Secrets of the Adventurer's Guild
Partheon, the capital of the Church, was reduced to ruins by the attack of the Izrim Empire. However, the capital is gradually being restored. The country may have been destroyed, but not its people. There are still people living in the capital, although their numbers have decreased. The people who support the livelihood of these people are those who used to be priests of the church. The Nord Empire supplies the priests with food and supplies, but this is not known to the people.
Ren, the Nord emperor, appears in the church capital. without anyone realizing it.
"...More beautiful than I thought. No, is it as beautiful as I thought?"
Ren is visiting the headquarters of the Adventurers' Guild. It is a place he had visited countless times when he was working for the guild.
There is not a soul in the guild now. That is true, but the building is so unruffled that it is hard to believe that the Izrim Empire has invaded.
"Either is fine"
You know things when you know them. Rather than thinking about it, Ren decided to fulfill the purpose of coming to this place.
He climbed over the reception counter and entered the area where the guild officials worked. He had stopped by the guild leader's office area behind it many times, but this was the first time he had stood behind the reception desk.
"The place where the card device was placed was..."
Relying on his memory, he searched for the location where the magic device that rewrites guild cards was placed. He knew immediately that the actual object was not there. If so, he would have to find out where it had been placed.
"...Hmm."
Can't find anything. Is it because there was nothing from the beginning, or did it disappear after it was there? There was no way to determine.
"In that case..."
This time, he searched the desk used by the guild staff. But the desk was empty.
"...The document letter."
The document delivery service that was registered with the guild and was allowed to be used by a very small number of people who were recognized by the guild. With it, documents could be sent to distant guilds in a surprisingly short time. Ren decided to look for that magic tool.
"...I don't remember seeing anything like that, so maybe it's in the back?"
The area where the guild leader's office is also located. Ren tries to head there. The door is locked, but that is not an obstacle for Ren. He gathers mana in his hands and brings it closer to the keyhole.
"...Ren-kun, you can't do that."
The woman who called out to Ren. It is Mion, a guild staff and a member of a special organization called the Committee of Eight.
"Mion-san, you're here?"
"......You knew, didn't you?"
Ren's exploration of the guild was an invitation to draw her out. Knowing this, Mion came out. He couldn't be left alone.
"I had considered the possibility, but I wasn't absolutely sure."
"So what can I do for you?"
"Do you know anything about science, Mion-san?"
"I don't know. What is it?"
The question was direct. Without being intimidated by this fastball, Mion responded in a normal way.
"Knowledge from another world. It's relatively useful knowledge, but it's not used much in this world."
"I see. That's a pity."
"As far as I know, except for the Adventurer's Guild."
"...The guild has that science? I don't know."
Mion's attitude doesn't change even after being pursued by Ren. She replied that she didn't know about science.
"It's not necessarily science. The Guild has given me the impression of an otherworldly mindset."
The spirit of the guild is equality. No one is discriminated against by birth, upbringing, or talent. In this talent-based world, the guild was different, Ren thought.
"......That could be the case. The Guild has a long history. They may have incorporated some of the knowledge passed down to them from the other world."
"In other words, even a person with a certain amount of knowledge can live a normal life?"
"...What do you mean?"
"I wondered why science had not been introduced to the world. I thought that they would be killed immediately like Takagi-sensei who came to this world with us. But it's not like that. There are people who are alive."
Takagi-sensei's murder had nothing to do with science. The church killed him. If so, the church must know something about science. However, as far as Ren heard, none of the former church members knew about science.
"…You weren’t a child when you were summoned, right?"
"Yes, that's true. But Mion-san, how do you know that being a child means you don't know anything about science?"
"...Children don't know anything."
She should have been wary, but she was set up. Still, without expressing any upset, Mion returned with a few words.
"That's right."
"...Ren-kun. You are still an adventurer. Prying into the guild is a breach of contract. Let alone imitating a thief even if you're not an adventurer."
It's clear that Ren is suspicious. If that is the case, there is no need for unnecessary deception. She's going to force him to stop pursuing the truth.
