Cat and Dog ⑤
Relic [Fairy Avatar]… The only Relic usable exclusively by Fairial.
Growing larger seemed to enhance her allure. It was different from Mineha-san somehow.
So this is what a mature woman is like.
Smiling sweetly, she held out a parchment document.
“Thank you for waiting~! Confirmation complete~! This is a request to gather four Magic Silver horns from Monokeros~!”
“Mm.”
Four horns. If one fetches between 300,000 and 500,000 Oro, then four would be around that much.
It really is worth 1 million Oro. Verent-san… thank you very much.
“This is the Request Acceptance Certificate~! Please have the primary requestor~ and the Hired Pup~ sign here~! If you cannot write~ I can sign for you~!”
“Unnecessary. Just the pen will suffice.”
“Yes~! Here you go~! Please sign~ right here~!”
First Ms. Pachira. Then me. And finally, Juicy-san. Once we finished writing, we submitted it.
The Receptionist then did a double-take at Juicy-san’s name. Ahh, Tasan.
“Yes~! Confirmation complete~! Request accepted~!”
Saying this without further comment, the Receptionist placed a card and a key on the counter.
Along with them was a golden monocle, the type you hold, adorned with a single wing decoration.
The card was metal, engraved with patterns. The key was slightly large, with a number carved into its head.
The monocle was the type you held up to your eye, featuring a single wing ornament. What is this?
“Um, um, uh, Ms. Pachira. What are these?”
“Hmph. You will understand shortly. Let us go.”
Taking the card, key, and monocle, Ms. Pachira headed outside… wait, deeper into the Guild?
Where are we going?
Just as I thought that, one of the many reception counters in the Seeker Guild turned out to be a gate.
A red-haired Faun Receptionist stood before it, holding a spear.
When Ms. Pachira showed the card to the Receptionist, the gate opened.
We passed through the gate and descended a staircase.
The Guild’s basement. This was different from the underground area with that huge return array.
Lanterns lined the brick walls at regular intervals, and there were numerous doors marked with numbers.
Ms. Pachira checked the key and the numbers on each door one by one.
We watched her silently.
“Here it is.”
She inserted the key and opened the door. It was a small room.
A magic circle, glowing pale blue, was set into the stone floor. It looked somewhat familiar.
“Could this possibly be…”
“Let’s go.”
“Um, um, me too! Woof. I’m so excited!”
“Me too.”
“Na!”
We stepped onto the magic circle. The scenery before our eyes changed in an instant.
When I came to, we were in a small, rugged space.
There was a door, which we opened and stepped through, finding ourselves in a passageway enclosed by stone walls.
I knew immediately we weren’t in the Guild anymore. I asked.
“Could this possibly be… a Dungeon?”
“Indeed.”
“Um, um, could it possibly be, woof… the Dungeon where the Monokeros are?”
“Indeed. The Monokeros Dungeon can only be accessed via the Teleportation Array in the Guild’s basement. Thus, only those with permission may enter.”
Right. A Teleportation Array. I see. Travel only by Teleportation Array.
Does that mean entering from the surface is basically impossible?
“To prevent overhunting, right?”
“Mm. And then there is this.”
Ms. Pachira showed us the monocle with the wing decoration and handle.
“Woof? The wing looks nice!”
“Is this… a Legendary?”
“Mm. It is called the [Eye of Fortune]. It is said that looking through this allows one to discern value. In other words, it allows one to determine whether a Monokeros possesses Magic Silver.”
Eye of Fortune…? Fortune.
I held my breath for a moment.
“S-So, you can tell by the color, right?”
“Indeed. It is said to appear as a green light.”
“Um, um, um, that’s amazing! So convenient!”
Green means Rare, huh.
“With this, we can find the Magic Silver.”
“Um, um, does that mean if you used it in the Junkyard, you could find treasure too?”
“Indeed. Since it reveals value. However, this Legendary itself is extremely valuable, so its lending is restricted.”
“…”
A strange sense of guilt washed over me.
“Does it only show a green light?”
“It seems so.”
So it only reveals Rares, huh. It’s completely an inferior version of my [Wheel of Fortune].
Something like this existed?
“That is enough explanation. Shall we try using it?”
“Um, um, woof woof! I’m looking forward to it!”
“Na!”
“…”
The Monokeros are deeper inside.
Following the stone walls, the passage suddenly opened into a large area with a grassland.
A herd of Monokeros was already running across the plains.
They were six-legged monsters resembling horses, each sporting a single, long, thick horn.
The ceiling was ordinary rock, but it sparkled faintly. Bioluminescent moss?
This stuff also grew on the ceiling of the Junkyard, providing light so it wasn’t dark.
