S-Rank Adventurer Betrayed by His Fiancée in the Hero’s Party Sets Off on a Journey to Heal His Broken Heart ~The Strongest Betrayed Adventurer Ends Up Forming a Harem Party~ - Chapter 77 & 78

Chapter 77: The Guild’s New Policy

“…A farseeing crystal?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Why are you suddenly handing something like this out…? Farseeing crystals are ridiculously expensive, aren’t they?”

The Adventurers’ Guild was the strange one for having them installed and operating in almost every branch.

Normally, farseeing crystals were absurdly expensive.

Only nobles, entire nations, or military forces on that level could afford them.

Being able to exchange information in real time across long distances—especially during wartime—made them one of the most valuable assets there was.

Even when new ones were made, most ended up being claimed for those purposes.

“And you’re giving something this expensive to every S-rank? How much is that even supposed to cost?”

“That has now become possible. Because the Demon King was defeated recently.”

“…Ah, right!”

That was true.

The world wasn’t at war anymore.

“With the Demon King’s defeat, a policy has been put in place to withdraw guild branches from various regions. In the northern lands especially, we had increased the number of guilds beyond what was necessary—to handle the surge of adventurers and prepare for the Demon King’s forces.”

“Now that you mention it, there really were way too many guilds up north…”

It was a place where you could earn well, so adventurers had been gathering there.

So that was the reason.

“By withdrawing those guild branches, we ended up with surplus farseeing crystals. We’re asking all S-rank adventurers to carry one.”

“I see. So with this, you can respond faster in emergencies, right?”

“Exactly.”

“But you can’t just move these around instantly, can you? This crystal belongs to this branch, right? Is it really okay to take it away?”

“There’s no need to worry. Once a branch hands one over, the main headquarters will send a replacement at full speed. Even if operations are slightly delayed for a few days, we can manage.”

“Got it… pretty well thought out. Hey, was this decided by the guild’s higher-ups?”

“Yes, it was… is something the matter?”

So the farseeing crystal issue and that letter from my senior were separate things.

Or maybe… she made me come to the guild so I’d receive this?

While I was thinking that over, the vice guild master spoke again, looking a bit tired.

“However, many S-rank adventurers tend to be… difficult. Even if we contact them, there’s no guarantee they’ll accept, just like always…”

“Yeah… figures. The seniors are even more selfish than that.”

I would’ve accepted if someone called me, but the others were seriously unpredictable…

They only did what they wanted, when they wanted—like “free-spirited” had taken human form.

“Abel, you’re like that too, but… why are S-ranks so free? Normally, you can’t just turn down named requests that easily, right?”

Elmie, sitting beside me, asked that.

For normal adventurers, a named request was an honor.

They were often difficult, sure, but the pay was good—and refusing one would lower your standing with the guild, so it wasn’t something you could easily decline.

From Elmie and the others’ perspective, brushing them off must seem strange.

But honestly…

“No, it’s not a big deal. I don’t really care about the guild’s evaluation. It’s not like they can punish us anyway.”

“Eh…? How can you say that so confidently? Can’t they lower your rank or something?”

“They won’t. The kind of requests that come to us are basically ones only S-ranks can handle.”

This wasn’t arrogance.

It was confidence built on a proper understanding of our strength.

Disasters that could decide a nation’s fate—like stampedes, invasions of Demonkin, or S-class magical beasts with overwhelming power.

The only ones who could deal with those were beasts like us—wild and uncontrollable.

Even if we couldn’t be fully controlled, there was no reason to throw away something that could serve as a trump card in a crisis.

“Even if we don’t always listen, it’s better for the guild to keep things in a state where they can still ask us for help. Right? Vice Master?”

“It’s not something I should say directly in front of you… but for individuals who possess power that surpasses even nations, all we can do is try to stay on your good side.”

“Haha, sorry about that.”

The vice-master frowned slightly and gave a wry smile.

I laughed back.

Honestly, we were probably a constant headache for the higher-ups.

Not that I had any intention of holding back.

“Abel really… has become ridiculously strong, hasn’t he…”

“…Hey, that means he could even beat a country’s army, right?”

“I mean, during the stampede in Cahel, he practically handled it alone, didn’t he? There were even A-rank monsters mixed in… a normal army would definitely—”

“Of course. That’s what being S-rank means.”

At Raynare’s words, Elmie and the others stared into the distance.

Yeah… that’s just how it is.

The only things that could stop an S-rank adventurer were either top-tier S-class monsters—

or another S-rank.

