Chapter 104 - Contract Complete! Guild Formation Begin! (2)

The room's furniture had a very monotonous design without any elaborate decorations.

What might have felt desolate was instead fully packed with various weapons and armor adorning the walls and everywhere else.

Beyond simple, it was a brutal room.

A woman's piercing laughter, somehow both fitting and unfitting with the room's atmosphere, battered against the walls.

"Nahahahaha! So you fooled that half-pint? You're really something!"

Viola showed signs of a delighted fit(?) at my story of using her name to secure a subsidiary guild contract with Conquerors.

She pounded the armrest while laughing her guts out. 

Is that armrest okay?

Must be some kind of artifact?

It was holding up against Viola's pounding.

"Then what if I don't accept you here?"

"Huh? Ahaha, that would be quite troublesome..."

Ref wouldn't stay quiet once he realized he'd been deceived.

"Just kidding, kidding. What about Enigma?"

"Ah, yes. With them, I think they'll join just because it looks interesting if they know Conquerors and Frontier are in."

"That's true. With their mindset, they would."

Not normal.

Though I'd get hit if I said the person saying that doesn't seem entirely normal herself...

"We were planning to accept from the start, so just talk to the working staff to wrap things up. Have ya met her before? Kirantel."

"Ah... the Dark Elf?"

"Right. The one darker than me."

Her way of speaking really had no filter whatsoever.

By the way, Kirantel seemed kind of difficult.

"Ah~ that was a good laugh. Now get going. Since you're here, go play with Arthur's group too."

So Viola-like to tell me to leave after she's had her fun.

I immediately got up upon receiving the expulsion order.

I'd said everything I needed to and got what I wanted, so there was no need to stay and get drained.

I better leave while I can.

After leaving, I went to find Kirantel and completed the contract after similar discussions as with Frontier.

I wanted to ask if they had any spare buildings like I did with Ref, but it wasn't easy.

Kirantel was someone who felt like one should add honorifics even in one’s thoughts.

The word “refined” would suit her perfectly.

Her angular glasses and not a single strand of her hair were out of place.

Clothing that showed her figure but without any exposure.

The neat elegance covering her entire body gave an almost blade-like sharpness.

Actually, according to Arthur, she was Frontier's best swordsman, excluding Viola of course.

I didn't know why someone like that handled this kind of office work.

Even instant curry took three minutes, but it took less than one minute for the contract to be produced before me.

That makes two.

To think I'd get two contracts simultaneously that would cause a stir in the city if even one was revealed.

It subtly stimulated my collector's instinct.

We'll get another one from Enigma later, so since it’s come to this, should we try collecting all five major guilds?

Like those trainers gathering badges while going around gyms.

"Um... wouldn't that be too much?"

"You think so?"

"They say too many cooks spoil the broth..."

"...Isn't that backward?"

Too many cooks make the boat go up the mountain, LeLe?

"I-it was a mistake! Just a slip of the tongue!"

Leaf pulled her hood down tight while making an "auuugh" sound.

By the way, Rei's being quiet.

Usually, she'd be the first to tease enthusiastically in situations like this.

"Rei? Are you sick?"

"Uh, huh? No. Ah, I just remembered something. Go ahead. I'll catch up soon."

Then she turned and ran away.

What's that about?

Not understanding what was going on, I glanced at Leaf, who was looking at me with the same feeling.

"She's not still upset about last time, is she?"

"That... doesn't seem like it."

Though Rei grumbled, she wasn’t someone to hold grudges.

Then what is it?

There did seem to be something.

After standing still on the road for a moment, we moved along, pushed by the glancing looks of passersby.

"Shall we go for now?"

"Ah, yes!"

§

Rei returned to Frontier's guild house.

Though people looked at her strangely for suddenly returning right after leaving, Rei walked steadfastly past their questions.

Some were people she was friendly with, but right now they didn't register in Rei's eyes.

Because right now, Rei was about to do something that might be the gamble of her life.

Her heart trembled.

She hadn't been this nervous even when escaping as a slave.

Back then, she'd even felt elation.

But now, there was even a touch of fear mixed in Rei's feelings.

"Phew..."

The thought ”Is this right?” constantly tormented Rei.

She'd kept thinking about whether there were other options on the way here, but the conclusion always came back to one.

There probably were others, but none more certain than this.

"May I come in?"

"If you're done thinking."

So she knew, as expected.

Well, of course, she would.

This room's owner was one of the eight who reached the pinnacle among tens of thousands of Explorers.

Entering Viola's room, Rei steeled her final resolve.

"I came with a request."

"Before that."

Different from when talking with Roman.

The current Viola wasn't the somewhat approachable older sister figure Roman might have thought her to be.

