Chapter 12

“…There we go. Is that everything? Uncle, I’ll leave the cargo here!”

“Oh! Thanks, Rex! You’ve been a great help!”

I was currently finishing up the last of my usual requests for the day, carrying a load of supplies onto a horse-drawn carriage as part of the job.

“Man! Young people really are quick workers! You’ve made things so much easier for me! Thanks, Rex!”

“Don’t mention it. It’s just what I usually do. Now, could you sign here, please?”

“Oh, right! Almost forgot… There, is this good?”

I’d successfully gotten the client’s signature. That meant I’d more or less completed my daily quota… with the exception of one request.

“Hey, Rex, are you free today? If you’d like, why don’t you come over and have a meal with us? I want to thank you for always helping me out.”

“Ah… I really appreciate the offer, but I’ve still got one request left. Maybe some other time?”

“A request? That’s unusual. You’re usually done for the day by the time you finish helping me out… Is it something new?”

“Well… actually…”

I began telling the man about the noble’s request that had been posted at the guild today.

For some reason, his eyes widened in shock, and his expression immediately darkened.

“Um, Uncle?”

“…Rex, I’m telling you this for your own good. You’d better stay away from that one.”

“Huh? W-Why?”

“…I’m guessing the noble who posted that request belonged to House Clivus, right?”

“Eh? How did you know?”

I hadn’t even mentioned the family name…

Seeing that I had no idea what was going on, the man began explaining the circumstances surrounding House Clivus.

House Clivus.

They were a prestigious noble family residing in the city of Miltia.

Apparently, they’d accomplished some great feat in the past and had originally been commoners who had risen through the ranks before being granted a noble title for their achievements.

“Their name is pretty famous. Their head, Lady Uros, is also a very kind and proud noblewoman, but…”

“…Is there some kind of problem?”

“Well, you see… Apparently, there’s something wrong with their young lady. If I remember the rumors correctly, she’s broken the spirits of several adventurers who’ve tried working for her.”

“E-Eh…?”

S-So that’s why the request had been left untouched…

Well, I’d figured there must have been some sort of problem, but…

“Anyway, you’d be better off staying away from it. But if you’re really going to accept that request, you’d better be prepared for what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Y-Yes…”

Feeling a chill run down my spine for some reason, I said goodbye to the man and headed toward the Clivus estate.

“…I-Is this it?”

I-It was huge…

As expected of a noble’s residence. The scale of the place was on an entirely different level.

While I stood there, overwhelmed by the sight of the mansion, one of the guards stationed at the gate called out to me.

“Hey, you there. What business do you have here?”

“Ah, I’m Rex, an adventurer. Actually, I’ve come to accept this request…”

When I showed him the request form, the guard’s eyes widened for some reason. He looked at me several times, as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Huh? Was it really that bad?!

“…I-I understand. I’ll go confirm this with the Madam immediately.”

“T-The Madam?”

I was about to ask whether that was really necessary instead of consulting the head of the household, but the guard had already disappeared through the gate.

“…Still, this place is enormous. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to live somewhere like this…”

…No, I should stop dreaming so big. For some reason, I felt like I’d get punished for even thinking about it.

More importantly, I couldn’t stop thinking about the guard’s reaction.

They were the ones who had posted the request in the first place, yet he’d reacted like that…

Could it be that I’d accepted something really dangerous?

“…I’ve confirmed everything. I’ll escort you inside.”

After a while, the guard from earlier returned and opened the gate for me.

“Follow me. And let me warn you beforehand. Don’t do anything unnecessary, understand?”

“I-I won’t…”

It would be unthinkable for me to cause trouble in a place like this…

Thinking that, I followed him into the noble’s estate.

“Thank you for accepting my request today, Mr. Adventurer.”

“…Y-Yes.”

I couldn’t help but stare in surprise at the sight before me.

I-I couldn’t believe it. The head of the household was a woman rather than a man…

Perhaps she noticed my astonishment, because she let out an elegant little laugh.

“Did you perhaps not know?”

“W-Well, I’m afraid I’m not very knowledgeable about matters of high society…”

“My, my. Fufu. How adorable. In that case, I suppose I should introduce myself properly to you, Mr. Adventurer… Rex.”

She rose from the sofa and performed a graceful, refined curtsy.

“I am Uros Clivus, head of House Clivus. I look forward to working with you, Rex.”

“Ah, yes! I-I’m Rex, an adventurer! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

I’d at least been taught basic manners, so I hoped I hadn’t been rude…

There stood the head of House Clivus, wearing a simple white dress with only minimal decorations. Her long, light-blue hair shimmered as it reflected the light.

And her beauty was so remarkable that it was hard to believe she already had a child.

“Shall we get straight to business?”

“Y-Yes!”

“…You don’t have to be so nervous, you know?”

“S-Sorry!”

“…Fufu.”

Ugh… She was laughing at me.

Still, I reminded myself that these kinds of interactions were important too and took a seat on the sofa.

“What I’ve requested today is for you to look after my daughter.”

“…Ah, um, about that… Is it possible that you’ve already hired other people for this job?”

“Yes. Several people have accepted requests from us before, but… they all eventually became fed up with my daughter’s rather unconventional behavior for someone of noble birth and simply left.”

“I-I see…”

Just how troublesome was this young lady…?

“Unfortunately, as the head of the household, I’m rather busy and haven’t been able to spend much time with her… Rex, would you be willing to help me?”

“…I understand. If you’re okay with someone like m-me… I mean, someone like me, then I’ll do it!”

“…Fufu.”

S-She was laughing at me again…

I really didn’t think I’d ever get used to talking with nobles. Somehow, I just couldn’t seem to act naturally around them…

“By the way, I’d like to know a little more about your daughter, if that’s possible…”

Just as I was about to ask Lady Uros about her daughter—

BANG!

The door suddenly burst open with a loud noise.

Startled, I turned toward it…

And there stood a young noblewoman who bore a striking resemblance to Lady Uros.