Well, if it was S-rank versus S-rank, compatibility would matter too.

“By the way… Lord Abel, do you plan to keep actively accepting requests like before…?”

“I don’t think I’ll be taking everything that comes my way anymore.”

“…I figured.”

The only reason I used to accept every job was to support the Hero’s party.

Now that that reason was gone, I didn’t plan on working like before.

And honestly, putting Raynare aside, I still couldn’t take Elmie and the others in front of S-class monsters yet.

Even Carina, who we fought recently, was on the weaker side among S-class monsters.

Against something like that, Elmie and the others would get killed in a single hit.

“Right now, what matters most to me is my party—everyone here. From now on, I’ll live for their sake.”

“…I understand. Even just hearing you out like this is already more than enough.”

“Most of them wouldn’t even bother listening in the first place.”

Honestly, it felt like more than half of them wouldn’t even respond to a call.

Still, the guild probably wanted them to at least have a way to be contacted—grasping at straws.

—Speaking of the others, as I was thinking that, Raynare brought it up.

“The letter said to come to the guild, but the sender isn’t even here. Was it just a prank?”

“I don’t think so.”

“A letter? Did something happen?”

“Well, about that—”

Right as I was about to explain why we came here—the farseeing crystal in front of me reacted, signaling an incoming call.

“Oh, that might be a message from another guild. We did inform them about handing it over, but I’m sorry. If it’s from another branch, there’s no need for you to—”

“…I see. Yeah, yeah, I’ll take it.”

Cutting off the vice-master’s apology with a wry smile, I answered the call.

If my guess was right, it wasn’t another guild—

『Hey, Abel. Long time no see! You finally picked up the crystal, huh?』

“Yeah, figured it was you. Asking how you got this crystal’s contact info would be pointless, right? More importantly, you called me to the guild just so I’d receive this, didn’t you?”

『Exactly! You catch on quick, Abel!』

From the crystal came a lively woman’s voice.

Normally, you couldn’t contact someone without knowing the information registered to their specific farseeing crystal.

And yet, she reached out like it was nothing—laughing casually.

Letting out a small sigh, I went along with it.

“That works better, right? So, what’s this request you mentioned? —Ms. Sylvia.”

“—!?”

“““—!?”””

The vice master right in front of me practically collapsed the moment she heard that name.

She didn’t even manage to make a sound.

Elmie and the others reacted the same way.

Not that the woman on the other side of the crystal cared.

She just kept talking.

『Well, you’ve already done what I needed by going to the guild. So next, I’d like to talk about the favor I want to ask… though maybe it’s better somewhere without prying eyes?』

“Yeah, figured. My face is pretty well known in this town now too.”

『I see… then how about the hotel room you and your girls are staying in? Go on, invite me to that fancy suite』

“Well, I don’t mind…”

I glanced at Raynare and got her approval, so I agreed.

Why she knew where we were staying—

I didn’t even bother asking.

At this point, with a letter already showing up in our room, that kind of thing didn’t matter.

Besides, for her, knowing everything was just normal.

『Got it. Then… I’ll bring you over, okay?』

The moment she said that through the crystal—

“Huh!? W-What is this!?”

Elmie shouted, but it was already too late to react.

A light swallowed all five of us—me, Elmie, Frey, Maria, and Raynare.

“What the—!? —Huh…? Where are we…?”

Elmie, Frey, and Maria opened their eyes in shock.

Because—

“Isn’t this… our hotel room?”

“Huh, why…? We were just at the guild a second ago!?”

“We’re sitting on the sofa in our room…!? N-No way…!”

—We were in the living room of the suite we were staying in, far from the guild.

The vice master and the guild room we were just in were completely gone.

While Elmie and Frey looked around in confusion, Maria lowered her head, thinking deeply.

Seems like her magic-nerd knowledge helped her figure out what just happened.

As expected of her.

“…Seriously. She still doesn’t care about the situation around her at all.”

While Elmie and the others were still in shock, Raynare stretched her arms and legs, already relaxing like she was bored.

Just as the three of them were trying to process what happened—

—knock, knock.

A sudden tapping sound echoed against the window.

When we turned toward it—

“Sorry, but could you open this? If I’m visiting a friend’s room, I’d like a proper invitation.”

There she was.

Standing on the wide ocean-view balcony, with the vast sea spread out behind her—

A beautiful human woman, wearing something like a military uniform, her silver semi-short hair streaked with gold swaying lightly.

