Volume 2 Chapter 8: Party, Lamia, and Princess

(Melon)

It's already nightfall.

After the battle against the dragon ended, many adventurers had a party around the campfire at the raid site.

There were bards singing about the heroes, people drinking the wine that were sent in by the support & supply group... And with my enhanced hearing, I could tell that there were also many adventurers who were happily celebrating their survival.

"This meat! This is the best I've ever eaten!"

"For this meat, I would gladly spend all of my savings!"

The errand boy wearing a red headband cut the meat on the campfire into pieces and gave it to the adventurers, which caused a commotion.

"I can't help it, this is the invaluable dragon meat! It's a super rare ingredient that permanently strengthens the body!"

With such an ingredient, the adventurers seemed even more excited, and were chatting in a quite lively manner.

I sat alone in the tent, feeling a bit distracted by what's going on outside.

Hmm, everyone still seems energetic, this is great.

"Something like dragon meat can sell for a high price... just giving it out seems like a waste, I don't get you sometimes, sister." At this moment, the curtains are pulled aside, and someone "slid" in.

Looking at the arrival, she has long curly brown hair, wears a white uniform accompanied by a leather vest, the attire of a service person. Or should I say half the attire... under the shirt aren't legs, but a huge snake tail covered in blue scales.

The Lamia race! Compared to the lizard people, this demi-human race is much rarer, I've only heard Ms. Mirabelle mention them once, and this is my first time seeing one.

"I believe that there's nothing more comforting than delicious food." I stood up and saluted, "Plus, when taking its shelf life into consideration, eating it as soon as possible is making the most of it."

"How generous, nice to meet you, my name is Alice, and I'm the No.7 service attendant in the adventurer's guild."

"Melon Lizsar."

Hmm... I tried adding titles after my name, but it's not really possible saying something like "I'm my master's slave."

Master once said that he's my carriage driver when in public, but... how am I going to convey something like this?

"Hah! Alice, where are ya, didn't ya say we're goin' to greet the lizard gal together... Ahh? You're already talkin'?" Suddenly, the curtains on the tent are pulled aside again.

A white-haired girl ran in, holding a wooden bucket and a bunch of dragon meat entered.

Ah, it's the second princess!

"Greetings, second princess."

"Ehh? Don't be so formal to me, I woulda been dead without ya!" My polite gestures seemed to have made the second princess confused, so she helped me up from the formal kneel and said, "Derisha, just call me Derisha."

"...Yes, Ms. Derisha."

Calling by name is too informal, so I chose this at last.

"Come h're, let me introduce her. This is my personal attendant, Alice, who came w'th the backup group ta' help w'th cleanin' up." Ms. Derisha said as she pulled Ms. Alice next to her.

"Oi, wash your hands after eating meat! I just bought these clothes!"

Ms. Alice seems to not care about the difference in status, and scolded Ms. Derisha intensely.

Ehh!? Is it alright to talk to a princess like this!?

"Does it matter? We're friends!"

"Don't, touch, me, with, your, greasy, hands!"

Looking at what's happening in front of me, I suddenly don't know what to say.

The princess... seems a bit different from what I imagined...

"Umm, what does cleaning up mean..." At last, I was able to say something suitable.

"Ahh, that. Mainly reporting what happened, like recording the status, counting the total loot, and the death toll." Ms. Alice stopped pinching Ms. Derisha's cheeks and said.

"Death toll...! E-Excuse me, is there a lot of casualties?"

"Four confirmed deaths, two missing, thirty-two injured... hmm, I'll need to contact their families later, that's also my job, how troublesome."

"S-Sorry." I suddenly felt a bit down after hearing that.

If I had noticed the dragon earlier and warned them, there might not be any deaths...

"There's no need to blame yourself, this is what being an adventurer is about, trading their life for money. In the worst case, we can't even find their bodies." Alice stretched her hand and patted my shoulders.

"...Yes."

"These people have made up their minds when they first picked up their weapons and accepted the deal. Come now, tell me more about yourself! I've seen larger death tolls, but the sacrifice is minimum when considering that we're up against a dragon, this is all thanks to you."

...Ahh, yeah, that's right.

Even though it's a pity I couldn't save more people, I tried my best.

"I understand now, Ms. Alice." I said.

I'm still lacking, so I'll need to become stronger to be like Master back then, to be a hero.

"Aha, let's not talk about this anymore, let's discuss some fun stuff, like this, the list of loot! This is loot from the ground dragon, isn't it exciting!"

"Ground dragon?"

"It's the dragon you slew! It has been two centuries since the last sighting was recorded, and dragons are hard to find nowadays, so their loot is even rarer!"

Ms. Alice handed the notebook to me, and despite me not knowing too many words, I still made sense of the things on the list.

Two pieces of dragon crystal, one piece of dragon reverse scale(1), dragon bones, dragon spine, a great amount of dragon scale and dragon meat...

