With the wedding reception day fast approaching, we are busy preparing the shipment of the wine. All the wine has been bottled, and we are now inside the cellar (the big hole we found before) packing the wine into the crates while attaching labels in them. The bottle must not be damaged during transportation, so we took great care in packing them.
“If Lucio is tired, Char will pull it!”
It takes three days to get to the Capital, so I’m grateful for Char’s presence. No matter how much she pulls the wagon, Char never gets tired.
However, since she looks like a five-year-old, I am afraid that I will be suspected of child abuse.
There’s also a worry that Char might get carried away and go too fast. This is also a reason why we put plenty of cushioning material in the crates.
We will finally leave for the capital tomorrow. The plan is to arrive two days before the reception, but we are still running on a tight schedule. We have to finish packing by the end of the evening.
While I am busy working with Medoc and Pino, a pale-faced Mary rushed into the cellar.
“Young Master Cedie, it’s bad! Alexei-sama is here again!”
“Huh? He is here again?”
Oh dear, what could he want at a time like this when I’m so busy?
Don’t tell me…. Is it the matter of selling the island again?
This is no longer Dantes’ territory, so please don’t say anything capricious. Sigh. I didn’t want to waste time entertaining him, but I had no choice but to see him.
I left the work to Medoc and Pino and went back to the cottage. At the cottage, Alexei-oniisan was waiting for me in a standing position with his arms crossed. He is even tapping his feet, indicating his impatience.
And there it came, his greeting is an incomprehensible remark.
“So, Cedie, have you learned your lesson well?”
“Huh? Learn from what? I don’t really get what you mean……”
“I’m talking about business. You must have had some trouble getting a trade in the Dantes territory, right?”
“Well, that’s true….…”
I couldn’t deliver the product to Emma, who has been kind to me.
Perhaps satisfied with my answer, my brother smiled broadly.
“Hmph, it’s your fault for being stubborn! But you’re still my lovely little brother. I’ll even let you do business in the Dantes territory again if you like. And I’m not asking you to sell the island again.”
“Really?”
I don’t remember being fond of him, but I have no complaints if I could resume my business with Emma.
—However, his next words were very unacceptable.
“In return, you have to sell me the management rights of the winery.”
So it was that huh……
Alexei-oniisan must have heard rumors of Gandalcia’s vintage wine somewhere. And that’s why he started asking for something so outrageous.
“I decline.”
“What!?”
My brother was surprised.
Goodness! He did not even think I’ll refuse?
That’s more surprising, you know!
Well, now that our father has passed away, my brother can do whatever he wants. In this country where the nobility has a lot of power, even the king wouldn’t go against a wealthy earl head-on.
“I’m not asking you to give up the whole island, I’m just asking you to sell me the rights to the winery.”
“No thanks. There’s nothing in it for me.”
When I refused outright, my brother threatened me in a low voice.
“Are you sure? If you don’t sell me the management rights, I’ll not only stop you from doing business in Dantes territory, but I will also ban you from entering Dantes territory in the future.”
“What do you mean?”
“I will have you arrested the moment you enter Dantes territory. I have already set up a checkpoint at the entrance to the island. Once you cross the bridge, you are already in Dantes territory.”
What the hell are you trying to do, brother?
The graves of father and mother is in Belucca!
Plus, it will be difficult to run the auberge if he does that!
Gandalcia’s food self-sufficiency rate is high, but not everything can be covered on the island. If this will be the case, we have no choice but to take a boat to Lebon for the time being then.
“Oh right. By the way, we’re also going to have a blockade in the sea as well.”
“How tyrannical of you!”
“No, no. I’m just sending out a warship to protect my territorial waters. If any of your boats come in, I’ll fire at it, so be prepared to be sunk.”
Oh my God!
What a lunatic!
I never thought he’d go that far.
“So, are you willing to sell the management rights to me now?”
“……Let me think about it for a while.”
Alexei-oniisan nods with a relaxed smile.
“Okay, think about it carefully. There’s only one answer to it anyway. Hahaha!”
With his shoulders shaking as he laughs, Alexei-oniisan walked out of the cottage.
Hmmm, this is going to be a big problem….
The main problem is that if things continued like this, we wouldn’t be able to deliver the wine to the Royal Palace. If we could use a boat, we could have gone to the port of Lebon and rent a wagon there, but I never thought that the sea would be blockaded as well.
There was a sound of thumping footsteps and Dawsill came rushing in.
“Young Master! The entrance to the bridge has been blocked!”
Lulu also came.
“There’s a big ship moored off the coast and it’s watching us.”
Although her tone is as laid-back as usual, I know Lulu is frightened.
My brother really wants to take the winery away from me.
The next morning, as we were doing our usual morning training in the inn’s backyard, a group of female adventurers arrived.
It looks like they will also have their morning training.
“Good morning~”
“Oh, good morning. Did you get a good night’s sleep?”
“Yes, definitely! I can sleep anywhere!”
“Hahaha, that’s a good thing.”
Luckily, we can sleep anywhere. Because of that, lack of sleep is not a problem in this world.
By the way, they are a party of three, a swordsman, a thief, and a magician. Well, all three of them had outstanding style, and Sue and Shiro were staring at a certain part of the three of them with envy.
Erm, for that, you guys need to grow up a bit more.
Since we have the chance, we decided to have the three female adventurers train with us as well.
First of all, we start meditating to circulate our magical power.
“Hmm, is it like this?”
“Even if I can’t use magic, this feels like it will help me concentrate better.”
“This training is a very effective. Let’s keep doing it every day.”
The magician in particular seems to like this training and planned to continue to do this in the future.
But I noticed something else.
“Sword-oneesan, I think you have magical powers.”
“Mm, it looks like you have a talent for healing magic.”
“R-really?”
“That’s impressive! A Healer Swordsman!”
The sword-oneesan had never been trained in magic, so she didn’t seem to realize that she had magical powers. She definitely had magical powers though. So, upon confirmation she was also very happy.
“It’s good to have at least one healer in the party.”
“I specialize in offensive magic so having a healer is a great help.”
“Haha, I’m surprised too. I’ll have to do some magic training for a while.”
The three of them also felt a good result from the training. Then, as if noticing what we were doing, the others came.
“Oh~, you were doing something interesting huh.”
“What were you doing?”
“Hehehe, after training with these kids, I found out that I have an aptitude for healing magic.”
“““What!”””
The men who arrived late were quite taken aback by the astonishing revelation. Since they are here already, they also decided to try and find out more about their magical powers.
Then someone with a new talent appeared.
“Wow, I can use my body enhancement!”
“I can use wind magic, and even though I’m a beastman, I can use attack magic!”
An uncle had a talent for physical enhancement, and the young fox beastman had an aptitude for wind magic. In particular, the fox beastman, who is a beastman, was quite surprised that he had magical powers.
It was an achievement for a few people to have magical powers, but there was one person among them who had a ridiculous talent.
“Whoa! His fur is shining gold.”
“That’s a ridiculous amount of magic!”
Yes, a muscular gorilla beastman had an aptitude for holy magic. Moreover, he has overwhelming magical power, that even his black fur shined golden.
“Whoa~ Amazing! He’s Super Gorilla Man!”
Shiro and Ao are happy to play with the gorilla beastman youth, but if he trained well, he would become an incredible talent.
Even the gorilla beastman himself is surprised by this.
“This is amazing. It’s like this is not my body.”
Originally, Gorilla Beastmen are martial artists, they are usually fighting by throwing punches and kicks.
It seemed that he could now circulate holy magic throughout his body, and it also had the effect of strengthening his body. So as he tried to run and do some punches, we could hear the air being punched.
Yup, he is ridiculously fast too.
“Using healing magic also increases your magic control, and you need to get used to moving your body for a while.”
“Hmm, I understand what you mean. I need to train more just like in martial arts.”
