A morning like any other.
The only difference was that this would be the first time Aria and I headed outside to hunt monsters since our fight.
I replaced the saber I was using with a new one once again. The weapons shop owner was exasperated, but he prepared the same model for me once more.
He actually suggested I should either seriously visit Central's weapons shops to find a good saber suited to me, or consider switching to an entirely different weapon.
But rather than being particular about it, I was simply accustomed to the saber, so I decided to stick with it for now.
We linked up with Zelphy and headed to the guild, where things were quite noisy.
On the second floor at the reception, a bulletin board labeled "Urgent Request" had been added near the counter.
Many adventurers directed their gazes there, but with weary expressions, they returned to the boards they normally used.
"Did something happen?"
When Novem said that, we decided to go check it out of curiosity.
Aria seemed interested as well, but Zelphy's expression was anything but cheerful.
As we walked toward the bulletin board, what we saw was a search request for a party that hadn't returned by the deadline, along with a survey of the surrounding area.
"If a party doesn't return by the deadline, a search party gets dispatched, right?"
I recalled what Zelphy had told me before, and she nodded. However, looking at the names written on the document, she shook her head.
"Half right. I only gave you the official version, but in reality, they investigate what kind of situation caused the missing party to disappear. Bandits, monsters, even dungeons—there are plenty of possible reasons. The point is to make sure the next group that heads there doesn't become prey too."
Half right.
The goal wasn't rescue—it was investigating why the party went missing.
In other words, rescuing the vanished party was a secondary concern.
When Novem looked at the request form and saw the ages of the party members, he seemed to notice something.
"These people—could they have been hired with a guild instructor?"
Zelphy gave a quiet nod, then spoke bitterly.
"That's what I told them. They should've retired sooner… If they die after coming all this way, what was the point?"
One of the names on the request form had been crossed out in red.
This meant that the horizontal line of death had been carved into the name inscribed on their Guild Card.
—In other words, they had died.
Whether fortunate or still ahead of them… the five young adventurers appeared to be alive.
"Um… someone's going to rescue them, right?"
Aria looked around as she said this, but the adventurers were glancing at the urgent bulletin board without volunteering.
"…The veteran adventurer who died was a top-tier fighter, even by Darion standards. This is a town full of beginners, but he was a capable man even among mid-rankers. If a man like that died…"
—In a word, it would be difficult.
Darion had mostly menial-type jobs, but the lord personally led monster hunts and dungeon raids.
This was convenient for newcomers fresh into the adventurer life, but it frustrated those who had outgrown the beginner stage.
If you could call it locally oriented—some adventurers chose to stay in Darion and continue their careers, but most left for a city or town that suited them better.
"This is bad. Before this, the guild was recruiting adventurers for a dungeon subjugation. The lord's soldiers haven't returned yet either."
When a dungeon had appeared, the guild had been recruiting adventurers to take it down.
Because of that, many parties confident in their combat abilities had left Darion.
Come to think of it, I remembered hearing adventurers gossiping about that. I looked around the guild.
It wasn't as though there were zero capable adventurers left. But the fact that they were recruiting like this meant there weren't enough volunteers for the request.
"I heard that taking an urgent request comes with a reward from the guild too…"
Novem expressed puzzlement that the other adventurers weren't participating.
Zelphy replied.
"Life matters more than rewards. Some take them because they want to make a name, but… this is a tough one. The location they went to is dangerous. A weak party would be wiped out."
Not all of Darion was safe.
Areas where nobody lived rarely saw soldiers dispatched for subjugation.
As we looked at the request form near the counter, Hawkins approached us.
"Zelphy, might I have a word?"
"…Boss."
Hawkins, with a more severe air than usual, called Zelphy over and spoke directly.
"Have you seen the request form?"
"I have. But judging by the content, I feel the request could've been issued earlier. What happened?"
The deadline by which it would've been strange not to return had long passed.
Yet the urgent request had only been issued today.
"That was… a clerical error on our end. I sincerely apologize."
"I'm sure an apology covers it, Boss. It probably wasn't your mistake, but lives are at stake here. What about the others who already headed to the request location?"
The area where the urgent request had been issued was now off-limits for new expeditions.
But since the initial response had been delayed, there could be other adventurers who had already set out for the dangerous location.
"They were lucky, I suppose. The parties that normally hunt in that area have gone to the dungeon instead. But that means we can't find any adventurers to send…"
"Shouldn't you go yourself, Boss?"
At Zelphy's joke, Hawkins didn't offer any particular rebuttal.
Both of them seem a bit angry, I thought as I listened. They might have been acquaintances.
"Um, Hawkins? Why did you call Zelphy over?"
When Novem asked, Hawkins turned to us as well.
