As for the results, we were able to get a room. I wasn’t filthy this time, and our reputations had improved tremendously.
“Mister Asagi and Miss Daniela. I’m so glad to see you both again…!”
The reception was kind of uncomfortable actually.
As for our room…we opted to go for a normal one, instead of the most luxurious room in the inn. We were only going to stay for one night, after all. Not that they didn’t try to push the luxurious suite onto us, but I was firm in my refusal.
“….So, I guess we should go out then.”
“Yes, I am hungry.”
Daniela had already changed her clothes and was hurrying me along. Even as she pushed me, I got changed and picked up just my bag as we headed out of the room.
As it was dinner time, there seemed to be a lot of other people going out into town. They must have been looking forward to it too, as they were all smiling.
“Perhaps this is all because the Loup-garou was defeated.”
“I don’t know… But I hope so.”
“After a monster like that was killed? I see no reason why they would not celebrate.”
It had been a tough fight… Terrible, really. I still had scars from those wounds. As my finger started to trace the line on my left cheek, Daniela peered into my face.
“It is a scar of honor.”
“Hmm. I suppose.”
“Mine has faded a little….”
“Ah, wait!”
I stopped Daniela before she pulled her shirt open any further.
“What?”
“People will see you!”
“That is nothing to me.”
“It should be. I think so.”
“I have no idea what you are saying.”
Daniela gave me an odd look. Perhaps it was something only I could understand. But that was the way things were.
The last time we were in Yukka, we spent most of our time in the inn. We didn’t really go and eat out if I remembered correctly. Still, it had been an eventful stay. There was the brawl at the guild, I had bought a spear, and then I befriended Lehaty. However, the thing that remained in my memory the most was the Loup-garou.
“Do you think we should check out the guild?”
“Why not? We might meet an old friend.”
It just felt right to go to all the familiar spots first. And so we went down the familiar road and headed to the guild.
□ □ □ □
I pushed open the door and stepped inside. As it was evening, there were quite a lot of people here. A lot of Adventurers sat at the bar with mugs in hand.
“Are bars mandatory facilities for guilds?”
“It seems likely.”
I listened to all the lively sounds as we wandered around the entrance hall. But before I knew it, I was standing in front of the quest board. Was I a workaholic now?
“…I have no idea why I’m looking at this.”
“Well, I suppose it is important in a way. It will give you a feel for what is happening around here.”
Perhaps it was especially important for people like her. Solitary wanderers. People who didn’t stay in any one town. Seeing the hunt requests and other quests gave you an idea of the town’s atmosphere.
After doing a quick scan, I saw that most of them were for monster hunting. However, they were mainly things like goblins, forest wolves, and kobolds.
“Do you think it’s also related to the Loup-garou?”
“I suppose there are a lot of open territories now that the big monster is gone. They are all coming out of their holes. …And big monsters like this one will come out to get them.”
Daniela said as she pointed at a request. It read: Paralyze Viper Hunting Request.
“Paralyze Viper? I don’t think I’ve heard of that one.”
“It is supposed to be a monster…that lives south of the imperial capital. I have heard stories.”
“Hmm.”
So that meant there was a chance we could bump into it. It might not be a bad idea to just hunt it down while we were here…
“If we kill all of the strong monsters around this town, how will the Adventurers who are based here grow?”
“I guess… You know, I never really thought about it until the stampede. I’ll be more careful from now on when accepting quests.”
“That is good.”
It was part of our job to help the junior Adventurers. Something like that.
“Hah! You’ve not been gone that long and you’re already acting so grand!”
“Eh?”
Someone kicked me from behind. Another brawl? I thought with annoyance as I turned around. But the person who was there was one of the Yukka guild workers. Nanaya.
“Ah, it’s been a while.”
“A while? No it hasn’t! Are you famous now?”
Now she was grinding into my stomach with her elbow. It wasn’t exactly painless.
“I heard all about it! The Imperial Sword Tournament! You two sure caused a ruckus!”
