Chapter 260
Chapter 260
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 260
Chapter Title: A Hundred Legs, Ten Thousand Poisons (10)
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Roshanak said he would write a letter to Katarina. Since he hadn't met Iron Fist Richard, he planned to ask what to do next and gauge her intentions.
If he approached her too clumsily, she might see through his ulterior motives. So, I reviewed the letter he had written once more. He shouldn't ask too directly, but he needed to subtly probe the importance of this dungeon.... It required delicate handling.
"Drop a hint that other mercenaries are around."
"Should I say I met you?"
"No. Don't mention me yet."
"Got it."
Katarina was someone who had once joined hands with the Crows. If she were to link up with them again, it could spell trouble for both Roshanak and me.
'Of course, from what Roshanak said, it doesn't seem like Katarina is reconnecting with the Crows....'
Still, better safe than sorry.
As dawn broke, Roshanak sent off the sealed letter on a ship heading to the Ekaitz Confederation and returned. I hadn't slept, waiting for him downstairs in the inn, rereading the quest page of the old book over and over. A hundred legs, ten thousand poisons.... And two dungeons. Too many peculiarities. This had to be their handiwork....
The door creaked open.
In came Roshanak. The tall, grown lad ducked his head slightly to avoid bumping the doorframe, scanned the room, spotted me, and approached the table by the window.
"Did the letter go off alright?"
"Yeah. Katarina's caravan ships come here regularly. They're all familiar faces, so it wasn't hard to ask."
"Don't they frequent Ravata more?"
"Right. But lately, they've been showing interest in other ports too."
"Because the caravan's grown?"
"Probably."
Roshanak shrugged as he chewed on jerky from his pouch. Trying to break into ports beyond their main base in Ravata.... Was it just because the caravan had expanded? Or....
"But Katarina's putting the most effort into Quarjan. She even proposed building new port facilities for the lord here."
"That much?"
"Yeah. Construction was supposed to start already, but the dungeon issue messed everything up."
"I see...."
"Katarina's pretty pissed off about it. That's why she sent me here."
Hm. I pondered for a moment, gazing out the window. Maybe Katarina didn't have any hidden agenda; perhaps she was just frustrated by the interference.
"She told me to wrap things up before Roshan's mercenaries arrived, but that Iron Fist bastard ruined it. Of course, meeting you, Theo, was a pleasant surprise...."
Urgh, Roshanak irritably tore at his hair.
"I've never failed before, and some human screws it up.... I should've just handled it alone without waiting."
"Whoa, whoa. Confidence is good, Roshanak.... But Katarina assigning you other mercenaries must have a reason."
Katarina was calculating like a merchant, but she wasn't heartless—not to humans or beastkin. She surely knew this dungeon was dangerous, so she hadn't sent him alone.
"I think that dungeon's too risky to tackle solo too."
"But I...."
"Yeah, you're strong enough. I can see that. But even the strong can't do everything alone."
"......"
"Admitting that is important too, Roshanak."
Roshanak pouted for a moment but nodded. I watched him, then slowly spoke.
"How about teaming up with me?"
"......With you, Theo?"
"Yeah. I've been thinking I could use one or two more people myself."
Roshanak turned to me, leaning in close with an excited voice.
"For real? Really?"
"For real. You seem plenty skilled.... If you're okay with it, what do you say?"
"I'm totally....!"
He seemed about to nod eagerly, but paused and rolled his eyes. Ah, I could read his mind. Katarina was the issue. I gave him a relaxed smile.
"Don't worry about Katarina. She'd see it as a smart move. Even if she recruits other mercenaries now, it'll take time—and Roshan's bunch might clear the dungeon in the meantime. This is a race against time, Roshanak. And Katarina knows that better than anyone."
"But...."
"We can reveal later that those 'mercenaries' we mentioned were us. Right now, dungeon conquest is what matters to her. If she makes an issue of it later, I'll take responsibility."
"......"
"But I guarantee she won't."
Convinced by my assurance, Roshanak hesitantly nodded.
Just then, noise started coming from upstairs. Ah, that familiar racket.... Elle must be awake. Sure enough, down the stairs came Elle, yawning. I gave a small wave, and Elle waved back upon seeing me—but then frowned at Roshanak beside me, squinting as if trying to place a face from afar. And then....
"Master."
"Yeah."
"That guy over there...."
"Elle, don't call a friend you haven't seen in ages 'that guy.' It's rude."
"Gasp...."
When they parted, Roshanak had been a short kid smaller than Elle. He'd shot up in just a few months, so it was understandable. But his blue hair and blue eyes weren't the confusing type, and Elle seemed to recognize him. Ah, and that pretty face, a bit more mature but impossible to miss.
"That mercenary was the mermaid kid?"
Elle's eyes widened in surprise, prompting Roshanak to scowl and snap back sharply.
"Ha! You've barely grown yourself—no redeeming features at all."
"What did you say?"
"Now, now, cut it out. Reuniting after so long, and this is how you act?"
"But Master! He started it!"
"Theo, hear that? He called me a kid first."
"......"
Neither had grown up a bit. Not one bit. Like nephews bickering at family holidays. As they began growling and raising their voices, I said sternly,
"Enough."
"......"
"......"
"Act like adults, both of you. We're entering a dungeon together soon—gonna keep this up there too? If so, I'll say it now: I'll leave you both behind."
"......"
"......"
Those sulky faces proved their bodies had grown, but they were still kids at heart. I swept my gaze over them, cleared my throat with a hem!, and tapped the table.
"Any dungeon requires teamwork, but especially this one. It's not like open forests, swamps, or mountains—cooperation is vital. One slip, and everything falls apart. Got it?"
Elle and Roshanak nodded silently.
"Since we're together now, your synergy especially matters. Elle, your destructive power goes without saying, and Roshanak, you focus on combat magic too—so with you two in the center, it'll be solid."
"......"
"......"
Still, they turned away from each other, lips pursed. Tsk, really. They seemed mature before reuniting—why regress to kids together? Baffling. I scratched my head, then snapped my fingers as an idea struck.
"Fine. If that's how it is...."
"......"
"......"
"We'll do joint special training for a while."
If they kept up the hmphs, tch's, and pouts, they'd flop at the entrance without reaching the core. Better adapt early. Luckily, time until my planned date—plenty to grind these troublemakers into something decent. Death hell training. Shared ordeals like that often bonded people.
The door creaked open right on cue....
"......Mm."
"Theo, there you are."
Perfect 'instructors' for hell training appeared.
* * *
Quarjan had a crescent-shaped beach known only to locals. Unlike typical continental shores, tides carried in Roshan's starlit sand, sparkling endlessly with each wave. Even mermaids were said to visit for the beauty—no words needed.
The waves rolled soothingly.
Crash!
Whoosh....
Splash!
Sipping cool beer from my well-tamed wooden mug, I savored the midday sun and gulped it down like ice....
"Ka-ha!!!"
That's it! Felt like a summer vacation. I set down the empty mug, stretched out, and lay back under the lotus leaf shade instead of a parasol—perfect temperature.
[Theo. Me. Grape.]
"Yeah, yeah. Ah~."
[Theo. Ah~!]
I popped a grape into Legion's mouth.
Beside me, Legion, Pipi, and the baby mole lay in a row, sandbathing with heaps of sand on them. They dozed off and on with content rumbles—adorable. I placed thin cucumber slices over their eyes, then gazed at the beach.
"Hah, haaah, haaah...."
"Huff, huff, huff...."
There, bloody—no, sweaty—special training raged on.