What Changed in Pond, and What Didn’t – Part 03

The conflict with Ballast Trading—an organization comprised of roughnecks separate from the Thieves Guild or the Adventurers Guild—had finally settled, and Pond seemed to be enjoying a period of relative peace. But then the Fire Drakon appeared, plunging the royal capital into chaos, and the ripple effects reached Pond. Adventurers and merchants from the capital fled to the nearby satellite towns.

Pond was bustling, but the influx of unfamiliar adventurers led to more clashes with local adventurers.

“Even yesterday, there was a fight at the guild. Honestly, that honorable Fire Drakon is such a pain.”

Freya sighed. It was just like her to refer to the Fire Drakon with a polite honorific. Knowing he was the root cause of her troubles, Hikaru felt a little anxious.

“Wh-What else? Any changes with the shops?” he asked.

“Let’s see… quite a few new shops have opened up. Remember that place with the delicious pasta?”

“Pasta Magic?”

The one run by a bear-like man covered in thick hair.

Oh, right. When I first came to this world, I hunted Redhorn Rabbits and earned a decent sum. Pasta Magic’s owner wanted their innards back then.

It felt like a lifetime ago, though it hadn’t even been a year.

“Yeah, that one. They’ve opened a second branch.”

“They’re doing well, huh?”

“Really well. Their food is delicious, after all.”

“What about Leniwood’s and Dodorono’s shops?”

Hikaru was a little worried about them. For a good reason. Leniwood, the lanky Elf, ran a weapon shop, while Dodorono, a Dwarf, had set his sights on opening a fashionable clothing store.

Both of them were breaking away from the stereotypes of their respective races, which made it hard for others to understand their choices. Put bluntly, their shops were not doing well.

“They’re barely scraping by.” Freya gave a forced smile that hinted at slow business. “Oh, but Dodorono mentioned he was heading to Vireocean.”

“Vireocean? That’s the maritime nation to the east, right?”

“Exactly.”

Freya explained that Vireocean was thriving lately, thanks to a surge in rare sea monsters and bountiful seafood harvests.

“Huh, I see.”

“Dodorono’s always on the lookout for rare materials,” Freya added with an even wider smile.

Hikaru felt a wave of relief. It was comforting to know that the people he’d met—especially those who had shown him kindness—were safe and doing well.

Back then, it was just Redhorn Rabbits, but now I could take down much bigger prey.

Wait. My strategy hasn’t changed at all. I’m still sneaking up in Stealth mode and delivering one decisive blow. And even if I could take down something huge, I’ve got no way to transport it. Have I really grown at all since leaving Pond?

The self-reflection hit him hard. Sure, he could probably collect rare monster parts, but as far as food went, Redhorn Rabbit might still be his best option.

“Speaking of thriving businesses, you already know about this, don’t you?” Freya asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Huh? Know about what?”

“The hot dog stand.”

“Oh, that one,” Hikaru said, recalling the grumpy vendor who kept glaring at him in stony silence. The bread and sausages were good, but the sauce was so awful that Hikaru had criticized it repeatedly. Eventually, they arrived at a recipe he was satisfied with.

“Wait, don’t tell me it went under?”

“No, not at all. They opened a proper store.”

“Seriously? That’s amazing.”

“Not just that. They’ve opened a second branch.”

“A branch?”

“Yes, this month they expanded into the royal capital.”

“The royal capital?”

Hot dogs? In the royal capital? Hikaru couldn’t wrap his head around it and decided to let it go.

“I-I see,” he said. “It’s good to hear everyone’s doing well.”

“Yes, everyone seems to be thriving. Oh…”

“What is it?”

“Um… I’m only bringing this up because I thought it might interest you.” Freya suddenly went from cheerful to grim. “It’s about the late Count Morgstadt.”

“…”

Count Morgstadt was killed the day Hikaru arrived in this world.

Lavia, once wanted as a suspect in the Count’s death, was staying in the royal capital for safety. Hikaru himself had been briefly suspected but managed to clear his name.

So why was this being brought up again now?

---

“Hmm, I wonder what they’re talking about.”

Someone was watching Hikaru and Freya from the outside. She stayed hidden, peeking from the shadows, because her outfit gave her away as an Adventurers Guild employee.

Her long purple hair, tied on either side, rested on her prominent chest. Narrow, almond-shaped eyes that always seemed to be smiling masked any hint of emotion.

This was Gloria, famously known among adventurers as the most therapeutic receptionist.

Despite the moniker, Gloria wasn’t all about warmth. She harbored suspicions about Hikaru, convinced he had a secret.

Hikaru had insisted that his guild card only had one Blessing—Metropolitan Residents, Townspeople, and Villagers Relief God: Civilian. But there was no way luck alone could explain how he’d caught multiple Redhorn Rabbits, or his recent solo kill on a Hell Tarantula, which had propelled him to Adventurer Rank D.

Just as I thought! He’s hiding something! Gloria’s mind raced. If I could just uncover that secret…

The thought of what she might gain lit a fire inside her. Hikaru might be younger and a bit naive, but with the right approach, she imagined he could make a suitable marriage partner.

A passing child caught sight of Gloria and saw her as a snake with a long, thin tongue flicking out as if sizing up its prey. They scurried away in a panic.

“What was that about?” Gloria muttered to herself. “Were they were dazzled by my beauty? I suppose it’s understandable.”

She completely misread the situation.

“Anyway, Freya must be thinking the same thing—that Hikaru has a secret. That’s why she’s trying to get close to him. I need to separate them.”

“What’s this about Freya?”

“She’s getting way too close to Hikaru.”

“I don’t see the problem. He’s been going to her counter ever since he became an adventurer.”

“I’m just trying to figure out a way to turn his attention to me—wait, what?”

Gloria stopped short. Who was she talking to? She whirled around.

“Gloria. How much longer will it take to deliver those documents to the town hall? There’s a long line of adventurers, and Aurora’s the only one manning the counter.”

“S-S-Sir Unken?!”

Standing there was guildmaster Unken.

The man let out a deep sigh. “It’s not exactly nice to skulk around spying on your colleagues.”

“B-But you see,” Gloria stammered. “I was worried Freya might be getting deceived by some shady adventurer.”

“Hikaru’s fine,” Unken cut her off. “I can vouch for him.”

“You’re vouching for him? So he does have some kind of secret.”

“Don’t get carried away now,” Unken interrupted again. “I’m just saying he’s trustworthy. His skills and combat abilities still have room to grow, but he’s a young boy with a bright future.”

To someone like Unken—once known as the Empire’s Black Blade in the Quinbrand Empire’s intelligence division—Hikaru was still a rookie. But Gloria, oblivious to Unken’s impressive past, dismissed him as a quirky old man who loved butchering monsters behind the scenes.

“Hmm.”

Though she wasn’t entirely convinced, Gloria figured Unken had his reasons for keeping an eye on Hikaru. It made Hikaru seem a little less intriguing, just some kid with a watchful old man in his corner.

“Well then, I’ll head back to the guild,” Gloria said.

“That sounds good.”

With that, Gloria hurried off toward the Adventurers Guild.

“Good grief,” Unken muttered as he watched her leave. “She could at least try to hide her disappointment. It’s a bit hurtful.”

He turned his gaze back to the café.

“Hikaru is as clueless as ever. If he can’t even sense that someone’s clearly watching him, he’s got a long way to go. A little more training might be in order.”

Unken smirked.