This young gorilla beastman had the mindset of a proper martial artist. I thought his head would get bigger since he suddenly become powerful, but that was not the case.
“Then, would you like to try and spar with Shiro?”
“Good. Let me see what kind of power it takes to defeat a Goblin General.”
And so, Shiro and the shining golden gorilla beastman began their sparring match. From an outsider’s perspective, it looks like a crushing victory for the gorilla beastman.
However—
“Tou!”
“Guh-”
“““Eh?”””
The match was ruthless, it was decided in an instant.
As expected, he couldn’t stand against Shiro just by learning holy magic. He couldn’t move after receiving a punch in the abdomen. But thanks to the Holy Magic, his defense has increased, and although he took a damage, he is able to move after a few minutes.
Hmm, looks like others couldn’t follow Shiro’s movements with their eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay. Now I realized how inexperienced I am. I want to train and have a rematch.”
“Okay~. You’re always welcome!”
The Gorilla Beastman had healed himself with Holy Magic, but he must have felt frustrated that he was no match against Shiro.
Even so, he has vowed to have a rematch, showing his determination.
The two of them had a firm handshake.
“Young man, I heard that we could spar with the cat-eared little girl, is it at this level?”
“That’s about it. But as you can see, Sue is doing it modestly.”
“Not really, she’s fast enough too. As expected of a goblin hunter.”
Sue dodges Ao’s attacks, but Ao is not as fast as Shiro after all. However, if you look at it from the perspective of others, their movements looked to be quite fast.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to the speed. But I think it’s best to start with someone who can enhance their body.”
“Oh~. Then we’ll be fine. Alright, we don’t have time today, but we’ll try it tomorrow!”
We don’t have much time left today since we still have to go to the guild, but it has been decided that everyone will participate from tomorrow’s training.
When I started training with the members of the inn in the Southern Margravate, the situation was similar, and I was kind of happy.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
“Hey, don’t push! There’s something blocking the way!”
“We are not moving forward at all!”
There was such a huge surge of people at the exit and entrance that it was impossible for anyone to go through them so they couldn’t even get out. In the meantime, monsters spewed out one after another from the vortex that appeared in the ring.
“E-everyone, don’t panic! Take turns! Please take turns so we can all go out!”
The commentator is desperately appealing, but the audience is not listening.
“Garuaaah!”
“Kyaaaaaaa!”
Some of the monsters had already climbed over the wall and invaded the audience seats. One of the spectators, who had nowhere to escape, almost fell prey to a monster.
“~~~~~~!?”
The large monster was blown away.
“Are you okay?”
It was Goritia who punched the monster away. With a grim expression on his face, he looks towards the ring.
“Just what is that? If this continues, a lot of people will die.”
“Goritia!”
“Oh, Anje-chan.”
“As long as we don’t destroy that vortex, the monsters will continue to appear forever!”
“Do you know about that vortex?”
“A little bit! Normal physical attacks don’t work on it, so we need powerful magic attack! It’s just that my magic isn’t powerful enough……”
Anyway, the two of them decided to head towards the vortex. Fortunately, the other contestants of this tournament have begun to join the battle to protect the spectators from the monsters.
“Leave the monster to me, my attack won’t work against that vortex anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll leave it to you!”
Leaving this place to Lill, Anje and Goritia head to Fana and Orion, who are very close to the vortex. Fana and Orion are now surrounded by monsters, but the Anje and Goritia managed to force their way through and reach them.
“Fana!”
“Anje. What about Master?”
Fana was in a terrible state of exhaustion and injury. Orion is in similar state.
“Several of the same vortex have appeared all over city! He went off to take care of the rest, so we’ll have to deal with this by ourselves! But first, drink this!”
As Anje explained, she hands the potion to Fana. Because she was in the middle of a match, Fana didn’t have any kind of healing item in hand.
“You should drink too!”
“Thanks……”
“I’ll buy you some time until you recover!”
Fana and Orion hurriedly drank the potion, and the wound closed as they watched.
“W-what is this potion!? I can’t believe that my wounds healed so quickly…… Uh! I’ve never seen such a powerful potion before.”
In fact, it’s a special potion made by Reus.
“Only magic can work on this vortex! And a half-hearted one is no use! We need a powerful magic to wipe it out in one go! Can you do that, Fana?”
“Hmm, it’s impossible.”
“I guess so. You and I are just using magic as a support after all……”
As they talked, the number of monsters continued to increase.
For now, Lill and the other contestants are barely holding them back, but if this continues, many of the spectators will be affected.
“I…… I’ll do it.”
It was Orion who spoke in a determined voice.
“If I unleash my lightning magic with all my might, I may be able to extinguish this vortex…… No, I’m sure I can erase it. As a hero and the prince of this country, I have a duty to protect my people!”
Of course, Orion is by no means a specialist in magic. Just like Anje and Fana, it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to cast enough magic to destroy the vortex.
But there is no other option now.
“.…. Alright. We’ll leave it to you.”
“Mmm, I’m counting on you.”
“As expected of a hero. Okay, while Orion-chan prepares, we will protect you at all costs!”
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
It seems that I will continue to live in the Capital for now. I’m going to miss Findas.
I kept my promise to you and gathered my wine-loving friends for an auction of the Gandalcian wine.
First of all, I asked them to drink a glass of your regular wine, and everyone in attendance was surprised. They said they couldn’t believe that it could only be bought for 5,000 crown coins. Orders are coming in right away.
Can you wholesale two barrels of red wine and two barrels of white wine through the Polymer merchant?
Earl Simpson’s letter began like that.
“Thanks to the Earl, we have sold more wine.”
“Yes, but the important things should be written in the later part. Hurry up and continue reading it!”
“O-okay, uhm……”
Now, onto the main topic. At the auction that evening, Gandalcia’s vintage wine was also served. There were 12 participants, so each person only got one sip. But the results were fantastic. Everyone was so surprised and excited that they all came to me excitedly. Questions like, “Is there any more of this?” and “How can I buy it?” were bombarded to me. I wish I could have shown you their frenzy. I explained that it is a special wine and is limited to 100 bottles. As you’ve been honest with me, I’ve also told them that there might be another 100 more in the next month or the month after that. As a result of discussions based on such a premise, it was decided that your wine can be sold at 120,000 crown coins per bottle. I want to make it clear that we have no ulterior motives regarding this price. We believe we are offering an honest price that is appropriate for the quality of the wine. Of course, if you are dissatisfied, you can re-evaluate the price.
I looked up from the letter.
“120,000 crowns per bottle…. At this price, I might be able to buy a small ship someday. Hmm, I need to hurry up and build a wharf.”
“That’s good to hear. But there’s more to the letter, right?”
“Yes, yes, I’m going to read it now.”
Now, I wrote earlier that it’s “the main topic”, but the real main topic is from here.
Viscount Terbert was also present at the auction. He is an old friend of mine, the head of the Imperial Household Office.
The Imperial Household Office is the government office that coordinates the daily routines and ceremonies of the Imperial Court, and is also in charge of food.
Viscount Terbert had approached me about serving your vintage wine to the guests at the upcoming wedding reception of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
What do you think?
“T-this is huge! I didn’t expect Gandalcia’s wine will be served at a Royal reception.”
“That’s amazing, Cedie. As your best friend, I am very proud of you!”
I wrote a letter of approval on the spot.
I also need to prepare for the shipment right away.
“Don’t worry, I’ll ride Gian. Rest assured that I will deliver the letter directly to father.”
“I’m counting on you. We will also get ready for shipping.”
There are only about ten days left until the wedding reception. If we don’t deliver it as soon as the bottling is finished, we won’t be able to make it in time.
In order to share the joy and gain their cooperation, I reported this to everyone on the island. Everyone on the island was delighted to see the Gandalcian wine served at the royal wedding reception.
