Hiatus Gifting This Unfortunate Guy With Blessings

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get Luna-san to divulge information about the one that was posting the packages. Even after she apologized for not providing real information about how hard that quest was in reality, she said that the guild will not provide information about a citizen that wants to stay anonymous if there was no evidence of wrongdoing. Especially if he or she worked for a noble.

And I didn't want to bring up the matter of goddess Eris allegedly selling u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r charms due to how Chris acted when she heard about it.

The only piece of information I got from Luna-san from that exchange was that the person bringing packages was a female usually wearing a simple robe with a hood.

But there was also the piece of info that Luna-san let slip before, about that person bringing packages in the mornings. I just had to wait for it to happen.

"Why are you interested in the person that posts that quest?" Megumin asked when we left the counter and she calmed down after hearing about all the powerful monsters I've met on my quest.

I pondered about what to answer for a few seconds. I had no idea if there was any danger to what was I about to do but it didn't seem like I had any other choice but to tell her at least a gist of it. Megumin might be an Explosion maniac but her Intelligence was nothing to scoff at.

"Chris has asked me to investigate it since the package business seems fishy."

"Ooooh?! An investigation? I wanna help! Unraveling the truths of this world is a Crimson Demon's duty."

Megumin with her flashy persona and unique witch-like attire certainly didn't place high in the covert faction. The first thing I wanted to try out was tailing that person so Megumin wouldn't be my first pick for a partner on this one.

But before I could even think of a way to politely refuse her help Megumin suddenly exclaimed.

"Isn't that her?" Megumin nodded her head towards someone walking into the guild. I glanced behind me to check and indeed it looked like the woman described by Luna-san.

"What do we do now? Will we wait for her to leave the guild, enter some alleyway and we will 'politely' ask her some questions?"

Megumin-san? Did you want to become a thug?

"I will try to eavesdrop on her. Stay here, okay?"

Megumin nodded her head as I stood up and went to sit on a bench not too far away from the special counter for posting quests. I didn't recognize the woman manning that post.

After the unknown-to-me receptionist took care of a few people in the line, it was finally the woman's turn.

I couldn't hear everything that was being said but I didn't dare to come closer or to transform with a few adventurers actively observing me. Although they probably knew already about my ability I bet that if I did it in plain sight there would be commotion and my eavesdropping mission would be impossible.

"Hello… today's package… deliver."

"Good morning … a sign as always… Ok, we will post it as always."

"Oh? Post? … took it so quickly? Another caravan?"

"This time… an adventurer…"

"What?! A single adventurer? Who was it?!" The woman suddenly exclaimed in shock and I could hear her clearly.

"As per the guild's policy… won't disclose… Unless the adventurer personally…"

Ms. Receptionist I didn't know seemed to deny providing information on me. It was good to know that this anonymity worked both ways. There were rules like that probably to prevent nobles from harassing adventurers.

"Did that adventurer say if he's gonna deliver them from now on?" The woman tried praying for some more information from the guild's staff.

"As far as I heard… interested… can't say… anymore."

The woman gave out a frustrated sigh and said her goodbyes.

When she turned around I saw her scanning the guild room. She looked at me for a second but soon resumed her search probably thinking that I was not the one she was looking for.

Before long I could hear her sigh once again and she went to sit on a bench.

Right next to me.

Why?!

"Great, now I have to wait… Damn these stupid guild's rules..." The woman whispered to herself and sat down with her back hunched, seemingly ready to stay around for a while.

I could see Megumin in the distance with sparks in her eyes while I was sweating bullets.

My plan of waiting for that woman and following her after she left the guild to meet her accomplices or employers was destroyed by her d.e.s.i.r.e to meet the one that completed the quest.

I was a veteran in waiting since I've lived through many queues to doctors' offices in my past life. But due to the target being so close to me I felt kinda nervous at that time. And how did my Crimson Demon form react on me being nervous?

My eyes soon changed into a car's headlights but red in color.

I looked down at my feet and tried to calm down. After a few seconds, I decided that sitting there would only get me into trouble but as soon as I started to move I heard the woman's impatient whisper. I just barely understood it.

"Eh, screw it."

And she reached out her hand and placed it on my knee. Before my body could even twitch a sweet voice reached my ears.

"Hey, I got a question for you, mysterious adventurer."

"Y-yes?" I stuttered upon having been suddenly addressed in such a weird fashion. Who starts to talk to someone by placing a hand on another's knee?

