“It’s finished, customer.”

The Guildmaster carefully removed each strand of hair that had fallen on my face.

I got up from the chair and walked towards the glass window.

Due to the lack of a mirror, I couldn’t check my appearance throughout the haircut and dyeing process.

Finally, my reflection in the glass window was quite shocking.

My hair, which used to fall below my shoulders, was now cut short just below my ears. The color, which was almost black before, had turned to a light brown.

Light brown. It was the most common hair color I had seen in the Eldora Empire.

“Isn’t the hair too short? Doesn’t it look too much like a ball?”

Like a ball… is it because my head is round?

I kept touching my bare nape, feeling uneasy.

The Guildmaster, who had somehow approached my side, offered a contradictory answer.

“No! It suits you so well! You look very intellectual.”

“The back of my neck feels too cool.”

“It’s the perfect length for the upcoming summer.”

“…It’s autumn now, and the next season is winter.”

“Hahaha.”

“Don’t laugh.”

“…Okay.”

Still, as I kept looking, this hairstyle didn’t seem bad at all.

I thought that with a pretty face, any hairstyle would suit me.

And above all, I looked like a ‘different person’.

I particularly liked this point.

It seemed that those three rude men wouldn’t be able to recognize me at once.

As I remained silent, just touching my hair, the Guildmaster quietly spoke up.

“The more you look at it, the better it seems, right?”

At the same time, something softly wrapped around my nape.

The identity of that something was a light gold scarf that matched my new hair color.

“Did you take this out of the subspace too?”

“Yes. You seemed to feel awkward about your bare nape.”

Oh. How considerate?

“But about the dye. Don’t I need to touch up the roots periodically?”

“I’ll do it for you.”

I turned my gaze from the glass window and looked up at him standing beside me.

“Until when?”

The Guildmaster answered in a whisper.

“Until you don’t want it anymore.”

His hand quietly approached and touched the ends of my shortened hair. Tap.

Despite the bold approach, it was a careful touch.

A faint smile spread across the Guildmaster’s lips as he gently caressed the ends of my hair.

I wanted to see not just his smiling lips, but his whole smiling face.

“……”

The feeling was somehow strange.

I wasn’t sure if it was because of the new hairstyle, or because of the Guildmaster’s sweet whisper.

I bit my lips, which had inexplicably gone dry.

It felt like my heart was beating louder than before.

The Guildmaster opened his mouth as if about to utter another sweet word.

“I’ll deduct the cost for the haircut and dye from the money you earn in the transportation business.”

“What?!?! It wasn’t free?”

…?! Is this how you ruin the mood?

“Darling. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”

The languid feeling disappeared in an instant.

I let out a laugh of disbelief.

The Guildmaster knew how to clearly weigh gains and losses, even while acting soft.

My heart, which had been beating loudly, soon returned to a calm state.

***

When I returned to the log cabin after finishing the talk about the transportation business, it had become a dark night.

As always, I flopped down on the bed as soon as I got home.

“I’m so tired.”

Barely lifting my heavy eyelids as drowsiness overcame me, I recalled the words I had exchanged with the Guildmaster.

“Darling. Trust me.”

“I’ll make you the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Ah, no! This wasn’t what I meant to recall.

I had intended to recall the details about the transportation business, but I found myself unconsciously repeating the Guildmaster’s sweet whispers.

“He said he wasn’t experienced, but he really knows how to talk.”

Didn’t he also quickly notice that I felt awkward about my cooled nape and give me a scarf as a gift?

…Surely he won’t charge for the scarf too, right?

Shaking my head, I finally remembered what I had meant to recall.

First, Jinjijo Transportation opens tomorrow.

The Guildmaster seemed to have completed all the preparations for opening in exactly the three days he had mentioned.

I was secretly impressed by his efficiency, even preparing the Ptero’s saddle so quickly.

Although I was the actual master of the transportation business, the Guildmaster was the official representative.

This was because I had to remain in hiding.

