Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116
“Those men who just left looked far from ordinary, so I came to check what was going on…… Merdin!”
The woman who rushed inside swept a sharp gaze over the room before spotting Merdin collapsed on the floor. Startled, she hurried toward him.
Heinen had treated him to some extent, but blood he had not been able to wipe away had crusted in places, and faint traces of wounds still remained.
“This cannot be happening! Merdin! Are you all right?!”
“He has sustained a blow to the head, so you must not shake him.”
As the woman tried to pull Merdin into her arms, Heinen stopped her with practiced ease and spoke in as calm a voice as possible.
“An elf……?”
The woman turned to look at Heinen, surprise flashing across her face before her eyes narrowed sharply.
“No, you are not. Who are you? What gives you the right to order me around?”
“Ah. I am not a suspicious person…….”
Just in case, Heinen drew out the insignia of a temple knight that he had hidden inside his clothes.
It was a necklace engraved with the emblem of the Sun God Raspalara.
When he infused it with Divine Power, a soft glow rose from it.
Recognizing the token of the Temple of the Sun, the woman’s eyes widened even further in shock.
“A Su, a priest of the Sun……? What would someone like that be doing in Banahan……?”
The strength in her arm, which had been pulling Merdin toward her, slackened slightly.
“I understand your doubts, but for now we must move Merdin. If you are acquainted with him, is there somewhere more comfortable we can take him? This place appears to be no more than a workshop.”
“……Ah, yes! Let us take him home! My house is not far from here!”
Startled by the sudden turn of events, she raised her voice.
As he had said, moving the injured Merdin was the priority.
Heinen nodded and carefully lifted Merdin in both arms.
“These two are my companions as well. Would it be acceptable for them to come with us?”
At Heinen’s request, the woman shifted her gaze to Porzelin and Aquila, who was holding Merdin’s lamp.
A black-haired young man, a silver-haired knight, and a temple knight dressed like a resident of the forest.
An unfamiliar combination.
Curiosity flickered across her face for a moment before she shook her head as if coming to her senses.
“……It makes no difference. One or two more will not change anything. Follow me.”
After Heinen showed the token of the Temple of the Sun, her tone became slightly more cautious as she took the lead.
She locked the shop door with practiced ease and headed toward the back entrance, with Heinen following behind.
“……Let us go for now.”
Porzelin, who had come merely to have a magic tool repaired and now found himself in the middle of this chaos, whispered quietly.
Aquila, harboring similar thoughts, nodded helplessly.
Whoosh.
As he extinguished the lamp he was holding, the light illuminating the shop interior went out completely.
***
The name of the woman who had rushed into the magic tool shop was Dalia.
She had been friends with Merdin for a very long time. Both were natives of Banahan, and Dalia herself ran a weapon shop here.
“……So the men who just left are the ones who did that to Merdin?”
They had followed Dalia to Merdin’s house, after rummaging through his many pockets to find the key.
Once they laid Merdin on the bed and finished explaining everything that had happened, Dalia grew furious.
She slammed her hand against the table and shouted sharply.
“We should not have let them go! We should have grabbed them and smashed their heads in with a hammer!”
With a hammer hanging from her belt, it did not sound like a joke.
Heinen forced an awkward smile, and Porzelin nodded vigorously.
‘Those people from Igrail…….’
Aquila cast a sidelong glance at Porzelin and shook his head.
“In any case, thank you for helping Merdin. If it had not been for you, I might have had to prepare for Fairywind…….”
Dalia let out a dark sigh, and Aquila quietly added,
“Does something like this happen often? Merdin spoke as though this was not the first time.”
“Outright violence is rare, but there are countless people who come to pick fights. At our weapon shop as well, they swing a weapon carelessly and break it themselves, yet they claim the quality is terrible or that it was crafted improperly…… Ugh! It makes my blood boil!”
Dalia grabbed at her hair in frustration.
From what she explained, the sudden surge of adventurers to Banahan had been good for business, but as time passed, more and more people were finding fault with the quality of goods.
It was partly because of the new monster that had appeared in the Black Forest Dungeon, but not solely because of that.
If a famous dungeon adventurer or explorer discovered a strategy, those who set out first would compete fiercely, leaving latecomers with barely a chance to begin. However, this time no one had uncovered anything, so new people kept arriving without end, and many unsavory types were mixed among them.
“If someone were to accomplish what even renowned adventurers could not, they would gain fame in an instant. That must be why people are flocking here.”
“According to the records, the higher the difficulty of a boss monster, the greater the reward. Many must be coming in pursuit of that.”
Aquila nodded and shifted his gaze back to Dalia, who was clutching her head.
“I heard that swords and magic do not work against the new boss monster. Is there still no way to deal with it?”
“After that rumor spread? Unfortunately, no. No one has found anything.”
Dalia sighed as though the ground might cave in beneath her.
“When you stay in a weapon shop, you overhear their conversations, and it is all rather dismal. Lately they seem to be testing all sorts of things, not just spears and swords, but nothing appears to be working.”
“They must be purchasing each weapon from the shop and testing them one by one.”
“Exactly! I do not mind if they buy them one by one and take them away! The problem is when they bring back broken weapons claiming they were useless and try to dump them on us, or demand refunds saying they broke after a single swing!”
