A new year has begun, so I'm posting this.
It has nothing to do with April Fools', so please don't get your hopes up.
There were a total of four men surrounding Amy. I quickly pulled Amy's arm and slipped out of their circle.
At the same time, Shiromaru leaped over us and got behind the men. Solomon was flying around overhead. As for Slarin… without anyone noticing, she was already at the men's feet.
We had them completely boxed in, putting us at a clear advantage.
"Wh-whoa, wait! We're not suspicious or anything!"
One of the men tried to explain, but—
"Suspicious people always say that."
I cut down the man's words without hesitation. The men started to panic, but then—
"Um, Master… those people are apparently Tamers…"
Amy spoke up, and I reflexively—
"They're after Solomon!"
…assumed and moved into an attack stance. Just then—
"Wh-whoa, wait, hold on a second! We just came to recruit you guys—!"
When I asked Amy to confirm, it turned out the man was telling the truth. They really were just trying to invite me and Amy to their group. They happened to spot Amy while on their way to find me, and had called out to her first. I saw that and assumed the worst, leading to this misunderstanding.
"…Is that true?"
"I swear to God, it's the truth!"
To me, that wasn't exactly convincing, but he didn't seem to be lying.
"My apologies. I jumped to conclusions."
I apologized sincerely, but the men didn't seem particularly bothered.
"No, I've heard about what's been happening to you lately, so I can't blame you for misunderstanding."
They forgave me just like that. The recent trouble they were referring to was about those people who tried to kidnap Solomon. I've defeated every last one of them and made sure to properly O-H-A-N-A-S-H-I them so they'd never dare try anything like that again, but that kind of idiot keeps popping up on a regular basis.
For now, I had Shiromaru and the others return to my side and decided to hear what the men had to say. The location was apparently the Guild, so they didn't seem to feel particularly guilty about it.
Following the men's lead, we entered the Guild and headed to the second floor, where we were shown to a table at the far end. An elderly man was already seated there, and upon seeing me and Amy, he stood up and welcomed us.
Name... Agri Monacart
Age... 61
Race... Human
Title... First-Class Adventurer, Tamer
"I'm Agri Monacart, the one putting this gathering together. Pleasure to meet you."
So saying, he extended his hand. I took it and shook it.
"I'm Tenma. And this is..."
"Amy. Nice to meet you."
She returned the greeting. Amy seemed a little nervous.
"So, what exactly is this gathering about?"
At my question, Agri looked surprised and turned toward the men who had brought us here.
"You lot! You didn't even explain anything and just brought them here?!"
He was furious. "You idiots!" he raged while the men scrambled to defend themselves.
"Sorry about that... Now then, how about we start with some introductions!"
With that, the men began to introduce themselves.
"Alright, I'll go first. I'm Ted. Nice to meet you."
Name... Ted
Age... 28
Race... Human
Title... Adventurer, Tamer, Carrier
"I'm Light Seedl. Nice to meet you."
Name... Light Seedl
Age... 26
Race... Beastman (Dog Tribe)
Title... Adventurer, Tamer, Traveling Merchant
"I'm Akagi Sakarat."
Name... Akagi Sakarat
Age... 24
Race... Human
Title... Adventurer, Tamer, Blacksmith
"I'm Aoki Sakarat. Akagi and I are twin brothers."
Name... Aoki Sakarat
Age... 24
Race... Human
Title... Adventurer, Tamer, Blacksmith
They all have the Title of Tamer. As for what else they have in common—
"We call ourselves the Tamer's Guild... though it's really just a small mutual-aid association."
That was Agri's explanation. The Tamer's Guild certainly wasn't something you heard much about. It didn't exist in Gunjou City, at any rate.
When I pressed Agri for details, he told me that in recent years, the number of Tamers had been gradually declining for the past twenty years. There used to be a guild specifically for Tamers, but it had become quite rare. Seigen had one at first too, but it went under a little over ten years ago.
One of the reasons for this was that Tamers simply weren't suited for dungeon conquest—or rather, it was too difficult for them. Broadly speaking, Tamers fell into three categories: those who gathered numbers, those who provided support, and those who went with a small, elite force.
Those who gathered numbers did exactly what it sounded like—they compensated for raw strength through sheer quantity of Familiars.
Those who provided support focused on reconnaissance and feints through their Familiars, dispatch runners using bird-type Monsters, and assistance with transport and movement using large Monsters.
Finally, the small-and-elite type was, in simple terms, someone like me. They specialized in assaults and interceptions using powerful Monsters.
