The Returning Man

* * *

A burly man walked through the overcast town of Yoshanka today as well.

Passing through the main gate and down the main street, he headed toward his destination the Adventurers Guild branch office.

Tch, it ended up taking an unnecessary amount of time.

The scratches covering the mans scowling face would likely deter any regular person from approaching, let alone striking up conversation.

Well, well, you mustnt say that. We put in our utmost effort, you know?

Meticulous work simply requires time. Please excuse us.

The man and woman walking behind the intimidating brute responded without missing a beat to counter him.

The man was slim with a tidy appearance.

The woman was petite with a plain face, her constant snickering smile hinting at an underlying maliciousness.

Im not blaming you, Im not blaming you! Just stop nitpicking every little thing I say, would you

Raising both hands in a surrendering gesture, the exasperated burly man grumbled.

While the two seemed unintimidating in stature, the burly man didnt appear to pay them any heed.

But what happened to Yoshanka while I was away? Whats with this liveliness?

Glancing around as he walked, the man craned his neck in puzzlement.

The Yoshanka he knew was supposed to be a depopulated ghost town with barely any foot traffic.

Yet the current scene differed starkly.

Numerous adventurers strolled the main street, with alchemists chatting idly in the public parks.

W-Well, isnt that a good thing? Not sure what happened, but

More importantly, weve arrived at the branch office. Time for the final phase, so stay focused.

Yeah yeah.

Taking a deep breath, the burly man reached for the doorknob to enter the Adventurers Guild branch

Only for the entrance to suddenly swing open outward with force.

Whoa! Hey, open doors gently! If you break it, Ill make you pay for the damages!

The one emerging from inside while shrugging his shoulders was a silver-haired young adventurer.

His face flushed red, brow furrowed, and mouth twisted into a straight line.

Tears even welled in his eyes, clearly having experienced some unbearable frustration.

Blinded by anger, the young adventurer didnt seem to notice the burly man, disappearing into the crowds on the main street.

Wasnt that Kamasse?

The intimidating burly man recognized that young adventurer.

A promising youth who had recently arrived in town and been active at the Yoshanka branch.

Foul-mouthed yet earnest at his core despite childish tendencies.

But the burly man never expected such behavior from him?

Come now, no wandering gazes. Lets head inside promptly.

Yeah yeah, got it.

However, the burly mans train of thought was promptly derailed by the slim man prodding him from behind.

He then opened the door, the slim man pushing him through into the branch office.

* * *

(Phew I was wondering how Id handle being questioned, but it all concluded smoothly without any issues. What a relief~!)

Just prior to the intimidating burly mans entrance, the receptionist Pilitza had been heaving a sigh of relief.

From the frantic subjugation of the Togdo Commander to the subsequent cursed child expulsion chaos

While the rapidly shifting situation had unfolded in a dizzying blur, Pilitza was confident she had made the optimal choice for herself.

The Commanders subjugation meant avoiding any tedious paperwork, the cursed child seemed to have left town, and the Trade Association geezers had departed satisfied.

Cause for celebration.

True, losing the cursed child meant her temporary income was gone, but it couldnt be helped.

It had been unexpected money to begin with, so any greed beyond this point risked failure.

She had always intended to discard the cursed child at some juncture anyway, so she could embrace this conclusion.

She had earned more than enough. This was sufficient.

The only unexpected element had been that brat Kamasse stubbornly defending the cursed child and protesting against Pilitza.

After the cursed child dashed out, Kamasse had chased after her momentarily before returning and continuously voicing objections to Pilitza.

Well, despite his glib tongue, he was still just a child no match for Pilitza the hardened, corrupt receptionist veteran who eventually reduced him to storming out in tears.

Nnnn~~~! Fufufu!

Released from the tension, Pilitza stretched exaggeratedly.

In any case, everything was back to normal.

The days of mundane peacefulness lacking excitement, yet allowing her to steadily earn petty cash through fabricated ledger entries, had returned.

Ah, it was all over now.

