Chapter 156
"Roaring Dragon Twin Strike!!"
Big Mash's final blow becomes the strongest Claudia at this point.
With Amina's buffs on allies and defense debuffs from Nel and Claudia reducing the enemy to their lowest possible defense.
The finishing strike against Big Mash, whose wrists and ankles I severed, leaving it unable to do anything but flail.
"Kyuu~"
With one last adorable whimper unbefitting its massive frame, Big Mash turned to ash and vanished.
"Gold chest!!"
And what appears is Big Mash's gold chest.
"And a bonus wooden chest, huh?"
Two drops—a gleaming gold chest and a slightly shabby-looking wooden chest.
It's like a first-time-clear bonus gold chest drop.
It practically screams, "Don't expect this to drop often from now on!!" But seeing Nel's cheerful, almost skipping gait as she approaches the wooden chest makes that warning seem meaningless.
"...A potion?"
Nel reaches for the wooden chest, opens it, and shows me what's inside.
"Oh, an Anti-Poison Potion? Handy stuff."
What came out of the wooden chest is a miracle item that cures all poisons—pufferfish venom, snake venom, mushroom toxins, anything harmful to humans—despite having zero scientific basis that would make modern medicine question how it even works.
Note that it doesn’t work on curses, mystical energy-based debuffs, sleep, or paralysis.
It’s only effective against physical, damage-type poisons.
Even in later classes, monsters that use poison are common—no, status-affliction skills are so rampant among enemies, including mobs, that you’ll rely on this unless you gear up with poison resistance.
That said, the potion’s effectiveness only holds up to around Class 5 dungeons.
"This is…""Here, it’s a Class 3 Anti-Poison Potion. It can handle Class 4 monster poisons with ease. By Class 5, it becomes chance-based, so it’s a bit lacking."
Still, having it makes a huge difference in peace of mind until mid-game.
"Hmm."
Nel shakes the vial, impressed by its value.
"By the way, selling one nets you a solid 500 zeni.""!?"
She nearly drops it in shock at the idea of a tiny vial being worth 50,000 yen, but catches it in a panic. I chuckle—NPC merchants really do buy it for 500 zeni.
And since it drops from wooden chests at a 60% rate, parties prepared for spore-based attacks can make decent money off these.
"Take good care of it, alright?"
I warn her not to treat it carelessly, and Nel nods seriously.
With a wry smile, I take the potion, stash it in my magic bag, and finally turn to the main prize—the gold chest.
"Gold chests guarantee a magic stone, plus extra loot. Dungeon keys, two types of skill scrolls, or accessories that boost resistance to paralysis, sleep, or poison. Class 3 resistance gear gives a flat 15% boost. Enhance it, and you can add up to 10% more. Pretty good stuff.""What does Liberta recommend?""The scroll. Anti-Poison’s skill scroll is straightforward—it boosts the whole party’s poison resistance. Especially useful against poison-using enemies."
Preventing damage beats curing it, and reducing the need for healing saves MP. Anti-Poison’s utility is top-notch.
It grants party-wide poison resistance with lasting duration, and at higher skill levels and stats, it can even grant complete immunity.
"But the other scroll… is honestly mediocre."
Hits and misses—the desire sensor loves making you pull duds 50% of the time.
"Not that a 5% drop rate makes it easy to get—""Got one.""Wait, seriously?!"
My retort can’t keep up as Nel casually opens the chest.
"Actually, two.""How do you pull such low odds?!""Because you said it was good?""That’s all it took? Seriously?"
I can only laugh. Taking the scrolls from Nel, I confirm one is the prized Anti-Poison skill scroll.
"Wow, it actually dropped. Then this other one…"
If it’s *another* Anti-Poison scroll, I might have to start a religion worshiping Nel as a divine being—no, bad idea, divine retribution would strike.
"Yep, the dud scroll.""What skill is it?""Standby Skill.""Standby Skill?""Yeah, makes staying still easier."
It has niche uses, but since it can be replicated with out-of-skill methods, players call it a trash skill.
"Rumor says leveling it slows hunger and dehydration, letting you wait around 'healthily' for longer."
But no one would waste a precious skill slot on it.
Long-term stationary play is rare, and even snipers or stealth builds have far better options.
