Chapter 30: Monster House

 

Can we really do that⁉︎

 

Normally, adventurer ranks only increase one step at a time from F. Due to limitations on the number of requests that can realistically be completed in a day due to travel time, this would at least shorten the time by over half a year.

 

Guild Master Grave's expectations for the difficulty of the request are unknown, but considering our abilities, there doesn't seem to be any reason to refuse especially.

 

The three of us nodded at each other.

 

"Please, go ahead!"

 

◇

 

——And so, the special request we received was to clear out the so-called "Monster House" near the summit of Noble Mountain. It seems to be a task that is regularly assigned to A-rank adventurers.

 

The term "Monster House" refers to a place where various types of monsters gather densely. The key point is the "various types" of monsters; places where the same species of monsters gather, like nests of herds, are not referred to as such.

 

Although the strength of the monsters themselves can be defeated by B-rank adventurers, it is classified as A-rank due to their large numbers.

 

In essence, with achievements worthy of A-rank, it is possible to be promoted under the Guild Master's authority...

 

Well, leaving that aside for now.

 

Since it was still nighttime, it was pitch dark outside. Since the request would begin after sunrise, it was decided to rest our bodies until then—

 

"Could I stay in Milia's room tonight?"

 

With that, Lisha started talking.

 

"The room I stayed in until yesterday was rented under the guild's name. I thought I'd look for a room again after returning to town after the request was completed..."

 

"At this hour, the reception for tonight is already closed, right?"

 

"That's right. I'll pay half of the lodging fee, so... please?"

 

Lisha pleaded with Milia, clasping her hands together.

 

Milia glanced at me with a troubled expression. ...It felt like she was seeking help.

 

"Is it not possible...?"

 

"It's not that it's impossible, and I can't let you sleep out in the open..."

 

Milia hesitated, probably not wanting to let strangers into her room.

 

"Lisha, listen calmly."

 

"Huh?"

 

"Milia and I are sharing the same room."

 

"Whaaat⁉︎ So, are you two in that kind of relationship after all⁉︎"

 

Misunderstanding something, Lisha got excited. ...I felt like I was being looked at strangely.

 

"No, it's not like that. There was only one room available yesterday..."

 

"I see, so that's how it is."

 

Why did she have to look so disappointed?

 

Well, whatever.

 

"In any case, that room is quite cramped with three people. If Lisha doesn't mind the tight space, I don't mind staying there... what do you say?"

 

"I can sleep anywhere without any issues. It's no problem at all! Sorry to bother you, Rain and Milia..."

 

More than the cramped space, I asked if there was any problem with my presence... well, if she doesn't mind, then there shouldn't be any problem.

 

"Understood. Let's go with that then."

 

"Sleepover party!"

 

And so, the three of us, including Lisha, decided to stay together for the night.

 

For me, Lisha was as beautiful as Milia in terms of appearance, so I had difficulty controlling my stray thoughts... but I couldn't let them sleep outside before the battle.

 

Oh well. There was no helping it.

 

◇

 

After getting a good rest like this, we set off from the royal capital toward Noble Mountain, the site of the job, just before noon.

 

I've been here several times recently, but depending on the location, the monsters that appear and the scenery change considerably.

 

In the game, I had seen the scenery enough to get bored, but seeing it with my own eyes gave me a different sense of excitement.

 

"Alright, here we are."

 

"Wow, just a step beyond here is filled with monsters, huh...!"

 

As Milia said, just beyond the invisible line were various types of monsters crowded together.

 

In the game, I didn't feel any discomfort with large numbers of monsters beyond the boundary line, but seeing this scene right in front of me was quite strange.

 

Indeed, there are various types of monsters. The Crystal Wolf, whose hard fur sparkles due to light reflections. The Dark Snake, a strong snake monster capable of handling dark magic among snakes. And the Rock Golem, a superior species of the golem we defeated yesterday.

 

While there are many around here, there are also various other types of monsters coexisting in small numbers. It's quite a chaotic place.

 

Each monster is a formidable opponent that can be easily defeated by a C-rank solo adventurer.

 

We have to defeat all of them.

 

"Lisha, I was thinking of using magic from here to reduce the number of people as much as possible..."

 

"Such an easy task."

 

"I know that. I'm wondering if it's possible to not just kill them all at once?"

 

"Huh? Are you telling me to take it easy? Why?"

 

Well, I was trying to do something pretty irregular, so it couldn't be helped if she didn't understand.

 

"Experience points obtained from monsters are correlated with their vitality. In other words, Lisha is reducing the vitality of monsters and I am recovering. That way, we can get a lot of experience points all at once."

 

"...Rain, you think of something really nasty. I've never heard of such a thing before."

 

Well, in this world, as far as I know, there is no recovery practitioner of all attributes other than me. If you can only use a single attribute recovery spell, you wouldn't think to do such an inefficient thing as to recover monsters.

 

"Can you do that?"

 

"Of course? Defeating strong enemies is second-rate and being able to take it easy is first-rate! Leave it to me!"