What did she want? My first thought was to refuse, purely because it sounded like a hassle, but then I stopped to reconsider.
I used the walls of the Adventurer Guild all the time. The receptionist had clearly seen me doing so, which was why she assumed I was an adventurer. Since moving through walls was the adventurer-specific skill Field Walk, anyone watching me would naturally conclude I belonged to that class.
If I couldn't deny being an adventurer, I would just have to find a reasonable way to decline.
"I haven't actually joined the guild," I said.
"That isn't a problem," she replied quickly.
She had cut off my escape route.
"And? What is the request?"
"In the Harz Duchy to the north, heavy rains have caused major flooding. We are seeking the assistance of adventurers to transport relief supplies. We received an emergency request today, but since it was so sudden, we haven't been able to gather enough people. Would you be willing to lend us your strength?"
Disaster relief, huh?
Since I wasn't actually an adventurer, I wanted to turn her down, but I had to consider my position. I planned to use the Quratar Adventurer Guild almost every day from now on. It wouldn't be good for my reputation if the staff thought I was selfish. Perhaps I should participate, if only for the sake of appearances.
The only real problem was the possibility of an Intelligence Card check.
In this world, everyone carried an Intelligence Card. If they looked at mine, they would immediately see that I wasn't an adventurer. If the guild and the local lord were involved, it was only natural to expect some kind of background check on the participants.
Was it worth the risk?
"We'll be fine," a voice said.
"Uh..."
I felt Roxanne give me a gentle nudge in the back. I had been looking for a reason to turn the receptionist down, but that plan had just backfired.
Read the room, Roxanne. Read the room.
Sherry, on the other hand, gave me a wry smile. She understood that it was dangerous for me because I lacked the proper job.
"For those who aren't guild members, we are offering a daily wage of one thousand Nahl for tomorrow's work," the receptionist added.
"The money doesn't matter. What exactly would I be doing?"
"Transporting relief supplies to villages where the land routes have been cut off by the flood. It isn't difficult work for an adventurer. Under the contract with the Adventurer Guild, the Harz Duchy Knight Order will take full responsibility for security. There is no danger."
In this world, most villages were largely self-sufficient, but not entirely. Back in the village where I first arrived, merchants used horse-drawn carriages to trade goods with Vale Town. They clearly relied on the outside world for things they couldn't produce themselves.
The transportation network here was primitive compared to modern Japan. If a disaster struck, it would be in shambles. That was where adventurers came in. With Field Walk, they could deliver supplies even when the roads were gone. It was a logical system for this world.
"Hmm..."
"While some elves might look down on humans, this is an emergency. The race and identity of participants won't be questioned."
Oh. My identity wouldn't be checked? That was good news.
They were desperate, after all. They probably didn't care who helped as long as they were useful. I didn't quite follow the logic of how elven prejudice led to no identity checks, but I wasn't going to complain. I assumed the Harz Duchy had a high elven population, and the receptionist thought I was hesitating because I was human. If there were no checks, then there was no problem.
Since Warp was essentially a superior version of Field Walk, I wouldn't run into trouble as long as nobody saw my Intelligence Card. In fact, refusing an emergency request for disaster relief might actually make me stand out more.
I decided to take the job.
"Fine. What do I need to do?"
"Please gather here tomorrow morning after you've had breakfast. There's no rush. The Harz Duchy will provide the personnel to load the supplies. Only the adventurer needs to come. Please make sure you have some space in your Item Box; being able to carry about a thousand items should be sufficient. We expect to finish delivering the supplies before evening."
A thousand items, huh?
Being just an Explorer might be pushing it, but if I ran out of space, I could just switch to my Cook job. Cooks had the Item Box Operation skill as well. With multiple jobs, I could clear that requirement easily.
Well, it couldn't be helped. They say a hypocritical act of kindness is still better than doing nothing at all. It would probably be better for my mental health to help some people out.
When I got home, I made our plans over dinner.
"Tomorrow, I have to go out on a request from the Adventurer Guild. After we spend some time in the Quratar Labyrinth early in the morning, I want you two to take the rest of the day off. You can spend it however you like. Roxanne, what do you want to do?"
"I get a day off?"
"That's the plan."
"Thank you very much! Let me see... Hmm."
Roxanne trailed off into thought. It looked like she might be a while.
"Sherry, is the library all right with you?"
