CH 96

Nido Tensei Chapter 96

Episode 96: Demolition Expert and Aspiring Apprentice

After arranging the materials, we followed the advice of the staff and went out to town to have a meal. However, we stood out so we ate with our hoods on. Hmm, it’s hard to eat like this.

Oh, but this reminds me of an episode in the story of the great swordsman Lygard’s escape. While Lygard, who was falsely accused by villains, was on the run until he caught the real culprit, there was a scene where he ate with his hood on and complained. Hehe, it feels like being a little Lygard.

“But it’s hard to eat like this.”

“There’s nothing we can do. Just endure it.”

It seems like Gyro and the others also find it difficult to eat with their hoods on.

“Hey Rex, how about using a magic to make us invisible?”

Meguri-san requests a hiding magic.

“But if we use that, we have to stick close together, right?”

Wouldn’t it be difficult to eat if we were sticking close together?

“I think it’s better than eating with the hoods on.”

“Yes, I want to eat comfortably.”

Liliera-san also agrees, and everyone nods.

“Well, if everyone says so.”

We move the chairs and stick close together, and activate the hiding magic.

“Phew, now we can eat peacefully!”

Gyro immediately takes off his hood and resumes eating.

“Hey Gyro, your elbow is hitting me!”

“Oh, sorry, sorry.”

Well, that’s to be expected. It was a bit inconvenient with our bodies bumping into each other, but sometimes it’s fun to have meals like this.

Well, in the middle of it, suddenly some people jumped into the shop and surprised us. After looking at us, they said things like “Damn, did they escape?” and “Search, there’s steam coming from their meal, they must still be nearby.”

It seems like they were looking for someone, but I was curious why Liliera and the others suddenly became quiet after hearing that conversation.

“Well, it’s about time the appraisal is finished.”

After finishing our meal, we returned to the adventurer’s guild.

“Huh?”

We came back, but something feels off in the atmosphere of the guild. It’s strangely restless, or something like that.

“Excuse me, I’m the one who requested the appraisal earlier.”

I went to the reception and showed the wooden tag with the number 7 to the receptionist.

“Uh… okay.”

Huh? When the receptionist raised her head and saw the number on the wooden tag, she froze as if turned into stone by a basilisk.

“Wha…”

“Wha?”

“Wha…”

“Wha?”

The receptionist seems to have lost the ability to speak, what’s going on?

“Where were youuu!?”

“Huh? We went to have a meal.”

“Our staff searched all over the town for you! The whole guild was in an uproar because we couldn’t find you anywhere!”

Ah, because we were using magic to disappear.

“So, you were looking for Rex.”

“Liliera noticed it.”

Huh? Liliera and the others noticed?

“Anyway! Go to the dismantling area right away!”

Startled by the receptionist’s sternness, the gazes of the adventurers in the guild gather towards us. Hmm, we’re attracting unwanted attention. Let’s quietly go to the dismantling area.

“Excuse me, I’m the one who requested the dismantling earlier.”

I said the same line to the receptionist and showed her the wooden tag to the staff member nearby. And that person also froze.

“Yo…”

This time it’s yo…

“They’re here! Number 7 has arrived!”

“What!?”

Upon hearing the staff member’s shout, the dismantling staff and the adventurers in the dismantling area all look at us.

“Hey, are you really number 7!? These guys are just kids!”

“No, it really is the number 7 tag, there’s no mistake!”

“Show it!”

A senior staff member stares at the wooden tag.

“It really is number 7…”

“So, are they the ones who…?”

Everyone is excited about something, what’s going on?

“Hey, did you guys hunt that thing?”

The staff member points to the mountain of dragons that we piled up. Yeah, we couldn’t fit all of them in the number 7 spot, so we stacked them up to make a mountain. And the scales and horns of the Golden Dragon are placed next to it because it would be unbalanced if we put them on top.

“Yes, these are the dragons we hunted at Dragon’s Peak yesterday.”

“Wow, really!?”

“Is it a lie?”

“No way, how can you buy that many dragons just to rank up?”

“Idiot, it costs a fortune to buy a whole live dragon, and who would hunt this many dragons? It’s not just parts, it’s a whole dragon!”

The adventurers who were watching from a distance say such things.

Well, most of them are lower-level dragons. It looks like there are only high-level dragons because we stacked them on top.

“Wait, isn’t that the woman? The one who defeated the dragon that attacked the town a few days ago!”

“The infamous Dragon Princess!”

