Chapter 10
The morning after that hellish chaos, we found ourselves once again heading toward the Guild.
âRex-sama, there's a request waiting for you today.â
âOh? Itâs finally here? A mission worthy of my greatness, huh?â
âOf course. In fact, the master specifically instructed us not to assign it to anyone but Rex-sama.â
Mei, who had gone in ahead of us, was waving us over near the reception desk. Looks like it's about a request.
As I looked over, the laid-back receptionist approached Rex and wordlessly thrust a sheet of paper at him.
And it wasnât just any request formâit bore the official seal of the national army.
ââŚHey Rex. What the hell is this?â
âOh, first time seeing one of these, huh, Flatche? This oneâs straight from the national army. Which means fat pay and serious work.â
âHeh, figures. When youâre famous like Rex, even the jobs you get are on another level.â
âIâve never seen one of these either.â
A job from the government. How much trust would you need to land one of those?
A tinge of envy crept in at everything Rex had accomplished. Still, I couldnât help but feel a little excited at the thought of taking on something straight from the national army.
What kind of job would this be? As an adventurer, thereâs nothing better than the real deal. Nothing beats experience.
âIâd like to explain the details. May I?â
âGo ahead.â
âUnderstood. Then, Rex-sama, Flatche-sama, Mei-sama, and alsoâââ
We followed the unenthusiastic receptionist into a private room in the back.
Unable to hide my excitement, I strode confidently after herââ
âLady Karin, whoâs been covering her face since earlierâŚ? If you're willing, please come along tooâŚâ
âDonât talk to me⌠Just donât talk to me for a while, pleaseâŚâ
Dragging along the nun who refused to move or speak, still hiding her face since morning, I pulled her by the arm.
Yeah⌠sheâs still mentally shattered. Best leave her be for now.
By the way, hereâs why Karin went berserk last night.
âKarin. So last night you got drunk drinking alone, didnât you?â
ââŚYes.â
âAnd in your drunken haze, you tried to sneak into Flatcheâs bed?â
âIt⌠it was just a prank, I swearâŚâ
It was late and Mei was half-asleep, so we postponed the discussion until morning when everyone was more composed.
Long story short: she got drunk and did something stupid.
âAnd Flatche, you panicked when she suddenly tried to crawl in beside you?â
âAt first I thought Rex was shamelessly barging in, so yeah, I freaked out.â
âAnd then you realized it was Karin. So why did you end up on the offensive?â
âWell, if I was going to be dragged into it, I figured Iâd take the lead. She made a move, so I just responded.â
âThat is not the time to get competitiveâŚâ
Exactly. I only played along because she invited me.
I retaliated because, as a man, being helpless against a woman wasnât something I could tolerate. And after thinking it overâI donât really think I did anything wrong, so I donât feel bad about it.
âAnd so, caught off guard by your unexpected reaction, Karin freaked out and screamed, fearing for her chastity.â
âWhich brings us to the scene we saw last night?â
âExactly.â
ââŚâŚâ
Seriously, Karin is a walking disaster.
âFlatche, Karin. Youâre both going to sit in seiza for an hour.â
ââŚYes.â
âWhat!? Me too!?â
And for some reason, I was forced into seiza as well. Got yelled at for âgetting frisky in someone elseâs home.â
I donât get it.
âBack to the guild.
âYes. Regarding the report from Rex-sama about the Demon Lordâs army, the national army is taking it very seriously.â
âThose guys would be impossible for your average adventurer to handle. Thatâs why theyâre sending me to investigate, huh?â
The request was about the Demon Lordâs forces.
Right, Iâd kind of forgotten in the chaos of that gender-bending fiasco, but this was a humanity-in-crisis level problem. Apparently, Rex and the others had properly reported it to the authorities.
âSeveral âpreviously nonexistent cavesâ have been discovered recently. We'd like Rex-sama to investigate them.â
âAlright, leave it to me. I can expect good pay, right?â
âAbsolutely. You wonât be disappointed. However, since the enemyâs strength is unknown, the national army will be sending backup.â
âTch. If theyâre dead weight, Iâm turning them away. Whoâs coming?â
ââŚOne of the three great generals of the Pedia National Army, General Penny the âBarefist,â will be joining. Heâs among the best close-quarters combatants in the country.â
âOhh, that guy? Hmm⌠well, guess I can work with that.â
Rex nodded in satisfaction at the mention of the reinforcements.
