Ruby-san
As planned, we came to the Adventurer’s Guild after school. The ones who came are our team and Cait along with Shizuku. Emma and Birdon had something on so they said maybe next time and went back
“Hoa~, this is the Adventurer’s Guild huhh~. It’s somewhat different from what I imagined. I thought it’d be a little more, how should I put it, boisterous……”
“As if the Royal Capital’s guild will be like that. Now, let’s go in”
Rene says and enters the guild. Subsequently, Dargris, Cait along with Shizuku, follow along. It’s also my first time coming here ever since I entered school…… I hope that she’s not angry though. As I’m going ‘u~n’ while thinking, Ely
“Not going in?”
asks me. It’s no use even if I think about it. I guess I’ll go in for now huh. I reply Ely and head inside. There aren’t really many people inside so only the sounds of the employees working are resounding. However, laughter can be heard on the second floor so I suppose it’s not totally empty. I go on inside and the four of them who are about to do their adventurer registration at the reception were there. The person in charge of them is
“……Yes, please write your name, age, weapon and magic you are proficient at, here. It is fine even if you do not write it but, I will be able to act as the middleman when you are searching for a party if I know it. Besides that…… oh, isn’t it Lei-kun! It has been a while!”
, Ruby-san who’s in charge of me is receiving the four of them. Her black rabbit ears are moving energetically. She’s a very popular person even amongst the Guild’s personnel, so much so that everybody tries to queue for Ruby-san. In actuality, Dargris and the others also queuing for Ruby-san amongst the several receptions.
“Nn? Are you an acquaintance of Lei?”
Dargris asks Ruby-san. His eyes, they’re staring at the laden breasts-sama before his eyes though. And then Rene who’s staring at Dargris by his side. Dargris who doesn’t notice it. ……Don’t come crying afterwards if you don’t quickly notice it, alright.
“Yes, I assisted in Lei-kun’s adventurer registration and after that, I also assist him whenever he comes!”
Ruby-san who says with a smile. I mean, it’ll turn into a big mess if I don’t queue in Ruby-san’s line. Once, I went during a busy period at night and although all the receptions have queues, Ruby-san’s line is especially long, so I queued at a different line to complete the request report but the receptionist at that time who took charge of me assisted me with a cramped face.
I didn’t know the reason at that time but, I asked Ruby-san when she’s on her break afterwards and, it seems Shishou placed Ruby-san in charge of me. If it’s a recommendation from an Adventurer who’s above A Rank, it seems the Guild’s side places someone in charge of them so that they don’t quit the guild because plenty of them will become excellent Adventurers hereafter. It’s how Ruby-san is to me.
Furthermore, it’s the recommendation of a big-shot like Shishou, an S Rank that has not even ten people on the continent. And then that big-shot designated Ruby-san. It seems it casts suspicions on Ruby-san’s work to go to another reception even though Ruby-san who’s in charge of me is at the reception. ‘Why the hell did you go to another reception even though you have someone in charge of you!’. Shishou hits me with all her strength when I told her about that. ……I think Shishou who didn’t properly explained it to me is also at fault though.
Later, I went to the guild to explain the reason and apologise. Although it worked out somehow because the Guild’s side came to an understanding when I talked to them about it, it seems such an occurrence reflects badly on the Guild’s side’s trustworthiness, in a worst-case scenario, Ruby-san may even be discharged. It seems even if it’s a problem at the Adventurer’s side, the Reception’s side takes the fall. I thought in my head, ‘Explain it to me properly, Shishou!’ multiple times.
A gift I gave as an apology at that time, is the necklace treated with sapphire that glitters on Ruby-san’s chest. Because I don’t really know about gems very well, it’s something I bought under Alexia’s guidance. It goes without saying that I bought one for Alexia at that time as well.
I’m glad that both Ruby-san and Alexia are happy but, the money I saved from doing requests all went up in smoke though…….
I head towards where everybody is while thinking about such things.
