2. Request to Stranger
It's evening, the sun has returned to its home. And the moon is now taking off her clothes one by one. So that all the creatures in the world can see her gorgeous body, she is truly the embodiment of a true exhibitionist. But that's not what's bothering me right now, I'm thinking more about the huge wall that's visible not far from me. I was sure that what I was seeing was not a village.
The closer I looked, the clearer the scene became. The wall was 10 meters high, stretching for several kilometers. The smoke I saw earlier was coming from the campfire near the gatehouse, so of course the road I was taking led to it. By the time I was close enough, the guards there were alerted to see me coming.
"Hold on! Who are you!!!?"
A guard at the forefront was now brandishing a weapon at me followed by his other companions, there were quite a few of them for such a large gatekeeping post. Swords, spears, crossbows with light protective armor. It was proper combat gear along with an intimidating aura.
"Drop all your belongings and approach slowly with both hands in the air, and don't dare make any suspicious movements!"
Hey, what's the need to be so suspicious? It's like catching a criminal. But wait, maybe they have enough reason to act that way. Blazers, jeans, digital watches, and flashlights really don't fit the medieval atmosphere in front of me right now.
"Are you a tourist?"
"No, I'm a traveler"
"What difference does it make! Don't mess around!!!"
Whoops, wrong huh? This is not the time to mess around. Maybe it's better for me to show a good boy's attitude, so that this can be over quickly without any problems.
Then a man came out from inside the guard post, he looked reluctant to move with a pretty dull and tired expression. After looking at the situation for a moment then he walked slowly towards me while taking out two photos from his pocket while ignoring his other colleagues. He then stopped quite close to me, watching me from head to toe and occasionally looking at the two photos in his hand.
"Alright everyone, you can relax. He's not the one we're looking for, and we certainly didn't see any children with him.
"But sir"
"I understand..."
The man called 'sir' made a hand gesture as if telling the other guards to calm down and lower their weapons, he was clearly their leader.
"Hey kid, you're not from around here? Are you from the 'Aellery' Kingdom?"
Huh? Aellery? Isn't that the name of one of the kingdoms south of 'Elvia'? It's true that I've been running south the past few days, but.
"Uhh no, sorry. I'm from Ishtora"
"Ishtora? You mean the country on the 'Central' continent?"
"Yes."
"... ... ..."
He looked at me with curious eyes and shook his head slightly.
"Excuse me but, were you part of the group of Knights who came here a few days ago? They look about your age"
"Uhh? No, I've been alone since coming from 'Adilheida'"
"Ahh! Well then, surely you have an identity card and a permit to pass through the portal gate? Can we see them?"
"Yes, of course"
I quickly took the items and gave them to him, while he was analyzing my letters. I took the opportunity to look at them more closely, perhaps it was the dark night that made me only able to see the characteristics of their bodies. Most of them have blonde hair but there are also brown, silver, red and the man in front of me is the only one with black hair. He was about 10cm taller than me and the most striking thing about him was his pointed ears, although they were not as long as an Elf's ears should be. That's because he's a half-breed, most of the people here are as well. This was expected, as this region was part of 'Elvia'. The largest Elven kingdom in the world, the place where the Forest God slumbers.
"Alright everyone, back to your respective positions"
With his words, the others finally lowered their weapons and left. Although some of them still hadn't taken their eyes off me, from the clothes I was wearing to be more precise.
"Forgive us, we have a situation here and you... came from an unusual direction. What are you doing in the wilds of Rosston? Seeking the blessings of the Forest Spirit? If the answer is yes, then I regret to say you are in the wrong place."
"Rosston? Not Lemerch?"
"Ehh? No way? You came out of Lemerch? You got the blessing?"
He looked surprised as well with a slight smile of admiration, like there was a (?) mark on top of his head.
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, I visited the mountain 'Darras' and tried to go to 'Adali'"
"Ahhh! So that's it... Wahahaha, so you went there without knowing anything. Wooah! No one here would dare to set foot there without a good reason you know, the fog there is so dangerous that many people would very easily lose their way and get lost. How long did you spend there?"
"About ten days, I think..."
