Volume 2 - CH 198

“What’s going on …… since the moment I recovered?”

There are Alena, Uchikage, Reizen, and Houen in the inn.

Uchikage is trying to cheer Alena up, but it doesn’t seem to be going well.

“Are you all right now, Ouren?”

“No problem for me. I’m fine, except for the fact that I’ve been given a very unfamiliar second name.”

Well, I’m getting used to it.

So …… what’s this all about?

“Hey, Uchikage. What the hell happened?”

“The day after Ouren-sama had a mock battle, other adventurers challenged us to a mock battle,…….”

“You must have had a hard time ……. Sorry.”

“No, it was after the mock battle that we had a hard time.’

Uchiakage’s words made me tilt my head back.

After a mock battle, I can’t think of anything more difficult than just being tired.

The mock battle went well and no one seemed to have any injuries.

So what in the world was so hard about it?

“Just like Ouren-sama, they started to give us second names.”

“As for me, I’m Reizen the Earth Emperor! That’s cool!”

“I’m Houen, the Flame Emperor. It seems that everyone knew that I had joined Reitei.”

“I am Uchikage the Blink Emperor. And Alena is ……”

“…………, Alena the Heavy Emperor.”

Apparently, Alena is very unhappy with her second name.

But as far as I’m concerned, I think it’s a nice name. …… Why is Reizen the earth emperor?

“Because I was fighting with the spirit of the earth, I guess.”

“Ah, yes,……. So, why is Alena so depressed?”

The reason is that I know it’s about the second name from the flow of the conversation, but I want to hear it from her own mouth.

Because I don’t know what a woman’s mind is like.

“Because! They call me heavy! I’m not heavy! I’m light!”

“Eh, but heavy emperor is cool and ……”

“It’s not!”

Please don’t be picky on strange places,…….

Well, she is a …… girl, isn’t she?

I suppose it’s taboo to be called heavy.

The reason why she was given such a name is because Alena imitated me during a mock battle and used heavy weight alone to defeat her opponent without taking a single step.

She was given the nickname [Heavy Emperor] because of that skill.

If she could lighten her opponent’s weight or levitate herself, she would have been named [Light Emperor] or something like that. ……

“Couldn’t you change it?”

‘When they agreed to the second name for us, they declared that she was the heavy emperor because of the current condition at that time. It would probably be difficult. …… I’m sure there are no adventurers who don’t already know this.”

“Ueeeeeeee!!!”

Alena was feeling depressed again.

There was no way she would ever be able to change her second name [Heavy Emperor] again.

Even if she could, it would take time to instill it again, and she would have to make people aware of the appropriate techniques and skills.

In that aspect, that training ground seems to have been a very good place.

Hmmm… I can’t find the words to say to Alena.

It’s something she’s going to have to live with for the rest of her life.

Considering that, all I can say is ……don’t mind it.

“Well, I’m not going to dwell on it. I’m going to accept the request as soon as possible.”

“Me too.”

“Are you going ……, Alena?”

‘……. I will go.”

“The air around Alena is as gloomy at the moment as ever, but let’s get her to change her mind by having her accept a request…….

“Ouren-sama. I’d like to go to the blacksmith to get a new weapon, if you don’t mind.”

“No problem, you broke your weapon in the dungeon. You can do it. Do you have the money?”

“Yes. I have the money. When I get a new one, I’ll take a request by myself.”

“All right.”

I don’t know how long it will take to get the new equipment, so I’m not going to think about joining him.

For today, let’s do it that way.

Me, Alena, Reien, and Houen decided to go to the Adventurers’ Guild.

◆

When we went to the Adventurers’ Guild, Maria was standing at the entrance for some reason.

The adventurers were surprised to see the guild master standing there and entered the guild with reluctance.

The hell is she doing?

When I was about to call out to her, Maria seemed to have spotted us before I did, and she came running toward me at once.

So quick.

But she is not as fast as Uchikage.

