The Adventurer's Guild was located just around the corner from the cafe where Tricia had spotted her earlier. She had likely been obscured by the sheer volume of supply wagons rolling in for the upcoming festival.
(It's safer to just drag her to the Guild than keep her here.)
"Shall I guide you, then?" Tricia offered with a polite smile.
"I appreciate the trouble," the girl replied in a voice of cool, noble air.
Her manner was distant but polite—she was acknowledging a gesture out of routine, while making it abundantly clear that she never forgot her position above the common folk.
(Wh-Whoa, so noble! She's definitely not your average aristocrat, is she!?)
Tricia was caught off guard by the girl's refined grace. Was this truly the same person who had been swinging a sword around moments ago?
"Are you an adventurer?" the girl asked with elegant curiosity.
"Yes. I am a solo adventurer, my lady," Tricia answered with a respectful nod.
As they walked down the main thoroughfare, the girl had clearly noticed the silver tag swaying at Tricia's chest.
"Then, might I ask a few questions?"
"If it is something someone of my station can answer, I shall tell you anything," Tricia replied, keeping her tone appropriately deferential.
(What, what, what!? I'm the one who wants to ask YOU things!)
Tricia was inwardly freaking out, having no clue who she was dealing with. She was clearly a young girl, but she was nobility, and more importantly, ridiculously strong. She didn't dare stare too closely, so she couldn't even read the girl's expression.
"Since you aren't exactly strong, why did you save me?" the girl questioned with a hint of noble distance.
"Save you, you say...? Weren't you taking care of those thugs all on your own, my lady?" Tricia countered, maintaining her professional composure.
(She's counting that as saving her!? That's generous, wow.)
Her attitude was incredibly arrogant, yet Tricia could tell that deep down, she was a genuinely good girl.
"You could have been injured, you know."
"I am humbled by your concern. However, I have been ranked as a C-rank adventurer, so I calculated that I could handle that level of ruffian," Tricia stated with modest confidence.
"My! You are C-rank!?" the girl exclaimed, her eyes widening in genuine surprise.
Tricia almost laughed at the girl's honest reaction.
"I am a C-rank healer, but I know a thing or two about defending myself," Tricia added.
(I'm not really lying, right!? I can totally handle people at that level!)
Tricia was busy making excuses to herself inside her head.
Upon hearing the reply, the girl's expression quickly returned to that same blank mask from before.
"I see. That makes sense. My imagination was lacking. I had forgotten that solo healers existed. I hope you take no offense."
"Not at all. I am honored just to have your concern," Tricia replied smoothly.
Then, the girl knitted her brows and asked, "You... did you work in some noble house before? Your manners are far too polished for an adventurer."
"No. I am just an orphan. These manners are just me mimicking what I have seen, so please forgive any impropriety," Tricia said, bowing slightly.
"...So you do realize my status, after all."
"Forgive me, but..." Tricia began, though she couldn't help but feel a flicker of amusement.
(Wait, NOW you're realizing it!?)
It seemed she had actually thought she was hiding it. Her expression hadn't changed much, but she looked slightly dejected at her failure, and Tricia couldn't help but smile.
"Oh..."
As they reached the Adventurer's Guild, a crowd had already formed out front. Soldiers from the Edinbia territory were there, along with other adventurers. Luke was visible in the throng, and Tricia could see him startle as he spotted them.
"Elisabeth-sama!!!"
The soldiers rushed over, their faces pale with panic.
(I thought it might be something like this, but turns out it actually WAS.)
She had suspected as much, but she never imagined the star of tomorrow's festival would be doing something like this in a place like this.
(Hm?)
The soldiers were approaching with anger. They were clearly targeting Tricia. It was obvious they had mistaken her for a kidnapper.
"Whoa! Hey, wait a second!" Tricia cried out.
Before Tricia could even explain the mix-up, her feet left the ground. Luke had darted past the soldiers and scooped her right up into his arms.
"The hell you think you're doin'?" Luke barked at the soldiers, his voice low and dangerous.
His voice was quiet, but it rang out across the area.
"Think about who you're making an enemy of before you move."
"Hey! Put me down!" Tricia protested, her face flushing.
(This is so embarrassing~~~!)
The soldiers stood frozen, their bodies seized by deep fear. Cold sweat began to pour down their faces.
"This person is my helper. I will not permit you to show anger toward her," Elisabeth commanded in a voice of icy authority.
Elisabeth's voice was also quiet, but the soldiers seemed to feel the pressure from her as well. Some were even on the verge of tears.
"Don't scare the soldiers. This happened because you snuck out of the castle, didn't it?" a man addressed her.
"...Oh, so Elder Brother is here too," Elisabeth replied, her tone calm.
Elisabeth's brother looked exactly like her—the same hair color, the same eye color, even the same feel.