"Hahahahahaha! You really are a lucky person kid, the forest spirit is definitely helping you. Most uninvited people end up dying when they get out of there you know, and the rest? They become organic fertilizer for the forest."
Really? Well, that was possible. I didn't meet a single monster while I was there.
"Ahhh on the contrary, it seems like something bad is happening to us right now. We're really short of people, so we're required to work overtime every day. Ohhh, it's been over a week since I've hugged my love"
He made a strange gesture like hugging someone in the air...
'Please stop you a dumb ass'
"And as a token of apology on behalf of all of us, I'll show you a nice inn. Please come, follow me."
Her sudden return after showing strange movements made me a little flustered. However, I guess following the request of the person with the highest rank here wasn't a bad idea after all. So I quickly picked up my things and walked hand in hand with him.
"Is something going on?"
"Well, we got orders to arrest someone. A fugitive, something like that."
"Criminal huh?"
"I don't know the details, but I think it's pretty serious. The order is to arrest, detain and report ASAP (as soon as possible). It's been more than 10 days, it's almost two weeks. Many of our colleagues are assigned outside the city and border, while others are combing potential areas and the rest... us... as you can see"
Hah! None of my business, I just wanted to fall into a comfortable bed as soon as possible.
"Well we have arrived! This is a good inn with a good price, I assure you. Now, let me introduce you to the owner. 'Brams'!"
The place was a two-story building made of wood, above the front door that went straight to the main road was a large sign that read the word Misuelle Inn. We went inside and were suddenly greeted by a beautiful, slender Elf. She looks like a girl in her early 20s, but who knows? This is an Elf we're talking about and she's a pureblood judging by the length of her ears.
"Ah 'Arban', welcome"
"Good evening 'Emestine', you look beautiful as always"
"Oh you, by chance? How is your job?"
"Easy"
'Liar! He just complained a few minutes ago!
"Hey Ban! Remember your wives at home!"
"Hahahaha yeah, I know"
A man at the reception desk greeted us, he was also a black-haired man and somehow looked quite tired. So this guy's name is 'Arban' eh? And the one behind the desk was Brams, maybe they were brothers.
"Hmm? What's with that expression? You look tired"
"It's about Emeline, since the departure of the 'Knights from Abroad' some time ago. She was so eager to become one of them, she's done a lot of things since then. Even today, she took the people in the tavern to hunt in a dungeon. I got angry and scolded her"
"Hahahaha! really? But, don't you think it's good that she already has a clear goal for her future?"
"I'm worried that if she makes the wrong move, you'll understand when you have children later"
"I see... Somehow when I look at you, it makes me think. It will be very difficult to be a parent for me later, well. Speaking of outsiders, we have one more person here"
Finally they dragged me, the way these two people talk is like...
"Umm Good night"
"Ara ara ara you look very tired, it must have been a difficult journey"
"A little, but today I was helped by a Troll"
"Ummm? Ahhh! The Rosston giants, they did their job well. We allow them to live there as long as it benefits the city. But we don't allow them to enter, I mean the smell. Uhhhhh, everyone's complaining about it"
"Hey hey hey Emestine, this young man must be very tired. And you're spending your time talking, wow"
"Ahh forgive me my husband, you too. Please continue."
'So she's his wife? Lucky bastard'
"No, no problem. I am honored by your warm welcome."
It seemed that the Elves were very happy to talk, or maybe just friendly.
"Alright young man, how long will you be staying?"
"3 days Mr."
"Okay son it's all 45 'Silv', but since you were recommended by my brother on this one. So you just pay 40 Silv"
"Ahh thank you very much, thank you also Mr. Arban"
"No need to use mister okay, just call me Arban ahahahaha"
It seems the word 'mister' sounds quite elderly, and he wasn't quite keen on it. Well then I paid with four medium-sized silver coins worth 10 Silv per coin, it's a cheap price. I usually pay 20-30 Silv for one night, could it be because of the remote area? How could it be, even though it was shrouded in darkness at night. I clearly saw a fairly large town, and with such beautiful walls. There must be no mistaking it.
Without wasting any time I immediately headed to my room on the second floor, Emestine drove me there. Since I was already exhausted, I quickly undressed and rested. Leaving the two people down there.
