Legend

"... Well, that was a bit of an unexpected development"

Please wait here as it will soon be crowded time for now, Ray whines as he sits in a chair in the upstairs conference room passed by guild staff.

To the words, Elaine stands with her shoulders small and her gaze near the door of the conference room… No, she turns her gaze to the three stone statues on which she is placed.

In the end, it seems that the stone statue Ray brought was a member of a party called the Empty Bell, and the rest of the members had asked the Alliance to search for it, and they decided to wait in the Alliance because they would contact the other members as soon as possible on the matter.

"But it's not like you're wasting your legs because people are dying, is it? And even if I did, I'd be rewarded for fulfilling my request."

It's the same thing with Ray and Elaine sitting in the chair in the conference room, but I should say that's just the aristocratic warrant lady. Mumble in a way that is somewhat gorgeous.

But to Elaine's words, Ray shook his head small to the side.

"Elaine, you know that too, right? Treating petrified conditions costs a lot of money. Ask the healing magic user, because the magic to cancel petrification is quite challenging, it should take a lot of money. This one is also quite expensive, even if you rely on magic items.... Honestly, if you're not one of those people with that much to do with it, then you can throw out the statue and it's over.... Didn't I?

At the end of the word, slowly speak toward the door.

We went up the stairs as we were talking and stopped moving outside the conference room to sign that we were watching what was going on inside.

You understand that even when you're dealing with them, they're talking to you. Eventually the door opens and two figures enter the conference room.

Together, they were men and women in their 20s, men dressed as common adventurers such as long swords on leather armor, and women created an atmosphere such as wizards, wearing canes and robes.

"... Hih!

The woman screams and then leaves the moment she sees Elaine.

Suddenly, the man who tried to open his mouth opens his mouth even with a more distracted look on his face.

"Hey Nieve, what's going on?

"Ah... oh, ah..."

Ray, who understood why the Wizard of Lady Called Nieve was in such a situation, calls out to the man.

"You should take him outside the conference room for now. Fortunately, the woman's ability to feel magic doesn't work that far."

Until I came into the conference room and saw Ray and Elaine in person, there was no way the woman called Nieve would get confused, and that was Ray's word because I understood it.

Elaine similarly nods at the word, and a man prompted by two eyes takes Nieve outside the conference room.

"It's rare to have the ability to sense magic, but you're pretty good at it."

"Really? Sure, there are people in the military who have that kind of ability, but there's actually quite a few of them, right? And there's a huge difference in the ability to sense."

"I guess a lot of people are using it to be adventurers, even if it's small numbers"

Talking to me like that, I guess I finally calmed down. A man walking out of the conference room comes back inside the conference room.... Take Nieve.

"Are you all right? If you can sense magic, it's tough being here, isn't it? You don't have to do much."

"No, I'm fine. You helped my people, so let me thank you. … thank you"

Nieve bows his head to Elaine's caring words.

He's the one who rescued his party members, and he's never hostile to himself. Because of that decision, I was able to push and kill my inner fear.

I guess I figured that out. You like what that fellowship thinks, little grin on Elaine's mouth.

Both the man and Nieve, who came into the room, fell in love with the grin unexpectedly, his cheeks turned red and his mouth opened like a panic.

"Well, I appreciate you rescuing our people this time. Thanks. And I'm late to introduce myself, but I'm Mel. He's the leader of the empty bell."

Man, Mel's head goes down late too, but Ray and Elaine looked at the two with their heads down and gave him a complicated look.

If you did help a dangerous place in its biological state, you would wave the big hand and receive a word of thanks, but this time you rescued three people only in a petrified state.

"I want you to raise your head. Maybe it's something you guys should be thankful for, but look closely. The three people we helped are thought to have been attacked by some kind of monster and are petrified. Unlocking this state is…"

You'll need a lot of money. To Elaine, who tells her so, Mel and Nieve smile small.

There is indeed grief in my eyes, but in them at the same time there was hope again.

"Surely I cannot use restorative magic. But being petrified means magic, medicine, and the means to disarm. It's a lot easier than looking around for three people who don't know where they are and whose lives and deaths are unknown."

Nieve grins and tells her softly seeping tears at the edge of her eyes.

At the end of that gaze is a stone statue of an elf petrified with a bow. The gaze toward the stone statue is more toward one man than toward his companions.

(I see)

It won't be because she's the same woman, but Elaine sees Nieve's gaze and understands the relationship between the two.

Mel exhales in relief watching Nieve like that.

A breath of relief because three people, including a lover, know how Nieve has been since he went missing.

"Anyway, I'm glad you brought the three of us. Well, I heard you said you found it on the 14th basement floor, but can I tell you more about it?

Mel turned his gaze to Ray and asked, but his response to that was to shake his head sideways small.

"I'm sorry, but when I found it, it was already in a petrified state. I expected it to probably be a basilisk, but I didn't even see it. Luckily there was no sign of a monster who petrified those three, so I retrieved them straight in the item box and left the scene. That's about all I can say."

"... well. But we're on the 14th floor of the basement... and we all said it was too early."

"By the way, can I ask what hierarchy you normally work in?

Elaine asks if she cares about her words to Mel, who grumbles with regret.

