Adventurer's Guild Café: I Was Wrongfully Exiled by the Saint, So I Will Enjoy My Second Life with My Fluffy Friends - V 2.1 Chapter 3.23

Several days had passed since returning from the dungeon.

I must have been extremely tired because I took time off from my job at the café and spent most of my time sleeping in my room.

It seems I had more fatigue built up than I had imagined, so I should be careful going forward.

Especially now, as it’s gradually getting hotter, and apparently the time when people start to feel worn out…

“It’s so hot…”

Lying in bed, I wiped the sticky sweat off my cheek. The reason was clear.

“You don’t have to stick so close…”

The fluffy creatures were all pressed tightly against my body.

In winter, they might have made a warm, cozy blanket, but right now, it was just hot…

“Ru.”

Lulu was curled up on my chest.

Then with her front paw, she gave my lips a gentle tap.

“…I said I’m sorry.”

Lulu seemed pretty angry at me for running off alone into the lake. She protested by making it hard for me to sleep like this.

“I won’t do it again. Lulu’s important, and so are Lily, Pipi, and Lala — they’re all equally precious.”

“…Ruu.”

Lulu sighed as if to say, “I guess I have no choice.”

When I stroked the fur around her neck, she purred softly, seeming a little comforted.

Come to think of it, I wonder how Ares is doing. I was given feathers from him — will I ever meet him again?

“Pew.”

“Hmm?”

Looking to my side, Pipi was poking at something, playing with it.

“Ah…”

There, lying on the ground, was a golden scale.

It was the magic item I had gotten when I traveled to the otherworldly dimension with Ares.

“Was that time just a dream?”

When I was inside that fish’s stomach, this scale had guided me all the way to the core.

“…”

Staring intently at the scale, nothing happened.

What kind of effect does this item have, I wonder?

“…I’ll go see Simon and ask him.”

Gripping the scale tightly, I got up.

As usual, I made my way to the guild master’s office.

Just as I was about to knock on the door, I heard a heated voice from inside.

“Then, isn’t it supposed to be Kuna…?”

Kiril’s angry voice. Wait, are they talking about me…?

I also heard Gier’s voice.

“We don’t know yet. That’s just the information we managed to pull out at this stage. According to Albert Belta…”

An unpleasant name floated through the door.

What on earth were they discussing?

“So, could it be that the ladies from Lucia’s place came because…”

“Yeah, maybe they came to check.”

What could they be checking on? Leah and Ingrid said they came here on a mix of work and sightseeing… I know I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but my body just wouldn’t obey.

One thing’s clear — they’re talking about something very important.

“In other words, what you want to say is…”

“Wait a moment.”

Simon stopped the two of them, and then I heard the sound of the door opening.

“Ah…”

Our eyes met — right on the spot.

“Kuna?”

Gear and Kiril looked at me, startled.

“Hey, what brings you here?”

“Um, I… well…”

I wanted to ask what they had been talking about just now, but somehow it felt awkward to say out loud, so I stuck to my original purpose.

“I have an item I want Simon to appraise…”

“I see.”

“But you all seemed busy just now, right?”

I forced a laugh, trying to cover up that I had been eavesdropping.

“No, it’s alright,”

Simon said with a smile, shaking his head.

“Well then, we have some sweets here, so please come inside.”

He said that and I stepped into the room, but in the end, they didn’t continue their previous conversation.

It felt like those three had some secret that I wasn’t supposed to hear.

“What a beautiful scale.”

The guild master’s office. Gier and Kiril had apparently finished their business and already left.

Though I was still curious about their conversation, I somehow felt it wasn’t my place to ask. Instead, I talked with Simon again about the dungeon expedition.

I was just as interested in what effect this magic item might have as I was about the earlier conversation.

“A magic item picked up in an alternate dimension — definitely worth appraising.”

Simon’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he gazed at the scale resting on the low table.

“Shall I appraise it?”

“Yes, please.”

I bowed politely, and Simon nodded, staring intently at the scale. His usual gray eyes shifted into a golden hue.

“Well then. Hopefully it’s a treasure,” he murmured.

His golden eyes fixed on the scale, and after a moment, he let out an impressed sigh.

