Fun Adventurer Registration, Character Roll!

“Many things happened, but this Guild’s rules remain unchanged. ‘Those who come are not refused, and those who leave are not forgiven.’ In accordance with this principle, we welcome you.”

Ahem. A beauty wearing a uniform resembling a suit sat shallowly on the sofa and cleared her throat.

“…Yes, thank you. It seems we can finally accomplish our original purpose.”

Lazaar nodded at the beauty’s words while pressing a hand to his brow.

“Yes, truly, I understand how you feel… You must be going through quite a lot.”

The Guild Master and Lazaar nodded to each other. Both of them looked terribly exhausted.

“L-Lazaar, you look really tired. Are you okay?”

Tooyama called out to Lazaar, while he himself remained relatively carefree.

“Heh… I’m fine. Since this morning, I got caught up in a dispute between transcendent beings, was put in the same room as a dragon, and feel like I witnessed the beginning of a war between a dragon and the Church, but everything is no problem, Naruhito.”

“…We can only pray for the Female Bishop-sama’s safety. I strongly hope she lives on.”

“Ah, so it really becomes that kind of thing? Why did it turn into that again?”

The man who had been caught up in the skirmish between a hero and a dragon still did not quite understand the gravity of the situation.

His feeling was only about the level of: I got caught up in a fight between dangerous people. That was scary.

However, the Guild Master and Lazaar, who properly understood common sense in this world, were not like that.

“…Pardon me for asking, but is he always like this?”

The Guild Master stared at Tooyama with eyes like she had found a slug in the bathroom.

“Yes… He has been like this since I met him.”

Lazaar nodded weakly, gazing somewhere far away.

“That is… You have my sympathies. I understand the hardship you must feel…”

“I thank you for your concern, Guild Master-dono.”

Lazaar and the Guild Master nodded to each other, quietly sharing something.

“Huh, what, hold on. What’s with that guardian-of-a-troublesome-child act, Lazaar-kun?”

Tooyama tilted his head and asked, but—

“So, Guild Master-dono, as the dragon said, we came here to become adventurers. Many things happened, but there should be no issue with the registration itself, correct?”

Lazaar smoothly ignored Tooyama’s attempt to get involved and continued the conversation.

“Completely ignored?! Why, Lazaar! Huh, what, are you a little angry? Hey.”

“Yes, of course. In the Adventurers’ Guild, unless one has a clear criminal record in the Empire, and unless that crime is particularly heinous, we basically do not question one’s past. Yes, provided there is no criminal record in the Empire.”

Leaving the shouting Tooyama aside, the Guild Master answered Lazaar while wiping her glasses.

“Heh, I see. As expected of the Guild Master of Agatra, the adventure city. You are not just for show.”

The Guild Master’s gaze was sharp enough to pierce, but Lazaar quietly smiled and parried it.

“Not at all. The situation in the Kingdom always reaches the adventure city and the Imperial Capital whether we like it or not. …The fact that you are here tells me that the Kingdom’s intelligence network has also weakened considerably.”

“That country is not as broad-minded as the Empire. The royal family clings to old blood, and the nobles find value only in vested interests. The hearts of the people are荒れ, and the country is in disorder. It is quite different from the Empire.”

Lazaar’s voice lowered slightly.

“Our country has many beings who should serve as examples, beginning with dragons. However, I hear that the Kingdom’s Guild is still quite spirited.”

“Spirited, you say. Yes, in reverse, that country is likely in a state where it has staked everything on reaching the depths of the Sea of Trees. To the point that the Adventurers’ Guild is even used as a convenient cover for abandoning people.”

That self-mocking laugh was perhaps a small nostalgia for Lazaar’s own homeland, or rather, the country where the settlement he happened to be born in had existed.

“…I see. So that was how it was. I repeat, we do not refuse those who come. As long as you do not become a ‘Shadow Fang’ in the Empire, we welcome you. One of the scaled folk, close to dragons, child of Teeth.”

