Chapter 97

An unexpected encounter threw my plans for the day into disarray.

I had thought about doing some training if I had the time, but considering the time it would take to get to the training grounds, it seemed a bit iffy.

I had a light meal for lunch and, since I had been to town, I decided to drop by the Adventurer's Guild, which I hadn't visited in a while.

I thought I should at least report my return from town and my plans for the expedition starting tomorrow.

Just as I was about to leave after informing the receptionist, I was called back.

When I listened to what she had to say, it turned out that someone who wanted to join my party had come to the village.

I hadn't been recruiting, so I was puzzled.

The person was apparently waiting at an inn for a rest day, so the staff had gone to fetch them.

Upon further inquiry, it seemed to be a woman who had come to be an adventurer after graduating from a magic school, specializing in a rear support role.

According to the guild's investigation, her success rate as a 9th-rank adventurer was high, and she was quite trusted.

I wasn't sure what to make of it, but since I needed to find someone for the rear support role, it was a relief that a trustworthy person had come forward.

Since meeting her wouldn't cost anything, I decided to wait in a small conference room.

I let my mind wander, thinking about the future of the barony. Lately, my thoughts have been consumed by such matters, and I can't help but feel a bit helpless.

However, a hot spring... Considering the improvement in hygiene for the residents, the impact would be significant. Moreover, since I've never heard of a hot spring resort in this world, it might attract the wealthy.

Still, I should make sure not to count my chickens before they hatch and plan carefully.

As I was lost in thought, there was a knock on the door. When I called out, a staff member responded, and I acknowledged her.

Standing in front of the open door were a staff member and an elf girl.

An elf!? I had heard about them, but here? I was genuinely surprised. Her ears were indeed pointed, but otherwise, she looked like an ordinary girl.

I was particularly surprised by her deep green hair and eyes. I wondered about the genetics of the people in this world.

She was about the same height as me, around 165 cm, and had a slender build. She was wearing light leather armor that covered only the essential parts.

To put it simply, she had the appearance of a beautiful young lady from a wealthy family.

To be honest, when I thought of elves, I imagined the ones accompanying a knight in a story or the famous elves from tales. I was a bit disappointed by how ordinary she seemed.

"Ah, nice to meet you, Hero. My name is Elychat. Please call me Chat. Nice to meet you."

The moment I heard her greeting, my mind went blank. The word "Hero" and the Kansai accent threw me off. A Kansai-accented elf... I hadn't expected that.

"Hmm? Oh, speaking? I grew up in the forest, so I still have an accent. I'm sorry, but please bear with me."

"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you, I'm Akihiro. By the way, what do you mean by 'Hero'?"

"Oh, that's because... I used to be an adventurer in town, but after hearing a bard's song, I thought it sounded cool. So, if there's an opening in your party, I'd really like to join."

It was a loose translation, but the mix of various regional accents in her Kansai dialect was intense. Being from Hyogo, I'm used to the various accents in Kansai, but the addition of Kyoto dialect made it quite jarring.

"The bard's songs are mostly exaggerations or lies. I'm not a hero or anything, just a regular person. I'm sorry if I don't meet your expectations."

"No, no. Not all lies. I heard from the guild staff, and it seems mostly true. Too much modesty can be annoying, you know."

I wondered what the staff had told her... I felt it would be best to have a proper conversation.

"Also, although it hasn't been officially announced yet, I've been granted a barony. I'll continue being an adventurer part-time, but the party's freedom will be significantly restricted. Are you still interested under these conditions?"

"Well, you're becoming a noble, aren't you? That makes me even more eager to join. I used to be a researcher before becoming an adventurer, and adventuring isn't my main goal."

A researcher? I wasn't sure what that meant, so I asked for more details.

Apparently, in the magic school curriculum, the elementary level covers the basics, the intermediate level covers applications, and the advanced level offers a choice between development and research. This was the first I had heard of this.

Chat had spent two years mainly focusing on the research of magical artifacts.

