Dream Life Vol II Chapter 30.1: “The Request”

　September 23.

　I was thinking about what I should do.

　I don’t know how much interest the guy who wants to kick us out has in us. However, I don’t think they’ll pay much attention to us.

　However, in case he is spying on us, it would be better if we don’t show up at the academy for the time being. We will go to the Grand Library, but not to the Magic Academy, especially not to the classrooms.

　This way, they will think that we stopped going to the academy because of the bullying.

　They must have expected that when they started bullying us.

　If a 10-year-old kid from the countryside is bullied by his teacher and all his classmates, it is normal to think that he would be so shocked that he would stop going to school. In other words, if we do what they expect us to do, they will think things are going well and won’t try to hurt us anymore. If that happens, we will be free to act, and Sharon, who is a normal child, will be less burdened.

　As for our course of action, we will first analyze the information we have gathered and find out the intentions of those who are trying to kick us out. Then, when I am completely free to move, I will take the most effective measures to ensure that they will never touch us again. The important thing here, however, is to refrain from acting in anger and to avoid making unnecessary enemies.

　So, the first step is to analyze the information, and based on the information I have gathered on my own so far, I am beginning to think that this is not just bullying, but part of a larger scheme.

　There is too little information to turn the little inference into a conclusion. I decide to go to the Adventurers’ Guild to make a request to an adventurer who specializes in information gathering, as Professor Kitley Elvine of the Tyria Magic Academy had taught me.

　It was just the two of us, me and Liddy. Sharon wanted to come with us, but I let her go to the library because I was afraid, she might get mixed up with some bad adventurers at the guild.

　The adventurers’ guild in Doctus was located on the west side of the New City and was a rather large three-story wooden building.

　We went inside, but it was just after two o’clock in the afternoon, and the guild was deserted. Only a few adventurers were hanging out in the meeting area, looking bored.

　Liddy was wearing the hood of her cloak, just as she does when she comes to sell magic stones, so as not to expose her face. I did the same, wearing a hood so that no one would recognize me as a child.

　When we sat down at the reception counter, the receptionist, who was in her early twenties, looked at us suspiciously. But when I said, “Can we talk about our request?” the receptionist immediately put on a sales smile and said,

“I’m ready to serve you. My name is Tina, and I’m the guild receptionist.” (Tina)

“My name is Zacharias Lockhart.” (Zack)

　After greeting her, I immediately got down to business.

“Then, regarding the content of my request, it is a nominated request…” (Zack)

　I explained the details of my request to Tina at the reception desk.

“…The person I would like to request is a fourth-rank adventurer named Sai Farman… I have just given you an overview of the request, but I will explain the details once he accepts the request.” (Zack)

　After about five minutes of explanation, the request was accepted.

　Tina seems to be acquainted with Sai to some extent,

“Mr. Sai comes to the guild every morning around eight o’clock to check on requests. I will talk to him then, and I think he will visit you tomorrow morning.” (Tina)

　We thanked Tina and left the guild.

　On the morning of September 24.

　Cy Furman, a fourth-grade adventurer, came to visit us at our house.

　He was a dark-skinned man in his mid-thirties, with a slight limp when he walked. Ms. Kitley, an old friend of Liddy’s, Professor Kitley Elvine, told us that he had become an information-gathering specialist in the city because of a bad leg he got from combat.

　With a friendly smile, he asked me for the details of what I wanted to find out.

“I was told to ask Zacharias Lockhart for the details. So, what kind of information do you want me to find?” (Sai)

“What I want you to gather is information about Councilor Wagman. I want to know who he is, his policies, beliefs, and connections. And more importantly, who are his political rivals? If possible, I would like to hear from more than one source.” (Zack)

　He nodded at me, but then asked, “Multiple sources? What do you mean?”

“I mean those who support him and those who don’t. If possible, I would like to have information from a completely neutral third party, but there are monetary considerations. If you can perform the request exemplary.” (Zack)

“You can expect one gold coin (100 Crona or 100,000 yen) worth. And since it’s an introduction from our good friend Professor Elvine. I will gather as much information as I can.” (Sai)

　He said this with a smile and held out his right hand.

　I took his hand and held it firmly.

