Ossan Saikyō Chapter 13 Part 17
That day, everyone slept like a log at the inn.
The next day, we decided to do nothing but train and then spend the rest of the day lazing around, but Mariane and Shizuna couldn’t do that. They each went to the Guild and the Grand Spirit Shrine respectively.
They had their duties and positions to attend to, so it couldn’t be helped. The Great Shrine Head Maiden and the priests must have been working in a state of near sleeplessness themselves.
Come to think of it, being an adventurer wasn’t exactly an easy profession either. We were risking our lives fighting monsters, after all.
Thinking about that, I spent the first time in a while lazing around on the tatami until the afternoon, but I couldn’t seem to settle down.
The thing that kept nagging at me was that incident with the Devils.
Apparently, rumors had already spread that they were appearing in various places, and there were even reports of towns, similar to Garouz, suffering considerable damage.
For a moment, I had actually suspected that Mekalinan might be involved, but if Mekalinan could summon creatures like those, there would be no reason for them to use someone like Mazero.
Besides, judging from the way it felt to fight one, I simply couldn’t imagine a human being capable of controlling such a thing. For the time being, I concluded that it should be treated as an entirely separate matter.
So what should I do about it...? Even as an ordinary adventurer, there was only so much I could accomplish. Still, I felt that as an adventurer, I should do whatever I could.
If creatures like those started roaming freely across the land, humanity itself could end up being driven from the surface of the earth.
“...I suppose I’ll go to the Guild and see if there’s any information.”
In the end, those words slipped out of my mouth. Apparently, I had become thoroughly accustomed to the same workaholic lifestyle in this world as well.
“I’m going to stop by the Guild for a bit. There might be some news about our rank promotions, too.”
When I said that, Freynil, Rani, and Sphenia all ended up coming with me. Apparently, they were all becoming workaholics as well. As their leader, perhaps I needed to give this some serious thought.
The Guild seemed to have returned to normal, and there was no particularly hectic atmosphere.
However, with the Flesh Golems and Devils appearing one after another, the various parties seemed to be exchanging all sorts of rumors about them.
Mariane was at the counter, and when she saw us, she called out, “Perfect timing.”
“Thanks to your performance this time, it has been decided that Fray, Rani, and Sphenia will all be promoted to B-Rank.”
“That’s great. Congratulations, all three of you.”
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you, Soushi-sama.”
“It feels like we got promoted so easily.”
“Getting to B-Rank... It feels like it took a long time, but after joining〈Saul's Guidance〉, it also feels like it happened in the blink of an eye.”
Freynil and Rani reacted as usual, but Sphenia seemed genuinely moved. Apparently, she had spent a long time at C-Rank, so it was only natural.
Rather, people would probably say that Freynil and Rani’s reactions were the unusual ones. Still,〈Saul's Guidance〉itself was so extraordinary that perhaps it couldn’t really be helped.
“By the way, didn’t Mariane-san get promoted?”
“Fortunately, I was promoted to B-Rank as well. I was also made a Special-Class Staff Officer, so I’ll be able to support you all even more.”
“Ah, that’s good, but... what exactly is a Special-Class Staff Officer?”
“I’m a staff member directly under the Grandmaster. In terms of rank, it is equivalent to a Guildmaster of a branch. I have the authority to conduct more extensive inspections of adventurers and Guild staff than before.”
“Doesn’t that sound like a position people would find rather annoying?”
“Yes. However, I’m exclusively assigned to〈Saul's Guidance〉, so I don’t intend to interfere in too many other matters. Now then, I’ll need to take everyone’s Adventurer Cards.”
Mariane said that and took the Adventurer Cards from Freynil and the others before heading to the back to process them.
As we watched her leave, Rani’s tail twitched.
“Ahh, now that we’ve ranked up, I kind of feel like getting into a dungeon right away. Soushi, we’re going tomorrow, right?”
“That’s the plan, but first we’ll have to see whether Shizuna is able to go. The next C-Class dungeon goes down to the 15th underground floor, so we’ll need to stay overnight at the very least.”
“Then we’ll decide after Shizuna gets back today. But two chances at treasure chests, huh? I hope we get something good.”
“Rani aside, now that Fray and Sphenia have ranked up, their weapons are probably starting to feel inadequate as well. Is it time to replace their armor too?”
“Soushi-sama, what about having something made using the dragon scales we obtained before?”
Freynil’s words reminded me. I had kept the scales of the Darkflare Dragon. Now that we were a B-Rank party, no one would begrudge us for wearing dragon equipment, so it might indeed be the perfect time.
When I answered, “That’s a good idea.”, Sphenia reacted.
“There are only a limited number of craftsmen capable of working with materials from high-ranking dragons. There should be some here in Garouz, but I also know someone in the hidden elven village of Ardolf.”
“Would we even be able to get permission to enter the hidden elven village?”
“There are certain conditions for entering, but there should be no problem for all of you.”
“Hmm...”
We had visited the elven village of Marlo, but this “hidden village” sounded like a different sort of place. If we could go there, I certainly wanted to see it.
“Come to think of it, elves and high elves are long-lived, aren’t they? Are they knowledgeable about history as well?”
“Yes. Some of them even consider compiling history a hobby. At the Worldroot Hollow... the place that corresponds to the central government here, there is also a department that has been recording history for longer than anywhere else.”
“Would it be possible to speak with historians or the like?”
“Yes, of course, if that is what you wish. Is there something you want to know?”
“Yeah. I thought it might be worth researching the ‘Devils’ a little. From what Fray said, the Church seems to treat them as a historical fact.”
“If there is a possibility that we will fight them again, then it would be better to learn about them. Indeed, Ardolf may have information that is no longer preserved among the human races.”
“Then once we’re finished with our business in Orz, maybe we should go to Ardolf.”
“Soushi-sama, I agree. I hear it is a place that is very difficult to visit.”
“I’m in favor too! There might be some unusual dungeons there.”
Freynil and Rani were both eager to go, so it seemed almost certain that we would be making the trip.
“How do we get to Ardolf?”
“We take the route from Euron that we used before to reach Marlo, then continue east from there.”
“Sounds good. Let’s consider it our next destination.”
Just as we had loosely settled on our next destination, Mariane returned.
After returning the Adventurer Cards to the three of them, she turned her gaze toward me.
“Soushi-san, actually, I have a request directly from the Grandmaster.”
“That sounds serious... What kind of request?”
“It seems the ‘Devils’ that attacked Garouz this time came down from the western mountains. The request is for you to follow their tracks and investigate where they came from.”
“I agree that the investigation is necessary, but wouldn’t the country handle that? Access to the mountains is probably restricted as well.”
“Since〈Saul's Guidance〉has the shrine maiden Shizuna, the country may be able to grant us permission by presenting it as an official investigation on behalf of the nation. Why not consult the Great Shrine Head Maiden?”
“I see. With Shizuna there, the country can maintain the appearance that it conducted the investigation itself. I’m curious about it too, so I’ll ask the Great Shrine Head Maiden.”
It was troublesome, if nothing else, but it was a request that suited my current state of mind.
There was no question that investigating the Devils was necessary, and if both the Grandmaster and the country were requesting it, it would also be a significant achievement for the party.
Since it was an investigation, the sooner we started, the better. The longer we waited, the more the traces of the Devils would disappear.
I got Freynil, Rani, and Sphenia’s agreement to accept the request, then headed straight for the Grand Spirit Shrine.
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E/N:
I have a bad feeling about this but an adventure's an adventure! Let's go investigate!
Stay tuned!
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