by CHIROLU
When the time came to entrust Dale to them, his grandmother who led the clan and father who acted as representative for the main family invited the party to their home, where they gave them a warm welcome and made the formal request. Kenneth and them would never refuse to accept Dale at this point, but the party’s leader felt the need to say something then regardless.
“I’m no teacher, and I’m still inexperienced myself. I intend to do the best that I can as a leader, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll live up to your expectations.”
Seeing how Kenneth didn’t falter in the least when facing someone as eccentric as his grandmother was more than enough to raise Dale’s impression of the man, but Granny Wen just gave a hearty chuckle, not concerned in the least.
“I’m the one who should be saying that. If my idiot grandson ever seems hopeless, feel free to send him on back. You don’t need to feel so responsible with all this. I just want you to keep in mind that he knows nothing of the world beyond these mountains.”
That was how Dale was entrusted to the party, and though he was indeed ignorant of the ways of the world, he immediately started displaying his skill.
In addition to the archery techniques that were his clan’s specialty, he’d also learned the basics of wielding a sword from his father and grandfather. On top of that he was blessed by Quirmizi and possessed great skill with Earth magic, which he could employ in battle in both close- and long-distance fights.
That still wasn’t the extent of his skills, though.
Having come from a clan of hunters, he was proficient not only in capturing prey, but also dissecting and preparing it. He may not have had camping experience, but he was skilled at a great number of outdoor tasks. As they were essential in Tislow, he gradually acquired them from a young age, but that wasn’t the case for folks who grew up in the city. And despite being the heir to the head family of the clan, Dale wasn’t given a pampered upbringing, and was more capable in the outdoors than most.
Though Dale was still on the young side, he really did have the basics down a lot better than your average rookie, so he got a fairly high appraisal by the members of the party right off the bat. At the same time, Dale also realized that he was just getting a sort of grace period with his grandmother and father entrusting him to the party. He didn’t have any time for grumbling about being thrown out into the world or treated like a kid. Even when it came to odd jobs, he knew that he would need to be able to handle all of it on his own. And so, he knew he should be grateful for the opportunity to train himself in an environment where he could be taught.
It wasn’t like Dale was looking that far into the future or had accepted everything. That was only natural, though, considering his age and his feelings. And it was likely largely due to Kenneth being there to guide him like a big brother that Dale didn’t end up falling into anger or despair as badly as the adults around him had feared.
Kenneth was also still considered young for an adventurer, but even someone who had been raised to be the next head of the Tislow clan like Dale had to acknowledge his abilities that made him the cornerstone of the party. Then there was the impression he gave off just in terms of appearance, too. Kenneth had a large frame and a low voice, but he had a very friendly personality and felt like someone you could rely on. And that wasn’t all, as when he had to bare the brunt of an attack for the party, he projected some serious pressure towards the opponents and a definite sense of stability.
And it was under that man that Dale built up experience as an adventurer.
It wasn’t all that long in terms of the time they spent together. But even so, Dale had outdoors skills to start with, but Kenneth taught him how to interact with clients and ascertain market prices, and tried his best to make sure that he was always there when purchasing supplies. Being given the opportunity to have so many different experiences as much as possible provided Dale with a whole lot of experience. Dale got a great deal of fulfillment from what he learned each and every day, and on top of that he just plain enjoyed being together with Kenneth and his group.
By the time they visited Wal, Dale had grown somewhat accustomed to being a member of the party.
It wasn’t like they had come there explicitly to handle an extermination request or anything. They were just on their way back from a guard job, having escorted a client to a large nearby town governed by a local count.
“Since we’ve come all this way already, I’d like to take the chance to check out the fishing harbor.”
When Kenneth suddenly said that, the longtime party members and Dale weren’t surprised in the least. Dale had sensed what was going on with Kenneth pretty quickly when he noticed he wasn’t getting cooking duties shoved on him or even handling it in a rotation, as their leader was taking charge of that pretty much every single day.
He was blessed with a large frame that made him an excellent warrior when he dished out powerful blows with an axe, and occasionally he would even act as a shield for the rear while still actively giving out precise orders. And yet, being an adventurer was ultimately just a means to an end for Kenneth.
They traveled all around for their requests, and when they did he would always carefully check out the ingredients and cooking techniques of the region. And then, he would put the recipes he gained to use and recreate the dishes.
Dale didn’t perceive this as Kenneth merely being eccentric, though, as he sensed something akin to what he felt from the craftsmen back in his home village. He was familiar with that sort of focus that occasionally resembled obsession, repeating things over and over through trial and error. And the fact that Dale accepted that side of their leader actually caused Karel and the others to have a much higher opinion of the youth.
“A fishing harbor... Is that different than a port town like Qualle?”
As the second-in-command of the party, it was Karel’s responsibility to answer Dale’s question. This man was skinny and would be considered spindly at a glance, but Dale had come to realize even that was a tool to be used when he saw Karel being the one to negotiate with clients who were hesitant to deal with a rough group like adventurers.
