Episode 17.15-16-17

During dinner the next day, Eda had something to report to Lecan.

"What? Kagaru went to see you?"

"Un. He dropped by the inn when Lecan and Heles were gone to sell mats."

Lecan had expressively dodged telling them their inn. Just where did they learn about it, thought Lecan, but to this town, <Jaira> are heroes. They would have ways to find that information.

"He asked me to join <Jaira>."

"How'd you reply?"

"I told him to go talk through Lecan for that."

"That's good. You did great."

"Ehehehehe."

"You're all grown up."

"Hehehehehe."

The next day, after breakfast at their inn, just when Lecan was thinking about visiting the weapon shop he left <Sword of Rusk> at, Kagaru came by.

"Come with me for a bit."

"State your business here."

Kagaru was glancing around like he was worried about public eyes, but then he let out a brief sigh and sat on a chair in front of Lecan.

"Could you hand Eda over to us. I'll even do this."

He then bowed.

"I refuse."

Kagaru grabbed a bag of money from his pocket and pushed it toward Lecan.

"There's five white gold coins in here. This is the most I could muster up right now."

"I said I refuse."

"<Willard> has you. One party don't need two <High Recovery> users."

"That's not something you decide on."

"I know a good archer. I'll introduce them to you."

"Put them in your party."

"Just listen to me. Our mage's completely crapped her pants. Don't want to dive in no more, she said. But she would if Eda were with us."

"Nothing to do with me."

"Veta has always been quite timid y'see. But she's got some serious magic talent. Ain't it funny. That timid girl's got the one in thousand talent at offensive magic. You won't believe how much I've done to that girl when"

"I don't care about your life story. Done with your business?"

Lecan stood up.

"So you won't listen even after I swallowed my pride and bowed to you."

"You're just pushing your own conveniences on us. I won't let Eda go to your party. Either way, Eda is my pupil right now. No master would sell out their pupils."

Kagaru glared hard at Lecan for a while before indignantly stomping his way out.

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

When they were having dinner at <Jade's Restaurant>, Veta the mage came and stood next to Eda.

"Eda-chan."

"Veta-san. Good evening. Wanna sit?"

"Help me."

"Eh?"

"I'm too scared to go alone in the dungeon. But I can't earn money if I don't go. I owe Kagaru debts you see. Lots of debts."

"Veta-san..."

"I had defeated all magic beasts we encountered so far in one shot. If they're not dead in one shot, they would by the second. The battle will be over if I just shoot my magic. So I wasn't scared."

Lecan grew suspicious after hearing her. Judging from traces of their fight on floor 31, <Jaira> wasn't fighting in a way that relied on a one-shot finisher.

(Hang on.)

(They were hiding their trump cards since <Pezan Toorzam> was present.)

(So they got badly beaten by the magic beast since they didn't want to show their tricks huh.)

"But back then, dissolving liquid got on me, my face was melting."

(Meaning, this Veta woman is <Jaira>'s trump card.)

"I was so scared, so scared, I thought I'd die. And even if I was saved, I wouldn't want to live on."

(Saw many parties with similar fighting style in my former world.)

"But then, Eda-chan saved me."

(They equip themselves with mana amplifier and offensive magic doubler.)

"My ruined face went back to its original beauty."

(They would spend a long time to prepare the magic.)

"It was a miracle I thought."

(In the meantime, other members would bait the enemy.)

"Even if the recovery user Doren were still alive, he wouldn't be able to do that."

(A fighting style that relies on finishing enemy in one shot.)

"Eda-chan is a goddess."

(At least they would go with that tactic when faced against powerful foes.)

"I won't be scared if Eda-chan is with us. I can fight."

(I see.)

"So please."

(If this woman can't fight anymore.)

"Please come with me."

(Their strength as a party will see a sharp decline.)

"I'm sorry, but I can't go with you. My place is next to Lecan."

The rejected Veta glared at Lecan with tears in her eyes, then she turned around and ran off.

"Oh dear."

Arios sighed.

"That man, Kagaru sure resorts to some unscrupulous means."

"Why didn't you drive that woman away then."

"Dare I say that back to you, Lecan-san?"

Heles chimed in here.

"Truly, what a selfish bunch they are. They can only think of their own egoistic circumstances. Don't they realize just how shameless they're being."

During Lecan's conversation with Kagaru in the morning, both Heles and Arios were listening from their own slightly apart seats.

"Heles-san."

"Hm? What is it."

"No. It's nothing."

Arios probably wanted to say, 'the same goes for you'.

Indeed, Heles might be being selfish in her request.

However, Lecan didn't think bad of Heles.

While he felt repugnant of Kagaru and Veta.

Just what made this difference, he wondered, but he couldn't come up with an answer.

But he noticed one thing while pondering.

The thing Kagaru said in the dungeon back then.

"<Pezan Toorzam> had the <Mark> of floor 19. We went straight to this floor from that floor in order to create the <Mark> here. It should have been finished by now if not for that accident."

However, Heles mentioned that the clients have to have the <Mark> on floor 30 to post the quest. In other word, the quest <Jaira> undertook from <Pezan Toorzam> was not legal.

One of the sides must have put it forward.

It's probably <Pezan Toorzam>.

Thinking that they were eligible to get <Mark> on floor 31 since they got one on floor 19. They either went to consult to Kagaru or he overheard them talking about it between themselves.

That was Kagaru being hasty.

No wonder he was desperately asking for Lecan's help.

(Refusing that was the correct answer after all.)

Lecan had no sympathy toward <Pezan Toorzam> in the first place, and now he would never have one.

Everything that happens in a dungeon is your own responsibility. If you cannot bear losing, don't go in a dungeon in the first place.