Medoc and Pino were so moved that they started crying.
“Now I might be able to buy the ship I’ve always wanted.”
If we have a ship, shipping will be that much easier.
“Leave the ship to me.”
Lulu puffed out her chest.
“Yes, I’ll be counting on Lulu as the captain.”
“Ah, but if the ship is too big, I can’t handle it.”
“I can’t buy a ship that big. What more, the pier is still small…”
With that in mind, I first upgraded the pier to a wharf. I spent a lot of money, but I have no regrets if I think of this as an upfront investment.
Possible to Build: Wharf (small) Description: A wharf that can accommodate small ship. Required points: 10 Funds required: 400,000 crown coins
The water isn’t very deep, but it’s an impressive wharf made of stone and concrete. The passage is very wide, and even Lucio with a wagon attached to him can easily enter and turn around. In the future, it would be convenient to build a warehouse near the wharf.
All that’s left to do is buy a ship with the money from selling the wine. I don’t have enough money to build a new ship at the moment, but I can buy a good second-hand one.
My goal only grew more and more.
✲✲✲
Three days later, Eugenie delivered a reply from Earl Simpson. According to the letter, they want the wine to be delivered by the day before the reception. Moreover, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who tasted it, liked the wine so much that I was invited to the reception.
He asked me to go to the Royal Palace and participate in the reception.
“Rumors of Cedie’s wine are starting to circulate in the Capital.”
“Yeah. B-but this is very surprising! I never expected such thing to happen….”
“Oh my~, where is the normally calm Cedie?”
“That’s to be expected you know. Even though I’m from the Earl’s family, I, the third son, never thought of going to the royal palace.”
I thought that if I were to visit the Imperial Palace, I would only come there when I was a little older.…
I don’t think it’s a problem because I’ve learned all the etiquette, but I’m a little nervous.
“Father gave me this too.”
Eugenie handed me a wine label.
It was specially designed by court painter, Nanchara-san, for the wedding reception of the Crown Prince. It depicts the bride and groom embracing each other under a hazel tree. In the kingdom of Floodland, the hazel tree is considered a symbol of good fortune.
Moreover, although it is small, it even contains the words “Château Gandalcia Special”.
I need to have to hurry up and put up the label today.
Then I read the note that came with it.
“Uhm, it says…… 『This hazel crest is a gift from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to Cedie-kun. He has asked you to use it as your family crest.』”
“That’s incredible!”
It is a great honor to be a subject of the Kingdom of Floodland. From now on, two thrushes perched on a hazel tree is the emblem of Gandalcia.
“By the way, Eugenie, I have one request.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Actually, my partner and I have been both invited to the wedding reception. So, if you don’t mind, would you like to join me as my partner?”
Eugenie covered her mouth with her small hand.
“Cedie……”
“Uh-, is it no good?”
“No. Eugenie Simpson graciously accepts your invitation to be your partner.”
I took Eugenie’s hand and bowed deeply.
✲✲✲
On the morning of his departure for the capital, Alexei was reading the newspaper while drinking his breakfast coffee.
After a quick look at the economic and political aspects, he moved to the horse racing article he is looking forward to.
“Look at it, Sebastian. Yoko Minato is in third place. As expected, my prediction was correct. I told you she would definitely win, didn’t I?”
“As expected from the Earl. You really have a keen eye.”
The horse he had his eye on won a prize on the big stage, and Alexei was in a good mood.
“By the way, the Findas news agency is full of advertisements these days. What is this soap for shaving? What’s so great about it smelling like lavender?”
Alexei’s hand, which was flipping through the newspaper while talking softly, stopped. Alexei’s gaze focused on the lower part of the cultural section. It is the section where articles that were generally not that important were printed.
“W-what the hell is this!?”
While appeasing the furious Alexei, Sebastian also read the content of the newspaper with his eyes.
It says,
『A special wine to be feasted on at the wedding reception of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince: Chateau Gandalcia Special』
Sebastian was surprised to find this headline as well.
“Is it Cedie-sama’s winery?”
“That’s right! It says it’s a personal recommendation from Viscount Terbert of the Imperial Household Office.”
“Speaking of Viscount Terbert, he is one of our country’s leading gourmet, isn’t he?”
Alexei went through the draft without saying anything, and then he left his seat abruptly.
“I’m going to Cedie’s place! Get the carriage ready.”
Sebastian sighed and bowed deeply.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
A calm and warm wind is blowing on the island of Gandalcia.
The cherry blossoms are so pretty…….
At Island Maker, the cherry blossoms blooms only at this time of year. Same is true here on Gandalcia Island, where Yoshino cherry trees are in bloom. You won’t find this kind of cherry blossom in Findas region.
This is definitely a game world after all.
As the temperature rose day by day, we developed a new cold dessert. It’s made from the muskmelon I grew in the fields. We split the muskmelon in half, scoop out the seeds and filled the inside with soft serve ice cream.
It was nothing special, it just reminded me of something I saw on TV in my previous life while harvesting the muskmelons. I want to eat that, so I decided to try it with the muskmelon.
It seems that my obsession with food transcends time and space.
I immediately asked Lynn to create a soft-serve ice cream.
“Oh~, I love this. This is it!”
The large melon was split in half, so it’s very impressive. No one can’t resist the luxury of eating a melon full of juice with soft-serve ice cream.
“Father is a genius! Charlotte loves you more than ever!”
Char is also eating with great relish. She has already finished one and started working on her second serving.
“It has a great visual impact and tastes great. Let’s try to sell it in the restaurant.”
Lynn liked it as well so she added it in the menu.
It was well received by the citizens of Lebon. It became so popular that customers came for it every day.
These days, Gandalcia is a bit of a date spot. Not only couples but also families often come here. Everyone comes for the cherry blossoms and melon soft serve ice cream.
I also set up a sausage stall so that they could eat while watching the cherry blossoms, and it was another great success. Well, I guess it is to be expected as the sausages made at Paul-oniisan’s ranch are delicious.
I am also satisfied that tourism revenue had increased a little. This will enable me to raise everyone’s salary.
At this rate, should I prepare the beach so that the guests can go swimming in summer?
If I install toilet and bath, customers will surely be pleased.
Mmm, my goals are just getting bigger huh.
Bottling and wine production are also going well. Alexei-oniisan has made it impossible for me to do business in the Dantes’ territory, but sales in the Simpson territory are growing.
I thought about expanding the vineyards because sales are going in great direction, but I decided not to. Because there is not enough manpower. Medoc and Pino are both hard working, but it’s not a good idea to add more work to them. Gandalcia is not a black company after all.
I think it’s best to keep it at this scale and not be too greedy. Grapes can be harvested in three days, so brewing can be done every three days. The number of barrels is increasing one after another too.
The sparkling grapes haven’t grown since then though. I am sure that they will eventually produce sparkling fruit again though. At that time, I’ll make the best wine again and make everyone happy.
In this way, my life is very fulfilling.
✲✲✲
Earl Dantes, who was drinking tea in his office, suddenly remembered and questioned Sebastian, the head butler.
“Speaking of which, did Cedie say anything about his bottled goods? I suppose it’s about time he got out of business in Dantes territory, right?”
Alexei thinks that if he interferes with Cedie’s business transaction with Emma, Cedie will give up his rights to the island. If that happens, it’s a done deal. But he is not a bad guy either. He didn’t want to have bad rumors, so as an older brother, he plans to let Cedie go to school in the Capital.
Regardless of what others think of him, Alexei doesn’t consider himself a bad person.
That’s how naive this man’s self-esteem is.
Back to his question, Sebastian’s reply was not a good one.
“A-about that, it seems that Cedie-sama has found a way to sell it in Simpson territory….…”
“Tsk! With Earl Simpson?”
