CH 135

After coming back, we’re taken to a place that feels like a conference room.

Apparently they were concerned because the people that left to go hunt the monster were taking too long to return, but they weren’t planning on sending anyone else.

The guild employees were confused when they saw only nine people return, including people that weren’t even a part of the hunting party, but after hearing Fred’s explanation, they dashed out of the room to go get the guildmaster.

“Can you explain it one more time?”

Asks a woman with sharp eyes who looks a little high strung, after entering the room.

Fred explains everything in turn. How the superior species was a shadow wolf, not a dark wolf, how the floor turned into a boss room and we couldn’t escape until the shadow wolf was down, and everything else.

The guildmaster listens to Fred silently until he’s done, and grabs her head when he’s finished.

“So how did you take down the shadow wolf?”

“We were assisted by this party.”

“I haven’t seen them before…”

“They only registered here a few days ago.”

The fact that Fred is answering all the questions makes this a lot easier.

“…So how did you do it?”

Of course she’s going to ask that. And this time Fred looks this way like he’s asking for help.

I don’t need to hide this, so I’ll just tell her.

“I used a special weapon to finish it. But I can’t do it again even if you ask me to hunt something like that one more time.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. It was a disposable weapon that I could only use once, and it broke when I used it. This is what became of it.”

I take out what’s left of the sword, the handle.

“What is this?”

“When I used the sword, the blade vanished. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know either. I bought this while traveling.”

“From a merchant? Or a blacksmith? Do you know that person’s name?”

“I bought it from a merchant… Called Miyafuji, I think.”

“I see. Tell us if you learn anything else. Also, can you let us have this?”

“I can’t. This saved me, so I want to keep it.”

Someone who knows about this sort of thing might figure out where it came from. I want to avoid that if I can.

“I see. Then let’s talk about the reward. The payment will…”

“You can give the reward to Sora and his party.”

“Hey! You can’t do that, Fred.”

“Can you really feel proud accepting a reward after running from your hunting target?”

Fred says with a low tone of voice. Everyone except the guy that spoke awkwardly turns away.

He’s about to continue talking, but someone else stops him, saying they already got money for expenses when they accepted the hunt. And since they were called on such short notice, apparently they received a good amount of money. Not per party either, per person.

I don’t mind splitting the reward, but Fred’s not having it. He says we can just split what we get from the wolves. Although he doesn’t feel right accepting that either, because without us they would have ran and left the wolves there.

I don’t know if he’s just really serious or a nice person. I couldn’t do that.

We’re then taken to where they take monsters apart, and I hand over the wolves and the shadow wolf. The wolves are sold as they are, and we split the reward.

As for the shadow wolf, I keep the magic stone and ten kilograms of meat, but sell the rest. I get a hundred gold coins for it.

I guess it looks like I lost money hunting it. Even if I sold the magic stone, the total wouldn’t reach two hundred gold coins.

“Thanks for saving us.”

They all say, except one who is scowling at us right until the very end.

I’m not sure what to do about that, but I guess I’ll mark him just in case.

After saying goodbye, we go to the guild’s reception desk to report on the other monsters we hunted, like the goblins. The shadow wolf earns Sera points too, so she ranks up from E all the way to C.

Not that I’m complaining about that, but the way people rise in rank seems clunky.

It’s all because the shadow wolf was hunted, and parts that prove monsters were hunted were delivered. But looking at just the results like that doesn’t really prove someone is strong. How do they know people aren’t delivering parts from monsters other people hunted? I guess in this particular case they have Fred’s testimony, but…

In total, I got a hundred and thirty coins from this expedition to the dungeon. It’s a nice profit, especially after I turn the medicinal herbs into potions. Not that I have a standard to base this on. Ah, but I could also sell food we harvested on the fifth floor in the merchant guild. Let’s see what Hikari has to say about that.

As soon as we leave the guild, I see Leila, and just as I’m about to call out to her, she gets really mad.

She says we didn’t come back when we said we would, and when she went to the guild, they told her a superior species was found on the fifth floor, so she was worried.

“Let’s talk more about this when we get home.”

We should tell them about this.

We’re greeted by Taliyah when we get back, followed by Elsa and Alto.

I ask them to prepare a bath, and sit with Leila and the others in the guest room.

And then, I talk about what happened during this dungeon exploration. Leila looks really serious when I tell her about how the fifth floor turned into a boss room.

“So that’s what happened… I feel for the people who died, but I’m happy for the ones who made it back, especially the four of you.”

It feels very good to hear those words.