Chapter 158: Words of Welcome

◆ King ◆

“I-Is that the truth…?”

I looked at the scene before my eyes with a feeling of disbelief.

Because there stood the figures of my daughter and vassals, whom I had sent off with a broken heart.

“Yes, by the time we arrived, the Rotten Earth had vanished.”

The vassals who accompanied my daughter, Megurielna, nod at her words.

They are loyal subjects who have served me for many years.

They are not the type to speak falsehoods by any mistake.

“But why did such a miracle occur?”

Is it not an event that can only be called a miracle?

I cannot possibly think such a convenient event would occur.

“The local villagers were saying it was thanks to a Goddess.”

“A Goddess?”

“Yes, when the Goddess offered a prayer, light enveloped the surroundings, and the next moment, the Rotten Earth had apparently returned to the original earth.”

Unbelievable, a Goddess? I do not deny the gods, but at the very least, the gods gracing the earth was a thing of the mythical era.

It is said the gods moved their residence to the heavens after finishing the long war with the Evil Gods.

After that, there are no remaining stories of the gods showing their figures on earth.

However, if Megurielna‘s story is true, it is certain that it can only be thought of as a divine act…

“In fact, we also saw a light like the sun shining from the depths of the Rotten Earth. And when we reached the depths of the Rotten Earth, the place where the Temple of the Seal was supposed to be, the Temple of the Seal had collapsed along with the hill it was supposed to be on.”

“Collapsed!? What happened to the seal!?”

If the seal collapses, the ancient Great Magic Beast sealed within will awaken!

If that happens, the world will be ruined!

“Regarding that, I will…”

Taking Megurielna‘s place, the young priest sent from the temple steps forward.

If I recall, this young man was the grandson of the High Priest.

He has such a gentle face you wouldn’t think he’s a relative of that monster geezer.

“The seal had been destroyed by someone’s hands.”

“What!?”

Destroyed!? The seal of that cursed land infested with poisonous insects!?

“Th-Then was the Great Magic Beast released after all?”

“No, the seal was destroyed, but as Princess Megurielna said, the land that was the Rotten Earth has returned to its original earth, and there was no trace of the evil existence said to scatter demon’s deadly poison having resurrected.”

“What…!?”

Unbelievable… Are you saying the Great Magic Beast did not resurrect despite the seal being broken?

“Your Majesty, we should investigate the Rotten Earth anew.”

“U-Umu. Given the nature of the matter, we also need to consult with the other countries bordering the Rotten Earth.”

Russell interjected at a good time.

This is where our long years of association show.

Thanks to him, I remembered something important.

“This is no good. For me of all people to forget to say something important out of sheer surprise.”

“Your Majesty?”

I stood up and headed toward Megurielna.

And I simply gently embraced the bewildered Megurielna.

“Well done returning alive. I am happier about that than anything else.”

“Your… Majesty.”

No good, did I trouble her?

But just for today, just for now, it should be fine.

Just for now, I want to rejoice in my daughter’s safety not as a King, but as a father.

“Th-Thank you… very much.”

And within my arms, Megurielna spins her words softly and bashfully.

I do not understand anything about what exactly happened to cause this.

Even if it is an event beneficial to our country, as long as I do not know the other party’s true intentions, I cannot honestly rejoice.

But even so, I couldn’t help but think it would be fine to be thankful for the result brought about by the unidentified Goddess.

◆

One day, a while after we liberated the Rotten Earth.

We came to the Adventurer’s Guild after being summoned by the Guild Master.

“Ah, we’ve been waiting for you, Rex!”

When we entered the guild, the receptionist lady came over immediately.

“What is it? Did you mess up again, Giant Eater?”

“Hey hey, what did you mess up this time?”

The adventurers watching that scene raised their voices to tease us.

“We haven’t done anything major, really. Or rather, we were called suddenly, so we don’t know what it’s about either.”

“Now now, never mind that, please come to the back.”

The receptionist lady pushes my back and leads us to the back of the guild.

“Or rather, is it okay for us to tag along too?”

Jairo asks the receptionist lady, looking uncomfortable.

