30
Estio Volume 2
- Episode 5
Tsuki was the only one who wasn't interested in the conversation. The arrogant black cat simply lay at Estio's feet for a long time, enjoying a nap without moving.
When Estio and Neju asked to talk a little more, Ahur gladly released information about the client.
"The movie I know is a bit of a bummer."
At the cactus's words, Estio put on a serious expression. How much would it be enough to declare that Ahur was a scumbag? He could easily guess that the client would not be normal.
"Leaving everything else aside, his swordsmanship skills are the best."
"You mean strong?"
"No. not just strong There was a rumor that before he became the headmaster, there was a master famous for his swordsmanship, but he won with a single sword. Monsters also win. Just win everything."
'Even such a strong person is commissioned.'
Estio thought about it blankly as he listened to the cactus's story. It's because I had vaguely imagined that once I became strong enough, I wouldn't be able to live comfortably the way I wanted without needing help from others.
He became more curious about the client than before he heard the explanation, and as he was about to read the request, Parker, who had been served, sat down next to him in a commotion.
Parker greeted Estio quietly as he watched the baptism of white feathers falling gently on top of the soup from which the feathers had fallen before.
"Meal! Hope you enjoy it!"
"...Yeah, enjoy the Parker too."
"Hey. There's chicken hair in the soup!"
Ahur, who was quietly in his arms, made a fuss, but Estio didn't care.
Speaking of soup without feathers, isn't it more luxurious than living in an attic, where you had to melt and eat a lump of frozen dough that was whiter than a stone and wrapped in a dirty cloth? Estio nodded, scooping up her feathers with a fork and smiling a little.
"Evi. support. support. A new one is different."
pat pat.
He patted Ahur, who was a buster, as if to appease him, and began to carefully examine the contents of the request that he had not yet read.
'After all, the details are not written down.'
All that was written on the paper was information about the identity, location, and case of the client. Estio found out that the more advanced the quests involving nobles, the more detailed the quest details were not written in the quest form. Since it is a sensitive matter directly related to honor, it was customary to meet and talk in person.
Estio carefully scanned the request form, and folded it again and stored it in his pocket. And after he finished eating, he turned his head to Parker, who had been waiting for him without leaving his seat.
"Have you eaten?"
"Huh? Oh, yes."
"Wake up."
The two stood up to clean the dishes. Parker, who had been staring at the plates that were laid down in a rattling manner, scratched his cheek and opened his mouth.
"That, me, the leader."
"Yes?"
"I've felt it before, but you're a little reticent."
We sat down together to get to know each other, but Parker's face was full of regret as Estio just ate without saying a word. Seeing this, Estio asked with a puzzled expression.
"Anything else to say?"
"No, that's not it."
Parker mumbled sheepishly. Estio, who wanted to see if he said no, turned around without paying any more attention. He had a personality that other people would feel cold-hearted, but he didn't deliberately ignore him. Rather, he cared for his opponent in his own way.
'It's been a long time since I ate with other people...'
Estio had blood relatives called parents and brothers, but after the age of 5, they couldn't eat together in one place.
'Aww!'
'You're such a fucking monster! Get out of my sight right now!'
As soon as I found out that Estio had the ability to read minds, the first thing I turned my back on was my family. He was only six years old when he was stoned for being a cursed child in the village, but his family had already been away from him when he was five years old. For Estio when he was young, the wounds he suffered from his family were greater than the wounds torn by stones.
Within the boundaries of his family, he was always an outsider. He was fortunate that he didn't let him starve to death.
Someone else asks for a seat together first, and they come face to face and eat together! It would have been unimaginable in the past. So, Estio couldn't even express it, and he was happy inside.
As he headed towards the main stairs to return to his room, he suddenly found Parker still following him and stopped walking.
"?"
"?"
The two exchanged curious glances at each other. Estio meant why are you following me, and Parker meant why he didn't go any further. Estio, who had been staring blankly at his opponent for a while, was unable to help, and opened his mouth first.
"Are you still working at headquarters?"
"There is no delivery service for the time being. The order I just gave you was the last one."
The delivery man doesn't have a delivery service? Estio's head tilted slightly at the strange-sounding words.
"So, are you on vacation now? Congratulations."
"No, I'm working."
"Yes?"
"to?"
The two exchanged blank glances at the same time. The situation was gradually falling into a labyrinth. Then Parker clenched her fist and slammed her palm down with a smirk.
"Have you not been contacted by the leader?"
"? What......"
Estio still couldn't figure it out, and Parker smiled and held out his hand.
"Bernie Parker, the delivery man has been transferred to the leader's team."
"team?"
"Yep! As of today, my affiliation has been changed to 'Leader Support Team' instead of a delivery man."
