Yazzak was sitting in his office at the state militia checkpoint, holding his head in his hands since morning. The reason for his distress was the man standing in front of him.
“Why are you here…”
“Oh, come on, you seem troubled. We’re old classmates. Let me help you with something.”
Yazzak glared at the man, who responded so casually.
Indeed, the man was Yazzak’s classmate from the Keron Magic Academy. Moreover, he was the top graduate of their class, holding the title of “Sage”.
His name was Gazelme Dorn, a member of the Uruk Magic Corps of the Glenvaren Dynasty. Ranked 97th, he held the title of “Celestial”.
“Why is the dynasty interested in Shigeto-sensei?”
“Huh? The dynasty has nothing to do with this. It’s just a personal interest. A guy who becomes a Celestial within two weeks of transference? I’d like to meet him once.”
“Even so, coming all the way here…”
“Well, clinging to the back of a Rock Bird and flying this distance was quite tough, you know.”
“…Please try not to cause any trouble.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Gazelme had arrived in Dudur Valley early this morning, riding a Rock Bird. Yazzak had received reports about two sets of adventurers arriving in the town last night and was already troubled when Gazelme suddenly showed up at his doorstep. Although they were old classmates, Yazzak couldn’t casually dismiss Gazelme, a heavyweight figure in the dynasty, and was struggling with how to handle the situation.
◇◇◇
And then there was another person, an elderly merchant, who was also holding his head in front of his pack animal cart. When he woke up in the morning, the wheels of his cart had been broken. The state army was called immediately, but they had no idea who the culprit was.
“We heard adventurers came to town yesterday. Aren’t they the ones?”
“We’ve been monitoring them regularly. There was no suspicious activity.”
“Really? But that’s the only thing that makes sense, isn’t it?”
Without the wheels of the pack animal cart, they couldn’t return to Spelt. Fortunately, there was someone in town among the state militia who could fix the wheels, but it would still take several days. If the wheels and axles weren’t properly adjusted, the cart would shake, risking damage to the cargo inside. It needed to be fixed properly.
The frustrated merchant was then told by the escorting adventurers that they would charge him extra for the delay, adding to his already significant losses.
◇◇◇
In the town square, Zenza, who had just finished his night shift, approached a couple having breakfast by the fire. Originally from the Duram state, people were quick to anger but warm-hearted. He remembered the conversation about Benga, who had roots in the same village as him, Dix, and became worried whether the couple could manage alone.
“Hey, are you Benga? Did you sleep well?”
“Huh?”
“It was dark, so you might not have recognized me. I was the gatekeeper last night. I’m Zenza.”
“Oh.”
“You’re going to Dix village, right? There are some high-level monsters around there.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s dangerous for just the two of you.”
“Huh?”
Even though Benga’s wife, Amur, had been the one doing most of the talking yesterday, Benga remained quiet, only nodding occasionally. Nevertheless, Zenza continued, unfazed, and called out loudly to the three adventurers eating breakfast on the other side of the square.
“You guys, you’re here to climb the Ladder, right?”
Startled by the sudden interruption, the three adventurers pretended not to notice but listened attentively to the conversation between Zenza and Benga. Feeling a sense of foreboding, Brian, one of the adventurers, responded.
“Yeah, that’s right. We’re planning to climb it.”
“If you’ve come this far, you must be planning to face high-level monsters, right? You seem strong enough for it.”
“Yeah, there’s no problem at all.”
“There’s a former village called Dix about three days’ journey from here. You shouldn’t have trouble with high-level monsters around there.”
“I see. Thanks.”
“No, I mean, could you do me a favor and accompany these two? They’re from Dix. Their parents are from there. They want to see it at least once.”
Brian, along with the others, including Amur, who had been listening to the conversation, opened their mouths wide in surprise.
“What? No, we’re not here for a job. We’re not going to be escorts.”
“What are you talking about? It’s about helping each other out when in trouble, isn’t it? It’s better to have more people if we’re camping, right?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“But it’s Benga and Amur. You do remember us now, right?”
“Huh?!”
Brian and his friends aren’t the only ones who are confused.
The confusion wasn’t just among Brian and his group of three.
“Honey, what are you saying? The two of us are enough.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Hey, come on. Don’t say such lonely things in such a remote place. I’d like to go with them too. After all, I’m barely awake after finishing my night shift.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“It’s said that chance encounters are fate, you know.”
As the adventurers were taken aback by Zenza’s forceful request, Spellsess and Mainui happened to pass by. Seeing them, Brian turned pale.
–W-Why is the Spear Princess here??? And with the Sage, no less.
Brian and his group of three usually operated in the Horasan state of the Hodgkin Federation. While Spellsess and Mainui may not know them, they were celebrities to Brian and his companions.
On the other hand, Benga and Amur, who had come from the Jibe Kingdom, didn’t recognize the two. They just looked at them suspiciously, thinking, ‘Who are these old folks?’
“Oh, so you’re heading into the wilderness?”
“What’s it to you, old man?”
“Hahaha, my apologies, my apologies. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Spellsess.”
“Hmph! Never heard of you…”
“Hey, hey!”
Amur’s curt reply prompted Zenza, who was standing beside them, to intervene nervously.
“Spellsess-san is a Sage of the Federation! Don’t be so rude.”
“…A … Sage? Why is someone like that here?”
“He’s here to provide guidance to the children who’ve just transferred here.”
“Just transferred??? ”
“Yeah, got it? So, please be a bit more polite.”
“Yeah, sure…”
Sometimes, acting on goodwill alone can inadvertently inconvenience others. Whether everything done with good intentions is beneficial for everyone is a delicate matter, a common theme across all ages and worlds.
