This is the last update of the year. Truly, it's the very last moment... but I managed to make it in time.
I hope you'll continue following "The Adventurer Reborn in Another World" next year as well.
Next year, I'll work hard to increase the number of updates.
<Flute's Side>
"I'm so tired~"
"Just because your own daughter is the one you're bossing around doesn't mean you can work people to the bone! Honestly!"
"Horned Rabbits should be a breeze with everyone from the village pitching in... There was no need to go out of your way and call us, you know!"
It seemed the "Wildcat Princess" trio had returned. Even without hearing their voices, the moment the three of them walked into the guild, the new recruits would get all excited — it made them easy to spot, at least.
"Oh! Flute! We finished the quest~"
"We got a ton of Horned Rabbits~"
"There was a King for the first time in a while~"
At the trio's words, the new recruits who'd been lurking nearby panicked and scrambled out of the guild, or stumbled into tables and chairs in their haste.
"What's going on?!"
"Hey! Don't scare us like that!"
"We just got back from the quest and we're exhausted!"
All three of them seemed on edge from the fatigue of their quest, and they turned their irritation on the new recruits who had suddenly gotten so noisy. Normally, I'd want to tell them not to get worked up over something so minor, but some of the new recruits had been giving the trio lewd looks or whispering vulgar things among themselves while staring at them, so their anger was perfectly justified. With that in mind, none of the staff — myself included — tried to rein the three in.
"All three of you, please calm down. Actually, after the three of you left, an urgent quest came in, and the new recruits are panicking about it."
"An urgent quest?"
All three tilted their heads in unison and turned their gazes toward the quest board. Thinking to myself that this sort of thing was probably the secret to their popularity, I handed over a copy of the quest form I had on hand and began to explain.
"That quest is for the 'Delivery of Horned Rabbit Meat,' and the client requires items above a certain quality threshold."
"Oh, really? Then this works out perfectly!"
"We can turn in all of these!"
"Except for the ones in good condition, I had my mom take all the rest, so only the good ones should be left!"
Seizing the opportunity, the three of them began pulling horned rabbits out of their respective Magic Bags, but—
"I'm sorry, but none of you three are eligible to take this quest."
There was no way the guild could accept them.
"Why not? Every single one of these rabbits is top quality!"
"Was it one of those quests where you have to register beforehand?"
"But it's still posted on the board, and even though it's time-limited, it's in the same spot as the permanent quests, right?"
"Please read the quest form more carefully. This quest is designated for new recruits, and it comes with a limit of two rabbits per person."
Maybe they were tired, but the three of them apparently hadn't bothered to read the explanation written on the quest. Startled by my words, they reread the quest form and let out sighs.
"Oh man, what a bummer..."
"Can't be helped. I guess we'll have half of them taken by our usual butcher shop... They'll probably pay a little more than the guild anyway..."
"And here I thought we were about to make some nice pocket money..."
Whether it was meant to be a jab at me or not, Millie made sure the new recruits could hear about the existence of a butcher shop that would buy them at a higher price than the guild. The other two chimed in, and they started discussing whether they should try taking them to various butcher shops.
"All three of you—do you really think it's okay to say that?"
"Bu-but, where we take them is our choice, right!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
"We're still turning in half to the guild, so what's the big deal about the rest!"
Well, what the three of them said was true, but...
"I only wanted to tell them there was a better buyer out there... They didn't have to go that far..."
I was just a little — only the tiniest bit — annoyed by the three of them, so I pretended to be slightly hurt. I pressed one hand to my eyes and clutched my stomach with the other as if I were doubled over.
"Wh-what?!"
"Flute, don't cry!"
"It's our fault!"
The three of them didn't realize I was fake-crying and immediately scrambled to comfort me, but some of the other guild staff and veteran adventurers had caught on and were covering their mouths trying not to laugh.
"Good, you understand. Now, about this buyer... could you all quiet down for a moment?"
Once I stopped the fake tears, the three started going on about how "You tricked us!" and "That's terrible!" and "You monster!" I told them to keep it down because they were being loud, but... Nelly was the one who used that last one — "monster." I need to remember that.
"So about the buyer — it's Tenma. The requester is Tenma, and apparently they need rabbit meat for a dish they're making at a wedding."
"Tenma?!"
"Alright, let's go!"
"Let's go right now! ...Wait, is it even within guild rules to take the goods directly to the requester when we haven't accepted the commission?"
The three of them jumped up ready to bolt the moment they heard Tenma's name, but Nelly pointed out something important.
"Normally, it wouldn't be allowed... or rather, it's in a gray area. If Tenma were to cancel the commission because of this, the guild would have to issue a warning to both the requester and the adventurer who brought the goods."
The three who had been about to rush out, along with the new adventurers watching them, all wore expressions that said, "Then why even bring it up?"
"However, even if you bring the rabbits to Tenma, as long as they don't cancel the commission, the guild can't issue a warning. It's not exactly praiseworthy behavior, and it would leave a bad impression on the guild. But — if what you're bringing isn't 'regular horned rabbit' but rather 'King Horned Rabbit,' it's not the monster specified in the commission. So even if the three of you sell it without going through the guild, it has absolutely nothing to do with the guild, and we won't interfere. Of course, it also means that whatever trouble comes up between you and the other party has nothing to do with the guild either."
