“Let me come with you. '' Said Gloria.

I put my share of donut in his mouth.

''No, stay here with Leonard, and above all don't leave this place. ''

Alone, I could go to a somewhat dangerous place. If I wanted more information, this place was the best place.

“Don’t worry, I won’t last long. ''

'' All right. '' They answered me.

''One last thing. Gloria, I wish you wouldn't use your power on Leonard while I'm gone. ''

''Yes dad...'' She said with a beautiful smile.

I don't know why, but I wasn't reassured.

''Okay, see you later. ''

After this little discussion, I continued on my way aside. While exploring the area, I came across a large square where you could see several luxury or modest restaurants at both ends of the street.

I moved forward a little bit and found what I was looking for. One of the most dangerous places for a demon...

An adventurer's guild.

For me it's still okay since I managed to pass myself off as one without magic, but for Leonard, it would have been difficult to get her inside.

Thanks to the barrier I erected, I could know that there were very powerful people in this room. It wasn't crazy to say that someone could see through my mirage spell.

Come to think of it, my magic barrier no longer covered Leonard's position. I'll have to increase its range. It would be unfortunate if an incident occurred while I was away.

Now that I had taken my precautions, I could enter the guild. I opened the infrastructure door and it made a creaking sound. I, who wanted to be discreet, now find myself at the center of attention. I felt hostile looks falling on me.

Regardless of the kingdom, the adventurers in a guild remain the same. They couldn't help but intimidate the new kids. But that wasn't going to be enough to intimidate me. I was also a member of an adventurer's guild once upon a time. I knew then how it worked.

I pretended nothing had happened and went inside. To blend in, I had to behave like a true adventurer.

I headed straight to the quest board. If Gurai's adventure guilds are built the same way as those in the empire, the quests should be seen at the back of the room to the left of the trading post.

As expected, there was a large board where there would normally be quest cards hanging on it.

Obviously, and one had to suspect it, there was none. They were at war, it was quite logical. Anyway, I came here to get additional information, the quests didn't really interest me. Instead, I had to find a place where I could quietly capture the flow of conversations in this room.

While I was lost in thought, I felt heavy footsteps approaching me. I turned around and saw an adventurer wearing scarlet-colored armor.

''Hello...'' I said in a weak voice.

“Say, are you new here? “The adventurer asked me in an imposing voice.

'' Yes... ''

''I see, my name is Anderlet clebreson. I am also the one nicknamed Red Beast. ''

Given his outfit and the stylish nickname he wore, he must have been a powerful adventurer.

''Nice to meet you. ''

Strangely, the adventurer who stood in front of me remained motionless. He took off his helmet and looked at me with a cold gaze. He had brown hair and a small scar on his forehead.

Stolen novel; please report.

“What is your adventurer rank? '' He said suddenly.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not an adventurer yet. I fled Arakov to take refuge here. This is the first time I've joined an adventurer's guild, I haven't even registered yet. ''

The adventurer in front of me looked at me intently, then he sighed.

He looked more relaxed now.

“I see, you are a novice. ''

'' Yes... ''

“Hmm, I understand... I thought I was dealing with a talented mage, what a disappointment. ''

“A talented mage? '' I asked a little surprised.

“Stop pretending. I noticed that you were limiting your mana. ''

So he noticed it.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you about that. You probably have reasons to do so. ''

'' THANKS... ''

I could thank him for his attitude. It would have been difficult to find a reason for this.

“I’m going to be nice to you. As a veteran, I will answer your questions, if you don't have any of course. So, what do you want to know? ''

So this is an unexpected opportunity. I wasn't going to deprive myself of it.

''The adventurer profession interests me. I wanted to see what type of quest an adventurer could complete before signing up. Unfortunately there are none, is there a reason for this? ''

“Indeed, it is because of the war between the kingdom of Gurai and the empire. Last time we didn't suffer an attack, but we managed to repel them. As a result, it is forbidden to enter or leave the city and therefore all quests have been canceled. ''

''I see... But does this situation suit you? I mean, without quests you can't earn money. ''

''Yes, you're right... Gurai borders the demon king's domain, so there are many quests there. As a result, most of the adventurers in this city are not from Gurai. Some came from other kingdoms just to make money. You will understand that this measure taken by the Gurai authorities does not enchant them. ''

“I understand... But yet, since I have been here, no adventurer has shown anger or anything like that. I also don't think Gurai's leaders have the ability to contain powerful adventurers within the city against their will. ''

'' It's true. To avoid any trouble, the leaders of Gurai have decided to pay for the services of these adventurers. Each month we receive a sum of money necessary to cover our expenses and save us money. In exchange, we must protect Gurai against the empire's repeated assaults. Some adventurers see it as a way to make easy money, so they are not likely to complain. ''

'' I see... ''

“From my point of view, I don’t think that will be enough. ''

'' Ah good ? Why is that? ''

“We are only delaying the deadline. Sooner or later, this city will fall either by force or by attrition. When the adventurers no longer receive money from the rulers, they will let the city fall into the hands of our enemies. The end is already near. ''

He came closer to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.

