Chapter 21: Do You Think Someone Like You Can

The Information He Did Not Disclose

 

Three days passed since Dain was killed and Ink was saved. During those three days, the West district was surprisingly too peaceful, and there was no hint that the Church might come attack Flamm and her friends. It was a rather anticlimactic development. Perhaps they didn’t realize that Ink was saved, or perhaps they thought it wasn’t such a big deal to them.

That being said, the town was so quiet it seemed unnatural, which brought nothing but discomfort to Flamm who is making her way towards the guild. She took a left on the next corner she came through, and as she entered a somewhat narrow road, she could feel the wind, smelling like mud, blowing between the weathered walls.

Flamm scowled, swiping her golden-brown hair away from her cheek with her slender fingers.

“It’s too quiet…” whispered Gadio, clad in his coat.

It seemed that the man had been staying in the house he owned in the capital, but this morning, he came to Flamm’s house and invited her to “come to the guild”.

The girl looked up to the man’s face from his side.

“It doesn’t look like the church is going to attack us either.”

“At least I think those folks from the Spiral Children are too busy looking for a new base or something.”

In just two days, the day before yesterday and yesterday, Gadio had managed to find Mother’s location, seemingly pinpointed through the information he obtained, and the clues provided by Ink.

In the end, the location he raided was already deserted when he got there, but he’s sure that at least that’s one of their hideouts removed. There’s no way that they could possibly made several underground facilities in the capital, so it is highly likely that Mother and the 4 children are out there looking for a new home.

“Other than that…maybe it’s becoming safer since Dain’s boys are gone now.”

“That too.”

“I doubt it’ll stay that way for long though.”

“My head hurts just thinking what those headless rascals could be up to…” Gadio said, shaking his head as he whispered “yare yare”

The outlaws of the West District had been controlled by Dain up until three days ago, but now that he’s been taken out, there’s no one left to control them.

“Wonder if Dain’s gonna have a successor.”

“I don’t think it’s going to go well though.”

That said, Dain’s ability to lead people is second to none, so if just any rascal were to imitate him recklessly, whatever coalition they make will crumble in no time.

“Maybe a lot of different parties will come flooding in and start a war.”

“We’ve got our hands full with just the church so if that happens, we’re screwed.”

“That’s why we need to go to the guild and think of our future plan while considering that too.”

“At the guild?”

So far, Flamm hasn’t asked why he invited her to go to the guild of all places, but as she did, the man evaded the question and replied with a short “You’ll see why”. Thinking she couldn’t help it, the two continued to quietly make their way to the guild.

Flamm entered the guild first, eliciting a sour expression on Iira, who was lazily resting her chin on her hand.

“Alright we’re closing up for today~”

“You’re still a lazy receptionist huh. Still refusing to work?”

“I’ve finally gotten an off time since Dain is gone, so can you like not disturb the peace?”

“Aren’t you too self-indulgent?”

“There’s no one to stop me from doing that so I’ll do what I want. Now go home already, you filthy slave. Shoo!”

The woman gets on Flamm’s nerves as always. Flamm bared her hostility against her unlike usual, but Iira feigned ignorance and turned the other way. Considering their initial exchange, however, their relationship had grown for the better…not that Flamm could forget that the first quest she provided could’ve led to her death.

“Damn it, just remembering it makes me all irritated. I wonder if you’ll get fired if the guild in Central District knows that you sent a rookie adventurer without a license on a werewolf subjugation quest.”

“Fufufu, you wish. As if the higher ups on Central District would believe a D-rank slave like you. Just give up and go mingle with other slaves like that bandage girl or something.”

“Ugh…If I could just call the guild master, I could’ve taken care of you so easily…”

“Ahahaha, keep dreaming. I only knew our guild master’s name but he’s an S-rank adventurer. That big a person won’t even spend their time visiting our guild in the West District. Go call him if you want, hahahah!” she said.

As the two continued to bicker with each other, Gadio appeared from behind Flamm. Looking directly at Iira in the eye, he spoke.

“You rang?”

The woman froze like a little bird being glared at by a dragon. Blood drains away from her face and cold sweat started to flow down on her forehead.

Her arm broke free of her frozen state, and as they trembled, they slowly start to move. Her right hand goes for her mouth while her left points at Gadio.

“Ga…Gadi…o…Ruscat…? W-Why are you here……? Aren’t you supposed to be out on a journey!?”

“I came back because I have something to do. Anyways, you told her to go ahead and call, right? What do you want to do now, Iira Gelicyn?”

