Crossing the city walls, the four of them entered the Holy City.

  Unlike the demon nds and the imperial capital of the Cantus Empire, the architecture in the Holy City was dominated by pure white structures, which gleamed under the sunlight to the point of being almost blinding.

  From the perspective of another world, it was akin to the screen of a device called a "computer" suddenly fshing a blinding white.

  "…When you look at it this way, this so-called Holy City does appear rather splendid!"

  Though the words may have sounded like praise on the surface, a deeper listening would reveal the underlying tone of sarcasm in her voice.

  Misako had seen enough of things that were beautiful from the outside but repulsive within, and this "Holy City" gave her the same impression.

  Of course, all of this was conveyed via communication magic. If spoken aloud, it could attract trouble, especially if overheard by some extremists.

  Aris would undoubtedly rush to reduce the city to ashes.

  Moreover, both Farkonia and Misako had forcefully made Aris promise that if they were to be caught in any trouble, she should let them handle it first and avoid taking action herself. It would be counterproductive if Aris ended up causing the trouble herself.

  "Let's head to the Adventurers' Guild first. Since the knights know about adventurers and there are adventurers among the people entering the city, there must be an Adventurers' Guild here as well."

  Indeed, in the entering convoy, every few merchant groups and civilians, there were adventurer squads, and some merchant groups had hired adventurers for protection.

  ...

  Due to the unique design of the Adventurers' Guild building, coupled with the guild's sign hanging outside, they quickly located the guild.

  "Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild, Holy City branch," a woman dressed in guild attire greeted them enthusiastically.

  "…This… feels a bit easier on the eyes."

  The interior of the Adventurers' Guild was different from the outside, with a more soothing atmosphere, reminiscent of a cssic-style tavern.

  However, compared to other guilds, this one stood out. Most of the adventurers loitering around were dressed neatly and did not exhibit the usual rough behaviour.

  Perhaps it was because the Holy City had strict entry checks, which led to the exclusion of adventurers known for troublemaking or who had records on their adventurer cards, leaving only those of better conduct in the guild.

  This, perhaps, was one of the few things that the Holy City had done better than other pces.

  "May I ask, are you here to post a request or to take one?"

  The receptionist politely inquired.

  "We'll take a look first," Farkonia replied courteously, dismissing the receptionist as she turned towards the request board.

  "…The requests are surprisingly few."

  Unlike the bustling border town they had visited in the Cantus Empire, which was close to the Abyss, this branch in the Holy City had a pitifully small number of requests. Even without overpping posts, the board barely filled half.

  "…This is all because of the knights' efforts!"

  Suddenly, a voice came from behind Farkonia.

  Turning around, they saw a man in light armour, slightly older, with a sword hanging from his waist, indicating he was likely a swordsman.

  "The knights have cleared most of the dangers around here, so there's not much for us adventurers to do."

  The adventurer raised a cup of drink and took a sip, nonchant in his tone.

  "With the danger to civilians reduced, isn’t that a good thing? But from your tone, it sounds like you have some compints."

  Farkonia, picking up on the slight dissatisfaction in his voice, asked.

  "…Pffft… Well, it's good for civilians, sure, and we're all willing to trade our earnings for their safety. But the behaviour of the knights, you know…"

  Suddenly, the older adventurer looked around cautiously, as if checking for something. After a few moments, he turned back.

  "…You mustn’t let this get out, or we’ll be the ones who suffer."

  Once Farkonia nodded in understanding, the man continued.

  "Those knights, in my opinion, are abusing their power. They go around saying things like ‘we protected you, so you should show us the utmost respect,’ and ‘if it weren't for us, you'd all be long gone.’ There have even been reports of them forcibly taking people…"

  He eyed Farkonia and the others, sizing them up.

  "I see you’re all quite beautiful, so do be careful. Avoid crossing their paths whenever possible."

  "Thank you for the warning."

  Although Farkonia had no intention of drawing attention to herself, especially not in front of people associated with the Church, the adventurer’s advice was appreciated nonetheless.

  "…Big sister, please, let me in!"

  Suddenly, a faint voice came from outside the guild.

  "Uh… one moment!"

  With a loud bang, the guild doors were pushed open, and a small boy, ragged and covered in cuts and bruises, rushed inside. Without stopping, he ran straight to the front desk.

  "That…"

  "Please, I want to post a request!"

  "…To post a request, you must provide identification and a request fee."

  Even though the boy was small, and had just barged in uninvited, the receptionist maintained her professional tone.

  "…I… I don’t have that."

  "Without those, you can’t post a request."

  "Please, can’t you make an exception…"

  "The rules are the rules. We can’t bend them."

  For rger organisations, rules were paramount. To ensure the safety of the requests, the Adventurers' Guild had to strictly adhere to the regutions.

  Moreover, the Holy City had its own ws, and their branch here couldn’t afford to resist them.

  "…I understand… thank you..."

  With the receptionist's reply, the boy could do nothing but leave, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

  "…Sigh… Things like this happen all the time…"

  "What's that supposed to mean?" Farkonia asked, intrigued by the adventurer’s muttering.

  "Don't be fooled by the Holy City's polished appearance. In reality, they show you all the good stuff and hide away the ugly truths," the older adventurer said, gesturing towards the boy who had just left.

  "I bet that child came from the slums. People there don’t have jobs, don’t have money, and might not even have proper identification. People like him are naturally ignored by the Church, and might even be suppressed by them. So, they come to the Adventurers' Guild for help."

  "But… we adventurers aren’t the Church’s match. We can’t offer them any real help."