Volume 3 Chapter 18 Dark Guild - A Man Named Randolph
The afternoon after Randy fought off the attackers...
"Here, this is your penalty fee."
Chris was at the dark guild in the capital city, getting part of the deposit back from the leader. This meant that the mission in Riverford had failed.
Chris stared at the penalty fee, deep in thought.
He had been keeping an eye on Randy and his group when the chance to attack suddenly appeared. He didn't think he was asking for too much. It was a last-minute decision, and he just wanted to check how many guards were around, away from [Silver Peak] and [Azure Moon].
Of course, he was hoping for a little more... but it seemed like the other side was better prepared than Chris and the leader had expected. In reality, the two targets──one of whom was a magician──were backed by a powerful weapon.
Anyway, the mission was a failure. Not only did they not capture anyone, but they didn't even get a single piece of information. It was a complete flop.
But, facing the penalty fee...
"No, you can keep it this time."
Chris shook his head and refused to take it. Failing the mission and paying the penalty fee usually go hand in hand. Refusing it could be seen as a way to break ties.
For the leader, it was like being embarrassed in front of his subordinates. If it was a breakup, he couldn't just accept it with a "Okay." But Chris didn't seem angry at all.
It could be seen as a breakup, but the vibe didn't feel like that. The leader raised his eyebrows and asked, "What are you trying to say?"
"I just want to do you a small favor before you guys get scared and back off."
Chris smiled casually, and the leader clicked his tongue in annoyance. This mission was supposed to be either surveillance or a kidnapping. If the other side had strong guards, it should have been an easy job, but the Riverford crew messed it up.
There was no way the leader wouldn't be angry about failing such a simple task and being warned that "it would be a problem if they backed down."
"Are you underestimating us?"
He spoke in a serious tone, but Chris just laughed and said, "No way." Normally, he would have felt more pressure, but there was a reason Chris wasn't scared.
He was actually a little nervous. No, it was more accurate to say he felt something creepy about the other side.
His instincts told him that this job was dangerous.
After all, the people they sent to watch had been wiped out twice. The first time made sense; they were up against [Silver Peak] and [Azure Moon]. Even if the dark guild sent their best, it would be a tough fight.
But the second time was just 2 students traveling together. Sure, it was a sudden request, and they couldn't prepare much. They had hurriedly contacted Riverford. But according to the friends who were watching the south gate, there didn't seem to be any guards around.
Logically, there should have been guards waiting in Riverford, but would they really do something so complicated?
Maybe those students were some kind of monsters.
"...Hey?"
If that was the case, even if they were insulted for backing down, they should really consider quitting this job...
"Hey? Are you listening?"
"Oh, yeah──."
Without realizing it, the leader had been lost in thought in front of Chris, who was now tilting his head, wondering, "Are you really scared?"
"...I'm not scared. I was just thinking about the next team."
If he had been honest and said he was scared, their fate might have changed. That goes for both the dark guild and Chris.
He didn't say it because of his pride as a leader. His instincts were nagging at him, but more than that, he couldn't let himself be made a fool in front of everyone by a kid. In the underworld, being looked down upon meant the end, and he couldn't back down now.
But it was also true that his instincts were bothering him.
"I'm not scared, but I want information about that student... especially the guy."
"The guy?"
Chris tilted his head and pulled out a notebook from his pocket. It had detailed information about Randy.
"His name is Randolph Victor. He's the heir to a Viscount in the Dukedom──."
And so began Chris sharing all the information he had gathered about Randy through various connections.
"His grades at school are at the bottom of the barrel──."
"Bottom of the barrel?"
When the leader spoke, Chris smirked and nodded, saying, "Surprised, right?" He pointed out that not only did Randy have bad grades, but he also hadn't taken sword fighting or martial arts classes, even though he was a boy.
"You don't really think he doesn't need to, do you?"
In response to the leader's words, Chris revealed more information, asking, "Do you really think so?"
"Actually, during our first year, he came to watch the sword fighting and martial arts classes. There was a demonstration for new students──."
It was like an orientation for classes, showing new students what they would be doing. It's common to have upperclassmen show off mock battles in sword fighting and martial arts.
The idea was to show that if you train for a year, you can get really strong.
"──And do you know what he said back then? 'What is this...?' He looked so scared."
As Chris laughed, it was true that Randy had looked pale and said, "What is this?" He was shocked by how low the level was. If he had to train with those guys, he might accidentally hurt someone.
