"It's gone! It really disappeared!" (Ravia)
Ravia stared at her smooth back of Belle with an astonished face. Her grandfather, Abraham, had explained that it's not easy to dispel the curse made using the evil mana even if the curse isn't completed.
(H-He really dispelled the spell...) (Ravia)
"R-Ravia-chan..." Belle still desperately pulled back her magician robe that got flipped by Ravia.
"A-Ah! Sorry, Belle! What am I doing inside the mercenary guild..." Ravia immediately let go of the robe.
"Ugh... People must have seen everything..." Belle hugged her body with a flushed face.
"They don't. I covered us with illusion barrier so your body just now didn't get exposed to others," (Lyan)
"You did? Ah! It's true! There's an illusion barrier!" Belle noticed a sphere made from purple-colored mana is covering them.
"Yes. So if the both of you like to continue, feel free to do so," (Lyan)
"I won't!" (Belle)
"Is that so. Then the barrier is no longer needed, I guess," Lyan snapped his fingers, and the illusion barrier immediately disappeared.
"You... You're the cloaked man!" Belle exclaimed in surprise as she widens her eyes while pointing at Lyan.
"Eh? Hm? Have we met before?" (Lyan)
"S-So this is the pain of being forgotten, huh... You saved me together with my friends in the forest from the group of goblins yesterday, thank you for saving us," Belle bowed her head as she thanked Lyan.
"I see... So you're that magician girl, huh... Well, it's fine. I was just testing a new skill anyway, you don't need to thank me," (Lyan)
(They didn't ask for help, and I'm the one who suddenly appeared to help them. So it's normal even if they didn't thank me since they might even be capable of defeating the goblins without my help anyway) (Lyan)
Because of the incident with Alina the swordswoman inside the brothel, Lyan restrains himself from acting too familiar with them.
"But even so, I like to thank you for helping us. You even helped Alina from falling yesterday, and even helped me remove the curse on my back, thank you very much!" (Belle)
"I thank you for saving them as well," (Ravia)
"Thank you!" (Raine)
The three of them bowed toward Lyan.
"Well, you're welcome, I guess. But I believe you three came here not to thank me, right?" (Lyan)
"Ah! You're right! Has Alina-chan and Xena-chan returned from the forest, Rea-chan!?" (Belle)
"Eh? They haven't come here yet today, though... Don't tell me..." (Rea)
"Don't tell me. The both of them are still in the forest!?" (Lichia)
"They are! They are searching for a dark magic core and the seed from the Flaahgra that we defeated yesterday to cure my curse! Is it possible to ask for an immediate search team, Lichia-chan!?" (Belle)
"I'm sorry, Belle. But there are already too many search teams dispatched for other people so we couldn't gather another right now. I'm sorry, Belle..." (Lichia)
"I see... It's fine, Lichia-chan. It can't be helped. We're going to search for the two of them ourselves! Ravia-chan! Raine-chan! Is it fine?" (Belle)
"Of course! Finding Alina-chan and Xena-chan as quick as possible is our top priority!" (Raine)
"But we should contact the madam and gramps as well. It might be too dangerous if it's only the three of us. We need to avoid getting too much risk, after all," (Ravia)
"You're right. Then we'll go back to the house to inform gramps and the madam. Um... Mr. Ecotavore?" (Belle)
"Evocatore," (Lyan)
"Mr. Evocatore!" Belle approached Lyan's face and holds his shoulders.
"Y-Yes?" (Lyan)
"I know it's very shameless of me to ask this to you, but could you please lend me your help to find my friends!?" (Belle)
Lyan felt like he got mesmerized by her beautiful eyes that look like lavender glass and her face that looks like it got sculptured. It felt like her wavy pink hair restrains his whole body from moving. She truly possesses a great beauty that could cloud a normal person's judgment.
(Is this illusion magic? No, even if it's illusion magic, it won't be able to affect my thoughts. I guess she really is a beauty... Wait a minute-) (Lyan)
Lyan takes a step back and observes the faces of Rea, Lichia, Belle, Raine, and Ravia.
(Now that I watch carefully, the people I met in this world all have pretty faces with different kinds of beauty. Even that old bartender is handsome. Does everyone in this world have pretty faces? If that's so, no wonder that girl from last night screamed like she just saw a demon when I caught her) (Lyan)
Lyan shifted his gaze and observe the surrounding mercenaries.
