Chapter 7: The Blank Adventurer II
Even though it was only midday, there were two neighboring tables of drunk adventuring parties raising a racket.
The location was the bar run by the barkeeper with a mohawk.
It seemed that this bar was directly managed by the Adventurers' Guild.
One table was a party of beast-men which was composed of greenhorns like us. A song celebrating the party members who shared one another’s fates could be heard. It was a party that wasn’t here, but it seemed like deaths had already occurred.
It was close for us too. Especially for the knight-sama, who was still not looking so good.
「About the payment for the pig, it came to 34 gold coins. After taking into account the amount for the meat I took, that's 7 coins per person, and 6 coins for me」
I arranged the gold coins on the table and put everyone's share in front of them.
「Sorry, but I can't accept this」
The knight-sama put the gold coins back in front of me.
「That disgraceful behavior…… I’ve damaged my grandfather's reputation」
「Is that so? But you will still take it. Failure is also part of an adventurer's job. Do stuff like that only when you're the leader」
I returned the gold coins back to the knight-sama.
Reluctantly, he accepted them.
「If he didn’t need it, isn’t it fine for us to have it?」
「Then, I’ll have Shuna-chan's meat」
「I wasn’t talking about that!」
The boy and the girl were wolfing down their food.
It’s great that they’re energetic.
「Yeah, that's right. All I did was give an explanation on Chochos, and then ran, and fell over. What the heck was that thing? It was three times bigger than what was written in the book. Arghh, that idiot instructor! He didn’t teach me these kinds of things even though I paid him so much! Get me more alcohol!」
Empty bottles were lined up in front of the woman. The beast-woman waitress brought new bottles of alcohol. I whispered to her, "Please dilute it next time”, and put five copper coins into her uniform’s pocket. For some reason, I got a kiss on my cheek. She was a lovely lady with cat ears and tail. Someone kicked my shin.
「Hmm? Hmm?」
Who was it? Was it the boy? Setting that aside,
「Umm, what's everyone going to do after this?」
「Me and Bel are going to return to our lodgings and report today’s events to Gladvain-sama」
Said the boy.
「I’m going to drink some more」
Said the woman.
「I’ll wallow in my thoughts for a while」
Said the knight-sama.
「Oh no, that’s not what I meant. Sorry. The way I said it was bad」
I corrected them.
「I was talking about forming a party with the five of us from now on」
Suddenly, our table became an island of silence in the sea of noise from the surroundings.
Hmm, did I say something foolish?
「What are you talking about?」
The boy had a surprised expression.
「It's a party that was decided by that Otou-san. Even if we hated it, it's fixed. It's different if someone dies though」
「Is that so?」
Please tell me such things, Evetta-san!
「About Otou-san, is he famous?」
I tried asking.
There was even more surprise at that. The boy dropped his spoon, the woman dropped a full bottle of alcohol, and the girl dropped the meat that she had in her mouth.
It was that surprising, huh?
The knight-sama explained it to me.
「When you speak of the king of adventurers, the name of King Lemuria comes to mind. And the father of adventurers is that Otou-san, Medimu-dono. Just from the ones I know about, he has appeared three times in the epics tales of famous adventurers. He’s what is called a living legend. He’s also one of the few individuals who are allowed to explore the dungeon on their own」
That’s amazing.
Hmm? They allowed people to explore the dungeon on their own?
「Where are you from? Speaking of which, your clothes look unfamiliar. Your equipment is also unusual. That quick-wittedness and sharp judgment is not something that ordinary people have too」
No, I’m just an ordinary person with the devil's luck.
Just when I was thinking of where to start, the knight-sama pulled out a scroll.
「Oh, I'm sorry. I should give my own proof of identity first, right? It’s a good opportunity for it」
He unrolled the scroll.
『………………』
Everyone was silent.
「Sorry, I can't read」
「Me too」
「Me too」
The boy, the girl and I confessed our illiteracy. I wondered what the literacy rate in this world was.
「Unnn, I’m seeing triple」
Let’s leave the woman who had drunk too much alone, since she seemed to be having difficulties.
「Here, for the newbie party who defeated a dungeon pig. This is a treat from the bar. It’s been a while since Otou-san praised anyone」
The barkeeper with a mohawk put down a platter piled high with thick bacon and boiled beans.
『Meat!』
The boy and the girl dug into the food.
You guys can still eat, huh? But according to Makina's calculations, it’s over 20,000 kilocalories though.
「Master, can you read this?」
「Sure」
Going with the flow, I asked and he accepted.
The barkeeper sat down after bringing a chair from a nearby table.
