The Story of the Golden Spoon in Another World

Chapter 10: Adventurer’s Guild – 2

—–CROW—– 

Could the people below the castle walls possibly recognize the noble who ruled over them?

The answer was a resounding no.  They might recognize my father, but a mere second son like me?  Unlikely.  It was partly because I hadn’t been active in public life.

“This is the first time I’ve been out and about so freely.”

“Sigh.”

Ignoring Czech’s disgruntled expression, I looked around.  I could see the streets branching out from the large plaza below the castle.  A bustling territory, far exceeding what one would expect from a mere southern domain.

“It’s peaceful.”

“At the very least, you should have brought an escort…”

I cut off Czech’s nagging.  There was no need for an escort, and few people would recognize my face, as I rarely attended public functions.  Besides, assassinating me would be inefficient.  If anyone was a target, it would be my brother.  And if the perpetrators were caught and their backers revealed?  Instant war.

“It’s fine.  Moving around with a large entourage would only attract attention.”

“But…”

“Come on, let’s go.”

Leaving the talkative Czech behind, I started walking.  Imagine the fuss if I moved around with soldiers or knights.  I would have to wear formal attire, adorned with the family crest, and then the shining blonde-haired, golden-eyed boy, symbol of the Franz family, would appear?  The lively townspeople would freeze in their tracks, silent as mice.

Even now, my fine clothes drew glances, but they probably just assumed I was someone related to the Franz family.  After all, our bloodline was quite widespread.

“Ah, it’s so noisy. If you’re going to keep chattering, I’ll go on ahead.”

I left Czech, who was still complaining behind me, and continued on my way.  My ears were starting to hurt.  I walked slowly towards the district where the Adventurer’s Guild was located, observing the people of the city as I went.

Compared to the clothes worn within the castle walls, the townspeople’s clothes were worn, but overall, they were clean.  There were few gloomy faces, and most people seemed lively and energetic.  I hadn’t given much thought to the residents of the territory, but seeing them like this gave me a strange feeling.

“It’s more lively than I expected.”

“All thanks to the lord.”

Czech, who had been following me with a disgruntled expression, launched into a praise of the Count at my words.  I was taken aback by his proud expression.  Brainwashed, much?  But looking around, it seemed my father was indeed a good ruler.  Or was it just this area?

“Do wealthy people live around here?”

“Ah, yes.  Commoners with a certain level of assets reside in this area.  The land in the central district is more expensive.”

Land prices, as expected.  Since I usually traveled by horse or carriage, this was my first time walking around and observing the surroundings in detail.  I had thought about it occasionally, but it was more luxurious than I imagined.

Usually, in medieval settings, you only saw old markets and houses, but this place was filled with various shops, like something out of a cartoon.  There were quite a few large buildings as well.  Just looking at this area, the words “…medieval?” involuntarily came to mind.  Come to think of it, this wasn’t truly medieval.  It was medieval-style fantasy.

“Ah, we’ve arrived.”

“It’s bigger than I expected.”

It had taken a while.  I had been walking leisurely, but considering the distance, it seemed quite far from the central plaza.  Come to think of it, it was in a rather remote location.  I had never been to this area before.

“What business would adventurers have in the central plaza?  This area has many inns and taverns, and it’s close to the city gates, so the location isn’t bad.  And they carry weapons, after all.”

“Is that so?”

He seemed quite knowledgeable.  As Czech said, most of the buildings I had seen on the way here were inns, restaurants, or taverns.

“But it’s definitely more run-down than the central area.”

More like there were a lot of signs of repair work.

“W-well, there are a lot of rough characters around here.”

Czech looked a bit apologetic.

“We do our best to keep it clean.”

“No, it’s fine.”

But if adventurers caused trouble, wouldn’t they be dragged off to the gallows?

“They cause trouble within reason. As long as they don’t use magic.”

“Huh.”

They seemed to enjoy themselves quite a bit.  Well, as long as there was no damage, there was no reason to blame them.  They probably expected a certain amount of minor incidents.

“So, can we go inside?”

Looking around, there were indeed many people who looked like adventurers from a fantasy world.  I could see people carrying weapons and armor bearing the marks of battle, something I rarely saw within the castle walls.  It was certainly fantastical, but…

“No bikini armor, huh?”

“Pardon? Why would there be such a thing?”

“Oh, I thought I saw something like that somewhere.”

Too bad.  Should I make some?  It might be possible.  A bikini armor knight order.  Not bad.  That way, there wouldn’t be any issues with defense… or maybe a maid outfit knight order.

*Clank!*

“Excuse me.”

While I was lost in thought in front of the building, the door opened, and someone emerged.  The surrounding people murmured and began to step back.  Czech, with a serious expression unlike when he was teasing me, stood beside me.

In the midst of the suddenly hushed atmosphere of the Adventurer’s Guild, a woman appeared.  She had short, red hair and a noticeable scar over one eye.  She looked to be in her late twenties, exuding a mature charm befitting her age.

