LEGEND

Chapter 151

「As expected, as it gets later you hardly see any people.」

Leaving the slums, Rei muttered as the went towards the upperclass district along the main street.

It was nearly 10pm. For residents in the city, it was already late into the night. Naturally, the entertainment district, including the bars, were also nearing the end of their business hours.

As the party continued through, drunks sleeping on the roadside or people walking with a lover for the night could be seen. However, there were a lot less than when they had been walking to Galahat’s hideout.

「Even if you do, there will start to be less people who fall asleep on the roadside drunk as it gets into late autumn. It’s quite cold. If you’re not careful, you might end up freezing to death.」

Murt looked towards an adventurer who was snoring with a barrel on the roadside as he muttered in amazement.

「Well, there are plenty of kindhearted people around. In addition……there.」

Next to Murt, or rather, it was more accurate to say that Murt was standing in a position to shield the injured Galahat, Galahat looked towards a group of several people that were walking towards the sleeping man.

「They are?」

They didn’t look like adventurers, but they didn’t look like ordinary inhabitants either. Rei asked Galahat as he watched those people.

「Those are guild staff. They patrol around as night comes around to help out any drunks they find.」

「……The guild does this as well?」

「Ahh. After all, Gilm is a frontier city. Because there is a lot more danger, the presence of adventurers is indispensable. However, if you get drunk and fall asleep outside and end up hurting your health or freezing to death, the number of adventurers who can receive requests at the guild goes down. In addition……」

Galahat expressed some pity as he saw the guild staff reach the drunk.

He shook his head as he spoke up again.

「Of course, the help isn’t free. Anyhow, there’s a risk of freezing to death in this season. That drunk will be asked to pay a good amount of money tomorrow morning.」

「……That’s surprisingly clever.」

Hearing that they did something similar to gathering protection fees, Rei had a slightly surprised expression.

Next to Rei, not understanding the what was going on……Set continued walking along while cautious of the surroundings and wary against enemy attacks.

「But even so, you can’t just sleep on the roadside when you’re drunk assuming that the guild will help you. If they don’t help you, they don’t help you.」

On a side note, this helping fee was earning a reasonable amount of income for the guild……even Galahat didn’t know that.

Continuing to walk through the city, reaching the end of the main street, the upperclass district came into view.

「That reminds me, where are there adventurers and ended up siding with Galahat? You said that there were at least 5.」

Brazos asked Murt as he carried his Earthshaker Hammer on his shoulder.

「They’re going to go around to suppress the executives in Bolton’s faction.」

「Hm? Aren’t the people cooperating with Galahat coming with us?」

「Of course not, there’s no way that all the adventurers that are hired by Azoth Firm are in Bolton’s mansion right? There will be a few people that will be sent out to protect the executives. In order to deal with that, I’ve gotten the adventurers on Galahat-san’s side into the guards of the executives.」

「Well, that is true……」

When Freon heard the discussion between the two, she spoke

「Is anything wrong?」

「No, from what I know about Bolton, even if you call them subordinates, they’re just his cronies right? Sacrificing part of his own safety to protect others……that would be strange for him to do.」

At Freon’s words, Galahat gave a bitter smile at the natural question. Beside him, Murt, who had been talking until now, also had a bitter smile.

「That is certainly likely if you consider the character of my older brother. However, the butler that has served my older brother’s family for generations is sharp. Although it is less likely, there’s a possibility he can persuade my older brother to dispatch a escorrt out. Even if it’s just a few of his supporters. We can’t be too careful about handling that. ……With Rei on our side, that’s enough of a fighting force.」

Saying that, he turned to glance at Set, who was walking slowly next to Rei.

It had the figure of the lion, the king of beasts and the eagle, the king of birds of prey, it was an appearance of a high ranking monster.

「In addition, to doubly make sure, we also have Set, a Griffon, here.」

「Well, if you’re an ordinary adventurer, you don’t want to have to fight a Griffon.」

Freon said that with a laugh.

In addition, in the city of Gilm, Set was very popular. It would be awkward in many ways if it was known to the residents of the city found out that someone had fought Set.

(First of all, there’s a high possibility that food stalls will no longer sell them food, the same goes for other merchants. As for weapons shops, they can still buy items with the influence of Azoth Frim, but not for long since Galahat will take Bolton down from his position tonight regardless. Even if there were residents in this city who didn’t do business, if someone was hostile towards Set ……there would be no doubt that they would be looked at coldly.)

As long as they lived in the city of Gilm, they would inevitably have to interact with others. Whether it was the guild, inns, eateries or shops. Everyone would look at them with cold eyes each time, as a coward who tried to bully a popular character in the city……it would be difficult to live in the city of Gilm like that. They could ignore it if they had a thick skin and didn’t care about what other people saw of them, but there weren’t many people like that. If they did, they would naturally be forced out of the city.

Alternatively, there was a possibility they would sincerely apologise to Rei and Set……but being hostile and fighting Rei and Set even once, to have the courage and guts to talk to to them again after that, there weren’t many with that much courage either.

(In the end, the other side was checkmated when Rei sided with Galahat.)