“Ugh… they still remember…”

Liliera holds her head, but it was only a few days ago.

“The others were also hunting wyverns with them.”

“But the difficulty level between wyverns and dragons is completely different!”

Well, I don’t think there’s that much of a difference. Isn’t it within the margin of error?

“That person with the wooden tag, I don’t recognize them, but if they’re with them, they must be someone important, right?”

“Heh, it means the era has finally recognized us dragon slayers.”

Gyro, basking in the awe of the adventurers, smiles happily.

I wonder if the name Dragon Slayers is no longer embarrassing?

“We just became more likely to get involved in troublesome things, you idiot! Ugh, we’re still C-rank. We’re definitely going to get caught up in trouble.”

Ah, it’s troublesome to be overestimated. I remember when I first became an adventurer and my rank suddenly went up, I was surprised.

“Ah, so you guys are related to that Dragon Princess. Well… it might be true. Well, it’s because it’s actually happening.”

Although they had doubts, they seemed to have accepted it on their own terms. I guess it’s fine then?

“Anyway, this mountain of dragons is too much to dismantle completely. We don’t have enough space or people. So, it will take a few days, no, a few weeks to dismantle them all. We’ve dismantled a worn-out Green Dragon in a major subjugation in the past, but ordinary blades won’t cut through this Black Dragon. We have to prepare a blade that can dismantle it, so the appraisal will be even later.”

“Ah, in that case, the organs will spoil.”

Even if it’s dragon materials, if they’re left as they are, they will spoil.

“No, these are valuable dragon materials. We’ll hire a mage to cast freezing magic on them. It will cost a lot of money, but even after deducting the freezing cost, it will still be a good profit with this many dragons.”

Well, yeah, but the freshness will still deteriorate. It’s an option to put them back in the magic bag until they prepare a blade for dismantling, but until then, we won’t have any income… I have enough money, but it will be tough for Gyro and the others.

“Then I’ll do the dismantling.”

“You?”

“Yes, I’ve been doing dismantling of monster materials for a long time, and I have blades that can cut through dragon scales and leather.”

“I see, if you can defeat a Black Dragon, then of course you would have a sword that can cut a Black Dragon… but entrusting the dismantling of dragon materials to an amateur…”

Ah, it’s because someone is stepping into their territory. They don’t feel good as professionals when someone interferes with their work. A blacksmith acquaintance from my previous life also said that craftsmen who take pride in their work and don’t compromise can be trusted.

But well, my livelihood is at stake too.

“Then, could you let me dismantle one Green Dragon as a test? Please judge whether you can trust me based on my skill.”

“But it’s still dragon materials! If you fail, it will be a huge loss!”

The dismantlers and adventurers who were waiting behind also nod.

“But well, there are plenty of Green Dragons.”

The superior looks at the mountain of Green Dragons.

“…Well, that’s true, but… hmm, if the person says so…”

Since it seems like they are convinced for now, I chose the Green Dragon with the worst condition from the piled-up dragons and decided to start dismantling.

“Then I’ll start the dismantling!”

“Hey, it’s really happening…”

I take out the dismantling tools I’ve been using since long ago, and I pass the blade between the scales of the Green Dragon. Then, without hesitation, I pull the blade and cut through the Green Dragon’s skin.

“Whoa! Such decisive dismantling!”,If you hesitate while cutting, the cut will become uneven.

“Wait, is dragon skin really that easy to tear apart!?”

“There’s a technique to how you slide the blade.”

I continued dismantling, being careful not to pierce too deeply and damage the internal organs.

“What a brilliant dismantling technique! The massive dragon’s body is being dismantled with such agility, as if cutting through slime!”

“Unbelievable sharpness of the blade! And that boy, he’s completely unfazed even though it’s dragon dismantling! It’s as if he has dismantled hundreds of dragons with such brilliance!”

That’s right. In my past life, I was thoroughly trained by an acquaintance who was a dismantler to dismantle the materials of defeated monsters myself. Some monster materials would rapidly deteriorate right after being defeated, so I was told to become capable of dismantling as well.

So, I practiced dismantling countless Green Dragons. And I was only allowed to eat meat dishes made from the dismantled monsters until I was deemed worthy, with the reason being to cherish the ingredients. If I wanted to eat something else, I had to perfectly dismantle the current material. It was a harsh training.

So, I quickly finished dismantling the familiar Green Dragon.

“I’m done.”

Upon hearing my words, the dismantlers swarmed around the dismantled materials of the Green Dragon.