(Hm? Not all of them are beauties like these five, though. Then why did that girl scream last night?) (Lyan)
"O-Of course it won't be for free! I'll give whatever reward you want after we found my friends! So please accept my request!" (Belle)
"B-Belle-chan!?" (Raine)
"Belle!?" (Ravia)
(Reward? Wait, she's the magician girl that in the same party with the swordswoman last night. And she's also using the same attire that the swordswoman was using last night. So she must be a girl from that House of Roses as well, right? If I ask her to clear my name inside that brothel, I'll be able to enjoy the brothel this night, wouldn't I?) (Lyan)
After nodding to himself several times, Lyan gives Belle a resolute look.
"I see. Then I'll accept the quest. I'll be eagerly waiting to accept the reward after we found your friends," (Lyan)
"E-Eh? Y-Yes... T-Thank you for accepting my shameless request..." Belle replied with a flushed face.
(H-He stared at me so intensely, it's obvious what he wants for the reward, isn't it!? Uh... But it's fine. If it's for Alina-chan and Xena-chan. I don't mind sacrificing even myself!) (Belle)
While Belle attempted to resolute herself, the two-person behind her are thinking dangerous things.
(It's fine, Belle-chan. If he really asks for your body after saving Alina-chan and Xena-chan. I'll give him poison and make him forget his memories. It will be fine!) (Raine)
(If he touches even a single breadth of Belle's hair with his lustful hand, I'll slit his throat and feed him to the dogs) (Ravia)
"Wait, are the four of you really thinking of entering the forest, right now?" (Lichia)
"Yes. But we'll ask for madam's and gramps' help as well. So we'll surely be fine! Now, time to go and find madam and gramps at-" (Belle)
"There's no need to search for us, lady Belle. We've taken the liberty of coming here and bringing your equipment. Ravia, Raine, what are you thinking, escorting Lady Belle without even bringing appropriate equipment with you, what if a sudden danger befalls you? You wouldn't be able to protect her," A familiar white-haired old man appeared together with a beautiful mature purplish red-haired woman. The old man is wearing the same butler uniform just like Ravia and Raine, but the elegance of his posture and demeanor feels like a refined highi-class butler.
"Spare them some slack, gramps. They must be didn't have the time to prepare since Belle immediately rushed towards the mercenary guild when she heard about the news. Aren't I right, Belle?" The red-haired woman asked Belle as she folded her arms.
"Gramps! Madam!" (Belle & Raine & Ravia)
"Good afternoon, Lady Marguerite, Sir Maxilton," Lichia greets the both of them with a respectful bow.
"G-Good afternoon!" Rea follows suit.
"There's no need to be so formal with us, Rea, Lichia," (Madam)
"Oi oi. Isn't that the legendary mercenary, Madam Fury?"
"Yea. The butler beside her is the legendary white shadow. They are a living legend of this mercenary city, you know?"
"They said that their party were about to enter the Orichalcum rank, but they suddenly retired from being mercenaries and focus on running the House of Roses,"
"It's still a mystery of why they stopped being a mercenary until this day,"
(About to enter the Orichalcum rank? Then they must have been Myhtril ranked mercenaries back then...) (Lyan)
In this world, the mercenary ranks are divided by the material of their mercenary tag.
Iron -> Bronze -> Silver -> Gold -> Platinum -> Mythril -> Orichalcum -> Adamantite
Those who are in the gold-ranked are considered elite veterans of the mercenaries, the platinum-ranked are often scouted by various countries to be their military personnel, and the Mythril-ranked are considered as a small army. Orichalcum-ranked mercenaries are considered as legends that are looked up to by not only other mercenaries but the people as well. Especially in this city with big merchants, an Orichalcum-ranked mercenary has VIP access to every firm and every place and is treated like big nobles and royalties.
In the Adamantite rank case, no one knows whether there is a party that had entered this rank before or not. So it was said that the adamantite rank is just a myth, and the highest rank of the mercenary guild is the Orichalcum rank.
"Tch!" Madam clicked her tongue.
"Lichia. Could you lead us to an unused room? It seems that we're gathering too much unwanted attention here," (Madam)
"Indeed. Then please follow me," (Lichia)
____________________________________________________________________________
Name: Lyan
Occupation: Mercenary
Money: 22,800 Elnes
Weapon: Hobgoblin's Sword
Equipment: Black leather cloak
Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin