Chapter 1: Goodbye, Berléand!

Today started with obtaining more seafood from Berléand’s morning market. I bought up the tiger prawn-like vermillion shrimp, bronze king crabs, which were similar to red king crabs, mackero, which were like horse mackerel, yellow scallops, big hard clams, which looked like huge Asian clams, as well as the smaller version, small hard clams, one after the other.

They were all good when I tried them out, and everyone else liked them too, after all. This town was famous for its tyrant fish, but its second, hidden specialty was its shellfish, definitely.

I mean come on, all of them are amazingly delicious!

When I fried those oyster-like ooysters, they were really good, too. Of course, I also bought more of them.

This time, I found okktopus as well, which, just like its name, was basically an octopus. When I found them, they’d already been boiled and were being sold like that. I had my doubts, thinking, Do they really eat octopus here, when they reject kraken? But when I asked the guy selling it, he told me that they’d only started eating it recently. Apparently none of the locals would eat it, but people who moved here from out of the country would, so the trend spread slowly.

“It was pretty good when we tried it.”

I already know how good octopus is, old man. I’m Japanese, after all.

It was already boiled so it could be used as-is, and I could think of other uses too, so I bought it on the spot.

After going around the market, I managed to secure quite the amount for a single day. Since it was the last time I planned to look around, and that thought was stuck in my mind, I ended up buying everything that was good; by the end, I had more than usual. But thanks to that I had enough to probably last around three whole months even if we ate seafood once a week.

After making my rounds through the morning market, we enjoyed the food stalls as usual. When I told them that today would be the last day we ate at the stalls too, all three of them challenged the lineup of stalls as if their backs were to the wall. Of course, I was there too.

“As for the earnings from your sale, it comes out to 41 gold in total.”

According to the guild’s clerk, unfortunately the B-ranked giant horn rabbit and golden-backed bull didn’t have magic stones. But it seemed that they bought the giant horn rabbit’s fur and the golden-backed bull’s hide at a slightly higher price because of their rarity. Given that I got the meat back and they didn’t have any magic stones, I guess the price was pretty good?

Taking the 41 gold coins, we left the Adventurer’s guild behind.

Now then, let’s go full steam and prepare for the trip to Aveling.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

As soon as we got back home, Fel and the others took a nap.

They stuffed themselves full at the stalls, after all. It’s great for me since I won’t have to make lunch, too. Now then, I guess I’ll just be in the kitchen cooking for the trip.

The first thing I did was fry up a bunch of the kinds of food that got eaten yesterday: fried mackero, fried vermillion shrimp, fried yellow scallops, and fried big hard clams. I made a lot this time, just in case, since the fried stuff was really good.

After that, since I already had the oil, I made tempura as well. After all, tempura could be used in rice bowls too. I used vermillion shrimp and kraken to make tempura with. Shrimp and squid were like, the most standard out of standard things to make tempura out of, so I made a lot of this, too.

I also made tempura out of cuts of the sea bream-like brebream. I tried a little of it, and the breading was crisp, while the meat was fluffy and light. It was perfect. I also made vegetable tempura after getting some produce with my skill, using eggplant, onions, bell peppers, asparagus, sweet potato, as well as both shiitake and maitake mushrooms. I personally liked vegetable tempura, so I used all kinds of vegetables.

After that I wasn’t sure what to make, but I remembered that I’d gotten the octopus-like okktopus from today’s morning market. I had the frying oil out too, so I decided to make that: the staple of any izakaya menu: okktopus karaage. It’d be a side dish in a meal, so I wasn’t sure if it would be a good fit...

But it’s delicious, so I’m making it. It’s the best snack for beer. I already have all the ingredients I need, so let’s get started.

~◇~◇~◇~

First, cut the boiled okktopus’ legs into slightly larger, bite-sized pieces. Then, take a vinyl bag and pour in sake, soy sauce, grated garlic and ginger (along with the kinds of each that come in tubes) before throwing in the okktopus leg pieces and massaging the flavor in, before letting it marinate for about 30 minutes.

...While I was waiting for that to finish, I had a small break with coffee.

“Should be about time...”

After wiping off any excess liquid with a paper towel, thoroughly coat the okktopus in potato starch. Then just fry it up until it’s crisp, and then it’s done.

~◇~◇~◇~

Let’s see...

*Munch*

Hmmm, now I want beer.

“Whoops. It’s about time to start on dinner. Everyone already had their fill of seafood at the stalls, huh? I bet they’ll say they want meat.”

What kind of meat should I make, though? Might be nice to use the giant horn rabbit today. But what does rabbit taste like? I’ve never had it before. Oh wait, technically this thing’s a monster, so it’s different from regular rabbits. I guess I should just grill it and see for now.

Cutting just a tiny piece of meat off, I seasoned it with salt and pepper before grilling it and had a taste test.