"This is an urgent request from the guild. We'd like to temporarily borrow Zelphy's services. The costs and days involved will be covered by the guild."
Apparently, we didn't count as combat strength.
Can't say I'm surprised.
As I was thinking this, I heard the Second Generation's voice.
'Is the guild's response to situations like this different depending on the town? Where I'm from, I think they used to force people to go.'
The one who answered was the Sixth Generation.
'Times have changed, and the guild's methods have probably changed too… but Darion's adventurers seem to be of generally low quality, so wouldn't things like this happen often?'
Our ancestors were awfully calm about it.
There was no need to panic, of course, but their detachment felt a bit cold.
Zelphy made a pained expression, then sighed and nodded.
"If it's your request, Boss, I can't refuse. Though I'd like to see how the guild plans to handle this."
Hawkins closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and answered.
"The higher-ups' opinion is… it was a staff member's error, but they've determined it could happen to anyone. I doubt any significant punishment will be handed down."
"…Boss, we can't accept that. I hated the guy because of his foul mouth, but plenty of adventurers owed their lives to him. I hated him, but even I'm in his debt two or three times over. And you want us to just take that lying down?"
The conversation was heading in a different direction.
The three of us had been left behind.
"So Zelphy is leaving on the urgent request. What do we do today, then?"
I started thinking about today's plans.
Menial work was fine, but with three of us, I wanted to go outside and hunt monsters.
I wanted to feel my growth, and more than anything, staying on this path would only make me better at menial quests.
Right—I remembered being asked if I wanted to come work for someone.
The site foreman had even told me to quit adventuring and join his crew, and I'd smiled wryly and declined.
It wasn't that I disliked the idea, but I couldn't support the two of them on that income, so it was impossible.
Aria looked at Zelphy and said.
"I wonder if Zelphy will be all right? After all, a capable adventurer in Darion did die."
Novem tried to calm Aria.
"It may not have been monsters or bandits. Accidents are possible too. But I don't think Zelphy is going alone."
There was a party of six, one dead, and the rest still missing.
An accident was certainly a strong possibility.
As I was thinking this, the First Generation spoke to me.
'Laiel, you should join too.'
Why so suddenly? I thought, but the First Generation apparently had his reasons.
The Third Generation agreed with him.
'That might be a good idea. In fact, not just for requests like this—basically, whenever Laiel is around, efficiency goes up.'
The Sixth Generation concurred.
'With my Skills and the Sixth Generation's, finding them should be easy, and we could avoid danger too.'
Right—if I used my ancestors' Skills, the efficiency would be on a completely different level.
Especially the Fifth and Sixth Generations' Skills, when used together, produced an incredible combination.
A map of the surrounding area would materialize in my mind, and I could detect the positions of allies and enemies—monsters and traps—once they came within a certain range.
But would Hawkins agree just because I wanted to participate?
The Second Generation had the same doubt.
'Would they agree just because Laiel says he wants to join?'
The Fifth Generation, on the other hand—
'What's the benefit of joining? They're people who have nothing to do with Laiel. Besides, if he draws too much attention, the reputation he carefully built in Darion would be meaningless.'
Hearing those opinions, the First Generation spoke.
'Benefits? Who cares about that. But if we just let this go and some adventurer named Zelphy ends up dead, that'll weigh on our conscience.'
The Seventh Generation retorted with an exasperated tone.
'Surely this isn't also for Aria's sake? I don't think there's any need to go that far. If they die here, that's simply how it was meant to be.'
The Fourth Generation ended the scattered opinions and turned to me.
'So opinions are divided like this… What do you think, Laiel?'
When asked for my opinion, I instinctively touched the Jewel around my neck.
There probably wasn't much benefit, but if the First Generation was pushing this hard, maybe the danger was real.
I acknowledged the First Generation's sharp instincts.
Could I solve this problem?
If I used my Skills, I was certain the success rate would go up.
That's how outstanding my Skills were.
But to participate, I'd need to persuade people—Hawkins and Zelphy. And I'd need Novem and Aria to stay behind.
After thinking it over, I came to a conclusion.
"Novem, could you stay in Darion with Aria? I'd like to accept the urgent request with Zelphy."
'Show a little more backbone, will you…'
'No way. After putting on that whole show and ending up here.'
'You left all the persuading to Novem again, Laiel.'
'There are better ways to say things, you know. What was with backing down like that?'
'Negotiation is something you build up through steady practice.'
'Well, given the circumstances, I suppose this is about right.'
'You lot… Is that all you have to say to my grandson! Laiel tried his best! He resisted letting Novem join right up until the end, and in the end he joined the urgent request!'
'Stop! Don't defend me anymore, Grandpa!!'
