Chapter 177: It’s the Second Time!

A month and a half after I handed over the giant snake, the tanning was finished and the leather was delivered to the guild.

Submaster Hyde looked troubled by something Chief Holtz had said.

“What’s wrong, Hyde? Did some problem occur?”

“No, not a problem exactly. The royal family requested that we dismantle the snake and tan its hide.”

“Ah, that magnificent snakeskin. It should make exceptional equipment.”

“Certainly, but that’s not it. Holtz said it was a beautiful hide without a single wound.”

“Tanning repairs minor damage, so Holtz would know that much.”

“As far as I know, only one person could have brought in a hide like that. He delivers birds without a mark on them, and kills beasts with a single thrust—not wounds from a struggle, but a stab through the belly or up through the jaw into the brain. He’s famous for catching birds, and he has submitted Armor Buffaloes and Golden Bears for appraisal.”

“The adventurer rumored to have hurled a dragon away… And he’s only Gold Rank?”

“Gold Rank First Class.”

“Do you know where he is now?”

“His registration is Lynas, so he should be back in the city.”

“Then issue a designated request through the capital guild for roughly three Shams.”

“Sham? Is that rumor true?”

“Think about it. Shams and Golden Goats have been submitted through different clients, yet all were handled with the same nearly flawless method. He can fly, catch prey in whirlwinds, and spin them helpless. Would catching a Sham be difficult for him?”

“Certainly, but why a designated request?”

“It’s a request from guild headquarters. They probably intend to review his skills and achievements for further promotion.”

“That’s again…”

“Leon is acquainted with the three parties that fought the dragon during the monster incident. Rumor says he advised the mages in those parties and helped them improve. Do you think headquarters would ignore someone like that?”

“Is it to sell the guild’s name?”

“He once used the capital guild regularly, so we should cooperate at least that much.”

“Though saying it saves them the trouble of recruiting children who dream of high ranks is rather harsh.”

“Headquarters likely wants to confirm his ability. Guild operations become difficult unless capable adventurers continue to rise.”

“Leon, I’m leaving the Black Tiger to you.”

“Why entrust it to me. Fin and Bertie can attack.”

“Black Tigers are extremely fast. Neither [Stone Lance!] nor [Ice Lance!] can hit them easily, and arrows lack the stopping power. Your [Whirlwind!] is ideal.”

“If you stay inside the ice dome I taught you about, and attack when it gets close, you should be able to hit it.”

“That’s what we’ll do when Leon isn’t here. Wrap it in [Whirlwind!], spin it around, and finish it with a short spear—simple and excellent hunting.”

“If you bring it to the Adventurer’s Guild, you can sell it at a high price.”

“I’ll tell you about a special place where you can find rare medicinal herbs, so do your best!”

“The so-called excellent spot is on a cliff, you’re making me go gather there?”

“You can fly through the sky, so you can go without worry of falling.”

“The next spot is by the waterside, so you can walk there.”

“Today I’ll roast a Chikki-Chikki Bird for you.”

“That kindness is scary.”

“Why does traveling north from Helnenka bring us out at Elvira?”

“Because the safest, easiest route leads to Elvira.”

“That’s right, even saying north, you know it’s not a place you can walk straight to.”

“Leon sees from above the sky, so he doesn’t understand.”

“If you flew straight north from Helnenka, you would come out near Huberry.”

“Don’t worry about the details. Let’s sell the game and go shopping.”

“She’s always with the men, so she doesn’t like going shopping.”

“Thanks to Leon, we caught a ton of prey, so I’m really looking forward to it!”

We reached the Blange Highway and followed it east. Elvira soon came into view.

The gazes of adventurers returning to the city hurt.

“Fufun, there are more guys with bad eyes than usual.”

“Today there are no men, so there are many wolves drooling.”

“I’m technically a man.”

“Boys aren’t included among men yet.”

“Betty closely resembles Felicinka.”

“Leon resembles both Felicinka and Betty, so he’s still a child to us.”

“Is that so, well your sister is a child from before Mother was 50…”

“Betty was born when Felicinka was around sixty or seventy.”

“She gave birth relatively early.”

“That was because she fell in love with Roy and married him. Considering Roy’s age, it wasn’t especially early.”

Hey hey, the old ladies are also a lovey-dovey couple, huh.

