Chapter 40: Guild (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: Guild (5)
The investigator panicked and opened his mouth. "W-What do you mean? No matter how familiar you may be with this man, you mustn't cover for him..."
He wasn't saying that because he didn't believe her, though. It sounded more like he just wanted to ignore the truth. However, her reaction was harsh.
"Are you saying that I'm lying?"
"Oh, no, t-that's not what I meant. You see—"
"Then what? Does using your measly position to investigate adventurers make even wizards seem beneath you now?"
A wizard of the magic tower was basically a semi-noble, largely because, although there were several different schools of wizardry, they were united as a group and thoroughly protected their own rights and interests. The problem here was that the investigator, a low-ranking employee, had dared to doubt the truth of her words. The branch manager couldn't just stand back anymore and cautiously inserted himself into the conversation.
"How about we cut him a break? You likely have information he doesn't, and without context, the idea is bound to sound absurd."
She nodded in acknowledgment.
"Certainly, there is no precedent for a vampire sighting in a rift on the first floor."
Unlike when she was dealing with the investigator, there was a friendly smile on her lips as she spoke to the branch manager. It was only there for a very short moment, though.
"Thank you for saying that—"
There was barely a pause before sharp criticism rolled from her lips. "But from the very moment the labyrinth was first created until today, it has been a hub of all kinds of strange phenomena. But, 'absurd'? Is that something that someone from the Adventurers' Guild, much less a branch manager, should be saying?"
Was this what it meant to be a wizard? Even the position of the branch manager of the guild did not seem to matter to her.
Thus, the branch manager was promptly silenced after his fruitless attempt at butting in.
Knock knock.
A knock was heard. It wasn't a polite one. Before anyone could even let them in, the door swung open.
"Are you the barbarian?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Niall Urbans."
Two men entered the room—a middle-aged man wearing a tailored tuxedo and a young man who seemed to be escorting him.
"D-District chief!"
"Father...?"
Julian, who was currently being held hostage, and the branch manager opened their mouths at the same time. I, meanwhile, raised my guard again after having let it drop.
So.... even the district chief is here.
The structure of a guild was simple. Each of the hundreds of branches in the city had a branch manager, and thirteen district chiefs oversaw them. The only person above them was the Guild Master, so the thirteen district chiefs were essentially the guild's second-in-command.
There was no doubt that they were powerful figures that a mere rank-nine adventurer could never hope to meet with. But the world didn't always work the way you wanted it to, even for people like these guys.
"You... I hear you've caused quite an unamusing mess."
As the district chief's displeased glare fell on me, I smirked.
Unamusing, huh...
"Yeah, it probably would be unamusing for you guys."
If only Harts Young hadn't given that false testimony. Actually, even if he had, if only the investigator hadn't been greedy and had handled the case correctly. No, if only the Adventurers' Guild were an association that properly managed its employees... Then I wouldn't have had to go to all this trouble.
But they hadn't done any of that.
"This must have been something very minor to you."
But it wasn't for me. For me, my life was at stake.
"Is that why you've caused all of this insanity?"
"Insanity?" I asked. "Is it insane to want to live?"
"Well, wasn't there another way you could have handled this? You've gone too far."
Another way, my ass.
Until I broke through those iron bars and arrived here, the branch manager hadn't even known I existed inside his branch. And that was also the case for this district chief, who had no doubt had a say in changing the guild's internal rules so that rank nine adventurers could be investigated on suspicion alone.
"If you had done things right, none of this would have happened," I said in a low, cold tone.
At the same moment, the branch manager stepped in. "You! How dare you speak that way in front of the district chief!"
The investigator bastard and the district chief's escort were also looking at me like they were looking at a madman. Well, to these guys, I was no different from a madman. A misfit among misfits that couldn't be explained with logic alone.
The district chief sighed and shifted his gaze.
"What is your name, wizard?"
"Arua Raven."
"Okay, Miss Raven. How much would you sell me that mana crystal for?"
Any way you looked at it, he was proposing a cover-up. I didn't think he would do it so openly.
For a moment, my heart dropped.
"I decline your offer."
"That's too bad."
"You're not going to try to take it away by force, are you?"
