Translator: âHakouâ Editor: âWeasalopesâ
ãThe City of Flowersã, the other name of the Kingdomâs royal capital.
The first thing that comes to everyoneâs mind is the main street in the west, lined with high-class stores.
But if there are main streets, there are also alleyways and side streets. And this lower-class brothel was located along a narrow alley on the outskirts of the red-light district.
ãIâm back~ã
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.
(Itâs 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 shouldnât 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 ãNoble without bloodlineã 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 couldnât help but feel regret.
(I wonder what he tastes like. Well, I donât think itâs better than ãBrandy Onii-sanã though)
The ãBrandy Onii-sanã is a new regular customer who comes to play with her. He is also her favorite.
The red-haired braided girl is called ãHeavy Drinkerã by her colleagues at the store. But itâs not because she actually likes alcohol.
She has a sense of taste in her lower mouth, lower throat, and lower stomach, and can taste whatever fluid a man pours into her mouth as ãAlcoholã.
(But, there might be a chance that itâs 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.
(â¦I guess Iâll take the test)
She hated fighting, but she was only going to school. Apparently, if she is accepted and goes to the school, she doesnât necessarily have to become a pilot.
(I heard that if you have the skills to control a golem, youâll 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 canât be helped due to her lack of interest in Knights.
Different people have different values.
ãOh my, is that a fan letter?ã
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.
ãSomething like that, I guessã
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 drunkard girl and the lady with the pulled-up hair were chatting for a while, waiting for a customer to arrive.
***
The location moved east from the red-light district to the central square of the royal capital.
Across from the merchant guildâs 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 thisâ¦)
In the guild masterâs 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.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
ãWhat has been on your mind? You seem to have been troubled since your return from the royal castle the other dayã
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.
ãTake a look at thisã
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 Knightsâ specifications and the price.
ãâWonât you buy C-class Knights?â, is it?ã
The chief said, âExcuse me,â 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.
ãIsnât it fine?ã
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.
ãThat was unexpectedã
Thanks to the efforts of the merchant guildâs 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.
Itâs 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 guildâs Knights. Looking back, it was a job that never ceased to make him laugh.
ãIf we still have no way to make money, then we should let go while it sells highã
He accepted the chiefâs 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.
ãAnd why is that?ã
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.
ãC-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 expensesã
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 doesnât mean they can just let it sit in the hangar, because that will still cost money. They canât let the pilots and mechanics go unpaid.
ãI seeã
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.
ãAnd 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 teamã
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.
ãI guess youâre right, we should buy one. The situation in the Northern country is an opportunity too good to pass upã
But then he shrugged his shoulders.
ãHopefully, their relationship will continue to deteriorate for a long time to comeã
The true purpose of the adventurer guild comes into play only when the world is full of crisis and danger
ãThe roads are overrun with magic beasts, and itâs dangerous to go to the neighboring towns. It would be suicide to enter the forest near the city without an escortã
That is the ideal situation for them.
ãA bit of chaos, enough that it wonât turn into a war. It would be a lot easier if that were the caseã
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.