Chapter 10
We walked down the slope toward Belgrant's city gate.
"It's even bigger up close."
"It is."
A long line had formed in front of the gate.
Wagons loaded with cargo.
Merchants dressed for travel.
Adventurers carrying weapons.
Several large wagons pulled by two horses were lined up, too.
After waiting our turn, we passed through the gate.
"…Impressive."
The words slipped out before I knew it.
Stores lined both sides of the broad avenue stretching straight ahead.
Weapon shops.
Armor shops.
Inns.
Stalls.
There were even shops displaying tools I'd never seen before.
The number of people walking along the main street was unlike anything we'd seen in the towns so far.
"Let's head to the guild first."
"Yes."
We asked someone on the street where it was and headed for the Adventurers' Guild.
After walking for a while, a large building came into view.
"Is this it?"
"Probably…"
The Adventurers' Guild emblem was on the sign.
We went inside.
"Whoa…"
It was huge.
There were several reception counters alone.
There was more than one request board, too, and the requests were sorted by adventurer rank.
Dozens of adventurers carrying weapons were inside.
"The E-rank board is over there."
Felicia and I headed for the board.
【Herb Gathering】
【Caravan Escort】
【Goblin Extermination】
【Gray Wolf Extermination】
【Iron Boar Extermination】
"There are far more requests here."
"We can take our pick."
I looked at the next board over.
"Hm?"
One request form caught my eye.
【Belgrant Western Dungeon】
【Magic Stone Gathering】
【Required Rank: E or higher】
"A dungeon?"
"You don't know what one is?"
"I know the name, but I've never been inside one."
"Neither have I."
Felicia looked at the request form.
"I've heard there's a dungeon near Belgrant. Apparently, lots of adventurers go there to defeat monsters and collect magic stones and materials."
"Oh…"
I looked at the request form again.
"That sounds interesting."
"Allen-san."
"Yes?"
"Why don't we take a normal request today?"
"I haven't said anything yet."
"It's written all over your face."
"…………"
Apparently, I was easy to read.
Just then.
There was a commotion near the guild entrance.
"It's the Silver Wolf!"
I heard an adventurer nearby say.
"They're back?"
Four people entered the guild.
The man leading them looked to be in his late twenties.
A longsword was strapped to his back.
Behind him were a man carrying a large shield, a female mage with a staff, and a woman wearing a white cloak.
"Who are they?"
"They're the Silver Wolf."
Felicia answered in a quiet voice.
"Are they famous?"
"Yes. Their leader, Claude-san, is an A-rank adventurer."
"A-rank…"
We were still E-rank.
The four of them headed to the reception counter.
The adventurers around them kept glancing their way.
The man in front set a large monster's fang on the counter.
I couldn't tell what kind of monster it was.
"Allen-san."
"Yes?"
"You're staring."
"Oh, sorry."
I turned my attention back to the E-rank board.
◇
"Which extermination requests available to E-ranks are the most difficult?"
I asked the receptionist.
"The most difficult ones?"
"Yes."
The receptionist thought for a moment, then took a request form from the board.
"In that case, perhaps this one."
【Iron Boar Extermination】
"An Iron Boar?"
"It's a large boar-type monster. Its skin is extremely tough, and its charge is dangerous. It's meant for E-ranks, but it's one of the more difficult requests."
"Just one?"
"Yes. However, I wouldn't recommend that an E-rank take it on alone."
The receptionist looked at Felicia and me.
"Will the two of you take it?"
I looked at Felicia.
"What do you think?"
"Let's do it."
"Then we'll take it, please."
I accepted the request form.
"An Iron Boar, huh?"
A voice came from behind me.
I turned around.
It was the man who had been leading the Silver Wolf earlier.
"Are you taking that one?"
"Yes."
The man's gaze fell on my Adventurer's Card.
"E-rank?"
"That's right."
"I see."
He glanced at the request form.
"Its back and shoulders are especially tough. You'd be better off aiming for the insides of its legs or its throat."
"Thank you."
Someone called to him from farther inside.
"Claude!"
"I'm coming."
Claude looked at me.
"Be careful."
"I will."
With that, he returned to his companions.
"That was Claude-san."
"The A-rank adventurer?"
"Yes."
We asked the receptionist where the Iron Boar had been sighted, then left the guild.
◇
Before leaving Belgrant, I opened Membership.
【Strength: 232】
【Endurance: 253】
【Agility: 303】
【Magic: 18】
"…Hm?"
I looked again.
【Strength: 232】
"Two hundred and thirty-two?"
"What's wrong?"
"My stats have gone up."
"Huh?"
"The last time I checked, my Strength was 230."
My Endurance had gone from 250 to 253, too.
My Agility had gone from 300 to 303, as well.
"Didn't you use P?"
"I didn't."