"Eh? But the money..."
"I'll pay for the admission fee and the deposit."
"Is that really all right?" she asked anxiously.
I recalled that the deposit was one gold coin. Apparently, that was the standard for entering the library in the Imperial Capital. Since it was a deposit, I'd get it back eventually. If the admission fee itself was a gold coin, I would have had second thoughts.
"As long as the deposit is returned, it's not a problem."
"Th-thank you so much!" Sherry exclaimed, her voice bright with excitement.
She had wanted to go for a while now, so she was clearly thrilled.
"What about you, Roxanne? You can do anything. You don't have to decide until tomorrow if you want."
"I want to be useful to Master as quickly as Sherry is, so I was thinking of going to the labyrinth to train."
"No, no. Roxanne, you're already more than useful enough."
"Thank you, Master."
"If possible, I'd prefer if you rested well and avoided anything dangerous."
Going into the labyrinth alone to train... she was far too serious. Besides, Roxanne wouldn't gain much by herself. She benefitted from my 20x XP Gain when we were together, and she couldn't reach the higher floors on her own anyway. I didn't want her getting into trouble while I wasn't around.
"I understand. In that case, I'll relax at home and do some cleaning that I don't usually have time for."
"Please do. Oh, and I'll give you some pocket money so you can go shopping."
Roxanne loved shopping. She would definitely enjoy that.
"Pocket money?"
"Sherry, will five silver coins cover the library admission?"
"It was one hundred Nahl the last time I checked."
"I'll give you both five hundred Nahl for tomorrow. Spend it however you want."
My daily wage for the relief work was ten silver coins. Giving them the same amount felt like too much, but since I was being hired as a specialist, it seemed fair. Giving them each half of my daily wage felt like a reasonable balance.
"Are you sure?"
"I don't mind. Roxanne, you've been working hard. Use tomorrow to enjoy yourself."
"Thank you very much, Master!"
If I gave them too much, they might get carried away, but if I gave them too little, they wouldn't be able to do anything. Five silver coins wasn't enough for a big purchase, but it was plenty for several smaller things. It was a fair amount.
The two of them stayed up quite late talking that night. I suppose they were too excited to sleep. Making them happy was satisfying for me as well.
In the morning, Roxanne gave me a proper kiss, just like always. I savored her soft lips and warm tongue.
"Good morning, Roxanne. You're up early as usual."
"Yes. This is my most important duty of the morning."
She seemed to take that role very seriously. I felt a little guilty about it, but I certainly didn't dislike it. After Roxanne, Sherry gave me her morning kiss as well.
"Thank you. You two were up late last night. Are you going to be okay?"
"Um... were we being a nuisance?"
"No. I could only hear you faintly. It was actually like a lullaby to me."
"We didn't talk that late, so we'll be fine," Roxanne assured me.
We went to the labyrinth as usual, and after breakfast, we went our separate ways. I made Sherry craft a Misanga first—part of her training as a Master Smith. I had her make them twice a day, morning and night, but so far, we hadn't seen any empty skill slots.
"Okay, here are five silver coins for you."
"Yes. Since Sherry needs her admission fee, I'll give her three of these," Roxanne said, starting to split the coins.
"No, no. I'm giving Sherry five silver coins for herself."
"Eh? This much? Is that really okay?"
Apparently, they had thought it was five silver coins to share.
"It's fine."
"Thank you very much!"
"But the library admission doesn't cost that much..."
"You'll get thirsty if you stay there all day, Sherry. Just use it however you like."
I made sure she understood. I wasn't sure if five silver coins was too much, but considering the prices at the inn in Vale, it seemed like a decent amount.
"Shouldn't you wear your cloak?" Sherry advised.
I wondered why she was suggesting a cloak, but then it clicked. It wasn't raining here in Quratar, but the request was for flood relief, which meant it was raining there. I hadn't even noticed.
It would obviously be raining. If I showed up for flood relief without any rain gear, they'd wonder what I was thinking. I had narrowly avoided a total embarrassment.
"You're right. Thanks."
"Here, Master."
Roxanne pulled my cloak from the wardrobe. I took it and handed her the house key in exchange.
"Well, I'm off."
"Please take care!"
I donned the cloak and headed to the Imperial Capital with Sherry. I asked for directions at the Adventurer Guild and we walked to the library.
"Whoa."
"It's incredible."
