**Side: Manalease**
After reporting our conquest of the Solpreza Labyrinth in the Dragon King’s Castle and presenting one each of the Labyrinth Core, Aurora Dragoon, and Dark Dragoon, we stopped by the Hunter’s Guild.
They had already been informed of our success in conquering the Solpreza Labyrinth, but a direct report from us was still necessary.
“…The conquest of the Solpreza Labyrinth is wonderful news for the Valentia branch of the Hunter’s Guild, but hearing about your achievements gives me a headache…”
“I can imagine…”
Kaname, the Head Hunter’s Master, and Remy, our dedicated receptionist and a friend of Lydia and Ludia, buried their faces in their hands with tears welling up in their eyes as they let out great sighs.
I could understand their feelings perfectly, which made me feel even more apologetic.
“To be fair, we might have hunted a bit too much.”
“Yes. Well, aside from the Dragoons, we encountered the others by chance, so I think this is about right.”
Yet, Yamato and Prim, the culprits, were saying such things.
I still don’t know how to instill proper hunter standards in these two. Is there anyone who can teach me?
“You see, Raid, who confirmed the Guardian’s chamber, may have defeated the Lesser Dragoons, but he largely ignored all other monsters. Even so, he was attacked by Macronarias and Velociraptors along the way and had some dangerous encounters. Yet, you two, far from being in danger, were gleefully hunting this massive amount. It’s enough to give anyone a headache.”
I completely understood her feelings.
When I heard from Float that these two had single-handedly defeated a Demise Species, I genuinely had a headache.
“Not only that, but everyone’s levels have reached unbelievable numbers!”
We couldn’t believe it either.
Mina, Flam, Athena, and Rebecca, in particular, have also evolved into High Class, turning us into a unit where all hunters are High Class, which is utterly absurd.
“Let’s give up on that. If we let ourselves be surprised by every little thing, we won’t survive.”
Kaname stated this with a blank expression, and Rika nodded emphatically in agreement. It seems that Sierra, the Head Hunter’s Master of Amister, as well as the provincial governors of Feel and the Guild Masters, have all reached a similar state of resignation. Is it just a natural conclusion for anyone?
“That seems like the best approach. So, what about the rank-up procedures?”
Remy looked like she really didn’t want to do it, but it couldn’t be helped. Well, normally, that is.
“There are various complications, so we’ll do that after we return to Feel.”
When Yamato said that, Remy let out a sigh of relief.
“We’ve heard about the situation, and it’s probably for the best. Especially since if Prim were to be processed, she’d become an M-rank hunter, which could lead to Valentia being suspected of involvement.”
We had been discussing this even after arriving in Dragunia. As expected, Prim’s level had reached 73, so if we were to process her rank-up in Dragunia, Valentia would very likely get caught up in the Baliente commotion. While it’s impossible to hide our presence in Valentia, and we can’t avoid some level of involvement, the most critical issue is *where* the rank-up occurs. Therefore, Prim’s rank-up must be handled exclusively in Feel. Or rather, it could potentially be done in Float.
“That’s up to them, so it’s not something we can force. And regarding the buyback, this is all, right?”
“Yes, please.”
The buyback. The monsters to be bought by the Hunter’s Guild of Dragunia are as follows:
* 1 Armor Drake
* 3 Winger Drakes
* 10 Velociraptors
* 2 Allosauruses
* 1 Proto-ceratops
* 1 Brachiosaurus
* 1 Titanosaurus
* 3 Macronarias
* 2 Sky Scorpions
* 3 Whipper Monkeys
* 1 Grand Deathwurm
* 1 Blueleaf Ent
* 2 Lesser Dragoons
* 1 Thunder Dragoon
* 1 Cave Dragoon
Of course, we couldn’t bring all these monsters to Amister. Even Feel, let alone Float, couldn’t handle such a massive quantity at once, so it was better to sell them off in several batches rather than all at once.
“Armored Drakes and Winger Drakes would normally be incredible, but with this lineup, they seem insignificant.”
“Truly. Moreover, just two Lesser Dragoons are amazing enough, but to have a Thunder Dragoon and a Cave Dragoon as well… there’s bound to be an insane bidding war.”
We don’t plan on using the Lesser Dragoons, but they are P-rank monsters, so they’ll sell out immediately. And with the Thunder Dragoon and Cave Dragoon this time, it does feel like a fierce competition will erupt.
**Side: Yamato**
After reporting the conquest of the Solpreza Labyrinth to the Hunter’s Guild and selling the monsters including the Dragoons, we returned to the Amister Embassy to celebrate Raus’s birthday.
The monsters from the Solpreza Labyrinth hadn’t been processed yet, so they were unusable. However, we had Abyss Taurus, Winger Drakes, and Heavy Shell Grizzlies in storage, and having them prepared at the embassy made for a very extravagant dinner.
