Ch.141Head Hunting

Geronimo Günter Brauhorn.

As the Executive Director of the New Continent Development Bureau for 15 consecutive years, he was the most influential figure in Grantis.

In his youth, he built his career as an employee of the Construction Department, a subordinate organization of the Development Bureau. After transferring to the Administrative Department, he rapidly advanced due to his exceptional abilities, becoming the Administrative Director before being appointed as Executive Director.

He was a passionate man who had devoted more than half of his 52 years of life to the new continent’s development, and an elite among elites who had spent half of his 30-year career at the Development Bureau as its Executive Director.

The sight of such a man dining alone with a group of adventurers, without even bringing other VIPs, would be an unprecedented anomaly in Grantis’s history.

“Come now, don’t be so tense, everyone. Food should be enjoyed with a relaxed mind to truly appreciate its flavor.”

“Ah, yes…”

Semi-long hair with gentle waves, and a mustache and beard that were neither excessive nor insufficient.

If one were to describe Executive Director Geronimo’s appearance in a word, he looked like an aged Jesus Christ wearing President Lincoln’s clothes.

Watching such a man eagerly eating meat and french fries while leaving carrots in the corner of his plate seemed slightly comical yet endearing.

“Thank you all for attending despite the sudden invitation. I’ve wanted to meet you ever since I read about your exploits in Moon Lake’s daily newspaper.”

“Moon Lake…?”

“It’s the name of the 6th Western City, west of the marshlands.”

“Not just Moon Lake. The names of you five have already spread to the far western edge. The black-haired gunslinger who appeared like a comet and the four beautiful female adventurers. I had only seen Miss Seti in photographs, but truly, each of you exceeds the rumors.”

“Hehe, thank you for the compliment. We’re honored to have this opportunity with you, Executive Director.”

Jessica responded with a radiant smile to Director Geronimo’s sincere praise.

The beauty of the four women, dressed in formal attire rented from a tailor shop, was enough to make even me gasp in admiration.

Jessica had transformed into a perfect upper-class lady, wearing a Victorian-style blue dress with her hair pinned up and a corsage-adorned hat.

Seti wore a white A-line dress with a wide skirt, exuding an exquisite sensuality in contrast with her brown skin.

Mina had let down her side ponytail and enhanced her femininity with a frilled blouse and high-waisted skirt, what might be called “virgin-killer clothes.”

Phyllis emphasized the mysterious aura of the elven race with a mermaid-line, mint-green off-shoulder dress adorned with elaborate floral decorations.

I too had abandoned my cowboy style of jeans and shirt for a proper suit, but compared to the women’s transformations, mine was like drawing lines on a pumpkin.

“In the 100-year history of Grantis, there have been many skilled adventurers, but people like you are hard to find. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and even Felinids. Capturing wanted criminals in Oxville, solving the request from the Dwarf mines in Zemest, and even accomplishing great deeds in Grave Around that haven’t been made public?”

“I see that someone of your position in the Development Bureau receives such information.”

“As the one overseeing the development project, I must be thoroughly informed of matters that shouldn’t be spread among the general public.”

I suppose it’s not strange for someone at the top of the New Continent Development Bureau to have one or two independent information networks.

Even in fantasy novels, kings and grand dukes typically maintain groups specializing in information gathering and handling dirty work.

“So, would you mind telling me about your adventures in detail? From the moment your party was formed to when you discovered this dungeon.”

“Our adventures so far?”

“I’d like to hear what circumstances brought together young people of various races to form a party, and what the secret is behind achieving so many accomplishments in the East where the pioneering spirit has cooled… I want to hear vivid firsthand accounts, not reports from the Adventurers’ Guild or branch managers. Ah, of course, I promise that nothing discussed here today will leak outside.”

So he wants us to include off-the-record matters like the Plague Demon’s dungeon.

Wondering what to do, I glanced at Jessica, who nodded slightly, gesturing that she would leave it to me.

It seems she wants me to decide how to handle our party’s major secrets related to the Arcane Word.

Well… how much should I reveal?

“Ho ho ho! So you’re dating three of them simultaneously, excluding Miss Mina! They say heroes are lustful, and that’s exactly right!”

“That’s how it turned out. Though I’m still just an E-rank rookie, hardly deserving to be called a hero.”

Director Geronimo listened to our somewhat embellished adventure tales with great laughter and enjoyment.

From my first arrival in Grantis as a drifter to meeting Jessica and Seti and reaching Oxville, he listened with an intrigued expression.

Through Ambers Ranch, fighting the troll in the ancient ruins, and defeating the Tyrant Worm in Blackforge Mine, he was on the edge of his seat.

When we talked about the Plague Demon’s dungeon, the Elven sanctuary, Cotton Tail Trading Post, and Mount Evernight, he asked what monsters we fought and how we overcame crises.

Upon hearing about our near-framing in Riverside, he expressed deep regret and conveyed his apologies to Seti as a representative of the pioneers.

I omitted parts that couldn’t be carelessly revealed, such as the Arcane Word, Negatite, the Book of Adventure, and Nidavellir, but Director Geronimo seemed greatly satisfied with what I had shared.

“Rookie? Consider the achievements you’ve made. The first adventurer party in history with Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Beastkin. Capturing wanted criminals right after your debut, defeating Tyrant-class monsters that would trouble ten intermediate adventurers. The Plague Demon’s dungeon—a deep wound in Grantis’s history—the ruins of Mount Evernight where no one had set foot since its discovery, and now finding a new dungeon! When I learned that someone of your caliber had just reached E-rank, I wondered if we should revise the Frontier License evaluation criteria.”

