Chapter 66: The Western City of Physteria
Speaking of harpies, they are monstrous birds with the ugly faces and bodies of women that appear in various myths. I've seen pictures depicting them as old hags, and the vivid memory of struggling with the disparity from the fantasy works' depiction is still fresh.
While I don't know what harpies in this world look like, I sincerely hope they lean towards the fantasy side.
"... This is the request for this time. The client is the Physteria Adventurer's Guild. It seems to be a case that their forces alone can't handle over there. It's an estimated Class A request, but I'm sure Kakeru-sama and the others will have no problem. You can rest assured since we have the Guild Master's permission."
Claudia explains the request with a sparkling receptionist smile. The way she slyly winks at me through her glasses is irresistibly adorable.
Currently, our party, the Black Reapers, holds a Class B rank. Chloe and I, as the leader and sub-leader, have a Class B rank, which determines our rank. According to the rules, if the Guild approves, we can take requests up to one rank higher, which is Class A.
"Kakeru-kun, do your best!! It's a pity I can't go with you this time."
"I'll ask for a harpy egg as a souvenir. Those are incredibly delicious."
Catarina-san and Cecilia-san came to see us off.
This time, we'll be going separately from the Usaneko group. The reward isn't that high, you see.
By the way, I've seen harpy eggs being sold for one gold coin each. They're practically eggs made of gold, priced at 100,000 yen each.
"Esteemed Lord Brother, Physteria City is situated at the western edge of Count Primera's territory. It has interactions with the neighboring Baron of Barbaros Frontier, so it's fairly prosperous. Its size is about half that of Primera."
Chloe, the only member who has been to Physteria, enlightens us about the city.
Even though they're both in the same territory, Count Primera's lands stretch from east to west, and it takes three days by carriage to reach Physteria. But with our griffin, Fluegel, we'll probably get there today.
The expedition members are me, Chloe, Sylphie, Sarah, Eva, and Sonia.
Honestly, I think this might be excessive firepower, but there's no advantage to leaving people behind, and since the Guild has asked for help, we can't afford to be careless.
"Now that our preparations are done, shall we depart?"
As everyone boards, and Fluegel stretches its wings wide, Primera rapidly shrinks into the distance.
***
"Hey, Alisa! What's this about asking for help from Primera regarding the harpy incident?"
"I don't know the details either. It's the Guild Master's decision."
The adventurer Guile has been yelling for a while now. He's a promising young rookie who recently reached Class B. As there are currently no Class A adventurers in Physteria, he can be considered an effective ace both now and in the future.
He's blessed with physique and talent, and he's liked by other young adventurers, so he's not a bad person. But because he ranked up so quickly, he's a bit overconfident.
"I can't accept this! Bring me before the Guild Master, Alisa!"
"...Fine. I'll ask and get back to you. Please wait a moment."
Alisa leaves her seat with an exasperated expression. As she walks away, she's called out to by Guile.
"Alright, alright, don't get so worked up, Gail. Everyone knows your strength, but your party doesn't have long-range attacks, right? How are you going to defeat the Harpies?"
"Well, yeah, that's true, but still! Aren't you frustrated, Cruz-san? Aren't you supposed to be the best adventurer in this town?"
"It's not that I'm not frustrated, but everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Recognizing that is important for adventurers. Besides, if this matter isn't resolved soon, it'll start affecting not just other adventurers but also the lives of the townspeople. Some food items have already seen quite a price hike."
"Cheh, if that's the case, then we should take care of—"
"Gail-san, the Guildmaster wishes to see you. Cruz-san, please come along as well."
"Me too? Alright. Let's go, Gail."
***
"Guildmaster, I've brought Gail-san and Cruz-san."
"Oh, well done, Alisa. You may step back."
Alisa bowed and returned to her reception desk.
"Cruz, Gail, we've received a message from Primera via a magic crystal. It seems one of the strongest parties from Primera will be coming to our town."
"When you say one of the strongest from Primera, are you referring to one of those infamous Black Cat members?"
"No, it seems to be a party called the Black Reapers, a relatively new one. I don't know the details, but apparently, the Silver Devil is their vice-leader."
"Wow... A party with the Silver Devil? That sounds pretty intense. She was quite intimidating, wasn't she, Gail?"
"Uh, y-yeah..."
(Is this for real... Chloe is coming? I can't miss this opportunity!!)
With her shining silver hair and gem-like blue eyes, he had fallen for her at first sight, captivated by those cold eyes that seemed capable of killing with a mere glance. Becoming stronger and heading to Primera to meet Chloe had been Gail's secret goal.
"Guildmaster! If they're coming from Primera, it should take them at least three more days, right? Then let me handle that request!"
"No, Gail. Apparently, they're arriving in our town today."
"What? How the heck did they manage to get here so fast?"
"I don't know. Anyway, I want you two to act as their guides. Of course, there will be a reward."
"Understood. I don't mind as long as there's a reward. Plus, I'm curious about that 'Death Reaper.'"
"...Fine, I get it. But I'm going to do things my way!"
"Good, I'm grateful that both of you are taking this on. Just be sure not to cause any trouble."
The room echoed with hurried footsteps.
As the three turned around, the door swung open forcefully, and Alisa, with a pale face, rushed in.
"Trouble! Guildmaster, a massive Griffin is approaching the town. The residents have already started evacuating, but with our city's knights... "
"What?! Why would a Griffin appear here? Damn it, it's definitely not an opponent the knights can handle. Alright, I'm going out too. Cruz, Gail, are you up for it?"
"Seriously... I've never seen a Griffin before. I think it's a high-level Rank A monster. I might even die."
"Whether it's Rank A or whatever, anyone who stands in my way will be taken down! Gail, it's great to be courageous, but if you go straight in, you'll die, you know? We'll have to surround it and chip away at it."
***
"Anyone capable of long-range attacks, gather here, bows are fine too."
The guild became a hubbub of activity, but as seasoned adventurers, they quickly formed a suicide squad and devised a plan.
Their chances of winning were slim, but adventurers couldn't just sit back and wait for death. If they didn't fight, who would protect the city?
"Listen up, everyone. Luckily, today, the strongest party from Primera is due to arrive in our city. We absolutely have to buy time until then!"
At the Guildmaster's words, the adventurers' expressions brightened slightly. Defeating it might be impossible, but buying time might just be achievable.
"Um... that party coming from Primera, what's their name?"
"It was something like the Black Reapers. What's the matter?"
"Sorry... that's us. And incidentally, we're the ones who rode in on the Griffin. So, yeah, sorry about that."
"......."
The entire guild seemed to be excited, so it felt really awkward to jump into the conversation... and the city was in chaos too. What should I do... I'm starting to want to go home.