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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Wagner, having completed his mission outside Tillasden, returned to the city.
It had been almost a week.
After reporting to the guild, he emerged to find the evening well advanced.
His stomach, accustomed to dry rations, rumbled at the enticing aroma of cooked food wafting from nearby establishments.
He should visit Iyer.
At this hour, his friend would undoubtedly be at his usual pub, enjoying dinner.
He could join him for a drink.
Before the cave expedition, Wagner would have been hesitant, burdened by guilt over Iyer’s departure from the party.
But now, having faced death together and rekindled their bond, he felt different.
He smiled, picturing his friend’s welcoming face, and bid farewell to his companions before setting off towards the pub.
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Entering Iyer’s favorite pub, Wagner was taken aback.
He had found Iyer, as expected, enjoying his meal, but…he wasn’t alone.
“Oh, Wagner! You’re here!”
Iyer, spotting him, raised his beer mug in greeting.
Wagner approached the table, returning the gesture, but his expression turned to one of bewilderment as he took in the scene.
“Now this is an unusual gathering…”
Iyerpol, Kundt, Wolf Who Chases the Wind, and even Guinness… all four members of the cave expedition were seated together.
It was a strange sight.
These individuals, who had barely known each other before, were now sharing a table.
Kundt and Iyerpol together, he could understand, but Wolf and Guinness as well?
It was a truly remarkable scene.
They must have grown close.
A sense of pride swelled in Wagner’s chest.
They had started off awkwardly, but the bonds forged in the face of death had endured.
The relationships formed after the mission…it was heartwarming.
A pleased smile touched Wagner’s lips.
However, the reality of the situation was far less sentimental.
Iyer, having finished his usual round of unpopular requests, had brought Guinness to the pub, as promised.
Upon arriving, they had found Kundt dining alone.
Iyer, ever the friendly one, had invited him to join them.
Shortly after, Wolf had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and claimed a seat at their table.
That was how the four of them had ended up together.
“I didn’t think Wolf enjoyed eating at places like this…”
“Hmm? Well, sometimes a change of pace is nice, isn’t it?”
Wolf chuckled, adding a suggestive, “Don’t you think?”
Wagner knew Wolf wasn’t particularly fond of human food.
He suspected an ulterior motive, but…
It was best not to be overly suspicious.
He dismissed his concerns with a smile.
Even with all five of them gathered around the table, the conversation flowed much as it always had.
Wagner, Iyer, and Wolf dominated the discussion, Kundt offered the occasional quiet response, and Guinness remained completely silent.
Naturally, the topics revolved around Wagner and Wolf’s recent activities.
Iyer’s daily routine was so predictable that there was little to discuss.
“Anything new on your last mission, Wagner?”
“Anything new…let me see…”
Wagner paused, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of chicken.
He had heard something, but it was more rumor than fact, and he wasn’t sure whether to share it.
“The usual. Monster numbers are increasing, attacks are becoming more frequent…but I heard something big happened near Begalo Vegas.”
“Something big?”
The increasing monster activity wasn’t particularly noteworthy.
In fact, it was welcomed by adventurers.
More monsters meant more work, and higher pay.
It also meant an influx of aspiring adventurers, strengthening their collective power.
But Wagner’s tone suggested something more significant.
He scratched his cheek, a hesitant expression on his face.
“They were attacked by monsters…and the entire village disappeared.”
“Disappeared? Annihilated?”
“Annihilated, I suppose. Everyone and everything is gone. People, livestock…vanished without a trace, as if swept away by the wind.”
Wolf and Kundt, who had been listening quietly, exchanged uneasy glances.
It wasn’t the severity of the situation that disturbed them, but the fairytale-like nature of the event.
An old, grim fairytale, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” told of a piper whose music lured the children of a town into the forest, never to be seen again.
This incident seemed eerily similar.
“That’s why you were hesitant to mention it…”
“Rumors tend to grow in the telling. It’s hard to know what’s true.”
“Well, it’s clear the village suffered a great loss. But Begalo Vegas is a small town, isn’t it? Not many adventurers there. If an entire village disappeared, I doubt they could handle the situation.”
“Whose jurisdiction is Begalo Vegas? They’ll likely send the territorial army, but they’ll still need adventurers. They’ll be short-handed.”
The territorial army were soldiers, not monster hunters.
They were a powerful force, but their presence didn’t negate the need for adventurers.
Adventurers, especially those specializing in monster subjugation, were experts in their field.
Even lords, when leading their armies against monsters, brought adventurers along.
