Strongest Physical Oji-san – Chapter 82

Chapter 10: The Twilight Kin

“It was a Rare Boss not mentioned in Bartran’s guide. However, Soushi’s encounter rate with Rare cases is abnormal. To think we faced both bosses like this…”

As Mariane stood there in shock, Larni patted her shoulder.

“The fun is just beginning, so there’s no need to be surprised yet!”

“Fun… Are you talking about the Skills?”

“Exactly! I’m sure we’ll get some great Skills. After all, it was a Rare Boss!”

After a short wait, I felt the familiar sensation of acquiring a new Skill.

I had gained the Adamantine Body. It seemed to be an advanced version of Steel Body, further enhancing my defense. It felt as if someone was telling me to become a shield for the girls.

Freinir had acquired True Holy Magic, which appeared to be an advanced Skill of Holy Attribute Magic. She could now use a spell called Ascension, which returns Undead within a certain range to the heavens.

Larni received Charge, a Skill that enhances the magical effects Freinir had already obtained. Although the rarity of this Skill is low, the fact that she acquired it here might mean it’s typically hard for her to obtain. It would undoubtedly enhance the capabilities of her Magic Sword.

Sfenia gained Advanced Wind Magic. It was literally an advanced version of Wind Attribute Magic. It seemed Sfenia had been waiting a long time since her Wind Attribute had reached its level cap, and she was in high spirits about finally learning the higher-tier magic.

And then there was Mariane.

“I got Status Ailment Infliction… It’s a Skill that can paralyze or poison monsters. It’s quite a high-tier Rare Skill.”

I couldn’t gauge how effective the status ailments would be against monsters in this world, but considering Sfenia’s White Heron Bow could inflict Action Stop even on bosses, it might be a powerful Skill.

“Is that a strong Skill?”

“Yes, I’ve heard that if a higher-tier party has someone skilled in this, it makes boss-class hunts much easier.”

Mariane’s expression softened as she answered Larni, indicating that it was a Skill close to what she hoped for. We would confirm its power in the upcoming C-Class Dungeon.

That day, we returned to the guild to sell our loot and then headed back to the inn. Mariane stayed behind to handle paperwork, but I felt uneasy about her being left alone to work. She insisted, “There’s no problem; I’m on schedule,” but it didn’t sit right with me.

“Soushi-sama, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

Once Mariane returned, we all sat down for a meal, and Freinir asked.

“Tomorrow, we’ll train and check our Skills from today’s dungeon in the morning. In the afternoon, we’ll prepare to dive into the C-Class Dungeon.”

“Are we going to explore the town?”

“Yeah, since we’re here, we might as well take a look around.”

Thinking about it, we had come to a rather large town, and diving into a dungeon right away felt a bit hasty. I realized I had become quite the workaholic.

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it!”

Seeing Freinir smile brightly, Larni shot me a sideways glance.

“Soushi, you’re really nice to Frei, aren’t you?”

“Really? I thought I was treating everyone normally.”

“I don’t think so. You seem to have a softer gaze when it comes to Frei.”

“I’m not aware of it… But I care about you just as much, Larni.”

I might unconsciously see Freinir as a daughter figure. Regardless, I didn’t want to make either of them feel neglected, so I made sure to express my feelings to Larni as well.

As a result, Larni’s expression softened into a smile, which seemed to confirm I had done the right thing.

“Well, if that’s the case… Let’s make sure to buy lots of meat tomorrow!”

“Right. Since it’s only the tenth floor, we should be able to do it in one night, but there’s more to come after that.”

As I replied and began eating, I noticed Sfenia was gazing at me with cool eyes.

“What’s up, Sfenia?”

“Um, I wanted to ask how you feel about me.”

“…?”

As I was puzzled, Larni whispered, “Sfenia wants to know how you feel about her.”

“Oh, sorry. Of course, I care about you too, Sfenia. A party is like family, after all.”

“Thank you! That puts me at ease.”

Sfenia smiled brightly and resumed her meal. It seemed that having a party with so many girls was more delicate than I had thought. I might need to be more mindful of these kinds of sentiments.

However, Mariane, who had been watching the exchange, nodded as if she understood something. I wondered if there was a deeper meaning behind her expression. I didn’t think there was anything to report to the Grand Master.

