Chapter 428 – 428: Ogre King
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After accepting the Guild Master’s request, I informed everyone of the news.
“So, we’re going to Bridan.”
“Ogres… Ninya, if they’re outside, what level are they?”
At Noah’s question, Ninya pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Hmm~ They’re about the level that a C-rank party would hunt in Peldan, so if we’re lucky, they might be around the level of a Walking Bear?”
“What? Then they’re surprisingly weak?”
“Hehe, Noah. That’s a bad comparison. The monsters in the dungeon are unusually strong. But think about it, imagine over 200 monsters with the strength of a Walking Bear from the 12th floor, all swarming around.”
“…Ooh, hearing it like that, it sounds incredibly tough. But if Rent’s there, it’ll be solved quickly.”
“I agree. So, how about we all do some sightseeing in Bridan this time? It’s on the outskirts, but we can still get a feel for what Bridan is like, right?”
“Bridan… It’s a country full of legends and rumors! Especially the stories of the past Wild Beast Kings and their knights, there are over 100 of them!”
As expected, Bridan seems to be of great interest to Elsie, who loves stories.
“Tikia, are you interested in Bridan?”
“Me? Well, I’m interested because Bridan is said to have a different system of magical power application than normal magic.”
“A different system?”
“Basically, most magic is of the projectile type. But Bridan has many body-enhancement-based systems. For example… Ninya’s Lightning Enchant, right? There are many magic systems that involve covering the body with magical power or extremely enhancing physical strength.”
If I had to guess, while most places have magic that’s like a medieval fantasy with flashy spells, Bridan seems to have a lot of magic related to the body, like in martial arts.
“Because of that, the knights and adventurers of Bridan are known for their strong physical abilities.”
“Ooh.”
Come to think of it, I heard from a cosplay shop that the Third Knight Order of Bridan and such mainly wear cheongsams.
I wonder if the general public also wears such clothing?
I’m very curious.
“Rent, I’ve brought the map.”
“Ah, Leni, thank you.”
“It’s nothing, it’s just part of my job as a guild employee.”
Leni spread out the map and pointed out the location of Canol, where we needed to go.
“Canol is quite far from Carmel, the capital of Bridan. But it’s relatively close to Peldan. It’s right here. In terms of distance, it’s about the same distance from Peldan as the Magic City.”
Looking at the map, it was indeed a mountainous area, just like the Guild Master had said.
“Even though Canol’s terrain is rough, it’s a midpoint connecting Peldan and Bridan. Merchants selling Bridan’s specialties at the plaza also pass through Canol.”
“Wow, then we need to solve this quickly! I often buy Bridan’s specialties at the plaza.”
I’m the same.
When Noah and I go on plaza dates after returning from the dungeon.
I’ve happily bought souvenirs like fruits that only grow in Bridan, miniature wooden carvings of the Wild Beast King made in Bridan, and Excalibur necklaces.
It’s a good memory that brings back the feeling of going to a tourist spot and buying something useless but with a good design.
I can’t let that joy with Noah at the plaza disappear.
“Then let’s leave right away!”
Besides the plaza, the Guild Master was worried enough to say that an Ogre King might appear.
It’s best to resolve this as quickly as possible.
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After creating clones to leave at the Fox’s Rest and the Adventurer’s Guild, I, along with Elsie, Noah, Ninya, and Tikia, headed to Canol, seeing off Leni, Tina, Miranda, and Melissa.
Our mode of transportation was, of course, telekinetic flight!
Even while flying fast, our hair didn’t get messed up thanks to the safe and high-speed flight, and we enjoyed a comfortable journey while looking down below.
And as time passed, we began to see a mountain range with many connected mountains.
“Wow, there are so many mountains.”
“It’s amazing how small the mountains look from down here.”
“Those mountains… are where the ogres are, right?”
“Without Rent, searching would be difficult, wouldn’t it?”
Indeed, the mountains were connected, and Canol was said to be surrounded by other mountains.
The mountains were densely covered with trees, making them look like a huge forest.
I could easily search using my clones, but it would take a considerable number of people for others to do it.
“Rent, isn’t that Canol over there?”
Looking where Elsie pointed, I saw a village in the center of the mountains.
Was it because it was a central point of trade?
It was much larger than a normal village but smaller than a city.
Perhaps because it was surrounded by mountains to guard against monsters, the village was surrounded by a long wall.
“That must be it. Let’s go down.”
I slowly descended with my beloved companions.
Then, a man who looked like a guard shouted at us from what seemed to be the main gate.
“C-Captain! Muscular men and women are descending from the sky!”
“What!?”
As we gently landed,
Clang!
The guard who had pointed at us drew his sword, and the man called the captain clenched his fist and took a stance.
“Who are you! Are you monsters! Or humans! Reveal yourselves!”
To calm the guards, I took out my identification tag from my inventory.
“I’ve come from Peldan on a request. I’m S-rank adventurer Rent. These are my party members.”
“From Peldan…”
“An S-rank adventurer?”
The guard captain, still on guard, approached me.
“May I take a closer look at your identification tag?”
“Of course.”
The guard captain took the tag from my hand and examined it carefully.
“A black tag with a diamond embedded in it… This is definitely the design that the Adventurer’s Guild announced a few weeks ago.”
The guard captain handed the tag back to me and stood up straight.
“I apologize for my rudeness! Thank you for coming all the way from Peldan! Dungeon Crasher Rent! And your party members!”
“C-Captain… Is this the real deal?”
“Yes! The tag is definitely real! You should greet them too!”
“Y-Yes! Thank you for coming to Canol!”
“Thank you for the welcome. I’d like to start the request right away, what should I do?”
“Please come to the Adventurer’s Guild first.”
“Is there an Adventurer’s Guild in Canol too?”
