Chapter 165: After the Hunt
“Hmph. Do you have any evidence?”
Dogesha spat out his words with a scowl. It was clear he was displeased, likely because we had taken down the creature despite his earlier warning to stay out of it. However, I had no recollection of agreeing to that. As expected, he followed up with, “Where’s the proof?” Just as Rio had predicted.
“Lord Dogesha, given the size of that beast, I doubt we could bring back any evidence immediately. We should dispatch a team for an investigation right away.”
“What are you saying? What if it’s still alive? If it attacks, the consequences won’t be trivial!”
“I confirmed its death through appraisal.”
“What… did you say?”
I shrugged nonchalantly, and Dogesha’s eyebrows twitched in surprise.
“But we do have proof. I brought back its head.”
““Huh?””
Even Linford, usually composed, was taken aback by my declaration. This was the moment to press on.
“Please make some space; I’m about to pull out something rather large!”
I raised my voice to ensure everyone around could hear, then produced two severed heads right there.
““…………””
The two of them fell silent, but the crowd around us was anything but quiet. A scream rang out, quickly followed by a wave of cheers. I could swear I heard some shrieks mixed in, but I chose to ignore them.
“The Sea Emperor Turtle’s body is…”
I murmured, my voice trailing off as Dogesha turned his gaze toward the turtle far across the sea.
“That one was beyond our ability to handle, so we left it as is.”
“Indeed… Its size is simply unmanageable.”
Linford nodded in agreement.
“I see. However, we can’t just leave it like that.”
“Yes. So, could you take care of the disposal?”
Even though we had taken it down on our own, the Imperial Army would surely want their share of the spoils. It could be seen as pushing off a troublesome task onto them.
“Hmph. Very well.”
With a casual nod, he shouted at the onlookers to return to their duties, dispersing the crowd before he too went back to work.
“Shu and Rio are C Rank Adventurers, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Linford nodded to himself, arms crossed.
“With such a significant achievement, you might be promoted to S Rank Adventurers in one go.”
“Huh?”
“But we’re still C Rank, aren’t we?”
“The possibility is quite high. After all, you saved the town. Though, you’ll need the approval of all three Guild Masters to make it official.”
“Hero… you say?”
If an S Rank Adventurer was saying it, it must hold some weight. But needing the approval of three Guild Masters meant it wouldn’t happen overnight. Still, being called a hero felt a bit… embarrassing, to say the least.
“Regardless, I have no doubt you two will reach S Rank soon.”
Though he had given us his stamp of approval, I felt no real sense of it. There were no requests suitable for S Rank Adventurers that C Rank like us could take on.
“Well then, I’ll get back to work. Please handle the report to the Guild.”
“Understood.”
With Linford leaving the scene, we decided to head back as well. Dogesha had warned us to stay out of it, but it seemed the others were relieved, perhaps not believing anyone could defeat that turtle. It appeared those on the ground were the most aware of the new weapon’s power.
As we made our way to the Guild, we found the townsfolk in a state of panic. Apparently, someone had witnessed the turtle’s head rising from the sea, followed by a flash of light and an explosion near the military harbor. This was soon followed by a massive wave crashing into the town. Although the waves had calmed, some seawater had still surged into the streets. While larger items remained undisturbed, smaller ones had been swept away, causing quite a mess.
Fortunately, the Adventurer’s Guild was located along the central plaza, so it hadn’t flooded. However, the first floor was bustling with activity and noise. We decided to check the second floor, but it was just as chaotic.
“Ah! Shu-san, Rio-san, just the people I was looking for!”
Before we knew it, Lowell had caught us. This was convenient for us.
“What’s going on?”
I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew the answer.
“Are you aware that the Sea Emperor Turtle raised its head above the water?”
“Yes, we know.”
“And that it attacked afterward?”
“Of course, we were near the ship that got hit. In fact, we managed to block the second shot.”
“W-well, what about the rumor that the Sea Emperor Turtle has been defeated…?”
Had the news already reached the Guild? Or was Dogesha just quick on the uptake? No, perhaps someone had witnessed the battle from the shore?
“I haven’t heard any such rumors—”
I noticed a hint of disappointment on Lowell’s face as he looked down, but I wanted him to hear the whole story. It was true that we hadn’t heard anyone say, “The Sea Emperor Turtle has been defeated.”
“But we did take down the Sea Emperor Turtle.”
Lowell’s eyes widened in realization as he finally processed my words.
“W-what did you just say…?”
“The Sea Emperor Turtle was defeated by us.”
Rio stepped forward, clearly stating the fact. As Lowell absorbed her words, his eyes grew wider.
“F-for now, please tell me everything in detail!”
In a flurry, Lowell pushed us toward the third floor, leading us to our usual private room.
“I’ll go fetch the Guild Master, so please wait a moment!”
With that, he hurried out of the room, leaving us to prepare for the conversation ahead.