Chapter 100: Foreshadowing
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 100: Foreshadowing
Surprisingly, the Hero-rank party evaluation—and the sorting of my women’s hierarchy—ended rather anticlimactically.
“This… is cowardly!”
Yarismal cried out in grief, resting on one knee, while Rune tossed her hair back with a refreshed, proud expression.
“Hmph. That was easy.”
Despite her words, the arms she had used to block Yarismal’s fists with her shield were trembling.
Narupa had been precisely spamming magic laced with various debuffs and tricks, but she was panting heavily, having exhausted a significant amount of mana against Yarismal, who had wrapped herself in divine power to heal infinitely. Diane was in a similar state.
The evaluation, which had been devolving into a simple, brutish battle of attrition, was declared void due to an unexpected variable.
That variable was me.
Somehow, they ended up facing off at close range with me in the middle. Yarismal couldn’t even throw a punch for fear of hitting me.
Noticing this, Rune tossed her shield aside, and while Narupa blocked Yarismal’s line of sight, Rune grabbed me and pulled me back.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
With animalistic instincts, Yarismal launched a roundhouse kick, but for some reason, it came to a dead stop just before hitting Rune’s body.
“Urgh?!”
She followed up with a flurry of punches, but as if by magic, none of them touched Rune; they all stopped on their own.
“W-Why?”
While Yarismal stood there bewildered, Rune and the party members perfectly established a formation centered around me.
“A decision has been reached! The victory goes to Rune’s party. With this, the Adventurer Guild recognizes the promotion of Rune’s party to Hero-rank and grants them permission to accept quests for any dungeon in the world.”
Branch Manager Karen called for a halt and announced their success.
And so, Yarismal fell to her knees, spiraling into self-loathing.
“Why couldn’t I attack…? Even if she was holding my Lord, I was aiming precisely for Airune…”
“Calling me Airune? How bold of you, little sister.”
Rune displayed the arrogance of a victor, her hair fluttering in the wind.
“Try calling me Big Sister Rune.”
“Grrr!”
“Surely you won’t use some petty trick like claiming it’s void because of a variable? Now, come on. Say it. I’m Big Sister Narupa.”
“Ugh…!”
“Ah, since I am lacking in many ways, I will take the position of the youngest. Yarismal, please be the third sister.”
“Kuh! Sister!”
Yarismal clung to Eris, calling her “Sister” after Eris voluntarily lowered her own status.
“Hey! I’m the primary wife, so you should call me Big Sister first!”
“Eris, I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Hehe, our family has grown.”
At that moment, Eris patted Yarismal on the back while looking at Rune.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
With Eris tactfully intervening, Rune reluctantly let the matter slide, smoothing over the situation.
Hmm, I didn’t actually do anything, but is this really okay?
But thinking about it again, things would have been settled easily the moment I stepped in.
Since a Hero-rank party requires every member to be skilled, I judged that Yarismal and Karen’s method of evaluation was correct.
“Hwaaa~. I’m hungry. That was way too much exercise.”
“Rune, do you realize you say you’re hungry every chance you get lately? Even if you’re engaged, you need to maintain your figure to stay loved.”
“Hmph~. What can I do if I’m hungry all the time?”
Rune casually brushed off Narupa’s nagging.
She’s really become a full-blown politician.
I walked up to the two of them and gave them a big hug.
“Congratulations.”
“Alto…”
“Oppa…”
Then, I patted Yarismal and Eris on the head as well.
“You both worked hard.”
“My Lord…!”
“Thank you.”
“Ahem!”
The emotional moment was cut short as Branch Manager Karen cleared her throat and stepped in.
She was holding a bundle of quest scrolls.
Wait, already?
“I apologize, but the Adventurer Guild headquarters likely didn’t expect you to pass the rank evaluation so quickly. Therefore, I intend to issue a quest now, before any complaints can arise after the report.”
“I understand your intention, Branch Manager, but is it alright for the Dakuren branch to proceed like this on its own?”
“Do not worry, Lord Alto. While the Adventurer Guild headquarters is taking a cautious approach, the Kingdom is not. They are itching to nip the Demon threat in the bud. A royal decree has been issued to bypass headquarters and issue quests whenever a party meets the qualifications.”
Good grief.
The Adventurer Guild headquarters is supposed to be strictly neutral, yet it’s being dragged around by the tyranny of the powerful Kingdom.
If Mirachi Bichante were still alive, this wouldn’t be happening.
“I am issuing a request to Adventurer Airune’s party.”
Unrolling a quest scroll, Branch Manager Karen began to read the request in a solemn tone.
“The tower that has produced many talented mages has been tainted by evil since ancient times. Unlike the Dakuren Dungeon, which lies in the abyss, that tower soars into the heavens, its peak shrouded in dark clouds.”
Hearing it from Karen instead of Eris gave it a different weight.
She truly was branch manager material.
The recitation of a quest request is a minor skill, but it provides a buff to those undertaking the quest.
“The time has finally come to prove that the master of the Magic Tower is human. Find and defeat the enemies hidden within the space concealed by the dark clouds, and raise your torches to purify it with the light of humanity.”
Just like Eris before, Karen paused for a beat.
If you were quick-witted, you’d realize it by now.
You don’t become a receptionist at the Adventurer Guild just because you want to. You need to have at least a bit of medium or shaman blood, like Eris.
“Quest details: Clear the Magic Tower. The reward will be provided by the mages who reclaim the tower.”
This time, the Kingdom isn’t providing the reward directly?