The next day, we went back to the Hunter’s Guild, and this time, only Athena was to be promoted. Athena had only recently registered with the Hunter’s Guild, and before going to the Solpreza Labyrinth, she was an I-rank hunter. Thus, she couldn’t be promoted directly to S-rank. So, our plan was to have her promoted to C-rank here, and if possible, to B-rank in Float. The others could all be promoted normally. Mina, in particular, was getting a two-rank upgrade. It would be less troublesome if they were all promoted in Amister. When asked about a parade for the labyrinth conquest, we politely declined. His Majesty Folias had already been informed, but a parade would have been days later, requiring us to stay in Valentia longer. We simply didn’t have any more time to spare. Of course, the biggest reason was that it was too bothersome. So, while our conquest of the Solpreza Labyrinth was widely known, no parade would be held. The Dragon King’s family was already stretched thin with the matter of the Nizhëgurk Ducal family and the situation in Abarisia.
After that, we visited the Highwind family, paid our respects, and then departed Dragunia. Our destination was Mount Wilness. Athena had evolved, and I thought it would be appropriate to pay our respects to Gaia before leaving Valentia, and everyone agreed. Since it was nearby, Athena, in her dragon form, would fly us there. Eos was also in her dragon form, providing support for Athena, who was new to it, but Athena seemed to be enjoying herself more than I expected.
Gaia congratulated Athena, Mina, Flam, Raus, and Rebecca on their High Class evolutions. However, there was something I needed to ask her.
“Gaia-sama, about Eos, well…”
“I appreciate your feelings, but Eos is Athena’s attendant and has entered a Dragon Resonance Contract with H.R.H. Manalease. Therefore, Eos herself would not wish for such a thing.”
As someone who had… gotten involved with Eos, I intended to take responsibility. However, Gaia stated that Eos did not wish for it. Eos herself had also said so. However, Dragonians are few in number, and they apparently want to have children.
“You should have explained about the Dragon Resonance Contract with Eos. For Dragonians, marriage is predicated on that Dragon Resonance Contract.”
I had heard about that too. When Dragonians transform into their dragon forms, they can defeat monsters up to around P-rank on their own. Because of this, there are many who plot to misuse that power. Of course, Dragonians would never enter into a Dragon Resonance Contract with such individuals. However, to prevent them from being exploited by such people, marriage for Dragonians requires a Dragon Resonance Contract. This means that Eos, who has a contract with Manalease, cannot marry me.
“Furthermore, it is not only Eos. Miss Marisa and Miss Viola will also not marry you. Those who will marry Lord Yamato are other individuals.”
So, not only Eos, but Marisa and Viola as well? Currently, my wives are Prim, Mana, Mina, and Flam, and my fiancées are Yuri, Rika, Lydia, Ludia, and Athena. Apparently, I am to have a total of twelve marriage partners, meaning three more will be added. I had honestly thought Eos, Marisa, and Viola would be among them.
“Give it up, Yamato. Even if it was due to my Dragon Resonance Contract, you’ve already acted. Besides, Dragonians can only bear children once, so their desire to have children is likely stronger than other races.”
That’s true, but I still have reservations…
“You’ll just have to get used to it. And since Eos, Marisa, and Viola likely want children too, I don’t mind you getting involved with them.”
No, Prim, I’m talking about my reservations!
“We’ll think about that later, but consider Eos carefully, okay?”
“I understand.”
Because of the Dragon Resonance Contract, I cannot marry Eos. It would be possible if she canceled her contract with Mana and formed a new one with me. However, I have a Dragon Resonance Contract with Athena, and if Dragonians don’t have good compatibility, multiple Dragonians cannot form a Dragon Resonance Contract. Athena and Eos have good compatibility personality-wise, but their magical compatibility is not good, so they cannot form a Dragon Resonance Contract simultaneously. Since marriage for Dragonians is predicated on a Dragon Resonance Contract, Eos, as long as she’s contracted with Mana, can only have children as a single mother. Eos wants to have my child, and in this situation, I feel like the only way to take responsibility is to have Eos bear my child and help with the childcare.
This is a problem that cannot be postponed forever, and it concerns not only Athena and Eos but all Dragonians. I need to come to a decision sooner rather than later.
“By the way, you mentioned departing Valentia tomorrow and basing yourselves in a town called Feel?”
“Ah, yes. It’s a town at the foot of the Mylight Mountains. We’re planning to visit the Treasure Trees in the Mylight Mountains soon as well.”
It is said that at the summit of the Mylight Mountains are the world trees, known as the twelve Treasure Trees, and the Helios Orb. When I met Gaia the other day, she mentioned that at the base of some of these Treasure Trees, there are stone tablets with inscriptions that are thought to be in Earth’s language, likely Japanese. I intend to visit them upon returning to Feel.
“Is that so? Since Tescatlipoca is at the Treasure Trees of the Solpreza Mountain Range, I suppose you couldn’t go there.”
“Of course. Even with Yamato and Prim’s proven track record of defeating Demise Species, neither of us would willingly go there.”
Everyone nodded at Rika’s words. I understand that Demise Species are troublesome opponents, and I wasn’t exactly eager to go either.
“I cannot tell you what the stone tablets at the Treasure Trees are, but they are undoubtedly useful. Please do go and see them.”
Useful, huh? Gaia knows what they are, but due to a contract or something, she cannot reveal it, which makes me very curious. Moreover, since they seem to be key items for my marriage with Rika, I definitely want them. However, I can’t imagine what the stone tablets could be useful for.
After continuing our casual conversation, we stayed at the Crystal Palace for the night. The next day, just before noon, we departed Valentia and headed for Float, the royal capital of Amister.