“Chicken? No, Pork? Hmm, it kinda tastes like a mix of both... There’s no gamey funk to it, so it’s just good, though.”

I wasn’t really sure what to do with it, so I settled for just roasting it whole in the oven.

~◇~◇~◇~

After cutting the meat into slices a bit larger than your palm and about 2cm thick (as thick as a pork cutlet), randomly poke holes into the meat with a fork before covering with herb salt and letting it sit for about 10 minutes.

Spread a cooking sheet on an oven tray, and lay the herb-salted giant horn rabbit meat on top before pouring lots of olive oil all over it.

Then just roast in the preheated oven until it’s nice and done.

~◇~◇~◇~

“Yep. Smells nice.” The giant horn rabbit herb roast (or should it be an “herb steak?”) was done.

I peeked into the living room where everyone was sleeping, and found that they were all already awake, probably because of their stomachs.

“I made dinner. Want it?”

“Indeed.”

《I’ll eat.》

《Sui will eat—.》

I served out the giant horn rabbit herb roast to everyone.

“Hm. I was just thinking I wanted meat.”

《You totally get us, don’t you?》

《Meat~.》

Everyone chomped into their share. In the end, they all just love meat, don’t they?

We thoroughly enjoyed the giant horn rabbit’s meat.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

Now then, I’ll be spending today making lots of food for our journey too.

Fel and the others went back to sleep again after eating breakfast. By the way, today’s breakfast was Bolognese dogs, which was basically just the Bolognese I’d made before inside a hot dog bun. It was really good since the tomato sauce seeped into the bread.

Fel and the others’ll probably just wake up around noon and complain that they’re hungry, so I’ll be holed up in the kitchen until then.

Today I planned to cook a bunch of soups. On the docket were tonjiru, beef stew, and clam chowder. I had already cleaned the mini clams I’d be using for clam chowder, so preparations were complete.

First was getting more ingredients through my Online Supermarket. I’ll need potatoes, carrots, and onions, as well as daikon, great burdock, and konnyaku, right? Then I need a can of demiglace, red and white wine, and lastly butter, bacon, and milk, I think.

A lot of what I was making used the same vegetables, so I made sure to get a bunch. I have all the seasonings I need, so I don’t need any of that. I guess if anything comes up I can just buy it then.

Right. Let’s get cooking...

*Chopchopchop*

*Chopchopchop*

*Sizzle*

*Sizzle*

...

“Whew, it’s done. I just need to let the tonjiru sit for a while, stew it again, and then I can shut it in my Item Box. The beef stew is gonna take a little while longer, though.”

Next is the clam chowder. I already made beef stew and tonjiru for soups with meat, so maybe I should make another seafood soup on top of the clam chowder. I still have time, too... Okay, let’s do it. What should it be, though?

For seafood soup............ Ah, let’s just do white meat fish in tomato soup, since it’s simple. But first is the clam chowder.

~◇~◇~◇~

Dice the potatoes, carrots, and onions, and cut the bacon into pieces about 1cm large. (I prepared extra portions of the vegetables because I’d be using them in the white meat fish in tomato soup afterwards.)

Next, wash the de-sanded clams, and steam in a deep frying pan with white wine. Once the mini-clams open, remove them. The juices from steaming will be used later, so save them.

Pre-heat a pot and melt some butter in it. Then, quickly sear the bacon before adding in the vegetables and continuing to cook. When the onions go clear, turn to low heat and add in some flour and mix. Then, add in water, consommé bouillon cubes, salt and pepper, and the juices from steaming the mini clams all together and continue simmering until the vegetables turn soft.

Once that happens, add in just the mini clam meat and milk, and simmer for a while more, and then finish it by adjusting the taste with salt and pepper.

~◇~◇~◇~

Let’s try a bit.

There’s lots of vegetables and mini clams, so the taste is well rounded and delicious. Good, good. Now let’s start on the white meat fish in tomato soup...... I thought, but Fel and the others barged into the kitchen and complained about their hunger. Storing the finished tonjiru and beef stew, as well as the clam chowder into my Item Box, I started on lunch.

For lunch, I made tempura bowls using what I had made yesterday. I then made a sauce using mirin, soy sauce, granulated dashi, and sugar to flavor the bowl with.

Sweet sauces really go well with tempura bowls. Everyone looked like they loved it as they ate.

Once lunch was done, I started cooking again right away.

For the white meat fish in tomato soup, I chose to use tyrant fish. Unlike its appearance, it had a light taste like cod, so it would be perfect for this soup. First, I bought the raw garlic and canned sliced tomatoes I’d need with my skill...

~◇~◇~◇~

...Then, mince the garlic. Use olive oil to grease a pot and add in the minced garlic to cook until you can smell it. Then, add in the potatoes, carrots, and onions prepared from the clam chowder to the pot.