The district chief immediately flashed a breezy smile. "Haha! Of course not. If I did that, the master of your school wouldn't stand for it." He looked around. "Why is everyone so tense? It was just a joke. With all those people out there waiting to see how this ends, why would I dare do something like that?"
Joke, my ass.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
This was why I had tried to bring in a priest. Video Memory or not, wizards could be bought any number of times in pursuit of their self-interest. If I hadn't known Raven at all, she would have been successfully bribed by the district chief...
Regardless of the crowd gathered outside, I would've died here.
Anyway, the way things had worked out wasn't bad.
Raven held fast, and now even the district chief wouldn't be able to use his power to cover this up. In other words, now I just needed to prove that I was innocent.
Either way, we'd reached the end of this mess.
"Okay, how about finishing this now?"
I approached the closet and woke Harts Young, who was sleeping inside.
Unamusing, huh...
"Yeah, it probably would be unamusing for you guys."
If only Harts Young hadn't given that false testimony. Actually, even if he had, if only the investigator hadn't been greedy and had handled the case correctly. No, if only the Adventurers' Guild were an association that properly managed its employees... Then I wouldn't have had to go to all this trouble.
But they hadn't done any of that.
"This must have been something very minor to you."
But it wasn't for me. For me, my life was at stake.
"Is that why you've caused all of this insanity?"
"Insanity?" I asked. "Is it insane to want to live?"
"Well, wasn't there another way you could have handled this? You've gone too far."
Another way, my ass.
Until I broke through those iron bars and arrived here, the branch manager hadn't even known I existed inside his branch. And that was also the case for this district chief, who had no doubt had a say in changing the guild's internal rules so that rank nine adventurers could be investigated on suspicion alone.
"If you had done things right, none of this would have happened," I said in a low, cold tone.
At the same moment, the branch manager stepped in. "You! How dare you speak that way in front of the district chief!"
The investigator bastard and the district chief's escort were also looking at me like they were looking at a madman. Well, to these guys, I was no different from a madman. A misfit among misfits that couldn't be explained with logic alone.
The district chief sighed and shifted his gaze.
"What is your name, wizard?"
"Arua Raven."
"Okay, Miss Raven. How much would you sell me that mana crystal for?"
Any way you looked at it, he was proposing a cover-up. I didn't think he would do it so openly.
For a moment, my heart dropped.
"I decline your offer."
"That's too bad."
"You're not going to try to take it away by force, are you?"
The district chief immediately flashed a breezy smile. "Haha! Of course not. If I did that, the master of your school wouldn't stand for it." He looked around. "Why is everyone so tense? It was just a joke. With all those people out there waiting to see how this ends, why would I dare do something like that?"
Joke, my ass.
Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
This was why I had tried to bring in a priest. Video Memory or not, wizards could be bought any number of times in pursuit of their self-interest. If I hadn't known Raven at all, she would have been successfully bribed by the district chief...
Regardless of the crowd gathered outside, I would've died here.
Anyway, the way things had worked out wasn't bad.
Raven held fast, and now even the district chief wouldn't be able to use his power to cover this up. In other words, now I just needed to prove that I was innocent.
Either way, we'd reached the end of this mess.
"Okay, how about finishing this now?"
I approached the closet and woke Harts Young, who was sleeping inside.
"Wha-what is this? Why am I here...?"
There were audible gulps all around. That was, of course, because the moment it was confirmed that this guy had given false testimony, things really were going to get "unamusing" for everyone.
***
"This man is lying."
The moment Raven spoke, a heavy silence descended on the room.
"What will you do now, district chief, sir?"
"Bjorn Yandel, I believe you said your name was? You are innocent."
"It's too bad I can't thank you for that," I said in response to the district chief's forced smile.
This time, even the branch manager, who was right next to me, did not dare comment on my tone. He just stood there trembling, his eyes glued to the district chief's reaction.
"Then, what do you want us to do for you now?"
"Isn't it obvious? I demand compensation and for them to be punished."
"I see."
The district chief silently nodded like he was pounding the buttons on a calculator inside his head, then opened his mouth.
"First, the investigator in charge of your case will be fired."
"B-Branch manager! I-I swear to the gods, I only investigated according to protocol—!"
