"Dear Tenth Level Adventurer Sola. I'm sorry, but your adventurer's license has been revoked as of today.

... what?


　Three days before he was attacked by the Lord of the Flies, the receptionist of the adventurer's guild fired him for his unsympathetic attitude.

　That day, the receptionist of the Adventurer's Guild sentenced you to dismissal (sacking) in a not-so-poor manner.

　You can't help but open your mouth.

　It was so sudden that I didn't understand what was going on.


"...You're joking, right?

No, it's an official notice approved by the Guildmaster. This is the official notice.


　I grabbed a document carefully presented to me with a trembling hand.

　It did indeed contain a notice of expulsion from the Tenth Level Adventurer Sola, and it also bore the seal of the guild master.

　My heart ached.

　Why on earth, he asked himself.

　Why was he suddenly sentenced to be fired?



　He had just finished his daily routine of collecting medicinal herbs and handed in his work.

　I collected the prescribed amount of herbs in exactly the same way, so I have no right to be criticized for it.

　I have no recollection of fatal failures in other requests recently. In the first place, I haven't received any other requests other than the collection of medicinal herbs for the past few months.

　So why did I have to be fired?



　The receptionist's impassive face in front of me made me angry.

　She was polite, but the way the braided receptionist was looking at me was cold. The way she looked at the stones and weeds reminded me of my father.

　I've been a member of the guild for five years and I'm still stuck at the lowest rank of 10th grade. It might be inevitable that he would be taken lightly.

　However, revoking my adventurer status without a solid reason would be too much.

　I opened my mouth vigorously with the intention of shouting at him to stop fooling around.


''........Nah, there must be some kind of mistake, right?''


　-- but the words that came out were so low back that I was disgusted with myself.

　The young receptionist, who must not yet have crossed several decades of age, let out a small sigh. I could see inside that she was fed up with the time she spent with us.


''It's not a mistake. The guild rules stipulate that those who do not promote for three years will be expelled from the guild. In the case of Sola-sama, you were demoted three years ago and have remained at the tenth level since then, right?　The conditions have been met.

"...Oh, I see. I didn't know that. I mean, if you knew, you could have at least warned me.......

The guild's rules clearly state what I have just said. The fact that you didn't know about it is the fault of Lady Sola. The guild has no obligation to warn you.


　As soon as she said it, the receptionist looked me squarely in the eye for the first time.

　Her gaze was a mixture of anger and disdain, and she naturally tensed up.


''This city of Ishqa gives great preferential treatment to adventurers. This is only because we need the help of adventurers to protect a city that is constantly under threat from demons. All members of our guild, whether adventurers or staff, must take this to heart, and it is their duty to work for the benefit of the Ishka.

That's, well, I know, but...


　It's not a lie. I came to this city because I heard that Ishka was that kind of city.

　Protecting this city from the threat of demons is good for the world and for people. You can even gain fame.

　What I was unable to accomplish on the island, I will accomplish in this city. And I promised myself that I would.

　.... although now that vow is farther away than the moon in the sky.

　The receptionist's eyes shine coldly when she hears our words.


''Although you know, you have never been promoted in three years?　In the first place, advancing to ninth grade itself is not difficult. You know that better than anyone, Master Sora, who was promoted to ninth kyu once five years ago.

But, sir, I'm afraid the money's not...

The fee for a promotion to Grade 9 is a silver coin. Are you saying that you couldn't raise a single silver coin even if it took three years?　While living in the meantime, enjoying the privileges afforded to adventurers?　A right is only given to those who have done their duty. Even a child knows that.

Uh.....

'Whatever the case, the rules are the rules. The punishment will not be reversed. Besides, from what you've just told me, I can't help but think that Master Sora has been neglecting his duties as an adventurer for the past three years.


　The receptionist's mouth spoke in a daze, and it rained with good arguments.

　I couldn't even argue with her, and could only open and close my mouth meaninglessly as I gazed at her.

　Seeing our appearance, the receptionist must have decided this was a waste of time and continued in a terribly inorganic voice, "This is the reward for today's quest.


''This is your reward for today's quest. Please wish you good luck in your future--next time, please.

Wait.


　I was about to tell her to wait for a moment, as I was about to be forcefully dismissed from the conversation.

　But the receptionist didn't even look at me.

　The adventurers who were waiting for their turn looked at me as if to tell me to get out of the way.

　All of them were of higher rank and level. Their swordsmanship makes me wince.

　I felt deeply unhappy that I could not help but naturally smile fondly at them.



　It's now or never.

　The receptionists are popular among adventurers because of their youthful beauty.

　If you swear at them, the other adventurers would have the temerity to beat you to death.



　In the end, I had no choice but to slink away from the reception desk.

　Normally after completing a quest, I would head to the guild's cafeteria with my reward in hand to enjoy a glass of ale, but right now I'm not in the mood for that.

　No, before that--


You won't give me my guild card back if you're serious about it.


　When I reported the completion of my request, the white and silver seal I submitted was not returned.

　The guild card was a guarantee of my status as an adventurer, and at the same time, it was something I was obliged to submit to exercise my rights as an adventurer.

　To put it simply, without it, you cannot receive the adventurer's discount.


　The city of Ishqa, which is called both the Free City and the Adventure City, is always under threat from demons.

　Naturally, knights and soldiers in the service of the state protect the city, but it also relies heavily on adventurers as a fighting force, and as part of the city's policy, preferential treatment for adventurers has been implemented.

　This area was just as the receptionist said.

　The benefits ranged from the cost of purchasing weapons and armor to daily lodging fees, and without a guild certificate, the cost of living would jump by nearly 30 percent.



　The guild card was submitted with the report of the request and returned with the reward.

　The fact that it wasn't returned means that the receptionist's sacking was neither a joke nor a harassment, but simply a fact.


　-- At this point, the realization of being expelled from the Adventurer's Guild finally came to me. Unbeknownst to me, a shiver runs down my spine.


　Without a job, there would be no income. There is not much money to save.

　Up until now, he had been cutting down on living expenses in the guild's cafeteria and the adventurer's inn.

　Even so, his daily life was uneventful, but from tomorrow, he won't even be able to do that.



　I left the Adventurer's Guild building, stunned.

　It is the organization to which I belonged for five years. It was its last day, and yet it was not to be stopped or spared by anyone.

　It was a re-burning of five years ago.

　I didn't know it, but a dry laugh fell from the corner of my mouth.

　Laughing was the only way to go.