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Chapter 267 part 2

While the act of rescuing Jirgu from the predicament itself might not carry any hidden agenda, Yor-El was certain that the Dreissens’ participation wouldn’t escape notice, as she recalled how the new race – Dragon Succubus had come into being then.

Jirgu, along with Dreissen, Hanma, Dowben, Quinn, and Lilyeltiel, who used the nickname Lily without revealing her real name, was present and seated at the tavern’s table.

Not only the explorers hanging out in the tavern but also the Dragon Succubus waitresses focused their consciousness and gaze on their table. They couldn’t help but be curious about the scene of the most renowned explorers within the tower and a novice with no achievements sharing the same table.

Meanwhile, Jirgu was already whirled up and was adrift in a state of dazed confusion towards the situation where Lily, to whom he unintentionally whispered 「goddess」, sat at the same table with him.

Wasn’t the skill of effortlessly avoiding concern about attention from the surroundings seen as a blessing? Meet Quinn. Quinn, owing to her innate disposition, wasn’t necessarily disregarding Jirgu’’s company – she simply didn’t care, gulping down the ordered strawberry shake.

Once beers, coffees, chocolate drinks, and various other orders were served to everyone, Dreissen, the party organizer, gave the opening remarks.

「To a successful exploration and making new members, cheers!」

Except for Quinn, everyone echoed the cheers, and then they all took a swig from their cups and mugs, letting out sounds of relief.

The Dragon Succubus and magical creature cooks in the kitchen quickly prepared the ordered dishes one after another. Dreissen’s party was treated to a variety of meat dishes featuring parts of Mardan Hokau, the menacing Slaughterhorn Ox housed within the tower, along with desserts using the divine fruits nurtured in Inraen’s surrounding orchards.

All of these are exclusive consumables within this tower. They are even occasionally treated with dishes that hold immeasurable worth, but they are unaware of this.

Jirgu, aside from being a physically active explorer who is in his growth period, was also very hungry after strenuous tasks at the Hegna Hell cave. He enthusiastically wolfed down the meal.

Not to mention Dreissen, everyone except Jirgu didn’t need food or drink for survival, so they found Jirgu’s enthusiastic eating and drinking amusingly entertaining. But then again, there’s Quinn, the exception.

「By the way, Jirgu.」

「Nngh, nngh, ha, yes.」

「Hey, sorry if I rushed you a little bit. I just thought, you know, since we couldn’t chat much in Hegnal Hell, maybe we could catch up now. Are you exploring this Tower alone or you just happen to be going solo today?」

「No, I’m alone. I came up here from the countryside all by myself, and since I got here, I couldn’t find anyone to team up with for a party. So, I’m just doing my best to tackle what I can on my own for now.」

「Hmm, so that’s how you ended up encountering the Cave Ogre and getting into that situation, huh? You might have the chops to handle stuff within your expectations solo, but unexpected situations still throw a wrench in your work.」

「Yes, I feel embarrassed about how green I am.」

Just as he had done in front of Yor-El, Jirgu became downhearted at the harsh criticism from Dreissen. He truly is a naive and innocent boy. For Dreissen and Hanma, he tends to be considered among the most favorable characters.

「I believe there’s a sizable group similar to you who ended up coming to Inraen on their own.」

Dreissen, with a face as troubled as a dragon’s could be, scratched his cheek scales with his sharp claws. After a moment of thought, Lilyeltiel, who was in charge of this management branch and the management of Inraen, spoke up.
　
「As Mr. Dreissen said, those who are sought after are limited to those possessing a certain skill set

Those who can handle magic, hear the voices of spirits, perform miracles of the gods, are skilled in stealth, or have experience as warriors. I’m sorry to say, but Jirgu doesn’t seem to have such notable skills. Frankly, he’s the most ordinary and unremarkable person here」

At those unsympathetic words from Lily, who had been intrigued by Jirgu at their first meeting, Jirgu became even more disheartened. The regret in Lily’s words made it all the more difficult for him.

Jirgu, who looked like he might disappear at any moment, caught the predatory gaze of the serving Dragon Succubus. However, an awkward, deliberate cough from Dreissen snapped them back to their senses.　