“First off, they’re completely different in terms of scale. Qualle is the foremost trade port in Laband, after all. But since we’re talking about Kenneth, I’m sure he’s interested in the types of fish that can be caught in that part of the ocean.”
“Ah, I see...” Dale replied with a strained smile.
“I’m not too fond of smelly fish, myself,” Helmut chimed in.
“That’s no worry if it’s tasty, though,” Scipio added.
Salomo was a man of few words, so he just nodded along.
“It’s just a port meant for local fishermen, so it’s only really built to deal with small boats. Then again, the count’s land we just came from had a decent amount of seafood and processed goods passing through, so it’ll probably be fairly lively.
They followed along the highway while having that calm, idle chat, turning towards Wal as they went. As if to support Karel’s words, the path narrowed but still remained properly maintained. That was proof that they were doing definite business with neighboring towns. And since they were traveling there on foot, it was certainly appreciated.
“It would be a big help to either catch a return ship or a merchant carriage we could get a ride with,” Scipio said with a joking tone and everyone chuckled along with him, but that really was how they felt.
They spent one night along the way camping, then got rolling again early the next morning.
Dale wasn’t surprised in the least that the smoked meat they were treated to then was something Kenneth sometimes made while they were camping. He was shocked at how much the man’s skill as a chef showed just by placing that between two slices of bread as a snack, though. He must have cooked it absolutely perfectly. To be honest, it was way better eating Kenneth’s cooking than a meal from some mediocre restaurant.
When Dale conveyed that thought to him, Kenneth looked
a little surprised.
“The stuff your home village produces is all flavorful and high class. And your mom’s a pretty darn skilled chef, too. I’m not foolish enough to go making light of such country cooking. So you know, you probably have an even more discriminating palate than you think,” Kenneth said, sounding impressed. Dale just tilted his head, though.
“I don’t fuss that much over food, though...”
“Whether or not you do has nothing to do with how good of a tongue you’ve got on you... And besides, if you’re going to be eating something anyway, then it’s better that it tastes good, right?”
“Is that how it is?”
“Plus if you’re to be coming and going around elites, then being able to discern tastes definitely isn’t a bad thing. Still, no matter how high class the food, your own preferences will ultimately come first. After all, there’s no such thing as a taste that’ll satisfy everybody. But if my cooking’s to your tastes, then I’m glad to hear it.”
At the time, neither of them realized that a certain girl would learn from Kenneth and cause Dale to fall for her in part through his stomach. And of course, even though Dale had a more discerning tongue than he knew, she did a splendid job of searching out his tastes through careful consideration and observation, so that she could suggest delicious meals each and every day...
When Wal finally came into view, the first one to realize something abnormal was going on was, unsurprisingly, Kenneth.
“Something’s off...” he muttered, stopping and straining his eyes as they reached the top of a hill overlooking the town.
Noticing how Kenneth was acting, Karel came up beside him, while Dale shot him a questioning look.
“What is it?”
“The ocean doesn’t look rough at all, but there aren’t any ships out for fishing.”
“That’s true. And it’s still too early for fishing season to be over,” Karel agreed, then Dale finally got what was going on.
Observing the harbor, there were ships moored, but there were none to be seen out on the water. They had combined their knowledge together with their observations to realize the strangeness. Dale may have been out of his element, but still, he couldn’t keep relying on the excuse that he was raised in the mountains forever. And so he focused himself while also reflecting on his own shortcomings.
Thanks to that, Dale was able to notice something else.
“Hey... There’s something odd with that spot.”
“Where are you talking about?”
“A bit out from the harbor... The ocean’s an unnatural color. Is it how the light’s reflecting...? No, that’s not it, but it’s got to be something...”
The spot Dale pointed out was colored differently than the deep blue of the rest of the sea as it sparkled in the sunlight. It also didn’t look like what would be caused by a change in depth, so the party stared intently... only for it to sway.
It was now clear that there was some massive creature hidden there.
Before long they made it into Wal, and the streets were so dead that it practically felt deserted. Karel had a quick word with Kenneth, and then he separated from the group. Karel had a far gentler appearance than the rest of them, so it just made sense for him to break off when gathering information from townsfolk and the like. After all, most ordinary folks would probably quiver in fear if he was accompanied by tough-looking guys like Helmut and Salomo.
“Apparently it hasn’t been just recently that they haven’t been out fishing...” Kenneth muttered while looking at the state of the boats and fishing equipment.
“What should we do? Wait for Karel to come back?” Scipio questioned.
“We could also try talking to the town mayor, but... What is it, Dale?”
Kenneth had asked that because he noticed Dale was still staring out past the harbor to where that shadow was, not moving, only for some notably large waves to come crashing in. The ships moored there swayed greatly, and the seawater came eerily flowing up on the shore. As the seawater covered their feet, Dale braced himself subconsciously, but his gaze remained fixed out on the water.
