Chapter 8: The A-Rank Swordswoman Declares Herself a Guild-Exclusive Solo

“Guild Master! I have a contract to discuss with you!”

The door to the office was thrown open with incredible force.

The Guild Master, who had been flipping through documents, looked up. Immediately after, I rushed into the room a few seconds behind her.

“Please wait, Lise. You’re still at the ‘consultation’ stage, remember?”

“That’s why I came to consult him!”

“You were already jumping to conclusions while you were running here just now!”

When I said that while panting for breath, the Guild Master raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“What’s this, what’s this? So noisy.”

“It’s always noisy, but today is a slightly different breed.”

“So, Lise. What’s this about a contract?”

Lise looked straight ahead.

It was the same face she had shown me at the training grounds. It wasn’t that all her hesitation had vanished. But it was the face of someone who had decided to move forward, even with that hesitation.

“I want to become a solo adventurer exclusive to the guild.”

The Guild Master blinked in surprise.

“…Oho.”

“Basically, I’ll only take on requests in the nearby vicinity and handle emergencies. I won’t do unreasonable long-term expeditions. And I won’t form a party right away, either.”

“Hmm.”

“But I don’t intend to become a shut-in, and I don’t intend to run away. I will properly take on requests. I want to work in a way where I can come back to the guild and then head out again.”

At that point, Lise glanced at me just once.

“Because if I’m here, I can consult someone before I push myself too hard.”

At those words, I closed my mouth slightly.

It wasn’t just an idea born from momentum. At the very least, it was a much more forward-facing conclusion than “not getting involved with anyone.”

Assuming that was all there was to it, of course.

“Also, I get to see Nagi every day.”

“See, there it is!”

When I immediately retorted, Lise looked at me with a blank expression.

“That’s important too, isn’t it?”

“It might be important, but please don’t say it like it’s the most critical item on the agenda.”

“It’s not the most critical.”

“It isn’t?”

“The most critical thing is to properly move forward.”

“…”

“The second most critical is being by Nagi’s side.”

“That’s plenty heavy enough…”

The Guild Master burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! I see, I see!”

“This is no laughing matter.”

“No, but the logic itself is sound.”

The Guild Master leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“Lise always had a high aptitude for going solo to begin with. Rather than forcing her back into a party and having her break down, having the guild retain her directly is a valid option.”

“But there’s no precedent—”

“If there’s no precedent, we’ll make one right now.”

“He’s taking this so lightly…”

As I massaged my forehead, the Guild Master grinned.

“Besides, having an A-Rank swordswoman operating closely with the guild is hardly a bad deal for us. We can respond immediately to emergency cases in the vicinity, and we can assign her as a guard for the rookies.”

“Just so you know, I don’t need a guard.”

“I can be Nagi’s guard, too.”

“I’m telling you not to mix that in with your official duties.”

Lise pursed her lips in slight dissatisfaction, but immediately tightened her expression.

“…It’s true that I don’t want to run away.”

“Lise.”

“Because Nagi told me that shutting myself away all alone without getting involved with anyone is wrong.”

Her voice was quiet.

“That’s why I want to move forward in a form where I stay here. I’ll work properly. I’ll come back properly. …Even if I’m still scared, I want to choose this for myself.”

Hearing those words, the laughter faded slightly from the Guild Master’s face.

He looks like a boisterous old man, but at times like this, he’s a person who truly sees people.

“Nagi. How do you view this?”

“…I cannot completely agree to it.”

“Oho.”

“However, it is vastly better than ‘not partying with anyone and cutting everything off’ from yesterday. As a format to balance work and recovery, there is logic to it.”

“I figure.”

“However.”

I looked at Lise.

“It comes with conditions.”

Lise straightened her back perfectly.

“I’ll listen to anything.”

“It’ll be a problem if you listen to anything, but first: do not move into the guild.”

“…Ugh.”

“No sleeping in front of the reception counter.”

“…I’ll do my best.”

“Please don’t make it a ‘target for effort.’ It is mandatory.”

“Yes.”

“Second. Do not turn the consultation counter into your territory.”

“It’s not a territory.”

“You reworded it to ‘turf’ before, didn’t you?”

“…”

“Staying silent won’t erase the record.”

Lise averted her eyes. It seemed I hit the mark.