Freon thought to herself, and prayed that at the very least, the injuries of the poor adventurers would be minor.

Like that, as they silently walked down the road, they eventually reached the entrance to the upperclass district.

It was already late at night and the figures of several adventurers hired to patrol the area could be seen.

「Halt! From here on is the upperclass district. What are you doing here so late night……huh? Galahat-san?」

An adventurer called out a warning, but as soon as he saw that it was Galahat, he lowered his axe to the ground.

To the adventurers, Galahat approached with a smile. Although his movements were still a bit slow as he had not completely recovered from his injuries, his movements were not unsteady.

「It’s hard on you patrollers. Is something happening in the upperclass district?」

「Not right now.」

The man with the axe shook his head slightly at Galahat’s question. The man beside him with the long sword spoke up as if remembering something.

「That reminds me, it seems the adventurers hired by Azoth Firm are gathering at Bolton-san’s mansion……do you know anything about it?」

「Tch.」

Hearing the adventurer’s words, Freon clicked her tongue. Fortunately, the sound was so soft that it didn’t reach the adventurers.

(Are they still gathering adventurers? Of course it’s natural……but if possible, if their fighting strength was lower it would be better.)

As Freon muttered that, the conversation between Galahat and the other adventurers continued.

「Ah. I’ve heard about it. There seems to be a bit of a dispute in Azoth Firm. I think that has had an effect. The people with me are concerned about it as well. Hey, have you heard the rumors about an adventurer with a Griffon?」

At Galahat’s words, Set, who had been hiding behind and keeping alert, stretched his head out.

「Owa!」

The adventurer that saw the Griffon was surprised and tried to lift his axe but was immediately stopped by Galahat.

「Hey, hey, stop it. As I was saying, this Griffon is Set, this is Rei, a D rank adventurer. Have you heard the rumors about him?」

「……Now that you mention it, I seem to have heard about it.」

At Galahat’s words, he remembered the adventurer with the Griffon. He turned his eyes towards Rei, who was wearing his Dragon Robe and an innocent looking face.

「Is Rei the kid in the rumors? ……Certainly, the rumors about his build can’t be relied on. I’ve also heard he’s unusually strong for his size. Well, that’s fine. There’s no problems if you know Galahat-san. You can continue.」

The other adventurers had a sense of trust in Galahat. They let them pass without stopping them any further.

When they went far away enough from the patrollers, Rei turned to look at Galahat in amazement.

「Well, well, I can’t lie like that so fluently.」

However, at Rei’s shocked look, Galahat accepted it naturally.

「Is that so? At the very least I don’t recall lying about anything. It’s a fact that adventurers are gathering at my older brother’s mansion because of the dispute in Azoth Firm. Isn’t it also true that Rei is involved in this disupte? It’s just that we didn’t tell them about everything……」

「That much information is plenty.」

「……Rei, please remember. If you become a high rank adventurer, sometimes it is necessary to wrap things up in smoke to mislead people. ……Well, as far as you are concerned, your personality doesn’t look like you would have problems with lying」

「Ah well. I’m not a good kid. Actually, if I was a good kid, I would have tried to reach a compromise with Bolton.」

Rei replied with a grin and smile. If he had been a good kid, Azoth Firm wouldn’t have been thrown into confusion in their present state, there was nothing more persuasive than that.

「Now then, either way, should we say as expected. A considerable number of adventurers are gathered at Bolton’s mansion. 」

「Sorry, Galahat-san. My movements got found out.」

Coming back to reality at Rei’s words, Murt lowered his head towards Galahat.

However, Galahat didn’t mind it and put his hands on Murt’s shoulders as he shook his head.

「Don’t worry about it. They would have done this anyway. It wouldn’t have been possible for me to bring this to the end without my older brother finding out. It just happened that they found out on your move.」

「……Galahat-san, I will definitely protect you.」

「That’s fine. I’ll be relying on you.」

As they talked and and walked along the main street in the upperclass district, even though it was into the night, a mansion brightly illuminated came into view.

「That’s surprisingly extravagant, how to put it……」

Freon said that while looking at the mansion in amazement. Galahat spoke with a bitter smile.

「Usually the lights aren’t all turned on. Perhaps they’re wary of us today.」

「Ah, that’s right. That reminds me. Most of the people that were pursuing Murt were killed and the people that attacked Set at the Dusk Wheat didn’t go back. Are they on guard because of that?」

「Rather than that, their fighting force is just under 40 people and as Freon said, almost 10 people have already been caught. In other words, according to our calculations, there are only 30 people left……why do I feel there are more people?」

Brazos muttered as he looked at Bolton’s mansion as they gradually approached. Certainly, the number of people who could be seen in the yard of the mansion was well over 30. Considering that they were likely there to guard the mansion, Rei could see that it was quite different from what he had heard before hand from Murt and Galahat.

「Perhaps they gathered the thugs that came over to the Dusk Wheat. I don’t know if they’re actually there to fight or to intimidate us.」

Rei muttered that as they got closer to the entrance to Bolton’s mansion, protected by the adventurers.