53 Episode 53 "Work Counseling for Shrine Maidens and Visitors".txt (1/2)

The day after Rafilia and I signed a master contract.

Me, Cecil, and Rafilia were visiting Iris's mansion.

Cecil is my escort.

Rafilia is meeting Iris for the first time, so we also introduce her to him. Of course, she's wearing a disguise while walking outside, hiding her elf ears in a hood made by Aine's handiwork.

The reason we're meeting Iris is to greet her as she arrives in Irgafa, and to hear about the situation of the Knights of Divine Life and the Adventurer's Guild at the moment.

The ”Ilgafa Lordship House” - Iris's house is a building that looks like a scaled-down version of the royal palace, with a huge double-ended door at the entrance and a gatekeeper waiting for me.

He was the gatekeeper who received the letter addressed to Iris when I visited here this morning. He seemed to have let me through and politely told me to go around to the service entrance.

We were guided through the service gate and led by the maid through a wide corridor.

”Actually, we would like to ask Souma-sama to investigate the sacred site of the sea dragon.

We were to hear about the quest from Iris, who was waiting in the parlor.

''Wasn't the Sea Dragon Sanctuary the place where the 'Sea Dragon Festival' ceremony was held?

I asked Iris.

Rita and Aine taught me everything I needed to know about this place.

In the morning, I had them both go out and ask around. Thanks to Aine's good communication skills and Rita's auditory skills, I've been getting a lot of information.

A few days later, there's a festival of the sea dragon Kerkator, the guardian deity of the port city of Ilgafa. Iris is a priestess at the festival, but something seems to be going wrong with the festival.

At the tip of the peninsula. I've heard the rumors that a demon has appeared there too.

''Yes. It's a rare occurrence, but the wards around the Holy Land seem to be weakening.

Standing at the window, Iris began to speak.

She is wearing a yellow dress. Accessories of the same color on her head and arms. Her green hair was swaying in the wind that blew in through the thin open window.

'There is a cave - a small dungeon - in the holy place that is used for rituals. There are reports of demons coming in and out of there.

What is the nature of the demon?

I don't know. But seeing that he is not clearly visible, he seems to be a very cautious person. The dungeon is a difficult place for a large number of soldiers to deploy, and, after all, I think it's best to ask the adventurers to investigate.

The holy place is where the sea dragon Kerkator appears during the festival.

If there are demons there, the sea dragons might be wary and not go near it, and Iris can't go there either.

The dungeon is not a good place to deploy a large army. If they tried to get rid of the demons and razed the holy ground, the sea dragons might not come back. That would be useless.

''That's why I want to send someone skilled to investigate and get rid of the demons. Because the strongest and most trustworthy person Iris knows is Souma-sama and his party.

Iris announced, her green hair fluttering in the wind from the sea.

''Of course, this is an official request from the Ilgafa lord family. Iris will be responsible for the 'contract' (contract).

What about compensation, deadlines, and other terms?

The reward is 4,000 arsha. It is a success reward. There are no penalties for quest failure. Even though it's a dungeon, it's small enough that Iris can get to the center of the room by herself during the ritual. It's probably a couple of hours long to conquer it. The deadline is ...... preferably by tomorrow.

I'll take that as a yes.

'Naruhaya'?

I'm sorry. I just figured you were in a hurry.

The festival is in six days. I know I'm in a hurry. But I think it's a bit hard to make a request today and have it done by tomorrow.

''The reason I'm setting a deadline of tomorrow is because after that, the request will go to the Adventurer's Guild.

Iris lowered her eyes and told him.

'Then that Order of Divine Life (・・・・・) will have to move.

...... ugh.

Raphilia held her mouth in hearty disgust. 'Yeah, I know.

'They're strong, but the way they do their job is a mess. That's why I don't want them in the Holy Land as much as possible. That's why we're in such a hurry to get your work done.

Iris's tone of voice also seemed to be very unpleasant.

How much do they hate you, the Order of Divine Life?

I also saw them yesterday, but who are those guys?

'Iris doesn't know the details either. But I do know that he brought a letter of introduction from a nobleman in King's Landing and that they are a powerful party.

I saw how they did it too. Frankly, it made me want to puke.

I'm glad Lady Souma has the same values as Iris.

I think so too.

Raphilia is cowering with a very pale face, as if she's remembering yesterday. Cecil is stroking Rafilia's back, and her face looks like she's swallowed something sour.

I think they deserve to be recognized as enemies just for making my slave look like this.

''If it's true, we ask the Adventurer's Guild to investigate the holy place every year. We have to make sure there's no danger before we perform the rituals on the festival day. But right now, because of the Knights of Divine Life, the Adventurer's Guild is not functioning.

It's not working.

I nod back at Iris' words.

...... That's right.

Raphilia was getting a pressure interview, and she was left out. I even brought up ”God of Contracts” and finally gave up on the Knights of Divine Life. If it was true, the guild would have stopped him. If it was the original world, they would just keep bashing the people who came for the interview, and continue to do so until they took the case to court, and then the people who introduced the job to them would just turn a blind eye to it.

It would be better to go down now.

''There's no doubt in my mind that the Knights of Divine Life are high-ranking adventurers, right?

Yes, I will fulfill your request. But it will do more harm than good to those around it.

What do you mean by that?

