Ambushing the Ambushers (2)
Hestia Cloudy.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the Adventurer's Guild.
Her adventurer rank was D-Rank. One step above F-Rank, but hardly anything to brag about.
Even so, she had to drag herself to the guild every weekend.
Just a little longer… just hold on a bit more…
The Cloudy family had once been a count's household, but they'd sold off their territories to neighboring families and fallen into poverty. All because Hestia Cloudy’s father—the current head of the family—had gotten hooked on gambling.
To fund his habit, he'd sold off the family's future. Now, she had to cover her own academy tuition by earning money herself every weekend. Even that meager sum got split up, with part sent back to the family. If she didn't, the house might really collapse.
The timid Hestia Cloudy had been swept along in this desperate situation without a single complaint, carried by the current like driftwood.
Just a little longer…
That "just a little longer" was far from the truth. It was nothing more than a mantra she repeated to keep herself going.
Every weekend, she showed up at the Adventurer's Guild, endured the mockery from the scary adventurers, and took on whatever odd jobs she could. That was her routine.
"Hey, kiddo. You look like some rich young lady. Why don't you go suck on mommy's tit a bit longer?"
"Puhahaha!"
But the hardest part to endure was the gazes from those rough adventurers.
She could brush off the teasing, but sometimes threats mixed in.
Those moments really tested her limits.
And that's when it happened.
That guy…
A fellow art department student, someone in a similar spot—taking magic department classes to get stronger. He slept through every lecture, but they shared so many classes that she'd memorized his face.
More than that, his strikingly handsome features weren't easy to forget once you'd seen them.
"Um… excuse me!"
"What?"
"A… aren't you an academy student?"
Maybe it was because a familiar face had appeared in this brutal Adventurer's Guild.
Her body moved before her brain could catch up.
It was bold—something her usual self would never dream of doing, let alone attempt.
She grabbed his arm. To keep him from leaving…
"D-do you need a party member… maybe?"
She had to hold on. If she didn't grab onto something—anything—she wouldn't survive in the Adventurer's Guild.
At the very least, if she could form a party, they could take on higher-paying quests.
"Ho… boyfriend?"
"That's dirty! Hey? Hey, boyfriend! You look like a total weakling too. Why don't you just head home? Huh?"
And that was the spark.
Now the scary uncles' gazes turned to the handsome student right in front of her.
I'm sorry… it's all because of me…
In that instant, Hestia Cloudy was overcome with self-loathing. She couldn't drag others down with her.
But the next moment…
"Ugh…"
"You wanna die?"
Shing—
The boy's aura shifted.
He didn't meet their eyes, but it felt like she shouldn't meet them either.
The other adventurers who did froze solid. She couldn't see the boy's expression, but it had to be deadly serious.
He drew his sword and leveled it at the adventurers' throats. Even from where Hestia stood beside him, she could see the corner of his mouth twist up in a savage grin.
"Say one more word. I'll kill you and just pay the fine. I tried it once before—killing someone is over in a flash."
Killing intent. Hestia knew the name of that energy.
Occasionally, when cheats caught her father gambling and things went south, he'd unleash it—the raw will to kill his opponent no matter what.
That emotion manifesting as an aura, spreading outward.
And at the same time…
Thank goodness.
She felt relief.
Because his killing intent wasn't aimed at her? No, that wasn't it.
Because he'd crushed the adventurers' spirits in one go.
And the reason he'd unleashed it was because they'd mocked her—and him.
That's where Hestia misunderstood. Kael Lotus's handsome looks combined with that unique killing intent, and her brain arbitrarily connected the dots.
Those features fueled the delusion. That the boy in front of her was showing her consideration.
That he'd helped her out…
"Th-thank you."
Hestia felt her cheeks flush at the thought that someone had helped her against the adventurers' bullying.
It was the first time. For someone as invisible and timid as her, to have someone step up like that.
For someone to get angry for her sake…
"You said you do odd jobs, right?"
Hestia Cloudy.
