Chapter 26
The Lament of Count Clermont
If we were to categorize this within the realm of quests, it would fall under the extermination type.
In his lifetime, Count Clermont was known as an excellent mage and a martial artist.
Because of this, he achieved various military feats, amassed wealth, and his family was considered prosperous.
However, after encountering a certain treasure, his fortunes took a drastic turn for the worse, leading to his ruin.
"That's the count's mansion over there."
"It stinks."
"Right?"
Even if we were to describe the count's story with the phrase "the rise and fall of fortunes," I doubt anyone expected it to decline to this extent.
On the way after accepting the quest, Dent-san explained the past of Count Clermont, which is known in this world, filling in the gaps in my knowledge.
For the most part, the information I knew matched up, and the layout information Dent-san heard from an architect was also correct.
Except for the fact that it's dirtier and more filled with the stench of rotting filth than Nel and Amina had imagined, everything is going according to plan.
"My nose is going to fall off."
"Mine too."
Even desperately covering our noses with masks, the stench pierces through.
"Why is there so much garbage here?"
"Look over there, there's a lot of food waste."
Exceeding our worst expectations, are we really going in here? They both ask me, but cruelly, I nod.
The nobles in this area have also fled because of this stench.
Even spending a fortune to carry out extermination efforts has failed.
Even pushing the job onto the guild doesn't solve it quickly, and even the outlaws seem to say they'd rather not live here, turning the area around this garbage-filled mansion into a ghost town.
It's beyond eerie; it's physiologically disgusting.
"Ah, the people living near the mansion got tired of disposing of their food waste and started dumping it here. It piled up and accumulated to this state."
Additionally, a vicious cycle has worsened the environment to its worst.
"Aren't they worried about diseases?"
"The priests regularly purify this area, so there's no need to worry about that. But fundamentally, unless something is done about the mansion, it's going to cost a lot, and while the temple is making a fortune, the country is at its wits' end."
"What a waste."
"But I can understand why no one wants to get near this place."
We're about to enter such a place.
"Alright, let's go!"
"……"
"……"
"Sigh, girls, I understand how you feel, but this is also part of the job."
Trying to psych ourselves up, but the two of them look at us as if in final resistance, and Dent-san, sighing through his mask, reluctantly pats their backs.
Reluctantly, they nod, and we enter through the wide-open gate.
"So? Where do we enter? Not just the entrance, but the entire first floor is buried in garbage."
"Really, where did all this garbage come from?"
"Hey."
As expected of a former count's estate, the grounds are vast.
We can proceed along the stone-paved path, pulling a cart through the overgrown weeds.
At the end of such a path lies the ruined mansion.
A mountain of garbage that makes you wonder how it was physically collected.
Furniture, buckets, daily necessities, clothes—those are understandable.
Even small weapons, well, that's also understandable.
The problem is the quantity.
How was this physically collected? Nel raises the question of the mass, but no one present can answer.
"Of course, we'll break through the front. Let's head over there first."
The front door is wide open, with garbage spilling out.
Our destination is right in front of the main entrance.
We pull the cart to the front door.
"Hey, by the way, doesn't the count's ghost appear?"
"Speaking of which, we entered normally, but don't ghosts usually attack right away?"
"The ghosts here won't attack unless certain conditions are met."
"Certain conditions?"
Nel tilts her head, puzzled by the lack of any attacks so far, looking around.
Amina also looks around, but it's eerily quiet, with no sign of any ghosts.
"The condition for their appearance is stealing the treasure. Well, since we know we'll be attacked, we need to prepare for the interception first."
"Hey, monk, isn't it about time you explained your so-called secret plan? It's just us here."
"That's true."
Putting down the cart, we remove the cloth.
"This is the secret plan."
"Even if you call it a secret plan, there's just a huge barrel and a small barrel, and this is... salt? And over here, a fishing net? And this is the lid and bar for the big barrel? Over here, a tent? And four ropes with hooks..."
The items, which don't look like fighting tools at all, eventually lead to skeptical looks.
I lick the salt from the pot and let out a big sigh.
"Hey, hey, there's no magic stones or talismans? Are you really sure about this?"
"Should we back out?"
"...As long as that confidence doesn't break, I'll stick with you."
But even so, seeing my unshaken composure, they seem to have decided to see it through to the end, with a resolve akin to resignation.
"Alright, first, let's set up the tent. The entrance should face the front door."
"Got it."
"Okay."
"Sigh, are you really sure about this?"
We prepare and assemble the tent from the cart.
It's a simple adventurer's tent, but it's spacious enough for three people to sleep together, so the entrance and interior are quite roomy.
And with four of us assembling it, it's done in no time.
"The tent's set up."
"Next, let's unload all the tools from the cart and put the cart inside the tent."
What we do next is unload the cart.
We unload everything and push the empty cart into the tent.
"So? You're not saying that putting the cart in the tent and using it as a shield is your secret plan, are you?"
"Ghosts can pass through a single layer of cloth, right? That's not it. We can do something much safer."
As the bizarre scene unfolds, I grin at Dent-san, whose exasperated expression has only deepened, and pull out the Moti Dungeon key from my pouch.
"You, you haven't used that yet?"
Since we went to get it together, he knows what it is.
"I'll explain later, but we're going to use this to create a dungeon here."
Using the dungeon key, we create a dungeon entrance that perfectly overlaps with the tent's entrance.
"Now, let's move all the unloaded items inside."
"Alright."
"Okay."
"We're going in now."