“It has been a while, Ruby-san. Recently, I was busy with the life in the academy so I could not really come”
“I suppose so huh. It is why you are in school uniform huh. It suits you very well”
“Haha, thank you”
As I’m talking with Ruby-san, Dargris from the left side and Cait from the right side place their arms around my shoulder and bring me away from the girls. What?
“My~, Lei’s pretty shrewd huh~! You actually know such a beautiful person. Is she your this? Nn?”
Dargris who raises his pinky1 and asks me. That’s pretty outdated huh oi.
“Yeah. How sneaky of you to have such a beautiful person around~”
Cait who pokes my flank. I’m getting somewhat irritated at these guys.
“What. You guys have the ones for you around as well. Rene for Dargris, Emma for Cait”
Hence, I drop the bomb. Just in case, I said it in a soft voice that only the two of them can hear.
“Wha, wha, wha, what are you saying! I, I, I’m not like that with Rene!”
“Ye, yeah! I’m just childhood friends with Emma”
the two of them who deny it. Maybe it’s because they’re conscious about it even though they’re saying that, the two of them are quite shaken. Furthermore, because Dargris said Rene’s name out loudly
“What about me, Dargris?”
and Rene comes over.
“It, it’s nothing! It has nothing to do with Rene! Go over there!”
Dargris who tries to drive Rene away. However, the way he talks is becoming strange because he’s too shaken.
“……I don’t get it. More importantly, Ruby-san said to come because the Adventurer’s Card is done and she wants to explain”
Rene says and returns. Dargris who sees her off and breathes a sigh of relief. Geez, it’s so obvious. And as I’m looking at the back views of the two who return to listen to the explanation, Ely came.
“……What’s Lei’s rank? I’m D Rank”
she asks me.
“My rank is C”
I answer and Ely pouts going ‘Pukuu~’.
“I lost”
I think it’s fine to be bothered about something like that though. I was made to follow by Shishou and accepted all kinds of requests so my rank went up quickly, Ely’s is the proof of her raising it with her own strength. For me, I think Ely’s more amazing.
“Don’t be bothered about something like that. It’ll go up really quickly if Ely’s the one doing it, right?”
I ask and nod.
“It’ll go up after I accept some kind of subjugation request. However, it clashed with the time I enter school so I didn’t accept it”
If it’s a D Rank’s subjugation then I guess it’s Orc or Forest Snake, something along that line. In that case, I suppose it’s a walk in the park with Ely’s capabilities.
“Can Lei’s go up?”
“……Aah, if I accept a certain request”
Ely who tilts her head when I say that. It’s necessary to accept a certain request to go up from C Rank to B Rank. And that certain request is, the subjugation of robbers and criminals. Although it sounds like I’m doing a good deed when it’s put in that way, in actuality, it’s for the sake of checking whether you can kill a human or not.
Robbers and bandits are running rampant on this continent. People have escorts around when they go to another town or country not just to protect them from monsters, it’s also to keep such criminals in check. Although the army also sends out subjugation squads so that their numbers don’t increase, their numbers don’t decrease either.
It seems wars are the cause of it. I learned from Helen-san that because Regalia Empire wars with other countries, residents whose villages and towns met with harm have trouble with living so a lot of them degraded to being robbers and such. Hence, in the case that the army can’t handle everything, a request from the country comes to the Adventurer’s Guild. The Guild’s side is making it into an advancement test.
In my case, Shishou says that I’m still a child so it’s fine to not to accept it and stopped me so Ruby-san didn’t mention it as well. Therefore, I’m still lingering at C Rank.
“Lei?”
Oops, looks like I got lost in my own thoughts again. Ely looks at me worryingly.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go, it’s about time the explanation’s done”
“Un”
I still haven’t killed anyone before. Even the time with the vampire four years ago, she lived one way or another. It seems she’s totally paralyzed and unable to move so it’s hard to say she’s living.
I head towards where everybody is while thinking about such things. It’s something that doesn’t matter now. I’ll think about it when the time comes. While thinking that.
In Japan, the pinky refers to women. If one raises their pinky while saying 'this', it means a lover, mistress.