The guild master of Rotern, the city of beginners, had a fixed main mission.
Talent training.
Although it may seem insignificant at first glance, the weight of her work was quite heavy.
This is because this world absolutely lacks talent and heroes, and all heroes are destined to start their adventures in this Rotern.
I had to sort out the gems among talented people who were not yet grown up and look timid, I had to manage and support them systematically, and I also had to investigate their character and behavior. A person who has grown up at the most could have become a human traitor.
So she was always overworked. It was because it was her job to select who to support and who not to support from among the countless adventurers pouring in.
Then it was one day. In the past, she was buried in a pile of documents in her office, and found a particularly strange document.
“what?”
It was a report about a certain red mage. What was odd was the style. The person in charge who had always maintained a neutral tone while writing the personal details of tens of thousands of people was writing about this Red Mage in a handwriting that was full of hate.
Objective observation was not felt in the words that everyone hates, it is obvious that he will betray him, so it is better to kill him now, his talent is not good, and so on. All I could feel was malice and emotional excretion.
‘Obviously strange.’
The guild master read the lines, not the text itself. With interest, I repeated the investigation of the red mage. And I was surprised. The hatred pouring down on that red mage was clearly out of the ordinary. As soon as she saw it, a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
‘Is this guy going to destroy that idol?’
In the past, the guild master knew it because he had broken idols to become stronger. Among the curses that fall upon breaking the idol of a false god, it is the most terrifying curse. I thought that I must have been under the curse of resentment.
At the same time, she knew how much determination and willpower it would take to break it. She too, after hesitating for a month, was forced into a corner and finally decided to destroy it.
‘I’m the lucky one, though I’ve been afflicted with three weak curses. How many times have I been so tired that I almost bite my tongue.’
However, this red mage had endured life for several months even after receiving the most severe curse. Naturally, I was in awe.
‘Of course, ninety-nine out of 100 people will eventually kill themselves without being able to overcome it. But, if at least one can overcome this curse.’
There was a certainty that it would be completed with a great strength.
‘It’s a gamble worth betting on.’
Thinking so, the guild master threw the report into three seasons. And, using the authority of the guild master, he began to give him various considerations. The guild was also discriminating against the red mage under the influence of the curse of resentment. It was fixed because of the guild master’s strong corrective order. Thanks to her special assignment, Jain was able to proceed with the quest normally and receive a reward.
We never met face-to-face on purpose. All considerations were made in writing only. It was because the moment he saw his face, a curse would trigger and he would lose his composure.
Was it because of that consideration, or was it because he was strong? After a few months, the Red Mage became strong enough and left Rottern. I didn’t know what happened after that. However, based on the report that Celine had written, it seemed that he had already overcome the curse by some means.
‘Perhaps, it will become a stronger force beyond imagination.’
The strongest person she knew was Sir Leonhard, the patriot. That was the best she could imagine. I quietly waited to see if he would become a strong person that reached that level. A small gamble in this room had come to fruition.
‘Do you remember?’
I thought I would like that. The guild master turned the chair around and looked over the lattice window. I could see Rotern’s mature trees stretching out their fresh branches and casting a shadow. Under the shade, I could see green buds sprouting in a light green color. A small seed ripens, puts forth leaves, grows branches and grows out of reach. It was always fun to watch it.
“Now, you said you were living in a cafe.”
A faint flutter of excitement rose in my chest. When I opened the window, the sweet scent of flowers hit the back of my nose. I could see swarms of pale pink clouds drifting over the red-roofed houses. The air of this idyllic city came into the room, swept the room soaked in cigarette smoke, and chattered in the guild master’s lungs.
“Shall we go?”
Taking a deep breath, she put on her gray overcoat and began to walk outside.
*
“So, I swung my sword, Dragonborn! A powerful skeleton made of dragon bones has been shredded into pieces! Isn’t that great?”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s great. But since we’re already talking about that for the 15th time, can we stop?”
