Chapter: 35
The day after the preliminary round is a rest day, and we don’t jump straight into the main event.
So, I was feeling quite cheerful from the morning, looking forward to spending a cozy and sweet time with my brother.
—“Maria, do you want to play a game with me?”
I can’t even remember what Maria’s expression was when her brother suggested they play; it’s all a blur!
There were all sorts of activities, but I think we bundled them together and called them… mini games?
As long as I’m playing with my brother, I would be happy with anything, and with all the new and exciting things to try, I thought it would be the best day ever. It definitely should’ve been.
—“Alright, let’s dive into the next round.”
But something felt off. My brother seemed happy, yet it felt like it wasn’t just because he was playing with Maria.
Then came lunchtime. While munching on a sandwich, I heard my brother explaining how this food came to be, and it hit me.
This was ‘The Brother Yearning for Growth.’
Maria loves any older brother; they’re all cool in her eyes. But…
When it comes to testing or practicing skills, her brother is… a bit different. It’s not that she dislikes him; he just seems like a completely different person.
—“Maria. This time, imagine that you really hate me and try again.”
—“Maria can’t do that. I like you, Oppa.”
—“No, you can do it, Maria! Everyone has a bit of evil in their hearts!”
—“You… Regardless of whether that’s right or wrong, isn’t that something you shouldn’t say to a child…?”
As I explored the passive called Ally Compensation in various ways, memories of Sister Astrea freaking out came flooding back.
Maria asked her brother how much longer he planned to keep this up.
—“Let’s see. We’ve just finished 40 rounds… Let’s do 960 more.”
My brother doesn’t joke around when it comes to matters like this. Maybe he was just trying to be nice by reducing the number.
So Maria asked again if that was something really necessary for her brother’s growth.
When he said he needed it, Maria’s questions got even more meticulous. She wanted to know if it was truly important and essential for him.
He replied that it’s not tremendous but quite significant. To do it is good; conversely, saying it like that means it’s not obligatory.
—“If you get tired of this, there are other options, alright? Maria.”
I exchanged glances with Sister Astrea.
My brother tried to smooth things over with some belated sweet talk, but it was too late. Maria had already figured it out.
That ‘mode’ her brother was in? No one could stop him. Not even the emperor could do anything; he would go around and fulfill his desires relentlessly.
—“Heavenly Demon’s Technique, emergency escape!”
Crash!
Sister Astrea, clutching Maria under her arm, smashed through the window and leaped out.
If Maria scurried off or collapsed, she instinctively knew whose turn it would be next.
Her brother was a careless, silly troublemaker, and despite his annoying antics, she couldn’t help but admire him during such crucial moments. I wish she would be more reliable at times like this!
“So, why exactly did you break the window?”
“Well, isn’t it cool?”
Yeah, obviously, you dimwit. I’m deducting the window cost from your allowance.
“More importantly, hey, aren’t there any places we can go?”
Tomorrow is the day of the S-rank exam finals. If I can just endure today, even my brother will quiet down.
But that also means I won’t be able to go home until nightfall. I’ll have to kill time outside.
“Ugh.”
Maria absentmindedly surveyed her surroundings. Honestly, in this tightly packed area, any door she knocked on would surely welcome her.
Maria knows it’s a nuisance. She’s just recognized as the youngest A-class adventurer; she isn’t friends with everyone.
“The Adventurer’s Guild?”
“Hm. I suppose there’s no place sturdier than that.”
I think I’ll just chat with the receptionists or accept a simple request.
“Now, let me down, Maria.”
“Can’t we stay like this a little longer? You’re fluffy and soft; it’s really nice to hold you. Especially your tummy…”
Maria smacked the creep in the side and cast ‘Puppeteer’s Divine Skill – Emergency Escape.’
Since her brother bought it himself, she wouldn’t toss him to the guards; she’d just put up with it.
*
“Oh, Maria. Aren’t you busy with the S-rank promotion exam?”
A blue-haired sister I rarely encountered greeted me at the guild.
Usually, the red-haired sister would be on reception duty during this paperwork-heavy time.
“What about the red-haired sister?”
“Aah, you mean Senior Sally? She’s temporarily dispatched to the system branch.”
That explains it. She didn’t suddenly become diligent after all.
Come to think of it, I remember seeing her with the branch manager last time.
“Maria, did you have a fight with your brother?”
“Uh, not exactly. My brother just came here to pass the time because he had his own matters.”
“Is that so…”
The blue-haired sister wore a sly grin, probably needing some extra hands somewhere.
