After the third movie finished, Kaori went back to her own place to fetch a change of clothes before returning to Kaito's home. The timing was perfect, as the sun was beginning to set and the dinner hour was fast approaching.
"Kaori-san, about dinner—would you like to eat here in this room? Or would you prefer the dining hall?"
"U-uhm, the dining hall is over at Lilia-san's mansion, right? I know you usually eat there, but... honestly, the idea of having a meal in a noble's estate while surrounded by servants feels like a bit of a high hurdle for me."
"The dining room here in my house is an option, too. Though, if we eat there, it’ll probably just be the two of us anyway, so it won’t be much different from staying in this room."
"That's true. In that case, as long as you don't mind, Kaito-kun, it would be much more relaxing for me to just eat in here."
"Understood. I'll have them bring the food over, then."
Kaori was already somewhat acquainted with the residents of Lilia's mansion. She knew Lilia, Illness, Anima, Caraway, Eta, and Theta, as well as Aoi and Hina; they had met back during the shipboard party when she was offering culinary advice.
However, since there were still many people she didn't recognize and Lilia's estate was a high-ranking noble household, it was only natural for her to feel a little hesitant.
"Come to think of it, Aoi-chan and Hina-chan live in your house as well, don't they, Kaito-kun?"
"Yeah, but they're away today. They went to a trade city that has an Adventurer Guild branch for a training seminar. They’re staying overnight there, so they won't be back until tomorrow."
"Training at a branch in another city... That must mean Aoi-chan and Hina-chan passed their mid-level adventurer exam!"
"Yes. It seems they gained enough experience as low-ranking adventurers to pass the monthly exam recently."
"Ah, that brings back memories. The promotion seminars take an entire day, so they’re quite long. Everything they teach is vital, but it’s definitely a marathon."
"Now that you mention it, you were a former adventurer yourself, Kaori-san."
Aoi and Hina were progressing steadily in their new careers. Since they had both learned magic before arriving in this world, they already possessed the raw power required for the mid-level rank. After spending some time as low-ranking adventurers to bridge their lack of practical experience and get used to the lifestyle, they had applied for the promotion exam and passed without a hitch. Now, they were at a guild branch specifically to receive the mandatory training that came with their new status.
"Once you reach the mid-level, you start receiving requests from cities outside your home base, so your range of activity expands significantly. There are a lot of differences in how things are handled compared to the low ranks, which is why you have to go to a different branch for the seminar. When you move up to the high ranks, you even have to visit the Order of Knights Headquarters to study the basics of joint missions and how to operate under a knight's command."
"I've heard bits and pieces of that, but I didn't realize joint missions were strictly for high-level adventurers and above."
"Depending on the scale of the incident, they might tap mid-level adventurers, but only if they’re placed in a temporary team led by a high-level adventurer. Besides, joint missions are actually pretty rare. I was a high-level adventurer myself, but I only ever participated in one... and that was when a stampede occurred. In my case, I was constantly moving from place to place, so those kinds of long-term requests rarely found their way to me."
Because Kaori worked as an adventurer primarily to fund her travels around the world, she never settled in a single city long enough to establish a reputation in one place.
As a result, she was rarely considered for joint missions, which often spanned multiple days. The only emergency request she had ever experienced was that single, chaotic stampede.
As an aside, her performance during that disaster had earned her the alias "Water Blade." Had she stayed in the profession, she would have undoubtedly been recognized as a top-class adventurer in no time. However, Kaori retired shortly after the stampede, so the title of top-class adventurer was one she never officially held.
"By the way, Kaito-kun, I noticed you never became an adventurer yourself. I know you don't exactly need the money and you aren't the combat-oriented type, but I assumed you might have registered just to tag along with Aoi-chan and Hina-chan."
"Ah, actually, I'm not allowed to register as an adventurer."
"Eh? Why not?"
"...Well, because I personally fall outside the laws of the three nations of the Human Realm, it creates a lot of paperwork and headaches for the guild. I've accompanied them on requests as a companion before, though. I don't have a burning desire to be an adventurer anyway, so it hasn't really been a problem."
"Outside the law? I knew it. You really are an underground fixer pulling the strings of the world, aren't you?"
"I am not."
Kaori gave him a look of weary exasperation, her lips curled in a bitter smile. Kaito could only offer a matching bitter smile in return.
Serious-senpai: "Wait, this isn't a sugar chapter anymore. The mood completely changed!?"
Machina: "A punch is always stronger if you pull your fist back first."
Serious-senpai: "..."