Hazure Skill “Kage Ga Usui” O Motsu Guild Shokuin Ga, Jitsuha Densetsu No Ansatsusha - Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama

After morning assembly, Iris told me that she needed to see me later. Speaking from experience, she likely had a new assignment for me. We opened the front door, allowing the waiting adventurers to trickle in. When none of them asked for me, I got up and headed for Iris’s office.

「I wonder what Chief wants with you?」, asked Milia. 「Could she be… abusing her authority to make you go for lunch with her!? That’s power harassment, Roland-san!」

She’s worried for my welfare, I thought. Just like a senpai.

「She’s not that kind of person, Milia-san.」

「Huh… it’s weird that you trust her so much」, she muttered with a disgusted glare.

I did a slight bow, then knocked on Iris’s door.

「May I?」

「I’m sorry for doing this so often.」

It’s fine, I said, shaking my head. She gestured for me to take a seat on the sofa.

「I was thinking about adventurers that mainly visit other branches.」

「What about them?」

「They’re paid peanuts」, she replied.

「That sounds more like a mere complaint than anything.」

「If it was, I wouldn’t have summoned you.」

「It’s something beyond my usual job scope, isn’t it?」

I relaxed my shoulders, and Iris forced a smile.

「Rewards are determined by the quest rank — that’s the guideline.」

「From what I was told, the adventurers are being paid ten or twenty percent less.」

「That honestly depends on the circumstances. It can’t be the norm…」

I realised that Iris knew all of this already. If she still saw it as a problem, then there must be something else at play.

「It might have something to do with the requestors. Or something else entirely. I’d like you to investigate if possible.」

「What makes you take special interest in this matter, chief?」

It’s rare for her to interfere in other branches’ matters.

「The person who told me about it is an S-ranked adventurer who has done a lot for me.」

「I see. It’s an opportunity to do an S-ranked adventurer — who you don’t see everyday — a favour.」

Quests that required such adventurers were already few and far between, and these adventurers were commonly contacted directly by the guild when the need arose. They included the subjugation of an extremely powerful monster or swarm of monsters. Most of the time, the rewards involved were too massive to be provided by one person, and the quest was funded by the guild instead.

「I apologise for such a selfish request. I’ve already written to the Master, but he seems rather tied down at the moment.」

「It’s for the guild’s sake, isn’t it?」

「Thank you for your understanding.」

She smiled.

「Please be careful. I have no idea what’s behind all this.」

「Understood. I have yet to experience being a normal adventurer, so I think I’ll become one for the sake of this investigation.」

「Roland? An adventurer? Ahahaha. That’s a great idea.」

She suddenly frowned.

「A ‘normal’ adventurer?」

「Ignore that.」

「I’ll treat you to a meal after this.」

「Uh –」

「Lyla-chan’s invited as well! How about that?」

I wondered if I had used that excuse too often.

「Okay. I’m sure Lyla will agree to having a meal together.」

「The ‘together’ part isn’t the point」, the chief replied with a frown.

The guild in Imir was ground zero.

Second largest after the royal capital, Imir had been governed by the Moisander family until their underground arena was exposed. King Randolph had installed another family in their place, and during my subsequent visits, I had noted that the people of Imir looked much happier than before.

As the guild was located at the city centre, I found it easily without having to ask the locals. A towering building three stories high, it looked nothing like the single-story branch back in Lahati.

It’s been a long time since I came here as neither an assassin nor an employee, I thought.

A female employee, who probably saw me as an unfamiliar face, greeted me when I entered.

「Welcome. First time?」

「Yes. I’m here to become an adventurer.」

「Please proceed to the third floor for registration. After that, you’ll sit for the entrance examination, after which you can become an adventurer if you pass.」

Thank you, I said, climbing the stairs to the top floor.

It was similar in construction to the ground floor. I headed for the counter and told an employee about the purpose of my visit, after which he called for another male employee. The latter looked rather strange in this uniform, and had multiple scars on his face — his appearance told me that he had probably been a mercenary in the past.

「Here for the test?」

「Yes, please.」

The examiner read through the questionnaire that I had filled in.

「Solan… twenty-three years of age. No notable skills…」

He grabbed my shoulder all of a sudden.

「I’ll give it to you straight. Don’t bother.」

「Eh?」

「You’re a little old, aren’t you?」

「I am.」

「You’re already twenty-three, and won’t get far as an adventurer. And you have no skills or special techniques either. You’re better off doing a normal job. Got me?」

He nodded as he spoke. Despite its rough coating, his advice was genuine and well-intentioned.

「But I want to become an adventurer here.」

The examiner sighed loudly.

「First, the magicka test. Then the practical test if you pass. You fight me. And if you pass that too, you clear the whole test.」

「Okay. I understand.」

「You seem quite gentle, which isn’t a problem in itself… but you don’t come across to me as someone who can be an adventurer.」

He scratched his head.

「If it was up to me, I’d have rejected you already. But things have changed recently, and now I have to take your personality and potential into consideration too. It’s a pain, if you ask me.」

「Sorry」, I said, lowering my head after hearing his rant.

The standards changed after my series of lectures, I thought.

A little surprised, the examiner proceeded with the test. He took the familiar-looking magical assessment crystal and placed it on the counter.

「Raise your hands –」

I obeyed.

It would take too much time to gather information if I was made an F-rank adventurer. I could try to sniff out rumours here and there, but it was unlikely for any moderately experienced adventurers and above to even give me the time of day. Though it was common practice to start newly qualified adventurers with an F-rank, as an examiner, I was able to raise their starting rank at my discretion.

「If I hit thirty thousand, please grant me the C-rank at least.」

「Uhahaha! Only elite mages who have trained since young can hit thirty thousand! You know that, right? Well, why don’t you give it a go anyway!」

I released my magicka, making sure to hold back as the crystal wasn’t built to measure the full brunt of it.

「Nuoooh!? This… this light!」

The crystal glowed, and a number appeared.

Hm. Right on the dot.

「Exactly thirty thousand!? What the hell, man — huh? There’s no reaction from you at all?」

「Let’s proceed」, I said, pressing the shocked examiner to continue.