Chương 401: Chapter 374. Guild Leader Alexis

" Don't you think that you could've done that a bit better still?"" No. You've seen how the people and even the Adventurers in the Guild Hall reacted, didn't you? I needed to grant them some good will. With my word and the fact that they're already here... Well, it shouldn't take long for the gossip to leave our doors. More than that, Jessie, why didn't you tell us that you'd begun training the new Hero? We'd would've held a decent going away party if we'd known."" That's the exact reason why.

I'd rather just leave, if I'd let you guys give me a party, I'd be too sloshed to catch my carriage out of Phoenix Tail."" Come on, Jessie, you remember what we say don't we? A missed carriage means a good party!"" Maybe for most things, but when it's a Request from Royalty, we really don't have a choice to be on time or tardy, do we?"" It's never stopped me from partying though?"" And that's one of the reasons why King Roman has that attitude when it comes to dealing with the Guild Headquarters in Whitestone.""

Ah those stuck-up old farts couldn't even find a bar, let alone find anything worth drinking in one!" Jessie just shook his head as Ms. Alexis shook her head, after she introduced herself, she asked us to follow her to her office. We did as she asked and we all ended up sitting on 1 of 3 couches in her office. The office looked to be about the size of a classroom from my world. It was a simple room, there wasn't much to look at besides the big desk that seemed to be made out of fine wood and steel.

It sat at the North side of the room, with the windows directly behind it allowing the sunlight to illuminate the room. In front of the desk were 3 large couches, each couch seemed capable of holding around 5 people, more than enough for our group of 6. Alexis was sitting at her desk while Jessie sat opposite of her on the center couch, they were going back and forth as the rest of us tried to get a read on Alexis. She seems... Somewhat different than her initial introduction would lead us to believe.

She was quite rowdy, a bit tomboyish... Perhaps that's from the fact that she used to be an Adventurer in the past? At least that's my best guess, considering she's also the Guild Leader here in Phoenix Tail. She currently seemed to be enjoying the conversation she's begun to have with Jessie. It was like 2 Old Friends meeting each other after a long while being apart." Now then, I guess we should start talking about why you're here. Point blank, Jessie, we don't know how many Demons are to the West of us.

All we know is that it's more than 10. The reports that I've been given seems to imply that they have a base camp somewhere around 40 miles to the West, somewhere in the forest."" Is it true that they took our multiple B-rank Parties and 1 A-Rank?"" Yes and no, the reports didn't mention the fact that the Parties were attacked at night. It was a surprise assault.

One of the survivors was actually caught while they were bathing, they ran from the stream that they were washing in till they made it back here to Phoenix Tail."" That's sounds terrible." Lucy said the first thing that came to our minds after hearing that. To think someone would be forced to run through the night naked... It sounds truly awful. While it may have happened last month, we're still in the Northern part of Gaia, the nights are quite cold, even in the summer."

Yes, it was, worse was when only 5 survivors in all came back after him. All women, all told to leave by Party Leaders. They described no less than 15 specific individual Demons with different features."" Why were such things kept from the report?" Jessie asked a question that I was wondering as well. This sounds like information that we could use. To know more about the enemy could be the difference between victory and defeat. But Ms.

Alexis quickly answered the question in a much more serious tone than what she'd been using since we've stepped into the office. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it" We've just learned about them. We've lost 62 Adventurers so far to this encroachment of Demons. The girls were scared out of their wits when the Town Guards saw them on the horizon. We've barely been able to get them to speak about anything, let alone their memories about that night.

We're basically asking them to relive the moment they watched all of their Friends be murdered in cold blood... Then, instead of fighting and dying with them, they were made to flee by those same doomed Friends. Honestly, it's a testament to their inner strength that they've been able to be as forthcoming as they have been." Ms. Alexis's answer left Jessie somewhat frustrated. With the silence that reigned in from her explanation, Laura was the first to break the silence with a question of her own."