“I-It’s amazing… Such speed.”

“It’s not just fast. Look at these cuts! They are so clean that you’d think they were originally like this!”

“It’s like the work of a skilled dismantler… No, the return of the legendary dismantler, the Dismantling King Perfero!”

Huh? That name sounds similar to the dismantler I know. Well, it’s probably just a coincidence.

“What do you think of this?”

I asked the senior dismantler for confirmation.

“…”

However, the senior dismantler just stared at the dismantled Green Dragon with a dumbfounded expression.

“Um, what do you think?”

I asked again, and he trembled and finally turned towards me.

“Ta…”

“Yes?”

Huh? What did he say? I couldn’t hear it because his voice was too low.

“I… did it.”

The senior dismantler muttered again while trembling, but I still couldn’t hear it.

“Um, sorry, but your voice is too low to hear…”

“I apologizeeeeeee!!”

As soon as he shouted, the senior dismantler suddenly started bowing down to me.

“Huh!? What on earth…!?”

What the heck!?

“I apologize for daring to test someone with such skill as yours!”

“Huh? No, I’m not that skilled. My master can dismantle much more cleanly.”

“S-Such a monster exists in this world!?”

Yeah, I understand how you feel. That person’s dismantling technique was truly monstrous. Compared to that person, my dismantling technique is just average.

“I was so arrogant to be entrusted with the position of the head dismantler! There was someone with a skill that surpasses everything, a truly heavenly technique!”

Well, you don’t have to belittle yourself that much.

“Please! Please take me as your disciple!”

“Wha-what!?”

The dismantlers were surprised by the senior dismantler’s words. I was also surprised.

“What are you saying, Head Dismantler!”

“That’s right! You are the leader of this guild’s dismantling department!”

Yeah, that’s right. Keep saying that, everyone.

“You bastard! After witnessing such brilliant skill, how can I call myself a dismantler without shame!”

Well, you don’t have to go that far.

“Of course, I understand!”

You understand!?

“We feel the same way, Leader!”

“If you take in only one disciple, it’s unfair!”

Wait, wasn’t everyone supposed to persuade the senior dismantler?

“We’ll become your disciples too!”

“Is that so!?”

“You guys…”

“Hehe, that’s right, Leader.”

Wait a minute, what kind of emotional flow are you creating?

“Ah, I get it. We are all members of the same dismantling department.”

Please don’t understand it that way.

“Master! Please take us as your disciples!”

What a turn of events. All the guild’s dismantlers suddenly asked to become my disciples, all while performing a beautiful bow.

“Um…”

“Please! We have fallen in love with Master’s skill!”

“As a dismantler from the Dragon Country, it’s a shame to not be able to properly dismantle a dragon!”

“If we are not allowed to become your disciples, we are prepared to quit as dismantlers!”

“Wait, please don’t make such a decision!”

Oh no, what should I do… If I’m not careful, the guild will scold me severely. “Because of you, a large number of staff members resigned!” or something like that.

“…Brother.”

At that moment, Gyro-kun approached me from behind.

“What is it, Gyro… huh?”

When I turned around, Gyro-kun had a very refreshing smile directed at me.

“I understand their feelings.”

Huh? You understand?

“After all, I became your follower with the same feelings.”

Ah, now that you mention it, that did happen.

“So, let them become your followers too!”

“No, it’s disciples, not followers.”

I looked at everyone, wondering what to do. Liliera-san and the others looked at me with a compassionate gaze.

“Well, it’s better to just teach them quickly, isn’t it? It’ll be over sooner that way.”

“We are in a position of being taught by Rex, so we can’t really object.”

“They just want to improve their own skills. It’s not for any malicious reason, so I think it’s fine to take them as disciples.”

“It’s Rex’s technique, so Rex should decide.”

“Well, in the end, that’s what it comes down to.”

Uh, so basically, I have to decide…

“Please, Master!!”

I’m not really the master type, and I’m not even that skilled. But if I refuse like this, they’re saying they’ll quit as dismantlers, which would cause trouble for the Adventurer’s Guild.

“…I’ll only teach you how to dismantle Black Dragon materials.”

“Wha!? Master, is that enough!?”

“If I only teach you how to dismantle the materials of the dragon we defeated this time, it’s fine.”

As Liliera-san said, it would be easier to just teach them quickly and resolve the situation.

“Thank you, Master!!”

And so, by some twist of fate, I became the temporary master of the Adventurer’s Guild’s dismantlers.