(edited by BigYoshi, re-edited by gan)

“Eh?”

After Wood came back from the inside of the workshop, Nina’s voice was echoing inside the shop.

“What? Is there something wrong? Are you unhappy?”

That comment was made when Woods brought back a bunch of equipment from inside the workshop.

“ Gauntlet of rotting sh.e.l.l (grade 4) and Golden threads scarf (grade 4) for Nina. Ring of life force (grade 3) for Lena. For Marifa it will be Leather jacket of greater demon (grade 4) and Magic beast ring (grade 4).”

After receiving the equipment, Nina still looked disappointed.

“I feel… dissapointed.”

“Do you think that one week of work can makes me recognize you? It is only a small amount of what Yu entrusted to me. Only when you guys get better will I give them to you if not, it’s only a waste to hand it out now.” (wood)

After hearing what Wood said, Nina and Lena were letting out a wry smile.

“..ugh.”(Lena)

“Alright~ I understand. I still have to learn a lot more from Jozu Boran.” (Nina)

“So, you learn from Jozu Boran? (One of Mussu recruits?)” (Wood, on brackets are his thoughts)

“Yeah, we’re lucky that we don’t have to pay anything.”

“You know, Jozu Boran, aside from his combat skill, he has good 【unlock trap】 and full of experience. I will continue to learn diligently.”

Jozu Boran that was mentioned as an A rank adventurer. It was impossible for Nina, Lena and Marifa earnings to hire him so probably Mussu had a deal with Yu to make it happen because there’s no way Jozu will do it for free.

“Lena, why are you looking like that? Do you want to say something?”

When Lena received the ring of life force from Wood, she was only staring.

“…its..”

“Just say it.”

“…Nina and Marifa both received two, why I only got one?”

So it seemed that Lena was disappointed because the number she recieved. Marifa looked happy as she held the equipment closely to her chest. She was holding the magic beast ring closely and cherishing it.

“Do you know how I feel watching the equipment he prepared for you? Do you think only the number counts? These equipment are of high quality and sometimes only C rank above adventurer can have it due to the money that is needed to acquire it. The ring of life force that was given to you, do you know how valuable it is? It’s a third grade ring but the ring effects are able to cause a small war. It wasn’t even strange for it to be a small country’s national treasure.”

“…still.”

“Still what? That ring of life force may look usual. But when you equip it, the effect will be greater than you can imagine. And that is one of the highest effect item that Yu had entrusted to me.”

“Alright then… bearded old man.”

“Satisfied Lena?”

After that, they started to talk about something else.

……….

Meanwhile, Mussu was having a talk with Yu. Currently Yu has reached the 60th floor of the 「Enrio of Kusakai」 dungeon. He created a special s.p.a.ce to talk with Mussu. Inside the 60th floor, the enemy was mainly composed of 「Carrion ants defender」, 「Carrion ants soldier」 and the defender had a high defense that was hard to beat.

The most annoying feats of the carrion ants are their keen sense of smell. If they know that one of their member was dying, they will come flocking in immediately. Not because of comradeship but because they are devious monsters with a greedy appet.i.te. The weakest carrion ants were rank 5 and if one died, the smell emitted will attract dozens of other carrion ants in a blink of an eye almost up to a several hundred ants. Once it happened, the adventurers would inevitably become minced meat surrounded and bitten by the unimaginable number of carrion ants.

“It’s been a while.”

“I was planning to meet you sooner but it was hard to collect the monster materials. As usual, I will be depending on you too to pa.s.s it to the guild master.”

So the one who had been helping Yu in submitting the materials was Mussu.

“Don’t worry, I pa.s.sed it properly to Mofisu and Nina has been learning under one of my members Jozu Boran.”

“Hmm. Actually, I already asked someone to watch over them.”

“Yu, you know, I was surprised that you actually asked Joseph to escort Nina and the girls. Also, you know…”

“What?”

“This skill is…”

Yu didn’t even bother to hide that he was able to use 【Spatial Magic】 in front of Mussu.

“Are you feigning ignorance? I thought you have known long ago that besides 【Spatial Magic】 I can use 【Specter magic】 and also 【Alchemy】.”

“Oh, did I? Speaking of which, is it safe around here?”

Where the s.p.a.ce had been created, Mussu was now drinking tea and was enjoying it while lowering his head.

“It’s alright since I just cleared this area moments ago.”

While Yu and Mussu were sitting across each other, a shadow came and ran over to Mussu’s side.

“You, did you come here to bully Odono-san? I will not allow it. My name is Zing, and Zing is strong!”

“Oh, look, is this a child from the demi-human race?”

Zing was going to move towards Mussu and Nungu were already prepared to move just in case the boy really attacked him. But before anything could happen, Yu’s fist fell on top of the demi-human boy’s head.

“It hurts! Odono-san, why?”

