Chapter 176: Six Men and Women and Each Self-Introduction

"Excuse me, um, can you use Illumination magic?"

The one who called out to me was a man among the six men and women surrounding one table.

He looks around 20 years old, a man who seems to have good breeding.

His height is a little lower than mine.

"Eh? Ha, haa..."

Suddenly spoken to I was taken aback and answered vaguely.

"Good. Then please become our companion."

"Haa?"

What is this guy saying?

Question marks lined up above my head.

The man who saw such me also did not know what to do perhaps, became a puzzled expression and turned around.

"I told you right. You can’t leave it to that guy."

From the table that became five a woman said that and walked this way.

This one also around 20 perhaps.

Height same degree as this man.

Her long hair is gathered on the left side in a three-strand braid and hung in front.

"During the meal our companion interrupted. Sorry."

"No, well, I don’t mind. So do you have some business with me? I can use Illumination for now."

Since she properly apologized I tossed the talk to at least hear it.

It is definitely not because she is beautiful.

"Aa, actually in the job we took Illumination magic is absolutely necessary. But none of our companions can use it. So I want you to help with this job. Of course we will consult about the reward. Though the job reward itself is cheap so we cannot pay that much... how about it?"

The woman explained simply.

It was simple and easy to understand but important parts were missing.

I could have refused immediately but I asked out of curiosity.

"I understand your circumstances but what is the job in the first place?"

"Aa, right, I had not talked about that. It is a request to exterminate Giant Rats that mass-occurred in the underground of this city. We plan to go down from noon."

Rat extermination?

Are they people who do that kind of job?

There are four young women and the man who first called out seems from the upper class so they do not look like that.

The only other man is an older person growing a long beard and that kind of thing seemed to suit him.

Well, anyway...

"I am not used to that kind of thing."

"Nn? Aa, are you a porter specialist. No need to worry. We will do the cleaning so you just have to chant Illumination magic. Please. Like this..."

I tried to refuse but the woman persisted desperately and bowed her head.

The momentum that if I refuse here she would do a dogeza.

And the men at the other table were all looking this way with puzzled expressions.

This is bad...

"Ah, anyway can you raise your face. Nn, then can you tell me the details at that seat?"

When I said that as a stopgap the woman who had been bowing raised her head with shining eyes pa.

Then the one who grasped my hand was... the man who first called out.

"Thanks. I thought you would understand. Come, let’s go!"

What is with this man.

I have no such intention.

I was forcibly pulled by the hand by the man to the round table where his companions were.

From behind the earlier woman was letting out a sigh of relief.

...

"First I will introduce myself. I am Heinz. I am in charge of the vanguard."

When I sat in the seat they prepared for me the man = Heinz started self-introduction standing in the seat in front of me.

"A fool who despite being a noble has not learned even one magic."

Then the small girl sitting to my right put in a harsh retort.

That face that would be cute if she smiled had become a sullen expression.

"Gununununu... ha, han. You despite going to magic academy have not learned the elementary magic Illumination."

"Illumination you can use without bothering to learn at academy! Since you went to the trouble of going to academy you should learn magic that can only be taught at academy right?"

"I also have plenty of other things to learn! Even if I cannot use magic I can get by as a noble!"

"「Nununununu」"

Heinz and the small girl glared at each other as if about to grab each other any moment.

...Suddenly a crisis of disbanding but is it okay?

"Hey, this side is troubled."

The woman who explained to me earlier intervened between the two.

"Again and again, sorry. I am Beata. I am a priest-warrior of the Surmares order."

She stretched her hand across the table so I shook hands.

Beata is sitting to Heinz’s right.

Surmares order, I think that is the order Birga is in.

They might know about me...

"And the one beside is..."

"Ovnil."

The man growing a long beard sitting to Beata’s left, my right, said only his own name in a gloomy voice.

Around 50 or 60 perhaps.

He gives a feeling like a model of a stubborn old man.

Sitting so I cannot tell well but his height seems quite low.

"As you can see he is a dwarf. He looks taciturn and stubborn but he is reliable."

Beata said while wryly smiling.

A person who has suffered huh.

"Yes yes yeees! I am Rita. I do thievery. Nice to meet you!"

The girl sitting between the two who were glaring suddenly raised her hand and introduced herself.

Heinz and the opponent of that staring contest were surprised and their eyes became dots.

But immediately the small girl came to herself and retorted to the one who surprised her.

"Rita, you must not say ’thief’ in front of people."

Certainly that is right.

The girl who named herself a thief = Rita stuck out her tongue tehe.

Around mid-teens perhaps.

She has large eyes and an amiable face.

As small as the girl next to her.

"Then next is me. I am Fine. I am a magician. Nice to meet you."

The girl who retorted to Rita introduced herself.

Age around the same as Rita.

Her slightly upturned long slit eyes give a cool impression.

And...

"Illristina."

The last woman named herself bosori.

Her ears are long so she is probably an elf.

Her neat features have no expression at all so she looks like a doll.

"Because her name is long everyone calls her Il."

Rita taught me floating a friendly smile.

"Then next is my turn. I am Hi..."

Saying that far I came to.

Is revealing my real name bad?

There is an elf and a dwarf.

There is also a person from the same Surmares order as Birga.

Well even if these are overthinking the four-man group at the other table was saying my name.

So...

"I am, ah, Hi... Hiiro, A... Astaru. Nice to meet you."