On top of the wagon, I covered my face with both hands, ears bright red, listening to the voices coming one after another through the Jewel—from the First Generation onward.
I noticed almost unconsciously that even when I pressed my ears, the voices came through clearly.
Since no one around me seemed to hear them, I'd assumed they made no sound… but they were incredibly distracting.
The voices of my ancestors that reached me even with my ears plugged—
The reason my ancestors were grumbling was the current situation.
The guild had provided two wagons and funded the necessary supplies with guild money. We had formed an impromptu party and set out on the investigation.
Starting with Zelphy, the usual lineup: me, Novem, and Aria.
In addition, Rondo and his group of three had been added as members this time.
The guild had also provided a single wagon driver.
"H-hey, are you all right, Lyle?"
When Rondo asked me worriedly, Novem, sitting beside me, was also concerned.
"Laiel, are you perhaps catching a cold? You were fine just a moment ago."
As Novem panicked, Aria was tense, gripping the red gem at her chest.
Rachel spoke to Aria.
"That's the jewel that seals Skills, isn't it? Those are rare these days. How many Skills does it hold?"
"Um… well, including mine, five."
As Aria answered nervously, Rachel's eyes lit up.
"That's amazing! A Mana Tool like that would be worth a hundred to two hundred gold coins. It's red, so it holds front-line Skills, right? Is the combination okay?"
Skill combinations were important.
Among my Skills, the Fifth and Sixth Generations' Skills, for instance, produced incredible effects when used simultaneously.
But the jewel couldn't set combinations. It simply recorded the Skills manifested by each inheritor, without any selection.
"I'm sorry… I don't really understand…"
As Aria looked apologetic, Rachel hurried to comfort her.
"Don't worry about it! I've heard that people who have jewels can't choose, so it's perfectly normal not to understand. Still, having five Skills means you're immediately useful."
At that, Aria looked down even further.
"…I can't use all of them yet."
Hearing that, Raph, who had been holding his spear, sighed.
"Read the room, Rachel. Anyway, your party is the opposite of ours. Having men and women together causes all sorts of trouble. I sit there feeling lonely while Rondo and Rachel put out a pink atmosphere. …So, which one is Laiel's girlfriend? I'm guessing it's Novem."
Raph tried to ease our tension with conversation during the long journey.
Ah, how welcome. Rather than listening to my ancestors' nagging, this kind of conversation—
As I was thinking that, Novem spoke.
"Actually, both of us are Laiel's—"
"Novem!"
I quickly tried to cover Novem's mouth, but I was too late. Aria, who had been looking down, turned red too.
Rachel said— "Wait, you're joking, right, Aria?"
And then Aria— "He recovered my family heirloom, and he saved me from being sold off… and then…"
"Say it clearly! You're creating a misunderstanding! Say it clearly in situations like this!"
When I quickly turned toward Aria, the now-freed Novem spoke.
"There's no misunderstanding. Laiel saved Aria, and now the three of us live under the same roof."
Novem stated this with a smile, and Rondo's cheeks twitched as he forced one of his own.
"Wait, so that's what you'd commonly call a harem?"
Novem declared clearly—
"It's not what's commonly called a harem. It actually is one. Right now there are only two of us, but we plan to keep adding more."
Watching Novem announce this with a smile, Aria listening with a red face, and Rachel—
No one on this wagon was going to help me.
—Zelphy, who was driving the wagon, listened to the voices of the young adventurers behind her.
She had yelled at Laiel and the others when they said they'd join the urgent request, but Novem had persuaded her, and she'd ended up allowing them to come along.
Moreover, she couldn't give Aria special treatment, so she'd let her join too.
In terms of raw ability, their individual skills were high.
And this time, three strong adventurers who worked well as a party had also joined.
They probably wouldn't fail easily, but she still felt uneasy.
"Really, having such a good time… This isn't a picnic, you know."
Listening to the cheerful voices from behind, she recalled words that had once been spoken to her.
They were words from a deceased adventurer.
'Zelphy, this isn't a picnic, so calm down a little.'
She hadn't realized until later that he'd been teasing her to ease her tension.
He had been rough and foul-mouthed, but a caring adventurer.
When they met at the guild, they'd bicker, and at the tavern they'd compete in drinking contests.
Come to think of it, she'd lost a bet and owed him a round.
Zelphy gazed up at the sky, mourning the colleague she'd spent years alongside as an adventurer in Darion.
She truly wished he'd retired sooner. That was her honest feeling.
It was dangerous work. If you could get out, the sooner the better.
"You told me yourself—'If you die, what's the point'…"
Whenever they met, he'd always approach her combatively, but Zelphy had acknowledged him as a fellow adventurer.
That was precisely why.
"I'll make them settle this. I promise."
Zelphy's eyes gleamed with a sharp light.