Chapter 165
The Imperial Capital Branch of the Adventurers Guild.
I had designated it as our meeting place, so Orihime and I went there ahead of the others.
"Oh! So this is the Imperial Capital Branch!? It has quite a tasteful design!"
"Hey... Silver brought some weird kid with him..."
"Don't get involved. That's the masked weirdo's companion. No good can come of it."
"But she's cute, isn't she? Should I go talk to her?"
"Don't! What are you going to do if she's his girlfriend? He might erase you with ancient magic!"
"Silver wouldn't go that far... would he?"
"Just leave her alone. He can use teleportation magic. What if he harasses you in some subtle way?"
"Ah, yeah, that could happen. He's a gloomy guy in a mask, after all."
Who would use teleportation magic to harass people!?
I wanted to deny it loudly, but that would be out of character for Silver.
I swallowed my frustration and spoke to the receptionist.
"Sorry for all the noise."
"It's always noisy here, so don't worry about it. Is she your little sister?"
"No, she's my client. It's a long story."
"What!? You got Silver-san to accept a request without going through the Guild...? Even we get ignored pretty often..."
The receptionist's shoulders slumped, and her enthusiasm visibly drained away.
I could feel the eyes of the Guild staff and the adventurers loitering inside.
"I-I'm sorry... I'll be more careful next time."
"Really!? I actually have a backlog of requests I'd like Silver-san to handle!"
"I'll take care of them all at once next time. Will that do?"
"Yes! I'll be waiting! By the way..."
"Hmm?"
The receptionist pointed toward the corner of the Guild.
I looked over and saw Orihime holding something white. Raising my gaze slightly, I saw that the tip of the dragon fang displayed in the Guild had been chipped off.
Orihime noticed where I was looking and froze for a moment.
However...
"Oops!"
"Aaaah!!?? The Imperial Capital Branch's famous dragon fang!! It's chipped!!??"
"Hey, hey!! Do you have any idea how much that costs!?"
"D-don't make such a fuss... It only broke when I grabbed it. It's its own fault for being so fragile."
She only worried about it for a moment. The fact that she showed no remorse afterward was very much like Orihime.
I let out a deep sigh and turned my gaze to the receptionist.
"Who should I send the bill to?"
"Send it to the castle."
Although we hadn't revealed that Orihime was the Fairy Princess, the receptionist must have understood that she was no ordinary person if she could hire me directly.
She didn't even look surprised. She simply said she'd send the bill to the castle and began making the arrangements. She was remarkably tough.
Meanwhile, Orihime continued touching things all over the Guild without learning her lesson, earning angry shouts from the adventurers inside.
It wasn't anything unusual. Orihime and I had walked here because she said she had never been able to see the Imperial Capital at her leisure.
Since selecting the deployment force would take time anyway, we had walked here at a leisurely pace. Along the way, however, Orihime had caused one problem after another. It would have become a major incident if I hadn't been beside her.
Freedom could be a troublesome thing.
"Huh!? Hey! Let go!"
"Silver! Keep an eye on the kid!"
"This brat! She ate my snacks without asking! It was my last piece of cheese!"
"Mmm, it was delicious."
"Damn it! Silver! Take responsibility and buy me another one!"
The adventurers had grabbed Orihime by the arm. She kicked her feet while commenting in a way that only added fuel to the fire.
The Guild also offered dishes made with ingredients that never reached the ordinary market. She had probably spotted one of those and eaten it.
"Silver! I'm curious about that fizzy stuff over there!"
"You're too young for that."
"Hmph! How rude! Don't treat me like a child!"
"You most certainly are a child."
Elna was the one who contradicted Orihime.
She hadn't attended the meeting and had been preparing to hurry north, but after learning that I would be participating, she must have come to join us.
The adventurers in the branch were the ones who were startled by her arrival.
"Elna von Amsberg!!??"
"Why is the Hero at the Adventurers Guild!?"
"This is bad! She's finally come to challenge Silver for the title of strongest in the Empire!"
"If you're going to fight, do it outside! No, go all the way outside the Imperial Capital! I don't want to get caught in the middle!"
"Hey! Silver! This is your fault! You go around calling yourself by a provocative title like 'Guardian of the Imperial Capital'!"
"I don't recall calling myself that."
I tossed in a single retort as the adventurers began making a noisy commotion, then watched Orihime and Elna glare at each other without seeming to care in the slightest.
"You seem to be quite feared. Isn't that because of your behavior?"
"And you're being treated like a child, but maybe you don't give off enough of an imposing presence?"
