“Garm, let’s try to follow that scent before the Young Master returns. This is a perfect chance to earn some merit.”
“…? …! Garm can be useful to the King?!”
“It is frustrating, but for intuitive matters, a search led by Garm is vital. We’re counting on you.”
Perhaps Nifl’s words—accompanied by a soft smile—were the deciding factor; Garm shivered with joy, put her hands on her hips, and puffed out her chest. She wore a bright smile, showing off her proud fangs.
“Alriiiight! Then everyone, follow Garm!”
As Garm ran off with her arms stretched out in high spirits, the people passing by gave her kind looks.
Nifl and Gurba looked at each other and shared a smile, and Nidhogg wagged her tail even harder than before.
Relying on Garm’s nose, they arrived without hesitation at a Japanese-style building—something not seen in other countries or capitals. The grand structure with its wide openings and tiled roof exuded an overwhelming atmosphere of “stillness,” making even the bustle from within feel like part of its charm.
The Explorers’ Guild, Sleepless Country Shechem Branch.
The Explorer Guild blended into the national scenery with its solemn exterior, but as Nifl drew closer, her iron mask twitched in response to the scent of alcohol and iron wafting from within.
Garm, pulling along a cool-eyed Nifl—who was casting a cold gaze at the “Explorer atmosphere” that assaulted both ears and nose—readjusted her cloak’s hood and rattled the sliding door wide open.
Nifl and Gurba hurriedly pulled their hoods down deeper. Nidhogg hid herself within Nifl’s cloak.
Inside, combined with the fact that it was night, the guild was brilliantly decorated with the shimmering orange glow of magical lights. The sight of men and women of all ages and a vast variety of races mingling together was a characteristic of Explorer Guilds that remained unchanged regardless of the country.
Drunkards swarmed around a beautiful receptionist. Nervous rookie Explorers. Beastmen, dwarves, giants… if one were to categorize them further, the list would go on, such was the prosperity of the place.
In a guild where people coming and going was hardly a rare occurrence, no one bothered to pay much attention to a trio wearing cloaks.
“Ooh… just a second, gotta concentrate.”
Reflecting the magical light in her pure eyes, Garm pressed her index fingers to both temples.
To pick out a specific scent within the guild where a chaotic mixture of smells lingered, she shut down her other four senses.
Then, perhaps because she lost her sense of balance, Garm’s feet began to wobble.
“Grandpa, please.”
“Ah, of course.”
Garm leaned against Gurba, speaking in a tone slightly more lisping than usual, and entrusted her weight to him with a look of complete security.
Supporting Garm, Gurba sat down at a seat in the tavern area established on the guild’s first floor.
“Gurba-sama, please look after Garm. I will quickly check if there is any information to be found.”
The Explorer Guild, where requests gathered from residents and neighboring countries, was the perfect place for information gathering. Unless it was a private nomination, most requests were posted on the request board set up near the reception.
Nifl approached the request board with natural movements and looked up.
The types of requests were diverse, ranging from exploring uncharted regions and ore mining to supply manufacturing and demon subjugation. Though the variety was rich, the contents were unremarkable, causing Nifl to let out a short sigh.
And then, when she let her gaze slide across the board aimlessly…
(This is…)
Had it been posted as a single sheet, it likely wouldn’t have caught her eye.
However, there were six requests with the exact same content. Furthermore, the clients were all different.
(—Having nightmares… is it. The request involves the use of purification magic, or identifying the cause. Even an investigation yields a partial reward. The reward itself is quite high. It seems the clients are desperate.)
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Explorers are a profession that primarily deals with uncharted lands and demons. It was rare for requests like this to be brought to an Explorer Guild. If anything, it was a matter that usually went to the Church.
Purification magic is a rare type of magic. Humans who can master it are unconditionally welcomed into the Church. In that regard, it felt out of place for such requests to come to the Explorer Guild.
However, what bothered Nifl more than anything was the sheer volume of posted requests.
(Would requests that offer a partial reward just for an investigation really remain here like this? It can be done within the capital, there is no danger to one’s life, and the reward is high. There’s no way Explorers would let such a “delicious” request slip away.)
In Nifl’s image, Explorers were the incarnation of greed, willing to do anything for honor or profit.
This was clearly a prejudice held by Nifl, who disliked humans, but generally speaking, it wasn’t far from the truth.
Childish curiosity, the honing of power, the desire for fame—among the countless Explorers in the world, many likely held such ideals. However, the majority were still driven by one thing: money.
Upbringing, ability, personality—the profession of “Explorer” questioned none of these. Naturally, special abilities were required to succeed, but as long as one had their body, they could earn money regardless of birth or past record. Truly fifty percent of an Explorer’s goal was money-making. The various other goals shared the remaining fifty percent.
That was precisely why Nifl placed a hand on her chin, looking at the current state of these requests gathering dust.
(A minor inconsistency… it would be a foolish move to overlook it. To the receptionist… no, that won’t do. The guild side would want the request to be accepted. It would be more convenient to ask an Explorer to find out the true nature of this strange feeling.)
Raising her head, she spotted a pair of male Explorers looking up at the board and weighing their options just as she was.
Taking care to pull her hood even deeper, she peeled off one of the requests regarding the nightmares.
“Excuse me. I have something I would like to ask regarding this request.”
“Huh?”
“…What is it, little lady?”
A beastman and a giant Explorer looked down at Nifl with faces flushed red, likely from lingering alcohol. Realizing they were being addressed by a woman, the two pleasantly peered at the parchment she indicated.
Then, without a moment’s pause, the two Explorers let out an “Ah.”
“Little lady, you came from outside the Sleepless land, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Does that matter?”
“Something strange is happening in this land right now. Well, it’s not like it’s someone else’s problem for us, either.”
The beastman man, acting playful, pointed to the areas under his and his partner’s eyes. Their faces, which still bore faint dark circles, looked a bit haggard upon closer inspection.
“Seeing nightmares. Lately, that’s just ‘normal’ in the Sleepless land.”
“It’s a nightmare of a snake that only people born in the Sleepless land see, or so they say.”
The two continued to spout words as if competing, their eyes glued to the curves of Nifl’s chest, visible even over her robe. Perhaps because the alcohol was taking hold, they didn’t even try to hide it.
(This is why… regardless, a nightmare of a snake that only those born in the Sleepless land see… is it?)
While despising their gaze, Nifl scrutinized the information.
The conditions and content were strangely specific. From what she heard, it was safe to assume everyone was seeing the same dream.
(Some kind of magic… or there’s a possibility a demon is involved. But there must be a reason it’s limited to the Sleepless land…)
Nifl became immersed in thought based on the information. Seeing the intellectual atmosphere wafting from her and her flowing, white silk-like hair, the two Explorers gulped.
“…Thank you. This is the information fee.”
Nifl offered two silver coins to each of them in a business-like tone, causing the giant Explorer to flash a vulgar grin.
“Little lady, this must be fate. How about a drink—”
“If you’ll excuse me.”
“Whoa, hold on a sec. Looks like you just got to the Sleepless land, yeah? We might not look it, but we’re veterans. And Level 5 at that!”
The beastman man, who had moved to stand in front of the departing Nifl, flaunted the Explorer tag hanging from his neck. Being drunk, he ignored the temperature difference between them and forcibly grabbed her slender arm.
“What? I’ll teach you all sorts of things. About adventuring, and about other things, too, gyahaha!”
“Hey now, you’re not hiding your ulterior motives at all! Hahaha!”
Nifl’s eyes narrowed sharply. While resisting the urge to slice off the hand of the man grabbing her arm, she clicked her tongue—just then.
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