Chapter 71

"......Nina, you're angry."

At the dining table, Nina, who was leaning on her cheek, clearly looked unhappy.

The cause was—

"Delicious! I've had Bigbo's meat a few times, but this is in a league of its own. How soft it is!"

"Bigbo's meat becomes tough very quickly, so it's rare to find such fresh meat. This one I brought. Even the meat of the Uudong Grizzly can't compare."

Muss praised the meat while elegantly bringing it to his mouth. Nung looked at Muss with a pleased expression.

To begin with, why were Muss and Nung eating together? It was because when Yu and the others returned from selling materials at the Adventurer's Guild and came back to the mansion, Muss and Nung were waiting at the gate.

They didn't enter because the Black Wolves were running around in the yard. The Black Wolves' reactions varied: some wagged their tails, some growled in warning, and some rubbed their backs on the ground.

When Yu and the others returned, the Black Wolves all came over, barking happily.

"Hey, I've been waiting."

Muss acted as if he was talking to a friend, and Nung nodded quietly.

"Do you have something to talk about?"

"Considering I'm a noble with the title of Count, it's not good to treat me like this, you know?"

Yu ignored Muss and opened the gate, and the Black Wolves gathered around. Nina stood behind Yu, for some reason protecting his buttocks.

"It was tough to keep the other nobles at bay~"

Muss said this loudly enough for Yu and the others to hear.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hehe, let's talk about it over dinner."

"Sir Yu, we have some good meat and fish. How about a meal? I have some confidence in my cooking, so you can expect a good meal."

Muss and Nung continued their conversation and entered the gate as if it was their own home.

The Black Wolves looked at Yu and Marifa, but when Marifa signaled, they nodded as if they understood and started to play with Yu again. They didn't really understand each other.

Muss looked at the herbs and magic plants growing in the yard while making small talk and entered the living room. He ordered Nung to prepare the meal. When he saw the Black Goblin Crow waiting by Yu's side, he only widened his eyes a bit and continued talking to Yu and the others.

The scary thing about Muss was that even though he talked endlessly, he didn't make the conversation unpleasant. Nina, who was initially wary, was soon talking normally.

By the time Nung had prepared the meal and set it out, Muss started eating. Nung stood next to Muss, and Marifa stood next to Yu, as if learning from her.

"How long are you going to eat? Get to the point."

Yu was getting annoyed because Muss didn't start the important conversation. Yu alone had seen Muss's skills, so he wasn't drawn into Muss's conversation.

"Phew~ I've eaten.

By the way, are these dishes handmade by Yu? Next time, I want you to make me a knife and fork. The herbs and magic plants in the yard, which usually wouldn't grow well, are thriving. I want you to cultivate them in my yard too. I'll give you the herbs I grow as a thank you.

Ah, you were asking about the nobles? It's simple. They're trying to monopolize. Nobles want to keep talented people under their control. If they're low-ranked and not well-known, they want them even more.

The Adventurer's Guild is trying to keep it hidden, but there are rumors about the Goblin King's defeat, potion sales, and even about the receptionist at the Adventurer's Guild being bribed. I heard a rumor today that a dozen Ogres were killed with a first-tier black magic spell.

I know that Viscount Groubard and Baron Pellet were trying to gather information on you. But I took care of it and made them give up."

"Adventurers are supposed to be free, even though they belong to the Adventurer's Guild."

"Of course, various countries recognize this, but in reality, it's not that simple. Nobles and merchants often use power, money, women, and sometimes threats to get talented adventurers. Do you think D-rank adventurers like you have the power to resist?"

"......Samwana Kingdom"

Lena, who was eating a Uudong Grizzly steak, muttered without meeting Muss's eyes.

"A country that sent 1,000 soldiers to forcibly employ a B-rank adventurer but was completely wiped out."

"......National power doesn't work on adventurers."

"That adventurer and you are different ranks. A B-rank adventurer can be given the title of Baron, and the adventurer in that story belonged to a major clan. The Dragon's Legion, a group of seven A-rank adventurers."

Muss gauged Yu's reaction. He was looking for signs of anger, fear, unease, or discomfort, but Yu's expression showed none of these.

Yu was smiling.

It wasn't a smile of bravado or arrogance. It was a smile that instilled fear in those who saw it.

On the way back to the mansion, Muss was thinking about Yu.

"What was he thinking with that expression?"

"Probably he has confidence."

"Confidence? To resist the pressure from nobles and the wealthy? Or—"

"Everything. In fact, Sir Yu could do the same as the 'Samwana Kingdom's Nightmare' mentioned earlier."

Nung's words made Muss slightly flustered.

