Chapter 29: Gilma and Daughter, Part 1

“Should I be relieved…?”

After hearing about Angelina’s atrocities from Chermia, I rushed to Noel’s house. I wasn’t sure, but I had to check…

“Oh, Allen! What’s wrong?”

She greeted me so cheerfully, as if nothing was wrong, that my tension eased.

I made some excuse and am now heading back to the workshop.

…Hmm?

The plaza is unusually crowded.

Noel’s house and Deva’s workshop are far apart.

That’s one of the reasons Noel was always late when she was learning potion-making from Deva.

Of course, the main reason was that Noel didn’t really care, but anyway.

So, whether you’re going from Noel’s house to Deva’s workshop or vice versa, you have to pass through the capital’s plaza.

You see the plaza often.

It’s always crowded, being a plaza, but right now, it’s chaotic.

I was in such a hurry when I went to Noel’s house that I didn’t notice, but what’s going on…?

“…Oh, right.”

I remember now.

The royal festival celebrating the Demon King’s defeat.

It was supposed to continue today, but Yerin caused that… incident.

But it seems they’ve sorted things out and resumed the festival.

Yerin probably had to give some explanation, though.

“Well, it’s none of my business anyway.”

I’m trying to distance myself from the hero’s party, so I have no intention of attending a festival celebrating them.

If I had to say something about this festival… it’s that Allen, despite being a member of the hero’s party, albeit an unknown one, is completely absent, and no one seems to question it.

Of course, Allen’s close acquaintances, like the innkeeper near the forest and Deva, would probably just assume he has his reasons and not think much of it.

“…Oh, right.”

Speaking of acquaintances, there’s one other person.

I don’t have much to do when I get back to the workshop anyway, so maybe I’ll go see them.

They’re usually near the plaza, and they’re somewhat related to my current situation.

Ding!

I open the door of a building, and a bell above the entrance chimes.

“Oh, welcome! How can I help you?”

Inside the bustling building, a receptionist greets me, their voice clear and easily heard above the din.

I’m at the capital’s Guild Hall.

Allen used to come here often when he was working as a gatherer, collecting potion ingredients.

In some novels, guilds are corrupt or unhelpful, but thankfully, that’s not the case here. Allen even has a few close friends among the guild staff.

But that was years ago.

A new receptionist like this probably wouldn’t recognize Allen… or would they? No, it’s understandable for an adventurer, but even though he was in the hero’s party, a guild official wouldn’t recognize Allen? This Allen guy really is…

“Um… are you perhaps an adventurer? What brings you…”

“May I see the Guild Master?”

“…?!”

Even in this unfamiliar situation, I boldly state who I’m looking for.

It seems to have attracted some attention, as the murmuring in the guild hall subsides a little.

“Th-The Guild Master…??”

“Yes. I owe him a debt of gratitude and would like to thank him.”

A lie. I am looking for him, but neither I nor Allen have any reason to thank him.

“If that’s the case, I can pass on your message.”

“…Really?”

…Well, this should be enough.

“Then please tell him that Allen came to see him.”

“Oh, yes. Just a moment.”

For now, I’ll gracefully give up on meeting the person I came to see. To be precise, I haven’t given up at all, but… for appearances’ sake.

The receptionist takes down my message. Then…

“…Wait, Allen?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

The receptionist hesitates. Could it be… they finally recognize Allen?

“Oh, no… The name just sounded familiar… It might be a mistake.”

Too bad, it wasn’t. But at least it’s good that they’re not completely clueless about Allen. Of course, it’s just a step above not knowing him at all, but still.

“Well then, excuse me. Can you deliver the message right away?”

“Yes. I’ll inform the Guild Master immediately.”

“Yes, thank you.”

I pretend to leave the guild hall, watch the receptionist head towards the Guild Master’s office, and then exit the building.

The guild hall, which had quieted down because of me, soon returns to its usual noisy state.

As I walk a few steps away from the guild hall…

Bang!

A familiar sound from a familiar place.

“…Allen?”

The loud, unexpected noise was the sound of the guild door being thrown open.

The Guild Master, having heard of my arrival, came out himself.

To catch Allen, whose highest achievement was once being a member of the hero’s party.

“…It’s been a while.”

“It has been a while, if you say so.”

“How was your time with the hero’s party?”

“It was tough.”

“How are you doing now?”

“I’m staying at my master’s workshop.”

“Then, perhaps our…”

“No. I asked you to give up on that.”

