CH 176

Ch. 176: Introductions

I walked into my room at the Cries of the Stars Inn.

I think a certain someone must have been doing some planning and arrangement before we arrived, because my room was coincidentally right next to Yuu’s. Cyril’s room was on the other side.

It……definitely gave me pause to think why things were arranged this way, but I tossed the thought aside. Unlike the building before, this reconstructed one had thicker walls.

And in order to fit all the rooms they needed for the inn, the rooms were big enough to fit a bed and a small writing desk. That was all. I placed all my gear and belongings inside more as a closet than a room.

I took a quick break, and by the time I was done doing a quick tour of the inn with my party, the day had turned to night.

The Adventurers who were gone during the day all came back to the inn, and in the living room space down below where they could relax and reflect on the day’s expedition, a few acquaintances recognized me and came to say hi.

After a bit, Mrs. Patricia would announce that dinner was ready, and everyone sprang up to go to the dining hall.

Once inside, we stood in a place where we could see the whole area.

I sucked in a breath and spoke up.

Henry: “So I see a few new faces, so I’ll go ahead and introduce myself. Nice to meet you. I’m Henry. I lived in this inn and left about a year ago. Today, I came back with a new Party, and we’ll be staying at this inn again.”

The goal was to have them remember our faces.

Since we are all residents of this inn, it’s important to know one another. Being in the same inn, it’s not unusual to form ad-hoc Parties, so knowing each other helps in this way too.

So if you are staying long-term, it’s customary to do these kinds of announcements and introductions.

Henry: “I am a Heroic Warrior class, and use the spear and Magecraft. …..I consider myself strong enough. It will be a pleasure working with you all. ーーand for those who already know me, I’m back! I’m glad to see that there’s no one missing since I left!”

There was a mix of booing and cheering in response.

It was still mostly positive, and feeling slightly embarrassed, I took one step back.

In my place, Jend stepped forward as we had already pre-planned.

Jend: “Umm, nice to meet you. My name is Jend. I use the Broad Sword, and use the Single Blade of the Fire God style. I…..think I can take on an Upper-Tier Lower Class creature by myself.”

Jend explains briefly his abilities and level of strength.

Since I have the title of Heroic Warrior, and the majority of the people here already know me, I skimped on the details, but it’s common to give a measure of your own strength like that.

Cyril: “Yes, I am Cyril! I am a Magician, and though it takes me some time to prepare……I’m very confident in the power of my Spells!”

“Confident? Can you be more precise? Like, how many seconds does it take to take down what?” Ruby, an Adventurer I knew, sat nearby and raised a question towards Cyril.

Since they were both female Adventurers, she probably popped the question to make it easier to talk after this. Just like from before, she tends to help people out by stepping in like this.

As if waiting for someone to ask, Cyril’s eyes brightened at the question and responded in kind.

Cyril: “Yes! Give me 5 minutes, and I can take down the Highest Tiers!”

The room suddenly grew quiet.

……yeah, I understand how they feel. 5 minutes is a long time, but if you can take down a Highest Tier, it’s well above expectations. Most of them are looking at me to confirm if Cyril is lying.

Ruby: “.....Henry?”

Henry: “It’s true. We took down a Hanuman quite recently, and it was her Spell that basically took it down.”

Ruby: “Oh….wow…..”

I answer Ruby’s question as objectively as possible.

If you claim to have fought a Highest Tier, the Grandes Church would have a record of that fight. If you were lying, it would be easy to confirm. Even then, it was hard to believe for everyone here, but they left the subject at that.

And even Cyril picked up on what everyone was thinking as she smiled wryly.

Cyril: “But I understand your doubts. You will see soon enough my skills and strength!”

And Cyril ended her introduction with a dramatic finish.

And yes, in a city where Demonic Creatures spawn like weeds one step outside the city walls, Adventurers will all get a chance to fight together, and they can see with their own eyes then.

Next is Ferris.

Ferris: “Nice to meet you. I’m Ferris. I am a believer of the god, Ningel, and I am a user of the Magecraft, Ningel’s Hand. Besides that, I can protect myself with a sword, and if you ever need to discuss an injury or illness, you can come talk to me.”

“Oh, a Healer.” One of the people in the crowd spoke their thoughts out loud. It really was a big plus to have more Healers around.

Yuu: “Oh, let me also add that I’ve had some ties with Miss Ferris, and her skills are beyond the Upper Class Healers. I would welcome her to work at our clinic any time.”

……and sitting at the same table as Ruby, Yuu had been smiling while she listened to Ferris’ introduction. When she added her insight at the end, everyone’s eyes widened and looked at Ferris under a new light.

Having a skilled Healer in your Party will greatly increase your Party’s chances of surviving. So everyone’s reaction is natural……and now I need to keep an eye out for scouts and poachers.

I know Yuu likes Ferris, but she could have…..actually, nevermind. They would have figured that out soon enough, and if you want someone to assess a Healer’s ability, Yuu’s analysis is the most reliable.

Teo was the last, and Ageha let out some whistling to cheer her on.

