NOVEL ONLINE FREE Volume 1 Chapter 8 - Premonition of Trouble with a Delicious Smell
“Good work today. Please come again, Senpai.”
“Alright, see you later.”
The strange blonde woman cheerfully waved her hand, carefully held the bag containing 2.75 million yen, and quickly went home.
“Don’t answer so normally…”
I watched the strange blonde woman leave and unintentionally muttered to myself.
I’ve thought she was a stupid senior since my college days, but I never thought she was this stupid.
There’s no way two rookies with a swordsmanship level of 5 exist.
Don’t carelessly show your smartphone!
It’s the same model as Senpai’s smartphone.
There’s too much to point out…
Well, whatever.
That’s probably Senpai, but there’s no confirmation.
Honestly, I’m repelled by the cross-dressing, but there might be a reason.
Maybe it’s all a coincidence, and it’s a different person.
I’m going to force myself to accept it.
Because there’s something more important than that.
Of course, it’s the healing potions that were sold.
Indeed, there have been cases where healing potions dropped from slimes.
But, as far as I can confirm, there’s only one case.
Potions are valuable items that rarely drop, not just from slimes.
They are in high demand from adventurers and the public, making them expensive.
There’s no precedent for someone delivering five potions at once as far as I know.
What should I do about this?
Stolen goods?
If that person earlier was Senpai, there’s a high chance.
After all, she was even disguising herself by cross-dressing.
She must have had a guilty reason.
Hmm, what should I do about this?
I’m troubled, but I have to report it.
I can’t cover up five healing potions.
Feeling heavy-hearted, I stand up and walk to the room at the back.
When I arrive in front of the room, I knock on the door.
“Guild Master, it’s Asakura. Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Hm? Sure.”
I got permission to enter, so I enter the room.
The room is about 10 tatami mats in size, with two sofas for visitors at the front, and a desk for work at the back.
A woman with wavy black hair who is the master of this room is sitting at the desk.
This person is the troublesome guild master who has become self-deprecating since turning 30 last month.
The guild master seems to be doing a rare job and is writing something.
“Are you busy?”
The guild master is usually a person who lies on the sofa and fiddles with her smartphone.
“Just a bit… So? What happened?”
The guild master stops her hand and raises her face.
I close the door, walk to the front of the desk, and say,
“Actually, a while ago, a level 1 person delivered five healing potions.”
When I say that, the guild master silently holds her head.
“Guild Master?”
I’m worried about the guild master’s reaction.
Surely it’s surprising, but having five valuable healing potions delivered at once should be a happy thing.
At least, it’s not something that makes you hold your head.
“Don’t tell me, that person wasn’t a woman, right?”
The guild master asks with a serious look.
“She was a woman.”
“Long blonde hair, right? Wearing a black robe and carrying a white bag.”
S… Senpai?
What did you do!?
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Oh! Of all the places, she came to us!”
The guild master sinks her face into the desk and messes up her hair.
“Did something happen?”
Could it be that some healing potions have been lost somewhere?
Senpai? You didn’t steal them, did you?
“We received a report. A suspicious woman came to sell five healing potions. When they checked the authentication number, she ran away.”
S… Senpai!!
Are you an idiot!?
Ah, no, wait… I didn’t tell her about the authentication number…
I told Senpai to deliver it to me, so I thought there was no need to tell her.
Ah… so that’s why she was asking about the authentication number earlier.
Well, it’s not decided that she’s Senpai though.
“I believe it’s the same person.”
“There’s no doubt.”
“That person?”
“Apparently, it’s Eleanor Oshan.”
“Huh? A foreigner?”
“Could be, but I can’t be sure…”
“Hmm…”
The guildmaster crosses his arms and starts to ponder.
“Um, she didn’t seem like a bad person, you know?”
Defend her!
“Hmm… but, it’s a name I’ve never heard before.”
Ah, we’re in trouble…
“Is it?”
“Which guild does she belong to?”
Belonging means where an adventurer is licensed, that is, where they deposit their status card. Adventurers can basically only operate where they deposit their status card. Transfers are possible in case of moving.
“…here.”
“Huh? Here?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t heard of that name before, though?”
Of course not.
Because the name isn’t Japanese.
There is no one with that name in this branch.
“She, um, just joined our guild.”
“…hey, don’t tell me, she’s a rookie?”
This is bad.
I can’t deceive them.
“…yes. She just applied, went to the frontier, and came back with a potion in an hour. She said she got five healing potions from ten slimes.”
“…is she an idiot?”
Yes!
I think so!
“She did have an intellectual vibe to her? Kind of mysterious?”
She was beautiful too.
But how did the senior manage to pull off such a high-quality female disguise…
No, it might not even be the senior yet!
“If that’s the case, she must be naive…? Hey, what’s her level?”
Ah…
“Level 1.”
“Even if you defeat ten slimes, you should be at least level 2. That’s confirmed.”
“You’re right.”
Yes, I knew that.
“…hey? You’re going out of your way to defend her, aren’t you?”
Ah, this is bad.
“No, I don’t know where she got them, but she’s a customer who delivered five healing potions.”
“Well, yeah. Actually, we suspected they were stolen and we’re investigating it at the headquarters, but there doesn’t seem to be any such incident. They’re valuable healing potions, five of them. If they were stolen, we would know right away.”
Phew… they’re not stolen.
But the matter has reached the headquarters…
“What should we do?”
“Let’s wait and see. There’s no evidence, and it’s not even decided that it’s a crime.”
“Should I report to the higher-ups?”
“…let’s wait a little longer.”
I need to find the person who seems to be the senior as soon as possible…
That person gets carried away easily.
It wouldn’t be a joke if they say they’re going to deliver a hundred next time.
“Understood. I’ll try to probe her if she comes again.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Then, excuse me.”
I leave the room and head straight to the bathroom without going back to the reception desk.
Once I enter the stall, I sit down and bury my head in my hands.
That woman named Eleanor is most likely my senior, there’s a 99 percent chance.
But even if I confront him about this, he will just play dumb.
Should I invite him for a drink and get him drunk?
That person has a bad habit of blabbering about things no one asked about when they’re drunk.
Ah, that’s not good.
That person will just lose memory and play dumb afterwards.
I guess I have to trick him into confessing or something and gather evidence.
Then I can ask about his modus operandi and… make him restrain himself.
I decide to ask my senior when he’s coming to the guild and turn on my smartphone.
Then, a message arrives.
“Kaede-chan, I just got a lot of money, let’s go out for a meal! It’s on me!”
Idiot!
Really, such an idiot!
Does this guy have any intention of hiding it?
No, with this kind of mood, he’s definitely drinking…
He’s excited about the money and is drinking.
Drinking in the middle of a weekday, what a privileged life.
It’s nice…
Should I go back to being an adventurer?
I operate my smartphone and decide to reply.
“Let’s go. But come to the guild first. You never come, do you? After your adventure, let’s go drinking together.”
That should do it.
I put away my smartphone, leave the stall, and wash my hands.
…So the senior has 2.75 million yen.
That idiot, he easily surpassed my savings.
Alright! I’ll take it!
And make him support me as a full-time housewife!