The Guild Master seemed to infer the current state of the Kingdom from Lazaar’s words. She let out a breath and concluded her response with strange words.

“Oh, Guild Master-dono is quite learned. It has been a long time since I was called that. Hehe.”

Lazaar laughed a little pleasantly.

“…Leaving aside the prejudice and contempt toward you Lizardonians that spreads throughout the Empire, no, throughout the human nations, I have no particular thoughts about you as an individual. As Guild Master, I hope you will contribute your abilities to the Guild.”

Lazaar and the Guild Master, two people who understood the tempo and exchange of adults, continued speaking quietly.

“…Huh.”

The one with his mouth hanging open blankly was Tooyama Naruhito. Where had the dangerous atmosphere he had shown earlier gone?

The man, whose switch was completely off, stared at their exchange with a face that did not suggest intelligence.

“What is it, Naruhito?”

Lazaar spoke to Tooyama, whose face was simply too much.

“No, I just thought it’s rare for you to talk this much, Lazaar.”

Tooyama answered carefreely. The current Tooyama looked like he was using only the shallowest part of his brain, about one centimeter deep.

“Heh, even I sometimes want to speak with an intellectual person.”

“Huh? Sometimes? That’s strange. You talk with me every day, don’t you?”

What was this guy saying, when an incarnation of intellect was right here?

Tooyama tilted his head at Lazaar’s words, looking genuinely puzzled.

“…I’m sorry, Guild Master-dono. He is, well, not a bad person.”

After making a face as though he had eaten something that really did not suit his palate, Lazaar for some reason lowered his head to the Guild Master across from him.

“Y-yes. I truly understand your concern and mental burden.”

The Guild Master likewise lowered her head to Lazaar. Her face was gentle.

However, neither of them tried to meet Tooyama’s eyes.

“Huh? Why is that? Lazaar and Miss Big Sister won’t look me in the eye.”

“Ahem. Then let us move to the main topic. May I explain the Adventurers’ Guild, and by extension, adventurers?”

“Yes, please do.”

“Huh, ignoring me? …Yes, please.”

“First, what kind of existence is an adventurer? You, as a Lizardonian, Lazaar-shi, likely already know this, but an adventurer refers to a laborer officially licensed by the Adventurers’ Guild. Through our Guild, adventurers work day and night as a key industry of the Empire.”

“So merely calling oneself an adventurer is not enough.”

“Yes. Frankly, because of the nature of the work, many who choose the profession of adventurer are hot-blooded people or people with violent natures. Those who boast of strength without control are no different from bandits. The difference between beasts like them and adventurers is whether they understand pride and rules. To put it another way, that is about the only clear distinction between adventurers and those criminals.”

“Oh, that is quite harsh, Guild Master-dono.”

“I do not intend to disparage adventurers. Adventurers, who inherited the hunter system that existed before and during the Great War and contribute to national administration, are an important foundation of the Empire. However, I believe they must also be aware that they are dangerous instruments of violence.”

“Yes, I agree. From systems such as adventurer slavery and all the rest, many of them are quite cruel.”

“I am glad you understand. While supporting adventurers’ activities, we of the Guild also bear the role of controlling them and acting as a breakwater for society.”

“Well, in short, outlaws. Officially recognized ruffians. Briefly put, that is what adventurers are.”

“Officially recognized ruffians, huh. Hehe, no doubt about it.”

“Next, I will explain the main work of adventurers and the reward system. Basically, adventurers from fourth rank to second rank are freelancers. Aside from some exceptions, there are no binding orders from the Guild. Each day, you personally choose and accept requests that come into the Guild.”

“Hmm, that part is the same as the Kingdom. Pardon me, but what kinds of requests are there?”

“Yes, basically, anything and everything would be the most appropriate way to put it. They range from commissioned work beginning with cleaning for fourth-rank adventurers, to subjugation requests for first-rank adventurers, sewer cleaning, and eliminating threats around the city. They are wide-ranging.”

“I see. From searching for lost children to subjugating monsters, being the nation’s odd-job worker is the same in both the Kingdom and the Empire.”