"Hmm. Useful for soldiers, perhaps?""Maybe scouts, but is it worth the skill slot?""Liberta, you might be misunderstanding. Most people don’t have the luxury of agonizing over skill slots. They lack your knowledge or means to acquire ideal skills. By common standards, Nel, Amina, and Ingrid are in enviable positions even nobles would kill for."
Claudia sighs, schooling me on normalcy. She’s right—I’ve always been told my common sense is anything but, and apparently, that hasn’t changed.
"So this has its uses too?""It’d sell decently at a skill shop.""…"
Claudia’s logic is sound. Following it, pairing this with Anti-Poison sparks an idea.
"Liberta.""Hm? What’s up, Nel?""You’re not scheming something bad, are you?""Nah, just a win-win plan."
Lately, the capital’s been buzzing with incidents. Considering that, ensuring Amina and Nel’s job acquisitions go smoothly isn’t a bad move.
"Really? That smile looks kinda scary.""Pfft, compared to noble smiles, this is cute."
I might be grinning shamelessly, but far uglier smiles exist.
"Alright, we’re done here! Oh, Ingrid—can you arrange a meeting with the Duke when we get back?""Understood."
With that, we leave the Matango dungeon.
"! You’ve already cleared it?!""? Yes."
Huey, the receptionist, looks stunned. Is it really that surprising? Maybe dungeon clears take longer in this world than I thought.
If so, his reaction makes sense.
"Mind if we use the baths?""Of course! I’ll prepare them at once.""No rush."
Post-dungeon baths are nice. Still, I’d love a private dungeon space someday.
Killing time until Huey returns, I relax, then head to the baths before leaving.
"Who’s that?"
At the gate, a familiar figure waits.
"Lord Liberta, it’s been a while.""Lotus? What brings you here?"
Normally, we’re supposed to leave unnoticed. But if Lotus, the Duke’s retainer, is waiting, the staff must’ve allowed it.
"Regarding the recent matter, I visited your home but found you absent. Learning you were here, I decided to wait.""Recent matter… Ah, the toilet paper.""Yes. His Grace wishes to discuss it personally. If you’re available, might I ask for your time?""Claudia, is this alright?""I have no objections.""If agreeable, Lady Nel, Lady Amina, and Ingrid are also invited to the estate."
Lotus’s business likely involves toilet paper profits and sponsoring Amina’s idol work—else, why summon everyone?
At the noble’s summons, Nel and Amina flinch. To commoners, nobles are still figures of fear.
Even with their growing strength, mentally, it’s a hurdle.
"Relax. They won’t lay a finger on you."
Thankfully, Claudia’s protective presence reassures them.
"Exactly. Worst case, I’ll leverage my knowledge to fix things.""Hahaha, His Grace has no intention of making enemies of you two, I assure you."
I flash a thumbs-up, jokingly implying lethal measures, and cold sweat beads on Lotus’s brow—though his composure never wavers. Impressive.
"That’s a relief."
While worst-case scenarios exist, over-worrying could harm our rapport.
"The carriage is ready."
Refusing would risk the same.
I’d considered sending Nel, Amina, and Ingrid home, but Lotus’s presence hints at something bigger.
As we board the spacious carriage, curtains drawn for privacy (though magelights illuminate the interior), I catch a glimpse of mounted guards outside.
On alert for something?
If the Duke is wary, my mind jumps to Bolt Rind’s faction.
But that’s speculation. Still, *something* happened.
Noticing my gaze, Lotus presses a finger to his lips—hidden from Nel and Amina.
Confirmed: something’s up.
Ugh. Trouble’s the last thing I want.
"*Sigh*""Liberta, any ideas?" Claudia whispers.
Nel and Amina are statues of tension, too stiff to overhear. Nel’s terrified of dirtying the carriage, and Amina’s mirroring her. Ingrid, accustomed, sits calmly.
Lotus pretends not to listen.
"One: the road incident.""…They’ve turned their focus here?""Not fully, but enough for the Duke to act."
The Jackalans might be involved. New developments warrant this meeting.
"Two:"
The other possibility?
"Did the Duke become a toilet paper fan?""Let’s hope it’s that simple."