Chapter 18
The knights entered the guild office and immediately headed toward the employees.
Amber spotted Jessica and Jake nearby.
Her face brightened, and she approached them.
"It's good to see you again."
Jessica looked genuinely happy to see her.
Jake bowed politely.
"It's been a while."
Amber smiled at his formal greeting.
"If you have time later, please come by and prepare tea for Lady Rachel."
She laughed softly.
"She talks about your milk tea quite often."
"I'm honored."
Jake answered.
"Though I worry my crude hands might spoil the young lady's refined taste."
Amber laughed.
"Hoho. Just as before, you're quite unusual."
She studied him curiously.
"Whenever I see you, I become more interested in how you were raised."
Jessica strongly agreed with that statement.
"Ah, right."
Amber gestured toward a Ranger who had entered with her.
"This gentleman will also be supporting the exploration team with me."
"He's Deputy Commander Nicholas."
The Ranger was a handsome man in his thirties wearing leather armor.
"I'm Jessica."
Jake bowed.
"It's an honor to meet you, Sir Nicholas. My name is Jay."
Nicholas laughed loudly.
"Amber was right."
He looked amused.
"You certainly know formal etiquette."
Then he waved dismissively.
"But you don't need to greet me with knightly etiquette."
"I'm a Ranger."
Jake had thought a deputy commander among the Rangers ranked about the same as a knight.
Apparently...
Nicholas cared little about ceremony.
Still, he clearly appreciated the respectful greeting.
Jessica had already become accustomed to Jake doing strange things.
She ignored it and asked Amber a question.
"Are you going to explore with those knights?"
Perhaps because Amber was the friend of such a down-to-earth noblewoman...
Or because they had become friendly during their week of travel...
The noble-born mage often answered Jessica's questions comfortably.
Jessica also treated Amber far more casually than she treated most nobles.
Nothing had changed from when they traveled together.
"Yes."
Amber nodded.
"We were asked by the imperial family to assist."
Judging by how awkward things seem between them, she's probably helping only because she has no choice.
Jake thought.
Well, that's only natural.
While Jake was thinking...
A shout erupted from the area where the knights had gone.
"What do you mean recruitment won't be easy?!"
A knight's angry voice filled the guild.
"This expedition was formed by imperial decree!"
"How dare you say such a thing!"
The female employee in front of him looked terrified.
The mercenaries watching the scene began quietly moving away.
"We have enough people willing to work as porters."
The employee carefully explained.
"But we don't have enough professional mercenaries."
She hesitated.
"Still, one high-ranking thief has already joined."
"I'm not talking about porters!"
The knight slammed a hand down.
"This is going nowhere."
"Where is your branch manager?!"
The world really is the same everywhere.
The shouting knight reminded Jake of unreasonable customers from his previous life.
At that moment...
A guild-affiliated mercenary who happened to be present stepped in front of the employee.
It was Allen, the mercenary who had administered Jake's test.
"It's because the mercenaries here are thoughtless."
Allen spoke smoothly.
"It's not that absolutely no one applied."
His voice carried clearly because everyone was already watching.
"If you raise the reward grade slightly, you'll fill the positions."
Jake looked at Jessica in surprise.
"The people who applied..."
"That's us?"
Jessica nodded.
"Yeah."
"We're the only ones."
Jake and Jessica had applied immediately after confirming the direction of the expedition.
Amber looked delighted when she heard.
"You two applied?"
"Yes."
Jessica answered.
"We happened to be free."
"That's wonderful."
Amber nodded happily.
Nicholas, standing beside her, gave the two a meaningful look.
The atmosphere around Jake's group was fairly warm.
The atmosphere around the knight...
Was not.
An imperial direct knight was practically a minor noble or higher.
He was not accustomed to being treated this badly.
Worse...
The lord had insulted the imperial family directly the previous day.
The knight's anger had been steadily boiling.
Mana that he had been suppressing began leaking from his body.
It rippled through the air around him.
"Tch."
Nicholas clicked his tongue when he sensed the killing intent.
"His mental discipline is lacking."
He turned toward Amber.
"I'll handle this for a moment."
Then he walked toward the knight.
"Would raising the reward solve the problem?"
The knight flinched in surprise.
At the same moment he heard Nicholas's voice...
The mana leaking from his body scattered.
Only another mana user could do something like that.
For the first time...
The knight realized Nicholas was also a mana user.
His mind immediately cleared.
They might still be within the empire.
But this was not a safe place to act purely on emotion.
"Yes."
Allen quickly answered Nicholas before the knight could say anything.
"If the reward is high enough, there will be people willing to join."
Allen had immediately recognized Nicholas as a deputy commander.
He could stand his ground against a rude knight from far away.
But in front of the most dangerous hunting dog belonging to the local lord...
Lowering one's head was usually wiser.
"Then raise the reward by two grades."
Nicholas decided immediately.
"Our territory will pay the difference."
Allen and the knight both widened their eyes.
Nicholas apparently possessed more authority than they expected.
In any case...
The knight relaxed somewhat after seeing that Lutetia was providing real support despite the duke's words.
Nicholas had also received instructions from his lord.
The exploration itself still needed to move forward.
For this matter...
He was willing to offer goodwill.
