Deep below a lake, a young girl and a person covering her face with a white cloth walked out of the palace that served as the Fifty Bells Union headquarters. They were Mira and Uzu, who were going to a place where adventurers who helped the organization gathered, in search of a rank A adventurer who would accompany Mira. Only a rank A adventurer would be granted permission to enter the Libra Fortress dungeon, so they needed to find one to take Mira’s group inside.
As they walked, two inhabitants of the submarine city greeted them. Since Uzu was the commander of the Fifty Bells, being greeted was nothing special, though the way they talked to her was rather lax. 「You’re wearing white again, Uzu」 and 「Hello Uzu, and you too cute girly」 they said. Uzu lightly waved back at them while replying with a few words of her own.
The city was inhabited by mbers of the Fifty Bells as well as other adventurers, engineers, rchants, and guards, who all sympathised with their ideas. The two they had crossed paths with were part of that latter group, who understood the organization’s goal and thoughts, so they wanted to lend a helping hand. For them, Uzu was not their commander, but simply soone who cared deeply for spirits. Hence there was no difference in position between them and could interact on the sa level.
After the greetings, the two girls left the main entrance of the palace and took a left turn and walked up to the largest building in that direction. It had a green tiled roof and white walls, the columns supporting them painted red. That building also brought to mind the Heian architecture, and with the surface of the lake swaying further above it all made Mira feel like she was on a sightseeing trip.
「Let’s see if we find anyone.」
Hoping to find a rank A adventurer there, Uzu pushed the door open with high spirits. As soon as she did that, a crowded noise poured out from the gap in the door, as if the building was breathing through there. The building was a place for helpers to pass ti while waiting for sothing to do, as well as a bar. There was a step leading up to the dining room, everyone sitting directly on the tatami floor as they happily chatted with each other. Their mood was also influenced by the recent reports of how well things were going against Chira.
「Oh, it’s Uzu. You have work for soone again?」
A man who appeared to be the owner of the place greeted Uzu, waving his hand from the kitchen adjacent to the door.
「Yes, for a very important mission.」
Uzu’s gaze behind the thin white cloth turned stern as she replied, walking up to the step and raising her hands to attract attention.
「Everyone attention pleaseee-」
At the sa ti she clapped her hands above her head. The noise subsided almost instantly like a receding wave, countless stares shot their way afterwards.
「Ohh, my ti to shine has finally co!」
Out of the ssy crowd, soone raised his voice in anticipation and many others followed his example. When those looking for a job had all assembled in front of Uzu, she quickly summarized who she wanted.
「I’ll be taking one A rank adventurer. Even better if you’re ahead of other A rank ones.」
Everyone there had already gone through sothing similar before, so as soon as they heard that those who did not et the requirents walked back while half-jokingly voicing their complaints. At the sa ti, those who did et the requirents took a step forward. There were both males and females, their ages ranging from so in their twenties to so who had passed the fifty mark. The final tally was five n and three won.
Mira let out an impressed 「Ohh」 as she looked at those eight people. Since they were rank A, that ant they were at around the sa level as Heinrich who she had t not too long before. There might be a slight difference in their actual skills, but she could build a decent idea of their strength. And using Heinrich as a basis, let her know that all of them would be plenty strong for their needs. As strong as they were, they were still standing by in that building, which ant they wanted to help the Fifty Bells.
「This mission will be carried out in the Libra Fortress, do any of you have any experience with that dungeon?」
Uzu looked at each of them as she asked with a satisfied look.
「I do. I went there around ten years ago.」
One of the eight replied, a man with a mature appearance, his silver-gray hair combed back. His face was well marked by his age, his manly features well defined while his toned body was on par or even better than younger n. He wore rather light clothes, so his muscles stood out even more.
(That’s a magnificent figure…)
He was only starting to age, so he gave off a different feeling to that old gentleman Mira had once t on a station’s platform, but his age was rather close to Mira’s ideal so it still left an impression on her. If she had to put it in other words, it was like a comparison between motion and calmness. This adventurer embodied lively motion.
「Well, it’s decided then.」
Uzu snapped her fingers as she said that, and the adventurer nodded vigorously. The remaining seven hung their heads in slight disappointnt and dispersed.
「If I rember correctly you’re Arlon, right? Good to have you.」
Uzu struck her right hand forward as she recalled the man’s na. He grasped her hand firmly and shook it.
「Yes, that’s indeed . And well, what business do you have in the Libra Fortress?」
His participation decided, Arlon asked that. Uzu lifted her index finger and spoke with special emphasis.
「This mission is extrely important. We’ve received so crucial information, which isn’t completely verified yet but is very likely. And this also represents an opportunity we can’t allow ourselves to let go.」
With that preface, Uzu outlined the main parts of the mission. How they believed Chira Clauzen’s next target would be the Spirit King, and how the Libra Fortress was connected to that. Arlon was not the only one listening, the remaining seven as well as those who did not et the requirents listened quietly.
「The Spirit King, you say? What lousy individuals.」
When Uzu was done talking everyone fell silent, and after a mont Arlon turned the thoughts everyone held into words, spoken with a scornful voice. His voice resounded through the room like the first bubbles of a pot of water about to boil, after which the voices of everyone else resounded with damning shouts against Chira Clauzen.
「Silence!」
With that single word, the clattering room turned silent again. When Uzu saw everyone had cald down, she silenced her own boiling thoughts and continued speaking.
「We won’t let them do as they please. We aren’t completely certain the story is true, but if it is, then there’s a high chance influential people inside Chira will show up. Capturing them is our mission. If everything goes according to plan, then we might obtain even more valuable information from them.」
「That does sound like a very important mission, if not the most important one to date. And so, who am I going with? Since I’m the only adventurer being recruited, I guess you only need for the entrance pass. Am I going with a group of Hidden or sothing like that?」
「Yes, with Sasori and Hebi, as well as this girl.」
Reviews
All reviews (0)