Chapter 299: Chapter 282: Rookie Adventurers

“My goodness~ what a consecutive streak of surprises~ So this is why you should not get into a quarrel with Setsuna, huh.”

Once Velio-san left, it was Evan-san who let out a dry laugh first.

“Do you plan on quarreling with us? Rather, please call me by my name, Evan-san.”

“Right. I will call you Takumi then. You don’t have to use honorifics with me. And so, I don’t plan on picking a fight with you guys, so please let’s get along.”

“Takumi-san, I’m Evan’s partner, B-ranker Scott. Best regards.”

“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Scott-san. Ah, these children are——”

“I’m Allen.”

“I’m Elena.”

As we began to introduce ourselves, the quiet atmosphere gradually eased.

“They are D-rankers, but they are a little more powerful than that.”

“They struck down Bob in one hit, after all. That was surprising.”

When I revealed Allen and Elena’s ranks, I could hear the admiration of the rookie adventurers.

“Do you guys want to be adventurers?”

“Y, yes.”

It was Kane-kun who replied with a surprised face when I suddenly talked to them.

“Sorry if I get this wrong, but are you perhaps children from the orphanage?”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Yes, that’s right…”

The characteristics of the adventurers I had been told about by the orphanage’s director matched these rookie adventurers, so when I asked them directly, the faces of the boys suddenly turned pale.

“What is it, Takumi? Are you bullying the rookies?”

“Of course not. How did it become like that!?”

Seeing their state, Evan-san teased.

“You asked them whether they were kids from an orphanage, didn’t you?”

“Why do you see that as bullying?”

“Takumi-san, there are some adventurers who despite others just because they are from an orphanage.”

Scott-san explained what Evan-san was trying to say. It seems that there are some people who not only treat you with disdain but also with contempt just because you come from an orphanage.

It’s unreasonable to be treated so unfairly just because you came from an orphanage…

“Eh, is that why their faces turned so pale when I asked about it!?”

Did the boys think that “The A-ranker is targeting us!” or something?

“Don’t misunderstand, okay? I’m acquaintanced with the Director and was asked by her to take care of you guys, so I was only confirming whether it’s you.”

“Eh… with the Director?”

“That’s right. I mean, the orphanage is managed by the Feudal Lord, right? We have that kind of relationship.”

“””””Ah!”””””

They know that we have a good relationship with Velio-san, so they were immediately convinced.

“Rather, do I look like someone who would bully the newbies? I’m quite shocked to hear that…”

“”There, there.””

“””Buh!”””

When I showed a bit of dejection, Allen and Elena stood up on their chairs and patted my head in comfort. Then, Guild Master, Evan-san, and Scott-san exploded in laughter.

“Yeah, thank you Allen, Elena. I’m fine now, why don’t you sit down?”

“”Is okay~?””

“I’m okay, I’m okay.”

“”Got it~””

I’m thankful for the children’s consideration, but it was a bit embarrassing, so I stopped them and seated them back.

“Hey, you! Stop laughing already!”

“Guh… they are good kids these twins, aren’t they?”

“Truly. They seem good at comforting.”

Evan-san and Scott-san were making bad excuses, and the Guild Master tried to cover his laughter by coughing.

“That being the case, if you guys are troubled about something, you can come consult with me without hesitation if you happen to come across us.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

For the time being, I left the three who were still laughing alone, and when I conveyed my intentions clearly, the boys finally showed relieved expressions.

Then, one by one, they introduced themselves. The adventuring party “Black Cat” was led by Kane-kun, and consisted of Terry-kun, Keith-kun, Nina-chan, and Fiona-chan, all of whom were fifteen years old. All of them were fifteen years old. They all seemed to be honest kids.

“By the way, Guild master. Although Velio-san appeared halfway, is it fine to end the hearing here?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Did you come today with accepting a request in mind?”

“We came to look whether there’s anything good… but we really only came to look today, I guess? Oh yeah! Can I take a short course on weapon handling at the guild? Right now, if possible.”

I asked the guild master if I could take a class on weapon handling, something I had been meaning to do when I had time, but had forgotten about or hadn’t had a chance to do.

“We do short courses here. It will be alright to do it immediately if you want to arrange it, but… that’s meant for rookies, you know?”

“Oh no, I specialize in magic so I don’t use weapons at all, so I want to learn so that I’m ready when needed.”

“Oh, I see. We can arrange it immediately then, but what weapons do you want to learn?”

“Let’s see, swords, spears, bows, hand to hand combat… the most common ones? The participants will be me, the twins, and those five kids.”

“””””Eh?”””””

When I added the members of the “Black Cat” without their permission, the five let out surprised voices.

“Ta, Takumi-san!?”

“I will pay for the tuition fee, so you don’t need to worry. Or is there someone who is already used to handling weapons?”

“N, no, we aren’t. B, but…”

“Learning the basics is important, so you better take the lessons. In any case, now’s going to be a delicate time to take requests. If you can’t afford to live without today’s commission, I will help you out.”

I was a little pushy and proceeded on my own.

I can’t tell them about the education of the children at the orphanage because it hasn’t been implemented yet, but this also serves as a follow-up for these children who won’t receive the education due to their age.

“Then, let’s go learn how to use weapons with everyone, Allen, Elena~

“”Okay~””

Without giving time to the troubled “Black Cats”, we quickly proceeded.

“Guild Master, can I ask about the course at the reception?”

“Ah, no, I will arrange it so come with me to the reception.”

“You will arrange it yourself, Guild Master? Thank you very much.——Well then, let’s go everyone~”

I urged everyone out of the room.

“Excuse me, but how old are you, Guild Master?”

“Me? I’m thirty-five.”

On the way to the reception desk, I chatted a bit with Noah-san, the Guild Master.

He looked like an active adventurer, so I took the liberty of asking him about it, and he told me that he was suffering from a leg injury. It’s hard to tell at a glance because he doesn’t have any problems walking normally, but it seems he can’t plant his feet firmly on the ground. This is certainly fatal for an adventurer.

He was originally an A-rank adventurer, so retiring must have been a difficult decision for him.

He told me that he became a guild employee right after he retired, and then this and that happened and he was promoted to a Guild Master before he knew it. “What do you mean this and that happened?” I thought to myself, but I guess it just means that Noah-san was just that good at what he did.