Chapter 14
Chapter 14
“We will never give up! You filthy dogs of the Empire!”
“Yeah, yeah, thanks for your noise~”
In the hidden passage beneath the walls of the first city right next to the Imperial capital, desperate screams echoed.
“Boss, all targets have been captured.”
“Good work, Deputy!”
“Yes, sir.”
The tall woman called the deputy tightened the bindings around the black mages even further, pulling the ropes tight.
“Gyaaaah!!!”
“Be quiet.”
“You crazy bitch! Ptoo—!”
“….”
The foul-mouthed black mage tried to spit, but the deputy effortlessly dodged it with inhuman reflexes.
“Just do it casually~ We can’t arrest them anyway.”
“We’re only preventing escape.”
“You’re so stiff~”
“…I’m simply doing my job. Boss, you should act with more dignity.”
“I hate that kind of thing~”
“….”
Unable to argue further, the deputy continued tightening the bindings.
“Gyaaah!”
At that moment, someone dropped down lightly from the ceiling, fully covered in black cloth beneath a brown cloak.
“Boss, two of them got away.”
“The ones who screamed at the start?”
“Yes. One couldn’t be identified, and the other looked like someone from the Eastern Continent.”
“Hm… put out a warrant. Probably just idiots.”
“Yes.”
The fully covered figure bowed and returned to the ceiling.
“Alright! Time to head out!”
“Yes, sunrise will be soon.”
At that, the rest of the brown-cloaked figures began standing one by one.
Light from the rising sun seeped through the cracks of the underground passage.
◆◆◆◆◆
“Ugh…”
“You awake?”
In the end, we had slept on the streets of the city.
“Today… we’re not sleeping outside, right…?”
“Waking up and already whining about sleep?”
“I’m… sick… of sleeping outside…”
“That depends on what we accomplish today.”
“Today…?”
We had barely escaped both the black-robed group and the brown-robed group and somehow made it into the city.
“Today we’re going to the Adventurer’s Guild.”
“The Adventurer’s Guild…!”
I instantly shot up.
“This is it! The Adventurer’s Guild of another world! Kind receptionists! Alcohol and one-shot drinks! And… attractive rogue ladies who suddenly invite you into a party!”
“…Sigh.”
Ignoring my shining eyes, Rev started walking.
“Rev… won’t those people from yesterday be looking for us?”
Even though we escaped in the chaos, it was hard to believe nobody noticed two people slipping away.
“I’m still worried…”
“Well, it can’t be helped. But it’s fine. They don’t know who we are.”
“But… we didn’t even have cloaks…”
“Hmm? I was fully covered though?”
“….”
I stared at him coldly, then suddenly remembered something.
“Hey… what’s that symbol?”
“Hm? Ah, you mean the black mage emblem?”
“Black mage emblem…?”
All black-robed mages had a white symbol on their clothing: a circle intersecting a cross.
“Yes. It’s something all black mages must have.”
Right… now that I thought about it, that was why Rev got so furious when he was mistaken for them.
“Black mages are idiots who want to destroy this world.”
“…That’s… literally what it sounds like.”
“Yes. A group of fools who hate the world and seek its destruction for various reasons.”
“Wait… isn’t that basically the same as demons?”
Don’t demon lords usually want to destroy the world too?
“Don’t compare us to those idiots! Our goal is to make this world our territory!”
“So… you conquer the world… and they destroy it?”
“Yes!”
…Both sound pretty evil to me.
“So you guys also hate black mages?”
“Hmm… the order is a bit reversed, but yes. They hate humans and demons equally.”
The discrimination here is insane…
“That’s why they use the emblem to recognize each other.”
“So they don’t even know each other personally…”
“Correct. If you wore that symbol, you would instantly be treated as a black mage.”
“….”
As we talked, I took Mommo out of my pocket.
“Mommo, you okay?”
『Yeah. I was going to suffocate in there.』
“…Sorry?”
『Don’t apologize. Just wear me properly on your head from now on.』
“Uh… okay…”
I placed Mommo back on my head.
“Again with that mask? Don’t wear it. It stands out too much.”
“No way! Mommo deserves fresh air and sunshine too!”
“Crazy guy…”
Rev glanced at me and turned away.
“Do you even know where the guild is?”
“It’s probably near the central square or main street.”
“Got it…”
And then we saw something in the square.
“….”
“…This is bad.”
In the center was a huge wooden notice board filled with city information.
And on one corner…
A wanted poster with our faces.
“Good thing they didn’t fully identify us…”
It only said: black-haired Eastern Continent male, and a masked companion.
“But isn’t this still bad? The guild will notice immediately…”
“These kinds of postings aren’t from the guild. They’re private.”
“So… it’s fine?”
“No. Some adventurers still check them carefully.”
Rev grabbed my collar and pulled me into an alley.
“Rev?”
“Stay out of sight.”
“Hey, you’re the one who looks the most—”
“I know.”
He sighed.
“Let’s split up.”
“…What?”
“Don’t worry. That’s not what it means.”
“…I didn’t even think that!”
“Your face says otherwise.”
『You’re really transparent.』
Even Mommo?