“The deadline is ten days from now, on October 4. Five days later, on September 29, please let me know your progress. I may then add information I want you to look into. Of course, in that case, I’m willing to offer additional compensation, as per our agreement.” (Zack)

　On the way out, he didn’t seem particularly surprised when I spoke to him in an adult-like tone, so I asked him about it.

“I heard from Professor Elvine. And also… Professor Ruspede says you are a one-in-a-millennium genius. Nothing should surprise me.” (Sai)

　As one would expect from a man who lives by information gathering, he seems to have researched information about his clients in advance.

　Sai immediately went out to the town to gather information.

　We had decided to head for the woods since the weather was so nice.

　I’m going to go to the forest today not because the weather is nice, but because I’m not going to go to the academy for the time being. And as much as possible, I won’t go into the Old City either.

　Yesterday we decided to just stay away from the academy, but as time went on, we reconsidered our decision to make it look like we were not enduring the bullying. And as soon as I receive the information from Sai, I’m thinking of going to ask Mr. Bennett, the classroom teacher, Aric Bennett, about the procedure for leaving the academy.

　This is not only to ensure our safety but also the hope that other information will be caught up in the information gathering we asked Sai to do. In other words, we are hoping that if they think we are doing what they want, they will take some kind of action in response.

　We went to the forest every day for the next four days. Sometimes I would look for any presence, but there was no sign that someone was watching our house.

　Although unrelated to this information gathering, Sharon’s Wind Magic level had risen to nineteen after four days in the forest. As for me, since Guy, Squire Guy Jakes, Sharon’s father, is no longer accompanying us, I tend to be the vanguard, and my Magical Combat level has risen to nineteen. In addition, my Sword Arts skill level has not increased and remains at twenty-five, but my Evasion skill has risen steadily to twenty-nine. As for my plan to go into the forest to gain experience, it is working out just as I had hoped.

　However, I had one concern.

　I was the only one acting as the vanguard.

　The magical long-range attacks of me, Liddy, and Sharon are quite powerful. I am proud to say that we are the best among the young adventurers who have a territory in the vicinity.

　Still, when we encounter highly durable monsters, especially Large Gray Bears, we have a very hard time.

　We use hit-and-away tactics to chip away at their strength from a distance, but it is difficult to inflict a fatal wound on them, perhaps because they are incompatible with Liddy and Sharon’s wind attribute magic. I would challenge the bear to close combat, and the two of them would cast magic after I sealed the bear’s movement, but there was one time when Sharon was pushed to the verge of running out of magic power.

　One of my goals is to improve my sword skills as the vanguard, but I fear that with our current party composition, we may not be able to advance beyond the forest near the town. At the moment, there is no problem as we are steadily improving our level, but there is a possibility that we will soon reach a deadlock with the monsters here.

　There will come a day in the near future when we will have to make a choice between adding more party members or me becoming a specialist in close combat.

　On the morning of September twenty-ninth.

　Sai, whom I had asked to gather information, arrived at my house with the information.

“I’ve gathered all the information I can in the Old City. I might need to contact the upper echelons of the guild to find out more.” (Sai)

　After saying this, he began to talk about the information he had gathered.

“First of all, Councilor Wagman has a reputation among common people that he is a politician of high integrity and passionate about reform. Especially in the Old City, there are high expectations of him pushing for reform on the educational system…” (Sai)

　Councilor Wagman is the young hope who many in the Old City believe will reform the old system of the guild through reforming the academy.

“…That’s his public reputation, but that person doesn’t seem to be that noble. I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s evil, but there were rumors that weren’t very in line with his reputation…” (Sai)

　Councilor Wagman is the head of the Education and Research Committee, which oversees the academy, and there are rumors that he is trying to give positions to people from his faction through the reform of the academy. He is also said to have relationships with suppliers of the academy’s equipment and to receive kickbacks from them.

“Well, that’s about all the councilors do. Though, it was even worse when Mr. Seberg was chairman of the personnel committee. He pushed people he wanted into the academy without regard for their abilities or anything else. The current headmaster is a prime example of this. From what I’ve been told, Councilor Wagman is probably one of the more decent politicians in town.” (Sai)