Chapter 139: Poisonous Demon Subjugation and Rank Up
“HAA!”
Receiving my blow, the spider monster colored like bright red blood is split in two.
This monster is an Inferno Spider. Its poison is weak, but it’s a troublesome monster that involves danger to life unless treated properly.
Well, since most parts cannot be used as materials, it’s a monster we can defeat casually.
Its venom can become material for antipyretics and such if processed, so for the hunting side, it’s appreciated that we just need to collect the venom after defeating it.
“Even so, there really are many poisonous monsters.”
Coming to the forest near the Royal Capital, we were intensively exterminating poisonous monsters that are usually not here.
This is because we were asked by the Adventurer’s Guild to preferentially exterminate poisonous monsters.
“Right, it’s rare for monsters with such dangerous poison to appear in one place.”
Liliera sighs while piercing the attacking monsters with her spear.
“Thanks to the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote Rex prepared, we don’t have to worry about the worst-case scenario, but since we don’t know where poisonous monsters are hiding, it wears on the nerves.”
“Hahhaa! Eat this, monsters! If you don’t fear my flame—OUCH!”
Ah, Jairo, who was fighting in high spirits, got bitten by a monster that came out of the bush.
“OW HOT HOT HOT!!”
Apparently, the one that bit him was a poisonous monster, and Jairo rolls around in agony.
“I told you not to let your guard down, idiot! Meguri, cover please!”
Mina immediately makes Jairo drink the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote.
And to cover that opening, Meguri… wait, huh?
Meguri remains engaging the monster in front of her for some reason and doesn’t try to cover Mina.
“Meguri!”
I call out to Meguri while checking the monsters attacking Mina and the others with magic.
“Ah, sorry.”
When I called out, Meguri hurriedly headed to cover Mina and the others.
Hmm, it’s rare for Meguri to be like that. Is she perhaps feeling unwell?
“Hah!”
Invisible wind blades fly from the dagger Meguri swung, cutting the approaching monsters.
Meguri was fighting at mid-range using Attribute Enhancement skillfully to avoid receiving the monsters’ poison.
Hmm, but the fight itself is keeping distance properly and fighting without letting guard down.
“Alright, revived! Thanks to Big Bro, I’m not afraid of poison! How dare you do that, you bastard!”
And Jairo, on whom the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote worked, returns to battle immediately.
“OUCH!”
Ah, he got bitten by another poisonous monster this time.
“You idiot! Even if it’s cheap, it costs money!”
“Dammit! If Norb were here, it’d be easier with antidote magic!”
“Can’t be helped, Norb was called by the church and has been gone since morning.”
Talking about Norb who is absent today, Mina was making Jairo drink the Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote.
◆
“Phew, looks like we defeated most of the poisonous monsters around here.”
With the monster attacks settling down, we take a breather.
“Thanks to that, quite a lot of materials accumulated. If not for Rex‘s magic bag, we would have wrapped up long ago.”
“That’s true. But defeating this many, I think the Adventurer’s Guild will be satisfied too.”
Yes, we were exterminating poisonous monsters separately from the originally accepted request.
Because we were asked to subjugate monsters that came from the Rotten Earth.
◆
It happened in the morning when we were looking at the request board at the Adventurer’s Guild searching for work.
“Priority Request?”
The Guild receptionist asked us, who were selecting requests, for monster extermination.
“Yes, it’s a special request generated by notification from the Guild. It’s not as urgent as an Emergency Request, but if you don’t have particularly urgent business, it’s a request you need to accept preferentially.”
Heh, so there was such a request.
“The content is the extermination of poisonous monsters that came out of the Rotten Earth.”
“Rotten Earth!?”
Hearing the receptionist’s words, Meguri raised her voice rarely.
“What’s wrong, Meguri?”
“Ah, yeah… just surprised because a slightly dangerous place name came up… yeah.”
A dangerous place, huh. Indeed, Rotten Earth, just hearing the name sounds dangerous.
“Umm, so, the request area is the land surrounding the Rotten Earth and areas where poisonous monsters usually not seen in peacetime have been confirmed. The period is until the figures of poisonous monsters are no longer confirmed.”
Somehow, quite a rough request.
“It says priority, but are we not allowed to accept other requests during that time?”
