第１３０２堀：傭兵ギルドの長 (Part2)
"So, since Lord Yuki is here, does this mean we’re talking about that kind of business? Mom."
"Stop calling me 'Mom.' Honestly, just address me as Lady Popuri like a normal person."
"'Mom'? Is he your son?" Yuki asked, sounding skeptical.
It was a rather rude thing to say, considering how young I looked from any perspective.
"Ah, well, he’s certainly one of my children. He’s one of the ones I took in and raised."
"I see. That explains 'Mom' and 'Grandma' then."
In this Academy City, I didn't just serve as the principal; I also operated an orphanage. It was a legacy left by my master that I continued even after the institution grew into an academy. To those from the orphanage, I was, for all intents and purposes, their mother.
"That’s how it is. In public, he treats me properly as Lady Popuri—the principal—but this sort of thing happens often."
"Often?"
"Of course. I worry about how the children are faring. More importantly, if there’s trouble with the Mercenary Guild, the damage to the Academy’s reputation would be immeasurable."
It was a fact that we used the Mercenary Guild to thin out the monster populations. Because some people kept a close eye on those who came out of my orphanage, any friction would look bad to the outside world. That was why I dropped by like this from time to time to check on things.
However, Lamba gave a wry smile at being called a "child." He prepared some tea and handed it over, but he really should have tried harder to hide that domestic side of himself.
"You treat us like children, yet you go and ban 'Mom' and 'Grandma.' Fine, then. What is your business?"
"Right. Do you have the monster subjugation counts for the past week?"
"Hmm? What for... Oh, right. I heard the Academy was sending a research team into the Great Forest. Is it related to that?"
"It is. Their research route covers an area different from the range your guild covers, but I received a periodic report stating they haven't encountered a single monster so far."
"Not a single encounter? Not even once?"
"Apparently not."
Lamba tilted his head, mirroring my own confusion. It was clearly an anomalous situation.
"They aren't traveling by air, are they?"
"I wouldn't say such a survey would be meaningless, but even from the air, they should have spotted something. They haven't even seen one."
"...That’s bizarre. The Great Forest is a treasure trove of monsters. That’s why we built the ramparts on the southern side and stationed sentries. What do the reports from that side say, Principal?"
"You know the Mayor is in charge of the town's defense. I haven't contacted him yet. Besides, I doubt the guards on the ramparts keep detailed logs of every minor monster contact."
"True enough. Regardless, I understand the situation. I’ll check the records immediately. Please wait here."
With that, Lamba left the room. I could only hope the congestion downstairs had eased up a bit. Pulling staff away when things were that busy was never popular with the people working on the floor.
"So, based on what I just heard, it’s basically impossible to go that long without an encounter?" Yuki asked.
"Exactly. Unless you're hunting a specific target, you'd usually run into goblins or kobolds every single day. The encounter rate is that high. Though, whether one can actually make a living off them... I'm not so sure."
I didn't really know the market rate for goblin extermination. There was probably a decent reward for clearing out a nest, but I wasn't sure what a single goblin was worth. That was outside my area of expertise.
"And yet it's life-threatening work," Yuki remarked.
"Well, even if it's 'life-threatening,' their threat level is arguably lower than that of a stray dog."
"I suppose an unarmed goblin would be about that much."
"Even with a knife, they’re slower than a wild dog or a wolf."
"...In that case, the low pay seems reasonable."
"Doesn't it? That said, they’re a nuisance when they form a pack, and their equipment is unpredictable. That’s where the real threat lies."
"What about evolved variants or higher-tier individuals?"
"I hear stories every now and then, but they’re usually dealt with quickly. The goblins in the Great Forest are mostly the type that spawn from mana pools. We don't really get reports of women or children being kidnapped."
Since they simply manifested, the number of encounters was naturally high. If that was the case, how could the situation with my master’s group be explained?
Well, for now, there was nothing to do but wait for the information to arrive.