Chapter 327

The Adventurer Guild of Astram, the city of adventurers.

There, two men were facing each other.

“….”

“Huhuhu. What’s wrong? You look tense.”

A man spoke to Kurt with a relaxed smile.

As the man said, Kurt was looking at his opponent with an unusually stiff expression.

It was as if he was on high alert against his opponent.

It was a rare sight to see Kurt, who always maintained his composure, genuinely tense.

For those who didn’t know Kurt well, it might seem strange for him to be tense in front of someone. But for those who knew him, it was clear that his tension was no ordinary matter.

He didn’t like to show off his true strength, but in reality, his skills were on par with those considered strategic weapons in a nation. He was a master without equal.

For such a man to show genuine tension, it was a sight usually reserved for when rare ingredients were about to disappear, not when facing a person.

But considering the identity of the person he was facing, it was only natural for Kurt to be tense.

After all, the man before him was also a master, one who would never be outmatched in combat.

Shail Delphine.

A master of the Empire.

And not exactly friendly towards Kurt.

For the first time, Kurt didn’t hide his tension when facing someone of equal strength.

Or was Shail truly on par with Kurt?

Even though both were masters, Kurt’s combat experience was mostly from his time as a hunter, dealing with monsters. In contrast, Shail had grown as a soldier trained for human combat from the start. Perhaps calling them equals was a mistake.

With Shail before him, Kurt shielded his party members with his body, and Shail’s eyes gleamed with amusement at the sight.

“I’ve been waiting for a long time. You wouldn’t know, of course.”

“…So, what do you want?”

“Didn’t I say? I came for that necklace. Let’s settle this.”

Shail smiled like a snake.

—

This all started just before we arrived at the Adventurer Guild.

“Ugh, I’m sick of instant food. I want to go back to the Adventurer Guild soon.”

“Or maybe you just miss the food I make?”

“Ehehe…”

I lightly scolded Mari, who was whining in a tone mimicking Marin’s.

How close had she gotten to Marin in just a few days to pick up her speech patterns?

“Hahaha. But I get it. There’s only so much you can make outdoors while traveling from Lilia to Astram.”

“Yeah, that’s true. I want to have a cold beer as soon as we get back to the Adventurer Guild.”

As we passed through Astram’s gates and approached the Adventurer Guild…

“Um, I think the meals we had were already luxurious compared to what other adventurers could imagine…”

“That’s right. You guys are among the best-fed adventurers in Astram. You should realize how privileged you are.”

“It’s okay. When we get back to the Adventurer Guild, I’ll make sure to cook something even better than Kurt’s.”

“Don’t spoil Leila too much!”

Our party, which had grown with additions from Lilia, including Arisa’s group and Lakia’s group, was livelier than usual.

“Wow! The guild!”

“Wendy! One draft beer!”

“Your first words upon entering the Adventurer Guild are about alcohol…”

As we chatted casually, we entered the Adventurer Guild.

“Hoh. So you’re Kurt? I was skeptical when I first heard the reports, but you really are a master.”

“….”

The moment I entered the guild, I could feel it.

The atmosphere inside was completely different, as if flipped 180 degrees from outside.

Others might not notice, but as someone who had reached the realm of transcendence, I could sense it.

The aura inside the guild was unusual.

And the source of that aura was a man who had been watching us—no, me—since the moment we entered.

“Ah, Kurt! Welcome back! Good work on the expedition! But there’s a guest here looking for you…”

“Yeah, I know who it is. Thanks for letting me know.”

I thanked Wendy with a subdued voice and turned my gaze to the man.

A hero recognizes another hero.

I could tell that the man waiting for me was also a transcendent.

A transcendent?

Why is a transcendent here?

No, more importantly, does he have business with me?

I pondered why he had come for me, and soon I figured it out.

It was because I saw Albert, standing stiffly beside the man, avoiding our gaze.

From the Empire?

“Kurt, what’s wrong? Why are you standing there?”

“Mari’s right. You’re blocking the way, and it’s bothering others… Wait, who are you!?”

And it wasn’t just me who realized the situation. Daria, who had been talking to me, froze when she saw the man’s face.

She and Aila, being part of a cult hostile to the Empire, immediately recognized the man and, without caring about being inside the Adventurer Guild, took combat stances.

But despite her hostile attitude, the man remained calm, sitting relaxed, while Daria, glaring at him fiercely, was sweating like a one-horned rabbit facing a saber-toothed tiger.

“Shail Delphine, Marquis…! What is the Empire’s master doing here?”

“The Empire’s master!?”

“Why would someone like that be in a place like this…?”

At those words, the others finally realized the identity of the man called Shail and immediately changed their attitudes.

The party quickly became tense.

“Well… I thought I disguised myself well, but you recognized me at a glance. That’s an honor. Judging by your attire, you must be one of the lambs of the Black Tentacle Cult?”

“Answer my question! Why would the Empire’s master come all the way here alone?”

“My, my… It seems I’ve already made a bad impression. That hurts. Alright, let’s get straight to the point. My goal—no, the Empire’s goal—is that artifact the dark elf woman is carrying.”

Shail pointed to the artifact hanging around Arisa’s neck.

“This… necklace?”

“Yes, that’s it. Our Empire has tried several times to obtain it through negotiations, but the results weren’t great. So, to make the negotiations smoother, the Empire sent me, someone with more authority.”

