Chapter 81
As I stood in line at the reception desk, the whispering voices around me were getting louder and wider .
There was very little pure praise, only jealousy-laden misgivings .
Mea only heard the convenient part, because she was fidgeting happily and flicking her black bear fur around her surroundings .
“Wouldn’t it be better to keep that hidden a bit longer?”
“Is that so?”
“Please, I’m serious . I’m sure it’s gonna be a disaster . ”
“Mmm, if Abel says…”
To be honest, as a novice, I don’t feel very comfortable .
I can’t keep my spirit up if I’m subjected to these kinds of stares every time .
But as long as I get the money, I don’t care .
From now on, I’ll just leave all the conversions to Mea .
It’s not that I’m looking for achievements or credibility .
But…… well…… it’s hard for Mea to keep it up too, isn’t it?
It’s not like all of them won’t touch me, like the drunk guy from earlier .
At this rate, it’s going to get worse as the days go by .
Is there anything we can do about it?
Should we just have a big fight and throw out a bunch of magic?
No, not so fast, me .
If you take it home with you every day, it will go away .
Right now, we can only bet on that possibility .
The Adventurer’s Support Center has a different kind of quiet atmosphere than before .
Although it had subsided somewhat since Mea had started to hold it hidden, it was only somewhat .
There are people who have finished their own business but are reluctantly sitting in the reception area and watching us .
In the uncomfortable space, it’s finally getting close to our turn .
The receptionist was an expressionless, clerical-looking woman .
Her hair is tied back tightly and her eyes look a little tight, giving the impression of cleverness .
“Kah, you’ve got some extra money in your pocket, lion! Shall I spend it quickly? Hey, sis, can I buy you a drink tonight?”
“I’m sorry, but the next one is waiting for you . If you’ve checked the numbers, please leave quickly . ”
“Tsk, not very friendly . It’s supposed to be a joke, so why do you have to be such an idiot to get it?”
She was unfazed by the adventurer who seemed to be picking on him .
She didn’t frown at any of the discarded words and seemed indifferent to them .
She still looks young, but she must be someone who’s used to it .
Good .
Maybe she will take in our intentions and end it quickly .
“Excuse me, I hunted a demonic beast that matches the characteristics of the mutant species that was requested to be killed…”
I told the receptionist, keeping my voice low .
Mea scurried around to check her surroundings and slowly placed the black bear’s ears on the desk .
“This, this is the “head-eating black fiend”! D-did you hunt it? May I see the report, if you don’t mind!”
The receptionist shouted excitedly and slammed the desk with both hands .
She was a complete mess .
I couldn’t help but look around the support center with a sideways glance .
The eyes of those around me who had been settled in were all looking at me at once .
“I hunted… or rather…… something, I think It might have been dying from the start……”
“The reports certainly match the sightings, too! Sorry, it’s a rare species, so please understand that it may take some time to identify it, is that alright?”
The receptionist talked fast and wound up talking .
She spat all over the desk .
“Also…… um, I’d like to check the nature of the fur, could I borrow it? We can process it for you as a service! And we’ll even offer you a top-up fee!”
Mea looks at me for approval and then hands the fur to the receptionist .
The fur is fine, but I need to hold my voice down a bit more .
It’s kind of ruining everything already .
“Oh, um…… a little quieter……”
“I know you’re busy, but please wait in the rest area for a moment! You will be approached later by us and asked to come to a special window on another floor!”
“………… Um”
“That’s a nice, sturdy fur! It has been hypothesized that it has a strong resistance to slashing, based on the reported cases, so if that’s true, then it should sell for a pretty good price! Please wait for that!”
The receptionist told me this as she leaned forward and guts posed at me .
“……………………”
There’s one thing I’ve learned .
The adventurers seem to be jealous of their peers, but from the staff’s side, it’s only a relationship of mutual cooperation and there’s not the slightest hint of jealousy, so they will inevitably be sparse .
It must have been a pure blessing, not a malicious intent .
The receptionist seemed to have finally noticed the change in atmosphere after a moment’s fuss .
She covered her mouth and blushed, interrupting a coughing fit before finally lowering the volume of her voice .
“I’m afraid I yelled a little too loudly . I’ve been a bit of a sloppy attitude, I’m ashamed . ”
…… It’s not like everyone is surprised because your voice is loud, but because of the content .
