No Damage 6

 Test

6. Alright, I'll Be Back In A Bit

"I would be happy if Haruto became an adventurer. Not just like us, ranked B, but capable of performances on par with S-rank adventurers."

Lilith's gaze was serious.

"So, while I won't say right away, think about it. You can definitely become a force to save many people. Absolutely."

It might be the first time in my life that someone has had such high expectations of me.

No, maybe the situation of 'being expected by someone' is new to me altogether.

It feels ticklish and bittersweet in my heart—

it's a happy feeling.

"Oh, sorry. I've been talking about my feelings only. Halt has his circumstances, right?"

"No need to apologize. I'm glad you invited me."

I've never really thought about future goals or dreams much before.

I assumed I would graduate from school like everyone else and work somewhere decent.

But now, there's a clear goal of becoming an adventurer right before me.

Moving towards it or stepping back—it's my decision alone.

"For now, shall we go report to the mayor's office?"

Alice suggested with a cheerful tone.

"Yes, we also need to lift the evacuation advisory from the magical beasts."

Lilith nodded.

"Will Halt come with us? You were instrumental in defeating the dragon."

"Yeah, I'm... well, I'll head home. My parents and neighbors are probably worried."

There was plenty of time before the dragon entered town, and the battle site was quite far from my home.

I think everything will be fine, but I still want to confirm everyone's safety.

"Sure, that's a good idea. Oh, right, shall we meet here at seven tomorrow morning? I want you to come to the guild with us."

Lilith said.

The adventurers' guild, huh?

As the name suggests, it's an organization that oversees adventurers worldwide, but I don't know much more.

"You'll receive a substantial reward for defeating the magical beast, so I want Haruto to take it too."

"Huh, a reward? Can we really get that?"

"The opponent was a top-tier dragon. It should amount to a considerable sum."

This time, Alice smiled.

"How much are we talking about?"

"It should be enough for an average household to live comfortably for over a decade."

"Are you serious!?"

I couldn't help but raise my voice.

"Your contribution was significant. So you can decide on the split."

"But even if you say that... There are three of us, so splitting it equally seems fair, right?"

After saying it, I realized.

"But, it was Lilith who defeated it. I should get less."

"What are you saying!? If it weren't for Haruto, we wouldn't have been able to attack in the first place. You should get the most."

Lilith looked surprised.

"Well, it feels awkward..."

Now that I think about it, I was just enduring the dragon's attacks.

"You're such a modest person..."

"I'm just trying to be fair."

"Hehe, that's exactly the kind of person I want as an adventurer."

Lilith looked pleased.

"So, will you come with us? If it's inconvenient, we can accept the reward first and come back to give you your share later."

"...No, I'll come too."

It was a somewhat impulsive decision.

"I want to see what this guild place is like anyway."

I want to know more about the organization of adventurers and their existence— that desire has grown stronger.

—Afterward, I returned home.

Luckily, my family and neighbors were all safe.

When I told my parents about defeating the dragon, they initially thought it was a joke, but when I showed them a dragon scale (given to me by Lilith), their expressions changed.

Moreover, when I mentioned receiving a large sum as a reward, they immediately smiled.

Cash is king.

My family finances aren't great, so the reward will definitely help.

Maybe I should also get something for my parents.

After all, this is my first earning.

But it's kind of embarrassing when it comes down to it... I'll think about it later.

For now, I'll take the leftover money as my share.

And I contacted the school, so I'll be allowed to go to the adventurer's guild tomorrow.

—And the next morning.

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit."

I told my parents and left the house.

I met up with Lilith and Alice as planned and set off for Egil City, where the branch of the adventurer's guild is located.

We traveled on a magic carriage they had prepared, arriving in about three hours.

The adventurer's guild is literally a mutual aid organization for adventurers.

By joining, you can get various job referrals.

It was an organization that facilitated adventurers' true work—essentially, jack-of-all-trades.

But now that the threat of magical beasts has escalated, it functions more like an international magical beast countermeasure headquarters.

It dispatches adventurers with enough strength to deal with magical beasts appearing in various regions.

Even the three major powers in the central continent cannot ignore such a formidable organization.

That is the adventurer's guild.

While learning all this, I entered Egil City with Lilith and Alice.

We headed to the branch building in the central district of the town.

"So this is the branch... It's huge."

I sighed as I looked up at the massive building, more like a castle than a hall.

It truly reflects the power of the adventurer's guild.

"We have procedures for reporting the dragon's defeat and receiving the reward. Haruto, wait here for a bit. We'll go together when it's time to collect the reward."

Saying so, Lilith and Alice entered the building.