''If you want advice, avoid joining this guild just to receive monthly money. Soon there will be no more and you will still have to fight. The empire is much scarier than you think. You are still young, you should do your best not to die making a bad choice. ''

He said this to me with a serious look. For my part, I didn't have any particular reaction, but I had an impression.

''So, do you have any other questions? ''

“Say, it’s just an impression but to hear you speak, you give the impression of being from this city. You don't seem to be interested in the money Seika executives pay you. I am even willing to bet that you will fight with all your strength to defend this city without receiving this sum. Am I right? ''

''...''

“Besides, you advised me not to join the guild just for money. I guess seeing novices die on the battlefield just for a meager sum doesn't enchant you in war. It is not difficult to understand that not all adventurers receive the same amount of money. There is definitely a class hierarchy. ''

''...''

“You give this advice to all new kids, right? Is that why you decided to approach me? ''

''Yes, it's true... You're right, I'm from this town. My father, my mother, my family, everyone resides in this city. This is why I am ready to do anything not to let her down, I must protect her. ''

“It’s commendable. ''

''Yes, but what's the point? Either way, the strong will always dominate the weak. If I was strong enough, Seika City would not be doomed to fall. ''

A silence settled between us. I looked at this powerful adventurer clenching his fists, cursing his helplessness. It reminded me of my last moments before dying.

''You say you are ready to do anything to avoid letting this city fall into the hands of the empire, right? ''

“Yes, that’s right. ''

“So, suppose a powerful nation capable of standing up to the empire offers you protection. In exchange, your city will have to be attached to their territory, what will you decide? ''

''I don't know if such a nation exists, but if it did, I would accept without hesitation. ''

He didn't take the time to think about the question. He accepted directly. This demonstrated how much he was willing to do anything to avoid seeing his hometown fall.

'' I see... ''

Hearing his response, I no longer needed to prolong the discussion. I turned my back on him and headed towards the exit.

''Wait! Why are you asking me that? Who are you really? ''

The adventurer called out to me again. At the sound of his voice, I stopped without turning around. I turned my head back with a cold smile.

“I am just a simple stranger who wanted to become an adventurer. ''

I said this and left the establishment.

Once outside, I hurried to find Gloria and Leonard who I had left at the fountain. Fortunately, they were still there. However, there was a surprise guest.

''Your Majes...I mean big brother, you're back. '' Said Leonard, stammering a little bit.

''Yes, but I can know... What is this kitten doing here? ''

Gloria was holding a kitten in her hands that she kept cuddling.

“They were hanging around, he’s cute, isn’t he? ''Gloria replied.

''Yes, but you'd better leave it. ''

''But we can't leave him here. In addition, he doesn't seem to be in good shape and he has a broken leg. ''

“Yes, but…”

''Please dad, let's take him home! ''

'' What ? You don't really think about it? ''

Gloria took the kitten in her arms and took refuge in Leonard's arms.

''Look, Leonard agrees. ''

''Yes your Majesty... Um big brother, we could take him with us. ''

I was surprised that Leonard took his side instead of mine... Come to think of it, it wasn't that surprising.

''Just to be sure. Gloria, wouldn't you have used your power on Leonard? ''

''Hmm... Maybe so. ''

''How can that be? ''

I was a little overwhelmed by events and I felt like I couldn't win. I then decided not to prolong the debate any longer. After all, it's just a kitten.

“It’s okay, we’ll keep it. ''

'' It's true ? Thanks dad! ''

''I told you that here you shouldn't call me dad. Just say big brother, it’s not that complicated. '' I said in an exasperated tone.

'' Sorry... ''

The kitten problem was resolved and I had the information I needed. We could now return home.

But before that, there is something I would like to do...

“Gloria, do you think you can use your power again? ''

'' Yes. ''

Very good, I will finally be able to start phase one of my plan...

End of chapter.