I really need to do some more counter-measure next time……
“What? What did the little shrimp over there do? Huh?”
When I turned around, a large man was on his way to me as he swept briskly through the crowd .
A large face, indigo hair, a furrowed beard, and wild, hairy arms .
It’s Gaston .
Gaston’s face was wrinkled as he was staring at me .
Three of his raggedy, smelly cronies follow Gaston down the path he’s cut through .
It’s a really troublesome time to be in trouble, and a really troublesome guy comes along .
“H-, hey, this is troubling! Gaston Gernando-san, I presume . You should have received a warning due to your several annoyances . If you do not retreat, heavy penalties will be imposed, including temporary suspension of your use of the Adventurer’s Support Center and banning you from all branches!”
The receptionist issues a warning over the counter .
Gaston frowns even more and moves his face closer to the receptionist .
“Shut your mouth . I’m here for the little bastard . And I’m trying to do something good for the institution, right?
“A-, a plus for this facility?”
“Yeah, that’s right . Sometimes there’s an asshole, like that kid over there, who tries to cheat his way up the ranks . ”
Gaston let out a deep sigh as he deliberately put his hand to his forehead and stared at me .
“This is the reason why people are buried that should be appreciated more, isn’t that right? Oh, come on, tell me, kid . How did you get it done with your puny frame? Huh? You’re looking down at the lower levels because the screening process is so lax, haven’t you?
…… Could this person who should be evaluated be referring to himself?
As I recall, the rumor I heard was that Gaston has been a semi-D-class level because he hadn’t shown any signs of movement in the last few years .
It’s at least from the C-class that he begins to catch the attention of the nobility .
While he was frustrated by the lack of movement even though he wanted to move up, he heard that I, who looked weak, had killed a high-risk demonic beast, so he came to make a complaint, assuming that it must be unfair .
“It’s our staff’s job to judge that, and not your…… . ”
“How many times do I have to tell you to shut the fuck up, you bitch! Because of your incompetence, I’m the one who’s going to punish you personally! If the “Head-Eating Black Fiend” was really a top C-class as per the presumed danger level, then of course there’s no way this little wimpy kid can hunt it! To think that they can’t understand such things, the staff are all idiots!”
One of the cronies forcefully picks up the report the receptionist was holding .
“Ah! Hey you, give it back!”
I ducked to dodge the receptionist’s outstretched hand .
“Ka-ha-ha! Come on, brother Gaston, this guy is a masterpiece!”
“Ohh~ . What kind of horseshit did they write in it?”
“Kihihi, this thing wants Brother Gaston to read it . I’ll need you to shout it out to the entire floor, please . ”
Not good, that report was written by Mea with her own sense of humor .
Mea is also half in tears as she slumps down .
I quietly took out my wand from my pocket and gripped it tightly .
No, but if I hit him with magic here, there would be a lot of problems……
The cronies hand the report to Gaston .
Gaston’s complexion suddenly turned even redder, his veins appeared and he punched his cronies .
“I said read it! You’re going to make fun of me for not being able to read!”
“I’m, I’m sorry……”
The crony crawled to the floor and picked up their own teeth that fell out of their mouths .
In the meantime, I waved my wand and imagined the magic circle .
“Oh wind, carry”
A breeze that came through quickly took the report and returned it to the receptionist’s hand .
“Eh, was that…… magic? So precise, and quick… . a-, a coincidence?”
The receptionist’s eyes widened as she stared at the report in her hand .
“I wouldn’t worry about it . I’ll take care of the trouble myself . As for the black bear’s reward and so on, I will come back to pick it up later when things have cooled down . Are you okay with that?”
“What? I, I’m fine with that…… but……”
I turn to Gaston and let the tip of my wand fall to the floor .
“I was just thinking that my spirit wouldn’t be able to hold on to this every time we go on like this, anyhow . Just in time . ”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why don’t we go outside to the back street and talk? I don’t want to be a spectacle anymore, so it’s one-on-one, with no audience . Mea will have to wait too . ”
“Me-, Mea too? Huh? Huh?”
Mea seems even more upset than before and compares me to Gaston in a daze .
“Gah-haha! This kid’s got more balls than I thought . Interesting . Hey you guys, wait here . ”
” ” “Ah, yes, brother Gaston!” ” “
The three cronies spoke up and replied .
Gaston and I walked out of the facility, side by side, with a mixture of opportunity and anxiety in our eyes .