Kujonin Chapter 62

Kujonin
Author: Hanabokuro
—

62話

Story 62

Yellow light from the magic stone lights are shining onto the ground from the Adventurers Guild's windows.
There were strong winds so the sign board was flapping, making a horrible sound, but the inside of the Guild was even noisier.
No one realized it when I entered.
A shopkeeper aunty was arguing with the adventurers; as the adventurers were looking to flee, a whole bunch of controversies were unfurled.

"It's an emergency, so make it cheaper!"
"You've got to be kidding! I've got nothing to sell to adventurers who run away!"
"Ain't you taking advantage of the situation and hiking up the prices!?"
"The prices are fair! If you don't like it, why don't you guys go and actually fight monsters!?"

"The sea's that stormy! A boat's impossible!"
"That's why we should cross the eastern mountains!"
"That border station there is strict on adventurers, right!?"
"Is this the situation to be saying that? It's part of the Alliance, so we'll have them pa.s.s us through."
"As if we could get by with your authority."
'What'd you say!?"
Adventurers grab each other by the collars.
Next to them is an adventurer downing liquor.
"Can't do a thing if I ain't drinking!"
He got rolled up in the scuffle and his liquor bottle went flying.
"Watcha doin'!?"
The drunk throws on of the guys who are grasping each other by the collars, and right after he was thrown, the guy came back to start fighting again.
"b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Do you even know what you're getting yourself into!? Raaar!"
"Come'at me-!"
"Your opponent is me!"
An all-out brawl started.

Guildmaster Langley, without caring about the brawl starting, is talking to his employees behind the inner counter.
I avoid the brawl and head to the inner counter.

"The adventurers are lively, aren't they?"
When I called out, Langley looked up.
"A? Aa! … Sorry. I haven't been able to find any guys to go to the desert yet."
"With things like this, I'd a.s.sume so."
"You, are you the president of the extermination company?"
Come to think about it, I hadn't told Langley.
"That's right. Have people from the Blacks House come looking for help?"
"They did. When a big-shot like that comes, even though it's not that big of a deal, they got scared stiff. Even though they're rotten, they're adventurers, so they're sensitive to the scent of danger. It's their nature to hate it when the future is dark and unpredictable."
Because n.o.bles are troublesome, na.
"Is it possible to somehow gather around 10 people, of just the strongest?"
There are 13 pumps. Even if it's just going to be 4 people to a team, we'll want 13 people.
"As for the strong guys, they're stubborn, so. Take a look, even though there's a brawl, the strong guys are staying calm."
That's true, among the adventurers in the Guild, there are guys not getting mixed up in the brawl.
Someone drinking liquor while grumbling, someone checking the contents of his bag and looking at a map, someone who's completely unaffected by the brawl sipping wine, and someone trying to pick up chicks.
"They're staying calm while thinking on how to survive through this, see."
"Who's the strongest?"
"Well, over there, the hooded woman grumbling, 'The future is dark,' I guess."
"I'm going to fan the flames a little, so can I leave it to you to wrap it up?"
"Fan the flames…"
"Even like this, I'm an F Rank adventurer."
So saying, I showed him my adventurer's card.
"N… ninety!?"
A, s.h.i.t. I forgot to hide my level.
"It's a misprint. Please forget it. I'll reimburse you for the table later."
I leapt out from the counter and arrived in front of the hooded woman in an instant.
I feel the gathering of eyes on me.
The woman is staring at the cup of alcohol on the table while continuing to say, "The future is dark."

Bang-!

I break the table with the back of my fist.
The table's wood and cups and such go flying.
The adventurers' punching fists stop for a moment, and their gazes turn my way.
"That's exactly right! The future is dark! But on the flip side, there is always a beacon of light inside any darkness, am I right? I've always thought that adventurers were those who search for that light, even if they have to grope blindly. H! For adventurers, becoming one is easy, so quitting is also easy, huh!? I'm an F Rank, but I have confidence in my strength! I'm going to the desert. At the very least I can extend my life, and even go on an adventure!"
I walked out of the Guild that had fallen silent.
I'm actually breaking out in cold sweat on the inside.

The moment I left, I could hear angry yells like, "What's up with him!?" "That s.h.i.tty brat!" "Let's get him-!" flew about.
"Silence! All of you! If you're that p.i.s.sed off that some F Rank kid said something like that, why don't you guys try going to the desert too! What kind of adventurers are you, being scared of tiny bugs!? The only ones who have the right to complain are guys going to the desert!"
I could hear Langley's voice.
"If that's how it is, just watch me-!!"
"Me too! Don't freaking mess with me!"
"Ain't that just the howling of an F Rank kid!? I'll go!"
I heard the voices of the adventurers.

