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People Call the Dungeon the Forest of Deception – Part 05

Hikaru told Lavia to wait at the hotel, while he alone headed to the Adventurers’ Guild to butcher the Red-Horned Rabbit.

Stopping by the hotel every single time is such a drag. The best thing would be for Lavia to roam around alone, so I gotta work on that quick.

And by that he meant leveling up.

Hikaru was considering using the Soul Board to give Lavia some level of Stealth. With 5 points, he could put 1 point each on Life Cloaking, Mana Cloaking, and Imperceptibility. One point on Imperceptibility should be enough against ordinary people. Lavia’s current Soul Rank was 6, so it shouldn’t be that difficult to gain 5 levels.

It’s kinda hard to move around with Lavia practically restrained.

News about Lavia’s disappearance should be out by now, but since she was confined in her home for most of her life, only few people knew what she looked like, including the guards and those involved in her search. In which case, as long as she had a bit of Stealth, she could walk around town no problem.

If her disappearance was an open investigation, though, it would be a different story.

“Crowded as usual.”

Upon entering the Adventurers’ Guild, Hikaru spotted the receptionists, Freya and Gloria, working full steam to accommodate the adventurers crowding the counter. Not only were adventurers flocking to them to ask them out as they always did, but at this time of the day, around sunset, they were also submitting reports on their commissions.

For now, Hikaru headed for the butchering area to get this part out of the way. He didn’t notice Gloria glancing at him.

“Now, then…”

Hikaru had gotten quite used to butchering Red-Horned Rabbits. Not that he had ever butchered other creatures before. After hanging the Red-Horned Rabbit, he used a butchering knife to flay it. There were other adventurers around butchering their catch, and they were all good at it. They probably made a living out of it too.

“Whoa! Is that a Red-Horned Rabbit?! Lucky guy!”

“You’re right. Nice.”

“And his skills… Nah, looks like an amateur.”

Other adventurers in the area approached Hikaru. Perhaps it was the unusual color of his hair and eyes, or the fact that he was only a boy, that attracted their attention. Some were dingy older men, others were young, but unlike the ones Hikaru had seen so far, these people seemed like actual adventurers.

The adventurers lounging around in the guild felt an odd kind of pride for their job title. Most of them loved to act rowdy and show off.

Professional adventurers, however, didn’t stay in the guild for too long. They quickly accepted commissions, left town, and worked on clearing their objective. Monster Hunters like the ones in this butchering area, Plant Hunters, Jewel Hunters, Bodyguards, Adventurers, and Quest Hunters would rather be working than stay in the lobby.

“I can’t seem to get the skin off very well. Do you have any tips?”

So Hikaru asked for their advice.

“Give me your knife,” said a man with a bandana wrapped around his head. “Your left hand is in the wrong position. You lift it up like this to keep the skin taut.”

Hikaru nodded as he watched the demonstration.

“Butchering Red-Horned Rabbit is very basic stuff. Here, try it.”

“Thank you. Am I doing it right?”

“Yes, just like that.”

He’s absolutely right. This is going great.

“This guy has never butchered a Red-Horned Rabbit, by the way.”

“Y-You snitch!”

Laughter erupted. The whole thing about Red-Horned Rabbits being a rare catch was true. The man probably never had the chance to process one before.

“This one time, a client only wanted the stinger from a Rogue Bee, and I seriously considered beating him up.”

“Just the stinger? Yeah, you don’t want to deal with the poison. I mean, take Poison Toads for example. You touch its skin, and you’re in deep trouble.”

“What about gloves?”

“I use waterproof ones, but dealing with poison means I dispose of them after only one use. I spend so much, it’s hardly profitable.”

“Gathering plants is way easier than hunting monsters.”

While Hikaru was busy working on his trophy, the adventurers were talking about all sorts of things. They didn’t necessarily belong to the same party, but they still exchanged information anyway.

“Yo, kid. By the looks of it, you’re just starting out as an adventurer. You must’ve been really lucky to catch a Red-Horned Rabbit.”

Once the adventurers finished butchering, they washed the tables and checked their tools for any defects. After giving a pat on Hikaru’s shoulder, they left.

Now those are actual pros.

The only adventurers Hikaru had seen until now were the ones flocking to the receptionists, so he got excited to meet actual professionals.

I’ll tell Lavia all about this later. She’ll be delighted, for sure.

Hikaru broke into a smile as he imagined the look on Lavia’s face.

---

The guild was still crowded, so Hikaru went to Pasta Magic first, a diner that Freya showed him to last time. As the name suggested, the restaurant specialized in pasta. Hikaru tried to enter, but the place was packed. An employee came out and told him that the restaurant was full.

