NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59
After receiving the Silver Grade Badge, Celyon led me to a luxurious-looking restaurant to celebrate my promotion.
The interior of the restaurant was slightly dim, filled with a subtle woody scent that matched the ambiance. It wasn’t the musty odor of old, waterlogged wood, but rather a refreshing fragrance that seemed to have been plucked straight from the forest.
“Wow…”
Not the smell of food, but the scent of the forest—what kind of management allows a restaurant to exude such an aroma?
“Isn’t it amazing?”
Celyon appeared to be familiar with the place. After a brief chat with a staff member who approached us, we started moving to a cozy spot deep within the restaurant.
“Are there any foods you dislike?”
“No, I eat anything. I even like Monster Meat.”
“That smelly stuff?”
“I’ve gotten used to it.”
“Hmm…”
Celyon awkwardly laughed at my response and ordered the food from the staff. She handed me the menu, inviting me to choose, but I hesitated with the unfamiliar names.
“Just order the same thing as you, Celyon.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll leave it to you?”
Once the staff member left with the order, Celyon rested her chin on her hands on the table.
“So, where did you learn that swordsmanship?”
“Huh?”
“You didn’t use that kind of swordsmanship before, did you?”
“Ah…”
I nodded and began to explain to Celyon what had happened. I talked about being asked by the blacksmith in town, heading to the desert, and then going on an adventure with a strange old man to find an old legend.
“Weren’t you a bit reckless?”
“Isn’t recklessness the essence of adventure?”
“Umm…”
I continued my story. I shared about the Guiding Star that helped me along the way, about the dwarves, the legends of the Star Forge, and the False Whale and sandstorms I encountered.
At first, Celyon listened with interest, but as my story went on, her expression shifted to one of disbelief. I could understand her reaction.
I would have reacted the same way.
Who would easily believe a fairytale-like story about seeking an ancient legend? However, my words were nothing but truth, a reflection of my journey.
“So, did you meet the dwarves? Did you find the Star Forge?”
“Yes, I did.”
As I nodded in response, the ordered food started arriving on a cart. As the dishes came onto the table, our conversation naturally paused, but once we began eating, the dialogue resumed.
“So your swordsmanship came from that dwarf?”
“Yes.”
“That’s quite something…”
“Hard to believe, right?”
“No, I believe it.”
Does she really believe it? I looked at Celyon with a skeptical expression while shoving a huge piece of meat into my mouth.
“What about other stories?”
“Do you know the story of the Thunderbird?”
“That bird that appears in the Hairan region?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t tell me you met a Thunderbird?”
“Why not? I did.”
I began my story in as exaggerated a fashion as possible. The journey to the Hairan Plateau and the people I met there.
“But, why did you go all the way to Hairan?”
“Of course, to get a horse.”
“A Hairan breed?”
“Yes.”
“Did you get one?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Oh… will you introduce me to it later?”
“It’s a shy one, so you need to be careful.”
I felt a bit sad that I couldn’t focus on the delicious food, but I could chat non-stop to satisfy my dining companion.
As I continued talking while observing Celyon’s reactions, I recounted how I went to the Thunderbird Mountain Range to meet a purebred Hairan, and when I mentioned the appearance of the Thunderbird with accompanying thunderclouds, she let out a peculiar laugh.
“So you’re saying you encountered the Thunderbird and in the process managed to acquire a purebred Hairan?”
“Yes.”
“Impressive!”
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
“No, I believe you. It’s just your story is entertaining.”
“Should I keep talking?”
“Do you still have more to say…?”
I indeed had many more tales to tell. In fact, to truly explain my adventures, I needed to recount why I traveled all the way across the sea to the Karma Empire.
The meal time was prolonged, resulting in an abundance of food laid out on the table. Therefore, I managed to spill about half of my adventure tale.
“You really never stopped moving, huh?”
“It’s not over yet.”
“Still more left…?”
I nodded and used the soft bread to soak up the sauce left on my plate. If I had to pick the most spectacular moment of my adventures, it would be the war in Greenfall.
Of course, I hadn’t even started that story yet, and in the tale, I was about to rush to the Kingdom of Oblain.
I was just about to tell her about the drug dealer paladin I met in the kingdom when I heard hurried footsteps, and a man clad in armor halted in front of Celyon and me.
“There you are.”
“Um, Valder?”
“The supply items from the reconnaissance team have gone missing. Did you handle the paperwork properly?”
At Valder’s words, Celyon looked to me for guidance. Apparently, her colleague had come looking for her because the work hadn’t been done properly.
I glanced down at my empty plate and chuckled softly.
“I ate well.”
“Umm… I’m sorry, I wanted to hear more of your story…”
“We can do it next time. It’s fine.”
As Celyon stood up, Valder slightly bowed his head to me in quiet acknowledgment. I returned the gesture in kind.
