Chapter 83

On the 24th, I also reported that this work will be published as a book by MF Books. This is all thanks to everyone who has read it. Thank you <(_ _)>

In the dimly lit workshop where only the outside light could enter, Lei Lei stood with a broad build, veins popping on her temples. The nostalgic atmosphere of the workshop made Kura feel as if Lei Lei was a mother scolding a child who had done something wrong, and he felt a bit nostalgic.

"Without waiting for my response, you pushed such a large sum of money on me, and even when you came back, you didn’t even say a word."

"... Don’t hit my ass."

"Bad kids get their ass spanked, right?"

"Even so, with a stick—"

"You’re a hunter, aren’t you? If I, a frail woman, hold back, it won’t hurt, right?"

Lei Lei, though shorter than Kura, had a broad build and arms that couldn’t be called thin.

But indeed, compared to ordinary people, hunters, with some individual differences, could be considered tough. Especially with the use of enhancement magic.

"Do you spank your husband too?"

"Of course. What else would I spank?"

"……Then, would you get spanked too?"

"I don’t do bad things, so no."

Lei Lei smiled slyly.

Kura had a lot to say, but it seemed Lei Lei wouldn’t listen to any of it. Besides, it was true that he had left a large sum of money without saying anything, and if he were in the same situation, he might have wanted to complain too.

Kura gave up on arguing, sighed, and stood up, rubbing his buttocks.

Judging from how he carefully avoided the range of Lei Lei’s old-fashioned stick, Kura seemed to be on the defensive.

"... Where’s Ekaits?"

"He’s in the back, processing materials. He’ll come out when he’s hungry. But—"

Kura took a step back.

Ignoring Kura, who was bracing himself and not taking his eyes off the stick, Lei Lei approached Kura, leaning in.

Kura braced himself, thinking he was about to be scolded.

But—

"That night, I couldn’t even properly thank you. And since I haven’t heard any rumors about that night, I assume you accepted the proposal from that middle-aged man, right?

Thanks to that girl, North Baruk has somewhat recovered. But I can’t say sorry or thank you. At least let me thank you."

Lei Lei said this with a mix of sadness and longing.

He had pushed the money on her to avoid this. Kura didn’t think he had done anything that deserved thanks; he had just acted out of anger and a sense of loss, killing Fanfu. He had no intention of speaking for the dead, as if he were Estia’s spokesperson.

"Something to be thanked for—"

"I’m saying it because I want to. Do you have a problem with that?"

With wrinkles at the corners of her eyes hinting at her former beauty, the tavern owner said this at close range.

There was nothing Kura could say in response.

When Kura gave in, Lei Lei looked satisfied.

"That’s fine. Thank you. … Where’s that big kid?"

"Big... Yukihiro? He’s in the wyvern stable."

"What, you didn’t bring him? … Gatekeeper? Ah, I’ll go too."

"Eh, a, huh?"

Without understanding what was happening, Kura was dragged along by Lei Lei.

Using her natural authority and the position of the mayor’s daughter, Lei Lei silenced the gatekeeper and brought Yukihiro and Azurona from the wyvern stable into the village, returning to Ekaits’ workshop.

The new gatekeeper, who had replaced the one who had fled during the previous attack, had not received proper communication, which is why he couldn’t let Yukihiro and Azurona into the village.

Kura and Lei Lei each sat in a chair, facing each other at the corner of a large wooden table.

"... So, what’s going on?"

Sniffing the smell of leather processing, Yukihiro wrinkled his nose but still looked around the dimly lit Ekaits’ workshop with interest. Azurona, still attached to Yukihiro’s tail, wriggled and tried to explore the unfamiliar place.

As Kura asked Lei Lei, Lei Lei answered with a mischievous look.

"Quite a few women were saved by a white beast during the attack that night."

Kura remembered asking Yukihiro to protect the women who would likely be attacked amidst the chaos when the mob attacked Barits.

"When I told them that was your hunting beast, they wanted to thank you directly. But you had left a large sum of money and disappeared, right? So, they decided to let your hunting beast enter the village freely the next time you came. And—"

Lei Lei’s voice took on a teasing tone.

"Since the guild is coming back, they’re considering using the emblem of a white beast with a young wyvern wrapped around its tail as the guild emblem."

The local hunter tags in a city or village have a small emblem of the local guild branch. Maxim and Akari, who were national hunters, wore matching equipment, and Irida, who was on a national duty, had no emblem, and Kura had hardly any opportunity to see or know about it.

