“A designated request, you say?”
“Yes. Let me tell you the details.”
Iserina-san visited me at the mansion while I was spending my time as usual. It was the first time.
Apparently, a designated request had come in for me, and she had come all the way to tell me about it.
“I can kind of guess where the request is from.”
There are only a limited number of people who would make a designated request for me, who has no fame as an adventurer.
“The client is Marquis Sandfelds House. They want you to provide guidance, protection, and overall support during their adventuring activities.”
“I knew it… but there’s no way I can accept it, right?”
I’m already working as Lady Arianna’s guard.
“I thought so. Claffy-kun, did you do something to get them to like you?”
“I only provided support during the Stun Manta incident last time, but even if I say so myself, I don’t remember doing anything special.”
“That’s how it seems. I heard about the protection part later, but I didn’t hear anything about you doing anything special.”
“If anything, it’s that I saved them from the Stun Manta… but I didn’t show them the actual fight.”
“If they fell in love with you because of your fighting skills, that would be easy to understand…”
While saying that, Iserina-san slowly looked me up and down from head to toe.
“You’re still a child, aren’t you?”
“Of course, I am.”
I’m only 11 years old. I’ll be 12 this year, though.
“Your cuteness stands out more than your coolness.”
“I wish you’d stop calling me cute, too.”
I’m a boy, you know.
“Ah, there’s also the possibility that they’re after your adventurer rank.”
“Huh?”
“They’re Rank 9, so they haven’t been granted permission to enter the Dungeon yet. But if Claffy-kun, who is Rank 6, is with them, they can enter, right? It’s possible that’s what they’re after.”
“Oh, I see.”
“It’s a troublesome thing. In fact, if one person of Rank 7 or higher is with them, they can enter a managed Dungeon. There are quite a few kids who do reckless things because of that.”
“That’s not good.”
I want to stop Lady Arianna’s friends from doing reckless things if possible. She doesn’t communicate well, and they’re one of the few people she can talk to normally. The other party is overwhelmingly higher in status, though.
“…Hmm, considering that, it might not be good to refuse so easily.”
“What? Is something wrong?”
“Like, the relationship between the Baron House and the Marquis House…”
“You shouldn’t worry about that? If servants move on their own, it will only complicate things.”
“I see. Then, I’ll talk to Lady Arianna once…”
…No good. Lady Arianna might say she wants to go with them. Or rather, she’ll definitely say she wants to go with them.
“Contact Lady Martha.”
“By the way, is that Lady Arianna over there?”
There was Lady Arianna, peeking at us from a nearby room, her mouth curved into a crescent shape.
I shouldn’t have talked at the entrance!!
“I look forward to working with you today.”
“Ah, I’m counting on you.”
“Please take care of us.”
““““Please do”””
Lady Evelyn, our Lady Arianna, and Kalinka-san. These are the members of the guard team.
“Ho-ho-ho-ho! The day I’ve been waiting for has finally come! I’m so excited!”
“Ah! My arms are itching for action!”
“There are still Stun Mantas, so you have to be careful.”
As expected, only the women are talking.
By the way, the remaining members are me and Mr. Volks, the guard leader of Lady Arianna. There are three knights from Lady Evelyn’s side. And there are also two maids each, who are not very noticeable.
“It’s become a larger group than I expected.”
“You’ll have to put up with it.”
“I know Lady Arianna’s power, but this is our job.”
“I understand that.”
Lady Arianna’s position may change when her younger brothers grow up, but she is a legitimate candidate to succeed the Baron Cybarossa House.
I can’t let her jump into a Dungeon with only one child guard.
Furthermore, Lady Evelyn, the daughter of the Marquis Sandfelds House, is also there. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were twice as many guards.
By the way, today we’re going to a Dungeon managed by people in the mountains of the Shiferudo territory, east of the Royal Capital.
It’s commonly known as the “Meat Dungeon.”
From the lower levels, Monsters suitable for eating, such as Buruburu, One-Legged Chicken, and Black Sheep, appear. In the middle levels, there are Beak Ox, Flame Eagle, and Blood Viper. I don’t plan to go to the lower levels, but there are many Monsters that become delicious meat in the lower levels, although they are strong.
Damn it, I’ll enter it alone next time.
“Cladfield, I’ll leave the cooking to you, okay?”
“I’ve prepared everything, so don’t worry.”
“Fufu, I was able to get oil, so it’s perfect!”
“Is it that delicious?”
