ALL NOVEL Chapter 101
101. After Work
“”I’m… exhausted…””
We opened the guild door, and Raize and I collapsed into our seats.
The cause of our exhaustion was today’s joint quest: ‘Fortune Snake Subjugation.’ It was a relatively simple quest to defeat the white snake monster on the 20th floor, but the problem came afterward.
We ended up pushing further into the dungeon, thinking we might as well. Ultimately, we went down to the 25th floor, the limit of what we could survive.
“Ah, so tired… Arx, can you go report the subjugation?”
“Can’t be helped… In return, can you order some juice for me?”
“Sure. I’ll get an orange juice. What about you?”
“Same for me.”
Dragging my tired body, I walked to the counter. My legs felt as heavy as lead. With unsteady steps, I sat at the subjugation report counter.
Waiting there was—yes.
“Ar-kun, good job. Reporting a subjugation, right?”
It was Sierra-san, the guild staff with long navy hair. As always, she was impeccably dressed in a pristine guild uniform, greeting me with a flower-like smile.
“Yes, please. I’ll bring out the Fortune Snake’s scales now.”
Using my storage slime’s ability, I took out a pouch set aside for submission. This was a routine task for me.
“Even so, Ar-kun, you’re already a D-rank adventurer. It’s kind of nostalgic.”
While organizing documents and tapping them on the desk, Sierra-san said. As she mentioned, Raize and I had steadily completed quests, gradually raising our rank.
Raising our rank required not only completing high-difficulty quests but also a large number of them. It was still early days, but we had made significant progress compared to our initial F-rank days.
“It’s all thanks to you, Sierra-san. Without you, I would’ve…”
When I was bullied by Dan or exiled, Sierra was the one who supported me. It’s no exaggeration to say that I owe her a lot.
“…Alright. I’ve confirmed it. The subjugation report is complete. Good job.”
“Thank you. I’ll rest a bit until the exchange is done.”
Just as I stood up as usual.
“Um… Ar-kun!”
“Huh, did I forget something?”
“No, it’s not that. Actually… I was wondering if you could take a request from me this time.”
“A request from you, Sierra-san?”
Adventurers could receive quests posted at the guild or take jobs through the guild from clients.
Once, Dantzel-san had directly requested me, which was the latter type.
But this was the first time Sierra-san had made such a request.
“This is unusual. Are you sure I’m the right one?”
“Yes. I have something I need help with, and I’d really like you to do it, Al-kun.”
“Of course, if it’s a request from you, I’ll take it. What’s the task?”
“The request is ‘escort to the royal capital.’ I need protection from monsters on the way there.”
The royal capital, as the name suggests, is the city with the royal family’s castle. It’s a bit of a distance from Ortia.
The route doesn’t pass through forests, so it’s relatively safe. Occasionally, carriages travel this road, and taking one would get us there in about a day.
However, it’s not a place for an untrained person to walk alone. Sierra-san had chosen me as her escort.
“How about it? Are you busy?”
“No, not at all… Are you sure I’m the one you want?”
“Of course. Besides, if I’m going to the capital, I’d rather go with you than a stranger.”
If that’s the case, I nodded. Being trusted by Sierra-san was a great honor.
“By the way, don’t you have plans to go to a dungeon with Raize-chan?”
“Ah, we just did a thorough dungeon run today, so I think she’ll want a break for a while.”
“Really? Then, how about leaving in three days?”
I had no issues with that. I readily agreed to take on Sierra-san’s request.