Akatsuki Translations

“…I thought we were past needing this sort of thing lately,” Ur muttered as he woke up to find himself in the healing room of the Adventurers’ Guild. It had been a while since he’d lost consciousness, having been able to adventure relatively peacefully without any life-threatening injuries since obtaining Uuga. (Though it had still only been about two months.)

However, this time there were no notable major injuries. His arm wasn’t cursed, nor was he wearing any strange eye patches. He was in perfect health.

“Well, I guess I got lucky this time,” he said to himself.

《Nii-tan, haven’t your standards for “lucky” gotten way too low?》 came an exasperated voice.

“Good morning, Akane,” Ur greeted, patting the head of the cat-formed Akane at his bedside as he sat up. After checking his body’s condition, he got out of bed to find Shizuku and Diz were there as well. And so was the one who had knocked him unconscious.

“Good morning, Shizuku. Diz,” he said.

“Good morning, Ur-sama,” Shizuku replied.

“It’s already afternoon, though,” Diz pointed out.

“And… hello, Ikaza-san,” Ur added.

Ikaza Gran Sparkray, the Guild Master who had knocked Ur out, responded to his greeting.

“I apologize for the rough welcome,” she said.

“No, you actually helped me out,” Ur replied.

He understood her intentions when she had intervened earlier. Thanks to her, the troublesome fervor had been dealt with skillfully without leaving any unnecessary bad feelings. Though the thugs who had initially accosted him might hold a grudge.

“Gagaru, I’ll give a stern warning to those who tried to pick a fight with you. They shouldn’t bother you while you’re staying in Proudia,” Ikaza added, as if reading Ur’s mind.

Ur bowed his head. She had thought of everything.

“However, my influence only extends this far,” she continued. “You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”

“Unfortunately, I understand all too well,” Ur replied.

He had thought he grasped the situation, but it seemed Ur and his companions had become even more famous than he realized, and the malice and jealousy directed at them had grown even greater. Even if Ikaza could keep the Adventurers’ Guild she controlled in check, that was only sealing off one avenue of ill will.

“The Adventurers’ Guild used to be pretty peaceful until now,” Ur mused.

He had tried his best to take care of the adventurers, who were both his colleagues and sources of information. He had exchanged words with them many times, distributed money appropriately, and tried to control any hate directed at him. But it seemed that he and his companions were becoming too famous for such stopgap measures to work anymore.

“However, we’ve just arrived in Proudia, so we can’t expect to immediately become friends with everyone. Trust is built over time, there are no shortcuts,” Shizuku said.

“I want to say ‘you’re one to talk,’ but I guess you’re right,” Ur replied.

There was no room for argument against Shizuku’s words. It would be presumptuous for Ur and his companions, who had just arrived in Proudia, to expect immediate trust. Unless they had acquaintances here from before—

“Hm?” Ur’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the infirmary door. Soon after, two adventurers entered. They looked around curiously, and upon spotting Ur, came straight towards him.

Ur was puzzled at first, but then he recognized their faces.

“It’s Nina! Are you alright, Ur-san?!” Nina exclaimed.

“Sh-Shizuku-san?! And the Hero too!!” Laura stammered.

“Nina and Laura, it’s been a long time,” Ur greeted them.

Nina and Laura were the two adventurers who had joined forces with them midway through the battle against the necromancer. A swordswoman and a mage. It brought back memories.

Back then, they had been captured by the necromancer and were in tatters with barely any equipment. Now, they were properly dressed as adventurers.

“Yes! It’s been a while! Though it’s only been about five months,” Nina said.

“…Has it really been that short?” Ur wondered.

“Y-yes! But it feels like much longer because you two have been so active and accomplished so much!”

“I see you both moved to Proudia after that incident,” Shizuku observed.

“I-I really wanted to work near the Spiral Library… Even though I can’t enter as a Nameless copper-ranked, I wanted to at least be close to it!” Laura explained.

“So you’ve been adventuring in Proudia for quite a while now,” Ur concluded.

“Y-yes!”

“In that case, could you spread some good rumors about us?”

“Huh?” The two tilted their heads in unison at Ur’s request.

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As the group engaged in lively conversation over this chance reunion of comrades, Diz and Akane watched from a slight distance. More precisely, Diz had discreetly moved Akane away, as they hadn’t revealed her true identity to the newcomers.

《…I want to join the conversation too~》 Akane complained.

“Now, now, be patient,” Diz soothed.

While the number of people who knew Akane’s true identity had increased, it still wasn’t something to be broadcast widely. As Diz was currently responsible for her, she had to exercise discretion.