Her reaction felt a bit suspicious, but I wasn’t worried. I had scanned both Maria and Sister Astrea before.
If she trusted this older sister enough to hand over responsibility, it likely meant the task was simple and didn’t require much accountability. It could just be about catching something.
…
“Ta-da! New receptionists Maria and Astrea are born!”
Maria totally misread the situation there. This blue-haired sister had an astonishingly poor judgment of character.
Just because Maria is reliable, doesn’t mean Sister Astrea isn’t a bit of a mess…
“…Is this really alright for us to do?”
“Of course, it is~ Since you’re both A-class adventurers, being receptionists shouldn’t be that unfamiliar, right?”
“It’s only been about a month since Sister Astrea became an adventurer.”
“That’s why I understood everything you just explained right away.”
“I might have dozed off, but I’ll roughly figure it out.”
“Plus, you’re adorably cute! There couldn’t be a better receptionist, huh? Absolutely!”
Bam!
“…I didn’t do anything wrong. The Master told me to handle the shortage of staff myself. How is it my fault that Senior Sally was dispatched…”
“…Alright, Maria will help.”
“Thank you!! While you’re at it, make sure to jack up the pay rate and charge it to the Master! Let’s not let this happen again!”
I avoided replying to that outburst and simply turned my gaze forward.
The blue-haired sister, feeling ignored, made a huffy sound before heading back to her paperwork.
Even with two people assigned, it didn’t seem like they had enough help. I think Maria did well to avoid becoming a receptionist.
“Hey, you! Receptionist! What the heck is up with the paperwork?!! It’s ridiculous…”
“What.”
“…Maria?”
Before I’d even settled in, a lady magician came storming in, shouting her head off.
She was an old lady from a previous request we worked on together. I remembered her complaining nonstop during that mission.
“Why are you… there?”
“Maria’s just filling in here for today.”
“…Oh, the weather is lovely today, isn’t it? I’ve got some busy stuff to do, so I’ll come back later. That’s all for now…”
“Come here.”
As she attempted to run away, I reeled her in with mana strings, and the old lady’s face underwent a rapid transformation.
She clearly thought I would buy her excuse. Ugh, so annoying.
Turns out, according to the paper, she had shown up to complain about a fine she received for breaking the rules.
“Geez, I’m heading off to help with paperwork.”
I was already feeling weary, and of all people, it had to be her.
Yet, I wasn’t trying to slack off, and nobody was pouring in either. I had no reason to stop her, so I had to let her go.
Crucially, when I glanced back, I noticed a horde of zombies… I nearly swung my hammer!
“…Okay. You can go.”
*
It’s really funny. Even though Maria just sat in the same spot today, she encountered more bizarre characters than when she was roaming around.
Some didn’t even know their names, so I had to tell them. Others entirely disregarded the rules that were blatantly visible on the door. Some even tried to get Maria to do their work for them.
Everyone seemed normal during the requests. But when they saw her sitting there, they assumed she was easy prey; I never expected that lady to be the more manageable one.
“Ugh…”
A sigh slipped out.
Was it just Maria’s bad luck, or do receptionists genuinely have to deal with this nonsense every day?
The red-haired sister who suggested I give receptionist work a shot? The next time I see her, she’s getting a swift kick!
“Oh, right. It’s time to head back.”
“Yeah.”
At 6 PM, I left the guild building under the envious gazes of the zombie horde.
Still, I needed to have at least one meal a day with my brother. Since he doesn’t eat, I don’t have to worry about him already munching away.
“Hey! What’s the deal with the paperwork?!!”
We were quite far from the guild now, but the exclamations echoed loudly enough to reach us.
That was definitely the guild master’s voice. Everyone around, including Maria, turned to stare back at the guild building.
“All the calculations are messed up, and why on earth did you sign off on documents that were supposed to come to me?! Who did this?!! What? A daily helper??”
“…Sis. What did you do?”
“And why are there so many complaints about receptionists threatening or assaulting adventurers!!”
“…”
“Ugh.”
“Want me to bail us out?”
“Yeah.”
I quickly made my escape using ‘Heavenly Demon X Puppeteer Joint Secret Art – Emergency Combination.’
Surely if I don’t charge a daily rate, the old man will let it slide? The price for two A-class adventurers isn’t exactly cheap.
My brother called over the bookworm sister and managed to hit the 1,000-round mark. She felt bad for him, feeding him before sending him back.
…But wasn’t it said that the library has a 24-hour business hour? Well, I suppose since I’m young, I won’t have to worry about it.
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