The Adventurer Guild and the Subjugation Party

"Next time we meet, I won't lose."

"I'll be waiting with anticipation."

Having received the clue, Elsid stepped out of the large mansion that served as the orphanage run by Yu Jin-gwang. With his destination decided, there was no longer any reason to linger. The pain in his abdomen had long since faded away as well.

"I suppose I should go see Rain and the others first."

After bidding farewell to Yu Jin-gwang, Elsid left the building and muttered to himself as he walked. He intended to say goodbye to the acquaintances he had made before leaving Nao. After all, once he departed, there was no telling when they might meet again.

It was then that Elsid glanced at the object fastened around his wrist. A plain silver bracelet devoid of elegant patterns or gem decorations. The bracelet now adorning his wrist, reflecting the light, was none other than Faker, the sword he had received from Yu Jin-gwang and reshaped to suit his own style.

While his mind was occupied with the sword the bracelet could transform into, Elsid arrived at his intended destination. The place was none other than Nao's one and only Adventurer Guild.

He opened the door and stepped inside. The interior was bustling with noise and murmurs, a stark contrast to the quiet outside. Adventurers crowded around the bulletin board covered in request papers, while parties of two or three selected commissions suited to their level and lined up at the reception desk, where beautiful receptionists confirmed and registered their requests.

Beyond that, through the back door, he could see a training ground where people swung wooden swords at scarecrows or hurled fireballs and crackling lightning. On the second floor, adventurers in guild attire yawned as they descended the stairs, suggesting lodging facilities were available there as well. Though the building had looked large from the outside, it was far more multifunctional than he had imagined.

"Oh? What brings you here, kid?"

While Elsid was taking in the guild's interior and its occupants, he encountered one of the people he had planned to greet—Robin, the oldest and only adult member of the party he had traveled with.

"Don't tell me you're here to become an adventurer? Well, with the skills you showed in the dungeon, you'd be more than qualified."

"I do plan to someday, but not yet."

He found the idea intriguing and believed he could become one whenever he set his mind to it, but he had no intention of doing so right now.

"I just came to say goodbye before leaving. I figured the Adventurer Guild would be the best place to find everyone."

Contrary to his expectations, however, Robin was the only one he encountered.

"Where did the others go? Why are you the only one here?"

The guild had a kitchen for light meals, but it wasn't a tavern serving the alcohol Robin loved, which made his presence even more puzzling.

"They said they had things to do and left the report duty to me. They're probably busy somewhere."

Robin shrugged with a light laugh. Just then, a concentrated murmur rose above the usual din of the guild.

Turning his head, Elsid saw dozens of people gathered before a notice several times larger than the others on the request board, whispering among themselves.

"Why is everyone crowding over there?"

"Ah, some knight posted that request about five minutes ago."

At Elsid's question, Robin explained the commotion. Curious about what kind of request could cause such a stir, Elsid pushed through the crowd to read the notice posted on the board.

The notice was a request to subjugate a large-scale bandit group based near Nao, while simultaneously recruiting strong volunteers.

"That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠person..."

But the board held more than just the notice. A man stood before it.

"Greetings. I am Tbon, the chief knight appointed by Lord Marienne."

The man possessed a powerfully built frame whose muscles seemed ready to burst through his clothes, sun-bronzed copper skin, and sharp eyes weary from either overwork or deep concern. Introducing himself as the lord's chief knight, he stood before the bulletin board bearing the request.

"I won't take up much of your time. I would appreciate it if you could listen for a moment."

He bowed politely to the adventurers and asked for their attention.

"As stated in the request, our lord intends to uproot the 'Blade Wind Bandits,' who have caused great harm to Nao, leaving not a single one alive."

Tbon began his explanation.

"To that end, we have prepared five knights—including myself—who have been granted the right to use Tugap, along with one hundred elite soldiers. However, bandits are as filthy and tenacious as cockroaches. Therefore, we plan to recruit volunteers to form a larger subjugation force. We sincerely hope for your participation. In particular, the one who contributes the most will receive a special gift from the lord."

After firing off his words like a machine gun, Tbon left the Adventurer Guild.

"Thank you for listening to my lengthy explanation. If you are interested, please inquire with the receptionist."

He did not forget to offer a polite bow before departing.

A bandit subjugation, huh...

Staring at the notice once more, Elsid mulled over Tbon's words.

Meanwhile, at Nao's lord's castle, where plans for the bandit annihilation were underway. Though Nao was a trading city located in a rather rural area far from the imperial capital, its commerce and trade had flourished to the point that its scale rivaled the great cities of the central regions. Consequently, compared to Ragna Castle—which Elsid had entered for the first and last time—the lord's castle of Nao was considerably larger.

Marienne, the mistress of this castle, sat in her office. Her figure, seated in the office chair as she reviewed and approved documents, looked like a painting when viewed from the side. Her long orange hair cascaded down to her waist, and her orange eyes evoked the same sunset hues. Standing at around 170 cm—taller than the average woman—she wore a white dress reminiscent of lilies.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

While ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she was locked in a staring contest with the documents, someone knocked on the door. Without lifting her head, she granted entry.

"Pardon me, my lord."

Hearing her approval, the visitor opened the door and entered.

"Sir Tbon has completed the volunteer recruitment at the Adventurer Guild."

"Ah, tell him he did well."

Marienne tore her eyes from the documents and spoke while listening to the report. The man who had entered wore a black suit and served as the butler who managed the castle in her stead whenever she was away.

"Honestly, those bandit scum— no matter how many times you crush them, they keep crawling out from somewhere..."

"I don't know for certain, but some of us suspect they might be people from Ragna Castle who turned to banditry. It's been several years since we've had any contact..."

The name of Ragna Castle, which she had not expected, surfaced here.

"Hah, what nonsense."

Marienne snorted at the butler's words.

"If, as you say, the people of Ragna Castle became bandits... they would never stoop to robbing mere merchants or defenseless civilians. At the very least, they would target national treasures or sacred relics from temples."

Her tone suggested she knew Ragna Castle well.

"You know the story too, don't you? Ten years ago, when the emperor died, the imperial family waged a bloody struggle to claim the throne."

"Yes, it's a very famous tale."

"And among them, the Third Prince, unwilling to accept defeat even after the outcome was decided, resorted to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠forbidden magic by allying with a necromancer. He attempted to overthrow the nation by unleashing the monsters of the Thousand Water Forest, all to become the empire's pinnacle."

It was an event from ten years ago—before she had inherited the lordship from her father—an incident known to all nobles and high-ranking officials in the empire.

"You wouldn't be unaware that only eight residents of Ragna Castle stopped it."

"But wasn't the 'Strongest Under Heaven' among them at the time? The situation is quite different now."

"You truly know nothing."

Marienne shook her head at the butler's words.

"People who have survived in a land where monsters invade every single day could never be weak."

Rather, it was a land of endless struggle and survival, harsh enough to make even the northern regions—where nothing grew due to snow and cold—seem luxurious by comparison.

"And above all, there is a lord there who values his people more than anyone else. That man would never allow his residents to become bandits."

Marienne spoke with certainty. During her time at the knight academy, that irritating man who had dropped out after his father died and he inherited the lordship without ever surpassing her. Knowing his strong sense of responsibility better than anyone...

Bernard, that damned man... I wonder if he's doing well.

She could hold that certainty, and thinking of him made her want to meet him again just to punch him in the face. Once this bandit subjugation was over, it wouldn't be a bad idea to march on Ragna Castle under the pretext of providing supplies.

With that thought, Marienne dismissed the butler and returned to her staring contest with the documents on her desk.