Life in Another World as a Maid Mage
Volume 1 - Daily Life of A Maid Mage
019 – Fighting among comrades is not acceptable (Afterword)
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Rurie's Note: "Time to Suck it Up"
"So… she took care of it all by herself."
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Nils lowered his eyebrows.
"Moreover, I can't believe that she was able to drive them back without even a scratch on opponents who pulled out a sword. Was it a misjudgment on the part of those children who underestimated Shiori as a non-combatant, or is she cut above the rest?"
"I don't think it was either. If they had been calmer, they would have easily taken out Shiori. But she's a person who is always calm and can always find a way to survive. Even if they were calm, I have a feeling she'd get out of it somehow."
"… That's right, isn't it?"
I agreed with Linus' opinion and then looked outside through the window. The streets of Toris were turning to dye into the colors of the evening.
"I agree. When she became an adventurer, I honestly thought she would quit or die soon. Her magic was weak and she didn't have any special skills. Furthermore, she was an unknown person with limited language skills. And yet, she sought her own unique path and quickly established herself as an adventurer."
She had completed her quests steadily, learned her own way of fighting, made the best out of her capabilities, and was promoted to D rank within a few months. Even those who looked at her with a half-hearted sense of mockery in the beginning, had completely changed their opinion of her by the time she was promoted.
If you devote yourself to your work, with constant effort and ingenuity, you will find a way. The fact that she could become a source of hope for adventurers who were troubled by their lack of ability. With her arrival, many of them changed their behaviors and their way of thinking. Some of the so-called dropouts, who had been ostracized by their peers because of their inferior capabilities and spent their days in their rooms or in the corner of the guild, while occasionally taking care of leftovers quests, were influenced and inspired by her. Nowadays, many of them are legitimately engaged in the adventuring profession. This was undoubtedly Shiori's achievement as an adventurer.
That's why.
Those who knew nothing and didn't want to learn anything mustn't be allowed to hurt her unnecessarily.
"…Nils knows."
Linus said while chuckling.
"The 'Dawn' incident, does it still weigh in your mind?"
"…Maybe because I think I was the first one to notice."
He felt a faint sense of discomfort when Shiori came to his store to buy medicine. How many times has he regretted that he overlooked that discomfort? If he had acted immediately when he noticed, she wouldn't have had to suffer such a terrible experience.
He had heard that Shiori's companions, who had come to the store with her, were the same D-rank as her and their promotion dates were not so different. Despite that, he started to notice the difference between the quality of her gear and her companions'. Compared to her companions, who were wearing brand new equipment that looked freshly purchased, Shiori's equipment was still the same old, worn-out stuff as before.
One of the things that made him feel uncomfortable was the fact that she, alone, had bought an unusually large number of medicines and potions to restore magic power. Why did he miss it back then?
Nils, who often stayed in his store compounding medicines or left the store to his hired clerk to go out to forage, never saw her afterward and completely forgot about the strange feeling he felt at that time.
That's why.
He was extremely surprised when Zack, who had been acting as Shiori's guardian, showed up at the store asking questions. He could never forget the feeling of despair he felt when he heard that Shiori's unusual condition was well-known so he cooperated with the investigation; but they couldn't make it in time and Shiori went missing shortly after. He also remembered the frustration he felt when she was found in a critical and perilous condition; he had rushed to the treatment center where she was brought in, after gathering as many medicines as he could think of.
I don't know whether that was the reason or not, but whenever he saw her since then, he couldn't help following her with his eyes. He wondered if there was anything unusual about her or if she was allowing anyone who might have bad intentions to approach her.
"– So, what will happen to those children? Can they be punished for breaking the rules?"
"There are at least four witnesses at the scene, so I don't think they can evade the punishment."
"It's not the same as the time with 'Dawn'," he added and Linus smiled bitterly.
At a later date, three C-Rank adventurers from the Toris branch: Sheila Ander, Mia Thern, and Vivi Lareti were deemed to have violated the fourth clause of the guild's code – "Prohibition of Private Battles" and were found guilty for their actions against B-Rank adventurer Shiori Izumi. In addition to provocation with weapons which was judged as coercing a private battle, the fact that three combatants were engaged in a threatening act against one non-combatant in an unpopulated area was considered malicious.
Initially, the girls appealed against the decision, but several eyewitnesses suggested that attempted assault and intimidation charges could be applicable in such cases, so they quietly complied with the disciplinary order.
The punishment was a demotion of one rank and a suspension for one month.
In addition, it should be noted that during the same day mage Vivi Lareti applied for withdrawal from the guild, which was accepted on the same day. Spellsword Sheila Ander and archer Mia Tern returned to the field after their suspensions were lifted, but their performances were lackluster and they were isolated and shunned by their colleagues. Sheila Ander later went missing during a quest and was later confirmed dead. Mia Thern has since moved to a branch near her parents' home and has continued her adventuring career modestly.
Nils Auryn: 32 years old. Apothecary. A-Rank adventurer. He has a store on main street near the east gate.
Author's Note: I believe that the "Dawn" incident cast a dark shadow not only on Shiori, but also on everyone involved.
This was a bit of a strange story, but thank you for your cooperation. In the next story, I will return to my usual style.