When the onions become clear, add water, the canned sliced tomatoes, and consommé bouillon cubes, and continue to stew until the vegetables turn soft. When that happens, add in tyrant fish meat that has been cut into slightly large bite-sized pieces. Once the tyrant fish is cooked as well, adjust the taste with salt and pepper to finish the soup.

~◇~◇~◇~

It’s a really good soup since there’s lots of vegetables, and the white meat of the fish pairs real well with the umami of the tomatoes.

“I still have time, huh? Then let’s keep cooking.”

After that, I made some boiled pork, flavored soft-boiled eggs, and steamed some rice, all at the same time. I made several different rice balls for myself, and used the rest of the rice to make meat-wrapped rice balls using orc, bloody horn-bull, and wyvern meat. Fel and the others said they liked the meat-wrapped rice balls, so it seemed like a good snack for being on the road. After diligently shaping the rice and wrapping it in meat, I quickly grilled the whole thing.

“Whew~, this should be it.” I stored the massive amount of meat-wrapped rice balls I’d made into my Item Box.

“It’s about time to prepare dinner. Lunch was seafood, so dinner should be meat, right? I can’t be bothered, so let’s just do something easy.”

So I went with cockatrice teriyaki bowls. It’s a super easy thing to do if you just use store-bought teriyaki sauce: cook the cockatrice, slather the teriyaki sauce on, and that’s it. Pour some more sauce onto a bowl of rice, and throw some shredded cabbage on top. Cut the cockatrice into easy to eat pieces, and lay those on top, and it’s done.

It’s easy, but it’s also delicious. Fel and the others were singing its praises as they chowed down too.

At the end they asked for dessert too, so I got cakes and pudding from Fumiya as per usual. They were very satisfied.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

“Whoeeee~, that was a good bath.”

《Baths really are great~.》

《The bath feels so good—.》

Dora-chan, Sui, and I had just gotten out of the bath. Tomorrow will be the last day I’ll get to enjoy that bath, huh? This place used to be a noble’s villa, so the bath was a nice, spacious one. I was kind of sad my time with it was almost up.

《Master —Sui wants something sweet to drink before bed.》

《Oh, that’s a good idea. Give me some too.》

Something sweet out of the bath? It’s gotta be fruit milk.

“Then let’s go to the 2nd floor.” Fel was already lazing around on his own futons in the master bedroom we used to sleep.

“Fel, Dora-chan and Sui want fruit milk, what about you?”

“Hm, I will have some.”

I bought the fruit milk and poured it out for everyone.

“Once you’re done, you can just leave your dishes alone and go to sleep. I’ll be in the next room; I have something to do.”

“Mm? What would that be?”

“You know, that... For the gods, you know?”

“Ohh, I see. Then do it properly.”

I have no idea what he means by “properly,” but okay I guess. Wait, oh yeah. The gods would......

“Hey Fel, do the gods know everything about this world?”

“Of course they would. They are gods.”

Hrm, then they would know about Aveling, where we’re going to next? Let’s try asking for some information then.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

“Everyone, are you all here?” I asked, and the gods immediately answered.

＜We’ve been waiting!＞

＜I was waiting for you.＞

＜You kept us waiting man.＞

＜......Cake.＞

＜Ho, finally. I was getting tired of sitting on my bum.＞

＜You’re finally here, huh?＞

......It’s probably a mistake to point this out, but these gods sure are hooked on earth stuff.

＜There’s no helping it. The stuff from your world is just too good!＞

Don’t turn this on me. I guess I shouldn’t expect change from you. What reliable uselessness. Well, whatever. Let’s just get this over with... “Okay then, is Ninrir first like always?”

＜What do you mean, useless?! How rude~. I wish for the usual, cakes from Fumiya.＞

Whoops, right, the gods can hear what I’m thinking. I need to be careful. So Ninrir just wants cakes, as per usual, huh? Let’s just open up my Online Supermarket... Oh, there’s new stuff.

“Ninrir, they have new products......” I showed her the new products, cakes that use mangoes.

＜Wooaaahhh! How are they so colorful and delicious-looking?! I want all of them!＞

Sure, sure. All of the new stuff, right? One after the other, I added mango roll cake, a mango shortcake in a cool-looking glass container, and a rare cheesecake with mango sauce on it, as well as an almond jelly that used mango jelly and mango fruits in it to the cart.

“What about the rest? From where we left off, on the whole cake menu...... Let’s see, there’s this tart with lots of fruit on it, and you haven’t had the mille crepe yet, have you?”

＜Muhhoohh! They all look so good. Indeed, I have yet to try either of these. Give me both.＞

The fruit tart and mille crepe went in the cart. And what she can get with the rest of her allowance is...... “As for what you can get with what you have left, how about this variety pack of mini-cakes? That’ll make it 1 gold on the dot.”

＜Ohh! A package with lots of different cakes inside? That sounds nice, give me that.＞

Okay then, a variety pack of mini-cakes it is. Great. This takes care of Ninrir.

