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TL: ALT
Chapter 159 – Jennifer’s Scout Caravan Day 4, Morning
The capital city of Estragon seems to have buildings stretching as far as the eye can see. There are many shops where it’s unclear what is being sold, and the merchants are of all kinds. There are adventurers, mercenaries, students, guild members, civil officials, and farmers—people everywhere you look.
Even on the main street, I have to be careful not to bump shoulders with others as I walk by.
Despite the early hour, there are so many people that it’s easy to get lost, but my destination was relatively easy to spot:
The Colosseum.
It’s the perfect place to show off my skills. I registered as a gladiator first thing in the morning and requested to be matched with the strongest “monster” possible. I figured it would take too long to show off my skills against humans.
“You can’t expect me to believe you when you’re dressed like that,”
The Colosseum receptionist said.
Most of the warriors were lightly armed but wore leather armor; many were clad in iron breastplates and other types of armor. I could see why someone dressed like a priestess would be mocked.
By showing the royal seal, I managed to arrange a fight with a goblin, even though goblins are said to be low-ranking monsters.
“Then, let’s start from there. If I can kill it with a single blow, will you increase the monsters’ strength?”
“Listen, it costs money to feed monsters and hire monster users. It’s not that easy.”
“Well, it’s fine. You’re just from the countryside, aren’t you? It’s the Colosseum’s job to teach you the harshness of the city.”
A man who looked like a senior receptionist came out and smiled at me. He clearly thought the certificate proving I was a messenger from the demonic land was fake.
“All right. Please take this money as collateral.”
I placed the bag of silver coins I had earned along the way on the counter. The two staff members looked inside and nodded.
“Finally, I’ll fight the strongest monster in this colosseum.”
“Ha! If you think you can do it, go ahead. I’ll give you an estimate for healing medicine and lodging.”
It’s a promise.”
“Yeah, make sure you don’t kill it with one blow. Make the match a little more exciting.”
Of course, I fought three matches against goblins and won all of them with a single blow. There were no monsters that allowed me to demonstrate how to fight in the demonic land. In the fourth match, the Green Tiger even tried to run away when it saw me.
I crushed its jaw with my mace so that it won’t be able to eat for a while.
“So, what’s the next monster?”
“We can’t do it anymore…”
It seemed that the Colosseum staff couldn’t handle it.
“You promised!”
When I confronted them, the two staff members cowered against the wall. This won’t help spread the word about my abilities.
“Hey, what are you doing!?”
A well-built staff member emerged from behind the counter.
“Hurry up and arrange a match for that girl, or the audience will get angry.”
When I turned around, the audience had gathered. Maybe my abilities were becoming the talk of the neighborhood.
“The staff member over there isn’t keeping their promise. They said that if I could defeat the monster in one blow, they would let me fight an even stronger one.”
“I see. So, the stronger the better? Don’t you fear being eaten yourself?”
“How am I supposed to be eaten by a monster that’s like a kitten compared to the ones in the demonic land? Please arrange for a monster that will allow me to demonstrate my true strength. Do you care at all about making the matches exciting?”
I sighed deeply, speaking as if utterly exasperated. It was a simple provocation, but it had an immediate effect on the staff member, whose face turned bright red instantly.
“Get a Basilisk ready immediately! Young lady, you can’t take back what you just said!”
“I won’t take it back, so please do it.”
I hurried to the waiting room to prepare for the match.
In previous matches, it was difficult not to defeat opponents with a single blow, so I had to think about how to make them bleed. I decided that a weapon with a blade, such as a one-handed axe, would be better than a mace.
The match weapons were already prepared, so I tried a few, but none felt right. I ended up sticking with my usual mace.
“Fighting monsters that don’t attack or eat you is unthinkable in the demonic land. And choosing a weapon that makes them bleed on purpose…”
What on earth am I doing? If Makyo-san and the others see me like this, they’ll think I’m a fool.
“The match is about to begin! Get ready!”
“Yes, yes. I’m coming!”
Despite the fact that it was only mid-morning, the arena was nearly full. Don’t they have to work?
