Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 119

Leaving the Adventurer’s Guild, I boarded a luxurious carriage headed for the mansion of Lord Carlisle.

Showing the letter and the order with the emblem, the coachman, without any complaint, respectfully helped me onto the carriage.

It’s borrowing the might of the tiger, but it’s easy to delude oneself into thinking they’ve become someone important.

I wonder if even former CEOs in my past life felt like this.

Lost in thought, we arrived at the lord’s mansion in no time.

Handing the letter to the gatekeeper, I was easily allowed entry, as if everything had been arranged beforehand.

As I stepped out of the carriage, I was greeted by Beldan, the elderly butler, impeccably dressed in a tailcoat.

Beldan bowed deeply upon seeing me.

“Shuu-dono, I sincerely appreciate your prompt response to our sudden invitation.”

“Oh, no need to mention it. I’m indebted to Lord Carlisle, after all.”

Feeling deeply unsettled to have someone much older than me bowing, I couldn’t help but feel like I was causing trouble.

While I had thought being a CEO was good just now, I realize that those in higher positions probably deal with this kind of thing daily. It might be too much for a timid person like me.

“I’m grateful for your understanding. Allow me to show you around promptly.”

With a relieved smile, Beldan guided me through the mansion.

Though I was nervous last time since it was my first visit, knowing that the lord is a kind person gave me a bit of peace of mind.

We walked down a corridor lined with red carpet for a while. Eventually, we were led to the same reception room as the last time I visited.

When Beldan opened the door, Lord Carlisle Enops was already inside the room.

“Hey there, Shuu-dono. I apologize for summoning you back so soon after your return from Lindblum.”

“No, it’s an honor for an adventurer to be invited by a lord.”

“…Shuu-dono is a good person. Unlike Saffy, who never comes when called, and when she does, she acts so arrogant that you can’t tell who the noble is.”

Carlisle’s expression seemed distant as he listened to my words.

It seemed that there had been various issues between Carlisle and Saffy in the past, especially regarding the matter with the Red Dragon.

It must be difficult to deal with someone like Saffy, who has both wealth and power. But if you hang out with her without discussing any difficult topics, she seems like the neighbor’s lazy older sister.

To change the subject for now, I handed a souvenir to Beldan.

“Oh, this is a souvenir from Lindblum. It’s just a token of appreciation.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for the trouble.”

I hadn’t prepared any fancy souvenirs, as I hadn’t expected to meet the lord, but I figured it was better than nothing, especially since it was known that I had been to Lindblum.

I thought Beldan would take it away, but Carlisle seemed interested and ordered the gift to be opened.

Beldan arranged the contents of the souvenir on the table.

There were whelk shells, pieces of coral, dried Abysscus flowers, and seaweed.

When I tried explaining, Carlisle showed a strong interest in the shell.

“Wow, they really make different sounds. I like it.”

He murmured with amusement as he blew into each shell.

Despite his refreshing appearance, he seemed surprisingly childish.

Since he has children of his own, I thought about giving them to them, but Carlisle seemed to like them.

He might use them to pass the time or as an alternative to calling the servants.

After explaining the souvenirs for a while, Beldan brewed some tea.

On top of the tea were the Abysscus flowers.

Indeed, they paired excellently with the tea, enhancing its elegant aroma.

As Carlisle sipped his tea, he casually asked like small talk.

“How was Lindblum? Were you able to rest?”

“It was tough, with requests from the local lord, the opening of the Undersea Temple, and encounters with the Kraken, but I managed to have a good vacation.”

“Keh!”

When I lightly recounted the events in Lindblum, Carlisle choked.

“Are you alright?”

“Could you tell me more about it?”

Huh? Didn’t he already know that I had been to Lindblum and knew about the events there?

While pondering this question, I continued recounting the events in Lindblum.

It seemed that Carlisle didn’t know the details.

I had assumed he had heard about it through the Adventurers Guild or the lord’s network.

“First the Red Dragon, then Dvorak, and now the Kraken… Shuu-dono, are you cursed?”

“I’m starting to think so myself. I just want to relax and gather materials…”

I couldn’t understand why I kept encountering such dangerous creatures wherever I went.

I didn’t sign up for a life of hunting dangerous creatures for materials.

I’d be happy with more mundane materials like herbs and mushrooms. If I had to be greedy, rare materials would be nice.

“Hmm, I’d like to ask for your help with gathering. What do you think?”

Carlisle proposed, noticing my distant expression.

“A gathering request? What kind of materials?”

I couldn’t remain silent upon hearing about a gathering request, especially if it came from a lord.

It might be an interesting material.

“This time, I’d like you to bring back Volkanos eggs.”

“…What is a Volkanos?”

“It’s a huge lizard-like creature that inhabits the Ladeo Volcano, moving around in the magma.”

Ladeo Volcano.

I remember recognizing it on the map as a volcano located northwest of Grantel.

It’s a harsh environment in the volcanic region. It’s a place teeming with resilient creatures adapted to such conditions.

When it comes to volcanoes, I recall in Monmon Hunter, various materials could be obtained. If given the chance, I had wanted to visit at least once.

“Hmm, it seems we’ll ultimately have to defeat it and retrieve the eggs…”

Judging from the troublesome information I heard, it seemed inevitable that it would come to that.

If that’s the case, it’s different from the gathering request I was hoping for.

“Volkanos eggs are considered a delicacy due to their rarity. Because of this, adventurers have been hunting them en masse, leading to a decline in their numbers.”

“…So, we shouldn’t defeat them?”

“Yeah, I don’t want you to hunt the adults. That’s why this is a gathering request.”

Carlisle nodded with a smile.

It seems that in this world, even for monsters, there is a concept of restricting hunting to avoid extinction.

“Are Volkanos eggs really that delicious?”

“I’ve never tried them myself, but I’ve heard they’re a delicacy. This time, a certain gourmet noble desires them. If you can bring them as a souvenir, it will greatly benefit my future dealings.”

“I see.”

Carlisle emphasized the part about being “extremely” dangerous.

It seems that even in noble society, things can be quite tough.

“The danger level of Volkanos is B-rank, and it’s extremely difficult to retrieve the eggs without defeating them. That’s why I want someone like Shuu-dono, who has made a name for himself as a gatherer, to do it.”

The volcanic region is already dangerous enough. With the added constraint of not being allowed to defeat the freely moving Volkanos in such an environment, retrieving only the eggs would be challenging.

Even in Monmon Hunter, if you tried to take just the eggs, the Wyverns would become enraged and attack.

Avoiding that while bringing the eggs back would be quite difficult. Moreover, the danger level of the Volkanos is B-rank.

However, it’s a great opportunity to visit Ladeo Volcano, and challenging gathering requests like this are something I’m excited about.

After carefully considering the detailed reward from Carlisle, I decided to accept the request.

“Understood. I’ll take on that request.”

“Thank you, Shuu-dono! I really appreciate it!”

Since it’s a dangerous request, the reward is quite substantial, and the fact that they’ll cover a good portion of the travel expenses is also appealing.

Even if it’s a dangerous place, if there are rare materials, I want to go gather them.

They said they only need one, so I hope to somehow secure extra and taste the delicacy.