A Humble, Scary-Looking Mid-Rank Adventurer Is Offered Their Bodies by Every Member of a Rising All-Female Party, Begging: ‘You Can Do Whatever You Want With Me, Just Please Spare My Companions.’ - 44 END

Chapter 44: With the Premonition of Further Ordeals

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Tritan, the city closest to Traga Forest. Telmi, a receptionist at the adventurers’ guild located there, had been spending the past few days in a restless state. Even as she handled the steady stream of requests that came in every day and dealt with the rowdy men who drank themselves senseless at the tavern from morning till night, her mind felt unfocused, floating somewhere else, unable to concentrate.

She herself was well aware of the reason why.

“Do you think he’s okay… Balg-san…?”

She murmured the name of a single mid-rank adventurer.

Despite possessing solid ability and experience, he was an eccentric who disliked social interaction and continued to work alone. With his intimidating looks and large, burly frame, he was often feared, but in reality, he was a steady adventurer who methodically completed his requests and spent his free time relaxing quietly at the tavern at his own pace.

From the guild’s perspective, adventurers like him who reliably completed requests and produced careful, dependable results, were more than welcome. Telmi, for her part, knew full well that although he was often misunderstood because of his appearance and personality, she understood his true charm better than most. That was precisely why she could not stop thinking about that day, to be precise, the events from exactly seven days ago.

“Hey, Telmi, has Aurora Blade still not come back? Weren’t they supposed to be gone for about five days?”

A coworker who had been sorting documents at the neighboring desk spoke to the absentminded Telmi. Snapping back to reality, she nodded, her shoulders slumping heavily.

Shortly after their formation, they had defeated the Rock Boar—known as the first wall for beginners—and arrived at the Tritan Adventurers’ Guild with much fanfare: the up-and-coming party Aurora Blade. Formed by four beautiful young women, their looks alone drew plenty of attention, making them a promising group with a bright future. On the very day they arrived in the city, they had attempted to accept a request to subjugate the great magical beast Pain Serpent, which lurked in the underground caverns of the Traga Forest.

One of the guild staff’s duties was to assess an adventurer’s skill and increase the probability of successful request completion. That day, Telmi happened to be working the counter, and she stopped the girls when they enthusiastically brought over the request form. Pain Serpent was not called the “Wall of the Mid-Ranks” as a joke or for show. Not only was it powerful, but the environment it lived in and the route required to reach it demanded a high level of adventuring skill. She did not doubt Aurora Blade’s ability, but she argued that challenging it head-on on their very first day was reckless.

However, the girls stubbornly pressed the issue, and at her wits’ end, Telmi noticed Balg at the edge of her vision. He was sitting alone at the tavern, quietly tilting his mug.

“Balg-san has a lot of experience, he’s built like a tank, he’s dependable. I really thought he was perfect for the job.”

“Experienced, sure, but the other two sound like your personal opinion. I thought it was reckless. That guy makes everything worse every time he opens his mouth.”

“T-that’s just because he’s easy to misunderstand…”

Telmi had pushed the issue and arranged for Balg to accompany them as an instructor. Even if subjugating the Pain Serpent failed, at the very least, the party wouldn’t lose any members—or so she thought. It was because of the deep trust she placed in Balg.

However, Balg himself was well aware that he was bad with people, and he had been reluctant to join a party at all. It was Telmi who had threatened and coerced him in various ways to force his participation. And now, even after the scheduled number of days had passed, Balg and Aurora Blade had still not returned.

“Have you issued a search request to another party?”

“Being two or three days late does happen sometimes… And with underground cavern exploration, it’s normal for the exploration to get stretched…”

Up until now, Balg had never once exceeded the planned schedule he submitted to the guild beforehand. Creating solid plans and carrying them out faithfully was one of his virtues. That was exactly why Telmi and the rest of the guild staff were all so uneasy.

The underground caverns of the Forest of Traga were a natural labyrinth. Once you got lost, escape was difficult. Without tracks, even searching was hard. It was a dangerous land where harsh conditions and ferocious magical beasts lay in wait, having swallowed up many seasoned adventurers over the years.

