"If you want my power, you will need to pay the price...with the very ideal future you have set up in your mind".
The heroes party, looking quite tattered and on the ground half dead, looked up at the being that offered them up this day. It was only then that, in that moment, that someone stood up, the only one who seemed like they could.
----------------------------------------
"And that was when the hero's party was able to gain that power! To this day, its unclear about what was actually sacrificed. After all, how do you know exactly what that curse would do if it only effects the future?"
The merchant told his tale to the blonde haired boy in the back, who had quite the large sword on his back.
"And then they slew the demon king, right uncle?" the boy asked. He couldn't have been older then 9 or 10, 11 at the most if he was very short. He had a large sword on his back, one that was possibly just as tall as he was.
"Yes! Yes my boy!"
"I cant wait to become a famous adventurer myself! I am already really skilled you know? After all, I am already an F-Rank Adventurer!"
The ahoge atop his head seemed to bounce around excitedly with him, his green emerald eyes glistened with energy. He was wearing a light blue shortsleeve jacket that was a bit big for his current size, and it even had a hood. It was likely bought with future growth in mind, as the end of the jacket nearly went to his uncovered knees, and the sleeves just covered his elbows despite being short sleeves. He was wearing some sturdy shoes, a basic white T shirt, and blue suspender shorts. He also wore some gloves that were entirely fingerless and very light, and seemed a bit faded as even though they were black, some parts seemed lighter to a discerning eye.
In terms of adventurer ranks, they went from H to S. H were more or less limited to in city jobs and those just outside of the cities and towns, or working as apprentices or for training missions. To obtain G Rank, one had to show some level of combat ability. As such, there were some people who ranked up instantly from H to G upon joining the guild. To reach F rank, one had to complete a good number of requests, often to slay basic monsters or just wild animals. They were more or less pest like monsters, as Goblins were actually F-Rank monsters themselves, so what they had to fight and slay were monsters or animals with strength lower then Goblins. These included Swarm Rats, Cinderslugs, and the occasional Stinkbug. All of those were G-Rank, they could kill someone who had zero combat ability.
So for him to be F-Rank actually still meant he was essentially a beginner. But at the same time, he was so young some might think his age was in the single digits. Its said that less then 1/100 children could become an F-Ranked adventurer as young as him.
In fact, the Magic Swordsman of the hero's party, Yuma, had reached E-Rank at nine years old. The Hero had joined the guild later in age, as he was summoned from another world, but its said he ranked up to C faster then anyone, including previous heroes, had. And then he broke further records until he made it to S-Rank, the highest rank. Its said that all of his party ended up becoming S-Ranks as well.
Rumor has it, that although there are special circumstances in play, there was even a guild master who was around the boy's age, so exceptions existed within this world.
The driver looked back at the boy. He paid extra attention to him and his sword.
"You are quite skilled to get that far, lad. But be careful. A lot of young and bold adventurers enamored by tales of the heroes have died lately, probably because of overconfidence in their skills. This area might just be too dangerous, I hear the Adventurer's guild might even investigate soon, see if the areas in these woods need to have their danger ranks increased".
"Mmhmm! I will be careful!"
Although the boy said that, it was obvious not all of his enthusiasm had been reigned in. The carriage driver could only hope for the best from him.
It didn't take long for the carriage and its passengers to reach the gate. The guards proceeded to check everyone's IDs, and had the adventurers assemble separately. Most of them towered over the boy, and they all presented their IDs.
As they were checking the other adventurers in front of the line, he saw a boy about his age ttalking to one of the guards. The guard seemed to be concerned for the boy, and issued various warnings, but the boy seemed to wave it off and give a thumbs up, before heading out. That was when the guard checking their IDs finally made it to Wynn.
"Hmmm. Wynn, Age 10, F-Rank Adventurer? You know, you look a bit like the appearance of that one legendary youngin I have heard about, Tryll, but I believe he is nine and already D-Rank. Surely though its because of some connections he has...still, you seem to be a hard worker. And that is a mighty fine sword. Just so you know, don't go to the fields in the east. There is an outbreak of Snaregrass there, so its quite dangerous".