"Well Brams, it's about time for me"
"Ahh, wait a minute"
"Ng? What's wrong?"
Brams stopped Arban who wanted to leave, he folded his hands in front of him. While closing his eyes and looking up, occasionally moving his head hoping that the pain in his neck would disappear.
"It's about the guest you brought the other day, he hasn't returned since yesterday. I thought he had left, but a lot of his things are still in the room"
"Did he say he was going to the dungeon?"
"No, but I also thought so. I still saw him yesterday morning, he looked fresh"
"Hmmm this isn't good, of all things why now? Ahhhh..."
Arban scratched the back of his head, as if there was a new burden that made him tired as well. The thought of creating a search party where they were short of people, this would obviously change their work schedule and of course the overtime would be longer. Although he knew this was the duty of a Kingdom army, but with the situation continuing without certainty like the present. Making him quite restless, and complaining a bit about what the higher-ups were doing at these days.
"Still?"
"Yes, and the more I think about it the more this situation feels off"
"What do you imply? Involvement of outsiders?"
"Not only that, those young martyrs gave us two photos. But they said there were three people in pursuit"
"It's not that they don't have a picture of the third person?"
"Or maybe the third person is the primary target? They were hiding something and the higher-ups seemed to smell something was wrong too, they ordered a full guard in Adali. To the point of mobilizing Odesha and the other two 'Pillars', this is too much just to look for 3 people"
"Let's have more faith in our Queen"
"...Ahhhh~! I wish it was you who was given this task, I mean... Jansen is my territory"
Arban sat in a chair and leaned his back against the reception desk with his face looking up at the ceiling as if searching for something there. The warrant he received a few weeks ago still made him curious and a little annoyed, even though he had already protested. But what he received was a letter with the Queen's personal seal, the contents of which were also not much different from before. So that made him helpless like now.
"'I ahh... actually I already disagreed and protested when the order to Adali was issued... But'"
"Hahahahah 'Lady Odesha' huh? Our Queen really understands how to deal with brats like you. Maybe it's a sign that the Queen does have a plan"
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Arban showed a complicated expression considering his past and the current situation.
"You are right brother, even so it has been a month since the order was issued. Except for the outsider Knights who came two weeks ago almost nothing has happened... huhuhu I guess it's about time they asked me for help. Odesha is a perfectionist who is extremely loyal to the Queen, she must be quite agitated right now for not sending a good report to Central. Besides, as we know that those Knights are now separated into three groups and one of them is already here. I don't know what they're planning, but it's obvious they have one or more"
"Hey, what's that smirk? Why don't you just make up with her?"
"What are you talking about? She hates me. For no apparent reason, and the last few years I think her hatred has only gotten worse. She always looks at me with a cold gaze filled with murderous lust, even at the Palace when we have our regular meetings."
" Unbelievable! Have you?... Well never mind, it's already too late now"
Brams murmured lightly while holding his forehead.
"Don't worry, I'll ask the people at the south gate about our missing guest. If he did go to the dungeon he must have gone that way, and if he doesn't return until tomorrow. Then, we will look for him the day after tomorrow"
"Let's pray for the best."
"You did the right thing, but don't worry. Even if he goes to the dungeon, isn't there a safe area there? Besides he looks strong enough to me, he also came out of the Rosston forest just like the young man just now"
"Come to think of it... what was that young man's name? The one you just brought in? I forgot to ask him, so it just says traveler A in the guest book"
"Ummmm that, A... ???? I saw it on his ID card earlier... I forgot"
" You are really..."
***
AHHHH~, what a good sleep~. What a cozy bath~, and Emestine said that they will also do my laundry too. Wahhh, this is really a good inn. Finally, it seems like good fortune came my way.
"Rise and shine young man! We've prepared breakfast in the lobby by self-service'"
'Mr. Brams' greeted me smilingly at his desk when I got off, and after I returned his greeting I hurried to the lobby. In the hallway leading to that place, I ran into two other Elves dressed in maid uniforms. What a phenomenon.
