Chapter 171

"The Delayed Reward and Medal"

Translated by Dawn

“The Delayed Reward and Medal”

The next day, I went to the king of the Schells Kingdom to report. Although there was a high risk of encountering the princesses, I had to meet with the king, so I was aware of the risks.

I instantly teleported to the king’s office, and if the princesses were there, I could simply teleport away again.

“Long time no see.”

“You always show up out of nowhere.”

“Well, you have some responsibility for what happened, don’t you?”

The fact was, the king bore some responsibility for not being able to stop the princesses’ rampage. If the king had managed to stop their reckless actions, I wouldn’t have had to flee to Saverdales.

The king, who couldn’t possibly be unaware of this, received my piercing gaze and had a complex expression. While I, personally, didn’t hold much resentment toward the situation, considering that I had the means to seek asylum in another country, I didn’t think it was an issue to be casually dismissed.

“I do feel sorry about that. I never expected my daughter to go so far. As for me, I just wanted to have some connection with you…”

“It completely backfired, didn’t it?”

Ignoring the king’s disappointed sigh as his plans went awry, I conveyed the purpose of my visit to the king.

“For now, do you know the events that took place in Saverdales?”

“I have a rough idea. Will you explain it to me?”

“It’s not complicated. It’s the story of how I became a hero after accepting a request from the Duchess of Saverdales.”

“Well, I don’t really understand… Can you explain it in more detail?”

It was a bit troublesome, but I explained the details of what happened in Saverdales. As I spoke, I noticed a mixture of astonishment and exasperation in the king’s attitude.

And in the end, I received a powerless remark from the king, his head in his hands.

“In what world do people go and defeat a manticore as a side activity during their sightseeing in another country?”

“Well, here I am.”

“…”

Leaving the increasingly frustrated king alone, I decided to bring up the main topic.

“More importantly, since I hadn’t received the reward for the Octopus, let’s solve that.”

“Ah, yes. It was the land in the commercial district and the introduction to the son or apprentice of a reputable merchant. Here’s the deed to the land. And as for the merchant’s son, I believe the third son of the Affari Trading Company would be suitable. If you take this introduction letter, they should provide the referral.”

“Got it. Then, that settles it—”

“Wait, it’s not over yet.”

I received the deed to the land and the introduction letter, intending to make my escape right away. However, as if anticipating my thoughts, the king detained me. Just when I wondered what was going on, he suddenly presented a heavy-looking bag in front of me.

“What’s this?”

“It’s the reward for the Octopus extermination. Since it was also given when you defeated the Manticore in Saverdales, it’s only natural that you receive it for the Octopus extermination too, right? I’ve prepared 2,000 large gold coins here, not as much as in Saverdales, but it should suffice. And take this as well.”

In addition to the large gold coins, the king seemed to want to give me something else and handed me an ornate bag. Inside the bag was a splendid medal resembling a Mithril First Class Medal.

“A medal?”

“Yes. I present you with the ‘Warfront First Class Medal’ for the Octopus extermination. I wanted to give it to you in an audience, but I thought it would be better to give it to you directly.”

“If it’s something I can receive, then I’ll accept it.”

After that, without any significant discussion, we engaged in casual conversation and I handed the king takoyaki and sweet potatoes as souvenirs. I left the office immediately.

When I was leaving the room, I sensed the presence of the princesses through my Sense Manipulation. It seemed that they had discovered I was in the castle, but I managed to escape just in time.

At any rate, being able to receive the reward I missed out on for the Octopus was a plus for me, so I’ll consider it a good outcome.