chapter 10
10 – 1. Footsteps of the Mule (10)
10.
After throwing 2 coppers into the air, I walked while holding on to my still hungry stomach. Where are you headed? That’s the adventurer’s guild.
In ‘Song of the Siren’, I pretended to be an aristocrat and incited it a little, but that was just greeting the boss through the poor maid, and in reality, customers wouldn’t be able to leave with just that.
As a result of my direct visit, I can’t compete at all in terms of operation. Not to mention the size and interior, even the expensive price is acceptable. I think even adventurers who earn not so good deserve to come here just to feel treated. Even the taste of the food, which Mr. Cooper takes so much pride in, covers up the slightly inferior quality with the freshness of the ingredients. Of course, that doesn’t mean giving up altogether. I don’t know where to go, if the inn is ruined, my life is also ruined.
However, if you say that it has nothing to do with me and destroy the inn, I will not be able to do that because my conscience is stabbed. It can be ruined slowly, but it looks like it will starve to death before that happens. The young lady boss who said that she spent a lot of money to build such a wonderful inn is extremely wealthy, so she may not be affected much, but her employees are not guilty. The same goes for her maid.
In the end, fundamentally, once the dungeon is attacked by someone, everything will return to its original place. That’s my conclusion.
So I headed to the guild. On East Side’s South Street, opposite Merchant Street, a three-story stone building is where the East Side Adventurer’s Guild is located.
The people who come and go through that small gate are truly diverse. A warrior with a huge sword at his side, a thief with a stern look, an old man wearing a suspicious robe…… Must be a wizard Other than that, a giant dragging a hammer to the ground and a tall man aiming a sharp sword…… Adventurers with all kinds of appearances flocked like ants.
I didn’t want to come back to this place no matter what. I sighed deeply and eventually stepped into the den of fools.
──Sorry! I’m appraising right now, so please wait a little bit!
──Some of the potions I bought here were defective! Even when I applied it, blood was dripping!
──I got the first request, so look for someone else! I have no desire to share the reward!
The inside was even more crowded than the market floor in its heyday. Employees in uniforms with unified color schemes were writing something that made their hands swell, or bowed their heads against the adventurers with their arms crossed. Among them, there was a class that engaged in a war of words that was close to a verbal fight. It’s already busy as usual, but since the dungeon opened, it seems that adventurers from all over the world have gathered here.
As expected, when there are so many people, no one pays attention to me. I headed for the desk with a natural gait.
“Welcome!”
At that time, a blonde female employee with curly hair jumped up and greeted me with a cheerful voice. What? It was the first time I had received such a welcome from the guild. I looked around the extension, thinking it was directed at someone else, but she nodded her extension, as if confirming my thoughts.
Hmm, I guess I can’t spit on a smiling face. It’s better to put a cute beauty on the desk than a pale man’s face to calm down your anger. Of course, I’m not the one who would give in. Looking at those bright eyes, I shouted with my stomach full of strength.
“Come out to the manager!”
At my booming vocalization, even the adventurers looked at me for a moment. How about it, if it doesn’t come out quickly, I’ll draw more attention…… But the female employee was still smiling. What the heck he’s scared
“Store manager…… !”
“We are not a store, so there is no manager! Instead, I will consult you!”
“Uh… ….”
It’s not like this, but as I was about to take a step back from her spirit, the door behind the guild window opened and a pale man with dark circles came out. Did you have a private office just because you had some free time? It is disgusting to see the successor set up as a shield.
“What? Emily, what…….”
As soon as he saw my face, he tried to shut the door again, but he couldn’t. I put my face close to the female employee who was strangely friendly to me and whispered. Anyway, the name sounds familiar.
“I’m sorry Emily, could you please call your boss? The two of you have something to talk about.”
“Oh yes!”
I saw her sprint towards the window and put on her triumphant smile. Soon, a skinny man with a sh*t-chewed face appeared in front of me with a displeased expression.
“Your dark circles are getting worse, Frederick.”
“Noisy. If you came to tease me, just turn around and leave.”
I giggled watching him click his tongue. Frederick, this man with a pale impression like a vampire, was the second highest ranking person in the adventurer’s guild, and in fact, he could be seen as holding all real power except for the guild master, who was always absent.
Leaving aside the question of how such a powerful person gets along with me, first of all, I have more urgent business. I looked around and lowered my voice.
“That can’t be. I want to talk quietly, just the two of us…….”