Snaregrass was a type of monster created by the Demon King, or perhaps the Evil God. It looked just like normal grass, however if one was to wander into it, the grass would strengthen itself, ensnare the target. It would remove their weapons, armor, potions, clothing, everything, and then drag them underground to its real body, trapping the prey in its stomach and digesting them. Without any items, most adventurers would be helpless and end up dying.
It also had two variants to make note of. Snaretrees, which appeared in forests, and Snarevines, which preferred jungle like settings. There was also a new one recently discovered, Snarebushes, found when an adventurer used an unfamiliar bush to relieve himself. At least, that was the first time they confirmed its existence, as it was unclear how many victims had been to this species before its discovery.
One might think such things were especially the enemy of female adventurers, but in fact for reasons unknown, they preferred male adventurers. Some theorized it was similar to Orcs, as Orc Females could make better use out of human males to repopulate their numbers for their armies then Orc Males could out of human females. The latter always died giving birth, while the former were often able to be used a number of time before the strain killed them. So they thought the Snareplants perhaps used the males they digested to also reproduce.
Wynn nodded in understanding. "I have heard of them. Just be careful of weird grass that moves against the wind, or seems longer then normal or tries to wrap around me".
"Oh, you already knew of it...but generally, that last one usually means its too late. So be careful about that".
Wynn nodded again. The guard was a bit surprised. Most people only knew of the basic monsters and creatures. Wolves, Goblins, Orcs, Dragons, Liches, things like those which were in many legends. Not every adventurer knew of the rarer creatures, such as Snareplants, Elkfelds, Zoovi, or Kragnars. Some didn't even know about Calytrops or Velocaptors, despite being more populous then some more well known monster types.
With that, he was able to get into the city just fine. There were countless stalls set up by the gate, all catering to travelers. There were a number of guards as well, far more then he expected, until his eyes were drawn to one lady in particular. She appeared to be a noblewoman, but she also had a sword at her side.
"I am here as the leader of the investigation force. I demand that you bring me all your files and those who have investigated the cases so far!"
"But isn't the adventurer's guild..."
"Hmmf. Although its probably just their own stupidity, the lord of your lord has personally assigned me to this. So get to work. He wont have the guild knowing more then him about his own territory".
She acted like such a person, but her choice of words made it clear it was a farce. She definitely didn't think the people she was talking to would be any real help.
While Wynn noticed that, he didn't let it ruin his mood, and he proceeded to walk through the town.
"Yo, newbie. You look quite young to be an adventurer".
"Eh, how did you know I was an adventurer?" Wynn asked the plain looking man who approached him. He had no distinguished features, he had medium black hair, black eyes, no scars, his looks were average, and Wynn had barely noticed him until he approached Wynn.
"Well, that big ass sword on your back makes it obvious. And you got an extra knife. That said, those look quite nice for a kid to have".
"Ah, thanks! Actually, while scavenging, I found the remains of an adventurer. I found these weapons on him, as well as his ID, so I decided to take them for myself and report his death and the location of his corpse to the guild. I know its a bit strange for an F-Rank like me to have Mythryl, but I will work hard to make sure I earn them! Nothing will stop me!"
The man narrowed his eyes, and smiled.
"Thats good, but careful about saying that so freely. Some people might try to take advantage of you. How about we get you over to the guild? If you complete some requests quickly, the right kind of people will take note of you, and it will be harder for others to abuse their power to try and take your stuff".
Wynn nodded. "Thanks! Thats a good idea!"
"My name is Korig, D-Rank, how about you?"
"Wynn!"
Korig proceeded to bring Wynn to the Adventurer's guild in the city. It was a decently sized building, at least four stories tall, and it had a large training grounds in the back. Furthermore, it was located near a blacksmith, an alchemist, a shop that specializes in healing magic, another blacksmith, an inn, and a place that looked like it was some sort of eatery, but could serve massive portions and seat way more people then a normal one could. Rather, there were stairs on both the inside and the outside and it was clear the first four floors all had spaces for people to sit down and eat.
