Chapter 38.5 Volume 1 – Intermission Guild’s Receptionist, Almast I

「………Kh.」

Two days after the appearance of the mutated hydra, behind the receptionist counter in the labyrinth city’s adventurer guild, I muttered that with a pale face.
My behavior was clearly suspicious, even the adventurers were looking at me suspiciously.
Even so, I couldn’t pretend like nothing happened.

The reason I was like this was because I was hiding the existence of the hydra to everyone else which later showed up already mutated.

Hiding the hydra’s existence was a serious crime.
The receptionist that did this would certainly be fired, and in the worst case, they could even put into the jail for several days.

…But with how the hydra that showed up was already mutated, the punishment given to me would be incomparably heavier compared to just hiding the hydra’s existence.
I would surely be enslaved or given more punishment.

「I… why did I hide the hydra’s existence…」

My body trembling from my imagination and I muttered my regret.
I couldn’t stop my body from trembling when I imagined what would happen to me in the future.

They were currently investigating the abnormalities where the hydra mutated in such a short time and hadn’t realized I was hiding its existence.
But it was just a matter of time before I got found out.

The negative future I predicted drained blood from my face.
I felt the impulse to just run away from here, but it was too late now and would only make my crime became heavier.
Because I knew that, all I could do was to work as a receptionist like usual to alleviate the suspicion on me.
With all the doors to my escape closed, my heart was slowly getting cornered.

「…I didn’t do wrong.」

……And then, having reached my limit, I ran away from reality.

「…I’m not involved with the hydra’s mutation. I’m just unlucky. Why should I get blamed for it?」

In a small voice, I repeatedly murmured words to defense myself to convince myself so.
……For the sake of my own protection, I turned my eyes away from the reality that because I hid the hydra’s existence, if we were unlucky, the labyrinth city getting obliterated was a possibility.

「That’s right, why do I have to become a slave? Isn’t it the hydra’s fault for mutating? I’m just a victim here.」

The feeling of guilt was completely gone from my heart, in turn, it was dominated by the perception that I was only a victim.
I’m just a victim of the hydra’s anomalous mutation, it’s not me that’s at fault, was what I thought.

……However, there was no way reality would change just because I was averting my eyes from it.

The unchanging sight in the adventurer guild reminded me that no matter how much I tried to running away from reality, that meant nothing.
No matter how much I convinced myself that I was a victim, there would still no hope in my future.

「Kh!」

Even when I knew there was nothing I could do, I still couldn’t accept that I would become a slave.
While being fretful from the unavoidable fate that drew near slowly but surely, biting my lips, I looked around to find something I could rely on.

「Umm, err, I’m going to pick some flowers for a bit.」

「Okay, then I will see what we can do for tomorrow’s request.」

——By chance, Raust and his martial artist companion who were talking happily entered my sight.

The moment I saw them, my face distorted.
Raust, a healer that once despised as a defect, have now become an adventurer whose name widely known not only in the labyrinth city, but even in the capital city.
It seemed they were rumored to become the next world-class party after they defeated the hydra with only two people with little to no damage.

……It was the opposite of my situation who was being afraid of being turned into a slave.

Until just a little while ago, our standing was very different.
I was the exclusive receptionist for a first-class party, Sword of Lightning, on the other hand, Raust was a subject of scorn by the people in the labyrinth city.

「…Why!」

But, now Raust position had risen dramatically.

In this situation, I couldn’t hide my resentment and hatred against him.
Even more so when I realized that if Raust stayed in the Sword of Lightning, then I wouldn’t be cornered this far.

……Not stopping the Sword of Lightning aside, I resented Raust.

「At least, if Raust is in Sword of Lightning, then the credit is……」

If Raust is a member of Sword of Lightning, then his feat would be credited to Sword of Lightning, and that also means, I, as their exclusive receptionist, would also get the credit.
Thinking so, I sighed.

「Hah-! In that case!」

At that time, I came up with a way to take some credit of Raust achievement for myself.
The moment I came up with the method, my mouth relaxed.
In this case, I might be able to avoid becoming a slave.

「I’m sorry, I will be going for a bit.」

「Eh? Ahh! Y-Yes!」

Right after I thought that, I said so to the receptionist next to me and then I walked toward Raust.
Fortunately, that troublesome martial artist was not by his side currently.
No one can get in the way of what I’m trying to do now.
As I thought so, I opened my mouth toward Raust who was eagerly looking for a quest with a beaming smile.

「Can you spare me a little bit of your time?」

「………Huh?」

The next moment, when Raust noticed the one that talking to him was me, he let out stupid sounding voice, however, without caring about that, I continued.

「Can you come with me?」

So I might be missing the context a little bit because there is no way the punishment of something that’s regarded as a serious crime is only, at worst, getting jailed for a couple of days, maybe it’s more like tortured inside the jail for a couple of days? I’m pretty sure I translated it right, just not sure the thought behind this punishment system

Also, have I mentioned I don’t like translating Almast chapter? Because I do, so I’m sorry that this is slower than usual