Chapter 181 - 180: The Manor
"I take back what I said before. Your Magic really does hurt the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm."
Maki sheathed his sword and raised his hands. "I was short-sighted. You’re the core of this squad."
Zelir scoffed lightly. "There’s no core. Everyone just does their part."
After a short rest, the squad began to clean up the battlefield.
Zelir’s Aurora Energy Beam had blown the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm’s corpse to pieces. Its shell had already peeled off, so carving it up wasn’t very difficult.
The shell would rot quickly, so the only loot from the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm was its Demon Core.
Marcus carefully extracted it.
It was an irregular crystal, like a piece of Obsidian.
The Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm’s Demon Core had a special ability: it could resonate with the surrounding Earth Element.
If used as a Wand Core, it would allow a Caster to absorb the energy from nearby Ore or the earth itself, converting it for their own use.
Even when Casting next to the plainest of rocks, it could significantly enhance the Power of Earth Magic.
A priceless treasure.
Meanwhile, Gray, Valles, and Maki were in charge of cleaning up the disgusting Stone Maggots, carving the less valuable Demon Cores from their bodies.
"PHEW..."
Maki sliced open a Stone Maggot’s head with his dagger, pried out the Demon Core, and tossed it into a cloth pouch.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, then glanced at Gray, who was busy doing the same beside him.
"Remember that strike from before?"
"What strike?"
"The Vortex Slash."
Maki made a gesture.
"It was the first Swordsmanship Skill you ever taught me. ’Let your body follow your waist, swing in a circle, and throw all your Power into it.’ That’s what you told me back then."
"You’ve got a pretty good memory, then."
Gray didn’t even look up, his hands still busy. "I don’t even remember it myself."
"Gray taught you Swordsmanship?" Zelir asked from the side, intrigued.
"Of course."
Maki said without hesitation, "When I was just starting out, I was only a miner. I swung a sword like I was swinging a hammer. It was Gray who taught me how to use one properly."
"Alright, alright. I’m happy I could teach such a talented student, but can we stop talking about the past?"
Gray grunted with effort as he sliced open another Stone Maggot’s head. "Speaking of which, what are you doing in Black Stone Town? I thought you were going to stay in the south."
"You get tired of being in one place all the time. I figured I’d wander up to the Northern Territory for a bit. Never expected to run into you."
Maki said, "What a stroke of luck."
"Bad luck for me," Gray muttered, pouting.
Soon, all the loot had been tallied. In addition to the one Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm, the squad had also killed seventeen Stone Maggots.
By that count, the bounty for the Demons alone came to one hundred and sixty-seven Gold Coins.
As for the Demon Cores from the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm and Stone Maggots, they could be taken to the Adventurer’s Association to be sold.
Even if it wasn’t for a quest accepted from the Association, they were always willing to buy things like Demon Cores.
There was never a shortage of buyers for them.
"The total bounty for hunting the Demons is one hundred and sixty-seven Gold Coins. Zelir gets sixty-six gold and eighty silver."
Marcus announced, "Valles, Maki, and I will each take thirty gold and six silver. Gray, you get ten gold and two silver. Any problems?"
None of the squad members had any objections, including Maki.
Zelir definitely deserved the largest share. He provided the burst damage and the buffs, making him the absolute core of the team. Besides, he was the one who found this job.
"As for the loot, once we sell it at the Adventurer’s Association, we’ll divide the proceeds using the same ratio."
...
「The Mine」
The sound of the violent explosions within the tunnel had stopped a while ago.
But the silence that followed only made those waiting outside more anxious.
Reid stared up at the exit, his heart pounding with tension.
’What happened in there?’
Time ticked by, second by second. After waiting a little longer, Reid was on the verge of calling the guards to go up and take a look.
Just then, the figures of the Adventurer Squad appeared at the cave mouth, all of them looking somewhat exhausted.
Reid quickly counted them.
’Five people... not one missing.’
Only then did Reid finally feel relieved.
The Adventurer Squad descended the stone steps, and Reid hurried forward to meet them.
"Brave Adventurers, what’s the situation inside?" he asked eagerly.
"It was a tough fight, but we won."
Zelir swiped his hand over his Storage Pouch, and a cloth bag containing the Demon Cores of the Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm and Stone Maggots appeared in his hand.
"One Thousand-Teeth Rock Worm and seventeen Stone Maggots. All eliminated."
"Ah... The young miss was right about you. You are truly trustworthy Adventurers."
Reid finally let out a sigh of relief, a smile of profound relief spreading across his face.
’If this incident hadn’t been dealt with promptly, the pressure from the Government Hall would have been immense.’
’Now we can send people in to carefully inspect all the mine tunnels. If everything is clear, we can reopen for work in a while.’
"As I mentioned, Alberti Manor has prepared a celebratory banquet for you. Please, follow me."
...
「Several hours later.」
A luxurious carriage slowly drove into the manor grounds.
The interior of this carriage was on a completely different level from the one Marcus had hired; it was incredibly spacious.
A thick, deep-red carpet covered the floor, and the velvet cushions were so soft you could sink right into them.
Zelir lifted the curtain and saw that they had already entered Alberti Manor.
He couldn’t help but marvel at the magnificent scene before him.
A vast lawn was meticulously manicured. At its far end stood a castle-like building that looked as grand as a palace.
In front of the castle, a fountain sprayed crystalline water into the air. Several glowing lamps were placed nearby, and in their light, the splashing water shimmered with a brilliant, rainbow-like iridescence.
"So this is where rich people live..." Maki’s voice was filled with awe.
"Look at you, acting like you’ve never seen anything," Gray shot Maki a sideways glance.
Maki paid Gray’s words no mind, still excitedly sizing up the distant castle.
The carriage stopped beside a circular fountain plaza in front of the castle.
A servant in a crisp uniform respectfully opened the door for them, and the squad disembarked one by one.
Just as Zelir stepped out of the carriage, he heard a familiar, lively voice.
"Zelir!" Bev, smiling, lifted the hem of her skirt and warmly hurried over to greet him.
"Bev." Zelir smiled and greeted her in return.
Since they weren’t meeting at the Mage’s Guild today, Bev’s attire was a far cry from her usual simple and sharp style, fitting her status as a young lady much better.
She wore an elegant, pale gold long dress, the fabric of which shimmered with a soft luster in the sunset.
The collar and cuffs were adorned with delicate lace, and a sky-blue silk sash was tied around her waist.