Chapter 26

"Tall?"

"Huh!?"

"What happened with Marry?"

"Um, just a moment..."

"Just a moment?"

"Ah, I'll tell you later."

While trembling under the mysterious pressure Estelle emitted, Tō firmly resolved to tell her about his conversation with Marry in detail later.

"Well, what brings you here today?"

"Ah, I came to report on the previous request."

"Understood. Let's move to another room. Please, this way."

There was a room with a door on the side of the corridor leading to the training ground. This was where information was shared. Tō saw Estelle off.

However,

"Tall"

"Hmm?"

Estelle turned around and beckoned Tō with her eyes. This request was one she had taken alone. Tō had helped her, but he was not involved in the request and didn't need to be there for the report.

But, Estelle was telling him to come.

Perhaps she wanted Tō to testify about the three days they were lost and the battle with the Rockworm.

(Well, can't be helped.)

Tō accepted her intention and headed to the small room with her. The small room was just large enough for six adults. Inside, there was a table and some hard sofas.

When Tō sat on the sofa, it groaned in protest.

(Wow. Ultra-high resilience...)

The sofa had no trace of comfort.

As Tō adjusted his seating position, Estelle sat down next to him.

A sweet scent wafted past Tō's nostrils. Despite not having washed for three days, Estelle smelled good.

This scent made Tō strongly aware of Estelle.

At 32 years old in Japan, his soul remained the same after coming to Ealguard, but his body had rejuvenated. He was a healthy, robust young man, both inside and out.

Even if he usually didn't pay attention, the good scent of a young woman at the right age naturally elicited a reaction.

"...? What's wrong, Tall?"

"No, it's nothing."

Estelle tilted her head slightly. There was not a hint of any attempt to seduce him; she was purely innocent.

Tō used all his parallel thinking to chant a mantra and expelled any impure thoughts from his mind.

"I'm very sorry for keeping you waiting. ...Is Tall joining us as well?"

"Yes, Tall has information too."

"Understood. Please, proceed with your report."

"Regarding the increased frequency of Silver Wolves—"

Estelle relayed the information she had gathered during her investigation to Marry. This was the same content Tō had heard from her on their way to Finris. As Estelle spoke, Marry scribbled notes on a piece of paper.

When the conversation turned to the appearance of the Queen Rockworm, Marry, who had maintained a calm demeanor, showed a look of shock.

"Queen Rockworm... This information must be shared within the guild immediately."

"That's fine. The Queen Rockworm has already been defeated."

"Really? The Queen Rockworm? It's a C-rank monster that requires a party of C-rank adventurers or higher to defeat."

"That's true. Tall, show the magic stone."

While calming Marry, who had risen from her seat, Estelle instructed Tō. Following her instructions, Tō retrieved the Queen Rockworm's magic stone from the <Hetero Storage>.

"This is the proof. I'd like you to verify it."

"I will take it. ...Indeed, it is much larger compared to a D-rank magic stone. Do you have any other proof of the defeat?"

"No, the body was in bad condition, so I didn't bring anything else."

"I see."

"Was it a bad move?"

"No, the magic stone is enough to identify the monster. May I appraise it?"

"Yes."

"Then I will appraise it later. Now—"

Marry paused, looking at the two of them as if seeking confirmation.

"About the Queen Rockworm, did the two of you defeat it?"

"No, Tall defeated it alone."

"Really!?"

Marry was astonished.

Was it really that surprising? Tō tilted his head slightly.

"Is that true?"

"Yes, it's true."

"But, it's a C-rank monster, known for its hard outer shell. Could you tell me how you defeated it?"

"Um, I just used a sword and magic to defeat it normally."

"Normally?"

Marry's expression hardened.

For Tō, it was a normal battle. Of course, he didn't think it was easy.

However, since he didn't use any special techniques, he couldn't explain it any further than "normally."

"Ah, I damaged its outer shell and then used <Fireball> on the wound."

"Ah, yes, using fire magic on a wound is an effective way to deal damage."