The reason we set up the tent was to hide this dungeon. It might be discovered later, but it's still better than not doing it at all.
Starting with the large barrel, we finish by moving in the hooked ropes.
"It doesn't stink!"
"I feel alive again!"
"Ah, the dungeon is amazing. It completely shuts out the outside smell."
I was worried that the inside of the Moti Dungeon might also stink, but it's a relief that it doesn't.
Being able to take a deep breath is wonderful!
Everyone takes off their masks and enjoys the fresh air inside the dungeon.
"Alright, stay as you are and pay attention! I've already explained to the two of you, but I'll explain the upcoming strategy to Dent-san now."
"Yeah, I was just about to ask."
Yes, fresh air.
With that in mind, I explain the simple strategy I know for the Lament of Count Clermont.
We've made preparations for this.
"The logic makes sense. But are you sure it will work?"
"It will work."
And with that, Dent-san, seemingly convinced, nods.
"The key is timing, speed, and a quick attack. We only have one barrel, so if we fail, we retreat."
"Got it. Then first,"
Judging that there's no problem with the strategy, he glances at the barrel sitting in the first square.
"We need to fill this with water."
"That's the tough part."
A barrel so large that a person could lie down in it with room to spare.
We have one for each person, but filling them with small buckets is quite a task.
In a way, this is the hardest part.
"The water source is just before the boss room, so let's bring it from there."
Smiling, I hand the barrel to Dent-san.
"Sigh, if I had known this, I would have called that guy."
Along with the sigh, he mentions "that guy."
"That guy?"
"Yeah, you girls have met him too, right? That bear guy. He could carry a barrel this size filled with water without a problem."
"Wow, he's that strong?"
"He's one of the top in terms of strength in our guild."
That bear person we met at the adventurer's guild.
Indeed, with that physique and muscle mass, it wouldn't be strange if he could lift it.
"Can't you do it, Dent-san?"
"Hey, girl. I'm good at scouting, archery, and delicate tasks. Don't think I have the same skill set as those brute strength guys, okay? Carrying something like this would break my back."
In this world, level is everything; even someone with slender arms can easily lift a huge iron ball.
But, level-wise, Dent-san wouldn't be able to carry this barrel if it were filled with water.
Skills are also a factor.
Well, of course.
And so, the task of filling the water began in a somewhat relaxed manner.
"It took a ridiculously long time, huh."
"It took longer than I thought."
We did it bucket relay style, but there's quite a distance from the water source to the entrance.
With Dent-san, who has the longest stride and the highest level, filling the barrel while keeping an eye on the entrance, and me at the far end, with Nel and Amina relaying in between, but enough time passed to make us hungry.
"Well, it's a blessing to have a meal in a place that doesn't stink."
"It's my mom's homemade lunch! It's delicious."
"Yeah, Nel's mom's cooking is really good."
"I'm always grateful."
Looking at the barrel now full of water, we munch on sandwiches.
The bread is still hard, but lately, this hardness has become a habit, and if I were to eat the soft bread from Japan now, I might find it lacking.
The barrel also has the salt we brought, and the nets and hooks are soaking in it.
"After this, we'll finally fight the ghosts. Are you girls going to be okay?"
Watching the preparations quietly, Dent, as the senior, voices his concern for the juniors.
"What about me?"
"Monk, you'll be fine without worrying. You're a monk, after all."
"Right, Liberta will be fine with this."
"Yeah, Liberta-kun seems like he'll be okay."
"Somehow, it feels like I'm being trusted but also treated a bit roughly."
Only Nel and Amina are being worried about.
Even if I try to claim that I'm also a child, I'm not treated like one, and in the end, even Nel and Amina agree, leading to a burst of laughter.
It's unusually bright for a ghost extermination site.
"It's good, isn't it? Because the monk is here, the girls can relax like this. Being trusted by women is a man's greatest fortune."
"Being trusted doesn't feel bad."
Recently, I've finally started to recover from baldness, and my hair is beginning to grow thick. Could you please stop roughly messing up my hair over the hood?
It might be fine now, but what if I go bald in the future? How will you take responsibility for that?
I toss the last bite of my lunch into my mouth and gulp it down.
Nel, the fox beastman, finishes eating before me and is now drinking from her water bottle.
Meanwhile, Amina, the bird beastman, is still eating.
Thinking it might take a bit more time, I glance outside the dungeon and am startled.
"Dent-san, Dent-san."
"Ah, monk, you noticed it too?"
"Is that?"
The scene outside was supposed to be just the garbage-filled entrance, but now a pale, translucent human face is poking out.
The eyes, which should be bloodless, are bloodshot and staring intently at us.
It's still daylight, but the ghost is visible.
"That's right. That's the count. Well, rest assured, as long as you don't steal the 'treasure,' it's harmless. In fact, if you leave the tent outside and go home, it will let you go peacefully."
Dent-san says it's probably just checking out the intruders, but being stared at like this is unsettling.
"Ah."
"Eh."
Noticing our gaze, Nel and Amina follow it and see the ghost.
It's impressive that they're not scared.
I'll keep it a secret that I almost screamed for a moment.
"Hey, is that..."
"Yeah."
"Why is it looking at us?"
"Is it hungry?"
"Do ghosts eat?"
"Girls, you're definitely going to be big shots."
In response, the two of them are quite composed.
Without panic or confusion, they calmly observe the count's ghost staring at us.
Amina, in particular, looks at her leftover sandwich, thinking it's attracted by the smell.
Dent-san waves his hand, saying that's not it, and I quietly nod in agreement.