“A-Au…u…ah…”

Iira was at loss of words. Her anxiety was further emphasized by how Gadio even knew her full name to boot. Her mouth quivered as she for some reason decided to look at Flamm, begging for her to help. Of course, there’s no reason for her to lend a helping hand, so instead, she mocked her by extending her tongue at her.

“So you are the guildmaster, Gadio-san.”

“That’s how it went down. Someone pushed the job to me some years earlier, even though I’ve never done this sort of job before.”

“Ah so that’s what you meant by thinking of our future plans at the guild. If you are the guildmaster then Dain’s boys won’t be able to do as they like.”

In the end, Gadio is one of the few S-ranked adventurers. He’s one of the few people who are more powerful than Dain, and with him here, the adventurers won’t be able to do as they like.

“By the way, Flamm, I heard what you said earlier but did she actually try to kill you?”

“That’s right! You know when I was trying to apply for a license, she sent me on a quest to subjugate a D-rank monster.”

“D-rank, huh. You can get a license for clearing an F-ranked quest, but you’re right, a rookie could’ve died if they were sent to do a D-rank quest. This is unforgivable.”

“S-s-s-s-she cleared it so isn’t…it…fine…? Y-You think so too, right Flamm? Right?”

The woman was so flustered that Flamm couldn’t help but to stifle a laugh. Upset at being humiliated by a slave, Iira clenched her fist under the receptionist desk.

“I personally don’t mind having her fired. How about you, Flamm?”

“Hmm, what do I doo…”

“W-Wait, you don’t seriously think you want that, do you!?”

“I mean, usually someone would get fired for that.”

“I…I know, but…!”

She thought she would be fine since Flamm came back alive. However, it was only because the victim was Flamm that she was able to return back alive despite the major injury. Flamm still couldn’t forget the pain of having her four limbs torn apart from that time.

“This isn’t between you and me.”

“I feel like my chances of getting fired is increasing if we’re talking about you and me…”

She couldn’t recall anything else but harassment between the two of them.

“Let’s get along from now on, okay? I don’t know how to live if I get fired now…!”

“Can’t you just sell your body?”

“You’re heartless!”

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Flamm held herself back from saying “You’re one to say!”. Flamm still held some grudges towards the woman, but unlike Dain, she’s not beyond saving. That was why she distanced herself from Dain and his men the moment they started joining hands with the Church. While she would mercilessly strike down those who are beyond saving, Flamm has no reason to corner Iira any further.

“You can just give her a salary cut, that’ll do just fine.”

“Really. You’re kind, aren’t you.”

“Aaahh…thank god…Thanks…no wait, pay cut!? Why do I have to get my salary cut!?”

“Shouldn’t you be grateful that you didn’t get fired?”

“Ugh…”

Iira cannot object to Flamm any further, perhaps still feeling a sense of guilt even if it’s just a bit. Still, she seems to be as headstrong as always, deciding that she didn’t want to quit. Perhaps that too was necessary for her to survive in the West District guild in the first place.

“Now that I’m here, I won’t let you work lazily like you’ve been doing. I’ll have you work properly. Steel yourself.”

“Yees…” Iira responded, hanging her head, while Flamm looked over her with a grin on her face.

As soon as Gadio disappeared into the room for the Guild Master saying he’s got something to do, Iira glared at Flamm strongly.

“Thanks to you I have to shave my food expenses for this month.”

“You reap what you sow.”

“Hmph, don’t get conceited. Anyways, since you know Gadio Ruscat, you’re really that Flamm Apricot, huh.”

“Oh so now you realized that?”

“Obviously? Nobody would think the hero that was off on a journey would turn into a slave and roam around the West District. Well I’m just as surprised seeing Gadio coming back.”

“Eterna-san is here too by the way.”

“Huuh? You mean that Eterna Lynnbow? What happened to the demon lord subjugation now that three of them are here? What the hell is the church doing?”

From the perspective of an ordinary citizen, seeing the three heroes that were supposed to be off on a mission back in the capital is a recipe for unrest. It seems like there were rumors flying about just about when Eterna came back, but it doesn’t seem that she made quite the uproar since she never really go out except for going shopping from time to time. Gadio on the other hand, was someone who stands out, and now that he’s going to be working as the guild master, more people are going to see him and notice.

“I’ve said this from ages ago but seeing those disgusting corpses and everything, I feel like the church is acting suspiciously.”