Alexei spat these words out, but he has enough sense to know that he couldn’t complain to Earl Simpson.
“If I’d known it would have been like this, I should have just bought the goods at a lower price instead of trying to take the island away. Tsk, I made a mistake.”
Sebastian desperately tries to calm down Alexei, who is getting gloomy.
“That does not matter, right? Anyways, the sales of the bottled goods are insignificant compared to the sales of our wine.”
“Mmm, that’s true.”
In fact, compared to the scale of Earl Dantes’ business, the sales of Gandalcia were insignificant.
Alexei rubbed his face with the palm of his hand, as if to calm his mind.
“Very well, let’s leave Cedie alone for now. By the way, are the wine sales going well?”
“Yes…. but there is a slight decline in sales.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wine shipment to the Simpson territory has decreased. Just one or two merchants bought our wine compared to before.… We’re currently investigating, but it seems that a good wine is coming in from somewhere.”
Alexei knows that the quality of the wine produced in his territory is not the best. Still, he said,
“Continue to aim to expand our sales channels.”
Alexei crossed his arms sullenly.
✲✲✲
I am studying ores when Eugenie came with Gian. Her cheeks were a little flushed and she looked a little excited.
I wonder what happened?
“Hi, Eugenie. Welcome. There’s a cherry pickled in Kirsch, do you want to try some?”
It is very tasty when eaten with whipped cream. Pickled cherries in kirsch is a new product in the food processing plant and it is Cawsill’s favorite at the moment. Cawsill even gained a little weight from eating too much of this.
But Eugenie had no time for that.
“I’ll have that later. But more importantly, Cedie, I’ve got a letter from my father who’s in the Capital. Here, this is for you.”
The letter she handed to me read, “To Mr. Cedie Dantes“
“The Earl’s handwriting is very nice.”
“Don’t bother with that, just read the letter quickly! The outline was written in the letter addressed to me, but it seems like something serious has happened.”
At Eugenie’s urging, I opened the envelope and read the letter.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!? Even in that location!?”
“Not just there. Look, there, there and over there too.”
“W-what…? Five places in total!?”
In addition to the one that appeared below the ring, there are four other places in the city where such ominous aura emanates. A total of five “Monster vortex” have appeared, and monsters are overflowing from them.
Even for me, eliminating all of them by myself is difficult and time-consuming. While I fight one, the number of monsters in the other place will increase steadily and the damage will spread.
“So given this situation, I’ll leave the things here to you guys.”
After saying that, I jump out of the airship with Meltera.
“Will they be okay with themselves?”
“Probably. Well, don’t worry too much. There are some tough guys who have gathered for this tournament after all. Anyways, can I leave one place to you?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. I’ll leave that place to you.”
Leaving one of the vortices to Meltera, I mounted Lindwurm and flew at full speed.
We quickly arrived at the first vortex, located north of the city.
“Luckily everyone has escaped so there is no one nearby. Lindwurm, let’s fire off some magic with all our might.”
『Got it. 』
If you want to destroy this “monster vortex”, half-hearted magic is meaningless. This is because if even a small amount of vortex remains, it will immediately recollect the magical power that has been diffused and revive. Therefore, it must be completely annihilated with a single blow.
“Hell Flame Tornado!”
As if engulfing the “monster vortex”, a pillar of flame appears that swirls with tremendous momentum. The heat was so high that the surrounding buildings melted, and even the trees on the street burned out in an instant. When the flames eventually subsided, there was not a fragment of the vortex left.
“Okay, first one cleared. Next is over there. But before that.…. Tracking type Wide-Area Extermination Magic!”
I must clean up the monsters that have already been unleashed on the city. I fired countless arrows of light, piercing only the monsters.
“Gugaaaaa!?”
“Ooouu!”
“Bumoooo!”
I didn’t let any monsters get away, even those stuck between buildings. After verifying that all monsters are cleared, I then hop aboard Lindwurm and head to the vortex at the west of the city.
Then suddenly, as if it understood that I was a threat, flying monsters spewed out from the vortex and rushed towards me all at once.
“Hey, hey, I haven’t done anything to this vortex yet, right? Hmmm, it looks like these vortices are sharing information with each other……”
If such a thing is possible, it is a phenomenon that I did not know about in my previous life.
“If the vortices are magically connected to each other, it is not impossible. But……”
『Master, I think it is not the time to be thinking about that now.』
“Mmm, you’re right.”
We charged straight into the horde of monsters that were rushing at us, each of which are desperate to get ahead of the others. The monsters hit my barrier and were blown away.
“I don’t have time to deal with you guys.”
The key to destroying that vortex is to ignore the monsters that spring up and hit the main body. If I don’t do that, I’ll be forced to fight monsters forever.
“Hell Flame Tornado!”
I unleashed the same spell as before to dissipate the second vortex.
“Tracking type Wide-Area Extermination Magic!”
Then I cleaned up the monsters.
“Phew, I’m really tired. It’s still too much work for a baby’s body after all.”
『Master, the sign of the vortex in the east has disappeared.』
“Meltera did a good job. As expected of her.”
Glancing eastward, I saw what looked like an ice spire. Her magic must have frozen the whole vortex into ice.
“Hmm, as for the arena…… It looks like it’s still there. Well, at worst, Meltera will do something about it.”
With that in mind, I hurried to the vortex at the south of the city.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
“As expected of a tourist town, but maybe it’s just as big as the Southern Margravate.”
“There are so many people of different races here. Shiro-chan does not appear peculiar here.”
It is the third day since we entered the Eastern Margravate. We now arrived at the main town. Same with the Southern Margravate, the roads here are well maintained and there were almost no monsters on the way. The carriage proceeded smoothly and arrived safely in town.
“Hmm, there haven’t been any particular trouble huh.”
“Yes, the town seems to be peaceful.”
Ao, who is on top of Shiro’s head, looks around the area. Although it is lively because there are many beastmen around, there is no trouble so far.
We decided to head to the Adventurer’s Guild first.
“Wow, it’s full of people here too!”
“It’s just evening, so I guess a lot of them have just returned from completing their requests.”
After asking people along the way for directions, we arrived safely at the Adventurer’s Guild. The guild is overflowing with many people. Again, there were more other races than humans, especially beastmen.
We also lined up at the reception desk window. The receptionists here are also of different races, which is a little interesting.
We lined up at the window counter where the one in charge is an elf receptionist.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. What can I do for you?”
“I would like you to take care of our arrival procedures. I also have a letter from the Guild Master of the Southern Margravate that I need to give to the Guild Master here.”
“Mmm. It is indeed addressed to the Guild Master, but the Guild Master is on a business trip to the nearby Viscountcy. I guess he will be back tomorrow, so for this, I think it would be better to send it to him again tomorrow evening.”
“I understand. Thank you very much.”
Hmm, it was a bit of bad timing huh.
Because he is in a high position, he may travel a lot. Well, the Guild Master of the Southern Margravate also said that processing paperwork and such is a lot of work.
“Okay, done. I already completed your arrival formalities. Is there anything else?”
“We are looking for a place to stay. Do you have any recommendations?”
“At this time of year, the inns are full of people who come to see the cherry blossoms, so I think it would be better to stay at an inn exclusively for adventurers. Sakura Inn accepts people of all races so I recommend it.”
“Thank you very much. We are going to stay at Sakura Inn then.”
“It’s just right next to the guild, so I’m sure you’ll find it easily.”
“Thank you very much.”
There seems to be a good place to stay. The regular inns are probably full of guests that are here for the cherry blossom viewing festival.
After leaving the window counter, we then head to the request board in the hall.
“Eh? There is even a request for regular cleaning of the venue in addition to the security of the cherry blossom viewing venue huh.”
“It’s a request unique to this time of year I guess.”
“There’s also a medical staff job request. It says that they require three or more personnel who can use healing magic, and familiars are also fine.”