It was the first fact that Estio knew that he had a team. Estio, who knew he was going to solve his request on his own, just like the last time he was under Hawk's branch manager, was embarrassed and didn't answer anything. Meanwhile, Parker waved his outstretched hand. It was a gesture to shake hands.
"So, I am now the leader's direct subordinate. Please take care of me, Leader."
"......Take good care of me."
Estio, still stunned, took Parker's hand. He was accustomed to individual behavior and was at a loss as to how to react to the fact that he had a teammate to move with for the first time.
'Besides, Bukhani.'
Guilds are also hierarchical societies. It's only natural that talented people are promoted and there are subordinates under them. But Estio only found it awkward that he was standing on top of someone.
"Does the team share a room?"
"It's a team to support the leader. It's better to immediately respond to the leader's orders anytime, anywhere. Leave everything to me!"
"Oh yeah! It's completely suffocating. You can take him and ask him to bring you some water and draw blood!"
'Water or blood, neither.'
For some reason, Estio glanced down at the exciting cactus and let out a long sigh. The horse was a team member and his direct servant. Watching his sigh, Parker shrugged his wings and looked into his eyes.
"Uh... Of course, if the leader doesn't want it, you can use it separately."
"I'm fine though."
"Fortunately!"
"But right now, you don't have to."
flutter.
With a dry answer, Estio wore the guild cloak he had taken off for a meal. The three stars and the burning fire bird beneath them, that is, a badge that symbolized the guild executives, lit red on the left chest.
"Because I was planning to leave immediately after packing my luggage. To the client 'Mobin R. Heiga'."
As he said, Estio went to the headquarters portal management office with only really simple luggage. Parker, who flew in with a large backpack behind him, looked back with anxious eyes.
"Isn't it better to bring camping gear?"
"We're not going camping, Parker."
"You don't know. Oh! I'll bring some more clothes to change into."
"Jim."
"I brought snacks, though. Salty and salt cookies and grilled octopus-flavored baguette balls!"
I brought the most useless thing. As Estio didn't know what to say, he just stared at him, and Parker himself, with a very proud face, patted the backpack on his back.
"Huhu, it's a limited edition, but I bought it with my salary this month. Were you surprised?"
"...It's amazing."
It was really surprising in many ways. As Estio answered softly, Parker laughed.
"Because you've become a leader, I'll give you a special snack this time."
"No, I don't."
"Don't give up. The life you saved at that time is not a waste of money!"
'It doesn't matter if I just save.'
None of the snacks were coveted. In the first place, he didn't even know what grilled octopus tasted like, and he didn't want to know.
"Heiga estate is outside the daily travel distance limit. We will move you to the intermediate base 'Lennox Underground Cave'."
When we arrived at the portal management office, we were given clerical guidance. Hearing this, Parker's face turned to contemplation.
"Gee, underground?"
Since the portal is a new technology still under development, there was a limit on the number of times a day and a limit on the distance. From the guild headquarters portal, Hei, who was far away, could not move to the territory at once. Instead, you could go to a midpoint and walk directly from there, or wait a day for the usage time to recharge before using the portal again.
"Turn on the portal. Have a nice trip."
Estio entered the portal without hesitation with Neju holding a cactus flowerpot. Seeing even the black cat plunge into the black magic, Parker turned white and followed him, biting his claws.
As the dark magical space cleared like a mist, a barren cave entrance that was different from the previous headquarters was revealed.
right again.
The sound of water dripping from the long stalactites broke the silence.
"Huh, hey, hey."
"Aww!"
Suddenly, the sound of an old man's laughter came from behind, and a scream escaped Parker's mouth. Grabbing his fluttering heart one way, Parker soared and fell devastatingly as he banged his head against the cavern ceiling.
"Quok."
"......Are you okay?"
"Oh, my head. The stars come and go in front of me."
Although he was trembling, he appeared to be in good shape with no cracks or bruises. While Estio supported him, an old man with a dark smile appeared behind his back. She was an old woman with a bent back. She said as she giggled at her.
"He's a very nimble dove."
"Who are you?"
"It's the portal manager, you bastard."
Parker, who was rubbing the lump on his head, opened his eyes and looked at her and the portal alternately. Obviously, the only person near the portal was the old man. She was as small as a small child, but upon closer inspection, she was clearly wearing the office attire the portal administrators wear.
"Excuse me, Manager. Is this the Lennox Underground Cave?"
"Come on. This kid is very polite."
The old woman nodded her head in satisfaction. Although he had a coming-of-age ceremony this year, Estio had a body that better suited the expression of a boy rather than a young man. Parker was still a young man, but when the two were put side by side, they could almost be seen as his older brother and younger brother.
"No one has been looking for this cave for a long time, so what have the young nobles been up to?"