In other words, this was a method that wouldn't cause trouble with anyone — though it was limited to people they knew. Even so, if some adventurer still complained about it, the guild would step in to mediate. But really, all we'd have to say was "just build a friendly enough relationship like they have, where you can casually drop in" or "just bring King Horned Rabbits like they're doing," so it wouldn't take much effort. And if someone still complained after that, we'd just put them on the black list.
(Though knowing Tenma, they'd probably end up buying all the regular horned rabbits too just because the three of them brought them in... but as long as it doesn't affect the commission they posted, that's just the privilege of being an acquaintance.)
"Did you say something, Flute?"
"No, I didn't say anything. More importantly, we'd better hurry — Tenma might finish his dinner before we even get there."
"That would be terrible!"
"You're dead meat, Amour!"
"And you too, Aura — you're nothing but wasted muscle!"
What a noisy trio. Well, I suppose that's part of their charm... or so I told myself as I watched them rush out of the guild.
Ideally, I would have wanted them to figure out this approach on their own, but if some other adventurer caught wind of this loophole first and went ahead with it, only to sour Tenma and his friends' moods, that would be a disaster. I also want to avoid the adventurers we send there becoming useless. Well, any adventurer who would
IGNORE THIS WARNING
or not even notice it has no business being in this guild anyway.
Flute's Side — End
"Tenma, sorry to trouble you like this. The Duke's family will cover the cost of the rabbits, so don't hesitate to bill me."
"No way — that'd be terrifying if it ever came out. I already decided I'm covering the entire wedding, and besides, we've got
three
gluttons at home, so the more meat the better. Besides, wasn't it Albert who said it was meaningful for me to put up the money?"
The Horned Rabbit commission was posted under my name both to secure the meat for Serna's wedding and as a substitute for the favor I'd been asked — to supply materials to the Duchy. So there was no noble reasoning behind it like "helping new adventurers gain experience" or "giving rookies a leg up." In fact, I'd originally planned to make it a commission anyone could take on, and only changed my mind because Flute asked me to.
"Tenma, this should improve your reputation a little!"
"How rude! I'm still one of the most popular adventurers out there, you know!"
"You left out the part that says 'among people who
don't know any
better.'"
When I jokingly protested to Amour, Cain chimed in from behind with something completely unnecessary.
"Albert... The 'Visit to Sammons Territory and Acceptance of Request' that was on my schedule has been cancelled, so what do you think I should put in its place?"
"Hmm... How about replacing it with a trip to the Sylphield family's territory? Many in Elza's bloodline are skilled in wind magic, so you might hear some useful insights."
So I decided to break my promise with Cain. And when I consulted Albert about filling the resulting gap in my schedule—the timing still undecided—he presented me with a rather tempting proposal.
"That sounds great. Then instead of Sammons Territory, how about we pay a visit to the Sylphield Territory?"
"I'm sorry, I got carried away. I really am. So please, restore my original schedule."
When I pretended to go along with Albert's proposal, Cain immediately apologized and bowed his head. Chris and the others were used to this by now and wore their usual exasperated looks, but Primera—whom they rarely saw in this state—seemed quite taken aback.
"Come to think of it, Tenma, how are you planning to cook the horned rabbit meat?"
Unable to bear Primera's gaze any longer, Cain abruptly changed the subject. Everyone noticed the obvious topic shift meant to dodge Primera's stare, but since it was something everyone—including Primera herself—was curious about, they just went along with it.
"Rabbit meat works in all sorts of dishes, but this time I'm thinking of using it for stew and fried food."
"That sounds delicious... Tenma, make it!"
With that single line from Amour, today's menu was unanimously decided. I'd made both stew and fried dishes many times before, but hearing the ingredients and specific menu items when everyone was starting to get hungry definitely played a role in unifying everyone's focus.
"Well then, let's get started on the cooking right away. Jeanne, Aura, lend me a hand."
"Primera, why don't you help out too since you're here?"
"Huh! I'm not really confident, though..."
When Albert suggested Primera join in, she was flustered, but in the end she ended up participating in the cooking alongside the manor's staff. For the record, the other three women—Chris, Amour, and Leni—sat it out. Chris and Amour were self-proclaimed "food experts," so they had zero intention of lifting a finger in the kitchen. And honestly, they'd probably be more hindrance than help, so I wasn't about to invite them either. As for Leni, she actually seemed willing to participate, but Chris had roped her into being a conversation partner, so I just let her keep Leni company.
"For the seasoning, stick to the usual. Aura, take charge of the stew. Jeanne and I will handle the fried food."
I had Jeanne prepare the karaage ingredients while I worked on rabbit meat cutlets. I left the stew to Aura, Primera, and the manor staff because stew involves mostly simmering, which I figured would be easier for Primera to follow along with despite her lack of confidence.
