I got kicked out of the SSS Ranked Party for legitimate reasons but I'm still pissed about it

第3話

Zimia leaned on Count Ottos chest as they danced. He was a bit of a portly man now. He had been severely injured in the Battle for Coram and had only recently regained the ability to walk.

His good natured smile slowly morphed into a frown as he saw the dour expression on his finances face. "You know, it won't be much longer and I can start training regularly again"

"Huh?"

"My man tits won't be here for very long. I know it probably sucks marrying a man with bigger tits than yours but you can at least pretend to be happy at this glorified networking meeting I set up"

That quip earned him a snort of laughter and a pinch under the ribs. She grew up as the only daughter of a family of 12 and as such liked that kind of humor, much to the counts delight as he had grown up as the oldest in a family of 15 boys himself.

"It's not your gravity swelling Man Mammaries, it's a personal problem amongst the team. Sorry for being such a downer"

Otto raised an eyebrow "Is it involving Alafax? I noticed he is absent" Otto and alafax were not exactly friends, but he knew him well enough that even with his disdain for the nobility, he wouldn't willingly snub an I vitamin to a party like this.

"He screwed up didn't he?" Otto inquired

Zimia just gave a worried nod.

"I can have him killed. Just say the word and I'll hit him wear it hurts the most, I'll have runner sent to every whore house on the continent to tell them he has some sort of disease"

She disnt appreciate that remark. Otto had been quite the play boy before they had met, and a pretty large reason as to why him and alafax didn't get along to well was the suspicion that him and Zimia weren't as platonic as she had sworn.

"No, somethings not right with him. I can't explain it and we aren't exactly alone right now" the Counts guards had all been dancing pretty close to the couple by this point. Otto had been a minor celebrity in his own right, and leading the last gallant charge in thay fateful border skirmish that resulted in one of his legs being amputated had given him a target on his back. The surrounding states and kindoms were not to fond about the results if the little border war between the two ancient enemies. The lord term ramifications of said border skirmish had resulted in some serious losses accross the front with the demons as shipments of vital supplies from the technically neutral trade partners had to be rerouted. But the Republics had started it, so it wasn't really anything the bigger states good use against them.

Otto saw it differently as Alafax had actually started a fist fight in a bar over a whore and that spiraled into a small battle, but in tye end Otto got the glory and in his mind, he got the gurl of his dreams in his arms right now. And thay comforting thought was all that he could think about as he rested his chin on the top of her head as the music shifted to a slower song.

...

Zan, The Father and Qwix stood in a small circle woth three other distinguished looking gentlemen. On the middle of the circle guarded from view was a crystal ball, playing back a recording of the exchange between alafax and his friends.

Qwix felt horrible about secretly recording her friend like this, but they all knew she was the only one that could hide it from Alafax.

"You sensed nothing you two correct?" Zan asked

"Correct. No cures nor de buffs, no ailments of the mind nothing" responded the priest

"Same with me. I could smell no drugs on him and the alchohal on his breath and sweat was fresh and new." Quipped a depressed Qwix

Zan looked two the other gathered, all of whom had carefully positioned themselves to block the crystal from view. The two men were the head of Rit's Adventure Guild, and the head of the merchants guild. A portly Drawf had also joined them, as he was a military attache who had worked with the team before.

"This is most definitely suspicious. Something isn't adding up. I talked with the head of the local branch of Ragbolds but since alafax isn't a noble or an official member of the military none of us can access his files at the moment."

Frustration mounted in the attendees. It was obvious that something was going on, but what it was and if it was Alafax's own fault wasn't apparent.

"The man is a miser with spending on anything but gear and drink, but there is no way a man spends a regiments amount of pay roll on alchohal, even the drawf here would drown in that much drink." The Guild Master had said. He was an older man with a graying pony tail and a fake magical eye.

The other man, a shorter scrawny man with ink stained fingers and a large hooked nose agreed. "No suspicious activity involving him has been reported to us. I can't make heads nor tails of it to be honest"

The drawf stood calmly, thinking deeply. His grunt said more than words could, and everyone agreed that fuckery was afoot.

Samah had been waived over by the guild master. She wore a very nice, green peasants dress with a light blue blouse underneath. She had brought with her a pile of documents, stolen from the records hall of the Guild for the gathered members to sift through.

