In the afternoon, I visited the Adventurers' Guild and decided to tell Wes about my important decision.
"Wes, please don't be surprised. The truth is... I'm thinking of retiring from adventuring."
"Oh, finally?"
For some reason, Wes accepted the decision, which was made with great regret and determination, calmly.
Not only that, but he even had a look of relief on his face, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Well, you did work hard for six months. To be honest, I thought you'd want to quit sooner...
I see, that's what it means.
He had already seen my lack of aptitude for being an adventurer six months ago, so it was only a matter of time before he retired me.
"You're my best friend, Wes. You know everything about me."
"Huh? Well, to be honest, there are many things I don't understand about you..."
"Once again, I feel embarrassed."
I smile back at his joke. At times like this, I feel a strong bond between our souls.
However, it's also true that I feel a slight uneasiness in my heart.
It makes me a little sad to think that today will be the last time we talk like this at the reception desk... Even if you stop being an adventurer, please continue to stay with me from time to time. Well, then...
"Wait, wait, where do you plan to go?"
"Huh? Now that I'm no longer an adventurer, I think I should look for another job."
"No, you can't just disappear by saying 'I quit'... I mean, do you have plans for your next job? Where will you stay from now on? I should warn you that you won't be able to use the guild's inns anymore. Are you planning on becoming homeless?"
"What the hell!"
What should I do?
Autumn is approaching and it's starting to get cold... I wonder if it would be okay to spend the night under the eaves.
I have [Disease Resistance], so I shouldn't catch a cold.
As he thought about this, Wes sighed.
"I figured you probably hadn't thought of anything in mind... But anyway, listen, I've prepared a little gift for you."
Saying this, Wes pulled a card out from under the counter.
It was a card the size of my palm, with an incredibly detailed portrait of me.
Although cameras had not yet been invented, the image looked like a photograph.
There were several words written next to it, but the language of this world is still unreadable to me.
"What's this?"
"This is a temporary citizen registration card," he explained.
When you arrived this morning, your magical power was 1, remember?
So I went to city hall and rushed to get this processed.
"Um, what?"
Yuji's citizenship has been provisionally registered. This means that Yuuji has become a citizen of this city.
Even when you say that, I don't really understand.
"Excuse me, what happens if I become a citizen?"
Wes looked confused for a moment, then brought his face close to my ear and whispered.
To put it bluntly, it means that the city government has officially recognized you as a "human."
Until now, Yuuji, you had been what they call an outsider, someone who, in practice, has no rights.
So, to put it bluntly, even if a citizen suddenly attacked you, you couldn't sue, and the guards wouldn't even bother to investigate.
The city government's official stance is that there are no refugees or slums here, and they prefer to turn a blind eye to any suffering those people endure.
The only reason you haven't suffered more until now is because the guild has protected you and prevented anyone from laying a hand on you.
Really? So I had no human rights.
I see, if that's the case, I can't just leave the guild. I'm starting to wonder if I should compensate them for making me sleep in the voyeurs' room.
Wes turned his face away from my ear, cleared his throat, and continued speaking.
However, from now on you will be treated as a citizen, with the right to appeal to the courts.
Anyone who harms you will be subject to criminal law, and both you and your property will be protected.
In return, however, you will have to pay a poll tax.
"What, I have to pay taxes...?"
"That's right. Well, it's probably difficult for you right now, Yuuji, so the guild will be flexible about it.
"Is that okay? But I'm already retiring from adventure..."
"There it is."
Wes raised three fingers and his glasses flashed.
There are three requirements to be recognized as a citizen of this city. First, you must live at a fixed address. Second, you must have a steady job or be willing to work. Third, you must be a human with magical powers.
Wes counts his fingers one by one and says with a knowing look.
Until now, it was believed that Eguene Yuji had no magical powers, so no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't register as a citizen. However, today it has been proven that you possess magical powers, so the path to becoming a citizen has finally been opened to you.
"Hmm... Are there other people who don't have magical powers?"
"No."
Wes smiled bitterly and shook his head slightly.
They say that a long time ago there were, but in Naropa there are no longer any people without magical powers.
As I told you this morning, magic is inherited through blood; everyone wanted useful abilities and passed them on to their children.
That's why I was surprised to see you, Yuji. I heard that in the New World and in the East there are still people without magic, so I assumed you came from there.
"I see."
Well, if that means their descendants will be able to use magic, then of course everyone wants to incorporate that blood.
If I could use magic, I would want to do so too.
This regulation had existed for a long time, although in practice it was no longer used.
Even so, it was what prevented Yuji from obtaining citizenship until now.
Today, however, it has been revoked, and Yuji finally meets the requirements to become a citizen.
I see, that's what Wes meant this morning when he said there's a big difference between magic power 0 and 1.
"But I live in an inn, can that really be called a permanent residence? And I'm no longer an adventurer, so I'm unemployed, right?"