“Yes, because this time it’s a matter concerning all of you.”

“All of us?”

Liliera and the others also tilt their heads wondering what it’s about.

“Guild Master, I have brought Rex and the others.”

“Yeah, come in!”

Hearing the Guild Master’s permission from beyond the door, the receptionist lady opens the door.

“Go ahead, everyone.”

“Excuse us.”

When we entered the room, the Guild Master, who was reading documents, raised his face.

“Yeah, it’s been a while. Well, sit down.”

Prompted by the Guild Master, we sit on the sofa, but as expected, it’s cramped.

Even without Meguri and Norb, it’s a tight squeeze for four people to sit on the sofa.

I’m glad Lady Idola didn’t come incognito in her golem today.

“Seems you’re short one person.”

Compared to the usual members, we should be short two people, so is the Guild Master talking about Lady Idola?

“That person wasn’t originally our comrade, she’s a solo adventurer.”

“I see, well if that’s the case then it doesn’t matter. Because the one I wanted to hear from the most is you, Giant Eater.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, actually a while ago, one of the Forbidden Zones, the Rotten Earth, vanished. Do you know anything?”

The Guild Master questions me probingly.

I see, so we were called this time because of the Rotten Earth matter.

But there’s no evidence anywhere that we were involved with the Rotten Earth.

So if I play dumb appropriately, I should be able to smooth it over.

Because if we go too overboard and stand out, it ruins the whole point.

I want to live without standing out.

“No, I don’t know anything in particular.”

However, the Guild Master furrows his brows suspiciously.

“Oh, is that so? There was information saying you guys were seen flying in the sky heading toward the direction of the Rotten Earth, though.”

“Wasn’t it just a coincidence we were going the same direction? We were just subjugating monsters in the neighborhood, you know?”

“I see, so you happened to subjugate a massive amount of monsters possessing dangerous poison inhabiting the Rotten Earth and brought them into the Adventurer’s Guild of the town closest to the Rotten Earth in the neighborhood, huh.”

“…”

” ” “…” ” “

The room is enveloped in silence at the Guild Master’s words.

“Hmm, what an amazing coincidence.”

“Hahaha, right… like hell it’s a coincidence! If it was one or two, maybe, but there’s no way we’d be fooled when you brought dozens of them into the guild!”

Oops, messed up.

Bringing them to the guild because dismantling was troublesome backfired on me.

“It was information that came in right as we were about to investigate the Rotten Earth matter on orders from the higher-ups, after all. It wasn’t just on the level of being surprised, you know.”

“Ahahahahaha.”

Alright, let’s laugh it off.

“Well, fine. It’s not like I called you here to scold you. I just wanted to ask if you guys were involved.”

“Well, we were really just subjugating monsters, you know.”

“So you want me to leave it at that, huh.”

Saying so, the Guild Master lets out an exaggeratedly large sigh.

“Got it, got it. I’ll pass this off as something done by some S-rank somewhere, and I’ll keep the identity of who did it a secret.”

Ooh, as expected of the Guild Master, he’s so understanding.

“Good grief, this is why S-ranks are… I bet you solved the problem using some method you can’t tell people, right?”

“Well now, what could you mean?”

From the sound of the Guild Master’s tone, it seems the other S-ranks also have various trump cards up their sleeves.

“Hey Guild Master, do S-ranks really have that many things to keep secret?”

Perhaps curious about the Guild Master’s remark, Jairo asks the Guild Master.

“Hm? Yeah, those guys are S-rank one way or another, after all. Naturally, they have several trump cards they can’t teach other folks. For example, the location of an undiscovered ancient ruin buried with magic items that only they know about.”

“Ooh!”

“Besides that, inheriting secret lost magic passed down for generations or ways to make potions, stuff like that.”

“Hoho.”

Jairo and Mina look very intrigued by the Guild Master’s words.

“For an adventurer, outstanding skills and information are their livelihood. Naturally, there’s information they don’t want known even if it’s the guild.”

” ” “…” ” “

There, everyone turns their gazes to me.

” ” “I see.” ” “

“Eh? Why are you looking at me there? Unlike Lody and the others, I’m a normal adventurer, you know?”

