Now, please take a look at the handout.

　It's been a little over ten days since I told everyone of my plan to open a branch.

　The forest side of the Hollow Bottom Fortress has been paid off to the Adventurer's Guild as expected, and the recruitment of tenants has begun for the residents of Green Hollow Town.

　It seems that the reason why the application is limited to Green Hollow Town residents is largely because of the payback for helping in the Demon King's War.

　This will be the first round of recruitment, and if there are any vacancies left, the second round of recruitment will begin for other areas as well.

　And today, they rented out the town's assembly hall and held a briefing session for those who wanted to participate in the first round of recruitment.

''Let's see. Changing from the Golden Fang Knights Hollow Bottom Fortress Block 1, the Adventurer's Guild Hollow Bottom Branch will use 20% of the floor space as the guild's exclusive space, and the remaining 80% and part of the outdoor area will be operated as a rental property.

　The female staff member dispatched by the guild is explaining in a rather fast-paced tone to the residents gathered in the meeting hall.

　She's roughly my age, and although the time when she was called a girl is long gone, it's still too early to be described as old - if I were to evaluate her objectively, that's about it.

　I'm sure no one but me ever imagined that she wasn't a mere clerk.

　Well, it's not unreasonable since she's a very laid-back person to look at.

''The White Wolf's. Guild branch means it's treated as an important base, right?

　Garnett, who had followed the briefing, confirmed the meaning of the terms in a small voice.

''It does. A guild house is a town or village, and a guild chapter is a sub-branch in a city or place of high importance.'
''The search for the 'Demon King's Castle Realm' is an important matter for the guild as well?
It's the first newly discovered dungeon in a long time. It's a lot of fun. And there's a deeper area where something unidentified lives.

　From our point of view, the Demon King's Castle Realm has a strong image of the battlefield where the Demon King's army fought to the death, but from the side, the entire area is an unknown dungeon that has yet to be fully explored.

　It is a rocky mountainous region where an ecosystem of demonic beasts, with dragons at the top, has been built.

　Mysterious ancient ruins spreading out at the bottom of the rocky mountain, which have been neglected because they are not involved in the war.

　The unprecedented underground realm that stretches beyond the demon king's army's retreat.

　All of these things have never ceased to attract the adventurer's attention.

''Well, on the fifth to tenth page of the document, we have listed the space and rental rates we can offer you. Of course, the bigger the space, the more expensive it is. Please give up on this one.

　A chuckle escaped from somewhere in the hall.

'We will begin accepting applications as soon as this information session is over. It's not on a first-come, first-served basis, and there's still some time left before the deadline, so please take your time to discuss your budget and consider your application.










　After the briefing, I decided to make my way to the back of the meeting hall before I went home.

'Hey, white wolf. What do you have to do for me?
'I don't have anything to do, but I thought I'd at least say hello. Florence and I have known each other since we were both rookies.
'...... Florence?'　Is that the presenter who was just here?　He's an adventurer too, isn't he?
''I eventually got up to a B-rank, but I'm out of line now. It's not uncommon for adventurers to turn to the management side of the guild.
Hmmm: ......

　I made it to the anteroom at the back of the meeting hall, with Garnett throwing me a very unflattering look.

　And just as I was about to knock on the door, a lazy voice spoke to me from the back of the hallway.

'Oh dear. I know someone in a place like this.

　Florence, who looked like she was getting ready to leave, came up to me at a brisk trot and stopped in front of me.

'It's been a while, Luke. I've heard a lot about you. Should I have brought you a gift for your new job or something?
'Looks like we should be celebrating our own promotion. You're the president of the Hollow Bottom Chapter, aren't you?
Oh, my God.
You'd be crazy not to notice. Isn't that the guy who gets the chapter president's coat?

　While me and Florence were having a conversation between acquaintances, Garnett was looking at it with an expression that was hard to describe.

　He seemed surprised and angry.
　A face that seemed both alarmed and determinedly indifferent.

'I was looking for just the right place for Lisa to retreat and she asked me to work at the new branch. It seems like it's been a bit of a mess lately, but it seems like it's always been a well-respected sanatorium.
That's true. I hear there were a lot of people who came for that.
Right?　By the way, ...... who is this pretty girl?

　Florence turned her gaze to Garnett with a small tilt of her head.

　There was no intention whatsoever to do this, it was just a fact check, but Garnett didn't try to dismiss his grumpy attitude.

　It's just an impression from the side, but it seems that Garnett doesn't want to show his reaction on his face.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you.

'It's my staff member, Garnett. I know you said she was cute earlier, but she's still a man.
'Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Florence, Hollow Bottom Branch Manager. Keep up the good work.
...... says hello.

　Florence offered to shake her hand, and Garnett grudgingly squeezed back the offered hand.

　At that, Florence murmured, "Oh," and rolled her eyes in wonder.

'You might be ...... no, I'm sorry. It's nothing. I'd like to have a long-lasting relationship with the White Wolf Store, so please be good to me.

　Florence smiled softly, popped her hand and turned to me again.

'I'll be around then. I have to go pick up Lisa soon.
Give my regards to Lisa for me.
Yeah, I'll see you later.

　Florence rushes away at a brisk pace.

　Immediately after her rear disappeared beyond the corner of the corridor, Garnett lightly kicked her leg without looking at us.

　It was a modest blow due to his bare physical ability, not using an enhancement skill.

''Hey you. You're not growing a nose. We've known each other for a long time, but this is completely different from Alexia's time.
'I didn't do that. Besides, Alexia is a very hands-on junior colleague and she's a so-called old friend, so it's only natural that she would respond differently.

　I'll quickly and squarely correct the factual errors, while adding some important information in the meantime.

'Just so you don't get any weird misunderstandings, that guy has kids.
'What?　Well, seriously!
It's often said that adventurers get married too late because they're too enthusiastic about their adventures, but there's always an exception to everything, you know?

　The age of marriage is said to be increasing across the country these days, with adventurers being the most likely to do so.

　A decade or two ago, you could have children as early as Garnett's age if you were quite early, but in recent years it's becoming rarer and it's not uncommon to be single like me in the adventurer industry.

　Well, the profession of an adventurer is, by all accounts, a far cry from the idea of having a family and settling down.

"No, it's not that: ...... I just didn't look that old.
Tell him. He'll be happy to hear that.

　I almost blurted out at Garnett's panicked reaction and turned my feet to the back door of the meeting place.

'By the way, the Lisa you mentioned earlier is the name of Florence's daughter. She's about four or five years younger than you.
That's pretty big. ......

　Garnett paced in a hurry.

　As they walked out of the meeting hall as it was, Garnett looked scattered and distressed before asking a question.

'I was kind of curious about that, wasn't I?　It's really not that big of a deal, but ...... you and that guy used to be some kind of ...... person or something like that.
No comment.
'Oh!　Hey, and that's a quick answer!

　That may or may not have happened in the past.

　As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter to me, but ...... somehow it seemed to be different for Garnett.