52 Episode 20: The Count rushed to share the information. I tried to take the word.

I had asked Iris to gather information, and the results were even better than I had imagined.

She had found out the approximate location of where the members of the Breath of the Ancient Sage were gathered.

''You're good at it, Iris.

Uh-huh. More compliments, please.

Across the table in the cafeteria, Iris proudly puffed out her chest.

She looked like a puppy wagging her tail with a pat on the back.

Full-bodied, praise, praise!　And that appeals to me.

If that's the case, I'll have to respond to your request.

''If we can find out where the 'Ancient Sage's Breath' is, then we have a lot of options. We can launch a surprise attack tonight. Thank you ......, I'm really glad Iris is here.

Well, how'd I help you, Ko?

Of course. I'm very grateful.

If it wasn't for Iris, it would have taken a lot of effort to grab the whereabouts of The Ancient Sage's Breath.

I'm extremely grateful that I was able to save you that hassle.

''I should thank you for this.

You don't have to thank me. ...... It's just something I, uh, you know, uh, like to do.

Iris was talking too fast for some reason.

Lily was sitting next to me, but she muttered, "Iris-san, could it be ......?

'What's up, Lily?'

...... It's nothing. Yes, right?　Iris, Mr.?

'Umm, yeah, ...... nothing, I guess?　I mean, Lily, I'm afraid to look at you: ......　

I think it's in my head, you know.

As for the thank you to Iris, it was decided that I would "owe" her one.

In short, it's on hold.

Considering Iris's careless attributes, there's a feeling that she'll be forgotten without being charged.

I guess I'll have to give her a thank-you gift at some point, depending on the timing.

* * *.

As I explained before, Surie is a bit famous as a tourist town.

Surie itself is an ordinary inn town, but there are still remains of old battlefields and other sites in the vicinity, and sightseeing tours are regularly held.

...... According to Iris, the Breath of the Ancient Sage is gathered far beyond the ancient battlefield in the north, in a cave that doesn't even appear on the map. They are said to be performing dubious rituals at night.

Normally, the place would be out of sight of the guards, but the area near the cave was the dwarves' secret territory.

It is said that good quality ore can be extracted from it.

For this reason, the dwarves had witnessed the appearance of the 'Breath of the Ancient Sage', and it had been a hot topic of conversation in the assembly hall for several days.

'It seems that there was talk of reporting it to the guards. But the Needle Turtle's appearance put it off. ...... Oh yeah, I got a message for Ko from the head of this meeting place. Thank you for protecting the store. You're welcome to show up at least once.

...... store?

'Ko, you fought the undead user in the daytime. Remember the tavern was nearby?　The owner of that place is a sub-human leader, and he has a meeting place in the basement.

That's another surprise.

Apparently, I was unknowingly ingratiating myself.

''The assembly hall is in a position to thoroughly fight the 'Breath of the Ancient Sage'. It seems to be calling out to the lords and adventurer guilds as well. ...... I'm sure Ko will be called upon sooner or later.

It was right after Iris said that.

The diner, which had been crowded with many customers, suddenly fell silent.

When I looked around to see what was going on, I saw a large, middle-aged man standing at the entrance.

The man had a deep scar on the left side of his face and an eye patch covering his left eye.

Combined with a magnificent moustache, he has the air of a warlord.

Randolph Di Maillard.

In short, he's "My Lord.

When Count Maillard looked at me, he grinned and smiled happily.

He walks over to me at a quick pace.

''Ko-dono, it's been a while!

It's been a long time, Count Mayard.

Count Mayard asked me to shake his hand, and I sat up and responded to his handshake.

When the handshake ended, Count Mayard patted me on both shoulders in a friendly manner.

''I've already heard of Lord Ko's exploits!　I hear you not only took down the Needle Turtle single-handedly, but you also protected the city from some shady people!　That's the Lord Hero, gahahahahahahaha!

As usual, Count Mayard is still very excited.

Or rather, why is the Count in the city of Surie?

According to the guards, he should have arrived tomorrow.

When I asked the Count about it, I got this answer.

'If it was the Knights, I would have left them behind.

Huh?

I read the report from the guards, and it sounds like a troubling case. My daughter Seren has taken charge of the order, so I've taken the lead.

The Count continues.

You can't miss this opportunity to see what Master Ko is doing. Hahahahahahahahaha!

Maybe they're being honest.

I got paid a lot of money for it too.

But it's nice to be appreciated, and it's good for me.

"Count, may I make a suggestion?

Of course I will. Whatever I can do to help you, I'll do it.

Very well.

I've taken the Count's word.

There's a saying that my speed is better than my skillfulness, so I'll have to settle this matter with the "Breath of the Ancient Sage" tonight.

By the way, I have a skill called 【Item Duplication】.

It allows me to duplicate an item from the item box.

It can't be used consecutively and requires 6 hours of cool time, but it's a cheat skill that allows you to create more items, whether it's a dead black dragon or anything else.

Until today, I've only used it to increase certain things when I didn't need it.

Guardian Golem.

I hear there are no human settlements nearby, and let's attack with a large army of ancient weapons.