It’s truly rude to lump me, who luckily became an S-rank, together with genuine S-rank adventurers.

“Ah right right, those guys who can make it to the top are generally unaware of their own abnormalities.”

” ” “Convinced.” ” “

“So why are you convinced there!?”

Or rather, Guild Master, don’t say unnecessary things!

“Anyway, as far as the Guild is concerned, there’s no problem as long as we can confirm that much. As long as we know someone solved the problem.”

“Quite lax, aren’t you.”

“They don’t publicly admit it, but the country also relies on the power of S-ranks. Rather than sticking their noses in unnecessarily and having an S-rank turn their back on them, the country won’t meddle any further.”

I see, I’ve heard stories like that in my era too.

In times when official national forces like knight orders couldn’t be used, they apparently sought the cooperation of powerful outsiders like adventurers.

“But if that happens, you won’t be able to get the reward for liberating the Rotten Earth.”

“Eh? Is that so? Or rather, was there a reward?”

Ah, that’s news to me too. So there was a reward.

“Yeah, the problem of the Rotten Earth wasn’t just an issue for this country, but a problem multiple countries were racking their brains over. The land they developed was becoming uninhabitable due to the poison. Of course they’d want to solve the problem even if it meant paying money.”

“In that case, the reward seems like it would be quite a hefty sum.”

Mina looks at me.

“Yeah. If you gather all the rewards from the various countries, ten thousand gold coins is a solid bet.”

” ” “Ten thousand gold coins!?” ” “

Hearing the Guild Master’s statement, Liliera and the others round their eyes.

“…I thought, but somehow it feels like it’s not that big of a deal of an amount.”

“Ah, I thought so too. Feels like we could earn it if we tried hard.”

“Being near Rex messes with your sense of money regarding rewards, doesn’t it.”

“Yeah. If you just casually subjugate a dragon, you can normally get a thousand gold coins or something, after all.”

“No you guys, that sense is clearly messed up, you know.”

Listening to everyone’s conversation, the Guild Master’s voice sounds exasperated.

“Well, whatever. Giant Eater, you’re fine with that? If you come forward, you could even become a noble of any country you like, you know?”

“Ah, I’m good on that. I want to live a quiet, peaceful life.”

“…I see.”

Hearing my answer, the Guild Master fell silent as if the conversation ended there.

Nobles and such are what I want to become the least, after all.

“Then we’ll be excusing ourselves now.”

“Yeah.”

Having finished talking, we decide to leave the guild as is.

“Welp, what do we do now. Since Norb and the others aren’t here, we’ll have to get more members even to take on requests.”

“Right, lacking a thief and a monk is indeed dangerous.”

“It’d be a different story if we could do everything alone like Big Bro, though.”

“That’s not true. Even if you can do various things alone, the existence of comrades is important. Because there’s a limit to what one person can do at once.”

Yes, even if you can do swordsmanship, magic, and healing magic alone, it’s impossible for one person to do everything simultaneously.

I realized that in the battle with Venom Beat.

Precisely because Liliera blocked the Demon‘s attack at that time, I was able to deploy the barrier in time.

“Liliera, you really saved me this time. Thank you very much.”

“Eh? Wh-What, suddenly!? W-Well, it doesn’t feel bad, though.”

“What is it, did something happen with Liliera-neesan?”

“Yeah, Liliera saved me in a dangerous situation.”

“Heh, that’s amazing, Liliera-neesan!”

“I-I didn’t do anything that major, really.”

“But it’s something Rex would thank you for, right? I’m curious. Seems like something happened besides defeating the Demon back then?”

“Yeah yeah, I’m curious too.”

“Indeed. I am curious as well.”

“See, even Meguri and Norb are curious.”

“L-Like I said, it wasn’t that big of a deal… wait, huh?”

We turn around at the voices we suddenly heard.

And there were the figures of Meguri and Norb.

” ” ” ” “Meguri!?” ” ” ” and Norb!?”

“Ah, I’m just an afterthought, huh.”

Norb made a sad face, but I don’t think of you as an afterthought, you know!