"Certainly. So, what should I do if I have more questions?"
"...You can come to headquarters. Headquarters is still here as always."
"...Okay, I'll do that. Then I'll come back if I need something."
"Yeah, be careful on your way home."
Greetings as if returning to the neighborhood soon. In fact, it will take almost a month for Ren to return to the Nord Empire.
Ren leaves the guild. Mion watches him and walks away. Using the stairs, she reaches the cafeteria on the second floor. This is where Mion always worked. She enters the kitchen, opens the door to the huge food container, and steps inside. As she applies her guild card to the back of the room, the floor slowly begins to lower.
The floor moves further down through the thick pillars that extend to the first floor. The staff does not know that the Adventurers' Guild headquarters has a basement.
A lighted room deep in the basement.
"......Has he gone back?"
The man who was waiting there called out to Mion.
"Yes, he went back quietly. I think he achieved his purpose?"
"Purpose?"
"He asked if I knew anything about science. He seems to be wondering why science isn't developed in this world."
"...So?"
A look of alarm comes over the man's face. This man, who is alarmed by Mion's explanation, knows science. And, of course, Mion.
"I made a bit of a mistake. I've deepened his suspicions about the Adventurer's Guild."
"Deepen his suspicions?"
"Isn’t that enough for Ren-kun? He has the ability to see the truth in what little information he has."
"...That's right"
The man agreed with Mion's idea. Although he has never met Ren, he knows him well. Only as information.
"Why did he just return? It was a good opportunity to ask, wasn't it?"
A new voice cuts in. The man is not here.
"Is it okay for me to do that on my own?"
"You know what's coming."
"Even if that is the case, the Committee of Eight has not yet made a decision. I'm not going to act in any way that I'm not allowed to as a member of the committee."
"That's an admirable thought. But aren't you the one who regards him the most?"
Again, this time a female voice interrupted. Super long-distance magic tool. Every guild branch has one, so they attend meetings from a distance like this.
"Like I said. I don't want to make a mistake in my judgment. I want to be more careful than anyone else."
"But there was no mistaking the reaction from Yuya Kisaragi."
The first man who interrupted was trying to hurry things along, unlike Milia.
"Only once, and it's only a slight reaction. And even if it's true, it doesn't mean that the Nord Emperor is the savior."
Another voice. This one is as cautious as Milia's. All of them are members of the Committee of Eight. They have a special mission within the Adventurers' Guild, apart from their official position.
"If he is not the savior, what will this world be like?"
"Many people will die. What has happened so many times before, too many times to count, will just happen again."
"Aren't we here to stop it?"
"That's not it. Our mission is to fight alongside the person who will stop it when he or she appears."
"And that person appeared."
Ren is that person. Mion wants to believe he is the savior. She wants to fulfill the mission she has been given. She believes it is her responsibility as a member of the Committee of Eight.
"It is not yet conclusive. If we make the wrong decision, we will lose the power we have built up over the centuries. Hundreds of years of work will have come to nothing."
Even the cautious have a firm opinion. The Committee of Eight has been carrying on its mission for a period of a hundred years. The current members have no idea how long it has been in existence, and it has been going on for so long that no records have been kept. If something happens and fails, it will be for nothing. It is normal to be cautious.
"What if we make a mistake and lose the chance to win?"
"That is also a mistake. I don't know if we have what it takes to win now. We may need more knowledge and time."
Although they are on a mission, they do not know the power of the enemy. The big battle that makes it possible is an event that happened a long time ago before the Committee of Eight was formed.
"But then..."
"Imitating the efforts of our predecessors thoughtlessly…"
Their discussion continues. There is no guarantee that a conclusion will be reached. A decision that the Committee of Eight for generations has never been able to make, although some generations have never had the opportunity to do so. There is no reason to believe that they can. The Committee of Eight, though charged with a mission, has continued for hundreds of years without fulfilling that mission. It is because they could not make a decision.