Yeah, its just like the Adventurer's Guild in Ruzzell. They knew what adventurers would want.
Wynn thought that as he was led into the guild. There were a variety of figures there, some of them new, but mainly adventurers that were higher ranked. A few seemed to eye him, and he got a number of unpleasant feelings that he could sense from the looks around him. He wasn't really sure, but he felt a bit unwelcomed. That all changed when he made it to the receptionist desk. Normally, the job postings would be elsewhere so they didn't get in the way, but for some reason they were with the receptionists for some reason.
"Ah, hello! Are you here to accept a job?"
"Yeah. Wynn, F-Rank adventurer".
"How nice, its unusual for Korig to bring in such a cute boy like yourself. And to think you are already an F-Rank! Quite the promising rookie! We have some goblin subjugation requests. They have been seen near the western forests, in a bit of elevated numbers. And as for you Korig, we need someone to investigate the northern forests quickly, to make sure this isn't some sort of large scale shift in the ecosystem".
"Got me running that again? Cant I get the west forest at least, or maybe go train some rookies?"
"You are one of the best scouts in the city. You always bring us premium product and intel. Isn't that why you get double rewards for scouting missions, because of your sheer results?"
Double? Are his results that good?
"Plus the bonus for the materials I get, but yeah. That doesn't mean I enjoy it though".
"Yeah yeah. Anyways sweetie, the forest is in a bit of a weird situation, but there are a bunch of people who might get involved and pick a fight with us. Young talent like you are their prime desire to mess with".
For some reason she decided to take his hand, and she led him out of the guild. Wynn had expected the adventurers leering at him to stop him, but when they saw the receptionist with him, they backed off. At least for the moment.
Yeah, messing with the receptionists gets you in trouble in any guild. Still, something weird in the air. Might need to keep an eye on them later.
Wynn thought of that as he was led outside of the guild. She was still holding his hand, and Wynn could still feel eyes on him.
Did some of the rogues and thieves track us discreetly? Just how strong are these feelings?
Wynn was only ten years old, so there shouldn't be any nonsense like jealousy or other romance based emotions. But he was an F-Rank as well, so perhaps some held a grudge against such a fast rank up.
"When did you join the guild anyways?"
"Eight. My parents were farmers, but the harvest was not doing well. I was always good at sneaking around, and I was good with a sword too. I was also really strong for my age, so I trained a lot. Now I am F-Rank. I also have four older siblings, and five younger ones".
"So that's why your family was okay with you becoming an adventurer, because you had so many siblings to help out?"
"Yeah. That, plus my father stopped being able to beat me in a fight. Although I think he always held back".
"Ahaha. So precious".
"Muuuh....anyways, I just need the left ear of a goblin to count as proof of subjugation right?"
"Yes. You know to get the magic stones already, right?"
"Yeah. Surprised you didn't set me up in a group. Most of them do".
"Ah...truth is, I was hesitant to give this to you, but a number of G-Rankers have gone missing in that area, and one recently promoted F-Ranker. He only had an Iron Dagger, and he was older then you, but he was very promising. If there is any danger, be wary. And watch out for Snaregrass too, its growing in that area".
"Mhm. I will, thanks".
"There should be another young boy there. He is G-Rank, I tried to warn him as well but he apparently needed the money, so he went to do a gather request. Then we heard of the goblins. If its just a single one, he might be fine, but if you could check on him to make sure..."
"Mhm. I think I saw him at the gate, I will see if I can link up with him and work together".
"Thats great. I wish you the best of luck, Wynn".
Wynn thanked the receptionist, and headed off after she released his hand. The gazes on him lingered for awhile, but once he was far enough he went into a dark alley and merged with the shadows while moving quickly, utilizing his stealth skills. As he was born in a forest hamlet, he was used to skulking around while being wary of wild beasts, so his stealth skills were top notch.