"While we were traveling?"
"Probably."
Felicia looked down at herself.
"I'll check mine, too."
"Please do."
Felicia opened her ability information.
Her eyes widened almost immediately.
"…They've gone up."
I checked the display.
【Name: Felicia Roth】
【Strength: 9 + 23】
【Endurance: 11 + 25】
【Agility: 13 + 30】
【Magic: 32 + 1】
"My Strength is nine now."
"It was eight before, right?"
"Yes. My Endurance went from nine to eleven, and my Agility from eleven to thirteen."
Felicia's gaze stopped on the bottom line.
"My Magic, too… Thirty-two."
"It's gone up by two."
"Could it be because I've used Magic Bullet so many times?"
"It might be."
Felicia gripped her staff.
"I've gotten stronger on my own, too."
"That's right."
"…I'm happy."
"Then you can use it today, too."
"I'll try not to overdo it."
We headed for the hills where the Iron Boar had been spotted.
◇
About an hour after leaving Belgrant,
we left the highway and came to a stretch of land dotted with low grass and rocks.
"This seems to be the area."
"Let's be careful."
We searched for a while.
Eventually, we heard a sound from beyond a large boulder.
Rustle.
Rustle.
"It's there."
Felicia readied her staff.
A gigantic boar appeared from behind the rocks.
"It's huge…"
Blackish skin.
Thick legs.
Two tusks jutted from its snout.
"Bwooooooh!"
It had spotted us.
"It's coming!"
It kicked off the ground.
Its massive body rushed toward us in an instant.
I jumped to the side.
The Iron Boar rushed past right beside me.
I stepped in and swung my sword at its shoulder from the side.
Clang!
"It's hard…!"
My sword bounced off.
Just as Claude had said.
The Iron Boar changed direction.
"Allen-san!"
This time, it charged at Felicia.
"I'm all right!"
Felicia ran to the side and dodged its charge.
"Magic Bullet!"
Smack!
It hit the leg.
"Magic Bullet!"
A second shot.
A third shot flew right after it.
"Magic Bullet!"
"It's faster than before."
"Keep hitting the same spot!"
"Yes!"
The fourth shot.
The fifth shot.
"Bwo!"
The Iron Boar's right leg buckled.
"Now!"
I ran forward.
I circled around to the inside of its foreleg and drove my sword beneath its neck.
"Hah!"
This time, my sword went through.
"Bwooooh!"
The Iron Boar thrashed around.
I pulled out my sword and swung again.
I cut deep.
Its massive body tilted.
Thud!
The ground shook.
It stopped moving.
【You acquired 150P】
【Your points: 220P】
"We defeated it."
Felicia came over to me.
"I'm glad we listened to Claude-san."
"It really was hard."
"It made an awful sound when your sword hit its shoulder."
"I thought my sword had broken."
We took one of its tusks as proof of the kill.
"Shall we head back?"
"Yes."
◇
We returned to Belgrant in the afternoon.
We entered the Adventurers' Guild and presented the tusk at the reception counter.
"It's an Iron Boar."
"You're back already?"
"Yes."
The receptionist checked the tusk.
"It certainly is an Iron Boar. The kill is confirmed."
【Request completion confirmed】
【You acquired 100P】
【Total P Acquired: 1,930P】
【Your points: 320P】
"Three hundred and twenty, huh?"
"You got it."
Someone spoke to us.
Claude was sitting at a table a short distance away.
The other three members of the Silver Wolf were with him.
"Yes."
"How was it?"
"Just as you said, my sword barely got through from the front. We broke its leg and aimed for the throat."
"I see."
Claude looked at Felicia.
"The two of you did it?"
"Yes."
Claude looked at Felicia and me in turn.
"…I see."
He watched us a little longer than before.
Then he went back to talking with his companions.
We left the reception area, too.
On the way, I stopped in front of the request board.
【Belgrant Western Dungeon】
【Magic Stone Gathering】
"Allen-san."
"Yes?"
"You're interested in that one next, aren't you?"
Felicia pointed at the dungeon request form.
"…Can you tell?"
"I can tell now."
She laughed at me.
◇
That night.
I opened Membership in my room at the inn.
【Your points: 320P】
"That gives me five uses."
Twice on Strength.
Twice on Endurance.
Once on Agility.
【You purchased Strength Enhancement (Medium) twice】
【Strength: 232 → 292】
【You purchased Endurance Enhancement (Medium) twice】
【Endurance: 253 → 313】
【You purchased Agility Enhancement (Medium)】
【Agility: 303 → 333】
【You used 250P】
【Your points: 70P】
I closed the display.
The request form I'd seen earlier that day came to mind.
【Belgrant Western Dungeon】
Tomorrow, let's go there and see what it's like.
Total P Acquired = 1,930P