「Rasta Oru Razva, a follower of Vindoobunikuru, will read the history of the new adventurer. In the name of Thrusuovu, I vow to impart exactly what I see before my eyes. Should falsehoods pass my lips, I will cut off this tongue and drink snake venom」
After a rather heavy oath, the barkeeper took the knight-sama's scroll.
「Name is Irvin Foz Gasim. From the center continent, Holy Kingdom of Elysium. “Former" knight of the St. Lyridias Order. Hmmm, Gasim…… Are you the grandson of that executioner, Gasim? The executioner from the Lyridias Order who was said to have pruned 200 heads in a day」
「No, that story is greatly exaggerated. The correct record is one hundred and sixteen people in two days」
「Is an executioner someone that chops off the heads of sinners?」
「Well, that's also part of the job」
The barkeeper answered the boy, who was eating the beans with a displeased expression. The boy continued.
「You're a young master after all, aren’t you? I’m guessing you can probably get a job as a government official in the center continent. You’ll get money even if you do nothing, won’t you?」
「It was only in name, but we did receive a noble title. Mother, father and sister, they all lived a life unrelated to poverty」
But he was an adventurer.
There were probably special circumstances behind that.
「But that was until my grand-uncle made plans to assassinate the Seventh Pope. Fortunately, the assassination was prevented. Of course, my grand-uncle, his family and close relatives were all executed. My family was protected by the reputation of my grandfather, and our punishment was settled with me being stripped of my knighthood and my sister being thrown in jail. I’ll just say this for the sake of my grand-uncle’s reputation, but he was a good man. He was only deceived by his elf mistress」
「As if a good man would lose to an elf's sex appeーOof」
I crammed bacon into the boy's mouth.
「Don't talk lightly about other people's family situation」
It'll cause a fight, won't it?
「My purpose in being an adventurer is to get my sister pardoned. Pardons cannot be bought with money in the St. Lyridias Order. For that reason, I’m adventuring to earn fame and honor」
In that heavy atmosphere, the barkeeper spoke.
「That’s not an easy path. You’ll have to descend at least forty floors. Or will you hunt monsters with evil titles? Otherwise, you’ll have to find an extraordinary treasure. There are many ways, but none of them are easy. Nowadays, the number of adventurers that purely seek honor are small. Real adventurers will probably give a youth like you their blessings. If anyone laughs at you, in the name of Razva, I’ll smack him with this fist」
The barkeeper made a fist. I would probably die with one punch from that fist. I had no time to laugh at people though. The barkeeper unrolled the scroll further and continued reading.
「Studied under Zamonglass, the Scarlet Knight. Certified in swordsmanship, equestrian arts, spearmanship, shield arts, and archery. Can use St. Lyridias’ elementary level healing magic. Healthy. Due to the doctrine of the St. Lyridias Order, cannot be in a party with beast-men. Due to a personal grudge, cannot be in a party with elves.
Hmm, as your senior, Rasta Oru Razva will give you my evaluation. Irvin Foz Gasim will be an excellent vanguard. The cornerstone of the party, he can be a shield, or a sword. If you wish, I can even introduce you to intermediate adventurers」
「I’m honored to receive such an evaluation from the Lemurian royal family」
Irvin smiled happily.
「Eh? Master is royalty?」
That was what made me shout in surprise.
「Hmm? That's right. But even if I'm part of the royal family, that's just something that was built up by my outstanding cousin. It’s nothing that I can be proud of personally. All I did was wander aimlessly around the world and end up as a barkeeper」
He had a seriously grouchy expression so I didn't pursue it further.
Irvin went from being happy to feeling depressed.
「However, I passed out after being sent flying by a pig」
「Don’t feel depressed. Dungeon pigs are quite strong. Originally, you were supposed to learn how to escape from an enemy like that. It’s not an enemy that you were supposed to learn how to defeat. Just between you guys and me, but……」
The barkeeper lowered his voice until it couldn’t be heard over the din in the bar.
「In the past, King Lemuria also got sent flying by a pig, just like you. What’s more, it bit his cape and swung him around with it. At that time, if Otou-san didn't do something, our king would have been that pig’s lunch. Don't spread this, or the bar will get crushed」
「O, okay」
The barkeeper gave Irvin a few hard pats on his back.
「Who’s next?」
With bacon still in his mouth, the boy proffered his scroll.
「Ohhh. It’s the young, Pig-Hunter swordsman」
The barkeeper burst out in laughter. The women and me were drawn in by his laughter and laughed too.
