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Published at 2nd of May 2023 11:29:08 AM


Chapter 120: - Episode 118: Settlement

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After a little too much agitation, things got a little complicated, so I headed to the grocery store to talk to Marie. I wish Marie was there, but it was nighttime, so she might not be so nice.

When I arrived at the general store, it was a little difficult to talk to her because she seemed to be in the process of closing the store. ......I have everyone waiting in Mel's workshop, so I can't just sit around and wait. I'm not going to waste my time. I'm going to have to be brave and ask the clerk if Marie is in the store.

She seems to know my face and says she is there, and shows me straight to the reception room. I asked him if he didn't have to check with Marie, and he said that I was a very important customer of the restaurant and that I was a complete VI! I asked her if she didn't have to check with Marie and she told me that I was an important customer of the restaurant and that she had been told to treat me with full VI! VI! I feel like a big shot.

In the reception room, I receive a cup of tea from a young man with sparkling white teeth and wait for Marie. I am a little depressed because I still feel that my s*xuality is misunderstood. After waiting for a while, I hear her walking fast. Is it Marie?

"Yuta-san, I see our discussion is over. What happened?"

As soon as he entered the reception room, he seemed convinced that something had happened. Yes, there was a problem, but how could he know? Was it because I came out of the blue at night?

"Yes, well, I've been in a bit of trouble, but how did you know I was in trouble?"

"I sent an adventurer from the store guard to watch the meeting between Yuta and Guilmouth. I had told them to return as soon as possible after the meeting, but since Yuta was there before the meeting, I assumed that he was in a hurry to get here."

...... that adventurer must be having a hard time with the spiky plants right now. I feel sorry for him. There might be other people who just came to check up on the situation, too. ...... I did it on the spur of the moment, but I should have at least chosen the one without the prick.

"Uh, that adventurer will probably take a while to come back."

What do you mean?

"Well, I'll tell you about it now, but for now, please sit down."

I offer a seat to Marie, even though it's not my house, and tell her all about my time at the Adventurers' Guild.

".................., does that make me a criminal?"

Marie, who was listening to my story, is smiling wryly at me. It seems that something very pleasant was included in my story.

"First of all," she said, "there is a small chance that the Adventurers' Guild will be charged with a crime if they file a lawsuit against the government. But I don't think that will be a problem. Unless the Adventurers' Guild captures them themselves and turns them over to the government, simply relying on the government would ruin the reputation of the Adventurers' Guild.

Come to think of it, I heard something like that when Sarah and the others were almost kidnapped by Carl and the others. He said that the Adventurers' Guild is trying to deal with them because there are a lot of bad guys out there. That's what the punishment squads are for, I heard. ...... Those guys are going to be our pursuers? Maybe I should have had my bones crunched a little more? Well, I guess it doesn't matter how many of them come.

"So, as long as we don't get caught by the Adventurers' Guild, we should be fine?"

"Yes, but the Adventurers' Guild could be serious about that. When an A-rank adventurer committed a crime before, an S-rank adventurer made a move.

S-rank, ...... seems like it would be no problem with Sylphy and the others, but I guess they are actually quite good at what they do.

"But don't worry. From what I have heard from Yuta-san, it is clearly the fault of the Adventurers' Guild. Well, this will reduce the power of the Adventurers' Guild, which was strong in the labyrinth city. My father must be overjoyed because he had a hard time with the Adventurers' Guild. You can rest assured that I won't let Yuta mess with them. I'm not going to let you trap an adventurer who has access to valuable materials. ......"

Marie speaks with big reactions of gestures. She seems to be very happy. ...... I see, that's why she was smiling. But...I guess I don't need to ask for your help, so I'll decline. I'm afraid to owe a merchant.

"No, it's enough to know that you won't become a criminal. I can take care of myself, don't worry about it.

"Really? I would have been happy to help. ......"

Marie looks a little disappointed.

"But it's a chance for us to increase our influence as merchants, and we'd like to get involved.

"Yes, that's up to you, Marie, and I have no right to say anything about it.

His grin deepens at my words. First, I contact my father ...... and get the Commerce Guild and the Medicine Man Guild involved ...... and mutter to myself. This is a good idea, to get involved, or rather, to make a fuss around them.

"Well, more importantly, I've quit the Adventurers' Guild and I need a new ID. I don't mind either way as long as I can get into the labyrinth."

The commercial guild seems to be more comfortable, but the mercenary guild seems to be scary.

"Have you quit? Did you even return your guild card?"

No, I just said I was quitting.

If so, I think it would be better for you to act as an adventurer for the time being. If you join another guild, there is a possibility that the Adventurers' Guild will file a lawsuit against you. If you become a merchant or a mercenary, the Adventurers' Guild will need the intervention of the state in order to interfere with Yuta."

So the Adventurers' Guild is only capturing adventurers to protect its own reputation, and there is no shame in asking the government to intervene if other guilds intervene. That's a complicated way of thinking. But maybe it's a good thing we didn't knock back the guild card.

Then moving to another guild would have been a bad idea, and you'd be working as an adventurer, but against the guildmasse ....... Also, I'm embarrassed to be an adventurer since I said I'm quitting the adventurer's guild.

"Hmm? Now that I've declared my resignation, won't the Adventurers Guild invalidate my guild card or ban me?"