Wait, did she just say âgreat generalâ? Isnât that guy basically at the top of the national army?
âIn addition, the nationâs top Grand Magus, Lady Clarise, will also be assisting. It seems the countryâs putting its very best into this investigation.â
ââŚClarise?â
âYes. The young genius black mage of Pedia, known as the Goddess of Compassion and Mercy, Lady Clarise.â
âWhoa. Sounds intense.â
Iâd never heard of her name before, but if sheâs assigned alongside a great general, sheâs got to be the real deal.
Rex, me, and the general for the front line. Mei, the genius mage, and Karin for the rear. Pretty balanced. We could split into teams easily.
âAhahahaha! So Clarise-chanâs coming? This job just got interesting.â
âYou know her?â
âYup. Both of them are old acquaintances of mine. Thatâs probably why they were assigned here.â
Seems Rex knows them both personally. I always thought high-ranking military types were all stiff and arrogant, but if Rex is laughing like that, maybe theyâre decent people.
âWhatâs Penny like?â
âHmm, serious guy. Stoic, even. But still a fun guy to be around, yâknow? Youâll get it when you meet him.â
âI see.â
âDonât worry, Flatche. Penny might be fun, but youâre ten times more fun.â
âI wasnât worried.â
From what I hear, he doesnât sound like a bad guy. Still, being called âfunâ kind of stings. Looking at my behavior lately, though⌠yeah. I deserve that.
Now, about this Clarise-chanâŚ
âSheâs young. Same age as me, actually.â
âOh? And sheâs qualified to work alongside a general? Thatâs pretty amazing.â
âYup. I donât know much about magic, but sheâs said to be âon my levelâ in the world of magic. Apparently, sheâs the greatest mage in recorded history.â
ââŚYikes. Sounds like someone I donât want to mess with. What can she do?â
âNo clue. First time fighting alongside her. But sheâs a genius, so Iâm sure itâll be something wild.â
Rex answered with a laugh.
Seems their relationship really is just that of casual acquaintances. His info on her is pretty vague. Thatâs⌠kind of troubling.
ââŚIâll explain. About the black mage, Clarise.â
âOh, you know her too, Mei? Great. Itâs probably better to hear it from a fellow mage.â
As I hesitated, Mei stepped in. True, just like how Mei and Karin misjudged my skills, it makes sense that Rex wouldnât grasp how terrifying a real mage can be.
âCalling Clarise a genius is putting it mildly. If she wanted to, she could erase this entire country with a single spell. Sheâs basically the embodiment of magical destruction.â
ââŚThe whole country?â
âHer spell range could cover the entire nation. If she felt like it, weâd be gone by tomorrow.â
"Whoa..."
"Fortunately, she herself is obsessed with 'love.' She likes to love others and be loved. So, there's no need to worry about her whims leading to the downfall of a nation... probably."
Mei said this with a serious face, eyes lowered. Perhaps it's because she's also a mage that she understands how terrifying Claris is.
Iâd probably sound the same trying to explain Rex. A monster so far removed from normal understanding.
"Lord Rex. Iâm sorry, but Iâll have to decline this request. If Clarise is involved, thereâs no point in me tagging along."
"Hey now, Mei. Youâre a vital member of my party, you know? You can't just back out on your own. Learn from her as a fellow black mage."
"...I donât want to take on a job with her. I donât want to be involved with that woman at all."
Meiâs face twisted into a scowl deeper than anything Iâd seen from her before.
Rex looked puzzled as he watched her, but I understood how Mei felt.
"Mei. Youâre not just some acquaintance of Clarise, are you? You two seem... closer than that."
"...Yeah. Youâre amazing, Flatche. Saw right through me, huh? Clarise is my older sister."
"For real!? Wait, Mei, youâre Claris's little sister!? You guys donât look anything alike!"