In the arena, a massive serpent monster coiled itself, waiting for me.
Its body was as long as a carriage, and its mouth was wide enough to swallow me whole. A crown-like pattern adorned its head. I hadn’t seen it in the depths of the forest during my previous quest, but it seemed to be in the Colosseum now.
As soon as it saw me, it started to approach.
Gong!
A panic-inducing gong sounded, and the match began.
The Basilisk lunged at me, trying desperately to strangle me with its long body.
Screams rose from the audience.
I covered myself with a normal magic wall and decided to observe for a while.
The snakeskin made a grinding sound, but my magic wall showed no signs of breaking.
I was wary of being sprayed with poison from above, but the Basilisk didn’t attack me that way. Maybe there’s a better position for spitting poison.
I couldn’t hear the audience anymore, so they must have gotten bored.
“Then, here I come.”
I jumped up and swung my mace down at the crown pattern on the Basilisk’s head.
There was a loud clang, but it didn’t seem to have much effect. It opened its mouth and lunged at me with its poisonous fangs.
I swung my mace left and right, breaking its upper fangs. Yellow liquid sprayed forcefully from the broken fangs. I jumped back involuntarily.
Thud.
The Basilisk shook its massive body and fell backward, kicking up a cloud of sand.
I prepared for a counterattack, deploying a slime wall while watching its movements. However, the Basilisk didn’t move.
I approached to check and saw the mark from my mace on its head. It seemed that the first blow had caused a concussion.
Gong!
The match was over.
I raised my arms in response to the cheers, but my mind was already on the upcoming seminar. Since I didn’t have any written materials prepared, I would have to convey the survival techniques of the demonic land through words alone.
At the counter, I received 25 gold coins as a reward. I could claim a small fortune now.
“I’d like to hold a seminar. Is there anywhere I can do it?”
“Give me a break! It may have been just pocket change for you, but it’s a huge loss for us!”
Apparently, there are a few monsters that can compete in the main matches at the Colosseum. One of them was easily defeated, which made it unprofitable.
“I apologize.”
With that, I decided to leave the Colosseum for now.
“Ah, you have a guest. He’s right outside.”
As I was leaving, someone called out to me.
“A guest?”
When I stepped outside, I saw a line of soldiers waiting for me.
Had I done something wrong? I hadn’t done anything to get arrested, even though I was strong.
“Can you tell me your purpose?”
A tall, bearded soldier stepped forward and approached me.
“Wait a moment. There seems to be a misunderstanding. I was just following the rules of the match.”
“We know that. But you’re the messenger from the demonic land, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but…”
“Could you come to the barracks with us for now?”
I was surrounded by soldiers and led away, moving through the crowds on the streets of the royal capital and heading toward the barracks on the east side. The merchants who used to call out to passersby didn’t call out to the soldiers; they just looked at us in silence.
For a royal capital with so many people, the barracks were quiet, and there were several wooden training dummies standing in the small courtyard. However, one of the dummies had been broken and was lying on the ground, its stake still stuck in the ground.
The soldiers stopped there, saying, “Wait here,” before scattering and disappearing into the building.
“Is the Margrave doing well?”
“Huh?”
Before I knew it, a middle-aged woman was standing behind me. I hadn’t noticed her presence and had instinctively created a slime wall between us.
“You’re well trained.”
A man as big as a doorframe emerged from the building. Despite his smile, his eyes were sharp, reminding me of the captain of a training facility near the demonic land.
“That’s an impressive defensive wall. I suppose that’s what you get for living in the demonic land?”
The woman touched the slime wall and asked the man.
“I’m sorry. I heard you have something like a royal seal and a letter…”
The man ignored her and held out his hand toward me.
“Yes, this is it.”
I showed him the royal seal and handed him the certificate proving that I was a messenger from the demonic land.
“The handwriting is correct. It seems my brother is being taken care of.”
After glancing through the documents, the man spoke.
“Are you perhaps referring to the captain at the military facility on the border?”
