Chapter 10

"Well, that's what happened. Boy, was I stumped."

"That's quite a predicament... I see..."

The next day.

I was politely but firmly shown the door by the old man from my family's dojo, and now I'm back in Baltrain, meeting Alusia for the first time in a day.

This is a room in the Knights' Hall.

The walls are primarily white, with a desk and chairs. The room is decorated with the bare minimum of furnishings, not quite barren, but far from luxurious. It seemed to be a testament to the fact that the Knights' Order didn't pursue such extravagance and was run properly. Well, I can't imagine Alusia embezzling or being extravagant anyway.

So here I am, back in Baltrain with my sword, various belongings, and more than enough travel money.

Boy, I'm glad I saved up a decent amount of money. It turned out to be a good decision not to buy that sword yesterday. I could have bought it, but it was quite expensive, and considering the future, it would have been a bit tight. I never expected something like this to happen so suddenly.

"I need to find a place to stay, and I'm really sorry to be asking you for help."

"No, it's fine, but..."

The old man is like that; once he makes up his mind, there's no talking him out of it. I tried to appeal to my mother, hoping for a glimmer of hope, but she ended up siding with the old man. When they both sang in unison about wanting to see their grandchild, I couldn't say a word. It was tough.

Ryandor was also completely swayed by the old man. When he said with a huge smile, "Teacher! Good luck!" there was no way to fight back. The kind look from Mrs. Fanary was tough to handle.

"......"

"Alusia? Is something wrong?"

I don't have any special connections in the capital, Baltrain. I really felt bad about it, but Alusia was the only one I could turn to.

When I consulted her, she seemed to be deep in thought.

Hmm, for someone who is supposed to be a special instructor for the Knights' Order, this doesn't look good, does it?

"......I suppose it's out of the question to stay at my house, right?"

"Of course it is!?"

I thought she was worrying about something else, but that's a no-brainer.

Living with a young Knight Commander and an old man like me would be problematic in many ways. I don't want to tarnish the reputation of the Knights' Order or Alusia.

"However, the Knights' Order is not very familiar with such matters. I think someone like Rysandela, an adventurer, would know more."

"Ah, I see... You're right."

Indeed, adventurers who travel around on various missions might be more knowledgeable about such information.

I've never been to the Adventurers' Guild, but Srena said she wanted me to visit, so they should be able to help me find a place to stay if I ask.

"I want to secure a place to stay today, so I'll go right away."

"Then I'll show you the way. It's not far from the Hall."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

We both stood up from our chairs.

I slung my bag over my shoulder, and Alusia prepared her sword before we left the Hall.

"Here it is."

"Wow, it's really close."

So, we arrived at the Adventurers' Guild, Leveis Kingdom Branch.

It was really close to the Knights' Hall. It was just one block away from the street where the Hall is located. It couldn't have been more than a five-minute walk.

While not as large as the Knights' Hall, it's still a fairly big building in the capital, Baltrain. In the short time I stood there, I saw several people who looked like adventurers coming and going.

Hmm, it seems to be doing quite well.

"Shall we go in?"

"Sure."

Entering a new building for the first time can be a bit nerve-wracking.

Unaware of my nervousness, Alusia opened the door and walked in without hesitation. I hurried to follow her.

Inside, the door led to a large lobby with a counter in the center, boards on either side, and a staircase visible in the back on the right. The left side seemed to be a lounge area with several round tables and chairs where a few adventurers were relaxing.

Impressive, adventurers. They don't give you the same odd looks as people on the street... Ah, that guy just did a double take. He must have been surprised by Alusia.

"Excuse me, can I see 'Dragon Twin Swords' Srena Rysandela, please?"

"Y-Yes, please wait a moment."

Alusia walked up to the counter without being fazed by the looks.

The receptionist, who seemed to be a bit confused and nervous, responded. It's understandable; the Commander of the Leveio Knights doesn't usually visit the Adventurers' Guild. And to request someone of Black Rank like Srena... it would be reasonable to assume something big was happening.

Well, in reality, it's just an old man looking for a place to stay. It's tough.

"Citrus. If it's something trivial, I'm going to sleep... Teacher!?"

"Hey, Srena, it's been a day."

"It's not trivial. In a way, it's a very important matter."

Srena came down from the upper floor, pretending to be a bit annoyed. But when she saw me, her eyes widened in surprise.

I didn't expect to see her again so soon. It's a bit awkward.

"I didn't expect you to come so soon after yesterday."

"I'm sorry to surprise you. An unexpected event happened."

"Hmm... Let's go upstairs. ...Is Citrus coming too?"

"Of course."

I don't think it's "of course" at all. I just need a bit of help with my accommodation. This lineup is unnecessary.

Anyway, I want to get upstairs as quickly as possible.

The looks from everyone around are killing me.

Bringing the Commander of the Leveio Knights to the Black Rank adventurer without an appointment, and then having that top-ranked adventurer speak formally to an old man... it's a hundred points of weirdness.

Alusia and Srena don't seem to care, but I'm super conscious of it. I wanted to get out of this space as soon as possible.

Srena started up the stairs, either sensing the atmosphere or not.

I followed her up to the second floor, where the layout was different from the lobby. It was a straight corridor with rooms on either side.

"Here, it's a reception room."

"Can we use it freely?"

"No problem. I have permission to use it as I please during my stay."

"Black Rank, the treatment is different, isn't it?"

"No, it's all thanks to your guidance, Teacher."

What part of it? I'm confused, old man.

"So, what's the matter?"

"Ah, yes—"

We all took our seats, and I gave the same explanation I gave to Alusia.

It's a bit embarrassing to say, but that old man...

"I see... In that case, I know a few cheap and good-quality inns. It would be better to be close to the Guild for safety reasons."

"Wait, Teacher will be visiting the Knights' Hall regularly, and for safety, it would be more convenient to be close to my house."

"What? That's a bit unfair. The Adventurers' Guild and the Knights' Hall are close, so it would be more convenient to be in this area."

These two started arguing without taking a breath.

I just want to be introduced to a place quickly, anywhere.

In the end.

After some back and forth.

The base for my activities in Baltrain was set a bit away from the Guild and the Knights' Hall.

Thank you for boosting the daily ranking to 18th place!