Chapter 71

"Hey, is it okay to say this... but I had such an interesting dream that I really want to talk about it."

While having breakfast together, Iris, after much hesitation, started talking about it.

I wonder what it could be.

If she's hesitating to say it, maybe she had a funny dream about the prince. I really want to hear it.

"You're free to speak your mind. Besides, I'm the only one listening."

"You're right. Then, I'll tell you. Last night, I had a dream where Eliza was repeatedly punching Kururi's stomach. It was so funny, so funny."

I saw that dream too!?

A prophetic dream!? A prophetic dream!?

"That elegant lady, who is like a mirror of the nobility, was passionately punching Kururi's stomach. It was so funny to see those two, who everyone admires, doing something like that. The memory is still stuck in my head even after waking up."

I can't stop laughing!!

How many times did she punch!? In my dream, it was five times!

"Haha, hahaha, it's funny. If you have a similar dream again, tell me. I might want to hear more."

"Really? That's great. I was worried you might get mad because it's a dream that tarnishes the image of those two."

There's nothing elegant about it. I think the image in the dream is closer to reality.

Putting aside the fact that Iris had a creepy dream, I'm glad she's relaxed.

If she was as tense as a bowstring, we wouldn't be able to hunt monsters. We'd end up being the hunted.

"Let's eat a good breakfast so we don't get exhausted during monster hunting."

"Right. For some reason, I feel even hungrier after laughing."

It seems you really enjoyed it. Is it that funny to see me being punched by Eliza?

"After breakfast, let's go to the office first. I'll check the rates for monsters."

"I'll leave that to you."

"Sure, there are rates for monsters. The monsters the capital wants to eliminate have better rates. If you bring back the magic stones that serve as proof of the monsters you've defeated, you can get a reward."

You really know a lot.

"It's nice that I don't have to think too much. It makes me feel at ease."

"Right. Leave all the arrangements to me! Kururi, just give the monsters a light twist."

I'm glad you trust me, but I feel like you're overconfident... I don't think I can do it so easily.

"Iris, are you only using a sword?"

"That's the plan?"

"If you don't mind, take the sword I made. It's quite popular, so I don't think it will break. If you're only using a sword, I want you to use this one."

"But Kururi's swords are too serious for me to handle..."

"Come on, come on. I'm also testing its durability, so please use it."

"...Okay, I'll use it carefully."

After breakfast, we packed our bags and left them at the inn.

For a fee, they can hold onto your luggage for a while.

From there, I gathered a sword and some other necessary items, and handed one to Iris.

"This!? Are you really using this!?"

Iris, wide-eyed, stared at the sword.

"No way. This is the kind of sword merchants hide in the back of their stores. Or the kind of sword nobles display in their mansions. Or the kind of sword that appears in fairy tales for children!"

It's not that grand. But I'm glad you like it.

The sword is similar to the one Jeremy-senpai commissioned.

However, since I didn't have enough material for one, I mixed several types of iron.

By combining lighter materials, the durability is slightly lower than the one I gave to Jeremy-senpai, but it's two levels lighter.

"Just use this today. I guarantee it won't break today, so don't hold back."

"I can't not hold back! Oh no, what if it breaks? I couldn't pay you back in a lifetime."

Don't worry. You can pay me back! Besides, I won't even charge you.

After that, Iris was burdened with worry, but once she drew the sword, she was captivated by its charm.

The sword is light, and she was mesmerized by the blade that looked like a drop of water. Her eyes were wide open, and I could feel her excitement.

"This is definitely amazing! I'm not an expert, but even a layman can tell! Wow, I want to grow up to be an adult who can buy such a sword."

Don't worry. If things go well, you'll be able to buy several of these.

If you like it, you can buy it too? On an installment plan.

The sword I gave to Iris is a long, speed-type sword.

I have a smaller sword, about half the length.

The blade is thick, so it's about the same weight as Iris's. It's a well-balanced sword for both offense and defense.

Actually, I prefer a longer sword, but unfortunately, this is the only one I have.

I didn't want to carry too much luggage, so I only brought this.

Since I plan to use magic mainly, it doesn't matter which one I use.

The building we call the "office" is actually the "Monster Office," where most visitors are monster hunters.

The people entering the building are all muscular.

Iris and I, to be honest, are out of place. Our body types are completely different.

If we combined, we'd be the right size for this place.

However, Iris doesn't seem to care about being an outsider.

With a confident face, she pushes through the muscular men.

Once inside, she looks around and asks a bearded man, "Can I check the rates over there?"

The man was a bit taken aback by her boldness.

Iris heads towards the giant bulletin board where many men gather.

Since I was told to leave the arrangements to her, I wait near the entrance.

"Hey, red-haired kid."

Kid? Me?

I turn to the voice and see a well-built middle-aged man looking at me.

