Chapter 3: I Only Gave Her Some Advice, But Now She’s Moved Into the Guild

“…Lise, isn’t it a bit too early? There’s still an hour until we open.”

“Yep! I know!”

“You knew and waited anyway?”

“Yep!”

It’s troubling when she says it with a perfect smile.

Atop the stone steps where the morning mist still lingered.

The A-Rank Adventurer-sama who had been sitting hugging her knees in front of the guild’s thick wooden doors suddenly hopped to her feet and puffed out her chest with strange pride.

“I wanted to be the first one to see Nagi. I’ve been waiting here the whole time.”

“…I see.”

If this were my previous life, I’d immediately consult my boss and request a transfer. But this is another world, and one where the concept of mental health care is incredibly thin. Only my stomach was screaming at a highly civilized level.

“Just come inside for now. It’s chilly.”

“Okay!”

Lise entered the guild with a bouncing step.

It seemed like a lie that she had been covered in blood and mud just yesterday. Her silver hair was neatly combed, and her armor was polished to a shine. Her complexion was also much better, at least compared to when she had collapsed in here.

…It’s a good thing she’s recovering. It’s a good thing, but I feel like the direction of her recovery is slightly off.

When I stepped behind the counter and began arranging the ledgers and request forms, Lise immediately sat in the chair directly in front of me.

Resting her chin in both hands, she stared intently at me.

“…Lise.”

“What is it?”

“It’s hard to work when you stare at me like that.”

“Eh?”

Her shoulders gave an obvious jump. If she had ears and a tail, they’d probably be drooping flat right now. Even knowing it’s a hallucination, I can still see it.

“S-Sorry. Am I in the way…?”

“I didn’t go that far. Your gaze is just very intense.”

“M-My gaze…”

“Having you stare at me the whole time makes me nervous, as you’d expect.”

“I see…”

Lise looked deflated for a moment, then made a face like she had thought of something.

“Then, I’ll stay right on the edge of your vision!”

“I don’t think that solves the root of the problem.”

“It’s fine. I’ll erase my presence.”

What even is an A-rank swordswoman’s presence erasure? That’s scary.

Lise shifted her chair slightly, moving to a forty-five-degree angle from me. And stared intently at me again.

Her position just changed, that’s all.

“…Well, I’ll consider it an improvement over earlier.”

“Yay.”

“Yay” isn’t exactly the right takeaway here, is it…

Just as I let out a small sigh, the Guild Master came out from the back with a sleepy face.

“You’ve been here since morning, Lise?”

“Yep. Follow-up observation.”

“Oho, business is booming, isn’t it?”

“The way it’s booming is completely different from what I envisioned.”

The Guild Master just laughed heartily. He’s completely unreliable.

＊　＊　＊

A little while after we opened, the usual clamor returned.

Accepting requests. Appraising materials. Paying out rewards. And the complaints regarding all of the above.

“Isn’t the reward for this request a little cheap?”

“The reassessment for its danger level hasn’t passed, so the price remains unchanged.”

“My contribution in the last subjugation was way higher than this!”

“Three witnesses have testified that you lost your nerve and collapsed halfway through.”

“Life is so harsh!”

“The truth is sometimes as cold as ice.”

As I was manning the counter as usual, a face suddenly popped out from my side.

“Nagi! Progress report!”

“Yes, what is it?”

Lise puffed out her chest.

“Just now, I drank a glass of water.”

“That’s good.”

“I didn’t chug it either — I drank it slowly.”

“That is wonderful.”

“I got praised.”

She went back, looking satisfied.

…Yeah, well, this much is fine.

Several tens of minutes later.

“Nagi! Progress report!”

“What is it this time?”

“I only did ten practice swings.”

“You actually managed to stop at ‘only,’ I see.”

“Yep. If it were yesterday, I think I would’ve done a thousand.”

“That’s a pretty extreme reduction… But it’s good that you didn’t overdo it.”

Lise went back again, looking happy.

Another thirty minutes after that.

“Nagi! Progress report!”

“Yes.”

“I’m a little bit sleepy right now.”

