Chapter 66: Good News and a Presence
“…Therefore, the shared conclusion between myself and Head Priest Clark is that the illness should be completely cured within two or three days at most. End.”
As they heard Greg’s transmission, voices of joy rang out through one of the rooms in the Adventurers’ Guild of Tron.
There stood Jin, unable to restrain himself from letting out a cry of relief, fully aware that Greg could not hear it, sharing that surge of emotion with Aria and the others.
The day after arriving in the city of Tron, Jin and his companions had visited the local Adventurers’ Guild as planned and were now in communication with Greg.
“This is Jin. I’m truly relieved to hear that. End.”
Jin’s reply was brief, but his voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were moist. He didn’t actually shed tears, but if no one else had been there, he likely would have broken down completely.
Rachel, who could no longer hold back, sank down where she stood and began shedding tears one after another. Aria moved to support her, pressing a handkerchief to her own eyes, while Erza wiped away the tears that had spilled with her fingers.
What they all shared, however, was the fact that they were smiling even as they cried. These were not tears of sorrow, but tears of joy and relief intertwined.
“This is Greg. I’ll go into a bit more detail. Just as you said, the children who were made to actually use everyday magic are recovering faster. Apparently, there were even some for whom Head Priest Clark personally used the ‘Diagnosis’ spell and could no longer sense any trace of the illness at all. Of course, only a few have fully recovered so far, and most are still in the process of healing, but no children are suffering from high fevers anymore. Most likely, the illness itself will be completely cured by the end of today. That said, their stamina has been significantly drained, so they’ll probably need to remain in bed for another day or two—but even that should resolve quickly. Given the situation, you can rest easy now. There’s no need for you to remain there any longer, so come back. We’re all waiting for you. End.”
If Greg was right, Jin thought, then there truly was nothing left to worry about.
The fact that there were no longer any children with dangerously high fevers could be taken as proof that their bodies had established a mechanism to release excess mana. That meant that not only the unexplained surplus of mana that had been forced into them, but also the residual mana still remaining in their bodies, should be completely expelled over time.
Jin had already begun thinking about their return to the city of Lientz.
The recovery from the illness had been surprisingly swift this time, but if the condition had progressed not just to the second stage but all the way to the final stage of “Mana Fever,” the situation would have been very different.
With their stamina steadily draining away by the moment, it could have turned into a race against time, possibly requiring the combined use of the “Demonbane Elixir.” However, thanks to how quickly Jin and the others had acted, none of the children had reached that final stage—and that had worked in their favor.
Moreover, the “Demonbane Elixir” carried with it a massive secret, and its use involved considerable risk. If it could be avoided, there was no better outcome.
“This is Jin. We’d like a few minutes to discuss things. End.”
“This is Greg. Understood. End.”
After informing Greg, Jin turned back toward Aria and the others and spoke.
“So, that’s the situation. What do you all think?”
Jin himself already had an answer, but since this concerned the party’s overall course of action, he felt it was something they should properly discuss together.
“I’m in favor of returning. If Instructor Greg and Head Priest Clark are both giving their approval, then I believe the crisis has passed.”
Following Aria’s opinion, Rachel, who had calmed down after her tears, also spoke up.
“I agree with Aria-san. If the Grand....High Priest personally examined them, then I don’t think there’s anything left to worry about.”
Rachel corrected herself midway through her sentence, likely out of respect for his public position as the head of the temple rather than referring to him as her grandfather.
What the two of them had in common was that they had long-standing relationships with the heads of their respective organizations and placed absolute trust in their judgment.
“We can’t exactly take on requests at this guild anyway,” Erza added with a shrug. “Our bodies are well rested now, and I’d like to get moving again soon.”
Erza nodded along with the others.
The slightly sarcastic tone she used was probably her way of hiding the embarrassment of having shown tears earlier. Jin honestly found it endearing.
Incidentally, what Erza was referring to was their guild rank. Jin and the others were currently D-rank adventurers, which meant they could only accept requests within the city of Lientz. Normally, they wouldn’t even be allowed to take on requests that involved traveling between cities. Their current actions were permitted only as an exception, under the pretext of a C-rank promotion exam.
Up through D-rank, adventurers were essentially treated as being assigned exclusively to a single city. Only after reaching C-rank could one truly be called an adventurer who ranged across the wider world.
“Yeah, I agree as well. In that case, let’s head back.”
With everyone in agreement, they could finally return to the city of Lientz. Once they were back, they would be able to see Airis and the others safe and sound, and Aria would officially join the party as well.
As that vision of the near future crossed his mind, Jin couldn’t help but smile.
“This is Jin. Sorry to keep you waiting. We’ve agreed on returning. We plan to depart the city of Tron sometime after noon. End.”
“This is Greg. Understood. Don’t let your guard down until the very end—make sure you get back safely. End.”
Strictly speaking, the request still wasn’t complete. Only after returning safely to the city of Lientz and submitting their report would the mission be officially fulfilled.
