Contact (1)
The unofficial request. There were only a limited number of people who could assign unofficial missions, which were originally composed of personal requests. Guild upper management commissioning personal favors, wealthy nobles capable of lobbying the guild with enormous sums, or nobles powerful enough that simply granting their requests brought benefits without needing bribes. However, the current Adventurer's Guild ignored such qualifications entirely. They accepted any request from anyone deemed capable of paying proper compensation.
This was because they needed to retain the adventurers who were leaving by offering them even dangerous work.
“...There are far more unofficial requests coming in than official ones.”
The branch manager of the Royal Capital's Adventurer's Guild sat with a pounding headache, staring at the mission list before him. The fat chin, covered in scars from his long-ago days as an adventurer, twitched. The manager picked up the paper densely packed with requests using his thick fingers.
Ever since the royal family began stepping forward to reduce the adventurers' influence, the dissatisfaction among guild-affiliated adventurers had been piling up day by day. If things were like this, they grumbled, why not just dig for herbs in the mountains instead of paying dues to the guild? It would be better to enlist and serve as a lowly soldier. If they weren't even going to receive escort missions anymore, what work was left for them? Leaving only missions with no chance of success—wasn't that just telling them not to work at all?
Complaints poured in dozens of times a day, and about a quarter of them resulted in adventurers actually leaving the guild. Unfavorable rumors about the guild spread even to those who had been working without much complaint. New members decreased by the day, while those withdrawing increased steadily. To make up the numbers, they were at the point of accepting people who fell short of the guild's qualification standards.
The stopgap measure they had come up with was to accept more unofficial requests. While it could quell the adventurers' dissatisfaction, the tail was growing far too long.
“At this rate, it's only a matter of time before the Royal Capital imposes direct sanctions.”
Unofficial requests were illegal. But they were the kind of illegal that could slip past the inspectors' eyes, or the kind that could be resolved with bribes. Or, in some cases, they were matters even the inspectors could do nothing about. Right now...
“Sigh.”
All they could do was hope that the inspector would overlook the situation, considering their past loyalty and the guild's circumstances. Of course, that was never going to happen.
“...I'll think about it later.”
The manager began reading through the newly updated mission list. Wondering what kind of ugly, greedy request had been added this time.
“What is this?”
The manager couldn't help but frown as he read the list. “Surveillance, minor sabotage... this one is kidnapping? But why is the compensation like this?”
The content of the missions wasn't all that different from usual. But the rewards were completely mismatched with the work involved.
“...Wait a moment.”
The manager squeezed every bit of experience he'd gained rolling around in the guild, searching for commonalities among the high-paying missions. “...It's royal family business.”
The nobles would have no choice but to be on edge. The manager pictured the royal family's utterly chaotic situation. Count Benning joining hands with the Magic Tower, seizing control of the court, quietly eliminating several court nobles without anyone noticing. Absorbing the remaining forces, driving out those that couldn't be absorbed.
“If they were truly people watching Count Benning's mood, they wouldn't have tried to make contact in the first place.”
Amid the ongoing checks against the Adventurer's Guild, not many could afford to contact the guild while risking offending the Benning family, which had risen as the kingdom's most powerful house. Or perhaps they simply didn't know their place.
The manager mentally sorted which adventurers to assign to nobles whose names he had barely even heard before. If they got entangled with nobles who couldn't handle the aftermath, they would likely lose their lives nine times out of ten.
“I can't attach the skilled ones either.”
I suppose I'll have to look at the faces of the adventurers assigned to these missions and decide. Having reached that conclusion, the manager picked up the paper with the list and rose from his seat.
When he stepped out of the room, the interior of the guild headquarters was quite noisy. The guild being noisy was nothing new, but the current commotion was far from the usual boisterous chatter.
“Ah, Branch Manager...”
The employee in charge of reception hurried over to the manager. His face brightened with relief, as if he had been searching specifically for him. The sound of the employee's shoes was completely drowned out by the guild's uproar.
“Is something wrong?”
When the manager asked about the commotion on the first floor, the employee shook his head as if he wasn't sure. At the same time, his face clearly showed his distress.
“A visitor has come, but they're insisting on seeing the Branch Manager without giving any reason...”
“A visitor?”
“Yes. So I told them to wait for now, but...”
