I used "Swift II" and ran through the dungeon at full speed, returning to the guild.
Since it was still before noon, there were few adventurers inside the guild.
The seven appraisal counters, which usually have long lines, were now empty, and the receptionists seemed to be at a loss for what to do. I've only been here for a week, but since I'm Akki and Maki's exclusive, they all know my face and name.
So, everyone who wasn't busy waved at me with a smile. I was a bit mentally exhausted, so this was a pleasant surprise.
However, I also wanted to be healed by my main, so I just nodded to them and quickly headed to the exclusive window.
There, as usual, Hana was sitting, and next to her was the branch manager. They were probably having a meeting. But it was good timing. Given the content of the report, it would be better to inform the branch manager.
“Branch Manager, Hana.”
“Amachi-kun? That's quite early. If it's those girls...”
“Oh my, you're quite popular, aren't you?”
The two of them looked behind me. The branch manager must have known them too.
“Could you call the two of them? I also have a report for the branch manager, so it would be helpful if you could join us.”
“Alright. Let's go to the usual room.”
“See you later~”
With Hana seeing me off, I headed to the meeting room for Maki.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
While waiting in the room, Akki and Maki burst in after just a few minutes.
“Akki, Maki.”
Before they could say anything, I hugged them both.
““Huh!?””
Ah, this is reassuring.
“Well, you're showing off, aren't you?”
“Oh, you!”
“A-Ayane-chan...”
When the two of them saw Ayane, they hugged me back, as if to compete with her. This is also nice. Maki is a bit pouting, and Akki is hissing like a cat. It's fine.
“Thanks, I feel better.”
As I said this and tried to let go, they didn't release me, so I sat down with them. The sisters took the seats on either side of me, Ayane and Aila were in front, and the branch manager was at the head of the table.
“First, I'll report to the branch manager.”
“Before that, may I ask one thing?”
“What is it?”
“When did they join you, Amachi-kun?”
“They started following me as soon as I entered the dungeon, and they spoke to me when we took a break on the second floor.”
Upon hearing this, the branch manager sighed heavily.
“Then, why didn't you come back to report it? In such cases, you can report it to the guild as harassment.”
“Eh? Well, I've been followed many times, so I thought it was common. Besides, I wanted to verify something more than that. But, I started to feel bad for them as they didn't give up and kept following me. This was wearing me down, so I came back when it was a good time to do so.”
“...”
The branch manager was speechless at my answer.
Did I say something strange?
“Mom, Shouta is like this.”
“He prioritizes hunting over dating.”
“A... I'm sorry about that.”
I feel guilty when I think about it.
But if the same situation comes up again, I would probably do the same thing...
“Fufu, I don't mind. I like Shouta when he's thinking about the dungeon.”
“Me too! I... I... like you!”
“Ha, thank you, both of you.”
“Hmm... If you're okay with it, that's fine. Maki, as you mentioned before?”
“Regarding the previous incident, since Shouta said he didn't need it, I only gave a verbal warning.”
“Right. So, Amachi-kun, please give your report.”
What was I going to say?
Hmm... Ah!
“After defeating the ‘Hobgoblin,’ I encountered the phenomenon I was concerned about. The next rare monster appeared.”
“...What?”
“It's called ‘General Goblin.’ Here are its stats.”
I showed everyone the notes I had on my terminal. I hesitated to report about the smoke and the stacking, but the branch manager said they were already aware of everything. With her permission, I reported on those as well.
“I understand. In short, there's a possibility that ‘Super Strength II’ and ‘Leadership’ can be auctioned. By the way, I think the girls have already told you the details of the ‘request,’ but it's better to prioritize items that have never been auctioned before. We need to set a price for unknown skills.”
I see. That makes sense.
“If your verification goes well and you get ‘Super Strength III,’ please let me know the results. The reward will be substantial.”
“I'll take care of it.”
The branch manager nodded at my response and stood up.
“Well, I'll be going back. You can handle the rest.”
“Eh? You're not going to stop them?”
“I've only known Amachi-kun for a short time, but I don't think he's the type to break his word. You came back to report even though it interrupted your important verification, right? If you make a decision based on your oath, I have no objections. Also, for three people, you need a B-rank, and for four people, an A-rank. You know what I mean, right?”
With that, the branch manager left the room.
In other words, if the happiness of the two is the top priority, she won't interfere any further.
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