(Attendances… plz…)
….
The walk from the inn to the guild hall was filled with a bright, bubbling energy that seemed to radiate directly from Kaval, Gido, and Ellen.
Kaval walked with his chest puffed out, a confident swagger in his step, already imagining the moment the guild master would slap him on the back and hand him a shiny new A-rank party plate.
"Just watch," he said to the others, trying his best to sound casual and not at all like he was about to burst with excitement.
"The old man probably saw our hard work and realized he couldn't keep talent like us stuck at B-rank any longer. It's about time we got some proper recognition."
"I'm going to buy a new staff!" Ellen declared, practically skipping beside him. "A really nice one! Made of cherry wood, with a real mana-focusing crystal at the top! No more of this cheap, hand-me-down piece of firewood!" She swung her current, battered staff through the air for emphasis. "Maybe some new robes, too. Something in blue, I think."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves and spend the money before we even have it," Gido mumbled, but even he couldn't hide the hopeful smile playing on his lips. "But yeah… a new, reinforced shield would be nice. This one has more dents than metal."
If his memories of the Tensura story were correct, then Rimuru had already absorbed Veldora about three weeks ago. Right now, the little slime was likely still in the cave, just farming materials and analyzing everything he could fit in his stomach.
So, yes. He was sorry to burst the trio's happy bubble, but they weren't getting a promotion. They were probably being sent straight into the story's starting line. He followed them as they walked, a quiet observer to their cheerful planning.
As they made their way through the bustling streets toward the guild, Ellen fell into step beside him.
"So, Reinhard," she said, a wide, hopeful grin on her face. "What are you going to buy when we become an A-rank party and start rolling in money?"
Reinhard considered it for a moment. "To be honest, I don't really need anything… actually, no. I do happen to be in need of a sword. I can't really keep fighting with my bare hands."
"Yeah, I was thinking about that," Ellen said. "Why don't you use that amazing sword you're always carrying?"
"I had the same question," Kaval added from up ahead. "But I didn't want to ask, figured it was personal or something."
"It's not that I don't want to use it," Reinhard explained calmly. "It's that I can't. This sword is passed down to the Sword Saint of every generation. It's the strongest weapon in my world. But it has a very big flaw: it can't be drawn against just anyone. It will only allow itself to be drawn against an opponent it deems worthy."
"Strongest?!" Kaval repeated, his eyes wide.
"Even swords have standards in your world, huh?" Gido joked.
"Woah, so is it, like, alive?" Ellen asked, fascinated.
"Hmm, yes," Reinhard said. "You can think of it like that."
"Well then, you really do need a good sword to fight monsters," Ellen said decisively. "How about we go to Dwargon?"
"Hmm, she's right," Kaval said, stroking his chin. "If you need a strong sword you can actually use, the Dwarven Kingdom is the only place to get one. Their craftsmanship is famous all over the world."
"So what do you think?" Ellen asked Reinhard. "I could get some new magic equipment there, too!"
"I see no reason not to go," Reinhard agreed.
"Yeah, and I could get a decent shield from there," Gido added excitedly.
"This is just the starting, guys!" Kaval declared, his voice booming with confidence. "We'll have all the magical equipment we could ever want, soon! Hahaha! Okay, let's get to the guild faster so we can get our promotion!"
….
Their high spirits carried them all the way to the guild master's office. Kaval, feeling every bit the confident leader, raised his fist and knocked firmly on the heavy wooden door.
After a moment, the door creaked open. The Guild Master, Fuze, a man with graying hair and a perpetually tired expression, blinked at them.
"What?" he grumbled. "I said this evening. It's barely past lunch. Why are you all here already?"
The trio's confidence deflated instantly. "Ah… well, Guild Master Fuze," Kaval stammered. "We were just… very eager to hear what you had to say!"
Fuze let out a long, weary sigh and waved them in. "Fine, fine. Come in and shut the door. Might as well get this over with."
They shuffled into the small, cluttered office. Piles of papers threatened to avalanche off his desk, and the air smelled of old parchment and ink. Fuze slumped into his chair and gestured for them to sit.
"Alright," he said, steepling his fingers. "I have something important to discuss."
Instantly, the trio's hope reignited. They all leaned forward, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. Reinhard just sat beside them, a faint, knowing smile on his face.
The bubble is about to pop.
"You've all heard the rumors, I take it?" Fuze asked.
"You mean about Veldora the Storm Dragon?" Kaval said with a nervous laugh. "Yeah, of course we've heard. Just talks and talks, right?"
Fuze's tired expression didn't change. "It's not a rumor. We have confirmation. Veldora's presence has completely vanished. As of three weeks ago."
The trio went silent, a dawning sense of dread creeping into their expressions. No, no, no, don't continue, you old geezer,they were all thinking. Just stop.
"The disappearance of a Catastrophe-class being creates a power vacuum," Fuze continued, his voice grave. "The monsters in the forest are getting restless. Your party's performance over the last three weeks has been… exceptional. You're the most capable and efficient team I have right now."
'Don't you dare butter us up, you old fart,' Ellen thought.
'I swear, if you say what I think you're going to say, I'll plunge my sword in your heart,' Kaval thought desperately.
Fuze reached under his desk and pulled out a formal, high-priority quest scroll. He placed it on the desk between them with a heavy, final-sounding thud.
The trio stared at the scroll as if it were a venomous snake.
"That is why I've decided," Fuze said, his voice leaving no room for argument, "that you four will go to the Great Jura Forest, locate Veldora's cave, and investigate his disappearance."
For a solid ten seconds, nobody spoke. Then, Kaval found his voice.
"Us?!" he squeaked. "Guild Master, with all due respect, we're a B-rank party! Veldora's Cave is an S-rank danger zone! We were here for a promotion, not this suicide mission!"
"Sir," Gido said, his voice shaking. "Sending us in there is… we're good, but we're not that good."
Ellen just looked devastated. "My new staff…" she whispered mournfully. "My pretty blue robes…"
Reinhard watched them, thinking it was like watching kids who had done all their chores expecting candy, only to be given even more chores.
The guild master wasn't just not giving them candy; he was taking the candy that was already in their mouths.
"A promotion?" Fuze asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah!" Ellen said. "We completed all those contracts in record time!"
"Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" Fuze said flatly. "And I think I made a mistake…"
"Yeah, you did!" Kaval said, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "It's a mistake to send us there! There are way better parties…"
"No," Fuze cut him off. "The mistake was in how I said it. You maybe are thinking it is a request… so, let me be clear. It's an order. You will go. Take a few days to rest and prepare, then depart. Now get out of my office. I have work to do."
….
A/N: I know there wasn't many scenes of reinhard but i will make it up when the plot begins.
So, if you guys have any suggestion for the atory or something you want to see you can comment here. If it is good, i will add it.
Hoped you liked the chapter and all.
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