“I-I really think we should put out a search request after all… The money, well, I can—”

In truth, guild staff were well paid. And Telmi had also been saving money—just in case, just in case—for something like wedding funds. It might be a little early to use it, but if it was for Balg, then wasn’t the purpose more or less the same? Or so she reasoned.

Just as Telmi sprang to her feet in a burst of resolve…

“Hey! Aurora Blade is back!”

A soldier guarding the city’s outer wall burst into the guild, as if kicking down the door. As the guild erupted into sudden chaos, Telmi’s eyes widened and she leaned forward over the counter. The soldier was breathing hard, clearly having run at full speed. When a nearby adventurer handed him a cup of water, he gulped it down noisily.

“Is everyone safe!? What about Balg-san!?”

“The four from Olaria are. But Balg…! Get a doctor!”

Telmi felt as though her heart had been seized in a crushing grip. A chill ran sharply down her spine. The four members of Aurora Blade were safe. But Balg… He needed a doctor.

“—!”

“H-hey, Telmi!?”

Ignoring her coworker’s voice behind her, Telmi rushed out into the street and ran for the gate. She couldn’t stay still. If Balg had been gravely injured, then it was entirely her fault. If he had to retire, she would support him for the rest of her life, but if it was worse than that—!

The gate came into view. A crowd. Telmi plowed straight through it. On the other side, the girls were sitting on the ground, filthy and utterly exhausted.

“Sierra-san!”

She called the leader’s name. A fair-skinned girl brushed back her blonde hair and looked up at Telmi. Confusion showed in her blue eyes. She probably didn’t recognize her name. That didn’t matter. These women had no obvious injuries. They’d be fine if left alone, but Balg-san…

“BA—!?”

Seeing the large man collapsed behind them, Telmi froze mid-cry with her mouth still open. His entire body was covered in wounds… No, it looked as though his skin had melted and then healed halfway, leaving a grotesque appearance. His beard had grown wild, making his face look even more rugged, and one of his eyes had been crushed.

“You biiitch—!”

Enraged, Telmi charged at Sierra. Was this what had happened to Balg because of these women? Because she had dragged him into this? Sierra lowered her eyes apologetically. That only grated further on Telmi’s nerves. She clenched her fist, about to swing…

“Telmi. Telmi. It’s okay. Calm down.”

A low voice, gentle and steady, filled with a reassuring sense of warmth, rang out. Telmi’s hand stopped. Her neck turned stiffly. With a heavy movement, Balg rose to his feet.

“I’m fine. Thanks to Sierra and the others treating me, I made it out with my life.”

“But… That’s not… Balg-san, your eye…!”

“Ah, this?”

Balg lightly touched his right eye. The skin and eyeball looked as though they had been melted by a powerful acid, leaving a grotesque wound. A doctor and a priest came rushing over, but even Telmi understood that healing this would be difficult for them as well.

“Well, I guess things won’t be the same as before.”

Balg said it casually, almost like it was someone else’s problem. That made it all the more heartbreaking, and Telmi felt her chest tighten.

“This is all… My fault…”

“It’s not your fault, Telmi. I just let my guard down a little. Anyway, Sierra and the others successfully defeated the Pain Serpent. Two of them, even.”

“Pretty impressive, right?” Balg said proudly, as if it were his own achievement. Telmi couldn’t bring herself to rejoice. Victories gained at the cost of Tritan’s most seasoned adventurer were nothing to be proud of.

Balg’s large hand gently patted Telmi’s head as her eyes welled up behind her glasses. She wanted him to stop. They were in public, after all, but she didn’t really want him to stop either.

“I’m sorry, Telmi-san. We were overconfident.”

Sierra and the others lined up before Telmi with subdued expressions. The four members of Aurora Blade understood that Telmi hadn’t rejected their request out of malice. They had learned firsthand how arrogant and reckless they had been. Even so, that didn’t mean Telmi’s anger would just vanish.

“You girls—”

“We will take responsibility for Balg-san.”

Just as she was about to shout, Sierra cut in. Her blue eyes shone with strong resolve… And a faint, sensual desire, a light Telmi would not have noticed if she weren’t a woman herself.

“Responsibility… What do you mean by that?”