Still, it didn’t mean I wouldn’t go to the office at all.

I would communicate with the Pteros at the secret Ptero-exclusive parking lot behind the office, and research ingenious ways to make the business more successful from the office.

Of course, I was also planning to create a means of communication for smooth interaction with the Pteros.

For instance, something like the wristwatch that alerts monster appearances…

Before we parted, the Guildmaster gave me two palm-sized crystal balls that he took out from his subspace.

One was a communication orb for him and me to keep in touch, and the other was for communicating with the Pteros.

He said he would personally deliver the crystal ball to the Pteros. Since he said he’d deliver it right away, the Pteros should have the crystal balls in their possession by now.

The plan was to try communicating through the communication orbs first, and then devise other methods later.

It was just when I had thought that far.

Ziiiiing—

A vibrating sound filled the quiet log cabin.

The source was the Center’s wristwatch that I hadn’t managed to discard yet. It was neatly placed on the bedside table.

I picked it up.

I wonder what kind of alarm it is.

⌜Code Zero@@@

One S-class monster has appeared!

Location is Pandora Forest, C-10 sector!

Espers and guides who received this message, please deploy.⌟

C-10 sector was about 6 kilometers away from here.

It would take about two hours to walk there, I suppose.

Since I always went on foot, it was possible to measure the walking time to the destination.

I’m not sure if that’s something to be happy about…

I thought it might be good to test-fly the Pteros now.

I picked up the crystal ball, and almost simultaneously, the Guildmaster’s voice came through.

―Darling!

Someone might think we’re really together if they heard that.

I responded to the Guildmaster’s “darling” as if I was used to it.

“Yes, honey. I was just about to contact you too.”

[Is that so? I just heard that a monster has appeared, so I wanted to ask if you could send about three Pteros to ‘Chelsea Center’. I thought we could make a grand entrance and promote them.]

The Guildmaster, true to his role as an information broker, seemed to have exceptional intelligence.

To receive news of the monster’s appearance so quickly. He was just like a Center employee.

Of course, I didn’t think this suspicious character was actually an insider at the Center.

Rather, it was more likely that he had connections with Duncan.

Since I was thinking the same thing, the answer flowed out easily.

“That’s a good idea.”

[Yes. If you just send the Pteros to the Center, I’ll take care of the rest. The Center Director will personally see to the arrangements.]

The Guildmaster even informed me of the landing area at the Center where the Pteros could land.

It was that cliff behind the Center, where hardly anyone goes.

Perhaps because it was where I had fallen, the Guildmaster’s voice was quite cautious when mentioning the cliff.

I responded as if it was no big deal.

It wasn’t that falling from the cliff was okay now, but I didn’t want the Guildmaster to worry unnecessarily.

“But is this agreed upon with Mr. Duncan, I mean, the Center Director?”

[Of course. I’ve already reached an agreement with that handsome and cool Center Director. Haha.]

“Handsome and cool? Seems like you really like him.”

[Yes. Even as a man, I think he’s too cool… It’s a bit embarrassing to say myself, but he was the most gentlemanly man I’ve seen in recent times.]

The Guildmaster sounded like someone who had fallen for Duncan at first sight. Of course, that couldn’t be the case either.

More than that, I was curious about how the Guildmaster had persuaded Duncan, who was charming but somewhat calculating.

Perhaps he had offered to give Duncan a portion of his profits. Under the name of a commission, for instance.

‘So the world really does revolve around money.’

Even if it was for money, Duncan was more trustworthy than the Guildmaster. He didn’t seem like he would do anything to harm the Pteros.

I could send the Pteros with peace of mind.

“Okay! I’ll contact the Pteros first!”

[Understood.]

I tapped the other crystal ball twice. It was a signal meaning “Switch On”.

“Ptero! It’s me! Do you have time now?”

A sound of “Gyaaaak!” came through the crystal ball.

Although it was noisy, I could understand what the lead Ptero was saying.