episode_0059

Late at night, I visited the Kubele Alchemy Workshop.

Fortunately, the door was still open.

Philstone was organizing boxes full of herbs and boiling water in the alchemy pot.

I still can’t believe that human is the guild master.

Moreover, he’s the mastermind behind all the annoying and strict rules in the guild, documenting every task, making it even more frustrating.

It’s hard to accept even now.

A structure that trusts documents more than people.

What if a fire breaks out in the guild?

I understand focusing on running the alchemy workshop, but abandoning guild management and documenting everything is just asking for trouble.

If all the documents stored in the guild burn in a fire, the Adventurer Guild will have to close its doors, won’t it?

Adventurers like me, who have been erased from the records, will be mass-produced.

Well, I can’t just set fire to everything, so there’s nothing I can do.

It seems like he’s running the potion workshop as his main job and being a guild master as a hobby.

Is this true bureaucratic administration?

The receptionists working hard in the guild seem pitiful to me.

As I stepped into the alchemy workshop, Philstone looked at me as if asking, “Why are you here again?”

“Why have you come again?”

I expected him to say that.

But I needed this human to regain my adventurer rank.

I had been thinking on my way here.

How can I meet the conditions to instantly receive a Silver rank?

The answer is to involve him as much as possible in those conditions.

Philstone had no intention of deviating from his principles regarding guild work.

On the other hand, within the boundaries that do not violate the guild’s principles, there might be room for negotiation.

So, I was planning to ask him directly.

I’m trying to register as a new adventurer and need your help to regain my rank all at once.

So, if you have any monsters or tasks you want to deal with, let me know.

In short, it’s a direct request for Philstone, the guild master, to undertake the task. And if possible, to make him one of the three witnesses.

Well, if he flat out refuses, I’ll be back to square one with no answer.

But I have to try everything now.

“Oh, I’m not here to ask you to restore my erased records this time.”

“Then what is it? Are you here to sell herbs?”

“I’m trying to register as a new adventurer. But according to the guild’s rules, I have to start from the Novice rank again.”

“Then do it.”

Philstone replied without any interest, wiping an empty potion bottle.

Hmm, how should I approach this?

At times like this, it’s necessary to show that I respect his way of doing things and ease some tension.

“Frankly, it’s still hard for me to accept, but I understand that you don’t want to touch the rules you’ve set. I have no intention of challenging that.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“But it’s also difficult for me. My adventurer rank, which was Silver, was revoked overnight. So, I’d like to make a suggestion. Without breaking the guild’s rules, I want to restore my original rank.”

I calmly stated, despite Philstone’s indifference.

His hand, wiping the empty bottle, stopped.

Then he looked at me and asked, “Tell me more.”

I felt a much softer atmosphere than before.

Was he curious about my proposal to regain my adventurer rank without breaking his principles?

The vibe that seemed like he was about to say, “Annoying guy, just leave already,” disappeared.

It seemed like my mention of respecting the guild’s principles had been well received.

When registering as a new adventurer, don’t they differentiate the starting grade based on the person’s background and experience? I plan to use that to restore my original grade. It should be fine, right? I’m not breaking any guild rules, I’m just trying to rightfully regain my grade.

“That system wasn’t created for you to exploit loopholes.”

I immediately responded to Philstone’s words.

“I have a track record of being an active Silver-grade adventurer. Many people know that. So using that to restore my original grade shouldn’t be considered exploiting a loophole, right?”

Philstone quietly stared at me.

I continued speaking.

“Since all laws and rules are made by humans, they are bound to have flaws. As you mentioned, the missing person who was declared dead by the guild returning alive might be a special case. And the guild’s rules currently cannot accommodate such special cases. Yet you are unwilling to change the guild’s rules, aren’t you? So, I will respect the guild’s rules while ensuring that I receive what I rightfully deserve.”

“Hmm….”

Philstone seemed to be pondering for a moment.

And in the meantime, a narration flowed through my mind.

“All the rules and documents created by Philstone were intricately interconnected like complex gears. His goal was to make the guild self-sustaining with minimal management, even without his involvement. However, due to his excessive attachment to that goal, Philstone eventually became compulsive about not changing the rules he had set.”

Is that really the case?

My thoughts about Philstone weren’t much different from that.

Could it be a kind of obsession or perfectionism gone wrong?

Well, there are people like that sometimes.

People who refuse to change what they have decided no matter what.

The countless, incomprehensible clauses written in the documents produced by the guild might also be his work.

Not that I particularly want to cater to such individuals, but right now, I need this person.