Still, as he entered one alley, he got surrounded.
So they did follow me.
"You would do well to never talk to that receptionist. She isn't good for you".
Four people confronted him, two in front and two in behind. However, there was also at least one person watching from the shadows. Wynn could not pinpoint them, but it seemed to be a lookout.
The four adventurers were from the bar. They were the ones who were the most obvious in their dissatisfaction.
"You have any reason for intimidating me?" Wynn asked.
"Hmmf. Lets call it 'concern for your self interest'".
He was large and muscular, and looking down on Wynn. Wynn felt rather irritated, as in fact all four of these adventurers were tall and muscular. Wynn meanwhile was short for his age, and although he said he boasted a lot of strength in his body, and he had a large sword on his back, his frame was thin and meek. One would think he was a wizard or mage with his build, not a swordsman.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
So while he understand what they wanted, and what he should and shouldn't do, his irritation started to make him take an ill advised action.
"You realize you are up against four D-Rankers. If you wont listen to reason, we will be happy to beat some sense into you. It is better this way".
But before Wynn could draw his sword, a wave of intimidation was felt. The man who was doing the talking turned around with his friend, and saw the woman. She looked like she might be about twenty five years old. She was the same person who Wynn saw earlier.
"And what is going on here? My name is Lady Serafyna I am trying to do my job properly, but how can I with you messing around here?"
Wynn felt the pressure directed at him, and quickly let go of his sword.
"I was just trying to go on a quest when these guys stopped me. I will get out of your way now".
Wynn said that, and immediately ran out of the alley, past her.
"Fine. Boys should do as they are told after all, or else they have to be punished".
Wynn felt a chill run down his spine, and quickly ran off. It didn't take him long to reach the gate in question. He confirmed his quest with the guards, and was able to get through. Adventurers didn't need to pay gate taxes, as they were helpful to guards and knights in keeping monsters suppressed. The easier it was for them to work, the less likely the knights would need to be rallied to purge a certain area. As such, the kingdom of Granacia had a number of systems and laws that helped adventurers and protect them.
Wynn could still feel some eyes on him even after he left, most likely some of the archers and guards from the walls. Wynn had heard they had lost a number of young recruits lately, so it was possible the guards were on alert and keeping watch on him. In fact, one of the gate guards secretly followed him from a distance. After awhile, his feeling dissipated completely.
I guess they all finally wizened up.
Wynn thought that while looking around. There were some trees around, so it was not entirely an empty field, but the grass was tall and thick. From a distance, people probably wouldn't notice if he ran around in just his shirt and jacket with his lower half completely naked, that was how thick it was.
Wynn kept his senses sharp though, as he noticed some rusted arrows on the ground. That was when he heard something shift, despite the wind not blowing at all when it happened. Wynn put a hand on his sword while using the free one to take out his dagger.
A goblin attacked, but suddenly Wynn drew his Mythryl dagger and stabbed it in the neck, quickly pulling it out and letting it fall to the ground while he stabbed another one that came close. Once that was done, he went after a third one, taking it down as well as he heard muffled screaming.
He left the three dead goblins on the ground as he headed towards the sounds he could just make out. As he approached though, there was a gap in the tall grass, and he noticed ever so slightly it swayed a bit differently. He could still hear muffled screaming, it came from behind the grass, lower down. And that was Wynn spotted a shoe on the ground near it.
He quickly cut into the grass, revealing a boy who was ensnared by grass and was completely naked. Wynn cut through some of the grass, and pulled not just him, but also kicked and dragged his discarded clothing out. As he backed out himself, the boy he rescued just barely let something out.
"Look out! Its a trap!"
That was when both he and the boy were pushed from behind back into the Snaregrass. It quickly snared them both, and Wynn could feel it start to undress him as it began to remove all of his weapons, armor, clothes, everything. Even if it looked like grass, it was like it was as durable as metal. The strength of a ten year old could in no way break out of it.