“It’s more delicious when it’s aged, but it’s still pretty good.”
Today, I’m an adventurer, but I’m not assigned the role of an adventurer. I’m just a chef.
I was given a list of Monsters and money in advance, and told to prepare cooking utensils and seasonings. So I really prepared a lot of things. I even had Tonkakke, who was busy making Nata, make an additional pot.
And for that purpose, I rented a detached house in the town near the Dungeon. When we arrive, the maids will clean it with four people.
“You should have hired a chef.”
“I wanted to know dishes that I could eat immediately!”
They seem to be relying on my knowledge as a hunter. Well, as a hunter, I only grill food, so I don’t do time-consuming cooking, so I’m troubled even if you expect it.
“Then, let’s depart!”
Under Lady Evelyn’s command, the carriage slowly starts moving. Of course, I’m outside the carriage, riding a horse and being on guard.
We completed the procedures at the Guild branch office in front of the Dungeon and entered the Dungeon while being warmly watched by the gatekeepers.
Here, the “Meat Dungeon” has a large gate on the ground, and when you pass through the gate, a grassland spreads out, and a forest can be seen in the distance.
It’s a rare single-layered type of Dungeon, and it’s managed by a Dungeon Core rather than a Dungeon Master.
I’ve seen many Dungeons even in the era of the Unified Space Force, but Dungeons managed by Dungeon Cores are generally the type of Dungeons that can be managed by people.
If a Dungeon Master is managing the Dungeon, it becomes a Dungeon where many Monsters of that Dungeon Master’s lineage appear, and the Dungeon Master at the top becomes like a king. They often become beings that are beyond the reach of human management.
Generally, those Dungeons are exterminated by the Master. After that, the Core was often brought in from the outside and managed.
“There’s one already.”
“Yes. Kalinka!”
“No, I’ll go!”
Lady Arianna rushes out with a rapier in her hand! The One-Legged Chicken noticed such Lady Arianna… and naturally, it hopped away, alternately touching the ground with its one leg.
“““Ah!”””
“Lady Arianna… I told you that One-Legged Chickens run away with all their might if you approach them from the front, so go from the side.”
I taught you the characteristics of the Monsters, didn’t I?
The distance widened more than I expected, so Lady Arianna stopped.
“…Sorry.”
“W-Well, it can’t be helped! Next! Let’s go to the next one!”
“Y-Yes, that’s right!”
The two of them are supporting the depressed Lady Arianna. They’re good people.
“Please don’t stray too far.”
“S-Sorry.”
Mr. Volks is scolding Lady Arianna for suddenly running off like that. Of course, you’ll get a warning.
“I heard that there are no traps in the Dungeon, but the grass is quite thick. It would be a problem if something suddenly jumped out and you couldn’t react.”
“Ah, I’ll be careful.”
When we were talking about the characteristics of the Monsters yesterday, she was somewhat absent-minded, but now that she’s in combat mode, she’s listening carefully. Our Lady Arianna’s memory improves when she can relate it to combat.
“Lady Arianna, there’s one next.”
“…Ah!”
Once again, Lady Arianna runs across the earth like the wind. Unlike before, she seems to be paying attention to the tall weeds around her.
She quickly moves to the side of the One-Legged Chicken, lowers her waist, and makes her rapier gleam!
“Hah!”
A dignified and valiant blow from Lady Arianna. She brilliantly slashed the One-Legged Chicken’s neck! Hmm, well done.
“Then, I’ll take it, so please continue hunting.”
It’s my job to receive it. Before putting it in the Magic Bag that I received from Lady Evelyn, I quickly cut off the parts that are not needed for the meal and make it compact. At the same time, I forcibly remove the blood from the body with Telekinesis Magic and finish draining the blood.
My main equipment today is not a short sword but a kitchen knife. I also have a short sword on my waist, though.
I put it in a leather bag containing dipping sauce and put it in the Magic Bag. This Magic Bag is about the size of a horse-drawn carriage and doesn’t stop time, so it doesn’t have a very large capacity.
I can use plenty of oil, and I brought batter from the container, and the dipping sauce is a special product. My mouth is watering now.
“You’re quite skilled.”
“I’m a hunter’s child.”
“O-Oh, that’s right.”
“Well, I suppose I don’t exactly look the part dressed like this.”
Because I’m in servant’s clothes today.
“It’s not quite like that, but, yeah.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
I’m not sure what that was about, but the Sandfelds’ escort quickly departed.
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