"…Excuse me for interrupting, is it okay for Boss Alf, a non-adventurer, to even take a quest to begin with?"
Hearing an unreasonable request from their guests, Elise could not just stay quiet and do nothing. She knew not about details in the world of adventurers, but it was general knowledge that quests taken by high ranked adventurers were full of horrible and unknown danger.
"Ms. Elise, allow me to explain. It's set in stone the parties able to take quests from the Association are registered adventurers. As you said, Mr. Logick is not an adventurer. So, he can't take quests…"
"However…?"
As representative from the Association, Vanessa was the one who answered the manager's question, and she took a deep breath before continuing her statement.
"However, adventurers can hire third party to join their quest. Like this time, Bregror and Salsahara wished to hire Mr. Logick to accompany them…"
Support from third party was not prohibited in completing a quest, and adventurers must handle the arrangement on their own. At the same time, the Association took this matter into consideration when appraising achievement of adventurers because they needed to know how much the success was the result of adventurers' own ability.
Adventurers that left all the job to third party could still receive quest reward. But, lost eligibility to acquire higher rank.
"…I understand about the rules. Still, why choose Boss Alf? He is just a normal businessman. Surely, there are other suitable candidates?"
"Mr. Logick being a businessman is a well-established fact. But, in my opinion he is far from what you deem to be normal…"
Vanessa answered with a troubled smile and scratched her cheek.
"…Please elaborate Ms. Welsh"
Elise took a glance at her young boss and left puzzled, she could not see anything abnormal from him.
"Let's see, where do I start…"
She mentioned the most recent proof was the incident in the Night Crown where Alfraed apprehended a silver ranked adventurer.
""What??!!!""
"Boss Alf, why are you surprised too???"
"W-well, I didn't know he was a silver ranker… That's dangerous, isn't it?"
"You tell me!"
Elise and Alfraed were surprised after hearing Vanessa's revelation, and the former continued to be dumbfounded because the person who overwhelmed the silver ranked adventurer was soundly shocked just like her. By all accounts, he thought the troublemaker was merely low ranker.
"Mr. Logick, for your information, the securities in the Night Crown were highly trained, some were former adventurers. Yet, by himself, that scoundrel left almost two dozens of them unconscious and suffered broken bones. He was someone the Association had expectation to achieve platinum rank in the future. Additionally, able to utilize Link Magic to make him stronger with beastly strength…You defeated that kind of person, believe it or not"
"...…."
Originally, despite his terribe reputation, Bregror and Salsahara planned to ask him to join the quest. That showed how much an ability he had.
What Vanessa just said was crazy, Alfraed had a hard time believing. Were you sure he was the same person? Unfortunately, the picture of the adventurer she showed was indeed the person he encountered.
if Alfraed knew this beforehand he might refrained from being involved…No, with how things were going to unfold the young man would still step in to help. At that time, he was confident in confronting that adventurer simply because compared to his master's inhuman strength he was….insignificant.
"Little brother, what were you doing in a brothel?"
"...…."
Salsahara raised her hand and interrupted the on-going conversation about the adventurer with an obvious question from the stand point of an iffy older sister. Aside from Elise who knew the details, her query made other realized that his situation was indeed unusually suspicious.
To be freed from their hurtful penetrating gazes, Alfraed decided to tell everything from the beginning…
"…So, you caught the run-like-the-wind pickpocket operating in the red light district little brother? I had my wallet lost to him once. I'm more convinced now our decision to hire you is correct"
"….I'm glad to hear it left a good impression on you elder brother"
Who would have thought even a pickpocket had a cool nickname. Bregror answered because that particular pickpocket was too fast and always succeeded in his escape. From this fact alone, his evaluation of Alfraed was getting better.
"…Dear, what were you doing in the red light district?"
""...….""
The flabbergasted Bregror and Alfraed heard a chilling question that was full of boiling anger from Salsahara. Her tremendous magic power befitting of a dark elf was even leaking in accordance with her fiery cold emotion. Alfraed had nothing to do with this! But, he could feel her anger toward himself also! The young man was simply in the wrong place and at the wrong time.
But, as her husband, Bregror knew exactly what to do to solve this situation and his expression impressively did not crumble under his wife's killing pressure, he possessed an unbeatable trump card. As expected from...
"Forgive me!!!"
In the next moment, the robust man prostrated himself on the bare floor with incredible reflexes to ask forgiveness, startling Alfraed who was standing beside him. Bregror then explained the event happened way before he met Salsahara, and was only accompanying a curious friend…
…Some time had passed until Salsahara finally accepted the fact her husband did nothing wrong and Alfraed witnessed how terrifying a wife could be. As a man, he had a complicated feeling about this. Nonetheless, they could resume the conversation from where they left off.
"Let's move on, shall we? Mr. Logick, do you still remember what you did when you saved Bregror?"
It was an emergency situation, Alfraed did several things in order to save him. From they way Vanessa asked the question, he did something unnatural. But, could not make out which part she was referring to.
"The part where you tore open my armor bare-handed little brother" seeing Alfraed had a hard time guessing what she meant, Bregror pointed out the obvious.
"…In my defense, it must be done to clean your wounds before I cured them…How much is the repair costs?"
It came back to him that he indeed burst opened Bregror's armor. That was a necessary action, he did not think twice when doing it. But, Alfraed also acknowledged he damaged other people's possession, and was willing to take responsibility.
"…Boss Alf, I don't think Mr. Naz is asking for that..."
"…Huh? Really?..."
Bregror told him the armor specifically designed to withstand tremendous physical blow to enhance his battle style as a tank. It cost him a lot to make. Though damaged, the armor was still ridiculously sturdy. He heard from Vanessa two silver rankers, a dwarf and daemon, known for their raw strength were trying to pry it open, yet unsuccessful.
Then, Alfraed came and did the job himself. As a matter of fact, even Bregror would not be able to perform what he did.
"Mr. Logick, to put it simply, what you did was unthinkable" concluded Vanessa.
The others agreed with what she said.
Actually, in the middle of this discussion Vanessa remembered about a certain quest report about a dragon subjugation by a silver ranker known for her magic proficiency that received help from someone. She could not recall that someone's name, and correlating it to Alfraed seemed too far-fetched. So, she decided to not mention it all together.
"…Personally, I don't agree Boss Alf joining the quest for safety reasons. Having said that, I will follow his decision, and I finally understand why you want him to join. It's reasonable" said Elise while holding her heavy head after processing all information.
"…Before I come to a decision. What quest are you hoping me to join?"
This was a logical question, who in their right mind would join a quest they knew nothing of. That was practically suicidal.
"This might be unfair. At the moment, all I can say the quest might take three weeks to complete, and your payment is 1,200 rune per day. The rest of the information will be given by big brother, after you passed his test. You can still negotiate or decide to refuse afterward. But, please don't divulge any information if you decide not to participate"
Though, Bregror and Salsahara really wanted Alfraed to assist them, it would be assuring to have someone they trusted came along.
"Big brother? Test?"
That were two surprising words Alfraed just heard. And, he had bad experience with the later.
"Yes, a fellow speaker of language of the ancestor, which also means he is also your big brother. Latvian Glassforest, an upper gold ranker, and our de facto Branch Master"
Speaking of which, Alfraed had never met the Branch Master until now because Vanessa told him all business and administrative matters were handled by Balthazar, and the Branch Master was more like a figurehead.
"How will I be tested?"
"Through a certain method existed since ancient time to gauge one's thorough combat ability; sparring" replied Vanessa with a wide grin.
"…Eh?"
Alfraed suddenly could imagine clearly his master's menacing smile whenever the word 'sparring' was mentioned.