Chapter 150: That’s a Bit...
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150: That’s a Bit...
“It’s the Malignant Straight Hair Curse Skill!”
“Malignant straight hair, you say.”
The bard, who was plucking a lute in the absence of an electric guitar, was named Gerick. It seemed his hair stood straight up toward the sky because of that Malignant Straight Hair Skill. Seeing how his hair, about 30 centimeters long, shot up in a perfectly straight line without a single stray strand, it looked less like a curse and more like magical hair gel.
“Why did you shave everything else and only leave the middle...?”
“Here, take a look.”
Gerick suddenly thrust his spear-like golden hair toward me.
“What am I supposed to be looking at...?”
“Gadel, if you would.”
A man in a rainbow robe named Gadel used magic to conjure a breeze. The stiffly upright hair swayed ever so slightly.
“Kiyooooh! Wind speed 21 meters per second from the north-northwest! Did you catch that? A Ranger must master the wind!”
“Ah... I see. And those things on your eyes...”
“These? These are my Light-Adjusting Black Crystal Shields! LABCS for short!”
“Aren’t those just sunglasses?”
“Sun... glasses...?”
Gerick furrowed his brow and stroked his chin, which was scratchy with stubble.
“Sunglasses...! Now that’s a name so good it makes me want to do eight backflips! Does your mother work at a naming center?!”
“Haha... No, nothing like that.”
“Anyway, I have the Photosensitive Vision skill. I wear these during the day when it’s bright. At night, I can detect even the faintest light, so I take them off.”
“I see... Is the lute just a hobby?”
“No! I am a magnificent Ranger!”
Tring!
“I have the Sound Wave Detection Skill! I can track the movements of everything around me through the sounds produced by the lute!”
“That’s... actually impressive.”
“And I shoot arrows, too. I notch them on the lute strings.”
I had thought it was a strange-looking lute; it turned out it doubled as a bow. Next was Gadel, the mage in the rainbow robe standing beside him.
“Watch closely. I shall show you something incredible.”
Gadel extended only his index and pinky fingers on his right hand and pressed the red section of his rainbow robe with his fingertips. Then...
Whirrr
A red energy gathered between his two fingers. He reached out and fired the red energy at a beer mug on the table, turning the mug a deep, vivid crimson.
“With this, I can easily find creatures using camouflage. It’s even a homing shot, so it’s impossible to dodge.”
“I see...”
“And like this.”
Gadel’s finger touched my hair, and he fired the black energy he had gathered into himself. Instantly, Gadel’s entire body, including his robe, turned pitch black, looking like a silhouette of a culprit from a detective manga.
“If I turn this black in the middle of the night, no one can find me.”
“That’s amazing...”
“How about it? Look at that beer mug that turned green.”
“That’s red, actually.”
“I have red-green colorblindness.”
“Ah.”
Finally, there was the massive, muscular man with a giant cat tattoo on his back.
“My name is King-Wang-Jjang.”
“Excuse me?”
“King-Wang-Jjang. It’s a cool name, isn’t it? I think so too.”
When I looked at Father with a bewildered expression, he shrugged and let out a sigh.
“He’s under a True Name Forgetting Curse. This guy is Bontes. He can’t even remember his own name.”
“Wh-whaaat?! My name was Bontes?!”
Mr. Bontes wailed in a thunderous voice. About three seconds later, the effect of the curse skill kicked back in.
“My name is Megalodon.”
“Ah, right.”
I had already used Skill Deletion four times today, so the next one had to be reserved for something truly serious that would significantly impact combat.
“But I remember the fact that I have a giant cat tattoo on my back. Everyone calls me Cat Tattoo.”
“It’s an effective way to bypass the curse skill,” Gerick added, nodding.
“So... did you get the cat tattoo specifically for that reason...?”
“Actually, that’s not the only reason. Watch.”
Bontes suddenly bent his knees and flexed his body like he was going Super Saiyan.
“Uooooh!”
Pffft—
A fart escaped him in the middle of it, but his refusal to stop flexing was truly professional.
“Oh, oh!”
The cat tattoo on his back began to glow red, and then a massive cat emerged from it. Its size was enormous. It smashed the nearby wooden table to splinters and crushed several chairs underfoot. It looked to be nearly five meters long.
Grrrr...
“Whoa, this is...?”
“It’s a Tattoo Summon Skill. As long as I have mana, he’s a magnificent companion who constantly regenerates his wounds.”
The cat was muscular enough that the hulking Bontes could ride it without any problem. It wasn’t exactly 'cute'; it was a dignified, handsome, long-haired gray cat. If that was the case, wouldn't a dragon tattoo have been better?
“But why a cat...?”
“I originally planned to ask for a lion.”
“Bontes has the ‘Cat Lover’ skill.”
“Aha.”
“Who’s Bontes?”
I lightly ignored the words of the man who had already forgotten his own name again. Regardless, the strength of a Tattoo Summon Skill is determined by the user’s mana capacity. Even with a monster tattoo, it’s useless if the person themselves is weak.
“This guy was born with a lot of mana, but he’s too stupid to use magic.”