“Next is Lady Kisharle, right?”

＜Yes, it’s me—. The lotion and cream from before were really good, you know~? My skin was so nice the next morning, I was so surprised. So I’d like more of the same series of products.＞

That thing wasn’t cheap after all. Thank goodness she liked it. So something in the same series...? Let’s see............ Ghk! Just 30ml of beauty lotion is 8 silver and 5 copper...

“U-Uhh, it’s pretty expensive at 8 silver and 5 copper... You sure?”

＜Yes. I’ve already experienced the facial lotion and cream, you see. The beauty lotion must be exceptional as well. I’d like that one, please.＞

Girls sure don’t hesitate for beauty, huh? You only get this much for 8 whole silver and 5 copper...... Men will never understand this world.

With those thoughts in mind, I added Kisharle’s order into the cart. “What will you do with the remaining silver and 5 copper?”

＜Ah, can you use the rest for soap?＞

Apparently, Kisharle shared hers with the lower-ranked goddesses that served her, so she was running out. I wonder whether that would get her in trouble with the creator god, her superior?

I asked about it, but she just said that she made sure their mouths were shut tight. According to her, they swore not to tell when she threatened not to give them any more. And since it was a promise between gods, breaking it would be pretty disastrous, it seemed. Is it really okay for the lower-ranked gods to make an oath just for soap? W-Well, it’s not like I understand their world, I guess. A-Anyway, gotta get that soap.

“Should I just get the rose scented soap I got before?”

＜Yes, I believe that would be best.＞

“What about the rest? There’s a lot of variety in soap.” I said, showing her the huge lineup of soap on display.

＜Oh my, you’re right. Hmmm, then I’m fine what whatever you recommend, otherworlder boy.＞

So she’s leaving it to me. Then...... I’ll just get my favorite one with the cow brand. It smells nice, and it feels nice to use. By the way, I like the one that comes in the blue box. Also, that one soap that’s famous for foaming up like cream might be nice too. There’s enough for one more, but which one should it be............ Ah, I see this American one a lot. So that must mean it’s popular, right? I’ll just get that.

I added all four soaps into the cart. Right, that’s Lady Kisharle sorted.

“Next is Agni, right?”

＜You got it! And of course I want beer! I’d like to ask for snacks too like before, but no, just beer this time. I can get snacks on my own, but I can only get good beer from the other world from you.＞

You say that, but I handed you quite a lot before... If I remember right, I gave her a case as well as three 6-packs, so that makes forty-two 350ml cans. Wait, she downed all that in a week?

＜Man, I mean, having beer after work is just the best feeling, ya know? And it’s nice before you sleep, too. Before I knew it, I’d completely run out. Hahaha!＞

Don’t “Hahaha me.” You really did drink too much, Agni.

＜It’s fine, it’s fine. In fact, I’m doing better than usual, must be because I can drink good booze every day!＞

Before, Kisharle said that in the divine realm gods were basically the same as humans, except they lived for a really long time and never got sick. But doesn’t that just mean they’re different from humans?

“Okay then, you sure you’re fine with just beer?”

＜Yep. I’m countin’ on ya.＞

Then let’s get to picking beer. I bought the case of premium beer for A-company before, so this time let’s go with S-company instead. Agni did say that S-company’s premium beer was good. Then it’s gotta be a 6-pack of A-company’s premium beer and Y-bisu beer, right? And another 6-pack of A-company’s black beer is there too, so let’s get that. Then let’s get K-company’s beer that’s said to bring out the taste of the wheat, and S-company’s long-lasting black labeled beer, both in 6-packs. This should be good.

I considered sparkling wine too, but I decided to stick with beer. Okay, this should be all of Agni’s stuff.

“Next is......”

＜Me, Ruka. The food you ate at Berléand looked good too. But, I saw what you got Ninrir and I really do want cakes. Give me the new ones too.＞

I see, Ruka’s being pretty aggressive today, huh? “Okay then, would you like me to get you the same as Ninrir, just like last time?”

＜The same is good, but I want to eat the ice cream you got for me last time too.＞

“Ice cream too...... Then how about I just get you the new mango cakes, the fruit tarts, and mille crepes, and use the rest for the ice cream you want?” I asked Ruka while showing her the menu. “You can choose eight of these cups of ice cream with what you have left.”

＜...!!!! Then for now give me all of them. You choose the rest.＞

She can still get two more after trying all the flavors, huh? She said I can choose, so it’s got to be the standard vanilla and chocolate here, right? This is it for Ruka’s portion.

“Next is......”

＜Of course, it’s us!＞

＜Yep! Us!＞

Sure, sure, the liquor lover’s combo. Got it.