◇◇◇
Ren leaves the headquarters of the Adventurers' Guild. The destination is the church. It is not to obtain information. The current City has no spirits that have remained. Ren knows that.
Ren walks alone on the street. Not a few people have noticed his presence. However, there are very few people who can greet him in a friendly manner.
There is an atmosphere in Ren that does not allow that. The people praying to Ren from a distance show that it is not only the atmosphere he has, but also the rumors that have spread among the people of the church that have affected them.
"Haa..."
A sigh escaped from Ren's mouth. Ren doesn't even want to be respected as an emperor. He can't accept being prayed to by church members.
"That's a big sigh. What's wrong?"
A woman spoke to Ren in a normal way. She was someone who could laugh off the rumors that Ren was the savior, a former classmate, Kitagawa Miko.
"Oh... a boy?"
The baby Kitagawa is holding. Ren asked the gender of the baby.
"You have a different reaction?"
"Isn't it strange for me to congratulate you?"
"...Maybe so. But I want you to congratulate the born child."
Promise to Ren. Kitagawa did not lose her life because he did not want to kill even the child in her womb. But that was only a reprieve.
"That's right. Congratulations. Don't regret being born in this world."
"Is that a word of congratulations?"
"That's what I was going to do... is it strange? Kitagawa-san wouldn't like your child to be like me, right?"
Ren once regretted his birth into the world, his original world. That he was born as a person who was feared by his parents and ended up taking their lives as a result.
"...That's not true. I want this child to live as strong as Ren-kun."
"I'm not particularly strong though?"
"From my point of view, Ren-kun is strong. You carved out your own life. I think so."
"…That’s the same for Kitagawa-san. I think it's great that you're prepared to have children in this world."
Come to think of it, Shizuku also wanted to have a child. Ren remembered it.
"That kind of thing is……"
"Maybe you just drowned in pleasure."
In Shizuku's case, it's not just the desire for pleasure, but also material desire. She makes up her mind on her own.
"...Isn't that terrible?"
"I don't think it's a bad thing. Besides, who in this world cares about the world, right?"
"That's right, but... because they're children born out of love..."
"Regardless of what caused the birth of the child, as long as it is a life that makes it happy, that is fine. It's not my place to say so, but I think that's all that matters."
"...That's right"
Will her child feel that way? She's not sure she'll ever find out.
"I'll wait until you come to a conclusion."
"Eh?"
"You want to know how it turns out, don't you?"
"...Ren-kun. You're really kind after all."
Ren would surely not kill her. Even though she told herself not to have expectations, she couldn't erase that thought. The result was as she had hoped. Ren forgave her because of her child.
"Me? That's a misunderstanding."
"That's not true. Isn't it Ren-kun who is helping this city with supplies?"
"That's because I have an ulterior motive."
"What is your ulterior motive?"
"I can't incorporate this distant city into my country. But I don't want to hand it over to the enemy. That's why I thought of incorporating the people who live here instead of the land. That's what it is."
He is just trying to take the hearts of the people, not the land. Even if the Izrim Empire conquered this city, it would only be a burden if the people disobeyed. To create such a situation.
"Then, what ulterior motive do you have in forgiving me?"
"I haven't forgiven you. I just extended the grace period."
"......What's the reason for extending it?"
Ren keeps denying it, even though he is being praised for being kind. Kitagawa doesn't understand why he dislikes it so much.
"…Birthday gift?"
"......I got it. I'll take it gratefully."
Whether Ren is kind or not depends on what the recipient thinks of the favor, including whether it is a favor or not. She felt he was kind. Kitagawa thought that was fine.
"Where's your husband?"
"Working. I was just about to bring him his lunch. Do you want to come too, Ren-kun?"
"No, that's okay. I have somewhere to go too."
"I see... See you later."
"I can't promise to meet you again. So take care of yourself."
"...I understand. Ren-kun too."
As Ren said, there is no guarantee that they will see each other again. Ren is in the middle of a war. Kitagawa, too, never knows what dangers may befall them at any moment. The world is not as peaceful as it was in the past, so peaceful that you can't even feel that it is.
