Episode 28.9

Lecan and Arios didn't come back that night either.

Apparently <Grindam> had that day off.

The following day, <Grindam> started their exploration in the morning and came back in the evening.

Evening meals were selling well.

"Nark-san. You still have food left?"

Asked by a customer, Nark peered into the pot.

"Sorry. We're sold out tonight."

"Oh really. Next time then."

In reality, there was still enough for two servings besides for himself and his wife. But for some reason, he felt like Lecan and Arios would be back soon, he couldn't bring himself to offer the last two portions to other customers.

But even after the three members of <Grindam> went back to their rooms, and the last customer who was there for meals went home, Lecan and Arios never came back.

(Tch.)

(Got some leftover eh.)

(No choice.)

(It'll be mine and Nell's lunch tomorrow.)

Just as he thought that, the door opened.

"We're back."

It was Lecan and Arios.

Nark was thrilled. But he kept that to himself and spoke sternly.

"Get in quick, and close the door. Yer' making warm air escape."

"Yes. My apologies."

"Ya guys eating?"

"Eh? You still have food left? That'd be nice. I had resigned myself to dried food tonight."

"Sit down if yer' eating."

"Yes. Come now, Lecan-dono."

"My oh my, you two are back."

"Ah, Nell-san. Yes we just got here."

"Okay, okay. Good to have you back. I'll get your meals warmed up in a jiffy."

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

"Thank you."

Nark took fermented Kizolt liquor and a metal cup from the shelf and brought them to Lecan before asking Arios.

"Ya drinking?"

"I shall have the fermented liquor tonight."

"Yeah?"

Nark handed him another cup, then Lecan and Arios toasted.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers."

The two knocked their cups together and drank down the booze.

Arios grimaced badly. The hard fermented drink burned his throat. However, the frown quickly turned to smile.

"Hee? Something good happened?"

"We got a sword drop, a really good one it seems."

"Grace Gear?"

"Yes it is. Lecan-dono. What was the name again?"

"Hm? Think it was Life Drain Sword (Vudscylla)."

The jovial Nark had a sudden mood swing for the worse once he heard that.

(<Life Drain Sword>?)

(Damn you and your bluff.)

<Life Drain Sword> is a sword with a stamina drain Grace attached. Doesn't matter if your opponent is a magic beast or a human, wounding them with that sword will drain their stamina to supplement the user's. Knights everywhere would pay handsomely for this Grace Gear. The drain rate differs from sword to sword, a specimen with a high drain rate can net some truly eye-popping sum.

And you have to go below Floor 50 for <Life Drain Swords>. Meaning these two are lying.

Lecan put his hand into his overcoat hanging on a chair next to him, grabbed a sword out and put it on the table right in front of Nark who was looking ill-humored.

"<Appraisal>."

"Eh?"

"Fumu. It is <Life Drain Sword>. Nice Grace. Probably gonna fetch for a good price. Arios, want to give it a swing?"

"Ah, I'm good."

"Don't you want to try this stamina drain Grace?"

"My father had a sword with that Grace so I've had my chances using one before."

"I see. I don't need it either, guess I'll find out how it's like tomorrow."

"No no. Let's have some rest tomorrow, okay?"

"Arios. We haven't stumbled upon a real challenge thus far, but the enemies are getting tougher the further down we go. Another 20 floors and we're not gonna maintain our current pace. We're pressing on ahead while we still can."

"Like I've been asking, why are we in such a hurry again?"

Nark stared at the sword left on the table in shock as he listened to the two's banter in passing.

(This is.)

(No doubt about it.)

(It's a <Life Drain Sword>.)

(Well damn.)

Way back in the past, Nark's father proudly showed off a sword like this to him once. They ended up selling the sword when his mother fell ill, but he knew the shape of the sword by heart. This sword is a genuine <Life Drain Sword>.

Which means these two really got to Floor 50 in four days.

That's absolutely inconceivable.

Perhaps this sword is a fake that's only got the same shape, and he's being deceived.

That thought crossed Nark's mind, but what's even the point of going out of their way to do all that just to deceive him.

Perhaps these two are some unbelievably extraordinary adventurers.

Or perhaps they're fraudsters. Is this some sort of elaborate fraud scheme. Are they making him into a witness of some kind for their ploy?

Competent adventurers who have been forged in other dungeons might be able to get to floor 50. But getting there in just four days is simply impossible. Each and every floor in this dungeon is abnormally vast. Reaching floor 50 in just four days is a tall order even if one merely traversed through them without fighting once.

(Hold it.)

(<Appraisal>?)

Lecan used <Appraisal> earlier. Would there really be adventurers who use <Appraisal>. And Nark didn't hear him doing preliminary casting either. Or perhaps he missed it.

"And here's your food. Put this sword away will you."

"Aa, my bad."

Lecan put the sword in his overcoat.

(Huh?)

(He stored the sword in for sure.)

(Yet the overcoat remains flat.)

(What's going on here?)

Putting a sword in a bag enchanted with <Box> will still make the bag distinctly swell. A <Box> with a sword inside can't possibly stay flat.

(I don't get it.)

(These two are full of mysteries.)

Either way, these two are paying customers of this inn.

(Alright.)

(I'm just gonna ignore everything 'bout these two's dungeon escapades.)

(Never mind it, no matter what they do.)

(These two are our inn's guests.)

(Just gonna put that mindset on.)

Thus Nark decided in his heart. Though he felt like he could hear whispers, 'Yeah, that prolly won't last', somewhere in his heart.