Certainly, Ursphere is so vast that if you lose your way just once, you might not find your way back to your lodging…
I thought Alrva was a pretty big village.
But that was like comparing a drop of blood… no, just a toe’s worth of blood.
Moreover, with the Karahan Mountain Range looming behind us, it truly felt like looking at a painting.
“Since we’ve returned the carriage and left the horse at the stable… shall we head to the guild now?”
“Yes!”
“I wonder how long Hephaestus will take. She did say she’d arrive by dinner, though…”
That’s right.
Hephaestus went to buy some necessary materials.
I suggested we finish prepping and head to Karahan, but she insisted on double-checking everything…
So I had no choice but to agree.
She assured me that she wasn’t that weak.
Considering the Yuria I remember… she probably won’t die that easily.
Anyway!
I’m happy!
Actually, it’s not like I reluctantly agreed… I gladly accepted!
I just want to experience the effect of the fragment quickly!
Was it thirst or rage? My memory’s a bit hazy… I think it was thirst, right?
Or was it both?
Whatever, I just hope it happens soon!
It looks like I won’t have my great sword for the entire day again, but… I can just stay at the lodging with Rubia…
Oh, but… she’ll stay with me again, right…?
She won’t leave me behind, right…?
“While we wait for Hephaestus, shall we check out the market? We can buy some raspberry jelly while we’re there. What do you think?”
“Ah…! J-jelly… I love it!”
“Fufufu… Alright then. Let’s head to the guild first.”
I tightly grasped her outstretched hand and moved towards the guild in the distance.
Along the way, I brought up the matter that had been bothering me.
“Um… but, Rubia. Was it okay to do that at the checkpoint… earlier?”
Rubia usually wears an obscuring robe, but she had carelessly taken it off at the checkpoint.
Thanks to that, all the people’s gazes turned to us…
A horde of people… ugh.
In a way, we skipped the line and finished quickly, but…
I was really exhausted…
“Ah… yeah. Now, well… um, it’s fine.”
She seemed to swallow her words, her expression saying otherwise.
“What if… people report it and the knights come rushing in like last time…?”
“Don’t worry. Jur will handle it somehow. It’ll be fine for now.”
The phrase “for now” kind of stuck in my mind.
But for the time being, I nodded.
Rubia must have some sort of plan.
Even if the knights do come, I’ll protect her.
Once I properly adapt to the fragment, I think I could at least handle a platinum class, even if I’m not a master.
In the game, the fragment had unique abilities associated with it after all.
Well… there are minor penalties, but…
The effectiveness makes it worthwhile to bear.
As I was mentally planning how to deal with the knights should they show up…
“Ah, we’ve arrived.”
We reached the Adventurer’s Guild in Ursphere.
It was on a whole different level from Alrva.
The building was massive and adorned with incredibly luxurious-looking marble.
I couldn’t quite tell the color, but from just a glance… it looked gray.
Anyone could tell it was gray!
“Phew… Shall we go in?”
“Yes…!”
Rubia looked tense as she opened the guild’s door.
As she did, an extremely solemn atmosphere washed over us.
The Alrva guild was like a tavern and very noisy, but there was no hint of that here.
Hmm… how should I put it?
Maybe it felt like a bank?
Or like a… military conscription center you have to visit before joining the army…?
Anyway… I don’t like it.
I really don’t…
“Noah? Is something wrong?”
“Ah, uh… no… it’s just, um, a fading memory…”
I unconsciously gripped Rubia’s hand tightly.
Rubia looked down at me with concern…
“Um… it’s alright, so let’s hurry to the registration desk…”
“…Okay. If there’s anything tough, you have to tell me, alright?”
“Yes…”
I slightly relaxed my grip and stepped ahead of Rubia.
The registration desk was located at the very back.
On the way, there were huge boards for requests, aptitude tests, and the registration desk, all in neat order.
It was so different from Alrva.
Zzzz- slap- zzzz- slap-
…I wanted to approach the registration desk as quietly as possible, but…
Because of the great sword dragging on the ground… many adventurers began to look our way.
And then they started to murmur…
This is… just like Alrva…
“Indeed… Noah is drawing attention. Hehe…”
I was hunched over, trying to be inconspicuous while Rubia teased me.
“R-Rubia looks suspicious too…! Hmph…”
“It’s because you’re cute…”
“I’m not cute… I’m… handsome.”
“Really-? Noah?”
W-what kind of irritating smirk was that…?
“Ugh… I hate Rubia…”
In my irritation, I flicked Rubia’s hand away.
I heard her surprised voice but ignored it and marched toward the registration desk.
Once we reached the desk, the registrar saw me and…
“Greetings!! I’m Shuru, the registrar of Ursphere!! What brings you here?!!”
“Ugh-!”
With an incredibly loud voice welcoming me, I reflexively dove back into Rubia’s arms.
“R-Rubia… that person is weird…”
“Don’t you no longer need me? You were just fine walking on your own a moment ago.”