As she patted Akane’s head to placate her, her gaze shifted to Ikaza, who was also observing the conversation of the four from a distance.

“Master?” Diz called out.

“Hm? Oh, sorry,” Ikaza responded.

“No, I’m not reprimanding you or anything… You look like you’re enjoying this?”

Ikaza was smiling as she watched Ur and the others.

It was rare for her. Unlike her usual considerate or polite smiles, this was a genuine smile from the heart. When this was pointed out, she looked a bit embarrassed before turning her gaze back to Ur’s group.

“It was my decision to urgently certify Ur and Shizuku as copper-rank. To be honest, that certification was largely driven by impulse,” she admitted.

《How careless!》 Akane exclaimed.

“Not quite that bad, but I felt that the concept of being an adventurer had become somewhat stagnant. I wanted to break free from that stagnation,” Ikaza explained.

In the era when Ikaza herself traveled across the continent on foot, actively participating in various adventures, the adventurers were vibrant. Of course, Ikaza was at the top, but there were constant exciting rumors about the exploits of other adventurers, new conquerors of great dungeons appearing. These positive rumors encouraged even more adventurers to join the fray. It was a golden age, filled with celebrations.

But that was already several decades ago. She had retired from the front lines, assumed the position of Guild Master, and after some time, the buzz around adventurers had dulled. Several hundred years had passed since the appearance of the dungeons. Both internal affairs and diplomacy of the cities had stabilized, and there was less demand for further advancement. The need for adventurers had also settled down.

Many referred to the era when Ikaza and her peers were active as “the last golden age.”

“I’d like to say ‘what do you mean last,’ but in reality, many adventurers have stopped seeking more. They’re content hunting the same dungeons, the same hunting grounds, stable monster populations. Gagaru who accosted Ur is of that type,” Ikaza continued.

Of course, she wasn’t arrogant enough to condemn this as evil. Many adventurers are Nameless, and what they seek is peace rather than adventure. As Nameless, who have always wandered without a place to belong, this is the place they’ve finally found for themselves.

It would be impossible to demand that those who cling to the stability they’ve earned through life-and-death struggles should set out into new rough waters.

But still…

“Is it the arrogance of those born in good times to want to see a flower bloom just once more?” Ikaza mused.

《I like stories with good prospects too, ya’ know?》 Akane chimed in.

“Nobody dislikes them, right?” Diz agreed.

Ikaza smiled and nodded, “That’s true.”

That’s why she had applied a special exception to Ur and his companions, promoting them to copper rank. It was because they seemed to be in such a hurry to live, in a way that didn’t fit this era.

Normally, she should have been in a position to reprimand such behavior, but she found herself wanting to cheer them on instead.

Honestly, after making that decision, she had slightly regretted her judgment. She was ashamed of forgetting her position as a guide and potentially sending young people to their deaths due to her selfish desires.

However, as if laughing at Ikaza’s petty thoughts, they had now become rising star adventurers stirring up excitement across the continent. Of course, they must have taken their fair share of reckless actions. There’s no doubt they’ve thrown themselves into life-threatening situations. It’s impossible to praise such behavior unreservedly. And yet…

“I’m just glad to see them smiling,” Ikaza said.

《They might stumble in the future, ya’ know?》 Akane pointed out.

“Of course. It would be a miracle if they never fell at least once,” Ikaza replied.

“They might lose their way,” Diz added.

“Then it will be our duty as their predecessors to set them straight,” Ikaza said.

“Wow, that sounds fun,” Diz commented.

As Diz said, it was enjoyable. Ikaza felt her soul, which had burned out but still smoldered, crackling and sparking with each report of their exploits. When she had just clashed with Ur, that feeling became even stronger and clearer.

When they fought, Ur was, naturally, still lacking in many areas of ability. His body hadn’t caught up with his rapidly accumulated achievements.

However, his soul had been tempered to match the density of his experiences. How many adventurers could face her for the first time without being paralyzed by fear?

It was unclear how the fire they’ve ignited would spread. It might go in a bad direction. But she wished to see where that flame would lead.

Therefore…

“For now, let’s be their shield against the impending calamity,” Ikaza declared.

Right now, a terrible disaster that could shake the world was approaching. They were preparing to face it. If so, it was her responsibility – having selfishly drawn them to the same place as her out of ego – to burn away the malice that was currently beyond their reach.

Sparks flew from Ikaza’s hand with a crackling sound. Seeing that it was far stronger and larger than what she had shown in the office, Diz smiled.