「I got stuck with a strange name after all, didn’t I?!」
「No, I’m sorry. But dungeon pigs are strong enemies, you know? It’s just that a pig also turned up when you went for Gladvain-sama’s trial, are you linked by a strange fate with pigs or something? Buhahahahaha!!!」
Having tried to smooth things over but failing miserably, the barkeeper was roaring with laughter again.
The boy looked like he was seriously going to snap. He was rashly raising his sword up with one hand.
The barkeeper moistened his throat with the woman's alcohol and read Shuna’s scroll.
「Name is Shuna. From the Azorido Archipelago. Main god is Ukazor, the Tree Spirit King, and a kin of Gladvain. Uses unnamed sword techniques, I see. Hmm, Shuna, I heard an account of your sword techniques through the grapevine. Thrusting techniques sent out from low posture. Those are techniques that are not found in any of the martial art schools in my memory. Well, not in the martial art schools, anyway. Your teacher is a beast-man, isn’t he?」
Shuna hit the table.
「………That's right. But the reason I hid it wasn’t because I hated it, you got it? My teacher said that hiding it was for my own sake, so I only followed what he said because he was so persistent about it. I did oppose it! That person protected three hundred islanders from fifty pirates even though he had only one arm. He’s a hero. He’s my pride. If you're going to laugh at that, then I'll be your opponent!」
Perhaps because he had gone through many bad experiences in the past, tears welled up at the edges of Shuna’s eyes.
The discrimination seemed to not only be against the beast-men themselves, but also extended to those involved with them.
「No, not in the least. It’s common knowledge that beast-men can't claim to be a martial art school. It's only normal that there are swordsmen who are a cut above the rest among them. I only confirmed it because there are also humans who don’t name themselves as martial art schools. To put it simply, they are a bunch who work as assassins. In the past, there was a guy who hid that and joined a party. That caused misery for everyone in that party. That kind of thing sticks with you until you die」
The barkeeper swept away the heavy topic and asked Irvin.
「As one who studied under the Scarlet Knight Zamonglass, what thoughts do you have of a swordsman who studied under a beast-man?
「Honestly, I’m envious. My teacher, who was also called the Bloody Knight, said that those who aimed to master true martial prowess should not only take on human opponents. For the sake of the honor of the St. Lyridias Order, I can't party with a beast-man at the moment, but it won’t be bad to ask for instruction from one after I become a free man」
「………………」
Shuna bowed his face down in embarrassment.
Hmm, this guy has a cute side, doesn't he?
「The reason I’m aiming to be an adventurer is becauseー」
Perhaps because his face was still red, Shuna spoke with his face half hidden by his hand. It became a somewhat cringe-worthy pose.
「I want to prove my strength. But not just my own strength. I want to prove the strength of my teacher」
The barkeeper gave a small nod.
「My evaluation is that you are a young and talented swordsman. But don’t get carried away, you hear? Every young person is talented. Those who don’t lose their talent after they've grown older, are the ones whose names are immortalized. Well, I do think that there’s no swordsman who is as good at hunting pigs as you are though」
「Hey!」
Ignoring Shuna, the barkeeper took the girl's scroll, which she had proffered nervously.
「P, please don’t be too hard on me!」
「Name is Beltoriche. From the Azorido Archipelago. Main god is Ukazor, the Tree Spirit King. A kin of Gastolfo, the God of Fertility; a follower of Juma, the Goddess of Rain; a kin of Midras of Suimei; a kin of Kyadoran, the Okame; Luteyugun of Kazaana; Yuta of Pleasure; Ryuryushuka of Thunder; hey, wait a minute. What’s up with the number of gods you’re contracted to?」
The barkeeper ran his finger down the scroll.
「15, 20, 28, 29, 30…… 35. 35! This is…… Is this allowed?」
Even the knowledgable barkeeper was breaking out in a cold sweat.
Shuna, while still eating bacon, poked Bel with his finger.
「Hey Bel. Doesn't 35 mean that it's increased again?」
「Well, there are many gods in this city, right? They asked me, and said that it was fine even if I only did it in my spare time, so I agreed. I did refuse those with weird restrictions and those that enforced their precepts. Ukazor also said,『Well, isn't it fine? Take what you can get』It's hard to refuse them once they start giving me food, you know?」
Hmm...
Is that right? I seeー.
Just what the heck was my suffering for?!
Here! Right here! There's a man who got turned down despite running around the entire city!