The library of the Imperial Capital was a massive white building made of marble. It was a grand, elegant structure that towered over the surrounding area. It was a true temple of knowledge.
"It really is something," I agreed as Sherry looked up in awe.
In Japanese terms, it felt a bit like a lavish public facility a local government might have built during the bubble era. Since this was the capital, I doubted it was just for show, though.
Inside, there was a wide lobby. Adventurers were coming and going through the side walls, likely using them to teleport via Field Walk. The reception desk was right in the back, where they collected fees. Beyond it were rows of desks in a reading room.
I took out five silver coins and one gold coin and handed them to Sherry.
"Thank you so much."
"I'll come to pick you up a little after evening. If you're around this area when the sun starts to go down, I'll find you."
I pointed toward the reading room. The Imperial Capital was further east than Quratar. When the sun began to set here, it would still be late afternoon in Quratar.
"I understand. I'll be here."
I watched Sherry pay her fee at the desk and head inside. Once she was safely in, I used the library wall to fly back to the Quratar Adventurer Guild.
The disaster relief itself went off without a hitch.
First, the adventurers gathered in Bode Town, the heart of the Duchy. From the castle of Duke Harz, we were guided by the Duke's own adventurers to various rural villages. Once there, we were paired with a member of the Harz Duchy Knight Order to transport supplies back and forth.
The Duke's side had prepared both the personnel and the supplies in advance, so the adventurers didn't have much to do except for the actual transport. It was a simple job of jumping back and forth with Field Walk.
Or, in my case, Warp.
Since I was just going between the castle and village buildings, I didn't even really need the cloak. Aside from things like Rabbit Meat that could be stored in an Item Box, Field Walk could only carry small amounts of luggage. They didn't seem to be using the "half-body teleport" trick to move goods.
I made the trip dozens of times. The number of items I put into my Item Box was strictly monitored. Not that I intended to steal anything, but with a knight always present, I couldn't have done anything suspicious anyway. After about ten round trips between the castle and the village, we were finally given a break.
I slumped into a chair to rest. Using Warp twenty times in a row had definitely drained my MP.
There were many elves in the Harz Duchy Knight Order—a race characterized by their pointed ears and symmetrical, attractive faces. Every single one of them was gorgeous. Seriously, drop dead, you handsome bastards.
There was a female elf in her late fifties in my party who was an absolute knockout. If I had the Sex Fiend job equipped, I might have been in trouble. I suppose there was a reason the receptionist said identities wouldn't be checked.
Her face was youthful and beautiful, and while she was slender, she had curves in all the right places. And she was fifty-eight! The fact that you couldn't judge an elf's age by their appearance was a powerful thing. I found myself looking forward to seeing Roxanne when she was fifty-eight.
While I was lounging in my chair, staring absentmindedly at the elven grandmother, someone entered through the back door. Was it a patrol?
Duke Brocken Nordbraun Anhalt, Male, 35 years old. Paladin Lv 14. Equipment: Orichalcum Sword, Substitution Misanga.
Whoa.
It was the Duke himself. A Paladin with an Orichalcum Sword. He was wearing a cloak with the hood up, so his face was mostly hidden. He was wandering around aimlessly, without any attendants. Perhaps it was because he was inside his own castle.
He started heading my way. I realized it probably wasn't good to be slumped sloppily in a chair in front of a Duke. I didn't know the local etiquette, but this definitely wasn't it. I scrambled to my feet and bowed.
Execution for being rude... that was a terrifying thought.
"Do you recognize me? It's fine. I'm incognito," the Duke whispered, stepping quickly toward me.
I realized no one else was paying him any mind. I had overreacted. He was trying to stay under the radar, but my Appraisal had ruined his cover.
Since he said it was fine, I sat back down.
"Have you seen me somewhere before?" the Duke asked, sitting beside me. I had clearly piqued his interest.
I suppose if a stranger bows to you while you're wearing a hood and trying to hide, it's bound to raise questions. It would have been better if I had just ignored him.
"Ah, well... I believe I saw you once..."
"I see."
He backed off surprisingly easily when I tried to bluff my way through. For someone in his position, he probably got recognized by random people all the time. I was just glad he wasn't the type of shut-in lord who never showed his face.
"Your Excellency!" someone called out, running toward us.
"This is no good. We can't talk here. Follow me."
