Translator: Kazumi
Editor: Silavin
After ten days of investigating the Tower, Kousuke and his group returned to the entrance with their findings. As they approached, Kousuke noticed an unusual commotion among the gathered adventurers.
While adventurers were typically rowdy, this felt different. There was an excited undercurrent to their voices that had not been there before.
“I wonder if something happened?” Kousuke muttered from the loading platform.
Mitsuki, seated beside him, tilted her head thoughtfully. “Yeah, there’s definitely something in the air. The atmosphere feels… lighter somehow, but I can’t pinpoint why.”
Even with her exceptional hearing, Mitsuki could have easily eavesdropped on nearby conversations, but since there seemed to be no immediate danger, she chose not to pry.
Up in the driver’s seat, Peach and Lirica were equally puzzled by the adventurers’ chatter, unable to make out the specific cause of their excitement.
Their answer came unexpectedly when the Tower Conquest Guild’s receptionist approached their distinctive modified carriage.
“Oh! Are you finished with your conquest?” she called out, recognizing their vehicle immediately.
“Yes, we’ve gathered the information we needed,” Peach replied from the driver’s seat, then noticed the receptionist’s expectant expression. Rather than address what she suspected the woman wanted to ask, Peach deflected. “By the way, it’s quite lively around here today. Has something happened?”
The receptionist’s excitement was barely contained as she leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Well, there’s this rumor spreading that Wolf Fang has joined Crown. Is this true?”
Peach tilted her head with practiced innocence. “No, I hadn’t heard about that.”
While she knew the merger would eventually happen, the announcement had come sooner than expected, making her response technically truthful.
The receptionist’s face fell slightly. “Oh, I see. I was hoping to confirm whether it was real…”
“Someone told you about it?” Peach asked casually.
“Oh, no, nothing like that!” the receptionist said quickly, her smile forced. “It’s just been the talk among adventurers for the past few days, so I was curious.”
“I understand,” Peach nodded with an equally practiced smile.
From the loading platform, Kousuke had been listening to their exchange with growing concern.
“So it’s already spreading as rumors?” He mused aloud.
The original plan had been for an official Guild announcement. There had been no intention to let word leak through adventurer gossip.
“Something must have happened while we were away,” he said to his companions. “When we head back, if anyone asks questions, just follow Peach’s lead and play ignorant.”
Peach, Lirica, and Mitsuki all nodded in understanding.
“Well then, I wonder what’s really going on,” Kousuke sighed.
He had little doubt that Eku and the others were behind the rumors. If the information had leaked from another source, it would have happened much earlier. The timing, coinciding with Schmidt’s business trip, made it clear this was an intentional development.
When they returned to the Guild base, Kousuke’s suspicions proved correct.
…
Kouhi greeted them as they arrived at the Wolf Fang headquarters.
“Welcome back. I heard there are rumors circulating. Is something wrong?”
“I think you’d better hear the details directly from Eku,” Kouhi replied with a slight tilt of her head.
“That makes sense.” Kousuke paused, then smiled. “Oh, but first, I’m back.”
“Welcome home,” Kouhi responded warmly, her face lighting up with genuine happiness.
After securing their carriage, Kousuke immediately noticed the increased activity within the base. The building buzzed with far more workers than usual, including several unfamiliar faces. They werelikely Crown personnel who had arrived via teleportation gate from headquarters.
He was quickly escorted to what would become the Seichun branch head’s office. Inside, he found Eku, Schmidt, and another familiar figure.
“Hey, Kousuke! You’re looking well!”
The man who called him by his real name, possible only in this counter-espionage secured room, was Gazeran, head of Crown’s adventurer department.
“It’s been a while, Gazeran. Your presence here suggests things are moving faster than planned?”
Kousuke had expected this acceleration, given that someone of Gazeran’s importance wouldn’t travel here without significant cause.
Schmidt nodded apologetically. “Yes, the situation changed just a few days ago. I apologize for not reporting—”
“No need to apologize,��� Kousuke waved dismissively. “You acted because it was necessary, right? Besides, technically you both outrank me now.”
He grinned mischievously while Schmidt and Gazeran responded with rueful smiles. While Kousuke would maintain his cover as the adventurer ‘Kou’ in Seichun, his actual position within Crown rendered such hierarchical concerns meaningless.
“More importantly, what happened?”
Schmidt and Gazeran exchanged glances before Schmidt began explaining. Having been in Seichun before Kousuke’s Tower expedition, he was best positioned to provide context. Though Eku knew everything, protocol dictated that Crown’s department head should deliver official briefings now that the organization had begun active operations.
After hearing the full situation, Kousuke nodded in understanding. “I see. Given those circumstances, acceleration was definitely necessary.”
“Exactly. Preparations here are nearly complete. We should be fully operational as a branch within two or three days.”
“Impressive efficiency, as always.”
Kousuke’s genuine admiration was interrupted as he glanced at Mitsuki, who understood his unspoken signal and retrieved items from her storage.
“A souvenir for our hardworking friends,” Kousuke announced as Mitsuki produced a barrel.
Schmidt and Gazeran immediately recognized the container’s contents, their expressions growing serious.
“I don’t have many, but I’ve discovered a new source location.”
“Interesting. I’d like to hear the details,” Gazeran replied, his demeanor shifting to complete focus.
Information about materials that could become a major income source for the Seichun branch was invaluable. As a former adventurer, Gazeran had an instinct for recognizing such opportunities.