World Strongest Rearguard – Chapter 28

Translator: pinkyoneesama    Editor: anirhapsodist

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New Lodgings

Shortly after everyone has gotten up, we took a light breakfast in the room. It was morning service well appreciated.

Eggs, bread, and bacon. Fresh vegetables are not available this time around. Fruits, nuts and berries were the primary ones served during breakfast.

After finishing the meal, I accompanied Louisa to the guild. Morning in town was relatively quiet. There was staff who were already at work and seekers started flocking towards the guild.

“Thank you for letting me spend the night. For the first time in a while, I was able to relieve myself from stress and I was able to unwind.”

“I am the one who should be saying that. It was abrupt, but thank you for accepting my invitation. I hope you join us again some time once we finish a difficult task.”

“Yes. Certainly. Atobe-sama, are you going to the labyrinth again today?”

“This morning, I am planning to do some shopping and have that black treasure box opened. I’ll check the new lodgings as well.”

“Okay then. Unless if it’s mealtime, the manager there is available most of the time.”

First, we’ll drop by the Box Maker’s Shop and then proceed to check the lodgings. Come afternoon, we’ll proceed to the innermost levels of the Plains of Dawn. That would likely be all for today’s schedule.

Louisa entered the guild through an exclusive entrance made for the staff. It is at the back of the building. Embarrassing as it may seem, I waved my hand to bid her goodbye.

“…Though at first, I thought she was the type that was difficult to deal with. On the contrary, she was amenable and we really got along well.” (Kyouka)

“We’ll have the chance to hang-out with her again. It seems that we’ll be able to keep her as our officer-in-charge, even if we have to move to a different district.” (Elysha)

“Heehh, you requested it from her, Atobe-kun?” (Kyouka)

“W-well yes, but there’s no ulterior motive, okay?”

She’s beautiful and above all, she gets inspired by the work that I do. Although she’s a lady worth keeping, pushing a step further will be difficult because of the existing relationship between the guild officers and their seekers.

“…T- that’s right. Atobe-kun is an honest person, so he doesn’t have any ulterior motives. …Moreover, we are…” (Kyouka)

“Ky-Kyouka, haven’t I told you to keep that story a secret?” (Elysha)

“Oho~, were you talking about last night? Ain’t that good? Suzu-chan learned a lot of things. ” (Misaki)

“Forgive me Arihito-san, I cannot look straight into your face right now. …It is because that I,… with everyone…” (Suzuna)

“What happened back there?”

Suzuna said so anxiously, however, I won’t hold back in asking some questions. Everyone began to panic.

“No-Nothing, it’s nothing. Really. Atobe-kun was lying with his belly exposed, so It was natural for her to raise your blanket. Right, Ely~?” (Kyouka)

“Ye-Yes. That’s what really happened. We didn’t do anything else. Are you implying that we did something?” (Elysha)

Igarashi-san abandoned calling her Elysha and now calls her by a nickname. Looking back at the way they were before, I have never thought that they are going to get along so well.

These two appear to share a few attitudes, and it appears that they can work without being in conflict with each other. Having a good relationship is a nice thing to have for a party, especially if they work to achieve the same goal.

“Uhm… Is it something you can’t explain or something you can’t talk about?”

“Okay, okay, enough with that. Onii-san, leave that aside for now, ain’t ya gonna check the new lodgings? Louisa-san told me about it. I have the location of that place. What’s your take? Think about this thoroughly first.” (Misaki)

A cheeky one. To think that she would have to show me the location she got from somebody else. When she turned on the display on the license, the map of the town was shown together with a marked location. The new lodgings were located in a neighborhood away from Nornil Heights.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

It was in the heart of the 8th-district. A 15-minute walk from the guild. In terms of convenience, there is nothing to question. Compared to Nornil Heights, a middle-sized accommodation, the range of facilities, the size of the room, hospitality, everything was perfect.

“Master, Milady, Welcome. Please, the rooms are this way.”

It was a western style building with four rooms. Other buildings identical to it were all located in the 8th-district Royal Suites.

Several maids greeted us at the reception hall. They wanted to take care of our belongings, but we’re still checking it out. I requested them to show us the room instead.

Overwhelmed with the glamour, the over-energetic Misaki was at a loss for words. All the rooms lay with carpet, they were equipped with a large bath and washroom.

“….A-Amazing! This was more than one could have imagined. What can you say about this, Igarashi-san?”

“…While I was told that I could reside in the middle-class lodgings, …If there is a vacant room, here is better. Or am I a bother to you, Atobe-kun.?” (Kyouka)

“N-No! There is no such thing like that. Look, this is too large for a single person and I think that this property can house a large number of people. I am hoping that we get to live together if possible.”

“T-Then… …F-From now on, I’ll be living with you.” (Kyouka)

“Living”, I can’t help but imagine myself in the future. Will I be able to come back to a room at the end of the day? Shall I live a life constantly moving from one accommodation to another?

