Chapter 36

After leaving the Explorers' Association, I headed for Boar Demon's Club.

At each explorer's exclusive tavern, once a month, representatives gather for a report meeting. The purpose is to share the content of the work they have completed so that everyone can conduct their explorer activities more smoothly. Information collected by the tavern owner is also shared there.

If you don't want to be an information weakling, you should definitely attend this meeting. According to Lloyed, when he participated as a leader, no one was absent. Everyone deeply understands that the presence or absence of information can mean the difference between life and death.

However, I have ranked up and plan to establish a clan, so I don't need to go out of my way to get information from the people at Boar Demon's Club. The information I seek is already one level higher.

Still, I decided to attend despite my busy schedule because I have another purpose.

When I arrived at Boar Demon's Club and opened the door, the other participants were already gathered. Although it was technically outside business hours, only the representatives were allowed to enter.

"Noel, over here, over here!"

The one who waved at me with a smile was Wolf, the leader of the Purple Lightning Wolf Gang, a handsome man with brown hair. Wolf was sitting at a large round table in the center of the store. There was also the bulky figure of Logan, the leader of the Fist King Association, with a bowl haircut.

The two, who don't get along, sitting together doesn't mean they've made up. The seats are determined based on their achievements. Only Wolf, Logan, I, and Veronica Redbone, the leader of 'Crimson Fierce Flower,' can sit at this round table.

Veronica is a C-rank mage with a sharp beauty, wearing a red headband over her short blonde bob.

She is equipped with deep red leather armor, but it is designed to be sleek and stylish, not rugged, as it is made for women. The armor covers only her chest and shoulders, and her skirt exposes her white thighs. While it might be concerning for a front-liner, Veronica is a back-liner, so this is probably the best for her in terms of weight.

When I sat between Wolf and Logan, Veronica, who was sitting across from me, frowned in displeasure.

"For your first time attending, you're the last to arrive. What a distinguished position, Noel."

"I'm not late for the start time, though?"

"That's not the point. It's a matter of etiquette."

"I see, so you're going to nitpick over trivial things. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the useful knowledge, Veronica."

At my words, Veronica's frown deepened.

"Noel, your reputation has been really bad lately. Not only that, but you invited a gang to this place? Can't you show a little restraint?"

"Ah, are you afraid of gangs, Veronica? I'm sorry, I'll sincerely apologize."

"Don't joke around. This is a serious matter."

When the Gambino incident was brought up, I knew I was at a disadvantage. I raised my hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry. I'll apologize to all of you; that was my mistake."

Then, I continued.

"But, rest assured. I won't come to this place anymore. This is my last time. I've ranked up and established a clan, so I'm moving on to the next level."

"What!?"

Veronica was surprised, and the surrounding tables erupted in noise.

"Hey, Noel! Is that for real!?"

I nodded at Wolf, who approached me.

Actually, the clan hasn't been established yet. It's on hold. But since I can establish it whenever I want, saying I have is not a lie.

"Wow, Noel! Congratulations! But, why didn't you tell us before? We should have called Reisha and the others to celebrate!"

Wolf, a straightforward and cheerful guy, congratulated me as if it were his own achievement. I appreciated it, but it was strange to be so friendly with a rival.

"Your words are appreciated, but you're always broke, so you can't pay. Your words are enough. Thanks, Wolf."

"Ugh, sorry..."

The other explorers all looked envious and malicious. I could hear them muttering insults. Logan was different, though. He didn't bless me like Wolf, but he remained calm, arms crossed and eyes closed.

Veronica, who looked the most disappointed, took several deep breaths to calm herself and then put on a fake, insincere smile.

"Congratulations, Noel. I sincerely wish you well. Yes, really."

"Thank you, Veronica. I'm truly happy. Really, I am."

"But, I can't understand why someone of your new status would attend this meeting. Is it to be condescending? Or just to show off?"

