episode_0034

After a week of rest.

The warrior party reassembled at the tavern after a long time.

“How have you all been? It’s nice to see you after such a long time.”

“Me too.”

“Cream was lonely because she couldn’t see her brother, the warrior~”

“Haha…. I feel the same way, but people can’t be stuck together 24 hours a day, right? We’ll be stuck together until we get sick of each other again, so let’s not get too upset about that, right?”

The warrior party members are happy to be reunited and have a warm(?) conversation.

But there is a hint of gloomy shadow beneath Julia and Krimhild’s expressions.

Well, I can’t help but guess what happened…

Given Hyunwoo’s personality, he must have thrown away all his freedom and restraint for the first time in a while.

He probably wasted money by going to bars and casinos every day and never showed up at his lodgings.

Otherwise, it would be inexplicable that he would say to Juliana Krimhilt, who was living in the same accommodation, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

Well, it’s none of my business whether that idiot lowers his self-esteem any further or not.

one side.

“……..”

Zion’s side didn’t even pay attention to the conversation between party members, and just looked at the distant mountains with a gloomy expression.

It’s been a long time since Zion’s affection for Hyunwoo hit rock bottom, but even so, this reaction is a bit bothersome.

for a moment….

If there’s an event related to Zion during this time… is that it?

Around that time, the bar staff brought the food and drinks we had ordered.

After a brief pause in the story, Hyunwoo downed his first drink in one go.

— Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp….

“Kuhaa~! As expected, it’s expensive. Baper stout. This taste is really to die for….!!”

“……….”

“…………….”

Is it because he knows Hyunwoo’s bad drinking habits?

Julia and Krimhild smiled bitterly, and Sion sighed with an expression that seemed almost contemptuous.

“Okay, so now that I’ve had a full week off, should I get back to work? I just happened to find a good job…”

I don’t know if you know that kind of atmosphere or not.

Hyunwoo took a more proactive approach to the story than ever before and took out a notice from his arms.

— Announcement

Rosemary Countess Youngae Cup Grand Martial Arts Tournament

* The Goldbaul Counts will hold a martial arts tournament to celebrate Rosemary Youngae’s 20th birthday.

* The competition will be held in a tournament format, and anyone over the age of 16 can participate. There will be no disadvantages based on status or race.

* The final winner will be awarded 10,000 gold and the epic grade weapon .

* Additionally, the top participants who make it to the quarterfinals will be awarded the title of Count.

* Bio that asks for the participation of many unmanned people

—

While other party members showed puzzled expressions or indifferent reactions.

Hyunwoo went through each item in the notice with a proud expression and gave a passionate speech.

“Considering the location of the city adjacent to the capital and the prize money of 10,000 gold, we can expect to see a huge number of participants and spectators. Imagine winning a competition of this scale. Wouldn’t our warrior party’s reputation rise significantly?”

“That might be… I don’t know.”

“For our warrior party, who must clear their names and regain their original positions as soon as possible, this is truly a heaven-sent opportunity! Of course, if Nana Yulia shows off her skills, winning a small-town martial arts competition like this won’t be a big deal!”

How can the location conditions of being both a ‘large city adjacent to the capital’ and a ‘rural area’ be met at the same time?…

“The competition will be held in ten days, so if you apply for participation right away and leave, you will be able to arrive leisurely. After that, you can slowly manage your condition and prepare for the competition…..”

Ignoring Hyunwoo’s passionate speech.

I shook my head as I read the notice.

“You seem to have thought about it a bit, but… you’re too proud.”

“What the heck is this kid?”

“…….”

“What the hell is wrong with my perfect plan, you tackling, tackling? Do you think you can solve everything by just finding fault with no basis?”

“Look at the rules carefully.”

I continued my explanation, pointing to the detailed rules written in small print at the bottom of the notice.

“This martial arts competition is a competition where you fight with only your sword skills inside a non-lethal barrier while holding the weapons provided by the organizer. It is not a rule that you can win by pressing down with your equipment.”

“Ugh…..”

“Of course, since you have high stats, you might be able to defeat a few weak opponents…. But since this is a competition taking place near the capital, many famous adventurers from clans with A rank or higher will participate. Do you think you can defeat them and win with just your sword skills, even if it’s not Yulia?”

“Shit… You have to try to find out if it’s long or short!!”

“And also…..”

— Swish….

I pointed to the last line of the notice and smirked.

“If you make it to the quarterfinals of the tournament, you will be given the title of knight of the count’s family. In fact, it is no different from being forced to become a vassal of the count’s family. Well, for a normal adventurer, it may not be a bad offer…. But with your personality, I don’t think you can live the rest of your life as a count’s daughter.”

“This… This is just like a knighthood, right? Just accept it and chew it out!!”

“If that’s the case, there’s no way the prize money would be 10,000 gold. And as far as I know, this Count Goldbaul is a person with a lot of bad rumors. There’s even a story that he’s the backer of a cartel that monopolizes the supply line of drugs and illegal magic tools distributed in the capital. I can’t imagine that someone like that would hold a competition like this at a time like this without any purpose in reinforcing their forces.”

“Huh……”

“If you don’t want to get involved in all the annoying things that will happen in the future, I recommend not participating.”

“No…Fuck you…..”

The words trailed off for a moment as he swore.

Hyunwoo slammed his glass on the table and let out his anger.

“Fuck you, I never asked for your opinion. You’re a guest member, so shut up and don’t talk nonsense!!”

“………”

“Okay, as always, let’s decide by majority vote! Who’s in favor of participating?”

Hyunwoo raised his hand energetically and asked for agreement.

The three party members simply remained silent with cold expressions.

“Uh…. What, what is it? Why is everyone like this? Huh?”

