46: Chapter 46 Daily Tasks

This adventure ended with everyone safely returning, despite having been on the verge of death.

Ryan lost a few wolf fangs, which he strung together and gave to the Lizardman Monk who fought alongside him; it was unknown if the Lizardman would learn a new skill like [Wolf Fang Soldier] in the future. The Elf Girl gained the recognition of her kin and became a young hero of the Elf race. Furthermore, she seemed to have feelings for Goblin Slayer. Tuaner was still complaining about the 99.9% survival rate the dungeon predicted at the start, constantly suspecting she was the 0.1%. The Dwarf Taoist spent a whole day and night at the tavern, drinking until he was thoroughly soaked in booze. Goblin Slayer returned to Cow Girl's home, sharing a dinner rich in home-cooked flavor with her and her uncle. He also inspected the farm, scouting for any traces of Goblins, before setting out on the road with Cow Girl to deliver goods to the city.

Because Ryan dragged Goblin Slayer off to repair his equipment, Mia unexpectedly received a request from the young lady at the Adventurers Guild reception desk to act as a notary for a Guild trial. Since she was already Sapphire Rank—the peak of blue-collar and the bottom of white-collar—as the guild girl put it, she was a mainstay among Adventurers. Though not among the most elite group, she was completely trustworthy as a notary.

Since the guild possessed magic items similar to lie detectors, that thief was ruthlessly exposed by the guild girl's colleague. Without any danger, Mia pinned the thief boy—who had monopolized a treasure chest and suddenly become wealthy—to the floor, rubbing his face in it until he willingly accepted the punishment of being demoted to Porcelain Rank and banished from the local area.

With that interlude concluded, Ryan sent a message through the party channel saying that Goblin Slayer had accepted a request from the Sword Maiden in Water City. Thus, she sat quietly in the guild's reception room, waiting for her teammates to arrive.

The Dwarf Taoist and the Elf Girl walked into the reception room while bickering. The Dwarf Taoist paused for a moment, then laughed heartily, untying the strong liquor from his waist and finding a cup in the room to pour a small glass for Mia. "This is a return gift for my savior!"

"We are teammates; that was what I should have done at the time," Mia said, tilting her head back to drain it in one gulp. Then, a flush of red quickly rose to her beautiful face.

The Dwarf Taoist was about to stop her from drinking it all at once, but realized it was too late. He sighed, "Well, at least your behavior when drunk is much better than Tuaner's..."

"Old man, who are you talking about?" Tuaner kicked open the reception room door. With hands on her hips, she questioned the Dwarf Taoist loudly, her face flushed red. No need to ask—she was drunk again.

The Elf Girl covered her mouth and giggled. She sat on the sofa and leaned in next to Mia, watching Tuaner and the Dwarf Taoist bicker.

"You're so beautiful! Even prettier than us Rhea," the Elf Girl said admiringly to Mia, referring to herself as a Rhea.

Mia's face was still red and her head felt a bit dizzy. "Beautiful? But the cost isn't small. This is a devil's gift. The price, which I can't possibly afford, was marked for me long ago."

The Elf Girl didn't quite understand. Just then, Ryan and Goblin Slayer arrived, followed by the Lizardman Monk, who was happily eating cheese. Goblin Slayer nodded at Mia, who was dressed in red. Then, without a word, he pushed an envelope sealed with wax onto the table...

About two days' journey into the wilderness east of the frontier city, there lay another ancient city.

Deep within a lush forest where numerous river tributaries converged, a white granite fortress standing on an island in the middle of a lake came into the group's view.

This was a city with a fortress-like structure—or rather, it was originally the site of a fortress. In earlier years, it must have been an important stronghold against the Demon Race. Later, it gradually evolved into a city-state with a floating market.

Small boats glided across the water. A wealth of goods, various merchants, and a mix of different languages made the place seem a bit chaotic and noisy.

"Mia?" Tuaner nudged Mia.

"Have you ever been to Venice?" Tuaner asked.