“Yes. From garbage that does not move to garbage that moves and talks—pardon me, cleaning up bandit and thief groups wanted by the Empire is also one of the jobs that comes to the Adventurers’ Guild. However, as a rule, subjugation requests can only be accepted starting from third-rank adventurers, so please keep that in mind.”

Garbage that does not move. The Guild Master spun harsh words with a beautiful smile. Had bandits or whatever they were caused her trouble?

Tooyama suddenly spoke up.

“Hm? Then does that mean while you’re fourth rank, there are almost no battlefields or life-and-death fights?”

Subjugation requests, in other words, work that took lives, began from third rank. That was what caught Tooyama’s attention.

“No, that is by no means the case. The Guild encourages monster hunting in hunting grounds around the city, especially in the plains region outside the walls. It is not particularly forbidden for adventurers to challenge monsters not included in requests at their own responsibility.”

“Huh, I see, I see. This organization is harsher than I thought. So the value of life is low.”

The Guild Master’s words.

At their own responsibility. Not forbidden. In other words, if it was not in the form of a request, the Guild did not care whether they challenged monsters and died or whatever happened.

It likely meant that those weak in both mind and strength, who could not judge their own abilities, were unnecessary.

Conversely, even without power, if one could use one’s head a little, one could build experience through safe requests.

A system that naturally filtered people out. Tooyama noticed the cold rationality that likely could never be accomplished on a social foundation like the modern age, where the system called human rights was protected to an excessive degree.

“…As expected, you are not merely a strange person. I now understand a little why the dragon takes notice of you.”

The Guild Master seemed to realize that Tooyama had noticed that system, and her eyes narrowed slightly in amusement.

“Huh, am I being praised? Or insulted?”

“Ahem. To summarize, adventurer work is broadly divided into two methods. One is the method I just explained, accepting requests, completing them, and receiving reward money. The other is hunting. Without accepting requests, adventurers hunt monsters in land managed by the Guild or in undeveloped land, then sell the materials to the Guild and receive payment.”

The Guild Master ignored Tooyama’s question with a cough and continued her explanation calmly.

“You may think of those two, requests and hunting, as the main forms of adventurer work.”

“Huh, so it’s like free exploration. Does hunting mean you can hunt as much as you want without permission?”

Because a similar system had existed in the management of modern dungeons, Tooyama understood quickly. He asked his question concisely.

“No. Even monsters are important beings that form part of the ecosystem. The Adventurers’ Guild and the Empire emphasize maintaining that balance as much as possible. Although there is no strict crackdown, even in the case of hunting, an application at the counter is required.”

“I see. The administration is solid. …By the way, where are the monsters hunted through hunting wholesaled to—”

Tooyama’s question.

The eyes behind the Guild Master’s glasses wavered slightly.

“All monsters hunted by adventurers are entrusted to the Guild. …As a rule, they are usually wholesaled through the Guild to the Merchants’ Guild and merchants in various places.”

“Usually… As a rule… you say.”

Tooyama did not miss that slight stagnation in her words. Though he was not intimidating, his attitude requested further explanation.

“Hah… You are quite sharp-eyed. Yes, although the Guild does not particularly prefer it, as an exception, we allow adventurers to negotiate monster materials directly only with merchants officially recognized by the Merchants’ Guild. However, those people are seasoned masters when it comes to negotiation. Many adventurers are forced into lower prices, so I cannot recommend it.”

“No, no, I see. I appreciate the warning. This system is really far more organized than I expected.”

Tooyama smiled inwardly.

Certainly, considering the effort, selling to the Guild was fastest, but direct negotiation with merchants meant that it was possible to build personal connections.

For now, Tooyama and the others’ goal was only to secure living expenses, but for their final purpose, there was no harm in building connections with merchants early.

Patterns and future action plans came together one after another. Thinking about how to manage life was not something Tooyama particularly disliked.