“No, since the content is monster extermination this time, we don’t mind if you accept other requests and subjugate poisonous monsters if you find them. As the Guild, we just want to reduce the numbers anyway. However, if you find them but are in a state unable to fight, please report the discovered location to the Guild as soon as possible then.”
I see, so we should consider it as normal request + subjugation.
“Understood. By the way, what is the Rotten Earth?”
When I ask the receptionist, she tilts her head saying “Eh?”.
“Huh? Rex doesn’t know about the Rotten Earth?”
“I remember hearing only the name, but I don’t know the details.”
“I see. Then allow me to explain presumptuously.”
When I tell her I don’t know, the receptionist straightens her posture and begins to talk about the Rotten Earth.
“The Rotten Earth is a poisonous swamp that appeared about a thousand years ago.”
“Poisonous swamp?”
“Yes, that swamp gradually contaminated the surrounding land and expanded the poison-invaded earth.”
Contaminating surroundings and expanding…
“It’s like the Demon Beast Forest.”
Yeah, the Demon Beast Forest made of tree monsters also gradually eroded the surrounding land and swallowed Liliera‘s home village.
“Exactly! The Rotten Earth is a Danger Zone just like the Demon Beast Forest!”
“Danger Zone!?”
Hearing that name, I recall when I heard the name of the Rotten Earth.
Right, I heard it from the Guild Master when I became B-rank in the town of Togai.
A dangerous place where only those above a certain rank among adventurers are allowed to enter, a Danger Zone.
Rotten Earth was one such dangerous place.
“In the Rotten Earth, which is also said by one theory to have been created by a Devil, a great breeding season for monsters inhabiting there occurs roughly once every 100 years. And monsters driven out of the Rotten Earth settle in the surrounding lands.”
The receptionist spreads her arms, directing the scene of monsters driven out of the swamp spreading.
“So that’s why there were many poisonous monster subjugation requests recently.”
Hearing the receptionist’s explanation, Liliera voices her understanding.
“Exactly. Moreover, since only about 50 years have passed since the previous monster flood this time, the Guild was also troubled. Usually, we would gather antidote potion ingredients according to that timing and prepare sufficient stock, but since it was unexpectedly early this time, preparations were delayed.”
There, the receptionist shows a smiling face.
“However, that problem was also managed thanks to Rex‘s Low-Grade All-Purpose Antidote! We are hurriedly collecting ingredients for some monsters with powerful poison, but thanks to this antidote, we can prepare stock immediately for other poisonous monsters, which is helpful! After all, it was effective even on the poison of the B-rank Inferno Spider!”
“Inferno Spider!?”
Hearing that name, Mina raises a voice of surprise.
“You know it, Mina?”
When Jairo asks tilting his head not knowing well, Mina nods with a pale face.
“A monster with quite vicious and nasty poison. It’s about the size of a dog, so it attacks normally regardless of poison too.”
“Yes. The Inferno Spider‘s individual strength corresponds to D-rank, but considering the danger of the poison, it is B-rank.”
The receptionist supplements Mina’s explanation.
“What, if it’s D-rank, no big deal. Since there’s medicine too, it’s an easy win, right?”
“Listen, Inferno Spider materials don’t make money. Strength corresponding to D-rank means the shell and fangs are only at that level. Yet it has poison that raises the danger level to B-rank. The only valuable thing is the venom, but the antidote prepared to fight costs more. So Inferno Spiders are… or rather, combat with most poisonous monsters costs more in expenses, so it’s disliked.”
True, even in my previous life, unless it was a situation where we absolutely had to defeat them because a city was attacked, monsters with powerful poison were left alone or wiped out along with the land from a long distance.
“For that reason, the danger of subjugation has decreased considerably, but the danger of monsters coming out of the swamp attacking ordinary people remains. Therefore, until the Rotten Earth monster breeding season subsides and the monsters that went out are mostly hunted, we want you to exterminate poisonous monsters preferentially. Instead, while the Priority Request is active, the Guild is increasing the purchase price of poisonous monster materials and offering discounts on various antidotes. And the more poisonous monsters you defeat, the higher the contribution to the Guild is considered, becoming a subject of evaluation in rank-up screening.”
“Ooh! So defeating poisonous monsters lets you rank up!”