"Being condescending or showing off is a harsh misunderstanding. I've only just reached the starting line; I have nothing to be proud of. Stop jumping to such base conclusions."

"Then, why?"

"I've been helped by this tavern for a long time. This is probably the last time I'll see all of you, so I thought I'd attend once for old times' sake. In other words, to make some memories."

"Memories? You—"

When Veronica's face turned bright red, Wolf intervened.

"Hey, let's stop fighting. It's time to start the meeting."

"Shut up, stupid wolf. Sit down and be quiet, you idiot."

Wolf, who was scolded, tried to argue but then quietly returned to his seat, knowing he couldn't win.

"...Fine, let's start the regular report meeting."

And so, my first and last report meeting began.

†

†

The meeting ended without any new information, and the participants left the store with the look of a job well done. I wanted to leave quickly too, but I had something to take care of.

"Wolf, Logan, have a drink with me."

At my invitation, the two looked surprised.

"What's this all of a sudden?" "What's the plan?"

"Sometimes it's good. I won't eat you or anything, so don't be on guard."

They looked skeptical but eventually agreed.

"Veronica, how about you? I'll buy."

"I'm fine, thank you."

Veronica, who had stayed until the end, got up and left the store quickly.

I shrugged and looked at the owner.

"Boss, can I stay a little longer? I'll leave after one drink."

"That's fine, but make it quick. I need to prepare for the afternoon shift."

I nodded, and the owner brought drinks for the three of us. He knew what we usually drank, which was considerate.

After taking a sip of wine, Wolf leaned in.

"So, what's this about? Since you included this jerk, it's not just to bond, right? Drinking with Noel is fine, but this guy makes the drink taste bad."

"Hah, that's my line, stupid wolf."

"Stop fighting with me in the middle. I'm already fed up with that."

I finished the wine in my glass in one gulp and said clearly.

"You two are slacking off."

At this criticism, the two were speechless.

"Wolf, you messed up a big job, as you reported at the meeting. Why did you fail?"

"Well, why do you ask..."

"The target was a depth four demon, the Squid Judge. It's a tough opponent for a C-rank, but the current Purple Lightning Wolf Gang should have been able to handle it."

"That's..."

"Bad luck? No, the reason is your laziness as the leader."

"Ugh..."

I then looked at Logan.

"Logan, you too. You haven't failed any requests, but you haven't had any significant achievements. Why don't you take on bigger jobs?"

"...It's none of your business."

"It's none of my business, but I'm interested. You've already met the conditions for ranking up, haven't you? Considering your past achievements, you should have met them around last month. Yet, you're still a C-rank. What are you afraid of?"

Logan, whose secret was exposed, looked away.

"Eh, Logan can rank up too? Seriously...?"

Wolf seemed shocked that his rival had surpassed him. Ignoring this, I looked at the two again.

"Why haven't you made any progress while I was stalled with party reorganization? Why haven't you closed the gap? What have you been doing?"

The two didn't respond, just looked down. I sighed, put the money for the drinks on the table, and stood up.

"If you're going to half-ass it, you should quit being an explorer."

My business was done. I turned and left the store.

I couldn't directly tell them what I heard from Grandpa Harold, but this should make them feel a sense of crisis. I didn't criticize them out of spite, but they were indeed slacking off. If they continued like this, they would never achieve greatness as explorers.

If the Ten Kings of the Netherworld manifest, it will be a major event for the country, but it's also a chance to earn glory. If they remain weak, they'll never ride the wave of success.

In short, my goal was to spur them on to seize this opportunity.

I am the man at the top of all explorers. I live only to reach the top, and I'll knock down anyone who stands in my way. But I also believe that those who can grow should grow.

Being the king in a world of weaklings is meaningless. Proving you're the strongest among renowned powerhouses is the true peak and the true king.

Those two are the most promising among our peers. It's unacceptable for them to stagnate. Those who have the qualifications to rise should aim higher.