“Yes, this place is a midpoint on the trade route connecting Bridan and Escal. Also, since it’s surrounded by mountains like this, we need adventurers for various reasons.”
“I see.”
Come to think of it, the Guild Master knew the situation in Canol well.
It’s highly likely that he received information directly from the Adventurer’s Guild in Canol.
“Elron! You guide Dungeon Crasher and his companions to the Adventurer’s Guild!”
“Y-Yes, Captain! Please, follow me!”
◈
Following the guard named Elron, we entered Canol.
Inside Canol, there were a higher proportion of beastmen than in Peldan.
Wolves, dogs, leopards, rabbits, mice, horses, cows, and more.
There were also humans, elves, and dwarves, but the atmosphere was dominated by beastmen.
The clothing wasn’t much different from Peldan, but…
“Ooh.”
It was unique to see some beastwomen walking around in cheongsam-like outfits.
Moreover, the hemlines were short, making it seem like their panties would be visible if they spread their legs. It was a desirable style.
“Are you curious?”
Elron spoke to me as I looked around.
“Ah, yes. There are more beastmen than in Peldan.”
“Ah, yes, Escal has more humans. Oh, by the way, I’m a canine beastman.”
Elron took off his helmet slightly, revealing his dog ears.
“But your tail…”
“Hahaha, it gets dirty, so I keep it inside my armor. Well… it’s hot, though.”
Then, Noah poked her head out and asked Elron.
“Hey, hey, the town atmosphere seems a bit gloomy… Is it because of the ogres?”
As Noah said, the town didn’t feel very lively.
“…Yes. Ogres have been found in groups. They don’t attack unless you threaten or follow them, but there are so many of them that we don’t know when they might attack.”
“Hehe, don’t worry! If Rent’s here, he can solve the ogre problem quickly! He’s not an S-rank adventurer for nothing!”
Elron’s expression brightened a little at Noah’s confident words.
“Yes! I’m looking forward to it!”
And so, we arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild in Canol.
Elron explained the situation to the receptionist as soon as we entered.
“Y-You’re waiting on the second floor.”
We went up to the second floor, where the Guild Master’s office was located.
Knock knock knock.
“Who is it?”
“It’s guard Elron! S-rank adventurer Dungeon Crasher Rent and his party members have arrived from Peldan!”
“What? …Come in.”
As we entered the Guild Master’s office, there was a large lion beastman with a mane-like hairstyle and a scar on one eye.
He looked at me with a puzzled yet wary gaze.
“You’re… the Dungeon Crasher from Peldan?”
“Yes. I’m Dungeon Crasher Rent. I’ve come on a request from Guild Master Dante.”
“I’m Raiga, the Guild Master of Canol. …Wait a moment.”
Guild Master Raiga took out a communication magic tool from a drawer and sent magical power into it.
Then, a light shone from the crystal ball.
「It’s me, Raiga.」
Guild Master Dante’s voice was heard.
“Hey, Dante! A certain adventurer named Rent has arrived. He’s a muscular adventurer with green hair and blue eyes. And he’s got a bunch of women trailing behind him.”
「That’s him. It seems he’s arrived.」
“Hey, is this for real? I requested this from you just last night. And he’s arrived in less than a day?”
「Hahaha, he’s quite fast. He’s probably the fastest man in the world.」
“…Haa. I knew it would be absurd since he’s an S-rank adventurer you acknowledge, but isn’t this too much?”
「That’s what it takes to stop the flood. Anyway, give him the detailed information and the plan of action.」
“Got it.”
Guild Master Raiga took his hand off the crystal ball and ended the conversation.
“It seems like you’re the real deal.”
Guild Master Raiga got up from his chair, walked over, and extended his hand.
“I’m counting on you with the ogre investigation request, Dungeon Crasher Rent.”
“Yes, leave it to me.”
Thump!
I shook hands with Guild Master Raiga.
At that moment.
Guild Master Raiga’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Can I just call you Rent?”
“Yes.”
“There’s one thing… I want to confirm. No matter how much Dante trusts you, I won’t believe it unless I see it with my own eyes.”
It seems Guild Master Raiga wants to see my skills.
“How will you confirm it?”
“I’d like to spar, but that would take time. Besides, if an S-rank adventurer like you and I fought, things might get broken, and my secretary would scold me. So, simply…”
Guild Master Raiga, with a smile that revealed his fangs, said with a more aggressive grin.
“How about an arm wrestle?”
“Sounds good.”
It’s a field I’m very confident in.
◈
“The Guild Master is going to arm wrestle!”
“His opponent is the S-rank adventurer from Peldan! Dungeon Crasher!”
“Gather around!”
“I’ll bet 3 silver on the Guild Master!”
“Then I’ll bet 5 silver on Dungeon Crasher!”
I thought we were just going to confirm my skills with an arm wrestle…
Somehow, it turned into a gambling match.
“Um, this situation is…”
“Hahaha! Sorry, but this is our guild’s tradition. When we arm wrestle, we bet and the audience enjoys it. Thanks to this, the atmosphere, which was down because of the ogres, is lively again!”
Where did the wary look go?
The man in front of me now was nothing short of a cheerful adventurer.
“Rent, do your best!”
“Do your best, Rent♡”
“G-Good luck!”
“Show them what you’ve got! I bet 10 silver!”
Tikia… when did you join the betting?
I had no intention of losing, because I wanted to prove my skills to gain Guild Master Raiga’s trust, and more importantly, my beloved companions were cheering me on.
“Let’s start.”
I sat on a chair and rested my elbow on the table between me and Guild Master Raiga.
“Let’s do it.”
Guild Master Raiga sat down in the same way, placed his elbow on the table, and clasped my hand.
And then.
“Ready… Start!”
With the voice of Elron, who was the referee, the arm wrestle began.
