Chapter 61: Diverse Friendships Part 1

What I used was not just a spell.

It was the [Familiar] skill that was capable of providing magical power and making the recipient a servant.

Of course, I didn't use the [Familiar] skill to enslave the Kraken's offspring as a servant.

The intent was solely to supply a certain amount of magical power until it reached adulthood and make sure it could grow safely without its mother.

The very idea of using a Kraken as a servant was ridiculous to begin with. There's a reason why the usual subjects for [Familiar] are small animals like rats, cats, bats, and crows. The more powerful the familiar, the greater the strain on the caster to share their magical power. Thus, choosing a subject one can properly manage is fundamental.

I was able to boldly use the [Familiar] skill because the target was a Kraken hatchling that had just emerged from its egg. If it had been in its juvenile form, not just a hatchling, I wouldn't have dared to use the skill. This was because the burden on me would be too much.

My plan was to maintain the [Familiar] skill only until it reached its juvenile form. By then, it would be roughly the size of a decent ship.

-Grrrr…

I cradled the translucent body of the Kraken hatchling in my arms. I felt its numerous tentacles clutch tightly around me.

With a small knife, I made a cut across my palm and fed the flowing blood to the creature. Ideally, it should have been fed the Kraken's "ink" but with the mother dead, that wasn't an option, so I used my own blood instead. Since it had already accepted my magical power, the hatchling took to my blood without issue. I watched as its translucent body gradually turned a shade of red.

A red Kraken instead of a dark blue one…

If anyone had claimed to have seen a red Kraken, they would have been dismissed as crazy. I couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"What are you planning to do with it?"

Lloyd who had been observing from the side asked me. I shrugged nonchalantly in response.

"I'm thinking of raising it."

"Raising… it?"

"Yes."

Perhaps it was my overly calm demeanor, but Lloyd fell silent for a moment. Sure, he might have understood saving it, but he probably never expected me to say I'd be "raising" it.

"Of course, I don't mean I'll be carrying it around and raising it by hand."

"...."

A flicker of relief passed over Lloyd's face for a moment.

"I'll raise it here."

"…. Here, in this place?"

Lloyd seemed taken aback by my response. His expression was one of utter confusion.

"Isn't this the perfect environment to raise a Kraken? The seas are teeming with sea goblins, after all."

"Is that… so?"

"Of course."

"…I see."

Lloyd finally began to come around to my brazen idea. Ah, nobles. Innocently naive in the most unexpected ways, aren't they?

"Consider this. If the Kraken preys on the sea goblins, wouldn't that naturally reduce their attacks on ships?"

"…You have a point."

"Then there would be no need to dispatch mercenaries. And needless loss of life could be avoided."

Lloyd nodded silently and started considering my words.

"We can ensure it doesn't attack humans or ships. That much I can teach."

With the [Song of the Beast] at my disposal, it was entirely possible. I could simply frequent the dungeon under the pretext of clearing the area.

I need to spend more time investigating this dungeon to find out about the origin god quest anyway.

As I watched the pink, baby Kraken floating idly by, I turned to my companions and suggested,

"…Shall we head back, then?"

***

"I had faith in you!"

Katharina said with a smile spreading across her face as she swung her tail back and forth. She seemed very happy at the prospect of being able to use the sea route again.

"Should we throw a banquet? Other merchant guilds will flock to show their gratitude. It's a perfect opportunity to make your name known! I will help you build your network."

I just wanted to rest, banquet or not. Was Katharina unable to see how dirty I looked? I looked like a soaked cabbage ready for kimchi-making.

"…Actually, I was hoping to rest a bit first."

I glanced at my companions who were in a similar state and then said to Katharina.

"It's not that I'm against the banquet. It's just that I can't attend in this state."

"Ah, of course."

Katharina gave us a once-over with a slightly disgusted expression on her face and then quickly replaced it with a bright smile.

"How about we hold the banquet in two days then?"

"That sounds better."

"Leave all the preparations to me. Tomorrow, I'll send a tailor to your lodging."

"A tailor…"

"I'm even thinking of inviting the president. Though I'm not sure if he'll come."

It seemed she was quite eager to boast about the success of conquering the dungeon. I gave a weak smile and nodded. I wasn't sure if someone as important as the president would show up, but it wouldn't hurt to familiarize myself with his face, if possible.

"Katharina, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Using the sea route right now is impossible."

The reason was that a Kraken still lurked deep within the dungeon. However, I saw no need to disclose the full truth to Katharina. So, I spun a somewhat fabricated tale.

"We've managed to navigate through the dungeon, but not all the monsters in the vicinity have been dealt with."

"Does that mean…"

"Yes. Some cleanup is necessary."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry. I plan to take care of it myself. And I'll do it without charge."

"Okay."

Of course, she'd be pleased. Who would say no to free help?