"But first… don't you think it is rude to not face the person you are speaking to?"

My head suddenly moved involuntarily to face hers.

I didn't know what was happening.

Fortunately, I managed to shut my eyelids before I completely turned my head. I feared that I could blind someone with my neon eyes right then.

"Oh, what a great reaction. Now… do you know an adventurer who completed a delivery request to the Lord Vessec's territory?"

'No' was what I wanted to say right then but a proud "Yes, it was me" was what came out of my mouth.

…

I wanted to start swearing because it was not the first time my Crimson Demon form decided to say something else than I wanted.

Both of us fell silent at that. I couldn't see the woman's expression since I had my eyes closed.

"Did I overdo it…" She asked herself but soon once again in a sweet voice she said:

"It's not nice to try to steal someone's credit. Now, do you know who that was?"

This time I somehow managed to resist the urge to answer the question truthfully and I just said:

"N-no, I don't know who completed that quest."

This seemed to satisfy the woman. She sighed, removed her hand, stood up from the bench and went away towards some other adventurer.

I sat there for a minute or two and finally managed to get these neon lights under control. Then I stood up and walked to Megumin sitting in the dining area. She seemed extremely curious about what has just happened but I just pointed at the door with my thumb and she followed me to the exit.

After we found an inconspicuous place to look at the guild's entrance from I started relaying what had happened to the excited Megumin. Using the occasion I've also asked Megumin about the reason why my Crimson Demon form is easy to brag or talk in a 'domineering' fashion. The answer was just:

"That means you can also [Imitate] a Crimson Demon's spirit that dwells inside almost all of us! We take pride in what we do and it's natural that you want to brag about it!"

I wanted to ask if by 'almost all of them' she meant that there are at least few 'normal' Crimson Demons but I could see how would that rile her up enough that Meguzerker would resurface.

Wrestling with her probably wouldn't be as stealthy as simply standing around and talking.

"So what now?" She asked after it got quiet for a few seconds.

"Now I will ask you to do me a favor."

"What is it? Exploding the guild would be a little bit too much but I can do pretty much everything else."

Using an Explosion on the Guild would be JUST a little bit too much?! My own Crimson Demon's mentality suddenly felt a lot more normal.

"It's a very important job."

I started, hoping that would catch her attention.

Yes, it seemed to be working splendidly, judging by how Megumin focused instantly.

"I need you to find my accomplice Chris and relay to her what has transpired in the guild. Without her judgment on the subject, our mission might fail. You will be able to find her in my base which is located above your house. If she isn't there when you arrive, then it's the matter of utmost importance for you to wait for her. Please also rely that if she wants to find me then she should walk up on some roof, I will probably be able to spot her."

I tried to sound as serious as possible while using somewhat formal speech.

And that seemed to work flawlessly. Megumin now was really excited about, what practically was, just waiting for Chris to arrive at her doorstep.

"Roger!" Megumin exclaimed and rushed off towards the direction of our houses.

I decided to become less conspicuous by changing into an owl and observing the guild from far away but before changing into my bird form I used a nearby alleyway to put the money I received from the quest into my human form's pouches since they didn't fit coloristically with my Crimson Demon's attire. And that somehow irked my consciousness while I was using that weird form.

After that, I flew towards one of the roofs and restarted the observation of the guild's entrance.

I haven't even managed to sit there for 10 seconds before the woman practically kicked the door of the guild and stormed out. She once again gave the area surrounding her a scan and then started to… sniff around?

Some people around looked at her with confused gazes but very quickly went on their merry way. They probably saw weirder stuff happening in front of the guild in their lives. Like an owl giving dropping a pair of u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r on a crusader or a man transforming into a Griffin and flying off with the same crusader on it's back.

The woman continued to walk around while sniffing and after a few seconds she arrived at the place I was standing at previously. She suddenly seemed very confused about something.

She stayed at that place for a minute or two while looking around. She didn't seem like the most patient of people because she soon stomped angrily on the spot and went towards the other end of an alley.

What was all that about?

I stayed in place until she disappeared around the corner and I couldn't see her anymore. Then I flew towards the next tall building from which I could see the woman again. This pattern repeated itself a few times until I noticed the woman entering some building.

There was no indication of what that building was used for but I could see a couple of burly men moving boxes in the back.

I kept looking around if I could spot Chris walking on the roofs by any chance, but no such luck. That day was just beginning and it seemed it would be a long one.