Ch.3535. Adventurer’s Guild (3)

A moment later. I and Sophia… the female druid who introduced herself as such moved to a different location.

We were now in one of the party conference rooms on the second floor of the guild branch building. It was the result of immediately renting a conference room by taking full advantage of my privileges as a silver-rank adventurer.

Thanks to the special soundproof material, there was almost no chance of sound leaking out, but just to be safe, inside this space where a simple temporary barrier had been formed…

“So, your name is Sophia… and you came here following a celestial magic prophecy?”

“That’s right. The prophet has seen the will of the heavens and came seeking.”

I tried my best to converse with this druid Sophia who boasted this maddening way of speaking, attempting somehow to understand what she was saying.

First off, her name was Sophia. She was a druid of the Celestial Communion who had reached the intermediate level after training at a druid gathering, and currently makes her living by reading the future through astrology that applies her celestial magic.

…Honestly, she gives off a strong impression of not being entirely sane, but even so, this could be considered a relatively benign form of madness.

Druids derive the power necessary for using magic by harmonizing their souls with the mysteries of nature, and in this process, a druid’s soul inevitably changes under the influence of these mysteries.

And the effects of this ‘change’ can be extremely diverse.

The most representative changes include growing animal body parts or having one’s flesh transform to become elf-like, while physical changes such as hair or eye color alterations are practically a constant.

Mystery is a concept closer to the metaphysical, spiritual, and mental realms rather than the material. Therefore, even more frequently observed than physical changes are changes in the mental realm.

As the soul and body themselves are reconstructed into those of a long-lived race (elves), it’s common for emotions to become either dulled or heightened, and it’s not uncommon for strange quirks to develop or mental deficiencies to occur, resulting in eccentricity.

…And Sophia’s strange behavior patterns aren’t particularly rare either.

The druids of the Celestial Communion use astrology to glimpse the future and read fate by resonating with the high heavens. Here, the high heavens are far from simply meaning the sky in a physical sense.

In this world, the heavens represent a higher place, a more advanced dimension from a mystical perspective… And the act of reading the will of the heavens, of fate, inevitably places considerable strain on their souls and minds.

“…The prophet is curious. Why did my kindred suddenly go quiet?”

“…Ah, sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment.”

Sophia’s speech pattern, which might sound absurd to some, could be considered a classic burden-avoidance method of splitting consciousness in two for astrological purposes, so it’s not exactly wrong.

Anyway, after snapping out of my thoughts, I looked at Sophia and spoke to begin a serious conversation.

“Sophia. The reason you approached me first is because you felt it too, right?”

“The prophet does not deny it. The prophet has read the thread of fate and destiny connecting me and Gregory.”

‘…Did I tell her my name?’

That thought crossed my mind momentarily, but I quickly dismissed it, figuring that a Celestial Communion druid could easily know such information. As I tried to reconsider her statement…

“…Thread of fate? Destiny? To that extent?”

“The prophet affirms.”

Knowing the weight that threads of fate and destiny carry in celestial magic—specifically astrology—I could barely continue speaking due to the gravity of the destiny she had read.

The fate of this world… is determined by observation.

Before observation, fate is nothing more than an indeterminate factor that can be changed at any time, but once fate is recognized in some way, it becomes unchangeable no matter what one does afterward.

Of course, given the limitations of human cognitive abilities, even the most exceptional druid would have clear limits to the fate they could read…

“So, you’re saying there’s really a thread of fate binding us?”

“The prophet shows affirmation. The prophet didn’t see the exact form, but there was definitely a thread of fate binding us.”

Precisely because this concerns the minor realm of personal relationships, the claim that a thread of fate connects Sophia and me is likely to be true.

And…

[Wild druid, my friend’s words are undoubtedly true.]

“You are…?”

Next to Sophia, a white owl that appeared to be her animal companion revealed itself. Instead of using the druid’s unique animal language, it opened its beak and conveyed its thoughts directly in Elvish, which allowed me to finally recognize its identity.

“Minerva…is it?”

[Yes. I am Minerva, a member of the Forest Guardian clan accompanying my friend Sophia.]

Minerva, sharing a name with the goddess of knowledge and wisdom worshipped in the ancient empire, is a mid-tier magical beast owl that, unusually for an intelligent forest species, possesses outstanding magical abilities and maintains deep relationships with druids.

While its physical abilities might be outmatched by upper-low tier beings, Minerva’s true value lies in its ability to cast celestial and nature magic comparable to a formal druid while flying.

Beyond mere combat power, this species is inherently more intelligent and wiser than humans. As a result, it’s not uncommon to find cases where they are stronger than mediocre druids.

At the same time, they’re also a species that won’t form animal companion contracts unless the person is wise and good-hearted.

“Minerva, are you saying that you vouch for her?”

[That is correct. Once the thread of fate has been tied, you can no longer distance yourself from my friend, no matter what.]

“…T-the prophet! That’s, that’s not what I meant!”

The self-proclaimed prophet, Sophia, heard Minerva’s words and frantically waved her hands in panic, desperately trying to say something.

Her reaction suggested she didn’t want to be misunderstood, and her determined will was evident… But more important than such trivial matters was the thread of fate supposedly connecting Sophia and me.

Therefore, I addressed the two foreigners.

“Sophia, and Minerva. What is it that you ultimately want?”

“The prophet w-wants to travel together…”

“Travel together?”

“…The prophet affirms. The prophet has been wandering in search of fate since leaving the communion.”

“…?”

[Sigh. In other words, my friend foresaw through divination that she would be traveling with you, and since you would be traveling together anyway, she came to join you in advance.]

“…I see.”

I had heard about this from my master in the past.

Some of the mages of the Celestial Communion who don’t have specific domains not only read the future through astrology but also frequently work toward their own goals—usually the overall druidic objective of protecting nature’s mysteries.

If that’s the case, I have no reason to refuse if a… capable Celestial Communion druid like Sophia volunteers to join me.

‘What do you all think?’

[Do whatever you want, master.]

[…I don’t mind as long as it doesn’t interfere with our world journey.]

[Friend? New friend? Then I like it!]

As a final procedure, I consulted my animal companions, and their responses were positive or partially positive.

“…I see no reason to refuse. Alright, so you want to travel together for a while?”

Despite the change in atmosphere, Sophia, who had shown almost no change in expression until now, momentarily flashed a bright, pure smile when I expressed my agreement… before immediately reverting back.

The change was so brief that she herself probably didn’t even notice her momentary break from expressionlessness.

Meanwhile, having heard my agreement, Sophia somehow unsummoned and retrieved Minerva, then looked directly at me and handed me a piece of paper.

“The prophet proposes a first joint task to get to know each other.”

‘…A request?’

The paper contained a request like countless others posted on the request board below, and reading its contents revealed nothing particularly special… just an ordinary ‘cleaning’ request for the sewers.

The massive sewer system beneath the capital city Frank, in addition to its enormous size, boasts considerable danger due to the slime-based sewage facilities created by this world’s ancient empire.

Add to this all kinds of wastewater and filth flowing in, and the unknown threats inside make for the worst environment.

Dirty, Dangerous, and Difficult—a typical 3D request that doesn’t even pay well considering the difficulty, making it a top-priority request for adventurers to avoid…

“Is there any special reason you’re recommending this?”

“…The prophet affirms. Your fate is intertwined with symbols of money and glory.”

If a Celestial Communion druid who appears extraordinary even to my eyes says this much, then the story changes.

…Even if it means having to enter the sewers.