As for who pushed him, it was Korig and the Receptionist, that was there.
"Why?!"
"Ah don't worry, we wont let the Snaregrass kill you. See, when I brought you outside earlier, in fact we were holding a secret auction for you. We did the same thing with that dumb boy. You will be sold as illegal slaves, and make us a lot of money. Isn't that right, Vice-Master?"
A larger man came out and smiled at them. The Snaregrass was starting to remove all of Wynn's gear, leaving him completely exposed.
"Ah, the Snaregrass that I painstakingly raised and developed does so well. It appears like a stronger variant, that would work on even high ranking adventurers. Well, just to be safe, our receptionist made sure to poison you through a contact poison on her hand when she held yours".
Poison and an Enhanced, Modified Variant. It wasn't eating them by throwing him and the other boy into its stomach, so it must only eat on command. That said, even though it was raised with such care, it was clearly just meant to be a scapegoat. Something that they would blame.
"You think your guildmaster will let this go once he hears of this?!"
"Yeah! The guildmaster of this city wont let this slide!"
Even the other boy that Wynn had rescued spoke up in a rage.
Yes, guildmasters were known to be honorable and great adventurers who got old enough to retire. Wynn knew quite a few who were good people like that.
"Ha! He is in on it! Still. It seems like some noble is sniffing around, although I met with her already. She thinks it is a waste off time, but her questions will annoyingly be fresh on everyone's minds when the Adventurer's Guild HQ dispatches people".
"No way, a guildmaster..."
The other boy seemed to be disheartened.
"Then, the adventurers who tried to warn me..."
"Yes, I heard about then from korig who was tailing you to be safe. We had to deal with that nosy guard too. Ah, but look. Here comes that oh so precious Guildmaster you thought would save you".
The Vice-master said that with a face of cruelty, as the Guildmaster approached them.
"Well done on dealing with that nosy guard Korig. I sent my own scout to keep watch while we prepare the goods for transport. I have the illegal slave traders nearby with a carriage that we can use to sneak them to our clients".
He said that, causing the boys to cry, but Korig looked confused.
"Wait, I didn't deal with him. I thought that was your scout".
"No, he was with me. He saw your scout deal with it".
"What? What does this mean? Then who killed the guard?!"
As he said that, he looked back at the two boys. They had tears down their face. The guildmaster approached them however, and noticed something. The one boy they captured first was looking at Wynn bewildered, as with his crying was a muffled laughter.
"Why is this brat laughing?!"
The guildmaster tossed a stick he picked up from the ground at him, only for the stick to go right through the boy. The moment that happened, both boys seemed to disappear, and so did their clothes, equipment, weapons, and everything else. They should have been completely naked and restrained, but it turned out to just be an illusion. In its place was a bunch of cut grass, and the boy wrapping a blanket around the rescued boy.
"We can search for your gear later, so just hold on tight".
The boy nodded, as Wynn turned back to them. He his grabbed his sword, and he pulled it from its sheath. The moment he did, a force of pressure was released and hit them all.
"What a shame that you managed to get completely redressed already" a female voice said from the other direction, causing the group to look behind them. "Honestly with that body, running around a field completely naked suits you. I so wanted to see it again".
"Sheesh, and you were the one to warn me about staying on task. You were supposed to show up sooner and prevent that from happening in the first place! And stop taking pleasure from my embarrassment and suffering!"
"Master's naked body is a treat for the eyes".
Wynn glared at her with annoyance, before turning his attention to the group. Despite what she said, he knew deep down this was just her venting because she blames him for constantly putting off his own work and dumping it all on her. On that note, he needed to ID himself now. He took out an ID, but this time it was a different one.
"Let me introduce myself properly. Yuma Ruzzo, S-Rank Adventurer, and Guildmaster of the Ruzzell".
"Serafyna Delamare, S-Rank Adventurer, and Master Yuma's future wife. Also Assistant and Receptionist to the Guildmaster of Ruzzell. I don't even mind being a second or a third wife by the way".
"...please shut up about that Serafyna. This is no time for teasing me. Anyways, you might as well give up now. We have a lot to ask you about those slave traders you are connected with".
"Ah, master. They were located on a vantage point watching this whole situation unfold. I was restraining them as I watched you squirm inside the snare grass that is stronger then you when you are holding yourself back under that Wynn persona. Truly, the honest and naive Wynn is my favorite alias of yours. Although Tryll is also a very precious child as well that you can become".
"Impossible! A brat like you, guildmaster?!"
"I will have you know, I am actually 102 years old" Wynn corrected.
The boy just gazed at Wynn in shock.
"S-Rank...guildmaster...wait, Yuma Ruzzo? 102?! Are you THE Yuma Ruzzo of the heroes party?!"
"You got it! But enough talk. You lot, surrender or die".
"Like hell I am taking orders from a brat and a bitch!" the receptionist yelled, as she cast a large scale Earth Magic and attacked them both. Rock pillars shot out of the ground, but Wynn, or rather Yuma, cut it in half with his sword and then shot out a chantless ice spell, causing an ice prison to entrap the receptionist. Below the neck, everything was frozen. Korig appeared behind him, but was suddenly blasted aside from a powerful blast of pure magic from Serafyna.
The Vice-Master also attacked him, refusing to recognize him. No, it was more like he couldn't. He seemed to be as skilled as a C-Rank Adventurer, but Yuma dodged the panicked blow and kicking him aside.
As he tried to get up, he suddenly felt snare grass wrap around him. Unlike the two boys, who were cute however, he was an older man in his 50s, so everyone sort of averted their eyes to not see something potentially disgusting.
The guildmaster had tried to fire off several magic attacks, but Yuma cut through them all.
"Impossible...there is no way a brat as small, insignificant, and weak as you....I had heard rumors of a child-like Guild Master, but to think they meant literally?"
As he said that, he cast several other forms of magic. Yuma dodged most of them, but one of them actually hit Yuma and cut his bare arm. The moment that happened, Serafyna kicked his legs from behind, causing him to drop tto his knees, and put a sword to his neck.
"To harm Master like that, you must be courting death".
"Sigh...Serafyna, clearly we are going to need to work on boundaries later. Well, in this case I dont really mind. He is scum who should be treated as such. I am pretty sure he was getting off on seeing a naked boy struggle after all, and all of his kind are creepy".
As he said that, he glared at Serafyna.
"Master, please. I am not some degenerate. A young childlike body, but with an adult intellectual mind capable of making adult decisions while still being at least a bit, if not more, childlike is my ideal partner. I would never go after an actual child".
"Yeah, that distinction is the only reason I don't lock you up in jail".
That and also no prison could properly hold her.
Yuma quickly took out a vial from the pocket of his jacket, and drank it.
"That poison, I didn't realize that one. My movements and strength were being drained like that, it was quite dangerous. Thankfully you all got so haughty, you didn't notice me using physical reinforcement magic. Thanks to that, I was able to get myself out of there somehow".
"I dont believe this...how is there a brat like you, and we never heard of it?!"
"Same reason you took so long to realize who I was, or accept my identity, and why the other three still haven't. Although..."
He looked back at the boy he saved, who was watching in amazement. He had totally forgotten his surroundings, even the blanket he should be covering himself with had fallen down without him caring. Well, he was also still a child.
"What was your name again?"
"Juno".
"I see. You must have some potential, or perhaps strong willpower. You seemed to recognize and accept me so easily. I guess my curse is not effective against you, huh?"
"Curse?"
"Yes. As part of my punishment, for accepting the deal of a Demon, I had to give up my ideal future. It was...surprisingly literal".
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Yuma Ruzzo was an extremely talented boy. From the moment he was born, he had natural prowess with the sword and the spell. However, he didn't have very good luck, and was bad at hiding it, so he had gotten himself into trouble plenty of times. This included being kidnapped and sold to some noble, who had...peculiar tastes. As it turned out, so did her husband though, and when The Hero raided the place upon hearing about her husbands antics, that was when they discovered him as well.