For now, he'd agreed to form a temporary party with her.
The reason? She had some use value.
"Y-yes…! I'll do anything you ask! A-as long as… there's pay."
"60-40. I get the 40."
"Wh-what…?"
"The quest reward. But there's one condition."
Nothing in the world was free.
The Lotus family had money. Enough that the Adventus ducal house would sell their daughter to them.
The Lotus frontier was rich in resources, and its landmass rivaled the capital itself.
So money had never been an issue. People, on the other hand, always were.
"Hestia Cloudy, right? Kael Lotus."
"P-pardon? The… famous Kael Lotus?"
"Let's skip the intros. Here's the condition. First: Whatever quest I pick, you do it. No veto. Second: If anyone approaches you about teaming up for business or asks a favor, you come straight to me. Never decide on your own."
"Y-yes…! That's fine!"
It was basically stripping her freedom, but she nodded without a hint of wariness.
Maybe because she'd never truly had freedom to begin with.
Of course, he wasn't running a charity. He had zero intention of volunteering or playing the fool for her sake.
He immediately took her to the quest board and picked one out.
"This is what we'll do from now on. You'll get the bigger cut of the reward, as promised. But follow my orders without question."
"An escort… quest? B-but… this says only B-Rank adventurers can take it…"
"What're you talking about? I'm A-Rank."
"Ah… r-really?"
"Just to check—you're what rank?"
"I'm…"
Suddenly, Hestia flushed red and started mumbling.
Of course, she wasn't swordsmanship or magic department. At best, F-Rank or D-Rank.
Quests she could handle? Finding lost cats, delivering potions.
Obviously, that kind of busywork wouldn't pay enough…
"You wanted in the party to do odd jobs anyway, right? Your rank doesn't matter. You're just the errand girl."
He snatched the quest posting from the board.
Then headed straight to the counter to register it.
Join the Back Alleys patrol squad and escort the guards during their patrol.
Quest Provider: Capital Security Bureau
Rank: B-Rank | Reward: [As Posted]
Back Alleys were a den of thugs, naturally.
Not every corner of the capital—a forest of buildings and sea of people—could have perfect public order.
Instead, the Security Bureau ran periodic surprise patrols through the alleys to maintain a baseline of safety.
Lately, there've been a lot of attacks targeting those patrols.
According to the clues left by Professor Temiri, the kingdom was the mastermind directing and inciting terror against the patrols.
Rear disruption was the most basic sabotage before starting a war.
In other words, the kingdom was already gearing up for war with the empire.
Undermine internal security, crush guard morale, make policing an undesirable job—then, when war actually broke out, they could rampage even bolder from the rear lines.
The Security Bureau was filling manpower gaps with adventurers like this…
Perfect. With scrawny little Hestia tagging along, we'll draw even more attacks.
In that sense, he planned to use her as literal bait.
He'd hang back, stay hidden, and tail the patrol squad.
"Um… can we really do this?"
"Why? Worried?"
No need to worry about them dying, at least.
Terror targeting patrol squads was mostly small fry. The spies weren't combat elites either.
"Don't worry. You won't get hurt. Just do what I say."
He waved the accepted quest paper and strode out of the guild first.
She hurried after him a beat later.
"You guys? The patrol squad reinforcements?"
"Huh? No way—the adventurers who took the quest are you?"
"Ah… hello."
At the rendezvous point, four guards waited for them.
From their chatter, these seemed to be the squad patrolling the Back Alleys together this time.
"Wait… you're academy students?"
"You know it. Be grateful a noble like me is gracing your lowly patrol."
He flashed a grin, and uneasy glances shot between the guards.
Yeah, he could read their minds. They'd requested escorts, and now they had noble brats to babysit.
But could these grunts refuse them?
No chance.
Of course, contrary to their worries, he had no intention of being dead weight.
"Hestia. I'll tail the patrol from behind, nice and slow. You stick close to the squad as the frontliner."
"…Me? Alone…?"
"What, you don't want the money?"
Now the bait op began.