“Please go to sleep.”

“Okay!”

I’m thankful she listens to me so honestly. I’m thankful, but the granularity of her reports is starting to look like a baby’s daily log.

And an hour later.

“Nagi! Progress report!”

“Stop.”

I put down my pen.

Lise froze in place.

“Progress reports are usually meant to be spaced out a little more.”

“Eh.”

“If you report to me every few minutes that you drank water, are sleepy, or feel a bit energetic, my workflow is going to die before you can recover.”

“I-Is that so…?”

“It is.”

Lise’s eyes went wide, and then she hung her head in dejection.

“I’m sorry… I just don’t know how to distance myself from people. Or what the right thing to do in these situations is…”

“There isn’t just one right answer.”

“…”

“But it’s definitely not ‘constantly reporting to me,’ at least.”

When I declared that, Lise looked up at me timidly.

Anxiety, remorse, and a little bit of fear. It was a face that said she was worried she’d be abandoned again.

I need to follow up properly here.

“You don’t need to rush. You can just get used to it little by little.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. Reduce the number of reports and make time to rest on your own. For today, that’s more than enough.”

“…Okay.”

After that response, her face instantly brightened.

“Then, I’ll stay quiet so I don’t bother Nagi!”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Right here.”

“Please keep ‘going home’ as an option there.”

Lise tilted her head to the side. It seems the concept of ‘stepping away’ is still quite weak for her right now.

Feeling a sense of foreboding, I returned to my duties.

＊　＊　＊

It was afternoon, around the time the guild’s congestion had finally settled down.

“U-Um. I’d like to ask about a herb-gathering request…”

A young female adventurer timidly approached the counter. A rookie, maybe? Her leather armor is still new.

“Yes, which request?”

“Umm, this one—”

The exact moment the woman reached out to hand me the paper.

Clatter. The sound of a chair scraping back.

I’ve got nothing but a bad feeling about this.

When I turned around, Lise was standing up. What’s more, she had her hand resting on the hilt of her longsword at her waist.

“Lise?”

“…Because someone was carelessly approaching Nagi.”

“She’s a client.”

“But her face was a little red.”

“Wasn’t she just nervous?”

“I might be better off striking her with the back of my blade, just in case.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

The female adventurer gasped in fear. Well, obviously. If there were a rookie who was perfectly fine after being intimidated by the strongest A-rank swordswoman, that would be even scarier.

“S-Sorry, I think I’ll use another counter…!”

“Ah, please wait, if it’s just for guidance—”

“I-I can’t do it!”

She ran away.

I massaged my temples.

“…Lise.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Please do not intimidate the other clients.”

“But.”

“I’m a receptionist. I may be a counselor, too, but I’m a receptionist first and foremost.”

“…Okay.”

“If you draw your sword every time someone comes up, this counter ceases to function.”

“I didn’t draw it. I only touched it.”

“That stage is plenty scary enough.”

Lise fidgeted, entwining her fingers.

“But… that girl was looking at Nagi with a face that said she thought he was kinda cute.”

“Really?”

“I’m a swordswoman, so my eyes are good.”

“Please use those observational skills somewhere else.”

From the back, the Guild Master, who had been watching the entire exchange, burst into laughter.

“Hey, hey, Nagi, she’s completely attached to you, isn’t she?”

“The way she’s attached to me is like a large carnivorous beast.”

“Lise, you’ve made this place your territory, haven’t you?”

“It’s not a territory. It’s a place for follow-up observation.”

“Rewording it doesn’t really change much, you know?”

After thinking for a brief moment, Lise spoke with a serious expression.

“Then, my turf.”

“That just made it worse.”

＊　＊　＊

And then, it was evening.

As I was summarizing the ledgers, I heard the heavy thump of a bag being dropped beside me.

Glancing over, I saw a bag filled with blankets, a water flask, and preserved food piled up next to the counter.

“…Lise. What is this?”

“A camping set.”

“I can tell just by looking at it.”

“I was thinking of spending the night here.”

“Why?”

“Because if I go home, Nagi won’t be there.”

It was said so naturally that I was left speechless for a moment.