Watching the two of them move away, I fell into thought.
The story had started due to Celyon’s request, but as I chattered away, I found joy in telling it.
I began to grasp why drunk adventurers would prattle on about their exploits.
Leaving the restaurant, I headed straight for the Adventurer’s Guild.
Perhaps because it was meal time, the Adventurer’s Guild was rather quiet. There were hardly any clerks at the reception, indicating they had likely gone in shifts to eat.
I looked around and approached a receptionist who seemed free.
“Hello?”
“Oh, what can I do for you? Are you looking for a request?”
“I’d like to join the Monster Island expedition. How do I register?”
“Monster Island…?”
The reaction was not much different from the first receptionist I met. Before he could respond, I took out the Silver Badge issued by the Swordsmanship Guild from my pocket and showed it to him.
“I’m Silver Grade.”
“Huh…?”
The receptionist stared in disbelief at the badge in my hand, then quickly stood up and came over to me from the reception desk.
“Can I check that for a moment?”
“Sure.”
I nodded and handed him the Silver Badge. He examined it with a skeptical expression for quite a while.
What could he possibly discern by looking at it for so long?
Perhaps there’s some sign only guild staff can see to prevent forgery.
“Ah… this is…”
“What’s wrong?”
“No, the badge is fine. So you want to participate in the Monster Island expedition?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, please wait a moment.”
The receptionist returned the badge to me and went back to his original spot to start preparing paperwork. The amount of paperwork for my request was significantly more than for a regular quest.
I wondered how long it took. After writing more than ten sheets of paper, the receptionist handed me a small wooden badge and a palm-sized booklet.
“This is the guidebook and the identification badge for interim members. Take care not to lose it; it would be a disaster if you did. The ship should arrive around this time, but I can’t tell you the exact date. So I’d recommend sticking around the city rather than going far.”
“Hmm… When will I become a full member?”
“You should receive it once the ship reaches Monster Island.”
“Thank you for your help. I’ll take my leave now.”
After leaving the Adventurer’s Guild, I began purchasing the various supplies listed in the guidebook. The supplies weren’t far from the usual adventurer’s gear.
The mercurial weather of the sea added an element of uncertainty to the voyage. As I waited for the ship’s arrival, I practiced my swordsmanship at the Swordsmanship Guild.
Sometimes I swung the sword alone, but on days when Celyon was there, I paired up with her for practice.
About two weeks passed, and a large ship docked at the Karma Empire’s port. It was the Radon Ship, which traveled between Monster Island and the Karma Empire.
*
“Wow…”
I marveled at the Radon Ship from a distance. The large, sturdy vessel was truly majestic, and it was unloading boxes filled with various monster byproducts and minerals.
As a result, all the workers at the dock were busy moving those goods.
“So you were here too?”
“Oh, Celyon.”
While I was admiring the Radon Ship, Celyon approached from behind. Having likely just finished sword practice, she had a slight sheen of heat radiating from her body.
I pointed at the items spilling out of the ship and asked, consisting of sharp claws, scales, and thick hide.
“That’s quite a lot. Are those all materials obtained from Monster Island?”
“Yep.”
“Wow…”
What kind of monster did they hunt for such huge claws? Or maybe they weren’t claws but horns?
I chuckled softly as I sorted through the many monster images that popped into my mind.
“When does the ship depart?”
“In about a week.”
“Tight schedule, huh?”
“Monster Island is a place where people are in short supply. Once the ship’s inspection is finished, it will leave right away.”
*
A week later, time flew by swiftly. Having completed all my preparations, I made my way to the harbor, riding on my Nightmare.
The harbor was bustling with crowds, most of whom had gathered to bless the Radon Ship before its departure to Monster Island.
At the promise point in front of the Radon Ship, the first expedition members had arrived and were waiting for the people. I approached the red-haired figure swaying in the sea breeze.
“Celyon!”
“Uh…”
Celyon, who smiled brightly upon seeing me, immediately shut her mouth as she caught sight of the large Nightmare beneath me. Although I had said I would show it to her, today was the first time Celyon would meet my Nightmare in person.
Celyon reacted exactly as I had anticipated.
“Th-this is the…”
“Yes.”
I nodded while looking around. There were several adventurers who had also brought their horses like I did, but my Nightmare stood out the most among them.
The Nightmare surveyed the surrounding horses before blowing out a puff of air with a huff! in a very arrogant manner.
I quickly mixed with the adventurers and began boarding the ship. I might have been the last one to board.
As I stepped onto the ship, I gazed out at the vast ocean.
The wide expanse of the blue sea resembled the sky.
I couldn’t help but wonder… if I reached the end of the ocean, would I fall down?
Swallowing my unease, I pulled on the reins of my Nightmare.