Chapter 16: Time to Settle an Old Grudge!

The day after exploring the hidden dungeon with Sophia, I slept in until late afternoon and was now strolling through the capital alone. According to Alden, it would take a few days to decide on my reward, so I resolved to enjoy the capital to the fullest in the meantime. I’d given Marie the day off to do as she pleased.

“Now, where to go…” I mused.

After much deliberation, I realized there was a place from the game I hadn’t yet visited. And that was—

“Right, the Adventurers’ Guild!”

◇◆◇

Jingle jingle

Arriving at the capital’s Adventurers’ Guild, I surveyed the scene. It was just as I’d imagined, with a reception desk, a tavern, and the usual bustle.

“Who’s that guy?”

“Probably just a newbie.”

Being a first-timer, I drew curious glances from the adventurers, but they quickly lost interest and returned to their conversations. I was here incognito and had no intention of revealing my identity. The guild was primarily a commoner organization, and being recognized as a noble would cause a fuss I’d rather avoid. My plan was to take a quick look and leave.

Unfortunately, someone was about to derail my scheme.

“Is that…? It is! Lord-sama~!”

“…Laura?”

For some reason, Laura, the captain of the Renford Knights, was here. Spotting me, she rushed over with a beaming smile. I hadn’t expected this pitfall. Sighing, I addressed her.

“Laura, what are you doing here? Weren’t you training with the Royal Knights?”

“Yes, sir! This afternoon, the knights had a mission for members only, so I came to the guild in my free time!” she replied.

“Hmm.”

If she was comfortable dropping by, Laura must have a longstanding connection with the guild. Though primarily for commoners, nobles weren’t barred from using it. This was likely something the game’s protagonists never experienced.

As I pondered, a man in his forties with a bushy beard appeared behind Laura. I recognized him instantly.

(This guy… I’ve seen him before. Right, he’s the Guildmaster!)

As I reached this conclusion, the Guildmaster spoke to Laura. “Laura-sama, who is this?”

“Prepare to be shocked! This is my great lord—Klaus-sama!” she declared.

“What!? Klaus-sama, as in the head of the Renford House…?”

To my surprise, the Guildmaster knew of me. I began to regret coming here. But then—

Reacting to his murmur, the adventurers around us started buzzing.

“Hey, that name sounds familiar…”

“Isn’t that the guy Guen from the Renford branch mentioned when he visited?”

“Yeah! The lord who showed up during a dungeon fight and took down a monster!”

(…Hmm, that sounds familiar.)

Their conversation rang a bell. Indeed, I’d once snatched a boss monster from adventurers in a dungeon. I hadn’t expected that story to reach the capital.

I grinned. (This could work in my favor.)

Stealing a monster was taboo among adventurers, making me a villain in their eyes. But few would dare confront a noble directly. Their frustration would likely turn into tavern gossip after I left. Laura’s reveal of my identity had worried me, but this was a perfect chance to spread my infamy.

Was there a way to seal the deal? Scanning the room, my eyes landed on a bulletin board covered with quest notices. Among them was one for “Defeat a Red Dragon Settled in the Territory.” The quest itself wasn’t unusual, but the reward caught my attention. I’d seen this exact quest in the game, but the reward here was nearly double.

(What’s going on? Why’s the Red Dragon quest reward so high when others match the game? …Wait, I get it!)

My genius mind cracked it. The game couldn’t be wrong, so the guild must have misjudged the standard reward. That sparked my plan.

If I accepted and completed the quest while the inflated reward stood, then, when claiming it, said, “It’s usually half this, too bad! But a deal’s a deal, so I’ll take it all!”—what would happen? My reputation as a greedy, corrupt noble would spread like wildfire.

With that, I tore the quest notice from the board. Seeing this, the Guildmaster cautiously spoke.

“Um, Klaus-sama, what are you…?”

“I figured I’d take this quest while I’m here,” I replied.

“What! That quest!?”

“Yeah. Is there a problem with a noble like me taking it?”

“N-No, not at all! Thank you, thank you!”

For some reason, he bowed profusely, likely intimidated by my noble status. Satisfied with how my plan was shaping up, I listened as he continued.

“If it’s not too much trouble, Klaus-sama, may I accompany you on this quest?”

“Hm? Sure,” I said.

He probably wanted to ensure I’d complete it properly. My real goal was the reward, so his concern was irrelevant. As we spoke, Laura raised her hand.

“If that’s the case, Lord-sama, allow me to join you! I’d love to witness your prowess up close!”

“Do as you like,” I said.

“Yes, sir!”

Whether one or two tagged along didn’t matter. I nodded without much thought.

(Now, the real show begins.)

The Adventurers’ Guild was one of the few places where my infamy could spread properly. Determined not to waste this chance, I steeled myself.

