Chapter 52 - Who cares about this useless elf?!
"Stupid elf! Useless elf! Foolish elf! Are you even worth anything? Any random passerby could do a better job than you!"
During the climb up the long, steep slope, a black haired girl in a kimono used a rude tone, completely opposite to her elegant appearance, to verbally abuse her companions. The blonde, masked elf who was attacked initially lowered her head and silently endured it. But seeing that Kaguya's verbal attacks weren't stopping, Ryu could no longer bear it. She raised her eyebrows, her eyes shining with strong will.
"Kaguya! That's enough! What do you mean any random passerby could do better than me? Why don't you just say any random passerby could beat the Floor Boss?!"
Kaguya fell silent, glancing sideways at Ryu and slowly revealing a smile that would arouse the imaginations of men. But this was not a gentle smile...it was a dangerous preparation for attack.
"Oh dear, I'd rather believe a random passerby comes along and beats up the Floor Boss than believe that you, a useless elf, can get things done. Guess who caused us to be unable to rest for a day in Rivira after the expedition, and had to return exhausted like this? And we even had to give away the precious materials we found in the deep floors?"
Kaguya Gojouno was famous in Orario for her superb swordsmanship and was therefore bestowed the alias Yamato Rindou by the gods. But only those who knew her well knew that Kaguya's words were just as harsh, sharp, and precise as her swordsmanship. Even Ryu, who was also a Level 3 adventurer, was somewhat overwhelmed.
Her previous imposing manner vanished, and Ryu lowered her head stiffly. Although her expression was obscured by the mask, one could imagine her pouting. "Who... who let them touch my hand..."
"Yes, yes, the noble elven lady's hands are truly precious. Just when they almost touched them, she beat five or six adventurers until they were covered in blood! It almost caused us to go to war with those adventurers in Rivira!"
Even though the blonde elf's eyes were almost overflowing with tears, Kaguya showed no sign of stopping. "My noble elven lady, I wonder if you would deign to offer a paid handshake service? If you were, the wealth of the Astraea Familia would surely surpass that of the Hephaestus Familia in no time! Then we wouldn't have to work so hard!"
Seeing the two vanguards arguing, the other members behind them finally spoke up.
"Hey, Kaguya, don't blame Ryu. It's all my fault for accidentally getting attacked by the Poison Vermis. I needed to buy an extremely expensive potion in Rivira, which is why they took the opportunity to extort us."
The speaker was an elf mage holding a staff and wearing glasses. Her short green hair and neutral shirt meant she could easily be mistaken for a pretty boy. The large bandage wrapped around her right arm explained her pale complexion.
The Poison Vermis is one of the most dangerous monsters that use poison. The potent poison from its mouth or skin can easily penetrate the Abnormal Resistance of first class adventurers. Although their individual combat ability is poor, they often appear in massive swarms, making any group of adventurers tremble. The crucial point is that the venom can only be completely cured by using a special potion made from its drop items. So far, no healer's magic could completely remove it; it could only alleviate the symptoms.
On their way back from the lower floors, the Astraea Familia was attacked by Poison Vermis. Celty, who had not yet recovered from her Mind exhaustion, was unfortunately caught. In the adventurer town of Rivira on the 18th floor, such a potion naturally existed, and unsurprisingly, the price was extremely high, forcing them to sign IOUs.
When they tried to sell some materials in exchange for a night's rest at an inn in Rivira, they were besieged by unscrupulous merchants. Rivira is a black market town that doesn't even care about the Guild. They dare to extort members of the Loki Familia and Freya Familia, so why would they be afraid of the Astraea Familia? Rather, they were already frequently arrested by the Astraea Familia, who acted as city law enforcement on the surface, so they wouldn't miss a chance to assert their dominance. When a few perverts, emboldened by their position, reached out with perverted gazes to Ryu, everything was destined to end badly.
"Enough! This has nothing to do with anyone! It's the fault of those merchants, so why are you all attacking your teammates or apologizing?" The cute, pink-haired Pallum spoke up, ending the internal strife.
"Also, Celty, don't talk about who's wrong. If it weren't for your and Ryana's magic, we don't know when we would have completed this expedition. Your Mind fatigue is for everyone's sake, understand?"
Although Lyra looked young, she often got straight to the point. For the Astraea Familia, whose captain often acted impulsively, she frequently shouldered the role of commander. After being lectured by Lyra, the team fell silent.
The one who broke the silence was the red-haired girl. She let out a hearty laugh that echoed through the long slope, dispelling the eerie danger of the Dungeon. "That's right, Kaguya. You can't always use words to attack people if you want to care about them. When will you learn to be frank? If you want Ryu to learn to get along with people, you have to speak properly first!"
As if she had been ambushed, Kaguya's expression changed drastically.
"Huh? Who cares about this useless elf?!"
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