“It’s just right for someone E rank or above, and the pay is pretty decent too.”
“Mmm. It looks like we can see the cherry blossoms while working, so it’s just right.”
It was a pretty good job request, and it was a job that a normal adventurer couldn’t take on.
Of course, me and Sue are fine, and Shiro has no problem at all as she is with Ao.
When I checked with the receptionist at the counter regarding that job request, I learned that request is yet to be taken, so I immediately accepted it. She had asked me to come to the guild tomorrow morning just to be sure.
Leaving the bustling guild behind, we headed to our destination, Sakura Inn.
“We found it right away!”
“Mmm, it was really close.”
“I mean, I didn’t expect it to be right next door….”
It’s literally only a few steps away after going out of the guild. In the blink of an eye, we arrived at our destination. It’s next to the bustling Adventurer’s Guild, and it certainly seems to be a high threshold for the general public.
“Yes, welcome.”
The person who greeted us was a bear beastman. His wife, also a bear beastman, peeked out from the back.
“Do you have a room available now?”
“Well, there is. But there’s only one room that you can go to right away. It has two bunk beds, so it should be fine for three people.”
Oops, here’s the problem.
There is only one room. I glanced at Sue and smiled at her wryly.
“It’s cherry blossom viewing season, so it can’t be helped. Fortunately, there is still a bed.”
“You’re right. Well, I think there will be a room available in another month. Many of the adventurers are migrant workers after all.”
As what the bear beastman uncle said, I decided that it was much better than us having to sleep rough while camping.
“Then, I’d like that room. Do you have a lodging plan?”
“You can opt to have dinner included. You’ll have to prepare your own breakfast.”
“I see. I would like to book for a month with dinner included please. I’ll pay in advance.”
“Oh~, advance payment huh. That’s very generous of you kid. Alright, I’ll give you a little discount.”
“Sorry for that and thank you very much.”
“Haha, don’t mind. There are idiots who make a fuss about paying later because of not having money, so compared to that, you guys are good customers. Here, it’s the innermost room on the third floor.”
We got the key from the bear beastman uncle. We then head to the third floor. All the rooms at this inn are occupied so there are a lot of adventurers.
“It’s just a normal room.”
“Mmm. But at this level, it’s not a problem at all.”
“Shiro is taking the top bed!”
It’s a room with a simple desk and two bunk beds. Shiro and Ao quickly enter and climb to the top of the bed on the right.
“Hey. Come on, we are going downstairs because it’s time to eat soon.”
“Oka~y.”
Shiro and Ao, who were rolling on the bed, jumped down from the top of the bunk bed.
When we headed to the cafeteria on the first floor, there were already many adventurers there.
“Oh, are you new here?”
“Yes. We’ll be working here from today.”
“So there is a cat-eared little girl and a slime too huh.”
“They are quite an interesting bunch.”
Many people are already in a cheerful mood because they have already had a drink. However, Shiro and Ao are not wary of them. From my point of view, they don’t look like a bad person either.
Looks like we found a good inn this time too.
We sat down and waited for the food.
While we were there, we decided to chat with the other adventurers.
“Where did you guys come from?”
“We took a carriage from the Southern Margravate.”
“Oh, so you’re migrating to work at this time of year?”
“Working is one reason, but we also need to meet a certain person.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Perhaps because they are a bit drunk, they did not make any additional question about the person I was vague about. If they knew that I am going to be meeting the Guild Master and the Margrave of this territory, they would be so surprised for sure.
The conversation turned to the Southern Frontier where we came from.
“Well, speaking of the Southern Margravate, there was a goblin riot a while ago, do you know anything about it?”
“Yes, yes. Apparently, a group of young adventurers were the ones who repelled them.”
“Mmm, I heard a cat-eared girl and a slime defeated the Goblin General…..”
Just then, the gazes of the people who were talking focused on Shiro and Ao. Inevitably, everyone in the cafeteria gathered here. Then, Shiro rummaged through her magic bag and pulled out her guild card.
“Shiro and Ao defeated the Goblin General!”
“Whoa! She sure have a goblin hunter badge on her card.”
“That’s amazing! This is the first time I’ve seen it.”
When Shiro and Ao showed their cards with a smug look on their faces, the adventurers all got excited and made a big fuss.
One of them looked at me and continued,
“T-then…… could it be that the magician who helped capture the member of Red Scorpion at that time….”
“I was only assisting. Shun’s magic was the one that gave the final blow.”
“No, no, just you fighting a member of Red Scorpion is impressive enough.”
“I could tell that this young man is pretty impressive, but Miss is also amazing huh.”
“N-no, not really!”
Sue replied while waving her hand to imply that they are wrong, but she was still surrounded by adventurers.
Uh-, I definitely didn’t expect this to happen.
Before we knew it, we had become celebrities.
“Speaking of which, what kind of request are you going to do?”
“We are going to help with the security at the cherry blossom viewing venue, Sue and I are also healers, and Ao can also use healing magic.”
“““Gahaha!”””
When I told them about the request we took, the adventurers in the cafeteria suddenly started laughing.
Me, Sue, Shiro, and Ao looked at each other. We are all stunned when we saw the adventurers start laughing.
“Hahaha, sorry for bursting into laughter.”
“But it’s what they deserve. Hahaha!”
“They indeed deserve it, wahaha!”
“Uhm, what are you guys talking about?”
“Oh, you guys don’t know? It’s the church of course!”
There’s a dispute between the church and the beastmen, but the human adventurers seem to be involved as well.
Was there something going on between the church and the beastmen, as well as between the church and the adventurers?
“The truth is, the healer party that was in this territory until now got into a dispute with the church so they left and went to another territory. They were shouting something about healing being the church’s domain.”
“With them leaving, the guild has been looking for someone to fill the gap left by the healers. Then, the church said in a condescending tone that they would take on the job only if they are paid ten times the fee.”
“I was there when that happened, and the Guild Master was totally pissed.”
“Recently, the cost of treatment in the church has become higher, and not only us, but also people in the town are refraining from using the church.”
“Hence, we’re now running low on potions. My head hurts all over because of this.”
The adventurers started to complain one after another.
This seems to be worse for the church than I thought.
“Come on, come on, stop the chatter. The food is ready so hurry up and eat.”
“““Okay”””
As if to end our conversation there, the innkeeper brought a large amount of food. Following behind him were two female bear beastman who seemed to be his daughters.
Several adventurers were looking at his daughters with heart marks in their eyes. The two ladies ignored them though. They placed the food in front of Shiro and Ao. They then patted Shiro and Ao’s heads with a smile.
“The meat is delicious!”
“Really? Then eat a lot.”
“Yes!”
Afterwards, they have a nice chat with Shiro who is grinning happily.
It looks like today will end peacefully again. However, I can’t help but feel that things will get turbulent from tomorrow.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
All I could do was stare at its transformation. Darkness erupts from the entire boss area and shrinks towards the werewolf. There was a gurgling sound, like something being choked on underwater, and then the werewolf’s face appeared from the darkness, then shoulders, and eventually, its entire body crawled out. Its eyes were cloudy, and the flesh on its cheek looked slightly blistered.
It bared its fangs as if it was smiling.
Mia exclaimed.
“Rion!”
I was stunned. But luckily, I was able to jump backwards.
Just now, the werewolf zombie leapt towards me and its claws tried to pierce me. Thankfully, I was able to dodge at the last minute. Now it only pierced the air.
“I’ve dived a few times, but I’ve never seen a monster like this!”
Mia was right, there was no warning from the guild. Perhaps this is the first time it has appeared.
I’ve never heard of such a monster in the Eastern Dungeon.
『Rion, call me. 』
Solana said.
『It’s strong. Very strong.』
Fear gripped my heart.
I used the <Alarm> skill to escape. But my head started to shake.
