I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 34

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[034] A Mysterious Anomaly
The Merchants ushered Radi and me into their tent with utmost courtesy.
“My sincerest apologies! Ordinarily, we should have received you in far more formal quarters…!”
“Not at all. This is already more than generous.”
“S-such humility! We haven’t much prepared, but please, do have some black tea and refreshments!”
“I accept gratefully.”
After Radi took the first sip of black tea, he signaled me with a glance.
｢Radi nods slightly, confirming the tea contains no poison!｣
‘What’s this about? If they weren’t trying to poison me…’
In Belheim as I know it, kindness without reason simply does not exist.
From Radi’s reaction, it seems these people aren’t even his acquaintances…
Since winning their favor would prove advantageous for negotiations, I decided to probe these Merchants and took a bite of the cookie.
“Oh, these are truly delicious cookies! The subtle butter flavor spreading across the palate is quite exquisite. Thank you for such warm hospitality.”
“Ah! We’re delighted our humble refreshments pleased you! We apologize for not preparing something more lavish, given that we’re within the Dungeon!”
｢To a Merchant, satisfactory hospitality is a matter of pride!｣
｢By stimulating the Merchants’ pride, your Luck increases by 1!｣
‘It seems their goodwill toward us is genuine, at least…’
When did we meet them before?
“It’s been quite some time. That was quite the ordeal back then…”
“Y-yes? Doran, you’ve met us before? It certainly was a grave matter, but… we’re relieved you’re safe! And Radi as well, of course!”
｢The Merchants regard you with puzzled expressions.｣
‘What? We’ve never met directly?’
I’ve only been with Radi for two weeks.
There’s no way I could forget a connection formed in that time…
As I frantically searched my memory, Radi kicked my foot beneath the table, then subtly pointed to his abdomen with his middle finger.
The spot where I’d driven my dagger downward while fighting the Night Stalker.
‘Ah, I see…!’
“…I’m glad my sacrifice proved useful! It was quite a fierce battle, but as a warrior, it’s only natural to stand for those in need!”
“Magnificent! Such noble knightly spirit! Thanks to you two defeating the Night Stalker, we’ve been able to safely receive supplies from the Surface! We cannot thank you enough!!”
The Merchants bowed their heads in gratitude as I spoke righteously.
While I was unconscious receiving treatment at the Temple, several Merchants had apparently visited the tent to express their thanks—this must be that group.
Though Radi had turned most of them away.
As I sipped the black tea with composure, a new notification appeared in the log.
｢The Merchants are impressed by your dignified conduct and refined manner of speech! It is exceedingly rare for an Adventurer—essentially a ruffian—to display such decorum.｣
｢The Merchants’ evaluation of you rises! They will treat you with considerably greater deference henceforth.｣
｢Your Luck increases by 2!｣
‘Decorum…? A benefit of modern sensibilities, perhaps?’
Yet I did not lower my guard.
I knew well that the Merchants of this world operate on profit and loss alone, not sentiment.
‘What do they truly want from us?’
As I observed carefully, I realized the Merchants’ greedy gazes were fixed on the inner pocket of my robe.
The typical place where Adventurers stored their valuables.
Only then did I understand what the Merchants desired, and with a slight smile, I placed an object on the table.
[Night Stalker’s Rune]
“A rune imbued with the power of the jaguar beast, the Night Stalker! By absorbing this rune, you can use the special skill ‘Shadow Leap.'”
“However, rumor has it that this rune comes with a terrible price! I would not recommend absorbing it rashly!”
A claw-shaped rune, commonly found from beast-type monsters.
The Merchants stared wide-eyed at the claw I had produced.
“Th-this is that… a rune containing the power of an ultra-rare beast! I never thought I’d lay eyes on it with my own eyes…!”
“Runes are already extremely expensive rarities, and since the original beast itself is so precious… it really does exist!”
I allowed the Merchants to examine it thoroughly before speaking.
“Would you perhaps be interested in this item?”
“Hmm… it certainly is a dream product, but… I’m afraid our Merchant Caravan lacks the capital to purchase it. Moreover, there are rumors that the Night Stalker’s Rune is quite selective about its wearer… so we’ll be satisfied with just having seen it!”
“I see. That’s unfortunate.”
I smiled warmly and tucked the rune back into my possession.
Given how difficult such an item was to sell, I had never expected them to buy it in the first place.
My initial purpose had been achieved.
“The Merchants are quite satisfied with this rare viewing!”
“The spoils of a powerful and rare beast are like a badge of honor for an Adventurer! The Merchants, now filled with awe of you, will offer slightly more favorable terms during negotiations!”
‘Good, that worked perfectly.’
Judging this sufficient, I cleared my throat and moved to the main matter.
“Ahem… then, might I state my business?”
“Ah! We’ve been holding you up so inconsiderately! Now that I think about it, what brings you here?”
“I need a sturdy wooden raft to cross the Wetland. The rafts currently available for rent at the Harbor seem somewhat unreliable. Would it be possible to commission a custom-made one?”
“Ah, well, the thing is…”
The Merchants exchanged glances hesitantly before speaking with difficulty.
“…I’m afraid we cannot fulfill Doran’s request immediately.”
“May I ask the reason?”
“In truth, we ourselves are struggling to procure timber. We’ve run completely out of logs in stock.”
“It seems there’s quite a story behind this.”