“No, we didn’t…”
“Hello, Nanaya. Have you been well?”
Daniela came in to save me.
“Oh, hello! I’m always well!”
“How wonderful.”
There was some small talk after that. Has anything happened recently? What’s the latest trend? Stuff like that. Oh, and then we asked about what happened after the Loup-garou. Word that the black wolf was no more spread throughout the land in the blink of an eye and people started to visit the town again. And so stores were doing very well these days.
It was the same at the guild. Many people had signed up recently. Yes, it had seemed like there were more young people there. Before, there was no point in joining in this town, as you wouldn’t be able to go to the forest.
“Ah, by the way… How long are you two staying this time?”
“Oh, just for tonight.”
“What?”
“We will be leaving tomorrow.”
“What!”
I didn’t know why she was so surprised… However, we had a good reason to be in a rush this time. I wished that we could take things easy, but there was no helping it.
“Sorry. Oh, right. Daniela and I were just about to go get some dinner. Do you want to come too?”
“Uhh. Definitely!”
“Good. Now, where can we go…”
“Asagi. Asagi.”
“Hmm? What, Daniela?”
“That bar over there has been emitting the most appetizing smell for a while. I am about to go mad.”
Daniela said as she pointed to the guild bar. Well, she wasn’t wrong.
“But, uh. Wouldn’t you prefer to go to a nice place?”
“Asagi, guild bars are not as bad as you might think. Besides, food that is loved by commoners is always good.”
Ah, I understood what she meant. I liked eating at cheap franchises as much as anyone else… Oh, I could really use a beef bowl right about now!
“Then it is settled. Is that fine with you, Miss Nanaya?”
“Yes! I’m actually quite fond of this place!”
And so the three of us crossed the entrance hall and entered the bar area. The voices grew even louder. Yes, very loud. Fun.
I scanned the area, but only the counter had empty seats. The tables were all filled with Adventurers. And so we moved to the counter. Me, Daniela, and Nanaya. And then we ordered.
“I’ll have some fruit wine and whatever that is that I can smell right now.”
“I will have the same.”
“And I’ll have some ale and the same food they ordered!”
“Nanaya. How unusual for you to sit and eat with Adventurers. Alright, just wait one moment!”
The bartender quickly poured us our drinks first.
“To the town reopening. Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
The glasses clinked, and we drank. Ahh. The taste of fruit was great!
“Mmmgg…mggg… Ahhh!”
I wiped my mouth and turned to the side. Miss Nanaya had finished her drink in one go.
“Uh, are you alright?”
“I’m fine! Bartender! Another!”
“Aye!”
He didn’t stop her. And another glass was slammed onto the counter as if it had been prepared in advance. Miss Nanaya immediately reached out for it and she drained it in one gulp.
“Should we stop her…”
“She should be fine. And if the worst happens, I will be happy to shove the responsibility onto the bartender.”
“You’re heartless…”
Besides, her getting drunk was bad news for my safety.
“By the way, where’s the Guild Master? I mean, he can drink, right?”
“Ah, Mister Kiralika is quite busy. You know, due to that monster that has appeared in the forest.”
“The Paralyze Viper? Is it that strong?”
“As the name suggests, it has a very dangerous paralysis attack. And there are not many people here who have gear with paralysis resistance.”
I didn’t have any either. My equipment was chosen to help maximize my attacks. Monsters with paralysis attacks were rare. So it couldn’t really be helped.
“More merchants visit us now that the Loup-garou is gone. But we still have shortages of certain supplies.”
“I guess word hasn’t spread far enough yet. This is pretty bad timing.”
“That’s exactly it! It would be such a relief if some Adventurers with aliases hunted them down, don’t you agree?”
She said as she glanced towards me. I wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Well, I’m sure it will be fine. After all, if it comes to it, Mister Kiralika said he would go himself.”
“That’s a relief then. Wasn’t he called ‘Flamethunder’? He can use fire and thunder magic. Crazy.”