There were quite a few people inside this lobby room, but that was none of my business. I picked up a plate and looked at the dishes being served, then chose fried noodles and skewered meat balls with a sauce that gave off a tantalizing aroma. It was common knowledge that the Elves were vegetarians, but when it came to managing the inn they seemed to take a different path.
Not long after I started eating the dishes on my plate, I suddenly felt that I was being watched by someone. It wasn't hard to figure out the source, as I quickly realized that it was coming from the little girl who seemed to be hiding behind the dining table not far from me. I could only see the upper half of her face and the two fingers of her hand clinging to the edge of the table... Why? Are you hungry?
"... ... ..."
"Emeline, you're being really disrespectful."
With a sentence of reprimand from Emestine who was standing not far from me, the little girl left.
"Ara ara ara please forgive us if our daughter disturbed your feast"
"No, it's no problem at all. All she did was stare at me, it wasn't a big deal."
"But of course it must have affected the taste of the meal"
‘Ahh she's really kind and understanding, Mr. Brams give me your wife!’
"Of course not, this food is really good and moreover this meat satay tastes really great"
"Ahhh forgive us once again, but the dish you are currently eating is not made of meat, and the satay is actually made of mushrooms"
"Ehh? Really?"
"We Elves are unable to have any meat, so everything we serve is made from vegetables and fruits"
"Are these noodles too?"
"Sago noodles"
Wow, all healthy food. No wonder their people live so long.
"Are you dissatisfied? Is this cuisine not to your liking?"
"How could it be, this inn has a marvelous chef"
"We are very grateful for the compliment, well. Then I won't take any more of your time, please enjoy the meal"
After giving me a big smile she nods and walks away, I guess this is a sign of a good day ahead. Alright, let's finish breakfast this morning and head into town to sell my war trophies.
"UUUUUUUUUuuuuuummmmmmmmm AHHHHHH~"
As soon as I walked out of the door of the inn I took a deep breath and let it out, even though it's the City but the air is really clean. While glancing left and right for a moment to decide on my direction, I realized that the little girl from earlier in the lobby was peeking at me from behind a tree not far across the street. She was staring at me... glaring at me? Maybe it was because I was only wearing a T-shirt, jeans and rubber sandals that made me look like an alien in her eyes, you country bumpkin. I chose to ignore her and started looking for a drugstore, refilling potion bottles was vital for adventurers like me. Especially with the jungle-like Elvia Kingdom.
Woah, this city is quite big. A lot of people are walking around and most of them are Elf breeds and look at that, it's a Lizardman. An adult-sized lizard-like creature that stands on two legs, I rarely see them in the central continent. It seemed like he was arguing with the town guards in such a loud voice that it could be heard here.
"Do something about the mist monsters in 'Magnild', we keep getting attacked one by one...."
And the officer he was talking to lightly replied.
"The monster is only targeting your 'Koi' right~? Are you sure that this one monster isn't another hunter? It certainly looks like it"
"Then this is a robbery, you should act immediately to catch them!"
"I told you it's not possible right now, besides there's no news of any casualties"
"Are you saying to wait until someone dies!!!"
"No~ I mean, just take it as one of the risks of your profession"
... Let's leave them.
I arrived at the town center square, the place was bustling with many street vendors. Of course, there were many official stores open with large billboards, accessories (which looked like souvenirs), raw cloth, fruits, ice cream, umbrellas (who would buy that?) and quite a few food vendors in the street vendor section. There are also bookstores, jewelry, apparel, ceramics and more. But nothing related to hunters and adventurers, only taverns. Oh well, let's go in and ask.
This tavern is quite crowded even in the morning, it's a place where many people talk about important things to nonsense. Probably because there is no guild in this kingdom, so there are many request posters on the walls.
***
[Medicinal Plants]
Search for blood fungus and blue grass.
You can find them in the dungeon.
Price: 5 Silv/once
Request from the medicine shop 'ILAMIRA' in the south gate.
***
[Wild animal skin and fur]
In need of wild animal skins and furs.
Fur of Bear, Tiger, Wolf, Beaver, Fox, Sheep and others.
Snake skin, crocodile skin, rhino skin, goat skin, horse skin, etc.
Hunted in forests and swamps.
