#916 A Moment of Respite for the Guildmaster Couple

I’m Silver Wolf, an S-rank adventurer.

...It’s been a while since I’ve introduced myself like that.

Lately, I’ve been busy running the Adventurers’ Guild as its guild master.

After all, if I don’t make moves, the guild just doesn’t operate.

Who knew being a Guild Master was this hectic? I ponder as I navigate through my daily grind.

“Here’s your tea. Time for a break, meow.”

And here comes Black Cat, another S-rank adventurer.

Nowadays, she’s more like the Guild Master’s wife, huh.

Yep, that’s right, she and I tied the knot.

Little did I know that marrying her—the former Guild Master’s beloved daughter—would link me to the Guild Master family and somehow lead me to inherit the Guild Master position.

Though we both belong to the human race, I’m a wolf therianthrope, and she’s a cat therianthrope. In the early days of our marriage, we were affectionately dubbed “The Cat-Dog Family” and “The Household That Needs No Pets.” Ah, those were the days.

It turns out, being a cat therianthrope, Black Cat has this habit of grooming with licks whenever she finds the chance.

And I mean, not just herself, but me as well.

Perhaps it’s because we have a somewhat related lineage, but even now, she’s busily grooming my furry head with rough, affectionate licks.

“…Black Cat, as I’ve told you before, you really don’t need to groom me. Wolves don’t typically do that…!”

“No! Without regular grooming, you’d start smelling! Especially since dogs aren’t known for their grooming, you’d end up smelling like corn tea, meow!”

“I won’t!”

Besides, I’m a therianthrope, not a full-on wolf, so I’ve adopted human habits.

I take baths regularly, so no, I don’t smell!

...Though, I guess being part wolf, I might have a bit more body odor than humans...

And my fur does make me finish my shampoo at an alarming rate...

But I swear I’m not smelly!!!

“Even so, you seem tired lately. Your fur’s lost its shine, meow.”

“Ugh...!”

That loss of shine...might just be inevitable.

“It can’t be helped. It’s been busy since last year...”

The reason is the Adventurers’ Guild has been undertaking an unprecedentedly huge project for years now...and it’s still ongoing.

The globalization of adventuring.

After the Human-Demon War ended and the barriers between humans and demons lowered, the once human-exclusive job of adventuring started to spread to the Demon Kingdom.

There, dungeon management was primarily handled by the Demon King’s Army, but with post-war disarmament, the task started transitioning to civilians.

Thus, adventurers like us were chosen for the job.

At the request of the Demon King himself, we began expanding the adventurer system into the Demon Kingdom.

Recruiting demon adventurers, setting up guild branches all over, helping the demon populace understand the adventurer profession.

With the help of fellow S-rank adventurers like Pink Tonton and Brown Katou, progress has been steady, but this massive project has a long way to go.

“Taking on such a huge task is unprecedented for the Adventurers’ Guild. You’re doing a splendid job, meow.”

Saying this, Black Cat continues to diligently groom my head.

It’s her way of showing appreciation, I suppose.

“Hah... It’s quite something to become a Guild Master during such times. I’ll probably be remembered as ‘The Busiest Guild Master’ a hundred years from now.”

Compared to the previous Guild Master, he retired at just the right time.

Black Cat’s dad... though she got her beast traits from her mom, making me totally oblivious to their parent-child relationship until we got married...

As soon as our marriage was decided, he brilliantly timed his retirement, passing on all his duties and the Guild Master title to me for a life of ease.

Since then, I’ve been swamped with expanding our operations into the Demon Kingdom.

Even before this, I was deeply involved as an S-rank adventurer, but now, my days are filled with a different kind of toughness.

Even as Guild Master, my S-rank title hasn’t changed.

Technically, I’m “juggling” roles, but with the expansion project being so demanding, adventuring has taken a backseat.

“Silver Wolf...are you sure you’re not getting stressed? You haven’t gone on adventures at all lately, meow.”

“Aren’t you the same? You’ve been hitting the floor with your tail a lot lately.”

Thump, thump, it goes.

Maybe her grooming is a way to relieve stress. It’s unfair if I end up balding because of it, though.

“You were also chosen from all adventurers as an S-rank... someone who truly loves adventuring. It must be tough not being able to explore dungeons for so long.”

“But if marrying me means you can’t dive into dungeons, then I can’t either, meow!”

That’s touching, really.

The workload skyrocketed as soon as I became Guild Master, and Black Cat, perhaps out of concern, shelved her own adventuring to help out as much as she could as the Guild Master’s wife.

“I’m working hard so you won’t ever regret marrying me! Adventures are on hold until then, meow!”

So, she’s been worried about that.

Usually, she seems carefree, almost cat-like in her indifference. Perhaps this is another form of love.

But as much as I appreciate her grooming, I’d rather not go bald, so I gently tell her.

“I have no complaints about our life together.”

I genuinely love being an adventurer, after all.

I’ve lived and breathed adventure from the start.

Being a therianthrope, an outlier, who knows what my life would have been without this profession?

At the very least, I wouldn’t have been in a position to be respected and admired by many as an S-rank adventurer, that’s for sure.

“I’ve always felt a debt of gratitude towards the profession of adventuring, not to mention a deep fondness for it. I’ve often thought about how I’d like to formally express my thanks to adventurers as a whole. While I could do this to some extent from my position as an S-rank adventurer, it would probably be easier if I were a Guild Master.”

“Wolfie, meow...”

That nickname’s a bit... Well.

“We’re at a point where the world’s changing big time. If we don’t keep up with these changes, we might lose our crucial spot in society to something else. And if adventurers end up fading away, disappearing after all they’ve done for me, that’d be pretty lame.”

That’s why I’m genuinely thrilled to have a hand in this expansion.

Sure, it’s a bit hectic, but there’s plenty of satisfaction to be had.

“Meowww! You’re exactly why I picked you as my hubby, my noble dog!”

Not a dog, a wolf.

And could you please stop grooming me?

Constant licking in the same spot is going to leave me bald.

“But... It’s time I can’t shirk my duties as an S-rank adventurer any longer...”

I haven’t kept an exact count, but it’s been a good two or three years since I’ve set foot in a dungeon.

At this rate, I wouldn’t blame anyone for branding me unworthy of the S-rank title.

“I can’t have the newbies thinking they can take the S-rank lightly. So, I’ve been mulling over something.”

“Meow?”

“I’m retiring from adventuring.”

“Meowwww?!”

Of course, I’ll be giving up my S-rank title too.

From here on out, I’m all in as a true-blue guild master, dedicating my heart and soul to the Adventurers’ Guild.

“But but, what about the S-rank adventurers’ lineup? If you bail, Wolfie, we’re down to four, meow!”

“Of course, we’ll fill the gap.”

And we plan to recruit more than just to fill my vacancy.

Why, you ask? The expansion into the Demon Kingdom is set to double our adventurer population.

So, it only makes sense to increase the number of top-tier, S-rank adventurers, too.

Just five of us can’t cover the whole wide world anymore.

And if we only pick humans for S-rank, the new demon adventurers are bound to feel left out.

There are sure to be powerhouses among the demons who’ve joined us, and humans with ambition and diligence.

We need to reward such individuals for the future of the industry.

“So, it’s time to kick off a new project.”

“What, meow?”

“The impromptu S-rank adventurer selection exam!!!”

With my retirement, it’s time to scout for the next generation of young talents to carry the torch!

And that’s a job for me, now as guild master!!!

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apologies for the spotty updates this week. things have unexpectedly gotten hectic due to the lenten season. i hope everybody has a happy easter/weekend ahead! ;;