“Hey, Abel. Long time no see. And nice to meet you girls. —I’m Sylvia Estate. Some people call me ‘Sylvia the Transcendent.’ Same as Abel, I’m an S-rank adventurer.”

Chapter 78: The S-Rank Adventurer 《Transcendent》

Invited in from the balcony, my senior—Sylvia—sat down on the sofa and began her introduction with an easygoing smile.

“Nice to properly meet you, Abel’s current girlfriends. I’m Sylvia, a friend of his.”

“‘Current girlfriends’…?”

Just because there’s an ex doesn’t mean you have to put it like that, senior.

S-ranks tended to be misunderstood because they inspired awe and admiration, but she—Sylvia Estate—was, at her core, a good person, even if she had her quirks.

If anything, she was the type who took good care of those close to her.

Right now, like she said, we were just friends.

Though since she was someone I respected, I couldn’t really drop the polite tone.

“I-I’m Elmie, leader of the party Abel is in, Oathsworn Radiant Swords…”

“I’m the older twin, Frey…”

“I’m the younger one, Maria…!”

On the other side, Elmie and the others sat stiffly upright on the sofa, introducing themselves.

They were so tense it was obvious.

“These three have been my friends since before I became S-rank. They trained me before I set out on my journey.”

“Ohhh~ so you’re the reason Abel got so strong!”

“N-No! We barely trained him at all—if anything, he just kept getting stronger on his own…!”

Elmie shook her head so hard it looked like a dog shaking off water.

It was kind of cute.

As I watched my girlfriends react with a warm feeling, Sylvia leaned in closer.

“Hmm, they’re pretty quiet, aren’t they? Abel, are these the kind of girls you like?”

“They’re just a bit intimidated. You know how bad our reputation is.”

“That’s way too blunt—ahaha…! Are we really that scary? Fufu!”

When I said that teasingly, Sylvia burst out laughing like she might fall over.

“Of course you’re scary. People who leave craters every time they fight are obviously terrifying.”

“That’s only about half of us! I can fight a lot more neatly than that!”

Hey, I can do that too.

Okay, maybe I cut a bit too much sometimes—but they’re clean cuts, so that doesn’t count. Doesn’t count.

“And that girl over there—huh? Have we met somewhere before?”

Next, her eyes landed on Raynare.

She tilted her head slightly, observing her closely.

“So you didn’t remember after all… We have met before. I am the vampire—‘The Progenitor.’”

“…Ah! Yeah, we’ve met a few times! But you have that Transformation skill, right? If your appearance changes, there’s no way I’d recognize you. Weren’t you a man before?”

“I believe we’ve met several times in this form as well.”

So it was true they had met before.

And now I understood that slightly odd reaction earlier.

At Raynare’s words, Sylvia froze for a moment, as if trying to piece things together.

“…Ahaha, sorry, sorry! I’m just really bad at remembering faces and names~”

“Honestly… I go by Raynare now.”

Raynare let out a tired sigh as she gave her name.

She had probably expected this already.

That’s just how this person is.

And right then, Maria—who had been fidgeting the whole time—finally couldn’t hold back and jumped in.

“U-Um… Lady Sylvia, that thing you just used earlier was magic, right…!? Can I ask what it was…!?”

“H-Hey!? Maria, what are you suddenly saying!?”

Anything related to someone’s job or magic was a sensitive topic.

Asking about it directly on a first meeting was bad manners.

No wonder Elmie panicked—but the person being asked just laughed it off.

“That’s rude, come on, apologize!”

“But! That magic just now was definitely that! I can’t not ask about it!”

“Honestly, you magic nerd! Even so—!”

“Ahaha, it’s fine. Of course you’re curious. And if you know a bit about it, you’ve probably already guessed what it is anyway.”

Maria’s intensity was on another level—she was practically leaning forward like she might pounce.

Well, since Sylvia had literally shown it right in front of us, there wasn’t much point in hiding it.

Information about jobs and skills could be researched if you really tried.

You could even find records in large church archives—though you’d have to pay a donation to read them.

—Unless it was something like a “Unique” skill or job.

“Besides, even if people know about it, it doesn’t really change anything… right, Abel?”

“Yeah, that’s how it is for us.”

Right.

S-rank adventurers weren’t so weak that they’d slip up just because someone knew their job or skills.

“My job is 《Multi Caster》. It’s a magic-type job that’s just a bit better at using magic—nothing that rare, really. If we’re talking about strength or rarity, Abel’s… ex-girlfriend is way more impressive than me. The real core of my strength is this.”

