Chapter 235: Why are You Here?!
Translated by Zzonkedd
Edited by Gumihou
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Umu,”
“Yeah! Dungeon time!”
“Dungeon~”
After breakfast, we left the inn.
“Ah, I need to speak with the Guild Master first.”
[6] There were some grumblings, but, the Guild was right next door so I pretended not to hear them and made a beeline for the reception. At the counter, I showed my guild card and the receptionist immediately called for Nadia-san.
“You mentioned that you’ll be going to the dungeon today, so I’ve been waiting,”
“Waiting? What for?”
“Ah, that is…” [3] Nadia-san looked away. There was a blush on her face. Eh? What? Why?
“Mukouda-san is finally here,” there was a creepy ‘teeheehee’ sort of laughter and the last face I expected to see pop out from behind Nadia-san.”
“… haah? Wh- wh- why are you here?!”
It was the unforgettable face of a beaming middle-aged elf. It was the absolute lover of all things dragon-related. It was Elland-san.
~
Since it wasn’t convenient to talk right in front of the reception window, our group moved to the second floor. I was still in a daze and half-blinded by Elland-san’s dazzling smile, “Elland-san, why are you…”
This guy was supposed to head for the Royal Capital with the Detoxification Necklace after our party left Doran. He was supposed to report to the Adventurer’s Guild HQ and hand the necklace over to the King.
[4] “The King was really happy with your gift. I decided to stay at the Royal Capital a bit as it’s been a long time since I’d last been there. On the last day of my trip, I went to the Guild HQ to say my goodbyes when I heard it.”
[4] He suddenly rushed forward and seized my hands, “Mukouda-san! I heard it! I heard it! A Red Dragon! A Red Dragon! I heard Mukouda-san has defeated a Red Dragon and was heading towards Avering! I calculated the distance and thought I could make it in time. No, I have to make it in time and here I am! I’m here! Tada!”
What do you mean ‘Tada!’? Are you being cute?
A middle-aged man would never be cute!
“Aaah! When Doran’s Guild Master suddenly appeared this morning I thought there must be some sort of emergency,” Nadia-san muttered bitterly. [5] [6] Elland-san did not seem to have heard her, “Anyway, anyway, let’s focus on the important matter here. A Red Dragon! A Red Dragon! Show me the Red Dragon!”
What the- “I’m sorry, but we’re on our way to the dungeon.” Fer, Dora-chan and Sui had been waiting to challenge the dungeon for a long time, I can’t delay them anymore. Every day, it’s ‘Why aren’t we there yet?’, ‘Hurry up!’, ‘Let’s go now!’ and so forth. I can’t just delay everyone for the sake of one crazy elf!
“What are you talking about? A Red Dragon is more important than a silly old dungeon!”
Ugh, you went and said it.
[6] A wave of killing intent chilled my spine. Ah, Nadia-san is angry.
“Doran’s Guild Master, Elland-san. What do you mean by ‘silly old dungeon’?” she was glaring at Elland-san, who glared back at her.
[6] Hiiii!! I don’t want to stand between these two glares.
Unexpectedly, Elland-san backed down first. He coughed and said, “I don’t mean it that way…”
An angry Nadia-san was truly a sight to behold, “You don’t mean it that way? However, it sure sounds like you do mean it that way. Thanks to Mukouda-san clearing Doran’s dungeon, you are now swimming in profits. I have been waiting for Mukouda-san to visit Avering’s dungeon for a long time now. This could be the momentous clearing of Avering’s dungeon since 200 years ago.”
Nadia-san’s eyes… they were like the eyes of a lion about to swallow its prey…
“N-no, ah, ah that is… I spoke out of turn! I was too excited…” [6] Elland-san’s hands felt very sweaty around mine. I could see the sweat running down his forehead.
“Excited? From what I can see, you’re just a selfish little elf who only cared about your own profits and damn everybody else.”
[6] Elland-san was shrinking away. More importantly, he was squeezing my hands quite painfully. I must stop this.
“Nadia-san. Please rest assured that the Red Dragon will not be taken out unless and until my party has cleared the dungeon. The original plan is to clear the Avering dungeon first before leaving for Doran to see Elland-san for the dismantling…”
“Humph! I’ll let it pass this time considering Mukouda-san since he’s here to clear the dungeons for me. However, Guild Master Elland, it would be wise for you to consider your words properly before spitting them out.” [5]
“S-sorry, I shall be careful from now on,” Elland-san was now cowering away like a little cat.
There is zero dignity in this guy. If he’s such a coward, why on earth did he bother picking fights like this?
Speaking of which, “Elland-san, don’t you have to go back to Doran? You’ll make Ugor-san angry…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, Ugor-kun does a very fine job managing things there. Anyway, it’s decided. I shall join you in your dungeon challenge!”
… … haaaahhhh? [5]
“Hurry, hurry! Let’s go before something else happens!”
“No, no, no, what do you mean let’s go? You’re a Guild Master, aren’t you? Anyway, you’re not an Adventurer anymore!”
“Oh? Sounds like a good idea.”
“But, Nadia-san, Elland-san is not an Adventurer!”
“Don’t you know?” Nadia-san smirked. “Dungeon dives are not limited to Adventurers. Knights and some strong merchants could challenge it too. Basically, anyone with the appropriate skill can go dungeon diving. Of course, everyone is responsible for their own lives, but we do draw a line against weaklings. As a former S Ranker, Elland-san should have the ability to protect himself at least.”
“Eeeehhhh?!”
“Moreover, with Elland-san in your party, the possibility of clearing the dungeon increases.”
[5] Elland-san was now striking a pose. He was standing in a heroic pose with his hand under his chin, “Exactly. As expected of former S Rank Giant Princess Nadia. Dungeons could only be cleared when members with complementary skills are formed.” [5] [6] Giant Princess… I must say that’s a really appropriate and intimidating nickname. However, “I don’t really need to form a party with others since I have Fer, Dora-chan and Sui with me…”
“What are you talking about!? There’s a problem! There’s a huge problem! I want to enjoy an Adventure with Dora-chan! How can I miss seeing Dora-chan in action?! I don’t care what happens next, I’m going with you and Dora-chan into the dungeons!!”
Haaahhh, I see. Still, “We might be stuck in the dungeon for a long time. Surely you need to return to Doran and resume your responsibilities as Guild Master? [5]”
Take the hint, you stupid elf!
“Don’t worry, Doran will be fine as long as there’s Ugor-kun!”
No, it won’t, I can imagine Ugor-san’s pissed off face already. “But, what if something happens? What if some high ranking monster attacks Doran?”
“No problem, no problem. Ugor-kun is a former B Ranker. Also, there are lots of powerful Adventurers loitering around Doran. No problem at all!” [5]
Arrgh, he got me there. I sighed, “Haa, I understand. We’ll challenge the dungeon together.”
“Yes!” Elland-san was beaming. He was also staring at Dora-chan really passionately…
“Hohoh! Looks like it’s all settled. Alright, I’ll take care of the registration on this side. Just head over to the dungeons right away. I’ll be expecting loads of loot and Drops from you guys!” [5]
[Gumihou: Elland joins the Party!]
[1] Structural Change: Combine 2 paragraphs
[2] Structural Change: Combine 3 paragraphs
[3] Structural Change: Combine paragraph & dialogue
[4] Structural Change: Change passive sentence to dialogue
[5] Delete Repetitive or Pointless Information
[6] Additional Information for Aesthetic Purpose
[7] Add Dialogue Tag