Price: Depends on quality and quantity.
Enquiries from 'Gwen' clothing store in the town center square.
***
[Soul Crystal/Soul Crysta]
Requires a soul crystal.
Hunt down a monster or demon and bring its body (dead or alive/ preferably alive for more souls) to the Lumost Altar.
Price: 50 Silv/1000s
Request from Lettesia's weapon shop and 'ILAMIRA' medicine shop at the south gate.
***
[Mythril & Oricalum]
Looking for 'Mythril' and 'Oricalum' seeds.
Hunt demons in the dungeon, you can find them randomly on the bones of some demons there.
Price: 1 Gald/5 grams Oricalum and 3 Gald/5 grams Mythril
Request from Lettesia's weapon shop at the south gate.
***
It seemed like everything related to hunting was in the south gate area, indeed it was better to group everything in one place.
"Who do you think is tougher? The giant god or the dragon god?"
Some of the guests spoke in quite loud voices, were they drunk in the morning? No, perhaps it was more like they were drunk until the morning. Taverns are also synonymous with the gathering place of barbarians with no future!
"If you're asking who has more combat power right now it's definitely the Armor God, he has the Oracle!"
"Yes! That is a cheating power!"
The four people at the same table were discussing the power of the Gods, only one of them seemed more sober than the others.
"I asked for individual powers! Perhaps the Giant God is the answer, I heard his figure is as big as a mountain! And his every step shakes the earth!"
"You must have heard wrong, the Goblins must be telling it from their perspective. The Giant God isn't that big, well from what I've heard it's hundreds of meters tall"
"Speaking of Goblins, it is said that there are several Goblin groups that have been causing trouble in recent months. Damn it, why does the kingdom allow them to live here? And those apes and trolls!"
"They are refugees because they can't stand being called a failed creation and discriminated against in their country, after all, we know that the Mountain God died at the hands of the Dragon God. So that makes the fate of some of them very tragic, especially those goblins. Ahhh their existence here is the embodiment of our Queen's compassion, she is truly noble"
"I know.... But shouldn't they be more useful like the Dwarves in Mount Darass? Alright back to the topic, so you think the Dragon God is the strongest? I heard one burst of his breath can obliterate a mountain!"
"That could be so, he also almost defeated the Sea God - right? If only the Sky God hadn't intervened, the outcome would have been certain"
"I heard rumors that it was Armor God's plan to pit the two against each other, with Oracle on his side he's almost invincible"
"Bah! Armor God is just a coward who takes refuge behind women! If the one who attacked the Sea God was 'Obelixs', he would have defeated both of them!"
"Nonsense! I'll bet the Giant God can't swim! Just look at the Trolls in Rosston forest! They hate water!"
Listening to them would only finish with an eternity, after all shouldn't they boast of their own God? Looks like the Forest God has a lot of disloyal followers. I think it's time to hurry up to refill my potion and sell the soul crystal, then this beast skin.... Hmmm here it is written depending on the quality and quantity, it is wise if I ask around before selling it. It's better to seek safety and comfort, considering that I'm an alien here and thus have a high possibility of being targeted by scammers.
"Olala~ welcome! Is there anything you need from us... young man~"
A sexy Dark Elf greeted me with a smile and nice breasts as I stepped into the medicine shop, an Elf with exotic brown skin with shoulder-length blonde curls along with a black miniskirt and a tight white shirt with some of the top buttons undone due to her above-average breasts. Heh... I love the smell of herbs, but this woman in front of me is much more alluring. She looks young but who knows... eyes at cleavage.
"I'd like to refill my potion bottles, miss"
I took out a few empty potion bottles from the Carier Ring, and somehow it made her raise one eyebrow as if looking a little surprised.
"Olala~ Judging from your appearance, you're not from around here young man~. Not many people have that thing, you know~"
Of course! This ring is not something that can be obtained just like that, not by normal means. I competed with thousands of people to get it, working hard every night for a year. Bloody grades... I want to cry so badly.
"Oh never mind, what kind of potion quality are you looking for? We have Fine Potion, Good Potion, Excellent Potion and Wonderfull Potion. Aahh~ the stock for Wonderfull Potion is out of stock"
Wow this shop even has Ex and Won Potions? And the most expensive one is already sold out? What kind of Hunter lives around here?
