Chapter 109: In Search Of Comrades III (2/2)
Barfuru-sama drank the alcohol, spilling some of it out the sides of his beast-like mouth. I waited until he had emptied about two bottles before I began.
「How is your adventuring going lately?」
「So-so, I suppose」
「It’s going terribly-nya」
Tyutyu said as she wiped Barfuru-sama's beast head with a rag.
He suddenly started to look like a domesticated dog to me.
「Good grief～～～～～～～～ The tab has grown so big-nya. It's about 30 gold coins in total-nya. I won't give him as much as a single bean anymore-nya」
「Please work, Barfuru-sama」
I feel ashamed even though it's got nothing to do with me.
I mean, the king knows him personally, there are adventurers who think highly of him, and even Gladvain, the god of war, acknowledges his prowess.
He's as much of a drunk as the hero of a foreign movie is in the sequel.
「What are you implying? I don't work for cheap. And it just so happens that things are starting to stink up in the north. The time for me to show my true power is near. Mm-hmm」
「Barfuru-sama, if you don't pay your tab, you will be barred from my store-nya. I'm at the end of my patience-nya」
「Ugh, Tyutyu, umm, that's a problem for me. They're so afraid of me at most bars that they not only refuse to serve me alcohol, they actually call the guards. This place is a haven that I can relax in. Even Gladvain said, ”Abstain from alcohol at the dining table,” and wouldn't let me drink even a single drop」
「Pay your tab then. It's 35 gold coins」
「Ur, urgh」
Huh, didn't it just go up by five gold coins?
Leaving that aside, here's my chance.
「Barfuru-sama, I'll pay you 40 gold coins if you help me with something」
According to Otou-san……
『Barfuru-sama? He's not an advanced adventurer, but purely as a vanguard, he's one of the five most powerful in Lemuria. In a certain way, he's a monster. He's not a person who’s bound by the limits of humanity』
That’s what I was told.
If I can hire someone like that for 40 gold coins, then it's an absolute bargain.
「What’s this thing that you want my help with?」
Barfuru-sama's face twisted as if he really, really didn't want to do it.
Despite his dog-like face, I could tell that very clearly from his expression.
「The dragon will be coming to this city soon, right?」
「Is it already that time of year? A year sure goes by fast, huh?」
「It's only natural that the year goes by quickly if all you do is drink and sleep every day-nya」
Tyutyu's scathing sarcasm was brilliantly ignored by Barfuru-sama.
「Souya, is your intention to use my strength to fight off the dragon?」
「Oh, yes」
What else are you good for?
「If it was a dragon that crawled on the ground, I'd beat it easily. But the dragon that comes to Lemuria with the start of winter flies in the sky. How am I supposed to fight it?」
「We'll come up with a plan. We have several excellent magicians, so we'll find a way to bring it down somehow. Once it's on the ground, I’m counting on your strength, Barfuru-sama」
「Mmm, I refuse」
「Barfuru-sama! You're terrible-nya! Do some work-nya!」
Chastised by Tyutyu, Barfuru-sama explained himself.
「Tyutyu, this is different. It's a matter of principle for me」
「And what is this principle of yours?」
I'll ask just in case.
It was often the case with the warriors of the Myriad Kings, but there are many strong people in this alternate world who have odd self-imposed rules. Barfuru-sama just might be one of them.
「I don't like fights that involve all sorts of petty tricks. Besides, if I agree to do this, I'll have to listen to your orders, won't I? I don't like that」
It was hardly a good argument.
He's just being willful.
「50 gold coins」
「Mmm?」
「How about if I pay you 50 gold coins?」
「Don't you look down on me like that. It's not about the money」
Alright then……
「Tyutyu, how about 60 gold coins?」
……I’ll exploit his weakness.
「Barfuru-sama, accept it right away-nya. If you don't, I'm cutting ties with you-nya. And I'll close this store too-nya」
「What?! Souya, you dirty bastard! Tyutyu, is that really alright with you?! Isn't this the very important store that you inherited from Toto?!」
「It's a store where its only regular doesn't pay his tab-nya. My mother would understand-nya」
「Urgh」
Those words hit Barfuru-sama right where it hurts.
