“Only”?! I was amazed at how casual he was. The related kingdom had to be angry, if only to save face.
“So how’d you take care of it?”
“I just captured everyone they sent after me until I got an audience with their king. Granted, it was done under cover of night.”
Phelms threatened him, basically. Which sounded reckless, no matter how strong he was.
“I could only do that because his nation was very small and weak. Even his strongest subject was weaker than me. If I had offended a kingdom the size and strength of Granzell, I would have had no other option but to run.”
How small that kingdom must’ve been.
“Fran, do not hesitate to ask for help if you’re ever in trouble. You can ask the guild or Amanda herself. You’re friends with her, right?”
“Hm. But why Amanda?”
“You don’t know? Most of the orphans she took in and raised have come into their own as adventurers. I believe a genuine plea for help from Amanda could rouse a powerful enough fighting force to crush a small country.”
Amanda was a lot more connected than we thought!
“Amanda’s great.”
“Indeed she is, even without her personal abilities. They say the reason Raydoss leaves Granzell alone is because they do not wish to incur Amanda’s wrath.”
Amanda had been running the orphanage for decades. I didn’t know how she raised her orphans, but I could easily imagine most of them wanting to be adventurers. With her training, their mastery of the basics should be perfect. Most of them probably grew up to be established adventurers in their own right.
“Although I think you’ll be fine with the Beastman Nation watching your back.”
“The Beastman Nation?”
“Are you not under their employment?”
“No.”
“Forgive me. I thought you worked for them, since you watched the tournament together the other day… I see. The Beast King has taken an interest in you, then.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. The other nations will think twice about making a move on you after that. Judging by the response of my beastman acquaintances, you are quite popular among them. He must want to appeal to his people by getting along with you. At the very least, he is trying to align you with his kingdom.”
Asking a favor of Fran would inevitably lead her to reciprocating, which might end with her joining the Beastman Nation. Rigdith certainly put a lot of thought into gaining Fran’s favor. Not that I thought he himself was behind this. The idea was more likely to have come from Royce and Rosch. Our relationship with the beastman royals had been strictly transactional ever since the tournament, and we would take advantage of them where it seemed appropriate.
“Ah, sorry for keeping you so long. That’s enough chat from this old man. I must be going now.”
“Thanks again.”
“Come to my shop whenever you’re in Bulbola. I’m researching a new recipe that incorporates curry into my dishes.”
“Looking forward to it.”
“I hope you’ll like it,” Phelms said, bowing graciously before making his exit.
He was so cool and manly; so reliable. What a gentleman! Dias could learn a thing or two from him!
“You really have a knack for getting in trouble, Fran,” Dias said, as if reading my mind. “The way you stand out really makes you a magnet for it, so hang in there. However, the guild thanks you on this occasion.”
It’s not like we’re going out of our way to look for it.
“Ha ha ha, you’re right. But I must warn you. This is not the last time something like this will happen.”
“What should I do, then?”
“Well, like I said, you need to go to the Beastman Nation. May I suggest you make your journey sooner rather than later? You’ll at least be out of reach of the fools of this kingdom.”
We’d love to, but how are we supposed to get to another continent?
A ship sounded like our best option, but we probably needed entry permits.
“The guild has already authorized your immigration details. Your guild card will act as identification, since you have taken on a personal quest.”
Didn’t know the guild cards had such a convenient feature.
“There will be a manatech-assisted inspection at the borders, just show them your card and they’ll let you through.”
“Thanks.”
Now we just need to find a ship.
“Hmm, that will be difficult. Bulbola’s your best bet, but there aren’t any ferries that will get you there.”
How do folks get to the Beastman Nation, then?
“Normally, adventurers hire themselves out as bodyguards for merchant ships.”
Yeah, I figured.
Fran wasn’t well-suited for that job. In fact, she was at a disadvantage. Anyone might be excused for underestimating her based on her looks. Given the decision between a kid adventurer and a burly-looking old man, even I’d pick the latter. We only got to Bulbola because we knew Fult and Satya, and we only got there as part of Salut’s plot. How were we supposed to get on a merchant ship without any connections? …Wait, we did have connections.
We’ll ask the Lucille Trade Association.
“Aah, I see.”
We got acquainted with them after the Seedrun insurrection. They were bound to have some merchant ships chartered for the continent of Chrome.
“Getting hired as a bodyguard shouldn’t be a problem,” said Dias. “Merchants have the fastest information network in the world. I’m willing to bet that your name has already been circulated throughout Bulbola.”
“So I should be a bodyguard?”
“That’s the one job that’s always hiring. But really, you shouldn’t have to bother. You have a more direct connection, don’t you?”
“Hm?”
Ahh, yeah, I guess.
Fran was slow to realize, but I’d already put some thought into Dias’ idea: the Beast King himself. The approach was valid, but problematic.
First, I didn’t think we should keep asking the king for favors—we didn’t want to owe him too much. We also didn’t know when he would return to his kingdom. He was the king, after all, and therefore had international kingly duties to attend to. Even if his royal laziness compelled him to skip out on that,