30
Estio Volume 2
- Episode 5
Tsuki was the only one who wasn't interested in the conversation. The arrogant black cat simply lay at Estio's feet for a long time, enjoying a nap without moving.
When Estio and Neju asked to talk a little more, Ahur gladly released information about the client.
"The movie I know is a bit of a bummer."
At the cactus's words, Estio put on a serious expression. How much would it be enough to declare that Ahur was a scumbag? He could easily guess that the client would not be normal.
"Leaving everything else aside, his swordsmanship skills are the best."
"You mean strong?"
"No. not just strong There was a rumor that before he became the headmaster, there was a master famous for his swordsmanship, but he won with a single sword. Monsters also win. Just win everything."
'Even such a strong person is commissioned.'
Estio thought about it blankly as he listened to the cactus's story. It's because I had vaguely imagined that once I became strong enough, I wouldn't be able to live comfortably the way I wanted without needing help from others.
He became more curious about the client than before he heard the explanation, and as he was about to read the request, Parker, who had been served, sat down next to him in a commotion.
Parker greeted Estio quietly as he watched the baptism of white feathers falling gently on top of the soup from which the feathers had fallen before.
"Meal! Hope you enjoy it!"
"...Yeah, enjoy the Parker too."
"Hey. There's chicken hair in the soup!"
Ahur, who was quietly in his arms, made a fuss, but Estio didn't care.
Speaking of soup without feathers, isn't it more luxurious than living in an attic, where you had to melt and eat a lump of frozen dough that was whiter than a stone and wrapped in a dirty cloth? Estio nodded, scooping up her feathers with a fork and smiling a little.
"Evi. support. support. A new one is different."
pat pat.
He patted Ahur, who was a buster, as if to appease him, and began to carefully examine the contents of the request that he had not yet read.
'After all, the details are not written down.'
All that was written on the paper was information about the identity, location, and case of the client. Estio found out that the more advanced the quests involving nobles, the more detailed the quest details were not written in the quest form. Since it is a sensitive matter directly related to honor, it was customary to meet and talk in person.
Estio carefully scanned the request form, and folded it again and stored it in his pocket. And after he finished eating, he turned his head to Parker, who had been waiting for him without leaving his seat.
"Have you eaten?"
"Huh? Oh, yes."
"Wake up."
The two stood up to clean the dishes. Parker, who had been staring at the plates that were laid down in a rattling manner, scratched his cheek and opened his mouth.
"That, me, the leader."
"Yes?"
"I've felt it before, but you're a little reticent."
We sat down together to get to know each other, but Parker's face was full of regret as Estio just ate without saying a word. Seeing this, Estio asked with a puzzled expression.
"Anything else to say?"
"No, that's not it."
Parker mumbled sheepishly. Estio, who wanted to see if he said no, turned around without paying any more attention. He had a personality that other people would feel cold-hearted, but he didn't deliberately ignore him. Rather, he cared for his opponent in his own way.
'It's been a long time since I ate with other people...'
Estio had blood relatives called parents and brothers, but after the age of 5, they couldn't eat together in one place.
'Aww!'
'You're such a fucking monster! Get out of my sight right now!'
As soon as I found out that Estio had the ability to read minds, the first thing I turned my back on was my family. He was only six years old when he was stoned for being a cursed child in the village, but his family had already been away from him when he was five years old. For Estio when he was young, the wounds he suffered from his family were greater than the wounds torn by stones.
Within the boundaries of his family, he was always an outsider. He was fortunate that he didn't let him starve to death.
Someone else asks for a seat together first, and they come face to face and eat together! It would have been unimaginable in the past. So, Estio couldn't even express it, and he was happy inside.
As he headed towards the main stairs to return to his room, he suddenly found Parker still following him and stopped walking.
"?"
"?"
The two exchanged curious glances at each other. Estio meant why are you following me, and Parker meant why he didn't go any further. Estio, who had been staring blankly at his opponent for a while, was unable to help, and opened his mouth first.
"Are you still working at headquarters?"
"There is no delivery service for the time being. The order I just gave you was the last one."
The delivery man doesn't have a delivery service? Estio's head tilted slightly at the strange-sounding words.
"So, are you on vacation now? Congratulations."
"No, I'm working."
"Yes?"
"to?"
The two exchanged blank glances at the same time. The situation was gradually falling into a labyrinth. Then Parker clenched her fist and slammed her palm down with a smirk.
"Have you not been contacted by the leader?"
"? What......"
Estio still couldn't figure it out, and Parker smiled and held out his hand.
"Bernie Parker, the delivery man has been transferred to the leader's team."
"team?"
"Yep! As of today, my affiliation has been changed to 'Leader Support Team' instead of a delivery man."
