98 Episode 98 "I tried to exchange emails with slaves to save a little crisis in the town.".txt

Mr. Dolgor-Hartland, a merchant who lived in the retreat, was a gruff man.

According to Iris, he had always been an adventurer.

After completing a few quests, he changed his job to merchant. He was also involved in shipping and is now a member of the merchant guild in the recreational area. I've heard that he mainly deals in marine products brought in from the south, and he also collects materials and distributes weapons and armor.

When I was young, my life was saved by the sea dragon Kerkator.

Mr. Dolgor said, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and stroking his bear-like beard.

''Since then, you have come to admire the sea dragon, haven't you? I've never missed a prayer to the sea dragon. If I betray the sea dragon Kerkator and the miko-sama, I intend to give my life to them. As proof of this, I bought a sea dragon mask to display in my room during the festival.

As we accepted the invitation, Mr. Dolgor smiled boldly at us.

It sounds like a joke, but ...... maybe he's serious. You can see it in this room.

We are in the parlor where we are sitting, and there are numerous "sea dragon masks" on the wall.

Old ones and new ones. Some of them are made of iron, some of them are ceramic, and some of them are made of crystal.

There are more than just masks. There are also figures of the sea dragon Kerkator, tapestries, paintings, and poems based on the legend of the sea dragon.

It's just like the Sea Dragon Kerkator Museum.

Or rather, it looks more like a 'sea dragon nerd room' rather than a place to admire.

But Dolgor-san looked around the room proudly

So, when I heard that Lord Iris was coming to this town for a rest, I was hoping to have a long talk with her.

That's it.

To such a merchant, Iris replied with a gentle smile.

''I'm sure my guardian god, the sea dragon Kercator, is also grateful for the loyalty of Dolgor-sama.

Iris returns the words plainly while drinking the recommended tea.

This is indeed the daughter of the Ilgafa lord's family.

It's completely different from the indulgent attitude you get when you're with others at a party.

That's the true nature of it, though.

I'm still sitting under the table with Iris grabbing the hem of my dress.

We are in the mansion of the merchant Dolgor. It's a rather small house with a warehouse in the grounds, and we're having dinner in his parlor.

The people here are the merchant Mr. Dolgor and the mansion's maid. And me, Iris, Rita, and Aine. There are a total of 6 of us.

The guest of honor is Iris.

Rita and I were to be her bodyguards. Aine will be Iris's maid of honor.

The guards are also welcome to join us. Please do not hesitate to tell us about your travels.

Saying that, Dolgor-san offered us some food as well.

It's like a person who doesn't care about the details when it comes to letting his guards eat at the same table.

There was a person like that in the original world. He is a person who is a front-line worker and is evaluated on his ability regardless of his position. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them. Pops, I hope you're doing well. ......

Speaking of which, do you know, Iris-sama, about the demon-occupied fort?

Mr. Dolgor said as he sipped his wine.

'Yes,'

Iris took a sip of her soup and then nodded.

'The prince will be leading the recapture mission, won't he?

'Goodbye. The Adventurer's Guild seems to be in an unprecedented state of turmoil.

'Iris is also an ouija - no, Goshji - no, this one told me. Isn't it?　Right?　There's no doubt about it, right?

Iris snapped and tugged at the hem of my dress.

Now it's my turn.

If you're going to gather information, you might as well do it as an adventurer.

Excuse me. Dolgor-sama, may I join in on the conversation?

Of course. I used to be an adventurer myself. It's nice to talk to someone who is working.

Mr. Dolgor stroked his beard and replied.

''And when you're the guard of the 'Sea Dragon Priestess', you must be very trustworthy, right?

Mr. Dolgor the merchant looks at me with a laugh and a guarded look.

Both Rita and Aine are nervous. The only one who is relaxed is Iris.

I heard that she had been helping the lord with his business and she was also getting to know the merchant. But, Iris, you can't sneak the cut up meat into my plate. The maids are watching you. And Aine says you should eat the carrots from the other side of the world, right?

I also heard about the fortification quest from the Adventurers' Guild.

When I regained my composure, I said.

'Although we don't have the luxury of time to worry about such things at the moment. Our first priority is to protect you and be with you, Iris-sama, with our lives.

I see.

Dolgor-san nodded.

''As expected of the 'Sea Dragon Priestess', she has a lot of trust in you.

...... is, yes. Iris, too, Onii-Cha ...... No, my main goal is to continue the journey with you. I guess you could say it's already the joy of my life.

Iris, you're blushing too much.

''Even for me, although the quest to capture the fort is tempting ...... now, I'd like to make sure I don't get my priorities wrong.

