[Adventurer's Guild – Axel]
"Guildmaster, good morning!"
I yawned, replying with a smile and wave as I made my way towards my office. Even now I can still see the paperwork that I have to do at the back of my head, and I couldn't help but shiver.
I'm probably going to have to talk to the police department later and replace their magic item that they used for interrogations...
"Say, did my wife go here a while back?"
One of the receptionist blinks, before recognition crosses her eyes at the same time as she pales.
"She did. With Kazuma-san..."
"I'm too hopeless for her to cheat on me, don't worry." I reply back with a smirk, even as I make my way towards the office and hear the sound of rattling chains.
That was the main draw, since Esta wasn't the type to be or use chains. I would know...
Anyway, I swing the door open, and Kazuma turns to stare at me as if I was his savior. Meanwhile, my wife stares at me with frustration in her eyes, and I can't help but send a wry smile in her direction.
"Got what you wanted?"
"Sadly", she replies with a sigh, casually nudging the magic item that rings when someone lies off my table, shattering the thing as my smile turns brittle. "I assume that you are checking in for the day?"
"Yup. I've got a few things to check out, so I need this young man to leave immediately." I said, patting Kazuma's shoulders with a smile.
Of course, I muttered something about a durian quest that needed to be done before noon, to which Kazuma immediately nodded in assent. Smart man.
"[Sacred Break Spell]."
In an instant, the chains around Kazuma break, and he immediately tackles me in a hug.
"Thank you for saving my life!"
"Stop hugging me, kid. My wife's getting jealous."
"I wasn't."
You totally are, though.
Still, it was pretty amusing to see my daughter's assistant rush out of the office like he was running for his life, and I couldn't help but lock the door closed as I gave my wife a wink.
"Got everything you wanted out of him?"
"I did."
"That's nice." I said, casting a [Muffle] as I grin at my wife. "So, ready to break the place in?"
"What do you...oh."
Yeah, it was worth getting that blush out of her face, even if it was going to be my downfall a little bit later.
"Are you sure that this is the safest place to do it?"
"Unless you want to do it while we're mapping out the ruins of Verdia's castle..."
"Here, then." She took a deep breath, shivering for a moment or two before a lecherous smile forms on her face. "So...now?"
I shrug.
I found myself pinned against the desk a second later.
[Inside the Remains of Veldia's Castle – Outskirts of Axel]
"[Holy Enchantment, [Light of Saber]!"
A luminous beam of holy light stretches through the hallway, disposing most of the undead as their souls were finally able to get back into the reincarnation circle. Multi-classing was usually considered a bad idea, but the amount of flexibility that one could get by doing so is more worth it than just specializing in one class.
Take me for example. Archpriest, Archwizard, and Thief. Given my levels, it means that I can control the battlefield as long as I stay in a relatively safe spot.
Not that I can't hold my own in melee, but I'd like to get some insurance, just in case. Main reason why I brought my wife with me, really.
"[Holy Protection, [Sword Beam]!"
With Crusader and Swordmaster as Esta's classes, it's safe to say that no one could beat her in a straight fight. Plus, given the amount of holy abilities that she gets as a Crusader, it also means that she dispatches undead like flies.
Plus, she attracts attention like no one else. All the monsters immediately focus on her, which gives me time to make a plan.
Ah, I remember the times that we spent in the front lines...
"I'm done with mine." Esta says, sheathing her sword and turning towards me with a smile. If someone tells her that she looks like someone who recently bedded someone...
...That's because she did. "Ah, shall we go, then?"
My wife nods, skipping ahead of me with a spring in her step as I chuckle and follow behind. Sure, she hasn't been here for a few years, but that kind of reaction is too much, isn't it?
Or maybe the stress just got to her?
...Yeah, that works. Heaven's paperwork is just that bad.
In any case, I unfurl the map that I've been working on for a while, showing a comprehensive layout of the castle that was one Verdia's home. A pen appears in my hands as I glance around me, before I started to sketch.
"Say, this isn't just for your hobby isn't it?"
I chuckled. My wife is too smart for my own good. "Got me right on that one. You know how much priests are always a few levels lower than their other party members, right?"
"Oh." Esta turns towards me with a smile, having known where I was coming from. "That's...actually nice of you. You're not going to use your influence as the Guildmaster to force them to bus their priests, are you?"
"..."
"Bree."
"Say...that's a good idea, isn't it?"
"Bree!"
"You've seen the incidents that's been happening around Axel lately. Don't tell me that you're not the slightest bit worried."
"I am, but–"
"Our cute and adorable daughter has friends here, you know?"
"Do whatever it takes to level up those priests."
"Yes ma'am." I reply with a mock salute, causing Esta to nudge my shoulder as I chuckle and take a right.
"Bree...oh."
Yeah, oh.
"Seems like my old colleague's throne room, don't you think?" I ask, even though I already know my wife's reply judging by the fact that she kicked the door open.
In response, the door fell off its hinges, slamming down onto the room behind it as a cloud of dust obscured our vision on what lay behind the door.
When the dust settled however, I couldn't help but groan at the figure currently sitting on the throne.
"You know", I say, "It's a good thing that I didn't make this a quest for the adventurers in Axel."
Esta snorts, drawing her sword just as demonic red eyes opened on the figure sitting on the throne. "Of course it had to be one of these things. Did you cast a [Blessing] today?"
"Just before I entered the Guild. I was hoping that you didn't kill our daughter's assistant, so I needed a little help on the side."
"...Bree."
"Yes, my dear?"
"Don't 'my dear' me just to get out of the punishment." My wife grumbles, turning back to face the figure on the throne with red ears.
"...When we get back, we're going to break that desk in your office."
"While anyone else would normally see it as a reward, I have important paperwork on that desk that can't just be shucked off!"
"Just shut up and help me deal with this thing!"
The Demonic Cabbage flapped its pitch-black body, a shrill sound erupting from its body as the rest of its offspring started to burst in through the windows leading towards the throne room.
Now, while I like the current Demon King despite all her faults, this was just one of the few things that I genuinely hate about her.
Ordinary cabbages in this world kill more people yearly than the damn Demon King Army by accident. Why did she have to tweak them to murder anything around them!?