"No, but this place seems similar," Mia said, rubbing Tuaner's head with a doting expression.

"This is the western part of the central region and the eastern end of the frontier. It's the largest city near what is known as the Water City," the Dwarf Taoist began his geography lesson.

The carriage crossed the drawbridge, heading toward the city gate located in the center of the lake.

The crest on the city gate, a combination of scales and a sword, symbolized law and justice. Ryan and Tuaner curled their lips in a sneer. "That Archbishop isn't exactly 'evil,' but she is definitely a stupid and lazy pig of a teammate." The two were ruthlessly roasting the Sword Maiden in the party channel.

"This is it? This is what became the spiritual pillar of the people?" Tuaner's venomous tongue had reached mastery long ago; now, even if she had to argue with the Dwarf Taoist and the Elf Girl at the same time, she wouldn't back down at all.

Following the wheel ruts on the flagstones that had persisted for who knows how long, the carriage continued forward. Aside from Mia casting a 'reproachful look' at Tuaner, no one noticed the small abnormality among the three of them.

Upon reaching the resting area in the plaza, the Adventurers stepped out of the carriage one after another.

"Ah... my butt hurts so much..."

Attempting to soothe her travel-worn body, the Elf Archer gave a massive stretch.

The high noon sun made the three nocturnal creatures feel somewhat lethargic.

Ryan pulled out the pipe and tobacco he had bought in the frontier city and began to puff away.

Tuaner, as was her habit, hung off Mia, using her slender fingers to rub her own travel-weary buttocks. Occasionally, she would sneakily help Mia rub hers as well. "Fortunately, our innate conditions are better than the little Elf sister's. This long-distance carriage travel is really not a crime meant for humans."

The Elf Girl's pointed ears twitched slightly. After turning to look at her own flat rear, she kept her eyes aimed at Tuaner's vital spots, likely wondering where would be best to aim if she were to kill her with a single arrow.

"She's a 'little sister' nearly two thousand years old, and you dare claim her?" the Dwarf Taoist teased. The Elf made a move to strike him, and the Dwarf fled with his head in his hands.

After getting off the carriage, Goblin Slayer and the Lizardman Monk looked around, then gazed toward the temple located at the highest point in the city.

Many shops lined both sides of the road, and the cool breeze from the river carried appetizing aromas to the group's noses.

There was the sweet scent of pastries, the rich aroma of roasted meat, and of course, the wafting smell of alcohol from the breweries.

The small boats in the canal were piled high with all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables from various regions.

There were Dwarves raising their voices to advertise their wares, and Elves using song and dance to attract customers.

A Dwarf selling fruit moved through the crowd with nimble steps peddling apples. Tuaner pulled out her coin purse and bought a bag of apples to share with everyone. Except for the sound of Goblin Slayer's helmet opening and closing every time he ate an apple, the whole team looked fairly normal.

There was also a Lizardman with his head hanging low after being lectured, looking somewhat like a fellow countryman of the Lizardman Monk. Unluckily, there was even a shop run by a Dark Elf with an incredibly hot figure, which made the Elf Girl very frustrated.

"This place is pretty nice."

Surveying everything, the Dwarf Taoist took a sniff, inhaling the fragrant scent left behind by the Dark Elf into his lungs, and patted his protruding belly.

"Eh? Ironing Board, shouldn't you find some time to ask Mia and Tuaner what they eat to grow their bodies?"

"...You're clearly just a short stump yourself."

"Haha, don't look at my height; among Dwarves, I'm considered quite handsome."

The Dwarf Taoist laughed somewhat lewdly. The Elf Girl glared at him fiercely, then with a blushing face, she stole a few glances at Tuaner and Mia's devilish figures.

Tuaner, who had been caught in the crossfire, rolled her eyes and gave her curvaceous rear a deliberate wiggle.

"Should we go meet the client first?" Mia suggested.

"Mm," Goblin Slayer replied, as laconic as ever.