Contemplating her stashed money no longer growing did stir a twinge of melancholy, but

Seems like youre having quite the fun time, huh?

Hiyah!?

And at that very moment

Startled by the sudden voice, Pilitza gave a small jump from her chair.

That deep, booming voice..she recognized it well.

Apprehensively, she turned toward the source standing before the counter.

Due to his tremendous stature, she found herself craning her neck upward.

That battered, intimidating visage.

The overwhelming presence radiating from his physique and face

AhY-Youve returned, havent you!? Chief!

Indeed, he was none other than Dakkante, the branch chief who had been away on an extended business trip recently, finally returning to the Yoshanka office!

(Oh no! Wasnt the chief supposed to come back much later!?)

She had grown careless in her complacency!

Inadvertently, her gaze flickered toward her desk.

Atop it sat an envelope containing 150,000 enn tonights earnings from the Cysh Grass haul she had pocketed for herself.

And that momentary glance did not go unnoticed!

Hmm, hmm, hmm? What envelope might this be? Oh, oh, oh? Hee, hoo, meeQuite a tidy sum of money, isnt it?

The slim man who had entered alongside Chief Dakkante immediately vaulted over the counter upon catching Pilitzas furtive glance, swiftly rummaging through her desk without hesitation.

Ah, h-hey, what are you doing!? Dont just barge into the office area uninvited!!

Despite Pilitzas flustered protest, the slim man paid her no heed.

Now then, now then, Pilitza? What might this money be? Please explain.

Wha!? Why should I tell you?! And who even are you!? Theres personal information all over! Youre an outsider, so get out of the office area at once!

My apologies, how rude of me.

Yet the man showed no intention of leaving, instead reaching into his breast pocket to retrieve a card which he presented to Pilitza.

It was an Adventurers Guild employee ID something Pilitza also possessed.

However, the contents printed on it proved problematic.

Upon seeing that employee ID and hearing the slim mans subsequent introduction, Pilitzas face contorted.

I am Sainon, an investigator from Adventurers Guild headquarters. As per regulations, I am authorized to gather information from employees and conduct physical investigations, with employees obligated to comply. You understand, dont you? Surely you learned this during the new employee training, yes?

A-Ah, uh, th-th-thats an i-investigator?

All Pilitza could manage was trembling out that stuttered question.

Th-Th-Thats right. An investigator. So? Pilitza, just what is this money?

Th-Thats! I-Its reward money to be paid out to adventurers! I simply set it aside from the rest so it would be ready for immediate disbursement!

And the adventurers name?

C-Confidentiality obligati

Not to worry. Of course I wont carelessly divulge any information I obtain from you. Or rather, you have an obligation to answer my questions, so? The adventurers name?

G-Garisen.

Suppressing her trembling body, Pilitza somehow managed to provide that name.

Garisen was a fictitious adventurer identity she had fabricated in her ledgers.

The Cysh Grass Emi harvested was all attributed to this Garisen having gathered it, with Pilitza naturally embezzling the reward payments meant for him.

Please refer to the documentation. Theres absolutely nothing untoward, I assure you.

Maintaining an air of nonchalance, Pilitza handed the relevant files over to Sainon.

It was a bold move, but she had meticulously ensured the documentation matched her fabrications thus far.

Even if inspected, these files wouldnt raise any issues.

Her only concern was if this Garisen persona faced deeper scrutiny, but at least this would buy her some time for now.

While the investigator pored over the documentation, she could explore alternative excuses

Eh!? Garisen, as in the wandering herb-gathering master Garisen? The blond 3rd rank adventurer with a large scar on his forehead?

Pilitzas attempts to find a solution were interrupted by that womans voice reaching her ears.

The voice belonged to the plain woman who had entered alongside Investigator Sainon and Chief Dakkante.

Oh, oh? You know of him, Taiche?

Yes. As a guild-affiliated adventurer, I have every single one committed to memory. There exists no other adventurer by the name Garisen besides that individual.

The woman conversed familiarly with Investigator Sainon.

