Chapter 120 : Just a Pumpkin Candy
Just a Pumpkin Candy
After refusing the medal ceremony, I felt a pain in my stomach.
The reward.
My reward.
The thought of it hurt my head enough to split it open, but what could I do?
I should just curse the fate that made me start as a necromancer.
"Wow..."
With my head in my hands, I turned towards the exclamation I heard beside me.
There was Serena's face.
She was exclaiming in awe, her eyes darting around.
We were currently in Belhaim's central plaza. The place was filled with a festive atmosphere.
The volcano had calmed down, and the 'Abyssification' dungeon was dealt with, so it was understandable that people were celebrating.
"It's more amazing than I expected."
People filled the streets, and music and laughter erupted everywhere.
Every time Serena looked around, her eyes sparkled brightly.
"Is this your first festival?"
At my question, Serena nodded.
The day after refusing the medal ceremony.
When we grew bored of staying just at the inn, Serena suggested we check out the festival.
I was the only one who accepted her suggestion. Barkal said he'd stay behind to train, and Miriam claimed she hated crowded places.
As a result, Serena and I were the only ones watching the Belhaim festival.
"Yes, brother."
Serena smiled brightly. Her blonde hair gleamed softly, reflecting the festival lantern light.
As usual, she wore a robe over her cleric's vestment, but the festival mood made her blue eyes look especially lively.
"Me too."
I agreed with her.
A festival.
When I thought back, I couldn't remember any proper festival I had attended.
The most I'd seen was the weekly village market or something similar.
As a kid, I'd pay money to ride the little viking boat and such. These days, I missed being able to see things like that.
Anyway, this festival was on a much bigger scale than those markets.
There wouldn't be a mini viking ride here, would there?
"Do barbarians not enjoy festivals?"
While I searched around for a mini viking ride, Serena asked me a question.
Do barbarians not enjoy festivals? How was I supposed to answer that?
Honestly, I didn't know much. But, Thrag was also the god of 'revelry,' and knowing barbarians, wouldn't they have fully enjoyed festivals?
"Barbarians have their own festivals too."
"If it's a barbarian festival, then of course... fighting, wrestling, things like that, right?!"
Most likely.
"I really want to see it sometime! I'm pretty confident in fighting too!"
I doubt there's anyone in our adventurer party who doesn't know how confident you are in that.
"Look, they're selling pumpkin candy over there!?"
Serena pointed toward a street stall.
Her blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. Serena's expressions were always lively, but thanks to the festival, she felt even more animated.
Where she pointed, there were pumpkins coated in what looked like sugar, stuck on sticks.
As we got closer, a sweet scent tickled my nose.
"I'll buy it."
Since Serena seemed interested, I figured I could buy her one.
I reached into my jacket for my wallet, but before I could pay the merchant—
"I-I should be the one to buy it for you!"
Instead, Serena paid the stall owner first and bought two pumpkin candies.
But then, Serena handed both of them to me.
"Hm?"
What?
Didn't you buy those to eat yourself?
As I silently stared, Serena tilted her head.
"Didn't you want to eat pumpkin candy?"
"W-Well, I do..."
But...?
"I've been avoiding sweet foods as much as possible."
Avoiding sweets? That surprised me.
Is the 《Dungeon God》 world this scientifically advanced? There are people doing low-carb diets already?
"Sweets are one of the things our doctrine asks us to avoid."
Fortunately, it wasn't a low-carb thing, but part of her doctrine. Even so, it felt a bit odd.
"I mean, sweet food is more tempting than others, isn't it?"
"That's right."
"We are priests of Liberas. Our doctrine is all about love and equality."
So that's why they avoid sweets—to not be swayed by temptation.
* 〈Liberas tilts their head.〉 *
Huh?
That sudden text appeared, and I too tilted my head.
It looked like Liberas was dissatisfied with that doctrine.
"If it's just the doctrine, wouldn't it be alright to eat it as long as Liberas hasn't forbidden it?"
Even at my words, Serena shook her head.
"Doctrine is doctrine. If I break it, wouldn't I be a bad example to others?"
That was true too.
"But—"
Serena added softly.
"Rejecting food offered by someone important to you is also an act against the doctrine."
I looked at Serena, who sounded a bit embarrassed.
Is this really okay, Liberas?
* 〈Liberas grants permission.〉 *
The texts shown thanks to the 'Rune of the Abyss' are actually useful in times like this.
"It's my gift, Serena."
