Chapter 6: The Lord of Silrun.
I was called to the guild office to express formal gratitude after the Oslo problem had been resolved. Grace and I were ushered into a back room and offered tea.
"I'm truly sorry. I thought Oslo would prioritize self-preservation and be relatively easy to read, but I had no idea that his subordinates were so clueless."
Berine bowed her head and poured tea herself. Although she was a receptionist for the guild, she seemed to have come to this city as a helper from a different branch.
The idea of a helper is probably related to the relationship between the lord and the guild, as well as the involvement of that security team leader.
"Well, it's fine. It seems like you were doing a lot to prevent Oslo from doing anything reckless."
Forestbird and the others were supposed to be shopping in town, busy with resupplying late supplies and maintaining weapons.
"However, I would like to have a thinner connection with my family. I would appreciate it if you could avoid mentioning them too much."
"No, did you feel uncomfortable just now?"
"No, it's not like you knew and did it on purpose."
As long as she understood and didn't mind, there should be no problem. Berine smiled and said so.
"As a reward for the inconvenience we caused you this time, we will add to the reward money. If you need anything else, we will do our best to accommodate you within our range."
Perhaps because the assumption was that the other party was a child even though they were from a noble family, Berine's response was very polite and courteous. Or rather, it was flawless. Even if she knew that I was a bastard and Grace was a dampir, she probably wouldn't have a problem.
What about Grace? Since we have the chance, let's ask her about her self-defense means.
"Do you know of any skilled alchemists? It's okay if they're not in this town, even in Termwills."
"An alchemist, is it? I'm not sure, but if we communicate with the guild over there, we can introduce you. Let me write a letter of introduction for you."
"Thank you."
If she came here as a helper to solve the problems of Oslo and the local lord, it must be because she is competent, I thought to myself.
Then, a knocking sound echoed in the room.
"Excuse me, Berine-san. I'm sorry to interrupt your customer service. May I have a moment?"
"What is it?"
"Well, actually..."
A guild staff member whispered something to Berine. She closed her eyes briefly, then turned to me and said,
"...Theodore-san, Lord Ashley-Schuln, the local lord, would like to meet with you."
Seeing me frown unconsciously, Berine smiled wryly.
"The local lord here is a bit special. She's been that way since her father's time, so she may not be fond of adventurers... I just explained it that way to make it easier to understand the situation."
"But she used to heavily rely on Oslo, didn't she? To be honest, I'm not too keen on meeting her."
"I don't want to give you any more preconceptions, so I'll leave it at that. However, I think you'll understand once you see her in person."
"Hmm..."
As a local lord and someone who came all the way to meet me, I can't just refuse to meet him. Depending on how she approaches the situation, it may be resolved smoothly. Besides, being able to talk to her at the guild gives us an advantage.
"If it's okay with you, could I accompany you? If I can speak directly with Lord Ashley using Theodore-san as an excuse, it would be a dream come true for me. I've been turned away at the gate when I tried to visit her before."
"As long as it's not a hassle for us."
"Of course not. It's my job, after all. If Theodore-san wishes to establish a connection with Lord Ashley, I would be grateful. The Adventurers Guild is always seeking connections with talented people."
Although she spoke bluntly, revealing her cards like that was probably the most sincere thing Berine could say.
Okay, I understand. Well, I guess I do.
Ashley was about the same age as me. She was a Baroness, but a fair-skinned and slender girl with thin lines. She had a sickly paleness that hadn't been exposed to much sunlight. Perhaps her body was weak. She must be struggling to inherit her parents' position at a young age.
However, that's not a valid reason to justify the director's negligence... As for me, unlike Ashley, who has no responsibility for anything, I have no connection to this town.
Therefore, I don't think I have any position to complain about the lord, no matter what kind of person she is. If she's not hostile to us, I thought we should just stay indifferent and not interfere. However, since she came to us, we can't just do that. Now then, what kind of business did she come for? I'll decide how to respond after listening to her.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Ashley Rhodia Sillun."
"Nice to meet you too. My name is Theodore Gartner."
As she introduced herself first, I returned the favor. Ashley bowed her head graciously.
"I apologize for causing trouble to your household. I apologize for that. And I would like to express my gratitude for repelling the Killer Ants."
This attitude... is it because she's naturally timid, or does she know that I have a connection to the Gartner Earldom? It's hard to tell which one it is.
Berine probably wants to talk to Ashley to rebuild the relationship with the lord.