“Third. Do not intimidate other clients. Do not place your hand on the hilt of your sword.”

“…Yes.”

“Fourth. Do not use me as your ‘reason for requiring an exclusive counselor’.”

“That one is a little difficult.”

“It’s a no-go even if it’s difficult.”

“…I’ll do my best.”

“I’ve felt nothing but anxiety from your ‘I’ll do my bests’ for a while now.”

The Guild Master laughed again.

“Alright. Let’s accept it on a trial basis.”

“Your decision-making is way too fast!?”

“Three months. Treated as a solo adventurer exclusive to the guild. We will adjust the scope of your requests on our end. Regular reports are also mandatory.”

“Yes!”

“And, Nagi.”

“Yes.”

“As the person in charge of the consultation counter, you continue to conduct her follow-up observations.”

“So it comes right back to that in the end…”

“You’re the most suitable for the job, aren’t you?”

“It’s hard to deny that.”

Lise’s face brightened instantly.

She looked like a completely different person from when she first collapsed into the guild. The young girl who had gripped my sleeve with a face on the verge of tears was now trying to choose her next form under her own volition.

That fact in itself was truly a good thing.

It truly was a good thing.

However.

“Alright, Lise.”

The Guild Master jerked his chin.

“Go explain it out front. If a marquee name like you changes the way she operates, the whole guild is going to be in an uproar.”

“Okay, understood.”

And sure enough.

＊　＊　＊

“Hah!?”

The first voice echoed throughout the Adventurer’s Guild hall.

“The Sword of Annihilation, Lise, left her party and is becoming a guild-exclusive solo!?”

“Seriously?”

“Does a setup like that even exist?”

“They probably just made it.”

They were pretty much entirely correct.

In the middle of the buzzing hall, Lise stood with unusual dignity.

“From today on, for a while, I will be operating exclusively under the guild.”

“Are you serious, Lise!?”

“Yeah. I’m serious.”

Even when questioned, she no longer made a frightened face.

“I won’t force unreasonable party setups. If necessary, I will go alone. But I’m not running away. I will properly work here.”

At those words, several adventurers exchanged glances.

There was surprise. There was bewilderment.

But the atmosphere wasn’t one of mockery. Because everyone here knew just how many bloodbaths she had fought her way through.

“Lise, stationed at the guild, huh…”

“I mean, we appreciate the combat power, but…”

“Isn’t that a waste of her talents?”

“True.”

Internally, I agreed with them just a little bit.

Placing the combat power of the strongest A-Rank swordswoman near a consultation counter was certainly a bit of a waste. She was someone who wouldn’t look out of place going wild to her heart’s content on a much grander stage.

But.

Before worrying about what was “a waste,” if this allowed her to breathe easier here. Then right now, this probably took priority.

“Also.”

After hesitating slightly, Lise continued.

“When I need a consultation, I’ll make sure to go to Nagi.”

Of course it comes down to that…

“Is the receptionist bro the reason?”

“Hey, hey.”

“He’s not.”

Lise denied it. Flatly.

For a split second, I almost felt relieved.

“He’s not the entire reason.”

The correction was heavy.

The gazes of the entire hall uniformly turned toward me.

Stop it. Don’t create an atmosphere that says “Let’s hear a comment from the man himself.”

“Lise.”

“But it’s the truth.”

Her silver eyes looked straight at me.

“I will work here. I will properly move forward. And on top of that, when I’m in trouble, I’ll return to Nagi.”

“…”

“Because Nagi is my counselor, right?”

I think that way of phrasing it is unfair.

With a face slightly brighter than before. With a voice slightly more capable of standing on her own two feet than before. And yet, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she factored me in as her “place to return to.”

In order to cut her off, she was far too earnestly facing forward right now.

“…I am your counselor for official business purposes.”

“Yeah.”

Lise obediently nodded.

“For now, that’s fine.”

What do you mean, “for now”?

A retort surfaced in my mind. But before I could say it out loud, the commotion around me grew louder.

“Was being a counselor that kind of system?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds heavy.”

“The receptionist bro looks like he’s got it rough.”

Saying whatever they please as if it’s someone else’s problem…

While I was staring off into the distance, the Guild Master patted my shoulder in amusement.

“Isn’t it great? She’s properly being saved.”

“As a result, my working environment is deteriorating.”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

“It’s not small. It’s quite a massive problem.”

