In the first week of my Adventurer activities, I accepted numerous commissions under Shion's supervision. She was still a bit careless, but the knowledge she imparted to me was extremely beneficial. I'm sure she will support me in the future.
In addition, my adventurer rank was raised to E.
Some of you may think that it was quite late for my level, but no one can rank up within a week. The first week as an adventurer is similar to a probationary period, where they'll find out if you're the right fit for the job. After all, F rank is established for the trial period.
So, in the true sense of the word, I became an adventurer. From now on, I will be able to take on commissions without Shion's assistance.
"Zechs-sama, are you all prepared? Did you bring your handkerchiefs and Tissue paper? Have you tucked your adventurer's card in your inside pocket so you don't lose it? Also, are your weapons well-maintained? If it breaks at the critical moment, it could cost you your life."
Just before heading off to the Adventurers' Guild alone. At the entrance to the castle, Shion was carefully reminding me and checking my equipment. Just so you know, she had been doing it for about 30 minutes.
I'm not sure how to put it...but she's acting like a mother sending her child on their first field trip. I understand her concern, but she's being too persistent.
Because of it, I just waved my hand lazily.
"All right, I got it. I'm perfectly ready now, so can you please let me go to the guild now?"
"Are you really sure? Is there anything that you missed? Just so you know, One mistake can lead to a big problem…."
"No, I didn't forget. Thanks to Shion's thorough checks, I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm serious, so can you please let me leave now?"
I was stunned by Shion who didn't seem to want to send me off.
I should've just ignored her and left, but I feel like if I do that, she's going to accompany me. That's why I have to go along with her until she's satisfied.
"This is going to take another hour…" I thought so to myself when the castle suddenly became a little noisy. It was only a minor change, but I could certainly sense a hint of panic.
Shion seemed to sense this as well because she stopped checking my equipment and turned her attention to the castle.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, but I'll go check."
After saying so, she returned to the castle.
However, before she could pass through the gate, the source of the commotion appeared in front of us.
"Onii-sama!"
"Zechs-nii!"
It was indeed my beloved sister, Caron, and my dear brother, Orca. They were both breathing heavily on their shoulders as if they had rushed to this place.
—Then, the reason they were out of breath was behind them.
""""Young Lady, Please wait!!!!""""
""""Please wait, Young Master!!!!""""
A few seconds after Caron and the others arrived. The servants, who were out of breath just like the other two, came out of the castle. Their faces were familiar. They were the ones who had been entrusted with taking care of Caron and Orca's personal needs.
…Somehow, I had a vague idea of what was going on.
I then ask Caron and Orca while suffering from a mild headache.
"What's going on? And why are you guys in such a hurry?"
After saying so, both of them widened their eyes as if they didn't like my question.
"Don't 'what's going on?' us, Onii-sama!"
"That's right, Zechs-nii! You're just too much!"
The two of them approached me like a landslide. Their momentum was so great that I involuntarily backed away.
Then I ask again, waving my hand in the air.
"First, calm down. I don't know what you two are talking about. I know you guys ran away from the caretaker behind you, but I don't understand your intention. Please explain it to me in order."
In truth, I had a general understanding of what was going on, but I dared them to answer from scratch. It was probably with the hope that my prediction would be wrong.
However, reality was harsh.
"I heard that Onii-sama's going out there hunting demonic beasts."
"It's not fair that Zechs-nii's doing such a fun thing as an adventurer all by himself, and that's why we want to join you!"
When they calmed down a little, they spoke up and revealed the problem they had been concerned about.
In fact, I had kept it a secret from Caron and Orca that I became an adventurer. The reason for this was evident in the situation at hand.
I did not want them to become adventurers.
The two of them have been training together under me, so their abilities are unmatched for their age. I don't need to mention Caron, but Orca, who I began teaching six months ago, is also strong enough.
But that's only when compared to people their age. Unlike me, who has been training recklessly, the two of them have been training with an emphasis on safety. So, they are only good enough to win against lower-ranked knights. If I were to use the game analogy, they would be comparable to a mid-level boss at the beginning of the game.
Perhaps, even if they continue to be adventurers, they will probably do reasonably well, but they will only be good enough. I am sure there will come a time when they will face an unexpectedly strong enemy and be severely beaten.
Experiencing failure will be necessary at some point, but there's no need to gain it in such a dangerous profession as an adventurer. For the time being, I wanted them to gradually and steadily improve their abilities by training themselves.
I knew that if it became known that I had become an adventurer, this situation would happen. Therefore, I had only told a few of my subordinates, but it seems that someone had inadvertently leaked the information.
In this case, it was difficult to persuade him to change his mind. Perhaps it's the result of their aristocratic upbringing, but in reality, they are only children between the ages of six and seven years old. Curiosity sometimes gets the better of them.
Well, a normal child wouldn't say, "I want to be an adventurer," but the two of them aren't in the usual system because they have military prowess that's not appropriate for their age.
Thinking so, I then told something to them with a sense of resignation
"Being an adventurer is a dangerous job."
"And Onii-sama's taking that 'dangerous job' isn't it? That's if we cooperate, we could reduce Onii-sama's workload!"
"I'm way stronger than both of you, so don't worry, I'll be fine. I want you two to train more because I don't think you guys are ready for a real battle yet."
"There are no absolutes in battle, and we're worried about Zechs-nii! It's true that it's too early for us, but isn't it also important to be exposed to that kind of atmosphere?"
When I raised my concerns, Caron and Orca offered one counterargument after another. It was troublesome because they were not just being selfish, but strangely persuasive.
If I keep repeating our words, I will eventually be able to stop them, but there's no doubt that they will remain dissatisfied with it.
So it would be wise to compromise here because they might move on their own due to them believing that they are weak. Right now, I'm Rank E, so there shouldn't be any requests with such a high risk.
"Zechs-sama, I think it would be better to withdraw here."
"...You're right."
Shion, who had been watching from the sidelines, seemed to have reached the same conclusion and advised me to do the same.
If that's what she thinks, then there seems to be any other option. I suppose I should just give up.
I sighed heavily and told the two people who are waiting for me with expectant eyes.
"All right, you can come with me. But, only when I allowed you. If I say no, don't come with me, understand?"
"Thank you very much, Onii-sama!"
"I understand!"
I should at least add a condition because I'm not confident that I could protect both of them if I took on a difficult commission.
"We did it, Orca!"
"Good job, Caron-chan!"
Caron and Orca, on the other hand, were overjoyed when they heard my words. The two of them even exchanged high fives, and there was a sense of ease as if they were real siblings.
…They've really become good friends. I'm happy about that in itself, but the timing of it all is so complicated that I can't honestly be glad about it right now.
Thus, my first solo commission was canceled, and the two of them joined me.