Accidentally killing a classmate during training.
Huge compensation fees.
The poor Viscount family wouldn't be able to pay, and they would fall into ruin.
Imagining that, Randy couldn't help but mutter, looking pale, "What is this (are they serious)?"
Chris was laughing, but the leader pointed out the contradiction, saying, "But I heard he is adventurer, right?" pointing out the contradiction.
"Yeah, he is, but──."
Chris continued to laugh as he talked about the rumors and reputation in the guild.
"Like you said, Randolph is registered with the adventurer's guild, but his rank is E. And people say he's just a reckless newbie."
Chris shrugged, and the leader thought, "A reckless E-rank, huh?"
Yes. Randy's reputation in the guild is 'reckless E-rank.' The reason for this is a bit complicated, but simply put, there's a gag order on the story about the Armor Lizard.
The moment he brought it back was when they measured the maximum power, but the guild panicked because of how powerful it was. They didn't want other newbies to try to copy him.
Especially for young adventurers──like Chris and his friends──they enforced a strict gag order... but it's true that you can't stop people from talking.
A gag order and people who love to talk. The combination created...
"Apparently, a newbie did something dangerous like taking down a giant Armor Lizard by himself."
"Seems like a newbie was doing something risky."
"I heard there's a dangerous newbie around."
...that's how the rumor game went. As it spread, only the information that Randy was a dangerous E-rank got around.
Of course, those who knew the truth just smiled wryly and didn't correct it. After all, Randy didn't care, and they wanted to prevent things from getting more complicated.
In both the school and the guild, all of this made Randy's abilities seem less impressive.
Especially the E-rank for adventurers is something that the dark guild guys can easily imagine as weak. ...In reality, the higher-ups in the guild don't want to raise ranks too easily because other newbie adventurers might try to copy them, and so on.
There's an agreement about Randy's rank between him and the guild, but Chris couldn't find out about that. In the end, even if he asked the guild staff, they would just smile and say, "Oh, that guy..." and only share what they could.
"And one more thing. I even did a background check before he enrolled."
As Chris flipped a page, he revealed what he found out about Randy in his hometown, Victor.
"A lady from the town who has known him for a long time said, 'He was a mischievous kid and often caught big snakes (Black Serpents... A-rank beasts) in the forest behind the mansion.' Sounds like a typical country kid, right?"
Chris laughed and continued.
"Apparently, there was a group of kids called Randy's Exploration Team who went into the forest behind the mansion to explore. Isn't that funny? It's a forest behind a mansion, and they're calling it an exploration."
With a mocking smile, Chris shared more about Randy's adventures in the mountains, but even though it was all true, it felt a bit off from the main point.
"Technically, the Beast Forest is next to the territory, but the knights are watching the entrance, and more importantly, there are knights everywhere a kid could go."
Chris closed his notebook and the leader nodded, saying, "I see." Of course, they were also looking into how the high-level beast materials from Beast Forest were benefiting their territory. But it was hard to believe that Chris, who had grown up normally, could go straight from the lord's mansion to Beast Forest. That place should be the most protected area.
It's hard to imagine keeping a connection to one of the most dangerous places in the world.
And of course, it goes without saying that young Randy was training deep in Beast Forest and hunting high-level beasts.
Honestly, anyone who only knows the usual Randy wouldn't believe the stories about his childhood.
Because of this, both Chris and the kingdom see Randy as just a wild kid from the countryside.
"Well, we figured out that their bodyguards are pretty skilled this time and last time. The attack will definitely happen at the academy."
"That's good, but you can spread the dark side, right?"
"Hmm. If we can lure them to the old school building, maybe."
It was a hesitant answer, but if the conditions weren't right, the dark guild wouldn't have to send anyone out.
"Then hurry up and come up with that plan."
The leader, sitting back confidently, pushed the bag with the penalty money back to Chris.
"We'll make it work next time. For the sake of the dark guild's name."
The leader smiled slyly, and Chris also smiled and took the bag.
As Chris walked away looking relaxed, the leader noticed that the anxiety he felt earlier was fading.
(Am I getting old?)
The leader chuckled to himself, but that wasn't it. If he had seen Randy before the plan, maybe their fate would have been different. No, even a man who had survived in the underworld for a long time might not have seen Randy's true nature.
It's hard to say how things could have turned out. But one possibility was definitely lost at that moment.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)