Of course, the final decision is up to them.

†

†

"Damn it! Noel, saying whatever he wants!"

Wolf punched the table in anger.

"Hmph, lashing out at things. You're still an idiot."

Wolf frowned at Logan's cold gaze.

"You were also on the receiving end of his words, you jerk. Aren't you angry?"

"He's not the type to insult others for fun. He probably wanted to spur us on. I don't understand his true intentions, though."

"I get that too! I understood from the start that he didn't mean it maliciously. But his words were too sharp and cut deep into my heart after failing the request."

"I've made up my mind."

Logan finished his whiskey and continued.

"I'm going to accept Veronica's proposal."

"What? ...Did she come to you too?"

Veronica visited Wolf a few days ago and made a proposal. Wolf tried to refuse, but Veronica left as soon as she finished talking.

"Of course, she came to you too. She's a cunning strategist. But her proposal is tempting. We can't catch up to Noel with the orthodox approach..."

"Logan, I hate you. You're rude and arrogant, with no redeeming qualities. But as a leader of a party, I understand the hard work you've put in. Are you going to throw it all away? Veronica's proposal is a 'merger' of parties?"

To become stronger, a merger is the quickest way, Veronica argued to Wolf. She was right, but a merger means the original party will disappear. The name of the party you're attached to will change.

"Unlike you, I don't intend to throw everything away."

Logan stood up, turned his back, and said.

"In the East, there's a saying, 'Too many cooks spoil the broth.' Only one person can be the leader of the new party. If I become the leader, it will still be the Fist King Association, even if the name changes."

"Do you plan to fight Veronica? I didn't know you could rank up, but she must have noticed. She must have some countermeasures prepared since she proposed the merger."

"Probably. But I've made up my mind. That's all there is to it."

Logan puffed out his chest and left the store. Wolf was left alone.

"...You idiot, if you lose, it's over."

Wolf drank from his ale mug and finished it.

"Dad! Another one!"

"No. Go home, Wolf."

"One more won't hurt!"

"No. You're in the way of my preparations. You have things to do, like looking for requests or training."

There was no room for argument. The owner insisted on Wolf leaving. Wolf suddenly felt everything was meaningless.

"...There's no need to rush to the top. I'm satisfied just being able to adventure with trusted companions..."

"Wolf, that's wrong."

The owner stood in front of Wolf.

"Everyone has a time when they decline. Even long-lived elves are the same. You give your all when you can. Only then can you afford to think about other things. If you only think about the easy things from the start, you'll realize you have no room for anything else."

"Hah, a sudden lecture?"

"I've seen many explorers in this tavern. There are countless who were once promising but never achieved greatness and grew old. Do you want to be like them, Wolf?"

Wolf couldn't answer and fell silent.

"Then, let me ask you this. Do you want to put your important companions through that? If so, you're an unfit leader."

"If I rush and fail, I'll be an unfit leader..."

"When you fail, get down on your knees and keep apologizing. Keep apologizing until your companions forgive you. Wolf, what a leader needs is not to avoid failure but to take responsibility for the path you've chosen."

The owner, speaking sternly, poured ale from the bottle in his hand into Wolf's mug. Seeing the golden liquid and foam fill the mug, Wolf smiled wryly.

"It's mercy. Drink it and go home."

"Hah, I will."

Wolf drank from the mug, finished it, and stood up with a flourish.

"Alright! I've made up my mind too!"

"What are you going to do? Accept Veronica's proposal?"

"I'm not a one-man leader like a jerk. I can't do anything without my companions. So... I'll talk to them first."

"That's good."

"Thanks, Dad."

When Wolf thanked him, the owner laughed happily.

"No need to thank me. Rather, get promoted quickly and pay off your tab."

"I know! Watch me, I'll pay it off soon!"

Wolf, saying something virtuous, left the store as if fleeing.

The owner watched him go with a smile.