I said.

"That would be good," I said. But that quest is on hold at the moment.

'Pottery,' Dolgor tells me.

'Do you know what the quest is about? 'The guards.'

The demons that went berserk took over the abandoned fort. ......

That's why the royal family was recruiting a lot of adventurers.

There was a condition that the best ones would be recruited into the royal family's regular army, and that's why it must have been a huge success.

But ...... as I recall, the reason why the demons became violent might have been due to the influence of the "wrath of the celestial dragon's magic power". I asked the residual magic power of the Heavenly Dragon about that when I was in sync with White. When I checked, the fort was located near the 'Land of the Heavenly Dragon Seal'.

Let's try to do some light exploration here.

''But if that fort attack quest is pending ...... could it be that the demons have become even more violent or something?

'It's the opposite. They seem to be getting rather docile.

Lie down, sir?

The demons had joined forces with the aim of invading a nearby village, but they have suddenly stopped coming out of the fort. The roars that they make every night have ceased, which is rather eerie.

...... I knew it.

The release of the "Heavenly Dragon's Residual Demonic Power" unlocked the ferocity of the demons?

I did a bad thing for the adventurers who lost their jobs.

''But it's 'on hold', right?

'Yes. Because if the demon has grown up, then there's no hurry.

Indeed.

Therefore, since this is the case, we're planning to conduct a grand assault on Prince Kravis, the eighth prince, to coincide with his birthday.

............ How did that happen?

"I heard that all the adventurers who registered for the quest are in 'Yadoya Taiki'

'Waiting at the inn' is .......

It's like having a job seeker on 'stay at home' after receiving a job offer.

Is that enough for you?

I've heard that it's also an aptitude test for being hired as a regular soldier. They want you to respond to their call at all times. What do you think, guards?

By the way, how much does 'Innkeeper on call' cost?

He paid his own way.

Is it possible to cancel orders for ...... quests?　Mr. Dolgor.

''I think so too, but since I've already declared the number of people to the prince, it seems that if there's a hole, it will become a liability issue for the adventurer's guild.

An adventurer who decides to take an order and then cancels it has an aptitude problem. The adventurer's guild that registers these adventurers will also be held jointly and severely liable. ......

'But we don't know when the quest will start, do we?

Right. So we're going to have to 'wait at the inn until the official assignment is made'.

Translated in the style of the original world, it would be 'I've made a job offer, but I haven't decided on a placement at work yet. So I'm staying home. In the meantime, we won't give you another job. In the meantime, we won't give you another job. If you turn down the job offer, we won't accept any more job offers from that school.

Mm-hmm. Right.

I'll stop associating myself with the royal family.

''But for the sake of security, I suppose that's just the way it is, isn't it?

I said, trying to keep my inner thoughts from showing on my face.

I wanted to at least sigh, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have business with the royal family.

''It's hard to travel calmly with a demon in the fort,''

I see. But because of the lack of adventurers, demons are beginning to appear near the roads.

You can't go to ...... for that.

That's why the Merchant's Guild's wagon is not ready to leave. ......

It was Dolgor-san who sighed.

''Even if I ask you to exterminate the demons, the adventurers are waiting in the inn. Even if you try to submit a request to the Adventurer's Guild, if you intercepted the adventurers, the royal family would glare at you. ......

It's a problem, isn't it?

No, not at all.

As a matter of fact, the reason I have invited you and your party to join us is to discuss this matter with you.

The merchant Dolgor fixed the collar of his long gown and said.

''Since you are escorting Lady Iris, I take it that all the adventurers there are very skilled, are they not?

No, it's just average.

Is that normal?

To be frank, I've been an adventurer for about a month now, and I'm barely out of the novice game.

But it's not too much of a hassle to travel this far down the road, is it?

...... Indeed.

I'm actually here because we are traveling on the road where demons appear.

I'm not afraid of goblins or even big bats, but I can usually defeat them. I've fought the undead and the giant alligator. That's about the level I'm at.''

Then do me a favor.

So you want me to kill the demons in the street?

It's very clear.

From the story.

We are in real trouble, sir.

The merchant Dolgor-san began to speak.

Whenever a demon appeared on the street, I would usually ask him to kill it through the Adventurer's Guild.

Otherwise, we can't carry our supplies safely. I have an escort, but there's a limit to who I can deal with. To begin with, it would be useless if the guards are exhausted in a battle near the town.

That's why when a demon appears near the town road, we'll say 'urgent' and raise the fee for a quest request, but right now we can't do that.