As I was thinking that, Maria grabs me by the arm and pulls me toward her at once.

“?!What the hell? What’s the matter, Maria?”

“I’ll tell you all the details later! Come with me, all of you!”

Maria’s urgent look made us follow her with timid steps.

We were brought to Maria’s office.

The Shadow Eye leader, Vid, was standing there.

“Where’ that little Oni?”

“He’s buying a new weapon today. He’ll be joining us later.”

‘I see. Then I’ll talk to you guys only for now.”

After saying that, Vid brought a map.

That’s the map that Alena drew.

…… Oh, I forgot to ask Alena about it and sell it. ……

Sorry Maria.

“I bought it from Alena-chan earlier. Good grief, you should have explained it to her.”

“My bad.”

“Then let me explain. The dungeon you dived was a completely new dungeon. It’s a dungeon that only S-rank adventurers can go through.

“Seriously, ……, who confirmed it?”

“It was me!”

“Oh, okay. …….”

I don’t know why she’s so upset, but …… I guess I’d better not say anything to her today.

“So, here’s the thing. Something has widened the hole connecting the second and third floors and made a path through it.”

“…..Hah?!” 

“Wait a minute! Even me and my friends had a hard time in this dungeon you know?! What if such monsters were on the surface, not to mention a few, the dungeon is full of adventurers’ camps and non-adventurers too!”

He was unusually quick to grasp the situation.

The second and third floors were nothing more than small holes.

That is why the monsters in the third floor could not come to the second floor, and if anything, they should have stuck at the mouse trap.

This isn’t normal right?

“I can totally see this being a bad thing, which is …… how’s the damage?”

“So far, everything is still fine. But it’ s only a matter of time. The party of A rank adventurers who went with me came back with serious injuries. We can’t explore any further.”

“So that’s where we come in.”

“Exactly.”

We, the Reitei, have a track record of conquering that dungeon.

In fact, they should have sent a higher-ranked adventurer, but that higher-ranked adventurer was injured.

To avoid further damage, they probably thought it would be better to send us to that dungeon.

“You can expect a reward.”

“Understood. What do you want me to do in the dungeon?”

“There are two things I want you to do. One is to maintain the path between the second and third floors. One is to make sure that the monsters on the third floor can’t get to the second floor where the adventurers’ camp is located. The other is that I want you to go down to the lowest level again and wipe out all the monsters.”

They said they could not leave a dungeon with such monsters where the adventurers’ camp was located.

And so, we are going to dispose that dungeon.

That was the result of a meeting held by the Adventurers’ Guild.

The reason they wanted us to go back to the dungeon and dive again was because they wanted to recover as much material as possible from the dungeon’s monsters.

There are not many dungeons with high-ranked monsters.

However, the materials of the monsters are very expensive or used for mystical medicine, so they are highly multipurpose.

Many aristocrats are said to be after them.

Maria seemed to be trying to quell it, but …….

As a result, she said, the deal was to collect the materials at the end and seal the dungeon.

“How’s that working out for you?”

“I can’t handle it on my own. …… They are really pissing me off. What do they think we are?”

“Well, I understand what’s going on. I’ll get it ready for you right away.”

“I appreciate your help. ……”

Just because a dungeon has been conquered by us once doesn’t mean that there are no more monsters in it.

The actual wounded adventurers are coming back, and Maria is right, it is certainly better for me to go there to prevent any more damage.

Everyone else seemed to be willing to go, and they seemed to be having some fun.

We were about to go outside to get ready.

At that moment, the door was roughly opened and a man with an impending look on his face and gasping for air came in.

“Wai- Uchikage! What’s the matter with you?”

“There you are, Ouren-sama! No, it’s not the matter, it’s this one!”

Uchikage puts the person he was carrying on his back on the floor.

The person was equipped with magnificent armor, but his right arm was missing and he was bleeding from various places, and he looked like he was about to die.