＜The stuff you chose for us last time was all great. Even though they’re all whiskey, it’s honestly impressive how often I was reminded how different they are. The alcohol from your world is really special, sonny.＞

＜Really. It makes me wonder what I’ve even been drinking this entire time. Now that I’ve tasted the good stuff, I can’t even work up the will to bother with the others.＞

These two really are hooked on their whiskey. Well, the booze in this world would pretty much all be categorized under ale, after all. And the ale would probably be too weak for these two, too.

“So, what do you want?”

＜That’s the problem, isn’t it? It’s hard to dismiss the stuff from before, no? But I also have the feeling of wanting to come across new flavors...＞

＜Right? Right? It’s so hard to decide.＞

Looks like the two of them are really having a tough time of it.

＜I really think we should not cut out the world’s best whiskey.＞

＜I agree with that one. And I really want that well-rounded whiskey in a bottle, too.＞

＜That one? That was good, too... Truly, it is hard to go without. Then let us make sure to grab those two.＞

So they want the world’s best whiskey and... the “well-rounded whiskey in a bottle” would be that single malt whisky from the Japanese maker, right?

＜Hey Blacksmithing God, wouldn’t it be fine to use the rest for new ones? Finding new good ones is important.＞

＜True. Hm, then let’s do just that, War God.＞

“Then I’ll just use the rest to get new varieties?”

＜Indeed.＞

＜Yeah.＞

Something the two of them would appreciate...... How about this one? Even though I don’t drink whiskey, I’ve actually heard of this one. It’s described as the peak of single malt whiskeys, too. Let’s see... looks like it’s an unblended whiskey aged in a sherry cask for at least 12 years, and it has a fruity bouquet.

“It’s a little expensive, but how about this one? I’m not too knowledgeable on whiskey, but I’ve heard of this one already. Also, it uses the words, “highest peak,” in the description.”

＜＜Highest peak......＞＞

＜Okay, go with that one.＞

＜Yep. That.＞

Okay, that’s decided. After that...... Oh, how about this? According to its description, it uses winter wheat instead of rye, for a more mellow flavor. “I don’t think you’ve tried this one either, how about it?”

＜It’s not in my memory. How about you, War God?＞

＜I don’t remember it either. Wouldn’t it be fine to get?＞

So this is in too. They can go for one more, huh? Oh, how about this one? The description says its origin story was a coincidence born of being hit by a massive cold wave. The price is just perfect too.

“For the last one, how about this? I don’t think you two have tried this one either.”

＜Yeah, I haven’t seen it.＞

＜Indeed. Neither have I. Then why not do it?＞

Then that’s the last one. All that’s left is to line them up on the usual cardboard altars......

“Everyone, please take it.”

The items disappeared from on top of the cardboard altars, and I could hear the gods cheer. Now I just need to ask about that.

“Excuse me, I have something I want to ask you all.”

............Huh? There’s no response.

“Uhhmmm, could I please ask you all something?”

............Whaaaat? So they just left after getting all their stuff? That’s just... wow.

“Excuse me, hey!!”

＜Whoops. Sorry, sorry. I was just so excited about the alcohol.＞

＜Yeah, me too.＞

Wait, it’s just Hephaestos and Vahagn? What about the goddesses?

＜If you want them, they beat a quick retreat, carrying all their stuff in their arms, you know?＞

............Heeeyyyyyyyy...

＜What did you want to ask?＞

Okay, let’s just leave those useless goddesses for now, and just ask Hephaestos and Vahagn. “Ah, you know how we’re heading for the dungeon in Aveling now? So I wanted to ask you for information about it.”

＜Ohh, that’s what you wanted. Then you’d be the person to ask, right War God?＞

＜Yeah. Aveling’s dungeon......＞

According to Vahagn, Aveling’s dungeon was currently twenty-seven floors. From what he said, unlike Dolan’s dungeon, there were no field-type floors; it was a classic dungeon enclosed on all sides. Apparently it was cleared once around 200 years ago, but since then, progress hasn’t been looking good.

＜It’s a little easier than Dolan’s dungeon, and there’s a lot of drops and treasure chests that turn up good magic items, but that place has a lot of those floors, you know?＞

What do you mean, saying ‘those floors’ all suggestively?

＜Ahh, that? That seems like a right pain to fight.＞

Hey, I’ve been asking what you mean already.

＜We’re talking about the undead. From my memory, Aveling’s dungeon should have three floors full of undead before you reach the lowest level.＞

Ghh............ Undead?

＜Physical attacks don’t work on the undead, and even magic doesn’t have much effect unless you use Fire magic with high attack power, or Holy magic.＞

Whaaaaat? Then what am I even supposed to do about that? I don’t think Fel has Holy magic; he has Divine magic, but that’s probably different.

＜Yeah, it’s different. For Holy magic, only those born with the talent have it, like saints or heroes summoned from another world. Other than that, at best, holy knights would have it. Those who can use Holy magic are invincible to the undead.＞

I-I see. Then for us, our only choice would be to use powerful Fire magic?

