Chapter 321

After the battle, the ship was in complete disarray.

The mages of the subjugation team had given up on using offensive magic to protect the ship, but even so, the warship was filled with undeniable traces of shock.

Wooden fragments rolled across the deck, and parts of the ship were collapsed and destroyed.

It seemed to illustrate just how fierce and intense the battle with the Kraken had been.

Except, of course, for the fact that the Kraken had simply fallen onto the ship and crushed it after being submerged.

Originally, the protective magic of the mages should have prevented any damage from the Kraken’s weight alone, but Marin’s song had caused everyone to fall asleep.

Still, in the end, thanks to her, the battle itself had minimized casualties.

Though some were injured from being crushed by the Kraken, there were no fatalities.

Of course, that was largely due to Kurt being the first to wake up and swiftly finishing off the Kraken.

And so, the subjugation of the Kraken, which had once caused all sorts of strange phenomena in Leila, came to a safe conclusion.

Though there was the incident of Regina, still half-asleep, frantically trying to capture the Lowdrake Pirate Crew at that moment.

And then the Lowdrake Pirate Crew managed to escape.

The subjugation team struggled to pull Marin out of the water, which had sunk almost to the depths.

Kurt insisted on transporting the Kraken’s corpse back to Leila, persuading the subjugation team members.

But compared to the task of subjugating the Kraken, those were minor issues.

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The Inn ‘Red Shell,’ which had always been famous among those in the know, had recently gained even more fame and was now rightfully called one of Leila’s landmarks.

Normally, the inn would be bustling with guests who had heard of its reputation, but today, there were only a few empty tables here and there.

Of course, even then, it was still busier than other inns or restaurants.

But the reduced number of guests didn’t mean the noise level was any lower.

Quite the opposite.

The atmosphere inside the inn was even livelier than usual.

After all, today was a joyous occasion to celebrate the successful subjugation of the Kraken.

As a result, the hall, which was usually open to non-staying guests, was temporarily closed to everyone except the subjugation team members, who had practically rented out the entire place.

“Everyone, thank you once again for joining the subjugation team for the sake of Leila.”

“Enough with the formalities, Sergeant Regina! Have a drink! People don’t like boring speeches!”

“Hahaha. This soldier knows what’s up! Don’t worry, Sergeant! We’re all just here for the money anyway!”

“You…! Fine! Then I’ll tell your fiancée all about the antics you pulled while on duty!”

“Ah! Sergeant! That’s not fair! That’s just mean!”

“What are you talking about? I just want to build a good relationship with my subordinate’s fiancée. You said people don’t like boring speeches, so I’m just trying to keep things light.”

“Sergeant!”

“Hahahaha!”

And so, the soldiers and adventurers, drunk and noisy, filled the center of the Inn ‘Red Shell.’

In fact, while the adventurers were unaware, Leila’s soldiers had originally been too busy with matters related to the Lowdrake Pirate Crew to attend the celebration. Ironically, their mass escape had freed up their tight schedule, allowing them to join the festivities.

Given the Lowdrake Pirate Crew’s reputation and the force they had shown during the Kraken subjugation, it became clear that their previous capture had been more about avoiding unnecessary trouble. Now, forming a pursuit team would do more harm than good.

With no significant progress in the investigation and no major visible damage, continuing the investigation would only waste manpower and time. Their escape had actually provided a good opportunity to drop the matter.

If they had escaped in a way that still left room for capture, it might have been harder to give up, but they had taken their pirate ship to the open seas, far beyond the reach of Leila’s soldiers.

Regina, who had been obsessed with investigating the Lowdrake Pirate Crew, couldn’t hide her frustration, but her soldiers secretly sighed in relief at having less work to do.

And so, even the usually strict soldiers under Regina’s command let loose and enjoyed themselves, drinking freely with adventurers they had never met before, all celebrating the subjugation team’s success.

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“Umm…!? This soup’s taste…!”

“Right? Isn’t it delicious?”

“I thought the only person who could rival my cooking skills was Kurt… But this cooking skill is also on par with mine. Who would have thought such a talent was hiding here…! Truly, there are still so many skilled people in this world I didn’t know about. Hehe.”