Dalia thumped her chest in exasperation.
Heinen, who had been watching her quietly, asked,
“Even if they use aura?”
“Even among adventurers, not many can use aura these days. All sorts of riffraff are flocking here just to try entering the dungeon once, submitting applications to the Adventurers’ Guild. I imagine the waiting numbers have piled up enormously.”
The management of dungeons near towns was typically handled by the Adventurers’ Guild.
Though dungeons were essentially ancient ruins and could not be claimed as private property, in cases where a new dungeon opened, this arrangement helped minimize conflicts among adventurers.
Resting her chin on one hand, Dalia exhaled slowly.
“It was not like this when the head of House Reschenhardt was still making a name for himself as a mercenary.”
Her remark, spoken like a complaint, drew reactions from everyone present.
Aquila’s response was the slightest, while Porzelin’s face stiffened noticeably.
Struggling to compose his expression, Porzelin asked,
“……Are you referring to Lexenbert Fad Reschenhardt?”
“Yes! Lexenbert. The one with red hair. I once saw him near a dungeon long ago, and he was truly magnificent.”
Dalia smiled as if recalling that time.
“His swordsmanship was exceptional. Do you know how many people took up the sword with him as their goal back then? These youngsters today would not understand at all.”
Porzelin’s lips twitched.
It was understandable, given that his lord was being praised in this distant eastern land, yet the reaction was pronounced enough that others might find it odd.
Of course, both Heinen and Porzelin were casting glances toward Aquila.
‘If you are going to make it so obvious, why bother changing your hair color?’
As two pairs of eyes subtly settled on him, Aquila shot them an incredulous look.
Moreover, he felt nothing at all. The man called Lexenbert Fad Reschenhardt was too different in essence for Aquila to regard him as a proud father.
Clearing his throat softly, Aquila changed the subject.
“……Were you once an adventurer?”
“Of course. Young people in the East around your age often dream of leaving here and traveling across the vast continent. I was one of them.”
Dalia’s eyes sparkled with vitality, as though the dreamer she once was still remained within them.
“I wield a sword, but I knew I did not have the talent to make a name for myself. Still, I loved the sword, so I returned and ended up opening a weapon shop.”
Then her gaze shifted, revealing the roughness unique to someone who had weathered the bends and turns of life.
It no longer shone as before, yet it was beautiful nonetheless, like something cherished and carefully polished over time.
“……I believe that is admirable.”
“Yes. These days, I feel the same way, Sun Knight.”
At Heinen’s words, Dalia smiled.
Then she took in the group gathered here—people assembled by some mysterious combination.
“Enough about me. Did you come to conquer the dungeon as well?”
The three exchanged glances, but it was Aquila who spoke first again.
“The circumstances are complicated, so I cannot explain in detail, but we did not gather for the purpose of conquering the dungeon. Though I do have a personal interest.”
“Oh? Did you perhaps run away from home?”
Dalia stared at the well-dressed young man.
Having seen Lexenbert in his youth, Aquila felt a stiff tension settle into his shoulders for a moment, but Dalia seemed not to notice and merely shrugged.
“Well, everyone has their own circumstances……. More importantly, it is already night. Do you have somewhere to stay? Since the dungeon opened, no one has been leaving, so this entire area must be full.”
“……No. We have not yet found a place.”
“I thought as much. You may stay at Merdin’s house or mine. Merdin would not hesitate to offer a room to those who helped him.”
Porzelin’s eyes widened slightly.
“Are you certain that would be all right?”
“I do not speak twice with one mouth. Of course.”
“Is there anyone else you live with……?”
“Ah, family? Neither of us has any. We have both lived alone for a long time, helping each other.”
Faced with Dalia’s clear answer, they had little choice but to nod.
If they failed to secure lodging, they would have to sleep outdoors, and this area, unlike the forest, would be dangerous.
Only then did Dalia rise from her seat with a satisfied expression.
“Then until our Merdin wakes up, shall we have a late supper? I will make Banahan’s special stew for you. I dare say it is better than most restaurants.”
***
It was another hour before Merdin was able to get up.
Given the late hour, they checked his condition and decided to let him rest further. Nevertheless, he expressed his surprise upon learning that Heinen was a Sun Knight and offered his thanks. As Dalia had said, he permitted them to stay at his house.
Though they had been dragged into the situation unexpectedly, the three of them spent a far more comfortable night under a roof than they would have in the forest.
Ding!
【Note from Joreumi: You're no fun.】
The Great Spirit grumbled in displeasure, but Aquila paid it no mind.
After the night passed and the next day arrived, Dalia, who had returned after sleeping at her own house, flung the door open and entered Merdin’s home.
“Good. Merdin, if you are back to your senses, let us go report those bastards. We will teach them a lesson.”
“Why are you making such a fuss this early in the morning…….”
“No! They will be heading to the Adventurers’ Guild to apply for dungeon entry. We must move quickly. Stop talking and get up!”
Looking far better thanks to the treatment, Merdin was dragged out of bed by Dalia, who tossed him his clothes.
Aquila and his companions, who had also risen unintentionally, ultimately decided to follow them.
The Adventurers’ Guild.
It was at Aquila’s suggestion that they would go there.
‘There is no better place to learn information from across the lands.’