In your opinion, Ms. Alexis. How many Demons do you believe are to the West of this town?" Ms. Alexis looked at Laura as she thought about her answer." Around 100... Possibly 150 at the max."" What makes you so sure that they're in the triple digits?" I asked the next question. The fact that Ms. Alexis was so sure that the numbers far exceeded 20, made me want to know why that was. Ms. Alexis looked at me instead of Laura, her stare was somewhat chilling to be the subject of.

But I stared back, since I was genuinely curious." Most of the reports I've read about Demons attacking towns, villages, convoys and farms always end the same way, once Adventurers of around B-Rank begin to rear their heads, the Demons usually leave like insects when you lift the stone their hiding under. The most counted at one time for these events was 20.

The fact that not only did the Demons stay put after a B-Rank Party was attacked and slain while guarding a convoy, but they were able to covertly attack in the middle of the night of a hunting party of 68 B-Rank or higher Adventurers, makes me assume that confidence comes from numbers. These enemies aren't foolish Monsters. They can think just as well as we can. The real question to me isn't the size of their forces, but what it is exactly that they're doing there?

And why they continue to stay so close to this town?"" Are you saying that the Demons are up to something? Do you think they're planning on launching an assault on this town?" Luke spoke up for the first time. He had a serious look on his face. The idea did cross my mind, however I hoped that it was only an idea that wouldn't actually happen. Ms. Alexis crushed that small hope with her response." It's possible, currently speaking, this town is guarded by 10 A-Ranked Adventurers and 1 S-Rank Adventurer. Well...

Now with Jessie here, there're 2 S-Ranks."" Only 2 S-Ranks? Where are the rest!?"" Either serving in the Army or employed as Bodyguards to High-Ranking Nobles. Unfortunately, the Highest-Ranking Noble is a Viscount here in Phoenix Tail. And that's me. Well...

I'm also an S-Rank Adventurer, but that's neither here nor there seeing as I'm mostly stuck in this chair pushing through paperwork and arguing with representatives of Nobles trying to get a lower price on their sons or daughters getting A-Ranked Adventurers for Bodyguards during holidays out of their towns. It's growing to be quite tiresome... But keep that to yourselves if you could."" Wait, you're both a Noble and an Adventurer?" Ashley seemed to be quite curious about Ms. Alexis's Status, well...

We all are, but maybe now isn't the time to speak about it..." Yes, I was a Noble first though. After spending some years as a Noble's Daughter, I grew quite bored and suffocated living that way, so I ran away, and it was either become an Adventurer or become a prostitute to make money. I figured since I had a Combat-related Job, why not try the first option? Though, the irony of it all, is that I ended up becoming a Higher Rank than my own Father by the end! Hahahaha!" Ms.

Alexis had a somewhat childish laugh come out of her as she thought about her past. Once she had finished her laughing, Jessie asked the next question for her." What about the first witness? The Monster Tamer?" Ms. Alexis's expression changed again as she looked at Jessie with quite a serious look on her face... It was a lot sterner than before. Jessie had a similar look on his face." She's quite a... Shy girl.

If you'd like to talk to her, Jessie, as long as the Hero Party is okay with it, I feel like she'd do better only speaking with us. Would that do?"" Why not just have us stay, if she's a Witness, shouldn't we hear what she has to say?" Luke asked that question, it made Ms. Alexis change her sights from Jessie to Luke." As I said, Hero Luke, the girl is quite shy. She even finds it hard to speak to me and I'm her Guild Leader. How do you think she'd do in a room full of 6 strangers?

She'd deal better with just one stranger. You trust that Jessie will ask the questions that you'd need answers to, right? You trust your Teacher, right?"" I... Of course I do!" Luke fell into her trap, hook, line and sinker... I'd slap my forehead if not for the fact that it would be impolite to do something like that in front of a Guild Leader. Ms. Alexis began to smile quite happily at Luke's admission of trust." Then there should be no problem then. Please, go down to the Hall, enjoy the drinks.

Tell the Bartender to put your orders on my tab. Her name is Suzi by the way!" With that, our time in the office was over. Jessie and Ms. Alexis began to stare at each other as we left... It seems they have something to discuss besides just the Demons that we're here to fight. But what it was, I had no way of knowing.