"I choose 8 good quality potions"
"120 Silv for each bottle"
I paid with a gold coin worth 1 Gald and got 40 Silv in change, again? It's cheap because it costs 150 Silv in Isthora. Is it because it's a remote area? How could it be, it's clearly a Town.
"Are you going to hunt with your group members soon young man~?"
"No miss, I'm solo. Besides, I just got out of Rosston yesterday"
"Olala~ So you're a SOLO player eh? That sounds quite... unusual~"
Why? Are you doubting me? Well, I heard that this shop is also looking for Soul Crystals.
"Ah... this"
"Olala~ soul crystal, looks like we have a POWERFUL~ young man here"
She grasped my fingers as she took the crystal from my hand... Ehmm.
"It's from Jolt Wolf..."
"Wolf eh? wild~"
Again, eyes at the cleavage.
"Let's test it~, if the number is HIGH~ then I'm sure we'll get it BIG~"
Please don't say anything else, I might become the wolf here soon.
"Honey~! Can you bring the soul essence scale here!"
"..................."
What a short wild fantasy, I've heard of women who have a hobby of seducing the opposite sex for the thrill of personal satisfaction. Damn it, how did I get trapped when I also have one at home that's just as worse.
But before I was further disappointed, the person called honey now came down the stairs from the second floor to us. Tanned skin, hot pants, a transparent tank top that shows a black bra and abdominal muscles along with a tiger-like slash on her cheek and ear. The Animus race of the Tiger tribe, one of the Beast God's proud creations. But wait... she's a woman? Genuine with breasts no less large than the Dark Elf's, as well as proportional curves and buttocks. So they swing that way? Oho! Okay sweetie! Come hug papa!!!
"I smell something unpleasant from you brat, watch out... She's my girl"
Ouch! I forgot their abilities as the proud Animus, and that glare wasn't ordinary.
"Honey~ don't be so cold, look what he brought"
"Humm..."
The honey put the device she brought on the table, it looked like a digital weight measuring device used to measure gold. They put my crystal on the device, pressed a button on it and waited a moment for the numbers to appear on the small screen that was also on the device.
"1890 let's round it up to 1900." ..... 30 Silv for every 1000s, so uhhh...."
"That's 57 Silv Honey~"
Isn't that too cheap? Hey you've got the wrong person if you want to scam.
"Wait a minute! I believe in my vision of the demand poster at the tavern in the center of the city, if the price says 50 Silv for every 1000s? I can bring that poster here if you want proof, it says clearly that this shop offers such a price!"
Aliens have always existed in more advanced civilizations you fool! Even though I still have hair and a normal sized head! My intelligence is above average and I was ranked in the top 100 in the academia two years ago! Yes, two years ago. So you shouldn't play games with me, you half-plant, half-animal people who choose a primitive way of life! But why is it that the tiger woman, whose intelligence I bet is the lowest among all the people in this room judging from how much trouble she had with the simple calculations just now, only frowned and exchanged glances with the Elf next to her before starting to continue.
"Too bad, we're the ones who set the price here brat, after all the price of Soul Crystals is going down. If you're not satisfied you can go to another place and I think the result will be the same"
"Sorry... I'm not talking about personal opinions, I'm questioning your commitment to trading! Selling information to customers and deceiving them is against the law! I can report you to the city authorities and demand justice"
"Olala~ wait a minute! There seems to be a slight misunderstanding here~, Honey~ let me explain~"
"Huh, such a weak brat"
You are half human and half animal, I heard although Animus and Elves share the same attachment to nature. Animus tend to be more aggressive and barbaric, although it is said that there are some who are very wise and become role models for others. Surely this Tiger woman belongs to the first group, I also heard that they are good in bed... what am I thinking.