Most of the adventurers are held up by the royal family. If we were to pull the adventurers out of the "urgent" quests, the royal family might look at us and say, "You're stealing our adventurers. If that happened, we wouldn't be able to do business.

That's why they wanted to ask for our help, which has nothing to do with the adventurer's guild in this town.

'I've heard that the Rock Lizard is presently haunting the streets. We have heard that one traveler has been eaten by them.

"Rock Lizard

A large lizard, less than two meters long from head to tail.

Its back is covered with a rock-like shell.

They are voracious eaters, feeding on rocks, people and anything else they see.

Their carapace, which is useful for processing, sells for a decent price.

The level is not high, but trying to defeat it without damaging its shell is surprisingly difficult.

''The Rock Lizard showed up around here.

Mr. Dolgor had the maid put the food away and spread the map on the table.

The place he pointed to was an abandoned village, about a day's walk from here.

It was located on the side of the road, and with a river running nearby, it was said to be an encampment for caravans and travelers.

It's true that ...... would be terrifying to encounter a giant lizard in a place like that.

'I will definitely pay you your reward. What do you think?

Mr. Dolgor turned to Iris and said.

We're supposed to be working for Iris. So the decision is hers to make. Ostensibly.

'...... big brother,'

With her front facing me, Iris mumbles with just her lips.

Tiny hands are tugging at my clothes.

The merchant in front of me, Mr. Dolgor, is not a bad person, I hear.

I've heard that part from Iris. Maybe it's because he's a hard worker, but he's also reasonably nice to his employees. He belongs to the Merchant's Guild, but he's not such a big deal, or maybe it's because he's not such a big deal, but he's also very calm. He's also very normal to Rita and Aine, who are wearing slave collars.

It's not a bad idea for us to have a little connection with them, either.

...... I don't blame you.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well.

Before that, it would be nice to do some light cleaning. If you can get a reward for your quest, it will help you get more road silver.

I squeezed Iris's hand back under the table.

'We'll do what we can. If Iris's guards can be of any use to the town.

So I think Iris sensed my intentions.

"Oh!　Thank you!

You'll have to talk to my guards.

With that, Iris indicated me.

I cleared my throat and then stood up.

''Well then, I'd like to confirm the content of the quest and the working conditions...''

I see. Well, if that's the case, I'll accept the quest.

Huh?

Mr. Dolgor, why are you so out of breath?

The maids around you are also rolling their eyes.

Rita's face is aghast. Aine is nodding her head, as expected of Nah-kun. Iris looks enthralled.

It's important to check the working conditions, right?

Especially since it's a request from someone I don't know, and it's not through the Adventurer's Guild. Even though the Ilgafa lord family is behind it, I don't want to get into trouble later on.

So, the reward, confirmation of the type and number of demons, confirmation of the surrounding situation, the deadline, and the ability to pay. In addition, the additional rewards for turning demons into materials, and the market price. Information on the demons that appear in this area and are circulating as materials. Connecting the story from there to the economy - I just heard about His Highness Prince Clavis, the 8th Prince. I don't think we need to worry about it.

Of course, I've asked Mr. Dolgor not to tell anyone about us.

Even with Iris's permission, it's like taking a break from escort duty, so it's not a very good idea to be out in the open, that's why. Ostensibly, the party would be split into two, with half of the party remaining in the mansion.

Also, it seems that during the quest, a soldier that Dolgor-san knows will be guarding the mansion around the mansion.

''I see that Illis-sama has a good subordinate.

Yes, he's a very proud Iris.

Iris puffed out his chest.

'With these people, Iris would not hesitate to give her life. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they are a community of destiny.

...... It seems you have a good subordinate, Mr. Iris: ......

That settled the conversation, and the rest was a normal dinner party.

The advantage of this quest is that I can collect materials.

I heard that Rock Lizard shells could be sold for a good price.

They could be dried and made into armor, or processed and made into containers.

Secondly, it's not a very difficult quest. Even if you fail, there is no cancellation fee.

Lastly, you can sell a favor to the merchant.

And also, we just wanted to go somewhere less popular.

That's why we decided to go to the 'Rock Lizard Defeat Quest'.

Even though it was a nearby quest, we had a full team of people just in case.

Iris and her bodyguards are praying for our safety at the villa, so we asked them to follow us in disguise.

Iris, who covered her hair with a large bandana and wore a short jacket, looks like a fledgling sifu. He's equipped with a dagger for protection and a small shield, and is hiding in the carriage. As he says in person, "A righteous bandit, Iris-Hafeumea will be born! That's what I mean, but when you say your real name, you're out.

