As planned in advance, I headed to the Blue Island Adventurers' Guild with Licorice.
Adventurers are like jacks-of-all-trades.
They are deeply intertwined with people's daily lives and have become indispensable.
The adventurer system isn't unique to this country; it's adopted by most nations.
It's safe to say there isn't a single town without a guild.
Naturally, Blue Island has its own Adventurers' Guild, but…
"What’s going on here?"
Upon entering the guild, the place was unusually hectic.
Men and women, who appeared to be staff, were rushing around,
and adventurers were moving about with tense expressions on their faces.
"Something about this feels... off," Licorice remarked.
"Off? More like… the atmosphere is really tense. Did something happen?"
It felt awkward to approach anyone in such a busy atmosphere.
"Um…"
"Hey, excuse me, can we ask something?"
Unlike me, who hesitated, Licorice strode confidently forward.
This side of her was something I genuinely admired.
"Oh, yes. How can I help you?"
A female guild staff member noticed us and stopped in her tracks.
"Are you here to register as adventurers in this town? If so, the counter over there—"
"Ah, well, yes, but that's not all... I mean…"
"It just seems unusually busy here. Did something happen? A crime? An accident? Or could it be that the arrival of the sexy idol Licorice has thrown everyone into chaos?"
"That’s…"
Licorice’s joke was ignored as the staff member's expression turned serious.
Then, as if realizing something, her face lit up with recognition.
"Um… could you possibly be the partner of the Sword Saint?"
"Huh? Ah, yes, that’s me. But how do you know that?"
We hadn’t registered as adventurers in this town yet…
"When someone is as prominent as the Sword Saint, news travels fast. Naturally, information comes to us, too. Though our methods aren’t always entirely transparent, we do our own little investigations."
"I see."
It’s like the cost of fame, I guess.
I didn’t particularly mind being looked into; it seemed inevitable.
I wonder if I’ll ever become that famous.
I’ll work hard to make it happen.
"I’m Fate Stuart."
"And I’m the Hyper Miracle Wonderful Double Sky—"
"The fairy Licorice," I interjected.
"That was my super cool introduction!"
You really thought that was cool, huh?
"I’m Fauna, a staff member at the Blue Island Adventurers’ Guild. Pleased to meet you."
Fauna bowed her head politely.
We hurriedly returned the gesture.
"Mr. Stuart, you…"
"Ah, just call me Fate."
"Understood. Fate, what brings you to our guild today?"
"Well, I’ve been looking into beastfolk recently, and I thought the guild might have some information…"
I glanced around.
"But the place seems really hectic. Did something happen?"
"…Yes."
Fauna began explaining the situation on the spot.
The fact that she didn’t clear the room likely meant it was something everyone here was already aware of.
"Actually… there’s been a sudden surge in assaults, robberies, and murders."
This was unexpected.
I had thought that, being a tourist destination, Blue Island would have strict measures in place to prevent such incidents.
"Is the city’s public safety deteriorating?"
"Yes. And it’s happening rapidly…"
"Rapidly? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. Over the past week, the number of incidents has increased tenfold."
"Tenfold!?"
For example, say a neighboring country collapses.
In such cases, a sudden influx of refugees or former knights might lead to a decline in public safety.
But even in such scenarios, a tenfold increase would be unimaginable.
At most, the numbers might triple.
"What’s going on here?"
"We don’t know… Truly, without any prior warning, the number of crimes has suddenly skyrocketed."
"That’s… hard to believe."
Could something like this really happen?
But it’s happening right now.
That’s why Fauna looked so confused and was scrambling to manage the situation.
"At the moment, the guild is overwhelmed with handling this… glance."
Would you be willing to help?
That’s the kind of look Fauna gave us.
It was a bit calculated.
"U-uhm…"
If something like this is happening, I’d like to help.
But what Fauna is probably looking for is Sofia’s strength.
She likely assumes that if I offer my assistance, Sofia will naturally come along as part of the package.
But…
I can’t leave Aisha alone in a situation like this.
For her safety, it’s best if Sofia stays with her.
And if Sofia stays, she won’t be able to help here…
"Let me go back and discuss this first."
That was the best response I could manage for now.
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