Side Story 3: Visiting a Remote Island 05

「Coming in.」

「Woof!」

Fran and Urushi, taking the size of a large dog, stepped into the guild, and all the adventurers turned in our direction simultaneously.

They seemed to be sizing up Fran since she was an unfamiliar face. The same thing happened when we were walking through the streets. None of them realized her identity as a Rank S adventurer.

Since we’re so far away from Alessa, I doubt many people will be able to recognize her. Even so, a few people put on faces of surprise after noticing her strength. They quickly held back the idiots who were about to pick a fight with Fran.

As expected of a large city, the guild was crowded. There seemed to be a fair number of adventurers.

Completely ignoring the stares around her, Fran approached the counter. The male receptionist there had his eyes wide and mouth hung open. That’s what I would call a look of utter shock.

His reaction was more extreme than the surrounding adventurers. That’s probably due to his race. As a beastman, he could tell that Fran had evolved, and thus, was able to deduce her identity.

I guess he’s a fox beastkin. The sight of fluffy fox ears combined with the bald head of a rugged middle-aged man had quite the impact.

Well, if he knows who we are, then we don’t have to worry about poor treatment. Or so I thought, but his next action turned out to be completely unexpected.

The guy suddenly hopped over the counter and knelt down in front of Fran, lowering his head. A pose signaling complete submission.

Seeing that, the adventurers started to make a commotion.

「Whoa! The guildmaster is bowing his head to someone!」

「What’s he apologizing for?」

「You dumbass, that’s obviously the beastkin pose of submission!」

Wait, this guy is the guildmaster?! Why was he standing at the reception counter then?!

The man’s next words only made the commotion louder.

「I take it you are the Rank S adventurer, Fran-dono the Black Lightning Princess. Is that correct?」

「Nn.」

「「「Whaaaaaaaaaaat!?」」」

With the guildmaster acknowledging Fran as Rank S, the entire building erupted into an incredible uproar. I heard people falling out of their chairs and dishes shattering from the tavern in the back.

But we were used to this kind of situation. Ignoring the commotion and screaming, Fran spoke to the still kneeling guildmaster.

「I’m here for the movement report.」

「I see!」

This “movement report” was one of the obligations imposed on adventurers of Rank A and higher. The guild wanted to keep tabs on the whereabouts of forces capable of fighting a country alone.

Well, they call it an obligation, but it’s more like a vague “please do it if possible”. Adventurers were free-spirited, so hardly any of them bothered to follow the rules diligently.

This was especially true for Rank S adventurers, as the guild didn’t have the power to make us comply. This rule lacked any enforcement, and there were no penalties for breaking it.

To tell the truth, we didn’t usually bother with regular movement reports. This time, we only came here because Rengill asked us to do it.

Apparently, the Lucille Trade Association wanted to make a show of their cooperation with the guild to avoid suspicion that they were secretly employing a Rank S adventurer for some scheme.

This made me realize that Rank S adventurers got treated like some sort of strategic weapon. Maybe requests involving us required more caution than we thought.

「I am Kanook, guildmaster of the Elrigo Adventurers Guild. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.」

「Fran. Rank S adventurer.」

Hearing her introduction sent the adventurers into another round of commotion. However, Kanook stood up and shot them a sharp glare.

「Oi, quiet down! I won’t tolerate any more disrespect! Make any more noise and I’ll beat you down myself!」

Hit by the guildmaster’s intense pressure, the adventurers lowered their heads with pale faces. This level of intimidation even affected Fran slightly. Perhaps this guy was on par with Rank A adventurers.

「My apologies. I’ll make sure to discipline them later.」

「Nn. I don’t mind. More importantly, hurry with the procedure.」

「Understood. Please follow me upstairs. Oi, one of you, get some tea for Black Lightning Princess-dono! What!? Why are none of you moving?」

Uh, I’m pretty sure the other staff members are still paralyzed because of your intimidation from earlier! He still hasn’t noticed? Is this guy just a natural airhead?

We moved to the guildmaster’s office, which had sofas for guests.

Movement reports practically always came with a chat with the guildmaster. Depending on the circumstances, it could turn into a meeting or even a conference. At the very least, it never ended as a quick report at the counter.

And every time, we get invited to the guildmaster’s office for a chat. This was literally just one stop on our journey, so why did it always turn out like this?

Well, probably because this report was for adventurers of Rank A and higher. To put it bluntly, such people were rare. Rare enough that any guildmaster wanted to talk to them, even a little.

And it only got more extreme for Rank S. We could be the idol they’ve admired all their life, a trump card that suddenly fell into their lap, or a terrifying force capable of destroying a nation on a whim. In any case, such powers possess an undeniable presence that cannot be ignored. It’s only normal to treat such guests with the utmost respect.

We’ve done this at other stops along the way, so Fran had gotten used to it at this point. She sat on the sofa recommended by the guildmaster and sipped the tea that he brewed personally. His brewing seemed amateurish, but it was drinkable as the tea leaves themselves were high quality.

「Nn. Tasty.」

「Is that so! I’m glad to hear it!」

Praised by Fran, the guildmaster flushed with pleasure. Was he a fanboy after all?

Unexpectedly, the guildmaster turned out to be both a good talker and a good listener. Fran ended up speaking more than usual, so I’d say she was able to enjoy the conversation. She even got to introduce me and enjoy his shocked reaction, leaving her very satisfied.

That said, this was a man capable enough to be entrusted with running the guild of a major city. Naturally, he did not invite us here just to enjoy some pleasant conversation.

「Black Lightning Princess-dono, there is a request I would very much like you to accept.」

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