Iris, Aine and Rafilia, who saw us off at the mansion, are imaginary images created by Iris with her 4 Concept Cheat skill, Illusionary Space. They returned to the mansion after we left in the carriage and disappeared without a trace. I've told Dolgor-san that Iris will stay in the mansion for a few days to pray for the safety of her subordinates and refuse all visits, so we should be able to fake it for a couple of days.

The location of the quest is at the foot of a rocky mountain by the road, west of the resort town of Rihjelda, by the road.

It was the ruins of an abandoned village beyond.

There was a small river running nearby, apparently often used by travelers and caravans to encamp.

The village was abandoned decades ago for reasons such as warfare, plague, or even the curse of a demon king, but the details are unknown.

Now, only the foundations and walls of the building remain, a truly lonely place.

However, I heard that it's better than camping on the grassland because it shelters from the wind and rain.

I heard that this place is now a hangout for the Rock Lizard, a large shelled lizard.

As I made my way through the streets in a carriage, I made a plan.

The objective is to eliminate the Rock Lizard and collect materials.

Come to think of it, I've never done any material gathering before. It's good for training.

If I fail, I'll use Cecil's Ancient Language Fireball to reduce everything to ashes...

We had moved on to 'Operation Rock Lizard Defeat'.

...... So that's the Rock Lizard.

Me and Aine were hiding in the forest near the abandoned village. The carriage was parked at the entrance of the forest. We asked the horses to keep quiet, but if there was any danger, we asked them to stay put.

The distance from here to the abandoned village is only a few dozen meters in a straight line.

Behind the walls of a crumbling house, the figure of a demon can be seen. A large lizard in a gray shell.

It's huge.

Its back was sticking out of the roof. It's about two meters tall at least.

The color of its skin is like a rock. It seems to be very hard to look at it.

It is said that it has a habit of eating rocks and stones, so this abandoned village must be a good feeding ground for it.

I don't know how many there are at ....... Eyewitnesses said there were three to five of them, but I'd like to know exactly how many.

...... Okay.

View the 'Shared Consciousness (Mind Linkage), Revised' window.

I declared, and a translucent window appeared in front of me.

It resembles the screen of an email program. So I can create a message with this?

'Sender: Nagi.

Address correspondence to: rita

Text: We can't tell how many enemies there are from our position. Please give me Rita's 'presence of mind'.

Send.

With a pop, I pushed the button displayed in the window.

The "Share Your Consciousness" is always activated. All you have to do is think of a sentence in your mind and a message will appear in the window. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it happen.

Because of this skill, I was able to split the party into two.

Me and Aine from the forest.

Cecil, Rita, Iris, and Raphilia should be approaching the abandoned village from the river.

Message received.

A message appeared in the window.

'Sender: Rita.

Address correspondence to: nagi

Main text: "Suspecting someone's presence" is a medical treatment.

By the way, can't you do something to help the body's "adhesive body" that gets scared when you receive a message?　That said, it's kind of embarrassing to think that a part of Nagi is inside my body, but it makes me feel ...... warm and fuzzy. ...... What?　Is this already a message?　Um, what do you do with the revocation reversal ............?　Oh yeah, I had a reaction to the "presence of mind". The Rock Lizard seems to be congregating in the middle of the village, in a clearing that was originally a meeting place. There are four of them: ...... Yeah, I'm pretty sure. By the way, how do you undo it? Send?　Oh, you sent it...

I see.

When people use "Consciousness Sharing and Reformulation", do they imagine it in their minds?

In my case, it appears in the window, but it's a little different.

(Sender: Nagi)

Address correspondence to: rita

TEXT: Well, calm down. Unlike the original world, this one doesn't even have a log: ...... Oh, sorry. It was left normally. So, I'm not sure if I'm going to be logged. Well, it's okay. Stay here for a while. How's Rafilia ready?

"Sent by Rita.

Address correspondence to: nagi

Text: no!　Is this all going to be recorded?　Everything I said. Huh?　Cecil?　Please calm down. I'm rather jealous. If it were me, I'd be begging you for a piece of Nagi-sama inside my body," he said. That's not the point!　Also, if you put your ear to my belly, because you can't hear "some of Nagi's heartbeats" or something like that?　Huh?　Do you think you can hear it?　Even little Iris!　But I can't put my ear to my stomach myself. ......'

"Sent by Rafilia.

Address correspondence to: nagi

Text: Rita, Cecil, and Iris are unraveling in front of me. It's a pity that I can't show it to the Master. However, it's a pity that I get nervous just because a part of my master is inside my body.