The types suited for dungeon conquest were the support and elite styles, but the Monsters best at support weren't suited for combat, and the elite type rarely needed to team up with others. As a result, forming impromptu parties was difficult, and there were far more opportunities to make a name for yourself pursuing a career as a warrior or mage than as a Tamer—so the number of Tamers kept dwindling.
Even among that crowd, I was apparently an anomaly. My own combat ability was high, I could use magic, and my Familiars were all powerful. Given that, they figured they would be fools not to try recruiting me into their group.
"Oh, and let me be clear so there's no misunderstanding—we're not telling you to form a party with someone here and go dungeon-diving. The idea is simply that, if something comes up, having more Tamers around means there are more people to consult and more chances of finding a solution. That's one of our goals."
As Ted said that, Agri added on:
"Also, we help those who are trying to become Tamers for the first time. In Amy's case, she had Tenma, but that kind of luck is rare. So if people know our name, it's easier for us to reach out and offer a hand."
They also apparently exchanged advice on raising Familiars and shared tips about all manner of Familiar-related matters.
However, since each of them had their own adventuring work to attend to, it was rare for everyone to gather in one place.
From there, the conversation turned to each person's Familiars.
Agri's Familiars were a type of large ape called a Grappler Ape. Standing about 1.5 meters tall, they looked like something between a gorilla and a chimpanzee, with impressive strength and agility, and the dexterity to wield human weapons with ease. He had three of them, each equipped with a sword, spear, and bow respectively. True to their name, they were also more than capable of unarmed close-quarters combat.
Ted's Familiar was a giant hawk called a Thunderbird. It stood 2.5 meters tall, with a wingspan of nearly four meters. Ted would latch onto this hawk to travel long distances, which was why it was sometimes called a courier.
Incidentally, it possessed both lightning and wind attributes, giving it considerable combat power outside of dungeons.
Light had ten lynx-type Monsters called Hard Lynx as Familiars, and they were apparently quite active even in dungeons. The Hard Lynx stood about 1.2 meters long and, unusual for a feline species, had a habit of moving in packs. Still, some of the other adventurers would joke about how he was a dog-type beastman who used felines.
Then there were the Sakarat Brothers, who employed a peculiar method of controlling their Familiars.
These brothers apparently shared the role of master to their Familiars between the two of them. The first time I heard about it, I thought my ears were playing tricks on me, but it seemed to be true, and it was apparently regarded as one of the Tamer's greatest unsolved mysteries.
Their Familiars were a Mountain Turtle—a turtle-type Monster with a shell roughly two meters across—and a Flame Tiger, a tiger-type Monster that possessed fire attributes.
Incidentally, the other mysteries being debated included how the maximum number of Familiars was determined, and how to tame Dragons above advanced rank. As for the Dragons, it was said that answers might be found through me and Solomon.
As for the maximum number of Familiars, long ago a certain Tamer had tamed fifty wolf-type Monsters, but beyond that he found he could no longer tame any more wolves. However, he was still able to tame other types of Monsters, and since then there had been Tamers trying to unravel the secret.
When each of them traveled, they apparently used Dimension Bags with small capacities, but even a ten-meter-class bag cost at least several hundred thousand Gold at a minimum, so they made do with five-meter-class ones instead.
Incidentally, I had given Amy a ten-meter-class bag as a "celebration gift," since I didn't need it.
As a defensive measure against being targeted, the bag was equipped with a mechanism that would unleash a powerful "stun" against anyone other than the contracted owner who tried to force it open, attacking only the intruder.
However, it couldn't completely prevent theft, so I told them to use it only while the chicks were still young, and to keep it a secret.
For now, the men didn't seem to intend any harm, nor did they appear to be trying to take advantage of us unilaterally, so I decided to accept their invitation. Above all, I judged that they could be useful in reducing the possibility of danger to Amy.
They said I could join the Guild, but there was no contract or registration form to fill out—I simply had to show my intent and receive permission.
Still, since they had come to recruit me in the first place, I figured there was no way they would turn me down.
While I was at it, I decided to take a peek at the Guild's bulletin board, and that was when I ran into Jin and the others.
"Oh, you're here, Tenma."
I ran into Jin and his group. Convenient timing—I pulled the Giant Centipede's head out of my bag.
"I just beat one of these... Are there a lot of them around?"
I learned through Appraisal that it was a Gigant Death Centipede, B-rank, but I'd never heard of this particular Monster before.
The moment they saw the centipede, Jin and his crew jumped back, shouting.
