Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, I wonder why my free time decreases every time I get a promotion. I begin to seriously wonder if I should accept any more promotions.”

 

“I’m very sorry.” The receptionist on the other side of the counter is apologizing.

 

We had come to receive our Bronze Plates, but--

“Actually, the Guildmaster has raised an objection.”

--An interruption has appeared, and it seems that our promotions have been delayed.

 

“Eh, I’m firmly against this!” Arisa is dissatisfied, and I can understand where she’s coming from, but there’s nothing we can do if we get annoyed at the receptionist.

 

“I’m truly, very sorry. I’m told that the Guildmaster has an objection with Sir Felspar. Since something like this is unprecedented--”

 

“When will we know if our promotion is admitted or not? May we use these temporary plates until then?” I ask, speaking calmly. I chose to ask, since Arisa was starting to look more riled up.

 

“Y-Yes. You can have the temporary Bronze Plates as they are now. I think it’ll only take a few days at the longest, so it’d be helpful if you come to the Guild in five days.”

 

Right, we haven’t registered our contact address at the Guild.

 

While stroking Arisa’s hair, calming her, since she’s still discontent, we leave the Guild. A woman who looks like she is in her late twenties descends from a carriage that has just arrived as we came out, calls to me in a fluster.

 

“U-Um, excuse me, but are you Chevalier Felspar?”

 

“Yes, I am. Can I help you?”

 

“I came for an errand from the Guildmaster. I am Ushana, the Guildmaster’s secretary. I’m sorry for being so sudden, but could you go with me to the west Guild?”

 

Arisa is posing triumphantly, her mood doing a sudden 180, whispering, “The template is here!”

 

Rolling my eyes at Arisa, I told my consent to the woman and we went to the west Guild, traveling together.

 

***

A wand is coming towards me, aimed at the point between my eyes. Sharp like a spear, it was suddenly thrust at me when I opened the door. I lightly brushed aside the attack, which is even sharper than Liza’s spear, avoiding it.

 

The other party passes their wand over their shoulders and into their other hand, attacking again.

 

Is this what they call wand arts?

 

I continue to dodge all of the emerging attacks from the long wand.

 

I can’t help but to wander what this person wants.

 

The one who stops this strange attack is the secretary, Ushana’s words, “Guildmaster! If you keep doing that any longer, Seberkea will scold you!”

 

“Che, we were just in the good part. Right, Tek?”

 

Yes, the one who has been attacking me with their long wand, since a while ago, is the Guildmaster. She’s technically 68--but she looks like a tall, curvaceous 25 year-old woman with long crimson hair. She’s a level 82, a Mage with the Fire and Light Magic Skills.

 

I’m the only one who came up here, Arisa and the others are touring the Guild Hall down below.

 

“Unfortunately, I’m not fond of receiving surprise attacks.”

 

“What, aren’t you the battle-freak who stayed for four days in the Labyrinth on their first time, and returned with more than 100 Magic Cores?”

 

“I was only watching from behind, the ones who really fought were my companions.”

 

“Bah, who would believe that nonsense? Even if it was the truth, it was because the Monsters were small-fries who you didn’t need to fight, right?”

 

It’s most likely just guesswork, but it’s relatively true.

 

It seems that she somehow sensed that I was going to try and deceive her, she spoke first, before I could, “Moreover, that sword is something that old Dohar created, right? Like that old man would give a sword, that he made himself, to a small-fry. If you’re trying to deceive people, wrap that Truth Mark with some cloth.”

 

I didn’t specifically try to hide the mark, since no one at the Duchy Capital noticed it. I thought that it wasn’t rare, since I saw a lot of arms that had Truth Marks in the Elf town, but it seems that I was wrong.

 

“Elder Dohar is my drinking buddy.”

 

I wonder why the moment that she heard the ‘drinking buddy’ part, the Guildmaster’s eyes lit up like a carnivore who has found some prey.

 

“Oh? Then, why don’t I become your drinking buddy too?”

“Sure, if you’re alright with me, I’ll bring some liquor and appetizers.”

 

It’s troubling that she seems to be a battle-maniac, but I don’t think that she’s dislikeable. I would refuse if she was doing this to manipulate me, but she gave off a rather honest feeling--especially those predatory eyes when it comes to the mention of alcohol, which are quite difficult to fake.

 

“Very well, it’s a banquet then!”