“…You’ve grown a lot, you too. You’ve finally shed that veneer of pure, untainted kindness. I’m not entirely happy about it.”

“Well, I didn’t particularly want to grow up this way either, but this society and human relationships are scary if you’re just a pushover.”

“Hahaha…”

This is the Guild Master’s office, on the top floor of the Guild Hall. I was more or less dragged here by the Guild Master.

And the person in front of me is Albert, also known as the Guild Master.

In terms of combat prowess, he’s probably third in rank, after the king and the hero.

As Guild Master, he holds a very high position, so normally, I wouldn’t be able to meet him for such a personal reason unless I used my hero’s party status.

But the reason he came out as soon as he heard Allen’s name is simple.

“…Since we’ve met, let me thank you again.”

“Don’t be so formal. If you keep doing it, it loses its sincerity.”

I’m his benefactor. More precisely…

“No, my sincerity never wavers… I should have brought my daughter today…”

I’m his daughter’s benefactor.

Allen, a harem master in the making, has a lot of hidden connections and debts of gratitude.

From the unpopular innkeeper to the skilled potion maker, and now the Guild Master.

In a way, this Allen guy lived a fortunate and happy life, almost justifying his suffering with the hero’s party.

Even if he hadn’t gotten involved with the hero’s party, he would have become a man surrounded by heroines, struggling to choose a main wife.

Of course, getting involved with them made his journey to defeat the Demon King a thorny path, but since I possessed him after that, I’ve somehow managed to navigate it.

Oh, so what did Allen do for the Guild Master’s daughter? Simple.

He found her collapsed in the forest while he was on a gathering quest.

I don’t need to go into the details of what happened with her, right? It would just make the story longer.

So, he got acquainted with the Guild Master, but their relationship wasn’t entirely positive.

The Guild Master expressed his gratitude for saving her, but he also looked down on Allen for being a weak gatherer specializing in potion making.

He was grateful, but he didn’t particularly like Allen as a person.

But when Allen was chosen as a member of the hero’s party, the Guild Master’s attitude changed.

He asked Allen to marry his daughter if he returned safely after defeating the Demon King… Damn it, this is ridiculous.

Even as I say it, this episode sounds stupid.

I didn’t think much of it when I read it, but now that I think about it, it was such an implausible event. …Well, the implausibility of this… no, my situation, is also pretty high.

What kind of fate did Allen have to be able to build a mindless harem like this? And now, facing the main character of that event in reality… it feels strange.

…Well, anyway, that’s what happened.

Now that I’ve returned safely after defeating the Demon King as a member of the hero’s party, I’m probably the number one son-in-law candidate in the Guild Master’s eyes.

Since the royal family only has one princess.

“So, you came to thank me? What do you want to thank me for?”

“Oh, that was a lie. I needed an excuse to see you, Guild Master. If I just barged in and demanded to see the Guild Master, I’d look like a lunatic.”

“That’s true… Would you like some tea?”

“No thanks. I just came to see your face. I thought of you while I was out.”

“…Is that so. Then, take care on your way out.”

“Yes, th—”

Crash! Bang!

“…?”

Just as I was about to leave the Guild Master Albert’s office, I heard a commotion.

“It’s quite noisy downstairs, isn’t it? To be heard all the way up here.”

“Indeed. What’s all that noise?”

The Guild Master Albert and I, both curious about the commotion, headed towards the source of the sound.

The source was the guild lobby.

The cause was a fight between two people.

Clang!

Two people were clashing swords without a word.

The ones making more noise were the spectators surrounding them.

And the combatants. One of them looked like a typical third-rate extra from an isekai manga, the kind who picks a fight with the protagonist.

But the other one was unusual.

His armor and helmet clearly identified him as a knight, a holy knight of the church.

So, why was a holy knight fighting some random adventurer here, where they would rarely interact? He definitely wasn’t just showing off his strength.

The answer was simple.

A woman standing behind the holy knight, looking anxious about the fight.

Blue hair, unusual clothes, and a prominent cross necklace that stood out more than her striking beauty.

Huh?

Recognizing us, her anxious expression softened slightly.

“Father! Mr. Allen!”

And the three words she cried out upon seeing me and the Guild Master Albert behind me silenced everyone in the guild lobby.

Dienae, the Saint of this country. Her father is Albert, the Guild Master.

Having just talked about her, I couldn’t help but think this situation was a rather amusing coincidence.

…Such plausibility…