“Eh—”
The light of the unsealing overflows from my pocket for a moment and then it disappeared. What I felt was resistance.
『It’s the seal. The power that seals us in this level is far stronger than any of the previous levels. 』
I was stunned.
The dungeon is a place where the gods have sealed monsters and relics. And the lower the level, the stronger the monsters and items become. If more powerful things lie dormant in the lower floors, it only makes sense that the seals would be stronger.
『The world is filled with sealing magic. And there are places where it’s thicker and thinner. I’d imagined it would be thicker, but never to this extent. 』
The first thing that came to mind was the story of the mountains. When climbing a tall mountain, it is said that it is difficult to breathe near the top. The same may be true for seals. The stronger it is, the more God suffers. That’s why the opportunities for them to materialize are getting shorter.
(I’ll try again.)
This time, I tried to focus even more!
『Remember, in this seal, the time for me to manifest outside is shorter. Rion, I only have one chance to unleash an attack.』
After summoning, it is meaningless if she does not defeat the monster.
“M-Mia-san!”
I frantically made a plan.
“W-we’re going to do it in a two-tier stance.”
“Huh?”
“Me and Mia will weaken the werewolf zombie, and then I’ll uhm… I’ll use a special move to kill the enemy!”
“Special move?”
I think that the werewolf zombie also have high regenerative power. All undead monsters have that ability. So, after weakening it, we’ll head straight to it. Deal damage all at once and don’t give it time to regenerate.
It was a plan based only on knowledge, but Mia-san accepted it.
“I never thought I’d meet such an interesting enemy in the Eastern Dungeon.”
With her fluttering red hair. Mia-san grins as she holds her axe. The chain wrapped around her right arm dangled.
“Looks like this will be fun!”
Mia-san swings the axe towards it but the werewolf zombie catches it with both hands. The blade dug deep into it, spraying green bodily fluids in the process.
Smoke rose from the ground where it fell.
“Poison?”
“I guess so. Mmm, it’s going to be troublesome when we get laced by this guy’s blood.”
I took a deep breath.
‘Poisoned’ is a troublesome status. Of course, we have antidote at ready, but to drink it, we need to stop fighting. The first step for an adventurer is to be able to drink medicine even when out of breath in battle. It’s best not to have that kind of opening.
“I’ll use my skill.”
Skill, 『Sun’s Divine Protection』was used. Executing 【Golden Flame】 ―――――――――――――――――――― 【Golden Flame】 …… Improves your physical abilities for a limited time.
I stepped in and accelerated. I swung my short sword at the werewolf zombie, its arm was severed and was sent flying. The werewolf zombie immediately jumped back and looked at me in shock.
But….. is it laughing?
『Regeneration huh.』
The lost arm was quickly woven back together with flesh and bone. It swung its claws smeared with poison, scattering the poison like bullets.
“It’s dangerous! Dodge!”
I dodged quickly, but Mia-san was hit.
Smoke was rising from her right arm, which was wrapped in chains. Her leather armor had also melted, and it must have reached her skin!
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. You too, don’t rub your eyes or mouth.”
Mia-san picks up her axe. She shook her head to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
“T-the longer this goes on, the worse it is for us.”
“Mmm. We have to end this battle quick.”
My heart has been beating fast for a while now.
Was I rushing too much? Was my judgement wrong?
I want to return to my calm self, but the fear of the werewolf zombie won’t let me.
“Calm down. Your sister is waiting for you, right?”
That’s right.
The image of Lu and Mom appeared in my head, and my fear eased a little.
I can’t let any more family members be killed!
“Mia-san, we need to stop it from moving first.”
“……Got it.”
Mia smiled.
“I have an idea too, it’s a little dangerous, but can you get its attention for a while?”
Mia and I exchanged glances and then we nodded almost simultaneously.
The werewolf zombie turns its head this way. Its clouded eyes and bared fangs seemed to be saying. “Come, try and kill me if you can.”
“I just want you to promise me one thing.”
“W-what is it?”
“I want you to tell me as much of your secret as you can when we’re done with this.”
Mia-san added, “It’s just a hunch but…… your skill isn’t just magic or appraisal, isn’t it?”
Mia-san is trustworthy. No, I want to believe her.
Believe in her much stronger than before!
“I understand.”
“Alright. Well then, let me show you the power of my Axeman skill.”
The werewolf zombie pounced on us, and we quickly scattered. The stamina of the undead is inexhaustible. With muscles that seem to burst, its attacks rain down one after another.
I couldn’t withstand all of its attack. They were poisonous, too.
I could only dodge them.
With my physical abilities enhanced by my skill, I will keep it here. I shouldn’t be hit. But I won’t let it go past me either.
I will stop it here.
“Now, Rion!”
At Mia-san’s signal, I moved back at once. In that moment, something was hurled at the werewolf zombie, passing me by.
“Axe……?”
The werewolf zombie dodged the axe, but it had a chain attached to it.
Chain axe.
The iron chains wrapped around the werewolf zombie’s rotten arm, stopping it from moving.
It howled loudly. Mia-san’s skill blocked the werewolf zombie’s movements as it tried to tear it apart.
“Ummm!”
“Immovable” —in short, it’s the ability of the 『Axeman』 skill that allows her to stand her ground, and it’s extremely useful. Not being broken is a great strength in actual battles.
The movement of the werewolf zombie stopped. It’s as if it was tied to a rock.
I kicked the ground. The ability “Golden Flame” has one minute left. Holding the blue crystal short sword, I shot at it like an arrow.
“Haaa!”
The blade of the sword dug into the throat of the werewolf zombie. Using the momentum, I twisted my short sword with force. Green poison splattered onto my arm, causing a stinging pain similar to that of a burn.
In exchange for the damage to both my arms, I was sure that I had dealt a fatal blow to the werewolf zombie, but when I kicked the monster’s shoulder and retreated, its nearly torn head and torso had already begun to regenerate.
“I-it can even recover from that……!?”
There is not much time left for the skill.
『Rion, don’t forget.』
Right.
I’ll leave the rest to the Goddess.
I took out a mana herb-infused magical potion from my pouch and drank it quickly. This was just to be safe, as there was strong resistance to my Alarm skill.
The first thing my father taught me as an aspiring adventurer was how to drink potions in fierce battles. I put a small amount in my mouth, let my tongue get used to it, and then I drink the required amount of one small bottle at once.
Skill, 『Alarm』was used. Executing 【Unseal】
“Well done, Rion.”
Solana jumps out into the air and smiles at me.
Then she looked down at the crumbling head of the werewolf zombie and its body that was beginning to regenerate.
“……Poor thing. You’ve been twisted by the power of darkness into an undead being. Even though you’re a monster, now that the seal has been released, you too are a living being.”
Solana shook her head. Her bangles and her blonde hair sparkled with her movement.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the sun.”
A black shadow erupted from the werewolf zombie, seemingly competing with Solana’s light. But only for a moment. Light pours down from Solana. The werewolf zombie became the original werewolf and then it turned to ashes.
Glittering crystals floated in the air and dropped down.
“Mmm……, I guess that’s my limit huh.”
Solana came down close to the ground, looking a little exhausted. There is no trace of the monster anymore.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yes. You did well. I’ll rest in the coin for a bit.”
Solana burst into a flash of light and returned to the gold coin.
Mia-san approached me.
“……That last attack was amazing. With that light, it purified the monster in an instant. Are you from a family of priests?”
“Eh?”
Solana doesn’t seem to be visible to Mia-san.
Then…..
Sure enough, Lu’s eyes are special huh.
I turned to Mia-san.
“That’s my ability.”
“Heh~……ability to purify monsters huh.”
“No. My skill 『Alarm』has the ability to unseal a special being like the light you saw earlier.”
I gathered up my courage and told her about what my skill really is.