"I am grateful that you brought back my stubborn sister. I apologize for the rudeness, but I must return her to the castle immediately. I shall thank you properly at a later time," the brother stated with stiff, formal politeness.
(The reward is coming! Doing good deeds really pays off!)
In reality, Tricia had been banking on that. She was an adventurer with unstable income, after all; if there was a reward, she was going to take it.
(I thought it would be a lucky bonus, but this looks much more promising than I expected!)
"Oh, it was... I only did what was natural," Tricia said, putting on her best humble face.
She allowed Luke to put her down and said the polite thing, but when she looked up, she saw Luke giving her a flat look, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"No, because of you, my sister was kept safe without anyone getting hurt. As her brother, and as the Commander of this territory's Knight Order, I thank you," the Commander said with a sharp nod.
"My. You speak as if people are merely monsters or some such," Elisabeth remarked coolly.
The siblings glared at each other in silence.
"I did not catch your name. May I have it?" the Commander asked.
"I am Tricia," she said, bowing deeply.
It wasn't the bow of a lady, but a soldier's salute. She wondered if that made her look more like a C-rank adventurer.
"Tricia, thank you for your help. Let us meet again."
With Elisabeth and her brother, the Knight Order Commander, both bowing to her, Tricia felt truly honored.
(They're bowing to an orphan adventurer!? No wonder they're popular with the commoners.)
"Farewell," they said, before mounting their horses and dashing toward the castle. They were clearly in a rush.
"Oh, right, earlier Elisabeth-sama absolutely beat the stuffing out of those thugs..." Tricia muttered.
She remembered that even though the Knight Order Commander had said nobody was hurt, two people had definitely been taken down.
"What!? Are you hurt!?" Luke demanded, his voice laced with rare panic.
"I can handle amateurs just fine," Tricia insisted.
"Yeah, right! Sounds fishy to me!" Luke retorted.
In the end, it was over without her ever finding out what the girl's true goal had been. Even when she asked Luke, he just said, "I signed a Magic contract, so I can't talk about it," which left her completely helpless.
"Well, fine! I'm heading to Spin-san's place now."
"Yeah. Be careful," Luke called after her.
"Oh! I wonder when the Knight Order Commander is going to show up!?"
She'd looked after the local lord's daughter. That was worth a fair amount of hope. Tricia was already thinking about how she could increase the budget for the meeting she was heading to.
"You really are something... Early, the day after tomorrow at the soonest. I'll talk to them for you," Luke promised.
"Thanks!" Tricia beamed.
Tricia ran off, in high spirits. She was genuinely happy to have stumbled upon such an unexpected lucky break.
Summary:
Tricia guides a mysterious, powerful noble girl named Elisabeth to the Adventurer's Guild while navigating the tension of their encounter. Elisabeth's brother and the Knight Order arrive to collect her, leading to a brief standoff and a formal expression of gratitude to Tricia. Although Elisabeth leaves, Tricia is left with questions about the girl's true intentions and the prospect of a future reward from the Knight Order.
Trivia:
Tricia bows like a soldier rather than a lady, signaling her adventurer background.
The Knight Order Commander and Elisabeth are siblings who share a similar aura and appearance.
Luke mentions a Magic contract that prevents him from discussing the details of Elisabeth's situation.
Tricia is an orphan, explaining her lack of formal noble training.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ Adventurer identification tag used to verify rank and profession in this world.
Notes:
• Tricia - Light‑haired, obsidian‑eyed C‑rank adventurer and orphan, she wears a silver chest tag. Once a lone healer‑strategist with foresight, instant‑heal scars, “Reset” item skill and basic wind magic, she now runs a boarding house in Edinbia for low‑rank adventurers. Pragmatic, anxious about finances, secretly despises her old party, yet builds passive‑income dreams.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• Edinbia - The territory to which the soldiers belong.
• Luke - A silver-haired, blue-eyed S-rank adventurer, noble Marquis's son, and mercenary captain who serves as Tricia’s protective, wealthy childhood friend and manager. While dryly teasing, pragmatic, and blunt about her budget and business ideas, this ocean-loving man devotedly guards her passive income empire with overwhelming combat power, financial advice, and a jealous streak.
• Elisabeth - Youngest daughter of Lord Edinbia, she is seldom seen in public, yet her icy demeanor and fierce combat skill set her apart. Resembling her brother closely, she now celebrates her coming‑of‑age festival under heavy guard after escaping the castle.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• K - A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N's protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.
• Spin - Young architect with short brown hair and a practical coat, works at Valentia Workshop. He is sincere and diligent, raised by his grandmother. Serves as Tricia’s consultant and material sourcer, verifies tax figures for the boarding house with the Merchant’s Guild, and plans to meet her for business arrangements.