Still seated on the sofa, Sylvia reached out toward the table—toward the teacup placed there for guests.

Her hand was empty—and the next moment, the teacup that should’ve been sitting farther away appeared in her hand.

“! That just now—!!”

“It’s a rare skill called 《Spatial Magic》. The reason I brought you here from the guild just now was because of that.”

“I knew it—《Spatial Magic》! Unlike something like my ‘natural phenomenon’ type, this is one of those super rare magics that hardly anyone has!”

Maria’s eyes lit up as she practically shouted in excitement.

Her breathing was getting a bit heavy—definitely not very ladylike.

“Um… then, I’ve also been wondering for a while… why do you look so young all the time…?”

Unlike her little sister, Frey raised her hand more timidly as she asked what had clearly been on her mind.

“‘Sylvia the Transcendent’ is a legend who’s been active since before we were even born. I thought you might be an elf or a long-lived race like Ray, but that’s not it either… and yet, for a human, you look really young…”

“Ahaha, thank you! I thought I’d stopped caring about that by now, but… being called young still makes me happy!”

It seemed that, rather than being called “really old,” being called “young” made Sylvia happier.

Looking pleased, the senior answered.

“There’s a trick to that too. The skill I have isn’t just 《Spatial Magic》… I also have a rare skill called 《Time Magic》.”

“T-Time…!?”

“Time magic too!? Among concept-type magic, that’s one of the rarest—and you have two of them!?”

Compared to magic that manipulates “natural phenomena,” like the basic four elements or Frey’s lightning magic—“concept-type” magic was even rarer.

Hearing that she had two of them, Elmie and the others were stunned.

“You like magic, don’t you? For example—whoa, hot!”

Sylvia suddenly yelped after taking a sip of her tea.

It had just been poured, so of course it was still hot…

“Fuu… fuu… for example—《Chrono States》.”

““““—!?””””

The moment she said that, magic burst from her fingertips touching the rim of the cup.

The density alone was enough to send a chill through everyone except Sylvia.

Just a few seconds later, when that overwhelming magic settled—the tea, which had been steaming hot, no longer gave off any heat at all.

“This is Time Magic. Like I just did, if you speed up the time of the target, even piping hot tea ends up like this…”

“No way… it cooled down? In just a few seconds? …You’re seriously a monster.”

“W-W-Wow…! This is Time Magic!! That’s amazing…!!!”

“Okay, okay, calm down already, Maria!”

Maria leaned so far over the table she was practically about to stand, staring straight at Sylvia’s hand.

Frey hurriedly wrapped her arms around her waist to pull her back.

It was rare seeing Maria go out of control while Frey held her back—usually it was the other way around.

“I use this magic to stop the time related to my ‘aging.’”

“Aging…?”

“If I stop my entire time, I wouldn’t be able to move. So I only stop the concept of aging.”

“Casting magic on a concept, huh… That’s insane. Abel, can you do that?”

“No way. I’ve heard it before, and it still makes zero sense.”

Even though I knew a bit of magic alongside swordsmanship, what she said was beyond me.

It was like saying, “Let’s fly using physical enhancement magic.”

You could say the words—but actually doing it was impossible.

“Is it really that strange? There are other spells and skills like that, right? Ones that affect the target but not yourself.”

“I get the idea, but what you’re actually doing is way too advanced for me to understand…”

If I had to compare it, it’s like Maria’s enhancement skill 《Buster Soul》, where she covers her whole body in lightning.

Her attacks carry electricity, but she herself doesn’t get shocked.

It’s probably that kind of concept… except she’s applying it to a specific part of herself—on the level of a concept.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of magic control or mental image you’d need to pull that off…

This is why monsters are monsters.

“S-So then… about what was written in that letter…”

“Ah~ you mean me peeking? I used 《Clairvoyance》 through spatial magic, and 《Past/Future Sight》 through time magic—sorry about that? I just wanted to know how Abel’s been lately, so I took a look.”

“Uwaaaaaaaah…………!”

Elmie’s face turned bright red as she collapsed.

She covered her face with her hands.

Still cute as always.

“Then the reason that letter ended up in Abel’s room without us noticing—!?”

“I just teleported the letter in. Dropping by in person under the same roof would’ve been a bit much, you know~”

Honestly… thank god she chose that.

Otherwise, she might’ve heard some very embarrassing sounds from the two of them…

And if it was just teleporting a letter, the magic fluctuation would’ve been instant.

No wonder none of us noticed.

