The next morning, I look at the board to pick my next quest, and see a name I recognize.
“Eh… So the contest will be held there this time.”
“Waah!?”
I yell with surprise, because all of a sudden, Lela is right next to me. I didn’t even see her here.
The adventurers around us all look this way because of my yell.
“D-don’t scare me like that, Lela.”
I clear my throat with my face turning red.
Mars is next to Lela too. They’re always together, so they’re like a set menu.
“Hahaha, sorry Loyd. I didn’t think you’d be that surprised.”
“By the way sensei, it looks like Noir was the one who put out that quest.”
“Apparently. It’s asking for guards.”
I hand Mars the quest document, and Lela peeks at it too.
“Eh… Tetra island. Sounds nostalgic. I was young back then, and blundered a lot.”
“You blunder plenty now.”
“Quiet.”
They never change.
Mars gives me the quest document back, and I keep reading it.
I check the line where it says what monsters might appear, and it mentions stuff like metal slashers and flying jelly.
Metal slashers are large crabs that attack with their tough scissors.
Their breeding season starts around autumn, so they are usually seen near beaches.
Next, we have flying jelly, electric jellyfish monsters that float around in the air. When they see prey, they sit on their heads from above, and give them an electric shock. That tendency of theirs is dangerous.
Like metal slashers, these ones are also often seen in autumn.
The fishing contest is next Sunday, so we have to work on Saturday and Sunday.
From what I can tell from the document, we’re supposed to mop up monsters on Saturday, and act as security for the tournament the next day.
We’ll have to take down monsters and guard the participants, so it sounds like a lot to do.
They’re recruiting twenty adventurers from C to A rank, so if it goes well, that’s us plus seventeen more.
It also says that if more than twenty people accept the quest, they’ll draw lots, but they are prioritizing higher ranks. Good thing I ranked up.
“Are you accepting it, sensei?”
“It’s urgent, and there aren’t any others, so I was planning on it. What about you two?”
“I want to study magic from you, so yes.”
Says Lela.
“There won’t be swimsuits or anything this time, Lela.”
“No no, I have a very serious and proper reason. Wait, didn’t I just say what it was? Loyd, you pervert.”
Says Lela with a frown.
“If Lela’s accepting, so am I.”
Mars is in too.
“We’ve got three people right here. They need twenty, so should we add more?”
“It’s the guildmaster of Luminous, so surely she’s recruiting somewhere else too. I don’t really know though.”
“That’s Loyd. You like saying stuff you don’t know.”
“I grew up in Minerva, so I became irresponsible like that.”
“I wasn’t complimenting you. How did you take that positively?”
“Sensei’s just an airhead like that sometimes.”
Both laugh with a soft mood in the air.
Then we go to the reception desk to accept the quest, and leave the guild.
◆ ◆ ◆
The day of the quest.
Once we arrive, we see fifteen more people who accepted it.
It didn’t hit the twenty mark, but considering this is a remote town, it’s still good.
Also, there might be more that haven’t arrived yet.
“Oh, Mars!”
“And Lela. You accepted the quest too?”
Six boys and girls around Mars and Lela’s age come over. I don’t remember ever seeing them in the adventurer guild in Minerva.
“Hey!”
“You’re looking cute as always, Lela. I just want to take you with me.”
“You say that every time you see me.”
“But you’re so cute.”
“Remember that knife I got from you, Mars? It was really sharp. John said he wants one too, so can you order more?”
“I’m not a merchant… But I can make an order by Wednesday.”
“Thanks!”
They all start chatting, and since it’s all stuff that’s about them, I’m completely left out.
I was going to become a more cheery person, but I’m not used to joining a conversation when it suddenly breaks out.
One guy then notices me.
“Mars, do you know him?”
“Ah, sorry sensei, I should’ve introduced them.”
“It’s okay. Are they adventurers from Luminous?”
“Yes, they are. They help us sometimes with quests near Luminous.”
“That’s how we met too.”
Adds Lela.
“So they’re all B rank?”
“No, that’s just me and Lela. They’re all C rank.”
“Don’t brag, Mars. You only got promoted thanks to Lela.”
“Nah, I tried really hard too!”
The guy teases Mars, and he responds with a tone fitting for his age.
“We want to be B rank too.”
“We sure do.”
“Yes.”
“But cyclopes are so strong.”
“Yeah.”
It sounds like they tried more than once.
I have a few questions about the part about cyclopes being strong, but I don’t feel the need to point it out. They wouldn’t like that.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Loyd.”
I say with a bow, and the young ones in front of me are all surprised.
“Eh!? That Loyd!?”
“The legendary great mage that’s the pride of Merzelia!? E-excuse us!”
“Kyaaah! He’s better looking than I heard.”
“I didn’t know you were so young. I didn’t think you’d be our age.”
It’s their first time seeing my face, but they know me.
Wait, legendary great mage? When did I leap that high?
It’s definitely Isolte’s fault. Exaggerating like that…
An awkward smile forms on my face.
“Loyd… No, Mister Loyd, it is an honor to meet you! Please give me your autograph!”
“Hey, no fair Neville! I want an autograph too!”
“I never dreamed of doing a quest with the great mage! Can I also have your autograph?”
Then, the other adventurers notice all the fuss here too.
“What’s going on over there?”
“It’s Mister Loyd!”
“““Eh!? Are you serious!?”””
Waaaaaah! People, not just adventurers, but just people walking around the harbor, rush this way.
I can’t handle this so early in the morning!
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