Chapter 352: A Rank Adventurer Party
The following day arrived, and it was about time for the Metal Dragon Serpent to emerge from the Forest. Even if there was a slight delay, it wouldn’t venture beyond the fifth sector, which was under military control. Because of this, the Adventurer’s Guild was responsible for the area where the interception would take place.
Although we hadn’t received any requests to participate, I was curious, so I headed to the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters with Rio. In front of the headquarters, a group of determined adventurers had gathered, and a few individuals who appeared to be leaders were deep in conversation with the Guild Master.
“Oh, you two came as well, huh?”
It seemed the discussion had wrapped up, as the Guild Master turned to acknowledge us.
“Well, I was just a bit curious,” I replied.
“Hmm. Unfortunately, it seems there won’t be a chance for S Rank Adventurers like you to shine today,” the Guild Master said.
Next to him, a man with spiky silver hair, proudly displaying two swords of varying lengths at his waist, puffed out his chest. The curvature and slenderness of the blades made them resemble katanas.
“Hey, come on! It’s a bit rude to dismiss S Rank Adventurers like that. If we could have your backup, it would certainly put our minds at ease,” I retorted.
Beside him, a woman with long wine-red hair tied in a ponytail chided the man. She carried an enormous Staff on her back, towering over her height. She looked like a mage, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she could throw a punch.
“Still, I’d prefer to proceed with the hunt without relying on Shu,” she said, shrugging.
The last to speak was Rikyou, who had a mottled hairstyle.
“Indeed. As the Adventurer’s Guild branch of Satanis Garden, we must show our resolve,” the Guild Master added with a smile, prompting jeers from the other adventurers gathered around.
“Finally, a chance to show off!”
“Hey, don’t hog all the glory!”
“Don’t you dare interfere!”
There was no malice in their words; rather, they were filled with a spirit of encouragement. The adventurers present were three parties of A Rank Adventurers, gathered to take down a formidable foe. Despite the imminent battle, they remained relaxed and composed.
“If you insist, I’ll just watch from the sidelines,” I said.
“Then make sure to share some of the meat once it’s taken down. I’ll pay you for it,” Rio chimed in firmly.
As I shrugged, she made her request clear. If we didn’t intervene, we wouldn’t be able to claim the serpent for ourselves, so it was important to communicate our intentions beforehand.
“Huh? Meat?”
“…Not the hide?”
“What do you plan to do with it?”
I expected some pushback, but their reactions were unexpected. The metallic hide looked tough enough to be used for armor, yet I wondered if there was no demand for the meat itself.
“Of course, I plan to eat it,” Rio replied.
“Eh?”
“Can you actually eat that?”
“I’ve heard it’s too tough to eat!”
When I answered honestly, the adventurers began whispering among themselves.
“Oh, if it’s meat, they’d probably just throw it away, so I’d give it to you for free,” the Guild Master said, looking at us with a glint of amusement, and the surrounding adventurers nodded in confusion.
“Is it really that bad? …Well, that’s something to look forward to,” I mused.
“Ahaha, right?” Rio replied, half-laughing but clearly intrigued. Despite the warnings, she didn’t refuse the idea.
“Is it almost time for it to arrive?”
As I turned my gaze toward the Forest, the Guild Master noticed and raised his voice, tightening the atmosphere.
“Yeah. It should be visible in about an hour. At this rate, it’ll likely appear right at the border between the first and second sectors.”
“Understood.”
With a nod from the Guild Master, the gathered adventurers stood up.
“Leave the serpent to us!”
Encouraged by the Guild Master, the adventurers began to file out from the headquarters, preparing to confront the serpent. After seeing them off, the Guild Master and I ascended to the top of the second outer wall to observe the battle.
“…Hmm?”
The path leading into the Forest was still in disarray from our previous ambush. As I watched the serpent-hunting team head toward the Forest, I noticed a group gathering just before they entered.
“Those guys… they really came to interfere, huh?”
The Guild Master’s expression twisted into one of frustration as he spotted the same group. Upon closer inspection, they were all wearing coordinated gear, likely the military that had been dispatched after the foolish announcement of cooperation yesterday. They were positioned between the second and third sectors, but since the border between the first and second sectors was visible to both sides, the adventurers would likely move once they saw our gathering.
“Ugh… I’ll go deal with this,” the Guild Master sighed heavily before turning on his heel and heading down from the second outer wall.
“Ah, if things get dangerous, I’ll signal you, so I’ll be counting on you then,” he called back before disappearing from view, looking rather glum as he headed to the front lines.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but the Guild Master has it tough,” Rio remarked, sounding as if it were none of her business. Come to think of it, she hadn’t met that useless Big Man yet. He probably wouldn’t come this far, but I hoped the ones sent here would be reasonable.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Still, I wasn’t directly involved in this situation, so it felt distant to me. While I silently cheered for the Guild Master in my heart, I turned my gaze back toward the depths of the Forest where the serpent was expected to appear.