I handed the pumpkin candy to Serena. She took it with a radiant smile.
"Thank you, brother Dmihtan!"
With the brightest face in the world, she popped the pumpkin candy into her mouth. She looked genuinely happy—it must have tasted good.
I took a bite as well. The sweet pumpkin flavor spread in my mouth. It was tastier than expected.
"But Brother Dmihtan."
"What is it?"
"Are you really not going to accept the medal?"
Serena asked cautiously. I really wanted to avoid this topic.
"That's right."
"Why?"
Serena asked so innocently. Her question was so pure and devoid of any ulterior motive that I couldn't answer right away.
Reason being,
I can't exactly say "Because if I touch holy water, I'll be X-ed" as a necromancer.
Ugh.
How do I even explain this?
I held my head, lost in thought.
"If it's hard to talk about, you don't have to say anything."
Maybe she sensed my struggle, because Serena spoke up before I could answer.
"After all! You're the one who accepted me into the adventurer party without a word when I had nowhere to go!"
She said, clenching her fist firmly.
"Serena..."
"Are you moved by my words?"
"If I had known you were a cleric who likes to punch things, I would have thrown you out."
"T-That's so harsh..."
Serena instantly became crestfallen.
But isn't it strange that I brought her along despite knowing she's a punch-happy cleric?
Well, at this point, it probably doesn't matter. I already knew her skills as an Apostle of Liberas were formidable.
And I knew she was someone I could trust.
"I'm joking, Serena."
"R-Really?"
She quickly regained her energy at my words.
Her expressions really do change in a flash.
* * *
Once we arrived at 'The Great Haven' inn, where we were staying for a bit, I headed straight up to the third floor.
I wanted to share the festival food with Barkal, but even when I opened the room, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did Brother Barkal go?"
Serena tilted her head.
"Miriam isn't here either?"
We looked around the room but neither was there. So I went down to the first floor and spoke to a staff member.
"Haven't you seen our party members?"
"If you mean your companions... Oh!"
The inn staff seemed to have remembered something.
"You mean the barbarian with the skull helmet, right?"
"That's right."
"Well, I saw the barbarian head out to the backyard together with a visitor."
The staff answered cleanly. But a visitor?
"Yes, I think it was a young man... no, not so much young, maybe a child."
A child came to see us? Was it a visitor for Barkal? Maybe another barbarian from his tribe.
"Was it just those two?"
I asked if Miriam was there, but the staff shook their head.
"Yes."
Just those two.
So, miriam hasn't returned yet.
"Shall we go to the backyard too?"
I nodded at Serena's suggestion. It's best to eat the food before it gets cold.
* * *
As soon as we arrived at the backyard, following the staff's instructions, the sight we saw was—
"Brother, you've come?"
"U-Urgh..."
Barkal, and at his feet, a man lying sprawled out.
I couldn't tell if he was an adult or a child. His face was bruised all over, and his clothes were covered in dust.
"What happened...?"
Serena said in shock. At her, Barkal spoke with a satisfied expression.
"We just had a conversation!"
A conversation?
Does that look like someone who just had a conversation to you?
It was probably another "conversation of iron," or "physical conversation", or whatever.
"A physical conversation, of course!"
I knew it. Exasperated, I sighed deeply. Barkal began waving his hand as if to explain himself.
"I didn't suggest it! This guy said it first!"
"What did he say?"
"He said he wanted to talk!"
Then you maniac—
He probably seriously wanted to talk.
As I frowned at Barkal, his eyes—visible through the skull helmet—started to waver.
"... Did I get it wrong again!?"
Yeah, you did.
"U-Ugh..."
Just as I was about to scold Barkal, the collapsed man groaned and barely moved.
"Wait a second!"
While examining the man, Serena's eyes went wide as if she discovered something.
"That necklace!"
Serena pointed at the man's necklace. It seemed he'd tried to hide it under his robe, but it must have fallen out after Barkal hit him.
Following her words, I studied the necklace.
It was finely crafted from gold and silver. In the center, a red gem was embedded.
It looked expensive—definitely the kind nobles would wear.
Barkal, you bastard!
Did you hit a noble?
If you mess with nobility, it's nothing but trouble!
I couldn't let this slide. I'd have to set him straight this time.
"That's a necklace of the Kerval royal family."
What?
I turned to Serena after she said that.
Is this a joke, Serena?
That's what I thought, but her face was deathly pale.
The man Barkal had beaten up with "barbarian diplomacy" wasn't just a noble.
He was—
Royalty.