There is something called an Adventurer’s Guild.
To me, as a reincarnated person, it sounds like a wonderful fantasy term. But in reality, it is mostly a place for finding jobs.
Adventurers who join the guild—or, simply put, “handymen”—are given work there.
I think the jobs are mostly rough, like guarding merchant caravans or defeating monsters. I don’t know much about it.
That day, I came to such an Adventurer’s Guild.
I was brought here by my master, Belze.
“Belze, I didn’t know you were an adventurer.”
“It is convenient if one travels from place to place. Although, it seems I am the first person from the Imperial family to join.”
I suppose that is true.
Usually, people of her status are not even allowed to go outside like this.
“By the way, why are you traveling in the first place, Belze?”
“My main goal is to eat more monsters. The final battle with the Demon King is near, so I must build up my strength.”
“I see.”
“Besides, the court is uncomfortable. No matter how good the ingredients they prepare for me are, I cannot enjoy them enough.”
Is she feeling guilty?
I thought it was better not to bring it up anymore, so I changed the topic.
“By the way, how do I look in these clothes?”
“They suit you well. That stray dog looks like a different person now.”
The clothes I was given are formal uniforms like the ones worn by officials in the royal capital.
I feel nervous just wearing them, but I am glad they don’t look strange.
Even though it was still morning, the hall was busy with adventurers carrying armor and swords.
Request forms were posted everywhere, and there was a line at the counter.
When they saw Belze, most adventurers just bowed their heads slightly and did not react too much.
“At first, they would kneel just by seeing my face, but it was annoying, so I made them stop.”
“Is that so?”
“Anyone who bows their head lower than shoulder height is exiled.”
You are crazy, you know.
“Anyway, let’s take a random request and leave the city. I feel like going on a long trip today.”
“Understood.”
I nodded to the decision of the free-spirited Princess and followed behind her.
That was when the entire guild became very noisy.
With a reaction as big, or perhaps even bigger, than when Belze first came to the hall, the adventurers looked at the entrance of the guild all at once.
Belze also looked toward the entrance and whispered, “Oh.”
“Pino, you arrived at a good time. You can see something rare.”
“Something rare?”
“Yes. The hero of this generation.”
…Wait, a hero?
Those men came in a group.
A warrior as strong as a giant, a beautiful female mage, an elf priest in temple robes—
And leading those companions at the front was a handsome man with a divine gold sword at his waist.
“So, heroes really do exist…”
“Since there is a Demon King, there must also be a hero.”
I suppose that’s how it is.
The world view felt like a prop, and I felt as if I were floating in mid-air.
The hero and his party walked straight into the guild and headed toward the counter.
However, when they noticed Belze, they stopped. One of them, a burly, hairy man, shouted “Oh!” and came toward us. Then, he bowed deeply. Wait? Is that an exile?
“Well, well, Princess Belze! To think I would meet you here. You are as free-spirited as ever.”
“You are not in a position to talk, Lord Granbald. I am glad to see you are getting along well with the hero.”
Was he a nobleman? I thought he was a wild man.
I am relieved that he didn’t count as an exile.
Peeking out from behind that giant is the hero with sparkling blonde hair.
“Princess Belze! W-why are you in a place like this?”
“For a walk.”
“A-a walk, you say? As expected of the ‘Walking Court,’ you are not bound by common sense…”
…Walking Court?
What is that? Is it a nickname?
To me, tilting my head in confusion, Belze whispered in my ear.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just sophistry.”
“Sophistry?”
“Yes. I am technically the third daughter who should be kept in the court. To justify me walking around, my father called me that. He said that Belze is not walking outside the court, but rather, the court is always walking around Belze.”
So that’s why it’s the “Walking Court.”
I was unsure whether to be convinced or not, and the hero turned his gaze toward me.
“Princess, um… who is that?”
“Pino. My pet dog. Isn’t he adorable?”
“A-a pet dog!?”
That’s wrong. I am just a cook.
The hero looked shocked, but Belze didn’t seem to care.
“More importantly, Hero, what are you all doing here? Weren’t you preparing to defeat the Demon King?”
“Y-yes. Actually, in the process of our investigation, we received reports of sightings of a high-ranking demon.”
“Oh, a high-ranking demon? If it’s a demon that hasn’t appeared in the records until now… it might be an individual from the old era who was resurrected into this generation along with the Demon King.”
Belze told the hero it would be troublesome if that were the case, and the hero nodded.
“They might gather monsters from the area to form an army. I will stop them before that happens.”
“I see. Good luck. We are leaving now.”
“W-wait, Princess Belze! It is fate that we met here again. As I asked before, please, join my party—”
“Let’s go, Pino.”
Wait, are we just leaving?
