#1083 The Guildmaster’s Command

Continuing on with the adventures of Corey, A.K.A. Silver Wolf II.

After that, Silver Wolf had this to say to me:

“Normally, this is the kind of job that gets a big no. This development project, as I mentioned before, is completely off the radar for typical adventurer quests. The work is tedious, and you can’t expect much profit when it’s done. And unlike dungeons, the frontier probably doesn’t have any hidden treasure lying around.”

Well, I can’t say it’s impossible, but the chances are practically zero.

Unless, by some miracle, we stumble upon ancient ruins or something.

“The more successful adventurers will likely turn up their noses. They’ll say things like, ‘I’m not so down on my luck that I’d take on such a thankless job!’“

Hmm...

From my own experience... that sounds about right.

Adventurers often live with pride precisely because they’re free spirits.

Being assigned important quests is proof you’re respected. On the flip side, many would rather go hungry than accept some trivial task.

The problem is, it’s the adventurers themselves who decide what’s important, not the guild.

No matter how much the guild insists on how crucial a task is, if the adventurers don’t agree, they’ll stubbornly refuse.

As you might imagine, adventurers are a real handful.

Case in point: Golden Bat.

And then there’s the exception: Silver Wolf!!!

From his early days, Silver Wolf always thought of his comrades more than himself and took on the boring quests everyone else avoided, all for the good of the guild.

The guild recognized his attitude and promoted him to S-rank.

I respect Silver Wolf so much, I’ll gladly take on any dirty or thankless job, just like he did!

“Like I said, don’t just dive in headfirst! ...Oh dear. It’s expected that those who refuse and whine are a hassle, but even those who accept without thinking are tricky to handle...?!”

Silver Wolf straightens up and speaks firmly.

“Listen, we weren’t supposed to bring this to you in the first place. You’ve just become an S-rank adventurer, and your reputation isn’t solid yet. To others, your abilities are a mystery.”

If a newbie like me is given a dull quest like development, which seems easy and anyone could do it, there will definitely be those who look at it suspiciously.

“That Corey guy became an S-rank adventurer and yet is being made to take on a thankless quest like development.”

“His rank must be just for show; he probably doesn’t have any real skills.”

Or something along those lines.

“You get it! ...We didn’t want to burden you with such unnecessary trouble. Initially, we planned to offer this to Pink Tonton.”

Pink Tonton?!

She’s one of the S-rank adventurers with the unique background of being a former mercenary.

If the people taking on the development quest are mostly ex-mercenaries like Pink Tonton, sharing the same background, would be perfect to lead them!

“But, you see... she also got caught up in that baby boom and got pregnant, right? I found out much later and was shocked.”

I was surprised too!

I had to rush into a dungeon to get a baby gift; it was a real scramble!

“Just like my wife, she’s fully occupied with childcare, so we can’t exactly ask her to take on a new quest... And did you know? Pink Tonton had quadruplets.”

Yes, I know!

That’s why getting a baby gift ready was such a challenge!!!

“Must be the boar therian vitality. In our case too, both my wife and I are therian, so we were quite unsure whether we’d have twins or triplets before they were born. Well, of course, the more the merrier; it’s a blessing...!”

They say the more kids you have, the tougher childcare becomes!

Even Brown Kato, who became a dad, said that life with the kids is like a battlefield.

“Who would’ve thought Kato would end up with Pink Tonton...! Surprising, yet it makes sense. So we can’t ask Kato to take on the quest either.”

Kato’s doting on his kids is famous among adventurers.

There were rumors he was running away for a while, but seeing how much he adores his kids, I think that’s just gossip.

“I actually approached Kato. Since the mother handles most of the childcare, I thought he might have room to take on the quest. But he got angry at the mere suggestion.”

He apparently said, “Are you a monster for trying to send me away when my kids were just born?!”

“He even said, ‘We need a parental leave system in this world too!’ I didn’t get it at all. In the end, we had to consider introducing parental leave in the guild, which just added more work...!”

Silver Wolf.

Don’t sweat it, Silver Wolf.

“So our options narrowed down. And that Golden Bat wouldn’t accept either...”

Yes.

That’s a given.

“So the job has come around to you, the freshest face... but as I said, it’s a heavy burden for you to bear...!”

