[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 311

Grivy marched proudly into the mercenary guild with two spirits in tow.

A tiny little girl had suddenly come in, but since many people came to leave requests, no one really paid her much attention.

“I heard from my dad. If you go to a mercenary guild, you can get a treasure map.”

In truth, Leon had never said such a thing, but Grivy had interpreted his words in her own way.

If you go to the mercenary guild, there are requests that make money.

In other words, there are treasure maps!

With nothing but this endlessly bright thought, Grivy walked up to the receptionist, leaned her chin on the counter, and looked up.

“Oh my. Little lady. What brings you here?”

“I’m going to find treasure. I heard there’s a map.”

At that, the guild’s receptionist lady chuckled.

“I see. You’re looking for a map?”

“Yes.”

Answering confidently and bravely, Grivy was so cute that the receptionist began flipping through papers here and there as if considering something.

“Hmm. What kind of map would suit our little lady?”

In reality, guild receptionists never treat children like this.

The mercenary guild, as its name implies, was a place that arranged combat-related jobs.

It was hardly a place a child would visit, and normally if a child did, receptionists wouldn’t humor them so kindly.

No—more than that, nearby mercenaries would usually kick the child out first.

But this time, no one did that.

Veteran mercenaries simply kept their mouths shut and watched the situation with amusement, without stepping in.

Instead, the only ones who took issue with it were some drifters who had only recently come here.

“What’s with that brat? Does she think this is her playground? And why’s the receptionist even entertaining her?”

“Heh. You must be new here.”

“What does that matter?”

“Nothing. Just asking, don’t worry about it.”

The older mercenary waved him off with a laugh and left, while the younger, muscular drifter snorted and strode up to Grivy.

Then he roughly grabbed her arm.

“Hey, kid. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that if you play here, scary men will teach you a lesson?”

Normally, a child would burst into tears.

But Grivy just tilted her head with her arm held and looked up.

“Mister, are you going to find treasure too?”

“What?”

“Grivy is really good at finding treasure. Is that why you’re trying to block me?”

What on earth was this kid saying?

Did she think the mercenary guild was an explorer’s guild?

Treasure?

Blocking?

What kind of nonsense was this?

The drifter mercenary decided he’d have to scare her a bit more to drive her out.

It wasn’t just turf-guarding.

It was part of the unspoken rules of mercenary guilds.

Like filtering out riffraff to keep them from losing their lives needlessly.

“Kid. I’m a scary man. If you keep disobeying, you’ll be punished.”

“Grivy always listens well.”

“Then get lost and go home!”

“Grivy has to find treasure. My piggy bank is almost full, you know.”

Wow.

This brat really doesn’t understand a word.

Finally, the mercenary reached out to pick her up and throw her out.

But—

Blocking his path stood an otter, boldly.

He frowned, puzzled.

What the hell is this…?

Crash!!!

“Huh?”

His brain struggled to process.

He’d seen the otter appear and block him, but when he regained his senses, he was rolling on the ground.

“What the…”

What just happened?

Then—

“Puhahaha!”

“Ahahaha!”

Laughter erupted all around, and he sensed something was off.

What?

Was there something he didn’t know?

Didn’t mercenary guilds always have these kinds of rules?

He had only a moment to wonder before the older mercenary he’d spoken with earlier helped him up by the arm.

“Normally, yes. People would chase away the fearless just like you tried.”

“That… that kid… Who is she?”

Grivy, meanwhile, had gone back to innocently clinging to the counter and chattering to the receptionist.

“Those kids aren’t human.”

“Huh?”

“They’re famous. The pride of Cascadia. Young Master Leon’s spirits.”

“Spirits…?”

Grivy was actually quite well-known.

While Sur and Serqet rarely went about alone, Grivy often ran around the fief with Arsha, so many had seen her.

No fool here would mistake a spirit for an ordinary child just based on appearances.

That was why the receptionist, though she didn’t know exactly what was going on, had humored her—after all, she was the young master’s spirit.

“No way… What kind of spirit looks exactly like a human?!”

“Remember this well. In Cascadia, common sense doesn’t always apply.”

The drifter mercenary was left gaping, at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, Grivy happily skipped out of the guild, clutching a small request slip.

The mercenary muttered,

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“That request just now… Wasn’t that a dungeon exploration? Looked like a pretty high-level one…”

“Yes, that’s right. But the place has already been cleared and closed down, so there’s nothing left to find there.” This content belongs to NoveIꜰire.net

The receptionist chuckled.