"I'll need about ten days. So, please make sure that no ships approach the area until then."

Upon hearing my words, Katharina gave a light nod. Her attitude seemed to suggest that after holding out for several months, what were ten more days?

With that, the safety of the young Kraken was secured. Now, all that was left was to spend the coming ten days teaching the creature how to survive in this fake dungeon.

-Gurgle…

"...."

First things first, it was time to eat.

After wrapping up our conversation with Katharina, we went to get checked by a healer affiliated with the merchant guild. Lloyd declined, so only El, Roshanak, and I underwent the examination. Since El and Roshanak had no major injuries, I was the only one who received treatment for the gash on my side before we returned to our lodgings.

We handed over our clothes, which had salt crystals hanging all over them, to the innkeeper and each took a bath.

After soaking my body in boiled water with herbs, I finally felt alive again. I felt like I could fall asleep at any moment. I closed my eyes for a moment in the steamy wooden bathtub.

"...."

When I focused, I could sense the presence of the young Kraken swimming alone in the depths of the sea in that empty dungeon.

It's safe.

At that moment, the creature was engulfed in a sense of tranquility. It navigated through the dark seaweeds I had densely planted like it was traversing its own home. It seemed it wasn't bored; that was a relief.

I spent a considerable amount of time marveling at the vastness of the sea before rising from within the small wooden bathtub. Thanks to the herbs cultivated in the dimensional garden, my body felt greatly refreshed.

It's finally time for a proper meal.

I was hungry even before taking a bath, so my legs were shaking as I walked down the stairs. It appeared I was the last to finish bathing since Lloyd, El, and Roshanak had already secured their spots in the inn's ground-floor dining area.

"I could probably devour an entire desert bull right now."

As soon as I sat down, I ordered a beer. The innkeeper who had memorized my ordering habits over the past few days quickly brought me a glass.

"And what about you, Lloyd?"

"I'm fine."

He took out a flask from within his belongings. Is this because he only drinks his own alcohol? I shrugged my shoulders and took a hearty gulp of my cold beer.

"Aaah!"

I'm in awe. Could it be that a simple beer feels better than any potion or healing magic?

In a bid to lift my spirits, I ordered an expensive pair of grilled round-horned buffalo ribs and Echaits's specialty steamed seafood.

"Ugh, you want seafood stew after spending the whole day in the sea?"

Roshanak recoiled at the thought and opted for a lamb steak instead. I added a few more roasted sea quails to the order for El and Ayla and finished off my beer.

"Lloyd, won't you have anything more? It's on me today."

"That's enough for me."

"You don't have to hold back, you know…"

Considering his size, I wondered if his appetite was sufficiently catered to. But well… that wasn't really my concern.

After ordering another beer, I tore into one of the perfectly grilled buffalo ribs. The meat was so tender it slid right off the bone, dripping with fat. As I chewed on the juicy meat, I turned to Lloyd with a question.

"What are your plans now?"

"...?"

He seemed not to grasp what I meant.

"I mean, what are our plans moving forward?"

I picked out perfectly cooked scallops, shrimp, and corn from the steaming seafood stew before me. Wow, it looked absolutely delicious.

"Our contract was only up to the deep-sea dungeon, after all."

"...."

"Ah, hot… Phew. This is delicious."

"…I see."

Lloyd muttered in a dry voice.

I slathered herb garlic on a plump scallop and devoured it in one bite. Delicious! But it'd be even better with some spicy-sweet gochujang (red chili paste). I doubt I can find any around here, maybe I should try making it myself later?

"Haa, munch, mmm. Well, what I wanted to say is."

"...."

"We seem to get along quite well, so how about we continue traveling together for a while if you have no other plans?"

"Travel together?"

"Yes. El still needs someone to teach her, after all."

"..."

"If you refuse, there's nothing I can do."

Ah, peeling these shrimps is such a hassle. But I can't give up their plump flesh and sweetness. After carefully removing the legs and peeling off the shell, I took a big bite of the juicy shrimp. Ah, this would be perfect with some gochujang too.

While I continued to admire and eat this and that, Lloyd seemed lost in thought and didn't say anything. Honestly, traveling together would be a huge plus, especially after seeing how well we worked together in the dungeon. Besides, it would be a great opportunity to teach El, killing two birds with one stone.

"...Alright."

I stopped peeling the shrimp and looked at Lloyd. Alright? Did he just agree? When I turned to El for confirmation, El nodded vigorously on his behalf.

Having a knight of Lloyd's caliber as a companion … The journey ahead promised to be much smoother. I managed to suppress the smile creeping across my face and offered the shrimp I had just peeled to Lloyd.

"Please take good care of us!"

[Quest: A Suspicious Companion? Success!]

[Reward: A Knight That Doesn't Know Betrayal]