How could I just send someone to you without knowing who they are? the employee seemed to say.
“So that's why it was so noisy.”
Well, the adventurers' uproar probably wasn't out of concern for the manager but simple curiosity.
“What should we do, Branch Manager?”
“...Tell them to come up.”
Is this someone's first time making a request or something? The manager handed the list to the employee as he spoke. The employee took the mission list and nodded hesitantly.
“Understood.”
The manager watched the employee's retreating back and let out a sigh. The situation in the Royal Capital was far from ordinary. The person who had come to see him this time was surely a pawn sent by some noble closely watching the capital's developments.
“If only I could take the profit and get out cleanly.”
The manager muttered to himself. He knew very well that he was not the one holding the hilt of the sword. One single variable, and he would literally be walking a tightrope where his head could fly off at any moment.
“Can I even get out?”
“The branch manager of the Royal Capital Adventurer's Guild seems to have quite a lot of worries.”
The manager jerked backward at the spine-chilling sensation crawling up his back. The man who had spoken in an elderly tone was looking at the manager with a face much younger than expected.
“...Who are you?”
The manager asked without lowering his guard. He didn't sense any hostility from the visitor. Or rather, he had been so thoroughly overwhelmed that he couldn't read any aura at all.
“I just wanted to ask something about a request.”
The visitor spoke in the casual manner of someone dropping by a neighbor's house for a favor. The manager grew even more suspicious at the man's light tone and demeanor.
“If it's not a request, and there probably isn't an adventurer who could handle work as well as you, what brings you to the guild?”
“Now, now. If you want to talk at length, wouldn't it be better to go inside somewhere?”
The manager was about to respond to the smiling man's words when he caught sight of the emblem on the man's chest, revealed beneath the casually flipped cloak.
“...You, don't tell me.”
“So, let's go somewhere quiet and talk for a bit.”
A single noble flower adorned with pure silver and platinum. The manager's eyes trembled as he confirmed the emblem permitted only to those of the royal family.
Symbol granted exclusively to members of the royal family.
“Don't let anyone in. Unless there's a sudden fire on the first floor and everyone has to flee, absolutely! Do not let anyone in until I call for them.”
The manager barked at the poor employee. The employee looked back and forth between the manager's pale face and the visitor's relaxed demeanor. Only when the manager twisted his mouth as if about to shout did the employee nod in understanding and withdraw.
The manager's bulky body sank into the sofa. The old sofa in the branch manager's office creaked, unable to bear his weight.
“Hoo...”
The manager's mind refused to accept the current situation as it was. The man who had revealed the royal emblem sat across from him on the reception sofa in the branch manager's office, wearing a meaningful expression.
Should he speak first, or should he stay silent and watch what the man would say? The manager's head counted through several possible scenarios as he stared at the man.
“Why are you thinking so complicatedly? It's all written on your face that you have a lot on your mind.”
If it were you, wouldn't you be thinking all sorts of things right now? the manager protested inwardly. As if reading even that inner thought, the man let out a small chuckle.
The manager took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face, though no sweat had formed. It was a habit that came out whenever he was stressed.
Finally, the manager threw a question at the man, who had been watching his actions with a puzzled look.
“Just what is that emblem?”
“It's exactly what it looks like. Pretending not to know won't do you any good.”
The manager was practically panting. Finding his appearance quite amusing, the man let out a small laugh. The manager felt like he would burst from the man's utterly relaxed attitude.
“No, why on earth would you...”
“I told you, I needed a place to talk quietly. If we stayed out there, it seemed like you'd hold me in the hallway until I revealed my identity.”
The manager let out yet another sigh—he'd lost count of how many. How many people in the world could come to the Adventurer's Guild wearing a badge that was practically a symbol of the royal family? The King's personal guard? Or perhaps a member of the royal bloodline?
Leaving the increasingly complicated manager aside, the man decided it was time to get to the main point and hardened his expression. Sensing the change in the man's demeanor, the manager stopped complaining and focused on what the man had to say.
“Yes, I apologize for coming without prior notice. There were reasons I couldn't give advance warning. I believe the branch manager, renowned for his sharp mind, will understand.”
As he listened to the man, the manager became convinced that the visitor had not come to harm the guild or himself.
“...You're not one of the Count's people.”