“Unseal……”
“The one who defeated the werewolf zombie earlier was an ancient goddess who was sealed like the monsters here.”
Mia-san’s eyes blinked and she looked deeply shocked.
Well, that’s to be expected….
I don’t think she’s an overly devout follower of Oudis-sama so I think it’s okay to use the word like “unseal” but…
“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”
“No, it was just a little unexpected. I just thought it was a high-level magic-related skill, like 『High Priest』 or 『Great Sage』. And that you saying that you have『Alarm』skill is just a way to make sure you do not stand out.”
Mia scratched her head.
Then she grinned at me.
“W-well, I understand now. Then, can I see that goddess too?”
『Yes. I can make it so you can see me. 』
“Ah!? W-whose voice is that?!”
“Oh that……well, I’ll introduce her to you later.”
Maybe it was because I was tired, but I feel like my ears are ringing. But I felt a heat that was just as strong as the fatigue.
What is this feeling, could it be―
You have leveled up. You are now level 11.
I was thrilled.
“L-level 11……!?”
Level 10 is considered to be past the beginner level. I jumped over it and went up two levels at once. It took me two years after my father died, and I finally got out of the beginner level of adventurers.
All the hardships, debts, waking-up jobs and many other things came down on me all at once. I am pretty much overwhelmed with emotion.
『Rion, you are going to investigate this floor, right? 』
(Y-yes.)
After we finished healing ourselves, as adventurers, we collected the boss’ magic stone and dropped items. Normally, the boss would also drop fangs or claws, but since it had turned into a zombie, it didn’t drop anything like that.
However—
“What a magic stone of great purity.”
I couldn’t help but blurt out.
The werewolf’s magic stone is the size of a fist, but the color was so deep that I felt like I am being sucked in. It is dark blue in color, the color of dawn, just like the sky before dawn.
I hold it in my hand. It’s chilly and cold. It seemed to be filled with an enormous amount of magical power.
“Shall we head back?”
“No, I want to explore a little more.”
If the werewolf that Lu dreamed of was that werewolf zombie, this might make her feel better. However, I wanted to find out why the anomaly in the Eastern Dungeon affected Lu.
The boss area of the dungeon is basically a dead end. By the way, there are six stairs to descend in at the Eastern Dungeon, and they all lead to different spaces. This means that one can fight up to 6 bosses at a time.
So, the worst thing is that if I can’t find anything here, I’ll have to go down to a different boss area from another staircase.
“Huh?”
I felt a faint breeze from the wall. It was a wind imbued with magical power, much like that of a spirit stone.
“Is there something ahead—?”
When I looked closely, I can see two pillars standing by the wall. It was as if it was an entrance to something.
—Something that was sleeping at the bottom of the dungeon.
There was only one word that came to my mind.
『Unseal』
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
We entered the dungeon. My throat felt tight. I walked down the familiar stairs leading down to the bottom floor. I can’t believe that there is so much tension just because my destination is different.
“Rion, are you serious?”
Mia-san asked me.
I looked at the short sword I held on my left and took a deep breath.
“Yes. Today I’ll be aiming for the boss on the lowest floor.”
There is a boss in the dungeon. As the name suggests, it is the strongest monster in the dungeon. The adventurer first aims for this lowest-level boss. Killing it, one can obtain magical power, making it easy to level up. And sometimes, the boss monster even drops powerful items.
Defeating the boss of the dungeon is also an achievement for adventurers. You could say that a dungeon boss is the keeper of high-priced magic stones and items, and it’s also the keeper of the right for an adventurer to challenge other dungeons.
Above all that, it may also be the key to Lu’s illness.
“Hmm… Well, I think it’ll be okay even if it’s just the two of us.”
Mia-san crosses her arms.
“Rion is level 9 and I’m level 30 after all.”
“………Right.”
I’m sorry for relying on you too much.
The boss of the Eastern Dungeon is said to be around level 10. A level 10 adventurer can defeat it solo, and a level 5 adventurer can win against it with a party of three.
Well, this dungeon is known as the dungeon for beginners, so the boss is not very strong.
“There have been cases where other parties have challenged the boss after the skeletons started appearing. But apparently, the boss was just as good as before.”
“Still, we can’t let our guard down.”
“Right. I know that. That there are no absolutes in the dungeon. Adventurers don’t usually go on adventures because of that.”
Mia-san and I went down the exploration layer and headed straight to the level where the target enemy is.
『Rion, be careful. 』
It was Solana’s voice.
『……I’m slowly starting to remember many things since we came in this dungeon today. 』
(Eh?)
『The things in my head that I couldn’t remember, I’m gradually recalling them. 』
『It might have something to do with the anomaly I’m about to talk about』
Solana added.
『Dungeons are the place where monsters are sealed away, and it is managed by the skills of the Royal family, right? 』
I nodded.
The dungeon has been sealed with a powerful seal. It was said that it’s due to the Royal family’s skills, but that’s just a rumor. Not much information reaches the commoners after all.
『The sudden appearance of the skeleton probably means that the seal has been loosened. 』
(……That’s certainly true, but ….…)
Is there such a thing?
(Ah!)
Such possibility made me turn pale.
Could it be that I “unsealed” it without my knowing?
『It’s not you. It did not look like that. Someone else has unsealed the dungeon. 』
I felt more desperate than ever.
『The founding myth of the country says that the gods won a crushing victory. But…… when I look at the monsters, I can’t help but think that it is different. 』
I glance sideways at Mia-san.
It was hard to respond, but Solana kept talking. It was as if she is venting her anxiety.
『It wasn’t a crushing victory. The gods were oppressed. My…..』
Solana suddenly stopped talking up there.
『Yes, that’s right. Why did I forget all this……the seal, my memory…… Maybe that is also why I am only starting to remember it now. 』
(What’s wrong?)
『……My loved ones have lost their lives in the final battle. 』
(……T-they’re dead?)
『The death of a God, annihilation. 』
I gasped in shock.
Mia-san looks at me suspiciously.
『There’s something about the founding myth and these dungeons where monsters can be resurrected that’s worrying me. I have a bad, very bad feeling about both. Rion, be especially careful today…… Even if you think you can win, I want you have to be extra careful.』
Roger that.
With that intention, I stared straight ahead.
“Rion, what’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just…… let’s be more vigilant.”
“I see. It’s true that the dungeon is awfully quiet today.”
I also found that strange.
Somehow, there is no sign of activity in the dungeon today. May that of the monsters or people. Well, it’s still early in the morning, so there are no other adventurers around.
But monsters…..
Our footsteps echoed inside the dungeon.
『The sealing magic must be stronger once deeper in the dungeon. My manifestation is also limited in time. 』
My ability, 【Unseal】 does not use magical power. But of course, it puts a strain on Solana.
(I’ll try to do it on my own as much as I can.)
With such determination, we descended the stairs to the boss’ room.
A werewolf has appeared.
A voice from God echoed in my head. Unlike Solana, it was businesslike and lifeless, it’s more like a voice transmission.
There are two red lights in the dark.
They were eyes.
Mia-san crouched down.
“It’s here.”
The boss of the Eastern Dungeon is a monster called werewolf. It was a wolf standing on two feet, and it was the first time I had seen it in person.
It is a head taller than an adult. It is covered in dark fur and I could see bulging muscles undulating in its arms and legs.
Awooooo.
It howled. The air shivered, and my heart felt like it was going to freeze.
“Are you scared?”
Shaking my head at Mia-san, I hold up my blue crystal short sword.
“Wake up!”
The crystal shone and the spirit released its power. A wind blade reaches the werewolf. But I only made a small scratch on its arm.
It’s tough!
Mia-san and I faced the werewolf, keeping a distance that allowed us to cover each other.
『There’s something strange about its presence……』
Solana spoke.
The werewolf did not move even though it was injured. It’s as if it doesn’t feel any pain.