She was the head of a massive guild and an Explorer who coldly evaluated and dealt with others.

Roman might not know, but Rei did.

Because she'd already experienced it once.

Rei lowered her head.

Until her waist bent too.

"...I have a request."

"Hmm."

Viola crossed her arms and exhaled through her nose.

Rei knew from experience that this behavior was Viola's habit when willing to listen.

"I want to become stronger. Please teach me how to fight."

"Why?"

"...I absolutely refuse to fall behind."

At first, she thought she was the one in front.

And that was probably true.

In the early days, from the training center until just after graduation.

Though Roman being able to use spatial magic was a huge shock to Rei too, she didn't necessarily think she'd lose.

Back then, Roman took some time to move through space and had some restrictions like only being able to go to places he could clearly sense.

If she could just catch him, she could neutralize him with Argentooth.

Same with Leaf.

Before knowing about her High Elf bloodline, she was like a time bomb that might become powerless if her spirits went on strike.

She thought she was clearly the only one who could reliably perform her role.

But at some point, the situation changed.

Spatial movement, illusion magic, infinitely stacking curses, perfect homing.

Roman, wrapped in magics that would be criticized as unfair if someone had just one of them.

Following the water spirit with considerable output, a wind spirit that had been sealed in the Abyss.

Leaf, with absolute command over spirits through her High Elf bloodline.

Compared to those two, her lion beastkin bloodline and unique magic Argentooth seemed faded.

Rei herself had certainly gotten stronger.

She laid a foundation for advancement after receiving guidance from Viola during training and gained wings when obtaining Azurail at the floating island's altar.

If she went back to her slave days in her current state, she wouldn't need to rely on all sorts of tactics and divine fortune.

She was confident she could push through with pure strength.

In fact, during the Senior promotion examination, Rei passed proudly displaying overwhelming skill.

It wouldn't be far-fetched to say she could rank among the upper ranks if thrown among Senior Explorers right now.

But that wasn’t enough.

Far from it.

What she'd vaguely realized became clear during Roman's recent duel.

Roman faced an Expert Explorer without giving an inch, essentially winning by a noticeable margin.

Could Rei have done the same?

Impossible.

Svetlana's defense, agility, reaction speed... everything surpassed Rei.

Except for Argentooth's destructive power and Azurail's mobility, there was nothing she could win with.

Moreover, since Svetlana was a combat specialist, even Argentooth seemed unlikely to break through her defense.

"Hmmmm... Well, I did say to come back if you felt lacking in training, but this is faster than expected. Thought you'd hold onto your pride a bit longer."

"I'm used to accepting reality."

And not just accepting that reality, but struggling against it.

"Please help me."

One desperate plea.

Viola's voice settled over Rei's bowed head.

"Honestly, I was surprised. When I first saw you. I wondered where such a little one came from."

A somewhat disconnected response.

"Your duel results with Arthur during first training, what were they?"

"...Three losses in three matches."

Something she'd kept secret from Roman and Leaf.

"And the results at the end of training?"

"One win, one draw, one loss in three matches."

"That shouldn't be possible. Arthur is a fine sword I personally forged from start to finish. I raised him as the next-generation Pioneer to lead Frontier after me. Arthur was nearly complete by the time I sent him to the training center."

Even then, Arthur was already at a level worthy of Senior rank.

With his talent, he might have reached Expert if he hadn't obsessed over developing his inherited unique magic and just inherited Viola's fighting style.

Someone who could reach Master before thirty, and potentially challenge Pioneer by the time she considered retirement.

That was how Viola evaluated Arthur.

And some unknown beastkin kid caught up to such an Arthur.

Though there was the compatibility factor between pure mage Arthur and Rei who used magic-breaking magic, it was still astounding.

"And now there are even crazier guys than you? Right beside you at that."

Three Pioneer-caliber talents walking around together?

And they just happened to meet at the training center?

It seemed almost like some kind of destiny.

And such cases, no, even more extreme examples have existed.

The First Expedition.

Beyond three, seven superhumans gathered through the intersection of chance and necessity.

And they became a turning point.

If there is destiny, that's what it is.

They determine the direction of history and bend the world's flow to where they want it.

If what Viola was seeing now was also the result of some great destiny.

What future might this be for?

"Fine. I'll teach you. How to fight, how to become strong. How to walk alongside them."

"...Thank you."

"But not for free."

This was expected.

Teaching that some would pay a fortune for, obtained through some connection and teachable talent.

She was prepared to accept whatever additional conditions might come.

That was why she was here.

"Good resolve. Then let's begin. Starting today would be better for you too, right?"

"Anytime."

Though she'd told Roman and Leaf she'd catch up soon, it seemed she'd be a bit late.