Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: A Small Disturbance in Bachran (4)
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Calming down the furious Kara had been more difficult than expected. With Seris joining in to soothe her, we finally managed to settle things and headed to the Adventurer's Guild.
"But Sis, why are you coming along? Are you interested in becoming an adventurer too?"
This morning, Seris had suddenly declared she wanted to tag along to the Adventurer's Guild. Kara was curious about the reason, and honestly, so was I.
"It's not exactly interest... I just wanted to see what kind of place Kara's going to be working at."
It was a somewhat disappointing answer. From my position, where I needed to tackle the main quest with Seris, it would've been great if she showed some interest in adventuring.
"Oh? That's too bad. It'd be fun to adventure together with you, Sis."
"Yeah. I'd love it if Seris joined too."
"Huh? Does that mean... Mr. Yuseong's planning to become an adventurer as well?"
"Wait, Bro's gonna do it too?"
"You didn't know either, Kara?"
"First I've heard of it. So? You thinking of becoming one too, Bro?"
Kara's eyes sparkled as she asked. I gave a small smile.
"Yeah. Figured I might as well start with you. Too weird?"
"No, no! Awesome! Let's do our best together!"
Kara thrust out her fist. I bumped mine against it. Seris stared blankly at our fists touching for a moment.
No city exists without an Adventurer's Guild.
I'd brushed off those words before, but now I was feeling them in my bones.
"Whoa... So this is the Adventurer's Guild. It's huge compared to the other buildings!"
"Yeah..."
The guild boasted its grandeur, towering over the other structures in a somewhat rough-hewn way.
I led the awestruck Seris sisters inside.
-What quest should I take this time?
-Remember when I got that kobold's leg...
The interior bustled with adventurers clad in all sorts of armor. Pulling along Kara, who was peering around curiously, I headed to the reception desk.
"What can I do for you?"
A receptionist in a neat uniform greeted us with a smile.
"We want to become adventurers!"
Kara raised her hand energetically and answered. The receptionist blinked in surprise for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"I see. Understood. First, the registration fee is 3 silvers each."
"...There's a registration fee?"
"Yes. We can't just issue adventurer cards to anyone. 3 silvers is the bare minimum for identity verification."
Can't take just anyone, huh...
Made sense. If some weirdo went around claiming to be an adventurer, it'd tarnish the guild's reputation.
But vetting every registrant thoroughly would scare off newbies. So 3 silvers was probably the simplest safeguard.
I glanced back at Seris.
Sure enough, her pupils were trembling faintly even from this distance.
"Eek... Isn't that too expensive?"
"If it were cheap, it wouldn't mean anything."
"Huh... Yeah, I guess so...?"
Kara, looking puzzled, soon lit up again as she turned to Seris.
"Sis, pretty please!"
"U-uh... Kara? Do you really have to become an adventurer...?"
"...You're saying that now? After we've come all this way?"
As Kara pouted, Seris flailed her hands in panic.
"A-alright... 3 silvers, right...?"
Seris fumbled with her wallet using shaking hands to pull out the coins.
This wasn't good.
I needed to coax Seris into becoming an adventurer too.
If she spent 3 silvers here and more later on outfitting Kara, she wouldn't have enough left for herself.
I grabbed Seris's wrist to stop her. Meeting her eyes, I shook my head.
"Mr. Yuseong?"
"Bro?"
Kara and Seris looked baffled. Ignoring them, I spoke to the receptionist.
"Sorry. We'll come back for registration later."
"Ah... Sure, no problem."
I bowed to the receptionist and left the guild with the sisters.
"Bro, what was that all of a sudden?"
Once outside, Kara tilted her head quizzically.
I brought up what I'd thought of on the way out.
"Kara, what did you say your dream was?"
"Huh? My dream? Why bring that up?"
"Just answer. What was it?"
"My dream is to become a famous adventurer. I even told you, Bro."
"Right. Famous enough that your tales become songs, yeah?"
"Yeah! Famous across the continent, so everyone knows my adventures! Like Hero Zekeheart's song!"
"...Hero?"
The sudden mention of a hero caught me off guard.
"You don't know? It's about Hero Zekeheart, his wife Esika, and Mage Mary."
"...Does a Demon King named Baal show up too?"
"Oh, you know it too? Yeah, he does. Not for long, though."