Meanwhile, Helena’s cafe was preparing to close. Karin was listening to Elaine’s bragging about not brushing her teeth, but always telling stories.
“Please give me more praise!”
“okay okay.”
He seemed to be quite happy. Karin grinned, raising her claws and stroking Elaine’s head. It was supposed to be the opposite in terms of body shape, but I decided not to care because Elaine was so excited. Karin, who was stroking Elaine’s hair, turned her head to look at Jain. Zain was arranging the kinds of alcohol.
‘Next time, it’s my turn to register as an adventurer. Do you want me to care as much as him?’
Then I saw Elaine again. I felt a little envious. There was a little bit of jealousy mixed in.
‘No! You can’t be jealous of your friends!’
As I was controlling myself while shaking my head, suddenly a rattling sound rang out. The last guest had arrived. Karin nodded reflexively.
“welcome!”
“Well.”
It was an adult woman with long pink hair. As if he was working in an air company, he was wearing leather gloves with his fingers exposed on his hands. He was the guild master. She staggered over and sat down in front of Jain’s bar.
“What would you like to order?”
“alcohol. Anything poisonous.”
The guild master didn’t even look at the menu board, and said indifferently. It really felt like an adult. Karin, who nodded in greeting, ran to Jain at a brisk pace and delivered the order.
“alcohol! Treat me with something poisonous!”
“Is it poisonous? I get it.”
Jain, who served as the bartender, soon poured out a glass full of high-quality absinthe. It was a dark moss-colored absinthe that could not be seen even when the light was shining on it.
“Um, why did you choose this drink?”
The guild master took a glass and shook it slowly, and asked like a flop. Because there is stock left. Jain swallowed his words to answer that, and came up with an appropriate reason to tell him.
“It has been a good drink for medicinal purposes since ancient times.”
“Do I look sick somewhere?”
“Yes. Rather than the body, the mind.”
It was a rough word, but the guild master smiled as if he liked it. Taking a sip, she immediately took out a cigarette and started to light it. It was a natural gesture like a bedroom. Jain hardened his face and restrained him.
“Sorry, guest, but cigarettes are not allowed.”
“why? I saw it, but there was no sign that says no smoking here.”
“Yes. Yes, but morally.”
“It’s moral.”
The guild master, who put in a cigarette according to the restraint, said as if waiting.
“Didn’t you break it too?”
“Yes?”
“Is it okay for a monster your size to accept beginner quests like the Magician’s Tomb Purification?”
Jain’s face hardened at those words. How the woman in front of me knew about that fact, why she was saying these things, was because everything was unknown. Zain’s expression loosened because of the guildmaster’s playful face. It didn’t seem like it was meant to be bad.
“I don’t mean to intimidate you. Ah, the introduction is late. My name is Nora, the Guild Master of Rottern.”
“ah.”
Guild Master, Nora. It was a name I knew. Nora took another sip of absinthe and said:
“Have you seen it in writing? It’s the first time we’ve met face to face.”
“Yes. thanked.”
Jain said sarcastically. I couldn’t say nonsense. Because he was the one who helped me when I was in trouble. In that respect, Ja-in had a certain personality.
“It’s a stupid face. Couldn’t you have imagined that you were a woman?”
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Nora said with a snort. Jain scratched his head. Clearly, Nora had received help through official letters on several occasions. At that time, I thought I was helping myself because I was just a principled person. And, because his style was so strong, I thought he was only a man.
“The magician’s grave… ”
“Well, I have no intention of questioning you. What will happen?”
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Nora just cut it off. He seemed to want to prevent his conversation from being interpreted as a threat.
“Is that so?”
“There must be one or two things that cannot be revealed by anyone. There are a lot of things that I can’t reveal on this side either.”
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Nora put down her drink and picked a horse. This was sincere. Not long ago, a series of bizarre things were happening in Rotern. It felt as if a certain force, which had been hiding in the shadow of Rottern for a long time, had finally started its activities due to something. Nora had a feeling that something great was about to happen.
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Nora wanted to include Jain as an arrangement for that time.
