Chapter 113 107: Call From The Empire

The clatter of silverware rang out as soft bossa nova played in the background of a stylish cafe in the Deep Down Town.

In front of me, the receptionist of the adventurer guild was chowing down on a chocolate cheesecake while I watched her with my chins on my palms. Noticing my gaze, she scooped up a bit of the pastry and dragged it to my mouth.

I naturally accepted the cake while swirling the triple sweet double milk super duper extra whopper ice cocoa coffee.

This place called starquacks was a clear rip-off of starducks from Earth. The names were just as ridiculous and the prices just as absurd. If it weren't for the lady receptionist here always dragging me to this place and piling up a gigantic bill I wouldn't have stepped inside.

"So?" I said. "Where's the old man?"

"He said he's going on a business trip as soon as I told him you'll be back. How was the quest?"

"It was easy," I shrugged, taking a sip of the coffee. "The vampire earl was rather weak, turned out there was a count behind his back, so I had fun."

The receptionist clicked her tongue as if I was spouting bullcrap. Well, I couldn't say I wasn't aware of my change either.

Just like what had happened previously as Yujin, and even that one time while fighting Raum's agent all those years ago, I was slowly growing more and more addicted to the taste of blood on my hands.

"You've become a pervert, Eugy."

My hands twitched.

Wearing a frilly white blouse and long black skirt while sipping on a mini-coffee, Titania threw an especially hurtful remark. Her blonde hair had grown out a little and she was braiding it now, it seemed weird since she could control those things however she wanted.

"He shouldn't have left so soon, though. We had to extend an invitation to you too." The receptionist's words pulled me back.

As much as she ripped me off in Starquacks, I didn't mind it much.

The source of this content is n/ov/elbin[./]net'

''What kind of invitation?"

"There's a special request for the entire guild from the Empire. Say 'aah,'"

"Empire? For the entire guild?"

She fed me another spoonful of the cake. I was used to it, she had brought me freshly cooked food and looked after me the entire night more times than I could count.

"The empire wants all adventurers above the Platinum-Rank at its capital."

My hands twitched.

"Mass culling! You say 'aah'"

I made her take a sip of my coffee with the straw.

"I don't think the empire would risk going against any of the three Mythril Ranked adventurers. It's the same as going against a country."

"What?" The Mythril rank was the topmost rank of the adventurers guild. Over its history, there had been longer periods without a single Mythril-ranked adventurer than with. Currently, there were only three Mythril-ranked adventurers, with one being hailed as the living god of adventurers and the strongest of all time.

"They want 'everyone'? Has the empire finally gone mad and is planning to attack the heavens?"

For a strong person, knowing politics and the state of surrounding powers was necessary. Even during my life as a wild and ignorant adventurer, lol, I was aware of the empire enough to know that everyone leading it at any time probably did obscene amounts of crack.

From the beginning of the Empire's history, it has been famous for its aggressive expansion policy, and when that came to an end, the rulers picked up extreme changes inside the country to develop the quality of life which led to a bunch of civil wars. Currently, the empire has been intervening with smaller kingdoms in the name of 'upholding peace and humanity.' If it wasn't for the Schwarz kingdom in the empire's direct west and the Forest Confederacy of Lakna in the northwest, many places would be without autonomy on this half of the continent.

"It has to be a war on the heavens..." My hands twitched.

"No, silly," the receptionist waved her hand. "It's the seventeenth birthday of the third princess of the Empire. It falls on the day of the first Emperor's coronation, so they will be celebrating it bigger than ever."

Even though a person was considered an adult at the age of fifteen, since seventeen was the age that people made their social debuts and nobles and royalty of the entire continent sent their children to the academies in the kingdom of sages, the seventeenth birthday was considered a much bigger deal.

"So they want security that they can show off about..."

I sipped on my coffee and leaned back. Even for a statement to show their strength, this is still a bit overkill.

"They must have contacted the mercenaries as well. I think even the wizards and sages must be coming there."

"The key figures of the entire continent are going to gather at a place," she nodded, still eating as peacefully as ever. "You're a platinum-ranked adventurer too, so you're invited on the mission. The youngest platinum-ranked might just get some special treatment like that of a noble."

"Aren't you a noble too?" Titania asked. I didn't know when she had switched over to my shoulders from the table.

I nodded. The receptionist didn't know though.

"Will you be there as well?"

"I have to go as a coordinator. The adventurer guild thinks I am more competent than I am."

Was that sarcastic?

"We have 10 Platinum-ranked adventurers registered with our branch. Two of the Mythril-ranked and a number of the Adamantium and Orichalcum-ranked adventurers are with us as well. The manager will probably be going to all of them."

It was a rule for the branch manager to personally present guild-sanctioned quests to their adventurers. It was a way of displaying autonomy and respect, but I think it was just a way for the branch managers to escape my clutches. If he were here, I would have knocked him down for sure. I had already tried over 200 times in the last two years to cut him open, success was just around the corner.

"I'll ask you in his place," she placed down her spoon and looked straight at me. "Adventurer Dusk, would you accept the request of the Guild issued by the Empire to aid in the security of the imperial capital?"

"What's the pay like?"

"Tsk. You are supposed to answer with yes or no when someone asks it so seriously."

What was this, a novel?

"Anyway, it's quite high. About seven times the amount you made with the last quest."

"Oooh!"

"And well, it's free money. You'll also get a vacation in the empire during a big festival. Even though it's fishy, there isn't a need to worry about major danger since you will have many higher-ranked people around." She then sighed. "Being paid to go on a trip, how nice."

I sighed and nodded.

Honestly, my hands were twitching this entire time since I wanted to fight.

A vacation would be a good change of pace.

"Maybe I'll feel better with a break. It'll be a good time to recuperate as well."

"You do need to recover," Titania added, nodding. "After all..."

"My Mana and Ki have been at 20% capacity for two years now."

The receptionist shook. The spoon dropped from her hands and fell on the plate, making a loud clack.

"20%? You've been running on fumes... for two years? 400 floors of the labyrinth... platinum-ranked quest... all of it?"

A smile crept up on my lips.

"I was training."

The platinum-ranked quest was the last step of the hellish training that the manager had promised.

The entire time, I was forbidden from recovering more than 20% of my abilities.

And today, it had come to an end.

"..."

"Come to think of it, didn't you turn seventeen too?"

"I have a few months to go. So, when's the set-off date?"

"Next week."

"Pack up Titania, we're going on a vacation."