Chapter 55 - The Adventurer's Guild's Desperate Commission
At the heart of the empire, the imperial capital of the Krantz Empire. In a massive but dilapidated and shabby building—the headquarters of the Adventurer's Guild—a place where even remnants of its former glory were hard to find, the few remaining guild members huddled together in conversation.
"We've accepted the empire's request. We'll handle the threats deep in the border regions."
Helga Kreiger, the guild master nearing eighty, with the handle ILoveAdventuring, spoke up. As if the years had simply glanced off her, she still proudly displayed her robust physique.
"Pardon? Guild master, you do know how few of us are left, right?"
"Sigh... Yes. Everyone gathered here is our entire roster. Barely forty of us. Forty! What do you expect us to do with headcount like that?"
But while Helga herself was as sturdy as ever, the state of the Adventurer's Guild was dire—only about forty members still fit for active duty.
"You think I don't know that? I'm not senile yet."
"Then why on earth did you accept? Do you have some kind of plan?"
The guild members voiced their fierce opposition. Taking on the nests still lurking within the territory with just forty people? Was it even a feasible request to begin with? They couldn't blindly follow without hearing the reasoning—not even if it came from the guild master, the spiritual pillar who had kept the guild alive through the great catastrophe.
"The imperial army plans to wrap up the extermination before winter sowing, so they're marching at top speed."
"We've heard that much. The troops waiting to deploy have been scribbling away busily, so we're aware."
"Exactly. We'll clean up the nests they miss in their rapid advance. That's the whole request."
The adventurers let out a collective sigh. If that was all, it wasn't impossible. Sweeping through nests was their specialty, even with just four or five per team. Of course, it would mean risking their lives.
A request that might be their last. The adventurers glanced at Helga's expression. But her eyes burned with resolute determination—she had already made up her mind. Realizing refusal wasn't an option, they reluctantly pressed on.
"Sigh... Understood. Then we'll split into eight teams. You've already got a plan, right?"
"Of course. But hold on just a bit longer. Someone else is coming."
Helga's unexpected words. More people coming here? There were others registered as adventurers, but these were all the active ones.
Seeing the question marks practically floating over their heads, Helga grinned.
"We've got a new member in the guild. Top-notch talent. Someone you all know."
"Wait, why would prime talent join us adventurers? They could join the imperial army, get promotions, eat well, and—Ow! It hurts! Guild master, that hurts!!"
The moment the imperial army came up, Helga swung without hesitation. As the leader of a group that had lost countless talents to them, she couldn't stomach that topic.
Thwack! Thud! The heavy impacts echoed on. Helga pummeled him with controlled force—just enough not to kill—while the adventurer took it with a goofy grin. They were all powerhouses who could hold their own, so no real harm done, but stories had to be heard to the end. Another member finally stepped in to stop her.
"Ow, guild master. You'll kill him at this rate. So, who is this talent? If it's someone we know..."
At the perfunctory intervention, Helga paused the beating. Straightening her clothes, she continued.
"The daughter of our one and only gold-rank adventurer—the Hero herself—joined the guild. Just yesterday."
"...!"
Gold rank—the highest among bronze, silver, gold. The daughter of a Hero with untouchable might. The adventurers were stunned. Undeniable talent; they'd seen her skills with their own eyes. But there was a problem: the Hero's child, born when she was nearly forty, whom she babied and meddled with endlessly to keep from danger.
Her becoming an adventurer? Low pay—not even one decent meal a day—and a dangerous job? Had she gotten the Hero's permission? The members prayed it was with parental consent. Otherwise, the Hero would come storming in.
"Uh... did you get the Hero's permission? You know how much she dotes on her daughter..."
"No need. From what I heard, she promised no more interference once the girl came of age."
"She is of age this year, but... is that really okay..?"
Memories surfaced of the time the Hero's daughter visited the guild. When she got a scratch on her face playing with blades, the Hero had turned the training grounds into rubble. That ingrained terror overshadowed any joy at gaining talent.