＜You iiidiot. Just try using Fire magic that powerful in a dungeon passage. You’ll light yourself on fire too.＞

Ghh, true.

＜So the method humans use now is to imbue their weapons by using a holy seal blessed by the church. Weapons marked by it utterly destroy the undead.＞

Ohh! A holy seal, huh? Then I’ll have to stop by the church in Aveling as soon as possible.

＜Now wait just a second. There’s a lot of problems with holy seals. First, anything marked with the seal loses its effect after about ten hits. And it’s pretty expensive to get them to mark anything, too. Those guys at the church saw the opportunity and ran with it. Their prices are high.＞

Whaaat the hell is with that? That’s why I hate religion.

“So who do those people that operate the church believe in?”

＜It’s not us. It’s some church that the humans made on their own, called the Church of Rubanov. They all say that it’s thanks to the strongest holy power of Rubanov church, but truthfully that holy seal is just something they dug up several hundred years before from a dungeon. Right, Blacksmithing God?＞

＜Indeed. It should have been a dungeon in what would now be the kingdom of Marveil. The real thing is left at the church headquarters, and what Aveling has now is just a replica. That’s why the effect is so half-assed.＞

I see. Wasn’t the Rubanov church the main religion of one of the human supremacist countries? I think it was called the Holy Kingdom of Rubanov, or something. They say that it’s the fate of all non-believers to fall to ruin, and they call all the races that believe in their own gods like the elves, dwarves, and beastmen heretics and ostracize them or something, right? What the hell is a religion like that doing in a relatively free and non-prejudiced country like this?

＜It’s exactly because it’s free. They came to your kingdom of Leonhardt to draw up sympathizers to expand their base of believers.＞

Well, that’s probably right, but I doubt they’ll be so easily accepted here. As if preaching human supremacy in this place where all sorts of races live free will work.

＜The people of the country you’re in aren’t stupid. There are precious few who would buy into their cheap sales pitch. Especially since the temples run by our believers can provide what the people need most just fine, which is healing.＞

＜Yeah. The only people who’d use that church are adventurers who need to get their weapons imbued. And they’re paying for it, too.＞

Thank goodness such a stupid religion isn’t getting any more followers. But from what I’m hearing now I really don’t want to go to that church... Just having to interact with anyone from the Rubanov church is giving me the creeps.

＜I know already. There’s no need for you to go to that place. We’re with you, after all.＞

Ohh! I always forget since the only impression you two give is that you love alcohol, but the two of you are gods, huh?

＜You...... So, War God, what are you planning to do?＞

＜Wouldn’t it all be solved if we just give this one the Holy magic skill?＞

＜No, that’s no good. If we did that the creator god would definitely find out.＞

＜W-Would he?＞

＜Don’t ‘would he’ me. The only ones with Holy magic would be saints or heroes from another world, that ilk. If you put something like that on him he’ll be found out right away.＞

＜Then what should we do?＞

＜Do? Isn’t this one just fine? He has the Goddesses blessings, and Perfect Defense. Isn’t that enough? He won’t be able to defeat the undead, but he won’t die either, at least not right away.＞

＜That’s no good. We need to have him beat Aveling’s dungeon for him to rank up.＞

＜Mn, oh right. There was that.＞

＜Think about it, this is an investment. Just imagine, Blacksmithing God. Just how high will this guy’s level be after beating Aveling’s dungeon? Not only that, but after downing lots of undead?＞

＜We can hope for quite a bit... Of course the next Tenant, but we could even aim for the one after that.＞

＜There you have it.＞

............They’re kinda... saying whatever they want, though...

＜But I really don’t think Holy magic is a good idea. Hmmm............ Wait a second, War God. How about this? I can just make this real quick——＞

＜Ohh! That’s a great idea. We can make them easily, and since we’re not giving him divine power, but just imbuing something with the power, nobody’ll find out.＞

＜Gahahahaha! It’s perfect, no?＞

＜Ahahahaha! It’s perfect!＞

They’re laughing... hey...

＜Right then, I’ll just whip this up real quick.＞

I waited five minutes.

＜Right. How’s this?＞

＜That looks just fine. Then I’ll put in the power...... This should do it.＞

They’ve been shutting me out for a while now, huh...

＜Hey, otherworlder. We’re going to send you something we made.＞

Right after Hephaestos said that, one of the cardboard altars I’d left out started to shine. Once that faded, there was a long, thin, silver thing there.

What’s this......? It just looked like a stamp with a long handle. Uhhhh... It’s that, right? What they do in the movies, when they seal a letter with wax. This is what they use to mark it. It looks just like one. But there’s nothing on the stamp part......