“…It would help us if you could wholesale monster materials through the Guild whenever possible. Their materials form the basis of life, including food, luxury goods, and indulgence goods, among many other things. It would not be an exaggeration to call them a key industry that makes up the nation known as the Empire. Standardizing those materials is also one of our duties.”

“Yes, of course, of course. I won’t oppose the Guild. Since we’ll be relying on you, we’ll fulfill our obligations.”

In short, she meant do not overdo it.

From the conversation, Tooyama guessed that controlling the market price of monster materials or whatever they were was also one of the Guild’s jobs.

“Yes. In addition, the most common cause of death among fourth-rank adventurers is hunting. In pursuit of sudden wealth, they target monsters they cannot handle, are wiped out, and often leave no bodies behind.”

“Yeah, I see. People think the same everywhere.”

It was the same in modern dungeons.

During the dawn of the explorer system, though that meant the first year, there was also a time when explorers tried to defeat monster species beyond their abilities in order to make big money.

Monster Species No. 87, the Grassland Great Ground Spider.

It was a ground spider that lurked in the earth and was as huge as a two-story house.

Because its spider silk became a material for newly developed shock-absorbing fibers, its market transaction price soared all at once. If he remembered right, three hundred centimeters of spider silk was worth enough to build a house in a developed country.

Well, people died and died.

He remembered well how many explorers who had lost their fear through alcohol became snacks for the Grassland Great Ground Spider.

In the end, in response to that, the Explorers’ Guild introduced a contact-prohibition system for monster species, and the boom should have ended.

“I really did reckless things back then…”

Of course, Tooyama had been one of the fools whose eyes had been blinded by greed. There was only one difference between him and the majority of fools blinded by greed. Tooyama did not become a snack and survived. That was all.

Though killing one in a one-on-one fight had been fine, in the end, a second and third one crawled out of the ground, drawn by the smell of blood, so he abandoned the materials and fled, ending in a foolish conclusion.

“Naruhito?”

“O-oh, sorry, sorry. I was just soaking in memories a bit.”

“…Therefore, until you have sufficient ability, I believe the shortest path to success is basically to accept requests and build steadily. Requests are also ranked in the same way as adventurer ranks, and you can only accept requests of your own rank or one rank higher. In other words, the system is designed so each person can accept something appropriate to their station.”

“So fourth rank can accept up to third-rank requests. I see. Unlike the Kingdom’s Guild, this one is properly maintained. I understand the secret behind the Empire’s national strength.”

“I am honored, Shadow Fang—no, Lazaar-shi.”

“Heh, you are quite wicked, Guild Master-dono.”

The two quietly smiled at each other.

Amid the somewhat good atmosphere, only Tooyama was left out of that mood.

“…Lazaar, are you maybe pretty popular with women?”

“Who knows? I’ve never thought about it.”

“That’s the line of someone who is popular!”

Tooyama stared wide-eyed at Lazaar, who said it so casually.

Tooyama was not popular. Even though he had a fair amount of money, and in his own self-perception, his personality should have been good, he was terrifyingly unpopular.

“Ahem. Then, that concludes the general explanation regarding adventurers. You both wish to register as adventurers, correct?”

The Guild Master tightened the atmosphere again.

“Yes, please.”

“Please!”

“Then let us begin the procedure. Uno, please.”

“Yes. Excuse me, Guild Master.”

The door to the room opened soundlessly. A woman entered wearing a uniform similar to the Guild Master’s: a simple white shirt and black suspender trousers.

A boyish short-haired beauty opened a binder in front of Tooyama and the others.

“…What is this? Documents?”

Tooyama looked at it and murmured. Many dancing letters, and a blank space for writing a name. He guessed it was some sort of contract.

“Yes, it is an adventurer contract. Ah, please be assured that it does not have true compulsory force like the Pledge Scroll that touched the dragon’s reverse scale earlier. Please read the contents carefully, and if you agree, sign it. Once that is done, the two of you will officially be adventurers.”

“This is a thick contract. Does anyone read all of it?”

Lazaar narrowed his eyes as he flipped through the binder page by page.