It was the first fact that Estio knew that he had a team. Estio, who knew he was going to solve his request on his own, just like the last time he was under Hawk's branch manager, was embarrassed and didn't answer anything. Meanwhile, Parker waved his outstretched hand. It was a gesture to shake hands.
"So, I am now the leader's direct subordinate. Please take care of me, Leader."
"......Take good care of me."
Estio, still stunned, took Parker's hand. He was accustomed to individual behavior and was at a loss as to how to react to the fact that he had a teammate to move with for the first time.
'Besides, Bukhani.'
Guilds are also hierarchical societies. It's only natural that talented people are promoted and there are subordinates under them. But Estio only found it awkward that he was standing on top of someone.
"Does the team share a room?"
"It's a team to support the leader. It's better to immediately respond to the leader's orders anytime, anywhere. Leave everything to me!"
"Oh yeah! It's completely suffocating. You can take him and ask him to bring you some water and draw blood!"
'Water or blood, neither.'
For some reason, Estio glanced down at the exciting cactus and let out a long sigh. The horse was a team member and his direct servant. Watching his sigh, Parker shrugged his wings and looked into his eyes.
"Uh... Of course, if the leader doesn't want it, you can use it separately."
"I'm fine though."
"Fortunately!"
"But right now, you don't have to."
flutter.
With a dry answer, Estio wore the guild cloak he had taken off for a meal. The three stars and the burning fire bird beneath them, that is, a badge that symbolized the guild executives, lit red on the left chest.
"Because I was planning to leave immediately after packing my luggage. To the client 'Mobin R. Heiga'."
As he said, Estio went to the headquarters portal management office with only really simple luggage. Parker, who flew in with a large backpack behind him, looked back with anxious eyes.
"Isn't it better to bring camping gear?"
"We're not going camping, Parker."
"You don't know. Oh! I'll bring some more clothes to change into."
"Jim."
"I brought snacks, though. Salty and salt cookies and grilled octopus-flavored baguette balls!"
I brought the most useless thing. As Estio didn't know what to say, he just stared at him, and Parker himself, with a very proud face, patted the backpack on his back.
"Huhu, it's a limited edition, but I bought it with my salary this month. Were you surprised?"
"...It's amazing."
It was really surprising in many ways. As Estio answered softly, Parker laughed.
"Because you've become a leader, I'll give you a special snack this time."
"No, I don't."
"Don't give up. The life you saved at that time is not a waste of money!"
'It doesn't matter if I just save.'
None of the snacks were coveted. In the first place, he didn't even know what grilled octopus tasted like, and he didn't want to know.
"Heiga estate is outside the daily travel distance limit. We will move you to the intermediate base 'Lennox Underground Cave'."
When we arrived at the portal management office, we were given clerical guidance. Hearing this, Parker's face turned to contemplation.
"Gee, underground?"
Since the portal is a new technology still under development, there was a limit on the number of times a day and a limit on the distance. From the guild headquarters portal, Hei, who was far away, could not move to the territory at once. Instead, you could go to a midpoint and walk directly from there, or wait a day for the usage time to recharge before using the portal again.
"Turn on the portal. Have a nice trip."
Estio entered the portal without hesitation with Neju holding a cactus flowerpot. Seeing even the black cat plunge into the black magic, Parker turned white and followed him, biting his claws.
As the dark magical space cleared like a mist, a barren cave entrance that was different from the previous headquarters was revealed.
right again.
The sound of water dripping from the long stalactites broke the silence.
"Huh, hey, hey."
"Aww!"
Suddenly, the sound of an old man's laughter came from behind, and a scream escaped Parker's mouth. Grabbing his fluttering heart one way, Parker soared and fell devastatingly as he banged his head against the cavern ceiling.
"Quok."
"......Are you okay?"
"Oh, my head. The stars come and go in front of me."
Although he was trembling, he appeared to be in good shape with no cracks or bruises. While Estio supported him, an old man with a dark smile appeared behind his back. She was an old woman with a bent back. She said as she giggled at her.
"He's a very nimble dove."
"Who are you?"
"It's the portal manager, you bastard."
Parker, who was rubbing the lump on his head, opened his eyes and looked at her and the portal alternately. Obviously, the only person near the portal was the old man. She was as small as a small child, but upon closer inspection, she was clearly wearing the office attire the portal administrators wear.
"Excuse me, Manager. Is this the Lennox Underground Cave?"
"Come on. This kid is very polite."
The old woman nodded her head in satisfaction. Although he had a coming-of-age ceremony this year, Estio had a body that better suited the expression of a boy rather than a young man. Parker was still a young man, but when the two were put side by side, they could almost be seen as his older brother and younger brother.
"No one has been looking for this cave for a long time, so what have the young nobles been up to?"