Teo: “I’m Teo. I am good with scouting and causing diversions. I am confident in surviving out in the wilderness and…..”

Teo reached inside the bag she slung from her shoulder.

…….the godly equipment is a solid representation of her skills and abilities. If she wants to introduce her skills as an Adventurer, you have to put this into consideration.

Teo: “This bag is a godly equipment, and it has [Space Expansion] and [Indestructible] enchantments. ……it can easily carry 10 or 20 barrels like this with ease.”

<BAM!> (*sfx)

She took a barrel, and it heavily slammed onto the ground.

Teo began taking out the Flowtier Ale we brought as a gift and began lining it up on the floor. 　

She took out a total of 3 and bowed politely.

ーーThe Adventurers in the room gulped hard at the sight looking between Teo and the barrels. And I get it. I understand how they feel. If I was in their shoes, I would be thinking of every trick in the book to get Teo to join their Party. If drawing her permanently into their Party isn’t possible, I would be thinking about how to form temporary Parties with her.

Being able to carry all the “just-in-case” equipment and all the creature drops, the [Space Expansion] ability is incredibly useful.

But that was the end of introductions.

Ruby: “.......hey, Henry? Didn’t you say you wanted to half-retire on the backlines, right? You didn’t go to recruit people, right?” Henry: “Yeahー”

I had to turn away at Ruby’s comment and gaze.

Jend might have been the least flashy out of the group, but being able to take down an Upper-Tier at his age is a rare sight.

And why I was able to find a Party like this in a peaceful town of Flowtier……I had no explanation. Coincidence can be an incredibly scary force of nature.

……….but putting that aside.

Henry: “Oh, this ale is a gift to you all. It’s a show of good will for us to get along.” “ “ “ YEAAAAHHH!! ” ” ”

And the men, especially the ones who love drinking, stood up to cheer.

BUT! Before that.

Henry: “Just one last thing! ……I know a few of you have been looking, but Ferris is dating Jend. So give it up!”

……..oh, a few look seriously depressed from the news.

Well, she is a beautiful woman with a great body, and she’s a Healer on top of that. I can understand how they feel. When we were in Flowtier, she was popular there too.

Henry: “Andー well…”

…….there’s a lot of people I know here, so it’s really embarrassing, but this has to be said.

I cough to clear my throat, and pull Cyril near me and hold her tight.

Cyril: “Huh?!”

Henry: “This one’s mine. If you do anything to her, I’ll kill you. That’s all.” “ “ “ WHAT?!?! ” ” ”

……the ones who knew me best yelped in surprise.

That’s right….I wanted it to be a surprise, so I didn’t write in my letters that I had a girlfriend.

Well, we can talk about that later.

Cyril: “Hey, Henry. Don’t treat me like a thing! That’s rude!”

Henry: “Sorry, sorry.” Cyril: “Besides, don’t you have it backwards? You belong to me.”

Hey, isn’t that rude too? Ageha: “And ALSO! Teo is my cousin. If you go after her, you better be prepared!”

And Ageha stood up to make her announcement as the crowd was still recovering from mine.

……..prepared? I assumed she meant that you better be prepared to die.

Though she’s still a kid, you can see that Teo would be quite beautiful in a few short years, so there were guys who were interested. But with Ageha’s words, I wonder if anyone still has the courage to ask her out. Yeah, nope. There’s not.

……..anyways, let’s get started with drinking this ale.

Henry: “Mrs. Patricia! Could you bring out the mugs?!”

Patricia: “Yes, yes. I’m already on itー”

I yelled towards the kitchen, and a parade of beer mugs sailed through the air in a perfect line.

….Mrs. Patricia is a master of Magecraft, and she is able to utilize those skills with her day-to-day life. Carrying mugs like this is nothing to her.

Henry: “Great. Jend, let’s start filling these up.” Jend: “Sure.”

I passed an empty mug to my Party first since we brought the ales here.

The Adventurers all got in a line, and I greeted each one as I filled a mug for them.

Jend and I poured the drinks, and the women in our Party passed them on. Adventurers are dominantly male. Even if you know the girl is taken, there’s no beating having a pretty girl pass you a drink.

I confirmed that everyone got a drink, and we filled our own mugs.

It’s a little embarrassing, but I am still the Party Leader. I lift my mug for a toast.

Henry: “.......now then, I’m glad to be back in the same inn with the same guys. We wish you the best in your expeditions and toast to the god of battle. …….CHEERS!”

“ “ “ CHEERS!! ” ” ”

The Adventurers’ voice echoes across the hall.

That night, the Cries of the Stars Inn was very bright and cheery as the night passed.

<<<<>>>>

CREDITS

Semi-retired Adventurer Lives Leisurely

Written by Hisagushien

Translated by: ChonkyTranslator

Japanese Title:

セミリタイアした冒険者はのんびり暮らしたい

作者: 久櫛緑（ヒサグシエン）

Original Source:

Book 11 Preparation for the Journey

Ch. 119 - 135

Book 12 The Mages Tower

Ch. 136 - 155

Book 13 - Before Departure

Ch. 156 - 171

Book 14 - Ligaleo

Ch. 172 - 184