Moreover, for Berine, the current situation where the security team's credibility is lost and the person in charge is absent is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The aftermath of the ant infestation and its aftermath. The know-how for that is at the adventurer's guild. And creating jobs for adventurers is the job of Berine and Ashley.
In that sense, it would be pointless for me to take care of the ant aftermath this time. If no one else can do it except me. And if there's a reason that I can accept, then it's okay. But it's probably not the case this time.
It was all part of the ecosystem, including the monsters that emerged and the humans who eliminated them, as well as the supply and demand that made up society.
Although this is a story from inside BFO, there was a quest where they were struggling with an increase in goblins because they had eliminated too many gray wolves. At that time, we could laugh it off, but now we can't. Killer ants are monsters that can be found almost anywhere, so I chose Termwills, which has an inexhaustible supply.
"I apologize."
Considering my family circumstances, I'm not particularly eager to make connections with the nobility, and I'm not going to make any specific demands. Although it might be heavier to forgive without saying anything, this time it's not about that. I've received a lot from Berine.
Instead, I think I'll provide some light support to Berine as a way of reducing our overall debts.
"However, I was just there by chance. For being a bastard of the Gardner family, it might be better to focus on repairing the relationship with the guild than to try to establish one with me."
"When you say repair, what do you mean?"
Ashley tilted her head. It was an answer that could be anticipated to some extent.
"I heard that Miss Berine had visited a few times."
"I don't know anything about that. No such talk has ever reached me."
When I glanced at Grace, who was quietly standing by, she nodded with her eyes.
In other words, it was the same as my story not reaching my father.
It's not about what Ashley does as a lord, but about the people around her.
"Is what Oslo did this time the same thing?"
"I don't know about the situation in this town, so I can't say. Excuse me, but how are you related to Oslo?"
"He is my retainer. Since my father's time..."
Ashley said it with a bitter expression.
Well, that's trustworthy. It might also be connected to why Oslo was able to relax.
"What do you think of adventurers?"
"Um..."
Ashley looked at Berine.
"Please don't worry about me and speak freely. I can imagine what you're thinking, and in a way, I think it's correct. It's also the guild's responsibility for management," she said.
"Y-Yes. Well, my father, grandfather, and also a man called Kennel, and Oslo too, they all said the same thing about being a thief or a struggling person."
Indeed, there were people like that and there were also those who looked down on adventurers. Perhaps they had drawn the short straw in life. If her father was like that, then Kennel probably shared the same values. That's why she was left to Oslo... If he had been honest, things might have gone smoothly, but unfortunately, they didn't.
However, from what had happened so far, it seemed that there were some bright spots. First of all, Kennel seemed surprisingly decent. At least he wasn't on the same page as Oslo. If they were of the same page and conspiring together, Oslo wouldn't have had to fear being exposed in the first place. Moreover, Ashley seemed to have received a relatively solid education. Based on her previous answers, she seemed to be intelligent and reasonable. It was highly likely that she was being educated and trained.
Did Kennel concentrate on practical work so much that he couldn't monitor Oslo?
"Can I speak with this Kennel person?" asked Berine.
It seemed that Berine had set Kennel as her second target. If Ashley was the main fort, then Kennel was the city wall. Although he seemed stubborn, conservative, and overprotective, he might have to reconsider his thoughts after witnessing Oslo's failure.
"Kennel is currently absent. He's on business in the neighboring town," replied the person. That was probably why Ashley had rushed out.
"I understand. Then, Ashley-sama, if I may, despite my lack of qualifications, I would like to explain the significance of the guild to you. Would that be all right?"
"Please go ahead," Ashley replied politely.
It was a presentation. At Berine's words, Ashley nodded solemnly.
"Well, let's not be easily swayed. It's good to keep a moderate distance and cooperate with each other with the right attitude."
"I see. You're quite something, Theodore-san," replied Ashley with a wry smile, observing the exchange between Berine and me.
Berine turned to face Ashley and nodded before speaking.
"However, Theodore-san is right. It's important to see and think for ourselves before making a judgment. There are things that we can't understand just from hearsay. I can't even say that I'm immune to corruption. It's meaningless if we end up with a corrupt official taking over," said Berine.
"Indeed, you're right," I agreed.
When confronted with opposing values, it's hard not to think about them.
"Well then, can I ask for a bit of your time? I'll have someone gather the necessary documents. Theodore-san, I'll prepare the reward and the letter of recommendation for you right away," said Berine with a smile as she left the room, seeming pleased with how the conversation had gone.