Arc 21: Women’s battle
Chapter 170: The Guild Branch, and A Tanned Girl
[It’s gradually getting colder]
Brunhild is slowly entering winter. Though it’s not as much as Elfrau Kingdom that I have previously visited, it seems it is getting cold here to some degree. It appears that the snow will fall as well.
「Are the measures against cold alright?」
「I suppose it will be alright since all the houses in this country have a fireplace. We also have enough firewood. We must only be careful that no fire happens」
Definitely. A fire brigade has made just in case a fire occurs. It also seems possible to extinguish a fire with an object that resembles a pump. As expected of Kousaka-san, he is not careless. The water flowing through the town ca.n.a.l will be useful during firefighting. For now, shall I have them do patrolling after making them wear something like clappers?
(TL: joke, old j.a.panese firefighter used to wear clappers)
When I went to the training grounds in the courtyard after having finished the paperwork, Hilda and Rebecca-san were exchanging blows there.
Hilda started to live in this castle after she had officially become my fiancee. It may be late at this point, but I thought that we would be separated until we get married though. She is a princess of another country after all even if she is called my fiancee.
Both Rue and Hilda give out a feeling of having already settled down when compared to the situation with Yumina who settled down little by little. Suu is the only one who doesn’t live together with me as one would expect, but she comes over to stay twice a week.
She is naturally not sleeping in my room but in Yumina’s room. Though it seems she is sleeping with Rene lately as well. I don’t mind she’s coming to stay overnight, but I wish she stops coming to my room in the mornings of the next day just to wake me up. Waking up twice a week with a full body press is severe.
As I was recalling that pain and sighing, Hilda came running to me after finis.h.i.+ng her training with Rebecca-san.
「Touya-sama!」
「Good work, Hilda」
Hilda
I cast [Refresh] and relieves Hilda’s fatigue She comes here to train whenever she has time. As expected from the Princess of the Knight’s Kingdom.
Hilda wasn’t wearing the armor of Restia she had when we had met. She was wearing a light armor of Brunhild instead. Although she is a knight, she isn’t the one of our household’s knights. The person herself has said that she is not a knight of the country but my own personal knight. Well, it seems people like knight commander Rain-san feel awkward when there is a person excessively close to me.
「Are you going somewhere?」
「I’m going to the adventurers’ guild for a little while. I had heard the Brunhild branch has been completed so I am going to check it」
「Anooo, May I also follow you……?」
「Alright. Let’s go together」
It won’t be interesting even if you come, but it is not a bad thing to see the town. I hope she gets accustomed to this country as soon as possible.
I leave the castle with Hilda. While heading straight from the castle, the children can be seen running around without caring about the cold.
「He~ika, good day~!」
「Good day, He~ika!」
「Ah, good day. Don’t not go so far」
「「Y~es!」」
The children, who gave a cheerful greeting, ran towards the plains. I was thinking about it for some time, but should I make a school in the end? It’s better if they are able to read and write, and they may learn various things that can help. Well, there is no teacher to teach though.
Our lack of talented people is the same as ever.
「The children seem to be happy. I am glad」
「Well, we managed to do it somehow without having to borrow the children to work」
Brunhild can be called a relatively wealthy country. There is no hunger, and there is work within its capacity too. However, there is no particular industry. Perhaps, only bicycles? Though I’m testing out different fields such as Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce, although I’m fumbling.
For the agricultural sector, I have requested Flora for the new improvements of species so it’s probably better to start from there. But since our house doesn’t have that vast lands, it might be difficult with only this much.
We have arrived at our destination, the guild branch, while I was thinking about those things. The Brunhild branch of the adventurer’s guild has already begun its operations and a moderate bustle can already be seen.
I put on a hood just in case and went inside. I could hear the crowd making noisy chatter. As usual, there is a crowd in front of the request board. I miss this atmosphere.
Is this the first time Hilda has entered a guild? She’s glancing and restlessly looking around.
「Welcome. Is this your first time?」
「Ah, nope. I only came for a little visit. Is the branch chief inside?」
I vaguely answer the Nekomimi Onee-san at the reception desk and secretly show her my guild card. There are only two gold-ranked cards of the guild on this continent.
