Chapter 11: New Beginnings and Fresh Starts
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11: New Beginnings and Fresh Starts
Day three on the road to Hus.
Not long after we set off in the morning, I spotted a structure that looked like a large signpost.
[Welcome to Hus, the Land of Flavor and Greenery!]
“Welcome to Hus, the Land of Flavor and Greenery!”
Arasen read the words on the sign aloud, shouting them at the top of her lungs.
“Just a little further and we’ll be in Dakuren City!”
Sure enough, before lunchtime even rolled around, another large sign appeared.
[Welcome to Dakuren City, the Heart of Flavor and Greenery!]
Hmm, Hus really is a region defined by flavor and greenery.
If nothing else, I felt like I understood that much clearly.
“Halt! Halt!”
As we reached the walls of Dakuren City, a guard stopped the carriage for inspection.
“Identification.”
“Come on, you know me, don’t you?”
“Arasen, I still have to verify your identity, so hand it over.”
“Here you go~. And this gentleman here is a man migrating from Lukart to Hus! Hehe~ I really pulled off a big one, didn’t I?”
The guard shook her head at Arasen’s self-praise, but her eyes widened when she heard Arasen introduce me. She stepped closer.
“This gentleman? May I ask your name?”
“It’s Alto. Here is my ID.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. Count Dakuus has already instructed us to welcome you as a VIP. We will escort you from here.”
Good grief, the old man is as fussy as ever.
Back on the battlefield, he used to act like the world was ending whenever I made a suggestion. It seems he hasn’t changed a bit.
Well, except for the parts of him that did change drastically.
“What do you mean you’re just taking him! You have to come with me to the carriage station first. I need to get my commission!”
“Here, this is a transfer completion certificate stamped with the seal of the Count Dakuus family.”
“Heh, this will do just fine!”
Arasen, who had been throwing a fit for fear of losing me before getting paid, calmed down instantly the moment she received the certificate.
I envy her personality—being able to say everything she wants and getting what she needs.
I’m usually so worried about offending the other person that I can’t even speak properly.
Actually, I was like that.
Given that I have a history of raising hell at the Lukart Adventurer Guild before leaving, I trust that my stiflingly timid side will gradually disappear.
“Then this is where we part ways, Mr. Alto!”
She was so cool about saying goodbye the moment we entered Dakuren City. I suppose a professional carriage driver is just different.
It’s only natural, considering how many meetings and partings she must have experienced.
“Thank you for the ride.”
“Hey, I was paid for it!”
When I reached out my hand for a handshake, not only Arasen but even the guards flinched.
Arasen took my hand awkwardly, her posture hesitant, just like when I used to share my food with her.
“You worked hard.”
“Uh… ah… yes! Right, I usually specialize in travel within Hus, so if you plan on going around the region, feel free to request me at the carriage station anytime. I’m always there!”
“I’ll be sure to do that.”
It wasn’t a bad offer.
I should keep it in mind.
I have to look around to decide where to settle down within the Hus region anyway.
From what I’ve seen, Arasen is a diligent person with a good sense of humor.
She doesn’t seem like the type to stab a man in the back like a certain party I know, so it might be nice to travel with her in a private carriage until I get used to the area.
“Then I’ll be in touch soon. I really do plan on traveling all over.”
“I’d appreciate that!”
Arasen fluttered the certificate in the air.
“Well then, I’m off to collect my commission!”
“Let’s grab a meal next time we meet.”
“Ugh…! Y-Yes…!”
At this point, it seemed Arasen was the one who couldn’t quite get used to me until the very end.
I watched her carriage disappear as she waved, then turned my gaze back to the guards. They, too, were wearing expressions of utter confusion.
I’m trying my best to be kind, yet they can’t seem to accept it.
Is this also because I’m ugly?
Still, it’s better to be ugly and look gentle than to be ugly and violent.
You’re doing great, Alto.
I can’t help the contempt, but let’s at least try not to be hated.
“We will escort you from here.”
“Thank you. But where are we going?”
“By invitation of Count Dakuus, you will be heading to the Lord’s Castle.”
Oh?
Am I going to see the old man already?
“So, as soon as I arrive in Dakuren City, I’m meeting Count Dakuus first?”
“Yes, that is correct. It’s not far, so please rest easy.”
Just to be clear, the old man and I were definitely not on good terms during the war.
As a Count who gave orders that didn’t fit the situation on the front lines, he and I clashed over every little thing.
I spent a total of eight years in the war, and from the moment we first met until the Final War, we fought like cats and dogs for six of them.
The fact that a mere corporal survived after defying a major in the command center—an offense usually punishable by summary execution—was likely because I was a madman known as the ‘Bloodhound,’ and because of the mercy of Marquis Vanguardier Dakuren, who thought I was too useful on the battlefield to kill.
In other words, the Count and I had a relationship bonded through spite; we weren’t exactly a perfect match.
“Hmm.”
It’s a bit burdensome to see him right away.
I only saw him once right after the war ended to receive a medal, and before that, we were literally at each other’s throats.