“What I want is simple. I have already been an active Silver-grade adventurer once. But I lack the means to prove it, so I can’t receive my original grade again. Therefore, as the guild master, I ask you to give me a direct unofficial request to subdue a monster. And if you guarantee it, that’s all I need. This way, I won’t break any guild rules, and I can register as an adventurer with my original grade after verification.”

“Surprisingly, you plan to use the rules?”

“As the guild master, you know well that there are flaws in the guild’s rules. You know it but don’t fix it, right? I’m a rare case. So, I will use the rules to restore my rights.”

Based on the fact confirmed by the narration, I spoke to Philstone with a strong tone.

“…That’s reasonable.”

Philstone finally agreed.

Finally, a breakthrough to restore my adventurer grade is in sight.

Honestly, I still thought that the fastest and easiest way would be for him to revive my erased record.

I couldn’t help but feel discontent with the rigid operating style of the guild, which demanded adventurers to adhere strictly to the rules rather than changing them.

But rather than forcibly breaking through that stubbornness, this approach seemed better.

It’s better to find a way around to restore the grade than not being able to restore it at all.

If both sides remain stubborn, negotiations won’t progress.

By making a concession and finding a breakthrough, it’s also a skill in negotiation.

“There is one thing that has been bothering me. It hasn’t been officially commissioned by the guild yet, and I was planning to handle it personally. I’ll leave it to you now. And as the guild master, I’ll also vouch for it.”

Philstone spoke to me.

Once I understood and made sense of it, the story progressed quickly, which was nice.

“Alright. What do I need to do?”

“You need to make it.”

Make it?

It sounds familiar, like a name of a medicinal herb.

I’m not sure if it’s the same in this world, but at least the mandragora I know is like a screaming ginseng when pulled from the ground.

“Isn’t that the name of a medicinal herb?”

“Yes. But usually, it’s not just mandragora.”

Philstone said with a twinkle in his eye.

“I raised a mutated mandragora. It’s gone wild now, so I had to lock it up.”

What the heck, I didn’t know that. Scary.

* * *

The next day.

I walked along the forest path behind Kubeul with three witnesses for the demon extermination.

Sylphy, Meluru, and Guild Master Philstone were with me as promised.

As expected, Sylphy immediately offered to help me once I explained my situation.

Meluru, being more focused on handling different species and not very good at paperwork for a receptionist, had some spare time to accompany me.

And Philstone was guiding me to the ‘mutated mandragora’ and also leading the way as a witness for the extermination.

“My senior needs to receive a new adventurer rank… It’s ridiculous.”

As we walked with Philstone, Sylphy whispered to me.

I also sympathize with Sylphy’s opinion… but I think I’m just grateful to have found a solution like this.

“The guild master is not your average human. We barely managed to seize this opportunity.”

“Well… I should be careful not to lose out.”

“Well, the guild already confirmed my death. It’s not missing, but declared dead, so it’s already over.”

“Senior, if you recover your rank, would you like to take on a request with me again?”

“I hope so.”

As we chatted with Sylphy and exchanged trivial conversations, we ventured deeper into the thick forest.

Philstone suddenly stopped in his tracks and said to me.

“Here. This is where the mutated mandragora is locked up.”

Looking at where Philstone pointed, something was tightly sealed with such a strong barrier that nothing could be seen inside.

The magical power of the barrier could be felt even from a distance.

Why on earth would they seal a mutated mandragora so thoroughly?

“I was planning to personally release and deal with the barrier soon… but I thought it was a good opportunity.”

“Um… I’ll ask again, mandragora is a medicinal herb, right?”

“Yes.”

Philstone answered as if it were obvious.

“But is there a reason why it’s sealed like that?”

“Mandragora is an ingredient that can instantly revive patients on the brink of death. It’s the best medicinal herb for me, who runs a refining facility. Of course, I would want to cultivate it.”

“I don’t understand why cultivating a medicinal herb would lead to this situation.”

“Perhaps it’s because the demon king’s power has grown stronger, or maybe I gave it too much magic as fertilizer. The mandragora we have locked up here is much stronger than most demons. It’s a bit difficult to handle, so I had to lock it up for now, but its effects are outstanding.”

I looked at the sealed barrier around the mandragora with a puzzled expression.

What is Philstone up to?

“There’s a strange smell coming from the barrier. Meluru seems dizzy.”

Meluru said with a frown.

Come to think of it, Meluru has the ability to detect underground plants.

I’m getting more and more uneasy.

“Well, then I’ll unlock the barrier.”

Philstone raised his hand towards the barrier surrounding the mutated mandragora.

The barrier began to shine brightly.