“No, unfortunately, no one reads through all of it. However, adventuring is a lifelong occupation. Once one becomes an adventurer, one becomes an existence responsible to society. It is only natural that the contractual terms would be somewhat numerous.”

Shaking her head, the Guild Master continued speaking. Her intellectual eyes continued staring at Tooyama and Lazaar as though appraising them.

“Hmm, I see. From second rank onward, one can rent real estate managed by the Adventurers’ Guild. In addition, a regular salary of one gold coin per month, assistance from various Guilds… I am surprised. As expected of the Empire.”

Lazaar quietly returned the documents to the desk and exhaled.

“…You read quite quickly.”

The Guild Master murmured to Lazaar quietly, though her eyes widened slightly.

“Well, because of my previous job. Naruhito, I have no particular objections to the contract. In summary, it seems you can properly receive benefits as an adventurer from second rank onward. Fourth rank and third rank are treated the same as day laborers.”

“Yes. Therefore, the Guild also hopes to increase the number of second-rank adventurers, in other words, people capable of performing the minimum work expected of adventurers, and we have adopted such a system.”

Lazaar summarized the contents of the documents for Tooyama. He waited for Tooyama’s opinion and remained silent.

“…I can’t read it.”

Tooyama let out a small but groaning voice. Staring intently at the document, his eyes darted over the text, but he could not understand a single character written there.

“What?”

“Oh my, that is unexpected.”

“No way. What the hell are these letters, cursive taken into another dimension?”

He could understand even less than the cursive notes written by a Russian explorer. At the very least, they resembled none of the writing systems Tooyama knew.

If he had to say it, it was completely cursive. Rather than letters, they almost looked like drawings.

“It is the standard Unified Language. Naruhito, you cannot read?”

“…Hmm, seems like it. Come to think of it, I was used to Babel’s Great Pit’s common language phenomenon and forgot, but how does my language sound to you, Lazaar?”

“Like normal Unified Language.”

“Huh, Unified Language, huh.”

Tooyama felt a sense of discomfort at those words.

He had not seriously investigated this world yet, but “Kingdom” and “Empire” had come up in conversations, as well as information about maritime trade that he had heard at Drako’s embassy.

At the very least, two countries existed on different continents, and yet there was one language. Since Lazaar, who seemed to have been active in the Kingdom, could handle writing, this Unified Language or whatever must be exactly what its name implied.

Moreover, in a world with beastfolk, lizard people, and a variety of races that would surprise even America, it was called Unified Language.

It smelled suspicious and somehow made him uneasy. Tooyama began sinking into a swamp of thought—

“…Pardon me, but if you wish, we can also read it aloud or write on your behalf.”

“Hmm, no, I trust Lazaar’s judgment. This is taking more time than I expected, and I want to get to work soon. Uh, the name goes here?”

“Y-yes, if you would fill it in there…”

“Are you sure? Naruhito, if you cannot read, that means you cannot write either, doesn’t it?”

A man who could not read would naturally be unable to write. The reaction around him was only natural.

Certainly, Tooyama could not write this world’s letters. But there were letters he was used to writing.

“Ah, crap. I just wrote it normally.”

“Tooyama Naruhito.”

In the explorer business, applications were especially frequent, and at the Nihon branch of the Explorers’ Guild, paper documents were still used often. Following that habit, he had reflexively written his name on the document in Nihon language.

“Crap, this won’t work, right?”

The writing systems were different. There was no point in writing Nihon language.

Tooyama stared at his own name, which he had written with a quill.

“Well… Hehe, you are rather wicked.”

However, the reaction of the Guild Master and Lazaar was different from what Tooyama had expected.

“These letters… Don’t tell me, Naruhito, this is a name?”

The Guild Master covered her mouth and laughed pleasantly, while Lazaar stared wide-eyed between Tooyama and the document.

“Huh? Ah, yeah.”

Tooyama nodded to Lazaar, who looked somehow impressed.