"Are you trying to push your incompetence onto the entire guild? All past rulings you've made will be thoroughly reviewed. And, if there are any injustices found in the process, you will be punished accordingly."
"I-It can't be!"
The arrogant investigator went pale and fell to his knees. Considering how scared he looked, it seemed like he hadn't exactly lived a life of complete integrity.
Well, judging by his recent behavior, I wasn't surprised.
"P-Please spare me! Please...!"
Shouldn't you be saying that to me, not him?
I thought he was barking up the wrong tree, but I didn't say this out loud. If he had been an asshole with common sense in the first place, we wouldn't be here. This was how the world worked. No one ever regretted hitting the other person. The regret only showed up when it came time to pay the price.
"Then what'll happen to this man?" I asked while looking at Harts Young, the supposed witness in this case.
The district chief replied without much thought.
"This man has seriously muddied the investigation with false testimony to cover up his own guilt. He will be taken care of in the same manner."
"The same manner?"
"After a thorough investigation, he will be executed."
The district chief's words carried much weight. The investigation had not yet begun, let alone reached trial, but the fact was that this was the same as a death sentence.
"No..."
Soon, Harts Young's eyes rolled up and he fainted, but no one paid him any mind.
"I hope you will investigate the group this guy belongs to while you're at it."
"If it's the Crystal Union, they have a reputation for many things. I'll do as you say."
The district chief readily agreed to my request. I was starting to think he was a pretty smart guy. That meant he had clearly recognized that he had no choice but to give in to my demands.
"Wha-what is this? Why am I here...?"
There were audible gulps all around. That was, of course, because the moment it was confirmed that this guy had given false testimony, things really were going to get "unamusing" for everyone.
***
"This man is lying."
The moment Raven spoke, a heavy silence descended on the room.
"What will you do now, district chief, sir?"
"Bjorn Yandel, I believe you said your name was? You are innocent."
"It's too bad I can't thank you for that," I said in response to the district chief's forced smile.
This time, even the branch manager, who was right next to me, did not dare comment on my tone. He just stood there trembling, his eyes glued to the district chief's reaction.
"Then, what do you want us to do for you now?"
"Isn't it obvious? I demand compensation and for them to be punished."
"I see."
The district chief silently nodded like he was pounding the buttons on a calculator inside his head, then opened his mouth.
"First, the investigator in charge of your case will be fired."
"B-Branch manager! I-I swear to the gods, I only investigated according to protocol—!"
"Are you trying to push your incompetence onto the entire guild? All past rulings you've made will be thoroughly reviewed. And, if there are any injustices found in the process, you will be punished accordingly."
"I-It can't be!"
The arrogant investigator went pale and fell to his knees. Considering how scared he looked, it seemed like he hadn't exactly lived a life of complete integrity.
Well, judging by his recent behavior, I wasn't surprised.
"P-Please spare me! Please...!"
Shouldn't you be saying that to me, not him?
I thought he was barking up the wrong tree, but I didn't say this out loud. If he had been an asshole with common sense in the first place, we wouldn't be here. This was how the world worked. No one ever regretted hitting the other person. The regret only showed up when it came time to pay the price.
"Then what'll happen to this man?" I asked while looking at Harts Young, the supposed witness in this case.
The district chief replied without much thought.
"This man has seriously muddied the investigation with false testimony to cover up his own guilt. He will be taken care of in the same manner."
"The same manner?"
"After a thorough investigation, he will be executed."
The district chief's words carried much weight. The investigation had not yet begun, let alone reached trial, but the fact was that this was the same as a death sentence.
"No..."
Soon, Harts Young's eyes rolled up and he fainted, but no one paid him any mind.
"I hope you will investigate the group this guy belongs to while you're at it."
"If it's the Crystal Union, they have a reputation for many things. I'll do as you say."
The district chief readily agreed to my request. I was starting to think he was a pretty smart guy. That meant he had clearly recognized that he had no choice but to give in to my demands.
"Is this enough punishment, then?"
"Well..."
As I trailed off, staring into space, the branch manager met my eye and hurriedly looked away. I smiled and nodded my head.
"Asking for more here would be overzealous of me."