“He’s not someone that you can offend. Mussu is a n.o.ble with a rank of Earl. You are not his match.”

“Even so… uuuh…”

“Look, just go over there and play with Momo.”

Yu pointed to the side behind Zing. There were children of the demi-human playing and on a table, near them a.s.sorted sweets were gathered which is why Momo was smiling with almost watery eyes when she saw it.

“Haha, don’t be so worried about that, he is just an energetic boy and I don’t feel endangered at all. So, as compensation for me lending my chefs to make sweets, why don’t you tell me an interesting story?”

“This is not an interesting story, but there’s news that I heard. Recently there is a merchant that was coming to each dungeon, hiring high rank adventurers, and information. The things that he sells were also of high rank so he must been hired by a n.o.ble.”

“Oh, a merchant, so what happened next?”

“I sold my potions and surprisingly he bought all of it. He even asked if I had anything else in stock. I wonder if a big war is going to happen?”

“Big war, small war, it’s still a war.”

“I think it’s Ropugin and Mober kingdom.”

When Yu mentioned the kingdom that may be affected, Mussu’s face was surprised and turned ugly.

“Is there something wrong?”

“I’m actually the third prince of Mober kingdom. I am really interested to find out who was that merchant guy.”

At that time, Mussu’s tea cup had become empty and Nungu poured out a freshly brewed tea that the aroma tickled the nasal cavity of everyone.

“So, if you encounter that merchant again can I have your help?”

Mussu then gave an interesting look towards Yu, was like a child who’s waiting for his new toy.

“Alright, but can Mussu-san tell me something too? About language.”

“What about it?”

“【Dragon magic】 use dragon language, 【Fairy magic】 use fairy language, beast man , dwarves, elves, also used their own but how can they understand our language?”

“Hmm… our language?”

“Which I was thinking as unified language. Probably because the ancestors were demi-human and they taught it to their children so actually it was thanks to them we have unified language. But how the human had it unified in the first place?”

“Please don’t think so highly of me and don’t for hope much. Do you know about the world history? Around the year of 300 according to the holy kingdom calendar, there was a ma.s.s ma.s.sacre of human kingdom and the old kingdom hood. Many of other kingdom were also persecuted and left a small number of humans so maybe that’s why the human have unified language?”

Mussu who was a n.o.ble also has little idea of how it happened, and as a result, he laughed a little to shrug off the tension.

“I also don’t know…”

“Then how about you ask that person over there? It seemed that person knows a lot more than me.”

Mussu’s line of sight falls to a figure behind Yu. It was a figure covered with robe and he could barely see the face behind it. There was nothing except bone and it was without doubt an undead.

“Well, I wasn’t using all my time leveling like a fool, I also studied a little bit.”

“Come one, let me hear something about what you have learned.”

“Oh, I want to tell you but it seems that Shiro and Hisui have finished their work.”

(TL note: due to suggestion, the dryad jade name will be retained as Hisui.)

“Shiro, the carrion worm?”

(Tl note: I still don’t know whether the author decide on carrion worm/ caterpillar for shiro lol)

“Yes, but the dryad was still at home, but both of them are working together this time.”

“Oh, is that so? Yu, Mofisu is also asking me to tell you that you have risen to B rank.”

“Oh, B rank… not like that is important.”

After that Yu cleaned up the table and chair into his item bag and gave another item bag consisting of monster material to Mussu, afterwards he just left without saying farewell.

Mussu then walked along with Nungu to go back after taking the item bag.

“Nungu, what do you think about Yu’s story?”

“About the war? I don’t think it was that serious.”

Mussu and Nungu who almost reached the end of the special s.p.a.ce was stopped by a figure of the robed undead from before.

“Do you have something to say?”

Nungu moved in front of Mussu as if preparing just in case something will happen.

“I just wanted to say, that if you have bad intentions or are approaching master with ulterior motives, I will be glad to give you pain, enough to surpa.s.s death.”

The undead doesn’t have vocal cords so he used special magic to talk and created and unusual and eerie voice, it was enough to make someone’s body shudder after hearing it.

“I will keep that in mind.”

Mussu gave a light answer to the undead and as if nothing had happened, he walked to the other end of the s.p.a.ce.

When he stepped out, he arrived in a room inside of his mansion.

“Oh, I was surprised there. But indeed, he didn’t seem to have noticed that Jozu came with us?”

Between Mussu and Nungu, Jozu was following them when they enter Yu’s spatial field but he was erasing his presence and signs using a high level 【concealment】. His skill was indeed high enough to leave no trace in the surrounding almost as if he was invisible.

“Mussu-san, he noticed my presence earlier.”

“He noticed?”

“Yeah, don’t be fooled. He just pretended to not notice me.”

When he said that, Jozu was covered in cold sweat but Mussu strangely smiled happily.

………….