Mia-san also felt suspicious. She readjusts her chain axe.
“It’s strange, it’s supposed to be an aggressive monster.”
Once again, a voice rang in my head. But it’s much darker and murkier than usual.
Werewolf has appeared. ―――― Human※are※※Ki※※
I had never heard a voice like that before. I feel shiver down my spine. It’s like something tingly crawled all over my body.
It’s fear.
Like that fear when Gideon took me to a back alley and grabbed my throat.
A werewolf zombie has appeared.
The darkness in the area converged towards the werewolf.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
In the vineyard, clusters of dark grapes are waiting to be harvested.
I see.
Now it was clear why the two of them were so surprised.
The grapes this time are sparkling. It’s the same as the grass in the pasture. This is what happens when the grapes are of particularly good quality.
“Cedie-sama, what is going on with these grapes?”
“Hmm…maybe it is vintage year?”
On Gandalcia, we can harvest in three days, so I guess it should be called vintage week?
No, it’s not that often that special crops are harvested….
In that case, should it be vintage month?
It will be interesting to see how much of a difference there is. I couldn’t taste the grass, but I’m grateful to be able to try the grapes directly.
“Let’s taste it.”
The moment I picked one grain, the juice in it burst out.
Hoh~,this looks promising….
I put the grape in my mouth, careful not to let any more juice drip out.
Delicious!
The sweetness and aroma are much better than the previous grapes.
“The juice is thicker than usual……”
Even the taciturn Pino has a smile on her lips.
“If we make wine with these grapes, I’m sure that it will be much more delicious! Let’s do it today!”
All of us nodded in agreement.
✲✲✲
After nine days, the aging of the wine prepared with sparkling grapes was completed. I did not taste it this time, so I don’t know how it turned out yet. This batch was stored in the large hole, so it matured perfectly.
I decided to take it out of the barrel today.
I don’t know where they heard it from, but the islanders are all here. What’s more, each one had their own wine glass in one hand. Nowald-sensei and Lulu also came with them.
“Guys, what’s going on? Why are you all holding a wine glass?”
I pretended not to understand, so Upa spoke on behalf of the others.
“Cedie, don’t be so mean. We all heard you’ve made some amazing wine this time. We are not asking for a glass full, just let us have a taste, well, just half a sip. That’s it!”
I stopped teasing them.
“I’m kidding. Of course we’re all going to taste it. I think this one is going to be amazing.”
I used a long dropper to pour wine into everyone’s glasses.
“Well then, let’s toast to the prosperity of the island and everyone’s health with some vintage wine!”
The wine turned out just as expected, no, it’s even better than I expected.
“Oi oi oi, how can we put a price on this!”
Upa covers his forehead with his left hand and shakes his head.
It looked like he is very tangled.
Lynn is super excited too.
“This is an exquisite delicacy that you might not even find in a high-end restaurant in the Capital!!”
“Really? Then, how about 10,000 crown coins for one bottle?”
When I suggested that, it was denied by everyone in the room except for Char.
“Eh~, what should be the appropriate price then?”
“Hmm, how about asking a wealthy person for advice? Someone who knows a lot about wine could give you a fair price.”
I see. What Lynn said is reasonable.
But who is this rich man?
Alexei-oniisan is rich, but I think if I showed him something like this, it would be taken from me for sure. He’s such an unreasonable Earl, who says what’s mine is mine and what’s my brother’s is mine as well.
Wait….Speaking of an Earl, there’s also Earl Simpson, Eugenie’s father!
Earl Simpson is a fair man, and I’m sure he’ll give me a fair price for it. I’ve also heard from Eugenie that he knows a lot about wine. Conveniently, this afternoon, Eugenie will be here to attend Nowald-sensei’s lecture.
When she goes home, I will ask Gian to take me with them.
After Nowald-sensei’s lecture, Eugenie and I went to Earl Simpson’s house.
“Father is picky about wine but I’m sure he’ll appreciate Cedie’s wine. He complimented your wine when he had it last time.”
“This one is better than the one before.”
I am confident, but I am still nervous in front of the Earl.
When I was ushered into the waiting room, I honestly confessed to Earl Simpson that I was worried about the price of the wine so I am here to ask his opinion.
“You priced the wine we had last time at 5,000 crown coins? I think that’s too cheap.”
“Well…. then I suggested that we price this one at 10,000 crown coins this time, but the manager and the head chef at the auberge objected to it. They said that 10,000 crowns was too cheap.”
“Hoh~, so this one is more than that huh.”
“I have come here to ask the Earl, who is a wine connoisseur, to make a decision, so please help me.”
Earl Simpson gave a wry smile.
“It’s still bright outside, but with you asking me this way, I can’t say no then. Alright, let me have a sip.”
The Earl asked for a wine glass. As the Doritos, the head butler, opened the cork with graceful dexterity, the Earl said to him,
“Just a little. I still have some afternoon work to do.”
Earl Simpson is a modest man, so he doesn’t go to work while drunk. I’m sure he turned a blind eye to his principles for me.
A small mouthful of wine was placed in front of the Earl.
“Hmm, it got a nice color, reminiscent of a beautiful garnet.”
After saying that, the Earl brings the wine glass closer to his nose and enjoys the aroma coming from the wine.
“This is……”
Surprised, the Earl shook the glass wine, swirled the wine around and then he brought the wine glass closer to his nose again.
“Excellent!”
So far, the review looks good.
I nervously watched the Earl’s movements. Earl Simpson also looks nervous, but was I imagining it?
Oh, the Earl is trembling as he puts the glass of wine into his mouth.
Sure enough, this one is indeed a fine wine huh.
“Doritos, pour me some more. More than before is fine.”
After taking another sip of the wine that Butler Doritos had poured, the Earl turned to me.
“I get why the manager and the head chef at your place rejected your price. There’s no way this wine is worth 10,000 crown coins. I can’t even imagine how much it would actually cost.”
“Is it really that good?”
“It tastes better than even the vintages of Chateau Priabec, which is said to be the best in the world. If word gets out, any wine lover will definitely want this.”
Earl Simpson drank the last drop regretfully.
“Cedie, you brought me two bottles of wine today, right?”
“Yes, I brought it with me with the intention of giving them to the Earl.”
“Thank you. However, I’m thinking of taking one of these to the Capital.”
“Ah? Taking it to the Capital…. uhm, what are you planning to do with it?”
“I’m going to have my acquaintances try it and get their opinions as well. Everyone will be happy to drink it for sure. We can hold a private auction there. I’ll raise the price as much as I can, so you can look forward to it.”
Earl Simpson winked playfully.
“By the way, how much of this wine do you have in stock?”
“It’s about a hundred and sixty bottles, but I’d like to keep some of them. I want to give some to my second brother, Paul-oniisan as well. I can only sell a little over 100 bottles.”
“Hahaha, Cedie-kun is indeed not a greedy one. Oh, let me tell you, vintages from Chateau Priavec can go a million a bottle.”
“That much!?”
“Yes. So, are you sure you’re only going to sell 100 bottles?”
“That’s right. I’ll only sell 100 bottles.”
Money is important, but the happy faces of Upa and the others and my brother are even more important.
“Understood. Then I’ll leave the packing of the wine to you. I swear on my pride that I won’t disappoint you.”
I think it’s better to leave this to the Earl. But I do feel bad asking him to go to that length for my wine.
“….But, I think you don’t need to go all the way to the Capital for me after all.”
“No, I have an errand to run anyway. You must have heard it, haven’t you? The wedding of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, is coming up. There’s a lot of things to do to prepare for that.”
Come to think of it, I think I read it in the newspaper.
Oh-, then since it’s just a side trip, there’s no need to be shy, I guess.
I decided to leave the matter of selling the wine to Earl Simpson and then I went back to Gandalcia.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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