“Now, onto the next topic.”
“Y-yes?”
“Let’s eat.”
Huh?
I was bracing myself, wondering what he was going to say next, and I stared at Sigurd, who was always so lazy.
“I’m really hungry.”
“W-what’s with this guy?”
And just like that, we were swept along into having a meal with Sigurd. Since going out to eat was too much trouble, he had food brought to the office.
“I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
Seriously? That’s kind of an adorable way to put it.
Soon after, the food was brought in. It came unusually fast. And it wasn’t just any meal—it was a full-course spread, with meat, vegetables, and even rare fish dishes that are hard to come by inland. There were exactly four servings of drinks, too.
“Oh wow, this looks delicious.”
“Hold on, Mitera.”
Sure, it smells amazing, but there are other things to comment on, aren’t there?
Like, is it really okay to eat this much first thing in the morning? And why is he treating us like royalty when we’re just regular folk, except for Griffo?
But what really bugs me is—
“It’s strange, isn’t it? The timing of this lavish meal is perfect. Almost as if they knew in advance we were coming.”
Griffo smirked.
I looked at Sigurd. The guildmaster of this massive city, as usual, bit into his juicy steak with a nonchalant expression.
And so, the meeting started over a meal that felt completely mismatched for the occasion.
“I owe you an apology, Isto.”
“Huh? Why is that? From what I understand, I should be the one thanking you.”
“No, it’s not like that. You fell into a tough situation because of a decision made by our Guild Union.”
I widened my eyes. That’s true. If there hadn’t been a level cap, I might not have been banished from [Barba].
“The reason we implemented the level cap recently… If I explain, it’ll lead to a discussion about my skill. Let me start with that.”
Sigurd bit into a grilled fish, cracking through it with a sleepy expression.
“My skill is called [Dream Sight]. As the name suggests, it allows me to predict the future through dreams.”
“F-future predictions!?”
Mitera and I exclaimed in unison.
“Isn’t that a Gifted Skill!?”
“Nope, it’s not. If it were, it’d probably be way more convenient and easy to use. I’ve already confirmed that even in ‘Fate’s Drop,’ it’s simply labeled as a ‘Skill.'”
But still, predicting the future?
Wait a second, does that mean this perfectly-timed feast was also a product of [Dream Sight]?
Sigurd continued to explain his astonishing skill. The accuracy of the future shown in [Dream Sight] is nearly 100%.
To my surprise, even the monster subjugation operation that Griffo participated in was sparked by [Dream Sight].
“I’ve been having a lot of monster-related dreams lately. I couldn’t say for sure if it was the Wigarlus, but I saw a dream where monsters attacked a city. If a horde of monsters were to descend on this large city, the adventurers might not be enough to handle it.”
Therefore—Sigurd continued—
“If the guild staff who know this city well and can cooperate with adventurers are also prepared to fight monsters, we can protect the city more effectively.”
“This is the first I’m hearing of this. Is it to avoid causing chaos?”
Mitera asked, and the guildmaster folded his arms.
“That’s part of it. The main issue is ‘certainty.’ If I got it wrong, it would cause a huge uproar. So, officially, we framed it as ‘In today’s world, guild employees should be prepared for anything.'”
Wait a minute.
Didn’t you just say the accuracy of [Dream Sight] was nearly perfect?
“[Dream Sight] isn’t classified as a Gifted Skill likely because it has so many flaws. First, I can’t choose when it activates. So not every dream I have is a premonition.”
“That sounds… problematic.”
“Well, the more significant the event, the more vivid and recurring the dreams are, so I usually get a sense of it based on experience. For example…”
Suddenly—
Sigurd’s sleepy eyes lit up with curiosity, and he looked straight at me.
Huh? What’s going on?
“I had a dream about a young man who looked just like you, Isto. He was surrounded by a bunch of cute, powerful girls, a very enviable sight.”
“What?”
“Isto?”
Mitera’s expression shifted into a grin instantly. Please don’t glare at me like that! I have no idea what’s going on!
“A harem at your age, huh? Impressive.”
“No, I’m being framed here!”
“It’s not a crime, so don’t worry. And if the image in [Dream Sight] was that clear, it’s almost certainly going to happen. And seeing you now just confirms it for me. Isto, you’re going to lead a group of strong women in the near future.”
Wait a second. I just took my first step toward running an orphanage! What’s with this talk about some legendary hero?
“Oh, that’s why Filoé is so attached to you.”
Mitera seemed oddly convinced. Are those heat waves rising from her back? Scary. I’m not saying any of this!
“Anyway, back to the point.”
“Don’t just brush it off, guildmaster.”
Please, at least explain this to Mitera. Give me a break.
“This skill has other flaws. Actually, it has one fatal flaw.”
“Please don’t brush it off…”
Sigurd clenched his fist firmly in front of my dejected face.
“And that flaw is… ‘sleepiness’!”
“Huh? How is that relevant now?”
“Exactly. This skill makes waking up terrible. The visions aren’t always peaceful, and it seems to drain my life force during sleep. The more serious the dream, the worse the quality of my sleep.”
“I see. That’s why you always look sleep-deprived.”
“Exactly. This skill is the reason I’m in my current position, but…”
At some point, Sigurd had finished his meal. Maybe he burns through energy even while sleeping. It’s a complicated skill.
“Now, what I want you two to do is investigate the source of these nightmares. I believe they’re connected to the recent unusual appearances of rare monsters and the disappearances of adventurers. Isto, I hear you have a fine carriage. I want you to travel around and gather information. This is my non-negotiable condition for supporting you.”
“Well, I suppose it is tied to the safety of the region, but—”
“No, that’s not it.”
Huh?
Sigurd’s expression turned unusually serious.
“The reason I want to stop these nightmares… is sleep!”
“Huh?”
“[Dream Sight] is brutal! Absolutely brutal! The constant exhaustion, the fear of falling asleep during meals or important negotiations! The cruel injustice of dozing off without warning when I should be savoring bliss! Do you understand?”
“That sounds… really difficult.”
“The only ray of hope is that my actions while awake can change the dreams! Which means there’s a chance that if I try hard enough, I won’t have nightmares anymore!”
“So, in other words…?”
“As soon as possible! Help me love my bed again!”
Huh?
So, this request isn’t just about protecting the city’s peace, but also for Sigurd’s—
“I’m counting on you! For the sake of my peaceful sleep!”
He really said it.
