Volume 1 Chapter 64 A Peaceful Celebration
On the evening we returned from the Adventurer's Guild, a celebration was held at the mansion owned by the Clow Merchant Guild to commemorate the conquest of Aquaflow Cavern.
"To the young adventurers who conquered the dungeon! And to the future of Trasverum and its merchants! Cheers!"
"Cheers!!"
As Elliot made the announcement, musicians began to play, filling the entire first floor with elegant music.
"Wow..."
Looking at the luxurious dishes arranged on the long dining table, Fatina wagged her tail and sparkled with excitement.
Each dish looked like a masterpiece, and a delightful aroma filled the air.
Both Fatina and Mel were dressed differently from their usual outfit.
Mel's outfit was similar to his usual style, but Fatina wore a white blouse with a long brown skirt, similar to what she had worn when we first met in the forest. It must have been provided by the merchant guild.
Fatina declared, "Itadakimasu!" and gripped the knife and fork, placing the food onto her plate. She first savored the thick, juicy meat, and instantly a blissful expression appeared on her face. It seemed to exceed her expectations.
"Did you like the food? Everything was prepared by our chefs."
Right behind her, Elliot, who had led the toast earlier, appeared and spoke up.
"Yes! It's truly delicious, unlike anything I've ever tasted before!"
"Hahaha, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Please, don't hesitate to enjoy more."
"Thank you, Elliot-san. This fish dish is also really delicious."
"If you say so, the chefs will surely be delighted. And all of the dishes here make generous use of the rare spices we sourced from distant lands."
Elliot looked proud when both of them spoke to him. He probably didn't know, but since the princess Mel praised him, there couldn't be a better compliment.
"In this matter, I really were helped by everyone. As one of Trasverum's representatives, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you."
Elliot bowed politely to us.
He doesn't know the reason why we were trying to conquer the dungeon. So, it seems like he thinks he's the only one who was helped.
"No, we just entered the dungeon for our own reasons. Plus, we couldn't have conquered it without Chester's help."
So, it's a mutual help situation.
When I said that, Elliot raised his head and shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm grateful to hear you say that. I never imagined that Chester, who is neither a knight nor an adventurer, would go all the way to the lower layer of the dungeon. Thank you for protecting my son, I am grateful many times over."
"No, I'm the one who ended up involving Chester-san, I'm sorry."
As Mel chatted away, Fatina skillfully served food while listening. It seems that her [Sword Saint] skill also comes in handy for handling knives during meals.
Seeing her like that, the two of them exchanged smiles.
"Hahaha, I have plenty of refills ready, so there's no need to rush and eat. Please enjoy yourselves to your heart's content tonight. Well then, I'll go and say hello."
With that, Elliot said and moved away from us to join another group of guests.
"Ngh!?"
Suddenly, Fatina tapped her chest, grabbed a glass from the table, and quickly drank it all.
"Phew! This drink is delicious too!"
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that she had drunk wine. Hopefully, it won't be like Voltana's tavern again...
"Phew..."
As I put the food on my plate, I took a quick look around the entire hall.
There were many guests gathered in the large hall, and the atmosphere was lively.
The guests were diverse, some dressed in elegant clothes and dancing, while others in ordinary clothes were singing loudly and making a fuss.
It was a very strange sight to see them mixed together and gathered in one place.
Elliot seems to have invited a lot of his acquaintances. It was clear that he was well-respected by the merchants of Trasverum.
"...Mel-san! Let's dance too!"
"What? Ah, Fatina-san!?"
Sure enough, soon Fatina, drunk and her face red, took Mel's hand, stepped in front of her, and started dancing.
Perhaps she often danced in the village where she lived.
"P-please calm down!"
I thought to myself, but it seemed like Fatina was simply spinning around with her hands on Mel's back...
I could hear the laughter of the guests who were watching. It was well received, which was great.
"Hey there, Ark-san. Are you enjoying yourself?"
Just as I was watching this strange dance for a while, Chester arrived.
I thought he might be dressed up, but he was wearing his usual clothes of a white shirt and black pants.
"Oh, thanks to you."
I shifted my gaze to Fatina and the others dancing. And as I did, Chester was also laughing while watching them.
"We were helped a lot in Aquaflow Cavern. Thank you."
"Oh no, I just tagged along on my own. And besides, the battle was a complete mess."
"It's not just the battle. The guild used the name of the merchant guild to vouch for our abilities. And... if Chester hadn't been there at that time, I wonder what would have happened to Fatina."
"Oh, is that what you're talking about?"
He mumbled like that, tilting the glass he held in his hand while hiding his face.
"I lost my mother at a young age, you know. At that time, my father often said that if there had been a cure, maybe she could have been saved."
I had never seen Chester's mother in the mansion. Although I was curious, I didn't dare ask, but it seemed she had already passed away.
Perhaps that's why he immediately used a potion on Fatina, who was attacked by the Lich. She might have had a similar experience.
After a moment of silence, Chester exclaimed, "Oops," and suddenly turned his face towards me, as if he snapped back to reality.
"We've been talking about such somber things during this special feast. How about a drink, Ark-san? It's a fine wine that we brought out from the cellar just for today."
"No, sorry, but I can't drink liquor, so I'll just accept the sentiment."
Instead, I brought a fish dish to my mouth using a plate. Just as Mel had said, it was very delicious.
"That's too bad," Chester said with a wry smile as he stared at the end of the hall.
Ahead of his gaze was Toto, a cat-kin.
Toto is happily talking with the other women. She is also wearing normal clothes, except for her apron. Maybe she doesn't have a dress, or maybe she doesn't dress very well to begin with.
Now that I think about it, if she hadn't been kind enough to take us to the Crow Merchant Guild, we wouldn't have met Chester and the others like this. So I have to be grateful.
After a while, Toto seemed to notice Chester's gaze, glanced at him, and smiled. Chester just gave her a shy smile.
"Do you have to go talk to her?"
I think Chester has a lot to tell her.
But he just grunted, "Hmm," and didn't make any move.
"It may require more courage than heading to the depths of the dungeon."
As he spoke, Chester scratched his cheek with his fingers. It seems like this gesture is his habit. He seems surprisingly hesitant.
...No, I was just like him until recently.
"By the way, how long will Ark-san and the others stay? How about making Trasverum your base for living? You are welcome to use the mansion freely."
"That's kind of you, but I can't stay for too long."
"...I see. I knew that and still asked intentionally. I'm sorry."
We have a goal to collect three keys before King Cretia.
I explained that to Chester. So, we can't relax until that is done.
Ideally, we should start discussing the plans from tomorrow with the three of us to head to the 'Inferno Pathway' for the last key, but...
Looking into the depths of the hall, I saw Fatina, who had been dancing just a moment ago, curled up on the carpet like a cat, peacefully sleeping and breathing softly.
Next to her, Mel covered her face with both hands, while receiving laughter and stares from those around her.
"..."
Reluctantly, I picked up sleeping Fatina and carried her to her room on the second floor.
After that, I decided to tell Elliot and Chester to rest early.
As I listened to the continuing sounds of the banquet, I lay on my bed in my room and closed my eyes.
Tomorrow, I will discuss the future with the two of them.
So, I wanted nothing more than for nothing else to happen.
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