Chapter 99

"Impossible?"

"Of course it is. Just reaching the Demon Rock is difficult enough, let alone taming a wild legendary monster. It’s impossible, isn’t it?"

"Hmm..."

"By the way, are you a monster tamer?"

"Yes."

Although I haven’t joined a guild yet, I’m leading two monsters, so it’s not wrong to call me one.

"What happened to the monsters?"

"One is right here."

"…Domo"

I pointed to Madi, who was floating nearby.

Only then did she notice her presence.

A weakened demon has a faint presence, making it hard for people to notice, like a spirit or a fairy.

"Huh? Is this a demon?"

"Yes."

"…Can it fight?"

"In this state, it’s no help at all."

She furrowed her brow for a moment, then clapped her hands.

"So, you’re going to join a party of adventurers to cooperate with, right?"

"No."

"How do you plan to get to the Demon Rock!?"

"I intend to go the normal way."

"If you could do that, it wouldn’t be so difficult! I told you, right? Most people return without even reaching halfway! A tamer without decent monsters or support can’t make it to the Demon Rock! Let alone taming a legendary monster, it’s a dream within a dream! Not to mention, you’ll be killed by monsters as soon as you cross the boundary of the safe zone!"

According to her, the monsters inhabiting this plain are powerful, even in areas far from the Demon Rock at the center.

"That’s why a tamer without fighting power either requests cooperation from an adventurer party or tames a sufficiently strong monster before attempting it."

"I see."

"You see… Normally, a tamer, even a mediocre one, should have this knowledge…"

She sighed in exasperation.

Just then,

"Asia! It’s been a while! I’ve missed you!"

A young man with a lively voice burst into the shop.

He looked to be in his mid-twenties.

He was of average height and slender, wearing a grand robe with elaborate embroidery.

"…Here again."

The shop girl, Asia, made a visibly displeased face.

Apparently, that was her name.

"Do you know him?"

"…A regular. He’s been trying to court me multiple times, but I’ve turned him down. Still, he’s persistent. He’s apparently a famous monster tamer in the monster city, but I don’t like his face or personality."

Following the young man, several monsters entered the shop.

They were his tamed monsters.

There was a wolf monster, a gorilla monster, and even an ogre and a minotaur, both large monsters.

But none of them were ordinary.

The ogre had only one horn instead of the usual two, and the minotaur had an unusually shaped horn.

They might be unique to this plain.

"…Who is that?"

The young man, who had approached, suddenly noticed me and looked displeased.

"Who, it’s obviously a customer, right?"

"Hehe, that’s true. I thought you had a boyfriend! "

Asia responded with a half-lidded eye, and the young man laughed it off.

"…Even if I did, it’s none of your business, you know."

The young man, seemingly not hearing Asia’s mutter, announced cheerfully,

"Actually, I’ve successfully tamed a very rare monster! Come in, Griz!"

"Grurrr…"

In response to the young man’s call, a huge bear with exceptionally developed arms lumbered into the shop.

Asia gasped.

"T-this is…"

"An Arm Grizzly! Its rarity is A! It’s strong and doesn’t listen well, so it was really hard to train! It took me a whole day!"

The giant bear, with arms longer than its legs, still nearly touched the ceiling with its head.

If it stood up, it would definitely hit the ceiling.

"Grurrrrr…"

Moreover, it seemed to dislike the confined space, growling uncomfortably.

"Wait, wait, is it okay? It won’t cause a ruckus in the shop, right?"

"Hehe, don’t worry! After all, I trained it!"

The young man laughed and patted his chest in response to Asia’s anxious questioning.

But then, the giant bear casually waved its right arm.

Crash!

Tables and chairs nearby were sent flying, making a loud noise.

"He, hehe…"

The young man’s smile twitched slightly.

"Quick, take it outside…!"

"It’s fine. It’s just a little excited… It will calm down—"

"Grurrrrra!"

Crash!

Another table became a victim.

The giant bear showed no signs of calming down.

"Griz! Calm down! Calm down! Let’s go outside for a bit. I know it’s a bit cramped for you here."

Realizing the situation was getting bad, the young man tried to lead the giant bear outside.

However, the giant bear did not respond and instead moved further into the shop.

"Ah!"

Asia hurriedly fled.

The young man tried to stop it, but the giant bear wouldn’t listen.

The giant bear seemed to be heading towards the kitchen.

The delicious smell was wafting from there, and it might have been attracted to it.

"Grurrrr…"

But on the way to the kitchen, I was sitting at a table, waiting for my food.

The giant bear, seeing me as an obstacle, tried to sweep the table away with its arm, thicker than a log.

"Ah, dangerous! Run!"

Thud.

"!?!"

I caught the giant bear’s arm with one hand and said,

"If you want to eat, order properly and wait."