When you're around my age, you're ready to put a part of the master in your body for about 10 months and 10 days. Geehee. Anyway, I'm ready for this. I can use the 'Dragon Seed Whirlwind' at any time.'

"Sent by Rita.

Address correspondence to: nagi

TEXT: Hey Raphilia!　Stop looking at me dispassionately!　And what are you sending Nagi?　Rita and Cecil, please don't tell me about the love story of Lady Iris or anything like that!　But let me read it to you later.

"Sent by Rafilia.

Address correspondence to: rita

Text: Please calm down, Rita. It doesn't matter if you get used to it. You just need to calm down and make up your own message. It's okay. I can do it, too.

"Sent by Rita.

Address correspondence to: raphilia

Text: ...... So, can I practice against Raphilia?　Raphilia wouldn't mind if I messed up, would she?　I want to be able to send Nagi a proper message.'

...... Huh?

"Sent by Rafilia.

Address correspondence to: rita

Body: Of course. Go ahead.'

"Sent by Rita.

Address correspondence to: raphilia

Body: Well, I'll just send you what I think.'

Wait a minute Raphilia. Rita.

"Sent by Rita.

Address correspondence to: raphilia

Main Content: You know, I was very happy when I had Nagi use the "Mind Linkage Kai", because I had never had an ordinary "mind sharing" before.

I had never asked her to share her consciousness in the usual way before, so I was very happy.

But it is embarrassing to beg for it. I mean, I know that I should be able to ask for what I want, but I'm not. I know it's selfish of me to ask Nagi to think more about me, or to think, "I'm always thinking about you, so I'd like to ask you to do half of that - 1/10th of that - no, 1/100th of that. What I want you to do, I have to properly say, "Master, please do it.

But, but, but!　When Nagi kissed me and put the magic inside me - I felt happy. ...... Raphilia would understand, wouldn't she?　So I'll tell you. I'm going to say it here so that I don't accidentally send it to Nagi.'

...... Hey, Rita.

"Sent by Rafilia.

Address correspondence to: rita

Body：I know how you feel. I know how I feel, too, just thinking that a part of the master is inside me.

Um, both of you.

When I used this skill, I explained it to you: .......

"Sent by: Nagi.

Address correspondence to: rita, raphilia

Text: You know, both of you ............ when you use this "consciousness sharing and revision". The messages sent by the slaves to each other are also sent to the master. I thought I explained it in the carriage, but was it hard to understand?''

It's designed to send the same message to the master so that the slaves can't talk to each other in private.

I don't need that kind of thing, but it's a basic system, so it can't be helped: .......

'Rita: aaaaahhhhhh!　'I forgot about that!'

'Raphilia: Yes. I remembered that, didn't I?'

You remembered .......

'Raphilia: Rita-sama also finally woke up to the joy of exposing everything in front of ...... the Master, didn't you?

'Rita: I'm not waking up to that!　It's always so embarrassing!

.................. I'll remind Raphilia well later. Yeah.

Be that as it may.

Nagi: Calm down, both of you. The operation will be starting soon, so get ready.

"Rita: Wow. I'm ready to go. ......'

"Rafilia: Come on in, come on in, come on in.

...... eh. It looks like they're ready to go over there.

I picked up the contents of Rita and Raphilia's email at random and told Aine.

An abandoned village in the distance of my vision.

A 'Rock Lizard' is walking past the broken buildings.

Its body is gray. It's a large lizard with its back covered with a rock-like shell.

Its weak point is under its belly, but its short legs make it hard to attack. If you stab it by getting underneath its body, you'll get a body press after taking it down. It's also very strong. On top of that, it eats everything. Rocks, bricks, and, of course, people. It helps that he doesn't move that fast.

It is an opponent that can be defeated with a series of magic attacks, but when you try to collect the materials properly, it is difficult.

It seems that the Rock Lizard is that kind of enemy.

I'm going to be able to get a clean carapace, right?

I know. That's what Aine's skills are for.

Next to me, Aine is nodding.

Rita and her team are ready to go.

All we need to do now is to execute the plan.

Our goal is to keep the streets safe and secure and help people. Let's take it easy.

"To Rita and Raphilia.

Sent by: Nagi

Main Content: Then the operation begins. The tactic is "Give your life back. Don't take it easy. When the time comes, you should run away. That's good.

"Rita, I understand, Master." "Rafilia, I understand.

I get a reply from both of them.

I nodded to Aine.

"Then let's get to work. Let's go.

'Yes. Aine is the key to this operation, isn't she?

Aine squeezed the mop in her hand.

I'm going to do my best to fulfill my mission as Nay-kun's "soul mate"!

Then we ran off to the abandoned village.