“With one eye gone, he can’t really keep being a solo adventurer. So we decided to have Balg-san join us.”

“……………………Huh?”

Telmi couldn’t process Balg’s words as he scratched his head with an awkward smile.

Wait—what? Balg-san? Joining Aurora Blade? Because he got injured? Why? That’s what you mean by responsibility? Huh?

Question marks piled up in her mind. Even with her sharp intellect, accepting this was difficult. And in the meantime, unbelievably enough, Sierra had wrapped her slender arm around Balg’s thick, muscular one.

“So, that’s why we’ve decided to welcome Balg-san into Aurora Blade~♡”

“W-what… What did you say?”

“Relax. We know our own limits. That’s why we’ll learn many things from Balg and grow stronger. We won’t let something like this happen again…. Ever.”

“This too is the guidance of the Goddess. As one who walks the divine path, I shall protect Balg-san.”

“Nufufu. Balg and I have already become closer than close. We dwarves are devoted by nature.”

“Huh?”

It wasn’t just Sierra. There was Nerva, the dignified, tomboyish beastwoman lancer. Fana, the priestess who prayed devoutly despite her feminine allure. Patema, the legendary dwarf mage possessing wisdom and abyssal magic. All four members of Aurora Blade were clinging to Balg.

“Please leave Balg-san to us. This wound should become barely noticeable after some time. As for his eye, I will be Balg-san’s eyes and serve him as his one and only partner for the rest of my life~♡”

“G-ah…?”

Sierra’s face slackened into a lovestruck grin. What in the world had happened to them over these seven days? When they first left town, they had been openly wary of Balg. Telmi understood. One could call it a woman’s intuition. Balg-san was being ensnared by these women’s poisonous fangs. She couldn’t just stand by and watch this happen.

Telmi thought. Her many years of experience as a guild employee… The rigorous examinations she had passed, and the constant effort she had continued afterward… Now was the time to put all of it to use.

“—Very well. Then, later, we will proceed with Balg-san’s party registration.”

“Yes. Thank you—”

“And one more thing!”

As Sierra smiled, Telmi cut in this time. For an instant, a flicker of wariness appeared in Sierra’s eyes. Perhaps her own feminine intuition had sounded the alarm. 

Too bad. 

Telmi announced it with a pleasant smile on the surface.

“Accordingly, I, the unworthy Telmi, will also accompany you from now on as a dedicated, exclusive, guild staff member!~♡”

“…Huh?”

Sierra and the other three stared as if they’d been shot with a bean gun.

One of the systems written in the fine print of the guild’s thick regulations, the concierge system. For adventurer parties deemed important, the guild assigned a dedicated staff member. Only highly capable senior staff qualified, supporting the party behind the scenes with everything from communications with the guild to administrative work. Due to its nature, the assigned staff member also accompanied the party on their travels.

“Ah, um, th-that’s not really—”

Sierra fidgeted nervously. Serves you right, Telmi snorted inwardly. These women had noticed Balg’s undeniable wild charm—and had even tried to monopolize it. Guild employees were not so naive as to allow that.

“Aurora Blade is one of the most talked-about rising adventurer parties of the moment. Assigning a dedicated staff member is only natural. Don’t worry, there are no extra costs. In fact, it will make things easier since you can leave complicated procedures to me. You can even save on taxes through employee deductions, and the guild will provide subsidies and activity funds under the name of concierge support.”

“B-but, even so, springing this on us so suddenly… Won’t Balg-san be troubled?”

“Me?”

Balg blinked in surprise at being addressed. Telmi prayed silently. While the system existed, it wasn’t something that could normally be decided on the spot like this. It required building a deep relationship of trust and signing a formal contract. If Balg refused, Telmi wouldn’t be able to say anything.

“If Telmi’s helping out, I’d be more than happy. She’s great at her job, and she’s always looking out for me.”

“W-what!?”

“F-fuahaha! All right! That settles it then, Sierra-san!”

Sierra stood there, stunned. Telmi clenched her fist tightly. Between them, Balg looked utterly clueless. The townspeople of Tritan, who had gathered after hearing the commotion, all thought the same thing.

—“This guy has way too little sense of danger.”

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