Likely his subordinate colleague, his partner of some sort in any case, an associate.

This was her chance.

While she had fabricated this Garisen as a fictitious identity, if an adventurer by that exact name truly existed, she could play along convincingly!

Exactly! Thats the one~ Seems he had some circumstances preventing him from revealing his real name, so he asked me to keep it confidential. Even from an investigator like yourself, I was hesitant to divulge that information without his consent. My apologies!

She had initially withheld the name out of obligation to the adventurers own request for anonymity.

Yes, a plausible excuse without any unnaturalness.

I see. However, thats an odd tale, isnt it, Pilitza?

O-Odd? How so? That adventurer was definitely Garisen, yes? Nothing odd about

You see, Garisen passed away 5 years ago.

Huh?

Which is to say, Garisen has already deceased. So this Garisen appeared here in Yoshanka, you claim? Well now, how peculiar. Did a ghost manifest, perhaps?

Taiche snickered out those words teasingly.

(Ive been had!!)

By now, Pilitzas face had drained of all color, her lips turning purple.

Her knees trembled as dizziness overtook her senses.

Cold sweat drenched her.

Ah, and just to clarify, the notion of someone impersonating Garisens name is equally implausible. While admittedly renowned in certain circles as a herb-gathering master, the late Garisen unfortunately also had an alter ego as a roving thief. His death 5 years ago occurred in prison, in fact. Now, does it seem likely that a criminals name would be used as an alias? Did you put any thought into that aspect of your ruse? Need some time to reconsider? I can wait.

Pilitza no longer possessed the energy to muster any rebuttal.

Unable to remain standing, she collapsed onto the floor in a seated position.

What was happening right now?

How had it come to this?

Question after unanswered question flooded her addled mind, swirling chaotically without resolve.

Dizziness and vertigo overwhelmed her senses.

Yet one fact remained crystal clear even to Pilitzas state:

Something catastrophically detrimental to her was unfolding.

Hah. You two have had your fun toying with Pilitza, havent you, Investigator Sainon and Special Affairs Officer Taiche? This isnt getting us anywhere.

Heaving a sigh, it was Chief Dakkante who interjected into the conversation.

Ah, haha! My apologies, youre quite right. We happened upon additional incriminating evidence right before our eyes, so we simply couldnt resist prodding further.

Though verbally apologizing, Sainon showed no signs of remorse as he grinned in amusement.

Tch. Pilitza, the money in that envelope is a secondary concern for now. To begin with, allow me to explain why these two from headquarters had to trouble themselves by visiting this remote Yoshanka branch in the first place. And just to confirm, do you have any inkling of the reason?

Any inkling?

Even if asked, Pilitza had no clue whatsoever.

Embezzling reward payments?

Inflating contribution points through fraudulent accomplishments?

Improper handling of shelved requests?

She had plenty of inkling too many potential reasons, in fact.

Which one?

The words slipped out unintentionally, prompting Dakkante to slump his shoulders with a heavy sigh.

Likely every single transgression you just envisioned. You thought youd gotten away with it all, didnt you? But dont underestimate headquarters investigative capabilities. Some trigger tipped them off to your misconduct, and the more they dug, the more offenses piled up. Which resulted in me being summoned to headquarters and receiving a stern reprimand. Well, my circumstances dont really matter here. Regardless, this eventually led to the issuance of this directive.

Saying that, Dakkante retrieved a document from his chest pocket.

Not just any ordinary document its edges were adorned with ornate golden embellishments.

More prominently, the signature emblazoned at the very bottom.

The name inscribed was Lairine Rune the Immutable, revered as the strongest special-rank adventurer.

And the current supreme commander of the Adventurers Guild itself, the organizations leader.

In other words, this document was an official directive issued under the Adventurers Guilds supreme commanders authority!

AhhhFor various criminal charges, the apprehension of Pilitza, receptionist of the Adventurers Guild Teenidys Branch Yoshanka Office, is hereby ordered. So yeah. Pilitza, looks like your debts come due.