CHAPTER 207(Drinks With Friends)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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CHAPTER START---

Sitting around a small table on the balcony of a restaurant in Orario, three men are enjoying drinks after finishing their lunch.

While Welf and Yang were dressed in completely casual clothes for such a high-end establishment, Tibor wore a formal suit more befitting of the atmosphere.

"So that's why people have been avoiding me huh..." Yang says as he takes a sip of his juice, not being allowed to order alcohol on account of his last drunk adventure.

"Pretty much," Tibor takes a sip of his rum. "Had to double the pay to the guys I have on standby to restock your apartments, nobody wants to be anywhere near you three."

"Well, at least now you actually have a presence," Welf chuckles. "Still doesn't explain why everyone gets nervous around me, I mean Thalie makes sense with the metal jaw and her 'I kill anyone who speaks to me' look, but I'm pretty normal."

"True," Tibor says, "but that's not really the problem. It's a lot easier and safer to just avoid you three entirely rather than risk talking to you and pissing you off, especially after that last show with Sapphire of the Emperor. Speaking of which, you fixed that crater yet mister Dungeon Emperor?"

"Ugh, I hate that name," Yang grumbles. "And yeah I fixed it, took a few days but it's done...honestly would have been easier to make a lake from it."

"And mess up a nice trade route in the process," Tibor says. "See the fact that you can just do things like that is why people keep their distance, and it helps me with my trading company, a lot."

Both adventurers raise a brow at this.

"How does that connect?" Welf asks.

"Well, word got out that the big bad Dungeon Emperor was the person who gave me the capital for the business, everyone wanted a piece of it after that so access to goods skyrocketed. Then after the last little show you gave us it went up even more since people actually think investing in me gives them some reputation with you," he gestures to Yang. "It doesn't, but who am I to refuse money, everyone is getting paid so everyone is happy."

"Uh-huh," Welf takes a sip of his ale before continuing," and the fact that you're the only trader outside Hephaestus that miraculously has exclusive deep floor items fall into his inventory probably helps, right?"

"Well, it helps to have friends in high places right?" Tibor gives a knowing smile. " And let's just say people with very shiny hats have been keeping an eye on my stock, oh, and that flat amazon girl."

"Tiona?"

"Yeah, bought a small jar of Coral Drops the day it arrived, apparently she went into debt for it," Tibor shrugs.

"Yeah Mikoto loves those too," Yang says. "And Freya, and Tsubaki...and Thalie---"

"And Hephaestus---"

"And my wife," Tibor sighs. "Women and their sweets I guess."

"Speaking of buying things from you, did my order arrive yet?" Welf asks Tibor.

"What order?" Yang asks, completely caught off-guard by this.

"Enchanted metals," Tibor explains. "Althena only sells a certain amount of the stuff to each legitimate buyer every three months. Hephaestus and The Trifecta already got their supply but apparently---"

"I needed more, a lot more," Welf says. "It's faster than Enchanting it myself since I want Thalie and my new weapons done before the war kicks off in a few weeks. So I asked Tibor to register his business with them and buy it in his name."

"And it should be here tomorrow morning," Tibor says. "Can't imagine how many swords you're gonna make with five tons of metal."

"Only two, but no swords," Welf's words make the man choke on his rum, "The kind of weapon and enchantments I want for Thalie will take most of it, more metal means denser weapon and the more magic it can take after all."

"And the heavier it is," Tibor points out.

"She'll be fine," Welf says. "The only people stronger than her aren't exactly normal people, even by adventuring standards, Yang and Ottar."

"Speaking of Ottar, is he still alive?" Tibor asks.

"Asleep still," Yang says. "Should be awake before the end of the month."

"That fight made Tobin want to be an adventurer again, now I've got that headache to deal with," Tibor sighs.

"Tobin?" Welf asks.

"His son," Yang says. "He was actually the one who found me when I first...showed up here. He wants to be an adventure because he believes the bullshit the guild pushes about glory, fame, money, all that crap."

"Yeah, the kids getting more and more difficult, driving me and his mom crazy, had to stop him from trying to join familias already," Tibor says. "I don't think we'll be able to stop him so I was actually wondering if---"

"No," Yang immediately cuts him off. Giving an apologetic look to the man he releases a small sigh, "it's not that I don't want to help, but I won't be adventuring in Orario for much longer, it wouldn't be good for me to start training anyone."

"I'd take him but I don't spend much time outside the Forge unless I'm going into the dungeon," Welf says. "And I really don't think Thalie is fit to train anyone other than Mikoto."

"Hmm, I understand, I suppose I'll have to find someone else to mentor him," Tibor says.

"Actually..." Yang ponders for a moment before he speaks, "I could just have Varissa put him on a black list with the guild, that way he won't even be able to get a license to enter the dungeon."

"You can do that?" Tibor asks.

"Yeah, the guild doesn't mind bending to my will a little bit, I don't think they'll care about having one less kid dying in the dungeon," Yang says.

"Thank you, this means the world to me," Tibor says with a grateful nod, "now I just need to figure out how to get my wife to stop wanting more kids now that we can afford it, don't suppose you can wave your hand and make that happen?" he chuckles quietly at the thought.

Both Yang and Welf share an amused look before Welf speaks, "maybe try dating a goddess in the next life, you'll never have to worry about that..."

As the three men continue enjoying their afternoon drinks both Yang's hand and Welf's ring call out in unison with Hephaestus's voice.

"Hello?" hearing the woman's voice Tibor is startled and almost spills his rum.

"Hephaestus?" Welf immediately responds.

"Yeah, Riveria is here with a response from her father," Welf's face immediately becomes serious as wrinkles form on his forehead. "We'll be waiting in your Expedition Planning Room."

"We're on the way," Welf says before chugging the rest of his pint.

As both men are preparing to leave Tibor raises a brow at the strange call, "the Elf King?"

"Yeah. we're trying to join the war against Rakia," Yang casually says.

Tibor almost falls out of his chair at the announcement, "what? I never took you for the mercenary type, or the political type either."

"I'm not," Yang says, seeing Welf ready walking away, retreating into his own thoughts, and ignoring the world around him. "I'm just helping a friend, so I'm whatever he needs me to be..."

END CHAPTER---

Extremely short chapter today to give a small break between all the high-stress action chapters and catch everyone up on what's going on.