"Olalal~ Young man, you are neither completely wrong nor completely right. Remember, there is no guild in this Kingdom that guarantees the legality of requests and rewards given. So, request posters are free to be posted anywhere by anyone without a formal contract. Of course, illegal solicitation posters without the permission of the local authorities are of highly doubtful authenticity and will be immediately disciplined if they become an eyesore in public, and the uploader will be immediately sought for accountability"
"Hmmm, of course"
That's right usually everyone can access the requests from the guilds and it's guaranteed legality by the government, the requests are completed and reported to the guild by some method or the requested item is brought to the guild in question and then paid according to the request listed. Each guild got a percentage of the profit from this and for private requests to a guild, the payment would be even greater, of course only guilds with a good name usually got it.
"Now for some people asking the authorities for permission is a hassle with taxes and so on, so the only way is to stick it on places that are not public property but still many people go there. Drinking places and restaurants are perfect for this, of course you can't just stick it there. Bar owners also don't want to get into trouble with the local authorities for fraudulent solicitation cases, especially those who open right in the heart of the City. They're more concerned with their 'good name' aaand~ more selective about the requesters, nnnnn~ usually they only accept the obvious ones like from official stores or close acquaintances like us. Unlike the wild taverns outside the city, they usually don't really care whether a request is valid or not as long as you have enough money to shut them up. Olala~, of course you can shut them up in other ways. Cuup~"
She winked and pecked two fingers of her right hand at me, you bitch. Hey tiger woman! She's teasing me! It's not my fault that I got horny! Bah, it's not the time to get horny and I'm quite understanding of the situation now.
"So you're saying that even if I complain to the guards about this they'll keep quiet? But still you guys are selling false info miss!"
"Olala~ You're pretty tough alright, but we also have enough reasons to make them turn around. Hohoho, we're also maintaining the good name of our shop young man"
"And that?"
"Fellow merchants, we have an unwritten rule young man~. And that is by not tampering with the market price, it is true that the price of Soul Crystals is currently very low. That fact can be found in every corner of this city, and~ even if you bring that demand poster as proof of fraud. The local authorities will definitely not take you up on it, after all it was a wild poster with no legality in the first place. We can simply say that we don't know anything about it, and blame the irresponsible party who used 'our name'. And even if the tavern owner justifies your demands, our reason for lowering the price of Crystals is reasonable enough to give them pause. Of course, that is highly unlikely to happen with the current situation. The local officials would definitely reject your demands, and shaking their arms to tell you to leave would be like shooing away flies. Hohohoho~"
"Ukkkk..."
""What's wrong, brat? My girl managed to beat you? Don't underestimate merchants and the business world, all prices depend on supply and demand. If you want to blame someone, then blame the group of Knights who did the big hunt last week. After all, you're not alone in doing so, there are many hunters here who are upset that their hunting yields are now reduced."
Ukkk damn it, one sheet of Soul Convert Card is worth 400 Silv. Total blunder, So that’s why most of goods at low prices. Damn Knights Group, I wonder who the leader is? Don't they get paid by their country?
"Olala~ Young man, you said this is from Jolt Wolf right? Do you have the fur? I mean you have the crystals... Ahhh~ I forgot you're a solo player, it's fine if it's a little. I think we can make you a good offer."
"Hmm? This is all I have"
I took out the leather bundle from my Carrier Ring, it fell with quite a loud noise. Suddenly I saw the tiger woman blink her eyes as if surprised, she approached the bundle with a small smile on her lips.
"Hnnnhhhh~ You have a high quality fur here boy"
She examined it by rubbing the wolf fur on her face, and slowly took a deep breath. He just called me boy? Didn’t she just call me a brat before? Has the mood shifted a bit? A second later she turned her face towards me and looked at me with a much different look than a few minutes ago. Her eyes looked wistful... oi.
"Mfufufufu boy? Did you really do it alone?"
I converted it and skinned it myself, so of course.
"Yes..."
"Ok! 100 Silv for each one, how about it?
"Hmm?"
"No? How about 1200 Silv along with your Soul Crystal?"
My guess is 30 Silv for each one, supply and demand eh? But wait a minute! If they (the drugstore) dare to bid this high, wouldn't the price probably be higher if I sold it at that clothing store (the one in the center of town)? Then how about if I bid again here? Maybe they will raise the price again? However, before I could bargain, the tiger lady gave me a sharp look. Shit...I forgot it...
