CH 277.1

『The City of Flowers』, the other name of the Kingdom’s royal capital.

「I’m back~」

A freckled girl with long red hair in a braid called out to her colleagues sitting on the platform. She had just finished her work and returned.

She made sure that there were no customers in the lobby. She took out a letter from her bag and looked through it for the first time today.

(It’s an invitation to enter the pilot school)

The contents of the letter were about the possibility that she might have a talent as a pilot, and that she should take the test.

The sender is the knight order of the Kingdom. There is also a wax seal with a coat of arms on it.

(They said the person who came to deliver the package was wearing the pilot insignia, so it shouldn’t be a prank or a scam)

He visited yesterday when she was taking a day off and left it at the store. When she came to work this morning, the old man concierge gave it to her.

(A pilot of the knight order. I wish I could have tasted them once)

If he had come to invite her, there was a good chance that he would have nominated her as a courtesy.

A brothel is a place of longing for the common people, even if it is of a lower class. However, she has never seen a pilot of the knight order, who is said to be a 『Noble without bloodline』 in this small store at the back of the street.

(If I had gone to work yesterday, I would have gained some valuable experience)

She couldn’t help but feel regret.

(I wonder what he tastes like. Well, I don’t think it’s better than 『Brandy Onii-san』 though)

The 『Brandy Onii-san』 is a new regular customer who comes to play with her. He is also her favorite.

The red-haired braided girl is called 『Heavy Drinker』 by her colleagues at the store. But it’s not because she actually likes alcohol.

(But, there might be a chance that it’s a taste that I never tasted before)

She was disappointed because that pilot was said to require a special talent in order to become one. She wanted to know how he was different from the other men.

(….I guess I’ll take the test)

She hated fighting, but she was only going to school. Apparently, if she is accepted and goes to the school, she doesn’t necessarily have to become a pilot.

(I heard that if you have the skills to control a golem, you’ll have no trouble finding a job regardless of your age)

Golems are widely used as horses on the road, pigs pulling harrows on large farms, and in construction sites.

When she has saved up enough money, she will return to the countryside and open a wine farm. It will definitely be a great help for her dream.

(Life is a challenge. I have to try as many things as I can)

This would be a mindset that would raise eyebrows among those who wished to become knight pilots. However, this can’t be helped due to her lack of interest in Knights.

Different people have different values.

「Oh my, is that a fan letter?」

Someone peeked at the drunkard girl with braided red hair from behind and called out to her.

She let out a strange yelp, folded the letter to hide it, and turned around.

There, standing in the middle of the room, was a wife with her hair tightened in a bun who had just come back from a play and was in an upbeat mood.

「Something like that, I guess」

The wife smiles and sits on the platform as she puts her bag away. She seems to have served a good customer and is in a good mood.

There are always two to four women sitting on the platform in this store. There are no customers in the lobby right now, but this is normal.

***

The location moved east from the red-light district to the central square of the royal capital.

Across from the merchant guild’s building. In other words, a rugged but elegant building that stood on the west side of the square. It was the headquarters of the Kingdom adventurer guild.

(What should I do about this…)

In the guild master’s office on the top floor, there was a large, middle-aged man sitting in his office chair. His arms were folded and he was looking up at the ceiling, his chair creaking under his weight.

Old scars ran on his short-sleeved arms and face, probably also under his clothes. He looks like a retired adventurer.

「What has been on your mind? You seem to have been troubled since your return from the royal castle the other day」

The person who asked the guild master was a thin, white, middle-aged man.

He was the chief of the adventurer guild, and he was here because the guild master had summoned him. However, the person who had summoned him here had been acting like this since a while ago.

He was getting tired of standing there, so he called out to him.

「Take a look at this」

The guild master moved his gaze from the ceiling to the chief and then to the documents on his desk.

It was the one he had just brought back from the royal castle. Written on it are Knights’ specifications and the price.

「“Won’t you buy C-class Knights?”, is it?」

The chief said, “Excuse me,” and picked up the document. He flipped through the pages with his eyes half-closed.

I guess he wants to hear my opinion. Judging that that was the case, the chief put the document back on the desk and opened his mouth.

「Isn’t it fine?」

At these words, the guild master stares at the chief. The reason for his suspicious gaze was because he thought the chief would be the first to object.

Previously, the adventurer guild had two B-class Knights. The guild chief was the one who had insisted on giving up one of the Knights.

「That was unexpected」

Thanks to the efforts of the merchant guild’s Knight, magic beasts have disappeared from the highway. As a result, the income of the adventurer guild has decreased dramatically.

The reason for this was the two pillars of their business, escorting and gathering quests were no longer available.

A group of carriages piled high with goods proceeded along the now safe streets. The destination was a major consumer area known as the royal capital.

It’s no wonder that the adventurers who live in the capital are no longer receiving requests to gather goods.

(Magic beast subjugation quest from the merchant guild. Losing that was painful, too)

The adventurer guild master involuntarily furrowed his brows and bent his mouth.

It was an easy and lucrative job, and it also boosted the reputation of the adventurer guild’s Knights. Looking back, it was a job that never ceased to make him laugh.

『If we still have no way to make money, then we should let go while it sells high』

He accepted the chief’s suggestion and sold the camouflaged Knight. What pushed the large man back was a fear that he had never experienced before even when he was still active as an adventurer.

The plummeting income and the never-ending expenses were scarier than a poisonous monster.

「And why is that?」

The guild master turned his head and said while making gokiri sound.

The guild chief, who once insisted to sell the Knight, is now suggesting that he buy one. When asked about the reason, the skinny, white middle-aged man replies in the same tone as usual.

「C-class is much cheaper to maintain than B-class. And even if it goes on a small job, you can expect to make a profit because of the lower expenses」

There are many jobs that would result in a loss if they sent B-class, such as exploring less dangerous areas or killing less powerful magic beasts.

But that doesn’t mean they can just let it sit in the hangar, because that will still cost money. They can’t let the pilots and mechanics go unpaid.

「I see」

Doing a job while in the red is very unmotivating.

If they could choose a Knight according to the difficulty of the job, the atmosphere would be a little better.

「And lately, there has been an increase in gathering jobs in the Northern countries. The mountains bordering the Spirit Forest are steep and dangerous. I thought a C-class Knight would be the best choice to escort the gathering team」

The guild master shook his robust chin at the explanation that followed.

Due to the deteriorating relationship between the Empire and the elves, goods were no longer coming in from the elven villages.

The Northern countries began to flourish because they were the only trade routes left and because they were adjacent to the Spirit Forest.

In the mountains on the outer edge of the forest, they can enjoy the bounty of the Spirit Forest.

「I guess you’re right, we should buy one. The situation in the Northern country is an opportunity too good to pass up」

But then he shrugged his shoulders.

「Hopefully, their relationship will continue to deteriorate for a long time to come」

The true purpose of the adventurer guild comes into play only when the world is full of crisis and danger

『The roads are overrun with magic beasts, and it’s dangerous to go to the neighboring towns. It would be suicide to enter the forest near the city without an escort』

That is the ideal situation for them.

「A bit of chaos, enough that it won’t turn into a war. It would be a lot easier if that were the case」

The chief expresses his agreement.

If other people were to hear what he said, he would be criticized for saying so. But as a member of the adventurer guild, that was his honest feeling.
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