He has been receiving simple medical treatment, but it is very rough.

There is no way to heal with this treatment.

Maria immediately asked Uchikage a question.

“Uchikage-kun, what’s happened to this man?”

Y”es. On my way to the smithy,…… I saw several injured adventurers returning,……. When I went to help them, this man asked me to take them to the guildmaster, so I brought him here before he ran out of life.”

“I get it. Vid! Bring me all the recovery potions available! Also bandages! And get the other guys to inform the medical center about this! I’ll make sure he survives!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Vid quickly exits the room.

I immediately tried to get the restorative water I had been secretly making out of my magic bag, but was stopped by Uchikage.

Then I remembered that I had a skill called [recovery water] which is a very dangerous skill to be found out.

I whisper to Uchikage so that no one can hear me.

“Why not?”

“You mustn’t do it. It could be an endangering of Ouren-sama’s life.”

No matter where one goes, the possessor of recovery skills is always in a tight spot.

I hold back from taking out the restorative water and take my hand away from the magic bag.

I can’t perform the healing act.

I’m not allowed to do it.

Would I hide this skill for myself, or would I use it for someone else?

The question was on my mind.

At least, I hoped no one would see me, but there was no way I could …… get the people off under the circumstances.

“Oh, I’ll take care of it!”

“Reizen ……?”

“I have high heal! Do you mind, guildmaster?

“Eeh! Yes, please!”

Reizen immediately rushed over to the man and applied the high heal to the man.

Vid came back after that.

He had a lot of healing potions in his arms.

The man’s consciousness seems to have been clarified by the treatment with the potion and the high heal by Reizen.

Realizing that it is Maria, the guild master, who is in front of him, the man grabs onto her and desperately tries to say something to her.

However, his voice was muffled and he could not understand what he meant.

The man, too, realizing this, punches the floor forcefully with an abhorrent look on his face.

“….. A monster what? Just take your time, slow down so that it’s easy to understand and say what you want to say.”

The man does exactly as Maria tells him to do, moving his mouth and cracking up and speaking something.

Maria seems to have mastered lip-reading.

The man finishes saying something, but seems uncertain whether he really got his message across, and I sense that he is puzzled in front of Maria, who says nothing.

But Maria seems to have gotten the message.

“Vid!”

“!? Yes!”

“A troop of monsters is advancing on Salettana! Their direction is in the southwest! Inform all of the adventurers immediately, and those who are capable will go forward! Those who are not, send them to guard the kingdom! I will go immediately to seek an audience with the king!”

“Yes, ma’am! But, ma’am, you can’t suddenly have an audience with the king. ……”

“I don’t care whatever their reasons are! There is no king who would be silent after hearing this! I’m going to run and you’ll take care of the rest! And Ouren-kun!”

Maria was giving instructions in flurry.

I was a little surprised when she suddenly called out my name.

“W-what is it?”

“Your skills are suited for multiple matches. ……. So, you are the only one who should stay here and not go to the dungeon, okay? Understand?”

“These guys can handle the dungeon without me.”

“That would be great.”

After saying that, Maria opened the window and jumped down.

She was so quick that no one could stop her and watch her back until the end.

There are many of them who are looking at me blankly, but now is not the time to relax.

“Vid. Move it!”

“! Y-yes, sir!”

Vid hurriedly rushes out of the room.

The only ones left here now were me, the Reitei member, and the near-dead man.

“Houen, don’t go to the dungeon, and follow me.”

“That’s the plan.”

Houen also possesses many skills that are suited for multiple battles.

Even if he said he couldn’t, I wouldn’t let him go.

“Are you sure you can go with just the three of you?”

“No problem, aniki! As long as we’re careful with the mirror, we’ll be fine!”

“I’ll be -fine!”

“Leave it to us.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

Now, ……. I don’t know what kind of monsters is going to come but I got a feeling it’s going to be a big deal.

The whole country is going to be involved in this event, and it makes me fired up.