326. Provocation (1)
326. Provocation (1)
- 1 -
The guild master of the Crash County Adventurer's Guild, Harai, frowned as he glared at the paper on his desk.
'Why on earth...'
It was a single invitation.
An invitation stamped with the black seal of the King of Hysen, no less.
Ever since that invitation had arrived last night, an uneasiness had lodged deep in his chest.
The invitation itself was bewildering, but the contents had frayed his nerves even further.
「To Guild Master Halai Bernov of Crash Guild.
Through the conference held in Hylash, I have come to understand that you are faced with a difficult challenge. Should you require my assistance, please seek out Philia Elskopf at the royal palace at any time.
— Philia Elskopf.」
"I truly cannot fathom this..."
Harai set down the letter in his hand and stroked his chin.
Feeling the texture of his poorly-shaved beard, he mulled over the letter's intent, trying to parse it.
Just as he had done dozens of times over the past two days.
'If you have a difficult matter, come find me.'
That was the single sentence that defined this letter.
There was no need to question how she had come to know of the problem he, Harai, was facing.
Philia Elskopf was a person of power, and power solved many problems.
So the issue was the proposition itself.
There was no way this was an offer of selfless aid for his troubles.
Where in the world did such kindness from such a person exist?
And if not, then what exactly did she intend to take from him in return for this offer?
'...Don't tell me.'
Only then did his thoughts stray to the other of the two problems he carried.
The one concerning his daughter, who suffered from an incurable disease she would have to bear for her entire life.
That one demand which those who had come promising to cure his daughter had made, after seeing her face and body.
'Don't tell me... No, there's no way... but there is.'
He recalled it simultaneously. The peculiar proclivities that some nobles and powerful figures possessed.
'If they demand her... no, even if they merely show a pretense of respecting her wishes somewhat, then compared to a lifetime of watching her suffer...'
It was a subtle thought that Philia, that Libertas herself, would have found both unjust and yet not entirely unwarranted if she had heard it.
There was no reason to deliberately refuse beauty, but she wasn't someone who would exploit the misfortune of someone who wasn't even her enemy to begin with.
However, a 'common adventurer' like him, captive to prejudice against the powerful, had no way of knowing that.
Tok-tok.
"Ah, come in."
Just then, a knock sounded, and he hastily stowed the invitation in a drawer before raising his head.
The person who entered was Catherine, the receptionist hailed as the guild's greatest beauty.
"Guild Master."
"Miss Catherine."
"The replies have come back. The thing is..."
She set down several letters she had been holding in her right hand.
Harai stared at them for a moment before averting his gaze.
He didn't need to confirm them to know they were letters refusing his proposal.
"They said the compensation was far too little."
"...I thought as much."
Ever since being appointed by the royal family last weekend as the officer responsible for conquering an ancient underground dungeon in the region, he had been trying to recruit adventurers for the raid.
The dungeon discovered this time was estimated to be a place that had existed for a long time, either containing powerful magic or composed of an impassable labyrinth.
To break through such a place, the guild's adventurers alone were not enough.
Yet he couldn't just accept any ragtag group either.
Even if he brought adventurers from the inland, they needed to be at least of upper rank or higher in skill, and he needed true experts with long experience fighting dungeons and demon beasts.
'That's why the frontier adventurer guilds or mercenary guilds are essential...'
The exorbitant amount of money required was not a problem at all.
He could invest as much as necessary.
It wasn't uncommon for adventurers to invest excessive amounts for the sake of their lives' safety, and though he held the position of guild master, he was an adventurer at his core.
Therefore, offering an 'appropriate' level of compensation to invite the frontier guilds was only natural.
The problem lay elsewhere.
'A dungeon within the territory of Elieniessi.'
Harai muttered inwardly.
His fist grew slick with sweat, and his mouth went dry.
The Hysen guild conquering a dungeon inside Elieniessi's territory?
It was no different from playing with fire atop a political powder keg.
In times like these, who would willingly take such a risk?
On the surface, they merely kept their mouths shut, citing 'insufficient compensation,' but the reality was different.
Even adding the unknown rewards obtainable after conquering the dungeon to the sum he had promised beforehand could not make any guild bear the risk staring them right in the face.
'Unless they were backed by a nation willing to step forward more aggressively...'
"At this rate, I can't speak for our side's dungeons, but the dungeon across the border will be claimed first by Elieniessi's guild."
Catherine spoke with a sigh.
"I know."
The rumors had already spread throughout the industry.
The fact that dungeon information had been individually distributed to each regional guild at the Union's central conference had already circulated through the adventurer's world.
And those rumors would naturally have crossed the border and reached Elieniessi as well.
There might not be clear information on the exact location yet, but that too was only a matter of time.
"...Guild Master."
At that moment, Catherine cautiously opened her mouth.
"What is it? Speak."
"This is a task entrusted by the nation, so couldn't we receive that... support? That would resolve a great many things."
Catherine's suggestion was simple.
To simply visit the royal palace and request help.
Why that was such a difficult decision might be hard for a guild clerk to understand.
