READ NOVEL ONLINE chapter 41
Chapter 41
■□■
“God, thanks for today.”
“What’s with calling me God? Is it some kind of quota?”
“Should I call you Yamamoto then?”
“God is fine…”
As the day draws to a close, Tuna-san and I sip our drinks while watching the sunset on the beach.
From one perspective, it could be seen as a date, but in reality, we were having a seafood party, devouring the marine products Tuna-san had collected…
For me, it was fine since I just provided the drink box and replenished the water.
Tuna-san brought out quite a large amount of seafood, so I feel a bit guilty about that.
Also, the turban shell and scallops grilled with soy sauce on the barbecue grill were delicious!
The butter! I wish we had butter… but we didn’t! What a shame!
By the way, there were some players glancing at our seafood party, but no one approached us.
Well, we both look quite unusual.
One in stuffy armor on the beach, and the other in a loincloth… Even I wouldn’t want to actively engage with that!
“Hey, God.”
“What is it?”
“You defeated EOD, right?”
“That’s right.”
I barely managed it, fighting with all I had.
And now it seems a new EOD has its eye on me.
Are EOD and I destined rivals or something?
What an unpleasant rival…
“Then, EOD really exists?”
“Oh, you were doubting that?”
“I’ve never met one, nor anyone who claims to have met one. But now I’m certain they exist.”
“Ah, I see.”
I tilt my glass, listening to the ice cubes clink. You know, the fun of drinking on the rocks is sipping it slowly, sometimes diluting it with ice, sometimes drinking it strong.
Mm, delicious.
“Hey, God. Next time you fight EOD, can you call me too?”
I involuntarily stop tilting my glass.
I mean, Tuna-san is probably strong, but…
EOD is a seriously dangerous monster, you know?
To face it head-on…
“I’m not asking to participate in the battle. Just observing is fine, or even just registering as a party member and watching from the sidelines.”
“Isn’t that just dead weight? Do you have some kind of goal?”
When I ask that, Tuna-san gulps down the sake in his glass. Huh, even though it’s dry sake, he drinks it pretty quickly.
I wonder if he has high [Intoxication Resistance]?
“If I’m in the party, the [Dismantling] skill will activate.”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t you want to try eating it? The EOD.”
“!?”
That thing!? Eat it!?
But that’s a huge earthworm!
Though, there are edible earthworms, aren’t there…?
Hmm, it’s exotic but…
Since it’s a monster, there might be a tiny possibility it’s delicious…?
No, no, no.
Uh, I wonder?
Hmm.
“For now, I’ll send you a friend request. I’ll call you when I fight EOD. You can decide for yourself whether you want to eat it or not…”
I couldn’t make that decision myself.
“From the sound of it, you already have your sights on the next EOD?”
“Well, that’s a secret.”
We exchange friend registrations, and after finishing our drinks, we part ways there.
Well, it was an unexpected encounter, but quite an interesting one, wasn’t it?
Besides, whether it’ll be useful or not, I’ll have to settle things with the Giant Boulder Worm someday, so securing potential battle strength for that time might be significant.
Ah, we really drank a lot.
Whoever invented the drink box is a genius.
I’d like to give them a round of applause.
Oh, it was me.
Well then, I’ll applaud myself. *Clap clap*
■□■
“You brat! Where the hell have you been!? I was worried you might not come back!”
When I returned to the Seaweed Drift Inn, Mungaga-san scolded me fiercely.
Yeah, if I disappeared from morning without saying anything, you’d worry that a customer might have run away.
But please stop glaring up at me with that intense look from below.
“Mungaga-san.”
“Huh!? What is it, you brat!?”
“I’d like to stay at this inn for a month. How much would that cost?”
When I say that, Mungaga-san quietly lowers himself and — in an instant, he’s in a dogeza position.
What happened to that fierceness from earlier!?
“900 reward stones, damn it! Thank you very much!”
“No, you should charge more!”