It felt like just the right amount of brightness.
“Hmm. Hmm hmm.”
Ms. Pachira surveyed the Monokeros herd through the [Eye of Fortune].
“Um, um, um, woof! Did you find any Magic Silver?”
Juicy-san wagged her tail furiously, bouncing with excitement.
She looked ready to pounce the moment one was spotted.
“Hmph. It seems there are none in that herd.”
“Woof, um, well then, woof! On to the next one!”
“…”
Just to check, I also used my Relic [Wheel of Fortune].
No light at all. That herd is a bust.
As we walked across the grassland, we encountered a swarm of small monsters.
Three-Eyed Rabbits. Low Copper Rank monsters. They attacked immediately, but they were no match for us.
Ms. Pachira sliced them with blades of wind, Juicy-san punched and kicked them to death bare-handed, and I fought with my knife.
“Um, um, woof woof! This is fun!”
Amazing. She perfectly timed her strikes to hit the third eye as the Three-Eyed Rabbits leaped.
Almost always a one-hit kill. Was it the Relic [Weakness Detection]?
It reveals the vital spots of opponents weaker than oneself. Ms. Pachira looked surprised too.
Not wanting to be outdone, I blocked and deflected the Three-Eyed Rabbits’ attacks, then cut them with my knife.
It felt cruel to stab the third eye once they were wounded, but… gotcha. I managed to take down one of the three.
I wasn’t using the Dagaa Knife.
This was the second knife I bought for 50,000 Oro. A strange, single-edged blade curved upwards.
It’s a bit heavy, but thick and powerful.
The Three-Eyed Rabbits attack in groups, leaping and using their claws and teeth.
They’re annoying and troublesome. But, not to brag, I’ve gotten stronger too.
Combining the evasive movements and Knife Handling I learned from the Witch, I fought back against the Three-Eyed Rabbits.
Honestly, just for fighting, 【Vanish】 is easier. Anything I touch disappears.
However, that disappearance can also be a bit problematic.
If I’m not careful, I might erase the subjugation proof parts or rare material parts.
I might even make the knife in my hand disappear.
It’s convenient, but the lack of fine control is a drawback.
Also, my 【Vanish】 can’t be used away from my hand.
Its range of motion is limited to my wrist. That’s another flaw.
And so, we annihilated the swarm of Three-Eyed Rabbits.
“Um, um, um, Ms. Pachira! These Three-Eyed Rabbits… where’s the subjugation proof part?”
“These creatures aren’t worth much money. Their meat isn’t very tasty either.”
“Um, woof! I still want to know!”
“I’m curious too.”
Even if it’s not much, it still means they’re worth some money. Ms. Pachira sighed.
“Their subjugation proof part is the third eye. That third eyeball.”
“Eh… By the way, how much is one worth?”
“If it’s not in good condition, zero. Even if it is, maybe 100 Oro. At best, perhaps 500 Oro.”
“…So if it’s damaged, it’s worthless?”
“Indeed. That is why they are not worth much money. It is not worth the effort to preserve and carry them.”
Ah, because they’re organic, they’re delicate. Yeah, definitely not worth it.
So even if someone buys them, there’s probably no demand.
“Um, um, Lord Wof! I… I aimed only for the third eyes and crushed them all.”
“I… I did something similar.”
“Na!”
“And that is that. Now, let us search for another herd.”
So, leaving the carcasses of the Three-Eyed Rabbits behind, we went searching for the next herd of Monokeros.
After walking for a while, we found them. A herd of Monokeros. Larger than the first one.
Ms. Pachira used the [Eye of Fortune].
“I see it! One green light!”
I also used my [Wheel of Fortune]. Indeed, one green light.
In a herd of several dozen, only one—huh?
There’s a yellow one.
Near the Monokeros with the green light, there’s a Monokeros glowing yellow.
I don’t see any other yellow lights. No other green lights either.
“…”
I’m curious.
The [Eye of Fortune] is definitely an inferior version of my Relic.
That’s why it can’t detect light brighter than green.
Which is exactly why I’m curious about the Monokeros with the yellow, Super Rare light.
It’s near the green-glowing Monokeros, and it’s about one size larger.
“Um, um, woof! Ms. Pachira! The Monokeros with the Magic Silver… how do we take it down?”
“We must not take it down. We are taking its horn.”
“……….”
The problem is how to get the horn from that Monokeros.
Targeting anything other than the designated Monokeros would seem unnatural.
Letting the two of them know about my Relic… I don’t feel resistant to that idea.
Ms. Pachira and Juicy-san. I feel I can trust these two.
But, the timing… revealing it now… Okay. I’ll tell them.
I’ll tell them both. About my Relic.