Lianne was looking at her uniform in the guild's changing room.
The skirt was a bit short, and flashier than those of the other staff members.
She picked it up and sighed. Around her, other female staff members were also arriving at the guild and changing clothes.
Nearby, Marianne was wearing a standard uniform, not the one she had always used that emphasized her chest.
Glancing at her, Lianne looked back at her own uniform.
"Sure, I don't have big breasts… but that's why they gave me a short skirt or something?"
Grumbling, Lianne changed into her staff uniform.
After she finished changing, before heading to the reception counter, she went to the records room. It was to check the files of the adventurers she would be in charge of. She would take those documents, which summarized party members, quest completion rates, and evaluations, to the counter.
Leaving the records room, Lianne headed to the room where the Guild Cards were stored. There, the Guild Cards of the adventurers designated for new recruit training were kept in a separate section.
She checked them, and confirmed that there were no scratches on the name engraved on the silver Guild Card. Ever since an adventurer she had been close with died, Lianne started making a habit of visiting this room.
When she was about to leave the room carrying many documents, she ran into Marianne right at the door.
"…Oh."
Lianne was small in stature, and had to look up at Marianne.
"My, are you here to check on things?"
Smiling, Marianne bowed her head, and Lianne left the spot. After all, she had made fun of her until now, so she didn't feel she could face her.
Lianne used to boast about her acquaintance, an excellent adventurer, and mock Marianne for dealing with the new recruits—especially those in the guild's designated training quota.
However, when those acquaintance adventurers suffered a devastating blow as a party and only one survivor remained, the topic of new recruit training came up for Lianne, who was above them.
After being depressed for a while, Lianne accepted the offer.
Hurrying to peek behind the reception, Lianne greeted her supervisor there, who was organizing the work.
"Good morning."
When she appeared, her supervisor looked up at Ryue and broke into a smile.
"Ah, good morning. You're a bit early. The counter isn't open yet, so why don't we chat a bit before the handover?"
"Su-sure."
When swapping shifts at the counter, staff members were required to go through a handover with each other. There was still a little time before that, which was why the supervisor had called Ryue over.
The supervisor showed Ryue several documents.
"Actually, there are some new adventurers I'd like you to look after. They're young, but there are quite a few duos and trios in the mix. See, the neighboring area is in chaos — a lot of people got displaced when Banseim poured in and swept through."
In the territory where the neighboring country once stood, Banseim's forces had already entered and begun their administration. From subjugating Monsters to surveying the land, they were rushing about nonstop.
And in the midst of all that, those who had lost their place. Those who had lost their status. They had all come flooding into Baim.
"Th-this many?"
One of the handful of documents detailed the current state of the neighboring country.
The rest were sheets densely covered with the names of adventurers who had arrived at the Eastern Branch, written in tiny handwriting.
The supervisor explained to Ryue.
"You only need to brief them at first. We're also holding orientation sessions, but there are plenty of young ones who might get swindled and end up rolling around in some back alley by tomorrow. While they do a few jobs, we'll also reach out to parties that could use more hands. Ah, not everyone, though."
Hearing that it would be handled collectively, Ryue felt relieved. She could barely manage the adventurers she already had on her plate — there was no way she could take care of a massive influx on her own.
"That's a relief. Any more than this would really be..."
Looking at Ryue, the supervisor nodded as well.
"Well, new adventurers who are lacking in all sorts of things have it tough, and those managing them need to think carefully about how to distribute the work. Do your best. If there's anything you don't understand, try asking Marianne."
Ryue gave a wry smile, then parted ways with her supervisor and headed out to the front counter——
——After lunch.
After finishing his break and returning to the counter, Ryue was handling adventurers who had come back from completing their commissions.
He kept a smile on his face and paid close attention to the people he was dealing with.
"N-No, that's not allowed. Abandoning a commission halfway through? If you do that, the Guild won't be able to pay out any reward."
In his head, he wanted to apologize to the client who had foolishly entrusted a commission to these useless new adventurers. On top of that, he might have to go apologize on his day off, and the thought made Ryue's head throb.
The pair of adventurers in front of him sat in their chairs still covered in grime. They leaned their arms on the counter, facing Ryue.
"It's not like we're asking for something unreasonable. We did half the job, so just give us half the reward."
They were lazily droning on about wanting their payment, and the adventurers who had been lined up behind them drifted away from Ryue's counter to other ones instead.
The flow of foot traffic was completely different at Ryue's counter alone.
(What am I going to do? I can't handle this at all. Everyone's moving to other counters...)
Just because he was assigned to new adventurers didn't mean he could refuse to help other adventurers. If it was busy, he would take their requests; if he had free time, he would pitch in—that was simply expected. Letting adventurers wait and causing work to back up was a problem for the Guild as well.
The pair in front of him were youngsters who had become adventurers a few months ago. They were younger than Ryue, yet their tone was condescending.