“That’s right. He told me that the Margrave has been kind to him. No matter what happens, please keep an eye on the demonic land, he said. I helped the Margrave when he was elevated to nobility. My name is Warren.”
He extended his hand, which was so large that it could easily have wrapped around mine.
“I’m Jennifer Volkov. I’m in charge of general affairs in the demonic land. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Volkov… Are you from the southern tribe?”
“You know a lot. My grandfather was from the south. He moved north and acquired land, so I’m from there.”
There are many commoners with old noble names in the south.
“I think I’ve heard that before. Could you tell me why you came to the capital?”
“I’m traveling around the Kingdom of Estinia to teach survival skills and raise funds.”
Despite my explanation, Warren-san looked at the woman next to him.
“Jennifer isn’t lying. We’ve also received information from ‘the eagle.’”
When she said that, Warren-san nodded vigorously and replied in a deep voice, “Yes.” The “Eagle” must be the bird the woman is controlling. If she can control birds, information must travel quickly.
“I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but since the Margrave took office, rumors have been circulating nonstop. May I ask one more question? Is it true that there was a political upheaval in the demon kingdom, the Kingdom of Meiju?”
Warren asked, still standing.
“Yes, it happened several months ago. I heard that the demon who reside in the demonic land were caught up in the turmoil and fled. She returned to the demon kingdom once, but now we have established good relations with them.”
“Does that mean there is trade between the Demon Kingdom and the demonic land?”
“Yes, but not as frequently as with the military training facility. There have been various difficulties, such as the appearance of a giant magical beast and the discovery of ancient dungeons.”
“I see. There’s no need to hide anything. So, what survival techniques do you use in the demonic land?”
“It’s simple. It’s just a matter of observing, judging, and executing.”
I repeated the explanation I had given many times during my travels to the two of them.
“Kimmy, what do you think?”
Warren-san asked the woman. Her name seemed to be Kimmy.
“I think observation alone is important. However, it seems like it would take a long time to spread the knowledge through lectures.”
“I made a manual, but they ran out quickly, so I asked the church to make copies…”
“How much would you like to be paid?”
“I’m not sure. I think it depends on the adventurer’s abilities, and it might also vary depending on how I explain it.”
“Hmmm…”
Kimmy-san put her hand on her chin and began to think.
“It’s okay. Kimmy has connections in many places. I won’t let anything bad happen. Besides, this is a case involving the demonic land, so the royal family won’t stay silent.”
Warren-san smiled gently. Is Kimmy-san not in the military?
“You’re trying to demonstrate your abilities and spread the word, right?”
“That’s right. Am I wrong?”
“The survival techniques from the demonic land do indeed increase one’s chances of survival, but they won’t make someone so skilled that they can wipe out monsters in the Colosseum like Jennifer-san, will they? In fact, in the western region, where the monsters are weaker, you might have difficulty ranking as a cautious adventurer.”
“Life is more important than rank, isn’t it?”
“That’s true, but without practical experience in the demonic land, it might be hard to understand.”
“That’s true…”
Even soldiers who have trained in the demonic land can intuitively understand something, but those who haven’t seen the attacking plants might not grasp their danger.
“How many people have successfully survived in the demonic land?”
“Six people. There is also a golem. The gatekeepers of the demonic land haven’t failed either.”
“I’m uncertain about the golems, but I hear your numbers are gradually increasing.”
“That’s right.”
Kimmy-san slowly began to walk around the courtyard.
“Surviving in the demonic land may seem absurd, but it has high potential. You can also expect subsidies from the royal family.”
She began talking to herself, not addressing anyone in particular.
“The key is to make the training itself a viable business!”
As if struck by an idea, she looked at me.
“Um… What do you mean by that?”
“Well, just like a sword-fighting dojo or a magic school, maybe we could sell the demon land lifestyle as an educational program.”
“Sell it as a business?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Is that even possible?”
“This is the capital of the Estinia Kingdom. Anything can be sold here. There were even merchants who sold dungeons after the collapse of Yggdrasil.”
Warren-san answered.
“Dungeons…?”
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Any plans to go back and fix chapter 152?
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