CH 69

Chapter 69 Even Though It’s A Named Monster

When I informed Ian that we were going back to the labyrinth city, he came back just before departure.

…… It seems that the teasing was very hard to bear.

I don’t know when, but it seems that he has finished the piled-up works in the royal capital, and now he and Elsa are exchanging information about me in front of me.

Ugh….

It makes me curious about what they’re talking about me….

「Onii-sama, what kind of person is Ian?」

After learning that Ian was a member of the party, Esther seemed to be curious about him, but he read the situation and remained silent.

Then, as soon as we left the royal capital, he secretly asked me about Ian.

「Hmm…. Basically, he’s an honor student who can handle anything easily. He’s kind and caring, so if you can’t talk to me about something, you can talk to Ian.」

「Um…. I feel like Ian-san has been making a scary face since a while ago…. I wonder if it’s okay to talk to him….」

「It’s okay. He might be in a bit of a bad mood today, but I’m sure he’ll be back to normal tomorrow….」

He probably can’t calm down because it’s been piling up.

After sending Esther to Ian, Ian’s expression softened a little.

It’s the same with Leftover-kun and Nina… Ian basically has the nature of an eldest son and he’s soft on children.

By the way, when Esther was taking a rest in the carriage, Ian came over to me and said something like, 「Please don’t let someone with pretty looks get close to me. I’m having a hard time right now, so much that age and gender don’t matter」.

…… Ian- kun, don’t tell me something like that.

I chill ran down my spine when I heard that….

After arriving at the labyrinth city, we arranged a place to stay at the inn we used before.

After asking Nina to make light meals for the exploration, I took Esther to the Adventurer’s Guild to check the information in my absence.

Now, he’s alone in the men’s room.

…… I hope he could enjoy it to his heart’s content while being careful not to let the two children find out about it later.

When I arrived at the guild, Mona-san served us tea and cake, and I introduced Esther while greeting her.

When I told her that he’s likely to become a high-ranking adventurer after being released from slavery, she explained the guild to Esther with a big smile on her face.

「By the way, did anything change while I was away?」

If there’re any changes in the labyrinth, it could affect our exploration.

I want to avoid the worst case situation, so I want to know even the smallest changes.

「There was a big change…. Jink-san, have you heard about Dorc?」

「Dorc?」

What’s that…?

「It seems that the Orc General on the 15th floor has been possessed by a human soul… and it evolved into a named monster that can speak.」

What!?

There’s a rare case where the soul of a human who died with lingering attachments to this world possessed a monster.

If the monster evolved into a named monster due to the possession… it’ll inherit the human’s memories and intelligence.

The Orc General was treated as a B rank monster because it’s not smart and its movements are monotonous….

But if a boss monster that would respawn after being defeated became a named monster… it’s a serious matter.

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「Then, the difficulty becomes harder than before… and there are less adventurers who can advance beyond the 16th floor…」

「Ah, no…. It seems that the human who possessed it was terribly stupid, so the Orc General’s movements became even more monotonous….」

「…… Huh?」

According to Mona-san, the named Orc General’s movements have become easier to read than before….

It seems that it’s weaker now that even a C-rank party can defeat it if they listen to a veteran B-rank adventurer’s instructions.

Moreover, every time he sees a woman, he will rush at her, so the difficulty will drop even more if you use a honey trap tactic….

「He’s so disappointing that adventurers began to call him Dorc….」

「That’s…. Well, isn’t it a good thing that fighting the boss became easier? The quality of the materials either stayed the same or went up, right?」

I don’t think the stupidity would affect the body….

「Yes…. According to the pharmacist, the testicle’s effect has increased considerably. The testicle’s drop rate also has gone up and the guild is making a huge profit.」

Thinking about the human who possessed it, it’s kinda gross… but in the end, it’s a good thing, isn’t it?

「I am glad to hear that. Well, I do not feel like eating meat dropped from a human-possessed named monster, so when I hunt the Orc General in the future, I will deliver all the materials to the guild and Lorentz Company.」

「Thank you very much. There are many people who do not mind that, so the demand for meat is still high. We will buy it at a high price anytime!」

I wanted Esther to enjoy the Orc General’s meat, but there’s nothing I can do if it’s possessed.

Considering the human’s personality, it’s definitely not good for education, so let’s give up on repeating the boss room and look for another tasty monster.

「Also, if you can afford to, there is something we would like to ask you….」

Apparently, due to the weakened boss of the 15th floor, more adventurers are stepping into the 16th floor and beyond, and it’s causing chaos….

「Due to conflicts between factions and the influx of inexperienced adventurers to the lower floors, the number people who don’t return from the labyrinth have been increasing. If you see an adventurer in a critical situation, could you please help them?」

「Let’s see….」

Anyone in our party can use recovery magic as long as they have buffs, so they are perfect as rescue personnel.

But… it might become troublesome later, so let’s make it a little vague.

「We will give top priority to our own exploration, and if it is not too much of a burden, we will help them.」