“I truly am glad I hired you all as guards. I shudder to think what might have happened otherwise. Please, allow me to thank you once again.”
Having repelled the Sandworm ambush, we managed to reach the oasis city that served as our rest stop just before sunset. These were the words Mr. Guster spoke as we sat down for the dinner he’d invited us to.
As guards, protecting him was simply part of the job. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t warrant such formal gratitude, but the fact that he insisted spoke to just how much of a crisis it had been for him.
In all honesty, the casualties would have been catastrophic without us. Most likely, the Escort Unit would have been decimated just to buy enough time for Guster to escape.
“A swarm of that size is a rare occurrence, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Indeed. I’ve never even heard of such a thing,” Guster replied. “A single Giant Worm is a major incident on its own, but one leading an endless swarm? That would be the talk of the region. This has to be the first time it’s happened in years.”
Despite crossing a desert, the path between Orcus and Berhes was a major artery for the Zephyrson Clan Union. Its dangers were well-documented, and Mr. Guster had certainly prepared his security with that knowledge in mind. Yet even then, the Escort Unit had been helpless against that tide of Sandworms. It really was an unprecedented situation.
“Still, those golems of yours are fascinating things,” Guster remarked, his tone shifting from somber to cheerful in an instant. Despite having witnessed the somewhat nightmarish sight of my Sand Golem, he surprisingly didn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward them. He might just have an incredibly curious personality.
My golems had certainly earned their keep during the request.
The Petit Golems had also done their part, repelling the worms with their magic staves. Their contribution had been so significant that they were even invited to the dinner party. They were currently ignoring Mr. Guster entirely, focused solely on stuffing their faces. They’d even switched to their life-sized bodies under the logic that they could fit more food inside. Talk about gluttony.
The Sand Golem had caused a fair bit of confusion among the ranks, but it had served its purpose as an improvised mobile fortress. I just wish it had looked a bit better. Then again, expecting high-tier aesthetics from me is probably asking too much. Yeah...
The Multi-legged Golems, however, were arguably the most useful of all. We had originally used them just for our own party, but I ended up constructing several more for the guards. Although we hadn't lost any people in the attack, the toll on the camels had been heavy. We needed a new way to move, and while the guards were terrified of the mechanical legs at first, they eventually realized how comfortable the ride was and were quite pleased.
Mr. Guster was equally impressed. After seeing the guards' reaction, he’d insisted on riding one himself. Since his argument—that they were far safer than camels during a Sandworm raid—was hard to refute, I’d eventually given in.
He’d taken such a liking to them that he even offered to buy them outright. I had to turn him down, explaining that these were just temporary creations that would run out of mana and stop moving within a day. Since he had no way to recharge them, a sale made no sense. Instead, I promised to build him a proper golem made of metal once we reached Berhes.
He offered to pay for all the materials plus a fee of one Platinum Coin—a staggeringly generous sum. It likely doubled as a bonus for the escort mission, but it was still shrewd of him to weave his personal wishes into the business deal.
It wasn't a bad thing that he’d taken a shine to them; it meant I could use them without reservation for the rest of the trip. Still, there was one thing I needed to clarify.
“You should know, the golems I make are a bit... different from the norm,” I said.
If Mr. Guster went around with a skewed idea of what a golem was, it might cause headaches for other golem users down the road. I made sure to give him a proper explanation of how standard golems functioned. He listened intently, nodding along.
“I see. I suppose it makes sense that high-rank adventurers would possess such unique skills. Though, it seems everyone in your group stands apart from the common adventurer, not just you, Tort.”
There were very few users of Halfa’s Singing Magic, and Shock Voice was likely an incredibly rare spell. I certainly hadn’t seen anything like it at the guild or heard about it from other adventurers. Spira and Shiroru were a spirit and a holy beast, making their very existence a rarity. And even I had to admit I wasn't exactly 'normal' myself.
In that light, Lowell was probably the only 'normal' one among us. But even he had that rare fighting style of imbuing his sword with magic... so perhaps not.
“You... might have a point,” I admitted.
“Hahaha! Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to reveal all your secrets. I’m simply impressed. You might not look the part at first glance, but you truly are seasoned experts.”
He laughed off my non-committal answer. It wasn't that I was trying to be secretive; I’d just been struck by the realization that we were a pretty eccentric bunch.
“Oh, that reminds me. There was something else I wanted to ask,” Guster said, suddenly clapping his hands. “Tell me... would you all have any interest in entering the Arena Contest?”
Berhes was known as the city of the arena. I’d heard that matches were held there every day, but Guster wasn't referring to those routine bouts. He was talking about a massive, upcoming tournament. Only those who had excelled in the daily matches or those recommended by influential figures could enter. As an influential man himself, Guster naturally held one of those recommendation slots.
However, our trip to Berhes was strictly so we could investigate the region further to the east. I didn't care about the fame that came with winning an Arena Contest, and I couldn't think of any reason why we should enter.
I glanced at Lowell just to check, but he gave a silent shake of his head. He clearly wasn't interested. Halfa and the others looked equally indifferent, so I prepared to turn him down.
Guster must have read our expressions before I even opened my mouth.
“Ah, not quite your thing, I take it? Well, I won't force the issue on the people who saved my life. But if you change your minds, do let me know. To be honest, I’m not sure what else to do with my recommendation slot.”
He offered a wry smile. I was just glad he was willing to let it drop so easily.