Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-Four: Reservation for Celebration
“Thor—come back safely.”
“You too, Sis. You’re going to the hunting festival, right?”
“I plan to be around the main camp where the tents are set up, so there won’t be anything dangerous.”
At Thor’s request, Karen had come to the Adventurers’ Guild to see him off as he departed to conquer the dungeon. Though the building was smaller than the royal capital’s Adventurers’ Guild, it didn’t have a rural atmosphere at all. However, perhaps because the climate was different from the royal capital, the building’s atmosphere was different. The doors were double doors, and there seemed to be an entrance on the second floor as well.
If she recalled correctly, last year there had been a day of heavy snowfall while she was painting Julius’s portrait on a massive canvas. She had shut herself in a room and worked with the curtains drawn tight so that anyone unrelated wouldn’t find out about the portrait, and by the day of the New Year Festival, the visible areas had been completely cleared of snow, so she didn’t know how much it actually accumulated.
Inside the Adventurers’ Guild, it was warm and bustling with adventurers, giving a sense of the territory’s prosperity.
“Julius will be participating in the hunt, so he won’t be by your side. Don’t worry about me—you worry about yourself, Sis. It’s common for humans to be scarier than monsters.”
“Ms. Urte and Uncle Sepl will be by my side, so I’ll be fine!”
Without any ill intent, simply stating the facts, Thor spoke:
“The strength difference between B-rank and C-rank and below is on another level entirely.”
Saying that, he looked toward Urte and Sepl.
“Want me to give you guys training after I conquer the territorial capital dungeon?”
“It’s still rough being told that by a kid I’ve known since he was tiny!”
“What are you saying, Sepl? If a future A-rank adventurer is offering to train us, we have no choice but to gratefully accept.”
“I know. It really is something to be grateful for. But it’s rough…! What should I do if my kid ends up like this in the future!?”
“If that happens, it sounds fun, so maybe I’ll train your kid, Sepl.”
“I’m grateful! So grateful I could cry!”
Sepl held his head at Thor’s kindness.
Being able to joke around like this showed how broad-minded Sepl was.
“By the way, wouldn’t a send-off usually be at the temple?”
“Yeah, everyone else already went ahead to the temple.”
“Then do you have business at the guild? Don’t worry about me and go finish your business. Did you submit your dungeon conquest notice?”
It was like the climbing plan you submit when mountain climbing. Though it wasn’t absolutely required, if you didn’t return on schedule, they would organize a rescue party.
“I submitted it ages ago. Word spread throughout the territorial capital in no time that we’re diving in, and apparently, the local adventurers are in a panic, saying they can’t let outsiders conquer the thirtieth floor. Funny, right? If they were gonna panic, they should’ve conquered it already!”
When Thor said this while laughing, hostile gazes from adventurers throughout the Adventurers’ Guild stabbed into them. The reason it looked bustling was apparently that adventurers who had panicked upon receiving the Crimson Thunder’s dungeon conquest application had rushed in.
“The local nobles are being noisy too. If it gets conquered by adventurers, the New Year Festival—meant for the lord and nobles—will turn into a place to praise adventurers. The system of displaying the conqueror’s portrait at the New Year Festival was introduced through your efforts, wasn’t it, Sis? …Some people say it’s your fault.”
Thor continued in a lowered voice:
“Sis, seriously—be careful. Just from lightly gathering information, I ran into several guys who have grievances against you. I dealt with the ones I met on the spot, but there are definitely others.”
“I guess so.”
Karen nodded while feeling disheartened. It was difficult to implement measures that pleased everyone—if there were people grateful to Karen, it wasn’t strange that others resented her just as strongly. Though it wasn’t pleasant, it was something she had understood.
“Sis, will you become our Crimson Thunder party’s sponsor as an alchemist?”
“Sponsor?”
To the wide-eyed Karen, Thor nodded and explained:
“In exchange for support, we promote you, Sis—that’s the kind of relationship.”
“I understand that much. But isn’t it strange for me to ride on the coattails of you guys who are about to conquer the thirtieth floor and become A-rank, when I haven’t even provided support worthy of the name?”
When an adventurer’s name rose, of course, the sponsor’s name rose too. Not only that, it also became possible to later draw worthwhile returns from the adventurer. Every adventurer had weak periods, so supporting them then could secure a powerful connection to someone who might one day reach S-rank. For that reason, backers sought to sponsor promising adventurers.
The Gubert Trading Company that Karen had once clashed with must have supported and retained many adventurers in this way. Karen would have been pleased if among them there had been a skilled alchemist capable of making non-magical material potions, but unfortunately for both sides, even the Gubert Trading Company didn’t have such talent.
In any case, Thor must have had many offers. However, there was no sign that the Crimson Thunder had a sponsor.
“Won’t the other party members feel bad about making me your sponsor just because I’m your big sister?”
“Everyone’s all for it, you know? Making and giving us a panacea that no one in this country—maybe no one in the whole world—can make is plenty of support, right? Even though it’s in short supply because only you can make it, Sis, you gave us every last one you could make. So many that we couldn’t pay for them all with the money we have.”
“…That’s true.”
At least according to Yuluyana’s seal of approval, none of the alchemists active on the public stage had ever made a panacea.
Karen had made such potions exclusively for the Crimson Thunder and instructed not only Thor but the party members on how to use them. In the end, she had given them plenty even without being paid.
Now that it was pointed out, that could be called a track record of support.
“We’ll conquer the dungeon before the New Year Festival. And then we’ll take your name along with us to greater heights. We’ll make our names known at the festival, and make sure no one in Ehlertt can look down on my big sister.”
Thor turned his deep navy eyes, which had been gleaming fiercely into the distance, toward Karen. When directed at Karen, those blue eyes held a calm light like a tranquil sea.
“Consider this our engagement present to you, Sis—from the Crimson Thunder.”
Having received such an outrageous “reservation” for an engagement gift, Karen felt her chest grow warm.
“Thank you. But don’t push yourself too hard!”
“Yeah! Value your life, right?”
She didn’t say she didn’t need such a gift and just wanted him to come back safely. This was something Thor earnestly wanted to accomplish. Something he was trying to give his all for her sake. Just because she was worried didn’t mean Karen would deny that wish, that aspiration.
“I’ll do my best so I can surprise you too, Thor.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Sis.”
Karen also had things she wanted to do, which was why she was going to the hunting festival. As Thor said, there would be dangers there besides monsters. Even so, such things wouldn’t hinder the wishes she wanted to accomplish. And Thor would surely support her as well.
Karen headed to the Adventurers’ Guild reception desk with Thor and became the Crimson Thunder’s sole sponsor on the spot.
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