(TL: this continent?? Does this imply the world is even bigger)
「Goo……！ Wawawa……！ Waiii、Please wait a minute!」
The Nekomimi Onee-san panicked and ascended the inner stairs while her other colleagues were looking with blank faces. For a moment, I attracted the attention of some people inside the guild, but they have immediately looked at the board again. A few were looking at Hilda, though I think that’s natural. She someone who stands out after all.
After a while, the Nekomimi-san come downstairs and speaks to me in a whisper.
「I will g-guide you to the room of the branch chief. You Majesty the s-sovereign k-king!」
After being lead by the Nekomimi-san, I ascended the stairs inside the guild and pa.s.sed through to the back room. An acquaintance was waiting there.
「Huh? Res.h.i.+a-san is the branch chief?」
Res.h.i.+a-san, the elf guild master was there smiling while standing still. If I am not mistaken, she should be one of the guild masters in the western lands. Was she demoted?
「It is different. Each guild master can choose which branch becomes his or her base, but I still haven’t decided yet. From there, after I asked to establish one here, I happily took that advantage to get into it」
「Ah, it is like that……」
I take off my hood and sit down on the offered chair. The interior of the room was finished unexpectedly beautifully and different doc.u.ments and books were lined up on shelves. There was plenty of equipment with magical power placed here and there. Is this what one should expect from the place of the guild master?
「With regards to his Majesty the Sovereign King, I was told that you had been engaged with Princess Restia there. Congratulations」
「Ahhh……. Thank you very much」
「Ah~ thank you very much~!」
Hilda, your voice was loud. She was twisting her body in embarra.s.sment without noticing the intention of my gaze.
「However, I was disturbed by the Yuuron’s incident. The guild in that country had been almost destroyed, and the people who somehow managed to survive were severely injured. Nevertheless, rebuilding is being pushed forward because the people calling themselves the adventurers are necessary. Though it will take a considerable time」
It was such a severe blow after all. Though the information about Fureizu had been spread to the other guild masters, it wasn’t transmitted to the terminal staffs. Should it have reached them, they might have managed to somehow escape.
「Is there any information about the appearance of Fureizu since then?」
「There have been no reports from any branch up until this moment. Does his majesty believe there is possibility that such a thing may happen again?」
「I don’t think I can say that “It’s finished with this”. Will it be tomorrow? Will it be after one year? Will it be after ten years? I don’t know」
Res.h.i.+a-san drops her eyes and put her hand on her chin as if pondering on something.
「Well, we can only spread a minor warning right now. However, I would really appreciate it if the same thing won’t happen in Yuuron again after the rebuilding is finished though」
Res.h.i.+a-san laughed as if it was a joke. But in fact, there is such possibility and I am keeping an eye on it. It’s certain that a rip in the sky there was formed. There is also no guarantee that it will not open some time later.
These guys aim at the living intelligent beings like humans, demihumans, demonkins and so on and so forth. Therefore, there isn’t that much damage to the towns themselves, but I don’t think anyone will want to live there when they know that there has been a genocide there.
The people of Yuuron become refugees and escape to neighboring countries. Some of them become thieves and bandits, and there are people who become adventures that earn money by defeating these guys. Everyone’s lives were changed with that incident.
「Even now, there are people in Yuuron that are still saying that the grand invasion was the work of His Majesty. However, no one believes it outside of Yuuron. The refugees who have gone to other countries learn of the truth. The more people from outside speak about it, the more the refugees lose their faith to the lies told to them. It’s evident that their influence will weaken」
「Well, let them say whatever they want. I have no interest in Yuuron」
「They say things like [Don’t forgive that Brunhild!] to gather the support of the people and might do some hara.s.sment, you know?」
「I will crush their leader at that time. I am not a saint who keeps quiet when he is being beaten up. I will return grat.i.tude with grat.i.tude, and violence with violence」
I have no choice but to cut the falling sparks. I surely sympathize with Yuuron, but this and that are different cases. Pardon me from getting mixed up with lies coated with a false pretext.
「I will also spread such rumors from the guild just in case. [Brunhild Sovereign King is generous, but he will not forgive anyone that will harm his country] I will state」
「We will also spread those rumors from the guild just in case. With saying [Though Brunhild Sovereign King is generous, he will not forgive anyone that will harm his country]」
That will be enough, I suppose. There seems to be too much exaggeration included. Well, it’s not like I can say anything after all this time but……. That won’t do, let’s change the subject.
