Ossan Saikyō Chapter 10 Part 04
After clearing the 15-floor D-Rank dungeon, we headed straight to the Adventurers' Guild. We asked the receptionist, Mariane, if she could see us in a private room.
“So, has another unusual situation occurred?”
As she prepared a ledger and writing utensils, Mariane looked at me with the expression of someone who had already grown used to this.
“Yes. Rare bosses appeared on the 5th underground floor and the last floor.”
I took the materials out of my【Item Box】and laid them out on the table.
Mariane barely reacted to the black horn from the Armored Minotaur, but the moment she saw the jet black dragon scales and enormous horn, she nearly rose from her seat in shock.
“These are... without a doubt, scales and a horn from a Darkflare Dragon... I never imagined one could appear in a D-Rank dungeon...”
“A Darkflare Dragon? Surely you don't mean that B-Rank monster?”
When Sphenia asked, Mariane swallowed hard and nodded.
“Yes, exactly. It's considered one of the strongest monsters even among B-Rank monsters. The mere possibility of one appearing in a D-Rank dungeon is alarming enough... Forgive me for asking, I'm not doubting you, but may I check your Adventurer Cards?”
“Of course.”
She collected our cards and left the room.
About 5 minutes later, she returned, looking as though she'd just seen a ghost.
“The records do indeed show that you defeated a Darkflare Dragon. Congratulations. All of you will automatically be granted the title of〘Dragon Slayer〙.”
“〘Dragon Slayer〙?”
It was a term I'd heard somewhere in my previous life.
I never expected it to actually exist in this world.
Before I could ask further, Rani chimed in.
“Huh? Soushi, you didn't know? It's a title given to adventurers who defeat dragons. People respect you more as an adventurer if you have it, and you're more likely to receive prestigious requests.”
“So it's basically a title. But surely anyone at B-Rank or above could beat a dragon like that. There must be quite a few Dragon Slayers, right?”
“Eh? I don't think there are that many. Isn't that right, Mariane?”
“Yes. As far as the guild is aware, they're quite rare. True dragons themselves are uncommon to begin with, and defeating one requires exceptional ability. Besides, being B-Rank alone isn't enough to defeat a Darkflare Dragon.”
There was a subtle note of correction in Mariane's voice, as if gently reminding me of my ignorance.
Apparently, it had been a far more dangerous opponent than I'd realized.
“Was it really that strong? Everyone's attacks seemed to work just fine.”
“No. An ordinary party would have been wiped out by its breath attack alone. It's said that the Darkflare Breath has enough power to reduce an entire castle to ashes in an instant.”
That finally made things click.
I see.
So it was simply a monster that specialized in overwhelming offensive power.
Once we'd survived its strongest attack, the battle had effectively been ours.
“Understood. Either way, it seems we've caused quite a stir. By the way, Mariane, will this〘Dragon Slayer〙title be made public?”
“No. Unless you request it, the guild will not publicize such information. However, it will be shared internally within the guild and may be taken into account when assigning requests. If necessary, the information may also be passed on to the royal family.”
“I understand. Then please keep it as confidential as possible. Everyone's alright with that, right?”
“We'll follow your judgment, Soushi-sama.”
“Mmm... You're worried it'll bring unnecessary trouble, aren't you? In that case, I'm fine with it.”
“I believe it's best to keep it quiet until we've reached the appropriate rank.”
With that decided, Mariane agreed to handle the matter as discreetly as possible.
She nodded, then continued.
“Soushi-san, if your finances allow it, I recommend not selling these scales and horn. Once dragon materials begin circulating, rumors will spread naturally. Besides, if you keep them, they can later be used to craft armor.”
“I see. Thank you very much. We'll do exactly that.”
As expected of such a capable receptionist.
Though, if anything, she seemed to be looking out for us a little too much.
I couldn't help wondering whether that was really alright for someone in her position, but that wasn't my concern.
“So that's how it works. Dragon armor is supposed to be ridiculously expensive, right? If we already have the materials, someone can make it for us.”
Rani sounded delighted.
Still, we'd probably wait until reaching at least B-Rank before commissioning any dragon equipment.
Wearing dragon gear at our current level would attract far too much attention.
◇◆◇
After that, Freynil and Rani were officially promoted to C-Rank.
At last, all four of us had become a proper C-Rank party.
When I'd first become an adventurer, I'd looked at the C-Rank party〈Fortuner〉and wondered, “Could I ever become monsters like them?”.
Now that I'd reached the same rank myself, it somehow didn't seem all that extraordinary.
Human perception really was a funny thing.
Putting the Dragon Slayer matter aside, the more immediate issue was deciding our next destination.
Naturally, the next step should have been challenging Euron's C-Rank dungeon.
However, it was a 20-floored dungeon and apparently one of the most difficult C-Rank dungeons around.
After asking Marianne for information, we learned there was an excellent C-Rank dungeon in the neighboring Count Lautrec's territory.
Everyone agreed we'd head there in the near future.
The following day, I informed Mariane that we'd be leaving Euron in three days.
“In that case”, she said, “I'll have a request for your party when you depart. Please be sure to see me the day before you leave.”
She wouldn't tell us what the request was.
Still, I trusted Mariane enough to believe she wouldn't give us anything unreasonable, so I agreed.
Until departure day, we spent our time running the fifteen floor D-Rank dungeon for live combat and skill training.
“It seems【Amplify】only works with spells like «Sacred Ray» inside dungeons.”
Freynil sounded slightly disappointed.
In front of us, more than ten Hobgoblins lay collapsed on the ground, barely alive.
A rain of «Sacred Ray» had poured down from above, leaving countless tiny holes across their bodies.
Freynil had used【Remote Cast】to place the spell directly above the monsters, then spread its effect with【Amplify】.
The result was a rather horrifying attack.
If she could eventually combine it with【Crucible】and【Dual Cast】as well, it'd become downright terrifying.
Unfortunately, she still lacked the stamina to pull that off.
“If your barriers also become larger, it might be possible to trap monsters inside them. Though that would also stop us from attacking.”
“That's true. But perhaps I could use【Remote Cast】 to cast «Sacred Ray» inside the barrier.”
“I see. Let's test that next.”
We made sure to thoroughly experiment with each new skill.
We did manage to trap monsters inside an enlarged barrier.
However, using【Remote Cast】to create «Sacred Ray» inside the barrier didn't work.
According to Freynil;
“It may be because my【Barrier Magic】is at a higher level than【Remote Cast】.”
So we'd need to continue testing.
As for Rani's【Edge Lunge】, at its current level she could only extend her blade by about 10 centimeters.
Changing the blade's length also altered the point of impact, meaning she'd have to adjust every swing accordingly.
It turned out to be a much more technical skill than expected.
“But it's definitely powerful. I just have to level it up until I can fight like Anatolia!”
That was Rani's conclusion.
Given her excellent【Body Control】, I wasn't worried.
Sphenia's【Blitz】proved even more useful than expected.
She would open the battle with an instant spell, then immediately switch to firing arrows in rapid succession.
The moment enough time had passed, she'd launch another spell without missing a beat.
Even if each individual attack wasn't overwhelmingly powerful, being able to overwhelm enemies through sheer volume of attacks was a tremendous advantage.
“I feel like I've become twice as strong as I was just a few weeks ago.”
Sphenia's words perfectly illustrated just how important skills really were.
Still, from my perspective, raw ability remained equally important.
If we wanted to stand among the upper ranks of adventurers, we couldn't afford to neglect the steady, daily training that formed the foundation of everything else.
——————
E/N:
Dragon-scale armor would be bada**!
Stay tuned!
——————
——————————
——————————
Comments