I hurriedly followed Belze as she ignored the hero and walked toward the request board.
If I didn’t mishear, he just invited her to the hero’s party.
Isn’t that an incredibly amazing thing?
“I-if that’s not possible! If I defeat the Demon King, then at that time, I want you to—”
“Pino. Is there any request that interests you?”
“Belze, um, wouldn’t it be okay to listen to him a little bit?”
He sounded like he was about to propose.
The hero’s voice was swallowed by the crowd and the noise, and it disappeared.
“I am not good at keeping pace with other people. More importantly, Pino, how about it? Any requests?”
“…Can I choose?”
“Yes. Anything is fine.”
“Then, this one.”
I picked a random one from what caught my eye.
The request was: “I want you to find my missing cow.”
The cow from the field disappeared. Because of this, the farmland cannot be plowed. Find the cow, or if it won’t come back, prove it. That is basically it.
“…Searching for a cow. Why did you choose this?”
“I was also born in a farming village. It is not hard to imagine the struggle when a plowing cow is stolen.”
“I see. But this client is… well, never mind. It is in a good location for our first walk.”
What, was there a problem?
Belze just said, “You will understand soon,” went to the counter, and actually accepted the request I chose.
…Was it really okay?
But I would soon forget such worries.
“Now, let’s fly, Pino.”
“Eh?”
The moment we left the guild, Belze took off the robe she was wearing and said, “Hold this,” and handed it to me.
Immediately after, a thick snake’s tail slithered out from her waist, and giant bird wings spread from her back.
“Monster bird Yuta, four large wings.”
“Sea Serpent, one snake tail.”
Are those, by any chance, the names of the monsters she ate?
She has two pairs of wings, four in total. The snake’s tail wriggles skillfully and wraps around the luggage.
Belze hugged me in her arms—
And flew up without saying another word.
“Whoa!?”
“Keep your mouth shut, or you will bite your tongue.”
She was holding me sideways, what is commonly called a princess carry.
But the problem was not the posture, but the altitude and speed.
Belze flew up until we could look down on the entire city in an instant, and then she went over the defensive wall and out of the city.
She flapped two of her wings, while the other two were folded like a wrap to protect me from the wind pressure.
Is she being considerate of me after all? Even so, it was a speed that made me feel like my life was in danger.
I see, that is why no one can catch up to her.
I forgot all about Belze’s cryptic words, and I was on the verge of losing consciousness during this sky journey where I couldn’t even scream.
◆
We arrived at our destination in less than an hour.
When I realized it, we had crossed a mountain, and it was a forest area where not a single village could be found.
Belze landed in the middle of the forest with no landmarks, saying, “This is it.”
“Is this the place? Would a cow wander this deep into the forest?”
“It is not a cow. First, I will hear the story from the client.”
“The client?”
While staggering after my feet touched the ground for the first time in a while, I wondered.
Is there really a client in a forest without a village like this?
“Pino, my robe.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
I draped the robe from behind over the shoulders of Belze, who had retracted her wings and tail.
…Still, that dress is as revealing as ever.
With her white skin exposed on her nape, back, and down to her waist, this angle is a bit risky.
While being careful not to touch her skin—
“Don’t be nervous. It is fine to touch me.”
“Yes.”
Since she seemed to see through my agitation completely, I gave up and touched her shoulders.
Belze didn’t seem to care, and she pulled the robe over her shoulders. She walked away, carrying the luggage that I couldn’t even lift, hooked on her finger.
After a while, we came to an open space.
It was a place filled with a strange, strong, pleasant scent of trees and flowers.
“Can you see, Pino? Those are the clients.”
“Eh?”
Naturally, there is no way there would be any sign of people in a place like this.
But when I stared in the direction of Belze’s finger, I noticed. Something was definitely there.
They were countless small people.
They were fairy-like in size, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, wearing sharply pointed triangular hats.
On the branches, in the holes of trees, in the bushes—
Once I found one, I could see the same figures everywhere.
“Earth spirits, Gnomes. They are this time’s clients.”
“Spirits…?”
So that is what she meant by the client.
At first, the Gnomes looked nervous, but when Belze threw her guild card to them, they picked it up, looked at it carefully together, and eventually lowered their guard.
“Gnomes, tell me the details of the request. Also, give me something to eat.”
So you have that stance even toward spirits, Belze?
The Gnomes nodded and guided us deep into the forest, so we followed them.
“Pino. The Gnomes say they will show you… the farm. Go check it.”
“Did they say that?”
“They did.”
“…Wait, to me?”
“Yes. Not to me, to you. I don’t know the reason. Spirits are unfathomable creatures.”
Belze said so calmly, without seeming particularly upset.