Chapter 8: To the Elf Village – Part 07
The inn, guided by the village chief’s wife, was clean and surprisingly affordable (it seemed I had received a bit of a favor), making it a welcome place for our D-Rank Party.
However, the only available room was a four-person one, which meant the two girls would have to endure sharing a space for a week. That said,
“I’m relieved to be in the same room as you, Soushi-sama. I prefer it this way,” Freinir said with a smile.
“I don’t mind sharing a tent with everyone, so it’s not a big deal,” Larni shrugged.
As long as I was considerate, it should be fine. Although Freinir’s comment was a bit concerning…
“So, are we heading to the Dungeon right away tomorrow? We need to train, after all,” Larni said, spreading out her clothes on the bed.
“Yeah, we’ll definitely be staying for a week, so we should get back to our usual routine. But first, I need to stop by the guild in the morning to deal with the slave-hunting matter. Also, Frei, have you sensed anything unusual around this village?”
“Huh? No, not particularly… Is there something bothering you?” Freinir replied, tilting her head.
“I just can’t shake the feeling after hearing about the zombie dogs at the mountain pass. I’m worried there might be a gathering of Undead somewhere. Decayed corpses can lead to disease outbreaks, after all.”
“I see, so you’re considering the possibility of disease as well. Understood, I’ll keep an eye out.”
“Could it be that the ‘Summoning Stone’ Soushi destroyed the other day is involved?” Larni asked, her eyes widening.
“That’s a possibility. If that’s the case, things could get even more troublesome…”
The ‘Summoning Stone’ I had seen during the major subjugation mission was undoubtedly placed there by ‘someone.’ If there’s another ‘Summoning Stone’ near this village, it raises the chance that that ‘someone’ is still lurking around.
“If it’s Undead, we have Frei with us, so it should be manageable, but zombies are a different story. Their stench is unbearable,” Larni said, flopping onto the bed.
For someone with a keen sense of smell like her, it would indeed be a tough opponent. With her heightened olfactory skills, it was a personal concern for her.
We finalized our plans while having dinner in the inn’s dining area. The cuisine of the Elf Village featured a lot of mountain vegetables, which suited my palate, but Larni complained about the lack of meat.
Just as we were getting ready for bed, there was an unexpected knock at the door.
To my surprise, it was none other than Sfenia. I had heard she was staying with Hofena at the village chief’s house.
“Good evening! What brings you here at such a late hour?” I asked, taken aback.
“I heard that you all were staying in a four-person room, so I thought I might join you,” Sfenia replied with a bright smile.
“Uh… really?”
“Oh, Sfenia, you can stay here! That bed is free, so it’s no problem. Right, Frei?” I said, trying to recover from my shock.
“Yes, I’d love to hear more about the Elf Race,” Freinir added eagerly.
“Thank you! Then I’ll make myself at home,” Sfenia said, quickly setting her belongings around the empty bed.
Seeing this, Larni was grinning, likely because Sfenia had entered her scout mode again.
“So, Sfenia, how’s the situation with the disease? Are you able to handle it?” Larni asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Well, it seems there are nearly a hundred patients in the isolation area already. Hofena has been prescribing medicine to the more severe cases, so it looks like we can avoid the worst outcomes,” Sfenia explained.
“That’s a relief. It would have been disastrous if we hadn’t made it in time,” I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.
“Honestly, I shudder to think what would have happened if your party hadn’t been here. The slave-hunting issue, transporting Hofena, and even the rabbit horn incident… If any one of those had been missing, there would have been casualties,” Sfenia said, looking at me earnestly.
Now that she mentioned it, it did feel like we were walking on thin ice. I couldn’t help but think that my ‘Bad Luck’ Skill had played a significant role in all of this.
“All we can say is that we were fortunate. It was a stroke of luck for us to meet an exceptional adventurer like you, Sfenia,” I replied.
“Exceptional? Compared to your party, I’m hardly anything special. Your handling of the poison from the bandits was impressive, and your strength afterward was remarkable. I’ve realized that there are limits to what one can do alone,” she said, her humility shining through.
“I feel the same way. I had been going solo for a long time, but teaming up with these two has greatly expanded my capabilities,” I said, glancing at Larni and Freinir.
As we spoke, it seemed I was naturally falling into a recruitment role. A quick glance at Larni revealed her smirking, while Freinir appeared a bit restless.
“So, Sfenia, does this mean you’re considering joining us?” Larni asked, her curiosity unrestrained.
Sfenia smiled faintly, as if she was amused by Larni’s directness. “That seems to be the case.”
“Yay! That’s great news, Soushi!” Larni cheered.
“Uh, yeah, that’s true. While I welcome you to join us, I think it’s wise to consider it a bit more carefully. Hofena will be here for a while longer,” I suggested, trying to keep things grounded.
“I understand. You’re quite modest, Soushi. Most people who approach me have been rather forceful, which has been quite bothersome,” Sfenia remarked, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.
“Ahaha, I think anyone would want to have you in their party, especially the men. Right, Soushi?” Larni chimed in, nudging me.
I understood what she meant, but I found myself at a loss for words. Freinir was also staring at me intently.
“…I can see where you’re coming from… I suppose. Regardless, I won’t pressure you into joining,” I said, trying to maintain a neutral stance.
“Yes, I’d like to think it over a bit more,” Sfenia replied.
Somehow, I managed to navigate through that conversation, but it felt strange to be so tense over the prospect of adding a new member to our party.