"Don't bring that thing any closer!"
The adventurers nearby had the same reaction.
I thought it was decent material, so I could only tilt my head in confusion at everyone's reaction.
"O-Oh, Tenma... Is it really safe to touch that...?"
Jin asked nervously, so I replied:
"It bit me, but I used an antidote right away and was fine."
"\"\"\"That's not right!\"\"\""
Jin, Menace, and Garat all shouted in unison. Lina also spoke up in an alarmed voice:
"Tenma-san... this centipede, true to its name, carries a deadly poison potent enough to kill an Ogre in just a few minutes..."
She informed me that for a normal human-sized creature, the venom could be instantly fatal.
"Ah, I think it might be because I have a body type that's resistant to poison, so that could be why."
I tried to explain, but—
"No, no, no, no, that's not on the level of 'I'm just kind of resistant to poison'... You really are a freak, huh..."
That last part was muttered under his breath, presumably where he thought I couldn't hear, but it reached my ears crystal clear. So I said:
"Here, Jin."
And hurled the centipede's head at him. Incidentally, I'd already removed the fangs beforehand, so there was no danger... I think.
"Wha— GYAHHH!"
Jin reflexively caught the centipede head, then panicked and flung it to the side... toward Menace...
"Don't throw that thing at me!"
Menace also panicked and batted the centipede head back. The severed head sailed back in a perfect arc... and struck Jin square in the face. No, you could even call it a direct hit on the mouth. The centipede's head landed right on Jin's lips.
The time from when the centipede head hit Jin to when it fell to the floor was probably only about one to two seconds.
However, in that instant, every adventurer in the vicinity froze completely, and they all stared at Jin in unison.
The severed centipede head rolled across the floor, and the strange scene was almost enough to give the illusion that time had frozen in this area alone. What shattered that illusion was—
"NOOOO, I don't wanna die like this! S-somebody, give me an antidote, give me an antidoteeee!"
That was Jin's scream, flailing about in a complete panic. He was thrashing all over the floor, and when Lina saw his state, she spoke up hesitantly.
"Um, Jin... the Death Centipede's poison doesn't take effect through oral ingestion..."
"...What do you mean?"
Jin, still lying on the floor, asked the question... He still seemed to be confused, not understanding what Lina was saying.
"In other words, you're not going to die, Jin."
Once again, the illusion that time had frozen around us washed over us.
Jin slowly got to his feet, lightly brushed off his clothes to remove the dirt, then—
"Ahem... Tenma, that was dangerous, you know! Even if the centipede's poison doesn't work through... oral... ingestion?... that's no reason to—!"
He started closing in on me again as if nothing had happened. Behind him, a great number of people—including Menace and Garat—were desperately trying to hold back their laughter.
"Jin, even though the poison doesn't take effect through oral ingestion, ingesting a large amount could still cause poisoning symptoms, you know."
At Lina's words, Jin froze in place.
"Seriously... am I okay?"
"That amount isn't a problem. It would be dangerous if it were around a full cup, though."
At that, Jin clearly showed a look of relief.
"Pfft— I can't... I can't take anymore... my stomach's about to twist into a knot..."
"D-did you see that face of Jin's... he had the most relieved expression ever..."
The two behind him couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. And with those two as the starting point, the entire area erupted into a maelstrom of laughter.
"...S-somebody, give me an antidote, give me an antidoteeee!"
When I repeated Jin's earlier lines in a flat, monotone voice, it served as the spark that sent the surrounding laughter into an even bigger uproar.
"You bastard—hey, you, Tenma!"
Jin reached out to grab me, but I dodged smoothly,
"No way—I refuse to die like this!"
I piled on even more provocation. Jin was desperately lunging to catch me, but—
"Damn it, I can't catch him! Menace, Garat! Help me grab Tenma!"
He finally called his companions for help... but the two of them had laughed themselves to the point of crouching on the floor, clutching their bellies.
I figured I'd tormented Jin enough,
"Sorry, sorry, Jin. Here—take this as my apology."
So saying, I placed something on the table. It was...
"Wait a second! Isn't that the centipede's fang?!"
It was the very thing that had been the cause of Jin's earlier outburst, one could say.
"Oh, don't worry about the poison. I washed it off, and just to be safe, I"
Antidote
"applied one to it."
Even so, Jin wouldn't come anywhere near it. Seeing this, Garat said,
"Come on, that's great, isn't it, Jin? A Gigant Death Centipede's fang is incredibly useful!"