When I asked about these magical artifacts, it turned out that a slime core was used to store magical energy.

The core is crushed and used with a special adhesive to draw circuits, and by installing magical incantations, the artifact can simulate the casting of spells.

I had wondered what slime cores were used for, but considering their ability to store magical elements, it made sense.

The details of the circuitry were a secret of the magic school, so I couldn't get more information.

However, with a magical artifact, even someone without the ability to control spells could cast registered spells by using keywords. Each artifact comes with an appraisal document detailing the installed spells and their keywords.

"Do you plan to prioritize research in the long term?"

"Being an elf, I have a long lifespan. I'd like to work as an adventurer for now and focus on research in the future."

Upon asking, I learned that elves typically live twice as long as humans, usually over 120 years.

However, in a world where rejuvenation is relatively easy, this isn't an absolute advantage.

Incidentally, elves grow normally until around 20 years old, but their physical growth stops after that.

Aging begins gradually around 80 years old. I was curious about their genetics.

"In the short term, is it okay for you to follow the party's strategy?"

"Of course. I'm fine with it for 10 or 20 years. I've been in a few parties before."

It was a long-term commitment. I asked about her age, and she was 18. Elves are considered adults at 15, so she was an adult.

I was getting older, and the party was becoming younger. I felt a bit lonely...

"Since there are other party members, would it be okay to have a meeting tomorrow?"

"Yes, that would be great. I'd love to meet them. They must be the two valkyries from the song, how exciting!"

Ah, I hope they don't disappoint her.

"By the way, you mentioned being a rear support. What kind of role did you play in your previous parties?"

"I'm a mage, so my main focus is on magic. I have an aptitude for wind and earth, so I either disrupt the enemy's stance with wind or attack directly with earth."

Given her role as rear support, I checked her skills with the 'Recognition' skill. She had a decent 'Spell Control' and her 'Attribute Control (Wind)' was over 2, while her 'Attribute Control (Earth)' was over 1.

What caught my attention were her 'Trap Detection,' 'Trap Disarming,' and 'Lockpicking' skills, which were close to 1. These were skills typically associated with thieves in games.

What was this?

<Notice. The 'Trap Detection' skill allows you to detect objects and traps that are deemed harmful to you and your allies.>

<The 'Trap Disarming' skill allows you to neutralize traps.>

<The 'Lockpicking' skill allows you to open locked objects, whether destructively or non-destructively.>

The 'Scholar' skill immediately provided explanations, but it only made me more confused. Why did she have these skills?

Was she a criminal? But disarming traps didn't quite fit.

"By the way, what kind of activities did you do as an adventurer?"

"I didn't do much field work. My main focus was dungeon exploration with friends from school."

Dungeons? Do they exist in this world? It sounded like something from a game.

"Dungeons, huh... I'm sorry, but I don't know what they are. Could you explain?"

"Dungeons? They are labyrinths created by ancient researchers and sages. The school sends exploration requests to check the inside and retrieve useful items."

"I see... What happens when you find something useful?"

"Usually, the school buys it, but if it's particularly valuable, it's temporarily held by the country and auctioned off to influential people."

Ah, I see. It wasn't a naturally occurring dungeon but more like a relic. Like treasure hunting.

"So, your job was rear support and trap disarming?"

"You figured it out. Yes, I did trap and lock disarming. Combat with monsters wasn't very frequent, so it was a side job."

"In our party, field monster hunting is the main focus. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, don't worry about it. We often hunt on the way to dungeons, so I'm used to it."

"Understood. We plan to go on a seven-day expedition starting tomorrow. Depending on the situation, would you consider joining?"

"I have no plans. I'm fine. I have camping experience, so don't worry. I'd love to join."

I was quite tired, but the conversation was over. We went over some details, and she returned to the inn.

Ah, it had been a while since I heard Kansai dialect, and it made me feel a bit dizzy. The intonation made it even more intense.

Because we had been talking for so long, when I stepped outside the guild, the village was already bathed in the evening glow.