Chapter 89

After that, Kelt was fully healed by Meabel's <Heal>.

However, it seemed that her remaining MP was not much, so she managed to recover only half of her HP, and the rest would have to be replenished with a <Heal Potion> and natural recovery.

"Thank you, Kelt. If you hadn't helped me back then, I might have died."

"I just didn't want to owe you guys anything."

When Luuce thanked him, Kelt looked uncomfortable.

He remained silent for a few seconds, looking uneasy, then bit his lip and spoke heavily.

"…If you're talking about the finishing blow, I'm not apologizing. If the party's efficiency drops, this is my way of doing things. It's only natural that I can't cooperate when our interests don't align. If you don't like it, just gather a fixed party of people who get along well and do it quietly."

"I thought you looked like you had something to say, so you went out of your way to say that."

I couldn't help but chuckle at Kelt's stern face.

"However… I apologize for giving up on a winnable battle and trying to run away early. I'm sorry. That was just my poor judgment, and I only held you back."

Kelt bowed to us.

While he is difficult to handle and has a twisted personality, he is not a bad person at heart.

"Still… Elma, you were dealing with the Patchwork all by yourself. I thought you would finish quickly and come to our aid. You're just a regular adventurer, right? A heavy knight doesn't have much attack power…"

"I've heard about how to deal with Patchwork. Thanks to this <Mithril Sword> and… well, I have a bit of a rare skill tree."

"I didn't expect you to come to our aid. Could it be that Elma is much stronger than Kelt?"

"…Hey, priest, if you stop pretending, you really say whatever you want, don't you?"

Kelt scratched his head.

"However, don't get the wrong idea. As I said before, I just didn't want to owe you anything. I have no intention of being friendly. It's only natural in large-scale requests where interests don't align. I'm not doing this for fun. I don't plan to change my ways in the future."

"Got it, got it."

As I casually dealt with Kelt, I noticed something left in the remains of the Patchwork.

The sword, which should have melted away with the monster, was the only one left intact.

The Patchwork I defeated first had almost nothing left except for the magic stone, so it seems that the items dropped only from the Patchwork that Luuce and the others were fighting. I approached and picked up the sword.

――――――――――――――――――――

<Breaker> [Recommended Equipment Level: 60]

[Attack Power: +30]

[Market Value: 14 million gold]

A rusted longsword equipped by the patchwork warrior.

Due to its poor sharpness, it is swung with force to cut through.

Its length and weight make it difficult to handle, but it contains tremendous power.

Swinging this longsword in battle is truly the mark of a Breaker.

――――――――――――――――――――

It's not a bad weapon.

However, with the <Mithril Sword> in hand, it's just a difficult-to-handle weapon except for its reach.

Still, the price is a good deal.

"…You dropped it again. Could it be that you have a skill that enhances luck?"

Kelt glanced at Luuce.

As expected, he is well-informed due to his extensive experience.

"Thanks for protecting Luuce. Without that, she would have been in serious danger."

I said this and offered the <Breaker> to Kelt.

"What? What are you doing?"

"Originally, I wasn't that involved in the battle with that Patchwork. I was only able to land the finishing blow because the three of you were drawing its attention."

"Are you trying to be sarcastic about my focus on drop items? I don't need it. I'm just following the rules of large-scale requests, and helping the jester girl was just to pay back a debt."

"No, that's not what I meant…"

"Your warm approach is wearing me down. Come on, let's go."

Kelt glared at the map and moved forward down the corridor.

"If you go too far ahead, I won't be able to take the attacks when monsters appear."

"You're slow and your armor is noisy. I'm saying that I'll go first since I have good experience, good hearing, and the <Stealth> skill."

"What you're saying is changing…"

I had always thought that I wanted someone else to lead because of my slow pace, but Kelt was the one who had been arguing against it.

Well, if he's willing to take on the dangerous role, I have no complaints…

"…He's a bit twisted, but he's a cute uncle."

Luuce muttered this, looking at Kelt's back.

Kelt glared at us, as if telling us to hurry up.

We quickened our pace to catch up with Kelt.