Dream Life

August 15th.

Four months were about to pass since I came to Periclitle.

As for the mysterious pillar of light and the sixty-four bodies we found in our investigation, we ended up not knowing anything, and the people of the city and the adventurers were forgetting about it.

But the information that scratches my anxiety still comes in.

The best topic of adventurers in this city right now is the situation in Riccadale, northeast. The unreturned of veteran adventurers continues, and at the end of the day they don't come back even if they go far past their appointments to a party of super-class second-class adventurers.

There were further rumours that he had encountered a flying demon like he had never seen before, and that the top Necromancer, the Necromancer Sorcerer (Rich), had performed a suspicious ritual.

"Something stinks," Beatrice said, and Liddy nodded, "I think you should be careful."

In the midst of such rumours, a nomination request came to us.

It is also a direct request from the General Headquarters, not the East Branch, which is responsible for the Aquila side.

Head to the General Headquarters building in the heart of the city as the midsummer sun shines.

The general headquarters is also an administrative agency, and it feels like a bureau, and there are few adventurers who would otherwise go in and out. But a lot of adventurous men and women go in today.

"Aren't we the only ones?

"Looks like it. But gathering so many adventurers means the Alliance is serious, too."

Sharon answers my question.

Quiet halls are usually on. Many adventurers lined up when they went to the general reception on the ground floor.

"If you are requesting a nomination, head upstairs to the big conference room! That's where the guild leader explains it!

Zorozolo and I go up the stairs with those words, but many voices were heard questioning "what are you willing to do".

Entering the conference room, there are nearly a hundred chairs, many already seated adventurers.

They've decided where to sit for each class, so we headed for the third class seat. When you look at the sitting adventurers, most of them are in their mid-thirties veteran classes. Some of them know each other, and they meet lightly to take their seats.

He seemed to be exchanging information there, and there was a loud voice in the conference room.

Did we all get together about enough, and a mid-forties guild clerk said, "Gentlemen, take your seats! Soon the guild chief will be here," he said, raising his voice so as not to lose his private language.

The adventurers who were exchanging information also sat in empty seats and the meeting room became quiet.

A slightly obese man in his mid-fifties followed a sharply eyed man in his mid-forties. Right up to the stage and start talking.

"It's Reginald Warbeck, head of the Adventurer Alliance. Thanks for coming together this time..."

Immediately after the guild chief's greeting, an earlier official went up to the stage and began explaining.

"This time we have gathered for more than four grades. The request is for a demon crusade around Riccadale and an investigation in Aquila. As you all know, there are now more demons around Riccadale. There are also stories of suspected involvement of demons, which will also require this investigation…"

The officials explained that there would be a crusade for demons and a request for an investigation, and that a request for a nomination would be made according to the characteristics of each party.

"… remuneration varies from party to party, but is increased by at least 50% of normal requests. Please also note that you may be demoted as a penalty if you decline the request…"

That's where the booming happens. Because there are no penalties for regular nomination requests and it is possible to say no.

"Town down!" the guild chief drinks. The venue's blurring disappeared in an instant.

"This case is an order from HQ (...)! You can't do this if it's just a demonic anomaly. But the demons are suspected to be involved. I believe that we must also respond as a guild as soon as possible and, in the worst case scenario, make requests for support to countries. I mean, this guy is a war. Think of it as completely different from your usual request!

So the stirring gets bigger again.

One adventurer stood up.

"We belong to the guild, but we're free adventurers! No matter how many guilds you have, you won't tolerate such tyranny!

Many adventurers say in that word, "Yes! Endorse."

As the man said, adventurers prefer a free breeze. I've lived in strict discipline like the Lockhart family, and I don't think it's a big deal if you look at it from me, but I guess it looks tyrannical to them.

"If you don't like the Alliance's decision, you can quit."

The anger gets even bigger when Reginald says so.

That's where the sharp, eye-catching man behind the guild leader comes forward.

"It's Randall Ogburn! Well, just calm down."

Randall is the head of defense in this city and a former third-degree adventurer. I just heard rumors. He seems to be a fierce man with swordsmanship levels over eighty.

That's how he loosened his harsh expression and hung the adventurers.

"Reginald. You'll have to say a little more," he tells the adventurer after a bitter laugh.

"But this guy's right that the city sucks. Besides, the only adventurers in this city who have good arms have called me here. That means I want to ask the best people in the world. Excuse me, would you listen to me a little more?"

What we're talking about isn't a big deal, but it's somehow a likable way to talk, and the adventurers also regain their composure with a "if that's what Mr. Randall says" feeling.

So Randall signals with his eyes to keep talking to the officials.

Officials will resume the interrupted explanations, but there was no major confusion afterwards.

The key request is that this be divided into a crusade group and an investigation group. We headed to another conference room because of the investigation team.

The investigation team was just two other parties besides us. All of them are arguably the top of the city at a party of second-degree adventurers.

As soon as I finished the move, the explanation began.

The explainer is the guild chief himself and only has one clerk-like official.

"I'm sorry you took the trouble to move around. But it's hard to talk in front of them."

After I said that, I spread a big map on the table and then started talking.

"Aside from you, the investigation will also involve five groups of Riccadale veterans. The place is in the mountains of Aquila, and the map says it's all the way around here..."

It's about thirty kilometers east of Rickadale, but if we get there, the altitude difference should be nearly five hundred meters.

"… for the purpose of this investigation, but to find something"

So one adventurer says, "Something."

"Yes," but change the subject.

"Earlier I said the demons were suspected of involvement, but the Wings were witnessed."

"Are you a wingman?" I asked the question unexpectedly.