This seems to work very well on him.
Is it that all the women around me are strong, or is it simply that all the men around me are weak against women? Otou-san too, despite everything, can't stand up to the proprietress. King Lemuria is also like that with his daughter. The same goes for me.
Why is this, I wonder?
Oh, this is what people call birds of a feather flocking together, I suppose.
「But you know, Tyutyu, you also don't want to see me being ordered about by a lower-ranked adventurer, do you? Isn't that just uncool?」
「Is that something a man who can't even pay for his own drinks should be saying-nya?」
「………………」
Barfuru-sama fell silent.
I couldn't help pitying him.
「Say, what's the deepest floor that you've reached, Barfuru-sama?」
「The 30th floor. Speaking of which, what about you? I'd bet it's only――」
「It's the same for me. Well, to be exact, it’s the bottom of the 30th floor」
「Souya, that's amazing-nya. There aren't many adventurers who can descend the dungeon this fast-nya」
「………………Well, I live for battle, and as such, I have no interest in something like clearing the dungeon. Also, clearing floors isn't all there is to an adventurer」
I've heard many people say the same thing, but I've never found it less convincing than when hearing it from him.
「Barfuru-sama, please lend me a hand in fighting off the dragon」
「Barfuru-sama, work a little and show Nya how cool you are-nya」
「Ggrrrr」
Barfuru-sama snarled in reluctance.
「Urggrrrr」
He growled some more.
Just how much do you not want to work, you bastard?
「Haaah～」
Tyutyu let out a deep~ sigh and put on a look of profound weariness.
「I understand-nya. I've grown tired of this, Barfuru-sama. I'm putting this store and the memories associated with my mother to rest right here and now-nya」
「H, hang on a minute, Tyutyu. Think it over again for a moment」
When Barfuru-sama tried to dissuade her, Tyutyu flung her apron at him.
「Then go and take the dragon's head-nya! You good-for-nothing!」
A furious Tyutyu stormed off with her tail bristling.
This was the first time I had ever seen her angry.
「Ggrrooaarr!」
The beast-headed man with an apron over his head quivered.
「Souya! It's all your fault!」
「No, it's mostly your own fault」
Barfuru-sama grabbed me by the chest and lashed out at me, but I brushed it off as it was only misplaced anger.
「What are you going to do? Tyutyu might really not forgive you unless you take the dragon's head or something」
「Ggrrrr」
「Can you do it by yourself? Can you fly in the sky?」
「――――――――――――you a hand」
「Huh, what was that?」
I put my hand to my ear in the ”I can't hear you” pose.
If we're going to work together, we'll have to put our lives in each other's hands. The chain of command needs to be clear.
「I’ll lend you a hand. In fighting off the dragon」
「Alright, I'm counting on you」
「Once the fight is over………just you wait」
His eyes were filled with a rather serious intent to kill. However, because he had an apron on his head, the menacing effect was reduced by 30%.
「Ha ha ha」
I don't even know what kind of flag it is that I've raised this time.
I'm starting to not care anymore.
Small note, many cultures in the east, like China, Japan, and so on, celebrate the winter solstice(though they all seem to call it different names), which marks the coming of winter, and have numerous traditions involved with it. I know I know, many cultures actually view the winter solstice as the middle of winter or mid-winter, and not the start of winter. That’s why, to prevent confusion, I’ve not translated it as “winter solstice” and have kept referring to it as “the coming/start of winter”, which is what the Japanese culture believes, but I thought I should at least leave a note about it here. It’s also a tiny bit of lore, I guess. (◕‿◕)۶
I am stumped on the reference though. Anyone have any ideas?
Now that I think about it, Gashuraku-san’s deepest floor reached is also the 30th floor. Is this floor that hard to clear? Including Barfuru-sama, that’s 2 strong people who have gotten stuck here.
And the flag raising continues haha. But with that, he has the ten people needed! One more chapter till this arc ends though, so will he raise one final flag in the last chapter?! Stay tuned!