“O-o-of course! It would still be best if I could buy a house where we could settle for good.”

“….A-About that …Atobe-kun, what are you trying to come up with?” (Kyouka)

“If you can own a house, the number of occupants shouldn’t be relevant. More than one party can live together, you know? If you want Arihito to continuously make his way up the rankings, then it is best to go with your companions during monster “Raids”.” (Elysha)

I was thinking that rather than moving each time, it would be better to have a base of operations in one place, no hassle of moving in or out, a place where you would truly appreciate the aesthetics. –Prior to what Elysha said, not only for 16 or 24 people, but I have also learned that multiple parties can also live in a single house.

We are already six in the group, but if there would be more members to come, a full party can be assembled. It would also be possible to go on explorations while swapping party members if necessary.

(With that in mind, I can have more jobs that I can organize. Currently, I don’t have jobs in the vanguard specializing in defense. I don’t have a pharmacist, a wizard nor a monk.)

“If we don’t have the job with the necessary skills, then there is also a possibility that we can be stalled along the way. But if possible, no more additions to companions. Even if you don’t live in under a single roof, it may also be ideal to buy a house and live where you feel comfortable.” (Elysha)

“If the time comes that Onii-san will become an owner of several houses and decides to give one to me, I… I’m gonna submit to his bidding.” (Misaki)

“Doing such things in exchange for a house? Misaki-chan, don’t you know that what you’re doing is up to no good?” (Suzuna)

“…Both of you know that I have my own problems… When the time comes that you get near to my level, you can enlist a different swordsman. But please, even if it’s only halfway, please, lend me your power. You don’t need to accompany me to the depths of the labyrinth where my best friend is because I’ve been there before. I alone will suffice. ” (Elysha)

It’s still a long way ahead, but I think that Elysha couldn’t leave them without being true and honest.

“…Elysha, it was a bit strange when you were smeared with the enemy’s blood. Is it a dangerous situation because you even tell your companions to keep their distance?”

I’ve thought many times over whether or not I should ask her about it in a different forum though I might be hearing something about it sooner than expected. Elysha began to narrate while looking down at the sheathed sword hung on her lower waist.

“This sword is called the “Scarlet Emperor”. It was a weapon from a box that a “Named” monster dropped… I changed my equipment to this but it granted me the “Unique Weapons Job”. Originally, I was a swordsman… However, equipping the sword made it impossible to part with.“ (Elysha)

“Unique Weapons Job”? Such a job exists?”

“Cursed Blade”, a unique weapons job. “Scarlet Emperor”, the cursed sword that couldn’t be relinquished. In short, she couldn’t change her job.

Similar to the circumstances of a demi-human, when they lose their lives, they could revive with a different appearance and lose everything of what makes them human. Equipment, as well as some other things, cannot be taken off.

“Before equipping the “Scarlet Emperor, were you aware of the consequences?”

“…“White Night Brigade”, the group of seekers where I formerly was, hunted “Named” monsters. They collected boxes in order to strengthen themselves with whatever weapon or arms present inside those boxes. Similarly, there are numerous seekers trying to improve their battle capabilities in the same manner, the grand-like approach per se. In the White Night Brigade, you are absolutely not allowed to refuse, regardless of the weapon.” (Elysha)

Elysha didn’t have a choice but to equip the Scarlet Emperor, even if she was clueless about what the weapon was.

Also, “Berserk” presents a lot of problems and it doesn’t even matter how strong her weapon is. If we can find some countermeasures with that, she’ll probably be the perfect vanguard.

“Weren’t there any specialty shops or skill holders who can appraise within the White Night Brigade?”

“When you bring the items to a shop, they’ll give priority to lifting the seal and the curse which in turn renders the weapon useless. Even though I was aware of the perils of cursed weapons, I have thought of them to hold much greater power than normal weapons so… …Never did I thought of having them appraised. Appraisal skills sometimes fail when you need it the most and there only a few people with that aptitude. Appraisers are also under the protection of the guild. Even in brigades, you seldom find a member who possesses that skill.” (Elysha)

–Those who possess rare skills are being guarded and protected by the guild. The “Box Maker” might also be one of those people.

The guild protects and opens specialty shops for them which also allows the 8th-district seekers to benefit from their skills. These capable individuals cannot be monopolized by top-ranking seekers and parties, thanks to the guild.

“…Perhaps that may be one of the means they choose to for the sake of getting stronger. Personally, however, I can’t sympathize with the brigade’s way of doing things.”

“…It couldn’t be helped. No use crying over spilled milk. I also wanted to become stronger, but ever since I became a cursed blade, there was nothing but regret… Just by wielding this sword, it didn’t feel like I’ve been fighting with my own will.” (Elysha)

“Elysha-san… but when you were fighting along with Arihito-san, it was different, am I right? You were fighting to protect us.”(Suzuna)

“………” (Elysha)

After Suzuna said those words, Elysha’s eyes became tear-choked prompting her to cast her eyes downward.