“I am Isabelle, Guild Master of the Franz Adventurer’s Guild.  It is an honor to meet you, Leoric Franz.”

I chuckled at the woman’s nervous expression as she bowed deeply.  From the fifth floor of the building, I had sensed a relatively strong magical presence among the adventurers.  I had suppressed it with a burst of my own power, and it was amusing to see her rush out in such a flustered state.

“So you’re the Guild Master here?”

“Yes.”

Her formal tone couldn’t hide the beads of sweat on her forehead, or the fear in her eyes.  I smiled faintly, taking in the sight.

* * *

“Ah, this tea. It’s my favorite.”

“Yes. It’s a popular tea these days. I’m glad it suits your taste.”

After we were led to what was introduced as Isabelle’s office, the tea brought in by a staff member was something I recognized.  A moderately sweet tea with a distinctive aroma.  It was definitely the tea I usually drank.  But popular?

As I looked at them questioningly, Czech spoke up.

“It became popular after rumors spread that you frequently drink it.”

“What? Really?”

Why?  I was a bit flustered.  Czech smiled faintly.

“Items popular among nobles often become trendy among commoners. Of course, most of those items are expensive and out of reach for ordinary people, but tea leaves are relatively abundant, so it’s something they can afford with a little effort.”

“How did they know what I drink?”

“Rumors spread, whether you realize it or not.”

Hmm.  To think it would become this popular.  I hadn’t expected it.  The warm aroma tickled my nose.

“So…”

I took a sip of tea.  Seated in the chair meant for the owner of the office, I looked at the woman before me, Isabelle.

I had heard she was a once-renowned adventurer who had become the Guild Master in recognition of her achievements.  Traces of her past were evident.

Her toned physique was visible even through her close-fitting clothes, designed for ease of movement.  Faint scars, remnants of healed wounds, were scattered across her skin.  The scar over her eye was particularly striking.  And hidden within her body, a level of magic power comparable to a knight.  She exuded a wild, mature charm.  She was more appealing than I expected.

“You’re Isabelle, the Guild Master here?”

“Yes.”

She held her teacup just like me, but her expression was filled with tension.  Could she even taste the tea in that state?

“Why don’t you relax?”

“Oh, no. I’m quite comfortable.”

Her words lacked conviction, given her expression.  Even the maids who served me weren’t this subservient.  Well, it was probably unnatural for a commoner to be in the presence of a noble.  Moreover, she was a woman who had lived a rough life.  She seemed extremely uncomfortable.

“You seem curious about why I’m here today.”

“Oh, no, not at all.”

I smiled faintly to ease the tension, but Isabelle’s face turned pale.  …Wait, why?  I looked at Czech, and his face was also pale.  …What did I do?  Well, whatever.

“It’s nothing special. I just wanted to see the place that will be under my management from now on.”

“…Gulp.”

I crossed my legs and leaned back as I spoke.  …Her face was draining of color.  Was she alright?

* * *

Isabelle felt nauseous.  Her face was pale, but she desperately tried to suppress the urge to vomit.

The golden-haired, golden-eyed man before her.  Meeting his mystically glowing gaze, she fought the instinct to flee.

The moment she had used magic detection to investigate the strange presence she felt outside…  Isabelle had nearly fainted from the overwhelming magical power that pressed down on her.

A feeling as if a massive cliff had enveloped her.  A storm of magic that threatened to sweep away her own power, as if caught in a giant tsunami.  Her soul felt like it was being ripped from her body.

This… was this human magic power?  Could a human possess this much power?  She recalled the massive storms she had seen at sea.  What was the difference between a natural disaster and the man before her?

She knew that nobles possessed powerful magic.  She had even seen nobles demonstrate their power on the battlefield.  But this was on a completely different level.

“Your face is pale.  The Guild Master who leads the adventurers is this weak?”

“Ha, haha.  I apologize.  I’ll be more careful.”

He spoke as if concerned, but his golden eyes betrayed nothing.  She couldn’t sense anything from him.

That’s right.  The faint trace of magic power she had sensed earlier had completely vanished.  The magical presence that any magic wielder should be able to sense was nowhere to be found.  A presence so faint that she doubted he was even there, despite being right in front of her.  She wondered if he was even human, or perhaps some kind of monster.

Isabelle swallowed hard as she saw the look in the eyes of the man behind the second son of the Franz family change from cold indifference to pity.

Isabelle, who prided herself on having experienced all sorts of hardships, wanted to throw away all pretense of composure and burst into tears.

* * *

I had toned down my magic power after that little prank, but now she was about to cry?  Was this woman alright?

“Czech, I think she’s losing it.”

“…She’s pitiful.”

“What is?”

“It’s Zeke, Young Master.”

“Ah.”

Sorry.

—–CROW—–