“Are you fine with your job?”

“Yeah, that side is fine now. Thanks to the body double golem Rex made, escorting Lady Idola is also unnecessary except in emergencies.”

“That’s better than anything.”

“Thanks to that, it was tough being bombarded with questions by His Majesty and Mother about where I got it, though…”

Saying that, Meguri makes a very tired-looking face.

The golem Meguri is talking about is the other golem I made after coming back from the Rotten Earth.

“Or rather, if you tell them about the golem, it wouldn’t be a body double, would it?”

“Lady Idola told His Majesty and Mother. That because we have this, I no longer have to be a dangerous body double. Well actually, we need a place to hide that thing when not in use. So in that sense too, I needed to tell His Majesty and my superior as a body double, Mother.”

Ah, definitely. Come to think of it, I hadn’t thought about a place to put it away.

I probably should have given her a magic bag as a set.

“But I really wish she spared me from saying she bought it through my connections. Though I was grateful she didn’t just honestly say she bought it from Rex.”

Ah, she properly kept me a secret.

“What did you say to convince them?”

“I explained that I bought a magic item excavated from a ruin by an adventurer. That since it wasn’t a weapon or armor, they were troubled because they couldn’t turn it into money immediately, so I negotiated and bought it cheap. Actually, it’s a fact that if nobles saw it, they’d think it could be used as an anti-assassination countermeasure.”

“I see, it’s certainly true that there are many magic items excavated from ruins whose uses can’t be thought of, and I hear they are often bought at beaten-down prices. But how did you explain the fact that it looked exactly like Lady Idola?”

“When I said that when Lady Idola touched it, it took on an appearance exactly like Lady Idola, they were somehow convinced.”

Meguri must have tried really hard to persuade them.

“By the way, even if you say hide it, where do you hide such a huge golem? Inside a wardrobe?”

“If we put it away in a place like that, the maid who comes to put away changes of clothes will faint.”

At Jairo‘s question, Meguri lets out a small sigh and answers about the golem’s hiding place.

Or rather, is it okay for us to hear this?

“Since Lady Idola‘s room and my room as her body double are adjacent, it was decided to hide it in my room. Because even maids are forbidden from entering there.”

I see, putting the body double golem in the body double’s room.

In a way, it might be the right hiding place.

“Come to think of it, are you done with your business, Norb?”

“Yes, my side is finished too. I might still be called by the church for a while, but I’ll soon be able to participate in adventures as usual.”

“Alright, then we can adventure together again!”

Learning that Meguri and Norb can adventure together again, Jairo regains his energy.

“Well certainly, things are tough if it’s not this lineup. Normal adventurers can’t fly in the sky with magic and such.”

“Right! As expected, it just doesn’t feel right if it’s not us four!”

“Oh my, is it really okay? If it was just the two of us, we might have been allowed into Rex‘s party, you know?”

“Eh?”

At Mina‘s words, Jairo stops moving.

“Aaah! Seriously! I messed uuuuup!”

“That’s cruel, Jairo!”

Norb resentfully condemns Jairo, who is seriously regretting it.

“I-It’s a joke, Norb.”

“Is it reallyyy?”

“Really really! I mean it!”

“Pfft, kukuku.”

Listening to the conversation of those two, Meguri lets out an amused laugh.

“Meguri?”

“Yeah, these four are best after all. Truly…”

“…That’s true.”

Norb, who had been pressing Jairo, also agrees with Meguri‘s words and nods.

“So, please take care of me again, everyone. And you too, Rex and others.”

“O-Oh! Best regards!”

“…Yes, best regards.”

“Best regards.”

“I don’t really get it, but best regards.”

“Best regards from us as well.”

“Kyu kyuu?”

Thus, Jairo and his “Dragon Slayers” were reformed.

“Alriiiight, then to commemorate the reformation of Jairo‘s party, let’s make new equipment using Venom Beat’s materials!”

” ” ” “Please do that outside the Royal Capital!!” ” ” “

Even though I thought I’d make new equipment for everyone as a celebration, for some reason I was rejected with full force by Jairo and the others.

Everyone is so reserved.