Volume 6 - CH 16.1

As Zamlug declared, the day went straight into a feast.

Normally, it would take more than a day for even a large group of people to dismantle a boss monster of that size and transport the materials to the city.

However, if I put the whole carcass in the phase, it would be a different story.

It seems that Zamlug had heard a rumor that I had an item box with unlimited capacity and had recruited me with the return trip in mind.

He is a very meticulous man.

So here I am, in the guild bar with the rest of Zamlug’s party.

Incidentally, Zamlug had rejected my natural suggestion that we should go to a better bar since we had received a lot of money, on the grounds that there was no bar bigger than the guild’s in Lakana, and that it would be too much trouble if we all got too noisy.

A suspicion has arisen in my mind that he is actually a timid person.

Perhaps his rough-and-tumble adventurer-like behavior is just him playing that role.

But that’s just it, it’s too noisy.

I was alone at a table away from the noise, silently draining my drink.

How did I get into this mess?

It seems that the Ancient Wyvern was really a boss, and as …… expected, the number of monsters encountered on the way down the mountain was drastically reduced.

Just like in the underground dungeon in Rodnea.

Once the core is lost, the dungeon loses its power.

Even though they are similar to beasts, monsters are an incarnation of sorts.

Except for those that lived naturally, the monsters that existed by the power of the other world of dungeons would have died out at the same time the boss was defeated.

The boss, after all, played a role similar to that of a nucleus.

My hypothesis has been proven. …… It is a bad situation.

Now there is only one boss monster left in the eastern mountain, which has been substituted for the dragon vein.

I hope nothing happens to him. ……

“Oh, brother!”

And then.

Amidst the clamor, I heard a high-pitched child’s voice coming from the side.

I looked over and there was a white half-elf, about five or six years old. It was Tio, the nephew of Eik whom I had seen the other day.

He was standing there with a composed look on his face in a corner of a bar crowded with adventurers.

I didn’t know why he was in a place like this, but I smiled at him anyway.

“What’s up, kid?”

“Yes.”

He handed me a glass vial.

I accepted it, wondering why it was there. What was inside …… seemed to be a sugar candy.

It was a small amount, but it was probably a luxury item.

I asked Tio.

“What’s this?”

“A celebration.”

“What?”

“Oh, there you are!”

With a voice like that, the one who pushed his way through the crowd was Lakana’s wholesaler, Eik.

“Uncle, slow down!”

“Don’t you just disappear again…”

Saying that with a troubled look, Eik patted Tio’s head.

Then he turns to me and says,

“I heard about you, Lamprog boy. You defeated the boss monster in the south. I thought you would do it.”

“Haa…”

“That’s the celebration of this time… and the rest is the thank you for this time.”

“Thank you?”

“You played with Tio, didn’t you?”

“That’s Amiyu… I did nothing.”

“Is that so? In that case, share it with those girls.”

Eik put his hand on Tio’s head and said.

“His parents are both adventurers. They often stay overnight in the dungeon, so I often take care of him. …… I usually have to work, so I don’t have a lot of time to be around him. He’s like my sister, he gets into fights often. I don’t know if it’s because of the way he looks, but he doesn’t seem to be popular with the kids. …… so can you play with him again?”

“It’s …… fine, but ……”

“All right, man. Give my best to those girls.”

“Tell that sister we’re going to play again!”

I smiled a little, looked down at Tio, and answered.

“Haha, I understand. I’ll tell that sister.”

I watch the two of them as they walk away.

I pick up a small jar of sugar candy and put it in my mouth. It was sweet, as if it was a luxury item. It tasted much more refined than the sugar confections I had eaten in Tianjie in the past.

I sipped a cup of barley wine. It was a little too much for my liking.

“You’re a bitter little fellow, aren’t you, Seika Lamprog? You’re drinking in a place like this?”

Suddenly, Zamlug sat down on a nearby seat.

I put away the small bottle, looked at the big man sideways, and said.

“Your injury seems to be in good condition, but I think you should refrain from drinking alcohol.”

“This much injury. Isn’t it tonight that the best sake of victory is best? If you don’t drink it, you’re not an adventurer.”

Saying that, he drank a glass of sake.

The only injured person in this boss battle was Zamlug, who had broken his leg, but he had already been treated by the priest’s healing magic. Still, he shouldn’t be fully recovered. He should be patient.

“Haa, even so, I never thought you were so familiar with light attribute magic. That magic that destroyed the Wyvern in the barrier of disenchantment… I have never heard of it. What is it?　It doesn’t matter, but my guess was correct after all. You are the greatest contributor to this adventure.”

“….”

“I heard a rumor. I hear this one is pretty good, too. How about we compare?”

“……, you’re a meticulous man, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“You must have noticed. The southern mountains are dead. That boss monster was the nucleus. This will greatly damage the wealth that Lakana will gain. Not a few adventurers will have a hard time making ends meet.”