The mornings at the Adventurers’ Guild started early.
The administrators often dealt with adventurers during the day, managing various administrative tasks in between.
Thus, many would arrive before the service counters opened to receive any messages from the night shift and complete the previous day’s paperwork.
Opposite the counter in the lobby was a vast office filled with clusters of desks.
The administrators’ desks, larger than those of the general clerks, were positioned closer to the counter. This was due to the need for administrators to handle more documents, a direct result of their role in managing adventurers. The desk size also symbolized the administrators’ higher status among the staff.
In the sparsely populated office, a few female administrators were engaged in conversation, each holding stacks of documents.
As Catherine approached, the quietness of the office meant they noticed her by the sound of her footsteps.
“Good morning, everyone.”
Catherine greeted as usual.
Her voice rang out brightly in the quiet office, almost pitifully.
The administrators glanced at each other with expressions as if they had seen a dead insect.
“Tsk…”
One of them clicked her tongue loudly enough to be heard.
As if on cue, the group dispersed, returning to their respective desks.
The mornings at the Adventurers’ Guild started early.
* * *
It happened when Wilfred was filling out the necessary details on the report for his last quest and handing it to Catherine, who was currently at the service counter.
“Please verify the report.”
“Yes, please wait a moment.”
Although no one was causing a ruckus, the guild headquarters’ lobby was bustling with people coming and going, making it quite noisy.
Amidst the din, a heavy, resonant set of footsteps approached.
“Arkwright.”
Standing behind Catherine was a burly male staff member, who looked like an adventurer himself—many retired adventurers worked at the guild.
With his already stern face scowling, he looked down at her like an ogre.
Wilfred didn’t know his name, but this man, referred to as ‘the section chief’ by the administrators, was apparently the boss of the administrators working at the headquarters.
“Yes, is there anything I can help you with?”
“Don’t play dumb! You know exactly what I’m talking about! Look into your own heart!”
His voice was like a thunderclap.
Even seasoned adventurers flinched, and the office fell silent for a moment. Gradually, sounds resumed but at a much quieter level than before.
Hearing the voice so close, Wilfred shuddered, reminded of his master’s scolding.
However, Catherine, though clearly surprised, did not shrink back but looked rather perplexed.
“…I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re referring to.”
“The vase in the hallway! You broke it, didn’t you!?”
“What…?”
The section chief pointed a thick finger at the wall.
Beyond that wall was a large hallway leading to the conference space and dining hall on the first floor.
“Did you think no one would notice if you kept quiet!? Are you a child!? When you make a mistake, you should apologize and make amends! And leaving it scattered around, what kind of nerve is that!? It’s a place everyone passes through! It’s not your room!”
“Th-that’s not something I know about…”
It was like a thunderstorm.
Despite the scolding, Catherine showed no sign of guilt.
If she were acting, she would be the best actress in Saktamburg.
“Hey, wait. Shouldn’t you listen to what the administrator has to say?”
“…Stay out of this. This is a matter of guild discipline. She has too many prior offenses. She needs to learn the proper attitude befitting a guild employee.”
Unable to bear it, Wilfred intervened, but the section chief silenced him with a glare.
There was no room for argument.
“The youngest person to pass with perfect scores, huh. But that doesn’t mean you can keep acting like a child. How old are you this year? Nineteen? Hmph! It’s time you learned some adult responsibility.”
Catherine looked down.
Not because she was withering under the scolding, but rather because she seemed to understand that there was nothing she could do but endure it.
“Or did you grow up being taught that whenever you made a mess, servants would clean up after you? Remember, you are no longer a count’s daughter! I can’t believe it…”
“I won’t allow you to insult my father!”
“Silence!!”
The mention of her father made Catherine lift her head and retort.
But this only fueled the section chief’s anger.
“Then at least learn some decency that won’t shame your father! Someone else will take over the counter duties. First, clean up your own mess!”
The echoes of his loud voice lingered in Wilfred’s ears.
Catherine said nothing.
She quietly stood up, bowed to Wilfred, and disappeared into the back of the office.
The female administrators behind the counter exchanged glances and stifled laughter.
* * *
Several large windows, designed like portholes, lined the spacious hallway, allowing the morning light from the east to stream in.
Normally, the floor was spotless, but now it was littered with broken vase fragments, scattered flowers, and puddles of water.
Catherine, with a dustpan and broom in hand, was sweeping up the pieces of the vase.
Those passing by in the hallway glanced at her with either contempt or amusement. The commotion from the lobby earlier was known to everyone who had been present. It was as if she were a public spectacle.
“Did you really do this, Administrator?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Wilfred couldn’t help but ask, and Catherine responded immediately and clearly.
“…I figured.”
“These things happen frequently. At first, I found it bothersome as it cut into my time for reviewing documents, but I’ve grown accustomed to it.”
“That’s awful. Can’t something be done about it?”
“There are ways. However, it’s cheaper to quietly clean up afterward. If it escalates, I’ll deal with it accordingly.”
To Wilfred’s surprise, Catherine showed no signs of being disheartened or shocked; she was simply matter-of-fact. It was evident she truly was used to this, having endured it many times.
Wilfred’s anger, with no outlet, burned within him. It was infuriating to see such petty harassment, reminiscent of schoolyard bullying, happening at the esteemed Gireshtal Federation Adventurers’ Guild Headquarters, directed at someone as exceptional and sincere as Catherine.
Despite the evident injustice, Wilfred felt powerless to intervene.
“Would it be meddlesome if I helped?
“Eh?”
There was little else Wilfred could offer or say. Catherine looked far more surprised than when she had been scolded earlier.
Wilfred felt as though he had been struck on the head.
He realized that, whether due to her role as an administrator or her noble upbringing, Catherine always maintained an image of perfection.
She presented herself as a flawlessly refined lady, an expertly crafted facade. Yet, for a brief moment, that mask slipped, revealing a genuine, relieved expression.
In that instant, Wilfred’s heart pounded.
Catherine was not just an idol or illusion; she was a person within reach.
“No, it wouldn’t be meddlesome at all. Thank you.”
Catherine expressed her gratitude in her usual manner, her eyes like the colors of flame and ash narrowing, her lips, delicate as flower petals, curving into a smile.
Wilfred began to gather the broken vase fragments and scattered flowers with his bare hands, as if to hide something.
He couldn’t meet her gaze.
“Ah… I’ve gotten stronger. Vase shards can’t cut my fingers anymore.”
He tossed the wet ceramic pieces into the dustpan, his heartbeat still slightly quickened.
Despite his confidence in his swordsmanship, Wilfred felt a rare sense of helplessness.