Sixty or seventy? That meant Granny Felica was already over a hundred.

“I didn’t know that, pureblood elves live long. You seem to have strong blood too, so you live long.”

“Strong blood and skilled at magic, the elements for long life are all in place.”

“If you get tired of the city, you should live in the village.”

“But Betty’s husband is from the Silver Wolf tribe, and they’re long-lived as well…”

Ah ah, the neighborhood aunties’ well-side gossip is about to start.

I wasn’t worried about lifespan, and no one around me spoke of such things either.

The gossip of these elderly neighborhood women was frightening.

“Wait a moment Leon, you’re not thinking strange things, right?”

“I said they’re older than Felica the old lady.”

“Fufun. Shall I hold you to sleep tonight?”

“That sounds good. I’ve forgotten the feeling of holding a grandchild to sleep.”

“That sounds even more refreshing than an ordinary rest.”

“Wait, stop that.”

“You ladies look like you’re having fun.”

“An all-female elven party is unusual, isn’t it?”

“It looks like they’ve come to sell medicinal herbs…”

“If I met him on a grassland, I’d ask him to be my partner right away.”

“I’ll tell you now: this child knows exactly who he’s, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Mm, a man?”

“He has a cute face, doesn’t he.”

“I don’t mind.”

With sticky words and gazes, my spine tingled.

“There’s an opening ahead.”

The gate guard was glaring at us, so I presented my guild card and moved to pass through.

“Wait, let me see again.”

“What?”

“Why does a brat like you have a Gold Card?”

Last time it was the east gate, this time is it the west gate?

“If you have a problem with my Gold Card, summon Knight Commander Melberton. Give him my name and he’ll come.”

“What, an adventurer calling for the Knight Commander?”

“What are you making a fuss about…”

Oh, it was the same official as last time. He seemed to remember me.

“You helped me before. Good. Instead of the knight commander, summon Viscount Valenzai. This is the second time. You can’t excuse it by claiming your subordinates weren’t trained, can you?”

“Security guard, what is it?”

“What do you mean, ‘what is it’? This is exactly what happened at the East Gate. Don’t assign someone who can’t even read a guild card to entrance security! I’ll complain to the viscount myself, so bring him here.”

“Well, um…you should apologize too!”

“I told you to summon the viscount instead of the guards. You understand what will happen if I go to his residence myself, don’t you?”

“Yes, I understand! But, well…”

“Leon, he’s apologizing. You should forgive him.”

“Don’t bully them too much.”

“Hey, if you’re too lenient with a guy like this, he’ll start bothering you ladies next.”

“That won’t happen, right, knight?”

“Ha, of course! I’ll strictly instruct the security guards!”

“We’re registered as adventurers in Elvira and come from Helnenka. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She displayed her feminine charm while placing a hand on my shoulder—a silent warning not to trouble anyone from Helnenka.

“Leon, shall we go?”

“Official, excuse me.”

“Ah, one more thing. Those men behind us were pestering us…”

“Please leave it to us. Speaking of adventurers, we’ll properly investigate suspicious persons!”

They salute sharply, glaring at the group behind us.

“The guys in the back, their complexions changed.”

“More importantly, Leon, adventurers seem remarkably forceful when dealing with nobles.”

“There must be some secret. Ask your big sister.”

“That’s right—summon the knight commander.”

“Is going directly to the lord’s residence really that serious?”

“We’ll discuss it in the guild cafeteria. Keep it secret from everyone else.”

“Good child.”

“Felicinka doesn’t know either.”

“As long as Granny Felica says nothing, no one in Helnenka needs to know.”

“Well then, let’s quickly dispose of the prey.”

After seeing Leon and the women off, the official turned to the gate guard.

“Summon the security captain!”

He remembered the bitter experience of taking Leon to the viscount’s mansion after the previous incident.

Viscount Valenzai had thundered at him afterward.

He had no desire to deal with such a dangerous person twice.

Unless the security captain properly instructed the guards, his own position would be at risk.

Still, as one of the viscount’s knights, he could only curse his luck for becoming involved in entrance-gate trouble a second time.

The elderly purchasing clerk gave me his usual suspicious look. I showed him my guild card and patted my Magic Bag to indicate that I still had more prey to unload.

There were five other groups of customers already there, but they seemed very interested in the group that consisted entirely of women.