“That’s...”
The silhouette was far too large to belong to any fish. And the tip of the massive beast’s tail could be seen piercing the surface of the water. Its scales were surprisingly vibrant, and they left a dazzling afterimage as it splashed the surface of the water.
Upon seeing the long, thin tail for just a second, Helmut uttered the name of the beast he had suspected since spotting it atop the hill.
“A sea serpent...”
“No, that’s not it...” Kenneth muttered, denying his ally’s words and seeming somehow taken aback. “Those distinctive vermilion scales... That’s an agate-eyed dragon...”
“Agate...?” Dale questioned, but then saw he wasn’t the only one confused by Kenneth’s words. Judging from everyone else’s reactions, this wasn’t just a case of him being ignorant of the world at large.
“It’s an aquatic type of dragon that lives in the ocean.”
From Kenneth’s explanation, it seemed this wasn’t a commonly known type of magical beast.
“Normally, it’s supposed to live out at sea, though. It’s not all that smart, and it can’t use magic, but apparently its magical resistance can prove tricky... This is actually my first time seeing one outside of just books...”
Dale realized from Kenneth’s tone that he was feeling something between excitement and admiration, especially after what he said next.
“It’s considered a legendary ingredient...”
“Huh?”
“I see.”
“So that’s it, is it?”
Dale was completely taken aback, but the longtime members of the party seemed like they had more or less expected this. Even the generally silent Salomo nodded along.
“Wait... Kenneth?”
“The taste changes when it’s frozen or even kept in cold storage, so it’s not an ingredient suited to being preserved for a long period of time and shipped around. Needing to taste it fresh in order to get its true deliciousness wouldn’t be enough on its own to qualify it as a legendary ingredient, though. The fact that it lives in a very limited area is also a big reason...”
Everyone else was silent.
Kenneth was normally calm and composed, but he was getting more and more heated up.
Even Dale could sense it: Kenneth had honed in on something, and there was probably no stopping him at this point. And the distant expressions on the other members of the party only served to confirm his assumption.
“Agate-eyed dragons usually live out in the open sea. Thanks to that, you need to fight them on the uncertain footing of a boat, meaning the main way to handle them is with long-distance attacks. However, they’re so resistant to magic that the means of handling them are seriously limited...” Kenneth stated, getting all the more worked up.
“Hmm? Hey, Kenneth...” Dale chimed in without thinking, but it seemed to get across. Rather than ignoring him, Kenneth stopped his explanation and turned to face the youth.
“What is it...?”
“If it lives at sea... Then what is it doing in this little harbor? Is there a chance that it’s some different magical beast with a similar coloration?”
“Well, it certainly isn’t normal for one to be so close to land... But nothing else would match those uniquely colored scales and that size.”
“Really?”
“The body colors of most types of sea serpent fall somewhere between blue and silver. There are fish with scales that are red like that, but none that big. And now that we’ve confirmed how the scales cling firmly to its body, it’s not likely that it’s a different species of dragon.”
He was clearly excited as he talked, but if he was able to make such detailed observations, then he hadn’t lost his composure.
“There are other types of red-scaled aquatic dragons, but those all live further north. They don’t come anywhere near Laband way down south. So there’s a
n extremely high likelihood that this is an agate-eyed dragon.”
“R-Right...”
“Though they live out at sea, I have heard tell of them occasionally coming into a harbor when chasing after a school of fish. I figure that’s probably what happened here.”
Dale had studied the ecology of magical beasts, plants, and animals to some degree, but he still couldn’t help but be impressed by how confidently Kenneth was able to make that statement.
He felt like the gap between him and Kenneth now went beyond just a mere difference in experience.
“So, what should we do? Wait till Karel comes back with some information?” Scipio asked.
Kenneth looked around at his party, then stated, “We’ll go talk to the town mayor. I never imagined we would run into such favorable conditions. So we really should get moving, before the request gets given to some other adventurers.”
With that, the party set out towards what they believed to be the mayor’s residence. They had gotten a glance at the town from atop the hill, so they figured they had an idea as to where it was. It had been apparent from even a glance that there were no firm walls around the town to keep out bandits and magical beasts like what you would see with a city, and it didn’t seem like the layout of the paths and buildings was meant to confuse visitors.
It certainly did have a rustic feel to it, but the scenery of the town also made it easy to tell the level of prosperity it possessed.
The mayor was surprised and clearly on guard at the sudden arrival of the adventurers, and once Kenneth started negotiating with him, he was shocked for a different reason entirely. And with that, he invited them inside to discuss the matter further.
When they exited the residence and stepped outside, they found Karel waiting for them past the gate.
“So you really were here, huh?”
“Yeah. We asked what we needed to. How were things on your end?”