"What can we do if she insists? Even if we don't let her join, she'll charge out on her own. You all know her personality."
Nods all around. Like father, like daughter—stubborn as a mule.
Everything was done and dusted. The huddled adventurers accepted reality.
"Alright, everyone on board? Moving on. Here's the operation plan."
Confirming their buy-in, Helga shifted to the next item. The plans were swiftly distributed. But upon checking, the members raised questions.
"Guild master? Five per team makes eight teams total... but this says nine?"
"The Hero's kid's coming with her friends. Four of them total, so I'm tagging along with that group."
"Whoa..."
A team of four rookies plus one veteran? Ideal for a first outing, but this was nest extermination. The questioner sighed in unease.
"I get why, but is their power really enough? I saw it myself, so I can vouch—their strength is plenty. I'll cover the experience gap. No worries."
They trusted the guild master, but was it truly fine? The adventurers couldn't bring themselves to respond.
BAM—! In that instant, a woman burst through the door, shattering it.
"Uncles! Aunts! I'm here! Heard I made adventurer?"
The Hero's daughter made her explosive entrance: Brunhilde Graywarden.
"Why the hell do you father-daughter pair smash the door every damn time you show up!!!"
Helga's anguished shout.
"I begged you—open it normally! We switched to swinging doors because of you two, and you still wreck them every time!"
Staring at the splintered remnants, she yelled.
"Because if I come in normally, no one pays attention to me! This way, everyone's staring right at me, see?"
Inheriting the Hero's might and eccentricity, plus her partner's stunning looks and attention-seeking flair, she was a force of nature—utterly uncontrollable.
"... "
Watching her, the adventurers doubted if her team could pull off the request. If she ignored pleas not to break doors, would she follow orders? If Helga's lifespan held out, that alone would be a miracle.
Despite her blunder, Brunhilde stood tall and unapologetic. Helga sighed and pressed on.
"Sigh... Hilde, listen while you clean that up. Door cost's the same as last time—pay up later."
"Got it!"
She responded promptly, at least. Helga swallowed a fresh surge of irritation and briefed them.
"Nine teams total. The church is sending priests too. They've got some combat ability, but they're specialized in purification—keep that in mind. That's it for now. Questions?"
Shakes of the head.
"Northwest and southwest—we'll focus there, since north, west, and south align with the imperial army's march. They'll handle what we miss. Don't overreach for glory. They've got tens of thousands; we've got forty-five. Got it?"
Helga resented the imperial army for poaching talent, but she respected their prowess. She dreamed of reviving the guild, but not at the cost of sending her family-like members to slaughter. No overexertion, she insisted.
The guild members smiled warmly at her words.
"Good, you all get it. Dismissed. We depart tomorrow with the imperial army. Rest up and don't be late."
Reminded why they stuck with the crumbling guild, they dispersed in high spirits.
"Guild master, you'll settle our pay after this request, right?"
"Hahaha! Kid, where do you think the guild's gonna scrape that from? Keeping this place standing is tough enough—might collapse soon!"
"At least it's post-harvest. Pre-harvest, I'd have left crying."
"See you tomorrow, guild master!"
True to free-spirited adventurers, the meeting ended in cheerful chaos. Helga saw them off with a wry smile.
Faithful faces showing up unpaid. Soon, she could reward these grateful lot. If the request went well, she'd clear the backlog with interest.
Imagining that bright future, Helga closed her eyes.
"Aunt Helga, door's cleaned! Leaving the money here!"
Brunhilde's voice shattered the pleasant reverie. Truly, that useless, irritating father-daughter duo. Still, work was work—Helga quickly instructed her.
"Hilde, make a Gallery handle. Need one to invite you to the chat room."
The chat room provided for smooth mission ops. To add Brunhilde, she needed a handle first.
"Sure thing! Perfect timing. Been holding back just for this moment!"
This attention-whore gorilla... Helga felt a vein throbbing on her forehead and prayed the job would end without issues.