"Thank you for being so considerate of our situation."
There was nothing to be thankful for. I planned to take what I deserved for this in a different way.
"Okay then, now that the punishment side of things is over, we should talk about your compensation for the mistake we made. Is there anything you want?"
"I'll decide after I hear you out."
"First, I will raise your rank to rank seven."
"A rank upgrade, huh..."
Not bad.
Once I became a rank seven adventurer, the currency exchange line would be less crowded, and there would be many other benefits. For example, if I hadn't been rank nine, that asshole investigator wouldn't have gotten so uppity in the first place.
"District chief, sir! You are promoting an adventurer with only two months of experience to rank seven in one go!"
The branch manager added that he was worried about potential issues of fairness that might arise in the future, but the district chief stubbornly shook his head.
"We are apologizing to this man right now. So don't disagree with me on this."
"...All right."
The district chief was acting exactly like a politician making a sincere apology, especially his hollow words.
"Just a moment. That's a bit strange, isn't it?"
Just as I was about to open my mouth, Raven, who had been standing there quietly, jumped into the conversation first. I was nervous about what she was going to say this time, but... she did not seem to care in the least.
"How can a rank upgrade be considered compensation? Isn't it already the guild's job to reward adventurers with certain abilities by raising their rank?"
"But, according to what we were just told, this man is—"
"Still a beginner? What does that matter?"
"It's unprecedented—"
"Of course it's unprecedented," Raven said. Having interrupted the district chief several times already, she continued in rapid fire. "There have been no other adventurers who have consumed the essence of a rank five monster—a vampire and a Rift Guardian—within their first two months."
"...What is it that you're trying to say?"
"I am not sure. It just seemed a little unfair of you to want a pat on the back for doing something that you're supposed to do anyway."
She turned to me and smiled. Since I wasn't naïve enough to throw out a readily available opportunity, I quickly played along.
"Then I guess I'm waiting to hear what the real compensation is now."
"...What do you want?"
Well, since I'd suffered this much hardship, I should get as much compensation in return. I was just about to request something... when Raven's mouth opened again.
"Of course it's money. What else could the Adventurers' Guild do for him?"
I was sure that if I had time to think about it, there would be something. Receiving free binding spells for life, or permission to post personal announcements on bulletin boards within the guild, etcetera...
Actually, that's all stuff that money can buy anyway.
When I nodded in agreement, the district chief sighed and raised a white flag.
"How much?"
Now all that was left was to write out the amount I wanted on the blank check I had been presented. I looked at Raven, who now seemed rather trustworthy to me for some reason, and tried to convey that I had faith in her wizardly judgment. Fortunately, it seemed I had managed to get my point across because she opened her mouth with a somewhat proud look on her face.
"Since you almost accidentally executed an adventurer with a bright future ahead of him..." She trailed off, then snapped, "At least five million stones?"
The district chief nodded his head without a word.
"...All right, it'll be paid."
I wasn't that surprised. Five million stones went far beyond my expectations, but...
That was if I had been the one asking for it.
Without Raven, the transaction would not have gone so smoothly.
Was this the true power of having status? Profoundly aware of its influence, I wondered how I could repay Raven for the favor I had received today.
It was at this point that Raven opened her mouth again.
"Ah, my payment will be another one million stones."
"Payment? What do you mean? If you're talking about your payment for aiding us, the amount we agreed upon with the tower is—"
"I'm including the price of this mana crystal that recorded the 'joke' the district chief made earlier. It may have been a joke, but... I'm sure many people would be interested in hearing it, don't you think?"
"...Hahaha, what a funny young woman."
"I'm not joking."
When Raven's expression hardened, the district chief's expression grew harsh in return. He didn't need to think for long.
"All right..."
He soon shook his head. He had pissed away one million stones with one slip of the tongue.
...I guess there's no need to pay her for her help.
Were all wizards like this?
Just as I was admiring the way she looked out for her interests, her voice resounded in my head.
"Thanks to you, I've earned some pocket money."
And as I heard those words, I thought something I hadn't thought about someone in a long time...
I thought we should hang out more often in the future.
"Is this enough punishment, then?"
"Well..."
As I trailed off, staring into space, the branch manager met my eye and hurriedly looked away. I smiled and nodded my head.
