A Lonely Stranger
After the influx of newcomers, the guild eventually settled down.
That's because those clearly unsuited for it quietly returned to their hometowns, and the thoughtless fools got themselves locked up by the guards early on.
A newly formed party called 『God-slaying Thunder』 had its leader fall into the depths of crime and disperse abruptly. They didn't even manage to slay a goblin, let alone a god. In a way, that's legendary speed, though.
Then there are those who can't consistently make money; such teams disband quickly.
Having too many members and poor share distribution are often cited as major pitfalls. Unless it's a commission with a performance-based fee, picking away at fixed-reward missions inevitably leads to collapse. Such teams, lacking in calculation, undoubtedly have an air of being from rural backgrounds.
And there were those who, faced with supporting a large number of members, dove into higher difficulty missions only to face more tragic outcomes.
I won't specify what sorts of troubles they encountered, but even the lucky ones fell into debt slavery to pay medical expenses. It's sad, really.
As for the remaining folks, you could say they were relatively sensible.
But even so, the harsh reality was that many of them could be compared to "unexploded bombs" that, for some reason, hadn't yet gone off.
Still, promising rookies were valuable, so existing weak parties began headhunting newcomers they could use as gofers.
Having capable members would make work easier.
Also, in a cruel twist, most parties set new recruits' shares lower for being newcomers. Exploitation is everywhere. The world is harsh.
Nevertheless, not every surviving newcomer was a fool.
Those with a keen sense sniffed out bad seniors and effectively avoided them, and they gathered information on their own initiative.
Those who managed to join established, reputable parties did become candidates for long-lived guild members.
As for myself, I gladly shared information if asked.
As long as you bought me a drink, be it alcohol or milk, I'd become quite talkative.
I didn't like idiots who ignored advice, but I took some interest in those who came to me with questions.
「You seem serious, so this place suits you」 or 「If you want inexpensive, durable weapons, that shop is good,」 or 「They're a man short right now, so you might ask to join them.」
I'd loosely offer such introductions.
Doing these information-broker or informant-like things brought curious people who said, 「Please let me join your party, Mongrel!」 which I found amusing.
Solo as I was, I politely declined them.
Even if people admired me, it was only a matter of time before they compared me to others and thought, 「Isn't Mongrel a weirdo?」
Solo work lets you reap all the rewards but never carelessly accept dangerous commissions alone. Don't emulate those aspects of me.
「Mongrel, would you like to join our party?」
This pattern was one I'd never encountered before.
Taken aback, I accidentally swallowed the dried meat I was chewing.
「I heard you've been working solo in Regor for a long time, Mongrel. But we don't care about your hair!」
What kind of creepy kid was this? The boys and girls behind him also had sparkling eyes. What were they recruiting for? It wasn't a cult, right? And please don't casually diss my hair.
「Well, I'm fond of working solo. I'm grateful for the invitation, but if you're looking to add members, find someone else.」
「What...?」
Why was he so shocked at being turned down?
They seemed oblivious, but they were drawing quite a lot of guild attention—none of it positive.
「Ah! Let's start with introductions! I'm Frank, the leader of 『Sunlight at the World's End』! This is our wizard, my sister Chell, and this is our spearman Gido.」
This guy was persistent! I turned him down, didn't I? I clearly said no.
Such tenacity should be used in missions...
「... It's not something I can say loudly, but Chell and I have Sangreal blood.」
Even though I wasn't in a position to listen, Frank whispered this.
I couldn't grasp this kid's sense of distance. Was he saying he wouldn't discriminate because they shared Sangreal blood? It troubled me to hear that.
「Listen, having Sangreal blood has nothing to do with why I work solo. I enjoy the freedom.」
「You're solo by choice...? Though it could be nicer with others, you choose to be alone...?」
「Stop looking at me like you're observing a new species of monster. Such people exist. They're real.」
There were few who successfully worked solo in Regor, that's true.
But you know, there are creatures like slugs that only survive under rocks in this world. You must leave such people be.
「... Well, if you ever feel like it, please let us know.」
And with that, the members of 『Sunshine at the World's End』 left the guild.
... Well, they probably weren't inherently bad.
But people like them might unwittingly step on someone's landmine, which frightened me. They didn't seem like the types who navigated life smoothly.
Their slightly superior tone when inviting me made me suspect they might start a conflict sooner or later.
Just avoid dangerous incidents, please.
「Mongrel, are you really passing on that kind party that invited you? Missing this opportunity?」
「Oh no, what have you done, Mongrel... Refusing an offer from the legendary party, the so-called 'End of the Something'... Such a waste!」
「Shut up.」
The drunks who had been watching from a distance with smirks were truly annoying.
And mocking another party's name openly is not good. To me, 『Sunshine at the World's End』 is quite acceptable.
In Halperia's military or guild, Sangreals are disliked, so maybe that made it seem skewed. Not that I care.
「Mongrel, you put my cute Raina in danger, didn't you?」
One day, while I was at a guild table diligently mixing my homemade portable porridge with milk, a beautiful woman sat across from me. There were plenty of empty seats around, but she sat here.
「Isn't this the leader of Artemis, Sheena of the Everlasting Arrow? Good to see you.」
「You took Raina out and fought a Cyclops, didn't you?」
「Well, that's true, but it was an unexpected encounter. I did my best to ensure safety.」
「Did you?」
This woman with the long black braid was Sheena, the leader of Artemis.
As her nickname 『Everlasting Arrow』 suggests, she's a naturally talented archer, the best in Regor.
She's an enigmatic woman with a past from the royal capital, but I don't know much. She seems like a descendant of a poor or fallen noble. She carries that sort of dignity.
Her leadership as a party leader is genuine. Despite being an almost all-female party, she's maintained exemplary organization for years.
That's why, despite the unexpected Cyclops encounter, I could understand her frustration towards me. From the outside, it looks reckless. I also work solo, after all.
And I once said something rude to one of her members... mainly feeling it's because of that.
「Facing a Cyclops one-on-one isn't sane. Its skin and fur are tough, so it's not easily defeated even with strengthening.」
「What would I have done alone? But Raina helped by injuring its face with her arrow.」
「I heard, but the wound was shallow, wasn't it?」
Huh, caught? Well, if she heard from Raina, that figured. I didn't stop Raina from sharing.
「It came wading through the river.」
「I'm questioning your abilities, Mongrel. Was it luck you defeated it, or something else?」
「... What's your point?」
「Join us for a joint mission next time. Let us test if you're capable of protecting Raina.」
「But why me?」
「If not, don't take Raina out like that again. She's a dear comrade to us.」
... I see.
If I'm to take Raina out in a small group, I need to demonstrate adequate capability. That's the deal. Else, keep away. As a party leader responsible for members' lives, it's a logical standpoint.
「I promised Raina. We'd go again. So, it's fine with me.」
「...! You'll accept?」
「Yeah. I can't let it end with ten catches for her and none for me...」
「... Oh, she boasted about that. Said she won at fishing...」
「I'll show that it was a mistake.」
「... To clarify, we're not testing fishing skills, but if you show your combat skills, that's enough.」
「Understood. I'll show you, quickly.」
Despite saying this, well.
I can't exactly use my skills openly.
I'll need to be creative and demonstrate that I can fight well enough.
I'm sure I'll figure something out once I try.
「Sheena, are you interested in buying this portable porridge mix? It's a convenient ration that turns into porridge with just milk or ale. I could offer you a discounted set of 12 right now.」
「No, thanks.」
「... I see...」
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
I'm guessing MC is trying to sell Mongrel Stick No. 4?
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】