Why is the one-month lodging fee less than the price of yesterday’s meal!? Your calculations are off, Mungaga-san!
“You bastard! We’re serving poison here, you know! We’ve got to be humble!”
“You’re not being humble! You’re being intimidating!”
“Also, I thought you might come back, so I made a bunch of powered-up poison dishes! Eat up!”
“Uh, I just ate quite a bit…”
“Eat up!”
“Stop glaring at me from below! Okay! I’ll eat a little! I’ll have the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!”
“Alright then, let’s eat!”
Mungaga-san contorts his face, which looks like it could have killed two or three people. He’s probably smiling, but it definitely doesn’t look like a smile. It looks like he’s just taken some dangerous drug.
Well, as of yesterday, I’ve acquired [Status Ailment Resistance]. Poison hardly affects me now.
— Or so I thought.
▶[Status Ailment Resistance] skill has become Lv6.
▶[Balance] has activated.
Adjusting skill level balance.
All skills have become Lv6.
Why has the poison powered up…
*Sigh*…
■□■
After drinking Mungaga-san’s detoxifying tea and somehow reviving, I finally make it to my room at the inn and lie down on the bed.
I’m tired today and was just thinking I’d like to fall asleep like this when Tatsu-san calls me on Friend Call.
The suddenness helped wake me up completely.
I concentrate and turn on the Friend Call.
“Hello, Tatsu-san?”
“Hey, is now a good time?”
“I’m wide awake now, so it’s fine.”
“Were you about to sleep? Sorry about that. I just wanted to ask Yama-chan something.”
Something to ask? I wonder what?
I unconsciously straighten up and brace myself.
“Today at the Adventurers’ Guild, there was this tiny girl making a fuss about looking for an event partner. But she kept getting turned down… It was so pitiful that I ended up saying I’d team up with her…”
Yeah, that story sounds very familiar.
“Somehow, your name kept coming up when I teamed up with her. I thought this might be one of your schemes, so I called.”
“Tatsu-san, you got lucky.”
“Huh?”
“You’ve become a potential champion for the Grand Martial Festival.”
“Yama-chan, what the hell are you talking about?”
I can almost see Tatsu-san’s skeptical look through the call.
But I don’t back down.
Because I want to see Lili-chan’s happy ending!
“Well, to sum it up, I’m deeply involved. Very, very involved.”
“I don’t understand. Are you forcing others to participate in the Grand Martial Festival? I don’t approve of that, you know?”
“Hmm. It’s more like I’m helping Lili-chan change because she wants to. That girl has always thought of herself as weak and slow, so I thought we could help her gain confidence by winning the Grand Martial Festival.”
“Huh? A girl who was on the verge of tears just looking for a tag partner can win? At best, she might make it past the first round! …I’ve resigned myself to just getting the participation prize.”
“No, let’s do our best! I’ll take care of Lili-chan’s side somehow.”
“Take care of it… Can it really be done?”
“I’ll make it happen. You know, I’m in a production class, right?”
“Production class…? Oh, you mean compensating with equipment?”
“Well, something like that.”
I already have a plan in mind.
I think it’ll be quite interesting, but we’ll see.
“…Well, fine. I won’t ask for details now. I’ll find out eventually, right?”
“Well, I’ll let you know once it takes shape. Until then, sorry Tatsu-san, but could you train Lili-chan?”
“Me? It’s a questionable composition with two rear guards… Well, Bre and Misaki are all fired up about entering the Grand Martial Festival, so maybe I’ll try to tag along for leveling up…”
“Thanks!”
We exchange brief goodbyes and end the call.
Hmm.
Tatsu-san’s meddlesome nature is quite something.
He probably called to complain if it looked like Lili-chan was falling victim to my evil schemes.
And keeping it secret from Lili-chan, too.
Tatsu-san is truly a master of consideration.
“Well then…”
Thanks to Tatsu-san, I’m wide awake now, so maybe I’ll do a bit of work?