What was this reaction? As Tooyama furrowed his brow at their not-bad reactions—

“Hehe, despite saying you cannot read Unified Language, to think you are versed in ancient Nihon language. As expected of someone so favored by the Dragon Shrine Maiden-sama. Pardon me, but where did you learn Nihon language?”

“…Ancient Nihon language?”

His bad premonition accelerated with a direct hit. At that moment, existing memories ran through Tooyama’s mind.

Space, apes, planet, Statue of Liberty…

Could this possibly be that pattern of otherworld reincarnation? No, but—

Tooyama froze and lowered his gaze.

“Hehe, you are being mean. Hehe, please tell me again when you feel like saying it.”

The Guild Master, who seemed to have misunderstood his state, smiled at Tooyama in a voice filled with definite friendliness.

“Amazing, Naruhito. If you can write your own name, you could probably teach at a university, couldn’t you?”

“Huh? Are you indirectly making fun of me?”

He stopped his racing thoughts for now. He would investigate such things after he had room in his life. Tooyama deliberately played the fool and dodged Lazaar’s words.

“Hehe, then I have certainly received both of your signatures. From this moment on, the two of you are adventurers belonging to this adventure city, Agatra. We welcome you.”

“Yes.”

“Thanks.”

“Yes. Then, now that you have officially become adventurers, you will finally undergo an aptitude test.”

The Guild Master smiled as she received the documents.

“Aptitude test? Like a psychological test or counseling?”

For some reason, he remembered his explorer days, when only he frequently received notices from the Guild about tests and counseling.

“No, it is not a test or anything of that sort. In the Guild, grasping the abilities of adventurers is also part of our work. By knowing levels, skills, aptitude, and the like, the Guild can assign appropriate rankings, and adventurers can use their understanding of their current position for growth and job selection. Uno?”

“Yes, it is already ready. Heave-ho.”

At the Guild Master’s call, the woman called Uno brought over a wagon that had been placed in the corner of the room.

She slowly placed a cloth-covered box on the table and opened it.

“What’s this? A crystal?”

Inside the box, which was packed with cushions, was a sphere like one used by a fortune-teller, a crystal ball. It was about the size of a human head, slightly tinged with purple, and the light from the window passed through it.

“The Character Roll, a grave good of Harvey, a Knowledge Familiar, whose ownership by the Adventurers’ Guild is permitted by the Angel Church. Lazaar-shi, is it familiar to you?”

The Guild Master smiled at Lazaar.

“Yes. But this is my first time seeing a crystal this large. As expected of the Angel Church headquarters.”

Lazaar answered with a mumble, his face looking as though he had remembered something unpleasant.

Tooyama watched him, then realized. This man, who had read through countless otherworld reincarnation stories and was thoroughly immersed in subculture, had good intuition.

The Adventurers’ Guild, aptitude, and an expensive-looking crystal. With those, there was only one possibility.

“…Wait. Don’t tell me this can tell levels, skills, and all that stuff Lazaar mentioned?!”

With sparkling eyes and rough breathing, Tooyama looked at Lazaar, then at the Guild Master. His pupils were distorted and shining.

“…Naruhito, sometimes you suddenly get excited. Um, you should calm down when there are other people around.”

“Ah, haha, excuse me. Uh, but, wow. So statuses and levels and stuff really exist. Nice, I don’t dislike those standard tropes, yeah.”

Lazaar’s warning, however, could not stop the excitement of an ignited otaku.

Tooyama liked games that allowed character creation and skill allocation. He was the type of otaku who got excited just from seeing a skill tree in a game trailer.

And now, he could visualize that sort of thing for himself, with himself as the subject. There was no way his excitement would not rise.

“I am sorry. He sometimes, well… loses himself. It would help if you simply left him be.”

Though they had known each other only a short time, Lazaar had begun to understand what kind of person Tooyama was and had already given up.

“Y-yes, I understand. He is someone favored by a dragon. Um, it is only natural that there would be some unusual parts.”

The Guild Master also took an adult attitude and did not mind it.

