By the time they finished reporting about the Harpies nest and left the Margrave’s residence, the surroundings were already dyed red by the sunset.
Freon spoke up as she looked at the dazzling sunset.
「Well, that took more time than expected.」
「What are you talking about? You threw all the explaining to me and Rei. You didn’t say anything and just drank tea and ate sweets.」
Brazos gave a sigh in amazement.
Next to him, Rei also looked at Freon in amazement when she said that.
Seeing the amazed looks from them, Freon scratched her cheeks in embarrassment.
「Even if you say that, I’ve never talked with nobles or anyone like that……isn’t it best to leave it to those who are familiar with it?」
「You can’t just do that.」
「I……well, never mind, it’s all because of this incident after all.」
Feeling that she was at a disadvantage because of what they said, Freon averted her eyes as she changed the topic
「A-Anyway, Rei was responsible for creating the Flame Crystals and Brazos is the one that knows about the crystals right? As for me, I have nothing to do with it.」
「……That’s fine. For now, we’ve given our report. Should we report our request completion to the guild now?」
Brazos gave up as he spoke in resignation as Rei saw Set coming out from the back of the Margrave’s residence.
「Gururu~」
Set gave a happy cry as he went towards them. Rei saw that Set had some sort of sauce stuck to his beak and stroked his head with a smile.
「It seems they’ve treated you well here too.」
Guessing what Set had been up to, Rei turned to Brazos as he kept stroking Set’s head.
「So then, we should report the guild……but what about the Flame Crystal?」
Yes, there was still the Flame Crystal they had brought back from the Harpies’ nest. Daska let them have this particular Flame Crystal as a reward for the report.
「Well……for a Flame Crystal of this size, there’s no buyer or seller right now. This time, why don’t we bring it to the blacksmith who made the request?」
「I’m not troubled for money right now. If possible, we should leave the Flame Crystal as it is……worst case, I’d be happy just to split it into three equal parts.」
「Mm, what should we do with it. Rei isn’t in need of money, Brazos and I aren’t poor, but we don’t have a lot of money to spare either. ……The Flame Crystal could be used to make new weapons, but I would like to sell it.」
At Freon’s troubled look, Rei spoke as he thought of something.
「To sell this Flame Crystal, you would find out how much it is worth after appraising it. How about I both your thirds?」
At Rei’s proposal, Freon thought about it for a few seconds……before nodding.
「I don’t have any problems with that. How about you Brazos?」
「Hm, mmm……it’s certainly difficult to reject money, but the Flame Crystal……」
As Rei and Freon started walking back to the city from the Margrave’s residence, Brazos held his head. By the time they had reached the city, Brazos still hadn’t made his decision and Rei decided it couldn’t continue like this.
「Then, how about we have the Flame Crystal appraised first? Depending on the price, you can decide what to do with your share Brazos.」
「H-Hmm……that’s right. If we get an expert to appraise it, it could serve as a guideline.」
「Would that weapons shop over there be okay?」
Rei was looking at a weapons shop about 10m in front of them. Funnily, it was the shop that had refused to sell him spears for this request.
「Mm? In that weapons shop? Weapons shops basically sell weapons, but it’s the blacksmiths that forges the weapons you know? Of course there are many shops that make and sell their own weapons, so that’s definitely possible……」
「You know. It would be better to get it appraised with the blacksmith we know. If it’s a dodgy shop, we might be ripped off. But if it’s an acquaintance, they won’t do that.」
「If you say that place is better, then that’s fine. Is it okay to ask him to just appraise it and not to buy it?」
Because they were acquaintances, Rei asked if there would be an issue. However, Freon just shrugged her shoulders as Brazos smiled.
「He’s a man serious about work. That’s why he’s been appreciated by a lot of people in the short period of time since he came to this city. He’s not small minded about things like that.」
「……A blacksmith who’s only been here for a short time?」
Hearing those familiar words, Rei thought for several seconds……
「Hey, the blacksmith wouldn’t have a kid by any chance? One called Kumito.」
Yes, a while before, he had helped a kid in a fighter against some older kids to kill time. The kid had told him his father was a blacksmith who had recently come to the city of Gimuru. Recalling that, he asked Freon and Brazos.
Their eyes grew wider at Rei’s question.
「So you know him as well. Pamidor does have a kid called Kumito……」
「Ah, so it was him. No, I just happened to help that brat when he was tangled up with some older kids in a gang.」
「……Boys your age are already forming gangs.」
Rei gave a wry smile at Freon’s murmurs.
「Well, it’s not exactly like that. Kumito asked me to come see him when I could. In that case……did you say he was called Pamidor? Are we going to that blacksmith?」
「Mm. He’s a reliable blacksmith and will help us if we ask him.」
「I have no objections. If we took it to a bad weapons shop to get it appraised, we would also have to pay an appraisal fee.」
Like that, the three of them decided to head for Pamidor’s smithy after reporting their request to the guild.
「That said, we should go to the guild first before it gets dark. Around this time, lots of people will start to report the completion of their requests.」
「……Well, that can’t be helped. We can’t say that about others since we’re the same. 」
「I don’t like crowds that much. Especially when they’re adventurers since there are a lot of well built people.」
Listening in to the conversation between Brazos and Freon, Rei unintentionally replied. Freon almost burst into laughter on reflex.