Marry's expression seemed to lose all life.

"Tall, this is normal for you."

"That's true. ...It's strange, he's different from the wanderers I know."

"I agree."

Marry and Estelle, as if they were long-separated sisters reuniting, firmly held each other's hands.

"Um... sorry. Why are you two acting like that?"

"First, there are very few people in Ealguard who can use both sword skills and offensive magic."

"Really?"

"If someone can use offensive magic, they usually become a mage. With magic, they can attack from a distance, so there's no need to risk getting close to dangerous monsters to learn sword skills."

"Ah, I see."

"Also, ...when fighting an opponent more than 10 levels higher, victory is impossible. This is a general rule and a common sense for adventurers. However, depending on abilities and compatibility, the battle can be tough.

For example, E-rank monsters are generally level 5 to 10, D-rank are 10 to 20, and C-rank are 20 to 40."

Estelle looked at Marry, who continued.

"Yes. To summarize, the levels of monsters are estimated based on the guild's long-term experience. The wide range of C-rank monsters is due to the broader scope of missions.

The Rockworm is a D-rank monster at level 15, and the Queen is estimated to be level 30."

"A wanderer fighting a level 30 Queen is, by Ealguard's standards, 'absolutely' impossible."

Estelle emphasized the word "absolutely."

(I don't think it's 'absolutely' impossible...)

Tō tilted his head, recalling his own level.

He understood that a large level difference made victory impossible due to the increase in stats with each level.

While stats couldn't be checked on the skill board, the increase in stats with each level was evident. Tō had experienced this when he climbed a cliff with a jump after leveling up.

"Can everyone check their levels?"

"Hmm? Ah, right, I haven't explained that. You can check your current level and skills at the church."

"Really?"

There must be something similar to the skill board at the church. The god had given Tō the skill board when he came to Ealguard.

It wouldn't be strange for there to be multiple ways to check levels and skills in a world with a skill board.

"By the way, what level is Estelle?"

"That's a secret. Do you ask women about their weight or measurements?"

"Ah, I get it. Those are things you shouldn't ask."

It seemed that one's level and skills were as private as weight and measurements.

Tō didn't feel the need to hide such information, but it was due to the different environments in which they grew up. In Japan, even a decade ago, the addresses of celebrities were published in weekly magazines.

Privacy changes with the times, even if the environment remains the same. That's what privacy is.

"We've gone off-topic. Let's stop talking about how strange Tall is—"

"Did we talk about that!?"

Tō asked in a panic, but Marry only smiled, silencing him.

Her smile held a power that would not allow any counterargument.

"Regarding the increased frequency of Silver Wolves, it seems reasonable to conclude that the Rockworm is the cause. Did you see anything suspicious during your investigation?"

"Not really... No, I did. The shallow part of the Finris forest had been cleared!"

"Cleared...?"

Estelle nodded and leaned forward slightly.

"There was a space large enough for four houses in the middle of the forest. The cut trees were piled up in the corner. The cut marks on the stumps were sharp and didn't look like they were made with a regular axe.

I suspect that a country's elite military unit secretly cleared this area for a base."

"If that's the case, it's troublesome. It might be a precursor to military action in Finris. The guild will investigate again. Please, do not mention this information to anyone."

"Understood."

While listening to the two, Tō was sweating profusely.

(Something, I just cut down trees to test the [Magic Sword]'s sharpness, and now it's being completely misunderstood!)

"Tall? What's wrong? You're sweating a lot?"

"N-no... it's nothing, okay?"

"Is there something that bothers you about that space?"

"Ah, I think it's just a logger cutting down trees for fun. It has nothing to do with military or secret actions!"

"..."

The eyes of the two, who watched Tō sweating, narrowed.

—Ah, it was this guy's doing, wasn't it?

"...Ahem. Let's get back to the topic."

"Let's, let's!"

"..."

Tō, who welcomed the change of subject, felt the sharp gazes of the two pierce him. Under the silent pressure from them, Tō clamped his mouth shut and trembled.