“So this is the Adventurers' Guild of the royal capital… Not only is it big, but it's also incredibly extravagant.”

“It is the foremost Adventurers' Guild in this country. It has to be built impressively to showcase the guild’s power externally.”

“Even so, I think there's a limit. If you're surprised by the exterior, you'll be even more shocked once we go inside.”

The day after arriving in the royal capital, I came to the Adventurers' Guild with Lilia, as well as Berna and Ferry, who had escorted us from the town of Al-Flare. The rest of the group was waiting for us at the inn.

The Adventurers' Guild in the royal capital was slightly larger than the one in Al-Flare, but more than that, it was an incredibly grand building. The structures in the royal capital were all impressive, but this one was even more opulent.

Clang clang

As I opened the much grander and larger doors compared to the Al-Flare Adventurers' Guild, the bells attached to them echoed throughout the guild. The adventurers inside turned their gazes toward us.

Even I, a complete amateur when it came to combat, could tell that the sharp, pressuring stares were different from those of the adventurers in Al-Flare. In fact, the equipment worn by the adventurers here was on a completely different level from that of beginner adventurers.

“Oh, it's the A-rank adventurers, Berna the ‘Scorching Empress’ and Ferry the ‘Verdant Storm.’”

“As always, Lady Berna is incredibly beautiful! That one-armed woman over there, though—I’ve never seen her before.”

“No, I’ve seen her with those two before. She should be a B-rank adventurer.”

I could hear the adventurers inside discussing things amongst their parties. Since Berna and Ferry were well-known in the royal capital, it seemed they were recognized by the other adventurers.

It also seemed that Lilia’s party had taken joint requests with them before, which explained why the other adventurers were aware of her as well.

“…Who’s that scrawny-looking guy? Don’t tell me he’s part of their party?”

“Nah, never seen him before. Doesn't look like an adventurer either. Probably just a client.”

…Well, they're right about that, but did they have to call me scrawny?! Sure, compared to these three, I probably radiate nothing but ordinary civilian energy, but still!

Now I really understood what Lilia meant. The interior of the royal capital’s Adventurers' Guild was incredibly luxurious, with every piece of furniture, from the tables to the chairs, being of the highest quality.

There were also far fewer adventurers here compared to Al-Flare’s guild, but each one was equipped with high-end weapons and armor. Most likely, only high-ranked adventurers gathered here. The entire atmosphere was completely different from the one back in Al-Flare.

“Lady Berna and Lady Ferry, correct? We've been expecting you. Please allow me to escort you to the Guild Master's office.”

The receptionist was an incredibly beautiful woman. She wore makeup and dressed stylishly, which made me notice yet another difference between this place and Al-Flare’s guild.

It seemed they had already been informed of our visit, as we were taken directly to the Guild Master’s office without any wait.

“Ah, you must be Tetsuya. Welcome, and thank you for coming all this way. I am Ruhail, the Guild Master of this Adventurers' Guild.”

Upon entering the Guild Master's office, I found a woman in her early thirties sitting at her desk with her elbows on the table, looking like a certain famous commander. She had silver hair—an uncommon color even in this world—and exuded a dignified presence. As she stood from her chair, she extended her right hand toward me for a handshake.

Had I not known anything beforehand, I would have been surprised to learn that the Guild Master of the royal capital was a woman. However, I had already been informed of this by everyone yesterday.

“N-Nice to meet you. My name is Tetsuya. I-I look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise. Ah, I see—you’re surprised that I’m a woman? It happens often when I meet someone for the first time.”

…No, that part I was already prepared for. What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was the sheer size of Ruhail’s chest! I might not be an expert, but… G… H… No, could it be even larger?!

Still, thanks to my training as a former corporate salesman at a black company, I managed to keep my composure and avoid letting my reaction show.

I focused my gaze firmly on Ruhail’s eyes, doing my best not to look anywhere else. Obviously, staring at a client's chest during a business negotiation would be completely unacceptable.

It was probably a good thing that Lange didn’t come with us. When he found out the Guild Master was a woman, he had wanted to come along as well. Although, I wasn’t sure if Lange was into large-chested women or not.

Lange and Dolph were back at the inn, guarding Angel and Fia while we were away. There was always a small chance that someone might target our shop’s employees here in the royal capital, after all.