"From these things, how much can I take?" I raised my head and asked.

"Although I want to let you take everything," Ms. Alice replied, "the contract says that part of the loot must be given to the guild. We can't change that, but you are free to take the most valuable parts."

"Out of these, which are the most valuable?" I nodded and asked.

"The dragon crystals and the dragon's reverse scale of course! Using dragon crystals to make staffs can greatly increase the mana capacity. Although the dragon reverse scales aren't as effective in increasing mana capacity, they are very suitable for making melee weapons. By the way, according to the ancient texts, these materials have dragon souls residing in them, and the user can execute strong magic or skills through them."

"As for the bones and spine... it could sell for a lot, but considering that this is just a 'child' dragon and that it suffered great damage in battle, hmm... you can't make armor out of it, but idiotic rich people would buy them to use as building materials."

"The meat is valuable whether you eat it yourself or sell it, but the decision should be quick as they expire fast." Ms. Alice stopped for a while, then said, "I recommend that you take the crystals, the reverse scales, and all of the meat."

"Then... What about the claws?" I looked at the list and asked.

"The claws? Erm, I don't recommend that, although it's made of Orichalcum steel as the legend said, but this type of metal is the hardest known substance and has no known methods of manufacturing, so it's mostly seen as collectibles. But if you choose this, you can't choose the meat."

"No, Ms. Alice, just give me the crystals, the reverse scale, and the claws." I said.

If it's Master, he would show interest in these materials, then, it would be a great gift.

I chose all of the most valuable things. This is a gift for Master, and no one can stop me.

I left the tent with a pleasant feeling as I was thinking about these things.

...

...

After Melon left, only Alice and Derisha were left in the tent.

"Hey, what ya thinkin 'bout her?" Derisha, who just finished the dragon meat skewer, with a blade of grass in her mouth, she put her feet on the table and asked.

"She's strong, maybe the strongest I've ever seen." Alice sat on the wooden chair then quietly spoke, "But she's also a bit pure and unaware of social rules, how do I put it... like a child with unnatural powers."

"What an accurate description! Right, what happened to Philip Rex? I haven't seen that idiot in hours."

"He went back with the messengers already, I mean, I also wouldn't stay here if I made some stupid decisions like that... taking on a dragon head on..."

"I thought he would come and make a scene! He shoulda been very interested in these materials, especially the dragon reverse scale." Derisha laughed and said.

"It's not like you don't have interest in those materials as well, my princess. Where's your lance? Don't tell me it's broken again."

"I admit I do have interest in that, if I did get the reverse scale, maybe my weapon problem can finally get resolved." Derisha paused for a second, "But I'm not that shameless."

"How princess-like." Alice took a sip of hot tea, "But letting the raid end like this, Philip Rex won't just sit around, he's bound to attack that Melon Lizsar."

"I really like that person, can ya help her?" Hearing this, Derisha's expression changed.

"Hahaha, she has that level of strength, she should be fine without my help if something happens." Alice laughed, "Let me tell you something, before she came here, she has caused a ruckus over at the Academy."

"The Academy? You mean the place that has become where the major families build their strengths?"

"Don't rush, I'll tell you about it right now." Then, Alice told Derisha the things she had heard.

"Sending Akberv flying with one punch!? At the entrance exam?!" Derisha's eyes opened wide.

How ignorant does someone have to be to do something like that?!

"Hehe, that punch shattered the influence barriers there! Those people who think they hold power in the Academy should be fighting in no time, and the idiot Philip Rex would have no means to do anything to her."

"Of course you would be sensitive to these power struggles, Alice. I just can't understand these things."

"If not, how can I say that I'm the princess's personal confidant?"

"I guess so." Derisha laughed, "About Melon, do you know anything else?"

"That's all, do you want me to investigate her background?"

"Don't, let me do it myself, your methods will only make her unhappy."

"Do you want to get her to work for you? Derisha."

"About that, I have some things to restate. First, I don't wanna form parties, I just wanna be a happy adventurer! Second, don't try to lure me into this path! I hate fighting for power!"

"Fine, fine, it's all as the princess says."

"The last thing is that she has a master already, the thing on her neck is a slave collar, the kind for pleasure slaves, the same as the one you had before."

"Even if there's a collar, you can still take her away by force, exert the grandeur a noble should have!"

"I don't want that kinda grandeur! Pay attention to what I'm saying! Anyways, wearing a collar, but having this kind of speech and attitude, young and strong, but pure, it can't be taught by a normal person. Plus, she decided to take the dragon claws, which is Orhag steel!"

"Uh-huh, so what are you trying to say, Derisha?"

"So maybe, the person behind her can actually..."

"Oh, god!" Alice suddenly shouts.

"Ehh!? W-what happened?"

"Since when did our Derisha become so smart! This isn't normal, Derisha, I'll give you money, go see a doctor!"

"Were you paying attention to me at all!?"