“Not guaranteed, but it becomes advantageous in screening. However, there is no doubt you get closer to rank up than those who don’t participate.”
“Huh, come to think of it, what happened to Liliera‘s promotion to S-rank? If I recall, the Guild Master of Tatsutron town promised to recommend her for S-rank.”
“Yes, regarding that matter, we have already received contact from the other party. We are counting it as one of the judgment materials for Liliera‘s S-rank promotion screening.”
When I recalled the event in Tatsutron town and asked, the receptionist answered like that.
“Eh? She can’t become S-rank immediately?”
“Umm you see, unlike promotion in lower ranks, promotion to upper ranks for adventurers requires multiple screenings. Just being strong isn’t enough.”
“Eh? But I became S-rank immediately?”
“Listen, promotion to upper ranks must consider not only simple strength but also cooperativeness, humanity, and contribution to the Guild and the nation. Especially regarding humanity, it’s something you can’t understand unless you watch carefully over time.”
Yeah, I understand what you want to say.
“However, in Rex‘s case, the achievements for the nation and Guild were too many…”
“Eh? I don’t remember doing such big things?”
Really haven’t done much though.
“With the track record of exterminating powerful monsters starting with dragons, needless to say about ability, establishing a highway penetrating the Demon Beast Forest, installing barriers enabling rest within the highway. Furthermore, by selling Monster Repellent Potions, many people became able to travel safely. The benefits people gain from these achievements are immeasurable, and these achievements outside of combat acts guarantee Rex‘s humanity. Frankly, it was said ‘after doing this much, what are we screening now?'”
Why is the examiner so throwing in the towel…
There should be various things to investigate more.
“Well, for that reason, Liliera cannot be promoted immediately.”
I see. That’s unfortunate.
“Isn’t it fine, Big Bro! If we take this request and exterminate monsters bang-bang, we can rank up in no time, right!”
Jairo, who seemed to be listening to the conversation so far, said such a thing.
“If it takes time for the great people to investigate various things, that’s fine. Besides, the material purchase price is increased this time, so if rank up becomes faster and we get more money, it’s a gain!”
Ooh, as expected of Jairo. Somehow incredibly positive.
“So! Let’s buy that All-Purpose Antidote right away and hunt poisonous monsters like crazy!”
Wanting to rank up quickly, Jairo is full of motivation.
“As expected, the rookie is fired up. I can’t lose either.”
Inspired by Jairo, Liliera also gets fired up.
“Can’t be helped. But well, true, if rank up becomes faster, there’s no reason not to do it.”
Not losing to the two, Mina also gets motivated.
“…”
But amidst that, only Meguri was silent for some reason.
◆ Meguri ◆
“Heh-he! Today was a big catch!”
Returning from monster extermination, we enter the Adventurer’s Guild.
There are already many adventurers inside the Guild, and it seems material purchase will take time.
“Nooow then, how much will it be today!”
But Jairo, with high expectations for rank up, lines up in the purchase queue excitedly, not minding the length of the line.
“Hey, can I go back first?”
“Nn? What’s wrong Meguri? Restroom?”
“You idiot!”
“OUCH!”
Mina slaps Jairo hard for saying stupid things.
“Meguri, are you perhaps feeling unwell? You were somewhat absentminded today.”
Nn, as expected, Mina noticed.
“Nn, I’m okay. Just a little tired.”
“Really? Well, purchase will take time anyway, you can go back first.”
“Thanks.”
Parting with Mina who looked worried until the end, I left the Adventurer’s Guild.
◆
“…As I thought.”
Returning to Rex‘s mansion a step ahead, a carriage was stationed in front of the gate.
And beside the carriage, the figure of a beautifully groomed white-haired man.
Clothes that look normal at a glance, but the fabric used is clearly fine, stating that the person is born of a wealthy family.
Or rather, I knew who that person was.
“It has been a while.”
Noticing my figure, that person speaks to me.
“Baharun…”
I call his name.
The name of the person who once delivered me to the town of Togai.
“Since you came, as expected…”
Baharun nods with an indescribable expression.
“Yes, the time to fulfill… the duty has come.”
“Nn, I understand.”
Accepting everything, I take his hand.
“Then shall we go… Princess Megurielna.”