“Negotiations? Does the Empire call threatening people with swords to hand over their belongings ‘negotiations’?”

Daria immediately retorted, her voice sharp.

But Shail, unfazed by her hostility, continued with a smile.

“Of course, I personally regret the unfortunate incidents that occurred during past negotiations. As a pacifist, I find it regrettable that things didn’t proceed peacefully.”

“Ha! The Empire’s master, a pacifist? Even a three-legged fowl passing by would laugh at that. Especially you, known for your cruelty among the Empire’s masters.”

“My, my… I truly dislike violence. I don’t know how such rumors started. But let’s get back to the main point. What I want to say is that our Empire is willing to offer sufficient compensation for that artifact. If you wish, I can also formally apologize for the unfortunate incidents during past negotiations.”

Shail bowed his head, looking more like a young merchant negotiating than a knight. It seemed as if he was genuinely here for peaceful talks.

“But… what if we refuse the negotiation?”

“…Then, I’m afraid those unfortunate incidents might happen again.”

Indeed.

If Arisa cautiously hinted at refusal, the sharp aura emanating from Shail made it clear.

Finally, I couldn’t hold back and stepped forward, shielding Arisa.

“Enough. I can’t listen to this anymore. You talk about peaceful negotiations, but it sounds like you’ll resort to force if things don’t go your way.”

“Hahaha. Personally, I dislike violence… But this is work. You know how the world is. You can’t always do as you please.”

Shail shifted his gaze from Arisa to me.

And with that, his aura changed slightly.

Before, his aura was oppressive but lacked intent. Now, it felt as if his aura itself was focusing on me with purpose.

Ugh…

I couldn’t just stand by and watch him threaten Arisa, but the situation wasn’t good.

We were in the middle of the Adventurer Guild.

And more importantly, in the heart of Astram, where many people lived.

If a battle broke out here, especially between transcendents, the damage to the surroundings would be immense.

And behind me, my party members were watching nervously, alternating their gazes between me and Shail.

If they got caught up in this, I wouldn’t be able to protect them all.

If Shail cared about the surroundings and avoided a fight, that would be fortunate…

But from what Daria said, this Shail had a notorious reputation even within the Empire.

In the worst-case scenario, he might draw his sword without a care for the surroundings.

And more importantly, if my opponent was also a transcendent, even I couldn’t guarantee victory…

As if sensing my conflict, Arisa quickly stepped forward, mediating between me and Shail.

“W-wait! You want this necklace, right? Then fine. I-I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt because of this. I’ll give it to you.”

Arisa took off the necklace and offered it to Shail.

But at that moment, Daria stopped her hand.

“No, Arisa.”

“D-Daria?”

“If the Empire sent a master, someone considered a secret weapon, for this artifact, what do they plan to do with it?”

“Well, do I have any obligation to tell you?”

“Arisa, the Empire is planning something using the knowledge within this artifact. Something so significant and secretive that they sent a master to retrieve it.”

“B-but even so, your safety is…”

“What if they’re planning to produce weapons for an invasion?”

“…W-what!?”

“For example, you’ve seen those golems in the ruins, right? Even after hundreds of years, they’re still a threat. If the Empire mass-produces those golems for an invasion, countless people could die.”

“Hahaha. That’s an interesting hypothesis. Have you been thinking about this for a while?”

“No. If I had, the Holy Kingdom would have secured this artifact long ago. But seeing the Empire’s master here today gives that hypothesis some weight. The Empire, known for its strong discriminatory policies against non-humans, and with a national power several times stronger than its neighbors. What would such a nation do with the knowledge of the Ancient Empire? I should have been more wary of the Empire…”

Daria bit her lip, genuinely frustrated.

Indeed, I too had underestimated the Empire after subduing Albert.

I thought that with someone like Albert subdued, the Empire wouldn’t try anything further.

But who would have thought the Empire would send one of its seven transcendents all the way to Astram?

But no matter how much I regretted it, the milk was already spilled.

We naturally formed a protective formation around Arisa, keeping Shail in check.

“So, regardless of whether that absurd story is true, are you planning to stop me?”

“Hmph. You still won’t admit it, will you?”

“…Arisa, are you really willing to risk great harm to stop me?”

As Daria pressed him, Shail’s expression hardened slightly, and he turned to Arisa.

“I-I…”

“No! Arisa, you can’t give that to the Empire. If that artifact falls into their hands, countless people could be in danger.”

“But you wouldn’t just stand by and let your party members be in danger, would you?”

“Arisa, don’t overthink it. If you don’t want to, we’ll do our best to protect you.”

“But if we fight here, not just our party, but innocent people could get caught up in it.”

“T-that’s why I…”

“Come on, make a decision. Your words could endanger countless lives.”

As Shail tried to persuade Arisa to hand over the artifact, Daria stood in his way, and I and my party members stepped forward, ready to support Arisa no matter her decision.

Caught in the middle, Arisa, overwhelmed by the immense responsibility, struggled to make a decision, her breathing growing ragged.

Just as she was on the verge of panic…

“Hey, can you move aside for a moment?”

“…Who are you?”

“Hi. Can I make a suggestion?”

Lakia, who had been quietly listening to our conversation from the back of the party, pushed through the crowd and stepped forward.

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