It's been a few hours, and we've finally reached Random Town. It's a little past midnight. Should I report it to the guild, or should I just go back to bed?
I guess I will head to the guild and complete the quest first. Then I can sleep as much as I want later. And I should also think about the Main Quest. I'll meet Mr. Owen tomorrow and discuss more about my plans with him.
After making that decision, I returned to the guild. It wasn't as busy as the morning, but there were still a few people here, looking at quests and enjoying meals and drinks together.
Then I noticed Ember at one of the reception desks, and I approached her to start a conversation. "Hello Ember, how are you today?" I greeted her.
She seemed a bit surprised to see me, yet there was a hint of happiness in her expression. She replied, "Oh, Mr. Doyama, it's kind of late now. Are you still working on quests during the night? Are you already dealing with quests related to nocturnal monsters or luminescent plants? I expect nothing less from Mr. Doyama," she asked with curiosity, accompanied by a smile.
"Well, I have no idea what those are, but the quest I received in the morning took a little longer to complete than I thought. That's why I'm here to turn in my quest and collect my reward," I explained.
"I see. There's nothing to worry about; new adventurers always take a little longer to complete their quests. By the way, what was the quest that you were working on?" she asked with curiosity.
"Well, I got the quest to hunt small monkeys. And, by the way, I once again hunted a little more than what's mentioned in the quest," I admitted.
"Mr-Mr. Doyama if it's like last time then by 'little extra' means that you managed to hunt-, no there's no way for you to hunt five hundred small monkeys in a single day right? Hahaha," she said that to me and smiled awkwardly.
I am about to destroy this woman's whole career. Thinking that I spoke to her, "Nope, you guessed wrong. I didn't just hunt five hundred small monkeys, but I also managed to hunt the Ruler of the Verdant Grove, Monkey Kong."
I laid out all the drops I acquired from my hunt in front of me—instead of a small green mountain, this time there was a brown heap containing small monkey paws, and another grey pile holding Energy stones. But that's not all. I also presented Monkey Kong's Paw and Tail, along with the large Energy stone I obtained from the Monkey Kong.
As Ember gazed at the collection, she unexpectedly burst into laughter. "Ha ha ha ha ha, I am wet." Wait, did I hear that correctly?
"Em-Ember, what did you just say?" I asked her, seeking confirmation.
"I mean, look at me sweat because things just got all hot and steamy," She once again gave me a gaze that reminded me of a predator eyeing its prey, ready to pounce at any given moment. And yet, it was neither hot nor steamy; it was the middle of the night, and to be honest, a bit chilly.
"I-I see," I managed to say, my voice carrying a stutter, and I took a step back out of fear.
"To think you actually managed to kill five hundred small monkeys in a single day, and not only that, you single-handedly defeated the Ruler of the Verdant Grove, Monkey Kong, on the same day without even resting before," she continued, her eyes still wild and intense.
"The Ruler of the Verdant Grove, Monkey Kong, is a very formidable monster. Even a party of Iron-rank adventurers struggles against it, and it requires a small army to suppress a similar creature. Yet, you defeated it with ease. Fu fu fu… as expected of Mr. He- I mean Mr. Do-ya-ma," why is she saying my name like this?
I should have just gone back to the Inn and turned in my quest tomorrow. I'm scared, someone please come save me. While I was pondering my errors and devising a plan to escape her, she started speaking again.
"Fu fu fu… well, Mr. Do-ya-ma, why don't you wait here while I go back and calculate your reward," she said, then walked to a room in the back. This is my chance; I should run now.
Just as I decided to escape, she suddenly reappeared and began to speak, "Mr. Doyama, the Guild Master would like to have a word with you." Why would the Guild Master want to meet me? What's more shocking is that her behavior and the way she speaks are back to normal again.
Should I meet with the Guild Master now? What if he asks me how I managed to do something like this? In the worst case, they will think that I either stole these from others or just bought them from somewhere to make my record as an adventurer look more impressive.
While I was thinking about this, Ember noticed my confused expression and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Doyama, you can trust the Guild Master."
Hmm… If Ember vouches for him, then I guess it's probably okay for me to meet the Guild Master. Deciding that, I told her, "All right, I trust you. So, let's go meet this Guild Master."
After that, Ember guided me to a room on the first floor. Suddenly, she stopped in front of a door and began to talk, "Mr. Doyama, please be careful when you talk with the Guild Master. She's a reliable person, but how should I put this... well, she's a little crazy. So please be careful," she told me, her eyes filled with concern.
Was she saying the Guild Master is crazy? If Ember, who has a bit of eccentricity herself, is saying this, I should definitely be on guard and brace myself for whatever is coming.
Following that, Ember knocked on the door and announced, "Guild Master, I have brought Mr. Doyama. We are entering the room now."
After that, Ember and I entered the room. As I laid my eyes on the Guild Master, I was expecting to see a middle-aged man with a touch of white hair and a robust build, but the reality was different from my imagination.
Before me stood a stunning woman in her mid-twenties. She possessed fiery red hair, an elegant hourglass figure, and porcelain-white skin so smooth and firm that anyone would be envious. Her eyes, like her hair, held a fiery orange hue. When I gazed into her eyes, they reminded me of a fierce flame, a fire that could reduce any obstacle in its path to a charred crisp.
Clad in a red and gold robe commonly seen on mages, she exuded an air of authority, and most of all she had massive bo-
Ahem… what I meant to say was she's blessed in the chest. Wait a minute, she bears a strong resemblance to both Ember and her mother, Flare.
As I gazed at her with a perplexed expression, she noticed me and Flare entering the room. She began to speak, "Ara ara… you must be the new adventurer, Mr. Doyama. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cinderella Firebrand, the Guild Master of Random Town," she introduced herself with a seductive tone.
Cinderella? Really? Upon hearing the name Cinderella, I envisioned a beautiful blonde girl in a blue dress with glass slippers. However, this Cinderella is entirely different.
"Wait, by Firebrand, do you mean?" I asked her curiously.
"Fu fu fu… yes, it's as you've guessed. I am the First Daughter of Owen Firebrand and Flareena Firebrand, and the elder sister of Emberlyn Firebrand," she told me.
To think the elder sister of Ember is the Guild Master instead of a middle-aged man. I've been outsmarted by her. Wait, don't tell me most people just call her Cinder, just like what happened with Ember and Flare.
"Your next line will be 'You can call me Cinder'," I told her.
"You can call me Cin- Wait, how do you know what I was about to say?" she asked, looking both shocked and surprised.
"You may have outsmarted me, but I outsmarted your outsmarting," In that moment, I extended my finger with a determined focus. The world seemed to narrow down to that one point as my finger aimed forward, sharp and unyielding. The tension around me was palpable, the air practically buzzing with energy.
My face remained stern, eyes locked onto my chosen target. With that simple gesture, I sent a message, a silent directive that cut through the chaos. It was as if my very will was carried by that pointing finger, a force to be reckoned with.
Amidst all the noise and confusion, that finger stood as a symbol of my control, a fixed point in the maelstrom, signifying that I was the one calling the shots.
And once again I told her, "This is my secret DoDo pose."
She looked at me with a strange expression in her eyes. Then, it soon transformed into a seductive smile. She glanced at Ember and remarked, "When you said that the Hero was a peculiar person, I had my doubts. But looking at him, I can confirm what you said was true."
"Wait, did you just call me Hero?" I asked, feeling a sense of betrayal, and I turned to look at Ember.
Ember averted her eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Doyama, but Onee-san was just too powerful."
While I was conversing with Ember, Cinder suddenly charged at me and grabbed my...