＜That’s......Oh right, we never decided on a name. Well, let’s just call it a ‘holy sealer.’ Just press the holy sealer on a weapon or whatever, and anything with that seal will exterminate the undead. It’s just like the one the church has that we talked about earlier.＞

＜It’s on a whole other level than that fake the church has. It’ll last an entire day on just one seal. You usually can’t see the seal part, but when you run your magic through it and press it, it’ll leave a holy mark imbued with magic. And unlike with that fake at the church, it won’t damage your weapons, either.＞

“I see, I see, that’s pretty awesome. Is it really okay for me to have this?”

＜We gave it to you already, it’s fine. More importantly, we went through a bit to get that to you, so do your best, got it?＞

＜Yeah. You told us not to bother you about your levels, but we gave that to you so at least get to level 40 and unlock your next Tenant.＞

Urgh...... the pressure... But with this, there’s no need to fear the undead. I feel like I can do it.

“I’ll take it gratefully. I won’t know until we actually go into Aveling’s dungeon, but I’ll do my best.”

＜Okay, that’s the spirit.＞

＜We’re expecting a lot from you.＞

＜Right then, it’s time for whiskey. War God?＞

＜You got it! We’re drinking until morning today, Blacksmithing God.＞

.........

“Whew, looks like they left. I’m so tired.”

Not only did I get to hear about Aveling’s dungeon, I even got this thing. I tried appraising it.

【Holy Sealer of the Gods】

A magic item made by the Blacksmithing God Hephaestos and the War God Vahagn. Any weapon marked with this will exterminate the undead.

It’s a bit late, but isn’t this really amazing, since it was made by gods? I just kinda took it... W-W-Well, I’m giving them alcohol all the time, so it’s fine, right?

Yeah. Totally fine.

I’m actually hoping that there is a liquor store for the next Tenant. If there isn’t, those two might riot. Sigh... I’m really feeling like I was put up to it, but at the very least I’m gonna have to try to get to level 40. I guess we should go leveling in Aveling’s dungeon.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

After a late breakfast, we were all lazing around. Everyone else was having cider, and I was drinking a cafe au lait. It was the first in a long time, and it was really good. By the way, everyone wanted meat for breakfast, so I brought out some miso-fried orc bowls and tonjiru. This was the usual, but everyone ate really heavily right from the morning. I just made do with some tonjiru and a rice ball, though.

Last night, I stored the holy sealer that Hephaestos and Vahagn gave to me in my Item Box. It’ll prove really useful in Aveling’s dungeon, after all. Still, for there to be a dungeon full of undead......

“You know, Fel, I asked the gods yesterday about Aveling’s dungeon.”

“Mn? Really? Then, what did they say?”

“You see......”

I told the three of them what I heard from Hephaestos and Vahagn yesterday.

“Mnn, undead, you say......”

《Ghhhk, I hate the undead. They just won’t die!》 Fel and Dora-chan scrunched up their faces as far as they would go.

I guess even they’re bad with the undead.

It seemed like Sui didn’t know what was going on, as the slime just jiggled left and right.

Thinking about it, aren’t undead just awful to deal with for anybody without Holy magic? And most people don’t have it, either. If it’s a dungeon where there’s just undead strutting around, it’s understandable how it hasn’t been conquered in 200 years, huh? From what I heard, there’s a lot of decent drops and treasure chests with good magic items in them, so although I didn’t know what floor the undead were in, we should still be able to make some good profits just from stopping on the floor before. But Fel and the others totally want to conquer Aveling’s dungeon too, don’t they?

“Hey, you guys say that, but don’t you all plan to beat the dungeon in Aveling too?”

“Of course.”

《That’s the plan!》

《We’re going down to the lowest part—.》

As I thought. “I’ll ask just in case, what are you planning to do about the undead?”

“There is no plan. We will ignore them and pass through. If there are too many and that becomes impossible, we will just use high-powered Fire magic.”

《Yep, that.》

《Sui doesn’t really know, but why not just go pew-pew and beat them?》

So they just don’t have one, basically? Sui might be able to melt away zombies and skeletons completely with its Acid Bullet, but it’ll probably be useless against wraiths.

“Fel, Dora-chan, just like I told you, Aveling’s dungeon is always going to be a maze surrounded by walls. If you use Fire magic in there, we’ll get caught in it too.”

“Mrr, I can just defend against it with a barrier.”

《Yeah, we can just do that.》

Sure, that seems like it might work. But there’s an even easier method. If what I’m thinking about works, then we should be able to turn the undead floors into a treasure trove of drop items and treasure chests.

“To tell you the truth, I got something from the Blacksmithing God Hephaestos and the War God Vahagn yesterday. It’s this......”

I revealed the holy sealer from my Item Box, and I relayed to them what was explained to me by Hephaestos and Vahagn yesterday.

“I see. So if you let magic flow into that holy sealer or whatever and press it on a weapon, it will become able to exterminate undead? As expected of something made by the gods themselves.”

《That’s awesome, but pretty much only humans fight with weapons, you know?》

Yep, that’s exactly right. But......