“Is the manager around?” Hikaru asked. “I brought something he wanted.”

He lifted up a waterproof bag made of monster skin. There were two bags, one filled with meat, and the other with guts. The meat was to be sold to the Adventurers’ Guild.

Soon after, the manager came out. He looked like a bear, so Hikaru called him Mr. Bear in his mind. The man had never actually told him his name.

As soon as he learned that Hikaru was here, he immediately strode outside. He had a vague idea of what the boy came here for. The floor of Pasta Magic shook, causing panic among the customers, but when they realized that it was the manager causing it, they chuckled. Customers seemed to love him.

“Are those guts?!”

“Yes.”

“Well done! Can I pay later?”

“Sure.”

The manager delightfully stuck his head inside the bag. “Ugh, it stinks!” He then lumbered back into the kitchen.

“Weird guy.”

Chuckling, Hikaru left the restaurant.

---

When he returned to the Adventurers’ Guild, dusk was already settling, so there were fewer adventurers now. One of the adventurers he met earlier at the butchering area had just finished having the value of his goods assessed. He left the guild with a big smile on his face. He must have gotten a good price.

Hikaru also wanted to have his Red-Horned Rabbit appraised, but there were several adventurers gathered around Freya, and none at Gloria’s counter.

Gloria’s purple hair, tied up on either side, hung over her chest. Her breasts were far larger than the average woman’s, and were among the largest in the guild. Hikaru, however, was not fond of her. He had no idea what went on behind those narrowed eyes.

“I really don’t want to…”

Gloria was staring at Hikaru with a faint smile. He looked at her, and she raised her right hand, beckoning him.

Fine. Hikaru took the meat of the Red-Horned Rabbit to her.

“Appraisal, right? Oh, a Red-Horned Rabbit.”

Gloria assessed its value quickly, which amounted to 9,000 gilans.

“Did you butcher it yourself?” Gloria asked as she handed over the payment. “You seem to have gotten the hang of it.”

“I still have a long way to go. A Red-Horned Rabbit in perfect condition is worth 10,000 gilans, right? 9,000 is quite high.”

“You get a bonus for being a promising rookie.”

“Please stop pulling my leg. I’m sure an adventurer like me is a dime a dozen.”

“Absolutely not. It’s not just me who’s watching you, but Freya as well. You should be able to raise your Adventurer Rank in no time at all.”

“You’re just complimenting me to boost my motivation.”

“I mean it. By the way, where were you the day before yesterday?”

“What?”

The question caught Hikaru off guard, and he couldn’t get a word out. Gloria’s narrow eyes opened slightly. She was watching him warily.

The day before yesterday was when he rescued Lavia.

Freya came over. “You were studying, right?” she said.

“Y-Yeah,” Hikaru replied. “I was reading about some basic knowledge needed by adventurers.”

“Really?” Gloria wondered.

“Yes,” Hikaru said. “Freya already confirmed it.”

Freya nodded. She had finished dealing with the adventurers; the guild was empty.

That was close, Hikaru thought. He ground his teeth, frustrated at himself for being too optimistic. He never expected such a question out of nowhere.

We’ll save the disappointment for later. Why did she ask me that?

Gloria was no longer giving him a leery look.

“Hikaru is actually very studious,” Freya said.

“I see,” Gloria replied.

It’s like she’s convinced that I was involved in Lavia’s escape.

Hikaru didn’t think it was just a random question because she hadn’t seen him. She didn’t see him either yesterday, yet she specifically asked about the day before that.

“Oh, Hikaru. Are you free after this? Freya asked.

“Huh? Uh, yeah, a little bit.”

“Okay. We’re just closing the guild. Meet me out front in half an hour.”

“Okay.”

Hikaru had no idea what she wanted.

“It’s rare for you to ask a guy out,” Gloria teased.

Freya flushed. “I-It’s not like that! I’ll, uh… I’ll go put the ledgers away!” she stammered, leaving the counter.

“I’ll be leaving, then,” Hikaru said.

“Mr. Hikaru,” Gloria called as he was about to turn away. “Do you really only have Metropolitan Residents, Townspeople, and Villagers Relief God: Civilian as your Blessing?

She had asked the same question before. She seemed to be really curious about his Blessings.

“Yes. I’m just a novice adventurer who can’t complete commissions without hard work and study,” Hikaru replied as calmly as he could.

“I see. Be careful, then. Freya is no lightweight.”

Hikaru laughed. “I don’t think we’re going out for drinks. Bye.”

Feeling Gloria’s gaze on his back, Hikaru left the guild.