The following day, we headed back out to hunt more Fear Trents. I decided against using an Attraction Slip this time; I had a feeling that if I did, I might accidentally summon a swarm of fairies again. The Item-finding Rod proved more than sufficient for the task. The woods were teeming with Fear Trents, lurking in places I hadn't even considered, and we gathered all the timber we needed in no time.
With our task complete, we were back in Aingurna by midday. Since I was scheduled to meet Jot-san tomorrow, I planned to hand over the Fear Trent wood then.
I had no other pressing matters for the afternoon, so I gave the rest of the group some free time while I decided to stop by the Adventurer's Guild. I had a surplus of materials from the fairies that I didn't expect to use—mostly medicinal herbs for health and beauty. My Storage Ring had plenty of space, but it felt like a waste to let them sit idle when others could benefit from them. I figured I would turn in whatever could be used for delivery requests.
The Adventurer's Guild was its usual raucous, lively self. Adventurers were winding down after their shifts, their cheerful banter devoid of any real tension. Peace reigned in Aingurna, which suggested the evil cultists hadn't made a move. I’d been secretly worried about them, so seeing everyone so relaxed was a relief.
However, something was off today. It was Rache-san. While it was normal to see her at the reception desk, she wasn't actually working. She was staring blankly into the distance, her mind clearly elsewhere. Buffy-san seemed unusual as well; rather than scolding Rache-san for her lethargy, she kept glancing at her with an expression of deep concern.
I wondered what was going on. I couldn't tell just by watching, so I approached Rache-san’s counter while no one else was in line.
"Rache-san, is something wrong?"
"Hm? Ah, it's Tort, nya. What are you talking about, nya?"
"You're staring off into space. Are you worried about something?"
"I-I'm not worried about a thing, nya! Everything is perfectly normal, nya~! Now, look, I’ve got paperwork to finish, nya~!"
Rache-san was feigning composure, but she was clearly not herself. Usually, she would use our arrival as a convenient excuse to slack off. Still, if she insisted on working, I couldn't very well interfere. While turning in my items, I pulled Buffy-san aside to ask what was happening.
"What’s wrong with Rache-san?"
"The thing is... her party's return is delayed."
The "Great Busters," the party Rache-san belongs to, is the strongest group in Aingurna. All five members are A-Rank adventurers. Since Rache-san works at the guild, the other four were currently out in the field.
They were apparently on an expedition to the thirty-first floor—the current front line of the dungeon. At that depth, just traveling back and forth takes several days. Rache-san hadn't been concerned at first when their return was slightly delayed, as minor issues often shift a schedule, but today marked the tenth day since they were supposed to arrive. It seemed her worry had finally reached a breaking point.
After finishing my business, I looked over at her again. Rache-san was back to staring into the void, looking as though her soul had left her body. Apparently, she had been like this all day.
"Um, Rache-san? I heard about your party."
"Hm? Tort, nya. Welcome, nya."
...It was no use. She was so spaced out that she didn't even realize we'd just spoken. She was truly terrified for her comrades.
"You're concerned about them, aren't you? I have that key, you know. I could make it down to the thirtieth floor if you’re that worried..."
"Nya-nya! There’s no way those idiots would kick the bucket that easily, nya! So I'm not worried at all, nya! Besides, solo exploration on the thirtieth floor is suicide. It’s still a bit too early for you and your group to be heading down there anyway, nya..."
Rache-san’s warning was a grim reminder of how dangerous things were past the thirtieth floor. A-Rank monsters occasionally appeared there. Their power varied wildly—some were only slightly stronger than a high-rank B-Rank, while others required a full team of humanity’s strongest adventurers to take down. If you pictured facing something like a Blue Dragon or a Red Dragon, you’d have a good idea of the risk.
The Evil Dragon we encountered in the Garond Underground Waterway was likely A-Rank equivalent. It had been trapped in the ground back then, and even half-immobilized, it was a nightmare to fight. If it had been free to move, we wouldn't have stood a chance. We’ve grown stronger since then, but I still doubt we could take a fully mobile Evil Dragon in a fair fight.
"Come back soon, nya..."
The quiet mutter revealed Rache-san’s true state of mind.
I wished there were something we could do to help. Feeling a pang of helplessness, we quietly made our exit from the Adventurer's Guild.