「How is the guild management?」
「Well, it’s progressing little by little, I suppose. The employment done through the miscellaneous category of commissions is going smoothly and the ones for the subjugations are also coming by as it is from both directions of Belfast and Regulus. I guess the only problem is that there are no requests coming in for advanced-level people. Though that speaks of how peaceful this place is, don’t you agree?」
There are certainly no magic beasts around here, and thieves and bandits are no more here. It may be not satisfactory for those who want to earn money with a ‘bang’ in one shot.
And, at that time, I heard voices quarreling from downstairs. Why?
When I asked Res.h.i.+a-san, she said that it’s a daily occurrence and disputes like this happen several times a day.
Come to think of it, I was also involved several times in them.
『Oi, kid. This isn’t a place you just go into, you know ~ze?』
『Oh lad, are you not getting carried away because you’re accompanied by woman、Ah?』
『This great me will teach you how to be an adventurer. The tuition fee is everything inside your wallet』
…………There weren’t any decent ones, all right.
Basically, the guild doesn’t interfere in the fights between adventurers. As long as there is no damage to the guild though.
Well, it has been indicated that if someone wants to rampage, those people do it outside. In fact, having antic.i.p.ated that, the guild was built on a s.p.a.cious street in front of it.
Eventually, the sound of footsteps from people going outside could be heard. Did people from the guild drive them out?
「Oya, it seems they are continuing outside」
Res.h.i.+a-san mutters that while overlooking the street from her room window.
Ah, I have also been said 「Let’s go outside!」. I guess by saying that, they planned to shame me in front of the general public rather than causing an annoyance to the guild. Naturally, they ended up shaming themselves on the contrary.
「Muu. Aren’t they ashamed of having that many people against one person? Moreover, isn’t his opponent a woman?」
Was she getting interested? Hilda looks outside the window next to Res.h.i.+a-san.
「However, the ability of the woman seems to be higher than her opponents. Look, she has done them by herself」
「Definitely. It seems she is using an ax from the weapons on her waist, but she should have a considerable strength if she can handle that. Her movements are good too. Rather than calling those as trained movements, they seem to be naturally acquired. However, that person has a strange appearance」
「If I’m not mistaken, that is the traditional clothes of one of the tribes living in that Great Forest Sea. Namely, the Rauri tribe. I never have thought I will ever see it in a place like this」
Eh? I am kinda bothered with what they have said but……. Huh? By Rauri tribe, If I am not mistaken……
When I tried to peek outside from a different window, I saw four men crawling on the ground and the figure of a brown-skinned girl fighting against a fifth person.
Wai! That kid!?
「Touya-sama?」
While catching Hilda’ voice from my back, I jump out from the room, pa.s.s through the reception desk on the ground floor and go outside. At exactly the same time, the girl’s brilliant kick exploded on the side of the man’s face.
‘Oooo~’. Cheers rose from the surrounding onlookers. The girl glances at the five men, who seem to be exhausted and exhales once.
Then her eyes looks at me who has come out from the guild. Ah, it’s her after all. This kid is the granddaughter of the matriarch and the one who bit me back then after the accident in the Great Forest Sea……If am not mistaken, wasn’t her name Pam?
「……Found you」
Eh? Huh? Did she talk just now? If I am not mistaken that kid wasn’t supposed to be able to speak the common language, was she?
Daa! Pam suddenly ran and hugged me. Despite falling due to the momentum, she rubbed her cheek against mine while we were down.
Wa-wait! This girl is wearing something similar to a mantle, but below that is just a chest wrap and a loincloth! This, it is. .h.i.tting me in different ways! They are big as ever!
「W-w-w-w-what are you doing!?」
I look towards the guild’s entrance while I’m still on the ground, and I see that Hilda has a deep red face while she’s trembling all over. Ah, it has a dangerous atmosphere somehow. Un, I can understand it. I have experienced it several times after all.
「Hey, you! Get away from Touya-sama!」
「What are you? This one is Pam’s. Pam will birth a child of this guy」
「Na-nan-an-a-a-n-a!?」
Hilda reddens even further and flatters.
It’s developing too fast, I can’t understand anything. I demand an explanation!