“Isn’t she adorable? Wanting to fill her piggy bank by treasure hunting. She’s so innocent and pure, I could just squeeze her cheeks.”

“Huh. This fief is really something else. Nothing here goes the way you’d expect.”

The drifter shook his head, saying that in five years as a mercenary, he’d never seen such a bizarre land.

* * *

“Sur!”

Screech!!

“Serqet!”

Kiiiiii…

With the brave chick and the lazy otter perched on her shoulders, Grivy walked along happily.

The forest was actually the place she felt most at home.

No, not just the forest—every land felt comfortable to Grivy.

But no matter how much they followed the map, the destination wouldn’t appear!

She spread out the map and the girl, chick, and otter huddled their heads together.

“This is the spot. We just have to go this way.”

–Screeech!!!

At her words, Sur flapped his wings and smacked Grivy’s hand.

Then he traced another path on the map.

Not there, you dummy, here.

“No! This way is right!”

But Grivy was stubborn too, puffing out her cheeks in protest.

“You… you… you can’t even read a map, stupid!”

–Screech!

She was sure she was right, so why couldn’t they find the treasure cave?

The three spirits sat down in frustration.

But no good idea came to mind.

“Ugh… At this rate, I can’t fill my piggy bank.”

With a gloomy mutter, Grivy got up.

“Let’s dig! If we dig, we’ll find pretty stones people pay lots of money for.”

At that, Serqet flopped down lazily, and even Sur seemed deflated, reacting weakly.

“Why… why won’t you help?”

–Screech.

That’s not our specialty.

Seeing Sur answer like that, Grivy puffed out her cheeks again.

She pouted and smacked the ground with her little white hands.

“Fine! I’ll do it myself! When my piggy bank is full, don’t think you’ll get to enjoy the fun!”

In the end, the two spirits half-heartedly helped scratch at the ground.

But of course, a tiny chick and an otter weren’t good diggers.

On the other hand, every time Grivy struck the ground with gusto, the earth shook and a huge hole opened.

Thump! Thump!

Still, if riches came just from digging, no one would be poor.

Her efforts were in vain.

Then—

As she dug, Grivy wrinkled her nose.

“A strange smell.”

At the same time, Sur and Serqet grimaced and stepped back.

Whoooosh!!!

Suddenly, something gushed up from the ground.

Like something pent up had burst, it splashed over Grivy’s body before surging out of the earth.

“Eek!! Black water! It stinks!”

–Screech!!

Sur and Serqet jumped back, terrified of the black liquid touching them, while Grivy clutched her nose and stumbled back.

But since she’d been digging, the black liquid had already splattered all over her.

–Screech.

Sur covered his face with his wings against the smell, while Grivy looked down sadly.

“Ugh… it stinks.”

Their efforts had gone to waste.

Dejected, Grivy returned to the mansion, sticky and reeking.

“Grivy? What did you get all over yourself… ugh. What is that smell?”

Melissa gasped, and Grivy pouted tearfully.

“I went treasure hunting, but sniff… there was no treasure, just smelly black water…”

“Oh dear… you went to fill your piggy bank?”

Sniffling, Grivy nodded, looking terribly cute, making Melissa giggle.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. If Leon sees you like this, he’ll scold.”

“Okay…”

The two spirits snickered at her, but Grivy was too upset to respond.

Then—

“Grivy? That stuff on you…”

“Ah! No, it’s not what you think! Grivy didn’t do anything bad!”

She tried to hide the sticky black stuff, but in Leon’s hands she was just a squirming child.

Sur and Serqet snickered again.

“Traitors!”

She wailed, but to those eyeing the fall of the top-ranked spirit, it was just entertainment.

Shaking with betrayal, she struggled.

Then—

“My goodness… this is crude oil! Grivy, where did you find this?”

“Huh?”

“Can you tell me where you found it?”

Instead of scolding her for the mess, Leon’s eyes gleamed.

Grivy’s innocent little mind worked quickly.

“Grivy knows! I can show you!”

The black, smelly liquid on her body no longer felt like a nuisance.

“Oh my, who is she taking after, being so kind and clever?”

“Hehe.”

Grivy giggled in Leon’s arms, then stuck her tongue out at the two spirits.

Sur and Serqet’s faces instantly soured.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]