"As you can see, everything is in order sadly."

She frowned as she aquesed the accordion file to her chest. "As fat as the guild can tell based on what we can legally access, Mr Alafax lapsed in his payments, was given numerous chances to get caught up and routinely failed required tests needed to maintain his license as an Adventurer"

Those gathered could smell something fishy, but what they jad all already done was something that could get them all in a lot of trouble, even if they had proven a conspiracy.

Zimia and Otto came to join the group as well, and after sneaking off to a private area of tue grand ball room they filled both of them in.

"Well how can we get a warrant to view the needed records? We're all S class or above and as such have special permissions from The Peoples House, we should he able to do something." Zimia half pleaded

Otto grumbled "The central guild accepts payments for all Adventurers of your ranks and they are the only ones who could be behind this barring Alafax trying pull one over your eyes, but I find that kind of hard to believe honestly"

Conspiracies involving the guild weren't exactly unheard of, and some had been connected to some pretty serious cases of abuse and minor treason. Everyone there syared at Otto as he continued

"Look, we have 5 demi gods gathered in a circle and you really think the guild would risk pissing all of you off? Im balsy, but I'm not stupid enough to try and ruin the name of an demi God that could, litterly, rip a crystal wolf in half and not even break a sweat. His skills and strength are largely the only reason most of those in attendance haven't had him killed for his attitude and his propensity to try and get inside the skirts of every nobles daughter in the country."

At that they all nodded in agreement. Even if he had pissed off every man in the country, even the king was afraid to get on Alafax's bad side.

"The only thing I can think of is if I get involved. I'll higher a courier to take payment of his back fees to tye central guild, samah will let us now if the guild has anything to say. If anything goes sideways, then those involved violated the rights of a noble and military governor"

At this Zimia glowed, "Yes yes now can we get back to the dance my sweet" Otto said perturbed.

....

Alafax sat in his new room, glowering at the fire and small meal before him. The Rangers Guild had already been aware of what was going on with him and many sneered as he entered.

He sipped on the bottle in his hand

Slowly he began to rise and slowly make his was to the door. A dagger was in a reverse grip in his left hand as he opened the door with a rush of movement

To his surprise a semi drunk Samah had wobbled into his arms. She had a nite book with her and had an excited look on her face. Behind her was a sub guild commander for The Rangers.

"What's this?" He asked genuinely surprised.

"Weesh fond a way to keep your ranks" Samah said with slurred speech as she tripped a bit in his arms.

He set her down on his bed and gave the sub commander a smart salute by bringing his right fist to the left side of his chest.

"What do you mean by keeping my ranks?" He asked with bated breath.

"You have some discrepancies in your record that don't meld with your personality and no known intel on your spending habits. Thay doesn't mean your in the clear but we pulled some strings on your behalf to find a way you can keep your rank without needing to start over from scratch" the Co Commander said.

"Reaaallllly, why do I have a feeling I won't like this" Alafax remarked.

Samah handed some paperwork to alafax as the co commander bid his farewells

"Hmmmm I see I see, so pretty much I do some pro Bono work on behalf of the city and guild, and they agree to keep my S Rank with the Adventurer guild, but I have to leave the guild for a while?"

"Percisely. This will allow us to do a proper investigation. You will only be a member of the Ranger Guild for the mean time, so it will be seen as you working as a liason between the guilds." She had sobered up a bit, or had atheist put her will power into maintain at least some semblance of sobriety while they were alone.

"Hmmmmm, I'd rather nail my dick to thay table over there than do this" He mused.

"I don't think that would work you spoiled sport. Look, at least this way you can keep yourself from being totally screwed over. Plus you could even petition to join the Guild Staff later if you enjoy yourself"

"I mean, I like helping the greenhorns thay come in but escorting a bunch if kids and explaining how to gather muckroot properly or how to properly spear slides isn't really my ideal life while I'm still young."

Samah had leaned onto his shoulder by this point and he slowly stripped his capelet coat off and around her shoulders. "We could work together, I'd like that Al. I'd like that a lot" she mumbled as she drifted off to an alchoal induced slumber on his bed.

"God damnit" he thought