A high-power thunder arrow and fire magic that affected a wide area. Putting those two together was a lethal combination.
“Thunder magic is scary.”
“So is fire magic.”
“Mister Kiralika is a real threat in combat!”
Well, I wouldn’t want to provoke him then. Let him do his job.
“Here’s your food!”
“Ah, finally.”
“I nearly died of starvation.”
“It looks so good!”
The plates that were set in front of us were meat dishes. They were seasoned with a variety of spices, which really went to show how Yukka was thriving. After all in spite of what he said, they were able to serve stuff like this.
“Let’s eat.”
“Mgg…mgg…”
“You’re so fast, Miss Daniela!”
By the time I first touched my fork and knife, Daniela was already chewing a piece of meat. She must have been really hungry…
I looked at her with a little exasperation. Of course, it wasn’t as if she would care. And so I focused on my own plate.
“Mgg…hmm…!”
The herbs, spices and juices filled my mouth. The more I chewed, the more it flowed mercilessly over my tongue.
“Mggg…mgg…”
I washed it down with the fruit wine in order to refresh my mouth. But my tongue still wanted more meat. It was addictive. And so I alternated between the meat and the wine until the plate was scraped clean.
“Ahhh… Damn, that was good…”
“Bartender. I will have another plate.”
“I want more ale!”
“Uh, I’ll take more wine and meat too!”
“Aye!”
We chatted lightly during the dinner, but it really wasn’t necessary. What more did you need when you had meat? Meat was life. Eat up!
Before I knew it, Daniela and I were groaning as we sat back in our chairs. Miss Nanaya had gotten in drunk enough to wander off and pester the other Adventurers. It was hell on earth…
“Uh…is it just me…or have we been eating way too much recently…?”
“Yes…perhaps the liberation frontlines have ruined us for good…”
“Mister Asaaagi! If you’re tired, you can always sleep with me!”
Miss Nanaya held a glass in her hand as she approached. I was not in the mood for this. Damn it. Give me a break…
As for the results, we were able to get a room. I wasn’t filthy this time, and our reputations had improved tremendously.
“Mister Asagi and Miss Daniela. I’m so glad to see you both again…!”
The reception was kind of uncomfortable actually.
As for our room…we opted to go for a normal one, instead of the most luxurious room in the inn. We were only going to stay for one night, after all. Not that they didn’t try to push the luxurious suite onto us, but I was firm in my refusal.
“….So, I guess we should go out then.”
“Yes, I am hungry.”
Daniela had already changed her clothes and was hurrying me along. Even as she pushed me, I got changed and picked up just my bag as we headed out of the room.
As it was dinner time, there seemed to be a lot of other people going out into town. They must have been looking forward to it too, as they were all smiling.
“Perhaps this is all because the Loup-garou was defeated.”
“I don’t know… But I hope so.”
“After a monster like that was killed? I see no reason why they would not celebrate.”
It had been a tough fight… Terrible, really. I still had scars from those wounds. As my finger started to trace the line on my left cheek, Daniela peered into my face.
“It is a scar of honor.”
“Hmm. I suppose.”
“Mine has faded a little….”
“Ah, wait!”
I stopped Daniela before she pulled her shirt open any further.
“What?”
“People will see you!”
“That is nothing to me.”
“It should be. I think so.”
“I have no idea what you are saying.”
Daniela gave me an odd look. Perhaps it was something only I could understand. But that was the way things were.
The last time we were in Yukka, we spent most of our time in the inn. We didn’t really go and eat out if I remembered correctly. Still, it had been an eventful stay. There was the brawl at the guild, I had bought a spear, and then I befriended Lehaty. However, the thing that remained in my memory the most was the Loup-garou.
“Do you think we should check out the guild?”
“Why not? We might meet an old friend.”
It just felt right to go to all the familiar spots first. And so we went down the familiar road and headed to the guild.
□ □ □ □
I pushed open the door and stepped inside. As it was evening, there were quite a lot of people here. A lot of Adventurers sat at the bar with mugs in hand.