The Director’s praise made my nose itch with embarrassment, but looking back, our party had indeed resolved one major incident after another wherever we went.

And it hadn’t even been two months since I crossed over to Grantis.

“Well then… now that I’ve enjoyed your fascinating adventure tales, it’s time to bring up what I’ve prepared.”

“I thought as much. Someone of your position in the Development Bureau wouldn’t invite us just to hear adventure stories.”

“No, no, hearing your adventures was indeed the main purpose. What I’m about to say is merely a bonus.”

The face of Director Geronimo, who had been enjoying our stories like a grandfather watching his grandchildren’s performances, changed to that of a solemn authority figure.

Perhaps the conversation we were about to have would carry enough weight to determine our future.

“Actually, I’ve been keeping an eye on you all, or rather, on William, since you registered in Mothertown.”

“The reason being that I’m a drifter.”

“Good intuition. Then do you also have an idea why the New Continent Development Bureau is interested in drifters?”

“I haven’t thought deeply about it, but probably because of my origin.”

Unlike regular immigrants who arrive in Grantis by ship, drifters appear as if they’ve used some kind of spatial teleportation magic.

One hypothesis is that immigrants come from continents outside Grantis but within the same world, while drifters could be distinguished as beings from completely different worlds.

“People who arrive on immigrant ships are ultimately not much different from first-generation immigrants. At most, the difference is whether they’re from neighboring countries or distant ones… but with drifters, it’s a different story.”

“Different? What do you mean?”

While Director Geronimo nodded in understanding, the four women looked at me with expressions of incomprehension.

It was time to reveal what I had been postponing but knew I would eventually have to disclose.

“The place I lived in is a completely different world from Grantis.”

“A different world?”

“Not somewhere outside Grantis, but a world that exists in an entirely separate space, not physically connected.”

The New Continent Development Bureau must have noticed early on that all drifters are from other worlds.

But publicly announcing the existence of other worlds would have been awkward, and they couldn’t give special treatment to otherworlders in such a situation.

Currently, using the Frontier License system to keep them within the bounds of the law and constantly monitor their activities is probably the most reasonable approach the Bureau can take.

“And the fact that the Director of the Development Bureau has come to meet us personally suggests you have business beyond just monitoring our activities.”

“Your insight is frighteningly sharp. It’s a great fortune that you weren’t recruited by criminals.”

“You flatter me. So… have I caused some problem? Or perhaps drawn too much attention?”

“No, there’s no problem. Rather, I’ve been waiting for someone like you to appear.”

Director Geronimo took a sip of his coffee and carefully asked:

“Would you consider leaving your adventurer life and joining the Development Bureau?”

“…Pardon?”

“I plan to establish a department within the Development Bureau dedicated to researching technology from other worlds. And I suspect the world you lived in is technologically far superior to Grantis. I would like you to lead this new department and spearhead technological innovation in Grantis.”

So he wants me to use my “modern knowledge cheat” to introduce Earth’s advanced civilization to Grantis.

It’s a common cliché, but being directly requested by an authority figure from another world is quite startling.

“Of course, to recruit someone like you who is rising as an adventurer, an appropriate compensation is necessary.”

With those words, Director Geronimo took out a paper about the size of a banknote from his suit’s inner pocket and placed it on the table.

The number 1,000,000 written on the paper with delicate lettering—there was no need to ask what it was for.

“A signing bonus of 100,000 gold.”

“O-one hundred thousand!?”

“A monthly salary of 5,000 gold, plus a guaranteed license promotion faster than anyone else in Grantis’s history.”

“5,000 per month!?”

At the conditions offered by Director Geronimo, Jessica and Mina let out near-screams and froze like statues, while Seti and Phyllis fixed their gazes on the check on the table with disbelieving expressions.

Simply converting 1 gold to 1 dollar, 100,000 gold would be over 1.2-1.3 million dollars, with a monthly salary exceeding $6,000, plus social status coming along with it.

It was undoubtedly a life-changing opportunity that would allow me to live comfortably for the rest of my life, but…

“I’m sorry, but I cannot accept that offer.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I declined Director Geronimo’s proposal, and the astonished gazes of the four women all converged on me.

“May I ask why? I thought we had presented quite exceptional terms.”

“I have no complaints about the conditions. Even someone like me who hasn’t been in Grantis long can appreciate how much money that is. The issue is that I have no intention of quitting my life as an adventurer yet.”

“If I recall correctly, you’ve been an adventurer for less than two months. Do you find the profession so appealing that you would turn down 100,000 gold?”

“That’s part of it, but… even if I quit being an adventurer here and became a civil servant, the women I love wouldn’t want to give up their adventures.”

Jessica’s search for the legacy of the Great Sage, Seti whose dream was to live as an adventurer, Phyllis’s sister who had transformed into a Dark Elf.

The three women I love all have goals they cannot compromise or abandon.

How could I choose to settle into the life of a millionaire while leaving them behind?

“For me, adventuring with my precious companions is far more valuable than the life of a millionaire. So I cannot accept your recruitment offer right now, Director Geronimo.”

“Hmm… if that’s the reason, it can’t be helped. I understand. I’ll postpone the recruitment until someday when you finish your adventurer life and seek stability.”

“It might take a long time.”

“Just come to me before I grow old and die. Despite appearances, I’m confident in my health thanks to regular exercise and diet control.”

Director Geronimo didn’t show any displeasure or disappointment despite his recruitment offer being rejected.

We continued our conversation for about 30 more minutes, and the dinner with the Director concluded in a warm and friendly atmosphere.