Chapter 59 – Knights and Adventurers

“Hey now! Just because you’re knights doesn’t mean you can look down on us!”

While waiting to exchange materials gathered from Dusk Forest for money at the Guild, angry shouts echoed through the lobby. When I looked to see what was happening, I found an adventurer group and a knight squad glaring at each other.

…As expected, I suppose. It seems friction has arisen between adventurers and the Knight Order.

Adventurers and knights value freedom and discipline respectively, which are complete opposites. If the Knight Order was coming to the labyrinth, some trouble was to be expected…

“Things aren’t looking peaceful. What’s going on with you guys?”

When another adventurer group asked, one of the adventurers replied with clear displeasure.

“What do you mean what’s going on… We were diving in the labyrinth when they told us they’re investigating this area so we should go somewhere else! And they’re still complaining even after we came out!”

“No, wait. All I said was that we’d prefer if you didn’t get too close during our labyrinth exploration field training. We have our own Task too. There are things about the training content we can’t discuss or show to outsiders.”

Task. The pretext might be different, but it’s probably about the sealed door.

Alfred mentioned something similar, but that would be about the unopenable door with the Emblem that’s supposed to connect to an unimplemented area. Assuming we’re talking about BFO, that is.

“Hah? Are you saying we’re snooping around? First of all, you guys show up later demanding we hand over our maps and guide you deeper – you’ve got some nerve!”

“We weren’t the ones who said that. We’re different from those people, or at least we intend to be.”

As the red-faced adventurer said this, the young knight facing him also voiced his displeasure.

I couldn’t see his expression. He had his back to me and only had his visor raised.

“Hah! We’ll see about that!”

“What did you say…?”

This is how it was going. Since I didn’t witness what happened, I can’t say whose story is correct, but this time it seems like the adventurer side is the one provoking.

Actually… maps and reached Floors, huh. So there really are people who did that?

“The official reason the Knight Order is dispatched is for knight and soldier training. So normally, they shouldn’t do that kind of thing. Probably if anyone would do that, it would be Greg’s faction. I heard they sent their own people to the labyrinth since their influence has been waning.”

Sheila provided that additional information.

“…And Greg himself is at the Castle with the Wyvern Corps, I take it?”

“Seems so.”

Training is just the pretext. Even if we vaguely suspect from the Knight Order’s movements that there’s something in the labyrinth, officially that’s the story. Where there’s money to be made, people will investigate, I suppose.

Greg’s faction too, huh… Whether it’s maps or reached Floors, those are like the fruits of adventurers’ hard work. If they’re told to hand them over, it would naturally breed resentment.

Adventurers have strong horizontal connections. If some of them pull that kind of stunt, everyone gets viewed with suspicion, and bad reputations spread quickly – I understand that.

Greg and his people are probably rushing for achievements because they feel threatened by their declining influence, but if that’s earning them adventurers’ resentment—Greg really is just damaging the Knight Order’s reputation. Though of course, applying that to everyone would be wrong.

“Excuse me, Theodore-san. Please wait a moment.”

“…Understood.”

Seeing things were heating up, Heather stepped out.

“Please calm down. We can’t have disputes here.”

Heather fearlessly stepped in to mediate. I guess if she hesitated in situations like this, she wouldn’t be fit to be an Adventurer Guild receptionist.

Heather… has something of a hard-worker personality.

She complains about having too much work and no days off, yet she actively takes on work and handles it skillfully. So she gets relied on by her superiors and ends up even busier.

“So what are you saying we should do then?”

“There might be misunderstandings on both sides. Rather than settling things here and now and leaving bad feelings, it would be better to work on preventing recurrence—”

Heather’s argument… is somewhat correct in this situation. From what I can tell just listening to both sides’ stories this time, the dispute seems to have arisen from mutual impressions.

Since both sides are speaking based on impressions, it becomes a pointless argument, and unless it’s serious enough to warrant Magical Inquisition, it depends on subjectivity, so even if we conducted an inquiry, we wouldn’t reach a conclusion.

“Hey! Whose side are you on?!”

…That’s what I thought, but it seemed one of the adventurers didn’t see it that way.

In fact, he had been wearing an expression expecting Heather to take their side, but instead he grew furious at her words, interrupted her mid-sentence, and moved toward her as if about to grab her.

This seems like a situation where I should help Heather. For better or worse, she’s the person I’ve known longest in the Guild. She arranges things for us, and she’s been handling our affairs ever since we came here.

I moved swiftly to where I’d be in the adventurer’s line of sight and gave him a glance. As planned, it caught the adventurer’s attention, and he frowned as he looked at me.

“…Demon Slayer. You’re pretty arrogant for a newbie. I thought you were supposed to respect your seniors?”

“…Then shouldn’t you respect the Knight Order who was conducting investigation training there first?”

If we’re going to argue about who was there first, that’s how it should be. The labyrinth isn’t this man’s personal property, and I have no intention of looking up to a man like this as a senior or relying on him.

“What did you say?”

“Hey, Jasper. Maybe you should—”

“Shut up! Are you scared just because he’s the Demon Slayer?!”

The man called Jasper waved his hand as if brushing them off, practically foaming at the mouth.

He’s so worked up he’s even snapping at his own companions. In his case, it seems he’s motivated more by territorial instincts and pride – like how adventurers were in the labyrinth first – rather than reason.

“…No. My apologies. Indeed, I’ve heard there have been such incidents. Those people have been cautioned. I apologize for any words or actions that may have caused misunderstanding.”

The knight, who until now had only raised his helmet visor, this time removed his helmet entirely and bowed.

Since he had his back to me until now, I hadn’t realized, but she appeared to be a female knight.

Her voice was somewhat husky and artificial-sounding, and she was tall, so with the helmet and surcoat outfit, it was hard to tell.

“Too little too late!”

“Jasper!”

“Goddammit!”

When his companion admonished him in a stern tone, he scanned his surroundings – perhaps realizing he had no support – clicked his tongue, and stomped away with heavy footsteps.

“…Thank you, Theodore-san.”

“Not at all. Heather-san always takes care of us.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Haaaah…”

Heather seemed somewhat dejected, perhaps because the mediation didn’t go well. She probably considers resolving such troubles part of her job.

“…I apologize for causing a disturbance. I’m not used to the labyrinth and had lost some composure. I am Mercedes Corbett.”

Knight Mercedes bowed to the adventurers.

“…No, we were at fault too. I admit we were lumping you together with the others.”

The remaining adventurer group conveyed their apologies to Mercedes and left. Well, aside from Jasper, they seemed satisfied.

Depending on how things go, Jasper might leave the adventurer group. I don’t feel responsible for that level of outcome, but Heather seems to think differently.

“I apologize for making you go through the trouble of intervening. It may not be my place to say, but I’ll raise the issue within the Knight Order and work on prevention measures.”

“That would be helpful, but… That man Jasper was angry more about pride and face rather than logical arguments, wasn’t he? And for the Knight Order side, isn’t it more about Greg’s faction being the problem rather than the Knight Order as a whole?”

“…Well, no, that might be true, but…”

When I said that, Mercedes scratched her head with a troubled expression… That must be difficult for her to answer, being in court service.