"Ryoma-kun!"
The moment I stepped into the Adventurer Guild, a voice called out to me from the reception desk.
"Perfect timing," Meilyne-san said as I approached.
"Hello, Meilyne-san. Did something happen?"
"A notification just came through the guild’s communication network from one of the branches near Lake Latoine. It’s regarding the Mad Salamanders."
Mad Salamanders! They were one of the species I had been eager to face.
"Apparently, they migrate to Lake Latoine every year to feed before hibernation. It causes all sorts of trouble for the local fishing industry. For the smaller villages, it can be a matter of life and death."
If I recalled correctly, Lake Latoine was the home region of the people who had gifted me the Bloody Slimes.
"Does that include the area around Shikumu village?"
"Mad Salamanders appear all over Lake Latoine, so Shikumu won't be an exception. There are so many locations to protect that they need a massive number of people for the subjugation. They're recruiting adventurers for everything from direct combat to village defense and minor support tasks. If you're interested, you should consider heading over there."
I definitely wanted to go, but I wondered when those requests would officially be posted.
"The peak of the activity is usually about two months from now, so that would be the best time to arrive. Do you have other plans then?"
"Two months from now is fine. My other business is for next month, so I’ll gratefully take you up on the suggestion."
"I’m glad to hear it. So, are you looking for work today?"
That reminded me of my original goal.
"I actually heard something from the Guild Master of the Commerce Guild earlier. She mentioned a group of suspicious individuals—possibly remnants of a bandit gang—heading toward Gimul. Do you have any information or requests related to that?"
"Oh, that’s right, you’ve already been authorized for those, haven't you? Hold on a second."
She pulled a stack of parchment from beneath the counter.
"There are two recent reports regarding bandits. One is the matter you just mentioned. The other concerns a gang suspected of being connected to them, but they were reportedly wiped out near the city of Gaunago, so that request is closed. As for the suspicious group near here, we haven't confirmed they're actually bandits yet, and their location is still unknown."
It seemed it was still just a matter of staying alert. In that case, maybe I should spend the day making medicine...
"Um..."
I turned to see the capable rookie, Paena-san. She looked as timid and nervous as ever.
"Sorry, Ryoma-kun, give me just a moment," Meilyne-san said.
"I'm sorry to interrupt!" Paena apologized.
"No, it's fine. Go ahead."
"Since he says it's okay, what is it?" Meilyne-san asked.
"There's a client here who wants to submit a request, but..."
I politely looked away as the two whispered to each other. The guild was relatively quiet at this hour. Most of the people present seemed to be on their day off, either staring blankly at the bulletin board or chatting idly with their colleagues.
Then, a bearded man approached from the end of the counter. His height made it clear he was a Dwarf.
"Step aside for a second, boy. Young lady!"
The man marched up to my spot at the counter and called out to Paena.
"Yes—ah! Sir, you can't come over here! I'm handling it, so please wait where you were!"
"Sorry, but it’s faster if I speak directly. I need someone to find Pedro immediately!"
It sounded like a missing persons case. Meilyne-san stepped forward with a complicated expression as the man bowed his head in desperation.
"You're Gatz-sama, right? I'm sorry, but for this kind of request, the reward you’ve offered is simply..."
"I know I'm asking for the impossible! But that's all the cash I have on hand right now. If you find Pedro, he should still have his cargo with him. If we recover that, I can pay an additional reward. Even if we don't, I can raise the money given enough time. Time is the only thing I don't have!"
He sounded incredibly desperate, and his raised voice was starting to draw a crowd.
"The location shouldn't be that far! Isn't there any adventurer who will go look for him?"
I turned to Paena, who had been left on the sidelines like me.
"Paena-san, could you tell me more about his situation?"
She hesitated for a moment, glancing between me and the two arguing further down the counter.
"Well, since we haven't officially accepted the request yet, I shouldn't really discuss the personal details... but Takebayashi-san might actually be the right person for this..."
She eventually decided to fill me in while we listened to the ongoing conversation.
"Could you please confirm the details from the beginning one more time?" Meilyne-san asked the Dwarf.
"The name's Gatz. I run a small blacksmith workshop in the West District. A few days ago, I sent a shipment of weapons I'd made to the town of Kereban. This morning, I got an urgent letter from my client saying the goods never arrived. I need someone to find Pedro—the man who was transporting them."
"When exactly was the shipment sent?"
"Three days ago. By the schedule, he should have arrived in Kereban long ago and been halfway back by yesterday."
"But the shipment is missing."
"Exactly. My client sent an express message as soon as he realized it was late."
Meilyne-san continued her intake. "Is it possible he was simply delayed by something?"
"I've hired him for this job dozens of times. He knows the road, and the weather's been clear. He wouldn't be late without a damn good reason."
"I see..."
It seemed Meilyne-san was considering the possibilities. It was then that Paena-san made her move.