He has a horizontal scar on his forehead, a mark of past battles.

"What is it?"

"You're a noble, right?"

I see, they can tell.

Well, the people here are, to put it bluntly, dirty. They're unclean.

Meanwhile, I'm wearing clothes made of the finest materials. Even in the city, people who know can tell the difference.

Here, just wearing nice clothes makes me stand out. It's no wonder they noticed.

I wear high-quality clothes not because I have a taste for luxury.

Using good materials makes clothes last longer on a journey. Surprisingly, this can be more cost-effective in the long run.

"Yes, I am."

"Hahaha, your manners are impeccable. Don't worry, I'm not here to tease a noble kid. I'm not that stupid to defy a noble."

"Then what do you want?"

"Don't be so defensive. You see, a noble in a place like this, to us, looks like a bonus."

"Bonus? Me?"

"Right, you. I know nobles can vary, but you're clearly one of the higher-ups. Monster hunting is probably just a hobby for you, right?"

Indeed, from their perspective, that's how it might look.

It's understandable that they might see it as a provocation.

I'm glad I didn't get punched or anything.

"Use your imagination."

"Cool. To be honest, many of you nobles look down on our work. You come for fun, get injured by monsters, and then we get a bonus."

"Saving you in a pinch and charging a high fee, huh?"

"Exactly. But it's not a bad deal. You save your life. Here, take this whistle. We're not far, so we'll come quickly."

The man, whose clothes still had stains from battles, handed me a surprisingly clean silver whistle.

It's a noble-style item.

Perhaps more nobles come to this place than I thought.

His熟练程度让我觉得这可能很常见。

被救的贵族们会被收取多少费用呢……虽然这是自作自受。

"不过，我恐怕不能满足你的期望。"

"是吗？大家都这么说。你有把好剑，用剑作为报酬也行。危机时刻谈判也麻烦。"

真是个厚脸皮的家伙。

不过我不讨厌他。他似乎不是坏人。

"那我走了。我的同伴好像来了。"

"哦，那个可爱的女孩也一起来了吗？这下赚头更大了。"

他还真说得出口。

之后，那男人没有再纠缠我们。

他也没有跟着我们离开办公室。

"刚才那大叔和你说了什么？"

"他说如果遇到麻烦，他会来帮忙。"

"哦，还有这种服务啊。书上可没提到过。"

"似乎是专为贵族提供的服务。报酬似乎很丰厚。"

"原来如此。真是聪明的生意经。"

可不要学哦！

"既然有救援服务，那我们就好好干一场吧。"

"对啊。我迫不及待想用这把剑了。"

"出发吧！至少要赚够昨晚的住宿费！"

"好！！"

据说怪物会吸取人的恶念而生成。

这只是传说，是否真实尚无定论。

关于怪物诞生的瞬间，信息很少。研究这种现象的人也很少，因为没有资金支持，这方面的学术进展缓慢。

王都人口众多，因此恶念也多，所以怪物也多。这是通说。

正因为如此，专门猎杀怪物的职业才得以成立。

王都有王城和贵族居住的中心区。

如其名，位于王都中心，周围有城墙。

普通市民除工作需要外，很难进入。

城墙外是普通市民居住的广阔区域，这就是王都。

王都人口众多，且不断有人涌入，城市因此不断扩张。

因此，基本上除了中心区的城墙外，其他地方没有类似的城墙。

只有一个地方例外，那就是王都西区，怪物森林的前线。

王都以王城为中心，呈圆形扩展，但西区的情况有所不同。

城市在某处突然变成森林。

分界线是一堵超过五米的巨墙。

这堵墙明确区分了城市和森林。

然而，对于王都居民来说，森林也是城市的一部分。

从俯瞰角度看，王都是一个圆形的城市，西区的森林也包括在这个圆形内。

因此，有些人认为它是城市的一部分。

尤其是对于猎杀怪物的人来说，森林是不可或缺的存在。

为什么大都市王都会有森林呢？因为怪物似乎不会在城市中生成。

它们似乎只在森林中生成。

然而，过去也有没有森林的情况下，怪物出现在城市中的例子。

因此，森林被保留下来，以确保怪物在其中生成。

这是一种必要的恶。

为了防止森林被怪物充斥，专门猎杀怪物的职业者应运而生。

王都为这些职业者提供了稳定的收入，建立了完善的系统。办公室就是一个例子，Iris读的书也是王都图书馆提供的。

当然，还有医院等其他设施，多到数不胜数。

正因为如此，王都吸引了许多希望通过武力出人头地的人。

今天，这些新手们正准备越过西区的城墙，前往怪物森林。

到了约定的时间，城墙上的双重大门打开。

猎人们一拥而入，奔向广阔的森林。

我和Iris也在其中。