"Hey, can't you bend the rules a little? We want to go home too. If you just pay us half, we're done, right?"
They were adventurers who had been placed in the new-member guidance program due to their frequent problem behavior. At first they had been normal enough, but maybe they were country bumpkins who had come to the city—once they got their hands on even a little money, they started spending it all on going out and having fun.
"Commission rewards aren't paid out unless the commission is completed. Half, eighty percent—no matter how much you say, incomplete is incomplete."
No matter how many times he explained it, the pair wouldn't accept it.
Their voices were gradually getting louder.
"You're our assigned handler, right? Do your damn job properly."
"And that client today was the worst, wasn't she? Don't push weird jobs off on us. Telling us to 'be serious' and 'don't slack off'—she was so annoying."
The pair's problem behavior was becoming more and more obvious, but Ryue kept desperately trying to explain.
"That's because if you two sit around outside of break time and don't do your work, that's only natural—"
When Ryue's tone grew a little harsher, one of the adventurers clicked his tongue.
"Tch, what's your deal? You're eating off our money, you know. Seriously, the last rookie handler was big-breasted and gorgeous, and now we're stuck with a shrimp like you? No motivation whatsoever, huh."
Ryue hung his head.
He remembered being yelled at by an adventurer back in his own rookie days, when his paperwork had taken too long.
(Now that I think about it, the person who helped me out that time was also that guy.)
Ryue thought of the adventurer who had died.
As he stood there lost in thought, the surrounding staff began to approach in order to back him up. But then a voice came from behind the adventurers.
"How long are you gonna keep loafing around? I figured the place was dead, but you're just repeating the same thing over and over. I'm in a hurry here. Think a little, would you?"
Standing behind them was Erhard. He was wearing his usual tank top, with a greatsword slung across his back.
The pair stood up and glared at Erhard, but Erhard had his companions with him too. Their teammates, who had been off to the side, gathered around—and their equipment was entirely different from the pair's.
"What, you looking for a fight?"
When Erhard put on a threatening look, the two adventurers hurriedly backed away from the counter. They had originally come in without the proper documents anyway.
They practically fled out of the Guild, and the staff approached Erhard's group.
"This is a problem. Fighting between adventurers inside the Guild is strictly prohibited."
A bespectacled male staff member issued the warning, and Erhard scratched his head.
"My bad."
However, even as he admonished them, the staff member added:
"Now then, please go ahead with your check-in."
Beyond that, he didn't push the issue, and promptly let Erhard's party go. The male staff member then approached Ryue.
"I'm sorry we couldn't get here in time. When that sort of clientele shows up, step back and ask one of the tougher-looking staff members for help. Also, could you handle their paperwork for them?"
"Y-Yes!"
When Ryue answered, Erhard consulted with his companions and decided to handle the check-in himself.
Erhard, now seated at the counter, appeared to have borrowed a shower at the Guild. He handed Ryue a report.
Ryue took it and reviewed the contents.
(Extermination of Monsters near Baim, plus two errand-type jobs. Evaluation: B.)
The report from Erhard and his party, who had just returned from the field, contained a fairly favorable evaluation.
"Um, your evaluation is B. Good work on that. I'll have your reward ready, but what would you like to do about your next request?"
Erhard didn't seem to hesitate much.
"The fighting was pretty tough, so I'll want to get my equipment inspected first. We knocked out two jobs, so we should be fine for a while. If equipment maintenance takes time, I might swing by to pick up errand work within Baim. I'll show my face within three days."
"That would be a great help. What about your Guild Card update?"
"Either before or after the next request—just let me know."
When Ryue prepared the reward, Erhard accepted it and checked the amount. Then, standing up.
"Thanks."
Ryue watched Erhard's back as he headed over to rejoin his companions——.
When I arrived at the Eastern Branch of the Guild, the atmosphere in the first-floor lobby seemed a bit upbeat.
I wasn't sure what was going on, but figuring I could just ask someone, I decided to head up to the third floor of the Guild with Clara.
Clara seemed to pick up on the mood inside the Guild as well.
"Everyone seems a bit cheerful, doesn't it?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. Well, let's check the requests first, and then maybe we can ask around."
When we entered an empty private room on the third floor, Tahnia was there.
We sat down in the chairs and began reviewing the request details in the private room. However, Tahnia explained the request with a rather serious expression.
The gaze behind her glasses felt sharper than usual.
"I'm glad you came. The timing is perfect."
Even hearing that, from our perspective, all we could think was that the timing was anything but perfect. Clara was giving me a look that clearly said, "If it's a weird request, let's turn it down."
"Did something happen? Is it the Dungeon again?"
Tahnia shook her head. Her silky black hair swayed.
"No. In fact, we're still in the middle of a subjugation right now. Another one appeared while Riel and the others were dispatched, so the Southern Branch is a bit overwhelmed, but we're short on adventurers here as well."