"Jeanne, I'll help with the frying, so just cut everything up and season it. Make plenty—more than you think we'll need."
I gave Jeanne her instructions and started preparing the rabbit cutlets. For these, I decided to make two varieties — regular ones with breaded, deep-fried meat, and another type where I'd butterfly the same meat and stuff it with cheese. Since I was planning twenty of each, it'd take a fair bit of time and effort, but factoring in how long the stew would take, the timing should work out... in theory. It was going to be pretty tight, though.
We cooked for about an hour. The frying crew had nearly finished all the prep work, and we'd just reached the point where all that remained was to deep-fry everything in oil, when —
"Tenma, you have a visitor."
"A visitor for me?"
One of the manor servants came to announce the guest. I was wondering which of my acquaintances had made it all the way to Duke Sanga's manor, when —
"Ah, it's Lily and the others..."
I figured out who it was before I even saw them — no, before I even heard their voices. And the reason for that was —
"Amour, please stop pushing me in the opposite direction."
The moment I stepped into the hallway, Amour had flown over and started trying to steer me away from the entrance. That was how I figured out who had arrived... but it seemed Aura, who had heard my voice, also realized who the visitor was, because she grabbed Jeanne by the arm and dashed out into the hallway.
"Aura, Jeanne. You've got work to do!"
"On it!"
"Ughhh..."
Amour, having determined she couldn't move me, apparently decided to recruit Aura and Jeanne — who had come out into the hallway — to go intercept the three sisters instead. Jeanne didn't seem all that enthusiastic (she was still sore about not making an impression on them last time), but Aura looked ready to go. However —
"Please, not here."
Primera stepped in to stop them. The reason being —
"Lily and the others are indeed Tenma's guests, but they are also visitors who have come to Duke Sanga's manor."
That was what she said. She had a point — even if they were my guests, they were also visiting the Duke Sanga estate, so we couldn't very well let the three of them attack the visitors.
"But!"
"Lily and the others came here following proper procedure. It's different from last time."
"Hmmm..."
Amour hung her head in defeat after being thoroughly argued down by Primera, her face twisted with frustration. Aura, who had been watching the exchange, wore the same frustrated expression, while Jeanne alone looked visibly relieved.
"Now that we've established that, be quiet."
With Primera keeping Amour and Aura in line, the remaining question was whether the three sisters would cause a ruckus — but,
"All three of you, if you start making a commotion here, I'll throw you out."
"Y-Yes..."
The three sisters had likewise been subdued by Primera. She was carrying herself with an unusual air today — perhaps because they were receiving guests in a place that demanded she play the part of a noblewoman.
"So, what brings the three of you here?"
Now that things had quieted down, he turned to the trio. Their faces suddenly lit up as though they'd remembered why they'd come.
"So today, we went to our village on a job!"
"And Mom and the others worked us to the bone!"
"And all sorts of stuff happened!"
"Horned rabbits! Tons of them!"
"All three of you, speak more clearly and coherently."
Amour's own delivery left something to be desired, but she at least made more sense than the trio, so he'd let it slide for now.
"The three of you, try to explain more clearly. Especially Nellie — 'all sorts of stuff' is what I'm most curious about... well, never mind that for now. So, there were a ton of horned rabbits — then what?"
He figured that digging deeper into the scattered conversation wouldn't get him anywhere, so he decided to focus on the horned rabbits, which seemed to be the actual reason they'd shown up.
"Okay, so we got a job today to wipe out a herd of horned rabbits, and there was a King Horned Rabbit in the middle of them!"
"When we tried to sell it at the guild, we heard that Tenma was buying up horned rabbits!"
"Horned rabbit buybacks are outside the terms of our contract so we couldn't do that, but Flute-san said a King might be something Tenma would want, so we brought it over!"
"A King is rare, so we're grateful. While you're at it, we'll take the other horned rabbits off your hands as well."
As soon as she said that, the three of them exclaimed in unison that Flute-san had told them no, but we figured it would be fine since it wouldn't affect the commission they had put in, so we took all the horned rabbits they had brought. Well, we were surprised that the three of them had brought well over fifty horned rabbits, even if it didn't reach three digits, but we had three gluttons in the house, and a number of other gluttons often came by from elsewhere, so it shouldn't take much time to consume them all.
More pressing than that was,
"Since you're here, why don't you stay for dinner?"
This was the words that I blurted out without thinking.
Of course, the answer from the three of them was a resounding YES, and shortly after, we realized that the amount of stew and fried food we had prepared wouldn't be nearly enough at this rate, and we had to rush to mass-produce more.
Adjusting the quantity was easy enough for the stew, but the fried food, where there was a limit to how many could be served to each person, was another matter. As a last resort, we left the stew entirely to Aura, and with the help of Primera and the servants, we managed to scrape together enough numbers.
"Even after all that effort, it was gone so quickly... well, that's how it always is, though..."
The fact that it disappeared so quickly meant that the food was delicious, which was a joyous thing for the one who made it. However, on the other hand, there was a part of me that was thinking, "I wish you'd savor it a little more slowly..."