Above all, seeing that ambitious villain’s face might make me instinctively want to throw a punch.
“Huuuumm…”
“Lord Alto?”
As I agonized over it, I suddenly realized I hadn’t eaten anything since morning.
Arasen had been eager to get her commission, and I, wanting to get a move on and start my new life, had pushed the carriage to keep going.
Since it was about that time anyway, I figured it would be okay to make a request.
“Um, excuse me…”
“Yes, Lord Alto. Is there something you need?”
I felt the bills in my pocket.
It was still thick.
Since I’d be receiving a settlement subsidy soon anyway, I thought a little luxury wouldn’t hurt.
“This is very important.”
“Yes, just say the word and I will handle it as quickly as possible.”
Matching the guard’s tense expression, I spoke with a serious face.
“I’m hungry.”
“Pardon…?”
I pointed to a small restaurant visible inside the Dakuren walls.
“Should we eat before we go?”
Arasen had said that any restaurant in Hus would be tastier than those in Lukart.
* * *
Around the time Alto Bertrand arrived in Dakuren City in the Hus region, Mirei’s party finally began to feel that something was wrong—a full three days later.
“Alto hasn’t come back to the party house at all?”
Mirei, who had been lazily brushing her black hair, felt her sleepiness vanish at the story Diane cautiously brought up.
“Since when?”
“It’s been at least two days. Yesterday, I stayed up all morning waiting for him, but he never showed. I didn’t hear any movement in his room, either.”
“Did you try opening his door?”
“I’ve done it several times already! I’m not that stupid!”
What’s going on? she wondered.
It wasn’t just Mirei. Resin and Krima, who were in the living room with them, also stiffened visibly.
“You don’t think he… ran away, do you?”
At Resin’s offhand comment, Mirei flared up in anger.
“What kind of nonsense is that! Alto would never do that to us! We’ve built this party together for five years. Leaving behind five years of hard work and just running away? Does that make sense?!”
Running away.
In a way, it was the right word.
Since Alto had left Lukart alone without telling the party members, it was technically a desertion.
However, legally, a male party member could withdraw without the consent of other members, and that was exactly how Alto’s withdrawal had been processed.
The difference between ‘running away’ and ‘withdrawing’ was that if someone ran away, their registration as a party member remained active.
If that were the case, the national subsidy Alto had set up as an automatic transfer would continue to flow into the party’s operating fund account.
Naturally, upon his withdrawal, that automatic transfer had long since been canceled.
It was none other than the Adventurer Guild Branch Manager who had rushed to the bank on the very morning of Alto’s withdrawal to provide proof and take action.
Thanks to that, even the Lukart Bank Manager learned of Alto’s withdrawal, and the Branch Manager had to throw even more money around to keep it quiet.
While taking comfort in the fact that Alto’s status as a National Merit Recipient hadn’t been leaked to the Bank Manager, the Guild Branch Manager and the Carriage Station Manager were both gnashing their teeth, preparing to excise the festering wound that was Mirei’s party.
Unaware of any of this, Mirei’s party continued their conversation, which they considered serious, though it was leisurely compared to the reality of the situation.
“To be optimistic, we did cause a lot of trouble, like Krima said. Enough to hurt his feelings.”
“We touched the party’s operating funds and even took out loans… we were too indifferent.”
Resin and Krima belatedly looked back on their actions.
However, whether they were only scratching the surface and failing to mention the root cause because they truly didn’t realize it, or because they were intentionally ignoring it, was unclear.
“There are too many strange things. If nothing else, the fact that he hasn’t come home at all and hasn’t even prepared meals means he either ran away or something happened to him.”
At Resin’s speculation, Krima raised her hand.
When everyone’s eyes turned to her, Krima spoke with a flushed face.
“Actually, when I went to the grocery store yesterday to prepare for a meal, people were saying things.”
“What things? Resin, were we all at the party house yesterday?”
“Diane was, of course, because she was worried about Alto… and yeah, Mirei, you and I were home too.”
“Don’t interrupt me. This is important.”
How dare she rebuke the party leader?
Mirei’s eyebrows twitched, but she decided to hold back for now to hear what Krima had to say.
“I heard that a settlement support policy for men migrating to the provinces was recently implemented.”
“Migrating to the provinces? They give you money for living there?”
“They give you a house and even arrange blind dates if you want. But that’s not the important part.”
“Then what is?”
“According to the Adventurer Guild, female recruiters from other regions have been sneaking in to approach the men of Lukart using this policy.”
“What?!”
Now the pieces are fitting together.
Feeling like she had found a clue, Mirei shouted reflexively.
“Then those bitches might have approached Claude!”
“No, Mirei. They might have approached Gerend!”
The shouts from Mirei and Diane gave Resin a headache.
How can they bring up their lovers’ names at a time like this?
Well, she was worried too, but she shouldn’t bring it up here.
“I know you’re worried, but why would those two go to the provinces? They’re the most handsome men in Lukart and everyone worships them. The one in a desperate position is Alto.”