"What are you talking about!? I'm deliberately suppressing it! If I let loose, they'd realize I'm the Fairy Princess immediately!!"
Orihime puffed out her chest as she said this.
After a moment, the adventurers who had been excitedly discussing Elna and me all turned pale at once.
"The Fairy Princess!!??"
"Why is Mizuho's guardian deity here!?"
"Oh? They've found me out. Has my overwhelming presence finally spilled out now that I can no longer conceal it!?"
"Because you just said it yourself!"
Orihime and Elna glared at each other even more fiercely, creating an atmosphere as though they might start brawling at any moment.
Seeing that, the adventurers all backed away.
"W-what the hell is going on today...?"
"The continent's hardest defense and strongest offense are both here... Are they trying to prove that contradictions can coexist...?"
"Ah... it's over. Today is the last day of the Imperial Capital Branch..."
The adventurers who had been making a ridiculous racket moments ago could no longer behave so freely with one famous figure after another gathering there.
Especially since they had been treating Orihime like a brat.
As I enjoyed watching the adventurers' unusual reactions, Orihime turned her gaze toward me.
"Silver! How do we appear to you!?"
"What do you mean?"
"Obviously, I'm asking which of us is superior! With eyes as discerning as yours, surely you can recognize true excellence!"
"Hmph, even a child could tell which of us is better without asking Silver. Right?"
The two of them stared intently at me.
Now, how should I answer?
My gaze happened to fall on the faces of the adventurers who had kept their distance.
Every one of them shook their heads at once. In other words, they were telling me not to make things worse.
I understood their meaning clearly, nodded once, and spoke.
"I can't judge which of you is superior."
"What!?"
"You don't know what you're looking at."
The adventurers all let out sighs of relief.
Seizing that moment, I continued speaking.
"But I will say this: I don't see myself losing to either of you."
"!!??"
A wordless scream echoed through the Imperial Capital Branch.
The adventurers all looked at me as though questioning my sanity. Then I heard a clatter from behind me.
I looked over and saw the usual receptionist lying on the floor, foaming at the mouth. Apparently, her mind couldn't withstand the conversation taking place nearby.
I felt a little guilty.
"Hey... what are we going to do...?"
"He actually provoked them even further in this situation... What an idiot..."
"That's why I hate SS-rank adventurers... Read the room..."
The adventurers huddled in the corner of the branch, their legs trembling.
Meanwhile, Orihime was visibly angry as she glared at me.
"What do you mean, you don't think you'll lose!? My barrier is the best there is!"
"If a monster can break it, then so can I."
"Oh? Then how do you plan to beat me? Didn't you see the power of the Sacred Sword?"
"If it doesn't hit me, it doesn't matter."
And so, the three of us locked eyes.
Since each of us believed we were the best, none of us was willing to back down.
Amid that tense atmosphere, a large number of horses arrived outside the branch.
"About time."
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Silver."
Leo dismounted as he spoke.
Zeke and Linfia were behind him, along with Imperial Guards.
He intended to send as much fighting strength as possible.
"Don't tell me the prince is going personally?"
"Of course. If Elna fights at the border, we need a member of the Imperial family who can authorize the use of the Sacred Sword outside the country, as well as an ambassador who can explain our intentions. I'm well suited for both roles."
"So you don't intend to participate in combat?"
"That's right. Our role is to rescue civilians who couldn't evacuate in time. We'll leave subjugating the monsters to you. We'll make sure not to get in your way."
"...In that case, fine."
In response, I created a teleportation gate large enough for the cavalry unit to charge through.
However, before anyone could pass through it, the adventurers in the branch raised their voices.
"Hey! Silver! If it's an emergency, we'll lend a hand!"
"When monsters are involved, that's when adventurers get to shine!"
Those were reassuring words.
With the Spirit Turtle on the move, the monsters around it would also start moving in a panic.
In that sense, we could certainly use the extra manpower.
However, I couldn't accept their offer this time.
"It's a generous offer, but let's not. This is a problem the Empire must put a stop to, with its prestige on the line. If adventurers snatched the credit away, His Majesty the Emperor would be put in an awkward position. Let's let them have the glory this time. Well... if they're too pathetic, I'll take care of it myself."
"Keep telling yourself that. You won't get a chance to act."
"Then let us see what you can do."
Elna went through the teleportation gate first, and Leo's cavalry followed right after her.
Then...
"Let us be off! Have no fear! Whether they are citizens of the Empire or not, people are people! I shall protect them all! And I shall prove it! I shall prove that I am greater than the Hero!"
"That should be fun."
With that, I passed through the teleportation gate with Orihime and headed north.