Seeing that exchange, Lise let out a small giggle.

Ah. She can laugh like that now, I thought, and the tension in my chest relaxed just a little.

When I thought of that face at its absolute limit that I had seen on the first day. The change present here right now was definitely genuine.

＊　＊　＊

Early afternoon.

Once the commotion had settled down for the time being, I was organizing ledgers at the counter. Across from me was Lise, looking completely calm now.

“Nagi.”

“Yes.”

“Was I weird earlier?”

“Which part?”

“The part where I said, ‘Nagi is my counselor, right?'”

“So you are aware of it.”

Lise’s gaze wandered slightly.

“Was it bad?”

“I won’t go so far as to say it’s bad.”

“But, did it trouble you?”

“…Quite a bit.”

“I see.”

She looked dejected. But immediately after, she smiled.

“But I didn’t want to hide it.”

“Hide what?”

“The fact that because Nagi is here, I can look forward with peace of mind.”

I was at a loss for words.

The signs of dependency were definitely still strong. If anything, the contours might be clearer than before.

However, even so. It was also a fact that her words were no longer just “throwing everything away and clinging to me.”

“…Lise.”

“Yeah.”

“Just to confirm. You didn’t make this decision solely ‘because I am here,’ right?”

“Yeah.”

This time, she nodded without hesitation.

“Before, I was scared, I didn’t want to be left behind, and I just wanted to cling to someone.”

“…”

“But now, even if I’m still scared, I want to decide for myself. I want to work here, come back, and get used to things little by little.”

On top of that, Lise said.

“When Nagi is here, I feel incredibly secure.”

“You won’t budge on that part, huh.”

“Yeah. I probably can’t change that part for a while.”

She was so honest that I could only offer a wry smile.

“Then, let’s gradually adjust that ‘can’t change for a while’ bit.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Haven’t you been using that reply a little too conveniently lately?”

“Because I really will do my best.”

At that moment, quiet footsteps stopped in front of the counter.

“…You’ve started making a remarkably radiant face, haven’t you.”

Looking up, Fran was standing there.

A dark navy robe. As always, a posture with no openings. But her blue eyes weren’t just filled with their usual coldness — they were narrowed as if measuring something.

“Fran.”

“Hello, Nagi.”

Then she looked at Lise.

“Your complexion is better than before. At the very least, you no longer have the face of someone on the verge of breaking.”

“…You think so?”

“Yes. Which is exactly why you seem troublesome.”

Fran’s gaze then turned to me.

“I see. You truly do help people recover little by little, don’t you.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“I am not exaggerating.”

Her way of speaking was somehow quiet.

She wasn’t throwing her heat at me in an easy-to-understand way like Lise. But there was a presence, as if something was sinking deep beneath the logic.

“…Nagi.”

“Yes.”

“After closing hours, could you spare me a little time?”

“For a consultation?”

“Yes.”

Fran answered shortly.

“There is something I wish to sort out.”

Without staying long, she turned on her heel and left.

Lise stared intently at her back.

“…That girl gives me a bad feeling.”

“That’s highly subjective.”

“Because she has a quiet face but seems heavy.”

“It’s hard to deny that…”

＊　＊　＊

After closing hours.

In the guild that had grown so quiet it made the daytime clamor seem like a lie, I was alone, cleaning up my desk.

I wonder how many times I’ve sighed just today.

But those sighs weren’t all bad ones.

Lise moved forward a little bit. It’s not that all her problems vanished. Rather, by coming in to institutionalize her “reason to be by Nagi’s side,” they’ve become denser in a different direction.

Even so, I truly think it’s a good thing that she was able to make a choice herself and smile.

— Knock, knock.

A modest knock sounded.

“Come in.”

The door opened.

As promised, Fran appeared. Her complexion was slightly worse than during the day. But precisely because of that, her strained beauty seemed to stand out all the more.

“Did I keep you waiting?”

“No. I was simply early.”

Fran quietly closed the door.

Her atmosphere was a little different from during the day. Beneath her usual intellectual rigidity, there was something desperate.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

“…Yes.”

Fran fell silent for just a few seconds, then looked straight at me.

“Today…”

Her voice was quiet.

“…Today, I have come to talk about something I do not want anyone else to hear.”

With that single sentence, an atmosphere completely different from the daytime flowed into the small room.