Episode 21.2

Lecan was led to a luxurious room.

He was told to sit on a luxurious sofa.

Commander Doug stood near the wall.

A knight who was with Tomaj stood near the opposite wall.

Wonder if these kinds of knights are town lord's knights.

What a pain in the ass, might as well call anyone who looks the part a knight, thought Lecan.

Tomaj took a seat himself. The seat in front of Lecan is empty. Must be where the town lord will sit.

Not long after, Henjitt Douga and another knight entered the room. He's Tomaj's little brother.

"Good day, Aniue."

"Hey there, Henjitt."

"Is that man adventurer Lecan then. I see he's so nervous he forgot his manners when a noble arrives. Be at ease."

Lecan took a quick glance at Henjitt before talking to Tomaj.

"As requested by Vouka townlord, I have come here to show Earl Golbul <Dagger of Harut>. Will you get me the town lord."

"My father will be here soon. Please hold on a bit."

"Good grief, don't you know it's lunch time right now. These adventurers really have some free time on their hands."

They'd have been long done with this stuff if they just got to it earlier. Besides, go on and have lunch if it's lunch time. However, prepare one for your guests as well. That's all you need to do.

He could talk back, but Lecan is not good with words. Talking is nobles' main trade, he mustn't fight them in a verbal match. Besides, curbing his irritation and conceding all that he can concede would make things go over smoothly instead. Lecan didn't rebut as a result of that thinking.

"I see. Then I shall wait until the earl is here."

Lecan sunk back into the sofa, crossed his legs and brushed his chin with his right thumb and index finger. His beard has grown quite long.

"Y-You insolent fool! Aniue, we must cut down these impudent adventurers!"

The knight that was with Henjitt put his hand on his sword's grip.

"Henjitt. Lecan-dono has gone out of his way to come here responding to our invitation. You didn't even introduce yourself."

Henjitt had a sullen look on his face. But then he corrected his seating posture and gave his name.

"I am the second son of Earl Golbul Gaionus Douga, Henjitt Douga."

"I'm Lecan."

"I hear you conquered our Dungeon Golbul. A feat worthy of praise. Now is it indeed the truth that a <Dagger of Harut> emerged."

"Yea."

"Show me."

"No."

"What."

"I was asked this by Vouka townlord. Earl Golbul wishes to take a look at <Dagger of Harut> that was dropped in Dungeon Golbul, could you show it to him. I replied back that I don't have any intention to part with <Dagger of Harut>. Vouka town lord then told me that he would communicate my intent to you and asked me to at least show the dagger. So here I am."

"That is indeed true. So show me."

"You're not Earl Golbul."

"What."

"Henjitt. You shouldn't get too pushy. Lecan too, please don't provoke him. Henjitt merely means to say that he wants you to show him the real thing before you show it to father. Lecan, would you."

"No."

"Geez. I guess we've got no choice. You'll do it anyway once father gets here, right."

"Yea."

"Then I shall wait."

"Aniue, you cannot be so lax. You're too generous. That's exactly how these outlaws grow so impudent."

"Henjitt, you're over the line. Lecan-dono is the first person ever who has conquered Dungeon Golbul, he's a hero. Town lords who oversee dungeons are only worthy of that position due to the existence of adventurers who bring back grace items and materials from dungeons."

"But, Aniue."

"Now now, calm down. Lecan. Things have gotten a bit problematic, y'see."

"Hou."

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

"Dungeon Golbul that had always remained unconquered, got conquered this year. And twice at that."

"Yea."

"That's a cause for celebration. As people won't flock to dungeons that can't be conquered. In fact, once the rumor about the conquest has spread, we've been getting more adventurers coming here, the town is flourishing."

"Looks like it. Seen lots of people."

"However, as a lord of this town, our family couldn't manage to confirm the items obtained from the dungeon boss. Ah, no."

Tomaj looked at commander Doug.

"Commander Doug confirmed that the first conquest netted you a golden potion didn't it. Well in any case, there's no issue with the golden potion. The problem is with <Dagger of Harut>."

"What's the problem."

"When you stayed at this town the other day, we threw a celebration along with the party. Thanks to that, we avoided having people say the lord of this town was too stingy to throw a party for a dungeon conquerer."

"Good for you."

"You went to Kogurus after that, didn't you. And then you stopped by this town once again, drank a lot of liquor and went to the dungeon once again early in the morning, so I heard."

"Yea. Got a sudden urge to fight a dungeon boss."

"I can't understand that urge. Anyway, you quickly defeated the dungeon boss and left the town before breakfast time."

"Something came up, you see."

That's a lie.

"Of course we quickly found out about the dungeon boss's defeat. All magic beasts in the dungeon vanished after all. It dawned on me and so I went to <White Pavilion>."

"I see."

"There I met your party members, Nike and Eda. Turned out you defeated the dungeon boss alone by yourself. So did you in your first conquest."

"I've been telling you that."

"I thought you were just joking around. And so, I managed to get Nike promise me to inform what you obtained in the second conquest."

"Yea."

"I got a message from Nike, <Dagger of Harut>, it said. Of course I believed it, it was the word of a gold rank adventurer after all."

"I see."

"Then, I got a bit too giddy. After all it's a <Dagger of Harut>, an item sought after by even the royalty. I ended up telling it to everyone. Which was fine in itself since adventurers flocked here as a result."

Lecan is starting to see where this is going.

"I got a stern scolding from father. Did you see that <Dagger of Harut> with your own two eyes, he said. And he's exactly right. Neither my father, me, my little brother or servants of our house have seen it with their own eyes. But the rumors had already spread. If the emergence of <Dagger of Harut> turned out to be a lie or a misunderstanding, father would completely lose his face."

"I see."

"Hence, my little brother was very eager to check whether it's truly <Dagger of Harut> or"

This was when the chamberlain announced the town lord's arrival.