My Protect skill can take my life but it can also help me flirt and make love with cold beauties!
Chapter 5: Gates, the Informer

When the man opened the door politely, Elle entered without any hesitation.

"Come on in, you too."

Peering inside the door, it was even darker than the alleyway. Although I have never seen a real adventurer's guild before, I have a gut feeling that this is different.

But since Elle has already entered, I couldn't just leave her and run away. I had some silver and copper coins with me, so in worst-case scenario, I could use them to bribe my way out.

With determined resolve, I stepped inside the door.

"Um...it's dark in here."

There was a window in the room, but the light coming in from the alleyway was limited. In addition, various items were scattered about the floor, making it even more difficult to walk.

"Hero-sama, there's a door here."

"Hehe, and behind that is the guild."

Elle urged me to open it quickly. Behind me was that shady-looking man. There was no more room for escape.

Creak.

I turned the doorknob, and the door made a high-pitched, rusty sound as it opened. Beyond it was a large room.

In addition to the large window in the wall, there was also a lamp, making it much brighter than the room I was in. Tables and chairs were neatly arranged in the room, and several men and women were sitting there.

None of them seemed to be paying any attention to us.

"Oh, did you come from that door?"

I turned to the voice and saw a woman looking at me from behind the counter. She had a slightly troubled look, but seemed like a kind woman.

"Yeah. I brought over two people with me too."

That self-proclaimed guide entered the room behind me with a wicked smile.

"Oh, come on, Gates." She said, "How many times do I have to remind you. If you want to guide someone into the guild, you should bring them from front door."

"Well, you know, in big cities like this, you can find everything adventurers need in the back alleys. So I wanted to guide them from there."

"The guide is kind and really helped us out. Hehe, isn’t that right?"

"Oh my, even cute customers."

"Elle is the brave hero-sama's traveling companion!"

"I heard that the brave hero came from across the sea."

While I was still dumbfounded, the three of them continued to chat amiably. Ah, I see. So that's what's going on.

In my mind, I apologized and bowed down to Gates, the genuine guide.

It's really embarrassing to judge someone based solely on their appearance. Just look at myself as an example...I was accused of being a peeping tom as a result of being judged solely on appearance alone.

And I did the same thing to this person. I sincerely apologized and bowed down in my heart.

"Hehe, big brother, you thought I was suspicious, right?"

You caught me!!

"No, well, it's just that...sorry."

"I like that

you're honest. But it's not wrong to be cautious of someone you just met. Guys like me who suddenly come up to you all friendly can be especially suspicious.

"Oh, yes… As I told you earlier, fairies like your companion are highly valued in the underworld, and your unique clothing also make you stand out.

"And this fairy is too fond of people, so big brother needs to be careful."

What a nice guy! He's really a nice guy―!

"Well, I'm going to go now."

"Thank you so much!"

"It's all good. My name is Gates. Being a guide is like a hobby, but my real job is as an information broker. You're an adventurer, so you might need my information someday."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Well, it's not free. But if you tell me about your your nations specialities, I'll give you a discount. If you have any useful information, that would be great." And with that, Gates said "Well then, see you later." and left through the wide and large entrance.

"Hehehe, Gates looked a little scary because of his appearance, and you must have been a little intimidated by him, right?"

"Um…"

"That's not true. He was a really nice guy! Elle wasn't afraid at all."

"Elle-chan is a good girl, isn't she?" said the lady.

"How do you know Elle's name?! You're not just an ordinary person!"

The counter lady laughed mischievously with a meaningful look. She seemed like a playful person.

"So, you came here to register as an adventurer in this town?"

"Well, yes."

The paper only had ‘Go to the Adventurer's Guild’ written on it, with no further instructions. But being invited here must mean that's what I was supposed to do.

"Then, do you have any introduction letter or anything?"

"Um, is this it?" I took out the wooden tag from the bag. According to Elle, this tag was proof of an adventurer's identity.

"So you already have a registration tag. Can I have your name?"

"Nambu Kazuya."

"Nambu, what an unusual name." The lady repeated ‘Nambu’ several times under her breath.

"Ah, Kazuya is my first name and Nambu is my last name."

"I see. Then, let me confirm and register you. Kazuya Nambu... And it seems like you... don't have any adventurer achievements yet."

The red ink on the wooden tag faintly glowed. The counter lady held her hand over the tag, as if she was reading something from it.

"You said you came from across the sea. So, you must be quite skilled."

"Absolutely not. Just earlier, I was completely beaten up by an orange genlatin. I was squealing like a pig."

"I see…"

At that moment, the older sister's gentle expression crumbled.

...

Note: I caught fever and can't do new tl of TEH. So, here's already prepared ch out of schedules.