Don't Misjudge Your Priorities

With the decision made to accept the job, we hammered out the finer details to prevent any disputes later and formally signed a contract.

It was a direct commission, bypassing the Adventurer's Guild.

No middleman's cut, but no quest evaluation either.

All compensation would be paid to Yohane.

You might think everyone would prefer direct commissions without the middleman.

But while it was no problem for Yohane, there were adventurers out there who were clueless about contracts.

Troublingly, I'd heard that even some high-rank adventurers fell into that category.

There had been a period where adventurers were exploited, worked to the bone under terms that bordered on extortion.

In the wake of that, the Adventurer's Guild began taking a brokerage fee in exchange for handling the administrative side, and that was how the current system came about.

As an aside, the Guild had grown explosively after that shift, expanding across the entire continent.

The funds earned from brokering allowed them to scale up, which in turn let them take on more quests and earn even more.

That was precisely why they had branches on every corner of the continent, operating as an independent organization beholden to no nation.

They were, through and through, a for-profit enterprise.

Even without being a slave, an ignorant person was easy prey.

The law could hold even nobles accountable, but if you didn't know that, you couldn't make it fight on your behalf.

A person being deceived first needed to realize they were being deceived.

"That concludes the contract. What a relief."

Anatia-jou said, pressing a hand to her chest.

We shook hands and stood.

"Then I look forward to working with you starting tomorrow. Yohane-san."

"Likewise."

After the farewell, she departed with her maids in tow.

Finally, the tension left my shoulders.

"Was it really okay to accept?"

"Yeah. You were just saying we should leave tomorrow, weren't you?"

The moment the guest was gone, Azu and Elza circled around to face me.

"It's not ideal. Not ideal at all. But life doesn't always go the way you want, and the compensation was fair."

Yohane rolled up the contract and stuffed it into his supply pouch.

"Well, I'm used to you doing as you please by now, Master. But a tax exemption certificate, that's quite bold. Is a time period written in?"

"According to the contract, ten years. Couldn't quite get it in perpetuity."

"I see… Just don't go getting all starry-eyed because she's pretty, got it?"

With that, Alexia turned away.

I didn't think I'd been starry-eyed, but arguing would only make her mood worse.

Leave her alone and she'd come around on her own.

I turned to Azu.

"Azu."

"Yes?"

"This is a guard detail. Meaning I'll be useless. I won't be coming along, so you'll be the leader. I'm leaving the specifics to you."

"Wha—?!"

Her startled voice was loud enough to make me wince.

I'd mentioned it during the discussion and it was written in the contract. Had she not been listening?

If so, what had she been distracted by?

"Basically, just stay close and keep her safe from danger. And don't mix up your priorities."

"Yes! The person we're guarding comes first, right?"

"Wrong. We've taken on a guard job, but we haven't sworn loyalty. We don't eat their bread or live on their payroll. Listen carefully. The top priority is you three. The person we're guarding comes second. Don't ever get that confused."

"Understood!"

Azu's energetic reply was reassurance enough.

Having Elza meet the Church of the Sun God's delegation made me uneasy, but I trusted she wouldn't do anything rash.

With Alexia there, they'd know how to conduct themselves properly around nobility.

I was curious about a noble's daily routine, but the maids had made it clear they'd rather not have a man hovering around an unmarried duke's daughter.

The instant it was decided that the guard detail would be Azu and the others without Yohane, they'd visibly relaxed.

Perhaps they didn't want Anatia-jou taking an interest in me.

Plausible enough. On my end, I wasn't seeking anything beyond a cordial relationship, either.

Fortunately, if you could call it that, the preparations for leaving Alsarm were already complete.

All I needed to do was pull out the excess food and other supplies, and that would suffice.

The food would keep, so we'd eat through it eventually.

With nowhere to store it, though, I'd have to rent a room at the inn again.

"Get some rest today. I'm turning in, too."

And with that, the day came to a close.

The next morning, I saw Azu and the others off to the ducal manor.

They'd been there before, so getting lost wasn't a concern.

"Well, we're off. I'm a little nervous going to a noble's house without you…"

"Don't be so tense. Alexia, Elza, back Azu up."

"You don't need to tell me."

"Got it."

I watched them head out.

All I needed was for them to come back safe.

The quest could fail for all I cared.

"Now then."

That said, it wasn't as if there was nothing I could do.

As the saying went, do everything in your power, then leave the rest to fate.

I headed to the Adventurer's Guild and sent a coded message to summon Finn.

Whether it would reach her in time was anyone's guess, but if I could borrow her strength, she'd be the best support for Azu and the others.

It might end up being for nothing, but passing on an option just because it might not work out only narrowed your choices.

From here on, all I could really do was trust them.

But sitting around waiting wasn't in my nature. Might as well do some market research while I had the chance.

No matter how generous the tax exemption, it was pointless if I didn't know what sold for a premium here.

I set off on a tour of Alsarm's shops.

Every store I visited stocked wines and spirits I'd never seen before.

As expected of a major trade hub.

Kingdom-produced alcohol, on the other hand, was scarce.

I bought a few items and used casual conversation as cover to ask around.

That way, they wouldn't brush me off.

I couldn't probe too deeply without raising suspicion, so I only learned the broad strokes, but that was enough for a starting point.

Alsarm served as a gathering point for alcohol from all over, offering a wide variety of options.

As a result, Kingdom-produced spirits held a low market share and were being squeezed out.

However, the city's original residents, the people who'd lived here before it became such a hub, still preferred Kingdom brands, so there was a baseline of steady demand.

Domestic premium liquor might be worth targeting.

Walking around since morning with bottles of liquor tucked under my arm, I felt every bit the irresponsible adult.

I could practically feel the stares, though that was probably just self-consciousness.

Nobody was that idle.