Chapter 3: Raid Guild
Part 9
Lefay was a first-cla.s.s member of the Guard.
As the second son of a merchant in Payang, he was expected to join the Guard while the eldest son would succeed his father.
First-cla.s.s members of the Imperial Guard qualified to operate the near-invincible Knight Golems. Lefay was thirty-two years old and only eight years separated him from a public retirement and membership in the council. He was running down the path to success at full speed.
The council had claimed that the Imperial Guard, tasked with protecting Payang, was the city’s trump card.
But protecting it from what? Dreadful attacks on the city by monsters, or even dangerous adventurers. Though only three thousand of them lived in the city, they held great economic power. Even dozens of regular citizens wouldn’t be able to overpower one member of the Guard.
Adventurers – special beings who had been granted divine protection, able to return to life even after death. Though they looked just like humans, they were a completely different existence. In these few months since the adventurers came, some new trends emerged despite the city had been well established for a long time. They were particularly dynamic; some a.s.similated into the native culture, while on the other hand, others seemed to treat the natives as mere tools.
They were curious neighbors, who acted on whims and proved difficult to understand.
They couldn’t match the strength of the proud and powerful Knight Golems, whose biggest concern was keeping the adventurers civilized.
All the while, Lefay was supposed to understand the adventurers. By no means were they heartless scoundrels. At least, some people he knew heard many things. About their marvelous world they called Reality where they had once lived. And about games they called MMOs and RPGs.
“Soooo, Kasumi-chan, a friend of mine, is really in a biiiiig pinch right now. You know, Kasumi-chan. The polite girl who always greets you guys,” said Chacha, the adventurer in front of him. They were drinking tea in his usual station, in the room he himself called the intel room. “For the sake of helping Kasumi out, we adventurers have joined forces. We’re rising up to give the evildoing Illusionary Brigade a taste of what they deserve. But even though I say that, they don’t actually use force. They’re more like saboteurs, just spreading their wrath and all.”
Though she used some words Lefay didn’t understand, it was a business as usual. In conversation, she displayed a strong grasp of many different areas of knowledge like a sage. In spite of their youth, those adventurer guys all knew a lot.
“Following from that, the members of the Illusionary Brigade do have a fondness for violence. What troubles me the most is that they’ll coerce people into doing things against their will under the threat of violence. Lefay-san, if your men watch over the Illusionary Brigade for us, we would be incredibly happy.”
“We treat all adventurers equally. We cannot take sides in any of your conflicts.” Lefay had no choice but to respond in that way. The superiors had said often that they should try to get information out of the adventurers. They were to act in such a way so they would better understand them. However, developing personal relationships, or acting out of kindness for them was disallowed. “If we see any signs of violence, we make sure to keep watch on them, as is our duty. If you take up arms against them, we will not act with discretion. You too will be punished.”
“Of course, that makes sense. For starters, I hate violence myself. Besides, I really like this city. I want to protect the city’s friendly atmosp
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here towards adventurers. Ah, here, Kasumi-chan baked a delicious pie. Try some if you want.”
“Sorry, I can’t take anything. We consider gifts from adventurers to be the same as bribes.”
“Um, it’s not meant to be a bribe or anything… How deplorable, and after Kasumi-chan went to such great lengths to bake it…”
“… Well, if it somehow shows up as lost property without a known owner, it is allowable to deal with it properly before it rots. Though I shouldn’t say this too loudly, there are many fans of Kasumi-dono’s [1] baking…” He coughed, and a second-cla.s.s soldier came rushing towards him with a doc.u.ment. “Sorry to bother you, but can you sign this waiver to submit it as lost property?”
“Yeah, sure. Must be tough being a government official.” Just as she finished signing and left, second-cla.s.s soldiers, enticed by the delicious smell of the pie, rushed into the room.
“Adventurers really make scrumptious food. Did you know that? There’s a new bakery in the second district owned by an adventurer too.”
“Hey, wasn’t it prohibited for adventurers to own land?”
“Well the legal owner is a regular merchant… the previous lady who owned it pa.s.sed it on to the adventurer. She devoted herself completely to pastries.”
Watching on, as the second-cla.s.s soldiers got busy devouring the pie like vultures, Lefay started thinking.
Adventurers.
What really are they, and why are they in this world?
What are they looking for?
Also, is there still any pie left for me?
“Officer, is it fine if I eat the last slice?”
“No, you glutton! Show some restraint!”
They hadn’t thought of using magic to check it for any poison. He knew that he could trust that female adventurer, Chacha, but still…
Lefay sighed, and s.n.a.t.c.hed away the last slice.
He suspended it in his mouth. As he gently felt the texture of the pie, the sweet and sour fruit sap dripped down his tongue.
“Purely scrumptious.”
“Yeaaah, it’s the best!”
He thought that he would want to eat Kasumi’s pie again sometime in the future.