Rex looked utterly shocked, but that didnât matter. Now I understood why Mei had looked so gloomy since earlier.
...In one word, it was a complex. The kind of jealousy and pride Iâve always felt around Rexâbeing around someone far more talented and not wanting to lose.
Mei mustâve grown up constantly being compared. To her sister, the overwhelmingly gifted black mage.
"Huh. That cheery Clarise has such a serious little sister, huh. Are you sure youâre even related?"
"We're blood sisters. Sadly. I left home and became an adventurer because it was unbearable being around her."
"I see."
God, I get it. I really get it.
Being near Rex always stirs up this inferiority as a swordsman. Honestly, thatâs probably part of why I turned down his offer.
I feel such kinship. Meiâs been through the same thing. Competing with someone you never wanted to lose toâsomeone who keeps succeeding. Of course she'd want distance.
"Clarise isnât that bad, though. Sheâs honestly one of the nicest people I know. What is it you donât like about her?"
"...Everything about her. Iâm sorry, Lord Rex, but please donât make me work with her."
"Wow, you really hate her that much, huh..."
Rex clearly didnât understand how Mei felt. Well, of course he didnâtâhow could he grasp this bitterness we feel?
I should probably back Mei up. Forcing her on a job like this would only lead to disaster.
.
â"I descend!! Heaven reveals me!! In the name of the great god, I call forth the blade of judgment to smite all evil!!"
.
Just as I opened my mouth to speak, a shrill, high-pitched voice rang out from the entrance of the guild.
"...Hieek!"
"What the...? Whoâs shouting?"
The bizarre behavior of the girl at the entrance made every adventurer go silent.
Like everyone else, I turned to the entrance. There stood a young girl, raising a golden staff high above her head.
She looked about ten years old, with flowing blonde hair and a beaming, confident smile. All eyes were on her.
"A kid? Is this some kind of prank?"
An awkward tension filled the guild. Who brought such a little girl to a shady place like this? If some sketchy adventurer tried something or sold her off, then what?
"Love! I am numbaaah one!! Because of love, people must suffer! But thatâs what makes it beautiful!"
The girl kept her hand on her hip, smiling boldly as she waved her staff around. It was so painfully cringeworthy that a nearby adventurer finally stood up, unable to take it anymore.
Seriously, where are her parents? If they donât watch her, a kid like that could do anythingâlikeâ
"Behold!! I am Clarise, Supreme Commander of the Pedia National Forces! I am the symbol of compassion and universal love!! If someone ails in the west, I bring herbs! If someone starves in the east, I bring bread! The world overflows with love!!"
...Wait a second. What did she just say her name was?
Did she just sayâClarise?
"...Thatâs not my sister. I donât want anyone thinking weâre related..."
Next to me, Mei muttered curses with dead eyes. No way. Thatâs her? That girl is the most powerful mage in the nationâs history?
"Now then, Master of the Guild! Come forth! I have descended! Shower me with hospitality! If you slather the cookies in honey, I shall be most pleased!"
"Okay, little missy. Time to go home now~"
"Whâ!? You dare lay hands on me!?"
And so, the greatest mage in history got grabbed by the collar by an old adventurer and was dragged out of the building. The guild fell completely silent.
"Ahaha! That really was Clarise, huh? Sheâs already here."
"Huh!? Thatâs really Lady Clarise!?"
"I... I get it now. Mei, if I had that in my family, Iâd struggle too..."
"Sheâs not my sister... I wonât acknowledge it..."
Now I fully understood what Rex meant when he said this job would be fun. That girl is, without a doubt, a walking joke. Thatâs the only way to describe herâanything else would just sound like an insult.
All I can say is... sheâs eccentric.
"Well, her personalityâs kinda... yeah, but Clarise isnât a bad person. To me, sheâs as entertaining as Flatche."
"Hold it."
"Yeah... I think she might actually be just as weird as Flatche..."
"Hold it."
Wait. You all think Iâm that level of weird?
Wait... what?
"Please, Lord Rex. I beg of you. Just donât make me work with herâ"
"HAHAHAHAHA..."
And so, in the now quiet guild hall, Meiâs pained plea echoed in vain.
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