The Duke checked his surroundings and hurried away. My bow had drawn a bit of attention. I didn't really want to follow him, but he was already moving.
"I am Gosler of the Harz Duchy Knight Order. Would you please come this way?" the man who had been running said to me.
He gave a slight bow and gestured for me to follow. He was an elf with pointed ears and, naturally, he was incredibly handsome. He looked cool, his gestures were cool, and I bet his lines were cool too.
He should really just drop dead.
Gosler Nordbraun Anhalt, Male, 46 years old. Wizard Lv 61. Equipment: Staff of Himorogi, Substitution Misanga.
As expected of the Knight Order Commander. His level was high, and he had an advanced job.
"Understood."
When a man that cool asks you for something, you can't really say no. Not in a world like this.
"I'll be borrowing this adventurer for a while," the Commander told the other members of my party.
I followed the Duke. He led me through the halls of the castle. Despite the occasional torch, the hallways were dark—darker even than the caves of the labyrinth. I wondered if it was safe for him to show his back to an adventurer he didn't know. Well, technically I wasn't even an adventurer.
After a while, the Duke opened a door and stepped inside. It was a luxurious, carpeted room. There was an executive desk in the back and a sofa and table in the front. It felt like a CEO's office.
"This is my private room. Make yourself at home."
"I... I'm honored."
What was I supposed to say? I am deeply moved to behold your glorious countenance? I didn't know the right words, so I just sat on the sofa.
The Duke took off his cloak and sat at his desk. With the hood gone, I could see that he was indeed another elven heartthrob. Unnecessarily cool. I didn't know what kind of face to make.
Seriously, drop dead.
"This is my private room, so don't worry about formalities. Speak as you normally would."
"I... I understand."
"I dislike stiff language myself. There's no need for excessive politeness."
"Yes. Thank you."
He was using the royal 'we' in his own speech, but I supposed that was just how he was.
"My thanks for your help with the disaster relief. It's much appreciated."
"No, no."
"The snowmelt was a bit late this year, and it overlapped with the spring rains. The damage is worse than usual."
That made sense. They dealt with snowmelt every year, which was why they were so well-prepared with supplies.
"Excuse me," a voice said. There was a knock, and Commander Gosler entered.
"Ah, Gosler. Have a seat."
"Yes, Excellency. My thanks to you as well for your help today," the Commander said, bowing to me before sitting down.
Cool and polite. Life really isn't fair.
"Is it really all right to bring a mere adventurer into the Duke's private room?" I whispered to Gosler.
"Inside the castle, help is only a shout away. Besides, both the Duke and I wear Substitution Misangas. Even if we took a surprise hit, an assassination would be difficult."
"I see."
So they didn't need constant guards inside the castle. The Misanga would take the first hit, and the guards only had to prevent the second. It was a different kind of security.
"We nobles have a duty to clear the labyrinths in our lands," the Duke added. "Surprise attacks aside, we wouldn't keep our titles for long if we were easily defeated in a fair fight. What do you think? Do you want to try your luck against me?"
"No, certainly not."
What was wrong with this guy? I mean, I wanted him to drop dead, but not like that.
"I've heard he's quite the adventurer," Gosler noted. "He might actually give Your Excellency a challenge."
"I'm not that great..."
"Is he really that good?" the Duke asked, leaning in.
It was just a polite compliment, people!
"He's already finished delivering all the supplies to Tale Village."
"Hmm. Tale, you say?"
"Tale is the furthest village in the territory. Using Field Walk to get there is exhausting. We assigned three adventurers to that route, but the other two haven't even finished half their loads yet."
So I wasn't just on a break; I was actually done. No wonder the Commander was okay with me leaving.
Based on his explanation, Field Walk likely consumed MP based on the distance traveled. Going to a distant village would drain a normal adventurer quickly. But Warp didn't seem to have that distance penalty.
Or maybe it was because I was an Explorer-Hero-Mage-Cook with far more MP than a standard adventurer. Having Hero and Mage jobs equipped definitely boosted my maximum MP significantly. A normal adventurer who switched jobs would start back at level one and wouldn't have much MP to work with.
Maybe I had equipped too many jobs. I had thought about removing Hero, but kept it just in case I needed the Overwhelming skill. I hadn't even considered removing Mage.
Roxanne, Sherry, and I didn't usually notice the passive buffs like Vitality Increase (Medium), so I thought it was fine. But here was a pitfall I hadn't expected.
