Alas Auto-2

The next day, I begin gathering information about the Hero's Legend from morning at the guild facility.

This town has a large guild headquarters, with branches scattered across various regions of Alas Auto.

Moreover, this town has a unique political system unlike any other city.

There is no king; instead, it operates more like a democracy. Among all the towns I've visited so far, this one most closely resembles the original world's structure.

Currently, the town's leader also serves as the guild master—almost as if the town were built by the guild itself.

After a bit of investigation, I discovered that there's a massive library in the town, but it seems only people with certain status can enter, requiring an introduction letter from someone influential.

So right now, I'm scanning the bulletin board, looking for high-status individuals who might be posting requests. I'm considering that completing such a request might earn me an introduction letter as a reward.

I'm having Lilka follow Coil and assisting with information gathering through another method. After all, Coil is originally an information broker, so he should be skilled at this kind of task.

Incidentally, up to now, no significant information about the Hero's Legend has been uncovered. It seems there aren't even any fairy-tale-like stories circulating in this town.

I need to handle my own duties over here... Still, it's strange that there are so few adventurers at the guild during a weekday afternoon. The bulletin board is filled with unprocessed quests, some of which have been there for quite some time.

What's going on? It's as if there are no adventurers or mercenaries around at all.

Something's definitely off. It's impossible for the central guild in such a large city to be this empty.

"Are there no adventurers in this town?"

I murmured quietly, staring at the bulletin board.

"That's not quite right. I've assigned everyone a certain quest."

A voice came from behind, answering my question.

I turned around instinctively to see a well-built man with a long, unkempt beard standing there.

The man had a sturdy build for his apparent age, his posture suggesting he might conceal immense strength. He wore an impeccable uniform adorned with numerous medals—immediately recognizable as someone of high rank.

"Apologies for the delayed greeting. I'm Agnar Roll—call me Roll, if you like. I noticed you're a stranger around here, so I decided to introduce myself."

Taro. I travel without a fixed home, completing requests as I go. I'm currently investigating the Legend of the Hero.

Taro?...That name sounds familiar... Well, whatever. Still, investigating the Legend of the Hero? That's quite an unusual pursuit.

Haha... I hear that a lot. I've heard there might be something in this town worth looking into, but I can't figure out exactly what or where. Do you happen to know anything about it, Roll?

"About the Hero's Legend... Hmm, well, it's not entirely nonexistent."

Oh! This is fortunate. I managed to connect with someone who might even write me a letter of introduction, and now I can dive straight into the Hero's Legend.

Roll's face took on a look as if recalling something.

The world isn't kind.

There's always a catch behind an offer that seems too good to be true.

"Could you please tell me more about the Hero's Legend?"

Roll's gentle expression suddenly sharpened into a piercing gaze.

"If you're an adventurer, you should know you can't be told anything beyond this point."

I felt my own eyes, even without looking in the mirror, half-open in surprise.

"To be precise, there's no real harm in telling you—there's nothing new about the Hero's Legend these days. But I do have a matter that needs hands. I'd like you to lend me a hand for a bit."

"I can't respond until I hear the details of the request. Besides, we operate as a group of three. We won't accept any request that puts our companions in danger."

"Of course, I'll explain the details upfront. As for the request, your combat strength alone should be more than enough."

With that, Roll glanced briefly at the crossbow and magic lamp I was equipped with. Still, what did he mean by saying my combat strength alone would be sufficient?

As we walked and talked, we entered a private room.

"It's a request to slay a certain monster."

"A monster!?"

"Please calm down and listen. We're currently gathering adventurers and mercenaries currently active in the area to form a hunting party. The enemy is said to be a bovine-like monster."

"Said to be? Has anyone actually seen it clearly?"

"You two came from the river, didn't you? Fog often rises from that river. Recently, however, the fog has become exceptionally dense. It's believed the monster is hiding within that thick fog."

No one has clearly seen its form, but those who barely survived claim it resembles a cow....More than a few have already vanished... It's truly troublesome, a mysterious beast whose identity remains unclear just as war draws near.

That fog... was it really that dangerous? Even if I didn't know, I was far too careless in my vigilance. Could that magical detection signal have been the beast all along!?

According to Roll, judging from the condition of the deceased, their bodies had large holes, leading to the speculation that they might have had massive horns.

Cold sweat trickles down from my back.

"I still know nothing about our opponent, so casualties are expected. But as the town's leader and the guildmaster, I want to minimize losses as much as possible. I need a powerful adventurer to eliminate the threat decisively in one strike. That's why I need your strength—the strength of the one known as the Flash Arrow User."

"T-the Flash Arrow User!?"

I've never heard that nickname before. Another strange name they've given me.

It's a bit embarrassing. And that guy—I thought he was just some powerful figure, but he's actually the most important person in town...

"W-where did you hear that name?"

"Oh, you must know him by reputation. I recalled him when I saw the crossbow at your waist. I've heard it's named after the dazzling flash of light that crackles with a sharp 'crack' and can slay any monster. Of course, such names tend to come with exaggerated tales attached. There may be some inaccuracies, but it's clear you've earned your nickname—your skill is undeniable."

I didn’t expect my name to have spread this far—or that ridiculous lies would be circulating about me.

Maybe I should lay low for a while.

“Let me discuss the monster extermination with my companions.”

"Hmm, if you succeed, I’ll offer you more than just a reward—a letter of introduction to the legendary hero tales I know of, and access to the library in this town. And as for payment, how about this?"

The parchment presented with those words displayed a reward that seemed quite tempting.

It was enough money to live comfortably for a while, but the task required slaying a mysterious beast—a significant risk.

I'd need to think carefully about this.

Returning to our lodging, I shared the details with the two of them.

Incidentally, they mentioned they had found nothing today.

"A monster, huh... And a foe we know nothing about? That'll be tough."

Coil crossed his arms, deep in thought. Rilka seemed to vaguely understand the danger posed by monsters, but didn't truly grasp it in reality.

"True, the risk is high, but this time there are adventurers coming in from all over the city as well. My role is planned as magical support from the rear. So I still believe we have a chance... Honestly, I think we can take it."

I kept recalling our previous battles against the monsters.

True, those creatures had all been powerful, yet we'd managed to emerge victorious each time. Maybe we can do it again this time, too?

That was the only confidence I had—based solely on my own experience.

Of course, I couldn't afford to be careless. I'd prefer to gather as much information as possible through thorough investigation before facing them.

"Well, you're the one actually going to fight. You're the one who'll make the final decision. But absolutely no dying."

"Yeah, I agree with that too!"

"Got it. I'll take on the mission. We haven't gathered any information yet, so we should make the most of this opportunity."

And so we joined the quest to slay the monster. The two of them also agreed to provide support in the form of information and supplies.

The very next day, we went to the guild and informed the guildmaster, who was extremely pleased and readily accepted our request.

As our first task, we were assigned to conduct a survey of the surrounding area, so we prepared and waited in readiness.

A few days later, we received a summons from the guild and set out on our mission to investigate the monster.