“This is Jin. Thank you very much. We’ll see it through properly to the end. Ending communication. End.”
With that, Jin steeled himself once more and conveyed his gratitude to Greg, who was wishing for their safe return.
“Thank you very much for everything. We really appreciate it.”
Back on the first floor, Jin and the others expressed their thanks and said their goodbyes to the male staff member who had helped them, just as he had the day before.
“Think nothing of it—does this mean the request is basically complete now? Congratulations. Please take care on your way back.”
The man saw them off with a smile.
In most cases, people tend to think, That’s just part of the job, no matter what is done, and it’s rare to be formally thanked like this. Being appreciated feels good even for guild staff.
Because of that, he found himself speaking to them a bit more personally.
“By the way, I saw you greeting Zack-san and his group as you were leaving yesterday. Did you end up becoming acquainted with them?”
Since Jin and the others had been bothered by them once, the staff member had been concerned about potential trouble between the two parties.
But when all was said and done, not only had there been no trouble, Jin’s group had even stopped by the table where Zack and the others were sitting to exchange greetings before leaving, which from the outside made them look like they were on good terms.
“Huh? Well, I wouldn’t say more than acquaintances, but… I suppose, yes.”
All they’d really done was get a recommendation for menu items, so Jin felt calling them acquaintances might be a bit much.
“I see. They’re actually a B-rank party. They’ve only recently reached that rank, but their skills are solid. And Zack-san is a decent guy when he’s not drunk, so I don’t think it hurts to know them.”
In any world, connections matter. The staff member thought that for Jin and the others, who were bound to keep growing, those ties might prove useful someday.
“We received word recently that an adventurer who was something of a senior to them fell into banditry. Because of that, they were rougher than usual yesterday. Normally, they’re proper enough people, so please don’t worry.”
Falling into banditry was no small matter. If that person had been a senior to B-rank adventurers, then he was likely B-rank or higher himself.
Such a person was no different from a monster—someone who only harmed others, a fierce criminal.
“I see… That would definitely be a shock.”
Thinking about how he would feel if Gain and the others from the beginner training had ended up like that, Jin understood all too well why it would hit them hard.
“Yes. That fallen former adventurer looked after Zack-san and the others ever since they reached C-rank, right up until he left this city. I hear he was close to reaching A-rank, but he lost most of his party members at a certain ruin. After that, he became self-destructive and began to resent everything. He’s already killed several people with his own hands, and the guild has issued a bounty for his subjugation. He’ll probably be taken down before long, but even so, Zack-san and the others must have complicated feelings about it.”
The bitterness in the staff member’s words was unmistakable. This middle-aged man himself had known the fallen adventurer, and like Zack and the others, he was carrying conflicted emotions.
“It happened near an undeveloped region, so I don’t think he’ll come anywhere near this city. Still, just to be safe, please be careful.”
Undeveloped regions were indeed far away—several weeks from the city of Tron, even in a straight line.
At present, the man’s whereabouts were unknown, but since bandit attacks had been occurring around the same time, it was believed he was likely hiding somewhere near the royal capital.
The staff member offered the warning only as a precaution.
“Yes. Thank you for the advice.”
The fact that he had shared this information at all was proof that he was thinking sincerely about Jin and the others.
Sensing that concern, Jin responded with a smile.
That said, Jin, like the staff member, believed the chances of actually encountering that fierce criminal were low.
Still, he understood the importance of gathering information in advance as a precaution, and he was grateful for the consideration that had brought it to them.
After once again saying their farewells to the guild staff member, Jin and the others had a light lunch and then departed the city of Tron.
Thinking of everyone waiting for them in the city of Lientz, their hearts felt light, and even the carriage seemed to move along more briskly.
At the same time, however, they retained enough reason not to let the advice they’d been given go to waste.
Especially if they intended to spread their wings as C-rank adventurers from Lientz, they wouldn’t be able to avoid fighting other people forever.
As part of her guild duties, Aria had experience subjugating fierce criminals alongside Greg and the others.
Jin and the rest had already received prior instruction, but Aria once again shared her knowledge of mindset and precautions in interpersonal combat, drawing directly from her own experiences. The discussion even extended into the mental and emotional aspects.
Because it was grounded in personal experience, what Aria said resonated deeply with Jin and the others.
Rather than simply listening and leaving it at that, they went on to discuss practical scenarios—such as how to respond if faced with a single opponent of exceptional ability, like the fierce criminal in question—treating it as a simulated exercise.
Of course, they weren’t actually predicting a battle with that bandit; it was merely an example for the sake of discussion.
The point wasn’t whether it would prove useful or not, but to build the mindset and readiness to respond when the time came. With that goal in mind, Jin and the others discussed the matter seriously.
The meeting had begun unexpectedly, and it might never have happened if not for that single remark from the male staff member at the Tron Adventurers’ Guild.
Yet the fact that it ultimately became one of the factors that shaped Jin and the others’ fate was beyond doubt.
The signs of battle were drawing ever closer.
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