Chapter 68 – Bear-san Negotiates (1/2)

Chapter 68 – Bear-san Negotiates

Author’s note: Happy New Year!

I hope for your support this year too.

When I woke up, it was a few hours after sunrise.

I had overslept a little, but I didn’t have to rush back.

I took my time with breakfast, and when I went out, I saw a familiar face…

「Cliff?」

「I knew it. This Bear House is Yuna’s.」

「Why are you here?」

「That’s my line. I’m going to the capital, of course.」

When I looked around, there were six of Cliff’s guards.

They were the guards I had seen at his place.

They were all on horses, not using a carriage.

This sort of forced march journey was impossible for Noa, I thought. That was probably why he entrusted her to me.

「I came to pick you up, Cliff. But, now that it’s no longer necessary, I’m going back to the capital.」

「Pick me up?」

「There was a horde of monsters around here, and it made Noa worried.」

「But, if it’s no longer necessary, that means you killed them all, right?」

「……」

I couldn’t really obediently nod here.

If this sort of thing got out, there was no doubt that it would become a real pain.

There was a possibility that my peaceful life would crumble.

After all, I killed more than 10,000 monsters, and I even killed a Worm.

Yeah, what to do?

「Well, for you, who killed a Black Viper, a monster horde is no problem, right? In reality, you already subjugated a horde of goblins, and you even got the Goblin King’s sword.」

It seemed that to Cliff, the one who killed all the monsters was me.

If I told him how many monsters there were, what kind of face would he make?

However, if I didn’t deny it now, it would become problematic when we arrived at the capital.

Maybe it would have been better if I had left earlier.

I wanted to say that to the past me.

Though saying that now was just useless.

「Cliff, can I use the debt you owe me now?」

「What’s with that serious expression? It’s a fact that I owe you a debt, but I can’t agree to your demand before hearing what you want. First let’s talk about it, after that I will see.」

「Then is it okay to talk inside the house?」

I said after looking at the guards.

「Understood. You all, you can take a break here.」

Cliff gave an order to his guards and entered the Bear House.

After entering the Bear House, I had Cliff seated and started explaining.

The fact that in this forest there were 10,000 goblins and wolves, 500 orcs, and 50 wyverns, and the fact that the capital was preparing to deal with it.

That Noa was on the brink of tears because Cliff was travelling towards the capital.

Which made me come here to escort him.

But before I could find him, I discovered the horde.

And that I exterminated them all.

Finally, the fact that I killed a giant Worm, which wasn’t in the Guild’s report.

「Right now, I really am regretting the fact that I heard all that, but I’m also really thankful. You have my grat.i.tude.」

Cliff lowered his head slightly.

In novels or manga, a n.o.ble lowering his head to a commoner was a rare thing.

「It was for Noa’s sake, so don’t worry about it. If you weren’t her father, I would have abandoned you after all.」

「I see, I will have to thank Noa, too. Your request is for me to keep silent about you subjugating them, right?」

「I don’t want to stand out after all.」

「Why? You could become a hero. You could have wealth and honor.」

「Not interested, and it would be too much of a bother if I was summoned. I just want to live happily and peacefully. That’s why I want to end this case peacefully.」

「But 10,000 monsters, 500 Orcs, Wyverns and a giant Worm, huh? I can’t believe it.」

「Then do you want to see them?」

「Yes, for now I will have my soldiers investigate the forest. I only have your words, after all.」

Cliff exited the house and ordered his soldiers to investigate the forest. The soldiers, tilting their heads in confusion, obeyed Cliff’s orders and left to search the forest.

「With that, n.o.body will see, right?」

Taking my feelings into consideration, he had all his soldiers go away.

The moment I could no longer see his subordinates, I took out all of the wyverns.

I took out the corpse of the Worm, too.

Now that I looked at it again, it was grotesque.

I hate every type of creepy-crawly.

I, the hikikomori, hadn’t touched a bug since kindergarden.

For someone like me, it was impossible to like them.

Cliff also looked at the Worm like he couldn’t believe its size.

「Should I take out the orcs as well?」

「No, it’s okay. Put them away.」

Cliff held his head again and thought.

「I wish it was a joke.」

「It would be preferable if you didn’t talk about what happened.」

「From your story, the adventurers and soldiers from the capital are coming here, right? It will surely be a problem if they don’t know who killed them, you know!」

「n.o.body saw the worm, and if you don’t talk, they won’t know it was me.」

「You…」

He had a stunned expression.

「For now, you have to at least report this to the guild master, or it won’t be settled. After that, the guild master will handle the situation and stop the march of the Adventurers and Soldiers.」

The result was that we would have to discuss it with the guild master.

After that, the die was cast.