Ren leaves Kitagawa and heads toward his destination. His steps are slow. He passes through the gate of the church and takes the path that leads to the back of the church.
"You're late."
Shizuku was waiting in front of the building where he used to live.
"If I catch up with you, you'll be troubled, right?"
"...What are you talking about?"
"Hey, do you really think I don't notice your presence?"
Ren knows that Shizuku had come to check on him before he came here. She is secretly hiding.
"Well, I'm happy. Ren will notice me wherever I am, right?"
"......I really admire that about you. I can also say that I'm stunned."
Ren was frankly impressed with Shizuku, who was able to make such a counterattack in an instant. Shizuku is the only person around Ren who has such impudence.
"I finished cleaning early, so I went to pick you up."
"Then why were you hiding?"
"Because... Ren is having a friendly conversation with a woman."
"A woman… you know Kitagawa-san, right?"
He doesn't know how well they got along in their original world. But Ren thinks that at least she knows her better than he does.
"Yes. A married woman with a child."
"...What is that?"
[Married woman with a child] is not an expression for her when she was a classmate. Nor is it a term that describes only her.
"A type that doesn’t exist around Ren right now."
"You... what kind of devil am I to you?"
He finally understood what Shizuku was thinking. He gets it, but he can't stand it when people think that way about him.
"Do you want children?"
"Huh? Why did you ask that question? You know the answer, right?"
He never thought he would want a child of his own. Shizuku must have known that, he thought.
"Because... Ren's mood when he was watching the baby was different than usual. It felt kind of calm."
"……Really?"
Ren is puzzled by Shizuku's remarks. He is completely unaware.
"Yes. Ren likes children, right?"
"I never thought of it that way."
"No, you like them. Otherwise, there's no way you can take care of the children like that... I miss it. Living in this place was fun."
Shizuku recalled the time when she lived here with a large group of children. It was pretty miserable, but now it's a good memory.
"I guess... it was here that I first realized that you were a pervert."
"Yes……?"
"I knew from the time we were in the original world that you have two sides of you, but as expected… it was fun to be liberated, wasn’t it?”
"Liberated……"
Shizuku has no recollection of being liberated. Although she remembers being trained.
"Come to think of it, I haven't tied you up recently. There were a lot of times when we were in this place. If I don't, you'll demand it from the children."
"Eh..."
It is the children who set her up. She thought that Ren had noticed that a long time ago.
"What else did we do?"
"…………”
A lot of things that she can't say because she's embarrassed.
"You can't remember right away either? No, we've got time today. Let's try everything we can remember."
"E-everything..."
What would happen to her if he did that? She has had the experience of being driven insane by a single act.
"But...... I never thought we'd be together this long."
"Eh?"
"Isn't that right? You are the number one person for my revenge. It wouldn't be strange if I killed you first."
"...That's right."
The reason for the physical relationship was also because she had angered Ren with her involvement with Kazuki. The act that followed was also an act of revenge for Ren.
"I wonder why?"
"I'm sure it's because of Harumoto-san. If I said this, Ren would get angry, but she forgave me."
Shizuku thinks that her unique magic [Wings of Compassion] was given to her by Kazuki. She thinks that Ren might get furious if she interprets it as Kazuki forgiving her, but she honestly said what she is feeling.
"...Because it's Kazuki. She'll surely forgive anyone. No matter how much they hurt her... she..."
"Amazing, isn't it? I can never imitate her. She's like..."
They both swallowed the words that came to their minds. Not because of what, but because of Kazuki. Because they thought that was the right way to receive it.
"...For now, let's finish visiting the grave."
"Yes. Let's do that."
The two start walking toward the cemetery. The destination is the grave where Kazuki's body is laid to rest. For Ren, the body is like a shell of her soul, and it doesn't mean anything special to him, but he still decides to visit the grave.
Perhaps something might be conveyed to Kazuki, who is no longer with them. They hope that there is something special in the grave that they don't know of.
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