“I would have met my demise if not for Arihito. But not until we were able to find Misaki and the enemy swelled in numbers. My level is higher but apart from that, I am still very much inexperienced.” (Elysha)

“Don’t be harsh on yourself. Even I was scared to death but Elysha held strong and skillfully managed the situation. Let’s do better next time. It’s better to have a stronger party from the start rather than fixing it along the way.”

“Arihito…” (Elysha)

It pains me to see those florid eyes. And as much as possible, it is the tears of a young girl that I wouldn’t like to see.

“So as far as experience values are concerned, I would still ask you to stay at the Guest position for a while longer. I’ll let you in the party if you need my support. I’m begging you, to tell me if you ever need it.”

“… Yes, I understand. I’ll be counting on you. Never approach me so recklessly and keep a clear distance until the battle is over.” (Elysha)

“Ah! But my skills can reach you even if there’s quite a distance.”

“Oh, I see…” (Elysha)

We defeated an “Immune to Physical” with a non-attribute supportive attack. How far was it that time? –I’m pretty sure that was a distance that is completely away from the battle perimeters of Elysha and the Juggernaut.

Maybe I can support her as long as it’s in my visible range. If granted, the flexibility of our tactical order will change greatly. So before the enemies we encounter becomes strong enough, I should work on verifying the range and effect of my skills.

“For me, Elysha’s “Berserk” is a dangerous skill, however, we can curb its risks. We definitely need the curse to be lifted, and there should be stronger weapons that aren’t cursed.”

“… You… make it sound so easy, but… Aren’t you frightened of me?” (Elysha)

“Why should I? Anyway, receiving a slash from your sword could be shocking, you know? Hence, I should maintain my distance.”

“…Ahaha… I’m sorry for giving you a bit of trauma. As expected of Onii-san, you’ve just been reincarnated, but despite of that, you’re surprisingly calm. I feel at ease when I actually see you like that… Hey, Suzu-chan… “ (Misaki)

“Y-Yes. When I am with Arihito-san, it feels like time flows so gently.” (Suzuna)

If everyone’s saying that I’ve adapted faster than anyone else, then maybe this world is suitable for me. From now on, just to give everyone their peace of mind, I’ll try my best to remain calm.

In this world, a momentary delay in judgment can prove to be fatal. An instant to grasp the situation is what I need as a rearguard to be able to choose from fighting or falling back, minimizing the risk.

“Well, if Elysha chooses to act independently after she attains her objectives, then it can’t be helped. However if possible, I want her to become a long-standing companion since she’s an excellent swordsman.”

“Really… up to when will you be this kind-hearted? Kyouka, say something too.” (Elysha)

“I am more than happy to have you as a companion. I don’t have any complaints. The moment I entered his party, I’ve decided to follow his decisions. Also, I told Louisa that I’m his subordinate.” (Kyouka)

“Eh…? Is there such a thing? Igarashi-san? My subordinate….”

“H-hey… but I’m very happy with that. Were you imagining something else?” (Kyouka)

Me giving various commands to Igarashi-san, the loyal subordinate. Ah, it seems to me that I’ll be able to work comfortably. –Now I know the reason why people get drunk in power.

“Everyone here is Arihito’s ally. It’s rather troubling if no one even tries to oppose him.” (Elysha)

“I agree with that. Perhaps it should be Elysha giving him some stern warnings.” (Kyouka)

“Fair enough. However, don’t you ever get mad at me because you gave me such role. It would be best if you’re the one reprimanding him though.” (Elysha)

“Now that you mention it, everything has been going well that I have nothing to trouble myself with. I guess I’m fine with doing it after all.” (Kyouka)

Hearing Igarashi-san’s words, everyone laughs –Myself included.

Theresa who’s been there all throughout our conversation nods to me. It was a show of her own will affirming to something.

There’s a total of six persons who will be living in this room. Surely, it would be bustling and it would be great getting along.

“Okay then… the inspection is finished. What shall we do next?”

“Well, we need to go back once to the lodgings and tell them we’re moving. They can just send our luggage over. “ (Elysha)

“Can they also bring it here? It’s only been the third day so I don’t have that much.”

“Let’s think about the room assignments later. Until then, the luggage will stay in the living room.” (Elysha)

“It’s settled then. When everyone’s finished arranging the transfer, let’s meet-up at the plaza in front of the guild. Atobe-kun, let’s get moving too.” (Kyouka)

When we finish today’s exploration, everyone will spend the night together once more. Finally, I’ll be able to sleep on a bed. –After all, there are 4 beds and 2 bedrooms in the Royal Suite.