“Woohoohohohehehehehe, I’m so excited for my status. What if I have something amazing? Damn.”

And the most childish man in the room kept raising his excitement as if he had no idea about the adults’ attitudes, and finally began laughing while drooling.

“T-then, which of you would like to be examined first?”

“Lazaar, you go first.”

“…Are you sure? You look like you’re itching to try it quickly.”

Tooyama suddenly acted calmly and gave Lazaar the first turn. Lazaar looked at Tooyama with the eyes of someone seeing an obviously dangerous person.

“I’m the type who eats the school lunch pudding last. Just hurry up.”

“Yes, yes, I understand. Do I place my hand over it?”

Lazaar quickly gave up on arguing and moved his gaze from Tooyama to the Guild Master.

“Yes. This crystal will output a part of the information on all life in this world owned by the Knowledge Familiar. …Please rest assured, Lazaar-shi. It is only a part, not everything.”

“Hah. Which of us is truly wicked, I wonder.”

Lazaar slightly twisted his mouth, stood up, and held his palm over the crystal.

The abnormality occurred immediately.

Clearly, the crystal began to shine. The light swayed like fish swimming through water, and purple light filled the room.

“Whoa, it’s glowing…”

The light was strangely not dazzling, and Tooyama watched while suppressing his rising excitement.

“…It is rare for the crystal to shine this much. The more information there is, the brighter it shines, but this is…”

“………………”

The purple light drifted through the room for a while.

“HEY!! Listen!”

“Hmm, it has begun.”

“Ah, no good. I can’t read it.”

Letters appeared on the crystal. Unfortunately, to Tooyama, they were still unreadable letters, but Lazaar and the others seemed able to read them.

“Quiet. Uno, prepare to transcribe.”

“Leave it to me!”

While feeling left out by the excitement around him, Tooyama also stared at the crystal.

The letters danced.

“Huh? It has a voice.”

“Naruhito.”

“Ah, sorry.”

He could not read the letters, but a voice resounded after that. Good, he could more or less understand it like this. Tooyama obediently went silent and began staring at the crystal.

The letters danced.

The letters suddenly vanished.

At the same time, the voice that had been resounding, a voice strangely similar to one he remembered hearing somewhere, also stopped.

“…It does not feel very good. I feel like I have been stripped naked.”

Lazaar leaned back against the sofa and let out a large sigh.

“Hehe, the power of an angel’s familiar is beyond our understanding, so it cannot be helped. From the crystal’s information, it seems Lazaar-shi is indeed a scout type. Is registering that with the Guild acceptable?”

“Yes, I do not mind. Either way, I am good at detection and stealth. Is that fine with you too, Naruhito?”

“Scout… So roles are clearly divided?”

“Yes. For adventurers, the Guild also sets classes separate from ranks according to each person’s aptitude. It is convenient because class selection can be used when recruiting party members. Then, next is Tooyama-shi. Are you ready?”

“O-oh.”

His turn had come. It felt like the end of waiting in line for a roller coaster.

With excitement and a little fear, Tooyama licked his lips.

“Then please hold your hand over it. The crystal will treat your information as a status.”

“I’m so excited.”

What if I have some crazy skill or special move? No, no, no, maybe magic or something.

That’s standard, right? This is another world reincarnation, after all. Or transfer? Ah, living is fun.

Tooyama, whose IQ had fallen considerably, waited with a grin.

He waited for the crystal to glow brightly.

Waited…

“…Huh?”

It did not glow. Even though Tooyama was holding his hand over it, nothing happened to the crystal.

“Nothing comes out? Guild Master-dono, what is this?”

“No, that cannot be… How strange. This has never happened before…”

The Guild Master tilted her head. The woman serving beside her also tilted her head, while the lord, who had been knocked out earlier, remained unconscious and snored away.

It was a broken display. Light blinked intermittently, flash, flash.

“…Huh?”

“What is this text?”

Tooyama could not read the letters, but Lazaar, who saw them, let out a suspicious voice.

