"Huh, Scharl, are you working?"
In a rundown coffee shop, Scharl was reading through some documents without even brewing coffee.
"Yeah, I got a request at the handyman service 'Seas Kai.' Someone's daughter has gone missing — they want us to find her. Several of those requests came in one right after another."
"Are requests to find missing people common?"
"Occasionally. But the adventurer's guild takes that kind of job too."
"So they came to a cheaper, small-time handyman because they couldn't pay the guild's fees?"
"Drop the 'small-time.' Apparently the guild told them they couldn't accept this particular request for some reason."
Wow.
I'm getting a seriously bad feeling about this.
"So, sure enough, when I looked into it, the Red Empress seems to be connected to the disappearances of young women. In other words, pressure was put on the guild."
"And they just look the other way?"
"I'd rather not get involved. They call her the cold, merciless Empress, but in reality she's a hysterical bi—"
Just then, the coffee shop's doorbell jingled.
"Scharl, you run a handyman service, right?! Eliese has gone missing! You've gotta find her — the guild turned me down! Please, I'm begging you!"
Randy stumbled in, gasping for breath.
"Well, I can't exactly say I don't want to get involved now. Randy, I'll take the job. I'll contact you later, so just stay home and wait."
"Thank you!"
◇◇◇
After Randy left, in the coffee shop.
"Scharl, didn't you just say you didn't want to get involved?"
"The name Eliese came up — if I turned it down, you'd kill me, wouldn't you? I'll search with my life on the line."
I wouldn't do anything like that.
I'll just do what I can within my own limits. I have no intention of demanding others do things they're incapable of.
But still...
"Scharl, I know it seems like I'm stealing your job, but I'll handle this one instead. My [Super Intuition] keeps telling me there isn't much time."
"Wait a minute. We don't even know where she was taken yet. Just investigating the Empress's involvement was hard enough."
"It's fine — I already know."
Because I have a prior connection with Eliese.
I already know the location through [Perfect Search].
Just as I was about to use transfer magic to go there, the coffee shop door was flung open.
A middle-aged man burst in, gasping for breath.
"Please wait, Master Alan!"
"Hmm? What is it, Grandal? I was just about to head out."
The former middle-aged, utterly despicable merchant who had only recently
regained the light in his eyes
stumbled in.
"The recent disappearances of young women — that was my doing."
"What do you mean?"
"Periodically, I was secretly abducting girls with no family who wouldn't be missed, and delivering them as offerings to the Red Empress, Leticia."
So this guy had his hands in that kind of filth too.
"Of course I haven't done it since you set me straight, Master Alan. But Leticia has probably started snatching girls indiscriminately now."
"What does she do with the girls she abducts?"
And from Grandal, I learned the horrifying contents of Leticia's
abominable skill.
"Grandal, I'm starting to think I should've just left that assassin of yours alone."
"Why is that, sir?"
"You were involved in some seriously awful crimes. I was thinking having you die in agony over and over while coming back to life was a bit much, but..."
What's done is done.
Let's go save Eliese.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Scharl wears four hats: master of a rundown coffee shop, master of the handyman service Seas Kai, master of the dark guild Sky View, and Alan's slave.
Skills: [Reverse][Divine Eye][Sword God][Fist God][Spear God][Scorching Magic][Frost Magic][Clear Storm Magic][Rock Iron Magic][Sacred Magic][Dark Magic][Space-Time Magic][Thunder God Sword][Phantom Thief Gentleman][Ninja Master][Seeker of Truth][Supernatural Strength][Deva][Pain Relief][Complete Status Abnormality Resistance][Dark Spirit's Protection][Super Intuition][Heaven's Gate][Abyss Contract Holder][Magic Hand][Treasure Search][Temptation][Incitement][Tele-Mesmerism][Eloquence][Strong Luck][Growth Speed x10][Growth Limit Breakthrough]
Rank: Orichalcum