But Begalo Vegas, with its small adventurer population, would struggle to find qualified monster hunters.
“…It doesn’t really concern us, though.”
“True. It’s just a rumor, after all.”
Begalo Vegas was quite a distance from Tillasden.
Even if something catastrophic had occurred there, it wouldn’t affect them.
…Or so they thought.
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Even after finishing their meal, the five remained at the table, continuing to empty their mugs.
As the alcohol took hold, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
However, amidst the boisterous camaraderie, Guinness remained unusually quiet, seated beside Iyer, simply listening.
She wasn’t one for lively conversation, but she wasn’t usually this subdued.
She would normally complain about the noise, or even resort to violence.
Iyer, slightly tipsy, noticed Guinness’s unusual silence and stared at her.
Or, more accurately, his gaze was fixed on her magnificent horns.
“Guinness.”
“What?”
“I have a favor to ask. Will you grant it?”
Iyer touched her shoulder intimately with a slightly twisted pronunciation, and Guinness glanced at Iyer.
When Guiness, who was still, nodded, Iyer raised his index finger and pointed to her horn.
“Your horn. Can I touch it just once?”
Iyer’s slightly slurred words and overly familiar nudge sent shivers down Wagner and Kundt’s spines.
They exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions clearly conveying, What did he just say?
It was a reckless request, one that the sober Iyer would never have made.
But the current Iyer, fueled by alcohol, was operating on a different level.
The problem was that Guinness wasn’t intoxicated.
“Iyer…”
Wagner, seated to Iyer’s left, grabbed his shoulder.
He had never heard of anyone surviving an attempt to touch, or even mention, Guinness’s horns.
They had all ended up in the infirmary, courtesy of Guinness’s fist.
Wagner didn’t want his friend to wake up in a hospital bed after an encounter with the infamous Dragonewt’s wrath.
Guinness’s head was lowered, obscuring her expression, but Wagner could sense a subtle trembling in her shoulders.
Just as he was about to intervene, Guinness spoke.
“…Go ahead.”
“Wow! Ahahaha!”
Huh?
Iyer cheered, raising his arms in triumph, while Guinness simply turned her head away, resting her chin on her hand.
Wagner, stunned by Guinness’s unexpected response, couldn’t help but question it.
The infamous Dragonewt, allowed someone to touch her horns?
Even Wagner, who considered himself relatively close to Guinness, had never heard of such a thing.
He would have dismissed it as a ridiculous rumor.
Anyone mentioning the word “horns” in Guinness’s presence would have been promptly knocked unconscious.
Iyer’s hand slowly reached towards Guinness’s head.
He gently stroked her hair before cautiously touching her horns, as if handling a delicate piece of porcelain.
He carefully traced the base of the horns, then followed the curve upwards, gently tapping the tips.
Iyer’s face lit up with childlike delight as he explored the texture of Guinness’s horns.
“Wow, they’re hard and pointy.”
“…Yes.”
“Like bone. Amazing. I want some.”
Iyer, clearly intoxicated, continued to marvel at Guinness’s horns, his laughter echoing through the pub.
Even more surprising was Guinness’s lack of reaction.
She simply allowed him to touch her horns, her head turned away.
Were her flushed ears a sign of intoxication as well?
Guinness…you’ve finally…
Wagner smiled, watching the two of them.
Had the cave expedition finally softened the heart of the human-distrusting Dragonewt?
Perhaps the shared hardships had fostered a sense of trust amongst the companions.
Even the fact that they were sharing a meal was a sign of Guinness’s newfound openness.
Wagner was genuinely pleased by this positive change in the usually hostile and distrustful Guinness.
Then there’s no reason for him to hesitate.
Wagner grinned and reached towards Guinness’s head.
“Guinness, I’ve been curious as well. Do you mind if I…”
Crack!
Before he could finish his sentence, the handle of Guinness’s mug shattered in her grip.
The wooden fragments clattered to the floor.
Guinness’s head, turned away from Wagner, slowly swiveled to face him.
Her eyes, wide and narrowed, met his.
‘Want to die?’
…Her gaze seemed to say.
If looks could kill, Wagner would have been slain a thousand times over.
He quickly withdrew his hand and sat back down.
“Magnificent. Solid. Pointy. Ahahaha!”
Wagner, head lowered, silently took a swig of his beer.
Guinness glared at him, her eyes narrowed.
Kundt nodded, as if he had expected this outcome.
Wolf chuckled, finding the situation highly amusing.
Only Iyer, blissfully unaware, continued to revel in the joy of touching Guinness’s horns, his laughter echoing through the pub.
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