Looks like we'll make it somehow with this.
What a relief.

"Oh? Sir?"
The turban wearing slave trader stopped his covered wagon in front of me.
"Oo, it's you; what are you doing?"
"Oh, I was called by the governmental office's foreman."
The fat foreman appeared from within the wagon's cover.
"Aa, thank you for your efforts. President-san. Riddle-sama said that, if President-san's plan goes well, "Transport them to the desert before they change their minds." There is also food stored up inside. And also, we have accommodations with tents that were in the warehouse."
"As expected of Riddle-san. He works fast."
"How is it? Is it going well?"
"I wonder. I've done what I could. There's only one thing left to do."
I sat on the ground in front of the guild entrance in seiza.

"Let's go, you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!"
As Langley yelled, the Guild's doors swung open.
As adventurers carrying weapons and armor came out in droves, I raised my voice.
"I was rude just now, my apologies! The preparations have already been made! Please board this wagon!"
I explained in a dogeza.

Even though the adventurers were saying things like, "s.h.i.t-! Langley tricked us!" "We've been had!" and "I'll remember your face!" they boarded the wagon.

"You fanned the flames quite well."
Langley slapped my shoulder.
"Oh no, I was just borrowing the words of someone from the past."
In actuality, I just borrowed the saying of an artist in my previous world.
"Well, you fanned them too hard, and everyone ended up wanting to go, though."
"The wagon and food won't be enough."
"They'll manage somehow? They're adventurers after all. A, and by the way, you've caught the eyes of the strong guys."
"Eh?"
"You broke the table like that after all, so of course. It would have been enough to just crack it a little."
Among the adventurers boarding the wagon, there were guys who pa.s.sed by me and said, "Let's have a bout after this is over," and "Where were you hiding?" and "It's the safest next to a strong guy," and the like.
It's basically all the guys who were calm about the brawl.
"After this is over, I'm running away, so."
I said to Langley.
"State Minister Blacks won't let you go, right? Unfortunately."
Langley slapped my shoulder again.
"Alright, let's head out before the rain falls!"
At Langley's words, the wagon with the adventurers on board set off.
At this time the second accommodation arrived.
The adventurers, including a group that was running, had started moving.

—

Returning to the governmental office, when I told Riddle that the adventurers started moving,
"What kind of magic did you use? Well, it's Naoki-dono, so I thought you'd get it done, though!"
And he laughed.
After that I went to the bas.e.m.e.nt to help make the herbal mixture.
It's not quite an insecticide, but it's fine because we can dull their movements and crush them.
The employees are also giving their best efforts, so they're being finished one after another.
On the first floor, other employees are making masks.
Since the amount of people going to the desert had increased, we'll also need a large amount of masks.
Riddle would occasionally tell the employees that they should rest if they're tired.
I as well, let's take a break and make recovery potions.
Of course the priests who came to help out were watching my work carefully in amazement.

There were 8 large barrels; a large amount of recovery potion was made.
"Let us depart!"
Riddle said as he put on his overcoat.
When we went outside, I found out night had already pa.s.sed.
The rain had also started falling.
As I was stacking the barrels on the wagon, a call from Velsa came in.

["Naoki, I found a plant that can kill locust hoppers."]
"What did you say!?"
["It's just, it's probably on you and Ayl who can use it."]
"Got it! I'm returning to you guys, so I'll listen to you there."

I close the communication bag and finish loading the barrels.
I received the bags from the employees and packed them into my item bag.
I'll have Merumo sew wind magic circles on them later.

"Naoki-dono! Let's set off!"
Riddle called from within the wagon's cover.
"Yes! I'll be running, so go on ahead first!"
"Understood! Set off!"
The wagon loaded with the barrels and priests departed.

I requested the foreman to make sandwiches for 5 people, and before they were done I slept while standing. I wanted my employees to eat these sandwiches too.
The office employees were also sleeping on benches or at their desks.
When the sandwiches were done, I put them in the item bag, gave my thanks, and leapt out from the governmental office.

I quickly pa.s.sed the wagon Riddle was on, and also gave a light greeting to the adventurers as I pa.s.sed them.

I reached the camp before noon.
I can't see anyone around.
Is Ayl and the other doing morning training?
There's a pot on the campfire.
When I look inside, there are a lot of stones in hot water.

"Oh, welcome back."
Velsa appeared from within the tent.
"What's this?"
When I pointed at the pot and asked, Velsa gave a wide grin.

I dunno why this chapter took me 3xs longer than usual. SO frustrating. I must be tired, or maybe catching a cold.>