"It seems like you had a lot of fun last night...or rather, from the night before last until this morning, didn't you?"
"...Eh, well."
The next morning, after receiving her reward from Olivia and the others, she and Alicia, who had been feeling a bit down, bonded during the second 24-hour session of never-missing friendship.
"Yay, what a feast!" said Pepe with great enthusiasm as he cleaned the bed. Sister Claire, blushing, said this with teasing curiosity, leaving me at a loss. I tried to ask for help from my bodyguard, Silvia, but she couldn't help it.
"Ugh... Not just one night, but almost two days straight...?! The lords of Seadoor have been so weak... Ugh, just how long will you keep misleading me, Lord Elio..."
My actions must be too much for a Holy Knight. Silvia, whose face is bright red and who is fidgety and looking away from me, doesn't seem like she's going to stop Sister Claire...
"Ah, that's more important! I've stayed in Seadoor longer than I thought, so I should start preparing to go to the next town soon!"
While being careful not to wake up Alicia and Sophia, who were sleeping contentedly, I shouted in an attempt to cover up what was going on.
*
"Then, Lord Elio and Lady Claire. This is a letter addressed to His Majesty the King. It is up to you to conclude an alliance with His Majesty, who is difficult to please, but this memorandum should be enough to secure an audience."
"Thank you, that's a great help!"
"I will never let Lady Olivia's kindness go to waste!"
After cleaning the room and getting ready to leave.
We visited the lord, Olivia's, mansion to say goodbye before we departed.
As promised, they had received the promised memorandum, a detailed map of the direction to the capital of the Fanged Federation, and other supplies, and now they were fully prepared.
As the guards, Silvia and her friends, checked the map,
"By the way, Erio-sama..."
"Eh... What?!"
Olivia gently leans her face close to my ear.
Then, for some reason, she ran her fingertips down my thighs and whispered in a seductive tone.
"In response to the false information being spread that the northern highway was still unusable, Lord Erio promised to ship food to this city on a regular basis… but of course he will show up at the mansion when he is shipping food and be on friendly terms with me, right?"
"picture"
What on earth is this guy suddenly saying!? My eyes widen.
But Olivia looked at me with passionate eyes,
"You've messed with me for so long, why are you embarrassed now? After putting everyone in the Valkyrie Corps through such an experience, you surely won't say it was a one-time thing?"
Olivia said, breathing hotly against my neck, her eyes shining brightly like a wild animal.
That night, I had a lot of things going on and I ended up being friendly with Alicia by her standards... but maybe I went too far!?
I was confused,
"...Yes. When that time comes, let's be friends again."
Alicia, who had suddenly come and stood next to me, answered immediately.
"You've got your word, Lady First Lady," Olivia and the others said with a smile as they saw us off, and we left Seadoor, the first city of the Fang King Federation.
I reflected that from now on I need to learn to control our friendship more properly.
*
So, we left Seadoor while it was still daylight, but we didn't head straight for the capital of the Fang King Federation.
"The truth is, there seems to be trouble happening all over the country right now. As I said before, the national army is short-handed and there are areas they can't cover. If possible, I'd like you to stop by a few towns before heading to the capital."
In addition to what Lord Olivia had said, we had also wanted to defeat the sabotage by the Church that was rampant within the Fang King Federation and build up the trust needed for an alliance, so we decided to make a few detours before heading to the capital.
Now then, the first thing to consider is which city to head to...
"How about Guildrum, a large city that is home to the largest adventurer's guild in the southern part of the Fang King Federation?"
That's what I suggested to Alicia and Sister Claire.
"If it's in this town, it'll be easier to gather information on whether there are any strange incidents occurring in the surrounding area. And more than anything... I'd really like to try and use the guild's slave contract release item to release the
"Indeed, that is also urgent."
Sister Claire nodded in response to my proposal.
Slave contract release item.
