第１７７５堀：人手を増やす (Part1)
Chapter 1775: Increasing Manpower
Side: Milly
"...Honestly, the monsters around Glass Port Town aren't as much of a threat as I’d anticipated."
I muttered this after glancing over the documents I’d received. Kina, who had handed them to me, offered a wry smile.
"That’s only because it’s you and your team, Milly. We’re only gathering veterans of level 30 and above in Glass Port Town for a reason. If a rookie went out there, they’d be dead in an instant. Besides, the coast—or rather, the shoreline—is restricted to level 40 and above."
"Well, I understand that much, but it’s not just that there are no fatalities; there aren't even any serious injuries. I was bracing myself for the worst."
I had genuinely feared that once we sent the adventurers out, we’d be flooded with casualties, leading to the Glass Adventurer Guild being branded as incompetent.
"Yeah, I thought the same thing. But it seems the veteran adventurers are staying within the safety zones more than I expected, so the damage is minimal. Also, I think it helps that the Weed military provided intelligence, so they have a decent grasp of the enemy."
"True. Even if it is an uncharted territory, the Weed units scouted the monsters inhabiting the area beforehand. It’s hard to get caught off guard when you’re that prepared."
"Still, it’s a hundred times better than having to deal with a mountain of casualties and being told we’re not up to the task."
"That’s true. And you’ve been doing a stellar job as Guild Master, Kina."
"It’s a relief to see Kina managing the guild so well, despite everything that’s happened."
I nodded along with Rock’s words. After all, the Adventurer Guild headquarters had dumped an unreasonable demand on us, insisting we gather personnel on our own—as if those of us working at a branch office had that kind of pull. Thankfully, the Grand Master had stepped in to lend a hand.
"Yeah, the Grand Master helped, but Yuki-san and Seraria-san were a huge help, too. They gave us the green light to recruit from within Weed."
"Indeed. Well, Weed never had a policy of sending their elite adventurers to the state anyway."
"They’ve got enough internal chaos to deal with as it is. Say, do you two want to come to Weed?"
"No, no," they both replied in immediate unison.
"I’m grateful for the support, but being the head of an adventurer guild is enough for me."
"Yeah. I mean, they did make me stronger, but... looking at you, Milly, I’ll pass."
"Fair enough. I won’t deny that it’s busy."
I couldn't argue with that. I was swamped as it was.
"Speaking of busy, how are the preparations for the party going? I assume there haven't been any requests from the Adventurer Guild?"
"Oh, right. Or are you planning to close the town to outsiders on the day of the party?"
"Ah, that. The residents are coming and going as usual, so we’re just issuing warnings. Of course, we’ll be conducting baggage inspections, and we’ve informed the adventurers of that. There are route restrictions, too, though that’s standard procedure."
"True. Weed has designated paths where carrying weapons is permitted."
Trouble between adventurers and residents is bound to happen. That’s why Weed strictly regulates where weapons can be carried. There are places to check them in, and the Adventurer Guild handles storage as well, so there aren't any weapon-related incidents. They’re a hot-blooded bunch, so fights are inevitable, but the adventurers gathered in Glass Port Town are veterans. They have enough sense not to cause trouble for the visiting nobility. We’ll be sure to warn them, regardless.
"Well, I’m sure Kina will handle it."
"Ugh, are you just going to leave that to me?"
"That’s part of a Guild Master’s job. Now, party aside, what’s the status on the root cause of all this—the remote village and the New Continent? You can tell us as much as you’re allowed to."
The subtext was clear: don't tell us anything that’s going to drag us into more trouble. But Rock and Kina were practically family, and within the Adventurer Guild, they were firmly on Weed’s side.
"Alright, I’ll explain what I can."
Yes, only what I’m allowed to share. To Rock and Kina, this might sound like state secrets. I explained that we were holding the party to report on the subjugation of a giant salamander and the discovery of a dungeon, with Kate from the Adventurer Guild headquarters present to verify the findings.
"I see. It’s not something the Adventurer Guild can handle on its own."
"With the Usano and Ae Kingdoms lurking in the shadows, a branch office can’t touch this. Even the headquarters could be accused of interfering in internal affairs. So, you’re using the Glass completion party as a pretext to bring up the report and the investigation?"
"Exactly. Instead of going through messengers, the monarchs of the great powers are coming themselves to hear the report. They’ve promised not to condemn the Usano and Ae Kingdoms, and in exchange, they’ve requested cooperation for the investigation."
"If it’s revealed that a dungeon exists in the forest, they have no reason to refuse an investigation unless they’re involved."
"And if they refuse after being told that by the kings of the great powers, it’s proof they’ve got something to hide. That’s going to hurt their future trade prospects. By the way, did you find anything in the dungeon? Or have you not investigated it yet? But that can’t be right, can it?"
As expected of Kina. She knows us well.
"Of course we’ve already investigated it. It’s a ten-floor dungeon."
"Ten? That’s quite small. How wide is it?"
"At its longest point, it’s about one kilometer across."
"The size is decent, I suppose. Still, ten floors... what about the monsters, supplies, and traps?"
"That’s the thing. There’s nothing. It’s been gutted. In other words, it’s already been cleared."
"What?"
They both shouted in surprise at my reply. Well, naturally. After all...
"An undiscovered dungeon that had already been cleared? There’s no report of that, is there?"
"None. Someone cleared it, and there are traces that they were using it for something."
"Is it the Dark Guild?"
"We have no idea. There’s been no recent activity. They even went out of their way to leave magic lamps inside the dungeon."
"That definitely means someone was using it."
"Exactly. But what would they be doing in a place like that?"
"The inside is almost empty, so we don’t know what they were doing. Besides, since the official story is that Kate from the Adventurer Guild discovered it, we can’t exactly go digging around too openly."
That’s right. We’d found the dungeon and investigated it to an extent, but there was no information leading to anything specific. And because we were sticking to the story that the Adventurer Guild had found it, we couldn't exactly tear the place apart. It was crucial that we act based on a request from the Adventurer Guild.
"I see. That’s why you’re holding the party in Glass Port Town."
"The more we hear about the dungeon, the fishier it gets. I guess the higher-ups have to get involved."
"That’s the situation."