“—But this magic isn’t as convenient as it sounds. With 《Clairvoyance》, I can’t look at multiple places at once. Only one location at a time.”

“Ah, so in that sense, it’s not that different from normal people…”

“Though being able to see faraway places at all is already incredible…”

“But it’s still inconvenient. I like inviting friends over for tea parties, you know? And checking where everyone is one by one is such a hassle.”

“Friends…?”

“Other S-ranks. I get called over pretty often too—like just now, with long-distance teleportation.”

Actually, once you become S-rank, you’re basically forced to attend her tea party at least once.

After that, it’s optional—but the first time is like a mandatory introduction.

“All S-ranks tend to act alone and move around a lot, right? Tracking each of them down is seriously a pain… so—”

…Wait. From the way this is going…

“No way…”

“So I suggested it to the guild’s higher-ups—having all S-ranks carry a way to stay in contact, like farseeing crystals.”

“Knew it—it was you behind this! Wow… so that’s what this was about…!”

So in the end, this whole thing was just Sylvia’s personal convenience!?

The Adventurers’ Guild really got talked into it and used, huh…!

“So annoying… this just means more work for us!”

“If it’s a hassle, just ignore it completely. And I’ll be contacting you too, so let’s talk a lot.”

“For you, that’s the real goal, isn’t it? You already knew my crystal’s contact info… which means you’ve got the others’ too?”

“Of course! I’ve got them all covered with 《Future Sight》!”

“…Yeah, figures.”

I replied with a tired, exasperated look as Sylvia smiled brightly.

There was no such thing as keeping secrets from this woman.

With a combination of 《Spatial Magic》 and 《Time Magic》, she could see across places, past and future alike.

The fact that I had new girlfriends.

That we were staying at this hotel.

That I’d receive the crystal at the Estena guild.

…And even our rather indulgent daily life.

She could know it all—and she did know it all.

At that point, figuring out the contact info of the crystal I’d receive was nothing to her.

That was the trick behind how she got my contact.

“(That’s incredible control over magic…! S-ranks really are amazing…!)”

“(…The magic is amazing, sure—but so is the authority, and she’s using it completely for her own convenience…)”

“(Listen up, you three. She’s basically the embodiment of selfishness, someone who doesn’t think about others. There’s no real danger, but still—be careful around her.)”

“““(Okaaay… got it~)”””

See?

While she’s over there happily going, “This makes inviting people so much easier~♪,” Elmie and the others are whispering among themselves.

Seriously… don’t show this side of yourself to my girlfriends like that.

And also—there’s one more thing I need to say.

“It’s fine if you contact me, but don’t go around giving my contact info to other people, okay? …You know, especially—that one from ‘Beautiful Heaven’.”

“Ahh… that girl’s completely into you, after all. Got it, I’ll tell her to get it directly from you.”

“Completely into me—no, wait, I’d rather you not tell her anythi—”

““““What was that?””””

“Hyeh—!?”

Just as I was warning my senior, I got pierced by four sharp glares and froze.

When I looked, all of them—Raynare and the others—were staring at me with terrifying expressions as they closed in all at once.

“Hey, what was that just now? Don’t tell me even an S-rank is hitting on you!?”

“No, that’s not—! It’s not like that! What do you mean hitting on me!?”

“Honestly, Abel… you’re such a womanizer…!”

“I’m not! I’m not, okay!? She’s not like that—wait, what do you mean womanizer!? I’m devoted to my lovers! I just happen to have more than one right now!”

“Wow~ you’re really popular, huh? Big sis didn’t think her cute little junior would be this shameless~”

“I don’t mind if it increases, but make sure you properly take care of us first, okay?”

“It’s not increasing! I’m not adding anyone! I won’t let that happen! So let go of meee!”

Raynare grabbed my collar, Elmie hugged me tightly from behind, and the sisters tangled me up from the sides—there was no escape.

I desperately tried to talk my way out of it.

Meanwhile, the one who caused all this—sat there smiling, casually sipping her now-cooled tea.

Hey… why are you just enjoying tea over there?

I’m gonna smack you, senior.

…Probably lose, though.

＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿

[Afterword]

Hello, this is Sora Akatsuki, currently very tired.

If you recognize where the nickname comes from, you can probably guess my generation.

And now, thanks to all of your support, this series is getting a published release—

New info!

The official KADOKAWA page for this work is now live!

The cover hasn’t been revealed yet, but the illustrator has been announced, so definitely go check it out.

https://www.kadokawa.co.jp/product/322510001632/