They had already taken measures to ensure the girls had a housing facility, but they did not expect to find a boy. However, the boy had talent, and he ended up helping the Hero against the Demon King's soldiers when they tried to ambush him during the operation.
The boy ended up joining the Hero's party. At first they thought was he just a brat, and took care of him a bit. Well, supposedly at least, he somehow ended up captured and used as bait a number of times. But eventually he proved himself. He wanted to grow up to be tall, strong, handsome, and famous like the Hero, although he never could admit it to his face.
Of course, the other companions had been chosen by the kingdom who summoned the hero for being the most elite forces of them all, the best of the best. While he reached B-Rank, the rest of them reached S-Rank. However, he had a versatile skillset. He could act as a second scout, a second healer, a second mage, and a second vanguard. So even though he was only a B-Ranker, he ended up being very useful...although he still found himself in a number of unpleasant situations.
But then when he was just twelve years old, they had no choice but to raid the Demon King's castle. But the Demon King was clever, he had done this so they would have to come before they were ready. As such, although in the final battle, they managed to momentarily repel the Demon King, they were all wiped out, exhausted, and tired.
And then through one of the magic items in the Demon King's vault, they ended up summoning a being with no physical body, but was infamous. A Devil, known for deals and contracts. They were not necessarily evil, but neither were they good. And so he made an offer. He would grant them healing and restoration, and would give one of them great power, but in exchange, he desired that one person's "ideal future".
When everyone else was unsure what to do, unsure of what was meant, it was Yuma who took the offer. As the weakest, he needed to rank up to help against such a foe, was what his worry was. And so the deal was made, and Yuma gained enough power to also stand at S-Rank.
They fought the Demon King again. it was hard, but they eventually won. They were not yet aware of what Yuma's curse, which manifested as a mark at the very bottom of his waist, his spine. But they had been victorious.
Their names became famous across the continent, and especially the Hero became famous. Everyone was able to enjoy it, everyone's names went down in history.
However, as time passed, it was soon clear what the curse Yuma was afflicted with did.
At first, he got a bit smaller. Not only was he no longer growing, he actually regressed a bit, and then he stopped getting younger or older completely. His clothes seemed a bit too big, but then he realized it was he who got a few years smaller. His teeth also, none of them seemed to be adult teeth. He would occasionally lose baby teeth, only for new ones to grow in. It was humiliating for him, to say the least.
Not only that, but it soon became clear that outside of his party, and a few others he got very close with, most people were incapable of remembering him. Occasionally, someone who was very perceptive would be able to notice and recognize him, and realized who he was after witnessing his ability, but it was like his existence kept fading from most people's minds, and people found it often they forgot to talk about him and tell about him to others.
In truth, he was of commoner birth. The name Yuma Ruzzo was not even his, it was given to him in recognition for his effort and work and his help fighting the Demon King, which might be how people still remembered that name and the rough description of him, as well as some specifics about him. Of course, many books contained the truth, but as the years passed, others made certain omissions or embellishments, and people usually just paid attention to the Hero's parts anyways.
His original name was Wynn.
That was how his curse became clear. His ideal future had been to grow up to be tall, muscular, famous, and handsome. Instead, he was short, lean, forgettable, and cute. it caused him to develop a few complexes for sure, and it was certainly a denial of his ideal future.
Not only that, but he would outlive all of his friends. Even if he didn't realize it, partt of his ideal future was "growing alongside his friends", but even that was taken away. He could never age, let alone die of old age. The Devil had not been lying. Perhaps one could say, it was a personal, sinister curse, for him and him alone.
He had operated as an S-Rank Adventurer for so long, and although he often met with his other party members, they couldn't stay together for long. With the Demon King vanquished, the S-Rankers were needed to remain scattered around, ensuring their power players could help deal with emergencies and keep the peace, as remnants of the Demon King, the Evil God, and other malicious forces rose up from time to time.