"Takebayashi-san, look at this..."
She spread a map across a quiet section of the counter and traced a line with her finger.
"Gimul is here, and Kereban is over here. This is the path the missing person was taking."
"It's the same direction as the road we used for the instruction course the other day."
"Very close. This route veers left near the base of the mountain."
I recognized the area. It was the route through the mountain pass starting from the South Gate. While the road from my training had bypassed the heights, this one went directly over the pass.
"There's a post town right in the middle of these two cities. The road is built wide for travelers and carriages, making it easy to traverse on foot or by horse. It's a high-traffic route where monsters rarely appear, so it's generally considered very safe. The chances of an accident are low."
"But not zero," I noted.
"True. But since there's usually a fair amount of traffic, you'd expect a passerby to notice if something had happened. Even if the person was gone, a wrecked carriage should have been spotted by now."
And yet, he was missing. The last sighting was three days ago. In cases like this, the first few days were critical.
"Paena-san, what's the actual hurdle for this request?"
"Missing person searches are incredibly expensive. There's no guarantee of success, and to search effectively, you need a lot of manpower."
"Labor costs, I imagine."
"Yes. Especially for a mountain search, we'd need at least twenty people—ideally forty. Paying that many people every day is a massive financial burden on the client."
Back on Earth, hiring a private rescue team for a mountain disappearance could cost over a million yen a day. People even took out specialized insurance for it. It seemed the situation was just as dire here.
"Based on the reward he's offering, we could only hire the necessary staff for about two days, paying only 97 Suut per person per day regardless of the outcome. There's a success bonus of 3000 Suut if the driver, carriage, or cargo is found, but that's still very low for mountain work, which can turn dangerous in an instant if the weather changes. As guild staff, we have to protect the adventurers' interests, so we can't accept a request if the reward is far below the standard rate. I want to help him, but..."
It was a difficult position to be in.
"I just don't have the cash on me right now!" Gatz shouted. "But I can get it if you give me time!"
"For deferred payment, you'd need to provide collateral or undergo a credit examination—"
The negotiations over there were hitting a wall.
"Paena-san," I said. "I don't know about anyone else, but I'm willing to take the job for that amount."
Fortunately, I had finished all my major errands yesterday. I didn't have anything pressing on my schedule. With my space magic, I could cover the distance in no time, and my Rimur Birds could search from the air. If something had happened, it was better to act sooner rather than later.
"I'll... I'll go talk to my senior again! Senpai!"
Paena ran over to Meilyne-san and returned less than a minute later, bringing Meilyne and Gatz with her.
"Boy, is it true? You'll look for Pedro?"
"My name is Ryoma Takebayashi. I'm a D-Rank adventurer, and I'd like to help if I can. If you'll authorize it, I'll do my absolute best, though I can't guarantee the results."
"I know that. Just having someone look for him is more than I could ask for."
"Ryoma-kun," Meilyne-san whispered, leaning in close. "I have to ask to be sure. This kind of work often ends in disappointment, even with the best effort. Some people end up regretting taking these jobs. And honestly, we don't even know for sure that something bad has happened yet."
"I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. If it turns out to be nothing, we can all just laugh about it later."
Meilyne-san sighed but nodded. "All right. I'll authorize it as a solo request to 'Investigate a Missing Person's Trail.' Your job is to travel to Kereban via the post town and check for any sign of him. Stick to the main road for the search, and I'll leave the handling of any discoveries to your discretion."
"Thank you."
As long as the request was official, I could handle the rest on the ground.
"Make sure you're well-prepared. And no recklessness, okay? Now, give me your guild card."
She began processing the paperwork immediately. While she worked, I asked Gatz for a detailed description of Pedro's appearance.
"It's done. Gatz-sama, please sign here after confirming the terms."
"No mistakes here! I'm counting on you, boy."
"I'll do my best, sir."
With that, I officially took on the search.
Two hours later.
After picking up my card and heading back to the shop to gather my gear, I left the city. By using space magic to leap across the landscape, I reached the border between the plains and the mountain pass while the sun was still high. From here, the road was hemmed in by dense forests and thickets on both sides.
"The road is about three carriages wide... It's just as they said; the width and the ground conditions are good."
I decided to start my search while walking the route.
"Dimension Home."
I summoned my Rimur Birds. The road itself was bright with sunlight, but the surrounding woods were thick and difficult to see into from the ground. Having eyes in the sky was a massive advantage.
"I want you to fly in a figure-eight pattern centered on me. If you see anything in the woods, let me know with a cry."
The birds chirped in response. The six Rimur Birds spread their blue wings and soared into the sky. Bathed in the overhead sun, their feathers shimmered with a brilliance that seemed even more vibrant than usual.
"I wish I could have enjoyed this view under better circumstances..."
It was just my luck to encounter such a breathtaking sight when I didn't have a moment to truly appreciate it.