Reginald didn't look like he cared, and he nodded at me,

"Three Great Demon (Greater Demon) classes bigger than the Winged Demon, to be exact."

"Are you sure about that information?," another adventurer asks.

"Oh, the best scouts in Rickadale are confirming. Coincidentally, they're approaching a point where they're not even twenty meters away. I couldn't find myself hiding behind bars, but I'm pretty sure because I'm watching from up close."

"What's it like?

"He said he was over two melts tall and couldn't stop trembling at the disastrous atmosphere. A second-degree veteran."

"What were you doing?" Beatrice asks.

"From here on out, we can only talk to the guy who decides to take the request."

"Now explain the deadlines, the conditions for achieving them, and the rewards," I urged first.

"The departure is September 1st, when the crusaders have reduced the nearby demons. The deadline is September. Conditions of achievement shall be to find what is intended or to conduct a survey on the ground for at least fifteen days. The reward is seven thousand and five hundred each if you can discover it, and four thousand and five hundred each if you don't find it. Put it out as a secondary request."

The reward for success will be 7,500 kronas and 7,500,000 yen for the Japanese yen. It's a broken request for a second-degree request, but no one said they'd take it right away. Of course we do.

"Don't you get the luggage?," another party adventurer hears.

"You can let it out if you want up to 2,000 per party. Only the actual cost, of course."

This condition is also broken. Riccadale porters are typical of level 5 adventurers, one step ahead of veterans. The daily allowance for the fifth grade is 50 krona per day and 50,000 yen is the price. It can be used for up to 100 kronas per day, including round-trip travel, for twenty days. Which means we can hire two porters.

"That's not true. We'll be in the mountains for almost a month. At least five people will be needed. I'm not saying it's a deficit, but I'm not saying it's a good idea."

If you are a normal adventurer, you will carry food, spare weapons, etc., in your backpack. There's nothing you can't carry even thirty kilograms without thinking about combat, but twenty kilograms would be the limit for an adventurer in leather armor to carry. The scouts and avant-gardes should be as light as possible, and to think about it, when it comes to carrying a month's worth of supplies, we need the same number of porters as the party.

In our case, I have my storage magic (inventory), so I can carry as much as I want, but I don't know how to step on it.

"You can ride it if you give me ten days to investigate on the ground," the leader seemingly adventurer begins negotiating.

Reginald replied "OK" after roaring "Uhm".

"The rewards are the same. However, the duration of the on-site investigation shall be at least ten days. How about this?

I agree with each of the two sets of parties, but I've decided to make one more condition.

"I also want you to increase the purchase of Demonic Crystal Stone of the demons you defeated by 50%. There are more demons around here. We can see more powerful demons coming from the Aquila Mountains."

"Fine. You won't be fighting for nothing."

"And then there's the penalty when the request fails. I can't do it if they penalize me for failure with a request that only has this much uncertain information. Also, admit to charging the cost of your preparation."

Reginald says "um" and thinks for a moment. And I started talking to Seo.

"... I have no choice. But only if there's a reason you can't stop. Some danger has to be tolerated, because it's a problem."

"If the definition of why you have to stop is a good addition or subtraction, you will be able to rub it. What can we say will have to stop it?"

"That's out of college......" After a bitter laugh,

"If you get more demonic raids than you expected. And then there's natural disasters that apply to other requests."

"Okay. If it fails, it's fine to discuss it with General Headquarters," he says.

"That's fine."

I'll check with Liddy and the others. "We'll take it, too," he replied, as we all agreed.

"Okay, let's talk more information. I'll tell you first, don't tell anyone else about this."

That's what I say and press precautions. When we snort,

"The Great Demon was carrying an adventurous man. Apparently, they're responsible for the frequent disappearances in Rickadale. Looks like the Great Demon was on his way to take the man alive. At that time, we were talking about ten more people. The Alliance wonders if the Great Demons are about to perform some ritual. Which means the people caught are likely to be kept alive until the ritual is over."

"Then you'd better go find him soon."

"It's the mountains that want to do that, but if you move poorly, there will be more victims. I mean, the guy called the ritual will have all the numbers he needs. So send a handful of brilliant parties accustomed to exploring like you after making sure they're as safe as possible."

I don't know what the conditions are for those who need it for the ritual, but it's tough in a third-degree party against the Great Demon, a second-degree equivalent demon. Even a second-class adventurer, said to be super-class, could even be wiped out if magically attacked from above.

"But then you can't take Porter with you."

"Don't be. That's where we'll need your party."

For a moment, I'm thrilled they found out about storage magic, but it was another purpose.

"You are wiped out by flying demons. If you defeat the Great Demon ahead of time, I'm still trying to accomplish the request. What do you say?"

"That's a different story from what you asked for. I assume you're going to get two second-degree equivalent requests?

"Still, I don't mind. Let's ask for a second level of 10,000 kronas per demon."

If we defeat the three of them, they will decide to accomplish three requests. Considering it's a demon we wish for or fulfill, but have never fought for, the risk is enormous.

"If you can't take it as a request and crusade, you'll be treated like a failure. We don't even know if it's coming out. Crusading demons is too risky."

"You don't look old enough and prudent," Reginald laughs,

"Then let's just say I got the request for the successful crusade. How about this?

He really wants us to fight the Great Demon.

An adventurer other than us can't hide his surprise at the quality of the treatment. But soon we remembered that it was a party with three high-ranking magicians and seemed to reconsider that it would also lead to our own safety, and we didn't say anything.

"Okay. I will try to take them down whenever possible," he replied.

The procedure was then carried out and it was decided to go to Riccadale by 1 September.