"In the case of the small ones, that is a possibility, but after all the fuss, it is not an option for reasons of honor. The Adventurers' Guild's policy is to settle, capture or kill. If you can hide yourself, I think you will be fine, but please be careful not to assassinate anyone.

Assassination...that's a word that doesn't really ring a bell. Let's take our time to think about it.

I understand. Thank you very much. I will leave the labyrinth city for a while and will come back when I come back.

"So you're leaving the Labyrinth City. ...... How soon will you be back?"

...... how long. Well, the next time I come back will be when the house is finished.

"I don't think I'll be here for about 20 days."

"...... You won't be able to supply us with medicinal herbs wholesale in the meantime, will you?"

"I'm not in the labyrinth city, and I don't go into the labyrinth, so it's impossible."

If we wholesale the contents of the magic bag, it might last for a while, but under the current circumstances, it would be wise not to take it out. I'll have to ask Guilmouth to shove it in the faces of those who were hoping for a special herb.

Marie is going to complain to Guilmouth when she finds out that the herbs won't be available for a while. ...... Let's not mention that we were originally going to leave even if we didn't have to deal with Guilmouth.

Marie, thank you very much for the information you have given me. I'll check in with you when I get back.

He invited me to dinner, but I declined and left the restaurant because of the situation and because my children were waiting for me. If it is better not to make another card, I should leave the Labyrinth City tonight. But it's still embarrassing to use the Adventurers' Guild's card after daring them so much.

****

Screams can be heard everywhere. As soon as that d*mned necromancer left, plants began to multiply rapidly in the guild, and in no time at all, my vision turned green." If you make a careless move, the sharp spikes on the plants will sting you.

There is no doubt that this phenomenon is also the work of the genie. I have never heard of such a phenomenon being caused by a genie, but he was manipulating plants when he captured the punishment squad.

He must have contracted with spirits related to plants, but spirits of plants should be able to manipulate plants around them or speed up the growth of crops. What is going on?

Master, I need you to tell me what to do.

I can't see her, but I can hear Eltina. The guards are nowhere to be seen. We are completely cut off. There are many things on ......'s mind, but now is not the time to think about them.

"First, we have to get rid of the plants. First, we must get rid of the plants. They have sharp spikes on them, so those with strong defenses must cut them down. We don't know where they are, so be careful not to hit anyone! The rest of you, stay out of the way, keep your voices down, and don't move as much as possible!"

The adventurers around me started to do as I ordered, but no progress was made in eliminating the plants. The reason for this is that the spines of this plant are unusually sharp and the plant itself is unusually strong.

If we move carelessly, the spines will pierce through our sturdy armor made of the demon's leather. Even an adventurer's slash can only sever a few spines at a time, and each time the plant shakes, causing damage to the surrounding area.

It is a plant I have never seen before, but it is incredibly troublesome. If I had a weapon at hand, I could manage, but I am wearing only a dagger for self-defense, as I am sitting at the apology table. ...... I guess we'll just have to wait and see if we can be rescued, which is a d*mn shame.

Screams and curses were heard everywhere, and finally all the people in the guild were rescued. We had adventurers who came back after the plants had grown, and we had them gather people and equipment for an emergency rescue, but it was only a lifesaving operation.

Not a single one of them was unharmed. No one was seriously injured, but everyone was bleeding from sharp stings. Those who came later are also wounded, despite being well-equipped.

The plant is of such poor quality and resilience that the severed plant sways unpredictably, and even the best of them cannot avoid it all within a small area of action. The more the plant is cut, the more wounds it gets, which is not intolerable, but the more you work on it, the more wounds it gets, and the more it hurts your spirit, too.

Moreover, it seems that the plants are not only invading the halls, but every nook and cranny of the guild's interior. Although it is easier to move around now that there is no one around, my head aches thinking about the rest of the work. 

"Guilmas! Is it true that that genie surgeon defeated the Fire Dragon?"

After the lifesaving operation was over, adventurers gathered around. The story would spread, and there was no point in hiding it here, but ...... this situation would cause more chaos.

"We'll talk about it when the plants are removed. Wait until then."

"Not so fast. I don't know how long it will take to finish cleaning up that much plant material. We're harassing him on guild orders. To the monster that could have killed the fire dragon! Or is the guild going to take responsibility and give us an escort that can beat that guy?"   

If there were such guards, they would have defeated the fire dragon long ago. As today's events have shown, punishing him head-on is dangerous, and the only way to do so is to request S-rank adventurers or use entanglements.

No, even if he is S-ranked, it is unthinkable to defeat the Fire Dragon alone. It's not realistic.

"Guilmas! What do you think? You told me to be careful when I met him in the labyrinth. It's not funny."

More and more adventurers are gathering around us. This is not going to end well.

"Well, it's unconfirmed, but there's a good chance that the necromancer has killed the fire dragon. But we can't leave that man who turned against the guild like this. I want you all to remain calm and act accordingly.

What exactly are you going to do about it?

"I will consult with headquarters and request the dispatch of an S-rank."

It's going to be tough, but I can't say I'm going to assassinate him.

I can't risk my life on a story like that. I'm sorry, but I'm moving out of the labyrinth city. I'm sure they'll remember my face.

The party leaves the group of adventurers in droves. It's not worthwhile to force them to stay, but it hurts to see their numbers dwindle.

This will take even more time to remove the plants. We have no choice but to raise the commission fee and recruit more people, but many adventurers have left. More and more will leave after they hear our story. Even when we need more manpower .......




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