“You can’t.” Ushana, who had just come back while carrying a shallow box, denied the happy-looking Guildmaster’s declaration.

 

It’s still around noon after all.

 

“Please bestow the Guild Plates here first. You can do the banquet afterwards.”

 

“Che, I know, I know. Tek, receive these Red Iron Plates.”

 

Hmm?

 

Shouldn’t they have been Bronze Plates, though?

 

“Don’t look so confused. That stiff Viscount talked a lot about your achievements, y’know?”

 

Come to think of it, Viscount Shimen was going here and there when he was trying to ‘rescue’ me. Did he say something exaggerated during that time?

 

“It was ‘The Hero’ of the ‘Muno City Defense War’ and ‘Gururian City Demon Slayer’. A senior Adventurer from our Guild was there at that time, do you remember? There was a report from that guy too. Regardless of the fact that it was a Low-Class Demon, we can’t give the party that defeated a Demon Wooden or Bronze Plates.” The Guildmaster paused, “That said, giving you Mithril Plates would be too much. If you had at least defeated a Middle-Class Demon then…Hmph, those Guild Council fools, it would have been a new record if they had just nodded, it was almost there, y’know.”

 

Apparently, the Guildmaster was scheming for force the Mithril Plates onto us. I thank you, the good sense, of the Guild Council members. Even though it would have made Arisa happy, I feel that there would be too many disadvantages.

 

The Guildmaster is muttering to herself while sitting at the desk.

 

Ushana takes this chance to talk about the Red Iron Plates. Of course, it’s not just me, everyone is going to be promoted to Red Iron Plates.

 

Apparently, we’ve acquired them incredibly easily, normally a Bronze Adventurer needs to give the Guild a lot of High-Grade Magic Cores for quite a long time to raise his status. It seems that normally one needs between five and ten years to get them--this Red Iron Plate sounds like a lot of trouble.

 

“Is it alright? We have only dived into the labyrinth once, you know?”

 

“Guildmaster has the authority to confer Plates, up to the Red Iron rank. We can’t issue them excessively, but we haven’t issued any even once in the last two years, so the Royal Castle probably won’t complain.”

 

There are also some advantages. There are many small financial advantages like half-off handling charges and building rent that involve the Guild. This doesn’t particularly matter to me, since I have more than enough money.

 

“And finally, the most important thing is--”

Please tell me the most important thing at the beginning.

“--People who have these Red Iron Plates are treated like associate nobles. It can’t grant the noble privileges that Chevalier has, but it guarantees the same social position that equal the knights. Since this is guaranteed in the name of the Shiga King, so it isn’t only valid inside the kingdom, but it’s also valid even when you visit other countries.”

 

It’s not only valid for Humans, but also for Demi-Humans it seems. It looks like they can stay in the inn if they have the Red Iron Plates, even in an area with Demi-Human discrimination, like Seryuu City.

 

I asked Ushana if it was alright for a non-government body to issue privileges of associate nobles.

 

“Even though the Adventurer’s Guild calls itself a Guild, it’s actually the managing body of the Labyrinth Resource Ministry of the Shiga Kingdom. The Guildmaster holds the position of the Labyrinth Resource Minister of the Shiga Kingdom, and she’s treated as an Earl when she’s in office, so there’s no problem.”

 

I see, so the Kingdom is behind it after all.

 

I asked her just in case, it seems that people who hold the Mithril Plate was not only treated as associate nobles like the people who had the Red Iron Plates, but they would be bestowed Honourary Nobility Peerages from the King.

 

“By the way, Tek. About the banquet schedule, how about this evening?”

 

“Sure, I’ll make an opening for it.”

 

“Ooh, good answer. I happened to hear about this, that Eltall brat was boasting that he had just gotten himself some very fine liquor--”

 

Putting aside her calling General Eltall a brat, the Dragon Spring Liquor is too popular. I’ll have to bring some goats as presents for Heiron.

 

Don’t tell me, she didn’t promote us like this just to aim for the liquor right?

 

“W-What’s with those eyes? It’s nothing like that, okay? The promotion has nothing to do with the liquor, y’know?” The flustered Guildmaster was rather suspicious, but when I looked to Ushana, she shook her head, denying that the promotion was for my alcohol.

 

Now then, I need to bring the Red Iron Plates to Arisa and the others who are waiting, very excited, below.