Those greedy toads.
They wanted the Dakuren Dungeon cleared, but now that it’s actually happened, they’re running low on reward funds, so they’re using this kind of trick?
“I’m from the Magic Tower too, so doesn’t this basically mean I have to pay myself?”
As Narupa frowned and complained, Karen flinched.
She probably hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Every time I see her, she seems competent in practical matters, but she lacks a broader perspective.
She’s much younger, so it’s unfair to compare her to Nasian or that old geezer.
“Fine.”
Once again, Rune stepped forward confidently.
“We, the Airune Party, accept that request.”
“Sister.”
Eris grabbed Rune’s arm.
“Will you be alright?”
“Dakuren has always been at the vanguard. And we have proven our worth by returning alive from that vanguard.”
Rune patted Eris’s head affectionately.
“Don’t worry, youngest.”
“You must not get hurt, no matter what.”
“…I won’t.”
Huh?
I’m not jealous, but shouldn’t those words usually be directed at me or the whole party?
“We’re leaving immediately.”
“Rune, isn’t this too sudden?”
“Not at all. It’s been quite a while since we received intel that those bitches are in the Magic Tower. We need to finish this quickly. The longer we dawdle, the more new demonic energy will stir, and the Kingdom and the Duchy will prepare some way to stab us in the back.”
Narupa was surprised and tried to stop Rune, but she wouldn’t listen.
Though it seemed forced, Rune wasn’t wrong.
“I agree. Those Kingdom bastards are incredibly good at playing dirty.”
“Even you, Oppa… Fine. If that’s what you both want.”
“Gyahahaha! I’m always down for a ride!”
“Hmph. I may have shown a pathetic side earlier, but this time, I shall show you the true power of the Bichante.”
With Diane and Yarismal joining in, the party’s morale was high.
Wait.
Hold on.
Yarismal?
“Yarismal, why are you coming?”
“My Lord, what are you saying! Wherever my husband goes, his wife must follow!”
“No, no, no, you’re not a member of our party.”
“Oh, I forgot to mention this.”
As I stood there dumbfounded, Branch Manager Karen belatedly pulled out a document.
“Headquarters ordered that a monitor be attached to Rune’s party. Therefore, Lady Yarismal will be joining the party as a monitor.”
“And they also told me to use my feminine charms to seduce my Lord!”
Karen looked embarrassed, while Yarismal spoke proudly.
The rest of us were speechless.
“So, Yarismal, what are you telling headquarters?”
“I wrote that I am currently being showered with love!”
Yarismal shouted confidently, giving a thumbs up.
“…Right?”
When I looked at her incredulously, she immediately lowered her head, which was actually quite cute.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Kuh! My Lord, please love me forever!”
“Youngest—no, Third! Don’t act up in front of the primary wife! Sigh, since it’s already been decided, I can’t say anything. We did need a healer in the party anyway.”
As Rune said, a proper party had finally been formed.
“The luggage has already been packed.”
Appearing out of nowhere, the black-clad maid Aslet, along with Eris, handed us several backpacks.
It seemed the old geezer had planned this in advance.
That sly old fox. It wouldn’t have killed him to give me a heads-up.
“I have also arranged a carriage. Though it is not Ms. Arasen’s.”
Ah.
A sad memory surfaced.
For the record, the Black Rose Movement that had been stirring in Hus died down after Fran’s burning at the stake.
The men had started behaving more cautiously as well.
The former Four—no, Three Handsome Heavenly Kings were busy promoting themselves and showing their reformed sides.
They weren’t going out much since they were under house arrest, but they seemed to be busy writing articles.
“Alright, Rune Party! Let’s head out!”
With Rune’s energetic declaration, we moved to board the carriage Aslet had brought, but the driver’s face looked somewhat familiar.
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
Diane recognized her as well.
While we both let out dumbfounded sounds, Yarismal kicked the carriage.
“Aren’t you going to come down and greet them?!”
“Hieek! Yes! Yes!”
A woman with half her face bruised purple scrambled down.
She was none other than the Lukart Carriage Station Manager.
“Greetings, Lord Alto!”
“How are you here?”
“She begged and pleaded to apologize to my Lord, so I demoted her to a regular driver and brought her along.”
Though she had brought her personally, Yarismal was still growling, so it didn’t seem like it was entirely her idea.
“Could this be…?”
“Sigh, yes. It was Count Dakuus’s wish.”
Yarismal let out a long sigh.
“He said that whether we destroy it or whatever, we will eventually have to head toward Lukart. To do that, he said it would be good to have someone who knows the roads well and has connections, while also being someone who can showcase my Lord’s magnanimity.”
Sly old fox?
I take it back.
He’s a goddamn serpent!
“Lord Alto! This worthless woman has committed a mortal sin! I will serve you with my life! I am grateful for the peace achieved through the blood of your grace and your comrades!”
The former manager’s entire arm was trembling as she gave a loud salute.
Part of it was likely fear of me, but seeing the bruises covering her even below her collarbone, it seemed her physical condition wasn’t great.
Unable to watch any longer, I questioned Yarismal.
“Isn’t this one defective?”
“Hmm…”
After a moment of thought, Yarismal slapped the former manager across the face.
Slap!
“Ugh! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
“Shut up.”
After silencing her coldly, Yarismal gave a bright smile.
“Not anymore. I’ve fixed her.”
Just as she said, the bruises on the former manager’s face vanished without a trace, leaving her skin perfectly clear.