In another corner of the inn, Liche let out a light exclamation of admiration after tasting the clam chowder.

“Of course. This inn became the most famous in Leila just for this dish. And it’s a secret, but even the innkeeper who made this dish decided to become Kurt’s apprentice after seeing his cooking skills.”

“Even someone who can make such delicious food voluntarily becoming his apprentice… Kurt’s cooking skills are truly amazing, aren’t they?”

“W-what!? Ugh…! K-Kurt…! Ughhh…!”

Upon hearing that even the person who made such an admirable dish called Kurt her master, Liche groaned with an inexplicable sense of defeat and humiliation.

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“Miss Arisa! Are you eating?”

“Are youuu?”

“Eek…! M-Miss Mari… and Miss Marin…?”

In the lively atmosphere of the celebration party, Arisa, who was quietly eating alone in a corner as usual, was approached by Mari and Marin.

Startled by the sudden approach, Arisa trembled like a rabbit facing a predator.

“Here! Miss Arisa! Try this! It’s a dish called Man-eating Crab Croquette! It’s crispy and super delicious!”

“Reallyyy!”

“Oh? Miss Marin, who’s usually too scared to talk in front of others, seems to talk just fine in front of Miss Arisa?”

“Well, elves are different from humans. I’m only scared of humans, not other races!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! And stop sneakily taking two croquettes while talking!”

“Ah…! Oh! Right! I was going to give one to Miss Arisa!”

“Don’t lie!”

“P-please don’t fight…!”

And so, the original forest-attribute pseudo-capybara beastkin and the human-excluding water-attribute pseudo-capybara beastkin enjoyed the feast with Arisa, sharing delicious food.

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“Hahaha! This Lizardman friend knows how to drink!”

“You’re quite the spirited one yourself! Hahaha!”

Kirsh, a great warrior from the Lizardman Village and Kurt’s friend, was also enjoying the party in a corner of the inn, pouring drinks with Bram’s party.

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And in the back of the Inn ‘Red Shell,’ where the celebration continued.

“Master. Thank you once again.”

“How many times do I have to hear that today? And stop calling me master.”

“You did something truly great. From what I’ve heard, you were the one who contributed the most to the Kraken’s subjugation. Thank you for protecting my daughter and allowing her to return safely to the inn.”

“…Don’t praise me too much. The fact that Regina returned from the battlefield without serious injury is solely due to her own abilities.”

I awkwardly averted my gaze from the innkeeper’s words of gratitude.

Like mother, like daughter. She says the same things as her daughter.

The innkeeper gave me a warm smile, as if understanding everything.

…Just staring at me without saying anything is annoying in its own way.

Realizing that continuing the conversation with the innkeeper would be pointless, I quickly moved to another spot.

At least the food was ready just in time.

In fact, ever since I realized that Leila’s strange phenomena might be related to a monster, I had been looking forward to something.

If a monster could exert such influence on a city, it must be an incredibly strong and rare monster.

And rare monsters inevitably have unique flavors that are hard to find in other monsters.

What kind of dish could be made with such rare ingredients, and what would it taste like…?

And my prediction was spot on.

The Kraken, a rare monster that appears only once every few decades.

It was a jackpot.

And so, I entered the inn’s hall with the dish I had made using today’s spoils.

“Here! Today’s main dish is ready! Surely you’re not already full, are you?”

“Wooow!”

“Main dish!”

“Hahaha! No way!”

As I entered the hall with the dish, cheers of anticipation for the main course erupted from all around, and the celebration’s atmosphere grew even more lively.

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“Hmm…….”

“….”

“It’s taking a while.”

“…Indeed.”

“Hmm……. I might turn into an old man by the time this is over.”

“Ahem…! Indeed.”

And in a corner of the Adventurer Guild of Astram.

Shail, who had arrived in Astram on a secret imperial mission, was waiting with Albert for the two parties that still showed no sign of returning.

In an atmosphere as stifling as being on a business trip with a boss you’ve never spoken to before, all Albert could do was hope that Kurt and his party would return as soon as possible.