"Asking for more here would be overzealous of me."
"Thank you for being so considerate of our situation."
There was nothing to be thankful for. I planned to take what I deserved for this in a different way.
"Okay then, now that the punishment side of things is over, we should talk about your compensation for the mistake we made. Is there anything you want?"
"I'll decide after I hear you out."
"First, I will raise your rank to rank seven."
"A rank upgrade, huh..."
Not bad.
Once I became a rank seven adventurer, the currency exchange line would be less crowded, and there would be many other benefits. For example, if I hadn't been rank nine, that asshole investigator wouldn't have gotten so uppity in the first place.
"District chief, sir! You are promoting an adventurer with only two months of experience to rank seven in one go!"
The branch manager added that he was worried about potential issues of fairness that might arise in the future, but the district chief stubbornly shook his head.
"We are apologizing to this man right now. So don't disagree with me on this."
"...All right."
The district chief was acting exactly like a politician making a sincere apology, especially his hollow words.
"Just a moment. That's a bit strange, isn't it?"
Just as I was about to open my mouth, Raven, who had been standing there quietly, jumped into the conversation first. I was nervous about what she was going to say this time, but... she did not seem to care in the least.
"How can a rank upgrade be considered compensation? Isn't it already the guild's job to reward adventurers with certain abilities by raising their rank?"
"But, according to what we were just told, this man is—"
"Still a beginner? What does that matter?"
"It's unprecedented—"
"Of course it's unprecedented," Raven said. Having interrupted the district chief several times already, she continued in rapid fire. "There have been no other adventurers who have consumed the essence of a rank five monster—a vampire and a Rift Guardian—within their first two months."
"...What is it that you're trying to say?"
"I am not sure. It just seemed a little unfair of you to want a pat on the back for doing something that you're supposed to do anyway."
She turned to me and smiled. Since I wasn't naïve enough to throw out a readily available opportunity, I quickly played along.
"Then I guess I'm waiting to hear what the real compensation is now."
"...What do you want?"
Well, since I'd suffered this much hardship, I should get as much compensation in return. I was just about to request something... when Raven's mouth opened again.
"Of course it's money. What else could the Adventurers' Guild do for him?"
I was sure that if I had time to think about it, there would be something. Receiving free binding spells for life, or permission to post personal announcements on bulletin boards within the guild, etcetera...
Actually, that's all stuff that money can buy anyway.
When I nodded in agreement, the district chief sighed and raised a white flag.
"How much?"
Now all that was left was to write out the amount I wanted on the blank check I had been presented. I looked at Raven, who now seemed rather trustworthy to me for some reason, and tried to convey that I had faith in her wizardly judgment. Fortunately, it seemed I had managed to get my point across because she opened her mouth with a somewhat proud look on her face.
"Since you almost accidentally executed an adventurer with a bright future ahead of him..." She trailed off, then snapped, "At least five million stones?"
The district chief nodded his head without a word.
"...All right, it'll be paid."
I wasn't that surprised. Five million stones went far beyond my expectations, but...
That was if I had been the one asking for it.
Without Raven, the transaction would not have gone so smoothly.
Was this the true power of having status? Profoundly aware of its influence, I wondered how I could repay Raven for the favor I had received today.
It was at this point that Raven opened her mouth again.
"Ah, my payment will be another one million stones."
"Payment? What do you mean? If you're talking about your payment for aiding us, the amount we agreed upon with the tower is—"
"I'm including the price of this mana crystal that recorded the 'joke' the district chief made earlier. It may have been a joke, but... I'm sure many people would be interested in hearing it, don't you think?"
"...Hahaha, what a funny young woman."
"I'm not joking."
When Raven's expression hardened, the district chief's expression grew harsh in return. He didn't need to think for long.
"All right..."
He soon shook his head. He had pissed away one million stones with one slip of the tongue.
...I guess there's no need to pay her for her help.
Were all wizards like this?
Just as I was admiring the way she looked out for her interests, her voice resounded in my head.
"Thanks to you, I've earned some pocket money."
And as I heard those words, I thought something I hadn't thought about someone in a long time...
I thought we should hang out more often in the future.