It is a special magic item that can forcibly remove the curse of a servitude contract, mainly used on criminals. Due to its nature, which can free criminals freely depending on how it is used, contract removal items are strictly controlled by countries and guilds, and it is necessary to have the appropriate status and go through the appropriate procedures to use it.
Originally, I had been aiming to become an S-class adventurer so I could use this item, since I had accidentally carved the lewd mark into Alicia. But now, I had a few other reasons why I wanted to try out this removal item.
First of all, I don't know how many people I can contract with at the same time with my
On the other hand, if it could be deactivated with an item controlled by the country or the guild , there was a high possibility that the crazy holy knight Kokoro, who had been sent into the church as a spy, would be released somehow, so they needed to be on their guard with that assumption in mind.
That's why I wanted to verify whether the contract could be terminated as early as possible.
My adventurer rank and achievements should be sufficient thanks to my efforts in the dungeon city of Sancrid, and if the guild is within the Fang King Federation, the news that a child S-class adventurer has appeared should not have much of an impact and would not reach the church.
So, when I suggested going to Guildrum,
"Hmm. Either way, we need to gather information about the surrounding area first, so let's go with Erio's plan."
Following Sister Claire, the guards Sylvia, Alicia, and Sophia also immediately agreed.
Our destination was decided.
And so,
"Carrie Penipeni is here to help you! With every shipment, we hope to make a friendly pact, and we will deliver with sincerity and ulterior motives!"
"Well, Carrie, I'm very happy that you're so enthusiastic, but could you please lower your voice a bit..."
With the energetic Carrie carrying us, we sped along the newly opened northern road and arrived at our destination, Guildrum, in less than two days.
"Wow, the proportion of beastmen has increased again! There are more people here than in the frontline cities, and it's very lively!"
"...Ah, there are a lot of werewolves too... I feel a bit uneasy..."
As soon as they arrived, Sister Claire started looking for a bar, while Sophia was wagging her tail with a slightly excited look on her face.
After following the two of them around town for a while and finding a place to stay, we quickly arrived at our destination.
A building located in the center of Guildrum.
The adventurer's guild.
"Wow... it's so big."
Stopping at the entrance, I let out a cry.
Guildrum is the trading center of the region, and the surrounding area is also home to many monsters. I had heard that the size of the guild is the largest in the region, but...
It was an impressive sight to see the size of the building, with hundreds of people coming and going every day.
"There are a lot of Holy Knights in the Imperial Capital... but the guild is small compared to the size of the city... this is the first time I've seen a guild this big."
"Yeah, it's surprising."
Alicia and I looked at each other and nodded.
With an operation of this scale, we can expect to be able to not only apply for unlocked items, but also gather information about the surrounding area.
(But I guess that means a lot of pressure on newcomers. I'm only 14 after all.)
So, based on my past experiences, I stepped into the guild with a certain resolve, thinking "I have to make sure they don't underestimate me," but――
"...? picture"
The unexpected sight made me stop in my tracks.
The reason was that the number of adventurers in the guild was far less than expected.
Usually, adventurers would hang out in bars attached to guilds all day long, gathering information and making connections.
And yet, despite the size of the building, the guild in this town was sparsely populated with adventurers, and no one bothered to bother us, newcomers.
"...Has a large-scale extermination quest been ordered or something...?"
Werewolf Sophia tilts her head as she speaks.
Certainly, that's the only thing I can think of... but the atmosphere in town seems a bit relaxed.
Or was it normal for this town? I wondered.
Angry shouts echoed throughout the guild.
"You bastard! What do you mean the purchase price for materials is so little! We're working so hard with so few people!"
"N-no, well, that's..."
Looking over, I saw a group of clearly rough-looking adventurers raising their voices at the reception desk.
The timid-looking rabbit beastman receptionist was on the verge of tears due to the threatening yelling that was repeated over and over again.
"Um, just a moment."
I couldn't help but run over to him.