“As Mr. Hire said, there are too many factors to worry about. And… Going to a competition like this and winning seems a bit far from the honor we aim for as a ‘warrior party’.”

“Woof… Cream doesn’t like fighting with people~”

“Not interested.”

Opinions that are so objectionable that they cannot even be refuted.

Hyunwoo opened his mouth several times to say something, but…

“–Fuck!!”

— Kwajangchang…!!

He threw his glass down and swore at me.

— Gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp…..

While a brief lull continues.

After drinking about two bottles of strong alcohol, Hyunwoo started talking again with a venomous expression on his face.

“Then… Phew. Have you guys been thinking about something?”

“…….”

“………..”

“Okay, okay. Let’s talk freely and honestly. Since you guys are so confident that you can ruin the ambitious project that the party leader has been preparing, you must have prepared something great, right? Everyone, don’t hesitate and come on!!!”

It must not be easy to express your opinion in this atmosphere.

Julia, Krimhild, and Sion remained silent with complicated expressions….

I watched the situation for a moment and then raised my hand.

“If you don’t have any specific opinions, I’ll make a suggestion.”

“Ugh…..”

Yeah, you little shit. You’re screwed. Go ahead and say something, and I’ll tear you apart until you’re dead.

A vicious expression that seems to hint at the will to do so.

Hyunwoo nodded, and I continued telling the story in a relaxed tone.

“The fact that a large number of basilisks are living in Mirror Lake has been revealed, and the elves of Yggdra Forest are struggling to respond.”

“What…. Mirror Lake?”

It seems like this is the first time I’ve heard of this place name.

Well, that person is the type that isn’t interested in things like worldview settings in the first place…

“A lake located in the northeastern part of the Yggdra Forest. It is also a water source that supplies sacred water blessed by the spirits to the World Tree. ”

“……..”

“Originally, it was a sanctuary that even the most inaccessible monsters could not approach… But it seems that around last year, when the barrier was weakened by the Demon King’s curse, a group of basilisks crawled in and took up residence.”

“Hmm…..”

“The situation was discovered about a month ago. The leaves of the World Tree began to wither, and the elves investigated the cause, and discovered that the poison they were releasing was flowing through the water current. ”

“If it’s something like that…. why don’t you just catch them and kill them?”

Hyunwoo mutters with a calm expression.

“It’s not that simple. The Basilisks themselves are quite powerful monsters, and if you treat them carelessly, it could cause fatal damage to the World Tree.”

“……..?”

“They normally only emit a small amount of venom to catch prey, but when they are attacked and feel their life is in danger, they begin to emit a venom so terrible that it can contaminate the entire surrounding area. And if you cut off their airway, they have a habit of dying while pouring out all the venom in their body through the venom glands in their skin. If all the venom of the basilisks living in the lake bursts out, it could even cause the World Tree to completely dry up.”

“Then… wouldn’t it be okay to lure them out of the lake and deal with them?”

“They are quite intelligent creatures. A weak lure won’t work. And Mirror Lake is an ideal habitat for them. It won’t be easy to get them out. ”

“Write…..”

Around that time.

— Swish….

Julia raised her hand cautiously.

“Hi, Mr. Hire.”

“…….What is it?”

“I think the fact that Mr. Hier brought up this story means that there is some solution.”

Hmm…

This girl seems to have become a little more perceptive.

When I frowned, Julia for some reason averted her gaze with a red face.

“Well, that’s right. However, since it’s a matter that requires the agreement and assistance of other party members, I had to explain it a bit at length. ”

“What do you mean by agreement and assistance?”

“–Krimhilt.”

When I spoke to her, Krimhild, who was eating a baked potato topped with cheese, raised her head in surprise.

“Um, um….. gulp, ah, yes….?”

“Can I get permission to enter the Brombar’s Ancient Temple?”

“Brom….Bars…..?”

I tilted my head from side to side and thought for about 30 seconds.

As if she had barely remembered, Krimhilt clapped her hands and opened her mouth.

“Ah, that….you mean the ancient temple near the capital?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah…. That…. I think it’s possible if there’s a good reason. Cream also has the authority of a saint, so… If we talk to the bishop grandfather, won’t it work out somehow? Of course, we have to be careful not to break the internal structure. ”

“I see. That’s fortunate.”

“But….Why the Brombar’s Ancient Temple?”

“According to the information I’ve received, if you defeat the 2nd floor boss, , it drops an artifact called . It’s a powerful magical tool that can eliminate all poison in the area, although it has a limited number of uses. After defeating the Basilisk, if you quickly use the Purification Crystal to eliminate the poison before it spreads to the lake, you’ll be able to prevent contamination. ”

“That’s the way………!!”

“I see. If it’s information that Mr. Hire brought, then it’s definitely reliable…. I think it’s worth a try.”

While Zion and Julia each expressed their affirmation in their own way.

“Ah, over there… Wait a minute.”

Hyunwoo, who had been hunched over and slightly back, slowly raised his hand.

“I’ve been listening to you for a while now, but I feel like I missed something important.”

“…..What?”

“What rank is that request and how much is the reward?”

“…………..”

After a moment of deliberate silence.

I answered the bastard’s question.

“There is no compensation.”

“What…?”

“It wasn’t a request from the guild. Of course, it wasn’t the elves of the Yggdra Forest who made the request. Well… Given the nature of the insular elven race, it’s unlikely that they would ask for help from outside for something like this.”

“Fuck…. Is this kid really crazy? ”

“………”

“What? It’s not a guild request, and there’s no compensation? Are you asking us to volunteer right now? Even if you go to the Yggdra Forest, it takes a month by carriage. If you stop by the ancient temple or something, and go to Mirror Lake and back, it’ll take at least three months. You want me to do that for free? Did you get shot in the head, you idiot?”