Chapter 509 Invitation
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Mira’s POV)
The guild felt empty on that quiet afternoon.
I sat alone at a table, propping my chin on my hand.
The spacious room was eerily calm, as if the lunchtime bustle was a lie.
A woman in a blue uniform approached and placed a cup in front of me.
”Here you go.”
”Ah, thank you.”
Her name was Ms. Miyori, if I remember correctly.
The cup she handed me was filled with delicious-looking tea.
She then sat down in front of me with a cup of her own.
”The second floor here is the cafeteria for adventurers. It gets crowded at lunch. ──Well, it doesn’t mean we get busy, though.”
I sipped my tea as I listened to her talk.
”You don’t have to rush, okay? You know the saying about leftover luck, right? I’m sure you’ll find a great party.”
”Is that so…?”
”Yeah. It’s going to be fine. ──But it’s just a gut feeling.”
She smiled as she said that.
”I mean… if I were an adventurer, I wouldn’t let someone as hardworking as you, Ms. Mira, just sit there.”
Ms. Miyori pointed to the edge of the table.
There lay the lockpicking tools I had been sharpening earlier.
”Oh, I’m sorry. Does it smell like oil?”
”Nope, not at all.”
I had been polishing the tools with leather soaked in oil.
This was the set I received at first when I enrolled in the Thief course at the training center, and I’ve grown fond of it since I’ve been using it for so long.
Plus, I’ve modified and tinkered with it to make it more user-friendly.
”These are my tools of the trade.”
”I like that attitude♡ It feels so ‘craftsman-like.’ People who take care of their tools are trustworthy.”
While we were chatting about that, a party took a paper from the request board to the counter.
”I’ll be right there! ──So, Ms. Mira, feel free to relax. I think you’ll get called soon.”
Ms. Miyori said, and returned to the counter with her cup in hand.
* * *
After that, several parties appeared, gazing at the request board, accepting quests at the reception counter.
Now, a party that had probably finished a late lunch was coming down from the second floor, looking at the request board.
(Three Fighters, one magician, one Archer…)
A 6-member party, all men.
They seemed to be mid-level adventurers.
…Unfortunately, there’s a Thief among them as well.
(It looks like I won’t be called by them either…)
Letting out a sigh, I began to care for my all-purpose knife that I had cherished since my training days when the guild door opened… I felt the ‘aura’ of the woman who entered and instantly my hair stood on end.
* * *
”Is… that Gargantua from Four Dark Heavens…?”
”So it really was true that she registered as an adventurer in Raetia…”
A trio of Oni-kins had appeared in the guild.
The men, seemingly mid-level adventurers, whispered among themselves as they looked at the woman standing in the center.
(Four Dark Heavens…!? Isn’t she one of the Demon King’s lieutenants!)
The Demon King, defeated by the hero party led by Sir Elberhardt.
One of his powerful subordinates, Gargantua, was one of the 4 lieutenants.
Rumors in the Royal Capital hinted at the Demon King’s suspiciously swift revival and the machinations of his servant Azradelius.
(The Demon King’s subordinate… registered as an adventurer in Raetia!?)
Holding the knife I was cleaning, my gaze was fixed on the Oni-kin woman.
Passing by my frozen form, she walked toward the counter, flanked by 2 well-built Oni-kin men.
She seemed to be talking with a woman in a black uniform who had been at the counter with Ms. Miyori since early afternoon.
The black-uniformed guild staff must have been a higher-ranking employee.
It appeared she was chatting cheerfully with the Oni-kin woman who looked like Gargantua.
Ms. Miyori ran up to the two of them… pointing at me and talking.
(Huh…? What, what!?)
The 3 Oni-kin turned around and looked at me.
Our eyes met, and I hurriedly averted my gaze.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the 3 of them walking toward me as I resumed cleaning my knife.
(Why? Why are they coming over here?)
My heart raced, and though I wanted to take a deep breath to calm my body, my breathing naturally became shallow and quick.
”Excuse me. Are you the Thief who wishes to join our party?”
A quiet but firm voice.
I had imagined something much scarier… a voice that echoed from the depths of hell, but it was completely different──clear and low, but very beautiful. I found myself captivated by it.
”Oh…?”
”It’s not ‘Oh…?’ Still, Lady Gargantua, your expression is frightening. This girl seems to be frozen in place.”
The Oni-kin woman standing in front of me bent down to look at my face.
As if admonishing her, one of the Oni-kin men behind her called out to her.
”I’m sorry to scare you. We are searching for a new Thief. I heard from the staff that you are that person.”
Among the 3, the tallest Oni-kin man spoke to me gently.
”I apologize for the late introduction. I am Hernando Estevan Barrera. The man behind me is Esperanza Jourquet Flores. We are both attendants of Lady Gargantua Barurasa Antia.”
Saying that, he greeted me politely.
”Um… I, I, I am… a, are you inviting me… to your party?”
Finally finding my voice, I inadvertently dropped the knife I was holding.
The Oni-kin woman──Gargantua──squatted down, picked up the dropped knife, and presented it in front of me.
”We need your strength. Your skills are required for us to explore the ‘Great labyrinth’.”
Gargantua matched my eye level and smiled softly.
Perhaps she was doing her best to smile in her own way.
”I, I, am well aware of Lady Gargantua’s strength! I, I’m just a novice, and I might not be up to the task! Especially in combat, I’m practically worthless…”
Gargantua slowly placed her index finger over my tightly clenched lips.
”But… you do have confidence in your skills as a Thief, right?”
She said this while looking at the set of tools spread out on the table.
”Well-maintained tools tell a story. This knife is no exception.”
She took my hand and handed me the knife.
Then she gazed at me intently, her expression serious.
”You are desired.”
Her strong insistence made my heart thump-thump!
I felt it leap.
”I… I understand! I, I look forward to working with you!”
Standing up from the chair and straightening my back, I extended my right hand.
She gently grasped my hand in return.
”See, you can do it.”
”As expected of our chieftain!”
The two standing beside Gargantua laughed loudly.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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