「I did learn the basics of swordsmanship from the Aldeath priests in the village, but I can’t pick locks or find traps, and magic is out of the question. As Lily said, I’m just as ordinary as can be among the ordinary here in this tower…」

Jirgu seemed mentally immature, overly sensitive, and easily discouraged. This was partly due to the harshness of his critics, but Dreissen sincerely hoped he would grow into a new sprout during their explorations in the tower.

Dreissen, clumsy with words, tried to encourage Jirgu.

「Do not limit your own possibilities with such talk. There are still many possibilities for you. The key to unlocking those possibilities lies in your own hands.

Those who simply wait for someone, somewhere, at some time, to give the keys to them never get such a convenient opportunity.

Not all efforts are rewarded. There may be times when you feel it is all in vain. But those who achieve results and make a difference are those who never stop trying.」

「Those who never stopped trying…」

「Yes. Or you could say trying until you see results is what effort is about

Having said that, it is important to think about what you want to become and how to become that before you start trying because if your efforts go in the wrong direction, you will end up going in a very roundabout way.

It might feel awkward for me to ask since we’ve just met, but what do you aspire to become here? What do you wish to achieve? For us, well, it’s probably about securing enough savings for our retirement」

「You guys seem capable of greater things than that…For me, I want fame. I want my name to be known by many people, and I want my name to be engraved in history.」

My hometown hasn’t been destroyed, but people keep leaving, and it’s being swallowed by a larger neighboring village.

The name has been erased from the new map. But for me, it is the village where I was born and raised, so I have a lot of feelings about it」

Quinn showed not even a hint of interest in Jirgu’s story. Yet due to Dreissen and the others were listening quietly and attentively to Jirgu, Quinn, without making a sound, focused on extracting the meat from the giant lobster.

「I couldn’t think of how to revive my village or start a new one with the same name. So, I thought I’d spread the name of Kosato, my birthplace.」

After Jirgu had said all this, Dreissen had a pretty good idea of why he was so obsessed with fame. Their striking similarity in attachment to their homelands might be one of the reasons behind Dreissen’s insightful understanding of Jirgu’s motivations.

「So you plan to become known as 「Jirgu of Kosato」to keep your hometown’s name alive, even if it disappears from maps？」

「That’s right, but based on today, it seems far off. But I won’t give up, as Dreissen said! I’ve only been here a month. There’s still time」
　
「That’s the spirit. Then let me give you some advice. It’s also an option to request support from the Inraen management branch, as mentioned in the Explorer’s Handbook.」

「Request for assistance? But isn’t it like assistance during emergencies, such as being unable to form a party for over a month or facing situations where equipment and assets have been lost?」

「That’s the request. Right, Lily?」

A standout aspect of the administrative section within Caravis Tower, far more benevolent than the Adventurers’ Guilds and cities in the external world, is the　「support request」highlighted by Dreissen. Additionally, there is the「trial experience」 offering temporary loans of specialized equipment.

With Ariadne’s assurance of life, the labyrinths under Inraen provided guaranteed absolute safety zones so Caravis Tower’s exploration was gradually acquiring its own distinct character.

「Yes, certainly, whether to request or not is up to each individual’s judgment. But we’re here to assist anytime, whether you’re stuck in exploration or troubled about your future as an explorer」

Whether it’s something significant concerning your future or something minor, it doesn’t matter. We use the term 「support request」 but you can also think of it as seeking advice for your worries.

「Haha, yes, o-..okay. It’ll be a month by next week, so I’ll think about it if I can’t assemble a party by then or if there’s no progress in exploring Hegna Hell」

「Well, this is the old man’s indiscretions. I’d be happy if you kept it in the back of your mind. Think it over until you’re truly convinced, and then make your decision. That way, at least, you won’t regret leaving the decision to others」

「Yes. I’ll do everything I can on my own, and if that still doesn’t work, I’ll think about it until steam comes out of my head」

Dreissen responded to Jirgu’s straightforward answer with a short murmur that seemed like a smile, saying 「I see」