“No, the two of them said, ‘it can be a weapon or whatever, just press it.’ So that must mean it’s not limited to weapons... at least, I think so.”

“Not limited to weapons? So what’re you gonna use it on?”

Fuhahahaha! That’s where my genius comes in!

“All of you.”

《Us?》

“......Hm, I see. If you apply the seal to us directly, then as long as we attack, the undead will perish.”

“Exactly. You got it right in one, Fel. If I just stamp this on you three, you’ll all be able to easily exterminate the undead, I’m pretty sure.”

《I get it! So that’s how it is!》

Well, it’s just a feeling, though. And there’s no way to test it here, either. But I think it’s possible. After all, it was made by the gods themselves.

“There’s no way to test it unless there’s any undead around, but the gods themselves made this, so it should be fine. I think it’s worth testing when we get to the dungeon in Aveling. If it works like I think it will, the undead floors’ll be no problem. In fact, since the undead floors have basically been untouched, all the drops and chests will be ours for the taking.”

“Hm, how interesting.”

《So we can just put down undead left and right? That sounds great.》

《Sui will beat lots too—.》

So it was decided that we would test that theory the first chance we got.

“I am looking forward to the dungeon more and more.”

《Yeah. Let’s blast ’em to smithereens and beat that dungeon.》

《The dungeon will be so fun~.》

Looks like everyone’s raring to go even harder, but I guess that’s fine. I need to level some too, after all. But there’s still stuff to do, so it’s not like we’ll be able to go in right away.

“We won’t be able to go in right away even when we get to Aveling, you know? First, we need to go to the Adventurer’s guild, check if there’s a dungeon map, and find out what kind of monsters there are. I never got to ask the gods about that, after all. Also, there’s the food that we’ll be eating in there too. This time I made a little extra for the stuff we’re going to eat on the road, but if there isn’t much left when we get to Aveling, I’ll have to make some more. Also, I want to stop by a weapon shop too.”

“Mmrrr, I would prefer us to go in earlier.”

“I’ll do my best on that front.”

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

After having lunch, we went to the Adventurer’s guild. Since we were leaving town tomorrow, I went to say goodbye. When I got to the counter, it took almost no time at all for Marcus to come over.

“Sorry for being away last time. I was just about to send someone to get you.”

It seemed that the guild employee that dealt with me last time totally forgot to hand me my new guild card. Oh right, I was going to be promoted to S-rank. I forgot, too.

“We’ve got to exchange the A-rank guild card you have for this S-rank card.”

I handed over the A-rank guild card to Marcus, and took the S-rank card. It looked just as golden as the A-rank card, but there was a huge “S” on it instead.

“Now you’re an S-ranked adventurer. Keep doing your best for the Adventurer’s guild from now on!”

Those expectations are real heavy, Marcus.

“So, what did you want?”

“Uh, we’re planning to leave early tomorrow, so I just came to say goodbye.”

“Already? You can feel free to stay longer, you know. It’s great for us that a high-ranking adventurer is in town.” Marcus added, “You cleaned up that red dragon incident right away, too,” in a small voice.

This town had great seafood and a nice view, so personally, I’d be okay with staying a while longer, but Fel and the others had been even more excited about the dungeon ever since they’d heard about the holy sealer. If I kept them waiting any longer, they might just drag me by the neck and take me there by force.

“Well, it looks like Fel and the others want to hurry to the dungeon......”

They already booed at an extension of just three days, too.

“Oh right, you’re planning on going to Aveling after this. I already told the guildmaster at Aveling about that, so make sure to go to the Adventurer’s guild first when you get there.”

Ohh, you talked to them already? It’s nice that you’re so quick.

“I hear that the boss of Aveling’s dungeon is a hydra, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you guys. If you manage to clear it, that’ll be the first in 200 years. Do your best!”

“I see, a hydra, huh? Interesting.”

Oh no, Fel’s motivation meter is rising even higher.

《A hydra, huh? I’ve heard of them, but I haven’t seen one yet. I’m looking forward to it!》

《Are hydras strong~? But Sui will try and beat it—.》

Neither Dora-chan nor Sui lost to Fel in terms of motivation.

Still, a hydra huh? Wasn’t that like a snake with nine heads or something? And only one of those heads contains the monster’s immortality, so if you don’t cut that one off, the others will all just keep regenerating, if I’m remembering the story correctly. W-What do we do about that? If there’s nine, we won’t know which one is immortal. If we don’t get real lucky and hit the immortal head right away, the battle will probably go on forever.

W-Well, I guess there’s no point in thinking so far ahead right now. I have no idea what’ll happen while we’re making our way down there, either.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to conquer it, but I’ll do my best. It was short, Marcus, but thank you for taking care of me.”

“Sure thing. Come back, you hear? And take care!”

With our goodbyes done, we left the Adventurer’s guild.

“We are leaving early in the morning. I want to go to the dungeon quickly.”

“I know already. We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”