"You want to rattle us boy? Believe me my offer is the highest, you should understand since I'm of the Animus race"
"......"
"Olala~"
"..... Alright deal"
I heard that the Animus race really likes animal skin clothes, they treat it like a luxury item more than other races. I'm still in 800 Silv's profits after all.
"Mfufufufufuf thank you, not many have been able to hunt Jolt wolf in recent years. They've become so powerful with large group numbers, many hunters have died from being outnumbered. Meanwhile, they have keen instincts to avoid strong hunters."
She gave 3 coins, 1 gold coin worth 1 Gald and 2 large silver coins worth 100 Silv each. But there was something strange, she didn't let go of her grip while giving the coins. Hey, what's with that smile?
"Mfufufufufu and you managed to defeat this many by yourself, which is... extraordinary~"
She slowly brought her face closer to me so that I could smell her exotic body scent... one sheep, two sheep, threeaaa Sheeep, sheeeeeppp.
"I like strong men, you know? They're reliable, in many ways~"
"Olalala~ this woman also thinks so, and if I look closely. You look adorable~"
The Dark Elf approaching me from the other direction grasped my chin and quickly stuck out her tongue for a small lick on my cheek.
AUUUUUUUUU!!!! Even though I'm not a soccer player, but right now my instinct tells me to score a GOAL!
"Why don't you spend the night here? We'll show you what happened in NIRVANAA~"
Damn it, both of them were breathing hard. Looks like I'm not the wolf here.
"I'm hooome! Wow, it's been three days"
"Husband~ welcome~!!!"
Suddenly a man entered the shop when I was just about to give an answer, the Dark Elf quickly took her arms off me and ran towards him. He gave the man a kiss... lip to lip... with tongue too... I know that man... I'm dead... he's Arban.
"Thanks Ila, haaah lots of problems today and it looks like I have to work late tomorrow. Uhhh I didn't expect that boy to actually go to the dungeon. Sorry Ila, looks like I have to rest soon to check the dungeon one by one later tonight"
"What!!!? Again!!?"
The Dark Elf looked dissatisfied with what Arban had just said and his tired reaction. "If it had been me, I would have laid her down on the floor and rode until the day was over"
"Ila button your shirt!"
"Who cares about buttons! On a hot day like this I'd probably prefer to be naked!!!"
"Is it the season? Eh!?? Hey young man! How are you! Why do you look so pale? Mir?"
For some reason the Dark Elf's demeanor had become different from his mysterious and alluring self a few minutes ago, and me? I just hope he doesn't kill me.
"We were teasing her and you came to mess with her, this child's reaction is normal for someone with guilt"
"......."
Arban looked at us one by one before he finally took a breath and let out a long sigh.
"I think you guys are the guilty ones here, can't you be a little more patient? Until everything is over"
"WHAT!!! I think you're the guilty one here! How many days do you think have passed! We've had enough!!! We require a normal Impingement!!!"
This tiger woman spoke like a student protesting to her teacher... wait? A normal Impingement?
"You are right Miranda! Husband, you've stopped doing night duty for us for over a week!!! We are at our wits end! Did you choose your job over OURS!!!"
"Hey you guys are overreacting! You two know that we have to work overtime because we're short of people!"
"'we're also short of people in our beds'!"x2
I took the money and slowly walked out of the store and left.
"............."
"............"
".............. Fuck!"
Not far after I left the damn store, out of nowhere a voice suddenly stopped me in my tracks.
"Umm. Excuse me."
I turned around and found the little girl from the inn standing there, what was her name again?
"I'm sorry if I eavesdropped on your conversation earlier, but. Is it true that you defeated Jolt Wolf?"
She spoke with a polite tone and a serious look on her face, for a child her age this was quite rare.
"Yeah... so?"
AHHHH~ maybe because I'm really upset about what happened just now, I've had enough of pretending to be a good boy. She's just a kid after all.
"........."
"What? you plan to take me to NIRWANAA~ too?"
"............"
She seemed to be gathering courage, and I knew that face. It was the face of someone who was ready to challenge danger, and the answer that came out of it was...
"TAKE ME!!!"
“...”
"...Hell fuck!!?"
###