Episode 18.10

Lecan caught sight of an unfamiliar party.

<Jade's Restaurant> is a gathering spot for parties who explore Dungeon Ninae's lower stratum, but upper and middle stratum parties would also sometimes have a feast here whenever they earned big.

It's the reason why top groups and the groups ranked next are familiar with each other.

Since Heles is acquainted with such parties, she sometimes introduce Lecan to one.

However, it's the first time he's seen this particular party.

It's clear at a glance that these adventurers are quite formidable.

(Wonder if they came from someplace else.)

(But they sure are making themselves at home.)

It's a six people group, but one in particular is standing out.

A flat-faced man with long blond hair wearing a shirt with a conspicuously large opening on the chest area.

Every single one of his gestures is exaggerated, like he's acting out a jester.

Other adventurers sitting next to their table are trying to make a conversation, but that man only replies to female adventurers.

Some of them even go out of their way and sit next to the man.

The man responded in an overly familiar manner, he would sometimes touch their waist and buttocks. Some of the women shrieked kya kya, but they don't look to be against it.

That flat-faced man stood up and went toward the entrance.

Eda and Heles had just arrived there, that man tried to enthusiastically speak to Heles about something.

Heles brushed him aside and tried to go to Lecan's table, but that man grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go.

Heles pointed at Lecan, the man declared something. Then she finally shook him off forcefully.

The man stretched out his hand in an attempt to touch Heles's buttocks as she left, but Eda nicely blocked him off.

(Good timing.)

(She might have a hidden talent in defense as well.)

"Lecan. Sorry for making you wait. Huh? Arios-kun, not here yet?"

"Yea."

"Some weird guy bothered us at the entrance just now."

"I see."

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

Lecan saw everything through <3D Perception> but he chose to keep silent.

"Heles-san, who's that guy anyway?"

"Well, I believe I have mentioned about how I joined five parties in total during my time in this town, one of those is <Untainted Heroes (Sarimisard)>, he's the leader of that party."

"Ah, and so that's why he said something like, 'Come back to this chest of mine'."

"Sorry for my tardiness."

"Ah, Arios-kun. Welcome. We just got here too."

"Is that right. So, who's coming back to whose chest again?"

"It's that long blond haired man sitting over there. He's the leader of <Sarimisard> party, apparently he's got a lingering attachment with Heles-san."

"Lingering attachment? Was he her lover."

"No way! That man's party was the one that brought me to floor 41 and helped me make the <Mark> there."

"Ah, I see."

"However, I saw through that man, he had no intention to go for the lowest floor despite his mouth saying so. Hence why I went to look for other party. Besides, that man is, umm."

Heles who was usually a firm talker suddenly looked bashful while glancing at Lecan on and off.

"Did something happen? Heles-san."

"Umu. Err. As a condition to take me to the lower stratum, he, umm. In short. He demanded something that I absolutely cannot comply."

"Ew, what an awful man."

"So he's that kind of guy."

Eda and Arios seemed to understand what Heles was tyring to say, but Lecan doesn't. Hence, he asked.

"Did he ask an amount of money you cannot pay?"

Eda and Arios looked at Lecan with a surprised look on their faces.

"Lecan. Are you seriously asking that?"

"Being dull is a violence in a way."

"Hm? What are you talking about? Ah, I see. Did he ask for that sword you brought from home?"

Heles looks downward with a reddened face.

Eda is glaring at Lecan, Arios looks stumped.

"Hey hey, guys. I see you're having fun."

The flat-faced man went to talk to Lecan's group.

"Are you Lecan?"

"Yea."

"Hahaha. I'm Snow. Leader of <Sarimisard>, you see. Naturally, you know about <Sarimisard>, don't you?"

"Heard about it just now."

"Oh oh. What's this, the up-and-coming Dungeon Ninae's party <Willard> is lacking in their information gathering? That won't do at all."

"Really."

"Us <Sarimisard> is the party that has reached floor 44. We're only a few steps away from conquering the lowest floor. In other word. We're the party which holds the biggest influence in this town right now. We even get invited to the townlord's banquet on the tenth."

"Good for you."

"Hahaha. Thank you. By the way, Lecan. A warning to you."

Snow put his hand on Lecan's shoulder and kept talking while leaving it there.

"You've been blessed with luck and gotten floor 40's <Mark>, but you're up against the greater variants on floor 41 and below. It's a whole another world. A friendly advice. You should spend three months slowly amassing experience on floor 40 before you start seriously going for lower stratum. Of course."

Snow smiled and looked at Heles.

"That means Heles won't finish her objective in time. Heles-san, we have a position open in our party for you. Let us aim for the lowest floor together. And to achieve that, we should better know each other. Actually, our party has gotten hold of a wonderful mansion. How about spending this night"

Lecan suddenly unleashed his bloodlust.

Snow shook as he took his hand away from Lecan's shoulder. As if he had touched something hot.

Lecan's right eye is gleaming fierily. It's the eye of a beast.

Other adventurers sitting nearby jolted on their chairs as they turned toward him.

It's as if a last floor's dungeon boss has abruptly made its advent there.

Snow gulped down his saliva and then tried to speak, but his voice sounded slightly shaky.

"L-let's discuss about this another time. My friends' waiting for me, bye now."

Nuru came by as the flat-faced man left. She's the recovery user of <Azcaris>.

"Lecan-chan."

She coquettishly leaned on him from behind, twirling her bewitching arms around Lecan's neck and pushing her voluptuous breast on his back while nibbing on Lecan's left ear.

"Ufun. It's been awhile."

"Yea."

"Snow boy, you see, is a son of a noble in another town. Which makes him clueless of scary stuff."

"Really."

"This town's adventurers are all aware Heles-chan is a daughter of a high-ranking noble just by looking at her, so no one's going to bother her, you see~"

"I see."

"They won't let her join their party either. I mean, it'd be a huge headache to them and the town lord if they bring her to the lowest floor and let her die there. That's why <Azcariz>, <Vega>, and <Jaira> wouldn't let Heles-chan join them."

"So that's how it was."

"Back then Snow boy made a pass at Veta-chan once, which prompted that all brawn Kagaru to mess him up so bad. He stopped showing up here afterward. Cause <Jaira> might be here after all."

So that's the reason why he never saw <Sarimisard> before.

"But now that <Jaira>'s gone, and they reached floor 44, they've been super excitable."

"Might be because of alcohol too."

"Oh he's drunk alright, that Snow boy. I mean, he's got achievements to back, earns a lot and is popular with women. And if he could make a flower beyond reach, Heles-chan, his woman, even for one night, he's sure gonna get even more famous."

"I don't care what people think."

"So cool. You're giving me the chill. Aan. It's throbbing."

"Thanks for the info. I owe you."

"Then tell me please. It's weird for that <Jaira> to just up and go back home all of a sudden. That they suffered injuries in an expedition must be a sham too. It must be something to do with you, right. If you tell me, I'll let you eat me after meat and vegetable... ah, ouch ouch."

<Azcariz>'s leader, Dual Blade Falkan had pulled the female recovery user Nuru's hair.

"Sorry about this, Lecan. I'm taking this girl back."

"Yea."

Nuru got dragged away while yelping ouch ouch along the way.

"Fumu, I see how it is now. That Snow guy demanded Heles to have sex with him as a condition to bring her to the lowest floor."

Heles spilled out the wine she was drinking.

Eda threw the tea she was drinking at Lecan.