A hint for the main quest was closer than I thought. I almost asked Kara to sing it but held back. Not the time.
I'd look into the song later and continued.
"So, you said you'd be as famous as those heroes someday. I believe you can do it."
"Hehe, thanks!"
"But imagine if your song had a line like 'Supported by my big sis in my childhood.' Kinda lame, right?"
"...Huh?"
"Honestly, that'd make your legend sound off. A bit uncool."
"Y-yeah..."
The laughter faded from Kara's voice a bit.
"Right? If I told people the adventurer in that song was my little sis, I'd feel embarrassed hearing that line."
"Uh... yeah..."
"But if it said she started strong and independent, without leaning on anyone? Way cooler. You think so too, right, Kara?"
Kara pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"You're right, Bro."
I smiled and took both her hands in mine, locking eyes with her. Kara flushed at the sudden gesture.
"B-Bro? Grabbing hands out of nowhere..."
"Kara."
"Y-yeah?!"
"Good thinking. It'll be tough, but let's work hard together so you don't burden Seris, okay?"
"O-okay..."
Kara bowed her head to hide her reddened face.
"...What's going on here...?"
Seris couldn't make sense of the situation.
That day, Kara declared her independence. Seris tried to dissuade her, protesting what this independence nonsense was, but Kara's mind was set.
To achieve full independence, she started working as a waitress at the inn, and a week had already passed.
"Two ales here."
"Got it! Two ales!"
Kara trotted off to the kitchen with the order. Seris and I watched from a corner table.
"See? She's doing fine. You're worrying too much."
"Ugh... But just the other day, she almost got into a fight with that drunk guy."
"He deserved it. He was blatantly harassing her."
"But what if she gets hurt fighting...?"
"The innkeeper will keep it from escalating. Besides, you're overreacting a bit, but Kara's pretty strong herself."
"Still..."
Seris's worries didn't ease despite my words. Her overprotectiveness was always a bit much.
I swallowed a sigh and opened my status window. I clicked on Seris's name at the top.
Seris's status window appeared.
This had become my recent headache.
It hadn't been there when I killed the goblins, so it must've shown up lately...
'Why the hell is it visible to me?'
I could understand her getting a status window. Given how she's tangled in my quests, whoever made it seems to be paying her attention.
But it being visible to me instead of her was weird.
At first, I thought maybe status window users could see each other's. I tested by hinting to Seris, but she had no clue. Plus, I could even manipulate hers.
A thought struck me.
'They want me to raise her? Like Princess Maker?'
If not, there'd be no reason for only me to see it.
It was absurd, but not a bad deal.
A status window ally would be a huge asset. And since I control hers, I hold the reins.
'Of course, only if she becomes an adventurer...'
If she refused, it was all for naught. So I pondered carefully how to draw her in.
'Maybe use that overprotective personality of hers...'
"Bro?"
"Hm?"
Kara had sidled up beside me before I knew it.
"What're you thinking about? I called you a bunch of times."
"Nothing much. Work over already?"
"Yeah. Boss let me off early today."
Kara plopped down next to me. Seris, who was pulling out the chair beside her, looked dejected.
"By the way, do you two have to sit here together watching me every day?"
"It's not watching... We're just worried about you..."
"It's embarrassing in front of the boss."
The "boss" meant the innkeeper.
"Yeah, hogging a table from morning till night would annoy anyone."
"We ordered drinks and food! We're legit customers."
"There's a limit. Let's stop after today."
"Ugh... but..."
"If you're that worried, why not work here yourself, Sis? One of the girls quit, so there's an opening."
"She quit?"
"Yeah. Boss said she showed up pale as a ghost one morning and announced she was done."
"Really...?"
Seris's expression brightened a little. The one who'd quit was the creep who'd been hitting on Kara.
Seris had been beside herself, so I'd pulled him aside at night and warned him. Thought I'd just scared him enough, but he quit.
'Maybe pressing a blade to his throat was overkill?'
Bad habit from the slums. Gotta fix it quick.
"Oh, right!"
Kara clapped as if remembering something.
"Bro."
"Yeah?"
"Can I crash at your place tonight?"
-Pffft! Cough... cough...!!
Seris, mid-sip of her ale, choked. Coughing, she alternated wide-eyed stares between me and Kara in disbelief.