“Huh, hey, what? What happened? I can’t read it. I can’t read it.”

“Quiet, Naruhito.”

“Ah, it’s glowing agai—”

The letters vanished.

He still could not read them, but somehow, it felt like the letters had been even more chaotic than during Lazaar’s turn.

“…I can’t read it. Was it good?”

Tooyama asked fearfully, but no one said a word.

The woman who had been recording it in a notebook glanced at Tooyama for an instant, then immediately looked away. As if averting her eyes from a dangerous person.

“Guild Master, I could hardly read it. The letters were distorted or broken… What was that? Does this happen often?”

Lazaar asked the Guild Master in a voice lower than usual. His gaze was sharp.

“…This is the first time anything like this has happened… A malfunction of the grave good? Garbled text, incomprehensible output… Uno.”

The Guild Master’s expression hardened, and she called briefly.

“…Ah! Y-yes, Guild Master. I have copied everything word for word, including the garbled and incomprehensible parts. Should I store it in the strictly secured section of the archive?”

Though she had been a little dazed, the woman reacted sharply to the Guild Master’s words.

“Yes, that will be fine. …I apologize, Tooyama-shi. It seems the grave good is somewhat malfunctioning… There is no issue with your adventurer registration, but may we conduct an accurate aptitude test another day?”

“Ah, okay, okay. Huh, I can’t read any of it, but things like that happen, huh? But wasn’t the voice function working properly?”

There must have been some defect after all. The voice also somehow sounded more displeased than during Lazaar’s turn. It was unfortunate that he could not know the small details, but as someone who enjoyed fantasy, merely being present at a place where skills and the like were actually checked was moving enough—

“Hm?”

Tooyama noticed something strange.

The air in the room had clearly stiffened.

Lazaar looked at Tooyama and tilted his head.

The lord remained fast asleep.

And the Guild Master and the other scribe had clearly hardened their faces.

“…Voice…? The Character Roll has no such function.”

“Huh?”

A chill ran down his spine.

“Naruhito, what are you talking about? This crystal has no voice function. At least, I heard nothing.”

“Huh? No, no, no, no. Stop joking. A voice came out every time letters appeared in the crystal, right? Like the origin of Lazaar’s name, or something about Floria.”

“?! …I am very sorry, both of you. Actually, there is a matter I must deal with urgently now.”

“Ah, I understand, Guild Master-dono. I apologize for taking your time. Come, Naruhito, let’s go.”

“Huh, wait, Lazaar, it’s true! It said something about Floria being nasty or whatever. Huh, wait, isn’t that scary? Isn’t it scary?”

“You scare me, Naruhito. But it’s all right. I understand. I understand, Naruhito. Yes, after so many things happened, it’s only natural to be tired.”

“Stop looking at me with those gentle eyes! I’m sane!”

“…Please visit us again. Before you leave, receive your adventurer badge at the counter. Starting today, you may also accept requests from the tavern board.”

“Ah, thanks.”

“…Lastly, two things, Tooyama-shi. If any trouble occurs in the Guild, the adventurer badge that the Dragon Shrine Maiden gave you should prove useful. I recommend keeping it on your person at all times.”

Just as he was about to leave the room, the Guild Master stopped Tooyama. Her complexion was not very good.

“Huh? Ah, that thing like Drako’s golden dog tag? I see. She’s important, so it’s like a lord’s crest. Thanks for the kindness.”

“…No, not at all. …Tooyama-shi, this voice you heard, what kind of voice was it?”

“Huh? Well, I think it was a woman’s voice. Huh, what is this, a malicious prank?”

“I see… No, I apologize for stopping you. Then please take care.”

“You’re making me really curious, though.”

“Naruhito, let’s go already. Come on, it would be better to breathe some outside air.”

“Lazaar-kun, could you stop with that lukewarm kindness?”

Tooyama and Lazaar left the room while somehow making a fuss.

The Guild Master watched them go, staring after them.

The crystal she glanced at no longer emitted any light, merely standing there in accordance with the silence settling over the room.