”To defeat the demons that are attacking the stables, I'd fire a bunch of flaming spells and turn the animals into ashes.

...... Huh?

'Driving demons that appear on the streets towards travellers and caravans, and making more victims.

Go to ............

'We basically leave our seriously injured companions alone. So I've heard that there are either corpses or severely injured people lying around in the wake of their quests. I've heard that there are more than a few dozen party members, with the exception of the higher-ranking ones, who are constantly being replaced. And because of their extremely high fighting ability, they are said to have a monopoly on the most difficult quests.

Why does the Adventurer's Guild allow it?

''They voluntarily pay thirty percent of their reward up to the guild. Therefore, it wouldn't be a bad party for the Adventurer's Guild. Furthermore, all they are doing are high-difficulty quests. Compared to leaving demons unattended, it's unavoidable that there will be some damage ...... that's what it's all about.

Go down, after all, the adventurer's guild of Ilgafa. Or rather, take a look at Aine's commoner's guild.

That's why the Knights of Divine Life (Black Company) are doing whatever they want to do.

Like they did to Raphilia, they forcefully recruit people into their party and take them on difficult missions and disposable. You're going to have to forcefully recruit the reduced number of members again and add .......

The question is, why would a disposable member put up with such a situation, but this is most likely a forced 'contract'.

For the guild, they get a top-up payment, so they are grateful for it. It's a good thing.

...... It's very annoying for us.

Okay. I'll take Iris's request.

I said.

It's not a bad deal either way. As an employer, I trust Iris-Hapheumea.

He's paid me well in the past, and he's given me a catalogue of loose goods.

This quest is just about getting rid of the monsters in the dungeon. They just need to be safe until Iris strengthens the wards.

...... I really wanted to laze around at home for a bit longer.

But now that the Adventurer's Guild isn't functioning, there's little chance of getting a decent job. There might be some low-level quests, but the Adventurer's Guild has the Knights of Divine Life. Honestly, I don't want to get involved. I don't want to be spotted.

That's why we don't have the option of turning down the work of Iris-Hapheumea - a valuable ”trustworthy partner”. And I can understand why Iris would want nothing to do with those guys.

I'm sure you're aware of the fact that the Knights of Divine Life are involved in this, and that the holy land of the sea dragons will be damaged. That's why we're here, right?

At my line, Iris nodded with a look of relief on her face.

Iris doesn't want that place to be trampled by misbehaving people.

All right. Then I want you to tell me more about the Holy Land. Also, if the wards have ever been weakened before, like a list of the demons that appeared at that time.

'That's of course. I'll get you a map and documentation later.

Iris is a quick talker and a big help.

Of course. Iris and Master Souma are your friends, aren't they?

Iris smiled somewhat embarrassed as she said that.

''I'm glad to be of service to you, Souma-sama. It makes me feel kind of happy. ...... That's right.

As if she had an idea, Iris clapped her hands together.

'Or better yet, why don't you accompany Iris to the dungeon?

Iris?

''Yes. Either way, after we get rid of the demons, Iris will have to go in and perform a ritual to strengthen the wards.

Saying that, Iris stretched out her chest with an ehemism.

Originally, the sacred ground was warding off demons. It borrowed part of the sea dragon's power, and only Iris can control the wards. After getting rid of the demons, I can perform the warding strengthening ritual at the end of the dungeon. That's what it seems to be about.

'Iris is the one who knows the structure of the sea dragon dungeon the best. Every year, I used to guide the adventurer's guild during the survey. If there are no demons, it's about an hour and a half's journey to the center of the dungeon. It's not a problem at all. It's a year-round event.

She was an amazingly convincing miko.

A year round event. Then it can't be helped: .......

”It is also the duty of a miko to make sure that the holy place is kept clean. Failing to do so might incur the wrath of the sea dragon Kerkator.

A maiden's duty. Then...

'Besides, the only person who can go to the center and reinforce the wards is Iris. See, it's perfectly fine, isn't it?

Only Iris can enhance the results, then: ............

No, wait a minute, that's a stretch.

I almost inadvertently convinced him.

'If you're going to reinforce the wards, you can do it after we sweep up the demons, right?

The only thing you need to know is what kind of demon entered your home and why the wards have been loosened. In order to do that, she'll have to go with Souma and the others.

'I'll tell you what kind of demon it is, and we can find out why the wards have been loosened later when we're all settled in, right?

Dear Souma.

Iris looked at me, resentfully.

She had teary eyes.

She was squeezing the hem of her dress with her little hands.

'A girl is trying to be brave and have an adventure, you know?　As a brave man, don't you think you can take him out?

I don't think so.

Why?

What's the point of taking a miko with you when you're investigating for her safety? Also, I'm not a hero to begin with.

Uh-oh.

No bellowing through teary eyes.

Please don't treat Iris like a child!

With a bang, Iris tapped the table with the palm of her hand.

''Iris's suggestion was based on a calculation of the speed and efficiency of the quest attack!

My refusal to do so is based on a calculation of my employer's life risk.

Don't be such a stranger. Lady Souma and Iris are your friends!

Yeah. So. I can't take my friends to a dangerous place.

......

Iris gulped at my line.

There was a winner.

Iris turned her head to the side with tears in her eyes, breathed for a while, and then sighed, huffing and puffing.