About an hour after accepting the “Red Dragon Defeat Quest” at the capital’s Adventurers’ Guild, Laura, the Guildmaster, and I arrived at the client’s residence. The client was Baroness Murie, a noble governing a small territory near the capital.

As we waited outside her manor, a woman emerged. She appeared to be in her early forties, elegantly dressed as befitting a noblewoman, with a striking silk-fur coat. Despite her refined appearance, her expression was stern, exuding irritation.

“You’re the ones who accepted my quest… Oh, Guildmaster-san, you’re here too,” she said.

“Y-Yes, it’s been a while, Murie-sama,” the Guildmaster replied.

“…Very well. But this time, you’ll complete the quest properly, won’t you?”

“O-Of course!”

They seemed acquainted, their exchange tense. Likely, the Guildmaster was nervous facing a noble.

Bored of watching, I cut in. “So, where’s the target?”

Murie’s brow twitched, but she quickly regained composure and turned. “I’ll guide you. Follow me.”

After a thirty-minute carriage ride prepared by Murie, we reached the base of a nearby mountain range. There it was—

“ROOOOAAAR!!!”

A massive red-scaled dragon—a Red Dragon—stood at the mountain’s base, letting out a mighty roar. Murie ordered the coachman to stop and spoke.

“As you can see, about twenty days ago, that Red Dragon settled there. The mountain has a tunnel used by merchants, but they can’t pass now. As the lord, I issued this quest to resolve this urgently,” she explained, repeating details from the ride.

In short, I just needed to kill it.

“Might as well hit it before it notices,” I said, stepping off the carriage and eyeing the Red Dragon.

Up close, its size was immense. “It’s really huge,” I muttered.

Compared to the game, it seemed larger, and its scales were a deeper red.

“Must’ve looked different on a screen. No big deal—killing it solves everything,” I concluded, raising my right hand.

A memory from months ago flashed through my mind—Red Dragon. There was a deep grudge between us. Early in my reincarnation, I’d complained about a “Red Dragon liver” served by my chef, throwing him in jail. That somehow led to an evil merchant’s arrest and baseless rumors of my leniency toward my subordinates.

That incident sparked everything. Without it—or if Red Dragons didn’t exist—my infamy might’ve spread nationwide by now. This quest wasn’t just about reward manipulation; it was about settling an old score!

(I recall Red Dragons are weak to water magic.)

Recalling the game’s weakness, I began channeling mana.

“…Something’s off. The size, the color—it doesn’t feel like a normal Red Dragon—Wait, no!” Laura shouted from behind.

Focused on erasing my nemesis, I didn’t hear her.

“«Heaven-Piercing Torrent»,” I cast.

A massive water stream surged toward the Red Dragon, its sharp spear meant to pierce its tough hide—

BOOOOM!!!

The moment the water hit, an earth-shaking explosion erupted. Blinking in confusion, I tilted my head.

(That’s odd. It was supposed to just punch a five-meter hole…)

After a few dozen seconds, the dust settled. Not a trace of the Red Dragon remained.

“…Hmm.”

Maybe I overdid it. Fortunately, it was far from the mountain, so no collateral damage occurred.

(I was hoping to sell its parts to play up my greed, but that’s not happening. Shame.)

No matter—fussing over details wasn’t the way of the Charisma of Evil. More importantly—

(I’ve finally settled that old grudge!)

Basking in satisfaction, I savored the moment.

“Um, Klaus-sama,” the Guildmaster called timidly after some time.

“What?”

“Well, I’d like to discuss the reward…”

“Hmm.”

There was only one reason he’d bring this up now—he’d realized the reward was set too high. Too bad the quest was already done. No way I’d negotiate!

With a wicked grin, I said, “Sorry, but no matter what you say, I’m not budging.”

“What do you mean…?”

“The reward will be exactly as listed. Non-negotiable.”

“That means…!”

“That’s all I have to say. I’m done here. Give the reward to Laura later.”

“Y-Yes, understood!”

With that, I used wind magic to leave. Another hour-long carriage ride back was too tedious.

“That wrapped up quicker than expected. Might as well tackle the hidden dungeon again!”

Satisfied with achieving my goal, I headed straight for the dungeon.

◇◆◇

Weeks earlier, Harold, the master of the capital’s Adventurers’ Guild, was grappling with a problem. The guild relied on earnings and funding from nobles and merchants. Recently, Baroness Murie, a key patron, had issued a quest: “Defeat the Red Dragon in Murie’s Territory.” To avoid losing her support, it had to be completed swiftly.

Red Dragons were A-rank and formidable, but top adventurers could rival knights in monster-slaying. Harold initially believed his elite could handle it.

“What!? Our elites lost to the Red Dragon and came back!?”

