“First of all, the girl that you brought back is Shayna Lonbaltear, from the city-state of Hanza.”
Loren didn’t know about anything Jack just said.
When he looked at Lapis for more information, she imdiately provided him with the information he needed.
“The city-state of Hanza is a small state centered around the city of Hanza, which is a three-day trip by carriage to the south of Kauffa. I have never heard of the na Shayna but the house of Lonbaltear is the head of the state.”
“You really know your stuff, huh?”
“Hehehe…You can praise more, you know?”
Loren ignored Lapis, who was puffing out her chest proudly, and asked Jack to continue. Jack decided to ignore Lapis as well and continued, looking straight at Loren.
“Shayna is the head of the state’s only daughter. Her status isn’t too surprisingly high, but that doesn’t an we can treat her crudely either.”
Loren agreed that even though the state was small, the daughter of the person who was at the top wasn’t soone they could treat roughly.
But helping a small city-state didn’t seem like sothing the guild would benefit from.
He couldn’t help but feel like the whole thing seed strange, and asked sothing that was on his mind.
“I can’t understand why we had restrictions put on us, when the only thing we did was bring her here.”
“That’s easy. They didn’t want you telling people. Think about it. A lady from a high-status family was left in the woods all alone. People will gossip and spread rumors all over the place.”
Loren wasn’t sure how that worked, but decided to agree with what Jack said.
Nobles and royalty would often do things that would seem aningless to the common folk.
Loren believed that it was smarter not to question anything, because if he kept on questioning everything, the conversation would be at a standstill.
“Usually when you help a person, there’s so amount of rewards that you would receive, but there are two reasons why you guys didn’t receive anything. One, no one requested for the search. Two, they weren’t able to confirm whether the girl is actually Shayna herself.”
“It’s been two days, but they still haven’t been able to find out?”
Jack shrugged at Lapis’ exasperated tone.
“Don’t ask . The guild says that she’s most likely who she says she is, but the ssenger they sent to Hanza hasn’t co back.”
Loren thought that sothing was definitely strange.
Loren and Lapis brought the girl two days ago, and even if the guild sent a ssenger to Hanza right after, he would still be on the way to Hanza.
As Loren was wondering why the guild would proclaim that the ssenger wasn’t coming back, Lapis answered his question.
“It’s not limited to the adventurer’s guild, but ssengers from large organizations carry a magic item that periodically sends a signal that indicates their location. It’s most likely that the signals have disappeared.”
“Here’s what the adventurer’s guild would think. It’s not sothing they want to prioritize, but they don’t want to anger the state either. So, they call out to the iron rank adventurers and have a few parties accompany the girl to the city. It ans that a quest for taking her back to Hanza is out.”
Jack then added that it wasn’t sothing silver ranks would do, as he took a gulp of his drink.
The girl was high status, but the state didn’t have much of a relationship with the guild.
It ant that the rewards weren’t going to be that good, but they would still have to be considerate of the person they were guarding.
Even if it ant getting a connection to the city-state of Hanza, it wasn’t a good quest for high ranked adventurers either way.
“It’s not as top secret as I thought.”
“That’s true, but it’s still about a quest and usually, I wouldn’t talk about it. The reason why the guild didn’t tell you, is because this isn’t sothing for copper ranks to worry about.”
“What should we do to butt our heads in it then?”
As soon as Lapis said those words, Loren and Jack looked at each other.
Jack was exasperated at Lapis and turned towards Loren, and Loren looked towards Jack, knowing that Lapis would say sothing like that.
“Is there a specific reason to why she wants to?”
“No. It’s probably because of curiosity.”
“Of course, it is. A well-kept girl from a noble family was left lying alone in the woods, three days away from her city. I can’t help but want to know more.”
Although Lapis emphasized the fact that it couldn’t be helped, Loren had no idea what part of it made it that way.
But there was one thing that he did know, and he told it to Lapis.
“They wouldn’t bother with us, we’re just copper ranks.”
“I was hoping there would be a loophole sowhere.”
“There’s no way…”
“There is one, you know?”
“Seriously?”
Loren replied weakly to Jack.
“It’s a special case, though. If you get recomnded by a silver rank adventurer, a copper rank can get treated as an iron rank.”
“Even if that did happen, we didn’t receive the quest itself.”
“But we did.”
Loren narrowed his eyes and looked at Jack.
Jack, while trying to figure out what was behind that glare, continued his explanation.
“The quest ca around to Ritz. If Ritz allowed it, you can squeeze in there with our recomndation.”
“That sounds wonderful. I’d love it if you could…”
Loren’s hand covered Lapis’ mouth, preventing her from trying to accept the offer.
Though Lapis was about to complain, Loren silenced her with a look, and turned to Jack.
Although Jack had brought it up, Loren understood that recomnding soone was easier said than done.