“If I sleep here, I can be the first to see you tomorrow too, right?”

“I understand the logic behind it, but it’s the kind of logic you absolutely shouldn’t put into practice.”

“I can’t?”

“You cannot.”

I answered instantly.

Lise slumped. But if I waver here, she might seriously start sleeping under the counter.

“Lise. I won’t run away.”

“…Okay.”

“I won’t abandon you either.”

“Okay.”

“But that doesn’t mean you can just move into my workplace.”

“…So that part is a no-go.”

“It’s a no-go.”

I took a piece of parchment out of my drawer. I quickly scribbled down some words with a charcoal pen.

And then slapped it on a conspicuous spot on the counter.

【Adventurer’s Guild – Mental Health Consultation Counter Guidelines】

Camping in the vicinity of the reception counter is strictly prohibited.

Waiting for the counselor to clock in must be done with moderation.

Intimidating other clients, as well as drawing one’s weapon, is strictly prohibited.

Seeing that, Lise looked blatantly dejected.

“…Are all three of those aimed at me?”

“You catch on quickly.”

“Ugh…”

“However.”

I softened my voice just a little.

“I will be right here tomorrow morning, too.”

“…Really?”

“Really. I promise.”

“…Absolutely?”

“I wouldn’t go as far as ‘absolutely,’ but at the very least, I won’t vanish without a word.”

“…Okay. If Nagi says so, I’ll go home.”

She had the look of a large dog that had finally understood the “wait” command.

Alright. With this, the worst-case scenario — cohabitation inside the guild — has been avoided.

Just as I let out a sigh of relief in my heart.

Click, clack. The sound of hard footsteps echoed out.

The hall was still noisy. And yet, only those footsteps reached my ears with a strange clarity.

I looked toward the entrance.

Standing there was a single young girl.

Flowing locks of golden thread. A dark navy robe. In her hand was a jewel-embedded staff that was undoubtedly a high-end luxury item.

She looked so perfectly put-together that she was terribly out of place in this Adventurer’s Guild stained with the scent of mud and sweat. She had an air about her, as if she had slipped straight out of the Royal Capital’s academy or a noble’s mansion.

However, her beautiful complexion was terribly pale. Because she was so flawless, the pallor stood out all the more.

She swept her gaze across the guild once, spotted my counter — and the “Mental Health Consultation Counter (Provisional)” sign posted next to it — and walked straight toward me.

“Are you the one in charge of this counter?”

Her voice was crystal clear. Beautiful, cold, and a little strained.

“Yes. I’m Nagi, the receptionist and counselor.”

“…I see. I am Fran.”

At that name, the surroundings broke into a murmur.

“Hey, is that…”

“Isn’t that the Ice-Flame Prodigy, Fran?”

“Why is a noble lady from a prestigious family in a place like this?”

Seems she’s a celebrity. Even I’ve heard the rumors. They say she made a name for herself as a first-rate mage at a young age, and is one of the leading geniuses in the Royal Capital.

Fran stared intently into my eyes. She was quiet, but carried the distinct rigidity of someone backed into a corner.

“I would like to request a consultation.”

“Depending on the subject, I can hear you out.”

“My mana has been steadily declining. I want to know the cure.”

My ears picked up the “impatience of someone one step away from their limit” hidden beneath her words.

And at the same time.

“Hold on a second.”

A low voice came from right beside me.

Lise. She had come up next to me before I even noticed, her right hand resting on the hilt of her sword once again.

“Nagi is currently doing a follow-up observation on me.”

“…If this is a consultation counter, shouldn’t you not pick and choose your clients?”

Fran’s gaze narrowed coldly. A faint, pale blue mana gathered at the tip of her staff.

Stop.

Do not enter a combat stance in front of the consultation counter, you A-rank swordswoman and genius mage.

“Both of you, please calm down.”

“But.”

“However.”

“This counter is not for group sessions.”

I rubbed my forehead.

I wonder why. I’m just doing my job earnestly, yet on only the third day of opening this mental health consultation counter, I can already sense nothing but a total bloodbath.