“Are bars mandatory facilities for guilds?”
“It seems likely.”
I listened to all the lively sounds as we wandered around the entrance hall. But before I knew it, I was standing in front of the quest board. Was I a workaholic now?
“…I have no idea why I’m looking at this.”
“Well, I suppose it is important in a way. It will give you a feel for what is happening around here.”
Perhaps it was especially important for people like her. Solitary wanderers. People who didn’t stay in any one town. Seeing the hunt requests and other quests gave you an idea of the town’s atmosphere.
After doing a quick scan, I saw that most of them were for monster hunting. However, they were mainly things like goblins, forest wolves, and kobolds.
“Do you think it’s also related to the Loup-garou?”
“I suppose there are a lot of open territories now that the big monster is gone. They are all coming out of their holes. …And big monsters like this one will come out to get them.”
Daniela said as she pointed at a request. It read: Paralyze Viper Hunting Request.
“Paralyze Viper? I don’t think I’ve heard of that one.”
“It is supposed to be a monster…that lives south of the imperial capital. I have heard stories.”
“Hmm.”
So that meant there was a chance we could bump into it. It might not be a bad idea to just hunt it down while we were here…
“If we kill all of the strong monsters around this town, how will the Adventurers who are based here grow?”
“I guess… You know, I never really thought about it until the stampede. I’ll be more careful from now on when accepting quests.”
“That is good.”
It was part of our job to help the junior Adventurers. Something like that.
“Hah! You’ve not been gone that long and you’re already acting so grand!”
“Eh?”
Someone kicked me from behind. Another brawl? I thought with annoyance as I turned around. But the person who was there was one of the Yukka guild workers. Nanaya.
“Ah, it’s been a while.”
“A while? No it hasn’t! Are you famous now?”
Now she was grinding into my stomach with her elbow. It wasn’t exactly painless.
“I heard all about it! The Imperial Sword Tournament! You two sure caused a ruckus!”
“No, we didn’t…”
“Hello, Nanaya. Have you been well?”
Daniela came in to save me.
“Oh, hello! I’m always well!”
“How wonderful.”
There was some small talk after that. Has anything happened recently? What’s the latest trend? Stuff like that. Oh, and then we asked about what happened after the Loup-garou. Word that the black wolf was no more spread throughout the land in the blink of an eye and people started to visit the town again. And so stores were doing very well these days.
It was the same at the guild. Many people had signed up recently. Yes, it had seemed like there were more young people there. Before, there was no point in joining in this town, as you wouldn’t be able to go to the forest.
“Ah, by the way… How long are you two staying this time?”
“Oh, just for tonight.”
“What?”
“We will be leaving tomorrow.”
“What!”
I didn’t know why she was so surprised… However, we had a good reason to be in a rush this time. I wished that we could take things easy, but there was no helping it.
“Sorry. Oh, right. Daniela and I were just about to go get some dinner. Do you want to come too?”
“Uhh. Definitely!”
“Good. Now, where can we go…”
“Asagi. Asagi.”
“Hmm? What, Daniela?”
“That bar over there has been emitting the most appetizing smell for a while. I am about to go mad.”
Daniela said as she pointed to the guild bar. Well, she wasn’t wrong.
“But, uh. Wouldn’t you prefer to go to a nice place?”
“Asagi, guild bars are not as bad as you might think. Besides, food that is loved by commoners is always good.”
Ah, I understood what she meant. I liked eating at cheap franchises as much as anyone else… Oh, I could really use a beef bowl right about now!
“Then it is settled. Is that fine with you, Miss Nanaya?”
“Yes! I’m actually quite fond of this place!”
And so the three of us crossed the entrance hall and entered the bar area. The voices grew even louder. Yes, very loud. Fun.
I scanned the area, but only the counter had empty seats. The tables were all filled with Adventurers. And so we moved to the counter. Me, Daniela, and Nanaya. And then we ordered.