“It's rather bitter, isn't it? Who could have known the day would come when we'd have to reach out even to you?”
The man smiled self-mockingly.
“It seems you have confidence that I will side with His Majesty the King.”
An endlessly disrespectful statement. It was a kind of provocation and test. The man did not overturn the desk in anger or press the manager. Instead, he responded in a calm tone.
“At the very least, I'm certain you're not on Benning's side.”
That was true. Since they weren't meekly accepting the pressure coming from the palace led by Benning and were instead taking on unofficial requests here and there, thinking they would join hands with Benning would have been strange. However, the manager did not simply nod. Instead, he shook his head.
“The Adventurer's Guild will never act rashly.”
The manager had regained control of his breathing. The image of him being overwhelmed by the man's presence gradually faded, leaving only the seasoned negotiator and adventurer who had been through countless battles.
“I know. That the Adventurer's Guild isn't only in our country. But on the other hand, how long do you think the protection of the continental Adventurer's Guild will last? If they seize complete power, and if they begin to seriously pressure the other great nobles, do you really believe they can still guarantee your safety then?”
The man shrugged. The manager shrank back as if struck where it hurt.
“This is no time for carefree talk about walking tightropes, Branch Manager.”
“I misspoke.”
“...That doesn't mean you'll immediately change your mind. Still, I hope I've planted enough alarm for you to reconsider this situation.”
“No. Let's hear what you have to say first.”
The manager cleanly admitted it and decided to listen to the request the man before him had come to make. The man gave a satisfied smile at the fact that the manager had half given up.
“Very well, then I shall state the request. Though I'm not sure if it can truly be called a request.”
Just what kind of mission had this mysterious man brought? The manager swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. The man lightly tapped the table in front of the sofa with his finger.
“I'd like you to find one person for me. He's probably an adventurer.”
A person? From the Adventurer's Guild? The manager frowned even as one possibility came to mind.
“Are you looking to commission a named search?”
“Well, you could say that.”
The man nodded in acknowledgment.
“Who are you looking for?”
“The nameless adventurer.”
The manager unconsciously let out a short breath. The man's eyes were gleaming.
“I hope you won't say you don't know him.”
“No, I'm well aware of him. I just didn't expect you to mention someone I thought was only famous within the Adventurer's Guild, and whose situation doesn't quite match.”
“The eyes and ears of the royal family aren't completely blind. We know what we should know. And isn't it true that even the Adventurer's Guild doesn't know everything?”
The nameless adventurer. The one who had solved several requests deemed impossible for an individual to handle and always appeared at the guild with his hood pulled low.
“If you know that much, then you must also know that simply wanting to find him won't make it possible.”
“If I could find him personally, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of asking like this. I've come following the few clues that exist.”
There were many adventurers who didn't want to reveal their names, but information about such people could usually be uncovered if one tried. But the nameless adventurer was different. Nothing was known—not his name, age, or even his face. It was to the point where one wondered if a person could truly erase their traces so completely. The manager clearly remembered the time the man had suddenly appeared at the guild, shoving monster byproducts forward and claiming he had hunted them.
“I understand he completed a request not long ago.”
“So that's why you came rushing over.”
The man nodded as if in acknowledgment.
“We don't know when that adventurer will show himself again.”
“It doesn't matter. If the adventurer visits the guild again, there's no need to inform me at all...”
The man took out a paper envelope from his inner pocket.
“Just deliver this letter to him.”
Nothing was written on the paper envelope. The manager knew better than anyone that this envelope must not be opened.
The manager took the envelope and remained silent for a long time. He was probably calculating what would happen and how it would affect the guild.
“...Won't the tail be caught?”
The words that came out after all that deliberation sounded pathetic even to the manager himself. The man kindly and sincerely answered the question, as if he understood the manager.
“That adventurer has never revealed his identity, and no one knows who I am either. I understand your doubts about the royal family's circumstances, but you don't need to worry about that.”
Having finished speaking, the man stood up.
“So, just do as you normally would.”
With those final words, the man left the branch manager's office. Left alone in the empty room, the manager clutched his dazed head and glared at the firmly sealed paper envelope. Until the nameless adventurer came to the guild again, he could only hope that this envelope would remain more tightly closed than the walls of the Royal Capital.