"Yes, so you'll be moving. I have an apartment managed by an acquaintance, so you can move there. And don't leave the adventurers' guild, you're still a member. We can call you an adventurer even if you don't exterminate monsters."
What? Does that mean I have to sweep the sewers and find cats? That's too much...
I'm certainly grateful for the apartment.
It's hard to have a neighbor masturbating next door every night, shamelessly watching me. Thanks to my Mental Resistance, I don't get stressed even if he spies on my private life, and I can sleep peacefully until morning.
But hearing his moans through the thin wall has a strange effect... it almost makes me nervous and, somehow, excites me.
I've finally gotten the hang of adapting without worrying about the neighbor. When I do, I feel like I should be free, without interruptions, and that gives me a strange relief.
——
But the lower-level jobs the guild gives you are very poorly paid. It's fine if you do it as a side job while hunting rabbits, but if you make it your main job, you'll run out of resources.
Seeing my expression, Wes smiles wryly.
"No, no, you don't have to do jobs like digging sewers or finding cats anymore."
"Then maybe the guild reception? I can't read letters,
"That would be impossible for someone who can't read... But what I mean is, from now on, Yuuji, how about running your business under the name of our guild?
"Business...?"
I tilted my head. Am I in business?
I've never even worked part-time at a convenience store.
Looking at my face, Wes continues.
Anything would be fine. For example, buying potions from an alchemist's workshop and selling them at a street stall, or transporting the fruits of the hunt acquired by our guild.
You seem to have good mental arithmetic skills, so a business based on taking advantage of price differences would suit you well.
From now on, I will allow you to use our guild's name in any business you undertake.
In return, you will have to pay us 20% of your sales as tribute.
I propose that we sign a contract with those conditions.
A 20% tax payment?
What do you think about this? When I think that the guild has taken 20% of my money without doing anything for me, I feel like I'm losing a lot.
As I tilted my head, unable to decide, Wes gave me a small, wry smile.
Honestly, I think it's a good deal. Normal street vendors have to join a merchant guild, but their tribute is only 25%.
In addition, our guild master is the lord's third daughter, which offers a different kind of stability: being related to the head of the city government.
No matter what business you do, it's sure to benefit you. We'll even pay the poll tax to the government as a guild tribute.
"I see, so it would be like being directly under the control of the nation's supreme leader.
The Adventurers' Guild is not only a company for exterminating monsters, but also an organization responsible for maintaining peace.
To be honest, it seems that these guys are the ones who should be suppressed, but in the Middle Ages, disputes were more easily resolved with violence.
And the one who rules this city is precisely the one who supports that violence.
To be exact, it is Miss Deabolica, the third daughter of the head of the family.
I thought she was a career woman with an air of a ruthless and calculating leader, but in reality she has a rough and unconventional character.
This certainly sounds like a good deal.
This is not just a store run by politicians, but a store managed directly by the government's National Agency. It gives the impression of being a store that can be trusted.
Is that okay with you? I feel like I've been given an incredible privilege. Is this allowed for all adventurers?
"No way."
Wes put his index finger to his mouth and winked at him.
"You're the only one. Don't gossip too much."
"...Why are you treating me so well?"
I'm just a useless, low-level adventurer who came from another world.
No matter how you look at it, there seems to be no reason for such special treatment.
Wes then gave a small smile and scratched his cheek.
"Wouldn't it be a bad idea to abandon your best friend in trouble?"
"Wes...!"
I savored the emotion that welled up in my chest.
Not only did they take time off from work to register me as a citizen, but they also provided me with these privileges... Friends are truly what we need.
"Thank you...! Thank you...!"
I grabbed Wes's hand and shook it up and down to show my gratitude.
Damn, it's a shame I lost my empathy due to [Mental Resistance].
Wes, who cares so much about his friends, seems kind. I need to overcome this disadvantage and learn to recognize his emotions.
Wes cleared his throat and added something as if he wanted to make an excuse.
"Well, I'll intervene if you start doing any really unscrupulous business, but please don't do anything that tarnishes the guild's reputation."
Of course! I will definitely live up to the trust that the guild and you have placed in me! It's a promise between men!
When I said that, Wes laughed.
Wh-what word is that? Man and man... I've never heard such a strange expression.
It's a nice phrase that conveys male friendship, isn't it? It's in my native language.
"Hehe... Yes, that's right. I think it's a good way to put it."
With that, Wes finally showed us his carefree smile.
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I see! So you're finally ready to stop being an adventurer!
When Deabolica heard the report in the Guild Master's office at the back of the Adventurers' Guild, she was more excited than she had been in years.
She loses her poker face, the one that made the guild members secretly call her "cold-hearted woman" or "shameless," and jumps up and down with her hands raised in joy.
Perhaps she was also careless because her cousin was the only person there.
Her cousin Wes, who had given the report, gently wiped his glasses with a cloth and continued.