“Yes, you see…”
The Merchant sighed and lowered his head.
The circumstances they carefully revealed were as follows.
“…An anomaly, you say?”
“Yes… there’s a small Forest not far from here, and whenever lumberjacks enter it, they lose consciousness and collapse. Since we don’t know the cause, everyone is increasingly reluctant to go there…”
“Have you tried requesting an investigation from the Adventurers?”
“O-of course we have! But they seem to think we’re profiteering, so they’ve been uncooperative…! We barely managed to hire a few, but they too were brought back unconscious…”
As the Merchant’s shoulders sagged, Radi took a sip of tea and turned to me with a question.
“So what are you going to do?”
“…”
I pondered carefully before opening my mouth.
“By any chance, what were the symptoms of the people who lost consciousness?”
“Symptoms? Well… those brought in on stretchers regained consciousness within an hour or two! There were no external injuries… and since everyone collapsed simultaneously, they said they didn’t see the attacker.”
“No external injuries and no sight of the attacker, then….”
“…Ah! The people who woke up said they heard a strange sound just before losing consciousness!”
“A strange sound?”
“Yes, they said they faintly heard a soft melody….”
“A melody… Could it be that the faces of those who collapsed appeared peaceful?”
“How, how did you know that?! You got it exactly right!! They all had peaceful expressions as if deeply asleep! One person even had insomnia, but he said he slept soundly for the first time in ages and felt refreshed!”
｢The Merchants marvel at your keen insight!｣
｢Wisdom increases by 1!｣
After careful deliberation, I slowly opened my mouth.
“…Very well. I shall eliminate that anomaly for you.”
“Is that truly possible!”
“However, there is one condition. Once the problem is resolved, please construct enough rafts for my entire party to cross the Wetland.”
“Without question! I shall provide all materials and construction for the rafts at no cost! To have someone of your standing and reputation, Doran, take on this task… we could not ask for more!”
“Very well, I shall return once the matter is resolved. …Thank you for the black tea and your warm hospitality.”
I smiled gently, bowed respectfully, and rose from my seat.
After waving appropriately to the Merchants seeing me off, I stepped out of the Tent to find Malton waiting at the entrance.
“Ah, Malton. You’ve been waiting?”
“I caught the gist of the conversation. The Night Stalker, you say? Seems like something interesting happened while I was away?”
“I was planning to tell you separately when we’re alone later. …What about the Guild members?”
“The conversation seemed like it would take a while, so I sent them back for now. They should be resting by now… Should I call them back?”
“No, actually that’s fine. They’d only be in the way right now.”
As I strode forward, Radi asked with confusion.
“Doran, do you know what that anomaly the Merchants mentioned actually is? No matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure it out….”
“I’ll explain that as we move. But first, I need to gather a few supplies….”
I gestured toward Radi’s backpack and continued.
“Radi, pull out some of your bolts. Malton, gather your cooking tools.”
“Bolts? Why do you need my bolts?”
“Cooking tools? Why would you suddenly need cooking tools?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
Radi and Malton exchanged puzzled glances as they followed behind me.
* * *
“So this is the Forest… For a place where such rumors have spread, it’s surprisingly ordinary….”
Upon arriving at the Forest where the anomaly was occurring, Radi muttered while surveying the surroundings.
On the surface, it was no different from any other woodland.
“So… what exactly have you been tinkering with this whole time?”
“Just wait a moment longer. Almost done… There!”
[New! Cheap Earplugs]
｢These are earplugs made by removing compressed cotton from the bolt tips so they can fit in the ears. The quality is crude, but sufficient to block sound temporarily.｣
Earplugs fashioned from the compressed cotton attached to Radi’s bolt tips.
Bon Radi stared at the pitiful wad of cotton with a suspicious gaze.
“…What is this? You didn’t deliberately damage my bolts just because I fired off a few shots earlier, did you?”
“Of course not. We’re going into the Forest with these blocking our ears.”
“Blocking our ears?”
“Right, you already suspected the anomaly was related to sound, didn’t you? They might fall out along the way, so bring plenty. Don’t forget to dampen them with water before inserting them. …I made a set for Malton too.”
“Much obliged. But aren’t you going to use one?”
As Malton looked at me with puzzlement, I laughed and waved my hand.
“It’s fine. I’m planning to transform instead. In exchange, hold onto my clothes for me.”
“Of course. Hand them over.”
Without hesitation, I stripped off my clothes and handed them to Malton.
Radi, standing beside me, let out a startled cry.
“Eek…! I told you not to just strip without warning in front of me!!”
｢Your Strength has increased by 2!｣
“Oh, right. Sorry. I’m used to it.”
“Don’t just apologize with your mouth—go change somewhere else!!”
“Fine, fine, I’m going.”
I awkwardly changed behind a Tree and returned wearing only a robe draped over my shoulders.
“That ability really is… inconvenient to use in front of others. Having to undress every time and all.”
“It used to be that way, but lately I’ve been gaining stats from it, so it’s actually beneficial.”
I answered with a shameless grin and focused intently on the [Disguise] skill.
As I pushed toward the limit, a cool radiance flowed across my entire body.
The ominous signs, so distinctly different from before, made Radi and Malton hold their breath.
Finally, as my tightly sealed lips parted, an unfamiliar incantation spilled from my mouth.
“Ancient crystalline will, awaken beneath the blue starlight, consume the magic and crush the intruders!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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