46 Part 2

“… I’m talking about that elf.”

“… I think I’m also talking about that elf.”

“I’m about to ask the guild for a job, so don’t be rude.”

“No, not at all. If you don’t want me to.”

Reggie sledged and returned to the magic sword.

… I’m sure it’s thinking about something strange, this guy.

As we were walking while talking, we were back on the main street of the town before we knew it.

The Adventurer’s Guild had a … proper sign.

A sea dragon is entwined with the symbol of a sword and a staff intersecting.

That seems to be the emblem of the Adventurer’s guild in this town.

The elf I met at the hot springs was called … Rafilia.”

I hope she’s here, but if she’s not, I’ll have to talk to Iris.

I’m pretty sure she works for Iris. She might know something about her.

“Why do I have to be told that much !?”

I didn’t need to look for her.

The moment I opened the door of the Adventurer’s guild, her – Rafilia’s voice – jumped into my ears.

I looked around the guild. The structure was the same as the one in Metekal. The only difference is that the reception desk is on the first floor. There are chairs and tables around it. There is a quest board by the wall. A tavern counter in the back. Adventurer-like people are drinking tea and wine.

An elf girl was sitting at the table near the entrance.

Her pink hair was pulled to one side. Her eyes were a little droopy, and she looked as if she was about to start crying. Her arms and legs, stretching out from her short clothes, were all white, and her body was thin, but her breasts were so large that they could fit on the table. She’s clinging to the table, looking around as if she’s asking for help.

There are several men standing around her. I can’t see their faces. All of them are wearing silver masks.

They are talking. I can hear their voices. Well…

“Your motive for applying is quite naive. Do you think you can get a quest with such a motive? Have you thought about whether or not your skills can be put to use at this party?”

What …?

“I’m sure you’re not the only one with the required skills. There are plenty of people available. You didn’t really think you’d be hired, did you? What did you do between the last quest and this one? Isn’t the fact that you don’t have enough money for living expenses proof of your lack of self-management?”

“Self-management? I can’t help it, can I? Because they all ran away with the money.”

“Hmm. Not only do you lack self-management, it seems that you also lack crisis management skills.”

“What’s that?”

“In the first place, when you work, you should always assume the worst. Will the party run with the reward? It would be bad to trust such a person, right? You can’t even manage the money after it’s been distributed… Oh, it hasn’t even been distributed? The representative received the money and then ran away? I’m not sure what to do, but I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out.”

A group of men wearing silver masks surrounded the elf girl.

“I’m not saying that! What the hell!”

“What do you mean, aren’t you the one who applied for the quest we requested?”

“”That’s why you don’t have to say that! I just wanted to earn some money to go back home!”

“Don’t change the subject. Don’t go off on a tangent. We are concerned with your humanity. Do you take up my time and then complain when it’s not convenient? How did your parents raise you?　What is your family’s job? What is their income?　Didn’t you apply for the Quest because you were naive?”

“No, I didn’t! I’ll find another job!”

“We’re talking about your humanity. Don’t you listen to me? Isn’t that why the last party ran away from you?　Where are you going, I won’t let you go. I’m not going to let you go. It might affect your future quests, Rafilia Grace. We’ve got your personal details…”

“Stop it already ──!”

The pink haired elf girl was surrounded by masked men. You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life. The guys in the adventurer’s guild – they don’t react. And the ones behind the guild counter. Are they pretending not to see her?　Why?

I mean, this is…

I’m not sure if this is a “pressure interview”.

I’m not sure what I’m seeing in this another world.

“You know, Rita…”

“What is it, Nagi?”

“Is there such a thing as a party that attack people verbally until they break?”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“The guild usually stops it.”

“The guild’s receptionist, she’s all flustered.”

“Either she can’t handle it or she doesn’t know what to do.”

“Either way, it sucks.”

I’ve been cornered in that way before. I was being interviewed for a part-time job, and they were so insistent that I should … ‘know’ whether I wanted the job or not.

So I understand. That was the way of the world I was in.

“… A visitor or just a black party in another world …?”

Either way, it doesn’t matter. We need the help of an elves.

We don’t know anyone else, so the quickest way is to negotiate with that girl, Rafilia.

“Lord …, help her. If you don’t, the masked ones will take her away.”

At my back, Reggie murmured in a soft voice that only I could hear.

“I know, I know. I’ve thought of a plan.”

“Don’t let her get away.She’s the one I was talking about before.

“The … gem?

“What did I tell you? There are some people who makes you want to bring out of your deepest nature. That’s exactly what she is. We must not let her escape! In that girl you may find the clue to the skills you seek, the skills that will enable you to live without work!”

“What?”

“I’ve seen many, many princesses and beautiful girls in the King’s service. I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m not sure what to do. And yet, they are as beautiful as if the gods had created them on a whim. You can call her ‘The beauty that destroys a country’. They always have some mysterious skill that even they don’t know about!”

“Save her! Trust my eyes, My Lord, as they have lived for nearly a hundred years!”

Reggie flatly declared.

I would have helped her even without having been told to do so.

I never expected to come across a pressure interview whie i am in this world ─ I feel nauseous just by looking at it.

The men are hiding their faces with silver masks. You can’t see their facial expressions.

The same thing happened in the original world. At the interview, the other side is backlit by the window where the setting sun shines, and I can’t see the other person’s face. He asks high-pressure questions in a state where I can’t read his facial expression.

The inability to read facial expressions is a huge disadvantage in negotiations.