「So bored…」

「Oh, Jill…」

The receptionist smiled as she watched her colleague with her head flopped on the counter. Pond’s Adventurers Guild was deserted.

The town fell into a state of chaos last fall as the civil war’s decisive battle was fast approaching. Ultimately, however, the battle was avoided. The adventurers, feeling letdown by the ceasefire announcement afterwards, left Pond to earn some money.

For a while, the whole town was shut down, and after the ceasefire, life didn’t return to Pond immediately. As a result, requests stopped coming to Pond, leaving the adventurers jobless.

To make matters worse, Einbeast’s king selection tournament would be held this year. Since adventurers were qualified to enter, ambitious people hoping to make a killing headed there.

「Winter’s come and gone… They can come back now.」

Jill, a receptionist with short, red hair, gently tapped the binder laying the counter. It contained untaken requests that couldn’t fit on the bulletin board. This past winter, adventurers went to the royal capital or nearby cities. After the situation in Pond returned to normal, there was no one around to take the requests and they just piled up.

「It’s the first time in a while that we can relax. I actually like this.」

「I suppose… you have a point.」

Jill pouted her lips as she looked at Gloria. As always, the latter’s long, purple hair looked lustrous, her huge bosom bouncing up and down. And just like always, her slightly-opened eyes instilled fear on Jill as it was hard to guess what was on the woman’s mind sometimes. She seemed to mean what she just said, though.

Jill hated her busy life before this, surrounded by adventurers almost daily, accepting request and processing goods at a fast pace. She always wanted a break and more personnel to help with the work, but now that they had nothing to do, she missed the hectic days. Humans were indeed wayward creatures.

「Oh. There’s no people around, I thought the place was closed.」

「Of course we’re open. Can’t you see the mountain of requests we have—」

Jill reflexively answered the familiar voice. Her eyes darted to beyond the counter and noticed the boy standing there. She didn’t even notice him enter.

「Hikaru-kun?!」she blurted out loud.

There were no other adventurers present in the guild; the place was completely empty. They all entered the reception booth, the other receptionist included, proof of how much free time they had on their hands. Lavia took a seat beside Hikaru, while Jill and Gloria sat across, facing them. Paula was out securing them a place to stay, together with Drake who was still fast asleep.

「So? How’d things end up like this?」Hikaru said.

「Forget that.」Jill said.「About that girl…」

Jill stared at Lavia with scornful eyes. She had met her before, but her questions were left unanswered when Senkun of the rank A party Sweet Pleasure challenged Hikaru to a duel.

「She’s Count Morgstad’s daughter, isn’t she?!」

「No. My name is Lavia. Just Lavia.」Lavia showed her Forestia-made guild card.

「B-But you have the same name, and you look exactly like the one in the wanted poster…」

「Wanted poster? Last I heard, the Count’s daughter wasn’t wanted anymore.」Hikaru said.

「Well, yeah—」

「I’m Lavia. Just Lavia.」she repeated, clinging to Hikaru’s arm.「And I’m Hikaru’s girlfriend.」

「What?!」Jill froze in shock, while Gloria grinned.

「Well, there you have it. So, what’s going on here?」Hikaru asked.

Jill still hadn’t recovered from shock and was useless, so instead Gloria explained the current situation in Pond’s Adventurers Guild succinctly.

「Hmm… You’re short of hands, huh? What about the Four Stars of the East?」

「They were summoned to the royal castle.」

Rank B adventurers sure have it rough. Getting promoted really sounds like a bad idea, Hikaru thought.

「Hikaru, I have a question.」Gloria said with a downcast look.

「Hmm?」

「How many do you plan on marrying?」

Jill choked.「Wh-Where’d that come from, Gloria?!」

「Please shut up for a minute. I’m talking to Hikaru.」

「If you’re joking, it’s not funny. I’m free to marry whoever I want…」Hikaru grumbled.

Lavia’s embrace tightened. Uh, hello? Miss Lavia? You’re smiling, but your eyes are dead serious. Wait, you don’t trust me? Is that it?

「Well, I want to know if I have a chance.」

「Gloria?!」Jill had been nothing but surprised in the last few minutes. Her mouth gaped open and shut, like a fish gasping for air.

「Nope. You don’t have a chance.」Hikaru said.