The next day, we first descended to the fifth floor of the D-Class Dungeon we had conquered yesterday to get accustomed to our new Skills.

As for Mariane’s Status Ailment Infliction, it allowed her to inflict Poison, Action Stop, Paralysis, Sleep, and Stun as bad statuses with her normal attacks.

While Poison and the brief Action Stop were manageable, Paralysis and Stun could easily turn the tide of battle if they landed.

Interestingly, it wasn’t a random activation for each hit; it seemed to be a system where the effects accumulate even against powerful monsters, ensuring they would be inflicted. Of course, using it consumed stamina, so it wasn’t a Skill that could be spammed, but knowing it would eventually work over time was a significant advantage.

When we faced the fifth-floor boss, the Murder Tree, I managed to inflict Paralysis in two hits, and Mariane’s delighted expression at that moment was quite memorable.

By noon, we returned to town and set out for shopping as a party.

The central street of Bartran was bustling with people, lined with various stalls, including ingredients not found in Euron.

Freinir and Larni gazed at the stalls with sparkling eyes, eagerly purchasing anything they liked and handing it to me. I stored their purchases in my Item Box, but since I had no items left in my hands, I ended up buying even more. It was also a big help that my income had increased recently, giving me more financial leeway.

As we walked down the street, a voice suddenly called out, “Oh, if it isn’t the members of Soul’s Guidance!” Turning around, I saw the shrewd merchant, Mr. Toronto, peeking out from beside a cart.

“Thank you for the other day. Thanks to you, I managed to acquire a large amount of excellent materials from the Salamander. Its hide is exceptionally fire-resistant. It’s in high demand for noble furniture and armor. I should be able to make a good profit when I return to the capital.”

“That’s great to hear. But I’m surprised to see the head of the trading company personally sourcing materials.”

As I said this, Mr. Toronto looked a bit embarrassed.

“Ha ha, even though I’m the head, I’m someone who enjoys being on the ground. I had been in a position to direct others in the capital for a while, but my children have started to be useful, so I occasionally get to go out myself.”

“Is it that you feel you can’t truly understand the market unless you experience it firsthand?”

“I just enjoy the moment of acquiring good items. But that’s a good reason. Maybe I’ll use that to persuade my son next time.”

“Wouldn’t your sons worry if you go out too much? After all, large monsters can appear, like the other day.”

When I said this, Mr. Toronto suddenly frowned and lowered his voice.

“About that, have you heard that the number of monsters has been increasing lately?”

“Yes, I’ve heard something about it at the guild.”

“Actually, there’s information that several monsters we’ve never seen before have appeared. And they’re all B-rank or higher. I’ve heard that one town was attacked, and a third of its residents were taken out.”

“Monsters we’ve never seen before?”

“Yes. They say they have a creepy appearance, like a grotesque combination of human parts, and there are rumors they might be demons.”

“That’s…”

That was quite a heavy topic to bring up as mere gossip. As someone who had fought against the source of those rumors, I couldn’t ignore this information.

“Well, I’m sure you all from Soul’s Guidance, who can take down a Salamander in one blow, will be fine. Oh, and separately, I’ve heard that an adventurer party near this town was attacked by an unidentified monster. It might be unnecessary concern, but please be careful.”

Mr. Toronto bowed his head, climbed into his cart, and said, “I’ll be waiting for you in the capital,” before setting off.

After watching the cart leave, Larni turned to me.

“Hey, Soushi, about that demon we just heard…”

“It’s definitely related to the ones we fought. I didn’t expect there to be multiple appearances. Mariane, did you hear about this?”

“No, it seems that information hasn’t reached us yet. The trading company’s information network seems to be superior.”

“Hmm… I’m curious about these unidentified monsters as well…”

“Well, there was a request for investigation and extermination this morning, so it should be resolved soon. It seems multiple parties, including Supreme Radiance, have taken it on.”

“Did they come to this town as well?”

Freinir made a slightly displeased face.

“Yes, according to the rumors, their activity hours don’t overlap with ours. They seem to be out on extermination requests quite often.”

“That’s lucky then. It would be the worst if we ran into them in a dungeon.”

As Larni pouted, Sfenia nodded in agreement.

In any case, if multiple parties were out investigating, we likely wouldn’t need to take on the request ourselves. I could only hope that by the time we finished conquering the C-Class Dungeon, the situation would be resolved.