"Oh, not that I need to hide anything in particular... but you guys are the benefactors. I usually act on the 10th floor of the basement. We got to the basement 15 floors, but we were hired as porters for our senior party, so the desert hierarchy was loaded on us. That's why I was mostly working on the basement 10th floor, which is also the hierarchy before the desert...... some idiot."

I throw up regrettably, Mel.

"I'm sure there was some reason. Otherwise, don't tell us anything. There's no way we're going to the 14th basement."

"I know.... I wonder if he's been missing for almost a week, and he'll be found in a stone statue."

A clenched fist nail broke through his skin and a few drops of blood dripped down to the floor.

"Mel, it's fine because you weren't dead. All we have to do is make some money and treat these three."

"Oh. Absolutely. I'll definitely undo it, ask why, and then I'll punch you in the face."

Elaine, who was looking at two people trying to encourage each other, gently pulls Ray's dragon robe toward the door.

Understanding the intent, Ray nodded small and Nieve noticed as he tried to get out of the conference room as it was.

"Oh, ma, wait! Well, thank you for this..."

"I didn't save you for the reward. Nothing in particular."

"Right. You guys are gonna need a lot of money to treat those three, aren't you? Instead of paying us for just carrying those three by accident, put them up there. For guild staff, I'll explain it to you."

"But no... you've done so well"

Or if the Rays were in trouble with the money, they might have been paid. But in the first place, Elaine hasn't had any trouble with gold because she's a Duke's Lady and a General, and that's the same for Ray.

I have some money for selling the material I got in the dungeon, and I get a lot of pay for Spear Frog, Ant Hell, and the three bodies that existed at that time.

Given that, I didn't want to get paid until I had a bad aftertaste here.

... although I spend a lot of money on Ray, Seto, or Elaine's buying and eating.

Ray and Elaine didn't care at all, but as Nieve herself, I couldn't stand being looked after unilaterally like this.

Nieve himself is an adventurer, and I guess some take it for granted to pay for the request.

So it was Nieve who tried to open his mouth again, but Mel reached for its shoulder and shook his neck beside him in silence.

"... one day, when something happens, I want you to tell me if there's anything we can do. You are the benefactors who saved my people. [M] I will return this favor at all costs. I'll be sure to tell these guys about the area, too."

"Whatever you want."

Having decided that he would never pull over even if he was arguing any more, Ray leaves the conference room with Elaine when he exhales that word with his sigh.

Mel and Nieve both bowed their heads silently on their backs.

Having gone down to the ground floor, Ray and Elaine head straight to the Alliance staff location earlier.

It is a different point of contact because the original request was fulfilled, but it was decided that it would be better for those who knew the circumstances.

Note that Bühne and Vihera had already left the guild, and that appearance was nowhere.

"Ah, Mr. Ray. Mr. Elaine, is this about an earlier request?

"That's right. But I'm not going to get paid this time because I didn't bring you here to fulfill my request."

Guild officials give a surprise look to Ray's words like that for a moment, but immediately nod small.

Even for guild officials, it's probably because they know that it takes a lot of money to treat petrification.

Still, just in case, I open my mouth as a final confirmation.

"Is that okay? If you ask for the reward again later, you will no longer be able to pay."

"Oh. Seems like I repeat, it's only a coincidence that I brought in three petrified people this time. I didn't even get a request in the first place."

"... ok. What am I to say, but let me thank you. Thank you."

Alliance officials bowing their heads deeply.

Ray himself didn't know, but this guild official was employed as an guild official at the same time that an empty bell party member came to Exil, and that was the edge and some personal relationship with an empty bell.

That's why I bowed my head in gratitude.

"We've declined the reward, but it's gonna be a lot tougher on them."

"Yeah, that's for sure. But it seems to me that the fact that my people are not dead will help me overcome that severity. And... Mel will be fine."

The last word was whined only in the mouth of the guild staff, but it sounded firmer to Ray and Elaine, who had a sharper five senses than usual.

Ray still had no choice but to recognize that the guild clerk in front of him, the woman making it a shortcut in her 20s, was worried about Mel, but Elaine wasn't. I also guess somewhat from what I saw of Nieve earlier in the conference room and squeal in my heart.

(Apparently, you have a lot of complicated relationships. Although it may well be easier for the guild's receptionist and adventurer to get close)

At that moment, it was in Gilm's guild that floated behind Elaine's brain, the cat beast receptionist. More precisely, the person you saw through Yellow's memory.

Or maybe it had the effect of seeing with its eyes the woman of the fox beast man, also an adventurer of the sky bells.

"Elaine, what's going on?

"... no, it's nothing. I was just thinking, never mind."

It was Elaine who returned the words reflexively to the question from Ray, but it was clear that she was still in a somewhat worse mood, and Ray was leaning her neck unexpectedly because she didn't understand why.

The guild clerk, who was watching those two, smiled small and then turned his gaze inside the guild.

It was already nearly evening and the number of adventurers gathered in the guild was gradually increasing.

In fact, there are places that are already queued at buying counters other than myself talking to the Rays.

I rush to open my mouth to the gaze directed from the guild staff at those counters.

"Well, it's time for me to get back to work because I'm getting busy. Thank you so much for today."

He panicked and lowered his head, telling Ray and Elaine at the end that he didn't have to worry about it, and then he left the guild.