Gadel, standing nearby, launched a sudden verbal attack, but Bontes just nodded as if it were nothing, scratching the cat’s chin.
In any case, though they didn't look the part... with a warrior, a mage, an archer, and Father, who was close to a rogue, they were a textbook explorer party composition.
They were even a party with a staggering record, having dived as deep as the 50th Floor. It was impossible not to be impressed.
“Good grief... Roland, fix the chairs and the table.”
Auntie Marta looked out from the kitchen door at the wrecked dining area and let out a long sigh.
“Hahaha! My sister-in-law is as benevolent as ever!”
“Let’s go buy some sturdy new ones!”
“Hey, you brat, three or four things are broken and you’re only buying one?”
“It’s just a figure of speech. Roland, you coming? Or are you staying with your precious daughters?”
“You guys go. This old body has no strength left to be of help.”
And so, Father’s storm-like companions left the restaurant to buy replacement furniture. Gadel was still pitch black. I wondered if he couldn't turn that off at will.
“Ah, have a safe trip!”
Sera, who had been quiet for a while, stood up from the desk and waved.
“U-Umm... Yes, we should get going.”
“Ahem. Let’s hurry.”
“The weather sure is nice today....”
The men shuffled out the door, acting bashful. Father watched his companions leave and spoke as if it were hilarious.
“Those guys... they’re virgins who’ve never even spoken to a woman at their age. That’s why they’re like that.”
“Wow....”
They certainly were distinct characters.
Father, sitting beside me, gulped down his beer—which had turned blood-red—and wiped the red liquid from his lips with his hand before rubbing it onto his clothes.
“This beer tastes like the color red!”
Including Father... this was truly a dizzying party.
* * *
Four hours later, at 7:00 PM. I had visited the workshop in the Northwest to meet Theodora, but unfortunately, she wasn't there. I had returned after receiving my share of the transport payment that Dora had left for me.
“How do I use this?”
It wasn't cash, but something like a check. It had the issue date, the place of issue, and the seal of the Lymain family, but no amount was written on it... I’d have to ask about it later.
By the time I returned to the Mounted Goat Inn, Father’s companions had long since returned with the furniture and finished setting it up. Gadel had returned to his original color.
The interior of the restaurant now featured several brand-new tables and chairs to replace the worn-out ones. Because of their intimidating appearances, Father’s companions had huddled into a corner, enjoying their reunion with Father over dinner.
Tresha, who had just returned from a magic lesson with Iris, flinched the moment she saw the men at the entrance, but she seemed to understand the situation once she saw Father with them.
“Sera, I heard the Calax Birth Festival is coming up soon.”
“Ah, that’s right. The increase in customers... is probably because of that.”
The friendly match event for high-grade explorers would be held at the Northeast Grand Martial Arena, which I had used once before with Delbaheim’s help. There were less than two weeks left, but I wondered what exactly people did during the festival.
Even in my previous world, I didn't have many memories of participating in festivals. If I did, it was usually the school-organized kind.
“Does the inn do anything for the festival?”
“Hmm~”
Thanks to the 'totems' that were Father’s companions, the restaurant was a bit quiet. Even though they were in a corner, Bontes’s back was like an open field with a giant cat perched on it like a gatekeeper. People would hesitate at the entrance, and about half of them would end up leaving.
Still, the number of customers was about 80 percent of the usual. The festival’s influence was definitely being felt.
“Actually, on the day of the festival, the Southwest isn't that crowded.... Most of the things to enjoy are in the Northeast or Northwest. We usually just close the inn for a bit during the day to go out and have fun. Ah, Tresha. That one’s for Dad.”
“Got it, Sis!”
“I see.”
Even though I visited the Northeast and Northwest often, I hadn't explored every nook and cranny. There were places slightly away from the center where the Mayerbridge Union was located, and in the Northwest, I only ever went to the same spots.
Maybe it would be better to look around together during the festival.
“Can I help with anything?”
“No, it’s okay. Could you just take this to the dining room?”
“Sure, I can do that.”
I took the food from the kitchen and brought it to the desk. Tresha was moving busily, skillfully placing the food I brought onto the customers' tables and clearing away plates.
Father is taking a break today.
I shifted my gaze toward the table where Father and his companions were sitting. Gerick spotted me and gestured for me to come over.
“Ho! You there, come over here!”
“Are you talking to me?”
“Yes! Come on! Food tastes better when shared!”
“Ahaha... All right.”
And so, I joined the round table of eccentrics. Seeing as they immediately poured me a beer and handed it over, it looked like this was going to be a long conversation.
“I heard from Roland. You’re an explorer too?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“How are your skills? Did you get any good ones?”
“Well... they’re decent enough.”
Gerick scratched the bald spot on the crown of his head and let out a thoughtful hum.
“This guy... he clearly isn't ordinary.”
“Pardon...?”
Gadel and Bontes nodded in agreement.
“I have a pretty good eye for people! I’ll get straight to the point!”
Tring!
Gerick plucked his lute with a serious expression... or at least I thought so, as he spoke while furrowing his brow.
“July 7th, at midnight! Come to the Labyrinth with us!”
“That’s a bit...”
I didn't have the confidence to endure the darkness of this labyrinth.