I looked at Emily, her words trailing off. Each adventurer had their own business, so even if they didn’t bother to eavesdrop, getting to know other guild employees was another matter. Then, Frederick, a man like a deputy guild leader, waved his bloody white hand and pointed to a small chair in front of the window.
“I can’t afford that. I’m busy, so just tell me.”
“Well, then.”
Are you saying that Emily doesn’t care if the staff listens? She seems oddly weak against her successor. Well, he’s a veteran who worked before I flew into this world, so he must have the power to stop the story leaking out. I said reassuringly.
“Once… ….”
“Senior, who is this person?”
Just as I was about to say something, Emily’s big eyes lit up. No, but this lady keeps cutting off the conversation. When I noticed, Frederick let out a deep sigh and said,
“…… First of all, let’s say hello to each other. This guy, Jean, is a guy who lives in the middle of the day at the ‘Golden Mule’ inn in Cornfield. He’s like a food bug who stays unemployed until he’s 21…….”
“Hey, are you talking too much?”
“Wow, you are older than me! A year difference is perfect!”
“…… ?”
Frederick said that she was unemployed. You have a great successor in many ways.
“I have heard of the ‘golden mule’. Mr. Gerald told me that the food tastes amazing.”
Gerald? I stared at her name tag at the familiar name I heard in an instant. Come to think of it, there was an employee who fell for Gerald’s trick and revealed the date of the dungeon. Was that you? Somehow the name sounded familiar. Knowing the identity of her guild employee Gerald said, I felt her friendliness and discomfort at the same time. Somehow I feel a little pity for Frederick.
“Emily…… I told you not to be friends with adventurers. All of them are there.”
“hehehe, sorry, senpai.”
“I don’t think I’m sorry…… Anyway. This is Emily. I’ve been working in the guild for 3 years this year, but I wouldn’t have seen you the last time you came. I was transferred from another guild headquarters.”
“This is Emily! I’m twenty years old! Please take good care of me!”
When she abruptly held out her hand, I reluctantly grabbed it and shook it a couple of times. She is a girl who is basically close to people. Frederick then crossed his long legs and nodded his chin at me. It’s hot-tempered.
“Enough of greetings, why did you come? When you come, you always come with a little problem.”
I nodded, but I couldn’t readily agree with Frederick’s words. Is it a minor problem? In a situation where the wolves of the pinwheel forest might attack our backyard at any moment, who would save us if the guild didn’t help? It was never to attract adventurers to the inn and sell expensive soaked wine. I also make some regulars.
“Business isn’t going well these days.”
“…… Is that the problem? You wasted your time.”
Frederick immediately tried to get up from his chair, but Emily stopped him by grabbing his hand. Then he reluctantly sat down again. No, what the hell is it? Can you control that evil boss at will?
“I’m serious. Why, the newly opened ‘Siren’s Song’? You must have heard of it.”
“Ah…… You mean the place where you bought and opened that government building? Never heard of that The taste is great, the facilities are good, and the price is reasonable. Rumor has it that the female president is funding the Barun Firm.”
Frederick gave a rare compliment to me in front of me, then started blowing out unsolicited information. Above Barun? Indeed, I was able to make such a bold initial investment because I had a separate money line.
“Yeah, anyway. It’s a way to bring adventurers back to our inn, but I think it became like this because of the dungeon.”
“Dungeon… ….”
The corners of Frederick’s eyes twisted slightly. I did not miss the scene and inquired.
“Yes, the dungeon. What do you know? Looking at the guild, it seems that everyone is looking for an artifact or something. There are no reports of being attacked yet, so there must be quite strong monsters?”
“… ….”
Frederick was silent. He sighed and glanced at Emily, then led me to his office. What? Before I questioned him, he sat down at his desk and let her Emily shut the door, and quietly let go.
“First of all, promise to keep a secret before you speak. It’s not something to tell outsiders, but…….”
“I promise.”
I answered quickly before he gave me a quadruped. I thought he made me write a contract. While I was relieved, he glanced at Emily, but he wouldn’t let me go. Is this a situation that only the guild employees know about?
“People are going missing. Jin.”
“What?”
I asked reflexively. Frederick told me clearly with clear pronunciation.
“The dungeon you mentioned, the dungeon in the west mine…… Some of the adventurers who went there are not coming back. Besides, the returning adventurers all lost their memories.”
“… ….”
“Amnesia Dungeon (A Labyrinth of Amnesia). The guild named it that way.”
What are you talking about again? I furrowed my brow.