Imperial City V-4

"Yeah, I've got time, but how about finishing the shopping first? Kenny's been carrying all the bags this whole time..."

"Huh? Hehe, sorry about that. I'll wrap this up quickly, Kenny."

"I'm fine, really."

After making plans to meet at the guild again in the afternoon, we headed out first to do some shopping and visit a few acquaintances.

Before long, it was already noon, and we made our way to the guild.

Upon entering the guild, Clara waved us over.

Next to her stood Kenny as usual, along with two unfamiliar男女—brother and sister.

"These are the ones I'd like to introduce. Taro, who was rescued from the second monster house in the dungeon. Takagane Gram and Elin, siblings from the Pruetz Kingdom."

I didn’t remember them at first, focused as I was on healing when I rescued them… So these were the ones… Both have dark skin, tall and sturdy builds, and strikingly tall. Their hair is a pale blue hue, and their expressions carry a certain wild, untamed quality.

Maybe that’s just their ethnic nature.

The older brother has neatly trimmed short hair, while the younger sister has long hair.

Equipped with a longsword at their waist and wearing no visible armor, they appeared remarkably light on their feet—clearly skilled in swordsmanship.

The older brother, firmly locking eyes with me, spoke first.

"Nice to meet you, Lord Taro. I'm Gram. Thank you so much for what you did back then."

The two rose together and bowed deeply.

"Please, rise. This sort of thing is common inside dungeons. I'm glad you both made it out safely."

He said that, then had them sit down. I was given some local bread as a token of thanks. It was quite a firm loaf.

I felt embarrassed when my brother Gram was thanked thoroughly.

"So, Clara, that's not all, is it?"

"That's right! I want you to take these two to the Pruetz Kingdom. Using a magic trike, it'll be no problem at all."

"True, I have the time, but why do the two of you want to go to Pruetz? I'll be doing some research along the way, so there'll be plenty of detours."

"Our village lies near the Duchy of Pruetz. Having lost our companions and no longer able to continue as adventurers, we've decided to return home. Originally, our role was to bring rare magical stones and foreign currency back to the village—without that, there's no point in continuing as adventurers."

Elin, the younger sister, answers. Then her older brother speaks up.

"We're good at close combat. I heard you're a mage. That should work well together. And detours aren't a problem either."

"Why me? There are other people heading that way, aren't there?"

"Taro, you don't get it~"

Clara gently explains.

What exactly don't I understand? Then Kenny whispers something in my ear.

Their party has suffered casualties. There's an unspoken understanding among adventurers not to include those who've lost comrades in their group. They also reportedly paid a significant amount in condolences. It's difficult for them to take on escort requests themselves, since Puetji is quite far away.

I see, so it's me then... I don't really mind implicit understandings like that.

That's exactly why I'm asking you. I'm asking you directly. People in our situation, even if the reward is good, rarely take on requests like this.

Looking at Gram and Elin, both of them are still staring down with grim expressions. They clearly understand their own situation.

It's true that, from what I've heard, even Beasts of the Subspecies level would be required to reach Puetji.

The weight won't be a problem as long as it's just two more people, and it might even boost our combat strength...

"I understand. Let's go together. I plan to depart soon. If there's anything you need to prepare, I'd appreciate it if you could get it done early. Also, let's discuss the exact route."

"Yes, thank you so much! I'll never forget this kindness."

The older brother cheerfully responds. Maybe he's overly respected by the younger sister, or perhaps she's wary of him?

He accepted it gladly, but now he's starting to feel a bit worried.