Reality was harsh. Multiple parties failed, and even doubling the reward didn’t attract takers. Despairing, Harold saw a savior—Klaus, rumored to have defeated a Demon King’s executive alone, appeared at the guild and tore the Red Dragon quest from the board.

“Um, Klaus-sama, what are you…?”

“I figured I’d take this quest while I’m here,” Klaus replied.

“What! That quest!?”

“Is there a problem with a noble like me taking it?”

“N-No, not at all! Thank you, thank you!”

Harold had heard Klaus once saved struggling adventurers in his territory, covered in blood—an act unbefitting a noble. Convinced Klaus’s bravery and justice could handle the quest, Harold joined him, along with Laura and Murie.

Murie was visibly frustrated from repeated failures, but that would soon change. At the site, a massive red dragon loomed, its aura nearly buckling Harold’s knees despite the distance.

“Might as well hit it before it notices,” Klaus said casually, as if going for a stroll.

While Harold was confident in victory, Laura looked grave. “…Something’s off. The size, the color—it doesn’t feel like a normal Red Dragon—Wait, no!”

She realized the truth. (It’s not a Red Dragon—it’s an S-rank Crimson Dragon! A beast unseen for decades. Why here!?)

More critically, Crimson Dragons had a unique trait. While Red Dragons were weak to water magic, Crimson Dragons absorbed it, converting it to mana. Mistaking it for a Red Dragon and using water magic would empower it—

“Wait, Lord-sama! If you think it’s just a Red Dragon, you’ll be in grave danger—”

“«Heaven-Piercing Torrent»,” Klaus cast.

Laura’s attempt to stop him failed as Klaus unleashed water magic. Fearing disaster, she was stunned by the outcome. Klaus’s spell was so powerful that the Crimson Dragon couldn’t absorb it. The water pierced its scales, reaching its core, where scorching flames flowed with its blood. The collision triggered a massive steam explosion.

After dozens of seconds, no trace of the Crimson Dragon remained. Laura realized her mistake.

(What was I thinking!? Of course Lord-sama knew it was a Crimson Dragon! He defeated it with water magic on purpose!)

Awestruck by his prowess, Laura turned to Harold, who asked, confused, “Laura-sama, what happened? Did we defeat the Red Dragon?”

“Let me explain my lord’s magnificence!”

Laura clarified that it was an S-rank Crimson Dragon, and Klaus had knowingly crushed it. Murie’s eyes widened.

“So that’s why adventurers kept failing. I was disappointed, but I apologize for my misunderstanding,” she said.

“No, identifying monsters is our job. The delay is on us. No need to worry, Murie-sama,” Harold replied.

“Thank you for your kindness, Guildmaster-san.”

(Phew, crisis averted,) Harold thought, relieved that Murie’s opinion of the guild had improved.

But one issue remained—the reward. An S-rank quest demanded at least ten times an A-rank reward. The doubled amount on the quest notice was still insufficient, and given the irregular encounter, Klaus could demand extra. Who would cover it—Murie or the guild—required discussion, but first, Harold needed Klaus’s input.

Timidly, he approached, but Klaus’s response was unexpected.

“The reward will be exactly as listed. Non-negotiable.”

“That means…!”

Incredibly, Klaus, having slain an S-rank beast, accepted the listed amount. Stunned by the favorable terms, Harold watched Klaus leave dashingly. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Harold exclaimed, “Not only does he slay an S-rank monster instantly, but his generosity considers us! What a great man Klaus-sama is!”

Surprisingly, Murie reacted. “Wait, did you say Klaus-sama?”

“Y-Yes, you know him?”

“Yes, from a merchant.”

Murie glanced at her coat. “This coat uses Silky Bear fur, very rare. Yet Klaus-sama sold it to the merchant at a bargain.”

“Incredible! So Klaus-sama consistently works for the commoners’ benefit!” Harold said.

“Indeed. It’s a shame I couldn’t thank him properly for this coat or the Crimson Dragon… my comrade,” Murie murmured, reflecting.

The Murie family had risen from merchants to nobility. Drawing on that experience, Murie supported commoners, including the guild, despite criticism from other nobles as an “upstart.” Meeting Klaus, a kindred spirit, moved her.

“Heh, exactly! My lord is truly splendid!” Laura chimed in, delighted by their praise.

The accolades continued. “With Renford’s great treatment of adventurers, many skilled ones might migrate there,” Harold said.

“Knowing such a lord governs, merchants will flock too,” Murie added.

“That could enrich our kingdom’s people!”

Their discussion shifted into a strategy session on spreading Klaus’s greatness. Later, Murie told merchants, and Harold told adventurers, prompting many to head to Renford’s territory. As a result, unbeknownst to Klaus, Renford’s economy boomed, monster attacks decreased, and his reputation soared!