「Aha, t-that is certainly so. Because of Rei’s height, he would be completely buried if he tries to squeeze in with the vanguards.」
「Mm, nevertheless, you shouldn’t worry about it so much Rei. Eh, Freon. Don’t laugh at the physical characteristics of other people.」
「B-But. With Rei’s skill and strength, to have a height complex……i-it’s no use. It doesn’t fit him……」
「……Just saying, I’m still taller than Brazos.」
「You, you can’t boast about being taller than a Dwarf.」
Brazos gave a sigh at Rei’s words.
Rei looked at Brazos as they entered the bustling city streets……
「Oh, isn’t that Set? He’s looking cute today. Here, have some freshly cooked skewers. The sauce is also a new flavour.」
「If you’re a little hungry, how about some bread before dinner. There’s plenty of meat inside.」
「Rei, I tried making the changes you told me before, would you like to try some soup?」
As soon as they entered the streets, the storekeepers at the street stalls started to call out to Rei and Set.
「Gurururu~」
Set gave a happy cry as he ate the soup and snacks, served by the the storekeepers in the street stores, in several bites.
Seeing Set act as usual, Rei paid for the food as he smiled, thinking it can’t be helped. ……Naturally he bought his own portion as well.
「Wow, this is an amazing commotion.」
「……This is unexpected indeed.」
Freon and Brazos were stunned as they chased after Rei and Set, who were buying skewers here and there. As they continued walking like that, by the time the guild came into sight, both Rei and Set were satisfied. They threw the paper that had wrapped the skewers and bread into garbage bins, which had been set up by the stalls.
「It’s the first time I’ve become hungry just walking through.」
「If I had some liquor I would be fine.」
Saying that, they split from Set and entered the guild……
「I knew it.」
Rei sighed involuntarily. Near the evening, adventurers who had completed their requests would report at the guild. The bar was overflowing with people celebrating and feasting.
In such circumstances, they headed for the counters with Brazos leading them.
Not sure what they were thinking, but some drunks also tried to approach Freon as they moved forward. The result was, without exception, Freon smacking her sword in their faces. ……Fortunately, the sword was still sheathed.
「Ah, Rei-san, Brazos-san and Freon-san, you’ve returned. It looks like you’ve successfully completed the request.」
Lenora saw Rei and greeted the three of them with a smile.
Smiling while dealing with this crowd of adventurers, it could be said that was the standard greeting of the receptionists to the adventurers who were reporting the completion of their requests.
「It was the Harpy subjugation wasn’t it.」
After saying that, she continued in a low voice so that other people couldn’t hear her.
「Actually, it seems that Margrave-sama has contacted the higher ups in the guild. Originally, this request would only be completed 10 days after the subjugation to confirm that all the monsters had been subjugated. Only after that would it be considered completed……this time, with the authority of the Margrave, the completion of this request is approved immediately as an exception. ……Did you do something again?」
Lenora looked at Rei in exasperation and Rei averted his eyes.
He couldn’t tell her that because of the influence of his magic, he had turned the entrance of the cave to the Harpies’ nest into Flame Crystals. There was also the rare Windstone Crystals and Emerest Crystals. There was no way he could speak to her about those things.
「……」
Lenora looked at Rei for a while as he avoided her gaze before she shook her head with a sigh as it couldn’t be helped.
……However, the reason was because Kenny, her catkin colleague, was looking at them enviously.
「Um, do you have any proofs of subjugation from the Harpies or magic stones?」
「Not right now. We came back to Gimuru in a hurry, so the Harpy corpses are still in Rei’s item box.」
「Is that so. We can buy them at any time. Then, this is your reward.」
Saying that, Lenora handed over a bag containing three gold coins. Brazos received and the Harpy subjugation request was completed.
「Oh, and Rei-san. There were several adventurers who wanted to accept the request to strip materials……when do you want to do the interview? I’ve told them to gather tomorrow.」
「I see. Well then……I’ll interview them tomorrow afternoon. May I use the meeting room on the second floor?」
「Yes, there’s no problems. I will let the applicants know. However, since they are adventurers, remember that it might not be possible for all of them to come tomorrow. In that case, it’s usually first come, first serve.」
「Ahh, that’s fine.」
「Well then, we’ll leave it at that. I’ll wait for you tomorrow afternoon.」
(Well then, aside from the matter of the Flame Crystal, its finally the request for stripping materials. I’m looking forward to this, and feeling a bit nervous……I wonder what kind of adventurers will come.
As he thought to himself, they finished their business at the counter and moved away from it.
Kenny watched Rei leave Lenora regretfully. As expected, there was no way to seduce Rei and invite him out for dinner at this busy time. It already stretched her out to deal with the adventurers coming in one after the other.
「Mm……hey, Rei, Freon. Could we just stop by for a minute?」
Brazos was looking towards the bar inside the guild as they left the counter.
Unlike the times when Rei usually went to the guild, when the bar was mostly empty, it was now filled with almost no place to sit. Naturally, adventurers who had successfully completed their requests were drinking at the bar along with everyone else. There were also some who were drinking after failing their requests. ……Brazos looked at them enviously.
However, Freon brushed aside his hopes.
「Don’t be stupid. We’re going to Pamidor now. Pamidor will close his smithy if you drink now.」
「No, I wasn’t going to to my heart’s content. However, we completed the Harpy subjugation request. Just one or two cups……」
「In your case, you never just stop at one or two cups! Hey, we leave now!」
「Ow! Hey, Freon. Stop pulling my ears!」
Rei watched the two of them leave the guild like that in amazement before following after them.
「Hey, Brazos. I’ll enjoy the liqour on behalf of you.」
As they left a man who seemed to be an acquaintance of Brazos shouted to him.
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