wherever he goes, beating them, making friends with girls, making connections in various places, and gaining strength. Hmm, I've heard this story somewhere.'
Strange. Even though the content is the same, it sounds completely different.
"So, how is the guild responding to the current report?"
"It's probably too much for the guild to handle by themselves. First, we'll report the situation to the royal castle. Then, either a request will be issued to the guild again, or the knights will be dispatched."
Karan's response to Mikage's question was as expected.
"I thank you. Thanks to all of you, the guild almost made a big mistake."
"I don't suppose you'll mention our little stunt, will you?"
Aina's words seemed like a challenge, and both Mikage and I were surprised. On the other hand, Karan just shrugged.
"If I may say so, I do have some slight feelings in that direction, even if it's a bit embarrassing. However, I'm not foolish enough to not understand the seriousness of the situation. I might face some criticism, but it should be kept to a minimum."
If we hadn't investigated that cave, we wouldn't have uncovered any new facts. In other words, the mistakes of the mercenaries who had previously investigated wouldn't have come to light.
However, this is related to demons. When new issues related to that cave come to light later, the Mercenary Guild will undoubtedly be held responsible. Considering that, it was rather fortunate that we discovered it at this early stage of the initial investigation.
"I see. In that case, there's nothing more for us to say from our end."
"That's good to hear. ...By the way, you're a new recruit who recently became a mercenary, right? I believe your name is Aina."
"Yes. This reconstruction job is my first assignment."
Karan rested his chin on his hand, carefully studying Aina's face as if searching his memory.
"Have we met somewhere before?"
"Well... I have a pretty ordinary face that you might see anywhere."
Aina smiled, and inside my mind, I tsukkomi, "Whoa, there's no way a girl like her is ordinary!"
"...Sorry for saying something like a cheesy pickup line. I just felt like I recognized your face for some reason. But that's probably impossible."
Karan chuckled while scratching his head.
Then he murmured softly.
"Obviously, a princess wouldn't be in a place like this. It's just a coincidence that your name is the same; you must be someone who looks like her, yeah."
He muttered to himself, nodding repeatedly.
Wow, Aina is amazing. She's so confident that she's not even being mistaken for a former princess.
"By the way, hypothetically, if an additional investigation request regarding that cave were to come to the guild, would you guys be willing to take it on? If you're interested, I can pull some strings to prioritize it for you."
"No, thank you."
"Not even a moment's hesitation..."
Even though I bluntly refused, Karan's expression tightened, but he still persisted.
"...Probably, this task would not only be challenging in terms of difficulty but also offer significant achievements. Perhaps it could even be an opportunity to establish connections with the requesting country or government. It could undoubtedly work in our favor for future promotions."
"That doesn't sound like a job fit for a 4th rank."
It might be occasionally forgotten, but my rank as a mercenary is the second lowest, 4th rank. I've moved up a step from being a newbie. At least, I'm not at a rank entrusted with tasks from the country.
And he said it's about establishing connections with the country or government, but it's already too late for that. After all, one of my girls is a former royal, and there's even a skilled blacksmith who used to work for the royal family.
Plus, as I told Mikage and the others, it's too much trouble. Personally, I don't want to get involved in national-scale issues.
Without a positive response from me, Karan looks to Mikage and Aina for help, but they just smile awkwardly or shake their heads.
"...Understood. We don't want to pressure promising mercenaries into a bad situation. Well, that's it for this matter."
Karan adjusts his posture and his expression becomes a bit more serious. It seems like the conversation might continue, but I won't be reporting anything from my end.
"...Is there perhaps some problem?"
Mikage asked Karan first, but he shook his head. "No, it's not about that. It's actually a beneficial story for you guys - especially for Yukina-kun," Karan said.
After taking a deep breath, Karan got straight to the point.
"Yukina-kun, there's talk within the guild about your promotion to 3rd rank. Well, I suggested it myself."
--It seemed like something similar had happened before.
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