This eventually led to an incident, where he was mostly rewarded for, but partially punished. It was decided that he would put down roots in a town, and become the Guild Master for the Ruzzell branch of the Adventurer's Guild for thirty years. That was fourty years ago, but he was still the Guildmaster there. And Serafyna's job was to not only look after and assist him, but also to bring some joy and chaos in his life...and to make sure he did his duties properly.
And that was what led to this current situation. Well, there were other parts as well, but that was the short version.
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"In any case, we will have to attack and rescue the kidnapped citizens, crush the nobles and merchants behind the organization, and root out the corruption within this adventurer's guild".
"Master" Serafyna said, suddenly pulling on Wynn's ear as she pulled him to the side. "We can leave that to the guards, and other adventurers that were sent here. Since we captured all the executives soo easily, we no longer need someone with Guildmaster authority".
"That is not true at all Serafyna".
"Yes, it is. We have to get back to Rozzell and make sure the areas inbetween the two cities is properly patrolled by our own adventurers, since this city will likely be low on manpower for quite some time given this mess. Furthermore...you need to properly be punished".
"Eh?"
"When you knocked the tamer unconscious, the grass went a bit wild and ate that boy's equipment".
"Serafyna, that's impossible. Snaregrass have incredibly weak stomachs, they can only digest organisms. Stuff like clothes, and especially metal, they cant do. Thats why they have to strip their opponents".
"This was specially modified to remove evidence, remember? They were after your swords, but how would they explain the rest? They were selling people, so clearly they did not need to digest people...which begs the question, what was the snaregrass used to remove evidence for? With their skills, lower ranked adventurers would have been easy for them".
Yuma looked back, and saw that the snaregrass had indeed gone out of control and seemed to gobble up everything but the Vice-Master, who was now trapped naked but not being eaten by the Snaregrass.
"...ewww".
"Clearly, he used the funds he was making to eat lavishly".
"Lets uhh...let the guard knights know. And get some adventurers. You remember all the ones that tried to save me and nearly ruined our ambush right?"
"Yes. I will hire them to help, since clearly they are good people".
"Could use some work on their wording and explanations, but yeah".
They were so determined to save him, they were even willing to attack him and beat him up to save his life. Wynn had a very good opinion of those people.
"In any case, we cant leave the boy here alone, so I guess we will take him with us. Hey, Juno, how about we get you some new clothes and then you travel back with us?"
"Actually Master, since you caused his discomfort, you should give him your clothes. You look like you are about the same size".
"Serafyna, I don't have any spare clothes to change into".
"That can also be your punishment".
"You sadist! You just want to embarrass me!"
"If it helps you learn your lesson, then yes".
"Umm, I don't need his clothes" Juno said, wrapping himself with the blanket while being embarrassed.
"I see. Well it would be awkward if you were the only boy to ride naked, so the punishment stands".
"Rejected!
"You have no choice in this, master. Besides, it would be good for you to make a new friend through some naked male bonding. Boys your age often run through fields naked while playing as well".
"That may all be common, but you are clearly doing this to satisfy your psychotic sadistic desires!"
"Are you saying this is just because you happen to push so much paperwork that you should be doing on me? Are you finally going to learn? Lets see if after this trip home, we find out?"
"Tsk. You are persistent today".
"Of course. Thats because you made me work today, on my birthday".
With that voice, a chill ran down his spine.
"...ah crap".
He suddenly scooped up Juno into his arms.
"We are now running back home now! Sorry, i will get you clothes once we get there! Hold on tight!"
"Eh?"
"Don't try to run away, master!"
And so carrying Juno, Wynn burst into a full on dash back to Ruzzell.
This was the tale of the Guildmaster of Ruzzell's Adventurer Guild, their daily lives, regular occurrences, and perhaps even a few dastardly plots....but for adventurers, those were also regular occurrences as well. A tale of a slice of life that was not always quite like other slice of life stories, and maybe sometimes not like one at all.
But that is a Guildmaster's daily life for you.