Yes. She said she had reached her limit and no longer intended to exterminate monsters. However, if she continued like this, she would have difficulty earning a living, and if she changed guilds, she would no longer be under our control. Therefore, at my discretion, I have granted him the privilege of using the guild's name for his business. Is that okay with you?
"Yes, that's absolutely right. No problem, you did a good job."
Deabolica nodded with a smile as he listened to Wes's report after the fact.
He was reaching the limit of his patience with the outbursts of his guild members. He felt his heart wearing out after days of calming the lustful widows who came to him daily, demanding that he hurry up and send him home, that he wait as long as necessary and only ask for a taste.
Deabolica thought that if he was so excited, they should go to a brothel and let off steam,
but the widows insisted that having a prostitute and an attractive husband at home were two completely different things.
It was a completely ineffective and incomprehensible idea to him.
For this reason, Deabolica, whose mind was exhausted by the fruitless daily routine of appeasing the sex-crazed women, had no time to think about what to do with Yuuji after he retired from being an adventurer, and was very grateful for Wes's arrangement to take care of it for him.
This cousin, three years older than Deabolica, always filled in the gaps in her plans. He was a very reliable and talented secretary, and on second thought, it was easy to overlook his occasional sarcastic remarks.
The couple currently ranked first in the rankings are Moira and Aster. I will assign him the role of shared husband in that group, as is customary
.
It would be a good idea to hold a lavish wedding to show my gratitude.
If we form a new family with Yuuji at the helm, it will be more difficult for the group to dissolve, even if internal disputes arise, which will make things easier in many ways.
There is also the option of promoting him as a vassal of our family in the long term.
What about the groups in second and last place? Will they settle for saying, "Unfortunately, they weren't strong enough"?
Wes's point was valid.
If they had been under Deabolica's command for half a year in a fierce battle, and then told that they had lost and there would be no prize, they might become discouraged and move to a guild in another city.
Even if they were told there was no remedy because they had lost, humans are not so naive as to settle for that.
Deabolica placed her hand on her thin chin and stared into space.
Well, that's absolutely true. I thought about making him a shared husband for the group leaders ranked first to fifth, but that would probably cause complaints from other members, as well as the leaders themselves.
Ah, right.
We could distribute tickets to rent a husband for one night to the groups ranked second to fifth. That way, the losers wouldn't be dissatisfied either.
Hmm, that's a good idea, if I may say so myself.
As he makes these calculations, Deabolica smiles with satisfaction.
He feels pretty good about himself.
Although Yuji had decided to retire from his adventures, he had not agreed to marry, so he would involuntarily refuse. However, he had to convince him somehow to accept the offer.
Thanks to Wes for granting me the privilege, I now have control. You did very well, hehe.
"Yes."
Wes looked down with an expression of genuine disgust on his face, but after a moment he nodded expressionlessly.
This woman's cunning and eloquence are particularly remarkable. Her personality lived up to her name. What kind of intuition does the head of this family have?
"Oh, and when I examined him again today, I discovered that he has a small amount of magical power, so I have provisionally registered his citizenship."
Hearing what Wes said casually, Deabolica frowned and stared at him.
Isn't he someone without magical power? The test six months ago proved that he had no magical power. In fact, I checked it myself with the testing machine.
Could it have been a misidentification? This morning's test definitely proved that he possessed magical powers. If the results of the previous and current tests are inconsistent, then the most recent one is probably correct.
"..."
Deabolica stares at Wes's face with an unreadable expression.
After a moment of silence, she shook her head slightly.
Well, I suppose so. Obviously, it's better for someone to have a minimum amount of magical power than someone without it, and it's good news that his market value has increased. It would have been better if he didn't have citizenship so we could do whatever we wanted with him...
But anyway, as long as he's in this city, he's our family's property. It's no big deal. Oh, and just in case, have the inspection machine repaired.
"Got it."
Wes nodded respectfully.
Turning her back on him, Deabolica continued her amusing calculations.
Well, I gave him a chance, albeit a small one.
Will Yuji be able to find a way out? Even Wes, who has given him the opportunity, does not know what the path to freedom will be.
Caught between being a friend to a foreigner and the secretary to his evil cousin, Wes prayed silently for his friend's success.
Despite being born into a branch of a local noble family without rank, being born noble meant that, no matter how much he wanted to, he could never see the world outside the castle walls.
For Wes, the stories his strange friend, who claimed to come from another world, told him every time he returned from the outside world were one of his few joys.
He talked about such trivial things as encountering a giant horned rabbit or marveling at the brown water flowing through a peat-filtered river, something that all Brishavians take for granted.
He seemed to enjoy sharing those humble adventure stories, and listening to them, Wes felt like he was exploring the outside world through Yuji's eyes.
He couldn't do anything for himself. Having been born a noble, he had accepted that he had never had wings to fly outdoors.
But I hope that no one will ever take away the wings of that strange, elusive, kind man who called me his best friend.