“Anyway, you go register at the guild. I’ll find a place to stay.”
“Okay!”
Rev looked at me suspiciously and disappeared into the alley.
“…Alright! Let’s go!”
『I already mapped the way.』
“Since when?”
『When you were staring at the wanted board. Go to the central square. I’ll guide you.』
And so, following Mommo’s directions, I reached the Adventurer’s Guild.
The building was a large wooden hall, exactly like a fantasy guild should be.
Inside, adventurers were checking quest boards, sitting at tables, forming parties.
I walked straight to the reception desk.
“I’d like to become an adventurer.”
“Oh? Your name is…?”
A cute-looking receptionist was sitting there.
“Ishiwu.”
“You’re from the Eastern Continent, right?”
“Well… yes.”
She began writing, assuming it was obvious.
“How did you end up all the way here? Our city is in the central region.”
“Uh… well…”
What do I say?!
『Just say it’s a famous city.』
“Because… I heard this guild was famous…”
“Oh~ yes, our city is quite famous~”
She immediately started enthusiastically explaining the city’s history and the guild’s origins.
“The guild was originally a tavern where the first Hero defeated monsters—”
“Wow…”
“And the city name was personally given by the first Hero—”
“Amazing…”
I was getting exhausted just listening.
“Oops! I talked too much! Anyway, registration is complete.”
She handed me a wooden tag with a symbol.
“1?”
On the back was a big number 1.
『That means Rank 1 Adventurer. Congratulations.』
“Wait… isn’t 9 the lowest rank?”
Before I could ask, she replied.
“Adventurers start at Rank 1 and go down to 9, you know?”
“…Huh? Shouldn’t it go up?”
“No? It goes up, of course.”
So it really is another world…
“By the way, do you have any specialties?”
“Specialties…?”
“Swordsmanship, magic… something like a role!”
Ah, like DPS or tank roles.
“I can use a bit of swor—”
『Wait.』
Mommo suddenly interrupted.
『Just say you can handle a sword a little.』
“I can handle swords a little.”
The receptionist nodded and wrote something down.
“Ah~ people from the Eastern Continent often use unusual swords.”
While she was busy, I whispered to Mommo.
“Why did you stop me?”
『No special reason. Just basics. Hide your real power.』
“…Ah.”
Mommo really thinks like Rev.
“Next question… anything else?”
“Nope.”
“Registration complete!”
Finally.
“Any quests in mind?”
“Not really…”
“Then I recommend beginner quests.”
She pulled out a few papers.
“Herb gathering, dungeon exploration, and goblin subjugation. Which one would you like?”
“Uh…”
『Just pick one. It’s all beginner stuff.』
I chose one at random.
◆◆◆◆◆
“Is this the place? All the alleys look the same…”
『Yeah. We got here first.』
After finishing registration and grabbing a quest, we returned to the alley to meet Rev.
“You made it.”
Rev appeared, fully wrapped up again.
“Look! I’m Rank 1 now!”
I proudly showed him the tag.
“Keep it safe. Losing it is serious.”
“Yeah, it’s my only ID now…”
“And also because losing it costs a fine.”
“A fine? How much?”
“10 gold coins.”
“10?!”
Mommo explained quietly.
『100 copper = 1 silver, 100 silver = 1 gold, 100 gold = 1 platinum.』
“…That’s a lot of steps.”
“Are you talking to your mask again?”
“IT’S MOMMO!”
Rev sighed and walked ahead.
“Let’s go. We need a place to stay.”
We followed him through the city.
Eventually, we reached a lodging district.
“Lots of inns…”
“Almost there.”
The fancy buildings disappeared, replaced by shabby ones.
“Uh… we’re not sleeping in a shed, right?”
“It has a roof. And a heater.”
“…That’s not reassuring.”
Rev stopped.
“We’re here.”
He pointed.
It was an old house.
“…A house?”
“You’ll see.”
He opened the door.
Inside was a normal home: kitchen, table, fireplace, rocking chair…
And an old man sitting in it.
“…There’s someone here?”
“Of course. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a lodging place.”
Rev walked up.
“This is the Hero.”
“…Ah. So he’s the Hero…”
The old man stared blankly and responded vaguely.
“…You tricked a senile old man?”
“I didn’t trick him. He said if I brought the Hero, I could stay for free.”
“…That kind of works, but also doesn’t…”
Rev pulled a rope hanging from the ceiling.
A ladder dropped down.
“Let’s go up.”
“…Huh?”
We climbed into the attic.
“An attic…?”
“Better than sleeping outside.”
There was nothing there. No furniture. Nothing.
“…There’s nothing here.”
“Still better than the ground.”
Rev immediately lay down.
“…sigh.”
I lay down next to him.
“What’s this?”
Rev grabbed a paper sticking out of my pocket.
“Oh, that’s the quest.”
“Herb gathering?”
“Yeah, beginner quest.”
“Reward… 5 copper coins.”
“Yeah…”
Rev looked like he was about to lose his mind.
“No sense at all. You should pick better quests—”
“Then is this place fine?”
“…Sleep.”
And so, finally, we slept somewhere with a roof above us.