Garat slapped Jin on the shoulder as he said this, though his expression seemed to be barely holding back laughter.
Then, Menace patted Jin's other shoulder,
"He's right, Jin! Having the centipede's fang is a great chance to overcome your weakness, isn't it?"
They said that, but Menace's face also seemed to be barely holding back laughter.
"S-Is that so?"
Being swept along by the two of them like that, Jin gingerly put the fang away in his bag.
"Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen a centipede like this. Do they show up often from the thirtieth floor onward?"
The surroundings went quiet for a moment at my question. Did I say something wrong? I wondered, but Jin had already come back to his senses.
"Is that true? They're rare to begin with, and even if you venture down close to the fortieth floor, you'd hardly ever run into one..."
He muttered that, then informed the guild staff and had them put up a notice on the bulletin board.
"Well, regardless, this is a great achievement, Tenma! There haven't been any sightings around the thirtieth floor before, so now people can proceed with caution. You'll be less likely to fall victim to the centipede's venom."
Jin said that and also called out to the surrounding adventurers to stay on their guard.
While at it, I asked about how to use the centipede. Apparently the flesh had a bitter taste and was inedible as-is, but if you dried it out, roasted it over fire, and brewed it into a tea, it became a nourishing and strengthening tonic.
Furthermore, the shell was light yet sturdy, so it could be used for armor and even possessed magic resistance. Because of that, it was said to be popular among those who valued agility, as well as mages.
"Oh, speaking of which, Tenma. The centipede's venom has commercial value too."
That was Lina who spoke. She glanced around somewhat hesitantly, then quietly slipped over to me and whispered in my ear.
Apparently, if you heated the centipede's venom and diluted it with a liquid made from boiling several types of herbs, it could be made into a medicine that restored male vitality — and it apparently fetched quite a good price.
I had sealed the venom in a bottle just in case, and there was roughly five hundred milliliters of it. However, I had no interest in that sort of medicine at the moment, so I decided to save the venom for use during hunts or the like and store it back in my bag. Incidentally, since the venom lost its potency when heated, any prey taken down with this venom could be safely eaten once cooked over fire.
While we were making all that commotion, Amy came down from the second floor.
It seemed she had finished asking about taming and various methods for raising the young ones, so we decided to head home together.
On the way, Amy told me various things she had learned about raising companions.
For example, bird-type Monsters grew better when fed insect-type Monsters, and if you crushed Magic Stones or magic cores and mixed them into their feed, the resulting Familiars tended to end up with more Magic Power.
I happened to have a large number of goblin and Orc magic cores in my bag, so I gave some to Amy.
At first Amy was hesitant, but when I told her honestly that the magic cores I was trying to give her were low quality, came in large quantities, and wouldn't fetch much even if sold, so there was no need to hold back, I pressed them on her a bit firmly and she accepted them happily.
Since our plans for today had fallen through and it was that awkward stretch of time where starting anything felt half-hearted, I decided to get an early start on dinner.
The ingredients were... (technically) pork. First dish: tonkatsu. Second: ginger pork. Third: kakuni. Fourth: sweet and sour pork. Fifth: pork cutlet. Sixth: roast pork. Seventh: simmered cartilage. Eighth: shumai. Ninth: gyoza. Tenth: nikuman.
As I went along making everything I could think of, it ended up like this... In truth, I wanted to make even more Chinese and European dishes too, but I simply couldn't remember them, so there was nothing to be done.
However, the one I truly craved wasn't among them. I'd never made it in my previous life either, but I knew the general method.
It was a dish you made by carefully cleaning the bones and patiently simmering them to extract a rich broth — sometimes cooking onions, vegetables, and eggshells in together. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to let it simmer properly, and the other key ingredient was still missing, so it wouldn't be making an appearance at today's table.
Ah, how I wanted to eat it soon... That dish from my previous life, so beloved it was called a national staple — ramen! And specifically, my all-time favorite tonkatsu ramen!
I'd have to make the noodles from scratch too, but as a last resort, I could settle for just the broth.
Obviously, drinking the broth alone beats eating it with some weird noodles!
Eventually I planned to branch out with chicken-based, salt, miso, and soy sauce variations, but first came tonkatsu broth. Fortunately, I'd had plenty of chances to watch how it was made on TV shows in my previous life, so I should be able to recreate it somehow!
As I stoked my determination like that, the night deepened.
Incidentally, the food is almost all gone... I made extra planning to eat it over several meals, but our glutton Banzai wolfed it all down in one go... What worries me is that a second Banzai seems to be in the making. -- Tenma