CH 2

[The Overwhelming Feeling of Liberation]

Two days after I broke up with Elma.

I was trying to accept a quest in the guild of the port town of Hargay.

Until now, I had alms from the people thanks to the privilege of the saintess, but from now on, I would have to cover everything by myself.

It would be difficult to start from scratch, but in front of this overwhelming feeling of liberation, everything felt trivial.

I wouldn’t be yelled at if I brought a drink late, and I wouldn’t be thrown at with a plate if the food was bad.

Freedom was so wonderful!

I was standing in front of the bulletin board with a smile of satisfaction and refreshing feeling.

“Fufu, did something good happen?” A female receptionist spoke to me.

She was a meek-looking woman with a sweet smile.

“Ah, no, I just kinda feel happy all of a sudden……”

Ahaha, I made an embarrassed smile, and the woman also smiled and said, “I see. My name is Lisa. Are you here to accept a quest?”

“Yes. I’m Exa. Is there any quest you recommend? I think I’ll be able to handle it even if it’s a little difficult.”

After all, I was ‘immortal’.

I could recover almost instantly like a complete rebirth, so I thought I could be a little reckless.

“Well, how about this 《Lizard Scales》 gathering quest, then? It is a bit dangerous because there is a Flying Dragon’s nest nearby, but I think you can complete it if you go with a properly organized party.”

“I understand. Then I’ll accept it, please.”

“Certainly!” After nodding with a soft smile, Lisa-san went through the quest acceptance procedure.

Before, I had always been rushed by Elma while accepting a quest, so I couldn’t afford to pay attention to the procedure, but now I was able to look at it with a very calm feeling.

As I was thinking how beautiful her writing was, she completed the procedure. “Well then, here you go. The completion condition is ‘delivery of 20 《Lizard Scales》’.”

“I got it. Then, I’m off.”

“Yes, be careful.”

I left the guild while being sent off by the smiling Lisa, before heading straight toward the mountains where Lizards often appeared.

Lisa-san had told me that I should go with a party, but I wouldn’t die anyway, and if I did it alone, the money would all go to me.

For the time being, I thought I would do my best going solo until I reached my limit.

By the way, while my skill instantly healed the injuries I received, it seemed that it also applied to my stamina; I didn’t get tired at all no matter how much I run.

Moreover, it seemed it didn’t hinder my growth, as the more I ran, the stronger my leg strength got; I ran up the mountain road at the speed of wind.

“Now then, if I’m not mistaken, it should be around here, but…”

Looking around, I searched for a Lizard.

Lizard was a reptilian-type monster that was inedible because it was poisonous, but its tough scales were good materials for armors, and the armors were sold at a relatively low price, so it was very convenient for fledgling adventurers.

Well, I was not a fledgling, but because Elma refused to upgrade my equipment, saying, “Why do I have to use my hard-earned money to prepare expensive equipment for you?” I still wore the Lizard equipment from my fledgling days.

“Oh, there it is.”

Anyways, I found the prey immediately.

A Lizard with a total length of about 2 meters was walking comfortably.

So, I slowly approached it from behind but,

“—Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

“Eh?”

――Baku!

At that moment, I was swallowed from the head by something that came flying from behind me.

◇ ◇

I didn’t know what had happened for a moment.

However, considering that I was clearly inside a stomach, I must had been eaten.

Surely, the reason why I was extremely calm was because the situation wasn’t that dangerous to me.

Speaking of which, Lisa-san did say that there was a Flying Dragon’s nest nearby…

“Or rather, it stinks!?” Pinching my nose, I scrunched up my face at the stench.

Although I wouldn’t die, I couldn’t stay in such a place forever.

So, I decided to try to escape.

“You little!” Zudo! I stabbed my dagger into the stomach wall, and ripped it up with as much strength I could muster.

“Gigiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!?”

“Uooh!” A sudden floating feeling hit me, and then we fell while spinning in circles.

――Boom!

“Obuh!?”

Then, having returned to the ground, I further ripped up the stomach wall with my dagger, and finally succeeded in escaping. “Ah˜, I thought I’d die… wait, what?”

But what I saw there were adventurers with a startled look on their faces and people who were probably residents with a wide variety of weapons in their hands.

It looked like that we had fallen into some town.

Crap… As I was sweating bullets, I suddenly met eyes with a familiar woman.

“Y-you are…!?”

Yes, it was Lisa, the older sister receptionist who had processed my acceptance of the quest in the guild of the port town of Hargay.

In other words, this was Hargay.

It was all good I came back, but the problem was the repair cost of the town.

Looking around, the street seemed to be dug out pretty badly, but…

“U-Umm˜…”

“Y-yes?”

I timidly asked the dumbfounded Lisa-san. “The quest asked for Lizard Scales, but this guy’s doesn’t count… does it?”

“E-ehh…” Lisa-san naturally got confused, not knowing what to answer.

By the way, from the next day onward, I was called ‘Dragon Slayer’ and became feared.

And I got plenty of money even after the deduction of the repair cost.

So, I changed my equipment to better ones.

And Lisa-san said I looked cool in my new equipment, so I was overjoyed.