But… Rubia seemed a bit sulky.
Uh, what do I do…
“Ughh… S-sorry… ugh…”
People’s gazes were gathering… the registrar startled me… and I let out a strange scream because of that.
With even more gazes pointing at me… Rubia was pushing me away…
Tears started flowing down…
My friendship and socialization stats were so regrettable…
“Ugh… but… R-Rubia teased me first… ugh… I’m sorry, so… please help me… ugh…”
As the murmurs grew louder, my body began to tremble.
Each time, I gripped Rubia’s clothing even tighter.
Had it only been a short while?
Rubia started to jiggle slightly.
I had narrowed my senses out of fear of the crowd looking at me, but…
I opened them slightly to glance at Rubia.
And then…
“Rubia… sniffle you’re… suppressing your laughter right now…”
“Pffff- Hahaha! Oh my… if you cry so sadly over just a little teasing… It’s too much. I’m sorry, Noah.”
I hated her.
I hated her madly…
But if I hate her… would she treat me the same way as before…?
I can’t hate her… ugh.
“If you’re sorry… help me… that person’s voice is… too loud…”
I buried my face in Rubia’s arms.
It calmed my shaking a little… just a bit.
“Fufufu… Okay, let’s go.”
After I petted her head for a while, Rubia took my hand.
I nodded submissively and followed her gently.
So pathetic… I feel utterly pathetic.
Back in Alrva… it wasn’t this bad.
Maybe it’s because this place is so quiet…
Besides… it’s unfamiliar, there are so many people…
I might forget how to walk.
W-what did I do with my arms when I walk…?
What about the angle of my neck?
How should my expression look…?
Where… where was my tongue supposed to be again…?
Ugh…! I feel like I’m losing my mind…!!
It’s all because of my stats!!
I wouldn’t normally be like this!!
“Ahem, hello. U-uh, I apologize for earlier. I’m… just a newbie and… I got a bit carried away.”
The registrar named Shuru, who just shouted like a madman, bowed his head this time in a very subdued tone.
If you were going to do that, why didn’t you start like that from the beginning!!
Don’t just embarrass me for no reason…
I hid behind Rubia and nodded quietly.
“Th-thank you… so… what business do you have?”
“Ah, I will explain that.”
Lowering her voice, Rubia began to explain what had happened in Loholan step by step.
As I listened to her explanation, the registrar’s face turned from shock to horror.
“So that’s why… we came here. So… where can we receive the subjugation fee?”
“Huh, uh, a… um… w-what do you mean…?”
Now, he looked at me with a mix of horror and fear.
Why again…
“Um… Shuru?”
“Huh-! Y-yes…”
“Um… then do you happen to know the head of the Ursphere guild…?”
“What’s going on?”
A woman approached, interrupting Rubia’s words and stepping in between us and the registrar.
Rubia quietly looked at the woman, then cautiously spoke.
“Um, we have some money to collect from the guild head.”
Huh…?
Rubia…?
What are you saying… like a loan shark…?
“…Yes?”
“You have… money to collect…?”
“Yes. So please call her.”
Rubia hid me behind her and frowned, annoyed at the surrounding gazes.
“…I am the head of the Ursphere guild, ‘Revuze’… Do you have any money for me to give away?”
“Well, that makes things easier. There are too many ears to hear here, so let’s talk in a quieter place.”
Revuze’s expression showed a hint of faint anger.
“What on earth…”
Rubia hesitated for a moment but then spoke in a voice that was likewise slightly angry.
“We’ve come from Loholan.”
Rubia’s voice echoed softly throughout the silent guild.
At that, all eyes focused on us.
“Eek…”
All murmurs ceased.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I should have checked your registration first…”
Revuze glared back at Shuru, his gaze intense, then bowed her head and pointed inside.
“I have more to discuss besides the subjugation fee, so please follow me inside.”
“…Thank you.”
Rubia nodded slightly and firmly grasped my hand.
Then she whispered quietly.
“I expected the rumors to spread, but it seems they traveled faster than anticipated.”
“Y-yeah…”
I slowly nodded, inching closer to Rubia.
“I was trying to forcefully approach the guild head, but I didn’t expect it to turn out this way. I’m sorry, Noah.”
“It’s fine… I was a bit surprised, to be honest… but it’s not like you did it on purpose… so it’s okay.”
“Sigh… thank you. But… aren’t you curious about how exaggerated the rumors have become? What do you think they think of me?”
Hearing Rubia’s words, I opened my senses wide.
Everyone… was looking at me with awkward expressions.
Relief washed over me.
Well… I guess there weren’t rumors of me being a beast or a monster.
It was just that the registrar, Shuru, overreacted a bit.
After all, capturing Carpen was thanks to Lucci.
“Hmm… I don’t think they’re thinking much-”
[Black hair, great sword… the demon that drinks blood…!]
“Pffff- A demon that drinks blood, argh Hahaha!”
Ah.
Really.