"You're a human, aren't you?" the Duke asked.
"Ah, yes."
"It seems there are some truly exceptional individuals among the humans."
You've got it all wrong, Your Excellency.
"Indeed, he is exceptional," Gosler agreed.
"Tell me, would you be interested in joining my Knight Order?"
"No, I'm... still in the middle of my training," I declined hurriedly.
I wasn't even an adventurer; I definitely didn't want to be hired as a knight. Besides, I thought elves looked down on humans.
"I see. Well, it can't be helped. If you ever find yourself in trouble, you should seek out Commander Gosler. There are elves who look down on humans, and we can be of assistance. We might even have a request for you in the future."
The Duke backed off easily. He seemed to have a very straightforward, frank personality. That was a relief. I suppose a man of his status didn't need to look down on others. Still, having a connection to the Duke and the Knight Order was a good thing. If I had met them sooner, I might have even sold them that Copper Sword of Obstruction.
"Well, I should probably get going. I might still have work to do."
I decided to cut the meeting short before I accidentally revealed something I shouldn't.
"Sorry for keeping you. You are dismissed."
"I've confirmed it with the other members. You've completed your duties for today, Michio. You're free to head home."
So that's why they had called it a "break" earlier—they were checking to see if I was actually finished since I'd worked so much faster than expected. They even knew my name, though I had given it when I signed up. Using a fake name would have been too risky.
Commander Gosler saw me back to the lobby. It seemed the rescue work was truly over for me. I left the Harz Duchy behind.
"Welcome home, Master!"
Roxanne greeted me when I returned shortly after noon. She was wearing her maid outfit. Specifically, she was a dog-eared maid. She was cute. Terrifyingly, dangerously cute.
"I-I'm home, Roxanne."
"Yes! You're back early."
It was the same outfit she’d worn when I first saw her, except I remembered her wearing a hat then. This was my first time seeing the dog ears in all their glory.
A maid outfit below, a beautiful face, and dog ears on top. Her soft, drooping ears were resting floppily on her head. Her face lit up with a brilliant smile the moment she saw me. The modest, high-quality fabric of the maid outfit covered her, yet it clearly betrayed the glamorous, supple body beneath. She looked graceful and soft, with a tantalizing elasticity. The white ruffles of her apron traced gentle curves, and I couldn't tell if they were hiding or emphasizing her chest.
"I finished faster than I expected."
"As expected of Master!"
Roxanne stepped behind me to help me out of my cloak. It felt a little ticklish.
"Thanks. But why the outfit?"
"Was it wrong? I heard this was the clothing one wears for housework like cleaning."
It wasn't wrong. It wasn't wrong at all, but something felt intensely right and intensely wrong at the same time. When she held the cloak in front of her, her chest was... well, it was doing things to my composure.
"You look... very cute in it. It suits you."
"Thank you very much!"
She was cute. Incredibly, irresistibly cute. I wanted to pull her close, to savor every inch of her.
"Roxanne, you really are the best."
I gave in to my desires and pulled her into a hug. Her rich chest yielded against me through the fabric of the maid outfit, sending a firm, elastic sensation back to me.
"Thank you, Master! Oh, while you were out, a messenger from Mr. Luke arrived. He said he successfully won the bid for the Skill Crystal: Mermaid."
"I see. Well, that can wait until tomorrow."
"Yes. Please, dote on me today," Roxanne whispered in my ear.
I found myself picking her up without thinking. I supported her back with my left hand and scooped up her knees with my right, cradling her in my arms. I could do it surprisingly easily.
Needless to say, I headed straight for the bedroom.
I ended up being a bit late to pick up Sherry.
I collected my daily wage at the Adventurer Guild and flew to the Imperial Capital's library. When I stepped out from the wall in the lobby, the area was much more crowded than it had been that morning. Sherry spotted me and came running.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"
"No, I just walked out myself."
"Perfect timing, then."
"It seems the library closes at sunset."
With the closing hour upon them, everyone was pouring out at once. I had been a little late, but it turned out for the best.
"So it's only open until evening, huh?"
"Here is the deposit."
"Hmm? Have you been drinking?"
Sherry's breath as she handed back the deposit was heavy with the scent of alcohol. It was actually quite strong.
"Yes. I had about five glasses of water."