“Resin, then do you really think Alto fell for a recruiter’s temptation and ran away?”
Resin shook her head at Krima’s question.
Resting her chin on her hand and tapping the table, Resin continued her monologue-like deduction.
“Alto has a lot of affection for our party. He wouldn’t have left voluntarily.”
It was half-voluntary, half-involuntary.
The ‘involuntary’ part was the party members’ infidelities.
“From a recruiter’s perspective, there’s a risk of their identity being exposed to the man they’re recruiting. The hypothesis that they approached the ugly Alto thinking he’d be dissatisfied with Lukart, and then kidnapped him when he wouldn’t follow quietly, is much more plausible.”
“That’s it! That must be it!”
“If that’s true, what do we do now? We need to finish our maintenance, take a quest, and head into the dungeon. We need to earn money so we can go see Lord Gerend.”
“You should see Claude, why Gerend?”
Mirei slapped her knee while Krima grew restless.
Seeing them drift off into their own selfish thoughts again, Resin sighed and stood up.
“We have to go to the Adventurer Guild and report this to the Branch Manager.”
“To the Branch Manager?”
“Of course, Krima. Even if he’s ugly, Alto is a man of Lukart. This is a matter where men could leave in droves, starting with Alto. And if it’s a kidnapping, we definitely have to report it. As things stand, we’ve had our party’s man stolen from us.”
“I see… I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, though.”
Krima hesitated, but Diane shouted her approval enthusiastically.
“Let’s go right now! We’ll report it and find Alto quickly. When he realizes we came to save him, all his resentment will vanish!”
“That sounds good. Diane, you were actually smart just now.”
“Hmph. Trap disarming and scouting are all done with this great brain of mine, Mirei.”
“There’s no time, everyone. Let’s get to the Adventurer Guild.”
Having made a decision, Resin hurried the party to get ready.
When they arrived at the Adventurer Guild in a single breath, the pale-faced receptionist, looking as if the inevitable had finally happened, sent them straight to the Branch Manager’s office without a word of protest.
And after hearing their story, the Branch Manager…
“Deal with it yourselves.”
“Pardon? Branch Manager, this is an emergency. A man from Lukart was taken by another region…”
“I already issued a warning, didn’t I? And now you want to use our guild staff and other adventurers’ manpower to find your man? Why don’t you just announce it to the whole town? Or better yet, post a formal quest? It’ll cost you quite a bit.”
“Branch Manager, this isn’t just a personal matter for our party, it’s for the whole city…”
“Shut up!”
As Resin kept pestering her, the Branch Manager’s one remaining eye bulged as she barked.
“Isn’t it better this way? You can finally replace that Alto g—that Alto guy you were so dissatisfied with.”
“How can you say something so cruel?!”
Despite Krima’s protest, the Branch Manager’s rage only grew.
“When were you ever not talking behind his back about how ugly he was, and now you want help finding him? If your story is true, why should we waste manpower looking for an ugly guy? On the other hand, if that Alto g—if Alto was such a valuable resource, why did you bash him so much until now? It doesn’t add up!”
“Regardless of whether he’s handsome or not, it’s a problem for Lukart!”
“No, this is your problem. We gave you plenty of warnings to keep a close eye on your man. You’re the ones who let a man go out alone in this dungeon city crawling with rough adventurers. You reaped what you sowed.”
The Branch Manager had already received word that Alto had arrived in Hus.
He actually went.
Even though she knew he would, the fact that it actually happened was enough to drive her mad.
The Adventurer Guild headquarters had said they would visit within the month.
The visitor would surely come as an auditor.
Before then, she had to find a way to cruelly torment and squeeze these bitches dry.
And yet, how could these crazy women only realize their party’s man was gone after three days?
Because they had wasted three precious days, both the Branch Manager and the Station Manager were pissed off to the extreme.
“A man from a Hero-rank party has gone missing! Why are you acting like this, Branch Manager!”
Even Mirei stepped forward, but the Branch Manager didn’t budge.
“Then you should have treated him better in the first place. If I told people to mobilize to find one ugly man, do you think they’d just say, ‘Yes, understood’?”
She then jerked her chin toward the door.
“What are you doing? Get out there and find him.”
“Branch Manager!”
“Is this bitch crazy? How dare you yell at the Guild Branch Manager!!”
Her roar pierced through the office and echoed all the way down to the first-floor reception desk.
Toward Mirei’s party, who were frozen in shock, the Branch Manager lit a cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke.
“If it’s such an urgent matter, find him before next week. And whether you find that Alto g—fuck! Whether you find Alto or not, come back next week to fill your quest quota like a Hero-rank party should. What kind of break is this long! I’m the one getting squeezed by the higher-ups!”
They gained nothing and only suffered losses.
As Mirei’s party trudged out of the guild, the Branch Manager’s shout followed them.
“Hey! Those bitches. Until they finish what I ordered, put a hold on all their major quests!”
From that day on, a rumor spread through Lukart that Mirei’s party had been blacklisted by the Adventurer Guild Branch Manager.