“I’ll have some fruit wine and whatever that is that I can smell right now.”
“I will have the same.”
“And I’ll have some ale and the same food they ordered!”
“Nanaya. How unusual for you to sit and eat with Adventurers. Alright, just wait one moment!”
The bartender quickly poured us our drinks first.
“To the town reopening. Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
The glasses clinked, and we drank. Ahh. The taste of fruit was great!
“Mmmgg…mggg… Ahhh!”
I wiped my mouth and turned to the side. Miss Nanaya had finished her drink in one go.
“Uh, are you alright?”
“I’m fine! Bartender! Another!”
“Aye!”
He didn’t stop her. And another glass was slammed onto the counter as if it had been prepared in advance. Miss Nanaya immediately reached out for it and she drained it in one gulp.
“Should we stop her…”
“She should be fine. And if the worst happens, I will be happy to shove the responsibility onto the bartender.”
“You’re heartless…”
Besides, her getting drunk was bad news for my safety.
“By the way, where’s the Guild Master? I mean, he can drink, right?”
“Ah, Mister Kiralika is quite busy. You know, due to that monster that has appeared in the forest.”
“The Paralyze Viper? Is it that strong?”
“As the name suggests, it has a very dangerous paralysis attack. And there are not many people here who have gear with paralysis resistance.”
I didn’t have any either. My equipment was chosen to help maximize my attacks. Monsters with paralysis attacks were rare. So it couldn’t really be helped.
“More merchants visit us now that the Loup-garou is gone. But we still have shortages of certain supplies.”
“I guess word hasn’t spread far enough yet. This is pretty bad timing.”
“That’s exactly it! It would be such a relief if some Adventurers with aliases hunted them down, don’t you agree?”
She said as she glanced towards me. I wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Well, I’m sure it will be fine. After all, if it comes to it, Mister Kiralika said he would go himself.”
“That’s a relief then. Wasn’t he called ‘Flamethunder’? He can use fire and thunder magic. Crazy.”
A high-power thunder arrow and fire magic that affected a wide area. Putting those two together was a lethal combination.
“Thunder magic is scary.”
“So is fire magic.”
“Mister Kiralika is a real threat in combat!”
Well, I wouldn’t want to provoke him then. Let him do his job.
“Here’s your food!”
“Ah, finally.”
“I nearly died of starvation.”
“It looks so good!”
The plates that were set in front of us were meat dishes. They were seasoned with a variety of spices, which really went to show how Yukka was thriving. After all in spite of what he said, they were able to serve stuff like this.
“Let’s eat.”
“Mgg…mgg…”
“You’re so fast, Miss Daniela!”
By the time I first touched my fork and knife, Daniela was already chewing a piece of meat. She must have been really hungry…
I looked at her with a little exasperation. Of course, it wasn’t as if she would care. And so I focused on my own plate.
“Mgg…hmm…!”
The herbs, spices and juices filled my mouth. The more I chewed, the more it flowed mercilessly over my tongue.
“Mggg…mgg…”
I washed it down with the fruit wine in order to refresh my mouth. But my tongue still wanted more meat. It was addictive. And so I alternated between the meat and the wine until the plate was scraped clean.
“Ahhh… Damn, that was good…”
“Bartender. I will have another plate.”
“I want more ale!”
“Uh, I’ll take more wine and meat too!”
“Aye!”
We chatted lightly during the dinner, but it really wasn’t necessary. What more did you need when you had meat? Meat was life. Eat up!
Before I knew it, Daniela and I were groaning as we sat back in our chairs. Miss Nanaya had gotten in drunk enough to wander off and pester the other Adventurers. It was hell on earth…
“Uh…is it just me…or have we been eating way too much recently…?”
“Yes…perhaps the liberation frontlines have ruined us for good…”
“Mister Asaaagi! If you’re tired, you can always sleep with me!”
Miss Nanaya held a glass in her hand as she approached. I was not in the mood for this. Damn it. Give me a break…