“I came here because of the unexplainable circumstances. Hey, won’t you sign a contract with me? If there is a problem, he is a solver who takes care of it.”
“The solution.”
“It’s not a big deal, you just need to lend me some strength when I make a request.”
“There is nothing wrong with that. What is the price?”
“The price is, well, it would be an insult to try to move a person your size with money. How about I help you as much as possible with your undisclosed circumstances? I will use the guild master’s authority to provide administrative convenience as much as possible.”
Jain scratched his cheek. It didn’t seem like a bad deal. Jain’s purpose is to raise heroines in this Rotern without being discovered. The assistance of the guild master seemed to be of great help in achieving that purpose. If there was one thing I didn’t like, it was the format.
“The contract has been made, we just promise as friendship.”
“friendship?”
“We want to be friends and help each other as much as we can.”
It was said because she was grateful for the help Nora gave her during difficult times. Because that was Jain’s motive for accepting the deal, I liked this more than the bleak words of a contract. Whether his feelings were conveyed, Nora accepted the handshake with a sad smile.
“Then, I’ll have to listen to it more often in the future. It’s because it’s a shop where my friend works.”
does that happen Jain grinned inwardly. The guild master, who exhilaratedly drank the remaining absinthe, put on the coat hung on the chair and walked out of the cafe. And, as if remembering something, he stopped at the doorway.
“ah.”
And he pulled something out of his arms. What she took out was a letter. A letter signed by the Prime Minister.
“Is there a man named Elaine Enfield here?”
“Oh, me, it’s me!”
Elaine, who was holding the tray and carefully listening to their conversation, raised her hand. The guild leader lightly threw the letter to Elaine.
“I had an important letter from you. It was said that I had to tell him. get it.”
It was a letter from Altrich. Handing the letter to Elaine, the guild leader left the cafe this time. The exit was as sudden as the entry.
“letter? What letter?”
Helena asked Elaine as if curious. It was because he was worried about what the letter that the guild master had to hand over. Elaine whistled and hid the letter behind her back.
“I do not know? I can’t even guess? So, you did a great job today!”
And he quickly ran out the back door. It was to check the contents of the letter.
The letter was written by Altrich before he left for Rotern.
*
[Congratulations on your success. Being in love with the Red Mage, I can’t get over it from the position of being the guardian who sent you. I would like to present the holy sword Gramhild to that person with the sword of kayak, so please do not refuse. I’ll drop by Rotern myself and hand it over to you. Miss Elaine, congratulations on having a lover. ]
“Uh, what should I do… ”
Elaine squatted at the back door, checked the letter, and ripped her hair out. Because of the content of the letter.
“Mu, what, there’s nothing to do, Jae-sang, to eat? What is it that you come all the way to this village to check things out… ”
I lied about my relationship with Jain, so I got a bounty, a support, and a lot of money, but the prime minister comes to check the facts. To Elaine, the content of this letter felt that way. In fact, Altrich had already roughly guessed the situation, and the fact that he had just come to hand over the holy sword was beyond her imagination.
Elaine shook her head and continued to mutter.
“If, in front of the Prime Minister, he hears that he is a ragweed cow… If it turns out that we are not lovers.”
Elaine’s imagination began to wander in the wrong direction. Bad scenes such as Altrich, who had a cold expression on his face, who was taken to prison for telling a lie, and Elsie, who was expelled from school for confiscated the bounty, came to mind.
“no… That’s not possible.”
Elaine jumped up from her seat. A certain thought took hold of Elaine’s impatient brain. The answer is now only this. I had that certainty.
“Hey, what are you doing with the last joke?”
“Wait a moment! Please take a moment!”
Elaine ran into the cafe, grabbed the arm of the man who was washing the dishes, and dragged him through the back door. The faint moonlight poured down and lit the two people in the doorway. At Jain, leaning her back against the doorway and making an expression that she didn’t understand, Elaine pushed her chest and clinged to her and shouted.
“Please marry me!”