If the ones recomnded failed or didn’t live up to the expectation in any way, it ant that the reputation of the ones who recomnded them would fall as well.
“I don’t think it would be a problem. Ritz would probably say the sa thing.”
“But still…”
“I won’t force you. You can decide if you want to take the quest or not, I’m just saying it’s possible to. But…”
Jack stopped talking and gazed over Loren’s body.
Loren didn’t understand what he was trying to say, so Jack told him apologetically.
“But you know, I’d prefer it if you’d get a weapon first.”
Jack was there when Loren’s weapon broke.
That’s why he knew that Loren didn’t have one, and although he had faith in Loren’s strength and skill, he was hesitant about recomnding soone without a weapon.
Loren then realized that if he couldn’t secure one, he might not have to take part in this quest.
He was about to say that he didn’t have the money to buy a new weapon, but faltered as he saw Lapis staring at him with half-open eyes.
“Uh, but…this…is…”
“……”
“Co on Lapis. You know what kind of situation I’m in, right…?”
“……”
“Hey, Jack. I’ll do sothing about my equipnt by tomorrow. Can you go ahead and give us the recomndation?”
In the end, Loren lost to the pressure of Lapis’ silence.
“Man, you’ve got nothing on her. She’s walking all over you.”
“Shut up, I don’t need you to remind .”
“Well, it’s you we’re talking about, so I’m sure you’ll have sothing ready by tomorrow. I’ll go talk to Ritz about this. Well, there’s not going to be any silver ranks going on that quest, so you’ll get in no problem with our recomndation.”
“Thanks, man. So… Lapis.”
“Hmm?”
Since the conversation was going the way she wanted it to, the pressure that Lapis was emitting just a mont ago had vanished without a trace. Loren willed his mind to say the words that he really didn’t want to say.
“Lend so money.”
Increasing his debt wasn’t good at all.
But if he couldn’t prepare equipnt, he wouldn’t be able to take better quests and would have to use his fists to fight instead.
So, he decided to take this opportunity to borrow what money he could to buy equipnt.
“Equipnt? You’re going to buy so?”
“If I don’t, I’ll be causing trouble for Jack.”
“Hmmm…”
Lapis started thinking for a while and then asked Jack a question.
“About the quest. What will the departure ti be?”
“I’m not sure about the details, but they have to make sure Shayna is healthy enough to move, so they said in three days at the earliest.”
After Lapis heard Jack’s reply, she started counting her fingers, seed to co to a conclusion, then faced Loren.
“I’m sorry Loren. I can lend you the money no problem, but is it possible that you can wait one day?”
“Well…I’m the one borrowing, so if you want to wait, I’ll wait.”
“Since it’s equipnt, that ans you want to buy a weapon like a greatsword, right? If that’s the case, I feel like the money that I have right now isn’t going to be enough, so I’ll go get more money.”
Loren’s feelings darkened slightly, as he knew that he wouldn’t be able to get a weapon like the one he had before to have right away.
It was hard to believe that a weapon of that size and weight would be sold at an ordinary store.
He was planning on finding sothing similar, but that was going to be difficult as well, so he was going to have to compromise.
“Well then, I’ve got things to do, so I’ll be on my way.”
She slowly and smoothly stood up, and quickly walked out of the bar.
After watching her go, Loren decided to leave as well, but Jack stopped him as he was about to stand up, so he sat back down.
“You’re not in a hurry, right? Join for a bit.”
“Well, I don’t mind…”
Even if he wanted to go look at so equipnt, he wasn’t sure how much Lapis was going to be able to lend him.
He decided that he had so free ti to spend with Jack, and took a gulp from his cup, but almost spewed it all over at Jack’s next words.
“We’ve both got it pretty rough, having fallen in love with odd girls.”
“…How did we get to this topic again?”
It was so sudden that Loren couldn’t put any emotion into his comnt, while Jack was nodding like he understood how Loren felt.
“I know I know. I understand. I’m getting walked all over by Nim as well, but I guess this is what the weakness called love brings us.”
Loren, as he wiped the ale from his mouth, had already guessed their relationship during the first ti they were together, but it was kind of awkward coming from Jack’s own lips.
“But you know, I’m starting to think that getting sat on by that thin butt of hers isn’t that bad.”
“Hey, if she hears that you’ll beco a beehive on the spot.”
Conversations like these were bound to go around one way or another.
He was giving a warning as well as so advice, but the alcohol had already worked up to Jack’s head and didn’t reach him.
“Her touchiness is also part of her charm.”
“You drunk…and you’re talking fondly of the girl you love at the sa ti. What am I supposed to do about this….”
Loren decided that he was going to need more alcohol to deal with Jack’s drunk behavior, hugging himself and squirming as he kept talking about Nim, and ordered another cup from a passing waitress.
Reviews
All reviews (0)