As a result, Gadio’s presence undermines the credibility of the church. Taking that into account, the man might be able to take some more active roles. It’s true that they need to properly dismantle the church’s plan one by one, but the church was only able to alter history and conceal their human experimentation efforts because they have a lot of people backing them up, which means that the shortcut to sabotaging the church is to undermine the its credibility in the eye of the public.

“Still though, is it okay for him to go back and be the guildmaster?”

“You have a problem with Gadio-san?”

“You don’t know? Some people call him “Gadio the Coward”.”

Hearing that it is a nickname that doesn’t suit Gadio at all, Flamm scoffed, believing that it must’ve come from adventurers who were jealous of Gadio’s strength.

“What the hell, he’s the person who’s the exact definition of “brave”. What part of him is cowardly?”

“That’s now. Way back in the past, he was said to abandon his friends and came running back by himself.”

“You’re not saying this because you got your pay cut, are you?”

“I’m not! If you don’t believe me just ask the other adventurers. That or you can just confirm it with the person himself.”

Of course, it’s no easy task for her to simply ask “Is it true that you were once called a coward” to Gadio himself. Baffled, Flamm could only furrow her brows.

 

 

Shortly afterwards, Gadio returned.

“I’ll start my guildmaster jobs from tomorrow,” he said to Iira before leaving the guild along with Flamm.

As soon as they went out, the two start to head for Gadio’s house in the Central district. During that time, Flamm constantly had a difficult look on her face, thinking deeply about what Iira had told her.

“Did that girl tell you something?” asked Gadio, still looking forward as he kept walking.

“…Huh?”

“Looks like you’re lost in thought.”

“Aah, no…it’s…well, she said something…or I heard something…” she replied ambiguously.

As they get closer to the Central District, the roads start to get noticeably wider and cleaner, and more people could be seen passing through the streets. These people the two passed by was naturally focused on Gadio. Some of them paid attention to Flamm, but most of them were focused on her cheek, perhaps really wondering why the Hero is walking around the town with a slave in tow.

“Gadio the Coward, huh.” Gadio spoke of his name.

“So you know it.” Flamm averted her eyes awkwardly.

“I mean, that’s the truth.”

“That can’t be. Gadio-san, you’re—”

“No, I am a coward, and I should be called a coward.” he forcibly cuts her sentence as if scolding himself.

He then lays his eyes on his palms and started to recall his past. Something happened to him; something that even a great adventurer like him could not overcome.

Flamm did not open her mouth any more afterwards. Without little to no conversation, the two kept moving through the Central District and on to the East District.

 

 

The two went all the way to a high-end corner of the East District.

“Welcome back, Danna-sama¹.”

Seeing Gadio’s figure coming closer, the soldiers bowed deeply, and before long, the iron gate loudly creaks open, its grandness made Flamm involuntarily voice out her amazement.

What entered her sight was a meticulously tidy garden that was the size of a public park. A wooden arch wrapped in red flowers decorated the pathway towards the mansion. The flower beds were filled with plants of different colors, while a large tree that are larger than a regular house was growing in the middle of the garden. Additionally, there were a swingset as well as a sand pit along with a play space for children maintained on one corner of the garden.

It is said that being an S-ranked adventurer could earn you vast amount of wealth; it’s something Flamm should’ve vaguely understood, but now that she saw it right in front of her, she once again was made aware of her lack of imagination. Flamm thought of something as far as eating thick steaks every day or eating huge chunks of cakes without having to complain, but in truth, being rich is on a whole different level.

“Is this your house, Gadio-san?”

“Yeah. No that it’s just for me though.”

As he said that, the man started walking down the stone-paved pathway leading up to the three-story mansion.

Flamm is a country girl who first visited the city relatively recently, so she couldn’t help but to look around restlessly and suspiciously. Seeing her behavior, Gadio’s stiffened expression finally relaxed. Her actions that matched her age, if not younger, made him remember the figure of a certain child in his mind, and he thought that he wanted Flamm and the child to meet each other someday, believing that the two would surely get along well.

Standing in front of the mansion’s entrance, the man could hear the sound of footsteps running closer towards the door, and as the person reached the door, they opened the door just as Gadio reached his hand out to open it himself.

The person appeared was…a young girl. Despite her ragged breaths, she showed a beaming smile towards Gadio.

And then, a bombshell announcement.

“Welcome home, papa!”

…no, considering that he’s 32 years old, it’s truly nothing weird, but for Flamm who never heard of anything about this, she couldn’t help but to open her eyes wide and looked at Gadio with her jaws hanging.

Meanwhile, the man covered his cheeks with his hand and heaved an unusually long sigh.

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