That sounded rough. I thought so, but we had our own circumstances too. It wasn't possible for us to accept every request.
"We'll take whatever we can handle."
"Oh, yes, I think this one should be fine."
Tahnia gave a wry smile. When I asked for the details—
"A transport escort?"
"Yes. We'd like you to transport supplies from Baim to Galleria and Rusworth. The previous convoy couldn't deliver everything because of a defensive battle along the way. If you could take on the guard duty and transport, we'll add a bonus to the reward."
Clara glanced at the proposed amount and nodded.
It wasn't a bad sum.
The distance was considerable, though, which meant we'd be away from Baim for a while.
From within the Jewel, the Fifth Generation's voice came through.
*"Transporting supplies from Baim to a country at war, hm? Are the goods weapons or something?"*
Supplies, he said, but they were probably merchandise. The contents themselves didn't matter much, but I was curious about those two countries as well.
"Don't you use the sea route?"
Tahnia said.
"They only have small ports, you see. Besides, neither country likes building ports."
It was unusual for two countries that were close to Baim and faced the sea. Perhaps they couldn't secure the space?
I picked up the documents and told Tahnia I would take the job.
"Got it. I'll accept."
Tahnia looked relieved.
"That helps. Young Lyle's group can transport even large cargo in bulk, after all."
It seemed they had looked into my large porter as well. It couldn't be helped — it had drawn attention the moment Damian brought it to Baim.
Clara, looking over the documents, asked:
"Are we the only adventurers participating?"
Tahnia nodded.
"I don't think anyone else will touch the cargo for these two countries, but having elite adventurers as escorts will provide peace of mind. Besides, if it's young Lyle, there's likely to be some flexibility when passing through Rolfis."
It seemed my presence carried meaning beyond just the work itself.
(Now that I think about it, Selva used to go through there too, didn't he? If I participate, they figured there might be some flexibility going forward as well?)
Since it meant I could enter both countries openly, I decided not to worry about it.
(…Once this is done, should I stop by the bookstore on the way home and then hit the café? But it's not like anything's really different.)
Having decided to take the commission, I walked home with Clara, wondering where we should stop along the way.
— Inside the Jewel.
Mireia opened the door to Lyle's memory room and stepped inside.
It was a room in the Walt residence, where Lyle had once been kept under house arrest. The bedroom had a toilet and bath prepared for him, so everything was self-contained within that single room.
The entire wall was lined with bookshelves, and there were so many books that they spilled over and were stacked on the floor as well.
Mireia closed the door and looked around the room.
'Quite the place for a future head of the house—'
Suddenly sensing a presence, Mireia took a single step forward.
'—it really doesn't suit the role. Am I right?'
A child's voice spoke.
She turned around and looked down, and there was a boy gazing up at her.
Blue hair, and blue eyes. Fair skin. Not the grown-up figure she was used to seeing, but that of a child.
The boy was looking up at Mireia with a smile, and had apparently appeared behind her without her noticing.
'Guessing what someone is about to say and saying it first is rude. And appearing behind someone without warning is not acceptable either. Now then, I wonder why you did such a thing… Lyle.'
The young boy was Lyle. He looked about ten years old, perhaps? Grinning, the boy clasped both hands behind his head and said to Mireia.
'I was interested in what was under your skirt. It's just a child's prank, so please forgive me.'
Seeing Lyle in this child form say such things with that adorable face, Mireia was slightly bewildered.
'I knew this, but your personality is just so different.'
She crouched down to bring her face level with Lyle's and lightly flicked him on the forehead.
'No? I'm being serious, you know! I want to see what kind of panties Mireia-san is wearing. This is something I can only do now, while I'm a child!'
'Hah… No. You mustn't do things like that. Also, you're still just in a child's form, aren't you, Lyle?'
'…You don't miss a thing, do you. Well, being told not to do something just makes me want to do it all the more. Someday, I will lift that skirt and see.'
Looking at the young Lyle, brimming with confidence—
"Why is there such a difference? Or rather, you're far too different even from Lyle as a child."
When Mireia said that, Lyle walked over and prepared a chair in the room. He wiped it with a handkerchief, brushed off the dust, offered it to Mireia, and sat down on the bed himself.
Mireia thanked him and took a seat.
"Well then, next you'll be telling me all about Lyle, won't you?"
The young Lyle grinned fearlessly from atop the bed.
"If you ask, I'll tell you. I'll even offer some advice. However, my true objective is—"
Light from the window poured into the room, leaving everything outside that small patch in dim shadow.
In the dim room, the young Lyle's blue eyes gleamed. His mouth curved into a crescent, white teeth showing through.
Mireia felt a chill crawl down her spine.
"—is to size you up, you see. I, 'Lyle,' will assess the current 'Lyle,' and if I deem you unworthy, I'll have your personality stripped away. Well, to be more precise, I'll be taking it back."
The young Lyle—no, Lyle—smiled with evident enjoyment.