CH 41

“I'll accept this quest.”

“Yes, this way, please.”

I place the quest form on the counter, and a beautiful young woman, a receptionist, greets me with a business smile.

I am now in the Adventurers' Guild in the center of the capital. This place, a staple of fantasy, is a place where the citizens of the capital come to ask for advice and seek solutions to their various problems, and where many adventurers work hard to solve them every day.

It's been a week since I was suspended from the academy. During the week, I was taking quests from the Adventurers' Guild and working on sub-events unrelated to the main storyline.

Fortunately, my knowledge of the game allows me to have a good grasp of event strategies. As a result of my efforts to save time and work efficiently as much as possible, I had accomplished 20 requests in a week.

“Then, please present your guild card.”

“Yes.”

With a short reply, I take out my student ID card from my pocket.

For this matter, because I was not registered in the Adventurers' Guild, I could use my student ID card as a substitute for my guild card.

Then, since I have already conquered the tutorial dungeon “The Sage's Playground”, my guild rank is rated as D. For the note, there are five ranks in the guild, from A to E, so I'm ranked second from the bottom.

While the receptionist is processing the application, I look around and see many adventurers gathered in the guild, making a lot of noise.

Some of them were looking at the quest forms on the wall, some were exchanging information with other adventurers at the table, and some were drinking at the bar counter of the adjoining bar.

I'm not a big fan of crowded and noisy spaces, but there are many strong-looking people in the guild, so I'm glad that my bad guy side isn't noticeable.

“Yes, the formalities are finished. Thank you for your patience.”

“Yes.”

“Please take care and don't hurt yourself...”

“Mm...”

The receptionist squeezed my hand as she handed back my student ID card.

This receptionist, who called herself 'Alyssa' or 'Marissa', has been acting like this ever since she found out that I was the son of a nobleman. She was always touching my body and showing off her cleavage and thighs more than necessary.

Incidentally, this receptionist is also a sub-heroine in the game, and although she looks young, she will be 30 this year and is in a hurry to get married.

In the game, her route started when Leon accomplishes more than a certain number of quests. If it reaches the perquisites, she will seduce him like now, and if he accidentally falls for her honey trap, it is the end of the story. She is like a carnivorous plant that will get a player drunk and have the player make a mistake of having one-night stand, and of course, the player will end up married to her.

“Zenon-san. After finishing this job, would you like to have a drink with me? I know a place that serves good wine...”

“...I'm sorry, but I'm a student. I can't go out at night because of the curfew.”

“Ah!”

I shake off the receptionist's hand, put my student ID card in my pocket, and quickly leave the counter.

“Sheesh... it's annoying to be scared of someone more than necessary, but it's also annoying to be approached by someone with calculation...”

I sigh, remembering the faces of my classmates who had been looking at me with frightened eyes.

As a result of the recent incident in the dungeon, I am suspended from the school for two weeks.

Anyway, I heard that the student advisor who was taking bribes argued for a more severe punishment, but Wanko-sensei disagreed with the one-sided condemnation and listened to what Aeris had to say, just as I had told her to do.

As a result, it was revealed that the three boys had forcefully recruited Aeris into the party and then left her in front of the monster and ran away.

Aeris's father, Viscount Centorea, although not a very high rank, is an influential man who has been appointed as a cardinal at the court.

Considering the seriousness of the problem, the school called Viscount Centorea and the three boys' guardians to have a meeting. It seems that my father, the Marquis of Baskerville, was also invited to the meeting, but as a matter of course, I did not hear anything from him.

The result of the discussion, which involved several noble families, was in favor of the Viscount Centorea.

Evidently, there were more female students who had been victimized by the trio, which came to light as a result of this incident. They had brought the girls into the dungeon, made it impossible for them to escape, and committed indecent acts with them.

Although it is not a praiseworthy act to leave one's friends behind in a dungeon, and since Aerith offered to serve as a decoy, the three boys cannot be punished too severely.

However, the malicious and indecent use of the dungeon was unacceptable, and the three were expelled from the school, and Aeris and the other victims were compensated with a large sum of money.

As for me, who had attacked the trio in the dungeon, I wasn't acquitted, but I was still only suspended from school for two weeks, which was a light punishment.

“Well... I don't really care. As long as I don't get expelled, it's a free vacation.”

As an aside, it seems that the student advisor who was trying to ostracize me was also forced to quit the school.

He seemed to be very upset when I pointed out the bribe thing to him, which made Wanko-sensei suspicious, and she later investigated the money flow of the man.

As a result, it was revealed that this man had received bribes from many noblemen and wealthy merchants, and had been involved in various wrongdoings such as the embezzlement of examination papers and falsification of grades.

Later, Wanko-sensei, who came to the house to inform me, was suspicious as to how I knew about it, but at any rate, the problem seemed to have been settled for the time being.

“Rather than the school, I have a problem with this one...”

“Ah, welcome back, desu~no!”

When I left the guild, Urza, who had been waiting outside, came running up to me like a puppy.

I patted the head of the oni girl who hugged my waist, and turned my attention to the other person waiting for me and said.

“Sorry to keep you waiting”

“No, I don't mind”

The person waiting with Urza outside the guild is Aeris Centorea. She is one of the main heroines of [DunBrave] and a skilled healer known as the “saint” in the academy.

It was the day after I was suspended from school, when I went to the guild with Urza in tow, Aeris was waiting for me at the gate of the mansion for some reason.

She said, “I will join Zenon-sama's party from today. Although I am a newcomer, please take good care of me.”

When I asked her what she wanted, Aeris declared with her big chest puffed out.

It seemed that Aerith felt responsible for my suspension and wanted to atone for it.

I tried to refuse her, saying it was none of her business, but Aeris never left and started to follow me around.

Eventually, we ended up forming a party, and she help me with some of the quests at the guild.

The question is where did this flag appear...?

It must be because of that lukewarm line I uttered to Aeris in the dungeon.

“Well... whatever. There's no point in worrying about the scenario now, and I wanted a healer too.”

“Zenon-sama, what's the matter?”

“Huff...”

I sigh at this saintess who tilts her head cutely, and shake my head wordlessly.

Anyway, what has been done can't be helped. In the first place, I couldn't abandon Aerith in that situation.

Consequently, it was a good thing for me to increase my strength, and it was also a good opportunity for me to break away from the game scenario.

Yes, it was all good for me... but still, there is one thing I really want to say.

“Leon... make sure you're a hero.”

Is he really going to be a hero?

Was his declaration at the entrance ceremony a lie?

I muttered to the hero who was not here while I looked up at the clear blue sky.