But Harai knew.
That the willing mercy of the powerful always came with a price to match.
Not knowing what that price might be was what made him uneasy.
"In my opinion..."
Just as Catherine was about to carefully continue, Harai cut her off.
"Let us go."
"Pardon?"
Catherine's eyes widened.
"I shall return to the Hylash royal palace. Prepare a carriage."
Harai's voice carried a tone of finality.
Because his honor as an adventurer and the future of his guild members were more important than his own pride or unknown dangers.
'I'll find out if it's truly dangerous by going and listening.'
That was the final judgment Harai made.
- 2 -
Two days later, before the main gate of Hylash royal palace.
Harai uncomfortably adjusted his formal suit, which gave off a distinctly aristocratic air.
'This is truly... beyond awkward...'
It was an outfit worn to maintain the dignity of a guild master, but it didn't suit his rough appearance at all.
His look and his entire aura were utterly incongruous.
"Your name is...?"
This was exactly why the guard at the main gate was eyeing him suspiciously.
Harai smiled, trying his utmost to appear friendly and courteous, but unfortunately, that smile only resulted in making him look even more dubious.
"I am Harai of the Crash Adventurer's Guild. I have been invited by Her Excellency, Countess Philia Elskopf."
Only after the guard checked his invitation and verified the list did his frown finally ease.
"You are on the list. I will escort you. Follow me."
Harai was inwardly surprised.
Usually, those visiting the royal palace were made to wait for a long while.
But the fact that his name had been on the list meant that Philia Elskopf had truly been waiting for him.
Passing through long corridors and arcades, Harai arrived before the door of a room.
Above the door hung a plaque that read 'Union Prime Minister's Office.'
Tok-tok.
"Guild Master Harai of Crash Guild has arrived. Your Excellency."
- Show him in.
"Yes."
And so the door opened.
The moment Harai saw the scene inside the room, he nearly lost his composure.
Within the spacious room sat the lady in the black dress he had seen at the conference, but beside her was also Hysen's young queen, Yurena.
"I-I greet Your Majesty!"
He had been so startled that he didn't even notice he had used 'Your Majesty' instead of 'Your Highness'.
Seeing him like that, Yurena smiled faintly and whispered in a low voice toward Philia.
"Don't tease him too much, sister. He's completely tense."
"Tease him? I have no such hobby."
"Heehee. Okay."
He didn't know what the two were saying...
But Harai came to properly realize one thing: what the rumored charismatic reputation of Yurena circulating among the people truly meant.
As he watched Yurena's face, which had been adorably soft just moments before, immediately transform into an expression full of charisma.
He also noticed that her expression was similar to that of Philia, who sat beside her, and that Philia was gazing at her approvingly.
'If the relationship between the power holder and the king is this close...'
In his mind, the danger level of Philia Elskopf, and the corresponding wariness, shot straight up.
But there was nothing he could do. He only remained silent.
He was a frontier adventurer guild master, and the beings before him were a power holder and a king.
"Welcome. Guild Master Harai."
Philia Elskopf gestured for him to come in.
A warm and gentle face.
But Harai felt a chill run down his spine at that moment and shuddered.
Because from deep within her eyes, he sensed something endlessly deep and dark.
As if noticing his reaction, Philia's gaze deepened further.
"I, I offer my greetings. Your Excellency."
"Sit."
Harai sat across from her without straightening his back.
Even after sitting, he did not raise his head quickly.
As he had experienced, the powerful did not like others looking freely at their faces.
But she was different.
"Raise your head. Shouldn't we converse while looking into each other's eyes?"
"Ah, yes."
Raising his head, flustered, he met her eyes, then flinched in surprise once again, lowering his gaze.
After Queen Yurena had left, a strange tension lingered in the room where only the two of them remained.
"There's no need to be tense. Do I look that frightening?"
At Philia's joke, Harai felt his heart lurch.
It wasn't her appearance that was frightening.
It was something overwhelming he felt emanating from her that kept him on edge.
He couldn't even begin to guess the identity of that pressure, but a sense of crisis, as if being anything less than guarded would cost him his life, sliced down his spine.
"I... I received the invitation. Your Excellency."
Harai spoke in the most composed voice he could muster, but it quivered slightly.
"Yes. I did send it. You must have been afraid, yet your sense of responsibility brought you here. Am I right?"
At Philia's words, which accurately pinpointed his psychology, he raised his head in surprise.
Having met his eyes briefly, she slowly lifted her teacup and took a sip.
Even that trivial action seemed to shift the air of the room.
"Yes... that is correct."
At his honest admission, Philia, the corners of her lips curling up, lightly tapped the table with her fingers.
Harai's gaze naturally followed the movement.
"What kind of help..."
He swallowed.
His throat felt bone-dry; he couldn't get the words out otherwise.
"What kind of help can you offer me?"
Hearing his question, Philia's eyes shone beautifully as they caught the sunlight filtering through the window.
"What do you think about you, yourself, participating directly in the raid?"
Harai's eyes flew wide open.
That proposal was a possibility he had never once considered.