The emblems are usually determined based on the city’s characteristics, local legends, or pioneering heroes, but Yukihiro, who saved many women during the Barits attack and received gratitude from their husbands and lovers, was certainly qualified.

Although the citizens’ feelings towards the moon goddess’s attendant and Joseph were negative, and the proposal from Akikawa and his companion Banis was complex, since the duel could not be publicly acknowledged, Kura and Estia could not be directly praised.

Thus, Yukihiro became a hero.

"… You’ve become a hero, it seems?"

When Kura said this to Yukihiro, the white beast, known for the rumors, laid its head on Kura’s lap, as if to say it was okay to be praised.

On the other hand, Azurona, freed from Yukihiro’s tail, crawled on the large, old table using her winged arms and somehow ended up at Lei Lei’s side.

Seeing the unfamiliar middle-aged woman, Lei Lei, Azurona remembered the ladies of similar age who played with her in Donolbo and looked up at Lei Lei with her round eyes.

As Kura, who had been massaging Yukihiro’s small ears and cheeks, was asked by Lei Lei, who was looking at Azurona,

"Is it okay to touch her?"

"She’s still like a dog or a cat. Her name is Azurona."

While saying this, Kura realized he hadn’t seen many small dogs or cats in this world.

Although there was an automatic translation, Kura was unsure if it would work, but Lei Lei showed no concern and tickled the mane around Azurona’s neck without hesitation.

Smiling at Azurona, who made joyful sounds and wriggled, Lei Lei said,

"It’s hard to believe she’s a mutated young wyvern."

Kura, while checking for cavities in Yukihiro’s mouth, which was making a rumbling sound, answered,

"She can’t fly yet and seems to like water. I’m not sure if she can be called a wyvern…"

Yukihiro had not a single cavity in her teeth.

Kura, enviously massaging Yukihiro’s face, continued.

"… What, you were here?"

Ekaits, who had come out from the back workshop, seemed to be as calm as if he was just waiting for a customer, even when he saw Yukihiro, who had been petted by Kura and was lying on his lap, and Azurona, who was lying on her back, completely defenseless, on Lei Lei’s lap.

Kura looked at Ekaits, who had come out from the back workshop.

"Creeping wood and monster shield, and some other things I brought along."

… You really were here.

Kura caught Ekaits muttering this with a somewhat reflective tone.

"Didn’t you believe it?"

"No, it’s just that it’s a story from over fifty years ago. I believed my master, but the fact that the Mist People had gone extinct… Besides, what’s with the ‘other things’?"

Ekaits changed the subject.

"… Remember this. The silk of the Great Thorned Ground Spider, the broken horn of the Three-Sword Antlered Deer, materials from the Forest Wolf and the Great Forest Wolf. Oh, and some of Yukihiro’s shed fur."

"Even if it’s from a hunting beast, such things… Ah, I see. You want me to try all possible combinations with these materials and see if any can be used for the wyvern shield? Such a coincidence is unlikely… but not impossible."

"… Is there a chance? I just thought it would be a bonus if there was."

"None of these materials are common, and except for the Forest Wolf, they all come from monsters in the northern regions. Research has advanced recently, but they are generally kept secret. The Mid Continent has only been fully settled in the last hundred years, so there are still many unknown combinations."

"Got it. I’ll do my best."

Kura gave a casual response, and Ekaits looked as if he had come up with a good idea.

"… Alright. You help too."

"No, it’s not good for an amateur to interfere, right?"

"It’s just placing the materials on the magic array and activating the autonomous magic for identification. Besides, do you think you can just leave?"

Kura looked puzzled at Ekaits’ words.

"… I’m not letting you leave."

Lei Lei, who had been sitting like a lady of leisure with Azurona on her lap, said this with a playful tone.

"Huh?"

"I told you. The big kid, Yukihiro, right? It’s hard to say. There are people who want to thank Yukihiro, or rather, his owner."

"But I have a meeting in Maranova on the 77th day."

"Today is the 73rd day. It’s about a day’s journey from here to Maranova. You have three days."

"The preparations for the wyvern and the Loh Black Horse are done. I have no other work, so I can finish the combinations and assembly in three days."

Ekaits supported Lei Lei to prevent Kura from leaving.

"Frankly, you’re not necessary. I already thanked you on behalf of the village. It’s fine if you just work on the shield."

Lei Lei said this while looking at the sleeping Azurona and the content Yukihiro, whose head was on