"It's not an exaggeration. I've been in close contact with him today, and he exudes a presence similar to Sir Joseph.

I thought he had the potential to become an A-rank adventurer in the near future, but he might already have the same level of strength."

"I want him even more now. Getting Yu and having him fight the Great Sage again would be great.

What do you think about that black goblin? I've never heard of or seen a black goblin before."

"I've never seen this species before either. It's either a rare species or a mutation. Its strength is estimated to be around mid-Rank 4."

The sky had darkened, and the two were walking on a road enveloped in darkness. Nung led the way with a glowing magic tool, and three figures appeared a short distance ahead.

"Sir Muss, please step back a bit."

The city of Kama was relatively safe because of the surrounding walls and the daily monster hunting by adventurers, but things changed at night. Monster activity increased, and even on the road, Goblins and Ogres would come out of the forest to attack people.

The three Ogres that appeared in front of Muss and Nung had detected the scent of humans, but their mistake was choosing the wrong targets.

The Ogres, breathing heavily, tried to attack but noticed something was wrong when their feet wouldn't move. The problem wasn't just that their feet were stuck; their line of sight was also off. The ground was at the level of their necks. They tried to move their heads but couldn't, so they managed to look down—only to realize their bodies from the neck down were missing.

The Ogres died without realizing their heads had been twisted off.

"Still, you have good skills. Blood must be gushing out now."

"I'm embarrassed. It's a crude technique."

Rikoris Tavern. A popular tavern in the city of Kama, known for its reasonable prices and good food, where many adventurers gathered to share their heroic tales. Today, many adventurers were gathered, loudly recounting their adventures.

"I thought I was going to die today."

"You're right! I was a fool to expect Bapor to disarm the trap."

"Hey! I make mistakes too. But Britt, is the story you mentioned at the guild true?"

"Of course it's true! I've said it a hundred times!"

Britt, of the clan 'Steel,' drained his ale and launched into his story.

"A monk named Yu used Stone Bullet to kill a dozen Ogres in an instant.

I wish you could have seen it. I was prepared to die, but Yu came over to me without panicking and cast Stone Bullet without chanting. His companions were calm too, just resting. The first shot hit an Ogre in the chest, creating a huge hole that no pebble could have made. The Ogre died instantly! The rest were killed within minutes. It's unbelievable, isn't it?"

"No, no. It's not funny! Stone Bullet is a basic first-tier spell. Who is this guy to kill Ogres with such a spell?"

"Hehe, but it's true! I'm thinking of inviting him for a meal as a thank you. And he's not part of any clan."

As Britt talked proudly, an adventurer at the next table snorted. Unfortunately, Britt heard it.

"Hey, is something funny? Ladies."

Britt provocatively addressed the adventurers at the next table. They were all women.

"Don't lie. If you had such a powerful support member, you'd be in high demand by nobles, merchants, and major clans. And you say he's D-rank? Who would believe that a D-rank support member could kill a dozen Ogres alone?"

"No, Yu isn't a support member."

"!? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. A front-line member who can use magic better than a support member? I'd like to meet such a monster."

"Moran, that's enough. Everyone, I apologize. We are adventurers of the clan 'Golden Moon Flower.' We usually operate in the capital, but our leader sent us to the city of Kama for experience and exposure."

The clan 'Golden Moon Flower' was composed entirely of women. The leader, Anita Rozelle, was a C-rank adventurer and one of the most promising young talents.

Appi scolded Moran again and bowed.

"Appi, there's no need to apologize. This guy is the one lying."

"Moran, I'm really getting angry."

Appi's cold stare made Moran quiet.

"Ah, okay. I understand. I know it's hard to believe such a story. But it's true. Yu was wearing Damascus armor and carried a sword, so he's more of a front-line member."

"Is that so? Memmet, can you do the same?"

Memmet, who was eating beef stew, choked when suddenly addressed.

"Cough, cough, don't surprise me like that. Using Stone Bullet to kill Ogres? Impossible.

Sure, I could probably take down one or two Ogres with magic, but not with Stone Bullet. The size and power of the pebbles depend on the amount of magic power you put into it, but from what I heard—"

"Yu's Stone Bullet was about the size of an acorn."

"Then it's impossible. An acorn-sized Stone Bullet is nothing."

"See! Memmet says it's impossible! It's not my fault."

Moran, emboldened by the support, became more aggressive, but Appi's punch to the head made her quiet.

"But really, if he can kill a dozen Ogres with an acorn-sized Stone Bullet and is more of a front-line member, and he's D-rank, he might be the strongest in the Uudong Kingdom, even among D-rank adventurers."

Memmet's words made everyone fall silent, and the usually lively corner of Rikoris Tavern became quiet.