「You’re definitely a divine medium, aren’t you? Is it okay for you to be an adventurer? If you become a miko(shrine maiden) in a decent religious order, your livelihood will be secured for the rest of your life. All you have to do is eat and sleep, you know? You’ll also be free to choose from any of the men or women who are followers, you know?」
「What are you saying?! I will not choose the person I like through calculating methods like that! I’ll properly choose, developing the buds that should be developed, and cutting off the buds that should be cut off!」
「I, I see…… Well, I don’t understand women. Like Shuna, you use unnamed spear techniques and, as can be expected, the number of magic you can use is huge」
「Yes. Only the number is amazing. I'm proud of it. But their effects overlap and that’s not very good! I haven’t been able to grasp the full picture of all those magic because I contracted with too many gods! I'm sorry, dear gods! Mainly, Ukazor-sama!」
There were people in the world with the talent to make gods queue up for them.
I felt as if I heard a cat’s meow.
「My evaluation is that, as an adventurer, you are a jack of all trades but master of none. But being a divine medium is a rare talent. You have a lot of room for growth. But, you’re forming contracts far too lightly. It’s rude to your main god, so show some restraint for the time being」
「Okay」
Bel was crestfallen.
（Both of you）
The barkeeper signaled Irvin and me to come closer. We held a secret talk among three dudes.
（Listen, a divine medium is someone whom a god can descend into, speak the words of god, and perform miracles. Usually, they’re hidden away and are rarely revealed to the public by the religious orders or religions. I’ve been in the adventurers' world for forty years, but today’s the first time I saw one. In other words, she’s not a person who should be walking around carelessly! It’s fine when she’s in Gladvain-sama’s lodgings or if Shuna is beside her. But, apart from that, you must never take your eyes off her. She’ll get kidnapped and be made into a miko for some dark religion or cult. Do you understand?）
『Yes』
Irvin and I were headlocked and forced to nod.
「?」
Bel was looking at us with a curious expression.
All I saw was an ordinary girl. I did think she was cute though.
「Next, read mine please」
The woman, who looked extremely unmotivated, proffered her scroll. Was her hand trembling because of the alcohol?
「Name is Zenobia. From Fosterk. Sorry, it's the name of a place that I'm not familiar with」
「It's on the southernmost tip of center continent. It's just a normal rural area」
「I'm sorry about that. Flame Religion, a follower of the Great Flame Magician Rob's faction. Studied magic at the Soten Academy. Sorry, my knowledge is insufficient it seems. Speaking of magical academies, it's either the Hohens School or the Jumikura School, which of those is this Soten Academy under?」
After she hardened her expression, she gulped down her drink.
「It's a private open-air magic classroom」
There was no way the barkeeper would know it then.
「Hmm, but well, there aren't any bad points. You've learnt basic magic in a well-balanced manner. You should face no problems up to the 15th floor. Devoting yourself to improving daily is what makes a good adventurer. Do your best」
It was a pretty clear-cut evaluation.
Zenobia-san looked very dissatisfied.
「………Eh? Is that the end? Yes, it's ordinary. I'm ordinary. I'm so ordinary that there's nothing else in particular to say. But, you know, there's a knight who's shouldering a heavy burden, a genius boy swordsman and a miko who's a divine medium, am I right?! Isn't the percentage of abnormal people too high?! It's somehow making me appear pitiful! Don't I look pitiful?! Haaaa」
She turned her gaze to me.
「You're on this side, right?」
Please don't look at me with such a pleading expression.
The barkeeper rested his rugged hand on my head.
「Zenobia. This guy came from a foreign land, got rejected by the gods of this city, beat three crooked, intermediate adventurers black and blue, then publicly humiliated them by dragging them all over the place and all night long. And the merchant company that was behind it? This is the man who blew up their warehouse, threatened them, got them to yield to him and even acquired the feather of the sister god of Minerva. From the rumors that I've heard, it seems like he has a prominent fish-man priest backing him. On top of that, he's an eccentric adventurer who chose someone of a different race as his person in charge」
「No, no, NOOOOOO! I'm fading awayー!」
「You aren't, and you won't, alright?」
「Does that mean that I'll get a discount if I shop with Onii-san?」
「Hmm, I wonder about that」
I tilted my head at Bel's question. It appeared that I had been banned from some of the merchant companies though.
「Well, the things that I've just said are ultimately just rumors. They're probably exaggerated」
「Then, please read mine as well」
I took out the scroll and handed it to the barkeeper. I didn't think that whatever was written there would be anything more than what had already been said, but I did think that such formalities were important.
「Well then. Hmm?」
The barkeeper had a strange look on his face after he unrolled my scroll.
「What kind of joke is this?」
「Huh?」
Although I didn't know this world's characters, even I could understand what was on the scroll he showed me.
It was blank.
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