「I see. That’s unfortunate.」

「You probably just want my money, don’t you?」

Gloria knew that Hikaru won a hundred million gilans from his fight with Senkun. It was clear she was only asking these questions because of the money.

「Teehee.」

「Good grief… I thought you normally kept your scheming ways secret?」

「Why, of course. But it’ll be much easier later if I show my future spouse everything right from the start.」

Dear lord, she’s terrifying. She made it sound like she was really after Hikaru. Suddenly, an image popped in his mind. Back when he thought Gloria was probing him for information, he followed her all the way back to her apartment where he saw her naked.

Damn it, brain! Why are you recalling that now?! That was an honest mistake! I didn’t have any ill intentions!

Gloria stared at him.「Are you hiding something?」

This is why I hate this woman! She’s too sharp!

「So how many are you going to marry?」Lavia asked.

「Wait, why are you asking that? Well, there’s one I want to be married to, at least.」

This is too embarrassing! I can’t look at Lavia straight in the eye. Lavia’s pale skin reddened just a bit.

「That’s good, then.」she said, smiling.

「So anyway, if you’re staying in Pond for a while, there’s a lot of requests I want you to take.」Jill said.

It wasn’t as though she had fully recovered, but she somehow managed to regain her composure.

「What? I want to know who this woman he wants to marry is.」Gloria said.

「What about the second one?」Lavia asked.

You still want to drag the topic on? It was clear Lavia meant Paula, but right now he didn’t really have any romantic feelings for Paula, and he didn’t plan on taking it further as well.

「I-I’ll ask him that personally some other time.」Jill said.

「What?」

「What?」

What…?

「Let’s get back on track. Right. Now!」Jill said, tapping the table.

「Oh… Yeah, I’ll do what I can.」Hikaru said.「I did gather some materials on our way here.」

Hikaru’s party did more than just travel on their way from Scholarzard to Pond. They fought monsters to raise their soul ranks as well, while also testing out Lavia’s new spells and Hikaru’s Gravity Balancer. More levels meant Hikaru could enhance his abilities through the Soul Board. It was overall a necessary grinding in preparation for the future.

「Really?! Do you have Wolf Grass?! Or honey from Rogue Bees?!」

「I have both.」

「Wow! Clients have been pestering us about them. This one’s tough, but do you have Slumber Orchids…?」

「Sure do. We happened upon a Forest Barbarian so I killed it.」

「Wow! Incredible!」Jill was overjoyed.

Hikaru actually planned to sell the materials in Pond. He recalled the requests he saw here from back then and gathered the notable materials.

「Where are they?!」

「Inside a bag out front—」

Jill got up quickly and bolted. Since there was no one around in the guild, Hikaru left the big bag by the entrance. Jill opened it and shouted in joy.

「I apologize for the behavior of my fellow receptionist…」Gloria said, watching Jill with a dark glint in her eyes.

「I-It’s fine. I’m glad she’s happy. So there’s really a shortage of people here, huh?」

「Yes. Not only that, all the strong adventurers are being gathered at the royal capital.」

「The royal capital? Is the civil war still going on?」

「No. That one’s been settled already. Both parties came to an agreement.」

The Crown Prince and Princess Kudyastoria’s brother, Austrin, relinquished his right to the throne in exchange for his life and a dominion. The civil war had come to an end, basically.

「Apparently, something’s going on in Vireocean and it’s making Her Majesty busy. Though the guild’s intel network didn’t quite get what it is exactly that’s happening.」

「The maritime nation of Vireocean, huh?」

The only country left that Hikaru hadn’t visited.

「Yes. Normally, the coronation ceremony would be done during spring, but it’s been postponed.」

「Vireocean borders on all the other countries in the continent except Forestia. Are the other countries acting unusual too?」

「Quinbland seems to be panicking as well. As for Bios, they’re still in chaos because of the whole matter with the Pope.」

Right, the regional priests marched to the capital, Hikaru thought as if it wasn’t his problem, when in fact, he was the one who caused it.

「And Einbeast has their king selection tournament.」

「Right. What about Quinbland’s Adventurers Guild? Don’t they have something?」

「No. It seems they’re really keen on keeping any sort of intel secret. Oh, actually, there is something.」Gloria gave a faint smile.「A strange thing was displayed on the gates of Quinbland’s imperial palace.」

「Strange thing?」

「Yes. A silver mask.」

It was Hikaru’s turn to choke this time.