Ah, you mean those people who’ll look at me funny for taking on the development quest?!

I don’t mind! I won’t be beaten down by such rumors!!!

“Bold words... Is this youth? But that’s not the only issue. The former mercenaries accompanying you might also be a problem.”

Oh, the ones we mentioned earlier who couldn’t quite make the shift to adventuring.

“They have their pride, too. If offered the development quest, they might think they’re being discarded and become defiant. Even if we send them out like that, whether they’ll follow orders is a roll of the dice.”

So you’re not worried about whether they’ll accept the quest.

“They’ll accept. They may not be hanging by a thread, but they probably realize they’re close. They survived until the end of the war; their ability to sniff out life-or-death situations is sharp.”

I see.

Reading people so well—just what I’d expect from Silver Wolf!!!

“But even so, whether they’ll accept without any grumbling is another matter. Corey, as the on-site leader, you’ll have to wrangle these roughnecks, brimming with pride and frustration. Plus, there’s the risk they’ll underestimate you as the new S-rank.”

I could see the worry on Silver Wolf’s face.

I get it now, this quest has dangers different from dungeon delving, lurking and waiting.

“Honestly, we wanted to rely on experienced folks like Pink Tonton or Kato... or even Golden Bat.”

“Even so, you’re set on having an S-rank as the leader.”

Silver Wolf nods.

“Some guild execs suggested we don’t need to force an S-rank at the top; we could just pick someone suitable from A-rank or B-rank. They’re underestimating this development project, thinking it’s too trivial to involve an S-rank.”

“You don’t see it that way, do you, sir?”

He nods again.

“I believe having an S-rank adventurer’s leadership is absolutely essential for the development quest. Whether it’s development or anything else, the fact is, we’re venturing into uncharted territory. Moreover, it’ll go on much longer than dungeon runs. There’s plenty of potential for unexpected troubles, even ones I, who have conquered a thousand dungeons, can’t predict.”

Silver Wolf’s expression is serious.

It shows the survival instincts of someone who’s reached the top of the adventuring world.

“It’s also a problem that so many are underestimating the development project. Not just the reactions of adventurers I mentioned, but also some leaders in the Human Republic who oppose President Ritheseus.”

I see.

The development project is mainly being pushed by the king (?), but there are plenty of people opposing it.

“I believe this development project is necessary for humanity’s future. If we do nothing, people will overflow from the existing towns and villages, causing chaos.”

I think so too.

It’s a fact that tons of babies were born and the population’s growing. Right now they’re small and only need milk, but what happens when they grow bigger?

And those kids will eventually get married and have children of their own. Then there’ll be even more people, and food might become scarce.

“And even now, there are many who want to make Ritheseus a puppet and line their own pockets in the Human Republic. We can’t let the development project become an opportunity for such people to exploit.”

Since opinions are split, the success or failure of this project will decide who comes out on top.

If the development project fails, it’ll tarnish President Ritheseus’ reputation and his opponents will get louder.

“Assigning the highest-ranking S-rank adventurer as the leader of the development project is my way of supporting him. By putting the strongest adventurer at the helm, it highlights its importance, making it easier for people to accept. For Ritheseus, it’s a good way to silence the opposition.”

And if we successfully complete the development, it’ll ease one of humanity’s big worries, and President Ritheseus will gain more credibility, making governance smoother.

It’s a win-win!

Silver Wolf handles quests with such a global perspective!

As expected!!!

He’s honed a high level of awareness and a broad outlook as an S-rank adventurer, and he’s brilliantly applying that as guild master!

Being appointed to a role with such significance—I absolutely have to live up to expectations!

Silver Wolf, sir! I’ll take on this quest!

I intend to carry out the development splendidly and make the world a better place!

“Even after explaining all this, your answer hasn’t changed. Well, even if it’s the same ‘yes,’ it makes a difference whether you understand or not.”

Silver Wolf mutters and slaps his knee.

“All right, we’ll entrust the leadership of the development quest to S-rank adventurer Corey. This will be a great opportunity for you to grow. Face the challenges and become a splendid S-rank adventurer recognized by everyone!”

And so, my first trial as an S-rank adventurer began.