“The item’s name is…”

As if reading from an encyclopedia, Simon began reciting the details of the scale.

‘Scale of Truth’

One of the magic items left behind by the great archmage Orkis.

In exchange for a pure magic crystal, it can discern any lie told by the subject.

“Scale of Truth…”

Hearing Simon’s explanation, I blinked in surprise. I’d never heard of a magic item that could detect lies.

Simon’s eyes returned to their usual gray.

“This is quite the treasure, Kuna. Orkis the great archmage was one of the four guardians of the Silver Wolf King.”

“R-Really!?”

My ears and tail perked up in shock.

Long ago, before the country of Grantania even existed, the world was a barren land, uninhabitable due to the miasma created by an evil being called the Demon King.

The one who defeated that Demon King was a young man later known as the Silver Wolf King, along with his four guardians.

Apparently, Orkis was one of those guardians.

“So… is it really okay for someone like me to be carrying a magic item left behind by someone from a legend…?”

I shivered at the thought that I had just stuffed such a precious item into my pocket.

“There may be many who’d give their right arm for it… but since you’re the one who obtained it, you can do as you please.”

“I-I see… But I definitely shouldn’t just stick it in my pocket anymore.”

“To have the power to see through lies… that’s kind of amazing.”

“It certainly seems to be enchanted with a very complex magic. However, because it’s so intricate, it appears that activating this magic requires an enormous amount of energy.”

“An enormous amount of energy…”

Come to think of it, didn’t he say something about it costing one flawless magic crystal as a price?

“There are plenty of ordinary magic crystals around, but flawless, highest-purity magic crystals are extremely hard to come by.”

Listening to Simon’s muttering, I furrowed my brow, suddenly feeling like I’d talked about magic crystals somewhere before with someone.

Magic crystal… magic crystal… Hmm, I just can’t remember. Maybe I’m just tired.

“Look, it’s probably meant to have that magic crystal fitted right here.”

Simon pointed to a hollow in the center of the scales.

Now that I think about it, there was this gap, like a missing jewel or ornament.

“At the very least, to use this item, it seems you’ll need a magic crystal about this size. And getting a flawless one of this size will be incredibly difficult, I imagine.”

“I see…”

Suddenly, I remembered the time when I was swallowed by the fish. In that dim darkness, this scale acted as a source of light, helping me somehow push forward. Maybe it was reacting to the energy core inside that subterranean fish.

Thinking about the subterranean fish, I recalled the dreams I had inside it.

“By the way…”

I told Simon about those dreams I saw inside the fish—the ones where Father and the others came to drag me into darkness, and how Mother saved me.

“I had many strange dreams. Father’s dream was truly terrifying.”

Hearing that, Simon’s expression turned serious for a moment as he said,

“…Subterranean fish typically show swallowed individuals dreams of past events. But according to legend, sometimes they can show prophetic dreams.”

“Prophetic dreams…?”

“Does that mean Father and the others are coming to Grantania?”

A cold shiver ran down my spine. Could something like that really happen…?

“Kuna, it’s just a legend, so don’t worry about it. Sorry for saying something strange.”

Simon said that gently, trying to lighten the mood.

“N-no… it’s fine…”

That’s right, it’s just a legend after all. It doesn’t necessarily mean it will actually happen. I shook my head hard, trying to clear my mind.

More importantly, it was about this magic item.

“I feel like it’s a waste for me to be the one holding it…”

Even though it’s an incredible magic item, I wondered if it was right for someone like me—not an adventurer—to have it.

Besides, I don’t have anyone I want to expose lies to… Maybe it’s better to give it to someone who truly needs it.

“The meeting between a person and an item is fate, Kuna.”

Simon smiled as he said that.

“Who else but you would get an item from an otherworldly space led by a griffon? Such a rare encounter can’t help but feel like fate.”

“Fate…”

“It’s something precious to you, right?”

“…Yes. Since I found it, I think I’ll keep it for a little while longer.”

If someone who needs it appears, I can give it then.

Besides, it seems like you need the magic crystal to use it anyway.

“Fate is something to be cherished. Even when you think it’s unrelated, connections can suddenly come together at unexpected moments—that’s the interesting thing about life.”

Simon winked playfully, and I couldn’t help but smile a little.